an open letter on translating-第3章

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doing　violence　to　the　original；　I　have　done　violence　to　the　German



tongue。　Ah；　translating　is　not　every　one's　skill　as　some　mad



saints　think。　A　right；　devout；　honest；　sincere；　God…fearing



Christian；　trained；　educated；　and　experienced　heart　is　required。



So　I　hold　that　no　false　Christian　or　divisive　spirit　can　be　a　good



translator。　That　is　obvious　given　the　translation　of　the　Prophets



at　Worms　which　although　carefully　done　and　approximating　my　own



German　quite　closely；　does　not　show　much　reverence　for　Christ　due



to　the　Jews　who　shared　in　the　translation。　Aside　from　that　it



shows　plenty　of　skill　and　craftsmanship　there。







So　much　for　translating　and　the　nature　of　language。　However；　I　was



not　depending　upon　or　following　the　nature　of　language　when　I



inserted　the　word　〃solum〃　（alone）　in　Rom。　3　as　the　text　itself；



and　St。　Paul's　meaning；　urgently　necessitated　and　demanded　it。　He



is　dealing　with　the　main　point　of　Christian　doctrine　in　this



passage　…　namely　that　we　are　justified　by　faith　in　Christ　without



any　works　of　the　Law。　In　fact；　he　rejects　all　works　so　completely



as　to　say　that　the　works　of　the　Law；　though　it　is　God's　law　and



word；　do　not　aid　us　in　justification。　Using　Abraham　as　an



example；　he　argues　that　Abraham　was　so　justified　without　works



that　even　the　highest　work；　which　had　been　commanded　by　God；　over



and　above　all　others；　namely　circumcision；　did　not　aid　him　in



justification。　Instead；　Abraham　was　justified　without



circumcision　and　without　any　works；　but　by　faith；　as　he　says　in



Chapter　4：　〃If　Abraham　is　justified　by　works；　he　may　boast；　but



not　before　God。〃　However；　when　all　works　are　so　completely



rejected　…　which　must　mean　faith　alone　justifies　…　whoever　would



speak　plainly　and　clearly　about　this　rejection　of　works　would　have



to　say　〃Faith　alone　justifies　and　not　works。〃　The　matter　itself



and　the　nature　of　language　necessitates　it。







〃Yet〃；　they　say；　〃it　has　such　an　offensive　tone　that　people　infer



from　it　that　they　need　not　do　any　good　works。〃　Dear；　what　are　we　to



say？　IS　it　not　more　offensive　for　St。　Paul　himself　to　not　use　the



term　〃faith　alone〃　but　spell　it　even　more　clearly；　putting　the



finishing　touches　on　it　by　saying　〃Without　the　works　of　the　Law？〃



Gal。　1　＇2。16＇　says　that　〃not　by　works　of　the　law'　（as　well　as　in



many　other　places）　for　the　phrase　〃without　the　works　of　the　law〃



is　so　ever　offensive；　and　scandalous　that　no　amount　of　revision



can　help　it。　How　much　more　might　people　learn　from　〃that　they



need　not　do　any　good　works〃；　when　all　they　hear　is　preaching



about　the　works　themselves；　stated　in　such　a　clear　strong　way：



〃No　works〃；　〃without　works〃；　〃not　by　works〃！　If　it　is　not



offensive　to　preach　〃without　works〃；　〃not　by　works〃！；　〃no　works〃；



why　is　it　offensive　to　preach　〃by　faith　alone〃？







Still　more　offensive　is　that　St。　Paul　does　not　reject　just



ordinary　works；　but　works　of　the　law！　It　follows　that　one　could



take　offense　at　that　all　the　more　and　say　that　the　law　is



condemned　and　cursed　before　God　and　one　ought　only　do　what　is



contrary　to　the　law　as　it　is　said　in　Rom。　3：　〃Why　not　do　evil　so



that　there　might　be　more　good？〃　which　is　what　that　one　divisive



spirit　of　our　time　was　doing。　Should　one　reject　St。　Paul's　word



because　of　such　‘offense'　or　refrain　from　speaking　freely　about



faith？　Gracious；　St。　Paul　and　I　want　to　offend　like　this　for　we



preach　so　strongly　against　works；　insisting　on　faith　alone　for　no



other　reason　than　to　offend　people　that　they　might　stumble　and



