,a ,treatise on ,good ,works    together
 with the ,letter of ,dedication    by  
,dr4 ,martin ,luther1 #aebj             
,,introduction    #a4 ,the ,occasion of 
the ,work4--,luther did not impose      
himself as reformer  upon the ,church4  
,in the course of a conscientious       
performance of the  duties of his       
office1 to which he had been regularly  
and divinely  called1 and without any   
urging on his part1 he attained to this 
position by inward necessity4 ,in #aeae 
he received his appointment as  the     
standing substitute for the sickly city 
pastor1 ,simon ,heinse1 from  the city  
council of ,wittenberg4 ,before this    
time he was obliged to  preach only     
occasionally in the convent1 apart from 
his activity as  teacher in the         
,university and convent4 ,through this  
appointment he was  in duty bound1 by   
divine and human right1 to lead and     
direct the  congregation at ,wittenberg 
on the true way to life1 and it would   
have  been a denial of the knowledge of 

salvation which ,god had led him to     
acquire1 by way of ardent inner         
struggles1 if he had led the            
congregation on any other way than the  
one ,god had revealed to him in  ,his   
,word4 ,he could not deny before the    
congregation which had been  intrusted  
to his care1 what up to this time he had
 taught with ever  increasing clearness 
in his lectures at the ,university--for 
in the  lectures on the ,psalms1 which  
he began to deliver in #aeac1 he        
declares  his conviction that faith     
alone justifies1 as can be seen from the
  complete manuscript1 published since  
#ahhe1 and with still greater  clearness
 from his ,commentary on the ,epistle to
 the ,romans 7#aeae-aeaf71  which is    
accessible since #aijh2 nor what he had 
urged as spiritual  adviser of his      
convent brethren when in deep           
distress--compare the  charming letter  
to ,georg ,spenlein1 dated ,april #h1   
#aeaf4    ,luther's first literary works
 to appear in print were also occasioned

  by the work of his calling and of his 
office in the ,wittenberg  congregation4
 ,he had no other object in view than to
 edify his  congregation and to lead it 
to ,christ when1 in #aeag1 he published 
his  first independent work1 the        
,explanation of the ,seven ,penitential 
,psalms4 ,on ,oct #ca of the same year  
he published his #ie ,theses against    
,indulgences4 ,these were indeed        
intended as controversial theses for    
theologians1 but at the same time it is 
well known that ,luther was  moved by   
his duty toward his congregation to     
declare his position in  this matter and
 to put in issue the whole question as  
to the right and  wrong of indulgences  
by means of his theses4 ,his sermon ,of 
,indulgences  and ,grace1 occasioned by 
,tetzel's attack and delivered in the   
latter  part of ,march1 #aeah1 as well  
as his sermon ,of ,penitence1 delivered 
about the same time1 were also intended 
for his congregation4 ,before  his      
congregation 7,sept41 #aeaf-;,feb41     

#aeag7 he delivered the ,sermons on  the
 ,ten ,commandments1 which were         
published in #aeah and the ,sermons on  
the ,lord's ,prayer1 which were also    
published in #aeah by ,agricola4        
,though ,luther in the same year        
published a series of controversial     
writings1 which were occasioned by      
attacks from outside sources1 viz41  the
 ,resolutiones disputationis de ,virtute
 indulgentiarum1 the ,asterisci         
adversus obeliscos ,joh4 ,eccii1 and the
 ,ad dialogum ,silv4 ,prieriatis        
responsio1 still he never was diverted  
by this necessary rebuttal from  his    
paramount duty1 the edification of the  
congregation4 ,the autumn of  the year  
#aeah1 when he was confronted with      
,cajetan1 as well as the  whole year of 
#aeai1 when he held his disputations    
with ,eck1 etc41 were  replete with     
disquietude and pressing labors2 still  
,luther served his  congregation with a 
whole series of writings during this    
time1 and only  regretted that he was   

not entirely at its disposal4 ,of such  
writings we  mention3 ,explanation of   
the ,lord's ,prayer for the simple      
,laity 7an  elaboration of the sermons  
of #aeag72 ,brief ,explanation of the   
,ten  ,commandments2 ,instruction       
concerning certain ,articles1 which     
might be  ascribed and imputed to him by
 his adversaries2 ,brief ,instruction   
how  to ,confess2 ,of ,meditation on the
 ,sacred ,passion of ,christ2 ,of       
,twofold  ,righteousness2 ,of the       
,matrimonial ,estate2 ,brief ,form to   
understand and  to pray the ,lord's     
,prayer2 ,explanation of the ,lord's    
,prayer vor sich  und hinter sich2 ,of  
,prayer and ,processions in ,rogation   
,week2 ,of ,usury2  ,of the ,sacrament  
of ,penitence2 ,of ,preparation for     
,death2 ,of the  ,sacrament of ,baptism2
 ,of the ,sacrament of the ,sacred      
,body2 ,of  ,excommunication4 ,with but 
few exceptions these writings all       
appeared in  print in the year #aeai1   
and again it was the congregation which 

,luther  sought primarily to serve4 ,if 
the bounds of his congregation spread   
ever wider beyond ,wittenberg1 so that  
his writings found a surprisingly  ready
 sale1 even afar1 that was not ,luther's
 fault4 ,even the  ,tessaradecas        
consolatoria1 written in #aeai and      
printed in #aebj1 a book  of            
consolation1 which was originally       
intended for the sick ,elector of       
,saxony1 was written by him only upon   
solicitation from outside sources4      
,to this circle of writings the treatise
 ,of ,good ,works also belongs  ,though 
the incentive for its composition came  
from ,george ,spalatin1  court-preacher 
to the ,elector1 who reminded ,luther of
 a promise he had  given1 still ,luther 
was willing to undertake it only when he
 recalled  that in a previous sermon to 
his congregation he occasionally had    
made  a similar promise to deliver a    
sermon on good works2 and when ,luther  
actually commenced the composition he   
had nothing else in view but the        

preparation of a sermon for his         
congregation on this important topic4   
,but while the work was in progress the 
material so accumulated that it  far    
outgrew the bounds of a sermon for his  
congregation4  ,on ,march #be4  he wrote
 to ,spalatin that it would become a    
whole booklet instead of a  sermon2 on  
,may #e4 he again emphasizes the growth 
of the material2 on  ,may #ac4 he speaks
 of its completion at an early date1 and
 on ,june #h4 he  could send            
,melanchthon a printed copy4 ,it was    
entitled3 ,von den guten  werckenn3 ,d4 
,m4 ,l4  ,vuittenberg4 ,on the last page
 it bore the printer's  mark3 ,getruck  
zu ,wittenberg bey dem iungen ,melchior 
,lotther4 ,im ,tausent  funfhundert vnnd
 zweyntzigsten ,jar4 ,it filled not less
 than #eh leaves1  quarto4 ,in spite of 
its volume1 however1 the intention of   
the book for  the congregation remained1
 now however1 not only for the narrow   
circle  of the ,wittenberg congregation1
 but for the ,christian layman in       

general4 ,in the dedicatory preface     
,luther lays the greatest stress upon   
this1 for he writes3 ,though ,i know of 
a great many1 and must hear it  daily1  
who think lightly of my poverty and say 
that ,i write only small  ,sexternlein  
7tracts of small volume7 and ,german    
sermons for the  untaught laity1 ,i will
 not permit that to move me4 ,would to  
,god that  during my life ,i had served 
but one layman for his betterment with  
all  my powers2 it would be sufficient  
for me1 ,i would thank ,god and suffer  
all my books to perish thereafter4444   
,most willingly ,i will leave the  honor
 of greater things to others1 and not at
 all will ,i be ashamed of  preaching   
and writing ,german to the untaught     
laity4    ,since ,luther had dedicated  
the afore-mentioned ,tessaradecas       
consolatoria to the reigning ,prince1 he
 now1 probably on ,spalatin's           
recommendation1 dedicated the ,treatise 
on ,good ,works to his brother  ,john1  
who afterward1 in #aebe1 succeeded      

,frederick in the ,electorate4  ,there  
was probably good reason for dedicating 
the book to a member of  the reigning   
house4 ,princes have reason to take a   
special interest in  the fact that      
preaching on good works should occur    
within their realm1  for the safety and 
sane development of their kingdom depend
 largely  upon the cultivation of       
morality on the part of their subjects4 
,time  and again the papal church had   
commended herself to princes and        
statesmen by her emphatic teaching of   
good works4 ,luther1 on the other  hand1
 had been accused--like the ,apostle    
,paul before him 7,rom4 #c  #ca7--that  
the zealous performance of good works   
had abated1 that the  bonds of          
discipline had slackened and that1 as a 
necessary consequence1  lawlessness and 
shameless immorality were being promoted
 by his  doctrine of justification by   
faith alone4 ,before #aeag the rumor had
  already spread that ,luther intended  
to do away with good works4 ,duke       

,george of ,saxony had received no good 
impression from a sermon ,luther  had   
delivered at ,dresden1 because he feared
 the consequences which  ,luther's      
doctrine of justification by faith alone
 might have upon the  morals of the     
masses4 ,under these circumstances it   
would not have been  surprising if a    
member of the ,electoral house should   
harbor like  scruples1 especially since 
the full comprehension of ,luther's     
preaching  on good works depended on an 
evangelical understanding of faith1 as  
deep as was ,luther's own4 ,the ,middle 
,ages had differentiated between  fides 
informis1 a formless faith1 and fides   
formata or informata1 a  formed or      
ornate faith4 ,the former was held to be
 a knowledge without  any life or       
effect1 the latter to be identical with 
love for1 as they  said1 love which     
proves itself and is effective in good  
works must be  added to the formless    
faith1 as its complement and its        
content1 well  pleasing to ,god4 ,in    

,luther's time every one who was        
seriously  interested in religious      
questions was reared under the influence
 of  these ideas4    ,now1 since ,luther
 had opposed the doctrine of            
justification by love and  its good     
works1 he was in danger of being        
misunderstood by strangers1  as though  
he held the bare knowledge and assent to
 be sufficient for  justification1 and  
such preaching would indeed have led to 
frivolity  and disorderly conduct4 ,but 
even apart from the question whether or 
not  the brother of the ,elector was    
disturbed by such scruples1 ,luther must
  have welcomed the opportunity1 when   
the summons came to him1 to  dedicate   
his book ,of ,good ,works to a member of
 the ,electoral house4 ,at  any rate the
 book could serve to acquaint him with  
the thoughts of his  much-abused pastor 
and professor at ,wittenberg1 for never 
before had  ,luther expressed himself on
 the important question of good works in
  such a fundamental1 thorough and      

profound way4    #b4 ,the ,contents of  
the ,work4--,a perusal of the contents  
shows that the  book1 in the course of  
its production1 attained a greater      
length than  was originally intended4   
,to this fact it must be attributed that
 a new  numeration of sections begins   
with the argument on the ,third         
,commandment1 and is repeated at every  
,commandment thereafter1 while  before  
this the sections were consecutively    
numbered4 ,but in spite of  this1 the   
plan of the whole is clear and lucid4   
,evidently the whole  treatise is       
divided into two parts3 the first       
comprising sections #a-ag1  while the   
second comprises all the following      
sections4 ,the first1 being             
fundamental1 is the more important part4
 ,luther well knew of the  charges made 
against him that faith is so highly     
elevated and works  are rejected by him2
 but he knew1 too1 that neither silver1 
gold and  precious stone1 nor any other 
precious thing had experienced so much  

augmentation and diminution as had good 
works which should all have  but one    
simple goodness1 or they are nothing but
 color1 glitter and  deception4 ,but    
especially was he aware of the fact that
 the ,church was  urging nothing but the
 so-called self-elected works1 such as  
running  to the convent1 singing1       
reading1 playing the organ1 saying the  
mass1  praying matins1 vespers1 and     
other hours1 founding and ornamenting   
churches1 altars1 convents1 gathering   
chimes1 jewels1 vestments1 gems  and    
treasures1 going to ,rome and to the    
saints1 curtsying and bowing  the knees1
 praying the rosary and the psalter1    
etc41 and that she  designated these    
alone as truly good works1 while she    
represented the  faithful performance of
 the duties of one's calling as a       
morality of a  lower order4 ,for these  
reasons it is ,luther's highest object  
in this  treatise to make it perfectly  
clear what is the essence of good works4
  ,whenever the essence of good works   

has been understood1 then the           
accusations against him will quickly    
collapse4    ,in the fundamental part he
 therefore argues3 ,truly good works are
 not  self-elected works of monastic or 
any other holiness1 but such only as    
,god has commanded1 and as are          
comprehended within the bounds of one's 
particular calling1 and all works1 let  
their name be what it may1  become good 
only when they flow from faith1 the     
first1 greatest1 and  noblest of good   
works4 7,john #f3bi47 ,in this          
connection the essence of  faith1 that  
only source of all truly good works1    
must of course be  rightly understood4  
,it is the sure confidence in ,god1 that
 all my doing  is wellpleasing to ,him2 
it is trust in ,his mercy1 even though  
,he  appears angry and puts sufferings  
and adversities upon us2 it is the      
assurance of the divine good will even  
though ,god should reprove the          
conscience with sin1 death and hell1 and
 deny it all grace and mercy1  as though

 ,he would condemn and show ,his wrath  
eternally4 ,where such  faith lives in  
the heart1 there the works are good even
 though they  were as insignificant as  
the picking up of a straw2 but where it 
is  wanting1 there are only such works  
as heathen1 ,jew and ,turk may have  and
 do4 ,where such faith possesses the    
man1 he needs no teacher in good  works1
 as little as does the husband or the   
wife1 who only look for  love and favor 
from one another1 nor need any          
instruction therein how  they are to    
stand toward each other1 what they are  
to do1 to leave  undone1 to say1 to     
leave unsaid1 to think4    ,this faith1 
,luther continues1 is the true          
fulfilment of the ,first  ,commandment1 
apart from which there is no work that  
could do justice to  this ,commandment4 
,with this sentence he combines1 on the 
one hand1 the  whole argument on faith1 
as the best and noblest of good works1  
with  his opening proposition 7there are
 no good works besides those  commanded 

of ,god71 and1 on the other hand1 he    
prepares the way for the  following     
argument1 wherein he proposes to exhibit
 the good works  according to the ,ten  
,commandments4 ,for the ,first          
,commandment does not  forbid this and  
that1 nor does it require this and that2
 it forbids but  one thing1 unbelief2 it
 requires but one thing1 faith1 that    
confidence  in ,god's good will at all  
times4 ,without this faith the best     
works are  as nothing1 and if man should
 think that by them he could be         
well-pleasing to ,god1 he would be      
lowering ,god to the level of a  broker 
or a laborer who will not dispense his  
grace and kindness  gratis4    ,this    
understanding of faith and good works1  
so ,luther now addresses his  opponents1
 should in fairness be kept in view by  
those who accuse him  of declaiming     
against good works1 and they should     
learn from it1 that  though he has      
preached against good works1 it was     
against such as are  falsely so called  

and as contribute toward the confusion  
of  consciences1 because they are       
self-elected1 do not flow from faith1   
and  are done with the pretension of    
doing works well-pleasing to ,god4      
,this brings us to the end of the       
fundamental part of the treatise4 ,it   
was not ,luther's intention1 however1 to
 speak only on the essence of  good     
works and their fundamental relation to 
faith2 he would show1 too1  how the best
 work1 faith1 must prove itself in every
 way a living  faith1 according to the  
other commandments4 ,luther does not    
proceed to  this part1 however1 until in
 the fundamental part he has said with  
emphasis1 that the believer1 the        
spiritual man1 needs no such            
instruction 7,i4 ,timothy #a3i71 but    
that he of his own accord and at all    
times does good works as his faith1 his 
confidence1 teaches him4 ,only  because 
we do not all have such faith1 or are   
unmindful of it1 does  such instruction 
become necessary4    ,nor does he       

proceed until he has applied his oft    
repeated words  concerning the relation 
of faith to good works to the relation  
of the  ,first to the other             
,commandments4 ,from the fact1 that     
according to the  ,first ,commandment1  
we acquire a pure heart and confidence  
toward ,god1  he derives the good work  
of the ,second ,commandment1 namely1 to 
praise  ,god1 to acknowledge ,his grace1
 to render all honor to ,him alone4     
,from  the same source he derives the   
good work of the ,third ,commandment1   
namely1 to observe divine services with 
prayer and the hearing of  preaching1 to
 incline the imagination of our hearts  
toward ,god's  benefits1 and1 to that   
end1 to mortify and overcome the flesh4 
,from  the same source he derives the   
works of the ,second ,table4    ,the    
argument on the ,third and ,fourth      
,commandments claims nearly  one-half of
 the entire treatise4 ,among the good   
works which1 according  to the ,third   
,commandment1 should be an exercise and 

proof of faith1  ,luther especially     
mentions the proper hearing of mass and 
of preaching1  common prayer1 bodily    
discipline and the mortification of the 
flesh1  and he joins the former and the 
latter by an important fundamental      
discussion of the ,new ,testament       
conception of ,sabbath rest4    ,luther 
discusses the ,fourth ,commandment as   
fully as the ,third4  ,the  exercise of 
faith1 according to this ,commandment1  
consists in the  faithful performance of
 the duties of children toward their    
parents1 of  parents toward their       
children1 and of subordinates toward    
their  superiors in the ecclesiastical  
as well as in the common civil sphere4  
,the various duties issue from the      
various callings1 for faithful          
performance of the duties of one's      
calling1 with the help of ,god and  for 
,god's sake1 is the true good work4     
,as he now proceeds to speak of the     
spiritual powers1 the government of  the
 ,church1 he frankly reveals their      

faults and demands a reform of the      
present rulers4 ,honor and obedience in 
all things should be rendered  unto the 
,church1 the spiritual mother1 as it is 
due to natural parents1  unless it be   
contrary to the first ,three            
,commandments4 ,but as matters  stand   
now the spiritual magistrates neglect   
their peculiar work1  namely1 the       
fostering of godliness and discipline1  
like a mother who  runs away from her   
children and follows a lover1 and       
instead they  undertake strange and evil
 works1 like parents whose commands are 
contrary to ,god4 ,in this case members 
of the ,church must do as godly         
children do whose parents have become   
mad and insane4  ,kings1 princes1  the  
nobility1 municipalities and communities
 must begin of their own  accord and put
 a check to these conditions1 so that   
the bishops and the  clergy1 who are now
 too timid1 may be induced to follow4   
,but even the  civil magistrates must   
also suffer reforms to be enacted in    

their  particular spheres2 especially   
are they called on to do away with the  
rude gluttony and drunkenness1 luxury in
 clothing1 the usurious sale  of rents  
and the common brothels4 ,this1 by      
divine and human right1 is a  part of   
their enjoined works according to the   
,fourth ,commandment4    ,luther1 at    
last1 briefly treats of the ,second     
,table of the  ,commandments1 but in    
speaking of the works of these          
,commandments he  never forgets to point
 out their relation to faith1 thus      
holding fast  this fundamental thought  
of the book to the end4  ,faith which   
does not  doubt that ,god is gracious1  
he says1 will find it an easy matter to 
be  graciously and favorably minded     
toward one's neighbor and to overcome   
all angry and wrathful desires4 ,in this
 faith in ,god the ,spirit will  teach  
us to avoid unchaste thoughts and thus  
to keep the ,sixth  ,commandment4 ,when 
the heart trusts in the divine favor1 it
 cannot seek  after the temporal goods  

of others1 nor cleave to money1 but     
according  to the ,seventh ,commandment1
 will use it with cheerful liberality   
for  the benefit of the neighbor4 ,where
 such confidence is present there is    
also a courageous1 strong and intrepid  
heart1 which will at all times  defend  
the truth1 as the ,eighth ,commandment  
demands1 whether neck or  coat be at    
stake1 whether it be against pope or    
kings4 ,where such faith  is present    
there is also strife against the evil   
lust1 as forbidden in  the ,ninth and   
,tenth ,commandments1 and that even unto
 death4    #c4 ,the ,importance of the  
,work4--,inquiring now into the         
importance of  the book1 we note that   
,luther's impression evidently was      
perfectly  correct1 when he wrote to    
,spalatin1 long before its              
completion--as  early as ,march #b      
#e4--that he believed it to be better   
than anything he  had heretofore        
written4  ,the book1 indeed1 surpasses  
all his previous  ,german writings in   

volume1 as well as all his ,latin and   
,german ones in  clearness1 richness and
 the fundamental importance of its      
content4 ,in  comparison with the       
prevalent urging of self-elected works  
of monkish  holiness1 which had arisen  
from a complete misunderstanding of the 
so-called evangelical counsels 7comp4   
esp4 ,matthew #ai3af-bb7 and which  were
 at that time accepted as self-evident  
and zealously urged by the  whole       
church1 ,luther's argument must have    
appeared to all thoughtful  and earnest 
souls as a revelation1 when he so       
clearly amplified the  proposition that 
only those works are to be regarded as  
good works  which ,god has commanded1   
and that therefore1 not the abandoning  
of  one's earthly calling1 but the      
faithful keeping of the ,ten            
,commandments  in the course of one's   
calling1 is the work which ,god requires
 of us4  ,over against the wide-spread  
opinion1 as though the will of ,god as  
declared in the ,ten ,commandments      

referred only to the outward work       
always especially mentioned1 ,luther's  
argument must have called to mind  the  
explanation of the ,law1 which the ,lord
 had given in the ,sermon on  the       
,mount1 when he taught men to recognize 
only the extreme point and              
manifestation of a whole trend of       
thought in the work prohibited by the   
text1 and when he directed ,christians  
not to rest in the keeping of the       
literal requirement of each             
,commandment1 but from this point of    
vantage  to inquire into the whole depth
 and breadth of ,god's will--positively 
and negatively--and to do ,his will in  
its full extent as the heart has        
perceived it4 ,though this thought may  
have been occasionally expressed  in the
 expositions of the ,ten ,commandments  
which appeared at the dawn  of the      
,reformation1 still it had never before 
been so clearly  recognized as the only 
correct principle1 much less had it been
 so  energetically carried out from     

beginning to end1 as is done in this    
treatise4 ,over against the deep-rooted 
view that the works of love must  bestow
 upon faith its form1 its content and   
its worth before ,god1 it  must have    
appeared as the dawn of a new era       
7,galatians #c3bb-be7 when  ,luther in  
this treatise declared1 and with        
victorious certainty carried  out the   
thought1 that it is true faith which    
invests the works1 even  the best and   
greatest of works1 with their content   
and worth before ,god4    ,this         
proposition1 which ,luther here         
amplifies more clearly than ever        
before1 demanded nothing less than a    
breach with the whole of prevalent      
religious views1 and at that time must  
have been perceived as the  discovery of
 a new world1 though it was no more than
 a return to the  clear teaching of the 
,new ,testament ,scriptures concerning  
the way of  salvation4 ,this1 too1      
accounts for the fact that in this      
writing the  accusation is more         

impressively repelled than before1 that 
the doctrine  of justification by faith 
alone resulted in moral laxity1 and     
that1 on  the other hand1 the           
fundamental and radical importance of   
righteousness  by faith for the whole   
moral life is revealed in such a        
heart-refreshing manner4 ,luther's      
appeal in this treatise to kings1       
princes1 the nobility1 municipalities   
and communities1 to declare  against the
 misuse of spiritual powers and to      
abolish various abuses in  civil life1  
marks this treatise as a forerunner of  
the great  ,reformation writings1 which 
appeared in the same year 7#aebj71      
while1 on  the other hand1 his espousal 
of the rights of the poor man--to be met
  with here for the first time--shows   
that the ,monk of ,witttenberg1  coming 
from the narrow limits of the convent1  
had an intimate and  sympathetic        
knowledge of the social needs of his    
time4 ,thus he proved  by his own       
example that to take a stand in the     

center of the ,gospel  does not narrow  
the vision nor harden the heart1 but    
rather produces  courage in the truth   
and sympathy for all manner of misery4  
,luther's contemporaries at once        
recognized the great importance of the  
,treatise1 for within the period of     
seven months it passed through eight    
editions2 these were followed by six    
more editions between the years of      
#aeba and #aebe2 in #aeba it was        
translated into ,latin1 and in this form
  passed through three editions up to   
the year #aebe2 and all this in  spite  
of the fact that in those years the     
so-called three great  ,reformation     
writings of #aebj were casting all else 
into the shadow4  ,melanchthon1 in a    
contemporaneous letter to ,john ,hess1  
called it  ,luther's best book4 ,john   
,mathesius1 the well-known pastor at    
,joachimsthal and ,luther's biographer1 
acknowledged that he had learned  the   
rudiments of ,christianity from it4     
,even to-day this book has its peculiar 

mission to the ,church4 ,the  seeking   
after self-elected works1 the indolence 
regarding the works  commanded of ,god1 
the foolish opinion1 that the path of   
works leads to  ,god's grace and        
good-will1 are even to-day widely       
prevalent within the  kingdom of ,god4  
,to all this ,luther's treatise answers3
 ,be diligent in  the works of your     
earthly calling as commanded of ,god1   
but only after  having first            
strengthened1 by the consideration of   
,god's mercy1 the  faith within you1    
which is the only source of all truly   
good works and  well-pleasing to ,god4  
,m4 ,,reu4    ,,wartburg ,,seminary1    
,,dubuque1 ,,iowa4          ,,treatise  
,,on ,,good ,,works    #aebj            
,,dedication    ,,jesus      ,to the    
,illustrious1 ,high-born ,prince and    
,lord1 ,john ,duke of ,saxony1          
,landgrave of ,thuringia1 ,margrave of  
,meissen1 my gracious ,lord and         
,patron4      ,illustrious1 ,high-born  
,prince1 gracious ,lord6 ,my humble duty

 and my  feeble prayer for your ,grace  
always remembered6    ,for a long time1 
gracious ,prince and ,lord1 ,i have     
wished to show my  humble respect and   
duty toward your princely ,grace1 by the
 exhibition  of some such spiritual     
wares as are at my disposal2 but ,i have
 always  considered my powers too feeble
 to undertake anything worthy of being  
offered to your princely ,grace4        
,since1 however1 my most gracious ,lord 
,frederick1 ,duke of ,saxony1  ,elector 
and ,vicar of the ,holy ,roman ,empire1 
your ,grace's brother1 has  not         
despised1 but graciously accepted my    
slight book1 dedicated to his  electoral
 ,grace1 and now published--though such 
was not my intention1 ,i  have taken    
courage from his gracious example and   
ventured to think that  the princely    
spirit1 like the princely blood1 may be 
the same in both  of you1 especially in 
gracious kindness and good will4 ,i have
 hoped  that your princely ,grace       
likewise would not despise this my      

humble  offering which ,i have felt more
 need of publishing than an other of my 
sermons or tracts4 ,for the greatest of 
all questions has been raised1  the     
question of ,good ,works2 in which is   
practised immeasurably more  trickery   
and deception than in anything else1 and
 in which the  simpleminded man is so   
easily misled that our ,lord ,christ has
 commanded  us to watch carefully for   
the sheep's clothings under which the   
wolves  hide themselves4    ,neither    
silver1 gold1 precious stones1 nor any  
rare thing has such  manifold alloys and
 flaws as have good works1 which ought  
to have a  single simple goodness1 and  
without it are mere color1 show and     
deceit4    ,and although ,i know and    
daily hear many people1 who think       
slightingly  of my poverty1 and say that
 ,i write only little pamphlets and     
,german  sermons for the unlearned      
laity1 this shall not disturb me4 ,would
 to  ,god ,i had in all my life1 with   
all the ability ,i have1 helped one     

