Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/68

56 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE ' There is no need,' says the ' Seelenfiihrer,' ' to believe all the wonders we read of in pious books.' The mira- cles of the Scriptures are miracles indeed, and there are many other credible ones which the holy saints worked through the power of God. But many are only related as examples, and to set forth the majesty of God, who rewards the good and punishes the wicked. In all the religious books approved and used by the Church we find the pure, orthodox, unadulterated doctrine of salvation ; and all are pervaded by an undertone of feeling which is best expressed in the words of a ' Help to Preparing for the Hofy Communion,' published in Basle : ' Enter into the depths of thine own heart ; there find thy Jesus and bury thyself in His sacred wounds. Banish all confidence in thy own merits, for all salvation comes from the cross of Christ, in whom place thy hope.' 'All that the Holy Church teaches,' says the 'Himmelstiir' of the year 1513, 'all that you hear in sermons or through other modes of instruction, all that is written in religious books, all the hymns and praises you sing to the honour and glory of God, all the prayers that you pour from your inmost soul — yea, all the trials and afflictions that you suffer, should incite you to read with piety and humility the Bibles and the sacred writings which are now translated in the German tongue, printed and distributed in large numbers, either in their entirety or in parts, and which you can purchase for very little money.' The number of translations both of single books of the Old and New Testaments, as well as of the com- plete Bible, was indeed very great. We have evidence of twenty-two editions of the Psalms with German