Admonition to the Germans, Prayer
A praier to be saide of all t…e Christians agaynst the Pope and al the enemies of Christ and hys Gospel.
O Lord, almighty god and heauenly father, we hauehave verelye wel deserued that thou shouldest punish & correct vsus. But we besech the most gracious father, that thou wilt punish & correct vsus thy selfe fauourably and with mercy, and not in thy fury and indignation. It is better for vsus, O Lorde, to submyt our selues vnderunder thy rod and correction, & to yeld our selues into thy hands, thā into the handes of men, or of our enemies. For great is thi mercy. Against the (O Lord) hauehave we sinned, we hauehave not kept thy word and cōmaundemē tes, we hauehave done euyll in thy syght. But we hauehave done nothyng, for the which the diuel or the Pope and hys ministers ought iustlye to correct vsus, neyther hauehave they any authoritye to correct or punish vsus. But thou maiest vse them as thy terrible rods againste vsus, forasmuche as we hauehave synned against thee, and therwith worthelye deserued most greuous punishment. No Lorde, we hauehave done no offence▪ for the which thei ought ius…ly to punishe vsus. But thys is theyr seekyng that we shoulde most blasphemously synne and offend against thee as they do. That we should disobey thee for theyr pleasures, and blaspheme thee, and committe idolatrye and supersticion, and beleue in fables and false doctrine and religion as thei do. And so that we would so do, they care not what whoredome, murther, theft, filthynes or what other abhominacion so euer we dyd otherwyse. But thys is all the synne whych we hauehave done agaynst theym, that we professe and confesse thee, which art our God and Father, wyth thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ, and the holy Gost▪ to be the onelye true God.
For if we woulde forsake, and deny the and thy word, which thou hast reueled vntounto vsus, both the dyuel & the Pope wyth al theyr ministers wold let vsus alone, & suffer vsus to lyue in rest.
Wherfor thou merciful father, and most ernest iudge ouer our enemies, cast thine eyes vponupon vsus. For they are thy enemies, more thē they be our enemies. And in that they persecute & vexe vsus, they persecute and vexe thee. For that word which we do professe and beleue, is not ours but thyne: & al together is the working of thy holye Ghost in vsus. Which thing the Diuel & the Pope with such other enemyes of thine can not abide. But thei wold be our God in thy place, & in stede of thy word, they woulde establish lyes. For the Pope in stede of the most pre…ious sacrifice & oblacion of thy sonne Iesus Christ, wold stablysh & set vp ye fained sacrifice of his own inu…ncion, the detestable & abhominable masse, & other false & wicked articles contrary to ye true doctrine of thy word. Wherfore awake & arise, O gracious Lorde God, & sāctifie thy name in vsus, which thei do most abhominabli blaspheme & dishonor. Strengthen & increase th… kingdom in vsus, which they go about to subuert. And worke thy wyl in v…, which thei resist, & wil not suffer. But thou (O Lord) suffer vsus not to be trodē vnderunder fote, & to hauehave an ouerthrow of them, which seke not to punyshe or correct vsus for our sins, but rather that thy name, thy word & workes should not be had in remēbraūce among vsus, but vtterli quenched, that thou shouldest no more be a God, nor no more hauehave anye flocke or people to prayse, professe & confesse the. For they cast a way thy word, & set vp theyr own inuencions. They subuert the true vse of thy sacraments, & set vp idolatrous ceremonies. They banish and kepe in prison the true preachers of thi word▪ and send abrode false teachers, bellye Gods & shameles Hipocrites. They minde vtterly to subuert thy truth, & al godlines, & to plant al hipocrisye & abhominaciō. Wherfore good Lorde (of thy mercy) abate thou theyr pride, asswage thou theyr malice, confoūd & disapoint thou al theyr deuises & practises, deliuer thy Turtle doue, thine elect, out of theyr handes: that thei and we al being preserued thorow thy defence from al such perils & daungers as thei practise and deuise against vsus, may glorifie thy name whych art the onlye preseruer of al y• trust in the, thorow thy deare son Iesus Christ. Amen.
O Lord arise, helpe and deliuer thy people of Englād for thi names sake.
O Lord defend thy elect people of England from the handes and force of thy enemyes the Papistes.
O Lord graciously looke vponupon the affliccions, sorowes, and necessities of those that do truli professe and beleue thy woorde. Amen.
¶Imprinted at Grenewych by Cō rad Freeman, in the month of May. M.D.Liiii.
With the most gracious licence & priuilege of god almightie, King of heauen & earth.
FINIS.
End of the text · Martin Luther, Admonition to the Germans (1554)