a treatise on good works-第20节

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debt；　and　this　should　not　be。　But　spiritual　authority　should　look

to　it；　that　adultery；　unchastity；　usury；　gluttony；　worldly　show；

excessive　adornment；　and　such　like　open　sin　and　shame　might　be

most　severely　punished　and　corrected；　and　they　should　properly

manage　the　endowments；　monastic　houses；　parishes　and　schools；　and

earnestly　maintain　worship　in　them；　provide　for　the　young　people；

boys　and　girls；　in　schools　and　cloisters；　with　learned；　pious　men

as　teachers；　that　they　might　all　be　well　trained；　and　so　the

older　people　give　a　good　example　and　Christendom　be　filled　and

adorned　with　fine　young　people。　So　St。　Paul　teaches　his　disciple

Titus；　that　he　should　rightly　instruct　and　govern　all　classes；

young　and　old；　men　and　women。　But　now　he　goes　to　school　who

wishes；　he　is　taught　who　governs　and　teaches　himself；　nay；　it

has；　alas！　come　to　such　a　pass　that　the　places　where　good　should

be　taught　have　become　schools　of　knavery；　and　no　one　at　all　takes

thought　for　the　wild　youth。　



VIII。　If　the　above　order　prevailed；　one　could　say　how　honor　and

obedience　should　be　given　to　the　spiritual　authority。　But　now　the

case　is　like　that　of　the　natural　parents　who　let　their　children

do　as　they　please；　at　present　the　spiritual　authority　threatens；

dispenses；　takes　money；　and　pardons　more　than　it　has　power　to

pardon。　I　will　here　refrain　from　saying　more；　we　see　more　of　it

than　is　good；　greed　holds　the　reins；　and　just　what　should　be

forbidden　is　taught；　and　it　is　clearly　seen　that　the　spiritual

estate　is　in　all　things　more　worldly　than　the　worldly　estate

itself。　Meanwhile　Christendom　must　be　ruined；　and　this

Commandment　perish。　



If　there　were　a　bishop　who　would　zealously　provide　for　all　these

classes；　supervise；　make　visitations　and　be　faithful　as　he　ought；

truly；　one　city　would　be　too　much　for　him。　For　in　the　time　of　the

Apostles；　when　Christendom　was　at　its　best　estate；　each　city　had

a　bishop；　although　the　smallest　part　of　the　inhabitants　were

Christians。　How　may　things　go　when　one　bishop　wants　to　have　so

much；　another　so　much；　this　one　the　whole　world；　that　one　the

fourth　of　it。　



It　is　time　that　we　pray　God　for　mercy。　Of　spiritual　power　we　have

much；　but　of　spiritual　government　nothing　or　little。　Meanwhile

may　he　help　who　can；　that　endowments；　monastic　houses；　parishes

and　schools　be　well　established　and　managed；　and　it　would　also

be　one　of　the　works　of　the　spiritual　authority　that　it　lessen　the

number　of　endowments；　monastic　houses　and　schools；　where　they

cannot　be　cared　for。　It　is　much　better　that　there　be　no　monastic

house　or　endowment　than　that　there　be　evil　government　in　them；

whereby　God　is　the　more　provoked　to　anger。



IX。　Since；　then；　the　authorities　so　entirely　neglect　their　work；

and　are　perverted；　it　must　assuredly　follow　that　they　misuse

their　power；　and　undertake　other　and　evil　works；　just　as　parents

do　when　they　give　some　command　contrary　to　God。　Here　we　must　be

wise；　for　the　Apostle　has　said；　that　those　times　shall　be

perilous　in　which　such　authorities　shall　rule。　For　it　seems　as

if　we　resisted　their　power　if　we　do　not　do　and　leave　undone　all

that　they　prescribe。　Therefore　we　must　take　hold　of　the　first

three　Commandments　and　the　First　Table；　and　be　certain　that　no

man；　neither　bishop；　nor　pope；　nor　angel；　may　command　or

determine　anything　that　is　contrary　to　or　hinders　these　three

Commandments；　or　does　not　help　them；　and　if　they　attempt　such

things；　it　is　not　valid　and　amounts　to　nothing；　and　we　also　sin

if　we　follow　and　obey；　or　even　tolerate　such　acts。　



From　this　it　is　easy　to　understand　that　the　commands　of　fasting

do　not　include　the　sick；　the　pregnant　women；　or　those　who　for

other　reasons　cannot　fast　without　injury。　And；　to　rise　higher；

in　our　time　nothing　comes　from　Rome　but　a　fair　of　spiritual

wares；　which　are　openly　and　shamelessly　bought　and　sold；

indulgences；　parishes；　monastic　houses；　bishoprics；　provostships；

benefices；　and　every　thing　that　has　ever　been　founded　to　God's

service　far　and　wide；　whereby　not　only　is　all　money　and　wealth

of　the　world　drawn　and　driven　to　Rome　（for　this　would　be　the

smallest　harm）；　but　the　parishes；　bishoprics　and　prelacies　are

torn　to　pieces；　deserted；　laid　waste；　and　so　the　people　are

neglected；　God's　Word　and　God's　Name　and　honor　come　to　naught；

and　faith　is　destroyed；　so　that　at　last　such　institutions　and

