Matth. 18, 21-35.
Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how often must I forgive my brother who sins against me? Is it enough seven times? Jesus said to him, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who began to reckon with his servants. And when he began to reckon, there came before him one that owed him ten thousand pounds. Since he did not have the money to pay, the lord ordered him to sell his wife and children and everything he had and to pay. Then the servant fell down and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, have patience with me; I will pay you everything. Then the master of the same servant was sorry, and let him go, and he forgave him the debt also. Then the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pennies; and he attacked him and choked him, saying, Pay me what you owe me. Then his fellow servant fell down and begged him, saying, "Be patient with me; I will pay you everything. But he would not, and went and cast him into prison, until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw this, they were very sad and came and told their master everything that had happened. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "Servant of the wicked, I have forgiven you all these debts while you were building me; should you not also have mercy on your fellow servant, as I have had mercy on you? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he paid all that he owed him. So shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not your brother his trespasses from your heart.
In today's gospel, the doctrine of two kingdoms, the spiritual and the physical kingdom, of which your love has often heard, is mentioned. But for the sake of those who do not yet know this difference, we must preach it again. So now the two kingdoms, the spiritual and the temporal, are thus distinguished, as we shall hear. The temporal government is appointed and ordered by God to ward off, control and punish the wickedness of the world. Not that it can punish all wickedness, for it is far too small for that, but that it punishes the outward, gross vices, which in fact happen, so that no one commits sacrilege against his neighbor's body, wife, and goods etc. So far does the temporal government go, that it should preserve external peace, so that each one may remain with his own.
In this worldly regiment there is not forgiveness of sin but punishment. That is why the holy scripture calls it the sword, Gen. 9. Rom. 13, 4. God did not put a piece of paper in the hand of the emperor.
*) Held publicly in the parish church, 1530.
but the hardest and sharpest to punish, namely, not a feather but the sword; as a sign that the secular regiment is not to forgive but to go through and punish. If one should forgive in the worldly regiment, then I and you would keep nothing. If a thief steals everything he finds in the house, and a murderer robs and strangles what he finds in the street, and the prince in the country and the judge in the city want to look through their fingers and forgive, then we would keep nothing of property, body and life.
(3) If a thief steals or a murderer kills, the emperor and his people are guilty of taking a different attitude than I and other preachers of the word and ministers of peace. It is not for us preachers to wield the sword, but our office is to preach grace, to forgive, and to proclaim forgiveness of sin in the name of Christ. Again, it is not the duty of Caesar and his followers to forgive, but it is his duty to punish evil, Rom. 13:4.
4. but unfortunately it happens that those, so
Those who are in the secular government and office, and hear that they are to punish, are not only negligent and lazy to punish evil, but also help to strengthen evil; there are few who take the word and Christian teaching seriously, that they might learn and know what their office is, or desire to punish evil, but let it go as it goes. Therefore, this teaching must be practiced diligently, so that one may learn and know that the outward rule should be strict. The Turk knows how to deal with this; he does not command for long, but when he has commanded and someone transgresses once, he quickly cuts off his head. As a result, there is not as much courage among peasants, citizens, farmhands and servants in his regiment as there is among ours.
The monks have been a cause of such negligence in the secular government with their sermons, that they have taught that princes and lords should always be merciful, not shed blood etc. In this way, they have made the secular authorities to have a conscience when they should punish the wrongdoers. Our Lord God would also have known how to order worldly authorities in this way, if he had wanted such a regime, or if such a regime would have been good and useful for the world. But he commands worldly authorities the sharp sword; with it they shall punish evil.
6 God commanded King Saul to cut off the Amalekites, to destroy them and to banish them with all that they had, both men and cattle, young and old. Someone might say, "This is a harsh commandment; should we not spare especially the young children, the women and the old people, whom the pagans who have reason have also spared? But God does not want any sparing here. "Do not spare him," He says, "but kill both man and woman, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys" (1 Sam. 15, 3.). Saul should have obeyed the commandment of the Lord and should not have spared any of the Amalekites, even though they had cried, pleaded and begged. But Saul did not do it, but took Agag, the king of Amalek, alive, and what was good sheep and oxen and fattened, and the lambs he did not hide. Then was
The Lord was angry and tore the kingdom from Saul because he had not fulfilled the Lord's word, 1 Sam. 15.
