CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
Hebrews; that i, that they may not los the faith, and begin to be defiled
by a bef in works as the means of justification This is a thing whi
easily happes, and defis very many, unless faith be constantly
iculcated along with works It is impoble to avoid this evil, when
faith is passd over in silence, and only the ordinances of men are taught,
as has been done hitherto by the petient, impious, and soul-destroyig
traditions of our pontiffs and opinions of our theologians. An infinite
number of sul have been drawn do to hell by these sares, so that
you may recognise the work of antichrist.
In brief, as poverty is imperilled amid riches, hoty amid business,
humility amid honours, abstice amid feastig, purity amid pleasures,
so is justificati by faith imperilled among ceremonies. Soon says,
"Can a man take fire in his bo, and his clothes not be burned?" (Prov.
vi. 27). And yet as we must lve among rich, busss, hurs,
pleasures, feastigs, so must we among ceremonies, that is among peri
Just as ifant boys have the greatest need of being cherished i th
boso and by the care of girls, that they may not die, and yet, when
they are grown, there is peril to their salvati in living among girls, so
inexpericed and fervid young mn require to be kept i and restraind
by the barriers of ceremonies, eve were they of iron, lest their weak
mds should rush headlong into vice. And yet it would be death to them
to persvere in belivig that they can be justified by these things They
must rather be taught that they have been thus iprid, not with the
purpo of thr being justified or gaing merit in th way, but in order
that they mght avoid wrong-doing, and be more easily instructed in that
righteousness whic is by faith, a thing wh the headlong character of
youth would not bear un it were put under restraint.
Hence in the Chritian life ceremonies are to be no otherwise looked
upon than as buiders and workm lok upon those preparations for
building or working which are not made with any view of beg
permanent or anything in themselves, but only because without them
there could be no buiding and no work. When the structure is coplted,
they are laid aside. Here you see that we do not contemn thes
preparations, but set the highest value on them; a belief in them we do
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