Luc. 11, 14-28.
And he cast out a devil, which was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was cast out, that the dumb man spake. And the people marveled. But some of them said: He casts out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. But the others tempted him, and desired a sign from him out of heaven. But he heard their thoughts and said to them: Every kingdom, if it be divided against itself, shall be desolate, and one house shall fall upon another. If Satan also be at variance with himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub. But if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do they cast out your children? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the finger of God, the kingdom of God will come to you. If a strong man keeps his palace, his own remains in peace. But if a stronger man comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor, on which he relied, and divides the spoil. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit departs from a man, it wanders through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find it; so it says: I will return to my house from whence I came. And when he cometh, he findeth him clothed and adorned with besomes. Then he goes and takes to himself seven spirits worse than himself, and when they come in, they dwell there; and afterward he becomes worse with the same man than before. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the people lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked. And he said, Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
1 Today's gospel, as you have heard, is about the casting out of the devil, and is placed at this time in the same way as the gospel of eight days ago, that through repentance, penance and confession one should amend oneself and cast out the devil. But if you read this gospel today or tomorrow, in summer or in Lent, it is very rich, in which the work of our dear Lord Christ is held up to us, which not only happened at that time, but will remain until the end of the world, and as long as his kingdom remains on earth.
002 And therefore it is prescribed and preached unto us, that we should learn these things, and be comforted concerning them. For we are to know that this work, that the Lord casts out devils, does not cease, but continues in Christendom forever until the last day. Where Christ is, this miraculous work happens, that the mute speaks, the blind sees and the deaf hears. Christ came and began such work in the flesh.
*Held publicly in the castle church before the Elector, 1534.
But Christianity practices this work spiritually forever and ever until the end of the world. For this work Christ has left behind His instruments, holy baptism, the reverend sacrament, the word and absolution and other things that belong to the ministry of preaching, so that one should destroy the devil's kingdom with it, catch his people from him and drive him out of the people etc. For thus it is written Isa. 55:11: Verbum meum non redibit vacuum.... ("My word shall not return to me void.") Just as the rain that falls on a barren land does not go away without fruit, it greens afterwards and everything comes to life; so surely God's word always produces fruit in some. For the Holy Spirit will always be with the Word, enlightening, setting on fire and purifying hearts, and thus redeeming them from the tyranny and power of the devil.
(3) If this does not appear before the world, and is not seen with the eyes of the flesh, as it was when it came bodily from Christ, there is no power in it. For the world is not worthy without this, that it is one spark.
The Lord will not let her know the miraculous signs and works of God, but she will be blind, mad and deaf, defile, revile and blaspheme, as we see her doing to the Lord Christ here. But we Christians, who have and accept the word, should see and know it and comfort ourselves with all our hearts that God has left us the power here on earth, that we can, yes, should and must cast out devils without ceasing, spiritually and physically.
(4) For every child that is born is born into the devil's kingdom, where he reigns as a lord of death and exercises all tyranny over sins. But carry it here to blessed baptism according to Christ's command, and speak over it the words that Christ commanded: so the child will be born again into the kingdom of God, and the devil must depart and go out. For God's grace is promised to the child through Christ, since he is baptized into the death of Christ. So a poor, sorrowful conscience, which the devil has overtaken with a grievous fall and otherwise afflicted with temptation, comes to me, laments its distress, and desires comfort and instruction. Then I have orders and every Christian that I should comfort my brother and promise him God's grace through the merit of Christ. Then the devil must also give way, not to me, who am a poor sinner and wretched man, but to the word which our dear Lord Christ has left us on earth. So, if you have a stupid, frightened conscience, and cannot grasp firmly enough the comfort that God will be merciful to you and forgive your sin, our dear Lord Jesus has ordained his supper for certain comfort, so that, because his body and blood are given to you for food and drink, you may have no cause to doubt that his body was given for your sin and his blood poured out for your sin. But where there is such faith and trust, it is impossible that the devil should keep his seat longer and not leave the inn.
