Second Edition
(With
“A brief exhortation to confession”)
Der
Große Katechismus. 1529
(WA
By mid-April 1529 Luther's Large Catechism, or
German Catechism, was published.
Even in the second revised edition in 1529 the
"Brief Exhortation to Confession" was inserted.
The contents of this edition are the same as in The
Book of Concord,
1.
Preface of Martin Luther (1530)
2.
The Ten Commandments,
3.
The Apostles’ Creed,
4.
The Lord’s Prayer,
5.
Baptism,
6.
The Lord’s Supper,
7.
Confession and Absolution.
PREFACE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER (1530)
A Christian, Profitable, and Necessary Preface, and
Faithful, Earnest Exhortation of Dr. Martin Luther to All Christians, but
Especially to All Pastors and Preachers, that They Should Daily Exercise
Themselves in the Catechism, which is a Short Summary and, Epitome of the
Entire Holy Scriptures, and that They May Always Teach the Same.
We have no slight reasons for treating the Catechism so
constantly [in sermons] and for both desiring and beseeching others to teach
it, since we see to our sorrow that many pastors and preachers are very
negligent in this, and slight both their office and this teaching; some from
great and high art (giving their mind, as they imagine, to
much higher matters], but others from sheer laziness and care for their
paunches, assuming no other relation to this business than if they were pastors
and preachers, for their bellies' sake, and had nothing to do but, to [spend
and] consume their emoluments as long as they live, as they have been
accustomed to do under the Papacy.
And although they have now everything that they are to
preach and teach placed before them so abundantly, clearly, and easily, in so
many [excellent and] helpful books, and the true Sermones
per se loquentes, Dormi secure, Paratos et Thesauros, as they were called
in former times; yet they are not so godly and honest as to buy these books, or
even when they have them, to look at them or read them. Alas! they are altogether
shameful gluttons and servants of their own bellies who ought to be more properly swineherds and dog-tenders than care-takers of
souls and pastors.
And now that they are delivered from the unprofitable and
burdensome babbling of the Seven Canonical Hours, oh, that, instead thereof,
they would only, morning,
For, alas! as it is, the common people regard the Gospel
altogether too lightly, and we accomplish nothing extraordinary even though we
use all diligence. What, then, will be achieved if we shall be negligent and
lazy as we were under the Papacy?
To this there is added the shameful vice and secret
infection of security and satiety, that is, that many regard the Catechism as a
poor, mean teaching, which they can read through at one time, and then
immediately know it, throw the book into a corner, and be ashamed, as it were,
to read in it again.
Yea, even among the nobility there may be found some louts
and scrimps, who declare that there is no longer any need either of pastors or
preachers; that we have everything in books, and every one can easily learn it
by himself; and so they are content to let the parishes decay and become
desolate, and pastors and preachers to suffer distress and hunger a plenty,
just as it becomes crazy Germans to do. For we Germans have such disgraceful
people, and must endure them.
But for myself I say this: I am also a doctor and preacher,
yea, as learned and experienced as all those may be who have such presumption
and security; yet I do as a child who is being taught the Catechism, and ever
morning, and whenever I have time, I read and say, word for word, the Ten
Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Psalms, etc. And I must still
read and study daily, and yet I cannot master it as I wish, but must remain a
child and pupil of the Catechism, and am glad so to remain. And yet these
delicate, fastidious fellows would with one reading promptly be doctors above
all doctors, know everything and be in need of nothing. Well, this, too, is
indeed a sure sign that they despise both their office and the souls of the
people, yea, even God and His Word. They do not have to fall, they are already
fallen all too horribly; they would need to become children, and begin to learn
their alphabet, which they imagine that they have long since outgrown.
Therefore I beg such lazy paunches or presumptuous saints to
be persuaded and believe for God's sake that they are verily, verily! not so
learned or such great doctors as they imagine; and never to presume that they
have finished learning this [the parts of the Catechism], or know it well
enough in all points, even though they think that they know it ever so well.
For though they should know and understand it perfectly (which, however, is
impossible in this life), yet there are manifold benefits and fruits still to
be obtained, if it be daily read and practised in thought and speech; namely,
that the Holy Ghost is present in such reading and repetition and meditation,
and bestows ever new and more light and devoutness, so
that it is daily relished and appreciated better, as Christ promises, Matt. 18,
20: Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I
in the midst of them.
Besides, it is an exceedingly effectual help against the
devil, the world, and the flesh and all evil thoughts to be occupied with the
Word of God, and to speak of it, and meditate upon it, so that the First Psalm
declares those blessed who meditate upon the Law of God day and night.
Undoubtedly, you will not start a stronger incense or other fumigation against
the devil than by being engaged upon God's commandments and words, and
speaking, singing, or thinking of them. For this is indeed the true holy water and holy sign from which he flees, and by
which he may be driven away.
Now, for this reason alone you ought gladly to read, speak,
think and treat of these things, if you had no other profit and fruit from them
than that by doing so you can drive away the devil and evil thoughts. For he
cannot hear or endure God's Word; and God's Word is not like some other silly
prattle, as that about Dietrich of Berne, etc., but as St. Paul says, Rom. 1,
16, the power of God. Yea, indeed, the power of God which gives the
devil burning pain, and strengthens, comforts, and helps us beyond measure.
And what need is there of many words? If I were to recount
all the profit and fruit which God's Word produces, whence would I get enough
paper and time? The devil is called the master of a thousand arts. But what
shall we call God's Word, which drives away and brings to naught this master of
a thousand arts with all his arts and power? It must indeed be the master of more than a hundred thousand arts.
And shall we frivolously despise such power, profit,
strength, and fruit--we, especially, who claim to be pastors and preachers? If
so, we should not only have nothing given us to eat, but be driven out, being
baited with dogs, and pelted with dung, because we not only need all this every
day as we need our daily bread, but must also daily use it against the daily
and unabated attacks and lurking of the devil, the master of a thousand arts.
And if this were not sufficient to admonish us to read the
Catechism daily, yet we should feel sufficiently constrained by the command of
God alone, who solemnly enjoins in Deut. 6, 6ff that we should always meditate
upon His precepts, sitting, walking, standing, lying down, and rising, and have
them before our eyes and in our hands as a constant mark and sign. Doubtless He
did not so solemnly require and enjoin this without a purpose; but because He
knows our danger and need, as well as the constant and furious assaults and
temptations of devils, He wishes to warn, equip, and preserve us against them,
as with a good armor against their fiery darts and with good medicine against
their evil infection and suggestion.
Oh, what mad, senseless fools are we that, while we must
ever live and dwell among such mighty enemies as the devils are, we
nevertheless despise our weapons and defense, and are too lazy to look at or
think of them!
And what else are such supercilious, presumptuous saints,
who are unwilling to read and study the Catechism daily, doing than esteeming
themselves much more learned than God Himself with all
His saints, angels, [patriarchs], prophets, apostles, and all Christians? For
inasmuch as God Himself is not ashamed to teach these things daily, as knowing
nothing better to teach, and always keeps teaching the same thing, and does not
take up anything new or different, and all the saints know nothing better or
different to learn, and cannot finish learning this, are we not the finest of
all fellows to imagine, if we have once read or heard it, that we know it all,
and have no further need to read and learn, but can finish learning in one hour
what God Himself cannot finish teaching, although He is engaged in teaching it
from the beginning to the end of the world, and all prophets, together with all
saints, have been occupied with learning it, and have ever remained pupils, and
must continue to be such?
For it needs must be that whoever knows the Ten Commandments
perfectly must know all the Scriptures, so that, in all affairs and cases, he
can advise, help, comfort, judge, and decide both spiritual and temporal
matters, and is qualified to sit in judgment upon all doctrines, estates,
spirits, laws, and whatever else is in the world. And what, indeed, is the
entire Psalter but thoughts and exercises upon the First Commandment?
Now I know of a truth that such lazy paunches and
presumptuous spirits do not understand a single psalm, much less the entire
Holy Scriptures; and yet they pretend to know and despise the Catechism, which
is a compend and brief summary of all the Holy Scriptures.
Therefore I again implore all Christians, especially pastors
and preachers, not to be doctors too soon, and imagine that they know
everything (for imagination and cloth unshrunk [and false weights] fall far
short of the measure), but that they daily exercise themselves well in these
studies and constantly treat them; moreover, that they guard with all care and
diligence against the poisonous infection of such security and vain
imagination, but steadily keep on reading, teaching, learning, pondering, and
meditating, and do not cease until they have made a
test and are sure that they have taught the devil to death, and have become
more learned than God Himself and all His saints.
If they manifest such diligence, then I will promise them,
and they shall also perceive, what fruit they will obtain, and what excellent
men God will make of them, so that in due time they themselves will acknowledge
that the longer and the more they study the Catechism,
the less they know of it, and the more they find yet to learn; and then only,
as hungry and thirsty ones, will they truly relish that which now they cannot
endure, because of great abundance and satiety. To this end may God grant His
grace! Amen.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in
vain [for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain].
3. Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day. [Remember the
Sabbath-day to keep it holy.]
4. Thou shalt honor thy father and mother [that thou mayest
live long upon the earth].
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his
man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his cattle [ox, nor his ass], nor
anything that is his.
THE CHIEF ARTICLES OF OUR FAITH
1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth.
2. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day
He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right
hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick
and the dead.
3. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYER, OR "OUR
FATHER," WHICH CHRIST TAUGHT
Our Father who art in heaven.
1. Hallowed be Thy name.
2. Thy kingdom come.
3. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
4. Give us this day our daily bread.
5. And forgive us our trespasses as
we for give those who trespass against us.
6. And lead us not into temptation.
7. But deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom and
the power and the glory, forever and ever.] Amen.
These are the most necessary parts which one should first
learn to repeat word for word, and which our children should be accustomed to
recite daily when they arise in the morning, when they sit down to their meals,
and when they retire at night; and until they repeat them, they should be given
neither food nor drink. Likewise every head of a household is obliged to do the
same with respect to his domestics, man-servants and maid-servants, and not to
keep them in his house if they do not know these things and are unwilling to
learn them. For a person who is so rude and unruly as to be unwilling to learn
these things is not to be tolerated; for in these three parts everything that
we have in the Scriptures is comprehended in short, plain, and simple terms.
For the holy Fathers or apostles (whoever they were) have thus embraced in a
summary the doctrine, life, wisdom, and art of Christians, of which they speak
and treat, and with which they are occupied.
Now, when these three parts are apprehended, it behooves a
person also to know what to say concerning our Sacraments, which Christ Himself
instituted, Baptism and the holy body and blood of Christ, namely, the text
which Matthew 28, 19ff and Mark 16, 15f record at the close of their Gospels
when Christ said farewell to His disciples and sent them forth.
OF BAPTISM
Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
So much is sufficient for a simple person to know from the
Scriptures concerning Baptism. In like manner, also, concerning the other
Sacrament, in short, simple words, namely, the text of St. Paul [1 Cor. 11, 23f ].
OF THE SACRAMENT (The Lord's
Supper)
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was
betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to
His disciples and said, Take, eat; this is, My body, which is given for you:
this do in remembrance of Me.
After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had
supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; this cup
is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of
sins: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.
Thus would have, in all, five parts of the entire Christian
doctrine which should be constantly treated and required [of children], and
heard recited word for word. For you must not rely upon it that the young
people will learn and retain these things from the sermon alone. When these
parts have been well learned, you may, as a supplement and to fortify them, lay
before them also some psalms or hymns, which have been composed on these parts,
and thus lead the young into the Scriptures, and make daily progress therein.
However, it is not enough for them to comprehend and recite
these parts according to the words only, but the young people should also be made to attend the preaching, especially during the time
which is devoted to the Catechism, that they may hear it explained, and may
learn to understand what every part contains, so as to be able to recite it as
they have heard it, and, when asked, may give a
correct answer, so that the preaching may not be without profit and fruit. For
the reason why we exercise such diligence in preaching the Catechism so often
is that it may be inculcated on our youth, not in a high and subtile manner,
but briefly and with the greatest simplicity, so as to enter the mind readily
and be fixed in the memory.
Therefore we shall now take up the above-mentioned articles
one by one and in the plainest manner possible say about them as much as is
necessary.
Part First
The
First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before
Me
That is: Thou shalt have [and worship] Me alone as thy God.
What is the force of this, and how is it to be understood? What does it mean to
have a god? or, what is God? Answer: A god means that from which we are to
expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that to
have a God is nothing else than to trust and believe Him from the [whole]
heart; as I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone
make both God and an idol. If your faith and trust be right, then is your god
also true; and, on the other hand, if your trust be
false and wrong, then you have not the true God; for these two belong together,
faith and God. That now, I say, upon which you set your heart and put your
trust is properly your god.
Therefore it is the intent of this commandment to require true faith and trust of the heart which settles upon the
only true God, and clings to Him alone. That is as much as to say: "See to
it that you let Me alone be your God, and never seek another," i.e.:
Whatever you lack of good things, expect it of Me, and look to Me for it, and
whenever you suffer misfortune and distress, creep and cling to Me. I, yes, I,
will give you enough and help you out of every need;
only let not your heart cleave to or rest in any other.
This I must unfold somewhat more
plainly, that it may be understood and perceived by ordinary examples of the
contrary. Many a one thinks that he has God and everything in abundance when he
has money and, possessions; he trusts in them and boasts of them with such
firmness and assurance as to care for no one. Lo, such a man also has a god,
Mammon by name, i.e., money and possessions, on which he sets all his
heart, and which is also the most common idol on earth. He who has money and
possessions feels secure, and is joyful and undismayed as though he were
sitting in the midst of Paradise. On the other hand, he who has none doubts and
is despondent, as though he knew of no God. For very few are to be found who
are of good cheer, and who neither mourn nor complain if they have not Mammon.
This [care and desire for money] sticks and clings to our nature, even to the
grave.
So, too, whoever trusts and boasts that he possesses great
skill, prudence, power, favor, friendship, and honor has also a god, but not
this true and only God. This appears again when you
notice how presumptuous, secure, and proud people are because of such
possessions, and how despondent when they no longer exist or are withdrawn.
Therefore I repeat that the chief explanation of this point is that to have a
god is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts.
Besides, consider what, in our blindness, we have hitherto
been practising and doing under the Papacy. If any one had toothache, he fasted
and honored St. Apollonia [macerated his flesh by voluntary fasting to the
honor of St. Apollonia]; if he was afraid of fire, he chose St. Lawrence as his
helper in need; if he dreaded pestilence, he made a
vow to St. Sebastian or Rochio, and a countless number of such abominations,
where every one selected his own saint, worshiped him, and called for help to
him in distress. Here belong those also, as, e. g., sorcerers and
magicians, whose idolatry is most gross, and who make a covenant with the
devil, in order that he may give them plenty of money
or help them in love-affairs, preserve their cattle, restore to them lost
possessions, etc. For all these place their heart and trust elsewhere than in
the true God, look for nothing good to Him nor seek it
from Him.
Thus you can easily understand what and how much this
commandment requires, namely, that man's entire heart and all his confidence be
placed in God alone, and in no one else. For to have God, you can easily
perceive, is not to lay hold of Him with our hands or to put Him in a bag [as
money], or to lock Him in a chest [as silver vessels]. But to apprehend Him
means when the heart lays hold of Him and clings to Him. But to cling to Him
with the heart is nothing else than to trust in Him entirely. For this reason
He wishes to turn us away from everything else that exists outside of Him, and
to draw us to Himself, namely, because He is the only eternal good. As though
He would say; Whatever you have heretofore sought of the saints, or for
whatever [things] you have trusted in Mammon or anything else, expect it all of
Me, and regard Me as the one who will help you and pour out upon you richly all
good things.
Lo, here you have the meaning of the true
honor and worship of God, which pleases God, and which He commands under penalty
of eternal wrath, namely, that the heart know no other comfort or confidence
than in Him, and do not suffer itself to be torn from Him, but, for Him, risk
and disregard everything upon earth. On the other hand, you can easily see and
judge how the world practises only false worship and idolatry. For no people
has ever been so reprobate as not to institute and observe some divine worship;
every one has set up as his special god whatever he looked to for blessings,
help, and comfort.
Thus, for example, the heathen who put their trust in power
and dominion elevated Jupiter as the supreme god; the others, who were bent
upon riches, happiness, or pleasure, and a life of ease, Hercules, Mercury,
Venus, or others; women with child, Diana or Lucina, and so on; thus every one made that his god to which his heart was inclined, so that
even in the mind of the heathen to have a god means to trust and believe. But
their error is this, that their trust is false and wrong; for it is not placed
in the only God, besides whom there is truly no God in heaven or upon earth.
Therefore the heathen really make their self-invented notions and dreams of God
an idol, and put their trust in that which is altogether nothing. Thus it is
with all idolatry; for it consists not merely in erecting an image and
worshiping it, but rather in the heart, which stands gaping at something else,
and seeks help and consolation from creatures, saints, or devils, and neither
cares for God, nor looks to Him for so much good as to believe that He is
willing to help, neither believes that whatever good it experiences comes from
God.
Besides, there is also a false worship and extreme idolatry,
which we have hitherto practised, and is still prevalent in the world, upon
which also all ecclesiastical orders are founded, and which concerns the
conscience alone, that seeks in its own works help, consolation, and salvation,
presumes to wrest heaven from God, and reckons how many bequests it has made, how often it has fasted, celebrated Mass, etc. Upon
such things it depends, and of them boasts, as though unwilling to receive
anything from God as a gift, but desires itself to earn or merit it
superabundantly, just as though He must serve us and were our debtor, and we
His liege lords. What is this but reducing God to an idol, yea, [a fig image
or] an apple-god, and elevating and regarding ourselves as God? But this is
slightly too subtile, and is not for young pupils.
But let this be said to the simple, that they may well note
and remember the meaning of this commandment, namely, that we are to trust in
God alone, and look to Him and expect from Him naught but good, as from one who
gives us body, life, food, drink, nourishment, health, protection, peace, and
all necessaries of both temporal and eternal things. lie also preserves us from
misfortune, and if any evil befall us, delivers and rescues us, so that it is
God alone (as has been sufficiently said) from whom we receive all good, and by
whom we are delivered from all evil. Hence also, I think, we Germans from
ancient times call God (more elegantly and appropriately than any other
language) by that name from the word Good, as being an eternal fountain
which gushes forth abundantly nothing but what is good, and from which flows
forth all that is and is called good.
For even though otherwise we experience much good from men,
still whatever we receive by His command or arrangement is all received from
God. For our parents, and all rulers, and every one besides with respect to his
neighbor, have received from God the command that they should do us all manner
of good, so that we receive these blessings not from them, but, through them,
from God. For creatures are only the hands, channels, and means whereby God
gives all things, as He gives to the mother breasts and milk to offer to her
child, and corn and all manner of produce from the earth for nourishment, none
of which blessings could be produced by any creature of itself.
Therefore no man should presume to take or give anything except as God has commanded, in order that it
may be acknowledged as God's gift, and thanks may be rendered Him for it, as
this commandment requires. On this account also these means of receiving good
gifts through creatures are not to be rejected, neither should we in
presumption seek other ways and means than God has commanded. For that would
not be receiving from God, but seeking of ourselves.
Let every one, then, see to it that he esteem this
commandment great and high above all things, and do not regard it as a joke.
Ask and examine your heart diligently, and you will find whether it cleaves to
God alone or not. If you have a heart that can expect of Him nothing but what
is good, especially in want and distress, and that, moreover, renounces and
forsakes everything that is not God, then you have the only true
God. If, on the contrary, it cleaves to anything else, of which it expects more good and help than of God, and does not take refuge in
Him, but in adversity flees from Him, then you have an idol, another god.
In order that it may be seen that God will not have this
commandment thrown to the winds, but will most strictly enforce it, He has
attached to it first a terrible threat, and then a beautiful, comforting
promise which is also to be urged and impressed upon young people, that they may
take it to heart and retain it:
[Exposition
of the Appendix to the First Commandment.]
For I am the Lord, thy God, strong and jealous, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and
keep My commandments.
Although these words relate to all the commandments (as we
shall hereafter learn), yet they are joined to this chief commandment because
it is of first importance that men have a right head; for where the head is
right, the whole life must be right, and vice versa. Learn, therefore,
from these words how angry God is with those who trust in anything but Him, and
again, how good and gracious He is to those who trust and believe in Him alone
with the whole heart; so that His anger does not cease until the fourth
generation, while, on the other hand, His blessing and goodness extend to many
thousands, lest you live in such security and commit yourself to chance, as men
of brutal heart, who think that it makes no great difference [how they live].
He is a God who will not leave it unavenged if men turn from Him, and will not
cease to be angry until the fourth generation, even until they are utterly
exterminated. Therefore He is to be feared, and not to be despised.
He has also demonstrated this in all history, as the
Scriptures abundantly show and daily experience still teaches. For from the
beginning He has utterly extirpated all idolatry, and, on account of it, both
heathen and Jews; even as at the present day He overthrows all false worship,
so that all who remain therein must finally perish. Therefore, although proud,
powerful, and rich worldlings [Sardanapaluses and Phalarides, who surpass even
the Persians in wealth] are now to be found, who boast defiantly of their
Mammon, with utter disregard whether God is angry at or smiles on them, and
dare to withstand His wrath, yet they shall not succeed, but before they are
aware, they shall be wrecked, with all in which they trusted; as all others
have perished who have thought themselves more secure
or powerful.
And just because of such hardened heads who imagine because
God connives and allows them to rest in security, that He either is entirely
ignorant or cares nothing about such matters, He must deal a smashing blow and
punish them, so that He cannot forget it unto children's children; so that
every one may take note and see that this is no joke to Him. For they are those
whom He means when He says: Who hate Me, i.e., those who persist
in their defiance and pride; whatever is preached or said to them, they will
not listen; when they are reproved, in order that they may learn to know
themselves and amend before the punishment begins, they become mad and foolish
so as to fairly merit wrath, as now we see daily in bishops and princes.
But terrible as are these threatenings, so much the more powerful is the consolation in the promise, that those
who cling to God alone should be sure that He will show them mercy, that is,
show them pure goodness and blessing, not only for themselves, but also to
their children and children's children, even to the thousandth generation and
beyond that. This ought certainly to move and impel us to risk our hearts in
all confidence with God, if we wish all temporal and eternal good, since the
Supreme Majesty makes such sublime offers and presents such cordial inducements
and such rich promises.
Therefore let every one seriously take this to heart, lest
it be regarded as though a man had spoken it. For to you it is a question
either of eternal blessing, happiness, and salvation, or of eternal wrath,
misery, and woe. What more would you have or desire than that He so kindly
promises to be yours with every blessing, and to protect and help you in all
need?
But, alas! here is the failure, that the world believes
nothing of this, nor regards it as God's Word because it sees that those who
trust in God and not in Mammon suffer care and want, and the devil opposes and
resists them, that they have neither money, favor, nor honor, and, besides, can
scarcely support life; while, on the other hand, those who serve Mammon have
power, favor, honor, possessions, and every comfort in the eyes of the world.
For this reason, these words must be grasped as being directed against such appearances;
and we must consider that they do not lie or deceive, but must come true.
Reflect for yourself or make inquiry and tell me: Those who
have employed all their care and diligence to accumulate great possessions and
wealth, what have they finally attained? You will find that they have wasted
their toil and labor, or even though they have amassed great treasures, they
have been dispersed and scattered, so that they themselves have never found
happiness in their wealth, and afterwards it never reached the third
generation.
Instances of this you will find a plenty in all histories,
also in the memory of aged and experienced people. Only observe and ponder
them.
Saul was a great king, chosen of God, and a godly man; but
when he was established on his throne, and let his heart decline from God, and
put his trust in his crown and power, he had to perish with all that he had, so
that none even of his children remained.
David, on the other hand, was a poor, despised man, hunted
down and chased, so that he nowhere felt secure of his life; yet he had to
remain in spite of Saul, and become king. For these words had to abide and come
true, since God cannot lie or deceive. Only let not
the devil and the world deceive you with their show, which indeed remains for a
time, but finally is nothing.
Let us, then, learn well the First Commandment, that we may
see how God will tolerate no presumption nor any trust in any other object, and
how He requires nothing higher of us than confidence from the heart for
everything good, so that we may proceed right and straightforward and use all
the blessings which God gives no farther than as a shoemaker uses his needle,
awl, and thread for work, and then lays them aside, or as a traveler uses an
inn, and food, and his bed only for temporal necessity, each one in his
station, according to God's order, and without allowing any of these things to
be our lord or idol. Let this suffice with respect to the First Commandment,
which we have had to explain at length, since it is of chief importance,
because, as before said, where the heart is rightly disposed toward God and
this commandment is observed, all the others follow.
The
Second Commandment.
Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord, thy God, in vain.
As the First Commandment has instructed the heart and taught
[the basis of] faith, so this commandment leads us forth and directs the mouth
and tongue to God. For the first objects that spring from the heart and
manifest themselves are words. Now, as I have taught above how to answer the question,
what it is to have a god, so you must learn to comprehend simply the meaning of
this and all the commandments, and to apply it to yourself.
If, then, it be asked: How do you understand the Second
Commandment, or what is meant by taking in vain, or misusing God's name? answer
briefly thus: It is misusing God's name when we call upon the Lord God, no
matter in what way, for purposes of falsehood or wrong of any kind. Therefore
this commandment enjoins this much, that God's name must not be appealed to falsely,
or taken upon the lips, while the heart knows well enough, or should know,
differently; as among those who take oaths in court, where one side lies
against the other. For God's name cannot be misused worse than for the support
of falsehood and deceit. Let this remain the exact German and simplest meaning
of this commandment.
From this every one can readily infer when and in how many
ways God's name is misused, although it is impossible to enumerate all its
misuses. Yet, to tell it in a few words, all misuse of the divine name occurs,
first, in worldly business and in matters which concern money, possessions,
honor, whether it be publicly in court, in the market, or wherever else men
make false oaths in God's name, or pledge their souls in any matter. And this
is especially prevalent in marriage affairs, where two go and secretly betroth
themselves to one another, and afterward abjure [their plighted troth].
But, the greatest abuse occurs in spiritual matters, which
pertain to the conscience, when false preachers rise
up and offer their lying vanities as God's Word.
Behold, all this is decking one's self out with God's name,
or making a pretty show, or claiming to be right, whether it occur in gross,
worldly business or in sublime, subtile matters of faith and doctrine. And
among liars belong also blasphemers, not alone the very gross, well known to
every one, who disgrace God's name without fear (these are not for us, but for
the hangman to discipline); but also those who publicly traduce the truth and
God's Word and consign it to the devil. Of this there is no need now to speak
further.
Here, then, let us learn and take to heart the great
importance of this commandment, that with all diligence we may guard against
and dread every misuse of the holy name, as the greatest sin that can be
outwardly committed. For to lie and deceive is in itself a great sin, but is
greatly aggravated when we attempt to justify it, and seek to confirm it by
invoking the name of God and using it as a cloak for shame, so that from a
single lie a double lie, nay, manifold lies, result.
