A sermon on the second article of the Christian faith of JEsu Christo.

Delivered at the court of Torgau at Easter (April 13) 1533.

(1) Although I have often preached and written much about the article of faith in Christ, yet because it is so, and because we can preach nothing else nor better, nor should we hear anything better, I will now speak of it also, and treat of some of its parts, as they stand one after another, in these words:

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghent, born of Mary the Virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, descended into hell, and on the third day rose again from the dead etc.

In the first article, of Creation, we learned how God first created us and gave us all creatures etc. But this article now teaches us how we have again become a new creature, after we have been completely corrupted and destroyed after the first creation by the wretched devil, who has deceived us with his lies and brought the divine creature to nothing, and to the point that we must, rejected by God, die and perish eternally. For what is separated from God is already eternally corrupt and lost.

(3) Therefore we believe and confess in this article, that we have been brought again from destruction and death, and have been created again unto a new eternal life; whereunto we were also created before, but were lost through Adam's fall. And that this came to pass through the dear Son, Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for us, and was obedient to the Father in this, and loved us, that he delivered us out of the mouth of hell and the power of the devil, and set us in the heavenly life eternal.

(4) And it is indeed a marvelous thing that it should happen so easily in our day, and that such a great work should be accomplished through the word and the faith that is attached to it alone; so that if one wants to look at it with reason, it does not rhyme with it at all. For we see with our eyes, feel and experience it in our own bodies, that the whole world is dying and corrupting. And as far as we look around, we find nothing, except that the whole human race is passing away into nothingness and will never come back; especially what poor, miserable Christians there are on earth, whom the devil torments and tortures as if he wanted to devour them: they are so completely worn down, pulverized and pulverized that not a stump of them remains.

(5) And yet it shall be so easy, that they, whom we now see with our eyes buried, and turned to powder, shall come again, and live, not this poor perishable life, but much more glorious and delicious. And let no one add to it, no medicine nor human help, nor anyone dig up the body or

but be nothing more than the word we speak here, which even the children in the cradle can count. This is to accomplish such an excellent work that all the dead and we who perish and die so miserably, eaten by worms and maggots, that there is no more shameful, stinking carrion on earth, shall emerge from death so gloriously, more beautiful and brighter than the sun.

(6) Such is the power, we believe, of this one word, "I believe in Jesus Christ," (2c), which seems so small that it ceases and perishes with the breath of man, and is so common that everyone has it in his mouth, among the pope as well as among us; but it is also quite believed by few, and is despised very well, especially when one thinks about it with reason, and lets our wisdom know it, so that it becomes a fool about it, and thinks it is nothing but fable; which has now become quite common in French-speaking countries, that they believe nothing at all about this article. Many of our people have already learned such wisdom that they think it is just laughter, especially because we say that it should happen so easily without any action on our part, and that no power, force or means should be used, except that the one man, Christ, will bring out of the earth with one word everything that came from Adam and was ever born on earth.

(7) Therefore, it is a sermon only for Christians who sincerely believe it and certainly hope by God's grace that it will come to pass and be true. Otherwise it will remain as it has always been, that this sermon is nothing to the world, even though they hear it and speak it themselves. But we must preach it for our own sake, however few there are who believe it as God's dear children. For the world, peasants, citizens, and nobles, are of the devil; without God, they would come out as precious gems and turquoise, which he holds in his finger ring; the rest remain pebbles, as they are, so that the devil can make a pavement and run to hell on it.

8 Let us now see what the words in this article mean and signify, "I

Believe", says a Christian, "in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord" etc. This is the wisdom and art of Christians, which they alone have and understand, and the whole world neither knows nor understands, although it hears it daily, namely, that we believe and are certain in our hearts of everything that these words say and give, that the man Jesus Christ is the only and true Son of the Father etc. For by the same word, "Only-begotten Son," He is separated and set apart from all the sons or children of God, that He has no more such Son. Otherwise also all angels are called children of God in the Scriptures, as Job 1, 6. and 38, 7. God Himself says: Ubi eras, cum me laudabant omnes filii Dei? "Where would you be if all God's children praised me?" that is, since no man was created yet, and yet heaven was already full of God's children?

(9) So also we, when we are baptized, are called children of God, as the Scripture says, Heb. 2:10, "that through this Son many of His children are brought to glory. But there is none without this Lord Christ, who is called His only Son, therefore He must have a higher, nobler birth, than both angels and men, who are also called children of God and call upon Him as a Father; but none of them alone can say, My Father, but must speak together: Our Father; or even if someone says, My Father, he does not say it as if it were only him. But because Christ alone is called some Son, that he has no equal or next to him in tribe or birth, he must be by birth above all holy angels and creatures, whose none may call him a Father as he calls him.

(10) There is already the article in which we believe that he is right, true God with the Father and yet not the same person of the Father, but a different person. Now it must be so, and all Scripture testifies to it, that there is no more than One God; therefore the same distinct person must be united with the Father in one divine being or substance, so that one does not make two gods or one distinct divine being; and still the

Son is another person in the same unified being and majesty, so that the Son is born from the Father in eternity, not the Father from the Son.

(11) But there is also an article which has been mastered and ridiculed from the beginning of Christianity, and still to the end by the intelligent world; and it is not without danger, that one should enter with reason, and meditate upon it. For all those who have presumed to climb up to heaven with their thoughts, and want to grasp and measure how it is possible for three persons to be One Being, have fallen over it; and yet they were the very highest, wisest people on earth, and have also drawn the sword over it, and persecuted and plagued the believers in a hostile manner; and yet they also wanted to be called Christians, so that they should not suffer that more than One God was made, and Christ should be believed equal to the Father. They admitted that he was the Son of God, but not according to his unity and divinity. And even now there is no more ridiculous sermon to the Turks than that we Christians preach and believe in one God, and yet add another God to it. It is no good, they say, to have two landlords in one house, or two princes in one country, who want to rule at the same time; but there must be One Regiment and One Prince, thus also One God.

(12) Whence then is this spun? From the beautiful, wise reason, which has seen it in its dark lantern, that it does not rhyme, two roosters on one dung, nor two landlords or sovereigns in equal power; for they cannot suffer with each other, one must dampen the other. That is a beautiful thought, and no one can deny that it does not rhyme otherwise and should be so; but that she wants to fly out of the house or principality with her thoughts and flutter into the divine being, and judge of it, of which no man has ever heard nor seen anything, and has not come into any man's heart, that rhymes and boots badly.

(13) They are still such fools, they remain only on such thoughts that it does not rhyme that two rule in equal power, because one can understand such and see it daily before one's eyes in the creatures. But this is not true,

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That one wants to drive into the being, where no man knows about and is so far above all senses and apart from all creatures, that we have neither smell nor taste of it, and must only be proclaimed from above: and do not want to believe such a word, which comes from heaven, nor cling to it, but want to measure it with their own head according to the landlord and rule on earth, that is, according to the being, which we have seen and experienced, so that everything is already wrong and vain lies are put instead of the truth.

(14) Therefore it is said, Who shall rightly drive, saying, I believe; not, I conclude or judge, that so it is right or not right. For if thou wilt judge, what need hast thou of faith? He who believes does not judge, but allows himself to be judged, and is caught up in another's judgment, and says in effect, "I am a fool in this, and do not understand it, for I have neither seen nor heard nor experienced anything about it; but because God says so, I will believe it to be so, and follow the word, letting my thoughts and understanding be nothing; so he is judged by the word, to which he adheres, not by his reason and his own understanding. He who does not do this has nothing of faith, nor of God and what God is, but is like a blind man who wants to judge from the color or light of the sun, of which he has never seen or felt anything.

15. For if anyone should be able to attain something of the divine essence and say what God is, the Jews would have attained it, who had the Scriptures; item, the learned, wise people among the Gentiles, who turned so much to it, dug for it day and night with thoughts, and let themselves think that something more must be besides the creature, which would be God, and yet could not send themselves into it, how or what, nor attain so much that they could say: this is God; or, so he is and lives etc. Otherwise, they would not have left it, they would have licked all the books full of it. Since no man can attain it with reason and the senses, but only through the word from heaven, it is henceforth said:. only the reason is fully attentive and blinded, and here

given. If thou wilt be wise, saith God, I will give thee enough here on earth, and thou shalt rule the oxen, the cows, the horses, and thy house, thy child, thy servants, the city, the country, and the people; and thou shalt have thy wisdom and thy art, and thou shalt have thy hands full. As it is with all those who want to rule rightly, that all wit and reason are too short for them.

But in matters where I cannot reach with my wisdom, I must leave it at home and say: I do not know and do not understand, but I hear from above and sounds in my ears, which no man has ever conceived. Now I hear that Christ has a divine being with the Father, and yet it is true that there is no more than One God. Where do I want to grope, found and grasp or conclude? It sounds too ridiculous in ears and does not go into reason. Yea, neither shall it go in there, but say thus unto it, When I hear the word spoken, as from above, I believe it; though I cannot comprehend it, nor understand it, nor understand it in my head, how I can comprehend that two and five are seven, with reason, and let no man instruct me otherwise: neither if he said above, no, but they are eight; then should I believe it against my reason and feeling. Well, if I want to judge, then I must not believe; but I will believe him who judges and passes judgment, then I will stay up and die; for I rely on him whom I consider to be wiser, and who can count better than I; even if I can, yet I will believe it at his service, and shall call the truth what he says, whether all the world says otherwise.

(17) Thou shalt do likewise here: though reason cannot suffer that two persons are one God, it is even as if I said, two are not two, but two are one; there thou hast the word and reason against each other: neither shall it lay the mastery, nor become a judge nor a doctor, but take off the little hat, and say, two are one, though I see it not, nor understand it, but I believe it. Why? For the sake of him who said it above. But if it came from me, or if reason would say such a thing, then no man should believe me.

