You will not have other gods. 1)
First, the question arises, why does he not command in an affirmative manner, namely: You shall have the right (proprium) or the One God, or: Worship me, the one God? Second, why does he not rather speak in imperative: You shall not have other gods, than in indicative?
To both I answer at the same time that every commandment of God is given more for the sake of indicating past and present sin than for the sake of preventing future sin, for, as the apostle says [Rom. 3:20], "Through the law comes only knowledge of sin," and again [Rom. 11:32], "God has decreed all things under sin.
1) Vulgate: Xon ftuftsftis cksos uiionos. We have had to keep the Vulgate text because the interpretation refers to the same.
that he may have mercy on all." Therefore the commandment of God, when it comes, finds sinners, and makes more of them, "that sin might become more powerful," Rom. 5:20. But the laws of men are given for the sake of future sins. Therefore the [Holy] Spirit, as he is an exceedingly kind teacher, speaks more in an indicative manner, as if to say, O poor man, behold, I show thee thy corruption. You should be like this, so that you would have no gods, would not use the name of your God uselessly, would sanctify the holiday, would not kill, would not let yourself be lusted after 2c. But now you are completely different and wrong. Therefore he finally commands in a negative way, because a negative is stronger than an affirmative. For even the Samaritans of old worshipped the One God, but also their gods at the same time, and so do the Jews and pagans, the heretics and the wicked. Yes, every
a print organized. In the Sanvnlungen our writing is found in Latin: In the Basel collection of October 1518, Bl. Haff. and in the later editions of the same; in Ll. Imtftsrii Vu^ustiniani tstsoloZi sz-nosri luouftrutionurn purs una. Lusilsas upuft Vclurn?stri 1520. iHsnss Oulio. P. 157; in the Wittenberg (1550), Dun. I, toi. I; in the Jena (i579), Dorn. I, toi. II6d; in Löscher's "Reformation Acta" (improved and supplemented according to the manuscript previously mentioned; but much is also omitted from it), vol. I, p. 578; in the Erlanger, sxsMtioa opsra laftna, Dorn. XII, p. 1, and in the Weimar, vol. I, p. 398. A German translation of our writing first appeared in Basel in 1520 with Adam Petri izpter the title: "Der zehn Gebote eine nützliche Erklärung durch den hochgelehrten D. Martinum Luther Augustinerordens beschrieben und gepredigt, Geistlichen und Weltlichen dienende. Item a beautiful sermon of the seven deadly sins, also described by him." In the same year, a new edition of this translation was published by the same publisher. The former was printed by Silvanus Ottmar in Augsburg in the same year, the latter in Basel in 1523, perhaps by A. Cratander. In the collections, first in the Hallische Theil, p. 2, edited by Zeidler, "newly prepared with diligence, conferring with Latin and improved according to Luther's manner of speaking". From this, the text is taken over into the Leipzig edition, Vol. I V, p. 1, and from this into Walch's old edition. The beginning of the German translation is also found in Löscher I. o. p. 580-586, "the continuation of the German edition obgedachter explanation of the ten commandments and much from the manuscript has had to be left out because the space became too tight". (Ibick. S. 728.] The conclusion of the explanation of the ten commandments has also appeared in a single edition (without year, place, or printer) under the title: "A pretty sermon, how the ten commandments are drawn on the seven deadly sins." - This explanation of the ten commandments is also translated into Bohemian. The printing of this translation was completed at Prague on November 3, 1520. Luther mentions it in a letter to Spalatin of February 3, 1521 (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 746, § 5). In the Baseler Sammlung voin October 1518 and thereafter in the luoubrnticmss of Adam Petri, in the Wittenberg and in the Jenaer Gesammtausgabe, the Latin explanation is preceded by a short note to the reader. It is also printed in Löscher's "Reformation Acta". From it Walch has taken by misunderstanding, "that Luther had neither made the Latin copy himself, nor had he arranged for the first printing, whether it had been done, since it came out in Wittenberg, with his approval". This statement of Walch's has also been appropriated by the Erlangen edition, and reproduced in the 12th volume of the ox<^. opsra, p. III. With reference to this, the Weimar edition rightly says: "Rather, from the list of printing errors in the first edition, one can safely conclude that Luther was the editor, since, as here, only the author himself was allowed to make changes." The Weimar edition bases its text on the first edition, but also takes Löscher into account for the sake of his handwritten source, although his work is not very critical. We give a new translation according to the Weimar edition and add the time determinations for the individual sermons according to Löscher, which was not done in the Erlangen edition.
*) Luther probably began on Peter Pa "ls Day (June 29) 1516. (Weim. ed.)
Man in the whole world worships the One God, "who is manifest to all", as the apostle says Rom. 1, 19. But in this they sin, that they honor him in such a way that they also honor their idols at the same time. Thus there is no man in the world who does not to a certain extent keep (faciat) every commandment, for there is no one who does not at times uselessly use the name of God, who does not at times kill, commit adultery, or steal, but at the same time also does the contradiction in himself, as we will see later.
Corollary (Corollarium).
All the children of Adam are idolaters and guilty of this first commandment. 2) But one must know that there are two kinds of idolatry, one external, the other internal. The external one is when man worships wood, stone, animals, stars, as is known from the Old Testament and the books of the pagans. The latter, however, came out of the inward one. The inward one is when man, moved either by the fear of punishment or by the desire (amore) of his benefit, leaves the worship of the creature by heart, but inwardly remains the love for the creature and the trust in it. For what kind of service is it if one does not bow the knee before riches and testimonies of honor, and yet sacrifices to them the noblest thing one has, namely one's heart and mind? This means worshipping God according to the body and the flesh, but inwardly worshipping the creature in the spirit. This idolatry reigns in every man until he is healed by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as the 81st Psalm, v. 9, 10, says: "Hear, my people, I will testify among you; Israel, you shall hear me, that there is no other god among you, and that you worship no strange god," which means: By your efforts and powers you will never reach the point that you do not worship a strange god. For though thou worshipest no images, yet in the
1) The Erlangen edition omitted non here, although Luther himself inserted it in the corrections of the first edition.
2) In the manuscript it is added: "It is sufficiently evident that they are turned away from God to themselves".
hearts prefer the creature to me. But then you will not worship a foreign god when you hear me, that is, the faith in my word will make you free from foreign gods and a true worshipper of God. For this will turn you away from desiring things and trusting in them, and draw you to the Creator. 3)
How can this be done?
It happens like this: Faith in Christ takes away all confidence in one's own wisdom, righteousness, and virtue, teaching that if he had not died for thee and saved thee, neither thou nor all creatures could help thee, and thus arises the contempt of all things. But since you hear that he suffered for you and believe, confidence in him and a sweet love immediately arise, and in this way all inclination to all things, as to something useless, is gone, and the esteem of Christ alone arises, as an exceedingly necessary thing, and nothing else is left to you but Jesus alone, in whom alone you have enough and full satisfaction, so that you despair of all things and have him alone, in whom all your hope stands, and love him above all things for his sake. But Jesus is the true, one, only God. If you have him, you do not have a foreign God. The Jews, however, who fear that they will have a foreign god if they worship the man Christ, worship a foreign god in an even worse way, namely the idols of their heart, which they invent for themselves from God. God thus rightly says [Ps. 81:9]: "You shall hear me," as if he wanted to say: "It is impossible that you should not worship a foreign god if you do not hear me; because you are not humbled, your trust in the creature is not torn away from you. But if you are not humbled, you will not worship me, but you and yours. It is clear, then, that no one can obey this commandment.
3) In the manuscript it is added here: "So it is said in the 45th Psalm, v. 11. ff: .Hear, daughter, look from it' 2c. Not by your works will you be beautiful, but by faith in Christ; yet you will not be without sin, but also adorned by Christ, whose adornment is yours through faith in Him."
The Lord fills a person's life as one who believes in Christ, hopes in Him, loves Him, and is free from the inclination to all things, which is impossible without the grace of God. But there are many people who give a definite answer to the question whether they have a foreign God and are idolaters: No, not at all. In order to catch them in their obvious lie, pay attention to it: Whether they are so dead to things, and so confident in Christ, that they are neither puffed up by riches, nor fainthearted by poverty; neither flourish by honor, nor let their courage be slackened by dishonor; neither delight in life, nor be dismayed by death, neither to delight in pleasure nor to be afflicted by suffering, and whether they are completely immovable and calm on both sides, so that, whatever their lot may be, they may be satisfied that they have Jesus Christ; They love and desire poverty, shame, suffering, death, and spurn riches, honor, pleasure, and life, because they desire their God Jesus Christ, as it says in the 42nd Psalm, v. 2. Psalm, v. 2: "As the deer cries for fresh water" 2c., and the bride in the Song of Songs [Cap. 5, 8.), "Ye daughters of Jerusalem, tell my friend that I lie sick of love," and Paul [Phil. 1, 23.), "I delight to depart and be with Christ." But let him who is not yet of this disposition confess that he is not yet a pure worshipper of God, but that much idolatry still clings to him, for he is sorry, he desires, he loves, he hates, not as he ought, nor that which he ought. But here it is said: This comes to the perfect, not to all; such perfection is not necessary. I answer: We also know that this concerns the perfect (that is, not the Jews, but the Christians), 1) not as if all those were condemned who are not so perfect, but this goal and end is set before us. No one who does not attain it will be excused, unless he recognizes and confesses with sighs that he is not of such a nature, and strives daily to become such a man, and humbly asks that he may be forgiven for it.
1) Eraser: "Here the manuscript slips in several things, and very useful ones at that."
which he does too little, saying [Matth. 6, 12.]: "Forgive us our debts", and [Ps. 51, 12.]: "Create in me, God, a clean heart." To these, I say, who stand in fear and confess, who seek and ask, this idolatry (idolatriae suae mixtura) still clinging to them is not imputed for the sake of Christ in whom they believe. But to those who snore in safety without fear, without caring that they become better, it is completely imputed, and they are in truth idolaters. Even the excuse that it is not necessary to be perfect will not help them, as if this commandment was given to stones or wood and not rather to men, and had to be fulfilled so completely and perfectly that not even the smallest letter nor one tittle will be lost [Matth. 5, 18.]).
For the sake of clearer understanding, so that even weaker people can grasp who and how one sins against this commandment, I will give examples in a very detailed way, but not all of them (then I would have to list countless), but many, so that by comparing them with the others, they can be understood more easily.
First. There are some who are so unintelligent that it seems that the devil is not mocking them in earnest but, as it were, as his fools in jest. Among these are the soothsayers, the interpreters of signs, the sorcerers, the blessers, the superstitious, 2) and of these there are many kinds; but I will group them together and distinguish them according to the different ages, so that it may be easier to remember.
The first age is youth, which in itself is inclined to be seduced by the devil.
First of all, there are those people who, with certain formulas (conceptis verbis) and certain signs, know how to bless swords, bullets, rifles, 3) and all iron weapons, that is, to conjure them so that they cannot be wounded by them, be it in the
2) In the Weimar edition, the comma before supsrstitiosi is omitted (not well, we think).
3) Weimar and other editions: boarttas, Wittenberg, Jena and Löscher: üoniüsräa".
Wars or else. I myself have seen a youth who put a drawn sword on his bare body (ventrem) and pressed it against himself with such force that the sword bent and on his body the hilt struck the point (donec capulus reflexus copularetur acumini etc.), and he let the sword go back [to its original position], but was not wounded.
Second, [there are people] who can invalidate this [invocation] by describing a circle and drawing figures in the sand, and by thus invalidating each other's invocations, they kill each other.
