See, according to this rule the good things we have from God should flow from one to the other and be common to all, so that every one should "put on" his neighbor, and so conduct himself toward him as if he himself were in the other's place. From Christ they have flowed and are flowing into us: He has so "put on" us and acted for us as if He had been what we are. From us they flow on to those who have need of them, so that I should lay before God my faith and my righteousness that they may cover and intercede for the sins of my neighbor, which I take upon myself and so labor and serve in them as if they were my very own. For that is what Christ did for us. This is true love and the genuine rule of a Christian life. The love is true and genuine where there is true and genuine faith. Hence, the Apostle says of love in I Cor. xiii, that it seeketh not its own. [1 Cor. 13:5] [Sidenote: Conclusion] We conclude, therefore, that a Christian man lives not in himself, but in Christ and in his neighbor. Otherwise he is not a Christian. He lives in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love; by faith he is caught up beyond himself into God, by love he sinks down beneath himself into his neighbor; yet he always remains in God and in His love, as Christ says in John i, "Verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." [John 1:51] Enough now of liberty. As you see, it is a spiritual and true liberty, and makes our hearts free from all sins, laws and mandates, as Paul says, I Tim. i, "The law is not made for a righteous man." [1 Tim. 1:9] It is more excellent than all other liberty which is external, as heaven is more excellent than earth. This liberty may Christ grant us both to understand and to preserve. Amen.
[Sidenote: Liberty] [Sidenote: Neither License] [Sidenote: Nor Necessity] Finally, something must be added for the sake of those for whom nothing can be so well said that they will not spoil it by misunderstanding it, though it is a question whether they will understand even what shall here be said. There are very many who, when they hear of this liberty of faith, immediately turn it into an occasion for the flesh, and think that now all things are allowed them. They want to show that they are free men and Christians only by despising and finding fault with ceremonies, traditions and human laws; as if they were Christians because on stated days they do not fast or eat meat when others fast, or because they do not use the accustomed prayers, and with upturned nose scoff at the precepts of men, although they utterly disregard all else that pertains to the Christian religion. The extreme opposite of these are those who rely for their salvation solely on their reverent observance of ceremonies, as if they would be saved because on certain days they fast or abstain from meats, or pray certain prayers; these make a boast of the precepts of the Church and of the Fathers, and care not a fig or the things which are of the essence of our faith. Plainly, both are in error, because they neglect the weightier things which are necessary to salvation, and quarrel so noisily about those trifling and unnecessary matters.
How much better is the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who bids us take a middle course, and condemns both sides when he says, "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth." [Rom. 14:3] Here you see that they who neglect and disparage ceremonies, not out of piety, but out of mere contempt, are reproved, since the Apostle teaches us not to despise them. Such men are puffed up by knowledge. On the other hand, he teaches those who insist on the ceremonies not to judge the others, or neither party acts toward the other according to the love that edifies. Wherefore, we ought here to listen to the Scriptures, which teach that we should not go aside to the right nor to the left [Deut. 28:14], but follow the statutes of the Lord which are right, rejoicing the heart [Ps. 19:8]. For as a man is not righteous because he keeps and clings to the works and forms of the ceremonies, so also will a man not be counted righteous merely because he neglects and despises them.
[Sidenote: freedom from False Opinions] Our faith in Christ does not free us from works, but from false opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that justification is acquired by works. For faith redeems, corrects and preserves our consciences, so that we know that righteousness does not consist in works, although works neither can nor ought to be wanting; just as we cannot be without food and drink and all the works of this mortal body, yet our righteousness is not in them, but in faith; and yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected on that account. In this world we are bound by the needs of our bodily life, but we are not righteous because of them. "My kingdom is not of this world," [John 18:36] says Christ, but He does not say, "My kingdom is not here, that is, in this world." And Paul says, "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh," [2 Cor. 10:3] and in Galatians ii, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God." [Gal. 2:20] Thus what we do, live, and are in works and in ceremonies, we do because of the necessities of this life and of the effort to rule our body; nevertheless we are righteous not in these, but in the faith of the Son of God.
