spirits, should avoid them at the peril of his soul's salvation. May Christ, our Lord, grant this and help us.
This is as much as I can undertake now, briefly and hastily. For at this time I am not able to go into this matter more thoroughly. As mentioned I am not sure what they do believe. For the devil is mad and talks so wildly and stirs up so much confusion that absolutely no one knows what he believes. The Anabaptists agree with the foes of the sacrament that only bread and wine are in the Lord's Supper. Yet the sacramentarians disagree with the Anabaptists on baptism. Also, the sacramentarians are not agreed among themselves nor the Anabaptists among themselves. They are at one only in regard to and in opposition to us. Likewise the papacy is divided into innumerable factions of priests and monks who once devoured each other among themselves, until now, in their opposition to us, they are united. It is the same among temporal princes and lords. Pilate and Herod become one over against Christ, though previously they were mortal enemies. But in this particular case, the error of the Anabaptists is more tolerable than that of the sacramentarians. For the sacramentarians altogether destroy baptism, while the Anabaptists give it another character. Still there is reason to hope that they will right themselves. It is enough to have demonstrated that the Anabaptists' faith is uncertain and deceptive and that they cannot prove their case.
For Satan needs do no more through the enthusiasts than always to produce doubt. He thinks it is enough where he can speak haughtily and contemptuously about us, as the rebel sacramentarians do. None of them take pains to make clear and to prove their arrogance, but their concern is to make our interpretation contemptible and uncertain. They teach doubt, not faith, calling this Scripture and the Word of God. The devil knows he can accomplish nothing in the bright light of truth, so he stirs up the dust, hoping to raise a cloud before our eyes so that we cannot see the light. In the cloud he dazzles us with will o' the wisps to mislead us. Having made up their minds concerning their peculiar notions, they attempt to make the Scriptures agree with them by dragging passages in by the hair. But Christ has faithfully stood by our side up to this point and will continue to trod Satan under our foot. He will protect you all against the seductions of your tyrant and Antichrist and mercifully help us to gain his freedom. Amen.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE VISITORS OF PARISH PASTORS IN ELECTORAL SAXONY Translated by Conrad Bergendoff In the confusion that resulted from the overthrow of the power of the Roman bishops by the Reformation a need arose to reform the parish life of the congregations according to the doctrines now recognized as evangelical. Luther was not primarily interested in matters of organization, but he recognized increasingly that new forms would have to take the place of those rejected. Among the first of his proposals were those in the field of worship, the Formula Missae in 1528 and the Deutsche Messe in 1526.
Everywhere it was difficult to find clergymen who understood the import of the Reformation doctrine for the pastoral work in the congregation. Nor were the laity ready to support the pastors and care for the churches on a voluntary basis. In some places the people even interpreted the new movement as a liberation from all obligation to the servants or institutions of the church. The princes realized that strong leadership was needed. In January, 1524, Duke John Frederick of Saxony turned to Luther for guidance, but whatever might have been contemplated was made impossible by the events of the Peasants' Uprising.
In October, 1525, Luther urged Elector John of Saxony to give attention to the plight of the clergy and the churches. The prince felt that the cities should help economically, but he encouraged Luther to propose a specific plan, which Luther did in November. He recommended a visitation to discover the actual situation. The territory was to be divided into regions which were to be visited by representatives of the nobility and the court, and where need existed the government should make provision for clergy, churches, or schools, out of public funds.
Not much was done until November of the following year when Luther pointedly told the Elector that the confiscation of monasteries and church property was not meant to enrich the aristocracy, but that the - 110 taking over of former church property obligated the government to support the schools and the churches which formerly had been supported by this property. He wanted a team of four visitors: two to examine the economic; two, the religious affairs of the parishes. Communities were to be made to pay, according to their ability, for the support of the church on the same principle as they were taxed for bridges, roads, and defense. In the present emergency the government was bound by its duty to its citizens to assume this responsibility in the church.
Luther's importunity caused the Elector to act, and in February, 1527, the visitation began. Lack of sufficiently explicit directions hampered the visitors, who made suggestions as they proceeded. As they reported, Luther made further observations, and more complete instructions were gradually formulated and studied by various officials in September. Melanchthon drew up a short guide as a doctrinal foundation for the visitation, entitled Articles of Visitation. This was not acceptable to John Agricola, who felt Melanchthon was giving the papists reason to think the reformers were yielding to Rome on some points. Luther found it necessary in November to bring him and Melanchthon together to reconcile their views on the relationship of faith and repentance. This became one of the first internal controversies between the Lutherans.
In January of 1528 the Elector asked Luther to provide a preface which would explain the origin of the Instructions. The Elector also recommended that no new regulations be published regarding forbidden degrees in marriage, and to this Luther assented, since the pastors could be counselled orally on this point.
But he refused to follow the Elector's suggestion and omit the passages which gave pastors permission to administer the sacrament in one kind in cases where weak consciences seemed to justify this as a temporary measure. But in 1538 when a second edition was printed Luther did withdraw this concession.
Luther refused, too, to be concerned about the Romanist claim that the treatment on repentance represented a retraction of his earlier stand.
Melanchthon was the author of the Instructions, but Luther's ideas underlie the whole and some passages reflect his pen. Because of the endorsement of it by Luther, and the fact that he not only wrote the preface but made revisions in later editions, the work is generally included in the works of Luther.
Duke Henry made the revised form of 1538 the basis of a Saxon visitation in 1539, bringing out an edition for his duchy. Again in 1545 Luther wrote a preface for an edition which served as a guide for the visitation of the Diocese of Naumburg. Bugenhagen provided a Latin translation of the second edition
(1538) and used it in reorganizing the church in Denmark.
The translation follows the Wittenberg text of 1528, as given in the WA 26, 195–240.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE VISITORS OF PARISH PASTORS IN ELECTORAL Both the Old and the New Testaments give sufficient evidence of what a divinely wholesome thing it would be if pastors and Christian congregations might be visited by understanding and competent persons.
For we read in Acts 9[:32] that St. Peter travelled about in the land of the Jews. And in Acts 15[:2] we are told that St. Paul together with Barnabas revisited all those places where they had preached. All his epistles reveal his concern for all the congregations and pastors. He writes letters, he sends his disciples, he goes himself. So the apostles, according to Acts 8[:14], when they heard how the Word had been received in Samaria, sent Peter and John there. Also we read in the Old Testament how Samuel travelled around, now to Ramah [I Sam. 7:17], now to Nob [I Sam. 21:1], now to Gilgal [I Sam. 10:8; 11:14; 13:8;
15:12] and other places, not out of delight for taking a walk but out of love and a sense of duty in his ministry and because of the want and need of the people. Elijah [I Kings 17–21] and Elisha [II Kings 2–
13] did the same, as we read in the books of Kings. More than any, Christ has done this kind of work on behalf of all, and on this account possessed no place on earth where he could lay his head or which he could call his own. This began even while he was in the womb, for he went with his mother over the hills to visit St. John [Luke 1:39].
Formerly, in the days of the ancient Fathers, the holy bishops diligently followed these examples and even yet much of this is found in the papal laws. For it was in this kind of activity that the bishops and archbishops had their origin—each one was obligated to a greater or lesser extent to visit and examine.
For, actually, bishop means supervisor or visitor, and archbishop a supervisor or visitor of bishops, to see - 111 to it that each parish pastor visits and watches over and supervises his people in regard to teaching and life. And the archbishop was to visit, watch over, and supervise the bishops as to their teaching. But in time this office became such a show of secular pomp when the bishops made themselves princes and lords, that the duty of supervision was turned over to a provost or vicar or dean. Then the provosts and deans and chapter heads became servile courtiers and left supervision to deputies who with their notices of summons plagued the people with their extortions and visited no one.
Finally, when things reached their lowest, the deputies themselves remained at home in a warm house and sent perchance some rascal or ne'er-do-well who wandered around the countryside and in towns, and what he heard from mean mouths or gossip among men and women in the taverns he reported to his superior who then exercised his fleecing office, scraping and skinning innocent people of their goods and leaving murder and misery where there had been honor and good name. The holy synods were forgotten.
In brief this is what befell so worthy an office and nothing remained of it except the burdening and banning of people because of money, debts, and temporal goods and the making of a divine order out of the bellowing of antiphons and versicles in churches. No attention is paid to how one teaches, believes, loves, how one lives a Christian life, how to care for the poor, how one comforts the weak, or punishes the unruly, and whatever else belongs to such an office. They are altogether officious and gluttonous fellows who destroy what belongs to the people and do worse than nothing for them. This office has fared like all holy and ancient Christian doctrine and order—it has become the farce and contempt of the devil and Antichrist with awful and terrible destruction of souls.
Who can describe how useful and necessary this office is in the Christian church? One can sense it in the abuses which have come through a period of deterioration and perversion. But no doctrine or vocation has remained sound or pure. On the contrary, a host of frightful sects and mobs, like the chapters and monasteries, have cropped up, whereby the Christian church has been altogether suppressed, faith has died out, love turned into wrangling and war, the gospel put in the shadow, and purely human inventions, teachings, and dreams have ruled in place of the gospel. Surely the devil enjoyed success when he tore down this office and brought it under his own power, setting up instead these spiritual scarecrows and monk calves,1 so that no one resisted him. Even when the office is rightly and diligently administered it takes a lot of effort to exercise it properly, as Paul complained to the Thessalonians, Corinthians, and Galatians, for the apostles themselves had their hands full to keep things in order. What good purpose then can these lazy, sluggish bullies accomplish?
Now that the gospel through the unspeakable grace and mercy of God has again come to us or in fact has appeared for the first time, and we have come to see how grievously the Christian church has been confused, scattered, and torn, we would like to have seen the true episcopal office and practice of visitation re-established because of the pressing need. However, since none of us felt a call or definite command to do this, and St. Peter has not countenanced the creation of anything in the church unless we have the conviction that it is willed of God, no one has dared to undertake it. Preferring to follow what is certain and to be guided by love's office (which is a common obligation of Christians), we have respectfully appealed to the illustrious and noble prince and lord, John, Duke of Saxony, First Marshall and Elector of the Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, our most gracious lord and prince,2 constituted of God as our certain temporal sovereign, that out of Christian love (since he is not obligated to do so as a temporal sovereign) and by God's will for the benefit of the gospel and the welfare of the wretched Christians in his territory, His Electoral grace might call and ordain to this office several competent persons. To this His Electoral grace through the goodness of God has graciously consented, and he has commissioned and commanded for this purpose these four persons, namely, the gracious and honorable Herr Hans of Planitz, Knight,3 etc., the worthy and learned Jerome Schurff, Doctor of Laws,4 etc., the honorable and constant Asmus of Haubitz,5 etc., and the worthy Philip Melanchthon,
Master,6 etc. May God grant that it may be and become a happy example which all other German princes may fruitfully imitate, and which Christ on the last day will richly reward. Amen.
But the devil through his poisonous, worthless gossips can leave no godly work unstained and uncaricatured. Already he has used our enemies to criticize and condemn us so that some boast that we have regretted our teaching and are retreating and recanting.7 (Would to God that their boast were true, and that our recanting were accepted by them! Surely they would more approach us than we them and would have to confirm our teaching and recant their stand.) Therefore I have been led to publish
- 112 everything which the visitors have prepared and shown to our gracious lord after I have carefully reviewed it in collected form, making it known in published form, so that everyone may see that we are not trying to cover up or hide anything, but would gladly and sincerely seek light and permit it. While we cannot issue any strict commands as if we were publishing a new form of papal decrees, but are rather giving an account or report which may serve as a witness and confession of our faith, we yet hope that all devout and peaceable pastors who find their sincere joy in the gospel and delight to be of one mind with us will act as St. Paul teaches in Phil. 2[:2], and will heed our prince and gracious lord. We hope they will not ungratefully and proudly despise our love and good intention, but will willingly, without any compulsion, subject themselves in a spirit of love to such visitation and with us peacefully accept these visitors until
God the Holy Spirit brings to pass something that is better, through them or through us.
If some obstinately want to set themselves against us and without good reason demand something else, as there always are undisciplined heads who out of utter perversity are able to do nothing in common or in agreement, but are different and self-centered in heart and life, we must separate these from ourselves as chaff on the threshing floor and refuse to accommodate ourselves to them. In this matter, too, we shall not neglect to solicit the help and counsel of our gracious lord. While His Electoral grace is not obligated to teach and to rule in spiritual affairs, he is obligated as temporal sovereign to so order things that strife, rioting, and rebellion do not arise among his subjects; even as the Emperor Constantine summoned the bishops to Nicaea since he did not want to tolerate the dissension which Arius had stirred up among the Christians in the empire, and constrained them to preserve unity in teaching and faith.8 May God, the Father of all mercy, grant us through Jesus Christ, his dear Son, the spirit of unity and the power to do his will. Even though the finest spirit of unity prevails among us we still have our hands full to do good and to be established by the power of God. What would happen if there were to be disunity and disagreement among us? The devil has become neither pious nor devout this year, nor will he ever be so. So let us be on guard and anxious to keep (as Paul teaches) the spiritual unity in the bond of love and of peace [Eph. 4:3].
Contents of the Instructions True Christian Prayer The Sacrament of Baptism The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord
True Christian Penance True Christian Confession True Christian Satisfaction for Sin The Human Order of the Church Daily Worship in the Church
The True Christian Ban The Office of Superintendents Schools—the First, Second, and Third Divisions9 In regard to doctrine we observe especially this defect that, while some preach about the faith by which we are to be justified, it is still not clearly enough explained how one shall attain to this faith, and almost all omit one aspect of the Christian faith without which no one can understand what faith is or means. For Christ says in the last chapter of Luke [24:47] that we are to preach in his name repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Many now talk only about the forgiveness of sins and say little or nothing about repentance. There neither is forgiveness of sins without repentance nor can forgiveness of sins be understood without - 113 repentance. It follows that if we preach the forgiveness of sins without repentance that the people imagine that they have already obtained the forgiveness of sins, becoming thereby secure and without compunction of conscience. This would be a greater error and sin than all the errors hitherto prevailing. Surely we need to be concerned lest, as Christ says in Matt. 12[:45] the last state becomes worse than the first.
Therefore we have instructed and admonished pastors that it is their duty to preach the whole gospel and not one portion without the other. For God says in Deut. 4[:2]: "You shall not add to the word … nor take from it." There are preachers who now attack the pope because of what he has added to the Scriptures, which unfortunately is all too true. But when these do not preach repentance, they tear out a great part of Scripture. They have very little good to say about the eating of meat and the like, though they should not keep silent when they have an opportunity to defend Christian liberty against tyranny. What else is this than what Christ says in Matt. 23[:24]: "Straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel."
So we have admonished them to exhort the people diligently and frequently to repent and grieve over their sins and to fear the judgment of God. Nor are they to neglect the greatest and most important element of repentance, for both John and Christ condemned the Pharisees more severely for their hypocritical holiness than for ordinary sins. The preachers are to condemn the gross sins of the common man, but more rigorously demand repentance where there is false holiness.
But some10 hold that nothing should be taught to precede faith and that repentance follows from and after faith, in order that our opponents might not be able to say that we have recanted our former teaching.
One ought to remember that repentance and law belong to the common faith. For one must of course first believe that God is the one who threatens, commands, and frightens, etc. So it is best for the unschooled, common people that such phases of the faith retain the name of repentance, commandment, law, fear, etc., so that they may the better distinguish and understand the faith in Christ which the apostles call justifying faith, i.e., which makes righteous and takes away sin. This the faith which stems from commandment and repentance does not do, yet it causes the common man to have doubts concerning the meaning of faith and to raise pointless questions in his mind.
The preachers are to proclaim and explain the Ten Commandments often and earnestly, yet not only the commandments but also how God will punish those who do not keep them and how he often has inflicted temporal punishment. For such examples are written in order to forewarn people, for instance, how the angels spoke to Abraham in Gen. 19[:12f.], and told how God would punish Sodom and destroy it with the fire of hell. For they knew that he would tell it to his descendants so that they would learn to fear
So too they are to point out and condemn various specific vices, as adultery, drunkenness, envy, and hate, and how God has punished these, indicating that without doubt after this life he will punish still more severely if there is not improvement here.
The people are thus to be urged and exhorted to fear God, to repent and show contrition, lest their ease and life of false security be punished. Therefore Paul says in Rom. 3[:20]: "Through the law comes (only) knowledge of sin." True repentance is nothing but an acknowledgment of sin.
Then it is important that faith be preached. Whoever experiences grief and contrition over his sins should believe that his sins are forgiven, not on account of his merits, but on account of Christ. When the contrite and fearful conscience experiences peace, comfort, and joy on hearing that his sins are forgiven because of Christ, then faith is present—the faith that makes him righteous before God. We are to teach the people diligently that this faith cannot exist without earnest and true contrition and fear of God, as it is written in Psalm 110 [Ps. 111:10] and Prov. 1[:7], "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."
And Isaiah says in the last chapter: "On whom does God look except on the trembling and contrite heart?"11
This shall be proclaimed repeatedly, so that the people do not entertain false notions and think they have faith when they are fax from having it. It shall be made clear that only if they have faith can they truly repent and grieve over their sins. Without repentance theirs is an imagined faith. True faith brings comfort and joy in God, and we do not feel such comfort and joy where there is no repentance or fearfulness, as Christ says in Matt. 11[:5]: "The poor have good news preached to them."
These two are the first elements of Christian life: Repentance or contrition and grief, and faith through which we receive the forgiveness of sins and are righteous before God. Both should grow and increase in - 114 us. The third element of Christian life is the doing of good works: To be chaste, to love and help the neighbor, to refrain from lying, from deceit, from stealing, from murder, from vengefulness, and avenging oneself, etc.
Therefore again and again the Ten Commandments are to be assiduously taught, for all good works are therein comprehended.
They are called good works not only because they are done for the welfare of our neighbors, but because God has commanded them, and so they also are well pleasing to God. God has no delight in those who do not obey the commandments, as is stated in Mic. 6[:8]: "O man, I will show you what is good and what God requires of you, namely, to do justice. Yea, do justice, delight to do good to your neighbor, and walk humbly before God."
The first commandment teaches us to fear God. For God threatens those who do not reverence him. It teaches us also to believe in and trust God, for God promises to do good to those who love him, that is, look to him for blessings, as we read in Isa. 64[:4] and I Cor. 2[:9]: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him."
The second commandment teaches us not to misuse the name of God. We rightly use his name when we call on him in every need, bodily or spiritual, as he has commanded in Ps. 49 [Ps. 50:15]: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." And in the same psalm, God tells what is the right kind of service by which we may serve him: to call upon him and pray, that he may help, and to give him thanks because of his goodness. For God says in this place: "And you shall glorify me."
Also, "He who offers thanks, praises me, and in this way, I shall show him the salvation of God" [Ps.
The pastors and preachers are to exhort the people to pray. For we fulfil this commandment by praying, that is, asking God for his help in all our trials and troubles. They are to instruct the people what prayer is, and how one is to pray.
True Christian Prayer First, they should teach that God has commanded us to pray. Just as it is a great sin to commit murder so also it is sinful not to pray or to ask God for something. Indeed this commandment is meant to urge us on to pray. So great is the goodness of God that not only does he help those who ask for help but also bids us pray, as we read in Luke 18[:1] and many other passages, which pastors should teach their people. If we knew of a prince who not only gave what was asked of him, but commanded everyone to ask for what he needed, we would look on such a one as a gracious master and ask much of him. Our Lord gives the more freely as we pray the more of him, as he said of Mary Magdalene in Luke 7[:47]: "Therefore is much given her, because she has looked for so much from me."
Secondly, they should make clear that God also has promised to hear us (Matt. 7[:7]; Luke 11[:9]):
"Ask and it will be given you." We should depend on such a promise and not doubt that God will hear our prayer. So Christ speaks in Mark 11[:24]: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will."
The fact that we are sinners should not frighten us away. For He does not hear us because of our merits, but on account of his promise. Thus, in the last verse of Micah [7:20]: "Thou wilt show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old."
But no answer is promised the prayer of the sinner and the hypocrite who knows no repentance for his sin and hypocrisy. For of him Ps. 18[:42] says: "They cried for help, but there was none to save, they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them."
But those who are penitent, and believe that on Christ's account God has forgiven them, should not hold back because of the sins they have committed and their hypocrisy. For God does not want any doubting, but wants us to believe that he hears and will help us. Therefore the pastors should also instruct their people that prayer includes faith that God will hear us, as James writes in Jas. 1[:6f.]: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."
But it cannot be called prayer when one repeats heedlessly a great number of Pater Nosters or psalms, pays little regard to or places no reliance on God's promise to hear, or does not wait for God's help.
- 115 Indeed such a one has no God, and it happens to him what Ps. 114 [115:6] says, "Their idols have ears but do not hear," that is, such a one imagines a god who does not hear.
Thirdly, the people are to be instructed to pray God both for temporal and spiritual things. Indeed each one is to be encouraged to bring his wants to God. One suffers from poverty, another from sickness, a third from sin, a fourth from lack of faith and another from shortcomings. Many therefore seek help of St.
Anthony,12 or St. Sebastian,13 etc. But whatever it may be, help should be sought from God.
And if God delays in helping us we should not therefore cease to pray, as we are taught in Luke 18[:1].
For in this manner God gives us practice in faith. Even if God does not give what we pray for, still we should not doubt that he has heard our prayer. We should realize that instead of what we have asked he will give something better. Committing such requests to him, we ought not set time or measure for his answer. How long did not Abraham and the other patriarchs have to wait before the promised land was given them? Such examples are plentiful in the Scriptures.
The third commandment teaches us to keep the Sabbath holy. Even though God now has not given us a command to observe the Sabbath in an external way as in the case of the Jews so that no manual labor could then be done, yet certain external aspects of the Sabbath are to be observed, such as the hearing and learning of the Word of God and for the people to have stated times on which to assemble, etc.