layman to be better6 ,i would be        
satisfied1 thank ,god1 and be quite     
willing then to let all my little books 
perish4    ,whether the making of many  
great books is an art and a benefit to  
the  ,church1 ,i leave others to judge4 
,but ,i believe that if ,i were minded  
to  make great books according to their 
art1 ,i could1 with ,god's help1 do  it 
more readily perhaps than they could    
prepare a little discourse  after my    
fashion4 ,if accomplishment were as easy
 as persecution1 ,christ  would long    
since have been cast out of heaven      
again1 and ,god's throne  itself        
overturned4  ,although we cannot all be 
writers1 we all want to  be critics4    
,i will most gladly leave to any one    
else the honor of greater things1  and  
not be at all ashamed to preach and to  
write in ,german for the  unlearned     
laymen4 ,although ,i too have little    
skill in it1 ,i believe  that if we had 
hitherto done1 and should henceforth do 
more of it1  ,christendom would have    

reaped no small advantage1 and have been
 more  bene fited by this than by the   
great1 deep books and quaestiones1 which
  are used only in the schools1 among   
the learned4    ,then1 too1 ,i have     
never forced or begged any one to hear  
me1 or to read  my sermons4 ,i have     
freely ministered in the ,church of that
 which ,god  has given me and which ,i  
owe the ,church4 ,whoever likes it not1 
may hear  and read what others have to  
say4 ,and if they are not willing to be 
my  debtors1 it matters little4 ,for me 
it is enough1 and even more than too    
much1 that some laymen condescend to    
read what ,i say4 ,even though there    
were nothing else to urge me1 it should 
be more than sufficient that ,i  have   
learned that your princely ,grace is    
pleased with such ,german books  and is 
eager to receive instruction in ,good   
,works and the ,faith1 with  which      
instruction it was my duty1 humbly and  
with all diligence to  serve you4       
,therefore1 in dutiful humility ,i pray 

that your princely ,grace may  accept   
this offering of mine with a gracious   
mind1 until1 if ,god grant  me time1 ,i 
prepare a ,german exposition of the     
,faith in its entirety4  ,for at this   
time ,i have wished to show how in all  
good works we should  practice and make 
use of faith1 and let faith be the chief
 work4 ,if ,god  permit1 ,i will treat  
at another time of the ,faith           
itself--how we are  daily to pray or    
recite it4    ,i humbly commend myself  
herewith to your princely ,grace1 ,your 
,princely  ,grace's ,humble ,chaplain1  
,,dr4 ,,martin ,,luther4    ,from       
,wittenberg1 ,march #bith1 ,a4 ,d4      
#aebj4          ,,the ,,treatise    ,i4 
,we ought first to know that there are  
no good works except those  which ,god  
has commanded1 even as there is no sin  
except that which ,god  has forbidden4  
,therefore whoever wishes to know and to
 do good works  needs nothing else than 
to know ,god's commandments4 ,thus      
,christ says1  ,matthew xix1 ,if thou   

wilt enter into life1 keep the          
commandments4 ,and  when the young man  
asks ,him1 ,matthew xix1 what he shall  
do that he may  inherit eternal life1   
,christ sets before him naught else but 
the ,ten  ,commandments4 ,accordingly1  
we must learn how to distinguish among  
good  works from the ,commandments of   
,god1 and not from the appearance1 the  
magnitude1 or the number of the works   
themselves1 nor from the judgment  of   
men or of human law or custom1 as we see
 has been done and still is  done1      
because we are blind and despise the    
divine ,commandments4    ,,ii4 ,the     
first and highest1 the most precious of 
all good works is faith  in ,christ1 as 
,he says1 ,john vi4 ,when the ,jews     
asked ,him3 ,what shall we  do that we  
may work the works of ,god8 ,he         
answered3 ,this is the work  of ,god1   
that ye believe on ,him ,whom ,he hath  
sent4 ,when we hear or  preach this     
word1 we hasten over it and deem it a   
very little thing and  easy to do1      

whereas we ought here to pause a long   
time and to ponder it  well4 ,for in    
this work all good works must be done   
and receive from it  the inflow of their
 goodness1 like a loan4 ,this we must   
put bluntly1  that men may understand   
it4    ,we find many who pray1 fast1    
establish endowments1 do this or that1  
lead a good life before men1 and yet if 
you should ask them whether  they are   
sure that what they do pleases ,god1    
they say1 ,no2 they do  not know1 or    
they doubt4 ,and there are some very    
learned men1 who  mislead them1 and say 
that it is not necessary to be sure of  
this2 and  yet1 on the other hand1 these
 same men do nothing else but teach good
  works4 ,now all these works are done  
outside of faith1 therefore they  are   
nothing and altogether dead4 ,for as    
their conscience stands toward  ,god and
 as it believes1 so also are the works  
which grow out of it4 ,now  they have no
 faith1 no good conscience toward ,god1 
therefore the works  lack their head1   

and all their life and goodness is      
nothing4  ,hence it  comes that when ,i 
exalt faith and reject such works done  
without faith1  they accuse me of       
forbidding good works1 when in truth ,i 
am trying hard  to teach real good works
 of faith4    ,,iii4 ,if you ask        
further1 whether they count it also a   
good work when  they work at their      
trade1 walk1 stand1 eat1 drink1 sleep1  
and do all  kinds of works for the      
nourishment of the body or for the      
common  welfare1 and whether they       
believe that ,god takes pleasure in them
  because of such works1 you will find  
that they say1 ,no2 and they  define    
good works so narrowly that they are    
made to consist only of  praying in     
church1 fasting1 and almsgiving4 ,other 
works they consider  to be in vain1 and 
think that ,god cares nothing for them4 
,so through  their damnable unbelief    
they curtail and lessen the service of  
,god1 ,who  is served by all things     
whatsoever that are done1 spoken or     

thought in  faith4    ,so teaches       
,ecclesiastes ix3 ,go thy way with joy1 
eat and drink1 and  know that ,god      
accepteth thy works4 ,let thy garments  
be always white2  and let thy head lack 
no ointment4 ,live joyfully with the    
wife whom  thou lovest all the days of  
the life of thy vanity4 ,let thy        
garments  be always white1 that is1 let 
all our works be good1 whatever they may
  be1 without any distinction4 ,and they
 are white when ,i am certain and       
believe that they please ,god4  ,then   
shall the head of my soul never  lack   
the ointment of a joyful conscience4    
,so ,christ says1 ,john viii3 ,i do     
always those things that please ,him4   
,and ,st4 ,john says1 ,i4 ,john iii3    
,hereby we know that we are of the      
truth1 if we can comfort our hearts     
before ,him and have a good  confidence4
 ,and if our heart condemns or frets us1
 ,god is greater than  our heart1 and we
 have confidence1 that whatsoever we    
ask1 we shall  receive of ,him1 because 

we keep ,his ,commandments1 and do those
 things  that are pleasing in ,his      
sight4 ,again3 ,whosoever is born of    
,god1 that  is1 whoever believes and    
trusts ,god1 doth not commit sin1 and   
cannot  sin4 ,again1 ,psalm xxxiv3 ,none
 of them that trust in ,him shall do    
sin4 ,and in ,psalm ii3 ,blessed are all
 they that put their trust in  ,him4 ,if
 this be true1 then all that they do    
must be good1 or the evil  that they do 
must be quickly forgiven4 ,behold1 then1
 why ,i exalt faith  so greatly1 draw   
all works into it1 and reject all works 
which do not  flow from it4    ,,iv4    
,now every one can note and tell for    
himself when he does what is  good or   
what is not good2 for if he finds his   
heart confident that it  pleases ,god1  
the work is good1 even if it were so    
small a thing as  picking up a straw4   
,if confidence is absent1 or if he      
doubts1 the work  is not good1 although 
it should raise all the dead and the man
 should  give himself to be burned4     

,this is the teaching of ,st4 ,paul1    
,romans  xiv3 ,whatsoever is not done of
 or in faith is sin4 ,faith1 as the     
chief work1 and no other work1 has given
 us the name of believers on  ,christ4  
,for all other works a heathen1 a ,jew1 
a ,turk1 a sinner1 may  also do2 but to 
trust firmly that he pleases ,god1 is   
possible only for  a ,christian who is  
enlightened and strengthened by grace4  
,that these words seem strange1 and that
 some call me a heretic because  of     
them1 is due to the fact that men have  
followed blind reason and  heathen ways1
 have set faith not above1 but beside   
other virtues1 and  have given it a work
 of its own1 apart from all works of the
 other  virtues2 although faith alone   
makes all other works good1 acceptable  
and worthy1 in that it trusts ,god and  
does not doubt that for it all  things  
that a man does are well done4 ,indeed1 
they have not let faith  remain a work1 
but have made a habitus of it1 as they  
say1 although  ,scripture gives the name

 of a good1 divine work to no work      
except to  faith alone4  ,therefore it  
is no wonder that they have become blind
 and  leaders of the blind4 ,and this   
faith brings with it at once love1      
peace1 joy and hope4 ,for ,god gives    
,his ,spirit at once to him who trusts  
,him1 as ,st4 ,paul says to the         
,galatians3 ,you received the ,spirit   
not  because of your good works1 but    
when you believed the ,word of ,god4    
,v4 ,in this faith all works become     
equal1 and one is like the other2 all   
distinctions between works fall away1   
whether they be great1 small1  short1   
long1 few or many4 ,for the works are   
acceptable not for their  own sake1 but 
because of the faith which alone is1    
works and lives in  each and every work 
without distinction1 however numerous   
and various  they are1 just as all the  
members of the body live1 work and have 
their  name from the head1 and without  
the head no member can live1 work and   
have a name4    ,from which it further  

follows that a ,christian who lives in  
this faith  has no need of a teacher of 
good works1 but whatever he finds to do 
he  does1 and all is well done2 as      
,samuel said to ,saul3 ,the ,spirit of  
the  ,lord will come upon thee1 and thou
 shalt be turned into another man2  then
 do thou as occasion serves thee2 for   
,god is with thee4 ,so also we  read of 
,st4 ,anna1 ,samuel's mother3 ,when she 
believed the priest ,eli  who promised  
her ,god's grace1 she went home in joy  
and peace1 and from  that time no more  
turned hither and thither1 that is1     
whatever  occurred1 it was all one to   
her4 ,st4 ,paul also says3 ,where the   
,spirit  of ,christ is1 there all is    
free4 ,for faith does not permit itself 
to  be bound to any work1 nor does it   
allow any work to be taken from it1     
but1 as the ,first ,psalm says1 ,he     
bringeth forth his fruit in his  season1
 that is1 as a matter of course4        
,,vi4 ,this we may see in a common human
 example4 ,when a man and a woman  love 

and are pleased with each other1 and    
thoroughly believe in their  love1 who  
teaches them how they are to behave1    
what they are to do1  leave undone1 say1
 not say1 think8  ,confidence alone     
teaches them all  this1 and more4 ,they 
make no difference in works3 they do the
 great1  the long1 the much1 as gladly  
as the small1 the short1 the little1 and
  vice versa2 and that too with joyful1 
peaceful1 confident hearts1 and  each is
 a free companion of the other4 ,but    
where there is a doubt1  search is made 
for what is best2 then a distinction of 
works is  imagined whereby a man may win
 favor2 and yet he goes about it with a 
heavy heart1 and great disrelish2 he is1
 as it were1 taken captive1  more than  
half in despair1 and often makes a fool 
of himself4    ,so a ,christian who     
lives in this confidence toward ,god1 a 
knows all  things1 can do all things1   
undertakes all things that are to be    
done1  and does everything cheerfully   
and freely2 not that he may gather many 

merits and good works1 but because it is
 a pleasure for him to please  ,god     
thereby1 and he serves ,god purely for  
nothing1 content that his  service      
pleases ,god4 ,on the other hand1 he who
 is not at one with ,god1  or doubts1   
hunts and worries in what way he may do 
enough and with many  works move ,god4  
,he runs to ,st4 ,james of ,compostella1
 to ,rome1 to  ,jerusalem1 hither and   
yon1 prays ,st4 ,bridget's prayer and   
the rest1  fasts on this day and on     
that1 makes confession here1 and makes  
confession there1 questions this man and
 that1 and yet finds no peace4  ,he does
 all this with great effort1 despair and
 disrelish of heart1 so  that the       
,scriptures rightly call such works in  
,hebrew ,avenama1 that is1  labor and   
travail4 ,and even then they are not    
good works1 and are all  lost4 ,many    
have been crazed thereby2 their fear has
 brought them into  all manner of       
misery4 ,of these it is written1 ,wisdom
 of ,solomon v3 ,we  have wearied       

ourselves in the wrong way2 and have    
gone through deserts1  where there lay  
no way2 but as for the way of the ,lord1
 we have not  known it1 and the sun of  
righteousness rose not upon us4         
,,vii4 ,in these works faith is still   
slight and weak2 let us ask further1    
whether they believe that they are      
well-pleasing to ,god when they  suffer 
in body1 property1 honor1 friends1 or   
whatever they have1 and  believe that   
,god of ,his mercy appoints their       
sufferings and  difficulties for them1  
whether they be small or great4 ,this is
 real  strength1 to trust in ,god when  
to all our senses and reason ,he appears
  to be angry2 and to have greater      
confidence in ,him than we feel4 ,here  
,he is hidden1 as the bride says in the 
,song of ,songs3 ,behold he  standeth   
behind our wall1 he looketh forth at the
 windows2 that is1 ,he  stands hidden   
among the sufferings1 which would       
separate us from ,him  like a wall1 yea1
 like a wall of stone1 and yet ,he looks

 upon me and  does not leave me1 for ,he
 is standing and is ready graciously to 
help1  and through the window of dim    
faith ,he permits ,himself to be seen4  
,and  ,jeremiah says in ,lamentations1  
,he casts off men1 but ,he does it not  
willingly4    ,this faith they do not   
know at all1 and give up1 thinking that 
,god has  forsaken them and is become   
their enemy2 they even lay the blame of 
their ills on men and devils1 and have  
no confidence at all in ,god4 ,for  this
 reason1 too1 their suffering is always 
an offence and harmful to  them1 and yet
 they go and do some good works1 as they
 think1 and are  not aware of their     
unbelief4 ,but they who in such         
suffering trust ,god  and retain a good1
 firm confidence in ,him1 and believe   
that ,he is  pleased with them1 these   
see in their sufferings and afflictions 
nothing but precious merits and the     
rarest possessions1 the value of  which 
no one can estimate4 ,for faith and     
confidence make precious  before ,god   

all that which others think most        
shameful1 so that it is  written even of
 death in ,psalm cxvi1 ,precious in the 
sight of the ,lord  is the death of ,his
 saints4 ,and just as the confidence and
 faith are  better1 higher and stronger 
at this stage than in the first stage1  
so  and to the same degree do the       
sufferings which are borne in this faith
  excel all works of faith4 ,therefore  
between such works and sufferings  there
 is an immeasurable difference and the  
sufferings are infinitely  better4      
,,viii4 ,beyond all this is the highest 
stage of faith1 when2 ,god punishes  the
 conscience not only with temporal      
sufferings1 but with death1 hell1  and  
sin1 and refuses grace and mercy1 as    
though it were ,his will to  condemn and
 to be angry eternally4 ,this few men   
experience1 but ,david  cries out in    
,psalm vi1 ,o ,lord1 rebuke me not in   
,thine anger4 ,to  believe at such times
 that ,god1 in ,his mercy1 is pleased   
with us1 is  the highest work that can  

be done by and in the creature2 but of  
this  the work-righteous and doers of   
good works know nothing at all4 ,for how
  could they here look for good things  
and grace from ,god1 as long as  they   
are not certain in their works1 and     
doubt even on the lowest step  of faith4
    ,in this way ,i have1 as ,i said1   
always praised faith1 and rejected all  
works which are done without such faith1
 in order thereby to lead men  from the 
false1 pretentious1 pharisaic1          
unbelieving good works1 with  which all 
monastic houses1 churches1 homes1 low   
and higher classes are  overfilled1 and 
lead them to the true1 genuine1         
thoroughly good1  believing works4 ,in  
this no one opposes me except the       
unclean beasts1  which do not divide the
 hoof1 as the ,law of ,moses decrees2   
who will  suffer no distinction among   
good works1 but go lumbering along3 if  
only  they pray1 fast1 establish        
endowments1 go to confession1 and do    
enough1  everything shall be good1      

although in all this they have had no   
faith  in ,god's grace and approval4    
,indeed1 they consider the works best of
  all1 when they have done many1 great  
and long works without any such         
confidence1 and they look for good only 
after the works are done2 and  so they  
build their confidence not on divine    
favor1 but on the works  they have done1
 that is1 on sand and water1 from which 
they must at  last take a cruel fall1 as
 ,christ says1 ,matthew vii4 ,this      
good-will and  favor1 on which our      
confidence rests1 was proclaimed by the 
angels from  heaven1 when they sang on  
,christmas night3 ,gloria in excelsis   
,deo1  ,glory to ,god in the highest1   
peace to earth1 gracious favor to man4  
,,ix4 ,now this is the work of the      
,first ,commandment1 which commands3    
,thou shalt have no other gods1 which   
means3 ,since ,i alone am ,god1  thou   
shalt place all thy confidence1 trust   
and faith on ,me alone1 and  on no one  
else4 ,for that is not to have a god1 if

 you call him ,god  only with your lips1
 or worship him with the knees or bodily
 gestures2  but if you trust ,him with  
the heart1 and look to ,him for all     
good1  grace and favor1 whether in works
 or sufferings1 in life or death1 in    
joy or sorrow2 as the ,lord ,christ says
 to the heathen woman1 ,john iv3  ,i say
 unto thee1 they that worship ,god must 
worship ,him in spirit and  in truth4   
,and this faith1 faithfulness1          
confidence deep in the heart1  is the   
true fulfilling of the ,first           
,commandment2 without this there is  no 
other work that is able to satisfy this 
,commandment4 ,and as this  ,commandment
 is the very first1 highest and best1   
from which all the  others proceed1 in  
which they exist1 and by which they are 
directed and  measured1 so also its     
work1 that is1 the faith or confidence  
in ,god's  favor at all times1 is the   
very first1 highest and best1 from which
 all  others must proceed1 exist1       
remain1 be directed and measured4       

,compared  with this1 other works are   
just as if the other ,commandments were 
without the ,first1 and there were no   
,god1 ,therefore ,st4 ,augustine well   
says that the works of the ,first       
,commandment are faith1 hope and love4  
,as ,i said above1 such faith and       
confidence bring love and hope with     
them4 ,nay1 if we see it aright1 love is
 the first1 or comes at the same        
instant with faith4 ,for ,i could not   
trust ,god1 if ,i did not think that    
,he wished to be favorable and to love  
me1 which leads me1 in turn1 to  love   
,him and to trust ,him heartily and to  
look to ,him for all good  things4      
,x4 ,now you see for yourself that all  
those who do not at at all times  trust 
,god and do not in all their works or   
sufferings1 life and death1  trust in   
,his favor1 grace and good-will1 but    
seek ,his favor in other  things or in  
themselves1 do not keep this            
,commandment1 and practise  real        
idolatry1 even if they were to do the   

works of all the other  ,commandments1  
and in addition had all the prayers1    
fasting1 obedience1  patience1 chastity1
 and innocence of all the saints        
combined4 ,for the  chief work is not   
present1 without which all the others   
are nothing but  mere sham1 show and    
pretence1 with nothing back of them2    
against which  ,christ warns us1        
,matthew vii3 ,beware of false prophets1
 which come to  you in sheep's clothing4
 ,such are all who wish with their many 
good  works1 as they say1 to make ,god  
favorable to themselves1 and to buy     
,god's grace from ,him1 as if ,he were a
 huckster or a day-laborer1  unwilling  
to give ,his grace and favor for        
nothing4 ,these are the most  perverse  
people on earth1 who will hardly or     
never be converted to the  right way4   
,such too are all who in adversity run  
hither and thither1  and look for       
counsel and help everywhere except from 
,god1 from ,whom  they are most urgently
 commanded to seek it2 whom the ,prophet

 ,isaiah  reproves thus1 ,isaiah ix3    
,the mad people turneth not to ,him that
  smiteth them2 that is1 ,god smote them
 and sent them sufferings and all  kinds
 of adversity1 that they should run to  
,him and trust ,him4  ,but  they run    
away from ,him to men1 now to ,egypt1   
now to ,assyria1 perchance  also to the 
devil2 and of such idolatry much is     
written in the same  ,prophet and in the
 ,books of the ,kings4 ,this is also the
 way of all holy  hypocrites when they  
are in trouble3 they do not run to ,god1
 but flee  from ,him1 and only think of 
how they may get rid of their trouble   
through their own efforts or through    
human help1 and yet they consider       
themselves and let others consider them 
pious people4    ,,xi4 ,this is what    
,st4 ,paul means in many places1 where  
he ascribes so  much to faith1 that he  
says3 ,justus ex fide sua vivit1 the    
righteous  man draws his life out of his
 faith1 and faith is that because of    
which he is counted righteous before    

,god4 ,if righteousness consists of     
faith1 it is clear that faith fulfils   
all commandments and makes all  works   
righteous1 since no one is justified    
except he keep all the  commands of     
,god4 ,again1 the works can justify no  
one before ,god without  faith4 ,so     
utterly and roundly does the ,apostle   
reject works and praise  faith1 that    
some have taken offence at his words and
 say3 ,well1 then1  we will do no more  
good works1 although he condemns such   
men as erring  and foolish4    ,so men  
still do4 ,when we reject the great1    
pretentious works of our  time1 which   
are done entirely without faith1 they   
say3 ,men are only to  believe and not  
to do anything good4 ,for nowadays they 
say that the  works of the ,first       
,commandment are singing1 reading1      
organ-playing1  reading the mass1 saying
 matins and vespers and the other hours1
 the  founding and decorating of        
churches1 altars1 and monastic houses1  
the  gathering of bells1 jewels1        

garments1 trinkets and treasures1       
running  to ,rome and to the saints4    
,further1 when we are dressed up and    
bow1  kneel1 pray the rosary and the    
,psalter1 and all this not before an    
idol1 but before the holy cross of ,god 
or the pictures of ,his saints3  this we
 call honoring and worshiping ,god1 and1
 according to the ,first  ,commandment1 
having no other gods2 although these    
things usurers1  adulterers and all     
manner of sinners can do too1 and do    
them daily4    ,of course1 if these     
things are done with such faith that we 
believe  that they please ,god1 then    
they are praiseworthy1 not because of   
their  virtue1 but because of such      
faith1 for which all works are of equal 
value1 as has been said4 ,but if we     
doubt or do not believe that ,god is    
gracious to us and is pleased with us1  
or if we presumptuously expect  to      
please ,him only through and after our  
works1 then it is all pure  deception1  
outwardly honoring ,god1 but inwardly   

setting up self as a  false god4 ,this  
is the reason why ,i have so often      
spoken against the  display1            
magnificence and multitude of such works
 and have rejected  them1 because it is 
as clear as day that they are not only  
done in  doubt or without faith1 but    
there is not one in a thousand who does 
not  set his confidence upon the works1 
expecting by them to win ,god's favor   
and anticipate ,his grace2 and so they  
make a fair of them1 a thing  which ,god
 cannot endure1 since ,he has promised  
,his grace freely1 and  wills that we   
begin by trusting that grace1 and in it 
perform all  works1 whatever they may   
be4    ,,xii4 ,note for yourself1 then1 
how far apart these two are3 keeping the
  ,first ,commandment with outward works
 only1 and keeping it with inward       
trust4 ,for this last makes true1 living
 children of ,god1 the other only  makes
 worse idolatry and the most mischievous
 hypocrites on earth1 who  with their   
apparent righteousness lead unnumbered  

people into their  way1 and yet allow   
them to be without faith1 so that they  
are miserably  misled1 and are caught in
 the pitiable babbling and mummery4 ,of 
such  ,christ says1 ,matthew xxiv3      
,beware1 if any man shall say unto you1 
,lo1  here is ,christ1 or there2 and    
,john iv3 ,i say unto thee1 the hour    
cometh1 when ye shall neither in this   
mountain nor yet at ,jerusalem  worship 
,god1 for the ,father seeketh spiritual 
worshipers4    ,these and similar       
passages have moved me and ought to move
 everyone to  reject the great display  
of bulls1 seals1 flags1 indulgences1 by 
which  the poor folk are led to build   
churches1 to give1 to endow1 to pray1   
and yet faith is not mentioned1 and is  
even suppressed4 ,for since faith  knows
 no distinction among works1 such       
exaltation and urging of one  work above
 another cannot exist beside faith4 ,for
 faith desires to be  the only service  
of ,god1 and will grant this name and   
honor to no other  work1 except in so   

far as faith imparts it1 as it does when
 the work is  done in faith and by      
faith4 ,this perversion is indicated in 
the ,old  ,testament1 when the ,jews    
left the ,temple and sacrificed at other
  places1 in the green parks and on the 
mountains4 ,this is what these men  also
 do3 they are zealous to do all works1  
but this chief work of faith  they      
regard not at all4    ,,xiii4 ,where now
 are they who ask1 what works are good2 
what they shall  do2 how they shall be  
religious8 ,yes1 and where are they who 
say that  when we preach of faith1 we   
shall neither teach nor do works8 ,does 
not  this ,first ,commandment give us   
more work to do than any man can do8 ,if
  a man were a thousand men1 or all men1
 or all creatures1 this  ,commandment   
would yet ask enough of him1 and more   
than enough1 since he  is commanded to  
live and walk at all times in faith and 
confidence  toward ,god1 to place such  
faith in no one else1 and so to have    
only  one1 the true ,god1 and none      

other4    ,now1 since the being and     
nature of man cannot for an instant be  
without  doing or not doing something1  
enduring or running away from something 
7for1 as we see1 life never rests71 let 
him who will be pious and  filled with  
good works1 begin and in all his life   
and works at all  times exercise himself
 in this faith2 let him learn to do and 
to leave  undone all things in such     
continual faith2 then will he find how  
much  work he has to do1 and how        
completely all things are included in   
faith2  how he dare never grow idle1    
because his very idling must be the     
exercise and work of faith4 ,in brief1  
nothing can be in or about us and       
nothing can happen to us but that it    
must be good and meritorious1 if  we    
believe 7as we ought7 that all things   
please ,god4 ,so says ,st4  ,paul3      
,dear brethren1 all that ye do1 whether 
ye eat or drink1 do all in the  ,name of
 ,jesus ,christ1 our ,lord4 ,now it     
cannot be done in this ,name  except it 

be done in this faith4 ,likewise1       
,romans vii3 ,we know that  all things  
work together for good to the saints of 
,god4    ,therefore1 when some say that 
good works are forbidden when we preach 
faith alone1 it is as if ,i said to a   
sick man3 ,if you had health1 you  would
 have the use of all your limbs2 but    
without health1 the works of  all your  
limbs are nothing2 and he wanted to     
infer that ,i had  forbidden the works  
of all his limbs2 whereas1 on the       
contrary1 ,i meant  that he must first  
have health1 which will work all the    
works of all  the members4 ,so faith    
also must be in all works the           
master-workman and  captain1 or they are
 nothing at all4    ,,xiv4 ,you might   
say3 ,why then do we have so many laws  
of the ,church and  of the ,state1 and  
many ceremonies of churches1 monastic   
houses1 holy  places1 which urge and    
tempt men to good works1 if faith does  
all  things through the ,first          
,commandment8 ,i answer3 ,simply because

 we do  not all have faith or do not    
heed it4 ,if every man had faith1 we    
would  need no more laws1 but every one 
would of himself at all times do good   
works1 as his confidence in ,god teaches
 him4    ,but now there are four kinds  
of men3 the first1 just mentioned1 who  
need no law1 of whom ,st4 ,paul says1   
,i4 ,timothy i1 ,the law is not made    
for a righteous man1 that is1 for the   
believer1 but believers of  themselves  
do what they know and can do1 only      
because they firmly trust  that ,god's  
favor and grace rests upon them in all  
things4 ,the second  class want to abuse
 this freedom1 put a false confidence in
 it1 and  grow lazy2 of whom ,st4 ,peter
 says1 ,i4 ,peter ii1 ,ye shall live as 
free  men1 but not using your liberty   
for a cloak of maliciousness1 as if he  
said3 ,the freedom of faith does not    
permit sins1 nor will it cover  them1   
but it sets us free to do all manner of 
good works and to endure  all things as 
they happen to us1 so that a man is not 

bound only to one  work or to a few4 ,so
 also ,st4 ,paul1 ,galatians v3 ,use not
 your liberty  for an occasion to the   
flesh4 ,such men must be urged by laws  
and  hemmed in by teaching and          
exhortation4 ,the third class are wicked
 men1  always ready for sins2 these must
 be constrained by spiritual and        
temporal laws1 like wild horses and     
dogs1 and where this does not help1     
they must be put to death by the worldly
 sword1 as ,st4 ,paul says1  ,romans    
xiii3 ,the worldly ruler bears the      
sword1 and serves ,god with  it1 not as 
a terror to the good1 but to the evil4  
,the fourth class1  who are still lusty1
 and childish in their understanding of 
faith and  of the spiritual life1 must  
be coaxed like young children and       
tempted  with external1 definite and    
prescribed decorations1 with reading1   
praying1 fasting1 singing1 adorning of  
churches1 organ playing1 and  such other
 things as are commanded and observed in
 monastic houses and  churches1 until   

they also learn to know the faith4      
,although there is  great danger here1  
when the rulers1 as is now1 alas6 the   
case1 busy  themselves with and insist  
upon such ceremonies and external works 
as  if they were the true works1 and    
neglect faith1 which they ought always  
to teach along with these works1 just as
 a mother gives her child other  food   
along with the milk1 until the child can
 eat the strong food by  itself4        
,,xv4 ,since1 then1 we are not all      
alike1 we must tolerate such people1    
share their observances and burdens1 and
 not despise them1 but teach  them the  
true way of faith4 ,so ,st4 ,paul       
teaches1 ,romans xiv3 ,him that  is weak
 in the faith receive ye1 to teach him4 
,and so he did himself1  ,i4            
,corinthians ix3 ,to them that are under
 the law1 ,i became as under  the law1  
although ,i was not under the law4 ,and 
,christ1 ,matthew xvii1  when ,he was   
asked to pay tribute1 which ,he was not 
obligated to pay1  argues with ,st4     

