1. Whether a man is justified and acceptable before God initially by faith, but afterwards completely by works.
2-11. disputation of Philipp Melanchthon with D. Martin Luther Anno 1536.
(12) Whether those who are justified by faith do good works because of necessity.
13 A writing by D. Philipp Melanchthon to Johann Brenz on the subject of Justification..
14. addition of D. M. Luther to the above writing of Philipp Melanchthon.
15. of the creditor Art.
16. the children's faith.
17. of the right faith Art.
18. which are true saints.
19. one question.
20. of the righteous faith Art.
(21) The Christian's only comfort is faith in Christ.
22) The comparison of King Daviv and the Lord Christ.
Of the word "righteous" and God's righteousness.
24. triple justice.
(25) By faith no man can teach rightly and purely, nor reprove and condemn the righteousness of works, except he be well tried and drawn by the heel.
(26) What faith is is understood only in temptations.
27. the Christians' justice.
28. faith does not respect repulsiveness.
Faith is a great thing, whether it is weak or not.
30. faith proven in the cross.
31. strength of faith.
What Joseph of Arimathea believed about Christ.
The righteous lives by his faith.
34 Abraham's faith.
35. assurance of faith in the word through the Holy Spirit.
36. difference of faith and hope.
37. what the reason of faith holds articles.
38. from hope.
39. weakness of faith.
10. of faith and its causes.
Faith alone makes one righteous and blessed.
Faith must be everywhere.
43) How to become truly devout.
44. how to be just before God.
Without faith, God Himself is also of no use.
46 The article of the truth that is valid in the sight of God protects from all errors.
47 On the Presumption of Faith.
It is difficult and weak to believe God's word.
49. believe god and dream.
50. the gllmbe, and not the good works, makes righteous...,
51. we are more and more afraid of the devil, because we believe in Christ who comforts us, and from the difference of sins.
The most noble article of Christian doctrine is that of the blessedness of souls.
How to become pious before God.
54. presumption of faith.
55. weakness of faith.
56. weakness of faith in paulo.
An example of faith in theurization.
58. one should be certain of faith.
Never again will there be unity in the Church of the Doctrine.
60. what faith is.
61. to lament weakness of faith cheaply.
62. Luther's complaint about his weak faith.
63. the Christians' greatest art.
64. faith the most pleasing service.
65. faith the some rule in theology.
Faith alone makes one righteous before God.
67. article of faith stnd der Vernunft nicht gemäß.
Christians are righteous and holy by faith.
69. of our faith.
Faith in Christ is the highest comfort of Christians.
71. the hardest articles to believe.
72. faith.
73. difference between faith and hope.
Causes of faith.
What man's reason and other powers and members do for faith.
The righteous lives by his faith.
Rebirth alone makes God's children, not works.
(78) The objection that faith justifies and the answer to it.
79 From where one becomes fair at the beginning.
The most distinguished main articles of Christian doctrine.
(81) Faith alone makes you righteous.
Believing in God is not everyone's cup of tea.
The Christians' religion and faith.
84 The consequence of faith.
That the enemies of the gospel must bear witness to the doctrine of the righteousness of faith, that by it alone one is justified before God.
(1) Whether a man is justified and acceptable before God initially by faith, but afterwards completely by works?
To this D. Martinus answered thus: A creature, which is created, cannot be said of it that it is still to be created.
because it is already created: therefore, a righteous man who is already righteous cannot be said to be still righteous, because he is already righteous. It does not rhyme, however, to say that, though we are initially justified by faith, after-
But at that time righteousness will be completed and replaced by works.
This word also, that the righteous are called a new creature of God, and the firstfruits of his creature, stoppeth the mouths of all men. Therefore it follows that our works do nothing for righteousness: for our works or the works of the law do not make us a new creature of God; but as God alone began to make us new creatures by faith, so he also accomplishes it. "We are created in Christ JEsu unto good works," Eph. 2, 10. Therefore works do not create or make us, otherwise we would not be God's creatures; but, as they speak of it, creatures of our works. And even if our works do not make us their creatures (as they cannot), they still force God (according to their mind) to do so.
As the beginning of the new creature is without the work of the law, so is also the middle and the end, otherwise the three, beginning, middle and end, would not be one creature, nor of one creator nor of one generation, but an ugly, monstrous creature, partly without work, partly for the sake of works. And God, who is not moved by any work to begin, would be moved by works to complete what he has begun.
Now the faithful or righteous are born of God, John 1:13, but works do not give birth to anyone, but to God alone; therefore they do not make anyone righteous.
2-11. disputation of Philipp Melanchthon with D. Martin Luther Anno 1536. 1)
s2J2) Words of Philip:
It is evident that Augustine has expressed himself much more correctly when he is not in argument than when he is speaking in argument. For he
1) With regard to this disputation, Stangwald reports: "Because the following beautiful collation of the two noble and highly enlightened men has been insufficiently Germanized in previous printings of the Tischreden, and also because some scholastic expressions are used in it that cannot be used well in German, I have wanted to prepare the Latin original, as Mr. Philippus seliger himself printed it some years ago Wider Osiandrum [NL. The translation into German, however, is done by
Luther's Work". Vol. XXIl.
If this is true, then we are not justified by faith alone, but by all gifts and virtues; this is certainly the opinion of Augustine. And from this came "the grace that makes pleasant" [[gratia gratum faciens] of the scholastics. But you, do you now hold that man is righteous by that regeneration, as Augustine, or rather by the righteousness which is imputed to us in vain, which is apart from us, and by faith, that is, the confidence which springs from the word?
Answer by D. Martin Luther:
This is my opinion, and of this I am most firmly convinced and certain that it is the true opinion of the Gospel and the Apostles, that we are righteous before God by imputation of righteousness alone, free of charge [imputatione gratuita].
Stangwald not supplied], so that the Christian reader has to recover the right mind and opinion of both gentlemen preceptors of Christian and blessed memory in now hovering annoying, drebseligen Gezänkm." l Stangwald in Appendix. Fol. 833.) - Melanchthon himself says in his edition, against Osiander, 1552, that he wrote down these propositions and presented them to Luther with the request that he would write down his answers to them in detail. This had happened sixteen years ago, that is, in 1536. - Christoph Pezel in his edition of Consilia Ph. Melanchthonis, Neustadii
1600, reports that this disputation was recorded in the Acts of the Altenburg Colloquium and published against Osiander in 1552, sixteen years after it was written. Originally, however, it was written in the house of the pastor D. Bugenhagen, where Luther, Philippus, Jonas, Cruciger and others met to discuss it, because the arrival of envoys from England and France was expected. There, in the presence and before the eyes of all those present, the propositions of Philippus were drawn on paper, and Luther stated what his opinion was about them and wrote.
Since this disputation is found in Stangwald only in Latin, but in all other editions no other than the inadequate Aurifaber'sche translation, we have seen ourselves compelled to venture the translation of the original. We have followed the text of the original of 1552 given by Förstemann, from which, by the way, the text given by Stangwald differs only in very slight variations.
2) These and the following numbers enclosed in square brackets in this disputation indicate Walch's paragraph numbers.
[3.] Pleas of Philip:
Is man justified by this mercy alone?
That he is not righteous by this mercy alone is evident from the fact that our righteousness is necessary, that is, a good conscience in works.
Or will you not admit that it is said that man is justified chiefly by faith, and to some extent [minus principaliter] also by works, since faith signifies assurance, and in order that this assurance may remain certain, it must be understood that perfect fulfillment of the law [perfectio legis] is not required, but that faith substitutes for what is lacking in the fulfillment of the law?
Ahr admits a twofold righteousness, namely that it is necessary before God, namely that of faith, and the other, namely that of a good conscience, in which faith replaces what is lacking in the fulfillment of the law. What is this but to say that man is not justified by faith alone? For surely you do not understand "being justified" in Augustine's way from the beginning of regeneration.
Augustine does not think that man will be blessed for nothing, but that he will be blessed because of the virtues given to him. What is your opinion about this opinion of Augustine?
Augustine's whole doctrine [ratlo] of merit is different from yours, and he only cancels the merit of the ungodly.
