JESUS.
Although I am afraid and do not like to preach about the conjugal life, I am afraid that once I really touch it, it will give me and others a lot to worry about. For the misery is so disgracefully confused by papal damned laws, in addition, by negligent regimentation, both spiritual and secular swords, so many ghastly abuses and erroneous cases have occurred in it, that I do not like to look into it, nor do I like to talk about it.
hear. But in the face of adversity there is no help; I must go to instruct the wretchedly confused consciences and reach in freshly. And divide this sermon into three parts.
The first part.
For the time being, let us see which persons may enter into marriage with each other.
(1) And that we may make a convenient entrance thereto, we take before us the saying,
Gen. 1, 27: "God created man to be male and female. From this saying we are certain that God divided man into two parts, that there should be man and woman, or a he and she. And this pleased him so much that he himself calls it a good creation. Therefore, as God created each of us his body, so he must have it; and it is not in our power that I should make myself a woman's image, or you a man's image; but as he made me and you, so are we: I a man, you a woman. And such goodly bodies he will have honored and not despised as his divine work, that the man despise not the woman's image, or his body and member, nor mock them; again, the woman not the man, but each honoring the other's image and body as a divinely good work, well pleasing to God himself.
002 Secondly, when he had made man and wife, he blessed them, and said unto them, v. 28: "Grow, and multiply." From this saying we are sure that man and woman should and must grow together. And this is as hard as the first, and less to be despised nor laughed at than the first, since God gives His blessing to it and does something about creation. Therefore, as little as it is in my power that I should not be a man, so little is it in mine that I should be without a woman. Again, as little as it is in your power that you are not a woman, so little is it in you that you are without a man. For it is not a free will or counsel, but a necessary natural thing, that everything that is a man must have a woman, and that which is a woman must have a man.
For this word that God speaks, "Grow and multiply," is not a commandment, but more than a commandment, namely, a divine work that is not ours to prevent or to slacken, but is as necessary as my being a man, and more necessary than eating and drinking, sweeping and casting out, sleeping and waking. It is an implanted nature and manner, as well as the limbs that belong to it. Therefore, just as God does not command anyone to
He does not command them to multiply, but creates them so that they must multiply. And where one wants to prevent it, it is still unprotected and goes its way through fornication, adultery and silent sin; for it is nature and not arbitrariness in this.
(4) Thirdly, out of this creature he drew three kinds of men himself, Matt. 19:12, saying, "There are some that are cut in pieces, which are born of the womb; some that are cut in pieces by the hands of men; and some that are cut in pieces by themselves for the kingdom of heaven's sake. Above these three things let no man measure himself without being a husband. And whoever is not in this threefold number, let him think only of the conjugal life. For nothing else will come of it, you will not remain pious, that is impossible; but the word of God, which created you and said, "Grow and multiply," abides and reigns in you, and you can by no means take yourself from it, or you will have to do abominable sin without ceasing.
(5) And against this it shall not deceive thee, whether thou hast made ten oaths, vows, covenants, and solemn or diamond engagements. For as little as thou canst vow that thou wilt not be a man or a woman - and if thou vowest it, it is foolishness and counts for nothing, for thou canst not make thyself otherwise - so little canst thou vow that thou wilt not inseminate thyself or multiply thyself where thou art not in the three number of one. And even if you vowed, it would also be foolishness and count for nothing; for to inseminate and to multiply is God's creation and not in your power.
6. From this you see how far and long all monastic vows are valid, that no boy's or maiden's vow is valid before God, unless in the three number there is one that God alone and Himself has drawn out; Thus, priests, monks and nuns are obliged to leave their vows where they find that God's creation is strong and capable of inseminating itself and multiplying in them, and have no power to hinder such God's creation in themselves by any force, law, commandment, vow. But if they hinder it, then you can be sure that they will not remain pure and
must defile themselves with silent sins or fornication. For they are not able to resist God's word and creature in them, it goes as God has made it.
7. The first, however, whom Christ calls "born out of the womb," are those who are called impotent, who are by nature incapable of mating and multiplying, as if they are of a cold and weak nature, or have some other defect in their bodies, so that they are not fit to live in wedlock; as both male and female are found; these are to be left alone, whom God Himself has undressed and created in such a way that the blessing has not come upon them, so that they could multiply; they are not concerned with the word: "Grow and multiply"; just as when God creates someone lame or blind, they are free, so that they cannot walk or see.
(8) Of such I once wrote a counsel for the confessors, where a man or woman came and wanted to learn how it should be done to him, because his conjugal husband could not afford him the conjugal duty, and yet could not do without her, because it was found that God's creature, to multiply, had its power in him. Here they blamed me, I should have taught that if a man could not sufficiently atone for his wife's tickling, she should run to another. But let the perverse liars lie. Christ and his apostles had their words perverted; should they not also pervert my words? They will find out what the harm will be.
9. I have thus said: If an able woman were to marry an unfit man, and yet could not publicly take another, and would not gladly do so against honor, since the pope here demands much testimony and being without cause, let her say thus to her husband: Behold, dear husband, thou canst not be guilty of me, and hast defrauded me of my young body, and brought me into danger of honor and salvation, and in the sight of God there is no marriage between the two of us; grant that I may have a secret marriage with thy brother or next friend, and that thou mayest have the name, lest thy estate come to foreign heirs, and again willingly be deceived by
me how you deceived me without my will.
(10) I have further said that the husband is obligated to agree to this and to provide her with conjugal duty and children. If he does not want to do this, she should secretly run away from him to another country and be free there. I gave such advice at the time when I was still shy. But now I want to advise better than that, and I want to get into the wool of such a man who leads a woman on a fool's rope. The same goes for a woman, although this is rarer than with men. It is not valid to lead one's neighbor around by the nose so lightly in such great, high matters that concern body, property, honor and happiness. One would have to pay them honestly.
