a treatise on good works-第12章

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namely；　to　fight　with　these　enemies　and　sins。　The　flesh　seeks

pleasure　and　peace；　the　world　seeks　riches；　favor；　power　and

honor；　the　evil　spirit　seeks　pride；　glory；　that　a　man　be　well

thought　of；　and　other　men　be　despised。　



And　these　three　are　all　so　powerful　that　each　one　of　them　is

alone　sufficient　to　fight　a　man；　and　yet　there　is　no　way　we　can

overcome　them；　except　only　by　calling　upon　the　holy　Name　of　God

in　a　firm　faith；　as　Solomon　says；　Proverbs　xviii：　〃The　Name　of

the　Lord　is　a　strong　tower；　the　righteous　runneth　into　it；　and

is　set　aloft。〃　And　David；　Psalm　cxvi：　〃I　will　drink　the　cup　of

salvation；　and　call　upon　the　Name　of　the　Lord。〃　Again；　Psalm

xviii：　〃I　will　call　upon　the　Lord　with　praise：　so　shall　I　be

saved　from　all　mine　enemies。〃　These　works　and　the　power　of　God's

Name　have　become　unknown　to　us；　because　we　are　not　accustomed　to

it；　and　have　never　seriously　fought　with　sins；　and　have　not

needed　His　Name；　because　we　are　trained　only　in　our　self　devised

works；　which　we　were　able　to　do　with　our　own　powers。　



XXVIII。　Further　works　of　this　Commandment　are：　that　we　shall　not

swear；　curse；　lie；　deceive　and　conjure　with　the　holy　Name　of　God；

and　otherwise　misuse　it；　which　are　very　simple　matters　and　well

known　to　every　one；　being　the　sins　which　have　been　almost

exclusively　preached　and　proclaimed　under　this　Commandment。　These

also　include；　that　we　shall　prevent　others　from　making　sinful　use

of　God's　Name　by　lying；　swearing；　deceiving；　cursing；　conjuring；

and　otherwise。　Herein　again　much　occasion　is　given　for　doing　good

and　warding　off　evil。　



But　the　greatest　and　most　difficult　work　of　this　Commandment　is

to　protect　the　holy　Name　of　God　against　all　who　misuse　it　in　a

spiritual　manner；　and　to　proclaim　it　to　all　men。　For　it　is　not

enough　that　I；　for　myself　and　in　myself；　praise　and　call　upon

God's　Name　in　prosperity　and　adversity。　I　must　step　forth　and　for

the　sake　of　God's　honor　and　Name　bring　upon　myself　the　enmity　of

all　men；　as　Christ　said　to　His　disciples：　〃Ye　shall　be　hated　of

all　men　for　My　Name's　sake。〃　Here　we　must　provoke　to　anger

father；　mother；　and　the　best　of　friends。　Here　we　must　strive

against　spiritual　and　temporal　powers；　and　be　accused　of

disobedience。　Here　we　must　stir　up　against　us　the　rich；　learned；

holy；　and　all　that　is　of　repute　in　the　world。　And　although　this

is　especially　the　duty　of　those　who　are　commanded　to　preach　God's

Word；　yet　every　Christian　is　also　obligated　to　do　so　when　time

and　place　demand。　For　we　must　for　the　holy　Name　of　God　risk　and

give　up　all　that　we　have　and　can　do；　and　show　by　our　deeds　that

we　love　God　and　His　Name；　His　honor　and　His　praise　above　all

things；　and　trust　Him　above　all　things；　and　expect　good　from　Him；

thereby　confessing　that　we　regard　Him　as　the　highest　good；　for

the　sake　of　which　we　let　go　and　give　up　all　other　goods。　



XXIX。　Here　we　must　first　of　all　resist　all　wrong；　where　truth　or

righteousness　suffers　violence　or　need；　and　dare　make　no

distinction　of　persons；　as　some　do；　who　fight　most　actively　and

busily　against　the　wrong　which　is　done　to　the　rich；　the　powerful；

and　their　own　friends；　but　when　it　is　done　to　the　poor；　or　the

despised　or　their　own　enemy；　they　are　quiet　and　patient。　These

see　the　Name　and　the　honor　of　God　not　as　it　is；　but　through　a

painted　glass；　and　measure　truth　or　righteousness　according　to

the　persons；　and　do　not　consider　their　deceiving　eye；　which　looks

more　on　the　person　than　on　the　thing。　These　are　hypocrites　within

and　have　only　the　appearance　of　defending　the　truth。　For　they

well　know　that　there　is　no　danger　when　one　helps　the　rich；　the

powerful；　the　learned　and　one's　own　friends；　and　can　in　turn

enjoy　their　protection　and　be　honored　by　them。



Thus　it　is　very　easy　to　fight　against　the　wrong　which　is　done　to

popes；　kings；　princes；　bishops　and　other　big…wigs。　Here　each

wants　to　be　the　most　pious；　where　there　is　no　great　need。　O　how

