it he further said Lord I render up my spirit into thy hands and come to thee And again Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit thou O God of truth hast redeemed me Here as one falling asleep and without any bodily pain that could be discerned he departed this life And when Doctor Ionas and Caelius said O reverend father do you die in the constant confession of that dectrin of Christ which you have hither to preached He answered so as he might be heard yea which was the last word he spake Thus he in his native countrey not having seen it many yeers before dyed much lamented by many This fell on the eighteen of February on the day in the Calender ascribed to Concord about three a clock in the morning in the great climaclericall yeere of his age Soone after his body put into a coffin of Lead was carried in funerall manner to the Temple of Isleben where Iustus Ionas preached Then the Earles of Mansfield desired that his body should be interred within their territories But the Elector of Saxony required that it should be brought back to Wittenberg In the return thereof which way so ever it went it was honourably attended and with much griefe accompanied out of each Princes Dominion and at length upon the 22. of February in the afternoon was brought to Wittenberg and was carried into the Temple Neere adjoyning to the Castle with such a troop of Princes Earles Nobles their living as students and other people that the like was seldome or never seene in that town When the funerall rites were performed Pomeranus preached to an assembly of many thousands And after that Melancthon with many teares and sighes made a funerall Oration When this was done the coffin with his body was put by the hands of divers learned men into the tomb neere to the pulpit in which he had made many learned Sermons before divers Princes Electors and the Congregation of many faithfull Christians In a brazen plate his picture lively deciphered was there set up with verses by it to this effect This Sepulchre great Luthers Corps containe This might suffice yet read these following strains HEer in this Vrne doth Martin Luther rest And sweetly sleep in hope to rise most blest By whose rare pains firme faith and Christs free Grace Which formerly thick Fogs of Error base And duskie Clouds of Works desert bid quite Were well reduced to their ancient Light For when blind Superstition ruled All And did faire Truth long time suppresse and thrall He by Gods Word and Spirits inspiration The Gospels Light re-spred for every Nation And well-instructed by Pauls sacred voyce choice Scorning Romes Cheats to teach pure Truth made And as Iohn Baptist in the Wildernesse Did Gods Lamb who heales Sin Preach and expresse So O Sweet Christ did Luther cleare thy book When all the World was caught with Errors hook And what the difference was betwixt the Law Whose tables Moses brake though God he saw Vpon Mount-Sinai and the Gospel sweet meet Which heales Sin-conscious hearts which Gods wrath This difference lost to th' world He did restore That so Christs gifts of Grace might shine the more He stoutly did oppose Romes Cheats and Charmes And Papal rule which wrought Gods Saints great harms Exhorting all Romes idols for to flie He many soules wan to true pietie And maugre all Romes threats and snares most slie Finisht in Faith his Course most valiantly Dying in peace his Soule with Christ doth rest Crown'd with immort all Glory truly blest For which rare Doctor let both high and low Blesse God that they so cleare Christs truth do know And pray the Lord that these his Gospels rayes May to the World shine-forth for datelesse dayes Philip Melancthon Dead is grave Luther worthy all due praise Who set forth Christ in Faith illustrious rayes His Death the Church laments with Sighs sincere Who was her Pastour nay her Patron deare Our Israels Chariots and Horsemen rare Is Dead with me let All sad Sables weare Let them their griefe in groaning verses sing For such sad Knells such Orphans best may ring Theodore Beza Rome tam'd the World the Pope tam'd Rome so great Rome rul'd by Power the Pope by deep Deceit But how more large than Theirs was Luthers Fame Who with One Pen both Pope and Rome did tame Go fictious Greece go tell Alcides then His Club is nothing to great Luthers Pen John Major By Luthers labours Leo the tenth is slain Not Hercles Club but Luthers Pen's his bane Joachim a Beust When Luther dy'd then with him dy'd most sure A Crown and credit of Religion pure His Soul soar'd-up to heaven on Concords day Which tended Luther thither on his way Deare Christ since Discord followed with Coates rent Give to thy Spouse Elijahs ornament Upon his Tomb-stone the Universitie of Wittenberg as to her beloved father engraved MARTINI LVTHERIS THEOLOGIAe D. CORPVS H. L. S. E. QVI ANNO CHRISTI M. D. XLVI XII CAL MARTII EISLEBII IN PATRIAS M. O. C. V. AN. LXIII M. III. D. X. Thus Luther ran his course this was the period of his travels When first Melancthon heard newes of his death he utttered these sacred words of the scripture The Charriot and horsemen of Israel is gone and tooke his death most heavily For they had lived together 28. yeeres in most religious manner so that Melancthon truely loved him for his admirable vertues and was a faithfull mate and helper to him in clearing the doctrine of the Gospel For though those times were prone to distractions and mens wavering mindes desirous of dissention yet when as each knew others infirmities there never fell any jarre betweene them which caused any alienation of their affection or parting their company and fellowship But what and how great stormes rose in Germany after the death of Luther out alas each Christian knoweth So that Luther said truly and often foretold That whilst he lived by Gods help there would no warre be raysed in Germany but when he was dead the age to come would see the event Concerning the doctrine of the Gospel he uttered this heavenly truth These things will be a great bane to Christian Religion First forgetfullnesse of Gods blessing on us in restoring to us the Gospel Secondly security which already commonly and every where raigneth Thirdly worldly wisdome which would bring all things into good order and cure the publique stirres with wicked Councels There was in this worthy man of God a quicke and prudent understanding a magnanimous and noble Spirit He was ever constant in known truth from the confession whereof he could never be removed with threats or promises So that when upon a time one Papist demanded of an other Why do you not stop the mans mouth with gold and silver The other answered See this German beast careth not for money There appeared in him a singular proofe of his