[Sidenote: Opponents] [Sidenote: Ceremonialists] [Sidenote: Ignorant Men] Hence, the Christian must take a middle course and face those two classes of men. He will meet first the unyielding, stubborn ceremonialists, who like deaf adders [Ps. 58:4] are not willing to hear the truth of liberty, but, having no faith, boast of, prescribe and insist upon their ceremonies as means of justification. Such were the Jews of old, who were unwilling to learn how to do good. These he must resist, do the very opposite and offend them boldly, lest by their impious views they drag many with them into error. In the presence of such men it is good to eat meat, to break the fasts and for the sake of the liberty of faith to do other things which they regard the greatest of sins. Of them we must say, "Let them alone, they are blind and leaders of the blind." [Matt. 15:14] For on this principle Paul would not circumcise Titus when the Jews insisted that he should [Gal. 2:3], and Christ excused the Apostles when they plucked ears of corn on the sabbath [Matt. 12:1 ff.]; and there are many similar instances. The other class of men whom a Christian will meet, are the simple-minded, ignorant men, weak in the faith, as the Apostle calls them, who cannot yet grasp the liberty of faith, even if they were willing to do so. These he must take care not to offend; he must yield to their weakness until they are more fully instructed. For since these do and think as they do, not because they are stubbornly wicked, but only because their faith is weak, the fasts and other things which they think necessary must be observed to avoid giving them offence. For so love demands, which would harm no one, but would serve all men. It is not by their fault that they are weak, but their pastors have taken them captive with the snares of their traditions and have wickedly used these traditions as rods with which to beat them. From these pastors they should have been delivered by the teaching of faith and liberty. So the Apostle teaches us, Romans xiv, "If my meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth" [Rom. 14:14]; and again, "I know that through Christ nothing is unclean, except to him who esteemeth any thing to be unclean; but it is evil or the man who eats and is offended."
Wherefore, although we should boldly resist those teachers of traditions and sharply censure the laws of the popes by means of which they plunder the people of God, yet we must spare the timid multitude whom those impious tyrants hold captive by means of these laws, until they be set free. Fight strenuously therefore against the wolves, but for the sheep, and not also against the sheep. This you will do if you inveigh against the laws and the law-givers, and at the same time observe the laws with the weak, so that they will not be offended, until they also recognize the tyranny and understand their liberty. But if you wish to use your liberty, do so in secret, as Paul says, Romans xiv, "Hast thou the faith? have it to thyself before God" [Rom. 14:22]; but take care not to use your liberty in the sight of the weak. On the other hand, use your liberty constantly and consistently in the sight of the tyrants and the stubborn, in despite of them, that they also may learn that they are impious, that their laws are of no avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up.
[Sidenote: Ceremonies] Now, since we cannot live our life without ceremonies and works, and the froward and untrained youth need to be restrained and saved from harm by such bonds; and since each one should keep his body under by means of such works, there is need that the minister of Christ be far-seeing and faithful; he ought so to govern and teach the people of Christ in all these matters that their conscience and faith be not offended, and that there spring not up in them a suspicion and a root of bitterness, and many be defiled thereby [Heb. 12:15], as Paul admonishes the Hebrews; that is, that they may not lose faith and become defiled by the false estimate of the value of works, and think that they must be justified by works. This happens easily and defiles very many, unless faith is at the same time constantly taught; it is impossible to avoid it when faith is not mentioned and only the devisings of men are taught, as has been done until now through the pestilent, impious, soul-destroying traditions of our popes and the opinions of our theologians. By these snares numberless souls have been dragged down to hell, so that you might see in this the work of Antichrist.
