To the City Council and Community of the City of Prague.
Translated from Latin into German by Paul Speratus. 1524.
Paul Speratus' letter.
To all and every devout Christian in Salzburg and Würzburg, his dear brothers in Christ, Paul Speratus wishes grace and peace in Christ.
It is not without reason that I have been moved, dearest brothers, to ascribe to you the translation of this booklet by the Christian ecclesiastics (preacher) Martin Luther; which booklet, whoever wants to judge by the title, he alone will have written to the Christians in the Kingdom of Bohemia. But whoever thinks further may easily recognize it,
Just as his heart has stood and still stands against them, so it is also always minded to advise all Christians, because they are tormented by an accident everywhere, so that they would be saved from the Egyptian Pharaoh, who now for a long time oppressed Israel according to the spirit with an unlimited number of useless, but heavy toil and work according to his impotent commandments by his godless, that is to say, like himself, servants of God, whom he has sent out to all the world now in the most dangerous time, yet heavy toil and labor according to his impotent commandments by his ungodly, that is, his own godly servants, whom he has sent out into all the world now in the most perilous time, when it is to be feared that they will not be saved.
It would be a miracle if faith would hardly be found on earth and also lead the elect into error, if God had not shortened these days for the sake of His elect.
However, such will of the reported ecclesiastical scholar Martin can easily be checked from the fact that he has ordered this booklet of his to be brought to me in the German language, namely so that it would be read and understood not only by Bohemia, but by all other families of the German nation for their betterment. As it is not only to be read with the utmost diligence, but, if one wants to become or be a Christian, to live according to it, because it introduces nothing but Christian doctrine; so that whoever wants to hear Christ himself and his apostles in it does not have to miss this booklet.
But it says and teaches of that which is no more necessary in the church, that is, of the word and its minister or preacher, without which the church is not a church, nor can it remain a church; it would be a church of the wicked, of which God says through the prophet: "I have hated them" in the 26th Psalm. In short, here it is shown how one should provide oneself with servants in the word of God; or, if one can neither have them nor is allowed to have them, how one can still keep oneself comfortable and Christian in this Babylonian captivity. I let all other books remain in their value; they talk about what they want, they are high or low; but this booklet looks at me as the one that teaches about the very last refuge and salvation, where nothing else wants to help. It must ever come to this, that one either attacks the matter publicly and comfortingly as soon as possible, or else that each one in his own home submits to the word alone or with some of his neighbors, as much as he can, to preach in a humble spirit and fear of God, without doubting that the Spirit of God will be his guide into all truth through the same Word of God, so that it may benefit him and others; otherwise it is completely lost.
The Antichrist and his fish scales will never want to grant us the word of God, which we cannot do without in order to be saved, nor will they allow us to do so. And so
If we desired it of them, what would that be but that we would that the end of Christ should not be the end of Christ, and that the world should not be the world; which is not possible, as little as the Moor may leave his color.
Knowing then that it is thus the will of Him who first planted this little book, why would I make another with these little waters of mine? Because God, who is to give prosperity, is a common God to all and sundry everywhere, and does not want the sinner to die, but to be converted and to live. Therefore, although you are especially mentioned above in the title, because I as a cathedral preacher have preached the word - wanted God, useful - to you for several years, therefore I still, at least out of brotherly loyalty, consider myself especially guilty of admonishing you; However, it is my opinion that you may also benefit all the others the more easily, who will despise my little service in this so much less, because they see that you have also humbled yourselves to hear the word itself from me, the poor; also no one should doubt that you still want to hear the word of God today, be it from me or, how small I am, from another, who is even less than I, with all your heart. But the opposing Christian's scoundrels and stickmen are sitting on your necks, before whom no one is allowed to move, except to suspect.
But here you will find how you can still advise yourselves against it. But wait, wait, we are now several times with the ark of the covenant around this Jericho, and the right Joshua, Christ, with us. If it comes to the seventh time that the evangelical trumpet has to be blown and the right battle cry has to be made, then Jericho is already over and nothing can be done about it. But nevertheless we should always go about in hope to God, not celebrating according to the word of God, nor becoming complacent, because God knows the right time that pleases Him.
In conclusion, I exhort you, let us all be one thing in Christ, as we are all baptized in one Spirit into one body, whether German, Bohemian, Welsh or Greek. None of their names is valid before God.
In the 10th chap. (v. 34) of the twelve messengers' story Peter says: "Now I know in truth that God does not look at the person, but in all the people, whoever fears Him and does right is pleasing to Him"; as also to the Romans in the 10th chapter (v. 12, 13) it is written: "There is - understand - no difference; but only one Lord, rich above all who call upon Him. (V. 12. 13.) it is written: "There is no difference - understand for the sake of faith - but there is only one Lord, rich above all who call on him; for whoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be blessed, be he what he will."
But who knows these, but God alone, who is a spirit (Joh. 4, 24.)? who recognizes everywhere who has the spirit of his anointed, that is, of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a free spirit, which cannot be driven into a corner in this world, so that one would say: here it is, there it is not. He is and remains above all understanding, where he wants, in all ways unmeasured, without faith, which does not fail; he knows that there is a Christian church, which has the spirit of Christ; but who, and where alone members of the same Christian church are, that is and remains hidden to all flesh until the end of the world. Even though it is certain that there must be Christians in the place where the word of God is spoken and baptism is administered, Christians cannot be recognized in person. For it may well be that those who have the word, and even accept it with joy, are not all true Christians; as we may learn from the parable of the seed, Luc. 8:13.
But we see that baptism and the word of God are among the Bohemians, which are the two most certain signs of the Christian nature; so it follows that there are also undoubtedly Christians in Bohemia, otherwise the word of God through the prophet shall not be found untrue, since he speaks, Isa. 55:11: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall do all that I will, and it shall prosper in all things for which I have sent it." There one must not be hindered, whether they are already not subject to the Roman chair, because
Roman See does not make Christians. Judge first by the Word of God whether the Roman Church or the Bohemians live more like the institution of Christ, and especially - to give it an example - in the sacrament of the altar. Christ has ever put wine and bread on all and sundry, which the Roman See has unchristianly violated by forbidding the laity the other form. Although this would be a small thing, if it had not been accompanied by even cruder obscenities, which have become a thousand times more harmful.
If we have the spirit of Christ, which can come into us through the word alone, then we are all one thing in Christ, which unity he alone wants to have; he is not interested in external bodily gestures, in which a difference may well be found and suffered. Yes, it cannot and must not happen in one way according to the mad and furious brain of the Roman tyrant, who wants to force all the world to his ceremonies according to his will, but has no regard at all for faith, so that the righteous spirit would almost have been extinguished by his carnal rule - as is still the case - even with us, if God had not let his light shine on us again.
Let us now come together in the right principal things, that is, in the faith together with its fruits and signs; then let us proceed from the outside, as it will please every church. Everything is the same, as long as it is not contrary to faith and property. Let this be said, therefore, that we Germans and Bohemians in both parts no longer condemn each other, as before, nor anyone else who is not found from the outside to be walking according to our ways. Faith is truly a higher secret than that one may praise or reproach it from things. If we do so, this booklet may be read with benefit by all of us. May God grant that His name alone be hallowed in us. Amen.
On the day of St. Paul's conversion, Wittenberg in the 24th year.
Martinus Luther, Ecclesiast (preacher) at Wittenberg, wishes grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to the prudent and wise mayors and councillors, as well as to the entire community of the city of Prague in Bohemia, his loved ones in Christ.
1 Careful, favorable, dear sirs! Often and many times, even through many writings, I have been asked to write to you about the order in which the shepherds of the church are to be required and appointed; in the end, Christian love has urged me to refuse this with nothing. And although I know that it is beyond my ability, and that I also have more to do at home than I alone can accomplish, nevertheless, because your benefit and need thus compel it, love may dare everything, for it relies on being able to do all things, if only God, who strengthens it, works in it.
2 Therefore I give you what I have, but in such a way that everyone is free to make his own judgment. For my service, in which I am called, does not let me go further than where another's power demands me; therefore I also do not want to be an inducer for anyone to start something, but only with advice and admonition. But the Lord, who began in you to ask and desire things, may he also fulfill and accomplish what you undertake and have in mind, with perfect and abundant deeds, to the praise of his grace and of the gospel, who is blessed forever and ever, amen.
One condition.
First of all, I condition and confess if there are some who hope that I would teach something in this or improve on the long-held custom of offering gifts and anointing priests; they should know that what I will do in this booklet is none of their business. I will grant them that they may wait as long as they wish for their spirituality, yes, for their superstition,' however general, old and highly famous it is. We, however, look for the fair and righteous way, which is modeled for us in the Scriptures; we are not concerned about
us not much what custom and the fathers have given or held to be a manner in this matter; because we have now long before learned sufficiently that we are not guilty, nor need or desire to be subject to the statutes of men; but we will, as it shall please us, be lords over them out of Christian liberty, as it is written, 1 Cor. 3:21, 22: "All things are yours, whether Peter's or Paul's, but ye are Christ's."
An admonition that one should not receive consecration from the papists.
4th But before we begin to speak of ours, that is, of the Christian appointment of pastors, it is just and right that we first consider the consecration, as they call it, of the papists, and publicly point out the great abomination of their consecration, so that their wickedness, as David says, may be found ugly and hateful, and so that it may be the easier to guard against those who still cling to it too strictly. And so that we begin with the lesser, let us first discuss the causes for which you Bohemians are especially and above others afflicted.
After Satan had taken over and those who are called bishops and priests were out of the country, and the whole Bohemian kingdom was desolate and deserted, you were forced by force of the Roman bishops through hard and miserable hardship to send your priests from year to year to the Welsh country in order to buy the papist ordination; for the bishops around you, because they consider you to be stubborn heretics, will not allow themselves to ordain them. What great harm and danger has this necessity brought upon you? I let stand what they suffer in body and goods, since they have to labor with great work and expense such a far way among strangers, yes, among enemies, and at last come back here to govern you; but with how many caught diseases, yes, with how many evil customs and with what corrupted conscience? But that more to be pitied is, that by shameful and dishonest alliance of your tyrant and his stick-masters, that is, of the bishops, they have gone against conscience.
The shepherds are forced and compelled to buy their consecration, so that no one can always boast with a clear conscience that he has entered the sheepfold through the right door. Now this is the most difficult thing, that you must always and only have such shepherds, who have entered through the door elsewhere.
