October or November 1528.
The Serene Highborn F[rau] Ursulen, Duchess of Münsterberg 1) etc., Countess of Glatz etc., Christian Cause of the Abandoned
Monastery at Freiberg.
To the Highborn Princes and Lords, Mr. George and Mr. Henry, Dukes of Saxony, Landgraves in Thuringia, Margraves of Meissen, my friendly dear lords and ladies.
1. grace and peace in Christ our Savior, before, highborn princes, friendly dear lords and ohms. After I have been informed that your loved ones are noticeably displeased on both sides because I, together with two virgins, have left the monastery at Freiberg and have left my order, from which E. L. assumes that this is done out of frivolous presumption, since God is in favor of it:
(2) I have not wished to spare my mind and good thoughts to your Lordship and have written this document, which I have written with my own hand, from my heart, without the help, advice or assistance of any man on earth, at this very time, according to the date which your Lordship will find herein, from which your Lordship will find that this has not been done lightly, but because I am obliged to give an account for my soul before God's judgment. will find that this was done out of no frivolity, but because I am guilty of giving account for my soul before God's judgment, and I am certain that neither E. L. nor any creature under heaven can excuse me before God, I must also bear my condemnation alone and no one will suffer it for me, since I must fear God more than men [Apost. 5, 29.]. For he himself testifies, Luc. 12, 5. that he, if he
1) In the old editions: "Mönsterberg" and "Glotz".
killed the body, the soul can also be thrust into hell. .
3) But if such a mighty and fearful request of mine, together with those who are with me, who at the same time vote with me, does not move you, and if my responsibility is recognized by the Lord unsatisfactorily, as is the way of the world, I will be excused before God and the world, so that the Lord cannot have cause for some disfavor toward me, considering that I have neither acted against God nor against honor, but have dared to trust in God and His word, even though it is not pleasing to the world. For darkness and light, Christ and Belial will not agree with each other, 2 Cor. 6, 14. 15.
4. however, if E. L. wanted to accuse me of having done such a thing secretly without E. L.'s knowledge and will, my answer is that I should not have revealed such a thing to E. L.. The reason for this is that I have been certain that E. L. would not have been offended by my distress, as I have sufficiently explained beforehand; nor would this have resulted in anything other than that I, along with other pious children, would only have been punished more severely, and thus would have burdened E. L.'s and my conscience more. In this case, I want to serve E. L. as my friends, whom I wish well with all my heart. I did not want to save E. L.'s kind opinion and hereby want to have commanded E. L. to the merciful God.
2) "Neither" is inserted by us from the Jena edition.
*This writing appeared (probably in October or November of the year) 1528 first with Hans Luft in Wittenberg under the title: "Der Durchlauchtigen Hochgebornen F. Ursulen, Herzogin zu Mönsterberg u. s. w., Gräfin zu Glotz u. s. w., christliche Ursach des verlassen Klosters zu Freiberg. Then it was published again in Mrnberg in 1529. Luther published it, provided with his postscript; in the old editions it is called V o r r e d e and is prefixed to the scripture in the Jena edition (1566), vol. IV, p. 356. In the Wittenberg edition, the so-called preface alone is in the 9th volume, p. 539b, but the writing is in vol. VI (1553), p. 257. Furthermore, both are found in the Altenburg, vol. IV, p. 415; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, 646 and in the Erlangen, vol. 65, p. 131. We give the text according to the Erlangen edition, which brings the original print, comparing the Wittenberg and Jena editions. The determination of the time is based on the fact that Luther wrote to Spalatin on 2V. The determination of the time is based on the fact that Luther wrote to Spalatin on October 2, 1528, that the Duchess of Münsterberg was in his house with the other two convent virgins. Not long after that, approximately in October or November, the writing will have appeared.
By the grace of God, Ursula, née Duchess of Münsterberg and Troppau, Countess of Glatz etc., at Freiberg in the convent, together with two virgins from there, namely Dorothea Thanbergin and Margaretha Volkmarin, of one mind.
1 Paul, 1 Cor. 10, 32, says: "Be unruly both to the Greeks and to the Jews, and to the community of God. According to this, we have not failed to disclose to everyone who desires to know, the reasons and causes by which we are caused to leave monastic life, together with its ceremonies, ways, place and persons, diligently desiring that every devout Christian who will hear and see such, would take heed of the great perilous afflictions of our conscience in which we have been, by which he will find that we may in no other way escape the inevitable judgment of God, 1) which he forbids all despisers of his everlasting true word, which is himself, Joh. 1, 1., but by this very way.
2. from which he will also recognize that this did not happen out of a frivolous mind, nor out of a quick coincidence, but rather that it was always deliberate and well-considered. Are of confidence to every one who is informed by divine grace of faith and taught by God, that such will not be an annoyance to him, but rather a strengthening to praise and glorify God, who can save His own from such perilous distress. Although we do not want to answer those who despise and persecute God's word with hardened hearts, we let them go, because they are blind, which title Christ himself gives them, Matth. 15, 14. And Joh. 10, 27. he says, "that only his sheep hear his voice". Therefore, if we rely solely on God and His word, 2) our responsibility will certainly not count for anything with those who have "crucified Christ as an offense and foolishness" before their eyes, whom we confess to be "divine power and divine wisdom" [4 Cor. 1:23, 24], to whom be eternal praise forever and ever, amen.
The first cause that compels us to leave monastic life is this: Christ tells Marci at the last, v. 15. f.: "Preach the gospel to all creatures. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" etc., and Joh. 3, 16: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish.
1) Thus the Wittenberg and Jena editions. Erlanger (according to Walch's old edition?): "GOtte".
2) d. i. support.
but will have eternal life" etc. Also the prophet Habakkuk 2, 4. says: "The righteous will live by his faith." In which sayings it is most clearly indicated that all our salvation and life rests on Christ, who is accepted in faith, as John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me" etc.
(4) Because it speaks the eternal truth itself, which the high divine majesty personally commands to be obeyed, Matth. 17, 5, Marci 9, 7 and Luc. 9, 35.It is irrevocable, because in the word and faith of Him alone stands life; that also in contempt of Him and unbelief nothing else is to be expected but eternal damnation, as Joh. 3, 36: "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but 3) the wrath of God abideth upon him." And Deut. 18, 18. 19.: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. And whosoever shall not hear my words which he shall speak in my name, of him will I require it." In which place God Himself testifies that the words of Christ are His words, and threatens us with His irrevocable judgment if we do not accept them. And Marc. 16, 16: "He who does not believe is condemned." Joh. 3, 18: "But he who does not believe is already judged, because he does not believe in the name of the only begotten 4) Son of God" etc.
