reputation and honor, and again by shame of and dishonor, and so be
induced to do good. For there are many who do the good and leave the
evil undone out of fear of shame and love of honor, and so do what they
would otherwise by no means do or leave undone. These I leave to their
opinion. But at present we are seeking how true good works are to be
done, and they who are inclined to do them surely do not need to be
driven by the fear of shame and the love of honor; they have, and are
to have a higher and far nobler incentive, namely, God's commandment,
God's fear, God's approval, and their faith and love toward God. They
who have not, or regard not this motive, and let shame and honor drive
them, these also have their reward, as the Lord says, Matthew vi; and
as the motive, so is also the work and the reward: none of them is
good, except only in the eyes of the world.
Now I hold that a young person could be more easily trained and incited
by God's fear and commandments than by any other means. Yet where
these do not help, we must endure that they do the good and leave the
evil for the sake of shame and of honor, just as we must also endure
wicked men or the imperfect, of whom we spoke above; nor can we do more
than tell them that their works are not satisfactory and right before
God, and so leave them until they learn to do right for the sake of
God's commandments also. Just as young children are induced to pray,
fast, learn, etc., by gifts and promises of the parents, even though it
would not be good to treat them so all their lives, so that they never
learn to do good in the fear of God: far worse, if they become
accustomed to do good for the sake of praise and honor.
XXIII. But this is true, that we must none the less have a good name
and honor, and every one ought so to live that nothing evil can be said
of him, and that he give offence to no one, as St. Paul says, Romans
xii: "We are to be zealous to do good, not only before God, but also
before all men." And II. Corinthians iv: "We walk so honestly that no
man knows anything against us." But there must be great diligence and
care, lest such honor and good name puff up the heart, and the heart
find pleasure in them. Here the saying of Solomon holds: "As the fire
in the furnace proveth the gold, so man is proved by the mouth of him
that praises him." Few and most spiritual men must they be, who, when
honored and praised, remain indifferent and unchanged, so that they do
not care for it, nor feel pride and pleasure in it, but remain entirely
free, ascribe all their honor and fame to God, offering it to Him
alone, and using it only to the glory of God, to the edification of
their neighbors, and in no way to their own benefit or advantage; so
that a man trust not in his own honor, nor exalt himself above the most
incapable, despised man on earth, but acknowledge himself a servant of
God, Who has given him the honor in order that with it he may serve God
and his neighbor, just as if He had commanded him to distribute some
gulden to the poor for His sake. So He says, Matthew v: "Your light
shall shine before men, so that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father Who is in heaven." He does not say, "they shall
praise you," but "your works shall only serve them to edification, that
through them they may praise God in you and in themselves." This is the
correct use of God's Name and honor, when God is thereby praised
through the edification of others. And if men want to praise us and
not God in us, we are not to endure it, but with all our powers forbid
it and flee from it as from the most grievous sin and robbery of divine
honor.
XXIV. Hence it comes that God frequently permits a man to fall into or
remain in grievous sin, in order that he may be put to shame in his own
eyes and in the eyes of all men, who otherwise could not have kept
himself from this great vice of vain honor and fame, if he had remained
constant in his great gifts and virtues; so God must ward off this sin
by means of other grievous sins, that His Name alone may be honored;
and thus one sin becomes the other's medicine, because of our perverse
wickedness, which not only does the evil, but also misuses all that is
good.
Now see how much a man has to do, if he would do good works, which
always are at hand in great number, and with which he is surrounded on
all sides; but, alas! because of his blindness, he passes them by and
seeks and runs after others of his own devising and pleasure, against
which no man can sufficiently speak and no man can sufficiently guard.
With this all the prophets had to contend, and for this reason they
were all slain, only because they rejected such self-devised works and
preached only God's commandments, as one of them says, Jeremiah vii:
"Thus saith the God of Israel unto you: Take your burnt offerings unto
all your sacrifices and eat your burnt-offerings and your flesh
yourselves; for concerning these things I have commanded you nothing,
but this thing commanded I you: Obey My voice (that is, not what seems
right and good to you, but what I bid you), and walk in the way that I
have commanded you." And Deuteronomy xii: "Thou shalt not do whatsoever
is right in thine own eyes, but what thy God has commanded thee."
These and numberless like passages of Scripture are spoken to tear man
not only from sins, but also from the works which seem to men to be
good and right, and to turn men, with a single mind, to the simple
meaning of God's commandment only, that they shall diligently observe
this only and always, as it is written, Exodus xiii: "These
commandments shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a
memorial between thine eyes." And Psalm i: "A godly man meditates in
God's Law day and night." For we have more than enough and too much to
do, if we are to satisfy only God's commandments. He has given us such
commandments that if we understand them aright, we dare not for a
moment be idle, and might easily forget all other works. But the evil
spirit, who never rests, when he cannot lead us to the left into evil
works, fights on our right through self-devised works that seem good,
but against which God has commanded, Deuteronomy xxviii, and Joshua
xxiii, "Ye shall not go aside from My commandments to the right hand or
to the left."
