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Preface |
| The 10 Commandments |
| The Apostle's Creed |
| The Lord's Prayer |
| Holy Baptism |
| Confession |
| The Lord's Supper |
| Prayers |
| Table of Duties |
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The Small Catechism
Preface
Martin
Luther to All Faithful and Godly Pastors and Preachers:
Grace, Mercy, and Peace in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
1]
The deplorable, miserable condition which I discovered
lately when I, too, was a visitor, has forced and urged me
to prepare [publish] this Catechism, or Christian doctrine,
in this small, plain, simple form. 2] Mercy! Good
God! what manifold misery I beheld! The common people,
especially in the villages, have no knowledge whatever of
Christian doctrine, and, alas! many pastors are altogether
incapable and incompetent to teach [so much so, that one is
ashamed to speak of it]. 3] Nevertheless, all
maintain that they are Christians, have been baptized and
receive the [common] holy Sacraments. Yet they [do not
understand and] cannot [even] recite either the
Lord's Prayer, or the Creed, or the Ten Commandments; they
live like dumb brutes and irrational hogs; and yet, now that
the Gospel has come, they have nicely learned to abuse all
liberty like experts.
4] O
ye bishops! [to whom this charge has been committed by God,]
what will ye ever answer to Christ for having so shamefully
neglected the people and never for a moment discharged your
office? [You are the persons to whom alone this ruin of the
Christian religion is due. 5] You have permitted men
to err so shamefully; yours is the guilt; for you have ever
done anything rather than what your office required you to
do.] May all misfortune flee you! [I do not wish at this
place to invoke evil on your heads.] You command the
Sacrament in one form [but is not this the highest
ungodliness coupled with the greatest impudence that you are
insisting on the administration of the Sacrament in one form
only, and on your traditions] and insist on your human laws,
and yet at the same time you do not care in the least [while
you are utterly without scruple and concern] whether the
people know the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten
Commandments, or any part of the Word of God. Woe, woe, unto
you forever!
6]
Therefore I entreat [and adjure] you all for God's sake, my
dear sirs and brethren, who are pastors or preachers, to
devote yourselves heartily to your office, to have pity on
the people who are entrusted to you, and to help us
inculcate the Catechism upon the people, and especially upon
the young. And let those of you who cannot do better [If any
of you are so unskilled that you have absolutely no
knowledge of these matters, let them not be ashamed to] take
these tables and forms and impress them, word for word, on
the people, as follows:--
7]
In the first place, let the preacher above all be careful to
avoid many kinds of or various texts and forms of the Ten
Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Sacraments,
etc., but choose one form to which he adheres, and which he
inculcates all the time, year after year. For [I give this
advice, however, because I know that] young and simple
people must be taught by uniform, settled texts and forms,
otherwise they easily become confused when the teacher
to-day teaches them thus, and in a year some other way, as
if he wished to make improvements, and thus all effort and
labor [which has been expended in teaching] is lost.
8]
Also our blessed fathers understood this well; for they all
used the same form of the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the
Ten Commandments. Therefore we, too, should [imitate their
diligence and be at pains to] teach the young and simple
people these parts in such a way as not to change a
syllable, or set them forth and repeat them one year
differently than in another [no matter how often we teach
the Catechism].
9]
Hence, choose whatever form you please, and adhere to it
forever. But when you preach in the presence of learned and
intelligent men, you may exhibit your skill, and may present
these parts in as varied and intricate ways and give them as
masterly turns as you are able. 10] But with the
young people stick to one fixed, permanent form and manner,
and teach them, first of all, these parts, namely, the Ten
Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, etc., according
to the text, word for word, so that they, too, can repeat it
in the same manner after you and commit it to memory.
11]
But those who are unwilling to learn it should be told that
they deny Christ and are no Christians, neither should they
be admitted to the Sacrament, accepted as sponsors at
baptism, nor exercise any part of Christian liberty, but
should simply be turned back to the Pope and his officials,
yea, to the devil himself. 12] Moreover, their
parents and employers should refuse them food and drink, and
[they would also do well if they were to] notify them that
the prince will drive such rude people from the country,
etc.
13]
For although we cannot and should not force any one to
believe, yet we should insist and urge the people that they
know what is right and wrong with those among whom they
dwell and wish to make their living. For whoever desires to
reside in a town must know and observe the town laws, the
protection of which he wishes to enjoy, no matter whether he
is a believer or at heart and in private a rogue or knave.
