Translated from Latin.
Martin Luther to the godly reader.
(1) No true Christian can doubt that everything that is said and written for the disgrace and destruction of papist abomination and tyranny serves to glorify the doctrine of Christ. For since the same has devastated and trampled underfoot the kingdom of God and of Christ, we can do nothing more useful, nothing more holy, nothing more divine, than by again devastating and trampling underfoot the destroyer of our blessedness and the defiler of the honor of God, according to the words of Rev. 18, 6. 7.: "Pay her as she has paid you, and make it double to her according to her works; and with what cup she has poured for you, give it double to her.
in. How much she has made herself glorious and had her courage, so much gives her torment and sorrow."
For he speaks of the tyranny of the papal abomination, and he speaks quite differently than those who demand that one should not always oppose the papacy. For he says, "Make it double for him, pay him double," etc., and with this admonition he wants to make us diligent and eager to torment and destroy such abominations.
(3) Since I am also one of the antipopes, and am called by divine revelation to scatter, destroy, and cut off this accursed kingdom, I zealously and gladly carry out this office, as I have done hitherto.
*) Of this writing, which in the Jena edition is marked with the year 1523, we know a single print only from the year 1531, which was published by Nicolaus Schirlentz in Wittenberg, under the title: Dxernplurn DiiooloZiao st voetrinuo kuxistieo. Latin also in the Wittenberg edition, lom. II, toi. 401 d; in the Jena (1566), lom. II, toi. 561 and in the Erlanger, opx>. vor. ar^., vol. VII, p. 22. According to the Jena edition we have translated, comparing the Erlanger edition, which brings the print of 1531, but almost everywhere offers worse readings than the Jena.
I have done. That is why I wanted to publish this sermon, or rather monstrosity, publicly and put it in front of those insolent foreheads and impudent heads of the papists. Although they have filled the whole church with such monstrosities and are publicly convicted of such abominations, they nevertheless have hard necks and unrepentant hearts, that they not only do not want to recognize, confess and correct such things, but also make an effort to conceal and cover them, but then to adorn and decorate themselves, until they (as they hope), having again attained to their old and former form of holiness, would again erect and establish the same monstrosities in the church.
(4) Therefore, let us force them to look at their monstrosities and expose their shame and disgrace and, as the prophet says, let us throw the filth of their festivities in their faces, so that the people, both now and in the future, may see it and always remember this crimson whore, hate her completely, and unanimously detest and persecute her abominable whoredom.
5. But this sermon was preached by a highly famous miserable Dominican (vomiiüeastro) in a monastery of this country to the most miserable maidens, who are called nuns, not long before these times 1) to praise the nuns' state, and it has been praised by all, as if it were a miracle, and by all as if it were the most sacred treasure, pure that it has not been worshipped, even preserved among the holy relics, although, as can be seen, it has only been picked up piecemeal from the mouth of the preacher. In it one can see an excellent sample of the papal theology, and here is truly a flower of the rosary (Rosarii) so famous among them.
(6) It is also useful for all, especially young men and maidens, to know and remember what kind of doctors and masters we have had in the papacy, and by what kind of teaching we have been oppressed, so that we may be able to learn by contrast, or by misunderstanding.
1) i.e. shortly before the time of the started reformation. Walch's translation: "a few days ago" is certainly wrong. Latin: nou multo nute Uos äios.
In this way, the people of the world will be able to see all the more clearly the riches and greatness of God's grace, with which He has looked upon us wretched people anew and enlightened us with His holy and pure word, with all the fullness of His heavenly blessings, and at the same time, so that they will be more careful in the future to avoid the monsters of such a great abomination.
God grant that our hatred and horror of such an abomination may grow as great as our gratitude and love for this mercy given to us in Christ may grow! To Him be glory and praise for all eternity! Amen.
Sermon of the excellent Magister noster J. R., Provincial of the Order of Preachers, in which you, godly reader, see an excellent example of the godless and blasphemous papal teaching against God and Christ. 2)
Subject.
There must be 3) sacrificed to the king the virgins 4) after her 5)a ).
a) That is, they must be torn away from Christ and, after denying the faith, cast into the monasteries under the yoke of human statutes and works.
The magisterial gloss [interpretation] on Prov. 3, 9.: "Honor the Lord from your goods" etc., speaks: He sacrifices +) well, who from his rightly acquired goods; better, who from his good works; best of all, who sacrifices himself GOtte.
b) because being baptized and believing in Christ is nothing against these sacrifices.
