21. Whether one be justly or unjustly under the ban, no one may exclude him from the Church until the Gospel has been read or the sermon preached[26]. For from the hearing of the Gospel and the sermon no one shall or can exclude or be excluded. The hearing of the Word of God should remain free to every one[27]. Nay, those who are under a just ban ought most of all to hear it, that they may perchance be moved by it to acknowledge their sin and to reform. We read that it was the ancient practice of the Church to dismiss those under the ban after the sermon, and if a whole congregation were under the ban the sermon must be allowed to proceed just as though there were no ban. In addition, even though he who is under the ban may not remain for the mass after the sermon, nor come to the sacrament[28], nevertheless he should not neglect it, but spiritually come to the sacrament, that is, he should heartily desire it and believe that he can spiritually receive it, as was said in the treatise on the sacrament[29]. FOOTNOTES [1] In the preceding treatise on the _Blessed Sacrament_. [2] See above, p. 10. [3] See above, p. 18. [4] I. e., the necessaries of life. [5] E. g., the crusades against heretics, and the inquisition of the thirteenth century. Luther's statement that to burn heretics is contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit was condemned in the Bull _Exsurge Domine_, of July 15, 1520. [6] Cf. p. 53. [7] Cf. p. 10. [8] See Vol. I, pp. 53, 163 ff. [9] The officials were officers of the bishops' courts; see also below, p. 103. [10] In Vito, lib. V, tit. xi, c. I,_Cum medicinalis_. [11] According to Luther's interpretation of 1 Cor. 5:5. Cf. also Acts 5:5. [12] The passage quoted from the canon law. [13] For instances see the _Gravamina of the German Nation_ (1521), Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, II, 685. [14] Thiele, _Luthers Sprichwörtersammlung_, No. 276. [15] I. e., a cleric. [16] This statement also was condemned in the papal bull. [17] The "officials" were the administrators of this discipline, see above, p. 41. [18] A very important limitation for Luther's position. [19] See Open Letter to the Nobility, below, p. 98. [20] Again an important limitation. [21] See above, p. 41. [22] The ashes of Hus were cast into the Rhine (1415), and the body of Wycliff was exhumed and cremated and the ashes cast into the water (1427). [23] See above, p. 42. [24] In 1518 both George and Frederick of Saxony took the position that spiritual jurisdiction should be limited to spiritual matters. Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchen politik Georgs_ 1, 44. [25] Luther puts a peculiar construction upon this passage. [26] The ancient service was divided into the service of the Word (_missa catechumenorum_) and the celebration of the sacrament (_missa fidelium_); before the second, those under the ban as well as the catechumens were required to withdraw. [27] The "great ban" excluded from all services.