Now observe that when that clever harlot, our
natural reason (which the pagans followed in trying to be most
clever), takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and
says,
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“Alas, must I rock the baby,
wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights
with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and
sores, and on top of that care for my wife, provide for her,
labour at my trade, take care of this and take care of that, do
this and do that, endure this and endure that, and whatever else
of bitterness and drudgery married life involves? What, should I
make such a prisoner of myself? O you poor, wretched fellow,
have you taken a wife? Fie, fie upon such wretchedness and
bitterness! It is better to remain free and lead a peaceful,
carefree life; I will become a priest or a nun and compel my
children to do likewise.” |
What then does Christian faith say
to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant,
distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that
they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold
and jewels. It says,
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“O God, because I am certain
that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body
begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets
with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not
worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be
entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it
that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of
being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most
precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties
should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost
nor heat, neither drudgery nor labour, will distress or dissuade
me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.”
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Now you tell me, when a father goes
ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his
child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool, though that
father is acting in the spirit just described and in Christian
faith, my dear fellow you tell me, which of the two is most keenly
ridiculing the other? God, with all his angels and creatures, is
smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he
is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only
the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all his
creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only
ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing
but devil’s fools.
- from "The Estate of Marriage” (1522),
translated by Walter I. Brandt.
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