For there are three kinds of goods according to Aristotle in the seventh book of his statesmanship,c ) namely temporal, corporal and spiritual.
c) Aristotle is taken here for the excellent magistri nostri in the papacy who invented this distinction, for Aristotle knows very well 6) what spiritual goods are.
2) This caption is in the Jena edition; in the original: Es fängt die Predigt des Magister noster J. R., Provincials des Orden der Dominicaner, an.
3) We have adopted the reading otkerantur of the Jena edition, instead of otkerontur in the Erlanger, because of the corresponding raxiantur in the marginal gloss. In the Vulgate, Ps. 45:16 reads aäueontur. But after aällueers (to lead) was changed into ottere (to sacrifice), it is not improbable that also oüerentur was changed into otkorantur.
4) i.e. the nuns.
5) i.e. of Mary and Christ.
6) We have adopted the reading of the Jena edition optims instead of valäs in the Erlanger.
It is a great thing to sacrifice temporal things to God for the building of a church etc. Because therebyd ) one hopese ) to obtain forgiveness of his sins.
d) By this, that is, not by Christ, nor by faith, but by denial and blasphemy of Christ.
e) One hopes, that is, a papist.
But it is a greater thing when one offers the soul to God by free willf ) and by his own will, as a religious (Religiosus)^) g), who thereby obtains complete forgiveness, as if he received baptism. And who sacrifices the body (namely)i ) through the greatest gift and jewel of virginity,k ) especially if this sacrifice happens in youth.
f) Grace is not necessary, free will is sufficient.
g) Religious, that is, an adversary of Christ and a wicked desecrator of the faith.
h) Look at the boastful Anabaptists! You see how these church robbers and blasphemers equate their abominable nature with Christ and baptism.
i) Rightly strong heroes, who do not receive from God, but give such great things of their abundance!
k) Namely, because chastity is highly dangerous, even impossible.
So that a god not only gives the tree, but also the fruit through the monastic vow. This vow surpasses all kinds of martyrdom,l ) all vowsm ) of pilgrimage, even to the holy land, and all penance.
I) Also of Christ and all the saints, so that in this way alone the religious are the saints above all the saints.
m) Also everything that is called GOd or that is worshipped.
And because the present maiden, following the example of the holy virgin,n ) who first took the vow of virginity, 1) despises the kingdom of the world and all temporal adornment,o ) she sacrifices herself to live eternally for God in body and soul, yes! that which is most pleasing to God, namely virginityp ): because God especially choosesq ) virgins here and in the life to come. The virginity is the most excellent,r ) because Christ and the holy virgin have led it; the most noble, because there is greater victorys ) and harder struggle; the most useful, because it obtains fruit a hundredfold.
n) For she was a nun and Joseph her abbess. The inn was her cloister and the donkey her confessor and preacher, the manger her choir, the diapers her cap and the like from this lection.
1) That is why the papists celebrate the feast of the Sacrifice of Mary (kraosontutionis) on November 21, because on that day her consecration to the temple service and the vow of constant youthfulness is said to have taken place.
o) As can be seen in the religious who strut even in the splendor and wealth of kings.
p) As can be seen from the 10th book of physics and the 5th book of Aesop.
q) He did not choose the apostles so specially.
r) In the very highest echelon, describing it in both negative and affirmative terms, so that it may be understood that the state of the apostles is low.
s) Also greater than the victory of faith, which overcame the devil and death, so that faith is much worse than chastity.
And is honored in heaven with the company of angels,t ) with peculiar joy,") with Christ's likeness; for the virgins follow the Lamb wherever he goes. "For there is nothing more precious than a chaste soul," Sir. 26, 20. All gold is as little sand against it [Wis. 7, 9.].
t) Because the other saints are not associated with the angels, but with the devils, because they are not conformed to Christ, like the virgins.
u) This special joy is otherwise called the reward of the wreath of honor.
Therefore, a virgin must think of what is of God,v ) 1 Cor. 7, 32. what is holy and chaste: all thoughts, speeches etc. Offer to God that she may be undefiled and holy in body and pure in soul, so that Christ, to whom she is betrothed, may say: You are quite beautiful, my friend. If it is a great thing to desecrate the earthly temple, how much greater is it to desecrate the spiritual one; the temple of God is holy, that is you. w)
v) Thinking what is of God, he does not interpret from the word of God, but from thoughts on chastity, because by this they become holy and undefiled even without faith and Christ.
w) You, namely monks and nuns alone.
