These are indeed great and grievous dangers and oppositions, which each Christian must bear, and grievous enough are they, if but one alone had to be borne. Therefore, we should be urged by these to invoke and pray God incessantly, while we are in this depraved life, in which we are assailed, pursued, and persecuted on every side, not to let us become faint and weary, and fall back again into sin, shame, and unbelief; for otherwise, it is impossible to overcome even the slightest attack.

Now, this may be termed not leading us into temptation, if God gives us power and strength to withstand it; although the temptation be not removed nor defeated. For temptation and enticement no one can avoid, while we live in the flesh, and the devil surrounds us; and there is no other alternative, we must endure temptations, yes, we must be involved in them: but here we pray, that we may not fall into them, and be overwhelmed.

To feel temptation, therefore, and to consent or agree to it, are things very different. We must all feel temptations, not however, all alike; but some more numerous and severe ones than others: for instance, youth are especially infested by the temptations of the flesh; again, the adult and the aged are tempted by the world; but others who are engaged in spiritual matters, that is, stronger Christians, are tempted by the devil. But this feeling, since it is repugnant to our will, and since we would rather be freed from it, can injure no one; for if it were not felt, it could not be called a temptation. But we give our consent to them, when we indulge in them through our loose habits, without resisting or praying against them.

Therefore, we Christians must be prepared for, and daily expect the incessant attacks of temptation, so that no one may proceed as securely and carelessly as if the devil were far from us; but we should everywhere await the stroke, and avert it. For although I may now be chaste, patient, and cheerful, and in firm faith, still the devil can in this hour hurl such a dart into my heart, that I can scarcely withstand it; for he is a foe who never ceases nor becomes weary, so that if one temptation discontinues, other and new ones continually succeed.

Under these difficulties, then, there is no other resource nor remedy remaining, but to appeal to the Lord's Prayer, and thus converse with God from the heart: "Thou hast ordered me, beloved Father, to pray, let me not fall back through temptation." Thus you will perceive that the temptation will be diminished, and finally be overcome. Otherwise, if you undertake to help yourself by your own

thoughts and counsels, you will render it worse, and give the devil more room; for he has a serpent's head, which, gaining a chasm, through which it can pass, draws his whole body along unimpeded; but this prayer can check it and repel him.

THE SEVENTH AND LAST PETITION.

But deliver us from evil. Amen.

This article reads thus in the Greek : αλλα ρύσαι ημας από του πονηρού. Deliver or preserve us from evil or the wicked one; and it appears even as if he spoke concerning the devil, and as if he wished to comprehend all in one mass, so that the whole sum of all our prayers may be directed against our chief enemy. For he it is, who impedes among us all that we pray for-the name or honor of God, the kingdom and will of God, daily bread, peaceful and joyful conscience, &c.

We shall, therefore, in conclusion, bring these things all together, and say: "Grant, beloved Father, that we may be liberated from all misfortunes." Yet whatever evil may befall us, under the kingdom of the devil, is however included-poverty, shame, death, and in a word, all the distressing calamities and afflictions, which are so innumerable on earth. For the devil, since he is not only a liar, but also a murderer, seeks continually after our lives, and wreaks his anger to bring us into misfortunes and injuries. Hence it is, that he causes many a one to break his neck, deprives many of the use of their minds, others he causes to drown themselves, and many he forces to commit suicide, and to do many other terrible crimes. Therefore, while we remain on earth, it requires all that we can do to pray continually against this chief enemy. For if God would not preserve us, we would not be secure a single hour in consequence of this foe.

Hence you perceive again how God desires us to entreat him for all things, even in reference to those which injure our bodies, so that we may neither seek nor await assistance from any other source but from him. This however he has laid down in the last place; for if we shall be preserved and delivered from all evil, the name of God must first be hallowed in us, his kingdom be among us, and his will be done; then he will finally guard us against sin and shame, moreover, from all that is grievous or pernicious to us.

Thus God has briefly enumerated all the necessities, by which we may be pressed, so that we indeed can have no excuse for neglecting prayer. But upon this the efficacy of prayer depends, that we also

learn to say, in addition, Amen; that is, not to doubt that it is assuredly heard, and will be granted. For it is nothing else but a word of indubitable faith, praying not with uncertainty, but knowing that God does not deny it, since he has promised to grant it. Wherever such faith does not exist, there it is also impossible for a true prayer to be. It is therefore a pernicious conceit in those, who so pray that they dare not add the word Amen to the end of their prayer and conclude with certainty that God hears it, but remain in doubt, and say: "How should I feel so daring, and presume that God hears my prayer? Am I not still a miserable sinner?" &c.

