a treatise on good works-第6节

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

commands：　〃Thou　shalt　have　no　other　gods；〃　which　means：　〃Since

I　alone　am　God；　thou　shalt　place　all　thy　confidence；　trust　and

faith　on　Me　alone；　and　on　no　one　else。〃　For　that　is　not　to　have

a　god；　if　you　call　him　God　only　with　your　lips；　or　worship　him

with　the　knees　or　bodily　gestures；　but　if　you　trust　Him　with　the

heart；　and　look　to　Him　for　all　good；　grace　and　favor；　whether　in

works　or　sufferings；　in　life　or　death；　in　joy　or　sorrow；　as　the

Lord　Christ　says　to　the　heathen　woman；　John　iv：　〃I　say　unto　thee；

they　that　worship　God　must　worship　Him　in　spirit　and　in　truth。〃

And　this　faith；　faithfulness；　confidence　deep　in　the　heart；　is

the　true　fulfilling　of　the　First　Commandment；　without　this　there

is　no　other　work　that　is　able　to　satisfy　this　Commandment。　And

as　this　Commandment　is　the　very　first；　highest　and　best；　from

which　all　the　others　proceed；　in　which　they　exist；　and　by　which

they　are　directed　and　measured；　so　also　its　work；　that　is；　the

faith　or　confidence　in　God's　favor　at　all　times；　is　the　very

first；　highest　and　best；　from　which　all　others　must　proceed；

exist；　remain；　be　directed　and　measured。　Compared　with　this；

other　works　are　just　as　if　the　other　Commandments　were　without

the　First；　and　there　were　no　God；　Therefore　St。　Augustine　well

says　that　the　works　of　the　First　Commandment　are　faith；　hope　and

love。　As　I　said　above；　such　faith　and　confidence　bring　love　and

hope　with　them。　Nay；　if　we　see　it　aright；　love　is　the　first；　or

comes　at　the　same　instant　with　faith。　For　I　could　not　trust　God；

if　I　did　not　think　that　He　wished　to　be　favorable　and　to　love　me；

which　leads　me；　in　turn；　to　love　Him　and　to　trust　Him　heartily

and　to　look　to　Him　for　all　good　things。　



X。　Now　you　see　for　yourself　that　all　those　who　do　not　at　at　all

times　trust　God　and　do　not　in　all　their　works　or　sufferings；　life

and　death；　trust　in　His　favor；　grace　and　good…will；　but　seek　His

favor　in　other　things　or　in　themselves；　do　not　keep　this

Commandment；　and　practise　real　idolatry；　even　if　they　were　to　do

the　works　of　all　the　other　Commandments；　and　in　addition　had　all

the　prayers；　fasting；　obedience；　patience；　chastity；　and

innocence　of　all　the　saints　combined。　For　the　chief　work　is　not

present；　without　which　all　the　others　are　nothing　but　mere　sham；

show　and　pretence；　with　nothing　back　of　them；　against　which

Christ　warns　us；　Matthew　vii：　〃Beware　of　false　prophets；　which

come　to　you　in　sheep's　clothing。〃　Such　are　all　who　wish　with

their　many　good　works；　as　they　say；　to　make　God　favorable　to

themselves；　and　to　buy　God's　grace　from　Him；　as　if　He　were　a

huckster　or　a　day…laborer；　unwilling　to　give　His　grace　and　favor

for　nothing。　These　are　the　most　perverse　people　on　earth；　who

will　hardly　or　never　be　converted　to　the　right　way。　Such　too　are

all　who　in　adversity　run　hither　and　thither；　and　look　for　counsel

and　help　everywhere　except　from　God；　from　Whom　they　are　most

urgently　commanded　to　seek　it；　whom　the　Prophet　Isaiah　reproves

thus；　Isaiah　ix：　〃The　mad　people　turneth　not　to　Him　that　smiteth

them〃；　that　is；　God　smote　them　and　sent　them　sufferings　and　all

kinds　of　adversity；　that　they　should　run　to　Him　and　trust　Him。

But　they　run　away　from　Him　to　men；　now　to　Egypt；　now　to　Assyria；

perchance　also　to　the　devil；　and　of　such　idolatry　much　is　written

in　the　same　Prophet　and　in　the　Books　of　the　Kings。　This　is　also

the　way　of　all　holy　hypocrites　when　they　are　in　trouble：　they　do

not　run　to　God；　but　flee　from　Him；　and　only　think　of　how　they　may

get　rid　of　their　trouble　through　their　own　efforts　or　through

human　help；　and　yet　they　consider　themselves　and　let　others

consider　them　pious　people。　



XI。　This　is　what　St。　Paul　means　in　many　places；　where　he　ascribes

so　much　to　faith；　that　he　says：　Justus　ex　fide　sua　vivit；　〃the

righteous　man　draws　his　life　out　of　his　faith；〃　and　faith　is　that

because　of　which　he　is　counted　righteous　before　God。　If

righteousness　consists　of　faith；　it　is　clear　that　faith　fulfils

all　commandments　and　makes　all　works　righteous；　since　no　one　is

justified　except　he　keep　all　the　commands　of　God。　Again；　the

works　can　justify　no　one　before　God　without　faith。　So　utterly　and

roundly　does　the　Apostle　reject　works　and　praise　faith；　that　some

have　taken　offence　at　his　words　and　say：　〃Well；　then；　we　will　do

no　more　good　works；〃　although　he　condemns　such　men　as　erring　and

foolish。　