fall　and　learn　that　they　are　not　saved　by　good　works　but　only　by



Christ's　death　and　resurrection。　Knowing　that　they　cannot　be



saved　by　their　good　works　of　the　law；　how　much　more　will　they



realize　that　they　shall　not　be　saved　by　bad　works；　or　without　the



law！　Therefore；　it　does　not　follow　that　because　good　works　do　not



help；　bad　works　will；　just　as　it　does　not　follow　that　because　the



sun　cannot　help　a　blind　person　see；　the　night　and　darkness　must



help　him　see。







It　astounds　me　that　one　can　be　offended　by　something　as　obvious　as



this！　Just　tell　me；　is　Christ's　death　and　resurrection　our　work；



what　we　do；　or　not？　It　is　obviously　not　our　work；　nor　is　it　the



work　of　the　law。　Now　it　is　Christ's　death　and　resurrection　alone



which　saves　and　frees　us　from　sin；　as　Paul　writes　in　Rom。　4：　〃He



died　for　our　sin　and　arose　for　our　righteousness。〃　Tell　me　more！



What　is　the　work　by　which　we　take　hold　of　Christ's　death　and



resurrection？　It　must　not　be　an　external　work　but　only　the



eternal　faith　in　the　heart　that　alone；　indeed　all　alone；　which



takes　hold　of　this　death　and　resurrection　when　it　is　preached



through　the　gospel。　Then　why　all　this　ranting　and　raving；　this



making　of　heretics　and　burning　of　them；　when　it　is　clear　at　its



very　core；　proving　that　faith　alone　takes　hold　of　Christ's　death



and　resurrection；　without　any　works；　and　that　his　death　and



resurrection　are　our　life　and　righteousness？　As　this　fact　is　so



obvious；　that　faith　alone　gives；　brings；　and　takes　a　hold　of　this



life　and　righteousness　…　why　should　we　not　say　so？　It　is　not



heretical　that　faith　alone　holds　on　to　Christ　and　gives　life；　and



yet　it　seems　to　be　heresy　if　someone　mentions　it。　Are　they　not



insane；　foolish　and　ridiculous？　They　will　say　that　one　thing　is



right　but　brand　the　telling　of　this　right　thing　as　wrong　…　even



though　something　cannot　be　simultaneously　right　and　wrong。







Furthermore；　I　am　not　the　only　one；　nor　the　first；　to　say　that



faith　alone　makes　one　righteous。　There　was　Ambrose；　Augustine　and



many　others　who　said　it　before　me。　And　if　one　is　to　read　and



understand　St。　Paul；　the　same　thing　must　be　said　and　not　anything



else。　His　words；　as　well；　are　blunt　…　〃no　works〃　…　none　at　all！



If　it　is　not　works；　it　must　be　faith　alone。　Oh　what　a　marvelous；



constructive　and　inoffensive　teaching　that　would　be；　to　be　taught



that　one　can　be　saved　by　works　as　well　as　by　faith。　That　would　be



like　saying　that　it　is　not　Christ's　death　alone　that　takes　away



our　sin　but　that　our　works　have　something　to　do　with　it。　Now　that



would　be　a　fine　way　of　honoring　Christ's　death；　saying　that　it　is



helped　by　our　works；　and　that　whatever　it　does　our　works　can　also



do　…　that　we　are　his　equal　in　goodness　and　power。　This　is　the



devil　itself　for　he　cannot　ever　stop　abusing　the　blood　of　Christ。







Therefore　the　matter　itself；　at　its　very　core；　necessitates　that　one



say：　〃Faith　alone　makes　one　righteous。〃　The　nature　of　the　German



tongue　teaches　us　to　say　it　in　the　same　way。　In　addition；　I　have



the　examples　of　the　holy　fathers。　The　dangers　confronting　the



people　also　compel　it　so　they　do　not　continue　to　hang　onto　works



and　wander　away　from　faith；　losing　Christ；　especially　at　this　time



when　they　have　been　so　accustomed　to　works　they　have　to　be　pulled



away　from　them　by　force。　It　is　for　these　reasons　that　it　is　not



only　right　but　also　necessary　to　say　it　as　plainly　and　forcefully



as　possible：　〃Faith　alone　saves　without　works！〃　I　am　only　sorry　I



did　not　add　〃alle〃　and　〃aller〃；　and　said　〃without　any　（alle）　works