The fourth commandment teaches us to honor our parents and to obey them. Here the young people shall frequently be confronted with the promise of God in Exodus 20[:12]: "Whoever honors his parents shall long live." That is, he shall prosper all his life. Whoever dishonors parents and disobeys them will have adversity. Thus Ham was cursed by his father Noah (Gen. 9[:25]). For his father said, "Cursed be
Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers." Thus Absalom came to an evil end because he had pursued his father, and was finally caught in a tree and hanged as we read in II Sam. 18[:9]. Thus Jacob cursed Reuben because he violated his wife, for his father said (Gen. 49[:4]): "You shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—you went up to my couch." For it is needful to instruct the people that all success and adversity come from God, success to those who fear
God and keep his commandments, adversity to those who despise him. And even if God lets ill befall the righteous, yet he will afford help and comfort not only through spiritual but also temporal gifts, as Psalm
33 (Ps. 34[:19]) says: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all." And the entire Thirty-seventh Psalm proclaims, "Fret not yourself because of the wicked." It is a great mistake not to urge the people to hope and ask for temporal goods from God, for in the use of these faith is practiced.
Nor is it necessary to engage in subtle debate as to whether or not God gives these things on account of our works. It is enough to teach that God demands such works and rewards them because he has promised to do so without our merit.
It is necessary to teach that God forgives our sins without reference to any of our works, on account of Christ. So hostile is God to sin that the work of no creature can make satisfaction for it—only the sacrifice of God's own Son could do this.
But then many clamor: good works are not meritorious. It would be much better to teach people to do good works and drop the sharp disputes. For the truth is that God gives blessings because of his promise, not because of our works, yet the good works which God has commanded must be done.
Therefore undisciplined people need forcefully to be reminded how severely God punishes those who are disobedient toward parents with all kinds of misfortune. For God permits them to suffer shame, poverty, sickness, and other evils.
Also we need to teach parents their responsibility to instil in their children the fear of God, to teach and let them learn the Word of God. Thus we read in the Proverbs of Solomon 12 [Prov. 22:15]: "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him." So Paul in Eph. 6[:4] says: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Such is the example of Eli who according to I Sam. 2[:30] was punished by God and deprived of his priestly office because he had not taken seriously the rearing of his children. Never has youth been more insolent than today—we see how little they obey, how little they respect their parents.
On this account, undoubtedly, the world is full of plagues, war, rebellion, and other evils.
To this commandment, too, belongs the reverence for old age.
- 116 Also that we honor the office of the priesthood, which ministers to us with the Word of God. For the ministry is a servant of God's Word and through it we have the Word of God, as St. Paul writes in I Tim.
5[:17]: "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching."
Also that we obey the government. In Romans 13 Paul enumerates three points concerning government.
First, the payment of taxes, namely that each shall give the authorities such money and labor as is required of him [Rom. 13:6f].
Second, respect, that is, that we have sincere respect for government. Even if government cannot in every instance punish our violations, still we should know that God will punish, for he has established and maintains government. Also we can be assured that all the rebellious will be punished, as Paul says in Rom. 13[:27]: "Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." So also Solomon declares in Prov. 24 [21–22]: "My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not disobey either of them; for disaster from them will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?"
It is well to remind the people of examples of God's punishment of the rebellious, as we read of Datham and Abiram who set themselves against Moses, in Num. 16[:31ff.]: "The ground under them split asunder; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men that belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belong to them went down alive into Sheol; and the earth closed over them.… And fire came forth … and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense."
Abimelech, who set himself against the sixty-nine sons of Gideon, met his end, according to Judg.
9[:53] and II Sam. 11[:21] when a woman on a tower in Thebez threw a part of a millstone on his head and crushed his skull.
Sheba, who drew Israel away from David, as we read in II Sam. 20[:22], was for this reason beheaded.
Absalom, who rose up against his father David, was hanged at last in an oak tree, as also related in II Zambri or Zimri, who conspired against his lord Elah, king of Israel, and killed him, was king only seven days. For Omri, king of Israel besieged him at Tirzah, and when Zimri saw that the city would be won, he went into the palace and burned the king's house over him. So we read in I Kings 16 [8ff.].
Clearly, God lets no wickedness go unpunished. Murder never goes unavenged, as Christ says in Matt.
26[:52]: "For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." That is, whoever takes the sword on his own initiative without the authority of government will be punished. Scripture abounds in such passages, which the people should be taught diligently. For instance Solomon says in Prov. 16[:14]: "A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it." Or, in Prov. 20[:2]: "The dread wrath of a king is like the growling of a young lion; he who provokes him to anger, sins against his soul."
The third duty we owe government is honor. For how can we imagine that we have paid the government something when we have given it tax or tithe or served it with physical labor? God requires of us a much higher service toward the government, namely, honor. This means, first, that we recognize that government is from God and that through it he gives us much greater benefits. For if God did not maintain government and justice in the world, the devil, who is a murderer, would everywhere bring about murder, so that none of us could be sure of life, wife, or children.
But God sustains government and through it gives peace and punishes and guards against the wicked, so that we may support wife and children, bring up children in the discipline and knowledge of God, have security in our homes and on the streets, that each may help the other, and communicate and live with another. Such gifts are altogether of heaven, and God desires that we consider and recognize them as gifts of God. He desires us to honor government as a servant of his and to show gratitude to it because through it God gives us such great benefits.
Whoever, thus, might see God in government, would have sincere love towards government. Whoever could estimate the blessings which we receive through government, would be heartily thankful toward government. If you knew that someone had saved your child from death, you would thank him warmly.
Why then are you not grateful to the government which saves you, your children, your wife, daily from murder? If the government did not restrain the wicked, when could we be secure? Therefore when you
- 117 look on wife and children, bear in mind that these are gifts of God which you may possess through the government. And as you love your children, you should also love the government. Because the common man does not acknowledge such blessings as peace, justice, and punishment of the wicked, we need often to remind him of them and diligently to explain them to him.
Secondly, we give greatest honor to the government when we pray for it, that God may give those in authority grace and understanding to rule peacefully and wisely, as St. Paul has taught in I Tim. 2[:1ff.]:
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." And Bar.
1[:11f.]: "Pray for the life of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son, that their days may be upon earth as the days of heaven." For since peace is a divine gift we need to ask and pray for it from God.
Some ask, how can government be from God, since so many have come to power by evil use of force?
Julian14 is an example. And Scriptures call Nimrod a hunter, because he had grasped for so much (Gen.
This is the answer. When in Rom. 13[:1] Paul says that the government is of God, this is not to be understood in the sense that government is an affliction in the way that murder or any other crime is inflicted by God, but in the sense that government is a special ordinance and function of God, just as the sun is a creature of God or marriage is established by God. An evil man who takes a wife with evil intent can abuse the ordinance of marriage. So also a tyrant can abuse the ordinance of God, as Julian or Nero15 did. The ordinance, by which peace and justice is maintained, remains a divine creation even if the person who abuses the ordinance does wrong.
The preachers, accordingly, should faithfully remind the authorities to maintain peace, justice, and security for their subjects, to defend the poor, the widow, and the orphan, and not to look on them as chattel, as God commanded Jeremiah, in Jer. 7[:2ff.], to preach to all the people of Judah and proclaim his promise to dwell with them. So also Paul writes in Col. [4:1]: "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven." The same Lord will in his own time take care of evil authorities. Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon, was a mighty king who grievously oppressed his people by following the counsel of his young companions. So when the people asked that their burden be lightened, King Rehoboam gave this answer: "My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions" [I Kings 12:10–11]. Then all Israel deserted King Rehoboam, so that he ruled only over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, as we read in I Kings 12[:17], and retained only one tribe. King Jeroboam had ten tribes, as is recorded in I Kings 11[:31].
Yet citizens are to be diligently instructed not to be less obedient and subject toward harsh government. So St. Peter teaches in I Pet 2[:18]: "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing." For God yet lives whose word is in Deut.
32[:35]: "Vengeance is mine, and recompense." He will not let the untoward authority escape.
Some are in doubt if in matters of taking possession of property or punishment of the wicked we should follow laws made by the emperors or heathen. Should we, for instance, hang thieves when the law of Moses taught otherwise? (Exod. 22[:1ff.]).
We can be assured that we should follow these laws and that it is right to observe the law of emperors.
For as St. Peter writes in I Pet. 2[:13]: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right."
As circumcision is not enjoined on us, so we are not commanded to follow the administration of the laws of Moses. Thus we read in Acts 15[:10] that the yoke of the law is not to be laid on the heathen. The gentiles do not need to become Jews, but may remain gentiles. That is, in matters of temporal government they may follow gentile ordinances. Property may be apportioned and punishment administered, not according to the law of Moses but according to their own laws.
According to Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, Moses ordered tithes to be given only to the priests. But we should give tithes to whomever the government orders.
- 118 Moses declares that the eldest or first-born son should inherit a double portion [Deut. 21:17]. We should follow our own laws of inheritance.
Moses teaches in Exod. 22[:1ff.] that thieves shall be punished by being made to repay [that which has been stolen] partly twofold, partly fourfold.
In such cases our own nation's laws shall govern. It were well, however, that we punished thievery with discrimination and not too severely. For it is a common and frequent experience that very minor thefts are just as severely punished as grave offenses.
But ancient laws are not to be discarded for the sake of peace just because they are severe.
The ancients who instituted these laws were convinced that hard punishments were necessary for those among our people who are disorderly.
Thus each shall follow his own national law. This is a form of Christian liberty, as St, Paul says in Col.
3[:11]: A Christian is not "Greek, Jew, circumcision, uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all." So also Paul confirms Gentile justice in Rom. 13[:1], where he teaches that all authority is of God, whether Jewish or Gentile.
So, we are to be subject to all authority, not only Christian but Gentile.
Yet all law is to be judged by this standard, that it teaches what Paul says in Rom. 13[:3], the praise of good conduct and the punishment of evil. If a law punishes more severely than the Mosaic law, it is not on that account unjust.
We mention these things because of those who clamor against the law of the land in regard to tithes, hanging, and the like. Partly on this account the rebellion of two years ago was instigated. Those who raise this clamor should be punished as rebellious. For we are to fear all temporal laws and ordinances as the will and law of God. For Solomon says in Prov. 16[:10]: "Inspired decisions are on the lips of a king," that is, the order or commandment of the authorities is to be respected as an ordinance of God. Much is said about this in Rom. 13[:1ff.]. The other commandments Christ himself explains in Matthew 5.
The people are also to be exhorted to pay honestly and willingly the tax imposed on each. Even if some obligations are heavy each one is bound to pay on account of his duty and his obedience to government so that peace may rule throughout the land. For what else is unwillingness to pay tax or render service than giving rise to thievery and murder?
So they especially who bear the name of Christian should do this in love which willingly bears all burdens, and gives beyond what is due, which pays, even when burdened unjustly, and seeks no revenge through its own powers, as Christ teaches in Matt. 5[:39]. We ought to bring honor to the holy gospel by paying honestly, as a matter of course, so that the holy gospel is not slandered and disgraced as happens in the case of those who claim in the name of the holy gospel to be free from tithes and other temporal burdens.
To the third part of Christian life, that is, the doing of good works, belongs also the knowledge of how one shall meet tribulation.
First, we are to teach the people that all tribulation, not only of the spirit, but also of the body, is sent from God, whether it is poverty or illness, danger to children, peril of possessions, or hunger. God would thereby admonish us and awaken us to penitence. As we read in I Cor. 11[:32]: "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world."
Now it is not enough to know that God sends such experiences. We must also teach that in the midst of these tribulations we are to call upon him and confidently believe that he will help, as we have explained above in regard to prayer. So God says in Psalm 49 [Ps. 50:15]: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
Besides all this we should teach the people how weak man is, and how the devil always knows in what way he can entice us into evil, bringing temporal and eternal shame and misery on us. For Christ says in John 8[:44] that the devil is a murderer. And Peter in I Pet. 5[:8] says: "The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour." We need therefore to stand constantly in the fear of the Lord, watching and praying that God will direct and protect us. We rightly practice our faith when we fight such peril with prayer. So Christ says in Luke 21[:36]: "Watch at all times and pray."
We have given these instructions to the pastors and explained to them that they should clearly and correctly present to the people these most important matters of the Christian life which we have here
- 119 described, namely, repentance, faith, and good works, while passing by many other things of which the poor masses understand little.
The Sacrament of Baptism Baptism shall be retained as hitherto, and children are to be baptized. For baptism has the same import as circumcision, and as children were circumcised so also children shall be baptized. And as God said, he wills to take into his care and protection the children who were circumcised. For such is the Word of God in Gen. 17[:7]: "I will be God to you and to your descendants after you." Also, "And I will be their God."
So also the children who are baptized are in God's care. Therefore we should earnestly pray to God because of this his promise.
The common people are to be taught what great benefits baptism brings, namely that God will care for and protect the child and receive it as his own.
It is well that we use the German language in baptism so that they who witness the act may understand the prayer and the word in baptism.
Occasionally also it should be explained to the people in preaching on the sacrament that baptism does not only mean that God wills to receive children when they are small, but throughout life. Therefore, baptism is not a sign only to children, but also to the older people it is an incitement and exhortation to repentance. For the water in baptism signifies penitence, contrition, and sorrow. So baptism should awaken the faith that those who repent of their sins are cleansed and forgiven. This kind of faith is a complete baptism.
One need not quarrel over the use of chrism.16 The true chrism with which all Christians are anointed by God himself is the Holy Spirit. So we read in Isa. 61[:1] and in Eph. 1[:17].
The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord These three articles concerning the sacrament of the true body and blood of our dear Lord Jesus Christ shall be explained to the people.
First, they are to believe that the true body of Christ is in the bread and the true blood of Christ is in the wine. For thus reads the word of Christ in the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke: "This is my body" [Matt. 26:26]; "Drink of it all of you" [Mark 14:22]; "This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" [Luke 22:19]. So also Paul declares in I Cor. 11
[10:16]: "The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" Were this now taken to mean not the true body, but only the Word of God, as some interpret it, then it would be a participation not in the body of Christ but only in the Word and Spirit. In this same epistle Paul also declares that this meal is not to be regarded as ordinary food, but as the body of Christ, and he judges those guilty who carelessly receive it as ordinary food [I Cor. 11:27].
Pastors also are to read what the Fathers have written, so that they may the better instruct themselves and others. So Hilary in Book 817 on the Holy Trinity says that we should not doubt that this is the true body and blood of Christ, since Christ has so declared.
It is to be remembered that so great a miracle happens through no merit of the priest but because Christ has ordained that when we commune his body is present, just as the sun rises daily without any merit of ours but solely since God has so ordained.
Secondly, the people are to be taught that it is right to receive both bread and wine. For now the holy gospel (God be praised) has been restored and we have clear witness that both elements are to be offered and received. For Christ has so ordained, as the three evangelists point out, and St. Paul has so done in the early church, as we see in I Cor. 11[:24f.]. No human being may alter such a divine ordinance. We dare not annul a man's last will, as St. Paul writes in Galatians [Gal. 3:15]. Much less is God's own last testament to be changed.
Accordingly we have instructed pastors and preachers to proclaim this teaching of the gospel concerning both kinds to everyone, be he strong, weak, or obstinate. They are in no way to favor celebration in one kind, but condemn this as wrong and contrary to the institution and last testament of our
Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Thus the doctrine itself will be spread in a free, pure, pubLic manner.18
Inasmuch, however, as no one is to be forced to believe, or driven by command or force from his unbelief, since God Likes no forced service and wants only those who are his servants by their own free will, and in view of the fact that the people are confused and uncertain, it has been and still is impossible to establish a - 120 rule concerning persons to whom both kinds are to be offered or from whom they are to be withheld according to the teaching of Christ.
So while we can easily say that the doctrine is to be preached purely and freely as Christ himself has given it, we have not been able to bring it about that in all cases, and in every way and by every person, the use and practice conform to this teaching. We must remember that the people are strongly accustomed to receive only one kind, and that there are not a few who on account of this custom are in serious doubt.
So one has to let the day have its twelve hours and leave the matter in God's hands.
But as this article arises daily and troubles the conscience we have not wanted to leave the pastors without any guidance at all. We have therefore recommended that the following method and instruction, based on God's counsel, be tried until the Holy Spirit leads us to a better understanding.
First, as indicated above, in every way and manner the doctrine itself shall be firmly held and positively preached and made known that according to the institution of Christ both kinds are to be used in the sacrament. This teaching shall be presented without compromise to everyone, including the weak and the obstinate.
Secondly, where there are weak Christians, who as yet have not heard, or been sufficiently instructed and strengthened by the word of the gospel, and so out of weakness and terror of conscience rather than obstinacy cannot receive both kinds, one may allow these to take communion in one kind for the time being and where they ask for it the pastor or preacher may so administer it. The reason is this: In this way the doctrine of both kinds will not be weakened or compromised, but only the application or use of the doctrine will be temporarily postponed through Christian patience and love. So Christ was patient with his apostles in many things which were not right, as when they wanted to destroy the Samaritans with fire
(Luke 9[:54ff.]). Or, when they quarrelled about superiority (Matt. 20[:24ff.]). This and similar things he overlooked, since at that time they were unable to do or know better. They had not yet received the Holy
Spirit, they were afraid of death, and for fear of the Jews did not confess Christ when he died. Even nowadays God tolerates much in us and in others which is wrong or insufficient, as a weak faith and other defects, according to Romans 14 and 15.
If despite all this the doctrine nevertheless is maintained and in no wise contradicted, love forgives and endures its inadequate application.
Further, it is uncharitable, even un-Christian, to force these weak ones to receive the sacrament in both kinds or to withhold it in one kind. For thus they feel they are made to sin. We have often experienced that they make confession and do penance for gross heresy when they have taken both kinds against their conscience. Also they think themselves guilty of heresy when they do not receive the one kind as has been their inclination. In both cases the weak faith burdens itself with grievous sin such as heresy, though falsely. This is much worse than for a while not practicing full obedience to the doctrine of both kinds. St.
Paul in Rom. 14[:23] says, "He who judges himself in that he eats is condemned."
So also Paul tolerated circumcision and Jewish food, all the while freely proclaiming freedom in regard to food. To teach and practice this freedom was also God's command and ordinance, and yet the attitude toward the weak was observed as long as nothing contradictory to the doctrine was taught.
Thirdly, as for the obstinate who will neither learn nor practice this doctrine, one should simply offer them neither kind, but let them go. So St. Paul, according to Gal. 2[:3f.], refused to circumcise Titus when the Jews wanted to insist on it and to condemn liberty. For such obstinate ones are not only imperfect in the practice of the doctrine, but want also to pervert and condemn the doctrine. This we should not suffer nor tolerate. For the doctrine must run straight and clear, even if the deed and practice creep or crawl, run or leap, after it.
The pastor, who knows his people and daily associates with them, must distinguish between the weak and the obstinate. He can easily observe those folk who have a good disposition, who gladly listen to the preaching and gladly want to learn and be rightly guided thereby.
But the rough and the perverse who pay no attention to preaching are under no circumstances to be considered weak, however loudly they claim to be so.
The third article, and the most fundamental, is that one teach the reason for the use of the sacrament and how one shall be properly prepared.
First, the pastor needs to instruct the people how great a sin it is to dishonor the sacrament and to misuse it. For Paul says in I Cor. 11[:27f.]: "You are guilty of profaning the body and blood of Christ,"
- 121 and "You receive it to judgment upon yourself." Also, "Many of you are ill and many among the Christians have died." For God declared in the second commandment (Exod. 20[:7]): Whoever dishonors his name, he will not hold guiltless. Undoubtedly also this dishonor to the body and blood of Christ will not go unpunished. This shall be taught the people carefully, so that they may avoid this sin and be urged to reverence, penitence, and improvement. Nor shall such be admitted to the sacrament as are caught in the web of open sin, adultery, gluttony, and the like, and show no contrition.
Secondly, no one shall be admitted to the sacrament unless he has previously been to the pastor who shall inquire if he rightly understands the sacrament, or is in need of further counsel, etc.
Also, it shall be taught that they alone are worthy to receive the sacrament who show true repentance and sorrow for their sins and are terror-stricken in their consciences. Rough, fearless persons will not be admitted. For it is written in I Cor. 11[:25]: "Do this, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
Now to remember Christ's death is not only to hear a preacher relate its happening but to feel terrified that God has shown such anger over sin that on its account he has brought death to his only Son, and that no angel or any saint could make satisfaction for sin. Only Christ, himself God, has had to sacrifice himself, etc. O what severe punishment will fall upon those who regard sin so lightly when they hear how seriously God regards it.
He who rightly remembers the death of Christ shall receive the sacrament and seek comfort. Not that the outward reception will comfort the heart, but it is a sign of the comfort and of the forgiveness of sins.
This sign encourages the heart to believe that God forgives a penitent his sins.
Not only by the reception of the sacrament but by the words associated with the sacrament the heart will be encouraged to believe and be quickened. For it is in the words that God promises the forgiveness of sins: "This is my body, given for you." "This is the cup of the new covenant," is the new promise, the promised righteousness, eternal life, "in my blood which is shed for many for the remission of sin."
Thus they obtain the forgiveness of sins not through any outward act but through the faith which is awakened by the word and the sign.
Also the people are to be taught that this sign has been instituted not only to awaken faith but also to instruct us in love, as St. Paul says in I Cor. 10[:17]: "It is one loaf and it is one body, for we all partake of the same loaf." We are not to harbor envy and hatred, but each is to care for the other, to help the other with alms and every kind of service which God has commanded us.
This teaching shall be repeated often. For what else is it than dishonor of the body of Christ when we harbor envy and hate and want to show no love and yet want to be considered a part of the body of Christ?
True Christian Penance Penance also is to be reckoned as a sacrament—all sacraments are a kind of penance. There are other reasons, too, for calling it a sacrament, but they need not be recounted here.
Now we have already shown that it is necessary to preach penance, and to punish fearless behavior which is now in the world and has its origin, at least in part, in a wrong understanding of the faith. For many who hear that they should believe, so that all their sins will be forgiven, fashion their own faith and think they are pure. Thus they become secure and arrogant. Such carnal security is worse than all the errors hitherto prevailing. Therefore in preaching the gospel it is necessary in every way to instruct the people where faith may be found and how one attains it. For true faith cannot exist where there is not true contrition and true fear and terror before God.
