December 1519.
First of all, it should be known that in our time, which the apostle Paul proclaimed to be dangerous (2 Tim. 3:1), avarice and usury have not only broken down enormously throughout the world, but have also taken upon themselves to seek out certain covers of shame, under which they might freely practice their wickedness, and have almost come to the point where we regard the holy gospel as nothing. Therefore it is necessary for every man to take good care in these perilous times, and to walk in the dealings of temporal goods with right discernment, with diligent attention to the holy gospel of Christ our Lord.
(2) Secondly, it is to be known that there are three different degrees and orders of doing well and meritoriously with temporal goods. The first, if any man take any temporal thing by force, we ought not only to suffer it, and let it go, but also to be ready, if he would take more, to let it go. Our dear Lord Jesus Christ says about this, Matth. 5, 40: "If someone is with you
If any man will gainsay thee in the court, that he may take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. This is the highest degree in this work, and is not to be understood as some think that one should throw the coat to them after the skirt; but that one should also let the coat go, not resist nor be impatient about it, nor fetch it again; for he does not say, Give him the coat also; but "let him have the coat also"; just as Christ, Joh. 18, 22, before the bishop Annas, when he received the blow of the cheek, he offered the other also to him again, and was ready to suffer more of the same blows. Yes, in his whole suffering we see that he never pays or pays again for an evil word or deed, but is always ready to suffer more and more.
3 Third, it is true that he said to the servant Malchus who struck him, John 18:23, "If I have spoken evil, prove it; but if I have spoken good, why smitest thou me?" Some people, including the scholars, take offense at these words, and I am not
They think that Christ did not offer the other cheek here, as he taught. But they do not see the words correctly; for Christ in these words does not threaten, does not take revenge, does not strike again, does not refuse the other cheek, nor does he condemn Malchus; but, as St. Peter writes of him, 1. Ep. 2, 23: "He hath not thought to restore evil, but hath put it out of God, the right judge"; as if he said: "If I have spoken right, or if thou hast beaten me right, God will find it well, and thou art obliged to prove it. Just as Zacharias said when they killed him, 2 Chron. 24, 22: Videat Dominus et judicet, "God will see and judge." So did he also before Pilate, when he said, Joh. 19, 11.: "He that delivered me unto thee hath committed a greater sin than thou." For this is Christian, brotherly faithfulness, if you frighten him and hold up to him his wrong and God's judgment, who does wrong to you, and you owe it to him to say thus, "Well, you take away my skirt, this and that; if you do right in it, you will have to answer for it." And this you must do, not for your own harm in the first place, nor to threaten him, but to warn him and remind him of his ruin. If he does not turn to it, let go what will go, and take more and more. Behold, thus is to be understood the word of Christ, spoken before Annas' judgment. It follows that, like Christ on the cross, Luc. 23:34, you must pray for him and do good to him who does you wrong, which we now leave until his time.
(4) Fourthly, many think that this first degree is not commanded nor necessary for any Christian man to keep, but is good counsel, left to the perfect whether they will keep it; just as virginity and chastity are advisable and not commanded. Therefore they consider it fair that each one should get back what is his own, drive out violence by force, as he is able and knows how; and they adorn their opinion with pretty flowers, proving it with many strong - as they think - causes: First, that also some ecclesiastical rights - let alone the secular - say: Vim vi pellere jura sinunt; that is, the rights admit it, that one can
to ward off violence with violence. From this, secondly, comes the common saying about the defense of necessity, that it is unpunishable for what it forfeits. Thirdly, there are several examples in Scripture, such as Abraham, David and many others, whom we read about how they punished and paid their enemies. Fourthly, they appeal to reason and say: Solve istud (rhyme that): If this were a commandment, the evil-doers would be allowed to take and steal, and in the end no one would keep anything, indeed, no one would be secure in his life. Fifth, that all things are ever firmly proven, they bring in St. Augustine's saying, who interprets these words of Christ thus: that one should let the coat go after the skirt secundum praeparationem animi, that is, one should be ready for it in the heart. They interpret and darken this noble, clear interpretation with another gloss and add that it is not necessary that we admit it outwardly in deed, but that it is enough that inwardly in the heart we are willing and able to do such a thing; as if we should want to do something that we do not want to do, that yes and no are one thing.
(5) Fifthly, behold, these are the masterpieces by which the doctrine and example of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, together with the holy gospel, all his martyrs and saints, have been reversed, made unknown, and completely suppressed, so that at the present time the best Christians are ecclesiastical and secular prelates and subjects, who follow such pieces and strive against Christ's life, doctrine, and gospel. That is why there is so much quarreling, bickering, judges, notaries, officials, lawyers and such noble creatures as flies in summer. That is why there is so much war and bloodshed among the Christians, so that one must also quarrel with Rome, because there much money is the greatest need of all. And in Christendom now the greatest, holiest, meanest work is to fight and fight, that is, to resist the holy peaceful life and teachings of Christ. And finally, the cruel game is brought to the point that not only for the sake of a small sum, three or four pennies, a poor Christian man, whom God redeemed with His blood, citied for many miles, banished, condemned, or even killed.
The young boys also shall respect it as well done, and shall wear a merry forehead to it. So let those fall who make a mockery of God's commandment, so let God blind and disgrace those who make darkness of His holy light word; that is, vim vi repellere licet (one may drive out violence with violence), and secundum animi praeparationem (according to the readiness of the heart) let the mantle go. For so also the heathen hold the gospel, yea, the wolves and all unreasonable beasts, and the Christians need it no more.
(6) Sixthly, therefore I will do my part, and, as much as I am able, have warned every one that he may not err, how learned, how mighty, how spiritual, and how many they all are, who have made, and still make, counsel of this degree, be it with whatsoever flowers and colors it may. No excuse will help, it is absolutely a commandment that we owe to follow, as Christ and his saints have confirmed and presented it to us in their lives. God does not consider that rights, be they spiritual or secular, allow violence to be repelled by force. Nor is there anything delicious in what the righteous allow, since they permit wicked women's houses, which are against God's commandment; they also permit many other evil acts, which God hates; they must also permit secret sin and wickedness.
