will and beneuolence And to this effect hée exciteth vnto them Christ for an example saying Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesu who when hee was in the shape of God thought it no robbery to be equall with god Neuerthelesse he made himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the shape of a seruant and became like vnto men and was found in apparell as a man he humbled himselfe was made obedient euen vnto the death For this most holesome word of the Apostle haue they hidden in darkenesse from vs which were altogether ignorant in the spéeches of the Apostle namely The shape of God the shape of Seruant apparell and the likenesse of men and did apply the same preposterously to the natures of diuinity and humanity whereas Pauls meaning was that whereas Christ was fully beautified with the shape of God and abundantly flowing with the store of all good things so that he néeded not any worke nor any passion to make him righteous and saued for hée did absolutely possesse all those things eueÌ„ from the first beginning of himselfe yet was he not puft vp in pride with these nor was lift vp aboue vs nor did chalenge to himselfe a certaine power ouer vs albeit he might in his owne right haue claymed the same But contrariwise did so behaue himselfe in labour in workes in suffering and in doing that he might be like vnto other men both in apparell countenance none otherwise than as man euen as if he had néeded all these and had possessed no parcell of the shape of God all which neuerthelesse he vndertooke for our sakes to the end he might minister vnto our necessities and that all things might bée made ours which hee should bring to passe in this shape of a seruant Euen so a Christian man being ful and abounding through his faith like vnto Christ his head ought to be contented with this shape of God obtained through Faith sauing that he ought to increase the same Faith as I said before vntill it be made perfect for this is the life of man his righteousnesse and saluation both sauing the person making him acceptable and furnishing him with all things whatsoeuer Christ doth possesse as is before mentioned which also Paul in the first to the Galathians doth confirme saying But in this that I liue in the flesh I liue in the faith of the sonne of God. And although he be on this wise frée froÌ„ all workes yet in this freedome ought be neuerthelesse to make himselfe of no reputation and put on the shape of a seruant and to become like vnto men to be found in apparell as a man and to minister and to helpe and by al means possible to worke his neighbours commodity euen after the selfe same manner as he feeleth that God hath done and daily doth for him through Christ and this also he must doe Gratis without all respect sauing in respect of Gods good pleasure and euen after this manner must hée thinke vnfainedly Behold my good God hath giuen vnto mee most vnworthy and damned caitife beyond all desert of his méere and frée mercy in Christ Iesu all the treasures of righteousnesse and saluation so that henceforth I shall not stand in want of any thing at all but of Fayth which may firmely beléeue in Christ Wherefore to this so louing a father who hath ouerwhelmed mée with these his inestimable riches why should not I frankely ioyfully with all my heart and with all my most louing and willing soule yeelde all seruice whatsoeuer I doe know to bee well pleasing and is acceptable in his eyes Wherfore I will giue my selfe wholly a certain Christ vnto my neighbour euen as Christ gaue himselfe vnto me and will doe nothing in this transitory life but that which I shall perceiue to be necessary commodious and profitable for my neighbour in as much as I am sufficiently enough enriched with all good things in Christ through Faith. Lo here out of Faith floweth Loue reioycing in the Lord and out of Loue floweth likewise a chéerefull liberall and frée heart to minister to the necessity of thy neighbour frankely of thy owne accord so that here now is no consideration had of gratitude or ingratitude of praise or dispraise of vantage or of losse For neither doth hee apply hereunto to winne the fauour of men nor maketh any difference betwixt friends or foes nor respecteth the thankefull or vnthankfull but most frankely and with most gladsome cheare doth yéelde himselfe wholy and all that he possesseth without regard whether he lose the same in the vnthankfull or employ it on the deseruing For euen so his father doth disposing all things to all abundantly and most freely making his sun to shine vpon the good and the wicked In like manner the sonne doth work and suffer nothing but of a frée and chearfull ioy wherewith through Christ hee is delighted in God the giuer of so great and inestimable treasures You sée therefore if wee acknowledge all those things which are giuen vnto vs of greatest and highest price as Peter saith the forthwith loue is poured abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost whereby we are frée chearfull omnipotent doers workers and conquerour of all tribulation seruants of our neighbours yet Lords of all things notwithstanding But such as doe not know the gifts giuen vnto them through Christ to them Christ is borne in vaine such wander in the way of works and shall neuer attaine to the taste and féeling of those things Therefore