Historical Preface of Arndt's

§ 24. We certainly have reason to humbly thank the Highest Goodness for raising up such a man in the Evangelical Church. He derived the doctrines of true godliness from the pure Apostolic source. He endeavored with all seriousness to help fallen Christianity rise again. Although no one will ask to canonize treat as divinely inspired scripture this work, it possesses 1) an internal value that gives it a special excellence. It describes the deep corruption of the human heart in an uncommonly vivid and powerful way. It wisely notes the difference between nature and grace. It leads minds away from partisan squabbles toward the essence of religion and the clearest rules of Christ. Finally, everything that can make Christianity lovely and pleasant, and entice the disinclined human mind toward it, is presented in a truly charming form. (*) Beyond this, God has 2) also externally granted this work such advantages that even envy itself cannot dispute.

1. First, it has been translated into several languages, namely: 1) into Latin, a version presumably produced by Melchior Breler and published in Leipzig as early as 1625, reprinted in Frankfurt in 1658, then in 1704 by the late

Doctor Pritius with the forceful notis apologeticis defensive notes of the late Dorschel, and finally improved in 1708 in London with a preface by the late Anton Wilhelm Boehm. 2) Into the Slavonic or Bohemian language, which version Michael Longolius published in Prague in 1617. 3) Into Swedish in Stockholm, 1674. 4) Into Danish. 5) Into Polish, 1717. 6) Into Dutch; the first edition in quarto was 1642, the other in octavo printed in Amsterdam in 1658. 7) Into English; a part of the book was already translated in 1646. The late Boehm, however, set his hand to it again and presented the whole work to the English Church in a pure English style. After he saw that the Latin translation reprinted in London in 1708 found blessing and acceptance, he published the first part in 1712, the second in 1714, and the Paradies-Gärtlein Garden of Paradise in 1716 in the English language. 8) Into French; it was recently translated and printed under the direction and revision of Doctor Haserung in Wittenberg. 9) Some pieces of it were also translated into Judaeo-German Yiddish, though not yet printed, as Professor Callenberg in Halle reported in his accounts of efforts aimed at the conversion of the Jews. 10) We also have news (**) that it, along with the Garden of Paradise, has been translated into the Turkish language and is currently under the press in the newly established printing house in Constantinople. Few

writings of this kind can boast of such an honor.

2. The German original has been published in various places by different publishers and in different formats. During Arndt’s lifetime, it was printed in quick succession in Magdeburg, Jena, Strasbourg, Montbéliard, etc. Even more editions appeared after his death in Lüneburg, Nuremberg, Goslar, Amsterdam (in the German language), Riga, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Stade, Minden, Berlin, Giessen, Wernigerode, Nordhausen, Halberstadt, Halle, Lemgo, Bremen, Graz, Basel, Hamburg, Schiffbeck, etc. In many places, it was reprinted several times. It has been so richly scattered throughout Germany that the number of copies can no longer be counted. Nevertheless, it has never before appeared in these High-Princely lands. Regarding the English translation, Mr. Boehm (***) assures us that it has been sown not only in England, but also in many American provinces belonging to Great Britain. The Palatines and other colonists took a significant number of German copies there. It has also reached the Coromandel Coast in the East Indies and other places. It is still sent there annually with the departing fleets. Yet, this great number of copies has not stilled the hunger for the work. Instead, the saying "the longer, the better" applies to this book. Since most editions have rather small print that does not serve weak eyes,