(5) These sayings we have therefore here to remind each one that it is superfluous to set before our eyes wherein our eternal life is, namely, in faith, and from which we are liable to eternal damnation, namely, in unbelief and contempt of Christ and His words. From this, everyone can judge that every person who naturally desires to be saved, strives with all diligence, by which way and means he can reach it the closest. This has been shown to some extent in many people, how they have worried and tormented themselves about it; although they have done nothing with it, and could not be satisfied in any way, how high and heavy the burden and effort has been, which we also confess to have found to be supreme.
6 But now, if by the grace and mercy of God we are enlightened without any merit on our part by the word of the holy gospel, which comes from the heart and mouth of God with the word of God.
3) So the Jenaer. Wittenberger and Erlanger: and. 4) "eingebornen" is missing in the Wittenberger and Erlang".
We are still confronted with a number of powerful and strong obstacles that oppose our faith and trouble our minds with constant unrest, which we will relate here according to the order.
(7) The first thing that is objectionable and hindering to our faith is this. Since, after receiving the grace given us in baptism, we still have to struggle and fight with the damned flesh, which is corrupted by the first birth and poisoned by sin, we also feel that such a struggle is difficult and dangerous, because this vice is so deeply rooted in our flesh that it cannot be eradicated as long as this flesh remains in its first nature; which damned vice is unbelief. Does it not behoove us to remove such obstacles, that we may fight the more surely? Since then faith alone is our salvation, and unbelief our damnation, as indicated above, we find this place and place to be entirely the antithesis of both in words and deeds, and the very vows they say our salvation should be in are the ones that snatch us away from God, throwing us into uncertainty and eternal damnation, for which reason we must forsake them.
But that we may make this more understandable, let us keep God's commandment, our baptismal vows, and our deeds against one another, from which everyone can see how far they are separated from one another, and how dangerous the faith is, and with what trembling and shaking it is to be constantly awaited, a grave and irretrievable fall. We leave it to every believing and tempted heart to recognize how it can stand with one another to vow in baptism to renounce the devil (that is), to deny his kingdom (into which we are rejected by the first birth), and to have eternal enmity and struggle with him. And by the sacrament of baptism, we desire and ask to be received into the kingdom of Christ, into the Christian community, which is His own, governed by the word of God. 1 Petr. 2, 9.
(9) But what is more ugly to be thought of, than that we should make a new alliance with his and our renounced enemy, to the shame and blasphemy of Christ our King, and shut ourselves out of the fellowship of the children of God, and out of the brotherhood of Christ and his members, to have a new and distinct brotherhood,
which is invented by men, without God's word and contrary to it, of which the prophet says Ps. 116, 11: "I said in my trembling: all men find liars. So then, what is lying but the devil's work? From which it follows that everything that human reason invents apart from God's word is 1) just that.
But because the Holy Spirit of God speaks these things publicly, we do not know how to reproach him, but agree with him that we have obeyed our renounced enemy in this, and have renounced our right King Christ, who conquered us with deadly strife and the shedding of his most precious blood, and have become perjured and unfaithful to him with those of whom it is written, Luc. 19:14: "His citizens sent a message to him, saying, 'We do not want him to rule over us.'" O great goodness of God, who has so mercifully spared and long-suffered our punishment. What could be more frightening than to be sworn to divine majesty and immutable truth? as we did in baptism, when we said: I renounce all works of the devil (that is), I confess myself a subject and sworn to divine truth, and not to obey in any way the devil's doctrine, namely, human fiction, by which he so cunningly murders souls with such a neat appearance of holiness. For with such color Christ paints him, and so he interprets his works, Joh. 8, 44, namely: "Let him be a liar and a murderer" etc.
11 Therefore, from the above, it is unfortunately clear how such a vow is carried out in such a case. What condemnation should we not have fallen to, since we have presumed to trample the Son of God underfoot, and to regard the blood of the eternal testament as impure, and to desecrate the spirit of grace! precisely because we wanted to beatify ourselves by accepting the order, to purge sin, to attain holiness above all others. And this not through Christ, who was sent and ordained by God for this purpose, but through this work of ours.
(12) Does this not mean that the Son of God is trampled underfoot, as contemptible and useless to the work of our salvation as a useless thing is trampled underfoot? For it is evident that if we had believed to be saved through Christ, we would not have sought a byway. Who can contradict this?
1) So the Jenaer. Wittenberg and Erlangen: is.
1790 Erl. it, iss-i4i. 178. the duchess of muensterberg causes etc. W. xix, 2127-2129. 1701
that such is not the devil's nature or hope, which we have renounced when we said: Is this not the same as what the devil did when he wanted to be like God and was therefore cast out? Is this not the same sin that we inherited from Adam, who was also led to want to be like God by the woman who seduced him with the devil's lies? Gen. 3, 5. For thus says God Isa. 43, 11: "It is I; I am the Lord, and without me there is no redeemer." And the same 42, 8: "I am the Lord, and that is my name; I will give my glory to no other."
(13) But with what lie should we not have been deceived or deceived, believing that by accepting the order we would be freed from chastisement and guilt, and that it would be another baptism? and as often as we denied the same resolution in our minds, thinking that if we had not done it, we would still do it, we would obtain forgiveness of all sins; which was publicly proclaimed to us in the pulpit. Is this not blasphemy and contrary to divine truth, when it says, Isa. 43, 25: "It is I, I myself, who blot out thy sin for my own sake, and will remember thy sins no more"? and in the same before that he thus speaks v. 24: "Thou hast made me a servant in thy sins, and hast made me a laborer in thine iniquities."
(14) Now who would deny that if we had taken such things to heart and believed that we had allowed the false imaginary words, as reported, to come into our mouths in any way, much less would we have come to works? For if such a thing had been so strongly imagined by us as this, namely, that 1) the noble and precious blood of Christ, which is a certain assurance and pledge of the eternal testament (that is), of God's favor, would be regarded as impure with such superstition, that is, as insufficient to blot out sin, who would have willingly given himself up to such wrath of God, to a doing which is done with such displeasure of heart, and only to please men in it, in whom there is no salvation at all? Yes, we would have left it.
(15) But how could we not have profaned the Spirit of grace, through whom alone there is forgiveness of sins, as Christ says, John 20:22, 23? And over and above all this, because we have been united to Christ in baptism
1) In all editions: "that we". We have deleted "we" because this breaks the construction.
We are bound together with an indissoluble bond of conjugal marriage through faith, as Hosea 2:20 says: "I have entrusted you to me through faith. Through which spouseship we have received innumerable goods, namely, the merits of Christ, together with his suffering and death, so that through these also our sins are completely submerged in the unfathomable fountain of divine mercy, which we have not only received ungratefully, but have also prepared for ourselves our own and imaginary spouseship, in which, to make the devil's hope perfect, we have stepped out of Christ's chaste marriage with adultery, namely, by committing adultery with another in addition to God, who is our trusted bridegroom through the alliance of faith, namely, with our imaginary works in which we have trusted; And yet we may well boast that we are brides of Christ, and may well exalt ourselves above other Christians whom we have unworthily esteemed. Which our words and works clearly show. Although many deny it, we do not want to remain silent in praise of God, for such sins of ours will appear before God and all the world exposed and discovered on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, we had better be careful "to judge ourselves, so that we will not be judged," as Paul says in 1 Cor. 11:31.
