a treatise on good works-第18章

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XVII。　Spiritually　understood；　this　Commandment　has　a　yet　far

higher　work；　which　embraces　the　whole　nature　of　man。　Here　it　must

be　known　that　in　Hebrew　〃　Sabbath　〃　means　〃　rest；〃　because　on　the

seventh　day　God　rested　and　ceased　from　all　His　works；　which　He

had　made。　Genesis　ii。　Therefore　He　commanded　also　that　the

seventh　day　should　be　kept　holy　and　that　we　cease　from　our　works

which　we　do　the　other　six　days。　This　Sabbath　has　now　for　us　been

changed　into　the　Sunday；　and　the　other　days　are　called　work…days；

the　Sunday　is　called　rest…day　or　holiday　or　holy　day。　And　would

to　God　that　in　Christendom　there　were　no　holiday　except　the

Sunday；　that　the　festivals　of　Our　Lady　and　of　the　Saints　were　all

transferred　to　Sunday；　then　would　many　evil　vices　be　done　away

with　through　the　labor　of　the　work…days；　and　lands　would　not　be

so　drained　and　impoverished。　But　now　we　are　plagued　with　many

holidays；　to　the　destruction　of　souls；　bodies　and　goods；　of　which

matter　much　might　be　said。　



This　rest　or　ceasing　from　labors　is　of　two　kinds；　bodily　and

spiritual。　For　this　reason　this　Commandment　is　also　to　be

understood　in　two　ways。　



The　bodily　rest　is　that　of　which　we　have　spoken　above；　namely；

that　we　omit　our　business　and　work；　in　order　that　we　may　gather

in　the　church；　see　mass；　hear　God's　Word　and　make　common　prayer。

This　rest　is　indeed　bodily　and　in　Christendom　no　longer　commanded

by　God；　as　the　Apostle　says；　Colossians　ii；　〃Let　no　man　obligate

you　to　any　holiday　whatever〃　　for　they　were　of　old　a　figure；

but　now　the　truth　has　been　fulfilled；　so　that　all　days　are　holy

days；　as　Isaiah　says；　chapter　lxvi；　〃One　holy　day　shall　follow

the　other〃；　on　the　other　hand；　all　days　are　workdays。　Yet　it　is

a　necessity　and　ordained　by　the　Church　for　the　sake　of　the

imperfect　laity　and　working　people；　that　they　also　may　be　able

to　come　to　hear　God's　Word。　For；　as　we　see；　the　priests　and

clergy　celebrate　mass　every　day；　pray　at　all　hours　and　train

themselves　in　God's　Word　by　study；　reading　and　hearing。　For　this

reason　also　they　are　freed　from　work　before　others；　supported　by

tithes　and　have　holy…day　every　day；　and　every　day　do　the　works

of　the　holy…day；　and　have　no　work…day；　but　for　them　one　day　is

as　the　other。　And　if　we　were　all　perfect；　and　knew　the　Gospel；

we　might　work　every　day　if　we　wished；　or　rest　if　we　could。　For

a　day　of　rest　is　at　present　not　necessary　nor　commanded　except

only　for　the　teaching　of　God's　Word　and　prayer。　



The　spiritual　rest；　which　God　particularly　intends　in　this

Commandment；　is　this：　that　we　not　only　cease　from　our　labor　and

trade；　but　much　more；　that　we　let　God　alone　work　in　us　and　that

we　do　nothing　of　our　own　with　all　our　powers。　But　how　is　this

done？　In　this　way：　Man；　corrupted　by　sin；　has　much　wicked　love

and　inclination　toward　all　sins；　as　the　Scriptures　say；　Genesis

viii；　〃Man's　heart　and　senses　incline　always　to　the　evil；〃　that

is；　to　pride；　disobedience；　anger；　hatred；　covetousness；

unchastity；　etc。；　and　summa　summarum；　in　all　that　he　does　and

leaves　undone；　he　seeks　his　own　profit；　will　and　honor　rather

than　God's　and　his　neighbor's。　Therefore　all　his　works；　all　his

words；　all　his　thoughts；　all　his　life　are　evil　and　not　godly。　



Now　if　God　is　to　work　and　to　live　in　him；　all　this　vice　and

wickedness　must　be　choked　and　up…rooted；　so　that　there　may　be

rest　and　a　cessation　of　all　our　works；　thoughts　and　life；　and

that　henceforth　（as　St。　Paul　says；　Galatians　ii。）　it　may　be　no

longer　we　who　live；　but　Christ　Who　lives；　works　and　speaks　in　us。

This　is　not　accomplished　with　comfortable；　pleasant　days；　but

here　we　must　hurt　our　nature　and　let　it　be　hurt。　Here　begins　the

strife　between　the　spirit　and　the　flesh；　here　the　spirit　resists

anger；　lust；　pride；　while　the　flesh　wants　to　be　in　pleasure；

honor　and　comfort。　Of　this　St。　Paul　says；　Galatians　v；　〃They　that

are　our　Lord　Christ's　have　crucified　the　flesh　with　its

affections　and　lusts。〃　Then　follow　the　good　works；　　fasting；

