and commodiously if I heretofore might or hereafter may now conueniently be free from your wicked flatterers The matter is small if you regard the outward coate but if you comprehend the thing is selfe it is if I be not deceiued a most notable patterne of a Christian life briefly cōpiled Neither haue I ought else being a poor man to gratifie your holinesse withall neither neede you any other present than spirituall consolation wherewithall I doe recommend my selfe wholly to your fatherhood holinesse Which I beseech Christ Iesu to preserue for euer Amen At Wittenberge the sixt of September in the yeere of our Lord 1520. ¶ A Treatise of Martyne Luther touching Christian liberty MAny men haue beene of opinion that Christian faith is an easie matter yea of them also not a few haue accompted it in the number of Vertues euen as a companion of vertue it self And this haue they done because they haue had no tryall thereof by any proofe nor haue at any time tasted of what force power it is whereas it cannot be possible that any man may bée able to write pithily or vnderstand effectually the things that are written concerning the same truly vnlesse being pinched at some one time or another with some crosse of tribulation he hath felt the inward spirit thereof But who so hath had but a meane taste of the same can neuer possibly bee satisfied with writing speaking thinking and hearing thereof For it is a liuely spring vnto euerlasting life according as Christ calleth it in the fourth of Iohn Wherein my selfe albeit I make no vaunt of my store and withall doe acknowledge the weaknesse of mine imbecillity yet doe neuerthelesse trust that by meanes of sundry and greeuous temptations wherewith I haue bin turmoyled I haue attained no small dramme of Faith. And that I am thereof able to treat though not so eloquently yet certes more substantially than those literall and ouer subtill schoolemen haue hitherto yet disputed as men altogether ignorant in the things which themselues haue written To the end therfore I may discouer a more easie way to the vnlettered to wade herein to whose capacities I doe only apply my selfe I doe set downe first these two propositions touching the fréedome and bondage of the spirit 1 A Christian man is a most free Lord of all subiect to none 2 A Christian man is a most dutifull seruant of all subiect to all Although these two propositions so me to be méere contraries yet when they shall be found to haue in them a certaine swéet agréement they will auaile very much for our present purpose For Saint Paul is the Author of them both namely in his first Epistle to the Corinths the twelfth Chapter Being otherwise free I made my selfe seruant of all And in the thirteenth to the Romans Owe nothing to any man but that ye loue one another But loue is naturally dutifull and humbly obedient to the thing that is loued Euen so Christ though Lord of all yet being borne of a woman was made vnder the law both frée altogether and a seruant at one selfe time in the shape of God and in the shape of a seruant Let vs enter into some higher more déepe consideration of those sayings Man doth consist of two natures to wit spirituall and corporall In respect of the spirituall nature which some doe tearme to be the soule hee is called spirituall inward and of the new man In respect of the corporall which some call the flesh hee is called the carnall outward and the old man Of the which the Apostle in the second to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter Although our outward man be corruptible yet our inward man is renued day by day So that it commeth to passe through this diuersity that in the Scriptures two contraries are affirmed of one selfe same man because that these two men being within the same one man doe kéepe continuall battayle against each other Whilest the flesh doeth couet against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh as in the Epistle to the Galathians the fift Chapter First therefore let vs examine the inward man and sée by what reason hée may bée made iust frée and a true Christian that is to say spirituall new and an inward man And it is certaine that no externall thing at all how glorious title soeuer it beare is in any respect auayleable to the attayning of Christian righteousnesse or fréedome as neyther of any value to the procuring of vnryghteousnesse or bondage which is prooued by a very easie demonstration For what auayleth it to the soule if the body bee in good lyking health and full of life If it eate drinke and doe fréely what it listeth when as euen the most wicked abiectes bondeslaues of all mischiefe doe enioy the same Againe what losse doeth the soule sustaine by sicknesse imprisonment scarsitie of foode thirst or by any other externall disaduantage when as the very reprobate such as be cleare voyde of all good conscience are molested with the same None of all those externall casualties doe extende to the fréedome or bondage of the soule In like manner it shall bee to small purpose if the body bee