XXV. The third work of this Commandment is to call upon God's Name in
every need. For this God regards as keeping His Name holy and greatly
honoring it, if we name and call upon it in adversity and need. And
this is really why He sends us so much trouble, suffering, adversity
and even death, and lets us live in many wicked, sinful affections,
that He may thereby urge man and give him much reason to run to Him, to
cry aloud to Him, to call upon His holy Name, and thus to fulfil this
work of the Second Commandment, as He says in Psalm 1: "Call upon Me in
the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me; for
I desire the sacrifice of praise." And this is the way whereby thou
canst come unto salvation; for through such works man perceives and
learns what God's Name is, how powerful it is to help all who call upon
it; and whereby confidence and faith grow mightily, and these are the
fulfilling of the first and highest Commandment. This is the
experience of David, Psalm liv: "Thou hast delivered me out of all
trouble, therefore will I praise Thy Name and confess that it is lovely
and sweet." And Psalm xci says, "Because he hath set his hope upon Me,
therefore will I deliver him: I will help him, because he hath known My
Name."
Lo! what man is there on earth, who would not all his life long have
enough to do with this work? For who lives an hour without trials? I
will not mention the trials of adversity, which are innumerable. For
this is the most dangerous trial of all, when there is no trial and
every thing is and goes well; for then a man is tempted to forget God,
to become too bold and to misuse the times of prosperity. Yea, here he
has ten times more need to call upon God's Name than when in adversity.
Since it is written, Psalm xci, "A thousand shall fall on the left hand
and ten thousand on the right hand."
So too we see in broad day, in all men's daily experience, that more
heinous sins and vice occur when there is peace, when all things are
cheap and there are good times, than when war, pestilence, sicknesses
and all manner of misfortune burden us; so that Moses also fears for
his people, lest they forsake God's commandment for no other reason
than because they are too full, too well provided for and have too much
peace, as he says, Deuteronomy xxxii "My people is waxed rich, full and
fat; therefore has it forsaken its God." Wherefore also God let many of
its enemies remain and would not drive them out, in order that they
should not have peace and must exercise themselves in the keeping of
God's commandments, as it is written, Judges iii. So He deals with us
also, when He sends us all kinds of misfortune: so exceedingly careful
is He of us, that He may teach us and drive us to honor and call upon
His Name, to gain confidence and faith toward Him, and so to fulfil the
first two Commandments.
XXVI. Here foolish men run into danger, and especially the
work-righteous saints, and those who want to be more than others; they
teach men to make the sign of the cross; one arms himself with letters,
another runs to the fortunetellers; one seeks this, another that, if
only they may thereby escape misfortune and be secure. It is beyond
telling what a devilish allurement attaches to this trifling with
sorcery, conjuring and superstition, all of which is done only that men
may not need God's Name and put no trust in it. Here great dishonor is
done the Name of God and the first two Commandments, in that men look
to the devil, men or creatures for that which should be sought and
found in God alone, through naught but a pure faith and confidence, and
a cheerful meditation of and calling upon His holy Name.
Now examine this closely for yourself and see whether this is not a
gross, mad perversion: the devil, men and creatures they must believe,
and trust to them for the best; without such faith and confidence
nothing holds or helps. How shall the good and faithful God reward us
for not believing and trusting Him as much or more than man and the
devil, although He not only promises help and sure assistance, but also
commands us confidently to look for it, and gives and urges all manner
of reasons why we should place such faith and confidence in Him? Is it
not lamentable and pitiable that the devil or man, who commands nothing
and does not urge, but only promises, is set above God, Who promises,
urges and commands; and that more is thought of them than of God
Himself? We ought truly to be ashamed of ourselves and learn from the
example of those who trust the devil or men. For if the devil, who is a
wicked, lying spirit, keeps faith with all those who ally themselves
with him, how much more will not the most gracious, all-truthful God
keep faith, if a man trusts Him? Nay, is it not rather He alone Who
will keep faith? A rich man trusts and relies upon his money and
possessions, and they help him; and we are not willing to trust and
rely upon the living God, that He is willing and able to help us? We
say: Gold makes bold; and it is true, as Baruch iii. says, "Gold is a
thing wherein men trust." But far greater is the courage which the
highest eternal Good gives, wherein trust, not men, but only God's
children.
