A06521:194
Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…
Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and preachings for the necessary instruction and edification of such, as hunger and seek after the perfect knowledge and inestimable glory which is in Christ Jesus, to the comfort and salvation of their souls. Englished by VV.G.Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and preachings for the necessary instruction and edification of such, as hunger and seeke after the perfect knowledge and inestimable glorie which is in Christ Iesu, to the comfort and saluation of their soules. Englished by VV.G.
London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier, 1578
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.
But that we may declare this more plainly, we will add hereunto a place out of Ezekiel chap. 34. which speaketh of evil shepherds that do contrary unto Christ, & saith: Ought not the flocks suffer them selves to be fed of the shepherds? Why therefore do you feed yourselves? 1Ye have eaten the milk of the sheep, ye have clothed your selves with the wool, the best fed ye have slain, but my flock have ye not fed. The weak have ye not strengthened, the sick have ye not healed, the broken have ye not bound together, the driven away have ye not brought again, the lost have ye not sought, but with force and cruelty have ye ruled them. And now my sheep are scattered, for that they are destitute of shepherds, yea all the beasts of the field devour them, and they are dispersed over all mountains, and over the whole earth. That which he here saith is well to be marked: his very meaning in this place is, that he will have the weak, sick, broken, abjects, and lost, to be strengthened, healed, cured, sought, not spoiled and destroyed. These things ye ought to do, saith he to the shepherds, but ye have do•• none of them. Wherefore I my self (as he afterward saith) will deal thus with my sheep: That which is lost will I seek again, that which is driven away will I bring again, and to that which is not well will I give a remedy and heal it. Here thou seest that the kingdom of Christ is such as hath to do with those that be weak, diseased and broken, & hath care of them to help them. The preaching whereof in deed is very full of comfort, but this is wanting in us, that we do not throughly feel our misery and weakness, which if we felt, we would forthwith run unto him. But how did those shepherds behave them selves? They ruled in rigour and straightly exacted obedience of the law. Moreover, they added their own traditions, as they do also at this day, which if they be not kept, they cry out, and condemn him that transgresseth them, so that they do nothing else, but urge more and more and command their own inventions. But this is not to feed well or to govern ⟨p. 84⟩a soul, as Christ saith, who him self is not such a shepherd, for by such manner of feeding none is holpen, but the sheep are utterly lost as we shall understand.
But that we may declare this more plainely, we will adde hereunto a place out of