those of whom it is written, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord," Jer. 17: 5.
If I should, by my teaching, gain disciples for myself and not for Christ Jesus, seeking my own gain, praise, and honor, then, indeed, woe unto my soul! No brethren, no. The Lord be blessed I seek not that which Judas, Gallio, and Theudas sought. By the grace of God I am not minded like those who, in their imagination soar above the clouds and want to be like unto the Most High; Acts 6: 37. But I repeat it. I am a poor, miserable sinner, who must daily fight with my flesh, the world, and the devil, and daily seek the mercy of the Lord; and who, with holy Paul boasts of nothing but of Christ Jesus alone; and that he was crucified for us.
My writing and preaching is for nothing but for the sake of Christ Jesus; for I seek and desire nothing (this the Lord knows) but that the most glorious name, the divine will, and the glory of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ may be acknowledged throughout the world. I desire and seek sincere teachers, true doctrines, true faith, true sacraments, true worship, and an unblamable life; for which I must pay with much tribulation, trouble, uneasiness, labor, watching, fear, anxiety, sorrow, envy, shame, heat, and cold, and perhaps, at last by torture, yea by my blood and death. For my reward, according to the flesh, must be that of him who, from the beginning, in his great love, has sought the salvation of the world. I say with holy John the Baptist; Christ Jesus must increase, but I must decrease, Jn. 3: 30; he lives forever and ever, but I shall again return to the dust from whence I came, as all the children of men.
Therefore I beseech you again, by the grace of God, and for the salvation of your souls, that you may weigh my doctrine and the doctrine of all mankind, who have been from the times of the apostles, are now, and shall yet be, with the gospel balance of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of his holy apostles, lest you be deceived by me or by any other man, no matter whether he be a prince, learned or unlearned, holy in appearance, or miraculous. If it be the word of God which I teach, accept it in the name of the Lord, if ye would not be lost. But if it be human doctrine, then let it be accursed of God. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid (by the apostles) which is Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. 3: 11.
No doctrine is profitable or serviceable to our salvation but the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his holy apostles, as he himself says, "Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," Matt. 28: 19.
All Scripture, both of the Old and New Testaments, rightly explained according to the intent of Christ Jesus and his holy apostles, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Tim. 3: 16; but whatever is taught contrary to the Spirit and doctrine of Jesus is accursed of God, Gal. 1.
Inasmuch as there is but one corner stone laid of God, the Almighty Father, in the foundation of Zion, which is Christ Jesus, Isa. 28: 16; Rom. 9: 33; 1 Pet. 2: 6; upon whom alone we should build conformable to his word, and upon none other; and as the whole world, to the contrary, have built upon strange corner stones, such as popes, councils, doctors, doctrines, and commandments of men; upon wrong practices of long standing, and still continue to build upon pretending prophets; and as they thus so shamefully reject the only, noble, and finished corner stone, the ever blessed Christ Jesus—therefore I can not be restrained, but must warn all God-fearing souls in the Lord, by my writings, wherever they shall be taken, read, and heard, that from this moment they may awaken, if they desire to be saved (whether I live or die by so doing), and that they may without delay, enter upon the wholesome doctrine, sacraments, obedience, and life of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; for in him alone is life eternal, as has been frequently said above.
Beloved reader, verily, I can not but wonder at the obduracy, deafness, and blindness of the world, inasmuch as they are not ashamed to bear the name of Christ, and to boast of his merits, blood, and death, while nothing is found among them at all by which they prove the good will and nature