This is most important in teaching the people. For where there is not contrition and sorrow for sin, there also is no true faith. Thus we read in Ps. 147[:11]: "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." God himself also says in Ezek. 3[:18] that if the preacher does not condemn the error and sin of those whom he teaches, God will lay the loss of their souls to his account. Such a verdict God pronounced upon that kind of preacher who comforts the people and says much about faith and the forgiveness of sins but nothing about penitence or the fear and judgment of God.
Jeremiah, too, condemns such preachers in the seventh chapter [Jer. 6:14]: One should not believe those who cry, Peace, Peace, when God is angry and there is no peace.
We need to fear that God will severely punish these preachers and pupils because of such security. For that is the sin which is decried in Jer. 6[:15], "They did not know how to blush." And St. Paul in Eph.
5[:5], condemning those who live securely in their perverse ways without sting of conscience, says, "Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolator) has any
- 122 inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not associate with them."
Now penance in reality is sincere contrition and sorrow over one's sins and sincere fear of the wrath and judgment of God. This is contrition and the acknowledgment of sin. "Mortification of the flesh" is also, properly, penance. So in the Scriptures contrition has many names.
Some, in speaking of mortification, mean only holding the carnal nature in check, though this is rather a work of a new life, and is a work that depends on the putting to death of the flesh. So this is nothing else than true contrition.
Some talk this way: We must admit to ourselves that our whole nature is evil, etc. When the people think they thereby acknowledge their sin, they only show their wantonness.
It is one thing "to know oneself," and another, "through the law comes the knowledge of sin." For to know one's sin is to have contrition and sorrow over it and sincere fear of the wrath and judgment of God.
So David confessed his sin, when the prophet Nathan came to him and condemned him in II Sam. 12[:13].
For David knew well enough before that he had sinned, but he still knew no contrition. So he did not have the right knowledge of his sin.
That there is nothing in us without sin is too lofty a truth for laymen to grasp who are just beginning to understand. For we do not easily reach the point where a person fears for all his good works and understands that he sins even in good works. So Solomon says in Eccles. 7[:20]: "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins."
Children need to be taught gradually. Similarly, we are to teach penance and contrition on the basis of the gross sins we all know. We are to condemn drunkenness, unchastity, envy and hatred, greed, falsehood, and the like. We are to awaken the people to contrition, and hold before them the judgment of God, his condemnation, and the scriptural examples of God's punishment for sin.
As for hypocrites, when it is necessary let us not forget the wrath and judgment of God upon the false servants of God or hypocrites who slander his name by their seeming holiness.
Some hold that since God creates true contrition in our hearts one ought not to exhort the people to it.
It is true that God works true contrition, but he works it through the Word and preaching. We exhort the people to faith and through such preaching God works faith. So we are to exhort and urge to contrition and leave to God in whom he will work contrition. For he works through preaching, as Moses says in Deut.
4[:24], "God is a devouring fire." The preaching of God's judgment and wrath works contrition in us.
So, the first part of penance is contrition and sorrow. The second part is faith that the sins will be forgiven on Christ's account. This faith effects good resolution. So with faith we receive the forgiveness of sins, as Paul has said in Rom. 3[:35]. But, as we have often said, this faith cannot be until there has been contrition and sorrow. For contrition without faith is the contrition of Judas and of Saul; it is despair.
So faith without contrition, as we shall show, is presumption and carnal security.
Formerly it has been taught that penance consists of three parts: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. We have said of the first part that contrition and sorrow shall always be preached and that contrition and sorrow imply the acknowledgment of sin and mortification of the flesh. It is well we use these words, contrition and sorrow, for they are clear and easily understood.
True Christian Confession The papal kind of confession is not commanded, namely, the recounting of all sins. This, furthermore, is impossible, as we read in Ps. 19[:13], "But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults." Yet there are many reasons why we should exhort the people to confession, especially in those cases where they need counsel and wherein they are most troubled.
No one should be allowed to go to communion who has not been individually examined by his pastor to see if he is prepared to go to the holy sacrament. For Paul says in I Cor. 11[:27], that they are guilty of profaning the body and blood of Christ who receive it unworthily.
Not only do they who receive it unworthily dishonor the sacrament, but also those who carelessly give it to the unworthy. For the common people run by custom to the sacrament and do not know why they should use the sacrament.
Whoever, thus, does not know why he should receive the sacrament is not to be admitted to it. In examination before the sacrament the people are to be exhorted to make confession, so that they may be
- 123 instructed where cases of doubt arise in conscience, and may be comforted, when true contrition is in their hearts, as they hear the words of absolution.
True Christian Satisfaction for Sin It is not in us to make satisfaction for our sins, for Christ alone has made satisfaction for our sins. This part of penance belongs to the forgiveness of sins and faith—we know and believe that our sins are forgiven us on account of Christ. This is the way we ought to teach this article. For it is not enough to know that God will punish sin, and to be contrite for sin, but also we must know that God on account of Christ will forgive sin and that we attain to this forgiveness through faith, if we believe that God will forgive sin on Christ's account. For contrition and faith go together. For contrition without faith produces despair as in Judas [Matt. 27:5] and Saul [I Sam. 31:4]. One cannot have true faith without contrition.
Thus we should instruct the people: First, we should awaken the people to fear. Surely it must be a great wrath that God feels over sin, since no one except Christ the Son of God can make satisfaction for sin. This ought certainly to frighten us, that God has such anger over sin. We should consider well the word of Christ in Luke 23[:31]: "For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" If Christ has had to suffer so much on account of our sins, how much shall we have to suffer if we will have no part of contrition, but rather despise God?
Secondly, we should awaken the people to faith, even if we have deserved nothing else than condemnation. For God forgives us on Christ's account without our having deserved it. That is satisfaction. For by faith we attain to the forgiveness of sins, if we believe that Christ has made satisfaction for us, as John says in I John 2[:2]: "He is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
The Human Order of the Church It is obvious that much confusion has resulted from an unrestrained preaching about church order.
Therefore the pastors have been admonished to give greater attention to important subjects, such as Christian repentance, as treated above, faith, good works, the fear of God, prayer, the honoring of God, regard for parents, the education of children, respect for government, not to envy, not to bear hate, not to injure or kill any one, chastity, living virtuously in marriage, not to be greedy, not to steal, not to drink intemperately, not to lie, to slander no one. These subjects are of greater importance than the eating of meat on Friday and the like, however correct such may be before God and conscience.
But the people are to be taught to speak with restraint about such matters as church order. For some church ordinances have been instituted for the sake of good order and harmony, as St. Paul says in I Cor.
14[:40]: "All things shall be done in order in the churches."19
Holy days such as Sunday shall be observed and as many others as the respective pastors have been accustomed to observe. For the people must have certain set times to come together to hear the Word of Pastors should not make an issue of the fact that one observes a holy day and another does not. Let each one peacefully keep to his custom. Only do not do away with all holy days. It would be well if there were some uniformity. The days of Annunciation, Purification, Visitation of the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, St. Michael's, Apostles' Day, Magdalene—these have already been discarded and could not conveniently be restored. We should keep especially Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter,
Ascension, Pentecost, though leaving out the un-Christian legends and songs associated with them. These days have been instituted because it is not possible to teach all parts of the gospel at one time. So the teaching of it is divided into various parts of the year, just as in school one arranges to read Virgil one day and Homer on another. Also we should retain the usual holy days in the week before Easter when we preach on the Passion. It is not necessary to change so old a custom and order, just as it is not necessary to emphasize the suffering of Christ only at this one particular time.
Yet the people are to be taught that the only reason for keeping these festivals is to learn the Word of God. If one wishes to do manual labor, he may do so in his own way. For God requires observance of these church ordinances by us only on account of the teaching, as Paul says in Col. 2[:16]: "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or sabbath."
- 124 Beyond such regulations, which were made for the sake of good order, are others, such as regular fasts and abstaining from meat on Fridays, which were instituted in the thought that they would be a special service to God, to appease God and secure his grace. Now Christ teaches in Matt. 15[:9] that it is futile to appease God by the observance of such regulations, for he says: "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." In I Tim. 4[:1] Paul teaches that ordinances made with the intention of appeasing God are "doctrines of demons."
Paul also says in Col. 2[:20] that no one shall submit to such regulations. We should not make such regulations and should not teach that it is sin to break them. Nor should one teach that it is a service to God [Gottesdienst] to keep these rules.
Even the apostles broke rules of this kind (Matt. 15[:1ff.]). Yet we should teach the people not to break these regulations among persons not yet instructed, lest these be offended. For one should not employ faith to the injury of love but for its increase. For Paul says in I Cor. 13[:2]: "And if I have (all) faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
The people should be taught the difference between church order and secular government. Every secular authority is to be obeyed not because it sets up a new service to God but because it makes for orderly life in peace and love. Therefore it is to be obeyed in everything except when it commands what is contrary to the law of God, for example, if the government ordered us to disregard the gospel or some of its parts. In such cases we are to follow the rule of Acts 5[:29]: "We must obey God rather than men."
Memorial masses and other paid masses shall no longer be held. For if there were any value in memorial masses, vigils, and the like, it would be possible to atone for sin through works. But as St. John the Baptist testified (John 1[:29]), Christ alone is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Furthermore, the mass in which we receive the body and blood of Christ and remember his death, is for the living, not the dead. Only the living can make remembrance of the death of Christ.
What the priests are to use of the canon [of the mass] is clearly explained in other writings. It is not necessary to preach much about this to the laity.
Some sing the mass in German, some in Latin, either of which is permissible. It would be reasonable and useful if we used German where most of the people do not understand Latin. Then the people would better understand what is sung or read. St. Paul speaks thus in I Cor. 14[:16f.]: "If you bless with the spirit, how can anyone in the position of a layman20 say the 'Amen' to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may give thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified." And Paul says in the same place [1 Cor. 14:26]: "Let all things be done for edification."
On high festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, or the like, it would be well to use some Latin hymns in the mass, if they are in accordance with Scripture. For it is in poor taste to sing only one thing. If anyone wishes to compose German hymns let no one presume to do this unless he is endowed with grace for it.
But though we have said that a number of holy days may and should be kept (in order that the people might hear and learn the Word of God), this is not to be interpreted to mean that we establish or approve of prayer to the saints, for their intercession. For Christ Jesus alone is our mediator who represents us, as John in I John 2[:1] and Paul in Rom. 8[:34] show.
We rightly honor the saints when we recognize that they are held up before us as a mirror of the grace and mercy of God. For just as Peter, Paul, and other saints like us in body, blood, and infirmity, were made blessed by the grace of God through faith, so we are comforted by their example that God will look in mercy and grace on our infirmity, if we, as they did, put our trust in him, believe in, and call upon him in our infirmity.
Honoring the saints, also, consists in exercising ourselves and increasing in faith and good works in a manner similar to what we see and hear they have done.
Thus the people are to be aroused to faith and good works by the example of the saints, as it is written in Heb. 13[:7]: "Remember those who have gone before you who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and follow their faith."
So St. Peter exhorts the women in I Pet. 3[:5f.] to imitate their mother Sarah in adorning the heart by a kind and gentle spirit. He writes: "So once the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves and were submissive to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are now her children if you do right and let nothing terrify you."
The pastors are to teach the people diligently that marriage is instituted by God. Therefore we should go to God with prayer and hopefulness in all the difficulties of marriage. For since God has ordained and blessed marriage (Gen. 2[:18ff.]) married persons may look to God and be confident that he will give grace and help in all their needs. Thus Solomon says in Prov. 18[:22]: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." Discipline is to be maintained in marriage, and patience and love are to be shown and practiced by the one to the other, as enjoined in Eph. 5[:22ff.]. And they should be taught that they may not be divorced or desert each other, as Christ himself commands in Matt. 19[:6, 9].
Since it happens that in many cases Christian liberty is carelessly and perversely abused, needlessly giving rise to offense and unhappiness, the pastors should teach and act sympathetically and reasonably in such matters as forbidden degrees of relationship in marriage.21 So St. Paul teaches in Gal. [5:13]:
Christian liberty is not given in order that each one might seek or satisfy his own feelings or notions, but that with clear conscience he might live and act as a servant to his neighbor. "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh." In cases where the pastors are confused or uncertain, they should ask counsel of other learned men, or, if so ordered, they should let the case go to the officers or chancellery of the prince.
Many talk improperly about the freedom of the will, wherefore we have composed here this brief statement.
Man has in his own power a freedom of the will to do or not to do external works, regulated by law and punishment. There are good works he can do and there is a secular goodness he can achieve through a power of his own which he has and receives from God for this purpose. Paul speaks of it as a righteousness of the flesh, that is, a righteousness which the flesh or man of himself can effect. If man thus of himself effects a righteousness he must have a certain freedom and choice to refuse evil and do good.
God also requires such external or secular righteousness, as we read in Gal. 3[:24]: The law is given to guard against trespasses in outward things. And in I Tim. 1[:9]: "The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners," as if St. Paul wanted to say: We cannot change the heart by our own power, but we can prevent outward transgression. We should teach that God has no pleasure in an immoral, heathen life. God requires of every man this righteousness, and punishes such immorality with all kinds of severe temporal consequences and an eternal suffering.
But this freedom is hindered by the devil. For if man is not protected and ruled by God, the devil drives him to sin so that he has not even this external goodness. It is important that the people be taught and learn how weak and miserable man is when he does not seek help from God. This we should acknowledge, and pray God for help that he might guard and keep us from the devil and give us true godly gifts.
On the other hand man cannot by his own power purify his heart and bring forth godly gifts, such as true repentance of sins, a true, as over against an artificial, fear of God, true faith, sincere love, chastity, a spirit without vengefulness, true long-suffering, longing prayer, not to be miserly, etc.
In Rom. 8[:7] Paul writes: The natural mind cannot do anything godly. It does not perceive the wrath of God, therefore cannot rightly fear him. It does not see the goodness of God, therefore cannot trust or believe in him either. Therefore we should constantly pray that God will bring forth his gifts in us. This we call Christian goodness.
Others talk equally improperly about Christian freedom. Consequently some people think they are free in the sense that they need no government and even that they need pay no taxes. Others interpret Christian freedom to mean that they can eat meat, refrain from confession and fasting, and the like.
Such wild illusions of the people the preachers should condemn and their teaching should lead to improvement and not to wickedness.
In the first place Christian freedom is the forgiveness of sins through Christ by the Holy Spirit without our merit or aid.
If this freedom is properly explained it can be of great comfort to sincere souls and inspire them to the love of God and Christian works. Therefore this subject should be treated often. The devil has those in his
- 126 power who are not preserved by the Holy Spirit, prodding them into vice and crime. Of one he makes an adulterer, of another a thief, of a third a murderer. We see how many who have fallen into such disgrace do not know how it happened. It is the devil who has driven them to it. This we call the bondage of humanity. For the devil does not relax. He is a murderer who lies in wait to destroy body and soul and has his delight and joy in our destruction.
Christian freedom, on the other hand, means that Christ has promised us the Holy Spirit, to rule over us and protect us against such power of the devil.
This is the word of Christ himself in John 8[:36]: "If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
The people are to be admonished to fear so they may realize in what great peril they are if God does not keep them, since no one is secure from sin and disgrace. They are also to be comforted and exhorted to faith and prayer, so that they may be protected from the devil by the Holy Spirit. So Christ has bidden us to pray, in Luke 22[:40]: "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." For the devil is no mean and weak foe, but the prince of the world, as Christ himself terms him in John 12[:31], 14[:30], and 16[:11], and a god of this world, as Paul calls him in II Cor. 4[:4]. Therefore we have to contend, as Paul writes in Eph.
6[:12], not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers, against the world rulers of darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Yet St. John says in his epistle
[I John 4:4] that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
This subject of Christian freedom should be treated often so that the people may be constrained to fear and faith. For no point of Christian doctrine which can make or bring greater joy to sincere souls than this by which we know that God wishes to rule over and protect us, as Christ has promised in Matt. 16[:18]:
"The gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The second part of Christian freedom is that Christ does not impose on us the ceremonies and judicial ordinances of the law of Moses, but Christians may follow the laws of all lands—Saxons the Saxon law, others the Roman law. God approves of and confirms all such laws, if they be not against his law or against reason, as we have already explained. It is written in Rom. 13[:1]: "For there is no authority except from God." This applies not only to Jewish law, but the law of all lands, as St. Peter says in I Pet. 2[:13]:
"Be subject to every human institution."
The third part of Christian freedom concerns human church regulations such as fasts, holy days, and the like. Here it is necessary to know that the observance of such regulations is of no help in attaining goodness before God, as Christ says in Matt. 15[:9]: "In vain do they worship me … with precepts of men." On this point we have already indicated that church regulations are of three kinds.22
Some ordinances may not be kept without sinning, namely, such a one as the forbidding of marriage.
Such we should not obey, for, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 15[:29]). St. Paul calls this prohibition in I Tim. 4[:1–3], "a doctrine of the devil." In addition Christ himself describes these ordinances as commandments to sin (Matt. 15[:3ff.]).
Other ordinances have been made, not in order to earn grace or to make satisfaction for sin, or even because it is necessary to observe them, but because they serve a useful purpose. Such is the observance of Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, which have been fixed in time so that the people may know when to come together and learn the Word of God. Not that it is necessary even to keep these days or that it is sinful to do manual labor on them, but it is well to keep them so that every man may know the time at which to assemble and to learn.
A third kind of regulations has been made with the intention of earning grace for our sins, such as fixed seasons of fasting, abstinence from meat on Fridays, observing the seven hours of prayer, and the like. Such are contrary to the will of God and may well be abandoned. Paul gives the name of "doctrine of the devil" to regulations which give or encourage the idea that thereby one earns grace or that they are necessary to secure God's grace.
Some preachers clamor recklessly about the Turks, saying we should not oppose the Turks since Christians may not avenge themselves. This is seditious talk which should not be permitted or tolerated.
For the government is given the power of the sword and commanded to punish all murder and pillage.
Therefore it is obligated to wage war against those who start an unjust war and are responsible for pillage and murder. This vengeance is not forbidden. For Paul says in Rom. 13[:4] that government executes the - 127 vengeance of God, which means that it is instituted and commanded of God and given help by God in time of need.
But the Christian is forbidden to avenge what is not undertaken by the government or authorized by it.
Scripture forbids Christians to exercise personal and individual vengeance, but commands government to execute it and calls it a service of God when done by the government. Indeed the best way of giving alms is to employ the sword against murder. So God has commanded, as we read in Gen. 9[:6]: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed."
Some say that we should not defend the faith with the sword, but should suffer like Christ, or the apostles, etc. Undoubtedly it is true that they who do not bear rule should each in his place be willing to suffer and not defend himself, as Christ did not defend himself. For he had no worldly authority or rule, and did not wish any, as in John 6[:15] he would not allow the Jews to make him a king.
The government, however, must protect its subjects against unjust powers whether such unjust power be exercised on account of faith or for some other reason.
Since the authorities are to honor good and punish evil works according to Rom. 13[:4] and I Pet.
2[:14], it is their duty to make defense against those who would destroy the worship of God, the peaceful order of the country, law, and justice. On this account we are to defend ourselves against the Turks, who not only seek to destroy countries, to violate and murder women and children, but also to obliterate justice and divine worship and all forms of good order, so that the survivors afterward may have no security, and the children may not be brought up in discipline and virtue.
For this reason a government may wage war, so that justice and honor may be established in the land and the coming generation may not lead a life without virtue. For a devout man would much rather see his children dead than have to adopt Turkish customs. For honor is unknown to and not respected by the Turks. Those who have power rob others of possessions, wife, and children as they please. The common man observes no marriage vows, takes and rejects wives as he wills, sells the children. Are such customs anything but plain murder? This the Hungarians have surely experienced and they bear witness to it as they encourage the people in fighting against the Turks, saying, Brothers, even if there were no Christian faith we would yet need to war against the Turks for the sake of our wives and children. For we would rather choose death than to see and tolerate such shame and vice among our own. For the Turks drive the people to market, buy and sell and use them as animals, be they man or woman, young or old, married or unmarried—so evil is the Turkish nature.
Therefore the preachers should exhort the people to pray God that he would protect us from this destructive nation, and explain to them what a rightful service it is before God to fight against the Turks when the authorities so command.
Daily Worship in the Church Since the old ceremonies have been discarded altogether in many places of the land and little is read or sung in the churches. we have made the following arrangements as to what the procedure in churches and schools should henceforth be, especially in cities and places where there are many people.
First, in the daily matins in the churches three Latin or German psalms may be sung. On days when there is no sermon a lesson may be read by the preacher, for instance from Matthew, Luke, the first epistle of St. John, the two epistles of Peter, St. James, some of the epistles of St. Paul, as well as both the epistles to Timothy, the epistle to Titus, to the Ephesians and Colossians. When these have been read through, one should start again from the beginning. He who reads the lesson shall then exhort the people to pray the Lord's Prayer for some common need appropriate at the time, such as peace, the needful fruits of the earth, and especially for the grace of God, that he may protect and rule over us. Then the whole congregation may sing a German hymn and the preacher read a collect.
At vespers it would be excellent to sing three evening hymns in Latin, not German, on account of the school youth, to accustom them to the Latin. Then follow the simple antiphons, hymns, and responses, and a lesson in German from Genesis, Judges, or Kings. After the lesson the Lord's Prayer should be said.
Then one might sing the Magnificat or Te Deum Laudamus or Benedictus or Quicumque vult salus esse or simple preces24 so that the youth remain close to the Scriptures. Thereupon the whole congregation may sing a German hymn and the priest conclude with a collect.
In small communities where there are no students it is not necessary to sing the daily offices. But it would be well to sing something when there is preaching.
- 128 During the week there should be preaching on Wednesdays and Fridays.
A pastor shall give serious attention to the choice of books [of the Bible] on which to preach, that they be useful and not too difficult, and that faith be preached, so that true Christian repentance, the judgment of God, the fear of God, and good works (in the sense we have already indicated and explained) be not forgotten. For one cannot have or understand faith without repentance.
On festival days there should be preaching at matins and vespers, on the gospel at matins. Since the servants and young people come to church in the afternoon we recommend that on Sunday afternoons there be constant repetition, through preaching and exposition, of the Ten Commandments, the articles of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer.
The Ten Commandments are to be used so that the people be exhorted to fear God.
