OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE
DCXCVII.
A Christian's worshipping is not the external, hypocritical mask that our
spiritual friars wear, when they chastise their bodies, torment and make
themselves faint, with ostentatious fasting, watching, singing, wearing hair
shirts, scourging themselves, etc. Such worshipping God desires
not.
DCXCVIII.
`Tis a great blindness of people's hearts
that they cannot accept of the treasure of grace presented unto them. Such
people are we, that though we are baptized, have Christ, with all his precious
gifts, faith, the sacraments, his Word, all which we confess to be holy, yet we
can neither say nor think that we ourselves are holy; we deem it too much to
say, we are holy; whereas the name Christian is far more glorious and greater
than the name holy.
DCXCIX.
We can call consecrated robes, dead men's
bones, and such trumpery, holy, but not a Christian; the reason is, we gaze
upon the outward mask, we look after the seeming saint, who leads an austere
life. Hence that vain opinion in popedom, that they call the dead, saints; an
error strengthened by Zwinglius. Human wisdom gapes at holy workers, thinking
whoso does good works, is just and righteous before God.
DCC.
There's no better death than St Stephen's,
who said: "Lord, receive my spirit." We should lay aside the register of our
sins and deserts, and die in reliance only upon God's mere grace and mercy.
DCCI.
We ought to retain the feast of John the
Baptist, with whom the New Testament began, for it is written: "All the
prophets and the law prophesied until John," etc. We should observe it, too,
for the sake of the fair song, which in popedom we read, but understood not, of
Zachariah, which, indeed, is a most excellent song, as is shown in St Luke's
preface, where he says: "And Zachariah was full of the Holy Ghost," etc.
DCCII.
A householder instructs his servants and
family in this manner: Deal uprightly and honestly, be diligent in that which I
command you, and ye may then eat, drink, and clothe yourselves as ye please.
Even so, our Lord God regards not what we eat, drink, or how we clothe
ourselves; all such matters, being ceremonies or middle things, he leaves
freely to us, on the understanding, however, that we ground nothing thereon as
being necessary to salvation.
DCCIII.
`Twas a strange thing the world should be
offended at him who raised the dead, made the blind to see, and the deaf to
hear, etc. They who would deem such a man a devil, what kind of a God would
they have? But here it is. Christ would give to the world the kingdom of
heaven, but they will have the kingdom of the earth, and here they part; for
the highest wisdom and sanctity of the hypocrites sees nothing but temporal
honor, carnal will, mundane life, good days, money and wealth, all of which
must vanish and cease.
DCCIV.
The whole world takes offence at the plainness of
the second table of God's ten commandments, because human sense and reason
partly understand what is done contrary thereto. When God and his Word is
condemned, the world is silent and regards it not; but when a monastery is
taken, or flesh eaten on a Friday, or a friar marries, O, then the world cries
out: Here are abominable offences.
DCCV.
The obedience towards God is the obedience of
faith and good works; that is, he who believes in God, and does what God has
commanded, is obedient unto him; but the obedience toward the devil is
superstiton and evil works; that is, who trusts not in God, but is unbelieving,
and does evil, is obedient unto the devil.
DCCVI.
In the Old Testament are two sorts of
sacrifices; the first was called the early morning sacrifice; thereby is shown
that we first should offer unto Christ, not oxen or cattle, but ourselves,
acknowledging God's gifts, corporal and spiritual, temporal and eternal, and
giving him thanks for them. Secondly, the evening sacrifice; whereby is
signified that a Christian should offer a broken, humble and a contrite heart,
consider his necessities, and dangers, both corporal and spiritual, and call
upon God for help.
DCCVII.
God will, say some, that we should serve him
freely and willingly, whereas he that serves God out of fear of punishment, of
hell, or out of a hope and love of recompense, serves and honors God not
uprightly or truly. This argument is of the stoics, who reject the affections
of human nature. It is true we ought willingly to serve, love, and fear God, as
the chief good. But God can well endure that we love him for his promise's
sake, and pray unto him for corporal and spiritual benefits; he therefore has
commanded us to pray. So God can also endure that we fear him for the
punishment's sake, as the prophets remember. Indeed, it is somewhat, that a
human creature can acknowledge God's everlasting punishments and rewards. And
if one looks thereupon, as not being the chief end and cause, then it hurts him
not, especially if he has regard to God himself, as the final cause, who gives
everything for nothing, out of mere grace, without our deserts.
DCCVIII.
The word, to worship, means to stoop and bow down
the body with external gestures; to serve in the work. But to worship God in
spirit is the service and honor of the heart; it comprehends faith and fear in
God. The worshipping of God is two-fold, outward and inward - that is, to
acknowledge God's benefits, and to be thankful unto him.
DCCIX.
A certain prince of Germany, well known to
me, went to Compostella in Spain, where they pretend St James, brother of the
Evangelist St John, lies buried. This prince made his confession to a
Franciscan, an honest man, who asked him if he were a German? The prince
answered, yes. Then the friar said: "O, loving child, why seekest thou so far
away that which thou hast much better in Germany? I have seen and read the
writings of an Augustine friar, touching indulgences and the pardons of sin,
wherein he powerfully proves that the true remission of sins consists in the
merits and sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. O loving son,
remain thereby, and permit not thyself to be otherwise persuaded. I purpose
shortly, God willing, to leave this unchristian life, to repair into German,
and to join the Augustine friar.
DCCX.
Since the Gospel has been preached, which is
not above twenty years, such great wonders have been done as were not in many
hundred years before. No man ever thought such alterations should happen; that
so many monasteries would be made empty, that the private mass should be
abolished in Germany, despite heretics, sectaries, and tyrants. Rome has twice
been ravaged, and many great princes, who persecuted the Gospel, have been
thrown down to the ground and destroyed.
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