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truth_n	heart_n	spirit_n	word_n	8,255	5	4.2520	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75873	The life and death of Dr Martin Luther the passages whereof haue bin taken out of his owne and other godly and most learned, mens writings, who liued in his time.; Martinus Lutherus. English	Adam, Melchior, d. 1622.; Hayne, Thomas, 1582-1645.; Quarles, Francis, 1592-1644.; Holtman, The., engraver.	1641 (1641)	Wing A505; Thomason E207_5; ESTC R15137	91,298	166

of Master of Arts unfolded to them the reason of the change of his course of life It much grieved his parents that so excellent parts should be spent in a life little differing from death But for a moneths space no man could be admitted to speake with him Nor was it povertie but the love of a pious life which bent his minde to the Monastical life In which though he spent his time in the usual schoole learning and read the Writers upon the Sentences and in publique disputations clearly opened their inextricable labyrinths to the admiration of many yet because in this kinde of life he sought not to ennoble his fame but to further his study of a pious life he looked into those studies but upon the by and with much ease attained their Scholastical methods When on a time in the Library of the Colledge Luther meets with a Latine Bible running over the books thereof in order he met with a copie of the Latine Bible which he never saw before There with admiration he observed that there were moe Evangelical and Apostolical texts then what were read to the people in Churches In the old Testament with great attention he read the story of Samuel and Anna his mother and began to wish that he was the owner of the like book which not long after he obtained Hereupon he spent his time on the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings the fountaines of all heavenly doctrine seeking thence to enforme his minde with Gods will and to nourish in himself the feare of God and true faith in Christ from true and undoubted grounds Some sicknesse and feare whet him on to attempt these studies more earnestly It is said Luther fell into a grievous sicknesse An. 1501. A Priest comforted him The Monks used him hardly that in this Colledge Luther in his younger yeers fell into a most violent disease in so much that there was no hope of life and that an ancient Priest came to him and with these words comforted him Sir Be of good courage for your disease is not mortall God will raise you up to be a man who shall afford comfort to many others At the first the Monks handled him somewhat harshly whilest he performed the office of the Custos and was compelled to cleanse the uncleane places as also to walk up and down the Citie with a bagge or wallet But upon the request of the Universitie of which he had been a member he was eased of that burden He was often cheered up by conference with the ancient Priest to whom he revealed his feares and scruples of minde and heard him discoursing of faith at large and going on the Creed to the Article The Article of remission of sinnes explained I beleeve the Remission of sins Which he thus explained Namely that a man must not onely in generall beleeve that sinnes are remitted to some men as to David and to Ester for this the devils beleeve but that God commands that we should each man in particular beleeve that our sinnes be forgiven us in Christ Jesus This exposition said he is confirmed by St. Bernard and shewed him the place in his Sermon upon the Annuntiation where these words are to be found Bernard Sermon of the Annunt But adde this and beleeve this also that thy sins are forgiven thee for Christs sake This is the Testimony in thy heart which the spirit of God giveth saying Thy sins are forgiven thee For the Apostle thus determines of the matter That a man is freely justified by faith Luther said that he was not onely confirmed in the truth but also put in minde of Saint Paul ever in these words asserting this trueth We are justified by faith Concerning this point after that he had read the expositions of divers men he further said that from the speeches of Paul he observed to accrew unto himself much comfort and great light to discerne the vanitie of other interpretations which then were used Then he began to read St Augustines workes He read St Augustine where both in his Comment on the Psalmes and in the booke Of the Spirit and letter he found many evident places which confirmed this doctrine concerning faith c And writers on the sentences and the comfort which was before kindled in his breast Yet did he not utterly cast of the reading of Gabriel and Camaracensis writers on the Sentences but was able to recite them by heart in a manner He spent much time in often reading Occam and esteemed him for acutenesse of wit before Thomas Aquinas and Scotus also he studiously perused Gerson But chiefly he read often Austins workes and kept them well in memory This earnest prosecution of his studies he began at Erphord and spent there five yeares in the Colledge In the yeare 1507. he put on the priests hood He began to say Masse An. 1507. B. 1. Epist 1. The first Masse which he celebrated was May 2. Domini Cantate Then was he 24. yeares old In this course he continued 15. yeares to the yeare of our Lord 1527. At that time Io. Staupicius who endeavored to promote the university of Wittenberg lately begun He was removed to Wittenberg An. 1508. desired that the study of Theologie should there flourish and well knew the wit and learning of Luther and removed him to Wittenberg An. 1508. when he was 26. yeares old Here in regard of his daily exercises in the schooles and his sermons the eminency of his good parts did more and more shew themselves And among other learned men who attentively heard him Martinus Mellurstad commonly cal'd Lux mundi Mellurstads Judgement of Luther the light of the world often said of Luther that there was in him so noble a straine of wit that he did verily presage that he would change the vulgar course of studies which at that time was usuall in schooles and prevailed He was professor of Philosophy at Wittenberg and inveyes against Arist Tom. 1. Epist 10. He went to Rome An. 1510. What manner of Masses at Rome Tom. 6. Ien. Germ. pag. 88. At Wittenberg Luther first explained Aristotles Logick and Physickes yet intermitted not his study of Divinitie Three yeares after that is An. 1510. he was sent into Italy and to Rome in the behalfe of his Covent for the deciding of some controver-among the Monkes There he saw the Pope and the Popes palace and the manners of the Roman Clergie Concerning which he sayth I was not long at Rome There I sayd and heard others say Masse but in that manner that so often as I call them to minde I detest them For at the Table I heard among other matters some Curtisans laugh and boast and some concerning the bread and wine on the Altar to say Bread thou art and bread thou shalt remaine Wine thou art and wine thou shalt remaine He further addeth that the priests celebrated the Masses so hastily and perfunctorily that he left

