The hystory of the Lyfe and Actes of Martine Luther, Doctour of Diuinitie. Faythfully set foorth by Phillip Melancthon.

THE reuerende Father
Martin Luther promised
in hys fatall tyme,
to publyshe, aswell the
discourse of hys lyfe, as
causes of hys conflicts:
whych he resolued to do, yf death to
greedy of her pray had not reft vs the
society of hym, and the heauens accelerated
to place thys incomparable
Iewell among the elect organes and
vessels of God the father. Therefore
I iudge it necessary that the consideracion
of hys particular lyfe be luculently
set forth. Since the same abou~ded
with manye good examples, that
may corroborate in syncere mindes ye
fear of god, & not to digres, if I recite
ye causes also, for that they aduertise

B.i.

posterity of many excellent thynges.
Further, by thys narracion, the sycophancye
and sinistre reporte of them,
maye be refuted, who vaunt he was
encouraged by certayne Princes and
other eminent Estates of the sacred
Empire, to deface the dignitie of Bishops,
or prouoked wyth inordinate
desyre, he brake the band of seruitude
in hys Monastical estate. And it had
bene most requisite this discourse had
bene wrytten by hym selfe. For albeit
currish detractors would haue obiected
thys common prouerbe.

Such as wyth hawtye style, aduaunce theyr proper prayse: Deflect fro~ Sophies golden sawes and sue Morias wayes.

Yet we, that knowe what rare vertues
harbored in his head, what constancie
lodged in hys diuine brest: are
perswaded he would iustly and faithfully
haue recited hys proper hystory,
And many graue and godly men liue
presently, who would haue condempned
hys follye, if he had forged an other
historye, as Poetes in their poesies
are wont to faine, considering he
vnderstode the perfect order & sequele
of hys actes were not vnknowen vnto
them. But since hys fatal day hath
preuented the publicacion of such an
history: I wyl truly recite, that partlye
by familiare conuersacion I haue
sene, and partlye by informacion and
approued testimonies of hys perfecte
friendes I haue heard.
Ther is an auncient Famely, and
amplye augmented, of meane degree
surnamed Luther, in the territorie of
the Noble Earles of Mansfield. Martine
Luthers Parentes firste inhabited
the Towne Isleben, anon after
they remoued to Mansfield, wher his
Father Iohn Luther, exercised the
office of a Magistrate, & was syngularlye
estemed amonge all sortes, for
hys integrity of lyfe.
Hys Mother named Margaret, besydes
that she had vertues worthy an
honest Matrone, thys was syngular.
Ther shined in her, continency, feare
of God, and inuocacion, and al other
vertuous persons constantly planted
their eyes vpon her, as on a patron &

B.ii.

president of al moral vertues. I haue
some tyme enquired of her, at what
time her sonne was borne: she answered,
that she remembred the houre &
the day of his natiuity, but of yt yeare
she was ignoraunt. She affirmed he
was borne the .x. day of Nouember
at night, about a leuen of the clocke.
And ye cause why he was called Martin,
was for that the morow after he
receiued Baptisme, was S. Martins
day. But his brother Iames, an honest
and vpright ma~, said: the whole
Famely held opinion, he was borne
the yere after the Natiuity. 1483.
After he was growen to yeares of
vnderstandyng, hys Parentes diligently
taught hym to feare & knowe
God, and accustomed hym to all domesticall
duties of honest vertues.
They foorthwith addressed hym to
schoole, and George Aemilius Father
led hym a lytle Infant to schole,
who lyueth yet, and can recorde the
truth.
Euen about this tyme the Grammer
Schooles began to flooryshe in
the Townes of Saxony. Wherefore
the sayd Martin, fully fourtene yeres
olde, was sent to Magdeburg, wyth
Iohn Reynech, who hath prooued a
worthy man, and by his vertue acquired
high authority in his Countrye.
There co~tinued since a conglutinate
mutual loue betwixt Luther & Reynech,
proceding either of agreement
of nature, either of society in chyldish
study. And yet Martine studied no lenger
then one yeare at Magdeburg.
Departing from Magdeburge, he
repaired to Isenach, wher he studied
foure yeares vnder one Scholemayster,
who taught hym the Grammer
more promptly and luckely, then any
other. I haue heard Luther co~mende
his wyt. He was sent to thys towne,
because his Mother was borne in the
same, of honest and auncient house.
Here he atchieued his study in Gra~mer.
And for that he hadde a lyuelye
pregnant & subtil wit, and passingly
apt to eloquence: he was preferred aboue
his schoolefeeres, and excelled
the other yonge Impes that learned
with him in opposicion of hard questions,
in copy of wordes, in composition
of an Oration in prose, and in
writing of Uerses.

