time, which are done entirely without faith, they say: Men are only to
believe and not to do anything good. For nowadays they say that the
works of the First Commandment are singing, reading, organ-playing,
reading the mass, saying matins and vespers and the other hours, the
founding and decorating of churches, altars, and monastic houses, the
gathering of bells, jewels, garments, trinkets and treasures, running
to Rome and to the saints. Further, when we are dressed up and bow,
kneel, pray the rosary and the Psalter, and all this not before an
idol, but before the holy cross of God or the pictures of His saints:
this we call honoring and worshiping God, and, according to the First
Commandment, "having no other gods"; although these things usurers,
adulterers and all manner of sinners can do too, and do them daily.
Of course, if these things are done with such faith that we believe
that they please God, then they are praiseworthy, not because of their
virtue, but because of such faith, for which all works are of equal
value, as has been said. But if we doubt or do not believe that God is
gracious to us and is pleased with us, or if we presumptuously expect
to please Him only through and after our works, then it is all pure
deception, outwardly honoring God, but inwardly setting up self as a
false god. This is the reason why I have so often spoken against the
display, magnificence and multitude of such works and have rejected
them, because it is as clear as day that they are not only done in
doubt or without faith, but there is not one in a thousand who does not
set his confidence upon the works, expecting by them to win God's favor
and anticipate His grace; and so they make a fair of them, a thing
which God cannot endure, since He has promised His grace freely, and
wills that we begin by trusting that grace, and in it perform all
works, whatever they may be.
XII. Note for yourself, then, how far apart these two are: keeping the
First Commandment with outward works only, and keeping it with inward
trust. For this last makes true, living children of God, the other only
makes worse idolatry and the most mischievous hypocrites on earth, who
with their apparent righteousness lead unnumbered people into their
way, and yet allow them to be without faith, so that they are miserably
misled, and are caught in the pitiable babbling and mummery. Of such
Christ says, Matthew xxiv: "Beware, if any man shall say unto you, Lo,
here is Christ, or there"; and John iv: "I say unto thee, the hour
cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem
worship God, for the Father seeketh spiritual worshipers."
These and similar passages have moved me and ought to move everyone to
reject the great display of bulls, seals, flags, indulgences, by which
the poor folk are led to build churches, to give, to endow, to pray,
and yet faith is not mentioned, and is even suppressed. For since faith
knows no distinction among works, such exaltation and urging of one
work above another cannot exist beside faith. For faith desires to be
the only service of God, and will grant this name and honor to no other
work, except in so far as faith imparts it, as it does when the work is
done in faith and by faith. This perversion is indicated in the Old
Testament, when the Jews left the Temple and sacrificed at other
places, in the green parks and on the mountains. This is what these men
also do: they are zealous to do all works, but this chief work of faith
they regard not at all.
XIII. Where now are they who ask, what works are good; what they shall
do; how they shall be religious? Yes, and where are they who say that
when we preach of faith, we shall neither teach nor do works? Does not
this First Commandment give us more work to do than any man can do? If
a man were a thousand men, or all men, or all creatures, this
Commandment would yet ask enough of him, and more than enough, since he
is commanded to live and walk at all times in faith and confidence
toward God, to place such faith in no one else, and so to have only
one, the true God, and none other.
Now, since the being and nature of man cannot for an instant be without
doing or not doing something, enduring or running away from something
(for, as we see, life never rests), let him who will be pious and
filled with good works, begin and in all his life and works at all
times exercise himself in this faith; let him learn to do and to leave
undone all things in such continual faith; then will he find how much
work he has to do, and how completely all things are included in faith;
how he dare never grow idle, because his very idling must be the
exercise and work of faith. In brief, nothing can be in or about us and
nothing can happen to us but that it must be good and meritorious, if
we believe (as we ought) that all things please God. So says St. Paul:
"Dear brethren, all that ye do, whether ye eat or drink, do all in the
Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord." Now it cannot be done in this Name
except it be done in this faith. Likewise, Romans vii: "We know that
all things work together for good to the saints of God."