[Sidenote: The Test of Faith] [Sidenote: Temporary Helps] In brief, as wealth is the test of poverty, business the test of faithfulness, honors the test of humility, easts the test of temperance, pleasures the test of chastity, so ceremonies are the test of the righteousness of faith. "Can a man," says Solomon, "take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" [Prov. 6:27] Yet, as a man must live in the midst of wealth, business, honors, pleasures and easts, so also must he live in the midst of ceremonies, that is, in the midst of dangers. Nay, as infant boys need beyond all else to be cherished in the bosoms and by the hands of maidens to keep them from perishing, and yet when they are grown up their salvation is endangered if they associate with maidens, so the inexperienced and froward youth need to be restrained and trained by the iron bars of ceremonies, lest their unchecked ardor rush headlong into vice after vice. Yet it would be death or them to be always held in bondage to ceremonies, thinking that these justify them. They are rather to be taught that they have been so imprisoned in ceremonies, not that they should be made righteous or gain great merit by them, but that they might thus be kept from doing evil, and might be more easily instructed unto the righteousness of faith. Such instruction they would not endure if the impulsiveness of their youth were not restrained. Hence ceremonies are to be given the same place in the life of a Christian as models and plans have among builders and artisans. They are prepared not as permanent structures, but because without them nothing could be built or made. When the structure is completed they are laid aside. You see, they are not despised, rather, they are greatly sought after; but what we despise is the false estimate of them, since no one holds them to be the real and permanent structure. If any man were so egregiously foolish as to care for nothing all his life long except the most costly, careful and persistent preparation of plans and models, and never to think of the structure itself, and were satisfied with his work in producing such plans and mere aids to work, and boasted of it, would not all men pity his insanity, and estimate that with what he has wasted something great might have been built? Thus we do not despise ceremonies and works, nay, we set great store by them; but we despise the false estimate placed upon works, in order that no one may think that they are true righteousness, as those hypocrites believe who spend and lose their whole lives in zeal for works, and never reach that for the sake of which the works are to be done; as the Apostle says, "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] For they seem to wish to build, they make their preparations, and yet they never build, Thus they remain caught in the form of godliness and do not attain unto its power [2 Tim. 3:5]. Meanwhile they are pleased with their efforts, and even dare to judge all others whom they do not see shining with a like show of works. Yet with the gifts of God which they have spent and abused in vain they might, if they had been filled with faith, have accomplished great things to the salvation of themselves and of others.
[Sidenote: Men Need to be Taught of God] But since human nature and natural reason, as it is called, are by nature superstitious and ready to imagine, when laws and works are prescribed, that righteousness must be obtained through them; and further, since they are trained and confirmed in this opinion by the practice of all earthly lawgivers, it is impossible that they should of themselves escape from the slavery of works and come to a knowledge of the liberty of faith. Therefore there is need of the prayer that the Lord may give us [John 6:45] and make us _theodidacti_, that is, taught of God, and Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us. For if He Himself do not teach our hearts this wisdom hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7], nature can only condemn it and judge it to be heretical, because nature is offended by it and regards it as foolishness. So we see that it happened in olden times, in the case of the Apostles and prophets, and so godless and blind popes and their flatterers do to me and to those who are like me. May God at last be merciful to them and to us, and cause His face to shine upon us [Ps. 67:1 f.], that we may know His way upon earth. His salvation among all nations, God, Who is blessed forever [2 Cor. 11:31]. Amen.
FOOTNOTES [1] See below, page 304.
[2] Sylvester Prierias. See Vol. I, p. 338.
[3] Cf. Preface to Prierias' Epitome, _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329.
[5] Pope Eugene III, 1145-1153, for whom Bernard of Clairvaux wrote a devotional book, _De consideratione_, in which he rehearsed the duties and the dangers of the pope. See Realencyklopädie II, 632; Kohler, Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte, 311 f. Cf. Resolutiones disput. de indulg. virtute, 1518, Clemen, 1, 113.