So this work must go on for and for in Christianity, that the devil is cast out by God's finger. Christ started it, as St. Peter says, Apost. 10, 38, that he went about and did the following
He did good and healed all who were overcome by the devil, because God was with him. Christianity continues until the end of the world, doing more and greater works than Christ did; as he himself says John 14:12: "Truly, truly, I say to you: He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do: for I go unto the Father."
6. cause, the Christian church pushes its ministry much further than Christ. He preached only in the small corner of the Jewish land, cast out devils and converted few people, as he preached only in the fourth year. On the other hand, the Christian Church is scattered throughout the world and, through the help of its Head and Lord Christ, who sits at the right hand of God, carries out this ministry for and for, that it preaches, distributes the sacraments and punishes the devil in his ungodly nature forever, casting him out today in one place and tomorrow in another.
7 Such things hurt the devil very much, therefore they do not go without persecution. Christ cast out the devil until the devil threw him out of the country and hung him on the cross. So it is with Christianity to the end. We punish the devil in his error and ungodly nature, cast him out and save ourselves and other people by the word from error, false delusion and ungodly thoughts, so that this work also continues with us without interruption, until the devil once throws us out of the country, if our Lord God decrees it to him, as he has already strangled many of our people and driven them out of the country.
008 But he shall burn himself upon us, as he burned himself upon Christ. For when the devil threw him out of the country, he came after him and threw both head and limbs, that is, the devil and the godless Jews, out of the country again, so that they are still destroyed in all the world to this day and no longer come into their own country. It has happened to them as the Lord told them before, Matth. 22, 7.: "The king was angry and sent out his armies and killed these murderers and set their city on fire." Now if the devil also throws us out of the country, we will again
cast out of heaven and earth on the last day.
(9) Therefore we should consider the Word of God glorious and great, as a divine power by which the devil is cast out. For not only in the places where we preach must the devil give way to the word; but also in the ministry, where the devil himself reigns, he must depart through holy baptism, if the same is done according to God's order. For such grace we should thank God from the bottom of our hearts that our dear Lord Christ has left this power behind, so that we can cast out such a great Lord and powerful spirit. He also honestly moves that he must go out against his thanks and will, but nevertheless he must depart. We do not attack him with any other force than by opening our mouths and preaching and teaching God's word; the devil must give way to this same word, especially if we believe the word, just as Christianity believes the word; otherwise it is not Christianity. The word is spoken in faith and spirit, and it works such wonders.
(10) Therefore, we should not speak of the Word of God and the holy sacraments in a contemptuous or disgraceful manner. It is true that the word that is preached is a bodily word, and the persons who preach the word are bodily men. But when such a word is preached according to the command of Christ and is grasped with faith, there is such power behind the word that the devil must flee from it. Thus God has put His almighty power into such a small instrument and weak vessel. For we humans are like a straw against the devil, that where he should or could exercise his power against us, he should soon snatch us away in a moment. But what does our Lord God do? He only lights a spark against such a hopeful, powerful spirit, that is, he puts his word into the mouth of the poor little straw; this same word is a heavenly fire, which, where it shines, burns the devil so that he does not know where to stay.
(11) That is, an almighty power, as St. Paul calls the gospel a power of God that saves.
all who believe in it, that is, such a power and strength, which is called God's strength, and is so powerful that it brings man from sin to righteousness, from death to life, from hell to heaven, from the devil's kingdom to God's kingdom, and makes him eternally blessed. Let this be to me a wonderful, almighty power, that the word in the poor straw is so mighty and powerful that it drives out the devil and helps the man who believes in the word from sin and death to righteousness and eternal life.
