V. 1. A Psalm of David, to be sung. The foolish say in their heart, There is no God. They are good for nothing and are an abomination with their nature; there is no one who does good.
I. These two verses are one in the Hebrew, and the words [in the Vulgate]: Non est usque ad unum [there is also not one] are superfluous in this place, since they stand [in the Hebrew], only once in the third verse. In Hebrew it is said: The Thor says in his heart: There is no God. Corrupt and abominable have they made their doings; since
is not the one who does good. There "the Thor" stands after the figure of the synecdoche in the singular for the whole people, because it follows, "they have made" in the plural.
2 This Psalm is taken from Genesis 6:11, 12, where it is said in similar words that the earth was corrupted by the children of men, and that the Lord looked upon the children of men and their unrighteousness or wickedness, which in Hebrew is called "wickedness".
XXX [v. 11], that is, that injustice, violence, oppression have taken over.
which he expresses here [v. 4] in this way: his people will be devoured. Therefore, the course of this very history will explain this psalm quite nicely, since it describes the generation of the wicked in equal destruction either in the present, or prophesies that it will get the upper hand in the future; for this generation lasts on and on, although it rages more cruelly at times.
3. Now in this psalm the prophet does not speak of the persecution of the godly, nor of false teachers, but his purpose (scopus) is to describe the manners and life of sinners or the evil generation, and to show, that all men are sinners and wicked, who walk apart from grace, living only in pride, pleasure, robbery, deceit, murder, and similar sins, though they strive to give all these things a beautiful color, or yet neglect to take heed. And for this purpose Paul introduces this Psalm Rom. 3, 10. ff.
The first evil, namely the source of all evil, is that they know nothing of God. For whoever sins against the first commandment will not let any of the other commandments go unbroken. But since all the commandments hang on the first commandment [Matt. 22:40], and they are judged and practiced according to it, and since no other commandment is violated in a more diverse way, nor by more people, it is easy to see from this how few good people there are, and that there is not one among the children of men who does good. For though not all commit adultery, or are unchaste in works, or kill, yet all sin, one as well as another, through the same unbelief against the first commandment, and when occasion offers, they perform unchastity, kill, and do all evil. Therefore, every child of Adam is a Thor and an idolater who knows nothing of God, as it is said here.
5. But this must not be understood as if they knew nothing at all about God, since the apostle Rom. 1, 19. teaches that it is evident to all men that they know that God exists. For if knowledge of the Godhead were not indelibly imprinted on all men, idolatry would never be invented.
be. For why did they worship idols, if they did not all have the conviction that there was a Godhead? How could they have attributed the same to men and devils, and thus turn the truth of God into a lie, if they had believed that there was none? Or how could they have thought to honor those to whom they ascribed a nothingness, that is, a nowhere existing Godhead? So they recognized them, but in this they erred, that they turned the truth of God into a lie, and again the lie into the truth of God, that is, what is truly God, they attributed to man or the creature; and conversely, what is not God, but a lie, they attributed to God. This is what those have done, and still do, who do not recognize the work and word of God, blaspheme it and ascribe it to the devils, but ascribe to God what they like, both word and work, even if it is inspired by the devil. This is the most common of all evils.
For also of the people of Genesis 6 it is not written that they had no knowledge of God in such a way that they did not know anything about Him, since Noah, the preacher of righteousness, preached God to them, but it is said: "My spirit will not remain in these people forever, because they are flesh", or as the Hebrew text has it: My Spirit shall not judge, shall not contend with them, shall not have His work in them, because they will not suffer the crucifixion of the flesh, and for that reason will not accept the judgment of My Spirit. By these words, whether they were spoken by Noah or (what I rather believe) by others, he wanted to say the same thing that this psalm says, namely, he publicly punishes them for being flesh and without spirit, that is, abominable and depraved people who do no good, not even one.
7 Thus he speaks here in the spirit, despising outward appearances, searching hearts and kidneys, saying that this one denies God, not with the mouth and with outward gestures and ostentation, since he boasts that he knows God even better than the right lovers of God, but in the heart, that is, according to his innermost disposition, on whose blindness he has been able to see the truth.
866 L. xv, 2SS-M1. Interpretations on the Psalms. W. iv, igss-iws. 867
In this way, the blindness of the mind soon follows, so that it can neither think nor speak of God properly, nor do right works, as is stated in the 11th Psalm [§ 4 ff.], and Paul testifies in Titus 1:16: "They say they know God, but with their works they deny it. Therefore, those alone have God who believe in God with unfeigned: Faith; all others are fools and say in their hearts: There is no God.
8. the other evil, namely the stream, yes, the maw of evil, which comes out of this source of unbelief, is that all their doings (that is, everything they think, hold, speak, do, order, or do in any way) are evil and abominable, as if one would say, according to the words of Paul, Tit. 1:15: "Nothing is pure to the unclean, but both their heart and conscience are unclean". And thus in One Word he briefly pronounces the whole life of unbelievers, as Rom. 14:23: "That which is not of faith is sin." For the expression XXXXX, which is here rendered by studiis ["in its essence, as also Ps. 9, 12.: "Proclaim among men his doings" (studia), is a general word to designate by it everything that someone can undertake, plots, undertakings, words and works, so that we can understand that everything [before God] is either approved and pleasant by faith, or bad and an abomination by unbelief, whatever man is even able to do or does. For even the apostle, when he gave Titus 1:15 as the reason why nothing is pure for the unclean and their heart and conscience is unclean, gave no other reason than that they were unbelievers and for that reason an abomination and incapable of all good works [Titus 1:16].
(9) What will the people say to this, who have raised the little fief that there are morally good works and those that are neither good nor evil (neutralia)? Truly nothing else than that they imagine that the corrupt action and the abomination and the unclean and stained and the unbelief are the same thing, as not meritorious, but also not reprehensible, not sins, but also no merits. For so speak the wretched deceivers, who extinguish the fear of God, flatter men, and make the
They disparage the grace of faith. But the apostle Rom. 14, 23. resists them, even according to their own understanding, since he calls everything that does not come from faith sin. For here they themselves understand by faith the conscience, speaking very well, and no less salutary than Caiphas prophesied, only that they do not understand their very good speech, any more than he did. For if a man does or lives anything that he does not believe is pleasing to God, that is, that which is contrary to his conscience, he builds to hell, in truth, all their works and undertakings that they do contrary to their conscience, that is, that which is not of faith, or which they do not believe is pleasing to God, they build to hell; and this is absolutely true, for a Christian man must believe that he is pleasing to God in all things.
But since this passage calls us 1) to speak of faith and works, we must say something more about this, as we did in the 5th Psalm [§ 170 ff.], when we spoke of hope and suffering, and will do the same when the time comes to speak of love and good deeds.
First of all, it is certain that among the commandments of God the highest, greatest and first is the one that is written first in the holy Ten Commandments of Moses: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. You shall have no other gods beside me" etc. The actual works of this commandment, and (as they are called) the [through the soul) produced and immediate works (elicita et immediata) are to believe, hope, love, fear GOt, and that which is GOt's. These works our theologians call habits and actions produced [by the soul] (habitus et actus elicitos). Therefore, because they have fallen for the dead letter, they assign to it external works, such as praying with the lips, bending the knees, and other such ceremonies. Blinded by this theology, they cannot understand the words of the divine Scriptures, where they speak of the works of God, of faith, of the
1) Weimarsche: von instead of nos; probably a printing error. ,
868 xv, 261-283. Works on the first 22 Psalms. Ps. 14, 1. W. iv, ic>6s-io7o. 869
Hope, of love, of fear. For the greater part of Scripture deals with praising the work of the Lord, that is, faith, as Is. 5:12 says: "They do not look at the work of the Lord," and Jn. 6:29: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent," and Ps. 81:10: "That there be no other God among you, and that you worship no strange God." As if to say: This shall be God's work, this shall be the service of God, when you hear or believe, that is, faith is in truth a service of God and the first work of the first commandment.
11. Therefore, the one who wants to understand the Scriptures must stop the philosophical procedure of the theologians and learn to draw the little word "work of the Lord" with such great diligence to the inner things, to the actions of the soul, which those call [actus] elicitos, as those have drawn it outwardly to the (as they call it) commanded and indirect actions (actus imperatos et mediatos), or the more they are blinded, also to the works of creation, which are outwardly accomplished by God.
(12) Just as he who ignores the first commandment and keeps all the other commandments, both divine and human, does nothing, so he who does all possible good and refrains from evil, if he does not believe in God, does nothing. For just as the first commandment is the test, the measure, the guideline, the strength of all other commandments, in which, just as on one head, all members hang, live and prosper, so faith, the work of this commandment, is the head, the life and the strength of all other works, and, in fact, the general foundation (universale reale), which is one and the same in all things, so that no work is good unless faith has wrought it, nay, unless it is thoroughly mixed with and permeated by faith, as with a new leaven.
13. but it cannot be faith in any way unless it is a living and undoubted opinion by which man knows with the utmost certainty that he is pleasing to God, that in all things he has a gracious God who forgives everything he has done or done, who is favorable to him in the
Good, forgive him in evil. For what kind of faith is this that is not such an opinion? The apostle proves it as such in his letter to the Hebrews, chapter 11, with many examples, and when Christ wants to perform a miracle in the Gospel, he first examines whether they believe that he can and will do it. That is why it is written in Matth. 13, 58 that he could not have done many signs in his homeland because of their unbelief, and in chapter 17, v. 20, he says that the disciples could not have cast out the devil from the moonstruck man because of their unbelief.
14 From this we can see where the word of the apostle comes from, Rom. 14:23: "What does not come from faith is sin," and Titus 1:15: "Both their mind and conscience are unclean. Why? Because they are unbelievers, since faith alone purifies the heart (Apost. 15, 9.) and fulfills all the commandments 1) of God, as Sirach Cap. 32, 27. says: "Whatever you undertake, trust in God with all your heart, for this is God's commandment kept." Note [Vulg.], "In whatever you undertake, believe," and, "Faith is keeping God's commandments." Is this not considered a new opinion among our theologians? 2)
15. So also it is said in Ecclesiastes 9:7: "Go, then, and eat your bread with gladness, and drink your wine with a good courage; for your work pleaseth God." There it is said in Heb: XXX XX
XXXXX-XX XXXXXX XXX. XX, however, can be translated differently: For as a son (or a chosen one, or a pure one) pleasing to God are thy works, or thus: For as a son pleasing to God are thy works, so that the meaning is: Be always cheerful and of good cheer, knowing that whatever you do is such before God as the doings of a beloved and chosen son before his father, as it is Mal. 3:17: "They shall be my inheritance in the day [saith the Lord of hosts] which I will make, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own.
1) Erlanger and Weimarsche: manäati instead of: mandata in the other editions.
2) This sentence: Nonne nova nostris tNooIoßis sententia? could also be translated like this: Don't our theologians have a new opinion? The meaning remains the same.
Son spares, who serves him." Then follows [Eccl. 9, 8. 9]: "Let thy garments always be white, and let not thy head lack ointment. Use life with thy wife whom thou lovest, as long as thou hast the vain life which God hath given thee under the sun, as long as thy vain life endureth; for this is thy portion in life, and in thy work which thou doest under the sun." Here, I believe, "the garments" and "the ointment," though many take this according to a not unsuitable figurative interpretation for works and merriment, are yet said in a literal sense, because in the days of merriment one is wont to use white garments, as in mourning dark and black, or sackcloth, at least the people in those lands, so that he indicates the expression of joy as well by food as by clothing, as also Christ Matth. 6, 17.: "When thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face," that is, be joyful etc.
(16) Those, then, who pretend to be enlightened teachers of faith, and deny that it is necessary to have this faith at all times 1) and, indeed, in every work, are leading an exceedingly pernicious doctrine, inventing for us a kind of general faith which is snoring in a habit (in habitu) or rather is dead, which only temporarily produces an act of faith (eliciat). For what time do they want to attach to this action? Only the time while one is searching for it? But an exceedingly great folly has possessed them, that they have compared faith and its work with the exercise of the other virtues; namely, (ut) because we do not at all times pray, read. They believe that faith, too, is active at times and rests at times, but they do not understand that in all the diversity of works there remains one and the same faith, which believes and trusts in every work that it pleases God, or rather that God forgives and is merciful.
17 It is a mistake, then, to place faith and its work alongside other virtues.
1) Weimar's: opere instead of: tempore in the other editions.
He must be exalted above all else and, as it were, be regarded as an unceasing and universal influence, higher than all works, since through his movement and effect everything in a person is moved, effective, powerful and pleasing. So Samuel, when he spoke to Saul, 1 Sam. 10, 6. 7. did not prescribe any work for him, but said: "And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you to prophesy with them. When these signs come to you, do whatever comes to your hand, for God is with you.
(18) Therefore, in faith all works are equal, however they may be presented to us, for faith alone is the work above all works. But where there is a difference of works, either faith is lacking, or there seems to be a difference of works in the eyes of the unintelligent. For to him who believes in God, it makes no difference whether he fasts or prays or serves his brother, for he knows that he serves God in all things, and pleases Him in the same way, whether the works be great or small, great or small, short or long. Nor does he choose any particular work, nor does he reject any, but does, as Samuel says, whatever comes under his hand. But where there is no faith, there is the exceedingly miserable task of distinguishing between works, choosing or rejecting them, because in foolish and godless delusion they believe that through this work they would be more, through that less pleasing. This godlessness, which is full of trouble, worry and sorrow, is called XXX and XXX in Hebrew, as sufficiently said above [Hs. 5, § 63; Ps. 10, § 61].
