Starts discussion of Second Commandment (not to take the name of the Lord in vain)
By Martin Luther

       XVIII. So far we have treated of the first work and of
       the First Commandment, but very briefly, plainly and
       hastily, for very much might be said of it. We will now
       trace the works farther through the following
       Commandments.
      
       The second work, next to faith, is the work of the Second
       Commandment, that we shall honor God's Name and not take
       it in vain. This, like all the other works, cannot be
       done without faith; and if it is done without faith, it
       is all sham and show. After faith we can do no greater
       work than to praise, preach, sing and in every way exalt
       and magnify God's glory, honor and Name.
      
       And although I have said above, and it is true, that
       there is no difference in works where faith is and does
       the work, yet this is true only when they are compared
       with faith and its works. Measured by one another there
       is a difference, and one is higher than the other. Just
       as in the body the members do not differ when compared
       with health, and health works in the one as much as in
       the other; yet the works of the members are different,
       and one is higher, nobler, more useful than the other;
       so, here also, to praise God's glory and Name is better
       than the works of the other Commandments which follow;
       and yet it must be done in the same faith as all the
       others.
      
       But I know well that this work is lightly esteemed, and
       has indeed become unknown. Therefore we must examine it
       further, and will say no more about the necessity of
       doing it in the faith and confidence that it pleases God.
       Indeed there is no work in which confidence and faith are
       so much experienced and felt as in honoring God's Name;
       and it greatly helps to strengthen and increase faith,
       although all works also help to do this, as St. Peter
       says, II. Peter i: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give
       diligence through good works to make your calling and
       election sure."
      
       XIX. The First Commandment forbids us to have other gods,
       and thereby commands that we have a God, the true God, by
       a firm faith, trust, confidence, hope and love, which are
       the only works whereby a man can have, honor and keep a
       God; for by no other work can one find or lose God except
       by faith or unbelief, by trusting or doubting; of the
       other works none reaches quite to God. So also in the
       Second Commandment we are forbidden to use His Name in
       vain. Yet this is not to be enough, but we are thereby
       also commanded to honor, call upon, glorify, preach and
       praise His Name. And indeed it is impossible that God's
       Name should not be dishonored where it is not rightly
       honored. For although it be honored with the lips,
       bending of the knees, kissing and other postures, if this
       is not done in the heart by faith, in confident trust in
       God's grace, it is nothing else than an evidence and
       badge of hypocrisy.
      
       See now, how many kinds of good works a man can do under
       this Commandment at all times and never be without the
       good works of this Commandment, if he will; so that he
       truly need not make a long pilgrimage or seek holy
       places. For, tell me, what moment can pass in which we do
       not without ceasing receive God's blessings, or, on the
       other hand, suffer adversity? But what else are God's
       blessings and adversities than a constant urging and
       stirring up to praise, honor, and bless God, and to call
       upon His Name? Now if you had nothing else at all to do,
       would you not have enough to do with this Commandment
       alone, that you without ceasing bless, sing, praise and
       honor God's Name? And for what other purpose have tongue,
       voice, language and mouth been created? As Psalm li.
       says: "Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show
       forth Thy praise." Again: "My tongue shall sing aloud of
       Thy mercy."
      
       What work is there in heaven except that of this Second
       Commandment? As it is written in Psalm Ixxxiv: "Blessed
       are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be for ever
       praising Thee." So also David says in Psalm xxxiv: "God's
       praise shall be continually in my mouth." And St. Paul,
       I. Corinthians x: "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or
       whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Also
       Colossians iii: "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all
       in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and
       the Father." If we were to observe this work, we would
       have a heaven here on earth and always have enough to do,
       as have the saints in heaven.
      
