Abraham prayed for the five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, etc., Genesis
xviii, and accomplished so much, that if there had been ten righteous
people in them, two in each city, God would not have destroyed them.
What then could many men do, if they united in calling upon God
earnestly and with sincere confidence?
St. James also says: "Dear brethren, pray for one another, that ye may
be saved. For the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, a prayer
that perseveres and does not cease" (that is, which does not cease
asking ever more and more, although what it asks is not immediately
granted, as some timid men do). And as an example in this matter he
sets before us Elijah, the Prophet, "who was a man," he says, "as we
are, and prayed, that it might not rain; and it rained not by the space
of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and it rained, and
everything became fruitful." There are many texts and examples in the
Scriptures which urge us to pray, only that it be done with earnestness
and faith. As David says, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and His ears are open unto their cry." Again, "The Lord is nigh unto
all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." Why
does he add, "call upon Him in truth"? Because that is not prayer nor
calling upon God when the mouth alone mumbles.
What should God do, if you come along with your mouth, book or
Paternoster, and think of nothing except that you may finish the words
and complete the number? So that if some one were to ask you what it
all was about, or what it was that you prayed for, you yourself would
not know; for you had not thought of laying this or that matter before
God or desiring it. Your only reason for praying is that you are
commanded to pray this and so much, and this you intend to do in full.
What wonder that thunder and lightning frequently set churches on fire,
because we thus make of the House of Prayer a house of mockery, and
call that prayer in which we bring nothing before God and desire
nothing from Him.
But we should do as they do who wish to ask a favor of great princes.
These do not plan merely to babble a certain number of words, for the
prince would think they mocked him, or were insane; but they put their
request very plainly, and present their need earnestly, and then leave
it to his mercy, in good confidence that he will grant it. So we must
deal with God of definite things, namely, mention some present need,
commend it to His mercy and good-will, and not doubt that it is heard;
for He has promised to hear such prayer, which no earthly lord has done.
XIV. We are masters in this form of prayer when we suffer bodily need;
when we are sick we call here upon St. Christopher, there upon St.
Barbara; we vow a pilgrimage to St. James, to this place and to that;
then we make earnest prayer, have a good confidence and every good kind
of prayer. But when we are in our churches during mass, we stand like
images of saints; know nothing to speak of or to lament; the beads
rattle, the pages rustle and the mouth babbles; and that is all there
is to it.
But if you ask what you shall speak of and lament in your prayer, you
can easily learn from the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. Open
your eyes and look into your life and the life of all Christians,
especially of the spiritual estate, and you will find how faith, hope,
love, obedience, chastity and every virtue languish, and all manner of
heinous vices reign; what a lack there is of good preachers and
prelates; how only knaves, children, fools and women rule. Then you
will see that there were need every hour without ceasing to pray
everywhere with tears of blood to God, Who is so terribly angry with
men. And it is true that it has never been more necessary to pray than
at this time, and it will be more so from now on to the end of the
world. If such terrible crimes do not move you to lament and complain,
do not permit yourself to be led astray by your rank, station, good
works or prayer: there is no Christian vein or trait in you, however
righteous you may be. But it has all been foretold, that when God's
anger is greatest and Christendom suffers the greatest need, then
petitioners and supplicants before God shall not be found, as Isaiah
says with tears, chapter lxiv: "Thou art angry with us, and there is
none that calleth upon Thy Name, that stirreth up himself to take hold
of Thee." Likewise, Ezekiel xxii: "I sought for a man among them, that
should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land,
that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Therefore have I poured
out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of
My wrath." With these words God indicates how He wants us to withstand
Him and turn away His anger from one another, as it is frequently
written of the Prophet Moses, that he restrained God, lest His anger
should overwhelm the people of Israel.
