Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther Part 4

One evening, Luther saw cattle going in the fields, in a pasture, and said: Behold, there go our preachers, our milk-bearers, b.u.t.ter- bearers, cheese and wool-bearers, which do daily preach unto us the faith towards G.o.d, that we should trust in him, as in our loving Father; he careth for us, and will maintain and nourish us.

That G.o.d nourisheth all the Beasts.

No man, said Luther, can account the great charges which G.o.d is at only in maintaining the birds and such creatures, which in a manner are nothing or little worth. I am persuaded, said he, that it costeth G.o.d yearly more to maintain only the sparrows than the yearly revenue of the French King amounteth unto. What then shall we say of all the rest of his creatures?

That G.o.d is skilful in all Manner of Trades.

G.o.d, said Luther, is skilful in all occupations and trades, in a most perfect and excellent manner; for, like a skilful tailor, he makes such a coat for the stag, which he wears nine hundred years together, and of itself it is not torn; also, like a good shoemaker, he gives him shoes on his feet, that last longer than the stag himself, etc.

G.o.d gives this world, with all his works, to those people who, as he knows before, will anger, contemn, and blaspheme him. What, then, may we think, will he give to those that through faith are justified, and do know that they, so justified, shall live and remain with him everlastingly?

That G.o.d will be praised in all Languages.

"All that hath breath, praise the Lord," saith the Psalm; thence it followeth that in all and every language, speeches, and tongues we should preach and praise the Lord. Why then, said Luther, have the Pope and the Emperor forbidden to sing and pray in the German tongue?

That G.o.d is willing we should make use of his Creatures.

Our loving Lord G.o.d is willing that we eat, drink, and be merry, and make use of his creatures, for therefore he hath created them. He will not have that we should complain, as if he had not given sufficient, or that he could not maintain our poor carcases; only that we do acknowledge him for our G.o.d, and thank him for his gifts.

That G.o.d fills the Bellies of the UnG.o.dly, but he gives the Kingdom of Heaven to the Good and G.o.dly.

We believe, said Luther, that G.o.d will give to us no better things than he giveth to the rich unG.o.dly wretches in this world, to whom he gives an overplus, and the fill of good wine, money, wealth, power, honour, and all things that they would have or can desire.

But the best wealth and treasure, which they do not desire, he denies them, namely, himself. But he that hath not G.o.d, let him have else what he will, so is he, notwithstanding, more miserable than was Lazarus, that lay at the rich man's gate and was starved to death. But it will go even so with them as it went with the glutton, that they everlastingly must hunger and want, and shall not have in all their power so much as the least drop of water, etc.

If, then, said Luther, the almighty and liberal G.o.d in such wise doth heap blessings upon his worst enemies and blasphemers, with all manner of temporal goods and wealth, and gives to some also kingdoms, princ.i.p.alities, etc., then may we, that are his children, easily conceive what he will give unto us, who, for his sake must suffer-yea, what he hath already given us. He hath given unto us his only-begotten Son, and with him hath bestowed all things upon us, so that through him we are G.o.d's children, and also heirs of his celestial treasure, and are co-heirs with Christ according to hope.

Court Cards.

G.o.d regards unG.o.dly great Potentates, Kings, and Princes even as children regard playing at cards. While they play, and have good cards, they hold them in their hands; then, afterwards, when they have bad cards, they are weary of them, and throw them under the bench. Just so doth G.o.d with great Potentates. While they are in the government, and rule well, he holds them for good; but so soon as they do exceed, and govern ill, then he throws them down from their seat, as Mary sings, and there he lets them lie. Ut Regem Danioe.

The Queen of Denmark, that was sister to the Emperor Charles and King Ferdinand, died at that time when her husband, King Christian, was taken prisoner, who was kept in prison twenty years. And his son, who was the only heir of the kingdom, and was in the Court of the Emperor, died also at the Imperial Diet held at Ratisbon the same year, 1541. G.o.d hath taken up and gathered together a fine and glorious game at cards, all of mighty Potentates, as Emperors, Kings, Princes, etc.; they scuffle and fight one with another; touching which, said Luther, I could show many examples done in our time, etc.

"The Pope," said Melancthon, "for the s.p.a.ce of these certain hundred years, hath been held for the princ.i.p.al Head of all Christendom.

