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WEALTH is the smallest thing on earth, the least gift that God has bestowed on mankind. What is it in comparison with God’s Word—what in comparison with corporal gifts, as beauty, health, etc.? nay, what is it to the gift of the mind, as understanding, wisdom, etc.? Yet are men so eager after it, that no labour, pains, or risk is regarded in the acquisition of riches. Wealth has in it neither material, formal, efficient, nor final cause, nor anything else that is good; therefore, our Lord God commonly gives riches to those from whom He withholds spiritual good.
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Such like fellows does the world produce; grammarians, logicians, rhetoricians, and philosophers, all falsifying the Holy Writ, and sophisticating it with their arts, whereas, it ought to remain, every point in its own place, whereto God ordered and appointed it. Divinity should be empress, and philosophy and other arts merely her servants, not to govern and master her, as Servetus, Campanus, and other seducers would do. God preserve His Church, which by Him is carried as a child in the mother’s womb, and defend her from such philosophical divinity.
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Christ preached without wages, yet the godly women, whom He had cleansed and made whole and delivered from wicked spirits and diseases, ministered unto Him of that which they had (Luke viii.). They gave Him supply, and He also took and received that which others freely and willingly gave Him (John xix.).
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Faithful Christians should heed only the embassy of our blessed Saviour Christ, and what He says. All they who alter and construe the Gospel through human authority, power, and repute, act very unchristianlike, and against God. No temporal potentate allows his ambassador to exceed his instructions, not in one word; yet we, in this celestial and divine embassy and legation will be so presumptuous as to add and diminish to and from our heavenly instruction, according to our vain conceit and self-will.
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I am persuaded that if at this time Peter, in person, should preach all the articles of Holy Scripture, and only deny the Pope’s authority, power, and primacy, and say, that the Pope is not the head of all Christendom, they would cause him to be hanged. Yea, if Christ Himself were again on earth, and should preach, without all doubt, the Pope would crucify Him again. Therefore, let us expect the same treatment; but better it is to build upon Christ, than upon the Pope. If, from my heart, I did not believe that after this life there were another (that is eternal life), then I would sing another song, and lay my burthen on another’s neck.
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We cannot pray without faith in Christ the Mediator. Turks, Jews, and Papists may repeat the words of prayer, but they cannot pray. And although the Apostles were taught this Lord’s Prayer by Christ, and prayed often, yet, they prayed not as they should have prayed; for Christ says: Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name, whereas, doubtless, they had prayed much, speaking the words. But when the Holy Ghost came then they prayed aright in the name of Christ.
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Such fellows as Tetzel, Cochlaeus, and Lemnius I nothing regard. We should have no dealing with such backbiters and slanderers, they are most detestable; they appear not openly in the field, nor come right in our sight, but, in their poisoned hatred, scorn everything we do. They boast highly of the Fathers; let them; we have one Father, which is in heaven, who is above all fathers; their piece and patch-work is of no weight.