For this reason, too, God has added a solemn threat to this
commandment, to wit: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh
His name in vain. That is: It shall not be condoned to any one nor pass
unpunished. For as little as He will leave it unavenged if any one turn his
heart from Him, as little will He suffer His name to be employed for dressing
up a lie. Now, alas! it is a common calamity in all the world that there are as
few who are not using the name of God for purposes of lying and all wickedness
as there are those who with their heart trust alone in God.
For by nature we all have within us this beautiful virtue,
to wit, that whoever has committed a wrong would like to cover up and adorn his
disgrace, so that no one may see it or know it; and no one is so bold as to
boast to all the world of the wickedness he has perpetrated; all wish to act by
stealth and without any one being aware of what they do. Then, if any one be
arraigned, the name of God is dragged into the affair and must make the
villainy look like godliness, and the shame like honor. This is the common
course of the world, which, like a great deluge, has flooded all lands. Hence
we have also as our reward what we seek and deserve: pestilences, wars,
famines, conflagrations, floods, wayward wives, children, servants, and all
sorts of defilement. Whence else should so much misery come? It is still a
great mercy that the earth bears and supports us.
Therefore, above all things, our young people should have
this commandment earnestly enforced upon them, and they should be trained to
hold this and the First Commandment in high regard; and whenever they
transgress, we must at once be after them with the rod, and hold the commandment
before them, and constantly inculcate it, so as to bring them up not only with
punishment, but also in the reverence and fear of God.
Thus you now understand what it is to take God's name in
vain, that is (to recapitulate briefly), either simply for purposes of
falsehood, and to allege God's name for something that is not so, or to curse,
swear, conjure, and, in short, to practise whatever wickedness one may.
Besides this you must also know how to use the name [of God]
aright. For when saying: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy
God, in vain, He gives us to understand at the same time that it is
to be used properly. For it has been revealed and given to us for the very
purpose that it may be of constant use and profit. Hence it is a natural inference,
since using the holy name for falsehood or wickedness is here forbidden, that
we are, on the other hand, commanded to employ it for truth and for all good,
as when one swears truly where there is need and it is demanded. So also when
there is right teaching, and when the name is invoked in trouble or praised and
thanked in prosperity, etc.; all of which is comprehended summarily and
commanded in the passage Ps. 50, 15: Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. For all this is
bringing it into the service of truth, and using it in a blessed way, and thus
His name is hallowed, as we pray in the Lord's Prayer.
Thus you have the sum of the entire commandment explained.
And with this understanding the question with which many teachers have troubled
themselves has been easily solved, to wit, why swearing is prohibited in the
Gospel, and yet Christ, St. Paul, and other saints often swore. The explanation
is briefly this: We are not to swear in support of evil, that is, of falsehood,
and where there is no need or use; but for the support of good and the
advantage of our neighbor we should swear. For it is a truly good work, by
which God is praised, truth and right are established, falsehood is refuted,
peace is made among men, obedience is rendered, and
quarrels are settled. For in this way God Himself interposes and separates
between right and wrong, good and evil. If one part swears falsely, he has his
sentence that he shall not escape punishment, and though it be deferred a long
time, he shall not succeed; so that all that he may gain thereby will slip out
of his hands, and he will never enjoy it; as I have seen in the case of many
who perjured themselves in their marriage-vows, that they have never had a
happy hour or a healthful day, and thus perished miserably in body, soul, and
possessions.
Therefore I advise and exhort as before that by means of
warning and threatening, restraint and punishment, the children be trained
betimes to shun falsehood, and especially to avoid the use of God's name in its
support. For where they are allowed to do a they please, no good will result,
as is even now evident that the world is worse than it has ever been, and that
there is no government, no obedience, no fidelity, no faith, but only daring,
unbridled men, whom no teaching or reproof helps; all of which is God's wrath
and punishment for such wanton contempt of this commandment.
On the other hand, they should be constantly urged and
incited to honor God's name, and to have it always upon their lips in
everything that may happen to them or come to their notice. For that is the true honor of His name, to look to it and implore it for all
consolation, so that (as we have heard above) first the heart by faith gives
God the honor due Him, and afterwards the lips by confession.
This is also a blessed and useful habit and very effectual
against the devil, who is ever about us, and lies in wait to bring us into sin
and shame, calamity and trouble, but who is very loath to hear God's name, and
cannot remain long where it is uttered and called upon from the heart. And,
indeed, many a terrible and shocking calamity would befall us if, by our
calling upon His name, God did not preserve us. I have myself tried it, and
learned by experience that often sudden great calamity was immediately averted
and removed during such invocation. To vex the devil, I say, we should always
have this holy name in our mouth, so that he may not be able to injure us as he
wishes.
For this end it is also of service that we form the habit of
daily commending ourselves to God, with soul and body, wife, children,
servants, and all that we have, against every need that may occur; whence also
the blessing and thanksgiving at meals, and other prayers, morning and evening,
have originated and remain in use. Likewise the practice of children to cross
themselves when anything monstrous or terrible is seen or heard, and to
exclaim: "Lord God, protect us!" "Help, dear Lord Jesus!"
etc. Thus, too, if any one meets with unexpected good fortune, however trivial,
that he say: "God be praised and thanked; this God has bestowed on
me!" etc., as formerly the children were accustomed to fast and pray to
St. Nicholas and other saints. This would be more pleasing and acceptable to God
than all monasticism and Carthusian sanctity.
Behold, thus we might train our youth, in a childlike way
and playfully in the fear and honor of God, so that the First and Second
Commandments might be well observed and in constant practise, Then some good
might take root, spring up and bear fruit, and men grow up whom an entire land
might relish and enjoy. Moreover, this would be the true
way to bring up children well as long as they can become trained with kindness
and delight. For what must be enforced with rods and blows only will not
develop into a good breed, and at best they will remain godly under such
treatment no longer than while the rod is upon their back.
But this [manner of training] so spreads its roots in the
heart that they fear God more than rods and clubs.
This I say with such simplicity for the sake of the young, that it may
penetrate their minds. For since we are preaching to children, we must also
prattle with them. Thus we have prevented the abuse and have taught the right
use of the divine name, which should consist not only in words, but also in
practise and life, so that we may know that God is well pleased with this, and
will as richly reward it as He will terribly punish the abuse.
The
Third Commandment.
Thou shalt sanctify the holy day.
[Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.]
The word holy day (Feiertag) is rendered from the
Hebrew word sabbath which properly signifies to rest, that is, to abstain from
labor. Hence we are accustomed to say, Feierabend machen [that is, to
cease working], or heiligen Abend geben [sanctify the Sabbath]. Now, in
the Old Testament, God separated the seventh day, and appointed it for rest,
and commanded that it should be regarded as holy above all others. As regards
this external observance, this commandment was given to the Jews alone, that
they should abstain from toilsome work, and rest, so that both man and beast
might recuperate, and not be weakened by unremitting labor. Although they
afterwards restricted this too closely, and grossly abused it, so that they
traduced and could not endure in Christ those works which they themselves were
accustomed to do on that day, as we read in the Gospel; just as though the
commandment were fulfilled by doing no external, [manual] work whatever, which,
however, was not the meaning, but, as we shall hear, that they sanctify the
holy day or day of rest.
This commandment, therefore, according to its gross sense,
does not concern us Christians; for it is altogether an external matter, like
other ordinances of the Old Testament, which were attached to particular
customs, persons, times, and places, and now have been made
free through Christ.
But to grasp a Christian meaning for the simple as to what
God requires in this commandment, note that we keep holy days not for the sake
of intelligent and learned Christians (for they have no need of it [holy
days]), but first of all for bodily causes and necessities, which nature
teaches and requires; for the common people, man-servants and maid-servants,
who have been attending to their work and trade the whole week, that for a day
they may retire in order to rest and be refreshed.
Secondly, and most especially, that on such day of rest
(since we can get no other opportunity) freedom and time be taken to attend
divine service, so that we come together to hear and treat of God's Word, and
then to praise God, to sing and pray.
However, this, I say, is not so restricted to any time, as
with the Jews, that it must be just on this or that day; for in itself no one
day is better than another; but this should indeed be done daily; however,
since the masses cannot give such attendance, there must be at least one day in
the week set apart. But since from of old Sunday [the Lord's Day] has been
appointed for this purpose, we also should continue the same, in order that
everything be done in harmonious order, and no one create disorder by
unnecessary innovation.
Therefore this is the simple meaning of the commandment:
since holidays are observed anyhow, such observance should be devoted to
hearing God's Word, so that the special function of this day should be the
ministry of the Word for the young and the mass of poor people; yet that the
resting be not so strictly interpreted as to forbid any other incidental work
that cannot be avoided.
Accordingly, when asked, What is meant by the commandment: Thou
shalt sanctify the holy day? answer: To sanctify the holy day is the same
as to keep it holy. But what is meant by keeping it holy? Nothing else than to
be occupied in holy words, works, and life. For the day needs no sanctification
for itself; for in itself it has been created holy [from the beginning of the
creation it was sanctified by its Creator]. But God desires it to be holy to
you. Therefore it becomes holy or unholy on your account, according as you are
occupied on the same with things that are holy or unholy.
How, then, does such sanctification take place? Not in this
manner, that [with folded hands] we sit behind the stove and do no rough
[external] work, or deck ourselves with a wreath and put on our best clothes,
but (as has been said) that we occupy ourselves with God's Word, and exercise
ourselves therein.
And, indeed we Christians ought always to keep such a holy
day, and be occupied with nothing but holy things, i.e., daily be
engaged upon God's Word, and carry it in our hearts and upon our lips. But (as
has been said) since we do not at all times have leisure, we must devote
several hours a week for the sake of the young, or at least a day for the sake
of the entire multitude, to being concerned about this alone, and especially
urge the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, and thus direct
our whole life and being according to God's Word. At whatever time, then, this
is being observed and practised, there a true holy day is being kept;
otherwise it shall not be called a Christians' holy day. For, indeed,
non-Christians can also cease from work and be idle, just as the entire swarm
of our ecclesiastics, who stand daily in the churches, singing, and ringing
bells but keeping no holy day holy, because they neither preach nor practise
God's Word, but teach and live contrary to it.
For the Word of God is the sanctuary above all sanctuaries,
yea, the only one which we Christians know and have. For though we had the
bones of all the saints or all holy and consecrated garments upon a heap, still
that would help us nothing; for all that is a dead thing which can sanctify
nobody. But God's Word is the treasure which sanctifies everything, and by
which even all the saints themselves were sanctified. At whatever hour, then,
God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read or meditated upon, there the
person, day, and work are sanctified thereby, not because of the external work,
but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all. Therefore I constantly
say that all our life and work must be ordered according to God's Word, if it
is to be God-pleasing or holy. Where this is done, this commandment is in force
and being fulfilled.
On the contrary, any observance or work that is practised
without God's Word is unholy before God, no matter how brilliantly it may shine, even though it be covered with relics, such as the
fictitious spiritual orders, which know nothing of God's Word and seek holiness
in their own works.
Note, therefore, that the force and power of this
commandment lies not in the resting, but in the sanctifying, so that to this
day belongs a special holy exercise. For other works and occupations are not
properly called holy exercises, unless the man himself be first holy. But here
a work is to be done by which man is himself made
holy, which is done (as we have heard) alone through God's Word. For this,
then, fixed places, times, persons, and the entire external order of worship
have been created and appointed, so that it may be publicly in operation.
Since, therefore, so much depends upon God's Word that
without it no holy day can be sanctified, we must know that God insists upon a
strict observance of this commandment, and will punish all who despise His Word
and are not willing to hear and learn it, especially at the time appointed for
the purpose.
Therefore not only those sin against this commandment who
grossly misuse and desecrate the holy day, as those who on account of their
greed or frivolity neglect to hear God's Word or lie in taverns and are dead
drunk like swine; but also that other crowd, who listen to God's Word as to any
other trifle, and only from custom come to preaching, and go away again, and at
the end of the year know as little of it as at the beginning. For hitherto the
opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a
mass or the Gospel read; but no one cared for God's Word, as also no one taught
it. Now, while we have God's Word, we nevertheless do not correct the abuse; we
suffer ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we listen without
seriousness and care.
Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about
hearing, but also about learning and retaining it in memory, and do not think
that it is optional with you or of no great importance, but that it is God's
commandment, who will require of you how you have heard, learned, and honored
His Word.
Likewise those fastidious spirits are to be reproved who,
when they have heard a sermon or two, find it tedious and dull, thinking that
they know all that well enough, and need no more
instruction. For just that is the sin which has been hitherto reckoned among
mortal sins, and is called ajkhdia, i.e., torpor or satiety, a malignant, dangerous
plague with which the devil bewitches and deceives the hearts of many, that he
may surprise us and secretly withdraw God's Word from us.
For let me tell you this, even though you know it perfectly
and be already master in all things, still you are daily in the dominion of the
devil, who ceases neither day nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle
in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the
commandments. Therefore you must always have God's Word in your heart, upon
your lips, and in your ears. But where the heart is idle, and the Word does not
sound, he breaks in and has done the damage before we are aware. On the other
hand, such is the efficacy of the Word, whenever it is seriously contemplated,
heard, and used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens
new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness, and produces a pure heart and pure
thoughts. For these words are not inoperative or dead, but creative, living
words. And even though no other interest or necessity impel us, yet this ought
to urge every one thereunto, because thereby the devil is put to Right and
driven away, and, besides, this commandment is fulfilled, and [this exercise in
the Word] is more pleasing to God than any work of
hypocrisy, however brilliant.
The
Fourth Commandment.
Thus far we have learned the first three commandments, which
relate to God. First, that with our whole heart we trust in Him, and fear and
love Him throughout all our life. Secondly, that we do not misuse His holy name
in the support of falsehood or any bad work, but employ it to the praise of God
and the profit and salvation of our neighbor and ourselves. Thirdly, that on
holidays and when at rest we diligently treat and urge God's Word, so that all
our actions and our entire life be ordered according to it. Now follow the
other seven, which relate to our neighbor, among which the first and greatest
is:
Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother.
To this estate of fatherhood and motherhood God has given
the special distinction above all estates that are beneath it that He not
simply commands us to love our parents, but to honor them. For with respect to
brothers, sisters, and our neighbors in general He commands nothing higher than
that we love them, so that He separates and distinguishes father and mother
above all other persons upon earth, and places them at His side. For it is a
far higher thing to honor than to love one, inasmuch as it comprehends not only
love, but also modesty, humility, and deference as to a majesty there hidden,
and requires not only that they be addressed kindly and with reverence, but,
most of all, that both in heart and with the body we so act as to show that we
esteem them very highly, and that, next to God, we regard them as the very
highest. For one whom we are to honor from the heart we must truly regard as
high and great.
We must, therefore, impress it upon the young that they
should regard their parents as in God's stead, and remember that however lowly,
poor, frail, and queer they may be, nevertheless they are father and mother
given them by God. They are not to be deprived of their honor because of their
conduct or their failings. Therefore we are not to regard their persons, how
they may be, but the will of God who has thus created and ordained. In other
respects we are, indeed, all alike in the eyes of God; but among us there must
necessarily be such inequality and ordered difference, and therefore God
commands it to be observed, that you obey me as your father, and that I have
the supremacy.
Learn, therefore, first, what is the honor towards parents
required by this commandment, to wit, that they be held in distinction and
esteem above all things, as the most precious treasure on earth. Furthermore,
that also in our words we observe modesty toward them, do not accost them
roughly, haughtily, and defiantly, but yield to them and be silent, even though
they go too far. Thirdly, that we show them such honor also by works, that is,
with our body and possessions, that we serve them, help them, and provide for
them when they are old, sick, infirm, or poor, and all that not only gladly,
but with humility and reverence, as doing it before God. For he who knows how
to regard them in his heart will not allow them to suffer want or hunger, but
will place them above him and at his side, and will share with them whatever he
has and possesses.
Secondly, notice how great, good, and holy a work is here
assigned children, which is, alas! utterly neglected and disregarded, and no
one perceives that God has commanded it, or that it is a holy, divine Word and
doctrine. For if it had been regarded as such, every one could have inferred
that they must be holy men who live according to these words. Thus there would
have been no need of inventing monasticism nor spiritual orders, but every
child would have abided by this commandment, and could have directed his
conscience to God and said: "If I am to do good and holy works, I know of
none better than to render all honor and obedience to my parents, because God
has Himself commanded it. For what God commands must be much and far nobler
than everything that we may devise ourselves; and since there is no higher or
better teacher to be found than God, there can be no better doctrine, indeed,
than He gives forth. Now, He teaches fully what we should do if we wish to perform
truly good works; and by commanding them, He shows that they please Him. If,
then, it is God who commands this, and who knows not how to appoint anything
better, I will never improve upon it."
Behold, in this manner we would have had a godly child properly
taught, reared in true blessedness, and kept at home
in obedience to his parents and in their service, so that men should have had
blessing and joy from the spectacle. However, God's commandment was not
permitted to be thus [with such care and diligence] commended, but had to be
neglected and trampled under foot, so that a child could not lay it to heart,
and meanwhile gaped [like a panting wolf] at the devices which we set up, without once [consulting or] giving reverence to
God.
Let us, therefore, learn at last, for God's sake, that,
placing all other things out of sight, our youths look first to this
commandment, if they wish to serve God with truly good works, that they do what
is pleasing to their fathers and mothers, or to those to whom they may be
subject in their stead. For every child that knows and does this has, in the
first place, this great consolation in his heart, that he can joyfully say and
boast (in spite of and against all who are occupied with works of their own
choice): "Behold, this work is well pleasing to my God in heaven, that I
know for certain." Let them all come together with their many great,
distressing, and difficult works and make their boast; we will see whether they
can show one that is greater and nobler than obedience to father and mother, to
whom God has appointed and commanded obedience next to His own majesty; so that
if God's Word and will are in force and being accomplished, nothing shall be
esteemed higher than the will and word of parents; yet so that it, too, is
subordinated to obedience toward God and is not opposed to the preceding
commandments.
Therefore you should be heartily glad and thank God that He
has chosen you and made you worthy to do a work so
precious and pleasing to Him. Only see that, although it be regarded as the
most humble and despised, you esteem it great and precious, not on account of
our worthiness, but because it is comprehended in, and controlled by, the jewel
and sanctuary, namely, the Word and commandment of God. Oh, what a high price
would all Carthusians, monks, and nuns pay, if in all their religious doings
they could bring into God's presence a single work done by virtue of His
commandment, and be able before His face to say with joyful heart: "Now I
know that this work is well pleasing to Thee." Where will these poor
wretched persons hide when in the sight of God and all the world they shall
blush with shame before a young child who has lived according to this
commandment, and shall have to confess that with their whole life they are not
worthy to give it a drink of water? And it serves them
right for their devilish perversion in treading God's commandment under foot
that they must vainly torment themselves with works of their own device, and,
in addition, have scorn and loss for their reward.
Should not the heart, then, leap and melt for joy when going
to work and doing what is commanded, saying: Lo, this is better than all
holiness of the Carthusians, even though they kill themselves fasting and
praying upon their knees without ceasing? For here you have a sure text and a
divine testimony that He has enjoined this; but concerning the other He did not
command a word. But this is the plight and miserable blindness of the world
that no one believes these things; to such an extent the devil has deceived us
with false holiness and the glamour of our own works.
Therefore I would be very glad (I say it again) if men would
open their eyes and ears, and take this to heart, lest some time we may again
be led astray from the pure Word of God to the lying vanities of the devil.
Then, too, all would be well; for parents would have more
joy, love, friendship, and concord in their houses; thus the children could
captivate their parents' hearts. On the other hand, when they are obstinate,
and will not do what they ought until a rod is laid upon their back, they anger
both God and their parents, whereby they deprive themselves of this treasure
and joy of conscience, and lay up for themselves only misfortune. Therefore, as
every one complains, the course of the world now is such that both young and
old are altogether dissolute and beyond control, have no reverence nor sense of
honor, do nothing except as they are driven to it by blows, and perpetrate what
wrong and detraction they can behind each other's back; therefore God also
punishes them, that they sink into all kinds of filth and misery. As a rule,
the parents, too, are themselves stupid and ignorant; one fool trains [teaches]
another, and as they have lived, so live their children after them.
This, now, I say should be the first and most important
consideration to urge us to the observance of this commandment; on which
account, even if we had no father and mother, we ought to wish that God would set up wood and stone before us, whom we might call father
and mother. How much more, since He has given us living parents, should we
rejoice to show them honor and obedience, because we know it is so highly
pleasing to the Divine Majesty and to all angels, and vexes all devils, and is,
besides, the highest work which we can do, after the sublime divine worship
comprehended in the previous commandments; so that giving of alms and every
other good work toward our neighbor are not equal to this. For God has assigned
this estate the highest place, yea, has set it up in His own stead, upon earth.
This will and pleasure of God ought to be a sufficient reason and incentive to
us to do what we can with good will and pleasure.
Besides this, it is our duty before the world to be grateful
for benefits and every good which we have of our parents. But here again the
devil rules in the world, so that the children forget their parents, as we all
forget God, and no one considers how God nourishes, protects, and defends us,
and bestows so much good on body and soul; especially when an evil hour comes,
we are angry and grumble with impatience, and all the good which we have
received throughout our life is wiped out [from our memory]. Just so we do also
with our parents, and there is no child that understands and considers this [what
the parents have endured while nourishing and fostering him], except the Holy
Ghost grant him this grace.
God knows very well this perverseness of the world;
therefore He admonishes and urges by commandments that every one consider what
his parents have done for him, and he will find that he has from them body and
life, moreover, that he has been fed and reared when otherwise he would have
perished a hundred times in his own filth. Therefore it is a true and good
saying of old and wise men: Deo, parentibus et magistris non potest satis
gratiae rependi, that is, To God, to parents, and to teachers we can never
render sufficient gratitude and compensation. He that regards and considers
this will indeed without compulsion do all honor to his parents, and bear them
up on his hands as those through whom God has done him all good.
Over and above all this, another great reason that should
incite us the more [to obedience to this commandment]
is that God attaches to this commandment a temporal promise and says: That
thou mayest live long upon the land which the Lord, thy God, giveth
thee.
Here you can see yourself how much God is in earnest in
respect to this commandment, inasmuch as He not only declares that it is well
pleasing to Him, and that He has joy and delight therein; but also that it
shall be for out prosperity and promote our highest
good; so that we may have a pleasant and agreeable life, furnished with every
good thing. Therefore also St. Paul greatly emphasizes the same and rejoices in
it when he says, Eph. 6, 2. 3: This is the first commandment with promise:
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
For although the rest also have their promises contained in them, yet in none
is it so plainly and explicitly stated.
Here, then, you have the fruit and the reward, that whoever
observes this commandment shall have happy days, fortune, and prosperity; and
on the other hand, the punishment, that whoever is disobedient shall the sooner
perish, and never enjoy life. For to have long life in the sense of the
Scriptures is not only to become old, but to have everything which belongs to
long life, such as health, wife, and children, livelihood, peace, good
government, etc., without which this life can neither be enjoyed in cheerfulness
nor long endure. If, therefore, you will not obey father and mother and submit
to their discipline, then obey the hangman; if you will not obey him, then
submit to the skeleton-man, i.e., death [death the all-subduer, the
teacher of wicked children]. For on this God insists peremptorily: Either if
you obey Him, rendering love and service, He will reward you abundantly with
all good, or if you offend Him, He will send upon you both death and the
hangman.
Whence come so many knaves that must daily be hanged,
beheaded, broken upon the wheel, but from disobedience [to parents], be cause
they will not submit to discipline in kindness, so that, by the punishment of
God, they bring it about that we behold their misfortune and grief? For it
seldom happens that such perverse people die a natural
or timely death.
But the godly and obedient have this blessing, that they
live long in pleasant quietness, and see their children's children (as said
above) to the third and fourth generation.
Thus experience also teaches, that where there are
honorable, old families who fare well and have many children, they owe their
origin to the fact, to be sure, that some of them were brought up well and were
regardful of their parents. On the other hand, it is written of the wicked, Ps.
109, 13: Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let
their name be blotted out. Therefore heed well how great a thing in God's
sight obedience is, since He so highly esteems it, is so highly pleased with
it, and rewards it so richly, and besides enforces punishment so rigorously on
those who act contrariwise.
All this I say that it may be well impressed upon the young.
For no one believes how necessary this commandment is, although it has not been
esteemed and taught hitherto under the papacy. These are simple and easy words,
and everybody thinks he knew them afore; therefore men pass them lightly by,
are gaping after other matters, and do not see and believe that God is so
greatly offended if they be disregarded, nor that one does a work so well
pleasing and precious if he follows them.
In this commandment belongs a further statement regarding
all kinds of obedience to persons in authority who have to command and to
govern. For all authority flows and is propagated from the authority of
parents. For where a father is unable alone to educate his [rebellious and
irritable] child, he employs a schoolmaster to instruct him; if he be too weak,
he enlists the aid of his friends and neighbors; if he departs this life, he
delegates and confers his authority and government upon others who are
appointed for the purpose. Likewise, he must have domestics, man-servants and
maid-servants, under himself for the management of the household, so that all
whom we call masters are in the place of parents and must derive their power
and authority to govern from them. Hence also they are all called fathers in
the Scriptures, as those who in their government perform the functions of a
father, and should have a paternal heart toward their subordinates. As also from
antiquity the Romans and other nations called the masters and mistresses of the
household patres- et matres- familiae, that is, housefathers and
housemothers. So also they called their national rulers and overlords patres
patriae, that is, fathers of the entire country, for a great shame to us
who would be Christians that we do not likewise call them so, or, at least, do
not esteem and honor them as such.
Now, what a child owes to father and mother, the same owe
all who are embraced in the household. Therefore man-servants and maid-servants
should be careful not only to be obedient to their masters and mistresses, but
also to honor them as their own fathers and mothers, and to do everything which
they know is expected of them, not from compulsion and with reluctance, but
with pleasure and joy for the cause just mentioned, namely, that it is God's
command and is pleasing to Him above all other works. Therefore they ought
rather to pay wages in addition and be glad that they may obtain masters and
mistresses to have such joyful consciences and to know how they may do truly
golden works; a matter which has hitherto been neglected and despised, when,
instead, everybody ran, in the devil's name, into convents or to pilgrimages
and indulgences, with loss [of time and money] and with an evil conscience.
If this truth, then, could be impressed upon the poor
people, a servant-girl would leap and praise and thank God; and with her tidy
work for which she receives support and wages she would acquire such a treasure
as all that are esteemed the greatest saints have not obtained. Is it not an
excellent boast to know and say that, if you perform your daily domestic task,
this is better than all the sanctity and ascetic life of monks? And you have
the promise, in addition, that you shall prosper in all good and fare well. How
can you lead a more blessed or holier life as far as your works are concerned?
For in the sight of God faith is what really renders a person holy, and alone
serves Him, but the works are for the service of man. There you have everything
good, protection and defense in the Lord, a joyful conscience and a gracious
God besides, who will reward you a hundredfold, so that you are even a nobleman
if you be only pious and obedient. But if not, you have, in the first place,
nothing but the wrath and displeasure of God, no peace of heart, and afterwards
all manner of plagues and misfortunes.