(6) From this cause there has arisen a terrible freedom to come to you and to accept the priesthood for every reckless boy and renegade of his order, even for those whom no other country could bear; so that this miserable plight of yours has become a proverb, namely: if one had already earned the gallows or the wheel among the Germans, he would not have given a good priest in Bohemia. Thus, Bohemia had to be filled with unruly bad boys, also with unlearned shepherds, yes, rather with ravening wolves. Meanwhile, what did the Holy See in Rome care about the Bohemians spoiling as they wished? Yes, he thought he was doing a work that was almost fitting for him, if he took money and sold freedom and courage to these poisoners and beasts, so that they might devastate and destroy your souls; even though he did not grant you the same: yet the love of the penny made him so merciful that he sold his holy consecration to the heretics and his enemies.
007 Hence also floweth the great desolation and Babylonian disorder in your so noble kingdom; because some are pressed with necessity, that they must have priests; some are too weak, that they may not punish them which they have; and it so cometh to pass, that every man teacheth what he will. Some preach this, some that; some deceive the people by falsely claiming to be priests, and they never are; some buy the parish; some are invaded by force; and the one who comes after preaches differently from the one who was before. And because there is neither way nor manner of a true priesthood, the noble Bohemia looks no different than the Babylon described by Isaiah, Cap. 13, 21, in which the monsters leap, the owls and the eagle owls sing. What now is wonder,
that under this disorder all the people of Bohemia are nothing else than all discordant parties among themselves, and that nowhere is there a right way neither to believe nor to live; therefore all their priesthood is considered nothing else but an office of destruction.
8 Truly, these things, as frightful and horrible as they are, should justly and rightly move that with common counsel the whole Bohemian land be closed to these abominations. Yes, if ever such a great accident and need were understood that one would not want to have other servants of the church in any way, then I would confidently advise that you would rather have no servants at all everywhere. For it would be much safer and more salutary for every householder to preach the gospel at home. And since the unanimous opinion and custom of the whole world allows laymen to baptize, it would also be my advice that the fathers of the household, if children were born to them, baptize them themselves and thus, according to the teaching of Christ, govern themselves and their own, even though they might not receive the sacrament of the altar during their lifetime.*) For the sacrament of the altar is not necessary for the danger of salvation, but the gospel and baptism alone are sufficient, since faith alone makes one devout, and love alone makes one live well.
9. Truly, if two or three or ten houses or a whole city or more were to agree among themselves in this matter and thus practice faith and love among themselves at home through the gospel, even if no consecrated or anointed minister or other servant were to come to them as they wished, who would give them the altar and other sacraments, Christ would undoubtedly be in their midst and recognize them as his church; would not therefore condemn, but also crown and reward them for their godly and Christian abstinence from all other sacraments, which to them would be a sign of their faithfulness.
*) According to the Latin original it is: "nicht zu empfangen wagten oder vermöchten" (audeant vel possint). In the Jena edition the audeant is missing.
D. Red.
by unchristian and blasphemous servants. For he said, "Only one thing is necessary," that is the word of God, in which man has life. If then a man lives by the word and has the word, he may abstain from the other, especially if he thereby wants to avoid both the teaching and the ministry of the unchristian. And what good would it be if one would enjoy all the things of others and yet not have the word, by which alone one has life? But the bought and invaded papists with their consecration are not subject to anything else among you, except that the word of God is nowhere in Bohemia; but that only the sacraments remain: that is, they deprive you of what is necessary, and by things that would not be necessary they want to be your lords.
010 But a householder may provide for his own in these necessities by the word, and while he is in such captivity, he may in Christian humility abstain from the unnecessary. It is necessary to do likewise according to the manner and law of the Jews, when they were captives; who, when they could neither be nor sacrifice at Jerusalem, yet received faith by the word, and lived well among the enemies, but sighed and longed for Jerusalem. So also this father of the house, of whom I speak, under this tyranny of the pope, he would do most rightly and safely, if he sighed and longed for the sacrament of the altar, which he neither should nor would like to receive;*) but that he at home earnestly and faithfully taught and instructed his own in the faith by the word of God, until God had mercy from heaven and either dissolved this imprisonment or otherwise sent a servant who would be suitable for it. So I say, it would be better to have none at all, than to have a blasphemous, an unchristian, a shameful servant, who comes alone to strangle and destroy as a thief and murderer.
But now, praise be to God! such an accident
*) In the original Latin it says: quam sumere vel non auderet, vel non posset, that is, "that he would not dare to receive, or would not be able to."
D. Red.
And if there be no need anywhere, save only among the weak, and among them that are otherwise easily troubled; yet the rest, who believe and know the truth, have free power and authority to cast out all unchristian ministers of the church; to require and appoint again only them that are fit and Christian, as often as it shall please them. For it is a beautiful discovery that the same man of sin alone has devised, that he makes his priests eternal by the unspeakable*) sign of consecration, so that they may not be changed (or deposed) because of any fault; of course, because he thus makes his tyranny permanent, and fixes an unpunished will to sin, so that nowhere better could be chosen, and yet the same shameful ones would have to suffer. But we will speak of such violence later. Now, however, since we have admonished you Bohemians yourselves by your damage, that you should leave the consecration of the papists altogether for a good year and let it continue, I will add a common cause, by which we want to make you and the whole world disgusted, to deviate from the reported abominable and atrocious consecration of the papists.
12. However, I will overlook the fact that all those who are now called priests are made and appointed by the bishop's authority alone, without the requested and obtained consent and election of the people over whom they are to be placed; The same people, because they are a people of God, should be most concerned that no one be appointed to them without their own election, but only the bishop, whom they know well and have appointed, should confirm that he is suitable for them. Now all those who are ordained are ordained in an uncertain manner, so that almost no one knows which people he will be priest to in the future.
They are consecrated to offer mass.*) It is so far from that that the people would like to know which priests the bishop anoints. But this, I say, I will overlook for a time**) in the consecration of the papists, although it is a very harmful disorder and a shameful abomination.
(13) Let every one who loves Christ be greatly alarmed at this, and rather suffer what it would be, before he would receive his consecration from the papists, because all that is in this consecration is done and handled with the highest and most unchristian perversion. And if they were not afflicted with such blindness and nonsense, they would be considered as wanting to mock God under the eyes with special diligence. For since the ordination or consecration of priests was first established by the testimony of Scripture, and later by the examples and statutes of the apostles, it is only to be assumed that the people are thereby appointed ministers of the Word of God; - I say of the public ministry of the Word of God, by which the mysteries of God are dispensed - so this ministry is to be instituted by this holy ordination as a thing that is the highest and greatest above all others in the Church - in which all the power of the whole state of the Church is contained; because nothing can exist in the Church without the Word, and through the one Word all things exist. But my papists do not let them even dream of this office when they ordain or decree priests. What do they do?
14 For the first, they are all blinded together, they truly do not know what is neither the word nor the ministry of the word, but the bishops themselves, who consecrate or ordain priests. How then would it be that they would ordain ministers of the Word with their ordination? Then, instead of ordaining ministers of the word, they ordain priests who are to offer mass and hear confession. For this is what the bishop means by it,
**) Usque in suum tempus "until more convenient
When he puts the chalice into their hands and commands them to bless and sacrifice for the living and for the dead, yes, this high power, which they boast that no angel has ever received, yes, even the Mother of God has not received it; and yet they themselves are more impure than fornicators and murderers. This is also what the bishop means when he blows the Holy Spirit into their ears with a supersacred secret and thus makes them confessors, saying: Receive the Holy Spirit etc. This is the so praised power to say mass and hear confession.
(15) I would have you call me a liar, if you found one of those ordained with this ordination who could say that he was commanded in his ordination to speak the mysteries of Christ and to preach the gospel and govern the church of God, which he purchased with his blood. Truly, none of them ever hears these things, nor do they think that they belong to them. He takes the chalice and thinks that this is why he is consecrated, so that it will henceforth be his duty to bless and offer Christ at mass, and that he may also hear confessions. Yes, even more, one inquires only whether he has a title to a fief, so that the belly is provided for; so that nothing is looked at, but only the offering of mass; that is the fulfillment of all consecration together.*) Whoever brings this is already ordained by the church to be a priest, and no one else has this authority, as the smear of the fingers and the plate of the skull certainly testify.
(16) Furthermore, in addition to the ministry of the word, another new profession is required of them, which is considered to be incomparably inferior to holy orders and the priestly mark, and which must be conferred by a parish prince or otherwise by a secular authority. What would it be that such high chiefs as shepherds and bishops would concern themselves with it? It should only
*) Here in the original is added: "thus the whole ordination is complete and valid." D. Red.
The most lowly, the worst, the worst *) are commanded to do a thing that is far too bad and lowly for them; because to give out the mysteries of God and to feed souls is a bad office that does not have an indelible priestly mark and is not called a sacrament of holy consecration. But to bless and sacrifice Christ, there, there, that must have an indelible mark, that is the true sacrament of holy orders.
17 Above this, the wrath of God still hurls these ridiculous bishop larvae around, so that they not only despise the office of the word, in place of which they have instituted the office of offering mass; but also the salvific baptism, by which men live and rational souls are sanctified to eternal life, they push away from them as an office that must be alien to them and especially unworthy of such bishop hoods embroidered with noble stones and golden cloaks. But it is almost fitting that instead of souls they should baptize dead creatures that have no souls, such as stones, altars, bells, which are as receptive to baptism as they are to truth. This is such a great nonsense and folly that you would almost burst out laughing if you saw a bishop playing such a game outside of seriousness; but if you consider in your mind the blasphemy of God that is happening here, you would want to burst with indignation.
(18) If it be ever denied that they are priests, you must certainly deny that they are priests, all those who have smeared the consecration of the papists; for it is now sufficiently known from the foregoing that they do not refrain from ordaining ministers of the word, but only ministers of the mass and confessors. Nor can they do or handle anything else but what they have the will to do and act; that is, they do not seek to confer the office of teaching a people, but only to give power. They do not seek to confer the office of teaching a people, but only to give them the power to say mass and to hear sins; therefore it may not happen that they obtain another. Since there is nothing more certain than that the mass is not a sacrifice
Then it follows that their confession is of no value, of which they say it is a commanded thing, but both are nothing else but the work of men, blasphemous sin and a vain poem of lies; so it follows that by such their holy consecration before God no one can become a priest or a servant, but they alone become a mere charade of lies and vanity, to sacrifice, since there is no sacrifice. To forgive guilt, since there should be no accuser: like the one on the scene, who laughed and gesticulated to himself, since he had no one to watch him or to laugh at him.
