A treasure from 1554

Yes, I haven’t got the year wrong!  The year I am talking about is 1554.

During that year in England, Queen Mary, sentenced the Lady Jane Grey to death for treason and imprisoned the then Princess Elizabeth in the Tower of London.

In Germany, Martin Luther had been deceased for eight (8) years, having died on 18 February 1546. I, myself, was born some 400 years later in 1946!

While attending the Lutheran Archives in Adelaide, I was shown some volumes of what is known as ‘Luther’s Works’ first consolidated and published in Luther’s lifetime in 1539.  Among the volumes they hold were some published in 1554, only fifteen years after the first publication.  These are considered the oldest such volumes held in Australia.

The cover is kid skin, with metal clips that have been broken.  It is somewhat stained.  I was allowed to touch it and it was amazing to touch something that old that had travelled so far in almost 500 years.  They passed through many hands, but the last known owner who donated them to the Archives was my great-grandfather, Pastor Philipp J. Oster.

But this wasn’t something that people owned for its value or as some sort of artifact – it was used!  There were places where there were sections under-lined, marginal notes.  It was a working document used for study and reference material in the daily life of a pastor as he prepared his sermons and taught lessons.

The edges of the pages showed the marks and stains of the numerous fingers that had turned the pages as they sought to learn from its contents.

I loved that about the volumes.  We often acquire treasures for all the wrong reasons.  The piece of crystal that is just put in a cabinet and never used; the painting that is too valuable to have on display and is therefore kept in a vault; or the jewellery held in the bank instead of being worn on the hand or around the neck.  At some point, all these treasures, when made, were meant for use.

These days these original 1554 volumes of Luther’s Works are no longer a source for study (not many people around who can read the old German script!)  But the writings themselves have been translated into numerous languages and there are volumes of recent translations and publication for sale on the internet – average price $65.00 per volume (hardcover).  The sheer volume of Luther’s writings is astounding, as the total set contains 55 volumes!

I can’t imagine what these volumes are worth in monetary terms, and I don’t really want to know. There value is in the content, in what it represents as the Lutheran teachings of the Christian faith have been passed through generations and preserved to this day.

I am so grateful that these volumes have been left for future generations to also marvel as I did.