A06508:78
A fruitful and godly exposition and declaration of the kingdom of Christ and of…A frutefull and godly exposition and declaracion of the kyngdom of Christ and of…
A fruitful and godly exposition and declaration of the kingdom of Christ and of the christen liberty, made upo[n] the words of the prophet Jeremy in the xxij. chapter, with an exposition of the viij. Psalm, entreating of the same matter, by the famous clerk Doctor Martin Luther, whereunto is annexed A godly sermon, of Doctor Urbanus Regius, upon the ix. Chapter of Matthew of the woman that had an issue of blood & of the rulers daughter, newly translated out of high Almain.A frutefull and godly exposition and declaracion of the kyngdom of Christ and of the christen lybertye, made vpo[n] the wordes of the prophete Jeremye in the xxij. chapter, with an exposycyon of the viij. Psalme, intreatyng of the same matter, by the famous clerke Doctor Martyn Luther, whereunto is annexed A godly sermon, of Doctor Urbanus Regius, vpon the ix. Chapyter of Mathewe of the woman that had an issew of blood & of the rulers daughter, newly translated oute of hyghe Almayne.
London: printed by S. Mierdman for Gwalter Lynne, 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
These two kingdoms are here beneath in earth among men, for also the kingdom of Christ is here beneath in earth among men. But there is a great difference, that notwithstanding, that both the kingdom of Christ, and also of the world are here in earth, yet are they ruled & governed after an unlike sort. For the king of whom here the Psalm speaketh, albeit that he have his kingdom in earth, yet doth he rule spiritually, and after a heavenly fashion: So that although his kingdom be not seen, as the worldly kingdom is seen, yet is it heard, but how? Out of the mouth of infants and sucking babes hast thou ordained strength, & so is the kingdom of Christ, a kingdom of hearing, and not of seeing.
These two kyngdomes are here beneth in earth amonge men, for also the kingdome of Christe is here beneth in earth among mē. But there is a great difference, that notwithstandinge, that bothe the kyngdome of Christ, and also of the worlde are here in earth, yet are they ruled & gouerned after an vnlyke sorte. For the kyng of whome here the Psalme speaketh, albeit that he haue his kyngdom in earth, yet doth he rule spiritually, and after a heauenly fasshion: So that although his kingdome be not sene, as the worldely kingdome is sene, yet is it hearde, but howe? Out of the mouth of infauntes and sucking babes hast thou ordeyned strength, & so is the kyngdome of Christ, a kyngdome of hearinge, and not of seynge.
For the eyes do not lead and bring us thither, where as we find & learn to know Christ, but the ears must do that, and also such ears, as hear the word, out of the mouth of Infants and sucking babes. This is not the fashion of the worldly kingdom, for ⟨image 39⟩the same standeth not only in the hearing, but in working and by putting in ure, that the good may be defended, and kept in equity Justice and peace, and that the ungodly untoward and evil may be punished, that men may also labour with their hands, and obtain goods & profits, for there shall they not rule nor wax rich by their ears: For that thou art made rich, is not done by the ears, but by the eyes and hands, that thou doest take it in hand and accomplish it in deed. In those points consisteth the worldly kingdom, far segregated from the spiritual kingdom of Christ, which kingdom, although it be here in earth yet is it not executed with ploughing, and with our hands. But it consisteth in the word, and is executed through the word, which proceedeth forth of the mouths of Infants and sucking babes,