XV. But what will they do, who not only do not regard such misfortune
of Christendom, and do not pray against it, but laugh at it, take
pleasure in it, condemn, malign, sing and talk of their neighbor's
sins, and yet dare, unafraid and unashamed, go to church, hear mass,
say prayers, and regard themselves and are regarded as pious
Christians? These truly are in need that we pray twice for them, if we
pray once for those whom they condemn, talk about and laugh at. That
there would be such is also prophesied by the thief on Christ's left
hand, who blasphemed Him in His suffering, weakness and need; also by
all those who reviled Christ on the Cross, when they should most of all
have helped Him.
O God, how blind, nay, how insane have we Christians become! When will
there be an end of wrath, O heavenly Father? That we mock at the
misfortune of Christendom, to pray for which we gather together in
Church and at the mass, that we blaspheme and condemn men, this is the
fruit of our mad materialism. If the Turk destroys cities, country and
people, and ruins churches, we think a great injury has been done
Christendom. Then we complain, and urge kings and princes to war. But
when faith perishes, love grows cold, God's Word is neglected, and all
manner of sin flourishes, then no one thinks of fighting, nay, pope,
bishops, priests and clergy, who ought to be generals, captains and
standard-bearers in this spiritual warfare against these spiritual and
many times worse Turks, these are themselves the very princes and
leaders of such Turks and of the devil host, just as Judas was the
leader of the Jews when they took Christ. It had to be an apostle, a
bishop, a priest, one of the number of the best, who began the work of
slaying Christ. So also must Christendom be laid waste by no others
than those who ought to protect it, and yet are so insane that they are
ready to eat up the Turks and at home themselves set house and
sheep-cote on fire and let them burn up with the sheep and all other
contents, and none the less worry about the wolf in the woods. Such are
our times, and this is the reward we have earned by our ingratitude
toward the endless grace which Christ has won for us freely with His
precious blood, grievous labor and bitter death.
XVI. Lo! where are the idle ones, who do not know how to do good works?
Where are they who run to Rome, to St. James, hither and thither? Take
up this one single work of the mass, look on your neighbor's sin and
ruin, and have pity on him; let it grieve you, tell it to God, and pray
over it. Do the same for every other need of Christendom, especially of
the rulers, whom God, for the intolerable punishment and torment of us
all, allows to fall and be misled so terribly. If you do this
diligently, be assured you are one of the best fighters and captains,
not only against the Turks, but also against the devils and the powers
of hell. But if you do it not, what would it help you though you
performed all the miracles of the saints, and murdered all the Turks,
and yet were found guilty of having disregarded your neighbor's need
and of having thereby sinned against love? For Christ at the last day
will not ask how much you have prayed, fasted, pilgrimaged, done this
or that for yourself, but how much good you have done to others, even
the very least.
Now without doubt among the "least" are also those who are in sin and
spiritual poverty, captivity and need, of whom there are at present far
more than of those who suffer bodily need. Therefore take heed: our own
self-assumed good works lead us to and into ourselves, that we seek
only our own benefit and salvation; but God's commandments drive us to
our neighbor, that we may thereby benefit others to their salvation.
Just as Christ on the Cross prayed not for Himself alone, but rather
for us, when He said, "Father, forgive them, fort they know not what
they do," so we also must pray for one another. From which every man
may know that the slanderers, frivolous judges and despisers of other
people are a perverted, evil race, who do nothing else than heap abuse
on those for whom they ought to pray; in which vice no one is sunk so
deep as those very men who do many good works of their own, and seem to
men to be something extraordinary, and are honored because of their
beautiful, splendid life in manifold good works.
XVII. Spiritually understood, this Commandment has a yet far higher
work, which embraces the whole nature of man. Here it must be known
that in Hebrew "Sabbath" means "rest," because on the seventh day God
rested and ceased from all His works, which He had made. Genesis ii.