as our neighbour is pressed downe with necessity and wanteth of our store abundance euen so were we ouerwhelmed with necessity in the sight of God and néeded altogether his mercy Wherefore as our heauenly father did succour vs in Christ Iesu fréely euen so ought wee help our neighbour fréely by our body and by our workes and euery of vs must be made a certaine Christ each to other that wée may bee made debtours of Christ and that Christ may bee one and the same in all that is to say that wée may be true Christians Who is able therefore to comprehend the riches and glory of a Christian life which is able to doe all things possesseth all things and néedeth nothing an Empresse and Conqueresse of sinne death and hell and withall an handmaid neuerthelesse seruiceable and profitable to all but the more is the pity This Christian Iustification is at this day altogether vnknowne in the whole world neither is it preached nor procured in so much that we are our selues ignorant of â—â—eir name and for what cause we bee â—â—â—éemed and called Christians True 〈…〉 wee haue receiued our denominatioâ—â— of Christ not being absent from vs 〈◊〉 dwelling within vs That â—s to say whiles we beléeue in him and â—e ioyntly and mutually a certaine Christ eche to other applying our selues to our neighbours euen as Christ hath giuen himselfe to
nothing in the world can preserue her in safety But hauing the word shee is rich destitute of nothing for as much as the word of GOD is the word of life of light of peace righteousnesse saluation ioy fréedome wisdome power grace glory and inestimably the treasure incomparable of all goodnesse And this is it that mooued the Prophet in all his Octonary and in many other places with so many déepe sighes and gronings to skriche out and to call vpon the word of God. Againe neither is there any more horrible a plague of Gods wrath than whiles he sendeth famine of hearing hys word As he speaketh in Amos as neither is there any greater grace than if he spred abroad his word as is specified in the 107 Psalm He sent his word healed them deliuered them from their destruction Neither was Christ sent to any other ministry then the ministry of the word nor is the Apostolicall Bishopricke and whole order Ecclesiasticall called and instituted otherwise than to the ministry of the word But thou wilt demand what word of God is this and after what manner must it be vsed considering there bee so many words of God I answere the Apostle in the first to the Romanes doth expresse the same namely the Gospell of God concerning his sonne incarnate crucifyed risen againe and glorified by the holy Ghost the sanctifyer For Christ hath preached that is to say hath fedde the soule hath iustified deliuered and saued the soule if she beléeue his doctrine for Fayth only is the safe and effectuall vse of Gods word as to the Romans the tenth If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with the heart that GOD hath raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saued And againe The end of the law is Christ vnto righteousnesse to all them that doe beleeue And to the Romans the first The iust man shall liue by his owne faith for the word of God cannot be comprehended and embraced by any workes but by faith only Euen so it is manifest that as the Soule hath néed of the only word to obtaine righteousnesse and life euen so it is iustifyed by onely faith and no workes for if it might be iustifyed by any other meanes then should it not stande in néede of the word and so consequently no néede of faith But this faith cannot consist altogether with workes that is to say if thou presume to be iustifyed together with workes whatsoeuer they be for this were euen to halt on both legges to worship Baal and to kisse the hand which of all other is abhominable as witnesseth Iob. Therefore when thou beginnest to beléeue thou doest learne withall that all things in thée are altogether blameworthy sinfull and damnable according to that saying of the Apostle in the second to the Romans All haue sinned and haue need of the glory of God. And to the Romans 3. There is none that doth good all haue declined out of the way they are altogether become vnprofitable for if thou know this once thou shalt know that it is necessary for thée to hold fast Christ that beléeuing on him who hath suffered for thee and is risen againe thou maiest be made another man through this faith being made frée from all thy Sinnes and iustified by the merits of Iesu Christ onely Therefore for as much as this fayth cannot beare dominion in any but in the inward man according to the testimony of Paul in the tenth to the Romans With the heart we doe beleeue vnto righteousnesse And for as much as this faith only doth iustifie it is euident that the inward man cannot in any wise be iustified made frée and saued by any externall worke or exercise and that works whatsoeuer auaile nothing thereunto as on the contrary through impiety and only vnbeliefe of the heart man is made guilty and the bondslaue of sinne and not by any externall sinne or worke And therefore the first and principall care of euery Christian man ought to bée in this especially that setting aside all vaine confidence of workes hee strengthen his faith more and more and by daily increasings grow in knowledge not of works but of Christ Iesu