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
All this is confined by the article in the Creed: "I believe in
the Holy Ghost, one Holy Christian Church, the Communion of
Saints." No one says: "I believe in the Holy Ghost, one Holy
Roman Church, a Communion of the Romans." Thus it is clear that
the Holy Church is not bound to Rome, but is as wide as the
world, the assembly of those of one faith, a spiritual and not a
bodily thing, for that which one believes is not bodily or
visible. The external Roman Church we all see, therefore it
cannot be the true Church, which is believed, and which is a
community or assembly of the saints in faith, for no one can see
who is a saint or a believer.
[Sidenote: The Marks of the Church]
The external marks, whereby one can perceive where this Church is
on earth, are baptism, the Sacrament, and the Gospel; and not
Rome, or this place, or that. For where baptism and the Gospel
are, no one may doubt that there are saints, even if it were only
the babes in their cradles. But neither Rome nor the papal power
is a mark of the Church,[44] for that power cannot make
Christians, as baptism and the Gospel do; and therefore it does
not belong to the true Church[44] and is but a human ordinance.
Therefore I would advise this Romanist to go to school another
year, and to learn what the Church or the head of the Church[44]
really means, before he drives out the poor heretics with
writings of such height, depth, breadth and length. It grieves me
to the heart that we must suffer these mad saints to tear asunder
and blaspheme the Holy Scriptures with such insolence, license,
and shamelessness, and that they make bold to deal with the
Scriptures, whereas they are not fit to care for a herd of swine.
Heretofore I have held that where something was to be proved by
the Scriptures, the Scriptures quoted must really refer to the
point at issue. I learn now that it is enough to throw many
passages together helter-skelter, whether they are fit or not. If
this is to be the way, then I can easily prove from the
Scriptures that beer is better than wine.[45]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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