Therefore He commanded also that the seventh day should be kept holy
and that we cease from our works which we do the other six days. This
Sabbath has now for us been changed into the Sunday, and the other days
are called work-days; the Sunday is called rest-day or holiday or holy
day. And would to God that in Christendom there were no holiday except
the Sunday; that the festivals of Our Lady and of the Saints were all
transferred to Sunday; then would many evil vices be done away with
through the labor of the work-days, and lands would not be so drained
and impoverished. But now we are plagued with many holidays, to the
destruction of souls, bodies and goods; of which matter much might be
said.
This rest or ceasing from labors is of two kinds, bodily and spiritual.
For this reason this Commandment is also to be understood in two ways.
The bodily rest is that of which we have spoken above, namely, that we
omit our business and work, in order that we may gather in the church,
see mass, hear God's Word and make common prayer. This rest is indeed
bodily and in Christendom no longer commanded by God, as the Apostle
says, Colossians ii, "Let no man obligate you to any holiday
whatever"--for they were of old a figure, but now the truth has been
fulfilled, so that all days are holy days, as Isaiah says, chapter
lxvi, "One holy day shall follow the other"; on the other hand, all
days are workdays. Yet it is a necessity and ordained by the Church for
the sake of the imperfect laity and working people, that they also may
be able to come to hear God's Word. For, as we see, the priests and
clergy celebrate mass every day, pray at all hours and train themselves
in God's Word by study, reading and hearing. For this reason also they
are freed from work before others, supported by tithes and have
holy-day every day, and every day do the works of the holy-day, and
have no work-day, but for them one day is as the other. And if we were
all perfect, and knew the Gospel, we might work every day if we wished,
or rest if we could. For a day of rest is at present not necessary nor
commanded except only for the teaching of God's Word and prayer.
The spiritual rest, which God particularly intends in this Commandment,
is this: that we not only cease from our labor and trade, but much
more, that we let God alone work in us and that we do nothing of our
own with all our powers. But how is this done? In this way: Man,
corrupted by sin, has much wicked love and inclination toward all sins,
as the Scriptures say, Genesis viii, "Man's heart and senses incline
always to the evil," that is, to pride, disobedience, anger, hatred,
covetousness, unchastity, etc., and summa summarum, in all that he does
and leaves undone, he seeks his own profit, will and honor rather than
God's and his neighbor's. Therefore all his works, all his words, all
his thoughts, all his life are evil and not godly.
Now if God is to work and to live in him, all this vice and wickedness
must be choked and up-rooted, so that there may be rest and a cessation
of all our works, thoughts and life, and that henceforth (as St. Paul
says, Galatians ii.) it may be no longer we who live, but Christ Who
lives, works and speaks in us. This is not accomplished with
comfortable, pleasant days, but here we must hurt our nature and let it
be hurt. Here begins the strife between the spirit and the flesh; here
the spirit resists anger, lust, pride, while the flesh wants to be in
pleasure, honor and comfort. Of this St. Paul says, Galatians v, "They
that are our Lord Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections
and lusts." Then follow the good works,--fasting, watching, labor, of
which some say and write so much, although they know neither the source
nor the purpose of these good works. Therefore we will now also speak
of them.
XVIII. This rest, namely, that our work cease and God alone work in us,
is accomplished in two ways. First, through our own effort, secondly,
through the effort or urging of others.
Our own effort is to be so made and ordered that, in the first place,
when we see our flesh, senses, will and thoughts tempting us, we resist
them and do not heed them, as the Wise Man says: "Follow not thine own
desires." And Moses, Deuteronomy xii: "Thou shalt not do what is right
in thine own eyes."
Here a man must make daily use of those prayers which David prays:
"Lord, lead me in Thy path, and let me not walk in my own ways," and
many like prayers, which are all summed up in the prayer, "Thy kingdom
come." For the desires are so many, so various, and besides at times so
nimble, so subtile and specious, through the suggestions of the evil
one, that it is not possible for a man to control himself in his own
ways. He must let hands and feet go, commend himself to God's
governance, and entrust nothing to his reason, as Jeremiah says, "O
Lord, I know that the way of man is not in his own power." We see proof
of this, when the children of Israel went out of Egypt through the
Wilderness, where there was no way, no food, no drink, no help.