and if the Gospel was purely to be preached ought to be mitigated The Emperour was somewhat offended with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tempted by his Legate to take it away but all in vain For this businesse was farre otherwise concluded of in heaven then at Norinberg as Luther wrote For the Princes and Cities of the Empire strove who first should admit the reformed doctrin This was done in Denmark Prussia Livonia Silesia and elsewhere In this yeere Luther set forth the book concerning the dignitie and office of the Civil Magistrate Frederik the Elector was much delighted with this book He wrote also to the Waldenses commonly called the Picards concerning the adoring the Sacrament In which book he first mentions the opinion of Berengarius concerning the Lords Supper before he began the contention with the Helvetians He now also set forth the five books of Moses in the German tongue three thousand yeers since the death of Moses He published also a book to the Senate of Prague about ordaining of Ministers and another about avoyding the doctrine of men He wrote this yeere also to the Livonians and shewed his great joy at their entertaining the Evangelicall doctrin which many tyrants in Germany sought obstinately to oppresse and forewarned them that they must expect cruell persecutions of the same kind to the undergoing whereof he gravely and piously exhorted them encouraging them to be resolute and to persevere valiantly in the truth of the Gospel which they had received He further did instruct them briefly and pudent and brasen forehead For this he called Amsdorfe to witnesse and sayd that all of them except three were want on persons and not to be maintained yea that it was the duty of the Magistrats to prohibite their whoredom compell them to marry For though no man can be compelled and forced to the truth yet publique wickednesse is to be taken away At the least the Masses might be forborne which were maintained at the Princes charge and were wickedly performed and to no good end Iohn the Prince of Anhalt by Doctour Ieronymus and a Franciscan warned Luther to acquite himselfe of holding a new Article with which Ferdinand of Norinberg did charge him namely that he held that Christ was the seed of Abraham At the first Luther conceived that they jested with him but when he found that they spoke it sadly he was forced to give credit to their speech that he was in very deed so accused Pope Adrian then opposed the Gospel and by his Bull as they call it very much blamed Frederik Electour of Saxony for the neglect of his duty in not punishing or banishing Luther And then warned and intreated the Prince that now at length he he would doe it and if he would not he should try how keen the Popes and Emperours swords were The same request Henry the eight King of England and Lodowik King of Hungary and Bohemia made To all these the Elector returned no other answer then that Luther was first to be heard in the Councel before he was to be condemned The Popes Legate also accused Luther at the Norician assembly as being most like to Mahomet For as the Turkes by Polygamy so Luther taking away the vowes of Chastity doth loose the reines to all licentiousnesse and overthrow the state of the Church and therefore he might be condemned before he was heard besides as now he did shew his cruelty against the Ecclesiasticall state he would afterward doe the like against the Political In this yeere Christiern King of Denmark and his wife sister of Charles the fifth were expulsed their Kingdome for his too violent government And being in banishment at the Court of his Unkle Frederik Elector of Saxony heard Luther preach In the 24. yeere Clemens the 7. made Pope in Adrians steed sent Laur. Campegius the Cardinal his Logate to Norinberg He wrote at large to Frederik the Elector and highly praysed the Popes good will and did undertake that a Councel should be called Then also Caesar and most of the Princes of the Empire pressed for the decree of Wormes Which thing when Luther had notice of he bewayled the state of Germany and complained of the blindnesse of men That yeare Erasmus Roterod perswaded by the King of England and Thomas Wolsey Cardinal wrote against â—…ker He put forth against his will as he wrâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…thor the Treatise concerning fâ—… What was Luthers judgement about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he wrote to Spalatinus sheweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the booke of Eras. concerning free-will and yet I have scarce read eight leaves thereof It grieveth me to answer so unlearned a book of a man so learned That book was answered by Luther An. 1526. with which delay the mindes of learned men were held in suspence what would be the issue of the controversie This yeere was remarkable for the unhappy Sacramentary controversie The beginning and proceeding whereof is related in the life of Carolostade Zwingl and Oecolamp and I list not here to renew our griefe by opening the sore again About this time came forth the fanatick writing of Tho. Muncer of Stolberg and the Preacher of Alstet in which he disgorged his venemous fury against the Lutherans The book which he wrote against Luther was dedicated to Christ Prince of Princes He rayled on Luther because he wanted an Enthusiasticall spirit and had nothing in his writing but a carnall spirit The same Muncer wrote to Melancthon a letter plainly shewing his fanaticall spirit Luther now put forth Davids Psalter in the German tongue a book against the seditious and an Epistle to Frederik and Iohn Princes of Saxony against the enemies of images and Enthusiasts who boasted of illumination and conference with God He also set forth a booke about the Exaltation of Benno a Bishop once of Misnia whose bones were on the sixteen day of May digged up at Misnia exalted and placed in a marble Tombe which act some took to be religious other jested and laughed thereat This yeere in October Luther laid aside his Monkishhood and declared his judgement concerning the Synode to be called for determination of the ceremonies saying thus I thinke it not very safe to call together a Councell of our men for the setling an uniformitie of Ceremonies for it will set a bad example though it be attempted with a good zeale as appeareth by all Councels from the beginning So that in the Apostolicall Synode they did more treat concerning matter of action and Traditions then of faith In the Synodes after this they never disputed about faith but alwayes about opinions and questions that the name of Councels is more suspected and hated by me then the name of free will If one Church will not of its own accord imitate another in externall matters what need is there to compell them by the decrees of Councels which presently are changed into lawes
