The true hystorye of the Christen departynge of the reuerēde man D. Martyne Luther, collected by Iustus Ionas, Michael Celius, and Ioannes Aurifaber whych were present therat, and translated into Englysh by Iohan Bale.
IN the yeare of our lorde a M.D.XLVI. at the instaunt request of the worthye and noble earles of Mansfelde. the Reuerende man of God Doctor Martyne Luther departed from Wittemberge the 23. of Ianuarye,
Iournaye and rested the first nyght at Bitterfelde. For thys onlye cause ded they call hym thydre at that tyme, to ende by hys godlye dyscressyon serten greuouse scysmes and controuersyes, whych had longe (& not without parell) contynued betwixt them. Rather coueted they hym than anye other persone to fynysh those varyaunces.
[Page] for that they knewe hym a man of most groūded cōscyence, lernynge, & iudgemēt, & also natyue borne within their domynyon in a cytie called Ißlebē.
Ißleben. And though the treatye of soch polytyck causes perteyned not to hys vocacyō ▪ yet was he not vndylygēt in reducynge that lōge cō ceyned malyce and daungerouse hate, in to a most agreable Christen concorde. And the rather, that it was in hys owne natyue contraye.
On the xxiiij. daye of Ianuarye aboute eleuen of the clocke,
Hallis. he came to Hallis and remayned there all that daye forth and iij. dayes after in the howse of Doctor Iustus Ionas. In the meane tyme he made there a solempne sermon in the temple, of the Conuersyon of S. Paule, out of the Apostles Actes.
On the frydaye after / whych was the xxviii. daye of Ianuarye, he departed frō Hallis with Doctor Ionas and hys iij. sonnes Iohan,
3. sonnes. Martyne, and Paule, & so passed ouer the daungerouse flode in a smal whyrye, takynge hys iournaye from thens towardes Ißleben hys owne natyue cytie.
As he had ones entered the countye of
[Page 3] Mansfelde, he was honourablye receyued of an C. and xiij. horse men. Anon after in the charett he became so sore sycke, that all they whych were present,
Sore syck moch doubted of hys lyfe. Wherupon they toke the next harboure, & releued hym with soch prouysyon as there was, so that he was verye cherefull that nyght, and complayned nomore of sickenesse.
From the xxix. daye of Ianuarye tyll the xvij. daye of Februarye, he was contynuallye occupyed aboute the matters of concorde and agrement of the forseyd noble prynces, bryngynge it vnto a most godlye conclusyon. And besydes hys great laboure in so necessarye a cause,
Preached he preached in the meane tyme iiij. worthye sermons, and ij. tymes communycated with the Christē churche there in the holye supper of the lorde. And in the latter communyon, whych was vpon the sondaye, he ordayned ij. mynysters of the worde of God, after the Apostles maner.
From the afore sayd .xxix. daye of Ianuarye to the xvij. of Februarye, manye a wonderfull sentence came out of hys mouthe, and manye confortable wordes ded he vtter. Manye harde places of the
[Page] scriptures he opened in the presence of those noble prynces, both at their tables and other where els, wherof a boke is now compyled and imprented. And amonge all other, he oft tymes complayned of hys age, and sayd. If it pleased God that he came agayne to Wittemberge, he wolde desyre no longar to lyue, but depart in the lorde.
And alwayes at euen, he vsed by the space of these xxi. dayes, to go from the prynces great haule īto hys owne chābre, where as standynge ryght vp agaynst the wyndowe, he occupyed a serten tyme in most feruent prayer vnto God the eternall father.
Prayer. Wherof we Iustus Ionas, Michael Celius, Ioannes Aurifaber, & Ambrose hys owne seruaunt moch marueled, vnderstādynge oft tymes serten of hys wordes. And thys done, he turned hym alwayes from the wyndowe towardes vs with a merye countenaūce, as one delyuered of a verye heauye burden. Thē wolde he a lyttle commen with vs, and so go to hys bedde.
On the wedynsdaye, whych was the xvij. daye of Februarye,
Prynces. both the noble prynces & we desyred hym to kepe hys
[Page 4] chambre, and no longar to accombre hym selfe in their matters, whych were afore that fullye and clerelye pacyfyed. Notwithstandynge he came forth that mornynge & agayne at euen, lyke as he had done euerye daye afore. In the verye same euenynge after supper, about a vij. or viij. houres afore hys departynge from thys worlde,
A sermon he made vs a most grounded sermon of deathe necessarye and of the lyfe to come, hauynge therin thys sentence amonge other.
O most blessyd lorde, xx. years are a verye small tyme. Yet if there were no increace therin accordynge to thy godlye creacyon and ordynaunce, the worlde wolde in a maner be clerelye vacaunt, or without people. The greatter part of hys churche, doth God gather vnto hym from infauntes. And verelye I beleue thys to be true, that whan a yonge childe of one yeare of age dyeth, there departeth out of the worlde with hym▪ a M. or ij. of the same age.
Departynge. But whan I now depart the worlde whych am thre score yeares olde, there wyll scant iij. score depart hens with me of the same age, so fewe are there whych lyue to
[Page] that age. And nothynge els wynne we by our longe contynuaunce here, but daylye affliccyons and sorowes, in beholdynge the wyckednesse, falsehede, and calamytees of thys worlde. What a cruell sprete our common aduersarye is, we nede to go no farther for recorde than ourselues. And non other thynge els is mankynde, than a shepe folde appoynted to the slaughter.
Afterwarde in the nyght as we were in dyuerse communycacyons, he chaunced vpon thys questyon. Whether in the worlde to come or in the perpetuall congregacyō,
A questyō one of vs shuld knowe an other or naye? And as we instauntlye desyred hym therin to saye hys mynde, he made vs thys answere. How ded Adam (sayd he) how ded Adam? As he arose from the slepe that God cast hym in, Gene. 2. and behelde Eua standynge by hym, whome he neuer sawe afore, he sayd not, what art thu? or from whens dost thu come? But he sayd.
Adam. Thys is now a bone taken of my bones, and a verye flesde of my fleshe. Thus perceyued he her, not to be made of a dead stocke or a stone, but of hys owne fleshe. And full was he of the
[Page 5] holye Ghost in that houre, hauynge the perfyght & through knowledge of God. To thys full knowledge shall we come after thys lyfe, beyng renouated in Christ and shall knowe one another by countenaunce, more perfyghtlye than euer Adā knewe Eua hys wyfe.
After these communycacyons, he arose and went vnto hys owne chambre▪ hys ij. sonnes Martyne and Paule with Michael Celius folowynge hym. Anon after leanynge in the wyndowe, he gaue hymselfe to prayer after hys accustomed maner.
Prayer. Then went Michael Celius downe agayne / and mastre Iohan Aurifaber came vp. Vnto whome he sayd. I wexe now verye sycke, and moch peyne I fele aboute my hart. Than sayd the seyd mastre Iohan vnro hym. Whan I was tutour to the yonge earles here, as eyther of thē felt anye grefe about the stomake, the countesse mynystred therunto soch a confortable medycyne as releued them strayght wayes.
Medycyne. If ye wyll haue that, I shall procure it for yow to the easement of your grefe. He desyered hym so to do. Then went he downe, and sent vp Ionas and Celius vnto hym. Whych axt hym,
[Page] how he ded? And he complayned of a wonderfull grefe about hys hart. Then ded they confort hym with warmed kerchers, wherupon he sumwhat amended.
Anō after came earle Albert in great hast vnto hym with M. Iohan Aurifaber, bryngynge the afore rehearced medycyne. And the earle sayd vnto hym.
Earle Albert. How do ye mastre doctor. He answered. No parell is here to be doubted most benygne & gentyll prynce, but my hope is within a whyle to be moch better thā I now am. Then commaunded the noble earle, the seyd medycyne to be geuē vnto hym. And so after certayne communycacyons he departed from hym agayne.
Immedyatlye after, as he sumwhat amended. he desyred to lye downe vpon the bedde aboute ix. of the clocke, & slept the requyetouslye by the space of more than halfe an houre,
Watchynge. D. Ionas, Michael Celiꝰ, hys ij. sōnes Martyne & Paule, with Ambrose hys seruaunt remaynynge styll in the chambre. And as he awoke about x. of the clocke, he sayd vnto them. What syttye there yet styll? Ye maye go to your rest. They answered. No, mastre Doctor, it is mete we watche and se what ye haue
[Page 6] nede of. With that he desyred to ryse▪ and so wēt into the stodye whych was next to hys chambre. And as he had entered the seyd stodye, he spake these wordes. The euerlastynge God be my confort,
vnto god for now I go to my bedde. Into thy handes, o lorde, I commende my sprete. For thu God of truthe hast redemed me.