sly　is　here　the　deceitful　Adam　with　his　demand；　how　finely　does

he　cover　his　greed　of　profit　with　the　name　of　truth　and

righteousness　and　God's　honor！　But　when　something　happens　to　a

poor　and　insignificant　man；　there　the　deceitful　eye　does　not　find

much　profit；　but　cannot　help　seeing　the　disfavor　of　the　powerful；

therefore　he　lets　the　poor　man　remain　unhelped。　And　who　could

tell　the　extent　of　this　vice　in　Christendom？　God　says　in　the

lxxxii。　Psalm；　〃How　long　will　ye　judge　unjustly；　and　accept　the

persons　of　the　wicked？　Judge　the　matter　of　the　poor　and

fatherless；　demand　justice　for　the　poor　and　needy；　deliver　the

poor　and　rid　the　forsaken　out　of　the　hand　of　the　wicked。〃　But　it

is　not　done；　and　therefore　the　text　continues：　〃They　know　not；

neither　will　they　understand；　they　walk　on　in　darkness〃；　that　is；

the　truth　they　do　not　see；　but　they　stop　at　the　reputation　of　the

great；　however　unrighteous　they　are；　and　do　not　consider　the

poor；　however　righteous　they　are。　



XXX。　See；　here　would　be　many　good　works。　For　the　greater　portion

of　the　powerful；　rich　and　friends　do　injustice　and　oppress　the

poor；　the　lowly；　and　their　own　opponents；　and　the　greater　the

men；　the　worse　the　deeds；　and　where　we　cannot　by　force　prevent

it　and　help　the　truth；　we　should　at　least　confess　it；　and　do　what

we　can　with　words；　not　take　the　part　of　the　unrighteous；　not

approve　them；　but　speak　the　truth　boldly。　



What　would　it　help　a　man　if　he　did　all　manner　of　good；　made

pilgrimages　to　Rome　and　to　all　holy　places；　acquired　all

indulgences；　built　all　churches　and　endowed　houses；　if　he　were

found　guilty　of　sin　against　the　Name　and　honor　of　God；　not

speaking　of　them　and　neglecting　them；　and　regarding　his

possessions；　honor；　favor　and　friends　more　than　the　truth　（which

is　God's　Name　and　honor）？　Or　who　is　he；　before　whose　door　and

into　whose　house　such　good　works　do　not　daily　come；　so　that　he

would　have　no　need　to　travel　far　or　to　ask　after　good　works？　And

if　we　consider　the　life　of　men；　how　in　every　place　men　act　so

very　rashly　and　lightly　in　this　respect；　we　must　cry　out　with　the

prophet；　Omnis　homo　mendax；　〃All　men　are　liars；　lie　and　deceive〃；

for　the　real　good　works　they　neglect；　and　adorn　and　paint

themselves　with　the　most　insignificant；　and　want　to　be　pious；　to

mount　to　heaven　in　peaceful　security。



But　if　you　should　say：　〃Why　does　not　God　do　it　alone　and　Himself；

since　He　can　and　knows　how　to　help　each　one？〃　Yes；　He　can　do　it；

but　He　does　not　want　to　do　it　alone；　He　wants　us　to　work　with

Him；　and　does　us　the　honor　to　want　to　work　His　work　with　us　and

through　us。　And　if　we　are　not　willing　to　accept　such　honor；　He

will；　after　all；　perform　the　work　alone；　and　help　the　poor；　and

those　who　were　unwilling　to　help　Him　and　have　despised　the　great

honor　of　doing　His　work；　He　will　condemn　with　the　unrighteous；

because　they　have　made　common　cause　with　the　unrighteous。　Just

as　He　alone　is　blessed；　but　He　wants　to　do　us　the　honor　and　not

be　alone　in　His　blessedness；　but　have　us　to　be　blessed　with　Him。

And　if　He　were　to　do　it　alone；　His　Commandments　would　be　given

us　in　vain；　because　no　one　would　have　occasion　to　exercise

himself　in　the　great　works　of　these　Commandments；　and　no　one

would　test　himself　to　see　whether　he　regards　God　and　His　Name　as

the　highest　good；　and　for　His　sake　risks　everything。　



XXXI。　It　also　belongs　to　this　work　to　resist　all　false；

seductive；　erroneous；　heretical　doctrines；　every　misuse　of

spiritual　power。　Now　this　is　much　higher；　for　these　use　the　holy

Name　of　God　itself　to　fight　against　the　Name　of　God。　For　this

reason　it　seems　a　great　thing　and　a　dangerous　to　resist　them；

because　they　assert　that　he　who　resists　them　resists　God　and　all

His　saints；　in　whose　place　they　sit　and　whose　power　they　use；

saying　that　Christ　said　of　them；　〃He　that　heareth　you；　heareth

Me；　and　he　that　despiseth　you；　despiseth　Me。〃　On　which　words　they

lean　heavily；　become　insolent　and　bold　to　say；　to　do；　and　to

leave　undone　what　they　please；　put　to　the　ban；　accur