(12) We Christians should learn this and thank God for it, and regard His word and holy sacraments as glorious and great, even as our highest treasure. But the unbelievers and papists do not know this, nor are they worthy to see such glorious majesty and power of the Word of God, according to the saying: Tollatur impius, ne videat gloriam Dei: The wicked must depart, lest he see the glory of God. And as Isaiah says of the Jews Cap. 6, 9: "Hear, and not understand; see, and not perceive": so these also should hear and grasp the word, and yet not understand its power, for they are not worthy of it.
But we should thank, praise and glorify God for the fact that we recognize and experience such wonderful, glorious majesty and power of the Word: although we are poor beggars and sinners, but they are rich and holy; yet we have everything and see the power of the Word, which they neither have nor see; as St. Paul says in 2 Cor. 6:10: "As the poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet having everything. But it is not our power, but God's, by which we cast out the devil. He also confidently resists and casts us out again, so that we may well cast each other out. But in the end he will be cast out in such a way that he will no longer be able to cast us out.
14 So the word still goes on in Christendom, which is to cast out devils, to make the blind see, the dumb speak, and the deaf hear; and it goes on with as great power as it did when Christ was present; yea, it goes on with greater power, though it be not bodily, yet it is done.
Spiritually. For it is far greater and more to cast the devil out of the soul and heart than to cast him out of the body, for he is much more firmly established in the soul and heart than in the body. Therefore, if he is to be torn out of the soul and heart, greater strength and power are required. Now the devil must come out of there, where he is most firmly seated; and such casting out is done, as I said, by such a small thing, namely, by the word, absolution, baptism, the reverend sacrament. Christ has given us such power, and may he also give us grace to recognize such benefits, and to be glad and thankful for them.
15 Further follows in the gospel, what the pious, the virgin world, says about it, when she sees and hears this work. For here there are three kinds of disciples about the work, since the devil is cast out and the mute speaks. The first ones marvel at such work of Christ and thank God for it without a doubt. These are the pious and the small group, whose eyes are opened and see the glory and power of the divine work. Before them it is such a glorious, great thing that they cannot wonder enough how it is possible that the word of Christ should convert so many people and cast out the devil with power. God's word and work is so wonderful to them that they cannot get enough of hearing, seeing and marveling at it. To them it is given that they may hear the secret of the kingdom of heaven, that is, that they may know what the word, absolution, sacrament and key can do. To the others it is not given, but with seeing eyes they do not see, and with hearing ears they do not hear; for their heart is hardened, that they do not understand. But these recognize it, thank God for it and marvel at such great divine power; as it is truly a great power of God that the dumb, deaf and (as St. Matthew writes) blind man is healed by the word alone, that he speaks, hears and sees like another man, and becomes finely calm and reasonable, who before was furious and impetuous.
The other group of disciples are the right-wing pious, who, as I said, have this desire.
Not only do they not see or hear the work, but they also blaspheme. How great a difference there is between this great multitude and that small group! For they marvel at the work of Christ, consider it a great and excellent thing, and thank God from the bottom of their hearts. But these are so blind, obstinate, mad and foolish that they cannot see anything good in such a great miraculous work, indeed, they do the opposite. When they should be astonished at the work, they go to it, blaspheme it, and ascribe it to the devil. This is such great blindness, obduracy and rashness that no man can attain it by words.
(17) If only they would say this: Well, he casts out devils, therefore perhaps God is in him! They do not do this, but go out boldly in all certainty and say without any wavering that it is against God, the devil is in him; everything he does is pure deception, ghosts, fools' work and jugglery, as magicians conjure and jugglers juggle. They have sharp eyes and a high intellect, they cannot be lacking. So God's word and work, which one sees, grasps and gropes, must be blasphemed by these sharp-eyed and highly intelligent people.