And as he had done of hys clothes, and was layed in the bedde, he gaue to yche one of them hys hande, and sayd Fare wele to yow all swete bretherne in the lorde. Praye for the congregacyon and holye Gospell of God, that they maye haue prosperou
[...]e successe. For the wycked counsell of Trydent & that abhomynable pope hath sought and yet seketh to do them both great harme.
The pope Anon after he fell agayne on slepe, & rested quyetouslye tyll one of the clocke. And as he awoke, he called hys seruaunt Ambrose, and commaunded hym to make hote the stoue or hote howse.
Then doctor Ionas Asked hym, how he felt hymselfe? Wherunto he answered. O my lorde God,
Ionas. how sycke am I thys houre? O mastre Ionas, I recken non other than here in Ißleben where I was
[Page] both borne and baptysed, to laye my mortall bones. Then sayd Doctor Ionas and hys seruaunt Ambrose vnto hym. We doubt not but God our eternall father wyll be your syngular confort, through hys sonne Iesus Christ, whome yow haue so ernestlye preached to the worlde. With that he arose vp alone without helpe, and went into the stoue, repetynge agayne the wordes a fore spoken. Into thy handes, o lorde, I commende my sowle. For thu God of truthe without fayle hast redemed me,
vnto god. And so ones or twyse he walked vp and downe in the stoue, & than returned agayne to hys bedde.
Then came there in vnto hym, hys host and hostasse, mastre Symon felde a Doctour of Physyck, & one Ludouicus a medycyne mastre also, with serten other of the cytie. Anon after resorted vnto hym earle Albert and hys ladye with other noble men and women,
Resort. bryngynge with them all maner of swete odours, oyntmē tes, spyces, and confortatyues. And all they ded their best to confort hym there. Then called he vnto God, saynge. O my lorde God, how greuouse anguysh suffer I now about my hart? I shall now dye,
[Page 7] lorde, I thāke the hyghlye. I shall now laye my bones in Ißleben myne owne natyue cytie.
Then sayd Doctor Ionas & Michael Celius vnto hym.
To Christ Reuerende father, call now vpon the lorde Ihesus Christ whome yow so inteyrlye haue loued, our onlye medyatour and hygh Byshopp of our sowles, and no doubt of it, he wyll gracyouslye heare yow. Ye haue now wele swett, god wyll (we trust) better it. Wherunto he answered. Yea, but the sweate is colde and full of deathe. I geue ouer thys lyfe, for my paynes increase more & more.
O my euelastynge father, the God & father of our lorde Iesus Christ, yea the lorde of all Ghostlye confort.
Thankes. I rendre vnto the most hygh thākes thys houre, that it hath pleased thy inestymable goodnesse, to make open vnto me a synner, thy most derelye beloued sonne my lorde Iesus Christ, whome I haue now (I thāke the) in full and perfyght beleue. Hym haue I preached, hym haue I confessed, hym haue I loued and gloryfyed, whom the most wycked Pope with hys cursed cormorontes do styll yett darken,
The pope dysdayne,
[Page] mocke, persecute and blaspheme. I besyche the most dere lorde Iesus Christ, mercyfullye to receyue my sowle.
O my heauenlye father, though I now leaue thys mortall bodye, and am taken from thys lyfe, yet do I certaynlye knowe that I shall euermore dwell with the, & that non shall be hable to witholde me from thy gracyouse handes.
So hath God loued the worlde, that he hath geuen it hys onlye sonne, that non whych beleue in hym shuld perysh, but haue the lyfe euerlastynge.
Ioan. 3. For God sent not hys sonne into the worlde to condempne the worlde, but that the worlde through hym, myght be saued. He that beleueth on hym, shall not be condempned. The God (sayth Dauid) whych is our sauer, is euen the same lorde God, by whome we escape deathe.
Psal. 67. Geue thankes vnto that lorde in the congregacyon, for the welsprynges of Israel. For hys glorye is here, and hys myght in the cloudes.
Then resorted vnto hym the medycyne mastre, of whose handes he receyued to the quantyte of a spone full of that he mynystred. Anon after he sayd agayne,
[Page 8] I go hens, I go hens. My sowle I commende vnto God whych created it. And with that he thryse repeted agayne these wordes.
vnto god. Lorde and father, into thy handes I commende my sprete. Thu God of truthe hast trulye redemed me. And as he had thus commended hys sowle to the heauenlye father, he laye quyetouslye styll, and moued not at all. Then they whych were aboute hym, vttered manye ghostlye wordes, they moued hym, refreshed hym, and called dyuerslye vpon hym to speake. But he neyther opened eye, nor yet answered one worde.
As he was thus in quyet / and departed to euerye mannis thynkynge, Doctor Ionas and Michael Celius cryed with a lowde voyce, Reuerende father,
doctryne. wyll ye perseuer in Christ and hys holye doctryne, whych ye haue hytherto taught and constauntlye now dye in the same? He answered with stomake that all whych were present myght heare it. Yea, And with that he turned hymselfe on the ryght syde,
Cōstaun
[...] and so slept the space of a quarter of an houre, so that manye reckened he shuld
[Page] haue recouered. But we lyked nothynge that slepe, but from thens fourth with lyghtes we most dylygentlye marked hys eyes.
Anon after came in Earle Iohan Henryck of Swartzenburch with hys ladye. And by that tyme he wexed verye pale in the face. Hys fete and handes were deadlye colde, and from the hart warde he sumwhat panted, but it was so softlye that we verye lyttle perceyued it. In the whych lyght breathynge he gaue ouer hys lyfe to God,
In peace without anye payne to all our iudgemētes. For he neyther moued hāde nor fote therī. Neyther was there anye of vs (as we testyfye here in cōscience both before God & man) that coulde perceyue in hym anye perturbacyon, dolour, or other vnquyetnesse of bodye in hys departynge. But quyetouslye and swetelye with all gentylnesse of sprete he rested in the lorde.
Simeon. Lyke as olde Symeon sayd. Now letyst thy seruaunt depart in peace, accordynge to thy promes. So that thys saynge of Christ in the vii
[...]. of Iohā maye wele be veryfyed on hym. Verelye I saye vnto yow, he that kepe my worde shall neuer se deathe.
[Page 9]Thys text out of the viij. chaptre of Iohā, was the last clause that in thys lyfe he wrote with hys owne hāde, about x. dayes afore he departed. And for a memoryall he regestred it in the Byble of huldrick hans hys frynde, whych was there the rent mastre of that cytie. And he left it after thys sort.
Ioann. 8. Neuer to se deathe. What an incredyble speakynge is thys, if it be conferred with manyfest & common experyence? Yet he whych is the veryte it selfe, hath so spoken it. Trulye whan a man hath thys sentence in seryouse remembraunce, stedefastlye beleuynge it, and departeth hens therin, he must plesauntlye passe awaye, and not fele the harde panges of deathe. And vndoubtedlye blessed is that man in that worde of beleue whych he hath so remembred in the verye deathe. Herunto he thus subscrybed. Martynus Luther Doctor. 1546. die 7. Februarij.
After thys was hys dead bodye wrapped in a newe whyte lynen vesture,
Hys bodye. and so layed agayne vpon the bedde, remaynynge there styll by the space of v. houres. In the meane tyme came there in manye worshypfull and honest cytiezens,
[Page] beholdynge it not without teares of fayth fulnesse and loue.
On the xix. daye of Februarye about ij. of the clocke at after none, was the corps carryed fourth with great solempnyte and spirytuall songes in their mother tunge,
Prynces. into the pryncypall churche of S. Andrewe. And manye great prynces and earles folowed the same, as wolfangus prynce of Anhalt with hys ij. bretherne earle Philipp and earle Iohan with their wyues and whole famylyes, earle Albert, earle Iohan & earle Wolfange of Mansfelde with their wyues & howsholdes also, prynce Eucrarde with hys ij. sonnes earle George and Christopher with their ladyes and assemblyes, with a great sort of lordes and gentylmen more, and a wonderfull nombre of the commen people. Where as doctor Iustus Ionas made the funerall sermon dyuyded into iij,
Ionas. partes the first treatynge of the personage and godlye gyftes of Martyne Luther, the seconde of the lattre resurreccyon and lyfe to come, the thirde comprehendeth serten commynacyons and thretteninges agaynst the truthes aduersaryes, that he beynge dead, shuld not yet cease to inuade Antichristes blasphemouse
[Page 10] kyngedome. And thys was vpon the lattre part of the fort chaptre of S, Paules first epistle to the Thessalonyanes.
