1. reduction of the preaching ministry by the Sacramentarians.
2. the theologia speculativa.
3. what theology consists of.
Preaching Christ is difficult and dangerous.
5. do nothing without a profession.
6. whether it is right to desire a preaching ministry.
7. from your profession of Mosi.
8. comfort for those who are in the preaching ministry.
9. what to preach and seek with it.
10. from what church servants are still received meagerly.
11. preach only as you can, do not imitate.
You should not preach long sermons.
13. D. Luther's way of preaching.
14. one question.
15. of powerful sermons.
The world does not like righteous preachers.
17. difference of preachers and listeners.
18. D. Luther's way of prescribing appointed preachers.
19. which preachers please the crowd.
20. qualities and virtues of a righteous preacher.
21. as a preacher, who shall please the world, shall be skillful.
22. the world's wrong judgment of the preachers' infirmities.
23 A Preacher's Posse.
24. no measure can be kept, not even preachers.
25. D. Luther's Way in Preaching.
26. that a preacher should stick to the proposition and not introduce foreign things in the sermon.
27. how to preach in the priesthood.
28. of three common vices.
29. a picture of righteous preachers.
30. which the best preachers.
31. to teach with benefit and to have sight.
32. what a right theologian should know.
33. lack of preachers.
34. preachers should stick to the divine word, also practice rem et usum diligently.
35. God commands the preachers to preach.
36. D. Luther's way of ordination.
37. where a preacher should look.
Ingratitude and contempt make preachers expensive.
Let pure teachers be honored, let them be alive as they can.
40. the office of a faithful pastor.
Many are washers, though they are learned and eloquent.
The gospel and its servants are held in low esteem.
43. the contempt of the preachers does not go unpunished.
How God Appoints His Preaching Ministry.
45. of unity in preaching.
46. of the unanimity of the preachers.
47. lack of preachers is the greatest misfortune.
48 Interpretation of the Gospel of the Lost Sheep.
49 Of Pabst's Spell.
50. how to keep in the criminal office.
51. preachers should not be too rich, nor too poor.
52. Of the accidents and additions in the papacy.
53. of desolate parishes.
The first of these is the "Theological".
55. pious, faithful preachers.
56. proven preacher punishment.
57. of ambitious preachers.
58 No one should be deterred from his appointment by pusillanimity.
59. sermons and lections, how they can be changed.
60. preach differently according to the opportunity of the audience.
61 A preacher should stick to the main thing and proposition.
62. why the laity are hostile to the preachers.
63. spiritual goods are held in lower esteem than temporal goods.
64. long sermons are annoying. .
The wickedness of people who despise the pure doctrine and teachers.
66. make many words and speak magnificently.
67. of the gifts of the preachers.
68. old preachers and servants are detested.
The world despises all urges and sermons.
70. Talking slowly is most convenient for the preachers.
71. schoolmasters are best for the ministry of preaching.
Of ingratitude against God's servants.
D. Luther's displeasure with his sermons.
74. how a teacher should preach, and on which he should look.
First of all, preaching is the hardest.
In the Old Testament, the priests were honest and well kept.
77. Proud and presumptuous preachers and teachers.
78. sermons should be simple and audible.
The world does not like to give to righteous preachers.
80. for what causes one comes together in churches.
81: Serious Admonition by D. M. Luther.
Secular rulers should not get involved in spiritual affairs.
83. preachers are poor people.
84. take preachers from the schools.
That people be punished only in general, and that no one in particular be attacked in the pulpit.
86. that one should not harshly attack great Hansen with the preaching ministry.
Whether preachers may also punish the authorities.
88. how preachers should behave in punishing.
89. pious preachers and women defile.
90. reforming righteous preachers.
91. complaint about faithful preachers.
92. S. Pauli's simplicity in preaching and teaching.
The parish priest's office in ceremonies.
The devil's and the world's hatred against pious preachers and authorities.
95. right way of preaching.
96. the nature and office of a good speaker.
97) Poor laymen, children and servants should be the target of sermons.
98. faithful preacher burden and sense.
99. what D. Luther comforted in his preaching Habs.
What a pious preacher should do.
101. why to preach.
A righteous, faithful preacher is God's work alone.
The persecution of the faithful preachers is smelled.
The teaching and the life are to be distinguished.
Balaam is an example of a trustworthy spirit and teacher.
106. courting, especially in preachers, does great harm in the church.
107 The Hypocrite's Court Ride.
The greatest harm in the church is done by arrogance, presumption and ambition.
109 From the yard ride.
What harm is done by ambition.
111. where to seek honor.
112: Osiandri and Agricolä Hoffahrt.
The preacher is little respected.
114. Hunger makes the church desolate.
The first time that the author of the book has been published, he has been a member of the trade.
116 D. Luther's exhortation to the preachers.
117. preachers are burdensome in the world.
The students of the Gospel are mostly Epicureans.
119. D. L. Rath, how to preach now.
120. preachers and teachers are despised.
How a preacher should be skilled to preach.
122. contempt for church servants.
128. the best way to preach.
124. of preachers who speak many languages.
Of saying of Michii, Cap. 3, 11: Their priests teach for money.
126. how peasants were punished who did not want to tithe to their parish lord.
127. preaching for the sake of money.
128. D. Luther's prophecy and warning.
129. the world Art.
The teaching and preaching should be based on the audience.
131. of those who want to study the Holy Scriptures and God's Word. Word.
The theologians should read the rights of the pope.
133) How to behave against angry priests and preachers.
What a preacher is.
How D. Luther wanted to make one a preacher.
The first time that the author had been a preacher.
That it is good to preach now.
138. from court sermons.
139. some word of god gives a sermon.
140. unworthy of preachers in the world.
141. from Osiander.
142. of proud, ambitious preachers.
143. serious saying of D. Luther.
144: With preachers, court keeping does harm.
A great lament of Luther's about the addiction to honor and courtly conduct.
Preachers should be humble.
147. preaching or reading in front of scholars.
148. of the theology doctors.
St. Paul diligently studied and interpreted Moses and the Prophets.
150 Luther's advice on how to become a good theologian or preacher.
151) Whether one can be in the preaching ministry without marital status.
152. by Nicodemi Gleichen.
153. preach according to the art.
A theologian must be pious.
Whether a preacher is also obliged to go to the sick.
156. how preachers are death-beaters.
1. reduction of the preaching ministry by the Sacramentarians.
(Cordatus No. 553.)
The Sacramentarians diminish the prestige of the ministers of the Word] and say: Granted that by those words the Sacrament becomes when God speaks them; but how should it [the Sacrament become when' a man speaks them?
2. speculativa theologia.
It is very sorrowful for lawyers to be blessed, since it is difficult for theologians, who deal with God's word daily. Theologians, if they are righteous, are ready to be righteous and in heaven. But Zwingel and Oecolampadius have missed the way: for all theologians who handle and judge divine things with reason and speculation are of the devil.
Cochläus is not such a theologian, he is a complete fool, there is still hope in him: but H[archduke] G[eorg], M[arkgraf] J[oachim] 1) belong straight to hell. Zwingel and Oecolampadius have been in the challenge, like the works saints and papists; they speak: I have done evil, therefore I am damned. This makes them speculate and judge according to their reason. When they hear about theology, they say: I have sinned, therefore I am damned.
3. in which Theologia see.
(Cordatus No. 554.)
The theologians who judge divine things according to their reason [speculative] are of the devil. Theology is practical, not speculative. Zwingli has not in his life
1) Cf. cap. 24, §115.
The people believed otherwise, because Christ in the Lord's Supper was spiritual, that is, speculative. Every speculative art, housekeeping and world regiment is lost. He who makes his account in the hand 1) is speculative. Such a one was Christian Goldschmidt with his printing house. If I cannot dissuade him from this, I will no longer serve him.
4. preach Christ.
(Cordatus No. 597.)
Preaching Christ is a difficult and very dangerous thing. If I had known this earlier, I would never have preached, but would have said with Moses [Exodus 4:13]: Send whom you will. No one was to take me there. That is why the bishop of Brandenburg said to me correctly: "Doctor, I told you to stand still, you will make trouble for yourself, it will affect the holy Christian church. I mean, I made trouble for myself by incurring the hatred of the whole world, since I used to live very quietly.
5. to do nothing without a profession.
(Cordatus No. 1662.)
Let no one presume to do anything without a profession. But it is a twofold profession; one divine, which is of faith, the other, of love, which is done by one like me, as when my brother minister asks me to preach for him.
6. desire the office of preacher, whether it is right?
(Kummer p. 283 d. Lauterbach p. 144. note))
Whether he who seeks a preaching ministry is called? First of all, this is certain: young people must be raised to learn the Scriptures. After that, they know that they are to be called to pastors. If they offer themselves afterwards, if there is any vacancy, it is not called intruding. But he is ready, who demands him, that he knows that he should do it. As a girl is brought up for marriage: if someone demands her, so does
1) "in hand" for "in trade". Handel is derived from hand. Weigand I, 761. (Wr.)
they do it. But to intrude means to repel another. But to offer one's service and say, "I will gladly do it, if you need me;" if they accept it, it is a true calling. As Isaiah, Cap. 6, (v. 8.) [says], "Send me, here I am"; comes himself, hearing that a preacher [is needed. And this must be done. One is to see if one may be, and after that, if one will have him, that must also be included.
(This § reads as follows in Cordatus No. 1663:)
Those who have studied theology here can ask for an office from the visitators with a clear conscience, because [1 Tim. 3, 1.]: "Whoever desires a bishop's office desires a good work", 2) and such a one does not intrude, because it is in the will of the visitators to consider him worthy or to reject him.
7. from the profession of Mosi.
Christ did not say to me, as to Paul, that I should stand up and preach, and I will be with thee; for that I read it in Paul as an example, Acts 9:6. 9, 6. Moses had to go to God six times, and at last he hardly went after many excuses, when God said to him: "I will be with you", Ex. 4, 15.
But I wanted to take the lawyers as counsel and advice and sue the Lord God in reality freely and punitively, because he did not keep Moses' promise and promise. Thus he comforts in the Gospel, when he says Matth. 11, 29: "And you will find rest for your souls"; but we see the contradiction in John the Baptist, in his dearest son Christ, and in all saints, martyrs and true Christians. According to the lawyers' sentences and judgments, who proceed and speak according to their canons and decrees, he would have lost by far.
8. comfort for those who are in the preaching ministry.
(Contained in Cap. 22, § 94.)
2) In the original: c^ui Lpiseopatum dssi., d. o. dokidornti is to be resolved: (M Lpiseopatuiu dosidorat, vouum Opus dosidorat. (Vulgate.)
9, What to preach and thus "seek".
(Cordatus No. 1462. 1463. 1464. 1465. 34A. 344.)
When I [Cordatus] was asked by him how I was doing in my ministry and with my preaching, and I answered him about my complaints, my weakness, 2c., he said: "It was the same for me, I was probably as afraid of the preaching chair as you, nor did I have to leave. At first I was afraid of the sermon in the refectory before the brethren, oh, how I was afraid! But you want to be a master right away and perhaps seek praise, and that is why you are so challenged.
We must preach in honor of God, and not look at the judgment of men. If someone can do it better, let him do it better. Let us preach only Christ and the Catechism. That wisdom will uplift us because it is the word of God; praise and rebuke are none of our business.
I gave Staupitz more than fifteen reasons when I opposed becoming a doctor and preacher, and when I finally said: You are killing my life, I will not live a quarter of a year, he laughed at me with many words.
Staupitz was a very wise man, a great lover and promoter of the students. After he was elected, in the first three years [Triennio] he wanted to carry out this work of faith according to his advice, in the second triennium he wanted to carry out this work of faith and attack the cause according to the advice of the fathers, but it had no progress. Thirdly, he ordered the whole thing to GOtte, and it progressed much less. Therefore he said: Let it go as it goes 2c. Neither I, nor the fathers, nor God can do it. Another triennium and vicariate must come. Then I came into it and started it differently.
My prior Staupitz once sat pensively under the pear tree that still stands in the middle of my courtyard. At last he said to me: "Master, you will receive the doctorate, so you will have something to do. This happened in the fourth 1) year, after
1) In the original: kscmndo. In I. 1512 Luther became Doctor. Bgll because of the Correctur the following paragraph.
I had become a doctor, in which I published the theses on penance and indulgences.
When he [Staupitz] met with me again about the same thing under the pear tree, but I refused and gave many reasons, especially that my life forces were exhausted, so that I would not be able to live much longer, Staupitz answered: "Don't you know that our Lord God has many great things to do? He needs many clever and wise people to help him. If you always die, then you must be his advisor. - But at that time I did not yet understand this prophecy, that it should be fulfilled in this way, because four years later I began to fight against the pope and his whole being. 2)
10. of which church servants will still keep a meager one.
(Cordatus No. 1479.)
The Gospel is preached to the poor, and if the Pope did not feed us from his own, we would all die of hunger. He has snatched the stolen goods to himself, so we must snatch them out again, so that what Job says may happen: He must give to the one whom he does not want, although hardly the fiftieth part comes to the custom of the church. The other he spurns, we hardly get the little bread under the table, because we are hardly fed. And if we did not expect another wage, we would be the poorest people, and I would have the crumbs for a good year. If one will have our little, make us rich and esteem us great, we will blow ourselves out again, for it is the devil that God cannot improve us either by humiliation or by prosperity. We despair or become proud. Paul.
