a treatise on good works-第21章

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it　is　hard　to　resist；　must　oppose　and　persecute　it。　Of　which　it

is　written　in　Psalm　lxxxii；　〃Rid　the　poor　out　of　the　hand　of　the

wicked；　and　help　the　forsaken　to　maintain　his　just　cause。〃　



Such　persecution；　it　is　true；　has　now　become　infrequent；　but　that

is　the　fault　of　the　spiritual　prelates；　who　do　not　stir　up　the

Gospel；　but　let　it　perish；　and　so　have　abandoned　the　very　thing

because　of　which　such　witnessing　and　persecution　should　arise；

and　in　its　place　they　teach　us　their　own　law　and　what　pleases

them。　For　this　reason　the　devil　also　does　not　stir；　since　by

vanquishing　the　Gospel　he　has　also　vanquished　faith　in　Christ；

and　everything　goes　as　he　wishes。　But　if　the　Gospel　should　be

stirred　up　and　be　heard　again；　without　doubt　the　whole　world

would　be　aroused　and　moved；　and　the　greater　portion　of　the　kings；

princes；　bishops；　doctors　and　clergy；　and　all　that　is　great；

would　oppose　it　and　rage　against　it；　as　has　always　happened　when

the　Word　of　God　has　come　to　light；　for　the　world　cannot　endure

what　comes　from　God。　This　is　proved　in　Christ；　Who　was　and　is　the

very　greatest　and　most　precious　and　best　of　all　that　God　has；　yet

the　world　not　only　did　not　receive　Him；　but　persecuted　Him　more

cruelly　than　all　others　who　had　ever　come　forth　from　God。　



Therefore；　as　at　that　time；　so　at　all　times　there　are　few　who

stand　by　the　divine　truth；　and　imperil　and　risk　life　and　limb；

goods　and　honor；　and　all　that　they　have；　as　Christ　has　foretold：

〃Ye　shall　be　hated　of　all　men　for　My　Name's　sake。〃　And：　〃Many　of

them　shall　be　offended　in　Me。〃　Yea；　if　this　truth　were　attacked

by　peasants；　herdsmen；　stable…boys　and　men　of　no　standing；　who

would　not　be　willing　and　able　to　confess　it　and　to　bear　witness

to　it？　But　when　the　pope；　and　the　bishops；　together　with　princes

and　kings　attack　it；　all　men　flee；　keep　silent；　dissemble；　in

order　that　they　may　not　lose　goods；　honor；　favor　and　life。　



III。　Why　do　they　do　this？　Because　they　have　no　faith　in　God；　and

expect　nothing　good　from　Him。　For　where　such　faith　and　confidence

are；　there　is　also　a　bold；　defiant；　fearless　heart；　that　ventures

and　stands　by　the　truth；　though　it　cost　life　or　cloak；　though　it

be　against　pope　or　kings；　as　we　see　that　the　martyrs　did。　For

such　a　heart　is　satisfied　and　rests　easy　because　it　has　a

gracious；　loving　God。　Therefore　it　despises　all　the　favor；　grace；

goods　and　honor　of　men；　lets　them　come　and　go　as　they　please；　as

is　written　in　Psalm　xv：　〃He　contemneth　them　that　contemn　God；　and

honoreth　them　that　fear　the　Lord〃；　that　is；　the　tyrants；　the

mighty；　who　persecute　the　truth　and　despise　God；　he　does　not

fear；　he　does　not　regard　them；　he　despiseth　them；　on　the　other

hand；　those　who　are　persecuted　for　the　truth's　sake；　and　fear　God

more　than　men；　to　these　he　clings；　these　he　defends；　these　he

honors；　let　it　vex　whom　it　may；　as　it　is　written　of　Moses；

Hebrews　xi；　that　he　stood　by　his　brethren；　regardless　of　the

mighty　king　of　Egypt。　



Lo；　in　this　Commandment　again　you　see　briefly　that　faith　must　be

the　master…workman　in　this　work　also；　so　that　without　it　no　one

has　courage　to　do　this　work：　so　entirely　are　all　works　comprised

in　faith；　as　has　now　been　often　said。　Therefore；　apart　from　faith

all　works　are　dead；　however　good　the　form　and　name　they　bear。　For

as　no　one　does　the　work　of　this　Commandment　except　he　be　firm　and

fearless　in　the　confidence　of　divine　favor；　so　also　he　does　no

work　of　any　other　Commandment　without　the　same　faith：　thus　every

one　may　easily　by　this　Commandment　test　and　weigh　himself　whether

he　be　a　Christian　and　truly　believe　in　Christ；　and　thus　whether

he　is　doing　good　works　or　no。　Now　we　see　how　the　Almighty　God　has

not　only　set　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ　before　us　that　we　should

believe　in　Him　with　such　confidence；　but　also　holds　before　us　in

Him　an　example　of　this　same　confidence　and　of　such　good　works；

to　the　end　that　we　should　believe　in　Him；　follow　Him　and　abide

in　Him　forever；　as　He　says；　John　xiv：　〃I　am　the　Way；　the　Truth

and　the　Life；〃　　the　Way；　in　which　we　follow　Him；　the　Truth；

that　we　believe　in　Him；　the　Life；　that　we　live　in　Him　forever。　



From　all　this　it　is　now　manifest　that　all　other　works；　which　are

not　commanded；　are　perilous　and　easily　known：　such　as　building

churches；　beautifying　them；　making　pilgrimages；　and　all　that　is

written　at　so　great　length　in　the　Canon　Law　and　has　misled　and

burdened　the　world　and　ruined　it；　made　uneasy　consciences；

silenced　and　weakened　faith；　and　has　not　said　how　a　man；　although

he　neglect　all　else；　has　enough　to　do　with　all　his　powers　to　keep

the　Commandments　of　God；　and　can　never　do　all　the　good　works

which　he　is　commanded　to　do；　why　then　does　he　seek　others；　which

are　neither　necessary　nor　commanded；　and　neglect　those　that　are

necessary　and　commanded？　



The　last　two　Commandments；　which　forbid　evil　desires　of　the　body

for　pleasure　and　for　temporal　goods；　are　clear　in　themselves；

these　evil　desires　do　no　harm　to　our　neighbor；　and　yet　they

continue　unto　the　grave；　and　the　strife　in　us　against　them

endures　unto　death；　therefore　these　two　Commandments　are　drawn

together　by　St。　Paul　into　one；　Romans　vii；　and　are　set　as　a　goal

unto　which　we　do　not　attain；　and　only　in　our　thoughts　reach　after

until　death。　For　no　one　has　ever　been　so　holy　that　he　felt　in

himself　no　evil　inclination；　especially　when　occasion　and

temptation　were　offered。　For　original　sin　is　born　in　us　by

nature；　and　may　be　checked；　but　not　entirely　uprooted；　except

through　the　death　of　the　body；　which　for　this　reason　is

profitable　and　a　thing　to　be　desired。　To　this　may　God　help　us。

Amen。







End