(16) In order that we may make our opinion more understandable, each one must realize, if he will take it to heart otherwise, that this marriage and covenant, which was made between God and us through the faith that we publicly confessed in baptism, is broken and destroyed in this case, because we confessed in baptism and committed ourselves to believe in the one God, in the Trinity of Persons. See here the covenant. The fact that it is a crime, however, convinces us of God. Law in the other book of Moses, Cap. 20, 3. 4. where it says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me: thou shalt not make any graven image or any likeness" etc.
(17) Who can deny that it is not blessed if we worship the works of our hands and give them divine honor, and if we give them our blessedness, which honor is the sole responsibility of God, as stated above? And this we have done conducively in the three vows which we are to keep unchangeably in case of loss of souls. In which case the
2) i.e. defiled.
3) The Jena edition asked here the explanatory word: "besuddelt".
1702 Erl. 65, 141-144. XI. Luther's writings on monastic vows etc. W. xix, 2129-2131. 1703
1) But are they not in accordance with the baptismal vow, if we have here lifted ourselves up to have no other God, and, as stated above, since we renounce the devil, join ourselves in the kingdom of God, and to be ruled by Him alone in the Word? 2)
(18) And here we join ourselves to obedience, not of God, but of men, and hence not of God, but of men. Which, alas for God, has been with us a thousandfold, and has gone on in full swing, convincing our conscience superfluously. But what is it but that we willingly vow poverty, which we call willingly with our mouths, and deny with our hearts? just as if we wanted to deceive divine wisdom as a man. Even if we deny this, whoever wants to, we still confess the truth. We will not be able to hide it from the divine face, since he is "a searcher of hearts and desires," Ps. 7:10.
19 According to the words of Christ, Matth. 5, 3, it is not a "poverty of spirit", but only an outward appearance, which also prevents us from showing love and helping our neighbor according to the divine law. Nor can anyone deny that chastity is a work that God alone must perform in the human heart and body; how then have we been so presumptuous as to vow and sacrifice to God that is His and not ours? Before, because we have no command from God about it, but put 3) that in each one's ability, Matth. 19, 12: "Whoever can grasp it, let him grasp it." But just before that v. 11 says: "The word is not for everyone to grasp, but for those to whom it is given." And so all other things that are dependent on this vow, namely, rules, statutes, constitutions and new articles, which only come to them, among which the majority is contrary to God's word and faith, but wants to have an alternative besides God; which is then most strongly forbidden in the first commandment, and presses on the conscience with a severe 4) pressure of the law.
20 All this would be too long to tell here.
1) "sie" is in the Wittenberg and Jena editions, but is missing in the old Walch and Erlangen editions.
2) In the Jena edition: "zu regirt werden"; Wittenberger and Erlanger: "zugeregirt".
3) So the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Erlanger: "stellet". If "GOtt" should be the subject, it would probably have been: "but stellet it in his gift".
4) Thus the Jenaer. Erlanger: härten; Wittenberger: hertzen.
For this reason we leave it at that: hope that it will be clear enough to anyone with understanding that he will understand sufficiently what peril is loaded on our conscience; which we could not have avoided in any other way than to speak out completely and "no longer touch the unclean," as the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 52, v. 12.
(21) But because we have often proved ourselves with diligence, and with great anxiety of mind gathered and considered all these things, we have found that we have built our edifice upon a perilous and uncertain foundation, upon which we must fear and tremble at every moment for a great and irrecoverable fall. For Christ Matth. 7, 26. 27. says: "Whoever hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. And when the rain fell, and the waters came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, then it fell, and great was its fall.
22. Therefore, when we have felt with ourselves that we are not only hindered from spending this passage of God's word and command, but also from hearing what we will say afterwards, we have also found our house so loose and uncertain that we are daily driven to and fro in our faith like a reed by the wind, and are mightily pelted with strong downpours of fright and doubt in God, and then with strong winds of human doctrines, and with great waters of temptation, that we feel we can no longer stand at all in our faith. For if we are daily overwhelmed with the teachings of men, which are imagined the longer the more, and the very thing that is to be rejected therein, namely, the trust in the same, is most imagined for us and constantly impressed on the conscience, also the same, which reaches God's blasphemy: who can stand before God's wrath?
23 We have also at one time made this excuse, hoping that it would be changed, but it has not happened, namely, we have denounced our grievance to the princes and their rulers, both in writing and orally, and have denounced in many words the anguish and distress with which our minds are troubled, and have also denounced other persons and causes who would oppose us by force and trickery from the faith and subsequently from Christ, our one Savior, which would be unacceptable to us.
5) i.e. tested, tried.
We were promised that such a thing would be changed and improved, for which we have now waited almost two years. But if none of these things have happened; if we have thought of something else besides this, so that with effort and work we have managed to get a preacher to preach God's word to us properly, so that those who are ignorant of God's word, who have hitherto been obscured and unaware of it, might also learn something and satisfy their consciences by being taught Christian freedom; hoping that an easing would follow from this, so that the poor consciences would not be so miserably troubled: we see nothing to follow but that it only becomes worse, and we are often admonished to avoid such preaching and not to accept it. From this, everyone can see how consciences are only more troubled and confused.
24. also find that it will have no continuance with the preacher, but that they daily seek how to bring him from thence, that all ready is well before their eyes to what end it will come. "But bring it home to Him who judges righteously" [1 Pet. 2:23] that so many fearful hearts and consciences are grieved, who are not allowed to confess it because of fear; according to His promise, He will undoubtedly also save them. But we freely confess that we can no longer live without God's word, and are like the hungry, pining sheep [Ps. 119, 176], which can neither feed nor be satisfied, but only with Christ, our right shepherd [Jn. 10, 11.12], who has the words of life [Jn. 6, 68]. Following Him through the cross and the shame of the whole world [Matth. 10, 38], we must forgive ourselves the favor and friendship of men, because God's friendship and man's friendship cannot stand together; for no one can serve two masters who are against each other [Matth. 6, 24].
(25) So our blessedness is not so cheap to us that we can sell it for human favor or put it on the market. For we know for certain that we have no lasting place here, but wait for one to come [Heb 13:14]. Therefore we must go out to him who was crucified at the gate [Matt. 27:31, 32] and bear his reproach. For we are waiting for the time to come when the same crucified and rejected Christ will come again in the glory of his Father [Matth. 16, 27.], so that we will not be found like those who boast of greater works in the name of the Lord, and yet the Lord will give them the glory of the Lord.
answered: I have never known you; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, Matth. 7:22,23.