2) The same narration in Lauterbach, July 27, 1538, p. 102: If I had died before I was promoted to doctor, it would not have been necessary to suffer this misfortune. But there, Staupitzen's prophecy had to come true when I refused the doctorate because of my weakness, otherwise I would die. He answered: If you storm, your God may also go to his regiment. This prophecy was soon fulfilled in me.
boasts of another art in prosperity and in tribulation. 2 Cor. 6, [10.]. Phil. 4, [12.]
11. preach only as you can, do not imitate.
(Cordatus No. 750. 751. 752.)
When Mag. Joh. Förster complained that all his thoughts were getting too narrow because of his profession, he would rather stay in his professorship, he answered: Oh, that dear Paul and Peter were there, you should probably scold them, because you already would like to be as skillful as they are. Do you want to have the tithes and not first the firstfruits? You have to go forward a little when you can go no further. 1) Do your 2c. And if you cannot preach for a whole hour, preach for half an hour or a quarter of an hour, and do not completely conform to the way of others (as one now desires), you cannot obtain my or another's sermon from word to word, but grasp the main thing in the simplest way and command it to God. Just seek the glory of our God and not the applause of men, and pray that He will give wisdom to your mouth and a sincere hearing to the listeners. Believe me only this, that a sermon is not a human work, neither be bold, but a preacher who fears GOD. For I am an old and practiced preacher, and yet I am afraid to this day when I preach.
If a preacher who trusts in God also falls out of his concept, he should be sure that he will speak what pleases the people, even if it displeases them, which happens very often. Third, it also happens that what is worked out [conceptum] pleases the preacher and the listeners. These three things are to be remembered, but God must always be asked.
I do not know how it is that we do not want to preach marriage, because it pleases us the most.
1) In the original after the memory citirt: Rstuliyuicl prodiro tenus, 8i non potent ultru; with Horaz, Lp. 1, 1. 32: Lst cjuoddam proäirs tsnuS, si non clatur ultru.
first ourselves, and if we were not forced by our profession, we would not do it. Philip would never have written the Apology if he had not been forced, he would always have wanted to do it better. 2)
Do not preach long sermons.
(Cordatus. No. 798.)
A long sermon is abhorrent to me, because the listeners lose their desire to listen and the preachers harm themselves. Therefore, D. Pommer is rightly punished for this, and although he preaches long sermons of his own free will and with pleasure, this is done out of error.
13. D. Mart. Luther's way of preaching.
Since Martin at Werlewitz had preached a sermon from 1 Tim. 1 before the highborn princes of Anhalt and the young margrave, which is printed thereafter, 3) M. Vitus asked him if he had understood all the parts of the sermon beforehand, for it would be a very good, beautiful exhortation to the highest and most noble divine service, namely, to hear God's word. If one could have heard a mass in the name of the devil every day in the papacy until now, why would one not also perform this service daily, from which the greatest benefit comes? 2c. Read the preface before the same sermon.
(Cordatus No. 1108, the following paragraph.)
When I want to preach, I do not design the individual pieces, but only the main thing; for example: an exhortation to worship, that one should hear the word of God diligently; and other things that are necessary occur to me under the speaking. For if
2) In the middle of the last section was inserted a piece which is found § 55 of this Cap.
3) Witt. Ausg. I, 456; Jen. Ausg. VI, 32 b; these two editions say that the sermon was preached in 1533 at Dessau. Walch, old edition, vol. IX, 522 and Erl. 19, 296 give the year 1532. According to the last words of this 8, the sermon must not have been held in the city, but in a village. Therefore the indication at the beginning of this 8: "Z" Werlewitz or Wörlitz, will be probably correct. Luther was there on Nov. 24, 1532, as can be seen from the letter to M. Hausmann. Walch, old edition, Vol. XXI, 1402, No. 30.
If I concripted the individual parts beforehand, I would have to make a special sermon about each part. So I would not go through it so briefly. God is the best children's maid.
Afterwards, when he read the same sermon, he wondered how he had spoken in this way, and praised D. Caspar Creuziger's skill, who could see and understand his words and manner of speaking in this way, and said: "I think he did it better than I preached it; when I preached the sermon, there were not ten peasants in the church, without the three princes and their court servants.
14. question.
(Cordatus No. 500.)
To the question whether it is a greater gift to fight against the adversaries or to raise up the weak, I answer: Both are very good and necessary, but it is certain that to comfort the fainthearted is a greater gift, although they are also edified by the fight with the adversaries, and both are God's gift, as Paul says [Rom. 12, 6-8]: "If anyone teaches, let him wait for the teaching" 2c.
15. from powerful preaching.
(Cordatus No. 1710 and No. 1711.)
A preacher can take nothing that makes a greater impression in speaking than from the first commandment [the word: "I am the Lord your God", so one preaches the hellish fire to the proud and the heavenly paradise to the pious, punishes the wicked, comforts the pious, and my forester says he is moved only by three, by me, by Cordatus and by Mag. Rörer; and that one makes an impression, another does not, is due to the difference of the tools, just as one knife cuts better than the other.
A preacher does not have to judge for himself whether he has preached ardently or coldly, but the listeners, and I have often been ashamed of a sermon that others have praised very much, and what we like very much usually displeases others, and vice versa. In short, the judgment is up to the listeners.
16. world cannot stand righteous preachers.
(The first half of this § at Cordatus No. 533.)
The world under the papacy has been able to suffer all preachers, but it cannot suffer us; indeed, it is necessary that the world and the preachers perish, we through poverty, the papists will perish through misfortune. The world cannot stand if it is not stopped by faithful preachers.
Soon they will want to give a lot of money for a righteous preacher, but they will not be able to get him, but will worship and honor vain liars and deceivers. Therefore, I will help to raise up the papacy again and to lift up the monks; for the world cannot exist without such fools and carnival fools.
17. difference of preachers and listeners.
(Cordatus No. 546.)
To those who speak of the difference of preachers, that one likes this one and another another, it is to be said that it is the difference in the preachers and in the listeners; hence the different judgments. But Eisleben says: The devil lead away the one who does better than he can. 1)
18. D. Martin Luther's way of prescribing appointed preachers.
(Cordatus No. 1139.)
My Cellarius, go there in the name of the Lord, because you are called. I have recommended you to the council in my letter. But if you are not such a person and have not yet reached this goal of my praise, then see to it that you reach it. For I have entangled you in my letter for the purpose that you would be forced to lead the right way. (This is also what God commanded Moses when he said [Deut. 27:20], "Put your praise on Joshua. "2c).
1) This saying in another form in Luther's writings, Mittend. Bd. Ill, fol. 463 a: Das falle übel geh den, der's besser macht, denn er kann.
19. which preachers please the crowd.
(Cordatus No. 518.)
To those who are preferred to me as eloquent preachers, I gladly give this honor and do not envy them. But this is the cause of their praise, that the people admire them, since they hear the histories and examples which they tell, and how they play with words and allegories, in which I am also a master. But in the article of justification, no one is judged to be eloquent, and the people do not like to hear it, nor do they praise it. For this, take it as a certain sign that the people are asleep when we preach the article of justification, and cough; but to the histories they straighten up their ears. I believe that there are quite a number of speakers for these [histories] with us, who preach with their eloquence under the pew and out again.
20. qualities and virtues of a good preacher.
(Cordatus No. 721.)
Conditions of a good preacher. The first: He must be teachable; 2) have a fine head; 3) be eloquent; 4) have a voice; 5) have a good memory; 6) know how to stop; 7) be diligent in his work; 8) put life and limb into it; 9) let himself be mocked by everyone; finally, that he bear patiently, so that nothing is seen more easily or more quickly in preachers than their faults 2c.
21. as a preacher shall be skillful, who shall please the world.
Six pieces belong to a preacher like the world wants now:
1. that he is learned.
2. that he has a fine pronunciation.
3. that he is eloquent.
4. that he is a beautiful person, whom the maidens and young ladies can love.
5. that he does not take money, but gives money.
6. that he speaks what one likes to hear.
22. wrong judgment of the world from infirmities of preachers.
(Cordatus No. 722.)
A preacher who has a hundred virtues obscures them all with one mistake. That is how evil the world is now. D. Jonas has all the virtues of a good preacher: only that he clears his throat so often cannot be considered too good for the good man.
23 A Preacher's Posse.
(Cordatus No. 723.)
When a certain preacher heard from two Leipzig . students that they would come to preach, he said: "Come, you will see what I will do. When they came into the church, he said, "Oh, dear friends, they are under Pabst's spell; I must not preach any further," and went down from the pulpit.
24. no measure can be kept, not even preachers.
Doctor Jonas once said to D. Martino: If the doctrine of the Gospel, that the soul is immortal and an eternal life, were not true, then it would be the greatest cheating under the sun to persuade people of it. Yes, said D. M. Luther, because God says it, it is certainly true, for he cannot lie nor deceive.
(The following is transferred to §10 of this chapter, where it belongs).
25. way D. M. Luther in Preaching.
(Cordatus No. 1504 and No. 765.)
I take care in my sermon that I take one saying before me, and I stick to it. I do this so that the people may say that this was the sermon; 1) that is, I stick to the matter. Christ with his sermons quickly fell in with parables 2) of sheep, shepherds, wolves, hirelings. The poor people could hear that.
1) Cf. Cap. 19, § 42, para. 10; also Mathesius, St. Louis edition, p. 215.
2) Instead of "miracle" in the original, read "parable".
When he said to Pommer: Give me a sermon, he answered: He who has the damage must not take care of the oil, 1) for I am a supernumerary preacher and lector.
26. that a preacher remain in the preposition, and not foreign things in the
Introduce sermon.
Doctor Luther's housewife said to the doctor that she had heard his cousin, Johann Polner, 2) who was otherwise waiting for the doctor, preach in the parish church: she could have understood him much better than D. Pommern, who otherwise deviated far from what he preached and included other things in his sermon. To this Luther replied, "Johann Polner preaches as you women are wont to speak, for what they think of, they also say. Jonas used to say: You should not address all the soldiers you meet. And it is true, D. Pommer sometimes takes along some of those who meet him. But this is a foolish preacher who thinks he wants to say everything that occurs to him.
A preacher should stick to the proposition and do what he intends to do, so that it may be well understood. And remind me of the same preachers who want to say everything that occurs to them, just like the maids who go to market: if they meet another maid, they hold a pocket market or a stand with her; if they then meet the other maid, they also hold a speech with her; so they also do with the third and fourth, so they slowly come to market. In the same way, the preachers do the same, who nimis procul discedunt a proposito and think that they would like to say everything at once. But they do not.
1) In this form, this saying is found in Luther's writings, e.g. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, 978, §104.
2) Hans Polner, Luther's sister's son, is mentioned in Luther's letter to his wife of Aug. 15, 1530. At that time he must have been a young boy, because Luther says: "Hans Polner I have ordered Peter Wellern; see that he keeps obediently. Cf. de Wette, Luthers Briefe, IV, 132. - On July 10, 1534, he is again mentioned in Luther's contract of inheritance as a still minor in whose place Luther acts. Cf. Walch, old edition, XXI, Cyl. 1593.
27. how to preach in the priesthood.
(Cordatus No. 766.)
There was a strange diversity among the papist preachers, especially in gestures and in what they preached about [thematibus], Fleck began "with rejoicing and shouting," Münzer with singing: "Es fährt ein Bauer gen Holze," Magister Dietrich: "Yesterday we were drunk and full." It all rhymed. Well, it was a time to joke; now it is time to be serious. 3)
28. three common vices.
(Cordatus No. 966. 967.)
S / Superbiam / A / Avaritiam / L / Luxuriam /
Keisersbergei 4) in his letter interprets it thus: Avarice [avaritia] of preachers is a gross sin and is easily recognized. So luxuriation and intoxication are wretched sins, since one gets the sniffles from them in the morning and has aching days. But the pride [superbia] and envy are major sins, which harm the most and can hide under the appearance of godliness. Thus the devil can disguise himself into an angel of light and [into] the bright day. Thus, hope wants to be righteousness, and envy wants to be zeal for righteousness.
The Christ is well preached [to preach] now, but the world wants to be deceived and turns away from the truth and follows the lies.
29. righteous preachers.
(Cordatus No. 1646.)
Just as the bee is a little animal that was created to gather honey, but still has a sting, so there is no preacher of such a kind spirit who does not sometimes have to be angry and sting because of the wickedness and ingratitude of the world.
3) In the middle of this piece was inserted a useless addition, which is not found in Cordatus and which we have therefore omitted.
4) Perhaps this refers to D. Wolfgang Severus (Schiefer), who, from 1539 on, was Luther's table companion, since he is named from his birthplace Keisersberg in Styria. (Wrampelmeyer.)
30. the best preachers.
(Cordatus No. 285 and 286.)
The best preacher is the one of whom you can say when you have heard him: This is what he said. On the other hand, the worst is the one about whom it is said with truth: I do not know what he said.
If the scripture should not be true, it is nevertheless very probable, because everything happens in the way it says. But if it were true, the Scripture would have to be the greatest lie; but "your word is the truth".
31. teach with benefit, and have sensation.
(The first paragraph in Cordatus No. 1331.)
He who wants to teach well and comfort the consciences, does not bother with hypotheses, but with theses, that is, with the content of the present Gospel, for example, of the five loaves, where some speak much against avarice and are silent about the main thing: Seek first the kingdom of God [Matth. 6, 33.] 2c.., as also on the day of palm they speak of singing and many other things, and pass over the place of the prophet [Isaiah], and the fundamental thoughts [theses] may be turned to secondary matters [hypotheses].