(7) It is a small thing what human laws command and forbid, let alone what they allow or do not punish. Therefore, the defense of necessity is unpunishable in the sight of human law, but not meritorious in the sight of God. . Struggling before the court punishes neither pope nor emperor, but it punishes Christ and his teachings. That some of the fathers in the Old Testament punished their enemies was never done by their own will or without a special command from God, who sometimes punishes sinners through pious and wicked angels and men. Therefore, they did not seek their revenge or good in it, but only served God obediently; just as Christ teaches in the Gospel, Luc. 14, 26, that one should also act against father and mother for the sake of God's commandment, which he has commanded to
yet the commandments are not contrary to each other, but the lower is governed according to the higher. So also, if God commands you to avenge or defend yourself, you shall do it and not before.
8 The seventh: But it is true that God has appointed the temporal sword, and also the spiritual power of the church, and commanded both authorities to punish the wicked and to save the oppressed; as Paul, Rom. 13, 3. 4. and in many places teaches; Isa. 1, 25. and Ps. 82, 3. (4) But this should be done in such a way that no one should be a plaintiff himself, but the others in brotherly faithfulness and care for one another should declare to the authorities the innocence of the one and the wrong of the other, so that the power may be justly and rightly applied to punishment by the witness of the others. Yes, the sufferer should ask and defend that his cause not be avenged; again, the others should not desist until the evil would be punished; so it would be friendly, Christian and brotherly, and the sin would be considered more than the harm. Therefore Paul punished the Corinthians, 1 Ep. 6, 8, because they were just with one another and did not prefer to suffer harm and deceit, even though he allowed their imperfection to be judged by the least of them; but he did this to shame them, so that they would recognize their imperfection. So we must also still tolerate those who judge and fight for temporal good, as the soft, childish Christians, whom we must not throw away for the hope of their correction; as the same apostle teaches in many places. But let it be said to them that this is not Christian or meritorious good, but a human and earthly work, more hindering than helping to salvation.
9. eighth: Christ gave such a commandment in order to establish in us a peaceful, pure and heavenly life. Now this is not the way to peace, if everyone demands his own again and does not want to suffer injustice, as the blind think, of whom it says in the 14th Psalm, "They do not know the way to peace," which goes only in suffering, as the heathen also recognize with reason, and we with daily experience. If peace is to remain, one part must keep still for the other and suffer; and whether one quarrels long
and strife, it must in the end end with many damages and evils suffered, which would not have happened if we had kept this commandment of Christ in the beginning and had not let the temptation, so that God would tempt us, drive us away from the commandment and overcome it. Thus God decrees that whoever will not let a little go for the sake of His commandment must lose much or all through strife and war; And it is right that he who gives twenty, thirty, forty guilders to the judges, procurators, and scribes without any thanks in the service of the devil, who does not give ten or six guilders to his neighbor for the sake of God and eternal merit; so that he may lose both temporal and eternal goods, who, if he were obedient to God, would have enough temporally and eternally. So it shall be, that great lords shall at times devour a whole country, and kill great sums of money with the men of war, for the sake of a small benefit or liberty. This is the world's perverse wisdom, which fishes with golden nets, where the cost is greater than the gain, and are those who gain the little and lose the much.
(10) The ninth: So also it would be impossible for us to become pure from the clinging of temporal goods, if God did not decree that we would be unjustly offended and thereby trained to turn our hearts away from the temporal, false goods of the world, to let them go with peace and hope for the invisible eternal goods. Therefore, whoever demands his own again and does not let go of the coat after the skirt, resists his own purity and hope for eternal bliss, to which God wants to train and drive him through such commandment and wrongdoing. And it is not to be feared that everything will be taken away from us, that God will leave us and not provide for us in time, as it is written in the 37th Psalm, v. 25: "I have been young and have grown old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his children going after bread. As is also proven in Job, Cap. 42:10, 12, to whom much more was given afterward than he had before, though all was taken from him. In short, such commandments want to detach us from the world and make us eager for heaven. Therefore the faithful
For if he did not do this and did not let injustice and strife happen to us, the human heart would not be able to sustain itself; it becomes too deeply entangled in temporal things, from which follows weariness and carelessness of the eternal goods in heaven.
11. to the tenth: This is said of the first degree of dealing in temporal goods, which is also the noblest and greatest, and, alas! not only the least, but has also come to nothing, quite unknown before the mists and clouds of human rights, customs, fancies and habits. Now follows the other degree, which is that we should give freely to everyone who needs or desires it; of which our Lord Jesus Christ also says, Matt. 5:42: "To him that asketh of thee, give." And although this degree is much less than the first, it is still very hard and bitter for those who taste more of temporal than of eternal goods, because they do not have so much trust in God that he may or will feed them in this miserable life. Therefore they worry, they die of hunger and perish completely, if they should give according to God's commandment to anyone who asks them. And how can they trust him to feed them forever? For, as Christ says, Luc. 16, 10: "He who does not trust God in a little, never trusts Him in a great." Nevertheless, they go and think that God should make them eternally blessed; they also take it for granted that they have a good trust in him, and yet they do not want to take heed of his commandments, so that he will practice and drive them to learn to trust him in temporal and eternal things. Therefore, whoever does not want to hear and obey the teachings will never master the art; and just as they do not trust God in small temporal goods, they must also despair in the great and eternal ones.
12. to the eleventh: This other degree is so small that it is commanded even to the plain, imperfect people of the Jews in the Old Testament, as Deut. 15:11. is written, "There shall always be poor men in thy land: therefore I command thee, that thou lift up thine hand unto thy poor and needy brother, and give unto him." For this he gave them
commanded the same so hard that they had to let no one beg, and says, Deut. 15:4, "There shall never be a beggar or a destitute among you. If God commanded this in the Old Testament, how much more should we Christians be bound not only not to let anyone go hungry or begging, but also to keep the first degree, to be ready to let go of everything that is taken from us by force. Now there is so much begging that it has become an honor; and it is not enough that worldly people beg; it is also practiced in the spiritual priesthood as a delicious thing. I will not dispute with anyone about this, but I think it would be better if there were no begging in Christianity in the New Testament, as there was among the Jews in the Old Testament; and I think that the spiritual and temporal authorities should not act unreasonably in their office if they were to cut off all beggars.