(11) The rest, whom Christ calls cut off with the hands of men, the cocks, are a wretched people. For though they are unfit for marriage, yet they are not rid of evil desire, and become more womanish than before, and go after the proverb, He that cannot sing will always sing. So they too are afflicted, that they prefer to be with women and yet are unable to do anything. Well, we will let them go, too, because they are also set to grow and increase out of the natural order, though by force and only by deed.
The third are the high, rich spirits, harnessed by the grace of God, who are capable of marriage by nature and body and yet remain willingly without marriage. These speak thus: I would like to and could become married, but I do not desire it. I would rather work for the kingdom of heaven, that is, for the gospel and multiply spiritual children. These are rare, and there is hardly one in a thousand. For these are God's special miracles, which no one should refrain from doing, if God calls him especially, like Jeremiah, or if God's grace is so powerful in him that God's word "grow and multiply" has no place in him.
13. but over these three kinds of people the devil has outwitted God through men and invented more people, whom he has drawn out of the divine and natural order, namely, those who are composed with cobwebs that
is locked with human commandments and vows, then with many iron locks and bars. This is the fourth way to prevent nature from becoming or multiplying contrary to God's implanted work and nature; just as if it were in our hands and power to keep virginity, like clothes and shoes. But if one could defend God's creation and word with iron bars and locks, I hope we would also put up such thick and large iron bars that women would become men or men would become stone and wood. It is the devil who thus plays his monkey game with the poor creature and thus atones for his wrath.
Fourteenth, now let us see the persons who may contract marriage with one another, that it may be seen how I have no pleasure nor desire that marriage should be dissolved, man and wife separated. For the pope, in his spiritual law, has invented eighteen different reasons to refuse and break up marriage, almost all of which I reject and condemn. Neither does he himself hold them more firmly nor more strongly, until they are overthrown with gold and silver, and they are also invented only to be nets of money and snares of the soul, 2 Pet 2:13,14. But that their folly may come to light, let us see them all eighteen after one another.
The first cause is the blood friendship. Here they have forbidden marriage until the third and fourth generation. If you do not have money here, even if God grants it to you, you must not take your wife in the third and fourth generations or put her away if you have taken her. But if there is money, it is lawful for thee; for they have wives for sale, such merchants, which never became their own. Now if thou canst defend thyself against this tyranny, I will number unto thee the persons whom God hath forbidden, Deut. 18:7-18, viz:
my mother,
my stepmother, my sister, my stepsister, my child's right or stepdaughter, my father's sister, my mother's sister.
I cannot take any of these persons. From this it follows that siblings may be taken together divinely and Christianly; item, I may have my stepmother's sister; item, my father's stepsister; item, my mother's stepsister. Further, I may have my brother's or sister's daughter, as Abraham had his Sarah.
(16) None of these persons is forbidden before God, for God does not reckon according to members, as the lawyers do, but counts persons straightforwardly. Otherwise, because father's sister and brother's daughter are in the same member, I would have to say that either I could not take my brother's daughter, or I would also want to take my father's sister. Now God has forbidden father's sister and not forbidden brother's daughter, who are nevertheless in the same member. Also one finds in the scripture that with all kinds of stepsisters not so hard was tightened. For Tamar, Absalom's sister, thought that she might well have had her stepbrother Ammon, 2 Sam. 13, 13.
(17) The other cause is mogship or affinity. Here they have also set four members, so that after my wife's death I may not again take hold of her friendship, since my wife reaches into the third and fourth member, where money does not come to my aid. But God has forbidden these persons, namely:
my father's brother's wife;
my son's wife;
my brother's wife;
my stepdaughter;
my stepson or stepdaughter's child;
my wife's sister, while my wife lives.
Of these persons I can have none; the others I may have, and yet may give no money for them; namely, my bride or wife's sister after her death,*) my wife's brother's daughter, my wife's cousin's daughter, and all that is mine.
The wife's sibling's child and what she calls her muhmen or wasen. But if a brother died without an heir, his wife had to have her husband's next friend in the Old Testament to beget an heir for her husband. This is now no longer commanded, but also not forbidden.
The third reason is spiritual friendship, namely, if I raise a maid from baptism or carry her to confirmation, I or my son can neither take her nor her mother nor her sister in marriage, unless there is honest and prudent money. This is just a fool's work and alfalfa, invented only for the sake of money and to confuse the conscience. Tell me, is it not greater if I take baptism myself than if I help to do it? So I would not have to take a Christian woman, since all baptized women of all baptized men are spiritual sisters through the same baptism, sacrament, faith, spirit, Lord, God and eternal inheritance.
19 Why does not the pope also decree that no man shall keep his wife when he teaches her the gospel? For he that teacheth another is his spiritual father, as St. Paul, 1 Cor. 4:15, boasts that he is the father of them all, saying, "I have born you in Christ through the gospel." In this way he would not have had to take a wife in Corinth, nor an apostle on earth, because they taught and baptized everyone.
20 Therefore leave the foolish work; and if thou wilt, take, God grant, be it godfather, godmother, or godmother's daughter, sister, or such as they are, and consider this fancied money-grubbing cause to be nothing. If it does not hinder you that the maid is a Christian, let it hinder you less that you have baptized her, taught her, raised her from the baptism. But especially avoid the monkey game of confirmation, which is a real lie. I allow people to be confirmed insofar as they know that God has not said anything about it, nor do they know anything about it, and that what the bishops pretend in it is a lie. They mock our God, saying that it is a sacrament of God, and yet it is a man's own.
21. the fourth cause is the worldly
Friendship, namely, if a foreign child is adopted as a son or daughter, it cannot marry the same man's or woman's children or take its worldly siblings. This is also a man's deed and worth nothing. Therefore hold it, if you desire. It is neither your mother nor your sister before God, since you are foreign blood. But it also serves in the kitchen and gives money; therefore it is also forbidden.