7 King Ahab was also like this, as it is written in 1 Kings 20: God gave Benhadad king of Syria into his hand with a great battle, namely, a hundred thousand Syrian footmen defeated in one day. Now when BenHadad was smitten with his army, he besought Ahab the king, saying, "Dear one, let my soul live." Then said Ahab, "If he live, let him be my brother" (v. 32.), and set him by him in the chariot, and made a covenant with him, and loosed him again into his kingdom. When this was done, a prophet came and said to Ahab, v. 42: "Thus saith the Lord; Because thou hast let go the exiled man from thee, thy soul shall be for his soul, and thy people for his people." Then Ahab was displeased and angry, and thought thus, Should not a king of Israel, as I am, spare a captive that is slain? But he succeeded very badly. For more than three years an arrow passed through his heart from the same king's people whom he had let go against God out of unseemly mercy, and he was cut off with all his family.
(8) Therefore, secular authorities should punish evil and not spare it. But that the secular authorities are often negligent and lazy is the fault of the pope, the monks and the false preachers, who have not taught the difference between the spiritual government, in which grace and forgiveness should rule, and the secular government, in which evil should be punished with the sword. The spiritual and the temporal regiment have been mixed together, just as the bishops of today want to be temporal princes and leave their episcopal office in place. For this reason, it is a good teaching and great wisdom to distinguish between these two regiments, and to look to each one's office: a bishop to teach mercy and forgiveness; a prince and temporal lord to go through it sharply and to execute God's command against the evildoers, whom he is to punish with the sword.
9. but I'm afraid it's been too hard for too long, and I can't do anything with this pre-
The difference between the two regiments and the word of the matter can no longer be advised; there is no longer any timidity, fear or obedience in the world. Everyone knows that one should be obedient to the authorities, but no one does it. The contradiction happens: people lie, deceive, steal, rob, and do all things bravely; there is no longer any fear and timidity among the subjects against the authorities; so the authorities do not punish any more. It may mend, mend and mend until the last day, and a little fear and punishment may remain in the world; but that it should come to a right regiment and right order, as the worldly regiment should go, that will no longer be the case. And this is to be said first of the worldly regiment.
(10) Of the spiritual government Christ speaks in today's Gospel, teaching that in this government there is not the sword, as in the temporal government, but grace and forgiveness; therefore let every one who wishes to be a Christian remember to forgive his neighbor all his trespasses. The worldly kings have a kingdom, in which vengeance and punishment must go, as God has commanded: but the Christian people have a different kingdom and regiment; in it neither vengeance nor punishment goes, but there one should be kind and merciful to the other, as will be said hereafter.
(11) This servant owes his master ten thousand pounds, which is a vast sum that is impossible for him to pay. He is in such distress over the account the king keeps with his servants that he finds such a large debt he cannot pay. So the lord orders him to sell his wife and children and everything he has and to pay, and yet the servant with his wife and children and everything he has cannot pay because of the large, exorbitant sum. When the servant is in misery and distress because he cannot pay, his master does not punish him, but laments for him, puts the cross over him, releases him, and forgives him all his debts, no matter how great they are. As therefore the lord doeth unto this servant, so should this servant do unto his fellow servant; and
So they think, "My master has forgiven me a large sum, so why shouldn't I forgive my fellow servant a hundred pennies? But he does not do so, but throws his fellow servant into prison until he pays what he owes. We will hear later how he is treated, for he is thrown back into prison by his master and must pay everything he owes. This indicates that in this spiritual kingdom there is and should be complete forgiveness of sins.
(12) Now learn diligently what forgiveness of sin is. It is soon said, forgiveness of sin; just as the whole Christian doctrine is easy. Yes, if it were in words; but when it comes to the earnest and meeting, one knows nothing of it. For it is a great thing that I should grasp with my heart and believe that all my sin is forgiven me, and that through such faith I am righteous before God. This may be a strange righteousness to me, and far another righteousness than the righteousness of all lawyers, prudents and wise men in this world. For they all say that righteousness must be glued into the heart and soul of man as a qualitas*). But this gospel teaches us that Christian righteousness is not of all things in the heart and soul of man, but that we are to learn that we are justified and saved from sins through the forgiveness of sins.
13 Thus we have taught in the papacy itself in the past: Whoever wants to be free of sins must do this and that, build a chapel, erect an altar. Donate masses etc. This is still in us today, as can be seen in this servant. When he is attacked for payment and now falls down before his master, he does not ask for forgiveness or remission of the debt, but for patience and postponement; thus the rogue draws sin into himself and wants to pay the debt to his master by himself, which is impossible for him. So do we. When we hear that we are promised forgiveness of sin, we still do not understand;
*Qualitas - quality, property. D. Red.