Thirteenth, the twelfth: This degree is opposed to three things or customs among men. The first is that some give and give well to their friends, the rich and powerful, who have no need of them, forgetting the poor. And when they thus obtain favor, pleasure or friendship from them, or are praised by them as pious people, they go to be sure that they will be satisfied with the praise, honor, favor or pleasure of men; but they do not see how much better it would be if they did this to the poor, in whom they have obtained God's favor, praise and honor. Of them Christ says, Luc. 14:12-14: "When thou makest a feast or a supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy brethren in law, nor thy neighbors, nor the rich; lest they invite thee again, and so take thy reward: but when thou makest a feast, invite the poor, the sick, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed. For they are not able to repay thee: but it shall be recompensed thee among the justified, when they rise from the dead."
(14) And though this doctrine is so clear and common that everyone sees and knows that it should be so, yet nowhere is there an example of it among Christians;
and yet there is no measure or number of loading, living, eating, drinking, giving, and giving, and yet all are called pious people and Christians, so that nothing more is done than giving to the poor is forgotten. Oh, how terrible a judgment will fall upon these sure spirits, when on the last day it will be asked whom they have given and done good to!
15. thirteenth: The other custom is to refuse to give on account of enemies or adversaries; for the wrong nature is hard to do, that it may do good to those who have done it evil. But it is of no avail, the commandment is universally said for all men, Matth. 5, 42: "Give to everyone who asks you", and Luc. 6, 30. is clearly expressed: "To everyone who asks you, give." Here the enemy or opponent is not excluded, but included, as the Lord declares Himself there and says, v. 32, 35: "If you alone love those who love you, what good is that? For the wicked also love their lovers. And if you do good only to those who love you, what good is that? The wicked do the same. But love your enemies, do them good, lend to them, and wait for nothing; and your merit shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Most High: for he is kind to the unthankful and to the wicked.
16 These wholesome commandments of Christ have also departed, so that not only are they not kept, but they are also made into a counsel that it is not necessary to keep them, like the first degree. This has been helped by the pernicious teachers, who say that it is not necessary to put off the signa rancoris, that is, the signs and sour, serious gestures against the enemy, but that it is enough that he be forgiven in the heart; and thus they draw Christ's commandment from outward works alone into their thoughts, when he himself extends it into the work in clear words, saying, "Ye shall do good - not only remember good - to your enemies." So also Paul, Rom. 12, 20, with the king Solomon, Proverbs 25, 20, speaks unanimously: "If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink; for with this you will be on his head.
Gather fiery coals," that is, you will overload him with goodness, so that he, overcome with kindness, will be inflamed to love you. From these false teachings came the saying: I will forgive him, but I will not forget. Oh not so, dear Christian man, it must be forgiven and forgotten as you wish, so that God not only forgives and forgets you, but also benefits you more than before.
17 To the fourteenth: The third custom is a beautiful, glittering color, which is most harmful to this giving; it is dangerous to speak of it, because it affects those who are to teach and govern other people; who are the people who, from the beginning of the world to the end, may not always hear the truth, nor suffer others to hear it. So it happens that they apply the high title called almsgiving, or giving for the sake of God, only to churches, monasteries, chapels, altars, towers, bells, organs, tablets, images, silver and gold jewels and vestments; then to mass, vigils, singing, reading, wills, fraternities and the like. Here the giving has broken down, and there the right stream comes, there it has been directed and wanted; therefore it is no wonder that on the side where Christ directs his word, it is so barren and desolate that where one has a hundred altars or vigils, not one can be found to feed a table full of poor people, or otherwise give to poor householders.
(18) What Christ commanded is not giving for God's sake, but what men have devised. What one gives to the living members of Christ, to the poor, is not alms, but what one gives to stone, wood and paint. And if the same giving has become so delicious and noble that God Himself is not enough to repay it, but must have for help letters, bulls, parchment, lead, tin, cords small and large. Wax, green, yellow and white; if it does not glitter well, it is worthless; and everything bought from Rome at great cost for God's sake; so that such great works may be rewarded with indulgences, here and there, in excess of God's reward. But to give to the poor according to Christ's commandment, the wretched work must, such
The only thing that is enough for him is God's reward. For this reason, it is also set aside and the other is emphasized, and both shine and seem quite unequal to each other.
For this reason, St. Peter of Rome must go begging to his church building in the whole world, collect alms and offerings for God's sake in large piles, and pay for them with indulgences cheaply and abundantly. And the same work befits him well and can well await him while he is dead. For while he lived, he had to preach Christ's commandment and could not wait for indulgences. The same faithful shepherd is diligently followed by his sheep, and with indulgences they go astray in the country, so that where there is a church consecration or a fair, the same beggars gather like flies in summer, all preaching a little song: Give to the new building, that God may reward you and the holy Lord St. Niclas; then to beer or wine, also for God's sake, and the commissaries made rich by indulgences, also for God's sake. To give to the poor according to God's commandment, neither commissaries nor messages are necessary with us.
20 To the fifteenth: What shall we say to this? If we reject these works, the Holy See of Rome will banish us, and the scholars will quickly call us heretics. For it is very important where the flow of money is directed. Now, we do not want to reject that proper churches are built and decorated, which we cannot do without, and that worship is held in the most ornamental way; but there should be a measure, and more attention should be paid that what is ordained for worship is pure, rather than delicious. But this is to be pitied and lamented, that we are turned away from God's commandment by such clamor and being led only to the things which God has not commanded and without which God's commandment can well be kept. It would be enough to give the lesser part to churches, altars, vigils, testaments and the like, and let the right stream go to the commandment of God, so that the good deed among Christians towards the poor would shine greater and more than all stone or wooden churches.
(21) And if we are to say it boldly, it is a loud deception, dangerous and seductive to the simple, to hang up bulls, letters, seals, flags, and the like, for the sake of the dead churches of stone, and do not do the same a hundred times more for the sake of the poor living Christians. Therefore, man, beware, God will not ask you at death and the last day how much you have left to wills, whether you have given so much or so much to churches, though I do not reject it; but will say thus, Matt. 25:42, 43: "I have been hungry, and you have not fed me; I have been naked, and you have not clothed me." Let these words go to your heart, dear man, for it will be up to you whether you have given and done good to your neighbor. Beware of shining, glittering, colors that pull you away.
