CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

by Martin Luther

LETTER OF MARTIN LUTHER TO POPE LEO X. 

Among those monstrous evils of this age with which I have now for threeyears been waging war, I am sometimes compelled to look to you and tocall you to mind, most blessed father Leo. In truth, since you alone areeverywhere considered as being the cause of my engaging in war, I cannotat any time fail to remember you; and although I have been compelledby the causeless raging of your impious flatterers against me to appealfrom your seat to a future council--fearless of the futile decreesof your predecessors Pius and Julius, who in their foolish tyrannyprohibited such an action--yet I have never been so alienated in feelingfrom your Blessedness as not to have sought with all my might, indiligent prayer and crying to God, all the best gifts for you and foryour see. But those who have hitherto endeavoured to terrify me with themajesty of your name and authority, I have begun quite to despise andtriumph over. One thing I see remaining which I cannot despise, and thishas been the reason of my writing anew to your Blessedness: namely, thatI find that blame is cast on me, and that it is imputed to me as a greatoffence, that in my rashness I am judged to have spared not even yourperson. 

Now, to confess the truth openly, I am conscious that, whenever I havehad to mention your person, I have said nothing of you but what washonourable and good. If I had done otherwise, I could by no means haveapproved my own conduct, but should have supported with all my power thejudgment of those men concerning me, nor would anything have pleasedme better, than to recant such rashness and impiety. I have calledyou Daniel in Babylon; and every reader thoroughly knows with whatdistinguished zeal I defended your conspicuous innocence againstSilvester, who tried to stain it. Indeed, the published opinion of somany great men and the repute of your blameless life are too widelyfamed and too much reverenced throughout the world to be assailable byany man, of however great name, or by any arts. I am not so foolish asto attack one whom everybody praises; nay, it has been and always willbe my desire not to attack even those whom public repute disgraces. I amnot delighted at the faults of any man, since I am very conscious myselfof the great beam in my own eye, nor can I be the first to cast a stoneat the adulteress. 

I have indeed inveighed sharply against impious doctrines, and I havenot been slack to censure my adversaries on account, not of their badmorals, but of their impiety. And for this I am so far from being sorrythat I have brought my mind to despise the judgments of men and topersevere in this vehement zeal, according to the example of Christ, who, in His zeal, calls His adversaries a generation of vipers, blind, hypocrites, and children of the devil. Paul, too, charges the sorcererwith being a child of the devil, full of all subtlety and all malice;and defames certain persons as evil workers, dogs, and deceivers. In theopinion of those delicate-eared persons, nothing could be more bitter orintemperate than Paul's language. What can be more bitter than the wordsof the prophets? The ears of our generation have been made so delicateby the senseless multitude of flatterers that, as soon as we perceivethat anything of ours is not approved of, we cry out that we are beingbitterly assailed; and when we can repel the truth by no other pretence, we escape by attributing bitterness, impatience, intemperance, to ouradversaries. What would be the use of salt if it were not pungent, or ofthe edge of the sword if it did not slay? Accursed is the man who doesthe work of the Lord deceitfully. 

Wherefore, most excellent Leo, I beseech you to accept my vindication, made in this letter, and to persuade yourself that I have never thoughtany evil concerning your person; further, that I am one who desires thateternal blessing may fall to your lot, and that I have no dispute withany man concerning morals, but only concerning the word of truth. In allother things I will yield to any one, but I neither can nor will forsakeand deny the word. He who thinks otherwise of me, or has taken in mywords in another sense, does not think rightly, and has not taken in thetruth. 

Your see, however, which is called the Court of Rome, and which neitheryou nor any man can deny to be more corrupt than any Babylon or Sodom, and quite, as I believe, of a lost, desperate, and hopeless impiety, this I have verily abominated, and have felt indignant that the peopleof Christ should be cheated under your name and the pretext of theChurch of Rome; and so I have resisted, and will resist, as long asthe spirit of faith shall live in me. Not that I am striving afterimpossibilities, or hoping that by my labours alone, against the furiousopposition of so many flatterers, any good can be done in that mostdisordered Babylon; but that I feel myself a debtor to my brethren, andam bound to take thought for them, that fewer of them may be ruined, orthat their ruin may be less complete, by the plagues of Rome. For manyyears now, nothing else has overflowed from Rome into the world--asyou are not ignorant--than the laying waste of goods, of bodies, and ofsouls, and the worst examples of all the worst things. These things areclearer than the light to all men; and the Church of Rome, formerly themost holy of all Churches, has become the most lawless den of thieves, the most shameless of all brothels, the very kingdom of sin, death, andhell; so that not even antichrist, if he were to come, could devise anyaddition to its wickedness. 

Meanwhile you, Leo, are sitting like a lamb in the midst of wolves, like Daniel in the midst of lions, and, with Ezekiel, you dwell amongscorpions. What opposition can you alone make to these monstrous evils?Take to yourself three or four of the most learned and best of thecardinals. What are these among so many? You would all perish by poisonbefore you could undertake to decide on a remedy. It is all over withthe Court of Rome; the wrath of God has come upon her to the uttermost. She hates councils; she dreads to be reformed; she cannot restrain themadness of her impiety; she fills up the sentence passed on her mother, of whom it is said, "We would have healed Babylon, but she is nothealed; let us forsake her. " It had been your duty and that of yourcardinals to apply a remedy to these evils, but this gout laughs at thephysician's hand, and the chariot does not obey the reins. Under theinfluence of these feelings, I have always grieved that you, mostexcellent Leo, who were worthy of a better age, have been made pontiffin this. For the Roman Court is not worthy of you and those like you, but of Satan himself, who in truth is more the ruler in that Babylonthan you are. 

Oh, would that, having laid aside that glory which your most abandonedenemies declare to be yours, you were living rather in the office of aprivate priest or on your paternal inheritance! In that glory none areworthy to glory, except the race of Iscariot, the children of perdition. For what happens in your court, Leo, except that, the more wicked andexecrable any man is, the more prosperously he can use your nameand authority for the ruin of the property and souls of men, for themultiplication of crimes, for the oppression of faith and truth andof the whole Church of God? Oh, Leo! in reality most unfortunate, andsitting on a most perilous throne, I tell you the truth, because I wishyou well; for if Bernard felt compassion for his Anastasius at a timewhen the Roman see, though even then most corrupt, was as yet rulingwith better hope than now, why should not we lament, to whom so muchfurther corruption and ruin has been added in three hundred years?

Is it not true that there is nothing under the vast heavens morecorrupt, more pestilential, more hateful, than the Court of Rome? Sheincomparably surpasses the impiety of the Turks, so that in very truthshe, who was formerly the gate of heaven, is now a sort of open mouthof hell, and such a mouth as, under the urgent wrath of God, cannot beblocked up; one course alone being left to us wretched men: to call backand save some few, if we can, from that Roman gulf. 

Behold, Leo, my father, with what purpose and on what principle it isthat I have stormed against that seat of pestilence. I am so far fromhaving felt any rage against your person that I even hoped to gainfavour with you and to aid you in your welfare by striking actively andvigorously at that your prison, nay, your hell. For whatever the effortsof all minds can contrive against the confusion of that impious Courtwill be advantageous to you and to your welfare, and to many others withyou. Those who do harm to her are doing your office; those who in everyway abhor her are glorifying Christ; in short, those are Christians whoare not Romans. 

But, to say yet more, even this never entered my heart: to inveighagainst the Court of Rome or to dispute at all about her. For, seeingall remedies for her health to be desperate, I looked on her withcontempt, and, giving her a bill of divorcement, said to her, "He thatis unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let himbe filthy still, " giving myself up to the peaceful and quiet study ofsacred literature, that by this I might be of use to the brethren livingabout me. 

While I was making some advance in these studies, Satan opened hiseyes and goaded on his servant John Eccius, that notorious adversary ofChrist, by the unchecked lust for fame, to drag me unexpectedly into thearena, trying to catch me in one little word concerning the primacy ofthe Church of Rome, which had fallen from me in passing. That boastfulThraso, foaming and gnashing his teeth, proclaimed that he would dareall things for the glory of God and for the honour of the holy apostolicseat; and, being puffed up respecting your power, which he was aboutto misuse, he looked forward with all certainty to victory; seeking topromote, not so much the primacy of Peter, as his own pre-eminence amongthe theologians of this age; for he thought it would contribute in noslight degree to this, if he were to lead Luther in triumph. The resulthaving proved unfortunate for the sophist, an incredible rage tormentshim; for he feels that whatever discredit to Rome has arisen through mehas been caused by the fault of himself alone. 

Suffer me, I pray you, most excellent Leo, both to plead my own cause, and to accuse your true enemies. I believe it is known to you in whatway Cardinal Cajetan, your imprudent and unfortunate, nay unfaithful, legate, acted towards me. When, on account of my reverence for yourname, I had placed myself and all that was mine in his hands, he did notso act as to establish peace, which he could easily have established byone little word, since I at that time promised to be silent and to makean end of my case, if he would command my adversaries to do the same. But that man of pride, not content with this agreement, began to justifymy adversaries, to give them free licence, and to order me to recant, athing which was certainly not in his commission. Thus indeed, when thecase was in the best position, it came through his vexatious tyrannyinto a much worse one. Therefore whatever has followed upon this is thefault not of Luther, but entirely of Cajetan, since he did not suffer meto be silent and remain quiet, which at that time I was entreating forwith all my might. What more was it my duty to do?

Next came Charles Miltitz, also a nuncio from your Blessedness. He, though he went up and down with much and varied exertion, and omittednothing which could tend to restore the position of the cause throwninto confusion by the rashness and pride of Cajetan, had difficulty, even with the help of that very illustrious prince the ElectorFrederick, in at last bringing about more than one familiar conferencewith me. In these I again yielded to your great name, and was preparedto keep silence, and to accept as my judge either the Archbishop ofTreves, or the Bishop of Naumburg; and thus it was done and concluded. While this was being done with good hope of success, lo! that other andgreater enemy of yours, Eccius, rushed in with his Leipsic disputation, which he had undertaken against Carlstadt, and, having taken up anew question concerning the primacy of the Pope, turned his armsunexpectedly against me, and completely overthrew the plan for peace. Meanwhile Charles Miltitz was waiting, disputations were held, judgeswere being chosen, but no decision was arrived at. And no wonder! forby the falsehoods, pretences, and arts of Eccius the whole business wasbrought into such thorough disorder, confusion, and festering soreness, that, whichever way the sentence might lean, a greater conflagration wassure to arise; for he was seeking, not after truth, but after his owncredit. In this case too I omitted nothing which it was right that Ishould do. 

I confess that on this occasion no small part of the corruptions of Romecame to light; but, if there was any offence in this, it was the faultof Eccius, who, in taking on him a burden beyond his strength, and infuriously aiming at credit for himself, unveiled to the whole world thedisgrace of Rome. 

Here is that enemy of yours, Leo, or rather of your Court; by hisexample alone we may learn that an enemy is not more baneful than aflatterer. For what did he bring about by his flattery, except evilswhich no king could have brought about? At this day the name of theCourt of Rome stinks in the nostrils of the world, the papal authorityis growing weak, and its notorious ignorance is evil spoken of. Weshould hear none of these things, if Eccius had not disturbed the plansof Miltitz and myself for peace. He feels this clearly enough himself inthe indignation he shows, too late and in vain, against the publicationof my books. He ought to have reflected on this at the time when he wasall mad for renown, and was seeking in your cause nothing but his ownobjects, and that with the greatest peril to you. The foolish man hopedthat, from fear of your name, I should yield and keep silence; for Ido not think he presumed on his talents and learning. Now, when he seesthat I am very confident and speak aloud, he repents too late of hisrashness, and sees--if indeed he does see it--that there is One inheaven who resists the proud, and humbles the presumptuous. 

Since then we were bringing about by this disputation nothing but thegreater confusion of the cause of Rome, Charles Miltitz for the thirdtime addressed the Fathers of the Order, assembled in chapter, andsought their advice for the settlement of the case, as being now in amost troubled and perilous state. Since, by the favour of God, therewas no hope of proceeding against me by force, some of the more noted oftheir number were sent to me, and begged me at least to show respect toyour person and to vindicate in a humble letter both your innocenceand my own. They said that the affair was not as yet in a position ofextreme hopelessness, if Leo X. , in his inborn kindliness, would put hishand to it. On this I, who have always offered and wished for peace, inorder that I might devote myself to calmer and more useful pursuits, andwho for this very purpose have acted with so much spirit and vehemence, in order to put down by the strength and impetuosity of my words, aswell as of my feelings, men whom I saw to be very far from equal tomyself--I, I say, not only gladly yielded, but even accepted it with joyand gratitude, as the greatest kindness and benefit, if you should thinkit right to satisfy my hopes. 

Thus I come, most blessed Father, and in all abasement beseech youto put to your hand, if it is possible, and impose a curb to thoseflatterers who are enemies of peace, while they pretend peace. But thereis no reason, most blessed Father, why any one should assume that I amto utter a recantation, unless he prefers to involve the case instill greater confusion. Moreover, I cannot bear with laws for theinterpretation of the word of God, since the word of God, which teachesliberty in all other things, ought not to be bound. Saving these twothings, there is nothing which I am not able, and most heartily willing, to do or to suffer. I hate contention; I will challenge no one; inreturn I wish not to be challenged; but, being challenged, I will not bedumb in the cause of Christ my Master. For your Blessedness will be ableby one short and easy word to call these controversies before you andsuppress them, and to impose silence and peace on both sides--a wordwhich I have ever longed to hear. 

Therefore, Leo, my Father, beware of listening to those sirens whomake you out to be not simply a man, but partly a god, so that you cancommand and require whatever you will. It will not happen so, nor willyou prevail. You are the servant of servants, and more than any otherman, in a most pitiable and perilous position. Let not those men deceiveyou who pretend that you are lord of the world; who will not allow anyone to be a Christian without your authority; who babble of your havingpower over heaven, hell, and purgatory. These men are your enemies andare seeking your soul to destroy it, as Isaiah says, "My people, theythat call thee blessed are themselves deceiving thee. " They are in errorwho raise you above councils and the universal Church; they are in errorwho attribute to you alone the right of interpreting Scripture. Allthese men are seeking to set up their own impieties in the Church underyour name, and alas! Satan has gained much through them in the time ofyour predecessors. 

In brief, trust not in any who exalt you, but in those who humiliateyou. For this is the judgment of God: "He hath cast down the mighty fromtheir seat, and hath exalted the humble. " See how unlike Christ was toHis successors, though all will have it that they are His vicars. I fearthat in truth very many of them have been in too serious a sense Hisvicars, for a vicar represents a prince who is absent. Now if a pontiffrules while Christ is absent and does not dwell in his heart, whatelse is he but a vicar of Christ? And then what is that Church but amultitude without Christ? What indeed is such a vicar but antichristand an idol? How much more rightly did the Apostles speak, who callthemselves servants of a present Christ, not the vicars of an absentone!

Perhaps I am shamelessly bold in seeming to teach so great a head, bywhom all men ought to be taught, and from whom, as those plagues ofyours boast, the thrones of judges receive their sentence; but I imitateSt. Bernard in his book concerning Considerations addressed to Eugenius, a book which ought to be known by heart by every pontiff. I do this, notfrom any desire to teach, but as a duty, from that simple and faithfulsolicitude which teaches us to be anxious for all that is safe forour neighbours, and does not allow considerations of worthiness orunworthiness to be entertained, being intent only on the dangers oradvantage of others. For since I know that your Blessedness is drivenand tossed by the waves at Rome, so that the depths of the sea presson you with infinite perils, and that you are labouring under such acondition of misery that you need even the least help from any the leastbrother, I do not seem to myself to be acting unsuitably if I forgetyour majesty till I shall have fulfilled the office of charity. I willnot flatter in so serious and perilous a matter; and if in this you donot see that I am your friend and most thoroughly your subject, there isOne to see and judge. 

In fine, that I may not approach you empty-handed, blessed Father, Ibring with me this little treatise, published under your name, as a goodomen of the establishment of peace and of good hope. By this you mayperceive in what pursuits I should prefer and be able to occupy myselfto more profit, if I were allowed, or had been hitherto allowed, by yourimpious flatterers. It is a small matter, if you look to its exterior, but, unless I mistake, it is a summary of the Christian life puttogether in small compass, if you apprehend its meaning. I, in mypoverty, have no other present to make you, nor do you need anythingelse than to be enriched by a spiritual gift. I commend myself to yourPaternity and Blessedness, whom may the Lord Jesus preserve for ever. Amen. 

Wittenberg, 6th September, 1520. 

CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

Christian faith has appeared to many an easy thing; nay, not a few evenreckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do becausethey have not made proof of it experimentally, and have never tasted ofwhat efficacy it is. For it is not possible for any man to write wellabout it, or to understand well what is rightly written, who has not atsome time tasted of its spirit, under the pressure of tribulation; whilehe who has tasted of it, even to a very small extent, can neverwrite, speak, think, or hear about it sufficiently. For it is a livingfountain, springing up into eternal life, as Christ calls it in John iv. 

Now, though I cannot boast of my abundance, and though I know how poorlyI am furnished, yet I hope that, after having been vexed by varioustemptations, I have attained some little drop of faith, and that I canspeak of this matter, if not with more elegance, certainly with moresolidity, than those literal and too subtle disputants who have hithertodiscoursed upon it without understanding their own words. That I mayopen then an easier way for the ignorant--for these alone I am tryingto serve--I first lay down these two propositions, concerning spiritualliberty and servitude:--

A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; aChristian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone. 

Although these statements appear contradictory, yet, when they are foundto agree together, they will make excellently for my purpose. They areboth the statements of Paul himself, who says, "Though I be free fromall men, yet have I made myself servant unto all" (1 Cor. Ix. 19), and"Owe no man anything, but to love one another" (Rom. Xiii. 8). Now loveis by its own nature dutiful and obedient to the beloved object. Thuseven Christ, though Lord of all things, was yet made of a woman; madeunder the law; at once free and a servant; at once in the form of Godand in the form of a servant. 

Let us examine the subject on a deeper and less simple principle. Man iscomposed of a twofold nature, a spiritual and a bodily. As regards thespiritual nature, which they name the soul, he is called the spiritual, inward, new man; as regards the bodily nature, which they name theflesh, he is called the fleshly, outward, old man. The Apostle speaks ofthis: "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed dayby day" (2 Cor. Iv. 16). The result of this diversity is that in theScriptures opposing statements are made concerning the same man, the fact being that in the same man these two men are opposed to oneanother; the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit againstthe flesh (Gal. V. 17). 

We first approach the subject of the inward man, that we may see by whatmeans a man becomes justified, free, and a true Christian; that is, aspiritual, new, and inward man. It is certain that absolutely noneamong outward things, under whatever name they may be reckoned, has anyinfluence in producing Christian righteousness or liberty, nor, on theother hand, unrighteousness or slavery. This can be shown by an easyargument. 

