This Etext prepared by Rev. Bob Smith <bob_smith@mail.ctsfw.edu>

The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther

Translated by F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau

Published in:
Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church.
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921), pp. 565-773

Preface

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 [inSermons] and for both desiring and beseeching others to teach it, sincewe see to our sorrow that many pastors and preachers are very negligentin this, and slight both their office and this teaching; some fromgreat and high art [giving their mind, as they imagine, to much highermatters], but others from sheer laziness and care for their paunches,assuming no other relation to this business than if they were pastorsand preachers for their bellies' sake, and had nothing to do but to[spend and] consume their emoluments as long as they live, as they havebeen accustomed to do under the Papacy.

And although they have now everything that they are to preach andteach 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 formertimes; yet they are not so godly and honest as to buy these books, oreven when they have them, to look at them or read them. Alas! they arealtogether shameful gluttons and servants of their own bellies whoought to be more properly swineherds and dog-tenders than care-takersof souls and pastors.

And now that they are delivered from the unprofitable and burdensomebabbling of the Seven Canonical Hours, oh, that, instead thereof, theywould only, morning, noon, and evening, read a page or two in theCatechism, the Prayer-book, the New Testament, or elsewhere in theBible, and pray the Lord's Prayer for themselves and theirparishioners, so that they might render, in return, honor and thanks tothe Gospel, by which they have been delivered from burdens and troublesso manifold, and might feel a little shame because like pigs and dogsthey retain no more of the Gospel than such a lazy, pernicious,shameful, carnal liberty! For, alas! as it is, the common people regardthe Gospel altogether too lightly, and we accomplish nothingextraordinary even though we use all diligence. What, then, will beachieved if we shall be negligent and lazy as we were under the Papacy?

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

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

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