Whoever will not be influenced by this and inclined to
godliness we hand over to the hangman and to the skeleton-man. Therefore let
every one who allows himself to be advised remember that God is not making
sport, and know that it is God who speaks with you and demands obedience. If
you obey Him, you are His dear child; but if you despise to do it, then take
shame, misery, and grief for your reward.
The same also is to be said of obedience to civil
government, which (as we have said) is all embraced in the estate of fatherhood
and extends farthest of all relations. For here the father is not one of a
single family, but of as many people as he has tenants, citizens, or subjects.
For through them, as through our parents, God gives to us food, house and home,
protection and security. Therefore, since they bear such name and title with
all honor as their highest dignity, it is our duty to honor them and to esteem
them great as the dearest treasure and the most precious jewel upon earth.
He, now, who is obedient here, is willing and ready to
serve, and cheerfully does all that pertains to honor, knows that he is
pleasing God and that he will receive joy and happiness for his reward. If he
will not do it in love, but despises and resists [authority] or rebels, let him
also know, on the other hand, that he shall have no favor nor blessing, and
where he thinks to gain a florin thereby, he will elsewhere lose ten times as
much, or become a victim to the hangman, perish by war, pestilence, and famine,
or experience no good in his children, and be obliged to suffer injury,
injustice, and violence at the hands of his servants, neighbors, or strangers
and tyrants; so that what we seek and deserve is paid back and comes home to
us.
If we would ever suffer ourselves to be persuaded that such
works are pleasing to God and have so rich a reward, we would be established in
altogether abundant possessions and have what our heart desires. But because
the word and command of God are so lightly esteemed, as though some babbler had
spoken it, let us see whether you are the man to oppose Him. How difficult, do
you think, it will be for Him to recompense you! Therefore you would certainly
live much better with the divine favor, peace, and happiness than with His
displeasure and misfortune. Why, think you, is the world now so full of
unfaithfulness, disgrace, calamity, and murder, but because every one desires
to be his own master and free from the emperor, to care nothing for any one,
and do what pleases him? Therefore God punishes one knave by another, so that,
when you defraud and despise your master, another comes and deals in like
manner with you, yea, in your household you must suffer ten times more from wife, children, or servants.
Indeed, we feel our misfortune, we murmur and complain of
unfaithfulness, violence, and injustice, but will not see that we ourselves are
knaves who have fully deserved this punishment, and yet are not thereby
reformed. We will have no favor and happiness, therefore it is but fair that we
have nothing but misfortune without mercy. There must still be somewhere upon
earth some godly people because God continues to grant us so much good! On our
own account we should not have a farthing in the house nor a straw in the
field. All this I have been obliged to urge with so many words, in hope that
some one may take it to heart, that we may be relieved of the blindness and
misery in which we are steeped so deeply, and may truly understand the Word and
will of God, and earnestly accept it. For thence we would learn how we could
have joy, happiness, and salvation enough, both temporal and eternal.
Thus we have two kinds of fathers presented in this
commandment, fathers in blood and fathers in office, or those to whom belongs
the care of the family, and those to whom belongs the care of the country.
Besides these there are yet spiritual fathers; not like those in the Papacy,
who have indeed had themselves called thus, but have performed no function of
the paternal office. For those only are called spiritual fathers who govern and
guide us by the Word of God; as St. Paul boasts his fatherhood 1 Cor. 4, 15,
where he says: In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel.
Now, since they are fathers they are entitled to their honor, even above all
others. But here it is bestowed least; for the way which the world knows for
honoring them is to drive them out of the country and to grudge them a piece of
bread, and, in short, they must be (as says St. Paul, 1 Cor.
4, 13) as the filth of the world and everybody's refuse and footrag.
Yet there is need that this also be urged upon the populace,
that those who would be Christians are under obligation in the sight Of God to
esteem them worthy of double honor who minister to their souls, that they deal
well with them and provide for them. For that, God is willing to add to you
sufficient blessing and will not let you come to want. But in this matter every
one refuses and resists, and all are afraid that they will perish from bodily
want, and cannot now support one respectable preacher, where formerly they
filled ten fat paunches. In this we also deserve that God deprive us of His
Word and blessing, and again allow preachers of lies to arise to lead us to the
devil, and, in addition, to drain our sweat and blood.
But those who keep in sight God's will and commandment have
the promise that everything which they bestow upon temporal and spiritual
fathers, and whatever they do to honor them, shall be richly recompensed to
them, so that they shall have, not bread, clothing, and money for a year or
two, but long life, support, and peace, and shall be eternally rich and
blessed. Therefore only do what is your duty, and let God take care how He is
to support you and provide for you sufficiently. Since He has promised it, and
has never yet lied, He will not be found lying to you.
This ought indeed to encourage us, and give
us hearts that would melt in pleasure and love toward those to whom we owe
honor, so that we would raise our hands and joyfully thank God who has given us
such promises, for which we ought to run to the ends of the world [to the
remotest parts of India]. For although the whole world should combine, it could
not add an hour to our life or give us a single grain
from the earth. But God wishes to give you all
exceeding abundantly according to your heart's desire. He who despises and
casts this to the winds is not worthy ever to hear a word of God. This has now
been stated more than enough for all who belong under
this commandment.
In addition, it would be well to preach to the parents also,
and such as bear their office, as to how they should deport themselves toward
those who are committed to them for their government. For although this is not
expressed in the Ten Commandments, it is nevertheless abundantly enjoined in
many places in the Scripture. And God desires to have it embraced in this
commandment when He speaks of father and mother. For He does not wish to have
in this office and government knaves and tyrants; nor does He assign to them
this honor, that is, power and authority to govern, that they should have
themselves worshiped; but they should consider that they are under obligations
of obedience to God; and that, first of all, they should earnestly and
faithfully discharge their office, not only to support and provide for the
bodily necessities of their children, servants, subjects, etc., but, most of
all, to train them to the honor and praise of God. Therefore do not think that
this is left to your pleasure and arbitrary will, but that it is a strict
command and injunction of God, to whom also you must give
account for it.
But here again the sad plight arises that no one perceives
or heeds this, and all live on as though God gave us children for our pleasure
or amusement, and servants that we should employ them like a cow or ass, only
for work, or as though we were only to gratify our wantonness with our
subjects, ignoring them, as though it were no concern of ours what they learn
or how they live; and no one is willing to see that this is the command of the
Supreme Majesty, who will most strictly call us to account and punish us for
it; nor that there is so great need to be so seriously concerned about the
young. For if we wish to have excellent and apt persons both for civil and
ecclesiastical government, we must spare no diligence,
time, or cost in teaching and educating our children, that they may serve God
and the world, and we must not think only how we may amass money and
possessions for them. For God can indeed without us support and make them rich,
as He daily does. But for this purpose He has given us children, and issued
this command that we should train and govern them according to His will, else
He would have no need of father and mother. Let every one know, therefore, that
it is his duty, on peril of losing the divine favor, to bring up his children
above all things in the fear and knowledge of God, and if they are talented,
have them learn and study something, that they may be employed for whatever
need there is [to have them instructed and trained in a liberal education, that
men may be able to have their aid in government and in whatever is necessary].
If that were done, God would also richly bless us and give us grace to train men by whom land and people might be
improved, and likewise well-educated citizens, chaste and domestic wives, who
afterwards would rear godly children and servants. Here consider now what
deadly injury you are doing if you be negligent and fail on your part to bring
up your child to usefulness and piety, and how you bring upon yourself all sin
and wrath, thus earning hell by your own children, even though you be otherwise
pious and holy. And because this is disregarded, God so fearfully punishes the
world that there is no discipline, government, or peace, of which we all
complain, but do not see that it is our fault; for as we train them, we have
spoiled and disobedient children and subjects. Let this be sufficient
exhortation; for to draw this out at length belongs to another time.
The
Fifth Commandment.
Thou shalt not kill.
We have now completed both the spiritual and the temporal
government, that is, the divine and the paternal authority and obedience. But here
now we go forth from our house among our neighbors to learn how we should live
with one another, every one himself toward his neighbor. Therefore God and
government are not included in this commandment, nor is the power to kill,
which they have, taken away. For God has delegated His authority to punish
evil-doers to the government instead of parents, who aforetime (as we read in
Moses) were required to bring their own children to judgment and sentence them
to death. Therefore, what is here forbidden is forbidden to the individual in
his relation to any one else, and not to the government.
Now this commandment is easy enough, and has been often
treated, because we hear it annually in the Gospel of St. Matthew, 5, 21ff,
where Christ Himself explains and sums it up, namely, that we must not kill,
neither with hand, heart, mouth, signs, gestures, help, nor counsel. Therefore
it is here forbidden to every one to be angry, except those (as we said) who
are in the place of God, that is, parents and the government. For it is proper
for God and for every one who is in a divine estate to be angry, to reprove and
punish, namely, on account of those very persons who transgress this and the
other commandments.
But the cause and need of this commandment is that God well
knows that the world is evil, and that this life has much unhappiness;
therefore He has placed this and the other commandments between the good and
the evil. Now, as there are many assaults upon all commandments, so it happens
also in this commandment that we must live among many people who do us harm, so
that we have cause to be hostile to them.
As when your neighbor sees that you have a better house and
home [a larger family and more fertile fields],
greater possessions and fortune from God than he, he is sulky, envies you, and
speaks no good of you.
Thus by the devil's incitement you will get many enemies who
cannot bear to see you have any good, either bodily or spiritual. When we see
such people, our hearts, in turn, would rage and bleed
and take vengeance. Then there arise cursing and blows, from which follow
finally misery and murder. Here, now, God like a kind father steps in ahead of
us, interposes and wishes to have the quarrel settled, that no misfortune come
of it, nor one destroy another. And briefly, He would hereby protect, set free,
and keep in peace every one against the crime and violence of every one else;
and would have this commandment placed as a wall, fortress, and refuge about
our neighbor, that we do him no hurt nor harm in his body.
Thus this commandment aims at this, that no one offend his
neighbor on account of any evil deed, even though he have fully deserved it.
For where murder is forbidden, all cause also is forbidden whence murder may
originate. For many a one, although he does not kill, yet curses and utters a
wish, which would stop a person from running far if it were to strike him in
the neck [makes imprecations, which if fulfilled with respect to any one, he
would not live long]. Now, since this inheres in every one by nature and it is
a common practise that no one is willing to suffer at the hands of another, God
wishes to remove the root and source by which the heart is embittered against
our neighbor, and to accustom us ever to keep in view this commandment, always
to contemplate ourselves in it as in a mirror, to regard the will of God, and
with hearty confidence and invocation of His name to commit to Him the wrong
which we suffer. Thus we shall suffer our enemies to rage
and be angry, doing what they can, and we learn to calm our wrath, and to have
a patient, gentle heart, especially toward those who give us cause to be angry,
that is, our enemies.
Therefore the entire sum of what it means not to kill
is to be impressed most explicitly upon the simple-minded. In the first place,
that we harm no one, first, with our hand or by deed. Then, that we do not
employ our tongue to instigate or counsel thereto. Further, that we neither use
nor assent to any kind of means or methods whereby any one may be injured. And
finally, that the heart be not ill disposed toward any one, nor from anger and
hatred wish him ill, so that body and soul may be innocent in regard to every
one, but especially those who wish you evil or inflict such upon you. For to do
evil to one who wishes and does you good is not human, but diabolical.
Secondly, under this commandment not only he is guilty who
does evil to his neighbor, but he also who can do him good, prevent, resist
evil, defend and save him, so that no bodily harm or hurt happen to him, and
yet does not do it. If, therefore, you send away one that is naked when you
could clothe him, you have caused him to freeze to death; if you see one suffer
hunger and do not give him food, you have caused him
to starve. So also, if you see any one innocently sentenced to death or in like
distress, and do not save him, although you know ways and means to do so, you
have killed him. And it will not avail you to make the pretext that you did not
afford any help, counsel, or aid thereto, for you have withheld your love from
him and deprived him of the benefit whereby his life would have been saved.
Therefore God also rightly calls all those murderers who do
not afford counsel and help in distress and danger of body and life, and will
pass a most terrible sentence upon them in the last day, as Christ Himself has
announced when He shall say, Matt. 25, 42f : I was
an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me
no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye
clothed Me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not. That is:
You would have suffered Me and Mine to die of hunger,
thirst, and cold, would have suffered the wild beasts to tear us to pieces, or
left us to rot in prison or perish in distress. What else is that but to
reproach them as murderers and bloodhounds? For although you have not actually
done all this, you have nevertheless, so far as you were concerned, suffered
him to pine and perish in misfortune.
It is just as if I saw some one navigating and laboring in
deep water [and struggling against adverse winds] or one fallen into fire, and
could extend to him the hand to pull him out and save him, and yet refused to
do it. What else would I appear, even in the eyes of the world, than as a
murderer and a criminal?
Therefore it is God's ultimate purpose that we suffer harm
to befall no man, but show him all good and love; and, as we have said, it is
specially directed toward those who are our enemies. For to do good to our
friends is but an ordinary heathen virtue, as Christ says Matt. 5, 46.
Here we have again the Word of God whereby He would
encourage and urge us to true noble and sublime works,
as gentleness, patience, and, in short, love and kindness to our enemies, and
would ever remind us to reflect upon the First Commandment, that He is our God,
that is, that He will help, assist, and protect us, in order that He may thus
quench the desire of revenge in us.
This we ought to practise and inculcate, and we would have
our hands full doing good works. But this would not be preaching for monks; it
would greatly detract from the religious estate, and infringe upon the sanctity
of Carthusians, and would even be regarded as forbidding good works and
clearing the convents. For in this wise the ordinary state of Christians would
be considered just as worthy, and even worthier, and everybody would see how
they mock and delude the world with a false, hypocritical show of holiness,
because they have given this and other commandments to the winds, and have
esteemed them unnecessary, as though they were not commandments, but mere
counsels; and have at the same time shamelessly proclaimed and boasted their
hypocritical estate and works as the most perfect life, in order that they
might lead a pleasant, easy life, without the cross and without patience, for
which reason, too, they have resorted to the cloisters, so that they might not
be obliged to suffer any wrong from any one or to do him any good. But know now
that these are the true, holy, and godly works, in
which, with all the angels, He rejoices, in comparison with which all human
holiness is but stench and filth, and, besides, deserves nothing but wrath and
damnation.
The
Sixth Commandment.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
These commandments now [that follow] are easily understood
from [the explanation of] the preceding; for they are all to the effect that we
[be careful to] avoid doing any kind of injury to our neighbor. But they are
arranged in fine [elegant] order. In the first place, they treat of his own
person. Then they proceed to the person nearest him, or the closest possession
next after his body, namely, his wife, who is one flesh and blood with him, so
that we cannot inflict a higher injury upon him in any good that is his.
Therefore it is explicitly forbidden here to bring any disgrace upon him in
respect to his wife. And it really aims at adultery, because among the Jews it
was ordained and commanded that every one must be married. Therefore also the
young were early provided for [married], so that the virgin state was held in
small esteem, neither were public prostitution and lewdness tolerated (as now).
Therefore adultery was the most common form of unchastity among them.
But because among us there is such a shameful mess and the
very dregs of all vice and lewdness, this commandment is directed also against
all manner of unchastity, whatever it may be called; and not only is the
external act forbidden, but also every kind of cause, incitement, and means, so
that the heart, the lips, and the whole body may be chaste and afford no
opportunity, help, or persuasion to inchastity. And not only this, but that we
also make resistance, afford protection and rescue wherever there is danger and
need; and again, that we give help and counsel, so as
to maintain our neighbor's honor. For whenever you omit this when you could
make resistance, or connive at it as if it did not concern you, you are as
truly guilty as the one perpetrating the deed. Thus, to state it in the
briefest manner, there is required this much, that every one both live chastely
himself and help his neighbor do the same, so that God by this commandment
wishes to hedge round about and protect [as with a rampart] every spouse that
no one trespass against them.
But since this commandment is aimed directly at the state of
matrimony and gives occasion to speak of the same, you must well understand and
mark, first, how gloriously God honors and extols this estate, inasmuch as by
His commandment He both sanctions and guards it. He has sanctioned it above in
the Fourth Commandment: Honor thy father and thy mother; but here He has
(as we said) hedged it about and protected it. Therefore He also wishes us to
honor it, and to maintain and conduct it as a divine and blessed estate;
because, in the first place, He has instituted it before all others, and
therefore created man and woman separately (as is evident), not for lewdness,
but that they should [legitimately] live together, be fruitful, beget children,
and nourish and train them to the honor of God.
Therefore God has also most richly blessed this estate above
all others, and, in addition, has bestowed on it and wrapped up in it
everything in the world, to the end that this estate might be well and richly
provided for. Married life is therefore no jest or presumption; but it is an excellent
thing and a matter of divine seriousness. For it is of the highest importance
to Him that persons be raised who may serve the world and promote
the knowledge of God, godly living, and all virtues, to fight against
wickedness and the devil.
Therefore I have always taught that this estate should not
be despised nor held in disrepute, as is done by the blind world and our false
ecclesiastics, but that it be regarded according to God's Word, by which it is
adorned and sanctified, so that it is not only placed on an equality with other
estates, but that it precedes and surpasses them all, whether they be that of
emperor, princes, bishops, or whoever they please. For both ecclesiastical and
civil estates must humble themselves and all be found in this estate, as we
shall hear. Therefore it is not a peculiar estate, but the most common and
noblest estate, which pervades all Christendom, yea which extends through all
the world.
In the second place, you must know also that it is not only
an honorable, but also a necessary state, and it is solemnly commanded by God
that, in general, in all conditions, men and women, who were created for it,
shall be found in this estate; yet with some exceptions (although few) whom God
has especially excepted, so that they are not fit for the married estate, or
whom He has released by a high, supernatural gift that they can maintain
chastity without this estate. For where nature has its course, as it is
implanted by God, it is not possible to remain chaste without marriage. For flesh
and blood remain flesh and blood, and the natural inclination and excitement
have their course without let or hindrance, as everybody sees and feels. In
order, therefore, that it may be the more easy in some
degree to avoid inchastity, God has commanded the estate of matrimony, that
every one may have his proper portion and be satisfied therewith; although
God's grace besides is required in order that the heart also may be pure.
From this you see how this popish rabble, priests, monks,
and nuns, resist God's order and commandment, inasmuch as they despise and
forbid matrimony, and presume and vow to maintain perpetual chastity, and,
besides, deceive the simple-minded with lying words and appearances
[impostures]. For no one has so little love and inclination to chastity as just
those who because of great sanctity avoid marriage, and either indulge in open
and shameless prostitution, or secretly do even worse, so that one dare not
speak of it, as has, alas! been learned too fully.
And, in short, even though they abstain from the act, their hearts are so full
of unchaste thoughts and evil lusts that there is a continual burning and
secret suffering, which can be avoided in the married life. Therefore all vows
of chastity out of the married state are condemned by this commandment, and
free permission is granted, yea, even the command is given, to all poor
ensnared consciences which have been deceived by their monastic vows to abandon
the unchaste state and enter the married life, considering that even if the monastic
life were godly, it would nevertheless not be in their power to maintain
chastity, and if they remain in it, they must only sin more
and more against this commandment.
Now, I speak of this in order that the young may be so
guided that they conceive a liking for the married estate, and know that it is
a blessed estate and pleasing to God. For in this way we might in the course of
time bring it about that married life be restored to honor, and that there
might be less of the filthy, dissolute, disorderly doings which now run riot
the world over in open prostitution and other shameful vices arising from
disregard of married life. Therefore it is the duty of parents and the
government to see to it that our youth be brought up to discipline and respectability,
and when they have come to years of maturity, to provide for them [to have them
married] in the fear of God and honorably; He would not fail to add His
blessing and grace, so that men would have joy and happiness from the same.
Let me now say in conclusion that this commandment demands
not only that every one live chastely in thought, word, and deed in his
condition, that is, especially in the estate of matrimony, but also that every
one love and esteem the spouse given him by God. For where conjugal chastity is
to be maintained, man and wife must by all means live together in love and
harmony, that one may cherish the other from the heart and with entire
fidelity. For that is one of the principal points which enkindle love and
desire of chastity, so that, where this is found, chastity will follow as a
matter of course without any command. Therefore also St. Paul so diligently
exhorts husband and wife to love and honor one another. Here you have again a
precious, yea, many and great good works, of which you can joyfully boast,
against all ecclesiastical estates, chosen without God's Word and commandment.
The
Seventh Commandment.
Thou shalt not steal.
After your person and spouse temporal property comes next.
That also God wishes to have protected, and He has commanded that no one shall
subtract from, or curtail, his neighbor's possessions. For to steal is nothing
else than to get possession of another's property wrongfully, which briefly
comprehends all kinds of advantage in all sorts of trade to the disadvantage of
our neighbor. Now, this is indeed quite a wide-spread and common vice, but so
little regarded and observed that it exceeds all measure, so that if all who
are thieves, and yet do not wish to be called such, were to be hanged on
gallows, the world would soon be devastated, and there would be a lack both of
executioners and gallows. For, as we have just said, to steal is to signify not
only to empty our neighbor's coffer and pockets, but to be grasping in the
market, in all stores, booths, wine- and beer- cellars, workshops, and, in
short, wherever there is trading or taking and giving of money for merchandise
or labor.
As, for instance, to explain this somewhat grossly for the
common people, that it may be seen how godly we are: When a manservant or
maid-servant does not serve faithfully in the house, and does damage, or allows
it to be done when it could be prevented, or otherwise ruins and neglects the
goods entrusted to him, from indolence, idleness, or malice, to the spite and
vexation of master and mistress, and in whatever way this can be done purposely
(for I do not speak of what happens from oversight and against one's will), you
can in a year abscond thirty, forty florins, which if another had taken
secretly or carried away, he would be hanged with the rope. But here you [while
conscious of such a great theft] may even bid defiance and become insolent, and
no one dare call you a thief.
The same I say also of mechanics, workmen, and day-laborers,
who all follow their wanton notions, and never know enough ways to overcharge
people, while they are lazy and unfaithful in their work. All these are far
worse than sneak-thieves, against whom we can guard with locks and bolts, or
who, if apprehended, are treated in such a manner that they will not do the
same again. But against these no one can guard, no one dare even look awry at
them or accuse them of theft, so that one would ten times rather lose from his
purse. For here are my neighbors, good friends, my own servants, from whom I
expect good [every faithful and diligent service], who defraud me first of all.
Furthermore, in the market and in common trade likewise,
this practise is in full swing and force to the greatest extent, where one
openly defrauds another with bad merchandise, false measures, weights, coins,
and by nimbleness and queer finances or dexterous tricks takes advantage of
him; likewise, when one overcharges a person in a trade and wantonly drives a
hard bargain, skins and distresses him. And who can recount or think of all
these things? To sum up, this is the commonest craft and the largest guild on
earth, and if we regard the world throughout all conditions of life, it is
nothing else than a vast, wide stall, full of great thieves.
Therefore they are also called swivel-chair robbers, land-
and highway-robbers, not pick-locks and sneak-thieves who snatch away the ready
cash, but who sit on the chair [at home] and are styled great noblemen, and
honorable, pious citizens, and yet rob and steal under a good pretext.
Yes, here we might be silent about the trifling individual
thieves if we were to attack the great, powerful arch-thieves with whom lords
and princes keep company, who daily plunder not only a city or two, but all
Germany. Yea, where should we place the head and supreme protector of all
thieves, the Holy Chair at Rome with all its retinue, which has grabbed by
theft the wealth of all the world, and holds it to this day?
This is, in short, the course of the world: whoever can
steal and rob openly goes free and secure, unmolested by any one, and even
demands that he be honored. Meanwhile the little sneak-thieves, who have once
trespassed, must bear the shame and punishment to render the former godly and
honorable. But let them know that in the sight of God they are the greatest thieves,
and that He will punish them as they are worthy and deserve.
Now, since this commandment is so far-reaching [and
comprehensive], as just indicated, it is necessary to urge it well and to
explain it to the common people, not to let them go on in their wantonness and
security, but always to place before their eyes the wrath of God, and inculcate
the same. For we have to preach this not to Christians, but chiefly to knaves
and scoundrels, to whom it would he more fitting for
judges, jailers, or Master Hannes [the executioner] to preach. Therefore let
every one know that it is his duty, at the risk of God's displeasure, not only
to do no injury to his neighbor, nor to deprive him of gain, nor to perpetrate
any act of unfaithfulness or malice in any bargain or trade, but faithfully to
preserve his property for him, to secure and promote
his advantage, especially when one accepts money, wages, and one's livelihood
for such service.
He now who wantonly despises this may indeed pass along and
escape the hangman, but he shall not escape the wrath and punishment of God;
and when he has long practised his defiance and arrogance, he shall yet remain
a tramp and beggar, and, in addition, have all plagues and misfortune. Now you
are going your way [wherever your heart's pleasure calls you] while you ought
to preserve the property of your master and mistress, for which service you
fill your crop and maw, take your wages like a thief, have people treat you as
a nobleman; for there are many that are even insolent towards their masters and
mistresses, and are unwilling to do them a favor or service by which to protect
them from loss.
But reflect what you will gain when, having come into your
own property and being set up in your home (to which God will help with all
misfortunes), it [your perfidy] will bob up again and come home to you, and you
will find that where you have cheated or done injury to the value of one mite,
you will have to pay thirty again.
Such shall be the lot also of mechanics and day-laborers of
whom we are now obliged to hear and suffer such intolerable maliciousness, as
though they were noblemen in another's possessions, and every one were obliged
to give them what they demand. Just let them continue
practising their exactions as long as they can; but God will not forget His
commandment, and will reward them according as they have served, and will hang
them, not upon a green gallows, but upon a dry one, so that all their life they
shall neither prosper nor accumulate anything. And indeed, if there were a
well-ordered government in the land, such wantonness might soon be checked and
prevented, as was the custom in ancient times among the Romans, where such
characters were promptly seized by the pate in a way that others took warning.
No more shall all the rest prosper
who change the open free market into a carrion pit of extortion and a den of
robbery, where the poor are daily overcharged, new burdens and high prices are
imposed, and every one uses the market according to his caprice, and is even
defiant and brags as though it were his fair privilege and right to sell his
goods for as high a price as he please, and no one had a right to say a word
against it. We will indeed look on and let these people skin, pinch, and hoard,
but we will trust in God,--who will, however, do this
of His own accord,--that, after you have been skinning and scraping for a long
time, He will pronounce such a blessing on your gains that your grain in the
garner, your beer in the cellar, your cattle in the stalls shall perish; yea,
where you have cheated and overcharged any one to the amount of a florin, your
entire pile shall be consumed with rust, so that you shall never enjoy it.
And indeed, we see and experience this being fulfilled daily
before our eyes, that no stolen or dishonestly acquired possession thrives. How
many there are who rake and scrape day and night, and yet grow not a farthing
richer! And though they gather much, they must suffer so many plagues and
misfortunes that they cannot relish it with cheerfulness nor transmit it to
their children. But as no one minds it, and we go on as though it did not
concern us, God must visit us in a different way and teach us manners by
imposing one taxation after another, or billeting a troop of soldiers upon us,
who in one hour empty our coffers and purses, and do not quit as long as we
have a farthing left, and in addition, by way of thanks, burn and devastate
house and home, and outrage and kill wife and children.
