large catechism-第8节

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the　other　He　did　not　command　a　word。　But　this　is　the　plight　and
miserable　blindness　of　the　world　that　no　one　believes　these　things；　to
such　an　extent　the　devil　has　deceived　us　with　false　holiness　and　the
glamour　of　our　own　works。　

Therefore　I　would　be　very　glad　（I　say　it　again）　if　men　would　open
their　eyes　and　ears　and　take　this　to　heart；　lest　some　time　we　may
again　be　led　astray　from　the　pure　Word　of　God　to　the　lying　vanities　of
the　devil。　Then；　too；　all　would　be　well；　for　parents　would　have　more
joy；　love；　friendship；　and　concord　in　their　houses；　thus　the　children
could　captivate　their　parents'　hearts。　On　the　other　hand；　when　they　are
obstinate；　and　will　not　do　what　they　ought　until　a　rod　is　laid　upon
their　back；　they　anger　both　God　and　their　parents；　whereby　they　deprive
themselves　of　this　treasure　and　joy　of　conscience　and　lay　up　for
themselves　only　misfortune。　Therefore；　as　every　one　complains；　the
course　of　the　world　now　is　such　that　both　young　and　old　are　altogether
dissolute　and　beyond　control；　have　no　reverence　nor　sense　of　honor；　do
nothing　except　as　they　are　driven　to　it　by　blows；　and　perpetrate　what
wrong　and　detraction　they　can　behind　each　other's　back；　therefore　God
also　punishes　them；　that　they　sink　into　all　kinds　of　filth　and　misery。
As　a　rule；　the　parents；　too；　are　themselves　stupid　and　ignorant；　one
fool　trains　＇teaches＇　another；　and　as　they　have　lived；　so　live　their
children　after　them。　

　This；　now；　I　say　should　be　the　first　and　most　important　consideration
to　urge　us　to　the　observance　of　this　commandment；　on　which　account；
even　if　we　had　no　father　and　mother　we　ought　to　wish　that　God　would　set
up　wood　and　stone　before　Us；　whom　we　might　call　father　and　mother。　How
much　more；　since　He　has　given　us　living　parents；　should　we　rejoice　to
show　them　honor　and　obedience；　because　we　know　it　is　so　highly　pleasing
to　the　Divine　Majesty　and　to　all　angels；　and　vexes　all　devils；　and　is；
besides；　the　highest　work　which　we　can　do；　after　the　sublime　divine
worship　comprehended　in　the　previous　commandments；　so　that　giving　of
alms　and　every　other　good　work　toward　our　neighbor　are　not　equal　to
this。　For　God　has　assigned　this　estate　the　highest　place；　yea；　has　set
it　up　in　His　own　stead；　upon　earth。　This　will　and　pleasure　of　God　ought
to　be　a　sufficient　reason　and　incentive　to　us　to　do　what　we　can　with
good　will　and　pleasure。　

Besides　this；　it　is　our　duty　before　the　world　to　be　grateful　for
benefits　and　every　good　which　we　have　of　our　parents。　But　here　again
the　devil　rules　in　the　world；　so　that　the　children　forget　their
parents；　as　we　all　forget　God；　and　no　one　considers　how　God　nourishes；
protects；　and　defends　us；　and　bestows　so　much　good　on　body　and　soul；
especially　when　an　evil　hour　comes　we　are　angry　and　grumble　with
impatience　and　all　the　good　which　we　have　received　throughout　our　life
is　wiped　out　＇from　our　memory＇。　Just　so　we　do　also　with　our　parents；
and　there　is　no　child　that　understands　and　considers　this　＇what　the
parents　have　endured　while　nourishing　and　fostering　him＇；　except　the
Holy　Ghost　grant　him　this　grace。　

God　knows　very　well　this　perverseness　of　the　world；　therefore　He
admonishes　and　urges　by　commandments　that　every　one　consider　what　his
parents　have　done　for　him　and　he　will　find　that　he　has　from　them　body
and　life；　moreover；　that　he　has　been　fed　and　reared　when　otherwise　he
would　have　perished　a　hundred　times　in　his　own　filth。　Therefore　it　is　a
true　and　good　saying　of　old　and　wise　men：　Deo；　parentibus　et　magistris
non　potest　satis　gratiae　rependi；　that　is；　To　God；　to　parents；　and　to
teachers　we　can　never　render　sufficient　gratitude　and　compensation。　He
that　regards　and　considers　this　will　indeed　without　compulsion　do　all
honor　to　his　parents；　and　bear　them　up　on　his　hands　as　those　through
whom　God　has　done　him　all　good。　

Over　and　above　all　this；　another　great　reason　that　should　incite　us　the
more　＇to　obedience　to　this　commandment＇　is　that　God　attaches　to　this
commandment　a　temporal　promise　and　says：　That　thou　mayest　live　long
upon　the　land　which　the　Lord；　thy　God；　giveth　thee。　

Here　you　can　see　yourself　how　much　God　is　in　earnest　in　respect　to　this
commandment；　inasmuch　as　He　not　only　declares　that　it　is　well　pleasing
to　Him；　and　that　He　has　joy　and　delight　therein；　but　also　that　it　shall
be　for　our　prosperity　and　promote　our　highest　good；　so　that　we　may　have
a　pleasant　and　agreeable　life；　furnished　with　every　good　thing。
Therefore　also　St。　Paul　greatly　emphasizes　the　same　and　rejoices　in　it
when　he　says；　Eph。　6；　2。　3：　This　is　the　first　commandment　with　promise：
That　it　may　be　well　with　thee；　and　thou　mayest　live　long　on　the　earth。
For　although　the　rest　also　have　their　promises　contained　in　them；　yet
in　none　is　it　so　plainly　and　explicitly　stated。　