They are of this mind: I have done this sin and that sin, I will do so many good works against it, I will fast so much, pray, give alms, and pay for my sin. For human nature always wants to have its hand in the soil, to carry away the glory and to lay the first stone.
(14) Therefore this is high preaching and heavenly wisdom, that we believe our righteousness, salvation, and comfort to be apart from us, that we are righteous, acceptable, holy, and wise in the sight of God, and yet in us is all sin and unrighteousness and foolishness. In my conscience there is a vain sense and remembrance of sin and the terror of death; and yet I should look elsewhere, and believe that there is no sin and death. He who shall not see that which he sees, and not feel that which he feels, must be very charmed. I see before my eyes a red florin, sword, fire, and yet I shall say, This is no red florin, no sword, no fire. It is the same with the forgiveness of sin. I feel that I have been a bad boy, and still am, and yet I shall say, All my sins are forgiven me; for the word has been spoken over me, which is thus, "Your sins are forgiven.
015 So this servant payeth not his debt, ten thousand pounds, out of his pocket, bag, box, or coffer: for the sum is too great, and the servant hath not to pay: but the payment of the debt is in another's power, that is, in the king's power, who hath compassion on the servant, saying, I have compassion on thee: therefore will I break the register, that thou owe me no more: not that thou hast paid me, but that I have forgiven thee the debt.
(16) But, as I said, flesh and blood have heartache, always wanting to find something to rely on; it cannot resist naughtiness, it cannot go out from feeling sins and take hold of mere grace and forgiveness of sins. If you can do this art, cannot see that which you see, and cannot feel that which you feel, we will preach something higher to you. But you will have to learn it for a while. For with faith
ben of forgiveness of sin is just as if someone aimed at you with a loaded gun and wanted to shoot at you now, and you should still believe and say it is nothing.
(17) I must confess myself that it is sour and difficult for me to believe this article, for I see before me a very large register full of sin. And even though I have sinned against God in no other way, I have lived for sixteen years in godless, abominable monasticism, have said mass, have preached error and seduction, have deceived myself and others; and yet I shall see none of these sins, just as if I had never committed any of them. Item, I still feel daily that I lack the fear of God, the faith; I carry a rotten rogue around my neck, the old Adam, who preaches nothing good to me; I do not love God with all my heart and my neighbor not as myself, and am therefore full of sin: and yet I shall believe that there is no sin. Then I must confess that it is difficult for me to believe this article. For I am so minded by nature, so I am also so accustomed in the papacy, that I would gladly fast, watch, pray, go on pilgrimage, do good works, so that I might pay for my sin. Because I am so minded, this servant of the devil also wrestles with me, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
(18) Now there is no means of obtaining forgiveness of sin except by closing my eyes and believing that my sins are forgiven me, as we pray in the Christian faith: I believe in the Holy Spirit etc., forgiveness of sin. But my nature and reason would like to have this article so that sin would not be called sin, but a painted and invented sin, that sin would be a word badly spoken out of humility; in sum, I would like to give God a false sinner, and to confess myself a sinner, that I felt no sin in me. That would truly be a fine sinner for me. But now these are words of the Holy Spirit, that it is said: I believe forgiveness of sin. What the Holy Spirit calls sin must not be a painted sin, but a real, true sin, such as adultery, whore-
rei, theft etc. Sin; such sins also are they which I have done, and do daily; even as in the case of this servant there is not a painted, but a righteous debt, namely, ten thousand pounds. Now let him that would know himself to be a sinner see that his sins are not a dream and a fancy; but let him know that his sins are as much sins as adultery, theft, murder, etc.; that is, that they are such great sins as lead to hell if they be not forgiven. For even if we do not commit all the outward, gross sins, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not murder: nevertheless, if we do not have this benefit, that we believe forgiveness of sin, our sins condemn us to the abyss of hell.