,peter1 whether the children of kings   
must give  tribute1 or only other       
people4 ,st4 ,peter answers3 ,only other
 people4  ,christ said3 ,then are the   
children of kings free2 notwithstanding1
  lest we should offend them1 go thou to
 the sea1 and cast an hook1 and  take up
 the fish that first cometh up2 and in  
his mouth thou shalt find  a piece of   
money2 take that and give it for me and 
thee4    ,here we see that all works and
 things are free to a ,christian through
  his faith2 and yet1 because the others
 do not yet believe1 he observes  and   
bears with them what he is not obligated
 to do4 ,but this he does  freely1 for  
he is certain that this is pleasing to  
,god1 and he does it  willingly1 accepts
 it as any other free work which comes  
to his hand  without his choice1 because
 he desires and seeks no more than that 
he  may in his faith do works to please 
,god4    ,but since in this discourse we
 have undertaken to teach what righteous
  and good works are1 and are now       

speaking of the highest work1 it is     
clear that we do not speak of the       
second1 third and fourth classes of     
men1 but of the first1 into whose       
likeness all the others are to grow1    
and until they do so the first class    
must endure and instruct them4          
,therefore we must not despise1 as if   
they were hopeless1 these men of  weak  
faith1 who would gladly do right and    
learn1 and yet cannot  understand       
because of the ceremonies to which they 
cling2 we must  rather blame their      
ignorant1 blind teachers1 who have never
 taught them  the faith1 and have led   
them so deeply into works4 ,they must be
 gently  and gradually led back again to
 faith1 as a sick man is treated1 and   
must be allowed for a time1 for their   
conscience sake1 to cling to some  works
 and do them as necessary to salvation1 
so long as they rightly  grasp the      
faith2 lest if we try to tear them out  
so suddenly1 their  weak consciences be 
quite shattered and confused1 and retain

 neither  faith nor works4 ,but the     
hardheaded1 who1 hardened in their      
works1 give  no heed to what is said of 
faith1 and fight against it1 these we   
must1  as ,christ did and taught1 let go
 their way1 that the blind may lead the 
blind4    ,,xvi4 ,but you say3 ,how can 
,i trust surely that all my works are   
pleasing  to ,god1 when at times ,i     
fall1 and talk1 eat1 drink and sleep too
 much1  or otherwise transgress1 as ,i  
cannot help doing8  ,answer3 ,this      
question  shows that you still regard   
faith as a work among other works1 and  
do  not set it above all works4 ,for it 
is the highest work for this very       
reason1 because it remains and blots out
 these daily sins by not  doubting that 
,god is so kind to you as to wink at    
such daily  transgression and weakness4 
,aye1 even if a deadly sin should occur 
7which1 however1 never or rarely happens
 to those who live in faith and  trust  
toward ,god71 yet faith rises again and 
does not doubt that its  sin is already 

gone2 as it is written ,i4 ,john ii3 ,my
 little children1  these things ,i write
 unto you1 that ye sin not4 ,and if any 
man sin1 we  have an ,advocate with ,god
 the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ1 ,who is   
the  propitiation of all our sins4 ,and 
,wisdom xv3 ,for if we sin1 we are      
,thine1 knowing ,thy power4 ,and        
,proverbs xxiv3 ,for a just man falleth 
seven times1 and riseth up again4 ,yes1 
this confidence and faith must  be so   
high and strong that the man knows that 
all his life and works  are nothing but 
damnable sins before ,god's judgment1 as
 it is written1  ,psalm cxliii3 ,in thy 
sight shall no man living be justified2 
and he  must entirely despair of his    
works1 believing that they cannot be    
good  except through this faith1 which  
looks for no judgment1 but only for     
pure grace1 favor1 kindness and mercy1  
like ,david1 ,psalm xxvi3 ,thy  loving  
kindness is ever before mine eyes1 and  
,i have trusted in ,thy  truth2 ,psalm  
iv3 ,the light of ,thy countenance is   

lift up upon us  7that is1 the knowledge
 of ,thy grace through faith71 and      
thereby hast  ,thou put gladness in my  
heart2 for as faith trusts1 so it       
receives4    ,see1 thus are works       
forgiven1 are without guilt and are     
good1 not by  their own nature1 but by  
the mercy and grace of ,god because of  
the  faith which trusts on the mercy of 
,god4 ,therefore we must fear because   
of the works1 but comfort ourselves     
because of the grace of ,god1 as it  is 
written1 ,psalm cxlvii3 ,the ,lord      
taketh pleasure in them that ,i fear    
,him1 in those that hope in ,his mercy4 
,so we pray with perfect  confidence3   
,our ,father1 and yet petition3 ,forgive
 us our  trespasses2 we are children and
 yet sinners2 are acceptable and yet do 
not do enough2 and all this is the work 
of faith1 firmly grounded in  ,god's    
grace4    ,,xvii4 ,but if you ask1 where
 the faith and the confidence can be    
found  and whence they come1 this it is 
certainly most necessary to know4       

,first3 ,without doubt faith does not   
come from your works or merit1 but      
alone from ,jesus ,christ1 and is freely
 promised and given2 as ,st4 ,paul      
writes1 ,romans v3 ,god commendeth ,his 
love to us as exceeding sweet and       
kindly1 in that1 while we were yet      
sinners1 ,christ died for us2 as if  he 
said3 ,ought not this give us a strong  
unconquerable confidence1  that before  
we prayed or cared for it1 yes1 while we
 still continually  walked in sins1     
,christ dies for our sin8 ,st4 ,paul    
concludes3 ,if while  we were yet       
sinners ,christ died for us1 how much   
more then1 being  justified by ,his     
blood1 shall we be saved from wrath     
through ,him2 and  if1 when we were     
enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god by  
the death of ,his  ,son1 much more1     
being reconciled1 shall we be saved by  
,his life4    ,lo6 thus must thou form  
,christ within thyself and see how in   
,him ,god  holds before thee and offers 
thee ,his mercy without any previous    

merits  of thine own1 and from such a   
view of ,his grace must thou draw faith 
and confidence of the forgiveness of all
 thy sins4 ,faith1 therefore1  does not 
begin with works1 neither do they create
 it1 but it must  spring up and flow    
from the blood1 wounds and death of     
,christ4 ,if thou  see in these that    
,god is so kindly affectioned toward    
thee that ,he  gives even ,his ,son for 
thee1 then thy heart also must in its   
turn grow  sweet and kindly affectioned 
toward ,god1 and so thy confidence must 
grow out of pure good-will and          
love--,god's love toward thee and thine 
toward ,god4 ,we never read that the    
,holy ,spirit was given to any one  when
 he did works1 but always when men have 
heard the ,gospel of ,christ  and the   
mercy of ,god4 ,from this same ,word and
 from no other source must  faith still 
come1 even in our day and always4  ,for 
,christ is the rock  out of which men   
suck oil and honey1 as ,moses says1     
,deuteronomy xxxii4    ,,xviii4 ,so far 

we have treated of the first work and of
 the ,first  ,commandment1 but very     
briefly1 plainly and hastily1 for very  
much might  be said of it4 ,we will now 
trace the works farther through the     
following ,commandments4    ,the second 
work1 next to faith1 is the work of the 
,second ,commandment1  that we shall    
honor ,god's ,name and not take it in   
vain4 ,this1 like all  the other works1 
cannot be done without faith2 and if it 
is done  without faith1 it is all sham  
and show4  ,after faith we can do no    
greater work than to praise1 preach1    
sing and in every way exalt and  magnify
 ,god's glory1 honor and ,name4    ,and 
although ,i have said above1 and it is  
true1 that there is no  difference in   
works where faith is and does the work1 
yet this is true  only when they are    
compared with faith and its works4      
,measured by one  another there is a    
difference1 and one is higher than the  
other4 ,just  as in the body the members
 do not differ when compared with       

health1 and  health works in the one as 
much as in the other2 yet the works of  
the  members are different1 and one is  
higher1 nobler1 more useful than the    
other2 so1 here also1 to praise ,god's  
glory and ,name is better than the      
works of the other ,commandments which  
follow2 and yet it must be done  in the 
same faith as all the others4    ,but ,i
 know well that this work is lightly    
esteemed1 and has indeed  become        
unknown4 ,therefore we must examine it  
further1 and will say no  more about the
 necessity of doing it in the faith and 
confidence that  it pleases ,god4       
,indeed there is no work in which       
confidence and faith  are so much       
experienced and felt as in honoring     
,god's ,name2 and it  greatly helps to  
strengthen and increase faith1 although 
all works also  help to do this1 as ,st4
  ,peter says1 ,,ii4 ,peter i3          
,wherefore the  rather1 brethren1 give  
diligence through good works to make    
your  calling and election sure4        

,,xix4 ,the ,first ,commandment forbids 
us to have other gods1 and thereby      
commands that we have a ,god1 the true  
,god1 by a firm faith1 trust1           
confidence1 hope and love1 which are the
 only works whereby a man can  have1    
honor and keep a ,god2 for by no other  
work can one find or lose  ,god except  
by faith or unbelief1 by trusting or    
doubting2 of the other  works none      
reaches quite to ,god4 ,so also in the  
,second ,commandment we  are forbidden  
to use ,his ,name in vain4 ,yet this is 
not to be enough1  but we are thereby   
also commanded to honor1 call upon1     
glorify1 preach  and praise ,his ,name4 
,and indeed it is impossible that ,god's
 ,name should  not be dishonored where  
it is not rightly honored4 ,for although
 it be  honored with the lips1 bending  
of the knees1 kissing and other         
postures1 if this is not done in the    
heart by faith1 in confident trust  in  
,god's grace1 it is nothing else than an
 evidence and badge of  hypocrisy4      

,see now1 how many kinds of good works a
 man can do under this  ,commandment at 
all times and never be without the good 
works of this  ,commandment1 if he will2
 so that he truly need not make a long  
pilgrimage or seek holy places4 ,for1   
tell me1 what moment can pass in  which 
we do not without ceasing receive ,god's
 blessings1 or1 on the  other hand1     
suffer adversity8 ,but what else are    
,god's blessings and  adversities than a
 constant urging and stirring up to     
praise1 honor1  and bless ,god1 and to  
call upon ,his ,name8 ,now if you had   
nothing else  at all to do1 would you   
not have enough to do with this         
,commandment  alone1 that you without   
ceasing bless1 sing1 praise and honor   
,god's  ,name8 ,and for what other      
purpose have tongue1 voice1 language and
 mouth  been created8 ,as ,psalm li4    
says3 ,lord1 open ,thou my lips1 and my 
mouth  shall show forth ,thy praise4    
,again3 ,my tongue shall sing aloud of  
,thy  mercy4    ,what work is there in  

heaven except that of this ,second      
,commandment8 ,as  it is written in     
,psalm lxxxiv3 ,blessed are they that   
dwell in ,thy  house3 they will be for  
ever praising ,thee4 ,so also ,david    
says in  ,psalm xxxiv3 ,god's praise    
shall be continually in my mouth4 ,and  
,st4  ,paul1 ,i4 ,corinthians x3        
,whether therefore ye eat or drink1 or  
whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of
 ,god4 ,also ,colossians iii3           
,whatsoever ye do in word or deed1 do   
all in the ,name of the ,lord  ,jesus1  
giving thanks to ,god and the ,father4  
,if we were to observe this  work1 we   
would have a heaven here on earth and   
always have enough to  do1 as have the  
saints in heaven4    ,,xx4 ,on this is  
based the wonderful and righteous       
judgment of ,god1 that  at times a poor 
man1 in whom no one can see many great  
works1 in the  privacy of his home      
joyfully praises ,god when he fares     
well1 or with  entire confidence calls  
upon ,him when he fares ill1 and thereby

 does a  greater and more acceptable    
work than another1 who fasts much1 prays
  much1 endows churches1 makes          
pilgrimages1 and burdens himself with   
great deeds in this place and in that4  
,such a fool opens wide his  mouth1     
looks for great works to do1 and is so  
blinded that he does not  at all notice 
this greatest work1 and praising ,god is
 in his eyes a  very small matter       
compared with the great idea he has     
formed of the  works of his own         
devising1 in which he perhaps praises   
himself more  than ,god1 or takes more  
pleasure in them than he does in ,god2  
and thus  with his good works he storms 
against the ,second ,commandment and its
  works4 ,of all this we have an        
illustration in the case of the         
,pharisee  and the ,publican in the     
,gospel4 ,for the sinner calls upon ,god
 in his  sins1 and praises ,him1 and so 
has hit upon the two highest            
,commandments1 faith and ,god's honor4  
,the hypocrite misses both and  struts  

about with other good works by which he 
praises himself and not  ,god1 and puts 
his trust in himself more than in ,god4 
,therefore he is  justly rejected and   
the other chosen4    ,the reason of all 
this is that the higher and better the  
works are1 the  less show they make2 and
 that every one thinks they are easy1   
because  it is evident that no one      
pretends to praise ,god's ,name and     
honor so  much as the very men who never
 do it and with their show of doing it1 
while the heart is without faith1 cause 
the precious work to be  despised4 ,so  
that the ,apostle ,st4 ,paul dare say   
boldly1 ,romans ii1 that  they blaspheme
 ,god's ,name who make their boast of   
,god's ,law4 ,for to  name the ,name of 
,god and to write ,his honor on paper   
and on the walls  is an easy matter2 but
 genuinely to praise and bless ,him in  
,his good  deeds and confidently to call
 upon ,him in all adversities1 these are
  truly the most rare1 highest works1   
next to faith1 so that if we were  to   

see how few of them there are in        
,christendom1 we might despair for  very
 sorrow4 ,and yet there is a constant   
increase of high1 pretty1  shining works
 of men's devising1 or of works which   
look like these true  works1 but at     
bottom are all without faith and without
 faithfulness2 in  short1 there is      
nothing good back of them4 ,thus also   
,isaiah xlviii4  rebukes the people of  
,israel3 ,hear ye this1 ye which are    
called by the  name of ,israel1 which   
swear by the ,name of the ,lord1 and    
make mention  of the ,god of ,israel    
neither in truth1 nor in righteousness2 
that is1  they did it not in the true   
faith and confidence1 which is the real 
truth and righteousness1 but trusted in 
themselves1 their works and  powers1 and
 yet called upon ,god's ,name and       
praised ,him1 two things  which do not  
fit together4    ,,xxi4 ,the first work 
of this ,commandment then is1 to praise 
,god in all  ,his benefits1 which are   
innumerable1 so that such praise and    

thanksgiving ought also of right never  
to cease or end4 ,for who can  praise   
,him perfectly for the gift of natural  
life1 not to mention all  other temporal
 and eternal blessings8 ,and so through 
this one part of  the ,commandment man  
is overwhelmed with good and precious   
works2 if he  do these in true faith1 he
 has indeed not lived in vain4 ,and in  
this  matter none sin so much as the    
most resplendent saints1 who are pleased
  with themselves and like to praise    
themselves or to hear themselves        
praised1 honored and glorified before   
men4    ,therefore the second work of   
this ,commandment is1 to be on one's    
guard1  to flee from and to avoid all   
temporal honor and praise1 and never to 
seek a name for oneself1 or fame and a  
great reputation1 that every one  sing  
of him and tell of him2 which is an     
exceedingly dangerous sin1 and  yet the 
most common of all1 and1 alas6 little   
regarded4 ,every one wants  to be of    
importance and not to be the least1     

however small he may be2  so deeply is  
nature sunk in the evil of its own      
conceit and in its  self-confidence     
contrary to these two first             
,commandments4    ,now the world regards
 this terrible vice as the highest      
virtue1 and  this makes it exceedingly  
dangerous for those who do not          
understand and  have not had experience 
of ,god's ,commandments and the         
histories of the  ,holy ,scriptures1 to 
read or hear the heathen books and      
histories4 ,for  all heathen books are  
poisoned through and through with this  
striving  after praise and honor2 in    
them men are taught by blind reason that
  they were not nor could be men of     
power and worth1 who are not moved by   
praise and honor2 but those are counted 
the best1 who disregard body  and life1 
friend and property and everything in   
the effort to win  praise and honor4    
,all the holy ,fathers have complained  
of this vice and  with one mind conclude
 that it is the very last vice to be    

overcome4  ,st4 ,augustine says3 ,all   
other vices are practised in evil works2
 only  honor and self-satisfaction are  
practised in and by means of good       
works4    ,therefore if a man had       
nothing else to do except this second   
work of  this ,commandment1 he would yet
 have to work all his life-time in order
  to fight this vice and drive it out1  
so common1 so subtile1 so quick  and    
insidious is it4 ,now we all pass by    
this good work and exercise  ourselves  
in many other lesser good works1 nay1   
through other good  works we overthrow  
this and forget it entirely4 ,so the    
holy ,name of  ,god1 which alone should 
be honored1 is taken in vain and        
dishonored  through our own cursed name1
 self-approval and honor-seeking4 ,and  
this  sin is more grievous before ,god  
than murder and adultery2 but its       
wickedness is not so clearly seen as    
that of murder1 because of its          
subtilty1 for it is not accomplished in 
the coarse flesh1 but in the  spirit4   

,,xxii4 ,some think it is good for young
 people that they be enticed by         
reputation and honor1 and again by shame
 of and dishonor1 and so be  induced to 
do good4 ,for there are many who do the 
good and leave the  evil undone out of  
fear of shame and love of honor1 and so 
do what they  would otherwise by no     
means do or leave undone4  ,these ,i    
leave to their  opinion4 ,but at present
 we are seeking how true good works are 
to be  done1 and they who are inclined  
to do them surely do not need to be     
driven by the fear of shame and the love
 of honor2 they have1 and are  to have a
 higher and far nobler incentive1       
namely1 ,god's commandment1  ,god's     
fear1 ,god's approval1 and their faith  
and love toward ,god4 ,they  who have   
not1 or regard not this motive1 and let 
shame and honor drive  them1 these also 
have their reward1 as the ,lord says1   
,matthew vi2 and  as the motive1 so is  
also the work and the reward3 none of   
them is  good1 except only in the eyes  

of the world4    ,now ,i hold that a    
young person could be more easily       
trained and incited  by ,god's fear and 
commandments than by any other means4   
,yet where  these do not help1 we must  
endure that they do the good and leave  
the  evil for the sake of shame and of  
honor1 just as we must also endure      
wicked men or the imperfect1 of whom we 
spoke above2 nor can we do more  than   
tell them that their works are not      
satisfactory and right before  ,god1 and
 so leave them until they learn to do   
right for the sake of  ,god's           
commandments also4 ,just as young       
children are induced to pray1  fast1    
learn1 etc41 by gifts and promises of   
the parents1 even though it  would not  
be good to treat them so all their      
lives1 so that they never  learn to do  
good in the fear of ,god3 far worse1 if 
they become  accustomed to do good for  
the sake of praise and honor4           
,,xxiii4 ,but this is true1 that we must
 none the less have a good name  and    

honor1 and every one ought so to live   
that nothing evil can be said  of him1  
and that he give offence to no one1 as  
,st4  ,paul says1 ,romans  xii3 ,we are 
to be zealous to do good1 not only      
before ,god1 but also  before all men4  
,and ,,ii4 ,corinthians iv3 ,we walk so 
honestly that no  man knows anything    
against us4 ,but there must be great    
diligence and  care1 lest such honor and
 good name puff up the heart1 and the   
heart  find pleasure in them4 ,here the 
saying of ,solomon holds3 ,as the fire  
in the furnace proveth the gold1 so man 
is proved by the mouth of him  that     
praises him4 ,few and most spiritual men
 must they be1 who1 when  honored and   
praised1 remain indifferent and         
unchanged1 so that they do  not care for
 it1 nor feel pride and pleasure in it1 
but remain entirely  free1 ascribe all  
their honor and fame to ,god1 offering  
it to ,him  alone1 and using it only to 
the glory of ,god1 to the edification of
  their neighbors1 and in no way to     

their own benefit or advantage2 so  that
 a man trust not in his own honor1 nor  
exalt himself above the most  incapable1
 despised man on earth1 but acknowledge 
himself a servant of  ,god1 ,who has    
given him the honor in order that with  
it he may serve ,god  and his neighbor1 
just as if ,he had commanded him to     
distribute some  gulden to the poor for 
,his sake4 ,so ,he says1 ,matthew v3    
,your light  shall shine before men1 so 
that they may see your good works and   
glorify your ,father ,who is in heaven4 
,he does not say1 they shall  praise    
you1 but your works shall only serve    
them to edification1 that  through them 
they may praise ,god in you and in      
themselves4 ,this is the  correct use of
 ,god's ,name and honor1 when ,god is   
thereby praised  through the edification
 of others4  ,and if men want to praise 
us and  not ,god in us1 we are not to   
endure it1 but with all our powers      
forbid  it and flee from it as from the 
most grievous sin and robbery of divine 

honor4    ,,xxiv4 ,hence it comes that  
,god frequently permits a man to fall   
into or  remain in grievous sin1 in     
order that he may be put to shame in his
 own  eyes and in the eyes of all men1  
who otherwise could not have kept       
himself from this great vice of vain    
honor and fame1 if he had remained      
constant in his great gifts and virtues2
 so ,god must ward off this sin  by     
means of other grievous sins1 that ,his 
,name alone may be honored2  and thus   
one sin becomes the other's medicine1   
because of our perverse  wickedness1    
which not only does the evil1 but also  
misuses all that is  good4    ,now see  
how much a man has to do1 if he would do
 good works1 which  always are at hand  
in great number1 and with which he is   
surrounded on  all sides2 but1 alas6    
because of his blindness1 he passes them
 by and  seeks and runs after others of 
his own devising and pleasure1 against  
which no man can sufficiently speak and 
no man can sufficiently guard4  ,with   

this all the prophets had to contend1   
and for this reason they  were all      
slain1 only because they rejected such  
self-devised works and  preached only   
,god's commandments1 as one of them     
says1 ,jeremiah vii3  ,thus saith the   
,god of ,israel unto you3 ,take your    
burnt offerings unto  all your          
sacrifices and eat your burnt-offerings 
and your flesh  yourselves2 for         
concerning these things ,i have         
commanded you nothing1  but this thing  
commanded ,i you3 ,obey ,my voice 7that 
is1 not what seems  right and good to   
you1 but what ,i bid you71 and walk in  
the way that ,i  have commanded you4    
,and ,deuteronomy xii3 ,thou shalt not  
do whatsoever  is right in thine own    
eyes1 but what thy ,god has commanded   
thee4    ,these and numberless like     
passages of ,scripture are spoken to    
tear man  not only from sins1 but also  
from the works which seem to men to be  
good and right1 and to turn men1 with a 
single mind1 to the simple  meaning of  

,god's commandment only1 that they shall
 diligently observe  this only and      
always1 as it is written1 ,exodus xiii3 
,these  commandments shall be for a sign
 unto thee upon thine hand1 and for a   
memorial between thine eyes4 ,and ,psalm
 i3 ,a godly man meditates in  ,god's   
,law day and night4 ,for we have more   
than enough and too much to  do1 if we  
are to satisfy only ,god's commandments4
 ,he has given us such  commandments    
that if we understand them aright1 we   
dare not for a  moment be idle1 and     
might easily forget all other works4    
,but the evil  spirit1 who never rests1 
when he cannot lead us to the left into 
evil  works1 fights on our right through
 self-devised works that seem good1  but
 against which ,god has commanded1      
,deuteronomy xxviii1 and ,joshua  xxiii1
 ,ye shall not go aside from ,my        
commandments to the right hand or  to   
the left4    ,,xxv4 ,the third work of  
this ,commandment is to call upon ,god's
 ,name in  every need4 ,for this ,god   

regards as keeping ,his ,name holy and  
greatly  honoring it1 if we name and    
call upon it in adversity and need4 ,and
  this is really why ,he sends us so    
much trouble1 suffering1 adversity  and 
even death1 and lets us live in many    
wicked1 sinful affections1  that ,he may
 thereby urge man and give him much     
reason to run to ,him1 to  cry aloud to 
,him1 to call upon ,his holy ,name1 and 
thus to fulfil this  work of the ,second
 ,commandment1 as ,he says in ,psalm #a3
 ,call upon ,me in  the day of trouble2 
,i will deliver thee1 and thou shalt    
glorify ,me2 for  ,i desire the         
sacrifice of praise4 ,and this is the   
way whereby thou  canst come unto       
salvation2 for through such works man   
perceives and  learns what ,god's ,name 
is1 how powerful it is to help all who  
call upon  it2 and whereby confidence   
and faith grow mightily1 and these are  
the  fulfilling of the first and highest
 ,commandment4  ,this is the  experience
 of ,david1 ,psalm liv3 ,thou hast      

delivered me out of all  trouble1       
therefore will ,i praise ,thy ,name and 
confess that it is lovely  and sweet4   
,and ,psalm xci says1 ,because he hath  
set his hope upon ,me1  therefore will  
,i deliver him3 ,i will help him1       
because he hath known ,my  ,name4       
,lo6 what man is there on earth1 who    
would not all his life long have  enough
 to do with this work8 ,for who lives an
 hour without trials8 ,i  will not      
mention the trials of adversity1 which  
are innumerable4 ,for  this is the most 
dangerous trial of all1 when there is no
 trial and  every thing is and goes     
well2 for then a man is tempted to      
forget ,god1  to become too bold and to 
misuse the times of prosperity4 ,yea1   
here he  has ten times more need to call
 upon ,god's ,name than when in         
adversity4  ,since it is written1 ,psalm
 xci1 ,a thousand shall fall on the left
 hand  and ten thousand on the right    
hand4    ,so too we see in broad day1 in
 all men's daily experience1 that more  

heinous sins and vice occur when there  
is peace1 when all things are  cheap and
 there are good times1 than when war1   
pestilence1 sicknesses  and all manner  
of misfortune burden us2 so that ,moses 
also fears for  his people1 lest they   
forsake ,god's commandment for no other 
reason  than because they are too full1 
too well provided for and have too much 
peace1 as he says1 ,deuteronomy xxxii   
,my people is waxed rich1 full and  fat2
 therefore has it forsaken its ,god4    
,wherefore also ,god let many of  its   
enemies remain and would not drive them 
out1 in order that they  should not have
 peace and must exercise themselves in  
the keeping of  ,god's commandments1 as 
it is written1 ,judges iii4 ,so ,he     
deals with us  also1 when ,he sends us  
all kinds of misfortune3 so exceedingly 
careful  is ,he of us1 that ,he may     
teach us and drive us to honor and call 
upon  ,his ,name1 to gain confidence and
 faith toward ,him1 and so to fulfil the
  first two ,commandments4    ,,xxvi4   

