JESUS.
First, note how in the Old Testament, through Moses, Almighty God commanded that a tabernacle be made, divided into three parts. The first was the Holy of Holies and was called Sanctum Sanctorum, which was ten cubits long, wide and high, equal to four squares. The other was called Sanctum (the Holy), which was equally high and wide and twenty cubits long; and the two were adjoined by a building of wooden panels, so that one went from one to the other as from one chamber to the other. The third was called the atrium, which was a hundred cubits long, fifty wide, and five cubits high, and there was a white curtain, transparent as a net, around the tabernacle. This is undoubtedly where our churches come from, which we also divide into three parts, the churchyard, the church and the choir; that the choir is the holy of holies, then the church, then the churchyard. Which three are also found in every house, if one counts the courtyard for one, the house for the other, the parlor or bedchamber for the third.
(2) Secondly, by this the Holy Ghost hath signified three kinds of preaching or doctrine, which make three kinds of conscience and sin, and three kinds of good living, or three kinds of good works. Which all distinction is profitable and necessary to a Christian man, that he mix not one thing with another, nor do any of them aright; lest he take that for the choir, which is the court, or for the court, which is the church. And for the sake of a clearer understanding, let us, in our own way, consider the following
Sanctum Sanctorum call the choir, the sanctum the church, the atrium the churchyard.
Thirdly: Let us start from the churchyard. First, these are sermons or doctrines that teach entirely about outward works and are bound to time and place; as there are ceremonies and outward gestures and ways in clothing and food, which, if a preacher does not watch over the people and stand by them, make almost dangerous and harmful consciences, which then become hard-headed and blind people, if they are not told anything more.
4. That we give some examples of this: That a priest, a monk, a nun, a bishop, and the whole spiritual state wears different garments than the common man, and also performs other acts, and wears holy garments in church, prays, sings, and does such things, are all outward works, bound to garments and place; and he who does them keeps such doctrines as are set forth, and calls them good works, good life, spiritual office, has from them a sure good conscience, yea, presumption, that he has done him right. Again, if he neglects or neglects one thing, if he does not wear his garment properly, if he does not keep his time, he has an evil conscience, as one who has not kept the commandments.
(5) Fourthly, so do we all, when we keep or break the commanded fasts and feasts, until, through the oversight and sleep of the preachers, it has come to pass with us that a greater conscience is made, if any man eat a piece of bread on a fast night, than if he drink himself full, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear, or swear,
1694 D-17.294.295. III. Main st. - 0. from the father-our esp. 1. request. W. X, 1985-1987. 1695
or otherwise commit a grave sin; so hard do such teachings, life and conscience hang on the food and external things. Yes, how many priests can be found nowadays who would not have a ten times greater conscience if they had said mass without a maniple,*) without a chasuble,**) without a marble stone,†) without a silver chalice or the like; for if they had spoken five times uselessly, shamefully, lied, after-talked, or otherwise offended their neighbor. So tightly does their conscience hang on these outward things and so loosely on those righteous things. And what layman or common man does not have a greater conscience, if he eats eggs, butter, meat on an apostle's eve or on another fast day, than if he commits hand murder or tongue murder, an unchaste face, word or work? Yes, it has come to this through some blind teachers that no layman may touch the cup nor Corporal ‡),
The casel (easula^plansta) is a piece of regalia worn by the priest only at Mass (exceptionally at Corpus Christi processions) and originated from the ancient Roman outer garment, the ψελόνης 2 Tim. 4, 13.
is. This psnuiu was a wide, closed, almost bell-shaped garment, provided with an opening for the head at the top for easy fitting over the other clothes, with which sometimes a eueuHus (hood) was connected, and was generally worn in the first two centuries by senators, matrons and distinguished people. Since this garment completely enveloped the arms, it was picked up at the altar by the deacon in a delicate drape and fastened to the arms. Many ridiculous ceremonies of the Roman mass still date from this original use. D. Red.
and great conscience is made of it, if someone touches it unawares. Furthermore, if a common man touches the holy sacrament with his finger unawares, they go to it and scold him with the same finger; so great is their conscience here, since there is neither commandment nor prohibition that I think they have become nonsensical.
(6) Fifthly, behold, such conscience and error come from mixing all things together, and not rightly dividing one from another; for right distinction and good instruction pass away before they are perceived; so that the least is taken for the greatest, and the greatest for the least. Then the fear of God goes out and presumption comes in, hardening and blinding people in their sins, which can easily be seen in all the world. Is it not true that all the world, spiritual and secular, are full of unfaithfulness, pride, avarice, hatred, unchastity and all sin, of which no one pays attention? They remain without the fear of God and may presume, if they do not improve in such matters, to be at ease with our Lord God and to do well, if they keep their office, pray their prayers, wear their spiritual clothes and do their church duties. Likewise the laity, if they keep the fast and holidays; just as if our God cared whether you drink beer or Kofent (after-dinner beer), eat meat or fish, fast or celebrate. Of them Christ says, Matth. 23, 23: "Woe to you, scribes - clergymen and all gleaners - who have deprived yourselves of coin, of dill and of caraway, and have neglected the great things commanded by the law, such as earnestness, mercy and faith. These things ought to be done first, and then those also ought not to be left undone. O blind leaders, a gnat ye behold, and a camel beast ye swallow" etc.