       XX. On this is based the wonderful and righteous judgment
       of God, that at times a poor man, in whom no one can see
       many great works, in the privacy of his home joyfully
       praises God when he fares well, or with entire confidence
       calls upon Him when he fares ill, and thereby does a
       greater and more acceptable work than another, who fasts
       much, prays much, endows churches, makes pilgrimages, and
       burdens himself with great deeds in this place and in
       that. Such a fool opens wide his mouth, looks for great
       works to do, and is so blinded that he does not at all
       notice this greatest work, and praising God is in his
       eyes a very small matter compared with the great idea he
       has formed of the works of his own devising, in which he
       perhaps praises himself more than God, or takes more
       pleasure in them than he does in God; and thus with his
       good works he storms against the Second Commandment and
       its works. Of all this we have an illustration in the
       case of the Pharisee and the Publican in the Gospel. For
       the sinner calls upon God in his sins, and praises Him,
       and so has hit upon the two highest Commandments, faith
       and God's honor. The hypocrite misses both and struts
       about with other good works by which he praises himself
       and not God, and puts his trust in himself more than in
       God. Therefore he is justly rejected and the other
       chosen.
      
       The reason of all this is that the higher and better the
       works are, the less show they make; and that every one
       thinks they are easy, because it is evident that no one
       pretends to praise God's Name and honor so much as the
       very men who never do it and with their show of doing it,
       while the heart is without faith, cause the precious work
       to be despised. So that the Apostle St. Paul dare say
       boldly, Romans ii, that they blaspheme God's Name who
       make their boast of God's Law. For to name the Name of
       God and to write His honor on paper and on the walls is
       an easy matter; but genuinely to praise and bless Him in
       His good deeds and confidently to call upon Him in all
       adversities, these are truly the most rare, highest
       works, next to faith, so that if we were to see how few
       of them there are in Christendom, we might despair for
       very sorrow. And yet there is a constant increase of
       high, pretty, shining works of men's devising, or of
       works which look like these true works, but at bottom are
       all without faith and without faithfulness; in short,
       there is nothing good back of them. Thus also Isaiah
       xlviii. rebukes the people of Israel: "Hear ye this, ye
       which are called by the name of Israel, which swear by
       the Name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of
       Israel neither in truth, nor in righteousness"; that is,
       they did it not in the true faith and confidence, which
       is the real truth and righteousness, but trusted in
       themselves, their works and powers, and yet called upon
       God's Name and praised Him, two things which do not fit
       together.
      
       XXI. The first work of this Commandment then is, to
       praise God in all His benefits, which are innumerable, so
       that such praise and thanksgiving ought also of right
       never to cease or end. For who can praise Him perfectly
       for the gift of natural life, not to mention all other
       temporal and eternal blessings? And so through this one
       part of the Commandment man is overwhelmed with good and
       precious works; if he do these in true faith, he has
       indeed not lived in vain. And in this matter none sin so
       much as the most resplendent saints, who are pleased with
       themselves and like to praise themselves or to hear
       themselves praised, honored and glorified before men.
      
       Therefore the second work of this Commandment is, to be
       on one's guard, to flee from and to avoid all temporal
       honor and praise, and never to seek a name for oneself,
       or fame and a great reputation, that every one sing of
       him and tell of him; which is an exceedingly dangerous
       sin, and yet the most common of all, and, alas! little
       regarded. Every one wants to be of importance and not to
       be the least, however small he may be; so deeply is
       nature sunk in the evil of its own conceit and in its
       self-confidence contrary to these two first Commandments.
      
       Now the world regards this terrible vice as the highest
       virtue, and this makes it exceedingly dangerous for those
       who do not understand and have not had experience of
       God's Commandments and the histories of the Holy
       Scriptures, to read or hear the heathen books and
       histories. For all heathen books are poisoned through and
       through with this striving after praise and honor; in
       them men are taught by blind reason that they were not
       nor could be men of power and worth, who are not moved by
       praise and honor; but those are counted the best, who
       disregard body and life, friend and property and
       everything in the effort to win praise and honor. All the
       holy Fathers have complained of this vice and with one
       mind conclude that it is the very last vice to be
       overcome. St. Augustine says: "All other vices are
       practised in evil works; only honor and self-satisfaction
       are practised in and by means of good works."
      
