Second Sermon.
This gospel is easy and clear enough in itself, and easy to remember, especially because of the words and teaching that Christ gives in it. But first of all it shows how excellent are the evil, bitter and poisonous worms that persecute Christ and his word, and how sharp and mischievous they attack him, that they may catch him in his words. For the scoundrels and evil-doers would gladly have put him to death when they were exceedingly weary of him, that they could neither see nor hear him; they wanted him badly dead, and yet could find no cause to censure either his doctrine or his life, as they would gladly have censured it murderously; Therefore they sought all kinds of trickery and cunning to gain cause to accuse him, and could not desist from it nor have rest until God allowed them their will to crucify his Son. For it is so with such, and it shall be so with them, that they strive to succeed. God gave them sufficient time and cause to repent through His only Son, who was sent to them for this reason; but because they did not want to repent, He also allowed them to go to the point of crucifying and murdering Him, so that they might abundantly fulfill their sin and measure, and then finally be destroyed without all grace. Just as the enemies of the gospel and the murderers of Christ are doing now, and so it will be done to them, amen.
2 Now see how they attack it here and succeed. Then the most learned and cleverest come in crowds, put their heads together, and look for a clever advice to bring him to death. And this is the wise counsel: If one throws it back and forth for a long time, then there are two ways in which
*This sermon is found only in d and in a single print from 1535. Cf. Erl. A. 14, 309. ed.
he may be seized and accused. First, that he is against the emperor, as a rebel; if we bring this upon him, then we have him as one should have him, and is justly condemned to death, as he is found to be a thief and robber of the emperor and guilty of imperial majesty and crown, which in all rights is a debt of death. Where this will not do, we have another, that we have found him to be a thief of God, which is even worse than that, who takes away God's honor and deceives the people under God's name. For if he were to say that we must give the interest to Caesar and take him for our Lord, this would be an insult to God, who alone wanted to be the Lord of this people, and who had made them free before all nations so that they would not have a foreign king; thus he would be guilty of death once again. And so, wherever he turned, he would be captured and would have to fall into their hands. If he gave his authority to the emperor, he would have taken it from God; and again, if he gave it to God, he would have taken it from the emperor.
(3) This is the wise counsel of the wise and holy ones, which they decided to attack Christ with all justice, either as God's enemy or as the emperor's enemy. Not that they asked much of God or of the emperor, for they themselves would have liked to be rid of the emperor, and always made a fuss where they could, and were also honestly beaten over the heads, so that they had to be executed, not with ten or twenty, but with a hundred and baptized; as they also finally, when they could not leave their kind, were even exterminated and destroyed for that reason. Thus they were also thieves and evildoers before God, for they counterfeited His word and persecuted the right doctrine. In these two excellent vices they were drowned, so that they themselves were worthy of death twice over.
1818 D-312-314. twenty-third Sunday after Trinity. W. xi. 2425-2428. 1819
were both before God and the emperor; and are such desperate knaves that they want to catch an innocent man with such guilt and condemn him to death, and thus make themselves appear as if they were the most pious saints before God and the most faithful subjects of the emperor.
(4) But this people had been so accustomed of old, and had done so to their prophets and to many godly men, and afterward they also played along with the apostles; so that it is no wonder whether it is the same with us. And what do they, the apostles, or we especially have to complain about, because they have not spared their one Lord and God. The world does not do otherwise, it is of the devil with theft of God and rebellion, and yet always puts such blame on the Christians.
5. and see further, how they approach their foolishness and bring it to him, that they may not lack it; do not fall upon him quickly with the question, but make a fine approach beforehand, so that they may take him in, adorn themselves as if they meant it right and well and were their great earnestness, praise and praise him with smooth words; for they think that he is a man and such a preacher as they are, who likes to be heard thus tickling and praising: Thou art a right teacher and an upright man; what thou speakest and doest is right etc. For with such praise a young fool would be deceived into preaching in and out of the field, which one only likes to hear; as almost all false preachers do, who preach only to have fame with the people, and seek and take honor where they can, preaching no more than as far as it stretches; where it ceases, their preaching also ceases. They were also such fellows; as Christ says of them, that they gladly let themselves be called Rabbi etc., Matth. 23, 7. Therefore they think that he should also be tickled and bewitched with false boasting, so that he would give himself into their two forks and murder stings before he would become aware of it.