B.iii.

Hauyng then tasted the sweetenes
of learning, as he was prone ther vnto:
he went to an Uniuersitye, as to
the fountayne of al Sciences. And yf
he had founde meete and conuenient
Instructors: he had knowen and comprised
al kyndes of Sciences orderly,
so great was the force of his vndersta~dyng.
And it maye be some pleasaunt
study of true Philosophie, and care to
polysh hys tonge, would haue mollefied
hys natural vehemency. But at
Erford, he met wyth the Dialectique
of that tyme, the whych by dexteritie
and redynes of wytte, vnderstandyng
more exactly the causes & sprynges of
instruction, then others hys compagnions
he greedely deuoured, and had
in memory.
And for that the excellencye of hys
wyt embracing good litterature required
many, & those selected things:
he priuately red diuers workes of the
auncient latine Authors, as Cicero,
Titus Liuius, Uirgil, & others. He
studied not these as the yong scholers
are wont, collecting onely the Phrases,
but as a doctrine or representacion
of humayne lyfe. And therfore intentiuely
applyed hym selfe, to vnderstande
the sence & sentence of the Authors.
And hauyng a naturall good
memory, he had as it were before hys
eyes prest, all that he had learned, or
hearde. He so excelled in hys younge
yeres, that the whole Uniuersity had
hys wyt in great admiracion.
Beyng twentye yeres olde, he was
graded Maister of Arte, and then he
gaue hym selfe to the study of the Ciuil
law, by the aduise of hys familiar
and nyghest friendes, in so much that
they iudged his marueilous pregna~cy
of wyt and eloquence, ought not to
lurke in obscure place: but be made
notorious, hereafter to serue and be a
necessary instrument of the publicke
weale. And the next yere, which was
the .xxi. of hys age, he sodaynly, & besydes
the expectacion of hys Parents
and friendes, repayred to the Couent
of the Augustines at Erphord. Wher
he entreated admission, & beyng admitted,
he learned wyth marueilous
diligence, not onelye the doctrine of
the Couent: but also gouerned hym
selfe wyth a great seueritye of discipline,
and surpassed al other in all exercises

B.iiii.