19 The ungodly folly of these people is that they want to buy the gift of God through a kind of spiritual simony. For this is how they go about it, that they want to have faith in God through their works, and after (poet) them, that they want to make themselves pleasing to God through their behavior, whereas one must first have a gracious God in faith, and only then can one do good works in the same faith, so that it is due to grace, not to the merit of our virtue, that we please God. For no one can please God by doing good works, but he does good works because he pleases God.
so that the cause of good works is faith that we please God, but not works are the cause of faith that we please God.
(20) Therefore, it is impossible that they should not trust in their works more than in God, even though they boast (as hypocrites tend to lie) that they trust in God alone. Thus, they always remain reprehensible with regard to faith, even though they constantly pretend to trust in God. And it is unbelievable how hidden, deep and great an evil this affliction of the human heart is, that it not only clothes and feeds itself with good works until it falls into an insurmountable and desperate perversity, but also wants to sell itself under the title and for the price of faith, which it nevertheless flatly contradicts, and also flatters itself with it. Against this David prays Ps. 51, 12: "Create in me, O God, a clean heart, and give me a new and certain spirit." And Ps. 19:14: "If they [the proud] rule not over me, I shall be without change, and innocent of great iniquity."
(21) If any one could see how many exceedingly beautiful glittering work-doers this shameful nature has brought to ruin, he would understand the word, Eccles. 8:10 [Vulg.]: "I saw ungodly men buried, who, while they yet lived, walked in holy places, and were praised in the city, as having done the works of the righteous." Yes, no other infirmity clings so strongly to man by nature, and none should be eradicated with greater care, than this deep-concealed (subtilis) presumption, which always endeavors to forestall GOtte and make him incline to itself by its works. From this abomination, which is in human nature, have also flowed in the Church those ungodly teachings by which men, in order to please God and to do enough for sins, are driven to works and indulgences, leaving faith in God altogether. Yes, I believe that this very deep-rooted evil and this very beautiful glittering idol in the spirit (as the 32nd Psalm, v. 2. ["Wrong in the Spirit"] calls it) will not be eradicated, indeed, will never even be recognized.
The only way a man can be martyred is by the greater temptations of death, hell, conscience, or faith, hope, providence, and the like. Everything else rather makes it greater than it should take away the same, however great the virtues or works may be.
(22) In the same ruin are those who deny that all works done apart from faith are sins, as we have touched upon above. If you were to say to these people, whether a good work done with the intent to commit adultery, to kill, to steal, or in a riot or disobedience, is sin, they would answer without a doubt that it is sin. Why then do they ascribe so much to him who sins against the first commandment, and who does a good work in disobedience to God (that is, in unbelief), that they deny it is sin? Is not disobedience to God and unbelief as great a sin as the intention to fornicate or the neglect of chastity?
(23) But the sin of unbelief is a grievous one, and of all lies most in nature, yea, having become the very nature of which it is said [Ps. 116:11.], "All men are liars," man cannot recognize it in himself, but the sin of the flesh and of theft and of death and of human rebellion, because it takes place in his grosser part, in the senses and the body, man can easily recognize it in his finer part, namely in the soul and in the mind. But even the soul is not aware of its incomparably greater defect and of the beam in its eye; therefore it easily sees the splinter in its body, as is the manner of hypocrites, and of all who are unclean in spirit, until they are tested by the strong and spiritual dangers of death and hell, just as (that I may give the best simile) the lime is cold until it is watered. Therefore the wise man [Sirach, Cap. 10, 14.] rightly says: The beginning or the head of sin, or rather the main and highest sin is when a man falls away from God. The limbs of this head, as it were, are rebellion, dis-
chastity, murder, theft and everything that can be called sins. By this, God reminds us, as it were, that we should consider, if these things are so great and abominable, how great and abominable then must be the head and the many-footed and many-headed king of these rats, unbelief itself, yes, a basilisk, because he alone by his look kills all works. What are many good works without faith but (as Christ says) a whitewashed tomb, which is full of filth and ungodliness within?
(24) There is also a widespread doctrine that a bar can be put up and taken down again. For if to commit adultery or to steal or to kill is to put up a bar, no matter how much good a man does or sets out to do, how much more is it to put up a bar if he does not believe, even though he does all good works in the meantime? For it is much more strictly commanded that we should believe in God than that we should not fornicate or not kill. Therefore, not believing, which is commanded in the first tablet, is far more serious than committing the sins forbidden in the second tablet.
(25) Therefore, just as unbelief, the source of all evil, does not allow a good work to be done, or if it is done, it defiles it and makes it inclined to all sins, so faith, the source of all good, does not allow evil to be done, or if it is done, it immediately removes it and purifies it, making it inclined to all good works. Therefore, Adam and Eve, after they had sinned through unbelief, immediately felt the evil desire as a fruit in their members. On the other hand, John 7:38 says, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his body shall flow rivers of living water." And 2 Tim. 2, 19: "And let him depart from unrighteousness who calls on the name of Christ".
(26) Therefore we should hold most strongly that the first commandment is the head and the beginning of all commandments, and that the work of the same is the head and the beginning of all works, and that the moral doctrine of the Peripatetics is entirely lacking in the way, which says: By practicing righteousness, temperance, we become righteous, temperate etc. Not so,
as godless people, not so, but having become righteous and temperate, we perform righteousness and temperance. But we become righteous through faith, which believes that God is gracious to us. This he commanded us to believe, saying, "I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods beside me." But as we believe, so shall it be done unto us, for this faith is not deceived, but rather he is deceived who fears or has misgivings about believing this.
27. But you will say: How is it possible that I should believe that I please God in all works, or that God is always and continually favorable to me, since I sometimes talk, drink, eat, laugh, and even sometimes joke with my neighbor, and we cheer each other up with pleasant talk? But how then, if I commit a manifest sin, and even a great fall, but that I fall into wrath, evil desire and lust? And who is so perfect a man, that he should also not lack in any word, as the apostle Jacobus [Cap. 3, 2.] says? But even you yourself teach that there is fault in every good work; can any fault please God?
(28) I answer, first, in regard to the works that intimate intercourse entails. The hypocrites, who have enclosed the works of God in their sad and narrow confines, are severe and unforgiving judges of the works which intimate intercourse brings with it in all honors, such as cheerful intercourse, perceptive or witty speeches, laughter and fine jokes. For I say nothing here of buffoonery, frolicsomeness, and shameful speeches, since even the humanly ordered way of life does not approve of these things. But since this life cannot go on without intercourse with others, you must certainly believe that it also pleases God if you address the brother with a cheerful countenance, invite him with a friendly smile, and sometimes delight in a jocular or perceptive speech.
For this is of course the "kindness" that Paul praises Gal. 5, 22. which is also called kindness or sweetness (benignitatem seu suavitatem) in dealing, of which he commands us 2 Cor. 6, 4. to prove it,
saying, "But in all things let us prove ourselves servants of God, in great patience," and afterwards [v. 6.]: "in kindness (suavitate), in the Holy Spirit", where he adds "in the Holy Spirit", lest this sociability (comitas) or cheerfulness (hilaritas), as is generally the case, degenerate into levity and boisterous merrymaking and a licentiousness that takes the liberty of saying and doing anything, until they turn the fruitful kindness of the Holy Spirit into the deadly kindness of the unclean spirit. Thus we read of St. Bernard, who wanted to cheer up a brother who was exceedingly sad, and joked with him that he had tripped him up so that he had to fall, saying that it was a useless deed, but not useless (otiosum, sed non otiose). Now, even if (as is to be feared) something sinful should have crept in through ignorance, it is overcome through faith in God, through which I believe that we are so well pleasing to Him that He forgives us what has been sinned against, since He shows Himself to be so toward us as we believe about Him.
29. but of the manifest sins I say the word, Proverbs 24:16: "A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again; but the wicked sink into misery." For therein lies the difference between the righteous and the wicked, that the wicked fails to propitiate and overcome God by works; therefore, when he has fallen, he never rises again, because he has no other way to rise again than his works, by which, as he fancies, he can direct God. Since this is impossible, and he can never find peace of heart, he must necessarily despair. But the righteous man, who knows that God has not only promised him [His grace] and thus has preceded him, but has also commanded that one should believe in Him and hope in Him before all works, does not get up again for this reason, because he relies on works, nor does he remain lying down because he has fallen, but, mindful of the promise and commandment of God, he has before his eyes the mercy of God that is well-disposed toward him, of which He commanded that it alone should be before one's eyes.
when he said, "I am the Lord your God." So does David Ps. 26:3: "For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes, and I walk in thy truth." Therefore, the righteous is upheld by the word and commandment of God, so that he does not fall with the wicked into the calamity of despair.
(30) As they rely on different, even opposite, endeavors, they come to opposite ends. The wicked strives to enter into God by works, but the righteous is eager to come out of God by faith and be born. The former sets out to overcome the justice of God by his own efforts; the latter sets out to overcome the mercy of God, which can heal all his infirmities. And here one must apply the example of a father and his son mentioned earlier. For even if the son has sinned once, he fears the father, but does not abandon his trust in the kindness of the father, and is also willing to confess his sin humbly and to suffer the chastisement of the father, as we have quoted from the prophet Malachi Cap. 3:17: "I will spare them, as a man spareth his son that serveth him." And Ps. 89, 33. f.: "I will punish their sin with a rod, and their iniquity with plagues; but I will not turn away my mercy from them, neither will I fail in my truth."
(31) I carefully and knowingly pass over the questions of the new theologians, whether faith perishes by mortal sin, and what is mortal sin, since this question is not yet at hand for those who do not know what faith or mortal sin is, and presume to rob God himself of pronouncing the decision as to how much sin faith may or may not endure. My secret is with me, says Isaiah, and: "The secret of the Lord is among those who fear him", Ps. 25, 14.
Thirdly. Of sins in good works, I admit that there is no good work by which we can please God, as the church prays, saying, "Lord, do not judge me according to my deeds; I have done nothing that can stand before you. And how-
Therefore, since we are not able to please you with what we do, you will give birth to your son etc.
(33) And this is the glory and grace of faith, that it alone is the work pleasing to God, which makes all that is ours pleasing, and takes away all that is not pleasing. For if the other were not sin, even if it were not displeasing to God, faith would not need to represent us. Therefore, we learn from the power and necessity of faith that we must despair of all our works and fight against the judgment of God by holding out the mercy of God, as Jacobus says Cap. 2, 13 [Vulg.]: "Mercy rejoices over judgment," that is, mercy boasts against judgment, and faith in the mercy of God does more for our justification than fear of the judgment of God for the condemnation of our conscience.
(34) Therefore we always have cause to fear, since everything we do is evil and condemnable in itself. Again, through the same fear we always have the opportunity to believe, and to fight against the fear of judgment through faith in mercy, to triumph and to glory, so that the word Ps. 147, 11. stands: "The Lord is pleased with those who fear him and hope in his goodness. Thus it is written in 1 John 2:1, 2: "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who is righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sin." And the same Cap. 3, 20: "If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."
From all this it is clear what is to be thought of ceremonies and how far they are to be used. Since there have been many disputes about them, even among the ancient fathers, and since they are nowadays venerated to the fullest extent by many, but completely despised by others, a little must be said about them.
First of all, it is certain that in the New Testament there is only one ceremony instituted by God, namely the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.
This was done for no other purpose than that the people might come together for the word of God and for prayer, while at the same time those who had been converted and instructed by the word were to be baptized and strengthened by the reception of the holy bread. All other ceremonies have been instituted by ecclesiastical ordinances and increased in such a way that today they let the church be nothing but ceremonies, while all of God's commandments have been completely abandoned.
(37) Therefore, we must learn here not to deviate either to the right or to the left, that is, not to exalt the ceremonies too much, nor to despise them too much, but to walk along the right road and the middle way, either observing them or letting them go according to the circumstances of the time. In this, nothing can guide us more faithfully, more surely and more securely than faith and love, far more surely and more faithfully and more securely, I say, than all the dispensations, mitigations (epiikiae) and interpretations of all the popes and teachers.
38 So let it be known that it is impossible to live this life without ceremonies. For since we are in the body and in the midst of temporal things, we cannot do without differences in works, places, offices, lines, persons and other things, and as Paul says in Rom. 12:4 and 1 Cor. 12:12: "Many members and one body, but all the members have not one business." For if you were to take away all ceremonies, where would any emperorship, kingdom, principality, authority, even any government exist in the world? For you could not govern even your house or your servants, nor your children, if you did not distribute times, places, offices and works and administer them with certain ceremonies; but neither could you govern yourself if you did not bind yourself to certain hours, certain duties, certain places. For even your body will not let you live in any other way, at least as far as usefulness and health are concerned. For what could you do, or how could you live, if you did not bind yourself to work, place, time, office and person?