(6) But it is said, With God only without swearing. It is still possible for a man to deceive another, but he is not to be trifled with; for he also knows peelers too well, and can deceive them in their highest wisdom, as the Scripture says, and by their own
Catching the trick. So he does here, that these peelers must speak the truth, even though they have many other things in their hearts, and thereby disgrace themselves. For this is the truth, that he teaches the way of God truly, and shuns no man; and yet none speaketh it from the heart. And it is to be wondered at that their mouths can speak truth, and yet be so bowed down that they are all lies. With Christ it is true, but they themselves make vain lies of it; for they judge him according to themselves, and think him a rebel, who forbids the emperor to give the interest, and hangs the rabble to himself, and yet is afraid of the emperor, and is not allowed to say it publicly etc. This is their heart and thought, and yet the color is drawn over it, that they say he teaches the truth rightly; which is a glory well pleasing to God. So did Caiphas the high priest, Joh. 11, 48-50, when he said: "It would be better for one man to die, and not for the whole nation to perish; for if we let him go," he said, "the Romans will come and take away our land and people" etc. This was a true word about their own necks, and yet they lied in their hearts; for they did not think that the Romans would come, but were only concerned that they might kill Christ, thinking that they would recover after it. And it happened to them just as they had prophesied about themselves, that Christ would have to die for the people, but they were destroyed by the Romans with land and people.
(7) Thus it is with those who want to deceive God and make a fool of themselves: they are looking for a teacher of truth, and they find it in him, even though they do not mean it; for he strikes them with the truth and knocks them on the head, so that they stagger back. They want to put something before him and ask him a question that he cannot answer: not about the law or the salvation of souls, but an unnecessary and dangerous question. They leave the whole of Moses and what belongs to God's word and the way of truth, and catch one that is supposed to mislead him: Whether one should give interest to Caesar; Moses taught nothing about this, nor did Christ have anything to do with it.
(8) There, they think, we have him certainly as between two stakes; for if he says yes, we have him as a thief of God, or a heretic, and a disowned Jew, who teaches against Moses and the prophets; but if he says no, we have Herod's servants here. If he comes into the hands of them, he is finished; but if he comes into the hands of the mob, he must die. Into the hands of both he must come; for there is no other remedy, neither yes nor no, and no other, but the two kinds of people, Gentiles and Jews. Is this not clever enough? Who could pass by, thus surrounded on both sides with spears? For even they themselves, if they had been attacked with such a question, would not have known how to get out of it.
(9) But here is another wisdom, which they knew not of, nor thought not of, which is called the wisdom of God: for he catcheth their spear and fork out of their mouth, turneth them back, and stingeth them with both, and giveth neither yea nor nay answer; but constraineth them, that they themselves must answer and punish themselves. There he is quite a master, as they call him, and proves that he can answer their slippery question by themselves, that they must run into the spears themselves and catch themselves, just so that they wanted to catch him.
(10) And yet he begins childishly and foolishly: he tells them to give him an interest penny, and asks them what the embossing and superscription is, as if he did not know it and could not read; so that they soon think: "Truly, here we have him, he is afraid and wants to pretend to the emperor, he must not speak against him. etc. But he takes the word out of their own mouths, so that they have to give in to their confession; for they cannot and must not say anything else, except that it is the emperor's. Thus he concludes by such a word against them: If the coin and image is the emperor's, and the superscription also his, then give thanks that you yourselves answer and say yes; what then may you ask me? That is, digging a pit for another and falling into it yourself, and laying a net and hindering yourself.
11. this* art he can master or catch against anyone who wants to catch him, that he must catch himself and do the same with his own
words. As Luc. 19, 21, 22. of the servant who had buried his commanded pound in the sweat cloth, and said, "I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and gatherest where thou hast not laid." Then he answered, "From thy words I judge thee, thou wicked one," etc. That is, as thou hast spoken, so be it done unto thee; because thou thinkest me a hard man, taking where I have not laid, so it serves thee right that such things should befall thee, and that thy pound should be taken from thee, as he that passeth such judgment himself, and maketh me to be sore and grievous. That is why I say that one should be careful and not joke in matters that are of God. For, as I have said, men can be deceived; but if you use it against God, you certainly deceive yourself.