The color of the clothes is twofold. The white x) means purity. The black one means humility. You will go with me in white [garments], because they are worthy. See that your clothes are white at all times. y) The dress does not make a religious, nor the name, but the life.
In short, a person living in the spiritual order (religiosus) is an angelz ) on earth.
x) Purity, not of Christian faith, but of vowed chastity.
y) White because of purity, and yet at the same time black because of humility, as above.
z) And a future heavenly archangel. And a nun an earthly angel and a heavenly archangel!
First, see the subject (as they call it) with how great desecration he picks it out of the 45th Psalm [v. 16.] and tears it.
The psalm speaks of the virginity of faith and of the Catholic Church. But here the excellent Magister nostsr twists it to his sects, and declares it to be a work of dishonor to the faith and the Holy Spirit. But this is their constant way and more than canonical canon to corrupt the whole Scripture, as can be seen from this example.
After that, as if by magic, he introduces the gloss of the triple scale of sacrifices, namely, of the rightly acquired good, of the good works, of himself. And he speaks of such things as if not all Christians owed this good, but only his virgins gave it to God in excess or as a surplus (ex supererogatione) (as they call it), although no Christian can love God enough. But such blasphemy serves to destroy and trample underfoot the best sacrifices, namely praise and (patience in) tribulation or death, Rom. 12, 1. 12., so that they can teach sacrifices worthy of them (that is, of the papists).
But this is entirely Magister- and Doctor-wise, that he says Aristotle in the seventh book of the Staatskuust teaches three kinds of goods, temporal, corporeal and spiritual. For this also serves as an example of the papal divine learning, that they use Aristotle, whom they either attract wrongly or do not understand at all, to show their exceedingly great learning, so that they only banish Christ's, the apostles' and prophets' names from their Jewish schools (absque Synagogis faciant).
For at that time among the papists he was the most doctor-like, who could only frequently mention Aristotle and never Christ, the apostles or prophets, namely under the magnificent title: the pagan master. Of course, such great theologians have boasted that they were disciples of the pagan man who knew nothing of God and Christ. And they have not done badly, for they have learned the same ignorance about God and Christ completely from Aristotle and spread it throughout the whole Church.
How surely he blasphemes the blood of Christ, saying: that by sacrifice of temporal things
to build churches to obtain forgiveness of sins. By such quite frightening and blasphemous sermons they have not only filled the church with abominations and errors, but also the whole world with churches and monasteries; and the papacy itself exists through these blasphemies. Yet no bishop nor pope has seen this error, but the church was then called pure and beautiful; and even today they do not repent of it, but rather defend it with force and sword.
This, however, makes the blasphemy utterly frightening, which follows that a religious obtains complete forgiveness, as it were a baptism, through the sacrifice of his vow (which he does by free will). Here you see that we can become blessed and as holy by free will without grace, without faith, as if we were cleansed by baptism and the blood of Christ. In truth, they cannot deny that they have taught thus; there are living examples and written testimonies of it everywhere in the whole church. Now let them collect all the heresies, errors of Luther (as they call it) and compare them with these blasphemies of theirs: then even their free will (however much the devil possesses it) will force them to confess that a papist is not a heretic or erroneous, but altogether the abomination of all devils.
What follows is not unequal to this, namely, that the religious offered the tree with the fruit to God (for they have inculcated and praised this equation in a marvelous way and it is like an article of faith with them). Thus, in this holy theology of theirs, they teach that the holy Church does not sacrifice the tree, but only the fruit, that is, the Church is something small in comparison with the religious, although it is sanctified by the blood of Christ and sacrifices itself completely without ceasing. Free will sacrifices something much greater without Christ than Christ himself sacrificed on the cross.
And behold also this maw of such abomination, when he says: The vow of a religious surpasses all kinds of martyrdom, all vows of pilgrims, also all penance etc. That is the whole church
654 L. v.". vii. 2s f. I. Against Papal Errors in General. W. xix, sn-Wo. 655
and completely trample underfoot and mock all martyrs of Christ; for with these theologians the martyrs of Christ do not sacrifice the tree when they are killed, and even if they did sacrifice it, they sacrifice something far inferior to the religious, who in the greatest idleness eat up other people's property, but nevertheless surpass every kind of martyrdom through the vow of free will.
Now may Christ go and falsely praise John the Baptist, that no greater among those born of women has risen than he; since the excellent magistri nostri with their pope have found much greater than he is, namely themselves. For here you have that a nun who does not serve God by the service of words, nor with the shedding of blood, nor with fervor of spirit, nor with fervor of prayer, nor with showing any love, by mere chastity offered by free will, surpasses all the martyrs of God. And this was generally preached and believed among them, and it is not corrected even today, but confirmed with fire, sword and all fury.