,here foolish men run into danger1 and  
especially the  work-righteous saints1  
and those who want to be more than      
others2 they  teach men to make the sign
 of the cross2 one arms himself with    
letters1  another runs to the           
fortunetellers2 one seeks this1 another 
that1 if  only they may thereby escape  
misfortune and be secure4 ,it is beyond 
telling what a devilish allurement      
attaches to this trifling with  sorcery1
 conjuring and superstition1 all of     
which is done only that men  may not    
need ,god's ,name and put no trust in   
it4 ,here great dishonor is  done the   
,name of ,god and the first two         
,commandments1 in that men look  to the 
devil1 men or creatures for that which  
should be sought and  found in ,god     
alone1 through naught but a pure faith  
and confidence1 and  a cheerful         
meditation of and calling upon ,his holy
 ,name4    ,now examine this closely for
 yourself and see whether this is not a 
gross1 mad perversion3 the devil1 men   

and creatures they must believe1  and   
trust to them for the best2 without such
 faith and confidence  nothing holds or 
helps4 ,how shall the good and faithful 
,god reward us  for not believing and   
trusting ,him as much or more than man  
and the  devil1 although ,he not only   
promises help and sure assistance1 but  
also  commands us confidently to look   
for it1 and gives and urges all manner  
of reasons why we should place such     
faith and confidence in ,him8 ,is it    
not lamentable and pitiable that the    
devil or man1 who commands nothing  and 
does not urge1 but only promises1 is set
 above ,god1 ,who promises1  urges and  
commands2 and that more is thought of   
them than of ,god  ,himself8 ,we ought  
truly to be ashamed of ourselves and    
learn from the  example of those who    
trust the devil or men4 ,for if the     
devil1 who is a  wicked1 lying spirit1  
keeps faith with all those who ally     
themselves  with him1 how much more will
 not the most gracious1 all-truthful    

,god  keep faith1 if a man trusts ,him8 
,nay1 is it not rather ,he alone ,who   
will keep faith8  ,a rich man trusts and
 relies upon his money and  possessions1
 and they help him2 and we are not      
willing to trust and  rely upon the     
living ,god1 that ,he is willing and    
able to help us8 ,we  say3 ,gold makes  
bold2 and it is true1 as ,baruch iii4   
says1 ,gold is a  thing wherein men     
trust4 ,but far greater is the courage  
which the  highest eternal ,good gives1 
wherein trust1 not men1 but only ,god's 
children4    ,,xxvii4 ,even if none of  
these adversities constrain us to call  
upon  ,god's ,name and to trust ,him1   
yet were sin alone more than sufficient 
to  train and to urge us on in this     
work4 ,for sin has hemmed us in with    
three strong1 mighty armies4 ,the first 
is our own flesh1 the second the  world1
 the third the evil spirit1 by which    
three we are without ceasing  oppressed 
and troubled2 whereby ,god gives us     
occasion to do good works  without      

ceasing1 namely1 to fight with these    
enemies and sins4 ,the  flesh seeks     
pleasure and peace1 the world seeks     
riches1 favor1 power  and honor1 the    
evil spirit seeks pride1 glory1 that a  
man be well  thought of1 and other men  
be despised4    ,and these three are all
 so powerful that each one of them is   
alone  sufficient to fight a man1 and   
yet there is no way we can overcome     
them1 except only by calling upon the   
holy ,name of ,god in a firm faith1  as 
,solomon says1 ,proverbs xviii3 ,the    
,name of the ,lord is a strong  tower2  
the righteous runneth into it1 and is   
set aloft4 ,and ,david1  ,psalm cxvi3 ,i
 will drink the cup of salvation1 and   
call upon the ,name  of the ,lord4      
,again1 ,psalm xviii3 ,i will call upon 
the ,lord with  praise3 so shall ,i be  
saved from all mine enemies4 ,these     
works and the  power of ,god's ,name    
have become unknown to us1 because we   
are not  accustomed to it1 and have     
never seriously fought with sins1 and   

have  not needed ,his ,name1 because we 
are trained only in our self devised    
works1 which we were able to do with our
 own powers4    ,,xxviii4 ,further works
 of this ,commandment are3 that we shall
 not swear1  curse1 lie1 deceive and    
conjure with the holy ,name of ,god1 and
  otherwise misuse it2 which are very   
simple matters and well known to  every 
one1 being the sins which have been     
almost exclusively preached  and        
proclaimed under this ,commandment4     
,these also include1 that we  shall     
prevent others from making sinful use of
 ,god's ,name by lying1  swearing1      
deceiving1 cursing1 conjuring1 and      
otherwise4 ,herein again  much occasion 
is given for doing good and warding off 
evil4    ,but the greatest and most     
difficult work of this ,commandment is  
to  protect the holy ,name of ,god      
against all who misuse it in a spiritual
  manner1 and to proclaim it to all men4
 ,for it is not enough that ,i1 for     
myself and in myself1 praise and call   

upon ,god's ,name in prosperity and     
adversity4 ,i must step forth and for   
the sake of ,god's honor and ,name      
bring upon myself the enmity of all men1
 as ,christ said to ,his  disciples3 ,ye
 shall be hated of all men for ,my      
,name's sake4 ,here we  must provoke to 
anger father1 mother1 and the best of   
friends4 ,here we  must strive against  
spiritual and temporal powers1 and be   
accused of  disobedience4 ,here we must 
stir up against us the rich1 learned1   
holy1  and all that is of repute in the 
world4 ,and although this is especially 
the duty of those who are commanded to  
preach ,god's ,word1 yet every          
,christian is also obligated to do so   
when time and place demand4 ,for we     
must for the holy ,name of ,god risk and
 give up all that we have and can  do1  
and show by our deeds that we love ,god 
and ,his ,name1 ,his honor and  ,his    
praise above all things1 and trust ,him 
above all things1 and expect  good from 
,him2 thereby confessing that we regard 

,him as the highest  good1 for the sake 
of which we let go and give up all other
 goods4    ,,xxix4 ,here we must first  
of all resist all wrong1 where truth or 
righteousness suffers violence or need1 
and dare make no distinction of         
persons1 as some do1 who fight most     
actively and busily against the  wrong  
which is done to the rich1 the powerful1
 and their own friends2  but when it is 
done to the poor1 or the despised or    
their own enemy1  they are quiet and    
patient4 ,these see the ,name and the   
honor of ,god not  as it is1 but through
 a painted glass1 and measure truth or  
righteousness according to the persons1 
and do not consider their  deceiving    
eye1 which looks more on the person than
 on the thing4 ,these  are hypocrites   
within and have only the appearance of  
defending the  truth4 ,for they well    
know that there is no danger when one   
helps the  rich1 the powerful1 the      
learned and one's own friends1 and can  
in turn  enjoy their protection and be  

honored by them4    ,thus it is very    
easy to fight against the wrong which is
 done to popes1  kings1 princes1 bishops
 and other big-wigs4 ,here each wants to
 be the  most pious1 where there is no  
great need4 ,o how sly is here the      
deceitful ,adam with his demand2 how    
finely does he cover his greed of       
profit with the name of truth and       
righteousness and ,god's honor6 ,but    
when something happens to a poor and    
insignificant man1 there the  deceitful 
eye does not find much profit1 but      
cannot help seeing the  disfavor of the 
powerful2 therefore he lets the poor man
 remain  unhelped4 ,and who could tell  
the extent of this vice in ,christendom8
  ,god says in the lxxxii4 ,psalm1 ,how 
long will ye judge unjustly1 and  accept
 the persons of the wicked8 ,judge the  
matter of the poor and  fatherless1     
demand justice for the poor and needy2  
deliver the poor and  rid the forsaken  
out of the hand of the wicked4 ,but it  
is not done1  and therefore the text    

continues3 ,they know not1 neither will 
they  understand2 they walk on in       
darkness2 that is1 the truth they do not
  see1 but they stop at the reputation  
of the great1 however unrighteous  they 
are2 and do not consider the poor1      
however righteous they are4    ,,xxx4   
,see1 here would be many good works4    
,for the greater portion of the         
powerful1 rich and friends do injustice 
and oppress the poor1 the  lowly1 and   
their own opponents2 and the greater the
 men1 the worse the  deeds2 and where we
 cannot by force prevent it and help the
 truth1 we  should at least confess it1 
and do what we can with words1 not take 
the  part of the unrighteous1 not       
approve them1 but speak the truth       
boldly4    ,what would it help a man if 
he did all manner of good1 made         
pilgrimages  to ,rome and to all holy   
places1 acquired all indulgences1 built 
all  churches and endowed houses1 if he 
were found guilty of sin against the    
,name and honor of ,god1 not speaking of

 them and neglecting them1 and          
regarding his possessions1 honor1 favor 
and friends more than the truth  7which 
is ,god's ,name and honor78 ,or who is  
he1 before whose door and  into whose   
house such good works do not daily come1
 so that he would  have no need to      
travel far or to ask after good works8  
,and if we  consider the life of men1   
how in every place men act so very      
rashly and  lightly in this respect1 we 
must cry out with the prophet1 ,omnis   
homo  mendax1 ,all men are liars1 lie   
and deceive2 for the real good works    
they neglect1 and adorn and paint       
themselves with the most  insignificant1
 and want to be pious1 to mount to      
heaven in peaceful  security4    ,but if
 you should say3 ,why does not ,god do  
it alone and ,himself1 since  ,he can   
and knows how to help each one8 ,yes1   
,he can do it2 but ,he does  not want to
 do it alone2 ,he wants us to work with 
,him1 and does us the  honor to want to 
work ,his work with us and through us4  

,and if we are  not willing to accept   
such honor1 ,he will1 after all1 perform
 the work  alone1 and help the poor2 and
 those who were unwilling to help ,him  
and  have despised the great honor of   
doing ,his work1 ,he will condemn with  
the unrighteous1 because they have made 
common cause with the  unrighteous4     
,just as ,he alone is blessed1 but ,he  
wants to do us the  honor and not be    
alone in ,his blessedness1 but have us  
to be blessed  with ,him4  ,and if ,he  
were to do it alone1 ,his ,commandments 
would be  given us in vain1 because no  
one would have occasion to exercise     
himself in the great works of these     
,commandments1 and no one would test    
himself to see whether he regards ,god  
and ,his ,name as the highest good1  and
 for ,his sake risks everything4        
,,xxxi4 ,it also belongs to this work to
 resist all false1 seductive1           
erroneous1 heretical doctrines1 every   
misuse of spiritual power4 ,now  this is
 much higher1 for these use the holy    

,name of ,god itself to fight  against  
the ,name of ,god4 ,for this reason it  
seems a great thing and a  dangerous to 
resist them1 because they assert that he
 who resists them  resists ,god and all 
,his saints1 in whose place they sit and
 whose power  they use1 saying that     
,christ said of them1 ,he that heareth  
you1  heareth ,me1 and he that despiseth
 you1 despiseth ,me4 ,on which words    
they lean heavily1 become insolent and  
bold to say1 to do1 and to leave  undone
 what they please2 put to the ban1      
accurse1 rob1 murder1 and  practise all 
their wickedness1 in whatever way they  
please and can  invent1 without any     
hindrance4    ,now ,christ did not mean 
that we should listen to them in        
everything  they might say and do1 but  
only then when they present to us ,his  
,word1  the ,gospel1 not their word1    
,his work1 and not their work4 ,how else
  could we know whether their lies and  
sins were to be avoided8 ,there  must be
 some rule1 to what extent we are to    

hear and to follow them1  and this rule 
cannot be given by them1 but must be    
established by ,god  over them1 that it 
may serve us as a guide1 as we shall    
hear in the  ,fourth ,commandment4      
,it must be1 indeed1 that even in the   
spiritual estate the greater part       
preach false doctrine and misuse        
spiritual power1 so that thus occasion  
may be given us to do the works of this 
,commandment1 and that we be  tried1 to 
see what we are willing to do and to    
leave undone against  such blasphemers  
for the sake of ,god's honor4    ,oh1 if
 we were ,god-fearing in this matter1   
how often would the knaves  of          
officiales have to decree their papal   
and episcopal ban in vain6 ,how  weak   
the ,roman thunderbolts would become6   
,how often would many a one  have to    
hold his tongue1 to whom the world must 
now give ear6 ,how few  preachers would 
be found in ,christendom6  ,but it has  
gotten the upper  hand3 whatever they   
assert and in whatever way1 that must be

 right4  ,here no one fights for ,god's 
,name and honor1 and ,i hold that no    
greater  or more frequent sin is done in
 external works than under this head4   
,it  is a matter so high that few       
understand it1 and1 besides1 adorned    
with  ,god's ,name and power1 dangerous 
to touch4 ,but the prophets of old were 
masters in this2 also the apostles1     
especially ,st4 ,paul1 who did not      
allow it to trouble them whether the    
highest or the lowest priest had  said  
it1 or had done it in ,god's ,name or in
 his own4  ,they looked on  the works   
and words1 and held them up to ,god's   
,commandment1 no matter  whether big    
,john or little ,nick said it1 or       
whether they had done it in  ,god's     
,name or in man's4 ,and for this they   
had to die1 and of such dying  there    
would be much more to say in our time1  
for things are much worse  now4 ,but    
,christ and ,st4 ,peter and ,paul must  
cover all this with their  holy names1  
so that no more infamous cover for      

infamy has been found on  earth than the
 most holy and most blessed ,name of    
,jesus ,christ6    ,one might shudder to
 be alive1 simply because of the misuse 
and  blasphemy of the holy ,name of     
,god2 through which1 if it shall last   
much  longer1 we will1 as ,i fear1      
openly worship the devil as a god2 so   
completely do the spiritual authorities 
and the learned lack all  understanding 
in these things4 ,it is high time that  
we pray ,god  earnestly that ,he hallow 
,his ,name4 ,but it will cost blood1 and
 they who  enjoy the inheritance of the 
holy martyrs and are won with their     
blood1  must again make martyrs4  ,of   
this more another time4    ,i4 ,we have 
now seen how many good works there are  
in the ,second  ,commandment1 which     
however are not good in themselves1     
unless they are  done in faith and in   
the assurance of divine favor2 and how  
much we  must do1 if we take heed to    
this ,commandment alone1 and how we1    
alas6  busy ourselves much with other   

works1 which have no agreement at all   
with it4 ,now follows the ,third        
,commandment3 ,thou shalt hallow the day
  of rest4 ,in the ,first ,commandment  
is prescribed our heart's attitude      
toward ,god in thoughts1 in the ,second1
 that of our mouth in words1 in  this   
,third is prescribed our attitude toward
 ,god in works2 and it is  the first and
 right table of ,moses1 on which these  
three ,commandments  are written1 and   
they govern man on the right side1      
namely1 in the  things which concern    
,god1 and in which ,god has to do with  
man and man  with ,god1 without the     
mediation of any creature4    ,the first
 works of this ,commandment are plain   
and outward1 which we  commonly call    
worship1 such as going to mass1 praying1
 and hearing a  sermon on holy days4 ,so
 understood there are very few works in 
this  ,commandment2 and these1 if they  
are not done in assurance of and with   
faith in ,god's favor1 are nothing1 as  
was said above4 ,hence it would  also be

 a good thing if there were fewer       
saint's days1 since in our  times the   
works done on them are for the greater  
part worse than those  of the work days1
 what with loafing1 gluttony1 and       
drunkenness1  gambling and other evil   
deeds2 and then1 the mass and the sermon
 are  listened to without edification1  
the prayer is spoken without faith4 ,it 
almost happens that men think it is     
sufficient that we look on at the  mass 
with our eyes1 hear the preaching with  
our ears1 and say the  prayers with our 
mouths4 ,it is all so formal and        
superficial6 ,we do not  think that we  
might receive something out of the mass 
into our hearts1  learn and remember    
something out of the preaching1 seek1   
desire and  expect something in our     
prayer4 ,although in this matter the    
bishops and  priests1 or they to whom   
the work of preaching is entrusted1 are 
most  at fault1 because they do not     
preach the ,gospel1 and do not teach the
  people how they ought to look on at   

mass1 hear preaching and pray4          
,therefore1 we will briefly explain     
these three works4    ,,ii4 ,in the mass
 it is necessary that we attend with our
 a hearts also2  and we do attend1 when 
we exercise faith in our hearts4  ,here 
we must  repeat the words of ,christ1   
when ,he institutes the mass and says1  
,take  and eat1 this is ,my ,body1 which
 is given for you2 in like manner over  
the cup1 ,take and drink ye all of it3  
this is a new1 everlasting  ,testament  
in ,my ,blood1 which is shed for you and
 for many for the  remission of sins4   
,this shall ye do1 as oft as ye do it1  
in remembrance  of ,me4 ,in these words 
,christ has made for ,himself a memorial
 or  anniversary1 to be daily observed  
in all ,christendom1 and has added to   
it a glorious1 rich1 great testament1 in
 which no interest1 money or  temporal  
possessions are bequeathed and          
distributed1 but the  forgiveness of all
 sins1 grace and mercy unto eternal     
life1 that all  who come to this        

memorial shall have the same testament2 
and then ,he  died1 whereby this        
testament has become permanent and      
irrevocable4 ,in  proof and evidence of 
which1 instead of letter and seal1 ,he  
has left  with us ,his own ,body and    
,blood under the bread and wine4        
,here there is need that a man practise 
the first works of this  ,commandment   
right well1 that he doubt not that what 
,christ has said is  true1 and consider 
the testament sure1 so that he make not 
,christ a  liar4 ,for if you are present
 at mass and do not consider nor believe
  that here ,christ through ,his        
testament has bequeathed and given you  
forgiveness of all your sins1 what else 
is it1 than as if you said3 ,i  do not  
know or do not believe that it is true  
that forgiveness of my  sins is here    
bequeathed and given me8 ,oh1 how many  
masses there are in  the world at       
present6  but how few who hear them with
 such faith and  benefit6 ,most         
grievously is ,god provoked to anger    

thereby4 ,for this  reason also no one  
shall or can reap any benefit from the  
mass except  he be in trouble of soul   
and long for divine mercy1 and desire to
 be  rid of his sins2 or1 if he have an 
evil intention1 he must be changed      
during the mass1 and come to have a     
desire for this testament4 ,for this    
reason in olden times no open sinner was
 allowed to be present at the  mass4    
,when this faith is rightly present1 the
 heart must be made joyful by  the      
testament1 and grow warm and melt in    
,god's love4 ,then will follow  praise  
and thanksgiving with a pure heart1 from
 which the mass is  called in ,greek    
,eucharistia1 that is1 thanksgiving1    
because we praise  and thank ,god for   
this comforting1 rich1 blessed          
testament1 just as he  gives thanks1    
praises and is joyful1 to whom a good   
friend has  presented a thousand and    
more gulden4 ,although ,christ often    
fares like  those who make several      
persons rich by their testament1 and    

these  persons never think of them1 nor 
praise or thank them4 ,so our masses at 
present are merely celebrated1 without  
our knowing why or wherefore1  and      
consequently we neither give thanks nor 
love nor praise1 remain  parched and    
hard1 and have enough with our little   
prayer4 ,of this more  another time4    
,,iii4 ,the sermon ought to be nothing  
else than the proclamation of this      
testament4 ,but who can hear it if no   
one preaches it8  ,now1 they who  ought 
to preach it1 themselves do not know it4
 ,this is why the sermons  ramble off   
into other unprofitable stories1 and    
thus ,christ is  forgotten1 while we    
fare like the man in ,,ii4  ,kings vii3 
we see our  riches but do not enjoy     
them4 ,of which the ,preacher also says1
 ,this is  a great evil1 when ,god      
giveth a man riches1 and giveth him not 
power to  enjoy them4 ,so we look on at 
unnumbered masses and do not know       
whether  the mass be a testament1 or    
what it be1 just as if it were any other

  common good work by itself4 ,o ,god1  
how exceeding blind we are6 ,but  where 
this is rightly preached1 it is         
necessary that it be diligently  heard1 
grasped1 retained1 often thought of1 and
 that the faith be thus  strengthened   
against all the temptation of sin1      
whether past1 or  present1 or to come4  
,lo6 this is the only ceremony or       
practice which ,christ has instituted1  
in which ,his ,christians shall         
assemble1 exercise themselves and keep  
it  with one accord2 and this ,he did   
not make to be a mere work like other   
ceremonies1 but placed into it a rich1  
exceeding great treasure1 to be  offered
 and bestowed upon all who believe on   
it4    ,this preaching should induce    
sinners to grieve over their sins1 and  
should kindle in them a longing for the 
treasure4 ,it must1 therefore1  be a    
grievous sin not to hear the ,gospel1   
and to despise such a  treasure and so  
rich a feast to which we are bidden2 but
 a much greater  sin not to preach the  

,gospel1 and to let so many people who  
would  gladly hear it perish1 since     
,christ has so strictly commanded that  
the  ,gospel and this testament be      
preached1 that ,he does not wish even   
the  mass to be celebrated1 unless the  
,gospel be preached1 as ,he says3 ,as   
oft as ye do this1 remember me2 that is1
 as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,ye shall  preach  
of ,his death4 ,for this reason it is   
dreadful and horrible in  our times to  
be a bishop1 pastor and preacher2 for no
 one any longer  knows this testament1  
to say nothing of their preaching it1   
although  this is their highest and only
 duty and obligation4 ,how heavily must 
they give account for so many souls who 
must perish because of this  lack in    
preaching4    ,,iv4 ,we should pray1 not
 as the custom is1 counting many pages  
or beads1  but fixing our mind upon some
 pressing need1 desire it with all      
earnestness1 and exercise faith and     
confidence toward ,god in the  matter1  
in such wise that we do not doubt that  

we shall be heard4 ,so  ,st4 ,bernard   
instructs his brethren and says3 ,dear  
brethren1 you shall  by no means despise
 your prayer1 as if it were in vain1 for
 ,i tell you  of a truth that1 before   
you have uttered the words1 the prayer  
is  already recorded in heaven2 and you 
shall confidently expect from ,god  one 
of two things3 either that your prayer  
will be granted1 or that1 if  it will   
not be granted1 the granting of it would
 not be good for you4    ,prayer is1    
therefore1 a special exercise of faith1 
and faith makes the  prayer so          
acceptable that either it will surely be
 granted1 or  something better than we  
ask will be given in its stead4 ,so also
 says  ,st4 ,james3 ,let him who asketh 
of ,god not waver in faith2 for if he   
wavers1 let not that man think that he  
shall receive any thing of the  ,lord4  
,this is a clear statement1 which says  
directly3 he who does not  trust1       
receives nothing1 neither that which he 
asks1 nor anything  better4    ,and to  

call forth such faith1 ,christ ,himself 
has said1 ,mark xi3  ,therefore ,i say  
unto you1 ,what things soever ye desire1
 when ye pray1  believe that ye receive 
them1 and ye shall surely have them4    
,and ,luke  xi3 ,ask1 and it shall be   
given you2 seek1 and ye shall find2     
knock1  and it shall be opened unto you2
 for every one that asketh receiveth2   
and he that seeketh findeth2 and to him 
that knocketh it shall be  opened4 ,or  
what father is there of you1 who1 if his
 son shall ask  bread1 will he give him 
a stone8  or if he ask a fish1 will he  
give him  a serpent8 or if he ask an    
egg1 will he give him a scorpion8 ,but  
if you  know how to give good gifts to  
your children1 and you yourselves are   
not naturally good1 how much more shall 
your ,father which is in heaven  give a 
good spirit to all them that ask ,him6  
,v4 ,who is so hard and stone-like1 that
 such mighty words ought not to  move   
him to pray with all confidence6        
joyfully and gladly8  ,but how  many    

prayers must be reformed1 if we are to  
pray aright according to  these words6  
,now1 indeed1 all churches and monastic 
houses are full of  praying and singing1
 but how does it happen that so little  
improvement  and benefit result from it1
 and things daily grow worse8 ,the      
reason is  none other than that which   
,st4  ,james indicates when he says3    
,you ask  much and receive not1 because 
ye ask amiss4 ,for where this faith and 
confidence is not in the prayer1 the    
prayer is dead1 and nothing more  than a
 grievous labor and work4 ,if anything  
is given for it1 it is none  the less   
only temporal benefit without any       
blessing and help for the  soul2 nay1 to
 the great injury and blinding of souls1
 so that they go  their way1 babbling   
much with their mouths1 regardless of   
whether they  receive1 or desire1 or    
trust2 and in this unbelief1 the state  
of mind  most opposed to the exercise of
 faith and to the nature of prayer1 they
  remain hardened4    ,from this it     

follows that one who prays aright never 
doubts that his  prayer is surely       
acceptable and heard1 although the very 
thing for  which he prays be not given  
him4 ,for we are to lay our need before 
,god  in prayer1 but not prescribe to   
,him a measure1 manner1 time or place2  
but if ,he wills to give it to us better
 or in another way than we  think1 we   
are to leave it to ,him2 for frequently 
we do not know what we  pray1 as ,st4   
,paul says1 ,romans viii2 and ,god works
 and gives above all  that we           
understand1 as he says1 ,ephesians iii1 
so that there be no  doubt that the     
prayer is acceptable and heard1 and we  
yet leave to ,god  the time1 place1     
measure and limit2 ,he will surely do   
what is right4  ,they are the true      
worshipers1 who worship ,god in spirit  
and in truth4  ,for they who believe not
 that they will be heard1 sin upon the  
left  hand against this ,commandment1   
and go far astray with their unbelief4  
,but they who set a limit for ,him1 sin 

upon the other side1 and come too  close
 with their tempting of ,god4 ,so ,he   
has forbidden both1 that we  should err 
from ,his ,commandment neither to the   
left nor to the right1  that is1 neither
 with unbelief nor with tempting1 but   
with simple faith  remain on the        
straight road1 trusting ,him1 and yet   
setting ,him no  bounds4    ,,vi4 ,thus 
we see that this ,commandment1 like the 
,second1 is to be  nothing else than a  
doing and keeping of the ,first         
,commandment1 that  is1 of faith1 trust1
 confidence1 hope and love to ,god1 so  
that in all  the ,commandments the      
,first may be the captain1 and faith the
 chief work  and the life of all other  
works1 without which1 as was said1 they 
cannot be good4    ,but if you say3     
,what if ,i cannot believe that my      
prayer is heard and  accepted8 ,i       
answer3 ,for this very reason faith1    
prayer and all other  good works are    
commanded1 that you shall know what you 
can and what you  cannot do4 ,and when  