(12) For I have often said that God shows Himself even so toward man, as he is minded: and as thou thinkest and believest, so hast thou him. The servant, of whom it is now said, did not have a sour and hard man for a master, as he shows himself friendly and kind to the others; but because he presented him to himself in this way and pronounced judgment on himself, he also had to experience him in this way. So it is also with our faith and unbelief: whoever paints it graciously or wrathfully, sweetly or sourly in his heart, has it so. Therefore he is not to be deceived. If thou thinkest that he is angry with thee, and wouldest not have thee, it shall be so with thee. But if thou canst say, I know that he will be my merciful Father, and forgive sin, etc. thou hast it also so. But here it is not a matter of deception or hypocrisy, that the mouth says he is gracious and merciful, and the heart thinks otherwise.
13 So because these call him a master and teacher of truth, though they do not believe it, but falsely mean it, and want to catch and deceive him with words, he turns it so that they are deceived and caught, and find him as they say with their mouths, though they do not make it up. Just as if you think he is ungracious and angry, even though you lie and do him wrong, yet what you have painted and judged will happen to you, because
It is said, as he says, "Out of your mouth I judge you"; item: "Out of your words you are justified, and out of your words you are condemned" etc., Matth. 12, 37. And it happens to you justly and rightly so; why do you not see him right under your eyes and judge as he is, or believe as you should believe in him and as he presents himself through his word? namely, a teacher and savior of all who are oppressed by their sin and would like to be pious. If such an image does not please you, and you present yourself with another, then have it.
14 For this reason these are right: because they want to have him as a master with their mouths before the people, and yet their hearts are wrong, they must have him as a master who exposes their deceitfulness, as the text says: "He noticed their deceitfulness" etc. This is a right doctor. For one should praise the physicians who know well and certainly what the plague is, so they can help the sick person all the more: otherwise, if they give one away on adventure, it will also work out as it can. So he soon hears and notices by their questions that they are peelers: but because they call him master and a true teacher, as they want to hear the truth from him, even though they lie; so they must have him as they seek him, and hear, which they do not like to hear, that he answers them: If I am a master and teach the truth, I will tell you the truth of what you are and seek. So I teach and master that you are hypocrites. This means in German as much as, two-faced husks and knaves: first, that they are not pious; second, that they cover and adorn their mischievousness with piety, and thus want to deceive the people with false appearances. You are such two-faced husks; you do not seek God's way nor the truth, and yet you want to have appearances and deceive me with false praise, so that I should think you are pious. But because ye will not hear the truth, that ye may be saved; hear ye the truth, that your wickedness may be revealed and condemned. For I am a master of the truth: but to some to life, and to some to death and damnation; according as every man's faith and heart look. Therefore I tell you rightly and truly.
as you are in heart, that is, hypocrites and desperate husks who can neither be helped nor advised and belong to the devil. But to those who are godly or would like to become godly, I preach this: "Come to me, all you who are burdened and weighed down" etc., Matth. 11, 28.
(15) Behold, they meet the true Master of the truth, not for their salvation, which they do not seek, but for their destruction, because they are enemies of the truth and do not like to enter into such preaching, and yet they must hear him tell it to them, and by their own mouth compel them to answer and confess against themselves, as has been said.
(16) Finally, when he had further shown their insolence, and had driven them in with their own answer, he goes out completely and says: "Pray to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." So one should baptize the child, then one knows what it is called; for that means in German so much: You want to take from the emperor what is his, and have long since taken from God what is God's: Therefore you are first of all rebels against the emperor, because you take from him what is his and hold it against him; first ask whether you should give it,-which you confess and say is the emperor's, and yet do not think to give it to him; for that is rightly and truly rebellion, when one does not want to give the emperor what is his, but would much rather take it.
17 Let them hear this truth from this master of truth, whether they like it not at all, that he publicly reproaches them for the emperor's robbers and thieves, who gladly take his authority and what belongs to him and want to be lords themselves against their own conscience, so they must confess that the emperor's coin and superscription is, and thus condemn themselves that they do not give the emperor what is his and reproach him as if they had the right, that they should be punished justly for life and property as two-faced rebels. That is one thing.