(7) Sixthly, has not the Lord Christ Himself finely delineated the foolish, perverse consciences, which make great things small, and small things great, that God may be greatly embittered? What is it that one takes such a narrow sieve in the outward laws, that one catches even a gnat, and takes such a broad sieve in the right works, that
one also lets a camel pass through, because that one makes so narrow conscience and fear doctrine in the things, where nothing or little lies in, makes so far spacious conscience in the great things, where it lies completely and totally in? These are all Atrienses Sancti, ecclesiastical saints, who are only five cubits high, that is, have their holiness in the five senses and animal life; and yet the same appears more before the world than true holiness. Therefore there are many in it, for the churchyard is more than three times as long as the church and ten times as long as the choir; so that the multitude is also a great stimulus to such erroneous, perverse consciences, works and lives. But dangerous is the position of pastors and preachers; for they will have to pay heavily for it, if they do not watch diligently and resist such a nature, teach the people rightly in this; again, if they want to do it, they will have to suffer persecution from the pope, bishops and spiritual prelates; for the same crowd is completely drowned in such ecclesiastical nature and deep sins, does not like that someone teaches something else, wants to remain mosquito soakers and camel flayers.
8. The seventh: Because everyone sees and grasps that such an outward ecclesiastical nature improves no one, and everything that is bound to clothing, food, place and time makes no one holy; for they all remain unfaithful, stingy, impatient, hopeful, unchaste, angry and envious; indeed no one lies so deep in such vices as the very same who have set their holiness in food, in clothing, in place and time, as we see; should we ever strike and think within ourselves: this must not be the right road nor way to become pious and blessed; there must be another. And because they esteem so little the great grave transgressions, we should become so witty as to esteem much less the transgression of their outward pomp, wherein we see so many perish; would accustom ourselves to look into the right opposite. As if you were to see an adulterer or a lewd talker, and on the other hand one who breaks the fast or the feast or eats forbidden food, you should be ten times more terrified of the first than of the other,
and respect this one as if he had swallowed a mosquito, that one as if he had swallowed a camel. It is vexatious and annoying that the pope is so harsh about eating butter and eggs that letters have to be written about them, and yet he does not keep them from sinning against God; and bishops and prelates follow him in this and help him, when they themselves mix up and pervert such things, harboring mosquitoes and devouring camels; how should the poor people themselves get out of it, if their rulers and teachers oppose them in this with doctrine, example and force?
(9) Eighthly, now let us go on from the atrium into the sanctum, the church, that is, into the doctrines, works, and consciences that are right and good, such as humility, gentleness, meekness, patience, peace, faithfulness, love, discipline, chastity, and the like, which are not bound to food, nor clothing, nor place, nor time, nor persons. For here the layman may be more than a priest, the priest more than a pope, the woman more than a man, a boy more than an old man, a poor man more than a rich man, a naked man more than a well-dressed man, in the field more than in the house, in the chamber more than in the church. And here God's eyes alone are directed; he who leads here goes to heaven on the right road, regardless of what he does or does not do in the atrium. For God does not inquire there, if he only wanders rightly in this sanctum. Again, here one should make conscience, if someone blasphemes, swears, speaks lewdly, hears, sees, does or thinks. These are the right consciences: here we make cameos and swallow mosquitoes; here we take the grain and let the chaff go; here Abel sacrifices a lamb and lets Cain sacrifice straw; here we are to fight against pride, avarice, unchastity, anger, hatred, and the like; here we have both hands full of work while we are alive, so that we forget the churchyard and have no need of it. Here we see that the right road leads to piety and blessedness; for we see that those who practice it become truly pious, and not those who practice in the churchyard, therefore this and not that must be the right way.
10th To the ninth: but now these happen
Works in two ways, and some go into this church alive, free from themselves; but some go in backwards, carried in dead on their backs and buried. These are those who must keep themselves pious without their will for the sake of shame, punishment or hell. For some keep their chastity; if there were neither shame nor punishment, they would go in, as those do who despise punishment and shame. Thus many a man subdues his wrath and trouble, not for the pleasure or love of meekness, but that he may not easily cool it and atone for it. Some also give and establish worship, not out of the air of charity, but for the sake of glory or their own good pleasure. And is this false reason so deep that no saint has ever sufficiently recognized it, but despaired of it and said: "Lord God, create a clean heart in me and renew a right spirit" or will "in my innermost being", Ps. 50, 12; and again, Ps. 19, 13: "Lord, who can recognize all his error? Make me clean from my secret sins." For God does not want such works alone, but that they be done with air and will. And where there is no desire and will in them, they are dead before God, and are insanity, forced, compelled, captive services that do not please God, as St. Paul says, 2 Cor. 9, 7: "God loves a cheerful doer."
