I. That reason cannot understand nor comprehend God's works.
2. God hides His gifts so that one does not become aware of them.
No one understands God's works.
4 God's wonders, which the world is full of, the blind reason does not see or recognize.
God is incomprehensible, and yet is felt.
The wonders of God are seen in the smallest and least creatures.
God is outside and above, yet in the creatures.
8. 9. 10. Some questions.
God is faithful and true.
12. God's things have even a small beginning.
(13) Abundance of temporal goods hinders faith.
14. God deserves only vain ingratitude with His benefits.
15. that the wood is a great gift from God.
16. that God has almost lost all his titles and names.
That God might become rich.
18. God's power in our weakness.
19. as God does with us, it is not good.
20. knowledge of nature.
How God deals with the right saints.
What God wants from us humans.
God is not angry.
24. god yat put forgiveness of sins in all his creatures.
25. god's mte if you could trust him.
26. God's mercy.
God is patient.
28. God holds us far too well.
29. two regiments on earth.
30. God made everything for the sake of man.
God's creatures need the wicked the most.
32. God's and the devil's lawyering.
God, not money, sustains the world.
34. do not ponder the secret counsels of god.
God feeds the church.
God is the avenger and executioner.
37. praise of the creatures.
(38) Only with God should one seek counsel in trouble and call upon Him.
God's things go on slowly and weakly.
40. The greatest wrath of God is when He is silent and does not speak to us.
God is incomprehensible in His majesty.
42. what most displeases God.
The greatest wrath of God.
44. God's way when he wants to ruin a country.
45. One should not flee from God.
God punishes, and no one can escape from Him.
47. 48. If God does not hold over us, it is done with us.
49. 50. 51. God's bodily gifts are held in low esteem.
52. how god remains master.
God feeds all animals.
God can do all crafts.
55. God is very annoyed that people do not want to think of Him as a God.
56. I am your God, what it is; and from the abuse of God's name.
5-7. God wants to be praised in all languages.
58. God can be trusted less than people.
59. put God on the spot.
God nullifies human councils and plots.
61. To prove God wrong is something He does not like.
God knows how to deal with His adversaries and ours much differently than we think.
God is much kinder to us than a father is to his child.
66. God is a God of the lowly.
How God shows Himself in challenge.
God has a small number of people on earth.
69. creatures of God, as they are to the wicked.
God is very pleased with the customs of all creatures.
71. God has put great gifts into small, despised things.
The Lord is to be known from the creatures.
73. you should not talk God into it.
God's wrath is greatest when He is silent.
God punishes the authorities through the subjects.
How God breaks and humbles human hope.
Why God created the wicked.
78. god's imprudence.
Satan with all his members, the wicked, resists God.
Why God does all good by means.
Man soon gets tired of a thing.
God feeds all people and creatures in the whole world.
Our Lord God must be wrong, he does what he wants.
God in His majesty is incomprehensible to human reason.
Why God has decreed that the wicked shall prosper and the righteous shall suffer in the world.
Why God decrees that His people be persecuted by the devil and the world.
God is not a God of the dead, but of the living.
God needs evil for good.
God does not let him lack anywhere.
90. thanksgiving is god's dearest service.
God is pleased that we need His creatures.
God fills the belly of the wicked, but gives the kingdom of heaven to the godly.
How God shares with the world.
94. Because God gives all goods for free, people do not respect them.
God's love also for the wicked.
God watches the tyrants for a long time.
God consumes the punishment for a time.
98. signs, so go before the punishment.
99. how god respects great lords.
100. 101. Our Lord's Map.
That from your best comes the best.
God praises His mercy on us sinners with His benefits.
God's works are wonderful.
God spends great expense on the food and nourishment of birds; therefore, He will also feed, nourish and sustain mankind.
God's wrath will soon be atoned for.
107. merciful punishment of God.
108. severe and terrifying wrath of God.
Our Lord God's servant.
God's and the devil's punishments are unequal.
God cannot defend His divinity before us humans.
God is the beginning of all righteousness, the means and the end.
Two kinds of sacrifices pleasing to God.
114. 115. Wrong prudence of the epicureans who judge God's regiment.
Serve God and the emperor.
The first birth was sanctified to God.
118. obedience of god and the devil.
119. forgiveness of sins.
How it would have gone if Adam had not sinned.
God mocks Satan.
The world does not respect God's goods.
123. God's supreme wrath and mercy.
What is most pleasing to God.
God hardens whom He wills.
The one who can humble himself before God from the heart has won.
To know God rightly is the highest art.
128. gOd receives discipline.
God is lenient with His outward and temporal gifts.
130. god's way.
God has set a goal for the adversaries to rage.
God preaches to him himself.
134. God's food and sustenance that goes into the world.
135. goodness of god.
136. signs when God is gracious or ungracious.
137. God is a God of the living.
God has restored all estates through His word.
139. God will destroy a country for the sake of sin.
God's blessings are upon all creatures.
How God will judge.
The first time you see God's goodness, you will know it.
The Magnificat contains all the works of God.
144. God does not want us to understand everything.
A blessed time has God given us now, who only recognized it.
Since a man should be God only a little time, our evil would be waited.
147. serving god.
God is not a cause of evil.
Man does not do God's will.
God's fickleness dismays the people.
Where and how to find and know God with certainty.
God does and gives everything for free.
For the sake of our hardness, God must be hard and God must be far away.
154, 155 How difficult it is to believe what God says.
God cares for us.
What this is: God is nothing, and yet everything.
In what God's consolation and man's consolation stand.
When people listen to help, God's help comes to those who believe in Him.
Our Lord God deals with Christians in a wonderful way.
You only have to believe in God's works.
162. of god's unfathomable majesty.
Bor God is not to be feared.
God's works are wonderful.
God will wake up one day.
166. of God's punishment against the wicked; item heretics and tyrants.
1. that reason cannot understand nor comprehend God's works.
(The first paragraph, Cordatus No. 295.)
All the works of God are inexpressible, no one can think them out, they can only be believed, they cannot be thought out; which one then understands a little, if one once carefully considers what the straw is good for.
(This paragraph in Cordatus No. 827.)
Believing in God the Creator is impossible, because if we believed that he was, we would also know that he is so powerful that he could destroy the world with one word, as easy as it is for the potter to break down the clay. But if we believed that he was the creator, we would not oppose him with our wisdom, power etc. In short, in his majesty no one can recognize God. That is why he rightly condescended to become man, yes, to sin, to death, to weakness itself, and made himself small enough. But who can believe even this? We believe that the emperor is more powerful than God, that Erasmus is wiser than him, that a monk is more just.
Otherwise, D. Luther said at another time: "All the works of God are public in the day, and yet incomprehensible and inscrutable. For who can say how God created the smallest thing and the least creature, but how he gave a flea or a louse eyes and legs; or how in man an eye sees; or how it happens that a woman has milk in her breasts, and carries a child in her womb, how and by whom it is cared for. At
In the last days we will see it, and all of them will be as beautiful as Adam and Eve were before the fall, yes, ten times more beautiful; as such things are now before God, as if they had all been made ready. In sum, in all creatures, even the smallest, even in their members, God's omnipotence and great miracles appear and are seen publicly. For what man, however mighty, wise and holy, can make a fig tree or another fig out of a fig? Or from a cherry stone another, or, but create a cherry tree? Or even know how God creates, grows and sustains everything?
And indeed, in all good arts and creatures one finds and sees imprinted the holy divine Trinity; as, God the Father's omnipotence, God the Son's wisdom, and God the Holy Spirit's goodness. But because we cannot rightly comprehend or understand 1) how it is that the eyeball sees; item, how distinct and distinctly audible words are heard and spoken when the tongue is moved and ruled in the mouth, which are, after all, natural things that we see and deal with every day: how then should we be able to comprehend and investigate the secret counsel of the divine majesty with our reason?
2. God bends His gifts so that they are not properly perceived.
(Cordatus No. 41.)
By fehr small deficiencies God covers His gifts that they become stinky before men.
1) Cf. § 9 of this Cap.
The theology, for example, is hidden from the young people by the fact that the theologians do not have fat sinecures (just as they are also kept from marriage), 1) not so much by great evils.
No one understands God's work.
No man can think out and rightly understand what God has done, and still does without ceasing: therefore, even if we sweat blood, and should write only three lines, as St. John wrote, we could not do it. Why do we allow ourselves to think and wonder at our wisdom? Ah, it is vain folly. If we should advise, 2) if there were neither man nor woman, how it should be created, and the like; there would be no one at home, and all our art would fail us. What then is my wisdom compared to God's wisdom? Yes, I will gladly be a fool, let myself be caught and give myself over 3).
4 The wonders of God, of which the world is full, are not known to blind reason.
Reason can neither understand nor comprehend how it is that a man, who has flesh and blood, hands, bones etc., senses and intellect etc., has such a bad origin, namely from human seed. 4) Item, that from one kernel that grows a great tree, from one grain of wheat that rots and perishes in the earth, twenty or thirty grains come. Therefore the world is full of God's wondrous works, which happen without ceasing. But because they are so many and so innumerable, and because they are so utterly common, says St. Augustine, they are not respected, indeed, they are not remembered.
Christ once with five loaves exempted five thousand men, woman and children,
1) These brackets are set by us for better understanding. Here, too, the text of Cordat does not require any change.
2) Cf. cap. 3, § 23.
3) In Aurifaber: "gegrepen", i.e. grasped, overcome.
4) Cf. cap. 3, § 23.
and when they were all satisfied, twelve baskets remained and were taken up. If such a miraculous work were to happen now, all the world would be astonished; as they also did and said, John 6:14, "This is truly the prophet who is to come into the world. But the fact that God performs great miracles every day without ceasing is not seen and respected by carnal hearts; indeed, they do not even think about it, let alone marvel at it and thank Him for it. God, the Lord, gives water from the rocks, bread from the sand, wine, beer, butter, cheese, from the earth all kinds of plants and fruits, gold, silver, ore etc. But because he gives all this without ceasing superfluously, no one considers it a miracle.
In the beginning he made Adam from a lump of earth, Eve from a rib, blessed them and said: "Be fruitful and multiply", Gen. 1, 28. This word is and remains strong until the end of the world. And even though many people die every day, others are always born, as Moses said in his Psalm: "You let people die and pass away like a river, and say, 'Come again, children of men,'" Ps. 90:3.
These and other things that God creates daily, the blind, godless world does not regard as God's miraculous works, but thinks that everything happens approximately. But the godly, wherever they turn their eyes, looking at heaven or earth, air or water, etc., they see all God's wondrous works, at which they are astonished and cannot sufficiently marvel: they see their air and joy in it, praise and glorify the Creator, and also know that he is well pleased with them.
The children of the world, however, who walk in darkness, see none of these things, as has been said, much less do they know about matters of faith. What is it that they can perceive and discern what is good and what is evil in the things that are subject to reason, even doing the outward works of the law to some extent? But the articles of faith, that three persons are one God, that the true Son of God became man, that there are two natures in Christ, divine and human, etc., are much too high for them, indeed, they resent them, and consider them a poem.
or fable. For as little does it rhyme if someone were to say: Man and stone are One Person; just as little does it rhyme with reason that God became man, or that divine and human nature, united in Christ, is One Person.
But this is what we Christians have to study all our lives. I also think about this diligently, but I do not understand it. St. Paul understood a good part of it, even though he did not grasp it at all; nevertheless, he brings it out, Col. 2, 9, and says: "In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in the flesh"; item Cap. 2, 3: "In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." This is to say: Whoever does not find God in Christ, 1) will never find Him; he may seek Him wherever he pleases; much less understand what His will and nature are. But in him we recognize everything, the whole Godhead and humanity; that is, we see in him at the same time the highest power or might, and the highest weakness, life and death, righteousness and sin, God's grace and wrath. Ah! what shall we say, that God became man? it is a very high and heavy article above and against all reason; but no one, or ever so few people take it seriously.
God is incomprehensible and yet is felt.
God cannot be comprehended, but He can be felt, for He can be seen and noticed everywhere, and He shows Himself to be a benevolent Creator, who does and gives us all the good things that the sun and moon, the heavens and the earth, and all the fruits that grow from the earth, bear witness to. But the fault that we do not recognize God in such His works and innumerable good deeds is not in the Creator that He wanted such things to be hidden from our eyes. No, the fault is not in him, but in us; for human nature is so corrupted and poisoned by original sin that we cannot respect it, nor recognize and understand it.
1) Cf. cap. 2, § 157.
The miracles of God are seen in the smallest and least creatures.
(Cordatus No. 302.)
The greatest miracles of God are seen even in the smallest things: as, in a ripe pear, which half a year before it ripened, sat in the extreme tips of the roots, which are yet very far from the branches on which it now hangs.
God is beside and above, yet in all creatures.
Since heaven is His chair, Isa. 66, 1., He will reach far, far above the heavens; and since the earth is His footstool or footstool, He must also be in the whole world; as the following words also testify, since God speaks, v. 1. 2.: "What is the place where I shall rest? I look upon the wretched, and them that are of a broken spirit, and fear my word." As if he should say: These are the ones with whom I have my dwelling and rest. But now these are scattered to and fro in all the world: and if he fills all things, as St. Paul says Eph. 4:10, then he must be present everywhere. Therefore, whoever wants to be wise before God, let him learn his word and fear him; for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom", Sir. 1, 16; but let him fear so that he also "hopes in his goodness", Psalm 147, 11.
Otherwise, on another occasion, D. M. Luther said in answer to a question: "Is God outside, above, and yet in all creatures, even the least, as in little grasses and leaves on trees? And he said: God is not bound to any place, nor is He excluded from any. He is in all places, even in the least creature, as in a leaf of a tree or in a blade of grass, and yet He is nowhere. Nowhere, understand tangibly and decidedly; but in all places he is, for he creates, works and sustains all things. But how is he in all creatures? Substantially, or by his almighty power? He is in both ways in every creature: for, as I said, he creates, he works, and he sustains everything. Other creatures work according to their quality, but God is present and essential.