of Religion, in lections, in disputacions,
in fastinges, and in prayers.
He was naturally a smal feeder,
wherat I haue mused much, sithe he
was of stature tall and strong of body.
I haue considered in him this abstinence:
foure continual daies, when
he was well disposed and healthy, he
would refraine from meate & drinke.
And often tymes I haue seene, when
a long season he would dyet hym self
with a small peece of breade and one
hearyng.
The cause wherefore he addicted
him selfe to this Monasticall order of
life: was because he beleued the same
to be most conformable to sincere religion,
and to the vnderstanding of
Gods doctrine, as he hath related, &
many hath knowen. Often tymes he
was take~ with great and trembling
feares, when he attentiuely considered
the wrath of God, & the marueylous
examples of his punishmentes,
that he was in a maner reft of hys
wyttes. And I haue marked at a certaine
tyme, that beyng sore abashed
in one disputacion of thys doctrine,
because he gaue attentiue eare therevnto:
he was sode~ly forced to remoue
into a nygh Chamber, & ther resting
on his bed, he medled & reported ofte
this sentence: God hath shut vp al vnder
our vnbelief, to the end he might
extende mercye to all. These abashmentes
encreased after, but the~ most
asperously he felt the~, whe~ he lost hys
deare friende & companion, who was
slayne, I know not by what mishap.
Then penurye pricked hym not to
this Monkerye, but the affection he
had to learne to serue God. Albeit he
learned ther the doctrine vsed in scholes,
he red the Doctors of sentences,
and in publick disputacions, distinctly
expressed the difficulties, which other
could not vnfold, whereat many
mused: Neuertheles, for yt he sought
not in this kinde of lyfe to wyn brute
according to the vertu of his wit, but
to norish him in the feare of God: he
vsed these studies, as one that esteemed
not to be principall of that he
searched and easelye conceyued those
scholastical Methodes. In the meane
season he redde with great affection
the fountaines of heauenly doctrine,
that is, the Prophetes and Apostles,
therby to frame hys lyfe and conuersacion
to the wyll of God, and so he
continued in the feare & faith of God,
as by manye thynges it was apparent.
Yea, howe muche the more earnestly
he coueted thys exercise, or holy
contemplacion, so muche the more
he was troubled wyth his dolour and
abashment.
He declared he was manye tymes
confyrmed by conference with an old
man in the Couent of Augustines at
Erphord. And impartyng hym wyth
hys tremblyng feares, he learned many
thynges touchyng fayth, and also
told vs, he reasoned wyth hym of that
Article of the Simbole, whych is: I
beleue the remission of synnes. He expressed
vnto Luther thys Article in
thys sort: We may not generally beleue
onelye that synnes are or haue
bene remitted to some, as the Deuils
beleue, they were forgeuen Peter or
Dauid: but that Gods expresse commaundement
is, that euerye man
should beleue particularly his sinnes
are forgeuen. And further he sayd,
that thys interpretacion was confyrmed
by the testimonies of Saynt Bernard,
& he had shewed hym the place
in the Sermon of the Annunciacion,
where it is thus set foorth: But adde
that thou beleuest this, yt by hym thy
synnes are forgeuen the. This is the
testimony, that the holy Ghost giueth
thee in thy hart, saying: Thy syns are
forgiuen thee. For this is the opinion
of the Apostle, that man is freely iustified
by fayth.
Luther sayd he was not onely stre~gthened
by these wordes: but yt he was
also instructed of the ful meaning of
saint Paule, who repeateth so many
times this sentence: We are iustified
by fayth. And hauing read the exposicions
of many vpon this place: he the~
perceued as wel by the purpose of the
olde man, as by the comfort he receyued
in his spirite, the vanity of those
interpretacio~s, which he had besydes
him. And reading by little and lyttle,
with conferring the sayinges and examples
of Prophetes and Apostles, &
continual inuocacion of God, and excitacion
of fayth by force of prayers,
he perceiued that doctrine more euidently.
Then he began to reade S. Austens
bookes, where he found many goodly
sentences, among other in the exposicion
of the Psalmes, and in the
booke of the Spirite and the Letter,
which co~firmed this doctrine of faith
& consolacion that was illumined in
his hart. And yet he laid not aside the
Se~tenciaries. He could recite by rote
word by word Gabriel and Cameracensis.
He red long tyme the bookes
of Occan, & preferred his subtiltie aboue
Thomas Aquin, and Scotus.
He red also and reuolued Gerso~, but
aboue al the rest, he red and perused
al ouer Saynt Austens workes, and
committed them to perfect memory.
And thus he beganne diligentlye to
studye at Erphord, where he continued
foure yeares in the Couent of
Augustines.
About this tyme one Staupicius a
famous wyght, who ministred hys
helpe to furder the erection of an Uniuersity
in Uitteberge, endeuoured
also to haue Schooles of Diuinitye
founded in thys newe Uniuersitye.
When he had considered the Spirite