But what do you think they will think of the state of the bishops and their most holy Lord, the pope? For the religious, as they say, are in the state of perfection to be attained, but the bishops are in the state of perfection to be exercised. Thus, the pope, as the most holy one above all ranks, must be completely in the state of transfigured and crowned perfection. Therefore, if a nun with the vow of chastity and the state of perfection to be attained surpasses all the martyrs, the bishops with their state of perfection to be exercised must surpass all the apostles and prophets. Only the pope remains who, with the state of perfection to be attained, must surpass even Christ and everything that is called God or service of God.
This they also wanted and fulfilled, so that they put the devil into the church as an idol to be worshipped instead of God. For from the same they have learned these and innumerable other abominations and blasphemies, and yet even now they want to
not yet, although they are revealed and they are forced to acknowledge them, mend their ways in any way, but kill those who do not worship such terrible monstrosities.
"But they will not continue (says St. Paul 2 Tim. 3, 9) after their foolishness has been revealed to everyone. By this testimony of the Spirit, our mind becomes quite certain that the papists will not be happy with their pope, nor will they prosper in any way. The matter itself agrees with this and testifies to it loudly, also their attempts, of which they have tried many and indeed great ones at this time, and yet they have learned with their greatest shame that they have all been in vain and useless; but nevertheless the furious people do not cease to try ever new ones, namely, so that they may fulfill Paul's prophecy completely and perfectly 1) and perish the sooner (as they also deserve).
It follows:
"This present maiden despises the kingdom of the world according to the example of the holy virgin (who first made the vow of virginity) and sacrifices herself according to soul and body" etc. Here again one hears nothing but blasphemies against faith and Christ, one after the other: namely, that virginity sacrifices the body and the soul, namely, as if no Christian sacrificed body and soul and despised the world, not even a martyr, but only the nuns (Nonni2 2)) and nuns sacrificed themselves completely and despised the kingdoms of the world. The other Christians, because they are not nuns and nuns, rather rob God of the body and soul and love and choose the world!
Therefore, these church-robbing theologians have obscured the honor of the faith and the church with these blasphemies, so that the church was absolutely worthless against the religious. And they really have so
1) We have read psrtevte with the Jena edition, instead of irnperksote in the Erlanger, which is probably only a printing error.
3) This word nonnus occurs frequently in later church Latin for "monk".
They have also lived in this way and deceived all men with such deception, although they do not despise the world, but rather possess it with all its riches and glory.
Namely, a ragged beggar despises in his father's house bran and legumes, nakedness and the highest lack of all things, but goes to a monastery and becomes a doctor or abbot through foreign fortune, whom even princes must worship. And a girl, who in the world (as they say) should have become a Cinderella or a hungry housemother, becomes in the monastery an abbess and splendid woman, whom even the queens of the world hold in honor.
And even if they remain simple nuns and nuns of lower grade, they have so abundantly food and clothing, house and everything that serves the need, live in the greatest idleness and security, with the highest praise and honor, even with hope of eternal life (as they dream), so that even the whole world, which they despise so sacredly, could not create even royal children so great security and abundance of the world with such great honor and price. There you have the world despisers, according to name and appearance, but the lords of the world according to fact and truth! This is what a religious and a present maiden vows after the example of the holy virgin!
But if you deny or only doubt the article of faith that the nuns' magisters have raised (namely, that the holy virgin first took the vow of virginity), you would certainly become an arch-heretic of all heretics. But from what do they prove such an article? From the Gospel Luc. 2, where the virgin herself says: I know of no man. The "I do not know" etc. means here after the gloss: I take it upon myself not to know about anyone. Afterwards, "I take it upon myself not to know" means according to the nuns' magisters: I have taken the vow of virginity, I will be a nun who despises the world, so that I may be an example of the nuns etc. And there is no dispute at all here among the grammarians: Certain is the linguistic skill and good is the inference!
By the same conclusion it follows that Christ was a nonner and a model of all normers, because he can also say: I do not know about any woman, that is, I do not intend to know about any woman; this is just as much as: I have taken the vow of chastity (he could not take the vow of virginity because he was a man and not a virgin or a woman) and I want to be a nun who despises the world, so that I may be an example of the nuns.
But here arises the question: What order were the Holy Virgin and Christ 1) and what kind of dress and robe, and what kind of plate did they wear?
