Martin Luther's Large Catechism, translated by Bente and DauLuther, Martin
ReligionChristian
Martin Luther's Large Catechism, translated by Bente and Dau
Luther, Martin
Lutheran Church -- Catechisms -- English
Thus by the devil's incitement you will get many enemies who cannot
bear to see you have any good, either bodily or spiritual. When we see
such people, our hearts, in turn, would rage and bleed and take
vengeance. Then there arise cursing and blows, from which follow
finally misery and murder. Here, now, God like a kind father steps in
ahead of Us, interposes and wishes to have the quarrel settled, that no
misfortune come of it, nor one destroy another. And briefly He would
hereby protect, set free, and keep in peace every one against the crime
and violence of every one else; and would have this commandment placed
as a wall, fortress, and refuge about our neighbor, that we do him no
hurt nor harm in his body.
Thus this commandment aims at this, that no one offend his neighbor on
account of any evil deed, even though he have fully deserved it. For
where murder is forbidden, all cause also is forbidden whence murder
may originate. For many a one, although he does not kill, yet curses
and utters a wish, which would stop a person from running far if it
were to strike him in the neck [makes imprecations, which if fulfilled
with respect to any one, he would not live long]. Now since this
inheres in every one by nature and it is a common practice that no one
is willing to suffer at the hands of another, God wishes to remove the
root and source by which the heart is embittered against our neighbor,
and to accustom us ever to keep in view this commandment, always to
contemplate ourselves in it as in a mirror, to regard the will of God,
and with hearty confidence and invocation of His name to commit to Him
the wrong which we suffer. Thus we shall suffer our enemies to rage and
be angry, doing what they can, and we learn to calm our wrath, and to
have a patient, gentle heart, especially toward those who give us cause
to be angry, that is, our enemies.
Therefore the entire sum of what it means not to kill is to be
impressed most explicitly upon the simple-minded. In the first place
that we harm no one, first, with our hand or by deed. Then, that we do
not employ our tongue to instigate or counsel thereto. Further, that we
neither use nor assent to any kind of means or methods whereby any one
may be injured. And finally, that the heart be not ill disposed toward
any one, nor from anger and hatred wish him ill, so that body and soul
may be innocent in regard to every one, but especially those who wish
you evil or inflict such upon you. For to do evil to one who wishes and
does you good is not human, but diabolical.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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