A06521:699
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.
And he said unto him, what is written in the Law? how readest thou? And he answered and said: Thou shalt love thy Lord God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thy self. Then he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: do this, & thou shalt live. Me thinks that the Lord gave this good man a hard lesson: he dealeth very straitly with him, it may seem to some that he should have spared him a little, he putteth him to shame openly before all: he proveth that he had done nothing, who notwithstanding thought that he had done all things. He asked what he should do: but I think he had enough and overmuch to do, if he had bin able to do more then he was. If I had time, many things might be spoken of these two commandments. For they are the chief and greatest commandments in Moses, on which the whole Law, and all the Prophets do hang, as Christ himself saith in Matthew:1 Notwithstanding we will entreat somewhat of them. If we consider all the commandments of Moses, they have respect altogether unto love. For this commandment: Thou shall have none other gods in my sight, we can no otherwise declare or interpret, then, Thou shalt love God alone,2 so Moses expoundeth it in Deuteronomy, where he saith thus: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is Lord only. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might: from whence the Lawyer took his answer. But the Jews understand this commandment so, that they think it to extend no further, then that they should not set up, nor worship idols. And if they can say and witness in mouth, that they have one God only, and do worship none but him, they think they have observed this commandment. After the same sort did this Lawyer understand it, but that was an evil and a wrong understand thereof.
And he said vnto him, what is written in the Lawe? how readest thou? And he aunswered and said: Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mynde, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. Then he said vnto him, Thou hast aunswered right: do this, & thou shalt liue. Me thinkes that the Lord gaue this good mā a hard lesson: he dealeth verie straitly with him, it may seeme to some that he should haue spared him a litle, he putteth him to shame opēly before all: he proueth that he had done nothing, who notwithstanding thought that he had done all thinges. He asked what he should do: but I thinke he had enough and ouermuch to do, if he had bin able to do more then he was. If I had time, manie things might be spoken of these two commaundements. For they are the chiefe and greatest commaundements in Moses, on which the whole Lawe, and all the Prophets do hang, as Christ himselfe sayth in Matthew: