In addition, there are various other scriptures that deal with faith and justification and show how this is not achieved through one's own righteousness, but through
is obtained by faith alone, which must bring forth its fruits and good works, viz.
1) Luther's "Schrift von zweierlei Menschen, wie sie sich im Glauben halten sollen und was der sei", under which title it was first published in quarto at Wittenberg in 1523. See von der Hardt's "Autographa Luth. I, p. 151. It is precisely this first edition that has been used here. After it was published in the Eislebische Theile (Thl. I, p. 159), it was then reprinted in the Altenburgische (Thl. II, p. 345) and Leipzigische (Thl. XVIII, p. 457), and also incorporated in Latin into the Wittenbergische Theile (Thl. VII, p. 279).
[Cf. Erl. ed. 22, 130-139.]
2) "Sermon on the Threefold Righteousness," which has not yet been found in the German collections of Luther's writings. It has been translated into German by Rambach from the copy found in the Latin Wittenbergische (Thl. I, p. 66) and Jenaische (Thl. I, p. 168) parts. It has been placed under the year 1518; however, I cannot find an older edition than from 1519, in which year such a sermon was published in Wittenberg and Leipzig under the title: Sermo de triplici justitia rev. patris M. Lutheri Aug. Wittebergensis" in quarto. These are the editions published in von der Hardt's ,,Autogr. Luth.", tom. Ill, p. 24, Olearius' Verzeichniß der "Autogr. Luth.", p. 3, and in the ,,Catalogus biblioth. Mayerianae", p. 741, whereby I still remember that one finds this sermon of the threefold justice also in the Latin collection of some writings of Luther, which came out in Basel 1520 in quarto, namely in the second part.
[The older edition of this 1518 sermon has been recovered in Scheurl's library; it is entitled: "Sermo de triplici justitia R. P. Martini Lutber, Augustiniani Wittenbergensis." On the last page the place, printer and year are given: Witten- bergii per Joannem Grunenberg 1518. the Erl. The Erl. edition is based on this edition, which is also the basis for the new translation that we present here.
D. Red.]
Luther explains the difference of the threefold righteousness thus: the one righteousness is that which one acquires by avoiding gross sins and by practicing an outward respectability before the world; the other, which one acquires by faith, which is an essential and foreign righteousness, or the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and the third, which is to be regarded as a real righteousness, which flows from faith and the aforementioned essential righteousness. If we look at this treatise in its entire context, we can see that he meant to say this much: another was the righteousness that the unconverted had before the world, and which was also found among the Gentiles; but another was the righteousness of believers, or the children of God), and this again was of two kinds. For the one they attained in justification through the forgiveness of sins; the other, on the other hand, they proved through their own life, provided they were born of God and therefore did not sin with knowledge and will. Löscher recensuses such a sermon in the "Vollständige Reformation-Acten", Vol. II, p. 584, recently.
[Cf. Erl. ed. opp. lat. var. arg. Π, 322-329.]
3) A "Sermon of Two Righteousnesses on the Epistle on the Sunday of Palmarum, Phil. II, 5, 6," written by Luther in Latin and translated into German by Georg Spalatin. In Latin this writing can be found Viteberg, tom. I, p. 68 and Jenens, tom. I, p. 170, since it was dated 1518. According to Spalatin's translation, it was published in quarto in Leipzig in 1520 with a note to Hans von Sternberg under the title: "Eine sehr gute Predigt von zweierlei Gerechtigkeit" ("A very good sermon on two kinds of justice"). VII, p. 40), Eislebische (Thl. I, p. 17) and Altenburgische (Thl. I, p. 391) parts; however, in such a way that the aforementioned text was omitted, which is why it was included in the Hallische part (p. 409) alone. In the Leipzig collection (Thl. XII, p. 455), both the sermon as well as the dedicatory writing are found together, and because, when the copy is compared with the edition of 1520, some discrepancies can be observed, the sermon and the dedicatory writing are not found together.
and noted them at the same time, we have left it at this print and followed the same.
[This translation by Spalatin suffered minor changes in some places, especially in the cited scriptural sayings, which were mostly changed according to Luther's own translation, and then in some unessential points in order to reflect Luther's meaning more clearly. Furthermore, §§ 20-23 were included in a new translation, which is neither found in the original Latin edition of 1519, as it is reproduced in the Erl. The Jenaische Ausgabe (Thl. 1, 170 ff.), however, probably brought it after a later edition of Luther's, after which it is also translated here.
D. Red.)
The twofold righteousness of which Luther teaches here is interpreted in such a way that the one is a foreign righteousness and, as he himself says, poured in by heart, by which the Lord Christ is righteous and justifies by faith; the other is our own, not that we work it alone, but together with the first and foreign righteousness, and this is the practice of good works.
[Cf. Erl. ed. opp. lat. var. arg. Π, 329-339.]
4) "A Sermon on the Circumcision and Righteousness of the Faith," delivered on New Year's Day 1517.
5) "A Sermon on Imaginary Holiness and Trust."
6) "Another Sermon on the Chief Sins of Those Who Boast of Their Meritorious Works and Imaginary Holiness," the former delivered on the 10th and the latter on the 11th Sunday after Trinity, 1516.
Of the three sermons just mentioned, I have nothing more to remember than that Dr. Löscher had them printed first, and in Latin. They are all three in his "Vollständ Reformation-Acten" (Complete Acts of the Reformation), namely according to the order as they have been cited, p. 775, 745 and 748. The German translation of them, however, has been done by Rambach; (but here, too, a new, literal translation is to be found in its place).
