Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reformation Day
Luke 16:29 They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
HOLY SCRIPTURE ALONE
Proposal to Publish Luther's Collected Works -- September 29, 1538
Men [printers] in Augsburg and Wittenberg urged Luther to allow them to publish his collected works. He replied, "I'll never consent to this proposal of yours. I'd rather that all my books would disappear and the Holy Scriptures alone would be read. Otherwise we'll rely on such writings and let the Bible go. Brenz wrote such a big commentary on twelve chapters of Luke that it disgusts the reader to look into it. The same is true of my commentary on Galatians. I wonder who encourages this mania for writing! Who wants to buy such stout tomes? And if they're bought, who'll read them? And if they're read, who'll be edified by them?"
(Luther's Works, Volume 54, p. 311)