(19) These are the things which should move not only you Bohemians, but also all Christian hearts together, rather to suffer everything than to be stained with this blasphemous consecration; even those who have been thus consecrated until now should be justly sorry for them, since they have been so deceived by the larvae of lies. And indeed, if they have ever said mass properly or fulfilled the office of a servant of the church, it has certainly not been by virtue of their holy consecration, which is nothing but lies and mockery of God, but by virtue of the faith and hotness*) of the church, which has had to tolerate the same instead of the proper office, and has also been forced to admit them.
20 But now that the matter is revealed, it is not proper to continue to mock and ridicule God, but rather to flee such falsehoods as the most horrible poisoners of souls and the most shameful disgrace to the whole church. But whoever has come into the place of the ministry through these lies, let him now hasten and take up the right ministry and henceforth perform his ministry purely and worthily, leave the ministry of offering mass, teach his people the word of God instead, and govern his church well; for the rest, let him from his heart reject and curse the smear and all the consecration by which he had entered. For it is not necessary for him to leave the place of ministry, even though he entered unchristian and perverse consecration, so that his mind would be corrected and the unformity of his entry condemned.
21 Furthermore, if the colored clergy and disguised bishops, with their consecrations and sacrifices, whether in disgrace or in earnest, would only not do something that strives directly against the gospel, and yet leave us alone unconsecrated to Christ in his kingdom, then perhaps their foolishness would be punished more gently or this sacrilege would be borne more easily. But now their nonsense and abominable foolishness is of such a nature that Christ must be completely denied and annihilated if their sacrifices and offices are to stand any other way; as I have indicated enough elsewhere, but now I should not be displeased to penetrate a little further. Thus the gospel and all Scripture hold that "Christ is the supreme priest, who alone once and by the only sacrifice of himself took away all men's sin and made them eternally holy, having once entered into the holy place by his own blood, and there found eternal redemption" (as the epistle Heb. 9, 11. 14. 28.), so that without this one sacrifice no other sacrifice remains for our sin, and if we trust in this one sacrifice with pure faith, we will be saved from all our sins without any merit or work on our part. He instituted an eternal memorial of this sacrifice and its offering for us, because he wanted this sacrifice to be proclaimed under the sacrament of the altar, and thus nourished and strengthened the faith that must be had in this same sacrifice.
22) What do the papists consecrate in their abominations? This is what they do: they sacrifice the body and blood every day in countless places throughout the world, as if the one sacrifice were not enough for them, or as if he had not even invented eternal redemption; and with such sacrifices they promise forgiveness of sins: yet not an eternal one, but only a daily one, which must be renewed every day. This abomination surpasses all reason. For what is this but to boast of the sacrifice of Christ in name only, and yet to deny and destroy it in truth? For how can the two stand together, that I believe I have obtained an eternal remission of sins through
Christ, who was once sacrificed for me, and at the same time always seek another and different forgiveness through the daily re-offering of the previous sacrifice? For if I believe that my sins have been forgiven for eternity through Christ, who was once sacrificed for me, I cannot again seek redemption of sin through another sacrifice. But if I seek remission of them by a daily sacrifice, then of necessity the faith must perish which believes that all my sins, once sacrificed by Christ, are taken away forever.
23 Here you see in what a terrible and perverse way these sacrificial apostles under the name of Christ have taken away Christ and His whole kingdom from us, and in His place have set up their own work, their sacrifice, their little bundle; as Christ foretold, Matt. 24:15: "Let the abomination stand in the holy place. Here also the word of Christ is spoken, v. 5: "Many will come in my name and say: I am Christ." Do they not give themselves up for Christ, if they promise this through the sacrifices, since they sacrifice again daily in so many thousand places, which Christ alone has accomplished at one time through his one sacrifice? Is not this taking away faith from the rock of truth that is in Christ, and building it on the sand of human lies?
(24) Thus we see what kind of priests are made by the consecration of the papists; truly not priests of God, but priests of the devil, only that they trample Christ underfoot, destroy his sacrifice, but sell themselves under his name and teach the world to trust in their sacrifices. Therefore it is no longer necessary to ask whether one may desire and receive ordination from the papists; but there is already a decided verdict that in no place is ordination and priesthood less to be conferred than under the realm of the pope. There is indeed a figure that seems splendid, as if one consecrates and makes priests; but it belongs to the king of glitter that he confer nothing but pure glitter, so that he may strengthen his abominations. Therefore, our own conscience compels us here in faith, that we may be
The completely perfect cause of our blessedness compels us by force to abstain from the same blasphemous and condemned consecrations. Woe to those who consecrate themselves to such an adversary of God, this Baal Peor, if they know and understand this.
(25) Truly, this one cause should move you Bohemians the most above all other nations. For it is not only unchristian to you, as it is to others, before God; but it is also shameful to you before all men that you seek and receive consecration from your enemy, who burned John Huss and Jerome of Prague, along with many others, with the worst dishonor of their names; who has never wanted anything else than that you should be exterminated; who has so far insulted you without end, without measure, before all the world with the shameful name of heresy; which venomous pretensions you have so often had to resist with so much blood. Still the bloody tyrant is not ashamed of his wickedness, does not repent of it, does not revoke the shameful deed on innocent condemned blood, and does not want to reimburse you for the blasphemous robbery of the Christian name, which he has taken from you. Nor is he sorry that so much German blood has been shed against you in vain and to the detriment of souls because of his blasphemous tyranny; but his forehead and his neck are so hardened that even today he would much rather that you and we should both perish with each other at once, so that not a speck would remain that would shine a little more to Christ for the salvation of his honor.
He still holds under his loose and void ban or curse King George with all those of Münsterberg, which is a glorious duchy under the crown of Bohemia; as he has also done with many others. But praise God that "the man of sin has been revealed," 2 Thess. 2, 3. of which Peter, 2 Ep. 2, 10. has recently said: "Kings and princes he will curse without terror." But we have another bishop; what this one curses, he is able to bless, as it is written, "They will curse, but
you will bless." Thus the curse of the pope on King George and on the Duchy of Münsterberg, as well as all those who have suffered the same, has always been and still is nothing else than that of which Solomon says in Proverbs, chapter 26 (v. 2): "As the bird flies by on high, so shall not the curse come without a cause.): "As the bird flies by on high, so will not come the curse that is given without cause"; but rather it is and remains forever a very great honor in the sight of God reported King George and all his family, above all other kings and sovereigns, that he has thus been cursed from the cursing chair and from the child of the curse.
(27) Oh, dear Bohemians, would you still continue to receive from this enemy of yours such blasphemous and shameful consecration in vain, or even have the least to do with him, who is so cruel, who is such a blood drunkard, such a curser, who is so unreconcilable with anything, who is such an abomination before God and before men? For if you do this, do you not then fall to him with this deed and glorify him as if he had done right in condemning you? Is it not that by this you condemn all your so honest and upright deeds, which you have committed against him? Do you not hereby fall away from yourselves as repugnants? Do you not hereby make the Christian blood of John Huss, innocently shed, an unchristian blood, as if it were shed by him with right and honor? if you kiss the hands of him who shed it, you fall at the feet of him who tramples you underfoot and tortures you with eternal shame. How much more rightly do you do to him, that you distance yourselves from him, so that you do not feel the odor of his poisonous name, as much as possible; because Paul also says, 1 Cor. 5:11, how one should avoid fornicators and drunkards, how much more should all those who confess Christ avoid this abomination, which is the ultimate desolation, which no one can force, no one can punish.
28 Now, you dear pious gentlemen, let me first receive this from you; yes, it should force - whether you otherwise would not like to do it - your own conscience and fear GOt-.
That you neither desire nor receive consecration from this "child of destruction", 2 Thess. 2, 3. from now on, even if he himself offers it to you. Neither do you receive one who is consecrated by him and brings with him the name and mark of this beast. For if it is the case that this is obtained by you first, then all effort is lost, and we seek counsel in vain how to help your cause. In addition, your highly praised, even blessed apostasy from Satan's kingdom can be counted as nothing more than a loose semblance and color. For what is it to boast as if one had withdrawn from the papal yoke, and yet admit no one else to guide the consciences but the very executioners and murderers of the same tyrant whom one wants to have renounced? Will not all the world judge that you-with so much blood, with so many dangers, even with what you have endured and suffered so far, that you Christians have been thus reviled, even held for heretics all along-have won nothing but that it alone has a title and name, as if you had renounced the pope, and yet in truth have herewith imposed his tyranny on yourselves? Much more blessedly do we German fools bear his tyranny simply, even though we have no name, as if we were disobedient to him, if we suffer that which is in himself, as it has the name; so that we do not console our wretchedness with false glory, that is, do not make a special joy to the accursed tyrant precisely by that in which we ourselves would be mocked.
Somebody might say, "What should we do in this way? The great need that does not want to pay attention to the things of all. We have no priests, and yet we can hardly do without them? Yes, if this is to be true, then one should have felt, said, and held it before one had fallen away from the pope; or else certainly to return as soon as possible to the confession of allegiance that one had left. And that much better than to lose one's freedom inactively and to be fed with vain air as if one had gained freedom, when in the meantime one has been imprisoned twice as much. Here-
t is up to us to attack the matter, either to learn this very day how to provide ourselves with priests outside the tyranny of the pope; or, if we do not want to do this, but are able to, to gladly and willingly give ourselves up to captivity and there serve under the king of perdition with knowledge and good sense in the service of perdition, which Christ, our merciful Lord and Master, wants to avert from us.
It is not one thing, priest and servant: one is born to be a priest; one is born to be a servant.
One becomes a servant by election or calling.
(30) First of all, we must have firm faith, so that by the power of the divine word we may give up this great and mighty scandal, when they have been called priests after the manner of men, and afterwards they have defended with stubborn defiance all those who have been anointed by bishops. For by such adornment of this name Satan entered deceitfully, and so devastated and laid waste all things with intemperate raging; then he took unto himself seven other devils, more wicked than he, with whom he entered into his court, where he sitteth securely and dwelleth with rest, so that no man anywhere thinketh nor understandeth otherwise by the word priest, but such a cursed and anointed wonder, puffed up and introduced by human iniquity and superstition. If you do not close your eyes and walk away from all customs, old traditions and crowds, and only hang on to the one word of God with open ears, then you will not prevail against this astonishment.