The fifth is unbelief, namely, that I may not take a Turk, a Jewess or a heretic. I am surprised that the sacrilegious tyrants are not ashamed in their hearts to stand so publicly against the bright text of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7, 13, where he says: "If a heathen woman or man wants to stay with the Christian spouse, he should not divorce her." And St. Peter, 1 Epist. 3, 1, says, "that Christian women should lead a good life, so that they may convert their unchristian husbands," as Monica, St. Augustine's mother, did.
23 Therefore know that marriage is an outward bodily thing, like other worldly dealings. As I may eat, drink, sleep, walk, ride, buy, talk, and trade with a heathen, a Jew, a Turk, or a heretic, so may I be and remain married to him. And turn aside from fools' laws, which forbid such things, nothing. One can find Christians who are worse in their inward unbelief - and there are more of them - than any Jew, pagan, Turk or heretic. A pagan is just as much a man and woman, well and good created by God, as St. Peter and St. Paul and St. Lucia, let alone a loose, false Christian.
The sixth is crime, vice. They are not well agreed on how much they want to respect them. But they are almost these three: If a man sleeps with a maid, he cannot take her sister or her wife; if he commits adultery with a woman, he cannot have her after her husband's death; if a woman or a man kills her husband for the sake of another whom she loves, she cannot take him afterward. Here it rains fools upon fools; believe nothing of them; neither be thou deceived, the devil.
rides them. Vice and sin shall be punished; but with other punishment, not forbidding marriage. Therefore no vice or sin shall hinder marriage. David broke marriage with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, and put her husband to death, so that he forfeited both vices; nor did he give money to the priest, and afterward took her in marriage and begat King Solomon with her, 2 Sam. 11:14, 27.
(25) I must do better here. They also make the case, the wise men, that if it happens that a man sins with his wife's mother or sister - which before marriage would be a vice that hinders or breaks up the marriage, but now it happens after marriage, it cannot break up, for the sake of the wife, who is not to blame for it - then this should be the man's punishment, that he lies with his wife and has no power to demand the marriage debt. Then behold, what the devil by his fools doeth in marriage, putteth man and wife together, saying, Be not man nor wife; fire and straw together, and pray thee, let it not burn. If one put such commandment the tenth part on the pope, how should he rush and rave and cry out about violence and injustice? Out with the great fools! Let marriage remain free, as God has set it, and punish sin and vice with other punishments, not with marriage and new sins.
The seventh is called publica honestas, honorability; namely, if my bride dies before I bring her home, I may not take her sister, even to the fourth generation; for this reason the pope thinks and apparently dreams that it is his and honorable that I do not do it; I give money, then the honorability is nothing more. But above you have heard that I may take my wife's sister and all her friends after her death, without her mother and daughter; so stay and let the fools go.
The eighth is vows, namely, he who has vowed chastity in or out of the monastery. Here I advise, if you want to vow wisely, then vow not to bite off your own nose, that you can keep. But if the vow has been made, you have heard above that you should feel yourself if you are in the three number that God has drawn out.
If thou feelest not therein, then leave off vows and monastery, and only join thyself soon to thy natural husband, and be married; for thy vows are against God, and are of no account; and say, I have vowed that which I have not, and is not mine.
The ninth is a mistake, if Catharina were to be married to me, and Barbara were to be joined to me, as Jacob did with Leah and Rachel. This one may be torn apart and the other free.
29 The tenth is condition, appendix, if I take one who should be free, and is found to be her own, that also goes well. But I think that if there were Christian love, the man could easily change these two causes, so that there would be no great need. Even so, both of these things now never happen, or even rarely, and both can be summed up in one, namely in error.
30 The eilfte is the holy consecration, namely, that the plate and the dear oil is so strong that it eats away the marriage and makes no man out of a man. So an epistle*), evangelist **) and priest must be without marriage, although St. Paul commanded that they should and may be married, 1 Tim. 3, 2. Tit. 1, 6. But I have written so much about this that it is not necessary to repeat it here. For their foolishness has been sufficiently brought to light, and what this obstacle has done for promotion among the consecrated is well seen.
The twelfth is compulsion, when I must have children without my will and am forced to do so, whether by parents or by force of the authorities. Of course, this is not a marriage before God. But such a one should not grant the coercion and therefore avoid the country, lest he lead the maid or wife on a fool's rope and deceive her; for by this you are not excused that you are forced to it. You should not let yourself be forced to offend your neighbor, and rather let go of life than do against love.
For you did not like that someone offended you, he would be forced or not. Therefore, I could not safely say before God the one who divorces for the sake of this matter. Dear, if someone forced you to steal from me or to kill me, would it be right? Why do you follow the compulsion that urges you to do against God's commandment and against your neighbor? But the maidservant I release; for you leave her without her guilt and will; as we shall hear hereafter.
(32) But how if a man be taken with a maid, and she be given him with an axe, whether the constraint be valid? This compulsion does not apply, for the maid sees that it is compulsion and is not deceived. But it is right that he should be compelled to keep her, because he has brought her to nothing. For Moses also wrote that "whosoever shall put a maid to sleep shall keep her, or if her father will not, he shall give her money according to her father's demand," Exodus 22:16, 17.
The thirteenth is alliance, when I vow to one maid and then take another. This is a broad and common thing, in which one is also much tempted. First of all, if such a pledge is made behind the knowledge and will of father and mother, or of those who hold father's place, then it remains with whichever of the two the father wishes. For even if the maid is deceived, it is still her fault, since she should know that a child should be submissive and obedient to his father and not become engaged without his knowledge; so that all such secret vows, which cause much misfortune, may cease and desist by the parents' authority and obedience. But if this is not the case, I think he should stay with the first, because he has given himself up to her and is no longer his own person, and therefore he cannot make a vow to the other, which was the first's and not his. But if he do so, and continue until he beget children with the other, let him abide with her. For she also is deceived and has come to greater harm when he departs from her than the first. Therefore he has sinned against both of them; but the first is better able to meet her loss, because she is still without children; therefore she shall give the other children.
