a treatise on good works-第1章

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A　treatise　on　Good　Works



by　Dr。　Martin　Luther






together　with　the

Letter　of　Dedication

by　Dr。　Martin　Luther；　1520











INTRODUCTION



1。　The　Occasion　of　the　Work。　　Luther　did　not　impose　himself　as

reformer　upon　the　Church。　In　the　course　of　a　conscientious

performance　of　the　duties　of　his　office；　to　which　he　had　been

regularly　and　divinely　called；　and　without　any　urging　on　his

part；　he　attained　to　this　position　by　inward　necessity。　In　1515

he　received　his　appointment　as　the　standing　substitute　for　the

sickly　city　pastor；　Simon　Heinse；　from　the　city　council　of

Wittenberg。　Before　this　time　he　was　obliged　to　preach　only

occasionally　in　the　convent；　apart　from　his　activity　as　teacher

in　the　University　and　convent。　Through　this　appointment　he　was

in　duty　bound；　by　divine　and　human　right；　to　lead　and　direct　the

congregation　at　Wittenberg　on　the　true　way　to　life；　and　it　would

have　been　a　denial　of　the　knowledge　of　salvation　which　God　had

led　him　to　acquire；　by　way　of　ardent　inner　struggles；　if　he　had

led　the　congregation　on　any　other　way　than　the　one　God　had

revealed　to　him　in　His　Word。　He　could　not　deny　before　the

congregation　which　had　been　intrusted　to　his　care；　what　up　to

this　time　he　had　taught　with　ever　increasing　clearness　in　his

lectures　at　the　University　　for　in　the　lectures　on　the　Psalms；

which　he　began　to　deliver　in　1513；　he　declares　his　conviction

that　faith　alone　justifies；　as　can　be　seen　from　the　complete

manuscript；　published　since　1885；　and　with　still　greater

clearness　from　his　Commentary　on　the　Epistle　to　the　Romans

（1515…1516）；　which　is　accessible　since　1908；　nor　what　he　had

urged　as　spiritual　adviser　of　his　convent　brethren　when　in　deep

distress　　compare　the　charming　letter　to　Georg　Spenlein；　dated

April　8；　1516。　



Luther's　first　literary　works　to　appear　in　print　were　also

occasioned　by　the　work　of　his　calling　and　of　his　office　in　the

Wittenberg　congregation。　He　had　no　other　object　in　view　than　to

edify　his　congregation　and　to　lead　it　to　Christ　when；　in　1517；

he　published　his　first　independent　work；　the　Explanation　of　the

Seven　Penitential　Psalms。　On　Oct　31　of　the　same　year　he　published

his　95　Theses　against　Indulgences。　These　were　indeed　intended　as

controversial　theses　for　theologians；　but　at　the　same　time　it　is

well　known　that　Luther　was　moved　by　his　duty　toward　his

congregation　to　declare　his　position　in　this　matter　and　to　put

in　issue　the　whole　question　as　to　the　right　and　wrong　of

indulgences　by　means　of　his　theses。　His　sermon　Of　Indulgences　and

Grace；　occasioned　by　Tetzel's　attack　and　delivered　in　the　latter

part　of　March；　1518；　as　well　as　his　sermon　Of　Penitence；

delivered　about　the　same　time；　were　also　intended　for　his

congregation。　Before　his　congregation　（Sept。；　1516…Feb。；　1517）

he　delivered　the　Sermons　on　the　Ten　Commandments；　which　were

published　in　1518　and　the　Sermons　on　the　Lord's　Prayer；　which

were　also　published　in　1518　by　Agricola。　Though　Luther　in　the

same　year　published　a　series　of　controversial　writings；　which

were　occasioned　by　attacks　from　outside　sources；　viz。；　the

Resolutiones　disputationis　de　Virtute　indulgentiarum；　the

Asterisci　adversus　obeliscos　Joh。　Eccii；　and　the　Ad　dialogum

Silv。　Prieriatis　responsio；　still　he　never　was　diverted　by　this

necessary　rebuttal　from　his　paramount　duty；　the　edification　of

the　congregation。　The　autumn　of　the　year　1518；　when　he　was

confronted　with　Cajetan；　as　well　as　the　whole　year　of　1519；　when

he　held　his　disputations　with　Eck；　etc。；　were　replete　with

disquietude　and　pressing　labors；　still　Luther　served　his

congregation　with　a　whole　series　of　writings　during　this　time；

and　only　regretted　that　he　was　not　entirely　at　its　disposal。　Of

such　writings　we　mention：　Explanation　of　the　Lord's　Prayer　for

the　simple　Laity　（an　elaboration　of　the　sermons　of　1517）；　Brief

Explanation　of　the　Ten　Commandments；　Instruction　concerning

