Cap. 5, v. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
(1) I do not think that it matters much that our books here begin the sixth chapter, which Jerome and the Greeks only begin with the words: "Dear brethren, if a man be overtaken with a fault," etc. He keeps the same order in this epistle as in the letter to the Romans. For there, too, he first teaches faith through eleven chapters, in the twelfth he deals with love and the fruits of the Spirit, in the thirteenth and the following his endeavor is directed to the care of the weak in faith. So also here; after having instructed them in faith and love, he also takes care, among other things concerning life, that they do not turn away from the weak or fallen with disgust.
For St. Augustine expresses the correct opinion (in my opinion) that this is said against those who, having come from the letter to the spirit, despise the weaker ones by boasting of themselves in vain honor, and therefore they are reminded that they, if they are spiritual, do not want to please themselves, but bear the infirmities of the weak, as he says in Rom. 14:1 and Cap. 15:1. For if they did not do this, they would have begun in the spirit, but would not have walked in the spirit, since they would have become arrogant despisers of their brothers.
3. So this is the meaning: I am sure that you have been taught both by this my doctrine and by the former in the spirit, that there still remain some among you who are full of scrupulosity, and cannot yet separate the right doctrine (opinionem) of faith from the works of the law, in that they do not refrain from the works of the law because of conscience concerns, because they do not sufficiently trust in righteousness by faith alone: these (I say) you must not despise, but lovingly accept them, until they, through habit and the precept of the law, are able to do what is right.
The image of the strong will also become strong and firm. For the sake of this, such people are always left among you, as it were, as arms in the midst of a people, so that there may be people on whom you can exercise the ministry of love. And therefore, "if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit," that is, let us persevere and progress, which will happen if we do not allow ourselves to be seduced (tentari) by the frailty of the weak into harboring an aversion (fastidium) toward them and finding pleasure in ourselves. For this would be to turn away from the Spirit, if we please ourselves, but do not serve others through love. [Just as today there is a great multitude of the weak, even among the most learned, who are miserably tormented by a false conscience about human laws, and do not dare to trust in faith alone in Christ. And the children and effeminate men who rule in the church make no concession to our weakness, but with storm and violence they lay before us the unmanageable masses (robustas offas) of their opinions, only to fortify their tyranny. Immediately if you do not answer what they want, they say: So you are a heretic, a pagan, a man who makes divisions (schismaticus). But of this elsewhere).
4. "Walk" (στοιχωμεν) is the same verbum, which stands above Cap. 4, 25. stands, "And longs (σύστοιχε) unto Jerusalem," etc., so that the sense is, Mount Sinai is in Arabia, and longs, that is, extends, walks, goes along, unto Jerusalem, as is there said; and afterwards [Cap. 6, 16. Vulg.), "As many as follow this rule" (στοιχήσουσι), that is, go along, walk. For it is the proper meaning of this word: to go along in order, to walk in the right way, to go forward [, as given by Erasmus). But the apostle uses this verb here in an appropriate way, that they should not deviate, neither to the left nor to the right.
but to walk and walk rightly in order after they have received the Spirit. For since there are strong and weak in the people, a twofold trouble arises; the one on the left with the weak, the other on the right with the strong, whom the apostle endeavors to keep in the middle, and wants to ward off both troubles.
(5) The trouble is with the weak when that which the weak do not understand happens, and they cannot separate the evil appearance from the thing, which is discussed in great detail in the fourteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. For example, when the weak saw that others ate all the foods forbidden by the law as unclean, they did not dare to eat them because they were troubled in conscience, and yet they could not disapprove of the example of the others. Here Paul became a Jew with the Jews, a weak man with the weak, in order to serve them through love until they also became strong in Christ. Therefore it is said in Romans 14:15: "But if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are already not walking according to love." This is how it should be done in all other ceremonies concerning days, feasts, clothing, etc.
The other offense is that of the arrogant, who again take offense at the weak, being impatient because of their slowness and their clumsiness. Thus they took no heed of the weak, and too freely used the liberty of Christ against the law, doing these things to the annoyance of the weak, whereas they should have kept the whole law before they had offended even one. For this is how one walks in the spirit. For what is the use of the spirit of liberty against the spirit of love?
7 We are free, they say. Yes, of course, but your freedom must be subordinated to your brother's weakness, because it does you no harm if what you are free to do is not done, but it does your brother harm if his weakness is annoyed by your freedom. But it comes to love that you look at what is the other's, not so much that you take many liberties, but rather how much you give to your brother.
You may benefit your brother. For love submits to this servitude, since it frees you from the bondage of the law. [But nowadays, dear God, how many abominations of the worst kind are committed, and then all this is imposed on the weak to bear, and they are supposed to lay out for the best (pie) what the strongest can hardly bear. But without a shepherd they are not shepherds nowadays; everything is different in appearance than in fact and truth].
V. 26. Let us not be stingy with vain honor, indignant and hating one another.
8. he further interprets what he had said. Then (he says) you will walk rightly in the spirit and go along, 1) if you, being strong, do not blow yourselves out against the weak, do not take pleasure in yourselves and boast against them that they are not like you, as that Pharisee in his eagerness for honor praised God and disgraced the tax collector.
(9) For if ye do this, ye shall, through all vain honor, provoke and provoke the weaker to envy, and so ye shall be indignant one with another, and they shall be envious; but neither of them shall walk in the right order of the spirit. You the devil turns away to the right, those to the left; you by vain glory, those by envy. Yes, after the example of Christ, your strength shall bear the weakness of those, until they also become strong. For we live not for ourselves, but for our brethren, if we live in the spirit and in love. Therefore we will do what is useful and necessary for them.
10. he says Rom. 13, 8: "Owe no man anything, but to love one another." (1 Cor. 8:13.:) "If the food offends my brother, I would never eat meat." Why? Because I love my brother, whose blessedness is incomparably higher to me than my freedom, according to which I desire that which he does not yet understand to be lawful. Thus, if my brother is offended by my righteousness, wisdom, power, or any work which is perfectly lawful for me, I must refrain from it and be subservient to love. [But now see what the exceptions (exemtio-
1) In the editions of the first redaction and in the Erlanger: inwäitis instead of: inosästis.
