[Sidenote: Faith]
Many have thought Christian faith to be an easy thing, and not a few
have given it a place among the virtues. This they do because they
have had no experience of it, and have never tasted what great virtue
there is in faith. For it is impossible that any one should write well
of it or well understand what is correctly written of it, unless he
has at some time tasted the courage faith gives a man when trials
oppress him. But he who has had even a faint taste of it can never
write, speak, meditate or hear enough concerning it. For it is a
living fountain springing up into life everlasting, as Christ calls it
in John iv [John 4:14]. For my part, although I have no wealth of
faith to boast of and know how scant my store is, yet I hope that,
driven about by great and various temptations, I have attained to a
little faith, and that I can speak of it, if not more elegantly,
certainly more to the point, than those literalists and all too
subtile disputants have hitherto done, who have not even understood
what they have written.
[Sidenote: Liberty and Bondage]
That I may make the way easier or the unlearned--for only such do I
serve--I set down first these two propositions concerning the liberty
and the bondage of the spirit:
_A Christian man is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none._
_A Christian man is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to
all._
Although these two theses seem to contradict each other, yet, if they
should be found to fit together they would serve our purpose
beautifully. For they are both Paul's own, who says, in I Cor. ix,
"Whereas I was free, I made myself the servant of all," [1 Cor. 9:19]
and, Rom. xiii, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another." [Rom.
13:8] Now love by its very nature is ready to serve and to be subject
to him who is loved. So Christ, although Lord of all, was made of a
woman, made under the law [Gal. 4:4], and hence was at the same time
free and a servant, at the same time in the form of God and in the
form of a servant [Phil. 2:6 f.].
[Sidenote: Man's Nature]
Let us start, however, with something more remote from our subject,
but more obvious. Man[12] has a twofold nature, a spiritual and a
bodily. According to the spiritual nature, which men call the soul, he
is called a spiritual, or inner, or new man; according to the bodily
nature, which men call the flesh, he is called a carnal, or outward,
or old man, of whom the Apostle writes, in II Cor. iv, "Though our
outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."
[2 Cor. 4:16] Because of this diversity of nature the Scriptures
assert contradictory things of the same man, since these two men in
the same man contradict each other, since the flesh lusteth against
the spirit and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. v) [Gal. 5:17].
[Sidenote: The Inward Man]
_First_, let us contemplate the inward man, to see how a righteous,
free and truly Christian man, that is, a new, spiritual, inward man,
comes into being. It is evident that no external thing, whatsoever it
be, has any influence whatever in producing Christian righteousness or
liberty, nor in producing unrighteousness or bondage. A simple
argument will furnish the proof. What can it profit the soul if the
body are well, be free and active, eat, drink and do as it pleases?
For in these things even the most godless slaves of all the vices are
well. On the other hand, how will ill health or imprisonment or hunger
or thirst or any other external misfortune hurt the soul? With these
things even the most godly men are afflicted, and those who because of
a clear conscience are most free. None of these things touch either
the liberty or the bondage of the soul. The soul receives no benefit
if the body is adorned with the sacred robes of the priesthood, or
dwells in sacred places, or is occupied with sacred duties, or prays,
fasts, abstains from certain kinds of food or does any work whatsoever
that can be done by the body and in the body. The righteousness and
the freedom of the soul demand something far different, since the
things which have been mentioned could be done by any wicked man, and
such works produce nothing but hypocrites. On the other hand, it will
not hurt the soul if the body is clothed in secular dress, dwells in
unconsecrated places, eats and drinks as others do, does not pray
aloud, and neglects to do all the things mentioned above, which
hypocrites can do.
[Sidenote: The Word of God]
Further, to put aside all manner of works, even contemplation,
meditation, and all that the soul can do, avail nothing. One thing and
one only is necessary for Christian life, righteousness and liberty.
That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the Gospel of Christ, as
he says, John xi, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that
believeth in me, shall not die forever" [John 11:25]; and John viii,
"If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" [John
8:26]; and Matthew iv, "Not in bread alone doth man live; but in every
word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Matt. 4:4] Let us then
consider it certain and conclusively established that the soul can do
without all things except the Word of God, and that where this is not
there is no help for the soul in anything else whatever. But if it has
the Word it is rich and lacks nothing, since this Word is the Word of
life, of truth, of light, of peace, of righteousness, of salvation, of
joy, of liberty, of wisdom, of power, of grace, of glory and of every
blessing beyond our power to estimate. This is why the prophet in the
entire cxix Psalm, and in many other places of Scripture, with so many
sighs yearns after the Word of God and applies so many names to it
[Psalm 119]. On the other hand, there is no more terrible plague with
which the wrath of God can smite men than a famine of the hearing of
His Word, as He says in Amos, just as there is no greater mercy than
when He sends forth His Word [Amos 8:11 f.], as we read in Psalm cvii,
"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions." [Psalm 107:20] Nor was Christ sent into the world for
any other ministry but that of the Word, and the whole spiritual
estate, apostles, bishops and all the priests, has been called and
instituted only or the ministry of the Word.
[Sidenote: The Gospel]
You ask, "What then is this Word of God, and how shall it be used,
since there are so many words of God?" I answer. The Apostle explains
that in Romans i. The Word is the Gospel of God concerning His Son,
Who was made flesh, suffered, rose from the dead, and was glorified
through the Spirit Who sanctifies. For to preach Christ means to feed
the soul, to make it righteous, to set it free and to save it, if it
believe the preaching. For faith alone is the saving and efficacious
use of the Word of God, Romans x, "If thou confess with thy mouth that
Jesus is Lord, and believe with thy heart that God hath raised Him up
from the dead, thou shalt be saved" [Rom. 10:9]; and again, "The end
of the law is Christ, unto righteousness to every one that believeth"
[Rom. 10:4]; and, Romans i, "The just shall live by his faith." [Rom.
1:17] The Word of God cannot be received and cherished by any works
whatever, but only by faith [Hab. 2:4]. Hence it is clear that, as the
soul needs only the Word for its life and righteousness, so it is
justified by faith alone and not by any works; for if it could be
justified by anything else, it would not need the Word, and therefore
it would not need faith. But this faith cannot at all exist in
connection with works, that is to say, if you at the same time claim
to be justified by works, whatever their character; for that would be
to halt between two sides, to worship Baal and to kiss the hand [1
Kings 18:21], which, as Job says, is a very great iniquity [Job 31:27
f.]. Therefore the moment you begin to believe, you learn that all
things in you are altogether blameworthy, sinful and damnable, as
Romans iii says, "For all have sinned and lack the glory of God" [Rom.
3:23]; and again, "There is none just, there is none that doeth good,
all have turned out of the way: they are become unprofitable
together." [Rom. 3:10 ff.] When you have learned this, you will know
that you need Christ, Who suffered and rose again or you, that,
believing in Him, you may through this faith become a new man, in that
all your sins are forgiven, and you are justified by the merits of
another, namely, of Christ alone.
