Luther's booklet "Von Menschenlehre zu meiden" ("On the Doctrine of Man to Avoid") together with a "Reply to Proverbs, so man führt, Menschenlehre zu stärken" ("Answer to Proverbs, so one leads, to strengthen the Doctrine of Man"). *)
About April 1522.
To all who read or hear this booklet, may GOD give grace and understanding, Amen.
I, Martin Luther, have sent out this short booklet for the consolation and salvation of the poor consciences who lie imprisoned in monasteries or convents by the laws of men, so that they can equip and strengthen themselves to stand by the word of God in the face of death and other trials. But besides this, I let know the impudent, lewd heads, who show off their Christian nature only by eating eggs, meat, 1) milk, not confessing, not taking pictures, and not being a Christian.
1) Thus, the Jena edition; Wittenberg: Fish, what the Erlanger has recorded. In this paper, we have exceptionally given several variants of the Erlangen edition to show that the latter often preferred the worse readings.
2c. that I will not have served them with this. For I consider them to be the shameful people who defiled the camp of the army of Israel; even though the people were commanded such discipline that, when something was necessary, they should go out of the camp and bury their misery with earth. So we also have to suffer these unclean hoppers in our nest until God teaches them morality. I want to preach this Christian freedom only to the poor imprisoned humble consciences, so that where there are poor children, nuns or monks who would like to be out, their consciences may report how they can use God and without driving to come out and use such freedom chastely and Christianly. May God give His grace to this, amen.
*The Erlangen edition lists eleven individual editions of this writing, in 1522 alone. In the first editions, only the writing "Von Menschenlehre zu meiden" is included, only later, but still in the same year, Luther added the "Antwort". In the collections it is found: Wittenberger (1554), vol. VII, p. 347 d; Jenaer (1585), vol. II, p. 95; Altenburger, vol. II, p. 135; Leipziger, vol. XVIII, p. 18 and Erlanger, vol. 28, p. 318. We have followed the Jenaer edition by comparing the Wittenberger. The date is taken from Luther's letters to Spalatin of March 24, 1522, Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 771.
That man-teachings find to shun, reason from the Scriptures.
The 1st reason.
Moses, Deuteronomio, that is, in the fifth book, Cap. 4, 2:
"Ye shall add nothing unto the word which I say unto you, neither shall ye do anything of it."
002 But if any man say that Moses speaketh of his word only, because there are many books of the prophets added unto Moses' books, and the whole New Testament. Answer: But there is nothing new added to them, but the same things that are in Moses' books are in the other books. For the other books do nothing more than show the examples of how Moses' word was kept or not kept, and are described with different words and stories, but it is all the same one teaching and opinion. And here is to defy them, that in all books, except Mosi's books, they show one word, which is not found before in Mosi's book. For there is no doubt that all Scripture is directed to Christ alone. Now Christ says John 5:46, "Moses wrote of me"; therefore all that is in Moses' books, as in the main letter, is in other books.
The 2nd reason.
Isaiah, Cap. 29, 13. And the Lord shows him 1) to Matth. 15, 8.
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But they serve me in vain, teaching the doctrine and commandment of men."
Mark the word of Christ, that he calls it vain service, serving God according to the doctrine of men. For Christ is not drunk, nor foolish; and upon his word is all things to be built, above all angels and creatures.
The 3rd reason.
The same Christ, in the same chapter. Matth. 15, 11. speaks again: 2)
1) So the Jena. Wittenberg and Erlangen: it.
2) In the Wittenberg and Erlangen missing: speaks abermal.
"What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean, but what goes out of the mouth makes a man unclean."
(4) Let this sentence and judgment be well received, for it is powerful, forcibly overthrowing all doctrine, custom, and life concerning food, and freeing all consciences from all laws concerning food and drink, namely, that it is free to eat milk, butter, eggs, cheese, and meat on all days, whether Sunday or Friday, fasting or Advent, and that no one may put in butter money or take a letter for it. For this word stands firm, and is not true: "What comes into the mouth does not make a man unclean.
It follows, first of all, that it is a lie to say that St. Peter instituted fasts. St. Peter instituted fasting, and it is a commandment of the church not to eat eggs, butter, milk, and meat inside in case of mortal sin. For St. Peter or the Church neither sets nor teaches anything against Christ. And if they did, they would not be followed. Not that it is evil to keep it; but it is evil to make a necessity and a commandment of it, which is free, and to pretend that it defiles and is sin, which Christ himself says is not sin, and does not defile.
6) Secondly, it follows that it is pure deception of the devil that the pope sells letters and gives bower 3) to eat butter, meat 2c. if it is freely given and allowed beforehand by Christ in this saying.