Likewise, he who wants to comfort consciences should draw common sayings on persons and private and individual things; as now, when the monks are waiting and gawking for a council, they should only be confuted and refuted with the Gospel, namely: The Gospel does not receive fiefs from men, that is, it is not right because men recognize [it] as right. Therefore, they should look at God's word, rely on it, and let go and drop ungodly vows; they should not wait until the gospel says to each one in particular, "You barefoot monk, take off your cap;" nor wait until they call God by name; but look at God's word, which is the truth, which cannot lie, and demands everyone in general from the ungodly nature. Let the Concilium approve and recognize it as right, or not, and forbid it; but one should and must be obedient to God.
32. what a right theologian should know.
(Cordatus No. 596.)
A right theologian must know the whole content of the Bible, namely what is the subject and the order in Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, in the evangelists and Paul 2c. For it is not enough to understand one or the other prophet, to understand one evangelist or one letter of Paul. But now every Bachant [young student] wants to be a master in theology. But the lawyers are smarter than the theologians, they stick to their laws and insist on them. Therefore we do not do well that we translate the Scriptures so clearly, because we make many sluggish, many bold, as is clear from the letters of Paul, of whom only a short time ago many confessed that they did not know what Paul taught. But now they know more than everything. Such a man is Bucer, who never came to this knowledge of the Bible, for he says in a certain book that all pagans who kept their religion would be saved by it. That is to say, fooled. They are enthusiasts and have never kept it up with us, if only they did not want to abuse what is ours!
33. lack of preachers.
The margrave's chancellor, Georg Vogler, said: "That in Bavaria more than four and a half hundred parishes stood vacant and desolate, because no church servants could be obtained; but eight had asked to be executed. Thus God punishes the despisers and the ungrateful.
34. preachers should stick to the divine word, also practice rem et usum diligently.
(Cordatus No. 1688. 1689.)
We want to remain with the verbal word, with which means the devil cannot remain, just as people do not want to suffer a physical God as He has become to us, want to have a spiritual God and boast much about the benefit, since the benefit without the thing [that creates the benefit] is a fantasy. The mission of God 1) is a
1) I.e. that God is sent into the flesh. Cf. the following paragraph.
thing, the sacrament of baptism is a thing. They do not distinguish between the thing and the use of the sacrament. Water, they say, is water, but they do not see that it is a water of God. On the other hand, many have the thing, but they do not have the [right] use, that is, the benefit, as the pope has the forgiveness of sins, the word, the sacraments, but he does not have the use. Therefore, one must distinguish between the use and the thing.
I would like to ask a fanatic how he could be sure from the conviction of his heart and his thoughts without the word. We have the Scriptures, miracles, sacraments, testimonies, he sent his Son in the flesh, of whom they say [1 John 1:11: "Whom we have seen, our hands have touched" 2c. In this we want to remain. If they do not hear us in the name of GOD, may they hear others who speak in their own name. If they do not want the truth, let them believe the lie. So shall it be with the world.
35. God commands the preachers to preach.
Doctor M. Luther said: "God has acted wonderfully in commanding us poor preachers to preach His Word, and we are to govern hearts that we cannot see. But it is the office of our Lord God, who says to us, "Hear, you shall preach; I will prosper you, I know the hearts of men. Let this then be our comfort, the preacher: let it always happen that the world ridicules and mocks our preaching ministry, and laugh with us.
(Here a paragraph is omitted because contained in Cap. 44, § 23.)
36. ordination way of D. M. Luther.
Since D. Martinus ordained M. Benedictum Schumann Anno 1540, April 22, 1) on the Sunday Jubilate, he read the saying Apost. 13, 3.,
1) This time is wrong, because in 1540 the Sunday Jubilate fell on April 18. In 1537 Jubilate fell on April 22.
as the two apostles, Paulo and Barnaba, had their hands laid on them. Item Cap. 20, 29, where St. Paul warned the bishops and pastors at Mileto to beware of the wolves. Item 1 Tim. 3, 1. ff. and Tit. 1, 6. how a bishop should be called and sent.
To him he said: "My dear brother Benedicte, you are ordained by God to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ in N. 2), to promote His holy name with the pure teaching of the Gospel, to which we have called and sent you by God's authority, just as God has sent us. Therefore, watch with earnestness, be diligent, pray to God to preserve you in this high calling, that you may not fall away through false doctrine, heresy, sects, nor through your own thoughts, but in the fear of God, faithful diligence, constant prayer, you may begin this and do it right in Christ. This was the main part of his prayer.
Then he laid his hands on him and, kneeling down, prayed the Lord's Prayer aloud. When he stood up, he lifted his eyes and hands to heaven and said: "O Lord God, heavenly, merciful Father, who has commanded us to pray, to seek and to knock, and who has promised that you will hear us if we call upon you in the name of your Son: on this thy promise we rely, and pray that thou wilt send this minister of thy word, Benedictum, into thy harvest, assist him, bless his ministry and service, open the ears of the faithful to the blessed course of thy word, that thy name may be glorified, thy kingdom increased, and the church grow, amen. Therefore, my dear brother, I wish you happiness and blessing, that you may walk in the fear of God and trust in the Lord. Then they sang: Now we ask the Holy Spirit 2c.
37. where a preacher should look.
Doctor Erasmus Alberus, since he wanted to go to the Mark, asked M. Luther to give him a form and a way to preach before the prince. The Doctor said: "All your sermons should be simple, and
2) Naumburg. Bindseil III, 118.
Do not look at the prince, but at the simple, silly, coarse and unlearned people, which cloth also the prince will be. If I were to look at Philip Melanchthon and other doctors in my sermon, I would not be doing anything good, but I would be preaching to the unlearned in the most simple way, and it would please everyone. If I know Greek, Hebrew, I save that, when we scholars come together, 1) then we make it so frizzy that our Lord God is amazed at it.
38. ingratitude and contempt makes preachers thener.
It will go on with us for a long time, as in Hispania and France, where there are no parish priests, but only runners, as with us were the stationers: the same go through the country and preach in every town for a week, and the people must be satisfied with that for the whole year. Whichever town is somewhat rich gives a monk a hundred guilders during Lent to preach for that time. After that, Germany will be wrestling with its contempt and ingratitude.
Let pure teachers be honored; let them live as much as they can.
The ministers of the Word, though life is not so perfect, if only the teaching is pure and wholesome, are to be held in honor, love, and esteem, though both would be good for each other. But a false teacher, whose doctrine is impure, deceives one or two thousand, and often more people.
Therefore, dear brethren, said D. Martin, let us pray, both for this great ministry and the persons who are in it, for you see with what earnestness and zeal Christ prayed before he called his apostles to send into all the world. Satan is now, in this last and evil time, attacking the holy preaching ministry with all his might and earnestness through the tyrants, the fanatics and the false brethren: Therefore, pray diligently that God may prove and maintain His power and authority among the weakness. It is highly necessary to pray.
1) Cf. § 143 of this Cap.
40. office of a faithful pastor.
Nurturing and defense must be together in a pious, faithful shepherd and pastor, 2c. otherwise, if the defense is not there, the wolf will feed the sheep all the more gladly, since they are well fed and fattened. Therefore St. Paul, Titus 1:9-11, urges so hard that a bishop be skillful and powerful to present the salvific doctrine accurately and properly, and to shut the mouth of the adversaries and resist them. A preacher must be a warrior and a shepherd; to nourish is to teach, and that is the hardest art: after that he should also have teeth in his mouth, and be able to defend or fight.
(Similar thoughts in Cordatus No. 1656:)
A teacher has the right to teach and to instruct. Erasmus does neither, but is ambiguous [amphibolicus], that is, a godless mocker of religion. 2)
(41) Many washers, though they are learned and eloquent.
D. M. Luther said: "There are many eloquent preachers, but there is nothing behind them but words: they can talk a lot and teach nothing correctly. Then said M. Phil. M.: The world would have had such Thrasones, glorious shouters, at all times. For it is written that Cicero, the most eloquent pagan in the Latin language, said, since he had heard a great, excellent chatterer speak: he had never heard one all his life who had said nothing with such force and authority. And Erasmus Roterodamus, having heard in Bononia 3) one who triumphed in his oration and towered high, was asked how he had pleased him? He said, "Well, for he has made it far above my thoughts, and as I have meant. How then, said one? Then he answered and said: I would not have thought that there was such a fool in him. Therefore to speak is not an art, but to speak clearly and correctly is given to few. No one should presume to do anything unless it is given to him from above, John 3:27.
2) Cf. cap. 37, § 118.
3) Bologna.
The Gospel and its servants are held in low esteem.
(Lauterbach, Feb. 19, 1538, p. 33.)
On February 19, one spoke of Bautzen, where the servants of the Word were poorly provided for. The cities do nothing more than to be more or less at the will of the people, since the authorities 1) have long since thoroughly defiled the papacy. But they still care sluggishly for the gospel. They will also realize this with their damage.
43. contempt for preachers does not go unpunished.
M. Luthern was told over the table that the boys of students would have come to M. Friederich, 2) chaplain, in front of the house, and would have mocked him and preached like him. Then D. L. told a story about someone in Kemberg, who had also mocked the priest there: when he was in his garden, he would have sung and preached like the priest, and made fun of the priest; but what happened? the devil possessed the mocker bodily, and plagued him so much that one could neither advise nor help him, and also strangled him. And then L. D. said: "Let our Lord God be satisfied in his servants.
44. how god orders his preaching ministry.
(Lauterbach, April 5, 1538, p. 58.)
Our Lord God orders His high office whimsically: He commands it of preachers, poor sinners, who say it and teach it, and yet weakly do it: thus God's power always continues in the greatest weakness.
45. of unity in preaching.
(Lauterbach, Apr. 22, 1538, p. 68.)
On April 22, the Swiss D. Simon [Sulcer] left with letters from Luther and this one
1) The authorities are subject. Meaning: The authorities have rejected the papacy, but do nothing for the gospel.
2) Mag. Friedrich Bachofen was capellan at the parish church in 1542 and 1543. (Förstemann.)
3) The pastor in Kemberg at that time was Bartholomäus Bernhardt von Feldkirchen. (Förstemann.) Cf. Luther's letters. Erl. Vol. 56, VI.
Counsel: Go in peace, pray to God for sincere harmony. This is my advice to all who thirst for unity, that they first take care that the noise stops, and that the people are instructed in the most simple way without the noise of disputations and quarrels, just as we calm down so that it is not stirred up again, but we have stirred it up enough, we must now let it grow. Therefore, I advise those under the papacy to simply preach the pure gospel without rebellion. If they do that, the pope falls, because he is not in the gospel. 4)
46. of unanimity of the preachers.
I know of no greater donum that we have," said D. Martin said, "Except Concordiam Docentium, that now and then in the principalities and in the imperial cities they teach in the same way as we do. If I had the donum that I could raise the dead, what would it be if the other preachers all taught against me? I would not take the Turkish Empire for this consensus. Muenzer did us great harm in the first. The gospel ran so smoothly that it was a joy, but soon Muenzer came in. Now the pope says: "Well, among us it was all under one head and quiet, but now it is all ambivalent.
47. lack of preachers the greatest misfortune.
(Lauterbach, May 12, 1538, p. 80.)
On that day he was distressed because he spoke with sobs about the future misfortune of the churches, which would have a lack of preachers and ministers, because they want to have them painted and treat them in the most ungodly and ungrateful way. Therefore, within a short time we will experience misfortune in the churches. Our H(ans) M(etsch) boasted that he wanted to get ten of them instead of one, excellent preachers, and a lot of them.
4) That which forms the conclusion of this L in Walch is spurious, for the preceding is immediately followed in the original by Cap. 37, § 25. According to the thought, the omitted conclusion completely agrees with the conclusion formed by Aurifaber to Cap. 22, Z121, which we also deleted there.
5) Original: "aneinstad". Instead of "gebrechen" the original has: "gbruch haben".
diger. He should hardly get one in seven elders. There will be a shortage not only of scholars, but also of common [preachers]. Oh, that our youth would study more diligently and turn to theology! After all, we are to be his disciples. He does not want to be angry with us, and we should speak well of him. He wants to feed us, even if the world is still so godless. 1)
48. interpretation of the gospel Luc. 15. of the lost sheep 2c.
(Lauterbach, July 7, 1538, p. 97.)
The Gospel of the 3rd Sunday after Trinity is a wonderful picture of how God is minded towards sinners, how He seeks them with the greatest care. The main part and theme of this Gospel is about repentance, for it speaks of broken and penitent sinners; to whom this Gospel is to be preached. And after that he asked the Lord Cyriacus (Gericke): Did you preach it yesterday? Oh yes, he answered, I emptied my bag purely. Luther answered: "It is time to stop, because I have learned the art. When I have nothing, I will stop. And he told a story of a monk, a beginner in preaching, who practiced and had learned a sermon of eight sheets by heart. When he had recited it word for word in the most rapid manner, he finished the sermon in a quarter of an hour, and the bag was empty. Dear Lord, these are supposed to be regents of the church who knew nothing. When the illness [Luther's dysentery] continued, Cellarius and others left. Luther said: "Ask the Lord for me, that I may become devout. I do not desire to live any longer, for I am of no use. Ask that I may have a blessed, happy hour.
49 Of Pabst's Spell.
Doctor Martin Luther said in Eisleben in 1546: When one is put under ban in Rome, twenty cardinals sit with him and push him to the end.