This highly grieved Petr. Paulus Vergerius so that in the name of Pope Clement he expostulated the matter with Ferdinando This yeere Luther spent in preaching writing Treatises and Commenting And this yeere the German Bible translated by him and brought into one body was first printed as the old priviledge dated at Bibliopolis under the Electors hands sheweth In the 1535. yeer this Bible was published Then the fancies of the Anabaptists began to appeare in Westphalia and made a very great combustion This yeere P. Paul Vergerius was sent back by the Pope into Germany He spake to the Duke of Saxony about the holding a Councel at Mantua He also met with Luther and dealt with him about matters of Religion Then Luther wrote many Sermons and Epistles and a book in a popular way about prayer and a Preface to Vrbanus Rhegius book against the Monasterians New Valentinians and Donatists And when the Pope had appointed the Councel at Mantua Luther wrote certain asseverations and Theses against the Constantian as he call'd it the Obstantian Councell He sent also a consolatory writing to the Christians of Mittweid expulsed for the Gospels sake and a letter to the Archbishop of Mentz the last he calleth it yet he wrote many after it This yeere Luther began publiquely to preach on Genesis which taske he ended as himself was wont to ominate with his life six yeers after In the yeer 36. the forme of the Concord between Luther and Bucer and other Doctors in the Churches of upper Germany was written by Melancthon at Wittenberg And published in the end of May This elsewhere we spake of and told who subscribed therunto This yeer Philip Duke of Pomerania at Torgaw married Mary daughter of Iohn Elect. of Saxony and of Marg. of Anhalt Luther was at the marriage and prayed for Gods Blessing upon the new married couple When all the rites were performed Duke Philip reached out his hand to Luther at this Luther stood a while silent and still held his hand and with a loud voice said The Lord God be with you and keep your posteritie from failing Now when as Barnimus the Vnkle of Philip had no male children Philips wife for foure yeeres was barren so that all the Male stocke of the Duke of Pomerania was likely to be ere long extinct at length by Gods blessing according to the prayer of Luther he had seven sonnes by this wife and wonderfully enlarged that noble Family In February the yeere following the Duke Elector of Saxony with the Confederate Princes and Cities and their Divines held an Assembly at Smalcald for matters of Religion that the Princes might deliberate about calling the Councel to Mantua and the Divines conferre about matters of doctrine Hither therefore Luther and Melancthon were called Luther wrote Articles concerning the chiefe controverted heads of Christian doctrine These the other Divines did approve and these were to be exhibited in the Councel of Mantua if ever it were held and put up in the name of the Saxon and neere thereunto adjoyning Churches Commonly they are called the Smalcaldick Articles These were joyned to the Augustane Confession and the Apologie and Luthers Catechismes At this meeting Luther fell sick of a grievous disease so that there was no hope of his life He was pained of the stone and obstruction in the bladder eleven dayes Here he though most of his friends disliked and reasoned against it would be carried thence the event proved his resolution good George Sturk the Physitian being sent for from Erphord went along with him Luther as he was carried along made his will in which he bequeathed his detestation of Popery to his friends and the Pastors as before in the house of Spalatinus in the yeere 1530. where he made this Verse Pestis eram vivus moriens ero mors tua Papa I living stopt Romes breath And Dead will be Romes Death But the night after his departure thence he began to be somewhat better At Tambach the passages of his urine opened so that he voyded it in great abundance and called that Village the place of his happinesse This recovery of Luther was cause of great joy to many godly men even to all who loved Luther especially to Melancthon who signified the same to Luther in these words by his letter I heartily thanke the God of all mercy and our Lord Iesus Christ our high Priest interccding for us and compassionating our infirmities for your recovery from your dangerous disease I rejoyce at my heart both for your and the Churches sake that you enjoy your health againe and the rather because herein we behold the apparent love mercy of God to his Church Your letter expressing your recovery put cheerfulnesse into the countenances of the Princes and all good men they all acknowledg that the light of the Gospel hath been in these dayes made known to the world by your Ministry and know that they are beholding to you for it and fore see what a losse it would be to the Church if they should lose you Therefore with joynt votes they pray that long you may live among us and thanke God who hath restored you from death to life I hope God accepted of this their joy and thanks And I pray God for Christs sake to make you perfectly sound and healthfull Here we have not yet ended our deliberation about giving Caesars messenger an answer to his harsh dispute against our former answer So that neither yet is any answer given to the Pope The Duke of Wittenberg commendeth your noble courage who durst in such a disease travel and fly from this cave He mindeth to follow your example for having been eight dayes sicke he resolveth to be gone to morrow Christ graunt that I may shortly see you in good health I was much grieved for you that the more because being absent I could not performe any friendly office to you I was perplexed at some physical errours by which your disease was augmented so that no man can expresse how extreamity of griefe wrought upon me Nor am I yet freed from all griefe If your malady was onely a difficulty of urine from some stopping I hope all danger is past But if it be from the bignesse of any stone I trust that the danger will be much the lesse and that you have a prudent and faithfull Physitian whom I pray God to direct and assist From Smalcald 1537. Here the Pope rejourned the meeting of the Synod from the first of November to the first of May the yeere following and designed the place for it to be Vincentia a large and renowned City of the Venetians and sent thither some of the Cardinals to begin the Councel He pretended a serious consultation for the purging the Augean Stable and now commended the same busines to some choise men but omitted the propounding of the oath to them and would that no man should
lifting up their eyes beheld the sacred hoste appearing in the ayre Wherefore with great devotion of heart they placed the most sacred Host in the holy Altar Whereupon the fearefull noyse ceased But in the night following a loud noyse and ratling much shriller then the former was heard about the sepulcher of Luther which awaked all the Citie terrified them and almost kill'd them with astonishment In the morning when they opened the sepulcher they found neither his body nor his bones nor any of the cloathes but there came a sulphurous stinke out thereof which almost overcame the standers by By this miracle many were so amazed that they amended their lives for the honour of the Christian faith and the glory of Jesus Christ When this lye came Printed into Germany Luther did subscribe with his own hand words to this purpose I Martin Luther doe professe and witnesse under mine owne hand that I on the 21. day of March received this figment full of anger and fury concerning my death and that I read it with a joyfull mind and cheerfull countenance And but that I detest the blasphemy which ascribeth an impudent lie to the divine Majestie for the other passages I cannot but with great joy of heart laugh at Sataus the Popes and their complices hatred against me God turne their hearts from their diabolicall