A06521:377
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.
These things I thought good briefly to speak of the first ⟨p. 196⟩part, how the hart is purified by the word alone, and not as the Monks have dreamed, by a fight taken upon them against evil cogitations, & by feigning of good thoughts. For what thoughts soever thou shalt feign, the hart shall remain unclean, if the word of God be not in it, although it pretend a great show of a godly life, as Paul witnesseth. But this pureness, whereof he speaketh, doth extend farther then outward & corporal pureness doth, which the Jews did use, eating & drinking their hands being often washed, which our religious men also use in their fasting, diversity of apparel, orders and rites, &c: for this is called pureness of the spirit, which we then have, when being instructed by the word of God, we know thereby how he is to be served in every state & calling, and endeavour to frame our lives according thereunto.
These thinges I thought good briefly to speake of the first ⟨p. 196⟩part, howe the hart is purified by the worde alone, and not as the Munkes haue dreamed, by a fight taken vpon them against euill cogitations, & by feyning of good thoughts. For what thoughts soeuer thou shalt feyne, the hart shal remain vncleane, if the word of God be not in it, although it pretende a great shewe of a godly life, as Paule witnesseth. But this purenes, wherof he speaketh, doth extend farther then outward & corporal purenes doth, which the Iewes did vse, eating & drinking their hands being oftenwashed, which our religious men also vse in their fasting, diuersitie of apparel, orders and rites, &c: for this is called purenes of the spirit, which we then haue, when being instructed by the word of God, we know thereby how he is to be serued in euery state & calling, and endeuour to frame our liues according thereunto.
1Now followeth the second part concerning a good conscience, whereof also we must entreat, to wit, that love must come from such a hart, as hath a joyful & quiet conscience, both toward God,