The history of this remarkable volume, almost as extraordinary as its contents, is thus given by Captain Bell:“CAPTAIN HENRY BELL’S NARRATIVE:Or, Relation of the miraculous preserving of Dr. Martin Luther’s Book, entitled, Colloquia Mensalia, or, his Divine Discourses at his Table, held with divers learned Men and pious Divines; such as Philip Melancthon, Caspar Cruciger, Justus Jonas, Vitus Dietrich, John Bugenhagen, John Forster, etc.: containing Divers Discourses touching Religion, and other main Points of Doctrine; as also many notable Histories, and all sorts of Learning, Comforts, Advices, Prophecies, Admonitions, Directions and Instructions.“I, Captain Henry Bell, do hereby declare, both to the present age, and also to posterity, that being employed beyond the seas in state affairs divers years together, both by King James, and also by the last king Charles, in Germany, I did hear and understand, in all places, great bewailing and lamentation made, by reason of the destroying and burning of above four-score thousand of Martin Luther’s books, entitled, `His Last Divine Discourses.’DOWNLOAD 1DOWNLOAD 2
