The same Christ in the same chapter, Matthew xv, 11, says, "Not that
which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out
of the mouth, this defileth a man." [Matt. 15:11]
This saying must be well understood, for it is powerful and mightily
overthrows all teaching, custom and manner of life that distinguishes
between foods, and it sets all consciences free from all laws
concerning food and drink; so that it is allowable to eat milk,
butter, eggs, cheese and meat every day, whether it be Sunday or
Friday, Lent or Advent; and no one needs to pay butter-money or buy
butter-letters. For this word stands firm and does not deceive: "That
which goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man."
[Sidenote: Fast-days]
From this it follows, first, that it is a lie when they say that St.
Peter instituted the fast-days and that the commandment of the Church
has made it a mortal sin to eat eggs, butter, milk and meat on
fast-days. For neither St. Peter nor the Church institutes or teaches
anything contrary to Christ. And if they did, we must not obey them.
To do what they ask would indeed not be wicked; but it is wicked to
make a necessity and a commandment of that which is free, and to
pretend that something does defile and is sin of which Christ Himself
says that it is no sin and does not defile.
[Sidenote: Dispensation]
It follows, secondly, that it is sheer devil's knavery for the pope to
sell letters and grant permission to eat butter, meat, etc.; for
Christ in this word has already made it a matter of liberty and has
permitted it.
[Sidenote: Special Fast-days]
In the third place, it is an error and a lie to say that goldfasts[1],
banfasts[2], and the fasts on the eve of Apostles' days and saints'
days must be observed and that their non-observance is sin, because
the Church has so commanded. For against everything of the kind stands
this word of Christ: "That which goeth into the mouth doth not defile
the man." Fasting should be free and voluntary, both as to the day and
as to the food, forever.
[Sidenote: The Orders]
Fourthly, the orders of St. Benedict, and of St. Bernard, the
Carthusians, and all others which avoid the use of meat and other food
because they hold that this is necessary and commanded and that not to
do so would be sin, contradict Christ. For their law flatly
contradicts the word of Christ and says: That which goeth into the
mouth defileth. Then they must make Christ a liar when He says: "That
which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man." Thus you see that
this one saying of Christ mightily condemns all orders and spiritual
rules. For if that which goeth into the mouth does not defile, how
much less will that defile which is put on the body? whether it be
cowl, coat, shirt, hose, shoes, cloak, whether green, yellow, blue,
red, white, motley, or whatever one wish. And the same is true of
places, whether churches, cells or the rooms of a house.
It follows that he who regards it a sin for a monk to go without the
dress of his order, and would not leave it a matter of freedom, also
makes Christ a liar and makes that a sin which Christ freed from sin,
and says Yes! where Christ says No! What then are such monks but
people who say to Christ's very ace. Thou liest! there is sin in that
which thou sayest is not sin. It will not help them to quote St.
Bernard, St. Gregory, St. Francis and other saints. We must hear what
Christ says, Who alone has been made our Teacher by the Father, when
on Mount Tabor He said, Matthew xvii, 5, "This is my beloved Son, in
Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." [Matt. 17:5] He did not say.
Hear ye St. Bernard, St. Gregory, etc., but, Hear ye Him, Him, Him, my
beloved Son. Who knows how far the saints sinned or did right in this
matter? What they did, they did not of necessity nor by commandment.
Or if they did it as of necessity and by commandment, they erred, and
we must not forsake Christ to follow them.
All this is confirmed by Christ in the words which follow in Matthew
xv, 11, "That which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. For
out of the mouth, coming forth from the heart, come evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, etc.
These defile a man." [Matt. 15:11] Here we ask, If that alone is sin
and defiles a man, which proceeds from the heart, as Christ here so
strongly argues and decides, how then can butter, milk, eggs, cheese
defile, which proceed not from the mouth nor from the heart, but come
from the belies of cows and of hens? Who has ever seen meat, tonsures,
cowls, monasteries, hair-shirts coming out of men's mouths? Then it
must be the cows that sin in giving us milk and butter, and in bearing
calves.
Therefore, all the laws of monks and of men concerning food, clothing
and places and all things that are external, are not only blasphemy of
God and lying and deceiving, but the buffoonery of apes. It is true, a
man may have an inordinate desire to eat excessively and to dress
extravagantly; but that proceeds from the heart, and may refer to fish
as well as to meat, to gray homespun as well as to red velvet. In
short, Christ does not lie when He says, "That which goeth into the
mouth defileth not a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this
defileth a man."
But if it is true that neglect to do what men command neither defiles
nor is sin, then on the other hand, the keeping and doing of men's
commandments cannot make us clean nor give us merit; since only the
opposite of sin and of the unclean is clean and gives merit.
Therefore, all of the monastic life neither makes clean nor gives
merit. And that is what the Lord Christ means when He says, Matthew
XV, 9, "In vain do they worship me with the commandments of men."
[Matt. 15:9] Why 'in vain'? Because neglecting them is no sin and
keeping them is no merit, but both are free. They deceive themselves,
therefore, and make a merit of that which is no merit, and are afraid
of sinning where there is no sin, as Psalm xiv, 5, says, "There have
they trembled for fear, where there was no fear." [Ps. 14:5]