Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

Let any man now go, and glory of his own righteousness, strength or free will. Before the world in deed some man may be, and gloriously appear goodly, righteous, and holy, but there is nothing else, but a generation of vipers and brood of serpents, and that especially in those that seem most excellent, most precious, most wise, & of greatest understanding. If thou go through even all the histories of the Greeks, Jews, & Romans, thou shalt find the best and wisest Princes of all, which have governed the affairs of their Empire prosperously, thou shalt find them I say to have thought nothing of God, but only trusting to them selves, to have acknowledged nothing as received from God. Hereupon it is gathered, that the less a man excelleth in wisdom before the world, so much less doth he commit against God. For they that excel in counsel and authority before the sight of the world, do for the most part deceive and lye more then others. thinking, that if they dealt by delusions and deceit, their fraud & iniquity is not perceived: for they can after a pretty sort cloak their craft and subtlety. But the holy Ghost hath a most clear & bright sight, which they can not avoid, but they shall be espied. The Scripture doth often times call such, lions, wolves, bears, swine, and cruel beasts, inasmuch as they rage, and devour and consume all things with their fraud and deceit. Wherefore in the old Testament the Jews were forbidden to eat of certain beasts, as of those already rehearsed, and of others, for this one cause especially, that it should be a type and example to us, whereby we might perceive, that there are some men, which are strong, mighty, rich, witty, learned, skilful, and wise, which are to be avoided and eschewed as a certain unclean thing, and as such as ⟨p. 221⟩seduce and deceive others with their fair show, might, and wisdom. For neither shall they be counted for such, neither will any man think them to be such, as do so much as think any evil in their hart, much less do it. Wherefore thou must put no trust & confidence in any man, trust not unto him, for he will deceive thee wherein soever he is able. Again if thou trustest man, thou art against God, in whom thou puttest not thy trust. It is written in the 17 chapter of Jeremiah:

Let any man nowe goe, and glory of his owne righteousnes, strength or free will. Before the world in deede some man may be, and gloriously appeare goodly, righteous, and holy, but there is nothing els, but a generation of vipers and broode of serpents, and that especially in those that seeme most excellent, most pretious, most wise, & of greatest vnderstanding. If thou go through euen all the histories of the Greekes, Iewes, & Romanes, thou shalt find the best and wisest Princes of all, which haue gouerned the affayres of their Empire prosperously, thou shalt find them I say to haue thought nothing of God, but onely trusting to them selues, to haue acknowledged nothinge as receiued from God. Hereupon it is gathered, that the lesse a man excelleth in wisedom before the world, so much lesse doth he commit against God. For they that excell in counsell and authoritie before the sight of the world, doe for the most part deceiue and lye more then others. thinking, that if they dealt by delusions and deceit, their fraude & iniquitie is not perceiued: for they can after a prety sorte cloke their craft and subtiltie. But the holy Ghost hath a most cleare & bright sight, which they can not auoyde, but they shall be espied. The Scripture doth often times call such, lyons, wolues, beares, swine, and cruell beastes, inasmuch as they rage, and deuoure and consume all thinges with their fraude and deceit. Wherefore in the old Testament the Iewes were forbidden to eate of certaine beastes, as of those already rehearsed, and of others, for this one cause especially, that it should be a type and example to vs, wherby we might perceiue, that there are some mē, which are strong, mighty, rich, witty, learned, skilfull, and wise, which are to be auoyded and eschewed as a certaine vncleane thing, and as such as