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001 - Preface · Small Catechism

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  Speaker 1: Preface of the Small Catechism. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The
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  Speaker 1: Small Catechism by Martin Luther, translated by F. Bente and W. H. T. Dow.
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  Speaker 1: Luther's Preface to the Small Catechism Martin Luther to all
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  Speaker 1: faithful and godly pastors and preachers, Grace, mercy, and peace
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  Speaker 1: in Jesus Christ, our Lord. The deplorable, miserable condition which
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  Speaker 1: I discovered lately when I too was a visitor, has
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  Speaker 1: forced and urged me to prepare publish this Catechism or
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  Speaker 1: Christian doctrine in this small, plain, simple form. Mercy, Good God,
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  Speaker 1: what manifold misery I beheld? The common people, especially in
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  Speaker 1: the villages, have no knowledge whatever of Christian doctrine, and
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  Speaker 1: alas many pastors are altogether incapable in incompetent to teach,
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  Speaker 1: so much so that one is ashamed to speak of it. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: all maintain that they are Christians, have been baptized and
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  Speaker 1: receive the common holy sacraments. Yet they do not understand
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  Speaker 1: and cannot even recite either the Lord's Prayer or the
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  Speaker 1: Creed or the Ten Commandments. They live like dumb brutes
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  Speaker 1: and irrational hogs. And yet now that the Gospel has come,
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  Speaker 1: they have nicely learned to abuse all liberty like experts. O,
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  Speaker 1: ye bishops, to whom this charge has been committed by God?
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  Speaker 1: What will ye ever answer to Christ for having so
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  Speaker 1: shamefully neglected the people and never for a moment discharged
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  Speaker 1: your office. You are the persons to whom alone this
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  Speaker 1: ruin of the Christian religion is due. You have permitted
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  Speaker 1: men to err so shamefully. Yours is the guilt, for
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  Speaker 1: you have ever done anything rather than what your office
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  Speaker 1: required you to do. May all misfortune flee you. I
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  Speaker 1: do not wish at this place to invoke evil on
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  Speaker 1: your heads. You command the sacrament in one form, But
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  Speaker 1: is not this the highest ungodliness coupled with the greatest impudence,
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  Speaker 1: that you are insisting on the administration of the sacrament
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  Speaker 1: in one form only, and on your traditions, and insist
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  Speaker 1: on your human laws. And yet at the same time
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  Speaker 1: you do not care in the least while you are
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  Speaker 1: utterly without scruple and concern whether the people know the
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  Speaker 1: Lord's Prayer the Creed, the Ten Commandments, or any part
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  Speaker 1: of the Word of God. Woe woe unto you for ever.
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  Speaker 1: Therefore I entreat and adjure you all, for God's sake,
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  Speaker 1: my dear sirs and brethren, who are pastors or preachers,
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  Speaker 1: to devote yourselves heartily to your office, to have pity
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  Speaker 1: on the people who are entrusted to you, and to
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  Speaker 1: help us inculcate the Catechism upon the people, and especially
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  Speaker 1: upon the young. And let those of you who cannot
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  Speaker 1: do better. If any of you are so unskilled that
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  Speaker 1: you have absolutely no knowledge of these matters, let them
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  Speaker 1: not be ashamed to take thee the tables and forms
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  Speaker 1: and impressed them word for word on the people. As
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  Speaker 1: follows in the first place, Let the preacher above all
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  Speaker 1: be careful to avoid many kinds of or various texts
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  Speaker 1: and forms of the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed,
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  Speaker 1: the Sacraments, and so forth, but choose one form to
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  Speaker 1: which he adheres and which he inculcates all the time,
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  Speaker 1: year after year. For I give this advice, however, because
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  Speaker 1: I know that young and simple people must be taught
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  Speaker 1: by uniform, settled texts and forms. Otherwise they easily become
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  Speaker 1: confused when the teacher today teaches them thus and in
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  Speaker 1: a year some other way, as if he wished to
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  Speaker 1: make improvements, And thus all effort and labor which has
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  Speaker 1: been expended in teaching is lost. Also our blessed fathers
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  Speaker 1: understood this well, for they all used the same form
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: we too should imitate their diligence, and be it pains
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  Speaker 1: to teach the young and simple people these parts in
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  Speaker 1: such a way as not to change a syllable, or
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  Speaker 1: set them forth and repeat them one year differently than
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  Speaker 1: in another, no matter how often we teach the catechism. Hence,
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  Speaker 1: choose whatever form you please, and adhere to it forever.