The Lord's Prayer is to be used so that the people know what to pray.
The articles of the Creed are to be proclaimed and the people taught carefully these three most important articles comprehended in the Creed: creation, redemption, and sanctification. For we consider it useful for the people to learn that God still creates, daily renews us, gives growth, etc. Thus the people are to be exhorted to faith and to prayer for food, life, health, and similar temporal needs.
Then the people are to be instructed concerning redemption, how our sins are forgiven through Christ.
This should include all the articles on Christ, his birth, his death, his resurrection.
The third article, sanctification, deals with the work of the Holy Spirit. The people are to be taught to pray that God rule and protect us by his Holy Spirit, and are to be shown how weak we are and how miserably we fail if God does not draw us to himself and keep us through the Holy Spirit.
If on Sundays we preach on the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed, one after the other, we should also diligently preach about marriage and the sacraments of baptism and of the altar.
In such preaching we should spell out, word for word, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and the articles of the Creed, for the sake of the children and other simple unschooled folk.
The preachers are to refrain from all libelous utterance and, without becoming personal, condemn the vices of which they are personally aware, and not preach about those of which they are not personally aware, e.g., those of the pope, bishops, or the like, except where it is necessary to warn the people by example. For those have not yet triumphed over the pope who imagine that they have done so.
On festival days such as Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, or others, the pastor may preach at vespers on the festival, if that has been the custom in the parish.
As mentioned, these festivals are to be observed: Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost.
As mentioned also, we should observe Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in Holy Week when portions of the Passion are subjects of preaching.
The people are, however, to be instructed not to go to the sacrament merely on account of custom, but should go to communion at any time of the year when God exhorts them to attend.
Some there are who out of crude ignorance clamor against all holy days, but they are not to be heeded.
For such holy days have been instituted because it is not possible to instruct the people in all of the Scriptures in one day. So the different portions of the teaching are distributed over certain seasons, just as the schools might arrange to read Virgil on one day, Cicero on another.
But a competent preacher ought to be able to show how to celebrate the festivals without superstition.
The festivals are to be observed peacefully so that one should not raise a quarrel over improper practices which may have been discarded.
Since it is not fitting that singing should be uniform at all festivals, it would be well on high festivals to sing the Latin Introits, the Gloria in Excelsis, the Hallelujah, the simple sequences, the Sanctus, and Otherwise, on Sundays, we allow whatever practice each individual pastor follows in Christian ceremonies. It were well to exhort the people to partake of the sacrament.
No one is to be permitted to receive the holy sacrament who has not, as indicated already, been examined and questioned, so that the body of Christ be not dishonored.
The many different forms of the mass should not greatly agitate or disturb us, until we can (as far as possible) achieve uniformity. Even under the papacy there were many differences and variations in all the - 129 institutions. Furthermore, at times three or four masses might be going on at one time, so that a great hubbub resulted. Yet no one either then or since has been disturbed.
At time of death the corpse is to be fittingly treated. A chaplain and a sexton should accompany it [to the place of burial]. The people should be urged from the pulpit to follow and at the burial sing in German the hymn, Mitten in dem Leben.25
We have heard reports of unseemly preaching about the six weeks which the women observe following childbirth, so that women have been forced to go to work, without consideration of their weakness, with the result that some have become ill and are supposed to have died.
Therefore we have deemed it necessary to advise the pastors to speak cautiously about these and similar customs, for the six weeks are ordained in the law of Moses Lev. 12[:4ff.]. Though that law is superseded, still those things that not only the law but nature itself teaches are not superseded, namely, the natural and ethical truths that belong to the realm of nature and ethics. So Paul in I Cor. [11:14ff.], as indeed nature itself, teaches and shows that we are obligated to keep the law which nature teaches.
Consequently the women are to be spared for so long a time as needed for the return of their normal strength, which is not apt to happen in a shorter time than the six-week period. It is not sinful to go out before this period expires, but it is sin to cause injury to the body. So it is not sin to drink wine, though one should not give wine to someone sick of a fever, because of his sick condition. In this case, too, one should consider the need of the body and maintain self-discipline, not using Christian liberty for the injury of the body or looseness of life. For when Christian liberty is abused it is like a herd of swine being invited to the table of a prince. They understand not such an honor, but only ravage what is set before them, even soiling the prince. So when the masses hear of freedom they do not understand the meaning of it. Imagining that they need observe no discipline or proper behavior they even blaspheme God.
The True Christian Ban It were well, too, if we did not entirely do away with the penalty of the ban in the true Christian sense described in Matt. 18[:17f.]. It consists in not admitting to the Lord's Table those who, unwilling to mend their ways, live in open sin, such as adultery, habitual drunkenness, and the like. However, before taking such action, they are to be warned several times to mend their ways. Then, if they refuse, the ban may be proclaimed. This punishment is not to be despised. Since it is a curse commanded by God to be pronounced upon the sinner, it is not to be minimized, for such a curse is not without effect. Thus Paul in I Cor. 5[:5] delivered the man who was living in sin with his stepmother to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord.
The banned person is to be allowed to attend the preaching service, for even Jews and heathen are permitted to attend.
Many pastors26 quarrel with their people over unnecessary and childish things, as pealing of bells (Pacem ringing) and the like. In such matters the pastors may well show themselves as sensible and for the sake of peace yield to the people, instructing them wherein the bells have been improperly used and how they may henceforth be rightly used. Although in some places the custom of ringing the bells against bad weather is retained, undoubtedly the custom had its origin in a good intention, probably of arousing the people thereby to pray God that he would protect the fruits of the earth, and us against other harm.
Since, however, the people afterwards became superstitious and it was believed that bad weather was driven away by the bells and especially by the consecration of the bells, which had become a custom of long standing, it would not be amiss if in summertime the preacher explained to the people when storms threatened and the bells were rung, that the reason for the custom was not that the sound of the bells or the consecration of the bells drove away the storm or the frost, as had been taught and believed hitherto, but that thereby each one should be reminded to pray to God for his protection of the fruits of the earth. Also that our life and nourishment are truly gifts of God, which without the help of God would not be preserved. Unfavorable weather is a punishment from God, as is indicated in many places in the books of Moses, and favorable weather is a good gift of God, as Moses told the people. If they obeyed God and heeded his word, God would give them rain in due season (Lev. 26[:4] and Deut. 28[:12]); [Deut. 11:44].
If now the ringing is done away with the people will probably be less often reminded that God determines the weather, and will that much less call on God.
Also the people will become the more barbarous if they are not exhorted to pray to God for life and food.
- 130 But the preacher must accomplish this much better than the bells else the result will be a devil's farce, as mentioned above.
Ringing the Pacem is in many places meant to let the people know the time of morning, or of evening when it is time to leave the fields for home.
Because some erroneously think it is a service rendered the Virgin Mary the people are to be taught that the purpose is rather to call them to prayer against the devil and threatening death and all the perils that might befall, day or night, as is seen in the ancient hymns and songs of compline and prime.27 But especially that we might pray God for peace. Peace is a gift of God, as Ps. 127[:1] shows: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." And Ps. 68[:30], "God has scattered the peoples, those who delight in war."
Also we should instruct the people what a good and precious thing peace is. For in war time the poor cannot seek food, children cannot be reared, virgins and married women are violated, all kinds of wanton acts are committed both by friend and foe, law and justice and every virtue and service of God are overthrown in war. Therefore we should daily and sincerely pray that God would not punish us with such sharp lashes. It is necessary to preach often on these themes, for they are really good works to which Scripture everywhere directs us.
But this is written so that the pastors will not quarrel about these things. It is not necessary to observe such ringing of bells; where the custom has fallen into disuse, it is not necessary to revive it again.
The Office of Superintendent This pastor (Pfarrherr) shall be superintendent of all the other priests who have their parish or benefice in the region, whether they live in monasteries or foundations of nobles or of others. He shall make sure that in these parishes there is correct Christian teaching, that the Word of God and the holy gospel are truly and purely proclaimed, and that the holy sacraments according to the institution of Christ are provided to the blessing of the people. The preachers are to exemplify a good life so that the people take no offense but better their own lives. They are not to teach or preach anything that is contrary to the Word of God or that contributes to rebellion against the government.
If one or more of the pastors or preachers is guilty of error in this or that respect, the superintendent shall call to himself those concerned and have them abstain from it, but also carefully instruct them wherein they are guilty and have erred either in commission or omission, either in doctrine or in life.
But if such a one will not then leave off or desist, especially if it leads to false teaching and sedition, then the superintendent shall report this immediately to the proper official who will then bring it to the knowledge of our gracious lord, the Elector. His Electoral grace will then be able in good time to give this proper attention.
We have also considered it wise to ordain that in the future when a pastor or preacher either by death or otherwise leaves his benefice and some one is accepted in his place by the patron, such a one shall be presented to the superintendent before he is given the benefice or received as a preacher. The superintendent shall question and examine him as to his life and teaching and whether he will satisfactorily serve the people, so that by God's help we may carefully prevent any ignorant or incompetent person from being accepted and unlearned folk being misled. For time and again and especially in recent years experience has shown how much good or evil may be expected from competent or incompetent preachers. So there is good reason to keep this point under sharp surveillance in order by God's grace to guard against and prevent further irregularity and trouble, so that the name of God and his
Word be not blasphemed among us. Of this St. Paul has faithfully warned us in many passages.
The preachers are to exhort the people to send their children to school so that persons are educated for competent service both in church and state.28 For some suppose it is sufficient if the preacher can read
German, but this is a dangerous delusion. For whoever would teach another must have long practice and special ability which are achieved only after long study from youth on. As St. Paul says in I Tim. 3[:2]: A bishop must be capable to instruct and to teach others. Thereby he shows that preachers must be better qualified than laymen. He praises Timothy in I Tim. 4[:6] because he has been instructed from his youth,
- 131 nourished on the words of the faith and of good doctrine. For it is not an insignificant art to teach others clearly and correctly, and it is not within the power of such folk as have no learning.
Able people of this kind are needed not only in the churches but God also desires them in secular government.
Because it is God's will, then, parents should send their children to school, and prepare them for the Lord God so that he may use them for the service of others.
Hitherto one has run off to school for the stomach's sake, and for the most part learned how to secure a prebend where he has concerned himself with income from holding sinful masses. Why do we not do God the honor of learning on account of his commandment? For undoubtedly he would also provide food for the stomach. For he speaks in Matt. 6[:33] thus: "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be yours as well."29
In the law of Moses God provided the Levites with the tithe. The gospel does not command us to give tithes to the priests, but does command us to provide for their needs. So Christ himself commanded in Matt. 10[:10] and in Luke 10[:7]: Every day laborer is worthy of his hire and of his food.
Therefore even if the world despises the commandment of God and does not give the priests their due, God will still not forget those priests who teach the truth, and will provide for them as he has promised.
How richly other professions are rewarded by God's will can be seen daily. In Ecclus. 38[:2] we read:
"From the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honor of the king."
At present many faults exist in the schools. We have set up the following syllabus of study so that the youth may be rightly instructed.
In the first place the schoolmasters are to be concerned about teaching the children Latin only, not German or Greek or Hebrew as some have done hitherto and troubled the poor children with so many languages. This is not only useless but even injurious. It is evident that these teachers undertake so many languages not because they are thinking of their value to the children but of their own reputation.
Secondly, they are also not to burden the children with a great many books, but avoid multiplicity in every way possible.
Thirdly, it is necessary to divide the children into groups.
The first division consists of children who are beginning to read. Here this order should be followed.
They shall first learn to read the primer in which are found the alphabet, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and other prayers.
When they have learned this they shall be given Donatus30 and Cato,31 to read Donatus and to expound Cato. The schoolmaster is to expound one or two verses at a time, and the children are to repeat these at a later time, so that they thereby build up a vocabulary of Latin words and get a supply of words for speaking.
They shall practice this until they can read well. We would consider it not unfruitful if the weaker children who do not have especially quick minds, went through Cato and Donatus not only once but also a second time.
The children are to be taught to write and be obliged to show their lessons daily to the schoolmaster.
In order that they may learn a greater number of Latin words, the children may be assigned a few words for memorization each evening, as wise teachers formerly have done in the schools.
These children shall also be taught music and shall sing with the others, as we hope by God's help to show later.
The second division consists of those children who can read and should now learn grammar. With these we should proceed in the following manner.
All the children, large and small, should practice music daily, the first hour in the afternoon.
Then the schoolmaster shall first expound the fables of Aesop32 to the second division.
After vespers the Paedagogia of Mosselanus33 should be explained and, these books learned, selections should be made from the Colloquies of Erasmus,34 such as are useful and edifying for the children.
This may be repeated on the following evening.
- 132 When the children go home in the evening a sentence from a poet or other writer may be prescribed which is to be repeated the next morning, such as Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur: A friend in need is a friend in deed. Or, Fortuna quem nimium fovet, stultum facit: Of him on whom fortune smiles too much it makes a fool. Also Ovid:35 Vulgus amicitias utilitate probat: The crowd praises friendship for its usefulness.
In the morning the children shall again explain Aesop.
The preceptor shall decline a number of nouns and [conjugate] verbs, many or few, easy or hard, according to the ability of the pupils, and have them give the rule or explanation of these forms.
When the children have learned the rules of syntax they should be required in this period to identify parts of speech or to construe, as it is called, which is a very useful practice, though employed by few.
When now the children have learned Aesop in this way, they are to be given Terence36 to be learned by heart. For they have now matured and can carry more work. But the schoolmaster shall exercise care so that the children are not overtaxed.
After Terence the children shall be given some of the fables of Plautus,37 such as are not objectionable:
Aulularia, Trinummus, Pseudolus, and the like.
The hours before noon shall always and everywhere be so ordered that only grammar be taught. First, etymology. Then, syntax. Next, prosody.38 When this is finished, the teacher should start over again from the beginning, giving the children a good training in grammar. For if this is not done all learning is lost labor and fruitless.
The children are to recite these grammatical rules from memory, so that they are compelled and driven to learn grammar well.
Where the schoolmaster shuns this kind of work, as is often the case, he should be dismissed and another teacher found for the children, who will take on this work of holding the children to grammar. For no greater harm can be done to all the arts than where the children are not well trained in grammar.
This is to be done all through the week, and the children are not to be assigned a new book every day.
But one day, for instance Saturday or Wednesday, shall be appointed on which the children are given Christian instruction.
For some are taught nothing out of holy Scripture. Some teach their children nothing but holy Scripture. We should yield to neither of these practices.
It is essential that the children learn the beginning of a Christian and blessed life. But there are many reasons why also other books beside Scripture should be given the children from which they may learn to speak.
This order should be followed: The schoolmaster shall have the whole division come up for recitation, asking each pupil in turn to repeat the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments.
If the group is too large one part may come up for recitation one week, another the following.
In one period the schoolmaster should explain simply and correctly the meaning of the Lord's Prayer, at another time, the Creed, at another, the Ten Commandments. He should emphasize what is necessary for living a good life, namely, the fear of God, faith, good works. He should not touch on points of dissension. He also should not accustom the children to lampoon monks or others, as many incompetent teachers do.
Furthermore the teachers should ask the pupils to memorize a number of easy Psalms that contain in themselves a summary of the Christian life and speak about the fear of God, faith and good works, e.g.:
Psalm 112[:1]: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord."
Psalm 34[:1]: "I will bless the Lord at all times."
Psalm 128[:1]: "Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!"
Psalm 125[:1]: "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides for ever."
Psalm 127[:1]: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."
Psalm 133[:1]: "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" And other similar Psalms which are easy and clear. They are to be explained briefly and correctly so that the children understand what they are to learn and seek in these Psalms.
On these days, too, St. Matthew is to be expounded grammatically. When one has completed it, one should begin again from the beginning.
- 133 Or, if the boys are a little older, one may expound the two epistles of Paul to Timothy, or the first epistle of John, or the Book of Proverbs.
The schoolmaster should not undertake to read other books than these. For it is fruitless to burden the youth with hard and deep books. It is for their own reputation that some have assayed to read Isaiah, the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, the Gospel of St. John, and the like.
When now the children have been well drilled in grammar the more excellent ones may be chosen for a third group.
Along with the others these shall rehearse music the hour after noon.
Then one should expound Virgil39 to them, and when this is finished one may read Ovid's Metamorphoses with them.
In the evening: Cicero's40 Officia or Familiar Letters.
In the morning: Virgil is to be repeated, and in grammar the pupils are to be required to explain, decline, and indicate the various forms of discourse.
One should keep to grammar the hours before noon, so that the pupils may be well drilled in this.
When they have mastered etymology and syntax the pupils shall go on to prosody, wherein they become accustomed to composing verses. For this practice is very useful in learning to understand other writings. Also it gives the pupils a rich vocabulary and makes them apt in many ways.
When they have sufficiently studied grammar they may use these hours for dialectic and rhetoric.
Of the second and third divisions should be required each week a written exercise such as a letter or a poem.
The pupils shall also be required to speak Latin. The schoolmaster himself, as far as possible, should speak only Latin with the pupils so that they become accustomed to and are encouraged in this practice.
Translated by Earl Beyer and Conrad Bergendoff The medieval church had built an imposing system of doctrine on the Christian affirmation of the forgiveness of sins. Whereas the gospel had spoken of a confession and absolution by members of the congregation, the Roman church connected the practice with its doctrine of the church. Out of monastic development came a system of penance with carefully defined steps and helps for the priest. The priest would hear confession but to test the sincerity of the penitent would enjoin certain deeds as satisfaction before absolution could be proclaimed. The sacrament of baptism gave grace for original sin. The sacrament of penance was directed toward mortal sins. The Christian who possessed the grace which the church dispensed through the sacraments would evidence such grace in contrition for sin, but would win added grace through confession and absolution. The satisfaction imposed would win exemption from temporal punishment, whereas the priests' absolution forgave guilt and eternal punishment. In time the practice afforded opportunity for abuses such as payment of money as satisfaction, and the sale of indulgences, at least in the popular mind, was an easy way to escape punishment for sin, even hereafter.
In the Roman doctrine the power of the priest to forgive sins and give absolution was a result of his ordination, which also gave him the power to administer the sacraments. His ordination was by a bishop who stood in relation to the pope, from whom came the apostolic power through Peter. Thus the central doctrine of the forgiveness of sins was woven into the system of the hierarchy, or priesthood, as explained by Rome. The pope was supposed to have the power of the keys. He could open and close the doors of the kingdom of Christ. Hence the immense authority of the medieval church over the minds of the common people, the priests of the church, and even the kings and emperors who were dependent on the favor of the church in keeping open the doors of the parish churches.
When Luther saw in the gospel the message of a God who freely forgives sins because of the ministry of Christ, he returned to the original concept of confession and absolution centering in the proclamation of the Word in the congregation. The whole elaborate scheme of sacramental penance, insofar as it depended on a supposed power of the pope to bind and to loose, fell apart, and the proclamation of the forgiveness
- 134 of sins by faith alone in the justifying power of Christ became the main message of the Reformation church.
Because of the almost universal ignorance of the true meaning of the keys Luther undertook to expound the abuses and the truth of the doctrine. This he did early in the summer of 1530. His first draft1 was, in his own estimation, too verbose. Even the rewritten form has much of repetition and in it the argument moves slowly. But Luther was emphasizing fundamental truths and he knew how ingrained were the abuses. The treatise contains some of Luther's clearest statements, in simple language, of the nature of Christian faith. The text reminds us of the catechism, and it is well to recall that Luther never rejected confession and absolution. He retained it as a part of the teaching and practice of the church, though freeing it from all hierarchical and sacramental connections. The book stems from the time of the Augsburg Confession and indicates Luther's concern for the thought of the common man as well as for the relationship of the church to princes.
The translation is prepared from the text as contained in WA 30II, 465–507. A small part of the rewritten text, differing only in minor details from the one which has been translated, is found in WA 30III,
The horrible abuse and misunderstanding of the precious keys is one of the greatest plagues which God's wrath has spread over the ungrateful world. It has increased so greatly in Christendom that almost nowhere in the world do we find a true use and understanding of the keys. Yet the abuses are so gross and obvious that even a child with a rudimentary education could discern them. So soundly have all of the clergy and scholars slept and snored, indeed they have become completely blind. For this reason I want to point out, with God's help and grace, some of these abuses, and, as Christ says, to help in plucking out such offenses from his kingdom [Matt. 13:41]. Then our descendants may see how conditions were in Christendom; henceforth they will know how to guard themselves against such a calamity and will recognize and learn to use the keys rightly. For this knowledge has much to do with overcoming and avoiding innumerable abominations.
The noble saying of Christ to Peter in Matt. 16[:19] and 18[:18], "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven," etc., has been cited.1 From this quotation they took the word "to bind" and twisted its interpretation so as to make it mean "to command" and "to forbid," or to make a law and commandment for Christendom. By this kind of reasoning they give power to the pope and boast that he has the authority to bind with laws the soul and conscience of a Christian so that one must obey him in this matter, on penalty of the loss of everlasting bliss and under the threat of eternal damnation. On the other hand, he who is obedient to the pope in this matter shall be saved. To this end they have perverted all quotations of Scripture about obedience and disobedience. By such insolent interpretations of Christ's word the whole world has been frightened and bullied until everybody has been cornered and made the victim of human doctrine. Well, then, we want to examine and place such an interpretation before the judgment seat of Christ, that is, before his own Word, comparing the one with the other.
In the first place, dear friend, is one doing the right thing if one thus takes one little word of a quotation of Christ out of its proper context and gives it an interpretation and meaning that pleases us, without taking into account whether or not it is in harmony with the text or quotation? Should one not honor Christ and his Word at least to such an extent that one should consider faithfully and diligently the entire quotation, word by word, examining it closely in order to see whether the quotation would allow for one little word to be interpreted in a certain way? If they had looked at the text with slumbering and only half-open eyes, the clear bright light would have struck them so that they would have had to open their eyes wide and awaken to the fact that "to bind" here could not be interpreted to mean the making of a law.
But now since they did not do that, but only heard the word, "to bind," as if in a dream, they also speak of it like a sleepy toper when one asks him whether he would not like to go home and he replies, "Bring me another," and really believes that one brings him another drink.
