A Treatise on Good Works

Published：2026-07-30 05:47:43 Source: best engineering kits for 3 year olds under 20 dollars Author: Teacher Resources

A Treatise on best plush dinosaurs for kidsGood Works

together with the Letter of Dedication

by Dr. Martin Luther, 1520

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
DEDICATION
THE TREATISE

INTRODUCTION

1. The Occasion of the Work.—Luther did not impose himself as reformerupon the Church. In the course of a conscientious performance of theduties of his office, to which he had been regularly and divinelycalled, and without any urging on his part, he attained to thisposition by inward necessity. In 1515 he received his appointment asthe standing substitute for the sickly city pastor, Simon Heinse, fromthe city council of Wittenberg. Before this time he was obliged topreach only occasionally in the convent, apart from his activity asteacher in the University and convent. Through this appointment he wasin duty bound, by divine and human right, to lead and direct thecongregation at Wittenberg on the true way to life, and it would havebeen a denial of the knowledge of salvation which God had led him toacquire, by way of ardent inner struggles, if he had led thecongregation on any other way than the one God had revealed to him inHis Word. He could not deny before the congregation which had beenintrusted to his care, what up to this time he had taught with everincreasing clearness in his lectures at the University—for in thelectures on the Psalms, which he began to deliver in 1513, he declareshis conviction that faith alone justifies, as can be seen from thecomplete manuscript, published since 1885, and with still greaterclearness from his Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (1515-1516),which is accessible since 1908; nor what he had urged as spiritualadviser of his convent brethren when in deep distress—compare thecharming letter to Georg Spenlein, dated April 8, 1516.

Luther's first literary works to appear in print were also occasionedby the work of his calling and of his office in the Wittenbergcongregation. He had no other object in view than to edify hiscongregation and to lead it to Christ when, in 1517, he published hisfirst independent work, the Explanation of the Seven PenitentialPsalms. On Oct 31 of the same year he published his 95 Theses againstIndulgences. These were indeed intended as controversial theses fortheologians, but at the same time it is well known that Luther wasmoved by his duty toward his congregation to declare his position inthis matter and to put in issue the whole question as to the right andwrong of indulgences by means of his theses. His sermon Of Indulgencesand Grace, occasioned by Tetzel's attack and delivered in the latterpart of March, 1518, as well as his sermon Of Penitence, deliveredabout the same time, were also intended for his congregation. Beforehis congregation (Sept., 1516-Feb., 1517) he delivered the Sermons onthe Ten Commandments, which were published in 1518 and the Sermons onthe Lord's Prayer, which were also published in 1518 by Agricola.Though Luther in the same year published a series of controversialwritings, which were occasioned by attacks from outside sources, viz.,the Resolutiones disputationis de Virtute indulgentiarum, the Asterisciadversus obeliscos Joh. Eccii, and the Ad dialogum Silv. Prieriatisresponsio, still he never was diverted by this necessary rebuttal fromhis paramount duty, the edification of the congregation. The autumn ofthe year 1518, when he was confronted with Cajetan, as well as thewhole year of 1519, when he held his disputations with Eck, etc., werereplete with disquietude and pressing labors; still Luther served hiscongregation with a whole series of writings during this time, and onlyregretted that he was not entirely at its disposal. Of such writings wemention: Explanation of the Lord's Prayer for the simple Laity (anelaboration of the sermons of 1517); Brief Explanation of the TenCommandments; Instruction concerning certain Articles, which might beascribed and imputed to him by his adversaries; Brief Instruction howto Confess; Of Meditation on the Sacred Passion of Christ; Of TwofoldRighteousness; Of the Matrimonial Estate; Brief Form to understand andto pray the Lord's Prayer; Explanation of the Lord's Prayer "vor sichund hinter sich"; Of Prayer and Processions in Rogation Week; Of Usury;Of the Sacrament of Penitence; Of Preparation for Death; Of theSacrament of Baptism; Of the Sacrament of the Sacred Body; OfExcommunication. With but few exceptions these writings all appeared inprint in the year 1519, and again it was the congregation which Luthersought primarily to serve. If the bounds of his congregation spreadever wider beyond Wittenberg, so that his writings found a surprisinglyready sale, even afar, that was not Luther's fault. Even theTessaradecas consolatoria, written in 1519 and printed in 1520, a bookof consolation, which was originally intended for the sick Elector ofSaxony, was written by him only upon solicitation from outside sources.

To this circle of writings the treatise Of Good Works also belongsThough the incentive for its composition came from George Spalatin,court-preacher to the Elector, who reminded Luther of a promise he hadgiven, still Luther was willing to undertake it only when he recalledthat in a previous sermon to his congregation he occasionally had madea similar promise to deliver a sermon on good works; and when Lutheractually commenced the composition he had nothing else in view but thepreparation of a sermon for his congregation on this important topic.

But while the work was in progress the material so accumulated that itfar outgrew the bounds of a sermon for his congregation. On March 25.he wrote to Spalatin that it would become a whole booklet instead of asermon; on May 5. he again emphasizes the growth of the material; onMay 13. he speaks of its completion at an early date, and on June 8. hecould send Melanchthon a printed copy. It was entitled: Von den gutenwerckenn: D. M. L. Vuittenberg. On the last page it bore the printer'smark: Getruck zu Wittenberg bey dem iungen Melchior Lotther. Im Tausentfunfhundert vnnd zweyntzigsten Jar. It filled not less than 58 leaves,quarto. In spite of its volume, however, the intention of the book forthe congregation remained, now however, not only for the narrow circleof the Wittenberg congregation, but for the Christian layman ingeneral. In the dedicatory preface Luther lays the greatest stress uponthis, for he writes: "Though I know of a great many, and must hear itdaily, who think lightly of my poverty and say that I write only smallSexternlein (tracts of small volume) and German sermons for theuntaught laity, I will not permit that to move me. Would to God thatduring my life I had served but one layman for his betterment with allmy powers; it would be sufficient for me, I would thank God and sufferall my books to perish thereafter.... Most willingly I will leave thehonor of greater things to others, and not at all will I be ashamed ofpreaching and writing German to the untaught laity."

Since Luther had dedicated the afore-mentioned Tessaradecasconsolatoria to the reigning Prince, he now, probably on Spalatin'srecommendation, dedicated the Treatise on Good Works to his brotherJohn, who afterward, in 1525, succeeded Frederick in the Electorate.There was probably good reason for dedicating the book to a member ofthe reigning house. Princes have reason to take a special interest inthe fact that preaching on good works should occur within their realm,for the safety and sane development of their kingdom depend largelyupon the cultivation of morality on the part of their subjects. Timeand again the papal church had commended herself to princes andstatesmen by her emphatic teaching of good works. Luther, on the otherhand, had been accused—like the Apostle Paul before him (Rom. 331)—that the zealous performance of good works had abated, that thebonds of discipline had slackened and that, as a necessary consequence,lawlessness and shameless immorality were being promoted by hisdoctrine of justification by faith alone. Before 1517 the rumor hadalready spread that Luther intended to do away with good works. DukeGeorge of Saxony had received no good impression from a sermon Lutherhad delivered at Dresden, because he feared the consequences whichLuther's doctrine of justification by faith alone might have upon themorals of the masses. Under these circumstances it would not have beensurprising if a member of the Electoral house should harbor likescruples, especially since the full comprehension of Luther's preachingon good works depended on an evangelical understanding of faith, asdeep as was Luther's own. The Middle Ages had differentiated betweenfides informis, a formless faith, and fides formata or informata, aformed or ornate faith. The former was held to be a knowledge withoutany life or effect, the latter to be identical with love for, as theysaid, love which proves itself and is effective in good works must beadded to the formless faith, as its complement and its content, wellpleasing to God. In Luther's time every one who was seriouslyinterested in religious questions was reared under the influence ofthese ideas.

Now, since Luther had opposed the doctrine of justification by love andits good works, he was in danger of being misunderstood by strangers,as though he held the bare knowledge and assent to be sufficient forjustification, and such preaching would indeed have led to frivolityand disorderly conduct. But even apart from the question whether or notthe brother of the Elector was disturbed by such scruples, Luther musthave welcomed the opportunity, when the summons came to him, todedicate his book Of Good Works to a member of the Electoral house. Atany rate the book could serve to acquaint him with the thoughts of hismuch-abused pastor and professor at Wittenberg, for never before hadLuther expressed himself on the important question of good works insuch a fundamental, thorough and profound way.

2. The Contents of the Work.—A perusal of the contents shows that thebook, in the course of its production, attained a greater length thanwas originally intended. To this fact it must be attributed that a newnumeration of sections begins with the argument on the ThirdCommandment, and is repeated at every Commandment thereafter, whilebefore this the sections were consecutively numbered. But in spite ofthis, the plan of the whole is clear and lucid. Evidently the wholetreatise is divided into two parts: the first comprising sections 1-17,while the second comprises all the following sections. The first, beingfundamental, is the more important part. Luther well knew of thecharges made against him that "faith is so highly elevated" and "worksare rejected" by him; but he knew, too, that "neither silver, gold andprecious stone, nor any other precious thing had experienced so muchaugmentation and diminution" as had good works "which should all havebut one simple goodness, or they are nothing but color, glitter anddeception." But especially was he aware of the fact that the Church wasurging nothing but the so-called self-elected works, such as "runningto the convent, singing, reading, playing the organ, saying the mass,praying matins, vespers, and other hours, founding and ornamentingchurches, altars, convents, gathering chimes, jewels, vestments, gemsand treasures, going to Rome and to the saints, curtsying and bowingthe knees, praying the rosary and the psalter," etc., and that shedesignated these alone as truly good works, while she represented thefaithful performance of the duties of one's calling as a morality of alower order. For these reasons it is Luther's highest object in thistreatise to make it perfectly clear what is the essence of good works.Whenever the essence of good works has been understood, then theaccusations against him will quickly collapse.

In the fundamental part he therefore argues: "Truly good works are notself-elected works of monastic or any other holiness, but such only asGod has commanded, and as are comprehended within the bounds of one'sparticular calling, and all works, let their name be what it may,become good only when they flow from faith, the first, greatest, andnoblest of good works." (John 6:29.) In this connection the essence offaith, that only source of all truly good works, must of course berightly understood. It is the sure confidence in God, that all my doingis wellpleasing to Him; it is trust in His mercy, even though Heappears angry and puts sufferings and adversities upon us; it is theassurance of the divine good will even though "God should reprove theconscience with sin, death and hell, and deny it all grace and mercy,as though He would condemn and show His wrath eternally." Where suchfaith lives in the heart, there the works are good "even though theywere as insignificant as the picking up of a straw"; but where it iswanting, there are only such works as "heathen, Jew and Turk" may haveand do. Where such faith possesses the man, he needs no teacher in goodworks, as little as does the husband or the wife, who only look forlove and favor from one another, nor need any instruction therein "howthey are to stand toward each other, what they are to do, to leaveundone, to say, to leave unsaid, to think."

This faith, Luther continues, is "the true fulfilment of the FirstCommandment, apart from which there is no work that could do justice tothis Commandment." With this sentence he combines, on the one hand, thewhole argument on faith, as the best and noblest of good works, withhis opening proposition (there are no good works besides thosecommanded of God), and, on the other hand, he prepares the way for thefollowing argument, wherein he proposes to exhibit the good worksaccording to the Ten Commandments. For the First Commandment does notforbid this and that, nor does it require this and that; it forbids butone thing, unbelief; it requires but one thing, faith, "that confidencein God's good will at all times." Without this faith the best works areas nothing, and if man should think that by them he could bewell-pleasing to God, he would be lowering God to the level of a"broker or a laborer who will not dispense his grace and kindnessgratis."

This understanding of faith and good works, so Luther now addresses hisopponents, should in fairness be kept in view by those who accuse himof declaiming against good works, and they should learn from it, thatthough he has preached against "good works," it was against such as arefalsely so called and as contribute toward the confusion ofconsciences, because they are self-elected, do not flow from faith, andare done with the pretension of doing works well-pleasing to God.

This brings us to the end of the fundamental part of the treatise. Itwas not Luther's intention, however, to speak only on the essence ofgood works and their fundamental relation to faith; he would show, too,how the "best work," faith, must prove itself in every way a livingfaith, according to the other commandments. Luther does not proceed tothis part, however, until in the fundamental part he has said withemphasis, that the believer, the spiritual man, needs no suchinstruction (I. Timothy 1:9), but that he of his own accord and at alltimes does good works "as his faith, his confidence, teaches him." Only"because we do not all have such faith, or are unmindful of it," doessuch instruction become necessary.

Nor does he proceed until he has applied his oft repeated wordsconcerning the relation of faith to good works to the relation of theFirst to the other Commandments. From the fact, that according to theFirst Commandment, we acquire a pure heart and confidence toward God,he derives the good work of the Second Commandment, namely, "to praiseGod, to acknowledge His grace, to render all honor to Him alone." Fromthe same source he derives the good work of the Third Commandment,namely, "to observe divine services with prayer and the hearing ofpreaching, to incline the imagination of our hearts toward God'sbenefits, and, to that end, to mortify and overcome the flesh." Fromthe same source he derives the works of the Second Table.

The argument on the Third and Fourth Commandments claims nearlyone-half of the entire treatise. Among the good works which, accordingto the Third Commandment, should be an exercise and proof of faith,Luther especially mentions the proper hearing of mass and of preaching,common prayer, bodily discipline and the mortification of the flesh,and he joins the former and the latter by an important fundamentaldiscussion of the New Testament conception of Sabbath rest.

Luther discusses the Fourth Commandment as fully as the Third. Theexercise of faith, according to this Commandment, consists in thefaithful performance of the duties of children toward their parents, ofparents toward their children, and of subordinates toward theirsuperiors in the ecclesiastical as well as in the common civil sphere.The various duties issue from the various callings, for faithfulperformance of the duties of one's calling, with the help of God andfor God's sake, is the true "good work."

As he now proceeds to speak of the spiritual powers, the government ofthe Church, he frankly reveals their faults and demands a reform of thepresent rulers. Honor and obedience in all things should be renderedunto the Church, the spiritual mother, as it is due to natural parents,unless it be contrary to the first Three Commandments. But as mattersstand now the spiritual magistrates neglect their peculiar work,namely, the fostering of godliness and discipline, like a mother whoruns away from her children and follows a lover, and instead theyundertake strange and evil works, like parents whose commands arecontrary to God. In this case members of the Church must do as godlychildren do whose parents have become mad and insane. Kings, princes,the nobility, municipalities and communities must begin of their ownaccord and put a check to these conditions, so that the bishops and theclergy, who are now too timid, may be induced to follow. But even thecivil magistrates must also suffer reforms to be enacted in theirparticular spheres; especially are they called on to do away with therude "gluttony and drunkenness," luxury in clothing, the usurious saleof rents and the common brothels. This, by divine and human right, is apart of their enjoined works according to the Fourth Commandment.

Luther, at last, briefly treats of the Second Table of theCommandments, but in speaking of the works of these Commandments henever forgets to point out their relation to faith, thus holding fastthis fundamental thought of the book to the end. Faith which does notdoubt that God is gracious, he says, will find it an easy matter to begraciously and favorably minded toward one's neighbor and to overcomeall angry and wrathful desires. In this faith in God the Spirit willteach us to avoid unchaste thoughts and thus to keep the SixthCommandment. When the heart trusts in the divine favor, it cannot seekafter the temporal goods of others, nor cleave to money, but accordingto the Seventh Commandment, will use it with cheerful liberality forthe benefit of the neighbor. Where such confidence is present there isalso a courageous, strong and intrepid heart, which will at all timesdefend the truth, as the Eighth Commandment demands, whether neck orcoat be at stake, whether it be against pope or kings. Where such faithis present there is also strife against the evil lust, as forbidden inthe Ninth and Tenth Commandments, and that even unto death.

3. The Importance of the Work.—Inquiring now into the importance ofthe book, we note that Luther's impression evidently was perfectlycorrect, when he wrote to Spalatin, long before its completion—asearly as March 25.—that he believed it to be better than anything hehad heretofore written. The book, indeed, surpasses all his previousGerman writings in volume, as well as all his Latin and German ones inclearness, richness and the fundamental importance of its content. Incomparison with the prevalent urging of self-elected works of monkishholiness, which had arisen from a complete misunderstanding of theso-called evangelical counsels (comp. esp. Matthew 19:16-22) and whichwere at that time accepted as self-evident and zealously urged by thewhole church, Luther's argument must have appeared to all thoughtfuland earnest souls as a revelation, when he so clearly amplified theproposition that only those works are to be regarded as good workswhich God has commanded, and that therefore, not the abandoning ofone's earthly calling, but the faithful keeping of the Ten Commandmentsin the course of one's calling, is the work which God requires of us.Over against the wide-spread opinion, as though the will of God asdeclared in the Ten Commandments referred only to the outward workalways especially mentioned, Luther's argument must have called to mindthe explanation of the Law, which the Lord had given in the Sermon onthe Mount, when he taught men to recognize only the extreme point andmanifestation of a whole trend of thought in the work prohibited by thetext, and when he directed Christians not to rest in the keeping of theliteral requirement of each Commandment, but from this point of vantageto inquire into the whole depth and breadth of God's will—positivelyand negatively—and to do His will in its full extent as the heart hasperceived it. Though this thought may have been occasionally expressedin the expositions of the Ten Commandments which appeared at the dawnof the Reformation, still it had never before been so clearlyrecognized as the only correct principle, much less had it been soenergetically carried out from beginning to end, as is done in thistreatise. Over against the deep-rooted view that the works of love mustbestow upon faith its form, its content and its worth before God, itmust have appeared as the dawn of a new era (Galatians 3:22-25) whenLuther in this treatise declared, and with victorious certainty carriedout the thought, that it is true faith which invests the works, eventhe best and greatest of works, with their content and worth before God.

This proposition, which Luther here amplifies more clearly than everbefore, demanded nothing less than a breach with the whole of prevalentreligious views, and at that time must have been perceived as thediscovery of a new world, though it was no more than a return to theclear teaching of the New Testament Scriptures concerning the way ofsalvation. This, too, accounts for the fact that in this writing theaccusation is more impressively repelled than before, that the doctrineof justification by faith alone resulted in moral laxity, and that, onthe other hand, the fundamental and radical importance of righteousnessby faith for the whole moral life is revealed in such aheart-refreshing manner. Luther's appeal in this treatise to kings,princes, the nobility, municipalities and communities, to declareagainst the misuse of spiritual powers and to abolish various abuses incivil life, marks this treatise as a forerunner of the greatReformation writings, which appeared in the same year (1520), while, onthe other hand, his espousal of the rights of the "poor man"—to be metwith here for the first time—shows that the Monk of Witttenberg,coming from the narrow limits of the convent, had an intimate andsympathetic knowledge of the social needs of his time. Thus he provedby his own example that to take a stand in the center of the Gospeldoes not narrow the vision nor harden the heart, but rather producescourage in the truth and sympathy for all manner of misery.

Luther's contemporaries at once recognized the great importance of theTreatise, for within the period of seven months it passed through eighteditions; these were followed by six more editions between the years of1521 and 1525; in 1521 it was translated into Latin, and in this formpassed through three editions up to the year 1525; and all this inspite of the fact that in those years the so-called three greatReformation writings of 1520 were casting all else into the shadow.Melanchthon, in a contemporaneous letter to John Hess, called itLuther's best book. John Mathesius, the well-known pastor atJoachimsthal and Luther's biographer, acknowledged that he had learnedthe "rudiments of Christianity" from it.

Even to-day this book has its peculiar mission to the Church. Theseeking after self-elected works, the indolence regarding the workscommanded of God, the foolish opinion, that the path of works leads toGod's grace and good-will, are even to-day widely prevalent within thekingdom of God. To all this Luther's treatise answers: Be diligent inthe works of your earthly calling as commanded of God, but only afterhaving first strengthened, by the consideration of God's mercy, thefaith within you, which is the only source of all truly good works andwell-pleasing to God.

M. REU.
WARTBURG SEMINARY, DUBUQUE, IOWA.

TREATISE ON GOOD WORKS

1520

DEDICATION

JESUS

To the Illustrious, High-born Prince and Lord, John Duke of Saxony,Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, my gracious Lord andPatron.

Illustrious, High-born Prince, gracious Lord! My humble duty and myfeeble prayer for your Grace always remembered!

For a long time, gracious Prince and Lord, I have wished to show myhumble respect and duty toward your princely Grace, by the exhibitionof some such spiritual wares as are at my disposal; but I have alwaysconsidered my powers too feeble to undertake anything worthy of beingoffered to your princely Grace.

Since, however, my most gracious Lord Frederick, Duke of Saxony,Elector and Vicar of the Holy Roman Empire, your Grace's brother, hasnot despised, but graciously accepted my slight book, dedicated to hiselectoral Grace, and now published—though such was not my intention, Ihave taken courage from his gracious example and ventured to think thatthe princely spirit, like the princely blood, may be the same in bothof you, especially in gracious kindness and good will. I have hopedthat your princely Grace likewise would not despise this my humbleoffering which I have felt more need of publishing than an other of mysermons or tracts. For the greatest of all questions has been raised,the question of Good Works; in which is practised immeasurably moretrickery and deception than in anything else, and in which thesimpleminded man is so easily misled that our Lord Christ has commandedus to watch carefully for the sheep's clothings under which the wolveshide themselves.

