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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06500	A commentarie vpon the fiftene Psalmes, called Psalmi graduum, that is, Psalmes of degrees faithfully copied out of the lectures of D. Martin Luther ; very frutefull and comfortable for all Christian afflicted consciences to reade ; translated out of Latine into Englishe by Henry Bull.	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Bull, Henry, d. 1575?	1577 (1577)	STC 16975.5; ESTC S108926	281,089	318

A COMMENTARIE VPON THE FIFTENE PSALMES CALLED PSALMI Graduum that is Psalmes of Degrees FAITHFVLLY COPIED OVT OF THE LECTVRES OF D. Martin Luther very frutefull and comfortable for all Christian afflicted consciences to reade Translated out of Latine into Englishe by HENRY BVLL Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blacke Friers by Ludgate CVM PRIVILEGIO 1577. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GRACE AND PEACE in Christ Iesu. ALBEIT the reading of the Scripture it selfe and the simple text thereof without further helpes hath matter enough to giue intelligence and instruction sufficient for the soule of mā to saluation if with hart and diligence it be earnestly applyed and followed as it should yet notwithstanding the helpe of good cōmentaries explications annexed withall especially such as be learned and godly is not hurtfull but rather is much requisite greatly needefull both for opening of places of difficulty for dissoluing doubtes and debating of controuersies such as may and vse many times to happen Wherefore most highly bound we are to the goodnes of our Lorde and Sauiour who hath herein so well prouided for our infirmitie in blessing this time of ours so plentifully with so many learned writers and worthy workers in his word As in al times he hath done but most chiefly in this time of ours is now to be seene In which time as we haue to giue thankes for many other of late memorie famous singular instruments of Christes glory so namely for the author compiler of this present work Martin Luther VVho although of many hitherto either hath not beene redde and so not throughly knowne or of a great number hated and maligned or of some lightly regarded or peraduenture misiudged Yet to such as either haue aduisedly redd him or shall be disposed to take trial of him hauing by experience of infirmities and affliction any skill to iudge of true diuinitie shall be founde emonges many preachers teachers of this our time most chiefly worthie not onely of iust commendation but also to be compared with the chiefest yea and so necessary for these times of the Church to be seene and redde that the poore mourning soules of the afflicted can not well want him that for diuers purposes especially for two principall causes First for true comfort spiritual consolation to such weake minds as in cases of conscience are distressed and wrastle in faith against the terrour of Satan of death of damnation against the power of the lawe and wrath of God wherein I see very fewe or none without comparison be it spoken in these our daies to instruct more fruitfully with like feeling and experience Secondly for discerning and discussing the difference betwene the law and the Gospell how these two partes are to be separated and distincted a sonder as repugnant and contrary and yet notwithstanding howe they both stand togither in Scripture and doctrine and yet in doctrine no repugnance The knowledge whereof how requisite it is for all Christians to learne the miserable lack thereof will soone declare For where these two be not rightly parted but confounded what can followe there but confusion of conscience either leading to despaire or else to blind securitie without any order in doctrine or true comfort of saluation As by examples of time is soone seene namely if we loke into the later times of the Romish Church where for want of right distinguishing betwene these two great errors haue risen and no great maruel For where the Gospell is taken for the lawe and the lawe for the Gospel and Christ receaued but onely for a law giuer and where things go by workes and lawe of deseruing what hope or assurance of saluation can be there considering our workes in their best kind to be so imperfect and vnprofitable And what shall be said then of our naughtie workes but especially ▪ what shall be said then to the mourning lamenting sinner who feleth no good thing dwelling in him but all wickednes shall he then despaire or how else will ye comfort him For if Christ in his principall office be but a teacher of the lawe and of workes and that be the chiefest thing to be required in a Christian to worke saluation by the law of working where is then grace mercie promise faith iustifying peace rest of conscience redemption from malediction of the law if we be vnder the law still briefly where is the new couenāt of God made by his sonne if the olde couenant made by Moses doe yet remaine if it do not remaine then must there needs be a differēce betwene the law the gospel betwene the old Testamēt the new betwene the law of works the law of faith betwene Moses Christ betwene the master the seruaunt betwene Agar and Sara and their two children Now what difference this is thou shalt not neede Christian reader by me to be instructed hauing here the boke of Martin Luther to reade and peruse VVho as in his former treatise before set forth vppon the Epistle to the Galathians so likewise in these his commentaries vppon the Psalmes doth so liuely at large discourse that matter with many other things moe full of heauenly instruction edificatiō that hauing him though thou hadst no other expositour vpon the holy Scripture thou maist haue almost sufficient to make a perfect souldier against all the fierie darts of the tempting enemie Againe hauing all other and lacking this writer thou shouldest yet want some thing to the perfect practise and experience of a Christian diuine Although I neede not in the behalfe of this treatise vse any suche commendation the booke being able sufficiently to commende it selfe yet thus much by way of preface I thought good to notifie and premonish whereby I might the rather animate and encourage thy studious diligence good reader to ouer-reade this booke Wherin if it shall please thee to bestow the labour as the paine I trust will not be tedious so in the profite thereof I doubt not but thy labour shall be recompensed with no lesse spirituall consolation to thy soules health then the godly translator thereof M. Bull did receaue in translating of the same Who as he once made his vow vnto the Lord for certeine causes to turne this booke from latine into english so with no lesse fidelitie did well performe the same Blessed be the Lorde therefore which both put him in mind first to take this worke in hand and also graunted him life to the accomplishment thereof for so it pleased the Lord to continue his life so long till this vowed worke was fully finished And not onely that but also after his trauell taken gaue him to receaue such sweetenes thereby as in neuer thing more in all his life Now from him departed to turne to you that remaine aliue I meane all studious readers as we● thē that be wel willers to the gospel as also that be enemies yet not called to