22. To the sixteenth: The pope, bishops, kings, princes and lords should work to abolish such unbearable burdens and duties, so that either by their own order or in a common council it would be set and decreed that every city and town would build their churches, towers and bells and provide for their poor people themselves, so that the begging would cease completely, or so that every town would beg for its churches or poor in all other towns, as is now the unfortunate custom; and should leave the Holy See at Rome satisfied with its bulls, which has other things to do, where it wants to take care of its office, than to sell bulls and build churches, of which it has no need. For God, namely in his law, has also expressed, Deut. 15, 11: "There shall always be poor in your city", that he has commanded every city its poor, and does not want the running to and fro on the beggar's sack, as now happens in St. Jacob and in Rome. Although I am less than willing to give counsel to popes and all the rulers of the world in such a case, and I myself am well aware that nothing will come of it; nevertheless, one must know what is good and necessary, and the authorities are obliged to remember and do what is necessary for the common people, whom they are commanded to govern in the best way.
26 The seventeenth: A little piece has been found which teaches masterfully how we may circumvent such a commandment and deceive the Holy Spirit: namely, that no one is obliged to give to the needy, unless they are in the greatest need; for this purpose they have reserved to them to discuss and decide what the greatest need is. So we learn not to give or help anyone until they die of hunger, freeze, perish, run away from poverty or debt. But this mischievous gloss and the seductive addition are put down in one word, which is thus, Luc. 6:31. Matt. 7:12: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." But no one is so foolish that he would not have given him sooner, unless his soul was running out, or he had run away from debts, and then let him help when it can never help. But when it comes to churches, foundations, indulgences and other things that God has not commanded, no one is so astute nor so diligent as to calculate whether the church should not be given sooner than the tiles fall from the roof, the beams rot, the vault collapse, the letters of grace decay, or indulgences perish, which would be better waited for than the poor; but here every hour is the greatest need, whether all the chests and floors are already full and everything is well built. Yes, here one must collect treasures without ceasing, not to give or lend to the poor on earth, but to the holy cross, to Our Lady, to the holy patron St. Peter, who are in heaven; and all this not with simple prudence, so that, if the last day never comes, the church may remain supplied for a hundred and a hundred thousand years, so that one may raise a saint or a bishop's mantle for the need, or buy a fair from Rome.
(24) And truly I consider the Romans to be almost great fools, that they do not sell the saints' elevation, bishops' coats, coats of arms and letters more cheaply and pay more money, because such cowardly German fools come to their fair and force themselves to do so; when truly no end-Christian should raise such treasures of the earth more cheaply than the Roman bottomless sack, where they are also all gathered and ordered. It would be
838 E. 16:93-95. B. Of the ten commandments in particular. Seventhcommandment. W. X, 995-997. 839
I am also sorry in my heart that such condemned goods, withdrawn from the poor, to whom they are justly suited, would be invested otherwise than for Roman goods. St. Ambrose and St. Paul of old melted the chalices and everything the churches had and gave it to the poor. Turn the page, and you will find how things are now. And good to you, dear Rome, even if the Germans lack money, they have enough chalices, monstrances and images, they are still all yours.
25 To the eighteenth: Now we come to the third degree, dealing in temporal goods. This is that we should lend or borrow willingly and gladly, without any interest. Our Lord Jesus Christ says of this, Matt. 5:42: "And whosoever will borrow or lend of thee, turn not away from him," that is, do not refuse him. This degree is the very least, and is also commanded in the Old Testament, where God says, Deut. 15:7, 8: "If any of thy brethren become poor in thy city, thou shalt not harden thine heart against him, neither shalt thou shut thine hand unto him, but shalt open it, and lend him all that he hath need of." And this degree they have let remain a commandment. For all the teachers here agree that lending or borrowing should be done freely, without all imposition and burden; though perhaps not all are one to whom we should lend. For as it is said in the previous degree about giving, so also here are many people who gladly lend to the rich or to good friends more because they seek favor or are related to them than because God has commanded it, and especially if the high title comes from it, of which it is said, for God's service and for God's sake etc. For to the holy cross and to Our Lady and to the holy patron saint everyone gladly lends; but since God's commandment points out that there is toil and work, no one wants to lend, unless again the greatest need arises, that lending is never useful, as was said above.
26 The nineteenth: Christ, however, in his commandment excluded no one; indeed, he included all kinds of persons, even enemies, when he says, Luc. 6:34: "If therefore ye lend to them of whom ye expect to lend to you again, what good is that?
But let the wicked lend one to another, that they may have the same again"; item v. 35: "You shall lend and not expect anything in return. I am well aware that almost many doctors take these words to mean that the Lord Christ commanded to lend in this way, so that no one should put up anything or seek gain from it, but should lend freely. This opinion is not wrong, for he who lends in such a way as to put up money does not lend, nor does he sell; therefore it must be usury, since lending is, by its nature and kind, nothing else than putting something out for another for nothing, with the condition that the same or the same thing, and no more, be taken again for a while.
(27) But if we look rightly on the word of Christ, he teacheth not to lend without credit; for that is not necessary to teach, seeing there is no lending but without credit; or, if it be with credit, it is not lending. He wants us to lend not only to friends, the rich, and those who are inclined to lend to us or do us good in this or in that; but also to those who are unable or unwilling to do the same, as to the poor and enemies. Just as he teaches love and giving, so also lending; that it may all be done without request and without our own benefit; which does not happen, but we do it to the enemies and the needy. For his whole speech is to teach us to do good to everyone, that is, not only to those who do good to us, but also to those who do us harm or are unable to do good again.
28 This is what he means when he says, Luc. 6:35, "You shall lend and not wait for it," that is, you shall lend to those who will not or cannot lend to you again. But if anyone lends, he ever waits for the same thing that he lends; and if he waits for nothing, as they understand it, it is given and not lent. Since it is so small that one lends to another who is kind, rich or otherwise useful to him, that even sinners who are not Christians do the same, Christians should do more and lend to those who do not do the same, that is, to the poor and enemies. And there again falls to the ground the doctrine which says that one is not guilty of signa rancoris (the signs).
of hatred); as it is said above. And though they speak rightly of lending, yet they make a counsel of this commandment, and teach us that we are not bound to lend to our enemies, nor to lend to the needy, except they be in the greatest need: beware of that.