Neither silver, gold, precious stones, nor any rare thing has suchmanifold alloys and flaws as have good works, which ought to have asingle simple goodness, and without it are mere color, show and deceit.

And although I know and daily hear many people, who think slightinglyof my poverty, and say that I write only little pamphlets and Germansermons for the unlearned laity, this shall not disturb me. Would toGod I had in all my life, with all the ability I have, helped onelayman to be better! I would be satisfied, thank God, and be quitewilling then to let all my little books perish.

Whether the making of many great books is an art and a benefit to theChurch, I leave others to judge. But I believe that if I were minded tomake great books according to their art, I could, with God's help, doit more readily perhaps than they could prepare a little discourseafter my fashion. If accomplishment were as easy as persecution, Christwould long since have been cast out of heaven again, and God's throneitself overturned. Although we cannot all be writers, we all want tobe critics.

I will most gladly leave to any one else the honor of greater things,and not be at all ashamed to preach and to write in German for theunlearned laymen. Although I too have little skill in it, I believethat if we had hitherto done, and should henceforth do more of it,Christendom would have reaped no small advantage, and have been morebene fited by this than by the great, deep books and quaestiones, whichare used only in the schools, among the learned.

Then, too, I have never forced or begged any one to hear me, or to readmy sermons. I have freely ministered in the Church of that which Godhas given me and which I owe the Church. Whoever likes it not, may hearand read what others have to say. And if they are not willing to be mydebtors, it matters little. For me it is enough, and even more than toomuch, that some laymen condescend to read what I say. Even though therewere nothing else to urge me, it should be more than sufficient that Ihave learned that your princely Grace is pleased with such German booksand is eager to receive instruction in Good Works and the Faith, withwhich instruction it was my duty, humbly and with all diligence toserve you.

Therefore, in dutiful humility I pray that your princely Grace mayaccept this offering of mine with a gracious mind, until, if God grantme time, I prepare a German exposition of the Faith in its entirety.For at this time I have wished to show how in all good works we shouldpractice and make use of faith, and let faith be the chief work. If Godpermit, I will treat at another time of the Faith itself—how we aredaily to pray or recite it.

I humbly commend myself herewith to your princely Grace, Your PrincelyGrace's Humble Chaplain,

DR. MARTIN LUTHER.
From Wittenberg, March 29th, A. D. 1520.

THE TREATISE

I. We ought first to know that there are no good works except thosewhich God has commanded, even as there is no sin except that which Godhas forbidden. Therefore whoever wishes to know and to do good worksneeds nothing else than to know God's commandments. Thus Christ says,Matthew xix, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Andwhen the young man asks Him, Matthew xix, what he shall do that he mayinherit eternal life, Christ sets before him naught else but the TenCommandments. Accordingly, we must learn how to distinguish among goodworks from the Commandments of God, and not from the appearance, themagnitude, or the number of the works themselves, nor from the judgmentof men or of human law or custom, as we see has been done and still isdone, because we are blind and despise the divine Commandments.

II. The first and highest, the most precious of all good works is faithin Christ, as He says, John vi. When the Jews asked Him: "What shall wedo that we may work the works of God?" He answered: "This is the workof God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent." When we hear orpreach this word, we hasten over it and deem it a very little thing andeasy to do, whereas we ought here to pause a long time and to ponder itwell. For in this work all good works must be done and receive from itthe inflow of their goodness, like a loan. This we must put bluntly,that men may understand it.

We find many who pray, fast, establish endowments, do this or that,lead a good life before men, and yet if you should ask them whetherthey are sure that what they do pleases God, they say, "No"; they donot know, or they doubt. And there are some very learned men, whomislead them, and say that it is not necessary to be sure of this; andyet, on the other hand, these same men do nothing else but teach goodworks. Now all these works are done outside of faith, therefore theyare nothing and altogether dead. For as their conscience stands towardGod and as it believes, so also are the works which grow out of it. Nowthey have no faith, no good conscience toward God, therefore the workslack their head, and all their life and goodness is nothing. Hence itcomes that when I exalt faith and reject such works done without faith,they accuse me of forbidding good works, when in truth I am trying hardto teach real good works of faith.

III. If you ask further, whether they count it also a good work whenthey work at their trade, walk, stand, eat, drink, sleep, and do allkinds of works for the nourishment of the body or for the commonwelfare, and whether they believe that God takes pleasure in thembecause of such works, you will find that they say, "No"; and theydefine good works so narrowly that they are made to consist only ofpraying in church, fasting, and almsgiving. Other works they considerto be in vain, and think that God cares nothing for them. So throughtheir damnable unbelief they curtail and lessen the service of God, Whois served by all things whatsoever that are done, spoken or thought infaith.

So teaches Ecclesiastes ix: "Go thy way with joy, eat and drink, andknow that God accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white;and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whomthou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity." "Let thy garmentsbe always white," that is, let all our works be good, whatever they maybe, without any distinction. And they are white when I am certain andbelieve that they please God. Then shall the head of my soul neverlack the ointment of a joyful conscience.

So Christ says, John viii: "I do always those things that please Him."And St. John says, I. John iii: "Hereby we know that we are of thetruth, if we can comfort our hearts before Him and have a goodconfidence. And if our heart condemns or frets us, God is greater thanour heart, and we have confidence, that whatsoever we ask, we shallreceive of Him, because we keep His Commandments, and do those thingsthat are pleasing in His sight." Again: "Whosoever is born of God, thatis, whoever believes and trusts God, doth not commit sin, and cannotsin." Again, Psalm xxxiv: "None of them that trust in Him shall dosin." And in Psalm ii: "Blessed are all they that put their trust inHim." If this be true, then all that they do must be good, or the evilthat they do must be quickly forgiven. Behold, then, why I exalt faithso greatly, draw all works into it, and reject all works which do notflow from it.

IV. Now every one can note and tell for himself when he does what isgood or what is not good; for if he finds his heart confident that itpleases God, the work is good, even if it were so small a thing aspicking up a straw. If confidence is absent, or if he doubts, the workis not good, although it should raise all the dead and the man shouldgive himself to be burned. This is the teaching of St. Paul, Romansxiv: "Whatsoever is not done of or in faith is sin." Faith, as thechief work, and no other work, has given us the name of "believers onChrist." For all other works a heathen, a Jew, a Turk, a sinner, mayalso do; but to trust firmly that he pleases God, is possible only fora Christian who is enlightened and strengthened by grace.

That these words seem strange, and that some call me a heretic becauseof them, is due to the fact that men have followed blind reason andheathen ways, have set faith not above, but beside other virtues, andhave given it a work of its own, apart from all works of the othervirtues; although faith alone makes all other works good, acceptableand worthy, in that it trusts God and does not doubt that for it allthings that a man does are well done. Indeed, they have not let faithremain a work, but have made a habitus of it, as they say, althoughScripture gives the name of a good, divine work to no work except tofaith alone. Therefore it is no wonder that they have become blind andleaders of the blind. And this faith brings with it at once love,peace, joy and hope. For God gives His Spirit at once to him who trustsHim, as St. Paul says to the Galatians: "You received the Spirit notbecause of your good works, but when you believed the Word of God."

V. In this faith all works become equal, and one is like the other; alldistinctions between works fall away, whether they be great, small,short, long, few or many. For the works are acceptable not for theirown sake, but because of the faith which alone is, works and lives ineach and every work without distinction, however numerous and variousthey are, just as all the members of the body live, work and have theirname from the head, and without the head no member can live, work andhave a name.

From which it further follows that a Christian who lives in this faithhas no need of a teacher of good works, but whatever he finds to do hedoes, and all is well done; as Samuel said to Saul: "The Spirit of theLord will come upon thee, and thou shalt be turned into another man;then do thou as occasion serves thee; for God is with thee." So also weread of St. Anna, Samuel's mother: "When she believed the priest Eliwho promised her God's grace, she went home in joy and peace, and fromthat time no more turned hither and thither," that is, whateveroccurred, it was all one to her. St. Paul also says: "Where the Spiritof Christ is, there all is free." For faith does not permit itself tobe bound to any work, nor does it allow any work to be taken from it,but, as the First Psalm says, "He bringeth forth his fruit in hisseason," that is, as a matter of course.

VI. This we may see in a common human example. When a man and a womanlove and are pleased with each other, and thoroughly believe in theirlove, who teaches them how they are to behave, what they are to do,leave undone, say, not say, think? Confidence alone teaches them allthis, and more. They make no difference in works: they do the great,the long, the much, as gladly as the small, the short, the little, andvice versa; and that too with joyful, peaceful, confident hearts, andeach is a free companion of the other. But where there is a doubt,search is made for what is best; then a distinction of works isimagined whereby a man may win favor; and yet he goes about it with aheavy heart, and great disrelish; he is, as it were, taken captive,more than half in despair, and often makes a fool of himself.

So a Christian who lives in this confidence toward God, a knows allthings, can do all things, undertakes all things that are to be done,and does everything cheerfully and freely; not that he may gather manymerits and good works, but because it is a pleasure for him to pleaseGod thereby, and he serves God purely for nothing, content that hisservice pleases God. On the other hand, he who is not at one with God,or doubts, hunts and worries in what way he may do enough and with manyworks move God. He runs to St. James of Compostella, to Rome, toJerusalem, hither and yon, prays St. Bridget's prayer and the rest,fasts on this day and on that, makes confession here, and makesconfession there, questions this man and that, and yet finds no peace.He does all this with great effort, despair and disrelish of heart, sothat the Scriptures rightly call such works in Hebrew Avenama, that is,labor and travail. And even then they are not good works, and are alllost. Many have been crazed thereby; their fear has brought them intoall manner of misery. Of these it is written, Wisdom of Solomon v: "Wehave wearied ourselves in the wrong way; and have gone through deserts,where there lay no way; but as for the way of the Lord, we have notknown it, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us."

VII. In these works faith is still slight and weak; let us ask further,whether they believe that they are well-pleasing to God when theysuffer in body, property, honor, friends, or whatever they have, andbelieve that God of His mercy appoints their sufferings anddifficulties for them, whether they be small or great. This is realstrength, to trust in God when to all our senses and reason He appearsto be angry; and to have greater confidence in Him than we feel. HereHe is hidden, as the bride says in the Song of Songs: "Behold hestandeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows"; that is, Hestands hidden among the sufferings, which would separate us from Himlike a wall, yea, like a wall of stone, and yet He looks upon me anddoes not leave me, for He is standing and is ready graciously to help,and through the window of dim faith He permits Himself to be seen. AndJeremiah says in Lamentations, "He casts off men, but He does it notwillingly."

This faith they do not know at all, and give up, thinking that God hasforsaken them and is become their enemy; they even lay the blame oftheir ills on men and devils, and have no confidence at all in God. Forthis reason, too, their suffering is always an offence and harmful tothem, and yet they go and do some good works, as they think, and arenot aware of their unbelief. But they who in such suffering trust Godand retain a good, firm confidence in Him, and believe that He ispleased with them, these see in their sufferings and afflictionsnothing but precious merits and the rarest possessions, the value ofwhich no one can estimate. For faith and confidence make preciousbefore God all that which others think most shameful, so that it iswritten even of death in Psalm cxvi, "Precious in the sight of the Lordis the death of His saints." And just as the confidence and faith arebetter, higher and stronger at this stage than in the first stage, soand to the same degree do the sufferings which are borne in this faithexcel all works of faith. Therefore between such works and sufferingsthere is an immeasurable difference and the sufferings are infinitelybetter.

VIII. Beyond all this is the highest stage of faith, when; God punishesthe conscience not only with temporal sufferings, but with death, hell,and sin, and refuses grace and mercy, as though it were His will tocondemn and to be angry eternally. This few men experience, but Davidcries out in Psalm vi, "O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger." Tobelieve at such times that God, in His mercy, is pleased with us, isthe highest work that can be done by and in the creature; but of thisthe work-righteous and doers of good works know nothing at all. For howcould they here look for good things and grace from God, as long asthey are not certain in their works, and doubt even on the lowest stepof faith.

In this way I have, as I said, always praised faith, and rejected allworks which are done without such faith, in order thereby to lead menfrom the false, pretentious, pharisaic, unbelieving good works, withwhich all monastic houses, churches, homes, low and higher classes areoverfilled, and lead them to the true, genuine, thoroughly good,believing works. In this no one opposes me except the unclean beasts,which do not divide the hoof, as the Law of Moses decrees; who willsuffer no distinction among good works, but go lumbering along: if onlythey pray, fast, establish endowments, go to confession, and do enough,everything shall be good, although in all this they have had no faithin God's grace and approval. Indeed, they consider the works best ofall, when they have done many, great and long works without any suchconfidence, and they look for good only after the works are done; andso they build their confidence not on divine favor, but on the worksthey have done, that is, on sand and water, from which they must atlast take a cruel fall, as Christ says, Matthew vii. This good-will andfavor, on which our confidence rests, was proclaimed by the angels fromheaven, when they sang on Christmas night: "Gloria in excelsis Deo,Glory to God in the highest, peace to earth, gracious favor to man."

IX. Now this is the work of the First Commandment, which commands:"Thou shalt have no other gods," which means: "Since I alone am God,thou shalt place all thy confidence, trust and faith on Me alone, andon no one else." For that is not to have a god, if you call him Godonly with your lips, or worship him with the knees or bodily gestures;but if you trust Him with the heart, and look to Him for all good,grace and favor, whether in works or sufferings, in life or death, injoy or sorrow; as the Lord Christ says to the heathen woman, John iv:"I say unto thee, they that worship God must worship Him in spirit andin truth." And this faith, faithfulness, confidence deep in the heart,is the true fulfilling of the First Commandment; without this there isno other work that is able to satisfy this Commandment. And as thisCommandment is the very first, highest and best, from which all theothers proceed, in which they exist, and by which they are directed andmeasured, so also its work, that is, the faith or confidence in God'sfavor at all times, is the very first, highest and best, from which allothers must proceed, exist, remain, be directed and measured. Comparedwith this, other works are just as if the other Commandments werewithout the First, and there were no God, Therefore St. Augustine wellsays that the works of the First Commandment are faith, hope and love.As I said above, such faith and confidence bring love and hope withthem. Nay, if we see it aright, love is the first, or comes at the sameinstant with faith. For I could not trust God, if I did not think thatHe wished to be favorable and to love me, which leads me, in turn, tolove Him and to trust Him heartily and to look to Him for all goodthings.

X. Now you see for yourself that all those who do not at at all timestrust God and do not in all their works or sufferings, life and death,trust in His favor, grace and good-will, but seek His favor in otherthings or in themselves, do not keep this Commandment, and practisereal idolatry, even if they were to do the works of all the otherCommandments, and in addition had all the prayers, fasting, obedience,patience, chastity, and innocence of all the saints combined. For thechief work is not present, without which all the others are nothing butmere sham, show and pretence, with nothing back of them; against whichChrist warns us, Matthew vii: "Beware of false prophets, which come toyou in sheep's clothing." Such are all who wish with their many goodworks, as they say, to make God favorable to themselves, and to buyGod's grace from Him, as if He were a huckster or a day-laborer,unwilling to give His grace and favor for nothing. These are the mostperverse people on earth, who will hardly or never be converted to theright way. Such too are all who in adversity run hither and thither,and look for counsel and help everywhere except from God, from Whomthey are most urgently commanded to seek it; whom the Prophet Isaiahreproves thus, Isaiah ix: "The mad people turneth not to Him thatsmiteth them"; that is, God smote them and sent them sufferings and allkinds of adversity, that they should run to Him and trust Him. Butthey run away from Him to men, now to Egypt, now to Assyria, perchancealso to the devil; and of such idolatry much is written in the sameProphet and in the Books of the Kings. This is also the way of all holyhypocrites when they are in trouble: they do not run to God, but fleefrom Him, and only think of how they may get rid of their troublethrough their own efforts or through human help, and yet they considerthemselves and let others consider them pious people.

XI. This is what St. Paul means in many places, where he ascribes somuch to faith, that he says: Justus ex fide sua vivit, "the righteousman draws his life out of his faith," and faith is that because ofwhich he is counted righteous before God. If righteousness consists offaith, it is clear that faith fulfils all commandments and makes allworks righteous, since no one is justified except he keep all thecommands of God. Again, the works can justify no one before God withoutfaith. So utterly and roundly does the Apostle reject works and praisefaith, that some have taken offence at his words and say: "Well, then,we will do no more good works," although he condemns such men as erringand foolish.

So men still do. When we reject the great, pretentious works of ourtime, which are done entirely without faith, they say: Men are only tobelieve and not to do anything good. For nowadays they say that theworks of the First Commandment are singing, reading, organ-playing,reading the mass, saying matins and vespers and the other hours, thefounding and decorating of churches, altars, and monastic houses, thegathering of bells, jewels, garments, trinkets and treasures, runningto Rome and to the saints. Further, when we are dressed up and bow,kneel, pray the rosary and the Psalter, and all this not before anidol, but before the holy cross of God or the pictures of His saints:this we call honoring and worshiping God, and, according to the FirstCommandment, "having no other gods"; although these things usurers,adulterers and all manner of sinners can do too, and do them daily.

Of course, if these things are done with such faith that we believethat they please God, then they are praiseworthy, not because of theirvirtue, but because of such faith, for which all works are of equalvalue, as has been said. But if we doubt or do not believe that God isgracious to us and is pleased with us, or if we presumptuously expectto please Him only through and after our works, then it is all puredeception, outwardly honoring God, but inwardly setting up self as afalse god. This is the reason why I have so often spoken against thedisplay, magnificence and multitude of such works and have rejectedthem, because it is as clear as day that they are not only done indoubt or without faith, but there is not one in a thousand who does notset his confidence upon the works, expecting by them to win God's favorand anticipate His grace; and so they make a fair of them, a thingwhich God cannot endure, since He has promised His grace freely, andwills that we begin by trusting that grace, and in it perform allworks, whatever they may be.

XII. Note for yourself, then, how far apart these two are: keeping theFirst Commandment with outward works only, and keeping it with inwardtrust. For this last makes true, living children of God, the other onlymakes worse idolatry and the most mischievous hypocrites on earth, whowith their apparent righteousness lead unnumbered people into theirway, and yet allow them to be without faith, so that they are miserablymisled, and are caught in the pitiable babbling and mummery. Of suchChrist says, Matthew xxiv: "Beware, if any man shall say unto you, Lo,here is Christ, or there"; and John iv: "I say unto thee, the hourcometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalemworship God, for the Father seeketh spiritual worshipers."

These and similar passages have moved me and ought to move everyone toreject the great display of bulls, seals, flags, indulgences, by whichthe poor folk are led to build churches, to give, to endow, to pray,and yet faith is not mentioned, and is even suppressed. For since faithknows no distinction among works, such exaltation and urging of onework above another cannot exist beside faith. For faith desires to bethe only service of God, and will grant this name and honor to no otherwork, except in so far as faith imparts it, as it does when the work isdone in faith and by faith. This perversion is indicated in the OldTestament, when the Jews left the Temple and sacrificed at otherplaces, in the green parks and on the mountains. This is what these menalso do: they are zealous to do all works, but this chief work of faiththey regard not at all.

XIII. Where now are they who ask, what works are good; what they shalldo; how they shall be religious? Yes, and where are they who say thatwhen we preach of faith, we shall neither teach nor do works? Does notthis First Commandment give us more work to do than any man can do? Ifa man were a thousand men, or all men, or all creatures, thisCommandment would yet ask enough of him, and more than enough, since heis commanded to live and walk at all times in faith and confidencetoward God, to place such faith in no one else, and so to have onlyone, the true God, and none other.

Now, since the being and nature of man cannot for an instant be withoutdoing or not doing something, enduring or running away from something(for, as we see, life never rests), let him who will be pious andfilled with good works, begin and in all his life and works at alltimes exercise himself in this faith; let him learn to do and to leaveundone all things in such continual faith; then will he find how muchwork he has to do, and how completely all things are included in faith;how he dare never grow idle, because his very idling must be theexercise and work of faith. In brief, nothing can be in or about us andnothing can happen to us but that it must be good and meritorious, ifwe believe (as we ought) that all things please God. So says St. Paul:"Dear brethren, all that ye do, whether ye eat or drink, do all in theName of Jesus Christ, our Lord." Now it cannot be done in this Nameexcept it be done in this faith. Likewise, Romans vii: "We know thatall things work together for good to the saints of God."

Therefore, when some say that good works are forbidden when we preachfaith alone, it is as if I said to a sick man: "If you had health, youwould have the use of all your limbs; but without health, the works ofall your limbs are nothing"; and he wanted to infer that I hadforbidden the works of all his limbs; whereas, on the contrary, I meantthat he must first have health, which will work all the works of allthe members. So faith also must be in all works the master-workman andcaptain, or they are nothing at all.

XIV. You might say: "Why then do we have so many laws of the Church andof the State, and many ceremonies of churches, monastic houses, holyplaces, which urge and tempt men to good works, if faith does allthings through the First Commandment?" I answer: Simply because we donot all have faith or do not heed it. If every man had faith, we wouldneed no more laws, but every one would of himself at all times do goodworks, as his confidence in God teaches him.

