2. Commandments cannot be imposed where there is no power.
such things, not the Church; for the Church1 commands nothing unless it is sure it is God's
Word. As St. Peter says, "If any man speaks let him speak as the oracles of God." (Peter 4:11)
It will be a very long time, however, before they prove that the statements of the councils are
God's Word. It is still more foolish when they assert that kings and princes and the mass of men believe thus and so [to be God's Word].2
If you please, we are not baptised unto kings, princes, or even unto the mass of men, but unto Christ and unto God himself; nor are we called kings, princes, or common folk, but Christians. No one shall and can command the soul, unless he can show it the way to heaven; but this no man can do, only God. Therefore in matters which concern the salvation of souls nothing but God's Word shall be taught and accepted.
Again, consummate fools though they are, they must confess that they have no power over souls. For no human being can kill a soul or make it alive, conduct it to heaven or hell. And if they will not believe us in this, Christ indeed will certify strongly enough to it, since He says in Mat 10:28, "Do not fear those who kill the body and after that have power to do nothing; but rather fear Him Who after He has killed the body has power to condemn to hell." I consider that here it is sufficiently clear that the soul is taken out of all human hands and is placed under the power of God alone.
2. Commandments cannot be imposed where there is no power.
Now tell me, how much wit is there in the head of him who imposes commandments where he has no power at all? Who would not regard one as insane if he commanded the moon to shine when he desired it? How fitting it would be if the Leipzigers would impose laws on us
Wittenbergers; or again, if we in Wittenberg were to lay laws on those in Leipzig. They would certainly send the law-makers a thank-offering of hellebore3 to clear the brain and cure the snuffles. Nevertheless, our emperors and wise princes continue to permit pope, bishops, and sophists to lead them on, one blind man leading the other, to command their subjects to believe, without God's Word, whatever they please, and still want to be known as Christian princes. God help us!
Besides, we can understand how any authority shall and may act only where it can see, know, judge, change and convert. For what kind of judge would he be who blindly judged matters which he neither heard nor saw? Tell me, how can a man see, know, judge, condemn and change hearts? This is reserved for God alone, as Psa 7:9 says, "God tries the heart and mind;" likewise, "The Lord shall judge the people" (Psa 7:8); and Acts 15:8, "God knows the hearts"; and, Jer 17:9, "Wicked and unsearchable is the human heart; who can know it? I the Lord, who search the heart and mind." A court ought to and must be quite certain and clear about everything, if it is to pass sentence.
But the thoughts and intents of the heart can be known to no one but God; therefore it is useless and impossible to command or compel anyone by force to believe one thing or another. It must be taken hold of in a different way; force cannot accomplish it. And I am surprised at the great fools, since they themselves all say, De occultis non judicat ecclesia — the Church does not judge secret things. If the spiritual rule of the Church governs only
1 The congregation of believers.
2 That is, it isn't true just because most people, or important people, or even church officials, believe it to be true.
God's Word is the only truth that matters; and the only standard of truth by which to measure the thoughts of men, any and all men. From this comes the Reformation principle, Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone.
3 Among the ancients hellebore was considered a cure for insanity. It is a perennial herb of the lily family, having thick toxic rhizomes.