Just tell me one thing: In what schools does one learn the kind of Latin or German which makes "to bind" mean to command or to decree? What mother teaches her child to talk in such a fashion? Whence do our "key-explainers" get the interpretation that "to bind" is supposed to mean to command or to decree?
- 135 What else can one say here, except that it originates in their own wanton concoctions, or in a drunken dream? That is as much as to say that they want to falsify God's Word and truth with their lies, and thereby endeavor to lead astray Christian people and serve the devil. But suppose, there is a school where one learns that "to bind" means to command. Or perchance there be a new "gypsy" language which talks that way, how can we be certain that here in Christ's own saying words are used that way, and that "to bind" means to command, and that this is Christ's own understanding? One must prove, indeed, by plain
Scripture, that it is clearly to be understood that way, always keeping in mind that this quotation is their [i.e. the key-explainers] only foundation and cornerstone upon which the papacy rests. Therefore it must be proved with certainty that "to bind" could mean nothing else but to command.
If that cannot be proven with certainty then everybody must assuredly recognize upon what basis the papacy with its vast power rests, namely, upon an uncertain foundation. It stands and walks in darkness and not in the light; it cannot even itself know where it really stands or goes. It rests upon nothing but lies, that much is certain. For he who teaches doubtful matters as true and certain, he denies and leads astray in the same way as he who proclaims obvious lies. What's more, to teach uncertainly is a worse and more dangerous falsehood than an obvious lie. This is especially true of such important matters as concern eternal life and death. But how and when are they going to make their interpretation reliable? Only when the devil himself goes to heaven. Meanwhile the papacy with its binding keys (I rather should say its blinding keys) is founded on vain lies.
In the second place, it is certain that Christ in the above-mentioned quotation speaks of the kind of "binding" in which sin is bound or retained, just as he speaks of a loosing in which sin is loosed or forgiven. The binding here must mean to bind sin, and to loose must mean to forgive sin. For he teaches in that passage how we should admonish, punish, and accuse a brother if he sin. "And if he refuses to listen, let him be to you as a Gentile," etc. [Matt. 18:15–17], as we shall see later. Now it is also certain that to bind sin cannot mean the same as to command and decree, as the papists interpret it. For commandment and law are not sin themselves, but sin is something done against the law and commandment. Of this there can be no doubt, and everyone must recognize it. Therefore it cannot be that one and the same word such as "binding" should mean at the same time to command and to retain sin. One must be wrong and incorrect. Law binds no sin, but it commands to avoid future sin and to do good. It naturally precedes sins not yet committed. But the key binds sin already committed against the law, and it comes of necessity, after the law and follows sins. Clearly, then, the pope's binding and Christ's binding are contrary to each other and are irreconcilable. Unquestionably one of the two must be wrong.
In the third place, the purpose of Christ's binding is to redeem the sinner from his sins. With his "binding" Christ attempts nothing else but to free and rid the sinner's conscience of sins. It is for this reason that he "binds" and punishes the sinner so that he might let go of his sin, repent of it, and avoid it.
One may call such "binding" a saving of his conscience and an aid in getting rid of his sins. But the pope's sort of "binding," aimed at catching innocent consciences, does not want them to be free, but bound; the pope has no other purpose than to ensnare and to deprive of their liberty the consciences of men. Such binding may well be called an imprisonment and a cause for sinning, as St. Paul says to the Romans
(Rom. 7[:8]), that all laws are the cause of sinning. Therefore, I believe, an important, great and mighty difference exists between Christ's and the pope's binding. They cannot be the same, nor can the same passage be interpreted to contain both meanings. Christ's binding only deals with sins and sinners in order that they may be pious and without sin; the pope's binding only deals with holy and righteous persons and causes them to fall and become sinners, for his laws are laid on all pious and innocent Christians. But Christ's keys apply only to sinners among Christians; so well does the pope's key harmonize with In the fourth place, Christ's keys help in the attainment of heaven and eternal life, for he himself calls them keys to the kingdom of heaven, because they close heaven to the hardened sinner and open it to the repentant one. Consequently, there must lie hidden in the keys of Christ his blood, death, and resurrection, by which he has opened to us heaven, and thus imparts through the keys to poor sinners what he has wrought through his blood. The office of the keys is a high and divine office, aiding our souls to pass from sin and death to grace and life; it grants them righteousness without any merit of works, solely through forgiveness of sins. By way of contrast, what do the pope's keys accomplish? They command and set up external laws. Dear friend, what good do they accomplish against sin, death, and hell? How can they lead
- 136 a soul to grace and life? How do they open heaven to poor sinners? In no way! Indeed, even the fulfilment of the Ten Commandments does not save us nor make us holy, but only the grace of Christ accomplishes this. How then could external laws do this, or humanly contrived papal decrees, which are nothing but rubbish in comparison with the Ten Commandments?
In the fifth place, the keys of Christ demand no work on our part but faith only. For "the key which binds," indeed, is nothing else and can be nothing but a divine threat with which God threatens the hardened sinner with hell. And "the key which looses" is nothing else and can be nothing but a divine promise with which he promises to the humble sinner the kingdom of heaven. As is known to everyone, a divine threat or promise cannot be fulfilled by works but must be comprehended by faith alone, without any works on our part. Threats and promises are not commandments, nor do they indicate what we shall do for God, but they announce to us what God will do for us. They tell us of God's works and not our own. On the other hand, the pope's keys teach us concerning our own works, what we must do. For his binding lays down laws, according to which we must act, as we have heard already. Now do not Christ's keys and the pope's keys agree in a wonderful way? The former teach about what God and not man has done; the latter tell us about human accomplishments and nothing concerning what God has done. Why does the pope call his keys the keys of heaven, since they help one neither to believe or to become a Christian, but only deal with outward and earthly observances? They ought to be called earthly keys, and perhaps not even that.
In the sixth place, as the writer to the Hebrews says [Heb. 13:9], outward earthly laws and observance are unprofitable. The heart (he says) shall be strengthened by grace, not by food, which does not benefit those who want to serve God. So also St. Paul everywhere forbids and condemns such teachings and laws.
And Christ himself speaks in Luke 17[:20–21], "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed … for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." Would it not be absurd of God to give keys for the purpose of locking his kingdom with outward observances? Would God condemn and banish from his kingdom all outward observances and at the same time provide keys for the same and command that it be governed by such outward observances? For, after all, he calls them keys of heaven, in the service of the kingdom of God. For this no outward work or law can be of any avail, as Christ himself says. Again, the pope's keys can only bind, that is to say, can only command outward human works. To express it in a different way, they may be the pope's keys, but they are of no value in attaining heaven or in the practice of the Christian religion, but are condemned by Christ and his apostles, forbidden and banished from his kingdom. They are indeed strange keys to his heavenly kingdom.
But all such rubbish stems from denying Christ and wanting to attain salvation by one's own works so that Christ died to no purpose (as Paul says) [Gal. 2:21]. We want to become holy by our own righteousness, beyond and outside of divine grace. For that reason the pope must lay upon us laws which, if we keep and obey them, will admit us to heaven, but if we do not, we go to hell. Hence, they prove here out of their own mouth that they are apostate Christians. Thereby they deny both Christ and his death, placing themselves above Christ. Since their keys can do nothing but bind and make laws, while pretending to be keys to heaven, it is clear that they desire to attain salvation through law and works and not through their office of the keys. Such, indeed, is the work of the Antichrist who bases our salvation on his keys, upon our own works, and not upon the grace of God. And the net result of their expert tricks is to make the words "to bind" mean to give laws. Thereby they deny Christ and raise up and preserve the greatest abomination, namely, our own righteousness.
However, in discussing this matter, we also desire to be of service to the papists with an interpretation.
Let it be this: As Christ and the pope have two different kinds of keys, so there exist two kinds of heavenly kingdoms with their respective keys. The first heavenly kingdom is eternal life. We poor sinners obtain the heavenly kingdom through Christ's keys, by the forgiveness of sins, given to us through Christ's death, and not through the merit of our own works. This is God's kingdom of heaven. The other realm is in the air where the devils rule, as St. Paul says [Eph. 2:2]. The pope's keys open this kingdom to all his saints who observe his restrictions and laws. Saints of this kind belong to that kind of heaven which one merits by human laws and works. There are thus heavenly keys for each realm but, with the important difference just mentioned. That's why the pope roars like a lion in all his bulls, warning that one should not endanger the salvation of souls by disobedience to his keys; he also threatens with the fire of hell. But - 137 he who is obedient to his keys is safe in the bosom of the holy church, being in need neither of Christ nor his keys.
In the seventh place, if Christ had not wanted to give us more in the keys than the power to set up outward laws and commandments, he might just as well have withheld them; Christianity could have gotten along without them. For secular authorities such as father, mother, master, wife, relatives, elders, and others provide us outwardly with enough laws, discipline, morals, and customs, so that there is no need for Christ giving us keys for more of them. For can the pope and his keys accomplish anything with binding and giving of laws, which human reason by itself cannot contrive, comprehend, and create, including his keys? If Christ with his keys had given to his church nothing higher and better than he had given previously to all the world through reason, then our faith and even the church would not stand on the rock of the divine word but on human reasoning. It would indeed be well founded! And that is the firm foundation of the pope's church! For just as his keys are a fictitious interpretation by men, so is also the church which he binds therewith. Like priest, like people.
In the eighth place, Christendom itself is also harmed by such popish keys. It suffers major damage and ruin by the denial and blasphemy of Christ's grace and mercy and the assertion of nothing but selfrighteousness. But also by the pope's keys Christians are being daily overwhelmed and crushed by new, innumerable, and unbearable ordinances and the consciences of men are thereby greatly afflicted and disturbed. As a result no people under the sun has been or can be more miserable. Christ has not given his keys to harm or ruin his church; neither for her burdening or suppression, but for her profit and salvation.
They should not be called either keys of the church or the keys of heaven, but the pope's keys. For the pope and his adherents by their doings have assumed authority over body and soul, property and honor.
The church has suffered nothing but bodily and spiritual loss and become subject moreover to such raging tyrants of souls.
All this they cannot deny. From their decrees, books, writings, and works, it is as clear as day that they never taught the precious faith along with the keys, but kept silent. And with such pronouncements they have neither praised nor taught the blood of Christ nor the grace of God, but have only blown up thereby the pope's power. They boasted how he could bind, and how one had to be obedient to his laws. This they have drubbed into people's heads and plotted and pursued without ceasing until they have raised the pope's power not only over all Christians but also above all secular emperors, kings, and princes everywhere in this world. They have also claimed the pope has power under the earth, over the dead in purgatory, and at last over the angels in heaven. But most shameful of all, since they could go no further, they made the pope a god on earth, half god, half man, not only man. But about this we shall speak further at another time,2 and then we will give these shouters something to rant and rave about.3 For such hellish and devilish horrors—if God will—shall not remain concealed, contrary to their hope and belief.
So here we see how faithfully these pious people have dealt with Christendom. They have made the office of the keys into a law. They have interpreted the words which speak of God's work and grace to mean our own works and merit. However, our natural reason must confess, no matter how blind and without faith it is, that grace and law [Recht] are not one and the same thing, and that one passage cannot speak of grace and the law at one and the same time, nor can it be so interpreted. Even the world would consider whoever tried to do so a rogue or a madman. Now the papists speak in that manner, to be sure, not in secular affairs, where it would not be tolerated, but in dealing with matters concerning the Word of God and Christ. They do it in such a way as to make their decrees articles of faith. He who does not believe them must be a heretic whose body is burned in this world and whose soul is condemned forever.
How would these jabberers rage and rant if they could catch us in such an execrable, hellish, and blasphemous lie, as we now have caught them here!
In the ninth place, if we grant that to bind means the same as to make a law, then to loose, on the other hand, must signify to annul and abolish a law. For here two powers of equal character are placed side by side. Both are given by Christ in the same Scripture passage, and both keys are of equal power. Now, if the pope and his church has the power to make laws, he must also have the authority to annul them. For if the law is applicable to the process of binding, it is equally applicable to the process of loosing. Well then, under such conditions the pope might annul the Ten Commandments of God as well as the Gospels and all of Scripture and release and free the whole world from them. But if he cannot do that, neither can he bind
- 138 and give laws. For he must be able to do the one as well as the other. If he cannot abrogate or annul one letter of sacred Scripture, neither can he establish one single letter of a law.
And most certainly, he has done this very thing. By his actions he has eradicated and denied Christ— as stated above—and put in his place his own laws and works. So there are also many people who teach that the pope is above Scripture, that he may interpret and change it according to his will. This he has also done. He boasts of a sacred spiritual privilege whereby sacred Scripture derives from himself the characteristic to be called sacred Scripture and to be considered by Christians to be so. For if he had not confirmed them, they would be worth nothing, nor could they be called sacred Scriptures. But the devil shall bless him for that, and I hope that these slanderous tongues will somehow be stopped, although some still grumble and belch. For it is written, "The Word of our God will stand for ever" [Isa. 40:8]. And Christ says in Matt. 5[:18], "Not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished," and again in John 10[:35], "And Scripture cannot be broken," and in Luke 21[:33], "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." This is the One who has put a stop to the pope's doings, so that he can neither annul nor abrogate one single letter or dot in the Scriptures. Therefore he shall neither bind Christians to one single letter nor lord it over them.
Yes, you might say, he ought to be able to annul his own laws. That is true, but it is not enough, for the key which looses, that is, the power to forgive sins, would not be equal to the key which binds, the power to retain sins. But just as the pope can bind, when God as yet had bound no one and all are free and unbound, so he must also be able to loose, when as yet God has loosed no one and all are bound; otherwise the two powers would not be equally great. I would call that a poor loosing if I could only loose that which I had bound, but could not loose what another might have bound. What good then would the key which looses be? Then the act of loosing would be nothing else than that I would discontinue and cease to bind. In this manner I could loose no soul which the devil had bound, and the key which looses would be worthless. But Christ declares here that what is loosed in heaven the key which looses, looses on earth. Thus he grants the power to loose even that which another has bound, that is to say, even God in heaven. And this is what Christ's keys accomplish. For they loose on earth what is bound before God in heaven. How plainly the words are written and witness, "Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" [Matt. 18:18]. To bind and to loose must both be nothing but God's words, as we shall hear later.
In short, the pope must be able to loose God's commandment and his Word which no man as a human being has bound. Or, otherwise, he cannot bind what God has not bound. Or, indeed, he does not have the right keys. So one of the two must go—either God or the pope. Either the pope annuls and makes the Word of God of no effect or God keeps him in check so that he cannot bind at all and all his laws perish.
For the two powers are equal and are given at the same time. He who has not one of them, has none. What happens to the power or key which binds? It has turned out to mean nothing. Quite clearly, all those who say that to bind means to make laws are forgers of Scripture. The same applies to those who assert that when Christ gave the power of the keys, he gave the pope and his bishops also the power to make laws.
For the pope cannot abrogate one letter of the law of God—as we have demonstrated above—and by the same token cannot establish a single one.
In the tenth place, let us hear of the marvelous feats which result from such binding. Now, because binding means to make laws, a bond or fetter must be called a law, and he who allows himself to be fettered with such a bond, that is, he who keeps the pope's laws and bonds, is to be called a pious
Christian. Now compare their statements with those of Christ. Christ calls him bound who has been banished [from God's presence] and whose sins are retained and not forgiven, as he commands in Matt.
22[:13], "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness." Christ calls him loosed who is free and rid of his sins, and whose sins are forgiven. But on the other hand the pope speaks as follows: He who is obedient to my bonds is bound—he shall be saved. Loosed is he who is rid and free of all of God's commandments—he must be considered disobedient and condemned. Where to now? Christ says to be bound is to be condemned. The pope asserts to be bound is to be saved. And both of them speak of one and the same word and passage in the gospel. Is it not tenderly sweet to so interpret a passage in Scripture that it denies exactly what in reality it affirms, and results in contradiction and controversy! Our thanks to these noble gentlemen for having interpreted for us what binding means in such masterly fashion.
And while we are talking about the pope's ability to annul his own laws, I must ask, friend, when has the pope ever annulled his own laws with which he has been tormenting all of Christendom in such a - 139 wretched way? When has the pope ever used the key which looses? The act of binding he has continuously performed, and he has used the key which binds to such an extent that it has become bright and shining, but he has left the key which looses lying idle, ruined and rusted. Why does the pope show two keys in his escutcheon if he never uses the one key? After all, the one should be in use as much as the other. For Christ has given them both to be used in aiding his Christians. So one knows full well that the pope and his followers have not the least intention to abolish or abrogate either their laws or customs, but they persist in their binding and daily multiply their laws. We wonder why.
Well, my friend, if the key which looses should be employed to annul the pope's bonds or laws on the one hand, that might be only a forceful beginning and have the bad result of abolishing all his other laws.
Then a vigorous reformation would threaten these ecclesiastical tyrants. For that reason it is better always to bind and never to loose. And yet the pope carries two keys to hoodwink the people. But he uses only the key which binds. The key which looses would work too great havoc. It would deprive the papists of as much power, honors, and possessions as the key which binds brings to them. We see clearly enough how firmly and tenaciously they hold on so as to loose or remit nothing, since they well know that they bind unjustly and contrary to God's will. So now they cannot find the key which looses. Dear friend, they say that if we yield and give way in one respect, we shall have to yield in more. And we cannot do that. The deuce! That is clever advice and an excellent scheme of these important and very learned gentlemen. It certainly will help them a lot, as was to be expected! They certainly cannot snuff out the light. But what will Christ say to the fact that you have deprived his Christians forever of the key which looses? My goodness! Always Christ, Christ, they say! These are Lutheran tricks. Well then, if you cannot find the key which looses, I will seek and find it with this little book. And I will find it in such a way that you will keep neither the keys which bind nor loose. What do you bet? For I hear they are both tied to each other. If we obtain the one, we have both. If you can bind, then we can loose.
Yes, they say, the pope also has need of the key which looses when he makes dispensations or allows people to do certain things. When, for instance, he relaxes his bonds and laws—I almost said, sells them for money. What should we say? Does it mean to loose when one sells the bonds of the key which binds for money? Why does he not also loose for the Lord's sake, or for the sake of distressed souls? Well, these are purely Lutheran ideas. They have no application here. Furthermore, why is not the key which looses as powerful as the key which binds? Why doesn't its power to loose reach as far as that of the key which binds? For the key which binds holds sway over all of Christendom. Through its entire realm it never sets anything free. It always binds and holds everything fast in its bonds. But the key which looses might free one or perhaps two from such bonds. But not through the free exercise of its function to loose, but through the intercession, means, and power of the great god Mammon without which its power to loose would be dead and nonexistent. Why then does the pope have in his coat of arms two keys of equal size, since he does not want them to be equally effective? He really should only have the key which binds in his escutcheon. The little key which looses should hardly occupy the space of a poppy seed. He really should have in the place of it the image of the god Mammon and with it a devil's head. So the poor little key which looses serves no other purpose but to help the key which binds increase its money and power, as if the key which binds is not equal by itself to the task.
So now they turn their attention to the beloved keys. In their interpretation they torture even worse the keys themselves which were given to us through the words of Scripture. They set out and treat the keys in such a way that the one is sometimes called clavis errans, that is to say, a wrong or erring key. As for example, when the pope binds or excommunicates someone who after all is not bound before God, or looses someone who is not loosed before God, then the key errs and accomplishes nothing, for it fails and misses the mark. And especially the key which looses is in danger of erring. For the key which binds, especially in the making of laws, never errs and cannot err. For the Holy Spirit guides the pope in the use of the key which binds so well that he cannot err. But the Spirit does not know the key which looses and so he allows the pope to get along with it as well as he can, and perhaps for the simple reason that Christ has given us the key which looses without the will and knowledge of the Holy Spirit. That grieves the Holy Spirit and he will not use it with such assurance as he does the key which binds. Believe this or you are a heretic.
- 140 For all this is so certain that even the key which binds, when it does not make laws (as mentioned above) but when it excommunicates, can still not err. For they have a quotation (I believe) by St. Gregory,
Sententiae, etiam injustae, metuendae sunt,4 that is to say, even when we excommunicate someone unjustly such excommunication is nevertheless to be feared. If one has to fear the unjust and erroneous excommunication then indeed you can well grant that it did not fail its purpose. Why should one otherwise be afraid of an erroneous excommunication, if it did not strike home but missed the mark? For you must know that the pope is so important in heaven that God himself must be afraid of him. And if the pope excommunicates someone unjustly then God with all his heavenly host trembles before such papal lightning and thundering on earth. And God must condemn the excommunicated one and affirm and execute the erroneous excommunication. Thus he must abandon his divine inerrancy and become a rogue for the pope's sake in order that the key which binds may never fail. But I would rather lay a curse on this abomination than write about it if I dared to do so. But later on we shall examine the passage from St.
Well then, greeting to you, dear Sirs; I would like to talk to you about something if it did not annoy you. "You say that you have a wrong key: But rather tell us, what have you sold us so far in German lands, indeed in the whole world, with your indulgences? In exchange for them you have robbed us of an immense amount of money. Was it the wrong key or the right one? I would like to know."
"Well, have you not read in the papal bull: Who has repented of his sin and confessed, he is certain of having received indulgence. But whether or not you will receive it is your worry, for we cannot know whether you have rightly repented and confessed. For that reason we too cannot know whether the key has hit or missed the mark. It is possible that it can err and fail."
"Do I hear correctly? There is nothing uncertain, however, about the money you have taken in exchange for it. You have not given it into the care and keeping of the wrong key, have you?"
"How could that be? You fool, who would entrust money to the wrong key?"
"Would it not be better to commend to the keeping of the true key the souls which live forever and cannot return to this life, and assign to the wrong key the money which one can recover at any time?"
"Friend, that is Lutheran talk, we now act in the popish manner."
"Many thanks, and the good Lord reward you for the fine comforting instruction! For I now well realize that the key connected with the indulgence is not founded on God's Word but based upon my own repentance and confession. For if I repent and confess properly the key will aid me to obtain indulgence. If I do not, all is lost, both the indulgence and the money I have paid for it. Friend, but how can I get the assurance that I have repented and confessed properly in order that the wrong key may become me correct one and God may look with satisfaction on me?"