Thirdly, there are people who write letters or signs on glass and put them on the fire, and by doing this (machina) they force the girls to love them. But they also do it this way. Some can call their beloved (Adonides) for many miles by putting a pot on the fire. Others take the head of an ass and put it in the middle of the fire 1) and force as many of those who are attached to their art (mysterii) or are partakers of it as they want to come to them. And marvelous it is to say that those who are forced to come [in this way] cannot help nor save themselves [from it] until it is granted to them to seize the fire where the head of the ass is exposed to the fire (coctore).
Fourthly, one has letters full of many sacred words and signs that are said to have been sent by Pope Leo to [Emperor] Carl in the war. Besides being a vain pretense, it is also a lie, as is evident from the chronicles, since Leo and Carl were not contemporaries. Nevertheless, they ascribe to them so much that the one who carries them can neither be killed nor wounded nor suffer any damage, so that they presume to win in court even in unjust matters.
Fifth, they choose certain months for marriage. Some do this so that no children are born to them, others, however, in order to have many children. Thus, in an unfortunate folly, they do not write GOtte the
1) or: in the middle of the hearth of fire (in E<Iio kooo).
creation of man, but to the months, and yet there are books full of these antics.
Sixth. The consecrated wax of the Easter candle is furtively torn off by many, I do not know how many and how great sorceries and superstitious acts.
Seventh. There are people who take holy water and hope to find an egg in an anthill with their prayers, which is supposed to make them invisible when they carry it with them.
Eighth. They seek [to discover] a thief by writing the names of suspicious people on slips of paper and throwing them into holy water, so that the one whose name falls to the ground is said to be the thief they are looking for.
Ninth. At the wedding they want to find out by observing foolish things which of the two will survive the other, as whoever falls asleep first on the first night must die first. Similarly, when the woman enters the man's house for the first time, she shall touch the upper threshold of the door with her hand and speak words by which she prophesies that she will be the man's mistress.
According to this, similar things can be judged. Although these things are more foolish than evil, and it seems, as I have said, that the devil is playing a joke with them, at last they become quite serious, because people get used to putting their trust in the creature in small things, and therefore do not trust in God in great things either. They excuse themselves, of course, by saying that they are holy signs and holy words, as if for that reason they were not to be accused all the more of using the holy things, signs and words of God for unholy and devilish things. 3)
4) The second is the male age and those who are already in marriage, where the all-.
2) According to a handwritten note, the saying reads: "Ich greift auff die überthuer, mein krieg der gee albeg fner." (Weim. ed.)
3) Löscher: "Much that is useful is added here in the manuscript."
4) Löscher: "The following is added to the sermon that was preached in 1516 on the day of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary f2 July, as attested by the mentioned manuscript, from which the following is drawn." - This introductory sermon is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XII, 1722.
The affectionate love for children and the attachment to earthly goods make it wonderfully easy for women to be seduced into this work of the devil.
First. They undertake to make the children healthy by certain superstitious customs. For there are people who heal the bewitched children (for this evil is very common in our country, so there are also many malicious (pestilent) old hags and devil's servants who do this) from an unknown disease, which is called "the Elbe" 1) in German. For these, some village priests and sextons, who have learned this from the magic whores, write letters that are hung on the neck, but not with ordinary ink, nor on paper, nor on any day; I do not know, maybe not even with a pen, and at a writing desk and in an ordinary place. For this thing has its hidden secrets, and yet what they do is done because they believe. Others [expel] another disease, which is called in German "das Herzgespanst", that is, an expansion of the chest. They prove the presence of this disease by this reason, namely when the child's measurement from one elbow to the other is not equal to the measurement from the knee to the neck. They also relieve headaches by I don't know how many kinds of murmuring and measuring with the belt, as well as other pains in all limbs. Here I wish the children had sense and could talk, so that they could punish their mothers for their exceedingly great foolishness. For there is no doubt that they would resist and show that they have more understanding than their mothers.
But they say: Who should not have mercy on his little child and the fruit of his womb? I answer: Yes, one should have mercy on them, but not so far that one enters into the service of the devil; either seek natural medicine, or ask God in simple faith. Why do you sacrifice
1) The Elbe or "the heart-ache". This disease is described in more detail in the third chapter of the shorter interpretation of the letter to the Galatians, Walch, St. Louis edition, Vol. VIII, 1462, 8 3. - Here "Elbe" and "Herzgespanst" are distinguished as two diseases.
the child that God created to the devil, so that he may preserve it and make it healthy? But God allows such things to be done to children by sorcerers, in order to tempt the unbelievers, so that those who have abandoned God may seek the devil. For it is not to be doubted that such plagues of children are sometimes not natural, but the devils, summoned by the sorcerers, torment the parents of the same in such a way out of a hidden but quite just judgment of God, in order to test their faith or the faith of others, or to punish both.
Secondly, the fathers blow against the palate or into the throat of the little children who are suffering from I don't know what kind of disease; but they speak the words that are used for incantation seven times.
Thirdly, [there are people] who draw their cattle and thus protect them from wolves, pestilence, water and fire; indeed, in this way they can protect a whole city or a house from conflagration. The unfortunate wolf can justifiably complain that the portion God had given him was snatched away by the devil's allies. If Job had acted this way, he would have kept his cattle, but God would not have praised him.
Fourth. Out of the same devotion they put signs on the fruits of the fields and gardens, and are so foolish that they, who have received rain and prosperity from God, ask the devil for his guard, fighting, as it were, against God so that he will not take away what he has given them.
Fifth. They know how to conjure fire and water, even snakes, so that they do not harm the cattle in any way, that is, so that their cause is not subject to God.
Sixth. When sick people make vows to the saints, they then consider it a sin to use medicines, of course, in order to tempt God with their foolish vows. And if a woman has received the sacrament of the last rites, she may only wear black clothes during the year, not dance in the round dance, not sleep with her husband. The devil has such a familiar tool in the female sex that he accepts it for the orientation of his service (in sua sacra), through which he prescribes laws.
writes, sows his superstition; in all things contrary to God, who lays out his worship (sacra) and his priesthood and his word to men. But this priesthood of women is much more prevalent, and has filled these lands with countless superstitions, blessings and useless doctrines, of which they are far more afraid than of the laws and services of the priesthood of men and of God.
Seventh. Here belong those who pay attention to ominations, birdcalls, as the cawing of ravens, and the remnants or examples of other pagan divinations (portentorum).
Eighth. Those who observe special days (this Aegyptios) for their journeys, for their return, for building, for business, for putting on new clothes. If these had the faith that the fire is more pleasant in winter than in summer, likewise that in summer is the right time to make hay, to gather the fruits 2c., then they would have a right faith; or that it is good for every man to go out early when he is healthy and it is necessary for him, but not good when he is ill. For what does this mocker, the devil, deserve but that we should also mock him in turn? Close to them are those who teach us that bloodletting, the weaning of children, the healing properties of baths, the right time for sowing are not to be determined according to the opportunity of moisture and warmth or the need of the body, but according to the influence of the planets and the stars, although the best physicians teach that necessity is the only rule here. But perhaps they intend to kill us by hunger, since they allow us to sow only on a few days. But it is good that these antics are heeded by no one or very few (since God takes better care of us).
Ninth. The following is the magnificent astrology or mathematics, which would like to be a science, but cannot take off its inherent foolishness. It is this that teaches us who, what kind of person, or how great a person will be who is born in a certain position of the celestial signs (in horoscopis signorum), namely, they are advisors in the divine mystery, which is not known even to the angels.
is known. Only about one thing I wonder, what may have happened to them, that they have not found the star, which indicates who will be born as a righteous and who as a sinner. For they want the position of the celestial signs (suos horoscopos) observed by them to exert an exceedingly great influence on people; then righteousness, sin, truth, lie is not a thing of so little importance, but also not so rare as a barber, a singer, a money-changer, a fisherman, a speaker, a wooer, who have their own nativities (horoscopos). Why is there no sign of justice and truth? Or if it is there, why does it never make its effect felt? For every man is born a sinner, a liar, a fool, though no star is set to bring about this fate (ad hoc fatum); nor is he 1) changed unless he is visited by the grace that is above heaven. Or is heaven so hostile and indifferent to justice and truth that it exerts its influence on quite trivial things, baths and games and love affairs, but knows nothing at all of justice? Or is the Creator so envious that he has decreed no sign for good, but only for evil? For no man is born good and will remain evil according to his nature with the influences. These I would have counted among the fine (subtle) fools, if they were not coarser than the coarse.
But very nicely they resolve the objections by saying: The influences do not force (necessitant) to sin, but only make inclined to it 2c., as if this were not an exceedingly ungodly opinion, that God made the creature in order to make it inclined to sin, and not rather in order that he might establish righteousness, so that everything works for man for good, not for evil; or as if any man sins, compelled by necessity, and not rather always by inclination. Who would say that a man sins against his will? All evil inclination is not apart from us,
1) In five editions available to us, apart from Weimar's, uiniurrm is added.
but in us, as Christ says [Matth. 15, 19. 11.]: "Out of the heart come evil thoughts", "what enters the mouth does not defile the man" 2c. And St. Jacob [Cap. 1, 14.]: "Every man is tempted when he is provoked and enticed by his own lust", which does not come from fate, but from original sin (origine peccati)). For everything that God has made is good [Gen. 1, 31.], therefore all things by their nature can only cause an inclination to good. As every thing is constituted, so it also works. But that things serve for evil is not by their nature, but by their abuse (injuria), as Paul says [Rom. 8:20.]: "All creatures are subject to vanity without their will." But they make the nature of them vanity by willing that these things by God's order (institutione) have that in themselves, that they give a tendency to sin. Why did they not instill this inclination in Adam and Eve before the serpent came to them? Why not Christ? Why not the holy virgin? Away with this blasphemous godlessness! That word which the astrologers use for their excuse is the word of our father Adam, who also put his inclination [to sin] on the woman, that is, on the creature of God, and said [Gen. 3, 12]: "The woman you have given me" 2c. But how mightily would they oppose me if they could prove that any saint or martyr had made use of these things, or written about them, or approved of them! But now they have not only not approved of them, but also rejected them, especially St. Augustine in many places, then also St. Gregory. And yet this insipid foolishness finds even more insipid people who believe it.
Abraham, they say, taught the Egyptians astrology, as Josephus testifies, 1) as if Josephus has nowhere deviated from the truth, especially since he is so eager to chase glory for the Jews. Abraham undoubtedly taught the Egyptians to worship GOD, and the right wisdom of GOD, as also of
1) 4os6pUus, ^ntikju., lib. I, cap. 8,? 2. - Weim.: 4o8SPPU8.
Joseph is said, Ps. 105, 22.: "That he instructed his princes after his manner, and taught his elders wisdom." Nor is it to be believed that those holy men laid themselves upon astronomy, much less astrology, for these are superfluous (otiosa) studies of young men. But since Josephus saw that the Greeks had a high opinion of this science, and the same stood in honor, it seems that he wanted to invent, how the Jews also in this matter not lower, but higher stood than the Greeks, what he also in all other things to do has endeavored to serve the vain honor.
Then it is marvelous that the evil spirits have not finally been changed, who have been subject to the influences [of the stars] for so many centuries, but then are also closer to them than we are, since they dwell in lust. But that the influence of the stars did not come over them, or that the stars should not have shone to them in the same way, that seems inconsistent. For they remain obstinate in their wrongness, and are not changed by any sign, while it is said that our souls are changed by the briefest influence.
To the last. What shall we say to Moses, who in the fifth book, Cap. 4, 19, 2) "Lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and behold the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and all the host of heaven, which the LORD thy God hath ordained to be a service unto all nations" 2c. If "to the service", how can it be to the dominion? But from very fine wise they make an evasion and say, supported by the reputation of their master Ptolemy: The wise man rules over the stars, therefore he can forestall and prevent the influence of the stars. So they are not for the wise to rule, but only for the unwise. 3) But what does Moses say? He says, "To all nations for service." If "all", then either all peoples are wise, and so all rule over the stars, or only some are wise, and then it will come so that
2) Weimar edition as well as Walch: Deut. 4, 10.