Here the magisters of the nuns are not yet unanimous, but Nicolaus of Lyra, Joh. 2, even probably says that Christ was from the Minorite order of St. Franciscus. He proves it thus: Christ (as the text says) made a scourge of ropes, that is, from the belt of the Order of the Minorites, because in another way it is not clear from where he could have taken ropes so quickly.
But the preachers [Dominicans] could also claim it for themselves and say: Christ preached throughout life, but whoever preaches is a preacher. But a preacher is of the Order of Preachers.
The Canonici regulares cannot claim him for their order, for they beget many children with strange wives, but Christ has been single and has begotten none.
From Lyra follows another question: whether Christ also sinned by thus cutting the religious belt and turning it into a scourge? for he seems to have offended such a holy order by changing the shape of the religious belt and dishonoring it by turning the most holy religious belt into an ugly scourge, as it were of a torturer or executioner's [tool].
To this one can reply with these excellent and profound teachers: I do not get involved in such high and important questions, because without stopping, one always grows out of the other.
It follows:
"Which the world despises" yes! still in addition: "also all the jewelry of the world" etc. Because to despise the world is not enough, if one does not also despise all the ornaments of the world. Certainly quite eloquent and astute theologians, who make nothing else out of the contempt of the world than contempt of the jewelry of the world! Here again you have another article of the papist doctrine, namely, that to despise the world is as much as to go into a monastery and change the place according to the body. For they have spread this opinion throughout the whole church, that it is to despise the world to hide in a monastery; this they have believed, and under this pretense they have usurped the fortunes of the whole world. Bishops, priests and all those who govern churches do not despise the world, but these are all called secular priests.
But neither wood nor stones, although they are brought to the monastery and always remain in the buildings, enjoy this privilege that was said of them: They despise the world, although they too, in the same way as the monks and nuns, change the place according to the body, and are put from the forest into the monastery, and the nuns and nuns likewise, as wood and stones (on both sides [are] blocks and stones) move their body to another place, but it must be a rational being (animal), like man, of whom one could say: it despises the world.
Since, then, to despise the world in these excellent doctors does not mean to abandon the vices of the world, unbelief, self-reliance, ignorance and disobedience to God, evil desire, avarice, envy and other works of the devil, but rather to establish such monstrosities through a self-chosen order (reIigionsm). evil desire, avarice, envy and other works of the devil, but rather, through a self-chosen order (reIigionsm), set up such monstrosities, trample faith underfoot and maintain reliance on themselves, darken and defile the whole kingdom of Christ with their abominations (for these abominations reign in the orders, and if they did not reign, the orders could not exist, for that is why people fall into religious works, which they esteem equal to baptism, because they depart from trust in Christ),
So it happens that by the word "despise the world" nothing else can be understood than to despise marriage, the authorities, the offices of the church, because they [monks and nuns] bring with them and keep in the monastery the same vices, the same flesh, which they have had outside in other places.
Now behold the wisdom of this teaching, which is hidden in a great mystery. They do not despise the vices of the world, but the divine ordinances, as ruling churches, the marital state (even with the greatest danger for many) and the worldly rule, which God has ordered and commanded to be cultivated and honored: but they leave, flee and despise them and then boast that they bring forth a fruit that surpasses any kind of martyrdom.
Nevertheless, this pernicious beautiful appearance of having changed the place and having gone to a monastery has prevailed, so that it has been praised as "contempt of the world" and it has not been seen that this contempt has been quite actually a contempt of God and His orders and merely a love and honor of the world and the devil, the enemies of God and all their works.
But this blasphemy is much less, that they call "despising the world", which in fact is despising the household, the church and the authorities, namely God's works and commandments. This is much greater, that by entering the order they deny the faith of Christ and condemn the grace of their baptism, and do dishonor to the Holy Spirit. For they do not trust that they will be justified and saved by Christ or baptism, but by the vows and works of their order, and that so abundantly that they sell them to others, and want to make not only themselves but also others saved by them. Behold, this is despising the world. This abomination prevailed among them at that time, and they cannot deny it, and yet they do not recognize or repent of it. O on this accursed contempt of the world! With a greater profanation of God the world could not be honored and its prince, the devil, could not be worshipped than by the same.
The world jewelry but despise nothing can
Other than changing the shape of the girl's dress into the shape of the frock. For not all nuns have had golden crowns, purple gowns 1) and necklaces to leave before. But all of them change their maiden dress, which they wore with honor before God and men, into a habit.
