22. What we have said in regard to sobriety, we must also say relative
to that other virtue--temperance,[2] to which Peter gives first place.
They are mutually related, but temperance respects not only eating and
drinking, but is opposed to all immoderation in outward life--in
clothing, ornament, and so on; to whatever is superfluous, or
excessive; to any extravagant attempt to be greater and better than
others. To such extent has immoderation gained the upper hand in the
world, there is nowhere any limit to expense in the way of household
demands, dress, wedding parties and banquets, in the way of
architecture, and so on, whereby citizens, rulers and the country
itself are impoverished, because no individual longer keeps within
proper bounds. Almost invariably the farmer aspires to equal the
nobleman, while the nobleman would excel the prince. As with sobriety,
so with the virtue of temperance--there is scarce to be found an
example of it in our midst, so completely has self-control, sincerity
and discipline given way.
[Footnote 2: The German text uses the two words "maszig" and
"nichtern," which may be rendered "temperate" and "sober."]
23. At the same time the apostle does not forbid appropriate and
respectable recognition of the things of physical well-being, in
keeping with each individual's station in life, even including things
ministering pleasure and joy. For Peter would not have filthy, rusty,
greasy monks nor sour-faced saints, with the hypocrisy and show of
their simulated austere and peculiar lives, wherein they honor not
their bodies, as Paul says (Col 2, 23), but are ever ready to judge
and condemn other people--the maiden, for instance, who chances to
join in a dance or wears a red dress. If you are a Christian in other
respects, God will easily allow you to dress and to adorn yourself,
and to live with comfort, even to enjoy honor and considerable
pleasure, so long as you keep within proper bounds; you should,
however, not go beyond the limits of temperance and moderation. In
other words, do not overreach propriety and self-restraint, regardless
of real pleasure, in the endeavor to show off in excessive and
unprofitable squandering. Such conduct results in confusion and
trouble--chastisement sent of God; in taxes, extortion, robbing and
stealing, until finally lords and subjects are ruined together.
"Above all things being fervent in your love [have fervent charity]
among yourselves; for love [charity] covereth a multitude of sins."
24. In the foregoing part of the text, Peter admonishes Christians
concerning their obligations to themselves; here he tells what is to
be their conduct toward others. He embraces all the good works named
in the second table of the commandments as obligations we owe to our
neighbor, in the little but forcible and comprehensive
phrase--"fervent in your love." This virtue, too, is incumbent on the
Christian who must contend against the devil and pray. For prayer is
hindered where love and harmony are displaced by wrath and ill-will.
The Lord's Prayer teaches: "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors."
How can they pray one for another who feel no interest in a neighbor's
wants, who rather are enemies, entertaining no good will toward one
another? Where hearts are inflamed with hatred toward men, prayer has
ceased; it is extinguished. Hence, antichristians and all popedom,
however holy their appearance, cannot pray while enemies to the Word
of God and persecutors of Christians. He who repeats the Lord's Prayer
while indulging wrath, envy and hatred, censures his own lips; he
condemns his own prayer when he seeks forgiveness from God but does
not think of forgiving his neighbor.
25. With Christians there must be, not merely natural human affection
such as exists even among heathen, but ardent, fervent love; not the
mere appearance of love, the smoke--false, hypocritical love, as Paul
calls it (Rom 12, 9)--but real fervor and fire, which consent not to
be easily extinguished, but which endure like the love between husband
and wife, or the love of parents for children. True conjugal and
parental love is not easily quenched, even though the object of its
affection be weak, diseased or dangerously ill. Rather the greater the
need and the danger of one individual, the more is the heart of the
other moved and the brighter does love burn.
26. Such sincere love, as the apostle elsewhere styles it, must exist
among Christians who are all children of one Father in heaven and
brothers and sisters. Indeed, they are under obligation to love even
their enemies--who are human beings of the same flesh and blood--and
to wish no one evil but rather to serve all wherever possible. This
love is the beautiful red robe for the adornment of Christians,
supplementing the pure white garment of faith received in baptism. It
is to be worn in obedience to the example of Christ, who for us, even
while we were enemies, wore the same red garment of love when he was
sprinkled with his own blood. It was then he burned with the intense
fire of ineffable and most exalted love.
