Sechs Bücher vom wahren Christenthum. Paradies-Gärtlein

§ 12. An ornamental drop cap E begins the section. This man was equipped with special gifts of nature and grace, which the Giver of all good things poured out over him so richly. This made him such a graced "John" that, in the diligent application of the talent entrusted to him by God, he surpassed many others of his

standing as far as the Adler eagle (*) (from which he bears the name) soars above other birds. Therefore, someone wrote quite cleverly of him, alluding to both his names thus:

In him one finds an example of a truly learned, yet God-fearing and spiritual theologian. He himself had previously experienced and practiced what he taught others about true Christianity. He observed the duties of his office at all times with tireless faithfulness and watchfulness. In his sermons, he sought not to tickle the ears, but to touch the heart. In his many persecutions, he showed himself meek, gentle, and patient. He hated greed and showed himself very

() That the name "Arend," contracted to "Arnd" in the Low German language, signifies an eagle can be seen from the Low German translation of the Bible, printed in Lübeck in 1533 with a preface by Johannes Bugenhagen. In those places where the eagle is mentioned in Luther's version, the word "Arend" appears. That the blessed Arndt also possessed all the laudable qualities of the eagle has been excellently shown by the late Dr. Dieckmann in the preface to the Stade edition of True Christianity*, 1706.

charitable toward the poor. As others have calculated, he often gave more in alms than his entire salary amounted to. He also threw the confession money he received back into the Gottes-Kasten church treasury or poor box or distributed it to the needy. Since God nonetheless, according to His promise, never let him suffer want, some preferred to attribute this to a secret science of the transformation of metals This is a reference to alchemy and the legendary "philosopher's stone." rather than to the blessing hand of the Most High.

The Second Section concerning Arndt’s True Christianity.

§ 13.
An ornamental drop cap I begins the section. I now proceed from the person of the blessed Arndt to his writings, (*) and especially to his True Christianity. I seek to provide the kind reader with a report of the same in the greatest possible brevity. The blessed Arndt is said to have laid the first foundation for the books of True Christianity through certain sermons. In these, he chose as texts those biblical verses that stand above each chapter, and

held a discourse upon them. After this, he is said to have taken up the material handled in each sermon again, sometimes expanding it and sometimes shortening it, and thus submitted it for printing. Initially, the first book came out separately in 1605 (although four books were promised on the title page) while he was in the preaching office in Braunschweig. In that quarrelsome time, when one saw almost nothing but fierce polemical writings being published, it found such general acclaim that not only did many noble persons travel to Braunschweig to get to know this excellent instrument of God more closely and enjoy his oral encouragement, but he was also asked by many in writing to share the three remaining books through printing. Since, nonetheless, some of his envious colleagues thought they found this or that suspicious mode of expression in the first book, he had it reprinted at Jena under the censorship and opinion of the Theological Faculty there, changing everything that could have even an appearance of a contrary opinion. (**) In addition, he explained in the preface that he wished everything he wrote to be understood according to the Symbolischen Büchern Symbolic Books or Lutheran Confessions. Meanwhile,

(*) His collected writings are now being printed together in three folio volumes at the Marchian bookstore in Görlitz. One can see more of this in my preface to the first volume concerning the blessing of the Arndtian writings.

(**) Arndt himself, in letters dated August 3, 1607: original: "Primum libellum propter consensum in doctrina sub censura reverendi Collegii Theologici Jenensis ibidem recudendum curavi; immutatis omnibus, quae vel speciem dissensionis, ne dicam heterodoxias, habent." "I have seen to the reprinting of the first booklet at Jena under the censorship of the reverend Theological College for the sake of consensus in doctrine; everything has been changed which has even the appearance of disagreement, not to mention heterodoxy."

he was more and more exhorted by princely and other persons of standing to the publication of the remaining books. For instance, the late Dr. Johann Gerhard wrote to him in 1608: "Not only I, but many other righteous people along with me, await the remaining books of True Christianity." (***) Hereupon, Arndt sent these three books to Gerhard as they were written by him and unprinted, but he requested that they not be released through public printing. (†) Nevertheless, they came out in that same year, (††) although this edition is very rare, so that even those who have taken much trouble for it have not been able to find it; however, the edition printed in 1610 at Magdeburg is well known. Thus, the whole work actually consists of four books. After this, in some editions, an appendix under the name of a fifth and sixth book was added. These do not actually belong to it, although they were written by Arndt himself on the occasion of the first books and for their defense, and they serve for further explanation of the materials presented therein.

(***) In a letter written in 1608: original: "Non solus ego expecto, sed mecum alii docti et boni, quorum catalogum bene longum tibi enumerare possem. Inter eos primum..." "I am not the only one waiting, but others with me, learned and good, of whom I could list a very long catalog. Among them first..."