you find that you cannot so believe and 
do1 then  you are humbly to confess it  
to ,god1 and so begin with a weak spark 
of  faith and daily strengthen it more  
and more by exercising it in all  your  
living and doing4 ,for as touching      
infirmity of faith 7that is1 of  the    
,first and highest ,commandment71 there 
is no one on earth who does  not have   
his good share of it4 ,for even the holy
 ,apostles in the  ,gospel1 and         
especially ,st4 ,peter1 were weak in    
faith1 so that they also  prayed ,christ
 and said3 ,lord1 increase our faith 2  
and ,he very  frequently rebukes them   
because they have so little faith4      
,therefore you shall not despair1 nor   
give up1 even if you find that you  do  
not believe as firmly as you ought and  
wish1 in your prayer or in  other works4
 ,nay1 you shall thank ,god with all    
your heart that ,he thus  reveals to you
 your weakness1 through which ,he daily 
teaches and  admonishes you how much you
 need to exercise yourself and daily    

strengthen yourself in faith4 ,for how  
many do you see who habitually  pray1   
sing1 read1 work and seem to be great   
saints1 and yet never get  so far as to 
know where they stand in respect of the 
chief work1 faith2  and so in their     
blindness they lead astray themselves   
and others2 think  they are very well   
off1 and so unknowingly build on the    
sand of their  works without any faith1 
not on ,god's mercy and promise through 
a firm1  pure faith4    ,therefore1     
however long we live1 we shall always   
have our hands full to  remain1 with all
 our works and sufferings1 pupils of the
 ,first  ,commandment and of faith1 and 
not to cease to learn4 ,no one knows    
what  a great thing it is to trust ,god 
alone1 except he who attempts it with   
his works4    ,,vii4 ,again3 if no other
 work were commanded1 would not prayer  
alone  suffice to exercise the whole    
life of man in faith8 ,for this work the
  spiritual estate has been specially   
established1 as indeed in olden  times  

some ,fathers prayed day and night4     
,nay1 there is no ,christian who  does  
not have time to pray without ceasing4  
,but ,i mean the spiritual  praying1    
that is3 no one is so heavily burdened  
with his labor1 but  that if he will he 
can1 while working1 speak with ,god in  
his heart1 lay  before ,him his need and
 that of other men1 ask for help1 make  
petition1  and in all this exercise and 
strengthen his faith4    ,this is what  
the ,lord means1 ,luke xviii1 when ,he  
says1 ,men ought  always to pray1 and   
never cease1 although in ,matthew vi4   
,he forbids  the use of much speaking   
and long prayers1 because of which ,he  
rebukes  the hypocrites2 not because the
 lengthy prayer of the lips is evil1 but
  because it is not that true prayer    
which can be made at all times1 and     
without the inner prayer of faith is    
nothing4 ,for we must also practise  the
 outward prayer in its proper time1     
especially in the mass1 as this         
,commandment requires1 and wherever it  

is helpful to the inner prayer  and     
faith1 whether in the house or in the   
field1 in this work or in  that2 of     
which we have no time now to speak more4
 ,for this belongs to  the ,lord's      
,prayer1 in which all petitions and     
spoken prayer are summed  up in brief   
words4    ,,viii4 ,where now are they   
who desire to know and to do good works8
  ,let  them undertake prayer alone1 and
 rightly exercise themselves in faith1  
and they will find that it is true1 as  
the holy ,fathers have said1 that  there
 is no work like prayer4 ,mumbling with 
the mouth is easy1 or at  least         
considered easy1 but with earnestness of
 heart to follow the  words in deep     
devotion1 that is1 with desire and      
faith1 so that one  earnestly desires   
what the words say1 and not to doubt    
that it will be  heard3 that is a great 
deed in ,god's eyes4    ,here the evil  
spirit hinders men with all his powers4 
,oh1 how often  will he here prevent the
 desire to pray1 not allow us to find   

time and  place1 nay1 often also raise  
doubts1 whether a man is worthy to ask  
anything of such a ,majesty as ,god is1 
and so confuse us that a man  himself   
does not know whether it is really true 
that he prays or not2  whether it is    
possible that his prayer is acceptable1 
and other such  strange thoughts4 ,for  
the evil spirit knows well how powerful 
one man's  truly believing prayer is1   
and how it hurts him1 and how it        
benefits  all men4 ,therefore he does   
not willingly let it happen4    ,when so
 tempted1 a man must indeed be wise1 and
 not doubt that he and  his prayer are1 
indeed1 unworthy before such infinite   
,majesty2 in no  wise dare he trust his 
worthiness1 or because of his           
unworthiness grow  faint2 but he must   
heed ,god's command and cast this up to 
,him1 and hold  it before the devil1 and
 say3 ,because of my worthiness ,i do   
nothing1  because of my unworthiness ,i 
cease from nothing4 ,i pray and work    
only  because ,god of ,his pure mercy   

has promised to hear and to be gracious 
to all unworthy men1 and not only       
promised it1 but ,he has also most      
sternly1 on pain of ,his everlasting    
displeasure and wrath1 commanded us  to 
pray1 to trust and to receive4 ,if it   
has not been too much for that  high    
,majesty so solemnly and highly to      
obligate ,his unworthy worms to  pray1  
to trust1 and to receive from ,him1 how 
shall it be too much for  me to take    
such command upon myself with all joy1  
however worthy or  unworthy ,i may be8  
,thus we must drive out the devil's     
suggestion with  ,god's command4 ,thus  
will he cease1 and in no other way      
whatever4    ,,ix4 ,but what are the    
things which we must bring before       
,almighty ,god in  prayer and           
lamentation1 to exercise faith thereby8 
,answer3 ,first1 every  man's own       
besetting need and trouble1 of which    
,david says1 ,psalm xxxii3  ,thou art my
 refuge in all trouble which compasseth 
me about2 ,thou art  my comfort1 to     

preserve me from all evil which         
surrounds me4 ,likewise1  ,psalm cxlii3 
,i cried unto the ,lord with my voice2  
with my voice unto  the ,lord did ,i    
make my supplication4 ,i poured out my  
complaint before  ,him2 ,i showed before
 ,him my trouble4 ,in the mass a        
,christian shall  keep in mind the      
short-comings or excesses he feels1 and 
pour out all  these freely before ,god  
with weeping and groaning1 as woefully  
as he  can1 as to his faithful ,father1 
who is ready to help him4  ,and if you  
do not know or recognise your need1 or  
have no trouble1 then you shall  know   
that you are in the worst possible      
plight4 ,for this is the  greatest      
trouble1 that you find yourself so      
hardened1 hard-hearted and  insensible  
that no trouble moves you4    ,there is 
no better mirror in which to see your   
need than simply the ,ten               
,commandments1 in which you will find   
what you lack and what you should  seek4
 ,if1 therefore1 you find in yourself a 

weak faith1 small hope and  little love 
toward ,god2 and that you do not praise 
and honor ,god1 but  love your own honor
 and fame1 think much of the favor of   
men1 do not  gladly hear mass and       
sermon1 are indolent in prayer1 in which
 things  every one has faults1 then you 
shall think more of these faults than of
  all bodily harm to goods1 honor and   
life1 and believe that they are  worse  
than death and all mortal sickness4     
,these you shall earnestly lay  before  
,god1 lament and ask for help1 and with 
all confidence expect  help1 and believe
 that you are heard and shall obtain    
help and mercy4    ,then go forward into
 the ,second ,table of the              
,commandments1 and see how  disobedient 
you have been and still are toward      
father and mother and  all in authority2
 how you sin against your neighbor with 
anger1 hatred  and evil words2 how you  
are tempted to unchastity1 covetousness 
and  injustice in word and deed against 
your neighbor2 and you will  doubtless  

find that you are full of all need and  
misery1 and have  reason enough to weep 
even drops of blood1 if you could4      
,x4 ,but ,i know well that many are so  
foolish as not to want to ask for  such 
things1 unless they first be conscious  
that they are pure1 and  believe that   
,god hears no one who is a sinner4 ,all 
this is the work of  those false        
preachers1 who teach men to begin1 not  
with faith and trust  in ,god's favor1  
but with their own works4    ,look you1 
wretched man6 if you have broken a leg1 
or the peril of death  overtakes you1   
you call upon ,god1 this ,saint and     
that1 and do not wait  until your leg is
 healed1 or the danger is past3 you are 
not so foolish  as to think that ,god   
hears no one whose leg is broken1 or who
 is in  bodily danger4 ,nay1 you believe
 that ,god shall hear most of all when  
you are in the greatest need and fear4  
,why1 then1 are you so foolish  here1   
where there is immeasurably greater need
 and eternal hurt1 and do  not want to  

ask for faith1 hope1 love1 humility1    
obedience1 chastity1  gentleness1 peace1
 righteousness1 unless you are already  
free of all  your unbelief1 doubt1      
pride1 disobedience1 unchastity1 anger1 
covetousness and unrighteousness4       
,although the more you find yourself    
lacking in these things1 the more and   
more diligently you ought to pray  or   
cry4    ,so blind are we3 with our      
bodily sickness and need we run to ,god2
 with  the soul's sickness we run from  
,him1 and are unwilling to come back    
before we are well1 exactly as if there 
could be one ,god who could help  the   
body1 and another ,god who could help   
the soul2 or as if we would  help       
ourselves in spiritual need1 although it
 really is greater than  the bodily     
need4 ,such plan and counsel is of the  
devil4    ,not so1 my good man6 ,if you 
wish to be cured of sin1 you must not   
withdraw from ,god1 but run to ,him1 and
 pray with much more confidence  than if
 a bodily need had overtaken you4 ,god  

is not hostile to sinners1  but only to 
unbelievers1 that is1 to such as do not 
recognize and  lament their sin1 nor    
seek help against it from ,god1 but in  
their own  presumption wish first to    
purify themselves1 are unwilling to be  
in  need of ,his grace1 and will not    
suffer ,him to be a ,god ,who gives to  
everyone and takes nothing in return4   
,,xi4 ,all this has been said of prayer 
for personal needs1 and of prayer  in   
general4 ,but the prayer which really   
belongs to this ,commandment and  is    
called a work of the ,holy ,day1 is far 
better and greater1 and is to  be made  
for all ,christendom1 for all the need  
of all men1 of foe and  friend1         
especially for those who belong to the  
parish or bishopric4    ,thus ,st4 ,paul
 commanded his disciple ,timothy3 exhort
 thee1 that thou  see to it1 that       
prayers and intercessions be made for   
all men1 for  kings1 and for all that   
are in authority1 that we may lead a    
quiet and  peaceable life in all        

godliness and honesty4 ,for this is good
 and  acceptable in the sight of ,god   
our ,saviour4 ,for this reason          
,jeremiah1  chapter xxix1 commanded the 
people of ,israel to pray for the city  
and  land of ,babylon1 because in the   
peace thereof they should have peace4   
,and ,baruch i3 ,pray for the life of   
the king of ,babylon and for the  life  
of his son1 that we may live in peace   
under their rule4    ,this common prayer
 is precious and the most powerful1 and 
it is for its  sake that we come        
together4 ,for this reason also the     
,church is called a  ,house of ,prayer1 
because in it we are as a congregation  
with one accord  to consider our need   
and the needs of all men1 present them  
before ,god1  and call upon ,him for    
mercy4  ,but this must be done with     
heart-felt  emotion and sincerity1 so   
that we feel in our hearts the need of  
all  men1 and that we pray with true    
sympathy for them1 in true faith and    
confidence4 ,where such prayers are not 

made in the mass1 it were better  to    
omit the mass4 ,for what sense is there 
in our coming together into a  ,house of
 ,prayer1 which coming together shows   
that we should make common  prayer and  
petition for the entire congregation1 if
 we scatter these  prayers1 and so      
distribute them that everyone prays only
 for himself1  and no one has regard for
 the other1 nor concerns himself for    
another's  need8 ,how can that prayer be
 of help1 good1 acceptable and a common 
prayer1 or a work of the ,holy ,day and 
of the assembled congregation1  which   
they make who make their own petty      
prayers1 one for this1 the  other for   
that1 and have nothing but self-seeking1
 selfish prayers1  which ,god hates8    
,,xii4 ,a suggestion of this common     
prayer has been retained from ancient   
practice1 when at the end of the sermon 
the ,confession of ,sins is said  and   
prayer is made on the pulpit for all    
,christendom4 ,but this should  not be  
the end of the matter1 as is now the    

custom and fashion2 it  should be an    
exhortation to pray throughout the      
entire mass for such  need as the       
preacher makes us feel2 and in order    
that we may pray  worthily1 he first    
exhorts us because of our sin1 and      
thereby makes us  humble4 ,this should  
be done as briefly as possible1 that    
then the  entire congregation may       
confess their own sin and pray for every
 one  with earnestness and faith4       
,oh1 if ,god granted that any           
congregation at all heard mass and      
prayed  in this way1 so that a common   
earnest heart-cry of the entire people  
would rise up to ,god1 what immeasurable
 virtue and help would result  from such
 a prayer6 ,what more terrible thing    
could happen to all the  evil spirits8  
,what greater work could be done on     
earth1 whereby so many  pious souls     
would be preserved1 so many sinners     
converted8    ,for1 indeed1 the         
,christian ,church on earth has no      
greater power or work  than such common 

prayer against everything that may      
oppose it4 ,this the  evil spirit knows 
well1 and therefore he does all that he 
can to  prevent such prayer4 ,gleefully 
he lets us go on building churches1     
endowing many monastic houses1 making   
music1 reading1 singing1  observing many
 masses1 and multiplying ceremonies     
beyond all measure4  ,this does not     
grieve him1 nay1 he helps us do it1 that
 we may consider  such things the very  
best1 and think that thereby we have    
done our  whole duty4 ,but in that      
meanwhile this common1 effectual and    
fruitful  prayer perishes and its       
omission is unnoticed because of such   
display1  in this he has what he seeks4 
,for when prayer languishes1 no one will
  take anything from him1 and no one    
will withstand him4 ,but if he  noticed 
that we wished to practise this prayer1 
even if it were under a  straw roof or  
in a pig-sty1 he would indeed not endure
 it1 but would  fear such a pig-sty far 
more than all the high1 big and         

beautiful  churches1 towers and bells in
 existence1 if such prayer be not in    
them4  ,it is indeed not a question of  
the places and buildings in which we    
assemble1 but only of this unconquerable
 prayer1 that we pray it and  bring it  
before ,god as a truly common prayer4   
,,xiii4 ,the power of this prayer we see
 in the fact that in olden times        
,abraham prayed for the five cities1    
,sodom1 ,gomorrah1 etc41 ,genesis       
xviii1 and accomplished so much1 that if
 there had been ten righteous  people in
 them1 two in each city1 ,god would not 
have destroyed them4  ,what then could  
many men do1 if they united in calling  
upon ,god  earnestly and with sincere   
confidence8    ,st4 ,james also says3   
,dear brethren1 pray for one another1   
that ye may  be saved4 ,for the prayer  
of a righteous man availeth much1 a     
prayer  that perseveres and does not    
cease 7that is1 which does not cease    
asking ever more and more1 although what
 it asks is not immediately  granted1 as

 some timid men do74 ,and as an example 
in this matter he  sets before us       
,elijah1 the ,prophet1 who was a man1 he
 says1 as we  are1 and prayed1 that it  
might not rain2 and it rained not by the
 space  of three years and six months4  
,and he prayed again1 and it rained1 and
  everything became fruitful4 ,there are
 many texts and examples in the         
,scriptures which urge us to pray1 only 
that it be done with earnestness  and   
faith4 ,as ,david says1 ,the eyes of the
 ,lord are upon the righteous1  and ,his
 ears are open unto their cry4 ,again1  
,the ,lord is nigh unto  all them that  
call upon ,him1 to all that call upon   
,him in truth4 ,why  does he add1 call  
upon ,him in truth8 ,because that is not
 prayer nor  calling upon ,god when the 
mouth alone mumbles4    ,what should    
,god do1 if you come along with your    
mouth1 book or  ,paternoster1 and think 
of nothing except that you may finish   
the words  and complete the number8 ,so 
that if some one were to ask you what it

  all was about1 or what it was that you
 prayed for1 you yourself would  not    
know2 for you had not thought of laying 
this or that matter before  ,god or     
desiring it4 ,your only reason for      
praying is that you are  commanded to   
pray this and so much1 and this you     
intend to do in full4  ,what wonder that
 thunder and lightning frequently set   
churches on fire1  because we thus make 
of the ,house of ,prayer a house of     
mockery1 and  call that prayer in which 
we bring nothing before ,god and desire 
nothing from ,him4    ,but we should do 
as they do who wish to ask a favor of   
great princes4  ,these do not plan      
merely to babble a certain number of    
words1 for the  prince would think they 
mocked him1 or were insane2 but they put
 their  request very plainly1 and       
present their need earnestly1 and then  
leave  it to his mercy1 in good         
confidence that he will grant it4 ,so we
 must  deal with ,god of definite       
things1 namely1 mention some present    

need1  commend it to ,his mercy and     
good-will1 and not doubt that it is     
heard2  for ,he has promised to hear    
such prayer1 which no earthly lord has  
done4    ,,xiv4 ,we are masters in this 
form of prayer when we suffer bodily    
need2  when we are sick we call here    
upon ,st4 ,christopher1 there upon ,st4 
,barbara2 we vow a pilgrimage to ,st4   
,james1 to this place and to that2  then
 we make earnest prayer1 have a good    
confidence and every good kind  of      
prayer4 ,but when we are in our churches
 during mass1 we stand like  images of  
saints2 know nothing to speak of or to  
lament2 the beads  rattle1 the pages    
rustle and the mouth babbles2 and that  
is all there  is to it4    ,but if you  
ask what you shall speak of and lament  
in your prayer1 you  can easily learn   
from the ,ten ,commandments and the     
,lord's ,prayer4 ,open  your eyes and   
look into your life and the life of all 
,christians1  especially of the         
spiritual estate1 and you will find how 

faith1 hope1  love1 obedience1 chastity 
and every virtue languish1 and all      
manner of  heinous vices reign2 what a  
lack there is of good preachers and     
prelates2 how only knaves1 children1    
fools and women rule4 ,then you  will   
see that there were need every hour     
without ceasing to pray  everywhere with
 tears of blood to ,god1 ,who is so     
terribly angry with  men4 ,and it is    
true that it has never been more        
necessary to pray than  at this time1   
and it will be more so from now on to   
the end of the  world4 ,if such terrible
 crimes do not move you to lament and   
complain1  do not permit yourself to be 
led astray by your rank1 station1 good  
works or prayer3 there is no ,christian 
vein or trait in you1 however  righteous
 you may be4 ,but it has all been       
foretold1 that when ,god's  anger is    
greatest and ,christendom suffers the   
greatest need1 then  petitioners and    
supplicants before ,god shall not be    
found1 as ,isaiah  says with tears1     

chapter lxiv3 ,thou art angry with us1  
and there is  none that calleth upon    
,thy ,name1 that stirreth up himself to 
take hold  of ,thee4 ,likewise1 ,ezekiel
 xxii3 ,i sought for a man among them1  
that  should make up the hedge1 and     
stand in the gap before me for the land1
  that ,i should not destroy it2 but ,i 
found none4 ,therefore have ,i poured   
out ,mine indignation upon them2 ,i have
 consumed them with the fire of  ,my    
wrath4 ,with these words ,god indicates 
how ,he wants us to withstand  ,him and 
turn away ,his anger from one another1  
as it is frequently  written of the     
,prophet ,moses1 that he restrained     
,god1 lest ,his anger  should overwhelm 
the people of ,israel4    ,,xv4 ,but    
what will they do1 who not only do not  
regard such misfortune  of ,christendom1
 and do not pray against it1 but laugh  
at it1 take  pleasure in it1 condemn1   
malign1 sing and talk of their          
neighbor's  sins1 and yet dare1 unafraid
 and unashamed1 go to church1 hear mass1

  say prayers1 and regard themselves and
 are regarded as pious  ,christians8    
,these truly are in need that we pray   
twice for them1 if we  pray once for    
those whom they condemn1 talk about and 
laugh at4 ,that  there would be such is 
also prophesied by the thief on         
,christ's left  hand1 who blasphemed    
,him in ,his suffering1 weakness and    
need2 also by  all those who reviled    
,christ on the ,cross1 when they should 
most of all  have helped ,him4    ,o    
,god1 how blind1 nay1 how insane have we
 ,christians become6 ,when will  there  
be an end of wrath1 ,o heavenly ,father8
 ,that we mock at the  misfortune of    
,christendom1 to pray for which we      
gather together in  ,church and at the  
mass1 that we blaspheme and condemn men1
 this is the  fruit of our mad          
materialism4 ,if the ,turk destroys     
cities1 country and  people1 and ruins  
churches1 we think a great injury has   
been done  ,christendom4 ,then we       
complain1 and urge kings and princes to 

war4 ,but  when faith perishes1 love    
grows cold1 ,god's ,word is neglected1  
and all  manner of sin flourishes1 then 
no one thinks of fighting1 nay1 pope1   
bishops1 priests and clergy1 who ought  
to be generals1 captains and            
standard-bearers in this spiritual      
warfare against these spiritual and     
many times worse ,turks1 these are      
themselves the very princes and  leaders
 of such ,turks and of the devil host1  
just as ,judas was the  leader of the   
,jews when they took ,christ4  ,it had  
to be an apostle1 a  bishop1 a priest1  
one of the number of the best1 who began
 the work of  slaying ,christ4 ,so also 
must ,christendom be laid waste by no   
others  than those who ought to protect 
it1 and yet are so insane that they are 
ready to eat up the ,turks and at home  
themselves set house and  sheep-cote on 
fire and let them burn up with the sheep
 and all other  contents1 and none the  
less worry about the wolf in the woods4 
,such are  our times1 and this is the   

reward we have earned by our ingratitude
  toward the endless grace which ,christ
 has won for us freely with ,his        
precious blood1 grievous labor and      
bitter death4    ,,xvi4 ,lo6 where are  
the idle ones1 who do not know how to do
 good works8  ,where are they who run to
 ,rome1 to ,st4 ,james1 hither and      
thither8 ,take  up this one single work 
of the mass1 look on your neighbor's sin
 and  ruin1 and have pity on him2 let it
 grieve you1 tell it to ,god1 and pray  
over it4 ,do the same for every other   
need of ,christendom1 especially of  the
 rulers1 whom ,god1 for the intolerable 
punishment and torment of us  all1      
allows to fall and be misled so         
terribly4 ,if you do this  diligently1  
be assured you are one of the best      
fighters and captains1  not only against
 the ,turks1 but also against the devils
 and the powers  of hell4 ,but if you do
 it not1 what would it help you though  
you  performed all the miracles of the  
saints1 and murdered all the ,turks1    

and yet were found guilty of having     
disregarded your neighbor's need  and of
 having thereby sinned against love8    
,for ,christ at the last day  will not  
ask how much you have prayed1 fasted1   
pilgrimaged1 done this  or that for     
yourself1 but how much good you have    
done to others1 even  the very least4   
,now without doubt among the least are  
also those who are in sin and  spiritual
 poverty1 captivity and need1 of whom   
there are at present far  more than of  
those who suffer bodily need4 ,therefore
 take heed3 our own  self-assumed good  
works lead us to and into ourselves1    
that we seek  only our own benefit and  
salvation2 but ,god's commandments drive
 us to  our neighbor1 that we may       
thereby benefit others to their         
salvation4  ,just as ,christ on the     
,cross prayed not for ,himself alone1   
but rather  for us1 when ,he said1      
,father1 forgive them1 fort they know   
not what  they do1 so we also must pray 
for one another4 ,from which every man  

may know that the slanderers1 frivolous 
judges and despisers of other  people   
are a perverted1 evil race1 who do      
nothing else than heap abuse  on those  
for whom they ought to pray2 in which   
vice no one is sunk so  deep as those   
very men who do many good works of their
 own1 and seem to  men to be something  
extraordinary1 and are honored because  
of their  beautiful1 splendid life in   
manifold good works4    ,,xvii4         
,spiritually understood1 this           
,commandment has a yet far higher  work1
 which embraces the whole nature of man4
 ,here it must be known  that in ,hebrew
 ,sabbath means rest1 because on the    
seventh day ,god  rested and ceased from
 all ,his works1 which ,he had made4    
,genesis ii4  ,therefore ,he commanded  
also that the seventh day should be kept
 holy  and that we cease from our works 
which we do the other six days4 ,this   
,sabbath has now for us been changed    
into the ,sunday1 and the other days    
are called work-days2 the ,sunday is    

called rest-day or holiday or holy  day4
 ,and would to ,god that in ,christendom
 there were no holiday except  the      
,sunday2 that the festivals of ,our     
,lady and of the ,saints were all       
transferred to ,sunday2 then would many 
evil vices be done away with  through   
the labor of the work-days1 and lands   
would not be so drained  and            
impoverished4 ,but now we are plagued   
with many holidays1 to the  destruction 
of souls1 bodies and goods2 of which    
matter much might be  said4    ,this    
rest or ceasing from labors is of two   
kinds1 bodily and spiritual4  ,for this 
reason this ,commandment is also to be  
understood in two ways4    ,the bodily  
rest is that of which we have spoken    
above1 namely1 that we  omit our        
business and work1 in order that we may 
gather in the church1  see mass1 hear   
,god's ,word and make common prayer4    
,this rest is indeed  bodily and in     
,christendom no longer commanded by     
,god1 as the ,apostle  says1 ,colossians

 ii1 ,let no man obligate you to any    
holiday  whatever--for they were of old 
a figure1 but now the truth has been    
fulfilled1 so that all days are holy    
days1 as ,isaiah says1 chapter  lxvi1   
,one holy day shall follow the other2 on
 the other hand1 all  days are workdays4
 ,yet it is a necessity and ordained by 
the ,church for  the sake of the        
imperfect laity and working people1 that
 they also may  be able to come to hear 
,god's ,word4 ,for1 as we see1 the      
priests and  clergy celebrate mass every
 day1 pray at all hours and train       
themselves  in ,god's ,word by study1   
reading and hearing4 ,for this reason   
also they  are freed from work before   
others1 supported by tithes and have    
holy-day every day1 and every day do the
 works of the holy-day1 and  have no    
work-day1 but for them one day is as the
 other4 ,and if we were  all perfect1   
and knew the ,gospel1 we might work     
every day if we wished1  or rest if we  
could4 ,for a day of rest is at present 

not necessary nor  commanded except only
 for the teaching of ,god's ,word and   
prayer4    ,the spiritual rest1 which   
,god particularly intends in this       
,commandment1  is this3 that we not only
 cease from our labor and trade1 but    
much  more1 that we let ,god alone work 
in us and that we do nothing of our  own
 with all our powers4 ,but how is this  
done8 ,in this way3 ,man1  corrupted by 
sin1 has much wicked love and           
inclination toward all sins1  as the    
,scriptures say1 ,genesis viii1 ,man's  
heart and senses incline  always to the 
evil1 that is1 to pride1 disobedience1  
anger1 hatred1  covetousness1           
unchastity1 etc41 and summa summarum1 in
 all that he does  and leaves undone1 he
 seeks his own profit1 will and honor   
rather than  ,god's and his neighbor's4 
,therefore all his works1 all his words1
 all  his thoughts1 all his life are    
evil and not godly4    ,now if ,god is  
to work and to live in him1 all this    
vice and wickedness  must be choked and 

up-rooted1 so that there may be rest and
 a cessation  of all our works1 thoughts
 and life1 and that henceforth 7as ,st4 
,paul  says1 ,galatians ii47 it may be  
no longer we who live1 but ,christ ,who 
lives1 works and speaks in us4  ,this is
 not accomplished with  comfortable1    
pleasant days1 but here we must hurt our
 nature and let it  be hurt4 ,here      
begins the strife between the spirit and
 the flesh2 here  the spirit resists    
anger1 lust1 pride1 while the flesh     
wants to be in  pleasure1 honor and     
comfort4 ,of this ,st4 ,paul says1      
,galatians v1 ,they  that are our ,lord 
,christ's have crucified the flesh with 
its affections  and lusts4 ,then follow 
the good works1--fasting1 watching1     
labor1 of  which some say and write so  
much1 although they know neither the    
source  nor the purpose of these good   
works4  ,therefore we will now also     
speak  of them4    ,,xviii4 ,this rest1 
namely1 that our work cease and ,god    
alone work in us1  is accomplished in   

two ways4 ,first1 through our own       
effort1 secondly1  through the effort or
 urging of others4    ,our own effort is
 to be so made and ordered that1 in the 
first place1  when we see our flesh1    
senses1 will and thoughts tempting us1  
we resist  them and do not heed them1 as
 the ,wise ,man says3 ,follow not thine 
own  desires4 ,and ,moses1 ,deuteronomy 
xii3 ,thou shalt not do what is right   
in thine own eyes4    ,here a man must  
make daily use of those prayers which   
,david prays3  ,lord1 lead me in ,thy   
path1 and let me not walk in my own     
ways1 and  many like prayers1 which are 
all summed up in the prayer1 ,thy       
kingdom  come4 ,for the desires are so  
many1 so various1 and besides at times  
so  nimble1 so subtile and specious1    
through the suggestions of the evil     
one1 that it is not possible for a man  
to control himself in his own  ways4 ,he
 must let hands and feet go1 commend    
himself to ,god's  governance1 and      
entrust nothing to his reason1 as       