27. The apostles were moved to admonitions of this character because
they clearly perceived the great weakness and imperfection bound to
exist among Christians even in their outward lives. They knew that no
one could, in his everyday life among men, live so discreetly as not
at some time or other, by word, gesture or act, to give offense to
someone, moving him to anger. Such perfection of life is found in no
family, not even with husband and wife. The case is the same as in the
human body: one member frequently comes in conflict with another; a
man may inadvertently bite his tongue or scratch his face. He who
would be a saint so stern and selfish as to endure no evil words or
acts, and to excuse no imperfections, is unfit to dwell among men. He
knows nothing of Christian love, and can neither believe nor put into
practice the article of the Creed concerning the forgiveness of sins.
28. So the Christian's fire of love must be characterized, not by a
dull, cold red, but by a warm scarlet--according to the Scriptures (Ex
26, 1), "Coccum bis tinctam" (rose-red). This love retains its fire
and is really true, having which the Christian is not easily
disheartened and overcome by wrath, impatience and revenge, but to a
certain extent is able to endure and tolerate attacks upon himself
calculated to distress. It manifests itself more strongly in suffering
and enduring than in action.
29. Therefore, Peter extols such love, declaring it to be a virtue
potent not only to bear but to cover "a multitude of sins." This
statement he introduces from the Proverbs of Solomon (ch. 10, 12). The
Papists, however, pervert its meaning, explaining it in a way at
variance with the doctrine of faith; they make of love to one's
neighbor a work or virtue having merit with God. It is their desire to
draw the conclusion that for the sake of our love our sins are
covered; that is, forgiven and exterminated. But we shall not notice
the dolts. It is clear enough from the text that reference is to
hatred and love received from men; our own sins are not intended here,
but the transgressions of others. To cover our sins in the sight of
God, yet other love is requisite--the love of the Son of God, who
alone is the bearer of sins in God's sight, and who, as John the
Baptist says, takes away, bearing them upon his own shoulders, the
sins of the whole world, including our own. And the example of his
love teaches that we, too, should in love cheerfully bear and freely
forgive the sins of others against us.
30. Solomon contrasts the two opposing principles of envious hatred
and love, and shows the effect of each. "Hatred," he says, "stirreth
up strifes; but love covereth all transgressions." Where hatred and
enmity dwell in the heart, they must inevitably stir up strife and
bring misfortune. Animosity cannot restrain itself. It either bursts
out in pernicious language clandestinely uttered against the object of
enmity, or it openly demeans itself in a manner indicating its ill
will. Hence follow reveling, cursing, quarreling and fighting, and,
when wholly unrestrained, cruelty and murder.
These things are due to the fact that the eyes of Younker Hate are so
blinded by scorn and venom that he can see only evil in every man with
whom he comes in contact; and when he actually finds it he will not
let it alone, but stirs it, roots and frets in it, as the hog roots
with defiled snout in offensive filth. "You must have viewed your
neighbor from behind," we say when one can speak and think only the
worst of a neighbor though he may have many good traits. Hate really
desires only that everyone be an enemy to his neighbor and speak the
worst about him, and if he hears aught in his neighbor's favor, he
puts upon it the very worst construction, with the result that the
other party is embittered and in turn comes to hate, curse and revile.
Thus the fire burns until only discord and mischief can obtain.
31. But on the other hand, as Solomon tells us, Love is a virtue pure
and precious. It neither utters nor thinks any evil of its neighbor.
Rather, it covers sin; not one sin, nor two, but "a multitude of
sins"--great masses of them, forests and seas of sin, as it were. That
is, love has no desire to reflect itself in a neighbor's sins and
maliciously rejoice in them. It conducts itself as having neither seen
nor heard them. Or, if they cannot be overlooked, it readily forgives,
and so far as possible mends matters. Where nothing else can be done,
it endures the sins of a neighbor without stirring up strife and
making a bad matter worse.
32. The apostle, upon authority of observation and experience,
acknowledges that where people dwell together there must be mutual
transgressions; it cannot be otherwise. No one will always do what is
pleasing to others, and each is liable to commit open wrong. Peter
would teach that since men must live together in their respective
stations in life--for the Scriptures make no recognition of singular
and intolerant saints who would promptly run out of the world when
some little thing takes place at variance with their opinions--he who
would live peaceably must so control himself as to be able to bear
with others, to overlook their imperfections, and to cover their
transgressions and thus avert further resulting evil.
Where no toleration is exercised, where no wrong is forgiven and
forgotten, hate and envy must find place. The sole office of these is
to stir up strife and contention. No peace and rest is to be had where
they exist; wrangling and fighting, oppression and bitterness, must
obtain. The unbounded ill-will, the innumerable strifes and wars,
having place on earth, all result from the abominable evil of the lack
of love among us and from the prevalence of pernicious hate, which
leads to anger and revenge when opposition offers. Thus we become
enemies to one another instead of to evil, when it is our duty to love
our fellow-men.
