1. A godless person is a conterfei or image of the devil.
2. the devil's image and likeness from the ten commandments.
3. the devil is a crafty, cunning spirit who can shamefully blaspheme and pervert even the best works that devout Christians do by grace and the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. why the devil is an enemy to the right Christians and attacks them so hard and fast.
8. the devil torments us with our sins, since he is the cause of all sins and evil, as if we deserved eternal punishment by them: therefore he is called a blasphemer and a reprobate.
(6) The devil guides and rules the hearts of all the wicked, so he knows what they are thinking; he can also sometimes tell and guess what will happen in the future.
7. the devil's science.
8. the devil's handiwork, which he does daily to damage people.
The devil is the cause of death and of all plagues and diseases. Item: that the medicine comes from God, therefore one may well need it.
The devil is the executioner of our Lord God.
11. the devil makes people restless, even in their sleep.
The devil's power and cunning controls all of Christ.
13. how to meet the devil when he holds sin against us.
14) How to resist the evil spirit when it troubles our consciences because of the sins we have committed.
(15) The devil must be resisted by word and prayer, otherwise he cannot be resisted.
16. how the devils are cast out.
The first is a book about the devil's invocers.
18 There were many possessed people in the time of Christ.
(19) The devil cannot be cast out now, when the gospel is being taught, as he was before in the papacy, for his craftiness and cunning are known to us, so that he cannot deceive us.
20) Whether the devil knew Christ according to the flesh.
Do not invite the devil as a guest.
22) How blasphemy and presumption are punished.
How the devil's hope will be broken.
24. the devil's ghost in mines,
25. the devil's power.
From the devil comes all sadness and gloom.
27 Satan's rages against the human race.
28. how to drive out the devil.
29. To perish from the devil is more praiseworthy than from men.
30 The Devil's Way Against Christ.
How to be skillful and equipped to withstand the devil's temptations in the time of death.
The devil can make sin out of good works.
Spiritual Armor and Divine Weapons Against the Devil.
34. He who believes easily overcomes the devil.
35. the devil's art and masterpiece.
The devil challenges all articles of faith in the hearts of believers.
The devil is a cause of all diseases and misfortunes.
(38) Whether the devil, once overcome, comes again, and how he charms people.
The devil also plagues the true Christians with his ghost.
40. of poltergeists.
41 History of how a poltergeist plagued a parish priest, and Luther's advice on how he should be driven out. Luther's advice on how to drive him out.
Faith overcomes the devil.
43. poltergeists, so D. Luthern at Wartburg, in his Patmo, have plagued.
44. The devil can be driven away with contempt and ridiculous posfs.
For what it is good that the devil challenges the Christians.
(46) The devil can also hasten the right saints, and what is the heretic's way.
The devil is powerful in charming people.
48. The devil can disguise himself in Christ's person.
49, How to beware of the devil's sorcery.
50. of the devil's work.
Of power of the devil.
52. specimen of this life.
The devil is the founder of all misfortune.
54. The devil can rule the world best.
55. the devil's great power breaks god and overthrows them through human weakness.
The devil condemns us, since he is worse than we are.
The devil is a formidable, fierce enemy.
58. How the devil challenges the right pious Christians.
The devil is like a birdcage.
60. the devil's tricks and nature.
The devil despises and ridicules all the works of God.
62. from a fortune teller.
63) Whether the devil knew the incarnation of Christ, the Son of God, and why the prophecies of Christ are obscure.
64. Satan possesses people in two ways.
What shape and forms the devil takes.
66) In which animals the devil hides and drives the most.
How to overcome the devil with contempt, in faith, not with presumption.
68. the punishment of the wicked when they are handed over to Satan and become the devil's apartments.
Whether the devil knows the thoughts of men.
70. of conjurers of the devil.
(71) The devil is hurt by the words and works of devout Christians.
72. where all diseases primarily come from.
73, Cause of the devil's tyranny.
Whoever serves the devil, he also rewards him.
75. a story of two of nobility.
The miraculous conflict and victory of the Christians with the devil.
77. change children from the devil.
(78) From where it comes that people get up at night and walk around.
Several histories related by D. M. Luther:
79. The first: From a piper whom the devil led away.
80 The other: How the devil can frighten consciences and harm people's bodies.
The third: About a nobleman who was served by the devil.
The fourth: From one of nobility.
83 The fifth: Of a monk and a devil.
The sixth: Of two monks.
A wonderful story about the devil, who deceived the people and raged.
86. by insane people, possessed by the devil.
The first is the one about which and how far God allows the devil to afflict people.
A wonderful story about a virgin, how the devil played a game with her.
How to use the history of the devil's tyranny.
90. of the devil's kind.
The devil's power is seen in the case of the saints.
(92) Once Satan is established, he will not soon relent.
93: Of deceased noblemen who have gone astray.
94. How the devil can deceive people and beget children.
95. history of a changeling at Dessau.
96. another history of a changeling.
Satan is a wise spirit through long experience and practice.
98. from Samuel, so appeared to king Saul, what it was
Where it comes from that one is more afraid at night than during the day.
The devil hinders all joy.
The devil's art and masterpiece to challenge us.
The devil's temptation.
103. a terrible story of a student who had surrendered to the devil.
The devil's tyranny is in vain against the God-fearing.
How a man, who is a poor and weak creature, can overcome Satan, the most powerful and strongest enemy.
106 Of Devil's Power.
The devil blinds people's eyes.
108. comfort against the devil and his scales rages.
What is the greatest challenge of the devil and how to overcome it.
110. difference under the holy and evil spirit.
What Satan challenges Christians with the most.
112. how to keep oneself in temptations.
Every thing has its time.
114. Dr. Luther's temptations and his thoughts.
115 Of the sadness of the spirit.
What Satan cannot do himself, he does through old wicked women.
The first time we have seen this, we have seen it.
God gives life, the devil kills.
119. the devil's mildness.
120. how Satan dealt with D. M. Luther.
Satan flees the music.
122. from challenges.
123. difference of obedience to God and Satan.
124. human security among so many powerful, evil spirits.
125. a history of a small blacksmith.
This is a book about a strange ghost and a monster.
The devil's request among Christians.
128. devil's image.
129. hellhound, the devil.
130: Of the whale fish, the devil.
131 From Poltergelstern; from M. Hieronymi Besold's Collectaneis.
132 Of Devil's Ghost and Deceit; from M. Veit Dietrich's Written Collectaneis.
133. mockery of Tmfels against the monks.
134 Of Tmfels Poltern.
135 From a devil's hint.
136. of the devil's cunning and ravings against the mmsheni
The first time that the author of the book has been a member of the family, he has been a member of the family.
The Christian teacher Gerson's advice on how to control the devil's temptations.
1. A godless person is a conterfei or image of the devil.
(Contained in the next following § 2 of this chapter.)
2. the devil's image and likeness, from the ten commandments.
(The first paragraph is omitted because contained in Cap. 11, § 24, para. 2. The following is found in Cordatus No. 786 and 787).
As God is the thesis of the decalogue, so the devil is the antithesis of it. Therefore, whoever wants to see the devil, let him look at the reverse Decalogue. His head is against the first tablet, that we should not trust God, not love God, not fear God, which he demands of us in the first commandment. In the second, he tempts us to blaspheme, to murmur against God, and to abuse His name with the mouth and with the tongue. In the third, he incites us not to listen to God's word, but to doubt it, to despise it and its servants, and to misuse the word. These are the ears and the throat of the devil. The second tablet contains his body. In the fourth commandment he teaches to despise parents, not to obey them, not to support them, to be ashamed of them and dishonor them, to be rebellious against the authorities, this is the devil's chest. The fifth commandment [of the devil is] to kill, to be angry, to hate, to resent, to envy and to harm everyone, that is the heart. The sixth, to be a fornicator, an adulterer, an incestuous person, a soft-hearted person, shameless in words and gestures; this is the belly. The seventh is to help no one, to rob everyone by trickery and violence, to steal, to usury, to sell false goods or more than they are worth; this is the hands, the big finger. The eighth is to degrade, doubt and defile the good life of men; that is his will. Such a friendly image is the devil.
After that, whoever wants to know the devil, imagine a completely desperate man, of the most evil life and conscience, there you will see the devil incarnate, as Christ depicts the boy with very few words, saying: He is a liar and a murderer. A liar against the first tablet, because
He constantly incites people to false teachings and opinions. The holier the people, the greater the temptation. This is also the Moloch service, which had the greatest appearance of all, but was the greatest lie, which led to the murder of the own, most beloved children, whose blood this murderer shed, whom he nevertheless proclaimed to be the most holy, just as those were respected most holy by the people, who pushed the most children into the monasteries under the papacy. Furthermore, what he intends to do in the world with these two [lies and murders], we often learn. Everyone avoid him as much as he can.
(The last paragraph contained in Cap. 5, § 5.)
3. the devil is a crafty, cunning spirit who can shamefully blaspheme and pervert even the best works that devout Christians do by grace and the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Composed of Cap. 24, § 59 and Cap. 27, § 153.)
(4) Why the devil is an enemy to true Christians and attacks them so harshly and swiftly.
The devil must be an enemy to us, because we are against him with the word of God, destroying his kingdom etc. But now he is the prince and god of the world, and certainly has greater power than all the kings, princes and lords on earth: therefore he will certainly want to take revenge on us, as he does without ceasing, and we also see and feel it.
On the other hand, we have nothing more from the world, for as great as we are, what is in our pants and vest, namely the flesh and blood, is from the world. The spirit, however, is the small booty, where the patronage money, the Hungarian gold, lies inside. He should and must leave it untouched and unchanged, and have no thanks for it.
Moreover, we have a great advantage against him, even if he were so wicked, cunning and powerful that he cannot harm us; for we have not sinned against him, but against God alone; as David Ps. 51:6 says, "Against you alone have I sinned. "etc. But God is gracious and merciful, patient and
big, and of great kindness to all those who hold to Christ, whom he has given them as Savior.
5. the devil torments us with our sins, since he is the cause of all sins and evil, as if we deserved eternal punishment by them; therefore he is called a blasphemer and a reprobate.
(The first paragraph Cordatus No. 1524.)
Is it not a pity that the devil wants to condemn us by his inspirations, since he is far worse than all of us, and what does it matter to him that I have sinned? We do not sin against him, but against God, and he has not given me a law which I transgress, but God. Therefore it is said [Ps. 51:6], "Against you alone have I sinned."
But we know by the grace of God that we have a gracious God and a merciful Father in heaven, whose wrath and displeasure against us Christ, our Lord and Savior, has reconciled through His holy blood. Since we now have forgiveness of sins and peace with God in and through Christ, the sorrowful enemy must leave us alone. So that he can no longer accuse us of having sinned against God's law; for "Christ has blotted out the handwriting" of our conscience, "which was against us" and testified, "and has taken it out of the remedy and put it on the cross," Col. 2:14. To God be glory, praise and honor in Christ Jesus forever, amen.
D. Luther said in 1533: "Every night when I wake up, the devil is there and wants to dispute with me; then I learned that if the argument does not help, quod Christianus est sine lege et supra legem, then he should be dismissed with a fart. The villain, he wants to dispute with one de Justitia, and yet he himself is a knave, quia he wanted to push God out of heaven, has crucified his son. Nor shall any man be alone contra Satanam. God has appointed Ecclesiam and the Ministry Verbi to join hands and help each other. If one person's prayers do not help, another person's will.
(6) The devil guides and rules the hearts of all the wicked, so he knows what they are thinking, and can sometimes tell and guess what they are thinking.
through his servants, what is to happen in the future time.
The devil knows the thoughts of the ungodly, for he gives it to them: he controls and governs all men's hearts that are not guarded with God's word, yes, he holds them captive in his ropes, so that they must think, speak and do according to his will, 2 Tim. 2, 26. And 2 Cor. 4, 4. says St. Paul: "The god of this world blinds the minds of the unbelievers, so that they do not see the bright light of the gospel" etc. And Christ shows how it happens that many hear the word and yet do not understand it nor keep it: "The devil," he says, "comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe nor be saved," Matth. 13, 19. Therefore it is no wonder that he sometimes begs beforehand and proclaims through his prophets what happened afterwards. He could easily have guessed the outcome of the Bavarian war, for he saw that Count Palatine Ruprecht was proud and rich, and that he was bold enough to despise Emperor Maximilian. Again, he noticed that Maximilian had an honorable, sincere mind, and therefore wanted to be disrespected; this is why the same war arose in 1504.
7. the devil's science.
When one said that Magister N. had preached that the devil did not know what men's thoughts were, he said, "I do not believe that he preached in this way, for the Scriptures clearly show that the devil gives evil thoughts to men and blinds the minds of the wicked. And of Judah it is written Jn 13:27 that the devil put it into his heart to betray Christ. And Cain was not only given to think evil of Abel his brother and to be an enemy to him, but he also incited and drove him to murder him, Gen. 4:8.
He does not know the thoughts of the faithful until they lead out with it; for Christ is too wise for him. As then he could not know what Christ thought in his heart; so
Nor can he know the godly thoughts in whose hearts Christ dwells. But a mighty, devious spirit is he, whom Christ himself calls "the prince of the world", John 14:30, who goes about and shoots terrible thoughts, which are his fiery arrows, also into the hearts of the godly, as there are: Unwillingness, anger, hatred against God, despair, blasphemy etc. St. Paul understood them well in part, and also complains strongly about them, as he says 2 Cor. 12, 7: "I have been given a stake in the flesh, that is, the angel of Satan, who smites me with fists" etc.
These are the high spiritual temptations that no pope has understood. The crude, unskilled, untried people knew of no other temptation than the evil inclination and lust of the flesh. Therefore they interpreted the words of St. Paul: "I am given a stake in the flesh", from the disorderly love of Paul, so that he should have been inflamed against Thecla. 1) (Oh, the devil has been so hard on him that he has well forgotten the carnal immorality). Of this challenge, namely of the unchastity, the teachers in the Pabstthum, whose they also held partly for holy, have written the most, and of others little.
Of Benedicto they write that, since he was once very challenged with unchastity, he rolled naked in briars and scratched the body well to drive away the evil desire etc. With this and other ways, it is called hären Hemde, the body chastise with whips, remaining fasting etc., (so that some have hurt their bodies so much that they have had to die before the time), nothing is accomplished; indeed, the devil has seen his pleasure and joy in it, laughed at the poor people and mocked them that they have toiled so hard, and thought: before this armor and brave armor I will remain well, will not be repelled by it for a long time, nor put to flight and overcome.
Therefore, if the evil, poisonous spirit is to be resisted, this is not the way to meet it without word and heartfelt prayer,
1) Cf. Cap. 26, § 40; § 46; § 50; Cap. 53, § 5.
as in the papacy, where they did not learn, much less experience, the benefit and power of the word and prayer; but subjected themselves to warding off the afflictions of the flesh by their own works, out of human devotion and discretion. For over this temptation, as I said, they were most troubled, which would have been well advised if God's word and order had been followed, since He says: "It is not good that man should be alone" etc. But the devil has reversed all this, forbidding marriage through his governor, the end-Christ at Rome etc.
You write about a nun, Mechtilde, if I remember correctly: Since she was severely challenged with unchastity, she asked God that he would rid her of it and put on another, however great and difficult it might be. Now that she had granted her request, she was challenged for wanting to condemn God. Then murmuring and blasphemy arose in her heart against God. 2) She could bear this temptation much less than the previous one; therefore, if she could get rid of it, she would gladly suffer the previous one.
Oh, the poor people lacked the word and right prayer. We have both, praise God, pure and abundant. But few need this armor against the devil. In a short time, after this bright light, a terrible, horrible darkness will come again.