But now there are four kinds of men: the first, just mentioned, whoneed no law, of whom St. Paul says, I. Timothy i, "The law is not madefor a righteous man," that is, for the believer, but believers ofthemselves do what they know and can do, only because they firmly trustthat God's favor and grace rests upon them in all things. The secondclass want to abuse this freedom, put a false confidence in it, andgrow lazy; of whom St. Peter says, I. Peter ii, "Ye shall live as freemen, but not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness," as if hesaid: The freedom of faith does not permit sins, nor will it coverthem, but it sets us free to do all manner of good works and to endureall things as they happen to us, so that a man is not bound only to onework or to a few. So also St. Paul, Galatians v: "Use not your libertyfor an occasion to the flesh." Such men must be urged by laws andhemmed in by teaching and exhortation. The third class are wicked men,always ready for sins; these must be constrained by spiritual andtemporal laws, like wild horses and dogs, and where this does not help,they must be put to death by the worldly sword, as St. Paul says,Romans xiii: "The worldly ruler bears the sword, and serves God withit, not as a terror to the good, but to the evil." The fourth class,who are still lusty, and childish in their understanding of faith andof the spiritual life, must be coaxed like young children and temptedwith external, definite and prescribed decorations, with reading,praying, fasting, singing, adorning of churches, organ playing, andsuch other things as are commanded and observed in monastic houses andchurches, until they also learn to know the faith. Although there isgreat danger here, when the rulers, as is now, alas! the case, busythemselves with and insist upon such ceremonies and external works asif they were the true works, and neglect faith, which they ought alwaysto teach along with these works, just as a mother gives her child otherfood along with the milk, until the child can eat the strong food byitself.

XV. Since, then, we are not all alike, we must tolerate such people,share their observances and burdens, and not despise them, but teachthem the true way of faith. So St. Paul teaches, Romans xiv: "Him thatis weak in the faith receive ye, to teach him." And so he did himself,I. Corinthians ix: "To them that are under the law, I became as underthe law, although I was not under the law." And Christ, Matthew xvii,when He was asked to pay tribute, which He was not obligated to pay,argues with St. Peter, whether the children of kings must givetribute, or only other people. St. Peter answers: "Only other people."Christ said: "Then are the children of kings free; notwithstanding,lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, andtake up the fish that first cometh up; and in his mouth thou shalt finda piece of money; take that and give it for me and thee."

Here we see that all works and things are free to a Christian throughhis faith; and yet, because the others do not yet believe, he observesand bears with them what he is not obligated to do. But this he doesfreely, for he is certain that this is pleasing to God, and he does itwillingly, accepts it as any other free work which comes to his handwithout his choice, because he desires and seeks no more than that hemay in his faith do works to please God.

But since in this discourse we have undertaken to teach what righteousand good works are, and are now speaking of the highest work, it isclear that we do not speak of the second, third and fourth classes ofmen, but of the first, into whose likeness all the others are to grow,and until they do so the first class must endure and instruct them.Therefore we must not despise, as if they were hopeless, these men ofweak faith, who would gladly do right and learn, and yet cannotunderstand because of the ceremonies to which they cling; we mustrather blame their ignorant, blind teachers, who have never taught themthe faith, and have led them so deeply into works. They must be gentlyand gradually led back again to faith, as a sick man is treated, andmust be allowed for a time, for their conscience sake, to cling to someworks and do them as necessary to salvation, so long as they rightlygrasp the faith; lest if we try to tear them out so suddenly, theirweak consciences be quite shattered and confused, and retain neitherfaith nor works. But the hardheaded, who, hardened in their works, giveno heed to what is said of faith, and fight against it, these we must,as Christ did and taught, let go their way, that the blind may lead theblind.

XVI. But you say: How can I trust surely that all my works are pleasingto God, when at times I fall, and talk, eat, drink and sleep too much,or otherwise transgress, as I cannot help doing? Answer: This questionshows that you still regard faith as a work among other works, and donot set it above all works. For it is the highest work for this veryreason, because it remains and blots out these daily sins by notdoubting that God is so kind to you as to wink at such dailytransgression and weakness. Aye, even if a deadly sin should occur(which, however, never or rarely happens to those who live in faith andtrust toward God), yet faith rises again and does not doubt that itssin is already gone; as it is written I. John ii: "My little children,these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, wehave an Advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ, Who is thepropitiation of all our sins." And Wisdom xv: "For if we sin, we areThine, knowing Thy power." And Proverbs xxiv: "For a just man fallethseven times, and riseth up again." Yes, this confidence and faith mustbe so high and strong that the man knows that all his life and worksare nothing but damnable sins before God's judgment, as it is written,Psalm cxliii: "In thy sight shall no man living be justified"; and hemust entirely despair of his works, believing that they cannot be goodexcept through this faith, which looks for no judgment, but only forpure grace, favor, kindness and mercy, like David, Psalm xxvi: "Thyloving kindness is ever before mine eyes, and I have trusted in Thytruth"; Psalm iv: "The light of Thy countenance is lift up upon us(that is, the knowledge of Thy grace through faith), and thereby hastThou put gladness in my heart"; for as faith trusts, so it receives.

See, thus are works forgiven, are without guilt and are good, not bytheir own nature, but by the mercy and grace of God because of thefaith which trusts on the mercy of God. Therefore we must fear becauseof the works, but comfort ourselves because of the grace of God, as itis written, Psalm cxlvii: "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that I fearHim, in those that hope in His mercy." So we pray with perfectconfidence: "Our Father," and yet petition: "Forgive us ourtrespasses"; we are children and yet sinners; are acceptable and yet donot do enough; and all this is the work of faith, firmly grounded inGod's grace.

XVII. But if you ask, where the faith and the confidence can be foundand whence they come, this it is certainly most necessary to know.First: Without doubt faith does not come from your works or merit, butalone from Jesus Christ, and is freely promised and given; as St. Paulwrites, Romans v: "God commendeth His love to us as exceeding sweet andkindly, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"; as ifhe said: "Ought not this give us a strong unconquerable confidence,that before we prayed or cared for it, yes, while we still continuallywalked in sins, Christ dies for our sin?" St. Paul concludes: "If whilewe were yet sinners Christ died for us, how much more then, beingjustified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him; andif, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of HisSon, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life."

Lo! thus must thou form Christ within thyself and see how in Him Godholds before thee and offers thee His mercy without any previous meritsof thine own, and from such a view of His grace must thou draw faithand confidence of the forgiveness of all thy sins. Faith, therefore,does not begin with works, neither do they create it, but it mustspring up and flow from the blood, wounds and death of Christ. If thousee in these that God is so kindly affectioned toward thee that Hegives even His Son for thee, then thy heart also must in its turn growsweet and kindly affectioned toward God, and so thy confidence mustgrow out of pure good-will and love—God's love toward thee and thinetoward God. We never read that the Holy Spirit was given to any onewhen he did works, but always when men have heard the Gospel of Christand the mercy of God. From this same Word and from no other source mustfaith still come, even in our day and always. For Christ is the rockout of which men suck oil and honey, as Moses says, Deuteronomy xxxii.

XVIII. So far we have treated of the first work and of the FirstCommandment, but very briefly, plainly and hastily, for very much mightbe said of it. We will now trace the works farther through thefollowing Commandments.

The second work, next to faith, is the work of the Second Commandment,that we shall honor God's Name and not take it in vain. This, like allthe other works, cannot be done without faith; and if it is donewithout faith, it is all sham and show. After faith we can do nogreater work than to praise, preach, sing and in every way exalt andmagnify God's glory, honor and Name.

And although I have said above, and it is true, that there is nodifference in works where faith is and does the work, yet this is trueonly when they are compared with faith and its works. Measured by oneanother there is a difference, and one is higher than the other. Justas in the body the members do not differ when compared with health, andhealth works in the one as much as in the other; yet the works of themembers are different, and one is higher, nobler, more useful than theother; so, here also, to praise God's glory and Name is better than theworks of the other Commandments which follow; and yet it must be donein the same faith as all the others.

But I know well that this work is lightly esteemed, and has indeedbecome unknown. Therefore we must examine it further, and will say nomore about the necessity of doing it in the faith and confidence thatit pleases God. Indeed there is no work in which confidence and faithare so much experienced and felt as in honoring God's Name; and itgreatly helps to strengthen and increase faith, although all works alsohelp to do this, as St. Peter says, II. Peter i: "Wherefore therather, brethren, give diligence through good works to make yourcalling and election sure."

XIX. The First Commandment forbids us to have other gods, and therebycommands that we have a God, the true God, by a firm faith, trust,confidence, hope and love, which are the only works whereby a man canhave, honor and keep a God; for by no other work can one find or loseGod except by faith or unbelief, by trusting or doubting; of the otherworks none reaches quite to God. So also in the Second Commandment weare forbidden to use His Name in vain. Yet this is not to be enough,but we are thereby also commanded to honor, call upon, glorify, preachand praise His Name. And indeed it is impossible that God's Name shouldnot be dishonored where it is not rightly honored. For although it behonored with the lips, bending of the knees, kissing and otherpostures, if this is not done in the heart by faith, in confident trustin God's grace, it is nothing else than an evidence and badge ofhypocrisy.

See now, how many kinds of good works a man can do under thisCommandment at all times and never be without the good works of thisCommandment, if he will; so that he truly need not make a longpilgrimage or seek holy places. For, tell me, what moment can pass inwhich we do not without ceasing receive God's blessings, or, on theother hand, suffer adversity? But what else are God's blessings andadversities than a constant urging and stirring up to praise, honor,and bless God, and to call upon His Name? Now if you had nothing elseat all to do, would you not have enough to do with this Commandmentalone, that you without ceasing bless, sing, praise and honor God'sName? And for what other purpose have tongue, voice, language and mouthbeen created? As Psalm li. says: "Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouthshall show forth Thy praise." Again: "My tongue shall sing aloud of Thymercy."

What work is there in heaven except that of this Second Commandment? Asit is written in Psalm lxxxiv: "Blessed are they that dwell in Thyhouse: they will be for ever praising Thee." So also David says inPsalm xxxiv: "God's praise shall be continually in my mouth." And St.Paul, I. Corinthians x: "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, orwhatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Also Colossians iii:"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the LordJesus, giving thanks to God and the Father." If we were to observe thiswork, we would have a heaven here on earth and always have enough todo, as have the saints in heaven.

XX. On this is based the wonderful and righteous judgment of God, thatat times a poor man, in whom no one can see many great works, in theprivacy of his home joyfully praises God when he fares well, or withentire confidence calls upon Him when he fares ill, and thereby does agreater and more acceptable work than another, who fasts much, praysmuch, endows churches, makes pilgrimages, and burdens himself withgreat deeds in this place and in that. Such a fool opens wide hismouth, looks for great works to do, and is so blinded that he does notat all notice this greatest work, and praising God is in his eyes avery small matter compared with the great idea he has formed of theworks of his own devising, in which he perhaps praises himself morethan God, or takes more pleasure in them than he does in God; and thuswith his good works he storms against the Second Commandment and itsworks. Of all this we have an illustration in the case of the Phariseeand the Publican in the Gospel. For the sinner calls upon God in hissins, and praises Him, and so has hit upon the two highestCommandments, faith and God's honor. The hypocrite misses both andstruts about with other good works by which he praises himself and notGod, and puts his trust in himself more than in God. Therefore he isjustly rejected and the other chosen.

The reason of all this is that the higher and better the works are, theless show they make; and that every one thinks they are easy, becauseit is evident that no one pretends to praise God's Name and honor somuch as the very men who never do it and with their show of doing it,while the heart is without faith, cause the precious work to bedespised. So that the Apostle St. Paul dare say boldly, Romans ii, thatthey blaspheme God's Name who make their boast of God's Law. For toname the Name of God and to write His honor on paper and on the wallsis an easy matter; but genuinely to praise and bless Him in His gooddeeds and confidently to call upon Him in all adversities, these aretruly the most rare, highest works, next to faith, so that if we wereto see how few of them there are in Christendom, we might despair forvery sorrow. And yet there is a constant increase of high, pretty,shining works of men's devising, or of works which look like these trueworks, but at bottom are all without faith and without faithfulness; inshort, there is nothing good back of them. Thus also Isaiah xlviii.rebukes the people of Israel: "Hear ye this, ye which are called by thename of Israel, which swear by the Name of the Lord, and make mentionof the God of Israel neither in truth, nor in righteousness"; that is,they did it not in the true faith and confidence, which is the realtruth and righteousness, but trusted in themselves, their works andpowers, and yet called upon God's Name and praised Him, two thingswhich do not fit together.

XXI. The first work of this Commandment then is, to praise God in allHis benefits, which are innumerable, so that such praise andthanksgiving ought also of right never to cease or end. For who canpraise Him perfectly for the gift of natural life, not to mention allother temporal and eternal blessings? And so through this one part ofthe Commandment man is overwhelmed with good and precious works; if hedo these in true faith, he has indeed not lived in vain. And in thismatter none sin so much as the most resplendent saints, who are pleasedwith themselves and like to praise themselves or to hear themselvespraised, honored and glorified before men.

Therefore the second work of this Commandment is, to be on one's guard,to flee from and to avoid all temporal honor and praise, and never toseek a name for oneself, or fame and a great reputation, that every onesing of him and tell of him; which is an exceedingly dangerous sin, andyet the most common of all, and, alas! little regarded. Every one wantsto be of importance and not to be the least, however small he may be;so deeply is nature sunk in the evil of its own conceit and in itsself-confidence contrary to these two first Commandments.

Now the world regards this terrible vice as the highest virtue, andthis makes it exceedingly dangerous for those who do not understand andhave not had experience of God's Commandments and the histories of theHoly Scriptures, to read or hear the heathen books and histories. Forall heathen books are poisoned through and through with this strivingafter praise and honor; in them men are taught by blind reason thatthey were not nor could be men of power and worth, who are not moved bypraise and honor; but those are counted the best, who disregard bodyand life, friend and property and everything in the effort to winpraise and honor. All the holy Fathers have complained of this vice andwith one mind conclude that it is the very last vice to be overcome.St. Augustine says: "All other vices are practised in evil works; onlyhonor and self-satisfaction are practised in and by means of goodworks."

Therefore if a man had nothing else to do except this second work ofthis Commandment, he would yet have to work all his life-time in orderto fight this vice and drive it out, so common, so subtile, so quickand insidious is it. Now we all pass by this good work and exerciseourselves in many other lesser good works, nay, through other goodworks we overthrow this and forget it entirely. So the holy Name ofGod, which alone should be honored, is taken in vain and dishonoredthrough our own cursed name, self-approval and honor-seeking. And thissin is more grievous before God than murder and adultery; but itswickedness is not so clearly seen as that of murder, because of itssubtilty, for it is not accomplished in the coarse flesh, but in thespirit.

XXII. Some think it is good for young people that they be enticed byreputation and honor, and again by shame of and dishonor, and so beinduced to do good. For there are many who do the good and leave theevil undone out of fear of shame and love of honor, and so do what theywould otherwise by no means do or leave undone. These I leave to theiropinion. But at present we are seeking how true good works are to bedone, and they who are inclined to do them surely do not need to bedriven by the fear of shame and the love of honor; they have, and areto have a higher and far nobler incentive, namely, God's commandment,God's fear, God's approval, and their faith and love toward God. Theywho have not, or regard not this motive, and let shame and honor drivethem, these also have their reward, as the Lord says, Matthew vi; andas the motive, so is also the work and the reward: none of them isgood, except only in the eyes of the world.

Now I hold that a young person could be more easily trained and incitedby God's fear and commandments than by any other means. Yet wherethese do not help, we must endure that they do the good and leave theevil for the sake of shame and of honor, just as we must also endurewicked men or the imperfect, of whom we spoke above; nor can we do morethan tell them that their works are not satisfactory and right beforeGod, and so leave them until they learn to do right for the sake ofGod's commandments also. Just as young children are induced to pray,fast, learn, etc., by gifts and promises of the parents, even though itwould not be good to treat them so all their lives, so that they neverlearn to do good in the fear of God: far worse, if they becomeaccustomed to do good for the sake of praise and honor.

XXIII. But this is true, that we must none the less have a good nameand honor, and every one ought so to live that nothing evil can be saidof him, and that he give offence to no one, as St. Paul says, Romansxii: "We are to be zealous to do good, not only before God, but alsobefore all men." And II. Corinthians iv: "We walk so honestly that noman knows anything against us." But there must be great diligence andcare, lest such honor and good name puff up the heart, and the heartfind pleasure in them. Here the saying of Solomon holds: "As the firein the furnace proveth the gold, so man is proved by the mouth of himthat praises him." Few and most spiritual men must they be, who, whenhonored and praised, remain indifferent and unchanged, so that they donot care for it, nor feel pride and pleasure in it, but remain entirelyfree, ascribe all their honor and fame to God, offering it to Himalone, and using it only to the glory of God, to the edification oftheir neighbors, and in no way to their own benefit or advantage; sothat a man trust not in his own honor, nor exalt himself above the mostincapable, despised man on earth, but acknowledge himself a servant ofGod, Who has given him the honor in order that with it he may serve Godand his neighbor, just as if He had commanded him to distribute somegulden to the poor for His sake. So He says, Matthew v: "Your lightshall shine before men, so that they may see your good works andglorify your Father Who is in heaven." He does not say, "they shallpraise you," but "your works shall only serve them to edification, thatthrough them they may praise God in you and in themselves." This is thecorrect use of God's Name and honor, when God is thereby praisedthrough the edification of others. And if men want to praise us andnot God in us, we are not to endure it, but with all our powers forbidit and flee from it as from the most grievous sin and robbery of divinehonor.

XXIV. Hence it comes that God frequently permits a man to fall into orremain in grievous sin, in order that he may be put to shame in his owneyes and in the eyes of all men, who otherwise could not have kepthimself from this great vice of vain honor and fame, if he had remainedconstant in his great gifts and virtues; so God must ward off this sinby means of other grievous sins, that His Name alone may be honored;and thus one sin becomes the other's medicine, because of our perversewickedness, which not only does the evil, but also misuses all that isgood.

Now see how much a man has to do, if he would do good works, whichalways are at hand in great number, and with which he is surrounded onall sides; but, alas! because of his blindness, he passes them by andseeks and runs after others of his own devising and pleasure, againstwhich no man can sufficiently speak and no man can sufficiently guard.With this all the prophets had to contend, and for this reason theywere all slain, only because they rejected such self-devised works andpreached only God's commandments, as one of them says, Jeremiah vii:"Thus saith the God of Israel unto you: Take your burnt offerings untoall your sacrifices and eat your burnt-offerings and your fleshyourselves; for concerning these things I have commanded you nothing,but this thing commanded I you: Obey My voice (that is, not what seemsright and good to you, but what I bid you), and walk in the way that Ihave commanded you." And Deuteronomy xii: "Thou shalt not do whatsoeveris right in thine own eyes, but what thy God has commanded thee."

These and numberless like passages of Scripture are spoken to tear mannot only from sins, but also from the works which seem to men to begood and right, and to turn men, with a single mind, to the simplemeaning of God's commandment only, that they shall diligently observethis only and always, as it is written, Exodus xiii: "Thesecommandments shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for amemorial between thine eyes." And Psalm i: "A godly man meditates inGod's Law day and night." For we have more than enough and too much todo, if we are to satisfy only God's commandments. He has given us suchcommandments that if we understand them aright, we dare not for amoment be idle, and might easily forget all other works. But the evilspirit, who never rests, when he cannot lead us to the left into evilworks, fights on our right through self-devised works that seem good,but against which God has commanded, Deuteronomy xxviii, and Joshuaxxiii, "Ye shall not go aside from My commandments to the right hand orto the left."

XXV. The third work of this Commandment is to call upon God's Name inevery need. For this God regards as keeping His Name holy and greatlyhonoring it, if we name and call upon it in adversity and need. Andthis is really why He sends us so much trouble, suffering, adversityand even death, and lets us live in many wicked, sinful affections,that He may thereby urge man and give him much reason to run to Him, tocry aloud to Him, to call upon His holy Name, and thus to fulfil thiswork of the Second Commandment, as He says in Psalm 1: "Call upon Me inthe day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me; forI desire the sacrifice of praise." And this is the way whereby thoucanst come unto salvation; for through such works man perceives andlearns what God's Name is, how powerful it is to help all who call uponit; and whereby confidence and faith grow mightily, and these are thefulfilling of the first and highest Commandment. This is theexperience of David, Psalm liv: "Thou hast delivered me out of alltrouble, therefore will I praise Thy Name and confess that it is lovelyand sweet." And Psalm xci says, "Because he hath set his hope upon Me,therefore will I deliver him: I will help him, because he hath known MyName."

Lo! what man is there on earth, who would not all his life long haveenough to do with this work? For who lives an hour without trials? Iwill not mention the trials of adversity, which are innumerable. Forthis is the most dangerous trial of all, when there is no trial andevery thing is and goes well; for then a man is tempted to forget God,to become too bold and to misuse the times of prosperity. Yea, here hehas ten times more need to call upon God's Name than when in adversity.Since it is written, Psalm xci, "A thousand shall fall on the left handand ten thousand on the right hand."