(7) Thirdly, it is also error and a lie to make gold fasting, 4) ban fasting, apostles' fasting and saints' evening fasting 5) necessary in case of sin, as a commandment of the church. For all this is contrary to the word of Christ: "What comes into the mouth does not make a man unclean. But the fasting should be free, arbitrary, for the sake of days and food, forever.
8) Fourthly, the orders of St. Benedict, St. Bernard, St. Carthaeus, and all the others, who avoid meat and the like out of necessity and commandment, as if it were sin, against Christ. For their thing says no other, but
3) i. Permission.
4) The four gold fasts or emergency fasts are the fasts on the Quatember days.
5) Erlanger: Apostles and the Holy Evening Fast.
straightway against Christ's mouth, thus: What enters into the mouth makes unclean. And Christ must be their liar, because he says: "What comes into the mouth does not make a man unclean. And so you see that this one saying of Christ powerfully condemns all orders and spiritual regiment. For if that which enters into the mouth does not defile, how much less will that which is put on the body defile? Be it robes, skirts, shirts, pants, shoes, coats, green, yellow, blue, red, white, multicolored, as one pleases; likewise also the places, as churches, cells, houses, chambers. 1)
(9) Thus it follows that he who considers it a sin for a monk to go outside his order, and would not let it be free, makes Christ a liar once more, and puts sin on it, since it denies Christ, and says yes, since Christ says no. What other kind of people are such monks than those who straightway say to Christ's face, "You deny; there is sin, since you say it is not sin? It does not help that they want to bring up St. Bernard, Gregory, Franciscus and more saints. One must hear Christ, what he says, who alone was made a doctor by the Father on Mount Thabor, when he said, Matth. 17, 5: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him." He did not say, Hear Bernhardum, Gregory 2c., but hear him, him, him, my dear Son. Who knows how the saints sinned or did right in this? They did not keep it out of necessity and commandment. But if they have kept it out of necessity and commandment, they have erred, and they are not to be followed, and Christ to be left.
10 Christ confirms all this in the same place where Matth. 15, 11. follows: "That which proceedeth out of the mouth defileth a man." [V. 18-20.:] "For out of the mouth proceedeth from the heart evil thoughts, fornication, adultery, thievery, lying, blasphemy 2c. These things make a man unclean." Here we ask: If that alone is sin and unclean, which proceedeth out of the heart, as here Christ mightily discusses and exiles; as
1) Erlanger: House Chamber.
2) Erlanger: Order dress.
then can make butter, milk, eggs, cheese impure, which comes not from the mouth nor heart, but from the belly of the cow and hen? Who has ever seen 3) flesh, plates, cowls, cloisters, hair shirt come out of the mouth? The cows would have to sin, that they give milk and butter, and carry calves.
(11) Therefore it is not only blasphemy, lying and deception, but also foolishness and monkey play, the law of all monks and men concerning food, clothing and places and all outward things. It is true that a person can have an evil desire for other food and clothing; but this comes from the heart, and can happen as well with fish as with meat, with gray cloth as with red velvet. Summa Summarum, Christ does not lie in these words: "What goes into the mouth does not make one unclean, but what goes out of the mouth makes one unclean.
12 If this is true, that such things are not unclean nor sinful, if one does what is commanded by men, then again it must not be pure nor meritorious, if one keeps and does it, since only that is pure and meritorious, which is contrary to sin and uncleanness; therefore in all monks' lives is neither pure nor meritorious. This is also what the Lord Christ means when he says Matth. 15, 9: "In vain do they serve me with the commandments of men. Why in vain? Because slackness is not sin, and keeping is not merit, but all is free; therefore they deceive themselves, and make merit where there is none, and fear sin where there is none, as the 14th Psalm v. 5. says: "They fear where there is no fear."
The 4th reason.
St. Paul, 1 Tim. 4, 1. 2. f., speaks:
"The Spirit says, clearly, that in the last times some will step away from the faith, and pay attention to the false spirits and teachings of the devils, through the false talkers in 4) gilding, and who have a brand in their conscience, and forbid to become married, and to shun the food that God has created to take
3) "je" is missing in the Erlanger.
4) Wittenberg and Erlangen: and.
with thanksgiving to the faithful, and to those who have known the truth. For all God's creatures are good, and nothing is reprehensible that is taken with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If you present these things to the brethren, you will be a good preacher of Christ, brought up in the words of faith and good doctrine which you have obtained. But abstain from the unconsecrated and old vettelic fables."
(13) O what a thunder and tempest is this over all the works, doctrines and orders of men! First of all, if they boast that their thing comes from the pope and holy fathers, what will Christ judge about it? Will he not thus say: Paul, my apostle, is my chosen armor, as Lucas writes Apost. 9, 15.? Why then have you not accepted his word more than the word of the pope and the fathers, who do not know what equipment they are? How will they stand?
