a treatise on good works-第28章

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of　its　own　choice　easily　and　gladly。　Therefore　take　your　enemies；

the　ungrateful；　and　do　good　to　them；　then　you　will　find　how　near

you　are　to　this　Commandment　or　how　far　from　it；　and　how　all　your

life　you　will　always　have　to　do　with　the　practice　of　this　work。

For　if　your　enemy　needs　you　and　you　do　not　help　him　when　you　can；

it　is　just　the　same　as　if　you　had　stolen　what　belonged　to　him；

for　you　owed　it　to　him　to　help　him。　So　says　St。　Ambrose；　〃Feed

the　hungry；　if　you　do　not　feed　him；　you　have；　as　far　as　you　are

concerned；　slain　him。〃　And　in　this　Commandment　are　included　the

works　of　mercy；　which　Christ　will　require　at　men's　hands　at　the

last　day。　



But　the　magistrates　and　cities　ought　to　see　to　it　that　the

vagabonds；　pilgrims　and　mendicants　from　foreign　lands　be

debarred；　or　at　least　allowed　only　under　restrictions　and　rules；

so　that　knaves　be　not　permitted　to　run　at　large　under　the　guise

of　mendicants；　and　their　knavery；　of　which　there　now　is　much；　be

prohibited。　I　have　spoken　at　greater　length　of　this　Commandment

in　the　Treatise　on　Usury。



Thou　shalt　not　bear　false　witness　against　thy　neighbor。　



This　Commandment　seems　small；　and　yet　is　so　great；　that　he　who

would　rightly　keep　it　must　risk　and　imperil　life　and　limb；　goods

and　honor；　friends　and　all　that　he　has；　and　yet　it　includes　no

more　than　the　work　of　that　small　member；　the　tongue；　and　is

called　in　German　Wahrheit　sagen；　〃telling　the　truth〃　and；　where

there　is　need；　gainsaying　lies；　so　that　it　forbids　many　evil

works　of　the　tongue。　First：　those　which　are　committed　by

speaking；　and　those　which　are　committed　by　keeping　silent。　By

speaking；　when　a　man　has　an　unjust　law…suit；　and　wants　to　prove

and　maintain　his　case　by　a　false　argument；　catch　his　neighbor

with　subtilty；　produce　everything　that　strengthens　and　furthers

his　own　cause；　and　withhold　and　discount　everything　that　furthers

his　neighbor's　good　cause；　in　doing　which　he　does　not　do　to　his

neighbor　as　he　would　have　his　neighbor　do　to　him。　This　some　men

do　for　the　sake　of　gain；　some　to　avoid　loss　or　shame；　thereby

seeking　their　own　advantage　more　than　God's　Commandment；　and

excuse　themselves　by　saying：　Vigilanti　jura　subveniunt；　〃the　law

helps　him　who　watches〃；　just　as　if　it　were　not　as　much　their　duty

to　watch　for　their　neighbor's　cause　as　for　their　own。　Thus　they

intentionally　allow　their　neighbor's　cause　to　be　lost；　although

they　know　that　it　is　just。　This　evil　is　at　present　so　common　that

I　fear　no　court　is　held　and　no　suit　tried　but　that　one　side　sins

against　this　Commandment。　And　even　when　they　cannot　accomplish

it；　they　yet　have　the　unrighteous　spirit　and　will；　so　that　they

would　wish　the　neighbor's　just　cause　to　be　lost　and　their　unjust

cause　to　prosper。　This　sin　is　most　frequent　when　the　opponent　is

a　prominent　man　or　an　enemy。　For　a　man　wants　to　revenge　himself

on　his　enemy：　but　the　ill　will　of　a　man　of　prominence　he　does　not

wish　to　bring　upon　himself；　and　then　begins　the　flattering　and

fawning；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　the　withholding　of　the　truth。