maliciousnesse But if God decree not to heare my prayers for their sinne unto death then God graunt that they may fill up the measure of their sinnes and solace themselves to the full with their libels full fraught with such like lies This yeere Luther set forth a book intituled Against the Popedome ordained by the Devill In this he treats of the Councel appointed by the Pope and often adjourned or translated from place to place and of other plots of the Popes There he speaketh of the Campanian who comming out of Germany into Italy turned his bare breech towards Germany using words to the disgrace of the nation Luther published divers other Treatises as the explication of Christs speech Search the scriptures And The blindnesse and ingratitude of the world in handling Christs complaint of Ierusalem By Luthers advice especially Georgius Anhaltenus undertooke the government of the Church of Mersberg Of this is spoken in the life of Duke George In the yeere 1546. Luther accompanied with Melancthon visited his owne countrey and returned again in safety Not long after the Counsel of Trent being begun and having sate once or twice Luther was called again by the Earles of Mansfield to his owne countrey for to compose a dissention among them concerning their bounds and heritages Luther was not wont to deale in matters of this nature having been versed in sacred studies all his life time but because he was borne at Islebon a towne in the territories of Mansfield he was willing to do his countrey service in this kind Wherefore making his last sermon at Wittenburg the 17. day of Ianuary he tooke his journey on the 23. day And at Hall in Saxony lodged at Iustus Ionas his house where he stayed three dayes because of the roughnesse of the waters and preached the 26. of Ianuary upon Pauls Conversion On the 28. day being Thursday at Hall he passed over the river with Iustus Ionas and his own three sonnes and being in danger of drowning said to Dr Ionas Think you not that it would rejoyce the Devill very much if I and you and my three sonnes should be drowned When he came to the Earles of Mansfield he was entertained by a hundred horsemen or more of the Court and was brought into Isleben very honourably but very sick and almost past recovery which thing he said did often befall him when he had any great businesse to undertake But using some meanes for cure of his infirmity he sate at supper with the company and so continued to do from the 29. of Ianuary to the 17. of February and treated of the differences for whose determination he came thither In this time he preached sometimes and twice received the Lords supper and publikely received two students into the sacred order of the Ministery And at his lodging used much godly conference at Table with his friends and every day devoutly prayed The day before his death though he was somewhat weake yet he dined and supped with the company and at supper spake of divers matters and among other passages asked whether in Heaven we should know one another when the rest desired to heare his judgement thereof He said What befell Adam he never saw Eve but was at rest in a deep sleep when God formed her yet when he awaked and saw her he asketh not what she was or whence she was but saith that she was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Now how knew he that He being full of the Holy Ghost and endued with the knowledge of God thus spake After the same manner we also shall be in the other life renewed by Christ and shall know our parents our wives and children and all about us much more perfectly then Adam knew Eve at her bringing to him After supper when he went aside to pray as was his custome the paine in his breast began to increase whereupon by the advice of some there present he tooke a little Vnicornes horne in wine and after that slept quietly an houre or two on a pallat neer the fire When he awaked he betooke himselfe to his chamber went to bed and bidding his friends good night admonished them who were present to pray God for the propagation of the Gospel because the Councel of Trent and the Pope would attempt wonderfull devises against it Having thus said after a little silence he fell asleep But was awaked by the violence of his disease after midnight Then complained he again of the narrownesse of his breast and perceiving that his life was at an end he thus implored Gods mercy and said O heavenly father my gracious God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ thou God of all consolation I give thee heartie thanks that thou hast revealed to me thy Son Iesus Christ whom I beleeve whom I professe whom I love whom I glorifie whom the Pope of Rome and the rout of the wicked persecute and dishonour I beseech thee Lord Iesus Christ to receive my soule O my gracious heavenly Father though I be taken out of this life though I must now lay down this fraile body yet I certainly know that I shall live with thee eternally and that I cannot be taken out of thy hands He added moreover God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that every one who beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting And that in the 68. Psalme Our God is the God of salvation and our Lord is the Lord who can deliver from death And here taking a medicine and drinking
valour and noble courage in the Auspurg Assembly when thus he wrote out of his Wildernesse to Spalatinus That Kings and Princes and people rage against the Christ or anointed of God I esteem it a good sign and think it much better then if they flattered For thereupon followeth that he that dwels in heaven laughes at them And when our Lord and King laughes I see no cause why we should weep before their faces He laughes not for his own sake but for ours that we rather trusting to him then to any thing else might laugh at their vain designs so much need is there of faith that the cause of faith may not be looked upon without faith But he that begun this worke he began it without our counsell and contrivance And he himself will forward with it and finish it without and beyond all our counsels and devises of this I make no question I know and am assured hereof He in whom I beleeve is able to do above all which we can aske or conceive Though Philip Melancthon contrive and desire that God should work according to and within the compasse of his counsels that he might have wherein to glory and say Surely thus the businesse should be carried Thus would I have done But this is not well spoken I Philip would have it so This I is too flat and dull too low a style It must be thus The God who saith I am that I am this is his name I am He will have it so It is not yet seen who he is but he will appear as he is and we shall see him But I have done Be you valiant in the Lord and put Melancthon in minde from me that he set not himself in Gods place but fight against that ambition of Deitie which was inbred and took root in us in Paradise by the devils suggestion for that is an affectation not furthering the businesse now in hand The desire of being like God thrust Adam and Eve out of Paradise and it alone doth trouble us and turn us out of the course of Peace We must be mortall