14) On the other hand, we ask them if butter, eggs, meat, milk, and all the foods they avoid on fast days and in ordinances, are not created by God and are God's creatures? Now it is certain that they are those of whom Paul says here that they forbid the food that God created and gave to believers to eat, and forbid the marital state in addition: so that they cannot pass by, this saying applies to them and means them. Now let us see what Paul thinks of them and how he rebukes them.
(15) First, they have apostatized from the faith, for it would be impossible for them to establish such doctrine and works unless they thought by them to be pious and to be saved. But such delusion is already a sure sign that they have apostatized from the faith, since faith alone should do that which they seek in works, as is often said.
16 Secondly: Watch out for erring spirits. He does not speak of false men, but of false spirits; that is, those who pretend to be spiritual, and are called spiritual, and their being is of the Spirit and in the Spirit. Because they are faithless, it is not possible that they should not err in spiritual matters. Therefore it follows finely
One another: Abandon the faith and follow error in the spirit.
Thirdly: He calls their teachings devilish teachings. This must also follow; where faith and the true spirit are not, there the devil gives them the wrong spirit, and leads them with pretty colored teachings and works, so that they make themselves believe that they are spiritual. But because the doctrine does not flow from the Scriptures, it can be no one else's but the devil's.
(18) Fourthly, they are false speakers, for they also sometimes lead and force the holy Scriptures and the sayings of the fathers to their doctrine, as we see in them every day. But this is false and untruthful, since the Scriptures are most contrary to them.
19. fifth: If it is vain glitter, that is true, and may not be glossed over; for all its essence is only a semblance and glitter in the outward change of food and clothing.
020 Sixthly, if they have a brand in their conscience, that is, an unnatural conscience. For when there is no sin and conscience, they make sin and conscience, as it is said above, even as a burn scar is an unnatural mark on the body.
21 The seventh: They forbid marriage, so that they establish such a state, which shall be without marriage, as we see both in clergymen and monks. Therefore, see here the judgment of God on such doctrines and statuses, that they are devilish doctrines, erroneous doctrines, false doctrines, unbelieving doctrines, glib doctrines. Help God, who wants to stay inside when God Himself passes such judgment! What would it help if you had taken a thousand vows and oaths on such teachings? Yes, the harder the vow, the more it is to be torn, because it was made on the devil's teaching against God.
(22) But, behold, how subtly they turn aside, and turn away this saying, saying that it is no business of theirs, but of the Tartians, the heretics, who condemn the married state in all things. But Paul does not say here of those who condemn the married state, but of those who forbid it for the sake of glitter, that they want to be spiritual. But let it be said that St. Paul speaks against the Tatians; but if the pope does what the Tatians did, why should it not also be said of him?
Let it be Talian or Pabst, so they are here troffen, which forbid the marriage. The words of Paul condemn the work without distinction of the person. Whoever forbids marriage is the devil's disciple and apostle, as the words clearly state. Because the pope does this, he must be the devil's disciple with all his own, or St. Paul would have to lie.
23. to the eighth: Forbid food that God has created. There you see that the doctrines of men are given to the devil by God Himself through the mouth of Paul. What greater and more abominable do you want to hear about the doctrines of men, than that they are apostate from the faith, erroneous, false, devilish, ghoulish? To whom this saying is not enough, what may be enough for them 1)? But if the doctrine of food prohibitions is devilish and unchristian, then the doctrine of garments, plates, places and all outward conduct will also be devilish and unchristian.
24 But here they turn around and say, "St. Paul is talking about Manichaeans. St. Paul is talking about the Manichaeans. We do not ask anything about that. St. Paul speaks of the food providers: that is what the pope does with his own, that he is a Manichaean or Talian. St. Paul says of the work that we see in the pope. Therefore, we cannot turn the saying away from him. If today or tomorrow another should rise up and also forbid the food, shall it not therefore be said of him whether he is not a Manichaean? In this way, one would freely do what Paul is saying here, and say that it does not apply to us, but to the old Manichaeans. Not so; if the pope is not a Manichaean with his monks and priests, I leave that alone. But I say nevertheless that he does and teaches against St. Paul's teaching, so almost as no Manichaean.
25. ninth, they are ungrateful. For God created food (says St. Paul) to be received with thanksgiving. This they suggest, so that they do not have to be grateful to God's goodness. This means that they are not believers, nor do they recognize the truth. For Paul says in 1 Tim. 4:3: "To the faithful, and to those who have known the truth, they are given with thanksgiving. Are
1) In the issues: because.
But if they disbelieve and do not recognize the truth, as St. Paul reproaches them, then they are certainly pagans, unbelievers, blind and unwise. That is, I mean, ever praise the pope, priests, monks.
26) Tenth, they are evil, harmful preachers rebuked by him; 2) for he says here that Timothy is a good preacher, brought up with words of faith and good doctrine, where he reproaches this to the brethren. So those must be evil preachers and brought up with words of unbelief and evil doctrine, who teach the contradiction.
27 Eleventh, he calls such teachings unconsecrated, old-fashioned fairy tales. Is this not foolish talk? The great teachers go about with fairy tales, as the old cloaks behind the stove of gaping, and is unsanctified, unspiritual, 3) unholy gossip; yet they make vain holiness out of it. Who has ever heard human doctrines so horribly reproached in all ways that they are apostate, unbelieving, unchristian, pagan, erroneous, devilish, false, ghastly, injurious to conscience, ungrateful, contrary to honor and God's creature, harmful fables and old-fashioned gibberish? Flee, who can flee, from this judgment of God.
The 5th reason.
St. Paul, Col. 2, 16.17.18. f.:
"Let no man make you conscience of meat, or of drink, or of any part of the days which are feasts, or new moons, or sabbaths, which are the shadow of things to come; but the body is in Christ. Let no man put away his aim, who walketh by his own choice, in the humility and spirituality of angels, which he hath not seen, puffed up in vain in his carnal mind, and continueth not in the head, out of which the whole body, by the joints and bands, receiveth hand, and revealeth itself one to another, and so increaseth into a stature which God giveth. Therefore, if you have died with Christ from the elements of the world, what do you allow yourselves to do when you live?
2) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "them", which is obviously meaningless.
3) Erlanger: unchristlich. The Wittenberg and Jena editions offer "unspiritual": but the Erlanger has this as a variant of Walch.
you, with statutes make Gewiffen? Who say, Thou shalt not touch, thou shalt not eat, thou shalt not drink, thou shalt not put on (which is all consumed with hands), according to the commandments and doctrines of men, which have a semblance of wisdom, by self-chosen spirituality and humility, and by not sparing the body, nor feeding the flesh for its need.
28) Does St. Paul speak here also of the Manichaeans or Tatians, or can one excuse here for the Papists? He is speaking against those who trap consciences with the doctrines of men and make consciences about food, drink, clothing, days and everything that is external, which 1) one cannot deny that the pope, monastery and monasteries do with their rules and statutes, since they refuse to eat meat, eggs, butter, wear common 2) and strange clothing. Now St. Paul stands here and speaks:
29. First, "Let no conscience be made, judging, judging, or condemning you in food, drink, clothing, or days. What is this said, then, do not be priests nor monks, and do not keep the pope's law; do not believe him that it is sin or conscience what he says is sin? Behold, therefore, by Paul, God commandeth to despise the law of the pope and of the monasteries, and to keep them free, that they catch not the consciences. This is said: Do not become monks or priests, and whoever has become one, let him return, or keep such a thing free and without distress of conscience.
30 And although this is said of the Jews, who kept such things according to the Law of Moses (for he says Col. 2:17: These things were the shadow and figure of things to come, but the body itself is in Christ), it is much more contrary to the statutes of the priest and the monks. For if that which God has set ceases and no longer binds the conscience, how much more should nothing be set by man?
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: which.
2) The sense is: they forbid to wear common, i.e. ordinary clothes, and command special clothes.
3) The Erlanger lacks "Mosis," which is in the Wittenberger (whose text it reproduces) and in the Jenaer, and yet "Mosis" is indicated in the margin as an addition by Walch.
What are the laws of man that bind the conscience? The following will also follow from the laws of man alone, namely
31 On the other hand, he says: "Do not let yourselves be diverted from the goal," or be led by the side, to the jewel. What is this but to run from faith, which is the only right way to the jewel of blessedness, to lead to the works, and to strive by other ways to heaven, and to pretend that this is the way to the jewel? as the orders and Pabst's teachings do. But what ways do they pretend? Listen.
In the third, he says: "In self-chosen humility and spirituality of the angels. How could he have hit the orders better? Is it not so, that the pope and all of them make their preaching of their obedience? that is supposed to be the noblest virtue, that is the sacred spiritual humility of the papists. But who has commanded it? They themselves invented it and chose it to seduce themselves. For in so doing they have stripped themselves of the common humility and obedience that God commanded, that each one should humble himself to the other and be subject to him. But they are not subject to any man on earth, but have completely stripped themselves and have established their own obedience and humility, according to their own statutes. Nor do they pretend that their obedience is superhuman, perfect and equally angelic, so that there is no more disobedient, sinful people on earth than they.
(33) Likewise, they also have vows of chastity and poverty, are not at work like other people, but like the angels in heaven, they praise and serve God day and night; and recently, their life is heavenly: yet no more abominable chastity, no greater wealth, no more unsuspicious hearts, no more obdurate people are on earth than in the spiritual state, as everyone sees. They still lead all the world from the path to the bypass, with their self-chosen beautiful spiritual "angelic" life. All this, I think, is not said of the Jews, nor of the "Manichaeans", but of the Papists; the works show that.
