the enlightened men Sorgel, Lähner, and Medler had already zealously campaigned against the Papacy in St. Michael’s Church and begun to preach the pure Gospel even before the delivery of the Augsburg Confession The primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church, presented in 1530. in the year 1530. The goodness of the Most High has preserved this precious treasure for us until now, so that the healing words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine of godliness have been taught, preached, and practiced without disturbance in our city and land, and the praise of God still resounds. Although we cannot boast of any extraordinary godliness, we must not entirely deny the power and effect of the divine Word. God knows his own original: "2 Tim. 2:19". Some hidden Israelites will still be found who have not bowed their knees before the three-headed world-god A reference to the three worldly temptations mentioned in 1 John 2:16: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.. It does not depend on outward ceremonies; the kingdom of God does not come with outward gestures original: "Luke 17:20". Those who presume themselves to be pious and despise others may take their lesson from the parable of the proud Pharisee original: "Luke 18:9". To imagine oneself to be pious is already the furthest distance from true piety. Meanwhile, even the best and most pious must ask in heartfelt humility and holy desire to become more perfect: What do I still lack? The great multitude should finally wake up and recognize how they shame and blaspheme Christian doctrine with their lives of vice. They act as those wicked servants who know the Lord's will, or could know it, but do not do it, and therefore deserve many blows original: "Luke 12:47". We in this city and land thank our God from the very bottom of our hearts that he has preserved his holy, pure Word for us until now. We especially thank him for giving us a most illustrious and gracious Sovereign Prince and Lord whose heart is entirely inclined to keep the testimonies and laws of our God. His greatest care is to promote and cultivate true godliness in his land. May God grant him health and overflow him with every blessing for body and soul! God always provides people and means by which we are encouraged and prompted to wipe the sleep of security from our eyes and to apply ourselves with all earnestness to true godliness. May the merciful and kind God help so that this beautiful book, Arndt's Christianity, which a dear man in our congregation has promoted for printing, may be (along with others) a blessed means to learn true Christianity and put it into practice. This book highly praises and recommends itself to the entire courtly Christian congregation and to everyone who works to be saved with fear and trembling.

Hof, February 23,
the year 1735.

Historical Preface Concerning the Late Arndii Arndt's Person and True Christianity.

Contents of the Preface

The continually enduring blessing of God that rests upon Arndt’s books on True Christianity (§ 1, 2) has prompted this new edition (§ 3); in this preface, information is given:

I. Concerning Arndt’s person, namely: 1) his birth and youth (§ 4); 2) university years (§ 5); 3) public offices in Paderborn (§ 6), Quedlinburg (§ 7), Braunschweig (§ 8), Eisleben (§ 9), and Celle (§ 10); 4) death (§ 11); 5) character and disposition (§ 12).

II. Concerning his True Christianity, namely: 1) its composition and first printing (§ 13); 2) its principal content (§ 14); 3) its purpose (§ 15); 4) the

aids used therein (§ 16), during which it is investigated whether he took anything from Paracelsus and Weigel (§ 17, 18); 5) its enemies (§ 19); 6) its friends and defenders (§ 20, 21, 22); 7) its modest assessment (§ 23); 8) its internal value and external singular honors in its translation into many languages and its frequent editions (§ 24).

III. Concerning the arrangement and advantages of the present edition, which are recounted in § 25. In § 26, information is given regarding the accompanying Little Garden of Paradise and the Biblical Informatory. Finally, in § 27, the preface is concluded with good wishes.

A small decorative woodcut initial letter 'D' is embellished with floral and foliate scrollwork patterns.

§ 1. The extraordinary blessing which the Lord, according to his free pleasure, has placed upon the late Johann Arndt's True Christianity is not yet exhausted. The desire for it has not yet been stilled by the very many editions of this book. No one who has undertaken its publication has ever complained that even a portion of the edition became Maculatur waste paper or spoiled sheets. Instead, the number of lovers and readers has always exceeded the number of copies. Indeed, every new edition has awakened a new desire

for it. This has moved the publisher to distribute this noble book also in the lands of Bayreuth.

§ 2. Anyone who considers, in the fear of God and without envy or resentment, that this book contains nothing by which it could flatter flesh and blood: that there is nothing pleasant to corrupt nature in its subject matter, nor anything magnificent, charming, or pleasing to vain ears in its words; that no sought-after or systematic order has been observed, neither in the sequence of chapters nor in the connection of matters, but that pure Biblical simplicity