a treatise on good works-第17章

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you　what　it　all　was　about；　or　what　it　was　that　you　prayed　for；

you　yourself　would　not　know；　for　you　had　not　thought　of　laying

this　or　that　matter　before　God　or　desiring　it。　Your　only　reason

for　praying　is　that　you　are　commanded　to　pray　this　and　so　much；

and　this　you　intend　to　do　in　full。　What　wonder　that　thunder　and

lightning　frequently　set　churches　on　fire；　because　we　thus　make

of　the　House　of　Prayer　a　house　of　mockery；　and　call　that　prayer

in　which　we　bring　nothing　before　God　and　desire　nothing　from　Him。　



But　we　should　do　as　they　do　who　wish　to　ask　a　favor　of　great

princes。　These　do　not　plan　merely　to　babble　a　certain　number　of

words；　for　the　prince　would　think　they　mocked　him；　or　were

insane；　but　they　put　their　request　very　plainly；　and　present

their　need　earnestly；　and　then　leave　it　to　his　mercy；　in　good

confidence　that　he　will　grant　it。　So　we　must　deal　with　God　of

definite　things；　namely；　mention　some　present　need；　commend　it

to　His　mercy　and　good…will；　and　not　doubt　that　it　is　heard；　for

He　has　promised　to　hear　such　prayer；　which　no　earthly　lord　has

done。　



XIV。　We　are　masters　in　this　form　of　prayer　when　we　suffer　bodily

need；　when　we　are　sick　we　call　here　upon　St。　Christopher；　there

upon　St。　Barbara；　we　vow　a　pilgrimage　to　St。　James；　to　this　place

and　to　that；　then　we　make　earnest　prayer；　have　a　good　confidence

and　every　good　kind　of　prayer。　But　when　we　are　in　our　churches

during　mass；　we　stand　like　images　of　saints；　know　nothing　to

speak　of　or　to　lament；　the　beads　rattle；　the　pages　rustle　and　the

mouth　babbles；　and　that　is　all　there　is　to　it。　



But　if　you　ask　what　you　shall　speak　of　and　lament　in　your　prayer；

you　can　easily　learn　from　the　Ten　Commandments　and　the　Lord's

Prayer。　Open　your　eyes　and　look　into　your　life　and　the　life　of

all　Christians；　especially　of　the　spiritual　estate；　and　you　will

find　how　faith；　hope；　love；　obedience；　chastity　and　every　virtue

languish；　and　all　manner　of　heinous　vices　reign；　what　a　lack

there　is　of　good　preachers　and　prelates；　how　only　knaves；

children；　fools　and　women　rule。　Then　you　will　see　that　there　were

need　every　hour　without　ceasing　to　pray　everywhere　with　tears　of

blood　to　God；　Who　is　so　terribly　angry　with　men。　And　it　is　true

that　it　has　never　been　more　necessary　to　pray　than　at　this　time；

and　it　will　be　more　so　from　now　on　to　the　end　of　the　world。　If

such　terrible　crimes　do　not　move　you　to　lament　and　complain；　do

not　permit　yourself　to　be　led　astray　by　your　rank；　station；　good

works　or　prayer：　there　is　no　Christian　vein　or　trait　in　you；

however　righteous　you　may　be。　But　it　has　all　been　foretold；　that

when　God's　anger　is　greatest　and　Christendom　suffers　the　greatest

need；　then　petitioners　and　supplicants　before　God　shall　not　be

found；　as　Isaiah　says　with　tears；　chapter　lxiv：　〃Thou　art　angry

with　us；　and　there　is　none　that　calleth　upon　Thy　Name；　that

stirreth　up　himself　to　take　hold　of　Thee。〃　Likewise；　Ezekiel

xxii：　〃I　sought　for　a　man　among　them；　that　should　make　up　the

hedge；　and　stand　in　the　gap　before　me　for　the　land；　that　I　should

not　destroy　it；　but　I　found　none。　Therefore　have　I　poured　out

Mine　indignation　upon　them；　I　have　consumed　them　with　the　fire

of　My　wrath。〃　With　these　words　God　indicates　how　He　wants　us　to

withstand　Him　and　turn　away　His　anger　from　one　another；　as　it　is

frequently　written　of　the　Prophet　Moses；　that　he　restrained　God；

lest　His　anger　should　overwhelm　the　people　of　Israel。　



XV。　But　what　will　they　do；　who　not　only　do　not　regard　such

misfortune　of　Christendom；　and　do　not　pray　against　it；　but　laugh

at　it；　take　pleasure　in　it；　condemn；　malign；　sing　and　talk　of

their　neighbor's　sins；　and　yet　dare；　unafraid　and　unashamed；　go

to　church；　hear　mass；　say　prayers；　and　regard　themselves　and　are

regarded　as　pious　Christians？　These　truly　are　in　need　that　we

pray　twice　for　them；　if　we　pray　once　for　those　whom　they　condemn；

talk　about　and　laugh　at。　That　there　would　be　such　is　also

prophesied　by　the　thief　on　Christ's　left　hand；　who　blasphemed　Him

in　His　suffering；　weakness　and　need；　also　by　all　those　who

reviled　Christ　on　the　Cross；　when　they　should　most　of　all　have

helped　Him。　



O　God；　how　blind；　nay；　how　insane　have　we　Christians　become！　When

will　there　be　an　end　of　wrath；　O　heavenly　Father？　That　we　mock

at　the　misfortune　of　Christendom；　to　pray　for　which　we　gather

together　in　Church　and　at　the　mass；　that　we　blaspheme　and　condemn

men；　this　is　the　fruit　of　our　mad　materialism。　If　the　Turk

destroys　cities；　country　and　people；　and　ruins　churches；　we　think

a　great　injury　has　been　done　Christendom。　Then　we　complain；　and

urge　kings　and　princes　to　war。　But　when　faith　perishes；　love

grows　cold；　God's　Word　is　neglected；　and　all　manner　of　sin

flourishes；　then　no　one　thinks　of　fighting；　nay；　pope；　bishops；

priests　and　clergy；　who　ought　to　be　generals；　captains　and

standard…bearers　in　this　spiritual　warfare　against　these

spiritual　and　many　times　worse　Turks；　these　are　themselves　the

very　princes　and　leaders　of　such　Turks　and　of　the　devil　host；

just　as　Judas　was　the　leader　of　the　Jews　when　they　took　Christ。

It　had　to　be　an　apostle；　a　bishop；　a　priest；　one　of　the　number

of　the　best；　who　began　the　work　of　slaying　Christ。　So　also　must

Christendom　be　laid　waste　by　no　others　than　those　who　ought　to

protect　it；　and　yet　are　so　insane　that　they　are　ready　to　eat　up

the　Turks　and　at　home　themselves　set　house　and　sheep…cote　on　fire

and　let　them　burn　up　with　the　sheep　and　all　other　contents；　and

none　the　less　worry　about　the　wolf　in　the　woods。　Such　are　our

times；　and　this　is　the　reward　we　have　earned　by　our　ingratitude

toward　the　endless　grace　which　Christ　has　won　for　us　freely　with

His　precious　blood；　grievous　labor　and　bitter　death。　



XVI。　Lo！　where　are　the　idle　ones；　who　do　not　know　how　to　do　good

works？　Where　are　they　who　run　to　Rome；　to　St。　James；　hither　and

thither？　Take　up　this　one　single　work　of　the　mass；　look　on　your

neighbor's　sin　and　ruin；　and　have　pity　on　him；　let　it　grieve　you；

tell　it　to　God；　and　pray　over　it。　Do　the　same　for　every　other

need　of　Christendom；　especially　of　the　rulers；　whom　God；　for　the

intolerable　punishment　and　torment　of　us　all；　allows　to　fall　and

be　misled　so　terribly。　If　you　do　this　diligently；　be　assured　you

are　one　of　the　best　fighters　and　captains；　not　only　against　the

Turks；　but　also　against　the　devils　and　the　powers　of　hell。　But

if　you　do　it　not；　what　would　it　help　you　though　you　performed　all

the　miracles　of　the　saints；　and　murdered　all　the　Turks；　and　yet

were　found　guilty　of　having　disregarded　your　neighbor's　need　and

of　having　thereby　sinned　against　love？　For　Christ　at　the　last　day

will　not　ask　how　much　you　have　prayed；　fasted；　pilgrimaged；　done

this　or　that　for　yourself；　but　how　much　good　you　have　done　to

others；　even　the　very　least。　



Now　without　doubt　among　the　〃least〃　are　also　those　who　are　in　sin

and　spiritual　poverty；　captivity　and　need；　of　whom　there　are　at

present　far　more　than　of　those　who　suffer　bodily　need。　Therefore

take　heed：　our　own　self…assumed　good　works　lead　us　to　and　into

ourselves；　that　we　seek　only　our　own　benefit　and　salvation；　but

God's　commandments　drive　us　to　our　neighbor；　that　we　may　thereby

benefit　others　to　their　salvation。　Just　as　Christ　on　the　Cross

prayed　not　for　Himself　alone；　but　rather　for　us；　when　He　said；

〃Father；　forgive　them；　fort　they　know　not　what　they　do；〃　so　we

also　must　pray　for　one　another。　From　which　every　man　may　know

that　the　slanderers；　frivolous　judges　and　despisers　of　other

people　are　a　perverted；　evil　race；　who　do　nothing　else　than　heap

abuse　on　those　for　whom　they　ought　to　pray；　in　which　vice　no　one

is　sunk　so　deep　as　those　very　men　who　do　many　good　works　of　their

own；　and　seem　to　men　to　be　something　extraordinary；　and　are

honored　because　of　their　beautiful；　splendid　life　in　manifold

good　works。　



XVII。　Spiritually　understood；　this　Commandment　has　a　yet　far

higher　work；　which　embraces　the　whole　nature　of