A06524:26
A Treatise Touching the Liberty of a Christian
A treatise, touching the liberty of a Christian. Written in Latin by Doctor Martin Luther. And translated into English by James BellA treatise, touching the libertie of a Christian. Written in Latin by Doctor Martine Luther. And translated into English by Iames Bell
London: printed by Ralph Newbery and H. Bynneman, 1579
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.
Beware therefore (my holy father Leo) that you hearken not to these enchanters,1 which make you not a natural man, but half a God, and would induce you to believe, that ye are able to command, and exact whatsoever you list. It will not be so, neither shall you prevail, you are the servant of servants, and placed in the most dangerous estate of all others. Let them not beguile you, which imagine you to be the Lord of the World, which will not permit any man to be a Christian man; unless he be subject to your authority, which do chatter and jangle, that you are of power to command in Heaven, in Hell, and in Purgatory. Those, even those be your enemies, and seek the destruction of your soul, as the Prophet Isaiah doth witness, O my good people, such as do praise thee, even those do deceive thee. ⟨image 15⟩They are out of the way, which do extol your majesty above the Council and universal Church. They are out of the way which do invest you only in the right of interposing Scriptures, for such do practise to establish in the Church all their own impieties, under your name. And alas for woe, by the means of those persons, Satan hath prevailed much in your predecessors. To be brief, believe none of them that do magnify you, but such as do humble you, for this is the judgement of God, He hath thrown down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. Behold what inequality there is betwixt Christ and his successors, when as they all notwithstanding will be accounted Vicars of Christ. And I fear much, lest many of them be his Vicars in deed a great deal too earnestly: for a Vicar is he that doth present the person of his Prince being not in place.2 Now, if the Pope do bear dominion whiles Christ is not present, nor resiant within his heart, what is he else, than the Vicar of Christ? But what manner of Church is that then ⟨image 15⟩else, but a rude multitude without Christ? And what manner of Vicar is this else, but Antichrist, and an Idol? How much more truly spake the Apostles, who named themselves the servants of Christ being present, and not Vicars of Christ being absent.
Beware therefore (my holy father Leo) that you hearken not to these enchanters,