Fourteen Points of Consolation, Dedication 2 – Preface
TO THE MOST FAMOVS PRINCE AND LORD, THE LORD FRIDERIK, Duke of Saxonie, &c, his very good Lord.
OVR Lorde and Sauiour Ieſus hathe left a commaundement which pertayneth indifferently to all Chriſtians, that we ſhould performe the duties of humanitie, or rather (as the Scripture calleth them) the workes of mercy to the afflicted and miſerable: that we ſhould viſit the ſicke, endeuour to deliuer the captiues, and doe ſuch like to our neighbour, whereby the preſent euills may be ſomewhat aſſwaged. Hereof our Lord Ieſus Chriſt hath in him ſelfe ſet forth vntounto vsus a moſt manifest & ſingular example, wheras of his exceeding louelove toward mankind, he came downe from the boſom of the father into our miſeries and into our priſon, that is, into our fleſh and moſt miſerable life, and tooke the puniſhment of our ſinnes vponupon him ſelfe, that we might be ſaued: according as Eſai ſayth chap. 43: Thou haſt laden me with thy ſinnes, and wearied me with thy vngodlines, &c. If there be any whom this ſo manifeſt & ſingular an example doth not ſtirre vp, and the authoritie of Gods commaundement added therunto doth not moue to performe theſe workes of charitie, ſurely he ſhall worthely in the last iudgement heare the voice of the angrie Iudge: Goe thou curſed into euerlaſting fire. For I was ſicke and thou didſt not viſit me, but being altogether vnthankfull for the exceeding benefits which I bestowed on thee and all the world, thou didſt not euen in the most ſclender duties relieue or helpe thy brethren, no not me Chriſt in my brethren.
Foraſmuch therefore moſt famous Prince, as I ſee your Grace to be ſore ſicke, and that Chriſt alſo is ſicke in you, I hauehave thought it my dutie to viſit your Grace by writing ſomewhat vntounto you. For I can not diſſemble, that I doe not heare the voice of Chriſt our of your Graces body and fleſhe crying to me, and ſaying: Behold I am ſicke here. For theſe euills, namely ſicknes and ſuch like, not we Chriſtians onelyonly, but Chriſt himſelfe alſo our Lord and Sauiour, in whom we liue, doth ſuffer, as he manifestly witneſſeth in the Goſpell: VVhatſoeuer ye doe to the leaſt of mine, ye doe it vntounto me. Nowe although we owe this duetie to all that are ſicke in generall, that we doe viſit and comfort them, yet doe we owe it chieſly to them that be of the houſhold of ſaith. For Paule doth plainely diſtinguiſh betweene aliens, and them that profeſſe the ſame faith with vsus, or with whome we hauehave ſome alliance. Galat. 6.
Howbeit I hauehave other reaſons alſo of my duetie. For I know that I as one of your Graces ſubiectes, togither with the reſt of your ſubiectes ought to be moued with your Graces ſicknes, and to be as it were ſicke togither with you, as the member with the head, in whom all our good eſtate, ſafetie, and proſperitie conſiſteth. For we acknowledge your Grace to be as a certain Naamā by whom God at this day giueth health to Germanie, as in time paſt by him he gaue health to Syria. VVherefore euen the whole Romane Empire hath your Graece in admiration, doth reuerence and honour you as a father of the countrie, as a ſingular ornament and ſafegard of the whole Empire, but eſpecially of the Germane nation.
Neither do we owe this only to your Grace, to comfort you as much as we are able, and as it were to beare the preſent caſe with you, but much rather to pray vntounto God for your health and recouerie: which I hope is done with all diligence and endeuour of your Graces ſubiectes. As for my ſelfe, whom many notable benefits and pleaſures hauehave made a dettour to your Grace more then the reſt, I acknowledge that I ought by ſome ſingular duetie to declare my thankfulnes. But becauſe in this ſclendernes of abilitie and power, I am able to performe no notable thinge, D. George Spalatine, who is your Graces Chaplen, aduertized me that I ſhoulde doe well to make ſome ſpirituall conſolation & ſend it to your Grace, for that that would be a thing very acceptable vntounto you. VVherefore I thought it not good to doe contrary to the aduertizement of my frende, and therefore hauehave I gathered togither theſe fourteene chapters, being compriſed as it were in a table, and hauehave intitled them *That is, fourteen, or that which conſiſteth of that number.Teſſaradecas, that they might be in ſteede of fourteene Sainctes which our ſuperſtition made and called the driuers away of all euills. Howbeit this is not a ſiluer but a ſpirituall table, wherewith, not the walls of temples are to be adorned, but the godly mind is to be comforted and confirmed. And I hope that it will be very profitable to your Grace in this preſent ſtate. Nowe it is diuided into two partes, whereof the former contayneth ſeuen conſiderations of euills, whereby the preſent griefes and troubles are mitigated and aſſwaged. The latter containeth likewiſe ſeuen conſiderations of good thinges tending to the ſame ende. VVherefore I deſire your Grace to take this my ſimple labour in good parte, which I pray God ye may ſo enioy, that by diligent reading and conſideration of this treatiſe ye may hauehave ſome eaſe. I humbly commend me to your Grace.
Your humble and obedient ſubiect MARTIN LVTHER.
THE PREFACE.
THe Apoſtle Paul in the 15. chapter of his Epiſtle to the Romanes ſpeaking of chriſtian comfort, ſayth: Brethren, VVhatſoeuer things hauehave ben written afore time, were written for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures might hauehave hope. VVhereby he plainly teacheth that our comforts muſt be taken out of the holy Scriptures. Nowe the holy Scriptures vſe two ſortes of comfort, inaſmuch as they commend vntounto vsus the conſideration of two ſortes of things, namely of euill things and of good things, according as the wiſe man ſayth: In the day of affliction remember proſperitie: & in the day of proſperitie be mindful of affliction. For the holy Ghoſt knoweth that eueryevery thing is of ſuch ſort & ſo great to man, of what ſort and how great his opinion is thereof. For that which is counted vile & nothing eſteemed, doth litle moue, either with louelove if it come, or with griefe if it depart. VVherefore he laboureth moſt earneſtly to call man from the opinion & affection of thinges, which vvhen he hath brought to paſſe, all thinges are then indifferent. Novve foraſmuch as this calling is done eſpecially by the vvorde, vvhereby the opinion is transferred from the thinge, vvhichwhich is preſently felt to the thing vvhichwhich either is abſent or not preſently felt, it is by good reaſon that vve shall hauehave no cō fort but by the Scripture, which in the day of affliction calleth vsus to the conſideration of proſperitie, vvhichwhich is either preſent or to come: alſo in the day of proſperitie calleth vsus to conſider affliction. But that theſe conſiderations may be more eaſie vntounto vsus, vve vvill diuide either of them into ſeuen partes. To the former shall be referred the euills vvhichwhich are to be conſidered of a man: Firſt vvithin him ſelfe: Secondly before him: Thirdly behind him: Fourthly beneath him: Fiftly on the left hande: Sixtly on the right hand: Seuenthly aboue him.