26. we would rather be among the number of those whom Christ wants to be known before his Father, namely those who follow him under the banner of the holy cross, to which we swore in baptism, Matth. 16, 24. From the above, every devout Christian who has received instruction in the faith can see that in a troubled conscience all these things are gathered together and powerfully driven about, so that it cannot exist in any particular place, and must everywhere be fleeting 1) and fearful of death, unless it is followed by an evil conscience and unspeakable fear, and vain uncertainty and inaction against God our Savior, which also brings with it an evil and blasphemous heart.
27. who then can assure us in such a way that we may take hold of the rock, namely Christ, our one and only Savior [Matth. 16, 18.], under such impetuous rivers of water, to take refuge in Him before such an impetuous sea: is it not perishable that the waters may beat upon us and cover our eyes, that we may not see heaven (that is), that we may despair, that we may no longer call upon God, if the light of our eyes were taken away, namely Christ? [Which has often been so powerfully close to us, as our conscience testifies before God, who alone knows the hearts [1 Kings 8:39], that we did not think that it was possible for a heart to bear with a living body: Who would not flee such peril and depart from it? Or who could willingly go to eternal death?
28 All these things, dear friends, who are our brothers and sisters in Christ, of one faith and one baptism [Eph. 4:5], we have publicly declared to you, so that you may know that the abandonment of our order does not flow from a frivolous mind, but from powerful, important and serious matters, in which no disgrace can be avoided. And although the above-mentioned cause is strong enough to put life and limb, honor and property at stake, there are still many other reasons by which we are compelled to leave bad monastic life, which we will also recount here.
The other reason why we have to leave monastic life is this, because, as above, we have to leave the monastery.
1) So the Jenaer. Wittenberg and Erlangen: fleugt hafftig.
1706 Eri. ss, its-itg. XI. Luther's writings on monastic vows etc. W. xix, 2134-2137. 1707
Now we see from divine Scripture that faith is the only work of our salvation;
Likewise, unbelief is the only cause of our condemnation. Thus we are also informed from the worthy word of God that faith in the heart is not enough for salvation, but there must also be a public confession, with denial of oneself. For so Christ says Matth. 10, 32. 33.: "Whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess before my Father in heaven. And whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven"; Luc. 9, 26: "But whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my sayings, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed also, when he cometh in his glory"; Paul, Rom. 10, 10: "If a man believe with his heart, he shall be justified: but if he confess with his mouth, he shall be saved."
30. Such confession, however, does not want to suffer in this place and place in any way, no improvement comes out of it, but we have also felt that our confession, by which we have brought upon ourselves disfavor in the eyes of the world, also strong indignation and repulsion of our neighbors and fellow citizens, has also been annoying to the weak consciences, also caused some to turn away from the divine word, and, which is still the most serious thing, not even the slightest change of such things has happened, as reported above, but have had to tolerate such things with the same danger as before, which we feel to be in no way deceptive, first when we see that the authorities, to whom we have complained of this, are looking through their fingers, and always let such blasphemies go, just as if it were done, so that they think they have shut us up; but we say no to it.
For God's word, which is unchanging and eternal, stands firm, which threatens us that God's Son will deny us and be ashamed of us before His heavenly Father, therefore, woe to us if we remain silent. But how can our conscience be satisfied for a moment, when such a heavy burden of 'divine wrath' feels upon it?
32 We put it there for everyone to see what good conscience can be in this, if one hears daily read and say that God comes to dishonor, and remain silent about it. We order the scholars to judge, who know the books and know what kind of matters are contained therein, as namely: in Pomerio de Sanctis and de tempore, Thesaurus de tempore and äs
Sanctis, Discipulus,1 ) Marialc, Berhhardinus de Senis, Stellarius, Wilhelmus Parisiensis, Rosetum, Passionale and the like, which they all call books accepted by the Christian Church, in which the several part are vain uncertain Quästiones, and in many places such idolatrous and absurd doctrines against our faith and divine Scripture, that it would also be shameful and sinful to think of, let us not read publicly.
33. It has also been demanded of one of ours to pledge into the hand that she should accept such books, as proven and accepted by the Christian church, for right and good; which she answered for in such a way: that she would gladly accept the book of the Holy Bibles, as accepted by the holy church, and also everything, which by sound doctrine agrees with this book in other books, she would gladly accept as an obedient of the church; but is not accepted in such an answer, but with suspicion demanded of her to believe also all teachers, who have been determined there; but if the answer has been made to the previous opinion, all this is not considered sufficient, but in the end decided with suspicion, she would be forced to it. And summa, all opinions, poems and dreams are to be accepted for the truth and God's word, so that no one may protest against them. Yes, if it did not come to divine dishonor; whether we would be disgraced by it, we would like to have it accepted.
34. But who can assure us that we can be excused before God in this case, because we silently permit such things, consent to them and participate in them? And even if we had not done it, as we cannot deny, our conscience does not absolve us because we consent with silence. For Paul says in Romans 1:32 that not only those who do these things are worthy of death, but also those who consent to them. But who will be our guarantor that we will be able to escape the wrath to come [Matth. 3, 7.], if we know from God's laws the commandment that only the one God is to be worshipped by us and that only he is to be served, and that besides this, all those who do not obey him are so seriously forbidden, Ex. 20, 5.
1) This title expression of modesty: there were Ksrmonss äs tsmpors per sirsulum aimi, äs Lansti8, äs mirusulw Karins. 8srrliori68 äs tsmpors are sermons on all Sundays in the church year; äs Lanstis sermons on saints' days; Lsi-monss HusäraMsimulss Lenten sermons. (Seidemann, Erläuterungen, p. 113, note 1.)
O Lord thy God, I am a strong zealot, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation that hate me"?
35 Therefore, how can we be excused if we worship the mother of Christ and many other saints over him with divine veneration, and give them divine names and put them on, which is done daily in our hymns and prayers? We fear that we will not be able to escape the blows, if we know the will of our Lord in this, and do not do it, Luc. 12, 47. Although no one should hear us say that we have blasphemed the precious Mother of Christ and the chosen friends of God in this way, or that we have deprived them of their honor; but we speak of the honor that, in the sole responsibility of God, should not be given to any creature. Of them we well confess that they have been the temple and dwelling place of God [4 Cor. 3:16] through faith, and it is they who are the instruments that God has used for His glory, proving His mighty works and deeds in them, so that we might be strengthened by such examples.