8. the devil's handiwork, which he does daily to damage people.
(The beginning of this section is transferred to Cap. 7, § 94, where it belongs).
In sum, the devil's power is greater, neither we think nor believe, because only God's finger can resist him in believers. May Christ say, Luc. 13, 11. ff., of the woman who was crooked and could not look well, since Satanas had bound her eighteen years; and Peter, Apost. 10, 38, Christ "healed all those who were overcome by the devil"; so he will also be able to bewitch a man (do not talk about spiritual bewitchment, Gal. 3, 1.), paralyze a member of his body, ruin an eye out of God's decree.
2) Cf. cap. 15, § 36.
The devil is the cause of death and of all pestilences and diseases. Item, that the medicine comes from God, therefore one may well need it.
I consider that Satan sends all serious plagues and diseases to people (because he is a prince of death). Therefore Peter says, Apost. 10, 38, that Christ "healed all who were overcome by the devil. Now Christ did not only help those who were possessed by the devil, but also made the blind see, the lame walk, the crippled and crooked straight, the lepers clean, the deaf hear, and the gout-ridden healthy. Therefore I think that all dangerous plagues of the devil are blows and plagues.
But he needs natural instruments or means for it, as a murderer needs a sword or other weapons. Just as God needs means to keep people alive and healthy, as: Sleep, food, drink etc. For without means he does not work. Likewise also the devil damages and kills humans by means, which serve him for it, poisons the air etc. If the fence tilts a little, he knocks it down completely.
A physician is our Lord God's flicker, helps physically; we theologians spiritually, that we make the thing good, if the devil has spoiled it. The devil gives poison to kill man; a physician gives theriac or other medicine, thus helps the creature (man) by means of the creature (the medicine), which has not come from the books, but God has revealed it; or, as Sirach says Cap. 38, v. 2. 3.: "It comes from the Most High, and the Lord makes it grow out of the earth." Just as jurisprudence does not come from books, but flows from nature and is created.
But it is a miracle (that I also say this, that I am certainly reported), that great princes and lords have medicines, which they give and apply themselves, which are strong and healing, otherwise nothing would work, if a medicus gave it. So I hear that both Electors of Saxony 2c, Duke Frederick and Duke John, have an eye tonic that helps whom they give it to: the cause of the sore eyes comes from heat.
or from cold. A physician should not dare nor give it. Thus, in theology, where people are given spiritual advice, one preacher has more grace to comfort and teach troubled consciences than another. Therefore we may well need the bodily medicine, as a good creature of God.
Once our mayor asked me if it was against God to need medicine? For D. Carlstadt had preached publicly: Whoever was ill should not need medicine, but should give the matter home to God, and pray that His will be done etc. I asked him again, "Does he eat when he is hungry? Yes, he said. Then I said to him, "So you also may need medicine, which is God's creature as well as food, drink and other things that we need to sustain this life.
The devil is the executioner of our Lord God.
God has caused the devil to afflict and plague the world for its sins, ingratitude and contempt through various illnesses, tribulations and adversities, such as pestilence, war, the troubled times, so that the devil, not God, is the founder and cause of all sorrow and misfortune, as can be seen in Proverbs Luc. 13 and Acts 10:38 above. 10, 38, quoted above. What serves and helps death, be it what it may, is the devil's instrument and handiwork, which he practices and carries out in the world without ceasing. Again, what serves life is God's grace, gift and benefit. It is true that he also kills, but for life; as Hannah sings in her song: "The Lord kills and brings to life again", 1 Sam. 2, 6. But when ungodly beings and all kinds of sin take over, the devil must be our Lord God's executioner. At the time of pestilence he blows into a house; what he seizes he takes away.
The devil makes people restless, even in their sleep.
Satan worries and torments people in all kinds of ways, so that he also torments some in their sleep with heavy dreams and visions.
vexed and frightened, so that sometimes the whole body sweats from great fear of the heart. In addition, he leads some asleep from their beds and chambers to high and dangerous places, so that if they are not protected by the service and protection of the holy angels around them, he throws them down and they fall to their deaths.
The devil's power and cunning are controlled by Christ alone.
(Cordatus No. 1377. 1378.)
The devil is not a doctor, but experienced, and against him no one but Jesus Christ is valid, and can make himself fine to God and says [Matth. 4, 9.]: "I will give you all these things", where he believes that Christ is his creature. But Christ calls him by his right name [Matth. 4, 10.], "Lift thyself up from me, Satan." This challenge no one understands, he will have moved Christ, especially since he spoke with words of majesty: "All these things are mine, I give them to whom I will.
The devil gives, and God gives, but you distinguish between giver and giver. I admit, says Christ, that you are a giver, but for that reason I will not worship you. He is a mischievous spirit, who is allowed to accuse Christ of this. He will have presented him with an illusion in which he saw the whole world, and the temptation was: "One might well accept such honor and at the same time be the Son of God.
13. to meet the devil when he holds sin against us.
(This § is included in the sense of Cap. 11, § 15, para. 1.)
If the devil plagues you and reproaches you for being a sinner, yes, say I cannot deny it. - Therefore you are mine. - Not by a long shot, for God's mercy is much greater than my sin and the sin of all bets. For this reason I do not want to heap more and more horrible sins on top of the previous ones, so that I should prove God, my Lord, false, who is merciful, and deny Christ, who gave himself for our sin. David did evil, took Uriah as his wife, and slept with her, so that
she became pregnant by him, 2 Sam. 11, 4. ff., because he could not persuade or move the pious Uriam with good words, so that he went to his house and slept with his wife etc. But he confessed his sin and obtained forgiveness of his sin through Christ.
14. to resist the evil spirit when it troubles our conscience because of the sins we have committed.
When the envious, poisonous spirit, our enemy, the wicked Satan, accuses us and torments us (as he is wont to do) because of our life, evil works and sins, and gives us up as if we should belong to his kingdom for their sake, his servants and prisoners, and be eternally condemned, that he should lead us into despair, we should meet him and answer in this way: Why dost thou, thou blasphemous spirit, converse with me these things? Do you not know that Christ, my Lord, who crushed your head, forbade me not to believe you, even though you speak the truth, baptizing you and calling you "a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies," John 8:44? Nor do I confess to you that I am to be condemned by you as a prisoner, because of my sin, as a condemned man to eternal death and hellish torment and torture, who have now long been stripped of Christ, my Lord and Savior, judged, and cast out and handed over to hell with eternal bands and chains of darkness, so that you will be kept with all your companions for the judgment of the great day, and finally plunged with all the wicked into the abyss of hell. Further, by what authority dost thou presume to exercise such law and violence against me? For thou hast not given me life, nor wife, nor child, nor the least thing; neither art thou my lord, much less the maker of my body and soul; neither hast thou made me the limbs that I have sinned. How then, thou wicked false spirit, art thou so bold and foolish, that thou canst refrain from ruling over all that I am and have, with all authority, as if thou wert God?
Also thou shalt hold before him, when he shall afflict thee, as it is said, that thou shalt speak:
You have a God and Lord who says, "I am a God of the dead, that is, of afflicted, miserable sinners; but that I may make them alive, happy and righteous, as it is written in 1 Sam. 2:6: "I kill, and I make alive; I lead into hell and out again." I acknowledge Him as my God, call upon Him in all distress, praise and extol Him for all His mercy and good deeds. You are also a God, but of the living (that is, of the secure, presumptuous etc., who do not feel their sin and damnation), that you kill them. I do not want and do not like that god, therefore troll you, you spirit of shame.
(15) The devil must be resisted by word and prayer, otherwise nothing can be broken off from him.
It is not enough that one who is challenged by the devil reproaches him with God's word; for the wicked, cunning spirit is so clever that he takes away one's defenses, and suddenly frightens him so much that he does not know where to start from: as he often does to me. He knows and feels that my heart prays without ceasing; nor does the evil one often reproach me, and afflict me: I do not pray. In sum, he is a swift spirit that reaches for the sword and sometimes snatches it out of one's hand when our Lord God steps behind the little door and hides himself a little. Therefore, it must always be prayed: Dear heavenly Father, help for the sake of Christ.
No one should dare to fight with him, because he first prays with great earnestness. He is a thousandfold artist who is far too strong and powerful for us, for he is the prince and god of the world. He is also far too clever and cunning for us, and has long practiced his craft of lying, deceiving, seducing and murdering, so that we do not know the thousandth part of what he knows. In addition, he is murderously hostile to us, walks around like a roaring lion etc., has also brought down much greater, holier, more learned people than we are; yes, whom we could not hold a candle to, as, Adam, Moses, Aaron, David, Peter etc., that he well knows how he should come at us, because he has deceived those.
Therefore, we should always persevere in prayer and watchfulness so that we do not fall into temptation. The false saints go safely, live without any temptations, like Judas, their father. Therefore, when their hour comes, they go, not knowing where to end. We, however, who are in the field with him, know by God's grace how to deal with the swift rogue, even though he often makes us sweat with fear.
His greatest trickery and cunning is that he makes a law out of the gospel. If I could distinguish between the two, the law and the gospel, I would tell him to lick me every hour. Even if I had hardly sinned, I would defy him and say, "How, because I have sinned, is the gospel to be blamed or denied? Not by a long shot; grace is much more powerful than sin.
But if he puts me to the task and burden of disputing with myself, "This you have done, that you have left undone," then he has won, and I am down, unless I, by the grace of God, take hold of myself, pick myself up, and take up the sword again, defend myself, and say: That I have done this, I have left that, I am therefore undaunted, for I believe through Christ forgiveness of sins: and that I should not doubt it, I have a sure pledge of it, for I have been baptized etc. For this I have received the true body given for me, the blood of my dear Lord and Savior JEsu Christ, shed for me, for the remission of sins.
But whoever persists in doing and not doing, and does not take hold of the article "forgiveness of sins", he goes there, like D. Krause 1) at Halle, who fell into temptation, because he had taken the half sacrament, which he had previously received completely, according to Christ's command, to please the bishop, then he would be lost, Christ would stand against him and accuse him etc. But there would have been no need for him if someone had been there to comfort him in God's name: If you have done it, it is done. - But I have contradicted
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, Col. 2218 ff. Luther's letter to the Christians at Halle of Apr. 26, 1528. Dr. Krause cut off his neck in despair. Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, 1968, § 33.
my conscience, therefore I am of the devil. - Not yet, let our doings be as they may, but God wants us to hear His dear Son, in whom He is well pleased, who says: "He who believes" etc., no one excluded, "shall be saved", Marc. 16, 16.: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened", Matth. 11, 28.
Whoever could make a strong distinction between the law and the gospel would be well advised. For they are two different words: one speaks of our doings, the other of God's grace and truth. Or, one frightens, the other comforts. Now when the devil reproaches you: You have not kept what God commanded, nor obeyed what he forbade, therefore you are mine. - Oh no. Not to me. That God is angry and punishes is true, but the obstinate and impenitent. But he is kind and gracious to those who feel their misery and desire his mercy. But his mercy is a thousand times greater than our sin. "He is angry but for a moment, and delighteth to live," Ps. 30:6. as he speaks through the prophet, Ezek. 33, 11. "As I live, I have no pleasure in the sinner's death," etc. If I have sinned, let Christ, our mediator, who gave himself for us to redeem us, help me.
That would be the right art to meet the devil; but it is difficult for anyone to get there, especially because the temptation lasts; as Paul himself complains about it Rom. 7:23: "I see another law in my members, which is contrary to the law in my mind, and takes me captive to the law of sins. But this is our comfort, that "God is faithful, who does not let us be tempted beyond our ability, but makes the temptation come to an end so that we can bear it," 1 Cor. 10:13.
16. how the devils are cast out.
We should not now, nor can we, cast out the devils with certain ceremonies and words, as the prophets, Christ and the apostles did in the past. We are to pray in the name of Christ, the church with
Earnestly exhort to prayer that the dear God and Father of our dear Lord Jesus Christ may redeem the possessed man by His mercy. If such a prayer is made in faith, based on Christ's promise John 16:23: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father," etc., it is strong and powerful, so that the devil must leave the person; as I could tell you several examples. Otherwise we cannot cast out evil spirits, nor are we able to do so.
But if one were called by God without means, and had faith to perform miracles, he could cast out devils that possess man in the flesh; as the prophets and apostles of old, who were called by God without means, and had a special command to cast out unclean spirits and to perform other miracles. Therefore they pushed and tore through them mightily, so that the sick were healed, who alone were overshadowed by the shadow of Peter, Apost. 5, 15. and Apost. 19, 12. Lucas writes: Since those around Paul "held his skin sweatcloth and tissues over the sick, the plagues departed from them, and the evil spirits departed from them.
(Here a paragraph is omitted because contained in Cap. 24, § 64.)
17. conjurors of the devils in the papacy.
(The first paragraph Cordatus No. 1666.)
Those possessed by the devil under the pope were not freed by the power of the conjurers, because they did not mean it seriously. This must be done by the power of God and not by these words: "Go out, you evil spirit, and someone must put his life on it, because it does not happen without terror. So Christ felt Marc. 5, 30. Luc. 8, 46.] that a power had gone out from Him etc. The evil spirit is cast out either by the prayer of the church, which gathers its prayer together, or by one who is strong in spirit. That he was seen to go out at a given sign is a lie to deceive several spiritually. Paul calls [2 Thess. 2, 9.] such things: False miracles, as that the evil spirits would be driven out by the sound of the bell of St. Cyriac.
1) So it happened in St. Cyriac's church, in the monastery at Weimelburg, not far from Eisleben, where there was a great pilgrimage and crowd, that a monk, a good drinking brother, commanded a possessed man that he should open his mouth, let him put two fingers in it, and yet not bite him; this happened. He also commanded the devil that he should go out when one would ring St. Cyriac's 2) little bell; this the prankster also did, so that he strengthened the poor people in the delusion and error that the little bell would be so holy that the devil would have to go out to his sound, and thus even destroy the faith in Christ.
18 There were many possessed people in the time of Christ.
(Cordatus No. 1667.)
At the time of Christ, everything was full of Sadducees, Pharisees, Epicureans [fleshly-minded people], Peripatetics [philosophers, reasoners]. That is why there were also many who were possessed by the devil. And there are many even now, but they are called madmen, fools etc. And no one is reckoned possessed unless he is evidently afflicted with the devil. In our time he is not cast out so soon, because he does not pretend now [as if he were cast out].
19. the devil cannot be cast out now, when the gospel is being taught, as he was before in the papacy, because his mischievousness
and cunning is known to us that he cannot deceive us.
Now I think that there are as many possessed people now as in the time of Christ; only those who are physically plagued and tormented by the devil should be counted as possessed, not the moonstruck, fools, senseless etc. But in our time, when the light of the gospel shines, the evil one cannot be cast out as he did in the papacy, when he acted as if he were executing when he was summoned, because he cannot ape and beguile us as he did before this time.
1) This paragraph will probably be spurious, an extension of the last preceding words.
2) Corrected by us from "Ciliax" according to the preceding.
Time. Yes, he proves his supreme power and cunning at the last time, does not play and deceive, as formerly in the papacy, as can be seen in the people, who visibly become more and more angry every day, and yet want to be Christians, to know much about the gospel etc. On the other hand, Christ is weak, allows the wicked to continue in their pretensions, and, as it seems, does not take care of his small flock etc. From this I assume and conclude that the blessed appearance and future of our dear Lord Christ must not be far away, when he will again show and prove his divine power against the devil and his scales. He will now let him be drilled until his hour.