Anon after at the instaunt petycyō & request of the most noble prynce electour Iohā Frederick duke of Saxon,
The duke the corps was decred to be carryed, with solempne obsequyes vnto the famouse cytie of Wittemberge, the noble prynces and earles aforenamed, accōpanyenge it with great worshypp to the farther gates of Ißlebē
And about sixe of the clocke at nyght the next daye after,
Hallys. they came therwith to Hallis, where as it was also receyued with lyke solempnyte of the senate and cytiezens, and so reserued in S. Maryes churche there all that nyght. In all the townes & vyllages as they came by, were the belles solempnelye ronge, with no small lamentacyon & dolour of the commen people.
The next daye was it most honourablye receyued of the lordes and hygh offycers of the noble duke of Saxon, the earles of Anhalt,
Prynces. Swartzēburg & Māsfelde, & other great estates more with a myghtye nombre of horse men, and so brought solēpnelye to Bitterfelde, & frō
[Page] thens to the cytie of Wittemberge. Longe were it to rehearce all the funerall ceremonyes, and sorowfull mournynges amonge the common people in the townes as they went.
As they were ones comen to the gates of Wittemberge, at the commaundemēt of the prynce electour Iohan Frederick whych was there present,
Electour the rectour and masters of that noble vnyuersyte with their great nombre of scolers on the one syde, & the worthye senate with their great commynalte on the other syde, receyued them worshyplye in their degrees. Afore the hearce went from thens in order, the mynysters of the churches & scoles with their scollers, & they sange spirytuall songes in their mother tunge, as their common maner is at buryals. Next after the corps folowed hys most Christen wyfe Kateryne Luther with serten sober and dyscrete matrones. After them folowed hys iij. sonnes,
Hys wyfe & sonnes Iohā, Martyne, and Paule, Iames Luther a burger of Mansfelde, with dyuerse other of hys kynsfolke. Thē folowed the hygh rectour or deane of the vnyuersyte with soch yōge prynces, earles, and barons as were studeauntes
[Page 11] in the same.
After them folowed Doctor Georgius Pontanus, doctor Philippus Melan
[...]hō, Doctor Iustus Ionas,
doctours Doctor Iohan Pomeranus, Doctor Gaspar Cruciger, Doctor Hieronymus, with other auncyent doctors and masters of the vnyuersyte in a comelye order. After these folowed the great commynaltces both of studeauntes and also of the common people. Last of all folowed there honest matrones and vyrgynes in a semelye order also. And after them soch a nombre of straungers as neuer in Wittēberge was seane afore that daye.
Straungers. And as they had ones brought it into the to churche, they sett it afore the pulpett, and sange vnto God their accustomed songes, had commenlye at great buryalles in ther mother tunge.
Pomeranus. Then went doctor Iohan Pomeranus into the pulpet, and made a most confortable sermon, to that most worshypfull audyence, whych is now imprented. In lyke case Phylypp Melanthon made a funerall oracyon with verye ernest sprete to the confort of that congregacyon, whych is also imprented and here into Englysh translated.
[Page]After thys oracyon, serten lerned mastres therunto appoynted, reuerentlye toke the bodye and so buryed it, not farre from the tombes of the noble dukes in the same churche.
Buryed. Thus is the precyouse organe and instrument of the holye Ghost, the bodye of thys Reuerende Doctor Martyne Luther, commytted to the earthe in the tower temple of Wittemberge, not farre from that pulpett wherin he made manye a notable and godlye sermon by hys lyfetyme, in the presence of the most worthye electours Dukes of Saxon, and manye other noble prynces more. So that it maye wele be veryfyed that Saynt Paule writeth 1. Corinthiorum 15. That is sowen in weakenesse,
1. Cor. 15 shall aryse in power The bodye that is sowen in corrupcyon, shall ryse agayne vncorrupted.
So Christen a departynge from thys myserye vnto the eternall felycyte, our euerlastynge heauenlye father graunt vs of hys mercye infynite, whych so gracyouslye called thys elect seruaunt of hys Martyne Luther to so worthye an offyce, and also the lorde Iesus Christ
[Page 12] whom he so faythfullye preached & confessed to the worlde, with the holye Ghost whych gaue hym most syngular strength in daungerouse parcls agaynst the wycked pope and the gates of helle. Amen.
We Iustus Ionas, Michael Celius, and Ioannes Aurifaber,
witnesses whych were present at the godlye and gracyouse departynge of Doctor Martyne Luther from the begynnynge to the ende, do testyfye here in conscyence as we sawe and hearde, as we wyll be saued afore God in the great daye of tryall. And not we onlye, but the noble prynces and earles whych were there also present, do witnesse the same. God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ graūt vs all hys most flowynge & habundaunt grace. Amen.
An oracyon or processe rehearced off Philipp Melanchton at the buryall of the Reuerende man, Doctour Martyne Luther, Trāslated by Iohan Bale.
THough in thys publique and commō sorowe, my vtteraunce be sumwhat dulled by doloure and heauynesse, yet must I in so worthye an assemblye as here is now gathered, of dewtye saye sumwhat. Not as the paganes vsed in onlye commendynge the dead, but rather in admonyshynge thys auditorye of the wonderfull gouernaunce and parels of the Christen church.
3. thynges. That they maye therby knowe afore hande, what is to be cared for, what to be desyered, and what to be folowed of their youthe concernynge examples of a Christen lyfe. What though prophane & dessolute men in so confuse an ordre of lyuynge, do rashlye interprete manye thynges, and iudge them to happē by chauce
[Page 13] or fortune Lete vs yet whych are confirmed by the manyfolde testymonyes of God, seclude the true churche from the vnfaythfull rable, and lete vs wele thynke yt to be gouerned & preserued of God. Yea,
Churche. lete vs ryghtlye beholde hys polytyque ordre, perceyue hys trulye appoynted gouernours▪ and consydre wele their iust course. Fynallye lete vs therupon chose vs oute ryght leaders, & able instructours yea, soche as we maye faythfullye both folowe and reuerence.
Of these so ernest causes, wyll yt be necessarye for vs both to thynke and to speake, so oft tymes as that reuerende man of God,
Luther. Doctour Martyne Luther, our most derelye beloued father & mastre is had in remembraunce amonge vs. Whō though a great nombre of wycked lyuers ded most bytterlye hate, yet shall yt be mete for vs whych knewe hym a true mynystre of the Gospel raysed of God, to fauer, regarde, and allowe hym,
Doctryne. and in the ende to shewe so hable testymonyes as maye proue hys doctryne in no case to be sedycyouse and boystuouse fearcenesse as the blynde beastlye belligoddes report hym.
[Page]And though in soche oracyōs as are cō monly in thys place vttered, manye thynges are spoken to the pryuate prayses of thē they are made for. Yet that thynge here omytted, wyll I now at thys tyme onlye speake of hys ecclesiastick offyce or funccyō of Gods eternall worde.
Offyce. For mē of cōsciēce wyll iudge thys alwayes true That yf he hath made opē in the cōgregacyō the wholsom & necessarye doctryne (as we cā saye no lesse of hym) God is greatlye to be lauded, whych raysed hym for that purpose, & hys iust labours, fayth perseueraunce, and other vertues are moche to be cōmended, & hys remembraunce to be admytted of all Godlye men.
Lete thys therfor stande for the fore frō te of our oracyō.
Christ. The sonne of God (sayth Paule) sytteth at the ryght hande of hys eternall father, and geueth gracyouse gyftes vnto men, as are the true vtteraunce of the scriptures, & the holye ghost In whose free dystrybucyon, he rayseth vp Prophetes, Apostles, teachers, and ouersears. And these he taketh out of our studyouse nombre, whych eyther reade, heare, or Christēlye fauer the Apostles & Prophetes wrytynges. And not onlye calleth
[Page 14] he them vnto that labouryouse offyce, which are in autoryte afore,
Teachers but most commonlye he geueth those men sharpe battayle, by workemen of a moch meaner sort to se to. And trulye a verye plesaunt and profytable aspect is it, to beholde the churche by all ages, and so to cōsydre the great goodnesse of God, whych euermore hath sent good theachers in an ordre or course of cōtynuaūce, that they myght (as in an host of warryours) one succede in an others rowme.
