wants to work, therefore the mechanics must give their workmen holiday:
then they are free and no one can tame them. But if there were a rule
that they must do as they are bid, and no one would give them work in
other places, this evil would to a large extent be mended. God help us!
I fear that here the wish is far greater than the hope; but this does
not excuse us.

Now see, here only a few works of magistrates are indicated, but they
are so good and so many, that they have superabundant good works to do
every hour and could constantly serve God. But these works, like the
others, should also be done in faith, yea, be an exercise of faith, so
that no one expect to please God by the works, but by confident trust
in His favor do such works only to the honor and praise of his gracious
God, thereby to serve and benefit his neighbor.

XVIII. The fourth work of this Commandment is obedience of servants and
workmen toward their lords and ladies, masters and mistresses. Of this
St. Paul says, Titus ii: "Thou shalt exhort servants that they highly
honor their masters, be obedient, do what pleases them, not cheating
them nor opposing them"; for this reason also: because they thereby
bring the doctrine of Christ and our faith into good repute, that the
heathen cannot complain of us and be offended. St. Peter also says:
"Servants, be subject to your masters, for the fear of God, not only to
the good and gentle, but also to the froward and harsh. For this is
acceptable with God, if a man suffers harshness, being innocent."

Now there is the greatest complaint in the world about servants and
working men, that they are disobedient, unfaithful, unmannerly, and
over-reaching; this is a plague sent of God. And truly, this is the one
work of servants whereby they may be saved; truly they need not make
pilgrimages or do this thing or the other; they have enough to do if
their heart is only set on this, that they gladly do and leave undone
what they know pleases their masters and mistresses, and all this in a
simple faith; not that they would by their works gain much merit, but
that they do it all in the confidence of divine favor (in which all
merits are to be found), purely for nothing, out of the love and
good-will toward God which grows out of such confidence. And all such
works they should think of as an exercise and exhortation ever to
strengthen their faith and confidence more and more. For, as has now
been frequently said, this