The laws of the Church are not only money nets and excuses for the consciences. Have not the laws of the popes become nothing but money nets and annoyances to the consciences? Is not the whole of Germany full of the constant complaint that butter and milk dishes are allowed on fast days to those who have bought the lead and wax of the Roman Curia, while the others, meanwhile, in their restriction (ruditate) believe that this may not happen, even though the pope allows it? That is how much human laws are ingrained in them. For murder and fornication, and drunkenness, and envy, and all works of the flesh, they consider far less than eating this privileged butter. Nor is there any of the bishops or the privileged (privilegiatorum) who have mercy on this poor lot, but an unbelievable avarice multiplies these privileges without end, without measure, by which only the weak are induced to malign, to revile, to judge. But those strong, the most brazen (robustissimi) despisers of the laws, in turn, with great pomposity, despise these people and call them don christian, that is, half fools. 1) This is the way to fulfill love nowadays. How much more right would the popes act, if they either completely abolished the laws, so that all would know their freedom, which they have in Christ, or also did not grant privileges to anyone, to the great ruin (barathro) of so many weak consciences. How will they give account to Christ for the trouble they have caused among so many of their brethren for whom Christ died? But the raging avarice does not allow them to hear this love even from afar. But this is still childish and quite small. Let us come to that by which even the most learned and strongest are vexed (so great is the victory of the devil in the church). Dear, how great an uproar, how much slander, how great a stench has come over the Roman Curia because of the palliae 2) and annals by which the bishoprics and parishes (sacerdotia)
1) Cf. Tischreden, cap. 27, 66; Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XXII, 878.
2) Pallia - bishop's robes. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 1008, s 7; ibiä. Introduction p. 5. For "Annalen" compare vol. X, 285.
of Germany be completely sucked out? What shall I say of the robbery of all parishes, of the devouring and devouring of the monasteries and churches? and that in such a way that there is not an altar, even under the earth, that would not be completely subservient to the avarice of the Roman muleteers, while meanwhile learned, good and wholesome men perish from hunger and lack. But 3) the Romans reap our bodily goods and sow us spiritual (spiritualia), that is, windy (ventosa) goods, so that we must live on spirit and wind. For spiritus is the wind, as Ephraim (in Hosea [Cap. 12, 2.]) feeds on the wind. It is no wonder (I say) if even the strongest cannot bear this, for it goes beyond all measure, and is hard to bear even for apostolic perfection. But at best none of the bishops takes the least notice of it, so that they even seem to rejoice that we are irritated and they are hated, and to use that saying of an emperor: They may hate, if only they fear. 4) For there is no lack of such inflated water bubbles, which only boast of their violence. Then, who is not irritated in the bitterest way by the first of all aversions (for that of which we have spoken is temporal)? How many decrees (compositiones) about robbery, usury, inheritance, wills, and now even about all things that are to be restituted (restitutionum), both uncertain and certain, whether they belong to minors (pupillis) or to the poor. And the forgiveness of grievous sins they even impose, nay, sell most frivolously, both to those who do not want it and to those who do, under the plea of the one dead building of St. Peter, or even of a more trifling cause. I confess, this must be borne, one must not be spiteful, one must not bite! But who will give us such strong legs (ossa) that can carry it? Or may we also not use our
3) Jenaer, lorv. I and the Basel have: vsruru, the Erlangen and the Weimar: vsrs.
4) In the interpretation of the 101st Psalm, Walch, old edition, Vol. V, 1273,? 177, Luther says: "as the Latin Historici write of an emperor who said: Oäsriut, (lum metuaut, Gram Wider Gram." - This emperor is Caligula.
1632 Ari. 6ai. Ill, 449-451. shorter interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians 5, 26. 6, I. W. IX, 345 f. 1633
Complain about weakness? May we not say, "We must bear it, but we cannot? It is by no means slander nor spitefulness when an infallible burden is laid upon us to bear, and I cry out that I lack the strength to do so. - Furthermore, if we act the holy scripture and punish, bite, cut off this and similar things, we act rightly and align our office. Or why do those so learned and strong rulers among the people demand of us that we should tolerate these things, and do not much more demand of themselves that they should not give us offence (provocent)? especially since they should first instruct that we take no offense, than that we be not hateful; then also as such people, who owe greater love because of their position (statu), they should be much more careful that they do not provoke (provocent) than we do that we be not hateful, so that in such a way, we not being provoked, and they not hated, walk in the spirit that we should live in the spirit. - Perhaps you will say, dear reader, that I always attack the Roman Curia, which until now was something exceedingly unusual. I answer: The Lord is my witness that I do not do this out of inclination, or because I have a desire to do so, since I desire nothing more than to remain hidden in the corner. But since I must by all means treat the holy Scriptures publicly, I will serve the Lord Jesus Christ as loudly as I can. For if the Scriptures were treated in such a way that they were only to be understood in terms of past things, and were not also applied to our lives, what use could that be? Then it would be cold, dead, and not even divine For you see how puffing and living, indeed, how necessarily this passage intervenes in our time; because others have either not dared to do this, or have not understood it, what wonder is it if the teachers of theology have remained unhated? It is certain to me that the word of God cannot be acted upon correctly without hatred and danger of death, and that this is the only sign that it has been acted upon correctly, if it arouses anger, especially among the princes and most distinguished among the people. It is a rock of offense against which the judges of the nations shatter. Yes, the church cries out that princes persecute her, and princes have crucified Christ].
Chapter 6, v. 1. Dear brothers, if a man is overtaken by a fault, help him again with a gentle spirit, you who are spiritual. And take heed to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
(11) The apostle 1) suddenly changes the number and says not in accordance with the previous (continent): And look to yourselves, lest you also be tempted. For a speech has greater power when it is addressed to one person in particular, and to each one in particular. This is certainly a very noteworthy doctrine, and the apostle has arranged it with wonderful art, so that love may take shape in it.
(12) First, he calls them "brethren," asking them more with a friendly exhortation, as it were, as his comrades, than that he demands by his reputation, as it were, as of subjects. Then he says, "Such a man," he does not say, Such a brother, as if to say, Such a brother as should have fallen from human weakness, for we are men; showing by this word with what eyes we are to regard the case of others, namely, with cordial compassion, and so that we may be more disposed to diminish the fault than to make it greater. For this is the work of the devil and of abusers of honor, but that of the Holy Spirit (paracleti) and of spiritual men.
13. And he says: "would be over-hasty," surprised, carelessly fallen into, by which he likewise teaches that the sin of the brother should be made less, for if he has not evidently sinned out of obdurate malice, and without any prospect of amendment, it behooves us to ascribe it not to malice, but to imprudence, or even to weakness, as St. Bernard taught his own, that if one could in no way excuse the sin of a brother, he should at least say that it was a great and insurmountable temptation, by which he was surprised and more influenced (occupatus) than that he had been
1) In the first redaction there is the following beginning of this paragraph: "Read Erasmus, why the apostle suddenly changed the numerus" etc.
could have borne it. "Of a fault," of some falling; for falling is very easy. He does not say, Of any wickedness, and again uses a diminutive word, for we cannot call sin less and more tender than a fall or stumbling (casum), which he here calls a fault (delictum).
14. "You who are spiritual." A wonderful word, which at the same time reminds them of their duty, and teaches duty. It teaches the duty that they should be spiritual. If they are spiritual, they are to do what spiritual people are to do. But what is "being spiritual" other than being a child of the Holy Spirit and having the Holy Spirit? But the Holy Spirit is our helper (paracletus), our intercessor, our comforter, who, when our conscience accuses us before God, takes us into protection and comforts us by giving our conscience a good testimony and confidence in God's mercy, by excusing, reducing, and completely covering our sins, and in turn magnifying our faith and good works. Those who follow Him in the sins of men before men are spiritual people.