Therefore God went before them, by day in a bright: cloud, by night in
a fiery pillar, fed them with manna from heaven, and kept their
garments and shoes that they waxed not old, as we read in the Books of
Moses. For this reason we pray: "Thy kingdom come, that Thou rule us,
and not: we ourselves," for there is nothing more perilous in us than
our reason and will. And this is the first and highest work of God in
us and the best training, that we cease from our works, that we let our
reason and will be idle, that we rest and commend ourselves to God in
all things, especially when they seem to be spiritual and good.
XIX. After this comes the discipline of the flesh, to kill its gross,
evil lust, to give it rest and relief. This we must kill and quiet with
fasting, watching and labor, and from this we learn how much and why we
shall fast, watch and labor.
There are, alas! many blind men, who practise their castigation,
whether it be fasting, watching or labor, only because they think these
are good works, intending by them to gain much merit. Far blinder still
are they who measure their fasting not only by the quantity or
duration, as these do, but also by the nature of the food, thinking
that it is of far greater worth if they do not eat meat, eggs or
butter. Beyond these are those who fast according to the saints, and
according to the days; one fasting on Wednesday, another on Saturday,
another on St. Barbara's day, another on St. Sebastian's day, and so
on. These all seek in their fasting nothing beyond the work itself:
when they have performed that, they think they have done a good work. I
will here say nothing of the fact that some fast in such a way that
they none the less drink themselves full; some fast by eating fish and
other foods so lavishly that they would come much nearer to fasting if
they ate meat, eggs and butter, and by so doing would obtain far better
results from their fasting. For such fasting is not fasting, but a
mockery of fasting and of God.
Therefore I allow everyone to choose his day, food and quantity for
fasting, as he will, on condition that he do not stop with that, but
have regard to his flesh; let him put upon it fasting, watching and
labor according to its lust and wantonness, and no more, although pope,
Church, bishop, father-confessor or any one else whosoever have
commanded it. For no one should measure and regulate fasting, watching
and labor according to the character or quantity of the food, or
according to the days, but according to the withdrawal or approach of
the lust and wantonness of the flesh, for the sake of which alone the
fasting, watching and labor is ordained, that is, to kill and to subdue
them. If it were not for this lust, eating were as meritorious as
fasting, sleeping as watching, idleness as labor, and each were as good
as the other without all distinction.
XX. Now, if some one should find that more wantonness arose in his
flesh from eating fish than from eating eggs and meat, let him eat meat
and not fish. Again, if he find that his head becomes confused and
crazed or his body and stomach injured through fasting, or that it is
not needful to kill the wantonness of his flesh, he shall let fasting
alone entirely, and eat, sleep, be idle as is necessary for his health,
regardless whether it be against the command of the Church, or the
rules of monastic orders: for no commandment of the Church, no law of
an order can make fasting, watching and labor of more value than it has
in serving to repress or to kill the flesh and its lusts. Where men go
beyond this, and the fasting, eating, sleeping, watching are practised
beyond the strength of the body, and more than is necessary to the
killing of the lust, so that through it the natural strength is ruined
and the head is racked; then let no one imagine that he has done good
works, or excuse himself by citing the commandment of the Church or the
law of his order. He will be regarded as a man who takes no care of
himself, and, as far as in him lies, has become his own murderer.
For the body is not given us that we should kill its natural life or
work, but only that we kill its wantonness; unless its wantonness were
so strong and great that we could not sufficiently resist it without
ruin and harm to the natural life. For, as has been said, in the
practice of fasting, watching and labor, we are not to look upon the
works in themselves, not on the days, not on the number, not on the
food, but only on the wanton and lustful Adam, that through them he may
be cured of his evil appetite.