I did not want to talk to him so that I would believe it, but I wanted to lay the mathematics before him and show him that he should grasp it and give way to me. But now it rings down from heaven, I will believe what he tells me, that two, yes, all three persons are only one true God, not two or three gods. I will do this in honor and service to him, whom I owe to believe, and let myself be judged in this way, that I am a fool who cannot count three; although, praise God, I can count three here on earth, and no one may teach me the art or judge me that I cannot count three.

(18) The Scriptures and this article lead us to say that this Christ is the only Son of God, like which there is no Son in heaven or on earth; for all Scripture testifies that he is like the Father, and whatever the Father creates or does, that also he does. And summa, as St. John always testifies in his Gospel, that he takes upon himself all the works of God, and wants to be honored just as the Father is honored, sets himself everywhere equal to the Father. From such sayings, which cannot be attributed to any angel or man, I must believe that he is truly God, as high, powerful, eternal, almighty as the Father; for what the Father does, that he also does: whom the Father makes alive, that also the Son makes alive. Thus it is a work of both persons, who are nevertheless distinct, that there can be no more than one divine power, one divine nature and being, and that none can be divided.

Nineteenth Now this, I say, is the art of Christians, which entereth into no man's heart, but must be written therein by the Holy Ghost. And, as I have said, he that would be sure must use prudent reason, and see to it that the prudence of the world mocks and ridicules these things, and let them speak and say, How prudent they are, they cannot yet count three in these things, neither shall they learn until the last day; for we Christians have daily to learn by this, that we may learn to count three, and say, Three is not three, but one, and yet three.

20 That is now, some son: true

God as well as the Father, among whom we know not how to make a distinction without the Father begetting eternally and the Son being begotten eternally. And the theologians have argued about the fact that they assign their own to each person, but at last they can do nothing more, and have to leave it at that, that there is no other difference than this: that the first person is called Father, the other the Son, that the latter has his eternal being and gives it for eternity. More cannot be conceived nor grasped; and if one speculates much, it only becomes darker and less comprehensible. I also wanted to speculate sharply, but if I should think myself to death, then I can meet nothing more than what I hear there.

(21) Therefore God has held that the article is preserved by the Word alone, thus confirming that all devils and the world, though they have honestly challenged it, must nevertheless let it stand and remain in Christendom. Therefore I will also remain here and believe, not know, nor think further; and where I want to do it, I certainly go into the abyss. For I have also tried and wanted to be taught in such a way that I would drill God through heaven and into his chamber, and see what he is doing in it; but I have also experienced what I have done. In short, it means no more than the words spoken that we learn here: I believe; and it becomes no more. If thou torment thyself for ever with thoughts, thou makest no more but heartache, and findest nothing: for it is too high above all creatures, mind and understanding. It is said, "What he says is true, so that divine wisdom and human wisdom may be separated. According to divine wisdom it is true; according to mine it is not true. If I now want to argue against it, I will lose both; for he wants to be master here himself and alone, and to make us disciples without fail, so that we will say yes to it without all disputing and arguing.

22 Thus we have the first part of this article, of the deity of Christ, which compels and proves not only the word, Only Son, but also the first word, I believe. For to whom I shall say, I

believe, and put my trust and my heart's confidence in you, he must be my God; for the heart of man should neither trust nor build on anything but God alone, and the Scriptures everywhere condemn trusting in men, and show that they are to be lacking and running. For "all men," says the 116th Psalm, v. 11, "are liars," that is, false, who cannot keep nor do what is intended for them, and who trust in them must perish; as is well seen, and also reason testifies to this from experience, as the 146th Psalm, v. 4, says: "A man's spirit must perish, and he must return to the ground, and then all his proposals are lost." Because a man's life is so uncertain that he is not sure of any hour of it, it is impossible to put a certain foundation on him and to trust.

Reason itself teaches this, and Scripture confirms it, that faith or trust of the heart should not happen to any man, and belongs to no one, except the true God, because he alone is eternal and immortal, and also omnipotent, so that he can do whatever he wants. Therefore faith stands on him certain and sure, that he will not fail nor let him fall, as little as he himself can fall. So now every Christian testifies again that Christ is true God, because he bases and puts his trust in him; otherwise he would be doing wrong and would be the highest idolatry. For this is the only highest service of God, trusting and believing, against which all other outward services are child's play; nor does it demand more than such a heart as can believe it.

Now follows the other piece, also from the person of Christ*) since we call him:

Jesus Christ our Lord, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary etc.

[The first part]

24. now this article becomes much more foolish before the reason that the world wants great

*) This piece was preached by Luther as a second sermon.

and become foolish about it, especially the Jews, that the same Son is with the Father and Holy Spirit one God; and yet not the Father, nor Holy Spirit, but only the person, namely the Son, is conceived and born of a man etc. O this is a ridiculous thing, that the one God, the high majesty, should be a man; and here both, creature and creator, come together in one person. Reason resists with all its might that this person should at the same time be a man, born of a man, of right, natural birth, as a woman should give birth, truly flesh and blood with all limbs and all natural being, without sin, whom a man on earth gives birth to, nurses, diapers and waits for, as a natural mother, and lets himself be cradled, carried, etched and watered etc. in all things, like another child. That we should become such fools, blind our reason so much, and make ourselves captive, that we say that this very man is the right true God, and that there is no God apart from him; and that where the infant lies in the cradle or the mother's arms and breasts, there God is essential and personal.

(25) Here first are taken from us, and the prudent thoughts are warded off, that reason may flutter up to heaven, and seek God in majesty, and search out how he reigns in heaven, (2c) and that the goal may be set here, that I may run from all the world to Bethlehem into the stable and manger, where the little child lies, or Mary in the womb; that is to say, the reason is subdued. For the foregoing is beyond all measure, so that reason itself would like to think: Quae supra nos, nihil ad nos: what is too high for you, leave it unexamined, and more easily despair of it and become trapped. But here it comes down before my eyes that I see the little child in the womb of its mother, which lets itself act, suckle, lift and wait in all measure/as another child, and only reason should fight with it itself and against all senses. There lies a man, who is born like another child, and lives like another child, and leads no other being, work, gift, than another man; that no man could ever fall into the heart, that the creature should be the creator.

itself. Where are the wise men who could ever have conceived or thought of this? Let them now come and praise their wisdom and high understanding of God and divine things. There all reason must lie down and confess its blindness, that it wants to climb up to heaven and to measure divine things, and yet it cannot perceive what is before its eyes.

26 Therefore, against all reason and sense, one must cling to the word revealed from heaven, Matth. 3, 17: "This is my beloved Son" etc. As the angels proclaimed to the shepherds at the birth of Christ, who let themselves be taught, which no one has ever understood nor could understand: that there is a natural man, truly conceived and born, just from the blood and flesh of the virgin, as it is only natural when a man is conceived, without any man having done anything to it, and yet is the right true God. Only the Holy Spirit must be master and teacher, otherwise nothing will come of it. For here reason struggles with its wisdom: How can God be man, or the Creator a creature? How should it rhyme if I wanted to say: the tile is the potter, the shoes are the cobbler; who wants to believe that, or, how can one make it so? That would have to be a strange pot to me, which would be the master himself; how can the pot make itself? It is made by the master, not the master by him.

(27) Here we must still believe that God, the Creator, and the creature are one personal being, and thus say: When I come among men of art and ask them about it, it is certain that the master and his work are not one thing; I see this before my eyes, that I must not believe it. But here I must learn another thing, and so must say: I see that there lies a man, created and born of a man; and yet I must certainly believe that this child or creature is the Master or Creator Himself; which I neither see nor understand, but only hear.

028 Sayest thou now, Well, that doth not rhyme? Answer: Yes, of course not, that's what I say, that it doesn't rhyme according to reason and in your head and your people.

Art; but it must rhyme in faith and according to God's word; for there you hear the dear angels singing: "Behold, the Savior is born to you today, who is Christ the Lord" etc. They would not say this if they did not recognize themselves as servants and him as their Lord. Since they call him a Lord, he must be higher than they, namely God himself; for they do not call us men lords. We must follow this word and stick to it, as it was not invented by us, but flowed down from heaven, and not want to understand how it rhymes in our head, but believe that it is true, and that God rhymes the two together above our understanding, that this man, as God's pot, is the potter himself in one personal being, and in eternity not separate, nor separate; as he himself speaks to Philip, Joh. in the 14th chapter, v. 9: "He that seeth me seeth the Father also: thinkest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" With this he fixes his eyes on himself alone and will not let him look or gape anywhere.

But whoever does not want to cling to the word, but rather to puzzle out and calculate how to rhyme it together, that God and man are one person; let him at least puzzle out and see what he gains from it. So many have been fooled by it, who have clowned and rhymed about it, and nevertheless the article has remained. Although the devil knows that it is true, he cannot leave it unchallenged; but we do not know and do not understand it, and yet we want to ridicule and mock it.

(30) Therefore the opinion is brief: he wants it from us unmastered and unrhymed, but believed, and to have the honor that he alone is wise here, that we should guide ourselves according to his word. And not without cause: for we see and confess ourselves, and are, praise God, not so gross that the clever ones must first teach us how the pot is not the potter; and have just as much reason, which concludes that one is not three and three is not one, man is not God and Creator is not the creature; and if they teach us much, they teach no more than that which we know beforehand and understand so well,

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than they do. Therefore we say: Yes, it is true when we speak of the potter and the cobbler and the things where reason should and can judge; but this is not to draw it here into the art, which does not grow out of our head, but is God's word revealed from heaven; but it is to take off your little hat and say yes to it, and let it be true, as it did not come out of your mind; and here for a moment you must not want to know, nor understand, but think yourself a fool with your great art in your head, that three is not one, and the pot is not the potter; for we are now in another high school, where one learns, not what I or men know or understand, but what God Himself says and teaches.

The other part.