Therefore, when some say that good works are forbidden when we preach
faith alone, it is as if I said to a sick man: "If you had health, you
would have the use of all your limbs; but without health, the works of
all your limbs are nothing"; and he wanted to infer that I had
forbidden the works of all his limbs; whereas, on the contrary, I meant
that he must first have health, which will work all the works of all
the members. So faith also must be in all works the master-workman and
captain, or they are nothing at all.
XIV. You might say: "Why then do we have so many laws of the Church and
of the State, and many ceremonies of churches, monastic houses, holy
places, which urge and tempt men to good works, if faith does all
things through the First Commandment?" I answer: Simply because we do
not all have faith or do not heed it. If every man had faith, we would
need no more laws, but every one would of himself at all times do good
works, as his confidence in God teaches him.
But now there are four kinds of men: the first, just mentioned, who
need no law, of whom St. Paul says, I. Timothy i, "The law is not made
for a righteous man," that is, for the believer, but believers of
themselves do what they know and can do, only because they firmly trust
that God's favor and grace rests upon them in all things. The second
class want to abuse this freedom, put a false confidence in it, and
grow lazy; of whom St. Peter says, I. Peter ii, "Ye shall live as free
men, but not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness," as if he
said: The freedom of faith does not permit sins, nor will it cover
them, but it sets us free to do all manner of good works and to endure
all things as they happen to us, so that a man is not bound only to one
work or to a few. So also St. Paul, Galatians v: "Use not your liberty
for an occasion to the flesh." Such men must be urged by laws and
hemmed in by teaching and exhortation. The third class are wicked men,
always ready for sins; these must be constrained by spiritual and
temporal laws, like wild horses and dogs, and where this does not help,
they must be put to death by the worldly sword, as St. Paul says,
Romans xiii: "The worldly ruler bears the sword, and serves God with
it, not as a terror to the good, but to the evil." The fourth class,
who are still lusty, and childish in their understanding of faith and
of the spiritual life, must be coaxed like young children and tempted
with external, definite and prescribed decorations, with reading,
praying, fasting, singing, adorning of churches, organ playing, and
such other things as are commanded and observed in monastic houses and
churches, until they also learn to know the faith. Although there is
great danger here, when the rulers, as is now, alas! the case, busy
themselves with and insist upon such ceremonies and external works as
if they were the true works, and neglect faith, which they ought always
to teach along with these works, just as a mother gives her child other
food along with the milk, until the child can eat the strong food by
itself.
XV. Since, then, we are not all alike, we must tolerate such people,
share their observances and burdens, and not despise them, but teach
them the true way of faith. So St. Paul teaches, Romans xiv: "Him that
is weak in the faith receive ye, to teach him." And so he did himself,
I. Corinthians ix: "To them that are under the law, I became as under
the law, although I was not under the law." And Christ, Matthew xvii,
when He was asked to pay tribute, which He was not obligated to pay,
argues with St. Peter, whether the children of kings must give
tribute, or only other people. St. Peter answers: "Only other people."
Christ said: "Then are the children of kings free; notwithstanding,
lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and
take up the fish that first cometh up; and in his mouth thou shalt find
a piece of money; take that and give it for me and thee."
Here we see that all works and things are free to a Christian through
his faith; and yet, because the others do not yet believe, he observes
and bears with them what he is not obligated to do. But this he does
freely, for he is certain that this is pleasing to God, and he does it
willingly, accepts it as any other free work which comes to his hand
without his choice, because he desires and seeks no more than that he
may in his faith do works to please God.
But since in this discourse we have undertaken to teach what righteous
and good works are, and are now speaking of the highest work, it is
clear that we do not speak of the second, third and fourth classes of
men, but of the first, into whose likeness all the others are to grow,
and until they do so the first class must endure and instruct them.
Therefore we must not despise, as if they were hopeless, these men of
weak faith, who would gladly do right and learn, and yet cannot
understand because of the ceremonies to which they cling; we must
rather blame their ignorant, blind teachers, who have never taught them
the faith, and have led them so deeply into works. They must be gently
and gradually led back again to faith, as a sick man is treated, and
must be allowed for a time, for their conscience sake, to cling to some
works and do them as necessary to salvation, so long as they rightly
grasp the faith; lest if we try to tear them out so suddenly, their
weak consciences be quite shattered and confused, and retain neither
faith nor works. But the hardheaded, who, hardened in their works, give
no heed to what is said of faith, and fight against it, these we must,
as Christ did and taught, let go their way, that the blind may lead the
blind.
XVI. But you say: How can I trust surely that all my works are pleasing
to God, when at times I fall, and talk, eat, drink and sleep too much,
or otherwise transgress, as I cannot help doing? Answer: This question
shows that you still regard faith as a work among other works, and do
not set it above all works. For it is the highest work for this very
reason, because it remains and blots out these daily sins by not
doubting that God is so kind to you as to wink at such daily
transgression and weakness. Aye, even if a deadly sin should occur
(which, however, never or rarely happens to those who live in faith and
trust toward God), yet faith rises again and does not doubt that its
sin is already gone; as it is written I. John ii: "My little children,
these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we
have an Advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ, Who is the
propitiation of all our sins." And Wisdom xv: "For if we sin, we are
Thine, knowing Thy power." And Proverbs xxiv: "For a just man falleth
seven times, and riseth up again." Yes, this confidence and faith must
be so high and strong that the man knows that all his life and works
are nothing but damnable sins before God's judgment, as it is written,
Psalm cxliii: "In thy sight shall no man living be justified"; and he
must entirely despair of his works, believing that they cannot be good
except through this faith, which looks for no judgment, but only for
pure grace, favor, kindness and mercy, like David, Psalm xxvi: "Thy
loving kindness is ever before mine eyes, and I have trusted in Thy
truth"; Psalm iv: "The light of Thy countenance is lift up upon us
(that is, the knowledge of Thy grace through faith), and thereby hast
Thou put gladness in my heart"; for as faith trusts, so it receives.
See, thus are works forgiven, are without guilt and are good, not by
their own nature, but by the mercy and grace of God because of the
faith which trusts on the mercy of God. Therefore we must fear because
of the works, but comfort ourselves because of the grace of God, as it
is written, Psalm cxlvii: "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that I fear
Him, in those that hope in His mercy." So we pray with perfect
confidence: "Our Father," and yet petition: "Forgive us our
trespasses"; we are children and yet sinners; are acceptable and yet do
not do enough; and all this is the work of faith, firmly grounded in
God's grace.
XVII. But if you ask, where the faith and the confidence can be found
and whence they come, this it is certainly most necessary to know.
First: Without doubt faith does not come from your works or merit, but
alone from Jesus Christ, and is freely promised and given; as St. Paul
writes, Romans v: "God commendeth His love to us as exceeding sweet and
kindly, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"; as if
he said: "Ought not this give us a strong unconquerable confidence,
that before we prayed or cared for it, yes, while we still continually
walked in sins, Christ dies for our sin?" St. Paul concludes: "If while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us, how much more then, being
justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him; and
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His
Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life."
Lo! thus must thou form Christ within thyself and see how in Him God
holds before thee and offers thee His mercy without any previous merits
of thine own, and from such a view of His grace must thou draw faith
and confidence of the forgiveness of all thy sins. Faith, therefore,
does not begin with works, neither do they create it, but it must
spring up and flow from the blood, wounds and death of Christ. If thou
see in these that God is so kindly affectioned toward thee that He
gives even His Son for thee, then thy heart also must in its turn grow
sweet and kindly affectioned toward God, and so thy confidence must
grow out of pure good-will and love--God's love toward thee and thine
toward God. We never read that the Holy Spirit was given to any one
when he did works, but always when men have heard the Gospel of Christ
and the mercy of God. From this same Word and from no other source must
faith still come, even in our day and always. For Christ is the rock
out of which men suck oil and honey, as Moses says, Deuteronomy xxxii.
