a treatise on good works-第26章

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said；　that　not　he　who　does　such　works；　but　he　who　keeps　His

Commandments；　shall　enter　into　eternal　life。　



Now；　since　no　one　lives　on　earth　upon　whom　God　does　not　bestow

an　enemy　and　opponent　as　a　proof　of　his　own　anger　and　wickedness；

that　is；　one　who　afflicts　him　in　goods；　honor；　body　or　friends；

and　thereby　tries　whether　anger　is　still　present；　whether　he　can

be　well…disposed　toward　his　enemy；　speak　well　of　him；　do　good　to

him；　and　not　intend　any　evil　against　him；　let　him　come　forward

who　asks　what　he　shall　do　that　he　may　do　good　works；　please　God

and　be　saved。　Let　him　set　his　enemy　before　him；　keep　him

constantly　before　the　eyes　of　his　heart；　as　an　exercise　whereby

he　may　curb　his　spirit　and　train　his　heart　to　think　kindly　of　his

enemy；　wish　him　well；　care　for　him　and　pray　for　him；　and　then；

when　opportunity　offers；　speak　well　of　him　and　do　good　to　him。

Let　him　who　will；　try　this　and　if　he　find　not　enough　to　do　all

his　life　long；　he　may　convict　me　of　lying；　and　say　that　my

contention　was　wrong。　But　if　this　is　what　God　desires；　and　if　He

will　be　paid　in　no　other　coin；　of　what　avail　is　it；　that　we　busy

ourselves　with　other　great　works　which　are　not　commanded；　and

neglect　this？　Therefore　God　says；　Matthew　v；　〃I　say　unto　you；

that　whosoever　is　angry　with　his　neighbor；　is　in　danger　of　the

judgment；　but　whosoever　shall　say　to　his　brother；　Thou　fool　（that

is；　all　manner　of　invective；　cursing；　reviling；　slandering）；　he

shall　be　in　danger　of　everlasting　fire。〃　What　remains　then　for

the　outward　act；　striking；　wounding；　killing；　injuring；　etc。；　if

the　thoughts　and　words　of　anger　are　so　severely　condemned？　



III。　But　where　there　is　true　meekness；　there　the　heart　is　pained

at　every　evil　which　happens　to　one's　enemy。　And　these　are　the

true　children　and　heirs　of　God　and　brethren　of　Christ；　Whose

heart　was　so　pained　for　us　all　when　He　died　on　the　holy　Cross。

Even　so　we　see　a　pious　judge　passing　sentence　upon　the　criminal

with　sorrow；　and　regretting　the　death　which　the　law　imposes。　Here

the　act　seems　to　be　one　of　anger　and　harshness。　So　thoroughly

good　is　meekness　that　even　in　such　works　of　anger　it　remains；

nay；　it　torments　the　heart　most　sorely　when　it　must　be　angry　and

severe。　



But　here　we　must　watch；　that　we　be　not　meek　contrary　to　God's

honor　and　Commandment。　For　it　is　written　of　Moses　that　he　was　the

very　meekest　man　on　earth；　and　yet；　when　the　Jews　had　worshiped

the　golden　calf　and　provoked　God　to　anger；　he　put　many　of　them

to　death；　and　thereby　made　atonement　before　God。　Likewise　it　is

not　fitting　that　the　magistrates　should　be　idle　and　allow　sin　to

have　sway；　and　that　we　say　nothing。　My　own　possessions；　my　honor；

my　injury；　I　must　not　regard；　nor　grow　angry　because　of　them；　but

God's　honor　and　Commandment　we　must　protect；　and　injury　or

injustice　to　our　neighbor　we　must　prevent；　the　magistrates　with

the　sword；　the　rest　of　us　with　reproof　and　rebuke；　yet　always

with　pity　for　those　who　have　merited　the　punishment。　



This　high；　noble；　sweet　work　can　easily　be　learned；　if　we　perform

it　in　faith；　and　as　an　exercise　of　faith。　For　if　faith　does　not

doubt　the　favor　of　God　nor　question　that　God　is　gracious；　it　will

become　quite　easy　for　a　man　to　be　gracious　and　favorable　to　his

neighbor；　however　much　he　may　have　sinned；　for　we　have　sinned

much　more　against　God。　Behold；　a　short　Commandment　this；　but　it

presents　a　long；　mighty　exercise　of　good　works　and　of　faith。



Thou　shalt　not　commit　adultery。　



In　this　Commandment　too　a　good　work　is　commanded；　which　includes

much　and　drives　away　much　vice；　it　is　called　purity；　or　chastity；

of　which　much　is　written　and　preached；　and　it　is　well　known　to

every　one；　only　that　it　is　not　as　carefully　observed　and

practised　as　other　works　which　are　not　commanded。　So　ready　are

we　to　do　what　is　not　commanded　and　to　leave　undone　what　is

commanded。　We　see　that　the　world　is　full　of　shameful　works　of