[6] John Maier, born in Eck an der Günz, and generally known as John Eck; an ambitious theologian, who first attacked his professor in Freiburg, then Erasmus' Annotations to the New Testament, and next wrote against Luther's XCV Theses (see Vol. I, 10, 176, etc.). He was the opponent of Luther and Carlstadt at the Leipzig Disputation (1519), to which Luther here refers.
[7] Jacopo de Vio, born in Gaeta, Italy, in 1469, died in 1534. The name Cajetan he derived from his birthplace, the Latin name of which is Cajeta. In the Dominican Order he was known as Thomas, so that his writings are published under the title, _Thomae de Vio Cajetani opera_. He was made cardinal-presbyter with the title of S. Sisto in 1517, and in the following year was sent as papal legate to the Diet of Augsburg. Here he met and examined Luther, but accomplished nothing because he insisted that Luther must recant. See Kolde in Realencyklopädie 3, 632 ff.
[8] Carl von Miltitz was educated at Cologne, was prebendary at Mainz, Trier and Meissen, and later went to Rome, where he acted as agent for Frederick, Elector of Saxony, and Duke George the Bearded. "After the endeavours of Cardinal Cajetan to silence Luther had failed, Miltitz appeared to be the person most suited to bring the negotiations to a successful ending." (_Catholic Encyclopedia_, X, 318, where, however, the statement that Miltitz was educated at Mainz, Trier and Meissen is evidently a slip.) It seems that Miltitz returned to Rome for a time, but in 1522 again came to Germany, where he was drowned in the Main, November 20, 1529. See Flathe, Art. _Miltitz, in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie_, 21, 759 f.
[9] The German reads: "Thus I always did what was required of me, and neglected nothing which it was my duty to do."
[10] This was the usual title of the pope, with which the bull of excommunication opened: _Leo Episcopus Servus Servorum Dei_.
[11] See above, pp. 298, 300, and compare the letters of Miltitz to the elector Frederick in Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, pp. 367 f.
[12] Here the German is more accurate: "Every Christian man."
[13] German: _Wie man sein brauchen und niessen soll_, "how we are to benefit by and enjoy what He is for us."
[15] Possibly a reminiscence of the _Leviathan serpentem tortuosum_ in Isa. 27:1. Cf. _Erl. Ed._, xxiv, 73; xxvii, 323 f; xviii, 91. Lemme translates _Teuelswahn_.
[16] German: _die fasten und gepett etiichen heyligen so derlich gethan_.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION (EINE KURZE FORM) OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER 1520 INTRODUCTION The work here presented bears the German title, _Eine kurze Form der zehn Gebote, eine kurze Form des Glaubens, eine kurze Form des Vaterunsers_. It is the most important of Luther's catechetical works prior to the Catechisms of 1529, and deserves the name that has been given it, "the first evangelical catechism."[1] To be sure, the name "catechism" was not applied to the _Kurze Form_ at the time. In mediaeval usage "catechism" was the name for oral instruction in the elements of Christian truth. This instruction had been based from time immemorial upon the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. The decalogue held a minor place and was overshadowed by the commandments of the church. During the later Middle Ages the influence of the sacrament of penance gave it a higher position. It gradually became a subject of "catechetical" instruction, but only alongside of the other standards for the classification of sins.[2] It was the work of Luther so to expound the Ten Commandments as to give them a permanent place of their own in Christian instruction, side by side with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer.
The first manuals of instruction of this kind were prepared for the use of the priests, to guide them in the questioning of penitents, but with the discovery of the art of printing popular hand-books for the use of the laity became more and more common, and with certain of these manuals Luther was familiar.[3] From the beginning of his ministry at Wittenberg, Luther had preached from time to time upon the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. In 1518 his friend Agricola published a series of sermons on the Lord's Prayer which Luther had preached in Lent, 1517.[4] In the same year Luther published his own _Kurze Auslegung der zehn Gebote, ihrer Erfüllung und Uebertretung_.[5] The year 1519 saw the publication of the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten_, and the _Kurze und gute Auslegung des Vaterunsers vor sich und hinter sich_.[7] The _Treatise on Good Works_[8], which is essentially an exposition of the decalogue, was written in the early months of 1520. During the same period the mind of Luther was frequently occupied with the abuses of the confessional, as we learn from the _Confitendi Ratio_,[9] and the _Kurze Unterweisung wie man beichten soil_.[10] All the material for the first and third parts of the present work was, therefore, in hand and had appeared in print before 1520.