I do not yet know this art, but am still learning it. The common people do not know what sin and forgiveness of sin are. But we, who take care of ourselves, so that we may know what forgiveness of sin is, have to learn it for and for. For it is in our nature that we would gladly blot out sin by ourselves, and that we make light of sin, and say, I know not any particular sin that I have committed; I am no adulterer, no thief, no slayer of lives. etc. But there must be a serious and righteous confession of sin among us, so that we say before God: Dear God, if you want to keep account with me, not painted sins, but real, great sins will be found among me; just as this servant has a real guilt. These are not painted pennies, nor number pennies; but real pennies, florins, and Jehoachimsthalers; and of these ten thousand pounds. Such confession of sins is necessary. For if the forgiveness of sins is to be righteous, the sin must also be righteous.
20 Therefore the words in faith, I believe forgiveness of sin, are set forth evenly. We believe the sin is there, and yet it is forgiven. The forgiveness eats away the sin. And again, where forgiveness is believed and confessed, sin must also be believed and confessed. Therefore we all have sins
and such sins as push us to hell without ceasing, without our being called into that regiment and state which is called the forgiveness of sins. For we are baptized in the name of Christ; thereby we have obtained forgiveness of sin and are clean. The guilt is still there, but it is forgiven. In itself it is guilt, but this is our benefit, that the guilt is forgiven.
So Christ began this article, forgiveness of sin, in us through baptism, and still maintains it through word, sacrament, absolution, and the Holy Spirit, whom he gives into our hearts. Sin is indeed there, but it is forgiven. Just as the serpent that is carried in the bosom is a serpent, but without poison; so the sin that is on our neck is sin, but not a damnable sin, because it is forgiven. Just as the death that strangles Christians bodily is a death, but a death that has been overcome. Now because this article was begun by baptism and is preserved by the Word, we will never fully learn in this life what forgiveness of sins is.
22 We see this very well in this servant. Before the king reckons with him, he has no conscience, does not feel the guilt, and would always have gone away, made more guilt and asked nothing about it. But since the king wants to reckon with him, he feels the guilt first of all. It is the same with us. The other part does not ask anything about sin, goes safely, is not afraid of God's wrath. Such people cannot come to forgiveness of sins. For they do not come to know that they have sin. They may say with their mouths that they have sin, but if they were serious, they would speak much differently. This servant also saith, before his lord reckon with him: This is how much I owe my master, ten thousand pounds; but he goes away laughing. But when the reckoning is made, and his lord calls to sell him, his wife, his children, and all that he has, and to pay, then he feels. So we also feel the seriousness when our sins are revealed to us in our hearts; when the register of our sins is held up to us, when we are told that we are guilty.
we lose our laughter. Then we speak: I am the most wretched man, there is no more wretched man on earth than I am. Such knowledge makes a truly humble person, makes room for one to come to the right forgiveness of sins. And where such humility does not precede, there is no forgiveness. Therefore the gospel of the forgiveness of sins belongs only to the right Christians who rightly recognize and feel their sin. The rest of the rough people, who do not recognize nor feel their sin, do not belong here, nor do they understand this article of forgiveness of sin. Even if they hear preaching about it, it still remains hidden from them.
(23) But the true Christians, who feel their sin, have the consolation of believing in the forgiveness of sin; for they are baptized, hear the gospel, have absolution and the holy sacrament; they believe the same word. For God has placed the treasure, namely, forgiveness of sin, in His Word and Sacrament, and commanded that it be believed. Therefore, Christians do not come before God as this servant comes before his master and says, "Be patient with me, and I will pay you for everything"; nor do they minimize their sins, but confess that they are real, great sins, and ask for forgiveness. Then it is right that they receive what they believe, namely, forgiveness of sin. This kingdom of grace and forgiveness began with us in baptism and continues until the end. For the preaching of the gospel, baptism, absolution, and the sacrament were instituted for this purpose, that we should strengthen our faith in the forgiveness of sin more and more.
(24) Let us diligently consider these things, that we may know how to be freed from sin; that is, by no other way or means than as it is written in the third article of our Christian faith: I believe forgiveness of sin; that is so much as to say, I truly know and feel sin, tremble and quake because of sins. But how do I get rid of sin? So I get rid of it by believing that even though sin is there and I feel sin, it is not forgiveness.
Sin, because it is forgiven. But if sin is forgiven, forgiveness is not earned. For "to forgive" does not mean to reward or pay, but to give freely by grace. Therefore a righteous faith is needed to come to the forgiveness of sin. For the two must be together: knowledge of sin or humility, and faith. Just as we must truly recognize and feel sin, so we must also feel the forgiveness of sin in the Word. It cannot be seen, nor grasped, nor groped; for it is a high article of faith: but in the Word we hear and feel it, and God who speaks the Word is greater than heaven and earth. Since God says it, and the word of forgiveness of sin is God's word, heaven and earth must say yes to it, and no creature can overlook the place and space that the forgiveness of sin has.