garnished with gay Coapes such as Priests doe weare or bee conuersant in holy sanctuaries or bee exercised in holy Masse and Mattens or if it pray fast abstaine from certaine meats or doe inure it selfe to what so euer exercise wrought and possible to be wrought by the body and in the body To the fréedome and righteousnesse of the soule is requisite matter of farre greater importance whereas those externall things aforesaid may happen vnto the most wicked by practising of the which they become no better than plaine hypocrites Contrariwise it shall nothing preiudice the soule to haue the body clad with vnhallowed garments to frequent prophane places to eat and drinke of all sorts of meat without choise not to bleat out prayer by note yea to passe ouer all those works aforesaid which may bée performed by the very Hipocrites Bee it also that wee reiect all things yea euen speculations meditations and whatsoeuer may bee done by the endeauour of the soule it profiteth nothing One thing yea and that onely and alone is néedfull to the attainment of life righteousnesse and Christian liberty which is the sacred word of GOD the Gospell of Iesu Christ according to the Testimony of Christ himselfe in the eleuenth Chapter of Iohn I am the resurrection and life hee that beleeueth im me shall not dye for euer And in the eighth Chapter of Iohn If the Sonne make you free you shall bee truly free And in the fourth Chapter of Mathew Man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Let vs therefore take this for a strong and an vndoubted Bulwarke that the soule may want all things except the word of GOD without the which
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
at the woman taken in adultery Indeed I haue accustomed my selfe to inueigh against wicked doctrines somewhat sharply and haue pinched mine aduersaries not for their licentious liues but for their irreligious doctrines somewhat earnestly whereof it so little repenteth me that I am fully perswaded without all regard had of mens censures herein to perseuere in that vehemency of zeale enduced hereunto by the example of Christ who according to the same zeale spared not to call his aduersaries Vipers brood blinde Hypocrites and children of the deuill So doth Paul accuse Symon Magus to bee the child of Sathan full of fraud and malice And some others he reproueth openly by the name of Dogges Deceiuers and crafty Simonists Of whose sharpe words if nice delicates may bee admitted Iudges nothing shall bee supposed more nipping and vnciuill What can bee more vehement than the Prophets certes the manners of our age are become so tender through the furious swarme of clawbacks that wee can no sooner feele our soares a little discouered but wee exclaime forthwith that we are launced and being not able to crack the credit of the truth by any cauillation we flee from her condemning her of currishnesse impatience and modesty How shall salt season if it be not sauory what auaileth the edge of a sword if it cannot cut cursed is the man that doth the Lords worke fraudulently Wherefore I humbly beseech you my reuerend Leo vouchsafe these my letters for mine excuse and withall perswade your selfe that I neuer conceiued any euill of your personage Then also that I am so affected towards you as that I could heartily wish vnto your Holinesse all felicity for euer Moreouer that I am not at variance with any man for conuersation of life but only touching the only word of truth In all matters else whatsoeuer I will giue place to others but the word neither can I nor will I forsake or deny Who so that iudgeth of mee otherwise or hath conceiued otherwise of my writings doth not iudge truly nor conceiue thereof aright But your See which is tearmed the Court of Rome and which neither you nor any man liuing can deny to bee more filthy than Babylon and Zodome and as farre forth as I can conceiue growne to most lamentable forlorne and most shamelesse impiety I haue detested indeed and haue taken it very grieuously that the people of Christ should be deluded vnder the countenance of your name and your holinesse and vnder the pretence of the Church of Rome and herein haue resisted and will resist the same as long as the spirit of Faith shall liue in me not because I dare thinke to atchieue impossibilities or that by mine onely endeauour I may hope for any amendment in this most confusely disordered Babylon being circumuented with such a rable of brainsicke blaunchers But because I do acknowledge my selfe indebted to my poore brethren whose safety I ought to regard that the losse of them that perish may bee abridged or at the least lesse infection may spreade abroad from those Romish botches For these many yeeres now Rome hath surrounded the whole world with nothing else whereof your holines is not ignoraÌ„t but with vtter destruction of all things of bodies of soules and with most pestiferous patterns of al mostrous wickednes which doth rage at this day in the sight of all men more manifest than the Sun in midday And the Church of Rome which was sometime the most holy of all other is become the most licentious denne of theeues the most shamelesse Brothelhouse of all the world the kingdome of Sinne Death and Hell in so much that it passeth all reach of man to deuise any abhomination that is not haunted there no though Antichrist himselfe were come In the meane time you right reuerend father Leo sit as a Lambe in the middest of Wolues as Daniel a middest the Lions and are with Ezechiel conuersant with Scorpions How can you alone be able to wâ—thstand all these monsters Gard your personage with three or foure Cardinals excellent in all learning and most vertuous in manners what shall this handfull doe amongst so great a troupe you shall all be sooner swallowed vp with poyson before you may dare attempt any reformation The Court of Rome is vtterly vndone the wrath of God is bent against it euen for euer and euer It hateth counsels it feareth to bee reformed it is not able to restraine the furiousnesse of her impiety and it accomplisheth the prophecy of her mother of whom it is written on this wise Wee haue cherished Babylon and she is not recouered let vs forsake her Indeed it belonged to you your Cardinals to haue cured those plagues but this gout scorneth the Physitians drugges and this cart will not goe driuen nor led Moued therefore with remorse herein I sorrowed alwayes right reuerend Leo because you were enstalled Pope in this wicked age whose worthinesse deserued a better time For the Court of Rome is not worthy to be possessed of you and such as you are but rather of Sathan himselfe which in truth doth raigne in this Babylon more thaÌ„ you O would to God you could content you selfe rather with some priuate benefice or with your parents patrimony renouncing this portlinesse wherewith those flatterers your most detestable enemies doe vaunt you to bee glorious with which glory none are meet to bee glorified but trayterous Iscariots the impes of perdition For what commendation else do you get in that Palace my Leo but that by how much any Teacher is more wicked execrable so much the more safely hee may shrowd him vnder your name and authority to robbe men of their money and soules to heape mischiefe vpon mischief to oppresse Faith Truth together withall the Church of God Oh most vnfortunate Leo doubtlesse enthronized in a most perilous place of renowne for I tell you the truth because I doe wish well vnto you For if Bernard took compassion of his welbeloued Eugenius when as yet there was some better hope of the See of Rome though then also it was filthily emperious whereof may we complaine first who haue weltered these three hundred yeeres now in stench and destruction Is not this true that vnder the whole out-stretched face of the heauens there is nothing more coÌ„tagious more pestiferous more odious thaÌ„ the court of Rome for it is more incomparably execrable than the turkish impiety so that true it is indeed that the same which was in times past the gate of heauen is now become a certaine gaping gulfe of Hell and so vnsatiable a gulfe as cannot possibly be satisfied the wrath of God being fully bent against the same One only comfort remaineth for the poore wretches if we be able to reclaime preserue some few at the least from this wide gaping iawes as I said before Behold my holy father Leo by what inducement by what reason I haue
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
through iustice But wheÌ„ God doth sée truth to be ascribed vnto him that he is worshipped with the faith of our heart which is as much honor as he desireth then doth hee honour vs againe imputeth vnto vs truth righteousnes for this faithes sake for faith in yelding to God his own doth work truth righteousnes and therfore God doth recoÌ„pence our righteousnes again with glory for it is true and iust that God is true iust So also to ascribe vnto God iustice truth to coÌ„fesse the same is to be true and iust To this effect we read in the 1 of the Kings the 5 Chapter Whosoeuer doth honor me I will glorify him and whosoeuer doth despise me shal be naught set by The same also pronounceth Paul to the Romans the 4 Chap. That to Abraham his owne faith was imputed vnto righteousnes because through the same he gaue vnto God the glory most absolutely that if we beléeue faith shal be imputed for the same cause vnto vs for righteousnes The third arme of faith which is a iewell inestimable is this that it coupleth the soule with Christ euen as the spouse with her husband By which sacrament as Paul â—eacheth Christ the soule are made one flesh If they be one flesh then is there a â—rue mariage betwixt them yea rather a mariage of all other most perfect absoâ—utely accomplished betwixt them for the mariages betwixt man wife be but slenâ—er figures of this vnion whereupoÌ„ it folâ—oweth that all things are coÌ„mon betwixt theÌ„ as well good as bad so that whatsoâ—â—er Christ doth possesse the faithfull soule may boldly presume vpon the same triumph ouer them as though they were his own Likewise