31 First of all, let it be a rock that cannot be moved, because there is not a priest in the New Testament who has been anointed by heart. But if there be any, they must be but vices and idols of oil: for of their vileness they have neither example nor scripture, nor one word in all the gospels, nor in all the epistles of the apostles; but by men's flesh and blood they are anointed.
fund they have arisen and introduced, such as Jeroboam that in the people of Israel.
32. for a priest, in the New Testament, must not be made, but born; is not ordained, but created. But is born not by the birth of the flesh, but by the birth of the Spirit, of water and the Spirit in the bath of regeneration. Therefore all Christians are priests with one another, and all priests are Christians. And it is cursed speech to say that a priest is another thing than a Christian is; for such is spoken without the word of God, only on the doctrine of men, on ancient traditions, or on the multitude of those who think it so; out of which three, if you set up one that you want for an article of faith, it is blasphemy and abomination, as I have said abundantly in other places.
33. but the divine scriptures, that we may adorn and strengthen our conscience, that all and only Christians are priests, against the smeared and the scorched, are these: "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech," Ps. 110:4. Christ was neither shorn nor oiled to be a priest; therefore it is not enough for anyone who wants to follow Christ to be oiled to be a priest, but he must have something else; if he has this, he does not need to be shorn or oiled at all: So that you may see how blasphemously the bishops err, when they say that one must be oiled and consecrated, otherwise one cannot be a priest, even if one were the Most Holy One, yes, Christ Himself. Again, they say that through these things one becomes a priest, even if he were more wicked and shameful than Nero and Sardanapal were.
(34) What else do they do, but deny that Christ and his Christians are priests? For when they thus ordain and perform their office, they make no one a priest, because he denies that he was a priest before. And just by making priests, they deprive them of the priesthood, so that their consecration before God is nothing else but truly a charade, although besides that a too true and serious desecration.
For what does it mean in other words: I am ordained to the priesthood, because I confess with the deed that I was until now and am not yet a priest? of all things like the monks is abomination, since they vow evangelical councils and yet deny the commandments of God.
35 That this may well be concluded in a Christian way: Christ is priest, therefore all Christians are priests; is evident from the 22nd Psalm, v. 23: "I will proclaim thy name unto my brethren"; and again Psalm 45:8: "Therefore God hath anointed thee, O God thy Lord, with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." That we are his brethren is by the new birth alone; therefore we are priests also, like him; we are sons, like him;^ kings, like him. For "he hath seated us together with him in the heavenly estate, that we should be his comrades and fellow heirs, in whom and with whom all things were given to us," Eph. 2:6, Tit. 3:7, Rom. 8:32. Also we have many other such sayings, by which we are called one thing with Christ; as, one bread, one drink, one body, one member of another. One flesh, one bone from his bones; that we also have all things in common with him.
It also follows that Christ became the first priest of the New Testament without a vesture, without a vesture, without the priestly mark and without all these vestments of episcopal consecration; neither did he make all his apostles and disciples priests by such vestments. Therefore, there is no need for such a larval consecration. And if it is already there, it is not enough that you become a priest; otherwise you would also have to say that neither Christ nor his apostles were priests. That thou mayest see everywhere how true I have said, that in no place are there fewer priests, than even now in our days they ordain priests. For they leave all these things behind, by which Christ and his apostles became priests, who also alone make priests: they only say out of their own brains and put these lies: by these things you become priests; otherwise you would not become priests. This much is said: Christ was neither circumcised nor anointed by us; therefore he is not a priest.
But let us continue and prove the same from the priestly offices, as they call it, that all Christians are priests in the same way; for these sayings, 1 Peter 2:9: "You are a royal priesthood", also Revelation 5:10: "You have made us a kingdom and priests"; which I have now sufficiently introduced in other books. These are almost all the priestly offices: teaching, preaching and proclaiming the word of God, baptizing, blessing or administering the sacrament of the altar, binding and absolving from sins, interceding for others, offering and judging all other doctrines and spirits. Truly, these are great and royal things.
But the first and the highest, to which all others adhere and cling, is to teach the word of God. For with the word we teach, bless, bind and release, baptize, sacrifice, judge and pass judgment on everything; so that we, to whom we command the word, may by no means deny him everything that is due to a priest. Now the same word is a common thing to all Christians, as Isaiah says, Cap. 53, 13: "I will give all thy sons to be taught of God." But these are they who are taught of God, who hear and learn it of the Father, as Christ, John 6, v. 45, interprets. "But the hearing is by the word" of Christ, to Romans on the 10th, v. 17. so that this praise may stand in the 149th Psalm, v. 5. "This is the praise of all his saints." Which? "The joy of God in their throats, double-edged swords in their hands, to avenge themselves on the generations, to punish the nations, and to bind their kings with fetters, and their noblest with bands of iron, to execute in them the judgment described" etc. (According to the Vulgate.)
39) First of all, that the first office, namely the office in God's word, is common to all Christians, is also proven by this saying, 1 Peter 2:9: "You are the royal priesthood, that you should proclaim the virtues of Him who called you from darkness to His marvelous light. I ask you, who are those called from darkness into the marvelous light? Are they only the called
Are they all anointed larvae, or are they not all Christians? Peter gives them not only the right, but also a commandment, "that they should preach the virtues of God"; which is nothing else but preaching the word of God. Let them now come from the tradition who invent two kinds of priesthood: one spiritual and general; the other a special and external priesthood: and pretend that St. Peter is speaking here of the spiritual priesthood. What then is the office of their special and external priesthood? Is it not "to proclaim the virtues of God"? But Peter gives this here to the spiritual and general priesthood. However, these blasphemers have another external priesthood, by which they proclaim, not the virtues of God, but of the pope and their own godless nature. Otherwise, just as there is no other proclamation in the ministry of the Word than these some of the virtues of God, which are common to all Christians alike; so there is no other priesthood than the spiritual one, which is also common to all Christians, which Peter described here.
40 Christ also proves this through Matthew, Marcus, and Lucas, when at the last supper he says to them all, "Do this in remembrance of me. He did not say this to the scorched and oiled alone; otherwise no one would take the body and blood of Christ except the scorched and oiled. But the same remembrance is nothing else than preaching the word; as Paul interprets it, 1 Cor. 11:26: For "as often as ye eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, ye shall proclaim the death of the Lord, until he come." Now "proclaiming the death of the Lord" is nothing else than "proclaiming the virtues of the Lord, who called us from darkness into his marvelous light." Therefore, the dreams of ungodly men are not valid here, who want the apostles to be made priests, that is, to be consecrated with their vestments, if he has given them all a common and the same ministry of the word of Christ. It is right and commanded for all of them to keep this memorial of the Lord, so that
God is praised and glorified in his virtues everywhere. He does not mean this remembrance, which the sacrificial apostles keep in nooks and crannies, or when they stand in their heavenly scouting (contemplation); but which is to be done publicly and through the ministry of the word, in order to make the souls of the hearers blessed.
41 St. Paul also affirms this in 1 Corinthians 14:26, when he does not speak to some of the prophesied, but to the whole church and to every Christian in particular: "Each one has a psalm, he has teaching, he has revelation, he has tongues and interpretations. And after this, v. 31: "Ye may well all prophesy one by one, that they may all learn and be instructed." Tell me, dear one, what does he mean when he says, "Every one"? What does the little word "all" mean? Does he mean to indicate only those who are being chastised? Therefore it is now sufficiently and with these sayings most strongly and clearly established that the office of the Word of God, which is the highest office in the church, is only one and common to all who are Christians: not only according to the law, but also by commandment. So also the priesthood must be none other than one, and that also is common to all Christians: so that against these divine thunderbolts all the fathers, all the councils, would not be valid, were there already so many of them that no one would want to count them; nor an eternal custom, nor the multitude of all the world: with which stubbles the shorn larvae dare to fortify their priesthood.
42 Secondly: The other office is to baptize; this they themselves have made common to women by daily custom in time of need, and so that it is almost not regarded as a priestly office at all. But they will or will not, we may conclude and take them by their own judgment, that all and only Christians, even women, are priests without tonsure and without the priestly mark. For when one baptizes, one pronounces the living word, which gives birth to the soul again and redeems it from death and sins; which is inestimably more than blessing the bread and the wine, since this is the highest office in
of the church is to proclaim the word of God. Therefore, when women baptize, they perform the true priesthood, not with a special work of their own, but with a common and public office of the church, which belongs to a priest alone.
(43) For one may be astonished at the folly and folly of the papists, which is so grossly apparent in this place. They have made the office of baptism common to all, and yet they force the priesthood to belong to themselves alone, since baptism belongs to no one but a priest alone. In addition, they themselves declare that baptism is the first sacrament, and yet they allow no one to administer sacraments except priests. Now no sacrament is ever more worthy or better than the other, since all sacraments exist through the one Word of God. But they have been deceived by their own blindness, from which they do not see the great glory of the Word of God that reigns in baptism. If they looked at it as it would be fair, they would not find any dignity on earth, it would be priestly or episcopal, even papal holiness, which they would not ascribe to the one to whom they admit the office of the Word. The priestly, episcopal and also papal name would be a bad thing if it were compared with the name of the servant who proclaims the Word of God, which is alive and abides forever, which is able and does all things.
44 Thus they also play ridiculously when they consecrate. They do not consider the episcopal state a sacrament, nor do they give it a special sign, from which alone they consider the priestly dignity and power to be the highest; but nevertheless the episcopal state must be the highest, because it confers priestly ordination and imprints the priestly sign; and yet at the same time it is the lowest, because it is neither a special ordination *) nor a priestly sign.
has a mark; and so that which is inferior gives that which is greater. Therefore, since they wanted to gloss over these clumsy things, they had to invent a new distinction between dignity and violence (that one is dignity, the other violence). Ah, how should or would the impudent lie otherwise, but thus fool, which nowhere can remain on one opinion? So that Christ shows how everything in the kingdom of the pope has no reason and everything has to go contrary and nonsensical. Therefore it is no wonder that they have made the priestly sacrament of baptism common to all, and yet have assigned the priesthood to themselves alone.
