Luther on the Touchstone of Christianity (Part 2)

      This concludes from Part 1 of a short series presenting an English translation of a "set piece" from the writings of Luther, repeated again in the pages of Der Lutheraner in 1846. — This quote was excerpted from Luther's commentary on Psalm 117. When I decided to read this Psalm, I discovered that it had only 2 short verses:

1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 

2. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.

Such a short Psalm, yet Luther wrote nearly 40 pages of commentary on this! And he concluded it with these crowning paragraphs, what the Der Lutheraner Editor determined to be worthy of repetition. — Again, from Der Lutheraner, vol. 3 (Dec. 29, 1846), p. 50-51: 

The Pure Doctrine of Justification,

a Sure Touchstone for all Sects.

[Conclusion]

Therefore, dear brother, do not be proud, nor too sure and certain that you know Christ well. You will now hear me confess to you what the devil was able to do against Luther, who should have been a doctor in this art; he has preached, judged, spoken, written, sung and read so much about it, and yet must remain a student in it, and at times is neither student nor master. Therefore be advised and do not celebrate too soon. Are you standing? but watch and do not fall [1 Cor. 10:12]. You can do it all? but see to it that you do not lack skill. Fear, be humble and pray that you may grow in this art and be protected from the expert devil, who is called “Smart Aleck” and “Quick Fist,” [Klügel or Kündlin], who can do everything and learns in flight.

If you now want or have to deal with matters concerning the law, or works, or sayings and examples of the Fathers, then take the principal doctrine for yourself above all and do not let yourself be found without it, so that the dear sun, Christ, may shine in your heart, and you can judge freely and safely through and about all laws, examples, sayings and works, and say: Well, if there is anything good and right in them, I know that they are neither good nor right except for this life; for only Christ is good and right for grace and the life to come. And if you do not do this, you can be sure that the laws, sayings, examples and works, with their pretty appearance and the great prestige of the person, will mislead you so that you will not know where you are. I have also seen it in St. Bernard; if the same man also begins to speak of Christ, it is because he is in the heavens; but if he is out of this doctrine, and speaks of precepts or works, it is no longer St. Bernard. And so it is with St. Augustine, Gregory, and all others, that if Christ is not with them, they are vain worldly teachers, like philosophers or jurists.

Therefore Christ is also called in Scripture a cornerstone, on which everything must be built and founded that is to stand before God. But whatever is founded without Him or not on Him must come to nothing and cannot stand. And what else is lacking in the mad saints and factions but that they have left this cornerstone and have fallen back into the works? They cannot get along with it, but must continue, and also make of Baptism and the Sacrament (which are God's Word and commandment) their own human work.

The Anabaptists say that Baptism is nothing if a person is not pious beforehand; they do not want to become pious through and from Baptism, but want to make Baptism holy and good through their piety. This means (I think) that they have completely lost this cornerstone, and not by the grace of Christ, which Baptism gives, but first made holy by themself, that Baptism gives nothing, creates nothing, brings nothing, but we bring and give everything to Baptism beforehand, so that it is nothing but a mere unnecessary sign, whereby one may know such holy people: even so Baptism cannot be such a lasting sign or characteristic whereby one may know someone, but happens once, after which it can no longer be seen by anyone. So do the enthusiasts (or fanatics) with their Sacrament: it need not make pious nor give grace, but show and testify how pious and holy they are without such a Sacrament.

And what has caused such separation, innumerable sects, factions and idolatry among all kinds of foolish saints, priests, monks and nuns in the papacy, except that they have fallen away from Christ and have first become pious through works?

This is why St. Paul so diligently teaches the Ephesians and Colossians that Christ is our head, and that we should diligently hold fast to the head, and thus abide in one another as members of one body, and increase. For the devil neither feasts nor sleeps; he would gladly tear us from this head: he well knows that this piece will break his neck and crush his serpent's head, as Genesis 3:15 promises.

But may God, our dear, eternal Father, who so abundantly enlightens us through his dear Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, also strengthen us with complete faith through his Holy Spirit, and give us strength to follow this light faithfully and diligently, and to praise and glorify Him together with all the Gentiles, both with teaching and life. To Him be thanks and glory for all His unspeakable grace and gifts for ever and ever. Amen.

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The Church Fathers: the good and the bad. 

      I will never forget Luther's comments on "St. Bernard"! I still remember when I was reading Luther's judgment of St. Bernard years ago, how I could still admire this worthy Church Father even with his weaknesses.

      I have had readers disagree with me when I say that the Reformed do not have the pure Doctrine of Justification, but Martin Luther taught against their error explicitly. And Luther explains why the sacraments are important, because of the Doctrine of Justification. — It was the old Missouri Synod Lutherans who brought to our age the true, pure teaching of Martin Luther. I believe it was Walther himself who chose this excerpt as worthy of being repeated in the pages of Der Lutheraner for the edification of its readers. May it be so for today's readers as well, as it has been for me! Amen!