Martin Luther : the hero of the reformation 1483-1546 / by Henry Eyster Jacobs . composing acatechism for rough peasants. The Small Cate-chism is intended to provide the head of everyfamily with a text-book that every child and servantmust learn by heart. The questions are asked bythe child, the answers made by the parent. Adher-ence to an unvarying form of words is insisted upon,and failure to learn it is not only to prevent fromadmission to the Lords Supper, but should bepunished by parents and employers with the denialof food and drink. Next to his translation of the Bible, the prepara-tion
Martin Luther : the hero of the reformation 1483-1546 / by Henry Eyster Jacobs . composing acatechism for rough peasants. The Small Cate-chism is intended to provide the head of everyfamily with a text-book that every child and servantmust learn by heart. The questions are asked bythe child, the answers made by the parent. Adher-ence to an unvarying form of words is insisted upon,and failure to learn it is not only to prevent fromadmission to the Lords Supper, but should bepunished by parents and employers with the denialof food and drink. Next to his translation of the Bible, the prepara-tion of the Small Catechism was Luthers most im-portant literary work. Thirty-seven years after itsappearance, Matthesius estimates the number ofcopies published at 100,000, which is certainly amoderate estimate, when in the United States therecannot be less than that number now in use everyyear in the seven languages of the Lutheran Churchof America. By the simplicity of ^ts treatment, itillustrates Luthers remark: If we would instructchildren, we must ourselves become LUCAS CRANACH. hKOM HIS OWN PAINTING. 1529] The Catechisms 275 The exposition of the second article of the Creed isparticularly notable in the original not only for itsinimitable literary form, but for the depth of thethought and the fervour of its language. I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten ofthe Father from eternity, and also true man, born of theVirgin Mary, is my Lord ; who has redeemed me, a lostand condemned creature, secured and delivered me fromall sins, from death, and from the power of the devil,not with silver and gold, but with His holy and preciousblood, and with His innocent sufferings and death ; inorder that I might be His, live under Him in His king-dom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, inno-cence, and blessedness ; even as He has risen from thedead, and Hves and reigns to all eternity. This is mostcertainly true. During these years his private life abounded intri
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