Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/72

 and wizards. But I would say that it is superstitious, or rather impious and perverse, to pray God and the saints for temporal goods exclusively, and not rather for the goods of the soul and salvation and the will of God, as though forgetful or doubtful of his words: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you." Indeed Christ teaches us to despise our vile bodies and their needs. If it is lawful to seek such things, it is only permitted to those who are of imperfect faith and live rather under Moses than under Christ Wherefore such worship of the saints is a thing to be tolerated only on account of the weak, not to be extolled as a thing worthy of a Christian life. Think a moment, whether any saint is famous among the people for giving chastity, patience, humility, faith, hope, charity and other spiritual goods. These things are not sought, nor have we any saints who, for the sake of such things, have crowds of worshippers, churches and special services. St. Lawrence is worshipped for fire, Sebastian for the plague, Martin and even that unknown St. Roch on account of poverty, St. Anna with her son-in-law and the blessed Virgin for many things, St. Valentine for epilepsy, Job for the French itch; and thus Scholastica, Bar- bara, Catharine, Apollonia, in short, all famous saints are famous for some temporal goods, and so famous that they are preferred to the apostles, though they would be little esteemed if no one needed temporal goods nor cared for them.* Why should we not invoke St. Paul to bring our minds out of the ignorance of Christ, just as we do St. Christopher, for I know not what nocturnal folly ? Such worshippers I say, if they are weak, are to be tolerated, and gradually instructed to know better, condemn corporal and seek spiritual blessings, so that we may not always be children under Moses, but may at last

timni, pnbliahed first 1503, and often. Reprinted, Erasmi opera (Lugduno Batavonim, 1703)1 ▼• ^6. There are sereral passages in Luther's sermons parallel to it, e. g., Weimar. L 130-1 (February a, 15 17); >▼• 639-41 (I>eceraber 4, i5>7?); and strongest of all, i. 4ao. In this passage Luther says that the worship of the saints has gone to far that it would be better that their names were not known and their feasts abolished. The sermons of which this is one were first given from the summer of 1516 to Lent 15 17, but were not published until July, 1518, when they were more or less retouched. I am inclined to agree with Barge (Hittoriseher Zeitschrift, ic. 271) that passages like the one just quoted were probably put in at the later date.
 * Tliis whole passage it clearly an echo of Erasmus' Enchiridion militis Chris-

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