18 Secondly, just as they are the emperor's robbers and thieves, so they are also God's shameful thieves, not only stealing and robbing what is his, but also wanting to have the right to do so. For these are called thieves of God, as the prophet Jeremiah says Cap. 23, 11. ff., who do not preach God's word correctly,
and withhold the word that they should give from God, and give another for it, robbing and stealing it, not from God from heaven, but from the people to whom God has sent and commanded it to be given; and thus robbing God of souls, and making him get no honor, nor anything anywhere that is his. They are such little fruits, the tender saints, who want to reproach and condemn Christ. That is why they should hear such a sermon from him, that they are nothing but rebels and thieves of God, and that they deserve in many ways to have both emperors and God put to death.
19 Now hold against these our present hypocrites, the gentle pious, bishops, priests, and all the pope's scum, who also condemn and persecute Christ in his word and known public truth of the Gospel and his Christians out of pure iniquity and hardened wickedness. What else do they find, but as Christ paints them, rebellious and rebellious thieves of emperors and God, who want to be obedient neither to God nor to the true Christian church, neither to emperors nor to some authorities; but to be lords themselves, and to drive and live according to all their will, so that no one shall or may resist them; and are not only disobedient, but also rage and rage against the innocent Christians, strangle and murder whom they can, as if they wanted to destroy God's kingdom at once; nevertheless, they want to have the name and fame that they do right as pious, obedient people, and we must die as heretics against God and Christianity and as rebels against the authorities. Just as these give neither God nor the emperor what is his, and yet make themselves bright and pious, as those who out of guilty obedience and loyalty to God and the emperor seek to bring Christ from life, as he has turned against both obedience.
020 But how, when it shall come to pass, that the wheel shall turn, and the iniquity, which they now lay upon us Christians, shall fall upon their heads? that they shall be publicly known and condemned, as the right robbers and thieves of the divine and imperial majesty, and shall receive their reward, as such shall have it. For although the gospel and Christ
But let them see to it that others do not come (as I very much fear will happen to them) who will take hold of them with their fists, and teach them, as they were taught, that they must cease to persecute Christians; as it would do them good to play at their own law with them. For thus teaches the pope with all his apostles and disciples, jurists and theologians: One is not guilty of suffering violence, but, vita vi repellere licet, that is, one may defend oneself against public injustice and violence. For Christ says Matth. 5, 39: "You shall not resist evil, but if someone gives you a blow on one cheek, offer him the other also" etc., such, they say, is not commanded, but only advised, and no one should be bound to it. This has gone through all high schools, monasteries and convents, and is written in all their books, and even now they may gloriously boast and defend it: It is not necessary to suffer injustice even from the emperor; but one may resist the evil with all honor and strike again, it may affect the emperor or whoever it may.
(21) Therefore, according to their doctrine, they would not be wronged if they used force to oppose such unrighteous violence and iniquity. And I, if it were out of God's punishment by some false preacher or spirit of the mob that led the people to strike such tyrants to death, would not complain much that they had been wronged; For they also struggle for it, because not only do they both give cause for rebellion and war with their teaching and deeds, but also we, who teach rightly, praise and honor the authorities, and both ward off rebellion with word and deed, lay the blame on them and would gladly put them to death; if they both give neither God nor men what they owe, they want to be honored and safe, so that one should not speak a word against them. The popes and their mob have not only taught, but have also demonstrated by deed how they may unhesitatingly rise up against emperors and kings, and despise and trample underfoot all rule;
They wanted to do it right, and would still do it gladly if they could; for they brazenly boast that they are the supreme lords and have power over all dominions.