(11) Tenthly, such desire, love, joy and will are not found in any man's heart on earth, provided nature is considered; but we are all unwillingly or ever falsely pious, that we fear punishment and shame, or seek our profit and pleasure therein, and no one is pious purely for God's sake, or merely because it is so right. Nature ever wants and must seek something to be pious, cannot and may not be pious for the sake of piety, does not allow itself to be satisfied with piety as it should, but wants to earn or escape something with it; this is then wrong before God, as St. Paul, Rom. 3, 4, concludes from the 14th Psalm, that for this reason no man is pious before God. For we are not to be pious to earn something with it or to avoid it. For these are all
including hirelings, servants and day laborers, not voluntary children and heirs, who are pious only for the sake of piety itself, that is, for the sake of God alone; for God is righteousness, truth, goodness, wisdom, piety itself. And he who seeks no more than godliness seeks and finds God Himself. But he who seeks reward and flees pain never finds Him, and makes reward his god; for why man does anything is his God.
Twelfth, the eleventh: Therefore, one must crawl to grace here and despair of us. Here, then, God has built for us the choir and Sanctum Sanctorum (Holy of Holies). Here he has set Christ before us and promised that whoever believes in him and calls upon him shall receive the Holy Spirit as soon as possible, as he says, John 14:26: "The Father will send the Holy Spirit in my name"; for it is impossible that where a man despairs of himself and calls upon Christ in right confidence, that he should not have the Holy Spirit. Where Christ's name is, the Spirit follows. But whoever calls on Christ in faith has his name, and the Spirit will surely follow him. But when the Spirit comes, behold, he makes a pure, free, merry, glad, lovely heart, which is purely pious in vain, seeking no reward, fearing no punishment; which is pious only for the sake of piety or righteousness itself, and does it all with joy. Behold, this then is called teaching right good doctrine, conscience, and works; this is called going into the Sanctum Sanctorum, into the choir, which is the last thing that can be done on earth. This is the road to heaven, in which we see that no one remains evil, but all become devout; and is like the atrium, for it pays no attention to such outward things. Yes, it sees how they are only dangerous and annoying to this way.
Twelfth, Christ says, Marc. 16, 6: "He that believeth shall be saved." Faith alone makes blessed; why? It brings the spirit with it, which does all good works with air and love, and thus fulfills God's commandments and makes them pleasing. This means that the church is built on the choir, and the sanctum on the sanctum sanctorum as one building; but the atrium, the courtyard,
The first is to show that good works cannot be done without faith, and faith cannot remain without good works, and a preacher should not separate the two doctrines, but should first of all practice faith. But faith and good works may well remain without the external food saints, clothing saints, time saints, place saints. For this reason it is written in the Revelation of John that in the New Testament the atrium is given to the Gentiles, so that in the New Testament such an outward being should stand free and unattached in
that only the sanctum and sanctum sanctorum be well practiced. Now, unfortunately, it has come to the point that no people on earth has ever had a larger atrium, more food saints, clothing saints, time saints, place saints, than the Christians have now. The fault is the pope's and his spiritual law, in which such a useless, dangerous and annoying thing is so much set, to the faith and good works to unspeakable harm and darkening, from which God graciously deliver and protect us, Amen.
Of this can also be read more in:
IX. Theil, IX. sermon of our blessed hope about Tit. 2, 13.
- X. Ausleg. d. 1. Ep. Petri, 1. Cap., § 63 ff., von den Werken eines christlichen Lebens.
- VI. sermon from the Summa of the Christian Life, on 1 Tim. 1, 5-7.
XI. Theil, 2. Pred. am Sonnt. n. Ostern, von der wahren Frömmigkeit.
- Preached on the 14th Sunday after Trinity, an illustration of the Christian nature.
- Sermon on the Day of Nicolai, about the three most important things that make up a Christian life.
- Sermon on the Day of St. Thomas, about true piety before God.
XII. Theil, Kirchenpost.; Pred. am 4. Sundt. d.
Adv., instruction on how Christians should behave toward God and neighbor.
XII. Theil, Kirchenpost; Pred. am 1. Sundt. d. Fasting, exhortation and stimulus to Christian life.
- Church post; sermon on Easter Day, exhortation to Christian walk and works.
- Church mail; sermon on Sunday after heaven, exhortation to Christian life.
- Church mail; sermon on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 19th Sundays, exhortation to Christian life.
- Church post; sermon on 20th Sunday A.D., exhortation to various Christian virtues.
- XXXII. several sermons; sermon on the 1st day of Easter, description of the two pieces of Christian life.