a treatise on good works-第16章

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

children；　and　await　it　from　Him。　Therefore　also　He　permits　them

to　go　their　way；　with　cares　and　worries；　and　yet　succeed　poorly。　



V。　Thus　it　is　true；　as　men　say；　that　parents；　although　they　had

nothing　else　to　do；　could　attain　salvation　by　training　their　own

children；　if　they　rightly　train　them　to　God's　service；　they　will

indeed　have　both　hands　full　of　good　works　to　do。　For　what　else

are　here　the　hungry；　thirsty；　naked；　imprisoned；　sick；　strangers；

than　the　souls　of　your　own　children？　with　whom　God　makes　of　your

house　a　hospital；　and　sets　you　over　them　as　chief　nurse；　to　wait

on　them；　to　give　them　good　words　and　works　as　meat　and　drink；

that　they　may　learn　to　trust；　believe　and　fear　God；　and　to　place

their　hope　on　Him；　to　honor　His　Name；　not　to　swear　nor　curse；　to

mortify　themselves　by　praying；　fasting；　watching；　working；　to

attend　worship　and　to　hear　God's　Word；　and　to　keep　the　Sabbath；

that　they　may　learn　to　despise　temporal　things；　to　bear

misfortune　calmly；　and　not　to　fear　death　nor　to　love　this　life。　



See；　what　great　lessons　are　these；　how　many　good　works　you　have

before　you　in　your　home；　with　your　child；　that　needs　all　these

things　like　a　hungry；　thirsty；　naked；　poor；　imprisoned；　sick

soul。　O　what　a　blessed　marriage　and　home　were　that　where　such

parents　were　to　be　found！　Truly　it　would　be　a　real　Church；　a

chosen　cloister；　yea；　a　paradise。　Of　such　says　Psalm　cxxviii：

〃Blessed　are　they　that　fear　God；　and　walk　in　His　Commandments；

thou　shalt　eat　of　the　labor　of　thine　hands；　therefore　thou　shalt

be　happy；　and　it　shall　be　well　with　thee。　Thy　wife　shall　be　as

a　fruitful　vine　in　thine　house；　and　thy　children　shall　be　as　the

young　scions　of　laden　olive　trees　about　thy　table。　Behold；　thus

shall　the　man　be　blessed；　that　feareth　the　Lord；〃　etc。　Where　are

such　parents？　Where　are　they　that　ask　after　good　works？　Here　none

wishes　to　come。　Why？　God　has　commanded　it；　the　devil；　flesh　and

blood　pull　away　from　it；　it　makes　no　show；　therefore　it　counts

for　nothing。　Here　this　husband　runs　to　St。　James；　that　wife　vows

a　pilgrimage　to　Our　Lady；　no　one　vows　that　he　will　properly

govern　and　teach　himself　and　his　child　to　the　honor　of　God；　he

leaves　behind　those　whom　God　has　commanded　him　to　keep　in　body

and　soul；　and　would　serve　God　in　some　other　place；　which　has　not

been　commanded　him。　Such　perversity　no　bishop　forbids；　no

preacher　corrects；　nay；　for　covetousness'　sake　they　confirm　it

and　daily　only　invent　more　pilgrimages；　elevations　of　saints；

indulgence…fairs。　God　have　pity　on　such　blindness。　



VI。　On　the　other　hand；　parents　cannot　earn　eternal　punishment　in

any　way　more　easily　than　by　neglecting　their　own　children　in

their　own　home；　and　not　teaching　them　the　things　which　have　been

spoken　of　above。　Of　what　help　is　it；　that　they　kill　themselves

with　fasting；　praying；　making　pilgrimages；　and　do　all　manner　of

good　works？　God　will；　after　all；　not　ask　them　about　these　things

at　their　death　and　in　the　day　of　judgment；　but　will　require　of

them　the　children　whom　He　entrusted　to　them。　This　is　shown　by

that　word　of　Christ；　Luke　xxiii；　〃Ye　daughters　of　Jerusalem；　weep

not　for　me；　but　for　yourselves　and　for　your　children。　The　days

are　coming；　in　which　they　shall　say：　Blessed　are　the　wombs　that

never　bare；　and　the　paps　which　never　gave　suck。〃　Why　shall　they

lament；　except　because　all　their　condemnation　comes　from　their

own　children？　If　they　had　not　had　children；　perhaps　they　might

have　been　saved。　Truly；　these　words　ought　to　open　the　eyes　of

parents；　that　they　may　have　regard　to　the　souls　of　their

