a treatise on good works-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　help　everywhere　except　from　God；　from　Whom　they　are　most

urgently　commanded　to　seek　it；　whom　the　Prophet　Isaiah　reproves

thus；　Isaiah　ix：　〃The　mad　people　turneth　not　to　Him　that　smiteth

them〃；　that　is；　God　smote　them　and　sent　them　sufferings　and　all

kinds　of　adversity；　that　they　should　run　to　Him　and　trust　Him。

But　they　run　away　from　Him　to　men；　now　to　Egypt；　now　to　Assyria；

perchance　also　to　the　devil；　and　of　such　idolatry　much　is　written

in　the　same　Prophet　and　in　the　Books　of　the　Kings。　This　is　also

the　way　of　all　holy　hypocrites　when　they　are　in　trouble：　they　do

not　run　to　God；　but　flee　from　Him；　and　only　think　of　how　they　may

get　rid　of　their　trouble　through　their　own　efforts　or　through

human　help；　and　yet　they　consider　themselves　and　let　others

consider　them　pious　people。　



XI。　This　is　what　St。　Paul　means　in　many　places；　where　he　ascribes

so　much　to　faith；　that　he　says：　Justus　ex　fide　sua　vivit；　〃the

righteous　man　draws　his　life　out　of　his　faith；〃　and　faith　is　that

because　of　which　he　is　counted　righteous　before　God。　If

righteousness　consists　of　faith；　it　is　clear　that　faith　fulfils

all　commandments　and　makes　all　works　righteous；　since　no　one　is

justified　except　he　keep　all　the　commands　of　God。　Again；　the

works　can　justify　no　one　before　God　without　faith。　So　utterly　and

roundly　does　the　Apostle　reject　works　and　praise　faith；　that　some

have　taken　offence　at　his　words　and　say：　〃Well；　then；　we　will　do

no　more　good　works；〃　although　he　condemns　such　men　as　erring　and

foolish。　



So　men　still　do。　When　we　reject　the　great；　pretentious　works　of

our　time；　which　are　done　entirely　without　faith；　they　say：　Men

are　only　to　believe　and　not　to　do　anything　good。　For　nowadays

they　say　that　the　works　of　the　First　Commandment　are　singing；

reading；　organ…playing；　reading　the　mass；　saying　matins　and

vespers　and　the　other　hours；　the　founding　and　decorating　of

churches；　altars；　and　monastic　houses；　the　gathering　of　bells；

jewels；　garments；　trinkets　and　treasures；　running　to　Rome　and　to

the　saints。　Further；　when　we　are　dressed　up　and　bow；　kneel；　pray

the　rosary　and　the　Psalter；　and　all　this　not　before　an　idol；　but

before　the　holy　cross　of　God　or　the　pictures　of　His　saints：　this

we　call　honoring　and　worshiping　God；　and；　according　to　the　First

Commandment；　〃having　no　other　gods〃；　although　these　things

usurers；　adulterers　and　all　manner　of　sinners　can　do　too；　and　do

them　daily。　



Of　course；　if　these　things　are　done　with　such　faith　that　we

believe　that　they　please　God；　then　they　are　praiseworthy；　not

because　of　their　virtue；　but　because　of　such　faith；　for　which　all

works　are　of　equal　value；　as　has　been　said。　But　if　we　doubt　or

do　not　believe　that　God　is　gracious　to　us　and　is　pleased　with　us；

or　if　we　presumptuously　expect　to　please　Him　only　through　and

after　our　works；　then　it　is　all　pure　deception；　outwardly

honoring　God；　but　inwardly　setting　up　self　as　a　false　god。　This

is　the　reason　why　I　have　so　often　spoken　against　the　display；

magnificence　and　multitude　of　such　works　and　have　rejected　them；

because　it　is　as　clear　as　day　that　they　are　not　only　done　in

doubt　or　without　faith；　but　there　is　not　one　in　a　thousand　who

does　not　set　his　confidence　upon　the　works；　expecting　by　them　to

win　God's　favor　and　anticipate　His　grace；　and　so　they　make　a　fair

of　them；　a　thing　which　God　cannot　endure；　since　He　has　promised

His　grace　freely；　and　wills　that　we　begin　by　trusting　that　grace；

and　in　it　perform　all　works；　whatever　they　may　be。　



XII。　Note　for　yourself；　then；　how　far　apart　these　two　are：

keeping　the　First　Commandment　with　outward　works　only；　and

keeping　it　with　inward　trust。　For　this　last　makes　true；　living

children　of　God；　the　other　only　makes　worse　idolatry　and　the　most

mischievous　hypocrites　on　earth；　who　with　their　apparent

righteousness　lead　unnumbered　people　into　their　way；　and　yet

allow　them　to　be　without　faith；　so　that　they　are　miserably

