A07407:190
The justification of man by faith onlyThe iustification of man by faith only
The justification of man by faith only: made and written by Philip Melanchthon. and translated out of the Latin in to this our mother tongue by Nicholas Less of London An apology or defence of the word of God, declaring what a necessary thing it is, to be in all mens hands, the want where of is the only cause of all ungodliness committed through the whole earth, made by the said Nicholas LessThe iustification of man by faith only: made and vvritten by Phylyp Melanchton. and translated out of the Latyn in to this oure mother tonge by Nicholas Lesse of London An apologie or defence of the worde of God, declaringe what a necessary thynge it is, to be in all mennes handes, the want wher of is the only cause of al vngodlienes committed thorowe the whole earth, made by the sayde Nicholas Lesse
Imprinted at London : In Fleet street at the sign of the George next to Saint Dunstones church by William Powell, in the year of our Lord God .M.CCCCC.XLVIII. the .XI. day of October 1548Imprinted at London : In Flete strete at the signe of the George next to Saynt Dunstones church by VVilliam Powell, in the yere of oure Lorde God .M.CCCCC.XLVIII. the .XI. daye of October 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
¶ The perfect knowledge whereof, what thing can or may better teach and instruct us,1 which would be fain Christian men in deed, than the continual reading of his most blessed will, declared & left unto us of him self, by the mouths of the holy and virtuous men the Patriarchs and Prophets being inspired with the spirit of his most heavenly god heed, and after by the mouth of the right ⟨p. lxxxi⟩Messiah promised to us and exhibited according to the promise, to the confirmation and stablishing of all his behests & loving promises, which at no time hath promised any thing which he hath not ye with advantage performed with much more than we could of our frail weakness, desire, or wish. The want of the which love and fear, how great ruin and decay it doth cause and bring in to the city of the Lord,2 which is the church or congregation universal of all them which professeth his name: taking on them to do his will: it is so manifest and open (the more is the pity) that almost in a great number, a man shall scant find one, that liveth in the true love and fear of the Lord, in so much that he may well say. If I do find but one just man in the city, I will cease my wrath from it, & contrary wise innumerable almost all the world which passeth not & good haw. which end of the staff doth go forward, whether God or the Devil be better man, which neither for the love of god, for his merits sake, nor yet for the sharp thunderbolts and threatenings of his wrath, ones beginneth to redress and reform to better, their lewd and ungracious kind of life, not squaring and planing it after the right line and ⟨image 82⟩rule of his most blessed word: but clean contrary every man (as the Devil putteth into his head) doth hack mangle and chop this most blessed and pure word all to pieces, to serve their own purposes and most damnable affections, going about not to make the stone fit to the line, as the proverb maketh mention, but the line and ruler to the stone.
¶ The perfect knowlege wherof, what thinge can or may better teache and instruct vs,1