XVIII. So far we have treated of the first work and of the First
Commandment, but very briefly, plainly and hastily, for very much might
be said of it. We will now trace the works farther through the
following Commandments.
The second work, next to faith, is the work of the Second Commandment,
that we shall honor God's Name and not take it in vain. This, like all
the other works, cannot be done without faith; and if it is done
without faith, it is all sham and show. After faith we can do no
greater work than to praise, preach, sing and in every way exalt and
magnify God's glory, honor and Name.
And although I have said above, and it is true, that there is no
difference in works where faith is and does the work, yet this is true
only when they are compared with faith and its works. Measured by one
another there is a difference, and one is higher than the other. Just
as in the body the members do not differ when compared with health, and
health works in the one as much as in the other; yet the works of the
members are different, and one is higher, nobler, more useful than the
other; so, here also, to praise God's glory and Name is better than the
works of the other Commandments which follow; and yet it must be done
in the same faith as all the others.
But I know well that this work is lightly esteemed, and has indeed
become unknown. Therefore we must examine it further, and will say no
more about the necessity of doing it in the faith and confidence that
it pleases God. Indeed there is no work in which confidence and faith
are so much experienced and felt as in honoring God's Name; and it
greatly helps to strengthen and increase faith, although all works also
help to do this, as St. Peter says, II. Peter i: "Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give diligence through good works to make your
calling and election sure."
XIX. The First Commandment forbids us to have other gods, and thereby
commands that we have a God, the true God, by a firm faith, trust,
confidence, hope and love, which are the only works whereby a man can
have, honor and keep a God; for by no other work can one find or lose
God except by faith or unbelief, by trusting or doubting; of the other
works none reaches quite to God. So also in the Second Commandment we
are forbidden to use His Name in vain. Yet this is not to be enough,
but we are thereby also commanded to honor, call upon, glorify, preach
and praise His Name. And indeed it is impossible that God's Name should
not be dishonored where it is not rightly honored. For although it be
honored with the lips, bending of the knees, kissing and other
postures, if this is not done in the heart by faith, in confident trust
in God's grace, it is nothing else than an evidence and badge of
hypocrisy.
See now, how many kinds of good works a man can do under this
Commandment at all times and never be without the good works of this
Commandment, if he will; so that he truly need not make a long
pilgrimage or seek holy places. For, tell me, what moment can pass in
which we do not without ceasing receive God's blessings, or, on the
other hand, suffer adversity? But what else are God's blessings and
adversities than a constant urging and stirring up to praise, honor,
and bless God, and to call upon His Name? Now if you had nothing else
at all to do, would you not have enough to do with this Commandment
alone, that you without ceasing bless, sing, praise and honor God's
Name? And for what other purpose have tongue, voice, language and mouth
been created? As Psalm li. says: "Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth
shall show forth Thy praise." Again: "My tongue shall sing aloud of Thy
mercy."
What work is there in heaven except that of this Second Commandment? As
it is written in Psalm lxxxiv: "Blessed are they that dwell in Thy
house: they will be for ever praising Thee." So also David says in
Psalm xxxiv: "God's praise shall be continually in my mouth." And St.
Paul, I. Corinthians x: "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Also Colossians iii:
"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father." If we were to observe this
work, we would have a heaven here on earth and always have enough to
do, as have the saints in heaven.
XX. On this is based the wonderful and righteous judgment of God, that
at times a poor man, in whom no one can see many great works, in the
privacy of his home joyfully praises God when he fares well, or with
entire confidence calls upon Him when he fares ill, and thereby does a
greater and more acceptable work than another, who fasts much, prays
much, endows churches, makes pilgrimages, and burdens himself with
great deeds in this place and in that. Such a fool opens wide his
mouth, looks for great works to do, and is so blinded that he does not
at all notice this greatest work, and praising God is in his eyes a
very small matter compared with the great idea he has formed of the
works of his own devising, in which he perhaps praises himself more
than God, or takes more pleasure in them than he does in God; and thus
with his good works he storms against the Second Commandment and its
works. Of all this we have an illustration in the case of the Pharisee
and the Publican in the Gospel. For the sinner calls upon God in his
sins, and praises Him, and so has hit upon the two highest
Commandments, faith and God's honor. The hypocrite misses both and
struts about with other good works by which he praises himself and not
God, and puts his trust in himself more than in God. Therefore he is
justly rejected and the other chosen.