(31) Hitherto we have heard who the person is in whom we believe and trust, namely, both the true God and man; which I have said was not devised by men, but given from heaven; therefore it is not comprehensible by reason, but must be grasped and held by firm faith; otherwise it remains uncomprehended and unheld: so that here we may separate far from each other reason and what human wisdom can teach us, and what divine wisdom reveals from heaven. Now we further confess what works this person has done, or what his office is, that we may believe in him, and learn what we have of him, namely, as we say:

Our Lord, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontio Pilato, crucified, died, was buried, and rose again the third day etc.

(32) These also are words not made up or invented by men, though all the Jews on earth saw him crucified, even crucified himself, that they should be thought to have known and understood it; yet it is a hidden thing, which no man could ever know, what the man who was crucified on the cross said.

was a person, nor why he was crucified. For this is not a human art, to believe that such a person was born, crucified, died for my sake etc.

(33) This is still to be done, that one learns and believes the history, as otherwise a story or other history, that one knows how to speak of it, as the Papists and false Christians also can. But when it comes to it, that the heart should speak: I believe and trust in the Lord Christ, born, suffered, died and rose again for my sake, yes, for the sake of the world and all sinners; this is a knowledge that the Holy Spirit alone must give, for no human heart can conceive that he has done all this for my sake. For if I am to believe that he has done all this for us men, that it is for me and for you, then I must also immediately confess that it is lost with me and all that I am able.

(34) Now there is strife, and all heresy begins; for the world cannot bear it, that they should say and believe that all their things are nothing and lost. What do they all do now, our enemies, but dispute this article? and yet are well agreed with us in that Christ was born of the virgin, crucified, died, rose again, and speak the faith with us with their mouths; but in their hearts they deny it and hold the contradiction. For they say that man is not so lost, but has a free will, can do so much and deserve so much that God is gracious to him; and whoever says and preaches against this must be a heretic and condemned.

(35) Therefore this is the article against which the whole world is offended, and there are very few people who teach it rightly, and even fewer who believe it rightly from the heart, even though they have to deal with it against their own hearts. For it always remains in the heart that we do not want to be nothing at all, nor should Christ alone have done everything; but we always want to have our hand in the soode, to do so much and serve God, that God should look upon us and for His sake forgive sin and be merciful; and yet it should not and cannot be. For with this, faith and the whole of Christ fall to the ground. For, shall Christ

and I confess it, I must scrape my tongue clean and say, "If Christ does it, I do not have to do it, for the two do not go hand in hand in my heart, so that I put my trust in both, but one must come out, either Christ or my own doing. This is clear and well understood.

(36) Yet every man findeth in himself that he cannot be rid of the filth. They persecute it and murder Christians for it; but I, who do not persecute it but preach and confess it, cannot yet bring it into my heart as purely as I should and would like to. For even though I believe it, the sweet thoughts that tickle my heart always come along with it: "You have nevertheless done so much, asked, fasted, preached, served and helped people; and the evil will always sit with him in the heart, where Christ is supposed to sit, and throw his chair down; so that no man on earth can grasp this article enough, and St. Paul himself says, Phil. 3. Paul himself says, Phil. 3, 12: "I must not boast that I have grasped it, but I reach out and pursue the goal set before me" etc. There he himself confesses that he has not attained it as perfectly as he would have liked; and Rom. 7, 22. 23. he says: "I delight in God's law according to the inward man; but I see another law in my members, which is contrary to the law in my mind. 2c, that is, I would gladly believe and do so, but the old mud clings to me so heavily and stretches me down again and again, that I also want to build on myself and trust against this article, of which I could boast: I have done this. Although it is good to have done it, but to make a trust out of it and build on it is a shameful thing, but so poisonous and secret that all the saints have complained about it, and Christians still feel good about it every day.

37 This is precisely the reason why the dear apostles also so diligently practiced and blued this article, for they knew and experienced that it can never be unlearned; but we must remain disciples in it and blued ourselves with it from day to day, so that we may learn something, if not perfectly.

of obtain. For so the high people, the apostles themselves, who have dealt with it daily, have had to struggle with it themselves, that they received the article; what then will happen to the fluttering spirits? They go to the land of milk and honey, and when they have heard it once or twice, they think they can do it all right, and they become so sure and careless that they get away with it before they know it; for they leave the flesh in check and give it room enough, whether they think they have grasped it or not; but I am afraid they have never had the right taste of it.

Thou hearest that the apostles have heard Christ so long, have preached so much of it, and have daily practiced it, have not yet learned it, nor may they pretend to be masters; and thou thinkest thou hast so well grasped it in one hour, that thou canst do it? O the wretched art, how it will one day melt away from you and become so small, when the devil will attack you rightly and put you in front of his nose, how he can do to me and others masterfully what you have done and not done, and tear the Christ out of your eyes, so that you do not know where he is, remember this article once again, let alone seize it and beat back the devil with it; Yes, he should make Christ your judge and tyrant, who chases you and drives you, so that you can have no comfort in him, but are frightened and tremble before him like a leaf, and run as before the devil; for he can blind a man so much and drive such thoughts into his heart so strongly that he can look at nothing but what he has done and left, whether good or evil. Now when he hath brought thee into the corner, he hath taken thee captive, that thou canst not see Christ, nor abide anywhere, nor work thee out: for he is able to make the very best of works to be a reproach unto thee, and to make thee sin, that thou shouldest be afraid of it.

(39) Now this is the art, that we should learn to separate and distinguish our wisdom, reason, works, and abilities from this article of Christ's works and ministry, and thus conclude, "I do not believe in my works, though they be good and excellent, and will gladly do and suffer all things.

God wants to have. But let them remain here below with human wisdom and life, so that they do not come into my faith and confidence of heart; for there I have a higher treasure in heaven, namely Jesus. Christ, I cling to and hold to his works, righteousness, holiness and wisdom, and will briefly know nothing of my works, nor of any man's works, if it is a matter of faith, but I believe only in JEsum Christ; for neither I, nor any man, suffered or died for me etc.

40. another face comes and opens other eyes, so that one realizes how all is lost with all our doings, and we alone must have the man on whom we trust to stand before God, to have grace and forgiveness of sins etc. This our papists and other sects cannot do, nor can all those among us who pretend to be masters, yes, not even we ourselves, who should be able to do it and would like to. And it is a shameful plague that they can do it only too well and become such early doctors and masters on this side; unless they see differently and concern them differently than I do. For I feel, as St. Paul himself felt and complains, that I cannot grasp it as I would like to, and yet can speak of it so well, and have done and practiced more than all of them; nor are they so sure that they think they are master over master. But if you look at it in the light, they are nothing else than such people, who know nothing more, if they are most intelligent, than of our human nature and actions; as I have noticed in many who are now considered the most learned, who in all their books write nothing higher than how a man should live and do.

(41) This, I say, is by no means the Christian art, to say what we ought to do or not to do, or what is good or evil; but it is to know what Christ is and does. For all this belongs to another circle, which is called human wisdom and righteousness, and only to this life; when we are in it, we will find enough to do and not to do, and we will take the lawyers to help us. But in this circle, where Christians belong, and in the

When we learn about Christ in the first school, we do not want to argue about what we have done and what we have not done, or what we should do and what we should not do, but about what our faith should be based on, and we should enter into this article alone and learn what the man has done for us. Let us now see this one by one.

For these words are well and properly composed, and almost as a calendar through the whole year, in which we celebrate all the feasts of the Lord Christ, and begin with the cradle days, when we cradle the infant and play with our dear Lord in the womb of our mother. After that we come to the week of martyrdom, when we celebrate and meditate on the Passion, and further to the feast of Easter, Ascension and Pentecost etc., so that all our feasts are included in this short article. Although it is right and necessary for the people that they also keep them externally on special days in the year, arranged so that they all follow one another and blah in the sermon, so that they are not forgotten; otherwise the Christians here can keep all the feasts on one day and celebrate them in their daily prayer. For all things are thus set forth and brought to us, that the dear apostles well perceived how excellent this article is received and kept.

(43) And though these words, which faith must keep, "born for us, having suffered," etc., are not expressly stated, yet they must be taken from others hereafter, and drawn through all these pieces; for in the third article, where we say, "I believe the forgiveness of sins," he glosses over himself, setting forth the cause and benefit of this piece, why he was born, suffered, and did all things. And it is true that here also the text is used, where we say: "Our Lord"; so that we confess that everything that the man is and does has happened to us, as he was therefore born, suffered, and rose from the dead for the consolation that he is our Lord. For the word "Lord" here is of the utmost kindness and is a lovely, comforting word, namely, that we have such a man in him who can help and save us through the forgiveness of sin and resurrection from the dead, as faith concludes, in all troubles and against all odds.

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Enemies; for he did not do all these things for this reason, and did so much to redeem us, that he might be such a lord, dealing with us as a tyrant, constraining, afflicting, and terrifying the people, but that we might have a friendly, helping rule, under which we might be safe and free from all violence and oppression.

44 For what else is a lord in the world, if he uses his office rightly, but a helping power of his subjects, who wards off and punishes the wicked, and protects the pious, making peace and all that is good? Against the wicked he may be called a tyrant, who do not want to be obedient, nor recognize him as their lord; but actually he is a lord for the sake of the pious, that he may help them and save them and handle them, so that they are vain good, friendly works that flow from the rule, and a sweet friendly name. Because it is such a delicious thing in the world, where a country has a lord and must also have one, where regiment and peace must remain; how much more must it be sweet and comforting here, since there is much better kingdom and heavenly regiment, namely such forgiveness of sins and such rule, which creates peace for us and protects us from the devil and all his followers, redeems us from death and all evil! And not only this, but also out of the earth shall he take, and make more beautiful and glorious than the sun and all creatures, when we shall come unto his eternal glory.