The mischievous one has sharpened the knife on the arch-fathers, before and after the flood; item, on the prophets, Christ, the apostles, and their disciples. We are the last and weakest group, even the yeast compared to them, and therefore can hardly hold a candle to them. For nowhere has there been such certain knowledge, firm faith, high enlightenment, great wisdom, holiness, steadfastness and power to resist the devil and to despise the disgrace and wrath of the wicked and condemned world as in them. But I hope that in and through us, who are the weakest of all, Christ will overcome the most powerful, poisonous and fierce enemy, amen.
20) Whether the devil knew Christ according to the flesh.
When one asked if the devil knew Christ according to the flesh, M. M. answered: Yes, he knows the scripture: "Behold, a virgin is with child", Is. 7, 14. Item: "A child is born to us" etc., Is. 9, 6. and hear that we sing daily: Verbum cara factum est. Item: Et incarnatus est de Spiritu sancto, et Homo factus est. But because Christ held himself so low, dealing with public sinners and sinners etc., and therefore had no reputation, he looked above and knew him not. For the devil is clear-sighted, he only looks at what is great and high, there he attaches himself; below himself, and what is lowly, he does not look at.
But the eternal, merciful God turns around and looks at what is lowly, as the 113th Psalm, v. 6, sings: "Our God looks at what is lowly"; and Is. 66, 2: "I look at the wretched, and the broken in spirit, and who fears my word. But what is high he lets go, yes, it is an abomination before him, as Christ Luc. 16, 15. says: "What is high among men is an abomination before God." Therefore let him who desires to go high take heed of the devil, lest he overthrow him: for his way is first to lead into heaven, and after that to cast him into the abyss of hell.
Do not invite the devil as a guest.
(The first paragraph of this § in Lauterbach, Oct. 7, 1538.
S. 142.)
That day Luther was hunting, where a hare and a fox were seen by everyone. When Erasmus Spiegel pursued him on horseback, the horse suddenly fell and died. This hare was a devil's ghost; as they told a story right after that, that many noblemen would have ridden in the bet and would have said: The last of the devil. But a boy, who had two horses, left the one behind, which was led away by the devil into the air. Luther answered: One should not invite the devil as a guest. We have enough to do against him with prayer and vigilance.
1) In 1546, Martin Luther in Eisleben was told over the table that noblemen in the land of Thuringia had once frightened hares at night on Herselberg and caught them at eight. When they came home and hung up the rabbits, in the morning they had been the heads of horses, which otherwise lay on the shingles.
22) How blasphemy and presumption are punished.
Doctor Luther said in Eisleben: That once good fellows had sat together in a coal mine. Now there had been a wild, wild child among them, who had said: If
1) This last paragraph is not a table talk of Luther, but Aurifaber's narration.
If someone were to give him a good draught of wine, he would sell him his soul for it. Not long after that, someone came to him in the parlor, sat down with him and drank with him. He said to the man who had been so presumptuous, "Listen, you said before that if someone gave you a bottle of wine, you would sell him your soul for it. Then he said again, "Yes, I will do it; let me feast today and be in good spirits. The man (who was the devil) said yes, and soon after that he left him again. When the same gourmand had been merry all day, and at last was drunk, the former man (the devil) came again and sat down by him, and asked the other revelers, saying, "Gentlemen, what do you think, when a man chews a horse, does not the saddle and bridle belong to him also? They were all frightened. But finally the man said, "Well, tell it quickly. Then they confessed and said, "Yes, the saddle and bridle also belong to him. Then the devil took the same wild, rough fellow and led him through the ceiling, so that no one knew where he had gone.
At another time, Doctor Luther told this story of presumption and blasphemy, and said: Once a man of war had been appointed in the Mark, but he had been wronged and violated. He had given money to his host, and when he demanded it from him again, the host denied it and said: He had received nothing from him. When the lansquenet disagreed with the landlord about the money and stormed the house, the landlord came and had the lansquenet arrested; he wanted to deceive the lansquenet into keeping the money and sued the lansquenet to the hilt, to the neck and to the stomach, as if he had broken the peace of his house. -Then the devil came to the farmhand in prison and said to him, "Tomorrow you will be brought before the court and your head will be cut off because you have broken the peace of the house. If you want to be mine, body and soul, I will help you. But the lansquenet would not do it. Then
The devil said, "Do this to him: when you come before the court and are severely accused, plead that you gave the money to the innkeeper, and say that you are a bad speaker and should be granted an advocate who will speak to you; then I will stand not far from you in a blue hat with a white feather and lead your cause, and ask for me. This was done. But when the innkeeper seriously denied before the court that he did not have the money, the landsknecht's procurator in the blue hat said: "Dear innkeeper, why should you deny it, the money is in your bed under the main pillow; you judges and magistrates, send, you will find the landsknecht's money there. Then the innkeeper conspired and said, "If I have received the money, let the devil take me away. When the envoys came to the inn, they found the money in the bed and brought it to court. Then the man in the blue hat said, "I knew I wanted to get one of them, either the innkeeper or the guest," and turned the innkeeper's head and led him away in the air. And he told Doctor Luther that he did not like to hear that people were swearing by the devil and cursing each other, because the fellow was not far from us. One should not ask him to pray, nor have him painted over the door, otherwise he would be close enough to us.
How the devil's hope will be broken.
(Cordatus No. 404. This § follows Cap. 15, §. 8.)
Likewise, when the devil tried to deceive him in the form of a sow, another said, "Behold, you beautiful angel, have you become a sow?
24. the devil's ghost in mines.
In the mines, the devil deceives and deceives people, making a spectre and a noise before their eyes, so that they think they see a great heap of ore and solid silver, when it is nothing. For can he charm and beguile the people above the earth, under the sun, in broad daylight, so that they think a thing is something else?
and keep it, because it is in himself; so he can do it especially in the mine, where people are often deceived. I do not deny that ore is found in many mines and shafts, and is a special gift from God, but is not given to everyone. I know that I have no luck in mines; all others have had to pay for mine, for Satan does not grant me this gift of God: I am well content with that.
25. the devil's power.
(Contained in Cap. 24, § 19.)
Of devil comes all sadness and gloom.
(Enthaltm in Cap. 26, § 3.)
27 Satan's raging against the human race.
(Cordatus No. 247.)
Satan knows that we must die, yet he rages against us so much that he deals with killing us every moment (as much as is in him), and that immediately from the beginning of our life.
28. drive out the devil.
(Contained in Cap. 26, § 23.)
To perish from the devil is more praiseworthy than from men.
(Cordatus No. 1389.)
I would rather die at the hands of the devil than at the hands of the emperor, then I will die at the hands of a great lord, but he will get a bite of me that will not be good for him. He shall spit it back, and I will eat him again at the last day.
30. the devil's way against Christ.
(Cordatus No. 1375.)
The devil must not tell me that I am not pious. I would not like to be pious either, otherwise the whole treasure of Christ would be lost on me.
(The following is omitted because contained in Cap.
13, § 80.)
How to be skillful and equipped to stand against the devil's temptation in the time of death.
(This § is in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, cap. 1. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, §§ 78. 79.)
The devil can make sin out of good works.
(This § is in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, cap. 1. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, § 79.)
Spiritual armor and divine weapons against the devil.
(This § is in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. I. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, ss 81. 82.)
Whoever believes can easily overcome the devil.
(This section, except for the last paragraph, is found in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. I. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, R 83. 84.)
Luther also said: "The devil is afraid of the word of God, he cannot bite it, his teeth become loose.
35. the devil's art and masterpieces.
(This is in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, cap. 1. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, §§ 87. 88. 89. 1)
The devil challenges all articles of faith in the hearts of believers.
Satan cannot leave it alone, he must challenge all articles of faith in our hearts before we depart from this life: so bitterly hostile is he to faith, which he well knows is the power and overcoming, so that we overcome the world, as John says 1 John 5:4, 5: "Our faith is the victory that overcame the world. But who is he that overcometh the world, except he that believeth that JESUS is the Son of God?" Therefore, it is necessary for us to grasp the faith in a real and certain way, and to
1) The two U 87 and 88 were already once completely included in Cap. 7, § 130 at the end, but are here again, processed into a paragraph, used to form an entrance to the following.
Strengthen and strengthen us day by day through daily practice in the Word and prayer, so that we may resist the devil.
The devil is a cause of all sickness and misfortune.
No disease comes from God, 2) as he is good and does everyone all good; but is from the devil, who causes all misfortune and causes, and mixes himself in all games and arts, shoots from pestilence, French, fever etc. If he comes among the jurists, he causes misfortune, disagreement, makes injustice out of right, and right out of injustice. If he comes among great potentates, emperors, kings, princes etc., he causes war and bloodshed. If he comes among the theologians, he again causes such misfortune that no human wit can help: deprive people of property and honor, body and soul, with false doctrine. But it is God alone who can calm and control him with his word, even though it takes great effort.
38. whether the devil, once overcome, will come back.
To this M. D. said: "I think that if a devil who has once been struck dead, that is, overcome with God's Word and Spirit, he must leave and not come back with the same temptation. For Christ says Matth. 4, 10: "Arise, Satan" etc. and Marc. 5, 8: "Depart" etc. Then they say v. 12: "Let us go into the swine." I believe that the saints beat and choke many devils in battle, says Origen. But I believe that the devils who are beaten and overcome become poltergeists or wild rags 3) because they are corrupt devils. Likewise I believe that the monkeys are vain devils.
How the devil charms people.
(Here a long section of about three "Columne" is omitted, because taken from the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 3. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, §§ 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21, which was reproduced here with many additions, omissions and rearrangements).
2) Cf. § 9 of this Cap.
3) Instead of: "wild rags"' Stangwald has: "monkeys, guenons and wild impetuous Gespenste".
(39) The devil also torments the true Christians with his specter.
(This § is found in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 3. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, §§ 22. 23.)
40. bon poltergeists.
When it was asked: whether there were also poltergeists? because Osiander denied it and disapproved of it; D. M. Luther answered: But he must have something special. Nevertheless, one must confess that people are possessed by the devil, and I have experienced that spirits go around, frighten people, prevent them from sleeping, that they become ill.
41 Historia, wie ein Poltergeist einen Pfarrherr geplaget habe, und D. Luther's advice on how to drive him out.
(Lauterbach, Apr. 5, 1538, p. 55.)
On April 5, the pastor of the church at Subtitz, near Torgau, came and complained about ghosts and disturbances of the devil, who bothered him by nightly noise and real breaking of all household utensils, throwing his pots and bowls close to his head, so that they burst into pieces. 1) And apparently he torments him by laughing at him, but he sees nothing, and many other things he has done for a whole year, so that even his wife and children want to leave. Luther answered: My brother, be strong in the Lord and sure in faith, do not give way to that robber and suffer the outward and small harm by breaking the pots, for he cannot harm you in soul and body, as you have experienced, for the angel of the Lord is with you. Let him play with pots. You pray with your children and the woman to God: Troll yourself, Satan, I am master in this house and you are not. I am the father of the house here by divine power, and the pastor of the church by heavenly calling; I have the testimony from heaven and from earth.
1) In the original it says: "Threw him the toppe and Schussel zu. Only at the kopff hin, that they jumped on the stuck." We have undoubtedly given the sense correctly; however, in detail we are uncertain 1. whether in zuwerfen" "zu" was also used separately; 2. whether "nur" means close to the touch; 3. whether "auf Stücken" and "zu Stücken" are the same.
I. But you go in as a thief and robber. You are a murderer and a villain, why didn't you stay in heaven? Who invited you in? So sing him his litany and legend and let him play his time. That is why I was often tormented in my prison in Patmos, up in the castle in the kingdom of the birds. I resisted him in faith and held out to him the verse: God is my [God], who created man, and "you have put everything under his feet" (Ps. 8, 7.). If you have any power over it, try it.
Faith overcomes the devil.
The devil is a spirit and founder of presumption, and is not driven out by an unbelieving, wild or crude Christian, but faith overcomes him. Luther told this example: There was a doctor of medicine who had seen a child being baptized in church, and had heard the words of baptism spoken with diligence, and from this he had gained a strong faith, so that he had said with great joy: "If I knew that I had been baptized with these words, just as this child, I would no longer fear the devil. When the child's parents and others, who were otherwise concerned about the baptism, said that he had also been baptized in the same way, and that these words had also been spoken about his baptism, the doctor gained even more courage and spirit, so that he did not want to fear the devil or any misfortune. Now it happened that the devil appeared to the doctor in the form of a shaggy goat with long horns and let himself be seen on the wall. The doctor realized that it was the devil and took heart, caught the goat by the horns and tore it from the wall, hit the goat on the table, kept the horns in his hand, and the body disappeared.
Another one sees this and thinks: "If the doctor has done this, I will do the same, since I am baptized as well as he is. When the devil met him in the form of a goat. When the devil met him in the form of a goat, he also wanted to perform this miracle and drove out of the goat.
The devil twisted his neck and strangled him. This is what happens to a man who wants to be a monkey and, out of certainty and presumption, imitates the examples that only faith is entitled to and that no one else can imitate.
43. poltergeists, so D. Luthern have plagued at Wartburg in his Patmo.
(The first paragraph at Cordatus No. 1125.)
The devil often tormented me with his haunting, especially in the castle where I was a prisoner for a while. There he took the walnuts from the table and hurled them to the ceiling all night long. 1)
In 1546, when Luther was in Eisleben, he told the following story about how the devil had plagued him in Wartburg, and said: "When I left Worms in 1521 and was captured near Eisenach, and was sitting in the Patmo in Wartburg Castle, I was far away from people in a room and no one could come to me, except two noble boys, who brought me food and drink twice a day. Now they had bought me a sack of hazelnuts, which I ate at times, and had locked the same in a box. When I went to bed at night, I undressed in the parlor, turned off the light and went into the room, lay down in bed: there it comes over the hazelnuts, lifts, and quizzes one after the other on the beams mighty hard, rumbles me at the bed; but I asked nothing about it. As I fell asleep a little, there was such a thudding at the stairs, as if a shock of barrels were being thrown down the stairs: yet I knew well that the stairs were well guarded with chains and iron, so that no one could climb up; nor did so many barrels fall down. I stood up and went out the stairs to see what was there, and the stairs were closed. Then said I, If it be thou, then be it: and I commended myself unto the Lord Christ, of whom it is written, Omnia subjecisti pedibus ejus, as Psalm 8:7 saith; and I lay me down again in my bed.
Now Hans von Berlibs' 2) wife came to Eise-
1) The following paragraph is probably only an Aurifaberian extension of this narrative.
2) D. i. Berlepsch. (Förstemann.)
and had smelled that I was in the castle, would have liked to see me, but it could not be. So they took me to another room and put the same Frau von Berlibs in my chamber. There was such a rumbling in the chamber during the night that she would have thought there were a thousand devils inside. But the best way to drive him away is to call on Christ and despise the devil; he cannot stand that. One must say to him: If you are a lord over Christ, so be it. For so I also said to Eisenach.
44. The devil can be driven away with contempt and ridiculous antics.
Doctor Luther said: If he had not been able to get rid of the devil with the Holy Scriptures and with serious words, he would often have driven him away with pointed words and ridiculous antics. And if he had wanted to weigh down his conscience, he would often have said to him: 3) Devil, I have also pissed in my pants, have you also smelled it and written it in your register with the other sins of mine? Item, he would have said to him: "Dear devil, if the blood of Christ, shed for my sins, is not enough, I beg you to ask God for me. When I am idle, and have nothing to do, the devil creeps in to me, and before I look around, he chases me with a sweat: if I then offer him the spear with the divine word, he flees. Nevertheless, he makes me bloodthirsty beforehand, or shows me some other hardship.
4) But that he could nowhere be driven away with better than with contempt, that he-
3) The same in another relation, Cap. 26, § 23.