34 To the fourth, he says, "he enters in such spirituality and in that which he has never seen". This is the worst thing about human teachings and life, that it is without reason,
without the example of Scripture, and they may not know what they do, whether it be good or evil; for all their doings stand on adventure, 1) that if you ask them whether they are sure that their doings are pleasing in the sight of God? they say they know not, they must venture on an adventure: if they succeed, they succeed. They must also say this, since they are without faith, which alone makes us certain that all our being is pleasing to God, not by merit but by grace. So all their humility, obedience and whole spirituality, even if it is the best, is uncertain and lost.
35 Fifth, "They puff themselves up for nothing," that is, they have no cause. For even though they lead an uncertain, unbelieving and vainly damned life, they may still puff themselves up and pretend that their nature is the best and only right way, that all other life stinks before them and is nothing. But such puffed-up carnal sense they do not see nor feel before great angelic humility and obedience. O the fruit of human teaching!
36. sixth, "Do not hold to the headship of Christ. For it is impossible for men's doctrine and Christ to be one; one must cancel out the other. If the conscience is comforted in Christ, then the comfort must fall on work and doctrine. If it consoles itself on works, then Christ must fall. The heart cannot and may not build itself on two foundations; one must be abandoned. Now we see that the whole consolation of the papists is based on their nature; for if it were not based on it, they would disregard it and let it go, or use it freely, as and when they wished.
(37) If there were no other misfortune in the teachings of men, this would unfortunately be all too great, that one must forsake Christ and lose the head and build the heart on such abominations. Therefore St. Peter calls the orders abominable and says: "They are sects of condemnation that deny Christ. And in the other epistle, Cap.
1) In the old editions: aus Ebenthewr, i.e. at random.
2 s Erlanger: all to. In the Wittenberg and Jena "all too , which cites the Erlanger as a variant of Walch.
2, 1, thus: "There shall come among you false teachers, which shall bring in sects of condemnation, and shall deny the Lord that bought them."
38. seventh, is it clear enough how he means our ministers by the words, when he says, "If ye have died with Christ, what do ye suffer your consciences to be made of statutes, that is, this thou shalt not touch, this thou shalt not eat, this thou shalt not wear"? 2c. Who can deny here that God, through St. Paul, forbids to teach and to listen to all doctrines of men, if they are necessary to the conscience? Who then can with a good conscience be a monk, a priest, or under the pope? They must ever confess that their consciences are bound by such laws. So, you see, what a mighty saying this is, against all the doctrine of men, that 3) it is frightening to hear that they must leave Christ as their head, deny the faith, and thus become pagans, if they nevertheless think that the world stands on their holiness.
The 6th reason.
Paul, Gal. 1, 8. 9., speaks:
"Even as we ourselves, or an angel from heaven, declare unto you, concerning that which we have declared unto you, let it be a ban. And as we have said, so say I again, If any man declare unto you concerning that which ye have received, let it be anathema."
Here you hear a judgment of God against Pabst and all human doctrine, that they are under ban. Now this ban is not like Pabst's ban, but eternal and separates from God, from Christ, from all blessedness and from all good, and makes comrades of the devil. O what an abominable judgment this is! Now see if the pope, the clergy and the monks do not proclaim and teach otherwise, and beyond what is taught by Christ and his apostles. It is said above that Christ teaches, "What comes into the mouth does not make a man unclean." Against this and over says the pope, clergy and monks: You deny, Christ, what you say, because eating meat makes a Carthusian unclean and condemns him, so also the order is the same. 4)
3) Erlanger: this.
4) i.e. similar orders.
Behold, is this not to strike Christ squarely in the mouth, to punish lying and blaspheming, and to teach otherwise than he taught? Therefore it is right that they should be condemned to eternal banishment as blasphemers and condemned in their great holiness.
The 7th reason.
Paul Tit. 1, 14, speaks:
"Teach them not to pay attention to Jewish fables and human commandments that turn away the truth."
(40) Behold, this is a strong commandment, that one should not heed the commandment of men. Dear, is this not bright enough? And gives cause: "they turn away the truth," saith he. For, as was said above, a heart cannot trust in Christ and in the doctrine or works of men at the same time. Therefore, as soon as one falls on the doctrine of men, he turns away from the truth and does not respect it. Again, he who trusts in Christ cannot respect the commandment and work of men. Now see which ban you should fear the most. The pope and his followers will cast you far away into hell if you do not obey their commandment, and Christ tells you not to obey them by his ban. Think now which one thou wilt follow.
The 8th reason.
2 Petr. 2, 1. 2. 3.
"False teachers shall come among you, introducing beside them sects of condemnation, and denying the Lord that bought them, by whom the way of truth shall be blasphemed; and with fancied words by avarice shall they handle about you."