Knowne is the ordre of our former fathers, Adam,
Fathers. Seth, Enoch, Mathusale, Noe, & Sē, whych beynge alyue, & dwellynge nygh to the Sodomytes, as the people there ī processe of tyme neglected hys good instruccyōs, & the wholsome doctryne of Noe hys father, & so myserablye enclyned to the worshyppynge of Idolles, was Abrahā sturred vp of God, to be vnto the seyd Sē an assister & fellawe helper in that worthye worke of the verytees furtheraūce.
Abrahā. Vnto hym succeded in that Godlye offyce, Isaac, Iacob, & Ioseph, whych through out the lande of Egypt, than beynge the most floryshynge kyngedome of the world, plentuously spred the lyght of that heauenlye doctryne.
[Page]Thā folowed Moses, Iosue, Samuel, Dauid, Helias, and Heliseus, of whom Esaias receyued knowlege, and of hym Hieremias.
prophetes After that was Daniel instructed of the seyd Hieremias, & of the seyd Daniel, Zacharias. Anon after them came fourth Esdras and Onias. Than folowed next them, the myghty Machabees, than Symeon and Zacharias the prest,
Iohan Baptyst. than Iohan Baptist, Christ, and hys Apostles. Moche profytable were yt, to marke wele thys contynuall successyō of Godlye teachers, whych ys a most manyfest sygne of the presence of God in hys congregacyon.
After the Apostles succeded an other sort, whych though they were not so stronge as the other, yet were they bewtyfullye adourned with the testymonyes of God.
doctours Of thys companye was Polycarpus, Ireneus, Gregorius Neocesariensis, Basilius, Chrisostomus, Cyrillus, Augustinus, Prosper, Maximus, Hugo Bernardus, Taulerus, Iohan Wicleue, Iohan hufs, and other in dyuerse quarters. And though thys lattre age were more blynde than all the rest,
Rēnaunt yet God alwayes reserued a remnaunt to hys peoples
[Page 15] behoue. And manyfest is yt, that by the voyce of Luther, the lyght of the Gospell hath apered more clere, than of longe tyme afore.
He is therfor worthelye to be ioyned to thys most bewtyfull nombre of notable men, whom God hath hyther sent to rectyfye and restore hys fathfull churche.
Luther. These ought we alwayes to accept for the most oryent flowers of the kynde of man. No doubt of it, but Themistocles, Scipio, Augustus, and soche other lyke, were mē famouse & worthye note,
Gouerners. whych eyther constytute or gouerned great empyres, yet were they nothynge in comparyson to these our leaders Esaie, Iohan Baptyst, Paule, Augustyne, Wycleue, & Luther. Conuenient is it therfor that we in the congregacyon knowe these dyuersytees.
What great & notable thynges than are they, that of Luther are trulye opened, whych shuld seme to declare hyscourse prayse worthye?
Troubles Blowne is yt abrode of manye, that the churche is sore troubled, and that inextrycable controuersyes are spred the worlde ouer. Vnto those mē I answere, that soche hath folowed alwayes
[Page] of the churches ryght gouernaunce. As the holye Ghost rebuketh the worlde of synne, dyssensyons aryse by the workynge of wycked obstynates. And the groūde of those sedycyōs are they, whych dysdayne to heare the true sonne of God,
Obstynates. of whō yt father euerlastynge hath sayd with opē voyce. In anye wyse heare hym.
Luther hath made open to the worlde the most true & necessarye doctryne. Euydent is yt what excedynge darkenesses haue dwelt in the doctryne or artycle of penaunce. They now put asyde, he hath clerelye taught what true penaunce is, & what the sowles onlye refuge. What is the stronge anker and sure staye of that troubled conscyence, whych doubtfullye feareth the hygh dyspleasure of God.
Faythe. He throughlye clered and taught that doctryne of Paule, whych stronglye testyfyeth man to be iustyfyed by faythe. He trulye declared, what the dyfference is of the lawe and Gospell, and of the spirytuall iustyce from the polytyque or outwarde ryghtwysnesse.
He shewed the true inuocacyō of God & from the paganes frantyck madnesse, in a maner reuoked the whole churche,
[Page 16] whose frenesye fayned God to be ryghtlye called vpō, whā the myndes were verye farre of, & busylye occupyed with Achademycall doubtes.
Inuocacyon. Luther wylled inuocacyon non other wyse to be, than with a pure faythe and an vncorrupted conscience. He sent vs alone to Christ, as to our onlye medyatour & true sonne of God, now syttynge at the ryght hande of hys eternall father,
Christ. & there becōmynge our aduocate. He neyther ledde vs to dead men nor their ymages, as the horryble madnesse of beastlye blynde bussardes hath vsed afore tyme, in worshyppynge both them and their Idolles.
Other true offyces accepted vnto god▪
[...]ed he most christenlye teache. And so he adourned and autorysed the foren cyuyle ordre,
Cyuyle ordre. as yt was neuer afore done by anye mannys writynges. He also secluded frō necessarye workes, the baby she ordynaunce of mēnis tradycyōs & rytes, & put asyde all lawes withstandynge the true honourynge of God.
The Byble. And that the pu
[...]e doctryne of the lorde myght the better be knowne to men and women, he trāslated into the Germanetūge, all the scriptures of the Apostles & Prophetes,
[Page] with so apparent clerenesse, that hys onlye translacyon geueth now more lyght to the readers, than manye great commentaryes coude do afore.
More ouer he adioyned soche declaracyons to the text, as farre excelleth the exposycyons of all men that wrote afore hym,
Erasmus by the verye testymonye of Erasmus And as yt is veryfyed of the instauracyon of Hierusalem, that the buylders therof wrought with the one hande, and in the other hande helde weapon to fyght. So trulye ded thys man. He withstode the enemyes of the lordes heauenlye worde, and yet neuer the lesse, left behynde hym workes full of ghostlye decumentes.
a buylder Yea, manye a feble and weake conscyence haue he made stronge by hys most godlye crudycyons.
For as moche as a great part of hys doctryne ys aboue mannys cumpasse, as are hys wrytynges of remyssyon and faythe, we must of congruence graunt that he was taught of God. And without fayle manye of vs haue beholden hys troubles,
Of God. wherin both he and we haue lerned, to holde thys for a most sure grounde, that by only faythe we are accepted, & heard
[Page 17] of God.
Contynuallye than at all tymes from hens fourth, wyll all good mē recognysh soche heauenlye benefyghtes as the lorde hath now largelye geuē to hys congregacyon by Luther. And first of all they wyll rendre thankes vnto God for it,
Thankes. and than graunt themselues beholden greatlye to that man for hys frutefull labours, what though soche wycked workers as dysdayne the true churche, do iudge those doctrynes a vayne dallyaunce or els mere madnesse.
Neuer moued he anye questyon of darkenesse, or yet gaue fourth the apple of parelouse contencyon (as they falselye report hym) neyther proponed he anye doubtfull matter or obscure allegorye.
allegorye Lete sober and godlye wyse men geue the iudgement, all quarellers put a part, and yt wyll be easye to perceyue, as the sentences are conferred, whych of them are agreable with the sacred scriptures,
Scriptures. & whych are dyscordaunt, No doubt of it, but yche partye of those controuersyes ys wele knowne to men that are christenlye faythfull. For consyderynge that God hath appoynted hymselfe and hy
[...]
[Page] heauēlye wyll in the scriptures of both testamentes to be knowne (in whom he hath clerelye shewed hymself) it is not to be thought that their speakynges are doubtfull,
Scriptures. as are the fyckle flerynges of Sybilla.
But some persones, not all yll, haue layde vnto Luther, that he hath bene more sharpe in rebukes thā hath wele becomē hym. I wyl not moch reason vpō eyther of both partes. But I wyll answere by thys oft repeted sentēce of Erasmus. That God hath geuē in thys lattre age for the great increace of euyls therin reignynge,
Erasmꝰ. a verye harde phesycyane. As he alwayes rayseth anye soche organe or fearce instrumēt agaynst the proude & vnshamefast aduersaryes of hys heauenlye veryte, he sayth as he sayd vnto the prophete Hieremye. Beholde I put my ernest wordes in thy mouthe, that thu mayst both destroye & buylde. And whan it is hys pleasure to sende fourth soche a myghtye gyaunt with speare & shyelde,
A gyaunt it auayleth no man to reason with hym whye he doth so.
