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from which, says he, "I find in you such and so great gifts of God's prevenient grace, that I feel ashamed of myself, who, after being so many years conversant in the word of God, am conscious that I fall far short of the spirit which actuates you. I am sensible that what you in your candour and affection attribute to me, I do not deserve. I really am much below the opinion you form of me. I am a sinful man; though one whom God hath called out of the deepest darkness into his marvellous light, and, unfit and unworthy as I am of it, hath committed to me so great and weighty a ministry.

"I rejoice exceedingly, and heartily congratulate you, and bless God the father of all grace and heavenly benediction, that, whether by means of my writings or those of others, he has made known to you the saving and unspeakable mystery of his Son Jesus Christ. From me indeed, directly at least, you can have derived but little, since I have but seldom written in Latin, and have small pretensions in that way. But through what channel you have derived the blessing is of little consequence. God is the source of all, both to you and to us: to Him be praise and glory: Amen!"

He proceeds: "I have been ready to abstain from answering your letter, seeing nothing that I had to say, worth writing to persons whom God had prevented with so rich gifts of his Spirit. For what spiritual good can be wanting to those, who know and confess Christ the Son of God; who so ardently hunger and thirst after righteousness; who are so happy as to suffer for Christ, in the manner you do; and who hold Antichrist and all the enemies of our Divine Master in such utter abhorrence? Who could have hoped for such things from

A. D. 1541.

VI.

CHAP. people living in Italy itself, the very domain of Antichrist,-who would not willingly tolerate you even if you were placed beyond the boundaries of the world itself. But, by such examples, He, who is able to do above all we ask or think, bids us ask and confidently expect of him, that he will accomplish the work which he has begun in you.-That I may not, however, disappoint or grieve you, I will cast myself on your candour and kindness, and write you such an answer as I am able."

He then tells them that he was urging upon the protestant princes the interposition in their behalf which they requested; and he conceives there would be no obstacle to it, nor any delay, but what unavoidably arose from the distance at which the different princes lived from cach other, and the weight of business which pressed upon them.

Concerning the sciolists and prophets that "ran without being sent," of whom they complained, he says he could easily believe what they stated; for such persons had given him more trouble than Antichrist himself had done. "But," he adds, "we are not better than our fathers: there must needs be heretics, that they who are approved may be made manifest. There were false prophets among the people, St. Peter observes, and so there will be false teachers among you.

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"With one party, or a portion of one party of the sacramentarians," he observes, "we have come to agreement. May the Saviour grant it to be firm and lasting! This includes the people of Basle, Strasburg, and Ulm: and Bucer is now acting as the colleague of Melancthon in the reformation of Cologne; which could not be allowed, nor would Melancthon

himself suffer it, if Bucer were not reckoned sound upon this point. But the Swiss, particularly in and about Zurich, persevere in their error." He then in the strongest terms repeats and enforces his own doctrine, that even the ungodly" receive with their (bodily) mouths the (literal) body and blood of Christ along with the bread and wine!"

"Our churches," he says, " are at peace : through the grace of God, sound doctrine, the right use of the sacraments, and learned and faithful pastors are every where found among them. But the proper fruit of the word is not equally apparent. The hearts of the people are cold; and many abuse spiritual liberty to the encouragement of lukewarmness and carnal security. May the Lord Christ increase in you the gifts of his Spirit! May he correct and perfect all things amongst us, and hasten the day of our redemption! The world, the Turk, and the pope rage in blasphemies against the Lord, lay waste his kingdom, and mock at his will. Yet they riot in abundance, and starve the famished members of Christ. But greater and mightier is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. He triumphs and will triumph in you even unto the end. May he comfort you by his Spirit, by which he hath called you into the union of his mystical body! We cease not to give thanks for you, and have no doubt that you do the same for us."

With respect to books, (a subject which they had mentioned to him,) he says: "I hope you have Melancthon's Common Places, and what he has written on Romans, Daniel, and some other books of scripture. Of mine, scarcely any are in Latin, except my exposition of Galatians, which was taken down by the hands of others. Those in German are of no use to you.

A. D.

1541.

CHAP.

VI.

Remarks upon it.

Luther's
Works.

On Coun

cils.

"Farewel in the Lord! Respectfully and affectionately salute all the brethren in the Lord, and commend me to their prayers, that the Lord may in a happy hour take me to himself! I am weary of living: I have lived long enough; and have seen greater things effected all around, than any one could have hoped for when I first assailed indulgences, with much more caution and respect than they deserved. Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who only doeth wondrous things! Amen."

The whole spirit and tenour of this letter, if some passages relative to the sacramentarian controversy be excepted, is admirable. It bespeaks in a beautiful manner the humility, modesty, fervent and affectionate piety, and true wisdom of the matured servant and experienced minister of Christ. Some of the remarks on the state of the protestant churches at that time are, it is to be feared, painfully applicable to the state of things among ourselves. Even where "sound doctrine" is preached, "the fruit of the word is not equally apparent." Would to God that the censure did not apply, "The hearts of the people are cold; and many abuse spiritual liberty to the encouragement of lukewarmness and carnal security." Such evils, being indulged, lead to consequences which Germany has felt, and in which may Great Britain never partake! But, that this prayer may be answered, be it the concern of each of us to consider his own share in the censure conveyed, and to "stir up himself" to more vigorous exercises of faith and calling upon God!

From this letter of Luther's to the Venetians we may pass to a brief notice of the principal works published by him about this period.

One of these, very seasonable at a time when

so much was said of the convocation of a council, and so much expected from it, was on the nature, powers, and uses of such ecclesiastical assemblies. The work was written in German only, but it is highly commended by Seckendorf as abounding with erudition and sound wisdom. From the abstract given of it, it certainly does not appear calculated to raise very high our opinion of what had been done, or was likely to be done by councils.-On the legitimate powers of a council he lays down, what will appear very obvious to us, though it would not be so to the people of that age, that it "could not make any article of faith, or enjoin any new duty, or render novel ceremonies binding on men's consciences: neither had it a right to intermeddle with civil government, or to make canons for the aggrandizement of its own members: on the contrary, it ought to see that all innovations in doctrine, repugnant to the holy scriptures, with all superstitious or unprofitable ceremonies, were condemned and removed, and always to make scripture the rule for the determination of controversies." He then proceeds to define the church, and to point out marks by which the true church was to be known-very different from those which the Romish church had laid down.1

This work was highly offensive to the papists. Maimbourg says, "Luther now did all in his power to prevent a council, and wrote to deny and vacate the authority granted by Christ to his church." 2-In the course of the work Luther

1 Sleid. 250. Seck. iii. 244-251.

In Seck. iii. 200. Luther, in a book which he afterwards wrote against Henry of Brunswick, distinctly states the rea-sons why he and his friends called for a council: "We demand a council, that our church's plea may be openly

Y

A. D. 1589.

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