certain　Articles；　which　might　be　ascribed　and　imputed　to　him　by

his　adversaries；　Brief　Instruction　how　to　Confess；　Of　Meditation

on　the　Sacred　Passion　of　Christ；　Of　Twofold　Righteousness；　Of　the

Matrimonial　Estate；　Brief　Form　to　understand　and　to　pray　the

Lord's　Prayer；　Explanation　of　the　Lord's　Prayer　〃vor　sich　und

hinter　sich〃；　Of　Prayer　and　Processions　in　Rogation　Week；　Of

Usury；　Of　the　Sacrament　of　Penitence；　Of　Preparation　for　Death；

Of　the　Sacrament　of　Baptism；　Of　the　Sacrament　of　the　Sacred　Body；

Of　Excommunication。　With　but　few　exceptions　these　writings　all

appeared　in　print　in　the　year　1519；　and　again　it　was　the

congregation　which　Luther　sought　primarily　to　serve。　If　the

bounds　of　his　congregation　spread　ever　wider　beyond　Wittenberg；

so　that　his　writings　found　a　surprisingly　ready　sale；　even　afar；

that　was　not　Luther's　fault。　Even　the　Tessaradecas　consolatoria；

written　in　1519　and　printed　in　1520；　a　book　of　consolation；　which

was　originally　intended　for　the　sick　Elector　of　Saxony；　was

written　by　him　only　upon　solicitation　from　outside　sources。　



To　this　circle　of　writings　the　treatise　Of　Good　Works　also

belongs　Though　the　incentive　for　its　composition　came　from　George

Spalatin；　court…preacher　to　the　Elector；　who　reminded　Luther　of

a　promise　he　had　given；　still　Luther　was　willing　to　undertake　it

only　when　he　recalled　that　in　a　previous　sermon　to　his

congregation　he　occasionally　had　made　a　similar　promise　to

deliver　a　sermon　on　good　works；　and　when　Luther　actually

commenced　the　composition　he　had　nothing　else　in　view　but　the

preparation　of　a　sermon　for　his　congregation　on　this　important

topic。　



But　while　the　work　was　in　progress　the　material　so　accumulated

that　it　far　outgrew　the　bounds　of　a　sermon　for　his　congregation。

On　March　25。　he　wrote　to　Spalatin　that　it　would　become　a　whole

booklet　instead　of　a　sermon；　on　May　5。　he　again　emphasizes　the

growth　of　the　material；　on　May　13。　he　speaks　of　its　completion

at　an　early　date；　and　on　June　8。　he　could　send　Melanchthon　a

printed　copy。　It　was　entitled：　Von　den　guten　werckenn：　D。　M。　L。

Vuittenberg。　On　the　last　page　it　bore　the　printer's　mark：　Getruck

zu　Wittenberg　bey　dem　iungen　Melchior　Lotther。　Im　Tausent

funfhundert　vnnd　zweyntzigsten　Jar。　It　filled　not　less　than　58

leaves；　quarto。　In　spite　of　its　volume；　however；　the　intention

of　the　book　for　the　congregation　remained；　now　however；　not　only

for　the　narrow　circle　of　the　Wittenberg　congregation；　but　for　the

Christian　layman　in　general。　In　the　dedicatory　preface　Luther

lays　the　greatest　stress　upon　this；　for　he　writes：　〃Though　I　know

of　a　great　many；　and　must　hear　it　daily；　who　think　lightly　of　my

poverty　and　say　that　I　write　only　small　Sexternlein　（tracts　of

small　volume）　and　German　sermons　for　the　untaught　laity；　I　will

not　permit　that　to　move　me。　Would　to　God　that　during　my　life　I

had　served　but　one　layman　for　his　betterment　with　all　my　powers；

it　would　be　sufficient　for　me；　I　would　thank　God　and　suffer　all

my　books　to　perish　thereafter。。。。　Most　willingly　I　will　leave　the

honor　of　greater　things　to　others；　and　not　at　all　will　I　be

ashamed　of　preaching　and　writing　German　to　the　untaught　laity。〃　



Since　Luther　had　dedicated　the　afore…mentioned　Tessaradecas

consolatoria　to　the　reigning　Prince；　he　now；　probably　on

Spalatin's　recommendation；　dedicated　the　Treatise　on　Good　Works

to　his　brother　John；　who　afterward；　in　1525；　succeeded　Frederick

in　the　Electorate。　There　was　probably　good　reason　for　dedicating

the　book　to　a　member　of　the　reigning　house。　Princes　have　reason

to　take　a　special　interest　in　the　fact　that　preaching　on　good

works　should　occur　within　their　realm；　for　the　safety　and　sane

development　of　their　kingdom　depend　largely　upon　the　cultivation

of　morality　on　the　part　of　their　subjects。　Time　and　again　the

papal　church　had　commended　herself　to　princes　and　statesmen　by

her　emphatic　teaching　of　good　works。　Luther；　on　the　other　hand；

had　been　accused　　like　the　Apostle　Paul　before　him　（Rom。　3　31）

　that　the　zealous