,jeremiah says1 ,o  ,lord1 ,i know that 
the way of man is not in his own power4 
,we see proof  of this1 when the        
children of ,israel went out of ,egypt  
through the  ,wilderness1 where there   
was no way1 no food1 no drink1 no help4 
,therefore ,god went before them1 by day
 in a bright3 cloud1 by night in  a     
fiery pillar1 fed them with manna from  
heaven1 and kept their  garments and    
shoes that they waxed not old1 as we    
read in the ,books of  ,moses4 ,for this
 reason we pray3 ,thy kingdom come1 that
 ,thou rule us1  and not3 we ourselves1 
for there is nothing more perilous in us
 than  our reason and will4 ,and this is
 the first and highest work of ,god in  
us and the best training1 that we cease 
from our works1 that we let our  reason 
and will be idle1 that we rest and      
commend ourselves to ,god in  all       
things1 especially when they seem to be 
spiritual and good4    ,,xix4 ,after    
this comes the discipline of the flesh1 
to kill its gross1  evil lust1 to give  

it rest and relief4 ,this we must kill  
and quiet with  fasting1 watching and   
labor1 and from this we learn how much  
and why we  shall fast1 watch and labor4
    ,there are1 alas6 many blind men1   
who practise their castigation1  whether
 it be fasting1 watching or labor1 only 
because they think these  are good      
works1 intending by them to gain much   
merit4 ,far blinder still  are they who 
measure their fasting not only by the   
quantity or  duration1 as these do1 but 
also by the nature of the food1 thinking
  that it is of far greater worth if    
they do not eat meat1 eggs or  butter4  
,beyond these are those who fast        
according to the saints1 and  according 
to the days2 one fasting on ,wednesday1 
another on ,saturday1  another on ,st4  
,barbara's day1 another on ,st4         
,sebastian's day1 and so  on4 ,these all
 seek in their fasting nothing beyond   
the work itself3  when they have        
performed that1 they think they have    
done a good work4 ,i  will here say     

nothing of the fact that some fast in   
such a way that  they none the less     
drink themselves full2 some fast by     
eating fish and  other foods so lavishly
 that they would come much nearer to    
fasting if  they ate meat1 eggs and     
butter1 and by so doing would obtain far
 better  results from their fasting4    
,for such fasting is not fasting1 but a 
mockery of fasting and of ,god4         
,therefore ,i allow everyone to choose  
his day1 food and quantity for  fasting1
 as he will1 on condition that he do not
 stop with that1 but  have regard to his
 flesh2 let him put upon it fasting1    
watching and  labor according to its    
lust and wantonness1 and no more1       
although pope1  ,church1 bishop1        
father-confessor or any one else        
whosoever have  commanded it4 ,for no   
one should measure and regulate fasting1
 watching  and labor according to the   
character or quantity of the food1 or   
according to the days1 but according to 
the withdrawal or approach of  the lust 

and wantonness of the flesh1 for the    
sake of which alone the  fasting1       
watching and labor is ordained1 that is1
 to kill and to subdue  them4 ,if it    
were not for this lust1 eating were as  
meritorious as  fasting1 sleeping as    
watching1 idleness as labor1 and each   
were as good  as the other without all  
distinction4    ,,xx4 ,now1 if some one 
should find that more wantonness arose  
in his  flesh from eating fish than from
 eating eggs and meat1 let him eat meat 
and not fish4 ,again1 if he find that   
his head becomes confused and  crazed or
 his body and stomach injured through   
fasting1 or that it is  not needful to  
kill the wantonness of his flesh1 he    
shall let fasting  alone entirely1 and  
eat1 sleep1 be idle as is necessary for 
his health1  regardless whether it be   
against the command of the ,church1 or  
the  rules of monastic orders3 for no   
commandment of the ,church1 no law of   
an order can make fasting1 watching and 
labor of more value than it has  in     

serving to repress or to kill the flesh 
and its lusts4 ,where men go  beyond    
this1 and the fasting1 eating1 sleeping1
 watching are practised  beyond the     
strength of the body1 and more than is  
necessary to the  killing of the lust1  
so that through it the natural strength 
is ruined  and the head is racked2 then 
let no one imagine that he has done good
  works1 or excuse himself by citing the
 commandment of the ,church or the  law 
of his order4 ,he will be regarded as a 
man who takes no care of  himself1 and1 
as far as in him lies1 has become his   
own murderer4    ,for the body is not   
given us that we should kill its natural
 life or  work1 but only that we kill   
its wantonness2 unless its wantonness   
were  so strong and great that we could 
not sufficiently resist it without  ruin
 and harm to the natural life4  ,for1 as
 has been said1 in the  practice of     
fasting1 watching and labor1 we are not 
to look upon the  works in themselves1  
not on the days1 not on the number1 not 

on the  food1 but only on the wanton and
 lustful ,adam1 that through them he may
  be cured of his evil appetite4        
,,xxi4 ,from this we can judge how      
wisely or foolishly some women act when 
they are with child1 and how the sick   
are to be treated4  ,for the  foolish   
women cling so firmly to their fasting  
that they run the risk  of great danger 
to the fruit of their womb and to       
themselves1 rather  than not to fast    
when the others fast4 ,they make a      
matter of conscience  where there is    
none1 and where there is matter of      
conscience they make  none4 ,this is all
 the fault of the preachers1 because    
they continually  prate of fasting1 and 
never point out its true use1 limit1    
fruit1 cause  and purpose4  ,so also the
 sick should be allowed to eat and to   
drink  every day whatever they wish4 ,in
 brief1 where the wantonness of the     
flesh ceases1 there every reason for    
fasting1 watching1 laboring1  eating    
this or that1 has already ceased1 and   

there no longer is any  binding         
commandment at all4    ,but then care   
must be taken1 lest out of this freedom 
there grow a lazy  indifference about   
killing the wantonness of the flesh2 for
 the roguish  ,adam is exceedingly      
tricky in looking for permission for    
himself1 and  in pleading the ruin of   
the body or of the mind2 so some men    
jump right  in and say it is neither    
necessary nor commanded to fast or to   
mortify  the flesh1 and are ready to eat
 this and that without fear1 just as if 
they had for a long time had much       
experience of fasting1 although they    
have never tried it4    ,no less are we 
to guard against offending those who1   
not sufficiently  informed1 regard it a 
great sin if we do not fast or eat as   
they do4  ,these we must kindly         
instruct1 and not haughtily despise1 nor
 eat this  or that in despite of them1  
but we must tell them the reason why it 
is  right to do so1 and thus gradually  
lead them to a correct  understanding4  

,but if they are stubborn and will not  
listen1 we must  let them alone1 and do 
as we know it is right to do4    ,,xxii4
 ,the second form of discipline which we
 receive at the hands of  others1 is    
when men or devils cause us suffering1  
as when our property  is taken1 our body
 sick1 and our honor taken away2 and    
everything that  may move us to anger1  
impatience and unrest4 ,for ,god's work 
rules in us  according to ,his wisdom1  
not according to our wisdom1 according  
to ,his  purity and chastity1 not       
according to the wantonness of our      
flesh2 for  ,god's work is wisdom and   
purity1 our work is foolishness and     
impurity1  and these shall rest3 so in  
like manner it should rule in us        
according  to ,his peace1 not our anger1
 impatience and lack of peace4 ,for     
peace  too is ,god's work1 impatience is
 the work of our flesh2 this shall rest 
and be dead1 that we thus in every way  
keep a spiritual holiday1 let  our works
 stand idle1 and let ,god work in us4   

,therefore in order to kill our works   
and the ,adam in us1 ,god heaps many    
temptations upon us1 which move us to   
anger1 many sufferings1 which  rouse us 
to impatience1 and last of all death and
 the world's abuse2  whereby ,he seeks  
nothing else than that ,he may drive out
 anger1  impatience and lack of peace1  
and attain to ,his work1 that is1 to    
peace1 in us4 ,thus says ,isaiah xxviii1
 ,he does the work of another  that ,he 
may come to ,his own work4 ,what does   
this mean8 ,he sends us  suffering and  
trouble that ,he may teach us to have   
patience and peace2  ,he bids us die    
that ,he may make us live1 until a man1 
thoroughly  trained1 becomes so peaceful
 and quiet that he is not disturbed1    
whether it go well or ill with him1     
whether he die or live1 be honored  or  
dishonored4 ,there ,god ,himself dwells 
alone1 and there are no works  of men4  
,this is rightly keeping and hallowing  
the day of rest2 then a  man does not   
guide himself1 then he desires nothing  

for himself1 then  nothing troubles him2
 but ,god ,himself leads him1 there is  
naught but  godly pleasure1 joy and     
peace with all other works and virtues4 
,,xxiii4 ,these works ,he considers so  
great that ,he commands us not only  to 
keep the day of rest1 but also to hallow
 it or regard it as holy1  whereby ,he  
declares that there are no more precious
 things than  suffering1 dying1 and all 
manner of misfortune4 ,for they are holy
 and  sanctify a man from his works to  
,god's works1 just as a church is       
consecrated from natural works to the   
worship of ,god4 ,therefore a man  shall
 also recognise them as holy things1 be 
glad and thank ,god when  they come upon
 him4 ,for when they come they make him 
holy1 so that he  fulfils this          
,commandment and is saved1 redeemed from
 all his sinful  works4 ,thus says      
,david3 ,precious in the sight of the   
,lord is the death  of ,his saints4     
,in order to strengthen us thereto ,he  
has not only commanded us to keep  such 

a rest 7for nature is very unwilling to 
die and to suffer1 and it  is a bitter  
day of rest for it to cease from its    
works and be dead72  but ,he has also   
comforted us in the ,scriptures with    
many words and told  us1 ,psalm xci1 ,i 
will be with him in all his trouble1 and
 will deliver  him4 ,likewise ,psalm    
xxxiv3 ,the ,lord is nigh unto all them 
that  suffer1 and will help them4    ,as
 if this were not enough1 ,he has given 
us a powerful1 strong example  of it1   
,his only1 dear ,son1 ,jesus ,christ1   
our ,lord1 who on the ,sabbath  lay in  
the tomb the entire day of rest1 free   
from all ,his works1 and  was the first 
to fulfil this ,commandment1 although   
,he needed it not for  ,himself1 but    
only for our comfort1 that we also in   
all suffering and  death should be quiet
 and have peace4 ,since1 as ,christ was 
raised up  after ,his rest and          
henceforth lives only in ,god and ,god  
in ,him1 so also  shall we by the death 
of our ,adam1 which is perfectly        

accomplished only  through natural death
 and burial1 be lifted up into ,god1    
that ,god may  live and work in us      
forever4 ,lo6 these are the three parts 
of man3  reason1 desire1 aversion2 in   
which all his works are done4 ,these1   
therefore1 must be slain by these three 
exercises1 ,god's governance1  our      
self-mortification1 the hurt done to us 
by others2 and so they must  spiritually
 rest before ,god1 and give ,him room   
for ,his works4    ,,xxiv4 ,but such    
works are to be done and such sufferings
 to be endured  in faith and in sure    
confidence of ,god's favor1 in order    
that1 as has  been said1 all works      
remain in the ,first ,commandment and in
 faith1 and  that faith1 for the sake of
 which all other commandments and works 
are  ordained1 exercise and strengthen  
itself in them4 ,see1 therefore1 what  a
 pretty1 golden ring these three        
,commandments and their works  naturally
 form1 and how from the ,first          
,commandment and faith the ,second      

flows on to the ,third1 and the ,third  
in turn drives through the ,second  up  
into the ,first4 ,for the first work is 
to believe1 to have a good  heart and   
confidence toward ,god4 ,from this flows
 the second good work1  to praise ,god's
 ,name1 to confess ,his grace1 to give  
all honor to ,him  alone4 ,then follows 
the third1 to worship by praying1       
hearing ,god's  ,word1 thinking of and  
considering ,god's benefits1 and in     
addition  chastising one's self1 and    
keeping the body under4    ,but when the
 evil spirit perceives such faith1 such 
honoring of ,god and  such worship1 he  
rages and stirs up persecution1 attacks 
body1 goods1  honor and life1 brings    
upon us sickness1 poverty1 shame and    
death1  which ,god so permits and       
ordains4 ,see1 here begins the second   
work1 or  the second rest of the ,third 
,commandment2 by this faith is very     
greatly  tried1 even as gold in the     
fire4 ,for it is a great thing to retain
 a  sure confidence in ,god1 although   

,he sends us death1 shame1 sickness1    
poverty2 and in this cruel form of wrath
 to regard ,him as our  all-gracious    
,father1 as must be done in this work of
 the ,third  ,commandment4  ,here       
suffering contains faith1 that it must  
call upon  ,god's ,name and praise it in
 such suffering1 and so it comes through
 the  ,third ,commandment into the      
,second again2 and through that very    
calling  on the ,name of ,god and       
praise1 faith grows1 and becomes        
conscious of  itself1 and so strengthens
 itself1 through the two works of the   
,third  and of the ,second ,commandment4
 ,thus faith goes out into the works and
  through the works comes to itself     
again2 just as the sun goes forth  unto 
its setting and comes again unto its    
rising4 ,for this reason the            
,scriptures associate the day with      
peaceful living in works1 the night     
with passive living in adversity1 and   
faith lives and works1 goes out  and    
comes in1 in both1 as ,christ says1     

,john ix4    ,,xxv4 ,this order of good 
works we pray in the ,lord's ,prayer4   
,the first  is this1 that we say3 ,our  
,father1 ,who art in heaven2 these are  
the  words of the first work of faith1  
which1 according to the ,first          
,commandment1 does not doubt that it has
 a gracious ,father in heaven4  ,the    
second3 ,hallowed be ,thy ,name1 in     
which faith asks that ,god's  ,name1    
praise and honor be glorified1 and calls
 upon it in every need1  as the ,second 
,commandment says4 ,the third3 ,thy     
kingdom come1 in which  we pray for the 
true ,sabbath and rest1 peaceful        
cessation of our works1  that ,god's    
work alone be done in us1 and so ,god   
rule in us as in ,his  own kingdom1 as  
,he says1 ,luke xvii1 ,behold1 ,god's   
kingdom is nowhere  else except within  
you4 ,the fourth petition is ,thy will  
be done2 in  which we pray that we may  
keep and have the ,seven ,commandments  
of the  ,second ,table1 in which faith  
is exercised toward our neighbor2 just  

as  in the first three it is exercised  
in works toward ,god alone4 ,and these  
are the petitions in which stands the   
word ,thou1 ,thy1 ,thy1 ,thy1  because  
they seek only what belongs to ,god2 all
 the others say our1  us1 our1 etc2 for 
in them we pray for our goods and       
blessedness4    ,let this1 then1 suffice
 as a plain1 hasty explanation of the   
,first  ,table of ,moses1 pointing out  
to simple folk what are the highest of  
good works4    ,the ,second ,table      
follows4        ,thou shalt honor thy   
father and thy mother4    ,from this    
,commandment we learn that after the    
excellent works of the  first three     
,commandments there are no better works 
than to obey and  serve all those who   
are set over us as superiors4 ,for this 
reason also  disobedience is a greater  
sin than murder1 unchastity1 theft and  
dishonesty1 and all that these may      
include4  ,for we can in no better  way 
learn how to distinguish between greater
 and lesser sins than by  noting the    

order of the ,commandments of ,god1     
although there are  distinctions also   
within the works of each ,commandment4  
,for who does  not know that to curse is
 a greater sin than to be angry1 to     
strike  than to curse1 to strike father 
and mother more than to strike any one  
else8  ,thus these seven ,commandments  
teach us how we are to exercise         
ourselves in good works toward men1 and 
first of all toward our  superiors4     
,the first work is that we honor our own
 father and mother4 ,and this  honor    
consists not only in respectful         
demeanor1 but in this3 that we  obey    
them1 look up to1 esteem and heed their 
words and example1 accept  what they    
say1 keep silent and endure their       
treatment of us1 so long as  it is not  
contrary to the first three             
,commandments2 in addition1 when  they  
need it1 that we provide them with food1
 clothing and shelter4 ,for  not for    
nothing has ,he said3 ,thou shalt honor 
them2 ,he does not say3  ,thou shalt    

love them1 although this also must be   
done4 ,but honor is  higher than mere   
love and includes a certain fear1 which 
unites with  love1 and causes a man to  
fear offending them more than he fears  
the  punishment4 ,just as there is fear 
in the honor we pay a sanctuary1 and    
yet we do not flee from it as from a    
punishment1 but draw near to it  all the
 more4 ,such a fear mingled with love is
 the true honor2 the  other fear without
 any love is that which we have toward  
things which  we despise or flee from1  
as we fear the hangman or punishment4   
,there is  no honor in that1 for it is a
 fear without all love1 nay1 fear that  
has  with it hatred and enmity4 ,of this
 we have a proverb of ,st4 ,jerome3     
,what we fear1 that we also hate4 ,with 
such a fear ,god does not wish to  be   
feared or honored1 nor to have us honor 
our parents2 but with the  first1 which 
is mingled with love and confidence4    
,,ii4 ,this work appears easy1 but few  
regard it aright4 ,for where the        

parents are truly pious and love their  
children not according to the  flesh1   
but 7as they ought7 instruct and direct 
them by words and works  to serve ,god  
according to the first three            
,commandments1 there the  child's own   
will is constantly broken1 and it must  
do1 leave undone1  and suffer what its  
nature would most gladly do otherwise2  
and thereby  it finds occasion to       
despise its parents1 to murmur against  
them1 or to  do worse things4 ,there    
love and fear depart1 unless they have  
,god's  grace4  ,in like manner1 when   
they punish and chastise1 as they ought 
7at times even unjustly1 which1 however1
 does not harm the soul's  salvation71  
our evil nature resents the correction4 
,beside all this1  there are some so    
wicked that they are ashamed of their   
parents because  of poverty1 lowly      
birth1 deformity or dishonor1 and allow 
these things  to influence them more    
than the high ,commandment of ,god1 ,who
 is above  all things1 and has with     

benevolent intent given them such       
parents1 to  exercise and try them in   
,his ,commandment4 ,but the matter      
becomes still  worse when the child has 
children of its own2 then love descends 
to  them1 and detracts very much from   
the love and honor toward the parents4  
,but what is said and commanded of      
parents must also be understood of      
those who1 when the parents are dead or 
absent1 take their place1 such  as      
relatives1 god-parents1 sponsors1       
temporal lords and spiritual  fathers4  
,for every one must be ruled and be     
subject to other men4  ,wherefore we    
here see again how many good works are  
taught in this  ,commandment1 since in  
it all our life is made subject to other
 men4  ,hence it comes that obedience is
 so highly praised and all virtue and   
good works are included in it4    ,,iii4
 ,there is another dishonoring of       
parents1 much more dangerous and        
subtile than this first1 which adorns   
itself and passes for a real  honor2    

that is1 when a child has its own way1  
and the parents through  natural love   
allow it4 ,here there is indeed mutual  
honor1 here there is  mutual love1 and  
on all sides it is a precious thing1    
parents and child  take mutual pleasure 
in one another4    ,this plague is so   
common that instances of the first form 
of  dishonoring are very seldom seen4   
,this is due to the fact that the       
parents are blinded1 and neither know   
nor honor ,god according to the  first  
three ,commandments2 hence also they    
cannot see what the children  lack1 and 
how they ought to teach and train them4 
,for this reason they  train them for   
worldly honors1 pleasure and            
possessions1 that they may  by all means
 please men and reach high positions3   
this the children  like1 and they obey  
very gladly without gainsaying4    ,thus
 ,god's ,commandment secretly comes to  
naught while all seems good1  and that  
is fulfilled which is written in the    
,prophets ,isaiah and  ,jeremiah1 that  

the children are destroyed by their own 
parents1 and  they do like the king     
,manasseh1 who sacrificed his own son to
 the idol  ,moloch and burned him1 ,,ii4
 ,kings xxi4 ,what else is it but to    
sacrifice  one's own child to the idol  
and to burn it1 when parents train their
  children more in the way of the world 
than in the way of ,god8 let them  go   
their way1 and be burned up in worldly  
pleasure1 love1 enjoyment1  possessions 
and honor1 but let ,god's love and honor
 and the desire of  eternal blessings be
 quenched in them8    ,o how perilous it
 is to be a father or a mother1 where   
flesh and blood  are supreme6 ,for1     
truly1 the knowledge and fulfilment of  
the first  three and the last six       
,commandments depends altogether upon   
this  ,commandment2 since parents are   
commanded to teach them to their        
children1 as ,psalm lxxviii4 says1 ,how 
strictly has ,he commanded our  fathers1
 that they should make known ,god's     
,commandments to their  children1 that  

the generation to come might know them  
and declare them  to their children's   
children4 ,this also is the reason why  
,god bids us  honor our parents1 that   
is1 to love them with fear2 for that    
other love  is without fear1 therefore  
it is more dishonor than honor4    ,now 
see whether every one does not have good
 works enough to do1  whether he be     
father or child4 ,but we blind men leave
 this untouched1  and seek all sorts of 
other works which are not commanded4    
,,iv4 ,now where parents are foolish and
 train their children after the  fashion
 of the world1 the children are in no   
way to obey them2 for ,god1  according  
to the first three ,commandments1 is to 
be more highly  regarded than the       
parents4 ,but training after the fashion
 of the world  ,i call it1 when they    
teach them to seek no more than         
pleasure1 honor  and possessions of this
 world or its power4    ,to wear decent 
clothes and to seek an honest living is 
a necessity1 and  not sin4 ,yet the     

heart of a child must be taught to be   
sorry that this  miserable earthly life 
cannot well be lived1 or even begun1    
without the  striving after more        
adornment and more possessions than are 
necessary  for the protection of the    
body against cold and for nourishment4  
,thus  the child must be taught to      
grieve that1 without its own will1 it   
must  do the world's will and play the  
fool with the rest of men1 and endure   
such evil for the sake of something     
better and to avoid something  worse4   
,so ,queen ,esther wore her royal crown1
 and yet said to ,god1  ,esther xiv1    
,thou knowest1 that the sign of my high 
estate1 which is  upon my head1 has     
never yet delighted me1 and ,i abhor it 
as a  menstruous rag1 and never wear it 
when ,i am by myself1 but when ,i must  
do it and go before the people4 ,the    
heart that is so minded wears  adornment
 without peril2 for it wears and does   
not wear1 dances and  does not dance1   
lives well and does not live well4 ,and 

these are the  secret souls1 hidden     
brides of ,christ1 but they are rare2   
for it is  hard not to delight in great 
adornment and parade4 ,thus ,st4        
,cecilia  wore golden clothes at the    
command of her parents1 but within      
against  her body she wore a garment of 
hair4    ,here some men say3 ,how then  
could ,i bring my children into society1
  and marry them honorably8 ,i must make
 some display4 ,tell me1 are not  these 
the words of a heart which despairs of  
,god1 and trusts more on  its own       
providing than on ,god's care8  ,whereas
 ,st4 ,peter teaches and  says1 ,i4     
,peter v1 ,cast all your care upon ,him1
 and be certain that ,he  cares for you4
 ,it is a sign that they have never yet 
thanked ,god for  their children1 have  
never yet rightly prayed for them1 have 
never yet  commended them to ,him2      
otherwise they would know and have      
experienced  that they ought to ask ,god
 also for the marriage dower of their   
children1 and await it from ,him4       

,therefore also ,he permits them to go  
their way1 with cares and worries1 and  
yet succeed poorly4    ,v4 ,thus it is  
true1 as men say1 that parents1 although
 they had nothing  else to do1 could    
attain salvation by training their own  
children2 if  they rightly train them to
 ,god's service1 they will indeed have  
both  hands full of good works to do4   
,for what else are here the hungry1     
thirsty1 naked1 imprisoned1 sick1       
strangers1 than the souls of your own   
children8 with whom ,god makes of your  
house a hospital1 and sets you  over    
them as chief nurse1 to wait on them1 to
 give them good words and  works as meat
 and drink1 that they may learn to      
trust1 believe and fear  ,god1 and to   
place their hope on ,him1 to honor ,his 
,name1 not to swear  nor curse1 to      
mortify themselves by praying1 fasting1 
watching1  working1 to attend worship   
and to hear ,god's ,word1 and to keep   
the  ,sabbath1 that they may learn to   
despise temporal things1 to bear        

misfortune calmly1 and not to fear death
 nor to love this life4    ,see1 what   
great lessons are these1 how many good  
works you have before  you in your home1
 with your child1 that needs all these  
things like a  hungry1 thirsty1 naked1  
poor1 imprisoned1 sick soul4 ,o what a  
blessed  marriage and home were that    
where such parents were to be found6    
,truly  it would be a real ,church1 a   
chosen cloister1 yea1 a paradise4 ,of   
such  says ,psalm cxxviii3 ,blessed are 
they that fear ,god1 and walk in ,his   
,commandments2 thou shalt eat of the    
labor of thine hands2 therefore  thou   
shalt be happy1 and it shall be well    
with thee4 ,thy wife shall be  as a     
fruitful vine in thine house1 and thy   
children shall be as the  young scions  
of laden olive trees about thy table4   
,behold1 thus shall  the man be blessed1
 that feareth the ,lord1 etc4 ,where are
 such  parents8 ,where are they that ask
 after good works8 ,here none wishes to 
come4 ,why8 ,god has commanded it2 the  

devil1 flesh and blood pull away  from  
it2 it makes no show1 therefore it      
counts for nothing4 ,here this  husband 
runs to ,st4 ,james1 that wife vows a   
pilgrimage to ,our ,lady2 no  one vows  
that he will properly govern and teach  
himself and his child  to the honor of  
,god2 he leaves behind those whom ,god  
has commanded him  to keep in body and  
soul1 and would serve ,god in some other
 place1  which has not been commanded   
him4 ,such perversity no bishop forbids1
 no  preacher corrects2 nay1 for        
covetousness' sake they confirm it and  
daily only invent more pilgrimages1     
elevations of saints1  indulgence-fairs4
 ,god have pity on such blindness4      
,,vi4 ,on the other hand1 parents cannot
 earn eternal punishment in any  way    
more easily than by neglecting their own
 children in their own  home1 and not   
teaching them the things which have been
 spoken of above4  ,of what help is it1 
that they kill themselves with fasting1 
praying1  making pilgrimages1 and do all

 manner of good works8 ,god will1 after 
all1 not ask them about these things at 
their death and in the day of  judgment1
 but will require of them the children  
whom ,he entrusted to  them4 ,this is   
shown by that word of ,christ1 ,luke    
xxiii1 ,ye daughters  of ,jerusalem1    
weep not for me1 but for yourselves and 
for your  children4 ,the days are       
coming1 in which they shall say3        
,blessed are the  wombs that never bare1
 and the paps which never gave suck4    
,why shall  they lament1 except because 
all their condemnation comes from their 
own  children8 ,if they had not had     
children1 perhaps they might have been  
saved4 ,truly1 these words ought to open
 the eyes of parents1 that they  may    
have regard to the souls of their       
children1 so that the poor  children be 
not deceived by their false1 fleshly    
love1 as if they had  rightly honored   
their parents when they are not angry   
with them1 or are  obedient in worldly  
matters1 by which their self-will is    

strengthened2  although the ,commandment
 places the parents in honor for the    
very  purpose that the self-will of the 
children may be broken1 and that the    
children may become humble and meek4    
,just as it has been said of the other  
,commandments1 that they are to be      
fulfilled in the chief work1 so here too
 let no one suppose that the  training  
and teaching of his children is         
sufficient of itself1 except  it be done
 in confidence of divine favor1 so that 
a man doubt not that  he is wellpleasing
 to ,god in his works1 and that he let  
such works be  nothing else than an     
exhortation and exercise of his faith1  
that he  trust ,god and look to ,him for
 blessings and a gracious will2 without 
which faith no work lives1 or is good   
and acceptable2 for many heathen  have  
trained their children beautifully1 but 
it is all lost1 because of  their       
unbelief4    ,,vii4 ,the second work of 
this ,commandment is to honor and obey  
the  spiritual mother1 the holy         