Dr. Luther's answer to all the preceding:
My opinion is that man becomes, is and remains righteous, or a righteous person, simply through mercy alone. For this is a perfect righteousness, which is opposed to wrath, death, sin etc., and it consumes everything and makes man simply holy and innocent, as if in truth he had no sin in himself, because the imputation of God, which is in vain, wills that there be no sin, as John says [1 John 3:9]: "He that is born of God doth not sin." For
it disputes against each other, being born of God and being a sinner at the same time. According to this righteousness, man is righteous and is called righteous according to the work or fruits that God also demands and rewards. This is what I call an external righteousness and a righteousness of works, which cannot be holy in this flesh and in this life. Therefore, it does not take away death or sin, nor can it resist them, but only guards against future and greater sins.
[4.] Words of Philip:
I ask of Paul the born-again, why Paul, after he was born again, was already immediately righteous, that is, agreeable [acceptus].
Dr. Luther's reply:
Of course, by nothing else but by the regeneration through faith alone, by which he was justified, he remains righteous and pleasant all the time.
[5.] Philip's interjections:
Is he then righteous only because of mercy? Or is he only righteous mainly because of mercy, and to some extent by his virtues or works?
Dr. Luther's reply:
No, but the virtues and works are just, because Paul is just, as a work pleases or displeases for the sake of the person, as is also said in Terence, because a good work, done by a wicked man, does not even please men.
[6.] Words of Philip:
It seems that [this] is not [done] for mercy alone, because you yourselves teach that the righteousness of works is necessary, and that before GOtte. And Paul, who believes and does, pleases [GOtte^; if he did not do, he would not please. Therefore our righteousness is at least a partial cause of our righteousness before God.
Dr. Luther's reply:
It is necessary, but not by a legal necessity, or by compulsion, but by such a necessity that it happens voluntarily, or that it follows from it, or that it is unchangeable. As the sun necessarily shines, since it is the sun, and yet it does not shine by compulsion of law, but by nature, or (that I say so) by an unchangeable will, because it is so created that it must shine: so the just man, as a new creature, does works by an unchangeable necessity, not by law or compulsion, for no law is given to the just [1 Tim. 1:9]. Then we are also (as Paul says [Eph. 2, 10.]) created for good works. By the way, when you say, "if he did not do, he would not please," this contains a contradiction [acceptus], because it is impossible to put a believer who does not do good.
[7.] Philip:
That is why Sadoletus says that we speak contradictory things, because we say: by faith alone, and yet we say that the righteousness of works is necessary.
Luther:
Certainly, because false brethren and hypocrites pretend to believe; therefore, works are required so that they may be put to shame in their hypocrisy. As Elijah demands works from the priests of Baal, where Baal was put to shame. For so also God necessarily does nothing but good, and yet without law etc.
[8.] Philip:
When you say that we are justified by faith alone, do you understand this only from the beginning, namely from the forgiveness of sins? Or do you want the born-again Paul to please afterward, not because of his own obedience or virtues, at least in part, but only because of mercy?
Luther:
Yes, obedience pleases because Paul believes, otherwise his obedience would not be ge
And because the person is righteous, he is continually righteous and righteous by faith as long as faith remains. It is therefore a bad division to divide a person into beginning, middle and end. Therefore, works shine through the rays of faith and are pleasing for the sake of faith, not the other way around. Otherwise the works that follow would be more glorious than faith, in that they justify, because they justify longer (that is, in the middle and at the end of life), and so faith would justify only in the beginning, but afterward it would diminish or cease, leaving the works the glory, and so become void and transient.
[9.] Philip:
Paul is righteous, that is, accepted to eternal life, solely out of mercy. On the other hand, if the partial cause, namely obedience, were not added, he would not be saved, according to the words [1 Cor. 9:16], "Woe to me if I did not preach the gospel."
Luther:
No partial cause is added, because faith is always effective, or there is no faith. Therefore, whatever works are or are valid, they are and are valid through the glory and power of faith, which is inevitably the sun of these rays.
[10.] Philip:
In Augustine, the "by faith alone" excludes only the previous works.
Luther:
Whether this be so or not, the word of Augustine sufficiently shows that he is with us, when he says: "I may be affrighted, but I will not despair, because I will remember the wounds of God." For here he clearly states that faith is valid in the beginning, middle, and end, and continually, as David says [Ps. 130:4], "With thee is forgiveness," and [Ps. 143:2], "Go not into judgment with thy servant."
[11.] Philip:
Is this sentence true: The righteousness of works is necessary for salvation?
Luther:
Not that they cooperate in blessedness or attain it, but that they are with the faith that attains [blessedness], or are present, just as I too will necessarily be present at my blessedness. "I will also be present," says that companion.
The conceit of Sadoletus is perhaps that faith is a work required by the divine law, just as love, obedience, and chastity are etc. So he who believes has fulfilled one, or rather the first part of the law, and so has the beginning of justification or righteousness. But after the beginning has been kept, the other prescribed works are also required, according to faith.
Here you see that Sadoletus understands nothing of this matter. For if faith were a commanded work, then Sadoletus would be right in everything, and then faith would renew man in the beginning as other good works renewed him afterwards.
But we say that faith is a work of promise, or a gift of the Holy Spirit, which is certainly necessary for keeping the law. But it is not obtained by the law or by works. But this bestowed good makes a constantly new person, and only such a person performs new works, not vice versa, new works make a new person. Therefore, Paul's works please [God], not because they are good, but because the [God] pleasing Paul does them; they would not be pleasing if Paul were not pleasing. Therefore, works do not justify the person before God, although they will, by chance, glorify the person through certain rewards. But they do not justify the person, for all of us are equally righteous in the One Christ, all of us are equally loved and pleasing to the person, yet there is a difference between one star and another according to clarity; but God does not love the star Saturn less than the sun and the moon.
Summa: The believers are a new creature, a "your tree; therefore those belong to you.
This is not the way the law says: faith must do good works; just as the sun must shine, a good tree must bear good fruit, 3 and 7 must be 10. Because the sun shines by itself, a tree brings forth [good fruit] by itself, 3 and 7 by themselves are 10. There it is not a question of becoming or having to, but it happens by itself. Unless one understood it conditionally or acted from an assumed case in such a way: If it is a sun, it must shine; if you want to be a believer, you must do works. But this is said against a pretended sun and against a pretended faith; to speak of the true faith and the true sun in this way would be ridiculous.
(12) Whether those who are justified by faith do good works because of necessity.
Answer: No. First of all, because no law is given to the righteous, 1 Tim. 1, 9. From this it follows that they should not or must not do good works.
On the other hand, those who speak thus err: The righteous shall do good works, and are deceived fallacia consequentiae et consequentis; for they make of the necessity of the thing a necessity of the law; of the necessity of the consequence, which is determined, a necessity which ought and must be; of the necessity, which is immutable, a necessity of compulsion or urgency. And for this reason it is just as unrational and clumsy when they say: the righteous shall do good works; as when they say: God shall do good, the sun shall shine, the pear tree shall bear pears, three and seven shall be ten; if all this follows from necessity because of the thing and the consequence that is decided. Or, to make it even clearer and more explicit, all these things follow without commandment or commandment of a law, by nature and willingly, unnecessarily and without constraint. For what every thing is created to do, it does without law or compulsion. The sun shines by nature, unbidden: the pear tree bears pears of itself, unbidden: three and seven shall not be ten, they are before: without need it is, that one should give our Lord God
Tell him to do good, for he does it without ceasing, of his own accord, willingly and gladly. So the righteous is not commanded to do good works, for he does it without that, without all commandment and compulsion, because he is a new creature and a good tree. As Paul teaches in Eph. 2:10: "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, for which God prepared us beforehand, that we should walk in them.
That we humans do not do as and what we should, after the first creation, when Adam and Eve were created in righteousness and innocence; for this reason God gave the law, so that he could show and prove to us that we are not of God, but of the devil. Moreover, he also sent Christ, who redeemed from the curse all who believe in him, and blessed them to be righteous and blessed through faith etc. But whatever sins and infirmities remain in them, as they sigh and lament over them all their lives, are not imputed to them for the sake of Christ in whom they believe, and belong to the article: I believe forgiveness of sins; item: Forgive us our trespasses etc.
13. writing of Magister Philipp Melanchthon to Johann Brenz, von der Rechtfertigung.
(This § is omitted because it is not by Luther).
14. addition of Doctor Martin Luther to the above writing of Philipp Melanchthon.
(This § is Walch, old edition, Vol. XXI, 1349, No. 890.)
15. of the faith Art.
