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cause_n	death_n	sin_n	sting_n	2,094	5	13.1353	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06524	A treatise, touching the libertie of a Christian. Written in Latin by Doctor Martine Luther. And translated into English by Iames Bell; Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen. English	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Bell, James, fl. 1551-1596.; Leo X, Pope, 1475-1521.	1579 (1579)	STC 16996; ESTC S108948	46,058	126

through iustice But whē 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 recōpence 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 cōfesse 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 ●eacheth Christ the soule are made one flesh If they be one flesh then is there a ●rue mariage betwixt them yea rather a mariage of all other most perfect abso●utely accomplished betwixt them for the mariages betwixt man wife be but slen●er figures of this vnion whereupō it fol●oweth that all things are cōmon betwixt thē as well good as bad so that whatso●●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 ●o the soule the same may Christ chalenge vnto himselfe as if they were his owne Let vs cōpare 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 no● 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 frō 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 euē 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 frō 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 ●●eir name and for what cause we bee ●●●éemed and called Christians True 〈…〉 wee haue receiued our denominatio●● of Christ not being absent from vs 〈◊〉 dwelling within vs That ●s to say whiles we beléeue in him and ●e ioyntly and mutually a certaine Christ eche to other applying our selues to our neighbours euen as Christ hath giuen himselfe to

to be nursed and cherished in the laps and armes of maydens lest they perish in whom being growne to riper yeares were no small perill of safety to frequent the company of maydens Euen so is it requisite to lock vp the ranging yéeres of licencious youth within the Cloysters yea within iron clossets of such ceremonies and exercises whereas they may bee restrained and abide correction lest their insolent courage draw them headlong into wickednesse Which ceremonies do neuertheles procure death vnto them if they perseuere in opinion to bee iustifiable by them whereas they ought rather to bee instructed that they were clogged with such restraint not for any such cause as to bee made righteous or to merit much thereby but to the end they should not rush wilfully into vices and so bee the more tractable trained to the righteousnesse of faith which they would in no wise endure through the outrage of their youth vnlesse the same had béene tamed and brought low Which doth argue that ceremonies ought not to be of any other price and estimation in the life of a true Christian man than as amongst Carpenters and Artificers certaine old postes logges or platformes are framed to direct raise vp buildings by which bee not made to the end they should serue and remaine to any speciall vse but because without such by-helpes buildings and workes cannot easily bee raysed for when the work or building is finished those deuises are laid aside So that here you sée that ceremonies are not vtterly abrogated but rather earnestly required but the vaine perswasion and presumption of them is contemned because no man accompteth them to be a true and permanent building If any man would bee so notably senselesse as to regard nothing else in his whole life but to direct those preparatiues with all honour with all diligence with all continuance and would neuer bende his cogitations to the very building it selfe stroking smoothing and vaunting himselfe in these preparatiues and vaine rotten proppes would not all men lament his madnesse and thinke within themselues that whiles he employed this cost to no purpose he might haue builded some matter of better substance So now we do neither abandō ceremonies nor works but rather doe allow them neuerthelesse we doe vtterly abhorre the vaine opinion conceiued of them lest that any man perswade himselfe that to obserue them is the true righteousnesse as Hypocrites doe which doe abuse and mispend their whole life in these exercises neuer reach vnto the substance in respect whereof they are practized or as the Apostle speaketh Alwayes learning and neuer comming to the knowledge of the Truth For they séeme as though they had a will to build and alwayes prepare themselues thereunto and yet they neuer build persisting alwaies in the glittering shadow of godlinesse but neuer attaine to the power and substance thereof Yet do they wonderfully flatter themselues in these exercises presuming also arrogantly to iudge all others whom they sée not glittering in the like brauery of workes whereas they might otherwise bee able to atchieue matters of greater importance to the singular comfort of themselues and others with this vainely imployed ostentation and abuse of Gods gifts if they were indued with a right and true faith But whereas the nature of man and reason as they tearme it naturall is naturally inclined to superstition and pursuing all Lawes and works is proue of herselfe to fall into vaine presumptiō of obtaining iustification through them adde moreouer herevnto because it is accustomed and inured to conceiue so highly of the same workes through the vsuall admiration of all earthly law-makers it is not possible surely of her owne strength to cleare it selfe from this seruile bondage of workes and to bend her force to know the liberty of faith Therefore it is requisite that we flée to prayer that the Lord would vouchsafe to draw vs and make vs instructed vnto GOD that is to say apt Schollers for God and that himselfe will vouchsafe to write his Law in our hearts as hee hath promised otherwise we doe all come to confusion For except he doe engraffe in our soules this maruellous Wisdome hidden in a mystery Nature cannot choose but condemne it and adiudge it for an Heretique because shée is offended 〈◊〉 and appeareth foolish in her eyes Euen as we saw to haue hapned in times past to the Prophets of GOD and the Apostles and euen as the wicked blinde Prelates and their false flatterers doe now vnto mee and others like vnto mée vnto whom and to vs also GOD bee mercifull and shew the light of his countenance vpon vs that wee may know his way vpon the earth and his sauing health amongst all generations Who be blessed for euer and euer Amen FINIS The Decrees doe prohibite to appeale to the generall Councels The cause why Luther wrote these Letters to the Pope How Luther behaued himselfe towards the Pope Why Luther was so vehement against his aduersaries Paul and the Prophets be sharpe against the tenderlings The delicate manners of our age Luthers variance The Court of Rome What stuffe hath issued from Rome into the world The Church of Rome Sathan raighneth at Rome not the Pope Eugenius was Pope sometimes Schollar vnto Bernard One only remedy remaining in the corrupt Romish Church Who did prouoke Luther to pursue the trecheries of the false deceiuers Cardinall Caietane Charles Militius Iudges of Luthers cause chosen Eccius The disputation at Lypsia The flatterer Eccius did hurt the Court of Rome more than the most mightiest enemy else could doe Luther will not recall any thing He will not suffer the theeues to make lawes for interpreting Gods word He councelleth the Pope not to he are flatterers What a Vicar is John 4. The popositions 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 13. 2 Cor 4. Gala. 5. In what things Christian liberty Gods word necessary for the soule Iohn 11. Iohn 8. Matth. 4. Dauid Famine of Gods word an horrible plague Amos. Psal. 107. Which is the word of God. Rom. 1. Rom. 10. Rom. 1. Faith only iustifieth Iob. Rom. 2. Rom. 10. Man is not iustified by any externall thing 1 Pet. ult Iohn 9. Faith a treasure inestimable Mark. 16. Rom. 10. The Scriptures haue commandements and promises Osee All the commandements be equally impossible to be accomplished by vs. The Law must be satisfied We accomplish all by faith Rom 11. God only commandeth and performeth The first arme of faith Iohn 1. Another arme of faith The greatest honor The greatest reproach Perfect obedience Rebellion God doth honour them that beleeue on him 1 King 5. Rom. 4. The third arme of faith The vniting of the soule vnto her spouse Behold inestimable treasures Ose 2. The Maiestie of this royall marriage Cor. 1. the 15. chapter For what cause faith is so much esteemed The true worship of God. Faith maeeth works The prerogatiue of the first birth Whereof the kingdome of Christ doth consist Christs Priesthood Priestly office Paul to the Hebrues How it is to be taken that faithfull Christians be Priests 1 Pet. ● Christian kings Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 3. Note The spirituall kingdome We be Priests for euer All things euill to the vnbeleeuer The liberty of Christians 1 Cor. c. 4. To what issue the ministry Ecclesiasticall is come How Christ ought to be preached The fruit of true preaching The demand of them which doe not conceiue Luther yea rather which doe not conceiue what faith is Rom. 8. From whence works take their beginning The only worke of the inward man. Galath 5. Of what minde wee ought to be in doing good works How the body ought to be chastised Note A notable similitude Gen. 2. Faith doth restore into Paradise Another examples Two notable sayings Another example Only faith iustifieth The vnbeleeuing person is not made euill by works Heb. 11. Works do make a man good but that is in the sight of men Matth 7. The originall of some mens errour 1 Tim. 3. Rules to vnderstand the doctrines of many The reason of Luthers Doctrine The work of Leuiathan Preachers must exhort to Faith. From whence repentance or Faith doe proceed Rom. 10. Psalm 29. Of works towards our neighbours Rom. 14. Baruch 3. A Christian must apply himselfe to all men To what end the body must be cherished The true Christian faith The deprauers of the Apostles doctrine A Christian ought to conforme himselfe to Christ Gal. 1. The confidence of a Christian man. The fruit of Faith. Behold gentle Reader how worthily is Luther reproched We ought to know how great things are giuen vs. The glory of a Christian life In what respect we be named Christians The holy Mother of Christian example of Faith. Luke 2. Paul doth teach workes Gal. 3. An example of our Lord Christ Take hold of Luther all ye Religious and admit him to be your teacher The knowledge of a true Christian The difference betwixt the good and the euill pastors Good aduice Only faith must be attended vnto A rule touching brotherly loue 1 Cor. 13. A Christian man doth liue in himself and in his neighbour Against the liberty of the flesh Against the confidence in workes Gal. 1. How we ought to deale with the obstinate Aspides The simple Rom. 4. Against the lawes and law-makers Rom. 14. To the yong in yeares Danger in the ceremonies Of what estimation ceremonies be Against them that be notably suspitious From whence the law of wisdome doth proceede