(22) Now if they should suffer such doctrine of theirs to be preached among them, as I might do myself (God forbid), if I should desire to avenge myself, and the mob should follow such doctrine from their books and law, and beat them over the heads, whom would they blame, and who could say otherwise, but that they had been justified? For why are they so desperate and wicked that they rebelliously reproach and blaspheme Christ with his doctrine, who is their Lord, and they themselves are truly both apostates and rebels and thieves against Caesar? because they push and defend their ungodly and rebellious doctrine, and in addition persecute us, who, as they themselves know, teach the true gospel, and preach against rebellion with all faithfulness, and as much as is in us, defend and prevent it. For even they themselves, if they wanted to or could, because of their hardened wickedness, would have to confess that they have no one to thank but our teaching; that they have been protected and saved so long and still from sedition; otherwise it should have happened differently to them long ago. For by their doctrine they could neither preserve nor resist it, because they themselves strengthen all sedition; and if I thought the same to be right, I would not dare to resist it nor to think it wrong, if their own protected themselves against it by force.
(23) But we do not want to teach nor approve that Christ's words should only be taken for advice; but teach that Christians should suffer violence and order vengeance to another, namely, God; for they should be called (as the Scriptures call them) slaughter sheep, Ps. 44:23, who must wait every hour to be executed. Our papists know well that they are safe from us; therefore they thank us for such protection that they cannot stop persecuting, strangling and murdering us until they exterminate us. But before they get there, let them get others who will play by their rights with them, and give them their wages as they deserve, so that they may have to pay what is due to them.
they have realized in the Gospel and in us; for they will not escape it after all. In the meantime, we must suffer, and command God how and when he will avenge us, and let the punishment go that they deserve; he will find them in due time. They can be and remain safe from us, even though they pretend to be afraid of us, just as the Pharisees were before Christ and the people who clung to him, but others will come and do to them as they fear, just as happened to them when they were afraid of Christ, who did them no harm, and the Romans, now that they were safe, came and did to them as they feared.
(24) So shall it be with them: they shall be afraid of us, seeing that we have done nothing against them, nor intend to do anything against them, but offer and keep peace with them, and teach and admonish us and all men to beware of sedition. For we will not stain our hands with their blood, nor will they be worthy of it, nor will they become more and more so; but we will keep our innocence, and boast against them before God and all the world that we are not guilty of their ruin. But others will come and do to them as they have done to them, and then write about it: This is what they want to have happen to them, Prov. 10:24: "What the wicked fears, that will happen to him"; and as Christ says, Matt. 12:37: "From your words you will be judged": "You cried out about rebellion; rebellion will happen to you. So then let us also say Amen and Deo gratias to it.
(25) Let this be said to those who would reproach Christ and seek honor and glory in him, that they may see and know how he is a master of truth and exposes their lies and deceitfulness, and that this is what drives them to accuse him of being liars and murderers, or deceivers and seducers, and of wanting to be so by force, yet casting the name and appearance of themselves upon Christ and his own, who have not the deed, but fight against it with doctrine and life.
026 And we shall keep this saying before us for a doctrine, how we ought to keep ourselves.
against these two kingdoms, God's and the emperor's, that we give each its honor and due, as both are God's order and work; and do not regard, although in both they are commanded, those who are not pious and abuse their office, especially against the Christians, and reproach and persecute us as disobedient and rebellious; which we shall and must suffer, but so far as we keep the right against them, that we may punish them with our mouths, and tell them the truth, and not leave the iniquity laid upon us. If we do this, we have done what is ours; the rest we leave to God, how and by whom he will punish them and avenge us.
(27) We have otherwise often and much said what is to be said of this saying; for this is our doctrine, which we always practice, that one should diligently distinguish the two dominions or regiments: God's and the emperor's, or spiritual and temporal kingdom; which Christ has herewith interpreted and summarized both finely and briefly, and has not only given a distinction, but also clearly and brightly illustrated how each is to be formed and done. For the first, where he says: "Pray to Caesar what is Caesar's," concerns the subjects; the other, "Pray to God what is God's," is said especially to the authorities.
For thus it is ordained of God that the subjects should and must give to their lord; for where he is called giving, it is a sign that they must take; and it is said that theirs is given, as that which is owed them; that it might more be called "returned" than badly "given. This is preached to the subjects.
29 On the other hand, such a measure and goal is set for the overlords that they also govern in such a way that they do not take from their subjects what is not theirs, but think that they also give and do what they owe. To govern lands and people so that they increase and prosper. For that is why they are set up in majesty by God, not so that they can sit there as usurpers and do what they desire.
30 But if this were to be eliminated, it would be found that the world is full of vanity.
*) To do, that is, to completely do one's part.
