a treatise on good works-第3部分

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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　the　other　hand；　his　espousal　of　the　rights

of　the　〃poor　man〃　　to　be　met　with　here　for　the　first　time　

shows　that　the　Monk　of　Witttenberg；　coming　from　the　narrow　limits

of　the　convent；　had　an　intimate　and　sympathetic　knowledge　of　the

social　needs　of　his　time。　Thus　he　proved　by　his　own　example　that

to　take　s　stand　in　the　center　of　the　Gospel　does　not　narrow　the

vision　nor　harden　the　heart；　but　rather　produces　courage　in　the

truth　and　sympathy　for　all　manner　of　misery。　



Luther's　contemporaries　at　once　recognized　the　great　importance

of　the　Treatise；　for　within　the　period　of　seven　months　it　passed

through　eight　editions；　these　were　followed　by　six　more　editions

between　the　years　of　1521　and　1525；　in　1521　it　was　translated

into　Latin；　and　in　this　form　passed　through　three　editions　up　to

the　year　1525；　and　all　this　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　in　those

years　the　so…called　three　great　Reformation　writings　of　1520　were

casting　all　else　into　the　shadow。　Melanchthon；　in　a

contemporaneous　letter　to　John　Hess；　called　it　Luther's　best

book。　John　Mathesius；　the　well…known　pastor　at　Joachimsthal　and

Luther's　biographer；　acknowledged　that　he　had　learned　the

〃rudiments　of　Christianity〃　from　it。　



Even　to…day　this　book　has　its　peculiar　mission　to　the　Church。　The

seeking　after　self…elected　works；　the　indolence　regarding　the

works　commanded　of　God；　the　foolish　opinion；　that　the　path　of

works　leads　to　God's　grace　and　good…will；　are　even　to…day　widely

prevalent　within　the　kingdom　of　God。　To　all　this　Luther's

treatise　answers：　Be　diligent　in　the　works　of　your　earthly

calling　as　commanded　of　God；　but　only　after　having　first

strengthened；　by　the　consideration　of　God's　mercy；　the　faith

within　you；　which　is　the　only　source　of　all　truly　good　works　and

well…pleasing　to　God。　



M。　REU。　



WARTBURG　SEMINARY；　DUBUQUE；　IOWA。

TREATISE　ON　GOOD　WORKS



1520



DEDICATION



JESUS





To　the　Illustrious；　High…born　Prince　and　Lord；　John　Duke　of

Saxony；　Landgrave　of　Thuringia；　Margrave　of　Meissen；　my　gracious

Lord　and　Patron。　





Illustrious；　High…born　Prince；　gracious　Lord！　My　humble　duty　and

my　feeble　prayer　for　your　Grace　always　remembered！　



For　a　long　time；　gracious　Prince　and　Lord；　I　have　wished　to　show

my　humble　respect　and　duty　toward　your　princely　Grace；　by　the

exhibition　of　some　such　spirtual　wares　as　are　at　my　disposal；　but

I　have　always　considered　my　powers　too　feeble　to　undertake

anything　worthy　of　being　offered　to　your　princely　Grace。　



Since；　however；　my　most　gracious　Lord　Frederick；　Duke　of　Saxony；

Elector　and　Vicar　of　the　Holy　Roman　Empire；　your　Grace's　brother；

has　not　despised；　but　graciously　accepted　my　slight　book；

dedicated　to　his　electoral　Grace；　and　now　published　　though

such　was　not　my　intention；　I　have　taken　courage　from　his　gracious

example　and　ventured　to　think　that　the　princely　spirit；　like　the

princely　blood；　may　be　the　same　in　both　of　you；　especially　in

gracious　kindness　and　good　will。　I　have　hoped　that　yout　princely

Grace　likewise　would　not　despise　this　my　humble　offering　which

I　have　felt　more　need　of　publishing　than　an　other　of　my　sermons

or　tracts。　For　the　greatest　of　all　questions　has　been　raised；　the

question　of　Good　Works；　in　which　is　practised　immeasurably　more

trickery　and　deception　than　in　anything　else；　and　in　which　the

simpleminded　man　is　so　easily　misled　that　our　Lord　Christ　has

commanded　us　to　watch　carefully　for　the　sheep's　clothings　under

which　the　wolves　hide　themselves。　



Neither　silver；　gold；　precious　stones；　nor　any　rare　thing　has

such　manifold　alloys　and　flaws　as　have　good　works；　which　ought

to　have　a　single　simple　goodness；　and　without　it　are　mere　color；

show　and　deceit。　



And　although　I　know　and　daily　hear　many　people；　who　think

slightingly　of　my　poverty；　and　say　that　I　write　only　little

pamphletst　and　German　sermons　for　the　unlearned　laity；　this　shall

not　disturb　me。　Would　to　God　I　had　in　all　my　life；　with　all　the

ability　I　have；　helped　one　layman　to　be　better！　I　would　be

satisfied；　thank　God；　and　be　quite　willing　then　to　let　all　my

little　books　perish。　



Whether　the　making　of　many　great　books　is　an　art　and　a　benefit

to　the　Church；　I　leave　others　to　judge。　But　I　believe　that　if　I

were　minded　to　make　great　books　according　to　their　art；　I　could；

with　God's　help；　do　it　more　readily　perhaps　than　they　could

prepare　a　little　discourse　after　my　fashion。　If　accomplishment

were　as　easy　as　persecution；　Christ　would　long　since　have　been

cast　out　of　heaven　again；　and　God's　throne　itself　overturned。

Although　we　cannot　all　be　writers；　we　all　want　to　be　critics。　



I　will　most　gladly　leave　to　any　one　else　the　honor　of　greater

things；　and　not　be　at　all　ashamed　to　preach　and　to　write　in

German　for　the　unlearned　laymen。　Although　I　too　have　little　skill

in　it；　I　believe　that　if　we　had　hitherto　done；　and　should

henceforth　do　more　of　it；　Christendom　would　have　reaped　no　small

advantage；　and　have　been　more　bene　fited　by　this　than　by　the

great；　deep　books　and　quaestiones；　which　are　used　only　in　the

schools；　among　the　learned。　



Then；　too；　I　have　never　forced　or　begged　any　one　to　hear　me；　or

to　read　my　sermons。　I　have　freely　ministered　in　the　Church　of

that　which　God　has　given　me　and　which　I　owe　the　Church。　Whoever

likes　it　not；　may　hear　and　read　what　others　have　to　say。　And　if

they　are　not　willing　to　be　my　debtors；　it　matters　little。　For　me

it　is　enough；　and　even　more　than　too　much；　that　some　laymen

condescend　to　read　what　I　say。　Even　though　there　were　nothing

else　to　urge　me；　it　should　be　more　than　sufficient　that　I　have

learned　that　your　princely　Grace　is　pleased　with　such　German

books　and　is　eager　to　receive　instruction　in　Good　Works　and　the

Faith；　with　which　instruction　it　was　my　duty；　humbly　and　with　all

diligence　to　serve　you。　



Therefore；　in　dutiful　humility　I　pray　that　your　princely　Grace

may　accept　this　offering　of　mine　with