t, or whether they had done it in
God's Name or in man's. And for this they had to die, and of such dying
there would be much more to say in our time, for things are much worse
now. But Christ and St. Peter and Paul must cover all this with their
holy names, so that no more infamous cover for infamy has been found on
earth than the most holy and most blessed Name of Jesus Christ!

One might shudder to be alive, simply because of the misuse and
blasphemy of the holy Name of God; through which, if it shall last much
longer, we will, as I fear, openly worship the devil as a god; so
completely do the spiritual authorities and the learned lack all
understanding in these things. It is high time that we pray God
earnestly that He hallow His Name. But it will cost blood, and they who
enjoy the inheritance of the holy martyrs and are won with their blood,
must again make martyrs. Of this more another time.

I. We have now seen how many good works there are in the Second
Commandment, which however are not good in themselves, unless they are
done in faith and in the assurance of divine favor; and how much we
must do, if we take heed to this Commandment alone, and how we, alas!
busy ourselves much with other works, which have no agreement at all
with it. Now follows the Third Commandment: "Thou shalt hallow the day
of rest." In the First Commandment is prescribed our heart's attitude
toward God in thoughts, in the Second, that of our mouth in words, in
this Third is prescribed our attitude toward God in works; and it is
the first and right table of Moses, on which these three Commandments
are written, and they govern man on the right side, namely, in the
things which concern God, and in which God has to do with man and man
with God, without the mediation of any creature.

The first works of this Commandment are plain and outward, which we
commonly call worship, such as going to mass, praying, and hearing a
sermon on holy days. So understood there are very few works in this
Commandment; and these, if they are not done in assurance of and with
faith in God's favor, are nothing, as was said above. Hence it would
also be a good thing if there were fewer saint's days, since in our
times the works done on them are for the greater part worse than those
of the work days, what with loafing, gluttony, and drunkenness,
gambling and other evil deeds; and then, the mass and the sermon are
listened to without edification, the prayer is spoken