and erudition of Luther, he called
hym from Erphord, to place hym in
Uitteberg, in the yeare .1508. and of
hys age .xxvi. There hys towardnes
appeared in the ordinarye exercise of
Schoole and predication. And as it
happened that manye wyse and learned
men attentiuely heard Luther,
namely the Doctor Mellerstad. The
sayd Mellerstad woulde often tymes
say, Luther was of suche a marueylous
spirite, and so ingenious, that
he gaue apparent significacion, at
one tyme or other, he woulde introduce
a more compendious, facile and
familiar maner of teaching, and alter
and abolyshe the order that then
was vsed.
There fyrst he expounded the dialectique
and Phisique of Aristotle,
and in the meane whyle intermitted
no whyt hys studye in Theologye.
Three yeres after he went to Rome
about the differences of the Monkes,
and returnynge the same yeare, hee
was graded Doctor, at the expences
of Elector Fridericke, Duke of Saxonye,
accordyng to the solempne maner
of Schooles.
For he had heard him preach, wel vnderstanded
the quicknes of his spirit,
diligently considered the vehemency
of his wordes, and had in singular admiracion
those profounde matters,
which in his Sermons he luculently
and exactly exposed. And that al men
maye perceiue the degree of Doctor
was geuen hym by precipitacion of
iudgement: it is wel knowen he was
then but thirty yeare old. He declared
that Staupicius against his wyll enforced
him to take that degre, saying
merely vnto him: that God had many
thinges to bring to perfection in hys
Churche, wherein he would employ
Luther. And thoughe these woordes
were spoken merely: yet it came so to
passe anon after, as manye predictions
or presages proue true before
chaunge.
After this he began to expound the
Epistle to the Romains, & conseque~tly
the Psalmes. But howe • he declared
them so diuinely, that it semed in
the iudgement of al faythfull & learned
men, he was a shyning lyght, a
bright Phebus, that began to clear
after a long cloudy and obscure sky
Ther he shewed the differe~ce betwixt
the law and the Gospel. He also confounded
the errour that raygned then
in schooles and Sermons, the whych
errour taught, that men merite remission
of synnes by their proper woorkes,
and that they be iust before God,
by outward discipline, as the Phariseis
taught. Luther diligentlye reduced
the myndes of men, to the Sonne
of God. And as Iohn Baptist demonstrated
the Lambe of God that tooke
away the synnes of the worlde: euen
so Luther expressely shewed that sins
are freely remitted, for the loue of the
Sonne of God, and that we oughte
faithfully to embrace this bountefull
gift. He also illustrated diuers other
pointes of ecclesiastical doctrine.
These happye begynnynges of so
good matters, got him great authority,
considering his lyfe was correspo~dent
to hys profession, and it plainly
appeared his woordes were no lyppe
labour, but proceded from the verye
hart. Thys admiracion of his holye
lyfe much inflected, and allured the
hartes of his Auditours, and therfore
many notable personages, familiarly
knowing hym, and seing him innouate
the vsuall Ceremonies, resisted
hym nothing, but in respect of the authority,
he procured before as wel for
that he reueled many good matters,
as that his lyfe was holye consented
wyth him in his opinions, with the
which they saw the world deuided diuersly,
and therfore were pensiue and
very sore greued.
At thys tyme Luther altered nothing
in the ceremonies, but precisely
obserued hys rule among hys fellowes,
he medled no doubtful opinions,
but expressed thys common doctrine,
as principallest of all other, in
familiar maner to all men, elucidating
the same more and more, to say
the doctrine of repentaunce, of remission
of synnes, of fayth, of true comfort
in times of aduersity. Euery ma~
receiued good taste of this swete doctrine,
and the learned conceiued high
pleasure to behold Iesus Christ, the
Prophetes and Apostles come foorth
into lyght, out of darkenes, pryson,
and other ordures, to vnderstand the
difference betwyxt the lawe and the
Gospell, betwyxt the promises of the
Law, and the promise of the Gospel,
betwixt spirituall Iustice, and ciuill
thynges, whych certainlye could not
haue bene found in Thomas Aquin,
Scotus, nor hys semblables.
He considered this also, that many
were instigated & sollicited by Erasmus
learned woorkes, to studye the
Greeke and Latine tonges, who perceiuing
a more gentle & ready order
of teaching the~ before, began to haue
in contempt the Monkes barbarous
and sophistical doctrine: and specially
suche as were of a gentle nature &
good disposicion. Luther began to study
the Greke and Hebrue tonges, to
thys ende, that after he had learned
the phrase & propriety of the tonges,
& drawen the doctrine out of the very
fountaynes, he myghte geue more
sound iudgement.
Whilest Luther was in this course
of study, a certaine Dominicke Frier
named Tecel, a most impudent Sicophant
if euer there raygned any caused
the Popes Indulgences or Pardons
to be caryed and sold about the
Country. Luther, much moued wyth
the blasphemous sermons this shameles