misled；　and　are　caught　in　the　pitiable　babbling　and　mummery。　Of

such　Christ　says；　Matthew　xxiv：　〃Beware；　if　any　man　shall　say

unto　you；　Lo；　here　is　Christ；　or　there〃；　and　John　iv：　〃I　say　unto

thee；　the　hour　cometh；　when　ye　shall　neither　in　this　mountain　nor

yet　at　Jerusalem　worship　God；　for　the　Father　seeketh　spiritual

worshipers。〃　



These　and　similar　passages　have　moved　me　and　ought　to　move

everyone　to　reject　the　great　display　of　bulls；　seals；　flags；

indulgences；　by　which　the　poor　folk　are　led　to　build　churches；

to　give；　to　endow；　to　pray；　and　yet　faith　is　not　mentioned；　and

is　even　suppressed。　For　since　faith　knows　no　distinction　among

works；　such　exaltation　and　urging　of　one　work　above　another

cannot　exist　beside　faith。　For　faith　desires　to　be　the　only

service　of　God；　and　will　grant　this　name　and　honor　to　no　other

work；　except　in　so　far　as　faith　imparts　it；　as　it　does　when　the

work　is　done　in　faith　and　by　faith。　This　perversion　is　indicated

in　the　Old　Testament；　when　the　Jews　left　the　Temple　and

sacrificed　at　other　places；　in　the　green　parks　and　on　the

mountains。　This　is　what　these　men　also　do：　they　are　zealous　to

do　all　works；　but　this　chief　work　of　faith　they　regard　not　at

all。　



XIII。　Where　now　are　they　who　ask；　what　works　are　good；　what　they

shall　do；　how　they　shall　be　religious？　Yes；　and　where　are　they

who　say　that　when　we　preach　of　faith；　we　shall　neither　teach　nor

do　works？　Does　not　this　First　Commandment　give　us　more　work　to

do　than　any　man　can　do？　If　a　man　were　a　thousand　men；　or　all　men；

or　all　creatures；　this　Commandment　would　yet　ask　enough　of　him；

and　more　than　enough；　since　he　is　commanded　to　live　and　walk　at

all　times　in　faith　and　confidence　toward　God；　to　place　such　faith

in　no　one　else；　and　so　to　have　only　one；　the　true　God；　and　none

other。　



Now；　since　the　being　and　nature　of　man　cannot　for　an　instant　be

without　doing　or　not　doing　something；　enduring　or　running　away

from　something　（for；　as　we　see；　life　never　rests）；　let　him　who

will　be　pious　and　filled　with　good　works；　begin　and　in　all　his

life　and　works　at　all　times　exercise　himself　in　this　faith；　let

him　learn　to　do　and　to　leave　undone　all　things　in　such　continual


faith；　then　will　he　find　how　much　work　he　has　to　do；　and　how

completely　all　things　are　included　in　faith；　how　he　dare　never

grow　idle；　because　his　very　idling　must　be　the　exercise　and　work

of　faith。　In　brief；　nothing　can　be　in　or　about　us　and　nothing　can

happen　to　us　but　that　it　must　be　good　and　meritorious；　if　we

believe　（as　we　ought）　that　all　things　please　God。　So　says　St。

Paul：　〃Dear　brethren；　all　that　ye　do；　whether　ye　eat　or　drink；

do　all　in　the　Name　of　Jesus　Christ；　our　Lord。〃　Now　it　cannot　be

done　in　this　Name　except　it　be　done　in　this　faith。　Likewise；

Romans　vii：　〃We　know　that　all　things　work　together　for　good　to

the　saints　of　God。〃



Therefore；　when　some　say　that　good　works　are　forbidden　when　we

preach　faith　alone；　it　is　as　if　I　said　to　a　sick　man：　〃If　you　had

health；　you　would　have　the　use　of　all　your　limbs；　but　without

health；　the　works　of　all　your　limbs　are　nothing〃；　and　he　wanted

to　infer　that　I　had　forbidden　the　works　of　all　his　limbs；

whereas；　on　the　contrary；　I　meant　that　he　must　first　have　health；

which　will　work　all　the　works　of　all　the　members。　So　faith　also

must　be　in　all　works　the　master…workman　and　captain；　or　they　are

nothing　at　all。　



XIV。　You　might　say：　〃Why　then　do　we　have　so　many　laws　of　the

Church　and　of　the　State；　and　many　ceremonies　of　churches；

monastic　houses；　holy　places；　which　urge　and　tempt　men　to　good

works；　if　faith　does　all　things　through　the　First　Commandment？〃

I　answer：　Simply　because　we　do　not　all　have　faith　or　do　not　heed

it。　If　every　man　had　faith；　we　would　need　no　more　laws；　but　every

one　would　of　himself　at　all　times　do　good　works；　as　his

confidence　in　God　teaches　him。　



But　now　there　are　four　kinds　of　men：　the　first；　just　mentioned；

who　need　no　law；　of　whom　St。　Paul　says；　I。　Timothy　i；　〃The　law

is　not　made　for　a　righteous