a treatise on good works-第11节

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all　men；　as　Christ　said　to　His　disciples：　〃Ye　shall　be　hated　of

all　men　for　My　Name's　sake。〃　Here　we　must　provoke　to　anger

father；　mother；　and　the　best　of　friends。　Here　we　must　strive

against　spiritual　and　temporal　powers；　and　be　accused　of

disobedience。　Here　we　must　stir　up　against　us　the　rich；　learned；

holy；　and　all　that　is　of　repute　in　the　world。　And　although　this

is　especially　the　duty　of　those　who　are　commanded　to　preach　God's

Word；　yet　every　Christian　is　also　obligated　to　do　so　when　time

and　place　demand。　For　we　must　for　the　holy　Name　of　God　risk　and

give　up　all　that　we　have　and　can　do；　and　show　by　our　deeds　that

we　love　God　and　His　Name；　His　honor　and　His　praise　above　all

things；　and　trust　Him　above　all　things；　and　expect　good　from　Him；

thereby　confessing　that　we　regard　Him　as　the　highest　good；　for

the　sake　of　which　we　let　go　and　give　up　all　other　goods。　



XXIX。　Here　we　must　first　of　all　resist　all　wrong；　where　truth　or

righteousness　suffers　violence　or　need；　and　dare　make　no

distinction　of　persons；　as　some　do；　who　fight　most　actively　and

busily　against　the　wrong　which　is　done　to　the　rich；　the　powerful；

and　their　own　friends；　but　when　it　is　done　to　the　poor；　or　the

despised　or　their　own　enemy；　they　are　quiet　and　patient。　These

see　the　Name　and　the　honor　of　God　not　as　it　is；　but　through　a

painted　glass；　and　measure　truth　or　righteousness　according　to

the　persons；　and　do　not　consider　their　deceiving　eye；　which　looks

more　on　the　person　than　on　the　thing。　These　are　hypocrites　within

and　have　only　the　appearance　of　defending　the　truth。　For　they

well　know　that　there　is　no　danger　when　one　helps　the　rich；　the

powerful；　the　learned　and　one's　own　friends；　and　can　in　turn

enjoy　their　protection　and　be　honored　by　them。



Thus　it　is　very　easy　to　fight　against　the　wrong　which　is　done　to

popes；　kings；　princes；　bishops　and　other　big…wigs。　Here　each

wants　to　be　the　most　pious；　where　there　is　no　great　need。　O　how

sly　is　here　the　deceitful　Adam　with　his　demand；　how　finely　does

he　cover　his　greed　of　profit　with　the　name　of　truth　and

righteousness　and　God's　honor！　But　when　something　happens　to　a

poor　and　insignificant　man；　there　the　deceitful　eye　does　not　find

much　profit；　but　cannot　help　seeing　the　disfavor　of　the　powerful；

therefore　he　lets　the　poor　man　remain　unhelped。　And　who　could

tell　the　extent　of　this　vice　in　Christendom？　God　says　in　the

lxxxii。　Psalm；　〃How　long　will　ye　judge　unjustly；　and　accept　the

persons　of　the　wicked？　Judge　the　matter　of　the　poor　and

fatherless；　demand　justice　for　the　poor　and　needy；　deliver　the

poor　and　rid　the　forsaken　out　of　the　hand　of　the　wicked。〃　But　it

is　not　done；　and　therefore　the　text　continues：　〃They　know　not；

neither　will　they　understand；　they　walk　on　in　darkness〃；　that　is；

the　truth　they　do　not　see；　but　they　stop　at　the　reputation　of　the

great；　however　unrighteous　they　are；　and　do　not　consider　the

poor；　however　righteous　they　are。　



XXX。　See；　here　would　be　many　good　works。　For　the　greater　portion

of　the　powerful；　rich　and　friends　do　injustice　and　oppress　the

poor；　the　lowly；　and　their　own　opponents；　and　the　greater　the

men；　the　worse　the　deeds；　and　where　we　cannot　by　force　prevent

it　and　help　the　truth；　we　should　at　least　confess　it；　and　do　what

we　can　with　words；　not　take　the　part　of　the　unrighteous；　not

approve　them；　but　speak　the　truth　boldly。　



What　would　it　help　a　man　if　he　did　all　manner　of　good；　made

pilgrimages　to　Rome　and　to　all　holy　places；　acquired　all

indulgences；　built　all　churches　and　endowed　houses；　if　he　were

found　guilty　of　sin　against　the　Name　and　honor　of　God；　not

speaking　of　them　and　neglecting　them；　and　regarding　his

possessions；　honor；　favor　and　friends　more　than　the　truth　（which

is　God's　Name　and　honor）？　Or　who　is　he；　before　whose　door　and

into　whose　house　such　good　works　do　not　daily　come；　so　that　he

would　have　no　need　to　travel　far　or　to　ask　after　good　works？　And

if　we　consider　the　life　of　men；　how　in　every　place　men　act　so

very　rashly　and　lightly　in　this　respect；　we　must　cry　out　with　the

prophet；　Omnis　homo　mendax；　〃All　men　are　liars；　lie　and　deceive〃；

for　the　real　good　works　they　neglect；　and　adorn　and　paint

themselves　with　the　most　insignificant；　and　want　to　be　pious；　to

mount　to　heaven　in　peaceful　security。



But　if　you　should　say：　〃Why　does　not　God　do　it　alone　and　Himself；

since　He　can　and　knows　how　to　help　each　one？〃　Yes；　He　can　do　it；