4) This extensive narration is found in two different, short relations in Cordatus, No. 521 and No. 1124, of which we communicate only the former here:
(Cordatus No. 521.)
Satan is not defeated more easily than through contempt. This was done excellently by a certain woman in Magdeburg, who was often plagued by ghosts^) at night. She let out a big fart and said: "Behold, devil, have a staff and go to Rome to the idol. And the plague spirit left.
*) manidus, actually of departed souls. - The difficulty of the beginning of this section is raised by the fact that read
D. Luther told a story that had happened in Magdeburg, and said: In the beginning of my teaching, when the Gospel began, the devil almost lay down and did not like to let go of the rumbling, because he would have liked to receive the Purgatory and the Discursum animarum in Magdeburg. Now there was a citizen there whose child died, and he did not let him sing the vigil and the requiem, for there was a lot of it. So the devil began to play a game and came into the chamber every night at eight o'clock, whimpering like a young child. The good man was sorry and did not know what to do to him. Then the priests cried out: You see how it is when one does not keep vigils etc. How does the poor soul suffer! Thereupon the citizen sent to me, and let me ask for advice; because my sermon about the saying: "They have Moses and the prophets", had gone out, which he had read. Then I wrote to him again: He should not let anything be held, for he and all the household should certainly believe that it was the devil who was doing this. So the children and the household despised the devil and said, "Devil, what are you doing? Devil, what are you doing, have you nothing else to do? Get thee up, thou accursed spirit, where thou belongest, into the abyss of hell. When the devil realized this, he was no longer a child, but he rumbled, stormed, threw and struck, and did dreadful things, often letting himself be seen like a wolf howling; but the children and everyone despised him. Whenever a maid went up the stairs with a child, he would run after her with his hands, and the servants would say, "Are you mad?
Finally, Mr. Jakob, the provost of Bremen, came to Magdeburg and entered the man's inn, and also wanted to hear the spirit. The innkeeper said, "Yes, you shall hear him; he said, "Listen to him on the evening at eight o'clock, when he will come. This is what happened. He came over the stove and threw everything down. Then Jacob said, "Well, I have heard him, let us go to bed. But there were two chambers next to each other, in one of which his wife lay, and the children and servants, Mr. Jacob and the innkeeper lay outside the chamber. As Mr. Jakob was
When Jacob lay down in bed, the devil came and played with him and took away his comforter; he had been afraid and had prayed diligently, and he had been frightened, for he had rumbled and rumbled on the floor. Finally he came over to the poor woman who lay in one of the chambers, with whom he also joked, running along on her bed like vain rat mice. Since he does not want to stop, the woman comes here, and turns the ars out to the bed, and leaves him a fart (to speak with breeding), and says: See there, devil, there you have a staff, take it in your hand, and go with it on pilgrimage to Rome to your idol, the pope, and get indulgences from him. Mocked thus still the devil in addition. After that the devil remained outside with his rumbling. Quia est superbus spiritus, et non potest ferre contemptum sui.
For what it is good that the devil challenges the Christians.
46 The devil can also hasten the right saints, and what the heretic does, he does not do.
Type is.
(This § is found in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 3. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, §§ 26. 27.)
The devil is powerful in charming people.
(This § is found in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 3. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, 88 30. 31.)
48. The devil can disguise himself in Christ's person.
(This § is found in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 3. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, 8 32.)
49. how to beware of the devil's sorcery.
(This § is found in the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 3. Walch, old edition, vol. VIII, 88 37. 38.)
50. the devil's work.
The devil has two things with which he deals and promotes his kingdom and rumbles in the world, namely lying and murder, which he does for and for with all diligence without ceasing. God has commanded: Thou shalt not kill; and: Do not have other gods. Against these two commandments Satan acts in his members with all seriousness, unceasingly. He cannot and does not like anything else, but lies and murders, as one, unfortunately, sees and experiences too much. He no longer jokes and mimics people with poltergeists, for he sees that [it] now has a much different opinion and opportunity than it did some twenty years ago. He truly attacks it now and in the right place, and does not celebrate. The poltergeists have now become thin with us, but the rotten spirits are increasing beyond measure and gaining the upper hand, God forbid!
51. violence of the devil.
(The first paragraph Lauterbach, Nov. 16, 1538, p. 169.)
1) After that Luther asked Jonas about the passage in Job, where it is clearly stated that God allowed Satan to strike the holy Job, because he says (2, 6.): Behold, he is in your hand; but spare his life, and yet also says that God stretched out his hand a little. He left this question undiscussed.
D. Martin was asked by someone: What kind of violence does the devil need, whether it is granted and permitted to him, or whether he is commanded to do it? Oh no, he answered, the power he uses is not commanded to him; but our Lord God does not hinder him, looks through his fingers, lets him do and rumble, but not longer and further than he wants: for he has set him a goal, beyond which he may not nor can step. Just as if a great lord saw that someone was setting fire to his barn, and did not prevent him, but looked through his fingers. So does our Lord God also with the devil. Then said he, saith God of Job unto Satan, Cap. 2, 6: "Behold,
1) In this section, Luther leaves the question undiscussed, in contrast to Aurifaber's account in the following paragraph.
let him be in your hand, but spare his life." Yes, said D. Martin, the violence that Satan used against Job was permitted and deafened by God. As if God wanted to say, "Well, I will grant and allow you one thing; but do nothing to his life.
52. specimen of this life.
How the devil household, rumbles, rages and rages with lies and murders, to body and soul, property and honor, of this one runs, sees and experiences many terrible examples; but nevertheless one must think that God admits it thus, and lets it happen.
The devil is the founder of all misfortune.
(The first paragraph of this § was contained in Cap. 24, 810, therefore omitted).
My illness, he said, Martinus, which I have from vertigo and other things, is not natural. Nothing I take and do helps me, although I follow my doctor diligently.
54. The devil can best rule the bet.
(Cordatus No. 127.)
God does not know how to rule the world, because the world does not want to have God and suffer God as its ruler, but Satan, who also knows how to rule the world. But God has the advantage of reducing the world and the devil's rule in the world to rubble and powder, if they do it too roughly.
55. the devil's great power breaks god and overthrows them through human weakness.
(Cordatus No. 124.)
It is almost ridiculous that God has placed us, who are flesh and blood, in mutual war and battle with such a strong and great spirit as the devil is, and that He has given us no other weapons in our hands against such a great power than here and there a word of Scripture, which we are to take hold of in faith, and its so great evils-.
2) Cf. cap. 25, § 2.
The Word is supposed to defeat the deeds. This must certainly annoy the great spirit from the heart. But in this battle it is especially difficult to recognize the devil as the devil. For no one can attain with words how manifoldly that accursed majesty transforms itself. But if one knows Satan, that it is Satan, one can easily disgrace his pride by saying: Lick me in Ars, or: Shit in the pants [bruch] and hang it on the neck. 1)
The devil condemns us, since he is worse than we are.
(Contained in Cap. 24, § 5.)
The devil is a formidable, fierce enemy.
The devil is not a small, bad, but a mighty, great, fierce and swift enemy, who neither rests nor celebrates day or night, cannot be chased away with outward and bodily weapons; for he has Goliath's spear, with which he approaches and wants to stab us. For this purpose God arms him, sharpens his weapons, gives him a sting to his shaft, namely the law of God, with which he stings us and attacks us mightily. But God arms him for this reason, so that when he is overcome and defeated by the godly through faith, it will hurt him the more and he will be put to shame. The fact that a strong man is overcome by a weak man hurts him in his heart and makes him very angry.
58. How the devil challenges the right devout Christians.
(Cordatus No. 1418.)
The devil contests with impetuosity, with frequent repetition, with persistence. 2)
The devil attacks the godly and pious Christians in two ways: either he invades them by force, whether he wants to
1) Because of the coarse expressions read the remarks which we have included in our preface.
2) Perhaps the following is formed from these words.
If he is not able to do so, he will continue the challenge forever and will not let up, so that he will make them tired and checkmate them. As Cyprian writes of some martyrs, that they would gladly have died, but one would not kill them and put them to death.
The devil is like a birdcage.
(Cordatus No. 1641. 1642. 1643 and 1366.)
3) The devil is like a birdcatcher who snaps the necks of all birds he catches. He would undoubtedly do this to all people if God did not defend him with his angels. He keeps few who entice and sing his songs, who must be his prisoners. I do not hope that he will put me in a pawn. He who wants to be safe from him needs the armor of the word.
Whoever is sure, or indulges in his thoughts, the devil is very close to him, and he is defeated only by the word and prayer; he does not confess to this umbrella stroke 4).
As the devil is in hell, and Duke George in Dresden, so he dwells in the hearts of the wicked, working on them and hardening them, and if he had no greater power than to torment our bodies and damage our possessions, he would not yet be a devil, having business only in earthly but not in heavenly things.
The greatest art and the main dispute of the devil is that he nullifies with words the article of the forgiveness of sins in a negative and positive way [privative et positive], such as: You preached the gospel (who commanded it?) in a different way than it has ever been preached. Then he exaggerates our sins and belittles the good, or even slander. Then one must be sure, and so much so, that he can boast with Paul that he is a teacher of the Gentiles, a servant of God etc. This glory is as necessary as an article of faith.
3) The first paragraph is somewhat shortened and modified already Cap. 4, § 82, at the end. There, we have corrected Aurifaber's relation to Kummer.
4) D. i. Fencing strokes.
60: The devil's tricks and nature. 1) (Cordatus No. 657.)
Christ describes in the most real way the wickedness of the devil Joh. 8, [44.] by saying: "You are of the father, the devil" etc. From this it follows that all his wickedness starts from the lie [as he deceived Adam and Eve], 2) and after they were caught by the lie, he brought them to death. So he did soon after with the two brothers etc. So his regiment goes: where he comes, there he challenges with lies, deceives the people. Afterwards he does not rest, he also commits murder and sedition through disobedience. Third, when he has brought men to that point, he drives some to despair and to inflict death on themselves, as he did Judas, whom he first deceived with lies. Then he caused him to become a traitor and a murderer of his own master. After that, he led him into despair and that he himself was saved. Thus he finally rewarded his servants. Our Savior, Christ, the greatest teacher of truth, behaves in the opposite way, for he has this testimony from the Father. Matth. 17, [5.]
The devil despises and ridicules all the works of God.
The devil has heard and vexed people in various ways, sometimes saying that the consecrated water burns him. Soon after, he said that he was not afraid of the consecrated water anywhere, because one had sprinkled it on himself in the morning, who had slept with his wife. So he despises marriage with such superstition and superstition. As a possessed man the sacrament of the altar,
1) This § is in the interpretation of several sayings of holy scripture. Walch, old edition, vol. IX, 1421 f. According to the Jena edition, vol. VIII, fol. 309 (2nd edition), this collection of "Auslegung vieler schöner Sprüche heiliger Schrift" was first published in 1546 (and provided by Aurifaber). According to the Erlangen edition, the first edition by Aurifaber appeared in 1547 in Erfurt and in the same year the Rörer collection in Wittenberg. Since Cordatus completed his diary already in 1537, we consider it necessary to share this oldest redaction of this § here.
2) The bracketed words are missing in Cordatus and are added from the Latin table speeches.
of the true body of Christ, he said, "A prankster can sit under the stairs and let a pious man pass by.
Two miles away from H. there was a great pilgrimage to the golden Lupa: for those who were not canonized, and were not raised by the pope, or by his order by the bishops, were called blessed, but not saints; after that it was revealed that a churchman had buried his dog, called Lupa, there.
62. from a fortune teller.
In E[rfurt] 3) a soothsayer and black artist was burned, who had been walking sadly and sorrowfully for several years, because he was very poor and had neither bite nor bread. Once the devil met him in a visible form and promised him great things, that he would become rich if he denied baptism and salvation through Christ and would never repent. The poor man accepted this; then the devil gave him a crystal from which he could tell fortunes; through this he got a great name and a great influx, so that he became rich. Finally, the devil deceived him honestly and made him look at his butt, so that he accused some innocent people from the crystal of thievery. This caused him to be put in prison, and afterwards he confessed that he had broken the covenant made with the devil, asked that a preacher be sent to him, repented righteously, and with his example brought many people to the fear of God, and died with a happy heart in his corporal punishment. Thus, the devil has been disgraced in his own art, and revealed in his evil plots and wiles.
63) Whether the devil knew about the incarnation of Christ, the Son of God? And why the prophecies of Christ are dark?
(This § is in the church postil. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XI, 536, §8; provided with an entry formed from Cap. 7, § 83).
3) Bindseil I, 240.
64. Satan possesses people in two ways.
People are possessed by the devil in two ways: 1) some physically, according to the outward man and appearance; some spiritually, according to the spirit and soul, as all the wicked are possessed. In the insane, the frenzied, and those who are only physically possessed, the devil has only taken the body and plagues it, not the spirit or soul, therefore the latter remains unchanged and unharmed. From the same, then, the devils can be cast out with prayer and fasting. But the ungodly and blasphemers are spiritually possessed, they cannot be helped nor delivered from them; indeed, Christ could not cast out devils from Hannah, Caipha, and other ungodly Jews. Therefore it is much greater and more terrible, even more dangerous, to be spiritually possessed than to be physically possessed by the devil, although the world does not respect it, nor does it consider it so.
The shape and form the devil takes.
The devil has two forms and shapes or larvae in which he disguises himself: either he disguises himself as a snake, to frighten and kill; or as a sheep, because he puts on sheepskins, to lie and deceive. These are his two court colors.
66) In which animals the devil hides and leads himself the most.
The snakes and monkeys are subject to the devil above all other animals, into which he leads and possesses them; uses them to deceive and harm people.
How to overcome the devil with contempt, in faith, not in presumption.
(Lauterbach, Apr. 19, 1538, p. 64 f.)
That evening Magister Simon [Sulcer], Superintendent of the Swiss in Bern, was there, ate with Luther, conversed with him in the most intimate manner, and expressed good hope about Switzerland. For Bucer was working beyond his strength
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. X, 1024, § 7.
and aged very much. Afterwards, he spoke of his colleague in Bern, a very learned man, how he probably smelled of unity, and told a story about this colleague: namely, that he had admonished a woman, who had long been tormented by Satan's rumblings, that she should despise him and say: Leave me alone and come to Constenius. When the woman had done this and said that Satan should visit Constenius, Satan went from there to Constenius at an hour's notice and plagued him for a whole year with all kinds of noise. Luther answered: Satan can be overcome by contempt, but in faith, not in presumption. Nevertheless, one should not invite him as a guest; for he is a strong enemy, for he sees and hears everything that is before us, what we now speak, and out of admission to God he corrupts everything that is good. He would that not one little grass or leaf should grow. That is Satan's power. Nevertheless, he cannot search our hearts, conscience and faith; he has a certain God-likeness, but God has reserved the true Godhead for himself. He can resist the devil. Therefore Christ says (Joh. 16, 33.): "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world", i.e. the whole devil. Therefore we pray, "Deliver us from evil." Ðïíçñüí [evil] is manifold: all misfortunes, miseries, sins, aversions. In short, there is no cessation. Against this evil we pray from day to day, and are heard, as we see, when it is prevented, and we who believe judge the evil angels, 1 Cor. (6, 3.), although he creeps in again and again, for he does not like to be brought out of what he has been granted [praescriptum]. But the devil is a foolish spirit, because he himself gives opportunity to Christ; by tormenting the weak, he strengthens the reputation of Christ and the apostles who raise the mats. Rather, the devil should be silent, but the extreme desire to harm drives him to make himself manifest as well.