(36) Likewise, just as they are saved through faith and hope, so are they (1) who have presented to us the examples of a poor spirit; for which reason they strip themselves of all things and give glory and praise to God alone. Such an example is clearly presented to us in the worthy mother of Christ, the Virgin Mary, as Luc. 1,2) 42., when she was proclaimed by Elizabeth a blessed one above all women, together with the precious fruit of her womb, she completely exposes and expresses herself, and throws it upon God, appropriates nothing to herself, but gives God the praise. This example has also been given to us by many saints of the Old and New Testaments, in which God is praised in them, who has worked such things in them over and against nature, and who is responsible for us to follow such an example.
37) Furthermore, we also confess those who have left body, goods and honor, and what was only in them, above the confession of faith, as the epistle to the Hebrews testifies in the 11th chapter, and thus through much sorrow followed our Duke Christ into the kingdom, into which he entered through the same way, namely through the cross and shame, Luc. 24, 46.
1) ares-----s they are.
2) Here the Erlangen edition has reprinted "Luc. 2, 42." from the old edition of Walch, while it otherwise corrected several of Walch's wrong Bible citations in this writing (exceptionally). "Luc. 2." is found here, by the way, also in the old editions.
3) "that" is missing in the Erlanger, but is in the old editions.
Which confession God has also worked in the very weakest instruments, namely in virgins and women, who have naturally been of a weak, soft and unstable mind, like us; which God can also give us. But we must not presume to tempt God to put us in unnecessary danger, from which we might well escape.
Therefore, we publicly confess that this place and location has not been a free confession, but only fear and anxiety, and that before men and not before God: from which we have also at one time been caused to fall into a grave trap and disloyalty to God our Savior, but have still 4) achieved no benefit from it. Accordingly, it behooves us to escape such peril.
The third cause is this, Christ in the Gospel, Matth. 22, 37, when he addresses Moses in the fifth book, at the sixth chapter, in this saying [v. 5]: "You shall love God your Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." In which commandment he demands not only the outward work, but the whole man inwardly and outwardly with all his ability. He also interprets the same in Matth. 5, 20, when he says: "Unless your righteousness is better than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you may not enter the kingdom of heaven." In the following chapter Christ says that for us Christians the outward work without the heart is not valid before God, but the law is transgressed, if there is not a voluntary spirit, because, as Rom. 7, 14, "the law is spiritual" etc.; therefore it wants to be spent in the spirit.
40 Since this is what is said about the law of God, in which God tells us what works are pleasing and acceptable in His sight, what is to be said of our imaginary works, if we have no command from God, nor can we benefit our neighbor with them? and yet there is nothing but outward appearance in which human praise is sought, and so much of man's fiction, among which is also childish and ridiculous, and so much of monkey play, that it is impossible to spend with a willing heart, 5) and yet everything must be done with compulsion and pressed upon the conscience. Which each one can judge for himself, since there is no hour of the day, nor some in the night, in which 6) we are not bound by special laws; but who can
4) "yet" is missing in the Jena.
5) i.e. to accomplish. In the editions: "verbrengen".
6) In the old editions: "in the"; Erlanger: "in the".
1710 Eri. 85, 151-154. XI. Luther's writings on monastic vows etc. W. xix, 213^2142. 1711
deny that he 1) does not do this with an unjoyful heart, before, as we know that Christ, Matth. 15, 8. 9., holds such things so contemptible that he also calls it a vain service, happened to him, since he says: "This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their heart is 2) far from me."
41 We confess that Christ points fingers at us here and has actually hit us, as if to the target, so that we cannot excuse ourselves with a word. From which everyone can see that our actions are done with a very evil conscience, which again we cannot avoid except to turn away.
The fourth cause of our departure is this: We have Matthew 4:4, where Christ says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth by the mouth of God." Since Christ, the divine truth, himself says that our life depends on the word of God, which he also declares in John 6:51: "I am the living bread come from heaven: whosoever shall eat of this bread shall live for ever," we must confess it.
(43) If then our eternal life hangs on the word of God, and only those who obey it can receive life, as Christ indicates in John in the above-mentioned passage, we agree with him that we cannot find strength or salvation for our poor faint souls who are hungry and thirsty, but only in the worthy word of God, which alone is our salvation and comfort [Apost 13:26, Ps 119:92]. So everyone can consider that the weakness and weakness of a mortal body usually comes from the fact that it cannot have the custom of food. And who would say that a body that was fed only once a whole week could be preserved in its natural strength, especially if it was burdened with heavy loads and great work?
44 What then is to be said of a noble soul, which by the nature of its being is easily damaged, weakened and killed, if it is deprived of its food, which is its strength and life, namely, of the word of God, without which it cannot live, beforehand, if it is thus bothered with so many uncertain things, which are its poison and death, which is sufficiently proven from the above? There is then no help, no salvation, but only a deadly strife; nor is there any comfort to be sought from anyone's counsel, so that such a weak one may be saved.
1) Erlanger: such a one".
2) "but- is missing in the Erlanger.
There is nothing else in such a conscience, but a terrible scream of murder from every creature that comes before the eyes, and no other consolation in the heart, but only this 3): If I had been provided by God for salvation, He would not have called me to such peril, God does not want you, He has rejected you. But he who is outside must not expect this, for he is protected from such a one; but you expect nothing from this but eternal damnation etc.
45 We put all these things in the hands of every one who has been tempted, and let him know whether such a troubled conscience can also trust in God or His word, if there is not someone to proclaim or remind it to him at such a time. And even if one could memorize the whole Bible, it would be forgotten at such a time. But in our actions there is still the danger that we are closed and imprisoned, that we are not allowed to hear the sermon, as other people do, when and where it is necessary; but also, if we had chosen one to whom we looked that he might confirm such an uncertainty of conscience and assure it by the word of God, such a thing was not permitted to us, but was denied us, even in the last distresses. Which we have often seen happen before our eyes, and has also happened to our own persons. Who would not want to flee such a great evil?
The fifth cause that troubles us in our conscience is this. We have indicated above in the third article that all our works are so constrained and flow out of an unjoyful heart without God's command, and consequently an evil conscience is felt, which we find most burdensome in receiving the holy Sacrament of the Body of Christ, To which we are often forced in the year, namely, four and twenty times, except for the days chosen by ourselves, with the commandment that one be equally skillful as he wants, so no excuse helps for it, it lies on the conscience, what there may be, so it must go straight 5).
(47) But such a sacrament demands a hungry soul who recognizes its need, so that it should go there willingly and eagerly to seek comfort and help, as the words of its institution read, and Paul 1 Cor. 11:27 says: "Whoever eats of this bread unworthily, or of the bread of the Lord, is to be taken away.
3) In the editions: "these".
4) Erlanger: worde.
5) Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer: starck; Erlanger: stark.
If any man drink the cup of the Lord, he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And after that, in the same place, he puts a great and terrible pressure on those who receive this holy sacrament unworthily.