39 Then, what are the outward works?
even according to the commandments of God and the whole Gospel, as a kind of ceremonies? What is praying, fasting, watching, working with one's hands, helping one's neighbor but ceremonies? But as the worldly ceremonies or worldly customs and the rights of worldly things or the habits, or whatever one may call them, are indeed much more necessary and are necessarily much more and various than the ceremonies of the church), yet the sacred ceremonies and the ecclesiastical customs or the rights of spiritual things (as they are called) are much more dangerous, because if one performs them, there is a tendency to put a vain trust in them, or if one has omitted them, a foolish fear (that is, on both sides, a very bad conscience).
For even faith, which is directed against God, is put in danger here by great floods, if there is not a faithful and wise servant of the Lord, who knows how to separate the precious from the insignificant. For when he begins to trust in ceremonies, or to have a distrust without the ceremonies, the faith which should have used ceremonies, like a rider of his horse, has already perished, and they alone then rule, namely, the persons who are servants, and it is written, as Eccl. 10:7, "I saw servants on grates, and princes walking as servants." There is danger, I say, that a ceremonialist will trust that he pleases God through the ceremonies, deceived by their holy appearance, and that in them is performed what belongs to God. This danger either does not exist at all in the worldly ceremonies, or is only slight and so gross that the one who wanted to blow himself out with them and be arrogant would also be censured by men for his foolish trust, or as it is called, for his self-love, since they are performed in things that belong to the world.
(41) Therefore, ceremonies in faith and love must be used so that they may be useful; without these, they must be harmful and a cause of destruction. For if all other good works outside faith are harmful, how much more so the works in love?
the ceremonies which are ordered by men! But then they are done in faith and love, if they are not done because they are necessary in themselves, nor because they are good, nor because they are commanded, but out of the freedom of the spirit, that is, if someone trusts that he will please God even in these things, which are in themselves mediocre things, by making a profit for himself through this faith from the thing that is neither profit nor harm, and a good thing from the thing that is not good.
42. He is not moved to do this by the fact that he thinks to gain much merit by it, but only by the reason that he must necessarily live in the body, which cannot do without ceremonies, even though he himself does not need them at all, since he has enough and superfluous merit through his faith alone, then also, because he must necessarily have contact with those who either need worldly ceremonies to govern the perishable nature of this world, or with holy ceremonies, as little children and weak in Christ, as it were under the disciplinarian of a bodily law, must be nurtured and cared for until they also grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Peter [2. Ep. 3, 18.] says. For he is a debtor to both according to love, that he should conform himself to the manner of those with whom he lives, yea, not only conform, but also thereby serve them, lest in their foolish confidence they despise the weak, or the worldly government, and so give them both offence, which is contrary to love.
43 Christ, Matth. 17, 27, so that he would not offend the tax collectors of the Roman authorities, commanded Peter to pay the tax, and Paul commands Titus, Cap. 3, 1. that they should be subject and obedient to the authorities, ready for all good works. Likewise Rom. 13, 1. 1 Petr. 2, 13. [Vulg.]: "Be subject to all human creatures (that is, order) for the sake of the Lord, be it to the king, as to the ruler" etc. Not as if this were necessary for the justification of believers, whose righteousness is Christ, but so that they might serve all men in love, and by this good conduct might bring the
To provoke and entice unbelievers and the wicked to Christ means (as Titus 2:10 says) "to adorn the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ in all things", and 1 Corinthians 10:33: "to please everyone in all things", as the apostle says that he pleases everyone in all things, not seeking what is pleasing to him, but what is pleasing to many, so that they may be saved.
44 And to come to our ceremonies, since children and young people of both sexes grow up in the church every day, who, because of the heat of their age and ignorance of things, cannot possibly lead a good life by themselves, it is necessary that both parents be their disciplinarians, and bring them up to godliness through the ceremonies laid on, so that they do not fall into ruin through idleness and licentious living. Therefore it is necessary that they themselves observe the same ceremonies for the sake of the example, and do what is superfluous and not necessary for them, but for the sake of those for whom it is necessary. Thus the apostle says in 1 Cor 9:20 that he became a Jew to the Jews and a Gentile to the Gentiles so that he might win them all, and to those who were under the law he became under the law, even though he was not under the law. So also of Christ it is said, Deut. 32:11, that he is like an eagle that stirs up his young to fly, and soars above them. For if the parents or superiors in the church leave the ceremonies altogether, or despise them, how should not a child or an inexperienced young man fret, who should be nourished by this example of milk, until he could enjoy perfect and strong food.
Therefore, those who are superior and spiritually minded in the church, who have already recognized the truth that righteousness lies in faith alone and that ceremonies are nothing, as Paul says in his letter to the Galatians Cap. 5, 6, 6, 15 [1 Cor. 7, 19.He should be of the same mind as Christ and take on the form of a servant, not proudly despising the weak who still need the ceremonies or think that they are something, but walk with them two more miles and also let them have the mantle [Matth. 5, 40], making his freedom a servant (exi
nanire), nor for any other purpose keep the ceremonies most strict, except that they may not give offense to the weak or annoy the little ones, whom they must rather precede by a good example, even in the ceremonies, until they bring them to the same knowledge.
46. and it is not valid for anyone to boast that he knows all things are neither good nor evil, and that they are mediocre and permissible, and that faith alone makes righteous, since the apostle has long since cut this off, saying, 1 Cor. 8:1: "We all have knowledge; but knowledge puffeth up, but love mendeth." And Cap. 10, 23: "I have all power, but it does not make all things good. I have all power, but it mendeth not all things." And again, v. 29: "Why should I let my freedom be judged by another's conscience?" Why does not everything pardon and amend, since everything is permitted? Because not everyone knows that I have all the power. Therefore, although my knowledge cannot be judged and condemned by the conscience of another who does not know this, it must nevertheless submit and serve that person's ignorance for a time, not even blowing itself out against him, so that the love that serves his ignorance or weak conscience may be more powerful than the puffed-up knowledge that rules over his ignorance, just as Christ died for us for a time, serving our sins and our weakness, as it says in Romans 5:6.
(47) To this end we should be moved, so that this knowledge of ours makes us sure that the works of the ceremonies will not harm us, since we have come to know that we are justified by faith, and that in Christ we have all our goods, and that we no longer need to worry about how we will be justified. Therefore we must live everything that I live henceforth for the benefit of our neighbor, as Christ has done for us, and since we are to do everything for their good, this must be done much more in the ceremonies, which are means. And so we will owe nothing to anyone but to love one another [Rom. 13:8]. And by this love it comes about that everything we do is good, and yet we do not seek to be good for the sake of the good.
To become righteous for the sake of works; that is to be a Christian in truth.
(48) That which we have said must be observed in order to nourish children and young people by the use and example of ceremonies, is equally to be said of converted sinners, who are made weak in conscience by the excessive tyranny of ecclesiastical ceremonies, which are handed down and used in such numbers that there is no end to them. Indeed, in general, the more they are children and fainthearted, the more they need that their opinion, which they have of these ceremonies, should not be annoyed, but rather should be cured gradually, by strictly fulfilling these ceremonies with them for a while by example and work, until they also grow up to the same knowledge that we have.
49. But indeed the Roman popes and ecclesiastical tyrants are worthy of all curses, who are silent about the faith in Christ, and increase their laws ad infinitum, and thus ensnare the exceedingly wretched consciences of the Christian brethren, They abuse them only to strengthen their tyranny, and, while they themselves daily observe nothing of it, to the most serious annoyance of the weak, they do not refrain from frightening the fearful souls, from subduing them, from plundering them, and from withdrawing them altogether from Christ.
(50) It is true that their laws must be tolerated by faith and love, however tyrannical and much they may be, just as the laws of the civil government, as has been said, and one must set an example to the weak in it. But the ungodly authors (conditores) of these laws themselves must be abhorred, who have no mercy on so great a multitude, as if they were appointed only to give laws, and to terrify souls with their pernicious ordinances. Thus it happens that the superiors, the bishops in the church, do not exercise any other office today than to make the consciences dismayed, confused and entangled. To us
But it is up to us to calm the disturbed consciences, to fortify the confused ones, to make the fearful ones confident, but in such a way that we do not resist their executioner-like tyranny, because they want the right, yes, the work of putting consciences into turmoil, to be kept completely unharmed. And the word is fulfilled which the wise man saith [Sir. 34, 28. Vulg.], "If one buildeth, and another breaketh, what have they but work?" For indeed the superiors, who tyrannize with the word of men, destroy that which the inferiors, the preachers of the word of God, build. See now, dear Peter, this is your primacy and your ecclesiastical monarchy.
51 Now let us make the decision. First of all, the little ones in Christ (that is, children, adolescents and young people) do the ceremonies; they must not be despised by the superiors in these works, but they must be supported in them by the superiors through their example, even though it is not necessary for them themselves. For their love is free in spirit, and does not trust in them when it has done them, nor would it fall into disbelief if it omitted them; but it puts itself outwardly into bondage to the body, to the service of its neighbor, that it may win them, and keep them from the sins by which they are inflamed, by good example and good government; and thus they fulfill the law of Christ. He who would take away the ceremonies from these would do nothing else than to take away the sword from the worldly power, and fill the world with adulterers, murderers, thieves, and all evil-doers. For these must be shut up by fear and the prison of the laws until Christ, as Paul teaches the Galatians [Gal 3:23].
Secondly, the little ones in the faith, even if they are old, which they do out of fear of sin and conscience, since they do not yet have this knowledge of freedom, must be instructed in the faith, and they must be made to cling to such works, which they cannot suddenly abandon, until they realize that not
They are the only ones in whom righteousness stands, but only in faith. Therefore we must be very careful not to reprove the ceremonies of these people before they are taught, as some are too reckless (confidenter) to do. These do very well in censuring the ceremonies and human statutes, but they do very badly in that they have no more regard for the souls who cling to them out of weakness, and no more desire to heal them and gently wriggle them out, than to censure the ceremonies.
These fools are like those who, when they see that a friend's neck is entangled in ropes, hurl themselves at the ropes in a hasty rush, and with all their impetuosity 1) tear them away, and rather suffocate the friend than help him. Rather, one should have gently and slowly untied the ropes first, and thus set the friend free. In the same way, since we cannot take away the laws of men by force, we should gradually teach the mind how to use them properly. Thus Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:8, 9 that the law is good if a person has a right use for it, namely, if he knows that no law has been given to the righteous. For since even the worst things must be for the good of the faithful, how much more must the statutes, however harmful they may be, be for the good of those who are ignorant, if they are rightly used?
(53) But there is no other right custom than faith and love, as has been said. But by this the lawgivers are not excused, just as by the fact that I am justly in need of death, dishonor, robbery and all misfortune, my death-slayer, my slanderer, my robber, my persecutor cannot be excused. Thus the ecclesiastical overlords (pontifices ecclesiastici), by their pernicious laws, are guilty of all souls, even of those who, by the right use of their laws, have worked their own best.
54. thou shalt also have no doubt, and a sure conscience, that the laws of men in the church are to be regarded as nothing else than plagues and
1) In the Erlanger, the Weimarschen and the Baseler, ao is still inserted here, which seems to us to be too much.
Let the bowls of God's wrath be as the sword of the Turks, as a plague on the body, as a famine in the land, and as you are taught to behave toward these evils, so behave toward the laws of men. For how do you behave in the face of these evils? First, you use them as a remedy for your sins by bearing this scourge of God in patience. Secondly, you use them as a preventive medicine, so that you, oppressed by these evils, do and omit many things that you would neither have done nor omitted if you had been free of them. Doubt not, then, that the laws of men have been made many, that thou mightest have a scourge; and be sure that thy shepherds have become thy masters of the stocks, by whose violence thou art oppressed and martyred, if thou be patient, thou wilt forbear and do many things, which otherwise thou wouldest never have forbear and done. "For who is there that could harm you (says St. Peter [1 Ep. 3, 13Z), if ye follow that which is good?" "The good" (boni), that is, the good thing, or the righteous being (bonitatis), or that which is good (lest the ambiguity of the expression [amphibolo- gia] deceive anyone). But this is done by those who have the knowledge of the law and its right use, namely those who follow the good; but the small and weak do not grasp this, therefore they perish by these soul-murdering and word-producing 2) spiritual superiors.
55. thirdly, 3) do the works of the ceremonies of Moab and Ammon, and the worshippers of the calves of BethAven, and those who trust in the mountain of Samaria [1 Kings 16:24.], that is, who boast of their works and in their works, who are blind guides for the blind, not needing also instruction in the faith, such as the first [§ 51] have, before their all-sufficient wisdom and righteousness, of which they are full like Elihu [Job 32, 18. f.], as a barrel is full of Moses, which hath no vent. Of course these burst before
2) keminiverdios is without doubt a word formed by Luther himself, which we cannot prove lexically. We trace it back to keinininin and verdünn Jn § 73 it occurs once more.
3) This "for the third time" refers to § 52.
Wisdom and justice this and all the other psalms punish, of which we have often said. Only these need to be punished severely, as the apostle teaches; nor do they ever desire to be taught like the second
52] but the whole world is too small for them to contain their learning. This is the nation of Behemoth, whose heart is hardened like an anvil, Job 41:15, and whose eyelids are lifted high, Proverbs 30:13.