Then he spoke of the great miracles of the apostles and the course of their preaching, which were more glorious than those of Christ's own person. For Peter, by one sermon, won three thousand, which is the same as that of Christ.
does not read. Therefore Christ says Matth. 11, (II.): "But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." But Christ performs the most glorious miracles in His very weak kingdom.
68. the punishment of the wicked when they are handed over to Satan and become the devil's apartments.
(Lauterbach, April 19, 1538, p. 65.)
After that, Satan and his power, who opposes God and all his creatures through his pride, were remembered once again. That is why the church did not hand over the godless and impenitent to anyone but Satan for chastisement, who killed them with God's permission or at least struck them with various misfortunes. Thus, even now in many regions are dwellings of evil spirits. Prussia is full of demons, Lapland full of witches. In Switzerland, near Lucerne, on a very high mountain, there is a lake called Pilate's Pond, where the devil rages. And Luther said that in his homeland there is a lake on a very high mountain, Pubelsberg, and if it were moved by a stone thrown into it, a great storm would arise over the whole region. These are dwellings of evil spirits that are imprisoned.
Whether the devil knows the thoughts of men?
St. Augustine writes about someone who was able to say what was in his mind, as if someone thought of a verse from Virgilio. But the devil had given him the verse beforehand, as he knows the thoughts of the wicked, what they have in their hearts. For he rides and drives them, works in them what he wills and for what he wills, according to all his pleasure: even as the Holy Spirit is in the godly, and drives them to all good.
But what God works in the heart, and the Holy Spirit does in man, he cannot know, nor see. There he is even excluded, like a servant from his master's bedchamber. Thus, Satan did not know that the Holy Spirit was the Virgin Mary.
Nor did he hear the angels singing to the shepherds on the night Christ was born, nor Zachariah's and Simeon's praise and blessing, nor all that was said over the tables in the supper when Christ washed the disciples' feet. He did not see the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, for the angels drove him away; otherwise he would have known that he, Christ, was the true Messiah. Even though he sometimes said that he knew that Jesus was the Christ, because he is a lying spirit, one should not believe his words, since he says that he knows.
70. of conjurers of the devil.
I once heard of an exorcist and conjurer, said D. Martin said that when he had summoned the devil to show him what had been lost, the devil would have shown him the city, but when he asked him in which house it was, the devil would have said, "I cannot see it, for a thick fog has rolled over it.
But God and Christ see what the devil does, what he and those he drives have in mind. Likewise, the devil cannot see what the saints, the Holy Spirit and Christ do and think. Therefore this argument does not conclude: Christ saw the hearts and minds of the Pharisees, and is God: but the devil also sees them; therefore etc.; for the devil had given them their thoughts. But it concludes correctly: Christ sees into the heart of the devil and his members what they think, which the devil cannot do; therefore Christ is right, natural, true God.
(71) The devil is hurt by the words and works of devout Christians.
(Contained in Cap. 47, § 16.)
72. where all diseases primarily come from.
(Contained in Cap. 47, § 16.)
73. cause of the devil's tyranny.
(Lauterbach, Aug. 8, 1538, p. 111.)
After that, it was said of three servants whom the devil carried away bodily at Süßen, near Augsburg, on Char Friday (April 19) this year, who had surrendered to Satan. Luther answered: This is the punishment of sin. How one does it, one has the reward.
Whoever serves the devil, he also rewards him.
(Lauterbach, Sept. 12, 1538, p. 129.)
On September 12 they spoke about the deception of the devil, the murderer. Then D. Martinus said that the son-in-law of the barber Peter had been an invulnerable man of war. Finally he foresaw his death and said: My father-in-law shall do it. Furthermore: I will be stabbed at the table. Also on this very day Dieterich (that was his name) is said to have said to his wife: Buy, you will have guests today, spectators. So the devil paid him?)
75. deuce of nobility history.
(Lauterbach, Sept. 12, 1538, p. 129 f.)
After that, Brück told a similar example, how two noblemen, who were very hostile to each other, had been at the court of the emperor, that one had sworn to strangle the other, if he overcame him. One night the devil killed one of them with the other's sword, which he then put back into the scabbard by the bed, and while this was happening the other was lying in a very heavy dream and believed that he had killed the other. Also his horse in the stable was as it were excited and stood there in the highest fear, full of sweat. He was found dead in bed early in the morning, and because of their enmity, the suspicion of many fell on the other, and his bloody sword was found. And yet he did not do it, but Satan. This nobleman was imprisoned and sentenced to death, but with the explanation: If one
1) Cf. on this history Walch, old edition, vol. IX, 1421 ff.
If you bring him to the square, you should push away the earth of his shadow and banish [him] from the area. This is called civil death. Because he wanted to kill the other, and it was done by the devil, he is guilty. And he decided: So it is with these who make a temporary alliance with the devil, who keeps his own warm for a time and flatters them. But in the end he pays them honestly.
2) That evening, people in Lochau were happy. Luther said: "Oh, how I would like to be with the Lord Christ one evening when he has been happy for once; otherwise he has been sad enough.
The miraculous conflict and victory of the Christians with the devil.
Doctor Martinus commanded the people to listen diligently to the divine word and to pray, because we have to fight, not against the pope, but against the devil, whom Christ has overcome. We poor, weak people have to stand against such a mighty spirit, that we have to fight with him and win against him. It is truly a wonderful victory. As if one should quench a great fire, blaze and fire with a spoonful of water, or with a cupful of water; or if one poor little sheep should chase away many ravening wolves and fierce lions. For a certain devil is stronger and wiser than all men, than he who knows us by heart and inwardly, and to reckon against him we are alphabet pupils, weak and poor sinners; as we learn by experience.
Therefore, these are the works of God, that we poor people with our weakness do more in Christ than all emperors, kings, popes, princes, disciples, doctors. For in the utmost and highest foolishness we are the most wise, in the greatest weakness the strongest, in the greatest injustice the most holy, in the greatest anger the most pleasant and dearest.
That is why this victory is far above all ver-
2) Transferred here from Cap. 7, § 44.
The truth of the matter is not in the hands of human reason, and yet it is grasped and understood with closed eyes through faith. And if God had not given us the dear holy angels as guardians and protectors, who encamp around us like a chariot, Ps. 34:8, we would soon be finished. As we see in Job, when Satan, as a slanderer, accuses him and says, "Yes, dear one, Job is good to be good, bad and righteous, for you have heaped a wall around him; but since you will stretch out your hand and allow me to attack him, it will be seen how good he is," Job 1:9 ff. Cap. 2, 4. 5. Then God permitted him, saying, Cap. 2, 6. "Behold, he is in your hand," attack him in his body and afflict him as you will, "but spare his life," and do not kill him. Then the devil went out and afflicted poor Job with so much evil French that there was not a whole spot on his skin, from the sole of his foot to the top of his head, that he sat down in ashes, and harmed himself with broken pieces, Cap. 2, 7. 8. Then also the curses began, so that Job blasphemed the day on which he was born, Cap. 3, 1. ff. And this is the sum and the whole content of the book of Job: If God does not preserve us, and as it were heaps a wall around us, then Satan has soon overthrown us and devoured us. Therefore this victory stands only in faith, that we always live in the fear of God, be courageous and call upon God with earnestness: "For it is no joke here, it is your honor and property, body and soul. Therefore, if thou art a sinner (as we all are without ceasing), believe; and thou shalt be justified. If thou art weak, believe; and thou shalt be strong. If thou art foolish, believe; and thou shalt be wise.
77. change children from the devil.
(Contained in Cap. 24, § W.)
(78) From where it comes that people get up at night and walk around in their sleep.
Satan leads people in their sleep at night from time to time, so that they do everything as if they were awake. Which, though it be a defect and infirmity withal, yet it is of the
Devil's work. In the past, the papists, being superstitious people, said that such people should not be baptized properly, some drunken priest.
79 Some Histories Narrated by D. M. Luther. The first: Of a piper whom the devil led away.
At Mölburg, 1) in the country of Thuringia, not far from Erfurt, there was a piper who let himself be used as a minstrel at weddings. He complained to the priest there how he was being challenged by the devil every day, and the latter 2) had threatened him, he wanted to lead him away, because he had drunk from a woodpecker and a long glass, in which wine and horse manure had been put by some young journeymen, out of malice; he would have been heartily sorry for that. Then the priest comforted him, prayed for him, prepared and instructed him with many sayings from the holy scriptures against the devil. From this he learned so much that he did not doubt the salvation of his soul and said, "The devil will not harm the soul, but he will take away my body, and no one can prevent him from doing so.
But the devil showed him when he would come and take him. Then they appointed guards to watch over him in the chamber where he was, praying with him and reading from God's word, and some were appointed outside with their armor and weapons. This lasted and was delayed for several days, so that they waited for him. On Saturday at midnight, the guards and some others were sitting with him with lights, when a storm wind came and blew out all the lights, took him, and led him out to the parlor, which was locked, through a small narrow window out into the street. There was a great clatter and commotion, as if many armored people were beating each other. So he got away and was lost, so that no one knew where to go.
In the morning they searched for him back and forth,
1) Mühlberg, near the three Gleichen.
2) "this" added by us.
and finally found him lying crosswise, with his arms outstretched, in a small booklet or body of water that flows down from Gleichen to Mölburg, dead and coal-black. This story has certainly happened, said D. Martin, as Mr. Friedrich Mecum, pastor at Gotha, told me, and he heard it from Mr. Johann Beck, then pastor at Mölburg.
The other story: How the devil can frighten the conscience and harm the body of man.
D. M. Luther said in 1543 that it had happened recently, sixteen or seventeen years ago, in Eisenach, that there had been a piper there who had been tempted by the devil, as if he wanted to lead him away, for the sake of the cause, that he had whistled to a wedding, where one had been given a bride who was not his, but had been betrothed to another. Justus Menius and many fine priests were with him, who comforted him with sayings from the holy scriptures, gave him the sacrament and absolved him, stayed with him day and night, and guarded the door and windows so that he would not be led away. Finally he said, "Well, he can't harm my soul, but he will take the body away at eight o'clock today. So the guards were ordered and everything was kept safe. But the devil came and knocked two or three tiles out of the oven and took him away. In the morning they searched all the streets for him, but not far from the city, in a hazel tree, he was found dead.
That is what conscientia does. Oh, I would like to tell the lawyers. He would gladly have harmed the poor man's soul, but when the man Christ is held up to him, whom he has crucified, he is ashamed of it. Therefore, if you say, "I believe in Jesus Christ, I have been baptized, I have received the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper," and say this from your heart, he cannot harm you. What he did to the body, he also did to the Son of God, whom he crucified and martyred to death. But if he has not won the soul, it is well.
The third: About a nobleman who was served by the devil.
A nobleman, not far from Torgau, went for a walk. He met someone and asked him if he wanted to serve him, because he needed a servant. He answered: Yes, he wanted to serve him. The nobleman asked him what his name was. He said, "In Bohemian he would be called N. N.". Well, said the nobleman, go home with me; and led him into the stable, and directed him the horses, which he should maintain.
But the nobleman was a godless man, who nourished himself from the ripe, so that he would have a good servant. Once the nobleman rode away, and ordered him a horse, which was very dear to him, that he should wait for it diligently. When the nobleman had ridden away, the servant led the horse to a high tower, higher than ten steps. When the nobleman came back to his house, the horse knew him, started to scream, and stuck his head out of the window at the top of the tower. He was very surprised, and as soon as he came home, he asked where the horse had gone. Then the servant said: He had diligently carried out his master's order, and showed him where the horse was. After that, the horse had to be brought down from the tower with great effort and work, with ropes and cords.
About this it happened that when he, the nobleman, was on the booty, those he had robbed hurried after him. Then the servant said, "Squire, flee quickly and get off the horse. Soon after, he came to him again and said, "He had taken all the horseshoes from their horses so that they could not have gotten away," and he rang the bell with the sack in which the horseshoes were and poured them out.
At another time, when the nobleman was imprisoned because of a death blow, he called the servant for help. He said that he could not help him because he was wearing strong oak pants tied with iron laces. But when the nobleman stopped and said that he could help him, the servant let himself be persuaded and said: I will help you, but you do not have to flap your hands much and make umbrella strokes, for I will help you.
can't stand it (cried, making a cross in front of himself). The nobleman said: He should take him anyway, he wanted to stay inside. So he took him, and led him up into the air with the chains and fetters. And because the nobleman was afraid on high, he cried out loudly: Help God, where am I? Then he let him fall down into a pool, came home, and showed it to the women, saying that she should send for him. Since she did not want to believe it, he said: Why she did not want to release her squire, he would be trapped there in a deep pool in the stick. Then the woman ran there with her servants, found him lying there, and set him free.
The fourth: From one of nobility.
A nobleman went to a sick peasant, who was possessed, and, as some are foolish, he said: You devil, why do you plague the poor man so miserably? And asked him why he did not rather attack and torment the great Hansen at court? He said to the devil, "Leave the poor man alone. Then the devil answered, "He would gladly do it, if only he would enter him," and asked him if he would allow him to do it. But he said, "Certainly not. Then the devil asked him if he would allow him to live in the tail of his robe, if he would not harm him, and if he would be lucky and victorious in all knightly games and exercises. So the nobleman allowed him to do so, and he won all the knightly games, races and jousting, and did the best. All in all, he was always on top and received the best jewel and the greatest honor.
Finally, however, the nobleman said: "I also think about how it will be after this life, I don't like this life anymore; therefore, I am on leave. Go away, I do not want you with me any longer. And he went from the court to a hospital, and served poor people there etc.
83 The fifth: Of a monk and a devil.
Once a monk was traveling overland. There came to him one who was well armed and carried a crossbow or a steel bow. Then the monk was happy that he had a
The monk had received a journeyman, because the way was uncertain. When they had gone part of the way, the monk spoke to the journeyman and asked him if they were going right? he said: No. When the monk saw that [it] was an unknown way, he began to be afraid. But the companion turned to him and said: "Monk, give me the cap. As he said this, it seemed to him that someone was pulling off his cap like a wind, and with great fear he ran as fast as he could toward the next village, half dead. After that, when he came back to himself, he told how it had gone.
The sixth: Of two monks.
A cardinal went with another brother across the field, and when they came to the inn, the innkeeper said: They should be dear guests to him, he would now have luck. For he had an evil spirit in one chamber, so that no one could sleep in it; but the guests who were laid up in it were not beaten, but only vexed. And he said that he would have a good bed made up for the holy fathers inside, because they were holy people who could conjure up the devil. At night, when they had lain down and wanted to sleep, the spirit kept on scuffling one after the other at the little wreath on the plate. Then the monks began to quarrel with each other, and one said to the other: Dear, don't call me, let's sleep now. Then the devil came again and twitched the guardian by the little wreath. The guardian said, "Go in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and come to us in the monastery. When he had said this, they fell asleep and had rest. When they returned to the monastery, the devil sat on the threshold of the gate and cried out, "Beneveneritis, Guardian. But they were sure, because they thought he was now in their power and hand, and asked him what he wanted? He answered, "He wants to serve them in the monastery," and asked that he be ordered to a place where they could find him in need of service. They directed him to a corner in the kitchen. And so that they could know him, they dressed him in a
He put on a monk's cap and tied a bell to it as a sign that he was being recognized. Then they called to him to fetch some beer. Then they heard the bell, and he said, "Give me good money, and I will bring you good beer.
So it became known throughout the city. When he came to a cellar where he had not been well measured, he said: "Give me a full measure and good beer, I have given you good money. It was considerable, and had a great appearance. The papists thought that it was good spirits, as Diana, and other many such idols and abominations, which the pagans honored as gods.