XXVII. Even if none of these adversities constrain us to call upon
God's Name and to trust Him, yet were sin alone more than sufficient to
train and to urge us on in this work. For sin has hemmed us in with
three strong, mighty armies. The first is our own flesh, the second the
world, the third the evil spirit, by which three we are without ceasing
oppressed and troubled; whereby God gives us occasion to do good works
without ceasing, namely, to fight with these enemies and sins. The
flesh seeks pleasure and peace, the world seeks riches, favor, power
and honor, the evil spirit seeks pride, glory, that a man be well
thought of, and other men be despised.
And these three are all so powerful that each one of them is alone
sufficient to fight a man, and yet there is no way we can overcome
them, except only by calling upon the holy Name of God in a firm faith,
as Solomon says, Proverbs xviii: "The Name of the Lord is a strong
tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is set aloft." And David,
Psalm cxvi: "I will drink the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name
of the Lord." Again, Psalm xviii: "I will call upon the Lord with
praise: so shall I be saved from all mine enemies." These works and the
power of God's Name have become unknown to us, because we are not
accustomed to it, and have never seriously fought with sins, and have
not needed His Name, because we are trained only in our self devised
works, which we were able to do with our own powers.
XXVIII. Further works of this Commandment are: that we shall not swear,
curse, lie, deceive and conjure with the holy Name of God, and
otherwise misuse it; which are very simple matters and well known to
every one, being the sins which have been almost exclusively preached
and proclaimed under this Commandment. These also include, that we
shall prevent others from making sinful use of God's Name by lying,
swearing, deceiving, cursing, conjuring, and otherwise. Herein again
much occasion is given for doing good and warding off evil.
But the greatest and most difficult work of this Commandment is to
protect the holy Name of God against all who misuse it in a spiritual
manner, and to proclaim it to all men. For it is not enough that I, for
myself and in myself, praise and call upon God's Name in prosperity and
adversity. I must step forth and for the sake of God's honor and Name
bring upon myself the enmity of all men, as Christ said to His
disciples: "Ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake." Here we
must provoke to anger father, mother, and the best of friends. Here we
must strive against spiritual and temporal powers, and be accused of
disobedience. Here we must stir up against us the rich, learned, holy,
and all that is of repute in the world. And although this is especially
the duty of those who are commanded to preach God's Word, yet every
Christian is also obligated to do so when time and place demand. For we
must for the holy Name of God risk and give up all that we have and can
do, and show by our deeds that we love God and His Name, His honor and
His praise above all things, and trust Him above all things, and expect
good from Him; thereby confessing that we regard Him as the highest
good, for the sake of which we let go and give up all other goods.
XXIX. Here we must first of all resist all wrong, where truth or
righteousness suffers violence or need, and dare make no distinction of
persons, as some do, who fight most actively and busily against the
wrong which is done to the rich, the powerful, and their own friends;
but when it is done to the poor, or the despised or their own enemy,
they are quiet and patient. These see the Name and the honor of God not
as it is, but through a painted glass, and measure truth or
righteousness according to the persons, and do not consider their
deceiving eye, which looks more on the person than on the thing. These
are hypocrites within and have only the appearance of defending the
truth. For they well know that there is no danger when one helps the
rich, the powerful, the learned and one's own friends, and can in turn
enjoy their protection and be honored by them.
Thus it is very easy to fight against the wrong which is done to popes,
kings, princes, bishops and other big-wigs. Here each wants to be the
most pious, where there is no great need. O how sly is here the
deceitful Adam with his demand; how finely does he cover his greed of
profit with the name of truth and righteousness and God's honor! But
when something happens to a poor and insignificant man, there the
deceitful eye does not find much profit, but cannot help seeing the
disfavor of the powerful; therefore he lets the poor man remain
unhelped. And who could tell the extent of this vice in Christendom?
God says in the lxxxii. Psalm, "How long will ye judge unjustly, and
accept the persons of the wicked? Judge the matter of the poor and
fatherless, demand justice for the poor and needy; deliver the poor and
rid the forsaken out of the hand of the wicked." But it is not done,
and therefore the text continues: "They know not, neither will they
understand; they walk on in darkness"; that is, the truth they do not
see, but they stop at the reputation of the great, however unrighteous
they are; and do not consider the poor, however righteous they are.
XXX. See, here would be many good works. For the greater portion of the
powerful, rich and friends do injustice and oppress the poor, the
lowly, and their own opponents; and the greater the men, the worse the
deeds; and where we cannot by force prevent it and help the truth, we
should at least confess it, and do what we can with words, not take the
part of the unrighteous, not approve them, but speak the truth boldly.