but　He　does　not　want　to　do　it　alone；　He　wants　us　to　work　with

Him；　and　does　us　the　honor　to　want　to　work　His　work　with　us　and

through　us。　And　if　we　are　not　willing　to　accept　such　honor；　He

will；　after　all；　perform　the　work　alone；　and　help　the　poor；　and

those　who　were　unwilling　to　help　Him　and　have　despised　the　great

honor　of　doing　His　work；　He　will　condemn　with　the　unrighteous；

because　they　have　made　common　cause　with　the　unrighteous。　Just

as　He　alone　is　blessed；　but　He　wants　to　do　us　the　honor　and　not

be　alone　in　His　blessedness；　but　have　us　to　be　blessed　with　Him。

And　if　He　were　to　do　it　alone；　His　Commandments　would　be　given

us　in　vain；　because　no　one　would　have　occasion　to　exercise

himself　in　the　great　works　of　these　Commandments；　and　no　one

would　test　himself　to　see　whether　he　regards　God　and　His　Name　as

the　highest　good；　and　for　His　sake　risks　everything。　



XXXI。　It　also　belongs　to　this　work　to　resist　all　false；

seductive；　erroneous；　heretical　doctrines；　every　misuse　of

spiritual　power。　Now　this　is　much　higher；　for　these　use　the　holy

Name　of　God　itself　to　fight　against　the　Name　of　God。　For　this

reason　it　seems　a　great　thing　and　a　dangerous　to　resist　them；

because　they　assert　that　he　who　resists　them　resists　God　and　all

His　saints；　in　whose　place　they　sit　and　whose　power　they　use；

saying　that　Christ　said　of　them；　〃He　that　heareth　you；　heareth

Me；　and　he　that　despiseth　you；　despiseth　Me。〃　On　which　words　they

lean　heavily；　become　insolent　and　bold　to　say；　to　do；　and　to

leave　undone　what　they　please；　put　to　the　ban；　accurse；　rob；

murder；　and　practise　all　their　wickedness；　in　whatever　way　they

please　and　can　invent；　without　any　hindrance。　



Now　Christ　did　not　mean　that　we　should　listen　to　them　in

everything　they　might　say　and　do；　but　only　then　when　they　present

to　us　His　Word；　the　Gospel；　not　their　word；　His　work；　and　not

their　work。　How　else　could　we　know　whether　their　lies　and　sins

were　to　be　avoided？　There　must　be　some　rule；　to　what　extent　we

are　to　hear　and　to　follow　them；　and　this　rule　cannot　be　given　by

them；　but　must　be　established　by　God　over　them；　that　it　may　serve

us　as　a　guide；　as　we　shall　hear　in　the　Fourth　Commandment。　



It　must　be；　indeed；　that　even　in　the　spiritual　estate　the　greater

part　preach　false　doctrine　and　misuse　spiritual　power；　so　that

thus　occasion　may　be　given　us　to　do　the　works　of　this

Commandment；　and　that　we　be　tried；　to　see　what　we　are　willing　to

do　and　to　leave　undone　against　such　blasphemers　for　the　sake　of

God's　honor。　



Oh；　if　we　were　God…fearing　in　this　matter；　how　often　would　the

knaves　of　officiales　have　to　decree　their　papal　and　episcopal　ban

in　vain！　How　weak　the　Roman　thunderbolts　would　become！　How　often

would　many　a　one　have　to　hold　his　tongue；　to　whom　the　world　must

now　give　ear！　How　few　preachers　would　be　found　in　Christendom！

But　it　has　gotten　the　upper　hand：　whatever　they　assert　and　in

whatever　way；　that　must　be　right。　Here　no　one　fights　for　God's

Name　and　honor；　and　I　hold　that　no　greater　or　more　frequent　sin

is　done　in　external　works　than　under　this　head。　It　is　a　matter

so　high　that　few　understand　it；　and；　besides；　adorned　with　God's

Name　and　power；　dangerous　to　touch。　But　the　prophets　of　old　were

masters　in　this；　also　the　apostles；　especially　St。　Paul；　who　did

not　allow　it　to　trouble　them　whether　the　highest　or　the　lowest

priest　had　said　it；　or　had　done　it　in　God's　Name　or　in　his　own。

They　looked　on　the　works　and　words；　and　held　them　up　to　God's

Commandment；　no　matter　whether　big　John　or　little　Nick　said　it；

or　whether　they　had　done　it　in　God's　Name　or　in　man's。　And　for

this　they　had　to　die；　and　of　such　dying　there　would　be　much　more

to　say　in　our　time；　for　things　are　much　worse　now。　But　Christ　and

St。　Peter　and　Paul　must　cover　all　this　with　their　holy　names；　so

that　no　more　infamous　cover　for　infamy　has　been　found　on　earth

than　the　most　holy　and　most　blessed　Name　of　Jesus　Christ！　



One　might　shudder　to　be　alive；　simply　because　of　the　misuse　and

blasphemy　of　the　holy　Name　of　God；　through　which；　if　it　shall

last　much　longer；　we　will；　as　I　fear；　openly　worship　the　devil

as　a　god；　so　completely　do　the　spiritual　authorities　and　the

learned　lack　all　understanding　in　these　things。　It　is　high　time

that　we　pray　God　earnestly　that　He　hallow　His　Name。　But　it　will

cost　blood；　and　they　who　enjoy　the　inheritance　of　the　holy

martyrs　and　are　won　with　their　blood；　must　again　make　martyrs。

Of　this　more　another　time。



I。　We　have　now　seen　how　many　good　works　there