Twenty-ninth: From this it follows that they are all usurers who lend wine, grain, money, and whatnot, to their neighbor in such a way that they obligate them to pay interest for the year or for a specified time, or else they burden and overcharge them, so that they must return more or something better than they have borrowed. And that these people themselves may grasp how wrong they are doing, although, alas, it has become common, we set before their eyes three laws.
(30) First, this present gospel, which commandeth that we should lend. Now to lend is not to borrow, unless it be without any increase and some advantage; as has been said. And although the treacherous avarice sometimes paints itself a color, as if it took the rest for a gift, it does not help if the gift is a cause of borrowing, or if the borrower prefers not to give where he would like to borrow freely; and the gift is especially suspicious if the borrower gives to the lender or the poor man to the haves. For it is not to be assumed, of course, that the poor man gives to the haves of his own free will, but necessity presses him.
(31) Secondly, this is contrary to the natural law, which the Lord also teaches in Luc. 6:31 and Matt. 7:12: "As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them. There is no doubt that no one would want to borrow rye for grain, evil coin for good, evil goods for good; indeed, everyone would rather have good goods lent to him for evil, or even good without a premium. Therefore it is clear that such lenders act against nature, sin mortally, are usurers and seek their neighbor's harm for their profit, that they do not want to borrow again from others, and thus act unequally with their neighbor.
32 Third, it is also contrary to the old and new law, which commandeth, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." But
Such borrowers love themselves alone, seek their own alone, or love and do not seek their neighbor with such loyalty as themselves.
33. Twenty-first: Therefore nothing could be more right, nor more briefly instructed, in this and all temporal good, than that every man, when he is to deal with his neighbor, should set before him this commandment: "As thou wouldest have another do unto thee, do thou even so unto him"; and: "Love thy neighbor as thyself," and consider what he would have him do if he were in his neighbor's place; then everything would be taught and found by itself; there would be no need of law books, nor of court, nor of complaint; indeed, all things would be quickly reported and settled. For every man's heart and conscience would tell him how he would have acted, forgiven, given, and forgiven like him; and from this he would have to conclude that he should do likewise to every other man.
(34) But because we put the same commandments out of sight, and look only at commerce and its profit or harm, we must have so innumerable books, rights, judgments, strife, blood, and all miseries; and so after transgression of God's commandment must follow also destruction of God's kingdom, which is peace and unity in brotherly love and faithfulness. Yet such wicked people go about, sometimes praying and fasting, sometimes giving alms, and here in this part, where salvation lies, are quite heedless and sure, as if this commandment affected them nothing at all, without which they could not be saved, although they would do all the other works of all the saints.
(35) The twenty-second: Here there are two contradictions. The first is that when lending is done, the interest, i.e., the benefit, which they meanwhile might derive from the lent goods, is lost. The other is the great example that it has become the custom everywhere in the world to lend for profit, and especially because the scholars, priests, clergy, and churches do so, it is considered that the improvement of the churches, spiritual goods, and worship is sought therein; otherwise there would be very few Christians in the world now, and it would be difficult for anyone to lend.
36. answer: All this is nothing talked about.
In the first place you must lose the interest and the use, if it is taken from you or you give someone for nothing; why then do you want to seek and keep that in the lending? For he who dares to give and lend must first dare the interest, or it will be called neither giving nor lending. On the other hand, whether it is customary or not, it is not Christian, nor divine, nor natural, and no example can help against it; for it is written, Ex. 23:2: "Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil"; but honor God and his commandments above all things. But that the clergy and churches do this is so much worse; for clergy and churches do not have the power or freedom to tear apart God's commandments, to rob one's neighbor, to practice usury and injustice, even God's service is not improved by this, but corrupted. For to keep God's commandment is to improve the service of God; church goods may well be used by wicked men. And if the whole world had a custom of such lending, the churches and clergy should act against it, and the more spiritual their goods, the more Christian they should lend, give and let go according to the commandment of Christ. And whoever does otherwise does it not for the betterment of the church or spiritual goods, but for his usurious avarice, which adorns itself under such a good name.
37 Therefore it is no wonder that there are few Christians. For here one sees those who practice right good works, although many blind and deceive themselves with their own exquisite good works, which God has not commanded them. But if anyone from all these complains about lending to his neighbor, it is a sign of his great unbelief that he despises the comforting promise of Christ, when he says, Luc. 6:35: "If we lend and give, we are children of the Most High, and our reward is great." And he is not worthy of such a comforting promise who does not believe it, nor does he live by it in his works.
The other part of this sermon.
38) Firstly, among these three degrees there are other degrees and ways of dealing in temporal goods than buying and inheriting,
modest and the like, which are written with secular and spiritual law, by which no one becomes better nor worse before God. For this is no Christian merit, if you buy something, possess it by inheritance or otherwise come by it in an honest way, even though the pagans, Turks and Jews may be so pious; but Christian commerce and good use of temporal goods is in the three forbidden degrees or ways: giving for nothing, lending without a premium, and letting go with peace what is taken by force.
39 Now we leave all other ways and take before us the purchase, namely the purchase of interest, so that in the same there is a pretty appearance and glitter, how one without sin may burden other people and become rich without worry and effort. For in other trades it is obvious to everyone himself where he gives or possesses too expensive, false goods, false inheritance, false property; but this nimble and newly invented business often makes itself a pious and faithful patron of damned avarice and usury.
40 Secondly: Although the same interest purchase is now confirmed as a proper purchase and legal trade, it is nevertheless hateful and hostile for many reasons: First, that it is a new, evil invented thing, especially in this last dangerous time, when no good is invented anymore and all men's minds and thoughts seek only good, honor and pleasure, and we read no example of this purchase in the ancients, and Paul also describes this time, which will invent many new evil things, Rom. 1, 30.
41 Secondly, that although they themselves must confess how cheap he is, yet he has an evil appearance and a wicked form, and St. Paul commands that one should avoid all evil and wicked forms, even if they would otherwise be cheap and proper in themselves. Ab omni specie mala vos abstinete, 1 Thess. 5, 22, "from all evil form beware." Now, in this purchase, the advantage of the buyer or renter is always considered greater, better, and more pleasing to everyone than that of the seller or renter; which is a sign that it has never been done for the sake of the seller, but only for the sake of the buyer. For everyone's conscience fears that it may not be fair to the buyer.
Great sermon of usury.
to buy his/its/interest, since nevertheless nobody doubts that everyone gives away his/its or sells, how dangerously he/it wants. So close and dangerous this purchase trade goes to the conscience.