D. Red.
The people of the land are the great thieves and scoundrels, the overlords as well as the rabble, and even a small group from the greatest to the smallest, who rule or are obedient. For it is so with the subjects that where any one can deceive his lord and deprive him of his own, he does so, keeping silent that he should gladly give, and yet does not want to have done so. So princes and lords want to be called Christian princes and the emperor's obedient subjects, and yet they do what they themselves want, and if they could, they would like to be lords and emperors of all things.
(31) Likewise the nobles, who go to the side of the princes: if they could squeeze everything for themselves and even suck the princes dry, so that they themselves might walk over the princes with their feet, they would gladly do so; in return they take villages and castles and are called the dear faithful, advise and rule, so that they become fat and powerful, and both lords and subjects throb and plague as they wish. How many princes and lords in the upper classes can boast that they give to Caesar what is Caesar's? They can all fill their coffers, pouches and pockets, and there is nowhere that they give to Caesar, but everywhere they take and steal.
(32) This is also the way in all other lower classes and offices, where servants deceive and cheat their masters, maids their wives, day laborers and craftsmen, and steal and rob one another in the marketplace and elsewhere, since it is done freely and openly. And so it goes among themselves, great and small, that there is no court, no city, no house that is not full of thieves and robbers. And if the world were not more afflicted with this sin, it would be more than too much, and no wonder that it would have perished long ago; and yet no one wants to be scolded nor punished for his thievery, but to have honor for it, especially the merchants of the nobility, who step along with their yellow chains. But if one should do them justice, they would not have to wear them on the gaff, but would have to do to many of them as one does to those who have about five or six guilds.
have stolen. But it goes as the sages say: The small thieves are hung on iron chains, the great public thieves are let go in golden chains,
033 Now it ought not to be so, but every man should look to his estate and office, and do and give according to it as he ought. Yes, you say: Is it not enough that I take nothing from no man? Yes, indeed; but there are many kinds of taking, not only under the bank, where nothing is given to thee, or out of another man's purse and casket; but also where thou art evil to thy lord, and sufferest harm to come to thee, since it is not by mistake, but through unfaithfulness and disloyalty, or wantonness; item, where one citizen or neighbor overestimates and overvalueth another, and the nobility plunder and oppress: that is, according to the seventh commandment, all are stolen and taken, and are all vain thieves, .ohn that they make no conscience of it, and the word: Pray to Caesar what is his, is a strange bird. But the contradiction, to take from Caesar what is his, is full in every race, from the lowest to the highest, from the house-right to the great lords and princes; that there is no estate on earth so plagued with thieves and villains as Caesar's and the authorities'.
34 On the other hand, the authorities must also be told how they should behave toward their subjects. For it also happens that they take and rob what is not theirs, but under the name of the emperor and the authorities. As when the emperor or the prince comes and plagues the land and the people with unnecessary charges and other burdens, you must also listen to your text if you want the subjects to keep their lections and not to take or steal anything from you, so that you do not take from them what is not yours. For he did not say here: Give the emperor what he wants and what he desires, but also set him his measure, how far he should reach, that is, "what is the emperor's," or what he has the right to do; for what is to be is to be by right.
35 Therefore it is not necessary to rule in the country, in the cities and in the houses, as one wishes, as if a lord were to go around with his servants and his servants at his pleasure, according to the law of the lord; for it is said thus: I am
to give you what is yours, as my master, not what you yourself want to have. For if any man would want so much that I should give him my head or my fist, or would not give me my wages, food, and drink, and should so grudge and afflict me that I should not keep a thread in my body, he would be deprived of his right, and the maid of hers.
36. So also, if a mayor, bailiff and regent wants to force and torment the people according to his will, that is not lordly right, but just as stolen and taken, as another steals from him. But now no village is so small that not everyone wants to have the right and power to do and call what he wants, and does not know how to press the people; They do not think otherwise, because they are lords, so they may oppress, drive and torment everyone as they themselves wish; as they are now doing especially to the poor priests and preachers. that it is truly an annual thing in all classes, especially in high offices; for in the same sit the right great thieves. For a servant in the house may steal a lord poor; but a nobleman may steal, which is called rightly stealing a whole principality, lands and people.