But when one said, "I do not understand this," D. Martinus answered, "Do you also believe that Christ was God on the cross and in the Virgin Mary's body? To believe both is impossible for reason. But I believe it, because the Scripture says so. If then God is essential and present in the virgin's body, He is also in every creature, for it is the same way of speaking. Then said another, So is he also in the devil? Yes, said D. Martinus, also in hell essentially, as St. Paul testifies 2 Thess. 1, 9.: "The ungodly shall suffer torment, eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord"; and Ps. 139, 8.: "If I bed myself in hell, behold, thou art there also."
8. another question.
(Cordatus No. 818-822.)
If it is asked why all men are not saved in Christ, since through Adam all are condemned, I answer by this proof [per instantiam]: Let not God be angry, as that basic be-.
He loves all people in the highest way, for whom he gave his son to death, of whom he said: "You shall hear him". That our Lord God has turned more to love than to hate, we see in the death of His Son. The devil deceived Adam and Eve, but God sent His Son into the world. With these words one must answer those who ask why God allowed the first parents to fall.
We are not to consider that we have committed sins, but the goodness of God, according to which He sent His Son into the world, even the great multitude of those who have sinned.
we are not to look at. And if God said to all: This is how I want it, this is how I command 1) etc., what is it to you? But the devil comes here with his "why" and wants to search out all the secrets of God, which no man would suffer from another man, and God should tolerate it? So he also wants to be the master alone.
1) The saying of the tyrants, Juvenal VI, 223: 81c volo, they juI>60, sit pro rntlonk voluntss.
It is not my place to judge Turks, Tartars and the ungodly, but I believe the general judgment 2) of Scripture, which says [Marc. 16, 16.]: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved"; this word of Scripture certainly condemns them. But if our Lord God wants to make something different out of it, I do not care. I do not judge him. We are to believe the rule that is set, and God (if he wants) may make exceptions.
Even if God acts strangely, we should still believe that he is a pious man, because according to his goodness he gives people much more goods than people can "think about". And what he does, he does not do without a cause, and if he had to answer everyone's questions, he would be the poorest God.
We should look at God's word and avoid the why in it. We should know His word, not investigate His will, which is often hidden, that is, weigh wind and fire on a scale. With this work the investigators of his majesty toil.
9. another question. 3)
One of them asked: Why does God do so much that one can neither find the cause, nor indicate it, nor understand it? Ah! says D. Martinus, if we do not know or understand everything that God does, there is no power in it, nor does he want us to know what he intends. As he said to Petro, Joh. 13, 36: "What I do, you do not know, but you will know it later" (namely on that joyful day). Only then will we realize how faithful and friendly it is
2) It will probably read: 8sä eornniuni sententias oroäo them. - Bindseil I, 79 has correctly oommuni, but sententia.
3) Cf. § 1 of this chapter at the end. - Similar thoughts in Lauterbach, Aug. 2, 1538, p. 106. - When someone wanted to investigate the high judgments of God, without the Scriptures, which seem to contradict the knowledge of reason, he answered: "This is forbidden to us" Can we not even fully understand natural things, such as the visual power of the watery pupil in the eyes, the origin of the articulated sound in the vibration of the tongue etc.; can we not learn this, how much less the counsel of the divine
j Majesty!
God has meant for us, even if there have been misfortunes, fears and hardships. However, we should certainly take care of him that he will not let us perish, neither in body nor soul, but act with us in such a way that everything, whether good or bad, must serve us for the best.
We fools cannot give a thorough account of how speech is formed in our mouths, how it happens that the voice of one man is clearly heard by so many thousands, and how we can see with our eyes so far and from afar all kinds of colors, and how we can clearly grasp and distinguish what we see before us, except for nothing: item, how bread, food and drink, which we enjoy every day, is transformed in our bodies, so in a short time, into flesh and blood, urine and dung. If we (I say) cannot show thorough cause in these little things, which happen daily with and in us: how are we then so presumptuous and senseless to flutter about the clouds apart from ourselves, to speculate about divine majesty, being and will, which is far too high, incomprehensible and inscrutable for our blind mad reason?
St. Hilarius adds a fine word: "We are content," he says, "that we do not know how it is with our body, and yet we want to express the divinity. But this we do not do, for there are vain men of the soul who fall and break their necks. Therefore, I faithfully advise that we listen to what God tells us through His Word and act according to it, otherwise all effort and work will be in vain and we will be lost.
10. another question.
One asked: Where was God before the heavens were created? St. Augustine answered: He was in himself. When he inquired further, D. Martinus said: He has built hell for the idle and foolish spirits. Now that he has created all creatures, he continued, he is everywhere and yet nowhere: for I cannot grasp him nor take hold of him without the Word, through my thoughts; but there he can certainly be found, where he has bound himself. The
Jews found him in Jerusalem at the mercy seat, Ex. 25, 17, we in word and faith, in baptism and sacrament; but in majesty he is nowhere to be found. And it was a great grace in the Old Testament that God bound Himself to a certain place where He could be found, namely in the place where the mercy seat was, against which they prayed; first at Shiloh and Shechem, then at Gideon, and finally at Jerusalem in the temple.
In time, the Greeks and other pagans imitated this and built temples to their idols in certain places, as at Ephesus to Diana, at Delphi to Apollo etc. For where our Lord God builds a church, the devil builds a chapel after it. They also took this from the Jews, that as the Holy of Holies was dark and had no light, so they also made dark and gloomy the places where the devil answered, as at Delphi and elsewhere. Thus the devil is always our Lord God's monkey. The fact that the Holy of Holies had to be dark means that Christ's kingdom can only be found and understood through the Word and faith, and by no other means.
11. God is faithful and true. 1)
That God is faithful and true, he has shown not only in that he has made his promise to us in Christ, through whom we have forgiveness of sins and redemption from eternal death; but he has also presented to us in Scripture many examples of grace and consolation in great saints who were highly enlightened and graced by God, and yet fell into great grave sin. Adam, by his fall and disobedience, bequeathed both sin and death to all his descendants. Aaron brought a great sin upon Israel, that God would destroy them, Deut. 9, 14. David also fell heavily, 2 Sam. 11; Job, Cap. 3, 1., and Jeremiah, Cap. 20, 14, cursed the day in which they were born. Jonah was angry
1) It almost seems as if this § is only another relation, combined from Cap. 9, § 61 and Cap. 24, § 91.
very much and was angry that Nineveh did not perish, Ion. 4, 1. ff. Peter denied, Matth. 26, 70. ff., Paul persecuted Christ etc., Apost. 9, 4.
These and such innumerable examples are set forth in the holy Scriptures: not that we should be sure and sin on God's mercy; but that when we feel God's wrath and judgment coming upon sinners, we should not despair, but well imagine such comforting examples, and certainly conclude that, as God has had mercy on them, so he will also be merciful to us and will not impute sin to us, out of pure goodness and mercy, shown in Christ etc. Also, in such examples of great saints who have fallen so hardly, one sees how an evil, cunning, envious, powerful spirit the devil, this world's prince and god, is, that he has been able to bring down (and still does) such high people who have been gifted with the Holy Spirit. 1) Which is nowhere more noticeable than when carnal men, whose hearts are only attached to the temporal, fall into gross sin, such as murder, adultery, theft. 2) Yet such high and pious people, who committed such great sin, fell by God's counsel and decree, so that they would not become proud, nor exaggerate their gifts, but fear. Since David had sinned, killed Uriam, taken his wife, and given the enemies of the Lord cause to blaspheme, he could not boast that he had ruled well and done much good, but said, "I have sinned against the Lord," 2 Sam. 12:13, and prayed with tears the psalm: Miserere mei, Deus, Ps. 51. And Job confesses and says, "I have spoken unwise; therefore accuse me, and repent," etc. Job 39, 34. 35.
12. God's things have even a small beginning.
When God intends to do something great, He sees to it through a man, and then gives helpers who begin such work by God's command, and also lead it out, and fight their enemies (though not without their help).
1) Cf. cap. 24, § 91.
2) So Stangwald instead of: fall alone.
He overcame great obstacles and resistance. When he wanted to deliver the people of Israel from the long and difficult imprisonment in Egypt and lead them to the promised land, he first called Moses, then he gave him Aaron, his brother, as a helper: they went to Pharaoh and told him by command of the Lord God of the Ebers that he should let Israel go etc. But Pharaoh at first opposed it severely, and afflicted the people more than before; nevertheless at last he was compelled by so many plagues to let Israel go, yea, the Egyptians pressed and drove them out of the land in haste. But when Pharaoh was sorry that he had let Israel go, and pursued after them with horses, chariots, and horsemen, and all his host, the Lord commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand, wherein he had the rod, over the sea: and the waters were parted; and when the Egyptians pursued after Israel into the midst of the sea, the Lord fought for Israel, and drowned Pharaoh with all his might in the Red sea, and delivered his people out of the hand of Egypt 2c, Exodus 5 to chapter 14.
So in the days of Eli the priest, when Israel was in a very bad way, and the Philistines pressed hard against them and smote them, so that in one day thirty thousand men of Israel were slain, and they took the ark of God and led them into their own land, and Eli fell back from his seat in great grief, and his neck was broken in two, and it seemed as if Israel were at an end; then God raised up Samuel the prophet, and by him restored Israel, that the Philistines were smitten etc., 1 Sam. 3. 4. 5.
After this, when Saul was so hard pressed by the Philistines that he despaired of great fear and stabbed himself to death, and when three sons and many people died with Saul, everyone thought, "Now it is done for Israel. 31 Shortly after that, when David was chosen and confirmed king by all Israel, the aureum saeculum, the golden age, began. For David, the chosen man of God, not only delivered Israel from the hands of the enemy, but also subdued and brought to obedience all the kings and nations who stood against him; he helped the kingdom so that it stood in full bloom, supreme power and glory in his time and in Solomon's time. For this he awakened
God gave him helpers, many high people, priests and prophets, also other godly, wise, experienced heroes and rulers, whom he could use in spiritual and worldly matters; as he then ordered, appointed and arranged both, priesthood and kingdom, so well that they remained in their state for a long time afterwards.
So when Judah was led captive to Babylon, God chose the prophets, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, to comfort them in their misery and imprisonment. They also promised them not only the return to the land of Judah, as happened in the first year of Cory king of Persia, etc. but also that Christ would surely come in his time.
From this it can be seen that God has never abandoned His people, not even the wretched world (which knows no thanks to Him), even though He lets them be severely punished and tormented for a long time because of their sin. Just as He graciously visited us at this last time and delivered us from the long, heavy, horrible prison of the sorry papacy. May God grant us grace to recognize this and thank Him for it, otherwise things will get worse.
(13) Abundance of temporal goods hinders faith.
(Cordatus No. 661.)
Our Lord God could become rich, if he could only send himself into it. For He would become rich if He only denied us His creatures, soon the sun, soon the air, soon the water, then we would all give out money. But, since we believe that these gifts are commonplace, people consider them to be nothing and want to think that God is right. In spite of him, that he would not give us the sun every day. Thus the greatness of God's benefits is obscured.
14. God earns only vain ingratitude with his benefits.
God gives sun and moon, stars and elements, fire and water, air and earth, and all creatures, body and soul, and all kinds of food of fruits, grains, corns, wine
and everything that is useful and necessary to us to preserve this temporal life. 1) And on top of that he gives us his dear word, yes, himself. But what does he earn with it? Nothing else, but that for it he will be disgraced and blasphemed, yes, his dear son will be miserably mocked, ridiculed and hanged on the gallows, and his servants will be tormented, chased, persecuted and killed. This is the thanksgiving that he has created, redeemed, sanctified, nourished and preserved us by grace. The world is such a herb, fruit and pious child. O woe unto her!
15. that the wood is a great gift from God.
" (Cordatus No. 859.)
I am surprised where our Lord takes so much wood, firewood, timber, carpenter's wood, wooden shoe wood, cooper's wood, and although the wood has a lot of use in the world, nobody pays attention to it.
16. that God has almost lost all his titles and names.
(The first paragraph in Cordatus No. 245.)
God has already lost all his titles, for it seems as if he has become powerless against the mighty wicked of this world and helpless against the wise. And as often as the Christians get into an evil situation, there is immediately the challenge that torments us, that we believe that God has forgotten his mercy, as if he had become a companion of the wicked, who is nevertheless good by nature. For he seems to be well-disposed and benevolent toward the wicked. Thus we believe that he is wicked. But all this is because everything that is God's in this life is very hidden, as it is written [1 Cor. 1:18 ff.] Matt. 6:4, 6, 18. For His power is regarded as weakness, His wisdom as foolishness, and His goodness as wickedness.
At another time, Luther spoke of how God was held and regarded by the world, saying: "God alone is a sinner, and no one else; all men are sinners.
1) Cf. § 134 of this Cap.
The people, on the other hand, are just and everything. But the Father is powerless and impotent; for men are mighty and powerful, as the tyrants whom God cannot resist. The Son alone is a fool, for men are wise and prudent, as heretics, whom the Son cannot answer. But the Holy Spirit is ungodly, for men are God-fearing: just as the false brethren are, and the Holy Spirit cannot do them enough for their sin. So God's power becomes strong in weakness, which becomes weak in our strength and power. Therefore, let us gladly be weak in ourselves, so that we may become strong in God.
That God might become rich.
(Cordatus No. 617.)
