a treatise on good works-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

Christian　who　is　enlightened　and　strengthened　by　grace。　



That　these　words　seem　strange；　and　that　some　call　me　a　heretic

because　of　them；　is　due　to　the　fact　that　men　have　followed　blind

reason　and　heathen　ways；　have　set　faith　not　above；　but　beside

other　virtues；　and　have　given　it　a　work　of　its　own；　apart　from

all　works　of　the　other　virtues；　although　faith　alone　makes　all

other　works　good；　acceptable　and　worthy；　in　that　it　trusts　God

and　does　not　doubt　that　for　it　all　things　that　a　man　does　are

well　done。　Indeed；　they　have　not　let　faith　remain　a　work；　but

have　made　a　habitus　of　it；　as　they　say；　although　Scripture　gives

the　name　of　a　good；　divine　work　to　no　work　except　to　faith　alone。

Therefore　it　is　no　wonder　that　they　have　become　blind　and　leaders

of　the　blind。　And　this　faith　brings　with　it　at　once　love；　peace；

joy　and　hope。　For　God　gives　His　Spirit　at　once　to　him　who　trusts

Him；　as　St。　Paul　says　to　the　Galatians：　〃You　received　the　Spirit

not　because　of　your　good　works；　but　when　you　believed　the　Word

of　God。〃



V。　In　this　faith　all　works　become　equal；　and　one　is　like　the

other；　all　distinctions　between　works　fall　away；　whether　they　be

great；　small；　short；　long；　few　or　many。　For　the　works　are

acceptable　not　for　their　own　sake；　but　because　of　the　faith　which

alone　is；　works　and　lives　in　each　and　every　work　without

distinction；　however　numerous　and　various　they　are；　just　as　all

the　members　of　the　body　live；　work　and　have　their　name　from　the

head；　and　without　the　head　no　member　can　live；　work　and　have　a

name。　



From　which　it　further　follows　that　a　Christian　who　lives　in　this

faith　has　no　need　of　a　teacher　of　good　works；　but　whatever　he

finds　to　do　he　does；　and　all　is　well　done；　as　Samuel　said　to

Saul：　〃The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　will　come　upon　thee；　and　thou　shalt

