that, when you defraud and despise your master, another comes and deals
in like manner with you, yea, in your household you must suffer ten
times more from wife, children, or servants.

Indeed, we feel our misfortune, we murmur and complain of
unfaithfulness, violence, and injustice, but will not see that we
ourselves are knaves who have fully deserved this punishment, and yet
are not thereby reformed. We will have no favor and happiness,
therefore it is but fair that we have nothing but misfortune without
mercy. There must still be somewhere upon earth some godly people
because God continues to grant us so much good! On our own account we
should not have a farthing in the house nor a straw in the field. All
this I have been obliged to urge with so many words, in hope that some
one may take it to heart, that we may be relieved of the blindness and
misery in which we are steeped so deeply, and may truly understand the
Word and will of God, and earnestly accept it. For thence we would
learn how we could have joy, happiness, and salvation enough, both
temporal and eternal.

Thus we have two kinds of fathers presented in this commandment,
fathers in blood and fathers in office, or those to whom belongs the
care of the family, and those to whom belongs the care of the country.
Besides these there are yet spiritual fathers; not like those in the
Papacy, who have indeed had themselves called thus, but have performed
no function of the paternal office. For those only are called spiritual
fathers who govern and guide us by the Word of God; as St. Paul boasts
his fatherhood 1 Cor. 4, 15, where he says: In Christ Jesus I hove
begotten you through the Gospel. Now, since they are fathers they are
entitled to their honor, even above all others. But here it is bestowed
least; for the way which the world knows for honoring them is to drive