45 The third: The third office is: blessing or giving the holy bread and wine. Here they boast of a special triumph, the blessed ones; here they boast gloriously and say that no one else has this power, neither an angel, nor even the Virgin and Mother of God. But let us leave aside their nonsense and say that this office is also common to all Christians, like the priesthood. And we do not say this because we must be believed, but testify to it by the words and testimonies of Christ, who thus said at the supper, "This do in remembrance of me." For even the ignorant papists themselves believe that by these words Christ made priests and gave them the power to bless. Now he said this to all his own who were present at that time, who ate and drank of this bread and wine, and also to all those who would hereafter eat and drink of this bread and wine. From this it follows that what was given there was given to all. And they have nothing to set against this, except the fathers, the councils, and the long custom, and also their strongest article of faith, which is thus called, "Ours are many, and we hold it thus, therefore it must surely be true.
46 Paul also comes as a witness, 1 Cor. 11:23: "I have received it from the Lord, which I have given you." Paul also speaks here to all the Corinthians and makes them all equal to him, that is,
He consecrates them all as priests who may bless this sacrament. But here too there is a great pall in the eyes of the papists, before which they cannot see the glory of the Word of God, and wonder at how the essence of the bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Dear, I beg you, tell me, what is this power to bless wine and bread compared to the power to baptize and preach the Word of God? A woman baptizes and preaches the word of life, by which sin is eradicated, by which eternal death is taken away, by which the prince of this world is cast out, by which heaven is given to one's own; summa, by which the whole divine majesty is poured into the soul. But what does this miracle man, the priest, do in the meantime? He transforms the bread. With what? Not with another word, nor with a greater or more powerful one. What follows after this transformation of the bread? Nothing, except that the priest is astonished and amazed at his high dignity and power. Is this not what it means to make a big elephant out of a mosquito? For this reason, those who disdain the power of the word almost deserve to be amazed at this alone.
47 Therefore we see how seldom the evangelists and apostles remember this sacrament, that there are many who wish they had spoken more of it. But there is no place where they do not practice and put on the ministry of the word, so much and often that it is sometimes almost irksome. This has happened because the Holy Spirit has seen that the bristling larvae with their perverse abomination would come and turn their hearts away from the powerful word of truth and turn them toward the dead transformation of bread and wine, and would even cling and cling all their lives to this extravagant form of it, despising in the meantime the wonderful light in which we are called. Therefore, even if there were no testimony of the Scriptures, this is true and certain: if the greatest thing is given to all, that is, the Word and baptism, even the least thing, that is, the blessing of the Sacrament, cannot be denied legally:
Just as Christ Himself concludes the same, Matth. 6, 25: "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing", as if He said: "If God gives that which is great, He will also give that which is small.
(48) The fourth office is to bind and to absolve from sins. This office they have not only snatched to themselves and brought to themselves through presumption, but have also drawn it to the point that to them alone belongs the right and power to make laws. For they interpret "to bind" to mean as much as to make laws, to command and to forbid; to make laws is indeed to bind the consciences, but with nothing but pure lies and deceit, since the consciences are bound without cause; as there is the prohibition by which they have forbidden the clergy the wives and the food that God created and commanded us to eat.) Again, with them this is called "dissolving" or releasing, taking money for it and dispensing, that is, tearing apart their own false laws, so that they bound before, and thus fraudulently leaving the consciences, which they bound falsely, unbound again. Otherwise, they also use this office in confession and excommunication to bind and release; but they have no right to do so, it is a damnable abuse.
(49) By this robbery and blasphemous theft of the power of the church, they have made the keys, or the office of binding and loosing, to be nowhere less than with them; though they everywhere boast that they have the keys, since they neither open nor shut heaven to the consciences; they do open the coffers of all the world. But we all, as many of us as are Christians, have this power of the keys in common; which I have so often proved and indicated in my little book against the Pope. For here is the word of Christ, Matt. 18:15, that he said not only to the apostles, but to all the brethren: "If thy brother sin against thee, rebuke him. If he hears you, you have your
Brother won"; and soon after, v. 17. 18. "If he hear not the church, count him a heathen and a publican. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
50 Here I do not let the larvae with their larvae spittle worry me, who in this saying make such a distinction: it is another thing about the right or power of the keys, than about the use of the keys; for they do this out of their own presumption without all Scripture. They should prove this from a good beginning and reason; this they do, as is their custom everywhere.*) They should first prove and make true that they have a different power, because there is the common power of the church; so they throw up the same thing as if they had already proved and made it true, and so they continue with this fictitious difference and lie: the church has the right and power of the keys, but the use is of the bishops. This is called frivolous talk, which falls flat on its face. Christ gives here to every Christian the power and the use of the keys, since he says: "He be unto thee as a Gentile." Who is the "he be unto thee"? Whom does Christ address with the little word "you"? the pope? Yes, he addresses every Christian in particular. But when he says, "He be unto thee," he not only gives the right or authority, but commands and gives him the use and direction of it. For what is it, if he saith, He be unto thee as a Gentile, or, Thou shalt hold him for that? is it not as much as if he saith, Thou shalt not dwell with him, and thou shalt not have fellowship with him? Now in truth this is nothing else but to put under ban, to bind, and to shut up heaven.
51 This also confirms what follows, v. 18: "What you bind shall be bound. Who are those whom he thus binds?
*) According to the original, this sentence reads: "For they do this out of their own presumption without all Scripture, and then by presupposing as already proven, according to their custom, what they should prove" (deinde more suo vitiosissime petentes principium).
D. Red.
talks? Is it not all Christians? is it not the Christian church? If they say that he did not give the use, but only the authority or right of the keys to the church, we also want to say: he did not give the use of the keys to anyone, not even to St. Peter, Matth. 16, 19. For the words of Christ are everywhere quite the same, that he should give this office. And if they mean in one place or against one person that the authority is given herewith, they mean the same everywhere. Again, if in one place they mean that the use is given, they mean the same everywhere, that the use is given. For it is ever improper that the words of God, if they stand the same everywhere, should now be given understanding in that place and then be interpreted differently in another place; as these larvae may do and so mock the mysteries of God with their poetry.
52 Therefore this lie of men is nothing. For the keys are for the whole congregation of all Christians, and for every one that is a member of the same congregation: and this not only according to authority, but also according to use, and according to every manner that may be, lest we do violence to the words of Christ, who saith straightway and generally unto all, "He shall be unto thee," etc.; item, "Thou hast won thy brother," etc.; item, "All that ye shall bind," etc. I would also like to take this saying, "To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven," which Christ spoke to St. Peter alone, for confirmation; item, Matt. 18:19, "Where two become one on earth"; item, v. 20, "Where two are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." In which sayings the most perfect right and use is most fully assigned and affirmed, that they may bind and loose; unless we would deny Christ himself the right and use of the keys, when he dwells in the midst of two. But these sayings I have superfluously dealt with in other places.
(53) We also said above that the ministry of the word is common to all. But the "binding" and "releasing" is nothing else at all, because preaching the gospel and
to turn the same into use. For what does "dissolve" mean other than proclaiming that sins are remitted before God? What does "bind" mean, other than taking away the gospel and proclaiming that sins are kept? Therefore, whether they will or will not, we get that the keys are common to all; for they are nothing else than the ministry, by which one turns the word into custom and practice.
(54) But what need is there for us to struggle long to conquer this office for ourselves who know Christ? It is now evident enough to us that among the papists there is no knowledge of Christ, that faith and the gospel are also completely unknown to them, but now they also condemn them altogether. But where Christ is not known and faith is unknown, it is impossible for them to see what sin is before God. Their blindness and unbelief forces them to call good that which is evil and evil that which is good, as Isaiah says, and to err completely. But where one does not know what is sin or good work, it is also not possible that one can bind and deliver.
55 From this follows: If we speak and hold in truth according to the mind of Christ, that as long as the papists and the sacrificial apostles persist in their understanding, the office of binding and unbinding neither is nor may be; much less that they should be priests, or have this office alone, or confer it on any one by their ordination. What do you want to bind, if you do not know what to bind? Therefore also their raving is according to their blindness, that they shut up heaven and open hell to themselves and to their own, in that they now condemn and bind the gospel, but glorify and loose it upon their statutes of men; by which they have lost the keys themselves, together with the power and use thereof, since they thus wrongly and blasphemously misuse them.
56. to the fifth: The fifth office is: sacrifice. This is the right crown of glory of the drunkards of Ephraim, as Isaiah says. By this office they have separated themselves from us, and have made the whole world mad and foolish; yet have they not set their minds on anything beside it.
because they have relied on foolish and silly lies to make a sacrifice out of this sacrament, which has been said above, so we will only briefly go over it here. But we refer to testimonies of the New Testament, on which we also defy the devil, that in the New Testament there is no other sacrifice than the one common to all the world, to the Romans on the 12th (v. 1), where Paul teaches us how we are to sacrifice our bodies by the crucifixion of our flesh, in the same way as Christ sacrificed his body for us on the cross. In this sacrifice Paul understands the sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Peter also tells us the same thing, 1 Ep 2:5, "that we offer spiritual sacrifices through Christ, acceptable to God," that is, ourselves, not gold or cattle.
(57) Therefore, what they claim to be a special sacrifice is indeed a special sacrifice, yes, even of their special priesthood; but which sacrifice not only no devout Christian should or would be a partaker of, but also condemns it as the worst blasphemy and idolatry, and desires that he beware of the fellowship of it as much as possible, however much they bring it out and say that it is an old custom, and the great multitude also hold it so. He who errs with many errs nevertheless; he who "burns" with many burns nevertheless. Therefore let us be strong and steadfast that there be no more than this one sacrifice in the church, that is, our bodies. Since there can be no other sacrifice today than that which is killed and accomplished by the Word of God, and the Word, as we have said, is common to all, it follows that there can be no other sacrifice than a common sacrifice.
58. But since only spiritual sacrifices are in the church, as St. Peter says, that is, only those which are offered in spirit and in truth, it is impossible that they should be offered, because only by him who is spiritual, that is, by a Christian who has the spirit of Christ. But the papists only like their lying mouths to gape, so that their sacrifice may also be made by those who are full of vice, want to be swallowed.