,christian ,church1 the spiritual power1
 so  that we conform to what she        
commands1 forbids1 appoints1 orders1    
binds  and looses1 and honor1 fear and  
love the spiritual authority as we      
honor1 love and fear our natural        
parents1 and yield to it in all things  
which are not contrary to the first     
three ,commandments4    ,now with regard
 to this work1 things are almost worse  
than with regard  to the first4 ,the    
spiritual authority should punish sin   
with the ban  and with laws1 and        
constrain its spiritual children to be  
good1 in  order that they might have    
reason to do this work and to exercise  
themselves in obeying and honoring it4  
,such zeal one does not see now2  they  
act toward their subjects like the      
mothers who forsake their  children and 
run after their lovers1 as ,hosea ii4   
says2 they do not  preach1 they do not  
teach1 they do not hinder1 they do not  
punish1 and  there is no spiritual      
government at all left in ,christendom4 

,what can ,i say of this work8 ,a few   
fast-days and feast-days are left1  and 
these had better be done away with4 ,but
 no one gives this a  thought1 and there
 is nothing left except the ban for     
debt1 and this  should not be4 ,but     
spiritual authority should look to it1  
that  adultery1 unchastity1 usury1      
gluttony1 worldly show1 excessive       
adornment1 and such like open sin and   
shame might be most severely  punished  
and corrected2 and they should properly 
manage the endowments1  monastic houses1
 parishes and schools1 and earnestly    
maintain worship  in them1 provide for  
the young people1 boys and girls1 in    
schools and  cloisters1 with learned1   
pious men as teachers1 that they might  
all be  well trained1 and so the older  
people give a good example and          
,christendom be filled and adorned with 
fine young people4 ,so ,st4 ,paul       
teaches his disciple ,titus1 that he    
should rightly instruct and govern  all 
classes1 young and old1 men and women4  

,but now he goes to school  who wishes2 
he is taught who governs and teaches    
himself2 nay1 it has1  alas6 come to    
such a pass that the places where good  
should be taught  have become schools of
 knavery1 and no one at all takes       
thought for the  wild youth4    ,,viii4 
,if the above order prevailed1 one could
 say how honor and  obedience should be 
given to the spiritual authority4 ,but  
now the case  is like that of the       
natural parents who let their children  
do as they  please2 at present the      
spiritual authority threatens1          
dispenses1 takes  money1 and pardons    
more than it has power to pardon4 ,i    
will here  refrain from saying more2 we 
see more of it than is good2 greed holds
  the reins1 and just what should be    
forbidden is taught2 and it is  clearly 
seen that the spiritual estate is in all
 things more worldly  than the worldly  
estate itself4 ,meanwhile ,christendom  
must be ruined1  and this ,commandment  
perish4    ,if there were a bishop who  

would zealously provide for all these   
classes1 supervise1 make visitations and
 be faithful as he ought1  truly1 one   
city would be too much for him4 ,for in 
the time of the  ,apostles1 when        
,christendom was at its best estate1    
each city had a  bishop1 although the   
smallest part of the inhabitants were   
,christians4  ,how may things go when   
one bishop wants to have so much1       
another so  much1 this one the whole    
world1 that one the fourth of it4    ,it
 is time that we pray ,god for mercy4   
,of spiritual power we have much2  but  
of spiritual government nothing or      
little4 ,meanwhile may he help  who can1
 that endowments1 monastic houses1      
parishes and schools be well            
established and managed2 and it would   
also be one of the works of the         
spiritual authority that it lessen the  
number of endowments1 monastic  houses  
and schools1 where they cannot be cared 
for4 ,it is much better  that there be  
no monastic house or endowment than that

 there be evil  government in them1     
whereby ,god is the more provoked to    
anger4    ,,ix4 ,since1 then1 the       
authorities so entirely neglect their   
work1 and  are perverted1 it must       
assuredly follow that they misuse their 
power1  and undertake other and evil    
works1 just as parents do when they give
  some command contrary to ,god4 ,here  
we must be wise2 for the ,apostle has   
said1 that those times shall be perilous
 in which such authorities  shall rule4 
,for it seems as if we resisted their   
power if we do not do  and leave undone 
all that they prescribe4 ,therefore we  
must take hold  of the first three      
,commandments and the ,first ,table1 and
 be certain  that no man1 neither       
bishop1 nor pope1 nor angel1 may command
 or  determine anything that is contrary
 to or hinders these three              
,commandments1 or does not help them2   
and if they attempt such things1  it is 
not valid and amounts to nothing2 and we
 also sin if we follow  and obey1 or    

even tolerate such acts4    ,from this  
it is easy to understand that the       
commands of fasting do not  include the 
sick1 the pregnant women1 or those who  
for other reasons  cannot fast without  
injury4 ,and1 to rise higher1 in our    
time nothing  comes from ,rome but a    
fair of spiritual wares1 which are      
openly and  shamelessly bought and sold1
 indulgences1 parishes1 monastic houses1
  bishoprics1 provostships1 benefices1  
and every thing that has ever been      
founded to ,god's service far and wide2 
whereby not only is all money  and      
wealth of the world drawn and driven to 
,rome 7for this would be the  smallest  
harm71 but the parishes1 bishoprics and 
prelacies are torn to  pieces1 deserted1
 laid waste1 and so the people are      
neglected1 ,god's  ,word and ,god's     
,name and honor come to naught1 and     
faith is destroyed1  so that at last    
such institutions and offices fall into 
the hands not  only of unlearned and    
unfit men1 but the greater part into the

 hands of  the ,romans1 the greatest    
villains in the world4 ,thus what has   
been  founded for ,god's service1 for   
the instruction1 government and         
improvement of the people1 must now     
serve the stable-boys1  mule-drivers1   
yea1 not to use plainer language1 ,roman
 whores and  knaves2 yet we have no more
 thanks than that they mock us for it as
  fools4    ,x4 ,if then such unbearable
 abuses are all carried on in the ,name 
of ,god  and ,st4 ,peter1 just as if    
,god's ,name and the spiritual power    
were  instituted to blaspheme ,god's    
honor1 to destroy ,christendom1 body and
  soul3 we are indeed in duty bound to  
resist in a proper way as much as  we   
can4 ,and here we must do like pious    
children whose parents have  become     
insane1 and first see by what right that
 which has been founded  for ,god's     
service in our lands1 or has been       
ordained to provide for our  children1  
must be allowed to do its work in ,rome1
 and to lapse here1  where it ought to  

serve4 ,how can we be so foolish8       
,since then bishops and spiritual       
prelates stand idle in this matter1     
offer no opposition or are afraid1 and  
thus allow ,christendom to  perish1 it  
is our duty first of all humbly to call 
upon ,god for help to  prevent this     
thing1 then to put our hand to work to  
the same end1 send  the courtesans and  
those who bear letters from ,rome about 
their  business1 in a reasonable1 gentle
 way inform them that1 if they wish to  
care for their parishes properly1 they  
shall live in them and improve  the     
people by preaching or by good example2 
or if not1 and they do live  in ,rome or
 elsewhere1 lay waste and debauch the   
churches1 then let the  pope feed them1 
whom they serve4 ,it is not fitting that
 we support the  pope's servants1 his   
people1 yes1 his knaves and whores1 to  
the  destruction and injury of our      
souls4    ,lo6 these are the true       
,turks1 whom the kings1 princes and the 
nobility  ought to attack first3 not    

seeking thereby their own benefit1 but  
only  the improvement of ,christendom1  
and the prevention of the blasphemy and 
disgracing of the divine ,name2 and so  
to deal with the clergy as with a       
father who has lost his sense and wits2 
who1 if one did not restrain  him and   
resist him 7although with all humility  
and honor71 might  destroy child1 heir  
and everybody4 ,thus we are to honor    
,roman authority  as our highest father2
 and yet1 since they have gone mad and  
lost their  senses1 not allow them to do
 what they attempt1 lest ,christendom be
  destroyed thereby4    ,,xi4 ,some     
think1 this should be referred to a     
,general ,council4 ,to this ,i  say3    
,no6 ,for we have had many councils in  
which this has been proposed1  namely1  
at ,constance1 ,basel and the last      
,roman ,council2 but nothing has  been  
accomplished1 and things have grown ever
 worse1 ,moreover1 such  councils are   
entirely useless1 since ,roman wisdom   
has contrived the  device that the kings

 and princes must beforehand take an    
oath to let  the ,romans remain what    
they are and keep what they have1 and so
 has put  up a bar to ward off all      
reformation1 to retain protection and   
liberty  for all their knavery1 although
 this oath is demanded1 forced and taken
  contrary to ,god and the law1 and by  
it the doors are locked against the     
,holy ,spirit1 ,who should rule the     
councils4 ,but this would be the best1  
and also the only remedy remaining1 if  
kings1 princes1 nobility1 cities  and   
communities themselves began and opened 
a way for reformation1 so  that the     
bishops and clergy1 who now are afraid1 
would have reason to  follow4 ,for here 
nothing else shall and must be          
considered except ,god's  first three   
,commandments1 against which neither    
,rome1 nor heaven nor  earth can command
 or forbid anything4 ,and the ban or    
threatening with  which they think they 
can prevent this1 amounts to nothing2   
just as it  amounts to nothing if an    

insane father severely threatens the son
 who  restrains him or locks him up4    
,,xii4 ,the third work of this          
,commandment is to obey the temporal    
authority1 as ,paul teaches1 ,romans    
xiii1 and ,titus iii1 and ,st4  ,peter1 
,i4 ,peter ii3 ,submit yourselves to the
 king as supreme1 and to the  princes as
 his ambassadors1 and to all the        
ordinances of the worldly  power4 ,but  
it is the work of the temporal power to 
protect its  subjects1 and to punish    
thievery1 robbery1 and adultery1 as ,st4
 ,paul  says1 ,romans xiii3 ,it beareth 
not the sword in vain2 it serves ,god   
with it1 to the terror of evil doers1   
and to the protection of the  good4     
,here men sin in two ways4 ,first1 if   
they lie to the government1 deceive  it1
 and are disloyal1 neither obey nor do  
as it has ordered and  commanded1       
whether with their bodies or their      
possessions4 ,for even if  the          
government does injustice1 as the ,king 
of ,babylon did to the people  of       

,israel1 yet ,god would have it obeyed1 
without treachery and  deception4       
,secondly1 when men speak evil of the   
government and curse  it1 and when a man
 cannot revenge himself and abuses the  
government  with grumbling and evil     
words1 publicly or secretly4    ,in all 
this we are to regard that which ,st4   
,peter bids us regard1  namely1 that its
 power1 whether it do right or wrong1   
cannot harm the  soul1 but only the body
 and property2 unless indeed it should  
try  openly to compel us to do wrong    
against ,god or men2 as in former days  
when the magistrates were not yet       
,christians1 and as the ,turk is now    
said to do4 ,for to suffer wrong        
destroys no one's soul1 nay1 it         
improves the soul1 although it inflicts 
loss upon the body and  property2 but to
 do wrong1 that destroys the soul1      
although it should  gain all the world's
 wealth4    ,,xiii4 ,this also is the   
reason why there is not such great      
danger in the  temporal power as in the 

spiritual1 when it does wrong4  ,for the
  temporal power can do no harm1 ,i     
since it has nothing to do with         
preaching and faith and the first three 
,commandments4 ,but the spiritual  power
 does harm not only when it does wrong1 
but also when it neglects  its duty and 
busies itself with other things1 even if
 they were better  than the very best   
works of the temporal power4 ,therefore1
 we must  resist it when it does not do 
right1 and not resist the temporal power
  although it does wrong4  ,for the poor
 people believe and do as they see  the 
spiritual power believing and doing2 if 
they are not set an example  and are not
 taught1 then they also believe nothing 
and do nothing2  since this power is    
instituted for no other reason than to  
lead the  people in faith to ,god4 ,all 
this is not found in the temporal power2
  for it may do and leave undone what it
 will1 my faith to ,god still goes  its 
way and works its works1 because ,i need
 not believe what it  believes4         

,therefore1 also1 the temporal power is 
a very small thing in ,god's  sight1 and
 far too slightly regarded by ,him1 that
 for its sake1 whether  it do right or  
wrong1 we should resist1 become         
disobedient and quarrel4  ,on the other 
hand1 the spiritual power is an         
exceeding great blessing1  and far too  
precious in ,his eyes1 that the very    
least of ,christians  should endure and 
keep silent1 if it departs a hair's     
breadth from its  own duty1 not to say  
when it does the very opposite of its   
duty1 as we  now see it do every day4   
,,xiv4 ,in this power also there is much
 abuse4 ,first1 when it follows the     
flatterers1 which is a common and       
especially harmful plague of this       
power1 against which no one can         
sufficiently guard and protect himself4 
,here it is led by the nose1 and        
oppresses the common people1 becomes a  
government of the like of which a       
heathen says3 ,the spider-webs catch    
the small flies1 but the mill-stones    

roll through4 ,so the laws1  ordinances 
and government of one and the same      
authority hold the small  men1 and the  
great are free2 and where the prince is 
not himself so  wise that he needs      
nobody's advice1 or has such a standing 
that they  fear him1 there will and must
 be 7unless ,god should do a special    
wonder7 a childish government4    ,for  
this reason ,god has considered evil1   
unfit rulers the greatest of  plagues1  
as ,he threatens1 ,isaiah iii1 ,i will  
take away from them every  man of valor1
 and will give children to be their     
princes and babes to  rule over them4   
,four plagues ,god has named in         
,scripture1 ,ezekiel xiv4  ,the first   
and slightest1 which also ,david chose1 
is pestilence1 the  second is famine1   
the third is war1 the fourth is all     
manner of evil  beasts1 such as lions1  
wolves1 serpents1 dragons2 these are the
 wicked  rulers4 ,for where these are1  
the land is destroyed1 not only in body 
and property1 as in the others1 but also

 in honor1 discipline1 virtue  and the  
soul's salvation4 ,for pestilence and   
famine make people good  and rich2 but  
war and wicked rulers bring to naught   
everything that has  to do with temporal
 and eternal possessions4    ,,xv4 ,a   
prince must also be very wise and not at
 all times undertake to  enforce his own
 will1 although he may have the         
authority and the very  best cause4 ,for
 it is a far nobler virtue to endure    
wrong to one's  authority than to risk  
property and person1 if it is           
advantageous to  the subjects2 since    
worldly rights attach only to temporal  
goods4    ,hence1 it is a very foolish  
saying3 ,i have a right to it1 therefore
 ,i  will take it by storm and keep it1 
although all sorts of misfortune may    
come to others thereby4 ,so we read of  
the ,emperor ,octavianus1 that he  did  
not wish to make war1 however just his  
cause might be1 unless there  were sure 
indications of greater benefit than     
harm1 or at least that  the harm would  

not be intolerable1 and said3 ,war is   
like fishing with  a golden net2 the    
loss risked is always greater than the  
catch can be4  ,for he who guides a     
wagon must walk far otherwise than if he
 were  walking alone2 when alone he may 
walk1 jump1 and do as he will2 but  when
 he drives1 he must so guide and adapt  
himself that the wagon and  horses can  
follow him1 and regard that more than   
his own will4 ,so also  a prince leads a
 multitude with him and must not walk   
and act as he  wills1 but as the        
multitude can1 considering their need   
and advantage  more than his will and   
pleasure4 ,for when a prince rules after
 his own  mad will and follows his own  
opinion1 he is like a mad driver1 who   
rushes straight ahead with horse and    
wagon1 through bushes1 thorns1  ditches1
 water1 up hill and down dale1          
regardless of roads and bridges2  he    
will not drive long1 all will go to     
smash4    ,therefore it would be most   
profitable for rulers1 that they read1  

or  have read to them1 from youth on1   
the histories1 both in sacred and in    
profane books1 in which they would find 
more examples and skill in  ruling than 
in all the books of law2 as we read that
 the kings of  ,persia did1 ,esther vi4 
,for examples and histories benefit and 
teach  more than the laws and statutes3 
there actual experience teaches1 here   
untried and uncertain words4    ,,xvi4  
,three special1 distinct works all      
rulers might do in our times1           
particularly in our lands4 ,first1 to   
make an end of the horrible  gluttony   
and drunkenness1 not only because of the
 excess1 but also  because of its       
expense4 ,for through seasonings and    
spices and the like1  without which men 
could well live1 no little loss of      
temporal wealth  has come and daily is  
coming upon our lands4 ,to prevent these
 two great  evils would truly give the  
temporal power enough to do1 for the    
inroads  they have made are wide and    
deep4 ,and how could those in power     

serve  ,god better and thereby also     
improve their own land8    ,secondly1 to
 forbid the excessive cost of clothing1 
whereby so much  wealth is wasted1 and  
yet only the world and the flesh are    
served2 it  is fearful to think that    
such abuse is to be found among the     
people who  have been pledged1 baptised 
and consecrated to ,christ1 the         
,crucified1  and who should bear the    
,cross after ,him and prepare for the   
life to  come by dying daily4 ,if some  
men erred through ignorance1 it might be
  borne2 but that it is practised so    
freely1 without punishment1 without     
shame1 without hindrance1 nay1 that     
praise and fame are sought thereby1     
this is indeed an unchristian thing4    
,thirdly1 to drive out the usurious     
buying of rent-charges1 which in the    
whole world ruins1 consumes and         
troubles all lands1 peoples and cities  
through its cunning form1 by  which it  
appears not to be usury1 while in truth 
it is worse than  usury1 because men are

 not on their guard against it as       
against open  usury4 ,see1 these are the
 three ,jews1 as men say1 who suck the  
whole  world dry4 ,here princes ought   
not to sleep1 nor be lazy1 if they would
  give a good account of their office to
 ,god4    ,,xvii4 ,here too ought to be 
mentioned the knavery which is practised
 by  officiales and other episcopal and 
spiritual officers1 who ban1 load1  hunt
 and drive the poor people with great   
burdens1 as long as a penny  remains4   
,this ought to be prevented by the      
temporal sword1 since there  is no other
 help or remedy4    ,o1 would ,god in   
heaven1 that some time a government     
might be  established that would do away
 with the public bawdy-houses1 as was   
done among the people of ,israel6 ,it is
 indeed an unchristian sight1  that     
public houses of sin are maintained     
among ,christians1 a thing  formerly    
altogether unheard of4 ,it should be a  
rule that boys and girls  should be     
married early and such vice be          

prevented4 ,such a rule and  custom     
ought to be sought for by both the      
spiritual and the temporal  power4 ,if  
it was possible among the ,jews1 why    
should it not also be  possible among   
,christians8  ,nay1 if it is possible in
 villages1 towns  and some cities1 as we
 all see1 why should it not be possible 
everywhere8    ,but the trouble is1     
there is no real government in the      
world4 ,no one  wants to work1 therefore
 the mechanics must give their workmen  
holiday3  then they are free and no one 
can tame them4 ,but if there were a rule
  that they must do as they are bid1 and
 no one would give them work in  other  
places1 this evil would to a large      
extent be mended4 ,god help us6  ,i fear
 that here the wish is far greater than 
the hope2 but this does  not excuse us4 
,now see1 here only a few works of      
magistrates are indicated1 but they  are
 so good and so many1 that they have    
superabundant good works to do  every   
hour and could constantly serve ,god4   

,but these works1 like the  others1     
should also be done in faith1 yea1 be an
 exercise of faith1 so  that no one     
expect to please ,god by the works1 but 
by confident trust  in ,his favor do    
such works only to the honor and praise 
of his gracious  ,god1 thereby to serve 
and benefit his neighbor4    ,,xviii4   
,the fourth work of this ,commandment is
 obedience of servants and  workmen     
toward their lords and ladies1 masters  
and mistresses4 ,of this  ,st4 ,paul    
says1 ,titus ii3 ,thou shalt exhort     
servants that they highly  honor their  
masters1 be obedient1 do what pleases   
them1 not cheating  them nor opposing   
them2 for this reason also3 because they
 thereby  bring the doctrine of ,christ 
and our faith into good repute1 that the
  heathen cannot complain of us and be  
offended4 ,st4 ,peter also says3        
,servants1 be subject to your masters1  
for the fear of ,god1 not only to  the  
good and gentle1 but also to the froward
 and harsh4 ,for this is  acceptable    

with ,god1 if a man suffers harshness1  
being innocent4    ,now there is the    
greatest complaint in the world about   
servants and  working men1 that they are
 disobedient1 unfaithful1 unmannerly1   
and  over-reaching2 this is a plague    
sent of ,god4 ,and truly1 this is the   
one  work of servants whereby they may  
be saved2 truly they need not make      
pilgrimages or do this thing or the     
other2 they have enough to do if  their 
heart is only set on this1 that they    
gladly do and leave undone  what they   
know pleases their masters and          
mistresses1 and all this in a  simple   
faith2 not that they would by their     
works gain much merit1 but  that they do
 it all in the confidence of divine     
favor 7in which all  merits are to be   
found71 purely for nothing1 out of the  
love and  good-will toward ,god which   
grows out of such confidence4 ,and all  
such  works they should think of as an  
exercise and exhortation ever to        
strengthen their faith and confidence   

more and more4 ,for1 as has now  been   
frequently said1 this faith makes all   
works good1 yea1 it must do  them and be
 the master-workman4    ,,xix4 ,on the  
other hand1 the masters and mistresses  
should not rule  their servants1 maids  
and workingmen roughly1 not look to all 
things  too closely1 occasionally       
overlook something1 and for peace' sake 
make  allowances4 ,for it is not        
possible that everything be done        
perfectly at  all times among any class 
of men1 as long as we live on earth in  
imperfection4 ,of this ,st4 ,paul says1 
,colossians iv1 ,masters1 do unto  your 
servants that which is just and equal1  
knowing that ye also have a  ,master in 
heaven4 ,therefore as the masters do not
 wish ,god to deal too  sharply with    
them1 but that many things be overlooked
 through grace1  they also should be so 
much the more gentle toward their       
servants1 and  overlook some things1 and
 yet have a care that the servants do   
right  and learn to fear ,god4    ,but  

see now1 what good works a householder  
and a mistress can do1 how  finely ,god 
offers us all good works so near at     
hand1 so manifold1 so  continuously1    
that we have no need of asking after    
good works1 and  might well forget the  
other showy1 far-off1 invented works of 
men1 such  as making pilgrimages1       
building churches1 seeking indulgence1  
and the  like4    ,here ,i ought        
naturally also to say how a wife ought  
to be obedient1  subject to her husband 
as to her superior1 give way to him1    
keep silent  and give up to him1 where  
it is a matter not contrary to ,god's   
commands4 ,on the other hand1 the       
husband should love his wife1 overlook  
a little1 and not deal strictly with    
her1 of which matter ,st4 ,peter and    
,st4 ,paul have said much4 ,but this has
 its place in the further  explanation  
of the ,ten ,commandments1 and is easily
 inferred from these  passages4    ,,xx4
 ,but all that has been said of these   
works is included in these two1         

obedience and considerateness4          
,obedience is the duty of subjects1     
considerateness that of masters1 that   
they take care to rule their  subjects  
well1 deal kindly with them1 and do     
everything whereby they  may benefit and
 help them4 ,that is their way to       
heaven1 and these are  the best works   
they can do on earth2 with these they   
are more  acceptable to ,god than if    
without these they did nothing but      
miracles4  ,so says ,st4 ,paul1 ,romans 
xii3 ,he that ruleth1 let him do it with
  diligence2 as who should say3 ,let him
 not allow himself to be led  astray by 
what other people or classes of people  
do2 let him not look  to this work or to
 that1 whether it be splendid or        
obscure2 but let him  look to his own   
position1 and think only how he may     
benefit those who  are subject to him2  
by this let him stand1 nor let himself  
be torn from  it1 although heaven stood 
open before him1 nor be driven from it1 
although hell were chasing him4 ,this is

 the right road that leads him  to      
heaven4    ,oh1 if a man were so to     
regard himself and his position1 and    
attended  to its duties alone1 how rich 
in good works would he be in a short    
time1 so quietly and secretly that no   
one would notice it except ,god  alone6 
,but now we let all this go1 and one    
runs to the ,carthusians1  another to   
this place1 a third to that1 just as if 
good works and ,god's  ,commandments had
 been thrown into corners and hidden2   
although it is  written in ,proverbs i1 
that divine wisdom crieth out her       
commandments  publicly in the streets1  
in the midst of the people and in the   
gates of  the cities2 which means that  
they are present in profusion in all    
places1 in all stations of life and at  
all times1 and we do not see  them1 but 
in our blindness look for them          
elsewhere4 ,this ,christ  declared1     
,matthew xxiv3 ,if they shall say unto  
you3 ,lo1 here is  ,christ1 or there1   
believe it not4 ,if they shall say3     

,behold1 ,he is in  the desert1 go not  
forth2 behold1 ,he is in the secret     
chambers1 believe  it not2 they are     
false prophets and false ,christs4      
,,xxi4 ,again1 obedience is the duty of 
subjects1 that they direct all  their   
diligence and effort to do and to leave 
undone what their  over-lords desire of 
them1 that they do not allow themselves 
to be torn  or driven from this1        
whatever another do4  ,let no man think 
that he  lives well or does good works1 
whether it be prayer or fasting1 or by  
whatever name it may be called1 if he   
does not earnestly and diligently       
exercise himself in this4    ,but if it 
should happen1 as it often does1 that   
the temporal power and  authorities1 as 
they are called1 should urge a subject  
to do contrary  to the ,commandments of 
,god1 or hinder him from doing them1    
there  obedience ends1 and that duty is 
annulled4 ,here a man must say as ,st4  
,peter says to the rulers of the ,jews3 
,we ought to obey ,god rather than  men4

 ,he did not say3 ,we must not obey men2
 for that would be wrong2  but he said3 
,god rather than men4 ,thus1 if a prince
 desired to go to  war1 and his cause   
was manifestly unrighteous1 we should   
not follow nor  help him at all2 since  
,god has commanded that we shall not    
kill our  neighbor1 nor do him          
injustice4 ,likewise1 if he bade us bear
 false  witness1 steal1 lie or deceive  
and the like4 ,here we ought rather give
  up goods1 honor1 body1 and life1 that 
,god's ,commandments may stand4    ,the 
four preceding ,commandments have their 
works in the understanding1  that is1   
they take a man captive1 rule him and   
make him subject1 so  that he rule not  
himself1 approve not himself1 think not 
highly of  himself2 but in humility know
 himself and allow himself to be led1   
that  pride be prevented4 ,the following
 ,commandments deal with the passions   
and lust of men1 that these also be     
killed4    ,i4 ,the passions of anger   
and revenge1 of which the ,fifth        

