A07407:205
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.
This word the holy & most virtuously disposed Apostles most faithfully putting in writing did leave behind them to our discipline and salvation, as witnesseth Paul, saying: the Gospel is the ⟨image 92⟩power of God to salvation of all them that believeth, commanding also under the pain of bitter curses, neither to minish or pluck away, neither to add nor join one word or title to this word: as John in the last of his revelation sayeth. If thou wilt be so bold to enlarge his word, adding any thing to this book of life: whereto nothing can or may be joined, more than it is, or else to pluck any thing from it, I do bear witness sayeth he, the lord shall increase on thee, the plagues contained and written in this book, and for his boldness: to take away any thing from this book: the lord shall take away from him his part and portion out of the book of life, out of the holy eytye, never to be partaker of any thing contained in this book. Against this word our mortal enemy hath continual war and battle, this is the castle which he goeth about to undermine coveting to overthrow it if he might. At few word the everlasting being of God without beginning: all his power as much as may be perceived by man, that he created the world, with all thing there in contained: that he sent down his only begotten son (moved with compassion of our imprisonment and captivity) to set us at liberty with full salvation, ⟨p. lxxxxi⟩and what is there else, that is not known by this word. Considering then that likewise as in our corporal bodies corruption and putrefaction cometh of corrupt matter, as sometime the cause of corruption being without us, by the corrupt infection of the air and poisonous savours doth cause the inward parts to be infected and corrupted, sometime the cause being within the body, as raw and indigested humours coming of ill diet, of surfeiting, with other kinds of unhonest and inordinate order of life, so proceeding from corruption to putrefaction, from putrefaction to mortification and slaying of the matter which is first corrupted. Even so the cause why we lack the love and fear of the lord, is the want of the knowledge of God spiritually, whereby we should glorify God, as Paul witnesseth to the Romans.
This word the holy & most vertuously disposed Apostles moste faythfully putting in writing did leue behind them to our discipline and saluation, as witnesseth Paull, sayinge: the Gospell is the