42 Thirdly: That it may hardly be that the same purchase, even if it were made without usury, is not contrary to the natural and Christian law of love. For it is to be presumed that the buyer never, or even seldom, seeks and desires his neighbor's, the seller's, betterment and advantage in this purchase more or as much as his own; especially if the buyer is richer and not in need of such a purchase; yet the natural law says: what we want and grant ourselves, we should also want and grant to our neighbor. And the nature of love, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:5, "is not to seek its own pleasure or advantage, but that of others. But who would believe that in this trade everyone buys interest - unless he is in dire need - for the betterment and benefit of his neighbor, the seller, as well as his own, if it is to be feared that the buyer does not want to be in the seller's place, as in other purchases?
(43) Fourthly, let every man confess that this purchase, whether it be usury or not, does the same work that usury does; that is, it weighs down, sucks up, and brings to ruin all the countries, cities, lords, and people; as we see publicly in many cities and principalities, which no usury could have accomplished. Now the Lord taught us, Matt. 7:16, 20, not to know the fruit from the trees, but the trees from the fruit: so it is impossible for me to think of you as a sweet fig tree, when you bear nothing but sharp thorns, and it does not rhyme with me that the purchase of interest in such a way is cheap, which destroys land and people.
44 Fifthly: Let us make up, dream, or think by force that this purchase is so cheap as it now is; yet it is worthy that pope, bishops, emperors, princes, and all men do that it may be abolished, and every man guilty who may resist him, that he may do it for his own sake.
evil damned fruit that weighs down and corrupts the whole world.
45 Thirdly: Therefore it is not enough that this purchase is saved from usury by spiritual law. For it is not therefore free or safe from avarice and selfish love; and from the spiritual law it is found that it is not drawn for love, but for self-interest; as money won at play is not usury, yet it is not won without selfish love and without sin; and the wages of common women are not usury either, yet earned with sins; and property acquired with swearing, swearing, or breaking of covenants is not usury either, yet acquired with sins.
46 For this reason, I cannot conclude that the interest buyers who do not need it are acting rightly and justly. Yes, I say freely and warn that the rich, who do not need this purchase other than only to increase their interest and goods, regardless of the fact that others are in great danger of being burdened by it; And do not fear that he may be allowed to do the same, as some miserly bladders do, who raise interest on named days, and freshly again drive the same also on interest, that always one interest drives the other, as the water drives the mill wheels, which is such an open and impudent avarice that no man, however coarse he may be, cannot deny it; yet all this is thought to be cheap. And if there were no other cause to regard this purchase of interest as a usury, or ever as an unjust trade, especially in this case, yet this thing would be sufficient that he should cover such openly impudent avarice and make it safe to act. For what is of God forbids sins and all evil; but this trade gives freely to avarice its will, therefore it need not be of God as it now goes in custom.
47 To the fourth: Now let us see the reason by which this delicate trade is approved. It is a little word, which is called in Latin: interesse. The noble, dear, tender little word reads in German as follows: If I have a hundred florins, so that I would like to earn five, six or more florins in trade by my toil and care for a year, then I will be able to earn a hundred florins.
I take from him five guilders that I would have been able to acquire, and so he sells me the interest, five guilders for a hundred, and I am the buyer and he the seller.
48 Here one now says: the interest purchase is cheap, because I might have been able to gain more annually with the same guilders, and the interest is right and sufficient. All this has such a pretty appearance that no one can blame it in any place. But this is also true, that such an interest is not possible to have on earth, therefore, that another interest is against the one which is so done: If I have a hundred guilders and am to work with them, I may encounter a hundredfold danger of gaining nothing, or even losing four times as much, for the sake of the same money; or of not being able to work because of sickness; or of having no goods or chattels; and there are innumerable other cases, as we see that there is more ruin, loss, and damage than gain; so the interest of loss is as great or greater than the interest of gain.
49 Fifthly: Now if the interest were bought on the first interest alone, so that such danger and trouble might be avoided and never come about that he might lose more than he invests, and thus the money is invested just as if it wanted to be everything and always without the other interest: then it is clear that the purchase is based on nothing, because such an interest may not be nor be found. For in such a purchase he always finds goods present, and may be acting idle, sick, child, wife, or however unfit he may be, who may be none in trade and commerce with mere money. Therefore, those who look and act on such interest alone are worse than usurers; indeed, they buy the first interest through the other interest and gain even as other people lose with it.
50 Again, since it is not possible to compose, appreciate and equally respect the other interest - since it is not in man's power - I do not see how the purchase can stand. For who would not rather borrow a hundred guilders at interest,
What can he do with it? Because in trade he would lose twenty guilders a year with the sum in addition, and in purchase he could lose no more than five with the sum kept in addition. Moreover, in trade his money would often have to lie idle for the sake of the goods or his loan, which in purchase goes and promotes without interruption.
(51) What wonder is it that one should bring to himself the goods of all the world, who has the goods in readiness and daily security, less danger with the protection of the principal sum before in vain? Time should not be small for the one who can get the goods all the time, just as it is not small for the one who cannot get rid of the goods or get them. Therefore it must be an unequal thing, money on interest and money in trade, and one may not be considered against the other; for money on interest has a ground that grows without ceasing and bears out of the earth without worry of loss of the principal sum, but money in trade has nothing certain, therefore there is no interest here, because by chance there is nothing to build on.
(52) Here they will perhaps say: because they put money on the ground, there is an interest of loss beside the interest of gain; for according as the ground remains or does not remain, so also the interest remains or falls. This is all true, and we shall hear more about it below; but it remains the case that money placed on land increases greatly in the first interest and decreases in the other interest in comparison with the money involved in trade, for, as was said above, there is much more danger in trade than in land. Since it is not possible to acquire grounds with any money, it is also not possible to buy interest for any money. Therefore it is not enough to say: with so much money I would like to buy so much interest on one ground, therefore I take cheaply so much interest for it and let another take care of the ground. For in this way, one wants to attribute a cashable land to any money, which is not possible, and from this must follow a great burden on the land and the people.
