the circumstance, that it contents itself with four volumes (however, a fifth volume is planned as a complement), and that it reproduces the original form of the writings, even in regard to the spelling, punctuation and form of type, it has become an edition for students that satisfied a long felt want. In the reproduction of the texts and in its concise introductions it is sometimes even more correct than the edition of Weimar (at least as far as the first volumes of this work are concerned). Neither is the selection published at Muenchen, which is still in the first stages of its making, strictly speaking, a competitory undertaking. It is since 1914 edited by H. H. Borcherdt, under the collaboration of Barge, Buchwald, Kalkoff, Schumann, Stammler and Thode, and is introduced by Thode's separate essay, "Luther und die deutsche Kultur" (Muenchen 1914). It wishes to place the emphasis upon the writings that are of value to history in general, and to history of culture, and offers many illustrations. From the fifteen volumes, according to the plan of its editors, we have the second before us. It contains the principal writings of 1520 and in its most excellent introduction of one hundred and eighty-six pages a fine description of the procedure of Rome against Luther up to 1520 from the pen of that thorough student, Kalkoff.
In America the thanks of the church is due to the Synod of Missouri for the fact that it has undertaken and successfully completed an edition of Luther's works. Since the Pastoral Conference of the Western District of this Synod decided in 1879 to undertake a republication of the old Luther-edition of Walch, this work began. Anno 1880-1881 the first two volumes put in their appearance. Only later on it became apparent what a