Our God does not want to be rich; he could have it better if he wanted to. Namely, if he came to Ferdinand, to Duke George, to the pope, he would first say: You shall give me ten thousand florins, or you will die in this hour etc. All would say: Yes, dear Lord, gladly, if only I can live. Now, because he does not act in this way, they are also not grateful to him for his good deeds. If he gave us his gifts more sparingly, we would be more grateful than if he deprived people of their limbs, one of a foot, another of a hand, etc., and gave them back to one after some years, but not to another. Then they would undoubtedly give thanks to God, and those would ask Him to whom He did not want to give them back. But God is nonsensical, that he pours out everything at once, as he does now, since he lets his word flood over us like a whole sea, gives the liberal arts, the languages; the best books are bought at the lowest price. But woe to our sloth! For God will close His hand again and make us worship the preachers of lies again, since we are now neglecting His true servants.
18. God's power in our weakness.
(Contained in Cap. 22, § 44.)
19. as God does with us, it is not good. 1)
How should God do it with us? We can't bear good days, we can't stand bad ones. If he gives us riches, we are proud and hopeful that no one can get along with us, and we only want to be carried on our hands and worshipped as gods. But if he gives us poverty, we despair, become impatient and grumble against him. Therefore nothing is better than to be soon led to the dance with the shovels. Therefore he was right who said: You do not want to suffer misfortune in and from the world, and you do not want to separate from it. How then shall God deal with you? What shall He do who gave His only Son for you? Why are you afraid to go out of the world to him who loved you and died for you? Do you think that the devil or the world will do for you and for your sake what God has done for you? Oh no, not by a long shot.
20. knowledge of nature.
(Dresden manuscript, sheet t 6d. Lauterbach p. 200.)
Adam did not need a book, because he had the book of nature: and all the archfathers, Christ and the apostles quote much from this book, as of the pain of women in childbirth, Joh. 16, 21. and of the community of the members of the human body (1 Cor. 12, 12.). This similitude in Paul seems to me to be very sweet: They are different members, but of one body, so that no member can do without the other. One serves the other; if the eyes do not see, how should the feet be pounded? if the hands do not grasp, how should one eat? if the feet do not walk, where should the hands take? But the stomach, the lazy belly, lies only in the body and lets itself be fattened, like a sow: if now the hands did not want to give him, then they would
1) Similar thoughts Cordatus No. 1018: The human heart can bear neither good nor evil. If we have money and goods, there is no peace; if there is poverty, there is no peace. In the middle lies the right [virtus], which is to be content with one's fate.
cannot grasp anything. - These teach the law and mutual love among people, like that image of the Greeks of the lame and the blind, who benefited each other through mutual services. But this is more beautiful because the forgiveness of sins is also depicted in it. One foot often kicks another, a tooth bites a tongue, one often pokes an eye with a finger: there must be forgiveness of sins, or one does not remain one.
How God deals with the right saints.
God is wondrous in His saints, and acts miraculously with them, against all human wisdom and reason, so that the godly and Christians may learn to cling to invisible things and come to life again through mortification. For the Word of God is a light that shines in a dark place, as all examples of faith show. Esau was cursed, and yet he was happy and well; he was lord of the land, and priest of the church: but Jacob was a fugitive, and dwelt in misery in another land.
(Here 19 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 2, § 85, the first two paragraphs).
What God wants from us humans.
(Cordatus No. 1496.)
God is a good Lord, who would suffer people to think of Him as their God alone, as He demands in the first commandment, desiring no prize, no money, only that He may be our God, and because of this One He gives everything and gives to all.
God is not angry.
(Abridged from Cap. 2, § 86, therefore omitted.)
24. God has put forgiveness of sins in all His creatures.
(Transferirt to Cap. 6, § 2, where it belongs.)
25. God's goodness, if you could trust Him.
(Cordatus No. 1562.)
To the little birds that nested in his garden and always fled when we passed by, he said, "Oh, little bird, don't flinch; I wish you well with all my heart, if you will believe me. For so shall we believe God, that he wills us well with all our hearts; for he will not slay us, who gave his Son for me.
26. God's mercy.
God's goodness and mercy are not to be searched out, nor is it to be justified, that He does not impute to us such great, horrible sin, that we have crucified His only begotten Son, whom He sent, but covers it up and destroys it.
(Here 9 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 2, § 56, last paragraph.)
God is patient.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 95.)
28. God holds us far too well.
If our Lord God can grant me that I have crucified and martyred Him for twenty years by taking masses, then He can also grant me that I occasionally have a good drink in His honor: God grant, let the world interpret it as it will.
29. two regiments from earth.
(Cordatus No. 292 and 293.)
They are three kinds of effects: of the devil, of nature and of God.
God alone is the one who is ridiculed by all and ridicules all. We have an example of this [Gen. 19, 14], when God wanted to save Lot through the angel. And in the Proverbs of Solomon 1, [26.]: "You laugh at me, so I will also laugh at you in your accident."
1) In the manuscript it says: Hxernplurn Kadern us Kot per cocaine volentern rnurnZurn servare, which is quite incomprehensible. But it can hardly mean anything other than what we have given, and Cordatus may have intended: sveurn], per anZelurn, volentern eurn servare.
30. God made everything for the sake of man.
God's power is great, who feeds the whole world, and it is a hard article for us to say and confess: "I believe in God the Father. He has created everything enough for us, all the seas are our cellars, all the forests are our hunting grounds, the earth is full of silver and gold and innumerable fruits, all created for our sake, and the earth is our granary and larder.
God's creatures need (or rather abuse) the wicked most of all.
Our Lord God's goods are enjoyed most by the wicked. For the tyrants have the greatest power - land and people in the world; the usurers the money; the farmers eggs, butter, grain, barley, oats, apples, pears etc. But the Christians must suffer, be persecuted, sit in towers where they have neither sun nor moon, be cast out into misery, be chased away and tormented. But it must certainly change one day, so it cannot last forever. Let us only be patient and remain steadfast in the pure doctrine, hold firmly to it, and therefore not fall away from it.
32. God's and the devil's lawyering.
Our Lord God and the devil have two different practices, which do not agree, but are even contrary to each other. Our Lord God's words first frighten, then straighten and comfort again. And this is so that the flesh, or the old man, may be killed, and the spirit, or the new man, may live. So also the good angels first frighten, then they comfort again those who are frightened, as Luc. 1, 30. when Mary was frightened at the angel's speech, he comforted her and said: "Do not be afraid, Mary" etc., and Cap. 2, 10. He said to the shepherds who were greatly afraid, "Fear not, behold, I proclaim great joy to you."
But the devil turns it around, to God's displeasure, needs even a perverse way,
1) The first lines similar to Cordatus No. 311: God has his decalogue (the holy ten commandments and Satan also has his, but which is consistently opposed to God.
makes people safe and bold at first, so that they do wrong and sin without all fear, dread and terror; and not only persist in sins, but have joy and air in them, and think they are doing well. At last, however, when evil comes, or when there is a long way to go, it grieves and terrifies without measure; it causes a man either to die of great sorrow, or, because of an evil conscience, to kill himself at last, and to be left without all consolation in God's sight. Grace despairs.
God, not money, sustains the world.
(The first paragraph is contained in Cap. 76, § 28. The second paragraph is transferred to the same place).
34. God's secret counsels are not to be known, nor are they to be pondered.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 8, the last two paragraphs.)
God feeds the church.
God creates and gives abundance to his church, feeds it; who else would preach the gospel and Christ? And if all princes and lords were enemies of God's word, the church could not last a day. But God also has some among the princes who honor Him and give shelter to the servants of the Word. Likewise, He also has some in the courts of godless princes, kings, bishops, etc., who serve and worship Him and prevent many plots and counsels of the wicked against the Gospel.
God is the avenger and executioner.
God punishes either Himself, or secretly, through poverty, a wicked wife, disobedient, ill-bred children, and other many and various ways: why then do you desire vengeance?
(Here 8 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 12, § 46.)
37. praise of the creatures.
(Cordatus No. 1530.)
God praises His creature because He says [Ps. 104:15], "That wine may gladden the heart of man, and bread may strengthen the heart of man."
(38) Only with God should one seek counsel and call upon Him in times of need.
(Lauterbach, April 5, 1538, p. 58.)
One brought a confused and almost impossible matter and asked Luther to promote it. Luther replied: I like to serve everyone in possible things. But the majesty of the Gospel is immeasurably great, which can help all things. If God would, we would seek it from God. But, alas, we rather seek counsel with men and Satan. And said of some men's wickedness, which asked counsel of the diviners, and blasphemed God; who fell into the punishment of the authorities.
39. God's things go on slowly and weakly.
(Lauterbach, November 17, 1538, p. 174. Follows Cap. 13, § 37.)
Afterwards he read in the book of Campanus, which he had written with his own hand and which had been found in Münster, titled: "Against the Lutherans and all the world after the time of the apostles." When Bucer wondered about his whimsical, atrocious errors, Luther said: "Those most shameful evil-doers pursue all their things strictly, since God's cause is so weak. I have now twenty years always built and fought with God's word, has nevertheless trouble. Therefore Habakkuk, Cap. 4, 15: "Your horses walk in the mud of great waters, and the chariots are helped." There are bumps everywhere, the mud clings to the wheels; but they still go through, even though they are weak.
40. God's wrath is the greatest when He is silent and does not speak to us.
There is no greater wrath than when God is silent and does not speak to us, but lets us go and do as we please in our mind and being. As it is now with the Jews, that our Lord God is so harshly angry with them, and for fifteen hundred years does not let himself be remembered with a single word, nor a single moment.
As he threatened them in Ps. 81:9-13, saying, "Hear, my people, I will testify among you; Israel, you shall hear me, that there is no other God among you, and that you worship no strange god. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and let me fill it. But my people will not obey my voice, and Israel will not obey me. So I have left them in the stupor of their hearts, to walk after their counsel." They cried out and prayed with great earnestness and fervor, as their prayer books show. So if I could pray as they pray, I would give two hundred florins worth of books for it. I am surprised that God does not hear them. It is a great, unspeakable wrath. When they cry out now, our Lord God answers thus: When I preached and cried out, no one would hear; so now I do not hear either. You have despised my sermon of punishment; so now I will not hear you again. Prov. 1, 24. ff.
Oh, dear God! rather punish with pestilence, Frenchmen and whatever other evil diseases there may be on earth, so that the warrior curses, before you remain silent. God says: I have stretched out my hand and cried out: Come here and listen etc., you say: We will not do it. I send unto you my servants the prophets, Isaiam, Jeremiam etc., saying, Hear ye them etc. Yea, say they, we will smite them to death etc. There ye have my son: Ei, we will crucify him etc.
(56 lines omitted here because contained in Cap. 74, § 24.)
God is incomprehensible in His majesty.
(Contained in Cap. 2, sec. 84, subsec. 5.)
42. what most displeases God.
(Contained in Cap. 9, § 19, sub. 1. center.)
The greatest wrath of God.
(Contained in Cap-1, § 70.)
44. god's way when he wants to ruin a country. 1)
(Cordatus No. 1370.)
When God wants to destroy kingdoms, He first takes away wise people, that is, He makes them blind, then He also takes away power.
45. One should not flee from God.
(The first paragraph in Cordatus No. 1382.)
It must come to pass that God will not make us fear Him. For he who fears flees; but he who flees from God, to whom will he take refuge?
2) We should indeed recognize sin and confess that we justly deserve his wrath, punishment and disgrace; but in times of need we should have recourse to him and seek help from him in the name of Christ, his dear Son, for otherwise he will lose his honor if we do not consider him to be our God in our hearts and make him a liar. Therefore we should not be afraid of him, but flee to him and call upon him in all our troubles; for the Scriptures say that he is present with us, and hears us even before we begin to cry out.
God punishes and no one can escape from Him.
(Cordatus No. 159.)
It cannot be denied how godless the world is, which can be especially noticed from the fact that God has not only increased the punishments, but also ordered such heaps of punishers. For first he punishes himself. Then all parents and landlords, all authorities, schoolmasters, all executioners and many others, so that one can hardly enumerate all punishers correctly. But if you add the devil with his army, the number of punishers is infinite. But if you want to summarize briefly how little the world cares about even the most severe punishments of God, then only consider this, that people abuse all His punishments for daily curses,
1) For this, cf. chap. 2, § 98.
2) For the following, see § 86 and § 126 of this Cap.
which one wishes upon the other, not only in anger, but also in jest, saying: That thunder may smite thee; that the French may pass thee, and the like.
(Here 5 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 2, § 106.)
47. If God does not hold over us, it is done with us.
We are nothing with all our gifts, no matter how great they may be, if God does not always hold over us: if he relies on us, then our wisdom, art, understanding etc. is nothing. If he does not always sustain us, even the highest knowledge and the best theology that we may attain and have will be of no help to us. For when the hour of temptation comes, it is in a flash and very soon that the devil snatches us away by his cunning, yes, even the sayings, so that we should comfort ourselves, and sets before our eyes only the sayings of doom, with great innumerable heaps.
Therefore, let us learn well and realize that where our Lord God withdraws His hand from us, we may very soon fall and go to the ground. As happened to St. Peter soon after the first concilio at Antioch, when St. Paul confronted him and publicly chastised him for his hypocrisy, so that he angered the weak Gentiles, Gal. 2:11 ff. For this reason, no one should boast and boast about his righteousness, piety, wisdom and other gifts that he has, but humble himself and pray with the apostles, saying, "Dear Lord, strengthen and increase our faith," Luc. 17:5.
48. a different.
D. Staupitz, the Augustinian vicarius in Germania, used to say rightly and well: "It would be unfortunate and dangerous for us to rely on our own strength, even if we were holy and the most learned and understood things in the best and most certain way. For it may well happen that even in what we know and understand to the very best of our ability, we may nevertheless fall short and err, not only for our own sake but also for that of others.
even to the great, noticeable harm of other people. Therefore, it is necessary for us to study the Holy Scriptures and God's Word with the utmost diligence and humility, and to pray with all seriousness so that we do not lose the truth of the Gospel.
