A06521:368
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.
This is that Helen,1 here thou hast the sum of Christian life most excellently and fully comprehended, compendiously and briefly uttered, and which may be not unfitly printed in thy memory. Thou must endeavour, if thou wilt not err from the law, but attain to the chief point thereof (that thou mayst know what is to be done and what to be left undone) to have love proceeding out of a pure hart, from a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. If thy love be of this sort, then is it right, otherwise thou errest from the meaning of the whole law. Now these words are profound, and comprehend much matter in them: Wherefore we must partly expound them, that they may be the better understood, & that we may accustom our selves to Pauls manner of speech. First he attributeth to love the sum of the whole law, wherein it ⟨p. 190⟩wholly consisteth.2 And to love is nothing else (as I think it is known to all) but to favour and embrace one from the hart, and to show and perform unto him all the duties of friendship and good will. Now those jangling Doctors also use such words, preaching and boasting many things of love, but all by piece-meal and particularly applied to their own trifles and follies. Even as heretics, wicked men, and ungracious wretches have love also, but that which consisteth only among them selves, & them that are of the same sort with them, in the mean season they hate and persecute all good Christians, whom they would willingly accuse of murder, if they could, &c. But this doth not yet deserve to be called true love, if I choose one or two, whose conditions like & please me, whom I do friendly & lovingly embrace, & no man beside them. It is called a particular love, which proceedeth not out of a pure hart,3 but from an infected and filthy hart. For true love floweth out of a pure hart, when I endeavour as God hath commanded me, to pour forth my love toward my neighbour, and to favour all without difference, whether they be friends or enemies, even as our heavenly father him self doth, who suffereth his Sun to arise on the good and evil, and sendeth his rain to the thankful and unthankful, maketh the earth to bring forth many good things, giveth money, riches, fruits, cattle, and many times especially unto them that are the worst of all other. But from whence cometh yt doing of these things?