Introduction to the Large Catechism

A Christian, Profitable, and Necessary Preface and Faithful, Earnest Exhortation of Dr. Martin Luther to All Christians, but Especially to All  Pastors and Preachers, that They Should Daily Exercise Themselves in the Catechism, which is a Short Summary and Epitome of the Entire Holy Scriptures, and that They May Always Teach the Same.

We have no slight reasons for treating the Catechism so constantly [in sermons] and for both desiring and beseeching others to teach it, since we see to our sorrow that many pastors and preachers are very negligent in  this, and slight both their office and this teaching; some from great and  high art [giving their mind, as they imagine, to much higher matters], but  others from sheer laziness and care for their paunches, assuming no other  relation to this business than if they were pastors and preachers for their  bellies' sake, and had nothing to do but to [spend and] consume their  emoluments as long as they live, as they have been accustomed to do under the Papacy.

And although they have now everything that they are to preach and teach  placed before them so abundantly, clearly, and easily, in so many [excellent and] helpful books, and the true Sermones per se loquentes, Dormi secure,  Paratos et Thesauros, as they were called in former times; yet they are not so godly and honest as to buy these books, or even when they have them, to look at them or read them. Alas! they are altogether shameful gluttons and  servants of their own bellies who ought to be more properly swineherds and dog-tenders than care-takers of souls and pastors.

And now that they are delivered from the unprofitable and burdensome babbling of the Seven Canonical Hours, oh, that, instead thereof, they would only, morning, noon, and evening, read a page or two in the Catechism, the  Prayer-book, the New Testament, or elsewhere in the Bible, and pray the Lord's Prayer for themselves and their parishioners, so that they might  render, in return, honor and thanks to the Gospel, by which they have been  delivered from burdens and troubles so manifold, and might feel a little  shame because like pigs and dogs they retain no more of the Gospel than such  a lazy, pernicious, shameful, carnal liberty! For, alas! as it is, the  common people regard the Gospel altogether too lightly, and we accomplish  nothing extraordinary even though we use all diligence. What, then, will be  achieved if we shall be negligent and lazy as we were under the Papacy?

To this there is added the shameful vice and secret infection of security  and satiety, that is, that many regard the Catechism as a poor, mean  teaching, which they can read through at one time, and then immediately know  it, throw the book into a corner, and be ashamed, as it were, to read in it  again.

Yea, even among the nobility there may be found some louts and scrimps,  who declare that there is no longer any need either of pastors or preachers;  that we have everything in books, and every one can easily learn it by himself; and so they are content to let the parishes decay and become desolate, and pastors and preachers to suffer distress and hunger a plenty,  just as it becomes crazy Germans to do. For we Germans have such disgraceful  people, and must endure them.

But for myself I say this: I am also a doctor and preacher, yea, as  learned and experienced as all those may be who have such presumption and security; yet I do as a child who is being taught the Catechism, and every morning, and whenever I have time, I read and say, word for word, the Ten  Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Psalms, etc. And I must still read and study daily, and yet I cannot master it as I wish, but must  remain a child and pupil of the Catechism, and am glad so to remain. And yet these delicate, fastidious fellows would with one reading promptly be  doctors above all doctors, know everything and be in need of nothing. Well, this, too, is indeed a sure sign that they despise both their office and the souls of the people, yea, even God and His Word. They do not have to fall, they are already fallen all too horribly, they would need to become children, and begin to learn their alphabet, which they imagine that they  have long since outgrown.

Therefore I beg such lazy paunches or presumptuous saints to be persuaded  and believe for God's sake that they are verily, verily! not so learned or such great doctors as they imagine; and never to presume that they have  finished learning this [the parts of the Catechism], or know it well enough  in all points, even though they think that they know it ever so well. For though they should know and understand it perfectly (which, however, is  impossible in this life), yet there are manifold benefits and fruits still to be obtained, if it be daily read and practised in thought and speech;  namely, that the Holy Ghost is present in such reading and repetition and meditation, and bestows ever new and more light and devoutness, so that it is daily relished and appreciated better, as Christ promises, Matt. 18, 20:  Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst  of them.

Besides, it is an exceedingly effectual help against the devil, the  world, and the flesh and all evil thoughts to be occupied with the Word of God, and to speak of it, and meditate upon it, so that the First Psalm  declares those blessed who meditate upon the law of God day and night.  Undoubtedly, you will not start a stronger incense or other fumigation against the devil than by being engaged upon God's commandments and words, and speaking, singing, or thinking of them. For this is indeed the true holy water and holy sign from which he flees, and by which he may be driven away.