What can it profit the soul that the body should be in good condition, free, and full of life; that it should eat, drink, and act according toits pleasure; when even the most impious slaves of every kind of viceare prosperous in these matters? Again, what harm can ill-health, bondage, hunger, thirst, or any other outward evil, do to the soul, when even the most pious of men and the freest in the purity of theirconscience, are harassed by these things? Neither of these states ofthings has to do with the liberty or the slavery of the soul. 

And so it will profit nothing that the body should be adorned withsacred vestments, or dwell in holy places, or be occupied in sacredoffices, or pray, fast, and abstain from certain meats, or do whateverworks can be done through the body and in the body. Something widelydifferent will be necessary for the justification and liberty of thesoul, since the things I have spoken of can be done by any impiousperson, and only hypocrites are produced by devotion to these things. Onthe other hand, it will not at all injure the soul that the body shouldbe clothed in profane raiment, should dwell in profane places, shouldeat and drink in the ordinary fashion, should not pray aloud, andshould leave undone all the things above mentioned, which may be done byhypocrites. 

And, to cast everything aside, even speculation, meditations, andwhatever things can be performed by the exertions of the soul itself, are of no profit. One thing, and one alone, is necessary for life, justification, and Christian liberty; and that is the most holy word ofGod, the Gospel of Christ, as He says, "I am the resurrection and thelife; he that believeth in Me shall not die eternally" (John xi. 25), and also, "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed"(John viii. 36), and, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by everyword that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. Iv. 4). 

Let us therefore hold it for certain and firmly established that thesoul can do without everything except the word of God, without whichnone at all of its wants are provided for. But, having the word, it isrich and wants for nothing, since that is the word of life, of truth, oflight, of peace, of justification, of salvation, of joy, of liberty, ofwisdom, of virtue, of grace, of glory, and of every good thing. It ison this account that the prophet in a whole Psalm (Psalm cxix. ), and inmany other places, sighs for and calls upon the word of God with so manygroanings and words. 

Again, there is no more cruel stroke of the wrath of God than when Hesends a famine of hearing His words (Amos viii. 11), just as there isno greater favour from Him than the sending forth of His word, as it issaid, "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from theirdestructions" (Psalm cvii. 20). Christ was sent for no other office thanthat of the word; and the order of Apostles, that of bishops, and thatof the whole body of the clergy, have been called and instituted for noobject but the ministry of the word. 

But you will ask, What is this word, and by what means is it to be used, since there are so many words of God? I answer, The Apostle Paul (Rom. I. ) explains what it is, namely the Gospel of God, concerning His Son, incarnate, suffering, risen, and glorified, through the Spirit, theSanctifier. To preach Christ is to feed the soul, to justify it, to setit free, and to save it, if it believes the preaching. For faith aloneand the efficacious use of the word of God, bring salvation. "If thoushalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thineheart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. X. 9); and again, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness toevery one that believeth" (Rom. X. 4), and "The just shall live byfaith" (Rom. I. 17). For the word of God cannot be received and honouredby any works, but by faith alone. Hence it is clear that as the soulneeds the word alone for life and justification, so it is justified byfaith alone, and not by any works. For if it could be justified by anyother means, it would have no need of the word, nor consequently offaith. 

But this faith cannot consist at all with works; that is, if you imaginethat you can be justified by those works, whatever they are, along withit. For this would be to halt between two opinions, to worship Baal, andto kiss the hand to him, which is a very great iniquity, as Job says. Therefore, when you begin to believe, you learn at the same time thatall that is in you is utterly guilty, sinful, and damnable, according tothat saying, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. Iii. 23), and also: "There is none righteous, no, not one; they are allgone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable: there isnone that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. Iii. 10-12). When you havelearnt this, you will know that Christ is necessary for you, since Hehas suffered and risen again for you, that, believing on Him, you mightby this faith become another man, all your sins being remitted, and youbeing justified by the merits of another, namely of Christ alone. 

Since then this faith can reign only in the inward man, as it is said, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom. X. 10); andsince it alone justifies, it is evident that by no outward work orlabour can the inward man be at all justified, made free, and saved; andthat no works whatever have any relation to him. And so, on the otherhand, it is solely by impiety and incredulity of heart that he becomesguilty and a slave of sin, deserving condemnation, not by any outwardsin or work. Therefore the first care of every Christian ought to be tolay aside all reliance on works, and strengthen his faith alone moreand more, and by it grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of ChristJesus, who has suffered and risen again for him, as Peter teaches(1 Peter v. ) when he makes no other work to be a Christian one. ThusChrist, when the Jews asked Him what they should do that they might workthe works of God, rejected the multitude of works, with which He sawthat they were puffed up, and commanded them one thing only, saying, "This is the work of God: that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent, forHim hath God the Father sealed" (John vi. 27, 29). 

Hence a right faith in Christ is an incomparable treasure, carrying withit universal salvation and preserving from all evil, as it is said, "Hethat believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believethnot shall be damned" (Mark xvi. 16). Isaiah, looking to this treasure, predicted, "The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined(verbum abbreviatum et consummans), in the midst of the land" (Isa. X. 22, 23). As if he said, "Faith, which is the brief and completefulfilling of the law, will fill those who believe with suchrighteousness that they will need nothing else for justification. " Thus, too, Paul says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness"(Rom. X. 10). 

But you ask how it can be the fact that faith alone justifies, andaffords without works so great a treasure of good things, when so manyworks, ceremonies, and laws are prescribed to us in the Scriptures?I answer, Before all things bear in mind what I have said: that faithalone without works justifies, sets free, and saves, as I shall showmore clearly below. 

Meanwhile it is to be noted that the whole Scripture of God is dividedinto two parts: precepts and promises. The precepts certainly teach uswhat is good, but what they teach is not forthwith done. For they showus what we ought to do, but do not give us the power to do it. Theywere ordained, however, for the purpose of showing man to himself, thatthrough them he may learn his own impotence for good and may despair ofhis own strength. For this reason they are called the Old Testament, andare so. 

For example, "Thou shalt not covet, " is a precept by which we are allconvicted of sin, since no man can help coveting, whatever efforts tothe contrary he may make. In order therefore that he may fulfil theprecept, and not covet, he is constrained to despair of himself andto seek elsewhere and through another the help which he cannot find inhimself; as it is said, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but inMe is thine help" (Hosea xiii. 9). Now what is done by this one preceptis done by all; for all are equally impossible of fulfilment by us. 

Now when a man has through the precepts been taught his own impotence, and become anxious by what means he may satisfy the law--for thelaw must be satisfied, so that no jot or tittle of it may pass away, otherwise he must be hopelessly condemned--then, being truly humbled andbrought to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no resource forjustification and salvation. 

Then comes in that other part of Scripture, the promises of God, whichdeclare the glory of God, and say, "If you wish to fulfil the law, and, as the law requires, not to covet, lo! believe in Christ, in whom arepromised to you grace, justification, peace, and liberty. " All thesethings you shall have, if you believe, and shall be without them if youdo not believe. For what is impossible for you by all the works of thelaw, which are many and yet useless, you shall fulfil in an easy andsummary way through faith, because God the Father has made everything todepend on faith, so that whosoever has it has all things, and he who hasit not has nothing. "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, thatHe might have mercy upon all" (Rom. Xi. 32). Thus the promises of Godgive that which the precepts exact, and fulfil what the law commands;so that all is of God alone, both the precepts and their fulfilment. Healone commands; He alone also fulfils. Hence the promises of God belongto the New Testament; nay, are the New Testament. 

Now, since these promises of God are words of holiness, truth, righteousness, liberty, and peace, and are full of universal goodness, the soul, which cleaves to them with a firm faith, is so united to them, nay, thoroughly absorbed by them, that it not only partakes in, butis penetrated and saturated by, all their virtues. For if the touch ofChrist was healing, how much more does that most tender spiritual touch, nay, absorption of the word, communicate to the soul all that belongs tothe word! In this way therefore the soul, through faith alone, withoutworks, is from the word of God justified, sanctified, endued with truth, peace, and liberty, and filled full with every good thing, and is trulymade the child of God, as it is said, "To them gave He power to becomethe sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John i. 12). 

From all this it is easy to understand why faith has such great power, and why no good works, nor even all good works put together, can comparewith it, since no work can cleave to the word of God or be in the soul. Faith alone and the word reign in it; and such as is the word, such isthe soul made by it, just as iron exposed to fire glows like fire, onaccount of its union with the fire. It is clear then that to a Christianman his faith suffices for everything, and that he has no need of worksfor justification. But if he has no need of works, neither has he needof the law; and if he has no need of the law, he is certainly free fromthe law, and the saying is true, "The law is not made for a righteousman" (1 Tim. I. 9). This is that Christian liberty, our faith, theeffect of which is, not that we should be careless or lead a bad life, but that no one should need the law or works for justification andsalvation. 

Let us consider this as the first virtue of faith; and let us look alsoto the second. This also is an office of faith: that it honours with theutmost veneration and the highest reputation Him in whom it believes, inasmuch as it holds Him to be truthful and worthy of belief. For thereis no honour like that reputation of truth and righteousness with whichwe honour Him in whom we believe. What higher credit can we attributeto any one than truth and righteousness, and absolute goodness? Onthe other hand, it is the greatest insult to brand any one with thereputation of falsehood and unrighteousness, or to suspect him of these, as we do when we disbelieve him. 