       Therefore if a man had nothing else to do except this
       second work of this Commandment, he would yet have to
       work all his life-time in order to fight this vice and
       drive it out, so common, so subtile, so quick and
       insidious is it. Now we all pass by this good work and
       exercise ourselves in many other lesser good works, nay,
       through other good works we overthrow this and forget it
       entirely. So the holy Name of God, which alone should be
       honored, is taken in vain and dishonored through our own
       cursed name, self-approval and honor-seeking. And this
       sin is more grievous before God than murder and adultery;
       but its wickedness is not so clearly seen as that of
       murder, because of its subtilty, for it is not
       accomplished in the coarse flesh, but in the spirit.
      
       XXII. Some think it is good for young people that they be
       enticed by reputation and honor, and again by shame of
       and dishonor, and so be induced to do good. For there are
       many who do the good and leave the evil undone out of
       fear of shame and love of honor, and so do what they
       would otherwise by no means do or leave undone. These I
       leave to their opinion. But at present we are seeking how
       true good works are to be done, and they who are inclined
       to do them surely do not need to be driven by the fear of
       shame and the love of honor; they have, and are to have a
       higher and far nobler incentive, namely, God's
       commandment, God's fear, God's approval, and their faith
       and love toward God. They who have not, or regard not
       this motive, and let shame and honor drive them, these
       also have their reward, as the Lord says, Matthew vi; and
       as the motive, so is also the work and the reward: none
       of them is good, except only in the eyes of the world.
      
       Now I hold that a young person could be more easily
       trained and incited by God's fear and commandments than
       by any other means. Yet where these do not help, we must
       endure that they do the good and leave the evil for the
       sake of shame and of honor, just as we must also endure
       wicked men or the imperfect, of whom we spoke above; nor
       can we do more than tell them that their works are not
       satisfactory and right before God, and so leave them
       until they learn to do right for the sake of God's
       commandments also. Just as young children are induced to
       pray, fast, learn, etc., by gifts and promises of the
       parents, even though it would not be good to treat them
       so all their lives, so that they never learn to do good
       in the fear of God: far worse, if they become accustomed
       to do good for the sake of praise and honor.
      
       XXIII. But this is true, that we must none the less have
       a good name and honor, and every one ought so to live
       that nothing evil can be said of him, and that he give
       offence to no one, as St. Paul says, Romans xii: "We are
       to be zealous to do good, not only before God, but also
       before all men." And II. Corinthians iv: "We walk so
       honestly that no man knows anything against us." But
       there must be great diligence and care, lest such honor
       and good name puff up the heart, and the heart find
       pleasure in them. Here the saying of Solomon holds: "As
       the fire in the furnace proveth the gold, so man is
       proved by the mouth of him that praises him." Few and
       most spiritual men must they be, who, when honored and
       praised, remain indifferent and unchanged, so that they
       do not care for it, nor feel pride and pleasure in it,
       but remain entirely free, ascribe all their honor and
       fame to God, offering it to Him alone, and using it only
       to the glory of God, to the edification of their
       neighbors, and in no way to their own benefit or
       advantage; so that a man trust not in his own honor, nor
       exalt himself above the most incapable, despised man on
       earth, but acknowledge himself a servant of God, Who has
       given him the honor in order that with it he may serve
       God and his neighbor, just as if He had commanded him to
       distribute some gulden to the poor for His sake. So He
       says, Matthew v: "Your light shall shine before men, so
       that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
       Who is in heaven." He does not say, "they shall praise
       you," but "your works shall only serve them to
       edification, that through them they may praise God in you
       and in themselves." This is the correct use of God's Name
       and honor, when God is thereby praised through the
       edification of others. And if men want to praise us and
       not God in us, we are not to endure it, but with all our
       powers forbid it and flee from it as from the most
       grievous sin and robbery of divine honor.
      
       XXIV. Hence it comes that God frequently permits a man to
       fall into or remain in grievous sin, in order that he may
       be put to shame in his own eyes and in the eyes of all
       men, who otherwise could not have kept himself from this
       great vice of vain honor and fame, if he had remained
       constant in his great gifts and virtues; so God must ward
       off this sin by means of other grievous sins, that His
       Name alone may be honored; and thus one sin becomes the
       other's medicine, because of our perverse wickedness,
       which not only does the evil, but also misuses all that
       is good.
      