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 Luthers disease of which he died 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 Luthers prayer before his death 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 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 doctrin of Christ Luthers death which you have hitherto 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 climactericall 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. Luthers body brought to Wittenberg 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 His honourable buriall 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 containes 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 hid 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 Scorning Romes Cheats to teach pure Truth made choste 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 book And what the difference was betwixt the Law Whose tables Moses brake though God he saw Vpon Mount-Sinai and the Gospel sweet Which heales Sin-conscious hearts which Gods wrath meet 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 immortall 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

receiveth not his authority power strength and dignitie from the scripture but the scripture from the Pope This in briefe is the summe of the whole Canon Law The Pope is God on earth supreame in all heavenly earthly spirituall and secular matters And All things are the Popes to whom none dare say what doe you Here Frederik Prince Elector obtained of the Emperour to call Luther to the Court held at Wormes in March An. 1521. Luther sene for to Wormes 1521. And goeth thither Luther receiving the Emperours graunt for his safety went from Wittenberg and was conducted thence by Casparus Sturnius Herauld and accompanied with Iustus Ionas Ier. Schurfius and Nic. Amsderfe Of the students he tooke onely Peter Suavenus a Dane as his companion who afterward being called by Christian King of Denmarke to his Court did much advance good letters and did the Church good service When he came to Hidelberg he proffered to dispute publiquely with any that would Here many did dehort Luther from going to Worms Some dehort him Others said that by the burning of his books he might know what was the Popes censure concerning himselfe Others told him of the usage of Hus and Savonarola But Luther with a resolute courage lightly regarded their advise and sayd that these discouragements were but cast into his way by Satan who knew that by the profession of the truth especially in so illustrious a place his kingdome would be shaken and indamaged He further brake forth into these words If I knew that there were so many Devils at Wormes as tiles on the houses yet would I goe thither Also Francis of Sickingen one in high esteeme with the Emperour at Bucers request did invite Luther to come to his Castle at Ebernburgh where the cause might more commodiously be agitated But Luther answered that he was sent for by the Emperour not to Ebernburgh but to Wormes and thither he would goe Luther commeth to Wormes So taking his journey he came to Wormes on April the sixth which was the third Holyday after Misericordias Domini They say the Duke of Bavaria his Iester whether suborned by others or by some instinct met Luther at his entrance into the towne with a Crosse as is wont in funerals and sung with a loud voyce Welcome comest thou hither and much desired of us who sate in darknesse Presently some counselled Caesar Promise of safety to Luther was to be kept that Luther was to be delt with as they did with Hus. But Caesar thought it just to make good his promise and especially Lodowik the Elector Palatine withstood the designment and prudently sayd That if they should take that course with Luther it would set a brand of imfamy and eternall disgrace on the name of Germany On the 17. day of April at 4. Luther appeareth before Caesar a clock in the afternoon he appeared before the Emperour and many Princes his Assessours Here Iohn Eckius a Lawyer Caesars Spokesman and Officiall of Triers upon command said with an audible voyce Martin Luther there are two causes why Caesar with the consent of the Princes and States have sent for you which I now propound to you and expect your answer First What he is to answer to Whether these Books here he held up a bundle of books written in the Latine German tongues were written by you and do you acknowledge them to be yours The second Whether you will revoke and recant any thing in them or stand in defence of them Ierome Schurfius a Lawyer on Luthers part desired that the titles of the books might be recited and spoken publiquely which being done Luther briefly repeated what was desired of him Luthers answer and answered Concerning the books now named I professe and acknowledge that they be mine but concerning my defence of what I have written that I may answer rightly thereunto seeing it is a matter of very great moment I desire that I may not speake rashly and against my conscience sometime to deliberate After some debate of the matter Eckius said again Though by Caesar letters missive you might well understand the cause why you were sent for and therefore need not to delay but make your answer presently yet Caesar such is his clemency granteth you one day for to deliberate on the matter and commands that to morrow about this houre you here present your self and make your distinct answer by word of mouth and not by writing Upon Luthers desiring of respit some thought that he would not be constant but they failed in their opinion Here I may not passe it over in silence that when Luther drew neere to Caesars throne many of the Princes Counsell encouraged him Luther incouraged by divers present Mat. 10.19.20 saying that he should be of good courage and not faint Nor feare them who could kill the body onely but not hurt the soule Others put him in minde to meditate on this When ye shall appeare before Kings and Princes be not solicitous how and what to answer For in that moment it shall be given you what you shall say Luthers second answer The day following Luther appeared at the houre appointed And after that Eckius had asked him What now was his resolution he first humbly desired of the Emperour and Princes That they would grant him their gentle attention and then said Of the books which I have written some of them tend to faith and Pietie to these my adversaries give ample Testimony Should I recant these I might be justly censured as a wicked man Other of my books are against the Pope of Rome and Papisticall doctrine which both hath and still doth much trouble the Christian world and doth much mischiefe These should I revoke I should confirme their tyranny The third sort of my books are against some private men who defend the Papists cause and by many calumnies upon me In these I confesse I have been too vehement and besides I confesse that I am not of an unerring perfection but yet I can not safely revoke these books unlesse I will set open a gap to the impudency of many Being a man I may erre and therefore desire any one better to instruct me by the testimony of Scripture Eckius indignation and reply When he had thus said Eckius with a sowre countenance replyed You answer not to the matter nor doth it pertaine to you to call the authoritie of the Councell into question A plaine and direct answer is required of you whether you desire that your writings should stand good Then said Luther Seeing you O Caesar and the Princes command me to answer punctually I obey This is my resolution Unlesse I be convicted by testimony of Scripture or evident reason I may not revoke any thing which I have written or spoken For I will not in any wise wound my conscience I do not conforme my beleefe to the Popes or the Councels determinations alone for they

