A06492:867
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.
Paul answereth therefore to this question: If the law do not justify, to what end then serveth it? Although (saith he) it justify not, yet is it very profitable & necessary.1 For first it civilly restraineth such as are carnal, rebellious and obstinate. Moreover it is as a glass that showeth unto a man him self, that he is a sinner, guilty of death, and worthy of Gods everlasting wrath & indignation. To what profit serveth this humbling, this bruising & beating down by this hammer, the law I mean? To great profit: namely,2 that we may have an entrance unto grace. So then the law is a minister that prepareth the way unto ⟨image 155⟩grace. For God is the God of the humble, the miserable, the afflicted, the oppressed & the desperate, and of all those that are utterly brought to nothing:3 and his nature is to exalt the humble, to feed the hungry, to give sight to the blind, to comfort the miserable, the afflicted, the bruised and broken hearted, to justify sinners, to quicken the dead, and to save the very desperate and damned. For he is an almighty creator, making all things of nothing. Now, that pernicious and pestilent opinion of mans own righteousness, which will not be a sinner, unclean, miserable and damnable, but righteous and holy, suffereth not God to come to his own natural and proper work. Therefore God must needs take this maul in hand, the law I mean, to drive down, to beat in pieces, & to bring to nothing this beast, with her vain confidence, wisdom, righteousness & power, that she may so learn at the length by her own misery and mischief, that she is utterly forlorn, lost, and damned.4 Here now, when the conscience is thus terrified with the law, then cometh the doctrine of the Gospel and grace, which raiseth up and comforteth the same again, saying: Christ came in to the world, not to break the bruised reed, nor to quench the smoking flax: but to preach the Gospel of glad tidings to the poor: to heal the broken and contrite in heart: to preach forgiveness of sins to the captives &c.
Paule aunswereth therfore to this question: If the lawe doe not iustifie, to what end then serueth it? Although (sayth he) it iustifie not, yet is it very profitable & necessary.