And, in short, if you steal much, depend upon it that again
as much will be stolen from you; and lie who robs and acquires with violence
and wrong will submit to one who shall deal after the same fashion with him.
For God is master of this art, that since every one robs and steals from the
other, He punishes one thief by means of another. Else where should we find
enough gallows and ropes?
Now, whoever is willing to be instructed, let him know that
this is the commandment of God, and that it must not be treated as a jest. For
although you despise us, defraud, steal, and rob, we will indeed manage to
endure your haughtiness, suffer, and, according to the Lord's Prayer, forgive
and show pity; for we know that the godly shall nevertheless have enough, and
you injure yourself more than another.
But beware of this: When the poor man comes to you (of whom
there are so many now) who must buy with the penny of his daily wages and live
upon it, and you are harsh to him, as though every one lived by your favor, and
you skin and scrape to the bone, and, besides, with
pride and haughtiness turn him off to whom you ought to give for nothing, he
will go away wretched and sorrowful, and since he can complain to no one, he
will cry and call to heaven, then beware (I say again) as of the devil himself.
For such groaning and calling will be no jest, but will have a weight that will
prove too heavy for you and all the world. For it will reach Him who takes care
of the poor sorrowful hearts, and will not allow them to go unavenged. But if
you despise this and become defiant, see whom you have brought upon you: if you
succeed and prosper, you may before all the world call God and me a liar.
We have exhorted, warned, and protested enough; he who will
not heed or believe it may go on until he learns this by experience. Yet it
must be impressed upon the young that they may be careful not to follow the old
lawless crowd, but keep their eyes fixed upon God's commandment, lest His wrath
and punishment come upon them too. It behooves us to do no more
than to instruct and reprove with God's Word; but to check such open wantonness
there is need of the princes and government, who themselves would have eyes and
the courage to establish and maintain order in all manner of trade and
commerce, lest the poor be burdened and oppressed nor they themselves be loaded
with other men's sins.
Let this suffice as an explanation of what stealing is, that
it be not taken too narrowly, but made to extend as
far as we have to do with our neighbors. And briefly, in a summary, as in the
former commandments, it is herewith forbidden, in the first place, to do our
neighbor any injury or wrong (in whatever manner supposable, by curtailing,
forestalling, and withholding his possessions and property), or even to consent
or allow such a thing, but to interpose and prevent it. And, on the other hand,
it is commanded that we advance and improve his possessions, and in case he
suffers want, that we help, communicate, and lend both to friends and foes.
Whoever now seeks and desires good works will find here more than enough such as are heartily acceptable and
pleasing to God, and in addition are favored and crowned with excellent
blessings, that we are to be richly compensated for all that we do for our
neighbor's good and from friendship; as King Solomon also teaches Prov. 19, 17:
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he
hath given will He pay him again. Here, then, you have a rich Lord, who is
certainly sufficient for you, and who will not suffer you to come short in
anything or to want; thus you can with a joyful conscience enjoy a hundred
times more than you could scrape together with
unfaithfulness and wrong. Now, whoever does not desire the blessing will find
wrath and misfortune enough.
The
Eighth Commandment.
Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor.
Over and above our own body, spouse, and temporal
possessions, we have yet another treasure, namely, honor and good report [the
illustrious testimony of an upright and unsullied name and reputation], with
which we cannot dispense. For it is intolerable to live among men in open shame
and general contempt. Therefore God wishes the reputation, good name, and
upright character of our neighbor to be taken away or diminished as little as
his money and possessions, that every one may stand in his integrity before
wife, children, servants, and neighbors. And in the first place, we take the
plainest meaning of this commandment according to the words (Thou shalt not
bear false witness), as pertaining to the public courts of justice, where a
poor innocent man is accused and oppressed by false witnesses in order to be
punished in his body, property, or honor.
Now, this appears as if it were of little concern to us at
present; but with the Jews it was quite a common and ordinary matter. For the
people were organized under an excellent and regular government; and where
there is still such a government, instances of this sin will not be wanting.
The cause of it is that where judges, burgomasters, princes, or others in
authority sit in judgment, things never fail to go according to the course of
the world; namely, men do not like to offend anybody, flatter, and speak to
gain favor, money, prospects, or friendship; and in consequence a poor man and
his cause must be oppressed, denounced as wrong, and suffer punishment. And it
is a common calamity in the world that in courts of justice there seldom
preside godly men.
For to be a judge requires above all things a godly man, and
not only a godly, but also a wise, modest, yea, a brave and hold man; likewise,
to be a witness requires a fearless and especially a godly man. For a person
who is to judge all matters rightly and carry them through with his decision
will often offend good friends, relatives, neighbors, and the rich and
powerful, who can greatly serve or injure him. Therefore he must be quite
blind, have his eyes and ears closed, neither see nor hear, but go straight
forward in everything that comes before him, and decide accordingly.
Therefore this commandment is given first of all that every
one shall help his neighbor to secure his rights, and not allow them to be
hindered or twisted, but shall promote and strictly
maintain them, no matter whether he be judge or witness, and let it pertain to
whatsoever it will. And especially is a goal set up here for our jurists that
they be careful to deal truly and uprightly with every case, allowing right to
remain right, and, on the other hand, not perverting anything [by their tricks
and technical points turning black into white and making wrong out to be
right], nor glossing it over or keeping silent concerning it, irrespective of a
person's money, possession, honor, or power. This is one part and the plainest
sense of this commandment concerning all that takes place in court.
Next, it extends very much further, if we are to apply it to
spiritual jurisdiction or administration; here it is a common occurrence that
every one bears false witness against his neighbor. For wherever there are
godly preachers and Christians, they must bear the sentence before the world
that they are called heretics, apostates, yea, seditious and desperately wicked
miscreants. Besides, the Word of God must suffer in the most shameful and
malicious manner, being persecuted, blasphemed, contradicted, perverted, and
falsely cited and interpreted. But let this pass; for it is the way of the
blind world that she condemns and persecutes the truth and the children of God,
and yet esteems it no sin.
In the third place, what concerns us all, this commandment
forbids all sins of the tongue whereby we may injure or approach too closely to
our neighbor. For to bear false witness is nothing else than a work of the
tongue. Now, whatever is done with the tongue against a fellow-man God would
have prohibited, whether it be false preachers with their doctrine and blasphemy,
false judges and witnesses with their verdict, or outside of court by lying and
evil-speaking. Here belongs particularly the detestable, shameful vice of
speaking behind a person's back and slandering, to which the devil spurs us on,
and of which there would be much to be said. For it is a common evil plague
that every one prefers hearing evil to hearing good of his neighbor; and
although we ourselves are so bad that we cannot suffer that any one should say
anything bad about us, but every one would much rather that all the world
should speak of him in terms of gold, yet we cannot bear that the best is
spoken about others.
Therefore, to avoid this vice we should note that no one is
allowed publicly to judge and reprove his neighbor, although he may see him
sin, unless he have a command to judge and to reprove. For there is a great
difference between these two things, judging sin and knowing sin. You may
indeed know it, but you are not to judge it. I can indeed see and hear that my
neighbor sins, but I have no command to report it to others. Now, if I rush in,
judging and passing sentence, I fall into a sin which is greater than his. But
if you know it, do nothing else than turn your ears into a grave and cover it,
until you are appointed to be judge and to punish by virtue of your office.
Those, then, are called slanderers who are not content with
knowing a thing, but proceed to assume jurisdiction, and when they know a
slight offense of another, carry it into every corner, and are delighted and
tickled that they can stir up another's displeasure [baseness], as swine roll
themselves in the dirt and root in it with the snout. This is nothing else than
meddling with the judgment and office of God, and pronouncing sentence and
punishment with the most severe verdict. For no judge can punish to a higher
degree nor go farther than to say: "He is a thief, a murderer, a
traitor," etc. Therefore, whoever presumes to say the same of his neighbor
goes just as far as the emperor and all governments. For although you do not
wield the sword, you employ your poisonous tongue to the shame and hurt of your
neighbor.
God therefore would have it prohibited, that any one speak
evil of another even though he be guilty, and the latter know it right well;
much less if he do not know it, and have it only from hearsay. But you say:
Shall I not say it if it be the truth? Answer: Why do you not make accusation
to regular judges? Ah, I cannot prove it publicly, and hence I might be
silenced and turned away in a harsh manner [incur the penalty of a false
accusation]. "Ah, indeed, do you smell the roast?" If you do not
trust yourself to stand before the proper authorities and to make answer, then
hold your tongue. But if you know it, know it for yourself and not for another.
For if you tell it to others, although it be true, you
will appear as a liar, because you cannot prove it, and you are, besides,
acting like a knave. For we ought never to deprive any one of his honor or good
name unless it be first taken away from him publicly.
False witness, then, is everything which cannot be properly
proved. Therefore, what is not manifest upon sufficient evidence no one shall
make public or declare for truth; and, in short, whatever is secret should be
allowed to remain secret, or, at any rate, should be secretly reproved, as we
shall hear. Therefore, if you encounter an idle tongue which betrays and
slanders some one, contradict such a one promptly to his face, that he may
blush; thus many a one will hold his tongue who else would bring some poor man
into bad repute, from which he would not easily extricate himself. For honor
and a good name are easily taken away, but not easily restored.
Thus you see that it is summarily forbidden to speak any
evil of our neighbor, however, the civil government, preachers, father and
mother excepted, on the understanding that this commandment does not allow evil
to go unpunished. Now, as according to the Fifth Commandment no one is to be
injured in body, and yet Master Hannes [the executioner] is excepted, who by
virtue of his office does his neighbor no good, but only evil and harm, and
nevertheless does not sin against God's commandment, because God has on His own
account instituted that office; for He has reserved punishment for His own good
pleasure, as He threatens in the First Commandment,--just
so also, although no one has a right in his own person to judge and condemn
anybody, yet if they to whose office it belongs fail to do it, they sin as well
as he who would do so of his own accord, without such office. For here
necessity requires one to speak of the evil, to prefer charges, to investigate
and testify; and it is not different from the case of a physician who is
sometimes compelled to examine and handle the patient
whom he is to cure in secret parts. Just so governments, father and mother,
brothers and sisters, and other good friends, are under obligation to each
other to reprove evil wherever it is needful and profitable.
But the true way in this matter
would be to observe the order according to the Gospel, Matt. 18, 15, where
Christ says: If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell
him his fault between thee and him alone. Here you have a precious and
excellent teaching for governing well the tongue, which is to be carefully
observed against this detestable misuse. Let this, then, be your rule, that you
do not too readily spread evil concerning your neighbor and slander him to
others, but admonish him privately that he may amend [his life]. Likewise,
also, if some one report to you what this or that one has done, teach him, too,
to go and admonish him personally, if he have seen it himself; but if not, that
he hold his tongue.
The same you can learn also from the daily government of the
household. For when the master of the house sees that the servant does not do
what he ought, he admonishes him personally. But if he were so foolish as to
let the servant sit at home, and went on the streets to complain of him to his
neighbors, he would no doubt be told: "You fool, what does that concern us?
Why do you not tell it to him?" Behold, that would be acting quite
brotherly, so that the evil would be stayed, and your neighbor would retain his
honor. As Christ also says in the same place: If he hear thee, thou
hast gained thy brother. Then you have done a great and excellent work; for
do you think it is a little matter to gain a brother? Let all monks and holy
orders step forth, with all their works melted together into one mass, and see
if they can boast that they have gained a brother.
Further, Christ teaches: But if he will not hear thee,
then take with thee one or two more, that in
the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. So he
whom it concerns is always to be treated with personally, and not to be spoken
of without his knowledge. But if that do not avail, then bring it publicly
before the community, whether before the civil or the ecclesiastical tribunal.
For then you do not stand alone, but you have those witnesses with you by whom
you can convict the guilty one, relying on whom the judge can pronounce
sentence and punish. This is the right and regular course for checking and
reforming a wicked person. But if we gossip about another in all corners, and
stir the filth, no one will be reformed, and afterwards when we are to stand up
and bear witness, we deny having said so. Therefore it would serve such tongues
right if their itch for slander were severely punished, as a warning to others.
If you were acting for your neighbor's reformation or from love of the truth,
you would not sneak about secretly nor shun the day and the light.
All this has been said regarding secret sins. But where the
sin is quite public so that the judge and everybody know it, you can without
any sin avoid him and let him go, because he has brought himself into disgrace,
and you may also publicly testify concerning him. For when a matter is public
in the light of day, there can be no slandering or false judging or testifying;
as, when we now reprove the Pope with his doctrine, which is publicly set forth
in books and proclaimed in all the world. For where the sin is public, the
reproof also must be public, that every one may learn to guard against it.
Thus we have now the sum and general understanding of this
commandment, to wit, that no one do any injury with the tongue to his neighbor,
whether friend or foe, nor speak evil of him, no matter whether it be true or false, unless it be done by commandment or for his
reformation, but that every one employ his tongue and make it serve for the
best of every one else, to cover up his neighbor's sins and infirmities, excuse
them, palliate and garnish them with his own reputation. The chief reason for
this should be the one which Christ alleges in the Gospel, in which He
comprehends all commandments respecting our neighbor, Matt. 7, 12: Whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.
Even nature teaches the same thing in our own bodies, as St.
Paul says, 1 Cor. 12, 22: Much more, those
members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary; and those
members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we
bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant
comeliness. No one covers his face, eyes, nose, and mouth, for they, being
in themselves the most honorable members which we have, do not require it. But
the most infirm members, of which we are ashamed, we cover with all diligence;
hands, eyes, and the whole body must help to cover and conceal them. Thus also
among ourselves should we adorn whatever blemishes and infirmities we find in
our neighbor, and serve and help him to promote his
honor to the best of our ability, and, on the other hand, prevent whatever may
be discreditable to him. And it is especially an excellent and noble virtue for
one always to explain advantageously and put the best construction upon all he
may hear of his neighbor (if it be not notoriously evil), or at any rate to
condone it over and against the poisonous tongues that are busy wherever they
can pry out and discover something to blame in a neighbor, and that explain and
pervert it in the worst way; as is done now especially with the precious Word
of God and its preachers.
There are comprehended therefore in this commandment quite a
multitude of good works which please God most highly, and bring abundant good
and blessing, if only the blind world and the false saints would recognize
them. For there is nothing on or in entire man which can do both greater and more extensive good or harm in spiritual and in temporal
matters than the tongue, though it is the least and feeblest member.
The
Ninth and Tenth Commandments.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his
maid-servant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his.
These two commandments are given quite exclusively to the
Jews; nevertheless, in part they also concern us. For they do not interpret
them as referring to unchastity or theft, because these are sufficiently
forbidden above. They also thought that they had kept all those when they had
done or not done the external act. Therefore God has added these two
commandments in order that it be esteemed as sin and forbidden to desire or in
any way to aim at getting our neighbor's wife or possessions; and especially because
under the Jewish government man-servants and maid-servants were not free as now
to serve for wages as long as they pleased, but were their master's property
with their body and all they had, as cattle and other possessions. Moreover,
every man had power over his wife to put her away publicly by giving her a bill
of divorce, and to take another. Therefore they were in constant danger among
each other that if one took a fancy to another's wife, he might allege any
reason both to dismiss his own wife and to estrange the other's wife from him,
that he might obtain her under pretext of right. That was not considered a sin
nor disgrace with them; as little as now with hired help, when a proprietor
dismisses his man-servant or maid-servant, or takes another's servants from him
in any way.
Therefore (I say) they thus interpreted these commandments,
and that rightly (although their scope reaches somewhat farther and higher),
that no one think or purpose to obtain what belongs to another, such as his
wife, servants, house and estate, land, meadows, cattle, even with a show of
right or by a subterfuge, yet with injury to his neighbor. For above, in the
Seventh Commandment, the vice is forbidden where one wrests to himself the
possessions of others, or withholds them from his neighbor, which he cannot do
by right. But here it is also forbidden to alienate anything from your
neighbor, even though you could do so with honor in the eyes of the world, so
that no one could accuse or blame you as though you had obtained it wrongfully.
For we are so inclined by nature that no one desires to see
another have as much as himself, and each one acquires as much as he can; the
other may fare as best he can. And yet we pretend to be godly, know how to
adorn ourselves most finely and conceal our rascality, resort to and invent
adroit devices and deceitful artifices (such as now are daily most ingeniously
contrived) as though they were derived from the law codes; yea, we even dare
impertinently to refer to it, and boast of it, and will not have it called
rascality, but shrewdness and caution. In this lawyers and jurists assist, who
twist and stretch the law to suit it to their cause, stress words and use them
for a subterfuge, irrespective of equity or their neighbor's necessity. And, in
short, whoever is the most expert and cunning in these affairs finds most help
in law, as they themselves say: Vigilantibus iura subveniunt [that is,
The laws favor the watchful].
This last commandment therefore is given not for rogues in
the eyes of the world, but just for the most pious, who wish to be praised and
be called honest and upright people, since they have not offended against the
former commandments, as especially the Jews claimed to be, and even now many
great noblemen, gentlemen, and princes. For the other common masses belong yet
farther down, under the Seventh Commandment, as those who are not much
concerned whether they acquire their possessions with honor and right.
Now, this occurs most frequently in cases that are brought
into court, where it is the purpose to get something from our neighbor and to
force him out of his own. As (to give examples), when
people quarrel and wrangle about a large inheritance, real estate, etc., they
avail themselves of, and resort to, whatever has the appearance of right, so
dressing and adorning everything that the law must favor their side, and they
keep the property with such title that no one can make complaint or lay claim
thereto. In like manner, if any one desire to have a castle, city, duchy, or
any other great thing, he practises so much financiering through relationships,
and by any means he can, that the other is judicially deprived of it, and it is
adjudicated to him, and confirmed with deed and seal and declared to have been
acquired by princely title and honestly.
Likewise also in common trade where one dexterously slips
something out of another's hand, so that he must look after it, or surprises
and defrauds him in a matter in which he sees advantage and benefit for
himself, so that the latter, perhaps on account of distress or debt, cannot
regain or redeem it without injury, and the former gains the half or even more; and yet this must not be considered as acquired by
fraud or stolen, but honestly bought. Here they say: First come, first served, and
every one must look to his own interest, let another get what he can. And who
can be so smart as to think of all the ways in which one can get many things
into his possession by such specious pretexts? This the world does not consider
wrong [nor is it punished by laws], and will not see that the neighbor is
thereby placed at a disadvantage, and must sacrifice what he cannot spare without injury. Yet there is no one who wishes this to
be done to him; from which we can easily perceive that such devices and
pretexts are false.
Thus it was done formerly also with respect to wives: they
knew such devices that if one were pleased with another woman, he personally or
through others (as there were many ways and means to be invented) caused her
husband to conceive a displeasure toward her, or had her resist him and so
conduct herself that he was obliged to dismiss her and leave her to the other.
That sort of thing undoubtedly prevailed much under the Law, as also we read in
the Gospel of King Herod that he took his brother's wife while he was yet
living, and yet wished to be thought an honorable, pious man, as St. Mark also
testifies of him. But such an example, I trust, will not occur among us,
because in the New Testament those who are married are forbidden to be
divorced, except in such a case where one [shrewdly] by some stratagem takes
away a rich bride from another. But it is not a rare thing with us that one
estranges or alienates another's man-servant or maid-servant, or entices them
away by flattering words.
In whatever way such things happen, we must know that God
does not wish that you deprive your neighbor of anything that belongs to him,
so that he suffer the loss and you gratify your avarice with it, even if you
could keep it honorably before the world; for it is a secret and insidious
imposition practised under the hat, as we say, that it may not be observed. For
although you go your way as if you had done no one any wrong, you have
nevertheless injured your neighbor; and if it is not called stealing and
cheating, yet it is called coveting your neighbor's property, that is, aiming
at possession of it, enticing it away from him without his will, and being
unwilling to see him enjoy what God has granted him. And although the judge and
every one must leave you in possession of it, yet God will not leave you
therein: for He sees the deceitful heart and the malice of the world, which is
sure to take an ell in addition where-ever you yield to her a finger's breadth,
and at length public wrong and violence follow.
Therefore we allow these commandments to remain in their
ordinary meaning, that it is commanded, first, that we do not desire our
neighbor's damage, nor even assist, nor give occasion
for it, but gladly wish and leave him what he has, and, besides, advance and
preserve for him what may be for his profit and service, as we should wish to
be treated. Thus these commandments are especially directed against envy and
miserable avarice, God wishing to remove all causes and sources whence arises
everything by which we do injury to our neighbor, and therefore He expresses it
in plain words: Thou shalt not covet, etc. For He would especially have
the heart pure, although we shall never attain to that as long as we live here;
so that this commandment will remain, like all the rest, one that will
constantly accuse us and show how godly we are in the sight of God!
Conclusion
of the Ten Commandments.
Thus we have the Ten Commandments, a compend of divine
doctrine, as to what we are to do in order that our whole life may be pleasing
to God, and the true fountain and channel from and in
which everything must arise and flow that is to be a good work, so that outside
of the Ten Commandments no work or thing can be good or pleasing to God,
however great or precious it be in the eyes of the world. Let us see now what
our great saints can boast of their spiritual orders and their great and
grievous works which they have invented and set up, while they let these pass,
as though they were far too insignificant, or had long ago been perfectly
fulfilled.
I am of opinion, indeed, that here one will find his hands
full, [and will have enough] to do to observe these, namely, meekness,
patience, and love towards enemies, chastity, kindness, etc., and what such
virtues imply. But such works are not of value and make no display in the eyes
of the world; for they are not peculiar and conceited works, and restricted to
particular times, places, rites, and customs, but are common, every-day
domestic works which one neighbor can practise toward another; therefore they
are not of high esteem.
But the other works cause people to open their eyes and ears
wide, and men aid to this effect by the great display, expense, and magnificent
buildings with which they adorn them, so that everything shines and glitters.
There they waft incense, they sing and ring bells, they light tapers and
candles, so that nothing else can be seen or heard. For when a priest stands
there in a surplice embroidered with gilt, or a layman continues all day upon
his knees in church, that is regarded as a most precious work which no one can
sufficiently praise. But when a poor girl tends a little child and faithfully
does what she is told, that is considered nothing; for else what should monks
and nuns seek in their cloisters?
But see, is not that a cursed presumption of those desperate
saints who dare to invent a higher and better life and estate than the Ten
Commandments teach, pretending (as we have said) that this is an ordinary life
for the common man, but that theirs is for saints and perfect ones? And the
miserable blind people do not see that no man can get so far as to keep one of
the Ten Commandments as it should be kept, but both the Apostles' Creed and the
Lord's Prayer must come to our aid (as we shall hear), by which that [power and
strength to keep the commandments] is sought and prayed for and received
continually. Therefore all their boasting amounts to as much as if I boasted
and said: To be sure, I have not a penny to make payment with, but I
confidently undertake to pay ten florins.
All this I say and urge in order that men might become rid
of the sad misuse which has taken such deep root and still cleaves to
everybody, and in all estates upon earth become used to looking hither only,
and to being concerned about these matters. For it will be a long time before
they will produce a doctrine or estates equal to the Ten Commandments, because
they are so high that no one can attain to them by human power; and whoever
does attain to them is a heavenly, angelic man, far above all holiness of the
world. Only occupy yourself with them, and try your best, apply all power and
ability, and you will find so much to do that you will neither seek nor esteem
any other work or holiness.
Let this be sufficient concerning the first part of the
common Christian doctrine, both for teaching and urging what is necessary. In
conclusion, however, we must repeat the text which belongs here, of which we
have treated already in the First Commandment, in order that we may learn what
pains God requires to the end we may learn to inculcate and practise the Ten
Commandments:
For I the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and
keep My commandments.
Although (as we have heard above) this appendix was
primarily attached to the First Commandment, it was nevertheless [we cannot
deny that it was] laid down for the sake of all the commandments, as all of
them are to be referred and directed to it. Therefore I have said that this,
too, should be presented to and inculcated upon the young, that they may learn
and remember it, in order to see what is to urge and compel us to keep these
Ten Commandments. And it is to be regarded as though this part were specially
added to each, so that it inheres in, and pervades, them all.
Now, there is comprehended in these words (as said before)
both an angry word of threatening and a friendly promise to terrify and warn
us, and, moreover, to induce and encourage us to receive and highly esteem His
Word as a matter of divine earnestness, because He Himself declares how much He
is concerned about it, and how rigidly He will enforce it, namely, that He will
horribly and terribly punish all who despise and transgress His commandments;
and again, how richly He will reward, bless, and do all good to those who hold
them in high esteem, and gladly do and live according to them. Thus He demands
that all our works proceed from a heart which fears and regards God alone, and
from such fear avoids everything that is contrary to His will, lest it should
move Him to wrath; and, on the other hand, also trusts in Him alone and from
love to Him does all He wishes, because he speaks to us as friendly as a
father, and offers us all grace and every good.
Just this is also the meaning and true
interpretation of the first and chief commandment, from which all the others
must flow and proceed, so that this word: Thou shalt have no other gods before
Me, in its simplest meaning states nothing else than this demand: Thou
shalt fear, love, and trust in Me as thine only true God. For where there is a
heart thus disposed towards God, the same has fulfilled this and all the other
commandments. On the other hand, whoever fears and loves anything else in
heaven and upon earth will keep neither this nor any. Thus the entire
Scriptures have everywhere preached and inculcated this commandment, aiming
always at these two things: fear of God and trust in Him. And especially the
prophet David throughout the Psalms, as when he says [Ps.
147, 11]: The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those
that hope in His mercy. As if the entire commandment were explained by one
verse, as much as to say: The Lord taketh pleasure in those who have no other
gods.
Thus the First Commandment is to shine
and impart its splendor to all the others. Therefore you must let this
declaration run through all the commandments, like a hoop in a wreath, joining
the end to the beginning and holding them all together, that it be continually
repeated and not forgotten; as, namely, in the Second Commandment, that we fear
God and do not take His name in vain for cursing, lying, deceiving, and other
modes of leading men astray, or rascality, but make proper and good use of it
by calling upon Him in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, derived from love and
trust according to the First Commandment. In like manner such fear, love, and
trust is to urge and force us not to despise His Word, but gladly to learn,
hear, and esteem it holy, and honor it.
Thus continuing through all the following commandments
towards our neighbor likewise, everything is to proceed by virtue of the First
Commandment, to wit, that we honor father and mother, masters, and all in
authority, and be subject and obedient to them, not on their own account, but
for God's sake. For you are not to regard or fear father or mother, or from
love of them do or omit anything. But see to that which God would have you do,
and what He will quite surely demand of you; if you omit that, you have an
angry Judge, but in the contrary case a gracious Father.
Again, that you do your neighbor no harm, injury, or
violence, nor in any wise encroach upon him as touching his body, wife,
property, honor, or rights, as all these things are commanded in their order,
even though you have opportunity and cause to do so and no man would reprove
you; but that you do good to all men, help them, and promote
their interest, howsoever and wherever you can, purely from love of God and in
order to please Him, in the confidence that He will abundantly reward you for
everything. Thus you see how the First Commandment is the chief source and
fountainhead which flows into all the rest, and again, all return to that and
depend upon it, so that beginning and end are fastened and bound to each other.
