友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

a treatise on good works-第22部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!



Mildigkeit; 〃benevolence;〃 which is a work ready to help and

serve every one with one's goods。 And it fights not only against

theft and robbery; but against all stinting in temporal goods

which men may practise toward one another: such as greed; usury;

overcharging and plating wares that sell as solid; counterfeit

wares; short measures and weights; and who could tell all the

ready; novel; clever tricks; which multiply daily in every trade;

by which every one seeks his own gain through the other's loss;

and forgets the rule which says: 〃What ye wish that others do to

you; that do ye also to them。〃 If every one kept this rule before

his eyes in his trade; business; and dealings with his neighbor;

he would readily find how he ought to buy and sell; take and

give; lend and give for nothing; promise and keep his promise;

and the like。 And when we consider the world in its doings; how

greed controls all business; we would not only find enough to do;

if we would make an honorable living before God; but also be

overcome with dread and fear for this perilous; miserable life;

which is so exceedingly overburdened; entangled and taken captive

with cares of this temporal life and dishonest seeking of gain。 



II。 Therefore the Wise Man says not in vain: 〃Happy is the rich

man; who is found without blemish; who does not run after gold;

and has not set his confidence in the treasures of money。 Who is

he? We will praise him; that he has done wondrous things in his

life。〃 As if he would say: 〃None such is found; or very few

indeed。〃 Yea; they are very few who notice and recognise such

lust for gold in themselves。 For greed has here a very beautiful;

fine cover for its shame; which is called provision for the body

and natural need; under cover of which it accumulates wealth

beyond all limits and is never satisfied; so that he who would

in this matter keep himself clean; must truly; as he says; do

miracles or wondrous things in his life。 



Now see; if a man wish not only to do good works; but even

miracles; which God may praise and be pleased with; what need has

he to look elsewhere? Let him take heed to himself; and see to

it that he run not after gold; nor set his trust on money; but

let the gold run after him; and money wait on his favor; and let

him love none of these things nor set his heart on them; then he

is the true; generous; wonderworking; happy man; as Job xxxi

says: 〃I have never yet: relied upon gold; and never yet made

gold my hope and confidence。〃 And Psalm lxii: 〃If riches

increase; set not your heart upon them。〃 So Christ also teaches;

Matthew vi; that we shall take no thought; what we shall eat and

drink and wherewithal we shall be clothed; since God cares for

this; and knows that we have need of all these things。 



But some say: 〃Yes; rely upon that; take no thought; and see

whether a roasted chicken will fly into your mouth!〃 I do not say

that a man shall not labor and seek a living; but he shall not

worry; not be greedy; not despair; thinking that he will not have

enough; for in Adam we are all condemned to labor; when God says

to him; Genesis iii; 〃In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat

bread。〃 And Job v; 〃As the birds to flying; so is man born unto

labor。〃 Now the birds fly without worry and greed; and so we also

should labor without worry and greed; but if you do worry and are

greedy; wishing that the roasted chicken fly into your mouth:

worry and be greedy; and see whether you will thereby fulfil

God's Commandment and be saved!



III。 This work faith teaches of itself。 For if the heart looks

for divine favor and relies upon it; how is it possible that a

man should be greedy and worry? He must be sure beyond a doubt

that God cares for him; therefore he does not cling to money; he

uses it also with cheerful liberality for the benefit of his

neighbor; and knows well that he will have enough; however much

he may give away。 For his God; Whom he trusts; will not lie to

him nor forsake him; as it is written; Psalm xxxvii: 〃I have been

young; and now am old; never have I seen a believing man; who

trusts God; that is a righteous man; forsaken; or his child

begging bread。〃 Therefore the Apostle calls no other sin idolatry

except covetousness; because this sin shows most plainly that it

does not trust God for anything; expects more good from its money

than from God; and; as has been said; it is by such confidence

that God is truly honored or dishonored。 



And; indeed; in this Commandment it can be clearly seen how all

good works must be done in faith; for here every one most surely

feels that the cause of covetousness is distrust and the cause

of liberality is faith。 For because a man trusts God; he is

generous and does not doubt that he will always have enough; on

the other hand; a man is covetous and worries because he does not

trust God。 Now; as in this Commandment faith is the

master…workman and the doer of the good work of liberality; so

it is also in all the other Commandments; and without such faith

liberality is of no worth; but rather a careless squandering of

money。 



IV。 By this we are also to know that this liberality shall extend

even to enemies and opponents。 For what manner of good deed is

that; if we are liberal only to our friends? As Christ teaches;

Luke vi; even a wicked man does that to another who is his

friend。 Besides; the brute beasts also do good and are generous

to their kind。 Therefore a Christian must rise higher; let his

liberality serve also the undeserving; evil…doers; enemies; and

the ungrateful; even as his heavenly Father makes His sun to rise

on good and evil; and the rain to fall on the grateful and

ungrateful。 



But here it will be found how hard it is to do good works

according to God's Commandment; how nature squirms; twists and

writhes in its opposition to it; although it does the good works

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 o
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!