1) This is immediately followed by Cap. 66, § 88. The following 6 lines are spurious, therefore omitted.
The priests threw burning torches from themselves and extinguished them by throwing them to indicate that the happiness and salvation of the banned persons should also be extinguished with the extinguished torches; and it was called illuminating and ringing. And so it went in the German country in the parish churches: when one was banned, the priest had a wax light on the sermon seat, which he threw down, so that it was extinguished, and rang for it with a small bell.
In Rome, every year on Green Thursday (quando Christus instituit Coe- nam), the heretics are banished, among whom I, D. M. Luther, am the first and most distinguished. And the pope had his own churchyard built for this purpose. There the pope has a nice big chair, and the cardinals a nice transitum, where they stand. This happens on the holy day, when one should thank God for His great blessing of the Lord's Supper, also His suffering and death. Then the pope sits on top, the cardinals blow out the torches, and throw all the exiles into hell. I was thrown into hell eight and twenty years ago, as of the 1518th year, and yet I am still alive, I am illuminated and illuminated.
50. how to keep in the criminal office.
(Lauterbach, Aug. 19, 1538, p. 115.)
On Aug. 19, Magister Johannes Forstenius presented some concerns to Luthern by letter. First: whether the preachers are to be punished publicly, since the brotherly punishment Matth. 18, (v. 15.) seems to speak only of personal sins, but they, because they sin publicly by teaching, should also be punished publicly, as Moses resisted Korah, Dathan and Abiram, Elijah the Baals servants, Paul Peter and we the Pope publicly. Luther answered: The brother should first be punished privately, if the error is new and few adhere to it; but if it is ingrained and many share it, so that each individual can no longer be admonished and one can no longer turn to individuals, then the error should be publicly punished and refuted.
51) Preachers should not be too rich or too poor. 1)
D. M. spoke of stingy priests, who scratched and scratched, and collected goods as they could, per fas et nefas, sighed and said: What shall become of it? If they become rich, they are no good, they leave their service and office; as happened in Niemeck and Brück to those who had become rich and had fattened themselves and fattened themselves. If they are poor, they cannot leave, as can be seen everywhere.
52 Accidentalia accesses in the Pabstthum.
(Lauterbach, Sept. 8, 1538, p. 127.)
If only the [fixed] income were left to the pastors, then they would be provided for. Our parish in Wittenberg had only 90 guilders of fixed income under the papacy, but over 350 guilders with the donations. The daily penny from the donations went a long way for monks, terminarians, priests, capitulars, altarists. The common people did not notice that. Now, however, farmers and citizens are getting so rich from it.
53. parishes are desolate.
(Lauterbach, Sept. 10, 1538, p. 128.)
In Lochau it was said that in the diocese of Würzburg 600 very rich parishes were unoccupied. He answered: "Punishment follows evil. This will also happen in our country because of the great contempt for the word and the church servants. If I wanted to become rich now, I would not preach, but become a juggler, go through the countryside and have more spectators, for the sake of money. For even the peasants said to the visitators, who reproached them why they did not want to feed their pastors, since they kept herdsmen, and answered: Yes, we must have a shepherd. Fie on you! It has come to this, since we are still alive.
1) This § seems to be spurious, formed as entrance wm following. The first words of the solgendm § were therefore drawn into this §.
The antinomians 2) serve this purpose very well, who increase the presumption of the sure ones. And I already see such great presumption in the antinomians that they dare to do what they like, trusting in mercy, as if a believer did not sin at all, but the believers were so righteous that they did not need the preaching of the law. For they dream such a righteous church as Adam was in paradise, to whom wrath was revealed from heaven, as if God wanted to say: Adam, you shall eat of all fruits, but, if you eat of this wood, you shall die.
The first of these is the "Theological", which is the "Theology".
(Lauterbach, Sept. 25, 1538, p. 135.)
On September 25, he lamented the future situation of the church, because it would have to suffer a great shortage of ecclesiastics within a short time, because they would be exposed to dangers and efforts, and yet could only leave poor widows and orphans, whom no one would take pity on. They will again have to flee marriage with a fictitious celibacy [celibacy] and then attach themselves again to the citizens and their wives and daughters; if they have these as friends, then their husbands and fathers must also love them. This is how the world wants it, which hates and despises truth and sincerity; it will cause deceit and fraud.
55. pious, faithful preachers.
Doctor Martin lamented the fall of the Gospel in the future because of the lack of true, faithful servants: if Pomeranus, Gabriel, Spalatinus die, where will we find capable ones? Orlamünde could not find one, because it wants to have a house father and house mother there. It will be found, dear sirs, the fall of the gospel is ready at the door, for there will be a lack of people; as we, unfortunately, will see and experience.
2) Antinomians, people who taught that the preaching of the Law was no longer necessary for Christians, such as Johannes Agricola.
56. proven preacher punishment.
In 1541, Luther spoke a great deal about the ambition or ambition of some promising preachers, and said: "God often puts all kinds of crosses and plagues on their necks, so that he may make them humble; and they are not wronged by this, for they want to have honor, and eat the fat from our Lord God's soup, and give him the broth of it, when honor is due to him alone. Now, if we are found faithful in our profession, we shall have glory enough; but not in this life, but in the life to come: there we shall be crowned with the unfading crown of glory, as St. Paul says, which is set before us in heaven, 2 Tim. 4, 8. 4, 8. But here on earth, says the Lord Christ, we will not have that honor, for there it is said: Vae vobis, cum benedixerint vobis homines, Luc. 6, 26, for we do not belong to this life, but are called to another and better. The world loves what is yours, so we may take it for our will.
I like to see that my disciples and friends give me such a reward, I also do not desire to be praised by them, nor do I want to be crowned by them on earth; but from God, the righteous judge, I want to have retributionem or retribution in heaven. With us preachers it is still said to this day: . Retribuunt mihi mala pro bonis
He further said: "That God in the world could sometimes suffer honor from lawyers and physicians, but that theologians wanted to be ambitious, that would not stand in his way. For if there were a glorified and ambitious preacher, he would soon despise Christ, who had redeemed the whole world with his blood. God cannot suffer this; therefore all glorious theologians soon fall to the ground and to ruins, for ambition consumes them, so that they are disgraced and blinded. For what people do not punish, God punishes.
57. honor-seeking preachers.
(Contained in Cap. 37, § 141.)
58 Let pusillanimity deter no one from his appointment.
(Lauterbach, Oct. 7, 1538, p. 141.)
Afterwards, one spoke of the pusillanimity of Weller, who completely despised his gifts, since he had enough understanding, eloquence and knowledge, more than all papists, but because he could not equal others, he resigned. This should not be done at all, but everyone should be content with his gifts. Not all can be people like Paul and John the Baptist, but one must also have people like Timothy. One may have more of the filling stones than of the squares. 1)
59. modify sermons and lections.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 10, 1538, p. 163.)
After that, it was said that Luther could treat his sermons differently every day with new thoughts. He answered: "Not at all. I remain, dialectically, always with the same thing. But rhetorically one can change his sermons and lectures. Who can do that!
60. to preach differently, according to the opportunity of the audience.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 16, 1538, p. 169.)
It is highly necessary for a preacher to distinguish between two kinds of sinners, the penitent and the sure; otherwise the whole scripture is closed. That is why Amsdorf at Schmalkalden said very harshly in the beginning of his sermon before many princes: "The gospel belongs to the poor and afflicted, and not to you princes and lords who live in joy without temptations. It was a displeasing beginning and captatio benevolentiae 2), and yet it must be, because even the most spiritual teaching of the gospel attacks even the best and most pious minds, as we see in the letters of Paul, with how great earnestness he stood against them: "Mortify your members therefore; be it far from that ye should be found sinners (Col. 3, 5. Gal. 2, 17.).
1) Squares ashlars, cornerstones.
2) Entrance to make the audience inclined.
For we see that not only does the law make hypocrites, but this is also burdensome, that the doctrine of grace must also make hypocrites. Therefore, this distinction of two kinds of sinners must be well kept and followed with the ban.
61) That a preacher should stick to the main thing and preposition.
(Cordatus No. 1685. 1686. 1687.)
Up to now, I have not had an opponent who would have argued against me in such a way that he would have stuck to the matter at hand. We have always run aside and not on the plan. My art is that I stand on the matter: that's what we're dealing with, that's where it's all about. I don't run after anyone, because he who chases another also gets tired. So I cornered Eck when he proved the primacy of Peter thus: Peter walked on the sea, the sea is the world, therefore Peter is the prince of the apostles. Then I laughed at him for calling the apostles the world out of Bernard, and when he was overcome, he exclaimed: Behold, he receiveth not St. Bernard. But I stopped and let St. Bernard be St. Bernard and explained that the sea was the world, which Peter trampled underfoot.
In order to keep to the point, one must always think that it is not necessary for the one who wants to win in a duel [of speech] to run over mountains and through impassable regions, but one must remain in the present and assigned area so that the opponent is defeated.
Errors must be confessed, for what is easier for a man than to err? And I freely confess that I have erred in many things, but in those that did not concern faith, for I have always taught about faith and grace in the same way (constanter). Others want to be in agreement with us and yet teach differently.
Why the laymen are hostile to the preachers.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 25, 1538, p. 178 f.)
On November 25, one spoke of the constant haffle between the clergy and the laity, and not without cause, because the
But the preachers' job is to punish them, which is very burdensome and dangerous. That is why they, for their part, have the eyes of a lynx against the clergy. They must find fault with them and see a festering. If they were to see it in their wives and children, they would gladly take revenge. If the princes were not superior to them in power, they would pursue them with similar hatred. Let us only stick to the pure word that we are sitting on the chair of Moses. Even if life is not so smooth and perfect, God will have mercy, although the hatred of the laity remains, according to the old saying:
1) Dum Mare siccatur, dum Daemon ad Astra levatur,
Tunc Clero Laicus fidus amicus erit.
[When the sea dries up, and Satan
Is taken to heaven: Then the Lai and the world will be
Placed as friends to the servants of GOD].
63. spiritual goodness is held in lower esteem than temporal goodness.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 30, 1538, p. 183.)
Then they spoke of the wealth of merchants and how Cruciger's father would become rich through the blessing of the Lord. D. Jonas answered: God be praised that even a pious theologian once becomes rich. Luther said: Oh, we would be rich enough through the much more glorious riches in Christ, but unfortunately we consider them to be nothing and we raise the little treasure of the world all the higher.
64. long sermons morose.
(Contained in Cap. 22, § 12.)
The wickedness of people who despise pure doctrine and teachers.
They must be desperate, stubborn people, who set themselves against the truth of the Gospel in such a way that they would rather
1) Lauterbach p. 179: The distich is from the 12th or 13th century and inscription on the St. Martin's Church in Worms. - The translation is not in the original, I but with Walch.
have. And indeed we see, unfortunately, the great devastation, that it is lacking everywhere and wants to fail. It is said that in Bohemia in the three hundred parishes, likewise in H[archduke] G[eorgsl Fürstenthum and in the diocese of W[ürzburg] 1) shall stand alone and be desolate. Summa, where one does not have people, devastation, misery and distress, and all misfortune, both in religion and police, in ecclesiastical and secular regiments, must certainly follow.
Thus, the pope finally broke the Bohemians, made them weak and brought them back to himself: since they no longer had priests and ecclesiastics, the bishops forced the new ordinands with oaths that they had to abide by them and submit to them. We, however, by the grace of God, still keep the justice to ordain in our churches, so that they do not plague and vex us in this way; however, we may see to it that we do not, with our great ingratitude and contempt of God's word, again come into the clutches of the devil's head and his scales, as we well deserve. Although the papists cry and complain much about such our ordination, and rely on the possessorium that they are in grant, yet they must suffer it; notwithstanding that their happy condition annoys us, that they have good days. Just as this kind of trouble also tormented and hurt dear David, Ps. 73:2 ff. But he resolves the argument and puts it to rest, saying, "You prepare them for the slaughter with such fattening. Thus our Lord God prepares the epicureans and the fatlings for the slaughter in this life.
66. make a lot of words and talk magnificently.
D. M. Luther was brought a commentary that one had written about the 93rd Psalm, with very many words; then he said: "Those who go over with many words and are very germane, they are dangerous and suspicious. For all history shows that the greatest heretics have come from this place, when they can use their talk and their mutterings, and thus
1) Cf. z 53 of this Cap.
2) So Stangwald instead of "mustern". The Hall manuscript, Bindseil III, 125, has "Münster" instead.
brought the people to themselves. I severely punished M[artin B[ucer] 3), who was also magnificent in words, pompous and ambitious.
(Here 10 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 22, § 143.)
I am very hostile to those who preach according to the high and learned listeners and not according to the common people, whom they do not respect. For to go forth with high and splendid words vexes and breaks down more than it builds up. To be able to say many things in a few words is an art and a great virtue, but it is foolishness to speak nothing with much talk. That is why St. Peter says 1 Peter 2:2: "Be eager for the sensible, pure milk, as the now-born babes, that by it ye may increase."
67. the preachers' offering.
They also remembered the strange ways and gestures of some preachers, who said that there were some in Italy who were running back and forth, shouting and making strange, ugly gestures, like fools and fools. Then said D. M. Luther said, "The world wants to be deceived, and for that you need fakes. For you see how he is vexed and tormented at court: now he wants this one, soon he rejects and repudiates him again. The court is like a whore; when one is soon full, it gives one to another.
68. old preachers and servants hated.
The margravine of Lichtenberg 4) indicated to D. Martino how the church servants in Prettin 5) were now old and unable, therefore they should be spared from now on and disposed of. Then he said: "Because we can, we are needed, and then we are beaten to the grass: we are poor, miserable people.
3) Cf. cap. 22, § 74; § 112.
4) Elisabeth, widow of Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg.
5) Prettin, town 2 miles from Torgau. Nearby is the castle Lichtenburg. In 1520 Luther had a discussion with the papal legate Karl von Miltiz in Lichtenburg Castle.
69. world despises all urging and preaching.
The best and most comforting vocabularies, words and sayings were somewhat hostile to the papists, as: God's justice, truth, mercy. Now, in the epicurismo and the life of a pillar, one no longer respects the words of doom. How should one do to him? said D. Martin said. If the soul is loosed, the body is tormented; if the body is loosed, the soul is tormented. In the past, princes and lords had to be afraid of a lousy monk and priest; now, any town or village may dismiss its priest at their pleasure, since they neither support nor pay him. Summa, if they want to rule over the parish priests and preachers, they may send them themselves and pay them from their own. We do not want to allow them this sacrilege and willfulness, nor do we want to suffer from them.
70. talk slowly.
Speaking slowly is most convenient for a preacher, and a fine virtue; for he can thus deliver his sermons all the more diligently and thoughtfully. Seneca writes of the most distinguished Latin orator, Cicero, that he spoke slowly and to the heart; as you also see in D. Gregorius Brück.
71. schoolmaster to the preaching office best.
Above all, we should, to the best of our ability and diligence, work and faithfully help to preserve the right, pure, true religion, also for the descendants, so that schoolmasters are made preachers and pastors. 1) For schoolmasters are as skilled and capable of preaching as a man is a sensible, understanding animal. And so it has also been in the papacy. Therefore, I advise that, above all, the boys be given a comfortable and convenient place in the church to hear God's word.
1) Cf. § 84 of this Cap.
Ingratitude against God's servants.
On July 21, Anno 39, D. Martin spoke of the great, shameful ingratitude of the nobility and the peasants, who refused to give their parish lords even the tithes they owed them and did not want to burden their goods. Then said D. Martin said: "To the same people we should say again: Dear nobleman, you do not want to burden our preaching chair and altar. Oh dear Lord God, the bright light of the Gospel shines very brightly, a terrible storm will follow: let us pray that God's name be hallowed.
The first time, the first time, the first time, the first time, the first time.
I, said D. M. Luther, often spoke to myself when I came from the preaching chair. 2) Fie on you, how did you preach? You really did it well, you did not keep a concept as you had fasted. And people have praised the same sermon highly, that I had not preached such a good, beautiful sermon in a long time. When I descended from the preaching platform, I reflected and found that I had preached nothing or even little that I had conceived and considered. That I certainly think it is a different thing to preach than we think it is; for our Lord God often gives us something different to preach: someone preaches much differently when he comes up than he had intended, or had in mind. All is well, if one preacheth aright, that it be according to faith, and according to the scriptures.
74. how a teacher should preach, and on which he should look.
Let every preacher be accustomed to preach badly and plainly, 3) and let him resolve and remember that he must preach to people of no understanding, as peasants, who understand just as little as the
2) Cf. § 15 of this Cap.
3) See § 112 of this chapter, the last paragraph; likewise Cap. 11, § 13, the last paragraph, and Cap. 1, § 34.
Boys under twelve, thirteen, fourteen, twenty years of age, to whom one also preaches alone, that is also the great multitude, that they may understand it, or grasp something from it, and improve their lives. To be sure, no one is allowed to preach to me and Philippo, although we can also learn something from it that is necessary for us. One does not have to preach and bravely strut about with great words, splendid and elaborate, that one may be seen to be learned and to seek one's honor. Oh no, it does not apply here.
One should be guided by the audience, and this is what all preachers commonly lack, that they preach so that the poor people learn very little from it; as Bucer and Zwingel did in Marburg, in great splendor, and everything in the most elaborate way, so that they would have the praise of it; as if they wanted to say: See, D. Martinus and Philippus see how I am such a learned journeyman. To preach with simplicity is a great art. Christ does it himself. He speaks only of the work of the field, of the mustard seed 2c. and uses crude agricultural parables.
First of all, preaching is the hardest.
When someone climbs the preaching platform for the first time, no one can believe how frightened he is; he sees so many heads in front of him. When I ascend the preaching seat, I do not look at any man, but think that they are vain blocks standing before me, and I speak the word of my God.
He said this to strengthen the new, fainthearted preachers and to give them heed, 1) that they should not therefore despair nor desist.
In the Old Testament, the priests were honest and well kept.
God made the priests in the Old Testament very rich. Annas, Caiphas had good incomes, suburbs, firstfruits, tithes, had from each person a sekel, that is, half a florin; now the servants of the Word (in which we are offered eternal life and blessedness, by pure grace, without any merit or work on our part, by faith alone) are made rich.
1) I.e. to make hearty.
in Christ) are dying of hunger because of great poverty; yes, drive them out and chase them away if they do not speak what pleases us.
77. Proud and presumptuous preachers and teachers.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 9, 1538, p. 160.)
Then he spoke of the foolishness of the clever, who trusted too much in speculative science, since they were inexperienced in things, and experience, the teacher of things, should moderate everything. Therefore the philosophers did very well, whose students had to remain silent for five years, i.e. not pass judgment, so that they would not become nosey judges. And it is not without reason that certain periods for graduation are established at the universities. In Paris, no one receives a degree in theology who has not studied for ten years in the faculty. In Erfurt, only people of fifty years of age were awarded doctorates in theology. Many were astonished that I, when I was only twenty-eight years old, received the doctorate, forced by Staupitz. In short, youth is presumptuous. Thus we see that the jurists in the first year are masters of all laws, in the second people like Justinian, in the third fully trained jurists, 2) in the fourth who have an opinion, in the fifth they finally become trembling students. So does a young boy on the bowling green. He wants to hit twelve pins first, then nine, then six, then three. At last he takes one and still misses the lane. 3) If the youth were wise, the age strong, it would be very fine, but God has ordered it better.
78. preaching should be simple and audible.
After that he advised Christianly and faithfully that every preacher should take care that all his sermons and disputations are simple, which the common man and every man should understand.
2) In the original: lytae et prolytae, i.e. lawyers who have studied law for five years and are then dismissed from teaching by their teachers.
3) Original: "des Leichs"; also probably "die Leich" (Jen. VI, 136) or der Boßleich" (Tischr. Cap. 1, 8 23), the board on which the skittles are set up, or also the lane.
could well be understood. Item, in public sermons should not use Eraean, Greek, or foreign languages; for in the church or congregation one should speak, as in the home, the simple mother tongue, which everyone understands and is familiar with. At court, the lawyers, advocates, and orators may well have ornamented words and speak gracefully, but they are well off; Osiander and Mathesius follow and imitate them. Doctor Staupitz, though he was very learned, was a peevish preacher, and the people preferred to hear a bad brother and preacher, who made it simple to hear. For behold how childishly Christ speaks. In parables in churches, neither pomp nor glory is to be sought; there it is to be done badly, plainly and rightly.
79. world reluctantly gives righteous preachers.
There was talk about the poverty of pastors and preachers, who were not allowed to demand their promised salary, which they could not pay because of necessity; because as soon as they demanded it, which they had a good right to do, they were told that priests are stingy: "You received it for free, you should give it back for free", Matth. 10, 8.
Then D. Martinus said: The world is not worthy to receive the heavenly treasure, nor to give anything to the servants: therefore it wants to have impudent beggars and crybabies, like brother Matthes at the prince, to whom the prince had promised to give a fur for his begging and hurrying. But since the steward or the locksmith had not bought him the fur, he said publicly in the sermon before the prince: "Where is my fur? After that, the locksmith was ordered once again to deliver it to him. But since it was forgotten and not respected, he went out again publicly in another sermon in the presence of the prince: "I still do not have the fur. At last, with such impetuous and impudent persistence, he got the fur. Thus the world wants to be driven; with a cheerful heart and gladly it gives nothing, or gives it either forced, or out of superstition and superfluity, for the sake of enjoyment, to earn something with it.
80. from what causes one comes together in churches.
On June 7, 1545, on the first Sunday after Trinity, Luther was angry and scolded those who murmured and hummed in church when the psalms and spiritual songs were sung. For Christians and God-fearing hearts do not come together in church to bleat and murmur, but to pray and thank God. If you want to roar, grumble, grunt and murmur, go out among the cows and pigs, they will answer you, and leave the church unhindered.
But on the next Sunday, since some did not refrain from going early, D. Martin soon left the church. Because of this, D. Pommer punished them severely, saying: "You chased our father, D. Martinum, out of the church, you will also chase me out, so that I will not preach to you.
81: Serious Admonition by D. M. Luther.
After that D. Martinus began an admonition and punishment sermon: Which unfortunately, he said, is now becoming very strange, indeed we must see vices, vice and wantonness, which have become so entrenched and are gaining so much ground that no preacher may touch them any more, much less punish them, without danger to body and good, or be driven out. For pious, God-fearing, faithful preachers, since they punish sin, are scolded and called quarrelsome, biting, blasphemers of God and man, who attack people's honor, make the authorities contemptuous, and arouse uproar and indignation 2c.
But listen, dear brother," he said, "why do you pester yourself with ungodliness and offences? Don't you know that the servants of the Church are seriously charged by God with the office and power to punish what is wrong and sinful? If we are to promote godliness through the word, and teach what is right, Christian and pure, then we must truly also punish ungodly beings with their fruits, and condemn what is wrong, false, unchristian and impure: otherwise God will demand righteous blood from us.
Dear, what godly heart can see through the fingers, and gloss over such-
abominable great sin, as blasphemy, disobedience, thievery, as selling kofent for beer, usury, adultery, discord, dissension, strife 2c.? In these vices we all shun and have no pleasure, but curse and condemn them. And every householder complains about the great wickedness that is everywhere in the world; he complains and cries out about the willfulness, disobedience and unfaithfulness of the servants, workers, excessive increase of everything that one should only have for necessity in the market, among craftsmen 2c.
Is it right for you to complain about it; why do you want to shut the mouths of the preachers who stand in God's place and punish? Then they cry out again: Yes, he has meant me. Yes, dear fellow, don't you know that there is an old saying: When one casts among the dogs, he who is hit cries out? That is why you betray yourself with such grumbling and crying, and make it obvious that you are the guilty dog who is hit. If you do not want to hear it and murmur, go out to the hole that the mason and bricklayer left open; you will have to hear God's judgment one day, who will say to you: "If I did not let you hear it through my preachers, why did you not hear them? You will not be able to excuse yourself.
Secular rulers should not get involved in spiritual affairs.
On June 16 Anno 1545 forbade D. Martinus M. Antonio Lauterbach and D. Daniel, 1) pastors of Dresden, that they should not consent to the decrees of ceremonies made at court, nor permit and allow the courtiers such great power and authority; but to indicate to them that they were waiting for their office in the council chamber and chancellery, to govern merchants, country and people, each in his state. According to the saying, Let every man do his trade: let a horseman take care of his riding and his horses, and let a singer take care of his singing; and let no man take care to do or to teach that which he hath not learned. They [may] rule their court,
1) Greser. Bindseil III, 130.
and let God and his servants rule the church; we have enough to do on all sides, all our hands full, and to answer for. Let the smart ones, ambitious and glorious Hansen in all gaffes, who want to have five tips of the bag and rule everything, always go and have a good year, they always do the greatest harm in all regiments, can bridle the horse in the butt.
83. preachers poor people.
To. The gospel is preached to the poor. Preachers must be poor fellows; but they look to another life, therefore we must believe the future. But if we were to believe the treasure of eternal life, we would become too proud. That is why God has hidden this treasure of His mercy with a great lid that He has placed over it, which is called fides, faith, on which we have to roll all our lives.
84. take preachers from the schools?
While they were talking about M. N., Doctor Martin said: "We must now have many pieces of work, and cornerstones, and filling stones: he must deliver a cornerstone. For schoolmasters have been accustomed to talk in school with their pupils, how one should act and interpret the sayings of the holy scriptures in a fine way. I would not want anyone to be named a preacher if he had been a schoolmaster before. 2) Now all the young apprentices want to become preachers, and they flee the work of the schools. But if one has kept school for about ten years, he may leave it with a clear conscience; for the work is too great, and one keeps it small. In a city, however, a schoolmaster is as important as a parish priest. We can dispense with mayors, princes and noblemen, but we cannot dispense with schools, for they must govern the world.
Today we see that no potentate is lord and master, he must be governed by a jurist and a theologian: they themselves can do nothing,
2) Cf. Mathesius, St. Louis Edition, p. 216.
and are ashamed to learn, so it must flow out of the school. And if I were not a preacher, I know of no position on earth that I would rather have. But one must not see how the world rewards and keeps it, but how God respects it and will praise it in that day.
That people be punished only in general, and that no one be attacked in particular in the pulpit.
One of them said to Luther that some people say: "People should be punished in general, but not scolded in this way. He answered, "Yes, I know these words well; they have come before me before. One should say, "Our Lord God will punish adultery, but he will not do anything to adulterers. But Christ says in the Gospel, "O you adulterers, you are condemned; the devil will take you. And saith, Ye Pharisees and scribes, ye are the breeds of vipers. Matth. 12, 34.