45 Behold, therefore he is called my Lord, because I sit here daily in danger of death, and in the devil's jaws, and must suffer him to afflict me with all mischief, and at last to slay me: for I am daily in sins among evil men, and among fools, and my own conscience terrifieth me, and maketh me foolish; 2c, that I never have peace, and if it were in the devil's power, and we had no lord too mighty for him, he should soon make an end of us. Against this great power of the devil with all his angels, and of the world with all its power and might, it is necessary for us to have a Lord who is also strong and mighty. This is now this Jesus Christ, whom I confess here in faith, and also feel and experience with deed, that his power is not

is neither over nor has an end, but is man enough for the devil. He has attacked and plagued Christianity from the beginning of the world and still does so every day, yet he has left it standing, and yet he is so angry that if he could, he would not let a baptismal font remain in Christianity. As he has done in Turkey, where he has left no baptism, no gospel, no sacrament, no preaching stand, no Christ, and would gladly destroy and devastate all of Christendom in this way; for he is so hostile to it that he cannot rest until he eradicates it all, and would not leave it either if we did not have this Lord to defend and control him. Therefore he assaults us, both with violence through tyrants, and with cunning through mobs and false doctrine, trying every art and way to bring us from Christ. (46) Now we would be much too weak to resist him, or to resist his violence or wiles, and could not keep one comforting thought of Christ, which he could not blow out, much more easily than the wind bloweth out a little light, and put vain devilish thoughts into the heart. But that baptism, the church, the preaching ministry and the right understanding of Christ remain, this is not human power and ability, but is pure power of our Lord, which no emperor, no king on earth could do, but which he must do himself by his almighty, divine power. And here we see again that such a Lord is not a pure man, but God Himself and, as the Scriptures call Him, a Lord of hosts, that is, a warlord over all lords, who is armed for battle with His people, namely with His dear angels and all Christians who preach and confess Him. For by this he contends and conquers, and upholds his kingdom, that men believe in him, preach and practice his word, and take comfort in it, and that good thoughts and good living, and all things, one heart and courage, remain among the Christians. These are the triumphs and victories of our dear Lord Christ.

(47) Behold, thus shall he be known, that he is such a Lord, which helpeth, and keepeth, and saveth us, as long as we live; not only in all manner of outward danger and distress, but against the gates of hell, and against all manner of evil.

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the wicked devil, who with his wisdom and power attacks faith with his evil poisoned arrows, that is, with evil poisonous thoughts, and with wicked evil mouths, who preach other things and want to make other thoughts and faith than in him alone; so that we know that it is not our power and ability to remain, but his power, by which he has sat down at the right hand of the Father, that he may sit and reign in our hearts and keep us while we live here. Therefore it is a more consoling, friendly, lovely Lord than we should ever desire.

(48) Therefore let us be wise not to let such knowledge be taken from us, nor perverted, nor let him be painted and pictured otherwise than as a terrible judge, as we have hitherto been led to believe, when the dear Mother Mary was put in his place, and called a mediatrix between him and us, and the Savior was not regarded otherwise than as sitting above, and examining us, or judging us according to our lives (2c). That is, preaching a false Christ and not believing, as this article teaches, that he is our Lord. For though he be a judge, yet shall he also be to me for comfort and salvation, that he may protect me against mine enemies, and condemn them that will not believe, nor take him for their Lord; that they may in short cast away all wrath, judgment, and punishment from us upon his enemies, the devil, and all his arrows, and against thine own evil thoughts from Christ; item, against the Turks, unbelievers, and rioters. But unto thee is he a Lord, well born, martyred, crucified, dead, and risen again, who forgiveth all sin, and maketh thee neither to fall into sin, nor to despair therein, and after that shall at last save thee pure, and cast all thine enemies into the pit of hell. Therefore do not be afraid, but rejoice and be comforted in the highest.

49 He must be the judge, that is true; for if he were not, we would never be saved. If he should let the devil have his way and do as he pleases, and let the evil thoughts lie in my heart, and also let the mobs continue, then I would be eternally saved.

I am lost. If he is to protect me, he must also judge and condemn, not me, but my enemies, that is, the very devil who shoots his evil darts into my heart.

(50) It is so in the world that every lord must have these two offices in his house: to help the righteous, but sometimes also to strike at those who cause trouble or harm to the righteous; to help his children and his servants, and to do them good. But if he should suffer that a wicked wretch or neighbor should strike his wife, child and servants on the mouth or trample them underfoot and drive them out of the house, he would not be called a gentleman, but a shameful man. For a child or a servant in the house must have the defiance and comfort of his lord, so that he knows that he will not let violence happen to him and that he may refer to him if someone wants to harm or wrong him. So the lord becomes a judge, not over his own, but over wicked men who want to have misfortune. So a ruler must have a peaceful heart among his subjects, and they must have confidence in him, so that they can and may call him lord and be sure that he will help them and control the wicked. Therefore they call him a lord, not that he wants to kill them or beat them with a club over the head, but that they may rely on him, as much as can be built on the world and temporal regiment, that he will help them against everyone's violence and iniquity.

(51) So this name is lovely and comforting in all things, that "Lord" is such a thing, who gives a comforting heart to his own, and does no harm, but shows vain help and love; without being a judge against the murderers, the wicked and the wicked, who will not have peace; not for your sake, who suffer, but for their sake, that they may be punished and you saved. In the same way, our Lord Christ should be looked upon and formed in our hearts, so that we have in him such a man who protects us without interruption and resists the devil and all evil against the shameful teachings of the pope, who have formed him in the most terrible way.

as a tyrant who would stand behind us with a club and beat us over the head. So take hold of him, and you have taken hold of him rightly, so that the works he does against the devil and our enemies and against us may be discerned; For as I have said, because we are here on earth under the devil and sin that oppress us, under grieved and frightened hearts and minds, under evil tyrants and red spirits that do us harm, as they might and would gladly bring it about that no one would keep and believe a speck of Christ and God's word unless he stretched out his hand and controlled them all. For that is why he sits there, to protect and defend me without ceasing; as he does daily, so that we see and feel it.

52. for this purpose he became man, suffered, and rose from the dead etc. that we might learn to think of him as a lord for our good, help and comfort, so that we might not be afraid of him as if he wanted to condemn us; for he said, John 3:18: "He who believes in the Son will not be judged. Thus he concludes from his office of the devil or of a tyrant, that he who believes in him as his Lord must not fear any judgment, and no judgment nor disfavor applies to him, but to the devil and his own. For where he is not judged, he is not punished; but if he is not punished, he must have no sin; if he has no sin, he must have no death. So it all follows that a Christian has no judge, no punishment, no sin, no death, but eternal life and all good things. This is the end, that he is our Lord, to help us out of the power of the devil, out of death and out of all misery, and to protect us from everything that wants to bring us into misfortune. This is what this piece wants, that he is called "our Lord", that the following pieces all apply to us. Therefore, get used to looking at the words in such a way that you always draw the word "our" through all the pieces of faith, so that everything applies to me who believes in Christ, and becomes mine against my sin and evil conscience, so that we always learn more and more what we have in the Lord etc.

This is what has been said in the summary of what Christ is useful to us. Now let us look at the pieces

Some see how he has accomplished this, namely in these words:

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary the Virgin, suffered under Pontio Pilato, crucified, died and was buried etc.

There he is clearly described with all his actions on earth: and he is described in order, how he has gone through our whole life and the whole human race from birth to death, but has taken a special course, which is better than ours, and has sanctified our shameful, sinful course by his holy, pure course. And yet began such a course at the very place where we all began it, namely at conception; but yet differently. For we all, and every fruit of Adam, come from the mother conceiving; this is the coming and beginning of us all, and none can come to this life but in this way; without our first father Adam, who is made of the dust or earth, and Eve from his side; but after them all is called conceived, or carried in the womb.

In order that Christ might be like us in all respects and of the same nature, he also wanted to begin life in this piece, so that he might also be conceived in his mother's womb; and yet here things are much different. For thus our wisdom or faith teaches us, "that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Now again the foolishness and vexation begin. For the first, that he was conceived and became man, could be understood in good measure; for we see before our eyes that God has so blessed the human race that it should multiply. But this is foolish preaching and great foolishness, that we preach and believe of one who was conceived and carried by the mother, like another child; and yet by the mother alone, without male assistance, through the Holy Spirit alone; so that the mother remained a pure, unchanged virgin, and yet became a true natural mother and gave birth to a natural son.

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from their flesh and blood. This is only ridiculous and unpleasant to the Jews and the intelligent world to hear; because if the clever one, the reason, falls into it, she can finely measure and calculate and all things overturn, it does not go right, it does not rhyme and is impossible to be a mother and a virgin at the same time.

(56) Against this we must again draw forth our book or Bible, which [after Christ's conception and birth] has now been granted and remained fifteen hundred years, and will remain until the last day, although it is contested, both by the heretics and also in our hearts by the devil, who can prove that no article of faith is so small that he cannot give it a blow when he comes to measure and work with man. Therefore, this article must still be in the struggle, as it has been up to now, and yet retain the victory among the faithful against all the wisdom of the world and of the devil. Therefore, we stand by the Word and faith against all such contestation and conniving. But how it happened, we will not and shall not inquire; and though we think long on it, yet we cannot meet it nor understand it. And how do we dare to judge such high, divine works? We cannot know with our thoughts how it happens when a tree or a fruit or a stalk grows out of the earth.

(57) Therefore let the wise men calculate and measure these things; but let us continue in the simplicity of faith, as the Scripture teaches us, that this child, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary the Virgin, is a true natural man, of flesh and blood, with all the members, powers and senses of the soul, such as I and you and every man from Adam have. But how he came to be, and how the Holy Ghost made him, he hath not told me, neither shewed me: wherefore I will leave it to him, and will keep the word which he hath spoken and written.