Thus the soul, in firmly believing the promises of God, holds Him to betrue and righteous; and it can attribute to God no higher glory thanthe credit of being so. The highest worship of God is to ascribe to Himtruth, righteousness, and whatever qualities we must ascribe to one inwhom we believe. In doing this the soul shows itself prepared to do Hiswhole will; in doing this it hallows His name, and gives itself up tobe dealt with as it may please God. For it cleaves to His promises, andnever doubts that He is true, just, and wise, and will do, dispose, andprovide for all things in the best way. Is not such a soul, in this itsfaith, most obedient to God in all things? What commandment does thereremain which has not been amply fulfilled by such an obedience? Whatfulfilment can be more full than universal obedience? Now this is notaccomplished by works, but by faith alone. 

On the other hand, what greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to Godcan there be, than not to believe His promises? What else is this, thaneither to make God a liar, or to doubt His truth--that is, to attributetruth to ourselves, but to God falsehood and levity? In doing this, is not a man denying God and setting himself up as an idol in his ownheart? What then can works, done in such a state of impiety, profit us, were they even angelic or apostolic works? Rightly hath God shut upall, not in wrath nor in lust, but in unbelief, in order that thosewho pretend that they are fulfilling the law by works of purity andbenevolence (which are social and human virtues) may not presumethat they will therefore be saved, but, being included in the sin ofunbelief, may either seek mercy, or be justly condemned. 

But when God sees that truth is ascribed to Him, and that in the faithof our hearts He is honoured with all the honour of which He is worthy, then in return He honours us on account of that faith, attributing tous truth and righteousness. For faith does truth and righteousness inrendering to God what is His; and therefore in return God gives gloryto our righteousness. It is true and righteous that God is true andrighteous; and to confess this and ascribe these attributes to Him, thisit is to be true and righteous. Thus He says, "Them that honour Me Iwill honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. Ii. 30). And so Paul says that Abraham's faith was imputed to him forrighteousness, because by it he gave glory to God; and that to usalso, for the same reason, it shall be imputed for righteousness, if webelieve (Rom. Iv. ). 

The third incomparable grace of faith is this: that it unites the soulto Christ, as the wife to the husband, by which mystery, as the Apostleteaches, Christ and the soul are made one flesh. Now if they are oneflesh, and if a true marriage--nay, by far the most perfect of allmarriages--is accomplished between them (for human marriages are butfeeble types of this one great marriage), then it follows that all theyhave becomes theirs in common, as well good things as evil things; sothat whatsoever Christ possesses, that the believing soul may take toitself and boast of as its own, and whatever belongs to the soul, thatChrist claims as His. 

If we compare these possessions, we shall see how inestimable is thegain. Christ is full of grace, life, and salvation; the soul is full ofsin, death, and condemnation. Let faith step in, and then sin, death, and hell will belong to Christ, and grace, life, and salvation to thesoul. For, if He is a Husband, He must needs take to Himself that whichis His wife's, and at the same time, impart to His wife that which isHis. For, in giving her His own body and Himself, how can He but giveher all that is His? And, in taking to Himself the body of His wife, howcan He but take to Himself all that is hers?

In this is displayed the delightful sight, not only of communion, but ofa prosperous warfare, of victory, salvation, and redemption. For, sinceChrist is God and man, and is such a Person as neither has sinned, nordies, nor is condemned, nay, cannot sin, die, or be condemned, and sinceHis righteousness, life, and salvation are invincible, eternal, andalmighty, --when I say, such a Person, by the wedding-ring of faith, takes a share in the sins, death, and hell of His wife, nay, makes themHis own, and deals with them no otherwise than as if they were His, andas if He Himself had sinned; and when He suffers, dies, and descends tohell, that He may overcome all things, and since sin, death, andhell cannot swallow Him up, they must needs be swallowed up by Him instupendous conflict. For His righteousness rises above the sins of allmen; His life is more powerful than all death; His salvation is moreunconquerable than all hell. 

Thus the believing soul, by the pledge of its faith in Christ, becomesfree from all sin, fearless of death, safe from hell, and endowed withthe eternal righteousness, life, and salvation of its Husband Christ. Thus He presents to Himself a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word; that is, by faithin the word of life, righteousness, and salvation. Thus He betrothes herunto Himself "in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in judgment, and inloving-kindness, and in mercies" (Hosea ii. 19, 20). 

Who then can value highly enough these royal nuptials? Who cancomprehend the riches of the glory of this grace? Christ, that rich andpious Husband, takes as a wife a needy and impious harlot, redeemingher from all her evils and supplying her with all His good things. Itis impossible now that her sins should destroy her, since they havebeen laid upon Christ and swallowed up in Him, and since she has in herHusband Christ a righteousness which she may claim as her own, and whichshe can set up with confidence against all her sins, against death andhell, saying, "If I have sinned, my Christ, in whom I believe, has notsinned; all mine is His, and all His is mine, " as it is written, "Mybeloved is mine, and I am His" (Cant. Ii. 16). This is what Paul says:"Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord JesusChrist, " victory over sin and death, as he says, "The sting of death issin, and the strength of sin is the law" (1 Cor. Xv. 56, 57). 

From all this you will again understand why so much importance isattributed to faith, so that it alone can fulfil the law and justifywithout any works. For you see that the First Commandment, which says, "Thou shalt worship one God only, " is fulfilled by faith alone. If youwere nothing but good works from the soles of your feet to the crown ofyour head, you would not be worshipping God, nor fulfilling the FirstCommandment, since it is impossible to worship God without ascribing toHim the glory of truth and of universal goodness, as it ought in truthto be ascribed. Now this is not done by works, but only by faith ofheart. It is not by working, but by believing, that we glorify God, andconfess Him to be true. On this ground faith alone is the righteousnessof a Christian man, and the fulfilling of all the commandments. For tohim who fulfils the first the task of fulfilling all the rest is easy. 

Works, since they are irrational things, cannot glorify God, althoughthey may be done to the glory of God, if faith be present. But atpresent we are inquiring, not into the quality of the works done, butinto him who does them, who glorifies God, and brings forth goodworks. This is faith of heart, the head and the substance of all ourrighteousness. Hence that is a blind and perilous doctrine which teachesthat the commandments are fulfilled by works. The commandments must havebeen fulfilled previous to any good works, and good works follow theirfulfillment, as we shall see. 

But, that we may have a wider view of that grace which our inner manhas in Christ, we must know that in the Old Testament God sanctified toHimself every first-born male. The birthright was of great value, givinga superiority over the rest by the double honour of priesthood andkingship. For the first-born brother was priest and lord of all therest. 

Under this figure was foreshown Christ, the true and only First-born ofGod the Father and of the Virgin Mary, and a true King and Priest, notin a fleshly and earthly sense. For His kingdom is not of this world; itis in heavenly and spiritual things that He reigns and acts as Priest;and these are righteousness, truth, wisdom, peace, salvation, etc. Not but that all things, even those of earth and hell, are subject toHim--for otherwise how could He defend and save us from them?--but it isnot in these, nor by these, that His kingdom stands. 

So, too, His priesthood does not consist in the outward display ofvestments and gestures, as did the human priesthood of Aaron and ourecclesiastical priesthood at this day, but in spiritual things, wherein, in His invisible office, He intercedes for us with God in heaven, andthere offers Himself, and performs all the duties of a priest, as Pauldescribes Him to the Hebrews under the figure of Melchizedek. Nor doesHe only pray and intercede for us; He also teaches us inwardly in thespirit with the living teachings of His Spirit. Now these are the twospecial offices of a priest, as is figured to us in the case of fleshlypriests by visible prayers and sermons. 

As Christ by His birthright has obtained these two dignities, so Heimparts and communicates them to every believer in Him, under that lawof matrimony of which we have spoken above, by which all that is thehusband's is also the wife's. Hence all we who believe on Christ arekings and priests in Christ, as it is said, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye shouldshow forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness intoHis marvellous light" (1 Peter ii. 9). 

These two things stand thus. First, as regards kingship, every Christianis by faith so exalted above all things that, in spiritual power, he iscompletely lord of all things, so that nothing whatever can do himany hurt; yea, all things are subject to him, and are compelled to besubservient to his salvation. Thus Paul says, "All things work togetherfor good to them who are the called" (Rom. Viii. 28), and also, "Whetherlife, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; andye are Christ's" (1 Cor. Iii. 22, 23). 

Not that in the sense of corporeal power any one among Christians hasbeen appointed to possess and rule all things, according to the mad andsenseless idea of certain ecclesiastics. That is the office of kings, princes, and men upon earth. In the experience of life we see that weare subjected to all things, and suffer many things, even death. Yea, the more of a Christian any man is, to so many the more evils, sufferings, and deaths is he subject, as we see in the first place inChrist the First-born, and in all His holy brethren. 

This is a spiritual power, which rules in the midst of enemies, and ispowerful in the midst of distresses. And this is nothing else than thatstrength is made perfect in my weakness, and that I can turn all thingsto the profit of my salvation; so that even the cross and death arecompelled to serve me and to work together for my salvation. This isa lofty and eminent dignity, a true and almighty dominion, a spiritualempire, in which there is nothing so good, nothing so bad, as not towork together for my good, if only I believe. And yet there is nothingof which I have need--for faith alone suffices for my salvation--unlessthat in it faith may exercise the power and empire of its liberty. Thisis the inestimable power and liberty of Christians. 

Nor are we only kings and the freest of all men, but also priests forever, a dignity far higher than kingship, because by that priesthood weare worthy to appear before God, to pray for others, and to teach oneanother mutually the things which are of God. For these are the dutiesof priests, and they cannot possibly be permitted to any unbeliever. Christ has obtained for us this favour, if we believe in Him: that justas we are His brethren and co-heirs and fellow-kings with Him, so weshould be also fellow-priests with Him, and venture with confidence, through the spirit of faith, to come into the presence of God, and cry, "Abba, Father!" and to pray for one another, and to do all thingswhich we see done and figured in the visible and corporeal office ofpriesthood. But to an unbelieving person nothing renders service or workfor good. He himself is in servitude to all things, and all things turnout for evil to him, because he uses all things in an impious way forhis own advantage, and not for the glory of God. And thus he is not apriest, but a profane person, whose prayers are turned into sin, nordoes he ever appear in the presence of God, because God does not hearsinners. 

