A Treatise on Good Works | Page 3

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A treatise on Good Works together with the Letter of Dedication by Dr.
Martin Luther, 1520

INTRODUCTION
1. The Occasion of the Work. -- Luther did not impose himself as
reformer upon the Church. In the course of a conscientious
performance of the duties of his office, to which he had been regularly
and divinely called, and without any urging on his part, he attained to
this position by inward necessity. In 1515 he received his appointment
as the standing substitute for the sickly city pastor, Simon Heinse, from
the city council of Wittenberg. Before this time he was obliged to
preach only occasionally in the convent, apart from his activity as
teacher in the University and convent. Through this appointment he
was in duty bound, by divine and human right, to lead and direct the
congregation at Wittenberg on the true way to life, and it would have
been a denial of the knowledge of salvation which God had led him to
acquire, by way of ardent inner struggles, if he had led the congregation
on any other way than the one God had revealed to him in His Word.
He could not deny before the congregation which had been intrusted to
his care, what up to this time he had taught with ever increasing
clearness in his lectures at the University -- for in the lectures on the
Psalms, which he began to deliver in 1513, he declares his conviction

that faith alone justifies, as can be seen from the complete manuscript,
published since 1885, and with still greater clearness from his
Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (1515-1516), which is
accessible since 1908; nor what he had urged as spiritual adviser of his
convent brethren when in deep distress -- compare the charming letter
to Georg Spenlein, dated April 8, 1516.
Luther's first literary works to appear in print were also occasioned by
the work of his calling and of his office in the Wittenberg congregation.
He had no other object in view than to edify his congregation and to
lead it to Christ when, in 1517, he published his first independent work,
the Explanation of the Seven Penitential Psalms. On Oct 31 of the same
year he published his 95 Theses against Indulgences. These were
indeed intended as controversial theses for theologians, but at the same
time it is well known that Luther was moved by his duty toward his
congregation to declare his position in this matter and to put in issue
the whole question as to the right and wrong of indulgences by means
of his theses. His sermon Of Indulgences and Grace, occasioned by
Tetzel's attack and delivered in the latter part of March, 1518, as well
as his sermon Of Penitence, delivered about the same time, were also
intended for his congregation. Before his congregation (Sept.,
1516-Feb., 1517) he delivered the Sermons on the Ten Commandments,
which were published in 1518 and the Sermons on the Lord's Prayer,
which were also published in 1518 by Agricola. Though Luther in the
same year published a series of controversial writings, which were
occasioned by attacks from outside sources, viz., the Resolutiones
disputationis de Virtute indulgentiarum, the Asterisci adversus
obeliscos Joh. Eccii, and the Ad dialogum Silv. Prieriatis responsio,
still he never was diverted by this necessary rebuttal from his
paramount duty, the edification of the congregation. The autumn of the
year 1518, when he was confronted with Cajetan, as well as the whole
year of 1519, when he held his disputations with Eck, etc., were replete
with disquietude and pressing labors; still Luther served his
congregation with a whole series of writings during this time, and only
regretted that he was not entirely at its disposal. Of such writings we
mention: Explanation of the Lord's Prayer for the simple Laity (an
elaboration of the sermons of 1517); Brief Explanation of the Ten

Commandments; Instruction concerning certain Articles, which might
be ascribed and imputed to him by his adversaries; Brief Instruction
how to Confess; Of Meditation on the Sacred Passion of Christ; Of
Twofold Righteousness; Of the Matrimonial Estate; Brief Form to
understand and to pray the Lord's Prayer; Explanation of the Lord's
Prayer "vor sich und hinter sich"; Of Prayer and Processions in
Rogation Week; Of Usury; Of