They act in this way, because they do not view the promises of God, but look upon their own works and worthiness, thus contemning God and charging him with falsehood; for this reason they also receive nothing, as St. James, 1, 6, 7, says: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind, and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." Behold, how much God is concerned about these things, in order that we should be certain that we do not pray in vain! we should therefore by no means vilify our prayer.

PART IV.

OF BAPTISM.

We have now completed the three chief articles of the common Christian doctrine. Besides these, it remains yet for us to speak of our two sacraments, instituted by Christ, concerning which each Christian should have at least some general information, since there can be no Christian without them; although, alas! hitherto nothing has been taught concerning them. We shall, in the first place, however, take up the subject of baptism, through which we are first taken into the community of Christians. But in order that it may be clearly understood, we shall treat it in regular order, and adhere to that alone which is necessary for us to know. For the manner in which it is to be maintained and defended against heretics and factions, we shall commit to the learned.

In the first place, it is above all things necessary to be well acquainted with the words, upon which baptism is founded, and in which consists all that is to be said about it, viz: where Christ, the Lord, Matt. 28, 19, says:

Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Again, in the last chapter of Mark:

He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. Mark 16, 16.

You should in the first place observe, that in these words the command and institution of God are embraced, so that no one may doubt baptism to be a divine thing, not devised or invented by men. For as I can declare with certainty, that no person has produced the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer out of his own imagination, but God himself has revealed and given them; so I can likewise assert without hesitation, that baptism is not a human device, but instituted by God himself; and besides, it is earnestly and strictly commanded that we must permit ourselves to be baptized, or we shall not be saved; lest any one should think it a thing so light as the putting on of a new scarlet garment. For the efficacy of baptism depends upon the divine command, and on account of this we esteem baptism excellent and magnificent; concerning this we mostly strive and contend, since the world is now so full of sects, who exclaim, baptism is an external thing, and an external thing is useless. But let an external thing be as it may, here stand the word and command of God however, by which baptism is instituted and confirmed; but whatever God institutes and commands to be done, can certainly not be a useless, but it must be a thing exceedingly precious, even if it were in appearance less than a mite of straw. If the pope's distributing indulgences with his letters and bulls, or confirming altars or churches by them could hitherto be esteemed highly, alone for the sake of the letter and the seal: so we should esteem baptism much higher and more precious, because God has commanded it, and be'cause it is administered in his name; for thus read the words: Go, and baptize, but not in your name, but in the name of God.

For to be baptized in the name of God, is not to be baptized by man, but by God himself. For this reason, even if it is administered through the hand of man, it is nevertheless truly God's own work; hence each one can easily conclude for himself that it is much sublimer than any work done by a saint or by any other man. For what work can be performed that is greater than the work of God? But here the devil is most carefully occupied in deceiving us with a false appear

ance, and of leading us from the work of God to our own performance. For it seems to be much more splendid and precious if a Carthusian friar performs many great and laborious works, and all of us esteem our own works and merits much more than those of God. But the Scripture teaches thus, that even if all the works of the monks were collected in a mass, no matter how precious they might appear, it would still not be as noble and good as if God lifts up a mite of straw. Why? Because the person is nobler and better. Now, here we must estimate not the person according to the works, but the works according to the person, from whom they must receive their dignity and value. But human reason will not thus esteem baptism; and because it does not shine like the works which we perform, we imagine it must avail nothing.

Learn, then, from these remarks to form a proper view of this matter, and to reply to the question, What is baptism?—namely thus: It is not merely simple water, but it is water comprehended in the word and command of God, and through this it is sanctified, so that it is nothing other than divine water, not that the water in itself is more noble than other water, but because the word and command of God has come to it. For this reason, it is nothing but the villainy and illusion of the devil, that our new spirits at the present day, for the purpose of degrading baptism, separate from it the word and institution of God, and view but the water, which is dipped out of the fountain, and then exclaim with foaming lips: "What shall a handful of water help the soul?" Yes, beloved reader, who does not know that if it is taken separate, water is water? But how dare you thus to plunge into the order of God, and tear asunder the best treasure, with which God has bound and comprehended it, and which he will by no means have separated from it? For the word and the command and the name of God is the nucleus in the water,-a treasure which is greater and nobler than heaven and earth.

In this manner, then, learn to discern that the water of baptism is quite a different thing to all other water, not on account of the natural substance, but because here something more noble comes to it. For God himself honors it with his name, and purifies it with his holiness. For this reason, it is not only natural water, but divine, heavenly, holy, and blissful water, and in whatever way it can be extolled more still, all for the sake of the word, which is a heavenly, holy word which no one can praise sufficiently; for it has and possesses all that is God's; hence it also receives its essence, that it deserves the appellation of sacrament, as St. Augustine also has taught: Accedat ver