unchastity；　indecent　words；　tales　and　ditties；　temptation　to

which　is　daily　increased　through　gluttony　and　drunkenness；

idleness　and　frippery。　Yet　we　go　our　way　as　if　we　were

Christians；　when　we　have　been　to　church；　have　said　our　little

prayer；　have　observed　the　fasts　and　feasts；　then　we　think　our

whole　duty　is　done。　



Now；　if　no　other　work　were　commanded　but　chastity　alone；　we　would

all　have　enough　to　do　with　this　one；　so　perilous　and　raging　a

vice　is　unchastity。　It　rages　in　all　our　members：　in　the　thoughts

of　our　hearts；　in　the　seeing　of　our　eyes；　in　the　hearing　of　our

ears；　in　the　words　of　our　mouth；　in　the　works　of　our　hands　and

feet　and　all　our　body。　To　control　all　these　requires　labor　and

effort；　and　thus　the　Commandments　of　God　teach　us　how　great　truly

good　works　are；　nay；　that　it　is　impossible　for　us　of　our　own

strength　to　conceive　a　good　work；　to　say　nothing　of　attempting

or　doing　it。　St。　Augustine　says；　that　among　all　the　conflicts　of

the　Christian　the　conflict　of　chastity　is　the　hardest；　for　the

one　reason　alone；　that　it　continues　daily　without　ceasing；　and

chastity　seldom　prevails。　This　all　the　saints　have　wept　over　and

lamented；　as　St。　Paul　does；　Romans　vii：　〃I　find　in　me；　that　is

in　my　flesh；　no　good　thing。〃　



II。　If　this　work　of　chastity　is　to　be　permanent；　it　will　drive

to　many　other　good　works；　to　fasting　and　temperance　over　against

gluttony　and　drunkenness；　to　watching　and　early　rising　over

against　laziness　and　excessive　sleep；　to　work　and　labor　over

against　idleness。　For　gluttony；　drunkenness；　lying　late　abed；

loafing　and　being　without　work　are　weapons　of　unchastity；　with

which　chastity　is　quickly　overcome。　On　the　other　hand；　the　holy

Apostle　Paul　calls　fasting；　watching　and　labor　godly　weapons；

with　which　unchastity　is　mastered；　but；　as　has　been　said　above；

these　exercises　must　do　no　more　than　overcome　unchastity；　and　not

pervert　nature。　



Above　all　this；　the　strongest　defence　is　prayer　and　the　Word　of

God；　namely；　that　when　evil　lust　stirs；　a　man　flee　to　prayer；

call　upon　God's　mercy　and　help；　read　and　meditate　on　the　Gospel；

and　in　it　consider　Christ's　sufferings。　Thus　says　Psalm　cxxxvii：

〃Happy　shall　he　be；　that　taketh　and　dasheth　the　little　ones　of

Babylon　against　the　rock；〃　that　is；　if　the　heart　runs　to　the　Lord

Christ　with　its　evil　thoughts　while　they　are　yet　young　and　just

beginning；　for　Christ　is　a　Rock；　on　which　they　are　ground　to

powder　and　come　to　naught。　



See；　here　each　one　will　find　enough　to　do　with　himself；　and　more

than　enough；　and　will　be　given　many　good　works　to　do　within

himself。　But　now　no　one　uses　prayer；　fasting；　watching；　labor　for

this　purpose；　but　men　stop　in　these　works　as　if　they　were　in

themselves　the　whole　purpose；　although　they　should　be　arranged

so　as　to　fulfil　the　work　of　this　Commandment　and　purify　us　daily

more　and　more。　



Some　have　also　indicated　more　things　which　should　be　avoided；

such　as　soft　beds　and　clothes；　that　we　should　avoid　excessive

adornment；　and　neither　associate　nor　talk　with　members　of　the

opposite　sex；　nor　even　look　upon　them；　and　whatsoever　else　may

be　conducive　to　chastity。　In　all　these　things　no　one　can　fix　a

definite　rule　and　measure。　Each　one　must　watch　himself　and　see

what　things　are　needful　to　him　for　chastity；　in　what　quantity　and

how　long　they　help　him　to　be　chaste；　that　he　may　thus　choose　and

observe　them　for　himself；　if　he　cannot　do　this；　let　him　for　a

time　give　himself　up　to　be　controlled　by　another；　who　may　hold

him　to　such　observance　until　he　can　learn　to　rule　himself。　This

was　the　purpose　for　which　the　monastic　houses　were　established

of　old；　to　teach　young　people　discipline　and　purity。　



III。　In　this　work　a　good　strong　faith　is　a　great　help；　more

noticeably　so　than　in　almost　any　other；　so　that　for　this　reason

also　Isaiah　xi。　says　that　〃faith　is　a　girdle　of　the　reins；〃　that

is；　a　guard　of　chastity。　For　he　who　so　lives　that　he　looks　to　God

for　all　grace；　takes　pleasure　in　spiritual　purity；　therefore　he

can　so　much　more　easily　re