Preface.

tion of the transcribed order, which reads as follows:

Since His Royal Majesty, etc., already ordered in the past year that the Evangelical Lutheran preachers in His lands shall be permitted to purchase from the local church funds all of Professor of Theology Dr. Lange's already published and yet to be published exegetical interpretive works on the Holy Scriptures for the church book inventory; and whereas His Majesty has learned how many church patrons are causing many difficulties regarding the funds and also do not want to let the deacons in the cities participate: His Royal Majesty hereby graciously commands His active Privy State Minister von Cocceji and Vice President von Reichenbach to issue a forceful order, in which the church patrons are instructed to release the church funds to all preachers without refusal, as much as is required for the purchase of the said Langian works. In the cities where several preachers are stationed at one church, these funds shall be granted to each one without distinction.

Potsdam, April 12, 1713.

Frederick William.

To State Minister von Cocceji and
Vice President von Reichenbach.

It is well known that immediately following this, the Royal circular ordinances were issued to all Royal officials, as well as noble and middle class church patrons, in all the Royal lands.

§. XII.

Since this was the occasion for the aforementioned Royal ordinance, it is hoped that everyone will recognize from this that nothing more was done on my part than what divine providentia providence quite evidently directed me toward, beyond all my expectations. It would have been difficult to neglect this without losing sight of that same providence. It is indeed true that many churches have provided themselves with these exegetical works. However, contrary to the Royal most gracious and hitherto constant intention, and also contrary to the desire of many of the preachers, this has happened only in very few cases so far due to various hindrances. Instead, most copies have been sought partly from foreign Imperial lands, and partly from outside them in Denmark, Livonia, as well as from Alsace and Switzerland. Indeed, not only the

volume on the Apostolic Epistles with the smaller one on the Revelation of John had already been sold out entirely, but also the first edition of the five books of Moses was mostly gone before the Royal ordinance was issued, and the former had already been printed for the second time. As far as the Royal Prussian lands are concerned, I shall remain all the more composed regarding the acquisition by churches, as I must assume with certainty that if the same were to remain without exception in so many provinces, it would not easily come to a new edition of the entire work after my death. Thereby, the opportunity for many foreign enthusiasts to obtain it might be taken away later. On the other hand, I naturally wish that this well-intentioned work may continue to serve posterity through several more editions.

§. XIII.

Regarding any profit suspected from this, the profit from the Apostolic and Latin volumes on the Epistles of Peter and John first falls to the local Orphans' House This refers to the Francke Foundations in Halle, a center of Pietist activity because of the regular publishing arrangement. And since the remaining volumes of the first edition still mostly sell at the cheap subscription pre-payment price, and whatever goes through the hands of the booksellers in the repeated edition must reasonably yield them a profit for their effort and expenses, not a little of what a publisher might otherwise gain falls away. I myself remain uninvolved with the distribution, but it cannot be managed by others without cost. To say nothing of other circumstances affecting the loss of profit: anyone who knows or considers what costs are required for the publication of a large volume will easily judge that the resulting temporal advantage cannot be nearly as great as some might think, if not out of envy then out of misunderstanding. And if God, while I live, wishes to grant me a blessing from it for my large family, it is hoped that one will gladly begrudge the author for his many and difficult labors, especially since the booksellers themselves tend to show themselves grateful for it. Also, whoever might receive anything from the mostly very poor, and partly ungrateful students for private lessons, will all the less begrudge a tireless worker for his effort and loyalty, which has been applied for so many years from the early morning hours until late at night, while consuming his own person. Especially since, besides the booksellers, one also gladly grants the paper makers,