Documents Illustrative of the Continental Reformation,
from B.J. Kidd, ed.,
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911), pp. 193-202.


(i) The Preface of Martin Luther.

Above all things, I most affectionately and for God's sake beseech all, who
see or desire to observe this our Order of Divine Service, on no account to
make of it a compulsory law, or to ensnare or make captive thereby any man's
conscience; but to use it agreeably to Christian liberty at their good
pleasure as, where, when and so long as circumstances favour and demand it.
Moreover, we would not have our meaning taken to be that we desire to rule, or
by law to compel, any one. Meanwhile, there is on every side great pressure
towards a German Mass and Order of Divine Service: and there is great
complaint and offence about the different kinds of new Masses, that every one
makes his own, some with a good intention and others out of conceit to
introduce something new themselves and to make a good show among others and
not be bad masters. As then always happens with Christian liberty, few use it
for anything else than their own pleasure or profit: and not for God's honour
and the good of their neighbour. While, however, every man is bound on his
conscience, in like manner as he uses such liberty himself, not to hinder nor
forbid it to any one else, we must also take care that liberty be servant to
love and to our neighbour. Where, then, it happens that men are offended or
perplexed at such diversity of use, we are truly bound to put limits to
liberty; and, so far as possible, to endeavour that the people are bettered by
what we do and not offended. Since, then, in these matters of outward
ordinance nothing is laid upon us as matter of conscience before God, and yet
such ordinance can be of use to our neighbour, we ought in love, as St. Paul
teaches, to endeavour to be of one and the same mind; and, to the best of our
power, of like ways and fashion; just as all Christians have one baptism and
one sacrament, and no one has a special one given him of God.

Still, I do not wish hereby to demand that those who already have a good Order
or, by God's grace, can make a better, should let it go, and yield to us. Nor
is it my meaning that the whole of Germany should have to adopt forthwith our
Wittenberg Order. It never was the case that the ministers, convents, and
parishes were alike in everything. But it would be a grand thing if, in every
several lordship, Divine Service were conducted in one fashion; and the
neighbouring little townships and villages joined in the cry with one city.
Whether in other lordships they should do the same or something different,
should be left free and without penalty. In fine, we institute this Order not
for the sake of those who are Christians already. For they have need of none
of these things (for which things' sake man does not live: but they live for
the sake of us who are not yet Christians, that they may make us Christians);
they have their Divine Service in their spirits. But it is necessary to have
such an Order for the sake of those who are to become Christians, or are to
grow stronger; just as a Christian has need of baptism, the word and the
sacrament not as a Christian (for, as such, he has them already), but as a
sinner. But, above all, the Order is for the simple and for the young folk who
must daily be exercised in the Scripture and God's Word, to the end that they
may become conversant with Scripture and expert in its use, ready and skilful
in giving an answer for their faith, and able in time to teach others and aid
in the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. For the sake of such, we must
read, sing, preach, write, and compose; and if it could in any wise help or
promote their interests, I would have all the bells pealing, and all the
organs playing, and everything making a noise that could. The Popish Divine
Services are to be condemned for this reason that they have made of them laws,
work, and merit; and so have depressed faith. And they do not direct them
towards the young and simple, to practise them thereby in the Scripture and
Word of God; but they are themselves stuck fast in them, and hold them as
things useful and necessary to salvation : and that is the devil. For in this
wise the ancients have neither ordered nor imposed them. Now there are three
different kinds of Divine Service.

[I] The first, in Latin; which we published lately, called the Formula Missae.
This I do not want to have set aside or changed; but, as we have hitherto kept
it, so should we be still free to use it where and when we please, or as
occasion requires. I do not want in anywise to let the Latin tongue disappear
out of Divine Service; for I am so deeply concerned for the young. If it lay
in my power, and the Greek and Hebrew tongues were as familiar to us as the
Latin, and possessed as great a store of fine music and song as the Latin
does, Mass should be held and there should be singing and reading, on
alternate Sundays in all four languages-German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. I am
by no means of one mind with those who set all their store by one language,
and despise all others; for I would gladly raise up a generation able to be of
use to Christ in foreign lands and to talk with their people, so that we might
not be like the Waldenses in Bohemia whose faith is so involved in the toils
of their own language that they can talk intelligibly and plainly with no one
unless he first learn their language. That was not the way of the Holy Ghost
in the beginning. He did not wait till all the world should come to Jerusalem,
and learn Hebrew. But He endowed the office of the ministry with all manner of
tongues, so that the Apostles could speak to the people wherever they went. I
should prefer to follow this example; and it is right also that the youth
should be practised in many languages. Who knows how God will make use of them
in years to come? It is for this end also that schools are established.