58 For thus says the Scripture to David, Ps. 132:11: "The Lord has sworn a true oath to David; he will not turn from it: I will set thee on thy throne

set the fruit of thy womb." There he calls Christ in clear words "the fruit of his body," that is, his natural child; or, as we call it, his flesh and blood, as one is wont to speak of one who hates his child: he respects not his own flesh and blood. So the Scripture testifies powerfully that the Christ is David's blood and flesh, or true natural Son. For "fruit of the womb" can mean nothing else than a natural child, conceived and borne in the womb. Therefore, as a true, natural man, he must have had everything that belongs to a man, like his father David; without any male power or help having come to him, but only the Holy Spirit working in the virgin's womb; and yet the mother was of the right stock and blood of David, his seed or flesh and blood. From the same virgin flesh and blood the Holy Spirit takes and makes the child, that he also is of the same stock or flesh and blood.

(59) Behold, this is our art, which we are to learn here, not in schools, nor of men, but from above by the Holy Ghost, which is in this the right certain schoolmaster and doctor. And if any man would dispute them, that he should not much dispute, nor presume to judge; but should straightway wise up, and say, Here have I a little booklet, called the Creed, wherein is this article; this is my Bible, which hath stood so long, and still standeth uncircumcised; there I stand by it, there I am baptized into it, and there I live and die, and I will not be instructed further.

(60) Therefore Christ became like us in all things, in that he began there, went the way, and entered into life, and became the same flesh and blood that we are. But here the difference is that we do not come by the Holy Spirit, but from sinful flesh and blood; but he was conceived or made man by and through the Holy Spirit. Therefore his birth is wholly pure and holy, but ours is impure and condemned. For though we are God's creatures, yet we are made of sinful flesh. But here it is said of the Holy Spirit alone em-.

The result is that no human work or human help has been added to it. But because there is human work involved in our birth, nothing pure comes of it; for the master who works with it, even the clay he uses, is unclean and impure. It is just as if one were to cut a man with a sharp knife, so that the blood runs out afterwards; and any material, if it is not good, does not cut or carve anything good, and soon the rust is to be seen in the work.

(61) Thus all our birth and conception from Adam is in sins, for flesh and blood is corrupt and unclean by nature. Because we also add to this, it also becomes such a work, which brings with it rust and blemishes. Now if Christ's birth was to be made pure, there had to be no male addition to it, but the Holy Spirit alone working in the virgin's body, since both the Master was holy and the instrument, being sanctified by him, was pure and clean. For thus the Scripture says of our conception and birth, Ps. 51:7: "Behold, I am begotten of sinful seed, and my mother conceived me in sins," that is, my mother brought forth vile sinful flesh and blood, and the father, and what he added to it, is not pure either, and thus both, through evil desire and impure nature, were done together; so I am conceived of such flesh and blood, therefore nothing pure can be in me.

62 But in this birth, this article says, neither the mother nor any human being did anything about it, but the Holy Spirit alone was the master, so that the mother herself was not aware of how it happened. But the Holy Spirit accomplishes it through faith, as the angel testifies, Luc. 2, 35, and Elizabeth says to her, v. 45: "Blessed art thou, because thou hast believed; for that which is spoken unto thee of the Lord shall be accomplished"; that is, she neither felt nor sensed anything about it, but only believed the mere word, and thereby became the instrument of the Holy Spirit and a mother.

(63) So that he might help our impure conception and birth by his birth, he also began it, and is coming down the same road through birth and conception.

So that he may make us pure through and through by his purity, where we are and must be impure, and stand against it and say: If you are impure and conceived and born in sins, then I have taken the same conception and birth, for your good, yet pure in all things and without sin, so that you also may become pure through my purity. So my uncleanness and impurity is made clean through him, and so I have to make use of a strange conception and birth and adorn and cover mine with it, saying, "Although I was conceived and born unclean, and cannot be rid of the unclean nature because I live, yet he [my dear Lord Jesus Christ] was conceived pure and without all sin, and became man, not for his sake but for mine, that he might give me his birth.

(64) Therefore, just as he began with conception and became like us, so he continues with birth, just as we do naturally, from the mother. For he did not want to be born from stone or wood, nor from a leg taken from man, or from an earthen cloister, like Eve and Adam; but had to happen in such a way that he would be called born from David's natural seed, and in addition a female person would come, naturally sent to bring a child into the world. Still it goes here with us also unclean. For as we are conceived unclean in sins, so also the birth and afterwards the whole life, suffering and death is unclean and everything under the curse and wrath. For it has passed through the whole nature, and the flesh and blood are poisoned, that it cannot be made clean, nor sweated with a bath, nor scoured with a cloth, nor burned with fire; but is wholly unclean through marrow and bone, flesh and blood, skin and hair. He is helped by his birth, born of the virgin in the purest form, without all evil desire and lust, and without labor pains and pain, for there was no cause for the days of travail that God inflicted on women as punishment, because the child was not conceived in sin, nor by a man, but by the Holy Spirit.

65 So now our birth, and what we live here, is also purified by him; for

Although we are condemned from birth through our whole life, yet he is pure and gives us such purity as we confess in this article; for he was born for this reason and passed through our whole life. And though nothing is here expressed as to what else he did, for it would be too long to say all; yet it is enough that he gives so much to understand in this piece, that he lived evenly, and did all natural or human works, with eating, drinking, walking, standing, sleeping, watching, talking, as another man, as St. Paul, Phil. 2:7, says: "He was like another man, and in deeds found to be a man." Thus he sanctified all that we are and do according to the natural life as men, that it should not hurt us to eat, drink, walk, stand, sleep, watch, work etc.; which indeed is unclean because of our flesh and blood, but his we enjoy where we repay ours. For he hath made all things clean in his body, that through him there should no hurt us which is of the old birth and life; but that we should be esteemed as pure as his, because I am clothed in his birth and life by baptism and faith; that all things also which I do should be acceptable unto God; and that it should be holy to walk, and to stand, and to eat, and to drink, and to sleep, and to watch. 2c, that everything must become holy in every Christian, even though he still lives in the flesh and is indeed unclean in himself, but through faith he is clean in all things. So it is a strange and yet our holiness that God does not want to regard everything we do in this life as unclean in Himself, but everything should be holy, delicious and pleasant through this child, who by His life makes the whole world holy.

(66) And all this again without all our works. For there is no cap, nor plate, nor hair shirt, nor going barefoot, nor kneeling, nor praying, nor fasting, nor fasting, nor any work that can be done on earth; for all this is still unclean, as a rusty, crooked axe or knife, yes, it is all doubly unclean and condemnable, because such works are done apart from Christ and want to attain purity through themselves, to dishonor, even to deny his purity, as needing to be done.

they have nothing of the same everywhere; yet all that is not Christ is wholly unclean and condemned with birth and all life, and no purity nor holiness is found in us nor come out of us, but is found and obtained apart from and above us, and far from us, yea, above all our senses, wit, and understanding, in Christ alone through faith.

(67) For we should be able to reason about this, since it is so clear that everyone can grasp it, that Christ our Lord is not my work, nor birth, nor fasting, nor praying, nor walking, nor poverty, nor chastity, (etc.) since all these things were not born of the virgin, nor conceived by the Holy Spirit. What do we want to build on this, as if we or our work itself were holy from birth and conception and did not need Christ? But if he alone should give it, and if it should be preached and believed by the child alone, that he is of pure conception and birth, and that our holiness comes from him and all his life, and not from me or from any other man, what presumption and defiance do we have that our works are also useful and serve to put away sin and to sanctify man? It is a tangible foolishness that even a child can see. They may still argue and fight, cry out and heresy against us, as if our works had the glory of coming from the pure Virgin and the Holy Spirit and were pure and holy by themselves.

68 Therefore we set this our book or Bible against all such teachers and conclude: This article does not teach me that I or my works, monastic caps or orders are born of the Virgin, but my Lord Christ; therefore I find nothing pure or holy in myself and all men, but all our works are nothing but, by permission, lice in an old unclean fur, since nothing pure can be made out of it, and in short, since neither skin nor hair is good anymore. But it is a grievous blindness of the devil that blinds people so that they do not see the bright light and tangible truth, even if it is in their way that they fall over it. Therefore, it is God's gift and the power of the Lord Christ that this article be rightly recognized and firmly established.

and by it judge all other doctrines and creatures as false and seductive. Where this is, the Holy Spirit is written in the heart and the devil is cast out. Otherwise you will not spin such knowledge out of your head. For where he does not teach it, all the world remains in the faith of the pope, Turks and Jews, that they want to bathe themselves clean and wash themselves from sins by their works.

69 Yes, wash well, as the sow, when it washes itself in the tub, or when it is well bathed and washed, rolls again in the tub and still remains a sow, as it is. These are also like that. Even though they have accepted faith and baptism and keep it with us, saying that Christ is our salvation, etc. by which they should become pure and holy if they kept it that way, they defile themselves again by saying, "Our works must also do something to make us pure. But we, if we want to be and remain pure, let us beware that we do not seek it in ourselves or in our birth, but in the child, who is the only Son of the Virgin and the very same only Son of God, whom no other man on earth can boast of etc.

(70) Now this is the way of the Lord Christ, from birth through our whole life, that he lived and worked all things even as we do, and thus, because he himself touched it, consecrated and sanctified everything, so that no food, no eating or drinking, no clothing, no sleeping, waking, walking, standing can defile us, and a Christian can see nothing, hear nothing, touch nothing, in which he sins, as long as he remains in faith. For by him all things were made clean and sanctified, with his holy eyes, mouth, hands, feet, and all his members, yea, raiment, and all his life, until he also came to the end, and had just such an end, and passed both through death, as we do, without all of us dying the same death.

71 But as our whole life is unholy and unclean, so also our death is cursed and unclean, so that no one can atone for a sin by dying; just as the shameful

The monks have comforted the poor condemned people who went to death with the Crucifix, and yet rejected the cross or Christ and called their ignominious death for their sin; likewise, they presented their suffering and misfortune to all dying people for repentance and satisfaction, which is called denying Christ altogether. For it is true that whoever is killed does enough by the same death here on earth and according to the earthly regime towards those against whom he has sinned, that he pays with it and no one has any more recourse to him; in this respect he is pure and pious. But what good is that before God? For death cannot take away sin, because it itself is cursed and is the eternal punishment of God's wrath; therefore we must have another here, who suffered an innocent, pure death for us and paid God with it, so that such wrath and punishment would be taken away from us.

