ow what
we believed,--namely, what God's word is, not what the Pope and holy
Fathers believe or say. For you must not put your faith at all in
persons--but on the word of God.

So when any one assaults you, and like a heretic asks why you believe
that you shall be saved through faith--here is your answer: "Because
I have God's word and the clear declarations of Scripture." As St.
Paul says, "The just shall live by faith," and St. Peter, where he
speaks of Christ, the living stone, quoting from the prophet Isaiah,
"Whosoever believeth on him shall not be confounded; thereon do I
build, and know that the word will not deceive me." But if you will
speak like other fools, "Yes, we will hear how the council decides,
and with that we will abide," then are you lost. Wherefore you should
say, "Why do I then ask what this one or that believes or decides; if
they speak not the word of God, I will hear nothing of it."

Do you say, then, it is so confusedly difficult a thing, that no one
knows what he should believe, and so one must wait till it is
determined what one shall hold? Answer. Then will you go to the devil
the while; for if it comes to the pinch, and you should die and not
know what you should believe, neither I nor any one else could help
you. Therefore you must know for yourself, and turn to no one else,
and cling fast to the word of God, if you would escape hell. And for
such as cannot read, it is necessary that they should learn and
retain some clear texts out of the Scriptures--one or two at least,
and on this ground abide firmly. As for instance that of Gen. xii.,
where God says to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed." If you have learned that, you may stand thereon
and say, "Though Pope, bishop, and all the councils stood yonder and
said otherwise, yet do I declare this is God's word, that I can rely
on, and that does not deceive me." Whoever will be blessed, must be
blessed through "the seed," and whoever is blessed is ransomed from
the curse--that is, from sin, death and hell. Therefore it follows,
from the text--whoever will not be blessed through "the seed," he
must be lost. So that my works or good deeds can help nothing to my
salvation.

To the same end also is the passage out of Peter,--"Whoever believeth
on this stone shall not be ashamed." If any one now come upon you and
demand a reason of your faith, reply--"There stands the foundation
which cannot fail me, and so I a