The reason of all this is that the higher and better the works are, the
less show they make; and that every one thinks they are easy, because
it is evident that no one pretends to praise God's Name and honor so
much as the very men who never do it and with their show of doing it,
while the heart is without faith, cause the precious work to be
despised. So that the Apostle St. Paul dare say boldly, Romans ii, that
they blaspheme God's Name who make their boast of God's Law. For to
name the Name of God and to write His honor on paper and on the walls
is an easy matter; but genuinely to praise and bless Him in His good
deeds and confidently to call upon Him in all adversities, these are
truly the most rare, highest works, next to faith, so that if we were
to see how few of them there are in Christendom, we might despair for
very sorrow. And yet there is a constant increase of high, pretty,
shining works of men's devising, or of works which look like these true
works, but at bottom are all without faith and without faithfulness; in
short, there is nothing good back of them. Thus also Isaiah xlviii.
rebukes the people of Israel: "Hear ye this, ye which are called by the
name of Israel, which swear by the Name of the Lord, and make mention
of the God of Israel neither in truth, nor in righteousness"; that is,
they did it not in the true faith and confidence, which is the real
truth and righteousness, but trusted in themselves, their works and
powers, and yet called upon God's Name and praised Him, two things
which do not fit together.
XXI. The first work of this Commandment then is, to praise God in all
His benefits, which are innumerable, so that such praise and
thanksgiving ought also of right never to cease or end. For who can
praise Him perfectly for the gift of natural life, not to mention all
other temporal and eternal blessings? And so through this one part of
the Commandment man is overwhelmed with good and precious works; if he
do these in true faith, he has indeed not lived in vain. And in this
matter none sin so much as the most resplendent saints, who are pleased
with themselves and like to praise themselves or to hear themselves
praised, honored and glorified before men.
Therefore the second work of this Commandment is, to be on one's guard,
to flee from and to avoid all temporal honor and praise, and never to
seek a name for oneself, or fame and a great reputation, that every one
sing of him and tell of him; which is an exceedingly dangerous sin, and
yet the most common of all, and, alas! little regarded. Every one wants
to be of importance and not to be the least, however small he may be;
so deeply is nature sunk in the evil of its own conceit and in its
self-confidence contrary to these two first Commandments.
Now the world regards this terrible vice as the highest virtue, and
this makes it exceedingly dangerous for those who do not understand and
have not had experience of God's Commandments and the histories of the
Holy Scriptures, to read or hear the heathen books and histories. For
all heathen books are poisoned through and through with this striving
after praise and honor; in them men are taught by blind reason that
they were not nor could be men of power and worth, who are not moved by
praise and honor; but those are counted the best, who disregard body
and life, friend and property and everything in the effort to win
praise and honor. All the holy Fathers have complained of this vice and
with one mind conclude that it is the very last vice to be overcome.
St. Augustine says: "All other vices are practised in evil works; only
honor and self-satisfaction are practised in and by means of good
works."
Therefore if a man had nothing else to do except this second work of
this Commandment, he would yet have to work all his life-time in order
to fight this vice and drive it out, so common, so subtile, so quick
and insidious is it. Now we all pass by this good work and exercise
ourselves in many other lesser good works, nay, through other good
works we overthrow this and forget it entirely. So the holy Name of
God, which alone should be honored, is taken in vain and dishonored
through our own cursed name, self-approval and honor-seeking. And this
sin is more grievous before God than murder and adultery; but its
wickedness is not so clearly seen as that of murder, because of its
subtilty, for it is not accomplished in the coarse flesh, but in the
spirit.