OF THE CATECHISM
CCLXIV.
I believe the words of the apostles creed to be the work of the Holy Ghost; the
Holy Spirit alone could have enunciated things so grand, in terms so precise,
so expressive, so powerful. No human creature could have done it, nor all the
human creatures of ten thousand worlds. This creed, then, should be the
constant object of our most serious attention. For myself, I cannot too highly
admire or venerate it.
CCLXV.
The catechism must govern the church, and remain
lord and ruler; that is, the ten commandments, the creed, the Lord's Prayer,
the sacraments, etc. And although there may be many that set themselves against
it, yet it shall stand fast, and keep the pre-eminence, through him of whom it
is written, "Thou art a priest for ever:" for he will be a priest, and will
also have priests, despite the devil and all his instruments on earth.
CCLXVI.
Sermons very little edify children, who learn
little thereby; it is more needful they be taught and well instructed in
schools, and at home, and that they be heard and examined what they have
learned; this way profits much; `tis very wearisome, but very necessary. The
papists avoid such pains, so that their children are neglected and forsaken.
CCLXVII.
In the catechism, we have a very exact, direct,
and short way to the whole Christian religion. For God himself gave the ten
commandments, Christ himself penned and taught the Lord's Prayer, the Holy
Ghost brought together the articles of faith. These three pieces are set down
so excellently, that never could any thing have been better; but they are
slighted and condemned by us as things of small value, because the little
children daily say them.
The catechism is the most complete and best
doctrine, and therefore should continually be preached; all public sermons
should be grounded and built thereupon. I could wish we preached it daily, and
distinctly read it out of the book. But our preachers and hearers have it at
their fingers ends; they have already swallowed it all up; they are ashamed of
this slight and simple doctrine, as they hold it, and will be thought of higher
learning. The parishioners say: Our preachers fiddle always one tune; they
preach nothing but the catechism, the ten commandments, the creed, the Lord's
prayer, baptism, and the Lord's supper; all which we know well enough already;
but the catechism, I insist, is the right Bible of the laity, wherein is
contained the whole sum of Christian doctrine necessary to be known by every
Christian for salvation.
First, there are the ten commandments of God,
Doctrina Doctrinarum, the doctrine of all doctrines, by which God's will
is known, what God will have of us, and what is wanting in us. Secondly, there
is the confession of faith in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ; Historia
Historiarum, the history of histories, or highest history, wherein are
delivered unto us the wonderful works of the divine Majesty from the beginning
to all eternity; how we and all creatures are created by God; how we are
delivered by the Son of God through his humanity, his passion, death, and
resurrection; and also how we are renewed and collected together, the one
people of God, and have remission of sins and everlasting life.
Thirdly, there is the Lord's prayer, Oratio
Orationum, the prayer above all prayers, a prayer which the most high
Master taught us, wherein are comprehended all spiritual and temporal
blessings, and the strongest comforts in all trials, temptations, and troubles,
even in the hour of death.
Fourthly, there are the blessed sacraments,
Cerimoniae Cerimoniarum, the highest ceremonies, which God himself has
instituted and ordained, and therein assured us of his grace. We should esteem
and love the catechism, for therein is the ancient, pure, divine doctrine of
the Christian church. And whatsoever is contrary thereunto is new and false
doctrine, though it have ever so glorious a show and lustre, and we must take
good heed how we meddle therewith. In all my youth I never heard any preaching,
either of the ten commandments, or of the Lord's prayer.
Future heresies will darken this light, but now
we have the catechism, God be praised, purer in the pulpits, than has been for
the last thousand years. So much could not be collected out of all the books of
the Fathers, as, by God's grace, is now taught out of the little catechism. I
only read in the Bible at Erfurt, in the monastery; and God then wonderfully
wrought, contrary to all human expectation, so that I was constrained to depart
from Erfurt, and was called to Wittenberg, where, under God, I gave the devil,
the pope of Rome, such a blow, as no emperor, king, or potentate, could have
given him; yet it was not I, but God by me, his poor, weak, and unworthy
instrument.
The Decalogue - that is, the ten commandments of
God, are a looking-glass and brief sum of all virtues and doctrines, both how
we ought to behave towards God and also our neighbour; that is, towards all
mankind.
There never was at any time written a more
excellent, complete, or compendious book of virtues.
CCLXIX.
God says: "I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous
God." Now, God is jealous two manner of ways; first, God is angry as one that
is jealous of them that fall from him, and become false and treacherous, that
prefer the creature before the Creator; that build upon the favors of the
great; that depend upon their friends, upon their own power - riches, arts,
wisdom, etc.; that forsake the righteousness of faith, and condemn it, and will
be justified and saved by and through their own good works. God is also
vehemently angry with those that boast and brag of their power and strength; as
we see in Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who boasted of his great power, and
thought utterly to destroy Jerusalem. Likewise in king Saul, who also thought
to defend and keep the kingdom through his strength and power, and to pass it
on to his children when he had suppressed David and rooted him out.