Behold, the orders and foundations are sects of condemnation. From where? Because they deny Christ and blaspheme the way of faith. With what? Because Christ says there is no sin or righteousness in food, drink, clothing, places and works of men; they punish this, teach and live that there is sin and righteousness in it. So Christ must lie, be denied and blasphemed with his doctrine and faith.
They still go about with fictitious words, and pretend obedience, chastity, worship, but only out of avarice, so that they may handle us, until they have brought all the world's goods to themselves, as those who want to help everyone to heaven with their worship. Therefore they are and remain sects of condemnation and blasphemy.
The 9th reason.
Christ, Matth. 24, 23. f., speaks:
"If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ; or, Here, believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; that, if it be possible, the elect also shall err. Behold, I have told you before. If therefore they say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness, go not out: behold, in the cellars, believe it not."
(42) Say, how can a monk be saved? He binds his salvation to one place and says, "Here is Christ to me; if I do not remain here, I shall be lost. But Christ says, "No, I am not here. Who will make the two one? Therefore it is clear from this word of Christ, that all doctrines which bind the conscience in place are against Christ. But if he bind not the conscience to the place, neither let it be bound to food, or raiment, or vesture, or any outward thing. That there is no doubt, this saying speaks of the pope and his clergy, and Christ himself here absolves and exiles all priests and monks, in that he condemns all orders and monasteries, and says: Do not believe, do not go 2c.
43 He also says the same, Luc. 17, 20. 21.: "The kingdom of God does not come with outward appearances; and one will not say, Behold, here it is, behold, there it is. For behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
Is this not clear enough? Now, the teachings of men cannot do otherwise than to order things externally. Because God's kingdom is not an external thing, they must be absent and mistaken, both teachers and students.
1) In the Wittenberg "denn" what is missing in the Jena one.
It does not help them either, 1) that they say holy fathers have led the orders. For Christ has already overthrown the makeshift, because he says: "The elect may be deceived", that is, they will err, but not remain 2) in it. What else would it be for a particularly great error if the elect did not err? Let the doctrine and example of the saints be as it is, Christ's words are certain and clear: this we must follow, and not the saints, whose doctrine and work are uncertain. It is certain that he says, "The kingdom of God is among you," and not apart from you, here or there.
The 10th reason.
Solomon, Sprüchw. 30, 5. 6., speaks:
"All the words of God find fire and a shield to all who trust in them. Put nothing to his words, lest he punish thee, and be found false."
This is the conclusion for this time; for there is much more in the prophets, especially in Jeremiah, of which I wrote in confession 3). So here Solomon is smuggling that he is a liar who adds something to the words of God; for only God's word should teach us, as Christ says, Matth. 23, 8: "Do not let yourselves be called master. There is one Master in you, Christ," Amen. Let it remain so. 4)
Response to sayings, so one leads to strengthen human doctrine.
The 1st spell.
46 The first is Luc. 10:16, where Christ says, "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me. He also says the same, Matth. 10, 40. and Joh. 13, 20. Here Christ is to force us (they pretend) that one must receive their human law.
1) So the Jenaers. Wittenberg and Erlangen: not. 2) i.e.: in error.
3) This refers to the text No. 121 in this volume: "Von der Beichte, ob der Pabst Macht hat, dieselbe zu gebieten.
4) The words: "Da bleibe es bei" are in the Jena edition, but are missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions.
47. response. This is not true. For Christ, before he speaks these words, speaks hard before (Luc. 10, 9/: "Go and say that the kingdom of God has come." With this, Christ stops the mouth of all the teachings of men, and gives the apostles orders as to what they are to teach, and puts the word itself into their mouths, saying, "They are to preach of the kingdom of God." Whoever does not preach about the kingdom of God is not sent by Christ, and these words do not concern him, but rather these words compel him not to listen to the teachings of men. Now preaching about the kingdom of God is nothing else than preaching the gospel, in which the faith of Christ is taught, through which alone God dwells and reigns in us. But the doctrines of men preach nothing of faith, but of food, raiment, time, places, persons, and of vain outward things, whereof the soul hath nothing.
(48) Now behold the pious shepherds and faithful teachers, how honestly they have dealt with the poor people. This saying, "He who hears you hears me," they have masterfully plucked out and driven into us with great terror, until they have brought us under themselves. But that which is written before: "Preach of the kingdom of God," they have concealed very delicately, and jumped chivalrously past, so that they would not be forced to preach the gospel alone to us, the noble, dear masters, one should thank them for it.
49. at the last, when he sent forth the disciples to preach, let us hear him commanding them, and setting the purpose of their teaching, and bridling their tongues, saying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature: he that believeth shall be saved. 2c. [He does not say, "Go and preach whatever you want, or whatever seems right to you, but put his own word into their mouths and tell them to preach the gospel.