Who then can comprehend the loftiness of that Christian dignity which, by its royal power, rules over all things, even over death, life, andsin, and, by its priestly glory, is all-powerful with God, since Goddoes what He Himself seeks and wishes, as it is written, "He will fulfilthe desire of them that fear Him; He also will hear their cry, and willsave them"? (Psalm cxlv. 19). This glory certainly cannot be attained byany works, but by faith only. 

From these considerations any one may clearly see how a Christianman is free from all things; so that he needs no works in order to bejustified and saved, but receives these gifts in abundance from faithalone. Nay, were he so foolish as to pretend to be justified, setfree, saved, and made a Christian, by means of any good work, he wouldimmediately lose faith, with all its benefits. Such folly is prettilyrepresented in the fable where a dog, running along in the waterand carrying in his mouth a real piece of meat, is deceived by thereflection of the meat in the water, and, in trying with open mouth toseize it, loses the meat and its image at the same time. 

Here you will ask, "If all who are in the Church are priests, by whatcharacter are those whom we now call priests to be distinguished fromthe laity?" I reply, By the use of these words, "priest, " "clergy, ""spiritual person, " "ecclesiastic, " an injustice has been done, sincethey have been transferred from the remaining body of Christians tothose few who are now, by hurtful custom, called ecclesiastics. For HolyScripture makes no distinction between them, except that those who arenow boastfully called popes, bishops, and lords, it calls ministers, servants, and stewards, who are to serve the rest in the ministry of theword, for teaching the faith of Christ and the liberty of believers. Forthough it is true that we are all equally priests, yet we cannot, nor, if we could, ought we all to, minister and teach publicly. Thus Paulsays, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ andstewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. Iv. 1). 

This bad system has now issued in such a pompous display of power andsuch a terrible tyranny that no earthly government can be compared toit, as if the laity were something else than Christians. Through thisperversion of things it has happened that the knowledge of Christiangrace, of faith, of liberty, and altogether of Christ, has utterlyperished, and has been succeeded by an intolerable bondage to humanworks and laws; and, according to the Lamentations of Jeremiah, we havebecome the slaves of the vilest men on earth, who abuse our misery toall the disgraceful and ignominious purposes of their own will. 

Returning to the subject which we had begun, I think it is made clear bythese considerations that it is not sufficient, nor a Christian course, to preach the works, life, and words of Christ in a historic manner, asfacts which it suffices to know as an example how to frame our life, asdo those who are now held the best preachers, and much less so to keepsilence altogether on these things and to teach in their stead the lawsof men and the decrees of the Fathers. There are now not a few personswho preach and read about Christ with the object of moving the humanaffections to sympathise with Christ, to indignation against the Jews, and other childish and womanish absurdities of that kind. 

Now preaching ought to have the object of promoting faith in Him, sothat He may not only be Christ, but a Christ for you and for me, andthat what is said of Him, and what He is called, may work in us. Andthis faith is produced and is maintained by preaching why Christ came, what He has brought us and given to us, and to what profit and advantageHe is to be received. This is done when the Christian liberty which wehave from Christ Himself is rightly taught, and we are shown in whatmanner all we Christians are kings and priests, and how we are lords ofall things, and may be confident that whatever we do in the presence ofGod is pleasing and acceptable to Him. 

Whose heart would not rejoice in its inmost core at hearing thesethings? Whose heart, on receiving so great a consolation, would notbecome sweet with the love of Christ, a love to which it can neverattain by any laws or works? Who can injure such a heart, or make itafraid? If the consciousness of sin or the horror of death rush in uponit, it is prepared to hope in the Lord, and is fearless of such evils, and undisturbed, until it shall look down upon its enemies. For itbelieves that the righteousness of Christ is its own, and that its sinis no longer its own, but that of Christ; but, on account of its faithin Christ, all its sin must needs be swallowed up from before the faceof the righteousness of Christ, as I have said above. It learns, too, with the Apostle, to scoff at death and sin, and to say, "O death, whereis thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which givethus the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. Xv. 55-57). Fordeath is swallowed up in victory, not only the victory of Christ, butours also, since by faith it becomes ours, and in it we too conquer. 

Let it suffice to say this concerning the inner man and its liberty, andconcerning that righteousness of faith which needs neither laws norgood works; nay, they are even hurtful to it, if any one pretends to bejustified by them. 

And now let us turn to the other part: to the outward man. Here we shallgive an answer to all those who, taking offence at the word of faith andat what I have asserted, say, "If faith does everything, and by itselfsuffices for justification, why then are good works commanded? Are wethen to take our ease and do no works, content with faith?" Not so, impious men, I reply; not so. That would indeed really be the case, ifwe were thoroughly and completely inner and spiritual persons; but thatwill not happen until the last day, when the dead shall be raised. Aslong as we live in the flesh, we are but beginning and making advancesin that which shall be completed in a future life. On this account theApostle calls that which we have in this life the firstfruits of theSpirit (Rom. Viii. 23). In future we shall have the tenths, and thefullness of the Spirit. To this part belongs the fact I have statedbefore: that the Christian is the servant of all and subject to all. Forin that part in which he is free he does no works, but in that in whichhe is a servant he does all works. Let us see on what principle this isso. 

Although, as I have said, inwardly, and according to the spirit, a manis amply enough justified by faith, having all that he requires to have, except that this very faith and abundance ought to increase from dayto day, even till the future life, still he remains in this mortal lifeupon earth, in which it is necessary that he should rule his own bodyand have intercourse with men. Here then works begin; here he must nottake his ease; here he must give heed to exercise his body by fastings, watchings, labour, and other regular discipline, so that it may besubdued to the spirit, and obey and conform itself to the inner man andfaith, and not rebel against them nor hinder them, as is its nature todo if it is not kept under. For the inner man, being conformed to Godand created after the image of God through faith, rejoices and delightsitself in Christ, in whom such blessings have been conferred on it, andhence has only this task before it: to serve God with joy and for noughtin free love. 

But in doing this he comes into collision with that contrary will inhis own flesh, which is striving to serve the world and to seek its owngratification. This the spirit of faith cannot and will not bear, butapplies itself with cheerfulness and zeal to keep it down and restrainit, as Paul says, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man; butI see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind andbringing me into captivity to the law of sin" (Rom. Vii. 22, 23), andagain, "I keep under my body, and bring it unto subjection, lest thatby any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be acastaway" (1 Cor. Ix. 27), and "They that are Christ's have crucifiedthe flesh, with the affections and lusts" (Gal. V. 24). 

These works, however, must not be done with any notion that by them aman can be justified before God--for faith, which alone is righteousnessbefore God, will not bear with this false notion--but solely with thispurpose: that the body may be brought into subjection, and be purifiedfrom its evil lusts, so that our eyes may be turned only to purging awaythose lusts. For when the soul has been cleansed by faith and made tolove God, it would have all things to be cleansed in like manner, andespecially its own body, so that all things might unite with it in thelove and praise of God. Thus it comes that, from the requirements of hisown body, a man cannot take his ease, but is compelled on its accountto do many good works, that he may bring it into subjection. Yet theseworks are not the means of his justification before God; he does themout of disinterested love to the service of God; looking to no otherend than to do what is well-pleasing to Him whom he desires to obey mostdutifully in all things. 

On this principle every man may easily instruct himself in what measure, and with what distinctions, he ought to chasten his own body. He willfast, watch, and labour, just as much as he sees to suffice for keepingdown the wantonness and concupiscence of the body. But those who pretendto be justified by works are looking, not to the mortification of theirlusts, but only to the works themselves; thinking that, if they canaccomplish as many works and as great ones as possible, all is well withthem, and they are justified. Sometimes they even injure their brain, and extinguish nature, or at least make it useless. This is enormousfolly, and ignorance of Christian life and faith, when a man seeks, without faith, to be justified and saved by works. 

To make what we have said more easily understood, let us set it forthunder a figure. The works of a Christian man, who is justified and savedby his faith out of the pure and unbought mercy of God, ought to beregarded in the same light as would have been those of Adam and Eve inparadise and of all their posterity if they had not sinned. Of them itis said, "The Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Edento dress it and to keep it" (Gen. Ii. 15). Now Adam had been created byGod just and righteous, so that he could not have needed to be justifiedand made righteous by keeping the garden and working in it; but, thathe might not be unemployed, God gave him the business of keeping andcultivating paradise. These would have indeed been works of perfectfreedom, being done for no object but that of pleasing God, and not inorder to obtain justification, which he already had to the full, andwhich would have been innate in us all. 

So it is with the works of a believer. Being by his faith replacedafresh in paradise and created anew, he does not need works for hisjustification, but that he may not be idle, but may exercise his ownbody and preserve it. His works are to be done freely, with the soleobject of pleasing God. Only we are not yet fully created anew inperfect faith and love; these require to be increased, not, however, through works, but through themselves. 

A bishop, when he consecrates a church, confirms children, or performsany other duty of his office, is not consecrated as bishop by theseworks; nay, unless he had been previously consecrated as bishop, not oneof those works would have any validity; they would be foolish, childish, and ridiculous. Thus a Christian, being consecrated by his faith, doesgood works; but he is not by these works made a more sacred person, ormore a Christian. That is the effect of faith alone; nay, unless he werepreviously a believer and a Christian, none of his works would have anyvalue at all; they would really be impious and damnable sins. 