Moreover, they are so strong and holy that they give the devil a very contemptible name, calling him "Zebub", that is, in German, a bumblebee or big fly, and the chief of the devils they call "Beelzebub", that is, a fly man or fly king. They think they are such great saints and full of the Holy Spirit that they call the devil, yes, even the chief of the devils, not a strong, powerful spirit, as the Scriptures call him, but a powerless fly. Just as our larvae, bishops, princes, tyrants, and also our red spirits do not give a damn about the devil, they are much too high seated for him, and consider him to be a dull fly, which they soon kill, if they only plunge the knife or scribble with the pen. So these saints are also sure, strong and far superior to the devil that they consider him a fainting gnat and a dull fly. Therefore, this work of Christ is to them a work of a fly or a bumblebee; could they do it more bitterly and disgracefully?
If they were to communicate and make out more freely, they would do the same.
19. These are pious children; they cannot resist the public truth, for the light is too bright and shines in their eyes; yet they knowingly blaspheme our Lord Christ's work, so that they also call their Lord the devil, who rules them and drives them to such blasphemy, a powerless bumblebee; Not seeing that they themselves are possessed with a thousand devils, since they are full of envy and blasphemy, murderers, liars, deceivers, and do the devil's highest will, yet boasting of great holiness, they go about as if the devil were of no concern to them.
20 This is also the way it is done today. The dear gospel is preached, praise be to God, purely and loudly, in all discipline and silence. We can certainly take comfort in the fact that some pious people accept such preaching with heart, become happy about it, understand the power of the word, marvel at it, and thank God for it from the bottom of their hearts. Again, the pope and his followers confess that it is God's word, but blaspheme it, calling it heresy and doctrine of the devil. So great wickedness, hardening and blasphemy is in them that it would be no wonder that before such sin the sun would lose its glow and light, the sky would turn black and the earth would swallow up such blasphemers. And yet they are so sure, careless and without any concern, as if they were sitting in the lap of our Lord God, will keep silent, that they are afraid of the devil, as I and other Christians are.
(21) We Christians know the power and authority of the devil. For we have learned by experience that he can turn and overthrow even a holy man who has a strong faith in a moment; and a pious husband who lives chastely in his married state, he can deceive him into becoming an adulterer tomorrow; yes, he can drive back the most beautiful works of God (where it is imposed on him). Therefore, he is not a bumblebee, but a strong, powerful spirit that attacks us everywhere, as we see and experience, and to which we are far too weak with all our wisdom and strength. For this reason, where he once seizes someone and leads him into error, heresy
When he leads a man into fornication or adultery, unbelief and anger, he holds on so strongly that you cannot get rid of him. So when he throws a man into fornication or adultery, into avarice, anger, hatred, envy, arrogance or other vices, I mean, he holds fast. He lets one flutter up like a bird, but soon he presses him down again, so that he cannot escape from him. Such a mighty lord, prince and god of the world is the devil, who can choke people, lead them into sin, put them into despair, heartache, fear, sorrow, grief and all kinds of misery, where God does not intervene.
Therefore we Christians are not so sure and do not despise the devil as the works saints do; we do not call him a bumblebee, but a mighty lord, prince and God of the world, who can do more than all the princes of the earth, indeed, against whom all the kings and lords of the earth are mere bumblebees and dull flies with all their power and authority.
But our nobles, the pope and his crowd, consider him to be Beelzebub, that is, the king of flies, whom they have recently eaten in the mustard. They are just as blind and obdurate as these Pharisees, who, although they are not possessed bodily, like the poor man here, are nevertheless seven times more violently and dangerously possessed spiritually, because they not only do not recognize God's word and work, but also blaspheme and profane so horribly and terribly, and are so sure of it, as if they were doing well.
(24) Now this is written for our comfort, if we want to cast out the devil and preach God's word, that we also wait for what is written here, that some are surprised, but others blaspheme and rebuke it as false and seductive. For they hold that their doctrine is much better than our gospel; their doctrine leads people to God, but our gospel only draws people away from God. This shall not vex us nor make us weary. It is true, it is very painful that the pope, bishops and their crowd blaspheme our gospel so shamefully that they could not blaspheme it more shamefully, and are so sure of it that they are no more afraid of the devil than of a bumblebee. We have to see and hear this, and it is especially rotten.