Here；　then；　you　have　the　fruit　and　the　reward；　that　whoever　observes
this　commandment　shall　have　happy　days；　fortune；　and　prosperity；　and　on
the　other　hand；　the　punishment；　that　whoever　is　disobedient　shall　the
sooner　perish；　and　never　enjoy　life。　For　to　have　long　life　in　the　sense
of　the　Scriptures　is　not　only　to　become　old；　but　to　have　everything
which　belongs　to　long　life；　such　as　health；　wife；　and　children；
livelihood；　peace；　good　government；　etc。；　without　which　this　life　can
neither　be　enjoyed　in　cheerfulness　nor　long　endure。　If；　therefore；　you
will　not　obey　father　and　mother　and　submit　to　their　discipline；　then
obey　the　hangman；　if　you　will　not　obey　him；　then　submit　to　the
skeleton…man；　i。e。；　death　＇death　the　all…subduer；　the　teacher　of
wicked　children＇。　For　on　this　God　insists　peremptorily：　Either　if　you
obey　Him　rendering　love　and　service；　He　will　reward　you　abundantly　with
all　good；　or　if　you　offend　Him；　He　will　send　upon　you　both　death　and
the　hangman。　

Whence　come　so　many　knaves　that　must　daily　be　hanged；　beheaded；　broken
upon　the　wheel；　but　from　disobedience　＇to　parents＇；　because　they　will
not　submit　to　discipline　in　kindness；　so　that；　by　the　punishment　of
God；　they　bring　it　about　that　we　behold　their　misfortune　and　grief？　For
it　seldom　happens　that　such　perverse　people　die　a　natural　or　timely
death。　

But　the　godly　and　obedient　have　this　blessing；　that　they　live　long　in
pleasant　quietness　and　see　their　children's　children　（as　said　above）　to
the　third　and　fourth　generation。　Thus　experience　also　teaches；　that
where　there　are　honorable；　old　families　who　fare　well　and　have　many
children；　they　owe　their　origin　to　the　fact；　to　be　sure；　that　some　of
them　were　brought　up　well　and　were　regardful　of　their　parents。　On　the
other　hand；　it　is　written　of　the　wicked；　Ps。　109；13：　Let　his　posterity
be　cut　off；　and　in　the　generation　following　let　their　name　be　blotted
out。　Therefore　heed　well　how　great　a　thing　in　God's　sight　obedience　is
since　He　so　highly　esteems　it；　is　so　highly　pleased　with　it；　and
rewards　it　so　richly；　and　besides　enforces　punishment　so　rigorously　on
those　who　act　contrariwise。　

All　this　I　say　that　it　may　be　well　impressed　upon　the　young。　For　no　one
believes　how　necessary　this　commandment　is；　although　it　has　not　been
esteemed　and　taught　hitherto　under　the　papacy。　These　are　simple　and
easy　words；　and　everybody　thinks　he　knew　them　a　fore；　therefore　men
pass　them　lightly　by；　are　gaping　after　other　matters；　and　do　not　see
and　believe　that　God　is　so　greatly　offended　if　they　be　disregarded；　nor
that　one　does　a　work　so　well　pleasing　and　precious　if　he　follows　them。　

In　this　commandment　belongs　a　further　statement　regarding　all　kinds　of
obedience　to　persons　in　authority　who　have　to　command　and　to　govern。
For　all　authority　flows　and　is　propagated　from　the　authority　of
parents。　For　where　a　father　is　unable　alone　to　educate　his　＇rebellious
and　irritable＇　child；　he　employs　a　schoolmaster　to　instruct　him；　if　he
be　too　weak；　he　enlists　the　aid　of　his　friends　and　neighbors；　if　he
departs　this　life；　he　delegates　and　confers　his　authority　and
government　upon　others　who　are　appointed　for　the　purpose。　Likewise；　he
must　have　domestics；　man…servants　and　maid…servants；　under　himself　for
the　management　of　the　household；　so　that　all　whom　we　call　masters　are
in　the　place　of　parents　and　must　derive　their　power　and　authority　to
govern　from　them。　Hence　also　they　are　all　called　fathers　in　the
Scriptures；　as　those　who　in　their　government　perform　the　functions　of　a
father；　and　should　have　a　paternal　heart　toward　their　subordinates。　As
also　from　antiquity　the　Romans　and　other　nations　called　the　masters　and
mistresses　of　the　household　patres…　et　matresfamiliae　that　is；
housefathers　and　housemothers。　So　also　they　called　their　national
rulers　and　overlords　patres　patriae；　that　is　fathers　of　the　entire
country；　for　a　great　shame　to　us　who　would　be　Christians　that　we　do　not
likewise　call　them　so；　or；　at　least　do　not　esteem　and　honor　them　as
such。　

Now；　what　a　child　owes　to　father　and　mother；　the　same　owe　all　who　are
embraced　in　the　household。　Therefore　man…servants　and　maid…servants
should　be　careful　not　only　to　be　obedient　to　their　masters　and
mistresses　but　also　to　honor　them　as　their　own　fathers　and　mothers；　and
to　do　everything　which　they　know　is　expected　of　them；　not　from
compulsion　and　with　reluctance；　but　with　pleasure　and　joy　for