Fourthly, these works are done by spiritual workers, of whom we have said, people in the freedom of faith and in the bondage of love, who use them only to exercise their bodies in this life, as in any other worldly craft, or to stir up and encourage the little ones and the weak by a good example, and to be careful not to give them offense until Christ takes form in them. Namely, this is the reason that Paul takes such great care, wherever he mentions the various gifts of God, that he persuades to unity, because he knows that not only various ceremonies, but also even the gifts of the Spirit fight very strongly against unity, when the cleverness of the flesh and Satan come among the children of God. From all this we conclude that it is not necessary to neither praise nor blame the ceremonies before this kind of people.
(57) But before the third kind of people, ceremonies are to be strongly rebuked and abhorred, because the wretched people trust in them. Hence come the fools who speak in their hearts: There is no God, they are good for nothing and are an abomination in all their being, so that they cannot do anything good even once. But if you do this, you will arouse the whole body of the Behemoth with all its scales against you, and they will say to you, "You are a heretic, a rebel, dishonorable, angry, because you have denied the good works and the holy statutes (canones) of the fathers and the counsels (consilia) of the church, which cannot err.
58. before the second type of people, one must praise the ceremonies moderately, and for a time
long, so that her weakness does not get angry, which, although she is ready to improve herself, is not yet able to do so, nor does she grasp it. This kind is to be cherished and cultivated in a motherly bosom, to yield to it, and to praise what they praise, to do what they do, so that they, caught by this pleasing nature, believe and improve.
(59) Before the first kind, they are to be praised and demanded very much, because those people of no understanding can be moved to good and deterred from evil by fear alone, but at the same time, the truthful doctrine of faith and freedom must also be brought forward, so that their spirit may imbibe the same and they will bear fruit one day, when the body, weakened and exercised by ceremonies, has learned to submit and serve the spirit more smoothly, after the inclinations that rise and rage after the manner of youth have been cleared.
(60) And let it not be strange in our eyes that the same ceremonies are treated so differently. Is not the teaching and practice of food and drink different among intemperate people than among the weak, different among healthy and moderate people, and different again among those who fast superstitiously? With gluttons, food and drink must be rebuked, the weak must be kindly invited to it; with the superstitious, it must be praised, the healthy and moderate must be left to their free will. And just as this is a very harmful steward, who demands of all members of the household without distinction that they all eat the same excess of food, or that they all make do with meager morsels, so this is a very harmful authority of the church, which extorts from all that they should keep the same mixture of its laws with equal obedience. For it will inevitably kill a great many.
(61) From all this, a prudent Christian can determine the rule by which he should live in the ceremonies, and also help other people by counsel in this matter. First, if he is not sure that he has the third kind of people before him, he should be careful not to blame the ceremonies or judge him,
whom he sees walking in the same. For who knows whether he will not walk in them out of necessity (like the first), or out of weakness (like the second), or out of freedom (like the fourth)? But if one judges one of these, is it not judging Christ? Now if the great clusters of monasteries had many people of these three kinds, their quantity would do no harm. But now only people of the third and most unfortunate kind of ceremonialists are abundant in them, who should not own a monastery or convent in the church, since they are only a burden and a nuisance for God's people. But who can remove all the wicked from the earth? We are on earth and must also deal with earthly people.
62 Now let us add one more thing and conclude. If any man think to place his confidence in the works of the ceremonies, let him be bold, and sometimes refrain from them, neither seek therein the dispensation or authority of the ecclesiastical superiors. For in these matters concerning the faith, every Christian is a pope and the church for himself, nor can anything be imposed on him, nor can he regard anything as binding, which can in any way turn out to be a danger to the faith. Now if anyone wants to consult with his neighbor in this matter, so that he may be all the more confident, on the basis of that word [Matth. 18, 19]: "Where two of you become one on earth, why it is" etc., he will do very well.
(63) I say this because I know how obstinate is the evil of trusting in our works, and how dangerous is the superstitious adherence to human laws for the integrity of faith. See, then, how free we are through faith, and yet how serviceable we are through love, so that at the same time there is bondage to freedom, and freedom to bondage, that we owe nothing to anyone except to love one another (Rom. 13:8). Thus Christ says John 10:9: "I am the door: if any man enter in by me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." The entrance to Christ is faith, which sets us up in the riches of righteousness.
God's righteousness, by which we have already done God enough and are righteous, so that we do not need any works to bring us righteousness. But the outcome is love, which directs us, who are clothed with the righteousness of God, to serve our neighbor and to exercise our own body, so that we may help the neediness of others, so that they also, drawn by us, may enter with us into Christ. For just as Christ went forth from the Father and drew us near, seeking in his whole life not what was his but what was ours, so we also, having entered by faith, must go forth to draw others also, seeking nothing else but that by serving all we may make many blessed with us.
But let us return to our psalm. It is sufficiently known that nothing is pure to the unbelievers, but because they are flesh and the spirit of the Lord does not reign in them, their doings are also rotten (putrida) and entirely of the same nature as the flesh, namely, abominable, corrupt and abominable, which the same sufficiently shows not only in death, but also in life by its manifold corruption. But in Hebrew, each of these two verba [XXXXXX and XXXXXX] is an active one: "they have corrupted" and "they have made abomination (abominaverunt, if one may so 1) say) of their doings," or better in the transitive meaning of Hiphil (tertii): they have made their doings corrupt and abominable, since it is the same verb as Gen. 6, 12: "All flesh has corrupted its way," that is, has made it corrupt. So that our neutralists 2) do not want to deny that the whole nature of the fools is corrupt and an abomination, he adds: "There is no one who does good," so that he teaches that there is absolutely nothing good but only evil in men.
The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if any are wise, and to inquire of God.
1) In the original and in the Basel: sieut instead of: sie.
2) more neutral -- the papal theologians who teach that there are works that are neither good nor evil.
This verse speaks in the same way as Moses (aemulatione Mosi) in the first book Cap. 6. For the same says [Gen. 6, 5.]: "But when the Lord saw that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth," and again [v. 12. Vulg.]: "And when God saw that the earth was corrupt." For by the same words (aemulatione verbi) he also intends to express the same morals (aemulationem worum), so that, just as these resemble those before the flood of sin in their morals, they are also punished in such a way by the same words, but for a different purpose. For those were corrupted by the flood of sin, but these are provoked to the knowledge of their sins, that they may be preserved by the better flood of baptism. For this is also what Paul does in the first and second chapters of the letter to the Romans, when he explains that all are sinners, Jews and Greeks, so that God may have mercy on all. Therefore, this psalm also closes with a sweet promise, as it says [v. 7, Vulg.]: "Oh, that help would come upon Israel from Zion! When the Lord shall deliver his captive people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad."
66. But it is said that God looks from heaven upon the children of men, against the foolishness of the fool who says that there is no God, as if to say, Not only is there a God, but he also sees, yes, he looks upon everything, that is, with his seeing he penetrates everything and extends to everything. Then, so that no one would think that those fools and those who corrupt their actions are only people in some corner, among whom there is no one who does good, he expands his statement and applies it to all in general, saying that the Lord looks from heaven, from where he sees all people on earth, and no one is hidden from him. Thus he saw in Genesis 6:12 that the whole earth was corrupt.
67 And he says: "the children of men", by which is understood the entirety of men. In these words two things are secretly implied. First, that there is One Son of Man, in whom alone all the children of men can be justified, for whose sake the Scriptures also retain this manner of speaking, that they very frequently refer to "the children of men.
Children" for "men" says, because he also is a man, but not a child of men; and all the others are both children of men and sinners, conceived and born in the sins of men. For the mouth of the Holy Spirit is very humble and kind. Since he could have called them exceedingly wicked men, he accuses them by a much milder name, that they are children of men, wherein, though in a small word, all the misery and wickedness of men is sufficiently comprehended.
Secondly, that men appear quite differently before the sight of God than before the sight of men. "Before the face of God no flesh boasts," says the apostle Rom. 3:27 [1 Cor. 1:29], beautifully indicating that this twofold appearance is understood in this verse, where it is said that the Lord from heaven, not a man from earth, has seen and judged this. For men not only do not see in one another (at least not in all things) that their doings are corrupt, but also sometimes praise them and extol them with great glory, as there are their talents, their art, their doings, and their moral virtues (morales virtutes, as they are called). But among all other things, do they not praise most highly that which is the very worst? For who does not make the distinction (gloriam) in war (that is, the shedding of human blood) an epitome of virtue among men? What are Homer, Virgil, and the rest of the poets of heroic songs but the very bloodiest and cruelest instigators, stimulators, and eulogizers of murderers, tyrants, and the most terrible enemies of human blood and sex? So that there is danger for a Christian man, when he reads their books, that he might also imbibe the inclination to this bloody glory, or, tickled by the honeyed eloquence, or rather, corrupted by the innate thirst for human blood, take pleasure in such great murder of the human race.
69. therefore, to get away from dirty poets and
1) Wittenberg and Jena: aonsxeotu instead of: prospeetn.
2) Instead of Ztoriatnr in the editions, the Vulgate reads Zlorietur.
If the children of men were unscathed in all other things, would not the desire for war alone prove with full right that they were all quite nonsensical down to the last man? Dear, how great is this fury l How great is the darkness that one can even rejoice, sing and praise the slaughter, the defeat, the blood, the murder, and the whole great heap of misfortune that war brings with it, where it would be fitting to weep all with bloody tears, especially when war is waged not by God's command, but out of nonsensical lust for dominion and possession, as the pagans did and still do, and nowadays, alas for God! even the Christians, the people of peace, the children of God, do it even more cruelly than all the pagans.
So Homer and similar people have this praise, as Horace speaks:
Post quos insignis Homerus, Tyrtaeusque mares animos in Martia bella Versibus exacuit. 1)
[After these, the excellent Homer and Tyrtäns inspired the male hearts with verses to the wars sanctified to Mars]. Only a Christian should know that this raging praise of raging people is excellent in the eyes of the children of men, but in the eyes of God an exceedingly great abomination. And hence it is that this happens to the poets who are praisers of sins, as all confess that the poet's vein flows much more fully and better for them when they speak of works of Mars or Venus than when they speak of works of peace or chastity, or of any divine things. So even the spirit, of whatever kind it may be, by whose activity they warm themselves, cannot suffer peace and tranquility, and it is as if you were to compare the waters of Siloam, which are still, with the strong and many waters of the river, as Isaiah chap. 7 and chap. 8, 6. 7. does.
71 The Hebrew text also speaks here through a transitive verb: The Lord has made to look. Thereby he indicates that the Lord does not
1) Horat. ^rs xoet., v. 401 8^.
He revealed it to the prophets, who were to announce to the children of men what they were and what they would do in the sight of God. How else could Noah have known that the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, if God had not revealed it to him? And even the Scriptures did not conceal this, since they pronounced [Gen. 6:11]: "But the earth was corrupt in the sight of the Lord." "In the sight of the Lord," it is said, because it seemed quite different in the sight of the children of men, so that in these words faith was necessary, as it is also necessary to believe Paul when he punishes all together as sinners and as those who lack the glory they should have in God [Rom. 3:23], since he speaks this from revelation.
72 At the same time, the general principle is stated here that we should not judge anyone unjustly in an unheard matter, or if he has not been convicted of it, because even the Lord Himself does not pronounce judgment on the children of men that they are not good without first looking, yes, not only looking, but also seeing and knowing. For it is said, "The Lord looketh, that he may see," as it is said in Genesis 11:5, "Then the Lord descended, that he might see the city and the tower which the children of men builded." And Cap. 18:21: "I will go down, and see whether they have done all things according to the cry that came before me, or whether it be not so that I know." For the Lord always sent messengers beforehand, who revealed to men their sins, and held out threats, as often as he wanted to do something special. Thus Jonah was sent to the Ninivites, Elijah is believed to come before the judgment, 2) and much more like that. Therefore Amos says Cap. 3, 7: "For the Lord does nothing, but reveals his secret to the prophets, his servants."
73 [The Vulgate reads:] "Whether a man be wise, or ask after God." The conjunct "or" is not in the Hebrew, and it is ill placed here. Rather, it should have been
2) Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. VII, 327 f" p21 ff.
Conjunction "and" should be put, although according to the peculiarity of the language it is not in Hebrew either, since the sense demands a connection: "Whether someone is wise, and asks about God. The Hebrew language is very rich in words that express to be wise, to know, to recognize, but I dare not teach the exact and constant difference of them.
1) [I take the liberty of stating my thoughts here: I mean that by the word used here is meant wisdom or cleverness, which is not merely acquired by revelation of contemplation (speculatione), but by the tasting (gustu) of things and by experience, as it is found in the fathers, who by the Spirit were much occupied with [God's] word and work, and "by habit have exercised senses, for the discernment of good and evil," as the apostle says in the Epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 5, 14. For the doctrine or learning of godliness is of such a nature that it can be easily spoken, written and thought by many, which is why these people are called wise among men because of the excellent gift of wisdom and knowledge they have received, as described in the first letter to the Corinthians Cap. 1, 19. ff. and Cap. 3, 18. 2), but that it cannot be understood and rightly tasted (ipso gustu sentiri) (which is actually wisdom) if it has not, through application in life, made the man who has practiced it experienced and certain and constant in all his ways, so that through this experience he can judge not only the lives of those people, but also the teaching itself, however sound it may be. These are the ones whose doctrine is not a mere word but life, not smoke but fire, not a letter but spirit, who are full of the truth.
