Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume II)Luther, Martin
ReligionChristian
Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume II)
Luther, Martin
Lutheran Church -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 16th century -- Early works to 1800
We come now to their strongest argument. It is this: Christ said at
the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] Here,
they say, Christ ordained the apostles to the priesthood. From this
passage they also concluded, among other things, that both kinds are
to be administered to the priests alone.[177] In fine, they have drawn
out of this passage whatever they pleased, as men who might arrogate
to themselves the free will to prove anything whatever from any words
of Christ, no matter where found. But is that interpreting the words
of God? Pray, answer me! Christ gives us no promise here, but only
commands that this be done in remembrance of Him. Why do they not
conclude that He also ordained priests when He laid upon them the
office of the Word and of baptism, saying, "Go ye into all the world,
and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptising them in the name,"
[Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19] etc.? For it is the proper duty of priests
to preach and to baptise. Or, since it is nowadays the chief and, as
they say, indispensable duty of priests to read the canonical
hours,[178] why have they not discovered the sacrament of ordination
in those passages in which Christ, in many places and particularly in
the garden, commanded them to pray that they might not enter into
temptation? [Matt. 26:41] But perhaps they will evade this argument by
saying that it is not commanded to _pray_; it is enough to _read_ the
canonical hours. Then it follows that this priestly work can be proved
nowhere in the Scriptures, and thus their praying priesthood is not of
God, as, indeed, it is not.
But which of the ancient Fathers claimed that in this passage priests
were ordained? Whence comes this novel interpretation? I will tell
you. They have sought by this device to set up a nursery of implacable
discord, whereby clerics and laymen should be separated from each
other farther than heaven from earth, to the incredible injury of the
grace of baptism and the confusion of our fellowship in the Gospel.
Here, indeed, are the roots of that detestable tyranny of the clergy
over the laity; trusting in the external anointing by which their
hands are consecrated, in the tonsure and in vestments, they not only
exalt themselves above lay Christians, who are only anointed with the
Holy Spirit, but regard them almost as dogs and unworthy to be
included with them in the Church. Hence they are bold to demand, to
exact, to threaten, to urge, to oppress, as much as they please. In
short, the sacrament of ordination has been and is a most approved
device for the establishing of all the horrible things that have been
wrought hitherto and will yet be wrought in the Church. Here Christian
brotherhood has perished, here shepherds have been turned into wolves,
servants into tyrants, churchmen into worse than worldlings.
[Sidenote: The Priesthood of All Christians]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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