jjM f.-ftr^ THIRT Y-F OUR SERMON. O N T H E Moft interefting Do&rines of the GofpeJ. DISCOVERING Clearly and evidently to every Capacity, The Difference betwixt Faith and Works, Law and Gofpel, the Christian and Creature Operations, Troubles and Conizations, and the befl. way to make jChriftians, keep them fo, and in cafe of Re- lapfes to recover thern again by Chrift, the only Cure of all Soul MalJaies, BY.THAT Eminent and griat Reformer from Popery, M A*H T L# L U T H E R. To which is prefix' d, . A brief Account of the Author's L I, £ E, A. N D, Jf A VIEW of his gracious Spirf* T G L A S G O AV: t rinted by John Bryce, and fold by him at his Si \ in the Salt-makket. 176-?. *ny4* Mir ADVERTISEMENT. *7*H E SE Sermons werefirjl publijhed in the German and foon after in the Latin Tongue, upwards of two-hun- dred Tears ago, by the Author himfelf; and in 1581, were tranflated and printed in Englifh, and though they havejince that time been fever al times re-printed, yet they are now be- come fo exceeding fear ce9 that an old tern Copy has fold for fix orf even Shillings. At the earnejldejire offome,who have read, and juflly ejteems them, as excellent Sermons, it is propofed to reprint them now, That the Age might be be- nefited thereby, and receive thofe Doelrines from one of the greatejl and firjl Reformers, who flood firm againfl the Efforts of the whole Power of the Church of Rome, for which we andallfucceeding Ages have reafon to rejoice. The Text s of Scripture, which in the former Editions '9 were according to the old Tranjlation of the Bible, are here miter ed to our new Tranjlation ; alfofeveral abTohte Words changed i?ito modern; but not fo as any way to alter the Senfe if the Author, who, it may be juflly f aid, has not been ex- celled, if equalled, by any, in clearing the moji important Points ofthrifiianDoclrine. &\ #h i a a 1 ,||tfe life of Martin Luther. iU^L^' chafe one of them, they Should have them all remitted; this wicked impoftor fo flirs the zeal of Luther, that he wrote againft his indulgencies, laying open the cheat to the world, which fo enraged the indulgence merchant, that he bitterly exclaimed againft him, and getting as many of his books as he could, he burned them; whereupon he yet once more wrought againft his trumpery, at which time many of the divines of the univesfity took part with Luther in what he did, and now he to preach his doctrine of leforma- tion openly, deter ding it againft the A uguftine- Friars art Hedleburg, he Deicg honourably entertained by them of Worftburg and VoTfgang, the count Palatine there ; he drew many to partake with him in his opinion, of which the emperor Maximilian having notice, fent to advertife the pope thereof, and to bid him take timely care for the ex- tirpating the new opinions that were lately fprung up, and that whatfoever meafures he mould take he mould fee them put in execution throughout the empire* Upon the receipt of the Emperor's letters, Pope Leo then holding the papacy cited Luther to appear before the comicil of cardinals at Rome, and fignified as much to car- dinal Gajetan his legate ; whereupon the cardinal geing to Aufpurg, and finding Luther there, defired the Emperor to fet a guard upon him, in order to carry him to Rome, unlefs he would lpeedily recant, but his requeft was not at that time fulfilled. The Pope likewife wrote a letter to the Elector of Saxo- ay to cotnplain againft Luther, and to forbid him to enter- tain him within his dukedom, and that if he took him with- in his jurifdiction, he mould forthwith fend him to Romev there to be condemned or acquitted ; but the elector gave little heed to the pope's letter, though he threatened him therein, if he complied not with his will : but when he perceived thefe projects fail, he fent to the mafter of the Auguftine monks, to fee if he could prevail with him to re- turn to his former obedience, and renounce his later opini- on, but this proved alfo ineffectual. Yet Luther defirous to juftify His doctrine, made earneft luit that he might appear before competent judges to be heard in his own country, and not at Rome, where he was ailured to find his judges his enemies. In his behalf alio the univerfity of Wittemberg wrote to the pope, giving him an account of his great learning, doctrine, and pious courfe of life, defiringthat he might be heard in Germany; in line prince Frederick of Saxony fo far prevailed with the pope's