Held on the 11th Sunday after Trinity 1516.
He has done everything well re. Marc. 7, 37.
As already stated in the first sermon, God did not command in a definitive way (affirmatively) to have only one God, but in a negative way (negatively): we are not to have a foreign god; which, apart from the reason mentioned there, has the additional reason that a prohibitive commandment already presupposes an already committed and exceedingly great sin. Therefore, just by the fact that God forbids to have foreign gods, ur
he tells that one already has foreign gods; what he forbids, because it displeases him. Another reason is that if he had commanded it in a definite way, it might have seemed that he left everyone free to have more than one; for he who commands that one should have one god can also be understood to mean that one obeys this command as well, even if one has more than that one; just as, for example, someone who commands that one penny should be given does not have to be given in this way.
It is said that this forbids him to give more, especially to people of coarse mind.
2 Therefore, as I said there and in the previous sermon, God is worshipped through faith, hope and love, and he who hears his voice is without an alien God; but everything else that is loved, hoped for and possessed apart from God is an idol. Therefore, so many favorite objects, so many idols. But from this faith and worship of God holds back: first, the many superstitions; second, the temporal goods; third, what is now to be discussed, the self-righteousness and own wisdom.
3 Here it is to be noted that one's own righteousness and good works are not forbidden, but they should only be done without superstitious trust, that is, humbly; not that one relies on them or loves them, and esteems them higher than love for God and trust in Him. For such is the judgment of God that good works, as soon as pride and vanity are added, are immediately destroyed, and evil works, where humility is added, are also immediately destroyed. But this is called arrogance, when one puts his trust in his works, rejoices in them, is complacent in them. The reason is that this trust can have no other reason than God's goodness, but by no means any creature.
Therefore, the explanation that the magister (of the sentences, namely Peter Lombardus) gives of trust is either wrong or misunderstood. For first of all, trust is a power which, as all say, is infused before all merit, and rather merit flows from it; for to fulfill it otherwise would be to please God without faith, and therefore without hope and love; but the man who does not already please God beforehand cannot acquire merit either. On the other hand, the magister can be saved in this way: he says that the trust flows from the merits, but is based on God; such a person, however, places his trust far more in the merits as the reason for his trust than that he merely derives it from the merits. But I excuse him thus,
that he speaks of the confidence of the impending reward, which is made firm and sure through many temptations, although he himself does not appreciate these merits in the temptation, but nevertheless, because God appreciates them, his confidence is thereby strengthened. For from the trust in the forgiveness of sins or the initial and infused trust, it must not and cannot be understood, because those who come first must first believe that there is a God and a retributor.
Therefore, to put it briefly, beginners must practice many good works and abstain from evil according to the sensual man, such as: fasting, watching, praying, working, showing mercy to others, serving, obeying etc. With all seriousness, I say, and zeal this must be approached and pursued. But as soon as a man is in it, he must watch over himself with the greatest diligence; here he needs the teacher more than when he began, lest, having avoided the tangible, sensual evils, he should fall much worse into the spiritual evils; so that, for example, he who has tamed the pleasures of the flesh should now fall into the pleasures of the spirit and into the seven spiritual deadly sins. For this is the place where one departs to the right; here the true and false virtues separate, here the true and false worshippers of God pass from one another; for up to this point they have gone on the same road, and were companions up to this crossroads; just as the publican and the Pharisee went up the same steps to the temple. For the arrogant saints, who set such a limit to their light, but are completely blinded, know another way and other works, in which they therefore always intend to remain, and do not seek to advance. And these then make for themselves a rocky foundation, yes, what do I say, a sandy foundation, out of the works of self-righteousness, and are now worse defiled in their works than they were before in the flesh and in sensual sins. Let us therefore go through all the seven capital sins.
(6) First of all, pride afflicts them in many ways, first of all because of the many good works they have done.
It is impossible for those who believe they have sins to recognize that they also have sins, for they recognize only what is tangible and sensual and contrary to their works. This first sign, namely the blindness of the spirit, is sufficiently evident in the Pharisee, who also does not see the slightest sin in himself, blinded by his own works, which he alone considered to be vain good.
7 The second sign is pleasure, that is, to delight in one's works, to please and titillate, which is contrary to Christ's teaching: "Blessed are those who mourn" (Matth. 5, 4.). But only those bear sorrow who have the light of the Spirit and also see their hidden sins, and therefore speak with the Psalmist (Ps. 19:13): "Who can see how often he fails? Forgive me the hidden faults"; wherefore Ezekiel (16:15) says: "Thou puttest thy trust in thy beauty, and didst fornicate with thy name" (according to the Vulgate), that is, in the vain arrogance, thou wert righteous.