For God neuer gouerneth hys churche after mānys wysdome, neyther wylleth
[Page 18] he hys workynge instrumētes to be all after one sort. Cōmonlye is thys seane amonge men, that meane & soft wyttes can in no wyse abyde anye vehement or boystuouse handelynges,
Weakelynges. be they good or bad, profytable or vnprofytable. Aristides behelde how Themystocles with stought stomake toke great matters in hande, & brough thē wele to passe. And though he were wele contēted, that the publique welthe had therby good furtheraūce yet sought he by all meanes possyble, to moderate that hote hastye passyon in hym.
Neyther wyll I denye yt, but that vehemēt shource offēdeth oft tymes. Neyther is there anye man without faute,
Vehemē cye. whych hath that infirmyte of nature. Yet in the meane season, if anye soche be (as the olde writers accounted Hercules, Cimon, & dyuerse other no lesse) he that cā wele dyscusse what is cōmodyouse & profytable, is a full good man & worthye prayse And in the cōgregacyon (as S. Paule rehearceth it) he that is faythfull & hath a good conscyēce,
Conscyence. pleaseth wele God, & is worthye of man to haue honour.
For soche a wō haue we knowne Martyn
[Page] Luther. For most constauntlye hath he defended the pure doctryne, and in no poynt demynyshed the ryght rules of good conscyence. Neuer regarded he anye dyssolute wyldenesse, or anye sedycyouse mutterynges, eyther yet anye troublouse mouynges. Rather hath he bene the occasyon,
Polycyes that warres in dyuerse quarters haue ceased. No polycyes vsed he, to augment the churches power, neyther yet hys owne, nor of anye man perteynynge to hym. Thys iudge I soche vertu & wysdom, as shuld seme not to be obtayned by maunys onlye industrye. Of God shuld mennys hartes seme to be dyrected, specyallye they whych are so strō ge, myghtye,
Stronge and ernest, as of thys Luther the clere experyence sheweth.
What shall I report of hys other godlye gystes? Myselfe verye oft commynge sodenlye vpon hym, haue founde hym in most feruent prayer,
Prayer. with habundaunce of teares com
[...]ynge from hys eyes for the prosperouse estate of the vnyuersall Christen churche. He appoynted to hymselfe euerye daye, a serten tyme of psalmes readynge, wherin he mixed hys prayers to God with contynuall syghynges
[Page 19] and wepynges. And sayd commonlye, that he allowed not them, whych eyther for wordlye worke or for slouthfulnesse, supposed yt ynough a lyttle to mourne in their deuocyons.
Teares. For non other purpose (sayth he) are fashyons of prayer prescrybed vnto vs, by the lordes appoyntement, but that through readynge, our myndes myght be inflamed, and that our voyce myght so confesse outwardlye that God, whych ys onlye to be called vpon.
More ouer than thys, as dyuerse and manyfolde daungerouse doubtes of publyque parels, haue oft tymes chaūced vnto vs, we haue alwayes founde hym stronge and myghtye stomaked, and neuer cowardlye harted,
myghtye. nor yet terryfyed with wordlye sorowes. He euermore set hāde vpon the most sure anker. Hys trust was in the onlye helpe of God, and had allwayes to stande by hym a faythe invyncyble.
Farthermore thys specyall grace he had, to se verye farre in thynges of great wayght or daunger, & wyselye afore hande to seke out the best remedyes.
wysdome. Neyther was he, as manye men haue supposed, negligent in consyderacyon of the publyque
[Page] welthe, not yet in knowlege wherunto men hath therin bene enclyned. But he perfyghtlye knewe what was most commodyouse therunto, & most warelye perceyued & consydered the polycyes & cō iecturs of hys owne cytiezens. & though he were most quyck of wytt, yet trusted he not all to that but affectuouslye red the ecclesyastyck wrytynges both olde & newe,
Chronycles. sacred and prophane, with other hystoryes & chronycles, whose clere examples he proponed in all that was to be done.
Of hys eloquēce are left monumentes▪ that neuer wyll perysh, yea, soche as doth proue hym equall with them, whych had that gyft most hyghlye.
eloquēce. A man of so excellent witt & lernynge, with so manye noble vertues adourned, so longe contynuynge amonge vs, and most syngularlye appoynted of God for the instauracyon of hys sore decayed churche, now also clerelye taken from vs to our no small dysconfort, lete no man blame vs though we haue doloure.
A father. For most lyke are we now to orphanes, depryued of our valeaunt and faythfull father. And though it becometh vs to be contented
[Page 20] with that our lorde God hath done here, yet maye we not suffre hys benefyghtes and graces in hym, to be vnrecorded amonge vs.
We maye wele cōsydre thys man, to be the verye swete organe of god, lete vs not than drawe backe, but studyouslye enbrace hys good lernynge.
Organe of God. Hys necessarye vertues also, lete vs folowe to our power as hys true feare of God, hys faythe & feruencye in prayer, hys gentyll behauer in offyce, hys honest sober lyuynge, hys warenesse in auoydynge sedycyon, and hys sore and laboryouse stodye to profyght other. And as other godlye gouernours of Christes churche, as Hicremye, Iohan Baptyst,
Teachers and Paule (whose hystoryes we haue) are greatlye and oft▪ to be loked vpon for example, so lete vs manye tymes haue respect to the doctryne and course of thys godlye man. And se that we ioyne theunto both thankes and prayer to God, specyallye at thys present as wele becometh vs. Saye therfor with me no
[...], in a faythfull hart to that lorde almyghtye.
We thanke the omnipotent God, the
[Page] eternall father of our lorde Iesus Christ, the onlye founder of thy true churche, togyther with thy sonne vnto the coeternal, our lorde Iesus Christ, and the holye ghost, wyse, good, mercyfull, ryghtouse, true, myghtye, and most liberall, that thu gatheryst vnto that sonne of thyne the promysed herytage out of mankynde, and vpholdest the true mynysterye of thy Gospell, specyallye now that thu hast restored yt vnto vs by thy faythfull seruaunt Luther. The we most hartelye desyre,
Prayer. that from hens fourth thu wyt saue to preserue and gouerne that true congregacyon of thyne, and that thu firmelye plante in vs the most sure doctryne, lyke as Esaias desyered vnto hys dyscyples, and lighten our myndes with thy most holye sprete, that we maye both ryghtlye call vpon the, and also leade a godlye conuersacyon. Amen.
And bycause the departynges of myghtye gouernours,
Warnynges. are oft tymes no small decaye or losse to them that are left behynde. We instauntlye requyre yow, that is to saye, both I and all they whych are here appoynted in Godlynesse to instruct yow, that ye wyselye take
[Page 21] hede to the daungers of thys worlde. On the one syde the Turke cometh vpon vs verye fast, on the other syde the enemyes thretneth vs battayle here, euen at our owne dores.
Threttes And moche dyssolute wantonnesse of mennys wyttes reigneth euerye where, whych now that Luthers grounded iudgement ys no longar to be feared wyll be the moche more bolde to corrupt that pure lernynge whych he hath ryghtlye geuen vs.
That God maye the rather preserue vs from these daungers, lete vs dylygētlye labour to applye both our conuersacyons and stodyes to the best.
Christēly And euermore lete vs beare thys wayghtye sentence in mynde. That so longe as we shall Christenlye retayne, heare, lerne, and loue the syncere doctryne of the Gospell, we shall be Gods owne congregacyon, dwellynge place, and churche, lyke as the sonne of God hath most firmelye promysed. He that loueth me (sayth he) wyll regarde my worde,
Christ. and my father wyll also loue hym. And we togyther shall resort vnto hym, and appoynt our dwellynge place within hym. Lete thys so large a promes most ernestlye moue vs, to applye to that heauenlye doctryne. And
[Page] lete vs wele thynke, that for hys elect congregacyons sake, God vpholdeth mankynde and the publique polycyes of regyons. Also lete vs inwardlye beholde the eternall lyfe to come, wherunto God hath vs of hys mere goodnesse called,
Lyfe to come. whych hath not all without cause thus manyfested hymself vnto vs by so manye worthye wytnesses, neythet hath he sent hys most dere sonne in vayne. But trulye he both loueth and regardeth all them whych are not of these most specyall benefygtes oblyuyous se and vnthankefull. I
[...] haue sayd.