children；　so　that　the　poor　children　be　not　deceived　by　their

false；　fleshly　love；　as　if　they　had　rightly　honored　their　parents

when　they　are　not　angry　with　them；　or　are　obedient　in　worldly

matters；　by　which　their　self…will　is　strengthened；　although　the

Commandment　places　the　parents　in　honor　for　the　very　purpose　that

the　self…will　of　the　children　may　be　broken；　and　that　the

children　may　become　humble　and　meek。　



Just　as　it　has　been　said　of　the　other　Commandments；　that　they　are

to　be　fulfilled　in　the　chief　work；　so　here　too　let　no　one　suppose

that　the　training　and　teaching　of　his　children　is　sufficient　of

itself；　except　it　be　done　in　confidence　of　divine　favor；　so　that

a　man　doubt　not　that　he　is　wellpleasing　to　God　in　his　works；　and

that　he　let　such　works　be　nothing　else　than　an　exhortation　and

exercise　of　his　faith；　that　he　trust　God　and　look　to　Him　for

blessings　and　a　gracious　will；　without　which　faith　no　work　lives；

or　is　good　and　acceptable；　for　many　heathen　have　trained　their

children　beautifully；　but　it　is　all　lost；　because　of　their

unbelief。　



VII。　The　second　work　of　this　Commandment　is　to　honor　and　obey　the

spiritual　mother；　the　holy　Christian　Church；　the　spiritual　power；

so　that　we　conform　to　what　she　commands；　forbids；　appoints；

orders；　binds　and　looses；　and　honor；　fear　and　love　the　spiritual

authority　as　we　honor；　love　and　fear　our　natural　parents；　and

yield　to　it　in　all　things　which　are　not　contrary　to　the　first

three　Commandments。　



Now　with　regard　to　this　work；　things　are　almost　worse　than　with

regard　to　the　first。　The　spiritual　authority　should　punish　sin

with　the　ban　and　with　laws；　and　constrain　its　spiritual　children

to　be　good；　in　order　that　they　might　have　reason　to　do　this　work

and　to　exercise　themselves　in　obeying　and　honoring　it。　Such　zeal

one　does　not　see　now；　they　act　toward　their　subjects　like　the

mothers　who　forsake　their　children　and　run　after　their　lovers；

as　Hosea　ii。　says；　they　do　not　preach；　they　do　not　teach；　they

do　not　hinder；　they　do　not　punish；　and　there　is　no　spiritual

government　at　all　left　in　Christendom。　



What　can　I　say　of　this　work？　A　few　fast…days　and　feast…days　are

left；　and　these　had　better　be　done　away　with。　But　no　one　gives

this　a　thought；　and　there　is　nothing　left　except　the　ban　for

debt；　and　this　should　not　be。　But　spiritual　authority　should　look

to　it；　that　adultery；　unchastity；　usury；　gluttony；　worldly　show；

excessive　adornment；　and　such　like　open　sin　and　shame　might　be

most　severely　punished　and　corrected；　and　they　should　properly

manage　the　endowments；　monastic　houses；　parishes　and　schools；　and

earnestly　maintain　worship　in　them；　provide　for　the　young　people；

boys　and　girls；　in　schools　and　cloisters；　with　learned；　pious　men

as　teachers；　that　they　might　all　be　well　trained；　and　so　the

older　people　give　a　good　example　and　Christendom　be　filled　and

adorned　with　fine　young　people。　So　St。　Paul　teaches　his　disciple

Titus；　that　he　should　rightly　instruct　and　govern　all　classes；

young　and　old；　men　and　women。　But　now　he　goes　to　school　who

wishes；　he　is　taught　who　governs　and　teaches　himself；　nay；　it

has；　alas！　come　to　such　a　pass　that　the　places　where　good　should

be　taught　have　become　schools　of　knavery；　and　no　one　at　all　takes

thought　for　the　wild　youth。　



VIII。　If　the　above　order　prevailed；　one　could　say　how　honor　and

obedience　should　be　given　to　the　spiritual　authority。　But　now　the

case　is　like　that　of　the　natural　parents　who　let　their　children

do　as　they　please；　at　present　the　spiritual　authority　threatens；

dispenses；　takes　money；　and　pardons　more　than　it　has　power　to

