The Kingdom of Christ and Christian Liberty

A fruitful and godly Exposition and declaracion of the kingdom of Christ, and of the christen lybertye, made upon the words of the Prophet Ieremye in the xxiij. Chapter, with an exposycyon of the viij. Psalm, intreatyng of the same matter, by the famous clerk Doctor Martyn Luther, whereunto is annexed a Godly sermon, of Doctor Vrbanus Regius, upon the ix. Chapyter of Mathewe of the woman that had an issew of blood and of the rulers daughter, newly translated out of high Almayne. Imprinted for Gwalter Lynne. Anno. M.D.xiviij. To the most gratiouse and virtuous Lady Elizabeth sister to the Kings most Royal Majesty: Her most faithful daily Orator Gwalter Lynne, wyssheth long life to GODS pleasure, increase of honor and the life everlasting. Considering this time (most virtuous Lady) to be the time of Christ's raygne and kyngedome, wherein the Gospel is the rule of the prinxely powers, and mercy is more esteemed then sacrifyce: I thought that I could not gratify your grace more with any kind of obsequye, that I could show through the slender talentes, that it has pleased the almighty to endue me withal, then if I should set forth in the Englysh to^g, some godly lesson of some learned and Christian teacher, concerning the same, I have therefore translated into the English long this little book of master Martine Luthers doing, concerning the kyngedome of Christ and Christian liberty, made upon the Epistle of Ieremye the Prophet. And because I know that a good thing can not be to often nor to much spoken of. I have added hereunto another piece of the same man's labors, a sermon that he made upon the eyghte Psalm. Lord, our Lord, etc. concerning the same matter, and cousyderyng that faith in the blood of christ our sufficient price and ransom, and the hope of the resurrection these mortal bodies, is most necessary to be known to al christians. I have also added in the end of this little book, a sermon made by the famous doctor Vrbanus Regius, concerning the same, made upon the ix. Chapyter of Mathewe, occasyon taken by the mencyon of the woman, that suffered the blood flixe and the rulers daughter.

How pithilye, learnedly and christianlye the, these matters be handled, it shall not need me to report, knowing that your grace delyteth more in the, the pervsyng and reading of the Authors themselves, then of any encomion or praise, that can be given unto them, willing all other therefore to follow your graces example herein. I commit this my labor unto your grace, as a most sure toke^ of my good will to gratify your grace by setting forth and furthering to my power, the truth of Christ, who always preserve your grace to much honor, spiritual knowledge, and life without end. So be it. Your graces faithful and daily Orator Gwalter Lynne. Of the kingdom of Christ Ieremye in the xxiij. Chap. Behold the time comes says the Lord, yt I will raise up unto David a righ teous brau^che, and he shall prospere with wisdom, and shall set up equity and righteousness again in earth. In his time shall Judah be saved, and Israel shaldwell without fear: and this is the name, yt they shall call him, the Lord our righteousness. And therefore behold, the time comes (says the Lord) that it shall be no more said, the Lord lives, which brought ye children of Israel out of yt land of Egipte. But ye Lord and the Christen liberte. lives, which brought forth and led the seed of the house of Israel, out of the Northlande, and from all countries, where I have scattred the^, and they shaldwel in their own land again. IN this Epistle, or prophecye of Jeremy, is Christ showed unto us, what he is, and what his kyngedome is, how he shall rule, and how they that are under his kyngedom shall dwell without fear. First says the Prophet, that Christ is the branch and seed of David, Even so says also Saynct Paull to the Rumayns in the.i. That God has caused his Gospel of his. son to be prophesied by the Prophets in the scriptures, that he should be such a Lord, which should be borne of the seed of David (as pertaynyng to the flesh) and yet myghtelye declared to be the son of God after the spirit that sanctifyeth etc. Romans i. Even such a saying is this also, and therefore it is cuydent that the hole old Testament serves unto this purpose, that we may see, that all things, which we now preach and believe are performed, even as they were showed and prophesied before, as we shall further mark and perceive in the process.

Ye have heard that it was said unto Abraham, Ge. xxij Genesis xxij. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. This is a Gospel, wherewith the holy fathers were sustained a very long time, but it was not yet fulfilled, for he says: It shall come to pass, that all nacyons shall be blessed. In this sayng is it surely promised unto Abraham, that this seed should be borne of his generation, to thinte^t, that he should not need to grope here and there, as in the time of Adam, whereas they had also a Gospel, but it was very dark, namely where as God said unto the serpent, Gene. Genesis iij. iij. I will put enemitye, between the, and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, the same shall tread down thy head, and thou shall tread upon his hele. Which is spoken altogether of Christ, that he should tread down the devils head and all nations should be blessed in him. …