They want their sacrifice to be pleasing because of the value it has on him, regardless of the one who offers it. By which their own testimony they are overcome, the abominable blasphemers, that they teach of God that he should look upon the offering of Cain, when he does not look upon Cain. For they themselves boast that their sacrifice is a work of heart, even of an unpleasant and condemned person; yet nothing in the church may please God, unless the person first pleases Him and is pleasant, as Abel was. But it becomes such by faith and spirit, not by sacrifice. Since they must also confess that their sacrificial victims are the several parts without spirit, and yet in the church no one can sacrifice to God unless he has the spirit, it follows from this that their sacrifice is not' a sacrifice of the church, but only a human lie.
59) The sixth office is to pray for others. How shamefully and impudently they have deceived the whole world with this, these larvae, also how they have made a fictitious Jewish school out of the true church, is shameful to hear. But Christ has given to each and every one of His Christians a single daily prayer*) by which alone we may sufficiently prove and confirm that there is a single priesthood, common to all; and again, that the Papist priesthood is nothing but a lie, invented outside the Church and introduced into the Church by sheer insolent presumption. For since praying for others is nothing else but mediating between God and representing another; as is due to Christ alone and to all his brethren: so surely by the fact that we are all commanded to pray for others, we are at the same time all commanded to perform priestly office. For even the papists themselves want to be priests by praying for other Christian laymen. Yes, such praying is their idol Dagon, their food, the one God of their belly.
60. now someone sheer does not want to know,
Whether it be the greater ignorance or folly of these foolish men, that they have not tested the power and office of this prayer of the Lord, while they themselves have preached that it is every man's common prayer; and yet they have assigned the office of prayer, as a priestly one, to themselves alone, and have denied it to all others. For what is it said, that we alone are priests, and ye are laymen; for so much as, that we alone are Christians, and may pray, and ye are Gentiles, and ought not to pray; but that ye alone may be helped by our prayers? Again, if one says: You may also pray, not we alone; this is as much as if one said: You are also priests and brothers of Christ, who may also come before God and stand for the others.
(61) But God is well and truly avenged on these abominable worshippers. Behold, since they alone wanted to be those who pray for the people, they have become, by the miraculous counsel of God, nothing but painted prayers; that indeed this wickedness, in order that they might lie to God and all men, has had to lie to no one but yourselves, as David says. Who is there in all the number of so many foundations, monasteries and benefices that pray? They babble the words of prayer with their mouths, they think they have the strings of singing, as David had, as Isaiah says; but he calls it only a murmur, who speaks thus, Cap. 29, 13: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." *)
So you will find many of them who have been mouthing the holy words of faith for forty years or all their lives, and yet have never for a single moment offered a single prayer before God. And these abominations should be worthy of being held and called priests, of having such great church buildings erected for them, on which we have built so many
*) According to the original this passage reads: "and like David's they think they have psaltery games, as Amos (6, 5.) speaks; but that it is only 'a tumult (Geplärr) of songs' (Amos 5, 23.), he himself has declared, who said (Is, 29, 13.): 'This people' etc." (et sicut David putant, sese habere vasa cantici, ut Amos ait, verum tumultum esse carminum ipse definit, qui dixit: Populus iste etc. ) D. Red.
The cost of paying so much rent and fees*), to which we subject all the kingdoms of the world, and finally also subject the true and right priests and worshippers of God, that is, pious Christians, for whom they want to ask? since God hardly considers them worthy to be compared to the pagans alone, who hope to be heard through many words. But these, as Christ says, do not think that they will be heard either. How could they hope to be heard? Nor do they make so much babbling and chattering in the hope that they will be heard thereby; but only because they honor God with their lips, after that they earn interest from the people by this dalliance and fatten their bellies with it. And yet, by papal authority, they are the priests of God; yes, of the devil, who is a god over this world. They pray for us, that is, they anger the true God against us.
Therefore, let us hear Christ, the right judge and arbitrator in this matter. He says, John 4:24: "God is a spirit, and whoever wants to worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth," for the Father wants such worshipers, that is, not those who worship him on this mountain or in Jerusalem. This is the decision and the final judgment of the divine majesty; because this exists, we also insist and speak out undauntedly and confidently, as if God Himself spoke it, that the pope and his papists have indeed a special priesthood and a special office to pray for before all Christians; but not such as would make them priests or worshippers, but such as would make them idols, that is, images and likenesses, as if they were priests or worshippers; otherwise it is the Christians alone, and indeed all Christians; who, like them alone, cry out in the spirit: Abba, dear Father, so they alone pray and are alone priests.
64 The seventh: The seventh and last office is to judge and discern all doctrine. Truly, it is not for a bad reason that the priestly larvae and colored Christians have usurped this office. Namely,
They have well foreseen that if they let this office remain among the congregation, they would not retain any of the above-mentioned offices. For if the right of the audience to judge the doctrine were taken away, what might or might not a doctor or teacher dare to do, if it were possible that he were already worse than the devil? Again, if the judgment is granted, even offered, to the audience, what might or might not a teacher dare to do, if he were already more than an angel from heaven? For if this were allowed, not only would Paul punish Peter, but he would also condemn the angels from heaven; If this had been allowed, not only would Paul have punished Peter, but also the angels from heaven would have condemned him; and if this had been allowed to happen, not only would Paul have punished Peter, but also the angels from heaven have condemned him; and the popes and conciliar authorities would undoubtedly have spoken with much greater fear and terror about the priesthood, the ministry of preaching, and the other offices of baptizing, blessing, binding, praying, and judging doctrine, if they had had to fear the judgment and sentence of the audience; indeed, nothing would ever have come of the entire papacy if this sentence had prevailed. That is why they themselves have almost advised them well, since they alone have assigned this office to them.
But they were able to do this and kept it until the wrath of God was fulfilled, as Daniel says, Cap. 11, 36. But now, "when the Savior comes and enlightens us with His future, this evil one has begun to be destroyed; the breath of His mouth kills this Antichrist, who has exalted himself above all the glory of God", 2 Thess. 2, 4. 8. Here now exists the saying of Christ, John 10, 5.My sheep hear My voice, but they do not hear the voice of strangers"; Matth. 7, 15: "Beware of false prophets"; Matth. 16, 6: "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is nothing but gleaming"; Matth. 23, 2. 3: "The scribes and Pharisees have sat on Moses' seat. All things therefore which they say unto you, that ye should keep, keep them, and do them: but after their works do ye not." With these and other such sayings of the gospel and all the Scriptures, by which we are exhorted not to believe the false teachers, what does Christ teach us but that every man for himself may be true to his own salvation and happiness?
that he may know and be sure what he should believe and whom he should follow; that he may also be a freely authorized judge of all those who would teach him, and be taught inwardly by God alone, John 6:45. For it shall not condemn thee, nor make thee blessed, the doctrine of any other, whether it be false or righteous; but thy faith alone. Let a man teach and preach what he will, and you must see to your greatest hurt or benefit what you believe.
66) But Paul, 1 Cor. 14, 30, has most violently bound this man in his own court and robbed him of all his household utensils, saying: "If a revelation is made to another who sits there, let the first be silent"; and again there, v. 32: "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets"; again, v. 31: "You can all prophesy here, one after the other. What will now apply here the drunken slurring of the pope and his papists, however firm it has been in the custom for a long time, since he speaks: We want and command seriously; item: The Roman church is a master over all churches and the rule how one must believe. Well, let her sit and teach and be a mistress; yet she is commanded to be silent when a revelation comes to a sitter: and let her not prophesy alone, but let us all prophesy one by one. So says Paul, who was also a master and punisher of Peter when he became a gleaner, presenting himself differently on the outside than he was on the inside, Gal. 2:14. How much more may we confidently judge and pass judgment on the Roman church, which is nothing but a gleaner and stands and is founded on nothing but all gleaming? Nor should we suffer it to judge us at the risk of our own salvation, and as willingly as unwillingly deny Christ.
But behold how they pretend to have such beautiful wisdom here, these larvae; behold how they themselves are found so disgracefully repugnant, because they are repugnant to God and to all that is God. For we believe that they thus believe, or see in the least that they thus confess and boast that they are all Christians.
I think, and they must also confess it, that he who has the Holy Spirit is a Christian, which Spirit, as Christ says, John 14:26, teaches him everything, and John also says, 1 Ep 2:27, "His anointing will teach you everything," that is, to put it briefly, a Christian is so sure what he should believe and not believe that he would die for it or be willing to die for it. Now I ask you, what is this impudent forehead of the papists, when they so high up and say: the laity must believe us and not themselves? What is this saying, for this much: We confess that Christians have the Holy Spirit, by which they know for certain what they should believe or not believe. But since the Holy Spirit is not so much as we, and we are much more learned than he, therefore must he be subject to us and obey us?
(68) So they wanted to make themselves masters only for this reason, so that they could teach and preach what they wanted, because no one they had to fear was allowed to speak into it. Since they accomplished this, it was easy for them to bring all things to themselves and to subjugate everything that belongs to God and man, and they became our gods. But another thing is said to us, Matt. 23:8: "One is your Master, Christ; but you are all brothers." Therefore we are all equal and have only one right. For it is not to be suffered that those who are called brethren, and have all one fellowship, should be one above another, should receive more inheritance, and have a better right than another, especially in spiritual things, of which we are now speaking. Therefore also this office of judging and judging, as well as all the above, is one which we have not only power to repeat; but also, if we do not repeat it to ourselves, we shall deny Christ as a brother. For here we do not speak of what is wanted or what is proper, but we speak of what is commanded, of what is necessary; so that certainly everyone who confesses the tyranny of the pope must be cursed; again, blessed is everyone who shuns it with Christian apostasy.
(69) But all this we have said only of the common right and power of all Christians. For since all things are to be common to all Christians, which we have hitherto related, which we have also proved and demonstrated, it is not due to one who would set himself apart and appropriate to himself alone that which is ours alone. Refrain from this right and also put it to custom, unless there is another who has also received such a right. But this requires the right of the community, that one or how many of the congregation should be chosen and accepted, who in place of and on behalf of all those who have the same right, publicly exercise these offices; lest an abominable disorder occur in the people of God and the church become a Babylon, "in which all things should be done honorably and orderly," as the apostle taught, 1 Cor. 14:40. 14:40. It is two things for one to execute a common right by the command of the church, or for one to use the same right in time of need. In a congregation, where the right is free to everyone, no one should take it up without the will and choice of the whole congregation; but in an emergency, anyone who wants to should take it up.
Now let us speak to the papist priests and ask them to show us whether their priesthood has other offices than these offices are? If they have others, their priesthood will not be a Christian priesthood. But if it has just the ones we have listed, it cannot be a special priesthood. So we conclude, they turn where they will, that either they have no priesthood that is other than that which is common to all Christians: but if they have any other, it must be Satan's priesthood. For Christ taught us, Matt. 7:20, "that we should know all trees by their fruit. But we have now seen the fruits of our common priesthood: let them either show us other fruits than these, or confess that they are not priests. For that these fruits are borne specially or publicly, proves not another priesthood; but another and
1590 D- VI. 524-526. III. Main st. - 0. of the father-our esp. 1. request. W. X, 1858-1861. 1591
another custom of the same priesthood. But if, in order to prove their priesthood, they will only show us the plates and grease, and the long skirt, we will admit that they boast of the dirt, for we know that one could easily shear and grease a sow or a block and clothe it with a long skirt.
71. We insist that there is no other word of God than that alone which is commanded to be preached to all Christians; that there is no other baptism than that which all Christians may administer; that there is no other remembrance of the Lord's supper than that which every Christian may observe, which Christ has appointed to be kept;*) also that there is no other sin, except that which every Christian may bind and loose; item, that there is no sacrifice, except the body of every Christian man; that also no man can or may pray, except the Christian alone; and that no man shall judge the doctrine, except the Christian alone. These are the priestly and royal offices. Therefore let the papists either show us other offices of priests; or else surrender their priesthood and renounce it. But that they hold up to us for a long time the grease and plates, clothes and other customs or habits of men, introduced by pure superstition, that does not concern us, whether an angel from heaven had already imposed it; much less do we give it, if it is only an old custom, only a delusion of many people, as it has now come into such a great reputation.
(72) Now I think that from all this it is affirmed that those who preside over the people in the sacraments and in the word should not be called priests. The fact that they are called priests was either done in a pagan way or is a remnant of the Jewish people's law, according to which it is accepted to the great detriment of the church. But according to the Gospel Scriptures they would be much better called servants,
Deacons, bishops, stewards, who also often because of their age have been
are called elders. For so Paul says, 1 Cor. 4,1: "For this man shall hold us, as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God"; did not say, shall hold us as the priests of Christ. He well knew that the name of priest and the office of the same was common to all. Hence comes the common word Pauli, Dispensatio, or in Greek οίχονομία, in German Haushalten; likewise Ministerium, Minister, in German Dienst or Amt and Diener. He also calls himself servum, that is, a servant; also he speaks more than once, servio in Evangelio, I serve in the Gospel etc. He does this so that he does not establish a rank, nor an order, a right or a certain dignity, as ours do; but praises the office and work alone and lets the right and dignity of the priesthood remain in the community.
(73) If they alone are ministers, their priestly indelible mark also goes with them, and the eternity of their priestly dignity, and that one must remain a priest forever, is also only a fictitious thing; but a minister may well be deposed if he never wants to be faithful. Again, he may be kept in office as long as he is worthy and pleasing to the congregation, just as every one who in worldly matters administers a common office among like brethren; yea, the minister in spiritual matters is much better to be deposed than any other in worldly matters; because, if he be unfaithful, he is much more unpleasant than any worldly one, who would harm only in temporal goods of this life; but the spiritual devastates and corrupts the eternal goods also. Therefore, if the spiritual servant becomes a scoundrel, the other brethren have the right to expel him from the congregation, which is called banishment, and thus put another in his place.
74) With these pieces and certain fortifications of the Scriptures, if we are to believe the words of God otherwise, the unfortunate misery that has so far afflicted Bohemia, that it has almost had to beg for the priesthood, and where there is any
the most unworthy of all, has had to suffer. For we have here, brighter than day, and more certain than certain, whence to take the priests or ministers of the word. Namely, they are to be chosen from among Christ and nowhere else. For since it is sufficiently evident that everyone has the right to minister in the Word, even that everyone is commanded to minister in the Word, if he sees that either there is no other; or, if those who are present teach unrighteously, as Paul, 1 Cor. 14:27, s., that the virtues of God may be proclaimed through us all; how much more, then, would not a whole congregation have the right and this commandment also, that by common election they might command such office to one or more in their stead, and that these, by their cooperation, might further command this office also to others?
75 Paul also does this in 2 Timothy 2:2 when he says, "Command faithful men who are able to teach others. Here Paul throws away all pomp of scissoring and smearing, and does not think of consecration; he wants only those who are able to teach others, and he wants only the word to be commanded to them. Therefore, if the ministry of the word is given to one, all the offices that are ordained by the word in the church are also given to him, that is, the power to baptize, to bless, to bind and loose, to pray and to judge or to pass sentence. For the office of preaching the gospel is the highest of all; for it is the proper apostolic office, which lays the foundation of all other offices, to which all belong, to build upon the first: as there are the offices of teachers, of prophets, of governors, of those who have the gift of tongues and of healing, as Paul orders them one after another, 1 Cor. 12:8 ff. For Christ also preached the gospel in the most part alone, as he who should use himself of the highest office, and did not baptize. Paul also boasted that he was not sent to baptize as a lesser and subsequent ministry, but that he was sent to preach the gospel as the most noble ministry, 1 Cor. 1:17.
The need and the necessity of the
The common sense of faith advises this, that is, the above-mentioned choice. For if the church is born, nourished, sustained, and strengthened by the word, it is evident that it cannot do without the word. But if it is without the word, it is a sign that it is never a church, but must cease to be a church. Since every one is born of baptism into the ministry of the word, and the papal bishops do not want to appoint such ministers of the word, but only those who only want to destroy the word and corrupt the church, one thing will follow: Either that we allow the church to perish without the word; or else we make an assembly, so that one of us, or as many of them as are able, may be chosen from among us by universal suffrage, whom we then command with prayer by the laying on of hands, and confirm before the congregation; and then recognize them as true bishops and ministers of the word and hold them in honor, believing without a doubt that all this, which has been done and committed in this way by the common election of the faithful who know and confess the gospel, has been done and committed by God.
(77) Yea, though all the fortifications aforesaid should conclude nothing, yet this remaineth sufficient to exhort and confirm that Christ saith, Matt. 18, (vv. 19, 20), "Where two are made one on earth, why is it that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Now if the unanimous will of three or two in the name of the Lord is able to do all things, even if Christ confesses Himself to be the Master of the same work which they do, how much more shall we believe that it is done or will be done by God, who will accept it and be a mediator for us in it, if we come together and pray in His name, after which all bishops and ministers of the word are chosen from among ourselves? Because we are already born and called to this office for the time being, as soon as we are baptized, without such an election.
78 And if we desire an example, here is Apollo, of whom we find in the book of the
In the Twelfth Messenger's Story, Cap. 18, 24. ff., we read that he came to Ephesus without any other inspiration and consecration, preached there only out of fervent heat of love, and also overcame the Jews mightily. Dear, I beg you, by what right did he use and submit himself to this ministry of the word? He had no other right than the common one, which is free to all generations of Christians, namely, that which is written by St. Paul, 1 Cor. 14:30: "If a revelation comes to one who is seated, let the first be silent"; and 1 Pet. 2:9, "that you may proclaim his virtues. The same man also became an apostle without any other ordination, and thus not only came to the ministry of preaching, but also did much good to those who already believed. So also every Christian is obliged to do when he sees that there is a lack of the word and that he is fit for it, even if the congregation does not require him for it; much more if he is asked and required by the brethren who are equal to him in rights, or by a whole congregation.
79 Another example is St. Stephen and St. Philip, who alone were ordained to the ministry of the table; nevertheless St. Stephen performed miracles and great signs among the people and debated with the synagogues, and overcame the conciliation of the Jews with the word of the Spirit, Acts 6:5, 8. 6, 5. 8. Philip also converted the Samaritans and went back and forth through Asoton and Caesarea, Acts 8, 12. 8, 12. By what right, dear one, by what authority did they do this? They were certainly not asked or required by anyone, but they did it of their own accord and by common right, because they had cause and access to such things, and they saw that the ignorant people were in need of their ministry and deprived of the word. How much more would they have done this if they had been asked to do it, whether by some or by a whole congregation?
80: 'And the cut, Apost. 8, 38.,
who was converted by Philip, he remained a true Christian, as there is no doubt that he taught many others the word of God, because he was commanded to "proclaim the virtues of Him who called him from darkness into His marvelous light", 1 Petr. 2, 9. When he did this, faith followed from his word or preaching in many, because "the word of God does not return empty," Isa. 55:11. From this faith a church was formed; the same church then received and fulfilled through the word the offices of baptizing, preaching and all the others listed above. And all these things were fulfilled through the same one who was cut in two by no other means than through the right to baptize and his faith, since there were no others who could do this.
81 Therefore, gentlemen, there is nothing more for you to do, except to put on a firm and constant faith; for in this nothing is so necessary as a courageous and mature faith, so that you may give good and useful advice to your Bohemian country. We also write these things to no one but those who believe, nor may they be understood except by those who believe. But those who do not believe do not understand them at all, and it is the same for them whether they have bishops or not, because they are neither Christians nor church, who are not moved by such obvious scripture and examples, but are moved by these frivolous things, such as plates and grease and clothes, without all scripture, without all examples, just because it is an old and long custom and that it pleases many. But a devout Christian must put these things out of his sight and look only at the powerful word of God; with full faith, therefore, he should not doubt that he may do and obtain all that he knows is promised him through this word.
82 Yes, they say, "This is a new thing; has no one ever dared to choose and make bishops in this way? To this my answer is: it is a very old opinion and proven by the examples of the apostles, also of their disciples; although this custom has been confirmed by the
The new pestilence has been destroyed and extinguished by the pope's antagonism and pestilential teachings. Therefore, work all the harder, so that you may again cast out the new pestilential example and again bring forth and establish the old example of salvation and blessedness. And even if it were a new thing together, nevertheless, because the word of God shines and shines here, and gives and is called to it, and also because the need of the soul presses and compels to it, nothing should make you think that it is a new thing, but only the glory of the word should rule and be mighty. Now tell me, what is not new that faith does? Was not this ministry also new in the apostles' time? Was it not new when Abraham sacrificed his son? Was it not new that Israel passed through the Red Sea? Will not this also be new to me, that I should pass through death into life? But the word of God alone is considered here in these things, not the innovation; for if one wants to look at the innovation and hesitates, he will never be allowed to believe any word of God.