be　turned　into　another　man；　then　do　thou　as　occasion　serves　thee；

for　God　is　with　thee。〃　So　also　we　read　of　St。　Anna；　Samuel's

mother：　〃When　she　believed　the　priest　Eli　who　promised　her　God's

grace；　she　went　home　in　joy　and　peace；　and　from　that　time　no　more

turned　hither　and　thither；〃　that　is；　whatever　occurred；　it　was

all　one　to　her。　St。　Paul　also　says：　〃Where　the　Spirit　of　Christ

is；　there　all　is　free。〃　For　faith　does　not　permit　itself　to　be

bound　to　any　work；　nor　does　it　allow　any　work　to　be　taken　from

it；　but；　as　the　First　Psalm　says；　〃He　bringeth　forth　his　fruit

in　his　season；〃　that　is；　as　a　matter　of　course。　



VI。　This　we　may　see　in　a　common　human　example。　When　a　man　and　a

woman　love　and　are　pleased　with　each　other；　and　thoroughly

believe　in　their　love；　who　teaches　them　how　they　are　to　behave；

what　they　are　to　do；　leave　undone；　say；　not　say；　think？

Confidence　alone　teaches　them　all　this；　and　more。　They　make　no

difference　in　works：　they　do　the　great；　the　long；　the　much；　as

gladly　as　the　small；　the　short；　the　little；　and　vice　versa；　and

that　too　with　joyful；　peaceful；　confident　hearts；　and　each　is　a

free　companion　of　the　other。　But　where　there　is　a　doubt；　search

is　made　for　what　is　best；　then　a　distinction　of　works　is　imagined

whereby　a　man　may　win　favor；　and　yet　he　goes　about　it　with　a

heavy　heart；　and　great　disrelish；　he　is；　as　it　were；　taken

captive；　more　than　half　in　despair；　and　often　makes　a　fool　of

himself。　



So　a　Christian　who　lives　in　this　confidence　toward　God；　a　knows

all　things；　can　do　all　things；　undertakes　all　things　that　are　to

be　done；　and　does　everything　cheerfully　and　freely；　not　that　he

may　gather　many　merits　and　good　works；　but　because　it　is　a

pleasure　for　him　to　please　God　thereby；　and　he　serves　God　purely

for　nothing；　content　that　his　service　pleases　God。　On　the　other

hand；　he　who　is　not　at　one　with　God；　or　doubts；　hunts　and　worries

in　what　way　he　may　do　enough　and　with　many　works　move　God。　He

runs　to　St。　James　of　Compostella；　to　Rome；　to　Jerusalem；　hither

and　yon；　prays　St。　Bridget's　prayer　and　the　rest；　fasts　on　this

day　and　on　that；　makes　confession　here；　and　makes　confession

there；　questions　this　man　and　that；　and　yet　finds　no　peace。　He

does　all　this　with　great　effort；　despair　and　disrelish　of　heart；

so　that　the　Scriptures　rightly　call　such　works　in　Hebrew　Avenama；

that　is；　labor　and　travail。　And　even　then　they　are　not　good

works；　and　are　all　lost。　Many　have　been　crazed　thereby；　their

fear　has　brought　them　into　all　manner　of　misery。　Of　these　it　is

written；　Wisdom　of　Solomon　v：　〃We　have　wearied　ourselves　in　the

wrong　way；　and　have　gone　through　deserts；　where　there　lay　no　way；

but　as　for　the　way　of　the　Lord；　we　have　not　known　it；　and　the　sun

of　righteousness　rose　not　upon　us。〃　



VII。　In　these　works　faith　is　still　slight　and　weak；　let　us　ask

further；　whether　they　believe　that　they　are　well…pleasing　to　God

when　they　suffer　in　body；　property；　honor；　friends；　or　whatever

they　have；　and　believe　that　God　of　His　mercy　appoints　their

sufferings　and　difficulties　for　them；　whether　they　be　small　or

great。　This　is　real　strength；　to　trust　in　God　when　to　all　our

senses　and　reason　He　appears　to　be　angry；　and　to　have　greater

confidence　in　Him　than　we　feel。　Here　He　is　hidden；　as　the　bride

says　in　the　Song　of　Songs：　〃Behold　he　standeth　behind　our　wall；

he　looketh　forth　at　the　windows〃；　that　is；　He　stands　hidden　among

the　sufferings；　which　would　separate　us　from　Him　like　a　wall；

yea；　like　a　wall　of　stone；　and　yet　He　looks　upon　me　and　does　not

leave　me；　for　He　is　standing　and　is　ready　graciously　to　help；　and

through　the　window　of　dim　faith　He　permits　Himself　to　be　seen。

And　Jeremiah　says　in　Lamentations；　〃He　casts　off　men；　but　He　does

it　not　willingly。〃　



This　faith　they　do　not　know　at　all；　and　give　up；　thinking　that

God　has　forsaken　them　and　is　become　their　enemy；　they　even　lay

the　blame　of　their　ills　on　men　and　devils；　and　have　no　confidence

at　all　in　God。　For　this　reason；　too；　their　suffering　is　always

an　offence　and　harmful　to　them；　and　yet　they　go　and　do　some　good

works；　as　they　think；　and　are　not　aware　of　their　unbelief。　But

they　who　in　such　suffering　trust　God　and　retain　a　good；　firm

confidence　in　Him；　and　believe　that　He　is　pleased　with　them；

these　see　in　their　sufferings　and　afflictions　nothing　but

precious　merits　and　the　rarest　possessions；　the　value　of　which

no　one　can　estimate。　For　faith　and　confidence　make　precious

before　God　all　that　which　others　think　most　shameful；　so　that　it

is　written　even　of　death　in　Psalm　cxvi；　〃Precious　in　the　sight

of　the　Lord　is　the　death　of　His　saints。〃　And　just　as　the

confidence　and　faith　are　better；　higher　and　stronger　at　this

stage　than　in　the　first　stage；　so　and　to　the　same　degree　do　the

sufferings　which　are　borne　in　this　faith　excel　all　works　of

faith。　Therefore　between　such　works　and　sufferings　there　is　an

immeasurable　difference　and　the　sufferings　are　infinitely　better。　



VIII。　Beyond　all　this　is　the　highest　stage　of　faith；　when；　God

punishes　the　conscience　not　only　with　temporal　sufferings；　but

with　death；　hell；　and　sin；　and　refuses　grace　and　mercy；　as　though

it　were　His　will　to　condemn　and　to　be　angry　eternally。　This　few

men　experience；　but　David　cries　out　in　Psalm　vi；　〃O　Lord；　rebuke

me　not　in　Thine　anger。〃　To　believe　at　such　times　that　God；　in　His

mercy；　is　pleased　with　us；　is　the　highest　work　that　can　be　done

by　and　in　the　creature；　but　of　this　the　work…righteous　and　doers

of　good　works　know　nothing　at　all。　For　how　could　they　here　look

for　good　things　and　grace　from　God；　as　long　as　they　are　not

certain　in　their　works；　and　doubt　even　on　the　lowest　step　of

faith。　



In　this　way　I　have；　as　I　said；　always　praised　faith；　and　rejected

all　works　which　are　done　without　such　faith；　in　order　thereby　to

lead　men　from　the　false；　pretentious；　pharisaic；　unbelieving　good

works；　with　which　all　monastic　houses；　churches；　homes；　low　and

higher　classes　are　overfilled；　and　lead　them　to　the　true；

genuine；　thoroughly　good；　believing　works。　In　this　no　one　opposes

me　except　the　unclean　beasts；　which　do　not　divide　the　hoof；　as

the　Law　of　Moses　decrees；　who　will　suffer　no　distinction　among

good　works；　but　go　lumbering　along：　if　only　they　pray；　fast；

establish　endowments；　go　to　confession；　and　do　enough；　everything

shall　be　good；　although　in　all　this　they　have　had　no　faith　in

God's　grace　and　approval。　Indeed；　they　consider　the　works　best

of　all；　when　they　have　done　many；　great　and　long　works　without

any　such　confidence；　and　they　look　for　good　only　after　the　works

are　done；　and　so　they　build　their　confidence　not　on　divine　favor；

but　on　the　works　they　have　done；　that　is；　on　sand　and　water；　from

which　they　must　at　last　take　a　cruel　fall；　as　Christ　says；

Matthew　vii。　This　good…will　and　favor；　on　which　our　confidence

rests；　was　proclaimed　by　the　angels　from　heaven；　when　they　sang

on　Christmas　night：　〃Gloria　in　excelsis　Deo；　Glory　to　God　in　the

highest；　peace　to　earth；　gracious　favor　to　man。〃



IX。　Now　this　is　the　work　of　the　First　Commandment；　which