So　men　still　do。　When　we　reject　the　great；　pretentious　works　of

our　time；　which　are　done　entirely　without　faith；　they　say：　Men

are　only　to　believe　and　not　to　do　anything　good。　For　nowadays

they　say　that　the　works　of　the　First　Commandment　are　singing；

reading；　organ…playing；　reading　the　mass；　saying　matins　and

vespers　and　the　other　hours；　the　founding　and　decorating　of

churches；　altars；　and　monastic　houses；　the　gathering　of　bells；

jewels；　garments；　trinkets　and　treasures；　running　to　Rome　and　to

the　saints。　Further；　when　we　are　dressed　up　and　bow；　kneel；　pray

the　rosary　and　the　Psalter；　and　all　this　not　before　an　idol；　but

before　the　holy　cross　of　God　or　the　pictures　of　His　saints：　this

we　call　honoring　and　worshiping　God；　and；　according　to　the　First

Commandment；　〃having　no　other　gods〃；　although　these　things

usurers；　adulterers　and　all　manner　of　sinners　can　do　too；　and　do

them　daily。　



Of　course；　if　these　things　are　done　with　such　faith　that　we

believe　that　they　please　God；　then　they　are　praiseworthy；　not

because　of　their　virtue；　but　because　of　such　faith；　for　which　all

works　are　of　equal　value；　as　has　been　said。　But　if　we　doubt　or

do　not　believe　that　God　is　gracious　to　us　and　is　pleased　with　us；

or　if　we　presumptuously　expect　to　please　Him　only　through　and

after　our　works；　then　it　is　all　pure　deception；　outwardly

honoring　God；　but　inwardly　setting　up　self　as　a　false　god。　This

is　the　reason　why　I　have　so　often　spoken　against　the　display；

magnificence　and　multitude　of　such　works　and　have　rejected　them；

because　it　is　as　clear　as　day　that　they　are　not　only　done　in

doubt　or　without　faith；　but　there　is　not　one　in　a　thousand　who

does　not　set　his　confidence　upon　the　works；　expecting　by　them　to

win　God's　favor　and　anticipate　His　grace；　and　so　they　make　a　fair

of　them；　a　thing　which　God　cannot　endure；　since　He　has　promised

His　grace　freely；　and　wills　that　we　begin　by　trusting　that　grace；

and　in　it　perform　all　works；　whatever　they　may　be。　



XII。　Note　for　yourself；　then；　how　far　apart　these　two　are：

keeping　the　First　Commandment　with　outward　works　only；　and

keeping　it　with　inward　trust。　For　this　last　makes　true；　living

children　of　God；　the　other　only　makes　worse　idolatry　and　the　most

mischievous　hypocrites　on　earth；　who　with　their　apparent

righteousness　lead　unnumbered　people　into　their　way；　and　yet

allow　them　to　be　without　faith；　so　that　they　are　miserably

misled；　and　are　caught　in　the　pitiable　babbling　and　mummery。　Of

such　Christ　says；　Matthew　xxiv：　〃Beware；　if　any　man　shall　say

unto　you；　Lo；　here　is　Christ；　or　there〃；　and　John　iv：　〃I　say　unto

thee；　the　hour　cometh；　when　ye　shall　neither　in　this　mountain　nor

yet　at　Jerusalem　worship　God；　for　the　Father　seeketh　spiritual

worshipers。〃　



These　and　similar　passages　have　moved　me　and　ought　to　move

everyone　to　reject　the　great　display　of　bulls；　seals；　flags；

indulgences；　by　which　the　poor　folk　are　led　to　build　churches；

to　give；　to　endow；　to　pray；　and　yet　faith　is　not　mentioned；　and

is　even　suppressed。　For　since　faith　knows　no　distinction　among

works；　such　exaltation　and　urging　of　one　work　above　another

cannot　exist　beside　faith。　For　faith　desires　to　be　the　only

service　of　God；　and　will　grant　this　name　and　honor　to　no　other

work；　except　in　so　far　as　faith　imparts　it；　as　it　does　when　the

work　is　done　in　faith　and　by　faith。　This　perversion　is　indicated

in　the　Old　Testament；　when　the　Jews　left　the　Temple　and

sacrificed　at　other　places；　in　the　green　parks　and　on　the

mountains。　This　is　what　these　men　also　do：　they　are　zealous　to

do　all　works；　but　this　chief　work　of　faith　they　regard　not　at

all。　



XIII。　Where　now　are　they　who　ask；　what　works　are　good；　what　they

shall　do；　how　they　shall　be　religious？　Yes；　and　where　are　they

who　say　that　when　we　preach　of　faith；　we　shall　neither　teach　nor

do　works？　Does　not　this　First　Commandment　give　us　more　work　to

do　than　any　man　can　do？　If　a　man　were　a　thousand　men；　or　all　men；

or　all　creatures；　this　Commandment　would　yet　ask　enough　of　him；

and　more　than　enough；　since　he　is　commanded　to　live　and　walk　at

all　times　in　faith　and　confidence　toward　God；　to　place　such　faith

in　no　one　else；　and　so　to　have　only　one；　the　true　God；　and　none

other。　



Now；　since　the　being　and　nature　of　man　cannot　for　an　instant　be

without　doing　or　not　doing　something；　enduring　or　running　away

from　something　（for；　as　we　see；　life　never　rests）；　let　him　who

will　be　pious　and　filled　with　good　works；　begin　and　in　all　his

life　and　works　at　all　time