Here　no　one　is　willing　to　run　the　risk　of　disfavor　and

displeasure；　loss　and　danger　for　the　truth's　sake；　and　so　God's

Commandment　must　perish。　And　this　is　almost　universally　the　way

of　the　world。　He　who　would　keep　this　Commandment；　would　have　both

hands　full　doing　only　those　good　works　which　concern　the　tongue。

And　then；　how　many　are　there　who　allow　themselves　to　be　silenced

and　swerved　aside　from　the　truth　by　presents　and　gifts！　so　that

in　all　places　it　is　truly　a　high；　great；　rare　work；　not　to　be　a

false　witness　against　one's　neighbor。



II。　There　is　a　second　bearing　of　witness　to　the　truth；　which　is

still　greater；　with　which　we　must　fight　against　the　evil　spirits；

and　this　concerns　not　temporal　matters；　but　the　Gospel　and　the

truth　of　faith；　which　the　evil　spirit　has　at　no　time　been　able

to　endure；　and　always　so　manages　that　the　great　among　men；　whom

it　is　hard　to　resist；　must　oppose　and　persecute　it。　Of　which　it

is　written　in　Psalm　lxxxii；　〃Rid　the　poor　out　of　the　hand　of　the

wicked；　and　help　the　forsaken　to　maintain　his　just　cause。〃　



Such　persecution；　it　is　true；　has　now　become　infrequent；　but　that

is　the　fault　of　the　spiritual　prelates；　who　do　not　stir　up　the

Gospel；　but　let　it　perish；　and　so　have　abandoned　the　very　thing

because　of　which　such　witnessing　and　persecution　should　arise；

and　in　its　place　they　teach　us　their　own　law　and　what　pleases

them。　For　this　reason　the　devil　also　does　not　stir；　since　by

vanquishing　the　Gospel　he　has　also　vanquished　faith　in　Christ；

and　everything　goes　as　he　wishes。　But　if　the　Gospel　should　be

stirred　up　and　be　heard　again；　without　doubt　the　whole　world

would　be　aroused　and　moved；　and　the　greater　portion　of　the　kings；

princes；　bishops；　doctors　and　clergy；　and　all　that　is　great；

would　oppose　it　and　rage　against　it；　as　has　always　happened　when

the　Word　of　God　has　come　to　light；　for　the　world　cannot　endure

what　comes　from　God。　This　is　proved　in　Christ；　Who　was　and　is　the

very　greatest　and　most　precious　and　best　of　all　that　God　has；　yet

the　world　not　only　did　not　receive　Him；　but　persecuted　Him　more

cruelly　than　all　others　who　had　ever　come　forth　from　God。　



Therefore；　as　at　that　time；　so　at　all　times　there　are　few　who

stand　by　the　divine　truth；　and　imperil　and　risk　life　and　limb；

goods　and　honor；　and　all　that　they　have；　as　Christ　has　foretold：

〃Ye　shall　be　hated　of　all　men　for　My　Name's　sake。〃　And：　〃Many　of

them　shall　be　offended　in　Me。〃　Yea；　if　this　truth　were　attacked

by　peasants；　herdsmen；　stable…boys　and　men　of　no　standing；　who

would　not　be　willing　and　able　to　confess　it　and　to　bear　witness

to　it？　But　when　the　pope；　and　the　bishops；　together　with　princes

and　kings　attack　it；　all　men　flee；　keep　silent；　dissemble；　in

order　that　they　may　not　lose　goods；　honor；　favor　and　life。　



III。　Why　do　they　do　this？　Because　they　have　no　faith　in　God；　and

expect　nothing　good　from　Him。　For　where　such　faith　and　confidence

are；　there　is　also　a　bold；　defiant；　fearless　heart；　that　ventures

and　stands　by　the　truth；　though　it　cost　life　or　cloak；　though　it

be　against　pope　or　kings；　as　we　see　that　the　martyrs　did。　For

such　a　heart　is　satisfied　and　rests　easy　because　it　has　a

gracious；　loving　God。　Therefore　it　despises　all　the　favor；　grace；

goods　and　honor　of　men；　lets　them　come　and　go　as　they　please；　as

is　written　in　Psalm　xv：　〃He　contemneth　them　that　contemn　God；　and

honoreth　them　that　fear　the　Lord〃；　that　is；　the　tyrants；　the

mighty；　who　persecute　the　truth　and　despise　God；　he　does　not

fear；　he　does　not　regard　them；　he　despiseth　them；　on　the　other

hand；　those　who　are　persecuted　for　the　truth's　sake；　and　fear　God

more　than　men；　to　these　he　clings；　these　he　defends；　these　he

honors；　let　it　vex　whom　it　may；　as　it　is　written　of　Moses；

Hebrews　xi；　that　he　stood　by　his　brethren；　regardless　of　the

mighty　king　of　Egypt。　



Lo；　in　this　Commandment　again　you　see　briefly　that　faith　must　be

the　master…workman　in　this　work　also；　so　that　without　it　no　one

has　courage　to　do　this　work：　so　entirely　are　all　works　comprised

in　faith；　as　has　now　been　often　said。　Therefore；　apart　from　faith

all　works　are　dead；　however　good　the　form　and　name　they　bear。　For

as　no　one　does　the　work　of　this　Commandment　except　he　be　firm　and

fearless　in　the　confidence　of　divine　favor；　so　also　he　does　no

work　of　any　other　Commandment　without　the　same　faith：　thus　every

one　may　easily　by　this　Commandment　test　and　weigh　himself　whether

he　be　a　Christian　and　truly　believe　in　Christ；　and　thus　whether

he　is　doing　good　works　or　no。　Now　we　see　how　the　Almighty　God　has

not　only　set　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ　before　us　that　we　should

believe　in　Him　with　such　confidence；　but　also　holds　before　us　in

Him　an　example　of　this　same　confidence　and　of　such　good　works；

to　the　end　that　we　should　believe　in　Him；　follow　Him　and　abide

in　Him　forever；　as　He　says；　John　xiv：　〃I　am　the　Way；　the　Truth

and　the　Life；〃　　the　Way；　in　which　we