The third sign is the presumptuous certainty that goes against the fear of God, for "blessed is he who fears the Lord" (Ps. 128:1). But such are secure, therefore they do not call upon God as one to be feared, but merely praise Him; since praise without fear and rejoicing without trembling is nothing (Ps. 2:11). And this is the most distinguished sign of pride.
The fourth is the presumptuous judgment that everything is impure except them, as for example this Pharisee sees nothing pure in any man. And it is almost difficult for those in this condition not to judge, not to despise, not to hold in low esteem others whom they see as unlike themselves. Among them are also those preachers who in their sermons are only punitive and scathing.
(10) The fifth is that when they see someone sinning, the first thing they do is not to sigh over it, but immediately they take offense at it and think of the words with which they should attack him, make him cry, slander him, and judge him. According to St. Gregory, true justice has compassion, but false justice has indignation and displeasure; therefore, it is the way of godless people to disregard the beam in their own eyes and to see the mote in their neighbor's.
So also here the Pharisee. The mad fools! As if their word was enough for their neighbor, they let go of all compassion in their minds.
The sixth sign is that the confidence of their salvation rests on such works. This is evident from the fact that they immediately despair when they fall into a tangible, sensual sin; or, when they are once hindered in their works and called to something else, they are tormented by the deepest gloom and anxiety, because they have not been able to do their will and their confidence has been destroyed. For example, the wise man says (Prov. 24:16), "The righteous falls seven times in the day, but he rises again just as often; but the wicked sink into misfortune." There are many women with their own vows, fasts and mortifications that they will not give up for the sake of their own bodies, husbands or children, as well as those who wear hard shirts.
The seventh is, that they who trust in their works never have a quiet conscience or joy in the spirit; and because they never advance in the way they will, they are never or seldom sure. Such make the conscience narrow, and it is they of whom the Lord says (Luc. 13:24.), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able." For the gate is not so narrow as those who enter it make it, but that is because they give themselves up, as will be discussed below.
(13) There are no people in the whole world who are more inclined to envy and anger than such people, especially when they are disregarded or hindered in their works. They consider this to be right divine zeal, and in their sure confidence they believe that they are wronged, they excuse themselves, defend themselves at all times with their own justification and accusation of others; for they always presuppose themselves to be right, good and holy. Therefore they consider it righteousness when they are unwilling, angry and envious. The whole scripture is full of this; e.g. Ps. 8, 3: "You destroy the hostile and the vengeful"; Deut. 32, 21: "They have provoked me against that which is not God; with their idolatry they have provoked me to anger; and I will bring them again.
1294 r. 108-110. B. Of the Christian faith in particular - third article. W. x, iM-isei. 1295
I will provoke them to anger against a people that is not a people, against a foolish people. The apostle uses this saying against those who did not worship foreign, pagan idols, but their own righteousness (Rom. 10, 2. 3.).
14. they are further afflicted with such disgust and weariness (spiritual inertia) against everything else that you could move mountains faster than you could induce such to do something they do not like.
(15) Likewise, they are so destitute of spiritual avarice, that is, of a secret ambition for praise and renown in the eyes of men, that they grasp only at that which has renown in the eyes of men; but to do something that is of no account in the eyes of men, you could not make them do with thunderbolts.
(16) Therefore, when the true worshippers of God have done or are doing such things, they consider them nothing, but are only concerned about pleasing God, always ready to do anything else; for they do it like the servants who say, "I have nothing else, so I will do this. Such are not attached to any work, but one thing is to them as another. Note a similitude: God, when He converts a man, accepts him as a musician instructs (inducentes?) a pupil who is to be taught by Him. First, he presents him with an easy piece of practice from the beginning, so that he may gain skill, and only then proceeds to others, when he has first learned to find his way on the instrument with his fingers; when the apprentice, as soon as he finds that he can strike the strings, immediately goes as if he already knows everything, and now boasts to others about his music and his art of playing the lute; nor does he want to listen to admonitions that he learn more. Or if someone leads a beautiful but unruly horse out of the stable with his eyes covered, but as soon as he wants to use it for other work, he can't get the horse to do anything but lead it out and into the stable, hasn't he lost his money? these are stubborn horses. Item, if someone hires a servant and, in order to put him to the test first, instructs him.
to sweep the courtyard, but immediately afterwards orders something else, but the servant cries out: this you have ordered, this is more necessary: what else shall the master say, but: has the misfortune affected me with the stubborn head; or he chases him away immediately.
