"A true Christian," said Luther, "must hold for certain, and must
say, That Word which is delivered and preached to the wicked, to the
dissemblers, and to the ungodly, is even as well God's Word as that
which is preached to the good and godly upright Christians. As
also, the true Christian Church is among sinners, where good and bad
are mingled together. And that Word, whether it produceth fruit or
not, is nevertheless God's strength, which saveth all that believe
thereon. And again, it will also judge the ungodly, as St. John
saith in chap. v., otherwise they might plead a good excuse before
God, that they neither ought to be nor could be condemned; for then
they might truly allege that they have not had God's Word, and so
consequently could not receive the same. But," said Luther, "I say,
teach and acknowledge that the Preacher's words, his absolutions,
and the sacraments, are not his words nor works, but they are God's
words, works, cleansing, absolving, binding, etc.; we are but only
the instruments, fellow-workers, or God's assistants, through whom
God worketh and finisheth his work. We," said Luther to Bullinger,
"will not endure these your metaphysical and philosophical
distinctions and differences, which merely are spun and hammered out
of human and natural sense and reason. You say, It is a man that
preacheth, that reproveth, that absolveth, comforteth, etc., and
that the Holy Ghost worketh; you say, likewise, the Minister
baptiseth, absolveth, and administereth the sacraments, but it is
God that cleanseth the hearts, and forgiveth sins, etc. Oh, no,"
said Luther, "but I conclude thus: God himself preacheth,
threateneth, reproveth, affrighteth, comforteth, absolveth,
administereth the sacraments, etc. As our Saviour Christ saith,
'Whoso heareth you, heareth me; and what ye loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven,' etc. Likewise, 'It is not you that speak, but
the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.'"
"I am sure and certain," said Luther, "when I go up to the pulpit,
or to the cathedral, to preach or read, that it is not my word which
I speak, but my tongue is the pen of a ready writer, as the Psalmist
saith. God speaketh in the Prophets and men of God, as St. Peter in
his Epistle saith: 'The holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost.' Therefore we must not separate nor part God and
man according to our natural reason and understanding. In like
manner, every hearer must conclude and say, I hear not St. Paul, St.
Peter, or a man speak; but I hear God himself speak, baptize,
absolve, excommunicate, and administer the holy sacrament of the
Lord's Supper, etc."
Bullinger, attentively hearkening to this discourse of that holy
man, Luther, fell down flat on his face to the ground, and uttered
these words following: "Oh, happy be the time that brought me
hither to hear the divine discourse of this man of God" (Martin
Luther), "a chosen vessel of the Lord to declare his truth! And now
I abjure and utterly renounce these my former errors, finding them
convinced and beaten down through God's infallible Word which out of
his divine mouth" (Martin Luther), "hath touched my heart, and won
me to his glory." After he had uttered these words lying on the
ground, he arose and clasped his arms about Luther's neck, both of
them shedding joyful tears.
Ah, God! said Luther at that time, what an unspeakable comfort a
poor, weak, and sorrowful conscience might have and receive, if it
could but believe that such words and comforts were the words and