True, then, are these two sayings: "Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works"; "Bad works do not make a bad man, but abad man does bad works. " Thus it is always necessary that the substanceor person should be good before any good works can be done, and thatgood works should follow and proceed from a good person. As Christ says, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt treebring forth good fruit" (Matt. Vii. 18). Now it is clear that the fruitdoes not bear the tree, nor does the tree grow on the fruit; but, on thecontrary, the trees bear the fruit, and the fruit grows on the trees. 

As then trees must exist before their fruit, and as the fruit does notmake the tree either good or bad, but on the contrary, a tree of eitherkind produces fruit of the same kind, so must first the person of theman be good or bad before he can do either a good or a bad work; and hisworks do not make him bad or good, but he himself makes his works eitherbad or good. 

We may see the same thing in all handicrafts. A bad or good house doesnot make a bad or good builder, but a good or bad builder makes a goodor bad house. And in general no work makes the workman such as it isitself; but the workman makes the work such as he is himself. Suchis the case, too, with the works of men. Such as the man himself is, whether in faith or in unbelief, such is his work: good if it be donein faith; bad if in unbelief. But the converse is not true that, such asthe work is, such the man becomes in faith or in unbelief. For as worksdo not make a believing man, so neither do they make a justified man;but faith, as it makes a man a believer and justified, so also it makeshis works good. 

Since then works justify no man, but a man must be justified before hecan do any good work, it is most evident that it is faith alone which, by the mere mercy of God through Christ, and by means of His word, can worthily and sufficiently justify and save the person; and that aChristian man needs no work, no law, for his salvation; for by faith heis free from all law, and in perfect freedom does gratuitously all thathe does, seeking nothing either of profit or of salvation--since bythe grace of God he is already saved and rich in all things through hisfaith--but solely that which is well-pleasing to God. 

So, too, no good work can profit an unbeliever to justification andsalvation; and, on the other hand, no evil work makes him an evil andcondemned person, but that unbelief, which makes the person and the treebad, makes his works evil and condemned. Wherefore, when any man is madegood or bad, this does not arise from his works, but from his faith orunbelief, as the wise man says, "The beginning of sin is to fall awayfrom God"; that is, not to believe. Paul says, "He that cometh to Godmust believe" (Heb. Xi. 6); and Christ says the same thing: "Either makethe tree good and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, andhis fruit corrupt" (Matt. Xii. 33), --as much as to say, He who wishes tohave good fruit will begin with the tree, and plant a good one; evenso he who wishes to do good works must begin, not by working, but bybelieving, since it is this which makes the person good. For nothingmakes the person good but faith, nor bad but unbelief. 

It is certainly true that, in the sight of men, a man becomes good orevil by his works; but here "becoming" means that it is thus shown andrecognised who is good or evil, as Christ says, "By their fruits yeshall know them" (Matt. Vii. 20). But all this stops at appearances andexternals; and in this matter very many deceive themselves, when theypresume to write and teach that we are to be justified by good works, and meanwhile make no mention even of faith, walking in their own ways, ever deceived and deceiving, going from bad to worse, blind leaders ofthe blind, wearying themselves with many works, and yet never attainingto true righteousness, of whom Paul says, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, ever learning and never able to come tothe knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. Iii. 5, 7). 

He then who does not wish to go astray, with these blind ones, must lookfurther than to the works of the law or the doctrine of works; nay, must turn away his sight from works, and look to the person, and to themanner in which it may be justified. Now it is justified and saved, notby works or laws, but by the word of God--that is, by the promise of Hisgrace--so that the glory may be to the Divine majesty, which has savedus who believe, not by works of righteousness which we have done, butaccording to His mercy, by the word of His grace. 

From all this it is easy to perceive on what principle good works areto be cast aside or embraced, and by what rule all teachings put forthconcerning works are to be understood. For if works are brought forwardas grounds of justification, and are done under the false persuasionthat we can pretend to be justified by them, they lay on us the yokeof necessity, and extinguish liberty along with faith, and by this veryaddition to their use they become no longer good, but really worthy ofcondemnation. For such works are not free, but blaspheme the grace ofGod, to which alone it belongs to justify and save through faith. Workscannot accomplish this, and yet, with impious presumption, throughour folly, they take it on themselves to do so; and thus break in withviolence upon the office and glory of grace. 

We do not then reject good works; nay, we embrace them and teach them inthe highest degree. It is not on their own account that we condemn them, but on account of this impious addition to them and the perverse notionof seeking justification by them. These things cause them to be onlygood in outward show, but in reality not good, since by them men aredeceived and deceive others, like ravening wolves in sheep's clothing. 

Now this leviathan, this perverted notion about works, is invinciblewhen sincere faith is wanting. For those sanctified doers of workscannot but hold it till faith, which destroys it, comes and reigns inthe heart. Nature cannot expel it by her own power; nay, cannot even seeit for what it is, but considers it as a most holy will. And whencustom steps in besides, and strengthens this pravity of nature, as hashappened by means of impious teachers, then the evil is incurable, andleads astray multitudes to irreparable ruin. Therefore, though it isgood to preach and write about penitence, confession, and satisfaction, yet if we stop there, and do not go on to teach faith, such teachingis without doubt deceitful and devilish. For Christ, speaking by Hisservant John, not only said, "Repent ye, " but added, "for the kingdom ofheaven is at hand" (Matt. Iii. 2). 

For not one word of God only, but both, should be preached; new and oldthings should be brought out of the treasury, as well the voice ofthe law as the word of grace. The voice of the law should be broughtforward, that men may be terrified and brought to a knowledge of theirsins, and thence be converted to penitence and to a better manner oflife. But we must not stop here; that would be to wound only and not tobind up, to strike and not to heal, to kill and not to make alive, tobring down to hell and not to bring back, to humble and not to exalt. Therefore the word of grace and of the promised remission of sin mustalso be preached, in order to teach and set up faith, since withoutthat word contrition, penitence, and all other duties, are performed andtaught in vain. 

There still remain, it is true, preachers of repentance and grace, butthey do not explain the law and the promises of God to such an end, andin such a spirit, that men may learn whence repentance and grace are tocome. For repentance comes from the law of God, but faith or gracefrom the promises of God, as it is said, "Faith cometh by hearing, andhearing by the word of God" (Rom. X. 17), whence it comes that a man, when humbled and brought to the knowledge of himself by the threateningsand terrors of the law, is consoled and raised up by faith in the Divinepromise. Thus "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in themorning" (Psalm xxx. 5). Thus much we say concerning works in general, and also concerning those which the Christian practises with regard tohis own body. 

Lastly, we will speak also of those works which he performs towards hisneighbour. For man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body, in order to work on its account, but also for all men on earth; nay, helives only for others, and not for himself. For it is to this end thathe brings his own body into subjection, that he may be able to serveothers more sincerely and more freely, as Paul says, "None of us livethto himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we liveunto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord" (Rom. Xiv. 7, 8). Thus it is impossible that he should take his ease in this life, andnot work for the good of his neighbours, since he must needs speak, act, and converse among men, just as Christ was made in the likeness of menand found in fashion as a man, and had His conversation among men. 

Yet a Christian has need of none of these things for justification andsalvation, but in all his works he ought to entertain this view and lookonly to this object--that he may serve and be useful to others in allthat he does; having nothing before his eyes but the necessities and theadvantage of his neighbour. Thus the Apostle commands us to work withour own hands, that we may have to give to those that need. He mighthave said, that we may support ourselves; but he tells us to give tothose that need. It is the part of a Christian to take care of his ownbody for the very purpose that, by its soundness and well-being, he maybe enabled to labour, and to acquire and preserve property, for the aidof those who are in want, that thus the stronger member may serve theweaker member, and we may be children of God, thoughtful and busy onefor another, bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law ofChrist. 

Here is the truly Christian life, here is faith really working by love, when a man applies himself with joy and love to the works of that freestservitude in which he serves others voluntarily and for nought, himselfabundantly satisfied in the fulness and riches of his own faith. 

Thus, when Paul had taught the Philippians how they had been maderich by that faith in Christ in which they had obtained all things, he teaches them further in these words: "If there be therefore anyconsolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship ofthe Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye belike-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Letnothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mindlet each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on hisown things, but every man also on the things of others" (Phil. Ii. 1-4). 

In this we see clearly that the Apostle lays down this rule for aChristian life: that all our works should be directed to the advantageof others, since every Christian has such abundance through his faiththat all his other works and his whole life remain over and abovewherewith to serve and benefit his neighbour of spontaneous goodwill. 

To this end he brings forward Christ as an example, saying, "Let thismind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the formof God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself ofno reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was madein the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbledHimself, and became obedient unto death" (Phil. Ii. 5-8). This mostwholesome saying of the Apostle has been darkened to us by men who, totally misunderstanding the expressions "form of God, " "form of aservant, " "fashion, " "likeness of men, " have transferred them to thenatures of Godhead and manhood. Paul's meaning is this: Christ, when Hewas full of the form of God and abounded in all good things, so that Hehad no need of works or sufferings to be just and saved--for all thesethings He had from the very beginning--yet was not puffed up with thesethings, and did not raise Himself above us and arrogate to Himself powerover us, though He might lawfully have done so, but, on the contrary, so acted in labouring, working, suffering, and dying, as to be like therest of men, and no otherwise than a man in fashion and in conduct, asif He were in want of all things and had nothing of the form of God; andyet all this He did for our sakes, that He might serve us, and that allthe works He should do under that form of a servant might become ours. 

