A06492:1314
Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians
A commentary of M. Doctor Martin Luther upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galatians first collected and gathered word by word out of his preaching, and now out of Latin faithfully translated into English for the unlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...A commentarie of M. Doctor Martin Luther vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered vvord by vvord out of his preaching, and novv out of Latine faithfully translated into English for the vnlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...
London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling wihtin sic, 1575London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier dvvelling vvihtin sic, 1575
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Verse. 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, neither uncircumcision, but Faith which worketh by love.
Verse. 6. For in Iesus Christe neither circumcision auaileth any thing, neither vncircumcision, but Faith vvhich vvorketh by loue.
1That is to say, Faith which is not feigned nor hypocritical, but true and lively. This is that faith which exerciseth & requireth good works through love. It is as much to say as: He that will be a true Christian in deed, or one of Christs kingdom, must be a true believer. Now, he believeth not truly if works of charity follow not his Faith. So on both hands,2 as well on the right hand as on the left, he shutteth hypocrites out of Christs kingdom. On the left hand he shutteth out the Jews, and all such as will work their own salvation, saying: In Christ neither circumcision, that is to say: no works, no service, no worshipping, no kind of life in the world, but faith without any trust in works or merits availeth before God. On the right hand he shutteth out all slothful and idle persons, which say: if faith justify without works, then let us work nothing, but let us only believe and do what we list. Not so ye enemies of grace. Paul sayeth otherwise. And although it be true that only faith justifieth, yet he speaketh here of Faith in an other respect, that is to say, that after it hath justified, it is not idle, but occupied and exercised in working through love.3 Paul therefore in this place setteth forth the whole life of a Christian man, namely, that inwardly