[2] Next, there is the German Mass and Divine Service, of which we are now
treating. This ought to be set up for the sake of the simple laymen. Both
these kinds of Service then we must have held and publicly celebrated in
church for the people in general. They are not yet believers or Christians.
But the greater part stand there and gape, simply to see something new: and it
is just as if we held Divine Service in an open square or field amongst Turks
or heathen. So far it is no question yet of a regularly fixed assembly wherein
to train Christians according to the Gospel: but rather of a public allurement
to faith and Christianity.

[3] But the third sort [of Divine Service], which the true type of Evangelical
Order should embrace, must not be celebrated so publicly in the square amongst
all and sundry. Those, however, who are desirous of being Christians in
earnest, and are ready to profess the Gospel with hand and mouth, should
register their names and assemble by themselves in some house to pray, to
read, to baptize and to receive the sacrament and practise other Christian
works. In this Order, those whose conduct was not such as befits Christians
could be recognized, reproved, reformed, rejected, or excommunicated,
according to the rule of Christ in Matt. xviii. Here, too, a general giving of
alms could be imposed on Christians, to be willingly given and divided among
the poor, after the example of St. Paul in 2 Cor. ix. Here there would not be
need of much fine singing. Here we could have baptism and the sacrament in
short and simple fashion: and direct everything towards the Word and prayer
and love. Here we should have a good short Catechism about the Creed, the Ten
Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. In one word, if we only had people who
longed to be Christians in earnest, Form and Order would soon shape itself.
But I cannot and would not order or arrange such a community or congregation
at present. I have not the requisite persons for it, nor do I see many who are
urgent for it. But should it come to pass that I must do it, and that such
pressure is put upon me as that I find myself unable with a good conscience to
leave it undone, then I will gladly do my part to secure it, and will help it
on as best I can. In the meantime, I would abide by the two Orders aforesaid;
and publicly among the people aid in the promotion of such Divine Service,
besides preaching, as shall exercise the youth and call and incite others to
faith, until those Christians who are most thoroughly in earnest shall
discover each other and cleave together; to the end that there be no
faction-forming, such as might ensue if I were to settle everything out of my
own head. For we Germans are a wild, rude, tempestuous people; with whom one
must not lightly make experiment in anything new, unless there be most urgent
need. Well, then: in the name of God. The first requisite in the German system
of Divine Worship is a good, plain, simple, and substantial Catechism. A
Catechism is a form of instruction by which heathen, desirous of becoming
Christians, are taught and shown what they are to believe, to do, to leave
undone and to know in Christianity. Hence mere learners who were admitted to
such instruction, and were acquiring the rudiments of the Christian faith
before their baptism were called catechumens. This instruction or information
I know no better way of putting than that in which it has been put from the
beginning of Christianity till today: I mean, in those three articles of the
Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. In those three articles is
contained, plainly and briefly, all that a Christian needs to know.

(ii) Of Divine Service.

Now since in all Divine Service the chief and foremost part is to preach and
teach the Word of God, let us begin with the preaching and teaching.

[1] On Holy Days and Sundays we would have the usual Epistle and Gospel to
continue, and have three sermons. About 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., some Psalms should
be sung, as for Mattins; then a sermon on the Epistle for the day, chiefly for
the sake of servants that they also may be provided for and may hear the Word
of God, if they are not able to be present at other sermons. After that, an
antiphon with Te Deum or Benedictus alternately, with Our Father, Collect, and
Benedicamus Domino. At Mass, about 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., there should be a sermon
on the Gospel, as found according to the season. In the afternoon, at Vespers,
before Magnificat, sermons in regular course. The reason why we have retained
the division of the Epistles and Gospels into portions corresponding with the
season of the [Church's] year is that we have nothing particular to find fault
with in such arrangement. It has been the case at Wittenberg up till now that
there are many there who are to learn to preach in the districts where the old
apportionment of Epistle and Gospel still goes on and will probably continue.
As, then, we can be of use to such and help them thereby, in our judgement, we
suffer the custom to continue; without, however, finding fault with those who
adopt the books of the Gospels as a whole. Hereby we provide that the layman
has preaching and teaching enough : but, if a man wants more, he may find it
on other days.