pardon。　I　will　here　refrain　from　saying　more；　we　see　more　of　it

than　is　good；　greed　holds　the　reins；　and　just　what　should　be

forbidden　is　taught；　and　it　is　clearly　seen　that　the　spiritual

estate　is　in　all　things　more　worldly　than　the　worldly　estate

itself。　Meanwhile　Christendom　must　be　ruined；　and　this

Commandment　perish。　



If　there　were　a　bishop　who　would　zealously　provide　for　all　these

classes；　supervise；　make　visitations　and　be　faithful　as　he　ought；

truly；　one　city　would　be　too　much　for　him。　For　in　the　time　of　the

Apostles；　when　Christendom　was　at　its　best　estate；　each　city　had

a　bishop；　although　the　smallest　part　of　the　inhabitants　were

Christians。　How　may　things　go　when　one　bishop　wants　to　have　so

much；　another　so　much；　this　one　the　whole　world；　that　one　the

fourth　of　it。　



It　is　time　that　we　pray　God　for　mercy。　Of　spiritual　power　we　have

much；　but　of　spiritual　government　nothing　or　little。　Meanwhile

may　he　help　who　can；　that　endowments；　monastic　houses；　parishes

and　schools　be　well　established　and　managed；　and　it　would　also

be　one　of　the　works　of　the　spiritual　authority　that　it　lessen　the

number　of　endowments；　monastic　houses　and　schools；　where　they

cannot　be　cared　for。　It　is　much　better　that　there　be　no　monastic

house　or　endowment　than　that　there　be　evil　government　in　them；

whereby　God　is　the　more　provoked　to　anger。



IX。　Since；　then；　the　authorities　so　entirely　neglect　their　work；

and　are　perverted；　it　must　assuredly　follow　that　they　misuse

their　power；　and　undertake　other　and　evil　works；　just　as　parents

do　when　they　give　some　command　contrary　to　God。　Here　we　must　be

wise；　for　the　Apostle　has　said；　that　those　times　shall　be

perilous　in　which　such　authorities　shall　rule。　For　it　seems　as

if　we　resisted　their　power　if　we　do　not　do　and　leave　undone　all

that　they　prescribe。　Therefore　we　must　take　hold　of　the　first

three　Commandments　and　the　First　Table；　and　be　certain　that　no

man；　neither　bishop；　nor　pope；　nor　angel；　may　command　or

determine　anything　that　is　contrary　to　or　hinders　these　three

Commandments；　or　does　not　help　them；　and　if　they　attempt　such

things；　it　is　not　valid　and　amounts　to　nothing；　and　we　also　sin

if　we　follow　and　obey；　or　even　tolerate　such　acts。　



From　this　it　is　easy　to　understand　that　the　commands　of　fasting

do　not　include　the　sick；　the　pregnant　women；　or　those　who　for

other　reasons　cannot　fast　without　injury。　And；　to　rise　higher；

in　our　time　nothing　comes　from　Rome　but　a　fair　of　spiritual

wares；　which　are　openly　and　shamelessly　bought　and　sold；

indulgences；　parishes；　monastic　houses；　bishoprics；　provostships；

benefices；　and　every　thing　that　has　ever　been　founded　to　God's

service　far　and　wide；　whereby　not　only　is　all　money　and　wealth

of　the　world　drawn　and　driven　to　Rome　（for　this　would　be　the

smallest　harm）；　but　the　parishes；　bishoprics　and　prelacies　are

torn　to　pieces；　deserted；　laid　waste；　and　so　the　people　are

neglected；　God's　Word　and　God's　Name　and　honor　come　to　naught；

and　faith　is　destroyed；　so　that　at　last　such　institutions　and

offices　fall　into　the　hands　not　only　of　unlearned　and　unfit　men；

but　the　greater　part　into　the　hands　of　the　Romans；　the　greatest

villains　in　the　world。　Thus　what　has　been　founded　for　God's

service；　for　the　instruction；　government　and　improvement　of　the

people；　must　now　serve　the　stable…boys；　mule…drivers；　yea；　not

to　use　plainer　language；　Roman　whores　and　knaves；　yet　we　have　no

more　thanks　than　that　they　mock　us　for　it　as　fools。　



X。　If　then　such　unbearable　abuses　are　all　carried　on　in　the　Name

of　God　and　St。　Peter；　just　as　if　God's　Name　and　the　spiritual

power　were　instituted　to　blaspheme　God's　hon