C.i.

Friar preached, and hauyng hys
hart earnestly bent wyth ardent desyre
to mayntaine true religion, published
certain proposicions of Indulgences,
whych are in the fyrst Tome
of hys woorkes, and fixed them openlye
on the Temple that ioyneth
to the Castell of Uitteberg, the morrowe
after the feast of all Saynctes,
the yeare. 1517.
Thys beggarlye Friar alwayes
lyke vnto hym selfe, hopyng to obtayne
the Popes blessynge, assembled
certayne Monkes and Deuines,
meanelye seene in Sophistry, in hys
Couent, and foorthwyth commaunded
them to wryte something against
Luther. And whylest he would not
seeme to be dombe, he beganne not
onelye to inueye in hys Sermons,
but to thunder agaynst Luther, and
balking out hys Asinine brayde, cryed:
Luther is an hereticke, and worthye
to be persecuted wyth the fyre,
and besydes thys he burned openlye
Luthers propositions, and the Sermon
he wrote of Indulgences. Thys
rage and hellyshe fury of thys bagge
bearer Friar Tecel, enforced Luther
to treate more amply of thinges, and
to mayntaine the truth.
Beholde what were the begynnynges
of thys controuersye, wherein
Luther neyther suspecting ne dreamyng
of anye chaunge that myghte
happen in the ceremonyes, dyd not
vtterly reject the Indulgences, but
required a moderacion in them. And
therefore they falselye accuse hym,
that blase he beganne wyth plawsible
matter, and whereby he myghte
get prayse, to the ende in processe of
tyme, he myght chaunge the state of
the Common weale, and purchase
authoritye, eyther for him selfe or other.
And sure, hee was not suborned
or sturred by Courtiers, as the Duke
of Brunswike wrote that the Duke
Fredericke was sore offended that
suche contencion and controuersye
should aryse, hauyng regarde to the
sequele thereof, that all be it thys begynnyng
proceeded fauourablye, yet
the flame by lyttle and lyttle kyndeled,
woulde haue spreadde further,
as Homere maketh mencion of
Fame.

C.ii.

Fame is an euil, then the whych
no swyfter can be found:
For she doth florysh wt her chaunge
and getteth force by ground.
Smal with first dred, then large
she growes, & lifts her in ye aire
Thus to Ioues seat through cloudes
& skies, the blasting doth repaire.

And as this good Duke Frederick
was one of al the princes of our time
that loued best quiet & common tranquillity,
neither was auaricious, but
wyllyngly bent to referre al his counsels
to the common vtilitye of all the
world, as it is easy to be coniected diuers
waies: so he neither encouraged
nor fauoured Luther, but often represented
semblant of heauines and sorrow,
whych he bare in hys hart, fearyng
greater dissencions.
But as he was wyse, and followed
not onelye prophane iudgementes,
whych co~maund the tender springes
of al chaunges to be sodeinly oppressed:
so takyng in counsayl the diuine
rule, and wel deliberating therupon
whyche enioyneth obedience to the
Gospell, and forbyddeth to resist the
tryed truth, and termeth it a blasphemy,
horribly co~dempned of God, partinaciously
to repugne the truth. He
dyd that many wyse and godly wold
haue done, he obeyed God, leauyng
vnto hym hys diuine power, he redde
diligently that that was writen, and
he would not abolysh, that he iudged
to be sincere and true.
I know very wel he made inquisicion
often tymes, what wer the wise
and learned me~s opinions touchyng
these thinges. I knowe he gently besought
Erasmus in that assemblye
whych The emperour Charles the fift
made, in the City of Colein after his
Coronacion freely to tell hym hys opinion,
if Luther had erred in those
differences, wherof he principally entreateth.
Then Erasmus sayde, that
Luthers opinion was good: but that
he desired moderacion of style in him.
Wherof Duke Frederick wrot after
greuously to Luther, exhortyng hym
to temper the vehemency of his style.
It is also appare~t, that Luther promised
ye Cardinal Caietanus to kepe
silence, prouided also his aduersaries
would do the lyke. Whereby we may

