berty of a Christian Man_ (1520).

[78] Cf. Terence's _surdo narrare fabulam. Heauton.,_ 222.

A TREATISE ON GOOD WORKS,

TOGETHER WITH THE LETTER OF DEDICATION

1520

INTRODUCTION

1. The Occasion of the Work.--Luther did not impose himself as a
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,[1]

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 iss