a treatise on good works-第3章

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

concerning　the　relation　of　faith　to　good　works　to　the　relation

of　the　First　to　the　other　Commandments。　From　the　fact；　that

according　to　the　First　Commandment；　we　acquire　a　pure　heart　and

confidence　toward　God；　he　derives　the　good　work　of　the　Second

Commandment；　namely；　〃to　praise　God；　to　acknowledge　His　grace；

to　render　all　honor　to　Him　alone。〃　From　the　same　source　he

derives　the　good　work　of　the　Third　Commandment；　namely；　〃to

observe　divine　services　with　prayer　and　the　hearing　of　preaching；

to　incline　the　imagination　of　our　hearts　toward　God's　benefits；

and；　to　that　end；　to　mortify　and　overcome　the　flesh。〃　From　the

same　source　he　derives　the　works　of　the　Second　Table。　



The　argument　on　the　Third　and　Fourth　Commandments　claims　nearly

one…half　of　the　entire　treatise。　Among　the　good　works　which；

according　to　the　Third　Commandment；　should　be　an　exercise　and

proof　of　faith；　Luther　especially　mentions　the　proper　hearing　of

mass　and　of　preaching；　common　prayer；　bodily　discipline　and　the

mortification　of　the　flesh；　and　he　joins　the　former　and　the

latter　by　an　important　fundamental　discussion　of　the　New

Testament　conception　of　Sabbath　rest。　



Luther　discusses　the　Fourth　Commandment　as　fully　as　the　Third。

The　exercise　of　faith；　according　to　this　Commandment；　consists

in　the　faithful　performance　of　the　duties　of　children　toward

their　parents；　of　parents　toward　their　children；　and　of

subordinates　toward　their　superiors　in　the　ecclesiastical　as　well

as　in　the　common　civil　sphere。　The　various　duties　issue　from　the

various　callings；　for　faithful　performance　of　the　duties　of　one's

calling；　with　the　help　of　God　and　for　God's　sake；　is　the　true

〃good　work。〃　



As　he　now　proceeds　to　speak　of　the　spiritual　powers；　the

government　of　the　Church；　he　frankly　reveals　their　faults　and

demands　a　reform　of　the　present　rulers。　Honor　and　obedience　in

all　things　should　be　rendered　unto　the　Church；　the　spiritual

mother；　as　it　is　due　to　natural　parents；　unless　it　be　contrary

to　the　first　Three　Commandments。　But　as　matters　stand　now　the

spiritual　magistrates　neglect　their　peculiar　work；　namely；　the

fostering　of　godliness　and　discipline；　like　a　mother　who　runs

away　from　her　children　and　follows　a　lover；　and　instead　they

undertake　strange　and　evil　works；　like　parents　whose　commands　are

contrary　to　God。　In　this　case　members　of　the　Church　must　do　as

godly　children　do　whose　parents　have　become　mad　and　insane。

Kings；　princes；　the　nobility；　municipalities　and　communities　must

begin　of　their　own　accord　and　put　a　check　to　these　conditions；

so　that　the　bishops　and　the　clergy；　who　are　now　too　timid；　may

be　induced　to　follow。　But　even　the　civil　magistrates　must　also

suffer　reforms　to　be　enacted　in　their　particular　spheres；

especially　are　they　called　on　to　do　away　with　the　rude　〃gluttony

and　drunkenness；〃　luxury　in　clothing；　the　usurious　sale　of　rents

and　the　common　brothels。　This；　by　divine　and　human　right；　is　a

part　of　their　enjoined　works　according　to　the　Fourth　Commandment。　



Luther；　at　last；　briefly　treats　of　the　Second　Table　of　the

Commandments；　but　in　speaking　of　the　works　of　these　Commandments

he　never　forgets　to　point　out　their　relation　to　faith；　thus

holding　fast　this　fundamental　thought　of　the　book　to　the　end。

Faith　which　does　not　doubt　that　God　is　gracious；　he　says；　will

find　it　an　easy　matter　to　be　graciously　and　favorably　minded

toward　one's　neighbor　and　to　overcome　all　angry　and　wrathful

desires。　In　this　faith　in　God　the　Spirit　will　teach　us　to　avoid

unchaste　thoughts　and　thus　to　keep　the　Sixth　Commandment。　When

the　heart　trusts　in　the　divine　favor；　it　cannot　seek　after　the

temporal　goods　of　others；　nor　cleave　to　money；　but　according　to

the　Seventh　Commandment；　will　use　it　with　cheerful　liberality　for

the　benefit　of　the　neighbor。　Where　such　confidence　is　present

there　is　also　a　courageous；　strong　and　intrepid　heart；　which　will