(25) Therefore let a Christian take hold of this article, not doubting it, but believing it assuredly, always looking to the forgiveness which he has in the word. Only he does not dispute much about his sins. For when he disputes with them, he comes to pay the debt, as this servant does. Therefore, do not listen to what our heart says out of fear and unbelief, but listen to what God says, who is greater than my heart and yours. If we believe the Word, the Word will open heaven to us, and we will know that God's Word is greater, higher, deeper, longer and wider than all creatures.
(26) Now follows the story of the scoundrel servant who, after receiving grace, becomes wanton and angers the king again. This is the ungodly world that most shamefully abuses this doctrine of forgiveness of sin. Some do not recognize their sins: even though they are up to their ears in sins, they do not want to be sinners; such have no forgiveness. For where there is no sin, as I said, there is no forgiveness. Some confidently sin after forgiveness, and think that the gospel allows freedom to do to each one what he desires. But the gospel is a sermon for the afflicted hearts and frightened consciences, not for those who have lost their
The same applies to those who sin wantonly at the mercy of God.
(27) This wicked servant, when his debt is forgiven, soon forgets such great mercy and goes and seizes one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pennies; he chokes him and tells him to pay what he owes him. The fellow servant begs and pleads; but the more this scoundrel servant is begged, the angrier and harder he becomes. This is the common course in the world. When the sin is forgiven, one soon forgets about God's forgiveness and grace, and becomes more wanton and angry than before. I think it must be so that those who become evangelicals find themselves worse after the gospel than they were before the gospel: not through the fault of the gospel, but of the people who misuse the gospel in this way.
28. the way of the gospel is that those who misuse it become worse than before. Christ himself says, Matth. 12, 43-45: "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through a dry place, seeking rest, but does not find it. Then he says: I will return to my house from whence I came. And when he cometh, he findeth him idle, and clean, and adorned. So he goes and takes with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and when they come in, they dwell there; and the same man is worse afterward than he was before. So shall it be with this evil generation." There it is: To whom the gospel is preached, and afterward they abuse such preaching, they become seven times more wicked than they were before; and it were better for them that they had never heard the gospel. That is why I have often said that if I could do anything by wishing, I would wish that peasants, burghers, and nobles, who now most shamefully abuse the gospel, were still under the papacy; for they are nothing but a vain hindrance, disgrace, and harm to the gospel.
29 This is also seen here in the case of this scoundrel servant. The rascal, after he has received such great mercy, goes away and becomes worse than he was before. That this is not my opinion and judgment, but rather that
but the judgment of the Lord Christ Himself, who has indicated in clear, plain words that those who become evangelicals and then misuse the gospel become worse than they were before. And the experience also shows that it is true. Unfortunately, we experience every day that people now bear greater and more severe hatred and envy under the Gospel, and are worse with stinginess, scratching and grating than before under the papacy. The cause is this, as Christ says: they have opened the door to the devil again. He has taken to himself seven spirits more wicked than himself. We who preach the gospel must suffer this, that people become more angry after the gospel than before. But it is not the fault of the gospel, but of the devil and of the people who open the door again for the devil, so that he enters and dwells there with seven evil spirits. The fellow servants are greatly distressed at this, and come and bring before their lord all that they have seen and heard in the servant of the devil. So we also suffer much from the fact that those who have the name of being evangelical behave so ludicrously and shamefully that we wish they were still under the papacy. But we do like these fellow servants: we also bring it before God and before the people that they abuse the Gospel so shamefully.
(30) What happens? The lord summons the servant before him and says: "Thou servant of the shawl, all this debt have I forgiven thee, because thou hast asked me; shouldest thou not also have mercy on thy fellow servant, as I have had mercy on thee? As if to say, How unequally remitted is this, that I have remitted ten thousand pounds to thee, and thou canst not remit a hundred pence to thy fellow servant? What can the scoundrel servant say to this? He is decided and must be silenced. So our Lord God will also soon come with pestilence, dear time, war, and afflict our false evangelicals. In fact, there is already a great complaint in all places that everything is expensive. But the world does not want it any other way, it struggles for it, abuses the Gospel in the most shameful way, therefore God must strike. It goes, as it is written in Prov. 30, v. 21-23: "A
2504 L- 6, 180-182. on the twenty-second Sunday after Trinity. W. XIII, 2196-2198. 2505
The land is troubled by three things, and the fourth it cannot bear: a servant when he becomes king; a fool when he is too full; a hostile woman when she is married; and a maidservant when she becomes her wives' heir." So now we are also full servants, we are redeemed by the gospel from the Pabst's law and tyranny, and because of this we become wanton; therefore God must throw in and punish us.