3) This sentence has the Weimar edition, Löscher and Petri as interrogative sentence.
they are not created for the service of all peoples. But Moses is true and you are a liar, 1) not to say anything about it, that even if the truly wise man were a lord over the heavenly bodies, Moses would nevertheless have said something false, since the heavenly bodies also do not serve the wise men, but rather prevent them, so that they could not escape the destiny of them, if they did not have the advantage of wisdom. Thus it should have been said that the stars were created, not for the service of the wise, but for war [against them], and for dominion and tyranny over the unwise. But this is to accuse Moses of lying and to accuse GOD of cruelty and downright blasphemy. But this has been treated more extensively by others. Let it be enough that we have indicated that this trivial matter is not permitted. In the prophet Jeremiah, Cap. 10, 2, [says the Lord]: "You shall not learn the ways of the heathen, 2) and you shall not be afraid of the signs of heaven." For GOD alone is to be feared in all things. All other things we are to regard as ordained for service, and as serving the elect for the best [Rom. 8:28].
3) The third age is that of the old witches (vetularum), or of those who indulge in things similar to these, who make an alliance with the devil, of whom one has news everywhere.
First. By sorceries they can damage the eyes and make them blind, make the bodies ill, paralyze the legs, 4) charm by apparitions (imaginibus), and, as they please, either kill or finally abort by a slow and incurable disease.
1) Vsl-VIo8S8 vsrax st tu insrulax. This sentence has already been an erux to the earlier "translators". Zeidler renders it thus: "Either Moses lenges or you deny."
2) Weimarsche: ciiosrs instead of "Mssrs.
3) Löscher: "The following was added to a sermon which was held on the 7th Sunday after Trinity [July 6, 1516]." This introductory sermon is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XI, 1724, where the superscription should read, "On the seventh Sunday after Trinity," because Luther follows in these sermons the oougustuäc, "eolsmas Uoiuauas, according to which Matth. 7, 15. sf. is the Gospel for this Sunday (Weim. Ausg., Vol. I, p. 61).
as I have seen several who suffered such.
Secondly. They can cause storms and thunder, spoil the fruits, kill livestock, likewise steal butter, milk and cheese from others, that is, milk them from a post or an axe or a towel.
Thirdly. Here belong those who seek to obtain knowledge (of secret things) through the notarial art, 5) about which much is said in the law books (in jure). Likewise, those who seek hidden things by means of a crystal, a fingernail or an ivory booklet, 6) which, however, must first be consecrated. But they cannot do this unless girls or boys who are still virgins are enclosed in a circle, so that this exceedingly evil work does not lack a good appearance. Nevertheless, it is said that this art of inspection very often fails. Here belong those who seek hidden treasures with a divining rod, but especially those who are commonly called wise men and women (that is, fortune-tellers and fortune-tellers), whose sayings (oracula) people fetch from various places and far across the country when someone has lost something or suffered something, and does not know who has caused this damage. It is astonishing that the bishops let it go unpunished that one publicly submits to such things.
Fourth. Many believe that they ride on brooms (7), others on a trestle, and others on other jugglery (nugas), to a certain place where those who participate in this hidden art (mysterii) come together to hold a vastery. It is not only forbidden to do this, but also to believe that this is true, as will be said more widely later, as well as that,
is the art of writing quickly and with abbreviations. Löscher notes, "It is understood to mean a type of cabbala called xotarieou."
6) sapulus - degen handle.
7) Wittenberger: ueopa", Which is the correct reading, because Löscher notes: "in the manuscript it says: die auf Besem reiten." Basel and Jena: ssobum; Löscher, Erlanger and Weimarsche: 8ool "iu.
that the old witches turn into cats and tomcats and wander about by night, must not be believed to be true.
Fifth, it is said that throughout the year (per annum) a certain woman, whom some call Herodias, others Mrs. Hulde, still others Venus, travels around with some and holds, as it were, a regularly recurring Noigungssest (lustralem februum), who leaves with her hosts either coals or trifles from her chariot, which are later invented as gold and silver, as also in the Latin language there is a saying of coals and gold, 1) which perhaps originated from this.
Sixth. Some have a kind of Hansteufel, like the household gods of old, which sometimes appear during the day. These are called in the mouth of the people (vulgo) with some "Wichtlein", with others "Hehlkäpplein", 2) and one believes that in a house there is great luck, which is inhabited by such devil ghosts, and one fears more to offend these devils, than God and all the world.
Seventh. Some, in order to find the devil, go backward around a church, and just the opposite way, as one usually does, and when they find him going toward them, they surrender to him and make a covenant with him. Among these are also those who consider it an evil omen when they meet a priest early in the morning, for they mark themselves with the cross, so that nothing bad will happen to them on that day, as the devil teaches them that it will happen by the first meeting of the priest.
Eighth. There are people who keep company with the devils in the form of men (incubi) and women (succubi), 3) which I will deal with more extensively in a moment.
Ninth. This wickedness of Satan even goes so far as to desecrate the sacraments. Because there are people who give the children,
1) At Vsinsärns, lisi. V, Mt>. VI, the saying is found: Onrborwrn pro tüsWuro iiivoniro.
2) In the old editions written: "vichtelen" and "helekeppelin". They are called Hehlkäpplein because they make themselves invisible by a little cap. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 2112, 8 7.
3) Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 24, 8 94 f. St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 754 ff.
who are to be baptized, verbena, cheese, and I don't know what other things. In fact, this verbena is what is most often used for superstitious acts. With whimsical ceremonies they dig it up, then have it consecrated, and with frightening sacrilegiousness they invoke many (dead) names of God and the saints over it, of course seduced by some Jew who goes with dazzle (praestigioso).
I do not want to say anything here about the purification (menstrua) of women, from which some [witches] make potions that cause a nonsensical love, but more often still cause death. Some mix them into the pig's feed so that they become fat more easily. I let it be known that they advise the children who suffer from wasting (tabe = emaciation) or leanness in such a way that they put the children in a cauldron, put fire under it, and cook moderately in warm water, while one woman stands by, but another runs around the house three times and asks through a [door or window] opening: What are you cooking? and she answers: I cook old meat, that it may become new. Likewise, that they are afraid to put the weaned children to the breast again, because of the danger that they may become cursers or speak shamefully. I say nothing of the abominable things they do when in need of birth. They read the legend of St. Margaret most devoutly and even prefer it to the suffering of Christ. Others hang the man's pants around the neck of the woman in childbirth and prove their madness with other antics.
Moreover, some women are so foolish that they take what is said in jest as serious: If you have lost something and want to find it again, give alms, namely a warm roll, and put consecrated salt on it, and you will soon find it. This is what he meant in jest: Put salt on it, namely on the lost thing, then you will find it. But you understand it: "on the bread roll". Not as if this were something great, but it is something unseemly that the devil should make such a mockery of alms and consecrated salt. Just such wisdom have the
Women who, deceived by a similar joke, take the branches that were strewn on the way of the procession on the day of St. Marcus [April 25] and pull them over the sown peas and beans; namely, because it is said: If the seeds are swept with such branches, they will be safe from being taken away by the fowls or the birds of the air, they do not understand, "If (that is, at the time when) they sweep, the birds will not do so." And who could enumerate all the foolish, ridiculous, false, void, and superstitious things with which this easily seduced generation deals? From their mother (ex prima) Eve it is innate to them that they let themselves be deceived and made fools of. From this similar things may be judged. But because there are people who do not believe that such a thing is possible, and others believe too much, we must talk about it a little more.
Firstly. Some do not believe that these witches (magas) and soothsayers are capable of so much that they make thunderstorms, harm the body, do evil to cattle, goods, children, 2c., having this reason for their opinion, that they do not believe that the witches have such great power over the creatures of God, and [believe that] the devils are not allowed so much by God. And yet, even though they believe that everything is imposed by God, they do not take refuge in God when they suffer something of this kind. Therefore, they should be persuaded to know that the devils are very capable of such things under God's permission, which can be sufficiently proven from the Scriptures.
First. Job 1, 16.When fire came down from heaven and killed the cattle and the servants, and a wind arose and flowed around the house and struck his sons, and at last smote him in the body with the most grievous swarms; Finally, he also tempted him to despair in his soul with the most severe temptation; and yet the text there clearly expresses both, namely, that the devil worked this after he had received permission from God, and that God did the same, as it says there:
"The fire of God fell from heaven" 2c. And he himself says afterwards [Job 1, 21]: "The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away" 2c., although the Lord says there to the devil [Job 1, 12]: "Behold, all that he has is in your hand; without him alone do not lay your hand." So if Satan can throw fire and lightning from heaven and do such great evil where God allows him to, why should he not be able to do the same now when he is summoned to keep his covenant?
Second. That the plagues of the Egyptians were carried out by evil angels is testified by the 78th Psalm, v. 49: "He sent evil angels among them, and made them rage and rage and suffer. But those plagues were greater than those which any witches can do now.
Thirdly. How many possessed souls are told about in the Gospel! How many souls he still possesses daily with error and sin! Or is it less, if he corrupts an immortal soul, than if he damages a mortal limb or the air?
Fourth. Did he not persecute and kill all the holy martyrs himself? Yes, he took the Lord himself and led him from the desert to a mountain and from the mountain to the pinnacle of the temple [Matth. 4, 5. 8.]. Likewise he contends [Revelation 12:7] with Michael and his angels.
Fünstens. The suffering of Christ proves all this exceedingly. For if the Son of God suffered so much from the devils and their members, what wonder is it that He can destroy our scourings and damage our members by the same permission of God?
Sixth. See how God gives power to so many wicked men to abuse goods, wealth, power, dominion, to the destruction of others and to sin themselves. Much more does he allow the devils to abuse things against us, whether to punish us or to instruct us. But it is true that they cannot move a leaf on the tree without God's permission, because, as Christ says [Matth. 10, 29. f.], not even a leaf falls from the tree to the earth without the will of the Father. Therefore, we Christians must know,
that these evils are indeed done by the devils and their witches, but that it is nevertheless so ordained by God. God does good by Himself, evil by evil. Therefore Job [Cap. 1, 21.] (as St. Augustine remarks) did not say: The Lord gave, the devil took away, but: "The Lord who gave, he also took away." But more of this hereafter.
Secondly. All too much is believed by those who believe that the old cripples can turn into hangovers or assume any other guises and go to their revels at night. And about this (spiritual rights) there is an explicit text Question 15, Cap. 6. And it is not surprising that no one believes it. For they are deceptions of the devil, but not a real thing, as beautifully illuminated from an example, which John of Kaisersberg 1) tells: that an old witch, in order to convict a preacher of lying, since he had taught that such things were not true (falsa), had him called late in the evening, smeared herself with ointment before his eyes, sat in a baking trough and now wanted to drive away: behold, she immediately fell asleep and made all kinds of violent movements, until she fell off the bench and received a wound on the head. At last she regained consciousness and was convinced by the wound and the fall that she had been mistaken, however much she had boasted of her miraculous faces.
The same can be seen in the descriptions of the lives of the fathers, where a virgin is told, whom her parents brought to St. Macarius. 2) In his eyes she was a girl, while to the others she seemed to be a cow. And such deceptions still happen today, as happened to the one who owed a Jew and suffered in his sleep that his whole leg was torn off his body, so that he should disgrace the Jew. It is also told of a monk who almost consumed a wagon full of hay 2c.
1) Johannes Geiler von Kaisersberg, so called after the residence of his grandfather, who educated him, was born on March 16, 1445 in Schaffhausen. He died as a preacher at Strasbourg Cathedral on March 10, 1510 (König, Deutsche Litteraturgeschichte, p. 194).
2) Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. VIII, 346, note 2.
There are many reports of such things everywhere. For the devil can change from one person to another and miraculously deceive the senses, as is said in the legend of St. Martin, where one who had been given a certain garment by the devil under the name of Christ deceived the senses of all. A similar story is told of a certain nun who was seen by others sitting half-naked in her cell in a tattered cloak with a heap of cow dung on her head, but who nevertheless believed that she was sitting there in the most shining garment and adorned by Christ with a golden crown. Similarly, in the legend of St. Andrew, how the devil in the form of a beautiful woman deceived such a great man. The same is true of the knight who came to an inn late at night, thinking that he was in pleasant company among girls and dances and enjoying a delicious meal, but early in the morning he was lying in a deep cellar, and his horse was tied to a tree, unlined. But the strongest is the one in the legend of St. Germanus, the bishop of Altisiodorum. See the catalog of the saints, Book 6, Cap. 9. Once he had arrived, and since it was already bedtime, a table was prepared for the neighbors (as he was told when he asked) who would be there during the night: so he summoned those who were coming, woke up the father of the house with his own, and inquired whether they knew them. When they answered in the affirmative, he ordered them to go to the neighbors and see if they were at home, and they found them all asleep in their beds, and so it was clearly revealed that it was a haunting of the devils, and he disappeared at his command. 3)
But I also want to satisfy those who feel like quarreling about it. For they say that women were turned into tomcats is true because a certain Wagehals, who slept in an empty house, wounded several such tomcats; but when morning came, many old women were found so wounded. [This has
3) The same narrative is more detailed and understandable in the Tischreden Cap. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 776.
no reason,] 1) because either it is fictitious, or the devils have wounded the right old women themselves, in order to give credence to a lying thing, as if he had wounded the right old women, who seemed to wound the tomcats (that is, the devils). It is possible, I say, that the old women in their sleep or in a swoon (exstasi) thought that they were running around and were wounded, while they were lying quietly in bed and were wounded by the devils in reality, so that they believed afterwards that they had really been running around and had been wounded by another. It is the same with riding on the broom. It is sufficiently obvious that the Herodiad and the goblins (laribus) are devils.
Thirdly, excellent men write about the devils, who act as man (incubis) or woman (succubis), that Satan in the form of a woman can have dealings with a man (succumbere), and when he has received the seed, again lie with a woman (incumbere), and thus procreate. 2) For in such a way he sought to seduce a certain hermit, that he might bring him to fornication, and then disappeared, as St. John, the first hermit, relates in Jerome. Yes, it is said that the devil was once in the form of a child, and süns nurses could hardly have given him enough.
Fourth. I almost doubt those who ride on a coat. It is possible that they go a short distance, but whether they go far, I do not know, at least not in such a short time, as they say. I know that even if they don't really ride, the devil can ape all the senses in such a way that the one who rides is calm, and yet makes himself think that he rides to his beloved (dominam) and accomplishes everything with her, which, however, may be nothing but mere imaginations (phantasmata).
I make the same judgment about those who bring food and drink from afar; and this is not opposed to the fact that afterwards they really recognize the places where they have been, as they say, because the devil
1) Inserted by us.
2) The Wittenbergers and the Jenaers add: "but mißgeburten (monstru), not a right human being".
could form similar figures before their senses. Likewise, I also judge the servants he brings, for which it seems to me an indication that no one is allowed to address them, lest they disappear like smoke.
To the last of what is seen in the crystals or ivory or in a fingernail, it is certain that it is a deception of the devil, who fancies (fingentis) figures in the crystals, as much as is admitted to him. For he cannot always do this, nor above all, as one has experienced enough.
But from this other things may be judged. For the kinds of these juggleries (portentorum) are innumerable and still increase daily, because the workers in the vineyard of the Lord do not do their duty.
All this, however, is quite insignificant and small with the devil, for these are things by which he hears the bodily senses and imaginations, the lowest parts of man. But with much greater subtlety, as well as with greater danger, he intercepts the mind and the intellect. And though there are very many whose senses are open to his dazzling works, yet he listens to many more in the mind, namely, to the learned in the Scriptures, to the saints in works, so that he is called by the apostle [2 Cor. 11:3] by his proper title, a madman of the mind, even as he beguiled Eve with his mischievousness, so much so that he also disguises himself as the angel of light [v. 14.]. Therefore also St. Ambrose says in the sermon of the bishops: Hostile highwaymen 3) set ropes along all roads, which are to be greatly feared because of the innumerable danger of death (mortibus), small beasts with the great and innumerable creeping beasts, so that it is impossible for any man to be secure in any work, in his mind and intellect, unless he constantly distrusts himself and fears in all things, and with Job shuns all his works. But oh, that God would have mercy, how secure we are today, the lowliest as well as the highest, the learned as well as the unlearned, as if the devil had died, in such a
3) suppiantntore", actually -. who put someone "in leg to trap him.
Just that we fight the bloodiest wars for our delusion or quarrel and fight without end! Thus our godlessness deserves that we would be given over to a wrong sense.
Well, of the coarser and sensual things this is enough. There follows another kind of transgression, that is, those who are deceived by a beautiful appearance. There are again two kinds. One consists of those who deviate from the right path with regard to relics and the veneration of the saints, the other of those who are hopeful in wisdom and their own righteousness against God. First, let us deal with the first.
The saints are venerated and invoked by us in two ways. 1) First, only because of temporal and physical things. And these venerate the saints in a wrong way, yes, they honor themselves more in them, because they seek what is theirs, not what is God's, and therefore they make the saints almost idols to themselves. St. Augustine does not reject them completely, but only praises them in such a way that he says they are better than those who seek the temporal through alliance with the devil. For it is better to seek temporal things from God than from the devil. But by this they are not praised, not even Christians. It is a very small praise, yes, a great rebuke, that they are not good, if they are not compared with the most wicked. And yet, God, who also gives food to the young ravens, hears them also in this service (cultu), and gives them what they ask, as is proven from the Scriptures.
First. Through Naaman the Syrian, God gave salvation to all Syria, even though he was an idolater, yet held in high esteem by the king of Syria [2 Kings 5:1 ff].
Second. The people of Samaria, when they began to serve God, even though they also worshiped their gods (which could not possibly please God), were delivered from the lions that strangled them [2 Kings 17:24 ff].
Third. To Ahab and many idolatrous
1) Löscher remarks: Luther speaks soberly of the veneration of the saints, but still caught up in the Roman superstition, which he had not yet discarded.
and evil kings he gave many victories and benefits because of some works that have an outward appearance before men.
Fourth. St. Augustine, in his writing De civitate Dei, Book 1, Cap. 8, tells us that the Romans were given such an exceedingly great empire by God because of some excellent virtues that they had, while they could not please God, but only made themselves deserving of the Meys.
Fifth. He often spared the Jews, who avoided sin only out of fear of punishment, even though they were a people who always went astray in their hearts and did not please God.
Sixth. And even now God often averts pestilence, war and famine for the sake of an improvement that has come about only out of fear, although God cannot like a forced repentance that is less than half a repentance. This is quite obvious, because when the punishment subsides, they soon return to their former attitude and way of life, yes, they become even worse. All these, as they worship him as one God and live piously for the sake of temporal things, so they also receive their reward. We do the same with the saints of God, whom we honor no further than when our foot or head hurts or our purse is empty. And even though this is useless and foolish in the sight of God, and even though it does not please God and the saints, it still serves the glory of God, who is able to bring forth something good from all things, indeed, whose essence it is that He is good even to the foolish, even to His enemies and blasphemers, rains on the grateful and the unthankful, in order to teach us precisely by this that these are not the things for the sake of which he or a saint should be worshipped, since we see that he also gives these things abundantly to all bad boys without being asked or worshipped.
And so that this may be more clearly understood, let us enumerate some of the saints whose superstitious veneration is known to all.
The first is St. Anthony, who is venerated by many because of the "holy fire" 2) (because otherwise you would not look at him) is venerated and in sol-.
2) ignis sacer - the rose, the red run, St. Anton's fire.
The saints of the world worship St. Anthony in such a way that they have almost gone so far in their godlessness that they believe that the holy man can perform these healings himself, by his own strength or through the gift that God has given him. So much so that they do not ask for what they desire from God through the intercession of St. Anthony, but, as it were, from Anthony himself alone, that they do not even think of his intercession. Then they seek this grace of healing from him alone in such a way that they either do not know or do not seem to believe that God could bestow it through anyone else. In the meantime, no one has ever heard of anyone who has called upon St. Anthony for the merit of succeeding Anthony in the joy of the spirit and in the other virtues mentioned in the legend of St. Anthony, but of the fire it says nothing at all.
The second is St. Sebastian, who is venerated above all because of the pestilence; only recently St. Martin was added to him as a companion, 1) [and St. Rochius, who led a very fine life and enjoyed a high reputation. The holy life and faith of these three men is not to be appropriated by anyone. And to also blurt out my suspicion, which admittedly may seem inconsistent, it appears that some saints have been called to this service before others only because of the sound (allusione) of their names. For the name S. Tonii has in Italian almost the sound (Italica allusione prope sonat), as if one said: sanctus ignis, that is, the holy fire, as if he was because of his name also the emergency helper (patronus), who could heal the holy fire, as also the pagan Romans the fever 2) and other things, which in their name an appeal Hal
ts The following passage, which we have put in brackets, is missing in the editions of Schumann and Lotther. The Weimar one has it only in the margin with the remark that this passage is found in the first edition, but Luther had preferred to see this passage deleted, as can be seen from the misprint. In the editions there are many different readings in it, depending on whether they used Luther's improvements more or less.
2) I'sdris was worshipped as a goddess, As reported by Pliny.
(allusiones rerum) to the gods. So also Sebastian "Sanct Pastian", as if he alone could help against the "plague", while in their biographies nothing is read about the plague. Therefore, even in Italy, these two are honored before others no differently than if you saw that among the pagans the evil-willed deities are pacified. Now the holy "Rochius" has a name, which in German is "Rache" (revenge) and Zorn (wrath), as if he were therefore useful to avert the wrath of God, because he is either called Rochius in truth, or only invented. But the legend of the same, if it is otherwise credible (si recipitur), tells something like that]. 3)
The third is Valentine, the patron (praefectus) of the falling sickness. Since we read nothing that he had to do with this disease, so I would almost swear that he has come through the consonance in the German language to the office that he must provide help here. For cadere means "to fall", which sounds quite similar to "Valentin". And one should not be surprised about this, since the superstitious women also employed St. Vincent to find lost things, guided by the same consonance; for in German invenire means "to find", and therefore they appointed Vincent a servant and guardian over the lost things.
It is not something great nor wonderful that God allows this to happen, and still accompanies these things with his constant benefits, and the church approves of it in the same way, especially as far as St. Anthony is concerned, because, as I have said, God cares little about distributing these things, which he also gives to his enemies. In the meantime, he lets both the foolish and the weak in faith enjoy these goods, as long as they are not worthy of better things, or until they become capable of better goods.
The fourth 4) is Christophorus, according to a
3) This last sentence is added by Luther in the misprint index.
4) Löscher: "The following was preached by Luther as a sermon on the feast day of St. Jacob [July 25, 1516], after he had sent a short preface on the words [Matth. 20, 22: 'Ye know not what ye ask.'" - This introduction has not been preserved for us. (Weim. Ausg.)
Legend, which is not both apocryphal and suspicious, but who has such great honor that no apostle can be compared to him, even if his deeds are written in the middle of the Bible. However, he is not honored for the sake of obtaining forgiveness of sins and the faith or grace of God, but, as the verses say, for the sake of this service:
Saint Christopher, such great power is within you:
He who sees you early in the morning, his mouth is full of laughter at night.