1) The following passage enclosed in square brackets is designated by Luther himself, both in his letter to Pellican (in this volume after the 21st Psalm) and in his postscript to the 22nd Psalm, as one that should be omitted, and is therefore found only in the first edition.
are not of the wisdom of the spirit, but of the spirit of wisdom, as Is. 11, 2. 3) is said of Christ. But the others, however much 4) they know, belong only to the number of those whom the apostle 1 Tim. 1, 7. characterizes, since he says that they want to be masters of the Scriptures, and do not understand what they say or what they set. That is, as they say in common life, they cannot bring their doctrine to the man (applicare), since they speak into the wind. For when the occasion arises that wisdom should be applied, they are found to be nothing less than wise, and while they teach other people everything, they cannot be taught in a single word. Such people must necessarily be all the frogs, the talkers (seminiverbios), 5) who talk much and understand nothing].
Such fools, I say, the prophet seems to depict by this word, that no one among the children of men is learned or wise, as if he wanted to say: Not only those who are exceedingly unlearned before others are not wise, but also those who gossip much, like the friends of Job, Elihu, Bildad 6) (whose wisdom, compared with the unlearnedness of other people, is not to be counted), understand nothing, because they have never known this by any cost in life and experience.
74) To this meaning of the word I am moved by the fact that also in the 32nd Psalm it is written in the title: A knowledge or "an instruction (eruditio) of David", and in many other Psalms, in which the life and experience of a well-instructed person seems to speak; the experience, I say, that has not been exercised through the infirmity of nature, but through the gift of grace. But it is a speech without a closer relation (absoluta): there is no one who is wise (intelligens), for he does not add what he does not know (intelligat), whether God or other things, so that we may see that this
3) In the original: les. 6.
4) Instead of rnulti in the original, read mnlta.
5) Compare 8 54 in this psalm.
6) In all the gifts: Nalaam, which does not fit here. Instead of it, Lulckaü (as Bildad is called in the Vulgate) will undoubtedly be read.
The first thing that happens is that the unrestricted (absolutam) well-instructed is brought about by experience in life, which causes a person to be able to judge wisely in every kind of thing and teaching and to have a right opinion of God and all things. Therefore, it happens that he is able to teach other people rightly. Therefore, we could not inappropriately understand this word as punishing the unintelligent and garrulous teachers, as the following: "There is no one who asks about God" punishes the listeners or followers.
75 "He who asks for God." With this word he punishes the corruption of the mind, as with the preceding one the blindness of the understanding, because where there is not the right knowledge of God, there is also not the right love, for everyone seeks what is his, says the apostle [1 Cor. 13:5], except love, which does not seek its own. And this defect of the human heart is far too subtle for man to recognize, of which we have often said. For these two pieces, not being wise and not inquiring after God, include all the abominations of which in the 5th Psalm
[§ 46 ff.] is said, ungodliness, wickedness, unrighteousness, speaking lies, 5) for by these things both their minds and consciences are defiled [Tit. 1, 15.].
Therefore, we must be careful that we do not take "being wise" here to mean the high thoughts (speculationes) of people who have learned to talk many, great and strange things about divine things, but [of people] who have so grasped a few things through much practice in life that they can judge about everything in all things, and, as they say, recognize the spirit (animam) of the Law. And "inquiring after God" is not to be understood in such a way that someone seeks to take hold of God with little prayers or self-discovered miserable works or any of his own undertakings and, as it is said, to do good, meritorious works for the attainment of eternal blessedness. But this means to ask for God.
1) Baseler, Weimarsche and Erlanger: msrntnees. Wittenberg and Jena: msuäaciuiu; we take the latter.
not to seek one's own in all things, but to do and suffer everything for the glory of God and the benefit of one's neighbor. This is denying oneself with all that one has, becoming a servant of others, namely the highest godliness against God and men, against which no one fights more fiercely than the bloodthirsty and the false, who consider themselves to be seeking God, and yet seek themselves.
Therefore, let us not apply this word "inquire" to works, but to the attitude and desire of man, and we will see that among the children of men there is no one who inquires after God, but that all are wicked, either through obvious sins, or even worse through their hypocritical appearance. In this way Paul introduces this passage Rom. 3, 9. ff., both against the Gentiles, who are manifest sinners, and against the Jews, who are saints in shadow, by saying: "We have proved above that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. As it is written, There is none that is righteous, neither is there any; there is none that hath understanding; there is none that asketh after God; they are all gone astray, and are all unrighteous; there is none that doeth good, neither is there any." The apostle seems to summarize and explain the meaning of the first verse by this little piece: "There is none that is righteous," which is not in this Psalm: "The foolish say in their heart, There is no God. They lie not, and are an abomination with their nature; there is none that doeth good," if he did not mean by that that there is none righteous, the same as that there is none that doeth good. And we see that he does not refer to the Scriptures literally, but only according to the sense.
Where, then, is free will? Where are the moral virtues? Where are prudence and practical knowledge, which guide men in all that can be done? They are, of course, only infirmities of nature, or rather gifts of God, which have become defiled, abominable and reprehensible through the infirmities of nature, that is, the blindness of the intellect, which recognizes nothing, and the corruption of the mind, which asks nothing of what God is.
V. 3. But they have all gone astray, and are all unfit; there is none that doeth good, not even one.
(79) Behold, how many words he overflows with, that he may draw in all men, and leave none out. First, he says, "all," then, "all together," then, "not even one. But the adverbium simul [in the Vulgate] is a Hebrew way of speaking, by which he means that a multitude is gathered together in one, as in the 122nd Psalm, v. 3: Cujus participatio ejus in id ipsum, "which are joined together," 1) that is, Jerusalem is joined together, with all that are therein. And Ps. 34:4, "Let us exalt His name with one another (in id ipsum)," that is, all gathered into One heap at once (in unum simul). Thus here: Simul inutiles sunt ["they are all together unfit"], that is, all taken in one heap (in nimm).
80) And one must pay attention to what the prophet has in mind, since he saw that among men at least some seemed to walk rightly, to keep to God, to be efficient, to do good, as the glittering saints of works, the doers of the law, who were pharisaei, that is, separated from the public house of sinners, and in a peculiar way of life and manners, which was quite unlike that of other people, were considered excellent people. Especially for the sake of these he repeats in such a way and doubles the words: "all", "all together", "not even one", so that he might blessedly draw them into sins and make them guilty, or as the apostle says [Rom. 3, 19.], "that all mouths may be stopped up, and that all the world may be guilty to God," because they have all too unhappily drawn themselves out, lest it seem as if they had part in the shameful titles, that they had gone astray, were unfit, had not done good.
He says three things: "All have gone astray," "They have become unfit," "They do not do good. The deviation refers to ungodliness or unbelief, which is the source and head of evil, whereas godliness or faith is the beginning of good, through which we come to God.
1) Compare to this translation Ps. 4, Z73, note.
approach. "For whoever wants to come to God must believe", as the apostle says, Hebr. 11, 6. And what he ascribes here to those who deviate, or retreat, or go away (discedentibus) (for it is the same word at this point as Ps. 6, 9: "Depart [discedite] from me" etc.), he has ascribed above to the fools who speak in their hearts: There is no GOt. For "to depart from God" and "to say in his heart that there is no God" are the same thing, namely, not to believe. Thus it is said in Heb. 3:12: "Take heed, brethren, lest any man have an evil and unbelieving heart, which departeth from the living God."
82 And this falling away from the faith, which will occur in the church, the apostle seems to call 2 Thess. 2, 3. apostasiam, saying [Vulg.], "Unless the departure (discessio) come first," or the apostasy (that is, apostasia). I say that I understand this to mean that Paul spoke this about faith, not about falling away from the Roman kingdom, namely, since the church will be devastated by the works of men, having forsaken the Prince and Author of faith, JEsum Christ. But the apostle also lays himself out 1 Tim. 4, 1. ff.: "But the Spirit saith plainly, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, and shall cleave unto the seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; through them which are in glibness liars, and have brandings in their consciences, and forbid to be married, and to shun the meat which God hath created, to receive with thanksgiving them that believe." These are harsh words and a sharp judgment about the tyranny of the Roman laws, which he paints beautifully with their right colors.
83. But he says that all have departed, so that he also draws in those who seem to draw closest to God, just as the apostle 2 Tim. 3:2, 5 draws in those who have the appearance of godliness but deny His power, along with the hopeful, blasphemers and others whom he predicts will be in the last annual times. Yes, it is because of these hypocrites (as I have said) that everything is said in this psalm, because those who manifestly sin are less harmful than these hypocrites, with their beautiful
n appearance, who both believe themselves and persuade others to their ruin (perniciose) that nothing of what is said by the wicked and ungodly concerns them.
(84) "They are all unfit" is the same statement he made above: "They are good for nothing and are an abomination with their nature," which already refers to the customs and works of the apostates or deviants. For what should an ungodly and unbeliever do but what is useless, an abomination, corrupt and rotten in the eyes of God, even though everything seems to be useful and good in the eyes of men? Thus it says Isa. 59, 6. "Their spider's web is not fit for garments, and their knitting is not fit for covering, for their work is toil [Vulg. inutilis = useless], and in their hands is iniquity." And again he adds simul ["all together"], so that he understands both kinds of ungodly people, namely those who show the ungodliness of their heart by obvious sins, and those who clothe ungodliness with a beautiful appearance, coming in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves [Matth. 7, 15.].
85. "There is none that doeth good, not even one." With this he punishes their sin of omission, since they not only do evil and are unbelieving, but also never do good, and are never godly, so that in this way, by asserting (affirmationem) that they do evil, and denying (negationem) that they do good, he absolutely and completely sums up all, and says that all the children of men are sinners. For that he also adds here: "Not even one," expresses here a general denial, as in the first two pieces a general assertion. Again, he does this for the sake of the hypocrites, so that they do not think that they are doing good before the obviously evil ones. He says: None of them does good, that is, none of them has faith and good works, but either obviously evil or good works only in appearance.
Therefore, when the Spirit, with such powerful words, assembles assertions and denials, and proclaims that all are altogether evil and not good, it is to be marveled at with what subtlety the neutral
The theology of Aristotle can crawl through the affirmative and negative propositions of general validity and slip away in such a way that it dares to argue against the spirit and say: Not all the works of men are evil, but some are good, although all of them are not meritorious, or neither meritorious nor incurring a debt (demeritoria). But the Scripture must be a sign that is contradicted, and a water of harlotry, by which the judges and the elect in Israel were taken away, because the children of Israel disputed.
(87) Paul explains these three things briefly, Titus 1:16: "Being abominable, and unbelieving, and unto every good work abominable." "They that are abominable" are here called unfit, slothful (putridi), and corrupt; "the unbelieving" or disobedient are here called the ungodly and the faithless people who have gone astray or gone behind; but "they that are unfit for every good work" are here said to do no good. They confess that they know God, but with their works they deny it [2 Tim. 3, 5]. In this he understands the hypocrites in the same way, as the Psalm does in this passage.
(88) Now see that the same three things are repeated in this third verse that were said in the first; but this is the difference, that in the first verse the prophet states his judgment, but in the third he confirms it by the divine judgment, which not only agrees with him, but also speaks more broadly and generally, namely, that the Lord from heaven saw the same things that he saw on earth. Therefore the apostle Rom. 3, 10. only mentions what, as the prophet says, the Lord had seen and spoken from heaven. This also served the purpose of Paul, who had set out to generally put all the works of all men under sin, so that they, humbled, would recognize that grace was necessary.
[In the Vulgate as part of the third verse:] Their mouth is an open grave; with their tongues they act deceitfully; viper poison is underneath
their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are hastening to shed blood. In their ways is all calamity and heartache; and the way of peace they know not; there is no fear of God before their eyes.
The correct Hebrew text (hebraica veritas) does not have these three verses, 1) also it is not certain to me whether the seventy interpreters translated this Psalm in such a way from the beginning. One could believe that the apostle followed them, because at that time among the Gentiles no other translation was available than the Septuagint, which was used quite generally. To me, it is more likely that the apostle himself, out of his own spirit, from the fullness of his wisdom, brought together these words, spoken in holy enthusiasm, from the holy Scriptures and reproduced them here. Whether someone inserted them later into this psalm or whether the seventy interpreters translated them themselves is not important to me.
The first: "Their mouth is an open grave; with their tongues they pretend," is from the fifth Psalm, v. 10, as is quite clear. The following: "Viper's poison is under their lips," is from the 140th Psalm, v. 4. The third: "Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness," is in the 10th Psalm, 2) v. 7. The fourth: "Their feet are hasty to shed blood," is in Proverbs. 1, 16. and Isa. 59, 3) 7. The fifth: "Their way is vain destruction and harm; they know not the way of peace", is Isa. 59, 7. 8. The sixth and last: "There is no fear of God before their eyes", is from the 36th Psalm, v. 2.
90. what is in the fifth and tenth 4) Psalm
1) About this passage Philippi says in his "Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans", p. 9t: "The citations contained in [Rom. 3] v. 13-18. are found in editions of the HX as the 4th verse of the 14th Psalm. But they are taken from other Old Testament passages and added to Ps. 14 from the Epistle to the Romans in the margin of the Codex Vatioanus of the CXX. In Hebrew they are found only in one codex, apparently transcribed into Hebrew by a Christian reader." Cf. below L 106.