[2] Thus on Monday and Tuesday mornings there should be a lesson in German on
the Ten Commandments, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, on Baptism and the
Sacrament; so that on these two days the Catechism may be kept up and grasped
in its proper sense. On Wednesday morning a lesson in German, for which is
appointed the Gospel of St. Matthew. The day is to be kept specially for this
Gospel : for Matthew is a fine evangelist to teach the people by, and he
relates Christ's good Sermon on the Mount, and makes much of the practice of
love and good works. But the evangelist John, who teaches faith with special
force, should also have his own day-Saturday afternoon at Vespers. And so we
have two Evangelists in daily use. On Thursday and Friday mornings there are
the daily lessons week by week of the Apostolic Epistles and the rest of the
New Testament. This makes sufficient provision for lessons and preaching, to
set the Word of God going, except it be for lectures in the Universities to
the learned.

[3] We come now to practising boys at school in the Bible. Every week-day,
before the lesson, let them sing some psalms in Latin, as has been customary
hitherto at Mattins; for, as we have said, we wish the young to be trained and
practised in the Latin tongue, through the Bible. After the psalms, the boys
two or three in turn, according to its length, should read a chapter in Latin
out of the New Testament. Then let another boy read the same chapter in German
for practice, and in case any layman were there to hear. After that, go on,
with an antiphon, to the lesson in German of which we have spoken above. Then
let the whole lot sing a German hymn, followed by the Lord's Prayer said
silently; and let the parson or chaplain say a Collect and conclude with the
Benedicamus Domino, as usual. In the same way at Vespers, let them sing the
Vesper Psalms as sung hitherto, in Latin, with an antiphon ; then a hymn, as
there is opportunity. Then let them read, two or three, by turn, in Latin, out
of the Old Testament, a chapter or half a chapter according to its length.
Then let one boy read it in German. Next, Magnificat in Latin, with an
antiphon or chant. Then Our Father silently and the Collects with the
Benedicamus. So much for Divine Service daily throughout the week in towns
where there are schools.

(iii) On Sundays for the laity.

The Mass vestments, altars, and lights may be retained till such time as they
shall all change of themselves, or it shall please us to change them: though,
if any will take a different course in this matter, we shall not interfere.
But in the true Mass, among sincere Christians, the altar should not be
retained, and the priest should always turn himself towards the people as,
without doubt, Christ did at the Last Supper. That, however, must bide its
time.

[a] At the beginning then we sing a spiritual song or a psalm in German, in
primo tono, as follows : Ps. xxxiv.

[b] Then Kyrie eleison, to the same tone, but thrice and not nine times. . . .

[c] Then the priest reads a Collect in Effaut in unisono, as follows :
'Almighty God,' &c.

[d] Then the Epistle, in the eighth tone. . . . The Epistle should be sung
with the face turned to the people, but the Collect with the face turned to
the altar.

[e] After the Epistle is sung a German hymn, 'Nun bitten wir den heiligen
Geist,' or some other, by the whole choir.

[f] Then is read the Gospel in the fifth tone, also with the face turned
towards the people.

[g] After the Gospel the whole congregation sings the Creed in German, ' Wir
glauben all' an einen Gott,' &c.

[h] Then follows the sermon, on the Gospel of the Sunday or Holyday: and I
think that, where the German Postills are in use throughout the year, it were
best to order the Postill of the day, either whole or part, to be read out of
the book to the people; not merely for the preacher's sake who can do no
better, but as a safeguard against fanatics and sectaries,--a custom of which
one may see traces in the Homilies at Mattins. Otherwise, where there is no
spiritual understanding, and the Spirit himself speaks not through the
preacher (though I set no limits to the preacher; for the Spirit can teach
better than any Postills or Homilies) the end of it will be that every man
will preach what he likes; and, instead of the Gospel and its exposition, they
will be preaching once more about blue ducks! There are further reasons why we
keep the Epistles and Gospels as they are arranged in the Postills, because
there are but few inspired preachers who can handle a whole Gospel or other
book with force and profit.

[i] After the sermon shall follow a public paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer,
with an exhortation to those who are minded to come to the Sacrament, in this,
or some other better, fashion, as follows: 'Dear friends in Christ, as we are
here gathered together, in the name of the Lord, to receive His holy
Testament, I exhort you, first, to lift your hearts to God and to say with me
'Our Father' according as Christ our Lord hath taught us, faithfully promising
that we shall be heard: ['Our Father,' &c., in paraphrase]. Next, I exhort you
in Christ that with right faith ye take heed to the Testament of Christ: and
specially that ye hold fast in your hearts the Word whereby Christ gives us
His body and blood for remission of sins; that ye bethink you of, and thank
Him for, the infinite love which He has shown us in that through His blood He
has redeemed us from God's wrath, from sin, death, and hell: and then take to
yourselves outwardly the bread and wine, which is His body and blood, for an
assurance and pledge thereof. In such wise will we, in His name and as He
commanded in His own Word, handle and use His Testament.' Whether this
paraphrase and exhortation should take place in the pulpit, immediately after
the sermon, or at the altar, I leave free to every man's discretion. . . .