For love, give way and take another. For she is free from him, because he has left her and given himself to another. But he should be punished and made to repent of the first, that he has forgiven hers.
34 The fourteenth is touched upon above, when man or woman is unfit for marriage. This is the only just cause among these eighteen to break up marriage, though it is nevertheless written with many laws before it can be brought about among tyrants.
35) After this there are four more causes, as: the prohibition of the bishops, forbidden time, habit, and infirmities of sight and hearing; which are not necessary to act upon now; for they are lazy, lame tales, that a bishop should forbid me a wife or set time to marry, or that a blind and dumb man should not take hold of marriage. Therefore, enough of the Alfante this time for the first part.
Part II.
On the other hand, we want to see which persons may be divorced.
I know of three causes that separate man and woman. The first, which is said now and above, is when man or woman is unfit for marriage because of limb or nature; enough has been said about how this may be.
The other is adultery. The popes were silent about this one, therefore we must listen to Christ, Matth. 19, 4. ff., when the Jews asked him if a man would put away his wife for any reason? he answered: "Have you not read that he who created man from the beginning made them male and female, saying, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and two shall be one flesh? That therefore which God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Then they said: Why then did Moses command that a bill of divorcement should be given her, and that she should be put away? He answered, "Moses commanded this for the sake of your hard hearts, that you should put away your wives. But from the beginning it was not so. But I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall take another, committeth adultery.
Marriage, and he who takes the abandoned also breaks the marriage."
038 Here thou seest that for adultery Christ divideth husband and wife, that which is innocent may be changed. For in saying that it is adultery whoever takes another and puts away the first, unless it be for fornication, he sufficiently signifies that he does not commit adultery who takes another and puts away the first for fornication. But the Jews dismissed their wives for all kinds of reasons, even if there was no fornication, whenever they wanted to. This is so gross that it seemed too much even for them. Therefore they asked him, whether it would be also right, and tried him, what he wanted to say to Mosis law. For in the law of Moses, God gave two kinds of regiments and commandments.' Some spiritual ones taught godliness before God, as love and obedience. Those who kept these laws did not put away their wives and never used the letter of divorce; they tolerated and carried their wives' customs. But some of them, for the sake of those who did not keep the spiritual commandments, were to have a measure set for them, so that they would not do according to their will or do evil. So he commanded them, if they could not bear their wives, that they should not kill them or otherwise do them too much harm, but dismiss them from themselves with a letter. Therefore, such a law does not apply to Christians, who should live in spiritual rule. But where some live unchristianly with their wives, it would still be good to let them use such a law, insofar as they are not considered Christians, which they otherwise are not.
39 So we have that for adultery one may leave another; as Solomon also saith, Prov. 6:32, "He that keepeth an adulteress is a fool." And of this we have the example of Joseph, Matt. 1:19, whom the evangelist praises as being righteous because he did not betray his wife Mary, but wanted to leave her secretly when he saw that she was pregnant. This is enough to say that it is praiseworthy who abandons an adulteress. Although the man, if the adultery is secret.
He has the power to do both. The first, that he punish his wife secretly and brotherly and keep her if she wants to improve. The other, that he leave her, as Joseph would do. Again, the wife also so. These two punishments are Christian punishments and praiseworthy.
40 But to divorce publicly, so that one may change, must be done by secular investigation and authority, so that adultery may be manifest before everyone; or, if authority will not do it, to divorce with the knowledge of the congregation; so that again no one may take occasion to divorce as he wills.
41. Do you then ask, where shall the other remain, if perhaps he also cannot keep chastity? Answer: That is why God commanded in the Law to stone the adulterers, so that they would not need this question. So also the secular sword and authority shall kill the adulterers; for he who breaks his marriage has already divorced himself and is considered a dead man. Therefore the other may change, as if his spouse had died to him, where he will keep the law and not show him mercy. But where the authorities are tardy and remiss and do not kill, the adulterer may go to another distant country and free himself there, where he cannot keep. But it would be better to avoid death, death with him, for the sake of evil example.
(42) But if any man shall dispute this, saying that it is given breath and space for all wicked men and women to depart from one another, and to change themselves in strange lands. Answer: What can I do about it? It is the fault of the authorities; why do they not strangle the adulterers? then I should not give such advice. There is one better of two evils, that fornication should not be committed, and that the adulterer should not be changed in other lands. And let him also be safe from God, because his life is left to him, and yet he cannot abstain. But if, according to the example, others also run from one another, let them run; they have no cause like this one, for they are not driven out nor forced. God and their conscience will find them in due time. Who can resist all wickedness?
43. but if the authorities do not kill and one spouse wants to keep the other, it should be publicly punished and atoned for according to the gospel, as all other public sins are appointed to be punished, Matth. 18:15. 17. for there are no more than these three punishments on earth among men: a secret and brotherly one; the gospel one, to be done publicly before the church; and the one done by secular authorities.
44 The third thing is when one deprives and withdraws from the other, not wanting to pay the conjugal duty, nor to be with him. When one finds such a stiff-necked woman putting on her head, and if the man should fall ten times into unchastity, she does not ask for it. Here it is time for the man to say: If you do not want, then want another; if the woman does not want, then come the maid. Let the husband tell her two or three times beforehand and warn her, and let it come before other people, so that her stubbornness may be known publicly and punished before the congregation. If then she will not, let her go from thee, and let an Esther be given thee, and let the Vasthi go, as king Ahasuerus did, Esther 2:17.
45 Here you should base yourself on St. Paul's word, 1 Cor. 7, 4. 5.: "The man is not powerful of his body, but the woman; and the woman is not powerful of her body, but the man. Do not deprive one of the other, except by the consent of both" etc. See, St. Paul forbids robbing one another; for in betrothal one gives his body to the other for conjugal service. If then one refuses and does not want, it takes and robs the other of the body it has given. This is actually against marriage and marriage is broken. Therefore, the secular authorities must force the woman or kill her. If they do not do this, the husband must think that his wife has been taken from him by robbers and killed, and seek another. We must suffer if someone's body is taken from him; why should we not suffer if a woman takes herself from her husband or is taken by others?