This (I say) it is profitable and necessary always to teach
to the young people, to admonish them and to remind them of it, that they may
be brought up not only with blows and compulsion, like cattle, but in the fear
and reverence of God. For where this is considered and laid to heart that these
things are not human trifles, but the commandments of the Divine Majesty, who
insists upon them with such earnestness, is angry with, and punishes those who
despise them, and, on the other hand, abundantly rewards those who keep them,
there will be a spontaneous impulse and a desire gladly to do the will of God.
Therefore it is not in vain that it is commanded in the Old Testament to write
the Ten Commandments on all walls and corners, yes, even on the garments, not
for the sake of merely having them written in these places and making a show of
them, as did the Jews, but that we might have our eyes constantly fixed upon
them, and have them always in our memory, and that we might practise them in
all our actions and ways, and every one make them his daily exercise in all
cases, in every business and transaction, as though they were written in every
place wherever he would look, yea, wherever he walks or stands. Thus there
would be occasion enough, both at home in our own house and abroad with our
neighbors, to practise the Ten Commandments, that no one need run far for them.
From this it again appears how highly these Ten Commandments
are to be exalted and extolled above all estates, commandments, and works which
are taught and practised aside from them. For here we can boast and say: Let
all the wise and saints step forth and produce, if they can, a [single] work
like these commandments, upon which God insists with such earnestness, and
which He enjoins with His greatest wrath and punishment, and, be. sides, adds
such glorious promises that He will pour out upon us all good things and
blessings. Therefore they should be taught above all others, and be esteemed
precious and dear, as the highest treasure given by God.
Part Second
OF THE
CREED
Thus far we have heard the first part of Christian doctrine,
in which we have seen all that God wishes us to do or to leave undone. Now,
there properly follows the Creed, which sets forth to us everything that we
must expect and receive from God, and, to state it quite briefly, teaches us to
know Him fully. And this is intended to help us do that which according to the
Ten Commandments we ought to do. For (as said above) they are set so high that
all human ability is far too feeble and weak to [attain to or] keep them.
Therefore it is as necessary to learn this part as the former in order that we
may know how to attain thereto, whence and whereby to obtain such power. For if
we could by our own powers keep the Ten Commandments as they are to be kept, we
would need nothing further, neither the Creed nor the Lord's Prayer. But before
we explain this advantage and necessity of the Creed, it is sufficient at first
for the simple-minded that they learn to comprehend and understand the Creed
itself.
In the first place, the Creed has hitherto been divided into
twelve articles, although, if all points which are written in the Scriptures
and which belong to the Creed were to be distinctly set
forth, there would be far more articles, nor could they all be clearly
expressed in so few words. But that it may be most easily and clearly
understood as it is to be taught to children, we shall briefly sum up the
entire Creed in three chief articles, according to the three persons in the
Godhead, to whom everything that we believe is related, so that the First
Article, of God the Father, explains Creation, the Second Article, of the Son,
Redemption, and the Third, of the Holy Ghost, Sanctification. Just as though
the Creed were briefly comprehended in so many words: I believe in God the
Father, who has created me; I believe in God the Son, who has redeemed me; I
believe in the Holy Ghost, who sanctifies me. One God and one faith, but three
persons, therefore also three articles or confessions. Let us briefly run over
the words.
Article
I.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth.
This portrays and sets forth most briefly what is the
essence, will, activity, and work of God the Father. For since the Ten
Commandments have taught that we are to have not more
than one God, the question might be asked, What kind of a person is God? What
does He do? How can we praise, or portray and describe Him, that He may be known?
Now, that is taught in this and in the following article, so that the Creed is
nothing else than the answer and confession of Christians arranged with respect
to the First Commandment. As if you were to ask a little child: My dear, what
sort of a God have you? What do you know of Him? he could say: This is my God:
first, the Father, who has created heaven and earth; besides this only One I
regard nothing else as God; for there is no one else who could create heaven
and earth.
But for the learned, and those who are somewhat advanced
[have acquired some Scriptural knowledge], these three articles may all be
expanded and divided into as many parts as there are words. But now for young
scholars let it suffice to indicate the most necessary points, namely, as we
have said, that this article refers to the Creation: that we emphasize the
words: Creator of heaven and earth. But what is the force of this, or
what do you mean by these words: I believe in God, the Father
Almighty, Maker, etc.? Answer: This is what I mean and believe, that
I am a creature of God; that is, that He has given and constantly preserves to
me my body, soul, and life, members great and small, all my senses, reason, and
understanding, and so on, food and drink, clothing and support, wife and
children, domestics, house and home, etc. Besides, He causes all creatures to
serve for the uses and necessities of life sun, moon, and stars in the
firmament, day and night, air, fire, water, earth, and whatever it bears and
produces, birds and fishes beasts, grain, and all kinds of produce, and
whatever else there is of bodily and temporal goods, good government, peace,
security. Thus we learn from this article that none of us has of himself, nor
can preserve, his life nor anything that is here enumerated or can be
enumerated, however small and unimportant a thing it might be, for all is
comprehended in the word Creator.
Moreover, we also confess that God the Father has not only
given us all that we have and see before our eyes, but daily preserves and defends
us against all evil and misfortune, averts all sorts of danger and calamity;
and that He does all this out of pure love and goodness, without our merit, as
a benevolent Father, who cares for us that no evil befall us. But to speak more of this belongs in the other two parts of this article,
where we say: Father Almighty.
Now, since all that we possess, and, moreover, whatever, in
addition, is in heaven and upon the earth, is daily given, preserved, and kept
for us by God, it is readily inferred and concluded that it is our duty to
love, praise, and thank Him for it without ceasing, and, in short, to serve Him
with all these things, as He demands and has enjoined in the Ten Commandments.
Here we could say much if we were to expatiate, how few
there are that believe this article. For we all pass over it, hear it and say
it, but neither see nor consider what the words teach us. For if we believed it
with the heart, we would also act accordingly, and not stalk about proudly, act
defiantly, and boast as though we had life, riches, power, and honor, etc., of
ourselves, so that others must fear and serve us, as is the practise of the
wretched, perverse world, which is drowned in blindness, and abuses all the
good things and gifts of God only for its own pride, avarice, lust, and luxury,
and never once regards God, so as to thank Him or acknowledge Him as Lord and
Creator.
Therefore, this article ought to humble and terrify us all,
if we believed it. For we sin daily with eyes, ears, hands, body and soul,
money and possessions, and with everything we have, especially those who even
fight against the Word of God. Yet Christians have this advantage, that they
acknowledge themselves in duty bound to serve God for all these things, and to
be obedient to Him [which the world knows not how to do].
We ought, therefore, daily to practise this article, impress
it upon our mind, and to remember it in all that meets our eyes, and in all
good that falls to our lot, and wherever we escape from calamity or danger,
that it is God who gives and does all these things, that therein we sense and
see His Paternal heart and his transcendent love toward us. Thereby the heart
would be warmed and kindled to be thankful, and to employ all such good things
to the honor and praise of God.
Thus we have most briefly presented the meaning of this
article, as much as is at first necessary for the most simple to learn, both as
to what we have and receive from God, and what we owe in return, which is a
most excellent knowledge, but a far greater treasure. For here we see how the
Father has given Himself to us, together with all creatures, and has most
richly provided for us in this life, besides that He has overwhelmed us with
unspeakable, eternal treasures by His Son and the Holy Ghost, as we shall hear.
Article
II.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day
He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right
hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick
and the dead.
Here we learn to know the Second Person of the Godhead, so
that we see what we have from God over and above the temporal goods
aforementioned; namely, how He hits completely poured forth Himself and
withheld nothing from us that He has not given us. Now, this article is very
rich and broad; but in order to expound it also briefly and in a childlike way
we shall take up one word and sum up in that the entire article, namely (as we
have said), that we may here learn how we have been redeemed; and we shall base
this on these words: In Jesus Christ, our Lord.
If now you are asked, What do you believe in the Second Article
of Jesus Christ? answer briefly: I believe that Jesus Christ, true Son of God,
has become my Lord. But what is it to become Lord? It is this, that He has
redeemed me from sin, from the devil, from death, and all evil. For before I
had no Lord nor King, but was captive under the power of the devil, condemned
to death, enmeshed in sin and blindness.
For when we had been created by God the Father, and had
received from Him all manner of good, the devil came and led us into
disobedience, sin, death, and all evil, so that we fell under His wrath and
displeasure and were doomed to eternal damnation, as we had merited and
deserved. There was no counsel, help, or comfort until this only and eternal
Son of God in His unfathomable goodness had compassion upon our misery and
wretchedness, and came from heaven to help us. Those tyrants and jailers, then,
are all expelled now, and in their place has come Jesus Christ, Lord of life,
righteousness, every blessing, and salvation, and has delivered us poor lost
men from the jaws of hell, has won us, made us free, and brought us again into
the favor and grace of the Father, and has taken us as His own property under
His shelter and protection, that He may govern us by His righteousness, wisdom,
power, life, and blessedness.
Let this, then, be the sum of this article that the little
word Lord signifies simply as much as Redeemer, i.e., He who has brought us
from Satan to God, from death to life, from sin to righteousness, and who
preserves us in the same. But all the points which follow in order in this
article serve no other end than to explain and express this redemption, how and
whereby it was accomplished, that is, how much it cost Him, and what He spent
and risked that He might win us and bring us under His dominion, namely, that
He became man, conceived and born without [any stain of] sin, of the Holy Ghost
and of the Virgin Mary, that He might overcome sin; moreover, that He suffered,
died and was buried, that He might make satisfaction for me and pay what I owe,
not with silver nor gold, but with His own precious blood. And all this, in
order to become my Lord; for He did none of these for Himself, nor had He any
need of it. And after that He rose again from the dead, swallowed up and
devoured death, and finally ascended into heaven and assumed the government at
the Father's right hand, so that the devil and all powers must be subject to
Him and lie at His feet, until finally, at the last day, He will completely
part and separate us from the wicked world, the devil, death, sin, etc.
But to explain all these single points separately belongs
not to brief sermons for children, but rather to the ampler sermons that extend
throughout the entire year, especially at those times which are appointed for
the purpose of treating at length of each article--of the birth, sufferings,
resurrection, ascension of Christ, etc.
Ay, the entire Gospel which we preach is based on this, that
we properly understand this article as that upon which our salvation and all
our happiness rest, and which is so rich and comprehensive that we never can
learn it fully.
Article
III.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the
communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and
the life everlasting. Amen.
This article (as I have said) I cannot relate better than to
Sanctification, that through the same the Holy Ghost, with His office, is
declared and depicted, namely, that He makes holy. Therefore we must take our
stand upon the word Holy Ghost, because it is so precise and
comprehensive that we cannot find another. For there are, besides, many kinds
of spirits mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, as, the spirit of man, heavenly
spirits, and evil spirits. But the Spirit of God alone is called Holy Ghost,
that is, He who has sanctified and still sanctifies us. For as the Father is
called Creator, the Son Redeemer, so the Holy Ghost, from His work, must be
called Sanctifier, or One that makes holy. But how is such sanctifying done?
Answer: Just as the Son obtains dominion, whereby He wins us, through His
birth, death, resurrection, etc., so also the Holy Ghost effects our
sanctification by the following parts, namely, by the communion of saints or
the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and
the life everlasting; that is, He first leads us into His holy congregation,
and places us in the bosom of the Church, whereby He preaches to us and brings
us to Christ.
For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or
believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and
granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel.
The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the
treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work
remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and
lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated
and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He
gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us.
Therefore sanctifying is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive
this good, to which we could not attain of ourselves.
Learn, then, to understand this article most clearly. If you
are asked: What do you mean by the words: I believe in the Holy Ghost?
you can answer: I believe that the Holy Ghost makes me holy, as His name
implies. But whereby does He accomplish this, or what are His method and means
to this end? Answer: By the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. For, in the first place, He
has a peculiar congregation in the world, which is the mother that begets and
bears every Christian through the Word of God, which He reveals and preaches,
[and through which] He illumines and enkindles hearts, that they understand,
accept it, cling to it, and persevere in it.
For where He does not cause it to be preached and made alive in the heart, so that it is understood, it is
lost, as was the case under the Papacy, where faith was entirely put under the
bench, and no one recognized Christ as his Lord or the Holy Ghost as his
Sanctifier, that is, no one believed that Christ is our Lord in the sense that
He has acquired this treasure for us, without our works and merit, and made us
acceptable to the Father. What, then, was lacking? This, that the Holy Ghost
was not there to reveal it and cause it to be preached; but men and evil
spirits were there, who taught us to obtain grace and be saved by our works.
Therefore it is not a Christian Church either; for where Christ is not
preached, there is no Holy Ghost who creates, calls, and gathers the Christian
Church, without which no one can come to Christ the Lord. Let this suffice
concerning the sum of this article. But because the parts which are here
enumerated are not quite clear to the simple, we shall run over them also.
The Creed denominates the holy Christian Church, communionem
sanctorum, a communion of saints; for both expressions, taken together, are
identical. But formerly the one [the second] expression was not there, and it
has been poorly and unintelligibly translated into German eine Gemeinschaft
der Heiligen, a communion of saints. If it is to be rendered plainly, it must
be expressed quite differently in the German idiom; for the word ecclesia properly means in German eine Versammlung, an
assembly. But we are accustomed to the word church, by which the simple
do not understand an assembled multitude, but the consecrated house or
building, although the house ought not to be called a church, except only for
the reason that the multitude assembles there. For we who assemble there make
and choose for ourselves a particular place, and give
a name to the house according to the assembly.
Thus the word Kirche (church) means really
nothing else than a common assembly, and is not German by idiom, but Greek (as
is also the word ecclesia); for in their own language they call it kyria, as in Latin it is called curia. Therefore in
genuine German, in our mother-tongue, it ought to be called a Christian
congregation or assembly (eine christliche Gemeinde oder Sammlung), or,
best of all and most clearly, holy Christendom (eine heilige Christenheit).
So also the word communio, which is added, ought not
to be rendered communion (Gemeinschaft), but congregation (Gemeinde).
And it is nothing else than an interpretation or explanation by which some one
meant to explain what the Christian Church is. This our people, who understood
neither Latin nor German, have rendered Gemeinschaft der Heiligen
(communion of saints), although no German language speaks thus, nor understands
it thus. But to speak correct German, it ought to be eine Gemeinde der
Heiligen (a congregation of saints), that is, a congregation made up purely of saints, or, to speak yet more plainly, eine
heilige Gemeinde, a holy congregation. I say this in order that the words Gemeinschaft
der Heiligen (communion of saints) may be understood, because the
expression has become so established by custom that it cannot well be
eradicated, and it is treated almost as heresy if one should attempt to change
a word.
But this is the meaning and substance of this addition: I
believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure
saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one
faith, one mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love,
without sects or schisms. I am also a part and member of the same, a sharer and
joint owner of all the goods it possesses, brought to it and incorporated into
it by the Holy Ghost by having heard and continuing to hear the Word of God,
which is the beginning of entering it. For formerly, before we had attained to
this, we were altogether of the devil, knowing nothing of God and of Christ.
Thus, until the last day, the Holy Ghost abides with the holy congregation or
Christendom, by means of which He fetches us to Christ and which He employs to
teach and preach to us the Word, whereby He works and promotes sanctification,
causing it [this community] daily to grow and become strong in the faith and
its fruits which He produces.
We further believe that in this Christian Church we have
forgiveness of sin, which is wrought through the holy Sacraments and
Absolution, moreover, through all manner of consolatory promises of the entire
Gospel. Therefore, whatever is to be preached concerning the Sacraments belongs
here, and, in short, the whole Gospel and all the offices of Christianity,
which also must be preached and taught without ceasing. For although the grace
of God is secured through Christ, and sanctification is wrought by the Holy
Ghost through the Word of God in the unity of the Christian Church, yet on
account of our flesh which we bear about with us we are never without sin.
Everything, therefore, in the Christian Church is ordered to
the end that we shall daily obtain there nothing but the forgiveness of sin
through the Word and signs, to comfort and encourage our consciences as long as
we live here. Thus, although we have sins, the [grace of the] Holy Ghost does
not allow them to injure us, because we are in the Christian Church, where
there is nothing but [continuous, uninterrupted] forgiveness of sin, both in
that God forgives us, and in that we forgive, bear
with, and help each other.
But outside of this Christian Church, where the Gospel is
not, there is no forgiveness, as also there can be no holiness
[sanctification]. Therefore all who seek and wish to merit holiness
[sanctification], not through the Gospel and forgiveness of sin, but by their
works, have expelled and severed themselves [from this Church].
Meanwhile, however, while sanctification has begun and is
growing daily, we expect that our flesh will be destroyed and buried with all its
uncleanness, and will come forth gloriously, and arise to entire and perfect
holiness in a new eternal life. For now we are only half pure and holy, so that
the Holy Ghost has ever [some reason why] to continue His work in us through
the Word, and daily to dispense forgiveness, until we attain to that life where
there will be no more forgiveness, but only perfectly
pure and holy people, full of godliness and righteousness, removed and free
from sin, death, and all evil, in a new, immortal, and glorified body.
Behold, all this is to be the office and work of the Holy
Ghost, that He begin and daily increase holiness upon earth by means of these
two things, the Christian Church and the forgiveness of sin. But in our
dissolution He will accomplish it altogether in an instant, and will forever
preserve us therein by the last two parts.
But the term Auferstehung des Fleisches (resurrection
of the flesh) here employed is not according to good German idiom. For when we
Germans hear the word Fleisch (flesh), we think no farther than of the
shambles. But in good German idiom we would say Auferstehung des Leibes,
or Leichnams (resurrection of the body). However, it is not a matter of
much moment, if we only understand the words aright.
This, now, is the article which must ever be and remain in
operation. For creation we have received; redemption, too, is finished But the
Holy Ghost carries on His work without ceasing to the last day. And for that
purpose He has appointed a congregation upon earth by which He speaks and does
everything. For He has not yet brought together all His Christian Church nor
dispensed forgiveness. Therefore we believe in Him who through the Word daily
brings us into the fellowship of this Christian Church, and through the same
Word and the forgiveness of sins bestows, increases, and strengthens faith, in
order that when He has accomplished it all, and we abide therein, and die to the world and to all evil, He may finally make us
perfectly and forever holy; which now we expect in faith through the Word.
Behold, here you have the entire divine essence, will, and
work depicted most exquisitely in quite short and yet rich words, wherein
consists all our wisdom, which surpasses and exceeds the wisdom, mind, and
reason of all men. For although the whole world with all diligence has
endeavored to ascertain what God is, what He has in mind and does, yet has she
never been able to attain to [the knowledge and understanding of] any of these
things. But here we have everything in richest measure; for here in all three
articles He has Himself revealed and opened the deepest abyss of his paternal
heart and of His pure unutterable love. For He has created us for this very
object, that He might redeem and sanctify us; and in addition to giving and
imparting to us everything in heaven and upon earth, He has given to us even
His Son and the Holy Ghost, by whom to bring us to Himself. For (as explained
above) we could never attain to the knowledge of the grace and favor of the
Father except through the Lord Christ, who is a mirror of the paternal heart,
outside of whom we see nothing but an angry and terrible Judge. But of Christ
we could know nothing either, unless it had been revealed by the Holy Ghost.
These articles of the Creed, therefore, divide and separate
us Christians from all other people upon earth. For all outside of
Christianity, whether heathen, Turks, Jews, or false Christians and hypocrites,
although they believe in, and worship, only one true
God, yet know not what His mind towards them is, and cannot expect any love or
blessing from Him; therefore they abide in eternal wrath and damnation. For
they have not the Lord Christ, and, besides, are not illumined and favored by
any gifts of the Holy Ghost.
From this you perceive that the Creed is a doctrine quite
different from the Ten Commandments; for the latter teaches indeed what we
ought to do, but the former tells what God does for us and gives to us.
Moreover, apart from this, the Ten Commandments are written in the hearts of
all men; the Creed, however, no human wisdom can comprehend, but it must be
taught by the Holy Ghost alone. The latter doctrine [of the Law], therefore,
makes no Christian, for the wrath and displeasure of God abide upon us still,
because we cannot keep what God demands of us; but this [namely, the doctrine
of faith] brings pure grace, and makes us godly and acceptable to God. For by
this knowledge we obtain love and delight in all the commandments of God,
because here we see that God gives Himself entire to us, with all that He has and
is able to do, to aid and direct us in keeping the Ten Commandments-the Father,
all creatures; the Son, His entire work; and the Holy Ghost, all His gifts.
Let this suffice concerning the Creed to lay a foundation
for the simple, that they may not be burdened, so that, if they understand the
substance of it, they themselves may afterwards strive to acquire more, and to refer to these parts whatever they learn in the
Scriptures, and may ever grow and increase in richer understanding. For as long
as we live here, we shall daily have enough to do to preach and to learn this.
Part Third
OF
PRAYER
The
Lord's Prayer
We have now heard what we must do and believe, in which
things the best and happiest life consists. Now follows the third part, how we
ought to pray. For since we are so situated that no man can perfectly keep the
Ten Commandments, even though he have begun to believe, and since the devil
with all his power, together with the world and our own flesh, resists our
endeavors, nothing is so necessary as that we should continually resort to the
ear of God, call upon Him, and pray to Him, that He would give,
preserve, and increase in us faith and the fulfilment of the Ten Commandments,
and that He would remove everything that is in our way and opposes us therein.
But that we might know what and how to pray, our Lord Christ has Himself taught
us both the mode and the words, as we shall see.
But before we explain the Lord's Prayer part by part, it is
most necessary first to exhort and incite people to prayer, as Christ and the
apostles also have done. And the first matter is to know that it is our duty to
pray because of God's commandment. For thus we heard in the Second Commandment:
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain,
that we are there required to praise that holy name, and call upon it in every
need, or to pray. For to call upon the name of God is nothing else than to
pray. Prayer is therefore as strictly and earnestly commanded as all other
commandments: to have no other God, not to kill, not to steal, etc. Let no one
think that it is all the same whether he pray or not, as vulgar people do, who
grope in such delusion and ask, Why should I pray? Who knows whether God heeds
or will hear my prayer? If I do not pray, some one else will. And thus they
fall into the habit of never praying, and frame a pretext, as though we taught
that there is no duty or need of prayer, because we reject false and
hypocritical prayers.
But this is true indeed that such
prayers as have been offered hitherto when men were babbling and bawling in the
churches were no prayers. For such external matters, when they are properly
observed, may be a good exercise for young children, scholars, and simple
persons, and may be called singing or reading, but not really praying. But
praying, as the Second Commandment teaches, is to call upon God in every need.
This He requires of us, and has not left it to our choice. But it is our duty
and obligation to pray if we would be Christians, as much as it is our duty and
obligation to obey our parents and the government; for by calling upon it and
praying the name of God is honored and profitably employed. This you must note
above all things, that thereby you may silence and repel such thoughts as would
keep and deter us from prayer. For just as it would be idle for a son to say to
his father, "Of what advantage is my obedience? I will go and do what I
can; it is all the same;" but there stands the commandment, Thou shalt and
must do it, so also here it is not left to my will to do it or leave it undone,
but prayer shall and must be offered at the risk of God's wrath and
displeasure.
This is therefore to be understood and noted before
everything else, in order that thereby we may silence and repel the thoughts
which would keep and deter us from praying, as though it were not of much
consequence if we do not pray, or as though it were commanded those who are
holier and in better favor with God than we; as, indeed, the human heart is by
nature so despondent that it always flees from God and imagines that He does
not wish or desire our prayer, because we are sinners and have merited nothing
but wrath. Against such thoughts (I say) we should regard this commandment and
turn to God, that we may not by such disobedience excite His anger still more. For by this commandment He gives us plainly to
understand that He will not cast us from Him nor chase us away, although we are
sinners, but rather draw us to Himself, so that we might humble ourselves
before Him, bewail this misery and plight of ours, and pray for grace and help.
Therefore we read in the Scriptures that He is angry also with those who were
smitten for their sin, because they did not return to Him and by their prayers
assuage His wrath and seek His grace.
Now, from the fact that it is so solemnly commanded to pray,
you are to conclude and think, that no one should by any means despise his
prayer, but rather set great store by it, and always
seek an illustration from the other commandments. A child should by no means
despise his obedience to father and mother, but should always think: This work
is a work of obedience, and what I do I do with no other intention than that I
may walk in the obedience and commandment of God, on which I can settle and
stand firm, and esteem it a great thing, not on account of my worthiness, but
on account of the commandment. So here also, what and for what we pray we
should regard as demanded by God and done in obedience to Him, and should
reflect thus: On my account it would amount to nothing; but it shall avail, for
the reason that God has commanded it. Therefore everybody, no matter what he
has to say in prayer, should always come before God in obedience to this
commandment.
We pray, therefore, and exhort every one most diligently to
take this to heart and by no means to despise our prayer. For hitherto it has
been taught thus in the devil's name that no one regarded these things, and men
supposed it to be sufficient to have done the work, whether God would hear it
or not. But that is staking prayer on a risk, and murmuring it at a venture;
and therefore it is a lost prayer. For we allow such thoughts as these to lead
us astray and deter us: I am not holy or worthy enough; if I were as godly and
holy as St. Peter or St. Paul, then I would pray. But put such thoughts far
away, for just the same commandment which applied to St. Paul applies also to
me; and the Second Commandment is given as much on my account as on his
account, so that he can boast of no better or holier commandment.
Therefore you should say: My prayer is as precious, holy,
and pleasing to God as that of St. Paul or of the most holy saints. This is the
reason: For I will gladly grant that he is holier in his person, but not on
account of the commandment; since God does not regard prayer on account of the
person, but on account of His word and obedience thereto. For on the
commandment on which all the saints rest their prayer I, too, rest mine.
Moreover, I pray for the same thing for which they all pray and ever have
prayed; besides, I have just as great a need of it as those great saints, yea,
even a greater one than they.
Let this be the first and most important point, that all our
prayers must be based and rest upon obedience to God, irrespective of our
person, whether we be sinners or saints, worthy or unworthy. And we must know
that God will not have it treated as a jest, but be angry, and punish all who
do not pray, as surely as He punishes all other disobedience; next, that He
will not suffer our prayers to be in vain or lost. For if He did not intend to
answer your prayer, He would not bid you pray and add such a severe commandment
to it.
In the second place, we should be the more
urged and incited to pray because God has also added a promise, and declared
that it shall surely be done to us as we pray, as He says Ps. 50, 15: Call
upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee. And Christ in the Gospel of
St. Matthew, 7, 7: Ask, and it shall be given you. For
every one that asketh receiveth. Such promises ought certainly to encourage
and kindle our hearts to pray with pleasure and delight, since He testifies
with His [own] word that our prayer is heartily pleasing to Him, moreover, that
it shall assuredly be heard and granted, in order that we may not despise it or
think lightly of it, and pray at a venture.
This you can hold up to Him and say: Here I come, dear
Father, and pray, not of my own purpose nor upon my own worthiness, but at Thy
commandment and promise, which cannot fail or deceive me. Whoever, therefore,
does not believe this promise must know again that he excites God to anger as a
person who most highly dishonors Him and reproaches Him with falsehood.
