OF THE NATURE OF THE WORLD (2)

Covetousness is a Sign of Death; we must not rely on Money and Wealth.

Whoso hath money, said Luther, and depends thereon, as is usual, it neither proceeds nor prospers well with that person.  The richest monarchs have had bad fortune, and lamentably have been destroyed and slain in the wars; on the contrary, poor and unable people, that have had but small store of money, have overcome and had great fortune and victory.  As Emperor Maximilian overcame the Venetians, and continued wars ten years with them, who were exceedingly rich and powerful.  Therefore we ought not to trust in money and wealth, nor to depend thereon.  I hear, said Luther, that the Prince Elector, George, begins to be covetous, which is a sign of his death very shortly.  When I saw Dr. Goad begin to count his puddings hanging in the chimney, I told him he would not live long, which fell out accordingly; and when I begin to trouble myself about brewing, malting, and cooking, etc., then shall not I drive it long, but soon die.

The Popes’ Covetousness.

The covetousness of the Popes has exceeded all others’, therefore, said Luther, the devil made choice of Rome to be his habitation; for which cause the ancients have said, “Rome is a den of covetousness, a root of all wickedness.”  I have also read in a very old book this verse following:

      Versus Amor, Mundi Caput est, et Bestia Terræ.

That is (when the word Amor is turned and read backward, then it is Roma), Rome, the head of the world, a beast that sucketh out and devoureth all lands.  Truly at Rome is an abominable trading with covetousness, for all is raked to their hands without preaching or church-service, but only with superstition, idolatry, and with selling their good works to the poor ignorant lay-people for money; therefore St. Peter describeth such covetousness with express and clear words when he saith, “They have an heart exercised with covetous practices.”  I am persuaded a man cannot acknowledge the disease of covetousness unless he knoweth Rome; for the deceits and jugglings in other parts are nothing in comparison of those at Rome; therefore, anno 1521, at the Imperial Diet held at Worms, the State of the whole Empire made supplication against such covetousness, and desired that his Imperial Majesty would be pleased to suppress the same.

At that time, said Luther, my book was presented to the German nobility, which Dr. Wick showed unto me.  Then the Gospel began to go on well, but the Pope’s power, together with the Antinomians, gave it a great blow, and yet, notwithstanding, through God’s Providence, it was thereby furthered.

The Pope’s power was above all Kings and Emperors, which power I opposed with my little book; and therewith also I assaulted the Bull on the Pope, and, by God’s assistance, overthrew it.  I did not write that book on purpose against the Pope, but only against the abuses of Popedom; yet nevertheless it startled them quickly, for their consciences accused them.

Princes do draw and tear Spiritual Livings unto them.

The proverb is, said Luther, “Priests’ livings are catching livings,” and that “Priests’ goods never prosper.”  This we know to be true by experience, for such as have drawn spiritual livings unto them are grown poor thereby, and become beggars, therefore this Fable I like very well:

There was an Eagle that made amity and friendship with the Fox; they agreed to dwell peaceably together.  Now when the Fox expected from the Eagle all manner of good offices and turns, he brought his young ones and laid them under the tree on which the Eagle had his nest and young ones; but the friendship between them lasted not long, for so soon as the Eagle wanted meat for his young (the Fox being out of the way), he flew down and took the young Foxes and carried them into his nest, and therewith fed his young Eagles.  When, therefore, the old Fox returned, and saw that his young were taken away, he made his complaint to the great god Jupiter, desiring that he would revenge and punish that injury of Jus violati hospitii.  Not long after, as the Eagle again wanted meat to feed his young, he saw that on a place in the field they sacrificed to Jupiter.  The Eagle flew thither, and quickly snatched away a piece of roast from the altar and brought the same to his young, and flew again to fetch more; but it happened that a hot coal hung to one of the pieces; the same, falling into the Eagle’s nest, set it on fire; the young Eagles, not able to fly, were burned with the nest and fell to the ground.  Even so it usually fareth with those that rake and rend spiritual livings unto them, which are given to the maintaining of God’s honour and service; such at last must lose their nests, that is, they must be left destitute of their temporal goods and livings, and besides, must sustain hurt of body and soul.  Spiritual livings have in them the nature of Eagle’s feathers, for when they are laid to other feathers they devour the same.  Even so, when men will mingle spiritual livings (per fas aut nefas) with other goods, so must the same likewise be consumed, insomuch that at last nothing will be left.

