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Updated: May 24, 2025
The fact is suggestive. The Tessaradecas was favorably received by the Elector, was highly praised by Spalatin, who urged its publication, and must have been dear to Luther's own heart, since he desired the return of his manuscript for his own comfort. The little work soon became very popular, and passed through numerous editions, both in Latin and in German.
Since Luther had dedicated the afore-mentioned Tessaradecas conolatoria to the reigning Prince, he now, probably on Spalatin's recommendation, dedicated the Treatise on Good Works to his brother John, who afterward, in 1525, succeeded Frederick in the Electorate. There was probably good reason for dedicating the book to a member of the reigning house.
Even the Tessaradecas consolatoria, written in 1519 and printed in 1530, a book of consolation, which was originally intended for the sick Elector of Saxony, was written by him only upon solicitation from outside sources. To this circle of writings the treatise Of Good Works also belongs.
The latter contained a dedicatory letter to the Elector, which, however, by an oversight of the printer, and owing to Luther's absence at the time, was omitted in the Latin edition. In 1535, fifteen years after its first appearance in print, Luther issued his Tessaradecas in a new and final edition, adding a brief prefatory note.
As over against Christ and the saints in His train, the devil and his followers are represented here, as frequently in Luther, under the figure of a dragon with a scaly tail. Omitted, through on oversight, from the Latin editio princeps. See Introduction, p. 105. Tessaradecas. See Introduction, pp. 106 f. In the body of the work Luther places between and . A reminiscence of Luther's childhood?
Paul into one, Romans vii, and are set as a goal unto which we do not attain, and only in our thoughts reach after until death. To this may God help us. Amen. Col. 3:17. See above p. 25, note 1. The Tessaradecas consolatoria, printed in the present volume, pp. 109-171. Sexternlein. Questions debated in the schools. Here "the Faith" means the Creed, as a statement of faith. I.e., In faith.
The reader of the Tessaradecas will recall Luther's statement there, that it is of God's great mercy that man is able to see but a very small portion of the sin within him, for were he to see it in its full extent, he would perish at the sight. The physician need not count every pustule on the body to diagnose the disease as small-pox. A glance is enough to determine the case.
But the importunities of those who had seen it, particularly of Spalatin, prevailed, and on December 18th Luther writes to the latter that "the Tessaradecas, in both Latin and German, is in the hands of the printer." On February 8th, 1520, he sends Spalatin a printed copy of the Latin, and six days later, one of the German edition.
The title, Tessaradecas consolatoria, which we have rendered "The Fourteen of Consolation," is explained by Luther in the dedicatory epistle to the Elector, pp. 110 ff. Whence the cult arose is not altogether certain.
At the Leipzig Disputation, earlier in the same year, Luther was seen to hold a bouquet of flowers in his hand, and to smell of it when the battle waxed hot. The Tessaradecas is such a bunch of flowers.
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