(The first time this was done, the first time it was done). Since Luther held it even before the Reformation, it can be seen that even then he not only had a good knowledge of the truth, but also confessed and presented it, especially in the main doctrine of the Roman Church on the merit of good works.
[Cf. Erl. ed. opp. lat. var. arg. I, 185-191. I, 101-104. I, 105-110.])
7) "Sermon on Good Works." Luther derives the true origin of good works from faith in Christ, and shows how they must be done and be constituted according to the order of the Ten Commandments. In the letter to Duke John of Saxony, written on March 29, 1520, he remembers, among other things, that he was blamed for having only small tracts and German sermons printed for the unlearned laity, but that he did not turn back on them, and adds: "If God would have me serve a layman all my life with all my fortune for his betterment, I would be content, thank God and willingly let all my little books perish. The sermon itself was published in the year 1520 (twice) under the title: "Von den guten Werken. Dr. Martin Luther", at Wittenberg in quarto and was printed again in the same year not only there, but also at Augsburg, Nuremberg, Basel, Hagenau with different inscriptions, as: "Of the good works a quite useful little book for the layman to read, by Dr. Mart. Luther at Wittenberg"; likewise: "Of the good works, divided into the ten commandments". One can read of this from von der Hardt's ,,Autographa Luth.", tom. I, p. 103, and Olearius' Verzeichniß der "Autographa Luth.", p. 8.
(The Erl. (The Erl. Ausg. lists eight German editions from 1520, two from 1521, two from 1523, and one from 1525; in contrast, two Latin editions from 1521 and one from 1525.
D. Red.)
After certain collections of Luther's writings were made, this one was also included. For in German it is found in the Wittenbergische (Thl. VII, p. 60), Jenaische (Thl. I, p. 255), Altenburgischen
(Thl. I, p. 407) and Leipzig (Thl. XVII, p. 392); Latin, however, in the Wittenbergische Theilen (tom. V, x. 576). This Latin translation is also especially known under the title: De bonis operibus libellus, ab auctore Mar- tino Luth. primum germanice solum editus; jam vero latine redditus", published at Basel 1525 in octavo.
[Cf. Erl. ed. I. ed. 20, 193 ff; II. ed. 16, 118-220.]
§ XLIII
The writings which have a reference to the third main part of the Catechism and are found together here are of two kinds. Some concern praying and singing in general, as:
1) "A Simple Way to Pray," which Luther wrote for Master Peter, Balbier, when he wanted to know how to begin when he was distracted from prayer and disturbed in it by other people's business or thoughts, and not only gave him a lesson for himself, but also added a short interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Christian faith. This writing came under the title: "A simple way to pray, for a good friend Master Peter, Balbier. Mart. Luther zu Wittenberg" appeared in 1534 in quarto, and was subsequently incorporated into the German collections of Luther's writings. It is found in the Wittenbergische Theilen (Thl. VI, p. 114), in the Jenaische (Thl. VI, p. 329), in the Altenburgische (Thl. VH, p. 469) and in the Leipzigische (Thl. XU, p. 377). It is also translated into Latin. This translation is found in the Latin Wittenbergische Theilen (Thl. VII, p. 130). However, it has also been specially printed before under the title: "Simplex et aptissimus orandi modus per D. Martin. Lutherani in gratiam amici cujusdam scriptus", at Wittenberg 1541, Octav. It was prepared by Joh. Freder and Justus Jonas added an epistle to him.
[The Erl. Ed. (23, 214-238) cites one edition from 1534, two from 1535, one from 1539, and one from 1545.]
2) "Sermon of the prayer", as well as
3) "A short instruction for the weak believers, how one should keep oneself with the procession in the cross week", which two pieces actually make up only one writing, which was published under the following title: "A Sermon of the Prayer and Procession in the Cross Week. Doctoris Martini Luther, Augustinian" at Wittenberg, came to light in 1520 in quarto and was reprinted several times in Leipzig in that very year with different inscriptions, also with the short interpretation of the Lord's Prayer afterwards and before in quarto. The various Leipzig editions are described in von der Hardt's "Autographa Luth. I, p. 103, and Olearius' Verzeichniß der ,,Auto- graphaLuth.", p. 7. Such writings were subsequently brought into the Wittenberg (Thl. VII, p. 109), Jena (Thl. I, p. 175) and Altenburg (Thl. I, p. 301) collections, where they were dated 1519. As far as the Leipzig collection is concerned, the first piece, or the "Sermon on Prayer" in Part XXII, p. 36, was added to the "Short Form for Considering the Ten Commandments, Faith and Our Fathers", as I have already reminded you. However, this sermon was also added to Luther's church postilla, but in such a way that it was also divided into two pieces here and each was placed in a special place. *)
[In the present edition, however, these two pieces have been reunited in their original form under their original title: "Sermon on Prayer and Procession during the Week of the Cross. Cf. Erl. 1st ed. 20, 290-296. 2nd ed. 16, 66-76. ed.]
4) Luther's "Trostgebet in unserer letzten Stunde" ("Prayer of Consolation in Our Last Hour"), which was previously published in the Eislebische (Thl. II, p. 334), Altenburgische (Thl. VI, p. 341) and Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 531) parts.
[Cf. Erl. ed. 64, 288. 289.]
5) "Ernstliches Gebet, so Luther auf dem Reichstag zu Worms gethan," which is also found in the collections now mentioned, in the Eislebische (Thl. I, p. 42), in the Altenburgische (Thl. I, p. 726) and in the Leipzigische (Thl. XVII, p. 589).
[Cf. Erl. ed. 64, 289. 290.]