2s Erlanger, Wittenberger and Jenaer (which otherwise have the count of our Bible): ksutmi 9.
3) In all Latin editions except the Weimar edition: Isa. 9.
4) In all editions (according to the Vulgate count): L0L0.
It does not need to be repeated here, but it only needs to be reminded and emphasized that those who are without faith, that is, the ungodly, are stained with all these vices, or that they defile themselves with them when the opportunity arises, since they lack the strength to resist any sin and are inclined to all evil, as Gen. 6:5 and 8:21 are written. Therefore, all from the first to the last are an open grave and insatiable slaves of riches, belly servants, "to whom (as Paul says Phil. 3, 19.) the belly is their god".
(91) Then they all have a false, covetous, flattering tongue; they do not teach the truth, nor do they defend it, but speak what is pleasing to the great, lest the belly and the food and the gullet perish. Although this evil is common to all, it is chiefly suffered by those who preside over the ministry of the word. This I say, lest there be any contradiction in what we have said in the 5th Psalm 125 ff.] that this verse refers to the teachers of the people, which Paul, as you can see, applies to all, and not badly, since the disciples become as the masters are, and both either perish or are preserved by the same word.
92: "Viper poison is under their lips. This goes quite actually to the teachings, may it be said of those who recite them or of those who accept them. For all are infected with poisoned doctrine who are not filled with faith. But in this little verse there is an emphatic speech. For the adder, as they say, is a kind of snake in Africa, against whose sting there is no remedy, signifying how incurable is the doctrine of ungodliness, which has ingratiated itself by a beautiful appearance, which also sufficiently proves the persistence of the heretics and the ungodly. In Hebrew, instead of poison, cup or a bottle seems to be said. By this image the meaning of the teaching is expressed exceedingly appropriately, because the vessels, as we have often said, signify the verbal word, but the liquid itself signifies the meaning of the words.
93. "Under the lips" contains the same thing
Secret as Ps. 10, 7. [Vulg.]: "Under his tongue is toil and labor", because he has another corrupt and poisonous doctrine on his tongue than under his tongue, that is, it appears lovely, right and wholesome, while in fact and truth it is very bitter, perverse and deadly.
94 "Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness" has been interpreted in the 10th Psalm, v. 7. But since it is certain here that Paul does not use the original Hebrew text, but the Septuagint and the translation common among the Gentiles, which has "bitterness" instead of "deceit" [Ps. 10, § 53], we want to allow, yes, believe, that here "cursing and bitterness" is taken for scolding and anger, while in the 10th Psalm we have taken "cursing" for the ungodly teaching. Whether this is a simple explanation or forced, let the reader judge. But, if there is a darkness, there is no harm in holding the different opinions, so that in both places "cursing" can be taken for scolding or evil teaching. But in this place, because follows: "Their feet are hastening to shed blood," it behooves (as I have said) to be understood of words of wrath and fury.
(95) Therefore every man is a bloodthirsty man, even those who shine with the holiest splendor; indeed, these are the most vituperative of all, bitter and venomous, not still against all (for with this cover they cover their wickedness), but against those by whom they are offended or not honored, as in our time there are abundant examples at hand, which are everywhere in circulation among scholars and clergymen (sacris initiatos). This is nothing, then, if someone wants to deny that he is vituperative and bitter, if he treats some good friends most sweetly, if he hates and accuses even one, if he himself hates and accuses his adversary. For here the tree is known by its fruit, not there by the sheep's clothing.
96. "Their feet are hasty" etc. Proverbs 1:16: "For their feet run to evil, and haste to shed blood." Almost likewise it is said Isa. 59, 7. For they are not bloody in word alone, but also in deed. For when
they kill, or if they do not kill, they at least rejoice when those they hate are killed; likewise, if they do not revile themselves, they rejoice when those they hate are reviled. Since all the children of Adam are corrupted by this vice. Dearly beloved, how many then are they that perceive that they are corrupted by the same, or think that this befalleth them, when it is said, "Their feet are hastening to shed blood"? For he has not said in vain that their feet hasten to shed blood, but does not say that they are shedders of blood, so that he may make all those guilty of shedding blood who have approved, rejoiced, not hindered, not resisted, at least have not suffered, that blood has been shed or is to be shed, namely by punishing their attitude, not merely their work. Who is there, then, who could deny that he is guilty here in this common vice, which extends so far that the prophet can hardly let the righteous be blameless?
97. "In their ways is all calamity and sorrow of heart. This little verse best explains the nature of the works of the wicked, and shows once and for all what it means that they are so often called XXX and XXX. For what do the wicked do in all their works, especially in those which they call good works, but that they consume all their strength, which they put into it, in vain, and, as they say, lose oil and work, and not only lose, but also destroy, and destroy themselves, that is, that they, with the bloody woman [Marc. 5, 26], turn all their goods to the physicians, and it becomes worse and worse with them?
As an example for both types of the wicked, we want to set before our eyes this woman with the flowing blood who consumes all her goods, and the Prodigal Son [Luc. 5:13 ff.], who likewise consumes his goods, so that the latter may be an example to those who want to live a pleasant life in the bars of this world, in honors, pleasures, riches, but the latter may be an example to those who want to bring themselves to peace by their own powers and works, and make their conscience secure. Here we want to consult experience, and
see if these two kinds of people are not martyrs of the devil, who go to hell with greater wretchedness, harm, desolation, anguish of heart (and suffer more) than those who are martyred over and over again with all misfortunes and sins for the sake of faith.
It is certainly the case that the more abundantly a person enjoys earthly goods, the more unhappily his soul is shattered, since his conscience constantly receives shocks. For the more he sins, the more his trust in God perishes, and the conscience worries, remorse, restlessness, fear and anxiety of the conscience increase. While outwardly it seems that everything is going well and is progressing nicely, in the meantime the strength of good confidence is sucked out of him to the marrow, and, since all strength is exhausted, he is brought to ruin in the most miserable way, so that in the end he must despair in eternity. It is the same with those who know nothing of faith and try to overcome their sins and conscience with works. The more they strive, the more miserably they are crushed, until they speak the word, Weish. 5:7 [Vulg.], "We are wearied in the way of wrong." So he rightly says, "In their ways is vain accident and heartache," or (as Jerome translated), Desolation and destruction is in their ways. So also it is said Jer. 2:37 [Vulg.], "The Lord hath destroyed thy confidence, and nothing shall prosper thee."
So there are two evils, devastation and destruction, or destruction and misfortune; the former because confidence is destroyed; when this is destroyed and devastated, everything he does or undertakes grieves more than it comforts, it makes more miserable than it helps. All this is better understood from the contrast of the opposite. For the righteous (as Ps. 1:3 is written) "is planted like a tree by the rivers of water," grows, bears fruit, blossoms and increases, "and what he does is well done. And again [Ps. 92:13], "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon." On the other hand, the wicked withers like the cursed fig tree.
(Matth. 21, 19.) and like a branch that is not on the vine; then it declines and perishes until it becomes dust. All this goes on in the spirit in the conscience, to such an extent that it also affects the body, and also weakens the natural powers, for, as the wise man 1) says [Proverbs 15:15], "A good courage is a daily well-being," so "the sadness of the heart kills many people, and yet serves nowhere," as the same [Sir. 30:25] says. And we also see just this, that it thus happens that the works of the wicked are generally buried with them.
100. "And the way of peace they know not." Why? Because they pursue earthly goods (rem), and, like a horse and a cattle, have not the understanding which is faith in invisible things. For sensual men seek peace in the things of this world, but the hypocrites in their counsels, pretensions, and works; both in the things which they feel and grasp. But true peace is in believing the word, and in the things which are neither felt nor apprehended, but they apprehend him that believeth, as Christ saith unto the Jews [John 8:37.], "My speech soweth not among you." For the fish do not catch, but are caught with the net. Therefore, when riches, favors, good life, honor have fallen away from sensual men, and poverty, disgrace, sickness, sorrow, contempt have befallen them, we see how restless they are. For they are troubled not only in this way by outward unrest, but also by inward. For since they have lost the trust in God that was based on their well-being, they are troubled and shattered by a miserable conscience, so that in this way they have peace neither before God, nor in themselves, nor before men.
(101) But if the hypocrites are forsaken by their works, whether in death or in danger (as it must be), and it is found that all this is their sin, they will be put to shame and disgraced.
1) In the text: KLpisntSm, the wise man, that is Sirach. But this place is in the proverbs.
They are in such consternation that nothing can comfort them. By this evidence it is also shown that they have accomplished nothing by their works except to destroy the faith of the heart, which should have been their life, their strength, their glory, their good. And not only in this way do they become disgraced, but also, when their works and their conduct are in danger before men, and are punished or slandered, they seek to agitate heaven and earth and cause trouble, because, having lost trust in God and basing themselves on their own doings, they have peace neither with God, nor in themselves, nor before men. Thus, both types of these godless people have no peace on either side, neither inwardly nor outwardly. And all the great turmoil in the world arises from the inner turmoil. For he who is inwardly tranquil does not arouse outward unrest; but he who is inwardly full of unrest cannot be tranquil outwardly either.
102. But he says not only that they do not have peace, but that they do not know the way of peace, that is, they do not know the way by which one must go to peace, namely, through the cross. For the cross, which kills all [carnal] mind and inclination, itself leads to peace. And Christ, being crucified, hid our peace with Himself in God, which is hidden under the cross, and is not found elsewhere. But the wicked of both kinds seek something else, only not the cross, but strive to keep their mind and inclination in their things and counsels. Therefore, it is impossible that they should know peace, let alone have it. Therefore, the way of peace is the way of the cross, and peace is not peace, as the prophets say. On the other hand, the cross is not a cross. For he has peace who does not seek peace; he has cross who flees the cross. But here, nothing else can teach but the experience of life; words do not make a difference.
103. "There is no fear of God before their eyes." It has often been said in the foregoing that this is the title of the wicked, that they live safely without fear of God, ent
Neither trusting in the quantity of their goods, nor in their good intention, as they were also punished in the prophets [Jer. 8:11] of old, that they said, Peace, peace, and yet were not peace. There will perhaps be an opportunity to speak of fear and peace in more detail.
It may be enough here to state this briefly, and to know that a godly man so arranges his life that in good days, and when there is peace, he fears God, being exalted by faith above all that he has both within and without. Therefore, the fear of God is before his eyes, lest in prosperity he fall into a perverse disposition and safely whore with them; but in adversity and in trouble he trust in God, being likewise exalted by faith above all that he feels both within and without. Therefore it is said of him that he knows the way of peace, which is higher than all reason [Phil. 4, 7.], in that he remains equanimous on both sides, neither hangs his heart on it when riches come to him, nor also retreats when the time of battle comes. For so it is said of them in regard to both times [Ps. 147, 11.]: "The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, who hope in his goodness."
Because the wicked do not have faith, it necessarily follows, since their hearts are attached to earthly things, that they are founded on sand, from which it follows that wherever their goods may come or fall, they themselves will also be carried away with them. Thus it happens that even while they seek peace in earthly things, they cannot find it, since the things themselves, by their nature, cannot endure.
V. 4. Will none of the wicked take notice, who devour my people, that they feed, but call not upon the Lord? 1)
This verse and the following one seem to me to prove that the three preceding ones [in the Vulgate, above § 89] are subordinated, since they contain almost the same opinion. It is not likely, however, that the same thing is connected with over-
sieut: eseava panis? Oonainuva rwn invocuvsrunt.
The first part of the text is repeated in liquid words, especially in the same place.
"They will recognize" (cognoscent [in the Vulgate)) stands without closer relation instead of: Will they not at last come to the knowledge that they know and realize how much evil they do, they who, with certainty and setting aside the fear of God, even think that they do good, since they are blinded by the fact that their heart is set on earthly things, which alone they recognize. Furthermore, they believe that nothing less can be said of them than that they do not know what they are doing. We know, they say, what we do; indeed, they are at hand to become the judges and teachers of all other people.
(107) We have abundantly spoken [Ps. 5, § 55 ff.] that "evildoers", XXX XXXX, are those who do such things by which one cannot obtain peace of heart, the possession of which (as I have said) one attains only by the work of faith and godliness, but rather labor, misery, and as the preacher Solomon is wont to call it, vanity, toil, sorrow, destruction, or corruption of the spirit. For we have said that it actually means laborious work (dolorem) [Ps. 5, § 63 ff.], which is the fruit opposite to peace in all who do works without faith, whether they [the works] be good or evil in the eyes of men.
Therefore it is a word of long-suffering, or of weariness, or even of pity, when he says [Vulg.]: "Will they not recognize? How long do these wretched people want to postpone recognizing their misery and that they are nothing but perpetrators of XXX? Don't they finally want to realize that they are only wearing themselves out and becoming more and more sad on their ways, that they finally want to seek the way of peace, which is higher than all reason? At least the preceding verse thus gave this opinion [Vulg.]: "Destruction and unhappiness is in their ways, and the way of peace they know not." For the XXX or laborious work is nothing but destruction and unhappiness. Then, "that they know not the way of peace," is the same thing that he says here: will
don't they finally realize that they are the perpetrators of XXX?