50] Likewise also in Matthew at the last he saith, Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. But behold, he saith not, teach them.
keep what you invent; but "what I have commanded you." Therefore, it must and cannot be otherwise, the pope with his bishops and teachers must be a wolf and the devil's apostle, because he does not teach Christ's command, but his own word.
(51) The Lord also tells us in the parable of the three servants, Matt. 25:15, that the father of the house made the servants handle not their own goods but his own goods, and gave five pounds to one, two to another, and one to the third.
The 2nd saying.
The other saying is Matth. 23, 2. 3. where the Lord speaks:
"The scribes and Pharisees have sat out of Moshi's chair. All things therefore whatsoever they say unto you, that ye ought to have, keep them, and do them."
52. there (they say) we have power to teach what seems right to us.
53 Answer. If this is Christ's opinion, we do not stand well; then every pope would like to make new and more laws, until the world could no longer comprehend the laws. But they carry out this saying in the same way as the previous one. What does it mean to sit on Mosi's chair? Let us ask, what did Moses teach? And if he were still sitting on it today, what would he teach? Without a doubt nothing, but what he taught before, namely, God's commandment and word. He has never spoken any human doctrine, but what God has commanded him to speak, as almost all chapters show. It follows that anyone who teaches anything other than Moses is not sitting on Moses' chair. For this is why the Lord calls it "Moses' chair," so that Moses' teaching should be read and taught on it. This is also indicated by the following words, where the Lord says: "But according to their works you shall not do: for they say it well, and do it not; but they lay heavy and unmistakable burdens upon men's necks, and will not themselves lift them with a finger."
54 Behold, he punisheth their works, that they lay many laws concerning the doctrine of Moses upon men's necks, which they themselves touch not.
and says afterwards [v. 16.17.] 1): "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" Is it not clear enough that Christ condemns their doctrine of men? He could not have confirmed it by sitting on Mosi's chair; otherwise he would have spoken against himself. Therefore, Moses' chair must stretch no further than Mosiah's law, and sitting on it no further than preaching Mosiah's law.
55. so also Moses said of his chair and teaching 5 Mos. 4, 2: "You shall neither add nor subtract from the word that I tell you." And Deut. 12, 32: "Do only that which I command you, and neither add to nor subtract from it." They had to teach this doctrine on Mosi's chair, therefore Mosi's chair cannot suffer any commandment of man.
The 3rd reason.
56 St. Augustine's saying in the book against the main letter of the Manichaeans, which should read thus:
I did not believe the gospel if I did not believe the church.
Behold (they say), the church is more to be believed than the gospel.
57 Answer. If Augustine had said the same, who would have given him the authority that we must believe him? by what scripture does he prove this saying? How? if he was mistaken, as it is known that he was mistaken many times, as were all the fathers? Should one of Augustine's sayings be so powerful that it would drive back the previous ones all at once? God did not want that, but St. Augustine should give way to them.
58 Item, if this were St. Augustine's opinion, he would also overthrow himself; for he even in many places the holy scripture.
1) Here the Erlangen edition again asked Walch to reprint the wrong number "V. 13". Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 885 the note; vol. XXII, introduction, p. 38 s. and in this volume the note to Col. 240.
He exalts himself above all teachers' sayings, above all conciliarities and churches' decisions, and wants to have himself and all people's doctrines judged according to them. Why then do the faithful shepherds abandon such sayings of St. Augustine, which are so bright and clear, and fall on this one, which sounds so dark and against Augustine in all places? Without wanting to help their tyranny with lazy loose grimaces.
(59) To this end, they act as deceivers, not only imposing a false opinion on St. Augustine, but also falsifying and perverting his words. For St. Augustine's words actually read thus: I would not believe the Gospel if I were not moved by the reputation of all Christianity. Augustine speaks of the whole of Christianity, that it 1) preaches the gospel so unanimously in all the world, and not the Manichaean main letter, [there] such a reputation of all Christians moves him, that he considered it to be the right gospel. But our tyrants call this Christianity themselves, as if the layman and common man were not also Christians; and what they teach should be called the doctrine of the Christian church, if they are the lesser part, and we also should be asked beforehand, as common Christianity, what is to be taught under the name of common Christianity. Behold, so finely do they perform St. Augustine's saying; what he says of Christendom in all the world, that shall be understood by the Roman See.
(60) How then does it follow from this saying that the doctrines of men are also to be held? What doctrine has ever been invented that has been accepted and preached by all common Christians throughout the world? None has ever been invented, but the gospel alone has been accepted by all Christians throughout the world.
For this, St. Augustine must not be understood as if he did not want to believe in the Gospel otherwise, because he was moved by the reputation of the whole of Christendom. For that would be wrong and unchristian. Everyone must believe only because it is God's word and that he inwardly finds that it is truth, even though an angel from heaven and all the world preached against it. But its
1) Wittenbergers: the selb; Jenaers: themselves.
