a treatise on good works-第4节

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

gracious　kindness　and　good　will。　I　have　hoped　that　yout　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　tracts。　For　the　greatest　of　all　questions　has　been　raised；　the

question　of　Good　Works；　in　which　is　practised　immeasurably　more

trickery　and　deception　than　in　anything　else；　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　themselves。　



Neither　silver；　gold；　precious　stones；　nor　any　rare　thing　has

such　manifold　alloys　and　flaws　as　have　good　works；　which　ought

to　have　a　single　simple　goodness；　and　without　it　are　mere　color；

show　and　deceit。　



And　although　I　know　and　daily　hear　many　people；　who　think

slightingly　of　my　poverty；　and　say　that　I　write　only　little

pamphletst　and　German　sermons　for　the　unlearned　laity；　this　shall

not　disturb　me。　Would　to　God　I　had　in　all　my　life；　with　all　the

ability　I　have；　helped　one　layman　to　be　better！　I　would　be

satisfied；　thank　God；　and　be　quite　willing　then　to　let　all　my

little　books　perish。　



Whether　the　making　of　many　great　books　is　an　art　and　a　benefit

to　the　Church；　I　leave　others　to　judge。　But　I　believe　that　if　I

were　minded　to　make　great　books　according　to　their　art；　I　could；

with　God's　help；　do　it　more　readily　perhaps　than　they　could

prepare　a　little　discourse　after　my　fashion。　If　accomplishment

were　as　easy　as　persecution；　Christ　would　long　since　have　been

cast　out　of　heaven　again；　and　God's　throne　itself　overturned。

Although　we　cannot　all　be　writers；　we　all　want　to　be　critics。　



I　will　most　gladly　leave　to　any　one　else　the　honor　of　greater

things；　and　not　be　at　all　ashamed　to　preach　and　to　write　in

German　for　the　unlearned　laymen。　Although　I　too　have　little　skill

in　it；　I　believe　that　if　we　had　hitherto　done；　and　should

henceforth　do　more　of　it；　Christendom　would　have　reaped　no　small

advantage；　and　have　been　more　bene　fited　by　this　than　by　the

great；　deep　books　and　quaestiones；　which　are　used　only　in　the

schools；　among　the　learned。　



Then；　too；　I　have　never　forced　or　begged　any　one　to　hear　me；　or

to　read　my　sermons。　I　have　freely　ministered　in　the　Church　of

that　which　God　has　given　me　and　which　I　owe　the　Church。　Whoever

likes　it　not；　may　hear　and　read　what　others　have　to　say。　And　if

they　are　not　willing　to　be　my　debtors；　it　matters　little。　For　me

it　is　enough；　and　even　more　than　too　much；　that　some　laymen

condescend　to　read　what　I　say。　Even　though　there　were　nothing

else　to　urge　me；　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

Faith；　with　which　instruction　it　was　my　duty；　humbly　and　with　all

diligence　to　serve　you。　



Therefore；　in　dutiful　humility　I　pray　that　your　princely　Grace

may　accept　this　offering　of　mine　with　a　gracious　mind；　until；　if

God　grant　me　time；　I　prepare　a　German　exposition　of　the　Faith　in

its　entirety。　For　at　this　time　I　have　wished　to　show　how　in　all

good　works　we　should　practice　and　make　use　of　faith；　and　let

faith　be　the　chief　work。　If　God　permit；　I　will　treat　at　another

time　of　the　Faith　itself　　how　we　are　daily　to　pray　or　recite

it。　



I　humbly　commend　myself　herewith　to　your　princely　Grace；　Your

Princely　Grace's　Humble　Chaplain；



DR。　MARTIN　LUTHER。　

From　Wittenberg；　March　29th；　A。　D。　1520。　

THE　TREATISE



I。　We　ought　first　to　know　that　there　are　no　good　works　except

those　which　God　has　commanded；　even　as　there　is　no　sin　except

that　which　God　has　forbidden。　Therefore　whoever　wishes　to　know

and　to　do　good　works　needs　nothing　else　than　to　know　God's

commandments。　Thus　Christ　says；　Matthew　xix；　〃If　thou　wilt　enter

into　life；　keep　the　commandments。〃　And　when　the　young　man　asks

Him；　Matthew　xix；　what　he　shall　do　that　he　may　inherit　eternal

life；　Christ　sets　before　him　naught　else　but　the　Ten

Commandments。　Accordingly；　we　must　learn　how　to　distinguish　among

good　works　from　the　Commandments　of　God；　and　not　from　the

appearance；　the　magnitude；　or　the　number　of　the　works　themselves；

nor　from　the　judgment　of　men　or　of　human　law　or　custom；　as　we　see

has　been　done　and　still　is　done；　because　we　are　blind　and　despise

the　divine　Commandments。　



II。　The　first　and　highest；　the　most　precious　of　all　good　works

is　faith　in　Christ；　as　He　says；　John　vi。　When　the　Jews　asked　Him：

〃What　shall　we　do　that　we　may　work　the　works　of　God？〃　He