In 1520 the Kurze Form came from the press.[11] It consists of three separately composed expositions of the three chief subjects of catechetical instruction in the Middle Ages. The expositions of the Commandments and the Lord's Prayer are reproductions of the _Kurze Auslegung der zehn Gebote_ and the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten_. The treatment of the Apostles' Creed is new, as is also the Introduction, in which Luther sets forth the relation of the three parts to one another in the unity of the Christian life.
The work is not scientific and theological, but popular and religious. Its purpose is primarily devotional, not pedagogical. The mediæval root out of which it grew is not to be denied. The catalogue of transgressions and fulfilments attached to the explanation of the decalogue shows that it is intended to be a manual for penitents, but the spirit in which the Creed and the Lord's Prayer are explained is not mediæval, and the manner in which the explanations of the decalogue are simplified and rid of the excrescences of the XV Century hand-books shows the new evangelical conception of confession to which Luther had attained. The division of the Creed into three articles instead of the traditional twelve marks an epoch in the development of catechetical instruction. The little book contains passages of rare beauty, clouded at times, we fear, by the new language into which it has here been put, and seldom has the _Wesen des Christentums_ been more simply and tellingly set forth than in the treatment of the Creed.
In 1522 Luther republished the _Kurze Form_ with a few slight changes and a number of additions under the title _Betbüchlein_. The _Betbüchlein_ ran through many editions, and grew in the end to a book of rather large proportions, a complete manual of devotion.
In its original form and as the chief content of the _Betbüchlein_, the _Kurze Form_ exercised a profound influence upon the manuals of Christian doctrine that appeared in ever-increasing number after 1522.[12] Its influence extended to England, where Marshall's _Goodly Primer_ (1534 and 35) offered to English readers a translation of the _Betbüchlein_, in which, however, no acknowledgments were made to the original author.[13] LITERATURE F. Cohrs, _Die evang. Katechismusversuche vor L.'s Enchiridion_ (especially I, 1 ff. and IV, 229 ff.), Arts. _Katechismen L.'s and Katechismusunterricht_ in _Realencyk._, X, 130 ff., and XXIII, 743 ff., and _Introd. to Betbüchlein_ in _Weimar Ed._, X; O. Albrecht, _Vorbemerkungen zu den beiden Katechismen von 1529_, in _Weimar Ed._, XXX', 426 ff. (Further literature cited by all the above.) See also Gecken, _Bilderkatechismus d. XV Jh_. and von Zezschwitz, _System d. Katechetik_ (especially II, i).
CHARLES M. JACOBS.
LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Mount Airy, Philadelphia FOOTNOTES [4] _Weimar Ed._, IX, 122 ff. The same series was republished by Luther himself, ibid., IV, 74 ff.
[8] Vol. I, pp. 187 ff.
[11] On the exact date, see _Weimar Ed._, VII, 195; _Clemen_, II, 38.
[12] See Cohrs, IV, 326 ff.
[13] For this information I am indebted to the Rev. J. F. Bornhold, of Mount Holly, N. J. The act was discovered almost simultaneously by Pro. M. Reu, of Dubuque, Iowa.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER 1520 PREFACE The ordinary Christian, who cannot read the Scriptures, is required to learn and know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer; and this has not come to pass without God's special ordering. For these three contain fully and completely everything that is in the Scriptures, everything that ever should be preached, and everything that a Christian needs to know, all put so briefly and so plainly that no one can make complaint or excuse, saying that what he needs or his salvation is too long or too hard to remember.