It is impossible that the papists should understand the article: "I believe forgiveness of sins", because they are drowned in their thoughts of adherent righteousness.
The Scriptures call the godly and the faithful a people of the saints of God: therefore it is sin and shame that we should forget this glorious, comforting name or title. Therefore it happens that those who are truly sinners do not want to be sinners; and again, those who are truly holy do not want to be sinners.
Nor can they be held to it. And so it is contrary on both sides, that the former do not believe the gospel that comforts them, and the latter do not believe the law that punishes and scares them.
But the sin, you say, that we do daily offends and angers God; how then can we be holy? Answer: A mother's love is much stronger than the dirt and grime on her child: thus, God's love for us is much stronger than our filth or uncleanness. Therefore, even though we are sinners, we do not lose our adoption because of our filthiness, nor do we fall from grace because of our sins. Yes, you say, we sin without ceasing; but where sin is, there is not the Holy Spirit, therefore we are not holy, because the Holy Spirit is not in us to sanctify? Answer: The text clearly says John 16:14: "The Holy Spirit will transfigure me." Where Christ is, there is the Holy Spirit. Now Christ is in the believers (even if they still have sin and feel it, they also confess it and mourn over it), therefore sins do not separate Christ from those who believe.
The God of the Turks does not help (as they think), because if one is pious, so also the God of the Papists: but when they begin to feel their sin and unworthiness, as happens then in temptations or in death, then they fidget and despair, that is the faith of the Pope and the Turk. But a Christian says: I believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, "who gave himself for our sins, and is at the right hand of God, representing us," Rom. 8:32, 34; if I fall into sin, as unfortunately often happens, I am sorry, and rise again, and am an enemy to sins etc.
Thus, the Christian faith is far different from that of the Pabst and the Turk. etc. Faith and religion are far apart, as he who hopes, even in tribulation and distress of death, though man feels sin, that God will not impute sin for Christ's sake. Human nature cannot do this without the Holy Spirit; it cannot go further than its piety and good works. But he who can say: I am God's child through Christ, who is my righteousness, and do not doubt whether I lack good works.
If a man lacks works (as we all lack them), he believes. But grace is so great that man is terrified of it, and it becomes difficult for him to believe. So faith gives God the glory that he can and will do what he promises, namely, that he justifies sinners, Rom. 4, 5.
Item: It is extremely difficult for a man to believe that God is merciful to him for the sake of Christ, even though he is a great sinner. Man's heart is too narrow that he will not accept it, nor can he grasp it.
(This paragraph at Cordatus No. 415.)
Once I was frightened when Staupitz, as was the custom, carried the sacrament. When I confessed this to him, he answered me: It is not Christ that frightened you, because Christ does not frighten, but comforts.
But is it not to be pitied that we are so timid and weak in faith? Christ gives himself to us with all that he is and has, offers us his heavenly eternal goods, grace, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness, life and blessedness, calls us his brothers and fellow heirs; nor are we afraid in trouble, and flee from him, when we most need his help and comfort.
It reminds me immediately of what happened to me once when I was young, when I and another boy were singing in front of the doors at home during Shrovetide, as is customary, to collect sausages. Then a citizen joked with us and shouted loudly: What are you naughty boys doing, so that this and that will pass you by? come running to us with two sausages and want to give them to us. But I and my companion were frightened by the shouting and fled from the pious man, who meant us no harm but good. And that he was not lacking, he called after us, gave us good words, so that we returned and took the sausages from him.
In the same way we oppose our dear God, "who did not spare His only begotten Son, but gave Him up for us, and gave us all things with Him," Rom. 8:32, nor do we flee from Him, thinking that He is not our merciful God, but our severe judge.
16. the children's faith.
(Here 17 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 3, § 85.)
When his son Martinichen lay at his mother's breast and suckled, he said: "Enemy to the little child (and all that belongs to me) is the pope, Duke G[eorg] and all who hold sway over the pope, also all devils. This is nothing to the dear little child, he is not afraid of them all, does not ask anything about the fact that there are so many of them, in addition so great mighty lords, who have evil in mind, but sucks the teats with joy, looks around happily, laughs and is in good spirits, and lets them be angry as long as they want.
Item: As one said, his little daughter of four years often spoke with joyful confidence of Christ, of the dear angels and eternal joy in heaven etc., and as he once said to the little daughter: O dear child, who could only believe it firmly; whereupon she immediately asked the father seriously, whether he did not believe it? Said Martin to this: "The dear little children live in innocence, know of no sin, live without envy, anger, avarice, unbelief etc., are therefore cheerful and have a good conscience, fear no danger, be it war, pestilence, death etc., take an apple for a penny: and what they hear of Christ, of the life to come, they believe simple-mindedly, without all doubt, and speak cheerfully of it. Therefore Christ also earnestly exhorts us old men to follow their example, when he says Marc. 10, 15: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." For the little children believe rightly, and therefore Christ loves the children and their childish antics. On the other hand he is hostile to the wisdom of the world, Matth. 11, 25.
17. of the right faith Art.
The right, true faith, which holds to Christ alone, is not in the habit of much disputing and questioning, whether thou hast done many good works, that thou mayest be justified; or whether thou hast done many sins, that thou mayest be condemned? but rather, it straightway casts and holds in the most simple and certain way, that if thou hast done many sins, that thou mayest be condemned, then thou mayest be justified.
If you have done good works, you are not justified before God. And again, if thou hast committed any great sin, thou art not condemned thereby.
But I do not mean to blaspheme good works, nor to dishonor, forbid, or reject them, much less to praise sin; but this I say: Whoever would stand before God's judgment and be found a child of grace, he alone ought and must take care and diligence how he may take hold of Christ by faith and keep him, so that he may not become useless to him when he undertakes to become righteous, pious, and blessed by the law. For Christ alone justifies me, without all my works, and without all my sins. Therefore, if I keep and believe in Christ, I have fasted and keep the true Christ. But if I think that he demands of me that I keep the works of the law, thinking that by doing so I will be justified before God, then he has already become useless to me and I have lost him altogether.
18. which are true saints.
True saints are all church ministers, secular lords and authorities, parents, children, heads of households, household servants, and what is more, ordained and appointed by God, if they first hold and believe that Christ is their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and that after this each one does in his profession what God commands and ordains him, abstaining from the lusts and sins of the flesh.
But the fact that they are not all equally strong, but that in some there are still many infirmities, weaknesses and aversions, does not harm their holiness; but so far as they do not sin out of evil intent, but out of weakness. For Christians feel the lusts of the flesh, but resist them, so that they do not carry them out: and even if they fail, stumble and fall into sin, they will be forgiven if they get up again, and hold to Christ, who said that the lost sheep should not be driven away, but should be sought, Luc. 15, 4. 34, 11. 16.
19. question.
(Cordatus No. 1222-1225.)
It is certain that reason, before faith and the knowledge of God, is darkness in divine things, but in the believer, through faith, it becomes a light and a very good instrument of godliness. For as in the ungodly everything they have by nature serves ungodliness, so in the godly it serves salvation. An eloquent tongue promotes faith, reason makes speech clear, and everything helps faith. Reason receives life from faith; it is killed by it and made alive again.
Just as our body will be resurrected glorified, so our reason according to faith is different from the one that was before. So it must be said of the memory, of the will, of the tongue-all are changed, as a red-hot iron is different from that which is not red-hot. And this is the rebirth through the Word, which, since the same members and person remain, yet makes the members and person different from what they were conceived and born from Adam.
Reason, and all things which we have from the first birth sof Adam] are subject to vanity, are fool's work, but faith purifies the being from vanity. So even David separated natural use and his valor from his bow, swords, steeds etc. [Ps. 44, 7.] Thus the godly say: Woman, children, gold do not help to heaven, and separate from every being [substantia] all vanity [vanitas]. For the essence of a harlot, for example, is not to be rejected, but her vanity, which Job well knew, saying [Job 2:10], "Thou speakest as foolish women speak"; he did not say, Thou speakest as women speak, which are wont to be foolish. He does not rebuke the sex, but the wickedness.
The great heap wants to reject the essence and the wickedness at the same time, which is impossible. If there would be no good, evil could not be either, as Aristotle says: Evil cannot be alone for itself [in se ipso ----- in and for itself], but then it would be destroyed-.
den. Thus, in the same way, all natural gifts are in the godly and in the ungodly, but in different ways.