Thus endeth the oracyō or processe rehearced off Philipp Melanchton at the buryall of the Reuerende man, Doctor Martyne Luther. Translated by Iohan Bale.
Anno M.D.LXVI.
The Christen sermon made at the buryall of the honorable Doctour Martyne Luther, by Doctour Iohan Pomerane the chefe Pastoure of the churche of Wittemberge. Anno Dn̄i M. D. XLVI.
Translated by Iohan Bale.
IN hys first Epistle to the Thessalonyanes, & the fort chaptre, hath S. Paule the Apostle these wordes. We wolde not (bretherne) that ye shulde be ignoraunt, concernynge them whych are fallen a slepe, neyther yet that ye shulde sorowe as they do whych haue no hope. For if we beleue, that Iesus dyed and rose agayne,
1. Thes. 4 euen so them also whych are a slepe, through Iesus shall God brynge with hym.
Dere fryndes in the lorde, I am now cō strayned
[Page] of dewtye and loue, to preache vnto yow at thys solēpne buryall of our dere father Doctour Martyne Luther, the true Apostle of God. But how to be haue my selfe therin to your consolacyon, for verye heauynesse and doloure, I knowe not. And to speake it trulye, who shuld in thys publique sorowe solace yow if I your pastoure & preacher shuld not do it?
pastoure. Yet am I in thys sermon more lyke to increase your teares than demynysh them. God hath now taken from vs to our great hynderaunce, that notable seruaunt of hys and man honourable, Doctour Martyne Luther, by whom he liberallye dyspersed innumerable gyftes of hys grace, not onlye to vs here in Wittemberge, and dyuerse other Christen churches of Germanye, but to other foren nacyons abroade. For by hym both they and we (the prayse be geuen to god) do at thys daye notablye tryumphe agaynst the blasphemouse kyngedome of Sathan,
Tryūphe. the horryble ydolatryes and vayne tradycyons of men, or as S. Paule doth call them, the crastye inuencyons of the deuyll.
By hym hath God the father in these
[Page] lattre dayes clerelye manyfested in the Gospell, that ample, ineffable, and heauenlye mysterye, euen hys sonne Iesus Christ, as S. Paule to the Ephesyanes and Collossyanes calleth hym. By thys chosen mynystre of hys, haue the sayd sonne of God Ihesus Christ, defended that Gospell agaynst the most wycked pope,
The Gospell. agaynst all sectes and tyrauntes, and agaynst all the gates of helle. Yea, vnto thys so myghtye a seruaunt of hys, gaue he a sprete so effectuall and stronge, that he neuer yet staggered for no worldlye power nor threttenynge. So ernest was he in supportynge the pure doctryne of the Gospell agaynst the corrupters therof, that manye haue iudged euyll of hys vehement sprete,
Hypocrytes. as ded the vyperouse Pharysces of Iohan Baptyst and Christ. No greatter dyspleasure can be done to the hypocrytes, than their actes to be rebuked by the manyfest veryte. And agaynst their nature is it alwayes, to geue place therunto.
But now that the lorde hath thus taken from vs thys noble doctour and prophete of hys, yea, thys excellent massenger most gracyouslye sent of hym to refourme
[Page] hys churche, how can we from we pynges desyst? Or how shall we obeye the former saynges of Saynt Paule? that we ought not to be heauye ouer them that slepe in Christ.
S. Paule We must consydre therin what foloweth. That we ought not desperatlye to mourne, as doth the vnfaythfull without hope of resurreccyon. For we that beleue in God, do perfyghtlye knowe, that they are reserued to a moch better lyfe, & shall at the generall metynge be raysed vp agayne with vs, & euermore from thens fourth, we shall dwell togyther without separacyō.
But trulye the worlde was full vnworthye anye longar to retayne so worthye a seruaunt of God, to rebuke & dysdayne as it hath done,
The worlde. Manye syngular benefyghtes hath it receyued by hys admynystracyon in the worde, specyallye delyueraunce from the great throldome of conscyence and tyrannye of the papysme, yet hath it bene vnthankefull hytherto. Notwithstandynge a great nōbre of our aduersaryes, whych hath yet had some wytte & dyscressyon,
Aduersaryes. haue moch rather couered hys longe lyfe than deathe.
All thys haue I spoken in preface, to
[Page 24] shewe that we mourne not without iust cause, so notable a gyde taken from vs. And I doubt it not, but if mournynge myght helpe, all those worthye prynces gouernours,
Princes. cyties, and comynaltees whych knoweth the power of the Gospell, wolde also lament thys dolorouse chaunce with vs. Therfor can I not thynke that we mourne now alone, but manye thousandes more with vs all Christendome ouer.
The pope Neyther shall the wycked pope with hys Cardynall of Magunce, and hysduke of Brunswyke, haue anye great cause to reioyce in the deathe of thys man, whych haue so manye tymes with the manyfest veryte confounded them, neyther yet anye other sturdye aduersaryes of God. For though hys worthye persone hath departed hensin the lorde, yet tarryeth hys syncere doctryne here styll, and wyll herafter more effectuallye worke.
He was without fayle that Angell specyfyed Apoc. 14.
an angell Whych ded flye in the myddes of heauen or congregacyon of God, hauynge an euerlastynge Gospell to preache vnto them that dwell on the earthe, innacyons, kynredes, tunges, &
[Page] peoples, for neuer was there anye, that euer more ernestlye vttered thys sentence, feare your lorde God, and geue hym due honoure (whych comprehendeth the lawe and Gospell) than he.
2. partes of hys doctrine. For they without fayle were the ij. chefe partes of hys whole doctryne, by whome the whole scripture is opened, and Christ ryghtlye knowne, whych is our onlye ryghtwysnesse, helthe, and perpetuall lyfe. It foloweth in the text. The houre of hys iudgement is come. Worshypp hym that made heauen and earthe &c. Herin taught he the true inuocacyon & prayer to God our heauenlye father in sprete & veryte without supersticyon.
After the manyfestacyon of thys Angels doctryne, wyll there yet come an other,
An other that shall brynge consolacyon to the myserablye afflicted congregacyon of God, and vnto the truthes aduersaryes the ponnyshmentes of fyre and brymstone in the perpetuall iudgement of dampnacyon. The voyce of thys Angell wyll be thys. She is fallen, she is fallen, euen Babylon that great cytie. For makynge all nacyons dronken with the wyne of her whoredome, Ye shall wele
[Page 25] perceyue it, that our enemyes shall not longe reioyce of our sorowes. But as Christ hath spoken it, Ioan, 16. Our heauynesse wyll be turned to ioye.
Ioan. 16. By conferrynge the Apocalyps with our tyme, we perceyue sumwhat past, and as sure we are that more is yet commynge.
What nede I then anye farther to wade in thys sorowfull oracyon, concernynge the absence of thys our pastoure and Byshopp? Yes, & therin to acknowledge the great mercye & goodnesse of God to wardes vs, & so to rendre vnto hym most ernest thankes. That after an hondred yeares sens the deathe of that blessyd man Iohan Huss (whych in the yeare of our lorde.
Iohan Huss. 1415. was murthered for the veryte) he raysed vnto vs by hys holye sprete, thys myghtye Apostle S. Martyne Luther, agaynst the Antichristyane doctryne of that deuylysh pope and hys smokye swarme. Lyke as the seyd Iohan Huss prophecyed in the verye houre of hys deathe. For Huss in the Bohemysh tunge is as moch to saye as a gander.
a swanne Ye rost now the gander (sayd he) but after my deathe God wyll rayse soche a swāne as ye shall neyther be hable to rost nor
[Page] yet to brenne. And as they had sore accō bred hym with more ydell clamours and cryes than he was wele hable to answere, he concluded thus with them. An hondred yeares hens (sayd he) shall God and I answere yow.
Thys faythfull promes of hys true prophete haue the lorde now most iustlye perfourmed by our most dere father S. Luther,
Luther. whych in the yeare next folowynge that hondred, beganne in hys worde to inuade the kyngedome of Antichrist. Most hygh thankes ought we to geue vnto God, that he in so harde battayles, so longe preseruered hym to hys true churches behoue, and that Christ by the space of xxx. yeares, haue so oft in hym tryumphed ouer hys aduersaryes. Vnto hym be honoure and glorye perpetuall without ende. Amen.