Satan cannot strike him, cannot spoil him by sudden death.
First of all. See how here the wicked ascribes such great power not to God, but to a wooden and painted image; he does not even ascribe it to faith, which alone makes us receive it when the saints obtain something.
Secondly. I would like to be instructed by which scripture and by which miracles it has been proven that the image of Christophorus can accomplish this. Thus, under the pretense of godliness, a vast sea of superstition has broken in, since no one prevents it, as the priesthood sleeps and eagerly seeks gain.
Thirdly. Why does the one who saw him early in the morning laugh in the evening? How? if he saw him in the evening? Has he so bound his strength to the morning sight that he who has forgotten it early in the morning or has come too late, would have looked at him in vain if he had looked at him afterwards at any other time of the day?
Fourth. Why is it not said, "He who follows your faith will always laugh? Whoever suffers with you will rejoice with you? But far be it from them that would follow him, seeking those things. Far be it also that they who would follow him should seek those things, or seek them in such a way.
Fifth. Why does not the cross of Christ make those who look at it laugh, since it has the testimony of Scripture? Is then the
image of Christophorus better than that of Christ, since Christ's cross alone is in truth a type of Christophorus [cross-bearer]?
Sixth. The worst thing is that in this way people love him more, revere him more, look at him more diligently and trust in him more than in Christ Himself, so that they show that they do not praise God in His saints but themselves, because they do not seek the glory of God but their own benefit, and publicly confess this clearly with an insolent forehead that they do it for the sake of diseases. It would be better to follow the saints, be taken away by a sudden death, and become blessed, than not to follow them, die a natural death, and become damned. Also this saint seems to be invented first by soldiers and noblemen and noblemen (generosis), since in the wars a sudden death, to German "the going death" is to be feared to them, especially after the shooting guns are invented. But they do not think of the fact that the people there die much more often stante morte, in German "of the standing death", and not only "of the going death".
Seventh. That men seek to be secure thereby, and to live without the fear of God, whereas all worship of the saints is instituted for the fear of God, that it may provoke men to repentance, make them remember death, and point them to the life to come. But they use the same only to flee these things, but to hold on to those. Therefore Christ should be said to take back his word, since he says [Matt. 25:13], "Watch, for ye know neither the day nor the hour," for we have found Christophorus to watch for us while we snore, and we can be sure of the whole day, much less that we should not know the hour. How? if now also Christophorus had found another Christophorus, whom he had looked at, and had himself become certain that God would not strike him: how then would he have come to his martyrdom? since it has now, not with weakness, but with wickedness finally come to such a point that God is deprived of his dominion, that he has to strike those who look at Christophorus, and that he has to strike those who do not look at Christophorus.
The day when neither water, nor fire, nor any creature can kill.
The fifth is St. Lawrence, whom they first honor with fasting, so that he may protect their house from fire, but then on his feast day they do not suffer a speck of fire in the house all day. However, in other houses they use fire to cook food. But in this way they do not fear and worship St. Lawrence, but rather fire. But perhaps they are so foolish as to believe that fire is abhorrent to St. Lawrence because he was burned and roasted in it, so that when he sees a fire he remembers the injustice he has suffered and is angry with those who have it. If it were so, no Christian should have fire on any day. Or did he become a lord of fire because of this, because he overcame the fire? That is certainly true (he overcame it), yes, he also became a lord of the devil, of sin, of the world and the flesh and all evil. So why is he worshipped for the fire alone? Or why do you not worship him, so that he may protect you from ungodliness and wrath, from anger and hope, by which he is roasted on the fire by Decius and his servants, who carried this out? These he finally overcame, and can still overcome in you through his intercession. But you would want to look for this elsewhere than in St. Laurence; therefore he must only be the protector against the fire. St. Florian was given to him as a comrade, whose life and name is also unknown, and is not known by them in any other way than that they see him painted on paper as he pours water on a burning house. For they are satisfied with this, because they also look for this only in him.
The rest we pass over in brevity. St. Vitus has his assigned position at the lamentable St. Vitus' Stanze. St. Erasmus is the protector of the miserly, but in such a way that he is venerated with a certain number of prayers and with wax candles: then he will surely flood them with wealth. For what else should he do, since he has nothing to do? But
St. Louis of the Order of Minorites, 1) because he once in his life made [bad] beer well, may now, since he is dead and blessed, do nothing else [than brew beer]. Saint Wendelin, a shepherd, is even more useful against all wolves than all dogs. And when he was alive, he tended only one man's cattle, namely his own; now that he is dead, he is forced to tend all people's cattle. We Christians are still not ashamed to divide the business of temporal things among the saints as if they were now servants and journeymen, so that almost the den of superstitious customs has returned, that we have again built the tangle (cabos) of Roman gods and a kind of pantheon anew, for no other reason than that we might have a good life only here.
Now we want to add some female saints. Among them, St. Anne, as she is both a newer and an older one, is rightly the first. Although her legend is exceedingly doubtful, nevertheless she was probably the most pleasant in this respect, and still is, that she came as a new one, because we begin to get tired of the old things and of those which have a quite certain proof. But it was even more pleasant because it did not come empty, but full of riches, since otherwise it could not have done anything at all if it had brought poverty. Secondly, that she is almost elevated above the Blessed Virgin. Thus, new festivals always detract from the old ones, and we elevate the new ones, guided more by the influx of the great crowd than by proper devotion. Thirdly, that it is clear and evident that they began to worship her because of wealth, according to the apocryphal and very suspicious legend, in which that impoverished gambler was helped (even from heaven) to become rich again. For this alone has the godless eye of avarice observed in this whole legend. And it is necessary that because of the feast of this holy mother, the feasts of all the saints are now somewhat obscured, especially those of the apostles, perhaps because they taught poverty. And yet God wanted them to
1) Barefoot, Franciscan.
They have been worshipping St. Anne so much for the sake of wealth that they have also sought other things that are of the spirit, as the church does, as the so-called collections of this day show. But they believe that they have enough festivals for this, which have long been celebrated to excess.
The second is St. Barbara, after whose legend many others have been invented, such as those of Catharine, Dorothea and Margaret. But those who honor her most devoutly seek that she may not die without the sacrament, which would not be so damnable; others desire that a pregnant woman may not be endangered in childbirth. For one reads that this holy martyr requested this and other things at her departure (transitu), that the one who keeps her memory should obtain this. First, according to the testimony of all, this legend is both apocryphal and suspicious, especially since it is written that she was a disciple of Origen, and Eusebius did not think of such a great virgin. Furthermore, that in the legend of St. Catharine a lot of things are mixed in, everyone who has only a nose notices that. But I take the liberty of wondering that the holy martyrs who die for the sake of Christ should have been so presumptuous, or should have placed themselves in such a position, that they should have wished to be venerated by men, or that they should have been certain that they would be venerated in the future. But see also this: since they are to die, they do not ask for those whom they worship that they may become righteous and blessed, but that they may obtain wealth, health, security (all of which they have despised by their death), perhaps not seeking to obtain the same goods for others to which they themselves have now gone. Hence it has undoubtedly come about that the memory of the suffering of Barbara and similar saints is kept more diligently than that of Christ Himself, which is the power of all the sufferings of the saints. But let us be blind, otherwise we could grasp it with our hands and recognize that nowadays in the church these saints have all the more honor, the more fables there are in their legends, or profit or benefit. So must
We also bear the weakness of these people until they are taught and a better mind is formed in them.
Thirdly. St. Juliana and St. Ottilie are ophthalmologists, because they are venerated by none but those who suffer from the eyes, and certainly for no other cause than the eyes, making a natural right and an infallible inference from a miracle once performed, which, it seems to me, is not far from a trial of God.
Saint Apollonia is venerated without ceasing for her toothache and nothing else. Her long virginity and her extremely fervent faith are not remembered by anyone.
St. Scholastica is made mistress of thunder, and I know that this belief is completely prevalent among women, that when they hear that some saint has had something to do with some matter, they believe that he is very capable in this matter and is, as it were, made master of it. And some priests do not suppress this superstition, especially when it is felt that he will also bring something.
Now, as I have said, God allows this and gives what one asks, not because it is something great, but because He is good and gracious, that He both bears the weak in such a way, and gives gifts to the unworthy, whose slow heart does not know how to ask for better and eternal things, for which it is proper to ask the true God, and in which He is pleased when one asks Him for them and He can give them. For those who rightly revere God and His saints seek first the glory of God in the saints, and how they may follow them, as the Church does in its collections, therefore do not ask for such things; indeed, if they have them, they are taken away from them, so that they may direct their minds solely to the spiritual; nor can the true worshippers be recognized and distinguished from the false by any better sign than when the temporal goods are taken away from the latter, but given to the latter in abundance.
For just as God gives external goods to external righteousness, and internal goods to internal righteousness, so God gives external goods to external righteousness.
If God takes away the temporal goods, he gives the inward righteousness inward goods and takes away the outward goods. This is evident in all the saints; though God has not in fact (effectu) taken away their temporal goods, he has nevertheless (affectu) taken away their hearts. Even though such people do not deserve anything in heaven, they still have a reward on earth, and they are right in that they do not desire this from the devil. For in this way he also gives many priests and monks fat and sweet pasture, although they do nothing else in their whole life but always read their prescribed prayers (horas canonicas) with a cold and unwilling heart and never pray. Just as they make themselves believe that they have satisfied God with this, God also makes himself believe that he has done enough for them when he fattened them as cattle in this life.
But some quarrelsome ones charge that I am acting sacrilegiously in forbidding to call upon the saints for bodily distress, since the church also prays to be delivered from peril of soul and body through the intercession of the saints, as in the Collecte: "and that we may be delivered from adversities of the body, and cleansed from evil thoughts in the heart" and the like. Secondly, they adorn their good opinion (as they call it) that they do not seek the temporal any further than that they might thereby more conveniently seek the spiritual, and for this reason they want to live longer and be healthy, that they might repent and become better.
Thirdly. That some have the conviction (as John Gerson thinks) that the saints in heaven are given such gifts in such a way as they had different gifts of the Spirit on earth, according to the words 1 Cor. 12:9: "To make well one another's gift" 2c.
To this I reply:
First, I set this word of Christ against it [Matth. 6, 33.]: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." And again [v. 32.], "After all these things seek the Gentiles." If Christ calls those Gentiles who seek after such things, I hope.
that I am permitted fei to call them weak Christians or at least sluggish people who have a low desire [for spiritual goods].
Secondly. Nor do I object to the saints being called upon for temporal things, but I do object to their doing so solely for the sake of temporal things, and to their virtues and examples being disregarded. Show me just one of the number of all saints who, for the sake of his humility or because of another virtue, would have such a large audience, veneration and name as St. Valentine has for the sake of the falling sickness.
Thirdly. I admit that the church in her litanies asks for protection from lightning and thunderstorms and other physical hardships, but she does this in the right order by first asking for mercy and forgiveness of sins. For Paul also commanded that we should pray, that we may have peace and quietness in this life [1 Tim. 2:2]. So do thou, and thou shalt live; and thou shalt not hear me speak evil against thee.