[k] Then the Office and Consecration proceeds, as follows : 'Our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the same night'(i Cor. xi. 23 ff). I think that it would be in
accordance with the Last Supper if the sacrament were distributed immediately
after the consecration of the bread before the blessing of the cup. So say,
both Luke and Paul: 'Likewise also the cup after supper. Meanwhile, there
might be sung the Sanctus in German or the hymn 'Gott sei gelobet', or the
hymn of John Huss, 'Jesus Christus unser Heiland.' And after this should come
the consecration of the chalice and its delivery, with the singing of whatever
remains of the above-mentioned hymns, or of the Agnus Dei in German.

And for the sake of good order and discipline in going up, not men and women
together but the women after the men, men and women should have separate
places in different parts of the church. As to private confession, I have
already written enough about that: and my opinion may be found in the little
prayer-book.

[l] The elevation we desire not to abolish but to retain, for it fits in well
with the Sanctus in German, and means that Christ has bidden us to think of
Him. Just as the sacrament is bodily elevated and yet Christ's body and blood
therein are invisible, so through the word of the preacher He is commemorated
and uplifted, and in the reception of the sacrament recognized and worshipped:
and yet it is all a matter of faith and not of sight, how Christ gave His body
and blood for us and still daily intercedes with God to bestow His grace upon
us.

[m] The Sanctus in German, 'Jesaia dem Propheten das geschach,' &c.

[n] Then follows the Collect : 'We thank thee, Almighty Lord God,' &c.

[o] With the Blessing : 'The Lord bless thee and keep thee,' &c. So much for
daily Divine Service and for teaching the Word of God, specially with a view
to influencing the young and alluring the simple. Those who come out of
curiosity and the desire to gape at something new will soon be sick and tired
of the whole thing, as they were before of Divine Service in Latin. For that
was sung and read in church daily, and yet the churches are deserted and
empty: and already they are prepared to do the same with the German Service.
So it is best that such Divine Service should be arranged with an eye to the
young and to those simple folk that may perhaps come to it. As for the rest,
no law nor order, exhortation nor driving, that one can devise, is of any good
to induce them to go willingly and of their own accord to Divine Service, so
unwilling and reluctant are they to do so (though God takes no pleasure in
forced service), so idle and good-for-nothing.

As for feast-days, such as Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, Michaelmas,
Purification and the like, we must go on, as hitherto, with Latin till we have
hymns enough in German for the purpose. The work is but beginning, and all
that belongs to it is not yet ready. Only, as one knows, make a start one way
and several ways and means will be discovered.

Fast-days, Palm Sunday, and Holy Week may be retained. Not that we would
compel any one to fast; but that the reading of the Passion and the Gospels
appointed for these times should be observed. But we would not keep the Lenten
veil, strewing of palms, covering up of pictures, and all the other mummery,
nor sing the four Passions, nor preach on the Passion for eight hours on Good
Friday. Holy week must be like other weeks, except that there should be
sermons on the Passion for an hour daily throughout the week, or on as many
days as is convenient, with reception of the Sacrament by all who desire it.
For with Christians everything should be kept in God's service that has to do
with the Word and the Sacrament.

To sum up, this and every other order is so to be used that should any misuse
arise in connexion therewith, it should be immediately done away with and
another made: just as King Hezekiah broke up and did away with the brazen
serpent, which God Himself had commanded to be made, because the children of
Israel misused it. Forms and Orders should be for the promotion of faith and
the service of love, and not to injury of faith. When they have no more to do,
they are forthwith dead and of no more worth; just as, if good coin is
counterfeit, for fear of misuse it is abolished and destroyed; or as, when new
shoes have become old and dry, we wear them no longer but throw them away and
buy new ones. Order is an outward thing. Be it as good as it may, it can fall
into misuse. Then it is no longer order but disorder. So no Order has any
intrinsic worth of its own, as hitherto the Popish Order has been thought to
have. But all Order has its life, worth, strength, and virtue in right use ;
else it is worthless and fit for nothing. God's Spirit and grace be with us
all. Amen.

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