whatsoeuer appertaineth â—o the soule the same may Christ chalenge vnto himselfe as if they were his owne Let vs coÌ„pare these together wee shall perceiue inestimable treasure Christ is full of all grace life and sauing health the soule is fraught full of all sinne death and damnation Now let faith come betwixt these two and it shall come to passe that Christ shall be loaden with sinne with death and with hell but vnto the soule shall be imputed grace life and saluation for it behooueth Christ if hee bee the husband to accept and ioyntly possesse the things appertaining to his spouse and withall to communicate to his spouse the things that appertaine to his possession for he that giueth unto her his body and himselfe wholly how can it be but that he must giue her all things else withall and he that is possessed of the spouse how doth he not withall possesse also the things appertayning to the spouse Here commeth loe to the view a most swéet spectacle not onely of communion but of a comfortable battell of victory of saluation and redemption For in as much as Christ is God and Man and such a person as neuer yet sinned neuer dyeth nor is damned yea such a one as neither can sinne noâ— dye nor be damned and that his iustice his life his sauing health is vnvanquishable euerlasting and omnipotent when as I say such a person doth communicate to himselfe yea rather doth wedde as his owne the sinne death and damnation of his spouse through the weddid Kyng and vnion of Fayth And that the case now standeth none otherwise then as if they were his owne proper peculiar euen as it himselfe had sinned were trauelling dying and descending into hell to bring all things in subiection And that sinne death and hell could not swallow him being all of necessity cleane swallowed vp in him by a miraculous conflict for his righteousnes is greater than the sinnes of all men his life surmounteth in power all death his sauing health is more victorious than all hell euen so the faithfull soule through the assurednesse of her faith in Christ her husband is deliuered from all sinnes made safe from death garded from hell and endowed with the euerlasting righteousnesse life sauing health of her husband Christ On this wise Christ doth cople her vnto himselfe a glorious Spouse without spotte and wrinckle clensing her with the fountaine in the word of life that is to say through faith the word of life of righteousnesse and of saluation Euen so doth he marry her vnto himselfe in faith in mercy and compassions in iustice and iudgement as he testifieth in the second of Osée Wherefore who is able to value the roialtie of this mariage accordingly who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace where this rich and louing husband Christ doth take vnto wife this poore and wicked Harlot redéeming her from all euils and garnishing her with all his owne Iewels For it is impossible now that her owne sinnes should destroy her sithens they are laid vpon Christs shoulders and swallowed vp in him sithens also it doth now possesse the same righteousnesse in her husband Christ of the which she may now embolden her selfe and presume vpon them as in her owne right against all her owne sinnes against death and hell and may with confidence encounter the enemy and say if I haue sinned yet my swéet husband Christ in whom I doe beléeue hath not sinned all whose riches are mine and all mine are his As in the Canticle of Salomon My welbeloued husband to mee and I vnto him This is that Paul speaketh of in the first to the Corinths the fiftéenth Chapter Thanked be God which hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord Euen the victory ouer sin death And in the same place he bringeth in that sinne is the sting of Death but the force of sin is the law Hereof therefore you doe vnderstand againe what the cause is that faith is so highly commended that it is able alone to fulfill the law to iustifie without any helpe of workes For thou dost perceiue how the first commandement Thou shalt worship one God only is now accomplished by Faith only For if thou were nothing els froÌ„ the sole of the foot to the crown of the head but good workes yet shouldst thou not be iust nor shouldest thou worship God nor fulfill the first commandement for as much as God cannot be worshipped vnlesse the praise and glory of all truth and all goodnesse be truly ascribed vnto him but this cannot works bring to passe only the faith of the heart must atchieue this For wee doe glorify and confesse him to be true not by working but by beléeuing In this respect Faith only is the righteousnesse of a Christian man and the accomplishment of all the Commandents For hee that doth accomplish the first Commandement doth fulfill all the rest with no labour at all For works being things without sense cannot glorify God though they may be practised to Gods glory being ioyned with faith But wee at this present enquire not the works wrought of what quality they be but we doe
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