49. God's bodily gifts are held in low esteem.
The greater God's gifts (I am speaking now of the bodily ones) and miracles, the less one respects them. The greatest and noblest treasure we have received from God is that a human being can speak, see, hear, etc.: But how many are those who consider this a special gift from God, who consider it great, and who do not want to thank God for it? On the other hand, the world thinks much and much of wealth, honor, power and other things that are even less (for how delicious can it be that is perishable?), and cannot wonder enough about it; yet a blind man (who is otherwise by reason) would gladly do without all this, that he might only see.
But the fact that these divine gifts are held in such low esteem makes them so mean that God also gives them to unreasonable, useless animals, which see and hear as well, and in part better, than we humans do. But what shall I say? Christ made the blind see, cast out devils, raised the dead etc., nor did he have to hear from the godless hypocrites, who claimed to be God's people, that he was a Samaritan, that he had the devil, Joh. 8, 49. Ah! the world is of the devil, as it goes and stands; how then shall it recognize God's gifts and benefits?
50. a different.
(Contained in Cap. 3, § 16, second half.)
51. a different.
(Lauterbach, Sept. 10, 1538, p. 128.)
When Luther saw cows etc. walking in the field, he said, "There go our preachers, the milk carriers, the butter carriers, the cheese carriers, who preach to us daily the faith against God as our Father.
52. how god remains master.
(Cordatus No. 182.)
Do you want to know how God remains the regent and master of people? The old he lames, and the young he blinds. So he remains master.
God feeds all animals.
(An excerpt from Cap. 2, Z105.) '
God can do all crafts.
(Cordatus No. 307 and 308.)
God can do all the arts, and in the best way, because with his tailoring he makes a deer a skirt, which he uses for nine hundred years in the most useful way. As a cobbler, he gives it the claws, which last even longer. He is also the best cook, who cooks everything with the warmth of the sun.
God gave this world with all its treasures to people whom He knew would sin. What treasures do you think He will now give to those justified by faith, whom He knows will remain righteous for eternity?
55. God is very angry that people do not want to think of Him as a God.
(The first paragraph in Cordatus No. 401.)
God is devilishly displeased that one does not want to think of Him as God, for He continually speaks in the prophets: Am I not God? Is there another right God than I? Do I not have the power to help?
If God taught me like the pope in the prophet Jeremiah, I would have to die, but the pope asked nothing about it, despised it and laughed at it.
56. I am your God, what it is, and from the abuse of God's name.
(Cordatus No. 418. 419 and 420.)
When I first read these words: I am the Lord your God, they once seemed to me ridiculous and quite futile words, and I thought: Ei, who does not want this? But now I see what these words mean. And this is wonderful, that all people know this pre-
Carlstadt, Zwingli, the Pope, and yet do not feel it in their hearts. The Rotten prove this. If we did not misuse God's name, everything would go happily for us on earth, because everything goes badly for those who misuse it.
We just want to be idolaters, as it was in the time of Ezekiel, so God was forced to say [Ezek. 20, 39.]: If you want to worship idols, worship them in the name of all devils. But it is according to this: I am the Lord your God, it is written: Whoever uses the name of God uselessly will be punished.
We are very great sinners because, in sum, we do not believe. We must complain to God about this, and He Himself knows that we are His image, however we may be. But that we are sinners, and very great ones at that, we know by the fact that we often make Him a liar through unbelief and do not trust Him, since He says most truly: I am the Lord, your God.
God wants to be praised in all languages.
(Contained in Cap. 34, § 6.)
58. God can be trusted less than people. 1)
(The first paragraph Cordatus No. 506.)
Fie on you for the devil and our flesh, that we cannot sincerely trust God, who promises and gives so great things. I Martin Luther trust my wife and each of you more than Christ, although I know for certain that none of you would allow him to be crucified for me etc.
He asked some: Do you also believe that God is our King, Lord and Father? It is a lie. If it is true, the tyrants will stand evil. Item: If the holy scripture is God's word, then the rulers will come right.
59. put God on the spot.
(The first paragraph in Cordatus No. 439.)
Jeremiah said, "Is it right for the pious to be afflicted and the wicked to be afflicted?
I) Cf. cap 7, § 113.
live in the buzz? Is this to be a God of judgment? [Jer. 12, 1. and Isa. 30, 18.]
Our Lord God does as we do, he pretends to make it rain and does not; we pretend to become pious and do not.
God nullifies human councils and plots.
(Cordatus No. 471.)
I can't govern myself and want to govern the world? I have also well prescribed God's articles and wanted to govern, but the pious God has let me go in his ass and my master has become nothing.
61. To prove God wrong, He does not like that.
(Cordatus No. 470.)
Gross missteps and outward sins are easily forgiven by God, but to resist the [Holy] Spirit and make God a liar, God will resist.
62. God knows well how to do it, much differently than we think, with his and
our adversaries.
God knows the counsels and suggestions of all hearts, and knows well how to make it work out for the best. Therefore, it is good that Zwingel, Carlstadt and such like groups and enthusiasts have been put to death, for we would not have preserved L.S. and other our neighbors. O, what a triumph should have been! O, how they would have locked themselves! Therefore God knows well how he should do to him.
God is much kinder to us than a father is to his child.
God must certainly be much friendlier to me and talk to me than my Käthe is to her Martinichen. Now my Käthe or I cannot gouge out an eye or tear off the head of my child with our will; therefore also
1) Cap. 9, § 19 seems to be only a broader version of the thoughts contained in this §.
God, yes, much less. For He has a kinder and gentler heart towards His faithful than a father and mother have towards their child, as God Himself says in the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 49:15, where he says: "Can a woman forget her child, and not have mercy on the son of her womb? Even if she forgets him, I will not forget you" etc. But God must have patience with us. Well, he has put it there, yes, sent his only begotten Son into the flesh and let him become man, so that we should take care of the best for him. I think that Paul himself was an enemy to him, that he could not believe and love Christ as he would have liked.
64. a different.
When I think of the great majesty and mercy of God, I myself am frightened that God has lowered Himself so high.
65. a different one.
I think that God has as much to create and to do, that he makes a thing void again, 1) as that he creates and makes it. This is what D. Martinus said when the dung was thought of, and he continued: "I am surprised that the world has not long since been filled up to the heavens.
66. God is a God of the lowly.
(Contained in Cap. 26, § 39.)
67) How God shows Himself in temptation. (Contained in Cap. 26, ß 39.)
God has a small group on earth.
(Cordatus No. 550.)
The fact that God hardly makes the tenth part of the people blessed is meant in the tenth of Moses. For the world is very wicked, and who would have believed that there would be so great ingratitude toward the gospel among our people?
1) Aurifaber "rightly", whereas Stangwald "wrongly",
69. creatures of God, as they are to the wicked.
(Cordatus No. 23.)
All creatures are both revealed and hidden to the wicked. They look at all creatures like a donkey looks at the rosemary that is poured out for him to eat. He thinks he is eating hay. But it [the creature] is also apparent to them, because they see it; but hidden, because they do not perceive the Creator in the creature.
God is very pleased with the customs of all creatures.
Our Lord God is pleased for us to eat, drink and be merry, therefore he has also created so many things that we should need them; only that we recognize and consider him to be a God and give thanks to him. For he would not have us say that he had not given us enough, and could not feed and satisfy our poor maggot sack.
71. God has put great gifts into small, despised things.
(Cordatus No. 102.)
I am surprised that God has put such good and high medicine in the dirt. For pig dung, especially when taken warm from the pig in the hand, staunches the blood, horse dung helps against side stitches, 3) human dung heals all wounds.
God can be known from the creatures.
(Cordatus No. 94.)
Animals were created so that we might learn from them to recognize living beings 4) and be afraid of them. Therefore Christ says
2) ut, as Cordatus has, not "ut si", as Dr. Wrampelmeyer conjicirt.
3) xlsurssin.
is correct.
[Matth. 10, 16:] Be wise as serpents" etc. Or did he not indicate a great thing to us, that the cuckoo devours its parents, the warblers, which I once saw when I looked out of the window? But this means that the false teachers oppress the righteous ones.
73. you should not talk God into it.
(Cordatus No. 99. 100. 101.)
I have often resented God's way; but now I do not talk him into it.
Even though the wicked lead a very happy life, I do not envy them this, for it happens to them no differently than it does to the pig that is thrown into the pen and soon after that is slaughtered. Here belongs what Isaiah 1) says: "Fatten, fatten for the sacrifice" etc.
I am very hostile to the mercenaries and would rather live under the Turks or Tartars than under their protection. For even if they killed me, I would know by whom I had been murdered, namely by Turks, Christ's enemies. But who are they?
God's wrath is greatest when He is silent.
(Cordatus No. 107. 108.)
Such great monstrosities of things and doctrines announce to the world not a small, but rather a very great upheaval. Evil things, if they are small, move me the most, but very big ones (like the scolding of Campanus against the Holy Spirit) not at all. With these I think: Let go, because this is too high for you.
If I could, I would punish Christ's enemies most cruelly by far and take vengeance on them by remaining silent, and God Himself has no greater wrath than when He remains silent.
(Here 14 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 2, § 40.)
1) Perhaps Ezekiel, Cap. 39, 17. 19. since such a passage is not found in Isaiah.
God punishes the authorities through the subjects.
(Cordatus No. 147.)
Princes and rulers of this world are called and are gods of the earth [Ps. 82, 1. 6.]. Therefore they are of the devil. The mob, however, is the devil because God sometimes does through it what He would otherwise do through the devil to punish the wicked, just as, when fear and reverence for the authorities is taken away from the hearts of the subjects, the mob becomes rebellious. Thus God used the mob, 2) to keep Christ alive longer, as the evangelists often say [Matth. 21, 46.]: "But they were afraid of the people."
How God breaks and humbles human hope.
(Cordatus No. 239. 3)
Human hope is so great that God, in order to humble it, uses everything that is repugnant to man in creatures (even in man himself). The number of these things is so great that you cannot possibly count them. Or (if you can), count the mosquitoes and fleas, the mice and the poisonous worms! For this purpose he also uses all the wickedness of the devil. Yes, even God Himself, as often as He shows Himself to us otherwise than as a Father, does all this, or allows it to happen, so that He may break our hope and make us humble.
Why did God create the wicked?
(Contained in Cap. 3, § 32.)
78. god's imprudence.
(Cordatus No. 244.)
God seems to have acted carelessly when he commanded that the world be governed by the word of truth, especially because he clothed the truth with the weak word of the cross. And the world does not want the truth, but its opposite,
2) ^1)N8N8 68t ifi here is not to be translated as "abused" as was done in the old "table" speeches, but it is used here, Npe also elsewhere, in the sense of usn8 sst.
3) Cf. Cordatus No. 1614.
the lies. But this seems to be still more carelessly acted, that he offers this truth to such people, who still do not want to receive it of their own free will. For the world does not obey voluntarily, but hardly at last, forced by the greatest violence, and is kept from crime and ruled right only by the greatest harshness. But it absolutely abhors the cross and would rather have Satan's pleasures than Christ's cross. Therefore, the one who rules the world well is the devil, who alone understands this well and rules the world as it is worth, but he takes his governor to help him, that is the pope. There has never been a more respectable kingdom, nor a kingdom of which the world would be more worthy, than that of the pope.
Satan with all his members, the wicked, resists God.
(Cordatus No. 242.)
Just as the devil is always contrary to our Lord God in all things, in word and in deed, so also all the wicked, who are certainly possessed by the devil, if not physically, then spiritually, set themselves against God.
Why God does all good by means.
God could well feed us without all our labor and means, but he will open his hand that it may be seen that he is a rich Lord; and yet all is a marvelous work of God, that we must say we have it all from him. For we see that some waters have fish where none have been planted; thus, in the little book that flows through my garden, there are fine pike, little pike, and when they are put into another water, they become great pike.
(Here 6 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 49, § 9, para. 4.)
Man soon gets tired of a thing.
When young fowls or chicks, which had only crawled out, were brought to M. L., he said, "How has our Lord God so highly honored flesh and blood, and yet it is not respected at all, he has fed them, and they have not been fed.
blessed. Pythagoras, the pagan philosopher, said that the movement of the stars makes a very lovely center and harmony, agreeing with each other; but people are now tired and weary of it through constant habit. It is the same with us: we have such beautiful creatures, but no one respects them, for they are quite mean. Philip once asked me to give him a seal from the Bible, but one that he would not tire of. You can't give a man something that he could love forever, so that he wouldn't get full and tired, because the devil wanted it. As you can see, sometimes whores and boys remain one and undivided, but husbands and wives can be divorced. So whores, stealing and all kinds of sin and disgrace, one can always do, but otherwise the good can not always love. The devil destroys the works of God, and Christ destroys the works of the devil: these are two abominable things, the seed of the woman and the serpent.
God feeds all men and creatures in the whole world.
How much do you think there are people who buy bread? I consider that a farmer waits the least time of the grain etc.; otherwise he perishes with his wood, barley, brew etc. Item, the third part of the fields hardly bears grain, nor are we fed.
My father once said to me: He did not believe that so many sheaves would grow as there were men on earth: but I believe that more sheaves grow; but I do not believe that so many almond grains grow as there are men. But one almond yields scarcely a bushel; a man cannot live on it all the year, and yet all are fed; indeed, there is still grain left when the year is over. This is a strange thing, in which we should feel God's grace and blessing.
Our Lord God must be wrong, he does what he wants and how he wants.