,commandment  says1 ,thou shalt not     
kill4 ,this ,commandment has one work1  
which  however includes many and dispels
 many vices1 and is called meekness4    
,now this is of two kinds4 ,the one has 
a beautiful splendor1 and there  is     
nothing back of it4 ,this we practice   
toward our friends and those  who do us 
good and give us pleasure with goods1   
honor and favor1 or who  do not offend  
us with words nor with deeds4 ,such     
meekness irrational  animals have1 lions
 and snakes1 ,jews1 ,turks1 knaves1     
murderers1 bad  women4  ,these are all  
content and gentle when men do what they
 want1 or  let them alone2 and yet there
 are not a few who1 deceived by such    
worthless meekness1 cover over their    
anger and excuse it1 saying3 ,i  would  
indeed not be angry1 if ,i were left    
alone4 ,certainly1 my good  man1 so the 
evil spirit also would be meek if he had
 his own way4  ,dissatisfaction and     
resentment overwhelm you in order that  
they may  show you how full of anger and

 wickedness you are1 that you may be    
admonished to strive after meekness and 
to drive out anger4    ,the second form 
of meekness is good through and through1
 that which is  shown toward opponents  
and enemies1 does them no harm1 does not
 revenge  itself1 does not curse nor    
revile1 does not speak evil of them1    
does  not meditate evil against them1   
although they had taken away goods1     
honor1 life1 friends and everything4    
,nay1 where it is possible1 it  returns 
good for evil1 speaks well of them1     
thinks well of them1 prays  for them4   
,of this ,christ says1 ,matthew v3 ,do  
good to them that  despitefully use you4
 ,pray for them that persecute you and  
revile you4  ,and ,paul1 ,romans xii3   
,bless them which curse you1 and by no  
means  curse them1 but do good to them4 
,,ii4 ,behold how this precious1        
excellent work has been lost among      
,christians1 so that nothing now        
everywhere prevails except strife1 war1 
quarreling1 anger1 hatred1 envy1        

back-biting1 cursing1 slandering1       
injuring1 vengeance1 and all manner of  
angry works and words2 and yet1  with   
all this1 we have our many holidays1    
hear masses1 say our prayers1  establish
 churches1 and more such spiritual      
finery1 which ,god has not  commanded4  
,we shine resplendently and excessively1
 as if we were the  most holy           
,christians there ever were4 ,and so    
because of these mirrors  and masks we  
allow ,god's ,commandment to go to      
complete ruin1 and no one  considers or 
examines himself1 how near or how far he
 be from meekness  and the fulfilment of
 this ,commandment2 although ,god has   
said1 that not  he who does such works1 
but he who keeps ,his ,commandments1    
shall enter  into eternal life4    ,now1
 since no one lives on earth upon whom  
,god does not bestow an enemy  and      
opponent as a proof of his own anger and
 wickedness1 that is1 one  who afflicts 
him in goods1 honor1 body or friends1   
and thereby tries  whether anger is     

still present1 whether he can be        
well-disposed toward  his enemy1 speak  
well of him1 do good to him1 and not    
intend any evil  against him2 let him   
come forward who asks what he shall do  
that he may  do good works1 please ,god 
and be saved4 ,let him set his enemy    
before  him1 keep him constantly before 
the eyes of his heart1 as an exercise   
whereby he may curb his spirit and train
 his heart to think kindly of  his      
enemy1 wish him well1 care for him and  
pray for him2 and then1 when            
opportunity offers1 speak well of him   
and do good to him4  ,let him who  will1
 try this and if he find not enough to  
do all his life long1 he  may convict me
 of lying1 and say that my contention   
was wrong4 ,but if  this is what ,god   
desires1 and if ,he will be paid in no  
other coin1 of  what avail is it1 that  
we busy ourselves with other great works
 which  are not commanded1 and neglect  
this8 ,therefore ,god says1 ,matthew v1 
,i  say unto you1 that whosoever is     

angry with his neighbor1 is in danger   
of the judgment2 but whosoever shall say
 to his brother1 ,thou fool  7that is1  
all manner of invective1 cursing1       
reviling1 slandering71 he  shall be in  
danger of everlasting fire4 ,what       
remains then for the  outward act1      
striking1 wounding1 killing1 injuring1  
etc41 if the  thoughts and words of     
anger are so severely condemned8        
,,iii4 ,but where there is true         
meekness1 there the heart is pained at  
every evil which happens to one's enemy4
 ,and these are the true  children and  
heirs of ,god and brethren of ,christ1  
,whose heart was so  pained for us all  
when ,he died on the holy ,cross4  ,even
 so we see a  pious judge passing       
sentence upon the criminal with sorrow1 
and  regretting the death which the law 
imposes4 ,here the act seems to be  one 
of anger and harshness4 ,so thoroughly  
good is meekness that even in  such     
works of anger it remains1 nay1 it      
torments the heart most sorely  when it 

must be angry and severe4    ,but here  
we must watch1 that we be not meek      
contrary to ,god's honor and            
,commandment4 ,for it is written of     
,moses that he was the very meekest  man
 on earth1 and yet1 when the ,jews had  
worshiped the golden calf and  provoked 
,god to anger1 he put many of them to   
death1 and thereby made  atonement      
before ,god4 ,likewise it is not fitting
 that the magistrates  should be idle   
and allow sin to have sway1 and that we 
say nothing4 ,my  own possessions1 my   
honor1 my injury1 ,i must not regard1   
nor grow angry  because of them2 but    
,god's honor and ,commandment we must   
protect1 and  injury or injustice to our
 neighbor we must prevent1 the          
magistrates  with the sword1 the rest of
 us with reproof and rebuke1 yet always 
with  pity for those who have merited   
the punishment4    ,this high1 noble1   
sweet work can easily be learned1 if we 
perform it in  faith1 and as an exercise
 of faith4 ,for if faith does not doubt 

the  favor of ,god nor question that    
,god is gracious1 it will become quite  
easy for a man to be gracious and       
favorable to his neighbor1 however  much
 he may have sinned2 for we have sinned 
much more against ,god4  ,behold1 a     
short ,commandment this1 but it presents
 a long1 mighty  exercise of good works 
and of faith4        ,thou shalt not    
commit adultery4    ,in this            
,commandment too a good work is         
commanded1 which includes much  and     
drives away much vice2 it is called     
purity1 or chastity1 of which  much is  
written and preached1 and it is well    
known to every one1 only  that it is not
 as carefully observed and practised as 
other works which  are not commanded4   
,so ready are we to do what is not      
commanded and to  leave undone what is  
commanded4 ,we see that the world is    
full of  shameful works of unchastity1  
indecent words1 tales and ditties1      
temptation to which is daily increased  
through gluttony and  drunkenness1      

idleness and frippery4 ,yet we go our   
way as if we were  ,christians2 when we 
have been to church1 have said our      
little prayer1  have observed the fasts 
and feasts1 then we think our whole duty
 is  done4    ,now1 if no other work    
were commanded but chastity alone1 we   
would all  have enough to do with this  
one2 so perilous and raging a vice is   
unchastity4 ,it rages in all our        
members3 in the thoughts of our hearts1 
in the seeing of our eyes1 in the       
hearing of our ears1 in the words of    
our mouth1 in the works of our hands and
 feet and all our body4 ,to  control all
 these requires labor and effort2 and   
thus the ,commandments  of ,god teach us
 how great truly good works are1 nay1   
that it is  impossible for us of our own
 strength to conceive a good work1 to   
say  nothing of attempting or doing it4 
,st4 ,augustine says1 that among all    
the conflicts of the ,christian the     
conflict of chastity is the hardest1    
for the one reason alone1 that it       

continues daily without ceasing1 and    
chastity seldom prevails4 ,this all the 
saints have wept over and  lamented1 as 
,st4 ,paul does1 ,romans vii3 ,i find in
 me1 that is in my  flesh1 no good      
thing4    ,,ii4 ,if this work of        
chastity is to be permanent1 it will    
drive to many  other good works1 to     
fasting and temperance over against     
gluttony and  drunkenness1 to watching  
and early rising over against laziness  
and  excessive sleep1 to work and labor 
over against idleness4 ,for gluttony1   
drunkenness1 lying late abed1 loafing   
and being without work are  weapons of  
unchastity1 with which chastity is      
quickly overcome4 ,on the  other hand1  
the holy ,apostle ,paul calls fasting1  
watching and labor  godly weapons1 with 
which unchastity is mastered2 but1 as   
has been said  above1 these exercises   
must do no more than overcome           
unchastity1 and  not pervert nature4    
,above all this1 the strongest defence  
is prayer and the ,word of ,god2        

namely1 that when evil lust stirs1 a man
 flee to prayer1 call upon  ,god's mercy
 and help1 read and meditate on the     
,gospel1 and in it  consider ,christ's  
sufferings4 ,thus says ,psalm cxxxvii3  
,happy shall he  be1 that taketh and    
dasheth the little ones of ,babylon     
against the  rock1 that is1 if the heart
 runs to the ,lord ,christ with its evil
  thoughts while they are yet young and 
just beginning2 for ,christ is a  ,rock1
 on which they are ground to powder and 
come to naught4    ,see1 here each one  
will find enough to do with himself1 and
 more than  enough1 and will be given   
many good works to do within himself4   
,but now  no one uses prayer1 fasting1  
watching1 labor for this purpose1 but   
men  stop in these works as if they were
 in themselves the whole purpose1       
although they should be arranged so as  
to fulfil the work of this  ,commandment
 and purify us daily more and more4     
,some have also indicated more things   
which should be avoided1 such as  soft  

beds and clothes1 that we should avoid  
excessive adornment1 and  neither       
associate nor talk with members of the  
opposite sex1 nor even  look upon them1 
and whatsoever else may be conducive to 
chastity4 ,in  all these things no one  
can fix a definite rule and measure4    
,each one  must watch himself and see   
what things are needful to him for      
chastity1  in what quantity and how long
 they help him to be chaste1 that he may
  thus choose and observe them for      
himself2 if he cannot do this1 let him  
for a time give himself up to be        
controlled by another1 who may hold  him
 to such observance until he can learn  
to rule himself4 ,this was the  purpose 
for which the monastic houses were      
established of old1 to teach  young     
people discipline and purity4    ,,iii4 
,in this work a good strong faith is a  
great help1 more noticeably  so than in 
almost any other2 so that for this      
reason also ,isaiah xi4  says that faith
 is a girdle of the reins1 that is1 a   

guard of  chastity4 ,for he who so lives
 that he looks to ,god for all grace1   
takes  pleasure in spiritual purity2    
therefore he can so much more easily    
resist fleshly impurity3 and in such    
faith the ,spirit tells him of a        
certainty how he shall avoid evil       
thoughts and everything that is         
repugnant to chastity4 ,for as the faith
 in divine favor lives without  ceasing 
and works in all works1 so it also does 
not cease its  admonitions in all things
 that are pleasing to ,god or displease 
,him2 as  ,st4 ,john says in his        
,epistle3 ,ye need not that any man     
teach you3 for  the divine anointing1   
that is1 the ,spirit of ,god1 teacheth  
you of all  things4    ,yet we must not 
despair if we are not soon rid of the   
temptation1 nor  by any means imagine   
that we are free from it as long as we  
live1 and  we must regard it only as an 
incentive and admonition to prayer1     
fasting1 watching1 laboring1 and to     
other exercises for the quenching  of   

the flesh1 especially to the practice   
and exercise of faith in ,god4  ,for    
that chastity is not precious which is  
at ease1 but that which is  at war with 
unchastity1 and fights1 and without     
ceasing drives out all  the poison with 
which the flesh and the evil spirit     
attack it4 ,thus ,st4  ,peter says1 ,i  
beseech you1 abstain from fleshly       
desires and lusts1  which war always    
against the soul4 ,and ,st4 ,paul1      
,romans vi1 ,ye shall  not obey the body
 in its lusts4 ,in these and like       
passages it is shown  that no one is    
without evil lust2 but that everyone    
shall and must  daily fight against it4 
,but although this brings uneasiness and
 pain1  it is none the less a work that 
gives pleasure1 in which we shall have  
our comfort and satisfaction4  ,for they
 who think they make an end of          
temptation by yielding to it1 only set  
themselves on fire the more2 and        
although for a time it is quiet1 it     
comes again with more strength  another 

time1 and finds the nature weaker than  
before4        ,thou shalt not steal4   
,this ,commandment also has a work1     
which embraces very many good works1    
and is opposed to many vices1 and is    
called in ,german ,mildigkeit1          
benevolence2 which is a work ready to   
help and serve every one with  one's    
goods4 ,and it fights not only against  
theft and robbery1 but  against all     
stinting in temporal goods which men may
 practise toward  one another3 such as  
greed1 usury1 overcharging and plating  
wares that  sell as solid1 counterfeit  
wares1 short measures and weights1 and  
who  could tell all the ready1 novel1   
clever tricks1 which multiply daily in  
every trade1 by which every one seeks   
his own gain through the other's  loss1 
and forgets the rule which says3 ,what  
ye wish that others do to  you1 that do 
ye also to them4 ,if every one kept this
 rule before his  eyes in his trade1    
business1 and dealings with his         
neighbor1 he would  readily find how he 

ought to buy and sell1 take and give1   
lend and give  for nothing1 promise and 
keep his promise1 and the like4 ,and    
when we  consider the world in its      
doings1 how greed controls all business1
 we  would not only find enough to do1  
if we would make an honorable living    
before ,god1 but also be overcome with  
dread and fear for this perilous1       
miserable life1 which is so exceedingly 
overburdened1 entangled and  taken      
captive with cares of this temporal life
 and dishonest seeking of  gain4        
,,ii4 ,therefore the ,wise ,man says not
 in vain3 ,happy is the rich man1  who  
is found without blemish1 who does not  
run after gold1 and has not  set his    
confidence in the treasures of money4   
,who is he8 ,we will praise  him1 that  
he has done wondrous things in his life4
 ,as if he would say3  ,none such is    
found1 or very few indeed4 ,yea1 they   
are very few who  notice and recognise  
such lust for gold in themselves4 ,for  
greed has  here a very beautiful1 fine  

cover for its shame1 which is called    
provision for the body and natural need1
 under cover of which it  accumulates   
wealth beyond all limits and is never   
satisfied2 so that he  who would in this
 matter keep himself clean1 must truly1 
as he says1 do  miracles or wondrous    
things in his life4    ,now see1 if a   
man wish not only to do good works1 but 
even miracles1  which ,god may praise   
and be pleased with1 what need has he to
 look  elsewhere8 ,let him take heed to 
himself1 and see to it that he run not  
after gold1 nor set his trust on money1 
but let the gold run after him1  and    
money wait on his favor1 and let him    
love none of these things nor  set his  
heart on them2 then he is the true1     
generous1 wonderworking1  happy man1 as 
,job xxxi says3 ,i have never yet3      
relied upon gold1 and  never yet made   
gold my hope and confidence4 ,and ,psalm
 lxii3 ,if riches  increase1 set not    
your heart upon them4 ,so ,christ also  
teaches1  ,matthew vi1 that we shall    

take no thought1 what we shall eat and  
drink  and wherewithal we shall be      
clothed1 since ,god cares for this1 and 
knows that we have need of all these    
things4    ,but some say3 ,yes1 rely    
upon that1 take no thought1 and see     
whether a  roasted chicken will fly into
 your mouth6 ,i do not say that a man   
shall not labor and seek a living2 but  
he shall not worry1 not be  greedy1 not 
despair1 thinking that he will not have 
enough2 for in ,adam  we are all        
condemned to labor1 when ,god says to   
him1 ,genesis iii1 ,in  the sweat of thy
 face shalt thou eat bread4 ,and ,job v1
 ,as the birds  to flying1 so is man    
born unto labor4 ,now the birds fly     
without worry  and greed1 and so we also
 should labor without worry and greed2  
but if  you do worry and are greedy1    
wishing that the roasted chicken fly    
into  your mouth3 worry and be greedy1  
and see whether you will thereby  fulfil
 ,god's ,commandment and be saved6      
,,iii4 ,this work faith teaches of      

itself4 ,for if the heart looks for     
divine favor and relies upon it1 how is 
it possible that a man should  be greedy
 and worry8 ,he must be sure beyond a   
doubt that ,god cares for  him2         
therefore he does not cling to money2 he
 uses it also with  cheerful liberality 
for the benefit of his neighbor1 and    
knows well  that he will have enough1   
however much he may give away4 ,for his 
,god1  ,whom he trusts1 will not lie to 
him nor forsake him1 as it is written1  
,psalm xxxvii3 ,i have been young1 and  
now am old2 never have ,i seen a        
believing man1 who trusts ,god1 that is 
a righteous man1 forsaken1 or  his child
 begging bread4 ,therefore the ,apostle 
calls no other sin  idolatry except     
covetousness1 because this sin shows    
most plainly that  it does not trust    
,god for anything1 expects more good    
from its money  than from ,god2 and1 as 
has been said1 it is by such confidence 
that ,god  is truly honored or          
dishonored4    ,and1 indeed1 in this    

,commandment it can be clearly seen how 
all good  works must be done in faith2  
for here every one most surely feels    
that  the cause of covetousness is      
distrust and the cause of liberality is 
faith4 ,for because a man trusts ,god1  
he is generous and does not doubt  that 
he will always have enough2 on the other
 hand1 a man is covetous  and worries   
because he does not trust ,god4 ,now1 as
 in this ,commandment  faith is the     
master-workman and the doer of the good 
work of  liberality1 so it is also in   
all the other ,commandments1 and without
  such faith liberality is of no worth1 
but rather a careless squandering  of   
money4    ,,iv4 ,by this we are also to 
know that this liberality shall extend  
even  to enemies and opponents4 ,for    
what manner of good deed is that1 if we 
are liberal only to our friends8 ,as    
,christ teaches1 ,luke vi1 even a       
wicked man does that to another who is  
his friend4 ,besides1 the brute  beasts 
also do good and are generous to their  

kind4 ,therefore a  ,christian must rise
 higher1 let his liberality serve also  
the  undeserving1 evil-doers1 enemies1  
and the ungrateful1 even as his         
heavenly ,father makes ,his sun to rise 
on good and evil1 and the rain to  fall 
on the grateful and ungrateful4    ,but 
here it will be found how hard it is to 
do good works according to  ,god's      
,commandment1 how nature squirms1 twists
 and writhes in its  opposition to it1  
although it does the good works of its  
own choice  easily and gladly4          
,therefore take your enemies1 the       
ungrateful1 and do  good to them2 then  
you will find how near you are to this  
,commandment  or how far from it1 and   
how all your life you will always have  
to do  with the practice of this work4  
,for if your enemy needs you and you do 
not help him when you can1 it is just   
the same as if you had stolen  what     
belonged to him1 for you owed it to him 
to help him4 ,so says ,st4  ,ambrose1   
,feed the hungry2 if you do not feed    

him1 you have1 as far as  you are       
concerned1 slain him4 ,and in this      
,commandment are included the  works of 
mercy1 which ,christ will require at    
men's hands at the last  day4    ,but   
the magistrates and cities ought to see 
to it that the vagabonds1  pilgrims and 
mendicants from foreign lands be        
debarred1 or at least  allowed only     
under restrictions and rules1 so that   
knaves be not  permitted to run at large
 under the guise of mendicants1 and     
their  knavery1 of which there now is   
much1 be prohibited4 ,i have spoken at  
greater length of this ,commandment in  
the ,treatise on ,usury4        ,thou   
shalt not bear false witness against thy
 neighbor4    ,this ,commandment seems  
small1 and yet is so great1 that he who 
would  rightly keep it must risk and    
imperil life and limb1 goods and honor1 
friends and all that he has2 and yet it 
includes no more than the work  of that 
small member1 the tongue1 and is called 
in ,german ,wahrheit  sagen1 telling the

 truth and1 where there is need1        
gainsaying lies2  so that it forbids    
many evil works of the tongue4 ,first3  
those which  are committed by speaking1 
and those which are committed by keeping
  silent4 ,by speaking1 when a man has  
an unjust law-suit1 and wants to  prove 
and maintain his case by a false        
argument1 catch his neighbor  with      
subtilty1 produce everything that       
strengthens and furthers his own  cause1
 and withhold and discount everything   
that furthers his  neighbor's good      
cause2 in doing which he does not do to 
his neighbor as  he would have his      
neighbor do to him4 ,this some men do   
for the sake of  gain1 some to avoid    
loss or shame1 thereby seeking their own
 advantage  more than ,god's            
,commandment1 and excuse themselves by  
saying3 ,vigilanti  jura subveniunt1 the
 law helps him who watches2 just as if  
it were  not as much their duty to watch
 for their neighbor's cause as for their
  own4 ,thus they intentionally allow   

their neighbor's cause to be lost1      
although they know that it is just4     
,this evil is at present so common  that
 ,i fear no court is held and no suit   
tried but that one side sins  against   
this ,commandment4 ,and even when they  
cannot accomplish it1 they  yet have the
 unrighteous spirit and will1 so that   
they would wish the  neighbor's just    
cause to be lost and their unjust cause 
to prosper4  ,this sin is most frequent 
when the opponent is a prominent man or 
an  enemy4 ,for a man wants to revenge  
himself on his enemy3 but the ill  will 
of a man of prominence he does not wish 
to bring upon himself2 and  then begins 
the flattering and fawning1 or1 on the  
other hand1 the  withholding of the     
truth4  ,here no one is willing to run  
the risk of  disfavor and displeasure1  
loss and danger for the truth's sake2   
and so  ,god's ,commandment must perish4
 ,and this is almost universally the way
  of the world4 ,he who would keep this 
,commandment1 would have both hands     

full doing only those good works which  
concern the tongue4  ,and then1  how    
many are there who allow themselves to  
be silenced and swerved  aside from the 
truth by presents and gifts6 so that in 
all places it is  truly a high1 great1  
rare work1 not to be a false witness    
against one's  neighbor4    ,,ii4 ,there
 is a second bearing of witness to the  
truth1 which is still  greater1 with    
which we must fight against the evil    
spirits2 and this  concerns not temporal
 matters1 but the ,gospel and the truth 
of faith1  which the evil spirit has at 
no time been able to endure1 and always 
so  manages that the great among men1   
whom it is hard to resist1 must  oppose 
and persecute it4 ,of which it is       
written in ,psalm lxxxii1 ,rid  the poor
 out of the hand of the wicked1 and help
 the forsaken to  maintain his just     
cause4    ,such persecution1 it is true1
 has now become infrequent2 but that is 
the fault of the spiritual prelates1 who
 do not stir up the ,gospel1 but  let it

 perish1 and so have abandoned the very 
thing because of which  such witnessing 
and persecution should arise2 and in its
 place they  teach us their own law and 
what pleases them4 ,for this reason the 
devil  also does not stir1 since by     
vanquishing the ,gospel he has also     
vanquished faith in ,christ1 and        
everything goes as he wishes4 ,but if   
the ,gospel should be stirred up and be 
heard again1 without doubt the  whole   
world would be aroused and moved1 and   
the greater portion of the  kings1      
princes1 bishops1 doctors and clergy1   
and all that is great1  would oppose it 
and rage against it1 as has always      
happened when the  ,word of ,god has    
come to light2 for the world cannot     
endure what comes  from ,god4 ,this is  
proved in ,christ1 ,who was and is the  
very greatest  and most precious and    
best of all that ,god has2 yet the world
 not only  did not receive ,him1 but    
persecuted ,him more cruelly than all   
others  who had ever come forth from    

,god4    ,therefore1 as at that time1 so
 at all times there are few who stand by
  the divine truth1 and imperil and risk
 life and limb1 goods and honor1  and   
all that they have1 as ,christ has      
foretold3 ,ye shall be hated of  all men
 for ,my ,name's sake4 ,and3 ,many of   
them shall be offended in  ,me4 ,yea1 if
 this truth were attacked by peasants1  
herdsmen1  stable-boys and men of no    
standing1 who would not be willing and  
able  to confess it and to bear witness 
to it8 ,but when the pope1 and the      
bishops1 together with princes and kings
 attack it1 all men flee1 keep  silent1 
dissemble1 in order that they may not   
lose goods1 honor1 favor  and life4     
,,iii4 ,why do they do this8 ,because   
they have no faith in ,god1 and expect  
nothing good from ,him4 ,for where such 
faith and confidence are1 there  is also
 a bold1 defiant1 fearless heart1 that  
ventures and stands by  the truth1      
though it cost life or cloak1 though it 
be against pope or  kings2 as we see    

that the martyrs did4 ,for such a heart 
is satisfied  and rests easy because it 
has a gracious1 loving ,god4 ,therefore 
it  despises all the favor1 grace1 goods
 and honor of men1 lets them come  and  
go as they please2 as is written in     
,psalm xv3 ,he contemneth them  that    
contemn ,god1 and honoreth them that    
fear the ,lord2 that is1 the  tyrants1  
the mighty1 who persecute the truth and 
despise ,god1 he does  not fear1 he does
 not regard them1 he despiseth them2 on 
the other  hand1 those who are          
persecuted for the truth's sake1 and    
fear ,god more  than men1 to these he   
clings1 these he defends1 these he      
honors1 let it  vex whom it may2 as it  
is written of ,moses1 ,hebrews xi1 that 
he stood  by his brethren1 regardless of
 the mighty king of ,egypt4    ,lo1 in  
this ,commandment again you see briefly 
that faith must be the  master-workman  
in this work also1 so that without it no
 one has courage  to do this work3 so   
entirely are all works comprised in     

faith1 as has  now been often said4     
,therefore1 apart from faith all works  
are dead1  however good the form and    
name they bear4 ,for as no one does the 
work  of this ,commandment except he be 
firm and fearless in the confidence of  
divine favor2 so also he does no work of
 any other ,commandment without  the    
same faith3 thus every one may easily by
 this ,commandment test and  weigh      
himself whether he be a ,christian and  
truly believe in ,christ1  and thus     
whether he is doing good works or no4   
,now we see how the  ,almighty ,god has 
not only set our ,lord ,jesus ,christ   
before us that we  should believe in    
,him with such confidence1 but also     
holds before us in  ,him an example of  
this same confidence and of such good   
works1 to the  end that we should       
believe in ,him1 follow ,him and abide  
in ,him forever2  as ,he says1 ,john    
xiv3 ,i am the ,way1 the ,truth and the 
,life1--the ,way1  in which we follow   
,him2 the ,truth1 that we believe in    

,him2 the ,life1  that we live in ,him  
forever4    ,from all this it is now    
manifest that all other works1 which are
 not  commanded1 are perilous and easily
 known3 such as building churches1      
beautifying them1 making pilgrimages1   
and all that is written at so  great    
length in the ,canon ,law and has misled
 and burdened the world and  ruined it1 
made uneasy consciences1 silenced and   
weakened faith1 and  has not said how a 
man1 although he neglect all else1 has  
enough to do  with all his powers to    
keep the ,commandments of ,god1 and can 
never do  all the good works which he is
 commanded to do2 why then does he seek 
others1 which are neither necessary nor 
commanded1 and neglect those  that are  
necessary and commanded8    ,the last   
two ,commandments1 which forbid evil    
desires of the body for  pleasure and   
for temporal goods1 are clear in        
themselves2 these evil  desires do no   
harm to our neighbor1 and yet they      
continue unto the  grave1 and the strife

 in us against them endures unto death2 
therefore  these two ,commandments are  
drawn together by ,st4 ,paul into one1  
,romans  vii1 and are set as a goal unto
 which we do not attain1 and only in our
  thoughts reach after until death4 ,for
 no one has ever been so holy that  he  
felt in himself no evil inclination1    
especially when occasion and  temptation
 were offered4 ,for original sin is born
 in us by nature1 and  may be checked1  
but not entirely uprooted1 except       
through the death of  the body2 which   
for this reason is profitable and a     
thing to be  desired4 ,to this may ,god 
help us4  ,amen4