When he did but wink or hold up one finger, so must the Emperors, Kings, and Princes have humbled themselves and feared; insomuch that he was Lord of all Lords, King of all Kings on earth; yea, he was an earthly G.o.d. But now comes Almighty G.o.d, throws down the Pope, and wins that great king with the ace (Luther), and there he lies. This is G.o.d's government, as Mary sings in her Magnificat: Deposuit potentes-He puts down the mighty from their seat, etc.

"If I were rich," said Melancthon, "I would have artificially made me a game at cards, and a chess-board all of gold and silver, in a remembrance of G.o.d's game at cards, which are all great and mighty Emperors, Kings, and Princes, where he always thrusteth one out through another. N. is the four of diamonds, the Pope is the six of diamonds, the Turk is the eight of diamonds, the Emperor is the king in the game.

"At last comes our Lord G.o.d, divides the game, beats the Pope with Luther (he is the ace). But the Pope is not yet quite dead; Christ hath begun to slay him with the spirit of his mouth, so that he is dead in the hearts of believing Christians. I hope it is almost come so far that, in less than two hundred years, G.o.d will quite make an end of him, and of that antichristian idolatry, by his glorious coming."

Whoso from his Heart can humble himself before G.o.d, he hath gained.

Whoso can earnestly humble himself from his heart before G.o.d, he hath gained. For G.o.d can do nothing but to be merciful towards them that humble themselves. For if G.o.d should always be stern and angry, so should I, said Luther, be afraid of him as of the executioner. And seeing that I must stand in fear of the Pope, of the Emperor, of the Papistical Bishops, and of other tyrants, which are G.o.d's enemies, to whom then should I fly and take my refuge, if I should also be afraid of G.o.d?

That G.o.d preserves Nurture and Discipline.

G.o.d's works and actions will be where good nurture and discipline is maintained, especially in wars, where a good government is settled; otherwise it goeth strangely, dissolutely, and ill, as in this time we see too well.

When G.o.d will confound the wisdom of the wise, he makes them first mad and furious in their proceedings, as he dealt with the Popish Princes and Bishops at the Imperial Diet held at Augsburg.

Let the adversaries rage and swell their fills, said Luther, and as long as they can. G.o.d hath set the sea her bounds; he suffers the same to beat and rage with her waves, as if they would over-run, cover, and drown everything; yet, notwithstanding, they must not pa.s.s the sh.o.r.e and banks, although G.o.d keeps the waters in their compa.s.s, not with iron, but with weak walls of sand. This discourse Luther held at that time when letters were written unto him from the a.s.sembly at Frankfort, concerning the Papists, with their practices and exploits, intending to fall upon the Protestants in all parts.

The second Psalm, said Luther, is one of the best Psalms. I love that Psalm with my heart. It strikes and slashes valiantly amongst the Kings, Princes, Counsellors, Judges, etc. If it be true what this Psalm saith, then are the allegations of the Papists stark lies. If I were as our Lord G.o.d, and had committed the government to my son, as he hath done to his Son, and that these angry gentlemen were so disobedient as they now are, I would, said Luther, throw the world into a lump.

Mary, the poor child-maid of Nazareth, also combateth with these great Kings, Princes, etc., as she sings, "He hath put down the mighty from their seat," etc. No doubt, said Luther, she had an excellent undaunted voice. I, for my part, dare not sing so. The tyrants say, "Let us break their bonds asunder." What that is, said he, present experience teacheth us; for we see how they drown, how they hang, burn, behead, strangle, banish, and torture; and all this they do in despite of G.o.d. "But he sits above in heaven, and laugheth them to scorn." If, said Luther, G.o.d would be pleased to give me a little time and s.p.a.ce, that I might expound a couple of small Psalms, I would bestir myself so boldly that, Samson-like, I would take all the Papists away with me.

By reason of our stiff-necked Hardness, G.o.d must be both harsh and good too.

I was, said Luther, very lately sharply reprimanded and taxed by a Popish flattering Courtier, a Priest, because with such pa.s.sion I had written, and so vehemently had reproved the people. But I answered him and said, "Our Lord G.o.d must first send a sharp pouring shower, with thunder and lightning, and afterwards cause it mildly to rain, as then it wetteth finely through. In like manner, a willow or a hazel wand I can easily cut with my trencher-knife, but for a hard oak a man must have and use axes, bills, and such-like, and all little enough to fell and to cleave it."