If they do not shy away from the word of our Lord God, what can be preached to them? but they will understand it. Amen, amen, says Christ Matth. 11, 24: "It will be more tolerable for Sodoma and Gomorrah in that day than for them. They do no good, they get again pastors and preachers, who go to them to the wives and daughters 1): which were well kept before, together with their schoolmasters and locates, who slept all the citizens with the wives. So they invited the wives home, and put them on top, and the millers and whoremongers were in good spirits with the men, so that the citizens finally made a saying out of it themselves, and said: Whoever wants to have his house clean, let him keep priests and monks out of it. 2) But the preachers, who now live in the caste and are pure in doctrine, they cannot stand.
The gospel has nevertheless brought a great puritatem, probably two thousand more people have become married, who otherwise would not have become married. It is not the scolding, but ipsi metuunt verbum, they are worried that it will one day come to pass that they will be
1) Cf. § 54 of this Cap.
2) Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XIX, 1522, § 62.
Adulteri and Scortatores are what they fear. We preachers have a difficult office, we are to give an account for the salvation and blessedness of the listeners, and yet we are to give way to their cupiditatibus and let them do what they want: if we do, we make ourselves participes of their sins; but if we do not, and punish, it must be called profanation and blasphemy.
86) That one should not attack great lions harshly with the preaching ministry.
The young margrave, Joachim the Other, in 1532, when he was in Wittenberg, asked D. Mart. Luthern: Why did he write so vehemently and harshly against the great lords? To this Martin replied: Gracious Lord, if God wants to make the earth fertile, he must first let a good downpour precede it, with a thunder, and then let it rain finely and slowly; thus he moistens the earth through and through. He said, "I can cut a willowy oak with a knife, but for a hard oak you must have a sharp axe and baleen or wedge; you can hardly split it, just as a large oak does not fall from one blow.
87. OV preachers also like to punish the authorities?
Doctor Martinus was asked whether a pastor or preacher also had the power to punish the authorities. He said, "Yes, indeed; for although it is God's order, God has reserved for him his right to punish vice and what is unjust. In the same way, the worldly rulers should be punished if they let the poor subjects' goods perish and allow them to be sucked dry by usury and evil rule. But it is not proper for a preacher to prescribe order 2c. and to teach how much bread should be sold or how meat should be valued 2c. In general, he shall teach every man in his station to do what God has commanded him diligently and faithfully, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to abuse and scrape, nor to cheat and defraud others 2c.
68. how preachers should have had in punishments?
Then said one, How, if I knew one that was an adulterer, should I also publicly report him, and punish him? D. Martin: The authorities should be publicly admonished to punish adulterers, and others to detest them. And if I were asked about it, I would say what I knew without hesitation. But this is to be ordered entirely to the authorities. However, I should speak secretly to those whom I suspect. If they take it amiss and accuse me of it in a council, I should say it straightforwardly: This admonition and warning was given secretly and specially, I must do as my office requires and God has commanded.
If someone comes to confession and I have suspicions, I should diligently ask about all the circumstances. If he denies it, I should respect his denial more than my suspicion. And if he asks for the sacrament, I should also give it to him; for Christ also gave the sacrament to Judah the betrayer, when he had secretly admonished him before, but to his harm and condemnation. And to them it shall be said: Those who received it unworthily shall know that they received it to judgment and condemnation. Many cover their sin and disgrace, vice and misconduct with the reception of the sacrament, but such hypocrites must be tolerated, they will one day become well aware of it, and will not be able to deceive God.
89. pious preachers and women defile.
(Contained in Cap. 27, § 2.)
90. laduncles and reformers of righteous preachers.
(Contained in Cap. 1, § 17, sub. 3.)
91. complaint about faithful preachers.
(Contained in Cap. 4, § 51.)
St. Paul's simplicity in preaching and teaching.
St. Paul does not have such high, splendid words, as Demosthenes and Cicero, but actually and clearly he speaks, and has words, which something
Meaning and indicating great things. He was right not to make it very curly and colorful, otherwise everyone would talk so highly.
93. parish office in ceremonies.
We pastors are to watch that ceremonies are made and held in such a way that the people do not become so wild, nor too holy, otherwise they become epicureans, or hypocrites and works saints.
94. devil's and the world's hatred against pious preachers and authorities.
To a God-fearing and faithful servant of the church, or in the secular government, the devil is certainly hostile, and sets himself against him.
(The following at Cordatus No. 558. 1)
Those who are theologians should persevere and not despair because of ingratitude, because it will happen in three years that they would dig a theologian nine cubits out of the earth.
95. right way of preaching.
(Cordatus No. 1572.)
The first book of Moses has not been read and understood from the apostles' time as it is now. If I should preach it now, I would hit it better. For someone must have known the world who wants to understand this book, and every pastor must have looked around in the world. If I were to start the gospel now, I would want to send myself in a different way. I wanted to let unbelievers [i.e. unbelieving people] stay under the papacy and only secretly help the troubled consciences. Therefore, a preacher must have learned to know the world and not have been a monk like me, who believed, because I did not know the world, that people would immediately run to the gospel as soon as it was preached; but now I know that the opposite happens.
96. the nature and office of a good speaker.
A good speaker's office or sign is that he stops when one hears him most gladly, 2) and thinks that he will come first:
1) Cf. Cap. 73, § 1.
2) Cf. Mathesius, St. Louis edition, p. 216.
But if one hears him with weariness and displeasure, and would like him to stop and come to an end and resolution, that is an evil sign. So also with a preacher: if one says, I might have listened to him longer, it is good; but if one says, He had come to the washing and could never stop, it is an evil sign.
97) Poor laymen, children and servants should be the target of the sermon.
When I, said D. Mart. Luther, I intend to preach only to the servants and maids. For the sake of D. Jonam, or Philippum, or for the sake of the whole university, I do not even want to appear, because they can otherwise read it well in the Scriptures. But if one wants to preach to the highly knowledgeable, and throw out vain rabbis and masterpieces, then the poor people stand like a cow.
98. faithful preacher burden and sense.
If I, said D. Martin, were to write about a preacher's burden and hardship, which he must bear and endure, as I know and have experienced myself, I would discourage everyone from the preaching ministry. For a pious, God-fearing preacher must be of such a mind that nothing is dearer to him than Christ, his Lord and Savior, and the eternal life to come; that even if he has lost this life and everything, Christ nevertheless says to him, "Come here to me, you have become my dear, faithful servant.
99. what D. Mart. Luthern comforted in his preaching ministry.
I hope he will also address me on that day; for here he addresses me very unkindly. I bear the hatred and enmity of the whole world, the emperor and the pope with all their attachments. Well, because I have come in, I must see and say: It is right. After that the devil also appeals to me for this, and indeed he would often have killed me with this argument: You are not called; if I had not been a doctor.
190: What a pious preacher should do.
Doctor Martin Luther said to a pastor: "When you want to preach, talk to God and say: Dear Lord God, I want to preach in your honor, I want to talk about you, praise you, praise your name; although I cannot do it as well as I should. And look not at Philippum, nor at me, nor at any scholar, and let it seem to you that you are the most learned, when you speak of God in the pulpit. I have never been afraid that I cannot preach well, but I have often been afraid that I should and must speak of the great majesty and divine nature before God. Therefore, be strong and pray.
101. why to preach.
What we do with preaching and suffering, we do all this in honor of God and for the salvation of the elect, so that they may also believe.
It is God's work alone, a righteous faithful preacher.
(Contained in Cap. 4, § 29.)
The persecution of the faithful preachers is smelled.
(Contained in Cap. 4, § 29, and Cap. 78, § 1.)
The teaching and the life are to be distinguished.
(Contained in Cap. 27, § 95.)
Balaam, an example of hopeful spirits and teachers.
Doctor Martin said that Balaam would certainly be damned, even though he had great revelation, no less than Daniel: for he also includes all four emperors, and is a mighty example against hope, so that one does not become proud, and does not exalt himself in God's gifts. Otherwise, if one knew that he would become holy by preaching rightly, few would be saved: but our Lord God can so terribly throw Balaam, Saul, and Caipham, who have been taught by God's Spirit. O be humbled!
166. courting, especially in preachers, does great harm in the church.
(Cordatus No. 1145.)
Against hopeful people, like Jcarus, the ancients played quite with words, saying:
Si vis bene ambulare,
Non debes nimis alte volare,
Si nimis alte volas, Tunc debes comburere pennas. 1)
If you want to walk well, you must not fly too high. If you fly too high, you will burn your feathers.
107 The Hypocrite's Court Ride.
(Cordatus No. 482.)
The hypocrites' pride is most presumptuous when they humble themselves. We see this in the Pharisee, and yet he smears all his humility with dirt, since he says [Luc. 18, 11]: "I am not like" 2c.
The greatest harm is done in the churches by arrogance, presumption and ambition.
(Lauterbach, Feb. 3, 1538, p. 22.)
Anno 1538, February 3, Luther and Amsdorf talked a lot about the hope that corrupts the church when it falls for a preacher. Zwingli was seduced by it, so that he did what he wanted, as his extremely arbitrary [superbissima] translation of the prophets indicates. For he dared to despise everything, princes and rulers. Therefore he wrote: You pious princes, forgive me for not giving [you] your title. For the windows are also shining through. Likewise: The Münster's gushers and many others burned with ambition. 2)
109th Bon Hoffahrt.
About Doctor Martin Luther's tables In 1542 there was talk of an imperial city that was very
2) In Lauterbach, this § forms the entrance to Cap, 37, § 34.
The reason for this was that she had a great deal of business with salt. Thereupon spoke D. Martin Luther said: "I wonder why people are proud. We are born in sins and are in danger of death every moment. Is that why we are shabby and mangy, why we shit, why we ooze, why we stink upstairs and downstairs? In the old days, there were these shaking verses, which were called gnt:
Cum fex, cum fimus, cum res turpissima simus, Cur superbimus, nescimus quando perimus.
What harm is done by ambition.
At another time, Doctor Martin Luther said that the pride and ambition in the church was doing great harm: because Zwinglius would have been very ambitious, he would also have written in his books that he had learned nothing from me; and I would also not like him to have learned his sacramentarianism from me, because he does not do it well. So Oecolampadius let himself think that he was a great doctor, and before he had heard anything from me, he would already have been in a great reputation. D. Carlstadt also said: "Oh, I care nothing for you. Thomas Münzer preached against the two popes, as against the new and old popes, called me the new pope, yes, I must be King Saul to him, because I would have started, but the Spirit of God would have left me.
The good man, Oecolampadii, has often lamented me, and I have also been surprised that he should become so bitter against us and spout such blasphemous words against us, since he was otherwise pious. But I set her example before all preachers as a warning that they should not seek their honor in the holy Scriptures when they want to preach, for there they must go down. In Virgilio and Cicerone there is Gloria, 3) but the Holy Scripture wants humility and a contrite spirit, where the Holy Spirit dwells within.
(Here a paragraph is omitted because contained in Cap.
37, § 4.)
3) Cf. cap. 37, § 141; 1, § 58.
111) Where to seek honor.
Anno 1541 D. M. Luther said: Honor may be sought in Homero, Virgilio or Terentio, and not in the holy scripture. For Christ says: "Sanctificetur nomen tuum" ; non nostrum nomen magnificetur vel celebretur; for this we are to use the word Sanctificetur. He commands us to preach his word, and we preachers are to be held before the world as injusti, stulti, so that GOD may be justus, sapiens et misericors: that is his name, which he will leave to no one else, and the devil would have to go down over it. But if we let God have His name, kingdom and will, He will also give us our daily bread, and give us our sin, and deliver us from the devil and all evil; but we should not presume upon His honor. What can Jeckel and Grickel do? 1) Jeckel may be a better gräcus and more eloquent than I: otherwise I can do more than he. Grickel may be a better Terentianus, but I also understand him well; in other things we are equal. The Elector of Saxony has done well by making Jeckel a court preacher, but has punished Grickel here in Wittenberg.
D. M. Luther said about the table in 1540: M. Grickel, the poor little man, has a plague and disease, which is called ÷áéíïäïîßá. I only complain about his wife and children. He wants to be much more learned than M. Philippus and I; and yet we cannot believe it. He despises D. Pommer very much, who is a distinguished theologian and has the golden art behind him. D. Creuziger is much more learned than M. Grickel. Creuziger is a fine theologian.
112. by Osiandri and Agricola Hoffahrt.
D. Luther was astonished at the hope and ambition of some theologians, such as Osiandri and Agricola. M. Luther was astonished at the arrogance and ambition of some theologians, such as Osiandri and Agricola, who boasted a great deal about his life, and let themselves think a great deal, and wanted to burst forth by force and let themselves be seen to be learned; and then he said, "Oh, dear Lord God, if I could do it with a clear conscience.
1) Dr. Jac. Schenk and Mag. Joh. Agricola.
How I would have liked to keep silent and watch what they wanted to do! I also understand that they should not break a great sweat from the papists, nor do them much harm. They want to triumph and have not yet won a victory. This causes great annoyance.
When I first began to write against indulgences, they knew nothing about them, they all pulled in their pipes, and I was completely abandoned for more than three years, and no one reached out to me; instead, everyone left me alone to fidget with the papists. Now they all want to triumph and have a lot of brains in their heads. Therefore Solomon says right:
Non est finis scribendorum librorum. You will still see miracles when I once will lie in the sand what will be of the book writing. I should now have peace at my age. I should have peace in my old age; but there those want to me, who should otherwise stand by me. I would have enough trouble from my adversaries if my little brothers did not. But who can resist them all? They are fresh young people and have lived in idleness: I am old now, and have had great toil and labor. Nothing makes Osiandern so hopeful as his idleness, for he has only two sermons to preach during the weeks and has four hundred guilders for his salary.
