A07407:52
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.
¶ Sin.
¶ Synne.
THIS VOCABLE AND word Sin doth not signify naughty corrupt & vicious manners only,1 as the Philosophers do take it: but it comprehendeth under the same vocable also the great feebleness and weakness which is brought into this world with us and in us being called original sin, The which sin though careless men do not ⟨image 28⟩much pass for regarding and setting it light as though it were a very small trifle, or rather no sin at all, as the Philosophers do judge it, yet we may not so mistake it, but must make an other manner of reckoning thereof. For the dark blindness with •ubitation and ignorance of God, being uncertain whether God doeth pass and regard mortal men, yea or nay: whether he doth punish offenders or not: whether he nourisheth, fedeth, and helpeth, or hearkeneth to men and their invocations and cries yea or nay: to be without the fear and dread, and love of God, to set much by our selves and our painted sheaths to make much of our own wits, not regarding the Lord mocking and dallying with this opinion, and that opinion of God, as the superstitious holy hypocrites, and the daintily fed epicures useth to do daily, to have divers and sudden motions and stirrings in us clean contrary to God and his law. These I tell you plainly be no small evils and vices. Nay that they be great and sore vices: the bitter and sharp pains ordained by God, and prepared, for the con mitres and offenders, doeth sufficiently declare to us. For these abominable vices, God did make man subject and ⟨p. xxviii⟩thrall to death, punishing and chastening him straitly, with many and marvellous kinds of calamities and miseries. Considering therefore that the wrath of God for these offences might by no manner of sacrifice be peased and pleased, but by the death of his own son only, it doeth follow of necessity that that vice is a great vice, which requireth so great a ransom to be redeemed with. It is a marvellous thing to see that the dullness of man is so great, that he can not perceive and see this his own disease being so great. Wherefore sith that man is so blind that he can not nor will not see and knowledge it: God his self with his own voice and doctrine hath made it open to the eyes of all men.