A06492:884
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.
Here he compareth these two Mediators together, and that with a marvellous brevity: yet so notwithstanding, that he satisfieth the attentive reader, who, because this word Mediator is general, by and by understandeth that Paul speaketh also of the Mediator generally, and not of Moses only.1 A Mediator (sayeth he) is not a Mediator of one only: but this word necessarily comprehendeth two: that is to say, him that is offended, and him that is the offender: of whom, the one hath need of intercession, and the other needeth none. Wherefore a Mediator is not of one, but of two, and of such two as be at variance between them selves. So Moses by a general definition is a Mediator, because he doth the office of a Mediator between the law and the people, who can not abide the true and spiritual use of the law. The law therefore must have a new face,2 and his voice must be changed: that is to say, the voice of the law must be made spiritual, or the law must be made lively in the inward affection, and must put on a visor or a veil, that it may now become more tolerable, so that the people may be able to hear it by the voice of Moses.