Confessional Corner: The Church in Action (SA III X-XV)

"If the bishops would be true bishops and would devote themselves to the Church and the Gospel, we might grant them to ordain and confirm us and our preachers. This would be for the sake of love and unity, but not because it was necessary. However, they would have to give up all comedies and spectacular display of unchristian parade and pomp. But they do not even want to be true bishops, but worldly lords and princes, who will neither preach, nor teach, nor baptize, nor administer the Lord's Supper, nor perform any work or office of the Church. Furthermore, they persecute and condemn those who do discharge these functions, having been called to do so. So the Church should not be deprived of ministers because of the bishops" (SA III X 1-2). "They have neither the authority nor the right to ban marriage and to burden the divine order of priests with perpetual celibacy. They have acted like anti-Christian, tyrannical, desperate scoundrels, and by this have caused all kinds of horrible, outrageous, innumerable sins of unchastity, in which they themselves still wallow. Now, neither we nor they have been given the power to make a woman out of a man or a man out of a woman, or to nullify either sex. So they have had no authority to separate such creatures of God, or to forbid them from living honestly in marriage with one another. Therefore, we are unwilling to agree to their outrageous celibacy, nor will we tolerate it. We want to have marriage free as God has instituted it, and we want neither to repeal nor hinder His work. For Paul says that this ban on marriage is the 'teachings of demons' (1 Timothy 4:1-3)" (SA III XI). "We do not agree with them that they are the Church. They are not the Church. Nor will we listen to those things that, under the name of Church, they command or forbid. Thank God, a seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd [John 10:11-16]. For the children pray, 'I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.' This holiness does not come from albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other ceremonies they made up without Holy Scripture, but from God's Word and true faith" (SA III XII). "I do not know how to change in the least what I have previously and constantly taught about justification. Namely, that through faith, as St. Peter says, we have a new and clean heart [Acts 15:9-11], and God will and does account us entirely righteous and holy for the sake of Christ, our Mediator [1 Timothy 2:5]. Although sin in the flesh has not yet been completely removed or become dead [Romans 7:18], yet He will not punish or remember it" (SA III XIII 1). "Since monastic vows directly conflict with the first chief article, they must be absolutely abolished. It is about them that Christ says, 'Many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and they will lead many astray' (Matthew 24:5, 23-24). He who makes a vow to live as a monk believes he will enter upon a way of life holier than ordinary Christians lead. He wants to earn Heaven by his own works, not only for himself, but also for others. This is to deny Christ. They also boast from their St. Thomas Aquinas that a monastic vow is equal to Baptism. This is blasphemy" (SA III XIV). "The declaration of the papists that human traditions serve for the forgiveness of sins or merit salvation is unchristian and condemned. As Christ says, 'In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men' [Matthew 15:9]. Again, 'the commands of people who turn away from the truth' [Titus 1:14]. When they declare that it is a mortal sin if someone breaks these ordinances, this, too, is not right" (SA III XV 1-2). Subscribe on Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/h74P) or your favorite podcast app.