109 It would have been more appropriate to put the question with the simple negative, so that wnnschweise would have been said: Non cognoscent? [For norme or numquid indicate the disposition of a man who prophesies, the one in the affirmative, the other in the negative, as the grammarians teach. But if someone wanted to claim that the affirmative question word norme indicates that the wicked will finally come to knowledge, at least in death and in the last judgment, and the negative numquid that they will never come to salutary knowledge, then I have nothing against it. Perhaps the Hebrew word can be rendered by all these three question words.
110. "Those who devour my people, that they may feed." Those who devour the people, namely the tyrants, he punishes with this word. Those devour the people (says Augustine) who seek their profit from them, not judging their office by the honor of God and the blessedness of those over whom they preside. He therefore punishes the insatiable avarice and the robbery of the great, who suck the people dry with cunning and violence and all artifices, as we see today in the actions of the Roman court and the bishops, which cannot be called an example, but rather an abomination. Thus it is written in Amos 2:6, 7: "For three and four vices of Israel will I not spare them; therefore they sell the righteous for money, and the poor for a pair of shoes (that is, as it is written in the Hebrew, for money or grain). They tread the head of the poor in dung, and hinder the way of the miserable." And Micah 3, 1. ff: "Ye ought to be cheap that know right. But ye hate the good, and love the poor; ye flay off their skin, and the flesh from off their legs, and eat the flesh of my people; and when ye have flayed off their skin, ye break their legs also; and break them as into a pot, and as meat into a caldron."
We will keep silent about the artifices they have used to achieve this among the people of Israel. Certainly they do the same.
The same in the church with the pallia of the bishops, with the annals, the indulgences, the indults, 1) the privileges, the exemptions (exemtionibus), the quite impudent fair with the priestly offices, to say nothing of what is devoured by the interest, redemption and begging.
If someone were to add this up with the taxes paid to the temporal authorities, he would find that not even the third part of the people work for food and possessions and goods, and that all the rest enjoy this part; secondly, that one and the same people suffer extortion more than sixty times in every year. Thus there are many more eaters and devourers than workers, so that it is to me the greatest miracle of all miracles that men can be nourished for even one year from what the earth produces; yes, I believe that all yields are increased continuously by an invisible miracle, not unlike how Christ increased the loaves in the Gospel [Matth. 14, 17. ff].
And we have the Roman tyranny to thank for this, which has brought about nothing else with its laws than that everywhere under the appearance of religion and under the name of the church the number of idlers and gluttons is the greatest, and in the church only one thing is done, namely avarice, robbery and extortion, as it happens today. Why are we surprised that Turks or Jews are rich? Because with them one works, but with us one is eaten.
114. But we also have above in the 5th Psalm
125 ff] Said that those who do not teach the truth outright, but entangle souls by their statutes, are called in Scripture insatiable dogs, covetous, an open maw, devouring houses, belly servants, to whom the belly is their god. For since they do not feed the soul, it remains that they feed the belly alone; since they do not seek what is God's, they must seek their own, and since they do not seek what is above, they must seek what is above.
1) About Pallien, Annaten and Jndulte compare Walch, St. Louiser Ausg., Vol. VIII, 1453 in the text and in the note.
that which is on earth. But if the shepherds are like this, even if they do not teach what is God's, then, because God's word is not there, the people must also be like the priests (as Isaiah used to say [Is. 9, 16. 24, 2.]), and all seek their own (as Paul says [1 Cor. 10, 24.] until there is nothing else in the people but that one robs the other, covetousness, falsehood, violence, injustice, and, as it is said here, devouring of the people of God, until they present again the customs of the old Jewish people, Is. 56, 11.: "Every man looketh to his own way, every man misereth for himself in his own state." And Jer. 8, 10: "They are all stingy, both small and great."
(115) Nevertheless, they can praise justice and virtue, teach and act on the laws, both civil and ecclesiastical, by which justice and righteousness are considered to be administered, and also preach the doctrine of morals and the short summary of virtues and vices. For so did they also, as Jeremiah continues there and says [v. 11]: "And they comfort my people in their misfortune, that they should esteem them little, and say, Peace, peace; and yet is not peace", as we see today, how in all parishes, monasteries and foundations avarice is raging, and yet even so much good (as they think) is taught and done.
Therefore the prophet connects these two things beautifully: "They do evil", and "they devour the people", because they are stingy, and yet they seem to do good or at least, even if only to a few, to render philanthropic services (humanitatis officia, as they call it), while faith, which is the service against God, cannot exist next to stinginess, which is the service of idols. Thus wickedness blinds them, that they cannot see both, as he says, "Will they not then know it?"
Therefore this verse belongs to the lesson of avarice, yes, it is a paraphrase (periphrasis) of avarice: "to devour the people so that they feed themselves", as it must necessarily stand with all those who have no trust in God and are called children of unbelief by Paul, Col. 3,
5. 6. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, vile concupiscence, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief."
This is the most abominable kind of unbelief, that one does not trust God so much that He can and will feed the body, which feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field so wonderfully, as Christ speaks against this abomination, Matt. 6:26 ff. For what should they believe God in spiritual things and in the greatest temptations, who do not even believe that God will feed them the stinking belly? Or how should they in death command their souls into his hands, which he should feed for eternity (if they are to live), since they do not entrust their bodies to him for an uncertain moment? Therefore it is written in Hebr. 13, 5. 6. concerning this abominable pusillanimity: "Let your walk be without stinginess; and be content with that which is. For he hath said, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may say, The Lord is my helper; and I will not fear. What shall any man do unto me?"
(119) Not to have this vice (as I have said) is most common to pastors, who not only (if they are stingy) by their example, but also by their reputation, and then also, which is the greatest evil, by the word, do harm to those who are under them, since they teach nothing else, nor permit it to be taught, than what either increases or preserves their profit. It is not necessary to show examples of these things, since they have already become customs, even articles of faith, and he must be a heretic who punishes the avarice of the bishops and the monks, which today they call by the beautiful name of governmental power, monarchy, governorship of God on earth. So true is what Paul says [1 Tim. 6, 5.]: "Those who think that godliness is a trade", or, as he says here, "thalers of the XXX, and yet eaters of the people". Therefore also Jethro, when he wanted to give advice to Moses in Ex 18, 21, what kind of people he should put over the people, says: "But look around among all the people for
honest people who fear God, who are truthful, and who are enemies of avarice; set them over a thousand, over a hundred" etc.
120 In Hebrew it is said: The eaters of my people, they eat food, in order to explain, so that no one would think that he is talking about a spiritual eating, as our Latin translation seems to read, which says at the same time that they eat the people, like a food of the bread. Here, however, he says that they do nothing else among the people than eat bread or food, that is, they feed themselves and serve the belly with insatiable avarice. This eating they do to the detriment of the people, whose goods and chattels they devour in innumerable ways. And by devouring the people in such a way, they devour them for the purpose of eating and satisfying themselves, by giving nothing but payment for their devouring, as the raging avarice does today to Rome and the Romans.
121 "But they call not upon the Lord." Here he gives the cause and root of the ungodly nature of avarice, namely, the distrust or shameful unbelief that they do not trust in the Lord. For because faith teaches that one lives only by the word of God, it constantly calls upon the Lord in every need and depends solely on the goodness of God. Therefore, since the shepherds do not teach the faith, nor do the people know it, there is nothing left but to do XXX and be stingy, and to speak to the gold: My comfort, and to the gold nugget: My confidence, Job 31, 24. and collect the gold, in which the people put their trust, Baruch 3, 17.
Since God commanded in the first commandment that one should have no other God, that is, trust in nothing else, and call upon him alone in all needs, it is evident that avarice is a servitude of idols, which causes them not to call upon the Lord, nor to trust in him, but rather to trust in gold and call upon it. Since they are corrupted by this ungodliness, all the good they seem to do is futile, labor, unrighteousness, that is, XXX; therefore the conscience has nothing but restlessness and vain toil.
V. 5. There they fear, but God is with the generation of the righteous. 1)
The words [in the Vulgate]: "Since nothing is to be feared," are not in the Hebrew and seem to be added to make the sense clearer. But the Spirit quite appropriately and actually paints the nature and manner of the wicked. For it is impossible for a man's heart to be without fear; for if his love is right, he himself also stands right, but if it is wrong, he himself also becomes wrong. But since the wicked have lost confidence in God, and are attached to gold and their works, it is necessary that they be tormented by a sorrowful anxiety and fear of losing the gold. Furthermore, because they are not justified by faith, they must be tormented by miserable statutes and with great anguish of conscience, so that they are tormented by twofold fear: the one lest they sin, the other lest they suffer want.
This misery, as we can see, is nowadays so widespread among the bishops and all the clergy that everyone can understand this verse very clearly, without any explanation being given, if one only looks at these people. For what do they fear nowadays but that the goods of the church might be stolen, diminished, confiscated, that the inheritance of the Crucified, of St. Peter, of the Blessed Virgin and others might be endangered? How many decrees have been issued to prevent anyone from speaking against these things? With how many thunderbolts do they shrink lest they be touched? With how many indulgences, privileges, liberties have they fortified them, so that temporal goods are not temporal? With how many blessings, promises, indulgences, titles, bulls, and innumerable artifices have they acted, and do they still act, so that they may be increased, strengthened, and made eternal?
Where do all these multitudes of sorrows come from? Certainly from the fact that God does not
1) Vulgate: Iltio tr^pictaverunt tinaore, udi non erut tirnor, qnoniana Oominns in Mnki-ntionk bkt.
Therefore they are afraid here, and seek to fortify themselves by their own counsel and powers, so that they do not even suffer lack, the completely insolent dogs (as Isaiah [Cap. 56, 11.] says), who can never be satisfied. But since even the common sense cannot bear these crude and useless pretexts at length, and at the same time some godly and spiritually minded people do not let this wickedness go unpunished, it comes about that they always have a reason to fear and always hate the truth, just as the Jews did when they said against Christ [John 11:48], "Let us leave him so, and they will all believe in him." It is easy to understand that all the ungodly have been, still are, and will be such people, especially the great ones of the people, from the beginning of the world to the end, if we observe that man's heart must be either in what is God's, or in what is his own, and that it must have either gold instead of God, or God instead of gold.
126 The same example you can see in the other fear, namely concerning their statutes, as Isaiah [Cap. 29, 13.] says: "They fear me according to Meuschen commandment, which they teach." Dear one, with how many cords of laws are the consciences of believers entangled here? With how many heavy services, with how heavy works in clay and bricks do Pharaoh's oppressors oppress the children of Israel and make their lives sour? [Who is so afraid of the commandments of God as of the commandments of the priest? For thou canst not interpret even that thyself better than by applying to it the servitude of the children of Israel in Egypt.
In this way, the Church is full of frightened, confused and extremely anxious consciences, which the wretched Roman (Roma- nistae) tyrants daily increase by their reserved cases, exceptions, threats, ecclesiastical punishments, and a thousand such artifices, which serve to corrupt the Church of God. In addition, take the customs, orders, and ceremonies of the monasteries and convents, which are understood in a wrong sense, and, in even more
2) Instead of perverse, the Jenaer has xerv^rsu due to a printing error; this has been imitated by the Erlanger.
so that everywhere, for the reward of unbelief and neglect of faith, the god of this world works the wrath of God in them, that they are stingy and do their works with a sad heart, restless on both cords, fearful, and as Jeremiah [Cap. 17, 18] they are broken in two, and in eternity they must be broken still more, since they will be deprived in eternal despair both of the gold and of the works which they possessed in fear and anguish of conscience.
This will happen to them because they have not called upon the Lord, for faith alone could have been the remedy for this wrath and misery. Because they lack it, they also do not have the Lord, who alone is with the generation of the righteous, that is, with those, with those, and in those who believe in him and are justified by this faith, whether a Jew or a Gentile, great or small, so that no one may boast of his person or generation, as Samuel said to Saul [1 Sam. 10, 7.]: "Do what comes under your hands, for the Lord is with you." And Paul 2 Cor. 3, 17. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." For here are neither works of sm, nor care for goods, nor conscience because of statutes, but all is free, pleasant, quiet. He has the confidence that everything he does pleases God. He does everything he can for God's people and uses the statutes as he pleases, since no law is given to the righteous and he has no need of one. He is content with the Lord alone, whom he has received as an inheritance instead of all things, as it says in Psalm 142:1, v. 6: "You, Lord, are my portion in the land of the living," and Psalm 16:5: "But the Lord is my possession and my portion; you receive my inheritance."
For when it is like this, it happens that when everything leaves us and forsakes us, at the same time the trouble, the worry, the fear because of it leaves us, and the Lord Himself approaches us and receives us, and at the same time we find rest, security and freedom for our souls, as He said Matth. 11, 28-30.
1) In all editions: 119.
says: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." So the 27th Psalm, v. 10. boasts, "For my father and my mother forsake me, but the Lord receiveth me."
130] So we see also here that the righteous will live by his faith [Rom. 1, 17], since he opposes the perpetrators of the XXX, the miserly, the works saints and those who do not call upon God, with the generation of the righteous, which has the Lord, since no one can have God other than through faith. For the generation of the righteous calls upon God in all things, therefore it does not fear, is not grieved, is not stingy, does not do useless things, but is in all things the same, equanimous, it is of one mind (indifferent), as it is said in Phil. 4, 4-6: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice. Let your joy be known to all men. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious, but in all things let your petition be made known in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving before God." See how beautifully the apostle agrees in these words with the content of these two verses, where he takes away worry, commands to call on the name of the Lord, promises that the Lord is near, and teaches that one should rejoice, not in goods, as the stingy do, but in the Lord etc.
131 The word [Vulg.]: "They tremble with fear" is a manner of speaking peculiar to the Hebrew language, like Ps. 132, 9: And his saints will rejoice with joy, 2) and Ps. 21, 7.: "You make him glad with the joy of your countenance," to indicate that they fear without a cause, since there is nothing that frightens them, as it is said in Proverbs 28:1: "The wicked fleeth, and no man chaseth him," and Deut. 26:3 ) 36: "A rustling leaf shall chase them."
2) This citation, given by Luther according to memory, is erroneous. In the Vulgate is only: "xultont, not exaltation" oxnltalinnt. Also in Hebrew there is only
3) In the Latin editions: I, "vit. 16.
and Deut. 28:1) 65: "The Lord will give you a trembling heart." Therefore they are afraid of their own fear. For if poverty, which the miserly fear, or man's statutes, or any evil, by its nature, were terrifying, it would also terrify the righteous. But these things do not frighten them according to their nature, but the fault lies in their heart, just as the Lord, through the gift of faith, makes the heart glad, so that it rejoices with joy, while it sees the Lord no other way than through faith, and rejoices in no other thing than in this confidence in God.
132. But you may say: Perhaps the wicked would recognize it and do the same, if someone reminded them and taught them rightly; but now, because they do not hear this, what wonder is it, if they do not recognize it, and remain perpetrators of XXX. Miserly ones who know nothing of God and are troubled by fear everywhere? The prophet answers: It is not so; there are people who remember them, but they not only do not hear them, but ridicule them, do them all shame and persecute them, as follows:
V. 6. You desecrate the poor man's counsel, but God is his confidence.
133. he does not say: the counsel of the generation of the righteous, but "of the poor", while by both words he means the same people, because in fact the generation of the righteous and those who despise all things do not shine before men by any reputation, likewise they are of no value before those pompous people and false idols of the unrighteous and perverse generation, in the midst of which (as the apostle says) they shine as lights of the world, because they hold on to the word of life [Phil. 2, 15. 16.]. Therefore they are a righteous generation before God, but before men they are not worthy to be believed, yes, as it is said in Wis 5:3, 4, they have them for a mockery and for a scornful example. They consider their life nonsensical and their end a disgrace. But their counsel is put to shame, because it is not only a mockery.
1) In the Latin editions: Deut. 32.
is not received (as it should be) with the highest reverence, but is also condemned, hissed out and mocked as heretical, seditious, vexatious, sacrilegious, erroneous and blasphemous. For in this way you will also be called and received today when you punish the tyranny of the great. 2)
In Hebrew, a transitive verb is used: You have caused him to be put to shame (confundi fecistis), that is, you have caused his counsel to be put to shame, and to be regarded by you and by all as defiled with shame, just as Christ, the Truth Himself, was reckoned among the reprobates (latrones). [The poor man's nath] is counted among the wicked doctrines, which is done by ordinances, condemnations, and commandments of men, as the apostle writes of the Jews to the Thessalonians [1 Thess. 2:16], that they refused the apostles to tell the Gentiles, that they might be saved.
This is what the heretic judges (haereticae pravitatis inquisitores), the exceedingly godless suppressors of truth, are doing to their own in our time. And he has truly put an emphatic word: "You desecrate", not: You have eradicated, since also those eradicate the word of God either in themselves, who do not believe him, or, if they believe for a while, nevertheless go under the worries of this life and suffocate, as the Lord [Luc. 8, 14.] teaches about the seed that was sown among the thorns. These do not desecrate the counsel of the righteous, because they believe it to be true, holy, good, or have such a delusion. But those bloodthirsty and raging people do not eradicate him unless they have first defiled him with the worst name, that is, as I said, they condemn him to the most shameful death as a heretic, false teacher, rebel etc.
(136) Since the Scriptures so accurately portray the customs of the wicked, one must be careful of those who are inclined to condemn what is foreign as heretical. Since Scripture so actually paints a picture of the morals of the ungodly, we must pay careful attention to those who are inclined to condemn what is foreign as heretical, especially if, by reputation and by name, they have something to say to the
2) Compare the verdict of the theologians in Paris on Luther's teaching, Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, 932 ff.
924 xv, 316-318. Works on the first 22 Psalms. Ps. 14, 6. 7. w. iv, nik-E. 925
people. For it is actually these who, as we see, are depicted in this verse, and we need not be frightened by their frenzy, since we are well protected by this word which God has written for us, and know that those who do not know God are wont to do so, but rather let us lament for them and pray for them.
(137) And this also punishes the conduct (ingenium) of the wicked not a little, that he says, "But God is his confidence," as if to say: For no other cause do you condemn Him, but because He does not rely on the multitude and greatness of men, as you do. But now, because he is alone and relies only on the Lord, while you are surrounded by a great multitude of great and small, you confidently condemn him. For we have said above that this is the most obvious reason of the wicked, which they take from the prestige of the great and the many, then also from the length of time, again from the contempt and the small nature and the small number of those who speak the right. By this twofold larva they are so blinded that they close their ears and do not even want to hear, let alone look well at what is said. For so also the Pharisees armed themselves against Christ with the multitude and greatness of the Herodians and theirs.
Therefore also this is emphatic: "of the poor", XXX, that is, of the afflicted and humiliated, who is despised precisely because of that in the eyes of XXXXX [the Behemoth], who only look after high things.
139 But he calls it "counsel," not a word or a punishment, by which he reproaches them for their frenzy and makes their guilt more grievous. For their sin would have been less if they had rejected his punishment, but now they condemn the useful and salutary word through which their salvation is advised. But this verse is spoken in a compassionate spirit, in this way: Are you not the most wretched of men, who, trusting in the multitude and greatness of men, not only do not hear, but also blot out, yea, with imposition of the most shameful name even corrupt the word which is brought to you only for your salvation, as
a godly remedy and advice? Of course, you only resent the poverty, the lowly reputation and the lowliness of the preacher, and you are not moved by the fact that even though he is not surrounded by many and great people, the Lord still supports him and is his confidence.
(140) There are indeed many among men who, considering the word about which the controversy is going on to be nothing, are driven by favor alone, sometimes here, sometimes there, where they see that the great multitude is inclined; and when they see that the thing is inclined again to the other side, they again follow the multitude. Thus many followed Christ, who afterwards, when he was crucified, were vexed, fell back again, and returned to the Jews. These are a reed that the wind weaves to and fro [Matth. 11, 7], who are good for nothing but the destruction of the truth in the time of temptation, since they strengthen the enemies of the truth by the trouble they give, to which they had previously given prestige and strength by their faithless following; but now they do more harm than they had previously done good. Of such people the 78th Psalm, v. 9, says: "Like the children of Ephraim, who, hardened, led the bow, fell away in the time of battle"; for the Lord was not their confidence, but the glory of their teacher, in whom they delighted. Thus Christ says on the cross [Ps. 88, 19.]: 1) "Thou makest my friends, and my neighbors, and my kinsmen, to put themselves far from me, because of such miseries." And again [Ps. 31:12]: "I am become a great reproach unto my neighbors, and a reproach unto my kinsmen."
V. 7 Oh that help would come to Israel from Zion, and that the Lord would deliver his captive people! Then Jacob would rejoice and Israel would be glad.
I see that this is understood by famous fathers that the Jews should eventually be converted. If this is true, then the psalm must be referred from its beginning to the time of Christ, since the synagogue was so blinded that many (namely the Sadducees) even said that there was no spirit, no angel, and no resurrection of the
1) The Weimar has erroneously: Ps. 38, 12.
Flesh, as Lucas reports in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 23, 8. and Christ Matth. 1) 22, 29. says to them: "You are mistaken and do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God" etc. For they said so in their heart, There is no God; then they were corrupted by avarice, hypocrisy and unbelief, and were an abomination with their nature, and the counsel of poor Christ and the poor apostles they not only did not receive, but also condemned it with the highest reproach. On this opinion Paul also seems to say Rom. 3, 19. of this psalm: "We know that what the law saith, that saith it unto them which are under the law." In this sense the whole psalm is treated by St. Augustine.
Then follows, spun from the same thread, the meaning: "Oh, that help would come to Israel from Zion! (Quis dabit ex Zion salutare Israel?) As if he wanted to say: In vain is it preached unto them. It is not up to us to save them, even though we counsel them and pray diligently for them, as Paul says in Romans 10:1. This question (in the Vulgate) expresses an anxious desire and, as it were, the attitude that is found in a person who is in the process of giving birth and desires to be banished from Christ for them (as Paul says Rom. 9:3), where he wants to do everything and must finally say, hindered by an insurmountable mystery: But what do I do? Why do I bother? Who can make them blessed? For it must finally come to this, that God intends a mystery here, because: "Blindness happened to Israel in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles came in, and so all Israel would be saved; as it is written: He will come out of Zion, who will redeem and turn away the ungodly from Jacob; and this is my testament with them, when I will take away their sins", Romans 11:25-27. 11, 25-27. For this is a very difficult passage, not even clearly interpreted by Paul himself, because even the passage Is. 59, 20, which he introduces, he does not change a little, therefore I have not sufficiently understood this mystery or this hidden plan.
1) In the text: es usäera instead of: Dlattü.
143 If we now (as we have begun) understand this psalm in a general way of all people, then we do not understand it badly. For even if, according to the letter, it speaks only of the Jews, as indeed Paul enforces in the passage to the Romans just quoted, it is nevertheless true that in this passage they are an example of all the ungodly who have been in the church at one time or another, and especially in the last times, and are there now. Thus it is said in 2 Pet. 2, 6. that the Sodomites were set as an example to the ungodly who would come after; likewise also [v. 15.] that Balaam was set as an example to them; and Jude [Ep. Jude, v. 11.], even John, 1 Ep. 3, 12., set Cain as an example of those who were of the devil. Since all these things are said and done in vain, one must finally leave the matter to God's secret counsel and has nothing left but sighing, wishing but not despairing that God's mercy will come in the end, just as we also wish and hope today that the captivity of the church will be turned around.
144 Who then shall bring salvation upon Israel, and shall bring it out of Zion? No one, until the Lord Himself turns the captivity of His people, that is, of the people who are Israel according to the flesh, and who are now held in the greatest and longest and most terrible captivity, being captives both in body and in spirit; likewise, according to the example of this people, the Lord will turn the captivity of any people who are His, even though they are not Israel according to the flesh and God's people. For [Ps. 127:1], "Where the Lord buildeth not the house, they labor in vain that build it."
But he adds, "Out of Zion," to show that neither they nor any man shall have any help except that which is in Christ, which is given in Zion, and from thence spread abroad over the whole earth; and by this means Jews and Gentiles should be converted, however much they rage against him now. [Luc. 1, 37.:] "For with God no thing is impossible." And Rom. 11, 23.: "God is able to graft them in again."
146 Therefore, the raging of some Christians is
condemnable (if they can be called Christians in any other way), who think that they are doing God a service by persecuting the Jews in the most hateful way, thinking everything evil about them and mocking them with pride and contempt at their unfortunate misfortune, since according to the example of this Psalm and Paul's Rom. 9, 1. one should be sad for them with all one's heart and bear sorrow and pray for them constantly. They should at least see how they hear Paul, Rom. 11, 18: "Do not boast against the branches. But if thou boast against them, know that thou bearest not the root, but the root beareth thee." And again [v. 20.], "Be not proud, but fear." But these ungodly men, who are Christians by name, do no small harm by their tyrannical behavior, both to the Christian name and to the Christian people, and are guilty of the ungodliness of the Jews, whom they repel, as it were, from Christianity by this example of cruelty, while they should attract them with all gentleness, patience, supplication and care. And the ravings of these people are also defended by a number of quite unrighteous theologians, who, with prideful presumption, say that the Jews are the servants of the Christians and belong to the emperor, while in truth they themselves are just as much Christians as in truth any man today is a Roman emperor. 1)
1) That is, nowadays, in truth, no one is Roman Emperor, but only by title.
Dear one, who would convert to our religion, even if he had the most gentle and patient mind, who would see that he is treated so cruelly and hostilely by us, and not only not Christian, but more than cattle? If hatred against Jews and heretics and Turks makes Christians, then we raging people are truly the most Christian. But if love against Christ makes Christians, then we are undoubtedly worse than the Jews, heretics and Turks, since no one loves Christ less than we do. The frenzy of these people is similar to that of the fools and children who poke out the eyes of the Jews painted on the walls, as if they wanted to come to the aid of the suffering Christ. And most preachers of the Passion do nothing else than try to make the cruelty of the Jews against Christ even greater, and to make the hearts of the faithful bitter against them, while the Gospel alone deals with it by praising the love of God and of Christ in this piece only and only and to the highest degree. But they never think of this with a single word.
Therefore, the emphasis here is on the word "the Lord," as in the third Psalm, v. 9: "With the Lord one finds help. So no one brings help, no one turns away captivity, but the Lord alone. And the movements of the heart: "He will rejoice and be glad", are in the 5th Psalm
168 ff], but we have discussed the names Jacob and Israel in the 4th Psalm [§ 75].