[Sidenote: The Three Walls Described]
The Romanists[12], with great adroitness, have built three walls about
them, behind which they have hitherto defended themselves in such wise
that no one has been able to reform them; and this has been the cause
of terrible corruption throughout all Christendom.
_First_, when pressed by the temporal power, they have made decrees
and said that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them, but,
on the other hand, that the spiritual is above the temporal power.
_Second_, when the attempt is made to reprove them out of the
Scriptures, they raise the objection that the interpretation of the
Scriptures belongs to no one except the pope. Third, if threatened
with a council, they answer with the fable that no one can call a
council but the pope.
In this wise they have slyly stolen from us our three rods[13], that
they may go unpunished, and have ensconced themselves within the safe
stronghold of these three walls, that they may practise all the
knavery and wickedness which we now see. Even when they have been
compelled to hold a council they have weakened its power in advance by
previously binding the princes with an oath to let them remain as they
are. Moreover, they have given the pope full authority over all the
decisions of the council, so that it is all one whether there are many
councils or no councils,--except that they deceive us with
puppet-shows and sham-battles. So terribly do they fear for their skin
in a really free council! And they have intimidated kings and princes
by making them believe it would be an offence against God not to obey
them in all these knavish, crafty deceptions[14]. Now God help us, and
give us one of the trumpets with which the walls of Jericho were
overthrown [Josh. 6:20], that we may blow down these walls of straw
and paper, and may set free the Christian rods or the punishment of
sin, bringing to light the craft and deceit of the devil, to the end
that through punishment we may reform ourselves, and once more attain
God's favor.
Against the first wall we will direct our first attack.
[Sidenote: The First Wall--the Spiritual Estate above the Temporal]
It is pure invention that pope, bishops, priests and monks are to be
called the "spiritual estate"; princes, lords, artisans, and farmers
the temporal estate. That is indeed a fine bit of lying and hypocrisy.
Yet no one should be frightened by it; and for this reason--viz., that
all Christians are truly of the "spiritual estate," and there is among
them no difference at all but that of office, as Paul says in I
Corinthians xii. We are all one body, yet every member has its own
work, whereby it serves every other, all because we have one baptism,
one Gospel, one faith, and are all alike Christians [1 Cor. 12:12
ff.]; for baptism, Gospel and faith alone make us "spiritual" and a
Christian people.
[Sidenote: The Priesthood of Believers]
But that a pope or a bishop anoints, confers tonsures, ordains,
consecrates, or prescribes dress unlike that of the laity,--this may
make hypocrites and graven images[15], but it never makes a Christian
or "spiritual" man. Through baptism all of us are consecrated to the
priesthood, as St. Peter says in I Peter ii, "Ye are a royal
priesthood, a priestly kingdom," [1 Pet. 2:9] and the book of
Revelation says, "Thou hast made us by Thy blood to be priests and
kings." [Rev. 5:10] For if we had no higher consecration than pope or
bishop gives, the consecration by pope or bishop would never make a
priest, nor might anyone either say mass or preach a sermon or give
absolution. Therefore when the bishop consecrates it is the same thing
as if he, in the place and stead of the whole congregation, all of
whom have like power, were to take one out of their number and charge
him to use this power for the others; just as though ten brothers, all
king's sons and equal heirs, were to choose one of themselves to rule
the inheritance or them all,--they would all be kings and equal in
power, though one of them would be charged with the duty of ruling.
To make it still clearer. If a little group of pious Christian laymen
were taken captive and set down in a wilderness, and had among them no
priest consecrated by a bishop, and if there in the wilderness they
were to agree in choosing one of themselves, married or unmarried, and
were to charge him with the office of baptising, saying mass,
absolving and preaching, such a man would be as truly a priest as
though all bishops and popes had consecrated him. That is why in cases
of necessity any one can baptise and give absolution[16], which would
be impossible unless we were all priests. This great grace and power
of baptism and of the Christian Estate they have well-nigh destroyed
and caused us to forget through the canon law[17]. It was in the
manner aforesaid that Christians in olden days chose from their number
bishops and priests, who were afterwards confirmed by other bishops,
without all the show which now obtains. It was thus that Sts.