men and not Gods Thus in briefe If we think otherwise everlasting unquietnesse and anguish of heart will be our reward Luther was ready for Martyrdom once or twice and thought his adversaries would have him to it whereupon at his going to Auspurg An. 1518. thus he wrote to his deare freind * Melanct. Shew your selfe a man of resolution as you already doe Teach the students Gods truth I am going if God so please to be sacrificed for them and you For I had rather die and never more enjoy which thing alone would be most grievous to me your most sweet societie then to recant and revoke any truth which I have preached and give occasion to overthrow the right course of studies And elsewhere he thus wrote * to Spalatinus I had rather as I have often sayd die by the hands of the Romanists alone And would by no meanes that Charles and his Counsellours should interpose themselves in putting mee to death I know what misery befell Sigismund the Emperor after the martyring of Hus how nothing prospered with him afterward how he died without issue male how his daughters sonne Ladislaus also died and so had he his name extinguished in one age of men besides Barbara his Queen became a dishonour to the royall place she held and other matters which you well know But yet if it so please God that I shall be delivered into the hands not only of the Papists spiritual Governours but of Temporal Magistrates also the Lords will be done Amen And againe thus to Lambert Thorn imprisoned I rejoyce with you most heartily and give thanks to our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ that he hath not onely graciously given me the knowledge of his word but made me see a plentifull and glorious encrease of his grace in you Wretched man that I am It is reported that I first taught those things for which you suffer and yet shall be the last or perhaps shall not be vouchsafed at all to be made partaker of your imprisonments Martyrdoms Yet herein will I challenge something and comfort my selfe in this that your miseries your bondes and imprisonments the fires prepared for you are mine also and so indeed they are seeing I professe and preach the same things with you and suffer and rejoyce together with you God by Luther and his fellow workmen opened and cleared the necessarie doctrin of Gods Church concerning the Mediatour and justification of man before God of the differences of the Law and the Gospel of worship pleasing God of Invocation and other points He was wont often to deplore the ungodly praying to the Saints departed and said That there were many reasons why that invocation was execrable and that this was one chiefe namely that by that profane custome the Testimony of Christs Divinity was obscured to whom both the writings of the Prophets and Apostles attribute the honour of invocation These are the Idols which sharpen the barbarous sword of the Turk to cut of our neckes Nor will he ever be kept from shedding our bloud except in godly manner those things be reformed For how wicked and impious those hymnes be which are sung in the Popes Quires who knoweth not O Mary thou Mother of grace defend us from our enemie and in the houre of death receive us And a gaine Saint Dorothy create a new heart within us Saint Catharin translate us from the troublesome sea of the world to the pleasures of Paradise open Paradise for us And that Gods truth might be propagated to posterity with continuall and great labour and study he so plainly and perspicuously out of the originall texts translated the Bible into the German tongue that his translation may well serve in steed of a Commentary He often speaketh of the labour and difficulty of this taske As in his letter to Wenceslaus Lincus We are now busied in translating the Prophets a worke God knoweth of great paines and industry to bring Hebrew writers to speake the German tongue to leave their Hebrew idiom and expresse themselves in our barbarous language This is as if the Nightingale should be compelled to imitate the Cuckow to leave her warbling melody and fall into an unisone And again to Spalatinus In translating Iob we are put to very great paines in regard of the loftinesse of the style that this book may seeme more impatient of our translation then Iob himselfe of his friends comforting him He may seeme yet still to sit upon the dunghill Vnlesse perhaps the Author of the booke desired that it never should be translated This is the reason why the Presse maketh no better hast in this part of the Bible In this worke he used the paines and counsel of his colleagues whom elsewhere we have named that they might be witnesses of his faithfull care in
neglect the word of God and his work he will permit shortly a dismall day to come upon us which will bring with it whole Wain-loads of cares which we shall neither have power or meanes to escape Divers other things he also foretold He had his health competently well but that sometimes he was troubled with headach especially in his elder yeeres Whereupon he was afraid of some violent Apoplexie and when he felt a swimming in his head or noyse in his eares he used to say Lord Iesu smite me gently for I am absolved from my sins according to thy word and am fed unto life eternall by thy body and bloud Thine Apostle John and our Elector were taken out of this world by this kinde of death He endured often tentations whereupon he said All here are in health except Luther who is sound in body and without suffers at no mans hand in the world onely the Devil and all his Angels vex him He was of an indifferent stature of strong body of so Lionlike a quicknesse of his eyes that some could not endure to look directly upon him when he intentively beheld them They say that one of mild spirit who could not endure in private to talk with Luther was courteously used by Luther yet was so pierced with the quicknesse of his eyes that being amazed he knew no course better then to run from him His voyce was mild and not very cleare whereupon when on a time there was mention at table about Pauls voyce which was not very perfect and full Luther said I also have a lowe speech and pronuntiation To whom Melancthon answered But this small voyce is heard very farre and neere In wedlock he lived chastly and godly above twentie yeers and when he died left three sonnes and Catharin de Bora a widow who lived after his death seven yeeres To her it was a great grief that her husband died in a place farre from her so that she could not be with him and performe the last conjugall offices to him in his sicknesse In the time of the warre which presently followed she wandred up and down with her orphans and in banishment was exposed to many difficulties and dangers And besides the miseries of widowhood which are full many the ingratitude of many did much afflict her for where she hoped for kindnesse in regard of her husbands worthy and noble deserts of Gods Church often she was put of with great indignitie When afterward her house at Wittenberg in time of pestilence was infected she for her childrens safetie as became a godly mother betooke her self to Torg where was also an Universitie But in the way when the horses affrighted