33. Now, if you would live as a Christian and enjoy peace in the
world, you must make every effort to restrain your anger and not to
give way to revenge as do others. Rather you must suppress these
passions, subduing your hatred by love, and be able to overlook and
bear, even though you have to suffer great pain and injustice. So
doing you will develop a noble character fitted to accomplish much
good through patience and humility, to allay and abolish enmity, and
strife, and thereby to reform and convert others. If you are unwilling
to be patient under injustice, then go on hating and envying,
impatiently blustering about and seeking revenge. But from such a
proceeding only strife and disquietude can be your portion, though
your complaints be long and your lamentations loud. You may run hither
and thither, and still you will not find the truth otherwise than as I
have stated. This text would have to be done away with first, and the
Scriptures falsified.
34. Paul, having in mind Solomon's saying about love, in extolling the
same virtue amplifies the latter's statement with various expressions,
in the thirteenth of First Corinthians. Among other things he says
there (verses 5-8): "Love seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh
not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth
with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things, endureth all things. Love never faileth," etc. This, mark you,
is "being fervent in love," as Peter calls it. Here is the heat, the
fire, effective to consume all evil and to replace it with only good.
This fire will not permit itself to be quenched; it surmounts all
checking. Whatever of evil is heaped upon it, it remains in itself
good, and works only good.
35. The essential property, the "differentia essentialis," of genuine
love, as its nature requires fervency, is the fact that it cannot be
embittered. He who has it, will not cease to love, to do good and to
endure evil. In a word love cannot hate; it cannot be at enmity with
anyone. No evil can be wrought too great for love to endure. No one
can commit against it more sins than it can cover. It cannot be
enraged to the point of refusing to forgive. Its attitude is not
unlike that of the mother toward her child. The child may be imperfect
and impure, even filthy, but the mother notes it not, even if she sees
it. Her love blinds her. The eyes wherewith she looks upon her child
as the beautiful and God-given fruit of her own body are so pure that
she overlooks all imperfections, regarding them as nothing. Indeed,
she excuses, even glorifies, them. Although the child squints, it must
not be called squint-eyed, but love-eyed, and even a wart must be
thought to become it.
36. Behold, this is covering sins with love--a virtue peculiar to
Christians. The world does not possess that virtue. Such love is
impossible to it, whatever its pretensions and ostentations in that
respect. However precious the world's love may be, it is subject to
delusion, vanity and hypocrisy; for the world is false in appearance
and pretension. No worldling likes to be regarded hateful and envious
toward his neighbor, but succeeds in conducting himself, so far as
word and gesture are concerned, in an affable manner to all. This
attitude he maintains so long as we show him favors and obey his
pleasure. But when our love for him becomes a little disaffected and
we happen to offer a word he regards insulting, he promptly withdraws
his affections and begins to complain and to rage as if he had been
done a great wrong. He makes out he is under no obligation to endure
the injustice; and he boastingly plumes himself on having shown great
faithfulness and love to the offender, such fidelity as would have led
him readily to share with that one the very heart in his body, and now
he is so ill repaid that henceforth he will leave such people to be
served by the devil.
Such is the world's love. The world loves not "in deed," but "in
word," as John expresses it. 1 Jn 3, 18. It has no sincerity of heart.
Its love is a mere ignis-fatuus, shining but having no fire; a love
which endures not, but is blown out by a breath--extinguished with a
word. The reason of it all is, the world seeks only its own. It would
be served, would receive from others, and not make any return,
particularly if response must entail any suffering and forbearance on
its part.
37. "But," you may say, "shall evil go unpunished? What would be the
result were all evil to be tolerated and covered up? Would not that be
giving the wicked opportunity to carry out their evil designs? Would
it not encourage them in their wickedness until life would not be safe
to anyone?" I reply: We have often stated what individuals properly
merit our anger, and the extent and manner of punishment to be awarded
them. It is truly the office of civil government and also of the
father of every family to visit anger upon evil, and to punish and
restrain it. Again, every pastor and preacher is commissioned--yes,
every godly Christian--to admonish and censure when he sees a neighbor
committing sin, just as one brother in a family admonishes another.
But to be angry with evil and to inflict official
punishment--punishment by virtue of office--is a different thing from
being filled with hatred and revenge, or holding ill-will and being
unforgiving.