37. Therefore it must be said to them that Christ has set them the goal with this text, that they do not do what they themselves want; otherwise it would go too far and the right of the pope would go over them, that they would beat the subjects over the heads, although we do not teach nor approve of the same; for Christ does not say de facto, sed de jure, that is, he teaches what each one should do, namely: That the subjects should give, and the overlords take no more than their own; but who is to punish, where one does contrary on both sides, he says nothing of that here.
38. for he does not strike again as the pope teaches; neither does he want anyone to avenge himself, neither ruler nor subject: but reserves punishment and judgment for himself, as the supreme lord and God, and says Deut. 32:35: "Vengeance is mine" etc. If you do not do what he teaches here, then you will find your punishment; if he does not do it through your proper
1832 A. 14. 328^330. twenty-third Sunday after Trinity. W. XI, 2444-2447. 1833
If the rulers do not have the power to rule, he does so by pestilence, war, rebellion and other plagues, for he can punish the rulers just as well as the subjects. That is why he teaches both the rulers and the subjects who they are and what they should do; we "leave it at that". For we should not and will not force anyone with our fist and punishment, but only say what is right and ward off what is wrong with our mouths; whoever then does not want to follow, we banish according to Christ's teaching, and tell him that he is the devil's own and let him go; the others we let punish the pope and others, who not only leave it at the word, but grasp at it with their fist.
39 This is briefly said of the first estate or regiment, which both the upper and lower estates should do, so that it may be seen how far we are from this teaching and how the world is full of thievery everywhere. But there is only the devil and death, if one should strike out this piece: "Prayer GOtte, what GOtte is", and say of the God thieves, who are there in the spiritual regiment of Christianity, as, I and my same. For as high as heaven is above the earth, so dangerous and difficult is this office compared to the secular or imperial regiment; although it is also dangerous to be fed up when a ruler rules and does not call upon God for help to lead his state rightly without harming his subjects. But if an unfaithful priest or preacher gets into this office, these are not thieves of bread, meat or clothes, so that one feeds the body, so that the lawyers have to do; who teach nothing more than how to keep the belly and prevent such thievery. But these, who are in the office of giving eternal bread and life to souls, and in exchange give eternal thirst, hunger and nakedness, take the word, by which a man is fed and preserved from death to eternal life: these are not called evil thieves of the belly, but thieves of God and of the kingdom of heaven.
40. as now are pabst with his bishop larvae, and all who cling to him, who preach nothing to the people, yes, even refuse to accept God's word, and what the same gives and brings; and now make it so rough,
that they still forbid and refuse both forms of the sacrament, instituted by Christ (as they themselves know), out of pure violence and free thirst; that they are neither to be held nor called anything else before all the world but sacrilegi, public thieves of God and robbers of his word and sacrament.
(41) Likewise, there are many of them among us who afflict and oppress the poor pastors with hunger and sorrow, so that they cannot remain in their ministry. Some of them are also wickedly full, taking both the goods of the belly, as the pope's and the priest's people do, grazing in spiritual goods and neither preaching nor allowing anything to be preached for them, and also the heaven's people; They mix themselves in both theft, that they may deserve the more severe and intolerable punishment, and be as child's play against the other thieves; and yet the world is as full of this shameful thievery as of the other, and through and through nothing but vain, vain thieves, from top to bottom, among the smallest and the greatest.
42. But how will it be with Metzt when the time of judgment comes? For what is it that God should always cry out and preach: Pray to God and to Caesar, and all shall be in vain; and should thus let himself be muzzled in his mouth, and take himself for a fool, yea, trample his word under foot; there must at last one day rain down upon the world a deluge, thunder, lightning, and infernal fire. This cannot and should not be otherwise, because they continue so thirstily without all conscience in their thievery, against God's and the emperor's right, and make of a simple two-fold theft, because they still defend it and do not want to defend it and let it be punished. He should not and cannot suffer this; he will only take us and ours away with grace, so that we will not see the future sorrow and punishment; for it is too great a sin, and a sin that might well be called a whole world full of sin, so great and various that there is not so much foliage and grass on earth. But God keep and deliver us from it, and grant that we may keep His word with earnestness, that we may not abide in such shameful vice, Amen.