Thus a Christian, like Christ his Head, being full and in abundancethrough his faith, ought to be content with this form of God, obtainedby faith; except that, as I have said, he ought to increase this faithtill it be perfected. For this faith is his life, justification, andsalvation, preserving his person itself and making it pleasing to God, and bestowing on him all that Christ has, as I have said above, andas Paul affirms: "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by thefaith of the Son of God" (Gal. Ii. 20). Though he is thus free from allworks, yet he ought to empty himself of this liberty, take on him theform of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in fashionas a man, serve, help, and in every way act towards his neighbour as hesees that God through Christ has acted and is acting towards him. All this he should do freely, and with regard to nothing but the goodpleasure of God, and he should reason thus:--

Lo! my God, without merit on my part, of His pure and free mercy, hasgiven to me, an unworthy, condemned, and contemptible creature all theriches of justification and salvation in Christ, so that I no longeram in want of anything, except of faith to believe that this is so. For such a Father, then, who has overwhelmed me with these inestimableriches of His, why should I not freely, cheerfully, and with my wholeheart, and from voluntary zeal, do all that I know will be pleasing toHim and acceptable in His sight? I will therefore give myself as a sortof Christ, to my neighbour, as Christ has given Himself to me; and willdo nothing in this life except what I see will be needful, advantageous, and wholesome for my neighbour, since by faith I abound in all goodthings in Christ. 

Thus from faith flow forth love and joy in the Lord, and from lovea cheerful, willing, free spirit, disposed to serve our neighbourvoluntarily, without taking any account of gratitude or ingratitude, praise or blame, gain or loss. Its object is not to lay men underobligations, nor does it distinguish between friends and enemies, orlook to gratitude or ingratitude, but most freely and willingly spendsitself and its goods, whether it loses them through ingratitude, orgains goodwill. For thus did its Father, distributing all things to allmen abundantly and freely, making His sun to rise upon the just and theunjust. Thus, too, the child does and endures nothing except from thefree joy with which it delights through Christ in God, the Giver of suchgreat gifts. 

You see, then, that, if we recognize those great and precious gifts, asPeter says, which have been given to us, love is quickly diffused inour hearts through the Spirit, and by love we are made free, joyful, all-powerful, active workers, victors over all our tribulations, servants to our neighbour, and nevertheless lords of all things. But, for those who do not recognise the good things given to them throughChrist, Christ has been born in vain; such persons walk by works, andwill never attain the taste and feeling of these great things. Thereforejust as our neighbour is in want, and has need of our abundance, so wetoo in the sight of God were in want, and had need of His mercy. And asour heavenly Father has freely helped us in Christ, so ought we freelyto help our neighbour by our body and works, and each should become toother a sort of Christ, so that we may be mutually Christs, and thatthe same Christ may be in all of us; that is, that we may be trulyChristians. 

Who then can comprehend the riches and glory of the Christian life? Itcan do all things, has all things, and is in want of nothing; is lordover sin, death, and hell, and at the same time is the obedient anduseful servant of all. But alas! it is at this day unknown throughoutthe world; it is neither preached nor sought after, so that we are quiteignorant about our own name, why we are and are called Christians. Weare certainly called so from Christ, who is not absent, but dwells amongus--provided, that is, that we believe in Him and are reciprocally andmutually one the Christ of the other, doing to our neighbour as Christdoes to us. But now, in the doctrine of men, we are taught only to seekafter merits, rewards, and things which are already ours, and we havemade of Christ a taskmaster far more severe than Moses. 

The Blessed Virgin beyond all others, affords us an example of the samefaith, in that she was purified according to the law of Moses, and likeall other women, though she was bound by no such law and had no needof purification. Still she submitted to the law voluntarily and of freelove, making herself like the rest of women, that she might not offendor throw contempt on them. She was not justified by doing this; but, being already justified, she did it freely and gratuitously. Thus oughtour works too to be done, and not in order to be justified by them; for, being first justified by faith, we ought to do all our works freely andcheerfully for the sake of others. 

St. Paul circumcised his disciple Timothy, not because he neededcircumcision for his justification, but that he might not offend orcontemn those Jews, weak in the faith, who had not yet been able tocomprehend the liberty of faith. On the other hand, when they contemnedliberty and urged that circumcision was necessary for justification, heresisted them, and would not allow Titus to be circumcised. For, as hewould not offend or contemn any one's weakness in faith, but yieldedfor the time to their will, so, again, he would not have the liberty offaith offended or contemned by hardened self-justifiers, but walked ina middle path, sparing the weak for the time, and always resisting thehardened, that he might convert all to the liberty of faith. On the sameprinciple we ought to act, receiving those that are weak in the faith, but boldly resisting these hardened teachers of works, of whom we shallhereafter speak at more length. 

Christ also, when His disciples were asked for the tribute money, askedof Peter whether the children of a king were not free from taxes. Peteragreed to this; yet Jesus commanded him to go to the sea, saying, "Lestwe should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take upthe fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth thoushalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for Me andthee" (Matt. Xvii. 27). 

This example is very much to our purpose; for here Christ calls Himselfand His disciples free men and children of a King, in want of nothing;and yet He voluntarily submits and pays the tax. Just as far, then, as this work was necessary or useful to Christ for justification orsalvation, so far do all His other works or those of His disciples availfor justification. They are really free and subsequent to justification, and only done to serve others and set them an example. 

Such are the works which Paul inculcated, that Christians should besubject to principalities and powers and ready to every good work (Titusiii. 1), not that they may be justified by these things--for they arealready justified by faith--but that in liberty of spirit they may thusbe the servants of others and subject to powers, obeying their will outof gratuitous love. 

Such, too, ought to have been the works of all colleges, monasteries, and priests; every one doing the works of his own profession and stateof life, not in order to be justified by them, but in order to bring hisown body into subjection, as an example to others, who themselvesalso need to keep under their bodies, and also in order to accommodatehimself to the will of others, out of free love. But we must alwaysguard most carefully against any vain confidence or presumption of beingjustified, gaining merit, or being saved by these works, this being thepart of faith alone, as I have so often said. 

Any man possessing this knowledge may easily keep clear of danger amongthose innumerable commands and precepts of the Pope, of bishops, ofmonasteries, of churches, of princes, and of magistrates, which somefoolish pastors urge on us as being necessary for justification andsalvation, calling them precepts of the Church, when they are not soat all. For the Christian freeman will speak thus: I will fast, I willpray, I will do this or that which is commanded me by men, not as havingany need of these things for justification or salvation, but that Imay thus comply with the will of the Pope, of the bishop, of such acommunity or such a magistrate, or of my neighbour as an example to him;for this cause I will do and suffer all things, just as Christ did andsuffered much more for me, though He needed not at all to do so on Hisown account, and made Himself for my sake under the law, when He wasnot under the law. And although tyrants may do me violence or wrong inrequiring obedience to these things, yet it will not hurt me to do them, so long as they are not done against God. 

From all this every man will be able to attain a sure judgment andfaithful discrimination between all works and laws, and to know whoare blind and foolish pastors, and who are true and good ones. Forwhatsoever work is not directed to the sole end either of keeping underthe body, or of doing service to our neighbour--provided he requirenothing contrary to the will of God--is no good or Christian work. HenceI greatly fear that at this day few or no colleges, monasteries, altars, or ecclesiastical functions are Christian ones; and the same may be saidof fasts and special prayers to certain saints. I fear that in all thesenothing is being sought but what is already ours; while we fancy thatby these things our sins are purged away and salvation is attained, andthus utterly do away with Christian liberty. This comes from ignoranceof Christian faith and liberty. 

This ignorance and this crushing of liberty are diligently promoted bythe teaching of very many blind pastors, who stir up and urge the peopleto a zeal for these things, praising them and puffing them up with theirindulgences, but never teaching faith. Now I would advise you, if youhave any wish to pray, to fast, or to make foundations in churches, asthey call it, to take care not to do so with the object of gaining anyadvantage, either temporal or eternal. You will thus wrong your faith, which alone bestows all things on you, and the increase of which, eitherby working or by suffering, is alone to be cared for. What you give, give freely and without price, that others may prosper and have increasefrom you and your goodness. Thus you will be a truly good man and aChristian. For what to you are your goods and your works, which are doneover and above for the subjection of the body, since you have abundancefor yourself through your faith, in which God has given you all things?

We give this rule: the good things which we have from God ought to flowfrom one to another and become common to all, so that every one of usmay, as it were, put on his neighbour, and so behave towards him as ifhe were himself in his place. They flowed and do flow from Christ to us;He put us on, and acted for us as if He Himself were what we are. From us they flow to those who have need of them; so that my faithand righteousness ought to be laid down before God as a covering andintercession for the sins of my neighbour, which I am to take on myself, and so labour and endure servitude in them, as if they were my own; forthus has Christ done for us. This is true love and the genuine truthof Christian life. But only there is it true and genuine where thereis true and genuine faith. Hence the Apostle attributes to charity thisquality: that she seeketh not her own. 

We conclude therefore that a Christian man does not live in himself, butin Christ and in his neighbour, or else is no Christian: in Christ byfaith; in his neighbour by love. By faith he is carried upwardsabove himself to God, and by love he sinks back below himself to hisneighbour, still always-abiding in God and His love, as Christ says, "Verily I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and theangels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John i. 51). 

Thus much concerning liberty, which, as you see, is a true and spiritualliberty, making our hearts free from all sins, laws, and commandments, as Paul says, "The law is not made for a righteous man" (1 Tim. I. 9), and one which surpasses all other external liberties, as far as heavenis above earth. May Christ make us to understand and preserve thisliberty. Amen. 

