IV

St. Paul in I Timothy iv, 1-7 says: "Now the Spirit speaketh

expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,

giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking

lies in hypocrisy; having their consciences seared with a hot iron;

forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God

hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe

and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to

be reused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified

by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance

of these things, thou shat be a good minister of Jesus Christ,

nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto

thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables." [1

Tim. 4:1-7]

O how this thunders and storms against all the works, doctrines and

orders of men. First, if they boast that they have derived their

practice from the pope and from holy fathers, what will Christ's

judgment be? Will He not say, "Paul, My Apostle, is My chosen vessel,

as Luke writes. Acts ix, 15: why then have you not ascribed greater

authority to his word than to that of the pope and the fathers, of

whom you do not know whose vessels they are?" [Acts 9:15] How will

they stand before Him?

Next, we ask them whether butter, eggs, meat, milk and all the food

which they avoid on fast-days and in the orders, have not been created

by God, and are not God's good creatures? Then it is certain that they

are the men of whom Paul here says that they forbid the food which God

has created and has given to believers to use. And they also forbid

marriage, so that they cannot escape: this passage its them and is

spoken of them. Let us see what Paul thinks of them and how he

reproves them.

[Sidenote: Departed from the Faith]

I. They have departed from the faith; for they could not have

introduced such doctrines and works if they had not thought the

doctrines and works would make them pious and save them. But such an

opinion is of itself a sure sign that they have fallen away from the

faith, since it is the work of faith alone to do that which they

expect works to do, as has frequently been said.

[Sidenote: Give Heed to Seducing Spirits]

II. They give heed to seducing spirits. He does not say, "to seducing

men," but "to seducing spirits"; and these are they who pretend to be

spiritual and bear the name spiritual, and claim to be of the Spirit

and in the Spirit. But since they are without faith it is impossible

for them not to err in spiritual matters. Hence this is a fitting

succession: they depart from the faith and follow after error in the

spirit.

[Sidenote: Doctrines of Devils]

III. Their doctrines he calls "doctrines of devils." This also must

follow where faith and the true Spirit are wanting: the devil gives

them the seducing spirit and leads them on with beautifully varnished

doctrines and works, so that they think they are altogether spiritual.

But since the doctrine does not originate in the Scriptures, it can be

the doctrine of no one but the devil.

[Sidenote: Speakers of Lies]

IV. They are speakers of lies. For they at times quote even the

Scriptures and the sayings of the fathers and wrest them to support

their doctrines, as we see them do daily. But this is all false and a

lie, since the Scriptures are altogether against them.

[Sidenote: Hypocrisy]

V. It is sheer hypocrisy. This is true and needs no comment. For all

that they do is only appearance and show, concerned with external

matters of food and clothes.

[Sidenote: Seared Conscience]

VI. They have their conscience seared with a hot iron; that is, they

have an unnatural conscience. For where there is no sin nor matter of

conscience, they make sin and a matter of conscience, as was said

above. Just as a scar caused by searing is an unnatural mark on the

body.

[Sidenote: Forbid to Marry]

VII. They forbid to marry, by creating an estate in which there shall

be no marriage, as we see in the case of both priests and monks.

Wherefore, behold the judgment of God upon such doctrines and estates:

that they are doctrines of devils, seducing doctrines, false

doctrines, faithless doctrines, hypocritical doctrines. God help us!

Who would remain in them when God Himself passes such judgment? What

would it help you, if you had made a thousand vows and oaths on such

doctrines? Nay, the stricter the vow, the more reason to break it,

because it was made after the devil's doctrines and against God.

[Sidenote: The Tatianists]

But see how cleverly they worm themselves out and ward off this text

from themselves, saying that it does not apply to them, but to the

Tatianists[3], the heretics who condemned marriage altogether. Paul,

however, does not speak here of those who condemn marriage, but of

those who forbid it for the sake of appearing spiritual. Let us grant,

however, that Paul speaks against the Tatianists. Then, if the pope

does what the Tatianists did, why does it not apply to him as well? Be

they Tatianists or the pope, this text speaks of those who forbid

marriage. The words of Paul condemn the work, and make no distinction

about the person who does it. He who forbids marriage is the devil's

disciple and apostle, as the words clearly say. And since the pope

does this, he must be the devil's disciple, as must all his followers;

otherwise, St. Paul must be a liar.

[Sidenote: Forbid Food]

VIII. They forbid the food which God has created. Here, again, you see

that the doctrines of man are ascribed to the devil by God Himself

through the mouth of Paul. What greater and more terrible thing would

you wish to hear concerning the doctrines of men, than that they are a

falling away from the faith, seducing, false, devilish, hypocritical?