legate, that he confented that Luther (hould be heard at Aufpurg, at what time the Bohemians fent a book to him, which was written by John Huis, defiring him to perfevere rn what he had begun. A while after Erafmus was folicited to write againft him, but he declined it, although a bilhopnc was profered him for vi jfik Life of Martin tut her. |or lb doing, faying, lt He had learned more oqt of one *' page of Luther's book, than of the large volume of 41 Thomas Aquinas." Luther being now cited to appear before the pope's legate at Aufpurg, procured the emperor's letters of fafe conduct, when coming into the legate's prefence, after fome quef- tions asked and objections made, he not only juftified his doctrine, but offered to maintain the fame by deputation or writing, but the cardinal being much offended at fuch his offer, would not permit him to be brought before him any more; fo that having waited fix days, he departed home; but the cardinal wrote after him to the duke of Saxony, that as he loved his honour and fafety, he would expel him bis dominions : this letter the duke fent to Luther, who wrote back to the legate, that rather than he would any ways endanger his prince, he would retire into what part foever of the world the Lord would pleafe to lead him; but the univerfity of Wintenberg wrote to the duke de- firing him that he would take him into his protection, and not fuffer innocency to be opprefTed by force, and that if Luther had preached or did maintain any error, he might be fairly convicted of the fame, upon which the duke began to take his part more than formerly, and fent to the cardi- nal, that feeing he having come to Aufpurg had performed his promife, and could do no more in that affair. After the death of Maximilian, and the coronation of Charles, the pope fent to the duke of Saxony, requeuing him to caufe all Luther's books to be burnt, and that he would fee Luther either executed in Saxony, or that he would fend him guarded to Rome, to which the duke re- plied, that he was ready to yield obedience to the pope, but that he could not fend Luther to him before his caufe was heard before the emperor, and till he was convicted of fome error, and then if he recanted not, he ftiould find no favour at his hands. A while after a difputation was held between Luther and and one Eccius at Lipfick, wherein the former prevailed, and his doctrine fo fpread itfelf, that the friars and monks fearing to be unhived, fent to the pope to charge him with neglecting the church affair?, by giving himfelf up to plea- sures ; in the mean time fuffering the doctrine of Luther to ipread even in the very heart of Germany, upon which the »ope began to beftir himfelf, by fending his bull againft rim; in which he excommunicated not only him, but all his partakers, commanding all men to apprehend him, and^ bring him to Rome, and that his books mould be burnt, of which Luther hearing burnt the pope's bull lately fent out againft him, together with feveral decrees and councils. Not long after the emperor coming into Germany, the duke of Saxony fo far prevailed with him, that he was con- tent to hear him upon the diet, of which Luther having no- tice, The Lift of Martin Luther. v£ Tice, greatly rejoiced, though fome of his friends perfuad- ed him from going, faying, that the public faith would be broken, as it was with John Hufs ; whereupon he told them* •• That fuch difcouragereents were cart in the way by fatan* " who knew that his profeffion of the truth in fuch a noble " place would be a means to (hake his kingdom, adding, u that if he knew there were as many devils in Worms, as M there were tiles upon the houfes, yet he would go thi- " ther." He being arrived at Worms, fome of the popim clergy went about to perfuade the emperor to apprehend him, ani commit him to prifon ; but he would by no means hearken to their wicked counfel, alledging that the public faith ought not to be broken ; the next day after his coming he preferr- ed himfelf before the council aflembled for that purpofe; the emperor being there prefent, where one Eccius a law- yer, at the command of the emperor made a fpeech, " In " which he demanded of Luther, that he would retract his H works and doctrine, telling him, that it was the empe* *' rors pleafure he mould do fo, and if he refufedit he mull " expect his difpleafure," to which he replied, " As to " my books, fome of them tend to faith, and to