What can only be taught by the rod and with blows will not lead to much good; they will… — Martin Luther

What can only be taught by the rod and with blows will not lead to much good; they will not remain pious any longer than the rod is behind them.

In the original German

Denn was man allein mit Ruten und Schlägen soll zwingen, da wird keine gute Art aus, und wenn mans weit bringt, so bleiben sie doch nicht länger fromm, denn die Rute auf dem Nacken liegt.

The Large Catechism · 1529
★ 4.6
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Provenance
Current citation
Luther, Martin. Luther's Large Catechism with Study Questions. Concordia Publishing House, 2010, second commandant.
Original citation
Luther, Martin. Der Große Katechismus [The Large Catechism]. Wittenberg, 1529, second commandant.