ran out and seemed to indanger the waggon she amazed not so much for her own as her childrens preservation lept out of the waggon whereby poore wretch she grievously bruised her body in the fall and being cast into a poole of cold water caught thereby a disease of wch she lay sick three monethes in banishment and pining away at length died quietly in the yeere 1552. Luthers writings were published at Wittenberg and Iene in severall Towns both in Latine and the German tongue Part of them were expositions of Scriptures part doctrinall part polemicall Of these this was his own judgement Above all I beseech the godly Reader and I beseech him for our Lord Iesus Christs sake that he would read my writings judiciously and with much pittying my case And let him know that I was formerly a Monk and a most furious Papist when I first entred into the cause undertaken by me yea I was so drunk drowned in the opinions of Papisme that I was most ready to kill all men if I could or to assist and consent to their attempts that did kill them who even in one syllable should dissent from the Pope Such a Saul was I as some that be yet alive I was not so cold and calme in defending Popery as was Eckius and his mates who more truly for their bellies sake seemed to defend Popery then that they were serious in the cause yea they seeme still to me to laugh at the Pope in secret as Epicureans But I proceeded in the Popes defence earnestly because I set before mine eyes the last day of judgement and trembled there at and desired from my very heart to attain salvation In another of his writings he in a manner wisheth his books extinct saying Alas my friends should not trouble me I have enough to do with the Papists and might almost say with Job and Jeremy would I had not been born yea almost say I would I had not published so many books and would not care if they were all perished Let other such spirited mens writings be sold in every shop as they desire Luther also was much against it that any man should be called a Lutheran after his name Because the doctrin was not his neither did he die for any one and because Saint Paul would not endure to have it done by his own person 1 Cor. 3. Against this humour of men also Luther said How should it come to passe that I a sack of wormes meat should be accessary to this that the children of Christ should be called after my base and unworthy name He also much opposed the title of Lutherans because we be all Christians and professe the doctrin of Christ as also because the Papists are guiltie of this crime by calling themselves Pontificians We ought not to imitate them in evill Of Luthers books thus writeth Sturmius I remember that in an epistle of Luthers to Wolfgangus Capito which is in Conradus Huberts Library some yeeres ago I read That he himself took content in none of his books but onely in his Catechisme and his book against Free Will For a conclusion I will here adde Melancthons judgement concerning the Talents by God bestowed on Luther and others Pomeranus saith he is a Gramarian and explains the force of words I intend Logick and shew the context of the matter and the Arguments Justus Jonas is an orator and copiously and elegantly discourseth But Luther is all these a very miracle among men What ever he saith what ever he writeth it peirceth mens minds and leaves behind it a wonderfull sting in their hearts And Camerarius speaketh thus of Luther The name of Luther is so odious to some that they detest the hearing it on the contrary other endure not that any thing should be found fault with which either he speak or did if any man dare speake against him they declaime against him presently as one guilty of impiety They who thus extoll the name and authority of Martin Luther as not doubting to elevate him above the condition and measure of Mortall men should see to it that they doe not wrong the good name of so excellent and admirable a man by attributing too much to him and that they
1538. Sim. Lemnius his libel Sleid. b. 12 Camerarius in Melancthons life An. 1539. Of lawfull defence Of the name of Councels and the Church George Duke of Saxony dyeth Henry succeeds Protestancy in Misnia * Now fiftie yeeres old An. 1540. The conference at Hagenaw Melancthon sick in his journey Luther prayeth for Melancthon c. Robert Barnes burnt at London His confession printed by Luther An. 1541. Myconius sick and comforted by Luther Iohn â—…udding Tom. 7. Ien. An. 1542. The Alcoran in the German tongue An. 1543. Camerarius in the life of Melancthon Luther to the Printer to Tigur Luther writeth against the Jews His answer to C. Schwenckfeld His judgement about ceremonies and excommunication Luther at Mersberg A commentary upon Davids last words An. 1544. Commentary on Genesis * In the life of Bulling and Lavat. Histor. Sacr. Luthers last Lecture See Mathes Sermon concerning Luther p. 169. b. The lye in Italy about Luthers death Tom. 8. Jen. p. 206. The Italians disgrace the Germans An. 1546. The Councel of Trent began Camerarius in vita Melanct. Luther called to Mansfield He lodged at Justus Jonas his house Luthers danger Luther very sick Luthers imployment Luthers conference Whether in the other life we shall know one another Luthers disease of which he died Luthers prayer before his death Luthers death Luthers body brought to wittenberg His honourable buriall The body of Martin Luther Doctour of Divinity lieth here interred who in An. 1546. the 12. of the Kalends of March died in Isleben the place of his birth when he had lived 63. yeeres 3. moneths and tenne dayes Melancthons sorrow for Luthers death Their intire love faithfull society What followed Luthers death See Mathel Serm. on Luthers life What will be great hinderances of Christian Religion Luthers vertues His constancy in the truth Luthers couragious speech about the Gospels successe at the Assembly at Auspurg 1530. * Tom. 1. epist. p. 85. * Tom. 1. epist. p. 297. and Tom. 2. p. 340. The Emperour Sigismund unhappy after Hus his death Tom. 2. Epist. The chiefe points of Religion opened and cleared by Luther Melancthon Tom. 6. declam Luthers worthy paines in translating the Bible The difficulty of Jobs Translation Luthers course in translating the Bible Tom. 1. epist. 171. Mathes Sermon concerning Luthers life p. 153. Luthers revising the first Edition of the Bible Who carped at this Luther expositions of the Bible Erasm. judgement thereof Luthers eloquence in his own tongue * I st binnunter gerum Pett in die helle Luthers adversaries Secret plots against Luther a Tom. 2. epist. 271. The Papists designes b Tom. 2. epist. p. 8. Lies against Luther Tom. 2. epist. p. 8. Tom. 2. ep. p. 71. 85. 289. * Tom. 2. ep. pag. 6. * Tom. 1. ep. p. 292. Charles the Emperour kept the souldiers from digging up Luthers bones Tom. 1. ep. Luth. p. 230. b. Luther discerned not all truth at first Tom. 1. ep. pag. 130. a Tom. 2. ep. pag. 72. b Tom. 2. ep. pag. 243. Tom. 2. ep. pag. 301. Tom. 2. ep. pag. 230. Tom. 1. epist. p. 61. Tom. 2. epist. p. 273. Tom. 1. epist. pag. 11. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 371. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 28. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 307. Tom. 1. epist. pag. 360. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 281. Tom. 1. epist. Melanct. pag. 408. to 1. Obenburg Tom. 5. oper. Jen. pag. 280. Conf. Theolog. Melanct. pag. 438. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 196. 250. Luthers private life His temperance Tom. 1. ep. p. 265. His zeale in prayer His recreations Tom. 2. ep. p. 293. and 334. Tom 2. ep. p. 365. Luthers liberality Mathes in his serm. p. 144. Tom. 2. ep. pag. 342. How he dealt with Printers His loving affection to his children His anger zeale Tom. 2. epist. p. 10. p. 207. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 10. Tom. 2. epist. pag. 207. Of Luthers Health Of Luthers person Of his wife and children after his death Luthers writings His judgement of them in the Praes. of Tom. 1. Lat. Work printed at Wittenberg Tom. 7. Jen. Germ. p. 288. The Antimonians Tom. 2. Jen. Germ. p. 69. In his b. of Rhiloric Exer. Melancth. in Mathes serm. Camerarius in Melancth. life pag. 251. Wolf Severus of Luthers
