a treatise on good works-第20章

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is　at　ease；　but　that　which　is　at　war　with　unchastity；　and　fights；

and　without　ceasing　drives　out　all　the　poison　with　which　the

flesh　and　the　evil　spirit　attack　it。　Thus　St。　Peter　says；　〃I

beseech　you；　abstain　from　fleshly　desires　and　lusts；　which　war

always　against　the　soul。〃　And　St。　Paul；　Romans　vi；　〃Ye　shall　not

obey　the　body　in　its　lusts。〃　In　these　and　like　passages　it　is

shown　that　no　one　is　without　evil　lust；　but　that　everyone　shall

and　must　daily　fight　against　it。　But　although　this　brings

uneasiness　and　pain；　it　is　none　the　less　a　work　that　gives

pleasure；　in　which　we　shall　have　our　comfort　and　satisfaction。

For　they　who　think　they　make　an　end　of　temptation　by　yielding　to

it；　only　set　themselves　on　fire　the　more；　and　although　for　a　time

it　is　quiet；　it　comes　again　with　more　strength　another　time；　and

finds　the　nature　weaker　than　before。　



Thou　shalt　not　steal。　



This　Commandment　also　has　a　work；　which　embraces　very　many　good

works；　and　is　opposed　to　many　vices；　and　is　called　in　German

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　w