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  Speaker 1: But when you preach in the presence of learned and
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  Speaker 1: intelligent men, you may exhibit your skill, and may present
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  Speaker 1: these parts in as varied in intricate ways, and give
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  Speaker 1: them as masterly turns as you are able. But with
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  Speaker 1: the young people, stick to one fixed, permanent form and manner,
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  Speaker 1: and teach them first of all these parts, namely the
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  Speaker 1: Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and so forth,
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  Speaker 1: according to the text word for word, so that they
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  Speaker 1: too can repeat it in the same manner after you,
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  Speaker 1: and commit it to memory. But those who are unwilling
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  Speaker 1: to learn it should be told that they deny Christ
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  Speaker 1: and are no Christians. Neither should they be admitted to
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  Speaker 1: the sacrament, accepted as sponsors at baptism, nor exercise any
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  Speaker 1: part of Christian liberty, which should simply be turned back
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  Speaker 1: to the Pope and his officials, yea to the devil himself. Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: their parents and employers should refuse them food and drink,
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  Speaker 1: and they would also do well if they were to
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  Speaker 1: notify them that the Prince will drive such rude people
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  Speaker 1: from the country and so forth. For although we cannot
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  Speaker 1: and should not force any one to believe, yet we
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  Speaker 1: should insist and urge the people that they know what
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  Speaker 1: is right and wrong with those among whom they dwell
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  Speaker 1: and wish to make their living. For whoever desires to
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  Speaker 1: reside in a town must know and observe the town laws,
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  Speaker 1: the protection of which he wishes to enjoy, no matter
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  Speaker 1: whether he is a believer or at heart and in
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  Speaker 1: private a rogue or knave. In the second place, after
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  Speaker 1: they have well learned the text, then teach them the
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  Speaker 1: sense also so that they know what it means. And
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  Speaker 1: again choose the form of these tables or some other
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  Speaker 1: brief uniform method, which ever you like, and adhere to it,
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  Speaker 1: and do not change a single syllable, as was just
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  Speaker 1: said regarding the text, and take your time to it,
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  Speaker 1: for it is not necessary that you take up all
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  Speaker 1: the parts at once, but one after the other. After
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  Speaker 1: they understand the first commandment well, then take up the second,
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  Speaker 1: and so on, otherwise they will be overwhelmed so as
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  Speaker 1: not to be able to retain any well in the
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  Speaker 1: third place. After you have thus taught them this short catechism,
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  Speaker 1: then take up the large Catechism and give them also
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  Speaker 1: a richer and fuller knowledge. Here explain at large every commandment, article, petition,
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  Speaker 1: and part with its various works, uses, benefits, dangers, and injuries,
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  Speaker 1: as you find these abundantly stated in many books written
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  Speaker 1: about these matters, and particularly urge that commandment or part
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  Speaker 1: most which suffers the greatest neglect among your people. For instance,
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  Speaker 1: the seventh commandment concerning and stealing must be strenuously urged
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  Speaker 1: among mechanics and merchants, and even farmers and servants, For
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  Speaker 1: among these people many kinds of dishonesty and thieving prevail.
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  Speaker 1: So too, you must urge well the fourth commandment among
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  Speaker 1: the children and the common people, that they may be
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  Speaker 1: quiet and faithful, obedient and peaceable. And you must always
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  Speaker 1: adduce many examples from the scriptures to show how God
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  Speaker 1: has punished or blessed such persons. Especially should you here
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  Speaker 1: urge magistrates and parents to rule well and to send
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  Speaker 1: their children to school, showing them why it is their
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  Speaker 1: duty to do this, and what a damnable sin they
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  Speaker 1: are committing if they do not do it. For by
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  Speaker 1: such neglect they overthrow and destroy both the kingdom of
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  Speaker 1: God and that of the world, acting as the worst
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  Speaker 1: enemies both of God and of men. And make it
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  Speaker 1: very plain to them what an awful harm they are
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  Speaker 1: doing if they will not help to train children to
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  Speaker 1: be pastors, preachers, clerks, also for other offices will which
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  Speaker 1: we cannot dispense in this life and so forth, and
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  Speaker 1: that God will punish them terribly for it, For such
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  Speaker 1: preaching is needed. Verily, I do not know of any
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  Speaker 1: other topic that deserves to be treated as much as this.
