THE STORY OF OUR LUTHERAN SCHOOLS, PART THREE
In our last lead article, I quoted from Martin Luther's famous treatise on education from 1524. For this month, I will quote from his also famous "Sermon on Keeping Children in School," from 1530. It is found in Luther's Works: American Edition, volume 46, pp. 207-258. Only portions of that sermon are reproduced here:
"You see with your own eyes how that wretch of a Satan is now attacking us on all sides with force and guile. He is afflicting us in every way he can to destroy the holy gospel and the kingdom of God, or, if he cannot destroy them, at least to hinder them at every turn and prevent them from moving ahead and gaining the upper hand. Among his wiles, one of the very greatest, if not the greatest of all, is this -- he deludes and deceives the common people so that they are not willing to keep their children in school or expose them to instruction. He puts into their minds the dastardly notion that because monkery, nunning, and priestcraft no longer hold out the hope they once did [for a lifelong career], there is therefore no more need for study and for learned men, that instead we need to give thought only to how to make a living and get rich."
"Because they are not now willing to support and keep the honest, upright, virtuous schoolmasters and teachers offered them by God to raise their children in the fear of God, and in virtue, knowledge, learning, and honor by dint of hard work, diligence, and industry, and at small cost and expense, they will get in their place incompetent substitutes, ignorant louts such as they have had before, who at great cost and expense will teach the children nothing but how to be utter asses, and beyond that will dishonor men's wives and daughters and maidservants, taking over their homes and property, as has happened before. This will be the reward of the great and shameful ingratitude into which the devil is so craftily leading them."
"Now if it is true and certain that God himself has established and instituted the spiritual estate [i.e., the office of preaching the Word] with his own blood and death, we may conclude that he will have it highly honored. He will not allow it to be destroyed or to die out, but will have it maintained until the Last Day. For the gospel and the church must abide until the Last Day, as Christ says in the last chapter of Matthew [28:20], "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." But by whom then shall it be maintained? Oxen and horses, dogs and swine will not do it; neither will wood and stone. We men shall have to do it, for this office is not committed to oxen and horses, but to us men. But where shall we get men for it except from those who have children? If you will not raise your child for this office, and the next man will not, and so on, and no fathers or mothers will give their chilren to our God for this work, what will become of the spiritual office and estate? The old men now in the office [of preaching the Word] will not live forever. They are dying off every day and there are no others to take their place."
"In saying this I do not mean to insist that every man must train his child for this office [of preaching the Word], for it is not necessary that all boys become pastors, preachers and schoolmasters. It is well to know that the children of lords and other important people are not to be used for this work, for the world also needs heirs [of ruling office and estates], people without whom the temporal authority would go to pieces. I am speaking of the common pepple, who used to have their children educated for the sake of the livings and benefices but now keep them away from learning to earn a livelihood."
"It is certain, then, that temporal authority is a creation and ordinance of God, and that for us men in this life is a necessary office and estate which we can no more dispense with than we can dispense with life itself, since without such an office this life cannot continue...Now who will maintain this office except us men to whom God has committed it, and who truly need it? The wild beasts will not maintain it, nor will wood and stone. And what men are capable of doing it? Certainly not those who would rule only with the fist, as many now think to do... Briefly, then, it is not the law of the fist but the law of the head that must rule -- not force but wisdom or reason -- among the wicked as well as among the good."
"Accordingly, since the government in our German lands is supposed to be guided by the imperial law of Rome, and this law is our government's wisdom and reason, given it by God, it follows that this government cannot be maintained and will inevitabley perish unless this law is maintained. Now who will maintain it? Not fist and weapons; heads and books must do it. Men must learn and know the law and wisdom of our worldly government...Thus the jurists and scholars in this worldly kingdom are the persons who preserve this law, and thereby maintain the worldly kingdom."
"By this I do not mean to say that we should despise, reject, or do away with soldiers, fighting men, and whose business is war. They too, when they are obedient, help with their fist to maintain peace and protect things. Every occupation has its own honor before God, as well as its own requirements and duties."
"At this point I should also mention how many educated men are needed in the fields of medicine and the other liberal arts. Of these two needs, one could write a huge book and preach for half a year. Where are the preachers, jurists, and physicians to come from, if grammar and other rhetorical arts are not taught? For such teaching is the spring from which they all must flow. To speak of this here in detail would be too big a task. I will simply say briefly that a diligent and upright schoolmaster or teacher, or anyone who faithfully trains and teaches boys, can never be adequately rewarded or repaid with any amount of money, as even the heathen nothing at all. And still we call ourselves Christians! If I could leave the preaching office and my other duties, or had to do so, there is no other office I would rather have than that of schoolmaster or teacher of boys; for I know that next to that of preaching, this is the best, greatest, and most useful office there is."[emphasis mine]
Yours in Christ, Pastor Martin R. Noland