C.iii.

gather, that at that time he determined
not to sturre any newe debates,
but rather coueted the co~mon quiet,
and that he was prouoked by litle &
lytle to other matters, throughe the
excitacion of vnlearned writers.
Then followed disputacions of differe~ce
betwixt diuine & humain law,
of the horrible prophanacion of ye supper
of our Lord, in selling & applieng
the same for other purposes. Here he
was forced to expres the cause of the
sacrifice, & to declare the vse of the sacramentes.
Now the godly & faithful
Christians, closed in Monasteries, vnderstanding
Images ought to be eschewed,
began to abando~ ye wretched
thraldom, in which thei wer deteined
Now Luther, ye plainlier to expres
the doctrine of repentaunce, of remission
of syns, of faith, & of indulge~ces,
he added these matters: The differe~ce
of diuine & humain lawes, ye doctrine
of the vse of our Lords supper, of baptisme
& of vowes, and these were hys
principal conflictes. As touching the
question of the Romain Bishops power,
Eccius was ye author thereof, &
for none other respect, the~ to inflame
the fyry wrath of the Pope & Princes
against Luther. The simbole of ye Apostles,
ye same of Nice & Athanasius
he conserued in their integrity. Further
he declareth in diuers his works
sufficiently, what innouacio~ is to be
required in ye ceremonies & tradicio~s
of me~, & wherfore they ought to be altered.
And what fourme of doctrine &
administracion of the sacraments he
required & approued, it is appare~t by
the confessio~ the Elector Iohn Duke
of Saxony, & Prince Phillip Landgraue
of Hessia presented to the emperor
Charles the .v. in the yere 1530. in
the assembly at Augsburg. It is manifest
also by ye cerimonies of ye Church
in this City, & the doctrine yt is preached
in our Church, the so~me wherof
is fully comprised in this confession:
I alledge this yt the godly may consider
not onely what errors he hath corrected
& reproued, & what images he
hath defaced & abolished: but also thei
may vnderstand he hath co~prehended
ye hole doctrine necessary for ye church
he hath set ye ceremonies in theyr purity,
& geuen examples to the faithful
to repurge & reforme the Churches, &
it is necessary for posterity to knowe
what Luther hath approued.
I wyl not here commemorate, who
were the first yt published both partes
of the Supper of our Lord, who fyrst
omitted the priuate Masses, & where
fyrst the Monasteries were abandoned.
For Luther hath disputed verye
lytle of these before ye assembly which
was made in the Towne of Uangions,
in the yeare 1521. he chaunged
not the ceremonies, but in his abse~ce
Carolostadius and other altered the~.
Then Luther returning after that
Carolostadius had deuised & done certain
thinges, rather to brede mutiny
then otherwyse manifested by euide~t
testimonies, published abroade touchyng
his opinion, what he approued
and what he myslyked.
We know that politike men euermore,
detested all chaunges, and we
must confesse, ther ensueth some euil
of dissencions, yea trulye moued for
ryght good causes in thys horryble
confusion of humayne lyfe, and yet it
is our duty euermore in the Church,
to aduaunce Gods ordinaunce aboue
humayne constitucions. The eternal
father pronounced thys voyce of hys
sonne: This is my welbeloued sonne

