preached and interpreted by D. Martin Luther.*) 1532.
D. Martin Luther's Preface.
I have almost gladly seen that these sermons of mine on the three chapters of St. Matthew, which St. Augustine calls the sermon of the Lord on the mountain, go out, if God would grant His grace that such teachings of Christ may remain and be preserved in a right, certain, Christian understanding, because they are such common sayings and texts, which are violently practiced by all of Christendom. For I do not doubt that I have presented to my own, and to those who desire it, the right, true, Christian understanding in this.
2. and cannot know how the wicked devil especially has so masterfully twisted and perverted the fifth chapter through his apostles that he has made a contradiction out of it. And just as Christ purposely wanted to counter all false teachings in it, and to open the right meaning of God's commandments, as he conditions and says [Matth. 5, 17.]: "I have not come to abolish the law", and takes it from piece to piece, and wants to make it clear and certain enough: nor has the infernal Satan found a text in the Scriptures, which he has more shamefully perverted and made more jarring.
*For the complete implementation of the Reformation in their churches, the Lübeckers, like the Brunswickers and the Hamburgers before them, asked for D. Johann Bugenhagen. He left for Lübeck toward the end of October 1530 and remained absent from Wittenberg until the last of April 1532. (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. II, p. 250.) During this time Luther often acted as a substitute for Bugenhagen (De Wette, Vol. IV, 199), among other things he continued the sermons which, according to the order of the Wittenberg church, were held on Wednesdays on the Gospel of St. Matthew and on Saturdays on the Gospel of John. These sermons were transcribed (as Aurifaber reports in the 2nd volume of the Eisleben edition, p. 445) by Veit Dietrich, Georg Rörer, Anton Lauterbach and Philipp Fabricius (i.e. Philipp Faber, Schmidt, pastor in Kahla). The sermons on the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of St. Matthew were published, with Luther's permission, as late as 1532 in Wittenberg by Joseph Klug under the title: "Das fünfte, sechste und siebente Capitel St. Matthäi, gepredigt und ausgefegt durch D. Mart. Luther." Another edition appeared at Marburg in 1533; a third at Wittenberg by Johann Weiß, 1538. In the collections: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. IV, p. 1; in the Jena (1566), vol. V, p. 343b; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 806; in the Leipzig, vol. IX, p. 185; and in the Erlanger, vol. 43, p. 1. This writing was translated into Latin by Vincentius Obsopöns and appeared with some of Luther's other sermons in 1533. This translation is included in the Latin Wittenberg edition (1558), Dom. VII, toi. 1, was included. We reproduce the text according to the Jena edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions. In the German Wittenberg edition, Luther's preface is inadvertently printed before the volume's index.
This is a masterpiece of the devil, because he is the one who is ordered and placed by Christ Himself to be a false doctrine. This is called a masterpiece of the devil.
(3) First of all, into this fifth chapter have fallen the coarse swine and asses, lawyers and sophists, the right hand of the Pabst, and his mammoluchs. They have sucked such poison from this beautiful rose, and have scattered it throughout the world, so that Christ is buried, and the end Christ is raised up and preserved; namely, that Christ does not want his Christians here to command or keep everything that he teaches in the fifth chapter, but has counseled many things only to those who want to be perfect, and let them keep them, whoever they want, regardless of the fact that Christ is angry there: They shall not be in heaven that destroy one of the least of such commandments, and ninth it with the bare words, "Commandments.
For this reason, they have composed twelve Consilia Evangelii, twelve good counsels in the Gospel, which may be kept by anyone who wishes to be higher and more perfect than other Christians. Thus, in addition to faith, they have not only put Christian blessedness, even perfection, into the work, but have also made the same works free. That is, I mean, rightly and finely forbid good works, which they blame us, the gross asses and blasphemers. For they cannot deny these things, and no covering nor cleaning will help them as long as this fifth chapter of Matthew remains. For their books and glosses are there, along with their old and still daily unrepentant lives, which they lead according to such their teaching. And the doctrine of the twelve consiliis evangelicis is very common among them; these are: 1. 1) Do not repay evil. 2. not to avenge. 3. to offer one's cheeks to others. 4. not to resist evil. 5. leave the coat to the skirt. 6. walk two miles for one. 7. give to all who ask 2). 8. lend to him who borrows 2). 9. ask for the persecutors. 10. love the enemies. 11. do good to the haters etc. as Christ teaches here. All these things (they spit) shall not be
1) These figures are missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen.
