High-Born Count/

Gracious Lord!

A large, ornate woodcut initial 'E' decorated with various flowers, including sunflowers and scrolling foliage, set within a square border.

To most humbly present original: præsentiren this modest work to Your High-Countly Excellence, I find so many reasons that to omit it would be more a sign of a dull mind original: blöden Verstandes; in this period, "blöd" referred to weakness or timidity rather than a lack of intelligence than of a cautious reverence original: Ehrfurcht for YOUR The author uses the archaic respectful pronoun Dero high person. I must fear that I might fall under the suspicion of some boastfulness original: Ruhmredigkeit if I were to praise here the grace which YOU original: Dieselben yourself—when I was still entirely a stranger and unknown—intended for me, of YOUR own accord and without my knowledge: But when YOUR everywhere-praised affability original: Leutseligkeit is considered, then this concern completely vanishes; since I can be certain that the glory must necessarily reflect back upon Your Excellence, as one of whom everyone holds the opinion that it is not so much certain merits original: Meriten and services rendered that must compel Your grace, but rather that Your helpful spirit is always ready to show kindness to everyone as much as possible.

However, I pass over all of this and say only this one thing: that the high esteem and feeling for divine things which I have encountered in Your Excellence has primarily brought me to the point that I have confidently ventured to take this liberty. For just as it is right that, when presenting a piece of writing, one examines whether its content will also be pleasing; so, on the other hand, one need not doubt that if the subject matter is liked, then the dedication original: dedication cannot be unpleasant, regardless of whether one might find something to criticize in the execution of the matter.

Indeed, today is such a sorrowful time when, compared to many other times, spiritual matters are either not esteemed original: æstimirt at all by great lords, or at the very least, many articles of faith original: Glaubens-Artickul are deemed unworthy of proper investigation, but are instead cast aside as unnecessary matters of dispute: Nevertheless, the mighty GOD still always has His own who highly esteem His laws and rights, and recognize that His testimonies must be properly investigated and ...