24

heare hym. And menaceth eternall
wrath to al blasphemers, that is such
as endeuour to abolishe the manifest
verity. And therefore Luther dyd as
behoued a Christian faithfully to do,
considering he was an Instructor of
the Church of God. It was hys office
I say to reprehe~d pernicious errors
whych Epicures rable, wyth a monstrous
impudencye heaped one vpon
an other, and it was expedient hys
Auditors dissented not from hys opinion,
synce he taught purely. Wherfore
if alteracion be hatefull, and many
peryls grow of dissention, as we
certaynly see manye, whereof we be
ryght sory: they are in fault partlye
that spread abroade these errors, and
partly that wyth diuelyshe dysdayne
presently mayntayne them.
I do not recite this onely to defend
Luther & hys Auditors, but also that
the faythful spirites may co~sider now
and in tyme to come, what is the gouernau~ce
of the true Church of God,
and what it hath alwayes bene, how
God hath gathered to hym selfe one
eternal Churche, by the voyce of the
Gospel, of thys masse of sinne, that is
to say, of the huge heape of humayne
ordures, among who~ the Gospel shyneth
as a sparke amyd the darke. As
in the tyme of the Phariseis Zachary,
Elizabeth, Mary, and many other
reuerenced & obserued the true doctrine:
So haue manye preceeded vs,
who purely inuocated God, some vnderstanding
more clearely, then some
the doctrine of the gospel. Such a one
was the old man, of whom I wrote,
that often tymes comforted Luther,
when his astoneinges assayled hym,
& after a sorte declared vnto hym the
doctrine of the fayth. And that God
may preserue henceforth the lyght of
his Gospell, shinyng in many: let vs
pray with feruent affection, as Esay
prayeth for hys Hearers: Seale the
law in my Disciples. Further, thys
aduertisement sheweth playne, that
coloured supersticions are not permanent,
but abolished by God, and sythe
thys is the cause of chaunges, we
ought diligentlye to endeuour, that
errours be not taught ne preached in
the Churche.
But I returne to Luther. Euen as
at the begynnyng he entred in thys
matter wtout any particular cupidity:
so thoughe he was of a firy nature, &
subiect to wrath, yet he alwayes remembred
his office, onely co~tendyng
in his teaching, & prohibited warres
to be attempted, and distingued wisely
offices, wherein was any difference,
to say: the Bishop feedyng the flocke
of God, and the Magistrates that by
authority of the sword committed vnto
them, repres a certayne multitude
of people subiect vnto them.
Wherefore when Sathan contendeth
by scandales to dyssipate the
Churche of God, and contumeliously
enrage agaynst hym, and delyghteth
to doo euyll, and reioyceth to behold
vs wallowe in the puddle of errour
and blyndnes, smylyng at oure
destruction, he spendeth oyle and toil
to enflame and sturre vp myscheuous
instrumentes, and mutining spirites
to sowe sedicion, as Monetarius and
hys lyke. Luther repelled boldlye
these rages, and not onely adorned,
but also corroborated the dygnitye
and bandes of politicke order and ciuill
gouernement.
Therfore whe~ I co~sider in my mind
how many worthy men haue bene in
the church, that in this erred, & were
abused: I beleue assuredly yt Luthers
hart was not onely gouerned by humayn
diligence, but with a heauenly
light, co~sidering how constantly he abode
wythin the limites of hys office.
He held not onely in contempt the
sedicious Doctours of that tyme, as
Monetarius and the Anabaptistes:
but also these horned Byshoppes of
Rome, who arrogantly & impudently
by theyr deuised decrees affirmed,
that Saynt Peter had not the charge
alone to teache the Gospell, but also
to gouerne common weales, and exercise
ciuil iurisdiction.
Moreouer he exhorted euerye man
to render vnto God that appertayned
vnto God, and to Cesar that belonged
to Cesar, to say that al should
serue God, wyth true repentaunce,
knowledge and propagacion of hys
true doctrine, inuocacion & workes,
wrought wyth a pure co~science. And