What, then, do these hypocrites despise but a good and useful garment, which has been chastely and honorably made and worn, and in which, no doubt, they have done more and holier works, if they have lived chastely and obediently under their parents, than have ever been done and can be done in all cowls? And yet they have raised the bubble of this doctrine so high in the whole church as if it surpassed any kind of martyrdom. Here no bishop has watched, no teacher has cried out against these treacherous (perfidas) and abominable abominations, but all have become mad at the same time and have approved of these monstrosities, and still defend them with violence and fury.
It follows:
"She sacrifices herself to live eternally according to God's soul and body. For thus have these godless asses taught, and with this doctrine have destroyed Christ, and are still destroying him; yea, they blaspheme God in all their works and words. For they do not admit that one does service or favor to God in the magisterial office and in the household, except when one goes to the churches and hears mass with omission of public and domestic business, and prays the rosary without understanding, and what the magisters of the nuns should have commanded them. This is what this sermocinator says here: that a nun serves God eternally; namely, because a person in the government or in the household cannot serve God eternally or forever, because he deals with domestic and public business, by which one does not serve God, but the devil or the world.
1) rnurenutlM is not found in the dictionaries at our disposal. We suppose it is formed from niurex, the purple snail. The ending Ulla is the same as in ououUa.
A nun, however, always lives for God with body and soul, unless she is asleep or ill, as if nuns did not also have to do with domestic tasks, cooking, washing, sewing, spinning flax and wool, and definitely with the alignment of all female and domestic duties, even more than a woman, with the exception, of course, that they neither sleep with men nor give birth. Instead, however, they nourish other people's children, educate, train and govern them with greater effort and care than many mothers are used to doing.
In what way, then, are nuns different from wives, but precisely through marriage? And yet, nuns are to serve God eternally in soul and body, but wives are never to do so, except for the duties of their station. What is this but to condemn the duties of a wife as impure, and to blaspheme God, to whom these divine works belong, in His order? since the nuns also practice them so diligently, and Paul so often teaches that such works are pleasing to God, and that the woman will be blessed through childbearing. But that works are pleasing to God, what is that but that God is served thereby and is lived for eternity both in soul and body?
But this monkish abomination does not want to accept that, lest he lose the honor of his order. They prefer to trample underfoot the faith in Christ and teach that a nun without faith lives eternally in soul and body through her monastic clothing and service; but Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and all other holy women who are full of faith and spirit do not serve God, but the world and the devil.
Behold, what a doctrine and opinion Satan has introduced into the church through such people. Do you not realize here that a wife among Christians, even if she is the lowest of all, if she is a believer, is better than the innumerable convents of all nuns, and all together are not worthy to put on the shoes of a single such woman, because of her blasphemous and unchurchlike order, or rather abomination against God and Christ?
Likewise, when one considers the occupations of the
Looking at monks, what worldly work is it that they do not do? Do they not have fields, vineyards, gardens, estates and livestock? do they not buy and sell? do they not have courts? and what shall I say? Even the secular government has nowhere more to create and care for than among the monks and bishops; the only exception is that they do not go into battle themselves, although instead of this service they maintain armies, assist the generals, admonish the men of war, even many among them today wage wars for themselves: and yet they serve God eternally with body and soul, The authorities, however, do not serve God, but the world, except when they murmur their prayers in church.
What is this but to condemn and blaspheme those divine offices of authority, which are instituted, ordered and commanded by God, which they themselves do diligently and not at all sleepily? so that one can see how these wondrous men reject the good works of God, merely because others also do the same, and praise them, because they would like to do them alone. For since they themselves do the works, and yet despise the states of them, it is evident that they condemn the persons of the states either out of hatred or out of envy, because they do not alone do all that others do.
With such blasphemies and wicked opinions they have so captured the souls of kings and princes that they have become completely despondent about their status and have thought that one who administers a magisterial office cannot be saved. And, frightened by such a devilish specter, almost all of them began to abandon their office or to entrust it to others, but even, as if they were monks, to pray constantly in the churches and to serve God.
But this neglect of official duties was not so great an evil as that, by this delusion of serving God, they themselves destroyed faith in Christ, and not only deterred the poor people from their professional works and duties, but also taught them to put their trust in such works as were not of their profession, and were quite properly twofold sins: a
Firstly, by disobeying God through neglect of their official works, and secondly, by serving God with other works, placing their trust in them and thus becoming true idolaters.
Behold, this has been the fruit of the doctrine taught in this sermon, namely, that the nuns serve God eternally in soul and body. With this horrible trouble, they have overthrown both the godliness of faith and the practices of the worldly authorities, both the kingdom of God outwardly and inwardly.
