A06525:5
A very comfortable and necessary sermon in these our days made by the right…A very comfortable and necessary sermon in these our dayes made by the right…
A very comfortable and necessary sermon in these our days made by the right reverend father and faithful servant of Jesus Christ Martin Luther ; concerning the coming of our Saviour Christ to Judgement and the signs that go before the Last Day, which sermon is an exposition of the Gospel appointed to be red in the church on the second Sunday in Advent ; and is now newly translated out of Latin into English and something augmented and enlarged by the translator with certain notes in the margin.A very comfortable and necessary sermon in these our dayes made by the right reuerend father and faithfull seruaunt of Iesus Christ Martin Luther ; concerning the comming of our Sauior Christ to Iudgement and the signes that go before the Last Day, which sermon is an exposition of the Gospell appointed to be red in the church on the second Sonday in Aduent ; and is now newly translated out of Latin into English and something augmented and enlarged by the translator with certaine notes in the margent.
London: printed by John Daye, 1570London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1570
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.
¶ To all the inhabitants of England, and other else where that understand the English tongue, the translator wisheth true knowledge of God, contained in his word, which is life everlasting.
¶ To all the inhabitauntes of England, and other els where that vnderstand the English toung, the translator whisheth true knowledge of God, contained in his word, which is lyfe euerlastyng.
Before time, not many years since (dearly beloved brethren & countrymen) the Disciples of Antichrist, and Apostles of Satan, for the establishing of their Lords kingdom (knowing that the continuance thereof, was the increase of their own estimation, wealth and pleasure in this world) have devised many politic practises, so wicked and so devilish, that whosoever beholdeth them well, shall soon perceive they were not invented without the counsel of their Lord and master. Whereof this was the first and chief, and (as I may say) the ground of the residue to keep all men, both Princes and their subjects, in ignorance of God, & his word, that they not knowing the truth, might the more casely be brought into all kind of devilish heresies: that they not understanding vice, should not be able to reprehend the horrible wickedness of Antichrist and his ministers. To this end they have restrained all the laity throughout Christendom, from reading the Scriptures, and have forbidden them to be Printed in their vulgar tongues, an din stead thereof, have given them to occupy their brains withal, fables ⟨image 3⟩of Robin Hood, of Guy of Warwick, of Gevis of Hampton, of the Knights of the round table, of the iiij. sons of Amon, filthy tales, Chaucer, the Court of Venus, most horrible & blasphemous lies out of Saints Legends, and such like. Whereby men being drowned in ignorance, and detestable heresies, have been cast down headlong into the most miserable pit of hell. But now it hath pleased almighty God, towards the coming of our Saviour to Judgement, by the preaching of his word, through the working of his holy spirit, to oppress the power of Satan, to cut the horns of Antichrist, to reveal