Fourth. I admit that the weak in faith may ask for health and life, so that they may lead a better life. But here I must say two things. Who knows, or who dares to say of himself, that he has so pure a heart as to desire this in so simple an opinion? Success proves that the greater part only pretends to want to improve his life. For almost always those who are freed from God's punishment or chastisement by their impetuous pleading become worse, so that it seems that God wants to convict us of our foolishness just by this, namely, that we do not understand that He makes us healthy when He chastises, and rather makes us quite ill when He withdraws His [punishing] hand according to our wish. Secondly. If you want to improve your life, you can never do it better than if you persevere under the chastisement you have begun (i.e., in the actual correction and healing of life) until death. For this improvement of life is all the more thorough and lasting, since it did not take its beginning from you, but from
God, who will come before you before you ask. Or how can I now describe all the glory and dignity of the life that passes in suffering (passivae)? We are all foolish who presume to improve our life when we are in good health, since we do not realize that it has begun to improve in sickness, and that life in suffering is much more excellent than life in action (activa). Therefore, Christians should rather be advised not only to bear their illnesses gladly, but also to wish that death would come the sooner the better. Nothing is more useful to the Christian than to die as soon as possible, as St. Cyprian teaches. But we prefer to listen to Juvenal: "One must pray that a healthy spirit may be in a healthy body. Thus St. Augustine does not speak [but]: when we are healthy, then most [in us] is the vile (insanus) disease of evil desire; not [do I say] that one should seek bad health, but that if it is imposed by GOD, one should receive it as a very good messenger of GOD, because one should not seek good without the will of GOD.
Fifth. God has also provided this very well for the sake of the hardened and the hard-necked, that some saints are considered terrible and, as it were, avengers, like St. Anthony and some others. But we teach the Christians who have a good confidence that one day they will be added to the company of the saints as comrades.
Sixth. I know the new opinion of those who say that the saints, just as they were endowed with various gifts of the Spirit in life, so also now in heaven have various gifts of grace with which they can help. But I do not see how they can prove this, except by an inference taken from similitude (a simili). But this kind of proof (argumentum) is exceedingly harmful in matters concerning faith. For what does the devil do, when he disguises himself as an angel of light, but to make a proof out of a similitude? or how many errors have flooded over the church under the name of Christ and his saints, under the pretense of holiness, under the pretense (like
How many truths are rejected as a nuisance, pretending that one's conscience is too tender to hear them!
I see that the Church does not say: Saint Paul, heal my wounds, but: Pray for me. Therefore, you must know that all the saints are capable of all things, and that through them you will be given by God as much as you think you will receive. Therefore, you should entrust all your affairs to the one to whom you have the greatest affection; first of all, your sins and the distress of your soul, as St. Cecilia did at her wedding, calling upon all the saints in turn to preserve her chastity before God.
Of course, I do not reject what St. Augustine also expresses as his opinion in a certain epistle: that God, through a saint, does in one place what he does not do in another. Who knows the counsel of God? If he himself distributes, then it is rightly distributed. But therefore it is not salutary for you if the business is divided among the saints according to your presupposition (sumptione). Therefore he did not say that the martyrs in glory always receive other and again other gifts, but he says: He did not want that in all the memorials of the saints should happen what happened in those 2c. Although, as I have said, God so sustains the weak who seek only such things from the saints, giving them according to His gracious will what they desire, it is incumbent upon us to instruct and guide Christians to perfection, and to teach them what is wholesome and meritorious, lest they fall into the error of inventing idols from the saints of God. For it is not a merit that the body is made healthy and the money is increased, but if you are sick and poor, that is something beautiful, if you tolerate this merit in the right way.
Let this be said of the first glory of the saints, that is, the bodily and outward.
1 Secondly, the saints are worshipped in truth and inwardly. This worship consists first of all in the praise of the heart, then by heart in word and work, that is, when God is praised in His saints and the saints are praised in God, as it is written [Ps. 150, 1. 2. Vulg.]: "Praise the Lord in His saints, praise Him according to the greatness of His power." So Paul writes Gal. 1, 24. that the first Christians did, since he says, "And praised GOD above me." So does the 111th Psalm [v. 1. 2. Vulg.]: "I will give thee thanks, O Lord, with all my heart, in the counsel of the righteous, and in the congregation: great are the works of the Lord, and delicious according to all his will." For the LORD wills that his glory be told, and the work of his hands be declared, as he saith [Ps. 102:22], "That they may preach the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem." And again [Ps. 9:2], "I will tell all thy wonders;" likewise [v. 15], "That I may tell all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion." And many other sayings in the Psalter. For for this cause he worketh so many and so great things in the saints, that he might be praised. Again it is said [Ps. 34:3.], "Let my soul glory in the LORD," and elsewhere [Ps. 105:3.], "Praise his holy name," and Ps. 20:6. [Vulg.), "Let us rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of the LORD our God be we exalted." For thus the apostle teaches [1 Cor. 1, 31.], "He that boasteth, let him boast of the LORD." Therefore there is no doubt that the saints desire to be praised and glorified, not in themselves, but in the Lord, and the Lord in them. And this way of worship will not only be pleasant to God and pleasing to the saints, but it will also be beneficial to you and incomparably more useful than if you worship them for your own sake and your own affairs; indeed, only this way is beneficial, and any other is harmful.
Therefore, for the simple-minded, we want a
1) Löscher: "Luther said the following in a sermon on the day of St. Anne [July 26, 1516], after he had sent a few things about the precious pearl that was found in the field." - "We no longer possess the exordium." (Weim. ed.)
way: Namely, he worships the saints of God rightly in God who looks at the works and grace of God and is moved by their contemplation and is filled with a sweet love toward God, that he has condescended to bestow upon them such great and glorious gifts, as if to say: I praise you and thank you, O pious GOD, for your mercy endures forever. For you have had mercy on this holy one and have prepared for yourself such a glorious vessel of honor out of the multitude of those who lie in sin and condemnation. Thus you have praised God in his holy one. Again, you will also praise the Holy One Himself in the Lord like this: O Holy One of God, N., blessed art thou among the children of men, that God hath counted thee worthy to be adorned with the gifts of such unspeakable grace and glory of God, as Saint Elisabeth beatified the holy virgin, saying [Luc. 1, 42. 45.): "Blessed art thou among women, blessed art thou that hast believed; for that which is spoken unto thee of the Lord shall be accomplished." For you must perceive the odor of divine grace that he has poured out on his saints and taste the droplets of his goodness beforehand, so that you too may be inflamed with love for God. For what are the saints but, as it were, drops of dew or night drops in the locks and on the head of the bridegroom? As he says in the Song of Songs, Cap. 5, 2: "Open to me, dear friend, my sister, for my head is full of dew and my locks full of night drops." For thus he calls Micah 5, 6. the saints a dew, since he says: "There shall be the remnant of Jacob among many nations, as a dew from the Lord," for all that they are and do is dew and heavenly grace, which breathes the exceedingly sweet mercy of God upon the children of men. Thus, indeed, all glory must be brought home to the saints of God who gave them this power. Look at the Church, which sings of the Blessed Virgin: "You are a coward, O daughter, (but) from the Lord, because we, not from you but through you, share in the fruit of life; and on the feasts of all the saints, the Church addresses its prayer not to the saints, but to God, with the names
of the saints by testifying that the merits of them have come from God, and then by these merits God commands their prayer. For only after this sacrifice of praise is accomplished in the right way can we attach our prayer to it, asking first for just such grace from God, and lastly for temporal things, if indeed a man can pray for temporal things who thirsts for the spiritual.
But this invocation and veneration of the saints is so completely neglected that not only do we not consider the works of God's mercy on His saints, but we do not even know their deeds, or even their names, like the one who called the Holy Trinity "three falcons. Thus, we do not consider what good God has done for the saints so that He might be glorified, but what good they do for us so that we might be pleased. But the Holy Spirit and the Church of Christ, in all the veneration and the feasts of the saints, certainly have this in mind, namely, that we should lift up our hearts to GOD and to the divine works, and that from the contemplation of the graces bestowed upon them we may attain a confidence [in GOD], as Christ says Matt. 5:16: "So let your good works shine forth." To what end? That my leg may not hurt me? No, but "that they may praise your Father in heaven." Here St. Augustine says: they should not despair; this can also happen to them, if they only want it. Of course, the saints have lived according to this rule and for the purpose of doing good, so that their light may shine for the glory of God, and it is through the effect of the devil that their lives and works are not preached or celebrated for this purpose. All their lives they have sought only what is God's, but we seek not only in our lives, but also in the lives of the saints, only what is ours, and do not care about the glory of God. And everywhere only what and how much they are able to do for our benefit is preached, but not how much mercy God has shown in them. Therefore, they stoop to the utmost sacrilege and bold argument as to which saint in heaven is the highest in the sight of God, as if they themselves had done something and had not done something.
rather GOD; we have sunk our eyes completely into the flesh and turned away from GOD.
Yes, in our time (which is even more abominable) the veneration of the saints has come to such a point that it would be better not to keep the feasts of the saints, nor to know their names. To see this, go through the superstitions of the foolish great crowd and see how different patron saints the different craftsmen have. The goldsmiths have St. Eligius, 1) the shoemakers Crispin and Crispinianus, the walkers St. Severus, the painters St. Lucas, the physicians Cosmas and Damianus, the jurists St. Ivo, those who deal with the liberal arts (artistae) St. Catharina and sometimes also Aristotle as patron saints; others have others again, and the Franks have their Kilian; every nation its saint. But now see how they honor them. First, they do not care about their works and examples. Secondly, when it comes to the highest honor, they hold a mass early in the morning and celebrate this whole day. But they show this by no other sign than their clothes and idleness, by feigning a celebration more than holding it, since otherwise they kill time in revelry, singing and jumping (since their heart is never so far from God as on this day). Yes, they mock the saints as if they were celebrating Bachanalia or Saturnalia, and they continue this into the next day with drinking, gambling and, to put it briefly, with such a frenzy that it sometimes comes to murder and death. For this is the glory of the feast days in these evil times, that even an Anubis 2) or some abomination of the pagan gods has not been more shamefully dishonored, yes, that even your pig would not tolerate being so honored. But God's wrath has become so great, and he has given them a hardened mind, that everything must be completely wrong.
1) Thus in the Weimar, Erlangen and Löschen. In the manuscript, in the Basel collection and in the Lotther edition: Dlo^iura; alone there is no such saint. Wittenberg and Jena: LutoNum.
2) Anubis, an Egyptian deity with a dog's head.
How much more right it would be if, with a humble and quiet heart and in a quiet house, one moderately refreshed oneself and brought the poor here and prepared a meal for them; indeed, it would be better if one worked and also did all the menial work than if one celebrated in this way. For it is not by this disorderly being with ostentation and indulgence, but by quiet conduct (therefore it is called celebrating the Sabbath [sabbatissare]) and love toward one's neighbor that one serves the saints. If you yourself would condemn it as something extremely shameful, if someone commits such things on Easter or on Christmas Day, why do you honor your patron saint, whom you have undertaken to honor most at that time? Or why is he, who all the year was calm and safe from your taunts and abuses, tormented with it just on this day, when it should be least? Why do we curse the Turks, of whom it is said that they shamefully defile the images of Christ and the saints? Or do we not yet understand that God shows us by their example (figura) how much it displeases Him that we Christians in truth defile His saints even more shamefully? What a beautiful service and piety this is! No one blasphemes the saints of God more shamefully than the very one whose patron he is, and on no other day more than on the one dedicated to his worship. Imagine if you could suffer such worship, that is, mockery, even from the least person.
Here, therefore, the bishops should be extremely vigilant; indeed, it would be very salutary if all feast days [of the saints] were abolished and only very few were kept, on which one heard the word of God early in the morning and read mass. For our feast days are nothing but a disgrace to the Church, and not a fear of God, but a godlessness against God, as experience teaches enough and more than enough. And God can say to us with much greater right than to the Jews (Amos 5, 2I.]: "I am disgusted with your holidays and despise them", and the word Is. 1, 14. 13.: "My soul is hostile to your new moons and seasons. The new moons and sabbaths, I do not like them."
1 ) Now there remains a twofold abuse iu the veneration of the saints.
