a treatise on good works-第2章

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

　that　the　zealous　performance　of　good　works　had　abated；　that

the　bonds　of　discipline　had　slackened　and　that；　as　a　necessary

consequence；　lawlessness　and　shameless　immorality　were　being

promoted　by　his　doctrine　of　justification　by　faith　alone。　Before

1517　the　rumor　had　already　spread　that　Luther　intended　to　do　away

with　good　works。　Duke　George　of　Saxony　had　received　no　good

impression　from　a　sermon　Luther　had　delivered　at　Dresden；　because

he　feared　the　consequences　which　Luther's　doctrine　of

justification　by　faith　alone　might　have　upon　the　morals　of　the

masses。　Under　these　circumstances　it　would　not　have　been

surprising　if　a　member　of　the　Electoral　house　should　harbor　like

scruples；　especially　since　the　full　comprehension　of　Luther's

preaching　on　good　works　depended　on　an　evangelical　understanding

of　faith；　as　deep　as　was　Luther's　own。　The　Middle　Ages　had

differentiated　between　fides　informis；　a　formless　faith；　and

fides　formata　or　informata；　a　formed　or　ornate　faith。　The　former

was　held　to　be　a　knowledge　without　any　life　or　effect；　the　latter

to　be　identical　with　love　for；　as　they　said；　love　which　proves

itself　and　is　effective　in　good　works　must　be　added　to　the

formless　faith；　as　its　complement　and　its　content；　well　pleasing

to　God。　In　Luther's　time　every　one　who　was　seriously　interested

in　religious　questions　was　reared　under　the　influence　of　these

ideas。



Now；　since　Luther　had　opposed　the　doctrine　of　justification　by

love　and　its　good　works；　he　was　in　danger　of　being　misunderstood

by　strangers；　as　though　he　held　the　bare　knowledge　and　assent　to

be　sufficient　for　justification；　and　such　preaching　would　indeed

have　led　to　frivolity　and　disorderly　conduct。　But　even　apart　from

the　question　whether　or　not　the　brother　of　the　Elector　was

disturbed　by　such　scruples；　Luther　must　have　welcomed　the

opportunity；　when　the　summons　came　to　him；　to　dedicate　his　book

Of　Good　Works　to　a　member　of　the　Electoral　house。　At　any　rate　the

book　could　serve　to　acquaint　him　with　the　thoughts　of　his

much…abused　pastor　and　professor　at　Wittenberg；　for　never　before

had　Luther　expressed　himself　on　the　important　question　of　good

works　in　such　a　fundamental；　thorough　and　profound　way。　



2。　The　Contents　of　the　Work。　　A　perusal　of　the　contents　shows

that　the　book；　in　the　course　of　its　production；　attained　a

greater　length　than　was　originally　intended。　To　this　fact　it　must

be　attributed　that　a　new　numeration　of　sections　begins　with　the

argument　on　the　Third　Commandment；　and　is　repeated　at　every

Commandment　thereafter；　while　before　this　the　sections　were

consecutively　numbered。　But　in　spite　of　this；　the　plan　of　the

whole　is　clear　and　lucid。　Evidently　the　whole　treatise　is　divided

into　two　parts：　the　first　comprising　sections　1…17；　while　the

second　comprises　all　the　following　sections。　The　first；　being

fundamental；　is　the　more　important　part。　Luther　well　knew　of　the

charges　made　against　him　that　〃faith　is　so　highly　elevated〃　and

〃works　are　rejected〃　by　him；　but　he　knew；　too；　that　〃neither

silver；　gold　and　precious　stone；　nor　any　other　precious　thing　had

experienced　so　much　augmentation　and　diminution〃　as　had　good

works　〃which　should　all　have　but　one　simple　goodness；　or　they　are

nothing　but　color；　glitter　and　deception。〃　But　especially　was　he

aware　of　the　fact　that　the　Church　was　urging　nothing　but　the

so…called　self…elected　works；　such　as　〃running　to　the　convent；

singing；　reading；　playing　the　organ；　saying　the　mass；　praying

matins；　vespers；　and　other　hours；　founding　and　ornamenting

churches；　altars；　convents；　gathering　chimes；　jewels；　vestments；

gems　and　treasures；　going　to　Rome　and　to　the　saints；　curtsying

and　bowing　the　knees；　praying　the　rosary　and　the　psalter；〃　etc。；

and　that　she　designated　these　alone　as　truly　good　works；　while

she　represented　the　faithful　performance　of　the　duties　of　one's

calling　as　a　morality　of　a　lower　order。　For　these　reasons　it　is