O Lord God, how often have we been addicted to it. For with us there has just been a contradiction, as when we have been able to do it, we have had to do without it; but when we have been completely unskilled, we have had to do it; with what good conscience, however, any understanding person can recognize. Also, because we have the command from divine majesty to obey Christ, and he, who is the wisdom of the Father, 1 Cor. 1:30, has instituted the use of this sacrament under both the form of bread and wine, and commands us to eat the body and drink the blood, let us not presume to rise above God with our first parents, to hold otherwise with our approving mind, which Christ has thus instituted, but because he is God's power and wisdom, 1 Cor. 1:24. 1, 24, let us let him be and remain the same, who knew well what was useful and acceptable to us, and had no need of human counsel in this matter, but his word is certain enough for us, so that we no longer wanted to suffer it on our conscience, but had to turn away from it when we lost our souls. For in the 5th Book of Moses, Cap. 12, v. 32, it is forbidden not to do anything from God's word, nor to add anything to it. Therefore, we can no longer clear our conscience in this case.
The sixth cause: Joh. 13, 34. says Christ: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you"; and Matth. 22, 37-40: "You shall love God your Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the noblest and greatest commandment. But the other is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. In these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." And Paul to Romans 12:18: "If it be possible, as much as is in you, keep peace with everyone."
50 We cannot feel such love and peace in this place and place, but just the contradiction, and that these words of Christ go in full swing, Matth. 10, 36: "A man's enemies will be his own household. And Luc. 12, 52. 53.: "You will be five in one house, three against two, and two against three. The father will sit down against the son,
1) In the editions: "with what good conscience."
and the son against the father, and the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother"; and if this should happen in a small house, where there are only five of you together, everyone can consider what should happen in a large assembly, where there are seven and seventy of you together. For this reason we must turn away from it: not because we do not want to suffer persecution, which we cannot nor will not express in any place, but because our consciences cannot be pacified in this, because we avoid place and persons, so we must escape for causes that concern them and us.
(51) The causes that concern them are that we feel in them a bitter and hateful heart toward us, so that not only our person but also all our works are opposed to them, and even if we do what we want, we cannot serve them in any way. Even though they do not want to be aware of it before us, they cannot hide it, because they show their unwillingness with words and deeds, so that no one can deny it. But we bring it home to him who judges rightly [1 Pet 2:23]. For this reason we want to escape from them, so that we do not burden their consciences any further, because we have caused them to grieve many innocent hearts so miserably and wretchedly with our presence, which they hold so suspiciously because of us, and yet we do them injustice in the eyes of God. It is also to be expected that some of them may perish, body and soul, because they are unaware of the divine word, and know very little of God to put them at ease; it is our duty to escape from them all together.
The other cause concerns ourselves. For from what has been said above, everyone can judge what good blood such things work in us. For we confess that we are poor, sinful people and incapable in such a case, and feel that God's law, which commands us to love our enemies [Matt. 5:44], will have no place in us, but rather, out of the daily accidents that come to our attention, our hearts are caused more and more for us. The longer they come under our eyes, the more our hearts are caused to become bitter 2) and to hate; and no matter how much we have tried to escape such bitterness, we have been able to find neither way nor counsel, except the one, namely, to avoid such persons against whom we do not have in our hearts some confidence nor faith in them,
2) In the issues: to become acrimonious.
but without ceasing to endanger us in everything we do? The Almighty God will make it known to them that this does not happen to us without a clear and important cause.
(53) Further, we have used this remedy, that we should resist the gross affliction in the least outwardly, and have pictured to ourselves the law with its impositions, which we have found to resist only the fist, but nothing at all to the heart, and nothing else to follow from it, except that, as Paul says in Rom. 4:15, "The law only causes wrath.
54 Since we know that not those who hear the law are righteous, but those who keep the law are justified, Rom. 2:13, and Matt. 5:18: "Not one letter nor one jot will pass from the law until all is done"; therefore we find ourselves guilty of the law, which drives and demands us. So now we find no other way that could satisfy our conscience in this case, except to avoid their company. For, if we are no longer allowed to travel in any of their company, which 2) causes us to do so, we hope with divine help to pass over and avoid such evil.
The seventh reason that moves us to leave monastic life is this. We have it everywhere in divine Scripture that our life should be directed at all times that one should reach out to the other and serve him, which Christ himself presents as an example to confirm, John 13:15: "An example have I given you, that ye should do at the same time as I have done unto you," which he also did, Marc. 10:45, and Rom. 12:5: "We many are one body, but one is another's member" etc. 1 Cor. 14, v. 26: "Let all things be done unto correction."
(56) Therefore, if we find ourselves placed in such a position where we can serve no one, but are a nuisance to many, are we not advised to avoid it? For it is open to the public, as shown above, that we are not of one mind. For they take heed to human laws, and put their salvation in them; but we cannot in any way be put off and pacified in them, wherefore we cannot in outward works agree at all.
57 But we cannot indicate this further than by example, namely, when they
"1) Wittenberger: "zu gefert werden" i.e. to be endangered. Jenaer: "to be fed". Erlanger: "to be fed".
2) Erlanger: that.
are accustomed to long prayers, in which they have some superstitions and practices, in which we recognize God's dishonor, along with His worthy word, and for this reason they are annoyed by us. Such and such cases would be very many, which would be too long to relate, which would also be unnecessary, although we would have liked to compare ourselves to them in all things that are not great against God, and have also done so to the best of our weak ability, as much as our weakness could bear and tolerate serving the weak, we could still feel that we have earned little or nothing for the others, and doing has been just as much as letting go; Nevertheless, we have had to live alone with the burden of conscience, since we are convinced by conscience that we are guilty of all, namely, through the love that instructs us to serve, help and advise everyone, which we have often recognized to be necessary and would have gladly done if it had been imposed on us and left to us.
(58) We have often known how to save sick people with visitation, maintenance and assistance; likewise, how to keep dying people company, to comfort and strengthen them with the word of God, which is most needed at the time; and we have known of those who alone have passed from this world without all human comfort; but we have not been deprived of it. 3) So we also know people who would have needed our advice, even though it was little, and would have been highly desirous of it, if they had been able to talk to us unhindered by other people. It has not been possible to render such services to those who have lived with us, nor has it been possible to comfort the afflicted and weak consciences, who have been completely desolate and unknowing of divine consolation, who have been deterred and shunned with persecution, chastisement and shame, which they have had to suffer, so that they have not been allowed to look at us, nor have they fled from us when they have only seen us.
From all of which, dear friends, you can judge with what good conscience we could be. Who could assure us that we, in such a case, could escape God's judgment? Matth. 25, 41. 45. where Christ condemns such to eternal fire, and says: "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these, ye have not done it unto me." Besides, as we have said to them in the
3) The Jena edition has included the word "gestattet" explaining this expression in the text.
