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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMartin Luther Collection: Luther, Martin - Table Talks: 43. Of Learned Men
TOPIC: Luther, Martin - Table Talks (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 43. Of Learned Men
Other Subjects in this Topic:
OF LEARNED MEN
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DCCC.
Luther advised all who proposed to study, in what art soever, to read some
sure and certain books over and over again; for to read many sorts of books
produces rather confusion than any distinct result; just as those who dwell
everywhere, and remain in no place, dwell nowhere, and have no home. As we
use not daily the community of all our friends, but of a select few, even so
we ought to accustom ourselves to the best books, and to make them familiar
unto us, so as to have them, as we say, at our fingers end. A fine talented
student fell into a frenzy; the cause of his disease was, that he laid
himself out too much upon books, and was in love with a girl. Luther dealt
very mildly and friendly with him, expecting amendment, and said: Love is
the cause of his sickness; study brought upon him but little of his
disorder. In the beginning of the Gospel it went so with myself.
DCCCI.
Who could be so mad, in these evil times, as to write history and the
truth? The brains of the Greeks were subtle and crafty; the Italians were
ambitious and proud; the Germans rude and boisterous. Livy described the
acts of the Romans, not of the Carthaginians. Blandus and Platina only
flatter the popes.
DCCCII.
Anno 1536, Luther wrote upon his tablets the following words: Res et
verba Philippus; verba sine re Erasmus; res sine verbis Lutherus: nec res,
nec verba Carolostadius; that is, what Philip Melancthon writes has hand and
feet; the matter is good, and the words are good; Erasmus Roterodamus writes
many words, but to no purpose; Luther has good matter, but the words are
wanting: Carlstad has neither good words nor good matter. Philip Melancthon
coming in at the moment, read these criticisms, and turning with a smile to
Dr. Basil, said: Touching Erasmus and Carlstad, `twas well said, but too
much praise is accorded to me, while good words ought to be reckoned among
the other merits of Luther, for he speaks exceeding well, and has
substantial matter.
DCCCIII.
Luther, reproving Dr. Mayer, for that he was fainthearted and
depressed, by reason of his simple king of preaching, in comparison with
other divines, as he conceived, admonished him, and said: Loving brother,
when you preach regard not the doctors and learned men, but regard the
common people, to teach and instruct them clearly. In the pulpit, we must
feed the common people with milk, for each day a new church is growing up,
which stands in need of plain and simple instruction. Keep to the catechism,
the milk. High and subtle discourse, the strong wine, we will keep for the
strong-minded.
DCCCIV.
No theologian of our time handles and expounds the Holy Scripture so
well as Brentius, so much so that I greatly admire his energy, and despair
of equalling him. I verily believe none among us can compare with him in the
exposition of St John's gospel; though, now and then, he dwells somewhat too
much upon his own opinions, yet he keeps to the true and just meaning, and
does not set himself up against the plain simplicity of God's Word.
DCCCV.
The discourse turning among the great differences amongst the learned,
Luther said: God has very finely distributed his gifts, so that the learned
serve the unlearned, and the unlearned humble themselves before the learned,
in what is needful for them. If all people were equal, the world could not
go on; nobody would serve another, and there would be no peace. The peacock
complained because he had not the nightingale's voice. God, with apparent
inequality, has instituted the greatest equality; one man, who has greater
gifts than another, is proud and haughty, and seeks to rule and domineer
over others, and condemns them. God finely illustrates human society in the
members of the body, and shows that one member must assist the other, and
that none can be without the other.
DCCCVI.
Aristotle is altogether an epicurean; he holds that God heeds not human
creatures, nor regards how we live, permitting us to do at our pleasure.
According to him, God rules the world as a sleepy maid rocks a child. Cicero
got much further. He collected together what he found good in the books of
all the Greek writers. `Tis a good argument, and has often moved me much,
where he proves there is a God, in that living creatures, beasts, and
mankind engender their own likeness. A cow always produces a cow; a horse, a
horse, etc. Therefore it follows that some being exists which rules
everything. In God we may acknowledge the unchangeable and certain motions
of the stars of heaven; the sun each day rises and sets in his place; as
certain as time, we have winter and summer, but as this is done regularly,
we neither admire nor regard it.