His opinion, as he himself says, is that he finds the gospel nowhere but in Christendom, and that the heretics can thus be given external proof that not their doctrine but this one is right, which all the world has unanimously accepted. For Eunuchus, Apost. 8, 37, believed in the gospel preached by Philip, and yet did not know whether many or few believed it. Item, Abraham believed in God's promise alone, since no man knew of it. Rom. 4, 18. And Mary, Luc. 1, 38, also believed the message of Gabriel alone, and there was no one on earth who believed with her. So Augustine also had to believe, and all the saints, and we also, each one for himself alone.
(62) Therefore St. Augustine cannot suffer the understanding which they put upon him, but must be understood by the outward evidence of the faith, that thereby the heretics may be pushed, and the weak strengthened in the faith, when they see that all the world preacheth, and holdeth for gospel, that which they believe. And where this understanding is not in St. Augustine's saying, it is better to deny the saying; for it is contrary to Scripture and spirit and all experience where it retains that understanding.
63) Finally, when they have been pushed by the Scriptures, so that they cannot pass them by, they lift up and blaspheme God, saying: 2) If St. Matthew, St. Paul, St. Peter were also men, therefore their doctrine is also the doctrine of men. But if their doctrine is to be kept, then one should also keep the Pope's. Some princes and bishops, who want to be wise, are now throwing out such blasphemy. When you hear such deeply hardened and blinded blasphemers, turn away from them or stop your ears; they are not worth talking to. If this should be true, then Moses was also a man and all the prophets. So let us go further, and believe nothing everywhere, and consider everything to be the doctrine of men, and follow our own conceit.
64 But if thou wilt speak unto them, do so unto him, saying, Well, let St. Paul or Matthew be the doctrine of men, and we will ask: Where does their power come from?
2) In the old editions: Is.
620 Erl. 28, si2 f. 108. L.'s booklet "Von Menschenlehre zu meiden". W. xix, 738 f. 621
Wherewith shall they prove that they have power to teach and to be bishops? or where shall they know where the church is? if they say that St. Matthew, 16:9, or St. Paul have set it here and there, say, It is not true, they are the doctrines of men, as thou sayest; thou must have the word of God to confirm thee. Behold, thus thou findest how the hardened blasphemers profane themselves, and resolve with their own foolishness, who cannot so much as distinguish that another thing is, when man himself, or when God speaketh by man. The apostle's speech is commanded to them by God and confirmed and proven with great miracles; none has ever happened to man's doctrine. And if they themselves will be certain and prove that God has commanded them to teach such things, we will also believe them, as we did the apostles. If the apostles' speech is uncertain that it is from God, who will make us certain that their teaching of men is from God? O furor et amentia his saeculis diga!
65 We condemn the doctrines of men, not because they are the doctrines of men, for we would bear them, but because they are contrary to the gospel and the scriptures. The Scriptures make consciences free, and forbid to catch them with the doctrines of men; so they catch them [with] 1) the doctrines of men. We cannot make this discord between the Scriptures and the doctrines of men one. Therefore we let the young children be judges here, because these two doctrines are contrary to each other: whether one should follow the Scriptures (in which the Word of God has been taught from the beginning of the world),
1) "with" is missing in the editions; there: "they the".
or let go of the doctrine of men (which was invented yesterday and changes daily)? and hope that everyone will approve the judgment, that the doctrine of men will be abandoned and the Scriptures kept: for both cannot and may not be kept, 2) because they may not become one and must of course be contrary to each other, 3) like water and fire, like heaven and earth, as Isaiah speaks of it Cap. 55, 9: As heaven is exalted from the earth, so are my ways exalted from your ways. Now he cannot walk in heaven who walks on earth; again, he cannot walk on earth who walks in heaven.
(66) Therefore we entreat the papists to make their doctrine one with the Scriptures beforehand. If they bring this about, we will hold them to it. But they will not do this before the Holy Spirit becomes a liar. Therefore we say again, We do not reproach the doctrine of men because men have spoken it, but because they are lies and blasphemies against the Scriptures, which, though they were written by men, were not written by or of men, but of God. Since they are contrary to each other, the Scriptures and the doctrine of men, one must lie and the other must be true. Now let us see to which they themselves want to ascribe the lies. That is enough of it.
2) The sentence: "denn beide können und mögen sie nicht behalten werden" is missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions. Although it is obvious that the repetition of the words "to be kept" is a printing error in the Wittenberg edition, the Erlangen edition has not added the omitted words to its text, but has given them as a variant.
3) Thus the Jenaers. Wittenberg and Erlangen: "among themselves."
Here follows in the old edition of Walch, Col. 739-782, a writing which has the title: Hauptartikel, durch welche die gemeine Christenheit bisher verführt worden, nebst Nicolai von Amsdorfs Zuschrift.
Why we have omitted the same is stated in the introduction to this volume.