Commentary on Galatians, Luther

"Luther had a very sharp and satirical style; but his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians was his favorite work. His favorite doctrine was justification by faith alone, and not by works, moral, legal, or evangelical; but we must do him the justice to observe, that he perpetually inculcated the absolute necessity of good works. According to him, a man is justified only by faith; but he cannot be justified without works; and where those works are not to be found, there is assuredly no true faith... His followers called themselves Lutherans, much against his mind; but they recede from him in many things, as may be seen by their writings... Melancthon says, 'I am a logician; and Justus Jonas is an orator; but Luther is good at everything: the wonder of mankind; for whatever he says, or writes, it penetrates the heart, and makes a lasting impression." (Excerpts from "Life of Luther," in Luther's Commentary on... Galatians, p. lxx).