at　all　times　defend　the　truth；　as　the　Eighth　Commandment　demands；

whether　neck　or　coat　be　at　stake；　whether　it　be　against　pope　or

kings。　Where　such　faith　is　present　there　is　also　strife　against

the　evil　lust；　as　forbidden　in　the　Ninth　and　Tenth　Commandments；

and　that　even　unto　death。　



3。　The　Importance　of　the　Work。　　Inquiring　now　into　the

importance　of　the　book；　we　note　that　Luther's　impression

evidently　was　perfectly　correct；　when　he　wrote　to　Spalatin；　long

before　its　completion　　as　early　as　March　2　5。　　that　he

believed　it　to　be　better　than　anything　he　had　heretofore　written。

The　book；　indeed；　surpasses　all　his　previous　German　writings　in

volume；　as　well　as　all　his　Latin　and　German　ones　in　clearness；

richness　and　the　fundamental　importance　of　its　content。　In

comparison　with　the　prevalent　urging　of　self…elected　works　of

monkish　holiness；　which　had　arisen　from　a　complete

misunderstanding　of　the　so…called　evangelical　counsels　（comp。

esp。　Matthew　19：16…22）　and　which　were　at　that　time　accepted　as

self…evident　and　zealously　urged　by　the　whole　church；　Luther's

argument　must　have　appeared　to　all　thoughtful　and　earnest　souls

as　a　revelation；　when　he　so　clearly　amplified　the　proposition

that　only　those　works　are　to　be　regarded　as　good　works　which　God

has　commanded；　and　that　therefore；　not　the　abandoning　of　one's

earthly　calling；　but　the　faithful　keeping　of　the　Ten　Commandments

in　the　course　of　one's　calling；　is　the　work　which　God　requires

of　us。　Over　against　the　wide…spread　opinion；　as　though　the　will

of　God　as　declared　in　the　Ten　Commandments　referred　only　to　the

outward　work　always　especially　mentioned；　Luther's　argument　must

have　called　to　mind　the　explanation　of　the　Law；　which　the　Lord

had　given　in　the　Sermon　on　the　Mount；　when　he　taught　men　to

recognize　only　the　extreme　point　and　manifestation　of　a　whole

trend　of　thought　in　the　work　prohibited　by　the　text；　and　when　he

directed　Christians　not　to　rest　in　the　keeping　of　the　literal

requirement　of　each　Commandment；　but　from　this　point　of　vantage

to　inquire　into　the　whole　depth　and　breadth　of　God's　will　

positively　and　negatively　　and　to　do　His　will　in　its　full

extent　as　the　heart　has　perceived　it。　Though　this　thought　may

have　been　occasionally　expressed　in　the　expositions　of　the　Ten

Commandments　which　appeared　at　the　dawn　of　the　Reformation；　still

it　had　never　before　been　so　clearly　recognized　as　the　only

correct　principle；　much　less　had　it　been　so　energetically　carried

out　from　beginning　to　end；　as　is　done　in　this　treatise。　Over

against　the　deep…rooted　view　that　the　works　of　love　must　bestow

upon　faith　its　form；　its　content　and　its　worth　before　God；　it

must　have　appeared　as　the　dawn　of　a　new　era　（Galatians　3：22…25）

when　Luther　in　this　treatise　declared；　and　with　victorious

certainty　carried　out　the　thought；　that　it　is　true　faith　which

invests　the　works；　even　the　best　and　greatest　of　works；　with

their　content　and　worth　before　God。　



This　proposition；　which　Luther　here　amplifies　more　clearly　than

ever　before；　demanded　nothing　less　than　a　breach　with　the　whole

of　prevalent　religious　views；　and　at　that　time　must　have　been

perceived　as　the　discovery　of　a　new　world；　though　it　was　no　more

than　a　return　to　the　clear　teaching　of　the　New　Testament

Scriptures　concerning　the　way　of　salvation。　This；　too；　accounts

for　the　fact　that　in　this　writing　the　accusation　is　more

impressively　repelled　than　before；　that　the　doctrine　of

justification　by　faith　alone　resulted　in　moral　laxity；　and　that；

on　the　other　hand；　the　fundamental　and　radical　importance　of

righteousness　by　faith　for　the　whole　moral　life　is　revealed　in

such　a　heart…refreshing　manner。　Luther's　appeal　in　this　treatise

to　kings；　princes；　the　nobility；　municipalities　and　communities；

to　declare　against　the　misuse　of　spiritual　powers　and　to　abolish

various　abuses　in　civil　life；　marks　this　treatise　as　a　forerunner

of　the　great　Reformation　writings；　which　appeared　in　the　same

year　（1520）；　while；　on　t