Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)Luther, Martin
ReligionChristian
Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)
Luther, Martin
Lutheran Church -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 16th century -- Early works to 1800
In the second place, it is proved by the nature of the head. For
it is the nature of every head joined to a body to infuse into
all its members life and feeling and activity. This will be
found to be true of the heads in worldly affairs. For the ruler
of a country instils into his subjects all the things which are
in his own mind and will, and causes all his subjects to be of
like mind and will with himself, and thus they do the work he
wishes to have done, and this work is truly said to have been
instilled into the subjects by the prince, for without him it
would not have been done. Now no man can instil into the soul of
another, nor into his own soul, true faith, and the mind, will
and work of Christ, but this Christ Himself must do. For neither
pope nor bishop can produce faith in a man's heart, nor anything
else a Christian member should have. But a Christian must have
the mind and will which Christ has in heaven, as the apostle
says, I. Corinthians ii [1. Cor. 2:16; 3:23]. It may also happen
that a Christian member has the faith which neither pope nor
bishop has; how then can the pope be his head? And if the pope
cannot give to himself the life of the spiritual church, how can
he instil it into another? Who has ever seen a live animal with a
lifeless head? The head must give life to the body, and therefore
it is clear that on earth there is no other head of the spiritual
Christendom but Christ alone. Moreover, if a man were its head
here below, Christendom would perish as often as a pope dies. For
the body cannot live when the head is dead.
It follows further, that in this Church Christ can have no vicar,
and therefore neither pope nor bishop is Christ's vicar or regent
in this Church, nor can he ever become such. And this is proved
as follows: A regent, if obedient to his lord, labors with and
urges on the subjects and instils into them the same work which
his lord himself instils, just as we see in temporal government,
where there is one mind and will in lord, regents, and subjects.
And if he were more holy than St. Peter, the pope can never
instill into or create in a Christian man the work of Christ his
Lord, i. e., faith, hope, love, and every grace and virtue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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