So too we see in broad day, in all men's daily experience, that moreheinous sins and vice occur when there is peace, when all things arecheap and there are good times, than when war, pestilence, sicknessesand all manner of misfortune burden us; so that Moses also fears forhis people, lest they forsake God's commandment for no other reasonthan because they are too full, too well provided for and have too muchpeace, as he says, Deuteronomy xxxii "My people is waxed rich, full andfat; therefore has it forsaken its God." Wherefore also God let many ofits enemies remain and would not drive them out, in order that theyshould not have peace and must exercise themselves in the keeping ofGod's commandments, as it is written, Judges iii. So He deals with usalso, when He sends us all kinds of misfortune: so exceedingly carefulis He of us, that He may teach us and drive us to honor and call uponHis Name, to gain confidence and faith toward Him, and so to fulfil thefirst two Commandments.

XXVI. Here foolish men run into danger, and especially thework-righteous saints, and those who want to be more than others; theyteach men to make the sign of the cross; one arms himself with letters,another runs to the fortunetellers; one seeks this, another that, ifonly they may thereby escape misfortune and be secure. It is beyondtelling what a devilish allurement attaches to this trifling withsorcery, conjuring and superstition, all of which is done only that menmay not need God's Name and put no trust in it. Here great dishonor isdone the Name of God and the first two Commandments, in that men lookto the devil, men or creatures for that which should be sought andfound in God alone, through naught but a pure faith and confidence, anda cheerful meditation of and calling upon His holy Name.

Now examine this closely for yourself and see whether this is not agross, mad perversion: the devil, men and creatures they must believe,and trust to them for the best; without such faith and confidencenothing holds or helps. How shall the good and faithful God reward usfor not believing and trusting Him as much or more than man and thedevil, although He not only promises help and sure assistance, but alsocommands us confidently to look for it, and gives and urges all mannerof reasons why we should place such faith and confidence in Him? Is itnot lamentable and pitiable that the devil or man, who commands nothingand does not urge, but only promises, is set above God, Who promises,urges and commands; and that more is thought of them than of GodHimself? We ought truly to be ashamed of ourselves and learn from theexample of those who trust the devil or men. For if the devil, who is awicked, lying spirit, keeps faith with all those who ally themselveswith him, how much more will not the most gracious, all-truthful Godkeep faith, if a man trusts Him? Nay, is it not rather He alone Whowill keep faith? A rich man trusts and relies upon his money andpossessions, and they help him; and we are not willing to trust andrely upon the living God, that He is willing and able to help us? Wesay: Gold makes bold; and it is true, as Baruch iii. says, "Gold is athing wherein men trust." But far greater is the courage which thehighest eternal Good gives, wherein trust, not men, but only God'schildren.

XXVII. Even if none of these adversities constrain us to call uponGod's Name and to trust Him, yet were sin alone more than sufficient totrain and to urge us on in this work. For sin has hemmed us in withthree strong, mighty armies. The first is our own flesh, the second theworld, the third the evil spirit, by which three we are without ceasingoppressed and troubled; whereby God gives us occasion to do good workswithout ceasing, namely, to fight with these enemies and sins. Theflesh seeks pleasure and peace, the world seeks riches, favor, powerand honor, the evil spirit seeks pride, glory, that a man be wellthought of, and other men be despised.

And these three are all so powerful that each one of them is alonesufficient to fight a man, and yet there is no way we can overcomethem, except only by calling upon the holy Name of God in a firm faith,as Solomon says, Proverbs xviii: "The Name of the Lord is a strongtower; the righteous runneth into it, and is set aloft." And David,Psalm cxvi: "I will drink the cup of salvation, and call upon the Nameof the Lord." Again, Psalm xviii: "I will call upon the Lord withpraise: so shall I be saved from all mine enemies." These works and thepower of God's Name have become unknown to us, because we are notaccustomed to it, and have never seriously fought with sins, and havenot needed His Name, because we are trained only in our self devisedworks, which we were able to do with our own powers.

XXVIII. Further works of this Commandment are: that we shall not swear,curse, lie, deceive and conjure with the holy Name of God, andotherwise misuse it; which are very simple matters and well known toevery one, being the sins which have been almost exclusively preachedand proclaimed under this Commandment. These also include, that weshall prevent others from making sinful use of God's Name by lying,swearing, deceiving, cursing, conjuring, and otherwise. Herein againmuch occasion is given for doing good and warding off evil.

But the greatest and most difficult work of this Commandment is toprotect the holy Name of God against all who misuse it in a spiritualmanner, and to proclaim it to all men. For it is not enough that I, formyself and in myself, praise and call upon God's Name in prosperity andadversity. I must step forth and for the sake of God's honor and Namebring upon myself the enmity of all men, as Christ said to Hisdisciples: "Ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake." Here wemust provoke to anger father, mother, and the best of friends. Here wemust strive against spiritual and temporal powers, and be accused ofdisobedience. Here we must stir up against us the rich, learned, holy,and all that is of repute in the world. And although this is especiallythe duty of those who are commanded to preach God's Word, yet everyChristian is also obligated to do so when time and place demand. For wemust for the holy Name of God risk and give up all that we have and cando, and show by our deeds that we love God and His Name, His honor andHis praise above all things, and trust Him above all things, and expectgood from Him; thereby confessing that we regard Him as the highestgood, for the sake of which we let go and give up all other goods.

XXIX. Here we must first of all resist all wrong, where truth orrighteousness suffers violence or need, and dare make no distinction ofpersons, as some do, who fight most actively and busily against thewrong which is done to the rich, the powerful, and their own friends;but when it is done to the poor, or the despised or their own enemy,they are quiet and patient. These see the Name and the honor of God notas it is, but through a painted glass, and measure truth orrighteousness according to the persons, and do not consider theirdeceiving eye, which looks more on the person than on the thing. Theseare hypocrites within and have only the appearance of defending thetruth. For they well know that there is no danger when one helps therich, the powerful, the learned and one's own friends, and can in turnenjoy their protection and be honored by them.

Thus it is very easy to fight against the wrong which is done to popes,kings, princes, bishops and other big-wigs. Here each wants to be themost pious, where there is no great need. O how sly is here thedeceitful Adam with his demand; how finely does he cover his greed ofprofit with the name of truth and righteousness and God's honor! Butwhen something happens to a poor and insignificant man, there thedeceitful eye does not find much profit, but cannot help seeing thedisfavor of the powerful; therefore he lets the poor man remainunhelped. And who could tell the extent of this vice in Christendom?God says in the lxxxii. Psalm, "How long will ye judge unjustly, andaccept the persons of the wicked? Judge the matter of the poor andfatherless, demand justice for the poor and needy; deliver the poor andrid the forsaken out of the hand of the wicked." But it is not done,and therefore the text continues: "They know not, neither will theyunderstand; they walk on in darkness"; that is, the truth they do notsee, but they stop at the reputation of the great, however unrighteousthey are; and do not consider the poor, however righteous they are.

XXX. See, here would be many good works. For the greater portion of thepowerful, rich and friends do injustice and oppress the poor, thelowly, and their own opponents; and the greater the men, the worse thedeeds; and where we cannot by force prevent it and help the truth, weshould at least confess it, and do what we can with words, not take thepart of the unrighteous, not approve them, but speak the truth boldly.

What would it help a man if he did all manner of good, made pilgrimagesto Rome and to all holy places, acquired all indulgences, built allchurches and endowed houses, if he were found guilty of sin against theName and honor of God, not speaking of them and neglecting them, andregarding his possessions, honor, favor and friends more than the truth(which is God's Name and honor)? Or who is he, before whose door andinto whose house such good works do not daily come, so that he wouldhave no need to travel far or to ask after good works? And if weconsider the life of men, how in every place men act so very rashly andlightly in this respect, we must cry out with the prophet, Omnis homomendax, "All men are liars, lie and deceive"; for the real good worksthey neglect, and adorn and paint themselves with the mostinsignificant, and want to be pious, to mount to heaven in peacefulsecurity.

But if you should say: "Why does not God do it alone and Himself, sinceHe can and knows how to help each one?" Yes, He can do it; but He doesnot want to do it alone; He wants us to work with Him, and does us thehonor to want to work His work with us and through us. And if we arenot willing to accept such honor, He will, after all, perform the workalone, and help the poor; and those who were unwilling to help Him andhave despised the great honor of doing His work, He will condemn withthe unrighteous, because they have made common cause with theunrighteous. Just as He alone is blessed, but He wants to do us thehonor and not be alone in His blessedness, but have us to be blessedwith Him. And if He were to do it alone, His Commandments would begiven us in vain, because no one would have occasion to exercisehimself in the great works of these Commandments, and no one would testhimself to see whether he regards God and His Name as the highest good,and for His sake risks everything.

XXXI. It also belongs to this work to resist all false, seductive,erroneous, heretical doctrines, every misuse of spiritual power. Nowthis is much higher, for these use the holy Name of God itself to fightagainst the Name of God. For this reason it seems a great thing and adangerous to resist them, because they assert that he who resists themresists God and all His saints, in whose place they sit and whose powerthey use, saying that Christ said of them, "He that heareth you,heareth Me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." On which wordsthey lean heavily, become insolent and bold to say, to do, and to leaveundone what they please; put to the ban, accurse, rob, murder, andpractise all their wickedness, in whatever way they please and caninvent, without any hindrance.

Now Christ did not mean that we should listen to them in everythingthey might say and do, but only then when they present to us His Word,the Gospel, not their word, His work, and not their work. How elsecould we know whether their lies and sins were to be avoided? Theremust be some rule, to what extent we are to hear and to follow them,and this rule cannot be given by them, but must be established by Godover them, that it may serve us as a guide, as we shall hear in theFourth Commandment.

It must be, indeed, that even in the spiritual estate the greater partpreach false doctrine and misuse spiritual power, so that thus occasionmay be given us to do the works of this Commandment, and that we betried, to see what we are willing to do and to leave undone againstsuch blasphemers for the sake of God's honor.

Oh, if we were God-fearing in this matter, how often would the knavesof officiales have to decree their papal and episcopal ban in vain! Howweak the Roman thunderbolts would become! How often would many a onehave to hold his tongue, to whom the world must now give ear! How fewpreachers would be found in Christendom! But it has gotten the upperhand: whatever they assert and in whatever way, that must be right.Here no one fights for God's Name and honor, and I hold that no greateror more frequent sin is done in external works than under this head. Itis a matter so high that few understand it, and, besides, adorned withGod's Name and power, dangerous to touch. But the prophets of old weremasters in this; also the apostles, especially St. Paul, who did notallow it to trouble them whether the highest or the lowest priest hadsaid it, or had done it in God's Name or in his own. They looked onthe works and words, and held them up to God's Commandment, no matterwhether big John or little Nick said it, or whether they had done it inGod's Name or in man's. And for this they had to die, and of such dyingthere would be much more to say in our time, for things are much worsenow. But Christ and St. Peter and Paul must cover all this with theirholy names, so that no more infamous cover for infamy has been found onearth than the most holy and most blessed Name of Jesus Christ!

One might shudder to be alive, simply because of the misuse andblasphemy of the holy Name of God; through which, if it shall last muchlonger, we will, as I fear, openly worship the devil as a god; socompletely do the spiritual authorities and the learned lack allunderstanding in these things. It is high time that we pray Godearnestly that He hallow His Name. But it will cost blood, and they whoenjoy the inheritance of the holy martyrs and are won with their blood,must again make martyrs. Of this more another time.

I. We have now seen how many good works there are in the SecondCommandment, which however are not good in themselves, unless they aredone in faith and in the assurance of divine favor; and how much wemust do, if we take heed to this Commandment alone, and how we, alas!busy ourselves much with other works, which have no agreement at allwith it. Now follows the Third Commandment: "Thou shalt hallow the dayof rest." In the First Commandment is prescribed our heart's attitudetoward God in thoughts, in the Second, that of our mouth in words, inthis Third is prescribed our attitude toward God in works; and it isthe first and right table of Moses, on which these three Commandmentsare written, and they govern man on the right side, namely, in thethings which concern God, and in which God has to do with man and manwith God, without the mediation of any creature.

The first works of this Commandment are plain and outward, which wecommonly call worship, such as going to mass, praying, and hearing asermon on holy days. So understood there are very few works in thisCommandment; and these, if they are not done in assurance of and withfaith in God's favor, are nothing, as was said above. Hence it wouldalso be a good thing if there were fewer saint's days, since in ourtimes the works done on them are for the greater part worse than thoseof the work days, what with loafing, gluttony, and drunkenness,gambling and other evil deeds; and then, the mass and the sermon arelistened to without edification, the prayer is spoken without faith. Italmost happens that men think it is sufficient that we look on at themass with our eyes, hear the preaching with our ears, and say theprayers with our mouths. It is all so formal and superficial! We do notthink that we might receive something out of the mass into our hearts,learn and remember something out of the preaching, seek, desire andexpect something in our prayer. Although in this matter the bishops andpriests, or they to whom the work of preaching is entrusted, are mostat fault, because they do not preach the Gospel, and do not teach thepeople how they ought to look on at mass, hear preaching and pray.Therefore, we will briefly explain these three works.

II. In the mass it is necessary that we attend with our a hearts also;and we do attend, when we exercise faith in our hearts. Here we mustrepeat the words of Christ, when He institutes the mass and says, "Takeand eat, this is My Body, which is given for you"; in like manner overthe cup, "Take and drink ye all of it: this is a new, everlastingTestament in My Blood, which is shed for you and for many for theremission of sins. This shall ye do, as oft as ye do it, in remembranceof Me." In these words Christ has made for Himself a memorial oranniversary, to be daily observed in all Christendom, and has added toit a glorious, rich, great testament, in which no interest, money ortemporal possessions are bequeathed and distributed, but theforgiveness of all sins, grace and mercy unto eternal life, that allwho come to this memorial shall have the same testament; and then Hedied, whereby this testament has become permanent and irrevocable. Inproof and evidence of which, instead of letter and seal, He has leftwith us His own Body and Blood under the bread and wine.

Here there is need that a man practise the first works of thisCommandment right well, that he doubt not that what Christ has said istrue, and consider the testament sure, so that he make not Christ aliar. For if you are present at mass and do not consider nor believethat here Christ through His testament has bequeathed and given youforgiveness of all your sins, what else is it, than as if you said: "Ido not know or do not believe that it is true that forgiveness of mysins is here bequeathed and given me"? Oh, how many masses there are inthe world at present! but how few who hear them with such faith andbenefit! Most grievously is God provoked to anger thereby. For thisreason also no one shall or can reap any benefit from the mass excepthe be in trouble of soul and long for divine mercy, and desire to berid of his sins; or, if he have an evil intention, he must be changedduring the mass, and come to have a desire for this testament. For thisreason in olden times no open sinner was allowed to be present at themass.

When this faith is rightly present, the heart must be made joyful bythe testament, and grow warm and melt in God's love. Then will followpraise and thanksgiving with a pure heart, from which the mass iscalled in Greek Eucharistia, that is, "thanksgiving," because we praiseand thank God for this comforting, rich, blessed testament, just as hegives thanks, praises and is joyful, to whom a good friend haspresented a thousand and more gulden. Although Christ often fares likethose who make several persons rich by their testament, and thesepersons never think of them, nor praise or thank them. So our masses atpresent are merely celebrated, without our knowing why or wherefore,and consequently we neither give thanks nor love nor praise, remainparched and hard, and have enough with our little prayer. Of this moreanother time.

III. The sermon ought to be nothing else than the proclamation of thistestament. But who can hear it if no one preaches it? Now, they whoought to preach it, themselves do not know it. This is why the sermonsramble off into other unprofitable stories, and thus Christ isforgotten, while we fare like the man in II. Kings vii: we see ourriches but do not enjoy them. Of which the Preacher also says, "This isa great evil, when God giveth a man riches, and giveth him not power toenjoy them." So we look on at unnumbered masses and do not know whetherthe mass be a testament, or what it be, just as if it were any othercommon good work by itself. O God, how exceeding blind we are! Butwhere this is rightly preached, it is necessary that it be diligentlyheard, grasped, retained, often thought of, and that the faith be thusstrengthened against all the temptation of sin, whether past, orpresent, or to come.

Lo! this is the only ceremony or practice which Christ has instituted,in which His Christians shall assemble, exercise themselves and keep itwith one accord; and this He did not make to be a mere work like otherceremonies, but placed into it a rich, exceeding great treasure, to beoffered and bestowed upon all who believe on it.

This preaching should induce sinners to grieve over their sins, andshould kindle in them a longing for the treasure. It must, therefore,be a grievous sin not to hear the Gospel, and to despise such atreasure and so rich a feast to which we are bidden; but a much greatersin not to preach the Gospel, and to let so many people who wouldgladly hear it perish, since Christ has so strictly commanded that theGospel and this testament be preached, that He does not wish even themass to be celebrated, unless the Gospel be preached, as He says: "Asoft as ye do this, remember me"; that is, as St. Paul says, "Ye shallpreach of His death." For this reason it is dreadful and horrible inour times to be a bishop, pastor and preacher; for no one any longerknows this testament, to say nothing of their preaching it, althoughthis is their highest and only duty and obligation. How heavily mustthey give account for so many souls who must perish because of thislack in preaching.

IV. We should pray, not as the custom is, counting many pages or beads,but fixing our mind upon some pressing need, desire it with allearnestness, and exercise faith and confidence toward God in thematter, in such wise that we do not doubt that we shall be heard. SoSt. Bernard instructs his brethren and says: "Dear brethren, you shallby no means despise your prayer, as if it were in vain, for I tell youof a truth that, before you have uttered the words, the prayer isalready recorded in heaven; and you shall confidently expect from Godone of two things: either that your prayer will be granted, or that, ifit will not be granted, the granting of it would not be good for you."

Prayer is, therefore, a special exercise of faith, and faith makes theprayer so acceptable that either it will surely be granted, orsomething better than we ask will be given in its stead. So also saysSt. James: "Let him who asketh of God not waver in faith; for if hewavers, let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of theLord." This is a clear statement, which says directly: he who does nottrust, receives nothing, neither that which he asks, nor anythingbetter.

And to call forth such faith, Christ Himself has said, Mark xi:"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,believe that ye receive them, and ye shall surely have them." And Lukexi: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth;and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall beopened. Or what father is there of you, who, if his son shall askbread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give hima serpent? or if he ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? But if youknow how to give good gifts to your children, and you yourselves arenot naturally good, how much more shall your Father which is in heavengive a good spirit to all them that ask Him!"

V. Who is so hard and stone-like, that such mighty words ought not tomove him to pray with all confidence! joyfully and gladly? But howmany prayers must be reformed, if we are to pray aright according tothese words! Now, indeed, all churches and monastic houses are full ofpraying and singing, but how does it happen that so little improvementand benefit result from it, and things daily grow worse? The reason isnone other than that which St. James indicates when he says: "You askmuch and receive not, because ye ask amiss." For where this faith andconfidence is not in the prayer, the prayer is dead, and nothing morethan a grievous labor and work. If anything is given for it, it is nonethe less only temporal benefit without any blessing and help for thesoul; nay, to the great injury and blinding of souls, so that they gotheir way, babbling much with their mouths, regardless of whether theyreceive, or desire, or trust; and in this unbelief, the state of mindmost opposed to the exercise of faith and to the nature of prayer, theyremain hardened.

From this it follows that one who prays aright never doubts that hisprayer is surely acceptable and heard, although the very thing forwhich he prays be not given him. For we are to lay our need before Godin prayer, but not prescribe to Him a measure, manner, time or place;but if He wills to give it to us better or in another way than wethink, we are to leave it to Him; for frequently we do not know what wepray, as St. Paul says, Romans viii; and God works and gives above allthat we understand, as he says, Ephesians iii, so that there be nodoubt that the prayer is acceptable and heard, and we yet leave to Godthe time, place, measure and limit; He will surely do what is right.They are the true worshipers, who worship God in spirit and in truth.For they who believe not that they will be heard, sin upon the lefthand against this Commandment, and go far astray with their unbelief.But they who set a limit for Him, sin upon the other side, and come tooclose with their tempting of God. So He has forbidden both, that weshould err from His Commandment neither to the left nor to the right,that is, neither with unbelief nor with tempting, but with simple faithremain on the straight road, trusting Him, and yet setting Him nobounds.

VI. Thus we see that this Commandment, like the Second, is to benothing else than a doing and keeping of the First Commandment, thatis, of faith, trust, confidence, hope and love to God, so that in allthe Commandments the First may be the captain, and faith the chief workand the life of all other works, without which, as was said, theycannot be good.

But if you say: "What if I cannot believe that my prayer is heard andaccepted?" I answer: For this very reason faith, prayer and all othergood works are commanded, that you shall know what you can and what youcannot do. And when you find that you cannot so believe and do, thenyou are humbly to confess it to God, and so begin with a weak spark offaith and daily strengthen it more and more by exercising it in allyour living and doing. For as touching infirmity of faith (that is, ofthe First and highest Commandment), there is no one on earth who doesnot have his good share of it. For even the holy Apostles in theGospel, and especially St. Peter, were weak in faith, so that they alsoprayed Christ and said: "Lord, increase our faith "; and He veryfrequently rebukes them because they have so little faith.

Therefore you shall not despair, nor give up, even if you find that youdo not believe as firmly as you ought and wish, in your prayer or inother works. Nay, you shall thank God with all your heart that He thusreveals to you your weakness, through which He daily teaches andadmonishes you how much you need to exercise yourself and dailystrengthen yourself in faith. For how many do you see who habituallypray, sing, read, work and seem to be great saints, and yet never getso far as to know where they stand in respect of the chief work, faith;and so in their blindness they lead astray themselves and others; thinkthey are very well off, and so unknowingly build on the sand of theirworks without any faith, not on God's mercy and promise through a firm,pure faith.

