“ Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. ”
Martin Luther, Table Talk (1566). copy citation
| Author | Martin Luther |
|---|---|
| Source | Table Talk |
| Topic | evil work |
| Date | 1566 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by William Hazlitt |
| Weblink | http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Luther%20Table%20Talk.pdf |
Context
“for every law is, or should be, good, upright, and holy, Rom. vii. It commands that which is good, and forbids that which is evil: it rewards and defends the good and godly, but punishes and resists the wicked; as St Paul says: “Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good.” And St Peter: “For the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well.” And the imperial laws teach the same. Now, seeing there are promises and threatenings in temporal laws, how much more so are they fitting in God’s laws, which require faith.”
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