answered：　〃This　is　the　work　of　God；　that　ye　believe　on　Him　Whom

He　hath　sent。〃　When　we　hear　or　preach　this　word；　we　hasten　over

it　and　deem　it　a　very　little　thing　and　easy　to　do；　whereas　we

ought　here　to　pause　a　long　time　and　to　ponder　it　well。　For　in

this　work　all　good　works　must　be　done　and　receive　from　it　the

inflow　of　their　goodness；　like　a　loan。　This　we　must　put　bluntly；

that　men　may　understand　it。　



We　find　many　who　pray；　fast；　establish　endowments；　do　this　or

that；　lead　a　good　life　before　men；　and　yet　if　you　should　ask　them

whether　they　are　sure　that　what　they　do　pleases　God；　they　say；

〃No〃；　they　do　not　know；　or　they　doubt。　And　there　are　some　very

learned　men；　who　mislead　them；　and　say　that　it　is　not　necessary

to　be　sure　of　this；　and　yet；　on　the　other　hand；　these　same　men

do　nothing　else　but　teach　good　works。　Now　all　these　works　are

done　outside　of　faith；　therefore　they　are　nothing　and　altogether

dead。　For　as　their　conscience　stands　toward　God　and　as　it

believes；　so　also　are　the　works　which　grow　out　of　it。　Now　they

have　no　faith；　no　good　conscience　toward　God；　therefore　the　works

lack　their　head；　and　all　their　life　and　goodness　is　nothing。

Hence　it　comes　that　when　I　exalt　faith　and　reject　such　works　done

without　faith；　they　accuse　me　of　forbidding　good　works；　when　in

truth　I　am　trying　hard　to　teach　real　good　works　of　faith。　



III。　If　you　ask　further；　whether　they　count　it　also　a　good　work

when　they　work　at　their　trade；　walk；　stand；　eat；　drink；　sleep；

and　do　all　kinds　of　works　for　the　nourishment　of　the　body　or　for

the　common　welfare；　and　whether　they　believe　that　God　takes

pleasure　in　them　because　of　such　works；　you　will　find　that　they

say；　〃No〃；　and　they　define　good　works　so　narrowly　that　they　are

made　to　consist　only　of　praying　in　church；　fasting；　and

almsgiving。　Other　works　they　consider　to　be　in　vain；　and　think

that　God　cares　nothing　for　them。　So　through　their　damnable

unbelief　they　curtail　and　lessen　the　service　of　God；　Who　is

served　by　all　things　whatsoever　that　are　done；　spoken　or　thought

in　faith。　



So　teaches　Ecclesiastes　ix：　〃Go　thy　way　with　joy；　eat　and　drink；

and　know　that　God　accepteth　thy　works。　Let　thy　garments　be　always

white；　and　let　thy　head　lack　no　ointment。　Live　joyfully　with　the

wife　whom　thou　lovest　all　the　days　of　the　life　of　thy　vanity。〃

〃Let　thy　garments　be　always　white；〃　that　is；　let　all　our　works

be　good；　whatever　they　may　be；　without　any　distinction。　And　they

are　white　when　I　am　certain　and　believe　that　they　please　God。

Then　shall　the　head　of　my　soul　never　lack　the　ointment　of　a

joyful　conscience。　



So　Christ　says；　John　viii：　〃I　do　always　those　things　that　please

Him。〃　And　St。　John　says；　I。　John　iii：　〃Hereby　we　know　that　we　are

of　the　truth；　if　we　can　comfort　our　hearts　before　Him　and　have

a　good　confidence。　And　if　our　heart　condemns　or　frets　us；　God　is

greater　than　our　heart；　and　we　have　confidence；　that　whatsoever

we　ask；　we　shall　receive　of　Him；　because　we　keep　His

Commandments；　and　do　those　things　that　are　pleasing　in　His

sight。〃　Again：　〃Whosoever　is　born　of　God；　that　is；　whoever

believes　and　trusts　God；　doth　not　commit　sin；　and　cannot　sin。〃

Again；　Psalm　xxxiv：　〃None　of　them　that　trust　in　Him　shall　do

sin。〃　And　in　Psalm　ii：　〃Blessed　are　all　they　that　put　their　trust

in　Him。〃　If　this　be　true；　then　all　that　they　do　must　be　good；　or

the　evil　that　they　do　must　be　quickly　forgiven。　Behold；　then；　why

I　exalt　faith　so　greatly；　draw　all　works　into　it；　and　reject　all

works　which　do　not　flow　from　it。　



IV。　Now　every　one　can　note　and　tell　for　himself　when　he　does　what

is　good　or　what　is　not　good；　for　if　he　finds　his　heart　confident

that　it　pleases　God；　the　work　is　good；　even　if　it　were　so　small

a　thing　as　picking　up　a　straw。　If　confidence　is　absent；　or　if　he

doubts；　the　work　is　not　good；　although　it　should　raise　all　the

dead　and　the　man　should　give　himself　to　be　burned。　This　is　the

teaching　of　St。　Paul；　Romans　xiv：　〃Whatsoever　is　not　done　of　or

in　faith　is　sin。〃　Faith；　as　the　chief　work；　and　no　other　work；

has　given　us　the　name　of　〃believers　on　Christ。〃　For　all　other

works　a　heathen；　a　Jew；　a　Turk；　a　sinner；　may　also　do；　but　to

trust　firmly　that　he　pleases　God；　is　possible　only　for　a

Christian　who　is　enlightened　and　strengthened　by　grace。　



That　these　words　seem　stra