"Friend, that is your own worry; that I cannot know!"
"Is this after all permissible, and can't one consider the money as stolen from me for such uncertain merchandise? For now you have my money, and you give me an indulgence in exchange for it. And yet you say it is not certain whether I have it (the indulgence). And I feel no different after the purchase than I did before. For I possess now as much as I possessed before, that is to say, an uncertain indulgence which means no indulgence."
"How is that? Do you think I stole the money from you? You gave it to me willingly. And the money is now entrusted to the right key which cannot err."
"Furthermore, what do you give us in the annual confession with which you have conquered and probed the world, at the continual expense of our body and soul, our possessions and honor?"
"What should we give you?"
"But is absolution really certain? In case you repent and if our absolution is valid in heaven, then you are absolved; if not, you are not absolved. For the key can miss."
"Here I am again told that the key depends upon my repentance and worthiness before God. And I can become such a skilful locksmith with my repentance that I can manufacture for my Lord God from his
(selection of) keys both right and wrong keys. If I repent I make his key the right one; if I do not repent I make of it the wrong one. That is to say, if I repent then God is truthful, if I do not he lies. Things are going along real well! But how do I know whether my repentance and worthiness before God are
- 141 sufficient? Shall I stand there, open-mouthed, gaping toward heaven and wait until I learn and become convinced that my repentance is sufficient? When will I really get to know?"
"You have to worry about that."
"Well said! The money I paid the confessor which was worth something in this world's goods you also have. In return for it you give me anxiety and doubt?"
"Let that be my concern."
"To continue, why do you fraudulently sell us your letters of indulgence with all kinds of so-called privileges? As, for example, that one may marry a close relative and the like?"
"If it is the right key, you buy with it God's approval and with honor. But if it is displeasing to God and if there were insufficient reasons for what you did, then the key errs and you possess what you have illegally."
"But how do I know that it is pleasing before God and my cause is just in his sight?"
"Let that be my worry."
"But what of those who put their trust and confidence in suchn an uncertain bargain and then died?"
"That is their concern."
"Furthermore, if popes, bishops, provosts, and other clerical officials place someone under the ban, even without God's Word and command, is such a ban valid?"
"There is no doubt about it. It is the work of the key which binds. It can neither fail nor err, as you have heard."
"But how can you be certain that it does not fail in this respect?"
"Let that be my worry."
"I understand all right that if it concerns your power, possessions, and honor, then there exist only true keys, and none can err nor fail. But if you are to help and counsel our souls, then you have nothing but wrong keys."
"Excellent idea, you are absolutely right."
"Furthermore, if the pope anathematizes kings and princes to the ninth generation (as it is reported), is such an anathema valid since God in Exod. 20[:5] only threatens, 'To visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation, and does not call any one accursed?"
"Yes, the anathema is certainly valid, for that is the work of the key which binds, and cannot fail."
"How do you know that God confirms such anathemas?"
"Let that be my concern."
"To go on, when the pope, on the other hand, blesses such princes and kings, do the keys prove equally correct?"
"When the princes are worthy of God's blessing the keys are effective to that extent, but if not, they fail. For here only the key which looses acts, and the latter can possibly fail or err."
"But how do I know whether the princes are worthy of God's blessing?"
"I let them worry about that."
"Again, regarding the papal bull of anathema which is published annually in Rome on Maundy Thursday,5 does that curse strike everything it anathematizes?"
"Why should not the papal bull be effective since it is the chief work of the key which binds? You know that the key which binds cannot fail since the Holy Spirit guides it."
"How can I become certain that the Holy Spirit guides it?"
"Let that be my worry."
"Furthermore, what are you doing in purgatory when you release souls by means of your indulgences?
Is this really certain?"
"If God in heaven considers such release as justified, then it is certain."
"But how do I know that God considers it justified?"
"That is your worry."
"But where is all that money you have stolen and robbed (I intended to say) gained through the use of that wrong key in purgatory?"
"Let that be my concern. The right key will guard it well."
"Again, when the pope commands the angels to lead the souls of those pilgrims directly to heaven because they died on a pilgrimage to Rome during the Year of Jubilee6 is it certain to happen? After all
Christ's keys are only valid on earth and angels do not dwell on earth"
"If it is a fact that God bids the angels to do what the pope commands then it is true."
"But how do I know for certain that God commands such things to angels?"
"That is your worry."
"To continue, how certain is the ordination of priests, the appointment of bishops, crowning of popes, anointing of emperors and kings, consecration of monks and nuns, blessing of bells and churches, salt and water, and the like?"
"Why so many questions? Just listen, all that the key which binds does is certain. But what the key which looses performs is not so sure. Therefore, what the key which binds performs in the abovementioned matters that stands and is certain. But whatever pertains to the (work of) the key which looses may fail and remains uncertain."
"But how do I know that all the things are the way you say?"
"To be sure! The work of the key which binds is my concern, that of the key which looses is yours."
"Dear friend, if that is your understanding why do you not withhold the wrong key until you are sure that repentance for sin is sufficient before God so that you do not have to err and act with uncertainty regarding remission and absolution? Likewise, why do you not wait with your 'butter letters'7 and all such matters until you arrive at a greater degree of certainty in all these things? One should not deal so lightly with God's commandments. This is a great sin."
"Yes, my dear fellow, if we should wait that long we would never get a cent, neither honor nor power.
And the keys would long since have gotten rusty. And we would be poorer and more miserable than were the apostles, prophets, and even Christ himself. We act neither fruitlessly nor frivolously with the keys, for they certainly yield us sufficient well-filled, important, weighty money bags and treasure chests. The apostles handled the keys carelessly and were therefore unable to raise any money with them."
"One more thing. For heaven's sake, do tell me how you got hold of the wrong key? The entire Bible knows nothing at all of wrong keys. It speaks of nothing but true and genuine keys."
"Well, our source is this: God is silent. He tells us nothing as to the genuineness of your repentance, or whether the causes for granting relaxations and dispensations are sufficient. And so we cannot guess it either. If now the keys are not to get rusty we have to use them even in doubtful cases. Whether the key hits or misses the mark is a matter of chance. It is similar to a game of blindman's bluff."
"What shall I say to that? So you play blindman's bluff with our souls, bodies, and possessions. You pilfer and steal in the dark! I did not know that before. Now I see how you divide the spoils with us in a brotherly fashion. You keep the right key to our treasure chests, money, and possessions, and you leave us the wrong key to heaven. As far as your interests are concerned, you have the right key, as far as our welfare is concerned, you have the doubtful key."
"Let that be your worry."
"Can you say nothing else about these matters than, 'Let that be your concern'?"
"Should I say nothing more about it? I do say this, 'As to the right and the wrong key, you should let that be my concern.' Is that not enough?"
"Oh, more than enough, unfortunately too much. You are very learned doctors and people of great experience. I can say that for you. To be sure, I now notice, why the keys are made of silver and why they rest on red silk. I now see that by means of these keys Christ has made you masters of the world. I now see why he wanted to deliver all of Christendom into your hands as a poor, captive, miserable servant girl.
And he has given you the keys not for Christendom's sake but solely for your own sake. Indeed, how else could it be?"
How do you like these people, my dear brother? My opinion is that you are gambling with God's Word, like a rogue. You play with Christendom and poor sinners as if they were an old worn-out deck of cards, though God himself has redeemed them so dearly by his dear Son's blood and death. Indeed, such wickedness cannot be overcome by complaining, cursing, and words of anger. If I or one of our persuasion had said and taught that the pope's key was ineffective in its working and that it might possibly fail, heaven help us] What an outcry we would have heard. Heaven and earth would have been in danger of caving in. First of all they would have made heretics out of us. Then they would have threatened us
- 143 with the (papal) ban, with anathemas and damnation, as if we intended to weaken the power of the church.
For they never could endure that one would say that the pope can err and be mistaken in matters of belief.
But now they say, teach, and confess openly that absolution in confession is uncertain. And if repentance before God is insufficient, absolution is not effective. The papists can never tell us what kind of repentance is sufficient or when. In so doing they plant doubt into the pitiable conscience of poor people so that they never know where they stand, or what they have or do not possess. Nevertheless they take all their money and possessions in exchange for uncertain words and works.
As a consequence, as long as the pope has been in possession of the wrong key he never absolved any human being in his entire papal realm. He never was in possession of the key nor could he use it but rather populated hell by means of this wrong key and his uncertain absolutions. For an uncertain absolution is none at all. Indeed it is equivalent to lying and deception. That is a fine way of governing the church of Christ and feeding Christ's lambs. The same holds true for indulgences. Based on the uncertain foundation of man's repentance, the pope has never granted one day or hour of indulgence as long as this doctrine existed. Hence, his papal bulls and Years of Jubilee were the greatest robbery and scandal ever visited upon this earth. For uncertain absolution is none at all, but rather deceit and knavery. But such indulgence must be uncertain since the kind of repentance is uncertain upon which it is based. For who can say that his repentance is sufficient before God? Not our own repentance; but Christ himself with his suffering must be our repentance and satisfaction before God.
The same applies to dispensations and "butter letters"8 and such things, for they have a dubious justification both before God and man. In all his life the pope has never given a genuine indulgence or "butter letter." For an uncertain dispensation is no dispensation at all. It is nothing but a lie and deceit.
God is unerring and true. He does not deal with doubtful things. Anything he does and which is to be valid in his eyes must be altogether certain, as James 1[:6f.] says, "One should not waver … or doubt … for he who wavers or doubts … must not suppose … that he will receive anything from the Lord." Do the wrong keys teach anything other than to waver, doubt, and be uncertain? That is, they teach us to despair, deny
Christ, and be uncertain. "For he who does not believe shall be condemned" [Mark 16:16], for, "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" [Rom. 14:23]. Now they do not believe because the key and its power depend on our own uncertain works and repentance. For who can have faith in one's own works and repentance? No one except he who is unbelieving and who denies Christ, since our works are not God's
Now go to Rome and fetch all kinds of indulgences and "butter letters." Pay money and obtain dispensations. Get yourself consecrated or become a bishop. Go on pilgrimages and call on the saints.
Secure release from purgatory and confess to the priests and so forth. Then you get to the point of not even realizing what you do, have, or are before God. You are indeed cheated and deceived by falsehood, and that is what all like you deserve. Why do we despise God's Word, and why are we so ungrateful to our
Lord, Christ? To be sure, the papists like to have people believe firmly that they loose and deliver by means of the true key. And they defy anyone who says differently. But privately they say that the key might fail. They do this for the following reason: If the people believe in their ability, then the papists obtain thereby the right key to the treasure chest of the whole world. But if people realize that their endeavors are uncertain, vain, and fraudulent, they help the devil to fill his hell with Christian souls and to lay waste the kingdom of Christ. For what other purpose, after all, should the devil have given them the keys?
Let us see what results the teaching of the wrong key has produced. First of all, God must be lying in their favor. For God has promised firmly and faithfully through Jesus Christ, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" [Matt. 18:18]. These are clear, lucid, and plain words which admit of no clavem errantem, of no wrong key. God says it shall be certain and it shall not err. What they bind and loose shall be bound and loosed. What does master pope say to that? I really do not know (he says). I will loose on earth, but whether it is therefore loosed in heaven, that will be your worry. Thereby he flatly flies in the face of what God says. God says, if it is loosed on earth it must be loosed in heaven. The pope says, it must not necessarily be loosed in heaven, although it is loosed on earth. It is possible for the key to err.
Does that not mean as much as if he said to God: Lord, you are a liar. What we loose is done with certainty, but do you not see that we also have the clavem errantem, the wrong key? For because we do
- 144 not believe nor know that the person we loose is assuredly loosed, you should not know it either. Much less should you say it so openly and with such assurance. With that you make the people so sure of it and so joyful. What would you know that we ought not to know? What promises can you offer to people which we cannot offer? If the one loosed is God-fearing and worthy, he will be freed by our loosening. If he is not God-fearing, although we loose him, he is not freed after all. But because we do not know whether he is God-fearing or not, both the key and the loosing are uncertain. Both the key and its power are based not on your word, but upon our knowledge concerning a man's piety or lack of it. But since such knowledge is forever uncertain our loosing must also be so. You are apt to lie if you assert so boldly that our loosing must be certain and beyond the shadow of a doubt.
They honor in like manner our Lord Jesus Christ, asserting that he has purchased with his precious blood nothing but the wrong key and an uncertain power of loosing. They also assert that our Lord made a fool of his dear Christendom. They maintain that Christ, like a common cheat, gives his Christendom uncertain keys. He commands it to bind and loose. Yet, as the pope says, it must remain uncertain whether men are bound or loosed, because one can neither see nor fathom the hearts of men.
But as to the key which binds there is no doubt. With it they ensnare all of Christendom through their abominable lies. In this instance, they are sure of God's action and use his name and Word to confirm their own tyrannies and rascalities. This, we have to hear, is God's doing. So God is horribly profaned and blasphemed from either side. On the one hand he is supposed to be a liar in the exercise of the key which looses; on the other hand he is made out to be a rogue in the use of the key which binds. Such words they attempt to put into God's mouth.
From all this we can easily conclude that these people do not consider the keys a divine institution, work, order, or office. But like Turks and the heathen, they consider them a man-made order or office, subject as any other temporal order to their control. For they base their doctrines not on God's Word but on human action and concern. The papists maintain that if people are pious, the key will loose them. If they are not pious, it will not do so. The key is valid and performs its functions, depending on man's worthiness, otherwise it does not do so. Likewise, the key which binds in its function is not based on God's Word, but on the pope's good pleasure. When the people have been prepared, the pope is ready with his laws and binds them. Whether this is against God's Word or not, he holds them bound. For there it is: Sic volo, sic jubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas,9 "This I will, this I command; let this my will be the reason." God has to approve, whether he wants to do so or not, for what else can the poor fellow do?
Even if the papists considered the keys a divine institution and office, it would be impossible for them to make the wrong key of it. For God's orders are true and cannot fail, just as his Word can neither lie nor deceive. So baptism, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and the office of the ministry are God's order and therefore can neither err nor fail. It would be intolerable to speak of two kinds of baptism, a right and a wrong one or of two kinds of gospels or two kinds of sacraments, a genuine and a spurious one. For what God speaks and does is pure truth. Otherwise one would also have to assert that God himself was twofold, the One who is genuine and the other who is spurious. And one would have to divide all of God's creatures into these two categories. Hence, even if they considered the key which binds as belonging to God's order they would never be able to say and teach that it was therefore lawful to make ordinances and issue bans unjustly. For the key which binds does not do any of these things, but they themselves do them under the semblance or pretext of the key and in the name of God in order that they may cover up their tyranny and rascality with such blasphemous abuse.
In the second place, the result and fruit of such teaching is the destruction of Christendom and the Christian faith. For when a Christian hears and is convinced that the keys may err and fail, it is not possible for him to ground his hopes and belief on what the key promises. For one should believe only that of which one can say or hold that it is certainly God's Word and the truth without any kind of doubt.
Otherwise, there is nothing left but an erroneous and unstable belief. Indeed, genuine unbelief is sure to follow. Because the pope and his followers confess and boast freely that their keys can err and fail, so also everything the papacy does must be considered altogether uncertain. For the pope does not know whether he binds or looses rightly. Hence, his subjects must also be in doubt, whether they are loosed or bound, whether they live or act rightly or wrongly, that is to say, they must be unstable believers, even unbelievers, infidels, Turks and heathen. Thus one blind man leads the other, and both fall into the pit
- 145 What kind of a church is the pope's church? It is an uncertain, vacillating and tottering church. Indeed, it is a deceitful, lying church, doubting and unbelieving, without God's Word. For the pope with his wrong keys teaches his church to doubt and to be uncertain. If it is a vacillating church, then it is not the church of faith, for the latter is founded upon a rock, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it [Matt. 16:18].
If it is not the church of faith, then it is not the Christian church, but it must be an unchristian, antichristian, and faithless church which destroys and ruins the real, holy, Christian church. So they testify here with their own mouth that the pope must be the Antichrist who takes his seat in the temple of God, being a corrupter and master in sinning, as St. Paul says in II Thess. 2[:4]. Good heavens, one dare not make the keys uncertain and questionable. One should preach most intensely and urgently that they most certainly proclaim God's Word which is to be believed without any doubt whatsoever. It is difficult enough for a wretched conscience to believe. How can one believe at all if, to begin with, doubt is east upon the object of one's belief? Thereby doubt and despair are only strengthened and confirmed.
The third result of such teaching is the establishment of human endeavor and self-righteousness in opposition to the righteousness of Christ, given to us by grace through faith. In this matter one can forcefully convict them because of their abomination. For with their spurious keys they not only destroy
God's Word, but also distract people from God's Word, referring them to their own works and merits, saying, if you are repentant and pious and upright the keys will benefit you, otherwise not. Is not this to say, you must earn grace and become worthy of the same through your own works before God, and then the keys also will benefit you? Tell me how could one more thoroughly leave a Christian to his own works and entice him to a reliance upon his own merits, thus driving him farther away from God's mercy and Christ's blood, than with such teaching? Further, they teach us how to turn God into a false judge who is a respecter of persons and is bound to look upon our works favorably, thereby selling his grace instead of giving it freely through his mercy. If I am first to earn grace before God with my own endeavors, of what use, in the devil's name, are the keys to me, since they cannot give me grace unless I have earned it first before God? But if I first obtain grace I need heed neither keys nor pope. For, "If God is for us, who is against us?" [Rom 8:31].
From this you can gather that the keys of the pope are not keys but husks and shells of the keys. Or, as he shows in his deeds and exhibits them in his escutcheon, they are painted and useless keys, which might please the eye, but give nothing to the soul. For here you learn that they themselves confess that the keys impart no grace. They contain nothing of God's grace. But man has to obtain grace first without the keys by his own endeavors. Now if they are such useless and empty keys which do not bring grace but make demands, then they cannot be genuine keys, for the real keys are full of grace. They bring and give grace
—as we shall learn later on—also to the unworthy and undeserving, indeed, to the unworthy and undeserving only. Now because their keys are so void and empty you can well see how thoroughly they have destroyed, denied, and rejected the Lord Jesus Christ by their use. And their keys give to their people nothing but the grace of the pope, or as they say, the grace of the church in order that the sinner may be reconciled with pope or church. But the grace of God man must earn himself without the keys. It is turning things upside down to suppose that Christ has given his keys so that we might thereby obtain human grace, whereas the grace of God is to be acquired by ourselves without keys and without Christ. That must be heinous abomination since Christ has surely given the keys to obtain God's grace alone through them.
For men and churches to obtain grace, God has prepared other ways and means.
Beyond all this they still have a higher power which gives them such great control over the keys.
When they so wish, it becomes the wrong key, when they wish otherwise, it becomes the right key. In this connection, I want to give a good illustration. At a recent meeting of the German Diet the papal legate,
Cardinal Campeggius10 made a statement. The pope might possibly give a dispensation and allow the celebration of the sacrament in both kinds, as well as the marriage of priests. However, to allow the monks and nuns to marry, that he cannot do, for the key would fail and err. Now, as is common knowledge, the pope has frequently allowed this, but then it was no error nor did he use the wrong key. And he who would have called it an error would have been condemned to the nethermost hell. But because a cardinal, his legate, calls this an error, it becomes an article of faith. So this is the way they treat us poor Christians.
Today they say "yes," tomorrow "no"; today it is the wrong key, tomorrow it is the right one. And yet both of them are supposed to be articles of faith. It is all the same; the Germans must believe them whether they want to or not. But what became of those whom the pope has allowed to leave their cloisters
- 146 to contract marriage because they believed this was right and now the cardinal says it was wrong? What does a pope and a cardinal care? It is enough if people believe it to be right, when they so decide, and again to believe it is wrong, if they desire otherwise.
Well, we pretty well know that the Romans do not consider us Germans to be human beings, but empty shells and shadows. They are so proud and overbearing that they think when a cardinal lets wind, the Germans believe a new article of faith is born. This is our own doing, and it is our own fault that we are such idiots and allow ourselves to be so duped and imposed upon. But I hope we idiots have made some impression on them, and foolish Balaam ought to listen for once to his donkey [Num. 22:28]. If they do not want to give dispensations and permission, they do not have to do so. Let the cursed devil ask them for it in my stead. Let them give him a dispensation and hang it around his neck. I will act according to my understanding of God's Word. I will not first ask God's enemies and blasphemers, the fools in Rome, whether they will permit it, but follow the old adage, "act first, ask afterwards." As far as I by God's will can help it, they shall not place their throne above God's Word, and teach him what he should command us.
To sum up, we will not have the word "wrong key" in Christendom. The cursed devil has brought it up from hell in order to destroy our faith, the gospel, and God's kingdom. Neither can a pious Christian heart endure this word. In the Christian church only true, right keys should exist, and no one should argue and ask whether the key might err or fail in its purpose. That would be the same as asking if the Word of God could err or fail. But one ought to inquire diligently and examine carefully whether it is the key or not. If it is the key, you may be sure it does not fail or err, but always accomplishes its purpose in the certain performance of God's tasks. Just as I am not to ask whether the gospel is right or wrong. For the gospel is right and cannot be mistaken. But there is need to inquire and see to it whether it is the gospel or not. If it is the gospel, we may not further question whether it is right. What matters is to believe simply and firmly, and live accordingly.
I once heard of a wise man who said, Claris non errat, sed Papa errat; the key does not err, he said, but the pope can err. And that is well said. Just as I may say that the gospel does not err, but the preacher or pastor can err if he propounds his own dreams under the guise of the gospel. Therefore, the key does not err either, but the pope errs if in the name and under the guise of the keys he pursues his wanton and self-contrived ways. They turn this around and say, Clavis errat, Papa non errat; the key errs, but the pope does not. And before they permit a human being to err they would rather say that God errs in his
Word and work. To fit their case, the pope's fools, his courtesans, have coined an important adage, Non est praesumendum, quod tantae celsitudinis Apex erret; one must not suppose that such a highly-placed majesty can err. It is truly a statement worthy of the Turks, for they say about their imperial realm: One cannot suppose that God will permit such a great people to err and be condemned. If you depend on that, you will find out how badly mistaken you were. Consider that such a supreme majesty is after all not God but man. And a human being sins, errs, lies and deceives, as Scripture says.