Augustine[18], Ambrose[19] and Cyprian[20] became bishops.
[Sidenote: The Temporal Rulers, Priests]
[Sidenote: The Priest an Office-holder]
Since, then, the temporal authorities are baptised with same baptism
and have the same faith and Gospel as we, we must grant that they are
priests and bishops, and count their office one which has a proper and
a useful place in the Christian community. For whoever comes out of
the water of baptism[21] can boast that he is already consecrated
priest, bishop and pope, though it is not seemly that every one should
exercise the office. Nay, just because we are all in like manner
priests, no one must put himself forward and undertake, without our
consent and election, to do what is in the power of all of us. For
what is common to all, no one dare take upon himself without the will
and the command of the community; and should it happen that one chosen
for such an office were deposed for malfeasance, he would then be just
what he was before he held office. Therefore a priest in Christendom
is nothing else than an office-holder. While he is in office, he has
precedence; holder when deposed, he is a peasant or a townsman like
the rest. Beyond all doubt, then, a priest is no longer a priest when
he is deposed. But now they have invented _characteres
indelebiles_[22], and prate that a deposed priest is nevertheless
something different from a mere layman. They even dream that a priest
can never become a layman, or be anything else than a priest. All this
is mere talk and man-made law.
From all this it follows that there is really no difference between
laymen and priests, princes and bishops, "spirituals" and "temporals,"
as they call them, except that of office and work, but not of
"estate"; or they are all of the same estate[23],--true priests,
bishops and popes,--though they are not all engaged in the same work,
just as all priests and monks have not the same work. This is the
teaching of St. Paul in Romans xii [Rom. 12:4 ff.] and I Corinthians
xii [1 Cor. 12:12 ff.], and of St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:9],
as I have said above, viz., that we are all one body of Christ, the
Head, all members one of another. Christ has not two different bodies,
one "temporal," the other "spiritual." He is one Head, and He has one
body.
Therefore, just as those who are now called "spiritual"--priests,
bishops or popes--are neither different from other Christians nor
superior to them, except that they are charged with the administration
of the Word of God and the sacraments, which is their work and office,
so it is with the temporal authorities,--they bear sword and rod with
which to punish the evil and to protect the good [Rom. 13:4]. A
cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade,
and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and every
one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every
other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily
and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the
body serve one another.
See, now, how Christian is the decree which says that the temporal
power is not above the "spiritual estate" and may not punish it[24].
That is as much as to say that the hand shall lend no aid when the eye
is suffering. Is it not unnatural, not to say unchristian, that one
member should not help another and prevent its destruction? Verily,
the more honorable the member, the more should the others help. I say
then, since the temporal power is ordained of God to punish evil-doers
and to protect them that do well [Rom. 13], it should therefore be
left free to perform its office without hindrance through the whole
body of Christendom without respect of persons, whether it affect
pope, bishops, priests, monks, nuns or anybody else. For if the mere
act that the temporal power has a smaller place among the Christian
offices than has the office of preachers or confessors, or of the
clergy, then the tailors, cobblers, masons, carpenters, pot-boys,
tapsters, farmers, and all the secular tradesmen, should also be
prevented from providing pope, bishops, priests and monks with shoes,
clothing, houses, meat and drink, and from paying them tribute. But if
these laymen are allowed to do their work unhindered, what do the
Roman scribes mean by their laws, with which they withdraw themselves
from the jurisdiction of the temporal Christian power, only so that
they may be free to do evil and to fulfil what St. Peter has said:
"There shall be false teachers among you, and through covetousness
shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." [2 Pet. 2:1
ff.]
On this account the Christian temporal power should exercise its
office without let or hindrance, regardless whether it be pope, bishop
or priest whom it affects; whoever is guilty, let him suffer. All that
the canon law has said to the contrary is sheer invention of Roman
presumption. For thus saith St. Paul to all Christians: "Let every
soul (I take that to mean the pope's soul also) be subject unto the
higher powers; for they bear not the sword in vain, but are the
ministers of God for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise
of them that do well." [Rom. 13:1, 4] St. Peter also says: "Submit
yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, for so is
the will of God." [1 Pet. 2:13, 15] He has also prophesied that such
men shall come as will despise the temporal authorities [1 Pet. 2:10];
and this has come to pass through the canon law.
So then, I think this first paper-wall is overthrown, since the
temporal power has become a member of the body of Christendom, and is
of the "spiritual estate," though its work is of a temporal nature.
Therefore its work should extend freely and without hindrance to all
the members of the whole body; it should punish and use force whenever
guilt deserves or necessity demands, without regard to pope, bishops
and priests,--let them hurl threats and bans as much as they will.
This is why guilty priests, if they are surrendered to the temporal
law[25], are first deprived of their priestly dignities, which would
not be right unless the temporal sword had previously had authority
over them by divine right. Again, it is intolerable that in the canon
law so much importance is attached to the freedom, life and property
of the clergy, as though the laity were not also as spiritual and as
good Christians as they, or did not belong to the Church. Why are your
life and limb, your property and honor so free, and mine not? We are
all alike Christians, and have baptism, faith, Spirit and all things
alike. If a priest is killed, the land is laid under
interdict,[26]--why not when a peasant is killed? Whence comes this
great distinction between those who are equally Christians? Only from
human laws and inventions!
Moreover, it can be no good spirit who has invented such exceptions
and granted to sin such license and impunity. For if we are bound to
strive against the works and words of the evil spirit, and to drive
him out in whatever way we can, as Christ commands and His Apostles,
ought we, then, to suffer it in silence when the pope or his
satellites are bent on devilish words and works? Ought we for the sake
of men to allow the suppression of divine commandments and truths
which we have sworn in baptism to support with life and limb? Of a
truth we should then have to answer for all the souls that would
thereby be abandoned and led astray.
It must therefore have been the very prince of devils who said what is
written in the canon law: "If the pope were so scandalously bad as to
lead souls in crowds to the devil, yet he could not be deposed."[27]
On this accursed and devilish foundation they build at Rome, and think
that we should let all the world go to the devil, rather than resist
their knavery. If the act that one man is set over others were
sufficient reason why he should escape punishment, then no Christian
could punish another, since Christ commands that every man shall
esteem himself the lowliest and the least. [Matt. 18:4]
Where sin is, there is no escape from punishment; as St. Gregory[28]
also writes that we are indeed all equal, but guilt puts us in
subjection one to another. Now we see how they whom God and the
Apostles have made subject to the temporal sword deal with
Christendom, depriving it of its liberty by their own wickedness,
without warrant of Scripture. It is to be feared that this is a game
of Anti-christ[29] or a sign that he is close at hand.
[Sidenote: The Second Wall--The Pope the Interpreter of Scripture;
Papal Infallibility]
The second wall is still more flimsy and worthless. They wish to be
the only Masters of the Holy Scriptures[31] even though in all their
lives they learn nothing from them. They assume for themselves sole
authority, and with insolent juggling of words they would persuade us
that the pope, whether he be a bad man or a good man, cannot err in
matters of faith[32]; and yet they cannot prove a single letter of it.
Hence it comes that so many heretical and unchristian, nay, even
unnatural ordinances have a place in the canon law, of which, however,
there is no present need to speak. For since they think that the Holy
Spirit never leaves them, be they never so unlearned and wicked, they
make bold to decree whatever they will. And if it were true, where
would be the need or use of the Holy Scriptures? Let us burn them, and
be satisfied with the unlearned lords at Rome, who are possessed of
the Holy Spirit,--although He can possess only pious hearts! Unless I
had read it myself[33], I could not have believed that the devil would
make such clumsy pretensions at Rome, and find a following.
But not to fight them with mere words, we will quote the Scriptures.
St. Paul says in I Corinthians xiv: anyone something better is
revealed, though he be sitting and listening to another in God's Word,
then the first, who is speaking, shall hold his peace and give place."
[1 Cor. 14:30] What would be the use of this commandment, if we were
only to believe him who does the talking or who has the highest seat?