46. over and above these three causes, there is one more that causes man and woman to be separated, but so that both remain without marriage from now on, or
must reconcile again. This is when husband and wife do not get along over marital duty, but for the sake of other things. St. Paul speaks of this in 1 Cor. 7:10, 11: "To those who are in marriage, I do not say, but the Lord says, that the wife does not relieve the husband. But if she does discharge him, that she may remain without marriage, or be reconciled to him. In like manner, that the husband dismiss not the wife." Solomon also complains about such wives in Proverbs 5:4, 5, saying: "He has found a wife more bitter than death. In the same way, one also finds many a desert, wild, incompatible man.
Now, if one were of Christian strength and bore the other's wickedness or evil, that would be a fine blessed cross and a right way to heaven. For such a husband fulfills the office of the devil and cleanses the man who can recognize and bear it. But if he cannot, before he does evil, he had better divorce himself and remain without marriage all his life.) But that he would say that it is not his fault, but the fault of another, and would take another wife, that is not valid. For he is guilty of suffering evil, or of letting himself be taken from the cross by God alone, because the marriage obligation is not denied. The proverb applies here: He who wants to have fire must also suffer the smoke.
48 How then, if someone has a sick spouse who has become of no use to him for marital duty, may he not take another? Do not be afraid; but serve God in the sick person and wait for him; think that God has given you sanctuary in him in your house.
so that you may acquire heaven. Blessed and blessed are you if you recognize such a gift and grace and serve your spouse for God's sake. But if you say, "Yes, I cannot keep myself," you are lying. If you will earnestly serve your sick husband and recognize that God has sent you and thank him, let him take care of you; he will surely give you grace, so that you may not bear more than you can. He is far too faithful to deprive you of your spouse with sickness, and not to take from you the will of the flesh, when you otherwise faithfully serve your sick one.
Part III.
[How to conduct the marital life in a Christian and godly manner].
49 Thirdly, in order to speak about the conjugal life in a way that is useful for the salvation of the soul, let us now see how to conduct such an order in a Christian and godly way. But we want to keep silent and leave the conjugal duties, how they are to be fulfilled and how they are to be refused, as some preachers are impudent enough to stir up unwillingness in this matter. Some, however, add special times to it and exclude the holy nights and pregnant bodies. I leave it, since St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7, 9, has left it, saying: "It is better to be free than to burn"; item v. 2: "Let every man his wife, and every woman her husband, avoid fornication." Although Christian husbands and wives "should not let their bodies reign in the pestilence of evil desire," as the Gentiles do, as Paul writes to the Thessalonians, 1 Ep. 4:5, yet each one must examine himself, lest he put himself in danger of fornication or other sin by his abstinence, and not consider holy or work days or other bodily causes.
50 But of this we will speak most, that the marital estate hath so miserable a cry with every man. There are many pagan books that describe nothing but the vices of women and the unpleasantness of marital status, so that some have said that if wisdom itself were a woman, the
not yet free. Once, a Roman councilman was to encourage the young journeymen to take wives, for the city needed a lot of people for the sake of daily warfare, so he spoke among other words: "Dear journeymen, if we could live without wives, we would ever be relieved of a great displeasure; but since it is not possible to live without them, take wives etc. Such speech was censured by some as not being done from art, and the journeymen were more deterred; but the others said: Because Metellus was a brave man, he would have spoken rightly; for an honest man should speak the truth without timidity and hypocrisy. So they decided that a woman is a necessary evil and no house without such an evil. Now these are blind pagans' words, who do not know that man and woman are God's creation, and blaspheme His work; just as if man and woman came along unawares. I also think that if women were to write books, they would also write such things about men. But what they have not written, they still judge with complaints and bawling, when they are with each other.
51. parents are still found every day, who forget their sickness and are now full of flour, like the mouse, who keep and provoke their children from the marital state to profanity and naughtiness: pretending the toil and evil days in the marital life; thus bringing their own children home to the devil, as we feign every day; creating good days in their bodies and hell in their souls. Therefore, since God had to suffer such blasphemy of His work from the Gentiles, He also gave them their reward, as Paul writes about, Rom. 1, 26. 27. and let them go into fornication, unclean rivers, until they henceforth defiled not wives, but boys and unreasonable animals. Again, the women also so themselves, and one another; and as they blasphemed God's work, he gave them a perverse mind, of which also the heathen books are full in the most unashamed manner.
52. so that we do not proceed blindly in this way, but walk in a Christian way, hold fast first of all that man and woman are God's workmanship; and keep your heart and mouth closed, and do not call his workmanship false, and do not call it false.
evil, which he himself calls good. He knows better what is good and useful to you than you yourself, as he says, Genesis 2:18: "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper beside him. There you see that he calls the woman good and a helper. But if you find it otherwise, it is certainly your fault that you do not understand or believe God's word and work. Behold, with this saying of God one shuts the mouth of all who complain and reproach about marriage.
(53) Therefore let the young fellows beware when they read the heathen books and hear the common lamentation, lest they draw poison. For the devil is not pleased with married life. That makes it God's work and good will. That is why he has cried out and written so much against it in the world, so that he deters people from the divine life and keeps them in the ropes of fornication and dumb sins; so that it seems to me that even Solomon, although he almost scolds wicked women, said against such blasphemers, Proverbs 18:22: "Whoever finds a wife finds something good and will draw pleasure from God." What is good and good pleasure? Let us see.