And because the ghost, as I said, or the little devil (as our people call him) lived in a corner of the kitchen, the kitchen boy was a mischievous one, and poured in dishwater and other filth, hot broth, and such unclean things, which remained and were not fit, in corners. The little devil begged him and warned him to stop, and not to cause him any more trouble, but he would not let up nor stop. Then the devil got angry and hung the kitchen boy over a beam in the kitchen, but it did not harm his life. Then the guardian gave him a vacation.
85. wonderful story of the devil who deceived and strangled people.
A priest, M. Georg Rörern, wrote to Wittenberg: As a woman had died in a village, and now, because she was buried, she ate herself in the grave, so almost all the people in the same village had died: and asked him to ask D. Martin what he advised about it. He said, "This is the devil's deceit and wickedness: if they did not believe it, it did them no harm, and they certainly thought it was nothing but the devil's ghost. But because they were so superstitious, they would only die more and more. And if one knew such things, one should not throw the people into the grave so unjustly, but say: "Eat, devil, you have salts, you do not deceive us.
And said D. M. Luther continued: "The devil, in short, wants to be feared, honored and worshipped.
to be like God. He is a very fiercely proud spirit, cannot stand that one wants to despise him. So I also ordered, said D. Martin, that they should write to the priest again, so that they should certainly believe it to be no ghost or soul, but the devil himself. Therefore, they should go to church together and ask God to forgive their sin for the sake of Christ and to ward off the devil.
86. by insane people, possessed by the devil.
(This § is in another translation Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 1834 f. U 5-9. - The two numbers 359 and 360 in Cordatus are a different version from this letter to Wenceslaus Link, July 14, 1528. Cf. De Wette, vol. Ill, 348 f. - Rebenftock I, p. 127 d. and the Halle manuscript, Bindseil I, 239, both have dm text of the letter with minor variants. A duplicate of this letter is m Walch, alteAusgabe, vol. XVII, 2697 ff. Because we have Luther's own writing here, we did not consider it necessary to include the Cordatus Rela- tion).
87) Over which, and how far, God forbids the devil to afflict the people.
God gives power to the devil and sorcerers over people in two ways. First, over the wicked, when he wants to punish them for their sin. Secondly, over the pious and God-fearing, when he wants to try them whether they want to remain steadfast in faith and in his obedience. For without God's will and our consent, the devil cannot harm us. For thus he says: "Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye," Zech. 2, 8. And Christ says: "Without the will of your heavenly Father, not a hair of your head can fall off," Luc. 21, 18.
88. a marvelous story of a virgin, how the devil played a game
with her.
There were two students in Erfurt, one of whom was so fond of a virgin that he almost went mad over it. Then the other one, of whom he did not know that he was a black artist, said: "Will
If you do not take her in your arms, I will make her come to you. When he agreed, he brought it about with his swan-like art that the virgin came to him. And when she went into his parlor, as he was a very beautiful man, he received her so kindly and talked to her that the black artist was always worried that he would love her. And since the student could not refrain from great love, he embraced her. Then she fell down and died. Now that she lay dead, they were very frightened. The black artist said, "Now we must try the worst; and he made the devil carry her home again, and did what she had done before in the house. But she was very pale and spoke nothing. After three days, the parents went to the theologians and asked them for advice on what to do with her. When they spoke harshly to her, the devil left her and fled, and the dead body fell straight down with a great stench. For the blood is a cause of good color, and the living spirits, these the devil cannot make, but God alone is the Creator.
How to use the history of the devil's tyranny.
Some years ago in the land of Thuringia, the devil wanted to take away a young journeyman, but he resisted and argued with him for a long time, so that the devil had to give way. -Then he repented and reformed, and was preserved.
These are truly not useless and futile histories and stories to make people fearful: they are truly terrible, and not at all children's work, as the clever think. Therefore, take good note of such histories and the like, that you may be more modest, chaste and diligent, and beware of cursing and blasphemy, and do not invite the devil as your guest: he is much nearer to us than we think. And at the same time remember this saying: "The Son of God has appeared to destroy the works of the devil," 1 John 3:8.
Well, may our Lord God help us, not only because the course of the heavens and the
Star, together with many cruel and terrifying
The church is not only a sign of no good, but also a sign of the devil's cunning, trickery, and practices, who is now attacking the church on all sides without ceasing in the most fierce and powerful way, and is storming towards it.
90. the devil's way.
(Cordatus No. 168.)
The wolf has the devil's kind in many things, but he is similar to him in that he does not eat a fenced sheep, because he killed them all first. The same is found with the devil, he does not want to destroy one, but all. 1)
91) The devil's power is seen in the case of the saints. 2)
(Cordatus No. 158.)
How powerful the devil, the prince of this world, is, cannot be seen from the fall of carnal people, nor even of wise people, nor of those who are the most perceptive by pure natural powers [in puris naturalibus], but from those who are endowed with the Holy Spirit, such as Adam, David, Solomon, Judas, Peter. For how great sins these have committed! But so it must be, that all flesh may not boast before the face of God. Lest David boast because of his government, lest Solomon exalt himself in his splendor and power etc. In the sight of God, all saints must not be so holy that they never need to pray: Miserere mei, Deus, Lord, have mercy on me [Matth. 15, 22.] etc.
The Satan, when he is once seen, does not soon relent.
D. Martin was informed that N. N. sder Churfürst von Brandenburg, Joachim I.] 3) saw the devil disguising himself as a man. Then the doctor said: "Whoever sees the
1) Cf. Cap. 7, § 34, para. 3.
2) The 4th paragraph of Cap. 2, § 11 is so similar that it seems to be only another redaction of this §.
3) Cf. 45, § 4. In dresem § the black artist and Gauricus is One person, but there they are divorced from Lauterbach. Cap. 45, § 1 Gauricus is called a mathematicus; § 4 "his physician".
The one who invites the devil as a guest will not get rid of him. For D. Lucas Gauricus, the black artist, whom he had brought from Italy, has publicly confessed to me that N. N. had dealt with the devil, and that he wanted to help himself with the holy scripture. He was right to do so, because it was written: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent", Gen. 3, 15. That man would have the power over the devil, that he would have to come to him if he wanted etc., I do not want to dare, said D. Martin.
93: Of deceased noblemen who have gone astray.
Afterwards he told a story, which Mr. Niclas von Amsdorf would have told him for certain: How he once lay at night in an inn, two of the nobility, who had died before, would have gone with two boys, who carried torches, to him in the chamber, would have woken him up that he should get up, no harm should befall him. When he had gotten up, they would have called him to write a letter; as they had told it to him from their mouths in the pen, then ordered him: he should give it to the old M. 1); were thus gone. But he would have handed the letter over to the prince. Amsdorf indicated to me that it had certainly happened to him. Thus one sees in many histories and writings how the devil does not celebrate. He is truly not a bad master who is to be so despised; he is much closer to us than we think: he can deceive and cheat man's soul and spirit, how much more can he vex and afflict the body!
94. How the devil can deceive people and beget children.
Doctor Martin Luther said: That he himself had heard a story from Duke Johann Friedrich, Elector of Saxony, that a noble family had been in Germany, that they had been born from a succubus. For that is what it is called; just as Melusina at Lucelburg was also such a succubus or devil.
1) Margrave, Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg. Bindseil I, 207.
But it would have happened like this: A nobleman had a beautiful young wife, who had died to him and was also buried. Not long after that, the master and servant were lying together in a chamber, and the deceased woman came at night and leaned over the master's bed as if she were talking to him. When the servant saw that this happened twice in a row, he asked the squire what it was, and whether he knew that every night a woman in white clothes came to his bed? He said, "No, he sleeps all night and sees nothing. When it was night again, the squire took care of it and woke up in bed: then the woman came before the bed again. The squire asked who she was and what she wanted. She answers: She is his housewife. He says, "Have you died and been buried? She answers, "Yes, she died because of his cursing and because of his sin, but if he wanted her back, she would become his housewife again. He says: "Yes, if only it could be. But she said, "I will not," and admonished him that he should not curse, as he had cursed him in a special way, because otherwise she would soon die again. This the man promised her. Then the deceased woman stayed with him, ruled in the house, slept with him, ate and drank with him, and fathered children. Now it happened that once the nobleman had guests, and after the meal was over, in the evening, the woman was supposed to fetch a gingerbread cake for the fruit from a box, and she stayed outside for a long time. Then the man became mischievous and cursed the usual curse, and the woman disappeared from that hour and was gone with her. Since she did not come back, they went up to the chamber to see where the woman was. There her skirt, which she had on, lay half with the sleeves in the box, but the other part lay outside, as the woman had hunkered down in the box, and the woman had disappeared, and had not been seen since that time. This is what the devil does, he can change into a woman and a man.
Jam est Quaestio: Whether they are right women? and whether they are right children? These are my thoughts, that they are not right women.
They can be women, but they are devils. And so go to it: the devil makes a noise before their eyes and deceives them, so that people think they are sleeping with a real woman, and yet it is nothing. The same happens when it is a man. For the devil is strong with the children of unbelief, as St. Paul says.
But how are the children begotten? To this I say: That these sons were also devils, having such bodies as the mother. It is truly a horrible example that Satan can afflict people in such a way that he also begets children. So it is also with the mermaid in the water, who draws men to him as virgins and maidens, with whom he keeps them and begets the devil's children. Otherwise, begetting children is a divine work, and our Lord God must be the creator, because we always call him Father, and the conception must also take place per constituta media, et per homines in one moment; because he uses men as a means for creation, and through them he works alone, and not through the devil. Therefore, they must be stolen children, as the devil can steal children; as one sometimes loses children in six weeks, or they must be supposititii, change children, which the Saxons call Kielkropf.
95 Historia von einem Wechselkinde zu Dessau.
Eight years ago, there was one in Dessau that I saw D. M. Luther, which was twelve years old, had its eyes and all senses that one thought it was a real child. The same did nothing but eat as much as any four farmers or threshers. It ate, shat and sank, and if one attacked it, it screamed. If things went badly in the house, so that damage happened, it laughed and was cheerful; but if things went well, it cried. It had these two virtues. Then I said to the prince of Anhalt: "If I were prince or lord, I would take this child into the water, into the hollow that flows near Dessau, and would dare to commit homicide. But the Elector of Saxony, who was one of the
Dessau, and the princes of Anhalt did not want to follow me. Then I said: "So they should have the Christians pray an Our Father in church, so that the dear God would take away the devil. This was done daily in Dessau; the same changeling died the next year. So it must be there too. Someone else has written about the Succubis and Incubis, because it is not strange. And the Succubi are women who have to do with the devil and atone for the lust of the same old whores and weather makers; as Melusina at Lucelburg was also such a Succubus and devil.
In 1541, D. Luther also thought of this history over tables, and that he had advised the Prince of Anhalt to drown the changeling or the goitre (which is so called because it always keels in the goitre). Then he was asked why he had advised such a thing? He answered that he thought that such changelings were only a piece of flesh, a massa carnis, since there was no soul inside: for the devil could well do this, as he otherwise corrupts men who have reason, even body and soul, when he possesses them bodily, so that they neither hear, see, nor feel anything, he makes them dumb, deaf, blind: so the devil is in such changelings as their soul. It is a great power of the devil that he thus holds our hearts captive. And said, Origen did not understand the power of the devil sufficiently, because he was in the thought that at the last day the devils should be redeemed from eternal damnation. Oh, he says, it is a great sin of the devil that he knowingly sets himself against God, his Creator.
96 Another history of a changeling.
(The first paragraph Cordatus No. 660.)
It is true that the devil substitutes his children for the right ones, as it also happened in our time to someone who brought a very voracious changeling, since he was not able to satisfy it, to Our Lady in Hockstadt to be weighed there. As he crosses the river, the devil calls out of it: Kielkropp! The latter lay in a basket and
answered: O, ho! - Where do you want to go? - I want to go to Hockstadt and let myself be swayed. When the man heard this, he threw him into the river, in which they played with each other and mocked him.
It is said that such changelings and keelheads do not live beyond eighteen or nineteen years. This often happens that the children of the women in six weeks of childbirth are confused, and the devils take their place, and make themselves nastier with shitting, eating and screaming than other ten children, so that the parents have no rest from such unfortunates, and the mothers are so sucked out that they can no longer breastfeed.
And when Luther was asked over the table, "Are such changelings also baptized?" he answered, "Yes, because they are not known soon in the first year, but only when they suck their mothers dry. Luther then said, "Let us not despise the devil in this way, for he is truly an artist in a thousand ways. See how he tricked the poor boy who fell to his death here in Ambrosii Reuter's house in 1538 on the 5th day of December, who was a pious and diligent student; but when he was standing up in the house at four o'clock in the evening, he suddenly fell down and died. The devil can also prove this trick to pious hearts.
Satan is a wise spirit through long experience and practice.
Anno '39, the 15th of January, there was talk about the great security of the people in these last times. There spoke D. Martin: Oh, one must not be so sure, for we have great and mighty adversaries and enemies against us, namely the devils, which cannot be counted, so great a multitude are they; and they are not small party devils, but country devils, court devils and prince devils, who have now for a very long time, over five thousand years, become exceedingly wise and experienced through constant training. For, just think, if the devil in the beginning of the world would be a
1) Perhaps the son of the mayor Benedict Pauli in Wittenberg. Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1565 ff.
He has been a bad creature, but he has become very cunning and wise through such long practice that he has challenged and plagued Adam, Methuselah, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, the prophets, apostles, even the Lord Christ and all believers with all his might without ceasing.
98. from Samuel, so king Saul appeared, what it gewest.
Doctor Martinus was asked: When Samuel, at the request of King Saul from the soothsayer, appeared to him, 1 Sam. 28, 14, whether it was the right prophet? He said, "No, it was a ghost and an evil spirit. Which proves that God forbade in Moses that one should not ask the truth from the dead; but was only the devil's specter, in the form of the man of God. Just as a sorcerer and black artist, the Abbot of Spanheim, had managed that Emperor Maximilian had seen all deceased emperors and great heroes, the new 2) best, so called, walking in his chamber one after the other, as each one had been shaped and dressed when he lived, among whom had also been the great Alexander, Julius Caesar, item, Emperor Maximilian's bride, 3) whom the King of France, Carolus 4) Gibbosus, had taken from him.
Where it comes from that one is more afraid at night than during the day.
(Contained in Cap. 48, K15.)
The devil hinders all joy.
I should be happy, said Martinus, so that I would be completely healthy with joy and could not become ill with joy. But the devil goes about without ceasing, making me sad and distressed, and if he does not do it for himself without means, he does it through means, as through the N. or another, and this happens and happens to me only often.
2) Aurifaber and Stangwald: "Neien". This is missing in the Latin table speeches.
3) Anna, Duchess of Brittany. (Förstemann.)
4) Carl VIII.
The devil's art and masterpiece to challenge us.
It is useful and good to know the devil's tricks, wiles and practices. He takes the very smallest sins, which he can make so high, that one does not know where he should stay before it. Once he really tormented me with the words of St. Paul to Timothy and almost strangled me, so that my heart wanted to melt in my body. For he reproached me and accused me of being a cause that so many monks and nuns had run away from the monasteries etc. 1) And took the main article of righteousness, which is before God, finely from my eyes and heart, so that I did not remember it, and held up to me the text, 1 Tim. 5:11, about the young widows, who, when they have become lustful and foolish, so that the food stings them, they want to be free, and have their judgment that they have broken the first faith etc. And I came by the grace of God into the disputation of the law: there he had brought me naked and into a corner, that I could nowhere turn. D. Pommer was with me, I held it up to him, he went with me into the hallway: there he also began to doubt and waver, because he did not need to know that it was so urgent for me; then I was very frightened at first, and had to bite it all night with a heavy heart. The next day, D. Pommer came to me again and said: I am quite angry, I looked at the text right at first etc. And it is true, it is a ridiculous argument; yes, if one is with himself, except for the challenge, otherwise not before. Such a fellow is the devil, he lurks everywhere for us.
