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Reason is delighted with hypocrisy.353 The godly, feeling the corruption of

The people of grace...

the flesh, must not despair......420
The battle of the flesh and spirit in
the godly, and what they must do
when they feel sin

.421

The wisdom of the godly, who only

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What it is to crucify the flesh.

The armour of God.....

Why God layeth the cross upon the
preachers of the gospel

What offences are to be forgiven ..448

How they that are fallen ought to be
intreated

.456

LIFE

ОР

MARTIN LUTHER,

THE GREAT REFORMER.

THE subject of this Memoir was a most wonderful man, whom God raised up in these last ages of the world, to break the chain of superstition and spiritual slavery, which the bishops of Rome and their dependents had, for many centuries, cast over the consciences of all men. He was an instrument truly prepared for this great work; and yet but a mean and obscure monk, to shew us, that HE, who ruleth all things, effected himself the important design, in which the greatest prince upon earth would have undoubtedly failed.

The conduct of the dignified clergy throughout all Europe had long given scandal to the world. The bishops were grossly ignorant: they seldom resided in their dioceses, except to riot at high festivals; and all the effect their residence could have, was to corrupt others by their ill example. Nay, some of them could not so much as write, but employed some person, or chaplain, who had attained that accomplishment, to subscribe their names for them. They followed the courts of princes, and aspired to the greatest offices. The abbots and monks were wholly given up to luxury and idleness; and it appeared, by the uninarried state both of the seculars and regulars, that the restraining them from having wives of their own, made them conclude they had a right to all other men's. The inferior clergy were no better; and, not having places of retreat to conceal their vices in, as the monks had, they became more public. In sum, all ranks of churchmen were so universally despised and hated, that the world was very apt to be possessed with prejudice against their doctrines, for the sake of the men whose interest it was to support them. And the worship of God was so defiled with gross superstition, that, without great inquiries, all men were easily convinced that the church stood in great need of a reformation. This was much increased when the books of the fathers began to be read, in which the difference between the former and later ages of the church very evidently appeared. They found, that a blind superstition came first in the room of true piety; and when, by its means, the wealth and interest of the clergy were highly advanced, the Popes had upon that established their tyranny; under which, not only the meaner

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