And therefore loveth, and worketh, to honour God only, and to draw all things to God.))
Christ did not his deeds to obtain heaven thereby (that had been a madness) heaven was his already, he was heir thereof, it was his by inheritance: but did them freely for our sakes, considering no thing but our wealth, and to bring the favour of God to us again, and us to God. As no natural son that is his father's heir, doeth his father's will because he would be heir, that he is already by birth: his father gave him that yer he was born, and is lothther that he should go with out it, then he himself hath wit to be: but of pure love doeth he that he doeth. And ask him why he doeth any thing that he doeth, he answereth: my father bade, it is my father's will, it pleaseth my father. Bond servants work for hire, Children for love. For their father with all he hath, is theirs already. So doeth a christen man freely all that he doeth, considereth nothing but the will of God, and his neighbour's wealth only. If I live chaste, I do it not to obtain heaven thereby. For then should I do wrong to the blood of Christ: Christ's blood hath obtained me that, Christ's merits have made me heir thereof. He is both door and way thither wards. Neither that I look for an heir room in heaven, then they shall have which live in wedlock, other then a hoar of the stews (if she repent) for that were the pride of lucifer: But freely to wait on the evangelion, and to serve my brother with all, even as one hand helpeth another, or one member another, because one feeleth another's grief, and the pain of the one is the pain of the other. Whatsoever is done to the least of us (whether it be good or bad) it is done to Christ. And whatsoever is done to my brother (if I be a christen man) that same is done to me: neither doeth my brother's pain grieve me less then mine own. If it were not so: how saith Paul: let him that rejoiceth, rejoice in the Lord: that is to say Christ, which is lord over all creatures. If my merits obtained me heaven, or an higher room there, then had I where in I might rejoice besides the Lord.
((To bynd and lowse.))
Here see ye the nature of the law, and the nature of the evangelion. How the Law bindeth and damneth all men, and the Evangelion lowseth them again. The law goeth before, and the evangelion followeth. When a preacher preacheth the Law, he bindeth all consciences, and when he preacheth the Gospell, he loveth them again. These two salves (I mean the Law and the Gospell) useth God and his preacher to heal and cure sinners withall. The law driveth out the disease, and maketh it appear, and is a sharp salve, and a fretting coursey, and killeth the deed fleshly, and lowseth and draweth the sores out by the roots, and all corruption. It pulleth from a man the trust and confidence that he hath in him self, and in his own works, merits, deservings and ceremonies. It killeth him, sendeth him down to hell, and bringeth him to utter desperation, and prepareth the way of the lord, as it is written of Ihon the Baptist: for it is not possible that Christ should come to a man, as long as he trusteth in him self, or in any worldly thing. Then cometh the Evengelion, a more gentle plaster, which sowpleth, and swageth the wounds of the conscience, and bringeth health. It bringeth the spirit of God, which lowseth the honds of satan, and coupleth us to God and his will thorow strong faith and fervent love, with bonds too strong for the devil, the world, or any creature to lowse them.
((A christen man feeleth the working of the holy ghost in his soul:
and in all tribulations and adversities fealeth God a merciful father and a loving.))
And the poor and wretched sinner feeleth so great mercy, love, and kindness in God, that he is sure in him self how that it is not possible that God should forsake him, or withdraw his mercy and love from him. And boldly crieth out with Paul saying: Who shall separate us from the love that God loveth us withall? That is to say: what shall make me believe that God loveth me not? Shall tribulation? Anguish? Persecution? Shall hunger? Nakedness? Shall a sword? Nay, I am sure that neither death, nor life, neither angel, neither rule, nor power, neither present things, nor things to come, neither high nor low, neither any creature able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesu our lord. In all such tribulations a Christen man perceiveth that God is his father, and loveth him, even as he loved Christ when he shed his blood on the cross. Finally, as before, when I was bond to the devil and his will, I wrought all manner evil and wickedness, not for hell's sake which is there ward of sin, but be cause I was heir of hell by birth and bondage to the devil, did I evil. For I would none other ways do; to do sin was my nature. Even so now since I am coupled to God by Christ's blood, do I well, not for heaven's sake: but be cause I am heir of Heaven by grace and Christ's purchasing, and have the spirit of God, I do good freely, for so is my nature. As a good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and an evil tree evil fruit. By the fruits shall ye know what the tree is: a man's deeds declare what he is within but make him neither good nor bad &c. We must be first evil yer we do evil, as a serpent is first poisoned yer he poison. We must be also good yer we do good yer we do good, as the fire must be first hot yer it warm any thing. Take an ensample. As those blind which are cured in the evangelion, could not see till Christ had given them sight; And deaf could not hear, till Christ had given them hearing; And those sick could not do the deeds of an whole man, till Christ had given them health: So can no man do good in his soul, till Christ have lowsed him out of the bonds of satan, and have given him where with to do good, yee and first have poured into him that self good thing which he sheddeth forth afterward on other. Whatsoever is our own is sin. Whatsoever is above that, is Christ's gift, purchase, doing, and working. He bought it of his father derely with his blood, yee with his most bitter death and gave his life for it. Whatsoever good thing is in us, that is given us freely with out our deserving or merits for Christ's blood's sake. That we desire to follow the will of God, it is the gift of Christ's blood. That we now hate the devil's will (where unto we were so fast locked, and could not but love it) is also the gift of Christ's blood, unto whom belongeth the praise and honour of our good deeds, and not unto us.
(Preface of the Worms octavo edition of 1526.)
To the Reader.