[John 6:45] Christ also says in John vi, that all Christians shall be
taught of God. Thus it may well happen that the pope and his followers
are wicked men, and no true Christians, not taught of God, not having
true understanding. On the other hand, an ordinary man may have true
understanding; why then should we not follow him? Has not the pope
erred many times? Who would help Christendom when the pope errs, if we
were not to believe another, who had the Scriptures on his side, more
than the pope?
Therefore it is a wickedly invented fable, and they cannot produce a
letter in defence of it, that the interpretation of Scripture or the
confirmation of its interpretation belongs to the pope alone. They
have themselves usurped this power; and although they allege that this
power was given to Peter when the keys were given to him, it is plain
enough that the keys were not given to Peter alone, but to the whole
community[34]. Moreover, the keys were not ordained for doctrine or
government, but only for the binding and loosing of sin [John 20:22
ff.], and whatever further power of the keys they arrogate to
themselves is mere invention. But Christ's word to Peter, "I have
prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," [Luke 22:32] cannot be
applied to the pope, since the majority of the popes have been without
faith, as they must themselves confess. Besides, it is not only for
Peter that Christ prayed, but also or all Apostles and Christians, as
he says in John xvii: "Father, I pray for those whom Thou hast given
Me, and not for these only, but for all who believe on Me through
their word." [John 17:9, 20] Is not this clear enough?
Only think of it yourself! They must confess that there are pious
Christians among us, who have the true faith, Spirit, understanding,
word and mind of Christ. Why, then, should we reject their word and
understanding and follow the pope, who has neither faith nor Spirit?
That would be to deny the whole faith and the Christian Church.
Moreover, it is not the pope alone who is always in the right, if the
article of the Creed is correct: "I believe one holy Christian
Church"; otherwise the prayer must run: "I believe in the pope at
Rome," and so reduce the Christian Church to one man,--which would be
nothing else than a devilish and hellish error.
Besides, if we are all priests, as was said above[35], and all have
one faith, one Gospel, one sacrament, why should we not also have the
power to test and judge what is correct or incorrect in matters of
faith? What becomes of the words of Paul in I Corinthians ii: "He that
is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man,"
[1 Cor. 2:15] and II Corinthians iv: "We have all the same Spirit of
faith"? [2 Cor. 4:13] Why, then, should not we perceive what squares
with faith and what does not, as well as does an unbelieving pope?
All these and many other texts should make us bold and free, and we
should not allow the Spirit of liberty, as Paul calls Him [2 Cor.
3:17], to be frightened off by the fabrications of the popes, but we
ought to go boldly forward to test all that they do or leave undone,
according to our interpretation of the Scriptures, which rests on
faith, and compel them to follow not their own interpretation, but the
one that is better. In the olden days Abraham had to listen to his
Sarah, although she was in more complete subjection to him than we are
to anyone on earth [Gen. 21:12]. Balaam's ass, also, was wiser than
the prophet himself [Num. 22:28]. If God then spoke by an ass against
a prophet, why should He not be able even now to speak by a righteous
man against the pope? In like manner St. Paul rebukes St. Peter as a
man in error [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. Therefore it behooves every Christian to
espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to
rebuke all errors.
[Sidenote: The Third Wall--Pope and Council]
The _third wall_ falls of itself when the first two are down. For when
the pope acts contrary to the Pope and Scriptures, it is our duty to
stand by the Scriptures, to reprove him, and to constrain him,
according to the word of Christ in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother sin
against thee, go and tell it him between thee and him alone; if he
hear thee not, then take with thee one or two more; if he hear them
not, tell it to the Church; if he hear not the Church, consider him a
heathen." [Matt. 18:15] Here every member is commanded to care for
every other. How much rather should we do this when the member that
does evil is a ruling member, and by his evil-doing is the cause of
much harm and offence to the rest! But if I am to accuse him before
the Church, I must bring the Church together.
They have no basis in Scripture or their contention that it belongs to
the pope alone to call a council or confirm its actions[36]; for this
is based merely upon their own laws, which are valid only in so far as
they are not injurious to Christendom or contrary to the laws of God.
When the pope deserves punishment, such laws go out of force, since it
is injurious to Christendom not to punish him by means of a council.