Three things a man needs to know in order to be saved. _First_, he must know what he ought to do and what he ought not to do. _Second_, when he finds that by his own strength he can neither do the things he ought, nor leave undone the things he ought not to do, he must know where to seek and find and get the strength he needs. _Third_, he must know how to seek and find and get this strength.
When a man is ill, he needs to know first what his illness is,--what he can do and what he cannot do. Then he needs to know where to find the remedy that will restore his health and help him to do and leave undone the things he ought. Third, he must ask for this remedy, and seek it, and get it or have it brought to him. In like manner, the _Commandments_ teach a man to know his illness, so that he feels and sees what he can do and what he cannot do, what he can and what he cannot leave undone, and thus knows himself to be a sinner and a wicked man. After that the _Creed_ shows him and teaches him where he may find the remedy,--the grace which helps him to become a good man and to keep the Commandments; it shows him God, and the mercy which He has revealed and offered in Christ. In the third place, the _Lord's Prayer_ teaches him how to ask or this grace, get it, and take it to himself, to wit, by habitual, humble, comforting prayer; then grace is given, and by the fulfillment of God's commandments he is saved.
These are the three chief things in all the Scriptures. Therefore we begin at the beginning, with the Commandments, which are the first thing, and learn to recognise our sin and wickedness, that is, our spiritual illness, which prevents us from doing the things we ought to do and leaving undone the things we ought not to do.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS [Sidenote: The First Table] The _First Table of Moses_--the Table of the Right Hand--contains the first three Commandments, In these man is taught his duty toward God, what things he is in duty bound to do, and what to leave undone.
[Sidenote: The First Commandment] The _First Commandment_ teaches how man shall treat God inwardly, in the heart, that is, how he ought always to remember Him and think of Him and esteem Him. To Him, as to a Father and good Friend, man is to look at all times or all good things, in all trust and faith and love, with fear; he is not to offend Him, but trust Him as a child its father. For nature teaches us that there is one God, Who gives all good and helps against all evil, as even the heathen show us by their worshiping of idols. This commandment is, _Thou shalt have no other gods._ [Sidenote: The Second Commandment] The _Second Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly, in words, before other men, or even inwardly before his own self; that is, he shall honor God's Name. For no one can show God either to himself or to others in His divine nature, but only in His names. This commandment is, _Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain._ [Sidenote: The Third Commandment] The _Third Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly in deeds, that is, in the worship of God. It is, _Thou shalt hallow the holy day._[1] These three commandments, then, teach how man is to act toward God in thoughts, words and deeds,--that is, in all his life.
[Sidenote: The Second Table] The _Second Table of Moses_--the Table of the Left Hand--contains the other seven Commandments. In these man is taught what he is in duty bound to do and not to do to other men, that is, to his neighbor, [Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] The _first_ of them teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward all the authorities who are God's representatives. Therefore, it has its place before the rest, and immediately after the first three, which concern God Himself. Such authorities are father and mother, spiritual and temporal lords, etc. It is, _Honor thy father and thy mother._ The _second_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor in matters that concern his person,--not to do him injury, but to benefit and help him when he is in need. It is, _Thou shalt not kill._ [Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] The _third_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward the best possession one's neighbor has next to his person,--that is, toward his wife, his child, his friend. He is to put no shame upon them, but to preserve their honor, so far as he is able. It is, _Thou shalt not commit adultery._ [Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] The _fourth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor's temporal possessions,--not to take them from him or hinder him in their use, but to aid him in increasing them. It is, _Thou shalt not steal._ [Sidenote: The Eighth Commandment] The _fifth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor's worldly honor and good name,--not to impair them, but to increase and guard and protect them. It is, _Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor._ So, then, it is forbidden to harm one's neighbor in any of his possessions, and it is commanded to advance his interests. If we consider the natural law,[2] we find how just and right all these commandments are; for there is no act here commanded, toward God or one's neighbor, that each of us would not wish to have done toward himself, if he were God, or in God's place or his neighbor's.
