Page:Historical and biographical sketches.djvu/138

134 of Satan, fell into sin and transgression and that through this transgression sin came into the world, and through sin, death, and that death has become the lot of all men because they have sinned. The Holy Scriptures instruct us further that God in his great mercy has given the promise to the fallen human race, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent, through which they again should be redeemed from the curse and damnation, through an everlasting redemption. Of all this there are found in the Holy Scriptures many consoling promises, which were written and made to our fathers, from time to time, through Moses and the prophets, partly through figures and pictures, partly through visions and prophecies, of which in the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament very many witnesses are at hand. Further, how through Christ as the promised seed of the woman, in the fullness of time, by the working of the Holy Ghost, this, according to human understanding, unfathomable, godly, secret work of the redemption, through the birth, teaching and life, suffering, death, resurrection, and entrance into heaven of Christ, was performed and completed. Of all this the Holy Scripture of the New Testament gives us complete information. There is also found therein express instruction how we can participate in such redemption, and how a Christian must follow his calling to which he has been called, through the exercise of piety in Christian virtue, and must place his feet and steps on the daily increase and growth in teaching and life, after the example of Him who has created and redeemed him. I repeat that of all this the teaching of Christ and His apostles, in the New Testament informs and instructs us.

Now if it should be put down in writing with particularity concerning each exercise, according to the above outline, how it is made useful for the teaching and