Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

Confer now herewith those things which are wont commonly to be spoken of honesty and righteousness. Are they not wont thus to say? I will endeavour, that I may yet become honest. It is meet surely that we study to lead an honest life and to do good works. Well, admit this to be so. But if one then ask them how we may apply our selves unto honesty, and by what means we may attain unto it: they answer, that we must fast, pray, frequent temples, avoid since &c.¹ Hereupon one becometh a Charterhouse Monk, an other chooseth some other order of monks: an other is consecrated a Priest: some torment their flesh by wearing hear cloth: other scourge their bodies with whips, other afflict themselves after other sorts. But these are even of Cains brood, & their works are no whit better then the works of Cain. For the man himself continueth the same that he was before, ungodly, and without all justification: there is a certain change made only of outward works, of apparel, of places &c. Neither are these any other than very apes of saints, for they do preposterously imitate the manners & works of saints, when as they themselves are nothing less than saints. They scarce think of faith, they presume only of such works as seem good unto themselves, thinking by them to come unto heaven. Of whom Christ said: Enter in at the straight gate: for I say unto you, many seek to enter in at it, & can not. Why is this? because they know not what this narrow gate is. For it is faith, which doth altogether annihilate or make a man nothing in his own eyes, & requireth that he put no trust in any of his own works, but that he lean only to the grace of God, & be prepared for it to leave & suffer all things. But those holy ones of Cains brood think their good works to be the narrow gate, & are not therefore extenuated, or made less, whereby they might enter: they do not leave confidence in their works, but gathering them together in great cowls, they hang them about them, and so go about to enter in being burdened, and as it were swollen big, which is as possible for them, as for a camel with his bunched back to go through the eye of a needle.

Confer now herewith those things which are wont commonly to be spoken of honestie and righteousnes. Are they not wont thus to say? I will endeuour, that I may yet become honest. It is meete surely that we study to lead an honest life and to do good workes. Well, admit this to be so. But if one thē aske them how we may applie our selues vnto honestie, and by what meanes we may attaine vnto it: they aunswere, that we must fast, praie, frequent temples, auoide synnes &c.