But this strengthened them most of all, that the kings and princes were imprisoned and deceived with these ungodly opinions, for by this art they acquired and subdued the world and all earthly glory, which they so sacredly despised. For since the kings and princes despaired of their station, what else could they do but obtain comfort through foreign service? And since the doctrine of the faith was unknown to them and was obscured and hidden by these pernicious magisters, they had no other duties left but those of nuns and nuns, through whose help they hoped to be saved.
In order to share them, they have increased them infinitely, built monasteries without end and measure, endowed and enriched them, so that they have filled the world with these dens of devils and devilesses, until they themselves [the kings and princes] have barely kept half of the goods and have squandered everything on such foreign, that is, godless and idolatrous pursuits. Such masters the world, ungrateful to Christ, has had to listen to and worship as the highest truth and godliness these and such sermons.
And where did they get these unholy teachings? Nowhere else than from St. Paul, who says in 1 Cor. 7:34, 33: "The woman cares for what belongs to the world, as she pleases the man. And the man cares for what belongs to the world, as he pleases the woman, and he is divided."
1) So it says in the wrong text of the Vulgate. Here we have followed the reading of the Erlangen edition.
From this is separated this: "The virgin cares for what belongs to God, that she may be holy in body and spirit."
This magister noster has this magisterial sermon on all these texts. There they understand Paul as if he condemns the marriage state as a worldly state, and therefore teach that married couples cannot serve God.
These stupid and sleepy readers bring this understanding from their brains into Paul, as they always do, although Paul does not condemn it, nor does he say that it is sinful to think of what belongs to the world and to please one's spouse; but he distinguishes and contrasts the different actions of virgins and wives, but in such a way that in both things the same God is served. For the service of the spouse is holy and pleasing to God, that he [the spouse] love his spouse and strive to please him. But this happens when he thinks of what belongs to the world, that is, caring for the house, ruling the family, feeding the children, working and doing other domestic works to feed and clothe the children, then also serving the fellow citizens and obeying the authorities. For this belongs to the world and is necessary in the world, and to take care of it is as much as to take care of it carefully and faithfully and really do it; this also pleases the man in the woman and the woman in the man.
But our asses understand "caring" in no other way than to be concerned either with chaste or unchaste thoughts, as when Paul spoke of the lust or carnality among married couples and of the chastity of the nuns, although he speaks of the duties, works, and complaints of marriage, by which they are distracted, so that they cannot always devote themselves to the one and best work, namely, the word of God, but are more often forced to turn to their duties. In this way, they are not always able to devote themselves to the one and best work, namely, the word of God, but are more often forced to turn to their own activities, in which they serve God just as well as in the service (officio) of the word.
But a virgin can always be (as he says soon after) in the service of the word, or (as Paul speaks) in the obedience of the Lord, as one who is exempt from the duties against
the husband, children, servants, house, field and other complaints is free.
Our magisterial asses, however, call this serving God, when one is intent on chastity, sings in the choir and murmurs prayers. For no one has been further removed from the service of the Word (that is, the true service of God) than the nuns and nuns, and subsequently (as I said) no one has been more deeply involved and more concerned with the care of what belongs to the world, with the exception of duties to spouses and children, than they. Everything else worldly, both in the domestic and in the governmental state, they have taken care of in such a way that they have given an example to the whole world to cultivate fields, to build, to feed themselves, to buy, to sell and to do all worldly works.
It follows:
"Yes, that which is most pleasing to God, namely virginity."
How surely this mouth of the devil speaks here that virginity is the most pleasant before all other obedience! And it would be tolerable if, in praising virginity, they used such a hyperbole or the highest degree (superlativo), if they only let it be a hyperbole and were satisfied that it was taken as a figurative speech. But now they have simply and earnestly taught so, and without exaggeration have preferred this virginity of ugly and corrupt flesh to faith and all the gifts of faith, and have thereby destroyed the godliness of pure and chaste faith, and put in its place the idol of virginity and many other things. For the great multitude of these poor maidens, deceived by this deceptive work of exaltation, believed that they were the highest miracle of the church, despising the faith and denying Christ. After all, virginity is exceedingly pleasing to God, but only in its rank and order, so that marriage also remains exceedingly pleasing to God. But nothing is more pleasant than pure faith in Christ, indeed, nothing is so pleasant.
ßßtz L. v. L. vii, 4^-42. I. Wider die Päbstlichen Irrthümer überhaupt. W. xix, M-W. 667
It follows:
"For God especially chooses virgins here and in the life to come."