That God should pass such a harsh, severe judgment on Adam, because he had been deceived by the
The man who had eaten the tree offered to him and had disobeyed God, namely, that the field should be cursed for his sake, and that for his sake the whole human race should be subjected to all kinds of tribulations, fears, hardships, diseases, plagues, and at last death should be sent upon it: this seems to be too severe and hard to the wise mind (if it regards the work, namely the biting of the apple, as a bad, small thing); it opens its mouth and says, or thinks, "Oh, is it a great thing and a sin for a man to eat an apple? Is it then a great thing and sin that one eats of an apple? Just as it is now said of such sins as God has expressly forbidden in His Word, especially of drunkenness and gluttony, and others: What harm is it that one is merry and drinks with good fellows? Therefore, according to her blindness, she concludes from this that God has done too much to him, that he is too strict and is trying too hard.
Again, she is offended and angry that Christ lets go of pious, honorable, holy people (as she thinks), does not want to know them, leads them harshly, yes, rejects them and calls them evildoers, although some have been proven wise in his name, cast out devils and performed miracles, Matth. 7, 22, who hear his word and believe in him, forgives their sins, covers them up, does not want to impute them, as great and many as they are, makes them pious, righteous and holy, children of God and heirs of eternal life and blessedness, out of pure grace, without all their merit, good works and worthiness; that also seems too much, even unjust.
Who can be Scheidemann here, who can rhyme the two things together, which are as much against each other as fire and water, namely the strictest and most severe law, which God exercises against the innocent (as reason knows), and the all too great kindness and gentleness, which he shows to sinners, does not impute their iniquity to them, but accepts it with grace etc.? Human reason with its wisdom becomes a fool, therefore it is said: "Unless you turn around and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven", Matth. 18, 3.
God in His majesty is incomprehensible to human reason; therefore, one should be satisfied with the provision and not be troubled by it. 1)
Human reason and nature cannot comprehend God in His majesty, therefore we should not seek nor inquire further into what is God's will, nature and essence, except as He has commanded us. He has given us His word, in which He has abundantly revealed what we should know about Him, what we should think about Him, what we should believe, and what we should do with Him: we should judge ourselves by it, so that we cannot err. But he who has thoughts of God's will, nature and being apart from the Word, and wants to reason it out with human reason and wisdom, causes him much vain trouble and labor, and falls far short; for "the world," says St. Paul, "through its wisdom does not know God in His wisdom," 1 Cor. 1:21.
Nor will they ever learn or know what God's mind is toward them, who worry in vain whether they are endowed or chosen. Those who fall into these thoughts have a fire in their heart that they cannot quench, so that their conscience is not satisfied, and they must finally despair.
Whoever then wants to escape this misfortune and eternal danger, must keep to the Word, and he will find that our dear God has made and laid a strong, firm foundation, on which we may safely and securely stand, namely Jesus Christ our Lord, 1 Cor. 3:11, through whom alone, in vain, by no other means, we must enter the kingdom of heaven; for He, and no one else, "is the way, the truth and the life," John 14:6.
If we are to know God rightly and truly in his divine nature and how he is disposed towards us, it must be through his word. And for this very reason God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world to become man, to dwell among us in the likeness of all things, yet without sin, and to make the Father's heart and will known to us.
1) For this section, see Cap. 26, U 68. 69. 74. 75. 76.
as the Father has ordained and appointed him to be our teacher, when he cries from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, ... whom you shall hear," Matth. 17, 5. As if he wanted to say: "It is in vain and for nothing that men undertake to search for my divine majesty; human reason and wisdom cannot grasp me, I am far too high and great for them. Now, I will make myself small enough for her to grasp and take hold of me: I will give her my only begotten Son, and so give him that he shall become a sacrifice, yes, a sin and a curse for her, and in this he shall render obedience to me until death, yes, death on the cross. After this I will preach it in all the world, and those who believe in it will be saved. This is what St. Paul means when he says 1 Cor. 1, 21: "Because the world through its wisdom did not recognize God in His wisdom, it pleased God through foolish preaching to save those who believe in it.
This means that the divine majesty is small and understandable, so that no one should or can complain that he does not know how he should relate to God. But the world is blind and deaf, which neither sees nor hears what God speaks and does through His Son; therefore He will also demand it of them, Deut. 18, 19.
There is no better way to seek, find and understand the grave challenge of eternal providence or election, which grieves many people, than in the wounds of Christ, 1) of whom the Father said and commanded us: "Him you shall hear", Matth. 17, 5. The Father in his divine majesty is too high and great for us that we cannot grasp him, therefore he shows us the right way so that we can surely come to him, namely Christ, and says: "If you believe in him and cling to him, you will find out who I am and what my nature and will are. But this is not done by the wise, the mighty, the learned, the saints, and the greatest multitude in all the world. That is why God is and remains unknown to them, no matter how much they think about him, argue and talk about him.
ll Cf. cap. 26, § 75.
that apart from Christ, God will be unknown and ungraspable.
Do you want to know why so few are saved and so many are condemned? This is the reason that the world does not want to listen, ask nothing about it, even despise that he, the Father, testifies about him: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," Matth. 3, 17. As if he should say: With him alone you shall find what and who I am and what I want, otherwise you will find it neither in heaven nor on earth. If ye therefore believe on the Son, whom I have sent unto you for a Saviour, I will be a Father; and what this Son saith and promiseeth, it shall surely be true and amen; I will not suffer him to be a liar. 2 Cor. 1, 19. 20.
From this it certainly follows that all who subject themselves to and strive to come to God by any other means than through Christ (as Jews, pagans, Turks, papists, false saints, heretics, etc.) walk in abominable darkness and error. And do not help them that they lead an honorable, strict life outwardly, pretend great devotion, do and suffer much, love and honor God; as they boast. For since they do not want to hear Christ, nor believe in him, without whom no one knows God, no one receives forgiveness of sins and grace, no one comes to the Father, they remain forever in doubt and unbelief, do not know how they are with God, and must finally die and perish in their sins. For "he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him", Joh. 5, 23. "And he who denies the Son does not have the Father either", 1 Joh. 2, 23. "He who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him", Joh. 3, 36.
Why God has decreed that the wicked shall prosper and the righteous shall be iniquitous in the world.
(Cordatus No. 875.)
I do not understand the argument myself, that the peelers have such good days and the pious have such bad days. But God does like a good householder, who chastises the son and not the servant, to whom he does not give the inheritance.
but to the son. And the dearer children are, the greater ruth; it [the child] nevertheless remains in the house. But the servant, though he do too much [evil], yet the Lord remembereth, he shall not do it long in my house. But the Baptist had to die so shamefully that one may lament. This is how it is on earth, but it will get better, and Judas also had good days for a while, but he died badly.
(The conclusion of this § is contained in § 59 of this Cap.).
Why God decrees that His people be persecuted by the devil and the world.
(Cordatus No. 1372. 1373. 1374.)
God is never angry or we would be lost, He does not strike, only that He allows it and turns a blind eye, as a father allows his child to be struck by another, and yet even by this admission He only wants to entice us to come to God.
In the book of Judges [Cap. 10, 14. 15.] the angel says very beautifully: So often I have beaten you and you have not improved, - I believe this happened under Gideon. Whoever surrenders to the man and trusts that he will help, he will certainly help him. The only thing wrong is that we cannot surrender to him. Since the people say, "Do with us as you will," he has always delivered them. Just as David, when he counted the people, was not beaten, because he humbly asked God for chastisement and bowed under the punishment [2 Sam. 24:16, 17]. For to have mercy on the afflicted is" his deity, for who else would come to him, praise him and call upon him? For in hell no one confesses him [Ps. 6, 6].
The devil can murder and make sad, but God is a God of life and of comfort for the afflicted. Whoever does not know this, does not know God. God is not the devil, but simply God. Indeed, "GOtt" is a double-meaning word. For in one way it is said: GOtt of death, of sin etc. In the other way is also: GOtt of the good. He who does not distinguish here is very mistaken, for ambiguity is the mother of error.
God is not a God of the dead, but of the living.
This saying allegorizes and draws on Christ, Matthew 22:32, and proves powerfully from it the resurrection of the dead. For if there is no hope of resurrection, nor of another and better life after this short and miserable life, why does God claim to be our God, to give us everything that is useful and beneficial, and finally to save us from all distress, both physical and spiritual? What is the use of hearing his word and believing in him? What good are we if we sigh and cry out to him in anguish and distress, patiently await his comfort and salvation, praise his grace and good deeds displayed in Christ, and thank him for them? Why do we daily stand in danger, let ourselves be persecuted, killed for the sake of Christ's word, which we teach to hold as our greatest treasure and to confess before the wicked world?
But because the eternal, merciful God speaks and acts through His Word and Sacraments with us humans alone (all other creatures excluded), not about bodily things or this temporal, transitory life (which He abundantly provided with all necessities in the beginning), but where we are to dwell when we depart, and gives us his Son to be our Saviour, who hath redeemed us from sin and death, and hath purchased for us eternal righteousness, life and blessedness, that we should believe on him, and be baptized at his command etc.It is certain that we will not die like unreasonable animals, but if we have fallen asleep in Christ, we will be raised to eternal life through Him on the last day, but the wicked to judgment, eternal shame and disgrace, John 5:29, Dan 12:2.
God needs evil for good.
God only needs everything very well, whereas man and the devil shamefully misuse everything good. God drives to the state of marriage through secret suffering and lust, 1 Cor. 7; for if one man did not have love, lust and desire for another, who would want to be free? But that after that forbidden air is controlled
that the man does not attach himself to a stranger, but rejoices in his wife and delights in her love; so also the woman. Through ambition God drives many things, so that they strive for good and honor, have a great reputation in the world, are raised to high status before others, to regents, councils, etc.; who would otherwise let himself be used for this? But ambition must not leave the circle of its command and rule, but remain within it, not seeking that which is not its own, nor doing harm to its subjects and neighbors; for there must be an inclination and desire for it. Through avarice God forces many to consider how they will feed themselves; otherwise, without such a desire to have something of one's own, who would want to work and let it sour him to get food? Yes, all possessions and goods would decay and dissolve, only that avarice would also be kept in its circle. Through fear, trembling and doubting, God drives many to faith, so that they keep God's promise, comforting themselves in Christ, who reconciled sinners to God, so that they, justified by faith, have peace with God, Rom. 5, 1. Except for pride and envy, which are and remain evil, devilish vices. But God also uses them for good, but in a contrary way, not in those who are tainted and blinded by them, but in those who are persecuted by the arrogant and the envious. For thus God works His saints for their good, through the devil and his members. On the other hand, the wicked Satan abuses God and all that is good: chastity and celibacy, for hypocrisy; humility, for spiritual hope; love, for mobs and riots; goods, for splendor and idleness.
God does not lack him anywhere.
God gives us all kinds of abundant things to enjoy, first of all so that no one may complain that he has not provided enough for us to maintain this life. But that there is sometimes a lack, especially at this last time, is not his fault, but the fault of the unholy miser, who snatch up everything for themselves, buy all kinds of goods, increase their pleasures, and take away the good things.
Translate and complain to my husband; keep silent about the shameful usurers who suck the people dry.
On the other hand, that God may rightly and justly inflict punishment in His time on those who not only do not recognize Him nor are obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but are also not grateful to Him for the bodily benefits that He gives them abundantly to enjoy (not for splendor, abundance, pride etc.), yes, misuse them most shamefully against God and to the harm and destruction of their neighbor.
But now God desires nothing else from us for all his benefits, bodily and spiritual, but a Deo gratias, that we recognize him as our God and Father, obey his word, serve him in faith, call upon him in all our distress, and do not doubt that he will hear us for Christ's sake.
90. Giving thanks is God's dearest service.
God likes it, it is also the dearest, most pleasant service for him, that he is praised. But he is not praised, he is loved first. He is not loved, unless he is gentle and does good. But he does good when he is gracious. He is merciful when he forgives sin. Who then are they that love him? The small group of believers who recognize such grace and know that they have forgiveness of sins through Christ. The children of the world are not concerned with this, they serve their idol, the wretched and shameful Mammon, but he will finally reward them badly.
God is pleased that we need His creatures.
(Here § lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 2, § 70.)
When grapes, nuts, and peaches etc. were placed on the table after the meal, and everyone ate them with pleasure, he said, "What does our Lord God above in heaven say about our sitting here like this and eating his goods? Well, he created it so that we should use it; he does not demand anything else of us, except that we recognize that these are his goods and enjoy them with thanksgiving.
God fills the belly of the wicked, but gives the kingdom of heaven to the godly.
We do not believe that our Lord God will give more and better than to the rich wicked in the world, to whom he gives delicious good wine (he said this, since he once had a good pure drink of wine), yes, money, property, honor, power and everything they only desire and want to have, only superfluously. But the best good (which they also do not desire) he denies them, namely, himself. But whoever does not have God, even if he has whatever else he wants, he is poorer and more miserable before God than Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's door and died of hunger because of him, Luc. 16, 19. ff. But it will happen to them, as it did to the rich man, that they will be eternally destitute, so that they will not be able to drink even the smallest drop of water.
But if the rich, mild God frequently showers His worst enemies and blasphemers with all kinds of temporal goods, and also gives some great ones, and many of them, dominions and kingdoms, we can easily deduce from this what He will give us, His children (who must suffer for His sake), indeed, what He has already given us. But he has given us his only begotten Son, and with him he has given all things, so that through him we are God's children, heirs also of his eternal heavenly goods, and joint heirs with Christ according to hope, Rom. 8:16, 17, 32.
How God shares with the world.
Our Lord God has divided unequally with the world, that is, he has given to the world all creatures on earth, in the water and in the air, and subjected them to it, so that it should rule over fish in the sea, over birds under the sky and over all animals that are on earth, Ps. 115:16. But he has kept heaven for him, so that he is Lord over life and death: if he wanted to sell the two, he would soon bring back to himself all the goods and treasures that he has given to the world.
94. Because God gives all goods for free, people do not pay attention to them.
(Composed of Cap. 2, §13 and Z14.)