XXI. From this we can judge how wisely or foolishly some women act when
they are with child, and how the sick are to be treated. For the
foolish women cling so firmly to their fasting that they run the risk
of great danger to the fruit of their womb and to themselves, rather
than not to fast when the others fast. They make a matter of conscience
where there is none, and where there is matter of conscience they make
none. This is all the fault of the preachers, because they continually
prate of fasting, and never point out its true use, limit, fruit, cause
and purpose. So also the sick should be allowed to eat and to drink
every day whatever they wish. In brief, where the wantonness of the
flesh ceases, there every reason for fasting, watching, laboring,
eating this or that, has already ceased, and there no longer is any
binding commandment at all.
But then care must be taken, lest out of this freedom there grow a lazy
indifference about killing the wantonness of the flesh; for the roguish
Adam is exceedingly tricky in looking for permission for himself, and
in pleading the ruin of the body or of the mind; so some men jump right
in and say it is neither necessary nor commanded to fast or to mortify
the flesh, and are ready to eat this and that without fear, just as if
they had for a long time had much experience of fasting, although they
have never tried it.
No less are we to guard against offending those who, not sufficiently
informed, regard it a great sin if we do not fast or eat as they do.
These we must kindly instruct, and not haughtily despise, nor eat this
or that in despite of them, but we must tell them the reason why it is
right to do so, and thus gradually lead them to a correct
understanding. But if they are stubborn and will not listen, we must
let them alone, and do as we know it is right to do.
XXII. The second form of discipline which we receive at the hands of
others, is when men or devils cause us suffering, as when our property
is taken, our body sick, and our honor taken away; and everything that
may move us to anger, impatience and unrest. For God's work rules in us
according to His wisdom, not according to our wisdom, according to His
purity and chastity, not according to the wantonness of our flesh; for
God's work is wisdom and purity, our work is foolishness and impurity,
and these shall rest: so in like manner it should rule in us according
to His peace, not our anger, impatience and lack of peace. For peace
too is God's work, impatience is the work of our flesh; this shall rest
and be dead, that we thus in every way keep a spiritual holiday, let
our works stand idle, and let God work in us.
Therefore in order to kill our works and the Adam in us, God heaps many
temptations upon us, which move us to anger, many sufferings, which
rouse us to impatience, and last of all death and the world's abuse;
whereby He seeks nothing else than that He may drive out anger,
impatience and lack of peace, and attain to His work, that is, to
peace, in us. Thus says Isaiah xxviii, "He does the work of another
that He may come to His own work." What does this mean? He sends us
suffering and trouble that He may teach us to have patience and peace;
He bids us die that He may make us live, until a man, thoroughly
trained, becomes so peaceful and quiet that he is not disturbed,
whether it go well or ill with him, whether he die or live, be honored
or dishonored. There God Himself dwells alone, and there are no works
of men. This is rightly keeping and hallowing the day of rest; then a
man does not guide himself, then he desires nothing for himself, then
nothing troubles him; but God Himself leads him, there is naught but
godly pleasure, joy and peace with all other works and virtues.
XXIII. These works He considers so great that He commands us not only
to keep the day of rest, but also to hallow it or regard it as holy,
whereby He declares that there are no more precious things than
suffering, dying, and all manner of misfortune. For they are holy and
sanctify a man from his works to God's works, just as a church is
consecrated from natural works to the worship of God. Therefore a man
shall also recognise them as holy things, be glad and thank God when
they come upon him. For when they come they make him holy, so that he
fulfils this Commandment and is saved, redeemed from all his sinful
works. Thus says David: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death
of His saints."
In order to strengthen us thereto He has not only commanded us to keep
such a rest (for nature is very unwilling to die and to suffer, and it
is a bitter day of rest for it to cease from its works and be dead);
but He has also comforted us in the Scriptures with many words and told
us, Psalm xci, "I will be with him in all his trouble, and will deliver
him." Likewise Psalm xxxiv: "The Lord is nigh unto all them that
suffer, and will help them."