2) "da" is missing in the Erlanger.
and the donkeys in Paris give good reason to say that it would be far too difficult for Christian doctrine to be burdened with this 3) etc.
Thus the jurists and sophists have ruled and taught the church until now, that Christ with his teaching and interpretation has had to be their fool and juggler. And they still do not repent for it, but would gladly defend it, and gladly raise their cursed, shameful canons again, and crown their popes again. But God grant that I may live, and that I may give bracelets and precious stones for such a crown, so that the donkey, if God wills it, may be called crowned.
Therefore, dear brother, if you are willing and have nothing better, let this sermon of mine serve you, first of all, against our Junkers, the jurists and sophists. I mean especially the canonists, whom they themselves call asses, 4) as indeed they are, that thou mayest keep the doctrine of Christ pure from their asses and devilish dung in this place of Matthew.
(7) Secondly, also against the new jurists and sophists, namely, the red spirits and Anabaptists, who also cause heartache anew out of their mad head in this fifth chapter. And just as those fell too much on the left side, held nothing of this teaching of Christ everywhere, but condemned and destroyed it, so these fall too much on the right side, and teach that one should have nothing of one's own, not swear, not hold authority nor court, not protect nor defend, run away from wife and child, and much of the misery.
(8) Thus the devil blames and needs both parts among themselves, that they make no distinction between the worldly and divine kingdoms, much less what is to be taught and done differently in each kingdom. Which, praise God, we can boast that we have clearly and diligently pointed out and deleted in these sermons; that whoever errs from now on, or wants to err, we will be-
3) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 949.
4s Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 1545, 8171. In the interpretation of the 101st Psalm, Wittenberger (1553), vol. Ill, W. 472 b the saying is: kurus danonists est ruaspus asinlsta.
5) Erlanger: blauet. - Blue or bluen - to beat.
350 Erl. 43, 5-7. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII,SS"-SS4. 351
We are half excused, as we have faithfully offered ours for everyone's good. Let their blood be on their heads, and let us wait for the reward, namely, ingratitude, hatred, and all kinds of enmity, and say: Deo Gratias.
(9) Since we have learned and know through such horrible examples, both of papal and red jurists, what the devil has in mind, and especially what he intends to pervert the fifth chapter of St. Matthew's, and to destroy pure Christian doctrine with it, let every preacher or pastor be asked and admonished to faithfully and diligently watch against it in his souls, and to help preserve the right mind. For as long as the devil lives and the world stands, he will not stop challenging this chapter. For he is interested in completely suppressing good works, as happened under the papacy, or in creating false good works and fictitious holiness, as he has now begun to do through the new monks or the spirits of the red sect.
(10) And even if both the papal and the Rottian jurists and monks perished, he would still find and awaken others. For he must have such servants, and his kingdom is from the beginning of the world.
ruled by monks. Although they were not called monks, their teaching and life was monastic, 1) that is, different and special or better than God commanded. As among the people of Israel were the Baalites, Camarim 2) and the like, among the Gentiles the Galli and Vestales etc.
(11) Therefore we cannot be safe from him. For from this fifth chapter also came the monks of the pope, when they took a perfect state before other Christians, which they based on this chapter; and yet they kept to it, 3) that they became full of avarice, hopefulness, and at last full of all devils. May Christ, our dear Lord and Master, who has given us the right mind, increase and strengthen it for us and help us to live and do according to it. To him be praise and thanksgiving, together with the Father and Holy Spirit for ever and ever, Amen. Anno M.D.XXXII. 4)
1) Wittenberger: been.
2) XXXXX- idol priest (2 Kings 23:5.); actually.
one who walks sadly and gloomily. Therefore, the Jews of today quite rightly call the monks by this name. - Galli, the priests of the goddess Cybele. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1483 and 115.
3) "held to" - held in such a way to the state of perfection.
4) The year is missing in the Erlanger.