Finally, for the sake of those to whom nothing can be stated so well butthat they misunderstand and distort it, we must add a word, in case theycan understand even that. There are very many persons who, when theyhear of this liberty of faith, straightway turn it into an occasion oflicence. They think that everything is now lawful for them, and do notchoose to show themselves free men and Christians in any other way thanby their contempt and reprehension of ceremonies, of traditions, ofhuman laws; as if they were Christians merely because they refuseto fast on stated days, or eat flesh when others fast, or omit thecustomary prayers; scoffing at the precepts of men, but utterly passingover all the rest that belongs to the Christian religion. On the otherhand, they are most pertinaciously resisted by those who strive aftersalvation solely by their observance of and reverence for ceremonies, as if they would be saved merely because they fast on stated days, or abstain from flesh, or make formal prayers; talking loudly of theprecepts of the Church and of the Fathers, and not caring a straw aboutthose things which belong to our genuine faith. Both these partiesare plainly culpable, in that, while they neglect matters which are ofweight and necessary for salvation, they contend noisily about such asare without weight and not necessary. 

How much more rightly does the Apostle Paul teach us to walk in themiddle path, condemning either extreme and saying, "Let not him thateateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth notjudge him that eateth" (Rom. Xiv. 3)! You see here how the Apostleblames those who, not from religious feeling, but in mere contempt, neglect and rail at ceremonial observances, and teaches them not todespise, since this "knowledge puffeth up. " Again, he teaches thepertinacious upholders of these things not to judge their opponents. Forneither party observes towards the other that charity which edifieth. Inthis matter we must listen to Scripture, which teaches us to turn asideneither to the right hand nor to the left, but to follow those rightprecepts of the Lord which rejoice the heart. For just as a man isnot righteous merely because he serves and is devoted to works andceremonial rites, so neither will he be accounted righteous merelybecause he neglects and despises them. 

It is not from works that we are set free by the faith of Christ, butfrom the belief in works, that is from foolishly presuming to seekjustification through works. Faith redeems our consciences, makes themupright, and preserves them, since by it we recognise the truth thatjustification does not depend on our works, although good works neithercan nor ought to be absent, just as we cannot exist without food anddrink and all the functions of this mortal body. Still it is not on themthat our justification is based, but on faith; and yet they ought noton that account to be despised or neglected. Thus in this world weare compelled by the needs of this bodily life; but we are not herebyjustified. "My kingdom is not hence, nor of this world, " says Christ;but He does not say, "My kingdom is not here, nor in this world. " Paul, too, says, "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh"(2 Cor. X. 3), and "The life which I now live in the flesh I live bythe faith of the Son of God" (Gal. Ii. 20). Thus our doings, life, andbeing, in works and ceremonies, are done from the necessities of thislife, and with the motive of governing our bodies; but yet we are notjustified by these things, but by the faith of the Son of God. 

The Christian must therefore walk in the middle path, and set these twoclasses of men before his eyes. He may meet with hardened and obstinateceremonialists, who, like deaf adders, refuse to listen to the truth ofliberty, and cry up, enjoin, and urge on us their ceremonies, as if theycould justify us without faith. Such were the Jews of old, who would notunderstand, that they might act well. These men we must resist, do justthe contrary to what they do, and be bold to give them offence, lestby this impious notion of theirs they should deceive many along withthemselves. Before the eyes of these men it is expedient to eat flesh, to break fasts, and to do in behalf of the liberty of faith things whichthey hold to be the greatest sins. We must say of them, "Let them alone;they be blind leaders of the blind" (Matt. Xv. 14). In this way Paulalso would not have Titus circumcised, though these men urged it;and Christ defended the Apostles, who had plucked ears of corn on theSabbath day; and many like instances. 

Or else we may meet with simple-minded and ignorant persons, weak inthe faith, as the Apostle calls them, who are as yet unable to apprehendthat liberty of faith, even if willing to do so. These we must spare, lest they should be offended. We must bear with their infirmity, tillthey shall be more fully instructed. For since these men do not act thusfrom hardened malice, but only from weakness of faith, therefore, inorder to avoid giving them offence, we must keep fasts and do otherthings which they consider necessary. This is required of us by charity, which injures no one, but serves all men. It is not the fault of thesepersons that they are weak, but that of their pastors, who by the snaresand weapons of their own traditions have brought them into bondage andwounded their souls when they ought to have been set free and healed bythe teaching of faith and liberty. Thus the Apostle says, "If meat makemy brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth" (1Cor. Viii. 13); and again, "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemethanything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. It is evil for that manwho eateth with offence" (Rom. Xiv. 14, 20). 

Thus, though we ought boldly to resist those teachers of tradition, andthough the laws of the pontiffs, by which they make aggressions on thepeople of God, deserve sharp reproof, yet we must spare the timid crowd, who are held captive by the laws of those impious tyrants, till theyare set free. Fight vigorously against the wolves, but on behalf of thesheep, not against the sheep. And this you may do by inveighing againstthe laws and lawgivers, and yet at the same time observing these lawswith the weak, lest they be offended, until they shall themselvesrecognise the tyranny, and understand their own liberty. If you wish touse your liberty, do it secretly, as Paul says, "Hast thou faith? haveit to thyself before God" (Rom. Xiv. 22). But take care not to use it inthe presence of the weak. On the other hand, in the presence of tyrantsand obstinate opposers, use your liberty in their despite, and with theutmost pertinacity, that they too may understand that they are tyrants, and their laws useless for justification, nay that they had no right toestablish such laws. 

Since then we cannot live in this world without ceremonies and works, since the hot and inexperienced period of youth has need of beingrestrained and protected by such bonds, and since every one is boundto keep under his own body by attention to these things, thereforethe minister of Christ must be prudent and faithful in so ruling andteaching the people of Christ, in all these matters, that no root ofbitterness may spring up among them, and so many be defiled, as Paulwarned the Hebrews; that is, that they may not lose the faith, and beginto be defiled by a belief in works as the means of justification. Thisis a thing which easily happens, and defiles very many, unless faith beconstantly inculcated along with works. It is impossible to avoid thisevil, when faith is passed over in silence, and only the ordinances ofmen are taught, as has been done hitherto by the pestilent, impious, and soul-destroying traditions of our pontiffs and opinions of ourtheologians. An infinite number of souls have been drawn down to hell bythese snares, so that you may recognise the work of antichrist. 

In brief, as poverty is imperilled amid riches, honesty amid business, humility amid honours, abstinence amid feasting, purity amid pleasures, so is justification by faith imperilled among ceremonies. Solomon says, "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"(Prov. Vi. 27). And yet as we must live among riches, business, honours, pleasures, feastings, so must we among ceremonies, that is among perils. Just as infant boys have the greatest need of being cherished in thebosoms and by the care of girls, that they may not die, and yet, whenthey are grown, there is peril to their salvation in living amonggirls, so inexperienced and fervid young men require to be kept in andrestrained by the barriers of ceremonies, even were they of iron, lesttheir weak minds should rush headlong into vice. And yet it would bedeath to them to persevere in believing that they can be justifiedby these things. They must rather be taught that they have been thusimprisoned, not with the purpose of their being justified or gainingmerit in this way, but in order that they might avoid wrong-doing, andbe more easily instructed in that righteousness which is by faith, athing which the headlong character of youth would not bear unless itwere put under restraint. 

Hence in the Christian life ceremonies are to be no otherwise lookedupon than as builders and workmen look upon those preparations forbuilding or working which are not made with any view of being permanentor anything in themselves, but only because without them there could beno building and no work. When the structure is completed, they are laidaside. Here you see that we do not contemn these preparations, but setthe highest value on them; a belief in them we do contemn, because noone thinks that they constitute a real and permanent structure. If anyone were so manifestly out of his senses as to have no other objectin life but that of setting up these preparations with all possibleexpense, diligence, and perseverance, while he never thought of thestructure itself, but pleased himself and made his boast of theseuseless preparations and props, should we not all pity his madness andthink that, at the cost thus thrown away, some great building might havebeen raised?

Thus, too, we do not contemn works and ceremonies--nay, we set thehighest value on them; but we contemn the belief in works, which no oneshould consider to constitute true righteousness, as do those hypocriteswho employ and throw away their whole life in the pursuit of works, andyet never attain to that for the sake of which the works are done. Asthe Apostle says, they are "ever learning and never able to come to theknowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. Iii. 7). They appear to wish to build, they make preparations, and yet they never do build; and thus theycontinue in a show of godliness, but never attain to its power. 

Meanwhile they please themselves with this zealous pursuit, and evendare to judge all others, whom they do not see adorned with such aglittering display of works; while, if they had been imbued with faith, they might have done great things for their own and others' salvation, at the same cost which they now waste in abuse of the gifts of God. Butsince human nature and natural reason, as they call it, are naturallysuperstitious, and quick to believe that justification can be attainedby any laws or works proposed to them, and since nature is alsoexercised and confirmed in the same view by the practice of all earthlylawgivers, she can never of her own power free herself from this bondageto works, and come to a recognition of the liberty of faith. 

We have therefore need to pray that God will lead us and make us taughtof God, that is, ready to learn from God; and will Himself, as He haspromised, write His law in our hearts; otherwise there is no hope forus. For unless He himself teach us inwardly this wisdom hidden in amystery, nature cannot but condemn it and judge it to be heretical. Shetakes offence at it, and it seems folly to her, just as we see that ithappened of old in the case of the prophets and Apostles, and just asblind and impious pontiffs, with their flatterers, do now in my case andthat of those who are like me, upon whom, together with ourselves, mayGod at length have mercy, and lift up the light of His countenance uponthem, that we may know His way upon earth and His saving health amongall nations, who is blessed for evermore. Amen. In the year of the LordMDXX.