The flesh profiteth nothing 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 Ordering of Ministers 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 German songs and a book of the abomination of the Masse in which he galled the Popish sore backtjades Luther writeth to Strasburg about Carolostade 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 Luthers answer 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 the 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 Strasburgh 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 marrieth Luther being fortie two yeers old of a sudden and unexpectedly 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 Schurfius 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 Cameratius in the life of Melancthon 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 pacified 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 What Luthers adversaries did about this marriage 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 * Chaplain to George Duke of Saxony 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 Luthers answer to their opprobries 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 The cause of Luthers marriage 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

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 The chiefe points of Religion opened and cleared by Luther 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 Melancthon Tom. 6. declam 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 againe 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 Luthers worthy paines in translating the Bible 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 The difficulty of Jobs Translation 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 Luthers course in translating the Bible 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 Tom. 1 epist ●71 whom elsewhere we have named that they might be witnesses of his faithfull care in darke places Mathes Sermon concerning Luthers life p. 153. He entreated Spalatinus to send precious stones from the Court for his better knowledge of them and took care that he might know the names and differences of certain beasts and fowles and creeping things and insects He had Rams Sheep Calves kild and cut up at his house and learned the names of their joynts and the proprietie of speech about them from the butchers Oftentimes as himself relateth he spent fourteen dayes together in the interpretation of one word or line with Melancthon and Aurogallus help In their consultation this was their course Luther was President in the work performed in the Monastery and ever had by him the old Latine Translation and his new one and the Originill Text To Melancthons care was commended the Greek Bible to Crucigers the Hebrew and Chaldee other professours were imployed in the perusing the Rabbins and every one of them still came to the worke well premeditated Every one gave his judgement concerning the place to be translated they compared all together Luthers revising the first Edition of the Bible and at length concluded of the expression thereof But Luther before his death revised the first edition for one day teacheth another For this paines we owe him perpetuall thanks for it much benefits the Church and informeth such as know not the originall yea it much pleasures the learned in the tongues for conference of translations Who carped at this Yet this paines was blamed by Vicelius and Staphylus and other vassals of the Pope Luther expositions of the Bible Luther also published many learned Expositions and Comments on the Scripture Of which thus saith Erasmus Erasm judgement thereof In one leaf of Luthers Commentaries is more solid Divinitie then in many prolix Treatises of the School-men and other the like He also refined and much enriched the German tongue Luthers eloquence in his own tongue He translated out of Latine some things which other thought not possible to be rendred in the vulgar tongue and yet used most significant and proper words so that some one word might seeme to set the whole matter forth most expressely Of the Pope Luther wrote how he made use of the Masse even for the souls departed and saith that he with his Masse had gone not onely into all corners of the world but even into purgatory it self here he useth a word in the German tongue signifying the noyse * Isi binnunier gerum Pett in die helle of his tumbling down into hell Also he calleth Indulgence-Mongers pursethreshers because the Pope winnowed good money out of that chaffe There are full many such passages in his German writings Well therefore said renowned Sturnius concerning him Luther may be reputed very well the Master of our tongue whether you speake of the puritie or copiousnesse of it The counsellers of Princes the Judges of Cities all Secretaries all Embassadours and Lawyers attribute this praise to him being a Divine The cause defended by him was just and necessary and of itself deserved the victory but assuredly he shot forth the darts of his arguments with the strong armes of true Oratory If he had not revived Religion if he had preached no Sermons had he written nothing else but what he divulged of the Scriptures translated yet for this his paines he deserved very excellent and perpetuall glory For if the Greek and Latine and other translations be compared with the German they come short for clearnesse purenesse proprietie agreeing with the original I am perswaded that as no Painter could passe Apelles so not any writer can go beyond Luther for his translation in our tongue He began a matter as was conceived beyond the reach of man Luthers adversaries and