       Now see how much a man has to do, if he would do good
       works, which always are at hand in great number, and with
       which he is surrounded on all sides; but, alas! because
       of his blindness, he passes them by and seeks and runs
       after others of his own devising and pleasure, against
       which no man can sufficiently speak and no man can
       sufficiently guard. With this all the prophets had to
       contend, and for this reason they were all slain, only
       because they rejected such self-devised works and
       preached only God's commandments, as one of them says,
       Jeremiah vii: "Thus saith the God of Israel unto you:
       Take your burnt offerings unto all your sacrifices and
       eat your burnt-offerings and your flesh yourselves; for
       concerning these things I have commanded you nothing, but
       this thing commanded I you: Obey My voice (that is, not
       what seems right and good to you, but what I bid you),
       and walk in the way that I have commanded you." And
       Deuteronomy xii: "Thou shalt not do whatsoever is right
       in thine own eyes, but what thy God has commanded thee."
      
       These and numberless like passages of Scripture are
       spoken to tear man not only from sins, but also from the
       works which seem to men to be good and right, and to turn
       men, with a single mind, to the simple meaning of God's
       commandment only, that they shall diligently observe this
       only and always, as it is written, Exodus xiii: "These
       commandments shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine
       hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes." And Psalm
       i: "A godly man meditates in God's Law day and night."
       For we have more than enough and too much to do, if we
       are to satisfy only God's commandments. He has given us
       such commandments that if we understand them aright, we
       dare not for a moment be idle, and might easily forget
       all other works. But the evil spirit, who never rests,
       when he cannot lead us to the left into evil works,
       fights on our right through self-devised works that seem
       good, but against which God has commanded, Deuteronomy
       xxviii, and Joshua xxiii, "Ye shall not go aside from My
       commandments to the right hand or to the left."
      
       XXV. The third work of this Commandment is to call C upon
       God's Name in every need. For this God regards as keeping
       His Name holy and greatly honoring it, if we name and
       call upon it in adversity and need. And this is really
       why He sends us so much trouble, suffering, adversity and
       even death, and lets us live in many wicked, sinful
       affections, that He may thereby urge man and give him
       much reason to run to Him, to cry aloud to Him, to call
       upon His holy Name, and thus to fulfil this work of the
       Second Commandment, as He says in Psalm 1: "Call upon Me
       in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou
       shalt glorify Me; for I desire the sacrifice of praise."
       And this is the way whereby thou canst come unto
       salvation; for through such works man perceives and
       learns what God's Name is, how powerful it is to help all
       who call upon it; and whereby confidence and faith grow
       mightily, and these are the fulfilling of the first and
       highest Commandment. This is the experience of David,
       Psalm liv: "Thou hast delivered me out of all trouble,
       therefore will I praise Thy Name and confess that it is
       lovely and sweet." And Psalm xci says, "Because he hath
       set his hope upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I
       will help him, because he hath known My Name."
      
       Lo! what man is there on earth, who would not all his
       life long have enough to do with this work? For who lives
       an hour without trials? I will not mention the trials of
       adversity, which are innumerable. For this is the most
       dangerous trial of all, when there is no trial and every
       thing is and goes well; for then a man is tempted to
       forget God, to become too bold and to misuse the times of
       prosperity. Yea, here he has ten times more need to call
       upon God's Name than when in adversity. Since it is
       written, Psalm xci, "A thousand shall fall on the left
       hand and ten thousand on the right hand."
      
       So too we see in broad day, in all men's daily
       experience, that more heinous sins and vice occur when
       there is peace, when all things are cheap and there are
       good times, than when war, pestilence, sicknesses and all
       manner of misfortune burden us; so that Moses also fears
       for his people, lest they forsake God's commandment for
       no other reason than because they are too full, too well
       provided for and have too much peace, as he says,
       Deuteronomy xxxii "My people is waxed rich, full and fat;
       therefore has it forsaken its God." Wherefore also God
       let many of its enemies remain and would not drive them
       out, in order that they should not have peace and must
       exercise themselves in the keeping of God's commandments,
       as it is written, Judges iii. So He deals with us also,
       when He sends us all kinds of misfortune: so exceedingly
       careful is He of us, that He may teach us and drive us to
       honor and call upon His Name, to gain confidence and
       faith toward Him, and so to fulfil the first two
       Commandments.
      