What will satisfy those whom this text does not satisfy? But if the

doctrine that forbids certain kinds of food is devilish and

unchristian, that which concerns clothes, tonsures, places and

everything external will be just as devilish and unchristian.

[Sidenote: The Manicheans]

But here again they worm themselves out, and say that St. Paul is

speaking of the Manicheans[4]. We are not asking about that. St. Paul

speaks of the forbidding of meats, and, be they Manicheans or

Tatianists, the pope and his followers forbid meats. Paul speaks of

the work which we see that the pope does. Therefore we cannot save him

from this text. If some other man arose today or tomorrow and forbade

meats, would it not apply to him, even if he were no Manichean? If

that way of interpreting Scripture were true, we might boldly do what

Paul here forbids, and say. It does not apply to us, but to the

ancient Manicheans. But that is not the way. Whether the pope with his

monks and priests be not a Manichean, I do not discuss; but I do say,

that in his teaching and works he contradicts the teaching of St. Paul

more than any Manichean.

[Sidenote: Unthankful]

IX. They are unthankful. For God has created meats, says St. Paul, to

be received with thanksgiving. And they refuse to receive them, that

they may have no occasion to be thankful for God's goodness. The

reason for which is, that they have no faith and do not know the

truth. For Paul says, I Tim. iv, 3, "To them which believe and to them

which know the truth, they are given to be used with thanksgiving." [1

Tim. 4:3] But if they are unbelieving and do not know the truth, as

St. Paul here says they are, they are beyond question heathen,

non-Christians, blind and foolish. And this, I suppose, they regard as

praise of the pope, priests and monks!

[Sidenote: Harmful Preachers]

X. Paul rebukes them as wicked, harmful preachers; for he says that

Timothy shall be a good preacher, nourished up in the words of faith

and of good doctrine, if he will put the brethren in remembrance of

these things. It follows that they who teach the contrary must be

wicked preachers and be nourished with words of unbelief and of wicked

doctrines.

[Sidenote: Old Wives' Fables]

XI. He calls such doctrines profane and old wives' fables. Is not that

foolish talk? He says that the great doctors busy themselves with

fables such as old wives chatter about behind the stove, and calls

them profane, unchristian and unholy idle talk, although the doctors

claim that they are the very essence of holiness!

Who has ever heard the doctrines of men so terribly decried in every

way? that they are apostate, unbelieving, unchristian, heathen,

seducing, devilish, false, hypocritical, searing the conscience,

unthankful, that they dishonor God and His creature and are harmful

ables and old wives' chatter. Let him who can, flee from beneath this

judgment of God.

V

St. Paul in Colossians ii, 16 and the following verses says: "Let no

man burden you in meat or in drink or in respect of certain days which

are holy days, or days of the new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow

of things to come, but the body is in Christ. Let no one seduce you

who follows his own will in the humility and religion of angels, of

whom he has never seen even one, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

and does not hold fast the Head, from which all the body, by joints

and bands, is supplied with nourishment and is knit together, and so

groweth unto a stature given of God. If then you be dead with Christ

from the elements of this world, why do you burden yourselves with

ordinances as if you were alive? Ordinances which say. This thou shalt

not touch, this thou shalt not eat or drink, this thou shalt not put

on (which all perish in the using), according to the commandments and

doctrines of men, who have a show of wisdom because of their

self-chosen spirituality and humility, and because they do not spare

the body and do not supply its needs." [Col. 2:16 ff.] Is St. Paul

here also speaking of the Manicheans or Tatianists? Or can we find

excuse here for the papists? He speaks against those who take captive

the consciences of men with the doctrines of men and make matters of

conscience of food, drink, clothes, days and everything that is

external. And it cannot be denied that the pope, the chapters and

monasteries with their rules and statutes do this when they forbid the

eating of meat, eggs and butter, and the wearing of ordinary clothes

such as other people wear. And here stands St. Paul, and says:

[Sidenote: Burden the Conscience]

I. "Let no man burden your consciences, or judge or condemn you in

respect of food, drink, clothes or days." What does this mean if not

this: Be not priests nor monks, nor in any way keep the pope's laws;

and believe him not when he says that a certain thing is sin or a

matter of conscience. See, here God through Paul commands us to

despise the laws of the pope and of the monasteries, and to keep them

free, so that they do not take captive the conscience. That is as much

as to say, Do not become monks or priests, and let him who has become

monk or priest turn back, or else retain his position as a matter of

freedom without constraint of conscience.