The first consists in the presumption and abuse of vain honor, in which some also quarrel among themselves about the saints, since everyone strives to make the saint who has done his business (sui studii) or belongs to his order so famous that he prefers him 2) to all the others, not because they want the saints of God to be honored, but they themselves, who have such great people as patrons. Although this vanity (vanitas) is clearly evident and very many deal with it, I do not dare to go further into it, partly because they, adorned with the most beautiful appearance, would easily dare to cry me out as a sacrilegious judge and to excuse themselves in the purest way, partly because this matter also concerns (tangit) the nobles and great ones in the church, who can suffer much less [that they are touched] than heaven itself. For it is precisely because of this that such a great swarm of brotherhoods 3) has arisen, and I do not know whether through so many brotherhoods they will not finally bring it about that they keep neither brothers nor sisters. But others may judge about this. Appearances are good; one must not punish too harshly until this matter itself becomes clearer.
I would like to say that those belong here who want the feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin to be the first and highest of all, and those who fill their entire sermons with the worthiness, privileges and indulgences of new feasts. Posterity will see that we have not lived in vain, for we have established new feasts to make the old ones obsolete; if we have established nothing else, this one is worthy of eternal remembrance.
1) Löscher: "The following was preached by Luther in 1516 on the 10th Sunday after Trinity, July 27. - The Exordien Hiezu finden Walch, St. Louiser Ausg., Bd. XII, 1726. Bd. X, 1284 und Bd. XIX, 736.
2) Weimarsche: ourn instead of sum (misprint).
3) Degenhard Pfeffinger, councilor of the Elector Frederick the Wise, belonged to six and thirty brotherhoods at the time of his death (1519). The list of them can be found in Kolde, Friedrich der Weise, p. 74.
I hope that it will come to this, that also a feast of Abraham will be celebrated, because in his faith was the beginning of salvation and the promised Christ. For if God had not given the promise to Abraham, Christ would not have been born. And perhaps it is provided that the day of Adam and Eve must also be celebrated. And so the days have come when we are very fond of teaching and hearing everything except what is old and established truth, as the apostle says [2 Tim. 4:4, 3.], "They will turn away their ears from the truth, but will turn to fables, charging themselves with teachers, after which their ears will prick." Not as if I reject a godly inclination to new festivals, but that I see that not a few of the same are held and exalted, that one even seeks to make others detestable. The saints do not need our hope and discord; indeed, not they, but we make idols of ourselves and honor ourselves under the name of the saints.
The other abuse comes from avarice. Churches are erected everywhere and have already been erected over images that are not consecrated, especially where the easily seduced crowd of the common people flows in. And even the churches themselves are not consecrated; nothing but profit is sought in them, only that the appearance and the name of godliness is there. For if the devil sends false Christ under the name of Christ, how much more can he work error and deception under the name and image of Mary or another saint! And the more freely, the more negligent we are in heeding the counsel of Paul [1 Thess. 5:21]: "Test all things, and keep that which is good," and that which John says [1 John 4:1]: "Test the spirits, whether they are of God." But we are content with a beautiful appearance, and immediately run to it without examining. This running to and fro is done by the devil: first, so that he may draw the people away from the consecrated places and alienate their hearts from the sanctuary and direct them to worldly things, always tempting them with new and strange things and making them curious (for this is deserved by those who are weary of the church they have at home). Two
They do this so that they may have a just cause for neglecting the word of God and the worship of God in the parish churches. I do not want to say anything about the fact that by traveling they waste time and squander their wealth, and burden themselves with many sins by gossiping, or hearing, or seeing many useless things. But their house, their business (rem), their family they neglect, that is, in vain they toil and commit much evil.
But that such running together is of the devil is shown, besides what has already been said, by the impetuous running together of the mob itself; for it is said that women and servants, while they were working or going about their business, were suddenly raptured (raptos) and forced, as it were, to leave their business, which cannot possibly be by the Holy Spirit, but is a very evident deception of the devil. For the Holy Spirit is not a spirit that drives to sacrilegious behavior and impetuous being, but a spirit of counsel. Nor does he revoke his commandment, in which he commanded the woman to be under the authority of the man, and that without his consent her vows are void; and the servants that they should serve their masters faithfully and not embezzle anything: how then should he draw away the very same to disobedience, which he has so strictly forbidden? Therefore, I have heard that where such churches were consecrated and ordained for regular worship, such congregation ceased. But it is said that even now some of them are not consecrated, lest the influx should cease and the profit dry up. Oh about the Christians who seek profit through such ungodliness! Is that from God that cannot bear the cross and the blessing? Who could have ever believed that Christians could be plunged into this abyss of error even by the most cunning devil!
But I, too, have known a man who began to erect such a sanctuary, which serves to deceive, under the name of the Virgin Mary, who had appeared to him in his sleep (so holy and worthy does hope think it to be); but when this was refused him by the superiors of the Church, he denied the idea of a sanctuary.
the devil immediately stopped in that place, and he went elsewhere and established his whorehouse there. But these are in truth images and idols of whoredom, which the Lord punishes through the prophet [Hos. 9:1, Ps. 73:27], in which believing souls forsake Christ through their whoredom. For He has forbidden to believe those who point us to certain places and preach to us [Matth. 24, 23.1 ) 25.], "Behold, here is Christ, or there." Believe them not, saith he, "behold, I have told you before." Therefore let it be cheaply suspicious to thee, as the pestilence that creepeth in darkness [Ps. 91, 6.], however delicious a semblance that may have inag, which is performed upon these unconsecrated oerters. For it is not in vain that the Church has decreed that her churches and places should be sanctified by the word and prayer. Now if anyone's wife or servant should cry out that they have overcome such a spirit for pilgrimage, hear my counsel: then you also take a good oaken wood (oruoem) and sanctify their backs with several strong blows, and you will see that by this finger of God that devil is cast out. For since women are easily seduced, he is most wont to deceive them by these antics.
Thirdly. If he does not have this power in unconsecrated places (for in truth he does not have it everywhere), he does so in holy places. But this he does when he incites to leave the mother church and to go on pilgrimages to church consecrations and saints' funerals (patrocinia) of other churches, which are situated either in desolate places or in villages, but where you can see so many taverns and disorderly houses that you would like to think it is a Babylon (for in such a way the church consecration feasts and the feasts of the patron saints are kept nowadays); but in the evening they return home full of indulgences, that is, full of beer, revelry and other abominable sins, which they have served there, if they go home at all; for it happens almost regularly that at the church festivals some are killed or at least badly wounded, in such
1) Weimarsche as well as Walch: Matth. 24, 26.
Just that it has also become a proverb: The indulgences from the church consecrations are distributed late in the evening, because they beat themselves to death or at least injure themselves there. The devil continues to increase such lamentable disgrace, and we can still be of the opinion that it would be better if these church consecrations were not held, but should take place. May the Lord finally give our bishops the grace to revoke this indulgence at the consecrations and not allow the devil to mock us when we are murdered, for he would already be allowed too much to mock us through error.
But here I am opposed to the pilgrimages which have been accepted (receptae) [by the Church] to St. Peter in Rome, to St. James, to Jerusalem, to Trier, yes, also to various places to honor the relics of the saints and to obtain indulgences.
I answer: He would not sin who would have all these in order and would stay at home; they are not required, but one takes them on voluntarily. But I do not oppose what has now been established by long custom and habit; those who want to may still go, only they should learn that they could serve God incomparably better and create their happiness with the same costs if they serve the poor at home, yes, those who are commanded to them, as, their wife, children, servants, overlords, then also patiently bear the chastisements of God and any adversities. But it is as if we do not have enough to fight with the devil at home, if we do not go out like Dina [Gen. 34, 1. 2.], and seek more opportunity to become disgraced. For how many resist the sophistical speeches and worries with which he disputes our hearts in the home church? Furthermore, he torments us every day with drinking, gambling, and idleness, and tries everything so that our worship will not remain pure and our blessedness will suffer.
Our greed for money has also recently invented that seven golden fairs (namely they are so called from the gold coins with which they are
paid) with certain wax candles and other customs are held, I do not know for what for a quite certainly occurring event. So the shameful enemy has not even left us this sacrifice unharmed.
How? if this bottomless and insatiable money bag of avarice also belongs here, since for the building of the church one sacrifices, begs, and a treasure without end is gathered together, and for this purpose one uses the relics and indulgences in the most cunning way: so that, where the money is gathered together, it is not spent, neither for the building of the church nor for the poor, but for wars or legal disputes, which are already there, or is kept for such, which will still come? For so also have they made the nails of Christ ministers of avarice, yet under an exceeding holy appearance of godliness, that they pierce the gold and silver coins [with the same]. Why do they not rather pierce paper or a board with them, if only it is sought that one performs a reverent act (devotio)? But what do I dare to describe the cesspool of avarice in the church, since the prophet himself despairs of it, and summarizes everything in one piece and says [Jer. 6, 13.]: All follow avarice from the greatest to the smallest. 1)
After all, this is supposed to be the summa of everything:
All these worshippers of the saints sin against the first commandment, because they do not seek what is God's, but their own, even in God and His saints, and are themselves in this work the ultimate end (as they say) and an idol, using God and serving themselves. Of these the word of the 78th Psalm [v. 34. ff.] can be said: "When he strangled them, they sought him, and turned early to GOD, and thought that GOD is their refuge, and GOD the Most High is their Redeemer (but now it follows from what heart they did this), and pretended to him with their mouth, and lied to him with their
1) Löscher remarks: "This is said against Tetzel and his indulgence stuff. After that, Luther spoke in particular (sx prokssso) about indulgences, which will be communicated later from the 'manuscript'." In our edition, this passage is found in vol. XIX, 736 ff.
tongue; but their heart was not steadfast unto him, neither did they keep his covenant faithfully"; and that word of Christ Joh. 6, 26. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me not because ye have seen signs, but because ye have eaten, and are filled." For the same cause he drove away him also that said [Matt. 8:19.], "Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." But he said [v. 20], "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head," by which, of course, he indicates that he said this not only for Jesus' sake, but also for his own covetousness (cupiditatem). -
So the verdict is clear [Matth. 16, 24.): "If anyone would come after me, let him deny (not money, not clothing, not even health, but) himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Likewise [Luc. 14, 33.), "He that renounces not all that he hath cannot be my disciple." Likewise [Luc. 14, 26.): "If any man hate not his father and mother, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
Furthermore, since they also seek their body and what is of the body, it is certain that they are not worthy of Christ; however, they are worthy of some gifts, like the hired servants, like the children of Abraham of Keturah [Gen. 25:6], but not of the inheritance with Isaac. But if they are not worthy of Christ, it is clear that they do not do his will, nor keep his commandment.
I do not say this to say that all those who are such people are condemned, but only that they may learn to recognize their misery and not rely on being Christians for the sake of honoring and worshipping God and the saints in such a way, but rather that they may see their imperfection and understand what is meant by the groaning that Christ taught us to confess and then commanded us to pray [Matth. 6, 12. 10.]): "Forgive us our debts" and: "Thy will be done" 2c., because we are not such people, although we should be. Therefore, if one can grasp the counsel of God, He does not give these [bodily] goods for the reason that He is in contact with the-
But rather to provoke by these little things, that either the imperfect, or at least his children, may desire the greater, to whom he does not give such things. And this is enough of this matter.
But lest the unholy heretics, the Picards, think that I am furthering their cause, who, out of great ignorance, indignant in haughty conceit, accuse us Germans of worshipping the saints of God and making idols of them, and therefore gather against us a great heap of scriptural languages, in which it is forbidden to worship more than one God, and, in order to make us hated by their own, as it seems, with good reason, do not indicate in the most deceitful way, that it is written that King David and Solomon and many others were worshipped, at the same time as godless perverters of Scripture and deceitful slanderers of our Christianity (pietatis) (for so these peasants finally teach us that one must worship only One GOD, and boast as if we had ever denied just that, while they cannot deny that often also the officials at the court of a king are honored and, as it were, worshipped, in order to reach the king all the more easily): so I say for the sake of the exceedingly coarse and inconsistent ignorance of these people: that one should at any rate take his recourse to the intercessions of the saints, as it is said in Job [Cap. 5, 1.], and turn to any one of the saints, and as Solomon directs his father [Ps. 132, 1. Vulg.], "Remember, O Lord, David, and all his meekness." But also the patriarch Jacob said of Ephraim and Manasseh [Gen. 48, 16. Vulg.], "My name shall be called upon these lads, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac." But I will speak of this in His time, God willing.