Luther's　highest　object　in　this　treatise　to　make　it　perfectly

clear　what　is　the　essence　of　good　works。　Whenever　the　essence

of　good　works　has　been　understood；　then　the　accusations　against

him　will　quickly　collapse。　



In　the　fundamental　part　he　therefore　argues：　Truly　good　works　are

not　self…elected　works　of　monastic　or　any　other　holiness；　but

such　only　as　God　has　commanded；　and　as　are　comprehended　within

the　bounds　of　one's　particular　calling；　and　all　works；　let　their

name　be　what　it　may；　become　good　only　when　they　flow　from　faith；

the　first；　greatest；　and　noblest　of　good　works。〃　（John　6：29。）　In

this　connection　the　essence　of　faith；　that　only　source　of　all

truly　good　works；　must　of　course　be　rightly　understood。　It　is　the

sure　confidence　in　God；　that　all　my　doing　is　wellpleasing　to　Him；

it　is　trust　in　His　mercy；　even　though　He　appears　angry　and　puts

sufferings　and　adversities　upon　us；　it　is　the　assurance　of　the

divine　good　will　even　though　〃God　should　reprove　the　conscience

with　sin；　death　and　hell；　and　deny　it　all　grace　and　mercy；　as

though　He　would　condemn　and　show　His　wrath　eternally。〃　Where　such

faith　lives　in　the　heart；　there　the　works　are　good　〃even　though

they　were　as　insignificant　as　the　picking　up　of　a　straw〃；　but

where　it　is　wanting；　there　are　only　such　works　as　〃heathen；　Jew

and　Turk〃　may　have　and　do。　Where　such　faith　possesses　the　man；

he　needs　no　teacher　in　good　works；　as　little　as　does　the　husband

or　the　wife；　who　only　look　for　love　and　favor　from　one　another；

nor　need　any　instruction　therein　〃how　they　are　to　stand　toward

each　other；　what　they　are　to　do；　to　leave　undone；　to　say；　to

leave　unsaid；　to　think。〃　



This　faith；　Luther　continues；　is　〃the　true　fulfilment　of　the

First　Commandment；　apart　from　which　there　is　no　work　that　could

do　justice　to　this　Commandment。〃　With　this　sentence　he　combines；

on　the　one　hand；　the　whole　argument　on　faith；　as　the　best　and

noblest　of　good　works；　with　his　opening　proposition　（there　are

no　good　works　besides　those　commanded　of　God）；　and；　on　the　other

hand；　he　prepares　the　way　for　the　following　argument；　wherein　he

proposes　to　exhibit　the　good　works　according　to　the　Ten

Commandments。　For　the　First　Commandment　does　not　forbid　this　and

that；　nor　does　it　require　this　and　that；　it　forbids　but　one

thing；　unbelief；　it　requires　but　one　thing；　faith；　〃that

confidence　in　God's　good　will　at　all　times。〃　Without　this　faith

the　best　works　are　as　nothing；　and　if　man　should　think　that　by

them　he　could　be　well…pleasing　to　God；　he　would　be　lowering　God

to　the　level　of　a　〃broker　or　a　laborer　who　will　not　dispense　his

grace　and　kindness　gratis。〃　



This　understanding　of　faith　and　good　works；　so　Luther　now

addresses　his　opponents；　should　in　fairness　be　kept　in　view　by

those　who　accuse　him　of　declaiming　against　good　works；　and　they

should　learn　from　it；　that　though　he　has　preached　against　〃good

works；〃　it　was　against　such　as　are　falsely　so　called　and　as

contribute　toward　the　confusion　of　consciences；　because　they　are

self…elected；　do　not　flow　from　faith；　and　are　done　with　the

pretension　of　doing　works　well…pleasing　to　God。　



This　brings　us　to　the　end　of　the　fundamental　part　of　the

treatise。　It　was　not　Luther's　intention；　however；　to　speak　only

on　the　essence　of　good　works　and　their　fundamental　relation　to

faith；　he　would　show；　too；　how　the　〃best　work；〃　faith；　must　prove

itself　in　every　way　a　living　faith；　according　to　the　other

commandments。　Luther　does　not　proceed　to　this　part；　however；

until　in　the　fundamental　part　he　has　said　with　emphasis；　that　the

believer；　the　spiritual　man；　needs　no　such　instruction　（1。

Timothy　1：9）；　but　that　he　of　his　own　accord　and　at　all　times　does

good　works　〃as　his　faith；　his　confidence；　teaches　him。〃　Only

〃because　we　do　not　all　have　such　faith；　or　are　unmindful　of　it；〃

does　such　instruction　become　necessary。　



Nor　does　he　proceed　until　he　has　applied　his　oft　repeated　words

concerning　the　relation　of　fait