(31) This wicked servant deals with his fellow servant as he pleases, choking him and throwing him into prison. But how is he? The Lord becomes angry and hands him over to the torturers until he pays everything he owes him. So it will also happen to us that we will fall into God's wrath and punishment, spiritually and physically. For God will cruelly punish the courage of peasants, burghers and nobles who now abuse the Gospel in this way. And God did not want the punishment to come soon, but that we could escape the evil for a while through prayer. For it cannot stand any longer; the will to courage is too great, God must control it. For otherwise no admonition, no warning, no pleading nor entreaty, no threat, and in sum, no punishment in any government, be it spiritual or secular, will help. God Himself must see, defend, control and punish.
(32) Well then, since you want it so that God Himself must finally strike, I will dare you, who so shamefully misuse the Gospel and provoke God to anger, and see how I stand with you. I have a head to lose, and no more. If I lose it, I will see where I will stay; you may also see where you will stay. For here we see that these servants are unequal. The scoundrel servant is punished, but the other servants have a merciful master. He does not deal with them in the same way as he deals with the scoundrel's servant. So it will also be unequal with you, who so abuse the gospel, and with us, who are so afflicted by you.
Therefore, one should not abuse the grace and forgiveness of God. Our Lord God has given us enough signs that we should be forgiven for our sins, namely
The preaching of the gospel, baptism, the sacrament, and the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Now it is also necessary that we give a sign of ourselves, so that we may testify that we have received forgiveness of sin. Such a sign should be that each one forgives his brother his sins. There is no comparison between God's forgiveness and our forgiveness. For what are a hundred pennies against ten thousand pounds? Nothing anywhere. Just as we do not earn by our forgiveness that God forgives us our sin, but forgiveness of sin is given to us by God out of grace: nevertheless, if our brother has sinned against us, we should forgive him; so that we may prove and make a confession of ourselves that we have received and accepted forgiveness from God.
(34) But fraternal forgiveness also requires that the brother whom I am to forgive confess his sin. For I cannot forgive sin that is not confessed. If the brother continues to harm me and gets worse day by day, I should suffer for it, but I should not absolve him, but should weigh down his conscience and say, "Brother, you have sinned against me in such and such a way; you should know that you have wronged me. If he despises and laughs, I shall suffer it; but I cannot forgive him, because he will not acknowledge sin. But if he know in his heart, and say, Brother, I have sinned against thee, I pray thee, forgive me; then shalt thou say: Dear brother, with all my heart.
(35) For the brotherly forgiveness is not such a forgiveness as is the forgiveness of the peasants, burghers, and nobles, who put on their priest all plagues; and because they know that the priest cannot do anything to them for it, they rely on it and say: Our priest must forgive us, for there is no one to punish us; so the priest is a preacher who must be patient and suffer, he must not complain to anyone; and even if he complains a lot, he is not heard. They give him what they allow him, and steal grain and barley from him,
oats and whatever they want. And especially those of the nobility make their pastor a calfactor and parlor heater, a messenger runner and letter carrier, take from him his interest and income, on which he is to feed himself with wife and child: and yet they are all good evangelicals, do no sin, so that they may make a conscience of themselves, rely on the fact that the poor man, their pastor, must forgive. Yes, dear Squire, you should be forgiven if you recognize it as a sin, if you want to let it go, and not continue. But if you do not recognize it as sin and continue in it, then they should say to you, "You are doing me wrong, and you do not want to forgive me.
Therefore I cannot forgive you. If you laugh at this, I say: "Burn on your soul; and when the pestilence, the evil time, brother Veit and finally the infernal fire come, God will keep account with you, as he has kept account here with this scoundrel servant.
This is what I have recently wanted to say about this high, excellent article, namely, the forgiveness of sins, about which article we would probably have to speak for a whole year. May our dear Lord God grant us His grace, so that we may understand this article correctly, comfort ourselves with it and use it blessedly, amen.