Therefore, however long we live, we shall always have our hands full toremain, with all our works and sufferings, pupils of the FirstCommandment and of faith, and not to cease to learn. No one knows whata great thing it is to trust God alone, except he who attempts it withhis works.

VII. Again: if no other work were commanded, would not prayer alonesuffice to exercise the whole life of man in faith? For this work thespiritual estate has been specially established, as indeed in oldentimes some Fathers prayed day and night. Nay, there is no Christian whodoes not have time to pray without ceasing. But I mean the spiritualpraying, that is: no one is so heavily burdened with his labor, butthat if he will he can, while working, speak with God in his heart, laybefore Him his need and that of other men, ask for help, make petition,and in all this exercise and strengthen his faith.

This is what the Lord means, Luke xviii, when He says, "Men oughtalways to pray, and never cease," although in Matthew vi. He forbidsthe use of much speaking and long prayers, because of which He rebukesthe hypocrites; not because the lengthy prayer of the lips is evil, butbecause it is not that true prayer which can be made at all times, andwithout the inner prayer of faith is nothing. For we must also practisethe outward prayer in its proper time, especially in the mass, as thisCommandment requires, and wherever it is helpful to the inner prayerand faith, whether in the house or in the field, in this work or inthat; of which we have no time now to speak more. For this belongs tothe Lord's Prayer, in which all petitions and spoken prayer are summedup in brief words.

VIII. Where now are they who desire to know and to do good works? Letthem undertake prayer alone, and rightly exercise themselves in faith,and they will find that it is true, as the holy Fathers have said, thatthere is no work like prayer. Mumbling with the mouth is easy, or atleast considered easy, but with earnestness of heart to follow thewords in deep devotion, that is, with desire and faith, so that oneearnestly desires what the words say, and not to doubt that it will beheard: that is a great deed in God's eyes.

Here the evil spirit hinders men with all his powers. Oh, how oftenwill he here prevent the desire to pray, not allow us to find time andplace, nay, often also raise doubts, whether a man is worthy to askanything of such a Majesty as God is, and so confuse us that a manhimself does not know whether it is really true that he prays or not;whether it is possible that his prayer is acceptable, and other suchstrange thoughts. For the evil spirit knows well how powerful one man'struly believing prayer is, and how it hurts him, and how it benefitsall men. Therefore he does not willingly let it happen.

When so tempted, a man must indeed be wise, and not doubt that he andhis prayer are, indeed, unworthy before such infinite Majesty; in nowise dare he trust his worthiness, or because of his unworthiness growfaint; but he must heed God's command and cast this up to Him, and holdit before the devil, and say: "Because of my worthiness I do nothing,because of my unworthiness I cease from nothing. I pray and work onlybecause God of His pure mercy has promised to hear and to be graciousto all unworthy men, and not only promised it, but He has also moststernly, on pain of His everlasting displeasure and wrath, commanded usto pray, to trust and to receive. If it has not been too much for thathigh Majesty so solemnly and highly to obligate His unworthy worms topray, to trust, and to receive from Him, how shall it be too much forme to take such command upon myself with all joy, however worthy orunworthy I may be?" Thus we must drive out the devil's suggestion withGod's command. Thus will he cease, and in no other way whatever.

IX. But what are the things which we must bring before Almighty God inprayer and lamentation, to exercise faith thereby? Answer: First, everyman's own besetting need and trouble, of which David says, Psalm xxxii:"Thou art my refuge in all trouble which compasseth me about; Thou artmy comfort, to preserve me from all evil which surrounds me." Likewise,Psalm cxlii: "I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice untothe Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint beforeHim; I showed before Him my trouble." In the mass a Christian shallkeep in mind the short-comings or excesses he feels, and pour out allthese freely before God with weeping and groaning, as woefully as hecan, as to his faithful Father, who is ready to help him. And if youdo not know or recognise your need, or have no trouble, then you shallknow that you are in the worst possible plight. For this is thegreatest trouble, that you find yourself so hardened, hard-hearted andinsensible that no trouble moves you.

There is no better mirror in which to see your need than simply the TenCommandments, in which you will find what you lack and what you shouldseek. If, therefore, you find in yourself a weak faith, small hope andlittle love toward God; and that you do not praise and honor God, butlove your own honor and fame, think much of the favor of men, do notgladly hear mass and sermon, are indolent in prayer, in which thingsevery one has faults, then you shall think more of these faults than ofall bodily harm to goods, honor and life, and believe that they areworse than death and all mortal sickness. These you shall earnestly laybefore God, lament and ask for help, and with all confidence expecthelp, and believe that you are heard and shall obtain help and mercy.

Then go forward into the Second Table of the Commandments, and see howdisobedient you have been and still are toward father and mother andall in authority; how you sin against your neighbor with anger, hatredand evil words; how you are tempted to unchastity, covetousness andinjustice in word and deed against your neighbor; and you willdoubtless find that you are full of all need and misery, and havereason enough to weep even drops of blood, if you could.

X. But I know well that many are so foolish as not to want to ask forsuch things, unless they first be conscious that they are pure, andbelieve that God hears no one who is a sinner. All this is the work ofthose false preachers, who teach men to begin, not with faith and trustin God's favor, but with their own works.

Look you, wretched man! if you have broken a leg, or the peril of deathovertakes you, you call upon God, this Saint and that, and do not waituntil your leg is healed, or the danger is past: you are not so foolishas to think that God hears no one whose leg is broken, or who is inbodily danger. Nay, you believe that God shall hear most of all whenyou are in the greatest need and fear. Why, then, are you so foolishhere, where there is immeasurably greater need and eternal hurt, and donot want to ask for faith, hope, love, humility, obedience, chastity,gentleness, peace, righteousness, unless you are already free of allyour unbelief, doubt, pride, disobedience, unchastity, anger,covetousness and unrighteousness. Although the more you find yourselflacking in these things, the more and more diligently you ought to prayor cry.

So blind are we: with our bodily sickness and need we run to God; withthe soul's sickness we run from Him, and are unwilling to come backbefore we are well, exactly as if there could be one God who could helpthe body, and another God who could help the soul; or as if we wouldhelp ourselves in spiritual need, although it really is greater thanthe bodily need. Such plan and counsel is of the devil.

Not so, my good man! If you wish to be cured of sin, you must notwithdraw from God, but run to Him, and pray with much more confidencethan if a bodily need had overtaken you. God is not hostile to sinners,but only to unbelievers, that is, to such as do not recognize andlament their sin, nor seek help against it from God, but in their ownpresumption wish first to purify themselves, are unwilling to be inneed of His grace, and will not suffer Him to be a God Who gives toeveryone and takes nothing in return.

XI. All this has been said of prayer for personal needs, and of prayerin general. But the prayer which really belongs to this Commandment andis called a work of the Holy Day, is far better and greater, and is tobe made for all Christendom, for all the need of all men, of foe andfriend, especially for those who belong to the parish or bishopric.

Thus St. Paul commanded his disciple Timothy: "exhort thee, that thousee to it, that prayers and intercessions be made for all men, forkings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet andpeaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good andacceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." For this reason Jeremiah,chapter xxix, commanded the people of Israel to pray for the city andland of Babylon, because in the peace thereof they should have peace.And Baruch i: "Pray for the life of the king of Babylon and for thelife of his son, that we may live in peace under their rule."

This common prayer is precious and the most powerful, and it is for itssake that we come together. For this reason also the Church is called aHouse of Prayer, because in it we are as a congregation with one accordto consider our need and the needs of all men, present them before God,and call upon Him for mercy. But this must be done with heart-feltemotion and sincerity, so that we feel in our hearts the need of allmen, and that we pray with true sympathy for them, in true faith andconfidence. Where such prayers are not made in the mass, it were betterto omit the mass. For what sense is there in our coming together into aHouse of Prayer, which coming together shows that we should make commonprayer and petition for the entire congregation, if we scatter theseprayers, and so distribute them that everyone prays only for himself,and no one has regard for the other, nor concerns himself for another'sneed? How can that prayer be of help, good, acceptable and a commonprayer, or a work of the Holy Day and of the assembled congregation,which they make who make their own petty prayers, one for this, theother for that, and have nothing but self-seeking, selfish prayers,which God hates?

XII. A suggestion of this common prayer has been retained from ancientpractice, when at the end of the sermon the Confession of Sins is saidand prayer is made on the pulpit for all Christendom. But this shouldnot be the end of the matter, as is now the custom and fashion; itshould be an exhortation to pray throughout the entire mass for suchneed as the preacher makes us feel; and in order that we may prayworthily, he first exhorts us because of our sin, and thereby makes ushumble. This should be done as briefly as possible, that then theentire congregation may confess their own sin and pray for every onewith earnestness and faith.

Oh, if God granted that any congregation at all heard mass and prayedin this way, so that a common earnest heart-cry of the entire peoplewould rise up to God, what immeasurable virtue and help would resultfrom such a prayer! What more terrible thing could happen to all theevil spirits? What greater work could be done on earth, whereby so manypious souls would be preserved, so many sinners converted?

For, indeed, the Christian Church on earth has no greater power or workthan such common prayer against everything that may oppose it. This theevil spirit knows well, and therefore he does all that he can toprevent such prayer. Gleefully he lets us go on building churches,endowing many monastic houses, making music, reading, singing,observing many masses, and multiplying ceremonies beyond all measure.This does not grieve him, nay, he helps us do it, that we may considersuch things the very best, and think that thereby we have done ourwhole duty. But in that meanwhile this common, effectual and fruitfulprayer perishes and its omission is unnoticed because of such display,in this he has what he seeks. For when prayer languishes, no one willtake anything from him, and no one will withstand him. But if henoticed that we wished to practise this prayer, even if it were under astraw roof or in a pig-sty, he would indeed not endure it, but wouldfear such a pig-sty far more than all the high, big and beautifulchurches, towers and bells in existence, if such prayer be not in them.It is indeed not a question of the places and buildings in which weassemble, but only of this unconquerable prayer, that we pray it andbring it before God as a truly common prayer.

XIII. The power of this prayer we see in the fact that in olden timesAbraham prayed for the five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, etc., Genesisxviii, and accomplished so much, that if there had been ten righteouspeople in them, two in each city, God would not have destroyed them.What then could many men do, if they united in calling upon Godearnestly and with sincere confidence?

St. James also says: "Dear brethren, pray for one another, that ye maybe saved. For the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, a prayerthat perseveres and does not cease" (that is, which does not ceaseasking ever more and more, although what it asks is not immediatelygranted, as some timid men do). And as an example in this matter hesets before us Elijah, the Prophet, "who was a man," he says, "as weare, and prayed, that it might not rain; and it rained not by the spaceof three years and six months. And he prayed again, and it rained, andeverything became fruitful." There are many texts and examples in theScriptures which urge us to pray, only that it be done with earnestnessand faith. As David says, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,and His ears are open unto their cry." Again, "The Lord is nigh untoall them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." Whydoes he add, "call upon Him in truth"? Because that is not prayer norcalling upon God when the mouth alone mumbles.

What should God do, if you come along with your mouth, book orPaternoster, and think of nothing except that you may finish the wordsand complete the number? So that if some one were to ask you what itall was about, or what it was that you prayed for, you yourself wouldnot know; for you had not thought of laying this or that matter beforeGod or desiring it. Your only reason for praying is that you arecommanded to pray this and so much, and this you intend to do in full.What wonder that thunder and lightning frequently set churches on fire,because we thus make of the House of Prayer a house of mockery, andcall that prayer in which we bring nothing before God and desirenothing from Him.

But we should do as they do who wish to ask a favor of great princes.These do not plan merely to babble a certain number of words, for theprince would think they mocked him, or were insane; but they put theirrequest very plainly, and present their need earnestly, and then leaveit to his mercy, in good confidence that he will grant it. So we mustdeal with God of definite things, namely, mention some present need,commend it to His mercy and good-will, and not doubt that it is heard;for He has promised to hear such prayer, which no earthly lord has done.

XIV. We are masters in this form of prayer when we suffer bodily need;when we are sick we call here upon St. Christopher, there upon St.Barbara; we vow a pilgrimage to St. James, to this place and to that;then we make earnest prayer, have a good confidence and every good kindof prayer. But when we are in our churches during mass, we stand likeimages of saints; know nothing to speak of or to lament; the beadsrattle, the pages rustle and the mouth babbles; and that is all thereis to it.

But if you ask what you shall speak of and lament in your prayer, youcan easily learn from the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. Openyour eyes and look into your life and the life of all Christians,especially of the spiritual estate, and you will find how faith, hope,love, obedience, chastity and every virtue languish, and all manner ofheinous vices reign; what a lack there is of good preachers andprelates; how only knaves, children, fools and women rule. Then youwill see that there were need every hour without ceasing to prayeverywhere with tears of blood to God, Who is so terribly angry withmen. And it is true that it has never been more necessary to pray thanat this time, and it will be more so from now on to the end of theworld. If such terrible crimes do not move you to lament and complain,do not permit yourself to be led astray by your rank, station, goodworks or prayer: there is no Christian vein or trait in you, howeverrighteous you may be. But it has all been foretold, that when God'sanger is greatest and Christendom suffers the greatest need, thenpetitioners and supplicants before God shall not be found, as Isaiahsays with tears, chapter lxiv: "Thou art angry with us, and there isnone that calleth upon Thy Name, that stirreth up himself to take holdof Thee." Likewise, Ezekiel xxii: "I sought for a man among them, thatshould make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land,that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Therefore have I pouredout Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire ofMy wrath." With these words God indicates how He wants us to withstandHim and turn away His anger from one another, as it is frequentlywritten of the Prophet Moses, that he restrained God, lest His angershould overwhelm the people of Israel.

XV. But what will they do, who not only do not regard such misfortuneof Christendom, and do not pray against it, but laugh at it, takepleasure in it, condemn, malign, sing and talk of their neighbor'ssins, and yet dare, unafraid and unashamed, go to church, hear mass,say prayers, and regard themselves and are regarded as piousChristians? These truly are in need that we pray twice for them, if wepray once for those whom they condemn, talk about and laugh at. Thatthere would be such is also prophesied by the thief on Christ's lefthand, who blasphemed Him in His suffering, weakness and need; also byall those who reviled Christ on the Cross, when they should most of allhave helped Him.

O God, how blind, nay, how insane have we Christians become! When willthere be an end of wrath, O heavenly Father? That we mock at themisfortune of Christendom, to pray for which we gather together inChurch and at the mass, that we blaspheme and condemn men, this is thefruit of our mad materialism. If the Turk destroys cities, country andpeople, and ruins churches, we think a great injury has been doneChristendom. Then we complain, and urge kings and princes to war. Butwhen faith perishes, love grows cold, God's Word is neglected, and allmanner of sin flourishes, then no one thinks of fighting, nay, pope,bishops, priests and clergy, who ought to be generals, captains andstandard-bearers in this spiritual warfare against these spiritual andmany times worse Turks, these are themselves the very princes andleaders of such Turks and of the devil host, just as Judas was theleader of the Jews when they took Christ. It had to be an apostle, abishop, a priest, one of the number of the best, who began the work ofslaying Christ. So also must Christendom be laid waste by no othersthan those who ought to protect it, and yet are so insane that they areready to eat up the Turks and at home themselves set house andsheep-cote on fire and let them burn up with the sheep and all othercontents, and none the less worry about the wolf in the woods. Such areour times, and this is the reward we have earned by our ingratitudetoward the endless grace which Christ has won for us freely with Hisprecious blood, grievous labor and bitter death.

XVI. Lo! where are the idle ones, who do not know how to do good works?Where are they who run to Rome, to St. James, hither and thither? Takeup this one single work of the mass, look on your neighbor's sin andruin, and have pity on him; let it grieve you, tell it to God, and prayover it. Do the same for every other need of Christendom, especially ofthe rulers, whom God, for the intolerable punishment and torment of usall, allows to fall and be misled so terribly. If you do thisdiligently, be assured you are one of the best fighters and captains,not only against the Turks, but also against the devils and the powersof hell. But if you do it not, what would it help you though youperformed all the miracles of the saints, and murdered all the Turks,and yet were found guilty of having disregarded your neighbor's needand of having thereby sinned against love? For Christ at the last daywill not ask how much you have prayed, fasted, pilgrimaged, done thisor that for yourself, but how much good you have done to others, eventhe very least.

Now without doubt among the "least" are also those who are in sin andspiritual poverty, captivity and need, of whom there are at present farmore than of those who suffer bodily need. Therefore take heed: our ownself-assumed good works lead us to and into ourselves, that we seekonly our own benefit and salvation; but God's commandments drive us toour neighbor, that we may thereby benefit others to their salvation.Just as Christ on the Cross prayed not for Himself alone, but ratherfor us, when He said, "Father, forgive them, fort they know not whatthey do," so we also must pray for one another. From which every manmay know that the slanderers, frivolous judges and despisers of otherpeople are a perverted, evil race, who do nothing else than heap abuseon those for whom they ought to pray; in which vice no one is sunk sodeep as those very men who do many good works of their own, and seem tomen to be something extraordinary, and are honored because of theirbeautiful, splendid life in manifold good works.

XVII. Spiritually understood, this Commandment has a yet far higherwork, which embraces the whole nature of man. Here it must be knownthat in Hebrew "Sabbath" means "rest," because on the seventh day Godrested and ceased from all His works, which He had made. Genesis ii.Therefore He commanded also that the seventh day should be kept holyand that we cease from our works which we do the other six days. ThisSabbath has now for us been changed into the Sunday, and the other daysare called work-days; the Sunday is called rest-day or holiday or holyday. And would to God that in Christendom there were no holiday exceptthe Sunday; that the festivals of Our Lady and of the Saints were alltransferred to Sunday; then would many evil vices be done away withthrough the labor of the work-days, and lands would not be so drainedand impoverished. But now we are plagued with many holidays, to thedestruction of souls, bodies and goods; of which matter much might besaid.

This rest or ceasing from labors is of two kinds, bodily and spiritual.For this reason this Commandment is also to be understood in two ways.

The bodily rest is that of which we have spoken above, namely, that weomit our business and work, in order that we may gather in the church,see mass, hear God's Word and make common prayer. This rest is indeedbodily and in Christendom no longer commanded by God, as the Apostlesays, Colossians ii, "Let no man obligate you to any holidaywhatever"—for they were of old a figure, but now the truth has beenfulfilled, so that all days are holy days, as Isaiah says, chapterlxvi, "One holy day shall follow the other"; on the other hand, alldays are workdays. Yet it is a necessity and ordained by the Church forthe sake of the imperfect laity and working people, that they also maybe able to come to hear God's Word. For, as we see, the priests andclergy celebrate mass every day, pray at all hours and train themselvesin God's Word by study, reading and hearing. For this reason also theyare freed from work before others, supported by tithes and haveholy-day every day, and every day do the works of the holy-day, andhave no work-day, but for them one day is as the other. And if we wereall perfect, and knew the Gospel, we might work every day if we wished,or rest if we could. For a day of rest is at present not necessary norcommanded except only for the teaching of God's Word and prayer.

The spiritual rest, which God particularly intends in this Commandment,is this: that we not only cease from our labor and trade, but muchmore, that we let God alone work in us and that we do nothing of ourown with all our powers. But how is this done? In this way: Man,corrupted by sin, has much wicked love and inclination toward all sins,as the Scriptures say, Genesis viii, "Man's heart and senses inclinealways to the evil," that is, to pride, disobedience, anger, hatred,covetousness, unchastity, etc., and summa summarum, in all that he doesand leaves undone, he seeks his own profit, will and honor rather thanGod's and his neighbor's. Therefore all his works, all his words, allhis thoughts, all his life are evil and not godly.

Now if God is to work and to live in him, all this vice and wickednessmust be choked and up-rooted, so that there may be rest and a cessationof all our works, thoughts and life, and that henceforth (as St. Paulsays, Galatians ii.) it may be no longer we who live, but Christ Wholives, works and speaks in us. This is not accomplished withcomfortable, pleasant days, but here we must hurt our nature and let itbe hurt. Here begins the strife between the spirit and the flesh; herethe spirit resists anger, lust, pride, while the flesh wants to be inpleasure, honor and comfort. Of this St. Paul says, Galatians v, "Theythat are our Lord Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affectionsand lusts." Then follow the good works,—fasting, watching, labor, ofwhich some say and write so much, although they know neither the sourcenor the purpose of these good works. Therefore we will now also speakof them.

XVIII. This rest, namely, that our work cease and God alone work in us,is accomplished in two ways. First, through our own effort, secondly,through the effort or urging of others.

Our own effort is to be so made and ordered that, in the first place,when we see our flesh, senses, will and thoughts tempting us, we resistthem and do not heed them, as the Wise Man says: "Follow not thine owndesires." And Moses, Deuteronomy xii: "Thou shalt not do what is rightin thine own eyes."