38. It is not inconsistent with the character of love to be angry and
to reprove when a neighbor is observed to sin. But true love feels no
inclination to behold the sin and disgrace of a neighbor; rather, much
rather, it desires his improvement. Just as parents correct with a rod
a disobedient and obstinate child but do not cast it out and become
enemies to it because of that disobedience, their object being only to
reform the child, while the rod is cast away after chastisement; so,
too, according to Christ's words (Mt 18, 15-17), you may censure your
brother when he sins, and manifest your displeasure and indignation,
that he may perceive and confess his wrong-doing, and if he does not
then amend his conduct, you may inform the congregation. At the same
time, his obstinacy does not justify you in becoming his enemy, or in
entertaining ill-will toward him. As said before, love to be true must
not be dull and cold, too indifferent to perceive a neighbor's sins;
it must endeavor to relieve him thereof. It must have the red fire of
fervor. He who truly loves will be distressed that a beloved neighbor
wickedly trespasses against God and himself. Again, true love does not
pale with hatred and revenge. It continues to glow red when the
possessor's heart is moved with sympathy, is filled with compassion,
for its neighbor. True, when fervor and admonition fail to effect any
reform, the sincere-hearted Christian must separate himself from his
obstinate neighbor and regard him as a heathen; nevertheless, he must
not become his neighbor's enemy nor wish him evil.
39. Anger and censure prompted by sincere love are very different from
the wrath, hatred and revengefulness of the world, which seeks only
its own interests and is unwilling to tolerate any opposition to its
pleasure. True love is moved to anger only when a neighbor's good
demands. Though not insensible to evil and not approving evil, it is
yet able to tolerate, to forgive and cover, all wrongs against itself,
and it leaves untried no expedient that may make a neighbor better.
Sincere love makes a clear distinction between the evil and the
person; it is unfriendly to the former, but kind to the latter.
"Using hospitality one to another without murmuring: according as each
hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God."
40. Having admonished all Christians to love one another generally,
Peter mentions various instances where love should be externally
manifested among Christians, and speaks particularly of those who have
been favored above others with special gifts and special offices in
the Church, whereby they are able to serve their fellows. Thus he
teaches that the Christian's whole external conduct should be
regulated by that love which seeks not its own advantage, which aims
not at profiting itself, but lives to serve its neighbor.
41. First, Peter says, "Using hospitality one to another." The
reference is to works of love relative to the various physical needs
of a neighbor. Christians are to serve one another by ministering
temporal blessings. Especially are the poor and the wretched to be
remembered, they who are strangers or pilgrims among us, or come to us
houseless and homeless. These should receive the willing ministrations
of Christians, and none be allowed to suffer want.
42. In the apostles' time, the primitive days of the Church,
Christians were everywhere persecuted, driven from their possessions
and forced to wander hither and thither in poverty and exile. It was
necessary then to admonish Christians in general, and particularly
those who had something of their own, not to permit these destitute
ones to suffer want, but to provide for them. So, too, is it today
incumbent upon Christians to provide for the really poor--not lazy
beggars, or vagabonds--the outdoor pensioners, so called; and to
maintain those who, because of old age or other infirmity, are unable
to support themselves. The churches should establish common treasuries
for the purpose of providing alms for cases of this kind. It was so
ordained of the apostles in Acts 6, 3. Paul, also, in many places
admonishes to such works of love; for instance (Rom 12, 13):
"Communicating to the necessities of the saints."
43. Moreover, as Peter says, hospitality is to be extended "without
murmuring"--not with reluctance and aversion, as the way of the world
is. The world is particularly reluctant when called upon to give to
Christ the Lord, in other words to his poor servants the pastors and
preachers, or to their children, into whose mouths they must count
every bit of bread. It regards oppressive and burdensome the
contributing of even a dime for that purpose. At the same time, it
lavishly bestows its gifts upon the devil; as, for instance, under
popedom it gave liberally and willingly to indolent, useless monks and
shameless, wicked knaves, impostors and seducers. Such is the
inconsistence of the world; and it is a just punishment from God that
it is made unworthy to contribute where it well might toward the
preservation of God's Word and his poor Church; and that it must give
to other and ungrateful purposes. Christian love must be sincere
enough to do good "without murmuring." Paul says (Rom 12, 8) to "let
him that showeth mercy do so with cheerfulness," or willingly, without
restraint. Again (2 Cor 9, 7), "God loveth a cheerful giver," etc.