holy and a profitable kind of life is worthy of the commendation which this Psalme here giueth vnto it ▪ although the flesh and the world can not praise it because of the incommodities and troubles which it bringeth with it but highly extolleth the single life This is not to follow the word of God but the iudgement of the flesh which commendeth giftes and maketh a difference of them according to his own fantasie and thinketh to serue God more truely and purely in the single life then in matrimony as Hierome doth in his pestilent bookes which he writeth against Iouinian who sheweth him selfe to haue more learning and iudgement in his litle finger then Hierome hath in all his body For he ought not to haue praysed virginitie with the reproch and disprayse of matrimony but thus should he rather haue sayd that as they which are virgins should serue God in their gift and calling so matrimony is not to be condemned but praysed as a kind of life ordeyned of God euen then when nature was yet sounde and vncorrupt and not yet infected with any sinne But Hierome hath neyther so much godlines nor iudgement but peruersly bursteth out into these wordes It is good for a man so to be therefore to haue a wife it is euill But to be a virgine and to be married although they bee diuerse giftes yet is God as well pleased with the one as with the other For where as they obiect these wordes as touching matrimony Such shall haue trouble in the flesh this do we also confesse Notwithstanding matrimony is not the cause hereof but sinne which they also haue that are not married Gen. 3. Thus much I thought good to say as touching the grosse error prophane opinion of Hierome trifling and by foolish allegories with his companion Origen imagining spirituall fathers and spirituall children whereby they haue giuen occasion vnto the Pope to make him selfe the bridegrome or the husband of the church and so one error hath brought forth an other But I would rather wish that this bridegrome were hanged vppon a tree with Iudas and buried in hell then that by this meanes he should spoile Christ of his name For Christ Iesus alone is the husband of the Church All the Sainctes of God besides are but the frendes of the bridegrome as Iohn the Baptist calleth himselfe The Church is the spouse or the wife the children are the faithfull which dayly come vnto the marriage These also are made the spouse for they become partakers of the good things and the blessinges of the bridegrome and they obteyne the righteousnes of Christ and of his merites If the Pope be good then is he in the number of these and not the bridegrome not the husband but the spouse and is partaker of the benefites and the blessinges of the bridegrome But if he be euill he is the bridegrome of Satan and the friend of Iudas This is then the summe and effect of our aunswere that this Psalme compelleth none to marry as though it were necessarie that al should liue in matrimony For it is not against these words of Christ he that is able to receiue this let him receiue it But this is his onely drift and purpose to set foorth and commend matrimony contrary to the corrupt iudgement of the flesh and the pestilent examples of the world which doe altogither fight against this kind of life because of the troubles and incommodities which are incident thereunto These troubles they that flie will not feele therefore abhorre matrimony defile them selues with whordom and al vncleannes and so do much hurt by their deuilish and damnable example Against these viperous tongues examples full of offence this Psalme armeth vs The world calleth the wife a necessary euill But Peter vpon certeyne consideration and yet without reproch calleth her a weake vessell But marke what the holy Ghost sayth in this place marke how he bewtifieth and commēdeth the wife whiles he compareth her to a fruitefull vine and the children which she bringeth forth to oliue plants Tell me if in any monuments there are to be found such two excellent similitudes as these are yea if there be the like to be seene in all the Scriptures For he taketh two of the most excellent trees that are to be found vpon the earth the vine and the oliue of the which are gathered two notable and precious licours to these he compareth the wife and the children her fruite before the world most contemptible things The wife if you consider her condition is farre inferior vnto the man in those thinges which pertaine either to the body or to the minde specially as touching the affaires which are done by the man and can not be done by the woman But the holy Ghost considereth the gift and through the greatnes and excellency of the gifte he couereth what incommoditie so euer is in the womankinde and shadoweth the same with most excellent and goodly similitudes Now that we may see somwhat the causes why the holy Ghost so greatly commendeth the woman kinde let vs imagine that we are all vnmaryed for the worlde detesteth mariage but specially they that are vnmarried Yea let vs presuppose that in the worlde there is neither man nor woman but such a one as is neither of them both that by this meanes singlenes of life may be imagined to be the more perfect What shall become I pray you of such a happy world pure chastitie and singlenes of life how shall mankind continue Shall not the whole world within twenty yeares be like vnto a desert and a wilde wildernes what vse shall there be then of Golde and siluer Yea what vse shall there be of the Sunne the Moone and all things else that growe vpon the earth ▪ if mankind suddenly decaying matrimony by this meanes should be abolished and singlenes of life onely aduaunced Yea where shall the ministery of the word become What fruite shall there be of the benefite of Christe Why doost thou then so praise the single life that therby thou shouldest diminish the dignitie and excellent fruite of matrimony Nay praise them both according to their worthynes and especially mark here how the holy Ghost teacheth thee to beholde and to consider of thy wife that is to say not as weake flesh which doth the common offices and duties of nature with reuerence and shamefastnes be it spoken for so I am compelled to speake because of the blasphemous contemners of the creature of God For why doost thou not likewise euen in the vine also Why doest thou not contemne it for the dunge that is layed to the roote thereof Nay rather hast thou not a more regard of the licour which by this meanes is gotten out of the vine Likewise in the Oliue the roughnes of the rinde offendeth no man or that the roote thereof must be dressed and as it were fatned with doung For we haue all a