But tell me, dear asses, since one cannot suppose that such a supreme majesty can err, why should one presume to think that God's keys and his divine Majesty can be mistaken? Or is the key and God not as on the same plane with the pope? The keys, indeed, are not man's, but God's, Word and work above and for all mankind. It is for this reason that God did not command any human being to rule over his Christian church, but rather reserved this privilege for himself and commanded us to teach nothing but his Word.
For he knows that if we teach by our own wisdom without his Word, the results are only error, lies, and sin. We are only to be God's instruments and to lend him our voices so that he himself alone may speak and govern through us. So be it. In opposition to this, these asses teach that the pope shall govern and not God, and that one should believe the pope and not the keys. Since the pope cannot err, one believes him readily. But because God's keys err, one cannot believe him. In this manner the Christian church is to be taught and governed so that it might be turned into a kingdom of Satan, full of lies, unbelief and all kinds of abomination. This is the part played by "men of sin and sons of perdition" [II Thess. 2:3] who corrupt with their sins the whole world.
So far we have learned how they separated the keys in a twofold manner. In the first place, they made of them keys which bind and keys which loose in order to make laws which could be enforced or annulled at will. In the second place, they made out of them spurious and genuine keys. As if this were not enough,
- 147 they have made a third division, Clavem Potestatis et Scientiae, that is, one key is called the key of power and the other the key of knowledge. And these are the real two keys which the pope employs with deadly seriousness. This is what happens when one leaves the right path. Then there is no end to straying or possibility of stopping. And one lie needs seven other lies to cover it up, and yet to no avail.
The key of power signifies the pope's right to issue commands and prohibitions in heaven and on earth concerning anything and in any way he pleases. He can enthrone and dethrone emperors, kings and princes. He can rule and control all authority. He can command the angels in heaven. He can empty purgatory. And what more can one say? They haggle and quarrel at length over whether the pope is a man or God. Finally, they have decided that he is God's vicar on earth and an earthly god, a fusion of divine and human elements, mixtus deus et homo.11 Such is the work of the key of power.
Hence they roar and thunder forth in the terrible decrees of canon law that God gave to St. Peter, Jura simul coelestis et terreni imperii, as Pope Nicholas III writes,12 that is to say, the pope is emperor in heaven and on earth. This power Christ is supposed to have given to St. Peter. And again, in Canon
Pastoralis, 13 the pope boasts that in case the empire is without an emperor, there is no doubt whatsoever he, the pope, is the rightful emperor. And in the Canon Solitae14 he declares that the pope is as far above the emperor as the sun is above the moon. And there are many more such horrible and abominable, thundering decrees in canon law. As St. John well says in Rev. 10[:1–3], "The angel, wrapped in a cloud, called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring, and the seven thunders answered him." They have acted in accordance with this description, to this very day. They have dethroned and enthroned many emperors and kings. They have excommunicated and driven princes into exile. They have made themselves lords above all lords and kings above all kings by virtue of this key of power.
The key of knowledge signifies the pope's power over all law both canon and secular, over all doctrines, both divine and human, over all business and affairs, over all questions and errors. In short, by virtue of this key he is judge over all one can say and think in heaven and on earth. By means of this key, just as by virtue of the key of power, he is lord over all one can do in heaven and on earth. And the pope with his threefold crown is truly an emperor in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. If God possessed anything more the pope would also be emperor over it and would have to wear four crowns. What of life and activity he now permits through the key of power is the life and activity of all kingdoms on earth. But what of life and activity he does not allow does not take place. Therefore, also, whatever he decrees shall be taught, preached, judged and carried out, must be taught, judged, preached, and carried out. Whatever he decrees shall not be taught, preached, judged, carried out, is not taught, preached, judged, carried out; whether it is God's Word or secular law, it must be heresy. For he is lord over all power and doctrine, over all realms and law in heaven and on earth. Friend, who would not like to possess such an empire if he could obtain it?
Therefore, he roars likewise in his canon law, Judicantium throni,15 etc., that all who give judgments from thrones of emperors and kings, must learn the law from him and receive it as a fief is received by a vassal from his lord. And in Cuncta,16 all of Christendom throughout the whole world knows that one can neither teach nor judge the pope, but all without exception must allow themselves to be judged by him.
Likewise, the holy Scriptures and God's Word must be received from him in fief, that is, robur et auctoritatem accipere (to accept its strength and authority), as he expresses it. And the sum total of it all is, neither God nor man may say to the pope, what are you doing? Or, why are you doing that? But he may do and teach whatever he desires, unpunished, unhindered, and uncontrolled. There is much of such abominable roaring in his canon law and decrees. And all these are the supreme articles of the Christian faith. You could deny God with more impunity than one of these decrees. And many pious people have been burned and tortured on their account.
Well, then here you really have what Christ meant with his words to Peter, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." That is, Peter, if you trample under foot emperors and kings, you are doing what is right. If you loose my Word, it shall be loosed. You shall be god and I will no longer be God. Is this not a fine interpretation! But there is no need to contend much more about it. It would fill too large a volume since such an interpretation of this passage is recognized to be false and untrue by almost everybody, even by those loyal to the pope. For Christ has given to Peter no such power to rule either in heaven or on earth. On the contrary, he distinguished between his kingdom and the kingdom of this world. Before Pilate he confesses that his
- 148 kingship is not of this world, but of a kingdom of truth [John 18:36]. And he declared to his disciples, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you" [Mark 10:42–43]. With these and similar clear words Christ forbade Peter and the other disciples to exercise any worldly rule. He admonishes them to exercise their office and service to which he has called them, allowing the worldly princes to take care of their own rule.
Since this shameful abuse and misinterpretetion is not as abominable as either of the first two, souls have not suffered as the result of it in such a murderous fashion. For if only God's Word is present, one may remain a Christian and be saved, whether or not his bishop or clergyman be secular, especially since secular rule need not harm his faith. A Christian may even suffer popes and bishops to be and remain his rulers, since they set aside and steer clear of the exercise of the episcopal office anyway, provided they assist in carrying forward and encouraging the spiritual office. Yet such misinterpretation has done great bodily harm. For the pope and his followers have naturally thereby caused much war, bloodshed, murder, and misery among emperors, kings, princes, lands and people. He who is a liar must also become a murderer, even as his father, the devil, also is [John 8:44]. To be sure, through this interpretation the pope has long since lost St. Peter's inheritance. He could no longer be St. Peter's successor, but the emperor's or rather the devil's.
Christ has given the keys to his church for the kingdom of heaven and not for an earthly kingdom. As he says, "It shall be loosed in heaven." But in which way does the kingdom of this world aid a Christian in obtaining the kingdom of heaven? Indeed, if it could help one in obtaining heaven, then Christ should not have come down from heaven. There have, indeed, existed many such excellent kingdoms before and after, armed with power and equipped with laws. So Christ himself could have become an earthly king if it had been useful and necessary for the gaining of heaven. But since he has not done this, it is easy to understand that he has not lent his keys for the exercise of worldly power. And the pope and his followers fraudulently and maliciously interpreted this wonderful saying of Christ as applying to worldly power.
Nor do they repent or make amends for it but persist in hardening their hearts until they suffer shipwreck.
But I cannot let this pass unnoticed that they add the Clavem Scientiae, the key of knowledge, to the keys given to St. Peter and the apostles, in Matt. 16[:19] and 18[:18]. And although some teachers do interpret the words that way, it is nevertheless wrong. One should never snatch up the word of a teacher without forethought and take one's stand without the dependable testimony of Scripture. For the detestable abomination of the spurious key has partly come from such a misinterpretation. It has been taught that the key could not bind or loose unless one knew exactly how things stood before God, something that is after all impossible. Just as if Christ had commanded to bind and loose nothing with the key of knowledge unless the papists knew beforehand how man stood before God. They themselves did not keep such an imaginary commandment, but they bound and loosed like blind men. And afterwards they have tried to excuse themselves with the spurious key as if it had not been their fault that they erred and made a mistake. Now it is hardly consistent to believe that one must know, and yet in blind chance bind without knowledge. Hence, one lie must always bring forth another one, betraying each other.
But we assert, that the key of knowledge is not one of the keys of which we were treating in reference to Matt. 16[:19] and 18[:18] but an altogether different key. The two keys are the ones which bind and loose according to the words of Christ, "What you bind, what you loose," etc. But regarding the key of knowledge, Christ in Luke 11:52 speaks to the Pharisees as follows, "Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." Here Christ does not offer keys, but he says they have them. And they must be old keys, already in existence before Christ opened heaven. Therefore he calls it also the key of knowledge or to knowledge, in order that it might serve in the obtaining of knowledge. And he adds, "They do not themselves enter."
Enter where? To knowledge, they have the key to it. And they hinder those who would like to obtain knowledge.
From this I draw the conclusion that Christ speaks here neither of binding nor loosing, but of preaching and teaching. And this key is nothing else but the key to teaching, that is to say, the key to the office of the teacher, preacher, and pastor. Through it, people are to be brought to knowledge so they may learn how to serve God and to know the way of salvation. That is the knowledge of which he speaks here.
Many a pious heart would like to acquire and possess this knowledge being hindered and led astray by the - 149 very ones from whom such knowledge should be learned and acquired, namely those who are in possession of the key and office. This was true also of the Pharisees who were to bring people to a knowledge of Christ and of the truth. Instead they attacked, forbade, fought, and taught against it. And they called it heresy in order to prevent many from arriving at the truth. As so often happens the most pious who were eager for the truth were also led farthest astray. For those who are infamous and despise the truth, the devil cannot lead astray—they are his already.
Therefore St. Matthew in Matt. 23[:13] also calls their hindering and preventing an abuse of a key whereby they close heaven. He says, "But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in." Now the Pharisees, of course, did not have St. Peter's keys. This is certain. So Christ does not say anything here of binding and loosing. But he speaks of pious people who would like to enter heaven, and who are prevented from doing so by force, injustice, lies, and deceit. Therefore Christ's words refer to the office of preaching which is to proclaim the opening of the gates of heaven to all. But the keys of St. Peter only apply to some, namely to sinners. Therefore, we should not jumble the keys as lazy and sleepy theologians are in the habit of doing. We should make a proper and precise distinction. Thus we can adhere to the pure and clear truth, avoiding all misunderstanding.
To be sure, it is true that we must know and be certain whom and what we should bind or loose. For we must not play blindman's buff with God's order, as we shall hear later on. But the knowledge which they claim we should have in order to use the key, namely, how a man stands in the sight of God, is impossible and therefore the key becomes a wrong key. For this reason we do not want to possess or demand such a knowledge-key, as little as we want a wrong key; neither ought to exist in Christendom.
Neither should we endure the power-key, the key of secular rule. It has no place in Christendom. Neither do we care for the key which binds in order to make laws or the loosing key in order to give dispensations or sell them for money. We want only the common teaching-key. For those who sin we want to have and keep the true keys that bind or loose.
We need to re-establish the old, true meaning of this biblical passage, handed down to us from the apostles' time, but of which now hardly anything remains. Otherwise they will leave nothing of this passage except in a tortured and twisted form. They have invented six sorts of keys and interpreted the words as they desired. Now they also go to work on the genuine keys and their true significance, dealing with them as we shall see. The true interpretation of the real keys and their function does not consist in the making of laws or the selling of dispensations. Neither does it mean to bind or loose wrongly nor to acquire power and find out things that are secret. But its true significance consists only in binding and loosing from sin. It means to ban and to absolve from the same, to excommunicate and to release from excommunication. For thus Christ speaks of it, and he gives the keys for that purpose. But as far as these people are concerned, there is plenty of excommunication and absolving. But how do they go about it?
In the first place, they pay no attention to, nor take any interest in, the real sins which should be punished by excommunication. The keys which were given to bind and loose from sin lie idle and gather rust. For if they would use the keys, dear friend, how many popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, monks, princes, noblemen, burghers, and peasants would remain free of the ban and the key which binds? For there exists everywhere such a free and easy, impudent way of living, which goes unpunished, especially among the clergy, and such a deluge of all kinds of shameful vices, avarice, robbing, stealing, ostentation, immorality, etc., that God and the world can hardly endure it any longer. I will not even mention the abominable sin that they all bear the name of Christ and yet despise his Word so thoroughly that the clergy do not even want to read or teach it, and the others do not want to hear or learn it. All these are the real cardinal sins which one should bind, punish, and ban by means of the key. In the performance of this work the key would be busy beyond all measure. But how can the clergy bind when they are worse and more guilty than all the rest?
They exercise their rule by confidently using the binding key in the making of laws, and employing the key which looses in the remitting of sins, as if to say by their deeds: Christ has granted us power through the keys to bind the rest of the people everywhere by torturing them with laws, but made us free to live unrestrained and unchecked with impunity, shamelessly and most infamously, and knowing all our sins freely forgiven. As St. Peter in II Pet. 2:14 describes them, "Incessabiles delicto, " they cannot be
- 150 made to cease from sin. In this way they harmonize the binding and the loosing nicely, making their new interpretation agree with the old one! The binding is to entangle other people with laws, the process of loosing should be applicable to themselves in order that they might live untrammelled and free.
Is not this a wonderfully exact interpretation of Christ's saying, "What you bind is to be bound," that is to say, the whole world; and what you loose is to be loosed, namely ourselves, the clergy! This interpretation would be superb and very useful and comforting to the Christian church. For according to the first interpretation, they would improve the church through their sacred laws. And according to their second interpretation, they would improve the church through their nice living. That would mean they had helped the church with words and works, with doctrine and example. How disgracefully spoken, but also how seriously! All the same, that is the way it is. This was the devil's intention of binding, and he has put it into practice.
In the second place, instead of applying the key to real sins, they use it in the fashion of jugglers on imaginary sins, practicing deceit with the command and Word of God, proving themselves thorough fools and knaves. For their binding and loosing extends only to sins against their own laws where money and monks are concerned. These they call the cardinal sins. Murder, adultery, blasphemy, and all sodomy are nothing. But just touch the church's avarice and love of luxury and see how the key which binds flashes and thunders. But on him who leaves his avarice and love for luxury untouched, the loosing key smiles and beams. Now, as we have heard above, they have no power to make laws for Christendom. Hence, there can be no real sin when these laws are not kept. For no one ought to comply in practice with the laws of the clergy, as if it were necessary to observe them. One should not become party to their sacrilegious and unjust exercise of power.
Since there is no sinning involved here, their binding and loosing turn out to be nothing but jugglers' work and plain tom foolery. Through them the keys of God are desecrated, and Chris tians have been troubled without cause and, indeed, deceived. They are in terror when there is no need of terror, as Psalm
14 [Ps. 53:5] states. And they have been led "to serve God in vain," as Christ says in Matt. 15[:9]. What is more, in turning from faith and God's command to live according to imaginary and spurious laws and works, they have been forced to serve God falsely to their own harm. For this ban or binding strengthens and preserves that binding by which they make laws. Knowing and recognizing such binding and loosing is a spider web the Christian is to avoid and despise. Indeed, he is to condemn it as blasphemy and say with Ps. 109[:28], "Let them curse, but do thou bless"; let them excommunicate, but do thou loose; let them be angry, but do thou laugh. And as are their laws, so is their ban. And as their laws and ban, so is also their church. And as is their church, so is also their God—nothing but pure fantasy, yet [all of it] in the name of the holy key of God. God's name must be as a juggler's bag of tricks by which dear
Christendom is led astray so as to destroy sacrament and faith, to deny Christ, and forget God. Truly a horrid abomination!
Thirdly. Aware of the presence of right and truth and the absence of sin, they bend and ban, murder and burn holy men of Christ, thus carrying on in a manner worse than ever. They ban the gospel knowingly since they admit that the administration of the sacrament in both kinds is correct. They also acknowledge that marriage and food are matters of free choice and the teachings of the Gospels are the truth. But as they have not taught this them selves, they call it heresy. So the key which binds must extend over both body and soul. Furthermore, he who whistles and howls with them, aiding in the exercise of such blasphemy, excommunicating, binding, and murdering, is not only rid and free of all sins and heresy, but is their darling and greatest saint. He is on the way of becoming a bishop and cardinal, a canon and prelate. That is their understanding of the right use of the keys, binding real sins and loosing those who truly repent when they set Barabbas free and crucify the Son of God. For the Jews well knew that Barabbas was a notorious murderer and Christ a holy person. Yet, Barabbas had to be set free as a holy man and Christ had to die as a murderer. Hence, one should search, find, and invent sin that the key which binds might be kept busy and not gather rust but punish and condemn pious Christians everywhere.
Likewise one should be on the alert for virtue and good works, to reward and crown murderers, seducers, blasphemers, and heretics everywhere. That is indeed a praiseworthy use of the keys. From all this one can gather that the pope really never bound or loosed any person, neither excommunicated nor freed from excommunication anyone. All his actions are nothing but beating the air and shadowboxing. And it is evident that nobody has so little claim to the keys as he who boasts the most about possessing them. All
- 151 along he has been exhibiting them in his escutcheon, and painted them upon the wall. And, tell me, how can he possess the keys since he neither possesses nor tolerates the Word of God? Truly where the Word of God is not found the keys do not remain either. The keys want to be where God's Word and the church are, or else they are no keys. Christ has shared the keys with the pope in a truly fine fashion. He retains the true keys, and leaves to the pope the painted ones. The latter he may place in his escutcheon or hang on the wall. They have no place or space in the church of Christ.
But what do I think of Gregory's quotation mentioned above,17 which says, "Our ban is to be feared even if it is an unjust one"? This is my answer: Whether the quotation is Gregory's or his mother's it is nonetheless of the devil. I would gladly come face to face with that doctor who would teach that I ought to fear injustice and lies. Even if it were from an angel from heaven I would take his horrible ban, and, after having used it as toilet paper, wipe its nose. What is the purpose of such vile blasphemy which shamelessly dares to command us Christians to fear public injustice and well-known lies and to give them divine adoration? If St. Gregory had said and maintained such a thing without properly repenting of the same, his place would have to be in the abyss of hell. There is no argument about that. However, I do not want to condemn St. Gregory. But it has always been a great annoyance that the Roman asses and sophists have plagued us both in the universities and monastaries by always making the sayings of the dear church fathers articles of faith. They do not listen to St. Paul [I Thess. 5:21] who says, "To test everything and hold fast what is good." Neither do they take into consideration the fact that the more saintly the church fathers were, the more they were subject to continuous temptations of evil thoughts and secret treacherous attacks by the devil. Having to suffer and wait without respite, some of them at times said or wrote things impetuously. Such was the hasty accusation uttered by Job against God while he was undergoing severe trials. They were human as we are, and they also had to pray: Forgive us our debts and lead us not into temptation, etc. For the rubbish into which they have turned this quotation, I do not blame so much St.
Gregory, as I blame the asses and sophists who like swine devour indiscriminately everything they find in the writings of the dear church fathers. There can be no other reason for them to prefer to devour those things in the church fathers which are nasty and evil, rather than those which are good, pure, and holy, if only they can thereby satisfy their belly.
What I have said of the abuse of the keys I have said in the simplest manner possible. Otherwise, if I had wanted to be angry and seek revenge, it would have sounded quite differently. Let him who desires to be a Christian make up his mind to think nothing of the pope's keys. Let him be loyal to the first two real keys of Christ and his church which do not make laws and sell for money as do the first two keys of the pope. And these keys do not involve us in doubt as to whether they hit or miss the mark in their binding and loosing as is the case with the two others, the wrong key and the right key. Neither have the two real keys anything to do with secular rule nor with the delving into secret matters, as do the third pair of keys.
The real keys do not concern themselves either with imaginary sins and virtues as do the last two keys. All these eight, six, four, and two keys, or whatever number there may be—let the pope have them in his escutcheon. For they destroy our faith in Christ and deprive our conscience of all comfort and counsel.
They point to our own righteousness based on works, which is opposed to God. These wrong keys teach people to forget and to deny Christ, as we have learned. For our soul must indeed be very certain of those things on which it can rely to be comforted in the face of sin and eternal death. Hence, the judgment of the keys must be based solely upon the certain Word of God, otherwise they are not the right keys.
Remember that the keys or the forgiveness of sins are not based on our own repentance or worthiness, as they wrongly teach. Such teachings are entirely Pelagian, Mohammedan (Türkisch), pagan, Jewish, like those of the Anabaptists, fanatic, and anti-Christian. On the contrary our repentance and work, our disposition and all we are, should be built on the keys. We are to depend on them with as daring confidence as on God's Word itself. You must never doubt what the keys say and give you, at the risk of losing both body and soul. It is as certain as if God himself were saying so, which indeed he does. It is his own Word and command. But if you doubt the same you make God a liar. You pervert his order and base his keys on your own repentance and worthiness. You should, indeed, repent. But to make repentance the basis of the forgiveness of your sins and of corroborating the work of the keys, is to abandon faith and deny Christ. By means of the key, he will forgive your sins, not for your own sake but for his own name's sake, out of pure grace.
- 152 Now let us talk a little about the real basis and true nature of the keys. Christ says, "Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" [Matt. 18:18]. Notice that assuredly, yes assuredly, it shall be bound and loosed what we bind and loose on earth. There is no suggestion of any wrong key. He does not say: what I bind and loose in heaven, you shall also bind and loose on earth, as the teachers of the wrong key so foolishly say. How could we find out what God binds and looses in heaven? Never. And the keys would be without purpose and to no avail. Neither does Christ say, you should know what I bind and loose in heaven. Who would and could know that? But he speaks in this fashion, If you bind and loose on earth, I will also bind and loose right along with you in heaven. When you use the keys, I will also. Indeed, if you do it, it shall be done, and it is not necessary that I do it after you. What you bind and loose (I say) I will neither bind nor loose, but it shall be bound and loosed without my doing so. It shall be one single action, mine and yours, not a twofold one. It shall be one and the same key, mine and yours, not a twofold one. While you do your work, mine is already done. When you bind and loose, I have already bound and loosed.