offices　fall　into　the　hands　not　only　of　unlearned　and　unfit　men；

but　the　greater　part　into　the　hands　of　the　Romans；　the　greatest

villains　in　the　world。　Thus　what　has　been　founded　for　God's

service；　for　the　instruction；　government　and　improvement　of　the

people；　must　now　serve　the　stable…boys；　mule…drivers；　yea；　not

to　use　plainer　language；　Roman　whores　and　knaves；　yet　we　have　no

more　thanks　than　that　they　mock　us　for　it　as　fools。　



X。　If　then　such　unbearable　abuses　are　all　carried　on　in　the　Name

of　God　and　St。　Peter；　just　as　if　God's　Name　and　the　spiritual

power　were　instituted　to　blaspheme　God's　honor；　to　destroy

Christendom；　body　and　soul：　we　are　indeed　in　duty　bound　to　resist

in　a　proper　way　as　much　as　we　can。　And　here　we　must　do　like　pious

children　whose　parents　have　become　insane；　and　first　see　by　what

right　that　which　has　been　founded　for　God's　service　in　our　lands；

or　has　been　ordained　to　provide　for　our　children；　must　be　allowed

to　do　its　work　in　Rome；　and　to　lapse　here；　where　it　ought　to

serve。　How　can　we　be　so　foolish？　



Since　then　bishops　and　spiritual　prelates　stand　idle　in　this

matter；　offer　no　opposition　or　are　afraid；　and　thus　allow

Christendom　to　perish；　it　is　our　duty　first　of　all　humbly　to　call

upon　God　for　help　to　prevent　this　thing；　then　to　put　our　hand　to

work　to　the　same　end；　send　the　courtesans　and　those　who　bear

letters　from　Rome　about　their　business；　in　a　reasonable；　gentle

way　inform　them　that；　if　they　wish　to　care　for　their　parishes

properly；　they　shall　live　in　them　and　improve　the　people　by

preaching　or　by　good　example；　or　if　not；　and　they　do　live　in　Rome

or　elsewhere；　lay　waste　and　debauch　the　churches；　then　let　the

pope　feed　them；　whom　they　serve。　It　is　not　fitting　that　we

support　the　pope's　servants；　his　people；　yes；　his　knaves　and

whores；　to　the　destruction　and　injury　of　our　souls。　



Lo！　these　are　the　true　Turks；　whom　the　kings；　princes　and　the

nobility　ought　to　attack　first：　not　seeking　thereby　their　own

benefit；　but　only　the　improvement　of　Christendom；　and　the

prevention　of　the　blasphemy　and　disgracing　of　the　divine　Name；

and　so　to　deal　with　the　clergy　as　with　a　father　who　has　lost　his

sense　and　wits；　who；　if　one　did　not　restrain　him　and　resist　him

（although　with　all　humility　and　honor）；　might　destroy　child；　heir

and　everybody。　Thus　we　are　to　honor　Roman　authority　as　our

highest　father；　and　yet；　since　they　have　gone　mad　and　lost　their

senses；　not　allow　them　to　do　what　they　attempt；　lest　Christendom

be　destroyed　thereby。　



XI。　Some　think；　this　should　be　referred　to　a　General　Council。　To

this　I　say：　No！　For　we　have　had　many　councils　in　which　this　has

been　proposed；　namely；　at　Constance；　Basel　and　the　last　Roman

Council；　but　nothing　has　been　accomplished；　and　things　have　grown

ever　worse；　Moreover；　such　councils　are　entirely　useless；　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　have；　and　so　has　put　up　a　bar　to　ward　off

all　reformation；　to　retain　protection　and　liberty　for　all　their

knavery；　although　this　oath　is　demanded；　forced　and　taken

contrary　to　God　and　the　law；　and　by　it　the　doors　are　locked

against　the　Holy　Spirit；　Who　should　rule　the　councils。　But　this

would　be　the　best；　and　also　the　only　remedy　remaining；　if　kings；

princes；　nobility；　cities　and　communities　themselves　began　and

opened　a　way　for　reformation；　so　that　the　bishops　and　clergy；　who

now　are　afraid；　would　have　reason　to　follow。　For　here　nothing

else　shall　and　must　be　considered　except　God's　first　three

Commandments；　against　which　neither　Rome；　nor　heaven　nor　earth

can　command　or　forbid　anything。　And　the　ban　or　threatening　with

which　they　think　they　can　prevent　this；　amounts　to　nothing；　just

as　it　amounts　to　nothing　if　an　insane　father　severely　threatens

the　son　who　restrains　him　or　locks　him　up。



XII。　The　third　work　of　this　Commandment　is　to　obey　the　temporal

authority；　as　Paul　teaches；　Romans　xiii；　and　Titus　iii；　and　St。

Peter；　I。　Peter　ii：　〃Submit　yourselves　to　the　king　as　supreme；

and　to　the　princes　as　his　ambassadors；　and　to　all　the　ordinances

of　the　worldly　power。〃　But　it　is　the　work　of　the　temporal　power

to　protect　its　subjects；　and　to　punish　thievery；　robbery；　and

adultery；　as　St。　Paul　says；　Romans　xiii：　〃It　beareth　not　the

sword　in　vain；　it　serves　God　with　it；　to　the　terror　of　evil

doers；　and　to　the　protection　of　the　good。〃　



Here　men　sin　in　two　ways。　First；　if　they　lie　to　the　government；

deceive　it；　and　are　disloyal；　neith