crucified for him and risen againe as Peter in the last of his first Epistle teacheth for as much as none other worke doth make a true Christian man So Christ in the sixt of Iohn when the Iewes asked a question what they should doe to doe the works of God excluding the multitude of works wherewith he perceiued them to swell and puft vp in pride did prescribe vnto them one only rule saying This is the worke of God to beleeue on him whom he hath sent for him God the father hath sealed From hence right faith in Christ duly procéeding is a treasure inestimable contayning in it selfe all saluation and preseruing from all euill as in the last of Marke He that beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned which treasure Esay inwardly regarding did in the tenth of his Prophecy say The decréed consumption ouerfloweth with righteousnesse and the Lord of hoasts shall perfectly fulfill the thing that he hath determined in the middest of the whole world as if he had said Faith which is a briefe and summary fulnesse of the Law shall replenish the beléeuers with so great righteousnesse that they shall not haue néed of any other helpe to attaine righteousnesse and the same doth Paul testifie in the tenth to the Romanes For with the heart wee beleeue vnto righteousnesse But thou doest aske by what meanes it commeth to passe that faith only may iustifie giue such a treasure of so great goodnesse without works séeing that the whole scriptures doe prescribe vnto vs so many works so many ceremonies and so many lawes I do answer aboue all things be mindfull of this chiefely that hath bin spoken of before to wit that only faith without works doth iustifie doth deliuer and doth saue which we will make more manifest hereafter In the meane time seale vp this that the whole Scripture of God is diuided into two branches namely commandements and promises Indéed the cōmandemēts do teach good things but the things that are taught by thē are not forthwith performed for they do pronoūce what we ought to do but do not giue power to doe the same but are instituted to this end to discouer man to himself by meanes wherof man may know his own disability towards the good so despaire of his owne strength and for this cause they are called the old Testament and so they be indéed As for example Thou shalt not couet is a Cōmandement by the which we are conuinced all to be sinners because man cannot choose but couet whatsoeuer his endeuour be to the contrary And therfore that he may not couet so cōsequently fulfil the cōmandement he is cōpelled to
A Treatise Touching the Libertie of a Christian Written in Latin by Doctor Martine Luther And Translated into English by IAMES BELL. At LONDON Imprinted by Ralph Newbery and H. Bynneman Anno 1579. To the right Honourable and most vertuous Lady Anne Countesse of Warwicke AFter I had finished this simple Translation for the behoofe of the vnlettered some of my welwillers conceiuing well of the matter were very desirous that I should present the same to some noble personage others challenging more knowledge in Courtly affaires perswaded the contrary being of opinion that though it might in some respect seeme plausible enough yet the present being but simple could not deserue to be aduanced to Court especially to place of estate And although I supposed and partly knew that the opinion of the later was but weake in iudgement yet loe it made so much the longer stay in deliberation by how much I was abashed in conceit in respect of my rudenesse and vnaptnesse to satisfie the learned Courtly eares Neuerthelesse hauing clothed my Stranger in English attyre whom I call a Stranger in respect of the person who was the first Author therof And well knowing the Court to the great fame and honour thereof by the space of many yeares now passed to haue bin the rescue of all Strangers distressed I could not but beleeue that in the Court this Stranger so godly so zealous so learned should be both easily accepted and gently entertained and encouraged by this well knowne experience I yeelded my selfe to the first perswasion and finding by generall report Madame the noble ornaments and gifts I speake not onely of nature but of godlinesse wisedome and zeale ioyned with singular mildenesse and benignity being the fruits of grace amongst the rest especially to shine in your sacred breast I was therby emboldned to proceede and aboue all others to presume vpon your honourable patience and to present to your honour this my poore Stranger In whose commendation I dare boldly affirme that there was neuer any a more trusty seruant to his Master neuer any of more vndaunted courage in his Masters cause neuer any that aduentured or durst aduenture farther neuer any that vsed more constancie magnanimity and force in battering the fortresses of the enemy neuer any that pierced deeper preuailed further and procured larger for the safety of poore Christians so many hundred yeares oppressed imprisoned impouerished yoked and chained in miserable captiuitie through the monstrous outrage of that execrable Nimrod of Rome amongst many of whose exployts albeit there cannot any one bee found that is not able to replenish the Spirituall and true Christian man with such and so great ioy as can not with my penne be expressed yet in my simple iudgement this one little treatise of his which