a treatise on good works-第9节

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pretty；　shining　works　of　men's　devising；　or　of　works　which　look

like　these　true　works；　but　at　bottom　are　all　without　faith　and

without　faithfulness；　in　short；　there　is　nothing　good　back　of

them。　Thus　also　Isaiah　xlviii。　rebukes　the　people　of　Israel：

〃Hear　ye　this；　ye　which　are　called　by　the　name　of　Israel；　which

swear　by　the　Name　of　the　Lord；　and　make　mention　of　the　God　of

Israel　neither　in　truth；　nor　in　righteousness〃；　that　is；　they　did

it　not　in　the　true　faith　and　confidence；　which　is　the　real　truth

and　righteousness；　but　trusted　in　themselves；　their　works　and

powers；　and　yet　called　upon　God's　Name　and　praised　Him；　two

things　which　do　not　fit　together。　



XXI。　The　first　work　of　this　Commandment　then　is；　to　praise　God

in　all　His　benefits；　which　are　innumerable；　so　that　such　praise

and　thanksgiving　ought　also　of　right　never　to　cease　or　end。　For

who　can　praise　Him　perfectly　for　the　gift　of　natural　life；　not

to　mention　all　other　temporal　and　eternal　blessings？　And　so

through　this　one　part　of　the　Commandment　man　is　overwhelmed　with

good　and　precious　works；　if　he　do　these　in　true　faith；　he　has

indeed　not　lived　in　vain。　And　in　this　matter　none　sin　so　much　as

the　most　resplendent　saints；　who　are　pleased　with　themselves　and

like　to　praise　themselves　or　to　hear　themselves　praised；　honored

and　glorified　before　men。　



Therefore　the　second　work　of　this　Commandment　is；　to　be　on　one's

guard；　to　flee　from　and　to　avoid　all　temporal　honor　and　praise；

and　never　to　seek　a　name　for　oneself；　or　fame　and　a　great

reputation；　that　every　one　sing　of　him　and　tell　of　him；　which　is

an　exceedingly　dangerous　sin；　and　yet　the　most　common　of　all；

and；　alas！　little　regarded。　Every　one　wants　to　be　of　importance

and　not　to　be　the　least；　however　small　he　may　be；　so　deeply　is

nature　sunk　in　the　evil　of　its　own　conceit　and　in　its

self…confidence　contrary　to　these　two　first　Commandments。　



Now　the　world　regards　this　terrible　vice　as　the　highest　virtue；

and　this　makes　it　exceedingly　dangerous　for　those　who　do　not

understand　and　have　not　had　experience　of　God's　Commandments　and

the　histories　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　to　read　or　hear　the　heathen