Besides this, we should be incited and drawn to prayer
because in addition to this commandment and promise God anticipates us, and
Himself arranges the words and form of prayer for us, and places them upon our
lips as to how and what we should pray, that we may see how heartily He pities
us in our distress, and may never doubt that such prayer is pleasing to Him and
shall certainly be answered; which [the Lord's Prayer] is a great advantage
indeed over all other prayers that we might compose ourselves. For in them the
conscience would ever be in doubt and say: I have prayed, but who knows how it
pleases Him, or whether I have hit upon the right proportions and form? Hence
there is no nobler prayer to be found upon earth than the Lord's Prayer which
we daily pray, because it has this excellent testimony, that God loves to hear
it, which we ought not to surrender for all the riches of the world.
And it has been prescribed also for this reason that we
should see and consider the distress which ought to urge and compel us to pray
without ceasing. For whoever would pray must have something to present, state,
and name which he desires; if not, it cannot be called a prayer.
Therefore we have rightly rejected the prayers of monks and
priests, who howl and growl day and night like fiends; but none of them think
of praying for a hair's breadth of anything. And if we would assemble all the
churches, together with all ecclesiastics, they would be obliged to confess
that they have never from the heart prayed for even a drop of wine. For none of
them has ever purposed to pray from obedience to God and faith in His promise,
nor has any one regarded any distress, but (when they had done their best) they
thought no further than this, to do a good work, whereby they might repay God,
as being unwilling to take anything from Him, but wishing only to give Him something.
But where there is to be a true prayer, there must be
earnestness. Men must feel their distress, and such distress as presses them
and compels them to call and cry out; then prayer will be made
spontaneously, as it ought to be, and men will require no teaching how to
prepare for it and to attain to the proper devotion. But the distress which
ought to concern us most, both as regards ourselves and every one, you will
find abundantly set forth in the Lord's Prayer. Therefore it is to serve also
to remind us of the same, that we contemplate it and lay it to heart, lest we
become remiss in prayer. For we all have enough that we lack, but the great
want is that we do not feel nor see it. Therefore God also requires that you
lament and plead such necessities and wants, not because He does not know them,
but that you may kindle your heart to stronger and greater desires, and make
wide and open your cloak to receive much.
Therefore, every one of us should accustom himself from his
youth daily to pray for all his wants, whenever he is sensible of anything
affecting his interests or that of other people among whom he may live, as for
preachers, the government, neighbors, domestics, and always (as we have said)
to hold up to God His commandment and promise, knowing that He will not have
them disregarded. This I say because I would like to see these things brought
home again to the people that they might learn to pray truly, and not go about
coldly and indifferently, whereby they become daily more
unfit for prayer; which is just what the devil desires, and for what he works
with all his powers. For he is well aware what damage and harm it does him when
prayer is in proper practise.
For this we must know, that all our shelter and protection
rest in prayer alone. For we are far too feeble to cope with the devil and all
his power and adherents that set themselves against us, and they might easily
crush us under their feet. Therefore we must consider and take up those weapons
with which Christians must be armed in order to stand against the devil. For
what do you think has hitherto accomplished such great things, has checked or
quelled the counsels, purposes, murder, and riot of our enemies, whereby the
devil thought to crush us, together with the Gospel, except that the prayer of
a few godly men intervened like a wall of iron on our side? They should else
have witnessed a far different tragedy, namely, how the devil would have
destroyed all Germany in its own blood. But now they may confidently deride it
and make a mock of it; however, we shall nevertheless be a match both for
themselves and the devil by prayer alone, if we only persevere diligently and
not become slack. For whenever a godly Christian prays: Dear Father, let Thy
will be done, God speaks from on high and says: Yes, dear child, it shall be
so, in spite of the devil and all the world.
Let this be said as an exhortation, that men may learn,
first of all, to esteem prayer as something great and precious, and to make a
proper distinction between babbling and praying for something. For we by no
means reject prayer, but the bare, useless howling and murmuring we reject, as
Christ Himself also rejects and prohibits long palavers. Now we shall most
briefly and clearly treat of the Lord's Prayer. Here there is comprehended in
seven successive articles, or petitions, every need which never ceases to
relate to us, and each so great that it ought to constrain us to keep praying
it all our lives.
The
First Petition.
Hallowed be Thy name.
This is, indeed, somewhat obscure, and not expressed in good
German, for in our mother-tongue we would say: Heavenly Father, help that by
all means Thy name may be holy. But what is it to pray that His name may be
holy? Is it not holy already? Answer: Yes, it is always holy in its nature, but
in our use it is not holy. For God's name was given us when we became
Christians and were baptized, so that we are called children of God and have
the Sacraments, by which He so incorporates us in Himself that everything which
is God's must serve for our use.
Here now the great need exists for which we ought to be most
concerned, that this name have its proper honor, be esteemed holy and sublime
as the greatest treasure and sanctuary that we have; and that as godly children
we pray that the name of God, which is already holy in heaven, may also be and
remain holy with us upon earth and in all the world.
But how does it become holy among us? Answer, as plainly as
it can be said: When both our doctrine and life are godly and Christian. For
since in this prayer we call God our Father, it is our duty always to deport
and demean ourselves as godly children, that He may not receive shame, but
honor and praise from us.
Now the name of God is profaned by us either in words or in
works. (For whatever we do upon the earth must be either words or works, speech
or act.) In the first place, then, it is profaned when men preach, teach, and
speak in the name of God what is false and misleading, so that His name must
serve to adorn and to find a market for falsehood. That is, indeed, the
greatest profanation and dishonor of the divine name. Furthermore, also when
men, by swearing, cursing, conjuring, etc., grossly abuse the holy name as a
cloak for their shame. In the second place, also by an openly wicked life and
works, when those who are called Christians and the people of God are
adulterers, drunkards, misers, envious, and slanderers. Here again must the
name of God come to shame and be profaned because of us. For just as it is a
shame and disgrace to a natural father to have a bad, perverse child that
opposes him in words and deeds, so that on its account he suffers contempt and
reproach, so also it brings dishonor upon God if we who are called by His name
and have all manner of goods from Him teach, speak, and live in any other
manner except as godly and heavenly children, so that people say of us that we
must be not God's, but the devil's children.
Thus you see that in this petition we pray just for that
which God demands in the Second Commandment; namely, that His name be not taken
in vain to swear, curse, lie, deceive, etc., but be usefully employed to the
praise and honor of God. For whoever employs the name of God for any sort of
wrong profanes and desecrates this holy name, as aforetime a church was
considered desecrated when a murder or any other crime had been committed in
it, or when a pyx or relic was desecrated, as being holy in themselves, yet
become unholy in use. Thus this point is easy and clear if only the language is
understood, that to hallow is the same as in our idiom to praise, magnify, and
honor both in word and deed.
Here, now, learn how great need there is of such prayer. For
because we see how full the world is of sects and false teachers, who all wear
the holy name as a cover and sham for their doctrines of devils, we ought by
all means to pray without ceasing, and to cry and call upon God against all
such as preach and believe falsely and whatever opposes and persecutes our
Gospel and pure doctrine, and would suppress it, as bishops tyrants,
enthusiasts, etc. Likewise also for ourselves who have the Word of God, but are
not thankful for it, nor live as we ought according to the same. If now you
pray for this with your heart, you can be sure that it pleases God; for He will
not hear anything more dear to Him than that His honor
and praise is exalted above everything else, and His Word is taught in its
purity and is esteemed precious and dear.
The
Second Petition.
Thy kingdom come.
As we prayed in the First Petition concerning the honor and
name of God that He would prevent the world from adorning its lies and
wickedness with it, but cause it to be esteemed sublime and holy both in
doctrine and life, so that He may be praised and magnified in us, so here we
pray that His kingdom also may come. But just as the name of God is in itself
holy, and we pray nevertheless that it be holy among us, so also His kingdom
comes of itself, without our prayer, yet we pray nevertheless that it may come
to us, that is, prevail among us and with us, so that we may be a part of those
among whom His name is hallowed and His kingdom prospers.
But what is the kingdom of God? Answer: Nothing else than
what we learned in the Creed, that God sent His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord,
into the world to redeem and deliver us from the power of the devil, and to
bring us to Himself, and to govern us as a King of righteousness, life, and
salvation against sin, death, and an evil conscience, for which end He has also
bestowed His Holy Ghost, who is to bring these things home to us by His holy
Word, and to illumine and strengthen us in the faith by His power.
Therefore we pray here in the first place that this may
become effective with us, and that His name be so praised through the holy Word
of God and a Christian life that both we who have accepted it may abide and
daily grow therein, and that it may gain approbation and adherence among other
people and proceed with power throughout the world, that many may find entrance
into the Kingdom of Grace, be made partakers of
redemption, being led thereto by the Holy Ghost, in order that thus we may all
together remain forever in the one kingdom now begun.
For the coming of God's Kingdom to us occurs in two
ways; first, here in time through the Word and faith; and secondly, in eternity
forever through revelation. Now we pray for both these things, that it may come
to those who are not yet in it, and, by daily increase, to us who have received
the same, and hereafter in eternal life. All this is nothing else than saying:
Dear Father, we pray, give us first Thy Word, that the Gospel be preached properly
throughout the world; and secondly, that it be received in faith, and work and
live in us, so that through the Word and the power of the Holy Ghost Thy
kingdom may prevail among us, and the kingdom of the devil be put down, that he
may have no right or power over us, until at last it shall be utterly
destroyed, and sin, death,
and hell shall be exterminated, that we may live forever in perfect
righteousness and blessedness.
From this you perceive that we pray here not for a crust of
bread or a temporal, perishable good, but for an eternal inestimable treasure
and everything that God Himself possesses; which is far too great for any human
heart to think of desiring if He had not Himself commanded us to pray for the
same. But because He is God, He also claims the honor of giving much more and more abundantly than any one can comprehend,--like
an eternal, unfailing fountain, which, the more it pours forth and overflows,
the more it continues to give,--and He desires nothing more earnestly of us
than that we ask much and great things of Him, and again is angry if we do not
ask and pray confidently.
For just as when the richest and most mighty emperor would
bid a poor beggar ask whatever he might desire, and were ready to give great imperial presents, and the fool would beg only
for a dish of gruel, he would be rightly considered a rogue and a scoundrel,
who treated the command of his imperial majesty as a jest and sport, and was
not worthy of coming into his presence: so also it is a great reproach and dishonor
to God if we, to whom He offers and pledges so many unspeakable treasures,
despise the same, or have not the confidence to receive them, but scarcely
venture to pray for a piece of bread.
All this is the fault of the shameful unbelief which does
not look to God for as much good as will satisfy the stomach, much less expects
without doubt such eternal treasures of God. Therefore we must strengthen
ourselves against it, and let this be our first prayer; then, indeed, we shall
have all else in abundance, as Christ teaches [Matt.
6, 33]: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things shall be added unto you. For how could He allow us to
suffer want and to be straitened in temporal things when He promises that which
is eternal and imperishable?
The
Third Petition.
Thy will be done on earth as it is
in heaven.
Thus far we have prayed that God's name be honored by us,
and that His kingdom prevail among us; in which two points is comprehended all
that pertains to the honor of God and to our salvation, that we receive as our
own God and all His riches. But now a need just as great arises, namely, that
we firmly keep them, and do not suffer ourselves to be torn therefrom. For as
in a good government it is not only necessary that there be those who build and
govern well, but also those who make defense, afford protection and maintain it
firmly, so here likewise, although we have prayed for the greatest need, for
the Gospel, faith, and the Holy Ghost, that He may govern us and redeem us from
the power of the devil, we must also pray that His will be done. For there will
be happenings quite strange if we are to abide therein, as we shall have to
suffer many thrusts and blows on that account from everything that ventures to
oppose and prevent the fulfilment of the two petitions that precede.
For no one believes how the devil opposes and resists them,
and cannot suffer that any one teach or believe aright. And it hurts him beyond
measure to suffer his lies and abominations, that have been honored under the
most specious pretexts of the divine name, to be exposed, and to be disgraced
himself, and, besides, be driven out of the heart, and suffer such a breach to
be made in his kingdom. Therefore he chafes and rages as a fierce enemy with
all his power and might, and marshals all his subjects, and, in addition,
enlists the world and our own flesh as his allies. For our flesh is in itself
indolent and inclined to evil, even though we have accepted and believe the
Word of God. The world, however, is perverse and wicked; this he incites
against us, fans and stirs the fire, that he may hinder and drive us back,
cause us to fall, and again bring us under his power. Such is all his will,
mind, and thought, for which he strives day and night, and never rests a
moment, employing all arts, wiles, ways, and means whichever he can invent.
If we would be Christians, therefore, we must surely expect
and reckon upon having the devil with all his angels and the world as our
enemies who will bring every possible misfortune and grief upon us. For where
the Word of God is preached, accepted, or believed, and produces fruit, there
the holy cross cannot be wanting. And let no one think that he shall have
peace; but he must risk whatever he has upon earth--possessions, honor, house
and estate, wife and children, body and life. Now, this hurts our flesh and the
old Adam; for the test is to be steadfast and to suffer with patience in
whatever way we are assailed, and to let go whatever is taken from us.
Hence there is just as great need, as in all the others,
that we pray without ceasing: "Dear Father, Thy will be done, not the will
of the devil and of our enemies, nor of anything that would persecute and
suppress Thy holy Word or hinder Thy kingdom; and grant that we may bear with
patience and overcome whatever is to be endured on that account, lest our poor
flesh yield or fall away from weakness or sluggishness."
Behold, thus we have in these three petitions, in the
simplest manner, the need which relates to God Himself, yet all for our sakes.
For whatever we pray concerns only us, namely, as we have said, that what must
be done anyway without us, may also be done in us. For as His name must be
hallowed and His kingdom come without our prayer, so also His will must be done
and succeed, although the devil with all his adherents raise a great tumult,
are angry and rage against it, and undertake to
exterminate the Gospel utterly. But for our own sakes we must pray that even
against their fury His will be done without hindrance also among us, that they
may not be able to accomplish anything and we remain firm against all violence
and persecution, and submit to such will of God.
Such prayer, then, is to be our protection and defense now,
is to repel and put down all that the devil, Pope, bishops, tyrants, and
heretics cap do against our Gospel. Let them all rage
and attempt their utmost, and deliberate and resolve how they may suppress and
exterminate us, that their will and counsel may prevail: over and against this
one or two Christians with this petition alone shall be our wall against which
they shall run and dash themselves to pieces. This consolation and confidence
we have, that the will and purpose of the devil and of all our enemies shall
and must fail and come to naught, however proud, secure, and powerful they know
themselves to be. For if their will were not broken and hindered, the kingdom
of God could not abide on earth nor His name be hallowed.
The
Fourth Petition.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Here, now, we consider the poor bread basket, the
necessaries of our body and of the temporal life. It is a brief and simple
word, but it has a very wide scope. For when you mention and pray for daily
bread, you pray for everything that is necessary in order to have and enjoy
daily bread and, on the other hand, against everything which interferes with
it. Therefore you must open wide and extend your thoughts not only to the oven
or the flour-bin, but to the distant field and the entire land, which bears and
brings to us daily bread and every sort of sustenance. For if God did not cause
it to grow, and bless and preserve it in the field, we could never take bread
from the oven or have any to set upon the table.
To comprise it briefly, this petition includes everything
that belongs to our entire life in the world, because on that account alone do
we need daily bread. Now for our life it is not only necessary that our body
have food and covering and other necessaries, but also that we spend our days
in peace and quiet among the people with whom we live and have intercourse in
daily business and conversation and all sorts of doings, in short, whatever
pertains both to the domestic and to the neighborly or civil relation and
government. For where these two things are hindered [intercepted and disturbed]
that they do not prosper as they ought, the necessaries of life also are
impeded, so that ultimately life cannot be maintained. And there is, indeed,
the greatest need to pray for temporal authority and government, as that by
which most of all God preserves to us our daily bread and all the comforts of
this life. For though we have received of God all good things in abundance, we
are not able to retain any of them or use them in security and happiness, if He
did not give us a permanent and peaceful government.
For where there are dissension, strife, and war, there the daily bread is
already taken away, or at least checked.
Therefore it would be very proper to place in the
coat-of-arms of every pious prince a loaf of bread instead of a lion, or a
wreath of rue, or to stamp it upon the coin, to remind both them and their
subjects that by their office we have protection and peace, and that without
them we could not cat and retain our daily bread. Therefore they are also
worthy of all honor, that we give to them for their office what we ought and
can, as to those through whom we enjoy in peace and quietness what we have,
because otherwise we would not keep a farthing; and that, in addition, we also
pray for them that through them God may bestow on us the more
blessing and good.
Let this be a very brief explanation and sketch, showing how
far this petition extends through all conditions on earth. Of this any one
might indeed make a long prayer, and with many words enumerate all the things
that are included therein, as that we pray God to give
us food and drink, clothing, house, and home, and health of body; also that He
cause the grain and fruits of the field to grow and mature well; furthermore,
that He help us at home towards good housekeeping, that He give and preserve to
us a godly wife, children, and servants, that He cause our work, trade, or
whatever we are engaged in to prosper and succeed, favor us with faithful
neighbors and good friends, etc. Likewise, that He give to emperors, kings, and
all estates, and especially to the rulers of our country and to all counselors,
magistrates, and officers, wisdom, strength, and success that they may govern
well and vanquish the Turks and all enemies; to subjects and the common people,
obedience, peace, and harmony in their life with one another; and on the other
hand, that He would preserve us from all sorts of calamity to body and
livelihood, as lightning, hail, fire, flood, poison, pestilence, cattle-plague,
war and bloodshed, famine, destructive beasts, wicked men, etc. All this it is
well to impress upon the simple, namely, that these things come from God, and
must be prayed for by us.
But this petition is especially directed also against our
chief enemy, the devil. For all his thought and desire is to deprive us of all
that we have from God, or to hinder it; and he is not satisfied to obstruct and
destroy spiritual government in leading souls astray by his lies and bringing
them under his power, but he also prevents and hinders the stability of all
government and honorable, peaceable relations on earth. There he causes so much
contention, murder, sedition, and war, also lightning and hail to destroy grain
and cattle, to poison the air, etc. In short, he is sorry that any one has a
morsel of bread from God and eats it in peace; and if it were in his power, and
our prayer (next to God) did not prevent him, we would not keep a straw in the
field, a farthing in the house, yea, not even our life for an hour, especially
those who have the Word of God and would like to be Christians.
Behold, thus God wishes to indicate to us how He cares for
us in all our need, and faithfully provides also for our temporal support. And
although He abundantly grants and preserves these things even to the wicked and
knaves, yet He wishes that we pray for them, in order that we may recognize
that we receive them from His hand, and may feel His paternal goodness toward
us therein. For when He withdraws His hand, nothing can prosper nor be
maintained in the end, as, indeed, we daily see and experience. How much
trouble there is now in the world only on account of bad coin, yea, on account
of daily oppression and raising of prices in common trade, bargaining and labor
on the part of those who wantonly oppress the poor and deprive them of their
daily bread! This we must suffer indeed; but let them take care that they do
not lose the common intercession, and beware lest this petition in the Lord's
Prayer be against them.
The
Fifth Petition.
And forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
This part now relates to our poor miserable life, which,
although we have and believe the Word of God, and do and submit to His will,
and are supported by His gifts and blessings, is nevertheless not without sin.
For we still stumble daily and transgress because we live in the world among
men who do us much harm and give us cause for
impatience, anger, revenge, etc. Besides, we have Satan at our back, who sets
upon us on every side, and fights (as we have heard) against all the foregoing
petitions, so that it is not possible always to stand firm in such a persistent
conflict.
Therefore there is here again great need to call upon God
and to pray: Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses. Not as though He did not forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has
given us the Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever
thought about it). But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept
such forgiveness. For since the flesh in which we daily live is of such a
nature that it neither trusts nor believes God, and is ever active in evil
lusts and devices, so that we sin daily in word and deed, by commission and
omission, by which the conscience is thrown into unrest, so that it is afraid
of the wrath and displeasure of God, and thus loses the comfort and confidence
derived from the Gospel; therefore it is ceaselessly necessary that we run
hither and obtain consolation to comfort the conscience again.
But this should serve God's purpose of breaking our pride
and keeping us humble. For in case any one should boast of his godliness and
despise others, God has reserved this prerogative to Himself, that the person
is to consider himself and place this prayer before his eyes, and he will find
that he is no better than others, and that in the presence of God all must
lower their plumes, and be glad that they can attain forgiveness. And let no
one think that as long as we live here he can reach such a position that he
will not need such forgiveness. In short, if God does not forgive
without ceasing, we are lost.
It is therefore the intent of this petition that God would
not regard our sins and hold up to us what we daily deserve, but would deal
graciously with us, and forgive, as He has promised,
and thus grant us a joyful and confident conscience to stand before Him in
prayer. For where the heart is not in right relation towards God, nor can take
such confidence, it will nevermore venture to pray. But such a confident and
joyful heart can spring from nothing else than the [certain] knowledge of the
forgiveness of sin.
But there is here attached a necessary, yet consolatory
addition: As we forgive. He has promised that
we shall be sure that everything is forgiven and pardoned, yet in the manner
that we also forgive our neighbor. For just as we
daily sin much against God, and yet He forgives everything through grace, so
we, too, must ever forgive our neighbor who does us
injury, violence, and wrong, shows malice toward us, etc. If, therefore, you do
not forgive, then do not think that God forgives you; but if you forgive, you
have this consolation and assurance, that you are forgiven in heaven, not on
account of your forgiving, for God forgives freely and without condition, out
of pure grace, because He has so promised, as the Gospel teaches, but in order
that He may set this up for our confirmation and assurance for a sign alongside
of the promise which accords with this prayer, Luke 6, 37: Forgive, and
ye shall be forgiven. Therefore Christ also repeats it soon after the
Lord's Prayer, and says, Matt. 6, 14: For if ye forgive
men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
etc.
This sign is therefore attached to this petition, that, when
we pray, we remember the promise and reflect thus: Dear Father, for this reason
I come and pray Thee to forgive me, not that I can
make satisfaction, or can merit anything by my works, but because Thou hast
promised and attached the seal thereto that I should be as sure as though I had
absolution pronounced by Thyself. For as much as Baptism and the Lord's Supper,
appointed as external signs, effect, so much also this sign can effect to
confirm our consciences and cause them to rejoice. And it is especially given
for this purpose, that we might use and practise it every hour, as a thing that
we have with us at all times.
The
Sixth Petition.
And lead us not into temptation.
We have now heard enough what toil and labor is required to
retain all that for which we pray, and to persevere therein, which, however, is
not achieved without infirmities and stumbling. Besides, although we have
received forgiveness and a good conscience and are entirely acquitted, yet is
our life of such a nature that one stands to-day and to-morrow falls.
Therefore, even though we be godly now and stand before God with a good
conscience, we must pray again that He would not suffer us to relapse and yield
to trials and temptations.
Temptation, however, or (as our Saxons in olden times used
to call it) Bekoerunge, is of three kinds, namely, of the flesh, of the
world, and of the devil. For in the flesh we dwell and carry the old Adam about
our neck, who exerts himself and incites us daily to inchastity, laziness,
gluttony and drunkenness, avarice and deception, to defraud our neighbor and to
overcharge him, and, in short, to all manner of evil lusts which cleave to us
by nature, and to which we are incited by the society, example and what we hear
and see of other people, which often wound and inflame even an innocent heart.
Next comes the world, which offends us in word and deed, and
impels us to anger, and impatience. In short, there is nothing but hatred and
envy, enmity, violence and wrong, unfaithfulness, vengeance, cursing, raillery,
slander, pride and haughtiness, with superfluous finery, honor, fame, and
power, where no one is willing to be the least, but every one desires to sit at
the head and to be seen before all.
Then comes the devil, inciting and provoking in all
directions, but especially agitating matters that concern the conscience and spiritual
affairs, namely, to induce us to despise and disregard both the Word and works
of God, to tear us away from faith, hope, and love, and bring us into
misbelief, false security, and obduracy, or, on the other hand, to despair,
denial of God, blasphemy, and innumerable other shocking things. These are
indeed snares and nets, yea, real fiery darts which are shot most venomously
into the heart, not by flesh and blood, but by the devil.
Great and grievous, indeed, are these dangers and
temptations which every Christian must bear, even though each one were alone by
himself, so that every hour that we are in this vile life where we are attacked
on all sides, chased and hunted down, we are moved to cry out and to pray that
God would not suffer us to become weary and faint and to relapse into sin,
shame, and unbelief. For otherwise it is impossible to overcome even the least
temptation.
This, then, is leading us not into temptation, to
wit, when He gives us power and strength to resist, the temptation, however,
not being taken away or removed. For while we live in the flesh and have the
devil about us, no one can escape temptation and allurements; and it cannot be
otherwise than that we must endure trials, yea, be engulfed in them; but we
pray for this, that we may not fall and be drowned in them.
To feel temptation is therefore a far different thing from
consenting or yielding to it. We must all feel it, although not all in the same
manner, but some in a greater degree and more severely
than others; as, the young suffer especially from the flesh, afterwards, they
that attain to middle life and old age, from the world, but others who are
occupied with spiritual matters, that is, strong Christians, from the devil.
But such feeling, as long as it is against our will and we would rather be rid
of it, can harm no one. For if we did not feel it, it could not be called a
temptation. But to consent thereto is when we give it
the reins and do not resist or pray against it.
Therefore we Christians must be armed and daily expect to be
incessantly attacked, in order that no one may go on in security and
heedlessly, as though the devil were far from us, but at all times expect and
parry his blows. For though I am now chaste, patient, kind, and in firm faith,
the devil will this very hour send such an arrow into my heart that I can
scarcely stand. For he is an enemy that never desists nor becomes tired, so
that when one temptation ceases, there always arise others and fresh ones.
Accordingly, there is no help or comfort except to run
hither and to take hold of the Lord's Prayer, and thus speak to God from the
heart: Dear Father, Thou hast bidden me pray; let me not relapse because of
temptations. Then you will see that they must desist, and finally acknowledge
themselves conquered. Else if you venture to help yourself by your own thoughts
and counsel, you will only make the matter worse and give
the devil more space. For he has a serpent's head, which if it gain an opening
into which he can slip, the whole body will follow without check. But prayer
can prevent him and drive him back.
The
Seventh and Last Petition.
But deliver us from evil. Amen.
In the Greek text this petition reads thus: Deliver or
preserve us from the Evil One, or the Malicious One; and it looks as if He were
speaking of the devil, as though He would comprehend everything in one, so that
the entire substance of all our prayer is directed against our chief enemy. For
it is he who hinders among us everything that we pray for: the name or honor of
God, God's kingdom and will, our daily bread, a cheerful good conscience, etc.
Therefore we finally sum it all up and say: Dear Father,
pray, help that we be rid of all these calamities. But there is nevertheless
also included whatever evil may happen to us under the devil's
kingdom--poverty, shame, death, and, in short, all the agonizing misery and
heartache of which there is such an unnumbered multitude on the earth. For
since the devil is not only a liar, but also a murderer, he constantly seeks
our life, and wreaks his anger whenever he can afflict our bodies with
misfortune and harm. Hence it comes that he often breaks men's necks or drives
them to insanity, drowns some, and incites many to commit suicide, and to many
other terrible calamities. Therefore there is nothing for us to do upon earth
but to pray against this arch-enemy without ceasing. For unless God preserved
us, we would not be safe from him even for an hour.
