De fidei efficacia
De fidei efficacia
This too must be observed: that works are like fruits, judgments, testimonies, and signs of the Spirit, as Christ said in Matthew. You will know them by their fruits. For it cannot happen that hypocrisy is concealed forever, and faith cannot help but express itself, so that in all creatures it serves God with the utmost devotion, just as a dutiful son does with a loving father. For when we have tasted the mercy of God through faith and have recognized His divine goodness through the word of the Gospel, which forgives sins and promises grace for sin, the soul cannot help but love God in return and express gratitude in some way for such great mercy. This is what Paul said most significantly in Romans. We cry out in faith: Abba, Father. Now, because a mind truly submits itself to God, ambition, rivalry, envy, greed, and pleasures, along with their fruits, are choked; it becomes humble, hates itself, abominates all its desires, and as Paul aptly says in Romans, it is truly transformed. Now they are ashamed of those things we once enjoyed. So, he pours himself out for everyone around him, serves them, offers himself for their use, leads them according to their needs, and does everything with everyone openly, sincerely, without ambition, and without malice. The effectiveness of faith is such that it becomes clear from its fruits, in the hearts of those in whom true faith resides. Regarding such faith, it is directed to the Galatians. Paul writes: In Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but faith, which is effective through love. Faith, it is said, is valid in Christ; furthermore, this faith is such that it pours itself out through love in service to others. And John speaks excellently. IY, ss. Everyone who loves their brother is born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. And II. In your faith, supply virtue; in virtue, knowledge; in knowledge, self-control; in self-control, patience; in patience, godliness; in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. If these qualities are present in us, they will ensure that our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is not unfruitful. In this way, Peter, through faith, connects the beautiful branches to the root, inserting the remaining virtues, so that faith is accompanied by strength, which is fervor and the drive to mortify the flesh. But let knowledge govern that fervor, so that each part may be properly attended to in the body. Let there be some reason for the body to be subdued so that it may serve the spirit, as we use the words of Paul, and not be led astray. Let the body be kept in check for the sake of the spirit, so that it doesn't indulge in excess, and let it be temperate. Now, in addition to temperance, let there be a tolerance for evils. Many are indeed temperate, but they are unyieldingly offended. Let piety accompany tolerance, which means that we should bear adversities not only calmly in front of others but also before God, giving thanks to Him who may mortify us, without being indignant at the will of God, just as the Israelites who perished in the desert complained against the will of God. May devotion inspire brotherly love, so that we may rightly deserve well of those who pour themselves out in love. Is it not a psalm? It is a verse that Luther referred to in the above text. We pursue them so that we may invite our enemies with kindness. Ultimately, let it come from a sincere heart, so that we may love everyone equally and genuinely. You have the essence of the entire Christian life; faith along with its fruits. We shouldn't distinguish the kinds and forms of virtues in the manner of philosophers and Scholastics, categorizing them into moral, theological, gifts, and fruits, as Aquinas ineptly did with his own. Faith is the unique sense of God's mercy, which is the source and life of all good works.
Read the original Latin
Jam hoc quoque spectandum est, quod opera ut fructus, itaiudicia, testimonia, signa spiritus sunt, ut Christus Matth.
VII, ait: Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos.
Nam fieri nequit, ut perpetuo dissimuletur hypocrisis et fides non potest non effundere se, quin in omnibus creaturis Deo cupidissime serviat ut pio patri pius filius solet.
Nam ubi fide degustavimus misericordiam Dei et cognovimus bonitatem divinam per verbum evangelii, condonantis peccata, promittentis gratiam peccati: non potest animus non redamare Deum ac gestire et velut gratitudinem suam mutuo aliquo officio pro tanta misericordia testari.
Quod significantissime dixit Paulus Rom.
VIII,: Fide nos clamare: abba pater.
Jam quia vere se talis mens subiicit Deo, ambitio, aemulatio, livor, invidentia, avaritia, voluptates et horum fructus iugulantur, humilia sapit, sese odit, suas cupiditates omnes abominatur et, quod aptissime dicit Paulus Rom.
VI,: Jam pudet eorum, quibus antea fruebamur.
Effundit ergo se in proximos quosque, illis inservit, illis se praebet utendum, illorum necessitatem pro suo ducit, omnia cum omnibus candide, sinceriter, nihil ambitiose, nihil maligne agit.
Haec efficacia fidei est, ut ex his fructibus facile appareat, in quorum cordibus vera fides sit.
De tali fide ad Galat.
Paulus scribit: In Christo Jesu neque circumcisio aliquid calet neque praeputium, sed fides, quae per caritatem efficax est.
Fidem dicit in Christo valere, deinde eam fidem eiusmodi esse, quae se per caritatem effundat in usu proximi.
Et egregie Johannes I.
IY, ss. :, Omnis, qui diligit fratrem suum, ex Deo natus est et cognoscit Deum.
Qui non diligit, non novit Deum, quod Deus caritas sit.
Et II.
Petri I, —: Subministrate in fide vestra virtutem, in virtute vero scientiam, in scientia vero temperantiam; in temperantia vero patientiam, rursus in patientia pietatem, in pietate autem fraternam caritatem, in fraterna vero caritate dilectionem.
Haec enim si adfuerint nobis, efficient, ut ne sit infrugifera cognitio Domini nostri Jesu Christi.
Qua gradatione Petrus fidei, v Digitized by Google velat radici, pulcherrimos ramos, reliquas virtutes inserit, ut fidem virtus, id est fervor et impetus mortificandae carnis comitetur.
Sed eum fervorem regat scientia, ut suum quoque pensum corpori praestetur.
Sit aliqua ratio, qua domitum corpus serviat spiritui fvitgocedgcog, ut Paulino verbo utamur, non interimatur ).
Rursum eatenus serviatur necessitati corporis, ut ne luxuriet, ut temperans sit.
Jam praeter temperantiam et malorum tolerantia accedat.
Sunt enim temperantes plerique, sed offensi implacabiles.
Tolerantiam comitetur pietas, hoc est, ut adversa non modo coram hominibus placide feramus, sed etiam coram Deo, gratias illi agentes, qui nos mortificet °), nihil indignantes voluntati Dei, sicut fremebant adversus, voluntatem Dei Israelitae, qui in deserto periere.
Pietas efficiat fraternam caritatem, hoc est, ut de iis ipsis bene mereamur, qui se per caritatem effundens; so zu unserer Stelle vgl.
an Ps. , sein, welchen Vers Luther ja obigen Textesworten Loci commane«.
nos persequuntur, ut inimicos beneficiis invitemus.
Demum, ut id ex sincero pectore proficiscatur, ut in universum omnes ex aequo', candide diligamus. - Summam habes universae vitae christianae; fidem cum fructibus suis.
Nec est, quod virtutum genera et formas distinguamus philosophorum et Scholasticorum more, in morales, theologicas, dona, fructus, quemadmodum Aquinas ineptiit cum suis ).
Unica fides est, sensus misericordiae Dei, quae omnium bonorum, operum et fons et vita et rectrix est.
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