Nevertheless we have Christ, who came not to condemn but to save. If one stands on him and remains, there is no other God in heaven or on earth, but such a God who justifies and saves. Again, if you leave him out of your sight and heart, there is no help, comfort or rest. But when the saying comes: "God sent His Son, and so loved the world that He gave His Son" etc., Joh. 3, 16.
1) Cf. Cap. 26, § 37; Cap. 7, § 72.
Rest of heart. Therefore let all who are tempted set before them Christ as an example and model, who also was tempted everywhere, but it was much more sour for him than for us. 2)
I have often wondered how it was possible, because Christ knew that he was completely pure, that the devil could have challenged him. But that humbled him, that the devil said to him: "Do you hear? You are a scoundrel, you are one of the boys, you are the son of man; should you be the outlaw? Therefore thou art partaker of all the sins of the whole world, and of this flesh which thou hast put on. Yes, says Christ, I have done nothing. No harm, says the devil, I will find you here all the same! Therefore there is nothing in our temptation.
I have not had a greater or more severe challenge than from my preaching, that I thought: this being you are directing everything. In my rebellion I often went into hell, until God brought me out again and comforted me that my preaching is the true word of God and the right heavenly teaching. But it costs much before one receives this comfort: with others it comes with righteousness or piety, and thereby challenges them.
The devil wants to have only activam justitiam 3) in us, such a righteousness, which we do ourselves; so we have only passive, a foreign righteousness, which is given to us, and shall also have no activam and own, which we do, and which is valid before God. He does not want to leave us the other, namely, the alien and given righteousness of Christ; so we have only lost the activam justitiam, the righteousness that we do ourselves out of our own strength, because with it no one can stand before God. But if one rejects him and says, "Here is the one who was crucified, died and rose again for sinners: do you also know him? In whose righteousness I live, not in mine: if I have sinned, he answereth for it. And this is the very best way and way to overcome Satan through the Word. The other way is that we
2) So Stangwald. At Aurifaber: because us and me.
3) Cf. Mathesius, St. Louis edition, p. 222.
We must overcome him by contempt, that we reject the thoughts he gives us, and turn our hearts to other thoughts, than to amuse ourselves with walking, eating, drinking, going to people, talking with them, and being merry, that we may get rid of heavy thoughts. This is also good, Gerson wrote about it.
It must be so, our Lord God attacks us honestly, but he still does not leave us stuck. We should also do what is ours, and wait for our body and give it what is due to it, eat and drink, be of good cheer; according to the common old saying: Drink and eat, do not forget God. For in temptations it is a hundred times worse to fast than to eat and drink. When I am in temptation, I would not eat a morsel in three days, for I have no appetite, nor desire, nor inclination. This then is double and twofold fasting, that I eat and drink, and yet without desire. Now when the world sees such things, it regards them as drunkenness. But God will judge whether it is drunkenness or fasting. She will get the fasting, but not like me. Therefore keep your belly and head well, and do not torture yourself to death with fasting, especially when you are in melancholy, heavy thoughts and temptations; otherwise you have plague enough.
It is like this with me: When I wake up at night, the devil soon comes and disputes with me, and gives me all kinds of strange thoughts, until I encourage myself and say: Kiss me on the buttocks; God is not angry, as you say.
The devil's temptation.
Apart from grace, said Luther, that is, according to the law we are evil. The devil is always accusing us of this temptation and tormenting us with it, especially at the last end or when we are in danger of life and limb.
103. terrible story of a student who had surrendered to the devil.
(Lauterbach, Feb. 13, 1538, p. 26.)
On February 13, a young man, a certain Valerius (bell ringer), son of the
Mayor in Nuremberg, absolved by Luther in the Sacristy in the presence of the deacons and his preceptor Georg M[ajor]. For this young man was very disobedient and had no inclination to righteousness, but was in a quite desperate situation. When he was examined by his preceptor; Why he lived without all fear of God and man? he confessed that he had surrendered to the devil five years ago with these words: I tell you (sChrist) to give up your faith and to accept another Lord. Luther questioned him about these words and pressed him hard whether he had said anything more; whether he was also sorry and now wanted to convert. When the young man imploringly agreed to this, then D. M. prayed with us. prayed the Lord's Prayer with us, laying his hands on his knees, and then added: "O Lord God, heavenly Father, you have commanded us to pray through your dear Son, and have ordained the ministry of preaching in your holy Church, that we should instruct the brethren, who may be overtaken by error, with a gentle spirit; and Christ himself says: He is not come but for the sinner's sake: therefore we beseech thee for this thy servant, that thou forgive him his sins, and receive him again into the article of remission of sins of thy holy church. 1) Then he recited to the young man in German these words, which he repeated to him one by one: I Valerius confess before God and all His holy angels, and before the assembly of the Church: that I have renounced my faith to God, [and] surrendered to the devil; I am heartily sorry for this, and now I will henceforth be a renounced enemy to the devil, and willingly follow God, my Lord, and amend myself, amen. He then exhorted him to repentance and godliness, that he should live sincerely in godliness and obedience, and resist the devil's devotions and lusts in faith and prayer. If the devil were to tempt him with evil thoughts, he should prepare himself with God's word, and quickly go to his preceptor or chaplain, and accuse and expose the devil with his counsel.
1) This prayer is already printed in the X. Theil dev St. Louis edition, Col. 1500 s.
The devil's tyranny is in vain against the God-fearing.
(Contained in Cap. 48, § 38.)
How a man, who is a poor and weak creature, can overcome Satan, the most powerful and strongest enemy.
God is even considered a fool, in that he sets against the most powerful enemy, the devil, who is mightier and stronger than a thousand Turks, man, who is a weak creature, who is like a crushed reed. It must greatly disgust the devil that he cannot overcome the common man, and that he cannot harm him, God forbid and allow him to do so. That is why Satan is angry and shoots fiery arrows into us. For this reason, we need the shield of faith.
I have tried and experienced this fight. Now it does me no harm when I am with people. But when he seizes me alone, he teaches me morals. Satan takes the cleverest, holiest and most powerful in the world; again, God needs simple people, sends a poor peasant, a shepherd, a fisherman etc. against them. This greatly displeases the devil.
106 Of power of the devil.
(Lauterbach, Nov. 4, 1538, Monday, p. 156.)
On November 4, there was a lot of talk about the power of the devil, who takes away people who are devoted to him bodily through the air. How a certain man, who had made a covenant with the devil, finally realized his danger, repented and confessed. When the hour came and was near, he often repeated: "The body is of the devil, but the soul will be saved. Finally, in the presence of many guards, he was kidnapped through the window. He answered: "One must not lure the devil, otherwise he will come and would like to be with us, as our rejected enemy. As the scripture describes him with a terrible title, where it calls him the prince of the world and a god of this world. It is a star
ker, great enemy. Therefore, I believe that if infant baptism did not exist, there would be no church; for adults, seeing the power of the devil, would never take upon themselves baptism and the vow against Satan.
The devil blinds people's eyes.
Since H. B. was astonished that it was said that the devil could blind people's eyes, D. M. Luther said: "Do you not believe this? M. Luther said: "Do you not believe this? See how the devil can blind reason as powerfully as he blinds N. N.". At that time, the weather was remembered that had been in Nuremberg in the 33rd year on February 18, which had risen at midnight and raged so that it had torn down four thousand trees in the Nuremberg forest, and the roof on the fortress there was almost exposed in half; for a great, cruel wind had come, with thunder and lightning, so powerful that it was thought that the last day would come.
Then said D. M. Luther: The devil makes such weather, but the good winds make the good angels. For winds would be nothing else than good or evil spirits. The devil snorts and breathes, just as the angels do when healthy, good winds blow.
108. comfort against the devil and his scales rages.
Dear brothers, said D. M. Luther, despise the devil quickly. For he who was crucified by him has crucified him again, the ruler of Israel, and has led him in the play, and has given us to mock, to ridicule, and to rebel against him, if we believe otherwise in the crucified one, the devil's crucifier. For though he crucify us, yet will we crucify him again, even with whom he crucified us. We will also crucify him on that day, or even before, and lead him around in the spectacle.
What is the greatest challenge of the devil and how to overcome it.
(Contained in Cap. 26, § 56.)
110. difference between the holy and the evil spirit.
(Contained in Cap. 38, ß 12.)
What Satan challenges Christians with the most.
(Cordatus No. 456.)
The devil plagues the godly with very little arguments, not because of contempt and blasphemy of the name of God, not because of faith and love, but our weaknesses he makes us very big, with snowballs he throws us and yet he magnifies his small, few and fictitious things in such a way that we believe he throws whole houses on us if we are not careful in faith. Summa: he is and remains a slanderer. If God allowed him, he would accuse us of the gravest sins against the first tablet, which we could not bear. Evil God allows him, but to afflict with greater things, the honor He has taken away from him.
112. how to keep oneself in temptations.
When a challenge comes, ask and say, "Devil, in what commandment is it written? If he does not indicate this, then say, "Troll yourself, you mischievous one, and let me be satisfied with the jokes. If these temptations do not want to remain outside, excommunicate them and put them under ban, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and say: God has forbidden us to take this coin. They are not Hungarian or Bohemian pennies, or the thalers of the Lords of Saxony, but are beaten by the devil; therefore we shall not take them, but reject his coin, for it is forbidden coin.
113, Every thing has its time.
There is a time for war, and a time for peace; there is a time to be foolish, and a time to be wise; there is also a time for temptation and sorrow, Ecclesiastes 3:1. But the Lord hears the soft sighing of the afflicted and the afflicted.
114. Another of Luther's temptations and his thoughts.
If heavy thoughts occur to you, dispel them with whatever you can; if you know nothing more, talk to good friends about something else that you feel like doing. One of them said, "Is it possible to do nothing great without heavy, deep thoughts? Then said D. M. Luther said: "Thoughts must be distinguished. Thoughts of the intellect, intellectus cogitationes, do not make one sad, but cogitationes voluntatis, the thoughts of the will, do: when a thing vexes or displeases 2) one, which are melancholy and sad thoughts, because one sighs and complains, they hurt. But the mind is not sad.
So, when I wrote against the pope, I was not sad, because then I worked with my head and mind; then I wrote with joy: that even the preceptor of Lichtenberg 3) said to me one evening over the table: I am surprised that you can be so cheerful: if the trade were mine, I would have to die over it etc. The pope has never hurt me, except for the first time, when Sylvester wrote against me, and put on the front of his book this title: The Holy Palace Master. Then I thought, "Corpse, will it be that the matter will come before the pope? Nevertheless, our Lord God gave me mercy, because Bachant wrote such a wicked thing that I had to laugh. Since that time I have never been frightened. Now, at this age, I have no fear of people, I have nothing to do with them: but the devil walks with me in the sleeping house, and I have one or two, who listen to me strongly, and are visceral devils: and if they can gain nothing from me in the heart, then they attack my head, and plague it well; and if it will no longer rest, then I will throw them into Ars, where they belong.
115. sadness of the spirit.
(Cordatus No. 453. 454. 455.)
When I was struck by a sudden fainting spell on New Year's Day, I said: It
1) "his" probably misprint instead of "heavy". (Förstemann.)
2) In the editions: gefället.
3) Dr. Wolfgang Reißenbusch. Cf. Cap. 68, § 1.
the Lord rebuke thee, Satan, thou shouldest only be an angel of life and truth, and hast become a spirit of falsehood and death; and I have found myself better.
We must neither fear nor hate the temptations, but love what David did after he experienced the benefit of his temptations. Let the wicked be afraid, the Cochläus, the Faber, the Margrave. That is, the temptation of the spirit does not concern us, because we are servants of God.
Schlaginhaufen said: O my sins! To whom I answered, "I present to you four things which are to be held against the devil and sins: That one is baptized and absolved, that one has communicated and practices the Word daily. But if the temptation wants to hurt us a little, it does no harm, and the one who is tempted wants to call upon God, he gets angry. But whoever touches Anna, the devil will soon make it sweet. We lack only faith, which alone is the victor over all sins. And with Satan one must not argue about the law, but about grace, otherwise the evil one can make a cameo out of a louse.
What Satan cannot do himself, he does through old wicked women.
(Contained in Cap. 43, § 40.)
The first time the author of the book was a student of theology.
Satan wants me to look at the law, sin and death. He holds this trinity against me and torments me with it, and in it he has the advantage that sin is against God and the law. But St. Paul instructs and teaches me against it in a fine masterly way, when he says, 1 Cor. 15:57: "Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
When Schlaginhaufen, the priest of Anhalt in Köthen, complained to the doctor about his fear of prayer, he said, "He has often done it to me, but I know that I pray more a day than all the monks and priests, even though I do not babble much. And one shall
Do not despise the prayers described, for he who prays a little psalm shall be warmed. The devil has often reproached me and argued against the whole thing I lead and against Christ. But it is better that the temple should be torn to pieces than that Christ should remain hidden and concealed.
(From here to the end of § Cordatus No. 654.)
If any man be in affliction, or with them that are afflicted, only smite Moses dead, and cast all stones at him: but if any man recover, then shall the law be preached unto him. But to him that is afflicted no affliction need be preached.
God gives life, the devil kills.
Everything that God makes, He creates for life, as Jeremiah says: He creates that it be, and calls that which is not, that it be. It is said: He has a desire for life, but out of Satan's envy and malice death has come into the world, Weish. 1, 13. 14., therefore he is called a founder of death; for what does the devil do other than to deceive people from the right pure religion, awakens rebellion, war, pestilence and all misfortune?
(Similar to Cordatus No. 275.)
It is very beautiful that the holy scripture of God takes away death from God Himself and makes the devil the Lord of it, Ebr. 2, 14. For God is a God of life.
119. the devil's mildness.
The devil gives heaven before sin, and after sin he makes a despondent conscience and despair; but Christ does the opposite, he gives heaven after sin, and makes a happy conscience.
120) How Satan dealt with D. M. Luther.
Today, said D. M. Luther, when I awoke, the devil came and wanted to dispute with me, objicirete and accused me of being a sinner. Then I said: Tell me something new, devil, that I know well before. I have otherwise done many true sins; it
there must be righteous sin, not fabricated and invented sin, which someone himself specifies, which God must forgive for the sake of his dear Son, who has taken all my sins from me. Now that my sins, which I have committed, are no longer mine, but Christ's own, I will not deny this benefit and grace of God, but confess it. But if thou hast not had enough of it, thou devil, I also have thrown and pissed; thereon wipe thy mouth, and bite thee well therewith.
Then he reproached me and said, "Where have you put the monasteries in the world? I answered and said, "Strike lead, and you will see how your worship and blasphemy remain.
I think that the devil often wakes me up, since I otherwise sleep well, only because he vexes and torments me. I am now completely immersed in the article of forgiveness of sins, and I am always going about it day and night, and all my thoughts are of Jesus Christ, my only Savior, who has done and paid enough for my sin. I confess nothing to the law, nor to all devils. He who can believe in the forgiveness of sin is a blessed man.
Satan flies the musica.
The devil is a sad spirit and makes sad people, therefore he cannot stand happiness. Therefore, he also flees from music as far as possible: do not stay when one sings, especially spiritual songs. So David soothed Saul's affliction with his harp when the devil was tormenting him.
(Here 6 lines are omitted because included in Cap. 68, § 1.)