What would it help a man if he did all manner of good, made pilgrimages
to Rome and to all holy places, acquired all indulgences, built all
churches and endowed houses, if he were found guilty of sin against the
Name and honor of God, not speaking of them and neglecting them, and
regarding his possessions, honor, favor and friends more than the truth
(which is God's Name and honor)? Or who is he, before whose door and
into whose house such good works do not daily come, so that he would
have no need to travel far or to ask after good works? And if we
consider the life of men, how in every place men act so very rashly and
lightly in this respect, we must cry out with the prophet, Omnis homo
mendax, "All men are liars, lie and deceive"; for the real good works
they neglect, and adorn and paint themselves with the most
insignificant, and want to be pious, to mount to heaven in peaceful
security.
But if you should say: "Why does not God do it alone and Himself, since
He can and knows how to help each one?" Yes, He can do it; but He does
not want to do it alone; He wants us to work with Him, and does us the
honor to want to work His work with us and through us. And if we are
not willing to accept such honor, He will, after all, perform the work
alone, and help the poor; and those who were unwilling to help Him and
have despised the great honor of doing His work, He will condemn with
the unrighteous, because they have made common cause with the
unrighteous. Just as He alone is blessed, but He wants to do us the
honor and not be alone in His blessedness, but have us to be blessed
with Him. And if He were to do it alone, His Commandments would be
given us in vain, because no one would have occasion to exercise
himself in the great works of these Commandments, and no one would test
himself to see whether he regards God and His Name as the highest good,
and for His sake risks everything.
XXXI. It also belongs to this work to resist all false, seductive,
erroneous, heretical doctrines, every misuse of spiritual power. Now
this is much higher, for these use the holy Name of God itself to fight
against the Name of God. For this reason it seems a great thing and a
dangerous to resist them, because they assert that he who resists them
resists God and all His saints, in whose place they sit and whose power
they use, saying that Christ said of them, "He that heareth you,
heareth Me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." On which words
they lean heavily, become insolent and bold to say, to do, and to leave
undone what they please; put to the ban, accurse, rob, murder, and
practise all their wickedness, in whatever way they please and can
invent, without any hindrance.
Now Christ did not mean that we should listen to them in everything
they might say and do, but only then when they present to us His Word,
the Gospel, not their word, His work, and not their work. How else
could we know whether their lies and sins were to be avoided? There
must be some rule, to what extent we are to hear and to follow them,
and this rule cannot be given by them, but must be established by God
over them, that it may serve us as a guide, as we shall hear in the
Fourth Commandment.
It must be, indeed, that even in the spiritual estate the greater part
preach false doctrine and misuse spiritual power, so that thus occasion
may be given us to do the works of this Commandment, and that we be
tried, to see what we are willing to do and to leave undone against
such blasphemers for the sake of God's honor.
Oh, if we were God-fearing in this matter, how often would the knaves
of officiales have to decree their papal and episcopal ban in vain! How
weak the Roman thunderbolts would become! How often would many a one
have to hold his tongue, to whom the world must now give ear! How few
preachers would be found in Christendom! But it has gotten the upper
hand: whatever they assert and in whatever way, that must be right.
Here no one fights for God's Name and honor, and I hold that no greater
or more frequent sin is done in external works than under this head. It
is a matter so high that few understand it, and, besides, adorned with
God's Name and power, dangerous to touch. But the prophets of old were
masters in this; also the apostles, especially St. Paul, who did not
allow it to trouble them whether the highest or the lowest priest had
said it, or had done it in God's Name or in his own. They looked on
the works and words, and held them up to God's Commandment, no matter
whether big John or little Nick said it, or whether they had done it in
God's Name or in man's. And for this they had to die, and of such dying
there would be much more to say in our time, for things are much worse
now. But Christ and St. Peter and Paul must cover all this with their
holy names, so that no more infamous cover for infamy has been found on
earth than the most holy and most blessed Name of Jesus Christ!
One might shudder to be alive, simply because of the misuse and
blasphemy of the holy Name of God; through which, if it shall last much
longer, we will, as I fear, openly worship the devil as a god; so
completely do the spiritual authorities and the learned lack all
understanding in these things. It is high time that we pray God
earnestly that He hallow His Name. But it will cost blood, and they who
enjoy the inheritance of the holy martyrs and are won with their blood,
must again make martyrs. Of this more another time.
I. We have now seen how many good works there are in the Second
Commandment, which however are not good in themselves, unless they are
done in faith and in the assurance of divine favor; and how much we
must do, if we take heed to this Commandment alone, and how we, alas!
busy ourselves much with other works, which have no agreement at all
with it. Now follows the Third Commandment: "Thou shalt hallow the day
of rest." In the First Commandment is prescribed our heart's attitude
toward God in thoughts, in the Second, that of our mouth in words, in
this Third is prescribed our attitude toward God in works; and it is
the first and right table of Moses, on which these three Commandments
are written, and they govern man on the right side, namely, in the
things which concern God, and in which God has to do with man and man
with God, without the mediation of any creature.