D. Luther also said in 1541: "There would still be many sects, and Osiander would also cause another one, because his Jngenii way would be that he would have to run over the mouths of others and reprehend them. We have Germanized the Bible; but he takes a word or two from our translation, reforms and masters the same, so that he would have it much better Germanized; since Christianity is not interested in such a trade and vocabulary. And yet he does not even prove that our translation is wrong, and thus annoys the church. Since he could have secretly discussed it with me, but he cannot keep to himself, nor can he hide his art.
In Schmalkalden I preached the text from the Epistle of John, that Christ dwelt in us through faith and grace, working in us, protecting and saving us. As soon as I became ill in Schmalkalden, he preached
publicly against me, in the presence of all the theologians who were there from that day, although he did not call me by name, and said: Christus habitat in nobis essentialiter. This greatly disturbed all the theologians, and especially Brentium. But he has his eloquentiam, he disposes his thing and rhetoric according to it, and does not teach the common man at all in his sermons.
D. W. Link and M. Veit Dieterich, who preach that the common man learns something from it. M. Joachim Mörlein pleased me very much this day with his sermon, where he dealt with the office of women and maids, namely, that a woman should remember that she lived in a holy state; item, a man would be a gift in the house of God. A maid should also know that her position is holy, and her works are holy, good works. This the people carry home with them; but what is puffed up, high and secretly hidden, no one understands.
I spoke with Bucer in Gotha in 1537 that he and Osiander abstained from such high art, because I do not read or preach for his sake, but for the sake of simple, poor and incomprehensible people. Christ could have taught from a high place, but he gave his sermons in the most simple way, so that the common man would understand. Dear God, there come into the church maidens of sixteen years, and women of thirty years, then old people, burghers and peasants, who do not understand the sharp, high sermons; but he who can bring forth fine parables in sermons, as D. Link is a master of, such the common man keeps: therefore he who makes it bad and just, fine childish, simple, so that people can understand it, he is the best preacher. So I also wanted to make it low and bad. But when it comes to disputing, someone comes to me in the school, I want to make it sharp enough for him, and answer him, he makes it as curly as he wants. I must once again write a book against the wise preachers.
The sermon is little respected.
(Cordatus No. 904.)
Although I know that God's word is not respected in my house any more than it is in
of our church, I still preach in my home as often as I cannot preach publicly in church, for the sake of my office and conscience, since as a householder I must preach to my servants.
114. hunger makes the churches desolate.
(Lauterbach, Jan. 16, 1538, p. 11.)
On this day, someone brought Luther the petition of a very poor pastor near Zerbst, who, forced by hunger and poverty, had left his profession. He answered: "These are all preparations for God's wrath and punishments. We do not want to give food to the poor servants, so God will not give us food again.
How D. Martin came to the trade.
(Here 19 lines are omitted because contained in Cap. 58, § 3; what follows, up to the conclusion, is transferred to Cap. 58, §3, where it belongs).
This is the first time that the Bible has been used in a book.
Let us, dear lords and brethren, wait for our office in the fear of God and reverence, with faithful diligence, that is, to present the teaching of the Gospel to the listeners in humility, the fear of God, and in supplication. After that, let us be confident in God, that this thing is, and remain steadfast in such fear of God and honor, and not let ourselves be bitten and torn by it.
117. preachers are burdensome to the world.
The Jews with their priests in the Old Testament were well plagued, likewise in the papacy princes, lords, nobility, burghers and peasants, by the mendicant monks; but we preachers are now burdened by our lords.
The Jews had to give the tribe of Levi the tithe of all goods, and sacrifice so much that no one was allowed to sleep with his wife, he had to give something to his priest; as the Turks do now'. In the papacy, one had to give the priests, the Terminirians and Stationirians as much as one had, and make them rich, and make themselves beggars: but now that we have abolished this, they take from us what is ours.
we are supposed to have. So our lords and nobles thank us. Well, they will repent.
The monastery and church goods belong to the pen, to order the right service: so the spit takes them, and orders the devil's service with it. It goes unequally to God must punish.
118. student of the Evangelii Epicurer.
Our students, said D. Most of them are Epicureans, and they measure our sermon according to their liking, and want to have good days. Pharisees and Sadducees have been enemies of Christ, and yet have heard him gladly. The Pharisees because they wanted to see him; the Sadducees because they were able to mock him. Pharisees are our monks: Sadducees our nobles, citizens and peasants. Our nobles, citizens and peasants hear us well, they believe us well: but that they do what they want, that is that they remain Epicureans.
119. counsel of D. M. Luther, how one should preach now.
My advice would be to read the text badly now, a chapter from the Bible, pray according to it, and then admonish the people ad Moralia, to good discipline and Christian life; that would be the best preached now, as the world is. But for the sake of the poor afflicted consciences who feel God's wrath against sin (of which there are very few), one must also preach the gospel and comfort them with it. The great crowd wants to have a Moses with horns.
120. preachers and teachers are despised.
The world does not want to believe us poor preachers, said D. M. Luther, "Now onward they will not believe us poor preachers. If we had money and were rich, like the papists, we would easily convert them; but because we are poor and have no reputation, they despise us.
How a preacher should be skilled in preaching.
(Cordatus No. 301.)
A preacher must be a dialecticus and a rhetor, that is, he must teach and he must
admonish. He who wants to teach about a matter must first distinguish, then explain, thirdly cite scriptural passages about it, fourthly explain it with examples from Scripture or elsewhere, fifthly adorn these words of his with parables, sixthly punish the wicked, disobedient and indolent 2c.
122. contempt for church servants.
Now there is nothing good nor joy in the church servants. Those who are married are despised and chased away, since in former times, when they held mass, especially on high feasts, when the sacrament was carried around, they had enough honor. In what honor were only the village priests held by the nobles! the gray monks and clogs 1) by princes! Likewise, one saw how diligently the common people ran to the Christmas mass on Christmas night and listened to it.
The best way to preach.
(2 paragraphs omitted here because contained in Cap. 19, § 42, sub. 10.) -.
It is a difficult business to preach God's word and to do good to everyone, and to suffer all kinds of ingratitude for it. But that is why it is called God's justice. The world is not able to do right and suffer evil for it, nor does it belong to its rule. For it is not right that he who does right should be punished or suffer violence, but should receive good in reward and thanksgiving. Again, he who does good to receive thanks and reward is not Christian but worldly.
Therefore, to do good and receive evil for it, and yet not grumble about it, but to want to receive the reward from God with a humble and right heart, is a heavy and exceedingly grievous thing to do.
124. of preachers who speak many languages.
Oh, how I am so hostile to people who introduce so much language in the pulpit as
1) Barefoot monks. Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XVIII, 1738, where the Franciscans at Weimar are called Holzschuhbarfüßer.
Zwingel, who speaks Greek, Ebrew and Latin on the preaching chair at Marburg; M. H. at Jena, and their many have the custom.
125. their priests teach for money, Mich. 3, 11.
(This § is taken from Luther's interpretation of the prophet Micah, Cap. 3, V. 11. Walch, old edition, vol. VI, 2832 ff, § 59-67.)
How peasants have been punished who did not want to tithe to their parish lord.
(Cordatus No. 769.)
There was a complaint that in the duchy of the Palatine the peasants refused to give tithes to their pastors. He called them and said: "You are doing right, because we want to feed the pastors and take twice as much from you. - So you have to learn the journeymen.
127. preach for the sake of money.
(Cordatus No. 604.)
Whoever has the desire to preach and to govern, to him his 1) God gives enough. I would not take a thousand guilders for a sermon, which I would do voluntarily and not forced by my profession. For it is for God's sake that one must preach, and serve Him alone with the sermon, not for the sake of the world.
128: Prophecy and Warning by D. M. Luther. M. Luther.
(Cordatus No. 605.)
However clear and easy the gospel is, it is not for the people, to whom nothing more useful is preached than the catechism. For from the latter they become all too sure, but by this they are kept in fear to some extent.
129. the world Art.
(Contained in Cap. 22, §16.)
1) of preaching and governing.
The teaching and the sermon should be based on the listeners.
(Cordatus No. 534.)
It must be preached what is suitable according to place and persons. There was someone who preached that it was ungodly for a mother to look for a wet nurse for her child, and had vain wheel spinners in his congregation, to whom he preached for a whole hour with this single piece. It was also such a man who preached the praise of marriage in a hospital of old men and old women.
Those who wish to study the Scriptures and God's Word.
The Holy Scripture, said D. M. Luther, wants to have a humble heart that holds God's word in honor, dear and valuable, and remains alone with the same and holds fast to it, also prays always and forever: "Teach me, Lord, your ways, your rights," Ps. 143, 10. But the Holy Spirit resists the hopeful, does not want to dwell with them. And even though some study diligently inside and also teach and preach Christ purely for a while, God excludes them from the church as soon as they become hopeful. Therefore, every hopeful spirit is a heretic, even if not yet in the work, but, de jure, justified before God.
But it is difficult that he who has special gifts before others should not be proud and presumptuous, and should not despise others. That is why God sometimes allows those who have great gifts to fall into severe temptation, so that they may learn that they are nothing when God removes his hand. St. Paul had to bear the sting or stake of the flesh in his body, 2 Cor. 12, 7, so that he would not become proud: and if Philip Melanchthon were not so afflicted, he would have strange opinions and views.
And because Jeckel and Grickel are hopeful and despise their preceptors and good arts, I fear that it is over and done with them; they are gone. I know the spirit of Münzer, Zwingel and Carlstadt. Hopefulness thrust the angels out of heaven; therefore humility in studying the holy scriptures.
132. theologians should read the rights of the pope.
Every theologian should read the Pope's Drecket with diligence, et cum judicio. For St. Paul says in 1 Thess. 5, 21: "Test everything." But the word of the Gospel is not to be tested, but, since it is pure, it is to be heard straightway. For the Father gives earnestly, by His voice sounding from heaven, and says, Matt. 17:5, "This (Christ, My Son) ye shall hear." It is a matter of hearing, and not of asking why, of mastering, nor of reforming and interpreting according to our reason and philosophy.
But praise be to God that our doctrine agrees with God's Word, the Sacraments, and the Lord's Prayer. The doctrine of the papists is totally contrary to this. John the Evangelist lived after Christ for sixty-eight years and suffered much externally and internally. Under the emperor Nero he came out of the Patmos again.
133) How to deal with angry priests and preachers.
(This § in Lauterbach, Jan. 16, 1538, p. 13. Cf.
Mathesius, St. Louis edition, p. 203.)
There was a complaint about an uncouth and angry pastor. Luther answered: "I do not pray for such people. If they cause trouble, they should be imprisoned and deprived of their office. Therefore, the Elector decided to build university prisons to keep the angry priests in check.
What a preacher is.
A preacher is like a carpenter, his instrument and tool is God's word: and because the audience with whom he has to do and work is varied and diverse, he should not always sing one song and present the same teaching; but, since the audience is diverse, he should at times be angry, frightened, punished, scolded, comforted, and atoned for. A man is so willing and ready to teach all others, except himself!
How M. Luther wanted to make one a preacher.
would have him take the small Catechismum in his hand and read from word to word from the pulpit. On Sundays, however, he would read a piece of the Postil and then repeat what he had read. But they are ashamed of it; so I, now an old doctor, still take the book with me to the pulpit and read from it.
136. What Dr. M. Luther Learned in the Ministry of Preaching.
In the preaching ministry, I learn what the world, the flesh, and the devil's hatred and wickedness are, which one could not recognize before the revelation of the Gospel. At that time, I thought it was no longer a sin, but fornication.
137. preaching well is now.
Now it is much easier to preach than in the priesthood, because it always comes up and happens that one has to preach and talk about either the church, police or economy, justification, faith, patience, love, prayer, and other articles of Christian doctrine.
138. court sermons.
At court one should keep this rule, that one shouts and complains quickly. If one does not want to hear once, that one supplicate again. For modesty and the gospel do not belong at court. Court; but one must be angry, insolent, complain and lecherous. One must put Moses with the horns in the court, not Christ, who is kind and gracious. That is why I advise my pastors to complain to the court about their misery, poverty and need. For I have preached publicly before the prince, that the prince is indeed pious and righteous, but the people do what they want. For the sake of the word, some at court have accused D. Jonam and M. Philippum, to whom they gave this answer: Luther is old enough and knows what he should preach.
139. some word of god gives a sermon.
(Contained in Cap. 1, § 9. Para. 6.)
140. unworthy of preachers in the world.
(Cordatus No. 931.)
Preachers count for nothing in the world, and yet the world cannot do without them. For as long as death reigns, the work of preachers is necessary, and in 'death they desire ours, and if there were no death, I would not look at a preacher either, for they can do nothing but scold people. But death also includes the way of life and everything that concerns the conscience. 1)
141. from Osiander.