53) The sixth: Therefore, it is not surprising that the interest junkies are so quick in front of the
of the other people become rich. For while the others remain in trade with their money, they are subject to both interests; but the interest juniors, with such a bundle, lift themselves out of the other interest and come into the first, and there many dangers must go away from them and security must come to them. Therefore, it should not be permitted to buy interest with mere money, undisclosed and undetermined the reason for the interest in particular, as is now the custom among the great merchants, and go there, putting the money on a common and undisclosed ground. For by so doing they give to the nature and kind of money what is, after all, only its luck and chance. It is not the nature of money to buy land, but it may happen that land is offered for sale at interest, since some money is useful; but this does not happen to all land, nor to all money.
54 Therefore the reason should be stated and actually determined. If this were done, it would become obvious how much money would have to remain interest-free in the trade or box, which now yields interest and yet has no other use or color, because one generally says: I would like to buy so much interest for it on a property and that is called interest. Yes, dear, my money would like to buy my neighbor's house; but if it is not for sale to him, my money's liking for his interest counts for nothing. So not all money's happiness is that it buys interest on a property, and yet they want to buy interest on everything that may be coined; these are usurers, thieves and robbers. For they sell the happiness of money, which is not theirs, nor in their power.
(55) Yes, you say, it may buy interest on a foundation. Answer: But it does not yet do so and perhaps can never do so. Hans may take a Grete; but he does not have her yet, so he is not yet married. Your money may buy interest, that is half done; but it is up to others to say yes and the other half; so I do not take half for whole. But now the rich merchants want to sell their money happiness, and the same vain without misfortune, plus other people's will and courage, on which it depends whether they want to sell; that is, the thirteenth bear skin sold.
(56) The seventh: Further, I say, it is not enough that the land be there and be called bare, but it must be clearly shown piece by piece and the money and interest on it pointed out: namely, the house, the garden, the meadow, the pond, the cattle, and all that still free, unsold and unencumbered, and not playing the blind cow in general, or weighing down the estate completely in heaps. For where this does not happen, a city or a poor man must be sold in sackcloth and perish in the ground through blind purchase; as we see happening now in many large cities and dominions.
57. cause, for a city may lose its trade, its citizens may become fewer, houses may burn, fields, meadows, and all grounds may perish, and every landlord's property and livestock may become fewer, children may become more numerous, or otherwise be burdened with accidents; and thus the goods creep away, and yet the blind purchase remains, which is made on the whole heap in common: so then the poor, few remaining goods must bear the burden and costs of the whole, previous, full heap. This may and must never be right. Then the buyer is sure of his interest and not in danger, which is contrary to the nature of any purchase; which would not happen if it were expressed piece by piece, but the interest would remain, lead, weave and float with its reasons, as is right.
58. to the eighth: And this is the only abstention of this purchase, that it is not a usury and does more than all interest, that the interest man has his interest in all danger and is uncertain of it, like all other of his goods. For the interest man with his property is subject to God's power, to death, disease, water, fire, air, hail, thunder, rain, wolves, beasts and evil men's manifold damage. All these dangers shall befall the lord of the interest: for on such and not on other ground stands his interest. He is not entitled to interest on his money until the interest man or seller of the property is actually determined and can use his work freely, in good health and without hindrance.
This is proven by reason,
850 D-16,106-108. B. Of the ten commandments in particular. Seventh commandment. W. X, 1010-1013. 851
Nature and all rights, which unanimously say that the risk of the sold thing is with the buyer; because the seller is not obliged to protect the buyer his goods. So, where I buy interest on a named ground, I do not buy the ground, but the labor and toil of the interest man on the ground, so that he may bring me my interest. Therefore, all the danger that may hinder such work of the interest man, as long as it happens without his fault and neglect, whether by the elements, animals, people, diseases, or whatever it may be called and come, in which the interest man has as great an interest as the interest lord, stands with me. So, if after his diligence he does not succeed in his work, he shall and may freely say to his landlord: This year I owe you nothing, for I have sold you my work and effort to bring in interest on such and such an estate, that is not advisable for me, the loss is yours and not mine; for if you want to have an interest to gain, you must also have an interest to lose, as the nature of any purchase demands. And those who do not want to suffer this are as pious as robbers and murderers and snatch the poor man's goods and food. Woe to them!
60. ninth: From this it follows that the blind purchase of interest, which is not made on specific, named pieces and pieces of land, but generally on many goods, drawn into a pile, is unjust. For since one cannot indicate on which pieces he stands, he also has no danger and always accepts that it breaks here or there, and wants to be sure of his interest. Then you may say, "If this is so, who will buy interest? Answer: Behold, I knew well, where nature should do right, it would be turned upside down; there it breaks forth, that in the purchase of interest only security, avarice and usury is sought. O how many cities, countries and people have to pay interest, to whom one would long since have been obliged to yield money! For where there is no danger in the purchase of interest, there is, in short, usury. Now they go about endowing churches, monasteries, altars, this and that, and there is neither measure nor end to interest-buying; just as if it were possible that all the years goods, pearls, and other things could be bought.
If all the people, fortune, fruit and labor were equal; if they were equal or unequal, the interest would have to be the same. Should not the country and its people perish? I am surprised that the world still stands with such immeasurable usury. So the world has improved; what used to be called lending has now turned into interest-buying.
61) The tenth: The same purchase of interest happens at times when one buys from those who need to be lent or given to, but it is basically useless, because God's commandment stands in the way and wants the needy to be helped by lending and giving. On the other hand, it happens that the buyer and the seller both need their part, therefore they are neither able to lend nor to give, but have to help themselves with the bill of exchange. If this is done without violating the spiritual law, that one gives four, five, six guilders to the hundred, it can be borne; but the fear of God should always be careful that it fears to take too much rather than too little, so that avarice does not break in beside the security of a fair purchase; the less to the hundred, the more godly and Christian the purchase is.
62 But this is not my work, to indicate where one should give five, four or six to the hundred. I leave it at the judgment of the right, where the reason is so good and rich that one may take six. But in my opinion, if we were to keep Christ's commandment in the first three degrees, the purchase of interest should not be so mean or needful, unless it were in large appreciable sums and valiant estates. However, it is torn into pennies and nickels and is practiced here in very small sums, which can easily be paid out by giving or lending according to Christ's commandment, and yet it does not want to be called avarice.