I haue now aboue all others selected to translate doth farre excell and surmount in ghostly consolation wherein are entreated no vaine childish or trifling toyes but sweet delectable serious weighty and matters of great importance namely the pure faith of a true Christian man the ioyfull vnion and marriage of the most amiable Bridegrome IESV Christ to the poore miserable abiect and wretched Soule the well ordering of christian life and the gladsome christian freedome and liberty Euen such a one is this my Stranger whom if it may please your Honour to vouchsafe vnto your honourable patronage I shall not onely accompt my selfe most happy in my châ—iâ—e but also acknowledging your honourable courtesie in full satisfaction of mine English cost such as it is employed yeeld my selfe doubly bounden indebted to your Honour in any thing which my penne may endeauour or trauell may performe The holy ghost the Author of all goodnesse ghostly consolation replenish your heart with the most ioyfull freedome of his grace to the comfort of all such as trauell in the building of Gods holy temple Your honours most humble at commandement IAMES BELL. ¶ To Leo the tenth Bishop of Rome Martyne Luther sendeth greeting in Christ Iesu our Lord. AMongst the monsters of this world with whom I haue bin in continuall combate these three whole yeeres and more I am enforced now at the length to turne mine eyes vnto you and to haue you in remembrance O most holy father Leo yea for as much as you only bee accounted the very cause of this my turmoyle I cannot choose but bee alwayes mindfull of you And albeit I haue beene constrained through insatiable cruelty of your wicked Sicophants raging against mee without desert to appeale to the next generall Counsell little esteeming the most vaine decrees of your predecessours Pius and Iulius who of a foolish tyranny haue prohibited such appellatioÌ„ to be made froÌ„ the See Apostolique Yet did I neuer meane whiles so estrange mine affection from your holines but that I haue with all mine heart wished all felicity and happines to you and to your See and in my daily prayers with teares and sighes euen to the vttermost of my power haue heartily besought God for the same But as for those which haue hitherto practised to terrify me with the authority and maiesty of your name I haue now begun almost to contemne and account them of no force onely one thing yet remayneth which I may not despise which occasioned mee at this present to addresse my letters to your holinesse And this it is because I perceiue that I am accused vnto your holinesse and very grievously blamed for my rashnesse in that I am supposed to haue no consideration of your personage Wherein to confesse the truth plainly I am priuy in mine owne conscience that wheresoeuer behooueth me to make mentioÌ„ your of person I did neuer speak therof without all honour and reuerence the contrary wherof if I had attempted at any time I might not haue beene able to iustifie and would by all meanes possible haue subscribed vnto their iudgments coÌ„ceiued of me herein and withall would haue applyed to nothing more willingly than to make open recantation of this my temerity and misdemeanour in that behalfe I haue named you a Daniel in Babylon and your notable innocency with how earnest affection I haue defended against your slanderous enemy Syluester euery reader doth sufficiently vnderstand namely that the opinion and report of your vnreprouable life resouÌ„ding in each coast throughout the whole world by the testimony of so many so notable personages is mâ—re famous and renoumed than that it may be impeached by the sinister practise of any man though neuer so great a potentate I am not so void of reason as to defame him whom all men commend so also haue I beene euer of this minde not to seeke the defacing of any one though otherwise infamous by report of al others for I reioyce not at another mans blemish who am my self a sufficient witnes to mine own conscience of mine owne great beame in mine owne eye nor can be the first that may cast a stone
by what meanes a Christian man is frée from all and Lord ouer all so that to become iust and saued he shall not néed any works at all but through faith only obtaineth all those things sufficiently who if he would be so mad as to presume to be made a iust a frée and a safe Christian by force of any good work he should surely lose his faith forthwith together with all his good works which folly is aptly moralized in that fable of Esop where the Dogge swimmeth in the water carrying flesh in his mouth deluded with the shadow of the same flesh glittering in the water whiles gaping with open mouth he snatcheth after the shadow he both loseth the true flesh and the shadow withall Héere you will aske of me If all be Priests that bee in Christs Church by what title then may they whom wee call commonly Priests now bee discerned from Lay men I doe answere There is a great iniury committed against these words to witte Priest Clarke Spirituall Ecclesiasticall whiles they be translated from all the rest of the Christians and be abridged to these few which through euill custome are tearmed Church men For holy scripture doth make no difference betwixt them sauing that it entituleth them by the names of Ministers Seruants and Stewards which doe now vaunt themselues to be Popes Bishoppes and Lords which ought to minister to others in preaching the word to teach the faith of Christ and Christian liberty For albeit this be true that wée be all Priests indifferently yet can wée not all nor yet ought we all minister teach publiquely though we were all able to doe so For so doth Paul teach in his first to the Corinths the fourth Chapter Let men so esteeme of vs as ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God. But this Stewardship is now enhaunced vnto so mighty a Potentate pompe of power and vnto a certaine terrible tyranne that no kingdomes of the Gentiles ne yet any Empyres of the whole world are not able to counteruaile the same in statelinesse As though lay people were a certaine somewhat besides and no Christians at all Through which peruersenesse it is come to passe that the true knowledge of Christian grace Christian faith and Christian liberty yea of Christ himselfe is come wholly to vtter ruine whiles in the meane space an importable clogge and intolerable bondage of mens workes and traditions are crawled vp in his place and we according to Ieremies lamentations are become vassalles of the most vilest varlettes of the world which doe abuse our misery to worke all infamous filthinesse and shamefull reproaches of their beastly licentiousnesse But to returne to our purpose againe I suppose that by the foresaid demonstrations it is made manifest that it sufficeth not to a true Christian man to preach the workes life and doctrine of Christ after an historicall manner and vtter the same as in telling of tales as though to know them to bee patternes of framing our liues were enough like as they vse to preach which are now accompted the best much lesse if it bee vtterly concealed and instéede thereof mens constitutions and traditions bee taught to supply the place There bée some now a dayes and they not a few which to this purpose doe preach and teach Christ that they may mooue the affections of the people to bewaile the passion and torments which Christ suffered and to bee displeasant against the Iewes and such other childish and fond matters of no great importance But Christ ought to be preached to this end that faith in him may encrease that it may appeare that it is not enough that there is a Christ but that hee may bee a Christ which is a Sauiour vnto thee and vnto me And that he doth work the same in vs which is meÌ„tioned of him is agréeable to the name whereby hee is named which faith springeth florisheth and is preserued by this if the preaching doe notifie the cause wherefore Christ came what he brought with him what he gaue and to what vse and purpose hee is to be embraced And this commeth to passe where Christian liberty which we doe attaine by him is truly taught and by what meanes all wee Christians are Kings and Priests wherein also wee be Lords ouer all and vpon what this our affiance that whatsoeuer wee doe is well pleasing and acceptable to GOD is grounded as I haue said before For whose heart hearing these things will not melt for very ioy and waxe rauished in loue of Christ hauing receiued so great a consolation to the which loue hee can neuer possibly attaine by any lawes or workes at all what is hee that can hurt such a heart or may apall the same with feare If conscience of sinne doe rush vpon him or horror of death amaze him loe it is ready to trust in the Lord nor is afraid for any such euill noise nor is disquieted vntill it do despise the enemies for it beléeueth that Christs righteousnesse is become his owne righteousnesse and that his sinne is now no longer his owne but Christs sinne But it behoueth that all sinne bée swallowed vp at the very sight of Christ through the faith of Christ as hath béene declared before and learne now with the Apostle to treade vpon and triumph ouer sinne and death and to say Death where is thy sting Death where is thy victorie the sting of Death is sinne but the power of sinne is the law God be thanked who hath giuen vs victory through Iesus our Lord for death is swallowed vp through the conquest not of Christ onely but our owne also because it commeth to passe by our Faith that the conquest is made ours and that in the same wee doe ouercome Let this suffice touching the inward man touching his freedome touching the principall righteousnesse of Faith which neither neede thâ—awes nor workes which will turne to his destruction that dare presume to be iustified by them Now let vs returne to the other part to witte the outward man For in this treatie answere shall be made to all them who being offended with the word of Faith and with the things that haue béene spoken of before doe reply on this wise against vs If Faith doe accomplish all things and if Faith bée onely and alone sufficient vnto righteousnesse to what end then are wée commanded to doe good déedes we may goe play vs then and worke no working at all being furnished sufficiently with faith I doe answere Not so yee vngodly not so In déede this matter would euen so fare as you say if we were perfectly and altogether the inward and spirituall men which wée cannot bée in any wise before the last day at the rising again of the dead So long as wée be clothed with this mortall flesh wée doe but beginne and procéede outward in our course towards perfection which will bée consummated in the life to