a treatise on good works-第3节

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mother；　as　it　is　due　to　natural　parents；　unless　it　be　contrary

to　the　first　Three　Commandments。　But　as　matters　stand　now　the

spiritual　magistrates　neglect　their　peculiar　work；　namely；　the

fostering　of　godliness　and　discipline；　like　a　mother　who　runs

away　from　her　children　and　follows　a　lover；　and　instead　they

undertake　strange　and　evil　works；　like　parents　whose　commands　are

contrary　to　God。　In　this　case　members　of　the　Church　must　do　as

godly　children　do　whose　parents　have　become　mad　and　insane。

Kings；　princes；　the　nobility；　municipalities　and　communities　must

begin　of　their　own　accord　and　put　a　check　to　these　conditions；

so　that　the　bishops　and　the　clergy；　who　are　now　too　timid；　may

be　induced　to　follow。　But　even　the　civil　magistrates　must　also

suffer　reforms　to　be　enacted　in　their　particular　spheres；

especially　are　they　called　on　to　do　away　with　the　rude　〃gluttony

and　drunkenness；〃　luxury　in　clothing；　the　usurious　sale　of　rents

and　the　common　brothels。　This；　by　divine　and　human　right；　is　a

part　of　their　enjoined　works　according　to　the　Fourth　Commandment。　



Luther；　at　last；　briefly　treats　of　the　Second　Table　of　the

Commandments；　but　in　speaking　of　the　works　of　these　Commandments

he　never　forgets　to　point　out　their　relation　to　faith；　thus

holding　fast　this　fundamental　thought　of　the　book　to　the　end。

Faith　which　does　not　doubt　that　God　is　gracious；　he　says；　will

find　it　an　easy　matter　to　be　graciously　and　favorably　minded

toward　one's　neighbor　and　to　overcome　all　angry　and　wrathful

desires。　In　this　faith　in　God　the　Spirit　will　teach　us　to　avoid

unchaste　thoughts　and　thus　to　keep　the　Sixth　Commandment。　When

the　heart　trusts　in　the　divine　favor；　it　cannot　seek　after　the

temporal　goods　of　others；　nor　cleave　to　money；　but　according　to

the　Seventh　Commandment；　will　use　it　with　cheerful　liberality　for

the　benefit　of　the　neighbor。　Where　such　confidence　is　present

there　is　also　a　courageous；　strong　and　intrepid　heart；　which　will

at　all　times　defend　the　truth；　as　the　Eighth　Commandment　demands；

whether　neck　or　coat　be　at　stake；　whether　it　be　against　pope　or

kings。　Where　such　faith　is　present　there　is　also　strife　against

the　evil　lust；　as　forbidden　in　the　Ninth　and　Tenth　Commandments；

and　that　even　unto　death。　



3。　The　Importance　of　the　Work。　　Inquiring　now　into　the

importance　of　the　book；　we　note　that　Luther's　impression

evidently　was　perfectly　correct；　when　he　wrote　to　Spalatin；　long

before　its　completion　　as　early　as　March　2　5。　　that　he

believed　it　to　be　better　than　anything　he　had　heretofore　written。

The　book；　indeed；　surpasses　all　his　previous　German　writings　in

volume；　as　well　as　all　his　Latin　and　German　ones　in　clearness；

richness　and　the　fundamental　importance　of　its　content。　In

comparison　with　the　prevalent　urging　of　self…elected　works　of

monkish　holiness；　which　had　arisen　from　a　complete

misunderstanding　of　the　so…called　evangelical　counsels　（comp。

esp。　Matthew　19：16…22）　and　which　were　at　that　time　accepted　as

self…evident　and　zealously　urged　by　the　whole　church；　Luther's

argument　must　have　appeared　to　all　thoughtful　and　earnest　souls

as　a　revelation；　when　he　so　clearly　amplified　the　proposition

that　only　those　works　are　to　be　regarded　as　good　works　which　God

has　commanded；　and　that　therefore；　not　the　abandoning　of　one's

earthly　calling；　but　the　faithful　keeping　of　the　Ten　Commandments

in　the　course　of　one's　calling；　is　the　work　which　God　requires

of　us。　Over　against　the　wide…spread　opinion；　as　though　the　will

of　God　as　declared　in　the　Ten　Commandments　referred　only　to　the

outward　work　always　especially　mentioned；　Luther's　argument　must

have　called　to　mind　the　explanation　of　the　Law；　which　the　Lord

had　given　in　the　Sermon　on　the　Mount；　when　he　taught　men　to

recognize　only　the　extreme　point　and　manifestation　of　a　whole

trend　of　thought　in　the　work　prohibited　by　the　text；　and　when　he

directed　Christians　not　to　rest　in　the　keeping　of　the　literal

requirement　of　each　Commandment；　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　it。　Though　this　thought　may