And D. Luther turned to his table companion 1) and said: "Do you have thoughts to sell? Rather, beat them out, and do not engage in argument and battle with the devil, and do not dispute with him about the law, for he is a thousandfold artist who plagues people in a wonderful way.
N. Leonhard, priest of Guben, said: "If he had been captured, he would have been
1) Stangwald: "zu Doctor Wellern".
The devil would have been afflicted, and the devil's heart would have laughed, if he had taken a knife in his hand, for he would often have said to him, "Stab yourself. Therefore he would often have had to throw the knife away. If he had seen a thread lying on the ground, he would have picked it up and gathered so much that he could have made a rope out of it to hang himself. Yes, he had driven him to the point that he could not have prayed the Lord's Prayer or read the Psalms, which he had otherwise known quite well. Luther answered: "I have often encountered this, too, that when I have taken a knife in my hand, such evil thoughts have occurred to me, and that I have often not been able to pray, and the devil has chased me out of the chamber.
(Here a paragraph is omitted because contained in Cap.
26, § 34.)
122. from contestation.
When we have hardly torn through the temptation, and with all our effort and work have come to the point where we begin to pray, then the dispute really begins. For then our conscience comes, and holds us back from our sin: then the devil is on all sides, so that we cannot believe that God wants to hear us, thinking that we are not worthy. Moreover, the longer we pray, the worse it gets for us.
Difference of obedience to God and Satan. 2)
(Cordatus No. 86.)
Between the obvious obedience to God and the devil, there is nothing more beautiful than superstition, 3) and people perform both [obedience] with the same zeal. Obedience to God is the obedience of faith and good works. But the obedience to the devil is from unbelief to evil works and superstition.
2) Cf. cap. 2, § 118.
3) The meaning is: the ugly superstition lies between obedience to God and obedience to the devil.
Human security among so many mighty evil spirits.
(Contained in Cap. 24, § 97.)
125th history of a small blacksmith.
(Lauterbach, Jan. 10, 1538, p. 6.)
On January 10, a young man, a blacksmith, was deceived by night ghosts, frightened and led through all the streets of the city, in the evening from 6:00 to 6:00 p.m., and then he was questioned by the ghost whether he adhered to the catechism and what he had done the other day that was ungodly, that he had taken Holy Communion under both guises, and finally it said: "If you go into your master's house, I will break your neck. Therefore he would not have gone into the house in a few days. We took this young man to the doctor and told him the case. Luther said: "It is not easy to believe everyone, because many people make up such things. Admittedly, he had seen a ghost, but he should not have left his profession. Then he examined him, what he had talked with the devil, and said: "See that you do not lie, but fear God, hear his word, go to the house of your Lord and work according to your profession, and if the devil should return, answer him: I will not obey you, but God, who calls me to this work; I, even if an angel would come from heaven, will still do my job.
This is the first time that a book has been published.
(Lauterbach, Feb. 13, 1538, p. 29.)
After that they mentioned the satanic deception, which deceived the people by ghost apparitions and night ghosts soft]. For in the Netherlands a monster of the size of a man and of the shape of a dog would have run around, which would have attacked the people who should have died there, and this monster is seen by some, but not by those whom it attacked. This monster was called Leichmal. Then the dying people resorted to superstition and masses. Luther answered: Dear
God, keep your word, for if that is lost, we believe it all and worship it. For when that is taken away, there is nothing so distasteful that is not worshipped, as Priapus among the Romans. Therefore, after the word was lost, the annual feasts, the thirtieth, 1) the seventh, and the third day came to be for the dead, so that even the holy men Bernard and Gregory fell away, as Christ saith Matt. 24, [v. 24.] "That being deceived into error (where it would be possible) even the elect." For when Christ is lost, and the state of justification by the word of faith, one easily falls into those errors. When the article of justification stands, that deception falls, as we see in experience.
The devil's request among Christians.
(Contained in Cap. 24, 8 2.)
128. devil's image.
Doctor Martin Luther found a large caterpillar and said: "This is a devilish walk or creep, and is of various colors, like the devil, who sees, walks, and also creeps in this way.
129. hellhound, the devil.
(Cordatus No. 741. [Cf. No. 213.])
Cerberus Greek, Hebrew Schirbor, is called the infernal dog, which has three jaws, the sin, the law, the death. Behemoth is the big ox, and denotes the death, which constantly, since children are born, grazes the older ones, like that ox all grasses of the world in one night, which grow again by the falling dew. Thus the Leviathan is the great dragon, whom God has ordered to joke with him, and whom he irritates by his pious ones, and he fools with him [i.e. he plays his game with him] every day for three hours.
130: Of the whale fish, the devil.
Job wrote two chapters (Cap. 40. and 41.) about the Behemoth, the whale fish.
1) Trigesimä, to say thirty masses for the dead, cf. Cap. 27, § 120. Cf. also Walch, old edition, vol. XIX, 1388, § 165: "redeemed with a thirtieth."
that no one is safe from him. What will you do with the Leviathan, he says, do you think he will fall at your feet and worship you? There are faded words and figures or pictures, so that the devil is indicated. The whale fish asks for no ship, Behemoth neither. He asks for no art, wisdom, force and power: the prince of this world considers it all stubble and straw, he asks nothing for it, it is as nothing to him. But one thing shall overthrow him, that is, God's word and faith. The seed of the woman must do it.
131: Of Poltergeists, from M. Hieronymi Besold's Collectaneis.
M. Luthern was told by someone over the table how the devil was rumbling and storming in his house, and yet one could not see anything, nor did it speak; and he then asked the doctor if he could ask who it was? The doctor answered, "No, don't swear at him, don't ask him, but you know who it is; you know it's the devil, and you shouldn't swear at him. And said: In Saxonia 1) a Spectrum would have run around like a dog, whom he had attacked, he had died. That could (said D. Luther) the devil well, he sees defectum complexionis; as a Medicus from the urine of the sick opportunity sees, and says: He will not live over three days etc. Thus he sees the voluntates hominum, that one is so and so inclined against the other, and bears aversion together; then he can easily say: they will still stab each other; for he sees finely the cohaerentiam causarum. Then it goes on, if prayer does not intervene, and that our Lord God does not hurt the devil.
Otherwise one cannot chase the devil away, because credendo in Christum, that one says: I am baptized, I am a Christian. If one calls the name of Jesus Christ with earnestness, he flees from the Semine mulieris, from Christ, because he is afraid of him, and he knows that he has corrupted his teeth in it: just as we have the teeth in the bite of an apple, so he is afraid of it.
1) Cf. §126 of this chapter. There it says: In the Netherlands,
he has ruined it in the semine. But if our Lord God causes the devil to become powerful over us, then it is a trial.
It happened in Prussia, there were good full brothers in a monastery, who always carried enough beer with them into the church, because they were full day and night. Finally they start to sing the antiphon, Bonorum meorum non eget; they sing something else for it. Then the devil came out, as he had been painted in ancient times, with an infernal rod, and with the same rod he struck a blow on the earth in front of each monk, so that they all fell to the ground, and some remained dead. When an old friar, who was looking at the altar but had not entered the choir, heard this, he began to cry out: Ecce, Verbum caro factum est; and the devil quickly disappeared.
M. Luther said: In necessitate one throws away caps, plates and all good works, and takes hold of Christ, saying: Help, dear Lord JEsu Christe; then he also helps. One does not know the devil, because in Christ. Christ illuminates us.
132: Von des Teufels Gespenst und Betrug, from Äl. Veit Dieterich's written
Collectaneis.
Over Luther's table, they talked about the Spectris and changelings: the doctor's wife, his housewife, had told a story: how a wistful mother in one place had been led away by the devil to a woman with six children, with whom the devil had had to do: she had lived in a hole in the water in the Milda 2) and the water had not harmed her at all, but she had sat in the hole as in a beautiful parlor.
M. Luther said: "These are all Somnia. They were smothered as if he led them under the water: for the devil makes people asleep; he can do that well, and makes a jugglery before their eyes, with which they play until they awake. It is the same thing with the Hörselberg, in the
2) Stangwald: Mulde.
Land zu Thüringen bei Eisenach; these are also just loud Somnia.
There is a story about Episcopo Germano, who had come to an inn for a while. Next to his table, another table had been prepared, and deliciously prepared with food and drink, and yet it was night. When he asked what that meant, he was told that they would have more guests. Then he asked who the guests would be. They told him that they would be their neighbors. When it was time to go to bed, and everyone wanted to sleep, and the guests were still to come, the bishop asked the innkeeper to let him lie in the parlor, for he would like to see the guests. The innkeeper agrees. He lies down and keeps watch; then the guests come in, and they are all Daemonia. He looked at them and told them to stay there and not to leave until he told them to. Then he woke up his famulus and sent him up to the innkeeper to come down with his wife and servants. When they come, the bishop asks, "Are these the guests? The innkeeper said, "Yes, because Hans is sitting there, and Kunz there, and the names of his neighbors. Then the bishop said, "Go ahead, send them out and see if they are at home. Then they were all at home. Then the host saw that they had all been devil ghosts. And St. Germanus told the devils to go away. After that, the guests did not come back.
Similis est Historia1 ) of another all-father: He had moved into a house, since no one else could live inside; but as soon as he comes in, it became "quiet inside. For the devil does not like Christ, whom the Jews blaspheme and the whales ridicule.
Sed illa omnia pulcherrime conspiciuntur in Historia de Gregorio Neocaesariensi, as these high people could have throbbed the devil, since he wrote thus in the letter: Gregorius Apollini salutem. This must be a great faith
1i This and the immediately following history are detailed in the church postil. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XI, col. 1208 and 1209.
been. It has had fine people at the same time: plenos fide. It takes courage not to be afraid of the devil. Christ is afraid of him, so that he sweats bloody sweat in the garden. We must also be weak at times. Christ is weak now, but he will still become strong; you will see, he will still accomplish something. Although this is a great thing, that the pope, the high power, must now be silent, and may never move before the word of God: yet never came a greater power or imperium on earth; for he did not rule with the sword, but when he only said: Do this: be emperor; so it must be.
133. mockery of the devil against the monks.
Doctor Martin Luther once said that the devil had possessed a farmer bodily in one place. Now there had been a monk who had wanted to cast him out, and had taken other monks with him, who had gone in procession with great devotion into the house where the possessed man was lying. When he came into the house, the devil spoke through the possessed peasant: "Popule meus, quid feci tibi?
134 Of Devil's Rumble.
When the devil is driven out of the houses where he roars, so that he no longer has to go around and roar (once said D. M. Luther), then he leads into the people, as, into the heretics, Rottengeister, into coiner and his kind; item, into the usurers and others.
But it is not a strange, unheard-of thing that the devil rumbles and roams about in the houses. I heard him several times in our monastery in Wittenberg. For when I began to read the Psalter, and after we had sung matins through the night and I was sitting in the rempter, studying and writing my lection, the devil came and rushed in the hüllet three times, as if someone were dragging a bushel out of hell. At last, since it would not stop, I gathered up my books-
2) D. i. Oven corner.
But I regretted this hour that I did not look at him, and yet I would have seen what the devil still wanted to have done. I also heard him once above my chamber in the monastery, but since I noted that it was him, I did not notice it and fell asleep again.
Duke Johansen of Saxony was also plagued by the devil when S. F. G.'s last husband died in 1521, that he rumbled in the castle as if his husband's soul was perishing. But S. F. G. wrote to me, D. M. Luthero, and offered to give a thousand guilders, from which one should keep soul measurement, and asked me for advice, what S. F. G. should do in this? But I answered S. F. G. that he should by no means establish a soul mass, but rather he should only despise the devil and his polishing, then he would probably remain outside.
135 From a Tenfelsheinzlein.
The Epicureans, said D. M. Luther, think nothing of either God or the devil. One of them said: "Should they not fear him, since they see that the devil possesses people physically? The doctor answered and said, "They think this is phantasia, or melancholy. As that maid also did: she always had a devil sitting with her at the hearth, because he had his own little town, which he kept very clean; as the devil likes to keep it clean where he is; as the fly also likes to shit on the clean, as, on white paper. Now once the maid asked the little Heinz (for so she called the devil), he should let himself be seen, how he would be shaped; but the little Heinz would not do it, until once the maid went into a cellar, then she saw a dead child swimming in a barrel. Then it was revealed who the devil was, namely, autor caedis; for the maid had once had a child, and had strangled it and put it into the barrel.
136. of the devil's cunning and ravings against us men.
One told about M. Luther's table, how one had almost choked on a bit of bread. Item, another would have fallen down from the house and would have remained almost dead. Then said
D. Martin Luther: This is all done by the devil, who is so close behind us. But the race does not believe that it is the devil, it thinks it happens casu. Therefore, when you are in danger and the devil wants to throw you down the stairs, call out, "Help, dear Lord Jesus Christ," and take up the cross in front of you, but in faith, the devil will control himself, for he does not like this name. The devil is angry with us because of the man of Christ, whom he cannot stand. That is why it is called Orate. Item: Sufficiat tibi gratia mea, he said to St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12, 9: Let it suffice thee that I hear thee, and call thee to pray. Here then belongs the Doctrina de officio Angelorum bonorum et malorum. If then the devil tempts you, say: I am a Christian. As that virgin said, I am baptized, and my name is Christiana; so the devil does not stay long.
And D. Luther told a story about it: That in a monastery there had been a possessed brother, who could see when someone stranger would come. Once he said to the conductor (he called him a porter, like Judas): "Listen, you will have guests today, order the kitchen. This happened. After that the vicar of the same order came and traveled to the monastery; there he said again: Listen, porter, the little David is coming, order the kitchen; called the vicar thus, because he was a little man; and had said: I wanted to have thrown him down the stairs, but the width (called the virgin Mariam thus) helped him. There one sees, how the devil is a liar.
When the vicar came, the conductor asked him if he had been in danger on a staircase. Then he confessed that he had almost fallen down a staircase. Finally, they wanted to help him and asked for advice everywhere for the sake of this brother. Then the abbot of the cell in Meissen advised that he should be accufiren inobedientiae and prodded with rods. This was done, and he was brought before them. When he saw the rod, he cried out, "Not with the rod, for many heathen brothers have been beaten with it," but they continued. Then the devil went out. These are only the devil's mendacia and illusions.
How Luther was able to despise the devil's temptation.
(The first paragraph was contained in Cap. 24, K114, therefore omitted).
Dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum, Psalm 110, 2. This reads as if our Lord God should say to the devil: I know it well that you are Dominus mundi and supreme abbot in this monastery. Nevertheless, I will place the Lord Christ in your rule, and he shall remain with me. Defy him who does anything to him. He has now reigned over five thousand years, and if this lord were nothing, his kingdom would have long perished. For all other idolatries have ceased, and other new ones have risen in their place. But this Lord Christ remains alone, because the Father has placed him there: Constituit eum super montem Sion ejus. The crucified Christ, who is thus weak and martyred, shall thus pass through. Therefore the 24th Psalm, v. 7, says: Attollite portas principes vestras; as if David should say: Ge
think and let him rule, be obedient to him. Now they say, v. 8: Quis est iste Rex gloriae? Ei, it is Dominus exercituum. See how David is such a fine poet above all poets. But N. and N. think: We will stake our country on it, and not suffer the gospel and Christ. But David says here: "You must obey him, or you will all perish. A Christian should know the Psalter as well as he knows his five fingers. According to this, the four evangelists are also very clear.
St. Bernard used to say, said D. M. Luther: Ecce, in p:me amaritudo mea amarissima; id est, in peace my sadness is greatest. The church is never worse than when it has peace and tranquility.
The Christian teacher Gerson's advice on how to control the devil's temptation.
(Contained in Cap. 26, § 67.)