20. of the righteous faith Art.
The righteous believers always think that they do not believe; therefore they struggle, struggle, struggle, struggle and strive without ceasing to maintain and increase the faith. Just as the good and skilful master craftsmen always see and notice that their work lacks something, even much, and is lacking; but the bunglers make themselves believe that they lack nothing, but that everything they make and do is quite perfect, just as the Jews think that they can well keep the Ten Commandments, since they do not learn them, nor do they respect them.
(21) The Christian's only comfort is faith in Christ.
(Here 7 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 37, § 133.)
(Cordatus No. 1520.)
Our only consolation is to believe in Christ. We have now often died over it. Let us keep this one alone. I will stay with the man and let my hair down. I was baptized into him, I will fall asleep on his teachings.
(Here find 7 lines omitted because contained in Cap. 37, § 132.)
22 The comparison of King David and the Lord Christ.
(Cordatus No. 578.)
The scripture calls David a very tender little woodworm (2 Sam. 23, [8.]). 1) The little woodworm is a small soft dinglein, has in front a hard little bark and bites through all hard wood. Thus Christ has a hard little beak when he tears away the wicked. The rest of the body is very tender and very sweet.
23. righteousness and God's justice.
(Cordatus No. 1571. 2)
These words, just and righteous, were a thunderbolt to me in the Pabstthum in my
1) According to the Vulgate II. üsZ. (Lamuelik) 23, 8.: Ipss 68t Huasl tevsrrirQus liZni vsrraieulns.
2) Similarly Kummer p. 260b (Lauterbach p. 81).
conscience and frightened me when I only heard them. But as I once pondered on this day 3) (on which the monks had been assigned a special place) on these words [Hab. 2, 4.]: "The righteous lives by faith", and [Rom. 1, 17.]: "The righteousness that is valid before God" etc., At the same time it came to my mind: If we have to live righteously by faith for the sake of righteousness, and this righteousness of God is for the salvation of every believer, then righteousness comes from faith and life from righteousness, and my conscience and spirit were raised, and I was made certain that it was the righteousness of God that made us righteous and blessed, and immediately these words became sweet and pleasant words to me. This art was given to me by the Holy Spirit on this tower. 4)
24. triple justice.
(Cordatus No. 1589.)
The righteousness that must be diligently preached in the new churches is threefold: the educational consists in ceremonies; the civil, which the emperor has described much better than the pope. These two are necessary, but they do not justify. The righteousness before God, namely the theological one, is faith, and it justifies before God. Here belongs the forecourt for the outsiders, the temple and the holy of holies. 5)
(25) By faith no man can teach rightly and purely, nor reprove and condemn the righteousness of works, except he be tried and drawn by the heel.
(Cordatus No. 1219. 1220.)
It is a great presumption if a man dares to say: I am a child of God, and yet he is frightened by His grace as once the disciples ran from the sausages. 6)
3) Thurm, as more often in Luther for "prison. This prison of the papacy was a particularly hard one for the monks. Cf. Cap. 7, § 119; 9, § 44.
4) Cf. Cap. 12, § 85 and § 76 of this chapter.
5) The last sentence should be interpungirt in the original like this: Hu" applioatur ntriura sxbsrnis, bernxlum sb SÄnetikkinnrin.
6) Cf. § 15 of this chapter.
It is a great art to throw the trust in the works out of the heart and to consider their righteousness as dirt. It requires a practice, which Paul had in the most correct way, who speaks more contemptuously of the law than any of the sectarians about the sacrament of baptism or the Lord's Supper, since he calls it an office of death, of sin, of condemnation. Even Moses himself, if he lived today, could not bear these expressions of Paul with equanimity.
(26) What faith is is understood only in temptations.
(Cordatus No. 195.)
The so-called justifying faith is formally the righteousness of a Christian, just as the whitewash gives shape to a wall, and heat makes the water boil. This faith is understood only in the cross, without the cross not at all. I am not referring to sins of the flesh, which also challenge the godly, but I call it a cross, which spiritual sins lay upon us, which those know who have experienced them.
27. the Christians' justice.
(This § is contained in the previous §).
28. faith does not respect repulsiveness.
God despises and laughs at angry princes, as it says in the other Psalm. So also courageous preachers and Christians, who have faith, do not respect the world's anger and rage; for where there is faith, there must also be laughter. Although Satan also mocks and ridicules, when he said to Christ Matth. 4, 3: "If you are the Son of God, say that these stones become bread" etc. And Matth. 27, 47: "He calls Eliam" etc. But the Christian's laughter and mockery must go over the devil's laughter and mockery, and keep the defiance and the field. Therefore, just as the devil has sworn to kill us and wants to drag us down to hell and overthrow us, so we must climb over him into heaven and push him down into hell with our feet.
Faith is a great thing, whether it is weak or not.
(Cordatus No. 375.)
Faith is a very great thing in every way, which the Psalter amply indicates. I know that my faith stands like a fur on its sleeves. But it is faith and the church with me, in which all the devout pray for me and for all Christians. My likeness and my hands also pray for me.
39. faith proven in the cross.
The faith of the cross does it, for faith cannot be or exist without the cross. But when the water goes over the baskets, 1) he sees what faith is able to do and what it is. Not a speculation and a fictitious thought, but a certain confidence of the heart in God, which is righteous and the work of the Holy Spirit.
31. strength of faith.
(Contained in Cap. 7, Z100, last para.)
What Joseph of Arimathea believed about Christ.
(Cordatus No. 1385.)
Joseph and the women at the tomb accepted Christ as a good friend and did not believe that he would rise from the dead. The apostles also had such faith.
The righteous lives by his faith.
(Cordatus No. 1388.)
The devil cannot overthrow this reason: the righteous lives by faith. But blessed is he who believes.
34) Abraham's faith. 2)
(The first paragraph Cordatus No. 1694.)
Abraham will be held against us very sharply on the last day, because we have done a lot of things.
1) Perhaps "Kolde" i.e. head.
2) This § is another redaction of a part of the alleged consolation letter of Luther to D. Benedrct Pauli, 1538. Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1565-1568. The indication of the year is incorrect with Walch, since the collection of the Cordatus closes with 1537. Perhaps it is not a letter at all, but consolation speech. Cf. cap. 26, § 59.
have greater promises than he, and yet do not believe. Therefore, it is not surprising 1) that the Turk overtakes us.
This example of Abraham far surpasses all understanding of human nature, that he overcame the fatherly love he bore for his only begotten son Isaac, in whom were the promises that his seed should be spread out like the stars in the sky and the sand on the sea. And yet, despite all this, he was more obedient to God and, against the law of nature, wanted to slaughter and sacrifice his son. How he would have felt at that time, for three days, and how his heart would have throbbed, what he would have had to endure, is not to be denied.
The same is the example of Jacob, who lost his beloved son Joseph in his old days, because he did not know that he would perish and be eaten by wild animals. "I will now", he said Gen. 37, 35, "go down to my son into the pit in such suffering"; which probably indicates how great his heartache will have been. Thus, God has exercised them through their children's accident and misfortune. With which examples he comforted Doctor Benedictum Pauli, the honest man and jurist, since his son had fallen to his death in his absence from home.
35. assurance of faith in the word through the Holy Spirit.
(Cordatus No. 1213-1218.)
Let us not divorce the Holy Spirit from faith, which is the very certainty in the Word, but not without the Word, but by the Word -comes it.
All papists, Turks, sacramentarians have no certainty, and therefore also not the Holy Spirit, because they have what they claim in their unconditional righteousness, not in their words. They may do many good works, suffer many things, speak many very beautiful things, but they are and remain in doubt: "Who knows if it pleases God?
A Christian is certain, neither wavering because of
1) In the original: non msurn; instead it should probably be read: non rnirum.
of his holiness, nor does he ask the least about his unworthiness. He deals with "believing in Jesus Christ". And it is only the spirit [Cor. 12, 3] that can say that Jesus is the Lord; all others call him a curse.
I believe that the Elector John had the Holy Spirit, for he did not want to deviate even a finger's breadth at Augsburg, and often said: "Tell my scholars to do what is right and not to look at me; and if he had not stood so firmly himself, many of our doctors would have fallen away. He held like a hero. He would not yield to the emperor, since he ordered him to desist from preaching, and since I admonished him to yield, because he was in a city of the same [emperor], he answered my letter 2): I do not know whether I am fooling or my scholars. For he was much more easily minded to move from Augsburg than to slacken his preaching there.