Here a man must make daily use of those prayers which David prays:"Lord, lead me in Thy path, and let me not walk in my own ways," andmany like prayers, which are all summed up in the prayer, "Thy kingdomcome." For the desires are so many, so various, and besides at times sonimble, so subtile and specious, through the suggestions of the evilone, that it is not possible for a man to control himself in his ownways. He must let hands and feet go, commend himself to God'sgovernance, and entrust nothing to his reason, as Jeremiah says, "OLord, I know that the way of man is not in his own power." We see proofof this, when the children of Israel went out of Egypt through theWilderness, where there was no way, no food, no drink, no help.Therefore God went before them, by day in a bright: cloud, by night ina fiery pillar, fed them with manna from heaven, and kept theirgarments and shoes that they waxed not old, as we read in the Books ofMoses. For this reason we pray: "Thy kingdom come, that Thou rule us,and not: we ourselves," for there is nothing more perilous in us thanour reason and will. And this is the first and highest work of God inus and the best training, that we cease from our works, that we let ourreason and will be idle, that we rest and commend ourselves to God inall things, especially when they seem to be spiritual and good.

XIX. After this comes the discipline of the flesh, to kill its gross,evil lust, to give it rest and relief. This we must kill and quiet withfasting, watching and labor, and from this we learn how much and why weshall fast, watch and labor.

There are, alas! many blind men, who practise their castigation,whether it be fasting, watching or labor, only because they think theseare good works, intending by them to gain much merit. Far blinder stillare they who measure their fasting not only by the quantity orduration, as these do, but also by the nature of the food, thinkingthat it is of far greater worth if they do not eat meat, eggs orbutter. Beyond these are those who fast according to the saints, andaccording to the days; one fasting on Wednesday, another on Saturday,another on St. Barbara's day, another on St. Sebastian's day, and soon. These all seek in their fasting nothing beyond the work itself:when they have performed that, they think they have done a good work. Iwill here say nothing of the fact that some fast in such a way thatthey none the less drink themselves full; some fast by eating fish andother foods so lavishly that they would come much nearer to fasting ifthey ate meat, eggs and butter, and by so doing would obtain far betterresults from their fasting. For such fasting is not fasting, but amockery of fasting and of God.

Therefore I allow everyone to choose his day, food and quantity forfasting, as he will, on condition that he do not stop with that, buthave regard to his flesh; let him put upon it fasting, watching andlabor according to its lust and wantonness, and no more, although pope,Church, bishop, father-confessor or any one else whosoever havecommanded it. For no one should measure and regulate fasting, watchingand labor according to the character or quantity of the food, oraccording to the days, but according to the withdrawal or approach ofthe lust and wantonness of the flesh, for the sake of which alone thefasting, watching and labor is ordained, that is, to kill and to subduethem. If it were not for this lust, eating were as meritorious asfasting, sleeping as watching, idleness as labor, and each were as goodas the other without all distinction.

XX. Now, if some one should find that more wantonness arose in hisflesh from eating fish than from eating eggs and meat, let him eat meatand not fish. Again, if he find that his head becomes confused andcrazed or his body and stomach injured through fasting, or that it isnot needful to kill the wantonness of his flesh, he shall let fastingalone entirely, and eat, sleep, be idle as is necessary for his health,regardless whether it be against the command of the Church, or therules of monastic orders: for no commandment of the Church, no law ofan order can make fasting, watching and labor of more value than it hasin serving to repress or to kill the flesh and its lusts. Where men gobeyond this, and the fasting, eating, sleeping, watching are practisedbeyond the strength of the body, and more than is necessary to thekilling of the lust, so that through it the natural strength is ruinedand the head is racked; then let no one imagine that he has done goodworks, or excuse himself by citing the commandment of the Church or thelaw of his order. He will be regarded as a man who takes no care ofhimself, and, as far as in him lies, has become his own murderer.

For the body is not given us that we should kill its natural life orwork, but only that we kill its wantonness; unless its wantonness wereso strong and great that we could not sufficiently resist it withoutruin and harm to the natural life. For, as has been said, in thepractice of fasting, watching and labor, we are not to look upon theworks in themselves, not on the days, not on the number, not on thefood, but only on the wanton and lustful Adam, that through them he maybe cured of his evil appetite.

XXI. From this we can judge how wisely or foolishly some women act whenthey are with child, and how the sick are to be treated. For thefoolish women cling so firmly to their fasting that they run the riskof great danger to the fruit of their womb and to themselves, ratherthan not to fast when the others fast. They make a matter of consciencewhere there is none, and where there is matter of conscience they makenone. This is all the fault of the preachers, because they continuallyprate of fasting, and never point out its true use, limit, fruit, causeand purpose. So also the sick should be allowed to eat and to drinkevery day whatever they wish. In brief, where the wantonness of theflesh ceases, there every reason for fasting, watching, laboring,eating this or that, has already ceased, and there no longer is anybinding commandment at all.

But then care must be taken, lest out of this freedom there grow a lazyindifference about killing the wantonness of the flesh; for the roguishAdam is exceedingly tricky in looking for permission for himself, andin pleading the ruin of the body or of the mind; so some men jump rightin and say it is neither necessary nor commanded to fast or to mortifythe flesh, and are ready to eat this and that without fear, just as ifthey had for a long time had much experience of fasting, although theyhave never tried it.

No less are we to guard against offending those who, not sufficientlyinformed, regard it a great sin if we do not fast or eat as they do.These we must kindly instruct, and not haughtily despise, nor eat thisor that in despite of them, but we must tell them the reason why it isright to do so, and thus gradually lead them to a correctunderstanding. But if they are stubborn and will not listen, we mustlet them alone, and do as we know it is right to do.

XXII. The second form of discipline which we receive at the hands ofothers, is when men or devils cause us suffering, as when our propertyis taken, our body sick, and our honor taken away; and everything thatmay move us to anger, impatience and unrest. For God's work rules in usaccording to His wisdom, not according to our wisdom, according to Hispurity and chastity, not according to the wantonness of our flesh; forGod's work is wisdom and purity, our work is foolishness and impurity,and these shall rest: so in like manner it should rule in us accordingto His peace, not our anger, impatience and lack of peace. For peacetoo is God's work, impatience is the work of our flesh; this shall restand be dead, that we thus in every way keep a spiritual holiday, letour works stand idle, and let God work in us.

Therefore in order to kill our works and the Adam in us, God heaps manytemptations upon us, which move us to anger, many sufferings, whichrouse us to impatience, and last of all death and the world's abuse;whereby He seeks nothing else than that He may drive out anger,impatience and lack of peace, and attain to His work, that is, topeace, in us. Thus says Isaiah xxviii, "He does the work of anotherthat He may come to His own work." What does this mean? He sends ussuffering and trouble that He may teach us to have patience and peace;He bids us die that He may make us live, until a man, thoroughlytrained, becomes so peaceful and quiet that he is not disturbed,whether it go well or ill with him, whether he die or live, be honoredor dishonored. There God Himself dwells alone, and there are no worksof men. This is rightly keeping and hallowing the day of rest; then aman does not guide himself, then he desires nothing for himself, thennothing troubles him; but God Himself leads him, there is naught butgodly pleasure, joy and peace with all other works and virtues.

XXIII. These works He considers so great that He commands us not onlyto keep the day of rest, but also to hallow it or regard it as holy,whereby He declares that there are no more precious things thansuffering, dying, and all manner of misfortune. For they are holy andsanctify a man from his works to God's works, just as a church isconsecrated from natural works to the worship of God. Therefore a manshall also recognise them as holy things, be glad and thank God whenthey come upon him. For when they come they make him holy, so that hefulfils this Commandment and is saved, redeemed from all his sinfulworks. Thus says David: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the deathof His saints."

In order to strengthen us thereto He has not only commanded us to keepsuch a rest (for nature is very unwilling to die and to suffer, and itis a bitter day of rest for it to cease from its works and be dead);but He has also comforted us in the Scriptures with many words and toldus, Psalm xci, "I will be with him in all his trouble, and will deliverhim." Likewise Psalm xxxiv: "The Lord is nigh unto all them thatsuffer, and will help them."

As if this were not enough, He has given us a powerful, strong exampleof it, His only, dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on the Sabbathlay in the tomb the entire day of rest, free from all His works, andwas the first to fulfil this Commandment, although He needed it not forHimself, but only for our comfort, that we also in all suffering anddeath should be quiet and have peace. Since, as Christ was raised upafter His rest and henceforth lives only in God and God in Him, so alsoshall we by the death of our Adam, which is perfectly accomplished onlythrough natural death and burial, be lifted up into God, that God maylive and work in us forever. Lo! these are the three parts of man:reason, desire, aversion; in which all his works are done. These,therefore, must be slain by these three exercises, God's governance,our self-mortification, the hurt done to us by others; and so they mustspiritually rest before God, and give Him room for His works.

XXIV. But such works are to be done and such sufferings to be enduredin faith and in sure confidence of God's favor, in order that, as hasbeen said, all works remain in the First Commandment and in faith, andthat faith, for the sake of which all other commandments and works areordained, exercise and strengthen itself in them. See, therefore, whata pretty, golden ring these three Commandments and their worksnaturally form, and how from the First Commandment and faith the Secondflows on to the Third, and the Third in turn drives through the Secondup into the First. For the first work is to believe, to have a goodheart and confidence toward God. From this flows the second good work,to praise God's Name, to confess His grace, to give all honor to Himalone. Then follows the third, to worship by praying, hearing God'sWord, thinking of and considering God's benefits, and in additionchastising one's self, and keeping the body under.

But when the evil spirit perceives such faith, such honoring of God andsuch worship, he rages and stirs up persecution, attacks body, goods,honor and life, brings upon us sickness, poverty, shame and death,which God so permits and ordains. See, here begins the second work, orthe second rest of the Third Commandment; by this faith is very greatlytried, even as gold in the fire. For it is a great thing to retain asure confidence in God, although He sends us death, shame, sickness,poverty; and in this cruel form of wrath to regard Him as ourall-gracious Father, as must be done in this work of the ThirdCommandment. Here suffering contains faith, that it must call uponGod's Name and praise it in such suffering, and so it comes through theThird Commandment into the Second again; and through that very callingon the Name of God and praise, faith grows, and becomes conscious ofitself, and so strengthens itself, through the two works of the Thirdand of the Second Commandment. Thus faith goes out into the works andthrough the works comes to itself again; just as the sun goes forthunto its setting and comes again unto its rising. For this reason theScriptures associate the day with peaceful living in works, the nightwith passive living in adversity, and faith lives and works, goes outand comes in, in both, as Christ says, John ix.

XXV. This order of good works we pray in the Lord's Prayer. The firstis this, that we say: "Our Father, Who art in heaven"; these are thewords of the first work of faith, which, according to the FirstCommandment, does not doubt that it has a gracious Father in heaven.The second: "Hallowed be Thy Name," in which faith asks that God'sName, praise and honor be glorified, and calls upon it in every need,as the Second Commandment says. The third: "Thy kingdom come," in whichwe pray for the true Sabbath and rest, peaceful cessation of our works,that God's work alone be done in us, and so God rule in us as in Hisown kingdom, as He says, Luke xvii, "Behold, God's kingdom is nowhereelse except within you." The fourth petition is "Thy will be done"; inwhich we pray that we may keep and have the Seven Commandments of theSecond Table, in which faith is exercised toward our neighbor; just asin the first three it is exercised in works toward God alone. And theseare the petitions in which stands the word "Thou, Thy, Thy, Thy,"because they seek only what belongs to God; all the others say "our,us, our," etc; for in them we pray for our goods and blessedness.

Let this, then, suffice as a plain, hasty explanation of the FirstTable of Moses, pointing out to simple folk what are the highest ofgood works.

The Second Table follows.

"Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother."

From this Commandment we learn that after the excellent works of thefirst three Commandments there are no better works than to obey andserve all those who are set over us as superiors. For this reason alsodisobedience is a greater sin than murder, unchastity, theft anddishonesty, and all that these may include. For we can in no betterway learn how to distinguish between greater and lesser sins than bynoting the order of the Commandments of God, although there aredistinctions also within the works of each Commandment. For who doesnot know that to curse is a greater sin than to be angry, to strikethan to curse, to strike father and mother more than to strike any oneelse? Thus these seven Commandments teach us how we are to exerciseourselves in good works toward men, and first of all toward oursuperiors.

The first work is that we honor our own father and mother. And thishonor consists not only in respectful demeanor, but in this: that weobey them, look up to, esteem and heed their words and example, acceptwhat they say, keep silent and endure their treatment of us, so long asit is not contrary to the first three Commandments; in addition, whenthey need it, that we provide them with food, clothing and shelter. Fornot for nothing has He said: "Thou shalt honor them"; He does not say:"Thou shalt love them," although this also must be done. But honor ishigher than mere love and includes a certain fear, which unites withlove, and causes a man to fear offending them more than he fears thepunishment. Just as there is fear in the honor we pay a sanctuary, andyet we do not flee from it as from a punishment, but draw near to itall the more. Such a fear mingled with love is the true honor; theother fear without any love is that which we have toward things whichwe despise or flee from, as we fear the hangman or punishment. There isno honor in that, for it is a fear without all love, nay, fear that haswith it hatred and enmity. Of this we have a proverb of St. Jerome:What we fear, that we also hate. With such a fear God does not wish tobe feared or honored, nor to have us honor our parents; but with thefirst, which is mingled with love and confidence.

II. This work appears easy, but few regard it aright. For where theparents are truly pious and love their children not according to theflesh, but (as they ought) instruct and direct them by words and worksto serve God according to the first three Commandments, there thechild's own will is constantly broken, and it must do, leave undone,and suffer what its nature would most gladly do otherwise; and therebyit finds occasion to despise its parents, to murmur against them, or todo worse things. There love and fear depart, unless they have God'sgrace. In like manner, when they punish and chastise, as they ought(at times even unjustly, which, however, does not harm the soul'ssalvation), our evil nature resents the correction. Beside all this,there are some so wicked that they are ashamed of their parents becauseof poverty, lowly birth, deformity or dishonor, and allow these thingsto influence them more than the high Commandment of God, Who is aboveall things, and has with benevolent intent given them such parents, toexercise and try them in His Commandment. But the matter becomes stillworse when the child has children of its own; then love descends tothem, and detracts very much from the love and honor toward the parents.

But what is said and commanded of parents must also be understood ofthose who, when the parents are dead or absent, take their place, suchas relatives, god-parents, sponsors, temporal lords and spiritualfathers. For every one must be ruled and be subject to other men.Wherefore we here see again how many good works are taught in thisCommandment, since in it all our life is made subject to other men.Hence it comes that obedience is so highly praised and all virtue andgood works are included in it.

III. There is another dishonoring of parents, much more dangerous andsubtile than this first, which adorns itself and passes for a realhonor; that is, when a child has its own way, and the parents throughnatural love allow it. Here there is indeed mutual honor, here there ismutual love, and on all sides it is a precious thing, parents and childtake mutual pleasure in one another.

This plague is so common that instances of the first form ofdishonoring are very seldom seen. This is due to the fact that theparents are blinded, and neither know nor honor God according to thefirst three Commandments; hence also they cannot see what the childrenlack, and how they ought to teach and train them. For this reason theytrain them for worldly honors, pleasure and possessions, that they mayby all means please men and reach high positions: this the childrenlike, and they obey very gladly without gainsaying.

Thus God's Commandment secretly comes to naught while all seems good,and that is fulfilled which is written in the Prophets Isaiah andJeremiah, that the children are destroyed by their own parents, andthey do like the king Manasseh, who sacrificed his own son to the idolMoloch and burned him, II. Kings xxi. What else is it but to sacrificeone's own child to the idol and to burn it, when parents train theirchildren more in the way of the world than in the way of God? let themgo their way, and be burned up in worldly pleasure, love, enjoyment,possessions and honor, but let God's love and honor and the desire ofeternal blessings be quenched in them?

O how perilous it is to be a father or a mother, where flesh and bloodare supreme! For, truly, the knowledge and fulfilment of the firstthree and the last six Commandments depends altogether upon thisCommandment; since parents are commanded to teach them to theirchildren, as Psalm lxxviii. says, "How strictly has He commanded ourfathers, that they should make known God's Commandments to theirchildren, that the generation to come might know them and declare themto their children's children." This also is the reason why God bids ushonor our parents, that is, to love them with fear; for that other loveis without fear, therefore it is more dishonor than honor.

Now see whether every one does not have good works enough to do,whether he be father or child. But we blind men leave this untouched,and seek all sorts of other works which are not commanded.

IV. Now where parents are foolish and train their children after thefashion of the world, the children are in no way to obey them; for God,according to the first three Commandments, is to be more highlyregarded than the parents. But training after the fashion of the worldI call it, when they teach them to seek no more than pleasure, honorand possessions of this world or its power.

To wear decent clothes and to seek an honest living is a necessity, andnot sin. Yet the heart of a child must be taught to be sorry that thismiserable earthly life cannot well be lived, or even begun, without thestriving after more adornment and more possessions than are necessaryfor the protection of the body against cold and for nourishment. Thusthe child must be taught to grieve that, without its own will, it mustdo the world's will and play the fool with the rest of men, and enduresuch evil for the sake of something better and to avoid somethingworse. So Queen Esther wore her royal crown, and yet said to God,Esther xiv, "Thou knowest, that the sign of my high estate, which isupon my head, has never yet delighted me, and I abhor it as amenstruous rag, and never wear it when I am by myself, but when I mustdo it and go before the people." The heart that is so minded wearsadornment without peril; for it wears and does not wear, dances anddoes not dance, lives well and does not live well. And these are thesecret souls, hidden brides of Christ, but they are rare; for it ishard not to delight in great adornment and parade. Thus St. Ceciliawore golden clothes at the command of her parents, but within againsther body she wore a garment of hair.

Here some men say: "How then could I bring my children into society,and marry them honorably? I must make some display." Tell me, are notthese the words of a heart which despairs of God, and trusts more onits own providing than on God's care? Whereas St. Peter teaches andsays, I. Peter v, "Cast all your care upon Him, and be certain that Hecares for you." It is a sign that they have never yet thanked God fortheir children, have never yet rightly prayed for them, have never yetcommended them to Him; otherwise they would know and have experiencedthat they ought to ask God also for the marriage dower of theirchildren, and await it from Him. Therefore also He permits them to gotheir way, with cares and worries, and yet succeed poorly.

V. Thus it is true, as men say, that parents, although they had nothingelse to do, could attain salvation by training their own children; ifthey rightly train them to God's service, they will indeed have bothhands full of good works to do. For what else are here the hungry,thirsty, naked, imprisoned, sick, strangers, than the souls of your ownchildren? with whom God makes of your house a hospital, and sets youover them as chief nurse, to wait on them, to give them good words andworks as meat and drink, that they may learn to trust, believe and fearGod, and to place their hope on Him, to honor His Name, not to swearnor curse, to mortify themselves by praying, fasting, watching,working, to attend worship and to hear God's Word, and to keep theSabbath, that they may learn to despise temporal things, to bearmisfortune calmly, and not to fear death nor to love this life.

See, what great lessons are these, how many good works you have beforeyou in your home, with your child, that needs all these things like ahungry, thirsty, naked, poor, imprisoned, sick soul. O what a blessedmarriage and home were that where such parents were to be found! Trulyit would be a real Church, a chosen cloister, yea, a paradise. Of suchsays Psalm cxxviii: "Blessed are they that fear God, and walk in HisCommandments; thou shalt eat of the labor of thine hands; thereforethou shalt be happy, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall beas a fruitful vine in thine house, and thy children shall be as theyoung scions of laden olive trees about thy table. Behold, thus shallthe man be blessed, that feareth the Lord," etc. Where are suchparents? Where are they that ask after good works? Here none wishes tocome. Why? God has commanded it; the devil, flesh and blood pull awayfrom it; it makes no show, therefore it counts for nothing. Here thishusband runs to St. James, that wife vows a pilgrimage to Our Lady; noone vows that he will properly govern and teach himself and his childto the honor of God; he leaves behind those whom God has commanded himto keep in body and soul, and would serve God in some other place,which has not been commanded him. Such perversity no bishop forbids, nopreacher corrects; nay, for covetousness' sake they confirm it anddaily only invent more pilgrimages, elevations of saints,indulgence-fairs. God have pity on such blindness.

VI. On the other hand, parents cannot earn eternal punishment in anyway more easily than by neglecting their own children in their ownhome, and not teaching them the things which have been spoken of above.Of what help is it, that they kill themselves with fasting, praying,making pilgrimages, and do all manner of good works? God will, afterall, not ask them about these things at their death and in the day ofjudgment, but will require of them the children whom He entrusted tothem. This is shown by that word of Christ, Luke xxiii, "Ye daughtersof Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves and for yourchildren. The days are coming, in which they shall say: Blessed are thewombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck." Why shallthey lament, except because all their condemnation comes from their ownchildren? If they had not had children, perhaps they might have beensaved. Truly, these words ought to open the eyes of parents, that theymay have regard to the souls of their children, so that the poorchildren be not deceived by their false, fleshly love, as if they hadrightly honored their parents when they are not angry with them, or areobedient in worldly matters, by which their self-will is strengthened;although the Commandment places the parents in honor for the verypurpose that the self-will of the children may be broken, and that thechildren may become humble and meek.

Just as it has been said of the other Commandments, that they are to befulfilled in the chief work, so here too let no one suppose that thetraining and teaching of his children is sufficient of itself, exceptit be done in confidence of divine favor, so that a man doubt not thathe is wellpleasing to God in his works, and that he let such works benothing else than an exhortation and exercise of his faith, that hetrust God and look to Him for blessings and a gracious will; withoutwhich faith no work lives, or is good and acceptable; for many heathenhave trained their children beautifully, but it is all lost, because oftheir unbelief.

