A06521:290
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.
By the washing of the new birth. He setteth forth the grace of God given to us in Baptism, with words very full of praise and commendation. He calleth Baptism a washing, whereby not the feet and hands, but the whole man is at once washed, purified and saved, so that to the sum and inheritance of salvation there is need of nothing but only faith in this grace of God, that it may remain and be acknowledged the work of grace alone, that we are saved without all our works and merits, ⟨p. 142⟩and so also there may remain in us pure love, praise, giving of thanks, and glory of the divine mercy, without all glory and pleasing of our selves in our own strength and endeavour, as it hath bin already said often and at large. Humane righteousness is also a washing, but not whereby the whole man is so washed, but that Pharisaical washing, whereby only the apparel and vessels which are outward, are made clean, whereof it is spoken Matth. 23. Whereby it cometh to pass that men seem unto themselves pure, but inwardly nevertheless they remain full of filthiness.1 Therefore he called Baptism not a corporal or outward washing, but the washing of regeneration or new birth, by which not those things that are outward, are washed, and only the outward man made clean, but the whole nature of man is altered and changed into an other nature, that is, the carnal nativity is thereby destroyed, with all the inheritance of since and perdition.2 Whereby he again witnesseth, that our salvation is given us at once, so that it is not to be gotten by works. For not one or two members are wont to be borne, as the hands or feet, but the whole man, which can not work this that he may be borne a man, but is first borne that he may work: Likewise our works do not purify or save us, but when as before we are pure, justified, and saved, we work freely those things, which may be profit to our neighbour, and honour to God. And this is the simple and pure knowledge of the divine grace, whereby a man learneth to know both God and himself: to praise God alone, to humble and cast down himself: to trust in God, to despair of himself. This doctrine of salvation they marvellously hinder, which urge men with laws, precepts, and works, and teach them to seek thereby to be saved.