63. to the eilften: Now one finds some who not only have little goods, but also take too much, seven, eight, nine, ten to the hundred. The powerful should realize that here the poor common people are secretly sucked dry and severely oppressed. Therefore it also happens that such robbers and usurers, as the tyrants and robbers are worthy of, often die unnaturally and of-
The poor and the destitute are not to be put to sudden death or otherwise perish terribly, for God is a judge of the poor and the destitute, as He says many times in the old law.
(64) But here they go on, saying, The churches and clergy do this, and have power, because such money is used for worship. Truly, if there be no other cause to justify usury, it is never more wickedly reproached; for it ever seeks to lead the innocent church and clergy with it to the devil, and to drag them into sin. Take away the name of the church and say: It is the usurious avarice or the sluggard of old Adam, who does not like to work to earn his living, that makes a cover for his idleness under the name of the church.
(65) What do you serve me? That is, serving God, keeping His commandment that one should not steal, take, translate, and the like, but give and lend to the needy. You want to destroy such true worship, so that you build churches, erect altars, and read and sing, which God has not commanded you; and thus you destroy the true worship with your worship. Let the service that he has commanded go ahead, and then come afterward with the one you have mentioned. And as I said before, if all the world should take ten to the hundred, let the ecclesiastical foundations keep the strictest law, and take four or five with fear; for they shall shine and set a good example to the worldly. So they turn it around, want to have freedom to leave God's commandment and service, to do evil and to practice usury. If you want to serve God in your own way, serve Him without harming your neighbor and with God's commandments fulfilled. For he says, Isaiah 61:8: "I am a God who loves judgment, and I am hostile to the sacrifice that is robbed"; also the wise man says, Proverbs 3:9: "Give alms from that which is yours." Such superstitions are stolen from your neighbor against God's commandment.
66 To the twelfth: But if one fears that the church and endowments will depart, so the opinion should go on; I say: it is better to make one divine endowment out of ten, than to make one divine endowment out of ten.
many keep against God's commandment. What is the use of the service which you hear is against God, His commandment and His service? You will not serve one God with two unruly services, nor serve two masters, Matt. 6:24. Also, some are so wicked and simple-minded that they sell such interest without a reason and a pledge, or sell more than the reason can bear; since corruption comes from it, and the matter is almost dangerous and extensive, that it is difficult to say enough about it. The best thing would be to lean toward the gospel, to approach and practice Christian dealings with the goods; as has been said.
67 There is also a dangerous request in this purchase, which, I fear, no one or almost few buyers are without; that is, that they want to be sure and secure of their interest and goods, and therefore put money from themselves, so that it does not remain in danger with them; and much rather they prefer that other people work with it and stand in danger, that they may be idle and lazy in the meantime, and yet thus remain or become rich. If this is not usury, it is almost similar to it. In short, it is against God. For where you seek advantage in your neighbor, which you would not also leave for him, love is out and the natural law is torn asunder. Now I take care that in interest purchases one pays little attention to how one's neighbor will prosper, if only our interest and goods are secure, which one should not seek in any way; and is certainly a sign of stinginess or laziness, even though the purchase does not become worse from it, it is still sin before God.
*) From the disgraceful robbery envelope, so in Saxony in some places in Uebung is.
68 But back in Saxony, around Lüneburg and Holstein, they do it quite roughly, so that it is no wonder if one eats the other; there they do not just take nine, ten, or however many you like to a hundred; but they take a hundred and a half.
have also attached a special piece to it, namely: if someone should do me a thousand guilders at interest, then I must take, instead of cash, so many horses, cows, bacon, grain, etc., that otherwise he might not be able to get rid of them, or not sell them so cheaply that the sum hardly gives me half, as five hundred guilders, of cash money, and yet must pay interest for a thousand guilders, whether the goods and cattle are of no use to me, or might hardly yield one or two guilders for every hundred. Of course, these are neither highwaymen nor chair robbers, but house robbers and farm robbers. What shall one say to this? They are not people, but wolves and unreasonable animals who do not believe that there is a God.
69 In sum, there is no better counsel for all such usury and unjust interest than to follow the law and example of Moses and restore all interest to order by taking, selling, endowing and giving the tithe or, if necessity demands, the ninth or eighth or sixth; then it would all remain finely balanced and everything would be in God's grace and blessing. For if the tithe turned out well for a year, it would bear much for the renter; if it turned out badly, it would bear little; and so the renter would have to bear the danger and luck just as well as the interest man, and both would have to look into God's hands. In this case, no named sum of interest could be set, nor would it be necessary, but it would always remain uncertain how much the tithe would bear, and yet the tithe would be certain.
Therefore the tithe is the finest interest and has been in use from the beginning of the world and is praised and confirmed in the old law as the cheapest according to divine and natural law. Afterwards, where the tithe would not be enough, one could take the ninth and sell it, or put and endow it, according to his land or house. For Joseph set or found it so from ancient times set and used in Egypt to take the fifth, Gen. 41, 34. 47, 24. 26. For here still remains the divine right that the fifth is not enough.
If it turns out well, the fifth is good; if it turns out badly, it is all the less, as God gives it, and has no certain sum.
Now, however, the purchase of interest stands on certain sums of money, to be equally rich every year, whether it is right or wrong, so the land and the people must perish. For he takes and buys unequal years for equal years and poor years for rich years, yes, he buys God's blessing, not yet given, for a given one; this may never be right. For with this, one sucks the sweat and blood of the other. Therefore it is no wonder that in these short years, as long as this purchase of interest has been in use, namely in a hundred years, all principalities and countries have become impoverished, displaced and corrupt.
If the purchase or interest were not on grain, but on houses or space, where one advertises and wins with the hand, one could master such purchase again according to the law of Moses, that one would keep the year of jubilee in such things, and sell nothing forever. For I think that because this trade is so disorderly, no better example and law could be taken than God's law, so that he has provided for and governed his people, Deut. 25:10. He is indeed as wise as human reason can be, and we should not be ashamed to keep and follow the laws of the Jews in this, because it is useful and good.
(73) Emperors, kings, princes and lords should watch over this and look after their country and people, so that they may prevent and help them from the abominable maw of usury, and so they will be all the better off. This is what the imperial diets should do, as one of the most necessary things; so they leave such things and serve the Pope's tyranny, to burden the country and the people more and more, until one day they will also have to fail, so that the country will never be able to bear them, but will have to spit them out. May God give them His light and mercy, amen.