books　and　histories。　For　all　heathen　books　are　poisoned　through

and　through　with　this　striving　after　praise　and　honor；　in　them

men　are　taught　by　blind　reason　that　they　were　not　nor　could　be

men　of　power　and　worth；　who　are　not　moved　by　praise　and　honor；

but　those　are　counted　the　best；　who　disregard　body　and　life；

friend　and　property　and　everything　in　the　effort　to　win　praise

and　honor。　All　the　holy　Fathers　have　complained　of　this　vice　and

with　one　mind　conclude　that　it　is　the　very　last　vice　to　be

overcome。　St。　Augustine　says：　〃All　other　vices　are　practised　in

evil　works；　only　honor　and　self…satisfaction　are　practised　in　and

by　means　of　good　works。〃　



Therefore　if　a　man　had　nothing　else　to　do　except　this　second　work

of　this　Commandment；　he　would　yet　have　to　work　all　his　life…time

in　order　to　fight　this　vice　and　drive　it　out；　so　common；　so

subtile；　so　quick　and　insidious　is　it。　Now　we　all　pass　by　this

good　work　and　exercise　ourselves　in　many　other　lesser　good　works；

nay；　through　other　good　works　we　overthrow　this　and　forget　it

entirely。　So　the　holy　Name　of　God；　which　alone　should　be　honored；

is　taken　in　vain　and　dishonored　through　our　own　cursed　name；

self…approval　and　honor…seeking。　And　this　sin　is　more　grievous

before　God　than　murder　and　adultery；　but　its　wickedness　is　not

so　clearly　seen　as　that　of　murder；　because　of　its　subtilty；　for

it　is　not　accomplished　in　the　coarse　flesh；　but　in　the　spirit。　



XXII。　Some　think　it　is　good　for　young　people　that　they　be　enticed

by　reputation　and　honor；　and　again　by　shame　of　and　dishonor；　and

so　be　induced　to　do　good。　For　there　are　many　who　do　the　good　and

leave　the　evil　undone　out　of　fear　of　shame　and　love　of　honor；　and

so　do　what　they　would　otherwise　by　no　means　do　or　leave　undone。

These　I　leave　to　their　opinion。　But　at　present　we　are　seeking　how

true　good　works　are　to　be　done；　and　they　who　are　inclined　to　do

them　surely　do　not　need　to　be　driven　by　the　fear　of　shame　and　the

love　of　honor；　they　have；　and　are　to　have　a　higher　and　far　nobler

incentive；　namely；　God's　commandment；　God's　fear；　God's　approval；

and　their　faith　and　love　toward　God。　They　who　have　not；　or　regard

not　this　motive；　and　let　shame　and　honor　drive　them；　these　also

have　their　reward；　as　the　Lord　says；　Matthew　vi；　and　as　the

motive；　so　is　also　the　work　and　the　reward：　none　of　them　is　good；

except　only　in　the　eyes　of　the　world。　



Now　I　hold　that　a　young　person　could　be　more　easily　trained　and

incited　by　God's　fear　and　commandments　than　by　any　other　means。

Yet　where　these　do　not　help；　we　must　endure　that　they　do　the　good

and　leave　the　evil　for　the　sake　of　shame　and　of　honor；　just　as

we　must　also　endure　wicked　men　or　the　imperfect；　of　whom　we　spoke

above；　nor　can　we　do　more　than　tell　them　that　their　works　are　not

satisfactory　and　right　before　God；　and　so　leave　them　until　they

learn　to　do　right　for　the　sake　of　God's　commandments　also。　Just

as　young　children　are　induced　to　pray；　fast；　learn；　etc。；　by

gifts　and　promises　of　the　parents；　even　though　it　would　not　be

good　to　treat　them　so　all　their　lives；　so　that　they　never　learn

to　do　good　in　the　fear　of　God：　far　worse；　if　they　become

accustomed　to　do　good　for　the　sake　of　praise　and　honor。　



XXIII。　But　this　is　true；　that　we　must　none　the　less　have　a　good

name　and　honor；　and　every　one　ought　so　to　live　that　nothing　evil

can　be　said　of　him；　and　that　he　give　offence　to　no　one；　as　St。

Paul　says；　Romans　xii：　〃We　are　to　be　zealous　to　do　good；　not　only

before　God；　but　also　before　all　men。〃　And　II。　Corinthians　iv：　〃We

walk　so　honestly　that　no　man　knows　anything　against　us。〃　But

there　must　be　great　diligence　and　care；　lest　such　honor　and　good

name　puff　up　the　heart；　and　the　heart　find　pleasure　in　them。　Here

the　saying　of　Solomon　holds：　〃As　the　fire　in　the　furnace　proveth

the　gold；　so　man　is　proved　by　the　mouth　of　him　that　praises　him。〃

Few　and　most　spiritual　men　must　they　be；　who；　when　honored　and

praised；　remain　indifferent　and　unchanged；　so　that　they　do　not

care　for　it；　nor　feel　pride　and　pleasure　in　it；　but　remain

entirely　free；　ascribe　all　their　honor　and　fame　to　God；　offering

it　to　Him　alone；　and　using　it　only　to　the　glory　of　God；　to　the

edification　of　their　neighbors；　and　in　no　way　to　their　own

benefit　or　advantage；　so　that　a　man　trust　not　in　his　own　honor；

nor　exalt　himself　above　the　most　incapable；　despised　man　on

earth；　but　acknowledge　himself　a　servant　of　God；　Who　has　given

him　the　honor　in　order　that　with　it　he　may　serve　God　and　his

neighbor；　just　as　if　He　had　commanded　him　to　distribute　some

gulden　to　the　poor　for　His　sake。　So　He　says；　Matthew　v：　〃Your

light　shall　shine　before　men；　so　that　they　may　see　your　good

works　and　glorify　your　Father　Who　is　in　heaven。〃　He　does　not　say；

〃they　shall　praise　you；〃　but　〃your　works　shall　only　serve　them

to　edification；　that　through　them　they　may　praise　God　in　you　and

in　themselves。〃　This　is　the　correct　use　of　God's　Name　and　honor；

when　God　is　thereby　praised　through　the　edification　of　others。

And　if　men　want　to　praise　us　and　not　God　in　us；　we　are　not　to

endure　it；　but　with　all　our　powers　forbid　it　and　flee　from　it　as

from　the　most　grievous　sin　and　robbery　of　divine　honor。　



XXIV。　Hence　it　comes　that　God　frequently　permits　a　man　to　fall

into　or　remain　in　grievous　sin；　in　order　that　he　may　be　put　to

shame　in　his　own　eyes　and　in　the　eyes　of　all　men；　who　otherwise

could　not　have　kept　himself　from　this　great　vice　of　vain　honor

and　fame；　if　he　had　remained　constant　in　his　great　gifts　and

virtues；　so　God　must　ward　off　this　sin　by　means　of　other　grievous

sins；　that　His　Name　alone　may　be　honored；　and　thus　one　sin

becomes　the　other's　medicine；　because　of　our　perverse　wickedness；

which　not　only　does　the　evil；　but　also　misuses　all　that　is　good。　



Now　see　how　much　a　man　has　to　do；　if　he　would　do　good　works；

which　always　are　at　hand　in　great　number；　and　with　which　he　is

surrounded　on　all　sides；　but；　alas！　because　of　his　blindness；　he

passes　them　by　and　seeks　and　runs　after　others　of　his　own

devising　and　pleasure；　against　which　no　man　can　sufficiently

speak　and　no　man　can　sufficiently　guard。　With　this　all　the

prophets　had　to　contend；　and　for　this　reason　they　were　all　slain；

only　because　they　rejected　such　self…devised　works　and　preached

only　God's　commandments；　as　one　of　them　says；　Jeremiah　vii：　〃Thus

saith　the　God　of　Israel　unto　you：　Take　your　burnt　offerings　unto

all　your　sacrifices　and　eat　your　burnt…offerings　and　your　flesh

yourselves；　for　concerning　these　things　I　have　commanded　you

nothing；　but　this　thing　commanded　I　you：　Obey　My　voice　（that　is；

not　what　seems　right　and　good　to　you；　but　what　I　bid　you）；　and

walk　in　the　way　that　I　have　commanded　you。〃　And　Deuteronomy　xii：

〃Thou　shalt　not　do　whatsoever　is　right　in　thine　own　eyes