VII. The second work of this Commandment is to honor and obey thespiritual mother, the holy Christian Church, the spiritual power, sothat we conform to what she commands, forbids, appoints, orders, bindsand looses, and honor, fear and love the spiritual authority as wehonor, love and fear our natural parents, and yield to it in all thingswhich are not contrary to the first three Commandments.

Now with regard to this work, things are almost worse than with regardto the first. The spiritual authority should punish sin with the banand with laws, and constrain its spiritual children to be good, inorder that they might have reason to do this work and to exercisethemselves in obeying and honoring it. Such zeal one does not see now;they act toward their subjects like the mothers who forsake theirchildren and run after their lovers, as Hosea ii. says; they do notpreach, they do not teach, they do not hinder, they do not punish, andthere is no spiritual government at all left in Christendom.

What can I say of this work? A few fast-days and feast-days are left,and these had better be done away with. But no one gives this athought, and there is nothing left except the ban for debt, and thisshould not be. But spiritual authority should look to it, thatadultery, unchastity, usury, gluttony, worldly show, excessiveadornment, and such like open sin and shame might be most severelypunished and corrected; and they should properly manage the endowments,monastic houses, parishes and schools, and earnestly maintain worshipin them, provide for the young people, boys and girls, in schools andcloisters, with learned, pious men as teachers, that they might all bewell trained, and so the older people give a good example andChristendom be filled and adorned with fine young people. So St. Paulteaches his disciple Titus, that he should rightly instruct and governall classes, young and old, men and women. But now he goes to schoolwho wishes; he is taught who governs and teaches himself; nay, it has,alas! come to such a pass that the places where good should be taughthave become schools of knavery, and no one at all takes thought for thewild youth.

VIII. If the above order prevailed, one could say how honor andobedience should be given to the spiritual authority. But now the caseis like that of the natural parents who let their children do as theyplease; at present the spiritual authority threatens, dispenses, takesmoney, and pardons more than it has power to pardon. I will hererefrain from saying more; we see more of it than is good; greed holdsthe reins, and just what should be forbidden is taught; and it isclearly seen that the spiritual estate is in all things more worldlythan the worldly estate itself. Meanwhile Christendom must be ruined,and this Commandment perish.

If there were a bishop who would zealously provide for all theseclasses, supervise, make visitations and be faithful as he ought,truly, one city would be too much for him. For in the time of theApostles, when Christendom was at its best estate, each city had abishop, although the smallest part of the inhabitants were Christians.How may things go when one bishop wants to have so much, another somuch, this one the whole world, that one the fourth of it.

It is time that we pray God for mercy. Of spiritual power we have much;but of spiritual government nothing or little. Meanwhile may he helpwho can, that endowments, monastic houses, parishes and schools be wellestablished and managed; and it would also be one of the works of thespiritual authority that it lessen the number of endowments, monastichouses and schools, where they cannot be cared for. It is much betterthat there be no monastic house or endowment than that there be evilgovernment in them, whereby God is the more provoked to anger.

IX. Since, then, the authorities so entirely neglect their work, andare perverted, it must assuredly follow that they misuse their power,and undertake other and evil works, just as parents do when they givesome command contrary to God. Here we must be wise; for the Apostle hassaid, that those times shall be perilous in which such authoritiesshall rule. For it seems as if we resisted their power if we do not doand leave undone all that they prescribe. Therefore we must take holdof the first three Commandments and the First Table, and be certainthat no man, neither bishop, nor pope, nor angel, may command ordetermine anything that is contrary to or hinders these threeCommandments, or does not help them; and if they attempt such things,it is not valid and amounts to nothing; and we also sin if we followand obey, or even tolerate such acts.

From this it is easy to understand that the commands of fasting do notinclude the sick, the pregnant women, or those who for other reasonscannot fast without injury. And, to rise higher, in our time nothingcomes from Rome but a fair of spiritual wares, which are openly andshamelessly bought and sold, indulgences, parishes, monastic houses,bishoprics, provostships, benefices, and every thing that has ever beenfounded to God's service far and wide; whereby not only is all moneyand wealth of the world drawn and driven to Rome (for this would be thesmallest harm), but the parishes, bishoprics and prelacies are torn topieces, deserted, laid waste, and so the people are neglected, God'sWord and God's Name and honor come to naught, and faith is destroyed,so that at last such institutions and offices fall into the hands notonly of unlearned and unfit men, but the greater part into the hands ofthe Romans, the greatest villains in the world. Thus what has beenfounded for God's service, for the instruction, government andimprovement of the people, must now serve the stable-boys,mule-drivers, yea, not to use plainer language, Roman whores andknaves; yet we have no more thanks than that they mock us for it asfools.

X. If then such unbearable abuses are all carried on in the Name of Godand St. Peter, just as if God's Name and the spiritual power wereinstituted to blaspheme God's honor, to destroy Christendom, body andsoul: we are indeed in duty bound to resist in a proper way as much aswe can. And here we must do like pious children whose parents havebecome insane, and first see by what right that which has been foundedfor God's service in our lands, or has been ordained to provide for ourchildren, must be allowed to do its work in Rome, and to lapse here,where it ought to serve. How can we be so foolish?

Since then bishops and spiritual prelates stand idle in this matter,offer no opposition or are afraid, and thus allow Christendom toperish, it is our duty first of all humbly to call upon God for help toprevent this thing, then to put our hand to work to the same end, sendthe courtesans and those who bear letters from Rome about theirbusiness, in a reasonable, gentle way inform them that, if they wish tocare for their parishes properly, they shall live in them and improvethe people by preaching or by good example; or if not, and they do livein Rome or elsewhere, lay waste and debauch the churches, then let thepope feed them, whom they serve. It is not fitting that we support thepope's servants, his people, yes, his knaves and whores, to thedestruction and injury of our souls.

Lo! these are the true Turks, whom the kings, princes and the nobilityought to attack first: not seeking thereby their own benefit, but onlythe improvement of Christendom, and the prevention of the blasphemy anddisgracing of the divine Name; and so to deal with the clergy as with afather who has lost his sense and wits; who, if one did not restrainhim and resist him (although with all humility and honor), mightdestroy child, heir and everybody. Thus we are to honor Roman authorityas our highest father; and yet, since they have gone mad and lost theirsenses, not allow them to do what they attempt, lest Christendom bedestroyed thereby.

XI. Some think, this should be referred to a General Council. To this Isay: No! For we have had many councils in which this has been proposed,namely, at Constance, Basel and the last Roman Council; but nothing hasbeen accomplished, and things have grown ever worse, Moreover, suchcouncils are entirely useless, since Roman wisdom has contrived thedevice that the kings and princes must beforehand take an oath to letthe Romans remain what they are and keep what they have, and so has putup a bar to ward off all reformation, to retain protection and libertyfor all their knavery, although this oath is demanded, forced and takencontrary to God and the law, and by it the doors are locked against theHoly Spirit, Who should rule the councils. But this would be the best,and also the only remedy remaining, if kings, princes, nobility, citiesand communities themselves began and opened a way for reformation, sothat the bishops and clergy, who now are afraid, would have reason tofollow. For here nothing else shall and must be considered except God'sfirst three Commandments, against which neither Rome, nor heaven norearth can command or forbid anything. And the ban or threatening withwhich they think they can prevent this, amounts to nothing; just as itamounts to nothing if an insane father severely threatens the son whorestrains him or locks him up.

XII. The third work of this Commandment is to obey the temporalauthority, as Paul teaches, Romans xiii, and Titus iii, and St. Peter,I. Peter ii: "Submit yourselves to the king as supreme, and to theprinces as his ambassadors, and to all the ordinances of the worldlypower." But it is the work of the temporal power to protect itssubjects, and to punish thievery, robbery, and adultery, as St. Paulsays, Romans xiii: "It beareth not the sword in vain; it serves Godwith it, to the terror of evil doers, and to the protection of thegood."

Here men sin in two ways. First, if they lie to the government, deceiveit, and are disloyal, neither obey nor do as it has ordered andcommanded, whether with their bodies or their possessions. For even ifthe government does injustice, as the King of Babylon did to the peopleof Israel, yet God would have it obeyed, without treachery anddeception. Secondly, when men speak evil of the government and curseit, and when a man cannot revenge himself and abuses the governmentwith grumbling and evil words, publicly or secretly.

In all this we are to regard that which St. Peter bids us regard,namely, that its power, whether it do right or wrong, cannot harm thesoul, but only the body and property; unless indeed it should tryopenly to compel us to do wrong against God or men; as in former dayswhen the magistrates were not yet Christians, and as the Turk is nowsaid to do. For to suffer wrong destroys no one's soul, nay, itimproves the soul, although it inflicts loss upon the body andproperty; but to do wrong, that destroys the soul, although it shouldgain all the world's wealth.

XIII. This also is the reason why there is not such great danger in thetemporal power as in the spiritual, when it does wrong. For thetemporal power can do no harm, I since it has nothing to do withpreaching and faith and the first three Commandments. But the spiritualpower does harm not only when it does wrong, but also when it neglectsits duty and busies itself with other things, even if they were betterthan the very best works of the temporal power. Therefore, we mustresist it when it does not do right, and not resist the temporal poweralthough it does wrong. For the poor people believe and do as they seethe spiritual power believing and doing; if they are not set an exampleand are not taught, then they also believe nothing and do nothing;since this power is instituted for no other reason than to lead thepeople in faith to God. All this is not found in the temporal power;for it may do and leave undone what it will, my faith to God still goesits way and works its works, because I need not believe what itbelieves.

Therefore, also, the temporal power is a very small thing in God'ssight, and far too slightly regarded by Him, that for its sake, whetherit do right or wrong, we should resist, become disobedient and quarrel.On the other hand, the spiritual power is an exceeding great blessing,and far too precious in His eyes, that the very least of Christiansshould endure and keep silent, if it departs a hair's breadth from itsown duty, not to say when it does the very opposite of its duty, as wenow see it do every day.

XIV. In this power also there is much abuse. First, when it follows theflatterers, which is a common and especially harmful plague of thispower, against which no one can sufficiently guard and protect himself.Here it is led by the nose, and oppresses the common people, becomes agovernment of the like of which a heathen says: "The spider-webs catchthe small flies, but the mill-stones roll through." So the laws,ordinances and government of one and the same authority hold the smallmen, and the great are free; and where the prince is not himself sowise that he needs nobody's advice, or has such a standing that theyfear him, there will and must be (unless God should do a specialwonder) a childish government.

For this reason God has considered evil, unfit rulers the greatest ofplagues, as He threatens, Isaiah iii, "I will take away from them everyman of valor, and will give children to be their princes and babes torule over them." Four plagues God has named in Scripture, Ezekiel xiv.The first and slightest, which also David chose, is pestilence, thesecond is famine, the third is war, the fourth is all manner of evilbeasts, such as lions, wolves, serpents, dragons; these are the wickedrulers. For where these are, the land is destroyed, not only in bodyand property, as in the others, but also in honor, discipline, virtueand the soul's salvation. For pestilence and famine make people goodand rich; but war and wicked rulers bring to naught everything that hasto do with temporal and eternal possessions.

XV. A prince must also be very wise and not at all times undertake toenforce his own will, although he may have the authority and the verybest cause. For it is a far nobler virtue to endure wrong to one'sauthority than to risk property and person, if it is advantageous tothe subjects; since worldly rights attach only to temporal goods.

Hence, it is a very foolish saying: I have a right to it, therefore Iwill take it by storm and keep it, although all sorts of misfortune maycome to others thereby. So we read of the Emperor Octavianus, that hedid not wish to make war, however just his cause might be, unless therewere sure indications of greater benefit than harm, or at least thatthe harm would not be intolerable, and said: "War is like fishing witha golden net; the loss risked is always greater than the catch can be."For he who guides a wagon must walk far otherwise than if he werewalking alone; when alone he may walk, jump, and do as he will; butwhen he drives, he must so guide and adapt himself that the wagon andhorses can follow him, and regard that more than his own will. So alsoa prince leads a multitude with him and must not walk and act as hewills, but as the multitude can, considering their need and advantagemore than his will and pleasure. For when a prince rules after his ownmad will and follows his own opinion, he is like a mad driver, whorushes straight ahead with horse and wagon, through bushes, thorns,ditches, water, up hill and down dale, regardless of roads and bridges;he will not drive long, all will go to smash.

Therefore it would be most profitable for rulers, that they read, orhave read to them, from youth on, the histories, both in sacred and inprofane books, in which they would find more examples and skill inruling than in all the books of law; as we read that the kings ofPersia did, Esther vi. For examples and histories benefit and teachmore than the laws and statutes: there actual experience teaches, hereuntried and uncertain words.

XVI. Three special, distinct works all rulers might do in our times,particularly in our lands. First, to make an end of the horriblegluttony and drunkenness, not only because of the excess, but alsobecause of its expense. For through seasonings and spices and the like,without which men could well live, no little loss of temporal wealthhas come and daily is coming upon our lands. To prevent these two greatevils would truly give the temporal power enough to do, for the inroadsthey have made are wide and deep. And how could those in power serveGod better and thereby also improve their own land?

Secondly, to forbid the excessive cost of clothing, whereby so muchwealth is wasted, and yet only the world and the flesh are served; itis fearful to think that such abuse is to be found among the people whohave been pledged, baptised and consecrated to Christ, the Crucified,and who should bear the Cross after Him and prepare for the life tocome by dying daily. If some men erred through ignorance, it might beborne; but that it is practised so freely, without punishment, withoutshame, without hindrance, nay, that praise and fame are sought thereby,this is indeed an unchristian thing. Thirdly, to drive out the usuriousbuying of rent-charges, which in the whole world ruins, consumes andtroubles all lands, peoples and cities through its cunning form, bywhich it appears not to be usury, while in truth it is worse thanusury, because men are not on their guard against it as against openusury. See, these are the three Jews, as men say, who suck the wholeworld dry. Here princes ought not to sleep, nor be lazy, if they wouldgive a good account of their office to God.

XVII. Here too ought to be mentioned the knavery which is practised byofficiales and other episcopal and spiritual officers, who ban, load,hunt and drive the poor people with great burdens, as long as a pennyremains. This ought to be prevented by the temporal sword, since thereis no other help or remedy.

O, would God in heaven, that some time a government might beestablished that would do away with the public bawdy-houses, as wasdone among the people of Israel! It is indeed an unchristian sight,that public houses of sin are maintained among Christians, a thingformerly altogether unheard of. It should be a rule that boys and girlsshould be married early and such vice be prevented. Such a rule andcustom ought to be sought for by both the spiritual and the temporalpower. If it was possible among the Jews, why should it not also bepossible among Christians? Nay, if it is possible in villages, townsand some cities, as we all see, why should it not be possibleeverywhere?

But the trouble is, there is no real government in the world. No onewants to work, therefore the mechanics must give their workmen holiday:then they are free and no one can tame them. But if there were a rulethat they must do as they are bid, and no one would give them work inother places, this evil would to a large extent be mended. God help us!I fear that here the wish is far greater than the hope; but this doesnot excuse us.

Now see, here only a few works of magistrates are indicated, but theyare so good and so many, that they have superabundant good works to doevery hour and could constantly serve God. But these works, like theothers, should also be done in faith, yea, be an exercise of faith, sothat no one expect to please God by the works, but by confident trustin His favor do such works only to the honor and praise of his graciousGod, thereby to serve and benefit his neighbor.

XVIII. The fourth work of this Commandment is obedience of servants andworkmen toward their lords and ladies, masters and mistresses. Of thisSt. Paul says, Titus ii: "Thou shalt exhort servants that they highlyhonor their masters, be obedient, do what pleases them, not cheatingthem nor opposing them"; for this reason also: because they therebybring the doctrine of Christ and our faith into good repute, that theheathen cannot complain of us and be offended. St. Peter also says:"Servants, be subject to your masters, for the fear of God, not only tothe good and gentle, but also to the froward and harsh. For this isacceptable with God, if a man suffers harshness, being innocent."

Now there is the greatest complaint in the world about servants andworking men, that they are disobedient, unfaithful, unmannerly, andover-reaching; this is a plague sent of God. And truly, this is the onework of servants whereby they may be saved; truly they need not makepilgrimages or do this thing or the other; they have enough to do iftheir heart is only set on this, that they gladly do and leave undonewhat they know pleases their masters and mistresses, and all this in asimple faith; not that they would by their works gain much merit, butthat they do it all in the confidence of divine favor (in which allmerits are to be found), purely for nothing, out of the love andgood-will toward God which grows out of such confidence. And all suchworks they should think of as an exercise and exhortation ever tostrengthen their faith and confidence more and more. For, as has nowbeen frequently said, this faith makes all works good, yea, it must dothem and be the master-workman.

XIX. On the other hand, the masters and mistresses should not ruletheir servants, maids and workingmen roughly, not look to all thingstoo closely, occasionally overlook something, and for peace' sake makeallowances. For it is not possible that everything be done perfectly atall times among any class of men, as long as we live on earth inimperfection. Of this St. Paul says, Colossians iv, "Masters, do untoyour servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have aMaster in heaven." Therefore as the masters do not wish God to deal toosharply with them, but that many things be overlooked through grace,they also should be so much the more gentle toward their servants, andoverlook some things, and yet have a care that the servants do rightand learn to fear God.

But see now, what good works a householder and a mistress can do, howfinely God offers us all good works so near at hand, so manifold, socontinuously, that we have no need of asking after good works, andmight well forget the other showy, far-off, invented works of men, suchas making pilgrimages, building churches, seeking indulgence, and thelike.

Here I ought naturally also to say how a wife ought to be obedient,subject to her husband as to her superior, give way to him, keep silentand give up to him, where it is a matter not contrary to God'scommands. On the other hand, the husband should love his wife, overlooka little, and not deal strictly with her, of which matter St. Peter andSt. Paul have said much. But this has its place in the furtherexplanation of the Ten Commandments, and is easily inferred from thesepassages.

XX. But all that has been said of these works is included in these two,obedience and considerateness. Obedience is the duty of subjects,considerateness that of masters, that they take care to rule theirsubjects well, deal kindly with them, and do everything whereby theymay benefit and help them. That is their way to heaven, and these arethe best works they can do on earth; with these they are moreacceptable to God than if without these they did nothing but miracles.So says St. Paul, Romans xii: "He that ruleth, let him do it withdiligence"; as who should say: "Let him not allow himself to be ledastray by what other people or classes of people do; let him not lookto this work or to that, whether it be splendid or obscure; but let himlook to his own position, and think only how he may benefit those whoare subject to him; by this let him stand, nor let himself be torn fromit, although heaven stood open before him, nor be driven from it,although hell were chasing him. This is the right road that leads himto heaven."

Oh, if a man were so to regard himself and his position, and attendedto its duties alone, how rich in good works would he be in a shorttime, so quietly and secretly that no one would notice it except Godalone! But now we let all this go, and one runs to the Carthusians,another to this place, a third to that, just as if good works and God'sCommandments had been thrown into corners and hidden; although it iswritten in Proverbs i, that divine wisdom crieth out her commandmentspublicly in the streets, in the midst of the people and in the gates ofthe cities; which means that they are present in profusion in allplaces, in all stations of life and at all times, and we do not seethem, but in our blindness look for them elsewhere. This Christdeclared, Matthew xxiv: "If they shall say unto you: Lo, here isChrist, or there, believe it not. If they shall say: Behold, He is inthe desert, go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers, believeit not; they are false prophets and false Christs."

XXI. Again, obedience is the duty of subjects, that they direct alltheir diligence and effort to do and to leave undone what theirover-lords desire of them, that they do not allow themselves to be tornor driven from this, whatever another do. Let no man think that helives well or does good works, whether it be prayer or fasting, or bywhatever name it may be called, if he does not earnestly and diligentlyexercise himself in this.

But if it should happen, as it often does, that the temporal power andauthorities, as they are called, should urge a subject to do contraryto the Commandments of God, or hinder him from doing them, thereobedience ends, and that duty is annulled. Here a man must say as St.Peter says to the rulers of the Jews: "We ought to obey God rather thanmen." He did not say: "We must not obey men"; for that would be wrong;but he said: "God rather than men." Thus, if a prince desired to go towar, and his cause was manifestly unrighteous, we should not follow norhelp him at all; since God has commanded that we shall not kill ourneighbor, nor do him injustice. Likewise, if he bade us bear falsewitness, steal, lie or deceive and the like. Here we ought rather giveup goods, honor, body, and life, that God's Commandments may stand.

The four preceding Commandments have their works in the understanding,that is, they take a man captive, rule him and make him subject, sothat he rule not himself, approve not himself, think not highly ofhimself; but in humility know himself and allow himself to be led, thatpride be prevented. The following Commandments deal with the passionsand lust of men, that these also be killed.