and snares to intangle mens soules Rather let one Church freely follow the good example of another or let each Church enjoy her owne wayes so that the unitie of the spirit be kept intire in faith by the word of God though there be diversitie and outward ceremonies and elements of the world About this time the Priests of Wittenberg keeping their Popish rites were at length evicted and in the end of the yeere abrogating private Masse began a Reformation in the Cathedrall Church Luther had long pressed them to this and had written thus to Spalatinus in this yeere By Gods help I will abrogate private Masse or venture upon another designe The yeere 1525. is famous by the rising of the Boores when this broyle was a hatching and the Ruftick fury did not yet breake forth into taking up armes Luther did disswade all men from sedition as being a crime of very high nature He also handled the Articles of the Boores and shewed how most of them were contrary to the word of God He wrote also to the Princes and Nobilitie and put them in minde of their dutie and by another Treatise exhorted all men to joyne for the subversion of the theevish insendiaries as for the quenching of a common fire This book was censured by some as too sharp but was at large defended by Luther In the beginning of this yeere Luther answered Carolostadius his books intitling his book Against the Celestiall Prophets At Wittenberg then the chieftains of the Anabaptists were called Prophets because they boasted of secret revelations and propheticall spirits the principall men were Muncer Ciconius Cellarius and his friend Carolostad Luther in the first part of his book speaketh of images private Masse and Carolostade and affirmeth that images were forbidden in the old Testament not in the new and that Carolostade was not expelled by his meanes and that the name of Masse was given by the Apostles to the Sacrament of the altar The subject of the second book was the Eucharist where he first dealt against Carolostades exposition of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This and then answered the Arguments of Carolostade and said that the words which is given for you have this sense The body which you eate in the bread ere long when it is not eaten shall be given for you And as it is not written Take the body and eate it so neither is it written Take the bread and eate it And that Christs speech The flesh profiteth nothing is to be taken as spoken not of the flesh of Christ but of the sense of the flesh which is death Rom. 8. That the breaking the bread is the distribution of the body and that the bloud of Christ which is powred out for us now sitteth at the right hand of God but that the efficacy of that effusion of his bloud is for ever And finally that it is unknown how the bread becometh and is the body of Christ and that we must stick to the very words of Christ Against this Zwinglius and Oecolampadius wrote as is said in its due place Now also Luther renewed the ordination of Ministers of the Gospel in the Church Of whom George Rorarius was the first and now first the Masse was celebrated at Wittenberg in their mother tongue And now was set forth a booke of German songs composed by Luther and others the last yeere and a book of the abomination of the Masse in which he galled the Popish sore backcjades and made many of them kick against him He wrote also a letter to them of Strasburg where he heard that Carolostade abode and disswaded them from devouring his poyson On the contrary Strasburg sent George Caselius the Hebrew Professor and entreated Luther that he would not break the unitie of the Church for the controversie of the Eucharist that he would acknowledge Zwinglius and Oecolampadius learned men and of good fame for Brethren that he would write of the Lords Supper and shew what he taught was consonant to the truth Luther returned this answer by Caselius Namely That nothing was more to be desired then peace but to be tyed to a continuall silence was not safe that answer could not be made without condemning them and that he word condemn was censured as opprobrious That he was censured of those most modest men as a Cannibal and a worshipper of God turned bread and eatable that he liked not the advise of the Divines Straburgh concerning silence about the question of the bodily presence and preaching faith and other parts of the word That either he himself or they were ministers of Satan and that therefore in this case there was counsell to be taken and no mean between both to be followed That the reasons brought to make the speech tropicall were of no force And that it must be proved that the verb est not in other places of Scripture but here is in effect significat that where Paul saith The rock was Christ he speaketh not of the corporall but the spirituall drink for he addeth the drank of the spirituall rock And that there was a manifest mistake in that This Lambe is the Lords Passeover for this phrase is no where extant in the Scripture and therefore he besought the brethren for Christs sake that they would avoyd this errour Luther being fortie two yeers old of a sudden and unexspectedly married Katherin a Bora a noble virgin late a Nun and this was the occasion Luther had a purpose that this Katherine should have been married to M. Glanus the Pastor of Orlamund Of this she having intimation acquainted Amsdorf Luthers inward friend therewith and by him intreated Luther to alter his determination and to signifie to him that she would enter into the honourable estate of Matrimony with any other rather then with Glanus When Luther heard this and what Ierom Schursius had said namely that if that Monk should marry her the whole world and the devill himself would laugh thereat and so the Monk should undoe all that formerly he had done Here Luther to grieve the world of Papists and the devill and gratifie her father perswading him thereunto resolved to marry her And on the 13. day of Iune inviting to supper Pomeranus and Apelles the Lawyer and Luke the Limmer was betrothed to her and not long after married her This Luthers enemies much disliked so did his friends also not because they thought the marriage unlawfull but because they wished it had been done at some other time For thus writeth Camerarius It fell out that when these turbulent and dangerous broyles were not yet pacisied Martin Luther married not long after the death of Frederik the chiefe of the seven Electors of the Empire Philip Melancthon much grieved at Luthers marriage not that he condemned it as unlawfull but because hereby an occasion was given to Luthers enemies and ill willers who were
