46. In order, now, he continues, that ye may be saved from his
murderous designs, and may preserve the life you have begun, ye must
be sober and watchful; not only mindful of the body, but much rather
of the mind and soul. It is true that a Christian who is to resist
the devil must be physically sober, for a full hog and drunkard
cannot be watchful nor can he plan defense against the devil. Yet
must a Christian much more guard himself, lest the soul become sleepy
or drunken. As the soul is burdened by the body when the latter is
overwhelmed by drunkenness, so, when the soul is watchful and sober,
the body also is temperate and prepared to hear God's Word. But where
the body is oppressed by drunkenness, there the soul must first have
been a drunkard, not heeding God's Word nor giving attention to
prayer. Where the soul is drunken and drowned in such security, it
will not avail that the body suffer hurt by strict fasting and
self-mortification, after the fashion of the Carthusians and hermits.
47. Saint Peter, then, forbids not only bodily drunkenness, but also
drunkenness of the soul. One's soul is drunk when he lives in carnal
security, without thought and anxiety as to whether he have and hold
God's Word or not; when he asks no questions, either about God's
wrath or his grace; and when he, moreover, lets himself be filled
with the sweet poison of false doctrine through the mob of evil
spirits Satan employs for this purpose, until he grows numb, loses
faith and clear judgment and finally becomes overfull of drunkenness
and spews it out upon others.
48. The same thing results when men begin to be wise in divine things
by following human reason. Saint Peter aptly describes this false
doctrine with the expression, "cunningly devised fables," 2 Pet 1,
16. He says: "We did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we
made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Such are the beautiful words and sermons which make a great show of
wisdom and holiness, and naturally please men. For instance it is a
cunningly devised fable when one with the aid of philosophy, which
reason can understand, sets forth in grandiloquent words what a fine
thing it is for a man to live honorably, chastely, and to practice
good works and virtues. The aim is, with such pretense, to have us
believe that we, through these works (not alone through faith), are
justified before God; that is, are redeemed from sin and death.
49. Again, other factious spirits travel about with worthy sayings
which they have heard from us--externals do not help souls; the
Spirit must do the work--and then they proceed to fling contempt on
baptism and the Lord's Supper. So Thomas Munzer, with his seditious
peasants, and the Anabaptist rabble, went about, with great
demonstration, preaching about the shameful, wicked life of the
world, especially of the authorities, declaring that these were
godless people and tyrants, and deserved God's wrath and punishment;
that therefore men should depose and execute them, and establish a
new government, of only pious and holy people.
These and similar things Peter calls "cunningly devised fables." They
are exaggeratingly pretended to be the product of great wisdom and
art, and are rendered sweet and palatable to reason. So has all
idolatry, heresy, and false doctrine, from the beginning on,
prevailed, being fashioned and most beautifully adorned by people
learned and wise and held in the esteem of the world.
50. How admirable did the position of Arius and his adherents appear
in comparison with the true faith concerning the divinity of Christ,
when they declared that though Christ should be exalted above all
angels and creatures, and that all honor, dominion and power in
heaven and on earth belong to him, yea, that he is quite equal to
God--all this, yet he is not "homo-ousios"; that is, he is not in one
undivided, divine, eternal essence, which is of such unity that it
could be imparted to no one else. It would be too much to say that a
man is God, etc. With such pretense was a great multitude of
Christians seduced. Even few bishops remained in the pure doctrine
and faith. And afterward this poison prevailed among the wise people
of Asia and Greece, until Mohammed, with his Saracens and Turks, had
miserably corrupted the greatest part of the world.
51. Likewise the Pope has adorned and colored with a glorious form
his abominations and idolatry, claiming for his order of service that
it is a meritorious and beautiful thing. Again, he calls attention to
the serviceableness of the beautiful, orderly government and power of
the Church, with its well regulated gradations of office and
position--bishops superior to the ordinary priests, and over the
bishops Saint Peter's chair at Rome. In that chair is vested the
authority for the convocation of general councils so often as these
may be necessary. These councils are to judge and decide in all
matters of faith, and their decisions everyone must follow and obey.
Again, he boasts what great service and consolation to the whole
world is the work of the priests in the mass, when they daily renew
and offer to God the sacrifice made by Christ on the cross. This is
the sweet wine in the "golden cup" of the scarlet harlot of Babylon,
with which she has made drunken all kings and nations, Rev 17, 2-4.
52. Where the devil finds those who give ear to such fables, he takes
them captive and so fills them with these falsehoods that they
neither see nor hear anything else. They think their belief is the
only one, and they will not suffer themselves to be instructed out of
God's Word. And so, in their madness, without rightful intelligence
of faith and all principles of pure doctrine, they continue in their
darkened mind, with their fantastic, lying prattle, without
repentance and amendment, having no grace to learn or do anything
good. This is amply proved by the example of all seditious spirits.
53. Therefore, Peter admonishes us to be "sober and watchful,"
especially in spirit, and to guard ourselves against this sweet
poison and these beautiful, adorned lies and fables of the devil. He
teaches us how to equip and defend ourselves against his wicked
devices.
"Whom withstand stedfast in your faith."
54. The true defense and resistance, in which we are to be sober and
watchful, is to be well grounded in God's Word and cling firmly
thereto when the devil seeks, with his cunningly devised fables, born
of human understanding and reason, to overthrow our faith. Reason is
the devil's bride, and always vaunts itself wise and skilful in
divine things, and thinks what it holds to be right and good must be
accounted so before God. But faith holds to God's Word alone. It
knows that before God, human wisdom, skill and power, and whatever
gifts and virtues man may have, count for nothing. Only his grace and
the forgiveness of sins in Christ has value. Therefore, faith can
repel and defeat all these fine pretensions and cunning fables.
55. Worldly dominion and authority boasts before God in this fashion:
My crown is a crown in God's sight, for my power and sovereignty have
been given me by God. Therefore, whatever I say he must respect and
regard as valid, and everyone must endorse my words and actions.
The wise philosopher or jurist would thus give expression to his
boasts and pretensions: We are the learned, the wise rulers of the
world, and have admirable laws and statutes. We have superior and
beautiful doctrines concerning good works and virtues. Men must
listen to us and allow our judgment to have precedence. He who can
do, or does, such things as we have done is, in God's sight, superior
to others.