a treatise on good works-第15章

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Third　Commandment　into　the　Second　again；　and　through　that　very

calling　on　the　Name　of　God　and　praise；　faith　grows；　and　becomes

conscious　of　itself；　and　so　strengthens　itself；　through　the　two

works　of　the　Third　and　of　the　Second　Commandment。　Thus　faith　goes

out　into　the　works　and　through　the　works　comes　to　itself　again；

just　as　the　sun　goes　forth　unto　its　setting　and　comes　again　unto

its　rising。　For　this　reason　the　Scriptures　associate　the　day　with

peaceful　living　in　works；　the　night　with　passive　living　in

adversity；　and　faith　lives　and　works；　goes　out　and　comes　in；　in

both；　as　Christ　says；　John　ix。



XXV。　This　order　of　good　works　we　pray　in　the　Lord's　Prayer。　The

first　is　this；　that　we　say：　〃Our　Father；　Who　art　in　heaven〃；

these　are　the　words　of　the　first　work　of　faith；　which；　according

to　the　First　Commandment；　does　not　doubt　that　it　has　a　gracious

Father　in　heaven。　The　second：　〃Hallowed　be　Thy　Name；〃　in　which

faith　asks　that　God's　Name；　praise　and　honor　be　glorified；　and

calls　upon　it　in　every　need；　as　the　Second　Commandment　says。　The

third：　〃Thy　kingdom　come；〃　in　which　we　pray　for　the　true　Sabbath

and　rest；　peaceful　cessation　of　our　works；　that　God's　work　alone

be　done　in　us；　and　so　God　rule　in　us　as　in　His　own　kingdom；　as

He　says；　Luke　xvii；　〃Behold；　God's　kingdom　is　nowhere　else　except

within　you。〃　The　fourth　petition　is　〃Thy　will　be　done〃；　in　which

we　pray　that　we　may　keep　and　have　the　Seven　Commandments　of　the

Second　Table；　in　which　faith　is　exercised　toward　our　neighbor；

just　as　in　the　first　three　it　is　exercised　in　works　toward　God

alone。　And　these　are　the　petitions　in　which　stands　the　word

〃Thou；　Thy；　Thy；　Thy；〃　because　they　seek　only　what　belongs　to

God；　all　the　others　say　〃our；　us；　our；〃　etc；　for　in　them　we　pray

for　our　goods　and　blessedness。　



Let　this；　then；　suffice　as　a　plain；　hasty　explanation　of　the

First　Table　of　Moses；　pointing　out　to　simple　folk　what　are　the

highest　of　good　works。　



The　Second　Table　follows。　



〃Thou　shalt　honor　thy　father　and　thy　mother。〃　



From　this　Commandment　we　learn　that　after　the　excellent　works　of

the　first　three　Commandments　there　are　no　better　works　than　to

obey　and　serve　all　those　who　are　set　over　us　as　superiors。　For

this　reason　also　disobedience　is　a　greater　sin　than　murder；

unchastity；　theft　and　dishonesty；　and　all　that　these　may　include。

For　we　can　in　no　better　way　learn　how　to　distinguish　between

greater　and　lesser　sins　than　by　noting　the　order　of　the

Commandments　of　God；　although　there　are　distinctions　also　within

the　works　of　each　Commandment。　For　who　does　not　know　that　to

curse　is　a　greater　sin　than　to　be　angry；　to　strike　than　to　curse；

to　strike　father　and　mother　more　than　to　strike　any　one　else？

Thus　these　seven　Commandments　teach　us　how　we　are　to　exercise

ourselves　in　good　works　toward　men；　and　first　of　all　toward　our

superiors。　



The　first　work　is　that　we　honor　our　own　father　and　mother。　And

this　honor　consists　not　only　in　respectful　demeanor；　but　in　this：

that　we　obey　them；　look　up　to；　esteem　and　heed　their　words　and

example；　accept　what　they　say；　keep　silent　and　endure　their

treatment　of　us；　so　long　as　it　is　not　contrary　to　the　first　three

Commandments；　in　addition；　when　they　need　it；　that　we　provide

them　with　food；　clothing　and　shelter。　For　not　for　nothing　has　He

said：　〃Thou　shalt　honor　them〃；　He　does　not　say：　〃Thou　shalt　love

them；〃　although　this　also　must　be　done。　But　honor　is　higher　than

mere　love　and　includes　a　certain　fear；　which　unites　with　love；

and　causes　a　man　to　fear　offending　them　more　than　he　fears　the

