A06492:781
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.
1And this is a singular consolation for all Christians, so to cloth Christ with our sins, and to wrap him in my sins, thy sins, and in the sins of the whole world, and so to* behold him bearing all our iniquities. For the beholding of him after this manner, shall easily vanquish all the fantastical opinions of the Papists concerning the justification of works. For they do imagine (as I have said) a certain faith formed and adorned with charity. By this (say they) sins are taken away and men are justified before God.3 And what is this else (I pray you) but to unwrap Christ, and to strip him quite out of our sins, to make him innocent and to charge and overwhelm our selves with our own sins, and to look upon them, not in Christ, but in our selves. Yea, what is this else but to take Christ clean away, and to make him utterly unprofitable unto us?4 For if it be so that we put away sin by the works of the law and charity, then Christ taketh them not away. For if he be the Lamb of God ordained from the beginning to take away the sins of the world: and moreover if he be so wrapped in our sins, that he be became accursed for us, it must needs follow that we can not be justified by works. For God hath laid our sins, not upon us, but upon his Son Christ, that he bearing the punishment thereof, might be our peace, and that by his stripes we might be healed. Therefore they can not be taken away by us. To this all the Scripture beareth witness: and we also do confess the same in the Articles of the Christian belief, when we say: I believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, which suffered, was crucified and died for us.
1And this is a singular consolation for all Christians, so to cloth Christ with our sinnes, and to wrappe him in my sinnes, thy sinnes, and in the sinnes of the whole world, and so to* beholde him bearing all our iniquities. For the beholdinge of him after this manner, shall easilie vanquish all the fantasticall opinions of the Papistes concerning the iustification of workes. For they doe imagine (as I haue sayde) a certaine faith formed and adorned with charitie. By this (say they) sinnes are taken away and mē are iustified before God.