Hence you see again how God wishes us to pray to Him also
for all the things which affect our bodily interests, so that we seek and
expect help nowhere else except in Him. But this matter He has put last; for if
we are to be preserved and delivered from all evil, the name of God must first
be hallowed in us, His kingdom must be with us, and His will be done. After
that He will finally preserve us from sin and shame, and, besides, from
everything that may hurt or injure us.
Thus God has briefly placed before us all the distress which
may ever come upon us, so that we might have no excuse whatever for not praying.
But all depends upon this, that we learn also to say Amen, that is, that we do
not doubt that our prayer is surely heard, and [what we pray] shall be done.
For this is nothing else than the word of undoubting faith, which does not pray
at a venture, but knows that God does not lie to him, since He has promised to
grant it. Therefore, where there is no such faith, there cannot be true prayer either.
It is, therefore, a pernicious delusion of those who pray in
such a manner that they dare not from the heart say yea and positively conclude
that God hears them, but remain in doubt and say, How should I be so bold as to
boast that God hears my prayer? For I am but a poor sinner, etc.
The reason for this is, they regard not the promise of God,
but their own work and worthiness, whereby they despise God and reproach Him
with lying, and therefore they receive nothing. As St. James 1, 6 says: But
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not
that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. Behold, such
importance God attaches to the fact that we are sure we do not pray in vain,
and that we do not in any way despise our prayer.
Part Fourth
OF
BAPTISM
We have now finished the three chief parts of the common
Christian doctrine. Besides these we have yet to speak of our two Sacraments
instituted by Christ, of which also every Christian ought to have at least an
ordinary, brief instruction, because without them there can be no Christian;
although, alas! hitherto no instruction concerning them has
been given. But, in the first place, we take up Baptism, by which we are
first received into the Christian Church. However, in order that it may be
readily understood, we will treat of it in an orderly manner, and keep only to
that which it is necessary for us to know. For how it is to be maintained and
defended against heretics and sects we will commend to the learned.
In the first place, we must above all things know well the
words upon which Baptism is founded, and to which everything refers that is to
be said on the subject, namely, where the Lord Christ speaks in Matthew 28, 19:
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Likewise in St.
In these words you must note, in the first place, that here
stand God's commandment and institution, lest we doubt that Baptism is divine,
not devised nor invented by men. For as truly as I can say, No man has spun the
Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer out of his head, but they
are revealed and given by God Himself, so also I can boast that Baptism is no
human trifle, but instituted by God Himself, moreover, that it is most solemnly
and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we cannot be saved, lest any
one regard it as a trifling matter, like putting on a new red coat. For it is
of the greatest importance that we esteem Baptism excellent, glorious, and
exalted, for which we contend and fight chiefly, because the world is now so
full of sects clamoring that Baptism is an external thing, and that external
things are of no benefit. But let it be ever so much an external thing, here
stand God's Word and command which institute, establish, and confirm Baptism.
But what God institutes and commands cannot be a vain, but must be a most
precious thing, though in appearance it were of less value than a straw. If
hitherto people could consider it a great thing when the Pope with his letters
and bulls dispensed indulgences and confirmed altars and churches, solely
because of the letters and seals, we ought to esteem Baptism much more highly and more precious, because God has commanded it,
and, besides, it is performed in His name. For these are the words, Go ye,
baptize; however, not in your name, but in the name of God.
For to be baptized in the name of God is to be
baptized not by men, but by God Himself. Therefore, although it is performed by
human hands, it is nevertheless truly God's own work. From this fact every one
may himself readily infer that it is a far higher work than any work performed
by a man or a saint. For what work greater than the work of God can we do?
But here the devil is busy to delude us with false
appearances, and lead us away front the work of God to our own works. For there
is a much more splendid appearance when a Carthusian
does many great and difficult works; and we all think much more of that which
we do and merit ourselves. But the Scriptures teach thus: Even though we
collect in one mass the works of all the monks, however splendidly they may shine, they would not be as noble and good as if God should
pick up a straw. Why? Because the person is nobler and better. Here, then, we
must not estimate the person according to the works, but the works according to
the person, from whom they must derive their nobility. But insane reason will
not regard this, and because Baptism does not shine
like the works which we do, it is to be esteemed as nothing.
From this now learn a proper understanding of the subject,
and how to answer the question what Baptism is, namely thus, that it is not
mere ordinary water, but water comprehended in God's Word and command, and
sanctified thereby, so that it is nothing else than a divine water; not that
the water in itself is nobler than other water, but that God's Word and command
are added.
Therefore it is pure wickedness and blasphemy of the devil
that now our new spirits, to mock at Baptism, omit from it God's Word and
institution, and look upon it in no other way than as water which is taken from
the well, and then blather and say: How is a handful of water to help the soul?
Aye, my friend, who does not know that water is water if tearing things asunder
is what we are after? But how dare you thus interfere with God's order, and
tear away the most precious treasure with which God has connected and enclosed
it, and which He will not have separated? For the kernel in the water is God's
Word or command and the name of God, which is a treasure greater and nobler
than heaven and earth.
Comprehend the difference, then, that Baptism is quite
another thing than all other water; not on account of the natural quality but
because something more noble is here added; for God
Himself stakes His honor, His power and might on it. Therefore it is not only
natural water, but a divine, heavenly, holy, and blessed water, and in whatever
other terms we can praise it,--all on account of the
Word, which is a heavenly, holy Word, that no one can sufficiently extol, for
it has, and is able to do, all that God is and can do [since it has all the
virtue and power of God comprised in it]. Hence also it derives its essence as
a Sacrament, as St. Augustine also taught: Accedat verbum ad elementum et
fit sacramentum. That is, when the Word is joined to the element or natural
substance, it becomes a Sacrament, that is, a holy and divine matter and sign.
Therefore we always teach that the Sacraments and all
external things which God ordains and institutes should not be regarded
according to the coarse, external mask, as we regard the shell of a nut, but as
the Word of God is included therein. For thus we also speak of the parental
estate and of civil government. If we propose to regard them in as far as they
have noses, eyes, skin, and hair, flesh and bones, they look like Turks and
heathen, and some one might start up and say: Why should I esteem them more than others? But because the commandment is added: Honor
thy father and thy mother, I behold a different man, adorned and
clothed with the majesty and glory of God. The commandment (I say) is the chain
of gold about his neck, yea, the crown upon his head, which shows to me how and
why one must honor this flesh and blood.
Thus, and much more even, you must
honor Baptism and esteem it glorious on account of the Word, since He Himself
has honored it both by words and deeds; moreover, confirmed it with miracles
from heaven. For do you think it was a jest that, when Christ was baptized, the
heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended visibly, and everything was
divine glory and majesty?
Therefore I exhort again that these two, the water and the
Word, by no means be separated from one another and parted. For if the Word is
separated from it, the water is the same as that with which the servant cooks'
and may indeed be called a bath-keeper's baptism. But when it is added, as God
has ordained, it is a Sacrament, and is called Christ-baptism. Let this be the
first part, regarding the essence and dignity of the holy Sacrament.
In the second place, since we know now what Baptism is, and
how it is to be regarded, we must also learn why and for what purpose it is
instituted, that is, what it profits, gives, and works. And this also we cannot
discern better than from the words of Christ above quoted: He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved. Therefore state it most simply thus, that
the power, work, profit, fruit, and end of Baptism is this, namely, to save.
For no one is baptized in order that he may become a prince, but, as the words
declare, that he be saved. But to be saved, we know, is nothing else than to be
delivered from sin, death, and the devil, and to enter into the kingdom of
Christ, and to live with Him forever.
Here you see again how highly and precious we should esteem
Baptism, because in it we obtain such an unspeakable treasure, which also
indicates sufficiently that it cannot be ordinary mere water. For mere water
could not do such a thing, but the Word does it, and (as said above) the fact
that the name of God is comprehended therein. But where the name of God is,
there must be also life and salvation, that it may indeed be called a divine,
blessed, fruitful, and gracious water; for by the Word such power is imparted
to Baptism that it is a laver of regeneration, as St. Paul also calls it, Titus
3, 5.
But as our would-be wise, new spirits assert that faith
alone saves, and that works and external things avail nothing, we answer: It is
true, indeed, that nothing in us is of any avail but
faith, as we shall hear still further. But these blind guides are unwilling to
see this, namely, that faith must have something which it believes, that is, of
which it takes hold, and upon which it stands and rests. Thus faith clings to
the water, and believes that it is Baptism, in which there is pure salvation
and life; not through the water (as we have sufficiently stated), but through
the fact that it is embodied in the Word and institution of God, and the name
of God inheres in it. Now, if I believe this, what else is it than believing in
God as in Him who has given and planted His Word into this ordinance, and
proposes to us this external thing wherein we may apprehend such a treasure?
Now, they are so mad as to separate faith, and that to which
faith clings and is bound, though it be something external. Yea, it shall and
must be something external, that it may be apprehended by the senses, and
understood and thereby be brought into the heart, as indeed the entire Gospel
is an external, verbal preaching. In short, what God does and works in us He
proposes to work through such external ordinances. Wherever, therefore, He
speaks, yea, in whichever direction or by whatever means He speaks, thither faith
must look, and to that it must hold. Now here we have the words: He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved. To what else do they refer than
to Baptism, that is, to the water comprehended in God's ordinance? Hence it
follows that whoever rejects Baptism rejects the Word of God, faith; and
Christ, who directs us thither and binds us to Baptism.
In the third place, since we have learned the great benefit
and power of Baptism, let us see further who is the person that receives what
Baptism gives and profits. This is again most beautifully and clearly expressed
in the words: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. That is,
faith alone makes the person worthy to receive profitably the saving, divine
water. For, since these blessings are here presented and promised in the words
in and with the water, they cannot be received in any other way than by
believing them with the heart. Without faith it profits nothing,
notwithstanding it is in itself a divine superabundant treasure. Therefore this
single word (He that believeth) effects this much that it excludes and
repels all works which we can do, in the opinion that we obtain and merit
salvation by them. For it is determined that whatever is not faith avails
nothing nor receives anything.
But if they say, as they are accustomed: Still Baptism is
itself a work, and you say works are of no avail for salvation; what, then,
becomes of faith? Answer: Yes, our works, indeed, avail nothing for salvation;
Baptism, however, is not our work, but God's (for, as was stated, you must put
Christ-baptism far away from a bath-keeper's baptism). God's works, however,
are saving and necessary for salvation, and do not exclude, but demand, faith;
for without faith they could not be apprehended. For by suffering the water to
be poured upon you, you have not yet received Baptism in such a manner that it
benefits you anything; but it becomes beneficial to you if you have yourself
baptized with the thought that this is according to God's command and
ordinance, and besides in God's name, in order that you may receive in the
water the promised salvation. Now, this the fist cannot do, nor the body; but
the heart must believe it.
Thus you see plainly that there is here no work done by us,
but a treasure which He gives us, and which faith apprehends; just as the Lord
Jesus Christ upon the cross is not a work, but a treasure comprehended in the
Word, and offered to us and received by faith. Therefore they do us violence by
exclaiming against us as though we preach against faith; while we alone insist
upon it as being of such necessity that without it nothing can be received nor
enjoyed.
Thus we have these three parts which it is necessary to know
concerning this Sacrament, especially that the ordinance of God is to be held
in all honor, which alone would be sufficient, though it be an entirely
external thing, like the commandment, Honor thy father and thy mother,
which refers to bodily flesh and blood. Therein we regard not the flesh and
blood, but the commandment of God in which they are comprehended, and on
account of which the flesh is called father and mother; so also, though we had
no more than these words, Go ye and baptize,
etc., it would be necessary for us to accept and do it as the ordinance of God.
Now there is here not only God's commandment and injunction, but also the
promise, on account of which it is still far more
glorious than whatever else God has commanded and ordained, and is, in short,
so full of consolation and grace that heaven and earth cannot comprehend it.
But it requires skill to believe this, for the treasure is not wanting, but
this is wanting that men apprehend it and hold it firmly.
Therefore every Christian has enough in Baptism to learn and
to practise all his life; for he has always enough to do to believe firmly what
it promises and brings: victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin,
the grace of God, the entire Christ, and the Holy Ghost with His gifts. In
short, it is so transcendent that if timid nature could realize it, it might
well doubt whether it could be true. For consider, if
there were somewhere a physician who understood the art of saving men from
dying, or, even though they died, of restoring them speedily to life, so that
they would thereafter live forever, how the world would pour in money like snow
and rain, so that because of the throng of the rich no one could find access!
But here in Baptism there is brought free to every one's door such a treasure
and medicine as utterly destroys death and preserves all men alive.
Thus we must regard Baptism and make it profitable to
ourselves, that when our sins and conscience oppress us, we strengthen
ourselves and take comfort and say: Nevertheless I am baptized; but if I am
baptized, it is promised me that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both
in soul and body. For that is the reason why these two things are done in
Baptism, namely, that the body, which can apprehend nothing but the water, is
sprinkled, and, in addition, the word is spoken for the soul to apprehend. Now,
since both, the water and the Word, are one Baptism, therefore body and soul
must be saved and live forever: the soul through the Word which it believes,
but the body because it is united with the soul and also apprehends Baptism as
it is able to apprehend it. We have, therefore, no greater jewel in body and
soul, for by it we are made holy and are saved, which
no other kind of life, no work upon earth, can attain.
Let this suffice respecting the nature, blessing, and use of
Baptism, for it answers the present purpose.
Of
Infant Baptism
Here a question occurs by which the devil, through his
sects, confuses the world, namely, Of Infant Baptism, whether children
also believe, and are justly baptized. Concerning this we say briefly: Let the
simple dismiss this question from their minds, and refer it to the learned. But
if you wish to answer, then answer thus:--
That the Baptism of infants is pleasing to Christ is
sufficiently proved from His own work, namely, that God sanctifies many of them
who have been thus baptized, and has given them the Holy Ghost; and that there
are yet many even to-day in whom we perceive that they have the Holy Ghost both
because of their doctrine and life; as it is also given to us by the grace of
God that we can explain the Scriptures and come to the knowledge of Christ,
which is impossible without the Holy Ghost. But if God did not accept the
baptism of infants, He would not give the Holy Ghost
nor any of His gifts to any of them; in short, during this long time unto this
day no man upon earth could have been a Christian. Now, since God confirms
Baptism by the gifts of His Holy Ghost, as is plainly perceptible in some of
the church fathers, as St. Bernard, Gerson, John Hus, and others, who were
baptized in infancy, and since the holy Christian Church cannot perish until
the end of the world, they must acknowledge that such infant baptism is
pleasing to God. For He can never be opposed to Himself, or support falsehood
and wickedness, or for its promotion impart His grace and Spirit. This is
indeed the best and strongest proof for the simple-minded and unlearned. For
they shall not take from us or overthrow this article: I believe a holy
Christian Church, the communion of saints.
Further, we say that we are not so much concerned to know
whether the person baptized believes or not; for on that account Baptism does
not become invalid; but everything depends upon the Word and command of God.
This now is perhaps somewhat acute, but it rests entirely upon what I have
said, that Baptism is nothing else than water and the Word of God in and with
each other, that is, when the Word is added to the water, Baptism is valid,
even though faith be wanting. For my faith does not make Baptism, but receives
it. Now, Baptism does not become invalid even though it be wrongly received or
employed; since it is not bound (as stated) to our faith, but to the Word.
For even though a Jew should to-day come dishonestly and
with evil purpose, and we should baptize him in all good faith, we must say
that his baptism is nevertheless genuine. For here is the water together with
the Word of God, even though he does not receive it as he should, just as those
who unworthily go to the Sacrament receive the true
Sacrament, even though they do not believe.
Thus you see that the objection of the sectarians is vain.
For (as we have said) even though infants did not believe, which, however, is
not the case, yet their baptism as now shown would be valid, and no one should
rebaptize them; just as nothing is detracted from the Sacrament though some one
approach it with evil purpose, and he could not be allowed on account of his
abuse to take it a second time the selfsame hour, as though he had not received
the true Sacrament at first; for that would mean to
blaspheme and profane the Sacrament in the worst manner. How dare we think that
God's Word and ordinance should be wrong and invalid because we make a wrong
use of it?
Therefore I say, if you did not believe then believe now and
say thus: The baptism indeed was right, but I, alas! did not
receive it aright. For I myself also, and all who are baptized, must
speak thus before God: I come hither in my faith and in that of others, yet I
cannot rest in this, that I believe, and that many people pray for me; but in
this I rest, that it is Thy Word and command. Just as I go to the Sacrament
trusting not in my faith, but in the Word of Christ; whether I am strong or
weak, that I commit to God. But this I know, that He bids me go, eat and drink,
etc., and gives me His body and blood; that will not deceive me or prove false
to me.
Thus we do also in infant baptism. We bring the child in the
conviction and hope that it believes, and we pray that God may grant it faith;
but we do not baptize it upon that, but solely upon the command of God. Why so?
Because we know that God does not lie. I and my neighbor and, in short, all
men, may err and deceive, but the Word of God cannot err.
Therefore they are presumptuous, clumsy minds that draw such
inferences and conclusions as these: Where there is not the true
faith, there also can be no true Baptism. Just as if I would infer: If I do not
believe, then Christ is nothing; or thus: If I am not obedient, then father,
mother, and government are nothing. Is that a correct conclusion, that whenever
any one does not do what he ought, the thing in itself shall be nothing and of
no value? My dear, just invert the argument and rather draw this inference: For
this very reason Baptism is something and is right, because it has been wrongly
received. For if it were not right and true in itself,
it could not be misused nor sinned against. The saying is: Abusus non
tollit, sed confirmat substantiam, Abuse does not destroy the essence, but
confirms it. For gold is not the less gold though a harlot wear it in sin and
shame.
Therefore let it be decided that Baptism always remains true, retains its full essence, even though a single person
should be baptized, and he, in addition, should not believe truly. For God's
ordinance and Word cannot be made variable or be
altered by men. But these people, the fanatics, are so blinded that they do not
see the Word and command of God, and regard Baptism and the magistrates only as
they regard water in the brook or in pots, or as any other man; and because
they do not see faith nor obedience, they conclude that they are to be regarded
as invalid. Here lurks a concealed seditious devil, who would like to tear the
crown from the head of authority and then trample it under foot, and, in
addition, pervert and bring to naught all the works and ordinances of God.
Therefore we must be watchful and well armed, and not allow ourselves to be
directed nor turned away from the Word, in order that we may not regard Baptism
as a mere empty sign, as the fanatics dream.
Lastly, we must also know what Baptism signifies, and why
God has ordained just such external sign and ceremony for the Sacrament by
which we are first received into the Christian Church. But the act or ceremony
is this, that we are sunk under the water, which passes over us, and afterwards
are drawn out again. These two parts, to be sunk under the water and drawn out
again, signify the power and operation of Baptism, which is nothing else than
putting to death the old Adam, and after that the resurrection of the new man,
both of which must take place in us all our lives, so that a truly Christian
life is nothing else than a daily baptism, once begun and ever to be continued.
For this must be practised without ceasing, that we ever keep purging away
whatever is of the old Adam, and that that which belongs to the new man come
forth. But what is the old man? It is that which is born in us from Adam,
angry, hateful, envious, unchaste, stingy, lazy, haughty, yea, unbelieving,
infected with all vices, and having by nature nothing good in it. Now, when we
are come into the kingdom of Christ, these things must daily decrease, that the
longer we live we become more gentle, more patient,
more meek, and ever withdraw more and more from unbelief, avarice, hatred,
envy, haughtiness.
This is the true use of Baptism
among Christians, as signified by baptizing with water. Where this, therefore,
is not practised, but the old man is left unbridled, so as to continually
become stronger, that is not using Baptism, but striving against Baptism. For
those who are without Christ cannot but daily become worse, according to the
proverb which expresses the truth, "Worse and worse--the longer, the
worse." If a year ago one was proud and avaricious, then he is much
prouder and more avaricious this year, so that the
vice grows and increases with him from his youth up. A young child has no
special vice; but when it grows up, it becomes unchaste and impure, and when it
reaches maturity, real vices begin to prevail the longer, the more.
Therefore the old man goes unrestrained in his nature if he is
not checked and suppressed by the power of Baptism. On the other hand, where
men have become Christians, he daily decreases until he finally perishes. That
is truly to be buried in Baptism, and daily to come forth again. Therefore the
external sign is appointed not only for a powerful effect, but also for a
signification. Where, therefore, faith flourishes with its fruits, there it has
no empty signification, but the work [of mortifying the flesh] accompanies it;
but where faith is wanting, it remains a mere unfruitful sign.
And here you see that Baptism, both in its power and
signification, comprehends also the third Sacrament, which has been called
repentance, as it is really nothing else than Baptism. For what else is
repentance but an earnest attack upon the old man [that his lusts be
restrained] and entering upon a new life? Therefore, if you live in repentance,
you walk in Baptism, which not only signifies such a new life, but also
produces, begins, and exercises it. For therein are given grace, the Spirit,
and power to suppress the old man, so that the new man may come forth and
become strong.
Therefore our Baptism abides forever; and even though some
one should fall from it and sin,
nevertheless we always have access thereto, that we may again subdue the old
man. But we need not again be sprinkled with water; for though we were put
under the water a hundred times, it would nevertheless be only one Baptism,
although the operation and signification continue and remain. Repentance,
therefore, is nothing else than a return and approach to Baptism, that we
repeat and practise what we began before, but abandoned.
This I say lest we fall into the opinion in which we were
for a long time, imagining that our Baptism is something past, which we can no
longer use after we have fallen again into sin. The reason is, that it is
regarded only according to the external act once performed [and completed]. And
this arose from the fact that St. Jerome wrote that repentance is the second
plank by which we must swim forth and cross over after the ship is broken, on
which we step and are carried across when we come into the Christian Church.
Thereby the use of Baptism has been abolished so that it can profit us no
longer. Therefore the statement is not correct, or at any rate not rightly
understood. For the ship never breaks, because (as we have said) it is the
ordinance of God, and not a work of ours; but it happens, indeed, that we slip
and fall out of the ship. Yet if any one fall out, let him see to it that he
swim up and cling to it till he again come into it and live in it, as he had
formerly begun.
Thus it appears what a great, excellent thing Baptism is,
which delivers us from the jaws of the devil and makes us God's own, suppresses
and takes away sin, and then daily strengthens the new man; and is and remains
ever efficacious until we pass from this estate of misery to eternal glory.
For this reason let every one esteem his Baptism as a daily
dress in which he is to walk constantly, that he may ever be found in the faith
and its fruits, that he suppress the old man and grow up in the new. For if we
would be Christians, we must practise the work whereby we are Christians. But
if any one fall away from it, let him again come into it. For just as Christ,
the Mercy-seat, does not recede from us or forbid us to come to Him again, even
though we sin, so all His treasure and gifts also remain. If, therefore, we
have once in Baptism obtained forgiveness of sin, it will remain every day, as
long as we live, that is, as long as we carry the old man about our neck.
Part Fifth
OF THE
SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR
In the same manner as we have heard regarding Holy Baptism,
we must speak also concerning the other Sacrament, namely, these three points:
What is it? What are its benefits? and, Who is to receive it? And all these are
established by the words by which Christ has instituted it, and which every one
who desires to be a Christian and go to the Sacrament should know. For it is
not our intention to admit to it and to administer it to those who know not
what they seek, or why they come. The words, however, are these:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was
betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to
His disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you:
this do in remembrance of Me.
After the same manner also He took the cup when He had
supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; this cup
is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of
sins: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.
Here also we do not wish to enter into controversy and
contend with the traducers and blasphemers of this Sacrament, but to learn
first (as we did regarding Baptism) what is of the greatest importance, namely,
that the chief point is the Word and ordinance or command of God. For it has
not been invented nor introduced by any man, but with out any one's counsel and
deliberation it has been instituted by Christ. Therefore, just as the Ten
Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed retain their nature and worth,
although you never keep, pray, or believe them, so also does this venerable
Sacrament remain undisturbed, so that nothing is detracted or taken from it,
even though we employ and dispense it unworthily. What do you think God cares
about what we do or believe, so that on that account He should suffer His
ordinance to be changed? Why, in all worldly matters every thing remains as God
has created and ordered it, no matter how we employ or use it. This must always
be urged, for thereby the prating of nearly all the fanatical spirits can be
repelled. For they regard the Sacraments, aside from the Word of God, as
something that we do.
Now, what is the
Sacrament of the Altar?
Answer: It is the true body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine which we
Christians are commanded by the Word of Christ to eat and to drink. And as
we have said of Baptism that it is not simple water, so here also we say the
Sacrament is bread and wine, but not mere bread and wine, such as are
ordinarily served at the table, but bread and wine comprehended in, and
connected with, the Word of God.
It is the Word (I say) which makes and distinguishes this
Sacrament, so that it is not mere bread and wine, but is, and is called, the
body and blood of Christ. For it is said: Accedat verbum ad elementum, et
fit sacramentum. If the Word be joined to the element, it becomes a
Sacrament. This saying of St. Augustine is so properly and so well put that
he has scarcely said anything better. The Word must make a Sacrament of the
element, else it remains a mere element. Now, it is not the word or ordinance
of a prince or emperor, but of the sublime Majesty, at whose feet all creatures
should fall, and affirm it is as He says, and accept it with all reverence,
fear, and humility.
With this Word you can strengthen your conscience and say:
If a hundred thousand devils, together with all fanatics, should rush forward,
crying, How can bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ? etc., I know
that all spirits and scholars together are not as wise as is the Divine Majesty
in His little finger. Now here stands the Word of Christ: Take, eat;
this is My body; Drink ye all of it; this is the new testament in My blood,
etc. Here we abide, and would like to see those who will constitute themselves
His masters, and make it different from what He has spoken. It is true, indeed, that if you take away the Word or regard it
without the words, you have nothing but mere bread and wine. But if the words
remain with them, as they shall and must, then, in virtue of the same, it is
truly the body and blood of Christ. For as the lips of Christ say and speak, so
it is, as He can never lie or deceive.
Hence it is easy to reply to all manner of questions about
which men are troubled at the present time, such as this one: Whether even a
wicked priest can minister at, and dispense, the Sacrament, and whatever other
questions like this there may be. For here we conclude and say: Even though a
knave takes or distributes the Sacrament, he receives the true
Sacrament, that is, the true body and blood of Christ, just as truly as he who
[receives or] administers it in the most worthy manner. For it is not founded
upon the holiness of men, but upon the Word of God. And as no saint upon earth,
yea, no angel in heaven, can make bread and wine to be the body and blood of
Christ, so also can no one change or alter it, even though it be misused. For
the Word by which it became a Sacrament and was instituted does not become
false because of the person or his unbelief. For He does not say: If you
believe or are worthy, you receive My body and blood, but: Take, eat
and drink; this is My body and blood. Likewise: Do this (namely,
what I now do, institute, give, and bid you take). That is as much as to say,
No matter whether you are worthy or unworthy, you have here His body and blood
by virtue of these words which are added to the bread and wine. Only note and
remember this well; for upon these words rest all our foundation, protection,
and defense against all errors and deception that have ever come or may yet
come.
