The highest wisdom of the world is, said Luther, to trouble
themselves with temporal, earthly, and vanishing things; and as it
happeneth and falleth out with those things, they say, "Non putaram"
(I had not thought it). For faith is a certain and a sure
expectation of that which a man hopeth for, and maketh no doubt of
that which he seeth not, as the Epistle to the Hebrews saith: Faith
looks to that which is to come, and not to that which is already
present. Therefore a true Christian doth not say, "Non putaram" (I
had not thought it); but he is most certain that the beloved Cross
is near at hand, and will surely come upon him; therefore he is not
afraid when it goeth evil with him, and he is tormented. But the
world, and those that live securely in the world, cannot brook
misfortunes; they go on continually leaping and dancing in pleasure
and delight, like the rich Glutton in the Gospel. He could not
spare the scraps to poor Lazarus, but Lazarus belonged to Christ,
and he took his part.


The Language and Doings of the World.

Albertus, Bishop of Mentz, had a physician attending on his person
who was a Protestant, and therefore the less in the Bishop's favour;
the same, being covetous and puffed up with ambition, recanted his
religion and fell to Popery, uttering these words: "I will, for
awhile, set Christ behind the door, until I be grown rich, and then
I will take him to me again." Such and the like blasphemous words
do deserve the highest punishments, as befell that wicked
dissembling wretch, for the same night he was found in his bed in a
most fearful manner, with his tongue torn out of his mouth, as black