But it happened to Christ, our Lord and Head, himself in the great miraculous work, when he cast out devils by the finger of God. They blasphemed that the least bumblebee could do it as well and better than Christ.
(25) The third disciples are also very devout, desiring a sign from heaven. They see the miracle, but they do not consider it a sign. For they say: It is a sign that he casts out devils, but it is a small sign; it is a sign on earth, if he would give us a sign from heaven, we would believe. That he casts out devils, that is nothing. But if he made a new sun, new moon, new stars or the like in the sky, that would be something. These are the wise doctors who want to teach our Lord God what signs he should do. They would like him to become their jester, to put on a fool's cap and play before them with miraculous signs, as they wished; just as if our Lord God had nothing else to do, but to atone for their presumption. Just as Herod also considered him a juggler and hoped that he would see a sign from him.
This day thou shalt find such disciples also in the world, and many of them, and most of all among the great merchants; only have good regard for them. For what is the common talk nowadays among worldly wise, powerful people, but this, that they say: What? Should I believe the sermon, which has now come among the people from poor beggars, as, runaway monks and perjured priests? I would think of it if the pope, the bishop, the emperor, the king, the princes and the great lords preached or accepted it." These also show our Lord God how he should become wise, the pious man, and attack the matter more wisely, and send them such preachers whom they like, and who preach to them what they like to hear. Yes, you shall be ordered to do so, dear nobles!
27 And in fact with us, who pretend to be good evangelicals, it almost goes like this. For our Scharrhansen at court and Stadtschlingel in cities start, want to paint their preachers, what and how they should preach. They have learned finely,
One should honor the authorities. They turn this around to mean that they should not be punished, but left to do as they please. But where a preacher, according to his office, punishes the vices which are so publicly practiced that the persons must be known, whether they are nevertheless not named: then the clamor goes up with heaps, that it amounts to sedition and is not to be suffered by the authorities; one could well preach the gospel otherwise, so that one does not so publicly disgrace and revile the people. So the authorities must be called disgraced and reviled if one speaks the truth. But how do you feel about these pious people? Do you not think that they are somewhat like and related to those who see the glorious miraculous sign here, but do not want to think it is a miracle, because he is fooling them with what they would like? So they want to be lords not only over the land, the people and the church, but also over the word and the church. These may be pious children, where God should have pleasure.
28 And what do our squires in the villages do, let alone this one? They do not do much better, they want to force the village priests to preach what they like to hear, or they want to draw the blade. Then I say: "Dear Squire, you come here yourself and preach; believe me, if it didn't cost more, I would so gladly run from the preaching chair and preach to you no more than you would like. Let me see, try it and preach; we know the art as well as you do, that we say to you: Do you hear it, Squire? You preach hard against me, that should not be. Yes, dear, it would be fine that you want to be lords over Christ's word and church. You should be ordered to do so.
(29) It is not the opinion to say that worldly authorities should be honored, that they should not speak evil of them, as if therefore worldly authorities should be above God and his word; but they should also be under God and his word, recognize and honor God and his servants together with him, as God's word teaches, as their subjects; they should let the gospel take its course and obey it. If they do not, but want to be tyrants and bloodhounds, we preachers should open our mouths honestly and tell them so. If they do not want to hear it, then we have to do it.
If they want to put down the gospel and make the preaching stand desolate, they may answer for it. Secular authorities should thank God from the bottom of their hearts for the preaching of the gospel. For through it they have regained their honor, because now they know what authority is and how to honor it, of which no one under the papacy knew anything. So they go on and want to trample the gospel underfoot, for which they should thank God, and weigh down the consciences of the preachers, that they should preach what they like to hear.