Thus we read in Acts xv. that it was not St. Peter who called the
Apostolic Council, but the Apostles and elders [Acts 15:6]. If, then,
that right had belonged to St. Peter alone, the council would not have
been a Christian council, but an heretical _conciliabulum_[37]. Even
the Council of Nicaea--the most famous of all--was neither called nor
confirmed by the Bishop of Rome, but by the Emperor Constantine[38],
and many other emperors after him did the like, yet these councils
were the most Christian of all[39]. But if the pope alone had the
right to call councils, then all these councils must have been
heretical. Moreover, if I consider the councils which the pope has
created, I find that they have done nothing of special importance.
Therefore, when necessity demands, and the pope is an offence to
Christendom, the first man who is able should, as a faithful member of
the whole body, do what he can to bring about a truly free
council[40]. No one can do this so well as the temporal authorities,
especially since now they also are fellow-Christians, fellow-priests,
"fellow-spirituals,"[41] fellow-lords over all things, and whenever it
is needful or profitable, they should give free course to the office
and work in which God has put them above every man. Would it not be an
unnatural thing, if a fire broke out in a city, and everybody were to
stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could
burn, for the sole reason that nobody had the authority of the
burgomaster, or because, perhaps, the fire broke out in the
burgomaster's house? In such case is it not the duty of every citizen
to arouse and call the rest? How much more should this be done in the
spiritual city of Christ, if a fire of offence breaks out, whether in
the papal government, or anywhere else? In the same way, if the enemy
attacks a city, he who first rouses the others deserves honor and
thanks; why then should he not deserve honor who makes known the
presence of the enemy from hell, and awakens the Christians, and calls
them together?
But all their boasts of an authority which dare not be opposed amount
to nothing after all. No one in Christendom has authority to do
injury, or to forbid the resisting of injury. There is no authority in
the Church save for edification. Therefore, if the pope were to use
his authority to prevent the calling of a free council, and thus
became a hindrance to the edification of the Church, we should have
regard neither or him nor or his authority; and if he were to hurl his
bans and thunderbolts, we should despise his conduct as that of a
madman, and relying on God, hurl back the ban on him, and coerce him
as best we could. For this presumptuous authority of his is nothing;
he has no such authority, and he is quickly overthrown by a text of
Scripture; for Paul says to the Corinthians, "God has given us
authority not for the destruction, but for the edification of
Christendom." [2 Cor. 10:8] Who is ready to overleap this text? It is
only the power of the devil and of Antichrist which resists the things
that serve or the edification of Christendom; it is, therefore, in no
wise to be obeyed, but is to be opposed with life and goods and all
our strength.
Even though a miracle were to be done in the pope's behalf against the
temporal powers, or though someone were to be stricken with a
plague--which they boast has sometimes happened--it should be
considered only the work of the devil, because of the weakness of our
faith in God. Christ Himself prophesied in Matthew xxiv: "There shall
come in My Name false Christs and false prophets, and do signs and
wonders, so as to deceive even the elect," [Matt. 24:24] and Paul says
in II Thessalonians ii, that Antichrist shall, through the power of
Satan, be mighty in lying wonders [2 Thess. 2:9]. Let us, therefore,
hold fast to this: No Christian authority can do anything against
Christ; as St. Paul says, "We can do nothing against Christ, but for
Christ." [2 Cor. 13:8] Whatever does aught against Christ is the power
of Antichrist and of the devil, even though it were to rain and hail
wonders and plagues. Wonders and plagues prove nothing, especially in
these last evil times, for which all the Scriptures prophesy false
wonders [2 Thess. 2:9 f.]. Therefore we must cling with firm faith to
the words of God, and then the devil will cease from wonders.
Thus I hope that the false, lying terror with which the Romans have
this long time made our conscience timid and stupid, has been allayed.
They, like all of us, are subject to the temporal sword; they have no
power to interpret the Scriptures by mere authority, without learning;
they have no authority to prevent a council or, in sheer wantonness,
to pledge it, bind it, or take away its liberty; but if they do this,
they are in truth the communion of Antichrist and of the devil, and
have nothing at all of Christ except the name.