A06492:520
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. 20. Who loved me and gave him self for me.
Ʋerse. 20. VVho loued me and gaue him selfe for me.
Here have ye the true mean of justification,1 and a perfect example of the assurance of faith set before your eyes. He that can with a firm & constant faith say these words with Paul: I live by Faith in the son of God, who hath loved me, & given him self for me, is happy in deed. And even with these words Paul taketh away the whole righteousness of the law and works, as afterwards we will declare. But we must diligently weigh and consider these words: The son of God hath loved me, and given him self for me. It was not I then that first loved the son of God, and delivered my self for him: as the Sophisters dream, that they love the son of God and deliver themselves for him. For they teach that a man ex puris naturalibus, that is,2 of his own pure natural strength, can do meritorious works before grace, & love God & Christ above all things. These fellows prevent the love of God and Christ: for they do that which lieth in them (as they are wont to say) that is, they do not only keep the commandments, but they do also the works of supererogation, & sell the overplus of their merits to laymen, & so (as they imagine) they deliver them selves for Christs sake, whereby they save both themselves & others, turning the words of Paul clean contrary, and saying:3 we have loved Christ and given our selves for him. Thus, whiles the wicked being puffed up with the wisdom of the flesh, imagine that they do what in them lieth, that they love God, and deliver them selves for Christ: what do they else but abolish the gospel, deride, deny and blaspheme Christ, yea spit upon him & tread him under foot? They confess in words that he is a justifier and a Saviour: but in very deed they take from him the power both to justify and save, and give the same to their own will-works, ceremonies, and devotions. This is to live in their own righteousness and works, and not in the faith of the son of God.