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  Speaker 1: Parents and magistrates are now sinning unspeakably in this respect.
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  Speaker 1: The devil too aims at something cruel because of these things,
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  Speaker 1: that he may hurl Germany into the greatest distress. Lastly,
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  Speaker 1: since the tyranny of the pope has been abolished, people
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  Speaker 1: are no longer willing to go to the sacrament and
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  Speaker 1: despise it as something useless and unnecessary. Here again urging
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  Speaker 1: is necessary. However, with this understanding, we are to force
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  Speaker 1: no one to believe or to receive the sacrament, nor
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  Speaker 1: fix any law, nor time nor place for it, but
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  Speaker 1: are to preach in such a manner that of their
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  Speaker 1: own accord, without our law, they will urge themselves, and
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  Speaker 1: as it were, compel us pastors to administer the sacrament.
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  Speaker 1: This is done by telling them. Whoever does not secret
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  Speaker 1: desire the sacrament at least some four times a year,
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  Speaker 1: it is to be feared that he despises the sacrament
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  Speaker 1: and is no Christian, just as he is no Christian
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  Speaker 1: who does not believe or hear the Gospel. For Christ
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  Speaker 1: did not say this omit or this despise, But this
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  Speaker 1: do ye, as oft as ye drink it. So forth
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  Speaker 1: verily he wants it done, and not entirely neglected and despised.
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  Speaker 1: This do ye He says now, whoever does not highly
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  Speaker 1: value the sacrament, thereby shows that he has no sin,
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  Speaker 1: no flesh, no devil, no world, no death, no danger,
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  Speaker 1: no hell. That is, he does not believe any such things,
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  Speaker 1: although he is in them over head and ears, and
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  Speaker 1: is doubly the devil's own. On the other hand, he
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  Speaker 1: needs no grace, life, paradise, heaven, Christ, God, or anything good.
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  Speaker 1: For if he believed that he had so much that
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  Speaker 1: is evil and needed so much that is good, he
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  Speaker 1: would not thus neglect the sacrament by which such evil
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  Speaker 1: is remedied and so much good is bestowed. Neither will
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  Speaker 1: it be necessary to force him to the sacrament by
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  Speaker 1: any law, But he will come, running and racing of
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  Speaker 1: his own accord, will force himself and urge you that
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  Speaker 1: you must give him the sacrament. Hence, you must not
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  Speaker 1: make any law in this matter, as the Pope does
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  Speaker 1: only set forth clearly the benefit and harm, the need
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  Speaker 1: and use, the danger, and the blessing connected with this sacrament,
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  Speaker 1: And the people will come of themselves without your compulsion.
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  Speaker 1: That if they do not come, let them go and
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  Speaker 1: tell them that such belong to the devil, as do
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  Speaker 1: not regard nor feel their great need and gracious help
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  Speaker 1: of God. But if you do not urge this or
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  Speaker 1: make a law or a bane of it, it is
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  Speaker 1: your fault. If they despise the sacrament, how could they
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  Speaker 1: be otherwise than slothful? If you sleep and are silent.
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  Speaker 1: Therefore look to it, ye, pastors and preachers. Our office
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  Speaker 1: is now become a different thing from what it was
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  Speaker 1: under the Pope. It is now become serious and salutary. Accordingly,
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  Speaker 1: it now involves much more trouble and labor, dangers and trials.
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  Speaker 1: And in addition, there too little reward and gratitude in
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  Speaker 1: the world. But Christ himself will be our reward if
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  Speaker 1: we labor faithfully to this end. May the Father of
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  Speaker 1: all grace help us to whom be praise and thanks
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  Speaker 1: forever through Christ our Lord. Amen. End of the preface.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Jonathan Lange.