appointed for the purpose.

Therefore not only those sin against this commandment who grossly
misuse and desecrate the holy day, as those who on account of their
greed or frivolity neglect to hear God's Word or lie in taverns and are
dead drunk like swine; but also that other crowd, who listen to God's
Word as to any other trifle, and only from custom come to preaching,
and go away again, and at the end of the year know as little of it as
at the beginning. For hitherto the opinion prevailed that you had
properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a mass or the Gospel read;
but no one cared for God's Word, as also no one taught it. Now, while
we have God's Word we nevertheless do not correct the abuse; we suffer
ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we listen without
seriousness and care.

Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but
also about learning and retaining it in memory, and do not think that
it is optional with you or of no great importance, but that it is God's
commandment, who will require of you how you have heard, learned, and
honored His Word.

Likewise those fastidious spirits are to be reproved who, when they
have heard a sermon or two, find it tedious and dull, thinking that
they know all that well enough, and need no more instruction. For just
that is the sin which has been hitherto reckoned among mortal sins, and
is called _achedia_, i.e., torpor or satiety, a malignant, dangerous
plague with which the devil bewitches and deceives the hearts of many,
that he may surprise us and secretly withdraw God's Word from us.

For let me tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be