The world speaks of marriage: a short joy and long discontent. But let it speak what it will; what God creates and wants, that must be a mockery to it. What she also has for pleasure and joy apart from marriage, I respect, become aware of it best in conscience. It is a very different thing to be married and to know married life. He who is married and does not recognize married life can never live in it without unpleasure, trouble and sorrow; he must complain and blaspheme like the heathen and unreasonable blind men. But whoever recognizes it has pleasure, love and joy in it without interruption, as Solomon says that "whoever finds a wife finds something good" etc. But they are the ones who recognize it, who firmly believe that God has instituted marriage Himself, has given man and woman together, has ordained to beget children and to maintain them. For they have God's word on it, that they are sure that He does not lie, Gen. 1, 31. Therefore they also
are certain that the state of himself is pleasing to him, with all his being, works, sufferings and what is inside. Now tell me, how can a heart have greater good, peace and pleasure than in God, if it is certain that its state, nature and work are pleasing to God?
(55) Behold, this is called finding a wife. Many have wives, but few find wives. Why? They are blind, unable to see that it is God's work and pleases God what they live and do with a woman. If they found that, no woman would be so ugly, so wicked, so naughty, so poor, so ill, that they would not find pleasure in her heart, so that they would always be able to impose God's work and creation and will on her. And because they see that it is pleasing to their dear God, they could have peace in suffering and joy in the midst of unpleasure, joy in the midst of tribulation, like the martyrs in suffering. We only lack to judge God's work according to our feelings and do not look at His will, but at our request. Therefore, we cannot recognize His works and must make evil for ourselves what is good, and see unwillingness where there is willingness. Nothing is so evil, even death itself, that it does not become sweet and bearable, if only I know and am certain that it pleases God. Immediately follows what Solomon says, Proverbs 18:22: "He will draw pleasure from God."
56. Now behold, when the wise whore, the natural reason, which the pagans followed because they wanted to be the wisest, looks at the conjugal life, she wrinkles her nose and says: Oh, should I cradle the child, wash the diapers, make the bed, smell the stench, watch the night, wait for his cry, heal his grind and pox, then take care of the wife, feed her and work; here care, there care, here do, there do, suffer this and suffer that, and what more unpleasantness and toil the married state teaches; ei, should I be so imprisoned? O wretched, poor man, have you taken a wife? Fie, fie of misery and unpleasure! It is better to remain free and live a quiet life without worry; I want to become a priest or a nun, and keep my children that way.
But what does the Christian faith say to this? He opens his eyes and looks at all these small, unpleasant, despised works in the spirit and realizes that they are all adorned with divine good pleasure as with the most precious gold and precious stone, and says: Oh God, because I am sure that You created me as a man and begot the child from my womb, I also know that it is most pleasing to You, and I confess to You that I am not worthy that I should weigh the child, nor wash its swaddling clothes, nor wait on its or its mother. How did I come to be worthy without merit, that I became certain to serve your creature and your dearest will? Oh how gladly will I do this, even if it were even less and more despised. Now neither frost nor heat, neither toil nor labor, shall grieve me, for I am sure that it is well pleasing to thee.
(58) So should a woman think in her works, when she nurses, cradles, bathes and does other works with the child, and when she otherwise works and helps her husband and is obedient; they are all vain golden, noble works. In the same way, a woman should be comforted and strengthened in her children's needs; she should not deal with St. Margaret's legends and other foolish women's works, but should say: Remember, dear Greta, that you are a woman, and that this work is pleasing to God in you. Take comfort in his will and let him have his right over you; give the child and do it with all your might; if you die over it, go away, good for you, because you are actually dying in the noble work and obedience of God. Yes, if you were not a woman, you should now wish for the sake of this work alone that you were a woman, and suffer and die so deliciously in God's work and will. For here is God's word, which thus created you, planted such need in you. Tell me, is this not also, as Solomon said, drawing pleasure from God, even in the midst of such distress?
59 Now tell me, if a man went and washed the swaddling clothes or did any other contemptible work on a child, and everyone mocked him and thought him a muzzler and a woman's man; if he did it in
Such an opinion and Christian faith: Dear, say, who is mocking the other most finely here? God laughs with all angels and creatures, not that he washes the diapers, but that he does it in faith. But those mockers who see only the work and do not see the faith, mock God with all creatures, as the greatest fools on earth; yes, they only mock themselves and are the devil's moles with their cleverness.
So did St. Cyprian, the excellent great man and holy martyr, and writes: "A child, when it is born and still unbaptized, should be kissed in honor of the divine hands, as if seized in the act. What do you think he would say of a baptized infant? This has been a true Christian man, who has rightly recognized and regarded God's work and creation. Therefore I say that all nuns and monks, who are without faith and take comfort in their chastity and order, are not worthy that they should cradle a baptized child or make it porridge, even if it were a whore child. Cause, for their order and life have no word of God for them; neither may they boast that it pleases God what they do; as a woman may do, though she bear a child out of wedlock.
(61) I say this so that we may learn how noble a thing it is who is in the position that God has established, and since God's word and good pleasure is within, all the works, beings and sufferings of such a position become holy, divine and delicious; that Solomon wishes such a man happiness and says, Prov. 5, 18: "Rejoice with the wife of thy youth"; and Eccl. 9, 9: "Seek life with thy wife, whom thou lovest, all thy life long in this vain time." These words Solomon undoubtedly does not speak of carnal joy, for the Holy Spirit speaks through him; but comforts those in God who have much trouble in married life against the blasphemers of divine order, who seek no more than, like the Gentiles, carnal and temporal pleasure in it and do not find it.
62 Again we learn how unfortunate the spiritual monastic and nun state is in itself, since there is no God's word nor pleasure, since all works, beings, and sufferings
622 E. 16, S34-S36. B. Of the Ten Commandments in particular. Sixth commandment. W. X, 734-737. 623
are unchristian, vain and harmful; so that Christ says and rebukes them, Matth. 15, 9: "In vain do they serve me in the commandments of men. Therefore there is no equal between a wife and a cloistered woman, where the former lives in the knowledge and faith of her station, and the latter without faith in the presumption of her spiritual station; just as God's ways and man's ways have no equal, as he says, Isa. 55:9: "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways." O! it is a great grace who has God's word for him, that he can move up and speak to God and say, Behold, this thou hast said, this is thy good pleasure. What does such a man care if it is evil to the world and a mockery?