What that is, G.o.d is nothing, and yet he is all Things.

Plato, the Heathen, disputed of G.o.d, that G.o.d is nothing, and yet he is all things; him followed Dr. Eck, and the Sophists, who understood nothing thereof, as their words do show, which no man could understand. But, said Luther, we must understand and speak of it in this manner: G.o.d is incomprehensible and invisible, therefore what may be seen and comprehended, that is not G.o.d. And thus a man may speak also in another manner and wise: As G.o.d is either visible or invisible; visible he is in his Word and Works, but where his Word and Works are not, there a man should not desire to have him, for he will be found nowhere else than where he hath revealed himself. But these and such-like will find and take hold of him with their speculations, so that instead of G.o.d they take hold of the devil, and find him, for he will be also a G.o.d. But I do truly admonish and warn every one that they abstain from such speculations, and not to flutter too high, but remain by the manger, and by the swaddling-clothes wherein Christ doth lie (in the Holy Scriptures), "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the G.o.dhead bodily," as St. Paul saith (Col. ii.). There a man cannot fail of G.o.d, but finds and hits upon him most certainly. I would willingly that this rule might be observed after my death, namely: Human comfort and Divine comfort are of two sorts: human comfort consisteth in external visible help, which a man may see, hold, and feel; but Divine comfort consisteth only in words and promises, where there is neither seeing, hearing, nor feeling.

That Children are G.o.d's special Blessings and Creatures.

Dr. Jonas, inviting Luther to a dinner, had caused a bough, with ripe cherries, to be hung up over the table where they dined, in remembrance of the creation, thereby to put his guests in mind to praise the glorious G.o.d in his blessing and creating such fruits, etc. But Luther asked him why he did not rather remember the same by his children that were the fruit of his body. For, said he, they surpa.s.s and are far more excelling creatures of G.o.d than all the fruits of trees. By them we see G.o.d's Power, Wisdom, and Art, who hath made them all out of nothing, hath given them in one year life and all members, so exquisitely hath created and will maintain and preserve them. Yet, notwithstanding, we do not much regard it; nay, we are in such gifts of G.o.d blind and covetous, as commonly it falleth out that people when they have got children grow worse and more covetous; they rake and rend all they can, to the end enough may be left for their children. They do not know that before a child comes to the world, and is born, it hath its lot; and already is ordained and determined what and how much it shall have, and what shall be thereout. In the state of matrimony we learn and find that begetting and bearing of children stands and consists not in our wills and pleasures, for the parents can neither see nor know whether they be fruitful or no, nor whether G.o.d will give them a son or a daughter. All this is done without our ordaining, thinking, or foreknowledge. My father and mother did not think that they should have brought a superintendent into the world; it is only G.o.d's Creation which we cannot rightly understand nor conceive. I believe, said Luther, that in the life to come we shall have nothing else to do than to meditate of our Creator, and of his celestial creatures, and wonder at the same.

OF THE NATURE OF THE WORLD.

Of the World, and of the Manner thereof.

The world, said Luther, will neither have nor hold G.o.d for G.o.d, nor the devil for the devil. And if a man were left to himself, and should be suffered to do after his own kind and nature, then would he willingly throw our Lord G.o.d out at the window; for the world regards G.o.d nothing at all, as the Psalm saith, Dixit impius in corde suo, non est Deus. On the contrary, the G.o.d of the world is riches, pleasure, and pride, wherewith they abuse all the creatures and gifts of G.o.d.

The Monks and Friars, in times past, boasted much of their contemning of the world, and they made use of that speech of St.

Paul (Rom. xii.), "Be not conformed to this world;" from whence they would touch no money, as if it were against G.o.d to make use of riches, money, and wealth; whereas St. Paul and the whole Scriptures forbid but only the abuse of heart, wicked l.u.s.t, desire, and inclination; as there is ambition, incontinency, revenge, etc., which l.u.s.ts do hang on the world; yea, they altogether flow and flourish.

Of the Manner of People in Eating.

We have the nature and manner of all wild beasts in eating. The wolves eat sheep; we also. The foxes eat hens, geese, etc.; we also. The hawks and kites eat fowl and birds; we also. Pikes do eat other fish; we also. With oxen, horse, and kine, we also eat sallets, gra.s.s, etc.

The Unthankfulness of Husbandmen and Farmers.