[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] The last two Commandments teach how wicked human nature is, and how pure we should be from all the desires of the flesh and desires for this world's goods; but that means struggle and labor as long as we live here below. They are, _Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house._ _Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's._ A BRIEF CONCLUSION TO THE TEN COMANDMENTS Christ Himself says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them; this is the whole law and all the prophets." [Matt. 7:12] Now no one wishes to receive ingratitude for benefits conferred or to let another take away his good name. No one wishes to have pride shown toward him. No one wishes to endure disobedience, wrath, a wife's impurity, robbery, lying, deceit, slander; but every one wishes to find in his neighbor kindliness, thankfulness, helpfulness, truth and fidelity. All this the Ten Commandments require.
THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COMMANDMENTS _Against the First_ [Sidenote: the First Commandment] He who in his tribulation seeks the help of sorcery, black art, or witchcraft.
He who uses letters[3], signs, herbs, words[4], charms and the like.
He who uses divining-rods and incantations, and practices crystal-gazing, cloak-riding, and milk-stealing[5].
He who orders his life and work by lucky days, the signs of the zodiac and the advice of the fortune-tellers.
He who seeks by charms and incantations to protect himself, his cattle, his house, his children and all his property against wolves, iron, fire and water.
He who blames his misfortunes and tribulations on the devil or on wicked men, and does not accept them with praise and love, as good and evil which come from God alone, and who does not ascribe them to God with thanksgiving and willing patience.
He who tempts God, and needlessly puts himself in danger of body or soul.
He who glories in his piety, his wisdom, or other spiritual gifts.
He who honors God and the saints only for the sake of temporal gain, and is forgetful of his soul's need.
He who does not trust in God at all times, and is not confident of God's mercy in all he does.
He who doubts concerning the faith or the grace of God.
He who does not keep back others from unbelief and doubt, and does not help them, so far as in him lies, to believe and trust in God's grace.
Here, too, belong all forms of unbelief, despair, and misbelief.
[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] He who swears needlessly or habitually.
He who perjures himself, or breaks a vow.
He who vows or swears to do evil.
He who curses by God's name.
He who tells foolish tales of God, and frivolously perverts the words of Scripture.
He who in his tribulation calls not upon God's name, nor blesses Him in joy and sorrow, in good fortune and in ill.
He who by his piety, wisdom or the like seeks reputation and honor and a name.
He who calls upon God's name falsely, as do the heretics and all vainglorious saints.
He who does not praise God's name in all that befalls him.
He who does not resist those that dishonor the name of God, use it falsely and work evil by it.
Here belong all the sins of vainglory and spiritual pride.
_Against the Third_ [Sidenote: The Third Commandment] He who is given to gluttony, drunkenness, gambling, dancing, idleness and unchastity.
He who is lazy, who sleeps when he ought to be at mass, stays away from mass, goes walking and indulges in idle talk.
He who without special need works and transacts business on the Lord's day.
He who prays not, meditates not upon Christ's sufferings, repents not of his sins and asks no grace, and therefore keeps the day only in outward fashion, by his dress, his food and his actions.
He who in all his works and sufferings is not satisfied that God shall do with him as He will.
He who does not help others to do this and does not resist them when they do otherwise.
Here belongs the sin of slothfulness and indifference to worship.
[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] He who is ashamed of his parents because of their poverty, their failings or their lowly position.
He who does not provide them with food and clothing in their need.
Much more, he who curses them, speaks evil of them, hates them and disobeys them.
He who does not from the heart esteem them highly because of God's commandment.
He who does not honor them, even though they do wrong and violence.
He who does not keep the commandments of the Christian Church with respect to fast- and feast-days, etc.
He who dishonors, slanders and insults the priestly office.
He who dost not pay honor, allegiance and obedience to his lords and those in authority, be they good or bad.