       XXVI. Here foolish men run into danger, and especially
       the work-righteous saints, and those who want to be more
       than others; they teach men to make the sign of the
       cross; one arms himself with letters, another runs to the
       fortunetellers; one seeks this, another that, if only
       they may thereby escape misfortune and be secure. It is
       beyond telling what a devilish allurement attaches to
       this trifling with sorcery, conjuring and superstition,
       all of which is done only that men may not need God's
       Name and put no trust in it. Here great dishonor is done
       the Name of God and the first two Commandments, in that
       men look to the devil, men or creatures for that which
       should be sought and found in God alone, through naught
       but a pure faith and confidence, and a cheerful
       meditation of and calling upon His holy Name.
      
       Now examine this closely for yourself and see whether
       this is not a gross, mad perversion: the devil, men and
       creatures they must believe, and trust to them for the
       best; without such faith and confidence nothing holds or
       helps. How shall the good and faithful God reward us for
       not believing and trusting Him as much or more than man
       and the devil, although He not only promises help and
       sure assistance, but also commands us confidently to look
       for it, and gives and urges all manner of reasons why we
       should place such faith and confidence in Him? Is it not
       lamentable and pitiable that the devil or man, who
       commands nothing and does not urge, but only promises, is
       set above God, Who promises, urges and commands; and that
       more is thought of them than of God Himself? We ought
       truly to be ashamed of ourselves and learn from the
       example of those who trust the devil or men. For if the
       devil, who is a wicked, lying spirit, keeps faith with
       all those who ally themselves with him, how much more
       will not the most gracious, all-truthful God keep faith,
       if a man trusts Him? Nay, is it not rather He alone Who
       will keep faith? A rich man trusts and relies upon his
       money and possessions, and they help him; and we are not
       willing to trust and rely upon the living God, that He is
       willing and able to help us? We say: Gold makes bold; and
       it is true, as Baruch iii. says, "Gold is a thing wherein
       men trust." But far greater is the courage which the
       highest eternal Good gives, wherein trust, not men, but
       only God's children.
      
       XXVII. Even if none of these adversities constrain us to
       call upon God's Name and to trust Him, yet were sin alone
       more than sufficient to train and to urge us on in this
       work. For sin has hemmed us in with three strong, mighty
       armies. The first is our own flesh, the second the world,
       the third the evil spirit, by which three we are without
       ceasing oppressed and troubled; whereby God gives us
       occasion to do good works without ceasing, namely, to
       fight with these enemies and sins. The flesh seeks
       pleasure and peace, the world seeks riches, favor, power
       and honor, the evil spirit seeks pride, glory, that a man
       be well thought of, and other men be despised.
      
       And these three are all so powerful that each one of them
       is alone sufficient to fight a man, and yet there is no
       way we can overcome them, except only by calling upon the
       holy Name of God in a firm faith, as Solomon says,
       Proverbs xviii: "The Name of the Lord is a strong tower;
       the righteous runneth into it, and is set aloft." And
       David, Psalm cxvi: "I will drink the cup of salvation,
       and call upon the Name of the Lord." Again, Psalm xviii:
       "I will call upon the Lord with praise: so shall I be
       saved from all mine enemies." These works and the power
       of God's Name have become unknown to us, because we are
       not accustomed to it, and have never seriously fought
       with sins, and have not needed His Name, because we are
       trained only in our self devised works, which we were
       able to do with our own powers.
      