It is no wonder that the spouses, too, have their share of unhappiness and misery. For they have no knowledge of God's word and will concerning their status; therefore they are just as miserable as monks and nuns, on both sides without comfort and confidence of divine favor. Therefore it is impossible that they should bear the outward unpleasure and toil well; for it is too much for man to have inward and outward unpleasure. If they do not recognize inwardly their status as pleasing to God, then there is already unpleasure; if they then seek outward pleasure in it, then they lack it, and thus unpleasure coincides with unpleasure; hence must come the clamor and writing about women and marital status. For God's order and work wants and must be accepted and carried on God's word and trust, or it does harm and becomes unbearable. Therefore St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7, 28, moderates his words finely when he says: "Those who are married will have carnal affliction," that is, outward unpleasure, but is silent about spiritual, inward pleasure, because outward unpleasure is common to both believers and unbelievers; and also the nature and quality of the marital state. But no one can have real pleasure in it who does not firmly recognize such a state in faith, so that he pleases God and is esteemed before Him with all his works, however small they are. They are small and contemptible, but we all come from there and have all needed them, and if we had been in need of them, we would not have been in need of them.
no man where they are not; therefore they also please God, who has so ordained them, and who cares for ours with them, as for a mother, in all goodness.
Now, behold, hitherto I have told nothing of the conjugal life, but that which the blind world and reason shuns and blasphemes as an evil and unpleasantly sour being, and have seen how all this has so much noble virtue and right pleasure in it, if one pays attention to God's word and will and recognizes the essence of it. For I will be silent as to what more benefit and pleasure there is in such a state, when man and woman love each other, are one, one waits for the other, and what more good there is in it; lest someone shut me up and say that I speak of that which I have not experienced, and that there is more gall than honey in it. I speak of it according to the Scriptures, which are more sure to me than all experience, and do not lie to me. If anyone has more good in it, he has so much more to gain, and thanks be to God. It must ever be good what God calls good, unless one does not recognize it or misuses it.
(65) Therefore I leave undecided what good or evil experience gives, and follow the Scriptures and truth, what good they ascribe to him. And this is no small good, that by such a life fornication and unchastity shall remain and be destroyed; which is such a great good, that it alone would be enough to provoke to the most holy matrimony from many causes.
(66) The first, that fornication corrupts not only the soul, but also the body, property, honor and friendship. For we see how the fornicating and evil life is not only a great disgrace, but also a dishonest life and costs more than a married life, in addition to which one must suffer more from the other, because married people suffer from one another. Moreover, it consumes the body, corrupts flesh and blood, nature and complexion (physical condition), and God sets himself up with such various evil attacks, as if he wanted to drive people badly from fornication to the married life; although few turn to it. But some have thought it over and
from their own experience that they have made a fine noble saying on it and said: "Rise early and free early, let no one regret it." Why? Because there are people who keep a healthy body, a good conscience, property, honor and friends, all of which is disrupted and scattered by fornication, which is very difficult to reunite, and not one in a hundred succeeds. This is the benefit of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7:2: "For the sake of fornication let every man have his wife, and every woman her husband."
(67) Not only does marital status benefit each person for his body, good, honor and soul, but it also benefits entire cities and countries, so that they remain exempt from God's plagues. For we know well that almost the most horrible plagues have fallen upon the land and the people because of fornication. For this sin is attracted, because the world was drowned with the flood, Genesis 6:4, 5, and Sodom and Gomorrah were burned with fire, Genesis 19:5, and many other plagues are indicated in the Scriptures, even in holy people, such as David, Solomon, Samson, and God still sends new and more plagues every day, as we see before our eyes.
(68) Many think they can escape the marital state by living it up for a while and then becoming pious. Yes, my dear, if one among a thousand succeeds, then it is well done. That which shall live chastely shall begin in time, and shall not obtain it by fornication, but without fornication by the grace of God, or by marriage. We can also see how they are daily couched; it may well be called more couched in than couched out. The devil has brought this up and invented such cursed proverbs: "It must be saved once"; item: "He who does not do it in youth, does it in old age"; item: "A young angel, an old devil"; there also the poet Terentius and more pagans read. They are pagans, they speak paganly, even devilishly.
(69) It is true that he who does not marry must marry; how can it be otherwise? for God created man and woman to be mated and to multiply. But why does one not come before the marriage?
with marriage? For where special grace does not go forth, nature will and must inseminate and multiply. If it does not happen in marriage, where else should it happen but in fornication or evil sins? How then, they say, if I become neither conjugal nor wicked, and keep myself by force? Hearest thou not that unruly is without the special grace? For God's word does not keep, nor lie, when he says, "Grow and multiply." You cannot prevent or stop the growing and multiplying; it is God's work and goes its way.
(70) Therefore, physicians do not speak evil when they speak: Where this work of nature is held by force, it must strike into the flesh and blood and marrow and become poison, from which unhealthy, weak and fetid, stinking bodies arise. For what should come to fruit and increase, the body must consume in itself. If there is not immense hunger or hard work or great grace, it becomes too much for the body, and it must become unhealthy and weak. Therefore it is seen how weak and unhealthy the barren women are. But those who are fertile are healthier, cleaner and more cheerful. But even if they are tired and finally dead, it does no harm; just let them be dead, that's why they are there. It is better to live healthy for a short time than unhealthy for a long time.
The best thing in conjugal life, for the sake of which everything must be suffered and done, is that God gives fruit and commands it to be raised for God's service. This is the noblest and most precious work on earth, because nothing can be more pleasing to God than to redeem souls. Now we are all guilty, where it is necessary, of dying to bring a soul to God, so you see how rich the marital state is in good works, to which God gives souls into the womb, produced from their own bodies, in which they can practice all Christian works. For surely the father and mother of the children are apostles, bishops, priests, making the Gospel known to them. In short, there is no greater, nobler power on earth than that of parents over their children, since they have spiritual and temporal power over them. He who teaches the gospel to others is truly a ruler.
his apostle and bishop. Hats and staffs and great lands make idols, but gospel teachings make apostles and bishops. Therefore, see how good and rich it is, what God's work and order is.