or　any　（aller）　laws。〃　That　would　have　stated　it　most　effectively。



Therefore；　it　will　remain　in　the　New　Testament；　and　though　all　the



papal　asses　rant　and　rave　at　me；　they　shall　not　take　it　away　from



me。　Let　this　be　enough　for　now。　I　will　have　to　speak　more　about



this　in　the　treatise　〃On　Justification〃　（if　God　grants　me　grace）。







On　the　other　question　as　to　whether　the　departed　saints　intercede



for　us。　For　the　present　I　am　only　going　to　give　a　brief　answer　as



I　am　considering　publishing　a　sermon　on　the　beloved　angels　in



which　I　will　respond　more　fully　on　this　matter　（God　willing）。







First；　you　know　that　under　the　papacy　it　is　not　only　taught　that



the　saints　in　heaven　intercede　for　us　…　even　though　we　cannot　know



this　as　the　Scripture　does　not　tell　us　such　…　but　the　saints　have



been　made　into　gods；　and　that　they　are　to　be　our　patrons　to　whom



we　should　call。　Some　of　them　have　never　existed！　To　each　of　these



saints　a　particular　power　and　might　has　been　given　…　one　over



fire；　another　over　water；　another　over　pestilence；　fever　and　all



sorts　of　plagues。　Indeed；　God　must　have　been　altogether　idle　to



have　let　the　saints　work　in　his　place。　Of　this　atrocity　the



papists　themselves　are　aware；　as　they　quietly　take　up　their　pipes



and　preen　and　primp　themselves　over　this　doctrine　of　the



intercession　of　the　saints。　I　will　leave　this　subject　for　now　…



but　you　can　count　on　my　not　forgetting　it　and　allowing　this



primping　and　preening　to　continue　without　cost。







And　again；　you　know　that　there　is　not　a　single　passage　from　God



demanding　us　to　call　upon　either　saints　or　angels　to　intercede　for



us；　and　that　there　is　no　example　of　such　in　the　Scriptures。　One



finds　that　the　beloved　angels　spoke　with　the　fathers　and　the



prophets；　but　that　none　of　them　had　ever　been　asked　to　intercede



for　them。　Why　even　Jacob　the　patriarch　did　not　ask　the　angel　with



whom　he　wrestled　for　any　intercession。　Instead；　he　only　took　from



him　a　blessing。　In　fact；　one　finds　the　very　opposite　in　revelation



as　the　angel　will　not　allow　itself　to　be　worshipped　by　John。　＇Rev。



22＇　So　the　worship　of　saints　shows　itself　as　nothing　but　human



nonsense；　our　own　invention　separated　from　the　word　of　God　and　the



Scriptures。







As　it　is　not　proper　in　the　matter　of　divine　worship　for　us　to　do



anything　that　is　not　commanded　by　God　（and　that　whoever　does　is



putting　God　to　the　test）；　it　is　therefore　also　not　advisable　or



tolerable　for　one　to　call　upon　the　saints　for　intercession　or　to



teach　others　to　do　so。　In　fact；　it　is　to　be　condemned　and　people



taught　to　avoid　it。　Therefore；　I　also　will　not　advise　it　and



burden　my　conscience　with　the　iniquities　of　others。　It　was



difficult　for　me　to　stop　from　worshipping　the　saints　as　I　was　so



steeped　in　it　to　have　nearly　drowned。　But　the　light　of　the　gospel



is　now　shining　so　brightly　that　from　now　on　no　one　has　an　excuse



for　remaining　in　the　darkness。　We　all　very　well　know　what　we　are



to　do。







This　is　itself　a　very　risky　and　blasphemous　way　to　worship　for



people　are　easily　accustomed　to　turning　away　from　Christ。　They



learn　quickly　to　trust　more　in　the　saints　than　in　Christ　himself。



When　our　nature　is　already　all　too　prone　to　run　from　God　and



Christ；　and　trust　in　humanity；　it　is　indeed　difficult　to　learn　to



trust　in　God　and　Christ；　even　though　we　have　vowed　to　do　so　and



are　therefore　obligated　to　do　so。　Therefore；　this　offense　is　not



to　be　tolerated　whereby　those　who　are　weak　and　of　the　flesh



participate　in　idolatry；　against　the　first　commandment　and　our



baptism。　Even　if　one　tries　nothing　other　than　to　switch　their