       XXVIII. Further works of this Commandment are: that we
       shall not swear, curse, lie, deceive and conjure with the
       holy Name of God, and otherwise misuse it; which are very
       simple matters and well known to every one, being the
       sins which have been almost exclusively preached and
       proclaimed under this Commandment. These also include,
       that we shall prevent others from making sinful use of
       God's Name by lying, swearing, deceiving, cursing,
       conjuring, and otherwise. Herein again much occasion is
       given for doing good and warding off evil.
      
       But the greatest and most difficult work of this
       Commandment is to protect the holy Name of God against
       all who misuse it in a spiritual manner, and to proclaim
       it to all men. For it is not enough that I, for myself
       and in myself, praise and call upon God's Name in
       prosperity and adversity. I must step forth and for the
       sake of God's honor and Name bring upon myself the enmity
       of all men, as Christ said to His disciples: "Ye shall be
       hated of all men for My Name's sake." Here we must
       provoke to anger father, mother, and the best of friends.
       Here we must strive against spiritual and temporal
       powers, and be accused of disobedience. Here we must stir
       up against us the rich, learned, holy, and all that is of
       repute in the world. And although this is especially the
       duty of those who are commanded to preach God's Word, yet
       every Christian is also obligated to do so when time and
       place demand. For we must for the holy Name of God risk
       and give up all that we have and can do, and show by our
       deeds that we love God and His Name, His honor and His
       praise above all things, and trust Him above all things,
       and expect good from Him; thereby confessing that we
       regard Him as the highest good, for the sake of which we
       let go and give up all other goods.
      
       XXIX. Here we must first of all resist all wrong, where
       truth or righteousness suffers violence or need, and dare
       make no distinction of persons, as some do, who fight
       most actively and busily against the wrong which is done
       to the rich, the powerful, and their own friends; but
       when it is done to the poor, or the despised or their own
       enemy, they are quiet and patient. These see the Name and
       the honor of God not as it is, but through a painted
       glass, and measure truth or righteousness according to
       the persons, and do not consider their deceiving eye,
       which looks more on the person than on the thing. These
       are hypocrites within and have only the appearance of
       defending the truth. For they well know that there is no
       danger when one helps the rich, the powerful, the learned
       and one's own friends, and can in turn enjoy their
       protection and be honored by them.
      
       Thus it is very easy to fight against the wrong which is
       done to popes, kings, princes, bishops and other
       big-wigs. Here each wants to be the most pious, where
       there is no great need. O how sly is here the deceitful
       Adam with his demand; how finely does he cover his greed
       of profit with the name of truth and righteousness and
       God's honor! But when something happens to a poor and
       insignificant man, there the deceitful eye does not find
       much profit, but cannot help seeing the disfavor of the
       powerful; therefore he lets the poor man remain unhelped.
       And who could tell the extent of this vice in
       Christendom? God says in the lxxxii. Psalm, "How long
       will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the
       wicked? Judge the matter of the poor and fatherless,
       demand justice for the poor and needy; deliver the poor
       and rid the forsaken out of the hand of the wicked." But
       it is not done, and therefore the text continues: "They
       know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in
       darkness"; that is, the truth they do not see, but they
       stop at the reputation of the great, however unrighteous
       they are; and do not consider the poor, however righteous
       they are.
      
       XXX. See, here would be many good works. For the greater
       portion of the powerful, rich and friends do injustice
       and oppress the poor, the lowly, and their own opponents;
       and the greater the men, the worse the deeds; and where
       we cannot by force prevent it and help the truth, we
       should at least confess it, and do what we can with
       words, not take the part of the unrighteous, not approve
       them, but speak the truth boldly.
      
       What would it help a man if he did all manner of good,
       made pilgrimages to Rome and to all holy places, acquired
       all indulgences, built all churches and endowed houses,
       if he were found guilty of sin against the Name and honor
       of God, not speaking of them and neglecting them, and
       regarding his possessions, honor, favor and friends more
       than the truth (which is God's Name and honor)? Or who is
       he, before whose door and into whose house such good
       works do not daily come, so that he would have no need to
       travel far or to ask after good works? And if we consider
       the life of men, how in every place men act so very
       rashly and lightly in this respect, we must cry out with
       the prophet, Omnis homo mendax, "All men are liars, lie
       and deceive"; for the real good works they neglect, and
       adorn and paint themselves with the most insignificant,
       and want to be pious, to mount to heaven in peaceful
       security.
      