Therefore, brethren, believe only the word of God, and you shall not be troubled that it is new. And take yourselves as an example. For if the innovation should be valid, why was it not valid then, when you Bohemians alone resisted the pope and were allowed to do all things because of John Huss? Was it not also a new thing, since no one else did such a thing? Yes, the whole world has been doing it to this day. And you did this at the time, when you were not yet strengthened with such revealed Scripture as you are now in this case. If at that time you were bold to pursue your right, to confess it and to protect it, how much it had been taken away and extinguished, when there was no such or lesser need of souls; Why would you not also here follow your right, confess it and protect it, even though it has been extinguished, since you are armed with so much shield and armor of the tower of David, and there is such an urgent need of souls, such a miserable captivity,
Because such a great freedom invites and tempts you, because there is such a good reason and happiness to attain it? In time it will alleviate itself and measure whether there is already something new in the matter that would be regarded too harshly, much more easily than your apostasy from papist tyranny has alleviated itself before. This alone is that you dare boldly in the Lord, and the Lord will be with you.
(84) Therefore do to him thus: First of all, seek God with your prayers, publicly in the congregation and otherwise each one to himself. For this is a great thing, in which I am not so much moved by novelty as by greatness. For this reason I would that you should not subject yourselves to anything here, either by your own strength or caution; but begin the thing with fear and trembling in humility. Complain and confess that you have earned this misery and your prison by your own sins; do this before the mercy seat of God and before the throne of His mercy, which is Jesus Christ, the bishop of our souls; ask and desire that He send His Spirit into your hearts to work with you; yes, rather, to work in you the will and the accomplishment. For, if the matter is to be raised happily and continue blessedly, it is necessary that God's power work with you, which, as Peter testifies, 1 Ep. 4, 11, God alone can provide for you.
85. but when you have prayed in this way, do not doubt that he whom you have asked is faithful and will keep his word, so that he will give you what you have asked for, will open the door to you who are knocking, will allow himself to be found by those who seek him, Matth. 7, 7. and Jer. 29, 13, 14. so that you may be sure in this matter that you are not driving it yourselves, but rather that you are being driven in this matter yourselves. If then you have required, and all those whose hearts God has touched have come to you willingly, that they may be of one mind with you, then continue in the name of the Lord: call to account whom you will, and those whom you will, whom you will know to be worthy and able for this purpose; after that, those who are the chiefest among you, lay hands on them, and so confirm them to this end, and command them to the people, who are of the same mind.
Church or congregation; and by this alone shall they be your bishops and pastors, amen. But how they should be whom one wants to elect is sufficiently taught by Paul, Tit. 1, 5. f. and 1 Tim. 3, 2. f.
I do not consider this form or manner of election necessary to be held from the beginning in the general Diet of Bohemia; rather, each city may hold election for itself, and then one city may take a likeness of the other. But in the Diet there may be deliberations as to whether this form is to be accepted by the whole country or not; or whether a part of it is to accept it or postpone it to another time; or whether it is to be omitted altogether. For no one is to be forced to believe; but the Holy Spirit is to be given room and honor to work where he desires. Nor is it to be hoped that, before so soon, this way will please everyone. Nor should you be concerned whether you will not all be of one mind in this matter; indeed, this very thing should move you all the more to it, since there are many of you who do not consent to it. It is enough at first that a few begin with this example; who then, if they stand thus in the custom, in time bring a whole multitude to themselves by their likeness. If, however, by the cooperation of God, many cities were to elect bishops in this way, then the bishops among themselves, if they wanted to agree with one another, would choose one or more of them who would be the highest among them, that is, who would serve them and visit them, just as Peter also visited the churches when we read in the book of the apostles' history; until all Bohemia returned to its right and evangelical archbishopric, not having much rent and manure, land or people under it, but being rich in many ministries and visits to the churches.
If you are still too weak to attack this free and apostolic way of ordaining priests, let us tolerate your weakness for a while and let you accept those ordained by the papists, such as your Gallus and his like.
which you should also use instead of the papist bishops, so that they may require and choose and confirm those whom they recognize to be fit for it, even whom you may suffer after the expulsion of the above-mentioned and according to the teaching of Paul. For in St. Paul he is counted as a bishop to whom the word is commanded; as then is your Gallus, though he bears no jnful or staff, neither doth he tower high in other riotousness of bishops; which rioting is nothing else, but that one alone may open the mouth of the people. And this we admit to you, until you grow up and become stronger, and may well understand what the power of the word is. Truly, you cannot be advised in any other way now, since it is ever in such a form that you can receive and accept the papal ordination without sin and without unbelief, and then without great danger of the destruction of souls, even those who are ordained with it.
88. But if such a doubt would frighten and mislead you, that you would think that you are not a church or a people of God, let my answer be: The church cannot be recognized by rote customs; it can only be recognized by the word of God, 1 Cor. 14:24, 25, where he says: "The unbeliever, if he entered the church and saw that they prophesied, would fall on his face and confess that God truly dwells in you. But this is certain among you, that the word of God and the knowledge of Christ are in many of you. Wherever the word of God is, together with the knowledge of Christ, there is no lack of it, however weak they may be seen to be in their own customs, who have it so. For the church, though weak in sins, is not unchristian, but Christian in the word; it sins indeed, but it confesses and knows the word, and does not deny it. Therefore, those who praise and confess the word should not be rejected, even though they do not shine or glow with wonderful holiness, if they do not lead a hardened life in vices. For this reason you should not doubt whether the church is with you, if there are only ten or six who have the word. For all that they do
in this matter, even by the connivance of others, so as not yet to have the word; nor certainly should Christ be thought to have done it, if they would but act the matter in humility and with prayer, as we have said.
89) But last of all, as I myself fear, the greatest obstacle to this counsel not coming to pass will be the cross, which will surely follow this thing, as it does any other thing that is of God; for Satan never sleeps, nor understands what our mind is, nor what we seek herewith. Therefore he will not be slothful or tardy, he will bravely oppose. He is the prince of this world and sees our thoughts; so we also know his thoughts. But I speak of the cross, that this power of the world, and the rulers of the Gentiles, with their commandment, will not permit you to begin such things, but will rather forbid you, than that ye should take them into your right mind. *) For there will be found the business of him who is also a god of this world, not merely a prince in the hearts of the unbelievers; so that indeed there is no hope at all that it will come to pass from you with peace and with quietness from without, but with the utmost impetuosity and repugnance, that you would almost think that the little ship, covered with so many waves, must sink and go down.
90. But what else shall I tell you here, but the one saying of Peter, Apost. 5, 29: "One must obey God more than men"? For since you know that you have a holy thing in your hands, which pleases God more than it is in truth, you must stand firm on the rock and courageously despise the waves and wind that rise up against you and try to frighten you. Let all the rain come down, and remember nothing less than that peace, tranquility, favor or honor should be given to those who do what pleases God, but for this very reason Christ sends this fire into the world and awakens the cruel Behemoth, not because he has done so cruelly.
For this, the original says: "because you will only think that one is up to such a thing."
D. Red.
I mean, as Job says, but that he wants to instruct and discipline us, so that we understand that it is not from our own strength, which is much too weak, but from the strength of God: So that we do not boast or otherwise fall into presumption against the grace of God; but that we even despair of ourselves with one another, keep silent, and, as the Scriptures often exemplify, let him contend for us, that through our weakness he may overcome all power and might; even as in our silence we lay low the tempests and waves of the whole sea, as it is written, Isa. 30:15, "In silence and hope shall be your strength"; and again, "I have given him a strong warfare, that he should overcome."
(91) Yes, it shall move you most of all to continue, when you see that the mighty and the rulers resist you; and it shall strengthen you as a sure sign that what you have begun is of God, and that God is with you, which word you have. For if this counsel were of this world, the world would not only admit, but also love its own. But because it is not of this world, but God has put it into our hearts through His word, the world will not only not accept it, but will also rush and persecute it, John 15:19. "But be of good cheer, He has overcome the world," John 16:15, and "He who is in us is mightier than he who is in the world," 1 John 4:4. Yes, if it could be seen as if it were about to fall to pieces because of impetuosity and discord, so that even the unbelievers feared that the heavens would fall, there is nothing wrong with it; for our rock does not turn pale before lightning and thunderclaps, nor is it afraid when the sky is already cloudy and cloudy, nor is it frightened when the winds blow and the thunderstorms roar; but it has a free, safe conscience and certainly waits for a beautiful, pleasant weather.
92. Therefore, O Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid, but remain steadfast; you will experience the help of God upon you. Only go forth freshly to this work; God Himself will be with you. For it is never a new thing that the prince of this world should thus run and
1602 L. VI.S34TH; 64.2S0. III. Main st. - 0. from the father-our esp. 1. request. W. X, 1874-1876. 1603
praise, because it goes to him a.n his kingdom. What else could he do? He would rather have his court in peace. Now, when he sees that it may not be, he tries his very last resort, which is to rush and storm against it violently. Therefore "he goes about and about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," 1 Pet 5:8. Since God Himself now warns us against him, that he is to be recognized as such; why would we think that he would be otherwise minded? why would we not resist him in strong faith? Therefore be steadfast and continue, dear pious sirs, to arm yourselves with the word of God, that is, with the unconquerable and almighty sword of the Spirit, Eph. 6:17. There must be one of each of the two: either to attack it bravely by strong faith, or to let it be completely subdued. We will not have to fight against flesh and blood, but against the spirits of wickedness under heaven", Eph. 6, 12.
93. let this now be said according to my
The first is the question of how to appoint ministers of the church, if necessity has ever required it. And it is enough for me, if in this case I give cause to those who are better able and more learned than I to think and speak of it. For we are not all skilled in all things, and the offices are diverse in gift and distribution; yet One Lord of all, who worketh not in one alone, but in all, not as we will, but as he will, is all things. But how the mass should be improved and the service restored along with other offices of the church service, others or I myself will say in due time. Although the minister of the church is appointed according to the gospel, he may well govern himself in this matter, as the divine ointment teaches him. Now it is enough that for the time being, with prayer and our devotion, we obtain from God that we may receive true servants, that we may see them and thereby obtain worthy enjoyment, amen.