For he is so eager for many brides that he cannot be satisfied even in the future life of the love of virgins! But this sermon is (as said) a pattern of papal teaching, therefore it smells in all its words of the wine of fornication in the golden cup of the purple whore, so that it [the sermon] alone may be called just that golden cup of fornication. God especially chooses the virgins. Here again, they do not let the word "special" be an exaggeration, but elevate virginity above faith and the whole spirit.
It follows:
"The state of virgins is the most excellent, since Christ and the Blessed Virgin led it."
Do you hear here that Christ and Mary held nothing more excellent than virginity? Perhaps Mary lied when she said [Luc. 1, 48]: "He looked upon the lowliness of His handmaid", while she should have said: He looked upon the more excellent virginity!
Likewise, "the most ludicrous, because there is greater victory and harder struggle."
They get this word from Augustine, who says: "Among the struggles of Christians, the struggle of chastity is harder [than others], for there is daily struggle and rarely victory.
He himself may answer for what he has said! Perhaps he wanted to say "harder", that is, more persistent and protracted, as one can see from the word "daily struggle". But he does not say: greater victory; as this mouth of the devil does.
For the struggle for faith is harder than all others, as can be seen in Jacob, David and others. And if Augustine did not experience this, his words can be easily forgiven, because he spoke them from an honest and sincere heart, but not so that they should become a doctrine of faith or report the consciences. Furthermore, the victory of faith overcomes death, sin, hell, the devil and the world. Yes, if faith is not there, virginity becomes shameful.
(vincitur) and becomes fornication and all kinds of impurity.
Likewise, "the most beneficial [state], because it obtains fruit a hundredfold."
These unclean beasts eat up everything they read in the fathers without judgment, and then spit it out again as rules of faith (decretis). St. Gregory erred here, and twisted this Gospel passage of the various fruits of the word to the fruits of works, or rather of rewards. Thus it happened that his distortion was sung, read, and praised in the whole church, with exceedingly great applause, to no small annoyance and harm to the faith and the faithful. For through this false interpretation, these aversions of the monasteries have been strengthened and the faith in Christ has been darkened.
The hundredfold fruit, then, is that the gospel sown or preached works more through one than the other, one also receiving more gifts of faith than the other. Thus Paul has a hundredfold fruit when compared with the other apostles, for he labored and preached more widely than they. Augustine has a hundredfold fruit before many bishops etc. So Christ does not speak here of the reward, but of the fruit of the word.
It follows:
"And is honored in heaven with the company of angels, with peculiar joy, with Christ's likeness. For the virgins follow the Lamb wherever he goes."
All this is said by the virgins in such a way as if all other saints were excluded. But (as I said) this sermon had to become a perfect pattern of their teaching and wisdom. He has already repeated so many times that Christ was also a virgin, and that the virgins were like him before all the saints. Thus he tickles the hope of the dead flesh to despise all the saints, and to admire only his virginity, to the shame and blasphemy of the faith and of Christ.
But what shall we say to this, that the virgins who follow the Lamb, men
are not women? For Revelation 14:4 says of them, "These are they who are not defiled with women, for they are virgins" etc. But how can women be defiled with women? But those who read the whole Scripture carelessly and above, how could they pay attention to this passage, since they slumber in much lighter ones, and invent their dreams?
Therefore, these virgins are the Christians in the virginity of faith, who despise the fornications of idols and the teachings of the purple whore, and follow only Christ and his pure words. Or if we want to understand the defilement in a carnal way, it means those who despise the shameful and quite impure celibate state of the papists, and adorn the faith of Christ by a pure marriage; as we see happening today.
But how pontifically he cites the word of Wisdom [Cap. 7, 9.]: "All gold is as small sand against it", and the saying Sir. 26, 20.: "There is nothing more delicious than a chaste soul"!
The Scriptures must tell them in all places what they will, and they play at it according to their pleasure: but alas! too serious a game to the ruin of the faith, and to the dishonor of Christ, and to the overthrow of the church, which they oppress by these pernicious doctrines.
But it may be enough to have indicated the monstrosities brought together in this sermon. The faithful will not find a word in it that does not elevate virginity, sacrificed by free will, above faith, that is, that does not blaspheme Christ and his church, or, as Revelation says, God and his tabernacle. And these are the very names of the blasphemies of which that red beast with ten horns is full. Let Christ destroy it with the appearance of His future! To Him be glory and praise for all eternity! Amen.
1) This figure is in the Jena edition, but not in the 1531 edition.