as touchyng ciuil pollecy, that euery
one should obey the Maiestrates, vnder
who~ he lyued in al ciuil dutyes, &
reuerences for Gods cause. And certenly
Luther was such a one, he gaue
vnto God, that belonged vnto God,
he taught God, he inuocated God, &
had other vertues necessary for a ma~
that pleaseth God. Further, in politike
conuersation he constantlye auoyded
al sedicious counsels. I iudge
these vertues to be so excellent ornamentes,
as greater and more deuine
ca~not be required in thys mortal life.
And al be it that the vertue of thys
man is worthy commendacion, & the
rather for that he vsed the gyftes of
God in all reuerence: yet our duty is
to render condigne thanks vnto God
that by him he hath giue~ vs the light
of the Gospel, and to conserue and enlarge
the remembraunce of hys doctrine.
I weye litle the braid & sclaunder
of the Epicures and Hipocrites,
who scoffe and condempne the manifest
truth. But I stay wholy here vpon,
that the vniuersal Churche, hath
consented perpetuallye to thys very
doctrine, which is preached in our
Church, where vnto we must frame
our lyfe and deuocion conformable.
And I beleue yt this is the doctrine,
wherof the sonne of God speaketh: If
any loue me, he wyll keepe my commaundementes,
and my father wyll
loue him, and we wyll come to hym,
and plant our dwelling with hym. I
speake of the somme of the doctrine,
as it is vndersta~ded, and explaned in
our Churches, by the faithfull & learned
Ministers. For al be it that some
one often times expoundeth the same
more aptly and elegantly then some
other: yet as touching the effect, the
learned and faithful doo agree in all
poyntes.
Then weying & perpending with
my selfe long tyme the doctrine that
hath bene of al tymes, it semeth vnto
me that since the Apostles there haue
bene foure notable alteracions after
the first purity of ye Gospel. Origene
had his tyme. Al be it there wer some
of a sound and sacred opinion as Methodius,
who reproued the furies and
dotages of Origene, yet he co~uerted
the Gospell into Philosophye in the
hartes of many that is to saye: he aduaunced
this perswasion, that one
meane discipline of reason deserueth
remission of synnes, and that thys is
that iustice, wherof is sayd: The iust
shall lyue of his fayth. That age almost
lost the whole difference of the
Law and the Gospel, and forgat the
words of ye Apostles. For they vnderstoode
not the naturall significacion
of these wordes: Letter, Spirite, Iustice,
Fayth. Now when the proprietye
of wordes was lost, whych be notes
of the very thinges, it was necessary
that other thinges should be contriued.
Out of this seede sprang Pelagius
error, which wandred largely
abrod. And therfore al be it the Apostles
had geuen vnto ye Church a pure
doctrine, as cleare & salutiferous fou~taines,
yet Origene medled the same
wyth muche ordure and impuritye.
Then to correct the errors of that
tyme, or at the least some part of the.
God raised S. Austen, who repurged
in some part the fountaynes, and I
doubt not if he were iudge of dissencions
at this day, but he wold speake
for vs, & defend our cause. Certenly,
as concerning free remission, iustificacion
by faith, the vse of the Sacramentes
and indifferent thynges he
consenteth wholy wyth vs.
And albeit that in some places he expoundeth
more eloquently and aptly
that he wyl say, than in some, yet yf
in readyng any do cary wyth them a
godly spirite and quycke vnderstandyng,
and al euil iudgement ceaseth,
they shall soone perceyue he is of our
opinion. And where as our aduersaries
sometime do cite sentences selected
out of his bookes agaynst vs, and
wyth clamour prouoke vs to the auncient
Fathers, they do it not for any
affection they beare vnto the truth
or antiquity, but maliciously to cloke
them wyth the authority of the auncient
fathers, in the presence of their
Idols, whych antiquity neuer knewe
of any these horned beastes & dombe
Idols, as we haue knowen in these
dayes.