Thus we have briefly the first point which relates to the
essence of this Sacrament. Now examine further the efficacy and benefits on
account of which really the Sacrament was instituted; which is also its most
necessary part, that we may know what we should seek and obtain there. Now this
is plain and clear from the words just mentioned: This is My body and blood,
given and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Briefly that
is as much as to say: For this reason we go to the Sacrament because there we
receive such a treasure by and in which we obtain forgiveness of sins. Why so?
Because the words stand here and give us this; for on
this account He bids me eat and drink, that it may be my own and may benefit
me, as a sure pledge and token, yea, the very same treasure that is appointed
for me against my sins, death, and every calamity.
On this account it is indeed called a food of souls, which
nourishes and strengthens the new man. For by Baptism we are first born anew;
but (as we said before) there still remains, besides, the old vicious nature of
flesh and blood in man, and there are so many hindrances and temptations of the
devil and of the world that we often become weary and faint, and sometimes also
stumble.
Therefore it is given for a daily pasture and sustenance,
that faith may refresh and strengthen itself so as not to fall back in such a
battle, but become ever stronger and stronger. For the new life must be so
regulated that it continually increase and progress; but it must suffer much
opposition. For the devil is such a furious enemy that when he sees that we
oppose him and attack the old man, and that he cannot topple us over by force,
he prowls and moves about on all sides, tries all devices, and does not desist,
until he finally wearies us, so that we either renounce our faith or yield
hands and feet and become listless or impatient. Now to this end the consolation
is here given when the heart feels that the burden is becoming too heavy, that
it may here obtain new power and refreshment.
But here our wise spirits contort themselves with their
great art and wisdom, crying out and bawling: How can bread and wine forgive sins or strengthen faith? Although they hear and
know that we do not say this of bread and wine, because in itself bread is
bread, but of such bread and wine as is the body and blood of Christ, and has
the words attached to it. That, we say, is verily the treasure, and nothing
else, through which such forgiveness is obtained. Now the only way in which it
is conveyed and appropriated to us is in the words (Given and shed for you).
For herein you have both truths, that it is the body and blood of Christ, and
that it is yours as a treasure and gift. Now the body of Christ can never be an
unfruitful, vain thing, that effects or profits nothing. Yet, however great is
the treasure in itself, it must be comprehended in the Word and administered to
us, else we should never be able to know or seek it.
Therefore also it is vain talk when they say that the body
and blood of Christ are not given and shed for us in the Lord's Supper, hence
we could not have forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. For although the work
is accomplished and the forgiveness of sins acquired on the cross, yet it
cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. For what would we
otherwise know about it, that such a thing was accomplished or was to be given
us if it were not presented by preaching or the oral Word? Whence do they know
of it, or how can they apprehend and appropriate to themselves the forgiveness,
except they lay hold of and believe the Scriptures and the Gospel? But now the
entire Gospel and the article of the Creed: I believe a holy Christian
Church, the forgiveness of sin, etc., are by the Word embodied in
this Sacrament and presented to us. Why, then, should we allow this treasure to
be torn from the Sacrament when they must confess that these are the very words
which we hear every where in the Gospel, and they cannot say that these words
in the Sacrament are of no use, as little as they dare say that the entire
Gospel or Word of God, apart from the Sacrament, is of no use?
Thus we have the entire Sacrament, both as to what it is in
itself and as to what it brings and profits. Now we must also see who is the
person that receives this power and benefit. That is answered briefly, as we
said above of Baptism and often elsewhere: Whoever believes it has what the
words declare and bring. For they are not spoken or proclaimed to stone and
wood, but to those who hear them, to whom He says: Take and eat, etc.
And because He offers and promises forgiveness of sin, it cannot be received
otherwise than by faith. This faith He Himself demands in the Word when He
says: Given and shed for you. As if He said: For this reason I give it,
and bid you eat and drink, that you may claim it as yours and enjoy it. Whoever
now accepts these words, and believes that what they declare is true, has it. But whoever does not believe it has nothing,
as he allows it to be offered to him in vain, and refuses to enjoy such a
saving good. The treasure, indeed, is opened and placed at every one's door,
yea, upon his table, but it is necessary that you also claim it, and
confidently view it as the words suggest to you This, now, is the entire
Christian preparation for receiving this Sacrament worthily. For since this
treasure is entirely presented in the words, it cannot be apprehended and
appropriated in any other way than with the heart. For such a gift and eternal
treasure cannot be seized with the fist. Fasting and prayer, etc., may indeed
be an external preparation and discipline for children, that the body may keep
and bear itself modestly and reverently towards the body and blood of Christ;
yet what is given in and with it the body cannot seize and appropriate. But
this is done by the faith of the heart, which discerns this treasure and
desires it. This may suffice for what is necessary as a general instruction
respecting this Sacrament; for what is further to be said of it belongs to
another time.
In conclusion, since we have now the true
understanding and doctrine of the Sacrament, there is indeed need of some
admonition and exhortation, that men may not let so great a treasure which is
daily administered and distributed among Christians pass by unheeded, that is,
that those who would be Christians make ready to receive this venerable
Sacrament often. For we see that men seem weary and lazy with respect to it;
and there is a great multitude of such as hear the Gospel, and, because the
nonsense of the Pope has been abolished, and we are freed from his laws and
coercion, go one, two, three years, or even longer without the Sacrament, as
though they were such strong Christians that they have no need of it; and some
allow themselves to be prevented and deterred by the pretense that we have
taught that no one should approach it except those who feel hunger and thirst,
which urge them to it. Some pretend that it is a matter of liberty and not
necessary, and that it is sufficient to believe without it; and thus for the
most part they go so far that they become quite brutish, and finally despise
both the Sacrament and the Word of God.
Now, it is true, as we have said,
that no one should by any means be coerced or compelled, lest we institute a
new murdering of souls. Nevertheless, it must be known that such people as
deprive themselves of, and withdraw from, the Sacrament so long a time are not
to be considered Christians. For Christ has not instituted it to be treated as
a show, but has commanded His Christians to eat and drink it, and thereby
remember Him.
And, indeed, those who are true
Christians and esteem the Sacrament precious and holy will urge and impel
themselves unto it. Yet that the simple-minded and the weak who also would like
to be Christians be the more incited to consider the
cause and need which ought to impel them, we will treat somewhat of this point.
For as in other matters pertaining to faith, love, and patience, it is not
enough to teach and instruct only, but there is need also of daily exhortation,
so here also there is need of continuing to preach that men may not become
weary and disgusted, since we know and feel how the devil always opposes this
and every Christian exercise, and drives and deters therefrom as much as he
can.
And we have, in the first place, the clear text in the very
words of Christ: Do this in remembrance of Me. These are bidding and
commanding words by which all who would be Christians are enjoined to partake
of this Sacrament. Therefore, whoever would be a disciple of Christ, with whom
He here speaks, must also consider and observe this, not from compulsion, as
being forced by men, but in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to please
Him. However, if you say: But the words are added, As oft as ye do it;
there He compels no one, but leaves it to our free choice, answer: That is true, yet it is not written that we should never do so. Yea,
just because He speaks the words, As oft as ye do it, it is nevertheless
implied that we should do it often; and it is added for the reason that He
wishes to have the Sacrament free, not limited to special times, like the
Passover of the Jews, which they were obliged to eat only once a year, and that
just upon the fourteenth day of the first full moon in the evening, and which
they must not vary a day. As if He would say by these words: I institute a
Passover or Supper for you which you shall enjoy not only once a year, just
upon this evening, but often, when and where you will, according to every one's
opportunity and necessity, bound to no place or appointed time; although the
Pope afterwards perverted it, and again made a Jewish
feast of it.
Thus, you perceive, it is not left free in the sense that we
may despise it. For that I call despising it if one allow so long a time to
elapse and with nothing to hinder him yet never feels a desire for it. if you
wish such liberty, you may just as well have the liberty to be no Christian,
and neither have to believe nor pray; for the one is just as much the command
of Christ as the other. But if you wish to be a Christian, you must from time
to time render satisfaction and obedience to this commandment. For this
commandment ought ever to move you to examine yourself and to think: See, what
sort of a Christian I am! If I were one, I would certainly have some little
longing for that which my Lord has commanded [me] to do.
And, indeed, since we act such strangers to it, it is easily
seen what sort of Christians we were under the Papacy, namely, that we went
from mere compulsion and fear of human commandments, without inclination and
love, and never regarded the commandment of Christ. But we neither force nor
compel any one; nor need any one do it to serve or please us. But this should
induce and constrain you by itself, that He desires it and that it is pleasing
to Him. You must not suffer men to coerce you unto faith or any good work. We
are doing no more than to say and exhort you as to what you ought to do, not
for our sake, but for your own sake. He invites and allures you; if you despise
it, you must answer for it yourself.
Now, this is to be the first point, especially for those who
are cold and indifferent, that they may reflect upon and rouse themselves. For
this is certainly true, as I have found in my own
experience, and as every one will find in his own case, that if a person thus
withdraw from this Sacrament, he will daily become more and more callous and
cold, and will at last disregard it altogether. To avoid this, we must, indeed,
examine heart and conscience, and act like a person who desires to be right
with God. Now, the more this is done, the more will
the heart be warmed and enkindled, that it may not become entirely cold.
But if you say: How if I feel that I am not prepared?
Answer: That is also my scruple, especially from the old way under the Pope, in
which a person tortured himself to be so perfectly pure that God could not find
the least blemish in us. On this account we became so timid that every one was
instantly thrown into consternation and said to himself: Alas! you are unworthy! For then nature and reason begin to reckon
our unworthiness in comparison with the great and precious good; and then it
appears like a dark lantern in contrast with the bright sun, or as filth in
comparison with precious stones. Because nature and reason see this, they
refuse to approach and tarry until they are prepared, so long that one week
trails another, and one half year the other. But if you are to regard how good
and pure you are, and labor to have no compunctions, you must never approach.
We must, therefore, make a distinction here among men. For
those who are wanton and dissolute must be told to stay away; for they are not
prepared to receive forgiveness of sin, since they do not desire it and do not
wish to be godly. But the others, who are not such callous and wicked people,
and desire to be godly, must not absent themselves, even though otherwise they
be feeble and full of infirmities, as St. Hilary also has said: If any one
have not committed sin for which he can rightly be put out of the congregation
and esteemed as no Christian, he ought not stay away from the Sacrament,
lest he may deprive himself of life. For no one will make such progress
that he will not retain many daily infirmities in flesh and blood.
Therefore such people must learn that it is the highest art
to know that our Sacrament does not depend upon our worthiness. For we are not
baptized because we are worthy and holy, nor do we go to confession because we
are pure and without sin, but the contrary, because we are poor miserable men,
and just because we are unworthy; unless it be some one who desires no grace
and absolution nor intends to reform.
But whoever would gladly obtain grace and consolation should
impel himself, and allow no one to frighten him away, but say: I, indeed, would
like to be worthy; but I come, not upon any worthiness, but upon Thy Word,
because Thou hast commanded it, as one who would gladly be Thy disciple, no matter
what becomes of my worthiness. But this is difficult; for we always have this
obstacle and hindrance to encounter, that we look more
upon ourselves than upon the Word and lips of Christ. For nature desires so to
act that it can stand and rest firmly on itself, otherwise it refuses to make
the approach. Let this suffice concerning the first point.
In the second place, there is besides this command also a
promise, as we heard above, which ought most strongly to incite and encourage
us. For here stand the kind and precious words: This is My body, given
for you. This is My blood, shed for you, for the remission of
sins. These words, I have said, are not preached to wood and stone, but to
me and you; else He might just as well be silent and not institute a Sacrament.
Therefore consider, and put yourself into this You, that He may not speak to
you in vain.
For here He offers to us the entire treasure which He has
brought for us from heaven, and to which He invites us also in other places
with the greatest kindness, as when He says in St. Matthew 11, 28: Come unto
Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Now it is surely a sin and a shame that He so cordially and
faithfully summons and exhorts us to our highest and greatest good, and we act
so distantly with regard to it, and permit so long a time to pass [without
partaking of the Sacrament] that we grow quite cold and hardened, so that we
have no inclination or love for it. We must never regard the Sacrament as
something injurious from which we had better flee, but as a pure, wholesome,
comforting remedy imparting salvation and comfort, which will cure you and give you life both in soul and body. For where the soul has
recovered, the body also is relieved. Why, then, is it that we act as if it
were a poison, the eating of which would bring death?
To be sure, it is true that those
who despise it and live in an unchristian manner receive it to their hurt and
damnation; for nothing shall be good or wholesome to them, just as with a sick
person who from caprice eats and drinks what is forbidden him by the physician.
But those who are sensible of their weakness, desire to be rid of it and long
for help, should regard and use it only as a precious antidote against the
poison which they have in them. For here in the Sacrament you are to receive
from the lips of Christ forgiveness of sin, which contains and brings with it
the grace of God and the Spirit with all His gifts, protection, shelter, and
power against death and the devil and all misfortune.
Thus you have, on the part of God, both the command and the
promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides this, on your part, your own distress
which is about your neck, and because of which this command, invitation, and
promise are given, ought to impel you. For He Himself says: They that be
whole, need not a physician, but they that be sick; that is,
those who are weary and heavy-laden with their sins, with the fear of death,
temptations of the flesh and of the devil. If, therefore, you are heavy-laden and
feel your weakness, then go joyfully to this Sacrament and obtain refreshment,
consolation, and strength. For if you would wait until you are rid of such
burdens, that you might come to the Sacrament pure and worthy, you must forever
stay away. For in that case He pronounces sentence and says: If you are pure
and godly, you have no need of Me, and I, in turn, none of thee. Therefore
those alone are called unworthy who neither feel their infirmities nor wish to
be considered sinners.
But if you say: What, then, shall I do if I cannot feel such
distress or experience hunger and thirst for the Sacrament? Answer: For those
who are so minded that they do not realize their condition I know no better
counsel than that they put their hand into their bosom to ascertain whether
they also have flesh and blood. And if you find that to be the case, then go,
for your good, to St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, and hear what sort of a
fruit your flesh is: Now the works of the flesh (he
says [Gal. 5, 19ff ]) are manifest, which are these: Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revelings, and such like.
Therefore, if you cannot feel it, at least believe the
Scriptures; they will not lie to you, and they know your flesh better than you
yourself. Yea, St. Paul further concludes in Rom. 7, 18: I know that in me,
that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. If St. Paul
may speak thus of his flesh, we do not propose to be better nor more holy. But that we do not feel it is so much the worse;
for it is a sign that there is a leprous flesh which feels nothing, and yet
[the leprosy] rages and keeps spreading. Yet, as we have said, if you are quite
dead to all sensibility, still believe the Scriptures, which pronounce sentence
upon you. And, in short, the less you feel your sins and infirmities, the more reason have you to go to the Sacrament to seek help and
a remedy.
In the second place, look about you and see whether you are
also in the world, or if you do not know it, ask your neighbors about it. If
you are in the world, do not think that there will be lack of sins and misery.
For only begin to act as though you would be godly and adhere to the Gospel,
and see whether no one will become your enemy, and, moreover, do you harm,
wrong, and violence, and likewise give you cause for
sin and vice. If you have not experienced it, then let the Scriptures tell you,
which everywhere give this praise and testimony to the
world.
Besides this, you will also have the devil about you, whom
you will not entirely tread under foot, because our Lord Christ Himself could
not entirely avoid him. Now, what is the devil? Nothing else than what the
Scriptures call him, a liar and murderer. A liar, to lead the heart astray from
the Word of God, and to blind it, that you cannot feel your distress or come to
Christ. A murderer, who cannot bear to see you live one single hour. If you
could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment aimed at you, you
would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as possible. But there is no
reason why we walk so securely and heedlessly, except that we neither think nor
believe that we are in the flesh, and in this wicked world or in the kingdom of
the devil.
Therefore, try this and practise it well, and do but examine
yourself, or look about you a little, and only keep to the Scriptures. If even
then you still feel nothing, you have so much the more
misery to lament both to God and to your brother. Then take advice and have
others pray for you, and do not desist until the stone be removed from your
heart. Then, indeed, the distress will not fail to become manifest, and you
will find that you have sunk twice as deep as any other poor sinner, and are
much more in need of the Sacrament against the misery
which unfortunately you do not see, so that, with the grace of God, you may
feel it more and become the more hungry for the Sacrament, especially since the
devil plies his force against you, and lies in wait for you without ceasing to
seize and destroy you, soul and body, so that you are not safe from him one
hour. How soon can he have brought you suddenly into misery and distress when
you least expect it!
Let this, then, be said for exhortation, not only for those
of us who are old and grown, but also for the young people, who ought to be
brought up in the Christian doctrine and understanding. For thereby the Ten
Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer might be the more
easily inculcated to our youth, so that they would receive them with pleasure
and earnestness, and thus would practise them from their youth and accustom
themselves to them. For the old are now well-nigh done for, so that these and
other things cannot be attained, unless we train the people who are to come
after us and succeed us in our office and work, in order that they also may
bring up their children successfully, that the Word of God and the Christian
Church may be preserved. Therefore let every father of a family know that it is
his duty, by the injunction and command of God, to teach these things to his
children, or have them learn what they ought to know. For since they are
baptized and received into the Christian Church, they should also enjoy this
communion of the Sacrament, in order that they may serve us and be useful to
us; for they must all indeed help us to believe, love, pray, and fight against
the devil.
Part Sixth
A BRIEF EXHORTATION TO CONFESSION
A voluntary matter
We have always taught about confession, that it should be freely, and without the
tyranny of the pope, so that we are free from his entire obligation and loose
and release from the intolerable burden and load, which are presented to
Christianity.
Because so far there has been no
more heavy torment, which we all have experienced, than the fact that everyone
was being forced to make confession on pain of the gravest mortal sin. In
addition it was made so troublesome and tormented the consciences with the
obligation to recount all kinds of sin, so that nobody could confessed purely
enough. And the worst of it was that nobody taught nor knew how useful and
comforting confession is, instead of it being sheer anguish and hellish
torture. Everyone had to do it and nevertheless hated it more than anything.
These three pieces are now removed
and given us, so that we do not have to do it out of compulsion and fear and
that we are free from the exact enumerating of all sin. Besides we have the
advantage that we know how to use it salutary to comfort and stabilization of
our conscience.
Abuse of liberty
Unfortunately, men have learned this only too well, acting as if they will never need or desire to go to confession any more. People quickly understands, what is of there own benefit. The comfortable part of the Gospel is easily received. But such beasts (I have said) should not hear the gospel nor have any benefit from it, but should stay under the pope to be tormented so that they had to confess and fast more than ever before.
Those who do not believe the gospel,
and do not want to live and act like Christians, should not have any benefit
from it. It is ridiculous only wanting to have all the benefits but not be
willing to do or give anything in return. Therefore we do not want to preach
for such persons or grant them any part of our liberty, but to leave them to
the Pope to govern them like a real tyrant. Because people who do not want to
obey the gospel, deserve a tormentor who is Gods devil and hangman. But for the
others, who are willing to be guided, we must always preach, exhort, encourage,
and persuade them not to lose this precious and comforting treasure which the
Gospel offers. Therefore we must say something about confession to instruct and
admonish the simple folk.
Different kinds of confession
I have said that in addition to the
confession which we are discussing here (i.e., private) there are two other
kinds, which have an even greater right to be called the Christian’s common
confession. I refer to the practice of confessing to God alone or to our
neighbor alone, begging for forgiveness.
That is also the substance of the
Lord’s Prayer, in which we say: ”Forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.” Yes, the Lord’s Prayer is nothing but such
confession. What else is our prayer, but admitting, what we do not have or do
not do, what we ought to, and a desire for grace and a clear conscience? Such
confession is and must go on without end as long as we live. A Christian’s
whole life actually exists in this, that we recognize ourselves as sinners and
beg for grace.
It is exactly the same thing with
the other confession, which we do before our neighbor – also this is merged in
the Lord’s Prayer that we confess our debt for one another, before we come into
God’s presence to beg for forgiveness. Now we are all together mutual guilty
and therefore we are to confess our guilt before one another in public. No one
should be ashamed, because it goes as in the proverb: ”If one is pious, then everyone wants to be it”, and none of us act
before God and our neighbor as we should.
Besides our universal guilt there is
also a particular one, when a person has provoked another to anger and needs to
beg his pardon.
Thus we have two kinds of absolution
or forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer. Here we receive forgiveness for what we
have done wrong both against God and against our neighbor if we forgive him and
reconcile us with him.
Individual pastoral care
Apart from such public, daily and
necessary confession we also have the confidential confession, which takes
place in a private conversation with another Christian. If there is something
special, which affect us or we are troubled by doubts. Something with we are struggling against and cannot handle alone. If we are feeling weak in faith. Then we can talk with
another Christian to get advice, comfort and strength when and whenever we
want.
This private conversation is not
mentioned in the command like the two other. It is available for everyone, who
needs it, so that he can use it whenever it is necessary. It originates from
the institution, which Christ himself has founded, when he puts the absolution
or pronouncing forgiveness into the mouth of Christianity and has commanded us
to absolve one another from sins in this way. Where there is a heart, which
feels its sin and desires comfort, it has here a safe refuge, where it can find
and hear Gods word. Here God releases us from sin by another person and
pronounce forgiveness
Confession embraces two parts
Note, then, as I have often said,
that confession consists of two parts. The first is my work and act, when I
lament my sin and desire comfort and restoration for my soul. The second is a
work which God does, when He absolves me of my sins through a word placed in
the mouth of a man. This is the surpassingly grand and noble thing that makes
confession so wonderful and comforting.
Until now all the weight has been on
our work that we should confess completely. As though it was a good work, which
one should pay God. If the confession was not done
perfectly and completely, the absolution would not be effective and the sin was
not forgiven. Thus people were driven so far that everyone must have despaired
(over the task), to confess so purely (like it was not at all possible) and no
conscience might have come to the peace or trust in the absolution. In this way
they have not only made the precious confession uselessly for us, but also
troublesome and unpopular with noticeable harming and spoiling for the soul.
We should therefore take care to
keep the two parts clearly separated. We should pay little attention to our own
work but exalt and magnify God’s Word. We should not act as if we wanted to
perform a magnificent work to present for him, but simply to accept and receive
some thing from him. You need not come and say, how good or bad you are. If you
are a Christian, then I already know, if you are not a
Christian, then I know it still more. Rather you should come to complain your
needs and receive assistance, so that you can have a delighted heart and a clear
conscience.
There is no need here to compel
anyone with commands. But we say this: If you are a Christian or want to be it,
then you have a good advice here: Go and get this precious treasure. If you are
not a Christian or if you do not desire such comfort, then we leave you to
another to compel you. Thus we remove the Popes tyranny, command and
compelling, because we do not need it. Because we teach (as said): He, who does
not go to confession willingly and because of the absolution, should stay away.
Yes, also he who goes because he thinks it is a good work and trusts in his
perfect confession, should stay away. We urge you, however, to confess and
express your needs, not for the purpose of performing a work but to hear what
God wishes to say to you. The Word or absolution, I say, is what you should
concentrate on, magnifying and cherishing it as a great and wonderful treasure
to be accepted with all praise and gratitude.
Unclaimed treasure
If all this were clearly explained,
and meanwhile if the needs which ought to move and induce us to confession were
clearly indicated, there would be no need of coercion and force. A man’s own
conscience would impel him and make him so anxious that we would rejoice and
act like a poor, miserable beggar who hears that a rich gift of money or
clothes is to be given out at a certain place; he would need no bailiff to
drive and beat him but would run there as fast as he could so as not to miss
the gift. You should not make a command out of it, so that every beggar was
forced to run there without any other reasons, than because of the command, and
you did not tell him, what to look for and receive. Then he would go with
dislike, when he did not hope to get anything, but just to be exhibited as a
poor and miserable beggar. From this one would not draw much joy or comfort,
but only become the more hostile to the command.
So far the preachers of the Pope
have been silent about the excellent rich present and inexpressible treasure
and only compiled people, so that we should see how impure and dirty we were.
Who could then go to confession with delight? We do not say that you should
look to see how full of filthiness you are, making of you a mirror for
contemplating yourself. Rather we advise: If you are poor and miserable, then
go and make use of the healing medicine. He who feels his misery and needs will
develop such a desire for confession that he will run toward it with joy. But
those who ignore it and do not come of their own accord may walk there one way.
However, they ought to know that we do not regard them as Christians.
Thus we teach what a wonderful,
precious, and comforting thing confession is, and we urge that such a precious
blessing should not be despised, especially when we consider our great need. If
you are a Christian, you need neither by compulsion nor by
the pope’s command at any point, but you will compel yourself and beg me
for the privilege of sharing in it. However, if you despise it and proudly stay
away from confession, then we must come to the conclusion that you are no
Christian and that you ought not to receive the sacrament. For you despise what
no Christian ought to despise, and you show thereby that you can have no
forgiveness of sin. And this is a sure sign that you also despise the Gospel.
In short, we are compelling no one.
But he who does not hear and follow our preaching and exhortation, we do not
want to do with, nor should he have any benefit from the gospel. If you are a
Christian, you should be glad to run more than a hundred miles for confession,
not under compulsion but rather coming and compelling us to offer it. Because
there the obligation must be turned around that we came under the commandment
and you into the liberty. We compel no one to come, but want to be compelled,
just as you compel us to preach and hand the sacrament.
Therefore, when I urge you to go to
confession, I am simply urging you to be a Christian. If I bring you there,
then I also probably brought you to confession. For whoever longs for this that
they gladly be pious Christians and be loosed from their sins and have free
consciences, have the right hunger and thirst. They snap at the bread, as a
hunted deer exhausted by heat and thirst. As Psalm 42 says, ”As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after
thee; O God.” That is, as heavily and anxiously as such a one longs for a
fresh spring, so fearfully and anxiously I long for God’s Word or absolution
and sacrament.
See, that would be accurate
teachings of confession. Then people could feel like going to confession, so
they would come to us and run after us, more than we would like. We will let
the papists torment and trouble themselves and others, who do not care for this treasure, but lock themselves out. But let us raise our
hands and praise and thank God, that we have come to
such a knowledge and grace.
Conclusion
Let this, then, be said for
exhortation, not only for those of us who are old and grown, but also for the
young people, who ought to be brought up in the Christian doctrine and understanding.
For thereby the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer might be the
more easily inculcated to our youth, so that they would receive them with
pleasure and earnestness, and thus would practice them from their youth and
accustom themselves to them. For the old are now well-nigh done for, so that
these and other things cannot be attained, unless we train the people who are
to come after us and succeed us in our office and work, in order that they also
may bring up their children successfully that the Word of God and the Christian
Church may be preserved. Therefore let every father of a family know that it is
his duty by the injunction and command of God, to teach these things to his
children, or have them learn what they ought to know. For since they are
baptized and received into the Christian Church, they should also enjoy this
communion of the Sacrament, in order that they may serve us and be useful to
us; for they must all indeed help us to believe, love, pray, and fight against the
devil.