72 This is the same our Lord Christ, whom this article shows to have suffered, been crucified, died, and been buried for us. And he names the time, place, and person when, where, and under whom these things were done, when he says, "Under Pontio Pilato," 2c, so that one may not lack the right of Christ, nor look to another; as the Jews do, who still hope for their Messiah; and indeed both Turk and Pope are also like the Jews in this, and all who want to become blessed and holy by their works and sufferings, that they leave Christ and look for another in caps, plates and their own worship, and thus make themselves Christ. For if one loses Christ, and the only Savior is out of the heart, then all faith becomes one faith; for they are all one in this, that they have not faith, and build upon other things, though they perform various works or services, ways and means of salvation, and yet all lack the right, that it is the same how they live or suffer, die or perish, as they all at the same time belong to the devil; for there both, life and death, are all unclean and a damnable abomination before God.

But we have a certain consolation here,

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that he who suffered, was crucified and died for us is holy and died a holy death, so that all who cling to him and die or are killed in the faith are pure and holy and come to glory, so that the Scripture says of them, Ps. 116, 15: "The death of his saints is honored in the sight of God"; item Ps. 73, 14: "Their blood is honored in the sight of God. But not through my dying as a thief or a scoundrel, but through the Lord Christ; because he crucified and tasted death, that he met it, and he met it again, and thus through the passage made death useful and holy, that it is a precious, delicious treasure, and we can take comfort in it, where we believe that not only our life is sanctified through it, but also death, which is called the end and destruction of life, shall be precious and valuable in the sight of God. Not because it is our death, as the thief on the cross says, Luc. 23, 41: "We are justly condemned, for we have received what our deeds are worth; but this man has done nothing wrong" etc., as if he wanted to say: we also suffer and pay, but only to the judge Pilate; but before God we are in condemnation.

(74) Behold, he is much wiser than the foolish monks, and does not want to put his punishment and death for sin, nor to go there, that he has paid and done enough before the world; but condemns himself and turns around and hangs on Christ through faith, hoping to be saved through him. In this way he makes his cursed, damned death a holy death, and yet so completely without all works; there is no fasting, atonement etc., but nothing at all, except that he clings with his heart to Christ and his death. If he is there, then do according to it, and suffer what you ought; then all that you live or die is holy, that it all comes from this man. The world neither knows nor wants to know about this, but has the additional plague that God wants to pay for it through its suffering and work, so that he must look at it and pronounce it pure and holy. Now he does not want to do it, that he lets something in us please him or approve and sanctify it, unless we are to

before by an alien purity of this his only Son and his birth, life, suffering and death. But if you turn it around, and first want to make yourself pure by yourself and leave Christ behind, you only make yourself twofold more unclean, yes, a shameful, horrible filth and stink before God, even if it were possible that you suffer death a thousand times for one sin.

75 So then both Christ's life and death are our treasure, by which we are sanctified through and through, and have all things in them, though we have nothing on earth, but are cut off from this life by death; yet in the same we are holy, that even in death we are not dead before him, but must out of death become life again, not like this miserable, perishable life, but a glorious eternal life, as he came out of and through death to eternal glory.

(76) To this is added the very last part, that he not only died, but also was buried in the earth, and went down to hell, all for our sakes. For as we all must be buried under the earth, rotting and decaying; so he also went down and lay in it, as if he also should rot and become powder and earth, and yet he did not; for he did not tarry so long that he might decay, as the Scriptures had foretold of him, Ps. 16:10, but hastened to the resurrection to comfort his own, so that their faith would not perish etc.

Because he has come to the earth and is buried, the graves of all Christians must also be holy, and where a Christian lies, there lies a bodily saint; again, not because of his nature and his own holiness, for which reason the pope praised and exalted saints, but because he died in faith in the holy, crucified, dead and buried Son of God, whose grave was also glorious and holy, as Isaiah said in Cap. 11:10.

So this man Christ makes all the world full, full and holy, so that even death and the grave, the gallows, the sword, the fire, the water, etc. Sanctuary; but only through

the faith. But because reason neither sees nor understands this, the gray skirt and barefoot cap has the price that whoever is buried in it must go to heaven, whether God is pleased or displeased; for this can open the mouth so that it shines and glistens. But this will not shine so that a man dies miserably, burns to powder, is thrown into the water and remains without a grave as a rejected, condemned man for the sake of his faith and confession; And let it shine above all things in heaven and earth, that he died and departed in Christ; that if the world were as full of carthorses or barefoots as of leaves and grass, and held against such a man, though he die the most shameful death on earth, thou shouldest be afraid of it, as of the worst stink and filth of the devil.

For it must be immeasurably greater: Christ, true Son of God and man, born of the Virgin, than all these things, if they were equally delicious. What is the sun and the moon and all light compared to this light? Yes, what is the whole creature against this majesty and creator of all things? Now he has touched with his holy body all things that can touch us, and made them holy, that we may find in ourselves, not only in life, but also in death and the grave, that we may not seek more beautiful nor greater sanctuaries; like the fools who run to Rome and to Jerusalem after stone and wood, or after a dead leg, which no one knows where it comes from, and leave the treasure lying there, which you can have at home with yourself, which makes you and everything holy. If you want to boast about holiness, why don't you boast about the holiness that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, touched with his own body?*) But what does he touch? My life and death, my walking and standing, my suffering, misfortune and temptation, all of which he experienced, bore and went through, and finally also died in the grave under the earth.

*Luther alludes here to the superstitious use, which is still common in the Roman church, of bringing wood or other objects into contact with relics (e.g. the bones of a saint, the alleged cross of Christ etc.) and then setting them up and venerating them as relics. D. Red.

The Jews themselves sealed it as a testimony that he had truly died and was buried.

80 Therefore it is fine and right, and even now praiseworthy, that the place where Christians lie should be held in honor and that honest burials should be established and maintained; if only the abuse of saintly services and idolatry were avoided, and the preaching were done righteously about the right sanctuary, which all baptized Christians have through faith in Christ. For where a Christian lies, there is certainly a true saint and also makes the place holy, God grant that it may be consecrated or not; yes, whether it be on the shingle or under the raven stone. But it is no good at all to make a superstition out of it and to create an idolatry, as if the deceased saints were to be our mediators and let Christ go; when they themselves have not become holy through themselves, but must live and die in Christ and through Christ alone, which is to be holy and pleasing to God; as we have heard enough.

Follows the third piece.

The third sermon on Easter Day.

Since we have buried the Lord Christ and heard how he departed from this life, we must also lift him up again and celebrate Easter Day, on which he entered into another new life, since he can no longer die and has become Lord over death and all creatures in heaven and on earth. This is also shown in this article, where we speak:

Descended to hell, rose again from the dead on the third day.

For before he was risen from the dead, and went up to heaven, and was yet in the grave, he also went down to hell, that he might deliver us also which should be therein captive out of it: as he also came to death, and was laid in the grave, that he might deliver his own out of it. But I will not treat this article highly and sharply, how it happened, or what it means to go to hell; but with the simplest mind

remain, as these words read, as one must model it to children and simple-minded people. For there have been many who have tried to grasp these things with their reason and five senses, but have neither achieved nor attained anything, but have only gone further from the faith and been led away. Therefore, the safest thing for anyone who wants to go right and not get carried away is to stay with the words and imagine them as best he can.

Accordingly, it is also painted on the walls how Christ descends, comes before hell with a choir cap and a flag in his hand, and beats the devil with it and chases him away, storms hell and brings out his own; just as a play was made for the children in the Easter vigil. And it pleases me that one thus presents it to the simple ones, plays, sings or says, and should also leave it at that, so that one does not worry much with high, pointed thoughts, how it may have happened, because it did not happen bodily, since he remained the three days in the grave.

For even if one would like to talk about it quite sharply and subtly, as it is in himself, as also some teachers have disputed about it, whether he descended personally and presently after the soul, or only through his power and effect, it is still not to be attained with thoughts, nor to be fathomed, and they themselves have not understood it either. For that I should talk it out with my mouth, or understand with my senses how it is in the being that is far above and beyond this life, I will leave that alone. I cannot attain all that is of this life, as it was to the mind and courage of the Lord Christ in the garden, when he sweated mild blood, but must let it remain in word and faith. Therefore it is much less to be grasped in words or thoughts how he went to hell; but because we must grasp thoughts and images of that which is presented to us in words, and can neither think nor understand anything without an image, it is fine and right that it should be seen in words, as it is painted, that he goes down with the flag, breaks the gates of hell and destroys them; and let the high incomprehensible thoughts stand.

For such a painting finely shows the power and benefit of this article, why it is done, preached and believed, how Christ destroyed the power of hell and took away all the power of the devil. If I have this, then I have the right core and understanding of it, and should not inquire further nor puzzle about how it happened or was possible; just as in other articles such puzzling and mastering of reason is forbidden, and also cannot obtain anything. Otherwise, if I also wanted to be as clever as some who like to ride high and mock at our simplicity, I could also joke and ask what kind of flag he had, whether it was made of cloth or paper, and how it happened that it did not burn in hell; item, what kind of gates and locks hell has, etc., and thus finely paganize the Christians as the greatest fools for believing such things. This is a bad, easy art, which everyone would know without teaching it, yes, even a sow or cow could do it; so I could also make masterly allegories (figurative interpretations) out of it and interpret what flag and staff, or cloth and hell gate mean.