watching；　labor；　of　which　some　say　and　write　so　much；　although

they　know　neither　the　source　nor　the　purpose　of　these　good　works。

Therefore　we　will　now　also　speak　of　them。　



XVIII。　This　rest；　namely；　that　our　work　cease　and　God　alone　work

in　us；　is　accomplished　in　two　ways。　First；　through　our　own

effort；　secondly；　through　the　effort　or　urging　of　others。　



Our　own　effort　is　to　be　so　made　and　ordered　that；　in　the　first

place；　when　we　see　our　flesh；　senses；　will　and　thoughts　tempting

us；　we　resist　them　and　do　not　heed　them；　as　the　Wise　Man　says：

〃Follow　not　thine　own　desires。〃　And　Moses；　Deuteronomy　xii：　〃Thou

shalt　not　do　what　is　right　in　thine　own　eyes。〃



Here　a　man　must　make　daily　use　of　those　prayers　which　David

prays：　〃Lord；　lead　me　in　Thy　path；　and　let　me　not　walk　in　my　own

ways；〃　and　many　like　prayers；　which　are　all　summed　up　in　the

prayer；　〃Thy　kingdom　come。〃　For　the　desires　are　so　many；　so

various；　and　besides　at　times　so　nimble；　so　subtile　and　specious；

through　the　suggestions　of　the　evil　one；　that　it　is　not　possible

for　a　man　to　control　himself　in　his　own　ways。　He　must　let　hands

and　feet　go；　commend　himself　to　God's　governance；　and　entrust

nothing　to　his　reason；　as　Jeremiah　says；　〃O　Lord；　I　know　that　the

way　of　man　is　not　in　his　own　power。〃　We　see　proof　of　this；　when

the　children　of　Israel　went　out　of　Egypt　through　the　Wilderness；

where　there　was　no　way；　no　food；　no　drink；　no　help。　Therefore　God

went　before　them；　by　day　in　a　bright：　cloud；　by　night　in　a　fiery

pillar；　fed　them　with　manna　from　heaven；　and　kept　their　garments

and　shoes　that　they　waxed　not　old；　as　we　read　in　the　Books　of

Moses。　For　this　reason　we　pray：　〃Thy　kingdom　come；　that　Thou　rule

us；　and　not：　we　ourselves；〃　for　there　is　nothing　more　perilous

in　us　than　our　reason　and　will。　And　this　is　the　first　and　highest

work　of　God　in　us　and　the　best　training；　that　we　cease　from　our

works；　that　we　let　our　reason　and　will　be　idle；　that　we　rest　and

commend　ourselves　to　God　in　all　things；　especially　when　they　seem

to　be　spiritual　and　good。　



XIX。　After　this　comes　the　discipline　of　the　flesh；　to　kill　its

gross；　evil　lust；　to　give　it　rest　and　relief。　This　we　must　kill

and　quiet　with　fasting；　watching　and　labor；　and　from　this　we

learn　how　much　and　why　we　shall　fast；　watch　and　labor。　



There　are；　alas！　many　blind　men；　who　practise　their　castigation；

whether　it　be　fasting；　watching　or　labor；　only　because　they　think

these　are　good　works；　intending　by　them　to　gain　much　merit。　Far

blinder　still　are　they　who　measure　their　fasting　not　only　by　the

quantity　or　duration；　as　these　do；　but　also　by　the　nature　of　the

food；　thinking　that　it　is　of　far　greater　worth　if　they　do　not　eat

meat；　eggs　or　butter。　Beyond　these　are　those　who　fast　according

to　the　saints；　and　according　to　the　days；　one　fasting　on

Wednesday；　another　on　Saturday；　another　on　St。　Barbara's　day；

another　on　St。　Sebastian's　day；　and　so　on。　These　all　seek　in

their　fasting　nothing　beyond　the　work　itself：　when　they　have

performed　that；　they　think　they　have　done　a　good　work。　I　will

here　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　some　fast　in　such　a　way　that

they　none　the　less　drink　themselves　full；　some　fast　by　eating

fish　and　other　foods　so　lavishly　that　they　would　come　much　nearer

to　fasting　if　they　ate　meat；　eggs　and　butter；　and　by　so　doing

would　obtain　far　better　results　from　their　fasting。　For　such

fasting　is　not　fasting；　but　a　mockery　of　fasting　and　of　God。　



Therefore　I　allow　everyone　to　choose　his　day；　food　and　quantity

for　fasting；　as　he　will；　on　condition　that　he　do　not　stop　with

that；　but　have　regard　to　his　flesh；　let　him　put　upon　it　fasting；

watching　and　labor　according　to　its　lust　and　wantonness；　and　no

more；　although　pope；　Church；　bishop；　father…confessor　or　any　one

else　whosoever　have　commanded　it。　For　no　one　should　measure　and

regulate　fasting；　watching　and　labor　according　to　the　character

or　quantity　of　the　food；　or　according　to　the　days；　but　according

to　the　w