punishment。　Just　as　there　is　fear　in　the　honor　we　pay　a

sanctuary；　and　yet　we　do　not　flee　from　it　as　from　a　punishment；

but　draw　near　to　it　all　the　more。　Such　a　fear　mingled　with　love

is　the　true　honor；　the　other　fear　without　any　love　is　that　which

we　have　toward　things　which　we　despise　or　flee　from；　as　we　fear

the　hangman　or　punishment。　There　is　no　honor　in　that；　for　it　is

a　fear　without　all　love；　nay；　fear　that　has　with　it　hatred　and

enmity。　Of　this　we　have　a　proverb　of　St。　Jerome：　What　we　fear；

that　we　also　hate。　With　such　a　fear　God　does　not　wish　to　be

feared　or　honored；　nor　to　have　us　honor　our　parents；　but　with　the

first；　which　is　mingled　with　love　and　confidence。　



II。　This　work　appears　easy；　but　few　regard　it　aright。　For　where

the　parents　are　truly　pious　and　love　their　children　not　according

to　the　flesh；　but　（as　they　ought）　instruct　and　direct　them　by

words　and　works　to　serve　God　according　to　the　first　three

Commandments；　there　the　child's　own　will　is　constantly　broken；

and　it　must　do；　leave　undone；　and　suffer　what　its　nature　would

most　gladly　do　otherwise；　and　thereby　it　finds　occasion　to

despise　its　parents；　to　murmur　against　them；　or　to　do　worse

things。　There　love　and　fear　depart；　unless　they　have　God's　grace。

In　like　manner；　when　they　punish　and　chastise；　as　they　ought　（at

times　even　unjustly；　which；　however；　does　not　harm　the　soul's

salvation）；　our　evil　nature　resents　the　correction。　Beside　all

this；　there　are　some　so　wicked　that　they　are　ashamed　of　their

parents　because　of　poverty；　lowly　birth；　deformity　or　dishonor；

and　allow　these　things　to　influence　them　more　than　the　high

Commandment　of　God；　Who　is　above　all　things；　and　has　with

benevolent　intent　given　them　such　parents；　to　exercise　and　try

them　in　His　Commandment。　But　the　matter　becomes　still　worse　when

the　child　has　children　of　its　own；　then　love　descends　to　them；

and　detracts　very　much　from　the　love　and　honor　toward　the

parents。　



But　what　is　said　and　commanded　of　parents　must　also　be　understood

of　those　who；　when　the　parents　are　dead　or　absent；　take　their

place；　such　as　relatives；　god…parents；　sponsors；　temporal　lords

and　spiritual　fathers。　For　every　one　must　be　ruled　and　be　subject

to　other　men。　Wherefore　we　here　see　again　how　many　good　works　are

taught　in　this　Commandment；　since　in　it　all　our　life　is　made

subject　to　other　men。　Hence　it　comes　that　obedience　is　so　highly

praised　and　all　virtue　and　good　works　are　included　in　it。　



III。　There　is　another　dishonoring　of　parents；　much　more　dangerous

and　subtile　than　this　first；　which　adorns　itself　and　passes　for

a　real　honor；　that　is；　when　a　child　has　its　own　way；　and　the

parents　through　natural　love　allow　it。　Here　there　is　indeed

mutual　honor；　here　there　is　mutual　love；　and　on　all　sides　it　is

a　precious　thing；　parents　and　child　take　mutual　pleasure　in　one

another。　



This　plague　is　so　common　that　instances　of　the　first　form　of

dishonoring　are　very　seldom　seen。　This　is　due　to　the　fact　that

the　parents　are　blinded；　and　neither　know　nor　honor　God　according

to　the　first　three　Commandments；　hence　also　they　cannot　see　what

the　children　lack；　and　how　they　ought　to　teach　and　train　them。

For　this　reason　they　train　them　for　worldly　honors；　pleasure　and

possessions；　that　they　may　by　all　means　please　men　and　reach　high

positions：　this　the　children　like；　and　they　obey　very　gladly

without　gainsaying。　



Thus　God's　Commandment　secretly　comes　to　naught　while　all　seems

good；　and　that　is　fulfilled　which　is　written　in　the　Prophets

Isaiah　and　Jeremiah；　that　the　children　are　destroyed　by　their　own

parents；　and　they　do　like　the　king　Manasseh；　who　sacrificed　his