For we are not, praise God, so coarse that we believe or say that it happened bodily in such a way with outward splendor or wooden banner and cloth, or that hell is a wooden or iron building. But we leave both, such questions, cleverness and interpretations, at home and speak simply of the fact that one grasps with such rough pictures what this article gives; as one otherwise pretends the doctrine of divine things by rough outward pictures. As Christ Himself everywhere in the Gospel presents the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven to the people through visible images and parables; or as the infant Jesus is painted treading on the head of the serpent; and as Moses presents Him to the Jews in the wilderness through the bronze serpent, Numbers 21:9.For such images are fine, bright and easy to grasp and keep a thing by, and also lovely and comforting, and serve to ward off the devil with his dangerous arrows and attacks, even though they would not be too good anywhere else.

He wants to lead us with high thoughts from the word, so that we climb with reason and puzzle in the high articles, until he overthrows us at last.

87. and doubtless this is how it came down to us from the old fathers, that they spoke and sang about it in this way; just as the old songs still sound, and we sing on Easter Day: "He who broke hell and bound the wicked devil in it" etc. For when a child or a simple-minded person hears this, he thinks no differently than that Christ has overcome the devil and taken all his power from him; this is right and Christian thought, the right truth, and this article meets the opinion, although it is not spoken according to the sharpness of it, nor expressed as plainly as it happened. But what does it matter? if it does not spoil my faith and gives me the right understanding, clear and bright, which I should and can grasp from it. And even if I search hard for a long time, I can no longer grasp anything of it, but rather lose my right mind if I do not hold fast to the word in good faith. One must teach the rough people as childlike and simple-minded as one always can; otherwise one thing follows the other, that they either neither learn nor understand anything of it; or, if they also want to be clever and get into the high thoughts with reason, that they come completely from faith.

I say this because I see that the world now wants to be clever in the name of the devil, and to master the articles of faith according to its own head and to justify everything. So here, when it hears that Christ has gone to hell, it goes and wants to find out as soon as possible how it happened, and asks a lot of useless questions: whether the soul went down alone, or whether the Godhead was with it? item, what he did there? and how he dealt with the devils? and the like, of which it can know nothing. But we should leave aside such unnecessary questions and simply attach and bind our hearts and minds to the words of faith, which say: "I believe in the Lord Christ, Son of God, dead, buried and gone to hell," that is, in the whole person, God and man, body and soul, unaffected.

I shall not divide it here, but believe and say that the same Christ, God and man in one person, went to hell, but did not remain in it; as Ps. 16:10 says of him: "You will not leave my soul in hell, nor admit that your holy one should see corruption. But according to the scriptural language, the soul is not called a separate being from the body, as we are, but the whole man, as he calls himself the Holy One of God.

But how this might have happened, that the man lies in the grave and yet goes to hell, we should and must leave unfathomed and incomprehensible; for it certainly did not happen bodily nor tangibly, although one must paint and think it roughly and bodily, and speak of it in this way by similitude; as if a strong hero or giant came into a strong castle with his army and armor and weapons and destroyed it and caught and bound the enemy inside etc. Therefore, if you are asked about this article and how it happened, just say this: I truly do not know, nor will I be able to think it out or explain it; but I can roughly paint it for you and put it into a picture, to speak of hidden things clearly and distinctly: that he went and took the flag as a victorious hero and opened the gates with it, and rumbled among the devils, so that here one fell out of the window, there one out of the hole.

90 Then you come with your unseasonable cleverness and mock: Is it true, I hear, that hell has wooden gates made by a carpenter; how then has it stood so long that it has not been burned? etc. Antiport: I knew this before your wisdom was born, and you must not teach me that hell is not built of wood and stone, nor does it have such gates and windows, locks and bolts, as a house or castle on earth, and he has not destroyed it with a cloth flag. So, praise God, I can speak of it as sharply as any such clever person, and in addition I can explain and interpret all such pictures and figures, what they mean.

But I would rather remain in the childlike mind and simple, clear words that finely paint this article for me, than go with them into high thoughts that they themselves do not understand, and the devil leads them off the track with it. For such an image cannot harm or seduce me, but rather serves and helps me to grasp and retain this article all the more strongly, and if the mind remains pure and unwarped, God grant that the gate, gate and flag may have been wooden or iron or none at all, as we must grasp all things that we do not know and know by means of images, even if they do not apply so precisely or are in truth as they are painted.

91) So also here I believe that Christ Himself personally destroyed hell and bound the devil; God grant that the flag, gate, gate, and chains were wooden, iron, or none at all: there is also nothing the matter, if I only keep that which is indicated by such images, that I should believe of Christ; which is the main thing, benefit, and power that we have from it, that neither hell nor the devil can imprison nor harm me and all who believe in Him.

(92) Now let this be said of this article in the simplest way, that we hold to the words and stay with this main point, that through Christ hell is torn asunder for us, and the devil's kingdom and power are completely destroyed, for which he died, was buried and descended, so that it should no longer harm us or overpower us, as he himself says in Matthew 16:18. For although hell itself remains hell and imprisons unbelievers, as well as death, sin and all misfortune, so that they must remain in it and perish, and also terrifies and oppresses us according to the flesh and outward man, so that we must strike and bite ourselves with it, yet in faith and spirit all this has been destroyed and torn apart, so that it can no longer harm us.

93 All this was accomplished by this one man, that our Lord Christ went down to hell; otherwise the world with all its powers would not have been able to deliver anyone from the devil's chains, nor to take away the torment and violence of hell for one sin, even if all the saints had been able to take away the torment and violence of hell for one sin.

The Holy and Almighty Son of God would not lead a man's sin into hell, but would have to remain there forever, as many as have ever come to earth, unless the Holy and Almighty Son of God had passed over with His own Person and had mightily won and destroyed it by His divine power. For no Carthusian cap, barefoot ropes, nor the holiness of all monks, nor the power of all the world, can extinguish a speck of the infernal fire. But it does, that this man himself comes down with his banner; there all devils must run and flee, as before their death and poison, and the whole hell with its fire go out before him, so that no Christian may be afraid of it, and when he goes there, he shall no longer suffer the torment of hell; just as through Christ he also does not taste death, but passes through death and hell to eternal life.

94 Our Lord Christ did not leave it at that, that he died and went to hell, because that would not have finally helped us, but went out of death and hell again, brought back life and shut out heaven, and thus publicly proved his victory and triumph over death, the devil and hell by rising again from the dead on the third day, according to this article. This is the end and the best of it, in which we have all things; for therein also is all power, might, and authority, and all that is in heaven and earth. For in that he was raised from death, he became a mighty lord over death, and over all things that have the power of death, or that pertain unto death; that he should neither devour him, nor hold him any more; that sin should no more fall upon him, nor cause him to die; that the devil should no more accuse, nor the world, nor any creature, should afflict him, nor hurt him; which all do no more against us, but that they should serve death and hell, as his servants and minions, and drive us unto the same, and deliver us into his hand. But he that hath escaped death, and is out of his bands, that he can neither hold it any more, nor catch it, hath escaped all other things also, and is master of the world, and of the devil, and of the snare, and of the sword, and of the fire, and of the gallows, and of all the plagues, that he may well sit down to defy him.

This glory now belongs to the Lord Christ alone, for he has brought it about by his almighty divine power; but not for himself, but for us poor, miserable people, who should be eternally imprisoned by death and the devil. For he was previously safe from death and all misfortune for himself, so that he did not have to die or go to hell; but because he put himself into our flesh and blood and took all our sin, punishment and misfortune upon himself, he also had to help us out, so that he would be alive again and also bodily and, according to his human nature, a lord of death, so that we too might finally come out of death and all misfortune in him and through him. Therefore, in the Scriptures he is called Primogenitus ex mortuis, "the firstborn of the dead," as he who broke the way for us and preceded us to eternal life, so that through his resurrection we also come through and have such a glorious victory over death and hell that we, who were prisoners of the same, are not alone, who were prisoners of the same, are not only redeemed, but also conquer and become lords through faith, by which we are clothed in his resurrection, and afterward shall all also bodily and visibly rise and ascend, that all things must be eternally under our feet.

96 A strong faith is needed, which makes this article strong and good, and writes these words "Christ is risen" with large letters in the heart and makes them as large as heaven and earth, so that he sees, hears, thinks and knows nothing else but this article, as if nothing else were written in the whole creature, and so imagines that he puts himself completely into it and lives only by this article; as St. Paul used to speak of it as a right master, and always has both heart and mouth full, as Christ is risen. Paul is wont to speak of it as a true master, to strike out this article, and always has both heart and mouth full, as Christ is risen, and passes over with vain such words: "He hath made us alive together with Christ, and hath raised us up together with him, and seated us together with him in the heavenly being," Eph. 2, 5^ 6.; item Gal. 2, 20.: "Henceforth I no longer live, but Christ lives in me"; and Rom. 8, 33. 34.:' "Who will accuse the elect of God? God is here who is righteous

makes. Who wants to condemn? Christ is here, who died, yes rather, who was raised" etc.

97 If we then also believed, we would have lived and died well, for such faith would teach us finely that he was not resurrected for his own person alone, but that he is so attached to one another that it applies to us, and that we also stand and are caught up in the resurrection, and for or through it must also be resurrected and live with him forever, that our resurrection and life, as St. Paul says, have already begun in Christ and are as certain as if it had already happened, without it being yet hidden or revealed. Paul, Eph. 2, 6. says, has begun in Christ and is as certain as if it had already happened, without it still being hidden and not revealed. And henceforth look on this article so keenly, that all other sights are nothing against it, as if thou sawest nothing else in all heaven and earth: That when thou seest a Christian dying and being buried, and nothing but a dead carcase lying there, and both of them, to thine eyes and ears, are vain death, yet by faith thou seest in and underneath another image for that image of death, as seeing not a grave and dead carcase, but vain life, and a beautiful pleasant garden, or green pasture, and in it vain new, living, joyful men.

For if it be true that Christ is risen from death, we have already passed over the best and chiefest part of the resurrection, that the bodily resurrection of the flesh from the grave, which is yet to come, is to be reckoned small in comparison. For what are we and all the world compared to Christ, our head? Hardly a droplet against the sea or a small stick against a great mountain. Since Christ, the head of Christianity, through whom it lives and has everything, and is so great that he fills heaven and earth, rose from the grave and thereby became a mighty Lord of all things, even of death and hell, as we have heard, we too, as his members, must be struck and touched by his resurrection and become partakers of the very things that he has accomplished for our sake.