95. God's love even against the evil one.
God is gracious and merciful, as the Scriptures praise Him, because He can love the wicked; indeed, to the blind, hardened world that is in trouble, He has sent His Son as Savior. I could not do it, and yet I am a knave myself.
God watches the tyrants for a long time.
God is patient and of great kindness that He can be so silent and watch the Pope and the Turks, His worst enemies, for so many hundred years and let them go unpunished. Little knows the cause of such cruel and severe punishment, for no one believes that God so terribly punishes the blindness of the damned world, which does not want to accept the truth or cannot suffer long to be saved, but blasphemes and persecutes it: "Therefore God also sends you strong errors, so that they believe the lies," 2 Thess. 2, 11.
In the apostles' time and long after, the gospel had its full course in Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Asia, Graecia, etc., and other kingdoms now held by the Turkish tyrant. But as the people grew weary of it, and many heresies arose, the blasphemous Mahomet came with his Koran. From that time on, they abandoned Christ and worshiped the devil Mahomet. The same happened under the papacy. After our time the punishment will also go over Germany and others, because of the horrible ingratitude and contempt of the dear blessed Word, which is preached to them purely and abundantly. And after this bright light will come a dreadful, terrible darkness. May Christ comfort and help his little army and put an end to their misery through his glorious future. Amen.
God forgives the punishment for a time.
Our Lord God sees very well how the dogs throw, piss, spit and make all corners full of filth. Item, how the drunkards throw out jugs, glasses to windows, break bowls, plates, glasses, windows, stove, and so on.
break etc. But when he begins to visit, he is cruelly angry and punishes without end or measure. This is what he said about the wild, impolite, sour behavior and life that great lords, kings, princes, the nobility, but especially the pope, cardinals, bishops, canons, and the entire corrupt house, with all their fornication and other abominable sins, are unashamedly committing at this last time, without all fear and timidity.
The infant Jesus, he said (pointing with his hand to the painting on the wall), sleeps on the arm of the Mother Mary: will he wake up one day, he will truly ask us what we have done and how we have done it?
98. signs, so go before the punishment.
When God wants to punish or even destroy a kingdom, country or people, 1) He first takes away pious, godly teachers and preachers; item, wise, godly rulers and councilors, reasonable and experienced warriors, and other honest people, Isa. 3, 2. ff. Then the mob becomes secure and cheerful, drives all courageous will, asks nothing more about pure divine teaching, yes, despises it and falls into blindness, respects neither punishment, discipline nor respectability, commits all kinds of sins and shame, from which follows a wild, desolate, devilish nature; as we, unfortunately, now see and experience that may not last long. Therefore, I fear that the axe has already been laid at the root of the tree, so that it will soon be cut down. May the good Lord take us away with grace, so that we do not have to experience or see the misery.
99. How God respects great lords.
God regards the great potentates, kings, princes etc. in the same way as the children of a card game: because they play, they have the card hands in their hands; afterwards, when they get tired of the game, they throw them into a corner under the bench, or into the garbage. God does the same with potentates and great lords: because they are in power, he considers them good; as soon as they have over-
1) Cf. cap. 2, § 44.
he "pushes her off the chair", as Mary sings Luc. 1, 52, and leaves her lying there, ut regem Daniae.
(The following approach Cordatus No. 848.)
The King of Denmark 2) has been captured, his wife has died, his son has died at Regensburg. These are certainly great deeds of God, and yet no one takes them to heart.
100. Our Lord's Map.
God has a beautiful, glorious and very strong card game of vain powerful, great lords, as emperors, kings, princes etc., read together; beats one with the other. Of which I could tell many examples that have happened in our time alone etc.
The Pope has now been considered the supreme head of Christianity for several hundred years: if he has only waved a finger, emperors, kings, princes etc. have had to fear, humble and stoop before him: has thus been a lord over all kings on earth, yes, an earthly god. Now our Lord God comes and strikes with the dew (Luther), the pope, the great king, so that he lies there. This is our Lord God's regiment, as Mary sings in the Magnificat: Deposuit potentes: "He sets the mighty ones from the throne", Luc. 1, 52.
Another speech from God's map.
If I were rich, I would have a golden chess and silver carls made for me, as a reminder: for God's chess and card are great, mighty princes, kings, emperors, etc., since he always stabs one through the other, or beats, that is, lifts up and overthrows. N. is the four bells, the pope the six bells, the Turk the eight bells, the emperor is the king in the game. Finally, our Lord God comes, divides the game, beats the Pope with the Luther, who is his dew. But he is not dead yet; Christ has begun to kill him with the spirit of his mouth, so that
2) Christian II was imprisoned in 1532; his wife, Isabella of Spain, sister of Emperor Carl V, had died in 1525. His son John died in 1532, the year to which this speech probably belongs. (Wr.)
He is now quite dead in the hearts of believers in Christ. I hope that "he will make an end of himself by the appearance of his joyful future. Amen". 2 Thess. 2, 8.
Ezekiel and Apocalypsis speak of it, as if the Turk should be consumed by fire from heaven; which is a dark prophecy. It can also happen by a spiritual fire, which executes and consumes the Antichrist, the pope. For when God gives the Word, He also gives the Spirit of grace and prayer at the same time. When this is strong in the hearts of the faithful, the world is defeated, the devil is overcome and judged, who cannot stand the Word, yes, is in his eyes like thick smoke and dark mist. Now, be it as it may, it cannot be long before both Pope and Turk with their followers are cast into the abyss of hell. Amen.
102) That from the best comes the fear. 1)
Of this once said D. M. Luther over the table and said: From Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs and holy fathers, come the Jews who have crucified Christ; from the apostles come Judas the betrayer; from Alexandria, where there was a famous noble school and had many pious, Christian, learned men, come Arius and Origen; from the Roman church, which has given many holy martyrs, comes the blasphemous Antichrist, the Pope of Rome; from the hermits in Arabia comes Mahomet; from Constantinople, the noble city where many noble emperors held court, comes the wretched Turk; from wives come adulteresses; from virgins whores; from brothers, sons, friends become the worst enemies; from angels come devils; from kings tyrants; from the gospel and divine truth come devilish lies; from the church heretics. The food becomes filth, which is thrown out by the natural course; delicious wine and other drink becomes urine; blood in the body becomes pus; Luther becomes coiner and rebel,
1) On the idea, cf. cap. 41, § 2.
Anabaptists and Sacramentarians. What wonder is it that evil things are among us, coming and going out from us? It must be a very evil thing that cannot stay with such good; and it must be very good that can suffer such evil things.
God praises His mercy on us sinners with His benefits.
(Composed of Cap. 49, § 9 and Cap. 2,§§ 80 u. 30.)
God's works are wonderful.
(This § to the last paragraph [Lauterbach, p. 87, note] in Kummer p. 377.)
The creatures of God are inscrutable, yet in truth they are signs 2) of God to the pious. The sun rises daily, the rain moistens, serves the grateful and the ungrateful. As Christ has finely amplified Matth. 6, so all fruit grows out of the trees; as it were, flesh comes out of the wood. For what are trees but wood? If you boil them or roast them, they are wood, but they are flesh; the sweetest fruits that smell like flesh come out of them. So I saw in Italy the most fruitful oil trees standing on the hardest rocks. There I learned to understand the Psalm (78, 15.): "He satiated them out of the rock with water, "b) Thus God blesses our Saxon land, which after all is only broken stone, according to the Gospel (Matth. 4, 3.): "Say that these stones become bread." But these miracles, because they happen frequently and daily, are held in low esteem, as Augustine says.
That is why (said D. M. Luther) one of Wittenberg once said: Ländiken, Ländiken, you are a Sändiken, if I work thick, you are light, if I work thick, you are simple, if I work thick, I do not find. 4) Nevertheless, God gives us good wine and delicious grain from these stones. But because this miracle happens daily, we despise it.
(Here 5 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 2, § 1.)
2) Laeramsirta.
3) According to the Vulgate. In the manuscript is erroneously mslls. The passage dealing with honey is Deut. 32, 13.
4) Thus Stangwald. Spoiled at Aurifaber and Walch.
God spends a great deal of money on the birds' food and nourishment, so He wills it.
also feed, nourish and sustain people.
(Cordatus No. 192. 1766.)
No one is able to measure the treasures that God spends on feeding the birds alone, and very uselessly at that. I believe, however, that it is more precious to God to maintain the sparrows for a year than the annual income of the king of France. What shall we say of the others, which are larger and more voracious?
Although the sparrows are the worst birds, they still have the best days of the year and do the most damage. In winter they lie in the barns and grain floors, in spring they eat the seed, in summer the best grain from the ears, in autumn they are in the vineyards, worthy of persecution. These are all human sins. But when they come into the churches, they hinder God and the hearers from saying. [This is devilish sin.]
God's wrath will soon be atoned for.
(Cordatus No. 860.)
If God is angry with one, the matter is well advised, because He is merciful; but whoever, when challenged, is angry with God, the matter cannot be helped. [Hab. 4, 2.]
107. merciful punishment of God.
If God is angry with us, fights for us, hands us over into the hands of our enemies, so that he can punish our sin and iniquity through them, lets pestilence, evil times and other plagues come upon us, but still speaks to us through his word, then it is certainly a sign of his grace toward us. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," Ebr. 12:6.
108. severe and terrifying wrath of God.
But if people become sure, hear the word, but let it go in one ear and out the other, they can wash much of it, and yet no improvement of life nor fruit of faith follows, as we, lei
who, seeing now that everyone wants to be Christian and evangelical, and yet there is no measure to the care of the belly, the grievous avarice, usury, and other sins, and God prevails through pious, faithful servants and preachers etc., it is a sure sign that God will soon take away the word and pure doctrine and leave the people in their heart of hearts to walk according to their counsel, and, as Christ foretold the Jews in Matt. 21:43, "the kingdom of God will be taken from them and given to others who bear its fruit. Then follows the destruction, that kingdoms, countries and people are devastated and destroyed etc.
Therefore, I am afraid and anxious that Germany will also be afflicted and horribly punished in a short time because of the great ingratitude (on our side), contempt and blasphemy of the dear word (on the enemy's side), which God lets shine so clearly and abundantly in these dangerous last times. He can bear patience for a long time when people are wicked; but when they despise and persecute His word, patience is out and the final punishment is in place; as happened with the Jews, Greeks, Romans etc.
Our Lord God's servant.
D. M. Luther said: God wants repentant sinners (who fear God's wrath, devil, death and hell, and believe in Christ) to be servants: therefore David says in the 34th Psalm, v. 19: "The Lord is near to those who are brokenhearted. And helpeth them that are of a broken spirit." And in Isaiah, Cap. 66, 1. 2. it is said, "Where shall my spirit rest, and where shall I dwell? With them that are bruised in heart, and fear my words." This is what the poor thief on the cross did; St. Peter, who denied Christ; Mary Magdalene, who was possessed by devils; St. Paul, the persecutor; all of whom were sorry for their sins and wanted to have forgiveness of sins from Christ and to be God's servants. The great prelates, proud saints, rich noblemen, ox drivers and house builders do not do it, 1 Cor. 1:26, nor would it be good, because no poor person could come before them,
even so it would not be to God's praise and glory, but they would ascribe the glory and prize to themselves, saying: It is we.
Nevertheless, there are also some great kings, princes and lords who call upon God and serve Him with all their heart: although they are rich and mighty and rule over lands and people, they are still spiritually poor, Matth. 5, 3, that is, they recognize themselves with right earnestness for poor sinners and pray with David, the great holy king: Miserere mei, Deus. Item Ps. 143, 2: "Lord, do not judge your servant"; Ps. 39, 12: "All men are nothing"; item: "God, be merciful to me according to your goodness" etc., Ps. 51, 3.
God's and the devil's punishments find unequal. 1)
God punishes with moderation, not in anger and wrath; he chastises as a father chastises his son; he wounds so that he may heal, 1 Sam. 2:6. In sum, he does everything for our correction, salvation, life and happiness, precisely so that we may learn to fear him, recognize his goodness and faithfulness, trust him and call upon him in all our needs. Just as a pious child, chastened by its father, begins to mend its ways, fearing and loving its father more than before, because it knows that he means well by it. The devil, however, where God has cast him, afflicts, terrifies, wounds and punishes, not as a father does his child, but as an executioner does a highwayman, thinking that he will drive the one he accuses into despair, murder him with great suffering and destroy him eternally; he leads into hell and does not come out again; all his doings are directed to that end: Only dead, only dead.
God cannot defend His divinity before us humans.
God cannot maintain with us men that He alone is God; for all men by nature stand and seek after the Godhead, as Adam and Eve did in Paradise, deceived by the serpent etc., much less can He
1) Similar thoughts Cap. 24, § 10.
He alone receives that He alone is wise and blessed, yet alone He hardly receives that He is immortal.
Aristotle, the pagan, disputes thus (2nd metaphor): Whoever sees the misery and misery in the world from outside, not in himself, sees much that makes him sad and distressed, and therefore cannot be blessed; but God is blessed, therefore it follows that he sees nothing outside of Him. With this, he first denies the immortality of souls; then, that if God does not take care of us, he will not take care of us etc. But what kind of God is this? He is only not my God.
No sin plagues us so much as the shameful lust and desire, so that we may seek after the Godhead. The evil lust and inclination of the flesh is indeed also a fierce evil, by which people are hardly challenged; but it is only child's play compared to the spiritual evil of whoredom, which far surpasses the fleshly evil.
God is the beginning of all righteousness, the means and the end.
All righteousness comes originally from God. First of all, he speaks to us through his word, offers us his grace, forgiveness of sins through Christ: as he spoke to Adam and Eve, deceived by the serpent, after the fall in paradise, consoled them after imposing a merciful punishment on them, and promised Christ, who was to crush the serpent's head.
So he did with Abraham, commanded him to go out of his fatherland etc., promised him that he would make him a great nation etc., Gen. 12, 1. 2., be his shield and great reward, Gen. 15, 1. Further he promised him and his descendants, Isaac, Jacob etc., that through their seed (Christ) all nations on earth would be blessed, Gen. 22, 18. He also called for Moses, Ex. 3, 7. ff, and David through Samuel, 1 Sam. 16, 11. ff. Mary also, when she became the mother of God's Son, did nothing else but listen to the angel, accepted his word with faith and said: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your words", Luc. 1, 38.
Thus, God always begins by laying the first stone, that is, the word of promise and grace must precede it. This annoys the papists and all the works saints when they hear this, and prevents them from accepting it, but persecutes it; for they do not know and do not understand that the grace by which God justifies us in Christ is the forgiveness of sins, and even though there is still sin left, God does not want to impute it to us for the sake of faith in Christ. Alas! To know Christ is the highest treasure, of which the world knows nothing, even despises Him. It is like John wrote in Cap. 1, 5: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it.
Two kinds of sacrifices pleasing to God.
Scripture indicates two sacrifices that are pleasing and acceptable to God: The first is called a sacrifice of thanksgiving or praise, when one purely teaches, preaches, hears, accepts with faith, confesses, and does everything that serves to spread God's word, and for the unspeakable benefits that are presented to us through it and given to us in Christ, thanks, praises, and glorifies God from the heart. Psalm 50:14 speaks of this: "Offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to God"; item v. 23: "He who offers thanksgiving praises me. And Psalm 118, 1.: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is kind, and his goodness endures forever." And Psalm 103:1: "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and what is within me, his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not what good he hath done thee."
The other is when a troubled, afflicted heart takes refuge in God in all kinds of trials and distress, calls upon Him in right faith, seeks help from Him and waits with patience, Ps. 118:5: "In anguish I called upon the Lord, and the Lord heard me and comforted me." Ps. 34, 19.: "The Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart, and helpeth them that are of a bruised spirit." Ps. 51, 19.: "The sacrifices that please God are a troubled spirit; a troubled and bruised heart You, God, will not despise." Ps. 50, 15.: "Call upon me in distress, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt praise me."
The perverse wisdom of the epicureans of this age, of whom there are many, and more and more every day, who judge God's regiment.
When an Epicurean has thoughts of God and sees that things are so unequal and evil in the world that the pious suffer hardship and are oppressed, while wicked wretches have everything superfluous and soar high, he cannot conclude otherwise than that God cannot forbid and prevent this disorderly and desolate being in the world, then he is a poor, weak God; not powerful, much less omnipotent, as he is praised. But if he does not want to change, prevent or forbid it, then he is an unkind, even unjust God, who takes pleasure and joy in it when things go bad. But if he does not know how things are in the world, he is an inconsiderate, unwise, even foolish God.
So lead to school and master the blind condemned race God, their Lord and Creator, deprives and robs him of his divine power, justice and wisdom.
115. another, the same as the previous one.
(Contained in Cap. 9, § 49.)
Serve God and the emperor. 1)
When one said, "He who serves God and the emperor has little profit," Luther said earnestly, "This is from hell and from the devil's behind, and is blasphemous speech, which goes directly against the first and other tablets. Against the first, where God commands: "You shall love God, your Lord, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might", Deut. 6, 5, "and serve Him alone", Matth. 4, 10. Against the other: "Let every man be subject to the authority that has power over him", Rom. 13, 1.
1) The thoughts in this § quite different from Cordatus No. 167:
Someone said at the Diet of Augsburg: "I do not care much about the faith, but I know two lords who give evil pay, Christ and the emperor. This was polite, clever and theologically spoken. [The meaning: Whoever serves God and his order, the authorities, must be prepared for the cross.]
And Christ says Matth. 22, 21: "Pray to God what is God's, and to Caesar what is Caesar's."
The first birth was sanctified to God.
In the Old Testament, all firstborns were sacred to God, both of men and of cattle. The firstborn son had an advantage over the other brothers, and was their lord as the chief in sacrifice and kingdom, that is, in spiritual and temporal government; for he had the right to priesthood and dominion. Now many examples are given in the Scriptures, showing how God rejected the firstborn sons and chose others in their place. As, Cain, Ishmael, Esau, Reuben, Eliab etc. were firstborn sons: from them God took their right and gave it to their brothers who were younger than they, as, Abel, Isaac, Judah, David etc., and that therefore: they became proud and presumptuous over the firstborn and despised their brothers who were more pious and godly than they. God did not like this and therefore deprived them of their honor, so that they could not boast of their firstborn before Him, even though they had a great reputation before the world, land and people; as the Scriptures report.
But the spiritual promise, that Christ should come from their seed, they have forgotten through their pride, that they might not boast of their firstborn according to the flesh. Our Lord God wants to be unpunished, to let us go our way in no way: whoever does not walk in his way goes astray and is a lost sheep.
118) Obedience of God and the devil. 1)
The obedience that is rendered to God and pleases Him is the obedience of faith, Rom. 3:28, that one hears and teaches His word, believes it, abides by it and proves it with fruits of faith, that is, with good works that God has commanded. But obedience to the devil is superstition, so that a person departs from the true faith, follows devil's lies and the teachings of men, and does many and great works.
1) Another relation of Cap. 24, § 123.
of his own choice and devotion, without and against God's command, and tortures himself with it. Hence the common saying: Hell is more sour to the devil's martyrs than heaven is to God's martyrs.
119. forgiveness of sins.
God knew well that we would not do everything, nor could we, therefore He gave us remissionem peccatorum.
120. How it would have gone if Adam had not sinned.
(Contained in Cap. 49, § 7.)
God mocks Satan.
God irritates and mocks Satan in that he puts a poor weak man, who is earth and dust, but has the first fruits of the spirit, before the hopeful, cunning, powerful and evil spirit, against whom he can do nothing.
2) Thus it is recorded in history that a powerful, mighty king in Persia was killed by a
2) The beginning of the second paragraph in another redaction in Kummer's second part x. 258 d, (year 1542) (Lauterbach, p. 201.): [Desgl. Cordatus No. 1484. See Appendix No. II.]
Drought. When there was a great drought, so that the seeds and plants dried up before they were ripe, the Lord Doctor asked that the Lord, for the sake of His mercy, would give rain etc. While he was still speaking in this way, locusts (druelii, /3/wi^ot) came flying into the garden in droves, and he said, "God is angry, because he also wants to take away the rest through vermin, as Joel 1, (v. 4.) says: The caterpillars will eat the rest etc. At last he sighed and said; Oh Lord, behold our prayer, for thy promises' sake. We have asked him, our heater sighs, but the peasants' avarice hinders it, after they have become so licentious through the gospel, that they do what they desire, and are not frightened, neither by hell nor purgatory, but say: I believe, I will be blessed, and become the most shameful mammon servants; he wants these godless people to perish by hunger. But God does have means to feed His own, although He denies the rain to the ungodly. For God has various means to sustain and to destroy. For at that time of drought many locusts came, and he said that with such an army GOtt could smite the Turk. For one reads in church history that a very large army of the Persians was chased away with gnats before Nineveh*).
*) Cf. Cap. is, § 41: "Nasili" (Nineveh?); also because of the time indication.
The strange army sent by God, namely by flies and gnats, was defeated with all its might at the city of Edessa. Thus our Lord God desires to conquer and triumph, not by might, but by weakness: gnats shall smite the great king, and chase the mighty, ravenous beast. So also, a weak man shall defy, resist and overcome the prince and God of the world by faith.
The world does not respect God's goods.
God deceives the world and makes it foolish, because he does so much good even to the worst of the wicked, gives rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, out of the earth grain, wine and all kinds of fruit, yes, also gold and silver and other metals, out of the sea rmd water all kinds of fish, fills their hearts also with delicious food and drink and makes them happy. The world does not think otherwise, because their goods are the right goods, their joy is the right joy.
Therefore let us cling to the word, hold fast to it, and judge ourselves according to the same, which teaches us that all things, with which the world is about, glories, and comes in with, are temporal, defiled, and worldly, and have no continuance, but perish with all their nature, goods, joy, pleasure etc., And also shew what are the true and lasting goods and joy etc., namely, the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which are a better and more precious treasure than many thousand pieces of gold or silver.
So I hear, we cannot use this world's goods, joy etc. without sin? I do not say that, because God created it for us to use and enjoy it, according to this rule of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7, 29, 30, 31: "Dear brothers, the time is short. Further, this is the opinion: that they have wives, as if they had none; and that they weep, as if they meant none; and that they rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and that they buy, as if they possessed none; and that they have need of this world, that they abuse it not, for the things of this world perish."
123. God's supreme wrath and mercy.
False teachers and idolatrous spirits are punishments of sins and God's greatest wrath and disfavor, as Hosea Cap. 9, 7. says: "The prophets are fools, and the idolatrous spirits are mad because of your great iniquity and because of hostile idolatry." Just as godly teachers are a glorious testimony to God's grace and mercy. Therefore St. Paul Eph. 4, 8. 11. calls the apostles, evangelists, prophets, shepherds and teachers gifts of the Lord Christ, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and Micah compares the teaching of the Gospel to a fruitful rain.
What is most pleasing to God.
(Cordatus No. 1386. 1387.)
I believe that it pleases God very much when His praise is preached over him [Christ] whom the whole world blasphemes.
That the Sheflemini [Christ] has enemies, we must learn. 1)
God hardens whom He wills.
One asked D. Martinum whether the word "harden" is to be understood actually, as it reads, or figuratively and falsely? Then he answered and said: Proprie, actually, one should understand it, but not really; because God works and does no evil, but by his omnipotence he works everything in everything, and as he finds a man, so he works in him. Like Pharaoh, who was evil by nature, that was not God's fault, but his own, when he continued to be evil and to do evil. But he is hardened because God, with His Spirit and grace, does not prevent his wicked ways, but lets him continue and have his way. But why God does not hinder or prevent him, we do not have to ask, because the little word "why" has deceived and killed many souls. It is too high for us to investigate.
Therefore God says: "Why I am doing this, you shall not know; see you on your word,
1) Cf. cap. 7, § 21.
believe in Christ and pray, I will do it this way. When God is asked at the last day and judgment, "Why did He let Adam fall?" He will answer and say, "So that My goodness to the human race might be seen and known in giving My Son as the Savior of the world.
The one who can humble himself before God from the heart has won. .
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 86 and § 45.)
Knowing God rightly is the highest art.
God writes Himself and lets it be said of Him everywhere in the Scriptures that He is a God of life, peace and joy for the sake of Christ. Therefore I am an enemy to myself, that I cannot believe it. This means that I do not really know God, nor do I know how he is disposed toward us. Now if I could distinguish between God and the devil, I would be highly learned.
128. gOd receives discipline.
It must be God's business and work, where discipline, especially in wars, and a good regiment are maintained, otherwise it is strange, wild and evil; as one, unfortunately, now sees and experiences too much.
God is lenient with His outward and temporal gifts. 1)
Our Lord God casts worldly virtues, arts, reason, wisdom, etc. into the rappus, like bread and wine, and often gives them more abundantly to the godless than to the godly; as H[archduke] G[eorg] has many more beautiful, worldly virtues, and is more skillful in governing than many a pious ruler.
130. god's way.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 44 and § 98.)
God has set a goal for the adversaries to rage.
(Cordatus No. 1368.)
Let the adversaries rage only because he who has set the boundaries of the sea, though he has
1) Cf. cap. 27, § 152, the last paragraph.
but does not allow it to cross its shores, but restrains the waters, not with an iron shore but with a sandy shore. [Ps. 104, 9.)
132. a different.
The other psalm is one of the finest and best psalms; I am fond of it, that it thus throws itself into the princes, kings, councilors, and so strikes freshly among them. If it is true that this psalm says, then that is a great lie. And he said further, If I were our Lord God, and had commanded my son (as he commanded his son) to rule, and they were disobedient to him as they are now, I would throw the world into a lump.
Mary, the poor child maid of Nazareth, also wants to rumble with the kings, since she says: "He puts the mighty ones down" etc., Luc. 1, 52. She was a fine maiden, must have had a good voice. I should not sing like that. Yes, say the tyrants, "let us break their bonds," etc., Ps. 2, 3. What that is, experience teaches us now; for one drowns, hangs, scorches, burns, beheads, strangles etc., chases away, stabs and plows etc. And they do it all in defiance of God. "He that sitteth in heaven above, laugheth and mocketh," Ps. 2:4, but it is not laughter to the papists, but great earnestness.
If only our Lord God would allow me a little space and time, so that I could interpret another psalm or two, I would make myself so useless; like Samson, I would take them with me. Judg. 16, 30.
Ask, he says, that the last day will come soon, the world can never be helped: I have tried everything to the best and utmost, but it will not happen anywhere. It will be time for God to close his heaven; he has let it smell too well, we have only become bolder and prouder through it.
God preaches to him himself.
Our Lord God has spoken His word to Himself, especially in the Lord's Prayer, when Christ says: O! help that God's name may one day be hallowed.
134. God's expenses and food that go into the world.
(Cordatus No. 710. 711 and No. 715.)
Every man must have 31 guilders, one year to help the other. Our Lord God gives away one day more than the emperor is able to.
God has given the world everything, leaves, grass, money, gold, stones, mountains, land, people, all goods, and has reserved nothing for Himself but death and life.
No one can estimate how much God needs to give the world its food every single day. I know that to feed the world every day stands a kingdom. How many days have there been since the world began? And we do not want to trust him.
135. goodness of god.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 89.)
136. signs when God is gracious or ungracious.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 107 and 108.)
137. God is a God of the living.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 87.)
God has restored all estates through His word.