[Sidenote: Justification by Faith]
Since, therefore, this faith can rule only in the inward man, as
Romans x says, "With the heart we believe unto righteousness"; and
since faith alone justifies, it is clear that the inward man cannot be
justified, made free and be saved by any outward work or dealing
whatsoever, and that works, whatever their character, have nothing to
do with this inward man. On the other hand, only ungodliness and
unbelief of heart, and no outward work, make him guilty and a damnable
servant of sin. Wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every
Christian to lay aside all trust in works, and more and more to
strengthen faith alone, and through faith to grow in the knowledge,
not of works, but of Christ Jesus, Who suffered and rose for him, as
Peter teaches, in the last chapter of his first Epistle [1 Pet. 5:10];
since no other work makes a Christian. Thus when the Jews asked
Christ, John vi [John 6:28 f.], what they should do that they might
work the works of God, He brushed aside the multitude of works in
which He saw that they abounded [John 6:27], and enjoined upon them a
single work, saying, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him
Whom He hath sent. For Him hath God the Father sealed." [John 6:29]
Hence true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison, which
brings with it all salvation and saves from every evil, as Christ says
in the last chapter of Mark, "He that believeth and is baptised, shall
be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned." [Mark 16:16]
This treasure Isaiah beheld and foretold in chapter x, "The Lord shall
make an abridged and consuming word upon the land, and the consumption
abridged shall overflow with righteousness" [Isa. 10:22]; as if he
said, "Faith, which is a brief and perfect fulfilment of the law,
shall fill believers with so great righteousness that they shall need
nothing more for their righteousness." So also Paul says, Romans x,
"With the heart we believe unto righteousness." [Rom. 10:10]
[Sidenote: Faith and Works]
[Sidenote: Commands reveal Weakness]
Should you ask, how it comes that faith alone justifies without works
offers us such a treasury of great benefits, when so many works,
ceremonies and laws are prescribed in the Scriptures, I answer: First
of all, remember what has been said: faith alone, without works,
justifies, makes free and saves, as we shall later make still more
clear. Here we must point out that all the Scriptures of God are
divided into two parts--commands and promises. The commands indeed
teach things that are good, but the things taught reveal are not done
as soon as taught; for the commands show us what we ought to do, but
do not give us the power to do it; they are intended to teach a man to
know himself, that through them he may recognize his inability to do
good and may despair of his powers. That is why they are called and
are the Old Testament. For example: "Thou shalt not covet" [Ex. 20:17]
is a command which convicts us all of being sinners, since no one is
able to avoid coveting, however much he may struggle against it.
Therefore, in order not to covet, and to fulfil the command, a man is
compelled to despair of himself, and to seek elsewhere and from some
one else the help which he does not ind in himself, as is said in
Hosea, "Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in Me."
[Hos. 13:9] And as we are with this one command, so we are with all;
or it is equally impossible or us to keep any one of them.
[Sidenote: Promises give Strength]
But when a man through the commands has learned to know his weakness,
and has become troubled as to how he may satisfy the law, since the
law must be fulfilled so that not a jot or tittle shall perish,
otherwise man will be condemned without hope; then, being truly
humbled and reduced to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no
means of justification and salvation. Here the second part of the
Scriptures stands ready--the promises of God, which declare the glory
of God and say, "If you wish to fulfil the law, and not to covet, as
the law demands, come, believe in Christ, in Whom grace,
righteousness, peace, liberty and all things are promised you; if you
believe you shall have all, if you believe not you shall lack all."
For what is impossible for you in all the works of the law, many as
they are, but all useless, you will accomplish in a short and easy way
through faith. For God our Father has made all things depend on faith,
so that whoever has faith, shall have all, and whoever has it not,
shall have nothing. "For He has concluded all under unbelief, that He
might have mercy on all," Romans xi [Rom. 11:32]. Thus the promises of
God give what the commands of God ask, and fulfil what the law
prescribes, that all things may be of God alone, both the commands and
the fulfilling of the commands. He alone commands. He also alone
fulfils. Therefore the promises of God belong to the New Testament,
nay, they are the New Testament.
And since these promises of God are holy, true, righteous, free and
peaceful words, full of all goodness, it comes to pass that the soul
which clings to them with a firm faith, is so united with them, nay,
altogether taken up into them, that it not only shares in all their
power, but is saturated and made drunken with it. For if a touch of
Christ healed, how much more will this most tender touch in the
spirit, rather this absorbing of the Word, communicate to the soul all
things that are the Word's. This, then, is how through faith alone
without works the soul is justified by the Word of God, sanctified,
made true and peaceful and free, filled with every blessing and made
truly a child of God, as John i says, "To them gave He power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." [John 1:12]
[Sidenote: Faith Justifies]
From what has been said it is easily seen whence faith has such great
power, and why no good work nor all good works together can equal it:
no work can cling to the Word of God nor be in the soul; in the soul
faith alone and the Word have sway. As the Word is, so it makes the
soul, as heated iron glows like fire because of the union of fire with
it. It is clear then that a Christian man has in his faith all that he
needs, and needs no works to justify him. And if he has no need of
works, neither does he need the law; and if he has no need of the law,
surely he is free from the law, and it is true, "the law is not made
for a righteous man." [1 Tim. 1:9] And this is that Christian liberty,
even our faith, which does not indeed cause us to live in idleness or
in wickedness, but makes the law and works unnecessary for any man's
righteousness and salvation.
[Sidenote: Faith Fulfils the Commands]
This is the first power of faith. Let us now examine the second also.
For it is a further function of faith, that whom it trusts it also
honors with the most reverent and high regard, since it considers him
truthful and trustworthy. For there is no other honor equal to the
estimate of truthfulness and righteousness with which we honor him
whom we trust. Or could we ascribe to a man anything greater than
truthfulness, and righteousness, and perfect goodness? On the other
hand, there is no way in which we can show greater contempt for a man
than to regard him as false and wicked and to suspect him, as we do
when we do not trust him. So when the soul firmly trusts God's
promises, it regards Him as truthful and righteous, than which nothing
more excellent can be ascribed to God. This is the very highest
worship of God, that we ascribe to Him truthfulness, righteousness and
whatever else ought to be ascribed to one who is trusted. Then the
soul consents to all His will, then it hallows His name and suffers
itself to be dealt with according to God's good pleasure, because,
clinging to God's promises, it does not doubt that He, Who is true,
just and wise, will do, dispose and provide all things well. And is
not such a soul, by this faith, in all things most obedient to God?
What commandment is there that such obedience has not abundantly
fulfilled? What more complete fulfilment is there than obedience in
all things? But this obedience is not rendered by works, but by faith
alone. On the other hand, what greater rebellion against God, what
greater wickedness, what greater contempt of God is there than not
believing His promises? For what is this but to make God a liar or to
doubt that He is truthful?--that is, to ascribe truthfulness to one's
self, but to God lying and vanity? Does not a man who does this deny
God, and in his heart set up himself as his own idol? Then of what
avail are works done in such wickedness, even if they were the works
of angels and apostles? [Rom. 11:32] Rightly, therefore, has God
concluded all--not in anger or lust, but in unbelief; so that they who
imagine that they are fulfilling the law by doing the works of
chastity and mercy required by the law (the civil and human virtues),
might not be confident that they will be saved; they are included
under the sin of unbelief, and must either seek mercy or be justly
condemned.
But when God sees that we count Him to be true, and by the faith of
our heart pay Him the great honor which is due Him, He in turn does us
the great honor of counting us true and righteous for our faith's
sake. For faith works truth and righteousness by giving to God what
belongs to Him; therefore, God in turn gives glory to our
righteousness. It is true and just that God is truthful and just, and
to count Him and confess Him, so is to be truthful and just. So in I
Sam. ii, He says, "Them that honor Me, I will honor, and they that
despise Me, shall be lightly esteemed." [1 Sam. 2:30] So Paul says in
Rom. iv, that Abraham's faith was counted unto him or righteousness,
because by it he most perfectly gave glory to God, and that or the
same reason our faith shall be counted unto us or righteousness if we
believe. [Rom. 4:3]
[Sidenote: Faith Unites with Christ]
The third incomparable benefit of faith is this, that it unites the
soul with Christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom. And by this
mystery, as the Apostle teaches, Christ and the soul become one flesh
[Eph. 5:31 f.]. And if they are one flesh and there is between them a
true marriage, nay, by far the most perfect of all marriages, since
human marriages are but frail types of this one true marriage, it
follows that all they have they have in common, the good as well as
the evil, so that the believing soul can boast of and glory in
whatever Christ has as if it were its own, and whatever the soul has
Christ claims as His own. Let us compare these and we shall see things
that cannot be estimated. Christ is full of grace, life and salvation;
the soul is full of sins, death and condemnation. Now let faith come
between them, and it shall come to pass that sins, death and hell are
Christ's, and grace, life and salvation are the soul's. For it
behooves Him, if He is a bridegroom, to take upon Himself the things
which are His bride's, and to bestow upon her the things that are His.
For if He gives her His body and His very self, how shall He not give
her all that is His? And if He takes the body of the bride, how shall
He not take all that is hers?
Lo! here we have a pleasant vision not only of communion, but of a
blessed strife and victory and salvation and redemption. For Christ is
God and man in one person, Who has neither sinned nor died, and is not
condemned, and Who cannot sin, die or be condemned; His righteousness,
life and salvation are unconquerable, eternal, omnipotent; and He by
the wedding-ring of faith shares in the sins, death and pains of hell
which are His bride's, nay, makes them His own, and acts as if they
were His own, and as if He Himself had sinned; He suffered, died and
descended into hell that He might overcome them all. Now since it was
such a one who did all this, and death and hell could not swallow Him
up, they were of necessity swallowed up of Him in a mighty duel. For
His righteousness is greater than the sins of all men, His life
stronger than death. His salvation more invincible than hell. Thus the
believing soul by the pledge of its faith is free in Christ, its
Bridegroom, from all sins, secure against death and against hell, and
is endowed with the eternal righteousness, life and salvation of
Christ, its Bridegroom. So He presents to Himself a glorious bride,
without spot or wrinkle [Eph. 5:27], cleansing her with the washing in
the Word of life, that is, by faith in the Word of life, of
righteousness, and of salvation. Thus He marries her to Himself in
faith, in loving kindness, and in mercies, in righteousness and in
judgment, as Hosea ii says. [Hos. 2:19 f.]
Who, then, can fully appreciate what this royal marriage means? Who
can understand the riches of the glory of this grace? Here this rich
and godly Bridegroom Christ marries this poor, wicked harlot, redeems
her from all her evil and adorns her with all His good. It is now
impossible that her sins should destroy her, since they are laid upon
Christ and swallowed up in Him, and she has that righteousness in
Christ her husband of which she may boast as of her own, and which she
can confidently set against all her sins in the face of death and
hell, and say, "If I have sinned, yet my Christ, in Whom I believe,
has not sinned, and all His is mine, and all mine is His"--as the
bride in the Song of Solomon says, "My beloved is mine, and I am his."
[Song of Sol. 2:16] This is what Paul means when he says, in I Cor.
xv, "Thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ,"[1 Co4. 15:57]--that is, the victory over sin and death,
as he there says, "the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin
is the law." [1 Cor. 15:36]
[Sidenote: Faith the Fulfilment of the Law]
From this you see once more why so much is ascribed to faith, that it
alone may fulfil the law and justify without the Law works. You see
that the First Commandment, which says, "Thou shalt worship one God,"
is fulfilled by faith alone. For though you were nothing but good
works from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head, yet you
would not be righteous, nor worship God, nor fulfil the First
Commandment, since God cannot be worshiped unless you ascribe to Him
the glory of truthfulness and of all goodness, which is due Him. And
this cannot be done by works, but only by the faith of the heart. For
not by the doing of works, but by believing, do we glorify God and
acknowledge that He is truthful. Therefore, faith alone is the
righteousness of a Christian man and the fulfilling of all the
commandments. For he who fulfils the First, has no difficulty in
fulfilling all the rest. But works, being insensate things, cannot
glorify God, although they can, if faith be present, be done to the
glory of God. At present, however, we are not inquiring what works and
what sort of works are done, but who it is that does them, who
glorifies God and brings forth the works. This is faith which dwells
in the heart, and is the head and substance of all our righteousness.
Hence, it is a blind and dangerous doctrine which teaches that the
commandments must be fulfilled by works. The commandments must be
fulfilled before any works can be done, and the works proceed from the
fulfilment of the commandments [Rom. 13:10], as we shall hear.
[Sidenote: Old Testament Types]
But that we may look more deeply into that grace which our inward man
has in Christ, we must consider that in the Old Testament God
sanctified to Himself every first-born male, and the birth-right was
highly prized, having a two-fold honor, that of priesthood, and that
of kingship. For the first-born brother was priest and lord over all
the others, and was a type of Christ, the true and only First-born of
God the Father and of the Virgin Mary, and true King and Priest, not
after the fashion of the flesh and of the world. For His kingdom is
not of this world [John 18:36]. He reigns in heavenly and spiritual
things and consecrates them--such as righteousness, truth, wisdom,
peace, salvation, etc. Not as if all things on earth and in hell were
not also subject to Him--else how could He protect and save us from
them?--but His kingdom consists neither in them nor of them. Nor does
His priesthood consist in the outward splendor of robes and postures,
like that human priesthood of Aaron and of our present-day Church; but
it consists in spiritual things, through which He by an unseen service
intercedes for us in heaven before God, there offers Himself as a
sacrifice and does all things a priest should do, as Paul in the
Epistle to the Hebrews describes him under the type of Melchizedek
[Heb. 6 f.]. Nor does He only pray and intercede for us, but within
our soul He teaches us through the living teaching of His Spirit, thus
performing the two real unctions of a priest, of which the prayers and
the preaching of human priests are visible types.
Now, just as Christ by his birthright obtained these two prerogatives,
so He imparts them to and shares them with every one who believes on
Him according to the law of the aforesaid marriage, by which the wife
owns whatever belongs to the husband. Hence we are all priests and
kings in Christ, as many as believe on Christ, as I Pet. ii says, "Ye
are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood and
priestly kingdom, that ye should show forth the virtues of Him Who
hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." [1 Pet.
2:9]
[Sidenote: The Kingship of the Christian]
This priesthood and kingship we explain as follows: First, as to the
kingship, every Christian is by faith so exalted above all things that
by a spiritual power he is lord of all things without exception, so
that nothing can do him any harm whatever, nay, all things are made
subject to him and compelled to serve him to his salvation. Thus Paul
says in Rom. viii, "All things work together for good to them who are
called." [Rom. 8:28] And, in I Cor. iii, "All things are yours,
whether life or death, or things present or things to come, and ye are
Christ's." [1 Cor. 3:22 f.] Not as if every Christian were set over
all things, to possess and control them by physical power,--a madness
with which some churchmen are afflicted,--for such power belongs to
kings, princes and men on earth. Our ordinary experience in life shows
us that we are subjected to all, suffer many things and even die; nay,
the more Christian a man is, the more evils, sufferings and deaths is
he made subject to, as we see in Christ the first-born Prince Himself,
and in all His brethren, the saints. The power of which we speak is
spiritual; it rules in the midst of enemies, and is mighty in the
midst of oppression, which means nothing else than that strength is
made perfect in weakness [2 Cor. 12:9], and that in all things I can
find profit unto salvation, so that the cross and death itself are
compelled to serve me and to work together with me for my salvation
[Rom. 8:28]. This is a splendid prerogative and hard to attain, and a
true omnipotent power, a spiritual dominion, in which there is nothing
so good and nothing so evil, but that it shall work together for good
to me, if only I believe. And yet, since faith alone suffices for
salvation, I have need of nothing, except that faith exercise the
power and dominion of its own liberty. Lo, this is the inestimable
power and liberty of Christians.
[Sidenote: The Priesthood of the Christian]
Not only are we the freest of kings, we are also priests forever,
which is far more excellent than being kings, because as priests we
are worthy to appear before God to pray for others and to teach one
another the things of God. For these are the functions of priests, and
cannot be granted to any unbeliever. Thus Christ has obtained for us,
if we believe on Him, that we are not only His brethren, co-heirs and
fellow-kings with Him, but also fellow-priests with Him, who may
boldly come into the presence of God in the spirit of faith and cry,
"Abba, Father!" [Heb. 10:19, 22] pray for one another and do all
things which we see done and prefigured in the outward and visible
works of priests. But he who does not believe is not served by
anything, nor does anything work for good to him, but he himself is a
servant of all, and all things become evils to him, because he
wickedly uses them to his own profit and not to the glory of God. And
so he is no priest, but a profane man, whose prayer becomes sin and
never comes into the presence of God, because God does not hear
sinners [John 9:31]. Who then can comprehend the lofty dignity of the
Christian? Through his kingly power he rules over all things, death,
life and sin, and through his priestly glory is all powerful with God,
because God does the things which he asks and desires, as it is
written, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him; He also
will hear their cry, and will save them." [Phil. 4:13] To this glory a
man attains, surely not by any works of his, but by faith alone.
[Sidenote: Distinctions among Christians]
From this any one can clearly see how a Christian man is free from all
things and over all things, so that he needs no works to make him
righteous and to save him, since faith alone confers all these things
abundantly. But should he grow so foolish as to presume to become
righteous, free, saved and a Christian by means of some good work, he
would on the instant lose faith and all its benefits: a foolishness
aptly illustrated in the fable of the dog who runs along a stream with
a piece of meat in his mouth, and, deceived by the reflection of the
meat in the water, opens his mouth to snap at it, and so loses both
the meat and the reflection. You will ask, "If all who are in the
Church are priests, how do those whom we now call priests differ from
laymen?" I answer: "Injustice is done those words, 'priest,' 'cleric,'
'spiritual,' 'ecclesiastic,' when they are transferred from all other
Christians to those few who are now by a mischievous usage called
'ecclesiastics.' For Holy Scripture makes no distinction between them,
except that it gives the name 'ministers,' 'servants,' 'stewards,' to
those who are now proudly called popes, bishops, and lords and who
should by the ministry of the Word serve others and teach them the
faith of Christ and the liberty of believers. For although we are all
equally priests, yet we cannot all publicly minister and teach, nor
ought we if we could." Thus Paul writes in I Cor. iv, "Let a man so
account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the
mysteries of God." [I Cor. 4:1]
But that stewardship has now been developed into so great a pomp of
power and so terrible a tyranny, that no heathen empire or earthly
power can be compared with it, just as if laymen were not also
Christians. Through this perversion the knowledge of Christian grace,
faith, liberty and of Christ Himself has altogether perished, and its
place has been taken by an unbearable bondage of human words and laws,
until we have become, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah say, servants of
the vilest men on earth, who abuse our misfortune to serve only their
base and shameless will [Lam. 1:11].
[Sidenote: How Christ is to be Preached]
To return to our purpose, I believe it has now become clear that it is
not enough nor is it Christian, to preach the works, life and words of
Christ as historical acts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice
for the conduct of life, although this is the fashion of those who
must to-day be regarded as our best preachers; and far less is it
enough for Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach
instead the laws of men and the decrees of the Fathers. And now there
are not a few who preach Christ and read about Him that they may move
men's affections to sympathy with Christ, to anger against the Jews
and such like childish and womanish nonsense. Rather ought Christ to
be preached to the end that faith in Him may be established, that He
may not only be Christ, but be Christ for thee and for me, and that
what is said of Him and what His Name denotes may be effectual in us.
And such faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why Christ
came, what He brought and bestowed,[13] what benefit it is to us to
accept Him. This is done when that Christian liberty which He bestows
is rightly taught, and we are told in what way we who are Christians
are all kings and priests and so are lords of all, and may firmly
believe that whatever we have done is pleasing and acceptable in the
sight of God, as I have said.
[Sidenote: Effect of such Preaching]
What man is there whose heart, hearing these things, will not rejoice
to its very core, and in receiving such comfort grow tender so as to
love Christ, as he never could be made to love by any laws or works?
Who would have power to harm such a heart or to make it afraid? If the
knowledge of sin for the fear of death break in upon it is ready to
hope in the Lord; it does not grow afraid when it hears tidings of
evil, nor is it disturbed until it shall look down upon its enemies
[Psalm 112:7 f.]. For it believes that the righteousness of Christ is
its own, and that its sin is not its own, but Christ's; and that all
sin is swallowed up by the righteousness of Christ is, as has been
said above, a necessary consequence of faith in Christ. So the heart
learns to scoff at death and sin, and to say with the Apostle, "Where,
O death, is thy victory? where, O death, is thy sting? The sting of
death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to
God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1
Cor. 15:55 ff.] For death is swallowed up not only in the victory of
Christ, but also by our victory, because through faith His victory has
become ours, and in that faith we also are conquerors.
Let this suffice concerning the inward man, his liberty and its
source, the righteousness of faith,[14] which needs neither laws nor
good works, nay, is rather injured by them, if a man trusts that he is
justified by them.
[Sidenote: The Outward Man]
Now let us turn to the second part, to the outward man. Here we shall
answer all those who, misled by the word "faith" and by all that has
been said, now say: "If faith does all things and is alone sufficient
unto righteousness, why then are good works commanded? We will take
our ease and do no works, and be content with faith." I answer, Not
so, ye wicked men, not so. That would indeed be proper, if we were
wholly inward and perfectly spiritual men; but such we shall be only
at the last day, the day of the resurrection of the dead. As long as
we live in the flesh we only begin and make some progress in that
which shall be perfected in the future life. For this reason the
Apostle, in Romans viii, calls all that we attain in this he "the
first fruits" of the spirit [Rom. 8:23], because, forsooth, we shall
receive the greater portion, even the fulness of the spirit, in the
future. This is the place for that which was said above, that a
Christian man is the servant of all and made subject to all. For in so
far as he is free he does no works, but in so far as he is a servant
he does all manner of works. How this is possible, we shall see.
[Sidenote: Needs to do Works]
Although, as I have said, a man is abundantly justified by faith
inwardly, in his spirit, and so has all that he ought to have, except
in so far as this faith and riches must grow from day to day even unto
the future he: yet he remains in this mortal life on earth, and in
this life he must needs govern his own body and have dealings with
men. Here the works begin; here a man cannot take his ease; here he
must, indeed, take care to discipline his body by fastings, watchings,
labors and other reasonable discipline, and to make it subject to the
spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inward man and to
faith, and not revolt against faith and hinder the inward man, as it
is the body's nature to do if it be not held in check. For the inward
man, who by faith is created in the likeness of God, is both joyful
and happy because of Christ in Whom so many benefits are conferred
upon him, and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully
and for naught, in love that is not constrained.
While he is doing this, lo, he meets a contrary will in his own flesh,
which strives to serve the world and to seek its own advantage. This
the spirit of faith cannot tolerate, and with joyful zeal it attempts
to put the body under and to hold it in check, as Paul says in Romans
vii, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see
another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin" [Rom. 7:22 f.]; and, in
another place, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:
lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be
a castaway," [1 Cor. 9:27] and in Galatians, "They that are Christ's
have crucified the flesh with its lusts." [Gal. 5:24]
[Sidenote: Works do not Justify]
In doing these works, however, we must not think that a man is
justified before God by them: for that erroneous opinion faith, which
alone is righteousness before God, cannot endure; but we must think
that these works reduce the body to subjection and purity it of its
evil lusts, and our whole purpose is to be directed only toward the
driving out of lusts. For since by faith the soul is cleansed and made
a lover of God, it desires that all things, and especially its own
body, shall be as pure as itself, so that all things may join with it
in loving and praising God. Hence a man cannot be idle, because the
need of his body drives him and he is compelled to do many good works
to reduce it to subjection. Nevertheless the works themselves do not
justify him before God, but he does the works out of spontaneous love
in obedience to God, and considers nothing except the approval of God,
Whom he would in all things most scrupulously obey.
In this way every one will easily be able to learn for himself the
limit and discretion, as they say, of his bodily castigations: for he
will fast, watch and labor as much as he finds sufficient to repress
the lasciviousness and lust of his body. But they who presume to be
justified by works do not regard the mortifying of the lusts, but only
the works themselves, and think that if only they have done as many
and as great works as are possible, they have done well, and have
become righteousness; at times they even addle their brains and
destroy, or at least render useless, their natural strength with their
works. This is the height of folly, and utter ignorance of Christian
life and faith, that a man should seek to be justified and saved by
works and without faith.
[Sidenote: An Analogy]
In order that what we have said may be more easily understood, we will
explain it by analogies. We should think of the works of a Christian
man who is justified and saved by faith because of the pure and free
mercy of God, just as we would think of the works which Adam and Eve
did in Paradise, and all their children would have done if they had
not sinned. We read in Genesis ii, "God put the man whom He had formed
into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." [Gen. 2:15] Now
Adam was created by God righteous and upright and without sin, so that
he had no need of being justified and made upright through his
dressing and keeping the garden, but, that he might not be idle, the
Lord gave him a work to do--to cultivate and to protect the garden.
These would truly have been the freest of works, done only to please
God and not to obtain righteousness, which Adam already had in full
measure, and which would have been the birthright of us all.
Such also are the works of a believer. Through his faith he has been
restored to Paradise and created anew, has no need of works that he
may become or be righteous; but that he may not be idle and may
provide for and keep his body, he must do such works freely only to
please God; only, since we are not wholly re-created, and our faith
and love are not yet perfect, these are to be increased, not by
external works, however, but within themselves.
[Sidenote: A Second Analogy]
Again: A bishop, when he consecrates a Church, confirms children or
performs any other duty belonging to his office, is not made a bishop
by these works; nay, if he had not first been made a bishop, none of
these works would be valid, they would be foolish, childish and a mere
farce. So the Christian, who is consecrated by his faith, does good
works, but the works do not make him more holy or more Christian; for
that is the work of faith alone, and if a man were not first a
believer and a Christian, all his works would amount to nothing at all
and would be truly wicked and damnable sins.
These two sayings, therefore, are true: "Good works do not make a good
man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked
man, but a wicked man does evil works"; so that it is always necessary
that the "substance" or person itself be good before there can be any
good works, and that good works follow and proceed from the good
person, as Christ also says, "A corrupt tree does not bring forth good
fruit, a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit." [Matt. 7:18] It
is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree, nor does the tree grow
on the fruits, but, on the contrary, the trees bear the fruits and the
fruits grow on the trees. As it is necessary, therefore, that the
trees must exist before their fruits, and the fruits do not make trees
either good or corrupt, but rather as the trees are so are the fruits
they bear; so the person of a man must needs first be good or wicked
before he does a good or a wicked work, and his works do not make him
good or wicked, but he himself makes his works either good or wicked.
[Sidenote: Illustrations]
Illustrations of the same truth can be seen in all trades, A good or a
bad house does not make a good or a bad builder, but a good or a bad
builder makes a bad or a good house. And in general, the work never
makes the workman like itself, but the workman makes the work like
himself. So it is also with the works of man: as the man is, whether
believer or unbeliever, so also is his work--good, if it was done in
faith; wicked, if it was done in unbelief. But the converse is not
true, that the work makes the man either a believer or an unbeliever.
For as works do not make a man a believer, so also they do not make
him righteous. But as faith makes a man a believer and righteous, so
faith also does good works. Since, then, works justify no one, and a
man must be righteous before he does a good work, it is very evident
that it is faith alone which, because of the pure mercy of God through
Christ and in His Word, worthily and sufficiently justifies and saves
the person, and a Christian man has no need of any work or of any law
in order to be saved, since through faith he is free from every law
and does all that he does out of pure liberty and freely, seeking
neither benefit nor salvation, since he already abounds in all things
and is saved through the grace of God because of his faith, and now
seeks only to please God.
[Sidenote: Works Neither Save nor Damn]
Furthermore, no good work helps an unbeliever, so as to justify or
save him. And, on the other hand, no evil work makes him wicked or
damns him, but the unbelief which makes the person and the tree evil,
does the evil and damnable works. Hence when a man is made good or
evil, this is effected not by the works, but by faith or unbelief, as
the Wise Man says, "This is the beginning of sin, that a man falls
away from God," [Sirach 10:14 f.] which happens when he does not
believe. And Paul, Hebrews xi, says, He that cometh to God must
believe." [Heb. 11:6] And Christ says the same: "Either make the tree
good and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit
corrupt," [Matt. 12:33] as if He would say, "Let him who would have
good fruit begin by planting a good tree." So let him who would do
good works not begin with the doing of works, but with believing,
which makes the person good. For nothing makes a man good except
faith, nor evil except unbelief.
It is indeed true that in the sight of men a man is made good or evil
by his works, but this being made good or evil is no more than that he
who is good or evil is pointed out and known as such; as Christ says,
in Matthew vii, "By their fruits ye shall know them." [Matt. 7:20] But
all this remains on the surface, and very many have been deceived by
this outward appearance and have presumed to write and teach
concerning good works by which we may be justified, without even
mentioning faith; they go their way, always being deceived and
deceiving, advancing, indeed, but into a worse state, blind leaders of
the blind [2 Tim. 3:13], wearying themselves with many works, and yet
never attaining to true righteousness [Matt. 15:14]. Of such Paul
says, in II Timothy iii, "Having the form of godliness, but denying
its power, always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the
truth." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7]
He, therefore, who does not wish to go astray with those blind men,
must look beyond works, and laws and doctrines about works; nay,
turning his eyes from works, he must look upon the person, and ask how
that is justified. For the person is justified and saved not by works
nor by laws, but by the Word of God, that is, by the promise of His
grace [Tit. 3:5], and by faith, that the glory may remain God's, Who
saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy by the word of His grace, when we believed. [1
Cor. 1:21]
[Sidenote: The Doctrine of Good Works]
From this it is easy to know in how far good works are to be rejected
or not, and by what standard all the teachings of men concerning works
are to be interpreted. If works are sought after as a means to
righteousness, are burdened with this perverse leviathan[15] and are
done under the false impression that through them you are justified,
they are made necessary and freedom and faith are destroyed; and this
addition to them makes them to be no longer good, but truly damnable
works. For they are not free, and they blaspheme the grace of God,
since to justify and to save by faith belongs to the grace of God
alone. What the works have no power to do, they yet, by a godless
presumption, through this folly of ours, pretend to do, and thus
violently force themselves into the office and the glory of grace. We
do not, therefore, reject good works; on the contrary, we cherish and
teach them as much as possible. We do not condemn them for their own
sake, but because of this godless addition to them and the perverse
idea that righteousness is to be sought through them; for that makes
them appear good outwardly, when in truth they are not good; they
deceive men and lead men to deceive each other, like ravening wolves
in sheep's clothing [Matt. 7:15].
But this leviathan and perverse notion concerning works is insuperable
where sincere faith is wanting. Those work-saints cannot get rid of it
unless faith, its destroyer, come and rule in their hearts. Nature of
itself cannot drive it out, nor even recognize it, but rather regards
it as a mark of the most holy will. And if the influence of custom be
added and confirm this perverseness of nature, as wicked Magisters
have caused it to do, it becomes an incurable evil, and leads astray
and destroys countless men beyond all hope of restoration. Therefore,
although it is good to preach and write about penitence, confession
and satisfaction, if we stop with that and do not go on to teach about
faith, our teaching is unquestionably deceitful and devilish.
[Sidenote: What we are to Preach]
Christ, like His forerunner John, not only said, "Repent ye," [Matt.
3:2] but added the word of faith, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at
hand." [Matt. 4:17] And we are not to preach only one of these words
of God, but both; we are to bring forth out of our treasure things new
and old [Matt. 13:52], the voice of the law as well as the word of
grace. We must bring forth the voice of the law that men may be made
to fear and to come to a knowledge of their sins, and so be converted
to repentance and a better life. But we must not stop with that. For
that would be only to wound and not to bind up, to smite and not to
heal, to kill and not to make alive, to lead down into hell and not to
bring back again, to humble and not to exalt. Therefore, we must also
preach the word of grace and the promise of forgiveness, by which
faith is taught and strengthened. Without this word of grace the works
of the law, contrition, penitence and all the rest are performed and
taught in vain.
There remain even to our day preachers of repentance and grace, but
they do not so explain God's law and promise that a man might learn
from them the source of repentance and grace. For repentance proceeds
from the law of God, but faith or grace from the promise of God, as
Romans x says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
Christ" [Rom. 10:17]; so that a man is consoled and exalted by faith
in the divine promise, after he has been humbled and led to a
knowledge of himself by the threats and the fear of the divine law. So
we read in Psalm xxx, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh
in the morning." [Ps. 30:6]
[Sidenote: Works of Love]
Let this suffice concerning works in general, and at the same time
concerning the works which a Christian does for his own body. Lastly,
we will also speak of the things which he does toward his neighbor. A
man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body, so as to work
for it alone, but he lives also for all men on earth, nay, rather,
lives only for others and not for himself. And to this end he brings
his body into subjection, that he may the more sincerely and freely
serve others, as Paul says in Romans xiv, "No one lives to himself,
and no man dies to himself. For he that liveth, liveth unto the Lord,
and he that dieth, dieth unto the Lord." [Rom. 14:7 f.] Therefore, it
is impossible that he should ever in this life be idle and without
works toward his neighbors, for of necessity he will speak, deal with
and converse with men, as Christ also, being made in the likeness of
men, was found in form as a man, and conversed with men, as Baruch iii
says [Bar. 3:38].
[Sidenote: Do not Save]
[Sidenote: Grow out of Faith]
But none of these things does a man need for his righteousness and
salvation. Therefore, in all his works he should be guided by this
thought and look to this one thing alone, that he may serve and
benefit others in all that he does, having regard to nothing except
the need and the advantage of his neighbor. Thus, the Apostle commands
us to work with our hands that we may give to him who is in need,
although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves;
he says, however, "that he may have to give to him that needeth."
[Eph. 4:28] And this is what makes it a Christian work to care for the
body, that through its health and comfort we may be able to work, to
acquire and to lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need,
that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker, and we may be
sons of God, each caring for and working for the other, bearing one
another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2]. Lo,
this is a truly Christian life, here faith is truly out effectual
through love [Gal. 5:6]; that is, it issues in works of the freest
service cheerfully and lovingly done, with which a man willingly
serves another without hope of reward, and for himself is satisfied
with the fulness and wealth of his faith.
So Paul after teaching the Philippians how rich they were made through
faith in Christ, in which they obtained all things, proceeds
immediately to teach them further, saying, "If there be any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of
the Spirit, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same
love, being of one accord, thinking nothing through strife or
vainglory, but in lowliness each esteeming the other better than
themselves; looking not every man on his own things, but on the things
of others." [Phil. 2:1 ff.] Here we see clearly that the Apostle has
prescribed this rule for the life of Christians,--that we should
devote all our works to the welfare of others, since each has such
abundant riches in his faith, that all his other works and his whole
He are a surplus with which he can by voluntary benevolence serve and
do good to his neighbor.
[Sidenote: The Example of Christ]
As an example of such a life the Apostle cites Christ, saying, "Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made
Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man,
He became obedient unto death." [Phil. 2:5 ff.] This salutary word of
the Apostle has been obscured for us by those who have not at all
understood the Apostle's words, "form of God," "form of a servant,"
"fashion," "likeness of men," and have applied them to the divine and
the human nature. Paul means this: Although Christ was filled with the
form of God and rich in all good things, so that He needed no work and
no suffering to make Him righteous and saved (for He had all this
always from the beginning), yet He was not puffed up by them, nor did
He lift Himself up above us and assume power over us, although He
could rightly have done so; but, on the contrary, He so lived,
labored, worked, suffered and died, that He might be like other men,
and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man, just as if
He had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of God.
But He did all this for our sake, that He might serve us, and that all
things He accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours.
So a Christian, like Christ, his Head, is filled and made rich by
faith, and should be content with this form of God which he has
obtained by faith; only, as I have said, he ought to increase this
faith until it be made perfect. For this faith is his life, his
righteousness and his salvation: it saves him and makes him
acceptable, and bestows upon him all things that are Christ's, as has
been said above, and as Paul asserts in Gal. ii, when he says, "And
the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son
of God." [Gal. 2:20] Although the Christian is thus free from all
works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, to take upon himself
the form of a servant, to be made in the likeness of men, to be found
in fashion as a man, and to serve, help and in every way deal with his
neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals
with himself. And this he should do freely, having regard to nothing
except the divine approval. He ought to think: "Though I am an
unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the
riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part,
out of pure, free mercy, so that henceforth I need nothing whatever
except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not
therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will,
do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a
Father, Who has overwhelmed me with His inestimable riches? I will
therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ
offered Himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I
see is necessary, profitable and salutary to my neighbor, since
through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ."
[Sidenote: Faith and Love]
Lo, thus from faith flow forth love and joy in the Lord, and from love
a joyful, willing and free mind that serves one's neighbor willingly
and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, of praise or blame,
of gain or loss. For a man does not serve that he may put men under
obligations, he does not distinguish between friends and enemies, nor
does he anticipate their thankfulness or unthankfulness; but most
freely and most willingly he spends himself and all that he has,
whether he waste all on the thankless or whether he gain a reward. For
as his Father does, distributing all things to all men richly and
freely, causing His sun to rise upon the good and upon the evil [Matt.
5:45], so also the son does all things and suffers all things with
that freely bestowing joy which is his delight when through Christ he
sees it in God, the dispenser of such great benefits.
Therefore, if we recognize the great and precious things which are
given us, as Paul says [Rom. 5:5], there will be shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost the love which makes us free, joyful,
almighty workers and conquerors over all tribulations, servants of our
neighbors and yet lords of all. But for those who do not recognize the
gifts bestowed upon them through Christ, Christ has been born in vain;
they go their way with their works, and shall never come to taste or
to feel those things. Just as our neighbor is in need and lacks that
in which we abound, so we also have been in need before God and have
lacked His mercy. Hence, as our heavenly Father has in Christ freely
come to our help, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through
our body and its works, and each should become as it were a Christ to
the other, that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the
same in all; that is, that we may be truly Christians.
[Sidenote: The Christian Serves Freely]
Who then can comprehend the riches and the glory of the Christian
life? It can do all things, and has all things, and lacks nothing; it
is lord over sin, death and hell, and yet at the same time it serves,
ministers to and benefits all men. But, alas, in our day this life is
unknown throughout the world; it is neither preached about nor sought
after; we are altogether ignorant of our own name and do not know why
we are Christians or bear the name of Christians. Surely we are so
named after Christ, not because He is absent from us, but because He
dwells in us, that is, because we believe on Him and are Christs one
to another and do to our neighbors as Christ does to us. But in our
day we are taught by the doctrine of men to seek naught but merits,
rewards and the things that are ours; of Christ we have made only a
taskmaster far more harsh than Moses.
[Sidenote: Examples: The Virgin]
Of such faith we have a pre-eminent example in the blessed Virgin. As
is written in Luke ii, she was purified according to the law of Moses,
after the custom of all women, although she was not bound by that law,
and needed not to be purified. But out of free and willing love she
submitted to the law, being made like other women, lest she should
offend or despise them. She was not justified by this work, but being
righteous she did it freely and willingly. So our works also should be
done, not that we may be justified by them; since, being justified
beforehand by faith, we ought to do all things freely and joyfully for
the sake of others.
[Sidenote: St. Paul]
St. Paul also circumcised his disciple Timothy, not because
circumcision was necessary for his righteousness, but that he might
not offend or despise the Jews who were weak in the faith and could
not yet grasp the liberty of faith. But on the other hand, when they
despised the liberty of faith and insisted that circumcision was
necessary for righteousness, he withstood them and did not allow Titus
to be circumcised, (Gal. ii) [Gal. 2:3]. For as he was unwilling to
offend for to despise any man's weak faith, and yielded to their will
for the time, so he was also unwilling that the liberty of faith
should be offended against or despised by stubborn work-righteous men.
He chose a middle way, sparing the weak or a time, but always
withstanding the stubborn, that he might convert all to the liberty of
faith. What we do should be done with the same zeal to sustain the
weak in faith, as Romans xiv teaches [Rom. 14:1 ff.]; but we should
firmly withstand the stubborn teachers of works. Of this we will say
more later.
Christ also, in Matthew xvii, when the tribute money was demanded of
His disciples, argued with St. Peter, Christ whether the sons of the
king were not free from the payment of tribute, and Peter affirmed
that they were. None the less Christ commanded Peter to go to the sea,
and said, "Lest we should offend them, go, and take up the fish that
first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find
a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee."
[Matt. 17:24 ff.] This incident its beautifully to our subject, since
Christ here calls Himself and those that are His, children and sons of
the King, who need nothing; and yet He freely submits and pays the
tribute. Just as necessary or helpful as this work was to Christ's
righteousness or salvation, just so much do all other works of His or
of His followers avail for righteousness; since they all follow after
righteousness and are free, and are done only to serve others and to
give them an example of good works.
Of the same nature are the precepts which Paul gives, in Romans xiii
[Rom. 13:1 ff.] and Titus iii [Tit. 3:1], that Christians should be
subject to the powers that be, and be ready to do every good work, not
that they shall in this way be justified, since they already are
righteous through faith, but that in the liberty of the Spirit they
shall by so doing serve others and the powers themselves, and obey
their will freely and out of love. Of this nature should be the works
of all colleges, monasteries and priests. Each one should do the works
of his profession and position, not that by them he may strive after
righteousness, but that through them he may keep under his body, be an
example to others, who also need to keep under their bodies, and
finally that by such works he may submit his will to that of others in
the freedom of love. But very great care must always be taken that no
man in a false confidence imagine that by such works he will be
justified, or acquire merit or be saved; for this is the work of faith
alone, as I have repeatedly said.
[Sidenote: Church Precepts]
Any one knowing this could easily and without danger find his way
among those numberless mandates and precepts of pope, bishops,
monasteries, churches, princes and magistrates, upon which some
ignorant pastors insist as if they were necessary to righteousness and
salvation, calling them "precepts of the Church," although they are
nothing of the kind. For a Christian, as a free man, will say, "I will
fast, pray, do this and that as men command, not because it is
necessary to my righteousness or salvation; but that I may show due
respect to the pope, the bishop, the community, some magistrate or my
neighbor, and give them an example, I will do and suffer all things,
just as Christ did and suffered far more for me, although He needed
nothing of it all or Himself, and was made under the law for my sake,
although He was not under the law." And although tyrants do violence
or injustice in making their demands, yet it will do no harm, so long
as they demand nothing contrary to God.
From what has been said, every one can pass a safe judgment on all
works and laws and make a trustworthy distinction between them, and
know who are the blind and ignorant pastors and who are the good and
true. For any work that is not done solely for the purpose of keeping
under the body or of serving one's neighbor, so long as he asks
nothing contrary to God, is not good nor Christian. And for this
reason I mightily fear that few or no colleges, monasteries, altars
and offices of the Church are really Christian in our day: no, nor the
special fasts and prayers on certain saints' days[16] either. I fear,
I say, that in all these we seek only our own profit, thinking that
through them our sins are purged away and that we ind salvation in
them. In this way Christian liberty perishes altogether. And this
comes from our ignorance of Christian faith and of liberty.
[Sidenote: Ignorance of Liberty]
This ignorance and suppression of liberty very many blind pastors take
pains to encourage: they stir up and urge on their people in these
practices by praising such works, puffing them up with their
indulgences, and never teaching faith. But I would counsel you, if you
wish to pray, fast or establish some foundation in the Church, take
heed not to do it in order to obtain some benefit, whether temporal or
eternal. For you would do injury to your faith, which alone offers you
all things, Your one care should be that faith may increase, whether
it be trained by works or by sufferings. Give your gifts freely and
for nothing, that others may profit by them and are well because of
you and your goodness. In this way you shall be truly good and
Christian. For of what benefit to you are the good works which you do
not need for the keeping under of your body? Your faith is sufficient
for you, through which God has given you all things.
See, according to this rule the good things we have from God should
flow from one to the other and be common to all, so that every one
should "put on" his neighbor, and so conduct himself toward him as if
he himself were in the other's place. From Christ they have flowed and
are flowing into us: He has so "put on" us and acted for us as if He
had been what we are. From us they flow on to those who have need of
them, so that I should lay before God my faith and my righteousness
that they may cover and intercede for the sins of my neighbor, which I
take upon myself and so labor and serve in them as if they were my
very own. For that is what Christ did for us. This is true love and
the genuine rule of a Christian life. The love is true and genuine
where there is true and genuine faith. Hence, the Apostle says of love
in I Cor. xiii, that it seeketh not its own. [1 Cor. 13:5]
[Sidenote: Conclusion]
We conclude, therefore, that a Christian man lives not in himself, but
in Christ and in his neighbor. Otherwise he is not a Christian. He
lives in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love; by faith
he is caught up beyond himself into God, by love he sinks down beneath
himself into his neighbor; yet he always remains in God and in His
love, as Christ says in John i, "Verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of man." [John 1:51]
Enough now of liberty. As you see, it is a spiritual and true liberty,
and makes our hearts free from all sins, laws and mandates, as Paul
says, I Tim. i, "The law is not made for a righteous man." [1 Tim.
1:9] It is more excellent than all other liberty which is external, as
heaven is more excellent than earth. This liberty may Christ grant us
both to understand and to preserve. Amen.
[Sidenote: Liberty]
[Sidenote: Neither License]
[Sidenote: Nor Necessity]
Finally, something must be added for the sake of those for whom
nothing can be so well said that they will not spoil it by
misunderstanding it, though it is a question whether they will
understand even what shall here be said. There are very many who, when
they hear of this liberty of faith, immediately turn it into an
occasion for the flesh, and think that now all things are allowed
them. They want to show that they are free men and Christians only by
despising and finding fault with ceremonies, traditions and human
laws; as if they were Christians because on stated days they do not
fast or eat meat when others fast, or because they do not use the
accustomed prayers, and with upturned nose scoff at the precepts of
men, although they utterly disregard all else that pertains to the
Christian religion. The extreme opposite of these are those who rely
for their salvation solely on their reverent observance of ceremonies,
as if they would be saved because on certain days they fast or abstain
from meats, or pray certain prayers; these make a boast of the
precepts of the Church and of the Fathers, and care not a fig or the
things which are of the essence of our faith. Plainly, both are in
error, because they neglect the weightier things which are necessary
to salvation, and quarrel so noisily about those trifling and
unnecessary matters.
How much better is the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who bids us take
a middle course, and condemns both sides when he says, "Let not him
that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth
not judge him that eateth." [Rom. 14:3] Here you see that they who
neglect and disparage ceremonies, not out of piety, but out of mere
contempt, are reproved, since the Apostle teaches us not to despise
them. Such men are puffed up by knowledge. On the other hand, he
teaches those who insist on the ceremonies not to judge the others, or
neither party acts toward the other according to the love that
edifies. Wherefore, we ought here to listen to the Scriptures, which
teach that we should not go aside to the right nor to the left [Deut.
28:14], but follow the statutes of the Lord which are right, rejoicing
the heart [Ps. 19:8]. For as a man is not righteous because he keeps
and clings to the works and forms of the ceremonies, so also will a
man not be counted righteous merely because he neglects and despises
them.
[Sidenote: freedom from False Opinions]
Our faith in Christ does not free us from works, but from false
opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that
justification is acquired by works. For faith redeems, corrects and
preserves our consciences, so that we know that righteousness does not
consist in works, although works neither can nor ought to be wanting;
just as we cannot be without food and drink and all the works of this
mortal body, yet our righteousness is not in them, but in faith; and
yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected on
that account. In this world we are bound by the needs of our bodily
life, but we are not righteous because of them. "My kingdom is not of
this world," [John 18:36] says Christ, but He does not say, "My
kingdom is not here, that is, in this world." And Paul says, "Though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh," [2 Cor. 10:3]
and in Galatians ii, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live
in the faith of the Son of God." [Gal. 2:20] Thus what we do, live,
and are in works and in ceremonies, we do because of the necessities
of this life and of the effort to rule our body; nevertheless we are
righteous not in these, but in the faith of the Son of God.
[Sidenote: Opponents]
[Sidenote: Ceremonialists]
[Sidenote: Ignorant Men]
Hence, the Christian must take a middle course and face those two
classes of men. He will meet first the unyielding, stubborn
ceremonialists, who like deaf adders [Ps. 58:4] are not willing to
hear the truth of liberty, but, having no faith, boast of, prescribe
and insist upon their ceremonies as means of justification. Such were
the Jews of old, who were unwilling to learn how to do good. These he
must resist, do the very opposite and offend them boldly, lest by
their impious views they drag many with them into error. In the
presence of such men it is good to eat meat, to break the fasts and
for the sake of the liberty of faith to do other things which they
regard the greatest of sins. Of them we must say, "Let them alone,
they are blind and leaders of the blind." [Matt. 15:14] For on this
principle Paul would not circumcise Titus when the Jews insisted that
he should [Gal. 2:3], and Christ excused the Apostles when they
plucked ears of corn on the sabbath [Matt. 12:1 ff.]; and there are
many similar instances. The other class of men whom a Christian will
meet, are the simple-minded, ignorant men, weak in the faith, as the
Apostle calls them, who cannot yet grasp the liberty of faith, even if
they were willing to do so. These he must take care not to offend; he
must yield to their weakness until they are more fully instructed.
For since these do and think as they do, not because they are
stubbornly wicked, but only because their faith is weak, the fasts and
other things which they think necessary must be observed to avoid
giving them offence. For so love demands, which would harm no one, but
would serve all men. It is not by their fault that they are weak, but
their pastors have taken them captive with the snares of their
traditions and have wickedly used these traditions as rods with which
to beat them. From these pastors they should have been delivered by
the teaching of faith and liberty. So the Apostle teaches us, Romans
xiv, "If my meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while
the world standeth" [Rom. 14:14]; and again, "I know that through
Christ nothing is unclean, except to him who esteemeth any thing to be
unclean; but it is evil or the man who eats and is offended."
Wherefore, although we should boldly resist those teachers of
traditions and sharply censure the laws of the popes by means of which
they plunder the people of God, yet we must spare the timid multitude
whom those impious tyrants hold captive by means of these laws, until
they be set free. Fight strenuously therefore against the wolves, but
for the sheep, and not also against the sheep. This you will do if you
inveigh against the laws and the law-givers, and at the same time
observe the laws with the weak, so that they will not be offended,
until they also recognize the tyranny and understand their liberty.
But if you wish to use your liberty, do so in secret, as Paul says,
Romans xiv, "Hast thou the faith? have it to thyself before God" [Rom.
14:22]; but take care not to use your liberty in the sight of the
weak. On the other hand, use your liberty constantly and consistently
in the sight of the tyrants and the stubborn, in despite of them, that
they also may learn that they are impious, that their laws are of no
avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up.
[Sidenote: Ceremonies]
Now, since we cannot live our life without ceremonies and works, and
the froward and untrained youth need to be restrained and saved from
harm by such bonds; and since each one should keep his body under by
means of such works, there is need that the minister of Christ be
far-seeing and faithful; he ought so to govern and teach the people of
Christ in all these matters that their conscience and faith be not
offended, and that there spring not up in them a suspicion and a root
of bitterness, and many be defiled thereby [Heb. 12:15], as Paul
admonishes the Hebrews; that is, that they may not lose faith and
become defiled by the false estimate of the value of works, and think
that they must be justified by works. This happens easily and defiles
very many, unless faith is at the same time constantly taught; it is
impossible to avoid it when faith is not mentioned and only the
devisings of men are taught, as has been done until now through the
pestilent, impious, soul-destroying traditions of our popes and the
opinions of our theologians. By these snares numberless souls have
been dragged down to hell, so that you might see in this the work of
Antichrist.
[Sidenote: The Test of Faith]
[Sidenote: Temporary Helps]
In brief, as wealth is the test of poverty, business the test of
faithfulness, honors the test of humility, easts the test of
temperance, pleasures the test of chastity, so ceremonies are the test
of the righteousness of faith. "Can a man," says Solomon, "take fire
in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" [Prov. 6:27] Yet, as a
man must live in the midst of wealth, business, honors, pleasures and
easts, so also must he live in the midst of ceremonies, that is, in
the midst of dangers. Nay, as infant boys need beyond all else to be
cherished in the bosoms and by the hands of maidens to keep them from
perishing, and yet when they are grown up their salvation is
endangered if they associate with maidens, so the inexperienced and
froward youth need to be restrained and trained by the iron bars of
ceremonies, lest their unchecked ardor rush headlong into vice after
vice. Yet it would be death or them to be always held in bondage to
ceremonies, thinking that these justify them. They are rather to be
taught that they have been so imprisoned in ceremonies, not that they
should be made righteous or gain great merit by them, but that they
might thus be kept from doing evil, and might be more easily
instructed unto the righteousness of faith. Such instruction they
would not endure if the impulsiveness of their youth were not
restrained. Hence ceremonies are to be given the same place in the
life of a Christian as models and plans have among builders and
artisans. They are prepared not as permanent structures, but because
without them nothing could be built or made. When the structure is
completed they are laid aside. You see, they are not despised, rather,
they are greatly sought after; but what we despise is the false
estimate of them, since no one holds them to be the real and permanent
structure. If any man were so egregiously foolish as to care for
nothing all his life long except the most costly, careful and
persistent preparation of plans and models, and never to think of the
structure itself, and were satisfied with his work in producing such
plans and mere aids to work, and boasted of it, would not all men pity
his insanity, and estimate that with what he has wasted something
great might have been built? Thus we do not despise ceremonies and
works, nay, we set great store by them; but we despise the false
estimate placed upon works, in order that no one may think that they
are true righteousness, as those hypocrites believe who spend and lose
their whole lives in zeal for works, and never reach that for the sake
of which the works are to be done; as the Apostle says, "ever learning
and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7]
For they seem to wish to build, they make their preparations, and yet
they never build, Thus they remain caught in the form of godliness and
do not attain unto its power [2 Tim. 3:5]. Meanwhile they are pleased
with their efforts, and even dare to judge all others whom they do not
see shining with a like show of works. Yet with the gifts of God which
they have spent and abused in vain they might, if they had been filled
with faith, have accomplished great things to the salvation of
themselves and of others.
[Sidenote: Men Need to be Taught of God]
But since human nature and natural reason, as it is called, are by
nature superstitious and ready to imagine, when laws and works are
prescribed, that righteousness must be obtained through them; and
further, since they are trained and confirmed in this opinion by the
practice of all earthly lawgivers, it is impossible that they should
of themselves escape from the slavery of works and come to a knowledge
of the liberty of faith. Therefore there is need of the prayer that
the Lord may give us [John 6:45] and make us _theodidacti_, that is,
taught of God, and Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our
hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us. For if He Himself do not
teach our hearts this wisdom hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7], nature
can only condemn it and judge it to be heretical, because nature is
offended by it and regards it as foolishness. So we see that it
happened in olden times, in the case of the Apostles and prophets, and
so godless and blind popes and their flatterers do to me and to those
who are like me. May God at last be merciful to them and to us, and
cause His face to shine upon us [Ps. 67:1 f.], that we may know His
way upon earth. His salvation among all nations, God, Who is blessed
forever [2 Cor. 11:31]. Amen.