(30) A heavy burden was laid upon us preachers beforehand, that we should conduct our ministry in such a way that we should give an answer and an account of it on the last day. Why then, for your sake, would we complain more and preach to you as you would have us do? If the word is not ours, we are not here because of you, as if you had appointed us and we had to preach what you would like. If thou wilt therefore be angry, and draw thy blade, let him ask me in the latter day why I have feared thy blade more than his wrath. Therefore I will make thee a sign from heaven, as thou desirest, and preach unto thee that which thou desirest to hear. Yes, hellish fire! These are the third disciples, who want to do with God's word as they please, just as our nobles say to us today: You shall preach as I will. Then we say: We will not and cannot do this. If you do not want to hear it, do not go out in God's name to the hole that the stonecutter has made and let others hear. But we will wash your fur; if you are displeased, let the devil strike. Now these things are prescribed for our consolation, that we turn not aside from them, but know that it is the right gospel, when we see that three kinds of disciples are found.
(31) The first praise it, and are pleased and astonished at it. The others are public enemies, blaspheme and desecrate it. The third would like God to do it according to their head and not according to His pleasure. The gospel has such disciples for and for in the world. The first hear
and love it. The others persecute it from the outside. The third trample it underfoot on the inside.
32. we do not have to turn to it, God grant, they accept it, blaspheme it or trample it underfoot. If we preachers say what is to be said, we have saved our souls. He who will not follow, let him go until he comes to know whom he has despised, violated and blasphemed.
The Lord answers the blasphemers first. The others, who want to teach him and perform miraculous signs, he lets go until his time. And yet he is so pious that he deals with the poisonous mouths, even though it is in vain.
Because they said that he casts out devils by Beelzebub, so that they gave him an evil name and shouted before all the people, as if his preaching were the doctrine of devils, he does not want to keep quiet about it, but defends himself against such blasphemers; as we will also hear about a fortnight from the Gospel of John 8, that he answers for himself and says, v. 49: "I have no devil" etc.
35 Therefore we also must suffer that we are blasphemed, persecuted, driven out, murdered, thrashed, and defied. But to let ourselves be blasphemed and persecuted in silence, and to confess that the doctrine of the blasphemers and persecutors is right, but that our doctrine is the doctrine of the devil: this we must not do, but freely confess the truth publicly for the sake of others; as we have always shown our adversaries the reason and cause, and sufficiently proved that our doctrine is not of the devil, and so we have done. But that we should force them to believe us, that we cannot do, nor are we commanded to do. For we are only watchmen, as the prophet Ezekiel, Cap. 3, 17. ff., who are to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked ways. If the wicked repent, well, we have won him; if he does not repent, the wicked shall die for his sin, but we have saved our souls.
36 Therefore the Lord defends his doctrine with reasonable causes, saying, "You say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub.
How can you talk so inconsistently? Go into your reason and calculate for yourselves, even worldly. Have you ever seen a kingdom at odds with itself? If in a council there is one mayor against another, in a city three mayors, and yet none is one with the other, if in a principality three regents are against each other: do you not see how bad things are there? If one devil casts out another, it follows that the devils are at odds, and so their kingdom cannot stand.
This is a worldly image that reason can grasp and understand. For where husband and wife are divided in the house, so that the husband carries out in front and the wife carries out behind, and, as they say, he breaks jars and she breaks pots, the household will not last long, and they will not accumulate much money together. For experience teaches that disunity tears up and devastates land and people, household and everything. Therefore the Pharisees and scribes speak here against their own reason, like mad, insane people. Just as today our opponents, the papists, also speak as foolish, delusional people, who not only have no Christian understanding, but also no human reason and no common sense, which a child of seven years has.
(38) Christ himself confesses that the devil is a king and has a kingdom, and a very large kingdom, which is finely divided, so that whoever angers one devil angers them all; whoever attacks one attacks them all. He is not at odds with himself, otherwise, if they did not hold together so firmly in the courts of bishops and princes, we would have more people converted and deprived of the pope. But one devil stands by another, and his kingdom is mightier and firmer than all the kingdoms of the world. And you attack such a kingdom when you are baptized, hear the Word, receive the Sacrament.