(17) Thus all the works of the sensual man are only such that God merely prepares and corrects man by them. They then consider them to be the only things and cannot be brought to anything else and bent by any force. We, for example, are still students of the Abc in this state, but, oh, how many harden themselves in it nowadays, because they consider it serious and important and regard it as great.
(18) What then are the other works that please God? Answer: They have no name, but in this we must take an example from the animals. Look at a horse that has learned to go out and come in at its master's house; on a built and clean road, it considers this knowledge of going out and coming in to be nothing, but, being accustomed to that alone, it does and goes wherever its master rides it; it never knows where it is going, it is driven more than it drives, it always goes, however it may, through water, through muck, through rain, through snow, through wind and weather etc. So are the people of God, who are driven by the spirit of God; as soon as they know the knowledge of the outer man, they do not care much about it, but see it only as a prelude. But afterwards they present themselves as ready for whatever works they may be called to, when they are led by God through many sufferings and humiliations, and do not know where they will be led to,*) leave themselves to God alone, without attaching themselves to any works afterwards, and their works have no name in the beginning, but only at the end, which do not drive, but are driven. For it is not out of their prudence that they act, or that they intend to act; indeed, they are often called back by their prudence, and do quite other things than they would have done.
*This and the following words are, as it were, a prophecy of the work of reformation that soon followed, which neither claimed this name in the beginning, nor was it planned beforehand. Note by Löscher.
1296 L. i,iio. Sermon v. d. Hauptsünden der sich ihrer Werke etc. W. x, isei-isW. 1297
and therein they are satisfied and rejoice in God, where those sensual self-righteous ones would despair because they do not know what they have done. For they want the
More of this can be read in:
XI. Theil, Pred. am Tag Mariä Himmelfahrt, von dem Unterschied der Werke und des Glaubens.
XII. Theil, Kirchenpost; Pred. am 13. Sonnt. n. Trin., dass die wahre Gerechtigkeit durch den Glauben kommt.
The following and even more important writings of Luther, which belong under this title, will be found in the dogmat.-polem. Schriften wider die Papisten, Sect. II:
Disp. from the Law and Justification.
They have named and decided on the work before they do it. Therefore, in this state, the name of the work is followed by the worker, but in the other state, the worker precedes the name.
Disp. on the righteousness of faith and works.
Five disp. on the saying Rom. 3, 28.
Disp. on the saying Dan. 4, 24.
Circular Discourse on the Merit of Repentance and Other Works, and on the Justification of Faith.
Disp. of the only justifying faith.
Disp. von d. gerechtmachenden u. Wunderglauben.
Disp. of good works, whether they belong to justification.
15. of the forgiveness of sins.
VII. part, interpretation of the Ev. Lucä; Disp. over Luc. 7, 47., different proofs that the forgiveness of sins is not attained by love and good works.
XI. Theil, 2. Pred. am 3. Sonnt. n. Trin., eine Lehre von Vergebung der Sünden.
XIIIa&b. Theil, Pred. am 19. Sonnt. n. Trin., von der gnadenreichen Predigt von Vergebung der Sünden.
More of this matter will be read in the dogmat.polem. The author's writings against the papists, Sect. II, will be read.
16. of the grace of God in Christ.
IX. Part VIII. Interpretation of the saying 1 Tim. 2,4, about God's will of grace against man.
XI. Theil, 2. sermon on Pentecost Monday, of the glorious grace and gift given in Christ. - 2nd sermon on the 3rd Sunday after Trinity, a doctrine of grace.
- 2. sermon on the day of Peter and Paul, about the grace of God.
XII. Theil, Kirchenpost; Pred. am Christtage, von der Erscheinung der Gnade GOttes in Christo.
- Sermon on the 2nd day of Christ, about the grace of God.
- Sermon on the Sunday after Christ Day, about the people of law and grace.
See also below in the second petition, of the new birth and filiation of God.
17. of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
XII. Theil, Kirchenpost; Pred. am Pfingsttage, von den Gaben des Geistes.
XII. Theil, Pred. am 10. Sonnt. n. Trin., vom rechten Gebrauch der geistlichen Gaben.