thefe my *c adverfaries give an ample testimony, others are againit " the pope and his doctrine, the which if I mould revoke I u mould confirm his tyranny, and fome of them are againfl " private men, who defend the pope's eaufe, againfl whom " I mull confefs I have been fome what too {harp, yet I " cannot revoke them, unlefs I will fet open a gap for the 4i imprudence of many." But this anfwer nothing pleafed the emperor, who would be fatisfied with nothing Tefs than Luther's recantation, nor would he fufFer him to defend his doctrine by fcripture and other warrantable arguments, though he earneftly defired it, telling the emperor, " That unlefs he could fatisfy his " confeience that his doctrine was falfe, he could by no " means recant the fame :" whereupon he was ordered to depart the council, and the next day the emperor fent his letters to the princes, to acquaint them that he was refolved to profcribe Luther and all his accomplices, upon which they were divided, the greateft part, and thofe of the moft noble amongft them, alledging that Luther was not rafhly to be condemned, for that the emperor was young, and in matters of religion altogether guided by the popim clergy. The next day the bifhop of Trevers fent for Luther, and % ufed many arguments to perfuade him to a recantation, tt ling him withal, that if he refufed it was the eraper. purpofe to banifh him, to whom Luther replied, M thit " took it as a great favour, that lb great a prince woutdF " put himfelf to fo much trouble for fo mean £perfon as he u was;" after that one Vceus a lawyer came from the em- peror to perfuade him to recant, b*t ho not confenting to ] A 4 hia via The Life of Martin Luther. his requcft, the emperor fent to him to depart home, and withal gave him twelve days fo to do, after the end of which he preferibed him; whereupon prince Frederick appointed fome of his moft trufty nobles to convey him fecretly to Wartsburg, where he continued ten months notwithftand- ing diligent fearch was made for him, and great fums of money offered : nay, his enemies employed wizards and witches to ufe their art to find out the place of his abode, but in vain ; at the end often months he returned to Wit- temberg,where he was moft joyfullyreceived by the univer- fity, from whence he fent letters to prince Frederick to ex* cufe himfelf for leaving Wartsburg without his knowledge, telling him, " That it was God's caufe he undertook, a^d " that God would protect him from the rage of his ene- u mies." A while after he printed the New Tsftament which he had tranflated into the German tongue at Wartsburg, which place he ufually called his Patmos, which did not not a lit- tle difpleafe king Henry the eighth of England, and George duke of Saxony. About this time one Thomas Muncer wrote a fanatic book againft his doctrine, and pcrfuaded the boors ta rebel, who being perfuaded by him to -throw off all obedience to their princes, took arms in great numbers, againft. which unlawful proceedings, Luther wrote feveral treatifes, per- iuading them to yield obedience to their princes, (hewing them how difconfonant fuch practices were to the word of God, but when this prevailed not the princes drew out their forces, and with more convincing arguments taught them obedience. For coming to a oattel about five thouland four hundered of them was (lain, and their feditious ringleaders Muncer and Feilifer tak^n, the former being put upon the rack to confefs his accomplices, cried out grievoufly, when as prince George of Saxony bid him * ' think upon the flawgh- '* ter of the poor wretches, who feduced by him fell in bat- " tel t{ie day before :" Whereupon he laughing out- right laid, y they would be feduced ;" in fine he and his compa- nion with fome others were beheaded ; but fo ended not the war, which was called the war of the clowns, for before the rebellion was fupprefled about fifty thoufand were flab. In the year 1523, a diet was held at Norinberg, where the edict of Worms was made void, upon which the pope's legate complained grievflyou faying, " That fince the publication 4i of the edict neither Luther nor any of his accomplices 94 had been publifhed.,> To which the princes anfwered, il That fince the pope and his clergy had neglected refor- '< mation in the church, Germany had been greatly enlight- 11 ened by the fermons of Luther, and that if they ihould *' go about to punifh him, the people would think they " went about to extinguifh the light of the gofpel, the-bct- 44 ter The Life of Martin Luther. ix *c ter to obfcure thofe raanifeft vices that could be no !ong- •* er hid; and that fuch proceedings would raife up great " tumults." The Romanics feeing this, refolved to bring him into iileoce, but in vain : a while after Luther being iumraoned to Aufpurg, he there made a confeffion of his faith in feventeen articles, to the great fatisfaclion of moft that heard him In October 1524, Luther flung off the monaftic habit ; which, through not premeditated and defigned, was yet a very proper preparative to a ftep he took the year there- after ; we mean kis marriage with Catharine de Bore. Ca- tharine de Bore was a gentleman's daughter, who had been a nun, and was taken, as we have obferved, out of the nun- nery of Niraptfchen, in the year 1523. Luther had a defign, as Melchior Adam relates, to marry her to Glacius, a mi- nifter of Ortamunden ; but (he did not like Glacius, and fo Luther married her himfelf, upon the 13th of June 1525. This conducl: of his was blamed not only by the catholics, but, as Melancthon fays, by thofe of his own party. He was even for fome time afhamed of it himfelf; and owns, that his marriage had made him fo defpicable, that he ho- ped his humiliation would rejoice the angels, and vex the devils. Melancthon found him fo afflicted with what he had done, that he wrote fome letters of confolation to him : he adds, however, that " this accident may poffibly not be 34> the Bible tranitated by him intoGer- man wMfirft printed, asv the old privilege, dated at Bibli- opolis-Snder the elector's hand, fhews ; and it was pub- limed me year after. He alfo publifhed this year a book again ft Suites and the confecration of priefts, in which he relates a conference he had with the devil upon thofe points ; for it is remarkable in Luther's whole hiftory, that he never had any conflicts of any kind within, but the devil was al- ways his antagonift. In February 1537, an affembly was held at Smalkald about matters of religion, to which Luther and Melancthon were called. At this meeting Luther was feized with fo grievous an lllnefs, that there were no hopes of his recovery. He was afflicted with the ftone, and had a ftoppage of urine for eleven days. In this terrible condi- tion he would needs undertake to travel, notwithftanding all his friends could fay and do to prevent him : his refolu- tion however was attended with a good effect, .for the night after Jiis departure he began to be better. As he was car- ried along, he made his will, in which he bequeathed his deteftation of pcpery to his friends, and brethren; agree- ably to what he often ufed to fay : " Peftis eram vivus, " moriens ero mors tua papa;" that is, " I was the " plague of pcpery in my life, and lhall continue to be lb 14 in my death/' This **v The Life of Martin Luther. This year the pope and the court of Rome, finding it l mppflible to deal with the proteftants by force, began to have recourfe to itratagem. They affected therefore to think, that though Luther had indeed carried things on with an highland, and to a violent extreme, yet what he had pleaded in defence of thefe meafures, was not intirely without foundation. They talked with a feeming (hew ot moderation; and Pius III. who fucceeded Clement VII. propofed a reformation firft among themfelves, and even went fo far as to fix a place, for a council to meet at for that purpofe. But Luther treated this farce, as it deferved to be treated, unmasked and detected it immediately ; and, to ridicule it the more ftrongly, caufed a picture to be drawn, on which was reprefented the pope feated on high upon a throne, fome cardinals about him with foxe's tails on, and feeming to evacuate upwards and downwards, " furfum deorfum repurgare," as Melchior Adam exprel- fes it. This was fixed over againft the title-page, to let the readers fee at once the fcope and defign of the book ; which was, to expofe that cunning and artifice, with which thofe fubtle politicians affected to clean fe and purify themfelves from their errors and fuperflitions. Luther publifhed about the fame time a confutation of the pretended grant of Con- flantine to Sylveffer bifhop of Rome, and alfo fome letters of John Hufs, written from his prifon at Conftance, to the Bohemians. In this manner was Luther employed till his death, which happened in the year 1546. That year, accompanied