many rich and of great power to speak against him bitterly and with open mouth to reproach him when especially the very time did help forward and set them on who were minded so to do And of what power the conveniency of time is in every action all know full well But when he perceived that Luther himself was somewhat troubled with the same thoughts he not onely moderated his passion but did cheere up Luther and endeavoured to ease his griefe and sorrow with pleasant conference and thereby brought him to his wonted cheerefulnesse again Luthers adversaries not onely observed the time of the marriage but proclaimed the marriage to be incestuous in which a Monk married a Nun. Hereupon the King of England in his Answer to Luther stiles this marriage incestuous and there saith among other opprobries put upon Luther that he could not have committed a sinne of higher nature Conradus Collinus Prior of Cullen and Ierome Emsenus * the best Divine among the Papists wrote virulently and disgracefully of this marriage Yea some there were whom Erasmus gave credit unto who laid a sinne to Luthers charge from which the time of his childs birth did acquit him Against these disgraces Luther thus animated himself saying If my marriage be a work of God what wonder is there if the flesh be offended at it It is offended even at the flesh which God our Creator took and gave to be a ransome and food for the salvation of the world if the world was not offended with me I should be offended with the world and should feare that it was not of God which I have done Now seeing the world is vexed and troubled at I am confirmed in my course and comforted in God So do you The cause of his marriage he there also relateth saying We resigned the revenew of the Monastery to the Prince I who abode in the Monastery so long as it pleased God now like a private housekeeper I have not married to prolong my life but seeing my dissolution neerer approaching and people with their Princes to rage against me that I might leave mine own doctrine for the weaks sake confirmed by mine own example for my doctrine may perchance be kicked against and trodden on after my death This yeere the Anabaptists spread themselves over Helvetia and other parts of Germany and began to broach their fancies at Anwerp Hereupon Luther by an Epistle warned them of Anwerp to take heed of the erroneous spirit which had hindred him very much and recited the impostures of false spirits in Popery and the by-pathes of the seducing spirits of the present times There he set downe the erroneous Articles of a tumultuous spirit at Anwerp and opened the inconstancy lying boldnesse and ambitious desire of honour lurking in that Spirit and entreateth them to forbeare the question concerning Gods hidden will and to attend to and learne the necessary precepts set before us by our God The Articles were these 1. That every man hath the Spirit 2. That the Spirit was nothing else but our reason and understanding 3. That every man beleeveth 4. That there were no inferi or place of torment for mens soules but that the body onely was condemned 5. That every soule should be saved 6. That by the law of nature we are taught to do good to our neighbour as we would he should doe to us and that this will in us was faith 7. That we sinne not against the law by desiring any thing if our will consent not to our desire and lust 8. That he which hath not the Spirit hath not sin because he wanteth reason which they called the Holy Ghost Now also Luther wrote to the King of England by the perswasion of Christiern the banished King of Denmark This Epistle was submissive and is extant in his Epistles He wrote also humbly to George Duke of Saxony that he would be pleased to afford him his favourable respect But the King returned him an harsh answere and objected to him his levity and inconstancy and defended Cardinal Wolsey against Luthers writing to him that hence it appeared how he hated Luther When Luther saw the Kings answer printed he was very much grieved at what he had done and that he had so much yeelded to his friends as to write in so humble a strain The like befell him upon his writing to Cajetan George Duke of Saxony and Erasmus Rotterod who by Luthers lenity were incensed rather then pacified He resolved never afterward to run into the like errour Cocleus and Eckius wonderfully also insulted over Luthers submissivenesse Wherefore Luther now printed a booke against as he calledit the Ill languaged and contumelious booke of the King of England In the yeare 1526. Luther refused Erasmus book intituled de servo Arbitrio The delaying of his answer proceeded from the cause certified to * Amsdorf in these words I will not answer Erasmus till I have done with Carolostade who makes great troubles and stirres in upper Germany Erasmus provoketh thereby put forth his Hyperaspides of which book Luther thus writeth Erasmus that viper being rouzed up will write against me again what eloquence will that most vain hunter after glory exercise to cast down Luther About the same time Duke George and the Bishops attempted many wayes to wrong Luther as appeareth by his letter to Myconius saying The wicked Papists conspire and as Melanctheus writeth to me from Iena threaten warre against me Wherefore see you that the people admonished hereof manfully contend by faithfull and continuall prayer to the Lord that they may be overcome and withheld by the Spirit and constrained to keepe outward peace Verily I understand by the writings and speeches of many that there is very great need of earnest prayer for Satans plots are a working Wherefore I intreat you that you would perswade the people to this most necessary and prevalent work because they are endangered and exposed to Satans sword and fury encompassing them He further saith That the Sectaries were divided into sixe Sects Sixe heads in one yeere are sprung up among the Sacramentarians t is a strange spirit which so much differs from it selfe One sect followed Carolostade that is fallen a second is that of Zwinglius which is falling the third is with Oecolampadius which will fall the fourth also which is Carolostade is fallen he thus disposeth of the words That which is given for you is my body The fifth is now arising in Silesia set forth by Valentine Crantwald and Caspar Schwenkfeld who thus invert the words My body which is given for you is this that is spirituall meat These grievously vex and molest us with their writings for they are most obstreperous and full of words I wish they had my disease of the Stone they seeme so strong to undergo it The sixth is that of Peter Florus at Cullen which Melancthon will deale with