own　son　to　the　idol　Moloch　and　burned　him；　II。　Kings　xxi。　What

else　is　it　but　to　sacrifice　one's　own　child　to　the　idol　and　to

burn　it；　when　parents　train　their　children　more　in　the　way　of　the

world　than　in　the　way　of　God？　let　them　go　their　way；　and　be

burned　up　in　worldly　pleasure；　love；　enjoyment；　possessions　and

honor；　but　let　God's　love　and　honor　and　the　desire　of　eternal

blessings　be　quenched　in　them？　



O　how　perilous　it　is　to　be　a　father　or　a　mother；　where　flesh　and

blood　are　supreme！　For；　truly；　the　knowledge　and　fulfilment　of

the　first　three　and　the　last　six　Commandments　depends　altogether

upon　this　Commandment；　since　parents　are　commanded　to　teach　them

to　their　children；　as　Psalm　lxxviii。　says；　〃How　strictly　has　He

commanded　our　fathers；　that　they　should　make　known　God's

Commandments　to　their　children；　that　the　generation　to　come　might

know　them　and　declare　them　to　their　children's　children。〃　This

also　is　the　reason　why　God　bids　us　honor　our　parents；　that　is；

to　love　them　with　fear；　for　that　other　love　is　without　fear；

therefore　it　is　more　dishonor　than　honor。　



Now　see　whether　every　one　does　not　have　good　works　enough　to　do；

whether　he　be　father　or　child。　But　we　blind　men　leave　this

untouched；　and　seek　all　sorts　of　other　works　which　are　not

commanded。



IV。　Now　where　parents　are　foolish　and　train　their　children　after

the　fashion　of　the　world；　the　children　are　in　no　way　to　obey

them；　for　God；　according　to　the　first　three　Commandments；　is　to

be　more　highly　regarded　than　the　parents。　But　training　after　the

fashion　of　the　world　I　call　it；　when　they　teach　them　to　seek　no

more　than　pleasure；　honor　and　possessions　of　this　world　or　its

power。　



To　wear　decent　clothes　and　to　seek　an　honest　living　is　a

necessity；　and　not　sin。　Yet　the　heart　of　a　child　must　be　taught

to　be　sorry　that　this　miserable　earthly　life　cannot　well　be

lived；　or　even　begun；　without　the　striving　after　more　adornment

and　more　possessions　than　are　necessary　for　the　protection　of　the

body　against　cold　and　for　nourishment。　Thus　the　child　must　be

taught　to　grieve　that；　without　its　own　will；　it　must　do　the

world's　will　and　play　the　fool　with　the　rest　of　men；　and　endure

such　evil　for　the　sake　of　something　better　and　to　avoid　something

worse。　So　Queen　Esther　wore　her　royal　crown；　and　yet　said　to　God；

Esther　xiv；　〃Thou　knowest；　that　the　sign　of　my　high　estate；　which

is　upon　my　head；　has　never　yet　delighted　me；　and　I　abhor　it　as

a　menstruous　rag；　and　never　wear　it　when　I　am　by　myself；　but　when

I　must　do　it　and　go　before　the　people。〃　The　heart　that　is　so

minded　wears　adornment　without　peril；　for　it　wears　and　does　not

wear；　dances　and　does　not　dance；　lives　well　and　does　not　live

well。　And　these　are　the　secret　souls；　hidden　brides　of　Christ；

but　they　are　rare；　for　it　is　hard　not　to　delight　in　great

adornment　and　parade。　Thus　St。　Cecilia　wore　golden　clothes　at　the

command　of　her　parents；　but　within　against　her　body　she　wore　a

garment　of　hair。　



Here　some　men　say：　〃How　then　could　I　bring　my　children　into

society；　and　marry　them　honorably？　I　must　make　some　display。〃

Tell　me；　are　not　these　the　words　of　a　heart　which　despairs　of

God；　and　trusts　more　on　its　own　providing　than　on　God's　care？

Whereas　St。　Peter　teaches　and　says；　I。　Peter　v；　〃Cast　all　your

care　upon　Him；　and　be　certain　that　He　cares　for　you。〃　It　is　a

sign　that　they　have　never　yet　thanked　God　for　their　children；

have　never　yet　rightly　prayed　for　them；　have　never　yet　commended

them　to　Him；　otherwise　they　would　know　and　have　experienced　that

they　ought　to　ask　God　also　for　the　marriage　dower　of　their

children；　and　await　it　from　Him。　Therefo