perated for he has lost so much by the gospel, during the short time it has been preached, that desperation goads him on to the most extreme measures. Examine yourself therefore, and consider what you are able to bear. You will soon find yourself unequal to cope with such an enemy. Yet besides him you must encounter many others: established but corrupt practices; fathers (of the church) who too commonly shew themselves stepfathers, for they often pervert the word of God to favour their own prejudices; and princes who are the more furious in proportion as they are more ignorant of true religion....All this you must consider before you begin; lest after making a beginning you draw back, and thus your last state be worse than the first.

A. D.

1531.

boldness

"And now, if I were a good orator, and you Encouragea man under the influence of mere natural ment to principles, I should by such representations and decihave driven you to despair, and you would be sion. ready to hide your head in any retreat rather than to preach the gospel. But the Spirit of Christ, by which you are actuated, suffers not such a consequence to follow: but by prospects like these rather excites the mind to a noble daring, than damps its ardour. Go forward then, brave man, and, clad in the Christian armour, come boldly out in the midst of France, and, lifting up your voice like a trumpet, proclaim the gospel in spite of the pope and all his puppets. Christ hath sounded the blast against all pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites : who will not prepare himself for the battle? The lion hath roared, saith the prophet, who will not fear? When Christ thunders by his

1

1 “Invitis omnibus pupis et papis."

CHAP.

XX.

ministers, which of his enemies will not be
afraid? Yes, verily, there is a trembling
throughout their whole camp. They are thrown
into such confusion, that they can to this mo-
ment resolve on no common plan. If they
begin to slaughter the flock of Christ by the
hands of the princes, they know not but this
may open the way for the next attack to be
made upon themselves. 1
themselves. And, if they attempt
to oppose us by the scriptures, their hands hang
down and they lose all energy, from conscious-
ness of the violence they do to the word of God.
Why then do we not rush upon the cowards,
depending upon that one sufficient weapon, the
word of God? for he will consume Antichrist
with the spirit of his mouth. Christ is for us,
who can be against us? Though we are but
earthen vessels, no one can break us as long as
God is present with us. But that he will be
with us alway even unto the end of the world,
we are assured by the firm promise of his word.
He has bid us be without carefulness even when
brought before rulers and kings for his sake,
for that he will give us a mouth and wisdom
which all our adversaries shall not be able to
gainsay or resist. Why then do we hesitate?
The victory is in our hands: shall we be back-
ward to grasp it? Heaven and earth shall pass
away sooner than the word of God shall fail.
He has promised us victory: we cannot there-
fore but gain it. I should say, we cannot but
gain it if we do not remit our exertions. How
the feeble flesh dissuades us, I well know: but
we must reflect again and again, that it is by
means of its pleas that the enemy of our souls
seduces us and, while it declines labours and

From the same quarter, the temporal princes.

sufferings, we must the more resolutely turn from it, and close our ears against its solicitations. For what greater evil could possibly befall us than to be drawn over to the party of the flesh, and thus to become altogether carnal and corrupt? But we shall be found of its party, if for its sake we prove unfaithful to the spirit: and this we are if we fail with all our might to rely on God and his word-for by that alone the spirit is supported. Revolving therefore, my honoured friend, these considerations, and others still more divine and more powerful, which will occur to you, you will be animated to encounter not only Antichrist and the princes, but the whole world: for you aspire at heavenly things, which can be attained only by those who despise the things of earth. It is necessary therefore, above all things, that you learn to deny yourself: and for this your own powers are utterly insufficient. You must have recourse to the mercy of God alone, and implore of him to direct your ways, to enlighten your mind, to excite your heart, that, by his grace, there may be nothing which you may not both dare to do and know how to do.

A. D.

1531.

"It will greatly conduce to your object in Study of the endeavouring to preach the gospel of Christ, scriptures. that you should reject all previously-conceived opinions and doctrines, and come to the word of God alone, in the character of a learner and not of a teacher. They who apply to it only to seek support for their own opinions will inevitably do it violence, and corrupt it: but they who come to it that by its information they may become acquainted with the divine mind and will-to learn and not to teach it, their profiting will be great You see, my brother, what progress the doctrine of Christ

CHAP.
XX.

6. To Cellarius.

On afflic tions.

has made in a short time in Germany: it will make as much in France, if you ask it of God. He delights to be asked; for he loveth the souls of men and is a jealous God. To close my long letter: the point I aim at is, that you should boldly publish the gospel among your countrymen. I pray Almighty God to grant it! for how little, or rather nothing, my feeble and transient epistle can effect, I am deeply sensible: but our friend Anemund has extorted

it from me. Consider me as your friend; or, if that is too much, as your scholar: and be assured that Zwingle will be your's as long as he hears that you are Christ's. Farewell: be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. May he preserve you in safety!" 1

Every one must feel the force of this letter. It is not only full of heroism, but of Christian principle, wisdom, and experience. It is distinguished also by the art of the true orator, How fine is the turn at the opening of the second paragraph, when, having after our Lord's example faithfully warned his cerrespondent to count his cost, he so nobly animates him for the conflict, and against all discouragement; and shews him what is the true and only source of strength.

6. To Michael Cellarius, "a preacher of Christ at Augsburg :" 17 September, 1526.— "Grace and peace from the Lord! I suffer with you under your long-continued illness: for, being one body, we must have a common feeling of the evils which befall us. Fain could I wish that my hand could remove your pain! But, as that is impossible, I implore him, who is the true Healer, to cure you, and restore you

'Epist. fo. 190, 191.

to your ministry. I must however make this reserve, that his will and not our's should be done. When we suffer innocently, it is for our good; and God makes trial of us, whether we love him with all our heart and with all our soul. But indeed who is innocent, when the very heavens are not clean in his sight?-By these means God prepares us for the future life: for they who love the present life lose the life to come. Wisely, therefore, and graciously he mixes up so much bitterness with the present state that we may be weaned from it: for, if all things here went according to our wishes, who would not hold to the world as his portion, however fleeting and transient it might be? Who, on the contrary, ought not willingly to renounce it, when it is never free from affliction? Look upon this your short-lived suffering therefore, my dear friend, in no other light than as a discipline, not of a trifling nature, but real and efficacious, by which you are to be taught the best of all arts, that of ceasing to love the world, and knowing how to meet death.... You have inculcated upon others deadness to the world, and patience under adversity: you are now called to practise what you have taught. It is easy for a Stoic, not to say for a Christian, to talk highly of patience, when he has nothing to bear; but the true philosophy is to suffer patiently.... May the Lord give you peace and health of mind! Amen."1

A. D. 1531.

7. To Somius of Ulm he thus writes against 7. To a minister's relinquishing his station for want Somius. of present success, 12 February, 1527.-"From On quitting your senate's being backward and dilatory you

our post.