Martin Luthers Large Catechism | Page 3

this "Small Print!" and all
other references to Project Gutenberg, or:

[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this requires that
you do not remove, alter or modify the etext or this "small print!"
statement. You may however, if you wish, distribute this etext in
machine readable binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form,
including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- cessing or
hypertext software, but only so long as *EITHER*:
[*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does *not*
contain characters other than those intended by the author of the work,
although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may be used
to convey punctuation intended by the author, and additional characters
may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR
[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into
plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays
the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional
cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form
(or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form).
[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this "Small
Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the net profits
you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate
your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is due.
Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg
Association/Carnegie-Mellon University" within the 60 days following
each date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual
(or equivalent periodic) tax return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU
DON'T HAVE TO?
The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning
machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright
licenses, and every other sort of contribution you can think of. Money

should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association / Carnegie-Mellon
University".
*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN
ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*

This Etext prepared by Rev. Bob Smith

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 [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