I. The passions of anger and revenge, of which the Fifth Commandmentsays, "Thou shalt not kill." This Commandment has one work, whichhowever includes many and dispels many vices, and is called meekness.Now this is of two kinds. The one has a beautiful splendor, and thereis nothing back of it. This we practice toward our friends and thosewho do us good and give us pleasure with goods, honor and favor, or whodo not offend us with words nor with deeds. Such meekness irrationalanimals have, lions and snakes, Jews, Turks, knaves, murderers, badwomen. These are all content and gentle when men do what they want, orlet them alone; and yet there are not a few who, deceived by suchworthless meekness, cover over their anger and excuse it, saying: "Iwould indeed not be angry, if I were left alone." Certainly, my goodman, so the evil spirit also would be meek if he had his own way.Dissatisfaction and resentment overwhelm you in order that they mayshow you how full of anger and wickedness you are, that you may beadmonished to strive after meekness and to drive out anger.

The second form of meekness is good through and through, that which isshown toward opponents and enemies, does them no harm, does not revengeitself, does not curse nor revile, does not speak evil of them, doesnot meditate evil against them, although they had taken away goods,honor, life, friends and everything. Nay, where it is possible, itreturns good for evil, speaks well of them, thinks well of them, praysfor them. Of this Christ says, Matthew v: "Do good to them thatdespitefully use you. Pray for them that persecute you and revile you."And Paul, Romans xii: "Bless them which curse you, and by no meanscurse them, but do good to them."

II. Behold how this precious, excellent work has been lost amongChristians, so that nothing now everywhere prevails except strife, war,quarreling, anger, hatred, envy, back-biting, cursing, slandering,injuring, vengeance, and all manner of angry works and words; and yet,with all this, we have our many holidays, hear masses, say our prayers,establish churches, and more such spiritual finery, which God has notcommanded. We shine resplendently and excessively, as if we were themost holy Christians there ever were. And so because of these mirrorsand masks we allow God's Commandment to go to complete ruin, and no oneconsiders or examines himself, how near or how far he be from meeknessand the fulfilment of this Commandment; although God has said, that nothe who does such works, but he who keeps His Commandments, shall enterinto eternal life.

Now, since no one lives on earth upon whom God does not bestow an enemyand opponent as a proof of his own anger and wickedness, that is, onewho afflicts him in goods, honor, body or friends, and thereby trieswhether anger is still present, whether he can be well-disposed towardhis enemy, speak well of him, do good to him, and not intend any evilagainst him; let him come forward who asks what he shall do that he maydo good works, please God and be saved. Let him set his enemy beforehim, keep him constantly before the eyes of his heart, as an exercisewhereby he may curb his spirit and train his heart to think kindly ofhis enemy, wish him well, care for him and pray for him; and then, whenopportunity offers, speak well of him and do good to him. Let him whowill, try this and if he find not enough to do all his life long, hemay convict me of lying, and say that my contention was wrong. But ifthis is what God desires, and if He will be paid in no other coin, ofwhat avail is it, that we busy ourselves with other great works whichare not commanded, and neglect this? Therefore God says, Matthew v, "Isay unto you, that whosoever is angry with his neighbor, is in dangerof the judgment; but whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou fool(that is, all manner of invective, cursing, reviling, slandering), heshall be in danger of everlasting fire." What remains then for theoutward act, striking, wounding, killing, injuring, etc., if thethoughts and words of anger are so severely condemned?

III. But where there is true meekness, there the heart is pained atevery evil which happens to one's enemy. And these are the truechildren and heirs of God and brethren of Christ, Whose heart was sopained for us all when He died on the holy Cross. Even so we see apious judge passing sentence upon the criminal with sorrow, andregretting the death which the law imposes. Here the act seems to beone of anger and harshness. So thoroughly good is meekness that even insuch works of anger it remains, nay, it torments the heart most sorelywhen it must be angry and severe.

But here we must watch, that we be not meek contrary to God's honor andCommandment. For it is written of Moses that he was the very meekestman on earth, and yet, when the Jews had worshiped the golden calf andprovoked God to anger, he put many of them to death, and thereby madeatonement before God. Likewise it is not fitting that the magistratesshould be idle and allow sin to have sway, and that we say nothing. Myown possessions, my honor, my injury, I must not regard, nor grow angrybecause of them; but God's honor and Commandment we must protect, andinjury or injustice to our neighbor we must prevent, the magistrateswith the sword, the rest of us with reproof and rebuke, yet always withpity for those who have merited the punishment.

This high, noble, sweet work can easily be learned, if we perform it infaith, and as an exercise of faith. For if faith does not doubt thefavor of God nor question that God is gracious, it will become quiteeasy for a man to be gracious and favorable to his neighbor, howevermuch he may have sinned; for we have sinned much more against God.Behold, a short Commandment this, but it presents a long, mightyexercise of good works and of faith.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

In this Commandment too a good work is commanded, which includes muchand drives away much vice; it is called purity, or chastity, of whichmuch is written and preached, and it is well known to every one, onlythat it is not as carefully observed and practised as other works whichare not commanded. So ready are we to do what is not commanded and toleave undone what is commanded. We see that the world is full ofshameful works of unchastity, indecent words, tales and ditties,temptation to which is daily increased through gluttony anddrunkenness, idleness and frippery. Yet we go our way as if we wereChristians; when we have been to church, have said our little prayer,have observed the fasts and feasts, then we think our whole duty isdone.

Now, if no other work were commanded but chastity alone, we would allhave enough to do with this one; so perilous and raging a vice isunchastity. It rages in all our members: in the thoughts of our hearts,in the seeing of our eyes, in the hearing of our ears, in the words ofour mouth, in the works of our hands and feet and all our body. Tocontrol all these requires labor and effort; and thus the Commandmentsof God teach us how great truly good works are, nay, that it isimpossible for us of our own strength to conceive a good work, to saynothing of attempting or doing it. St. Augustine says, that among allthe conflicts of the Christian the conflict of chastity is the hardest,for the one reason alone, that it continues daily without ceasing, andchastity seldom prevails. This all the saints have wept over andlamented, as St. Paul does, Romans vii: "I find in me, that is in myflesh, no good thing."

II. If this work of chastity is to be permanent, it will drive to manyother good works, to fasting and temperance over against gluttony anddrunkenness, to watching and early rising over against laziness andexcessive sleep, to work and labor over against idleness. For gluttony,drunkenness, lying late abed, loafing and being without work areweapons of unchastity, with which chastity is quickly overcome. On theother hand, the holy Apostle Paul calls fasting, watching and laborgodly weapons, with which unchastity is mastered; but, as has been saidabove, these exercises must do no more than overcome unchastity, andnot pervert nature.

Above all this, the strongest defence is prayer and the Word of God;namely, that when evil lust stirs, a man flee to prayer, call uponGod's mercy and help, read and meditate on the Gospel, and in itconsider Christ's sufferings. Thus says Psalm cxxxvii: "Happy shall hebe, that taketh and dasheth the little ones of Babylon against therock," that is, if the heart runs to the Lord Christ with its evilthoughts while they are yet young and just beginning; for Christ is aRock, on which they are ground to powder and come to naught.

See, here each one will find enough to do with himself, and more thanenough, and will be given many good works to do within himself. But nowno one uses prayer, fasting, watching, labor for this purpose, but menstop in these works as if they were in themselves the whole purpose,although they should be arranged so as to fulfil the work of thisCommandment and purify us daily more and more.

Some have also indicated more things which should be avoided, such assoft beds and clothes, that we should avoid excessive adornment, andneither associate nor talk with members of the opposite sex, nor evenlook upon them, and whatsoever else may be conducive to chastity. Inall these things no one can fix a definite rule and measure. Each onemust watch himself and see what things are needful to him for chastity,in what quantity and how long they help him to be chaste, that he maythus choose and observe them for himself; if he cannot do this, let himfor a time give himself up to be controlled by another, who may holdhim to such observance until he can learn to rule himself. This was thepurpose for which the monastic houses were established of old, to teachyoung people discipline and purity.

III. In this work a good strong faith is a great help, more noticeablyso than in almost any other; so that for this reason also Isaiah xi.says that "faith is a girdle of the reins," that is, a guard ofchastity. For he who so lives that he looks to God for all grace, takespleasure in spiritual purity; therefore he can so much more easilyresist fleshly impurity: and in such faith the Spirit tells him of acertainty how he shall avoid evil thoughts and everything that isrepugnant to chastity. For as the faith in divine favor lives withoutceasing and works in all works, so it also does not cease itsadmonitions in all things that are pleasing to God or displease Him; asSt. John says in his Epistle: "Ye need not that any man teach you: forthe divine anointing, that is, the Spirit of God, teacheth you of allthings."

Yet we must not despair if we are not soon rid of the temptation, norby any means imagine that we are free from it as long as we live, andwe must regard it only as an incentive and admonition to prayer,fasting, watching, laboring, and to other exercises for the quenchingof the flesh, especially to the practice and exercise of faith in God.For that chastity is not precious which is at ease, but that which isat war with unchastity, and fights, and without ceasing drives out allthe poison with which the flesh and the evil spirit attack it. Thus St.Peter says, "I beseech you, abstain from fleshly desires and lusts,which war always against the soul." And St. Paul, Romans vi, "Ye shallnot obey the body in its lusts." In these and like passages it is shownthat no one is without evil lust; but that everyone shall and mustdaily fight against it. But although this brings uneasiness and pain,it is none the less a work that gives pleasure, in which we shall haveour comfort and satisfaction. For they who think they make an end oftemptation by yielding to it, only set themselves on fire the more; andalthough for a time it is quiet, it comes again with more strengthanother time, and finds the nature weaker than before.

Thou shalt not steal.

This Commandment also has a work, which embraces very many good works,and is opposed to many vices, and is called in German Mildigkeit,"benevolence;" which is a work ready to help and serve every one withone's goods. And it fights not only against theft and robbery, butagainst all stinting in temporal goods which men may practise towardone another: such as greed, usury, overcharging and plating wares thatsell as solid, counterfeit wares, short measures and weights, and whocould tell all the ready, novel, clever tricks, which multiply daily inevery trade, by which every one seeks his own gain through the other'sloss, and forgets the rule which says: "What ye wish that others do toyou, that do ye also to them." If every one kept this rule before hiseyes in his trade, business, and dealings with his neighbor, he wouldreadily find how he ought to buy and sell, take and give, lend and givefor nothing, promise and keep his promise, and the like. And when weconsider the world in its doings, how greed controls all business, wewould not only find enough to do, if we would make an honorable livingbefore God, but also be overcome with dread and fear for this perilous,miserable life, which is so exceedingly overburdened, entangled andtaken captive with cares of this temporal life and dishonest seeking ofgain.

II. Therefore the Wise Man says not in vain: "Happy is the rich man,who is found without blemish, who does not run after gold, and has notset his confidence in the treasures of money. Who is he? We will praisehim, that he has done wondrous things in his life." As if he would say:"None such is found, or very few indeed." Yea, they are very few whonotice and recognise such lust for gold in themselves. For greed hashere a very beautiful, fine cover for its shame, which is calledprovision for the body and natural need, under cover of which itaccumulates wealth beyond all limits and is never satisfied; so that hewho would in this matter keep himself clean, must truly, as he says, domiracles or wondrous things in his life.

Now see, if a man wish not only to do good works, but even miracles,which God may praise and be pleased with, what need has he to lookelsewhere? Let him take heed to himself, and see to it that he run notafter gold, nor set his trust on money, but let the gold run after him,and money wait on his favor, and let him love none of these things norset his heart on them; then he is the true, generous, wonderworking,happy man, as Job xxxi says: "I have never yet: relied upon gold, andnever yet made gold my hope and confidence." And Psalm lxii: "If richesincrease, set not your heart upon them." So Christ also teaches,Matthew vi, that we shall take no thought, what we shall eat and drinkand wherewithal we shall be clothed, since God cares for this, andknows that we have need of all these things.

But some say: "Yes, rely upon that, take no thought, and see whether aroasted chicken will fly into your mouth!" I do not say that a manshall not labor and seek a living; but he shall not worry, not begreedy, not despair, thinking that he will not have enough; for in Adamwe are all condemned to labor, when God says to him, Genesis iii, "Inthe sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." And Job v, "As the birdsto flying, so is man born unto labor." Now the birds fly without worryand greed, and so we also should labor without worry and greed; but ifyou do worry and are greedy, wishing that the roasted chicken fly intoyour mouth: worry and be greedy, and see whether you will therebyfulfil God's Commandment and be saved!

III. This work faith teaches of itself. For if the heart looks fordivine favor and relies upon it, how is it possible that a man shouldbe greedy and worry? He must be sure beyond a doubt that God cares forhim; therefore he does not cling to money; he uses it also withcheerful liberality for the benefit of his neighbor, and knows wellthat he will have enough, however much he may give away. For his God,Whom he trusts, will not lie to him nor forsake him, as it is written,Psalm xxxvii: "I have been young, and now am old; never have I seen abelieving man, who trusts God, that is a righteous man, forsaken, orhis child begging bread." Therefore the Apostle calls no other sinidolatry except covetousness, because this sin shows most plainly thatit does not trust God for anything, expects more good from its moneythan from God; and, as has been said, it is by such confidence that Godis truly honored or dishonored.

And, indeed, in this Commandment it can be clearly seen how all goodworks must be done in faith; for here every one most surely feels thatthe cause of covetousness is distrust and the cause of liberality isfaith. For because a man trusts God, he is generous and does not doubtthat he will always have enough; on the other hand, a man is covetousand worries because he does not trust God. Now, as in this Commandmentfaith is the master-workman and the doer of the good work ofliberality, so it is also in all the other Commandments, and withoutsuch faith liberality is of no worth, but rather a careless squanderingof money.

IV. By this we are also to know that this liberality shall extend evento enemies and opponents. For what manner of good deed is that, if weare liberal only to our friends? As Christ teaches, Luke vi, even awicked man does that to another who is his friend. Besides, the brutebeasts also do good and are generous to their kind. Therefore aChristian must rise higher, let his liberality serve also theundeserving, evil-doers, enemies, and the ungrateful, even as hisheavenly Father makes His sun to rise on good and evil, and the rain tofall on the grateful and ungrateful.

But here it will be found how hard it is to do good works according toGod's Commandment, how nature squirms, twists and writhes in itsopposition to it, although it does the good works of its own choiceeasily and gladly. Therefore take your enemies, the ungrateful, and dogood to them; then you will find how near you are to this Commandmentor how far from it, and how all your life you will always have to dowith the practice of this work. For if your enemy needs you and you donot help him when you can, it is just the same as if you had stolenwhat belonged to him, for you owed it to him to help him. So says St.Ambrose, "Feed the hungry; if you do not feed him, you have, as far asyou are concerned, slain him." And in this Commandment are included theworks of mercy, which Christ will require at men's hands at the lastday.

But the magistrates and cities ought to see to it that the vagabonds,pilgrims and mendicants from foreign lands be debarred, or at leastallowed only under restrictions and rules, so that knaves be notpermitted to run at large under the guise of mendicants, and theirknavery, of which there now is much, be prohibited. I have spoken atgreater length of this Commandment in the Treatise on Usury.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

This Commandment seems small, and yet is so great, that he who wouldrightly keep it must risk and imperil life and limb, goods and honor,friends and all that he has; and yet it includes no more than the workof that small member, the tongue, and is called in German Wahrheitsagen, "telling the truth" and, where there is need, gainsaying lies;so that it forbids many evil works of the tongue. First: those whichare committed by speaking, and those which are committed by keepingsilent. By speaking, when a man has an unjust law-suit, and wants toprove and maintain his case by a false argument, catch his neighborwith subtilty, produce everything that strengthens and furthers his owncause, and withhold and discount everything that furthers hisneighbor's good cause; in doing which he does not do to his neighbor ashe would have his neighbor do to him. This some men do for the sake ofgain, some to avoid loss or shame, thereby seeking their own advantagemore than God's Commandment, and excuse themselves by saying: Vigilantijura subveniunt, "the law helps him who watches"; just as if it werenot as much their duty to watch for their neighbor's cause as for theirown. Thus they intentionally allow their neighbor's cause to be lost,although they know that it is just. This evil is at present so commonthat I fear no court is held and no suit tried but that one side sinsagainst this Commandment. And even when they cannot accomplish it, theyyet have the unrighteous spirit and will, so that they would wish theneighbor's just cause to be lost and their unjust cause to prosper.This sin is most frequent when the opponent is a prominent man or anenemy. For a man wants to revenge himself on his enemy: but the illwill of a man of prominence he does not wish to bring upon himself; andthen begins the flattering and fawning, or, on the other hand, thewithholding of the truth. Here no one is willing to run the risk ofdisfavor and displeasure, loss and danger for the truth's sake; and soGod's Commandment must perish. And this is almost universally the wayof the world. He who would keep this Commandment, would have both handsfull doing only those good works which concern the tongue. And then,how many are there who allow themselves to be silenced and swervedaside from the truth by presents and gifts! so that in all places it istruly a high, great, rare work, not to be a false witness against one'sneighbor.

II. There is a second bearing of witness to the truth, which is stillgreater, with which we must fight against the evil spirits; and thisconcerns not temporal matters, but the Gospel and the truth of faith,which the evil spirit has at no time been able to endure, and always somanages that the great among men, whom it is hard to resist, mustoppose and persecute it. Of which it is written in Psalm lxxxii, "Ridthe poor out of the hand of the wicked, and help the forsaken tomaintain his just cause."

Such persecution, it is true, has now become infrequent; but that isthe fault of the spiritual prelates, who do not stir up the Gospel, butlet it perish, and so have abandoned the very thing because of whichsuch witnessing and persecution should arise; and in its place theyteach us their own law and what pleases them. For this reason the devilalso does not stir, since by vanquishing the Gospel he has alsovanquished faith in Christ, and everything goes as he wishes. But ifthe Gospel should be stirred up and be heard again, without doubt thewhole world would be aroused and moved, and the greater portion of thekings, princes, bishops, doctors and clergy, and all that is great,would oppose it and rage against it, as has always happened when theWord of God has come to light; for the world cannot endure what comesfrom God. This is proved in Christ, Who was and is the very greatestand most precious and best of all that God has; yet the world not onlydid not receive Him, but persecuted Him more cruelly than all otherswho had ever come forth from God.

Therefore, as at that time, so at all times there are few who stand bythe divine truth, and imperil and risk life and limb, goods and honor,and all that they have, as Christ has foretold: "Ye shall be hated ofall men for My Name's sake." And: "Many of them shall be offended inMe." Yea, if this truth were attacked by peasants, herdsmen,stable-boys and men of no standing, who would not be willing and ableto confess it and to bear witness to it? But when the pope, and thebishops, together with princes and kings attack it, all men flee, keepsilent, dissemble, in order that they may not lose goods, honor, favorand life.

III. Why do they do this? Because they have no faith in God, and expectnothing good from Him. For where such faith and confidence are, thereis also a bold, defiant, fearless heart, that ventures and stands bythe truth, though it cost life or cloak, though it be against pope orkings; as we see that the martyrs did. For such a heart is satisfiedand rests easy because it has a gracious, loving God. Therefore itdespises all the favor, grace, goods and honor of men, lets them comeand go as they please; as is written in Psalm xv: "He contemneth themthat contemn God, and honoreth them that fear the Lord"; that is, thetyrants, the mighty, who persecute the truth and despise God, he doesnot fear, he does not regard them, he despiseth them; on the otherhand, those who are persecuted for the truth's sake, and fear God morethan men, to these he clings, these he defends, these he honors, let itvex whom it may; as it is written of Moses, Hebrews xi, that he stoodby his brethren, regardless of the mighty king of Egypt.

Lo, in this Commandment again you see briefly that faith must be themaster-workman in this work also, so that without it no one has courageto do this work: so entirely are all works comprised in faith, as hasnow been often said. Therefore, apart from faith all works are dead,however good the form and name they bear. For as no one does the workof this Commandment except he be firm and fearless in the confidence ofdivine favor; so also he does no work of any other Commandment withoutthe same faith: thus every one may easily by this Commandment test andweigh himself whether he be a Christian and truly believe in Christ,and thus whether he is doing good works or no. Now we see how theAlmighty God has not only set our Lord Jesus Christ before us that weshould believe in Him with such confidence, but also holds before us inHim an example of this same confidence and of such good works, to theend that we should believe in Him, follow Him and abide in Him forever;as He says, John xiv: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,"—the Way,in which we follow Him; the Truth, that we believe in Him; the Life,that we live in Him forever.

From all this it is now manifest that all other works, which are notcommanded, are perilous and easily known: such as building churches,beautifying them, making pilgrimages, and all that is written at sogreat length in the Canon Law and has misled and burdened the world andruined it, made uneasy consciences, silenced and weakened faith, andhas not said how a man, although he neglect all else, has enough to dowith all his powers to keep the Commandments of God, and can never doall the good works which he is commanded to do; why then does he seekothers, which are neither necessary nor commanded, and neglect thosethat are necessary and commanded?

The last two Commandments, which forbid evil desires of the body forpleasure and for temporal goods, are clear in themselves; these evildesires do no harm to our neighbor, and yet they continue unto thegrave, and the strife in us against them endures unto death; thereforethese two Commandments are drawn together by St. Paul into one, Romansvii, and are set as a goal unto which we do not attain, and only in ourthoughts reach after until death. For no one has ever been so holy thathe felt in himself no evil inclination, especially when occasion andtemptation were offered. For original sin is born in us by nature, andtemptation were offered. For original sin is born in us by nature, andmay be checked, but not entirely uprooted, except through the death ofthe body; which for this reason is profitable and a thing to bedesired. To this may God help us. Amen.

Related articles