And although Paul wrote this of the Jews, who did such things

according to the Law (for he says in Colossians ii, 17, that they have

the shadow and type of things to come, but that the body itself is in

Christ [Col. 2:17]), yet it holds much more against the decrees of the

pope and of the monks. For if that which God has decreed comes to an

end and shall no longer bind the consciences of men, how much more

shall men neither decree nor keep anything that would bind the

conscience? And farther on more will be said of the laws of mere men,

for

[Sidenote: By-paths]

II. He says, "Let no one seduce you or lead you toward paths the prize

in by-paths." What does this mean but to lead men to works and away

from faith, which alone is the one right road by which to gain the

prize of salvation, to strive toward heaven by other ways, and to

claim that this is the way to gain the prize? And this is what the

orders and the pope's doctrines do. And what are the ways they

propose? Listen:

[Sidenote: Humility]

III. He says, "In self-willed humility and the religion of angels."

What words could better it the orders? Is it not true that the pope

and all of them prattle much of their obedience, which is said to be

the noblest virtue, that is, the precious spiritual humility of the

papists? But who has commanded this humility? They themselves have

invented it and sought it out that they might seduce themselves. For

with it they have withdrawn themselves from the common humility and

obedience which God has commanded, namely, that every one shall humble

himself and be subject to his neighbor. But they are subject to no man

on earth, and have withdrawn themselves entirely; they have made an

obedience and a humility of their own after their statutes. Yet they

claim that their obedience is superhuman, perfect and, as it were,

angelic, although there are no more disobedient and less humble people

on earth than they are.

In the same way they also have their vows of chastity and poverty.

They do not work like other people but, like the angels in heaven,

they praise and worship God day and night; in short, their life is

heavenly, although nowhere on earth can you ind more horrible

unchastity, greater wealth, less devotional hearts, or more hardened

people than in the spiritual estate, as every one knows. Yet they

seduce all the world from the true way to the by-path with their

self-willed, beautiful, spiritual and angelic life. All this, it seems

to me, is not spoken of the Jews nor of the Manicheans, but of the

papists; the works prove it.

[Sidenote: Uncertainty]

IV. He says, "He walks in such religion and in that which he has never

seen." This is the very worst feature of the doctrines of men and the

life built upon them, that they are without foundation and without

warrant in the Scriptures, and that men cannot know whether what they

do is good or wicked. For all their life is an uncertain venture. If

you ask them whether they are certain that what they are and do is

pleasing to God, they say, they do not know, they must take the

chances: "the end will show us." And this is all they can say, for

they have no faith, and faith alone makes us certain that all that we

are is well-pleasing to God, not because of our merit, but because of

His mercy. Thus all their humility, obedience and all of their

religion is, at the very best, uncertain and in vain.

[Sidenote: Vainly Puffed Up]

V. "Vainly they puff themselves up," that is, they have no

reason to do so. For although their practices are uncertain,

unbelieving and altogether damnable, yet they make bold to puff

themselves up and to claim that they have the best and the only true

way, so that in comparison with theirs every other manner of living

stinks and is nothing at all. But this puffed-up carnal mind of theirs

they neither see nor feel, so great is their angelic humility and

obedience! O, the fruit of the doctrines of men!

[Sidenote: Against Christ]

VI. "They do not hold fast the Head," which is Christ. For the

doctrines of men and Christ cannot agree; one must destroy the other.

If the conscience finds comfort in Christ, the comfort derived from

works and doctrines must all; if it finds comfort in works, Christ

must fall. The heart cannot build upon a twofold foundation; one must

be forsaken. Now we see that all the comfort of the papists rests upon

their practices; for if it did not rest upon them, they would not

esteem them and would give them up, or else they would use them as

matters of freedom, how and when they pleased.

If there were no other misfortune connected with the doctrines of men,

this were of itself all too great--that for their sake Christ must be

forsaken, the Head must be lost, and the heart must build on such an

abomination. For this reason St. Peter calls the orders abominable and

damnable heresies, which deny Christ, when he says, in the Second

Epistle, ii, I, "There shall arise among you false teachers, who

privily shall bring in damnable heresies, and deny the Lord that

bought them." [2 Pet. 2:1]

[Sidenote: Why Burden the Conscience?]

VII. It is clear enough that he means our spiritual estate when he

says, "If ye be dead with Christ, why do ye burden your consciences

with ordinances, such as: This thou shalt not touch, this thou shalt

not eat, this thou shalt not wear, etc." Who can here deny that God

through St. Paul forbids us to teach and to hear all doctrines of men,

in so far as they constrain the conscience? Who then can with a good

conscience be a monk or a priest, or be subject to the pope? They must

confess that their consciences are taken captive with such laws. Thus

thou seest what a mighty saying this is against all doctrines of men.

It is dreadful to hear that they forsake Christ the Head, deny the

faith and so must needs become heathen, and yet think their holiness

upholds the world.