Osiander, said D. M. Luther, is a learned man, who should sit over the Bible and make Glossam ordinariam. Then said one, Doctor, Osiander cannot teach low things. Yes, said D. M. Luther, it is true, I am surprised that they cannot lower themselves according to the mind of the listeners. There are children, servants and maids who go to church, to whom one must preach, they are allowed to hear our sermon, not the scholars. If I alone were to preach to D. Hieronymo 2) or Philippo alone, I would not want to preach a sermon for the rest of my life, because they understand it well. But for the poor youth and the unintelligent man it is too much, there one must let oneself down. So does the Lord Christ, who walks no differently than if he had my Martinic, Paulic and Magdalene before him. But when he comes to the Pharisees, he gives them a carving. Preach to the little children, for they have been given the ministry of preaching.
142. of proud, ambitious preachers.
(The first two paragraphs Cordatus No. 803 and 347.)
Against the smarties. It is a very good lie against presumptuous mongrels that a fly had sat on a load of hay, and when one drove in, it was very dusty. Then she said, "Oh, hell, what kind of dust can a fly make?
1) If there were no death, the punishment of the preachers would be useless. But because death reigns, life must also be judged and consciences reported, so that people do not die unrepentant.
2) Here probably D. Hieronymus Weller is meant.
Fly to the load! And a mosquito that fell from a camel said: I mean, you felt what a burden pressed you. Such is Cochläus against Luther, at least his opinion is so.
I will not answer Cochleaeus on any book against me, and [he] will become much more angry with it, and I will [not] do it for the sole reason that he will not gain the honor he seeks in his writing.
He also had a letter written to him by one of these clowns, which he read and said: "Art cannot remain hidden; when the belly wants to burst, it is time to get rid of it by preaching and writing. He said this with a sneer, and added: Presumption and presumptuousness is the head of the serpent.
143. serious saying of D. Luther.
(Kummer, zweiter Theil x. 375 b. [Lauterbach p. 203 f.])
Cursed be every preacher who strives for high things in his sermons by wishing to please a few ambitious people. When I preach here, I lower myself to the lowest level, I do not look at the doctors and masters, of whom there are barely forty, but at the hundred and thousand young people and children, to whom I preach, and to whom I make myself comfortable, they may also hear it. If the others do not want to hear it, the door is open to them. Therefore, in the church one must make the greatest effort to be clear and simple, to look at the children and the simple, as a nursing mother does with her child. She fondles the child childlike and gives it from her bosom; she may not drink wine or malmsey, but has the best-known drink in her breasts. So also must the preachers be in their sermons in the church. But when they are in the disputations of the learned, they may let themselves be heard in his place, how learned they are; there they shall lack art. But to mix Greek, Ebrew, Latin into the sermons is to be wise in an unsuitable place, namely, that the people should be astonished and praise them.
144: With preachers, court keeping does harm.
Doctor M. Luther spoke of a theologian in the Oberlande when Zwingl was mentioned and said: "N. N. is a Nequam per omnes casus, per omnes partes orationis, per omnes regulas generales Grammatices. I trust him no more, for St. Paul saith Tit. 3, 10. "Haereticum post unam aut alteram admonitionem devita." Another said, "I think that ambition and wealth make people so proud. Then the doctor said, "That a maiden should be resplendent in a new skirt, or with black eyes, that will go well; for soon a fever will come, and take away her beauty. And the fact that Mornholt and Ranzau, both my table companions, are hopeful, that also goes well; for soon some pestilence comes and takes away their hope. A nobleman, who is trustworthy, gets a bullet through his body in a war, and that's the end of it: but the Gloria religionis does excellent damage. This is what Luther said in 1542.
A great complaint of Luther's about his addiction to honor and courtly conduct.
(Contained in Cap. 37, § 33, sub. 3.)
Preachers should be humble.
D. M. Luther once said: "For my sake I do not write a book, nor do I preach for my sake, for I have already written it in my heart. What I know, that I know. My Adversarii bring against me vain loose argumenta, which I would know better to lead, than they. But we write for the sake of other people, so that the simple sheep may be protected from the wolves and those who err may be converted. And it is a true word in Theologia that those who know something know nothing. For he who hears and learns God's word cannot be sufficiently amazed at it, nor learn it. Let one humble himself only, so that he may remain a disciple in it.
The same is found in Politia, that those who are good men of war and fine rulers of the world do not boast much about it, nor do they gloat over it, but
live in the fear of God, and see that they learn more and more. But the common man, and especially the broad merchants and the shrewd, despise such fine people. So it often happens in economy: those who are richest of all pretend that they are poor and have nothing. But it is said: Beware of can-do's. If you strike an empty barrel, it sounds bright, but a full barrel does not sound very loud.
147. preaching or reading in front of scholars.
(Cordatus No. 1245.)
When I give lectures, I make the cross for myself and think that there is [not] Philip, D. Jonas, Pommer, or any wiser person in the lecture hall, and let me think that there is no wiser person on the lectern than I am.
148 A Doctor Theologia.
A Doctor of Sacred Scripture should be able to read and comprehend the Bible 1). Item, how the prophets go in and on each other, not only one piece; as, that one Jesaiam can, not only one article of the law and Evangelio 2c. Now, however, they become Doctores, since they hardly understand only one article correctly. The jurists can humble their disciples, if they want to pride themselves on their art, because they have their court cases and practica. But we theologians, because we do not have the Practicam, cannot humiliate our disciples, and untried ones, especially theologians, should be nothing.
St. Paul diligently studied and interpreted Moses and the Prophets.
In the Psalm it is said: In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum: "Their cord went out into all the world", Ps. 19, 5. But St. Paul, Rom. 10, 18, translates it that their sound went out into all the world; such is now equal to one.
There are many sayings of the Bible, as St. Paul kept the version of the seventy interpreters, because he did not despise them; for he was the preacher of the Greeks, therefore he had to
1) Cf. § 32 of this Cap.
to speak to them as they have failed. So he also used the saying 1 Cor. 15, 55: "Death is swallowed up in victory"; because in Hebrew it says: in finem. And yet it is one thing, in finem, in aeternum, that death shall not come again in in Victoriam, id est, Vita vincet. St. Paul is very rich and superfluous with words: one of his words has probably three Orationes Ciceronis in it. He often speaks one word that runs through the whole Jesaiam or Jeremiam. O, St. Paul is a fine preacher, he is not called Vas electum in vain. Our Lord God says: I will give the world a preacher who shall be excellent. There is no one who understands the Old Testament as well as he does; I exclude John the Baptist. St. Peter is also excellent.
St. Matthew and the others describe the histories diligently, and this is also highly necessary; but the res and verba and vim verborum of the Old Testament, what power is behind the words, they do not report. St. Paul has translated many Hebrew things into Greek that no one else could do. He often interprets four, five or six chapters in one chapter. Oh, he loved Isaiah and Moses, for these are also the most distinguished prophets, along with King David. The Verba and Res St. Pauli are taken from the prophets and Moses. Therefore, the young theologians should study Hebrew, so that they may contrast the Greek and Hebrew words and see the same quality, nature and power. St. Paul made the saying Rom. 4, 3: Et imputatum est ei ad justitiam, so useful to him, and yet in Hebrew it only says: et cogitatum est. If I were young and wanted to become a high theologian, I would confer Paulum cum Veteri Testamento. He was a mighty dialecticus and rhetoricus.
150: Luther's advice on how one can become a good theologian or preacher.
Whoever now wants to become a theologian has great advantage: for first he has the Bible, which is now so clear that he can read it without any hindrance. Then he reads the Locos communes Philippi, which he reads diligently and well,
so that he even has them in his head. If he has the two pieces, he is a theologian, whom neither the devil nor any heretic can break off, and the whole theology is open to him, so that he can read everything he wants ad aedificationem. And if he wants, he can also read Philippi Me-lanchthonis Commentarium in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos. If he then also reads my Commentary in Epistolam ad Galatas, and in Deuteronomy, I will then give him eloquentiam et copiam Verborum.
You will find no book among all his books where the summa religionis, or the whole theology, is finer than in the Locis communibus. Read all the Fathers and Sententiarios, and it is nothing compared to all of them. Non est melior liber post scripturam sanctam, quam ipsius loci communes. Philip is tighter than I: ille pugnat et docet: I am more a rhetoricus, or a washer. If the printers wanted to follow me, they would have to print only the books that have doctrinam, as ad Galatas, in Deuteronomy, item, the sermons in the four chapters of John the Evangelist. The other books of mine should be read pro cognoscenda Historia revelati Evangeli, that one may see how the doctrine has first begun, for it has not been so light as now.
151) Whether one can be in the ministry without marital status.
(Cordatus No. 1162.)
If someone who is called to the priesthood is allowed to preach the gospel, but under the condition that he remains celibate, he cannot leave the profession without a good testimony, by which 1) the sin is put on the conscience of the listeners. And indeed God has made marriage a plaster, which he can use over his weaknesses, who cannot remain celibate; but it shall be well with him under the papacy.
152. by Nicodemi Gleichen.
Whether one would also have the power to do so if he came to the papacy, and one or their
1) Instead of huas, yua will be read.
more there desired to teach them the Word of God secretly, perhaps for fear of the authorities; how far he had power to do this, and with what modesty he should do it, since he is not a preacher?
Martin Luther's answer: If he is asked to give a lesson, he may tell his neighbor how and what he believes and what is to be believed, as otherwise two journeymen chat with each other. But he shall not refrain from preaching or preaching office, nor shall he interfere with the preachers in their office.
153. preach according to the art.
(Cordatus No. 525.)
Those who have knowledge of a thing can easily speak of it. For the knowledge of things is followed by the art of speaking. Therefore, those who, without understanding the matter, want to shine through art, fail. I cannot make a sermon according to art.
A theologian must be pious.
A lawyer can be a prankster, but a theologian is a pious man. Cause: for a lawyer deals with physical and temporal things; but a theologian with spiritual and eternal things, to whom God entrusts Himself, His heaven, and all His gifts and treasures, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and everything. A pious man belongs to this. For God says: "Whomsoever thou forgivest sin, I will count him as my child.
Whether a preacher is also obliged to go to the sick.
When someone said that two preachers had died of the pestilence in Nuremberg, the question was asked: "Should a preacher, who alone is appointed to the ministry of preaching, with a clear conscience deny his service to sick people at the time of the pestilence, so that he does not visit them? Luther answered and said: "By no means, the preachers must not flee too much, so that they do not make the people too fearful. And that one sometimes says that one should spare the pastors and preachers, and not make them too afraid at the time of the pestilence.
The reason for this is that if the pestilence ever took away some of the chaplains, there would be others to visit the sick. That is why, if the pestilence sometimes takes away some of the chaplains, others are available to visit the sick. Item, so that not everyone shuns the priests at such times, as it is seen that no one wants to go to them, and everyone flees them. For this reason it would be good not to burden everyone with them, but rather one or two.
If my fate were to strike me, I would not shy away or be afraid. I have now endured three pestilences, have also been with some who had them, as Schadenwald, who had two of them, I understood them well. But it did me no harm, praise God! I came home the same time, and grabbed my Margarethen, who was still small at the time, around the mouth with unwashed hands; but I had truly forgotten, otherwise I would not have done it, because God would have tempted me.
It pleases me well of the Jews that they draw the 91st Psalm: "He who dwells under the shelter of the Most High" 2c. (Qui habitat in adjutorio altissimi etc.) to the pestilence. I wanted to have interpreted it finely, but I was worried that the psalm would be prayed against the pestilence, just as St. John's Gospel was prayed against the thunderclap. When the mass was over, the priest read St. John's Gospel in a loud voice, and whoever had heard the Gospel read was free. Therefore, they brought a fable to the pulpit to confirm their lies, namely: How the three of them were riding together, when a storm came and they heard a voice: Strike. Then one of them was struck down. The other one said again: "Strike! The other one would have been knocked down. Soon another voice was heard: "Strike! And another voice: "Don't strike, because he heard the Gospel of St. John today. This one had escaped with his life. This is what they preached to confirm their idolatry.
Item: the story happened with one, who was supposed to be the Lucas painter, then living in Gotha with her father, who was sitting with his tailor in the castle, and had beautiful colorful clothes made for him for the inn. So the tailor looks out the window and becomes aware that a weather
And he cometh, and saith, I will go and take palms, and cast them into the furnace: for I have not heard the gospel of John this day. Go out and do so. The young man said, "What are you saying? Do you think that the priest alone can read the Gospel? I can read it as well as he. Open the window, lift it up, and run: In principio, etc. Then the thunder strikes in, and knocks the pants off the legs of the young, handsome, rich journeyman, so that he soon falls down and dies: but the tailor's sole is knocked off under his feet, but he does not die. This story has certainly happened.
But that farmer was even better. When a weather came and a thunderclap happened, he made four crosses and said: Matthew, Marcus, Pilate, Herod, these four evangelists, he said, certainly help. It was a miraculous thing in the papacy, the young fellows know nothing about it.
Then someone said, as in a small town, not far from the Naumburg, the priest would be
died of the pestilence, as did the schoolmaster. Now the people there were stubborn like beasts, without any sacraments, because they did not want to keep a chaplain nor pay him, even though the pestilence was not yet reigning. Then said D. M. L. said: "It serves them right, since they otherwise think that preachers and chaplains are not allowed, and they can well do without them. So the people of N. did not want to feed or maintain their pastor; I said to the judge, "How can you not want to maintain a pastor or a pastor, and keep a shepherd, to whom you must give whatever he wants? Then said he, Yea, my lord, we cannot well do without it. 1) Therefore you see why they are concerned only about the belly. What they wear, they love, nothing else.
156. how preachers are death-beaters.
(Transferirt to Cap. 44, § 5, where it belongs.)
1) Cf. § 53 of this Cap.