14]
In the second place, after they have well learned the text,
then teach them the sense also, so that they know what it
means, and again choose the form of these tables, or some
other brief uniform method, whichever you like, and adhere
to it, and do not change a single syllable, 15] as
was just said regarding the text; and take your time to it.
16] For it is not necessary that you take up all the
parts at once, but one after the other. After they
understand the First Commandment well, then take up the
Second, and so on, otherwise they will be overwhelmed, so as
not to be able to retain any well.
17]
In the third place, after you have thus taught them this
Short Catechism, then take up the Large Catechism, and give
them also a richer and fuller knowledge. Here explain at
large every commandment, [article,] petition, and part with
its various works, uses, benefits, dangers, and injuries, as
you find these abundantly stated in many books written about
these matters. 18] And particularly, urge that
commandment or part most which suffers the greatest neglect
among your people. For instance, the Seventh Commandment,
concerning stealing, must be strenuously urged among
mechanics and merchants, and even farmers and servants, for
among these people many kinds of dishonesty and thieving
prevail. So, too, you must urge well the Fourth Commandment
among the children and the common people, that they may be
quiet and faithful, obedient and peaceable, and you must
always adduce many examples from the Scriptures to show how
God has punished or blessed such persons.
19]
Especially should you here urge magistrates and parents to
rule well and to send their children to school, showing them
why it is their duty to do this, and what a damnable sin
they are committing if they do not do it. For by such
neglect they overthrow and destroy both the kingdom of God
and that of the world, acting as the worst enemies both of
God and of men. 20] And make it very plain to them
what an awful harm they are doing if they will not help to
train children to be pastors, preachers, clerks [also for
other offices, with which we cannot dispense in this life],
etc., and that God will punish them terribly for it. For
such preaching is needed. [Verily, I do not know of any
other topic that deserves to be treated as much as this.]
Parents and magistrates are now sinning unspeakably in this
respect. The devil, too, aims at something cruel because of
these things [that he may hurl Germany into the greatest
distress].
21]
Lastly, since the tyranny of the Pope has been abolished,
people are no longer willing to go to the Sacrament and
despise it [as something useless and unnecessary]. Here
again urging is necessary, however, with this understanding:
22] We are to force no one to believe, or to receive
the Sacrament, nor fix any law, nor time, nor place for it,
but are to preach in such a manner that of their own accord,
without our law, they will urge themselves and, as it were,
compel us pastors to administer the Sacrament. This is done
by telling them: Whoever does not seek or desire the
Sacrament at least some four times a year, it is to be
feared that he despises the Sacrament and is no Christian,
just as he is no Christian who does not believe or hear the
Gospel; for Christ did not say, This omit, or, This despise,
but, This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, etc.
Verily, He wants it done, and not entirely neglected and
despised. This do ye, He says.
23]
Now, whoever does not highly value the Sacrament thereby
shows that he has no sin, no flesh, no devil, no world, no
death, no danger, no hell; that is, he does not believe any
such things, although he is in them over head and ears and
is doubly the devil's own. On the other hand, he needs no
grace, life, Paradise, heaven, Christ, God, nor anything
good. For if he believed that he had so much that is evil,
and needed so much that is good, he would not thus neglect
the Sacrament, by which such evil is remedied and so much
good is bestowed. Neither will it be necessary to force him
to the Sacrament by any law, but he will come running and
racing of his own accord, will force himself and urge you
that you must give him the Sacrament.
24]
Hence, you must not make any law in this matter, as the Pope
does. Only set forth clearly the benefit and harm, the need
and use, the danger and the blessing, connected with this
Sacrament, and the people will come of themselves without
your compulsion. But if they do not come, let them go and
tell them that such belong to the devil as do not regard nor
feel their great need and the gracious help of God. 25]
But if you do not urge this, or make a law or a bane of it,
it is your fault if they despise the Sacrament. How could
they be otherwise than slothful if you sleep and are silent?
26] Therefore look to it, ye pastors and preachers. Our
office is now become a different thing from what it was
under the Pope; it is now become serious and salutary.
Accordingly, it now involves much more trouble and labor,
danger and trials, 27] and, in addition thereto,
little reward and gratitude in the world. But Christ Himself
will be our reward if we labor faithfully. To this end may
the Father of all grace help us, to whom be praise and
thanks forever through Christ, our Lord! Amen.
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