1) Here also the trust in the indulgence should have been punished, if the same had not already been punished by me more than too much in many ways.
2) Now I have to talk about the other kind of over-
1) "This is certainly a later addition from the time when Luther prepared the print: unfortunately Löscher is silent here about the old manuscript." (Weim. Ansg.)
2) "What follows here first seems to have been preached on August 1, 1516." (Weim. Ausg.] - The exordium is found in Walch, St. Louis ed. vol. XII, 1726 ff.
Lutder's shipyard. Vol. III.
This is the case with those who worship the idol of their wisdom and righteousness instead of the true God. These are "the proud" whose king, as God says in Job 41:25, is the Behemoth, the devil. With these there is trust in free will [the opinion] that things are not bad for them, that they do not need a doctor. But Christ died in vain for them, because they can lead a good life without him. In this way the Pelagians in particular, and then all heretics, have been lost for ages. Furthermore, there are also people today who are not Pelagians, but have the same attitude or even a worse one than the Pelagians. For the Pelagians at least attributed to God that he instructed free will through the teaching of the law; but these have reason, which guides them rightly, 3) which strives for the best, so that they do not use the instruction of the law out of necessity, but only because it is convenient for them (pro commoditate). But in this they differ from the Pelagians in that they admit that without Christ one cannot lead a good life in such a way that it is meritorious, and so Christ died, not for the sake of sin, but because otherwise there would be no merit. It would not have been necessary for him to die in order to pay the punishments of hell, but only so that heaven could be earned. For imagine that if a child grows up without a real mortal sin (for this, they claim, is difficult, but still possible), Christ is not necessary to him as a deliverer from the power of the devil, but only as a helper to heaven, because if such a man died, he would neither go to hell nor to heaven. By this theology they seem to me to assert that no one is born as a child of wrath and a child of the devil, unless one wanted to say that a child of wrath and of the devil is he who has no merit. And since the priest at the baptism of little children blows out Satan, that he may give place to the Holy Spirit, it is understood by this that from such a vessel, which has no
3) Cf. Luther's detailed explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians Cap. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. IX, 237, z 347.
merit, only make one that has merit. For only now is the apostle forced to the point that he understood in such a way "the vessels of wrath" [Rom. 9, 22.]; and the sacrament of baptism gives grace, not for the forgiveness of sin, but only for .a beginning of merit, and the word of the [Nicene] Creed, "I confess a certain baptism for the remission of sins," must, according to the new gloss, be understood not of sins leading to damnation, but of sins not meritorious. And so original sin has brought no harm into the world, but only deprived of merit and of seeing God, and this deprivation of seeing (that is, of all goods) is not an evil [in fact], but only according to the word, namely privative ]it only indicates the deprivation). For in such a way we do theology nowadays. And [Gal. 3, 13.]: "Christ became a curse for us" and [2 Cor. 5, 21.] "was made sin for us", that he might free us from the curse and from sin, this is not understood differently than that he was made something unmeritorious (non meritorium), in order to free us from the unmeritorious. Finally, the little word "sin" will receive a new meaning in the whole Scripture, that is, the Scripture will become a completely confused book (induet confusionem). But we want to leave this darkness and save it for another time, because we have spoken and acted of these things very often elsewhere.
Now, as we said above, since we are, as St. Augustine says. Since we are a corrupt multitude (Una massa perditionis), no one is justified other than by the pure grace of Christ, without any merit. And therefore he must necessarily be haughty and think much of himself who has not yet despaired of himself, his reason, his good opinion, his inward and outward works, and has come trembling and miserable to the throne of grace. For all those moral virtues and sciences which are in human knowledge (scientiae speculativae) plunge man into a twofold evil: first, that they are not true virtues and sciences, but sins.
and error, because they necessarily come from an evil heart that has not yet been made whole by grace, which in all things can seek nothing but itself, and so they make man empty and vain (inanem). Secondly, that they deceive man and make him puffed up, so that he makes himself think that he is neither evil nor foolish. Hence it is that he is sure, and cares for nothing less than seeking grace, knowing that he does no evil, though he admits that in so many good works he does nothing meritorious. From this comes further evil, that he despises, judges, condemns, bites, jeers against, punishes, belittles all who are not like him, for he, like that Pharisee (Luc. 18:11), is "not like other people," nor one of them. These are the ones who build their house on the sand (Matth. 7, 26. 27.), which is in terrible danger and will fall into eternal destruction.
But the right servants of righteousness know and confess that they are wholly sinful, and want that all the good they have is not in them, but apart from them in God and in His mercy, because the righteous of his faith shall live, but before God no living man is righteous (Rom. 1, 17. Ps. 143, 2.). Therefore, depressed by their sin, they judge no one but themselves, put no one down, despise no one but themselves, and hold themselves by this declaration (diffinitionem) of righteousness: righteousness consists in accusing oneself first, and a righteous man accuses himself first. These have in truth One GOD, from whom, through whom, and to whom (in quem) they are justified, and are without sin through the mercy of GOD, who forgives their sin, not through their active righteousness. Thus, God is praised and worshipped in truth, since to His works is attributed all that we are, indeed, since our works are not ours, but God's, as Christ says (John 7:16), "My doctrine is not mine." Thus nothing remains for us but sin, foolishness, wickedness, corruption and shame, and therefore we cannot please ourselves in any way or make an idol of ourselves, since we have again become the nothingness from which we came.
have come, and God alone remains all in all.
1 But if we say this, we are reproached: Just as the apostle, who taught the same, was also reproached [Rom. 3:8]: "Let us do evil, that good may come of it; which condemnation is quite right."
Therefore, these must be answered: First, that it is not denied, but most zealously taught, that one should do good. The argument is only based on the word "good", because (Hebr. 11, 6.): "Without faith it is impossible to please God", and (Rom. 14, 23.): "Everything that does not come from faith is sin. Admittedly, their good, which they so call, done out of nature and out of a moral endeavor (moraliter), is therefore evil in the sight of God, because it is not done out of God and for God's sake (that is, it is not recognized out of God and not related to God), but man puts it on himself and pleases himself in it as if it were his, even though it is not his. For this addition of Leviathan (the devil) makes everything evil in the sight of God, however great the appearance it has in the sight of men, hence Paul freely exclaims publicly both about the Gentiles and the Jews [Rom. 3:10, 12]: "There is no one who does righteousness, there is no one who does good; they have all gone astray, and have all become unfit." But grace enlightens man to recognize that his works are God's alone; nature does not teach him this. Hence such a man is patient and meek, whether his words and works be blamed or praised, knowing that he loses nothing because it is not his. But nature rages when it is rebuked and is senseless when it is praised. The cause of all this is that faith and hope have no other foundation than God alone, Jesus Christ, the right rock, and by no creature. Reason and nature, however, have a sandy foundation, their
1) Perhaps this following piece belongs to the sermon of August 3, 1516, whose exordium is found in Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, l 288 ff; only it will have been reworked for printing. Compare, among other things, Luther's Urtheil here and there on the explanation of the "pes (hope) [1. o. Col. 1290, § 4s at the Magister svntviitinrurn. (Weimar edition.)
good works and their wisdom. Therefore, when a man's good works fall away through evil speaking, he is angry, but when they fall away through the revelation of conscience and divine judgment, he despairs forever. But the righteous, though he falls, rises again, and against his conscience he leans on God's mercy, as it is written [Ps. 21:8]: "For the king hopes in the LORD, and shall stand firm through the goodness of the Most High."
Therefore, the description of hope in the Magister Sententiarum [Petrus Lombardus] is either wrong, or it is obscure and not given in an understandable way, for hope does not come from merit, but vice versa, merit comes from hope; for as faith, so hope and love must necessarily be there sooner than any meritorious work. For hope comes only from God having mercy and pouring it out, and has no other object (objectum) or substance (materiam) or foundation than the mere mercy of God, not at all our works, which are rather the object (objectum) and origin of despair. Christ lived for us and is our merit if we believe in him. But those who believe in him do not henceforth live for themselves, nor accumulate their merits, but serve Christ, and in turn, make merit for Christ. For thus the apostle teaches Rom. 14:8: "If we live, we live unto the Lord; if we die, we die unto the Lord." He is our hope, and we (that I say so) are his hope, or those for whom he waits (expectatio ejus), as a son is the hope of his father, and the father the hope of the son, for whom he has provided everything and gathered treasures.
But as I have said of hope in spiritual things, so may it be understood of hope in bodily things, as there are riches, beauty, honor, power, favor, sex, good living, and the like. For he that trusteth in these things, and is proud of them, and despiseth others that are not equal unto him, it is evident that he maketh these things his own, that he taketh them for his own use.
He would not make a distinction between himself and any other man, however rejected. If he realized that it belonged to God alone, he would make no distinction between himself and any man, however rejected, and would confess that he had nothing more, only that Jesus Christ alone was his assurance. Thus it would happen that if this commandment were kept, there would be no hope, that is, no root, no beginning of sin, and as a result there would be no sins, but peace, love, gentleness, meekness, patience and all virtues in one heap, which, however, cannot be hoped for in this life. Therefore we always remain sinners and transgressors of this commandment, but are preserved by this sacrifice alone, that we well recognize this transgression and do not deny it, nor excuse ourselves in our sins with ungodly, malicious words, but confess them and sigh for the help of grace, and that the future kingdom will soon come. By this humility we deserve to be forgiven in the things we do too little, as St. Augustine says: "All the commandments are fulfilled when we are forgiven for what we do not do. But those who confess are forgiven, for God gives grace to the humble [1 Pet 5:5].
Therefore, one must beware of the harmful and flattering gloss, which completely exorcises and nullifies humility from the ground up, saying: God does not require that this commandment be fulfilled in this life; for this gloss evokes the most harmful certainty, it makes the hands limp and the knees of the sturdy fighters waver, and is one of the cushions and pillows which the Lord has made in the
Prophet Ezekiel [Cap. 13, 18.] condemned. Unless one understands this to mean that God does not require it of those who demand such a fulfillment of themselves and suffer, and confess that they do not fulfill it, and therefore seek an early death, and desire to depart [Phil. 1, 23.], so that they may no longer lie in sins and in disobedience to this commandment, but be with Christ and in righteousness and in complete obedience to this commandment. To these, I say, he does not impute it, nor does he require it of them. But from those who do not demand it of themselves, but put pillows under their arms and walk without fear, sure that it will not be demanded, he will certainly demand it to the last penny. Of these the 10th Psalm [v. 13.] says: "Why should the wicked blaspheme God? For he saith in his heart, Thou inquirest not." For he that knoweth not that he is guilty of this commandment, how shall he know that he is a sinner? Whoever does not know that he is a sinner, how can he fear God and His judgment? But whoever does not fear, how can he be humble? But he who is not humble, how can he obtain grace? He who does not obtain grace, how can he be justified? He that is not justified, how shall he be saved? 1)
The other commandment follows:
1) On St. Laurence's Day, Aug. 10, 1516, Luther concluded the sermons on the first commandment. (Weim. Ausg., Vol. I, p. 74.] - "Here, presumably, the sermon of August 10, 1516, connected itself." (Weim. Ausg., vol. I, p. 430, note 2.] This sermon is found Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 202 sf. The first paragraph of it is again I. o. vol. XII, 1728.