(39) But as the devil's kingdom is united and diligently holds itself together, so Christ's kingdom is also united and holds itself together. When the devil attacks a Christian, he attacks Christ Himself, and that is what he does.
whole heavenly host; as he himself says to Saul, who persecuted the Christians, Apost. 9, 4. 5. "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Lord, who art thou?" "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." Two strong ones meet, Christ and the devil, and each has a firm, lasting kingdom. Whoever touches a devil touches Beelzebub, the chief of devils, and all devils with him. Again, whoever touches a Christian touches Christ at the right hand of God, and all the angels with him. We should take comfort in this and learn that it is not a joke to be a Christian, since we have such a great kingdom against us and would have to be in danger at all times if God did not stop us with His grace.
(40) Someone might ask: How is it that desperate bad boys, jugglers, sorcerers and exorcists often cast out the devil? God does not do that, but the devil. I myself have seen one that was full of devils, but the priest who summoned him was so sure that he put a finger in the mouth of the possessed person and said: Defiance, bite! How can it be otherwise than that one devil casts out another? Answer: St. Paul says, 2 Thess. 2, 9, that the devil will do signs in the last times, but they will be false signs. Therefore the casting out of devils is not like the casting out of Christ, but false. For though the devil casts out, he does it not for the sake of the gospel, that he may promote it, but that he may strengthen men in idolatry and lead them away from the faith, that they may even fall away from Christ. The devil has possessed them both, the poor man and the devil's banner, and may well be that the poor man is more pious and holy than the devil's banner, who casts out the devil, although God has thus punished the poor man to chastise the flesh. That a devil casts out, he does for the service of another devil, so that error, idolatry and other abominations are strengthened in the hearts of the people. Thus one has St. Ciliax (Cyriacus). St. Anstet and other saints were used to bring the possessed and to cast out the devil. But he did not go out for this reason, as he did not have a lodge
He could not sit any longer and had to leave, but he did it willingly and gladly to strengthen his idolatry. Item, he sometimes acted as if he was very afraid of a consecrated light, consecrated salt, water and other things, when his only concern was to strengthen such superstition in the people, so that they would come the less to the right faith and trust in God's word and grace. That it was, as Paul calls it, mendacia signa, false, false miraculous signs and only ghosts.
If you want to recognize and distinguish the true signs, where Christ and his apostles cast out the devil through the word, from the false, lying signs, then look at the final opinion, why the devil casts out and how he stands to do so. If it is a serious casting out, that the devil should go out for the testimony of the divine word, for the honor and strength of the Christian faith, he will resist and not like to go out. Let the pope come with a cross, consecrated water, salt, and other things, and let the devotees come with all their art: let them leave the devil there without being driven out; he will not retreat, he must do it. For he cannot suffer God's word to be testified, the truth to be known and the Christian faith to be strengthened.
42: But where the devil makes use of himself and
If he wants to strengthen his lies so that the ungrateful world, which does not want to call upon Christ, should call upon the saints and fall deeper into superstition, he may well have a bad boy cast out. He can make blind and see again, deaf and hear again, lame and straight again. For it is not for this reason that Christ and his gospel are praised and the truth is made straight. The reason is not that Christ and his gospel are praised and the truth is recognized, but that his error is confirmed, that the monastic life, the intercession of the saints, pilgrimages, vigils, mass offerings and other things should be considered a holy thing. That is why he is so willing to do it. In sum, the devil never disagrees with himself, for if his error is to persist, it can be driven out. But it is a mirror fencing played under the little hat to deceive and seduce the world. But when he is driven out so that God's finger may be seen and the kingdom of heaven may be near, then he is averse and resists as long as he can, as Christ says in the parable of the strong-armed man.
43 Therefore, let us thank God for this grace, that He sent His Son to us to cast out the devil and left His word with us, through which this work is still being done today, destroying the devil's kingdom and building up and increasing the kingdom of God. In such grace may God graciously preserve us through His Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.