(15) Satan, on the other hand, is called the devil (diabolus), a defiler of honor and slanderer, because he not only accuses us and magnifies the evil conscience before God, but also speaks evil of the good, slandering our merits and the faith of the conscience. This is followed by those who, in the case of sins or also in the case of good works of men, make the sins of men heavy, gross and great before men, in turn belittle, accuse and blame their good works.
16 Therefore, St. Augustine says in this passage: Nothing makes a spiritual man more recognizable than his conduct against the sin of another, since he is more anxious to make him free than to mock him, and more anxious to bring him help than to heap shame upon him. On the other hand, you can recognize the carnal man by the fact that he deals with other people's sin in such a way that he only judges and reproves, as that Pharisee disgraced the tax collector, but had no mercy on him.
17 "Restore him with a gentle spirit. For true is the saying of St. Gregory: true justice has compassion, false indignation. So also Christ, Luc. 9, 55. f., when John and Jacob wanted to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans after the example of Elijah, prevented them, saying: "Do you not know what children of the Spirit you are? The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of men, but to preserve them" etc. So we also should be careful, not how we corrupt the brother who sins, but how we preserve him. As Paul treats this subject Rom. 15:1, he says, "But we who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to have pleasure in ourselves."
Notice how restrained and modest Paul's spirit is. He calls "infirmity" and "weakness" what some arrogant work saint or heretic (haereticae pravitatis inquisitor = an investigator of heretical wickedness) would have called a heresy or crime against the Holy Roman Church (as they are quick to condemn and burn people). For so they speak when they speak of the greatest sins. But Paul, whatever sins they may be, calls them "infirmities", and the sinners he calls "weak ones", because he does not speak with the tongue of the devil, but with the tongue of the Holy Spirit.
19. finally [Rom. 15, 3.] he also adds an example: "For even Christ had no pleasure in himself, but, as it is written: 'The reproach of them that revile thee is fallen upon me' [Ps. 69, 10.], that is, as Isaias says [Cap. 53, 4.], 'He bore our sin,' let alone that He should have left us with and in the same, accused and condemned, dealing with us no otherwise than if He had Himself done that which we had committed, and paid that which He had not robbed [Ps. 69, 5.]." So he also introduces the same example in Phil. 2, 5. ff. and says: "Let every man be of the same mind as Jesus Christ was. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider it a robbery to be like God, but said
and took upon him the form of a servant, being made like another man, and found in his ways like a man" etc. Behold, Christ became like men, that is, sinners and the weak. Neither doth he show any other manner (habitum), nor any other form, but that of a man and a servant, not despising us in his divine form, but taking our form, and bearing our sins in his body. [But this saying is too high (dignior) to be duly treated in a few words, for even the masters of theology have no right understanding of it. Let us postpone this for the time being].
Therefore, Christ governs the church in this part 1) in such a way that, just as he foretold in the Old Testament [Deut. 15:11.In the same way, in the New Testament, he always allows some sinners to remain and some to fall, so that those who are stronger have cause to practice the evangelical and Christian fraternity, so that love will not be idle and even fall away. But since the hypocrites, the most perverse of all men, do not understand this divine grace, they seize it to exercise their spitefulness, take the case of their brothers into consideration, only to accuse, to bite, to persecute, and can handle nothing else than what Simon the leper did to Mary Magdalene [Matth. 26, 6. ff,), and the Pharisee to the tax collector [Luc. 18, 11.].
21 [At last he adds:) "Look to thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Here, too, he speaks modestly. He does not say, "Lest thou also fall," as elsewhere (1 Cor. 10:12) he says, "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall"; but, "Lest thou be tempted," calling its fall a temptation, as if to say: If you have fallen, I would rather say that it was a temptation than a fault (crimen) on your part. With the same leniency, you also consider that, as often as
1) In the editions of the first redaction, in the Weimar one and in the Erlangen one: in Ks" vita instead of: in Noe.
you see a fallen man, that it was a temptation, and do not persecute your brother who has fallen with frightening names. Behold, the words of the apostle are not only for teaching (documento), but at the same time for example. (Among the speakers of the world it is considered something exceedingly praiseworthy to place the words in such a way that one can see from them that the matter itself is at the same time clearly stated (observari) and vividly demonstrated (geri), which is peculiar to Paul, yes, to the Holy Spirit).
Therefore, St. Gregory says very well: "As often as we see sinners, it is necessary that we first weep for ourselves in them, because we have either already fallen into similar sins or can fall. For there is no sin (says Augustine) that a man has done that another man could not also do if God forsakes him. I also do not reject the little memorial verse that someone has made about this matter: We are, or were, or can be, what another is (Aut sumus, aut fuimus, aut possumus esse, quod hic est). [And yet, did God want the Thomists, Scotists, and the more recent theologians (moderni) to refer to this their universal essence (universale reale) and indiscriminate nature (naturam indifferentem). Man is man, flesh is flesh; never has the flesh done anything that the same flesh would not do if GOtt did not make a difference].
V. 2: Bear one another's burdens, and you will fulfill the law of Christ.
In a very beautiful and quite golden summa (epiphonemate), he concludes the two doctrines previously discussed. There are some (he says) full of false thinking (scrupulosi), who make no proper distinction between the law of faith and the law of men; they must be borne and be absolutely careful not to take offense at them. There are others who also sin against the law of God; these, too, must not be despised in foolish zeal for God, but both must be borne in Christian love; those must be instructed, those must be set right, those must be told what they must know, those what they must do, and they must be served in such a way that they will not be offended.
their faith and their works gain the right form. For the former need the teaching of faith, the latter the instruction of a right life. Thus love finds everywhere what it should bear and what it should do. Love is the law of Christ.
(24) To love is to do good to another from the heart, or to seek that which is another's. Now if there were no one to err, no one to fall, that is, no one in need of good, whom could you love? Whom could you grant good? Whose best could you seek? Yes, love could not even exist if there were not people who erred and sinned [who are (as the philosophers say) the proper and suitable object of love, or the substance (materia) with which love has to deal]. But the carnal being or the love of evil desire (amor cupiditatis) seeks that others wish it good, grant it what it desires, that is, it seeks its own, and the object (materia) with which it has to do is a just, holy, godly, good man etc.
2ö. These, indeed, reverse this doctrine, because they want their burden to be borne, and that they alone enjoy the services (commodis) of others 1) and be borne, since they are such people who disdain it. Unlearned, unprofitable, wrathful, silly, strange, sullen, to have as their companions in life, but seek friendly, kind, calm, and holy people; that is, they do not want to live on earth but in paradise, not among sinners but among angels, not in the world but in heaven. For these, we must also fear that they may also receive their reward here and possess their kingdom of heaven in this life. For they do not want to be with the bride [Hohel. 2, 2. Vulg.] "as a lily among thorns," nor dwell with Jerusalem in the midst of the Gentiles, nor reign with Christ in the midst of their enemies [Ps. 110, 2.]. For they make void in themselves the cross of Christ, and idle and snoring, and have a love that is borne by the shoulders of others 2).
1) Here we have followed the reading of the first redaction and Weimar's, which offers üui instead of tsrri.
2) In the editions of the first redaction, in the Weimar and Erlangen allis instead of alioruna.
(26) Therefore, those who flee the company of such people in order to become good, accomplish nothing but to become the very worst. But they do not believe this, because for the sake of love they flee the right service of love, and for the sake of salvation they flee the right compendium of salvation. For it has always been best for the Christian church when it dwelt among the most wicked people, for by bearing the burdens which these laid upon it, its love shone forth in a marvelous manner, as the 68th Psalm [v. 14. Vulg.] says: "Its back (posteriora dorsi) gleams like gold," that is, the toleration (tolerantia) of the Christian dove (which is signified by the back) is altogether supremely brilliant in golden love. Otherwise, why did not Moses also leave the people who had a hard neck? Why did not Elisha and the prophets leave the idolatrous kings in Israel? [From this it follows that the separation of the Bohemians from the Roman church cannot be defended by any excuse, indeed, that it is ungodly and contrary to all the laws of Christ, because it violates the love in which all laws are conceived. For the only thing they claim, that they fell away out of fear of God and conscience, in order not to live under evil priests and bishops, is what accuses them most of all. For if the bishops, the priests, or whoever it may be, are evil, and you were burning with right love, you would not flee, but, even if you were at the furthest seas, you would run, weep, admonish, punish, and by all means do everything, and you would know that, if you follow this teaching of the apostle, no advantages will accrue to you from it, but you will have to bear burdens. Therefore, it is obvious that all the glory of this Bohemian love is a mere appearance and a light in which the angel of Satan conceals himself. Do we too, who carry the burdens and truly unmistakable abominations of the Roman Curia, flee and separate for the sake of it? Far be it, far be it! We reproach them, we detest them, we plead, we exhort, but for the sake of it we do not break the unity of the spirit, we do not puff ourselves up against it, because we know that the
Love is higher than everything, not only higher than the damage of physical goods, but also higher than all the abominations of sins. This is a fictitious love, which can bear nothing but the benefit that flows to it from another. Truly, our common people (as we see), as they stand below in rank, so they stand above in love. For quite patiently it lets itself be scraped and flayed to the bone by the shepherds. Again, those who are in the highest position cannot spare even a penny of theirs, much less bear to have a word or deed spoken against their privileges. But thou, O Lord, art just, and thy judgment is right. So the last shall be first, and the first last].
V. 3 But if anyone lets himself think that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
He gives a very beautiful and very powerful reason for both teachings, which is this: We are all equal, and all are nothing. Why then does one blow himself up against the other, and why do we not rather help one another? If there is anything in us, it is not ours, but God's gift. But if it is God's gift, then one owes it entirely to love, that is, to the law of Christ. But if it is owed to love, then I must serve others through it, not myself. Thus my learning is not mine, but belongs to the unlearned, to whom I owe it. My chastity is not mine, but belongs to those who sin according to the flesh, whom I must serve through it [ by offering the same good for them, by receiving them, excusing them, and thus by my respectability covering their shame before God and men, as Paul writes 1 Cor. 12, 23. that the dishonest members are covered by the more honest ones. Thus my wisdom belongs to the foolish, my power to the oppressed, my riches to the poor, my righteousness to sinners. For these are divine forms, of which we must divest ourselves, so that servant forms may be in us, because we stand before God with all these things and must act as mediators for those who do not have them, as it were as with
(not unlike a priest who offers sacrifice to those around him in holy garments that do not belong to him); but we must also serve them before men with the same love against those who speak evil of them or do them violence. For so Christ also did against us. This is the furnace of the Lord in Zion, the sweet mercy of the Father, who willed to unite us with such unspeakable virtue. By this emblem, by this standard, by this characteristic we Christians are distinguished from all other peoples, so that we may be God's own and a priestly race and a royal priesthood [1 Pet 2:9].
28 Jerome explains this passage in two ways. First: "If someone lets himself think that he is something, then he is nothing", that is, since we are all nothing before God, as it is said. Secondly: Whoever lets himself think that he is something, and yet is nothing, deceives himself, that is, whoever thinks that he is something, and is really more excellent than another, and pleases himself in this, thinks highly only of himself, looks only at his own, not as he serves others through it, he deceives himself in truth, because by this his arrogant opinion causes him to be nothing, because then God's gift to him is in vain, and he is like him who has nothing, just as a miser, even if he has something, does not have it, because he does not have it in the use to which riches are given. Therefore, just as this rich man is not rich but poor, so he who makes himself believe that he is something is nothing.
29. this understanding is followed by St. Jerome, and by this understanding, in another way, a reason is given for the previously mentioned teachings, for if someone does not bear another's burden, but is puffed up in his own sense, then he becomes nothing, and it is as if he has nothing, yes, he has it to his detriment. Both of these things please me well. But he adds and calls attention to the meaning of the word "he deceives himself," which in Greek means, he deceives his mind (φρεναπατα) because he is another,
than he lets himself think.
But let every man examine his own work, and then he shall have glory in himself, and not in another.
This is the way of vain honor, that it compares itself with those who are not equal to it. From this comparison follows the contempt of the inferior and the pomposity (vesica inflata) because of the good he has. For vain honor does not rejoice so much that it is or has something as that others are or have nothing. So that Pharisee did not boast so much because of his holiness as because other people did not seem to be like him, especially the tax collector. For he also did not like other people to be better or to be like him. Therefore his glory [is a glory] in another and apart from him, that is, in worse or inferior.
(31) This is malevolence, which is always the companion of vain honor, which rejoices in the evil that others have in themselves and grieves over the good that is found in others. The apostle forbids this, so that no one may have this honor in another, which is and must be extremely far from love.
32. "But he examines his own work, that is, he does not care about the work of another, does not seek how evil he is, but how good he himself is, and seeks to be found approved in good works, but not to become secure and sleepy on account of [the work of] another, as if he should therefore also be considered good before God because he is better than this evil one, so that in such a way he regards himself more because of the wickedness of the other than because of his work, without the wickedness of the other. Your works are not made better by the wickedness of another. Therefore, live and act in such a way that you examine your work to see how far you can boast about yourself in your conscience, as it says in 2 Cor. 1:12: "For our glory is in the testimony of our conscience," but not in the reputation of another's work. But he examines his work when he admits how diligent he is in love to bear the infirmities of others, and surely he who would take heed to this would easily guard against sacrilegious judgments and slander, since he would find that he either loves his neighbor or does not love him.
V. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
This belongs to the previous in this way: Why do you seek glory in another? Why are you puffed up because of the sin or infirmity of another? Will you give account for him? or, as he says Rom. 14:4. in the same sense, "Who are you to judge a strange servant? He stands or falls by his master." And v. 12 follows, "Every man shall give account for himself," which he has here called, according to the idiom of Scripture, "bearing his burden," and above [Cap. 5:10] "bearing his judgment." Therefore I would also like to take this word: "But let every man examine his own work," a little differently, on the same stroke as he Rom. 14, 22. says: "If thou hast faith, have it with thyself before God," that is, that thou knowest that all things are free, that is thy work; but in this boast thyself before God and in thyself, not using this freedom by heart, that because of this thy faith thou boast not in thy neighbor's infirmity, and care not whether he take offense at it. But this general understanding cannot extend to all offences, but only to those which take place at a human law s, as now, as I said, the letters of confession and other favors (facultates), which are sold to some for money, but reserved to others, so that offence arises].
V. 6: But he who is taught (catechisatur) with the word, let him impart all good things to him who teaches him (catechisat).
Here the apostle prescribes another moral teaching, namely the last one, namely, that they should give to the elders, who teach God's word and sow the spiritual, also the physical and what is necessary for life. "For a laborer is worth his wages," says Christ [Luc. 10, 7], as Paul elaborates in 1 Tim. 5, 18 and 1 Cor. 9, 9. But it is to be wondered at that the Latin interpreter took pleasure in inserting whole Greek words. Κατηχίζω be
means: I teach and instruct; hence the word catechumens, those who are instructed in the Christian religion. Here Paul treats the Stoic philosophy contemptuously, in that he calls that which is necessary for the need
of the body is called "good", while those word twisters, who force words and do them violence, count nothing to the good but wisdom and virtue (that is, the hopefulness, which is based on futile things [de vanitate]). We know that everything God made was very good, and all God's creatures are good. But if it is in evil use, it is evil, not through its fault; in such use, wisdom and virtue (the Stoic goods) are the most evil, because they only make one puffed up when love is missing.
(35) Behold, how heavy these words are: To him who teaches with the word, all good things are to be imparted. But to those who neither practice nor teach the word, this teaching is of no concern. Truly, the first and greatest work in the church is to practice the word, which the Lord laid on Peter [three times] [John 21:15-17], and most strictly required of all; but now this is the very last and most despised thing. There are so many offices of lawyers, judges, officiants, so many chants and ceremonies of priests and religious, but the voice of the preacher in the wilderness [Is. 40, 3.] is rare, so much so that there is almost nothing more unlike the church than the church itself.
And not for nothing he adds: "With the word" or (as the Greek text has) "the word" (τόν λόγον). There are, there have been, and there will be many, who have many things babbling out of their heads, or opinions of men and statutes, as we see nowadays to our sorrow, but just the word, which badly means the gospel of Christ. Dear, where does it resound? Or if it resounds, polluted by the glosses of men, it must say [Ps. 69:4], "My throat is sore," so that even when it resounds, it cannot be heard. Therefore, even these should not hope that the word, "Share with all good things," refers to them.
37 Further, notice that he says, "He who shares. For now they are not content to be told, though they do not teach the word, but claim that all things should be put under their power and into their possession.
give. And now the one who is taught must almost go begging to the one who teaches him. For the church has grown so much that it has also begun to confer emperorships and to grant secular principalities. For what has this to do with the word? Let us leave that to the brothers! [And this it is that my Silvester 1) says that the pope is a twofold emperor of the whole world and a lord over all things. But it is also not to be wondered at, for the apostle Paul did not know grammar, that when he wanted to say: All shall give all their goods to the Roman Pontiff, and make him emperor, the most pernicious little word came into his mouth, so that he said, "But he that is instructed by the word divideth with all manner of good to him that instructeth him." But I believe that if he had known that it was once to be understood in this way, that "sharing" was a complete surrender, "teaching" was the power to rule, and "he who is taught" was the whole world, he would undoubtedly have concealed this teaching. - Are you biting 2) again? I do not bite, but out of necessity, in order to interpret the Scriptures, I must point to the customs of our time, so that we may see where the glory of the Church has come to, and which is the true or the imaginary Church, and, to put it bluntly, it is impossible that the Scriptures can be interpreted clearly and that other Churches can be reformed, unless the universal foundation (universale illud reale), the Roman court, is reformed as soon as possible; for it cannot hear the Word of God, nor maintain that it be taught purely. But if God's word is not taught, the other churches cannot be helped either).
38 He says: "All kinds of good things". It is a great question what the apostle wants (for here he seems to speak sylvestrascere), since he commands that all kinds of goods are to be shared, only that he attributes this (as I said) only to those who teach the word. Since then these teachers are and have been innumerable, and all people belong to one and the same
1) Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X VIII, 343 and 411, and ibidaselbst Introduction, p. I7d.
2) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, 337.
If we have to give all kinds of good things (omnia bona = all goods) to the people, then many worlds would have to be provided beforehand, so that each one could take possession of all goods. But we want to let this go. He calls "all good things" that which the teacher needs, that is, that he should receive all the temporal goods of which he needs to live, and which he cannot acquire by his own work because he has to deal with the word, from him whom he teaches. By this word he at the same time prevents the one who teaches from annoying the believer by receiving goods from other sources than those he teaches, and the one who is taught must not allow this to be necessary for the teacher, but "he shares with him all kinds of good things" and gives from his own all that the latter needs.
(39) If this rule is to be kept, then from one and the same people nothing else will be given to the pope, nothing else to the bishops standing in the middle, nothing else to the common parish priests. Then the begging will be something else than what is offered here. But now are different times. For at that time, when the pastors of the church were not provided with income and riches, 1) this was commanded, and this teaching of the Spirit would certainly be better than the custom which now reigns. [For now we see the word Proverbs 28:2 (Vulg.) before our eyes: "Because of the sin of the land, its princes are many." And this great multitude is nowadays called the hierarchy and the division (ordo) of the church downward and upward].
V. 7. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked.
40 He punishes avarice, which always knows how to excuse itself cleverly, as often as something has to be given. The apostle does not list these excuses, but he could not tell all of them. St. Jerome remembers many excuses. In the Old Testament, too, precautions are taken with the same care, so that they do not become
1) In the editions of the first Redaction, in the Weimar and Erlangen: essend instead of: erant; likewise soon after: st neseio, an rnelior tnerit instead of: et "erde rnelior esset.
Levites, who had nothing but what they received from the people.
In addition, a teacher of the word necessarily causes offense and hatred among many, so that this commandment of Paul is most necessary both for the stingy and for those who hate him, but also for the sake of the careless. For there are also such people who do not contribute for the sake of it, because they think that this is done abundantly by others. But Paul preempts these miserable evasions perfectly, and says that they should not be mistaken, that God will not be mocked, even if they can deceive and deceive a man.
For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
He applies 2) a general sentence to this particular matter; he also uses the same saying in 2 Cor. 9, 6 as one he is familiar with, because it is a kind of proverb and contains a beautiful image in itself. Those sow the work of covetousness who refuse to give the teacher the goods, therefore they will also reap the reward of covetousness; so it happens in all other good and evil works. For with this general sentence he concludes all moral commandments and also the epistle itself.
V. 8 He who sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
(43) Here again, "flesh" must be understood not only as unchastity, but according to the apostolic way of speaking, as the text itself enforces, for everything that is not of the spirit, that is, for the whole man. For the wrong understanding of the words gave the heretic Tatianus cause to condemn from this passage of the apostle the union (copulam) of man and woman. St. Jerome refutes him in a learned manner. So the flesh and the spirit are represented by the apostle in this picture as two fields; the two seeds are two works, one of which is the
2) In the editions of the first redaction and in the Erlanger: adoxtut instead of: uduptut.
Love, which he has sufficiently described above [Cap. 5, 22.] in the nine fruits, the other belongs to the flesh, which we have seen in the works of the flesh [Cap. 5, 19-21.]; two harvests: corruption and eternal life. [Erasmus understands by "corruption" the fruit subjected to corruption and perishing, which is as much as no fruit after it is corrupted].
44 "To his flesh" seems to be added by the apostle on purpose, and not: to his spirit, in order to prevent the thought, as if he speaks of the insemination of a woman by the man, although it is true that this is also a fruit subject to corruption, because it is a mortal man, who is born of the seed of the man; but therefore it does not follow that the sexual union is evil. But what is sown and harvested at all on the whole earth that is not subject to corruption? Therefore, in the apostle's image, "sowing" must be understood as nothing other than doing works, as is clear from the following.
V. 9 But let us do good and not grow weary, for in his time we will also reap without ceasing.
45 He himself explains his image. He does not say, "Let us sow to the Spirit," but, "Let us do good," and yet he adds, "In his time we shall reap," retaining the second part of his figurative speech. He had to take such great care that the heretics would not be given an opportunity to blaspheme marriage.
Therefore, "sowing to the Spirit" is doing good works, "sowing to the flesh" is doing evil works. He then continues this teaching and exhorts us to persevere with the comfort of future retribution. For it is not he who starts but he who perseveres who will be saved. It is easy to begin a work, but it is difficult and subject to many obstacles, which resist that one also completes it and perseveres. Such is the case (says Jerome) that while sinners increase daily in evil works, we slacken in a good work.
V. 10: Now that we have time, let us do good to everyone, but most of all to our fellow believers.
(47) Then he stretches out the teaching in breadth, which is no less difficult than the length. For we are to "do good to everyone," to Gentiles, Jews, the grateful, the ungrateful, friends, enemies, near ones and strangers, in short, as it is said of love, so that no person is regarded. Behold, how great is the breadth of Christian benevolence. For it must be complete (rotunda), just as Christ also says Matt. 5:46: "For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?" However, "comrades in faith" he gives a preference, because we are connected to them with a closer bond, since they are from the same house and church, from the same house fellowship of Christ, who have One Faith. One baptism, One hope, One Lord, and in all things the same [Eph. 4:4, 5].
But St. Jerome means that the very teachers are understood, for whose sake he had begun this teaching, in order to bring the teaching to a conclusion in them, as if he wanted to be understood that "comrades of faith" are the servants of Christ, who teach the faith in his house. He also points out that the apostle says: "Now that we have time," that is, the present life is the time of sowing, as Christ also says [John 9:4]: "Work while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work," which seems to contradict purgatory. For although the teachers say that in it there is only a satisfaction or, in a new-found word, a satisfaction suffering (satispassionem), I do not see how satisfaction or satisfaction suffering should not be a good work. Therefore, I understand that the apostle speaks of the works of this life, and that his word does not speak of purgatory, as I have said elsewhere.
V. i11. Behold, with how many words (qualibus literis) have I written unto you with mine own hand.
49 St. Jerome understands the words qualibus literis of large letters (because the
Greek word πηλίχοις indicates in such a way more to the size or the quantity than to the nature), in that he means that another had written the letter up to this place after the dictamen of Paul with smaller letters, and Paul then completed it from this point to the end with larger letters, so that they would clearly recognize his handwriting and understand how great care he took for them, but at the same time also to remove the suspicion as if it were a false letter brought by false teachers in his name. For also in other letters he used to sign [1 Cor. 16, 21. Col. 4, 18. 2 Thess. 3, 17.]: "I, Paul, greet you with my hand." But I follow those 1) who hold that the whole letter was written by the hand of Paul. By this he shows his great zeal, as if he wanted to say: I never use to write with my own hand, but for the sake of your salvation, - see how great a letter I have written with my own hand. I have indeed written other, greater letters, but by a foreign hand [Rom. 16, 22.], so that you also may take the matter with such great seriousness as I have shown in my letter. O an excellent apostolic man, who has such great concern for souls!
V. 12: Those who want to make themselves pleasing according to the flesh force you to circumcise them, only so that they will not be persecuted with the cross of Christ.
50 He briefly repeats what he has written. For he said in the beginning (Cap. 1, 10.^ said, "If I were still pleasing men, I would not be Christ's servant. Or do I intend to be pleasing to men?" For the Jews greatly disliked this preaching of Christian liberty, since they presumed to be justified by circumcision, as if it were necessary. To avert their anger and appease them, they taught what they liked, namely, that circumcision was necessary.
51 It is certain, then, that these false apostles did not belong to the Jews, but to the Christians, because they shied away from the cross.
1) In the first redaction, in the Weimar and in the Erlangen: Erasmum instead of: eos.
for the sake of which they had confessed to suffer persecution, loving their life and peace more than Christ. "According to the flesh" is set in contrast to the spirit, and the word "make themselves agreeable" (placere) is without any relation (absolute), as above, so that the sense is: They want to make themselves agreeable according to the flesh, that is, they want to be agreeable people in a carnal way, not in a spiritual way; for as people agreeable in the flesh they please men, as people agreeable in the spirit or spiritual way they please God. And notice, "They compel you to be circumcised." Circumcision in itself did no harm, but that they made a compulsion and a necessity of it, as if faith were insufficient for righteousness, was damnable. Thus he says above [Cap. 2, 14.], "Why do you compel the Gentiles to live Jewishly?"
52. one would like to ask if the apostle is slandering and sacrilegiously judging the false apostles, since he says that they feared to be persecuted with the cross of Christ, and sought their honor from the flesh of the Galatians (as he says below [v. 13.]). For who told him that they were so fearful and so honor-seeking? For to suppose sins in absentees, especially if they do not admit them, cannot be without sin; perhaps they would have denied the same, and could not have been remitted.
But the apostle, who is instructed in the spirit, knows that the man who does not preach Christ rightly, or does not have the right mind, cannot be without fear of the cross and without vain glory. It follows with necessity that he who does not have Christ's spirit loves his life more than Christ, then that he is puffed up by his knowledge follows just as necessarily; so he must come to grief in adversities; in good days (prosperis) he must exalt himself; in neither of these can he behave as is right and just.
(54) Therefore, we can safely pass the general judgment on any man when we see that he does not know Christ, that he is fearful in adversity and puffed up (gloriosus) in happiness; quite downcast and haughty at the wrong time. On the other hand, a true Christian raises his head in opposition.
He is confident in God, but is timid when things go well for him, because he fears God. He is not despondent when he suffers, he does not exalt himself when he is honored; everywhere he behaves as is right and just.
V. 13. For even they themselves who are circumcised do not keep the law, but they want you to be circumcised, that they may boast of your flesh.
(55) He said the same thing above, Cap. 5:3, that the one who is circumcised is still guilty of doing the whole law, because even though they circumcise the flesh by heart, they do not fulfill this law of circumcision or any other law, because they do everything, not in gladness of spirit, but out of fear of the threats of the law.
(56) It has often been said that if one does not fulfill the law out of a willing heart, it is just as much as if one did not fulfill it, but pretended to do the works of the law. For what is not done willingly is not done in the sight of God and in truth, but only appears to men as if it were done.
(57) Again he confidently declares that all those are transgressors of the law who allow themselves to be circumcised and do every possible law out of their strength, again refuting our theologians who hold that works done without the grace of the Spirit are morally good works and fulfill the law according to the essence of the deed (quoad substantiam facti), but not that they are sins, nor that they are done against the law. But the judgment stands firm that the willingness and joyfulness of the spirit, which can fulfill the law, cannot be obtained otherwise than by faith in Christ; all others are haters of the law and therefore guilty of transgression.
(58) "That they may glory in your flesh," that is, that they may glory in you carnally, that they have been your teachers, that they have taught you good things, that they are wise and spiritual men. For it is impossible that a teacher should not be glorious in any kind of profession, unless he is well grounded in Christ, and
knows this from the heart [Matth. 10, 20.]: "It is not you who are speaking", and [Matth. 23, 8.]: "One is your master, Christ." So tenacious is the desire for glory and honor, especially in spiritual things and gifts, as there are sciences and virtues.
V. 14. But let it be far from me to boast, but only of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
(59) The meaning is: Let them seek glory in their wisdom, virtue, righteousness, works, doctrine, law, or also in you and all men: I boast that I am foolish, a sinner, weak, that I suffer, and am found without law, without works, without the righteousness that comes from the law, finally without anything except Christ. I want it, and rejoice in it, that before the world I am unwise, wicked, and guilty of all crimes, as he says 2 Cor. 12:9: "I will most gladly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell with me." For the cross of Christ has condemned all that the world approves, even wisdom and righteousness, as 1 Cor. 1:19. says, "I will bring to nothing the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the prudent I will reject," and Christ says Matt. 5:11. says, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall speak all manner of evil against you, for my sake. "etc.
(60) Behold, this means not only to be crucified with Christ and to share in His cross and suffering, but also to boast about it and to walk happily with the apostles, because we are considered worthy to suffer shame for His name [Acts 5:41]. But those who through the name of Jesus seek and obtain honor, riches, pleasure, and then flee contempt, poverty, and suffering, do they boast of the cross of Christ? Rather, they boast of the world, but nevertheless, they reject the name of Christ and make a mockery of it.
61: "To be crucified to the world" is therefore (as he said above Cap. 2, 19. 20.) that he now no longer lives himself, but Christ lives in him, that he has crucified the flesh with its sins and subjected it to the Spirit, who has not set his mind on what is in the world.
He boasts that he does not have any of these things and is not moved by them, because the certain assurance of salvation is based on Christ alone. That the world is crucified to him means that not Christ but the world lives in man, that they have the flesh which flourishes in vices and reigns in sins, that they, with the apostle, do not seek the things that are above, but boast that they have superfluous enough in this world, attain riches and set their hope on men. Therefore neither Paul does what pleases the world, nor is he so minded, nor does the world do what pleases Paul, nor is it so minded: both are dead to each other, crucified, despised and abhorred.
V. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything, but a new creature.
62 This has been sufficiently interpreted in chapter 5, namely, that both are permitted, but neither is necessary for salvation, and therefore it does not matter, neither foreskin nor circumcision, no more than wealth or poverty.
A new creature" is "a new man, created according to God in righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:24), as it is said in the 51st Psalm, v. 12: "Create in me, God, a clean heart," and note that righteousness belongs to the spirit, but righteous holiness to the purity of the flesh, so that he who is righteous in the spirit through faith also lives purely in the flesh through chastity. For "righteous" righteousness and holiness he says in contrast to the apparent and pretended, which comes from the law, and does not make a new man, and any man of this kind does not live according to God and is not formed according to Him, but according to man. Thus it is said in Jac. 1, 18: "He begat us according to His will, by the word of truth, that we should be the firstfruits of His creatures."
V.16. And as many as walk according to this rule, upon them be peace and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
64. "Going in" (secuti fuerint [<rro^σουσω]) is the same verbum as above [Cap. 5, 25.] "walking" (ambulemus [στ "χώ/ζε>]).
"Follow this rule" (secuti fuerint), that is, go along according to this rule. According to what rule? Namely, that they may be a new creature in Christ, shining in righteousness and holiness (which comes from faith), not deceiving themselves and others with feigned righteousness and holiness (which comes from the law), on whom will come wrath and tribulation, but on whom will rest peace and mercy.
He adds: "About the Israel of God", distinguishing it from the "Israel according to the flesh", as he calls in the first letter to the Corinthians [Cap. 10, 18.] those who belong to the physical Israel (Israel carnis), 1) not to the Israel of God. Therefore peace is over Gentiles and Jews, if they only walk according to the rule of faith and the spirit.
V. 17. Henceforth no man troubleth me any more: for I bear the marks of the Lord JEsu in my body.
According to the Greek, it means: "Henceforth, let no one trouble me further," 2) which St. Jerome understands in a twofold way; first, that Paul was worried that they would trouble him again by having him set the Galatians straight anew (reformandis); second, that he wanted to avoid the vehemence of those who wanted to contradict, as if he wanted to say: I have said what is right and true. But if anyone who is not satisfied with the truth seeks only what he may answer, and is more bent on arguing than on being taught, let him know that he is worthy of no answer, as he also writes to the Corinthians [1 Cor. 11:16.], "But if there be any among you who have air to quarrel with, let him know that we have no such manner, neither have the mean ones of God." This mind pleases me, because also St. Augu-.
1) The Erlangen edition has the words: qui suyt Israel earnis as a citation from I Cor. 10, 18. as we believe, incorrectly; because the words there read in the Vulgate: Videte Israel seeundum carnem.
Vulgate: molestus sit.
stinus teaches that one should let the quarrelsome go, who also announces in his books de civitate Dei that he does not want to answer the completely useless gossip anymore.
67 The apostle also does not want to have anything to do with the "strifeful", so that he does not struggle with them in vain, because in truth they do not produce fruit, but only cause trouble. But let this mind also not be unsuitable: Let no one bring the law to my mind again, whereby foolish toil in works is caused, and yet nothing but sins, as it is said in Ps. 10, 7: "His tongue causes toil and labor." These [people burdened with the law] 1) Christ calls to Himself, since He says (Matth. 11, 28.): "Come unto Me all ye that labor" (laboratis). The hard labors of the children of Israel in Egypt modeled this toil (labores). [But I pass over this.]
68 "The marks" (stigmata), which in Latin means an imprinted mark, could certainly be taken here for the various sufferings of Paul, but he takes it, because he likes to use such images and figurative expressions (metaphoris), which are taken from warfare, in general for the insignia of the Christian life, namely the crucifixion and subjugation of the flesh, then also the fruits of the spirit. For just as servants wear the badges of honor and emblems (arma) and colors of their masters, so Paul and every Christian wears the cross of his lusts and desires on his body, admittedly not in the way that the badges of honor of Christ, collected on a shield, are now painted on the walls, or on pictures and in books, but on the body, not of another, but on my own body. For what good would it do if you were to wear not only the insignia in gold and emerald, but also the nails themselves, even the wounds and blood of Christ himself, and never express the living image in your body?
69. furthermore, the marks (stigmata) of moses and the bishops and the emperors are the be-
1) Added by us.
The emperor, with all his nobles, hardly has so many kinds of coats of arms (insignium).
V. 18. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, dear brothers! Amen.
70 For this is the way of the apostles to close their epistles, where men say, Farewell. "The grace of our Lord", he says; not: The wrath of the law, not: The bondage of the law, which was given through the servant Moses, but the grace and truth, which became through JEsum Christum [Joh. 1, 17.]. 2)
[Afterword by Luther.]
71 [The following for resolution. I am sure that those who hate my disposition like death will also highly detest what has gone out of my mouth, because I have treated everything too freely, and this epistle quite differently than according to their sense; and where I have complained about the burdens and aversions of the papal laws, they will imagine that I am a rebel against the church; where I have preferred the Gospel to the decrees, they will gossip that I have condemned the decrees; where I have subjected the power and dignity of the pope to the love and need of the brother, they will cry out that I am a blasphemer and multiple heretic. I ask them for the sake of Jesus Christ, who is our common Lord, that they, if they cannot refrain from it, call me by the name of a proud, sacrilegious, arrogant, dishonorable, angry, rebellious, bloodthirsty, apostate, bloodthirsty, apostate, and with any other name that has pleased them so far, they may still do so, and if I do not forgive them with all my heart, then may the Lord Jesus not acknowledge me for eternity. For if the purity of the doctrine I have presented could be out of danger, I would gladly and willingly accept the ignominy of the doctrine.
2) What follows to the end is found only in the first redaction.
bear the full name of a heretic. Yes, curse the name of Martin, curse the honor of Martin, so that the name of our Father alone may be sanctified, who is in heaven, amen).
For I fear, as an exceedingly haughty despiser, that I, puffed up by these exceedingly evil names, would rejoice more over my gain than grieve over their evil. However, they may do me, and even themselves, a favor by setting aside the exceedingly hateful larva of Martin a little and looking at the apostle Paul freely and alone, and then comparing him with the appearance of the church, which is exceedingly pitiful today, because I do not consider them to be so incomprehensible that they should not finally notice what the great amount of laws has done today. For how many souls are strangled and lost every day because of this One Man Statute, which forbids all priests to marry without any distinction? It is appalling to consider both the aggravations and the dangers of this One Law. Many others are equal to it, which only serve to sin, death and hell, not to mention the damage that the sincere godliness suffers, which is gradually extinguished under the tyranny of these laws).
(73) If you consider this a thing worthy of shedding so many tears, that because of the will of one emperor the blood of so many thousands should be shed, what do you think it is (open your eyes), that because of the will of one man or of the one Roman church so many thousands of souls should be eternally lost? Yes, if we consider the meaning (vim) of love, it is easy to see that this brazen procedure (fiduciam) in giving new laws is a force not for edification, but for the destruction of the whole church. The fewer laws a community is governed with, the happier it is. But our church system, to which only the one law of love was given, so that it should be the most blissful, - out of how great an anger of the almighty God it must now, instead of this one, which is now extinct, bear whole clouds, forests and seas of laws, so that you can hardly be able to learn even their titles!
Yes, as if this were too little, even now they strive to oppose sin by no other means than by making much of the new laws, heaping sin upon sin, and, as the prophet (Hab. 2:6.) says, only heaping much mud upon themselves].
Others may think differently, but I consider these human laws to be the most harmful of all the Turks, and no other people had to be struck with the plague of God's unbearable wrath than the very people who are God's own property, since their great ingratitude before other peoples of the earth also deserved such a punishment before all peoples of the earth, which is by far the most terrifying. For there is also no nation on the whole earth whose misery in this plague could be compared with us. O God, how long will you close your mercy to wrath? (Ps. 77, 10.) But I will conclude with the sighing and weeping Isaiah (Is. 63, 14. ff. 64, 1. 2. 5-12.): "O Lord, you have led your people, that you might make for yourself a glorious name. Look therefore from heaven, and behold from thy holy glorious habitation. Where then is thy zeal, thy power? Thy great tender mercies are hard upon me. For thou art our father. For Abraham knoweth not of us, and Israel knoweth us not. But thou, O Lord, art our Father and our Redeemer: from of old is thy name. Why hast thou caused us, O Lord, to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts, that we fear not thee? Return, for thy servants' sake, for the tribes of thine inheritance. They almost possess thy holy people; thine adversaries tread down thy sanctuary. We are like before, when thou didst not reign over us, and we were not called by thy name. Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, and bring down the mountains to melt before thee, as hot waters boiled with fierce fire; that thy name might be known among thine enemies, and that the heathen might tremble before thee. Behold, thou wast angry with us, because we sinned, and remained long within: but we were saved. But now we are all like the unclean, and all our righteousness is like an insolent garment. We are all withered like the leaves; and our
Sins lead us there like a wind. No one calls on your name, or sets out to keep you. For thou hidest thy face from us, and letest us languish in our sins. But now, O Lord, thou art our Father, we are clay; thou art our potter, and we are all the work of thy hands. O Lord, be not angry with us, and remember not our sins for ever. Behold that we are all thy people. The cities of thy sanctuary are become desolate; Zion is become desolate; Jerusalem lieth in ruins. The house of
our holiness and glory, wherein our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire; and all that we had of beauty is put to shame. O Lord, wilt thou be so hard unto such, and hold our peace, and smite us down so much?" This is what Isaiah says in the 63rd and 64th chapters. In this prayer he has painted the appearance of the church today in such a way that it cannot be painted more skillfully. And would that God would instill this fervent prayer into our hearts, so that we might quench His wrath as soon as possible].