We could have served in the daily leprosy and ceremonies, which we were not able to do in the sight of God, who sees all things, because of the weakness of our bodies, as our consciences will testify on the Lord's day, even if we had done more than our strength and ability.
60. We testify before God and all the world that it has not been in our power to get up at night and to sing and read always during the day, and at the same time to fast with them, which is much over the year, and to use the same food and drink with them, which we feel is contrary to our health and unbearable to our weak bodies, but we find that we cannot do this without the anger of those who live with us and do not believe in it, for they have no other confidence in us than that we do it out of contempt and out of a courageous spirit that spares neither God nor man. God would be for us and save us from this evil forever!
61. here we want to admonish and ask every devout Christian to believe and take to heart our truthful teaching, that such unmistakable burdens placed on our conscience, which we have told in brief, have been far beyond our strength and ability, nor can we escape the severe judgment of God and eternal damnation by any other way, because we are forbidden 2 Cor. 6, 14. that we should not pull on the strange yoke with the unbelievers, because there can be no fellowship of righteousness with unrighteousness etc., and Matth. 11, 29. 30. Christ, the unconfessed truth, tells us to take his yoke, and not a strange one, upon us, which he testifies to be sweet. But alas! for us, who are carnal and not yet spiritual, it is sour and difficult. But we trust in the mighty strength of God, whose arm is not shortened [Is. 59, 1].
(62) Who, dear friends, would want to put himself wilfully to the shame of the world and to the reproach and laughter of all people, and to incur such blasphemies and maledictions, who will say of us that we are of a frivolous and unstable spirit, who will call us heretics, apostates and perjurers, and who are not worthy of life on earth? Will they not prove these true reports of ours false, which we have devised, that we might but exercise our courage? Will they not turn to the judgment seat
1) audacious - confident, defiant; here probably as much as audacious.
and say: We are of the devil, wherever we go and wherever we stand? We let them go, but rejoice that we, secured by God's word, have a good conscience. For Matth. 16, 26. Christ says: "What good would it do a man if he gained the whole world and suffered damage to his soul? etc.
For this reason, we do not want to have answered a word. It will probably fall from him, as this has no reason. Christ, Matth. 15, 13. 14., says: "All plants, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be uprooted. Let them go, for they are blind and blind guides." But to you, who have known God in Christ, we testify before God, to whom no one can lie, that all these things have been well arranged for us, and therefore, as indicated above, according to our carnal senses, the yoke of Christ has been terrible and bitter for us, along with the shame of Christ crucified, of which we alone must boast [Rom. 5:11, Phil. 3:3], if we want to be otherwise known by God as belonging to His kingdom. But it is even more frightening to us that we should be denied by Christ, our only Savior, and be convinced that He does not know us [Matth. 7, 23].
64. for this reason it is necessary for us to watch, for we know neither the day nor the hour, Matth. 25, 13. for "to fall into the hands of the living God is terrifying", Hebr. 10, 31. Even though they will prove our word false before the world, their conscience will convince them before God, whom we also call to testify that this was not done out of hatred, nor was any word invented; but all things are so judged that we would know how to prove each one in particular with strong and sufficient reasons.
(65) For this reason we have acted with constant invocation of divine help, so that he would put his spirit and counsel into our hearts and tear out of our hearts everything that tends to come into our minds according to our reason and carnal senses; so that this work would not be done out of us or by us, for which reason it would be evil and to be rejected, but that it would be done for his glory and for the benefit of his neighbor. In this we have full confidence that the divine truth, which promises us to be heard, is strong in its words. And on this we have guarded our hearts well; and the thing moved, we cannot find any other way with us (we would then be deceived), as we cannot presume from hope of the above-mentioned counsel, which we have sought with God,
Because we would have liked to have refrained from remembering any [point of failure], so that we could have proven our need without inconsistency of things. We also hope that it will be more to the benefit than to the detriment of others.
(66) That we have used so many superfluous words in this is due to the fact that we have often understood that some have been offended by them, and they have found them so shameful and ridiculous that some who have left the monasteries before us have put all these things into a sum of fewer words, which they have said: They do not trust to be saved in monasteries. Yes, they have to laugh about it, because they do not know what such a word means. They are probably few words, but they have a far concern.
67. We would also be well disposed if someone wanted to tell us that he had fallen into a deep swamp, where the water, together with the mud, had crashed over him, and where he had not worked his way out of it, he would have drowned and suffocated in it: We would have laughed at such a one, if we had never found out how deep and dangerous the swamp would have been, in which he would have fallen, yes, we would have said: You do not say true, because you speak of depth, of water and mud, and we see none of these, but only even earth, and a pleasant green ground; how should there be such danger under that? All this makes that we would not have tasted the fearful distress of death, in which he would have been. Yes, we could laugh at him; but to him, to whom it would have happened, we would have been worried, it would have been serious enough.
68. Just so, dear friends, remember that we are superfluously serious, so do not tolerate insult, and only do not think that such a troubled conscience can ever come to peace and rest, neither here nor there, unless it lays down such a heavy burden; and be thankful to God for His mercy, that He has protected you from this, and also have compassion on those who are thus hardly caught and harassed, and judge no one in this case; for who knows what ails any heart? For this is where this saying comes in: All that glitters is not gold. For who would seek such great peril under such a neat semblance of human sanctity? We would not have believed it either, if we had not been so deep in it ourselves.
69 We hereby ask you all, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, before whom this writing of ours will come if we
with our own hand, without the counsel and help of all men, when we were still imprisoned and ensnared under the Babylonian prison, give credence to our true confession and praise the most high God with us, who has delivered us from such peril; and through the love of the Spirit help us to fight with prayers for us, that through Christ we may all be saved, amen. Completed and written with our own hand, April 28, 1528.
1) We have shown above that our life and conduct, which is contrary to God's word and our holy faith and baptism and. In sum, it is dangerous and uncertain to live a completely Christian life, because God's word is withdrawn from us, and instead clumsy, lying and seductive human talk is presented and imagined. But we find that such things are much more dangerous for those who, in dying distress, are heavily burdened with fear of divine judgment and, according to the divine word, which alone promises peace in Christ, John 16, cannot be pacified in any other thing.
From which every Christian can note what danger there is when one is weighed down with a mighty sickness in the body and is so severely challenged inwardly with despair of God's mercy, because he feels himself bare and alone before God's judgment, so that nothing will help, neither fasting nor praying, neither singing nor crying, no cap, no spiritual life, as they call it, but everything is then 2) forgotten; which we have seen and heard before our eyes so terribly acted that it is impossible for us to forget, even if we should live a thousand years.
For we have seen a person with us in her last troubles crying out so terribly about her whole life, who nevertheless led a fine, quiet and spiritual life (as they call it) according to human appearance and outward appearance, that we did not know how to compare ourselves to her in this, with which alone she could stand so far before divine judgment that nothing else came out of her mouth but a terrible scream of murder and condemnation about herself; I will not say with what frightful challenge she was still harassed without that. So, if we had never known or known from the Scriptures that monastic life was so dangerous, we should have known it from this. At
1) The bracketed section is missing in Walch's old edition.