I will leave it here and instruct others to search further for what good and benefit the marital state has more. For I only want to tell those things that a Christian man can have to conduct his marriage in a Christian manner, so that he, as Solomon says, finds his wife before God and derives pleasure from God. For with this I do not want to reject virginity, nor do I want to incite to conjugal life. Let every man proceed as he may, and as he feels that it is given him by God; but I have wished to prevent the blasphemers, who cast the conjugal state so far below virginity that they may say: Even though the children should become holy, chastity would still be better. One should not let any state be better before God than the marital state. Chastity is better on earth, as it has less care and trouble, and not for its own sake, but that it may better preach and wait on God's word, as St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7:34, says: "God's word and preaching make the chaste state better than the conjugal state, as Christ and Paul have led it. But in himself it is much less.
In the end, we have a great strong plea to answer before us. Yes, they say, it would be good to become married, but how will I feed myself? I have nothing; take a wife and eat from her etc. This, of course, is the greatest obstacle that hinders and tears apart most marriages and is the cause of all fornication. But what shall I say to this? It is unbelief and doubt in God's goodness and truth. Therefore it is no wonder where he is, that vain fornication follows and all misfortune. They lack this; they want to be sure of the good beforehand, where they take food, drink and clothing. Yes, they want to get their head out of the noose, Gen. 3:19: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." Lazy, gluttonous rogues they want to be, who are not allowed to work. Therefore they want to be free, if they may have rich, pretty, pious, friendly wives. Yes, wait - we will have them painted for you.
(74) But let such pagans go, we will not speak to them: even if they succeeded in overcoming their kind, it would still remain an unbelieving and unchristian marriage. They trust in God as long as they know that they have no need of Him and have a supply. But he who wants to be Christian in marriage must not be ashamed to be poor and despised, to do little works. He must let him be content with this: first, that God is pleased with his status and work; second, that God will surely feed him if he only works and creates as much as he can, and whether he cannot be a squire and prince, that he is a servant and maidservant; for God has promised, Matth. 6, 25. 33.: "Do not worry about what you shall eat, drink and put on; seek first God's kingdom and His justice, and all these things shall be added to you"; item Psalm 37, 25.: "I have been young and grown old, and have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children going after bread." If anyone does not believe this, what wonder is it if he suffers hunger, thirst and frost, and goes after bread? See Jacob, the holy archfather, who had nothing in Syria and only tended sheep, and had goods that he fed four wives with a large household and children, and still had enough, Gen. 29:18, 32.10. So Abraham, Isaac and Lot also became rich and many saints more in the Old Testament.
(75) God has sufficiently demonstrated how He provides for us, since He created and prepared all things in heaven and on earth with all animals and plants before He created man, Genesis 1:1 ff. That he might show how he had prepared enough food and covering for us at all times before we asked him for it. It is only to be done that we work and do not walk idly; fed and clothed we are sure. But the wretched unbelief does not allow it; and yet he sees, grasps and feels, even if he worries himself to death, that he cannot make or keep a grain in the field. Even if all his chambers were full, that he could not use a morsel or a thread, God would keep him healthy and alive and preserve his possessions. It's no use yet.
Therefore, let him who does not find himself capable of chastity do so at times that he may have something to do and work, and then dare in God's name to marry. A boy, at the longest, when he is twenty; a maiden, when she is fifteen or eighteen years old, they are still healthy and skillful, and let God take care how they are fed with their children. God makes children, he will also feed them well. If He does not raise you and them high on earth, be content that He has given you a Christian marriage and let it be known that He raises you high there, and be grateful to Him for such His goods and gifts.
77. but with all this praise of conjugal life I do not want to have given to nature that there is no sin; but I say that flesh and blood, corrupted by Adam, is conceived and born in sins according to the 51st Psalm, v. 7, and that no conjugal duty is without sin; but God spares them by grace because the conjugal order is His work, and also in the midst of and through sin retains all the good that He has planted and blessed in it.
*) JESUS.
Which persons find forbidden to marry in the Holy Scriptures, both of friendship and mogship, 3 Mos. 18, 7. ff.
Forbidden persons of friendship are these:
1st father;
2nd mother;
3. stepmother;
4. nurse;
5th stepsister;
6th son daughter;
7. father's sister;
8. mother sister.
*) The following is not in the original 1522 edition.
It follows that sister children and the stepmother's sister may be married before God with a good conscience.
Prohibited persons of the Mogschaften are these:
1. father's brother's wife;
2. son's wife;
3. brother's wife;
4. stepdaughter;
5. stepson's or stepdaughter's child;
6. woman's sister, if the woman lives.
It follows that I may marry my wife's or bride's sister after her death, as I was commanded to take my brother's wife after his death in the law, Matth. 22, 24.
What more persons or vows are forbidden, our spiritual tyrants have forbidden for the sake of money; this proves itself by the fact that they sell and permit them again for money, and where money is not given, they tear such marriages apart against God and all equity.
But that they also invented new members between the godparents, godfathers and their children and brothers and sisters, that is actually what the devil taught them. For if the sacrament of baptism were to bring obstacles, no Christian man would have to take a Christian woman, since all baptized women of all baptized men are spiritual sisters, as having the same sacrament, spirit, faith, spiritual gifts and goods, so that they might become much closer in spirit than through outward spouseship.
In particular, however, the bishops' idols are to be shunned for their lying jugglery, the confirmation, which has no basis in Scripture, and the bishops only deceive the people with their lies, so that grace, character, and signs of the maal are given in it. It is rather the character of the beast, Revelation 13:1 ff. A Christian man should not place his faith, in case of loss of his soul, on man's word, for that will certainly lie and deceive him, but only on God's word, which does not lie.
Martinus Luther.