99 And as he by his resurrection hath taken away all things with him, that both heaven and earth might be joined together.

Earth, sun and moon must become new; then he will also take us with him, as St. Paul, 1 Thess. 4, 14. and Rom. 8, 11.The same God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies, and with us all creatures that are now subject to vanity and anxiously long for our glory, will also become free from the perishable nature and glorious; So that we already have more than half of our resurrection, because the head and heart are already up there, and there is still the least to be done, that only the body is scraped under the earth, so that it may also be renewed; for where the head remains, there must the body also go; as we see in all animals when they are born to this life.

Moreover, one half has also happened, yes, even far more than half, namely that we have already been spiritually resurrected through baptism in faith, that is, according to the best part of us, and therefore not only the very best has happened bodily, that our head has ascended from the grave to heaven; but also according to the spiritual nature our soul has taken its part and is with Christ in heaven, as St. Paul is wont to say. Paul uses to say, Eph. 2, 6, and only the shell and bowl or potsherd remain here, but for the sake of the main part it must also go there. For this body, as St. Paul says, 2 Cor. 5:1, 4, is only a shell of the soul, as made of earth or clay, and an outworn garment or an old shabby fur. But because the soul is already in the new, eternal, heavenly life through faith, and cannot die or be buried, we have no more to wait for, but that this poor tabernacle and the old garment also may become new and perish no more, because the best part is above and cannot leave us behind. And if he who is called Resurrexit is gone out of death and the grave, he who says, Credo (I believe), and clings to him, must also go up; for he has gone before us, that we should follow, and has already begun this, that we should rise again daily in him through the word and baptism.

101. see, so we should get used to

to such thoughts of faith against the outward, bodily sight of the flesh, which puts the vain death before our eyes and wants to frighten us with such an image, and to put the article of the resurrection in doubt and to shatter it. For it is very offensive if one lets reason hang on to one's eyes with its thoughts and does not take the word against it into one's heart. For one can have nothing but vain thoughts of death, because he sees the body lying there, more miserable and horrible than any dead carrion, so shamefully rotten and stinking that no one on earth can suffer it, and there is no remedy to help or defend it, except to burn it or dig it under the ground as deep as one can.

But if you grasp the word in faith, you get another face that can see through this death into the resurrection and grasp vain thoughts and the image of life; which is just a part of the resurrection and the beginning of the new life, which also makes new senses and thoughts, which no one else could have, who had not already crossed over by faith and grasped the resurrection, and thus would also draw the outward man with him, that he must think and live according to it. Therefore he can conclude and speak against all human nature and thoughts: If I will judge by reason, as I see and understand, I am lost; but I have a higher understanding than eyes see and senses feel, which faith teaches me. For there is the text which says, Resurrexit, he is risen; and not for himself, but for our sakes, that his resurrection may be ours, and that we also may rise in him, and not abide in the grave and death, but also keep with him bodily an everlasting paschal day.

103 For behold, what does a husbandman do who sows in the field and throws the grain into the ground to rot and perish, so that it seems to be completely lost? nor does he care for it, as if it were in vain; indeed, he forgets where the grain remains, asks nothing about how it is doing, whether the worms are eating it or whether it is perishing, but goes away with such vain thoughts that around Easter or Pentecost there will be beautiful

The stalks come out and bear many more ears and grains than he threw there. If someone else saw this, who had not seen grain growing before, he would certainly say to him, "What are you doing, you fool? Are you not mad and foolish, that you spill your grain so uselessly into the ground, when it must rot and decay and no one can benefit from it? But if you ask him, he would answer you much differently and say: "Dear, I knew this beforehand, before you, that I should not throw away the grain in vain; but I do not do it so that it may perish, but that by decaying in the earth it may gain a different form and bear much fruit. So think every man that seeth or doeth these things. For we do not judge by what we see before our eyes, but by the fact that we have seen and experienced God's work every year, and yet we do not know or understand how it works, much less are we able with our strength to bring a little root out of the ground.

Because we must do this in such an earthly being, we should learn much more in this article, which we can comprehend and understand much less, because we have God's word, plus the experience that Christ rose from the dead, and do not judge according to what we see before our eyes, how our body will be buried, burned or otherwise turned to earth, but let God make and take care of what is to become of it. For if we saw it before our eyes as soon as we saw it, we would have no need of faith, and God would not have room to show His wisdom and power over our wisdom and understanding. Therefore this is called the art and wisdom of Christians, that in weeping and lamenting one can exhaust the consoling and joyful thoughts of life, that God thus lets us be buried in the earth and rot away for the winter, so that in the summer we shall come forth again much more beautiful than this sun, as if the grave were not a grave, but a beautiful garden of spices, in which beautiful nails and roses have been planted, so that in the dear summer they shall green and blossom; just as the tomb of the Lord Christ must be emptied and not stink, but become lovely, glorious and beautiful.

(105) The dear holy martyrs and virgins also spoke and thought this way when they were led to prison and death. As one reads of St. Agatha, that she let herself think that she should go to the dance, and all torture and torment, so that she was dreaded, nothing else respected, but as if one whistled a round dance for her, that she should dance. Thus it is written of St. Vincent and others that they went to death with joy and laughter, mocking their judges and executioners. For they imagined the resurrection much more firmly than a farmer imagines his harvest in the field, and they were so sure of it that they considered the executioner, death and the devil to be a mockery.

Let us also learn these things, that we may put the article into our hearts, and take comfort and comfort in it, when the devil rages against us, and threatens us with sin, death, and hell. For, as I have said, because our head, on which it all rests, is risen and alive, and we are baptized in him, we already have far more than half of it gone and only a small piece left, so that we must have the old skin completely peeled off, that it may also become new again. Because we already have the whole genetic material, the husks and shells must also certainly follow it.

(107) Let this article be preached this time by our Lord Jesus Christ, that it may be seen how therein is concluded and comprehended all our wisdom and art, which a Christian ought to know; which is indeed a high wisdom above all wisdom and art, but not made on earth, nor grown out of our head, but revealed from heaven, and is called a divine, spiritual wisdom, and such, as St. Paul saith, in mysterio (in something incomprehensible to our reason). Paul, 1 Cor. 2, 7. says, which is hidden in mysterio (in something incomprehensible to our reason). For reason and the world cannot attain to any of these things by themselves, nor can they comprehend and understand them, even though they are presented to them; but they do nothing but contradict them, resent such teaching, and consider it great foolishness that God with His word must be only their fool, yes, their liar as well, and what He speaks and teaches must all be condemned and called the worst heresy and seduction of the devil.

1138 D- Id, 54. l. Of the Christian faith in particular - second article. W. X, 1370-1373. 1139

As we ourselves must now experience and suffer from our own, so we teach nothing else than this text, which they themselves sing and speak with us daily; and no other cause is, why we are called heretics by them, than that we so clearly and powerfully drive and boast the article of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he alone is and is all that we have and of which we are called Christians, and want to know no other Lord, righteousness or holiness.

108 But it is a great comfort to us, because we are sure that we are not persecuted for any other thing on earth, but for the sake of the Lord Christ and the faith which we received from the apostles and have walked and lived in all the world until now.

has remained. This is our sin and heresy before the world; but our defiance, glory and joy before God with all the saints from the beginning of Christianity. Let us stay with this and only learn this art daily, as in it all our wisdom, salvation and blessedness is found, that where the article remains, there it all remains; that one is certain of the matter and has a righteous judgment, that one can speak above all other doctrine and life. And again, when this article falls and lies, then lies all our salvation and comfort and wisdom, so that no one can judge or pass judgment on either doctrine or life. God help us through his dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, praised forever and ever, amen.

2. from Jesus Christ in general.

III. part, 2. b. Mos., 3. cap., Another serm. on 2 Mos. 3, 2. 3., § 5-15 and § 21-29, of Christ and salvation.

- 5. B. Mos., 18. cap., § 15-33, of Christ as the promised great prophet.

Part VI, Short Interpretation of the Proph. Is., 42nd Cap., § 1-25 u. § 1-102, a description of Christ.

VII. part, interpretation of the 1. and 2. chap. Joh., 1. cap., § 299-430, about the testimony of John the Baptist of Christ.

- Another interpretation of Joh. 1, 1-14, of Christ's deity and humanity.

IX. Theil, Ausleg. d. 1. Ep. St. John, von Christo.

XI. Theil, Pred. am 3. Christtage, von Christi Eigenschaften.

XI. Theil, 3. Pred. am andern Sonnt, n. Ostern, von Christi Person.

- Preached on the 24th Sunday after Trinity, by Christ.

- Sermon on the prophecy of Isaiah, read at Christmas Mass, of Christ's person.

XII. Theil, 2. Pred. am Osterdienstage, eine Predigt Pauli von Christo.

XIIIb. Theil, 1. Pred. am 1. Adventssonnt., von Christo.

- Festtheil, 2. Pred. am hl. Christtage, eine Beschreibung Christi.

XIIIa. Theil, Festtheil, 2. Pred. am Tag Petri und Pauli, von Christo.

XXII. part, table speeches; VII. chapter, about the Lord Christ.

3. from JEsu Christ different names.

XI. Theil, Pred. über die Prophezeung Jesaia, so man in d. Christmesse liest, v. Christi Namen.

XII. Theil, XXXIII. Some short sermons; sermon on Sunday Misericordias, from the name of Christ a good shepherd.

XIIIb. Theil, 2. Pred. am neuen Jahrstag, von dem Namen JEsu.

- Feast, 3rd, 4th and 5th sermon on St. Christ's Day, about the name Wonderful, Counsel, Power, Hero, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

4. of the personal cleansing of the two natures in Christ.