He binds and joins himself to our work. Indeed, he himself commands us to do his own work. Why then, should we make it uncertain or reverse it, pretending he must first bind and loose in heaven? Just as if his binding and loosing in heaven were different from our binding and loosing on earth. Or, as if he had different keys in heaven above from those we have below on earth. He distinctly and clearly states that they are heaven's keys and not those of the earth. You shall have my keys (he says), and no others. And you shall have them here on earth. Clearly above and besides these keys of heaven, he can have no others which are not to be used in heaven, but above and outside of heaven. What would they bind there? If now they are the keys of heaven, then they are not of two kinds but of one kind only, binding and loosing here on earth and in heaven above.
But such ideas regarding two kinds of keys originate in the mistaken notion that God's Word is not his Word. Because it is spoken through men it is regarded as the word of men. And God is thought of as 'way up there in heaven, very, very far removed from his Word here below. So we stand there and with open mouth stare heavenward and invent still other keys. Yet Christ says very clearly in Matt. 16:19 that he will give the keys to Peter. He does not say he has two kinds of keys, but he gives to Peter the keys he himself has and no others. It is as if he were saying: Why are you staring heavenward in search of my keys? Do you not understand I gave them to Peter? They are indeed the keys of heaven, but they are not found in heaven. I left them on earth. Don't look for them in heaven or anywhere else except in Peter's mouth where I have placed them. Peter's mouth is my mouth, and his tongue is my key case. His office is my office, his binding and loosing are my binding and loosing. His keys are my keys, and I have no others, nor do I know of any others. What they bind that is bound, what they loose is free, just as if there were no other to bind or to loose in heaven or on earth. If there are any other keys in heaven, on earth, or in hell, they do not concern me. I know nothing of them. Whatever they might bind or loose is not my affair.
Therefore, don't concern yourself about it either, and don't be led astray. I pay attention only to what my Peter binds and looses. I rely on that, and you should do likewise. In so doing you are already bound and loosed as far as I am concerned. For Peter binds and looses in heaven, and nobody else. This is the right way of thinking and speaking of the keys.
Here we have the true significance of the keys. They are an office, a power or command given by God through Christ to all of Christendom for the retaining and remitting of the sins of men. For so Christ says in Matt. 9[:6], "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins," and he says to the paralytic, "arise," etc. And soon thereafter, "When the crowd saw it … they praised God who had given such authority to men" [Matt. 9:8]. Do not allow yourself to be led astray by this Pharisaic babbling by which some deceive themselves, saying, "How can a man forgive sins when he can bestow neither grace nor the Holy Spirit?" Rely on the words of Christ and be assured that God has no other way to forgive sins than through the spoken Word, as he has commanded us. If you do not look for forgiveness through the Word, you will gape toward heaven in vain for grace, or (as they say), for a sense of inner forgiveness.
But if you speak as the factious spirits and sophists do: "After all, many hear of the binding and loosing of the keys, yet it makes no impression on them and they remain unbound and without being loosed. Hence, there must exist something else beside the Word and the keys. It is the spirit, the spirit, yes, the spirit that does it!" Do you believe he is not bound who does not believe in the key which binds?
- 153 Indeed, he shall learn, in due time, that his unbelief did not make the binding vain, nor did it fail in its purpose. Even he who does not believe that he is free and his sins forgiven shall also learn, in due time, how assuredly his sins were forgiven, even though he did not believe it. St. Paul says in Rom. 3[:3]:
"Their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God." We are not talking here either about people's belief or disbelief regarding the efficacy of the keys. We realize that few believe. We are speaking of what the keys accomplish and give. He who does not accept what the keys give receives, of course, nothing. But this is not the key's fault. Many do not believe the gospel, but this does not mean that the gospel is not true or effective. A king gives you a castle. If you do not accept it, then it is not the king's fault, nor is he guilty of a lie. But you have deceived yourself and the fault is yours. The king certainly gave it.
Well, you say, here you yourself teach that the key fails. For the keys do not accomplish their purpose when some do not believe nor accept. Well, friend, if you call this failing, then God fails in all his words and works. For few accept what he constantly speaks and does for all. This means doing violence to the proper meaning of words. I do not call it a failure or a mistake if I say or do something, and somebody else despises or ignores it. But so they understand, teach, and observe concerning the pope's wrong key:
The key itself can err, even though a person would like to accept and rely on it. For it is a conditionalis clavis, a conditional, a vacillating key which does not direct us to God's Word, but to our own repentance.
It does not say candidly and boldly that you are to believe that I most certainly loose you. But it says that if you are repentant and pious, I loose you, if not, then I fail. That is the clavis errans, the erring key. It cannot with any assurance say that I know for certain that I have loosed you before God, whether you believe it or not, as St. Peter's key can say. But it must say something like this, that I loose you on earth, but I really and truly do not know whether you are loosed before God. For faith has not been taught in connection with the keys, as one clearly sees in the bulls of indulgence wherein repentance and confession and money are required but nothing is ever said of faith.
This is quite evident, for they neither repent of nor punish such deceitful uncertainties, among themselves or in others. They proceed confidently as if such doubting were no sin at all, reasoning thus: It makes no difference whether I have hit the mark; if I have missed the mark, I have missed it. They display no compunction of conscience or worry on account of such unbelief. Yet it is an abominable unbelief on the part of both him who binds and looses as well as on the part of him who is being bound and loosed.
For it is God's Word and command that the former speaks and the latter listens. Both are bound, on peril of losing their sours salvation, to believe this article as truly and firmly as all other articles of faith. For he who binds and looses without faith, and doubts whether he succeeds in binding and loosing rightly, or thinks to himself quite unconcernedly, well, if the key hits the mark, it hits the mark, that man blasphemes
God and denies Christ, tramples the keys underfoot, and is worse than a heathen, Turk, or Jew. He also who is bound or loosed, blasphemes God, and denies Christ if he does not believe but doubts and despises what is done. For one ought and must believe God's Word with all seriousness and confidence. He who does not believe should leave the keys alone. He should rather dwell with Judas and Herod in hell, for God does not want to be reviled by our unbelief. It is truly not everybody's business to use the keys rightly.
Again, he who believes or would gladly believe that the keys are doing their work effectively, let him rejoice and use them with confidence. The greatest honor you can bestow on God and his keys is to trust in them. It is for that reason we teach our people that he who is bound or loosed by means of the key, let him rather die ten deaths than doubt their efficacy. No greater dishonor can be done to God's Word and judgment than lack of faith in the same. For this means as much as to say: God, you are a liar. It is not true what you say. I do not believe it. Hence God must be a prevaricator. He who binds and looses must be equally as certain, otherwise he is guilty of similar abominations. But where has one ever taught or heard of such a thing under the papacy? Indeed, if it had been taught, the wrong keys and their companions would never have come into being. And these two keys would have been the only ones and would have remained pure and unspotted. How many bishops and their representatives use the keys in this fashion?
They do not believe the judgment of the keys is God's Word. They are in the habit of treating them as if they were of an ancient, worldly origin. But if they were to believe that it was the judgment of God in which they themselves should first of all have faith, at the risk of endangering their souls' salvation, they would not treat it so thoughtlessly but rather with fear and trembling. But where would one then secure episcopal representatives? What would then become of the consistories? A radical reformation would then begin to appear. And such a one must and shall come to pass!
- 154 But to prevent this, they use an artful dodge. With hearts hardened and eyes blinded, they do not realize the true nature of the keys. They value them only insofar as they produce money. Otherwise they would rather have the most primitive of keys, even if only made of wood,18 in their pocket than a world full of divine keys which could unlock heaven. The keys are nowhere more dishonored than with those who possess them or rather who boast of possessing them, as may become clear from the following illustration. A Christian is not allowed to touch a consecrated chalice, although he be baptized and redeemed, consecrated, and sanctified through the blood of Christ. No, indeed, Christ's blood counts for nothing in comparison to a consecrated chalice. A corporal19 is not supposed to be washed by a Christian woman, not even by a nun who is supposed to be Christ's special bride. But flies that are not consecrated are allowed to soil the same. That is the type of noble holiness prevailing here. But the keys, truly sacred objects, and of the holiest and noblest of the jewels of God, of Christ, and the church, sanctified by the blood of Christ, and which daily distributes the blood of Christ—these the most frivolous and wicked fellows in all the world may not only touch but abuse in the most shameful manner. And to such people they entrust the keys, thus showing how valuable and sacred they consider them, while trying to make themselves lords of the earth.
But how shall we proceed to use the keys rightly so that what is done is valid in God's eyes? In Matt.
18[:15–17], you have a definite text in which Christ himself describes the office of the keys. You cannot go wrong if you follow his instructions. But if you do not, and instead take a novel and peculiar path of your own, you can be sure that you will err and that you are not in possession of the true keys. These are the words of the passage: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." Here you have a sure rule and way, comprehended in God's Word, which will not let you err. And you can use the keys effectively and according to God's intent without anxiety and fear. For this is the context of the words about the keys, "Whatever you bind on earth," etc.
But when you do not hold yourself to this rule, you become uncertain and your heart cannot say, I know that I do not err. But your heart will accuse you and say something like this: You have bound and loosed without God's Word. Your own arrogance and not God has commanded you to do so. Therefore, you did not have the keys but only dreamed of having them. Because of this your own conscience will condemn you and say: You have blasphemed God's name and dishonored the keys, and, in addition, you have done an injustice and violence to your neighbor. You have disturbed his conscience with lies and led him astray, leaving him in error as to his understanding of the keys and causing his spiritual death. What will you then do? Indeed (you say) this is not the way they look at it at the courts of the bishops and of the pope. That I know well, but it is the way it happens at Christ's court. And if it is not the practice at the courts of the bishops then these are not Christian bishops. A bishop is not God; neither is his court God's
Word. If they can improve on the commands of the Son of God, let them lead on. Then we will ask the Son of God to pull in his horns and be silent. But if they cannot improve on it, let them end their abuse, and re-establish the right usage, for God will not change his Word on account of the episcopal courts and their abuses.
In the biblical passage you hear that we must deal with certain public sins, committed by persons who are known, and with cases where one brother sees another commit sin. Furthermore such sins are supposed to have been punished first in a brotherly manner, and finally established as such by the whole congregation. Therefore the bulls and papal bans which read, "We excommunicate after sentence has been passed, though only after three admonitions,"20 and "out of the fulness of our power,"21 we call in our own language an execrable ban. I call it a devil's and not God's ban, contrary to Christ's command, when people are cursed with the ban sacrilegiously, before they have been convicted in the presence of the assembled congregation. Such are all the bans with which the episcopal representatives and spiritual courts practice their illusions when, with a slip of paper, they excommunicate people before a congregation ten, twenty, or thirty miles distant, although these people have never been condemned, accused, or convicted in their own congregation and before their own pastor. Instead, a bat comes flying out of a corner of episcopal officialdom, without witnesses and without divine command! But you must not be afraid of such an execrable ban. If a bishop or his representative desires to excommunicate
- 155 someone, let him or his representative go to the pastor of the congregation where the person is to be excommunicated. Justice must be done to him according to these words of Christ.
I am saying all this for the sake of the congregation. In dealing with one of its members who is under the ban it should be sure of the reason it thinks him to be deserving of excommunication as the words of Christ in our text direct. Otherwise the congregation might be deceived in imposing a ban which is false, thereby dealing with a neighbor unjustly. By such action it would blaspheme the keys, dishonor God, and be uncharitable toward the neighbor. This is not fitting for a Christian congregation. For it should be consulted if one of its members is to be excommunicated, as Christ commands. A congregation is not bound to put any faith in a slip of paper issued by an episcopal representative, nor need it be concerned about any bishop's letters. Indeed, it is bound not to give it credence. One should not believe the word of men if it concerns the affairs of God. Consequently a Christian congregation is not to play the part of a servant girl in the court of the bishop's deputy, or of the jailer to the bishop, so that either one of them can say: "Hey there, Gretel and Hans, keep this or that person under the ban." The congregation need not respond, "At your service, dear deputy." This perhaps might make sense in secular government, but in this case, where souls are at stake, the congregation shall have a place as judge and helper. Paul was an apostle, yet he was not willing to excommunicate a person who was living in adultery with his stepmother
[I Cor. 5:1]. But he called on the congregation to act. And when the congregation did not take any action, he did not either, because he was satisfied with whatever punishment the congregation meted out to him.
But how about a person who confesses his sins in public or in private? He has not yet been convicted and his confession may be false. In his case would the keys fail in their purpose? Answer: Christ says in Matt. 12[:37], "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Therefore, he who confesses of his own free will, and does it humbly, should be believed and forgiven. If he does it defiantly and with lying lips, he should also be believed. To him we say, Let it be to you as you say. Even if he confesses an imaginary sin, it is nonetheless a double sin, by which he intends to lie and to deceive. Hence he gets what he deserves and the key does not fail in its purpose. Just as David's sword did not fail in its purpose when he had the youth put to death who boasted in the king's presence of having killed Saul, although it was a lie (II Kings 1 [II Sam. 1:16]). For David said, "Your blood be on your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have slain the Lord's anointed.' " And all law codes agree that confession against one's own self is the surest conviction.
In conclusion, we possess these two keys through Christ's command. The key which binds is the power or office to punish the sinner who refuses to repent by means of a public condemnation to eternal death and separation from the rest of Christendom. And when such a judgment is pronounced, it is as a judgment of Christ himself. And if the sinner perseveres in his sin, he is certainly eternally damned. The loosing key is the power or office to absolve the sinner who makes confession and is converted from sins, promising again eternal life. And it has the same significance as if Christ himself passed judgment. And if he believes and continues in this faith he is certainly saved forever. For the key which binds carries forward the work of the law. It is profitable to the sinner inasmuch as it reveals to him his sins, admonishes him to fear God, causes him to tremble, and moves him to repentance, and not to destruction.
The loosing key carries forward the work of the gospel. It invites to grace and mercy. It comforts and promises life and salvation through the forgiveness of sins. In short, the two keys advance and foster the gospel by simply proclaiming these two things: repentance and forgiveness of sins [Luke 24:47].
Both of these keys are extremely necessary in Christendom, so that we never can thank God enough for them. For no human being can console a truly frightened sinful conscience. It takes a good deal of effort on the part of the key which looses to accomplish this task. A feeble and fearful conscience is like a severe illness so that faith in the judgment of the key must be stressed forcefully by preachers, pastors, and other Christians. Of such a faith nothing has ever been heard under the papal regime. Again, there are among Christians some uncouth and rude people with arrogant hearts who would grant to pious persons no rest or peace unless the key which binds is present with its rod, reprimanding the former and granting grace and safety to the latter. Despite the sharpness and severity of the key which binds, the achievement of its effect requires a good deal of effort. Therefore, the strong key which binds is for the pious Christians a great consolation, protection, defense, and fortress against evil people. Also, it serves as a wholesome medicine and has a beneficial effect on evil persons, although it is terrifying and annoying to the flesh. For - 156 this reason we should value dearly from the depth of our heart these two keys as indescribably precious treasures and jewels for our souls.
For the dear Man, the faithful Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ, is well aware that his beloved Christians are frail, that the devil, the flesh, and the world would tempt them unceasingly and in many ways, and that at times they would fall into sin. Therefore, he has given us this remedy, the key which binds, so that we might not remain too confident in our sins, arrogant, barbarous, and without God, and in the key which looses, that we should not despair in our sins. Thus aided we should stay on a middle road, between arrogance and faint-heartedness, in genuine humility and confidence, being provided for richly in every way. For he who does not sin (but who does not?), or insofar as he does not sin, has the common gospel. But he who does sin also has the keys beside the gospel.
By the gift of these keys God also wanted to guard effectively against future Novatians22 who taught that after baptism no mortal sin could be forgiven on earth. But here we recognize that Christ does not give the keys to heathen and unbaptized persons, but to his disciples, and to those who have been baptized.
Such a gift would be altogether useless, if sins were not forgiven to those baptized. It is written, "If your brother sins" [Matt. 18:15]. Surely, a brother is a baptized Christian. Yet he says, "If he sins." He does not say, "If he sins once," but simply, "If he sins." He does not set limits for the effectiveness of the key as to numbers or time. Rather, Christ clearly declares the keys' work to be limited by neither measure, number, nor time when he says, "Whatever you bind and loose." He does not refer to several things but to all, comprehended in the word "whatever." So the office of the keys covers every quantity, size, length, and form of sins, whatever their names may be. For he who says "whatever" makes no exception.
However, the word "whatever" should not be interpreted in the sense employed by the pope, as though the keys bind and loose all that is in heaven or on earth. By this interpretation we might usurp the claim to omnipotence. But, as already stated, it should only refer to sin and to nothing else. For we must understand the words of Christ, secundum materiam subjectam, that is, we must observe closely of what
Christ is speaking in any given passage, and treat the words accordingly, so as not to stretch them beyond their meaning. In attempting to teach everything on the basis of one passage or to make one passage apply to all sorts of things we would become like the factious spirits who simply apply all passages of Scripture to the sacrament of the altar even though they do not have the slightest reference to it. Clearly, Christ does not speak in this connection of any power in heaven or on earth, but of the sins of our brethren, and how we can help them to make amends. Therefore, we may not stretch the words of Christ nor interpret them in any other sense. And the words "whatever" and "binding and loosing" cannot be applied except to these sins.
For Christ's intention is to comfort us poor sinners in the most loving and effective manner. His purpose is not to give the pope power over the angels in heaven nor over emperors on earth. For our consolation all sins, none excepted, are subject to Peter or to the keys. All sins which he binds and looses shall be bound and loosed, despite the resistance of all devils, the whole world, and of all angels, and all despairing thoughts of our heart, even in the presence of death and evil omens. A simple, trusting heart can boldly rely on God's action. And in times of deep distress, with our conscience accusing us, we may say: Well then! I have been absolved of my sins, however many and great they may be, by means of the key, on which I may rely. Let no one remind me of my sins any longer. All are gone, forgiven, forgotten.
He who promises me, "Whatever you loose shall be loosed," does not lie; this I know. If my repentance is not sufficient, his Word is; if I am not worthy, his keys are: He is faithful and true. My sins shall not make a liar of him.
Behold, such faith should have been fostered and taught along with the keys. For they demand faith in our hearts, and without faith you cannot use them with profit. But if you believe in their judgment they recover for you the innocence you received in baptism. You will be born anew as a real saint, for God's
Word and the keys are holy. They sanctify all who believe in them. It is a very absurd and blasphemous thing to have made the keys depend so exclusively and vigorously on repentance and works. Instead, one should separate the work of the keys from human endeavor as far as the heavens are removed from the earth. Any reasonable person must admit that in the text the keys are not associated with the performance of any works. They enjoin and command nothing, but threaten and promise. Now, to threaten and promise are not the same as to command. The intention of the key which binds is that we heed its threatening and thereby come to fear God. He who believes the key which threatens has satisfied it before and without - 157 performing any works. The key does not demand any other work. Afterward such faith will indeed perform works. The intention of the key which looses is to make us believe its consolation and promise, and so learn to love God and receive a joyful, confident, and peaceful heart. He who has faith in the key, has satisfied it by means of such faith, before and without performing any works. This key demands no other works. Afterward such faith will indeed perform works.
We should also be very careful not to foster or teach the one key without the other, according to the example and words of Christ, who always connected the two. Under the papacy the key which binds was used so abominably and tyranically, while the key which looses with its power was stifled altogether, so that everybody had come to hate both keys, and no one experienced sincere contrition or penitence.
According to papal teaching, a man should catalogue all his sins and recall them and as a result of the fear of hell create the experience of contrition. Thus through human endeavor he would earn grace before having had recourse to the keys, although it naturally was impossible to recall all one's sins. In addition, the papists taught one should reflect only on the dragon's scaly and coarse sins. But they did not discern the powerful and real abominations, the head and tail of the dragon-like devil with his spiritual poison— that is to say, unbelief, grumbling against God, hatred of God, doubt, blasphemy, despising God, and the like. Much less were they able to teach repentance concerning them. Therefore, their penance was a mere pretense, and it lasted only half the length of Holy Week. Their penance was not thorough, nor was their understanding of it adequate. Instead of attacking real abominations they only taught about imaginary sins committed against their dishonest laws. Of what value could such penance be?
They gave no thorough instruction about sin, nor did they teach anything about Christ, our Mediator, or the consolation attained by the keys. Teaching nothing about faith but only about the unbearable and futile torments of penance, confession, satisfaction, and our own human endeavor, they represented Christ as a cruel judge whom we had to appease, not only with our penance, confession, and works of satisfaction, but with the intercession of his mother and of all the saints. We had to placate Christ with every priest's mass and with every monk's and nun's merit, yet without avail. Nothing remained but a troubled conscience, a fearful heart, despair, and the beginning of the pangs of hell. Is it not so? Who can deny it? Are not the bulls and documents at hand? When I tried to rebuke such manner of penance, I merited the distinction of being condemned as a heretic through Pope Leo [X] and his jackasses. Their harmful and blasphemous abominations had to stand as true articles of faith.
But Christ teaches here [i.e., Matt. 16:19; 18:18] that one should point a sinful conscience to the consolation of the other key and not only the fear produced by the first key. For repentance should also arise from joy and love. To repent out of fear of everlasting punishment without love and devotion to righteousness is to hate God secretly, to blaspheme, and add to one's sins. Such a repentance is no more than that of Judas. But who can repent gladly and joyfully without having the certain consolation and promise of grace which is not the product of our own mind (for this will not last or hold), but must be offered and presented through a definite promise of God's Word? This same consolation mellows and alleviates the terror of the key which binds, enabling our heart to bear and endure it. This is the sort of repentance which does not curse God nor secretly hate him but loves and praises him. It stems from a joyful fear and trembling (Ps. 2[:1]). This fear pleases God and is of lasting value, bringing forth a new and different man and imparting a true hatred for sin. This can never be achieved by reflection on one's own trespasses, by the fear of hell, or by papal penance.
I maintain one should restore and exalt the teaching about the two keys. Many believe they are experts on this matter, yet they do not understand it. The papists pay little attention to it, for although they hear and read about it, they do not, in the last analysis, care to understand it. For their hearts are set on other thoughts, and they have the veil of Moses covering their eyes.
For the time being let this be enough regarding the keys. May God in grace grant that the ban again come into its right and the doctrine of repentance and of the keys again be rightly known. May the Father of all wisdom and consolation so help us through the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be praise and thanks in all eternity. Amen.