       But if you should say: "Why does not God do it alone and
       Himself, since He can and knows how to help each one?"
       Yes, He can do it; but He does not want to do it alone;
       He wants us to work with Him, and does us the honor to
       want to work His work with us and through us. And if we
       are not willing to accept such honor, He will, after all,
       perform the work alone, and help the poor; and those who
       were unwilling to help Him and have despised the great
       honor of doing His work, He will condemn with the
       unrighteous, because they have made common cause with the
       unrighteous. Just as He alone is blessed, but He wants to
       do us the honor and not be alone in His blessedness, but
       have us to be blessed with Him. And if He were to do it
       alone, His Commandments would be given us in vain,
       because no one would have occasion to exercise himself in
       the great works of these Commandments, and no one would
       test himself to see whether he regards God and His Name
       as the highest good, and for His sake risks everything.
      
       XXXI. It also belongs to this work to resist all false,
       seductive, erroneous, heretical doctrines, every misuse
       of spiritual power. Now this is much higher, for these
       use the holy Name of God itself to fight against the Name
       of God. For this reason it seems a great thing and a
       dangerous to resist them, because they assert that he who
       resists them resists God and all His saints, in whose
       place they sit and whose power they use, saying that
       Christ said of them, "He that heareth you, heareth Me,
       and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." On which words
       they lean heavily, become insolent and bold to say, to
       do, and to leave undone what they please; put to the ban,
       accurse, rob, murder, and practise all their wickedness,
       in whatever way they please and can invent, without any
       hindrance.
      
       Now Christ did not mean that we should listen to them in
       everything they might say and do, but only then when they
       present to us His Word, the Gospel, not their word, His
       work, and not their work. How else could we know whether
       their lies and sins were to be avoided? There must be
       some rule, to what extent we are to hear and to follow
       them, and this rule cannot be given by them, but must be
       established by God over them, that it may serve us as a
       guide, as we shall hear in the Fourth Commandment.
      
       It must be, indeed, that even in the spiritual estate the
       greater part preach false doctrine and misuse spiritual
       power, so that thus occasion may be given us to do the
       works of this Commandment, and that we be tried, to see
       what we are willing to do and to leave undone against
       such blasphemers for the sake of God's honor.
      
       Oh, if we were God-fearing in this matter, how often
       would the knaves of officiales have to decree their papal
       and episcopal ban in vain! How weak the Roman
       thunderbolts would become! How often would many a one
       have to hold his tongue, to whom the world must now give
       ear! How few preachers would be found in Christendom! But
       it has gotten the upper hand: whatever they assert and in
       whatever way, that must be right. Here no one fights for
       God's Name and honor, and I hold that no greater or more
       frequent sin is done in external works than under this
       head. It is a matter so high that few understand it, and,
       besides, adorned with God's Name and power, dangerous to
       touch. But the prophets of old were masters in this; also
       the apostles, especially St. Paul, who did not allow it
       to trouble them whether the highest or the lowest priest
       had said it, or had done it in God's Name or in his own.
       They looked on the works and words, and held them up to
       God's Commandment, no matter whether big John or little
       Nick said it, or whether they had done it in God's Name
       or in man's. And for this they had to die, and of such
       dying there would be much more to say in our time, for
       things are much worse now. But Christ and St. Peter and
       Paul must cover all this with their holy names, so that
       no more infamous cover for infamy has been found on earth
       than the most holy and most blessed Name of Jesus Christ!
      
       One might shudder to be alive, simply because of the
       misuse and blasphemy of the holy Name of God; through
       which, if it shall last much longer, we will, as I fear,
       openly worship the devil as a god; so completely do the
       spiritual authorities and the learned lack all
       understanding in these things. It is high time that we
       pray God earnestly that He hallow His Name. But it will
       cost blood, and they who enjoy the inheritance of the
       holy martyrs and are won with their blood, must again
       make martyrs. Of this more another time.