by Melancthon, he paid a viiit to his own country, which he had not feen for many years, and returned again in fafety. But foon after, he was called thither again by the earls of Mansfelt, to compofe fome differences, which had ari fen about their boundaries. Luther not had been ufed to fuch matters; but becaufe he was born at Ifleben, a town in the territory of Mansfelt, he was willing to do his country what fervice he could, even in this way. Preaching his laft fer- mon therefore at Wittemberg, upon the 17th of January, he fet of on the 23d ; and at Hall in Saxony lodged with Juftus Jonas, with whom he ftayed three days, becaufe the waters were out. Upon the 28th, he paffed over the river with his three Tons, and Dr. Jonas ; and being in fome dan- ger, he faid to the doctor : " Do not you think it would re- ** joice the devil exceedingly, if I and you, and my three " fons, mould be drowned ?" When he entered the terri- tories of the earls of Mansfelt, he was received by 100 horfe- men, or more, and conducted in a very honourable manner ; but was at the lame time fo very ill, that it was feared he would die. He faid, that thefe fits of ficknefs often Came upon him, when he had any great bufinefs to undertake : of this however he did not recover, but died upon the i8rh of February, in the 63 d year of his age. A little before he expired t The Life of Martin Luther. X? expired, he admonifhed thofechat were about him to pray to God for the propagation of the gofpel; " becaufe," faid* he, " the council of Trent, which had fat once or twice. " and the pope, would devife ftrange things againft it." Soon after, his body was put into a leaden coffin, and car- ried with funeral pomp to the church at Iileben, when Dr Jonas preached a fermon upon the occaiion. The earls of Mansfelt defired, that his body fhould be interred in their territories; but the elector of Saxony infifted upon his be- ing brought back to Wittemberg, which was accordingly done ; and there he was buried with the greateft pomp, that perhaps ever happened to any private man. Princes, earls, nobles, and ftudents without number, attended the procef- fion ; and Melancthon made his funeral oration. A thoufand lies were invented by the papifts about Lu- ther's death. Some faid, that he died fuddenly ; others, that he killed himfelf ; others, that the devil ftrangled him ; others, that his corpfe flunk fo abominably, that they were forced to leave it in the way, as it was carried to be in- terred. Nay, lies were invented about his death, evea while he was yet ali^e; for a pamphlet was published at Naples, and in other places of Italy, the year before, where- in was given the following account. " Luther being dan- " gerouily fick defired to communicate, and died as foon as 11 he had received the viaticum. As he was dying, he de- u fired his body might be laid upon the altar to be adored; " but that requeft being neglected, he was buried. When, M lo ! at his interment there arofe a furious tempeft, as it M the world was at an end ; and the terror was universal. " Some, in lifting up their hands to heaven, perceived, " that the hofr, which the deceafed had prefumed to take, 1 was fufpended in the air : upon which it was gathered up H with great veneration, and laid in a facred place, and u the tempeft ceafed for the prefent : but it arofe the night u following with greater fury, and filled the whole town 1 with confternation : and the next day Luther's fepulchre tc was found open and empty, and a fulphureous itench pro- ceeded from it, which no body could bear. The ailif- " tants fell fick of it, and many of them repented, and re- cc turned to the catholic church." We (hall here give the reader the character of Luther, Luther, fays Mr. Wharton, in his appendix to Dr. Crave's Hiftoria literaria, was M a man of prodigious fagacity and acutenefs, very warm, and formed for great undertakings ; '* being a man, if ever there was one, whom nothing could 1 daunt or intimidate. When the caufe of religion was con- cerned, he never regarded whofe love he was likely to *c gain, or whofe difpleafure to incur. He treated the pope's bulls, and the emperor's edicts, juft alike ; that is, he *| heartily defpifed both. In the mean time, it muft be . ' owned, that Luther often gave a greater loofe to hi -r.p* xvi i The Life of Martin Lather, *' fions than he ought, ami did not in his writings pay that <>c<&<><>c<><>c