Great cause haue we on the other syde to reioyce,
Reioyce. ī that our father here hath so frutefullye perfourmed hys course in the Apostles doctryne and prophetes offyce. And therin is so gracyouslye hens departed vnto our lorde Iesus Christ. There hath he now the felyshypp of the patryarkes, prophetes, Apostles, Martyrs,
[Page 26] & other faythfull fathers. Namelye of thē whome here he so faythfully instructed in the Gospell of saluacyō. with Lazarus is he there in Abrahams bosome,
Lazarus. or in the perpetuall Ioye of all heauenlye cytiezens. The experyment therof haue we in Saynt Paule whych sayd, Phil. 1. A desyre I haue to dye, and to be with Christ. The same haue we also in Steuen, whych sayd, Acto. 7. Lorde Iesu, receyue my sprete. More ouer Christ gaue vs a taft therof, whan he sayd to the thefe, Thys daye shalt thu be with me in paradyse. Luce 23.
And no doubt of yt,
our sprete as the sprete of Christ was in the handes of hys father tyll the daye of hys complete resurreccyon, after he had sayd, father into thy handes I cōmende my sprete. So shall our spretes be in the handes of Christ tyll our complete resurreccyon. For so sounde the wordes whych Abraham spake to the ryche glotton concernynge Lazarus. He is in confort, where as thu art in afflyccyon, Luce 16. The faythfull are in quyett and confortable solace, the wycked hath vnquietnes with paynefull anguysh, & shall haue to the lattre daye
[Page]
[...]
[Page 26]
[...]
[Page] full swete therfor is that slepe whych the scripture affermeth the electes to rest in.
the slepe.
Yea, and lyke as in a naturall slepe, the hole man resteth plesauntlye, is refreshed, and becometh more stronge and helthefull. So do the syckeman, specyallye if he be terryfyed with the feare of deathe, by greuouse and horryble dreames, vnquyetouslye rest. The slepe of soch a wone,
Deathe. is oft tymes more greuouse and horryble, than washys watchynge afore. A great dyfference therfor is there betwixt the slepes of the faythfull and vnfaythfull. Of these shall it become vs non otherwyse to dyffyne, than the scripture leadeth vs.
Now haue our dere father here obtayned, that he longe had in desyre. Wherfor if he were now agayne amonge vs, he wolde ernestlye rebuke our present mournynges with these wordes of Christ, Ioan. 14.
Luther. If ye loue me, ye wolde trulye reioyce in my most profytable passage vnto God my eternall father, or at the least be contented with my perpetuall felycyte and quyett. Christ hath for vs ouercomen the deathe, whye shulde we than
[Page 27] anye more feare the stynge therof? Non other is the deathe of our bodyes now,
Deathe. than an entraunce of a lyfe contynuall through Iesus Christ our lorde, whych was for vs a most precyouse sacryfyce.
I yet remembre it wele, that I oft tymes hearde thys blessed man Doctour Luther saye, as he behelde anye faythfull persone peceablye depart hens in Christes beleue. The eternall God of heauen graunt me at hys tyme appoynted, so plesauntlye to passe hens into the bosome of Christ my redemer,
Prayer. and that my bodye be not longe vexed with the terrours of deathe. Notwithstandynge yet Gods wyll be fulfylled in that matter.
In thys vnyuersyte now of late yeares Mastre Ambrose Bernarde,
An example. a man sober, wyse, vertuouse, and soch a won as loued Christ inteyrlye, chaunced (as ye knowe) certayne dayes afore he dyed, to be sicke and to kepe hys bedde. Yet felte he no sore grefe of hys syckenesse, but semed by and by therin transfourmed, as it had bene into an other lyfe. For he spake vnto vs most solacyouslye and plesauntlye, that he wolde reioyce with vs, as one neyther felynge of deathe nor yet
[Page] dysease. He coulde not feare the deathe, for he felte nothynge therof. And euer as mencyon was made of Christ, from the verye hart he reioyced and sayd,
No feare. that grace, helthe, and mercye from God the euerlastynge father, hath onlye chaunced to vs by hys most meke sufferynges. An vnspekable loue had he vnto Christ and alwayes called vpon God the father in onlye sprete and veryte.
As mencyon was made of hys dere wyfe and chyldren, or of hys possessyons, rentes, and dettes owynge hym, he was so ignoraunt in all soch causes,
Innocēt. as they neuer had bene knowne to hym. Vs at all tymes he knewe as we commened of Christ, and named vs by our names. He talked ioyfullye, yea he both dallyed and laughed, but all was in spirytuall thynges. That a man not throughlye knowynge the matter, wolde haue thought hym neuer to haue bene worldlye wyse in hys lyfe, neyther yet to haue nede of hys bedde at that houre. In thys innocencyeded the lorde Iesus Christ take hym hēs,
Departure. most plesauntlye and swetelye, without other paynes to all our syght. So that hauynge knowledge of the Christen faythe,
[Page 28] with the inteyre lone of God and hope of the lattre resurreccyon, he neyther felte doloure nor deathe, neyther tasted it nor yet se it. As Christ sayth Ioan. 8. He that obserueth my worde. shall neuer beholde deathe, but pleasauntlye passe hens from deathe vnto lyfe.
And though all godlye beleuers do not so peaceablye depart as ded thys Ambrose,
Ambrose. but haue great paynes and suffre great anguyshes, as ded on the crosse the dere sonne of God, yet whan the extreme houre cometh, they trulye se lyfe and no deathe. As our swete father here ded,
Luther. whych so oft tymes, and so inteyrlye commended hys sprete into the handes of God. Whych gracyouslye hath now delyuered hym from thys lyfe myserable to a lyfe most happye and sure. To hym therfor be honoure and glorye worlde without ende. Amen.
Thys helthsome and myrye hystorye of our ambrose, brought I in here for
causes. causes. First therby sumwhat to mytygate your present dolours for the absens of our father here, whych ye haue not
[Page] without cause. Secundlye for that I se the seyd hystorye so conforme to the matter we haue now in hande. Thys mastre Ambrose was verye nygh of kynne to S. Martyne Luther, whych caused hym oft tymes to frequent hys cumpanye both in hys syckenesse and afore.
Last wordes. And these were the last wordes that euer he spake vnto hym. Mastre Doctour, I thanke yow of your gentyll vysytacyon. I hope as gentyllye to vysyte yow agayne where we shall togyther commen of most ioyfull causes. And now in dede they maye commen those matters in an other lyfe, and holde soch heauenlye felyshypp as they neuer coulde do here.
The same verye tyme that Doctour Martyne went so from hym, I am wele remembred that he sayd thus vnto me. Thysman is surelye gone, though he seme styll here.
No deathe. For he knoweth no maner of thynge perteynynge to the fleshe nor yet to deathe. Whan we put hym in mynde of hys matters, he knoweth not the worlde nor yet, thys lyfe. He is merye he ioyfullye laugheth, and propouneth vnto vs in hys innocent state most wonderfull mysteryes. But in the ende he derydeth
[Page 29] vs. As who shuld saye, fare ye wele now, I haue nomore to do with thys worlde. The lorde of hys infynyte mercye (sayth he at the last) graunt me soch a gracyouse ende,
Prayer. that in the houre of deathe, I nothynge remembre thys worlde.
In lyke maner at an other season, after the seyd Ambrose was buryed in the yeare of our lorde a M.D.XLII. in the monthe of Ianuarye, as he one daye passed by, he poynted with hys hande to hys graue,
Ambrose. and sayd vnto me. Thys mā neyther felte hymselfe sycke neyther yet reckened of deathe, yet was he neuer without Christes knowledge. Here lyeth he inclosed whych yet knoweth of no deathe. O lorde Iesus Christ, I besyche the wore saue to take me so from thys myserable lyfe. Yea, manye tymes sayd thys blessyd father here both to me and to other. Praye vnto our most mercyfull father, that he shortlye take me vnto hym.
good mā. for here can I nomore do, neyther yet am I anye longar profytable vnto yow. Helpe me hens with your prayers, & prolonge not my lyfe on the earth. Herbye maye ye wele perceyue, that he had no great
[Page] pleasure here, but that hys full desyre was as was Saynt Paules,
S. Paule to be dysolued and with Christ. He sange hys consummatum longe afore he departed, commyttynge hys sowle to the handes of God.