It is the Holy Spirit alone who walks along in the certainty of faith in Christ without any doubt; the sectarians always speak some words from which one perceives that their heart is in doubt: I hope I am pious, I am righteous. But a Christian: I do what I can. What I do not do, Christ's suffering pays for me. I am blessed in Christ; no one shall take away my comfort. Jesus is my Savior, and there is nothing else by which our God and our conscience can be reassured. But those who trust in their righteousness, not in Christ, naturally trust in their righteousness and therefore always doubt.
I was very presumptuous according to my prayers and my mass, but I did not see the mischief behind it, that I did not trust God, but my righteousness; also I said God sticks thanks for his sacrament, but he had to thank me and be glad that I had sacrificed his son to him, and when we wanted to hold mass, we had it to a saying: I will go and lift a child to the virgin.
2) This letter is found in Walch, old edition, Vol. XVI, 785, No. 906.
36. difference of faith and hope.
(The first 6 paragraphs of this § are omitted because contained in the Great Interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, cap. 5. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, §§ 63-67; U 69.70. 1))
Faith is the key to the holy Scriptures, and the right cabbala and interpretation, which one receives and learns from the other, as the prophets gave the teaching to their disciples, and one is always grounded on the other, as it were. Thus we teach and speak much differently of the faith and other articles of faith in the Scriptures than do foreigners; so that it may rightly be said that it is such a doctrine as one hands over and hands on to another, and always remains in one school.
2) Faith is not a qualitas, as it is spoken of in school, but a gift of God for itself: and not only a knowledge and science, but also an assensus, an accident of the will, so that the heart certainly believes it to be so, as the Word instructs it, and says: Jesus Christ alone is the Savior of the world, for whose sake God is gracious to us and accepts us as His children and heirs out of pure grace and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on our part. Which the devils do not have, just as they do not believe all the articles of faith.
37. what the reason of faith holds articles.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 17, 1538, p. 173.)
The articles of our faith are very foolish to reason and seem to be able to stand only by persuasion, as it were. Therefore, it is necessary to cling firmly to God's words. Three years ago there was a monk here with us,
1) In this case, Stangwald, and after him Förstemann and the Erlangen edition, notes the origin: "from the great Commentaria D. M. L. on the Epistle to Galatians, as translated by Justus Mmius". Although almost all the many passages from the Epistle to the Galatians that are found in the Table Talks are taken from the translation of Menius, this does not apply here, where it is noted.
2) This paragraph is another redaction of Cap. 13, § 60.
3) D. i. Consent.
a Moor, with whom we disputed through an interpreter, and through all our articles decided, he said: This is a good creda, i.e. faith.
38. hope.
(Lauterbach, April 8, 1538, p. 59.)
Everything that happens in the whole world happens in hope. No farmer would sow a grain if he did not have the hope of the seed. No young man would marry if he did not have the hope of offspring. No merchant or day laborer would work if he did not expect profit and reward.
39. weakness of faith.
(Cordatus No. 824.)
Since D. Jonas said that he could not believe this passage of Paul's [2 Tim. 4, 8.]: "Henceforth the crown of righteousness is laid up for me," he answered that Paul did not believe it either, because it would be too high, and I also cannot believe as I preach, although everyone thinks that I firmly believe it. Nor would it be good for us all to do as God commands us, for he would lose his divinity; and the Lord's Prayer, the faith, and the articles of the forgiveness of sins would come to ruin; he would become a liar, and he alone would not be true, and all men would not be liars. And if someone says: If it turns out like this, God will have a small, little service on earth - he is well accustomed to that, he must and will be God of great mercy.
40. of faith and its causes.
The materia of faith is our will. The form is that one takes hold of the word of Christ, inspired by God. The final cause and fruit is that it purifies the heart, makes us children of God, and brings with it forgiveness of sin. And from these causes comes the definition of faith, namely: faith is a gift and present of God in our hearts, so that we may take hold of and grasp Christ, who for our sake is the Lord.
was born, died, rose again, and ascended into heaven, for whose sake we receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation, by grace alone, without any merit or worthiness on our part.
Since this righteous faith in Christ brings forgiveness of sins, it follows irrefutably that neither our works, nor caps and plates, nor devotion or vows make us blessed. When the Dialectica has thus done its work, and has briefly described faith, the Rhetorica comes to it, embellishes it and elaborates it with words, and indicates that faith brings with it forgiveness of sins, and makes children of God: but those who are children of God have the dear angels for friends and servants, and are lords of the devil, death and hell.
Faith alone makes one righteous and blessed.
(Contained in Cap. 13, § 66.)
Faith must be everywhere.
(Cordatus, No. 178 and No. 20.)
Faith is necessary, not only to justify the wicked and to calm their hearts, but it is also true in all things what Paul says [Rom. 5:1]: "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God." For if you, having a son, did not believe that he was your own legitimate son, you would feel constant struggle in your heart.
I would not have believed that my first explanations of Galatians were so weak. They are no longer suitable for this time, they were only my first struggle against the trust in the works.
43. how to become quite pious.
Once we stop lying, deceiving, stealing, murdering, robbing, committing adultery, then we will become righteous, which is when we are buried in the ground with shovels. For Paul says, "He who has died is justified from sin," Rom. 6:7.
44. How to be just before God.
(Kummer, 2. Theil, p. 285. (Lauterbach p. 202.)) .
"It is not up to someone's will or running", to this saying I answer: Paul (Rom. 9, 16.) does not at all disputirt about the election [praedestinatio] in this place, but he speaks against the Jews and the righteousness of the law, and wants to say: You must despair and give God the glory, and say: I did not begin it. Thus, when I was a monk, I was a willing and a running man, but the longer I went on, the further I got away. But what I have, I have not by running, but from God. Thus Paul speaks in this passage all against presumption, that we may learn to say, Lord, it is thy grace which is in us. So he also uses the saying: "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. You will not do it without my forgiveness. In sum, all things are spoken against the trustworthy. To whom I give, he shall have it; you shall not take it from me with your holiness. What more shall he do? He will say: Ye shall have it, but ye seek it, and will have it with righteousness. I will not have it, but before I have it I will tear it all up and cut it off, priesthood, kingdom, even my law. But if ye have mercy upon me, ye shall have it.
Here the doctor was asked by someone: "If someone had not come to this teaching, would he have been saved? I really don't know, he said, because I would have looked at baptism. It could have done so, 1) as I have seen many dying people who had Christ's cross held up to them. The man [Christ] has nevertheless been over the deathbed in the custom.
Without faith, even God Himself is of no use.
(Contained in Cap. 19, § 24, second half.)
46 The article of righteousness, which is valid before God, preserves from all errors.
(Enthaltm in Cap. 12, § 35, last paragraph.)
1) We read "potnisset" instead of xotuissem,
47 On the presumption of faith.
(Contained in Cap. 3, § 32.)
It is difficult and weak to believe God's word.
(Contained in Cap. 2, § 154.)
49. believe and trust in God.
(Cordatus No. 255.)
Many even among the preachers say that they trust God body and soul, and they would cheerfully trust Him if they had to go out of the world or die for the sake of the Word. But for their wives and children they are fearful. Doesn't that mean: Believe in God the greater, but not the lesser? or surely: Doesn't that rather mean, not to trust in God at all?
5V. Faith, not good works, makes one righteous.
Doct. Mart. Luther said in 1542 about tables that not good works but the grace of God merited eternal life and blessedness; this would be clear and obvious from the fact that they were not the spiritual birth, but only fruits of the same birth, for we would not become children of God, heirs of the kingdom of heaven, or righteous, holy and Christians through good works. But when we have been made, created and born children of God, then we first do good works; therefore, before our good works, we must have eternal life, God's grace and blessedness. For a tree does not become good from good fruit, but a good tree bears good fruit: the tree must first be good. Thus we are born, begotten and created righteous by the word of grace; by the word of the law, or by good works, we are not thus prepared. Good works deserve something other than life, God's grace, salvation and blessedness, namely honor with God, glory and God's favor. Just as a tree is honored, loved and praised by the gardener and others when it bears good apples. If you look to the spiritual birth and substance of a
If you see and respect Christians, you will soon extinguish all the merits of good works, for they can do nothing to earn you grace and salvation, or to save you from sins, death, the devil, and hell.
The little children are saved by faith alone, without any good works, so faith alone makes them righteous. And if the power of God can do this in one, it can do it in all; for it is not the power of the child alone, but of faith: neither does his weakness or inability do it, for otherwise the same inability would be in itself a merit or equal to merit. We would like to impress our Lord God with our works, yes, we would like to be righteous with them. But he will not allow us to do so; my own conscience tells me that I am not justified by my works; nor will anyone believe it. We should say with the 51st Psalm, v. 6: "In you alone have I sinned and done evil in your sight, that you may be justified in your words." We should also remember that it says, "Forgive us our debts." I should say, I will not be pious before God's judgment, but gladly confess myself a sinner. What would be easier to say than that we say: I man am a poor sinner, but you, God, alone are righteous? So it would be bad; 1) but we are our own executioners and cane-masters, tormenting and torturing ourselves with it. The spirit should say: I am pious and just; but the flesh must say: I am a sinner, you, God, are just; that you may be right in your words.
51. we are more and more afraid of the devil, because we believe in Christ who comforts us; and of the difference of sins.
One asked, "Why should we believe the devil who terrifies us rather than Christ who comforts and promises us? Martin answered and said: "We are better able and more inclined to despair than to hope. For hope comes from the Holy Spirit and is His work, but despair comes from the Holy Spirit.
1) D. i. in order.
from our spirit, and is the work and deed of our powers; therefore God has forbidden it by the highest penance and punishment. That we now believe more and before the punishment than the promise and reward is called reason or the spirit of man: Hoping and believing is different from thinking and speculating. Reason sees death before it; that it should not be frightened is impossible. Again, that God should give His Son and love us so much, we cannot be persuaded to say from the heart: Dear God, You did not let Your Son be crucified in vain. But this is beyond all human reason, that God is so merciful, not for the sake of my works, but for the sake of His dear Son. I do not want to enter into this.
The article is lacking in all the red spirits, whether they say they believe or not. But I think they all have evil consciences, which I prove with this: For when the fall and the misfortune come under their eyes, that they come into redness and danger, they despair, as Arius, Muenzer etc. Therefore I think they know that they do wrong. Thus the bishop of Minin and Duke George make a joke out of God's word; as Adam did in paradise, and human nature is always in the habit of doing: when it sins, it thinks it has no need. Thus God causes them to fall from sin into sin against the Holy Spirit, so that they sin knowingly and willfully. George fell into sin, because he saw that he was doing wrong, and yet he did not cease and desist, and not only persisted in such sin, but also did not ask for forgiveness. This is a sin against the Holy Spirit; so one comes out of the other table into the first. But if you feel it is wrong and have an evil conscience, this is not a sin against the Holy Spirit. But if you sin and make a good conscience out of it, that is a sin against the Holy Spirit. Of this kind are Duke G[eorg], H[ein] Mordbrenner's Carlstadt, Münzer, where one knowingly punishes our Lord God with lies.
Oh dear Lord God! It is enough, yes, all too much, that one sins and does wrong: it is
It is enough that one has sin, but one still wants to be right. No householder suffers such people in his house: anger burns in the heart and becomes more intense when the one who has done wrong still wants to be right. But if you confess the sin, and yet do not refrain from it, it is a great sin, and is called despising God; but it is not a sin against the Holy Spirit: but if you know that you do wrong, and still defend it, that is too much.
Our Lord God can suffer that no sin can be so great, if you fall down before Christ and ask for forgiveness, it is forgiven. But Duke G[eorg] relies on the fact that the Christian church will forgive him, and so he continues. But he will find out differently.
(The following paragraph at Cordatus No. 33.)
My opinion is that many kings of Israel, who ruled very badly, became blessed, because in death they called on the name of God Israel, and their sins were easily forgiven. But this seems to be certain of those about whom it is written, "And he slept with his fathers," that is, in the same faith in which his fathers died. Of the godless Ahab one reads a great testimony that he became blessed, since God says to the prophet: "Did you not see how Ahab bowed down before me?" Solomon has sufficient testimonies in the Scriptures that he has become blessed. (This he answered me because I claimed that Solomon was damned).
The most noble article of Christian doctrine is that of the blessedness of souls.
This is the most noble article of the whole Christian doctrine, namely, how we shall be saved. All theological disputations should be directed to this article, which all the prophets have most often dealt with and blued themselves with. For if this article of our salvation is grasped and retained with certain and firm faith, then the other articles will come and follow smoothly after it, as of the Trinity. Nor has God declared to us any article so publicly and clearly as this, namely, that
we are saved through Christ alone. Although he also said much about the Trinity, he always rested on this article of the salvation of the soul. There is much in the others, but this is the most important; for all the works of the papists are instituted and performed for their sake, so that they may attain eternal blessedness. But they are deceived, for apart from Christ there is no blessedness, which can only be grasped in the Word through faith. Since this article remains pure, the church also remains pure; but if it is adulterated or falls away, then the church has become a whore and is gone, as we have seen and experienced in the papacy.
How to become pious before God.
How one should become pious, that is what one asks. A barefoot monk says: Put on a gray cap, wear a rope and a plate. A preacher monk says: Put on a black robe. A papist: Do this or that work, listen to mass, pray, fast, give alms etc., and each one what he thinks will make him blessed. But a Christian saith, By faith alone in Christ thou shalt be saved, justified, and blessed, by grace alone, without any works of thine own, and without any merit of thine own. Now consider one another, which is the true righteousness.
54. presumption of faith.
St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 13, speaking of love and praising it highly, punishes the false and mouthed Christians, who had well begun and boasted of faith, when none was left but had perished, out of sheer presumption. As also Matthäi 7, 22. the hypocrites will say in that day: Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? etc. So Balaam blessed and confessed God in Israel with right faith and spirit, and from without with work and deed; but he fell away again and was presumptuous. Like Thomas Muenzer, when he had once rejected faith, he became presumptuous and foolish. So do all presumptuous men, and let them dream,
They may do what they want and desire under the appearance and name of faith, like Ananias and Sapphira in the stories of the apostles in chapter 5. And Saul was a miracle man in the first place, after which he was presumptuous, thinking that everything he did and did was right and good, and that God would have to let him do it. As also Apost. 15, 5. st. happened, when a concilium was held, whether the law of Moses should be imposed on the Christians, or whether good works were also necessary for salvation.
Therefore St. Paul says 1 Cor. 13, 7: "Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things," even though it sometimes overcomes the wickedness of men and makes them weak. Therefore he says Cap. 10, 12: "He who stands there, let him see that he does not fall"; demands a faith that is not made up and false, thereby indicating and giving to understand that a true faith tends to become a made-up faith if one does not live, watch and pray in the fear of God.
55. weakness of faith.
(Cordatus No. 1369.)
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak [Matth. 26, 41], this is what Christ says about himself; Paul says the same in Rom. 7, the spirit would like to believe, but it is hindered by prudent reason. Our Lord God must have patience and not extinguish the smoldering wick [Isa. 42, 3; Matth. 12, 20] and be satisfied with the firstfruits of the spirit that we have. sTogether] with the pope, the lawyers have deceived us. 1)
56. weakness of faith in paulo.
(Cordatus No. 1392.)
That Paul was also weak in faith, we can see from the fact that he was often comforted by the brethren, and in temptation the intercourse with godly people is of great benefit.
1) In the original: Ouni ?Lpa oepit ^urista. This seems to give us the above sense, since the jurists dealt with nothing but the Pope's canons and decrees.
An example of faith in theurization.
On the 13th of the fallow month of Anno 39, D. Martino was told what had happened not far from the custom 1) in times of theurungs: namely, how a pious God-fearing matron with two children suffered great hardship. Since she had nothing more to live on, she adorned herself with her little children and wanted to go to a well, praying that God would sustain and refresh her in such a difficult time. On the way, a man met her, asked her, and argued with her: "Would she also like to eat from the water of the well? But she said, "Yes, why not, for all things are possible and easy for God: He who fed the great people of Israel forty years in the wilderness with manna can also sustain me with drinking water. And when she so steadfastly affirmed it, and persevered, the man (perhaps an angel) said, Behold, because thou hast so steadfastly believed, go home, and thou shalt find three bushels of flour etc., and she shall have found it so according to his words etc.
Then said D. Martin Luther said: "If it is true, it is a great miracle and example of faith; but if it is invented, it is a Christian and artificial poem to provoke people to faith.
58. be sure of the faith.
He who is not sure of his faith cannot stand: but the foundation of faith, on which he builds, is God's Word, rightly understood. Whoever has this pure and unadulterated can stand and win in the battle against all the gates of hell; but whoever is not sure of his doctrine and faith, and still wants to dispute about it, is lost.
But D. Mart. Luther said: "A Christian must be certain of his faith, or strive to become certain of it, and then, when the time and the matter demand it, confess it freely and constantly. An uncertain heart should not be sworn to God's Word and Sacraments.
1) Stangwald: Sittau.
(Here 12 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 1, § 31.)
Item: Every Christian should be equipped in such a way that he is certain of his faith and doctrine, and so establishes himself with sayings from God's Word that he can stand against the devil and also defend himself if he is led astray, and thus help to maintain and defend the doctrine.
Never again will there be unity in the church, in the doctrine.
There will never be a concilium, said D. Martin Luther, because the people should agree together out of the Holy Spirit. God allows this to happen for the very reason that He Himself wants to be the judge and not suffer men to judge. That is why he commands everyone to know what he believes. It will not help that you say you have heard and heard it preached; the devil will not inquire. But if you have God's word, you can say, "Here I have the word; what else may I ask, what the concilia say? then he must return.
Because God wills, as we see, that His word shall suffer no judge but Him: so let no man depart here, neither can there be any rest. And since God is before us, if there were silence and rest, the gospel would be over: it must rumble wherever it goes; if it does not, it is not right. Therefore Christ says Luc. 12:49, 51: "I am come to kindle a fire upon the earth: what would I rather that it were kindled? Do you think that I have come to give peace? I say, no, but discord." If this is to work, Ishmael must move his hand, and that one again. Then let the Holy Spirit separate us; when men want to separate, it only becomes worse.
60. what faith is.
(Cordatus No. 1807.)
Faith is not a constitution in the spirit, that is, a thought; for however great this may be, it is not valid in itself, but this is the faith that
Christ in himself and grasps Christ. Apart from Paul, this theology is not there. (This incompetent people do not believe.)
61. to lament weakness of faith cheaply.
(Contained in Cap. 26, ß 28.)
62. Luther's complaint about his weak faith.
When the text from the prophet Hosea (Cap. 13.) was sung over the table of D. M. L.: "This is what the Lord says" (Josquinus 2), he said to D. Jona: "As little as you believe that this song is good, so little do I believe that theologia is true. Jonah: "As little as you believe that this song is good, so little do I believe that theologia is true. I love my daughter, yes, I love her better than myself (this is certainly true), that is, I would rather die than that she and the little children should die. I love Christ, who redeemed me with his blood from the devil's power and tyranny, but my faith should be much greater and more fervent. Oh my Lord, "do not enter into judgment with your servant" etc.
63. the Christians' greatest art.
D. Luther said: "If anyone asks, 'What can Christians do and teach?' then one should answer nothing else, except that one knows Christ and believes in him, and knows that he was sent by the Father, John 17. Anyone who cannot do this, nor teach or practice it, cannot boast of being a Christian, even if someone else knows everything that happens under heaven, and how God created heaven and earth, with the sea and all that is in it, and even that he knows the Ten Commandments and keeps them. In sum, even if he knows and is able to do as much as the angels, none of this makes a Christian; therefore God says Jer. 9:23, 24: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor the mighty man of his strength. But if any man will boast.
1) The last sentence is an addition of Cordatus, with which he aims at Melanchthon, Cruciger and Jonas, with whom Cordatus was in a fierce dispute in 1536 and 1537 because of synergistic statements. Cf. Cordatus No. 174. 221.
2) Cf. cap. 12, z 38.
Let him boast that he knows and knows me (Christ), that I am the Lord who gives and gives mercy."
64. faith the most pleasing service.
(Contained in Cap. 38, § 2.)
65. believe the some rule in theologia.
There is only one article and rule in Theologia: whoever does not know and have it well is not a theologian, namely, right faith or trust in Christ. The others all flow into and out of the article, and without it the others are nothing. The devil has contested this article from the beginning of the world, would have liked to destroy it and in its place impose his wisdom on the afflicted, miserable, afflicted and contested hearts: they like this article, and it is they who understand the article.
Faith alone makes one righteous before God.
Adam received the promise of the given seed before works and sacrifices, before he did good and sacrificed; so that the truth may stand, that faith without works obtains righteousness and forgiveness of sins before God, by pure grace. Therefore, the Epistle to the Ebrians, Cap. 11, 4, rightly praises the faith of Abel in his sacrifice, yes, he also praises faith in all the works and deeds of the saints, that God considered him before works, yes, through faith and from faith all works followed.
Therefore, the separation of the righteousness of faith and works is not to be allowed or permitted, as if they were two distinct righteousnesses, as the sophists teach, otherwise they will be truly and rightly separated and set apart; but it is One righteousness of faith and works in righteous Christians, just as God and man are One Person, body and soul are One Man. For as soon as they are separated and set apart, faith is gone, and works remain, which is double hypocrisy.
For, if good works are there, they are and are done by faith, otherwise they cannot be good: if a right faith is there, it is aroused, lets itself be seen, and does good works, otherwise it is pretended, as Christ says John 15:4: "The branch that abideth in the vine bringeth forth fruit."
Articles of faith are inappropriate to reason.
(Cordatus No. 1072.)
We may well hold fast to faith, for all that we believe is false. And this is the reason of Christ for his Godhead, Joh. 5, [17.]: "My Father works until now and I also work." Likewise [John 16:15], "All things that the Father hath are mine." And mark well that I may say: What I do, God does, but not: What God does, I do.
Christians are righteous and holy by faith.
(Contained in Cap. 38, § 3.)
69. of our faith.
Our faith is very weak, and yet it is a rock, for it is a cornerstone in the heart: that is, an inexpressible 'groaning, and the Holy Spirit to it, who holds fast what God has promised; who does it.
Then someone asked: Why does God not give us perfect knowledge? Luther answered: "If anyone could believe it, he could neither eat nor drink with joy, nor do anything else: God wants to preserve the church until the last day, so that it will not perish.
Faith in Christ is the highest comfort of Christians.
(Contained in Cap. 58, § 9.)
71. the hardest articles to believe.
Of the Holy Trinity and Incarnation of Christ, these are the most difficult articles. For reason can believe to some extent that a child is born of a virgin, because God is omnipotent;
but it does not want to go there, that three persons are in one eternal divine being, of equal power and authority etc., and that God himself became man. That is too high.
The world's faith.
(Contained in Cap. 21, Z1.)
73. difference between faith and hope.
Faith and hope are thus distinguished, that faith saith, I believe a resurrection of the dead at the last day. Then hope adds to this and says: Well then, if it is true, let us put on what we have and suffer what we can, if we are to become such great lords hereafter.
74) Causes of faith. 1)
The real cause of faith, which works and creates it, is the Holy Spirit, and is a gift of God alone: the formalis and materialis is that he takes hold of and grasps Christ; instrumentalis, the instrument, is the Word; finalis, the final cause, is first of all our righteousness, so that we are counted righteous before God, and then God's glory, so that God is honored, praised and glorified: after that follow the fruits.
(Here 2 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 16, § 4.)
What man's reason and other powers and members do for faith.
(Contained in Cap. 13, K19.)
The righteous lives by his faith. 2)
I was lost under the papacy for a long time and did not know how I was inside. I smelled something, but did not know what it was until I came across the saying Rom. 1:17: "The righteous lives by faith," which helped me: then I saw what righteousness Paul is talking about, since before in the text
1) Another redaction of this L Cap. 13, § 40.
2) Cf. cap. 13, § 23.
and Justitia, righteousness. Then I rhymed the abstract and the concrete, righteousness and being righteous, together, and became certain of my cause, learning to distinguish the righteousness of the Law from the righteousness of the Gospel. Before, I lacked nothing, for I made no distinction between the Law and the Gospel, taking them all for one, and saying that there was no difference between Christ and Moses, except for time and perfection. But when I found the right difference, that one thing was the law, another the gospel, I tore through it.
Then said D. Pommer: I also began to be of a different mind, when I read of the love of God, what it means passively, namely, that it is called such a love, so that we are loved by God; before I understood the love active, so that we loved God, M. Luther said: "It is clear of love, that it is often called in Scripture such a love, so that God loves us; but in the Ebrew language the oonitivi of love are difficult. Pommer said: but nevertheless they explain other sayings after it.
Rebirth alone makes God's children, not works.
In 1542, Martin Luther said of the article of our justification before God that it is like that of a son: he is born an heir to all his father's goods, and does not become so by merit: he succeeds to his father's goods without any work or merit. But the father admonishes him to do and accomplish this or that diligently, and also promises him a gift or present, so that he may be the more willing to do it, and the more willing, easy, and pleasurable to accomplish it. As when he says to his son, "If you will be pious, follow me and be obedient and study diligently, I will buy you a beautiful tunic. etc. Item: Come here to me, and I will give you a beautiful apple. Thus he teaches the son to walk by the benches: since the inheritance is otherwise and without that naturally due and due to him; but the father wants to make the child happy by the promise to do what the father has promised.
wants to have. The child is to be preserved in pedagogy. God also deals with us in this way, is kind to us with sweet, sweet words, promises us spiritual, eternal, physical and temporal goods; since eternal life is given to those who believe in Christ out of pure grace and mercy, free of charge, without all our merit, good works and worthiness, as cure children, or filiis adoptionis, who come to it through water and the Holy Spirit.
And so one should also teach in the church and congregation of God that God wants righteous good works, which he has commanded and commanded, not which we do and do ourselves out of our own choice and devotion or good opinion; as the monks and priests have taught in the papacy: for these do not please God, as Christ says Matth. 15, 9: "In vain do they serve me, because they teach nothing but the commandment of men" etc. Thus one should teach about good works, but always so that the article of justification, namely, that only faith in Christ makes us righteous and saved, remains pure and unadulterated, as it is the main part, cause and source of all other promises: where this remains pure and endures, the church also remains pure. For Christ can no longer suffer anyone else besides Himself; He wants to have the bride alone, according to the saying: Mine alone, or let it be. He is a zealot.
Should one then also teach and say: If you believe, you will be saved; if you do what you want, it is no good at all. For faith is either false and fabricated, or, if it is righteous, it is extinguished when one knowingly and wantonly goes against God's commandments: and the Holy Spirit, which is given to the faithful, is lost through evil works done against the conscience, as David's example sufficiently testifies, 1 Kings 12, Psalm 51. Therefore we should know that such promises and rewards are only a pedagogy or child training, so that God stimulates and entices us, makes us happy and willing, like a pious, kind father, to do good and to serve our neighbor, not to earn eternal life with it, because he gives and bestows the same only out of pure grace.
78. objection that faith makes you righteous.
(Contained in Cap. 12, § 84.)
79. from where one becomes fair initially.
(Cordatus No. 1146.)
The beginning of justification is the grace and the promise. So justification happened to Abraham while he was still an idolater, to Moses as a murderer, and unexpectedly, 1) they did not think of it.
The most distinguished main article of Christian doctrine.
The article of justification and forgiveness of sins is the noblest and most distinguished, very comforting, and to which Satan is exceedingly hostile. That is why St. Paul has been so assiduous in his efforts, always showing grace upon grace in defiance of the devil; for the devil does not want to let Christ reign, whom he must nevertheless let remain and reign. As St. John says in his I Epistle, Cap. 4, 4, says: "He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world."
(81) Faith alone makes one righteous.
D. Martinus spoke much in 1541 about the majesty and glory of the article of justification, which is quite unknown to human wisdom, because we are by nature so minded that we are more concerned about the righteousness of works than about the mere mercy of God, which is offered and given to us free of charge, by grace, for the sake of Christ. Therefore, the parable of Matth. 20, 1. ff. about the laborers whom the householder hired into his vineyard is a mighty thunderclap against this carnal delusion of human reason.
He then told a story from the life of the old fathers about a hermit who had led a very strict life and was considered a living saint. When an old father came to him with a young brother to visit him in his cell, a murderer met him and went with them to the sick man,
1) The reading illsporgto needs no change. The word is to be understood as an adverb, not as an ablative.
stopped outside the door, heard and saw the old patient's holiness, that he had led such a strict life, wondered about it, sighed and said: "Oh, I should have lived like that. The sick man said, "Yes, you should have done as I did when you wanted to be saved in another way. And when he had said this, he died. But the young brother saw that his soul was led away by the devil in the air, and he wept bitterly. The murderer followed them, had remorse and sorrow, wanted to confess and receive absolution and forgiveness of his sins through faith in Christ, hurried and ran so much that he fell down his neck and died. Then the angels took his soul. The young brother saw this and laughed and was happy about it. The old father, when he saw that the young brother was acting so strangely, for now he was weeping over the death of the holy man; soon he was laughing at the accident of the murderer, so he asked him why he was acting like that. But he said that he had done right and Christianly: for when he saw that the trustworthy saint was damned, he would have meant it; but when he saw that this poor sinner had been converted and had become blessed, he would have laughed justly. And said D. Luther said: "Thus it is in the kingdom of Christ that the last become first, and the first last; for God cannot tolerate any sin less than the apparent hope and presumption of one's own righteousness.
Believing in God is not everyone's cup of tea.
Trusting God, believing in Him, and doing Him justice in all His words and works is a great art, which even God-fearing and well-practiced Christians often lack: we have had to learn this art long enough throughout our lives. But that the faithful God may awaken, kindle and strengthen faith in us, He entices us most kindly through Christ (in whom all the promises of God are Yes and Amen, 2 Cor. 1, 20, and all the treasures of wisdom lie, Col. 2, 3), since He says Luc. 12, 32: "Fear not, little host, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," etc.: nor are we afraid of Him. Is it not the devil?
The Christians' religion and faith.
There is no religion and faith more foolish under the sun than that of the Christians: for what reason and wisdom can persuade a man that there is a God? If human reason falls into it, and Erasmi head and mind, he ridicules and mocks it. Therefore, the religion of our Christian faith can never be taught enough in the world, so terrible and horrible is the fall of man. Remembering the sin committed and forgiveness is the nourishment of faith, from which it increases and grows.
84 The consequence of faith.
If you believe, you speak. If you speak, you will suffer. If you suffer, you will be comforted. For faith, confession and the cross belong together, and are the duty of a true Christian.
That the enemies of the gospel must bear witness to the doctrine of the righteousness of faith, that by it alone one is justified before God.
Duke Johann Friedrich, Elector of Saxony, has himself told me, Doct. Martin Luthern himself said that when Duke Hans of Saxony, Duke Georgen of Saxony's eldest son, wanted to die, he desired in his last moments the Lord's Supper of Christ in both forms. Then the father, Duke George, had an Augustinian monk from Old Dresden demanded for his son, and informed the same monk that he should give his son good words, and persuade him to receive the Lord's Supper in the same form, and should preach to the son as if he, the monk, were well acquainted with Doct. Luthern and had dealt with him a great deal.
and that he, Luther himself, had advised some that they should receive the Lord's Supper in the same form. Thus the pious prince was persuaded to receive the Lord's Supper from the monk in the same form.
When Duke George saw that his son was in his last days and was dying, he comforted his son with the article about the righteousness of faith in Christ and reminded him that he alone should look to Christ, the Savior of the world, and forget all his works and merits, including the invocation of the saints. When Duke Hansen's wife, Landgrave Philip's sister in Hesse (later called the Duchess of Rochlitz) heard this, she said: "Dear Father, why is this not preached publicly in the country? Duke George answered: "Dear daughter, it should only be said to the dying and not to the healthy.
This Duke Johann died Anno 1537 on the Tuesday after Epiphaniä on 13. Januarii dora 8. in the evening. He was to inherit Duke Georgen and be regent in Meissen, and had to swear an oath to his father that he would remain an eternal enemy of the Lutheran doctrine after his death. Therefore, he also had the old Lucas Cranach, painter, Doctori Martins Luthern, offer that he wanted to be his worse enemy than his father would have been. But then God came with his righteous judgment and brought him down.
Doctor Johann Eccius does the same, said D. Luther. Luther: he confesses that my doctrine is the truth, and serves to comfort, strengthen, and straighten consciences: but such doctrine makes wild, desolate people, so that there is no discipline in the world.
(Here 17 lines are omitted, well contained in Cap. 45, K 14, penultimate paragraph.)