Now, for this reason alone you ought gladly to read, speak, think and  treat of these things if you had no other profit and fruit from them than that by doing so you can drive away the devil and evil thoughts. For he  cannot hear or endure God's Word; and God's Word is not like some other silly prattle, as that about Dietrich of Berne, etc., but as St. Paul says,  Rom. 1, 16, the power of God. Yea, indeed, the power of God which gives the devil burning pain, and strengthens, comforts, and helps us beyond  measure.

And what need is there of many words ? If I were to recount all the  profit and fruit which God's Word produces, whence would I get enough paper and time? The devil is called the master of a thousand arts. But what shall  we call God's Word, which drives away and brings to naught this master of a  thousand arts with all his arts and power? It must indeed be the master of  more than a hundred thousand arts. And shall we frivolously despise such power, profit, strength, and fruit -- we, especially, who claim to be  pastors and preachers? If so, we should not only have nothing given us to  eat, but be driven out, being baited with dogs, and pelted with dung, because we not only need all this every day as we need our daily bread but  must also daily use it against the daily and unabated attacks and lurking of  the devil, the master of a thousand arts.

And if this were not sufficient to admonish us to read the Catechism daily, yet we should feel sufficiently constrained by the command of God alone, who solemnly enjoins in Deut. 6, 6 ff. that we should always meditate  upon His precepts, sitting, walking, standing, Lying down, and rising, and  have them before our eyes and in our hands as a constant mark and sign. Doubtless He did not so solemnly require and enjoin this without a purpose; but because He knows our danger and need, as well as the constant and  furious assaults and temptations of devils, He wishes to warn, equip, and preserve us against them, as with a good armor against their fiery darts and with good medicine against their evil infection and suggestion.

Oh, what mad, senseless fools are we that, while we must ever live and dwell among such mighty enemies as the devils are, we nevertheless despise our weapons and defense, and are too lazy to look at or think of them!

And what else are such supercilious, presumptuous saints, who are  unwilling to read and study the Catechism daily, doing than esteeming  themselves much more learned than God Himself with all His saints, angels [patriarchs], prophets, apostles, and all Christians For inasmuch as God Himself is not ashamed to teach these things daily, as knowing nothing better to teach, and always keeps teaching the same thing, and does not take up anything new or different, and all the saints know nothing better or  different to learn, and cannot finish learning this, are we not the finest  of all fellows to imagine, if we have once read or heard it, that we know it  all, and have no further need to read and learn, but can finish learning in  one hour what God Himself cannot finish teaching, although He is engaged in  teaching it from the beginning to the end of the world, and all prophets, together with all saints, have been occupied with learning it and have ever  remained pupils, and must continue to be such?

For it needs must be that whoever knows the Ten Commandments perfectly must know all the Scriptures, so that, in all affairs and cases, he can  advise, help, comfort, judge, and decide both spiritual and temporal matters and is qualified to sit in judgment upon all doctrines, estates, spirits, laws, and whatever else is in the world. And what, indeed, is the entire Psalter but thoughts and exercises upon the First Commandment? Now I know of a truth that such lazy paunches and presumptuous spirits do not understand a  single psalm, much less the entire Holy Scriptures; and yet they pretend to  know and despise the Catechism, which is a compend and brief summary of all the Holy Scriptures.

Therefore I again implore all Christians, especially pastors and preachers, not to be doctors too soon, and imagine that they know everything  (for imagination and cloth unshrunk [and false weights] fall far short of the measure), but that they daily exercise themselves well in these studies  and constantly treat them; moreover, that they guard with all care and  diligence against the poisonous infection of such security and vain  imagination, but steadily keep on reading, teaching, learning, pondering, and meditating, and do not cease until they have made a test and are sure that they have taught the devil to death and have become more learned than God Himself and all His saints.

If they manifest such diligence, then I will promise them, and they shall  also perceive, what fruit they will obtain, and what excellent men God will  make of them, so that in due time they themselves will acknowledge that the longer and the more they study the Catechism, the less they know of it, and the more they find yet to learn; and then only, as hungry and thirsty ones,  will they truly relish that which now they cannot endure because of great  abundance and satiety. To this end may God grant His grace! Amen.