Manye other prognostycacyons we had, or sygnes asore hande, of hys goynge awaye from vs. For all the yeare afore he sayd oft tymes vnto vs, that he coueted to iournaye an other waye. And as he desyered, so came it to passe. For as the noble earles of Mansfelde had sent for hym into hys owne natyue cytye of Ißleben,
[...]hearles by hys ghostlye counsell to quyet their matters of controuersye, as he ded most gracyouslye, he deceased there clerelye from thys lyfe. The maner of thys Christen departynge ye haue in writynge, by dyuerse men lerned & of most grounded testymonye, whych were there present, with the prayer whych he made afore he gaue vp hys lyfe. Whych here to repete were superfluouse.
S. Martyn.Here am I cōpelled to call to remembraunce the holye Byshopp S. Martyne. In whose hystorye Seuerus Sulpicius
[Page 30] mencyoneth, that the Arryanes & all other heretykes trembled as they hearde hym but named, and that there was amonge the Chrysten beleuers sore lamentacyon and mournynge at hys buryall. More ouer that after hys deathe was great dysputacyon betwyn certen cyties, whych of them shulde retayne hys bodye. And all thys hath also (as ye knowe full wele) chaunce
[...]o our Martyne here,
Luther. the elect Apostle and Prophete of God to withstande the great Antichrist in thys worthye lande of the Germanes. Hym hath Christ now in hys dere bosome, reseruynge hym to honoure, for that he so inteyrlye loued hym and hys true churche. Vnto vs hys posteryte the lorde graunt hys double sprete,
Helias. specyallye in those churches whych he here so frutefullye planted, lyke as the Prophete Eliseus desyred of Helias as he was from hens translated.
If we thynke that God for our synnes and vnthankefulnesse hath depryued vs of hym, lete vs studyouslye amende our lyues and desyre of the same God our mercyfull father, that we maye
[Page] frō hēs forth perseuer in the pure doctryne and syncere Christen faythe, and that Christ therin maye defende vs from sectes, tyrauntes,
Faythe. and the gates of helle. Most gracyouse lorde Iesus Christ defende now thy carefull congregacyon that they perpetuallye maye prayse the a ryght. Helpe vs our mercyfull God, & redemer, and delyuer vs for the glorye of thy mo
[...] holye name. Be fauourable to our inyquytees for thy gracyouse promes sake.
preachers Conserue in our churche the syncere and faythfull mynysters. Graunt them by thy holye sprete, thy myghtye strēgth and power, as the 67. Psalme specyfyeth God with stronge wordes, wyll assyst hys preachers.
Truth is it, that both the vnshamefast and horryble blasphemyes of the obstynate papystes and monkes,
Papystes and also our daylye vnthankefulnesses and vyces haue deserued sore plages and penaltees Yet lete vs not cease to call vpō god our most mercyfull father with amendemēt that he defende vs from all false worshyppynges, for hys onlye sonnes sake our lorde Iesus Christ. And that thys prophetycall verse or Epitaphe of our fathers
[Page 31] owne makynge, maye be clerelye fulfylled.
Pestis eram uiuens, moriēs ero mors tua papa.
Alyne I was, thy pestylence.
Thu Antichrist, thu pope of Rome.
And now I dead, wyll be from hence.
Thy deathe & thy most dredefull dome.
God haue the prayse for euer. Amen.
The Christen prayer of the most noble prynce electour Iohan Frederick duke of Saxon, in hys godlye warres agaynst Antichrist & hys vpholders Translated by Iohan Bale.
O Lorde eternall and my God / in the put I all my trust. Preserue me frō my pursuers / and kepe me out of their cruell hā des. Lete them not rauyne me vp / as the lyon the shepe / neyther yet teare me in peces / whyle there is non to assyst me. O lorde and my God / if I haue done soch thynge as the pope and Emprour do now laye to my charge / as that I shuld support yll doctryne and renoūce true obedyence. If I haue done euyll to anye
[Page] faythfull seruaunt of thyne or begunne thys warre vncompelled. Suffer myne enemyes to vexe me and take me / yea lete them treade my lyfe into the earthe / and throwe my honoure / my power / possessyons / and peoples / with all that thu hast geuen me / into the dust.
But thu my ryghteouse lorde God / knowest the hartes of vs both. Therfor stande vp lorde strongelye in thy wrathe / and shewe thy selfe as a myghtye God agaynst the furyouse indygnacyons of myne enemyes. Establysh me a freshe in the offyce wherwith thu hast charged me / that in myne owne landes and amonge myne owne folke I maye dwell in peace. That they maye into a faythfull congregacyon be gathered vnto the and not to the pope. Lete them heare thy blessyd worde lorde / and not hys / call vpon thy name and not on ydolles / and brynge vp their chyldrē and famelyes accordynge to thy most holye wyll and commaundementes.
Therfor aryse most blessyd lorde / and lete it be wele knowne that thu art more myghtye than all our bloudthurstye aduersaryes. And the moch more rather / for that there is at thys daye in no kyngedome (lorde) vndre the sunne / anye other manyfest churche or Christen congregacyon / wherin thy holye worde is apertlye / frelye / and purelye taught / and the sacramentes accordynge to thy true instytucyon mynystred /
[Page 32] neyther yet (eternall father) thy holye name called vpon ryghtlye by thy dere sonne Iesus Christ our lorde in the holye Ghost / than onlye our churches and those that be of our true beleue.
The Pope and the Emprour wyll in no wyse abyde thys churche / but sete in all their polycyes the vtter destruccyon therof. They now laboure with tothe and nayle / for
[...] syncere and pure doctryne to set vp mennys lyes / and in place of thy true worshyppynges to auaunce foule ydolatrye. We knowe it (blessed lorde) to be our bounde dewtye / both to stoppe and withstande their wycked and frantyke enterpryse / as wele for our owne subiectes as for their posterytees. And therfor good lorde / what we haue / and what we maye / we put now whollye in hasarde / that the hygh treasure of grace / thy precyouse worde and thy holye name / maye gracyouslye remayne styll amonge vs / and so be had in contynuaunce / and left for imytacyon vnto our posterytees.
Thu God almyghtye / whych art the most ryghteouse iudge of thy peoples / iudge me in thys present cause accordynge to thy ryghtwysnesse / and nō otherwyse thā my innocencye therin requyreth. For neyther the pope nor yet the Emproure can shewe hytherto anye honest pretence of thys their most detestable enterpryse. I besyche the therfor as thu art my true god lete the malyee of myne enemyes come to nought. Hytherto haue they agaynst thy holye worde done thys vyolence. Defende thy true seruauntes / whych haue both loued and embraced thy Gospell of saluacyon. Thu God without fayle / art the selfe ryghteouse iudge / that serchest the inwarde hartes and reynes. Thu lorde so clerelye beholdest the most hydden secretes of
[Page] the harte / that neyther they cā deceyue the nor yet mocke the with all their persuasyble gloses / as they do soch men as knowe not their wyckedcraftes.
God is my strōge shyelde of defēse / preseruynge thē whych are true hatred. But to soch dyssemblers and scorners as with craftye colours de clocke their inwarde myschefe and m
[...]e / he is a mo
[...] ernest enemye. the lorde is a ryghteouse iudge /
[...] soche a lyberall God as geueth hymselfe daylye to thē that heare hys worde / and saueth them all daungers. But where as hys worde is co
[...] and blasphemed / as with the cruell Pope and Emproure / whych haue longe tyme contynued in their wycked purpose / Loo / beholde / my lorde God becometh a stronge warryour / yea hys armoure and weapons are layed fourth / he hath sharpened hys swerde / he hath bent hys bowe and made it redye / therupon also he hath done hys arrowes of destruccyon / so that perpetuall deathe wyll vpon them fasten that shall with those dartes be stryken.
The blasphemouse Pope and Emproure haue now conceyued myschefe / they trauayle all great with iniquyte / but a thynge of nought are they lyfe to brynge fourth. They both haue labouryouslye dygged a pytt / and with wycked haman shall in conclusyon droppe into the snare they haue made. Their vnhappye workes wyll he auylye lyght vpon their owne pates / and vpon their backes wyll their wyckednesse fall to their no small grefe. In the meane season wyll I rendre thankes vnto my lorde God for hys ryghteousnes sake / and magnyfye the name of the kynge that is hyghest. Amen.