Secondly, God is jealous for them that love him
and highly esteem his Word; such God loves again, defends, and keeps as the
apple of his eye, and resists their adversaries, beating them back, that they
are not able to perform what they intended. Therefore, this word jealous
comprehends both hatred and love, revenge and protection; for which cause it
requires both fear and faith; fear, that we provoke not God to anger, or work
his displeasure; faith, that in trouble we believe he will help, nourish, and
defend us in this life, and will pardon and forgive us our sins, and for
Christ's sake preserve us to life everlasting. For faith must rule and govern,
in and over all things, both spiritual and temporal; the heart must believe
most certainly that God looks upon us, loves, helps, and will not forsake us,
as the Psalm says: "Call upon me in the time of trouble, so will I deliver
thee, and thou shalt praise me," etc. Also "The Lord is nigh unto all those
that call upon him; yea, all that call upon him faithfully." And, "He that
calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Further, the Lord says: "And will visit the sins
of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation," etc.
This is a terrible word of threatening, which justly affrights our hearts, and
stirs up fears in us. It is quite contrary to our reason, for we conceive it to
be a very unjust proceeding, that the children and posterity should be punished
for their fathers and forefathers offences. But forasmuch as God has so
decreed, and is pleased so to proceed, therefore our duty is to know and
acknowledge that he is a just God, and that he wrongs none. Seeing that these
fearful threatenings are contrary to our understanding, therefore flesh and
blood regard them not, but cast them in the wind, as though they signified no
more than the hissing of a goose. But we that are true Christians believe the
same to be certain, when the Holy Ghost touches our hearts, and that this
proceeding is just and right, and thereby we stand in the fear of God. Here
again we may see what man's free-will can do, in that it understands and fears
nothing. If we did but feel and know how earnest a threatening this is, we
should for fear instantly fall down dead; and we have examples, as where God
said: that for the sins of Manasseh he will cast the people into miserable
captivity.
But some may argue: Then I see well that the
posterity have no hope of grace when their parents sin. I answer: Those that
repent, from them is the law taken away and abolished, so that their parents
sins do not hurt them; as the prophet Ezekiel says: "The son shall not bear the
iniquity of the father;" yet God permits the external and corporal punishment
to go on, yea, sometimes over the penitent children also for examples, to the
end that others may fly from sin and lead a godly life.
"But he will do good and be merciful unto
thousands," etc. This is a great, a glorious, and comfortable promise, far
surpassing all human reason and understanding, that, for the sake of one godly
person, so many should be partakers of undeserved blessings and mercies. For we
find many examples, that a multitude of people have enjoyed mercies and
benefits for the sake of one godly man; as for Abraham's sake, many people were
preserved and blessed, and also for Isaac's sake; and for the sake of Naaman
the whole kingdom of Assyria was blessed of God.
To love God is, that we certainly hold and
believe that God is gracious unto us, that he helps, assists, and does us good.
Therefore, love proceeds from faith, and God requires faith, to believe that he
promises all good unto us.
CCLXX.
The first commandment will stand and remain,
that God is our God; this will not be accomplished in the present, but in the
life everlasting. All the other commandments will cease and end; for, in the
life to come, the world will cease and end together with all external worship
of God, all world policy and government; only God and the first commandment
will remain everlastingly, both here and there.
We ought well to mark with what great diligence
and ability Moses handles the first commandment, and explains it. He was
doubtless an excellent doctor. David afterwards was a gate or a door out of
Moses. For he had well studied in Moses, and so he became a fine poet and
orator; the Psalms are altogether syllogisms, or concluding sentences
out of the first commandment. Major, the first, is God's Word itself;
Minor, the second, faith. The conclusion is the act, work, and
execution, so that it is done as we believe. As, Major: Misericors Deus,
respicit miseros: Minor: Ego sum miser; Conclusio; Ergo Deus me queoque
respicit.
When we believe the first commandment, and
so please God, then all our actions are pleasing unto him. If thou hearest his
Word, if thou prayest, mortifiest thyself, then says God unto thee: I am well
pleased with what thou doest. Moreover, when we observe the first commandment,
then that placet goes through all the other commandments and works. Art
thou a Christian? wilt thou marry a wife? wilt thou buy and sell? wilt thou
labor in the works of thy vocation? wilt thou punish and condemn wicked and
ungodly wretches? wilt thou eat, drink, sleep? etc. God says continually:
Placet.
But if thou keepest not the first
commandment, then says God to all thy works and actions, Non placent,
they please me not. Christ takes the first commandment upon himself, where he
says: "He that honoreth me, honoreth the Father; he that honoreth not the Son,
honoreth not the Father."