2) i.e. before God's court.
3) Erlanger: not.
which we still regard as the most annual thing, that there are people who do not know how to help us with anything else, but that they put us off to our works, which nevertheless cause more and more despair, which was also the case at that time.
It has also been seen at times 1) to happen more, namely, that it is strongly held about it and accepted by most of the crowd in a peevish way, if such dying people are put off on Christ and his word alone, also if such things are denied, 2) if one can, to make the other weak people who are present so despondent that they are not allowed to move anywhere. Which also happened the other day, a fortnight before we got away, 3) with two people whom God called from this world; how it happened with them, we want to keep silent, saying only that from the sight of this danger we have been moved all the more to turn away from it in the most beneficial way, so that divine wrath may not overtake and seize us there in a hurry).
Martinus Luther.
To all dear believers in Christ grace and peace from God, our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
Although the divine truth has come to light so brightly through the Gospel, and until now so many apologies and responsibilities against the unchristian nature of monasticism and nunnery have gone out that such little books have become almost a surfeit among our people, and the children everywhere sing enough of them in the streets, I have nevertheless considered it good to omit this responsibility of the Highborn Princess, F[rau] Ursulen, Duchess of Münsterberg 2c, in print, for many reasons.
2. the first and foremost is to praise and extol God and His holy Word, which by His grace grows and increases so vigorously in the world that it not only brings common people of low estate to Christ, but also
1) The Erlangen edition offers: "fiter niemals", which seems to us to be the opposite of what should be said. We assume "sidermals" i.e. since then, after. We encounter this word in § 30 of this writing.
2) So put by us instead of "verwahret" in the Erlanger.
3) These words show that the last section was written after the escape from the monastery, while the writing itself was still written "under the Babylonian prison" (§ 69).
Even from the high, royal and princely tribes God miraculously wins the chosen ones, regardless and unregarded of all the effort and work, diligence and care, fare and food of the furious Satan, which he uses and practices through his members, especially to prevent and hinder the word of God to such high tribes.
(3) For if our doctrine be the true gospel (as we doubt not), it must follow, though it begin at the most despised and unworthy poor fishermen and beggars, that it nevertheless continue, until it bring to itself even the high cedars of Lebanon [Ezek. 17:22], and so gather together believers from all ranks and orders into the one simple truth of the faith of Christ. For so it is written in the book of Job, that Christ should not alone see the skin of Behemoth, Job 40:26, but also his head with the calyx of the gospel. And in the Psalter the children of Korah sing thus: "Kings' daughters will walk in your adornment" [Ps. 45, 10.], that is so much said, princes and princesses must come to Christ and believe in him, if they are the ones who pursue God's word the most, as Psalm 2, 2. says: "The kings of the earth set themselves against God and against his Christ." But God's word is mightier than they; therefore it does such wonders that even among such tyrants and persecutors it converts and tears out some, as Ps. 110, v. 1, says: "You shall reign in the midst of your enemies." And Ps. 45:6: "Thine arrows are sharp; therefore the nations fall at thy feet, even in the midst of thine enemies."
4 One of such kings' daughters (I will now keep silent about the living ones) was, of course, the noble blood Mrs. Elisabeth of blessed memory, Queen of Denmark, born Queen of Hispania etc., who seized the gospel with great earnestness and confessed it freely, and also died of it in misery. For if she had wanted to deny it, she might have met with more help and support in the world. For the scripture must be fulfilled, that kings' daughters go in Christ's adornment. Such court virgins this king must have, who wear his color, that is, the dear cross, shame and mockery before the world. That find the
true nuns and chosen brides of Christ, who do not trust in him with their own works and outward appearances, but with true and constant faith, in his holy word, through his mere goodness, and are brought into his chamber, as the same 45th Psalm, v. 16, continues to sing. Such must come daily, that God's word may be known in its marvelous power, and the wicked, who see and hear it, may gnash and brake with their teeth, 1) but do nothing, nor hinder it, Ps. 112, 10.
(5) The other cause is that we should lavish such writings and examples on the ungodly, who have come into the no and cannot return, so that they may have no excuse and condemn themselves all the more deeply for having been so superfluously told the truth, and yet not wanting to submit their minds and conceits to Christ until they have to do so in the abyss of hell, as has already happened to some and is happening daily. For since they have put on their horns and will not cease their raging against Christ, it is right that Christ should praise his word the more and let it go on the longer, until he makes a mockery of all their attempts and efforts, even if they are offended by them and are admonished to desist from their raging.
For who can believe or say otherwise, if he knows how firmly and hard the monastery at Freiberg is locked and kept, than that it must be a special miracle of God that a princess, a female image, even the third, should thus come out and escape so many eyes and hands as are ordered to wait for it, that no one would know when and how, by what or where? It is not humanly possible that anyone should undertake such a thing, let alone carry it out, especially because we know that such a thing is highly repugnant to the devil, and he certainly would not have left it unreported and unbetrayed, if Christ had not heard the cries of his wretches.
1) i.e. crunch.
would have heard, and bound his tongues (as it says in Job), that is, his servants' [tongues] 2) that they should have held their peace, and let go what Christ would have loosed and set free.
7 Truly, our gospel also performs miracles enough, but the wicked do not want to see them. Isn't it true that while this princess was still in the convent, Christ's enemies themselves would have considered it impossible and a great miracle that she should come free from Freiberg the next day, before princes or the convent took possession of her. But now that it has happened, it is no longer a miracle and must be as if God had done nothing to it. As happens to all God's works in the world: before they happen, no one believes them, but when they happen, no one respects them. Unbelief precedes, forgetfulness follows.
8. But we do not now intend to recount the wondrous works of our Gospel, which in time might also give no small Ecclesiasticum Historiam, but only to praise and honor God's word, to admonish those who do not yet know or respect it, so that they may hear and learn it, 3) and to strengthen and comfort those who are still wavering or stupid, so that they may become firm and bold against all false mouths and writers, and to frighten all such deceivers, so that they may see how much they labor in vain, that Christ, as if in defiance and mockery of them, the more they resist and resist, the nearer he comes, that he also wins princes from them, and makes it plainly known that no monastery is too hard closed to him, and no tyrant so powerful, nor so industrious, that he may at last keep his own from him. For it is he of whom Isaiah writes: "I say at midnight, Give me my daughter; and at noon, Withhold not." To our dear Lord and Savior be praise and thanksgiving forever and ever, amen.
2) So in the Wittenberg and in the Jena edition. Erlanger: "his servant", which does not seem to fit us.
3) Erlanger: teach.