When it was thought how blessed a time it would be now, because the gospel would be righteously restored and taught, D. Martinus said: God wanted to restore everything before the last day to its first state, for which it was created and ordered, as the gospel, the marriage state, the authority etc.
139. God will destroy a country for the sake of sin.
I believe that God has cursed the Promised Land because of the wickedness of the Jews; for He washes away all the fatness of a land so that it remains barren and sandy, 1) makes their land become salt pits, as the prophet says, since it is nothing or ever very
1) Cf. cap. 3, § 11.
wears little. Thus God is wont to strip a land of all adornment, that he may have gifted and graced it before others, that it may become bare and desolate. The old lord of Stolberg, after he had come back from the holy land, which he had seen quite well, is said to have said: Is this the promised land? I would take the golden floodplain for it. For even the holy land is no longer as fertile as it was before.
God's blessings are upon all creatures.
God has blessed the creatures along with us humans who have mouths and need food that grows from the earth, but he has not blessed those who come from the earth themselves. For we eat in like manner that which the swine and other unwise beasts eat, only that we put it boiled into the dish and dress it, but the swine bites it from the root.
How God will judge.
God's judgment is happening now through the gospel, but on the last day it will be revealed and made public. Then He will come with thunder and lightning, and in a moment He will send all of us to meet Him, 1 Thess. 4:17, so that we will have to stand before Him and publicly hear the judgment, Matth. 25:34, 41. This is called judging the living and the dead.
The first time you see God's goodness, you will know it.
The worldly authority is a sign of divine grace, that God is merciful, and has neither desire nor pleasure in slaughtering and strangling, otherwise he would let it all go among themselves without regiment, also among the Turks and other nations, like the wild, cruel, unreasonable animals, pigs, bears, wolves, lions etc.Then they would destroy themselves and devour one another,' according to the saying, 'He who is strong and able puts another in his sack.
The Magnificat contains all the works of God.
All the works of God are comprehended in the Magnificat. When a thing comes up high, then
it is nothing; and again, when it is at its lowest and most despised, it comes forth again and rises up. So at the time of Samuel, 1 Sam. 6, when the ark and the ark of God were taken away, people wept that it was now over with Israel and the service, but they were nevertheless preserved.
God does not want us to understand everything.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 9.)
A blessed time has God given us now, who only recognized it!
O God, said D. M., how I have now experienced such a noble time, Luc. 10, 23, so much revelation of good arts, especially of the pure teaching of the dear Gospel. And truly, as Christ says about the time of the last day, everything shall be in bloom, and after that the last day shall come out of it: all arts shall bloom, and everything shall stand on high. When this happens, Christ says, summer will not be far away. Luc. 21, 28.
Since a man should be God only a little while, our evil would be waited.
(Cordatus No. 712.)
I did not want to take a hundred thousand guilders, that the Fugger should be a moment GOtt.
147. serving god.
If one does not serve God alone, then one certainly serves the devil: Cause, you cannot serve God, you have only his word and command. If his word and command are not there, you do not serve God, but your own will. So then our Lord God says: "Whom you serve, let him also reward you; which teüfel has called you? I command you to serve your father and mother, your authorities and your neighbor; you will put up with that, and do what I have not commanded. Am I supposed to put up with that? Oh no, nothing will come of it. For God the
To do is to do what God has commanded in His Word, each in his own state; not what seems good to you, out of your own self-chosen devotion.
So the pope and his crowd are all idolaters and servants of the devil, with all their being and life; for he asks nothing of God's word, yes, he condemns and persecutes the word and directs all his ghosts to lead away from the pure faith in Christ. He pretends to great holiness under the appearance of outward worship, which he has arranged with caps and plates, with fasting, eating fish, reading mass, and what is more like that, but in reality it is all the devil's doctrine.
And when someone asked: What is the reason why the pope and his followers hold so stiffly to such doctrines of the devil? Martin answered: "The gospel tells us that the devil has shown them the kingdom of the world and promised it to them, as he did to Christ, Matth. 4, 8. This makes him mock our preaching and worship, because we are beggars in it and have to suffer a lot. But he lifts up his worship to heaven, for there he has money and goods, honor and authority, and is a great lord who can be emperor and king. Then one sees how the devil has so powerfully occupied them with this temptation, has driven them to forsake the word of God, has imposed and introduced self-inflicted holiness; yet God has preserved some under such devilish specter.
148. god is not a cause of evil
(Cordatus No. 88.)
Origen was much troubled by the question of whether God was the author of evil; but we deny that God is the author of evil, for He is the author of creatures. But we deny that God is the author of evil, for he is the author of creatures, but God's creatures are badly good. But when we speak in this way, the expression "author" or "cause" must be well observed, for in fact God is not the cause of evil, even though He gives the wicked a hardened mind, according to this, "I have left them in the stupor of their hearts." [Ps. 81, 12. 13.]
Man does not do God's will.
(Cordatus No. 145.)
God constantly makes visible things out of invisible things and wants us to do the same, but we reverse the order because nature wants to do the opposite in everything. For if I am poor, I should in faith see abundance in all things. But we would rather have abundance, and then, according to our will, either flee poverty 1) or permit it.
150. God's rocking power dismays the people.
(Cordatus No. 258.)
It does not little affect the hearts that God is so changeable 2). For to Adam he gave promises and ceremonies, which he then changed with the rainbow 3) and the box of Noah. To Abraham he gave circumcision. To Moses miraculous signs; to his people the law. He abolished all of them through the Gospel, which he gave to Christ. The Turks were offended by this changeability of God and said that their law would only last for a while, but would then be changed.
Where and how to find and know God with certainty.
(This § is transposed and abridged from the Great Interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 1. Walch, old edition, Vol. VIII,§§60 and 59.)
God does and gives everything for free.
God created us without our doing, by grace, without our merit, feeds and sustains us also, and gives us heaven freely out of pure grace, for Christ's sake, who believe in Him.
For the sake of our hardness, God must be hard and God.
(Contained in Cap. 22, § 86.)
1) Instead of ünZers in the original would probably like to read.
2) i.e. variable.
fingere3) Instead of aroa areu is to be read.
How difficult it is to believe what God says.
Alas! said D. Martinus, I believed everything the pope and the monks said, but what Christ says now, who does not lie, I cannot believe. That is a miserable and annoying thing. Well, we want it and must save it until that day.
155. a different.
(Cordatus No. 1516.)
Is it not a plague that I am afraid of the man who raised me out of baptism, when no Philip nor Pomeranian loves me so much as Christ, who died for me?
God cares for us.
(Cordatus No. 1800.)
Since God spends so much on feeding useless birds, who would despair that he will be sustained by God?
What this is, God is nothing, and yet everything.
The pagan Plato disputes about God, that God is nothing, and yet is everything: which Eck and the Sophists followed, and yet understood nothing of it; as their words indicate, which no one could understand. But so it is to be understood and spoken of: God is incomprehensible and invisible; but what can be understood and seen, that is not God. And this can be said in another way: God is either visible or invisible. He is visible in His word and work; but where His word and work are not, there one should not want Him, for He cannot be found elsewhere than as He has revealed Himself. But they want to seize God with their speculation, and nothing comes of it; seize the wretched devil for it, who also wants to be God.
But I admonish and warn everyone to let speculation stand, and do not flutter too high; but remain here with the manger and swaddling clothes in which Christ lies, "in whom dwelleth all fullness.
of the Godhead bodily", as Paul says Col. 2, 9. There one cannot miss God, but certainly meets and finds Him. I would like this rule to be observed after my death.
In what God's consolation and man's consolation stand.
(Contained in Cap. 7, § 158.)
When the help of men ceases, the help of God comes to those who believe in Him.
If we do not see any way, means, counsel, or manner by which we can be helped out of misfortune, then we conclude according to reason: It is over with us. But if we believe, our salvation is enhanced. For, as the Medici say, ubi desinit philosophia, ibi incipit medicina: Where philosophia ceases, there medicina begins. So we also say: Ubi desinit humanum auxilium, ibi divinum incipit, vel fides in verbum: Where human help ceases, there God's help begins, or faith in God's word.
Our Lord God deals with Christians in a wonderful way.
Affliction comes before salvation, and after salvation joy. To be oppressed and weighed down is to be built up and yet to grow and increase. Our Lord God makes his will against the Christian very colorful and curly, so that almost no one can send himself into it. God's kingdom dwells in the people who are baptized and believe in Christ from the heart, proving it also with their lives: and the true Christians are God's kingdom; but not the mouthed and colored Christians. And even though Christians are tormented and killed here, their Lord lives in heaven, and for this reason they must also live.
The devil takes pleasure and is his work and greatest joy in suppressing God's work, in torturing and tormenting those who love God's word and hold fast to it; the others he leaves well alone. Because Christians are God's kingdom, they must also be tormented, martyred and oppressed.
A Christian must have evil days and suffer much; so our Adam, flesh and blood, will have good days and suffer nothing: how does this add up? Our flesh is given over to death and hell because it has followed the devil and has left God's commandment. Now if our flesh is to be redeemed from death and hell, and is to be again stripped and wrested from the devil, it must again keep God's commandment and join Him, which is no different than believing in Christ Jesus, that He is the Son of God and our Redeemer, and that we keep His word. The word of Christ is nothing else but bearing the cross, having love and hope in the cross, and believing that he will not leave us afflicted for eternity, and will save us and transfer us from this life to that eternal life; but having patience in love, and that one may give credit for his weakness to another, who also is in suffering and keeps it with Christ.
Therefore, whoever claims to be a listener and disciple of God's word, and wants to be a Christian and be saved, does not have to wait for a good day here; but all his faith, hope and love is directed towards God and his neighbor. So his whole life is nothing else but suffering, cross and persecution, and all kinds of adversity and misfortune every hour, yes, every moment, must be expected.
The works of God must be believed alone.
The holy scripture says: "Do not inquire into high things", Rom. 12, 16; for all the works of God are inscrutable, no one can conceive them; only one must believe them, with reason no one can 1) understand them nor fathom them.
162: Von GOttes unausforschlicher Majestät, aus D. M. Luther's Letter to M. Caspar
Aquilam, parish priest at Salfeld.
(This § is Walch, old edition, Vol. XXI, 1129 ff, No.'670, §§ 2-5.)
One should not be afraid of God.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 45.)
1) So Stangwaldt instead of "vermag".
God's works are wonderful.
(Lauterbach, Aug. 23, 1538, p. 118.)
On August 23, a disputer asked: Where Balaam was from, if he lived in Syria at the water of Aram, as the text indicates? But how does the Scripture agree with this, which says that he was killed among the Midianites? [Luther] answered: Perhaps Balaam fled from Moses as a rebel (as they accused him), as if to say: Now the people will go to ruins; the rebellion is already beginning, and so he fled to the victorious Midianites. For Balaam saw the great plagues and confusion of the people of Israel, how God had afflicted them. Yes, God Himself also afflicted them, namely to harden the Gentiles, who always hoped for the downfall of Israel, as today the Papists rejoice in every confusion among us, and draw good hope from it. Thus, according to the judgment of all the Gentiles, the people of Israel were considered to be the most godless and rebellious sect, and I believe that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, followed Moses and the Israelites in such great certainty that he thought that God stood for him and against Israel, as if the sea had opened for his sake; as if he wanted to say, as the text reads, "Now my soul will be satisfied" (Ex. 14:3). Now I have it for sure, that I shall seize it in the sea, and so he perishes in the greatest safety, and those in their weakness come away victorious. So God is strange in his regiment. That which is against him seems to be for him, and that which is for him seems to be against him. Sometimes he seems strong, sometimes weak, so that neither Satan nor all wisdom can judge him. Christ has often appeared very strong to the devil in miracles, but then also weak in suffering, and has even made the devil mad. Therefore, faith, not the wisdom of the flesh, belongs to the miraculous works of God. Thus Oecolampad is blinded by the argument: "Flesh is of no use" (Joh. 6, 63.). So the body of Christ is not there. And Zwingli: "He sits at the right hand of the Father" (Eph. 1, 20.). So he is not in the bread. These have been their brazen walls, on which they stood, and, ver
blinded by looking at everything through a colored glass, they have judged stiffly and firmly in their opinion.
God will wake up one day.
It seems that our God is a sleepy, dumb, deaf and blind God, as the Psalter calls him in many places; but he will wake up one day and speak to his enemies in his wrath, Ps. 2, 5. Then beware, for it is written: I will awake from sleep, and rise, and smite mine enemies. This was said by Luther when Pace said that the Elector of Brandenburg had removed the chasuble from the Bishop of Strasbourg during mass and kissed the crucifix when it was placed in the grave.
166. Bon God's punishment against the wicked, item, heretics and tyrants.
D. Luther said in 1532 that when he was still in the monastery in Erfurt, he had once spoken to Doctor Staupitz: My dear Doctor, our Lord God deals so cruelly with people, who can serve Him when He lashes out like this? As we can still see in our adversaries, of whom he has punished and cleared away many terrible things, who in our time have rebelled against the teachings of the Gospel. To this Doctor Staupitz answered me at that time and said: "Dear, learn to look at God differently: if he did not do so, how could he otherwise dampen the hard heads? He must control the tall trees so that they do not grow into the sky. God strikes ad sanitatem, ut nos, qui alioqui opprimeremur, liberet et redimat. These examples taught me afterwards in 1530 at Coburg that I had rightly understood the appendix or addition to the ten commandments, since God says: "I am a zealous God, who punishes iniquity" etc. Non est tam crudele in illos tyrannos supplicium, quam necessaria pro nobis Christianis defensio. Sic Zwinglium nunc periisse dicunt, cujus error si praevaluisset, periisse- mus nos cum Ecclesia nostra. But the fifth and fiftieth Psalm says v. 24: Viri sanguinum et dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos."