1. of one's own and other's justice.
2. that no law is given to the righteous.
3. love for one's neighbor.
4. good works of Christians.
5. to do a good work.
6. whose good works please God.
7 From the saying, Give, and it shall be given unto you again.
8. pious hearts anxiety. .
9. from earnings.
10. from the saying: He who has two skirts 2c.
11. never do the highest penance.
The works of the profession shall be greatly respected.
13) Give freely and simply, without any pleasure.
14. reward of good works.
15. from the word reward and merit.
16. alms of D. Luther in the Theuerung.
(17) From the saying, Give, and it shall be given unto you again.
18) How the children earn their living.
19. from hospitals.
20. of the woman who anointed the Lord Christ.
The Sophists' Swarm and Doctrine of Good Works.
22. what anger and zeal are good for and serve:
23. of impatience, whether it be sin at all times.
24. from the patience.
25. interpretation of the saying of Isaiah: In silence and hope you will be strong.
26. comfort against many enmities.
Patience is necessary everywhere.
Sometimes you have to dissimulate and suffer a little.
29. D. M. L. Verses on the saying of the Psalm: Commit thy ways unto the LORD, and hope in him.
30. from the remedy.
A rhyme by D. M. Luther.
32. of vengefulness.
33. against vengefulness.
The faith of the saints is much more useful than their lives.
35) How to do good deeds.
What works please God or not.
37. works do not deserve bliss.
38 D. M. Luther's protective speech by a mild hand.
39. of three kinds of alms.
40. of four main virtues.
Ceremonies in the church shall be free.
42. of the righteousness of works.
43. Good works do not make one righteous before God.
44. about the ceremonies during Advent.
45 The word merit.
46 Von Mitteldingen.
47 Which is the best work.
Glorious boasts and noble virtues of the works of one's own righteousness.
1. of one's own and other's justice.
(Contained in Cap. 24, §101, para. 5.)
2. no law is given to the righteous.
(Contained in Cap. 13, § 12, paras. 4, 5 u. 6.)
3. love against one's neighbor.
Love for one's neighbor should be like pure chaste love between bride and bridegroom, where all infirmities are dissimulated, covered up and kept to goodness, and only the virtues are considered.
In ceremonies and statutes, the realm of love should prevail and rule, not tyranny. Item, will experience of the love, not a rope. They shall all be done, judged and interpreted for the benefit of the neighbor. The greater he is who rules; the more he shall serve according to love.
4. good works of Christians.
The good works of holy and righteous devout Christians are unclean and defiled when they are seen in themselves alone, separated from faith, as happens when one relies and trusts in them. But lest they be trusted in, it is profitable that they should be condemned, and made sinful; as it ought and must be, when they are set apart, as a way to righteousness, separated and set apart from faith.
But because faith is and must be by nature and kind before works, we rightly say that we are justified by faith alone. For it is not by works that we believe, since they are not yet present or done, but by the Word, which promises grace, and clearly says that believers are pleasing to God and blessed, and that sins are forgiven. After this, one does good works by faith. Thus, faith is magnified and made known, indeed, made almost tangible, through works. Just as the Godhead alone, and Christ the Lord also, cannot be seen nor understood; but after he has become man, he becomes visible and tangible, as John says, 1 Epist. 1, 1: "The word that our hands have touched," and Joh. 1, 14, "that was used among us," 2c. For as soon as it is separated and set apart, there is no other God anywhere, and the flesh becomes harmful twice over.
For if we are justified by works which follow faith, we are not justified by faith, nor for Christ's sake, but by ourselves, as doing works after faith. But this is to deny Christ; for Christ is not apprehended and grasped by works, but by faith of the heart. Therefore it is necessary that we be justified by faith alone, without works before or after. The
Works, however, are praised for the sake of faith, are considered good, and please God. Therefore, the righteousness of the works is also of the faith from which they flow and origin, not of the works.
Now as it is false and unjust for them to say that the righteous are provided for salvation by the works that are to come, so it is also false for them to pretend that one is justified and saved by the works of faith that were done before. But as the grace of salvation bringeth good works afterward, which alone, without any works, calleth and calleth him that shall be justified, and doeth good works: so also faith bringeth good works, which justifieth and blotteth out sin before all works. For faith is not accepted because of works, but works are done because of faith; neither does faith wait for works to make it righteous by them, but works wait for faith to make them righteous and good by it. So that faith is passiva justitia fidei, that is, faith, as the working righteousness, works and brings about good works, but works are the suffering righteousness, effect, and fruits of faith. Otherwise, and without this, works would be the real cause of righteousness, as without which the effect and fruits of righteousness would not exist nor could be; even if faith were there as a cause, yet without the effect and consequence of righteousness it would be utterly void, fictitious, or lost.
5. to do a good work.
Many are not worthy to do one good work; and truly it is a great thing that a man should be worthy to do a good work.
6. whose good works please God.
Good works are pleasing to God, even to those who have forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ; they also have their reward. But if the heart relies on them and trusts in them, thinking that it will have a gracious God through them, they are useless.
and cannot please God, for trust is not due to our works or the works of others, but only to God's mercy in Christ. Our works are not to be set against grace. Oh no; but they should be done as obedience, which we owe to God, a kind, gracious and merciful Father, confessing that even if we do everything we can and owe, we are still useless servants, Luc. 17, 10.
Give, and it shall be given to you again.
This is a certain saying (Luc. 6, 38.) that makes people rich and poor. It sustains my house. I should not boast; but I know what I give a year. And turned to D. Gregorius Brück, and said: If my gracious lord would give a thousand florins to a nobleman, he would not receive my house with it, and have only three hundred florins; but God gives enough, he blesses it.
There was a monastery which, because it gave gladly, became rich; but when it gave no more, it became poor. One day a beggar came to the monastery and asked for alms, but was refused them. The beggar asked why they would not give him anything for God's sake. Then the porter said: We are poor. Then the beggar said, "The reason for our poverty is that you had two brothers in the monastery, one of whom you expelled, and the other of whom also turned away secretly and left. For, after brother Oats, prayed, was cast out and rejected, so the other brother, Dabitur, to whom is given, has also lost himself.
And that is also true, said D. M. Luther, the world is obliged to help its neighbor in three ways: by giving, lending and selling. But now no one gives, everyone robs, scratches, and pulls for themselves; they take well and steal gladly, but give nothing: so no one lends, but only usurps, scrounges, and scrapes: no one sells any more, but he sells and deceives everyone. That is why there is no more vadttur, our Lord God does not want to bless so abundantly anymore. Rather, whoever wants something must also give. Never run to a gentle hand.
8. pious hearts anxiety.
It is difficult for a pious man to get out of the works and to be right in them, for he knows that God wants them, and he gives earnestly to do them. But if he makes this distinction, that she will have God, and one should do it, but not rely on it, nor build on it, (which is very difficult and humanly impossible because of original sin, where the Holy Spirit does not stir the heart, teaches, guides and governs by God's word), but God will reward her here on earth with peace, rest and other gifts and pay well; then I should not worry about it, but believe him, because he will have it so.
9. merit.
(Contained in Cap. 7, § 152.)
10. from the saying: whoever has two re.
(Contained in Cap. 4, Z124, the last two paragraphs.)
11. never do the highest penance.
(Cordatus No. 1742.)
Since Christ says [Joh. 8, 11.]: "Sin no more", he demands first of all faith, secondly also the improvement of life. He who does not promise this cannot be absolved.
12. 'The works of the profession shall be greatly respected.
(Lauterbach, Aug. 22, 1538, p. 117.)
He marveled at Wicel's bitterness and envy, who sought to write much against the Lutherans without having anything, but seize every opportunity where he can; how he picks on the saying, since we have taught that the works of a publican are far better than all the works of the hermits. There the wretched man argues against us. He does not take into account the works of profession, but only those of superstition. Paul has written in his letters more abundantly and appropriately of virtues and good works than all the philosophers; he also exalts the worldly works in the godly. Should not David's war and battle have been better than the very best, most pious monks' fasting, praying,
let alone superstitious monks, among whom was the one who wanted to conquer his evil lust by breaking his beloved cooking pot? truly a great killing of the flesh!
13) Give freely and simply, without any pleasure.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 15, 1538, p. 167.)
Since they came to the small town of Jessen, he gave alms to the poor. Also D. Jonas gave with these words: Who knows where God will give it to me again. Luther laughed and said: "As if God had not given it to you before 1). One must give freely out of pure love.
14. reward of good works.
In 39, January 21, an Englishman, D. Antonius Barns, asked M. Luther: "Whether the Christians and the godly, who are now righteous through faith in Christ, deserve anything for the sake of the following works? because such a question would be very mean in England. Answered D. M. Luther: First, let it be known that we are still sinners, now that we are already righteous, as we believe and pray for forgiveness of sin in this life: "Forgive us our trespasses", and Psalm 32:6: "For this all the saints will ask you" 2c. This opinion and sentiment is certain that we are all sinners, and live under the grace and forgiveness of sins.
On the other hand, God promises retribution and reward to those who do good, so we deserve something, one might say. Well, let it be equal, God repays and rewards persons for good works, but differently; just as one star is distinguished from another. And these things all happen and are under the forgiveness of sins; for since heaven, that is, since justification is under grace, how much more are the stars under grace? For just as the stars do not make or decorate heaven, but only adorn and decorate it: so works do not make heaven, but adorn the faith that makes righteous.
1) formerly - before.
We are to believe the word badly and simple-mindedly, and because we have now been justified, do good works which God has commanded, then we are stars.
This single argument solves and resolves everything: I believe in Jesus Christ, who suffered under Pontius Pilate 2c. for us: He alone is everything, our work is nothing; he alone does everything, we not, as far as salvation is concerned. But after that, if by grace we have become children of God, we are also differentiated in gifts, one having this gift, the other another gift; so there is a difference among Christians because of gifts, as the heaven has various different stars. Summa, the article of justification by Christ solves it all. For if Christ deserved it by his suffering and death, we do not deserve it: in Christ there are gifts, not merit. Since the principal and self-existent righteousness is nothing, the accidental righteousness, accidentalis Justitia, is also nothing. The substantialis justitia, principal righteousness, is the righteousness of faith: the accidentalis, accidental righteousness, are the gifts; but God crowns nothing, but only his gifts.
15. the word reward and merit.
The word reward is very well interpreted and explained by St. Augustine, against the fallacies and deceitfulness of the sophists and the school bully, since 'they say that the Virgin Mary, with her virginity, deserved to become the mother of Christ, the Son of God, that is, she was sent with her virgin body to give birth. Truly, this is a beautiful merit, a fine merit, as if I said, "The tree deserves to bear fruit, for God has ordained and created it for this purpose, so that it may stand on God's gifts, not on our works.
So Augustine looked diligently at the word merit, and concludes from the words of Mary, the virgin: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. He has considered the lowliness of His handmaid"; that it is on God's grace, not on our merit. For the merit of our works is nothing with God, but the merit of our righteousness.
The only way we can be justified before God is by grace, or Christ must have died in vain. Apart from this, we are all non facientes, sed patientes, who only suffer, not work; for there must be a difference of gifts. This error comes from the confusion and mixture of the law and the gospel, which are mixed and brewed together: if each doctrine does not remain in its circle, as God has ordered it, then we make hell out of heaven, and again, a heaven out of hell.
16. alms of D. Martin Luther in the Theurung.
I, said D. Martinus Luther, tried it, and stopped at the Schösser, he wanted to lend me several bushels of grain for poor people, just at the time when the pestilence reigned, and complained to my most gracious lord, the Elector of Saxony, that there was a shortage in the city, because nothing was supplied to us, so we had to suffer three kinds of plague, pestilence, hunger and frost. In addition, I indicated that I would have to share and access the grain and wood of His Electoral Grace with the citizens 2c. His Electoral Grace graciously wrote to me with these words: You should also take hold with me, dear Doctor 2c. On such words I will now dare to help the poor.
Give, and it shall be given unto you again. Luc. 6, 38.
This is a certain saying that makes people rich and poor. Those who do not give, and think to leave their children much behind and after them, the same keep nothing. It is a common saying that will probably remain true: De male quaesitis non gaudet tertius haeres; unb roie bie Italians say: Male quaesit, male perdit Uebel gewonnen, übel zerronnen. Unjustly good does not talk, does not come to third heirs. Again: Who gives there gladly, to him is given; that receives the house. Therefore, dear Käthe, he said, we have no more money, so the cups must follow; one must give, if we want something else.
have. Farming brings poverty. When someone here did not want to count the dirt, the pennies, and weighed them, that is why he has now become poor. There was also a woman in Zwickau who despised the peasants' wives, and now she has to beg. Therefore, money does not make you rich, but date, et dabitur vobis: give, and it will be given to you again. In the prophets it is often written: "The wine, which they hoped to get a thousand barrels of, became barely three hundred; for the Lord, they say, blew into the vineyards, because you gave nothing to the poor.
18) How the children earn their living.
Martin Luther took his child, who had defiled himself, and said, "These people also earn their food and drink by shitting, crying and weeping, as we earn heaven with our good works. And said soon after, "This is what the world lets happen, that we preach and give money for it.
19. from hospitals.
(Lauterbach, Aug. 1, 1538, p. 104.)
After that, Luther said of the care for strangers [de hospitalitate] in Italy, how their hospitals were well provided, royal buildings, the best food and drink in readiness, very attentive servants, the most learned physicians, the beds and clothes very clean and the resting beds painted. As soon as a sick person is brought in, he is stripped of all his clothes, which are faithfully kept for him in the presence of a notary. Then a white gown is put on him, clean cloths are placed in a beautifully painted bed, then two doctors are brought in; the servants bring food and drink in very clean glass cups, do not touch them with a finger, but present them on a plate. There come the most respectable matrons, completely veiled, and serve the poor for several days as strangers and then return home. I have seen in Florence with how much care the hospitals are served. So also the foundling hospitals, where the children are best cared for.
1) All of them are dressed in the same clothes and colors, and are provided for in the most paternal way.
20. of the woman who anointed the Lord Christ.
Doct. Luther was asked in 1542 if a woman had anointed Christ at Bethany in Lazari's house and before that in Simoni's house, or if another had anointed him as well. To this he answered, that it was certain that only one woman had done both, and that it was nothing that it was said in one place that Judas had murmured of it, for in the other place it is not reported; Judas murmured out of malice, but the other disciples out of simplicity. But there the knot is, that I would like the woman, Luke 7, 37. ff., of whom the Lord Christ cast out devils, to be the very woman whom they call the sinner. But she was not a harlot, for the Jews did not have such public whorehouses; but she is called Peccatrix because she had devils with her, and the Jews called all possessed sinners. For where there was punishment, they said, there was also sin. Perhaps it was a cheerful Vettel, and with words a little frivolous.
Doctor Luther was asked: Why did the Lord Christ add these words: "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the world, this woman and her deed should be remembered"? Then the doctor answered, "It is because of this that it should be seen that Christ greatly esteems the works of mercy, especially when one helps a man who is lying on his deathbed. Secondly, it is also an allegory: for Judas is a transgressor of all good works, while he praises and exalts all evil works. This is actually the devil's way and the world's way, which praises what one should desecrate and desecrates what one should praise. So the devil is also merciful, because he is supposed to be hard, and on the other hand he is hard.
1) Instead of "themselves" should probably better be read "they" with the old table speeches and Binvseil II, 283.
He is hard when he should be merciful: the world punishes when it should not punish, and is slothful in things wherein it should otherwise punish.
The Sophists' Rhapsody and Doctrine of Good Works.
(Cordatus No. 320 and No. 321.)
Whenever the sophists, understanding their philosophy, found a word commanding good works, or a word in the subjunctive [or imperative, or indicative] mode, they interpreted it in the same way, as commanding, possible, and real, and added that a good work must be of such a nature that it comes from right understanding and good will, for otherwise it could not be a morally good work. This is what they teach and what they want us to believe. Further, if we teach, not from the philosophy of Aristotle, but of Christ, that reason and will are neither good nor right except by faith which the Holy Spirit works, and that they [reason and will], thus purified by faith, do good works, they do not believe us. Further, that works are not good except by faith, thou hast it in the first commandment; Jeremiah [5, 3.], "Lord, thine eyes behold by faith," and 7, [22.], "I have neither told them nor commanded them," and Psalm 50, (8.), "Because of thy sacrifice I punish thee not."
The vain sophists have said that they are three theological virtues, which they have not understood at all. For if they are theological, they are purely divine and flatly opposed to reason, for faith believes in God whom it does not see; it hopes in him who seems to abandon his own; it loves him who seems to do so much evil, or at least to see through his fingers that it happens to the faithful by loss of their property and the like.
For what anger and zeal serve and are good.
(Cordatus No. 520.)
I can never pray, preach and write better than when I am angry, for anger refreshes my whole blood, sharpens my mind and drives away temptations.
(23) Of impatience, whether it be sin at all times?
When the saying of Jeremiah (when the prophet curses the day on which he was born, 2c., Jer. 20, 14.) was spoken, it was asked whether such thoughts and words were also unchristian, against God and sin? M. Luther said: "Our Lord God must be awakened with such words from time to time, otherwise He will not hear. It is quite a murmur of Jeremiah. So Christ also said Luc. 9, 41: "O unbelieving and perverse kind, how long shall I be with you and tolerate you?" Just as Moses threw the keys at the door of our Lord God, saying, "Did I bring forth this multitude and crowd? I am not their father.
It can't be any other way, it upsets you when someone means so much, and yet it doesn't go from place to place; that is certainly being murmured at and impatient. So I never let go of the thought that I wish and wish I had never started this thing. Item, I would rather be dead than to see the contempt of God's word and His faithful servants. Therefore, those who condemn such impatience are theologians in arte speculativa, who play with thoughts and deal with speculatives: if they get into the matter, they will become well aware of it and experience it. Such histories are very great, of which one should not dispute with thoughts and speculations.
24. from patience.
Patience is the best virtue, which is highly praised and extolled in the Holy Scriptures by the Holy Spirit. Although the philosophers and learned pagans also praise it highly, they cannot put it before God's will and help, because they neither understand nor know anything certain about it. Epictetus, the wise Greek pagan, said very well: Suffer and avoid; 1) as also the Ebrews say in their language with good works:
Don't believe everything you hear.
Do not say everything you know.
Do not do everything you like.
1) I.e. Be peaceful and patient. Cf. de Weites Briefe, Vol. VI, 262: meidsam und leidsam.
25. interpretation of the saying of Isaiah (Cap. 30, 15.): In silence and hope you will be strong.
This saying was interpreted by D. M. Luther in 1541 over the table: If thou wilt learn to overcome the greatest, most dreadful and most shameful enemies, which otherwise may well devour thee, and also harm thee in body and soul, against which one should buy him all manner of weapons, and give all money to learn this art, then know that there is a sweet, lovely herb which serves for this purpose, that is called Patientin.
Yes, you say, how can I get such medicine? To this is answered: Take the faith before thee, which saith that no man can hurt thee without the will of God: but if it be so, it is of God's kind and gracious will: so that the enemy himself doeth him a thousand times more hurt. For out of this flows love for us Christians, which says, "I will do him all good for evil, and cast fiery coals upon his head. This is the armor and harness of Christians, that they may smite their enemies, who seem like the great mountains, and otherwise cannot be overthrown, or won with iron and steel. This same love learns to suffer all kinds of things.
26. comfort against many enmities.
One of them said that he lived peacefully with everyone, did no harm to anyone, and kept quiet and withdrawn, and yet many people were hostile and angry with him. Then said D. M. Luther said: "Be patient, and do not give cause for this. Dear, what do we do to the devil? What is wrong with him that he is so hostile to us? If he does not have that which our Lord God has, he is so vehemently angry with us that he burns with hatred toward us. Therefore, if God gives you food, eat; if he gives you fasting, be patient. If he gives you honor, accept it; if he gives you shame and harm, endure it. If he throws you into prison, suffer it; if he wants to make you a lord, follow him; if he throws you down again, respect it and do not worry.
Item: No one will harm me; he will be harmed before he dies. I do not sin by tolerating and suffering such things, but he who harms me harms me.
Patience is necessary everywhere.
(Cordatus No. 249 and No. 466.)
I must have patience with the devil, I must have patience with the enthusiasts, I must have patience with the Scharrhansen, I must have patience with my servants, I must have patience with Käthe von Boren, and there is still so much patience that all my life wants to be nothing else but patience.
"By being still and hoping you would be strong." (Is. 30, 15.] Be patient, suffer and hope, and do not despair in conscience.
Sometimes you have to dissimulate and suffer a little.
One must suffer an evil branch for the sake of the. For the sake of the tree, for the sake of the body, for the sake of the body, for the sake of the body.
29 On the saying of the Psalm: Commit thy way unto the LORD, and hope in him;
D. M. Luther made this verse:
Silence, sorrow, avoid and forbear. Your distress alone complain to God.
In God never despair. Your happiness comes every day.
30. from the remedy.
A Christian suffers violence, and does not resist evil; whether he may nevertheless use the right, and what it permits and allows him? Answer: A Christian always suffers from the authorities, and only from the authorities, because they always persecute Christ and God, that is, the law and the gospel. But I also call those who rely on the office of the authorities, as not to be resisted; otherwise, if anyone resists or is able to resist and protect himself, he needs the authorities to protect him and stand by him. Therefore, if the authorities are for him or against him and act, a Christian does it or suffers it, and it follows that a murderer or highwayman who is superior to one is like the authorities against him. But a fainting murderer, who is too weak, is under him as under an authority.
The law is for him and protects him. For violence thou shalt suffer, but justice thou shalt not forsake: for one thing is violence, and another is justice.
31 Dr. M. Luther's rhyme of one.
In luctu gaudium, In gaudio luctus, Gaudendum in Domino, Lugendum in nobis. In Traure" Freud, In Freuden Trauern; Fröhlich im HErrn, Traurig in uns sein.
32. bon vindictiveness.
The first anger is the best, so that the good deeds are not lost; but man does not do that, but continues and relies on men. Again, the first atonement is the best, so that not so much evil may happen; but a man always continues, does not let up, wants to take revenge; but if one wants to live, one must finally get along. For war cannot last for ever, nor be eternal, if the land cannot be built, nor provisions be left. How are we then so senseless, mad and foolish through the devil's instigation and activity, since we must at last reconcile ourselves with harm, and depart from each other as friends and part, since all good deeds are lost?
33. against revengefulness.
Have you not at least learned that when you do harm to someone, it must unfortunately happen to you a hundred times over? What happened to one of the nobility of G., who was the chamberlain and councilor of a prince, certainly harmed many; at last he had to punish himself and kill himself horribly. Therefore, if you are in a great, high office, where many people must be annoyed and offended by you, against your will; do not seek revenge, but what gives or interprets a right, follow it and execute it. For to suffer injustice, and to control and resist wrath and vengeance, makes and keeps a good, safe, and cheerful conscience; but vengeance
must always make a guilty, restless and evil conscience. This is not lacking.
What is it now? Dear, what do you gain? By striking another, you wound or pierce yourself. But he suffers the punishment of injustice with a cheerful heart, but you suffer the guilt of revenge with a wounded conscience; therefore you harm yourself most of all when you harm another. Therefore, let our Lord God take vengeance, that he may punish the wrong publicly; he will certainly not give it to anyone, no one will escape him. It is said, like a sheep to the slaughter; not, like a cry to war. Christ was a sheep before Pilato, not a tyrant; so shall a Christian be.
The death of the saints is more devout than their life.
I wanted, said D. M. Luther, that the adversaries would kill me, because my death would be more useful to the church than my life. So Samson the Philistine killed them rather when he died than when he lived. Judg. 16:30 For this reason I would gladly go to war with our prince against the Turk; if I were to remain dead, then the Turk would also be destroyed.
35) How to do good deeds.
One of them apologized and said that he wanted to help the people, to serve and to do good, but their ingratitude put him off. Then said D. M. L. said: "Charity and good deeds should be done secretly, not gloriously; they should be done quietly and without a request for enjoyment, and for the sake of God's honor and the neighbor's good.
What works please God or not.
In all works one should look to God's word; therefore, which works are done by and according to God's command, they are not our will, but we are only God's instrument and tool through which He works; they are not ours, but God's. As the works of the law are called and are called, which are done and are done by commandment.
and commandment of the law, not voluntarily. Therefore, all works that are not done by God's command are works of our hands and are done without God's word; they are ungodly and condemned, especially if one thinks that he will be justified before God by them.
The righteous does good works not by force, but voluntarily, in honor of God who commanded it, and for the service and benefit of his neighbor; for he can do nothing else, just as a good tree brings forth good fruit by nature. Therefore, these two kingdoms at the end of the world are the two last abominations, the priest and the Turk. The one is the rule of the priests; the other is the rule of lies. Therefore the end of the world is near at the door, it wants to fail.
37. works do not deserve bliss.
(Contained in Cap. 13, § 50.)
38: Luther's speech of protection by a lenient hand.
M. Johann Holstein, D. Martin Luther's table companion, said to D. M. Luther: One can see it on one's hands if one is mild, free of cost and kind; and understood that one could judge it from the chiromantia. Martin Luther answered and said: "That is true, one can see by the hand if one is mild, because one must spend with the hand, one does not give with the feet.
D. Martin Luther said that at Speier on the beautiful Oelberg, which is in the cathedral, the Jews all carry halberds, which images are quite artistically carved out of stone. Now it was asked: Why do they wear no other weapons than halberds? A mischievous man answered: "They have lent our citizens the spears. He wanted to show that they were running and running wild with the Jewish spear.
39. three kinds of alms.
There are three kinds of alms, said the doctor: First, that we give something to maintain the ministry. Second, that we give to poor friends who are related to us, as parents, children, blood friends, and the like. Thirdly, that we also help others and strangers who live with us, or who
otherwise need our help, and so suffer hardship that they cannot live without other people's help.
40. four main virtues.
The ancients, said D. Martin Luther, have set four main virtues: Temperance, which preserves the body; righteousness, which nourishes; manliness or magnanimity, which weathers; and wisdom, which governs all things.
Ceremonies in the church shall be free.
It has been an old custom to bury and lay the dead with their faces turned toward the morning and the exit of the sun, for the sake of a secret and spiritual interpretation, which is indicated by this; but this has been done freely, and without law and superstition. Thus all laws in the church should be, namely, free, which no one would be forced to do, as they neither justified nor condemned before God, but were kept only for the sake of respectability and outward discipline.
42) The righteousness of works. 1)
D. Martin Luther said that the righteousness of works and hypocrisy is the most harmful pestilence, innate in us, which cannot easily be expelled nor gotten rid of, especially when it is confirmed and confirmed by habit. For all men by nature want to act with God, to reason, and to do enough with their powers and works. That is why Doctor Staupitz used to say: I no longer want to talk about being pious, I have deceived our Lord God too often; I want to ask God for a blessed hour.
Good works do not make one righteous before God.
One argued and said: "Evil works condemn, therefore good works make righteous. Then said D. M. Luther said: "The argument is still not suitable Ratione contrariorum, because they are not right against each other. For evil works are fully adequate
I) Another relation of Cap. 18, § 5. Cf. Walch, Vol. VIII, Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap, 5, Z223.
evil, because they come from a heart that is totally depraved and evil; but good works, even in righteous Christians who are now born again by the word of the Holy Spirit, without their cooperation, are imperfectly good, because they come from a weak obedience that is somewhat restituted and made right.
(Here 18 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 13, § 50, in the last paragraph).
We cannot suffer nor hear that death is the consequence of sin. We do the sin and flee the punishment: we do not want it. Yes, it should be ordered for us. For what is sin without death? It is a figure and sign of sin to have an angry God 2c. Therefore, we can never rightly say that he is and remains righteous, for we truly want to be righteous with him and not leave the glory to God alone. But God tempers and makes it so with the temptations that we can bear it. The challenge does not kill, if it is done in such a way that it leaves one alive, and comfort follows. Now we should thank God that he does not let us sink into temptation, because it does not lead to death. If in the last hour, when we wrestle with death, we can only say: Lord Jesus Christ, I commit my spirit into your hands, then we are not among those who blaspheme God.
(Here 19 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 13, § 50, abridged here).
44: Ceremonies during Advent.
(Lauterbach, Dec. 1, 1538. p. 185.)
Luther then said of the ceremonies of Advent, how they were best used for thanksgiving for the incarnation of Christ. For truly unspeakable has been the mercy and love of the Lord s--Ua^w7rca] toward men, that he took on flesh and blood. This can never be considered enough with human thoughts. But it has lately become the most atrocious idolatries of Advent. The Rorate 1) (Is. 45, 8.) is an inward and outward
1) The quoted passage in Isaiah begins, in the Vulgate, with the word: lioruts; therefore, the Advent Mass at which this text was read was called the Rorate Mass, or Rorate par excellence.
The people of the city of Leipzig, especially, where there was so much fornication that it exceeded all human understanding.
45. from the little word merit.
(Cordatus No. 511 and 512.)
Once I was thinking over a sermon on Matthew about merit, that there was no merit here, but in that life, I shared and explained it; but under the prayer I lost my whole context, so that God would teach me that He alone wanted to be a preacher, not us. And neither I nor the listeners were worth it.
The word merit is a heavy and dangerous one. For when one reads [Matth. 19, 2I]: "If you want to be perfect," reason soon concludes: "Therefore it is merit. Therefore this word is to be eradicated, 2) otherwise it is lost. God is the effective cause of merit.
46. middle things, adiaphora.
Ceremonies, as there are: Eating meat, fasting, clothing, place 2c., are free and allowed in themselves, because they violate neither divine nor natural law, but often make a burned and confused conscience.
47 Which is the best work.
The best work on earth is listening to sermons. Common prayers, the week of prayer and processions all aimed at God's giving us rain and blessings for the sake of it, since we called upon the dead saints. But how is it that one does not ask for justice?
48. glorious boasts and noble virtues of the works of one's own righteousness, from St. Paul's
Epistle to the Galatians.
(This K is at the end of the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, at the end).
2) The reading extsriuinauäuin, as it is found in the original, is the only correct one according to Lutheran doctrine. Compare also Cap. 7/H 152, not sxtsnuanäuM, which D. Wrampelmeyer recommends.