have　been　occasionally　expressed　in　the　expositions　of　the　Ten

Commandments　which　appeared　at　the　dawn　of　the　Reformation；　still

it　had　never　before　been　so　clearly　recognized　as　the　only

correct　principle；　much　less　had　it　been　so　energetically　carried

out　from　beginning　to　end；　as　is　done　in　this　treatise。　Over

against　the　deep…rooted　view　that　the　works　of　love　must　bestow

upon　faith　its　form；　its　content　and　its　worth　before　God；　it

must　have　appeared　as　the　dawn　of　a　new　era　（Galatians　3：22…25）

when　Luther　in　this　treatise　declared；　and　with　victorious

certainty　carried　out　the　thought；　that　it　is　true　faith　which

invests　the　works；　even　the　best　and　greatest　of　works；　with

their　content　and　worth　before　God。　



This　proposition；　which　Luther　here　amplifies　more　clearly　than

ever　before；　demanded　nothing　less　than　a　breach　with　the　whole

of　prevalent　religious　views；　and　at　that　time　must　have　been

perceived　as　the　discovery　of　a　new　world；　though　it　was　no　more

than　a　return　to　the　clear　teaching　of　the　New　Testament

Scriptures　concerning　the　way　of　salvation。　This；　too；　accounts

for　the　fact　that　in　this　writing　the　accusation　is　more

impressively　repelled　than　before；　that　the　doctrine　of

justification　by　faith　alone　resulted　in　moral　laxity；　and　that；

on　the　other　hand；　the　fundamental　and　radical　importance　of

righteousness　by　faith　for　the　whole　moral　life　is　revealed　in

such　a　heart…refreshing　manner。　Luther's　appeal　in　this　treatise

to　kings；　princes；　the　nobility；　municipalities　and　communities；

to　declare　against　the　misuse　of　spiritual　powers　and　to　abolish

various　abuses　in　civil　life；　marks　this　treatise　as　a　forerunner

of　the　great　Reformation　writings；　which　appeared　in　the　same

year　（1520）；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　his　espousal　of　the　rights

of　the　〃poor　man〃　　to　be　met　with　here　for　the　first　time　

shows　that　the　Monk　of　Witttenberg；　coming　from　the　narrow　limits

of　the　convent；　had　an　intimate　and　sympathetic　knowledge　of　the

social　needs　of　his　time。　Thus　he　proved　by　his　own　example　that

to　take　s　stand　in　the　center　of　the　Gospel　does　not　narrow　the

vision　nor　harden　the　heart；　but　rather　produces　courage　in　the

truth　and　sympathy　for　all　manner　of　misery。　



Luther's　contemporaries　at　once　recognized　the　great　importance

of　the　Treatise；　for　within　the　period　of　seven　months　it　passed

through　eight　editions；　these　were　followed　by　six　more　editions

between　the　years　of　1521　and　1525；　in　1521　it　was　translated

into　Latin；　and　in　this　form　passed　through　three　editions　up　to

the　year　1525；　and　all　this　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　in　those

years　the　so…called　three　great　Reformation　writings　of　1520　were

casting　all　else　into　the　shadow。　Melanchthon；　in　a

contemporaneous　letter　to　John　Hess；　called　it　Luther's　best

book。　John　Mathesius；　the　well…known　pastor　at　Joachimsthal　and

Luther's　biographer；　acknowledged　that　he　had　learned　the

〃rudiments　of　Christianity〃　from　it。　



Even　to…day　this　book　has　its　peculiar　mission　to　the　Church。　The

seeking　after　self…elected　works；　the　indolence　regarding　the

works　commanded　of　God；　the　foolish　opinion；　that　the　path　of

works　leads　to　God's　grace　and　good…will；　are　even　to…day　widely

prevalent　within　the　kingdom　of　God。　To　all　this　Luther's

treatise　answers：　Be　diligent　in　the　works　of　your　earthly

calling　as　commanded　of　God；　but　only　after　having　first

strengthened；　by　the　consideration　of　God's　mercy；　the　faith

within　you；　which　is　the　only　source　of　all　truly　good　works　and

well…pleasing　to　God。　



M。　REU。　



WARTBURG　SEMINARY；　DUBUQUE；　IOWA。

TREATISE　ON　GOOD　WORKS



1520



DEDICATION



JESUS





To　the　Illustrious；　High…born　Prince　and　Lord；　John　Duke　of

Saxony；　Landgrave　of　Thuringia；　Margrave　of　Meissen；　my　gracious

Lord　and　Patron。　





Illustrious；　High…born　Prince；　gracious　Lord！　My　humble　duty　and

my　feeble　prayer　for　your　Grace　always　remembered！　



For　a　long　time；　gracious　Prince　and　Lord；　I　have　wished　to　show

my　humble　respect　and　duty　toward　your　princely　Grace；　by　the

exhibition　of　some　such　spirtual　wares　as　are　at　my　disposal；　but

I　have　always　considered　my　powers　too　feeble　to　undertake

anything　worthy　of　being　offered　to　your　princely　Grace。　



Since；　however；　my　most　gracious　Lord　Frederick；　Duke　of　Saxony；

Elector　and　Vicar　of　the　Holy　Roman　Empire；　your　Grace's　brother；

has　not　despised；　but　graciously　accepted　my　slight　book；

dedicated　to　his　electoral　Grace；　and　now　published　　though

such　was　not　my　intention；　I　have　taken　courage　from　his　gracious

example　and　ventured　to　think　that　the　princely　spirit；　like　the

princely　blood；　may　be　the　same　in　both　of　you；　especially　in

gracious　kindness　and　good　wil