What Luther Says

“Christianity in Reverse”

These folk simply insist that they will come before God with works and not with faith alone. Thereby Christ is denied, and faith is gone. The miserable, accursed people turn everything upside down. Good works they should practice toward men. This they neglect to do. But they practice them toward God. Again, toward God they ought to exercise faith. This they neglect to do, use it toward men, and have faith in all the doctrines of men. But they are doing no one any good.
— Plass. What Luther Says. No. 3214.

“Stress Justification by Faith…”

Even herein the infinite patience of God appears, that He has not long ago destroyed the whole papacy and consumed it with fire and brimstone, as he did Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24). But these precious fellows now want to cover and embellish their godlessness and depravity. However this is not to be winked at. Therefore we must with supreme diligence set forth the article of justification that like the noonday sun it may bring to light the darkness of their hypocrisy and reveal their depravity and shame. Accordingly, we delight in pointedly presenting and urging the righteousness of faith that the adversaries may be confounded and this article may be established and confirmed in our hearts. Moreover, this is most necessary; for once we lose this sun, we shall again fall into our former darkness.
— Plass. What Luther Says. No. 3215.