I have seen a pretty dog, at Lintz, in Austria that was taught to go with a hand-basket to the butcher’s shambles for meat; now, when other dogs came about him, and would take the meat out of the basket, he set it down, bit and fought lustily with the other dogs; but when he saw they would be too strong for him, then he himself would snatch out the first piece of meat, lest he should lose all.  Even so doth now our Emperor Charles, who, after he hath a long time defended the spiritual livings, and seeth that every Prince taketh and raketh the monasteries unto himself, doth also now take possession of bishoprics, as newly he hath snatched to himself the bishoprics of Utrich and Luttich, to the end he may get also partem de tunica Christi.

A fearful Example of Covetousness.

A covetous farmer, well known at Erfurt, said Luther, carried his corn to sell there in the market; but holding it at too dear a rate, no man would buy of him nor give him his price; he being thereby moved to anger, said, “I will not sell it cheaper, but will rather carry it home again and give it to the mice.”  As he came home therewith, an innumerable number of mice and rats flocked about his house and devoured up all his corn.  And the next day following, going out to see his grounds, which were newly sown, he found that all the seed was eaten up, and no hurt at all done upon the grounds belonging to his neighbours.  This certainly, said Luther, was a just punishment from God, and a token of his wrath against the unthankful world.

Wealth is the least Gift of God.

Riches, said Luther, is the smallest thing on earth, and the least gift that God hath bestowed on mankind.  What is it in comparison of God’s Word? yea, what is it to be compared with corporeal gifts, as beauty, health, etc.? nay, what is it to the gifts of the mind, as understanding, art, wisdom, etc.?  Yet are men so eager after it that no labour, travel, nor danger is regarded in the getting of riches; there is in it neither Materialis, formalis, efficiens et finalis causa, nor anything else that is good; therefore our Lord God commonly giveth riches to such from whom he withholds all Spiritual good.

Giving to the Poor that truly stand in need of our Help.

St. John saith, “He that hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”  And Christ saith, “He that desireth of thee, give to him;” that is, to him that hath need and is in want.  He saith not to every idle, lazy, and wasteful companion, which commonly are the greatest beggars, to whom although one gave much and often, yet were they nothing helped thereby.  In this town, said Luther, no men are in greater want than the students and scholars.  The poverty here indeed is great, but idleness and laziness are far greater.  A man can scarcely get a poor body to work for money, and yet they will all beg.  There is, said he, no good government.  Though I were able, yet I would not give to those idle beggars, for the more one helpeth and giveth them, the more and oftener they come.  I will not cut my bread away from my wife and children, and give it to such; but when one is truly poor, to him I will give with all my heart, according to my ability.  And no man should forget that Scripture which saith, “He that hath two coats, let him part with one,” etc.; for the Holy Scripture, in naming a coat, meaneth all manner of apparel that one hath need of, according to his state and calling, as well for credit as for necessity.  As, also, by “the daily bread” is understood all maintenance necessary for the body, therefore “a coat,” in Scripture, is signified to be all usual apparel.

The World will always have new Things.

Before I translated the New Testament out of the Greek, said Luther, every one longed after it, to read therein, but when it was done their longing lasted scarce four weeks.  Then they desired the Books of Moses; when I had translated those, they had enough thereof in a short time.  After that they would have the Psalter; of the same they were soon weary; when it was translated, then they desired other books.

In like manner, said he, will it be with the Book of Ecclesiasticus, which they now long for, and about which I have taken great pains in the translating thereof.  All are acceptable, so long and until our giddy brains be satisfied; afterwards they let them lie, and seek after new things; therefore in the end there must come errors among us.