sk nothing beside, what Pope or
bishop teach or decide." Were they true bishops, then would they
teach the ground of faith that they knew was common to all
Christians. Yet they rush on and cry out, "The laity must not be
suffered to read the Scriptures."

So if any one asks you whether you will have the Pope for a head, say
at once, "I will hold him for a head--a head of wickedness and
profligacy." And for this I have a passage of St. Paul, I. Tim. iv.:
"There shall come the devil's teachers forbidding to marry, and
commanding to abstain from meats which God has created." That too has
the Pope forbidden, as is the case now. Therefore is he Antichrist.
For what Christ commands and teaches, that _he_ transgresses. What
Christ makes free, that the Pope binds--Christ says, it is not sin,
while the Pope rejoins, it is sin.

Thus should one now learn to give a reason and answer for his faith.
For though not now, yet at death will it come to pass, that the devil
will come forward and say, "Why have you charged the Pope as
Antichrist?" If you are not prepared and ready to show reason, then
has he won. It is as much as though St. Peter had said, If ye will
now be faithful, ye must henceforth endure much persecution. But in
this persecution must you have a hope, and must look for Eternal
life. If one asks you why you hope for it, then you must have the
word of God, on which you can build.

But the sophists also have perverted the text, as though one was to
convince heretics with reason, and out of the natural light of
Aristotle; therefore (say they) it is here rendered in the Latin,
_Rationem reddere_, as if St. Peter had thought it should be done
with human reason. Because, say they, the Scriptures are far too
inconclusive that from them we should silence heretics. The method by
which (according to them) it must be shown that the faith is a right
one, must agree with reason, and come forth from the brain; whereas,
our faith is above reason, and subject to God alone. Therefore, if
the people will not believe, then should you be silent; for you are
not responsible for compelling them to hold the Scriptures as the
word or book of God. It is enough that you give your reason
therefrom. But if they take exceptions, and say, "You preach that one
should not hold to man's doctrine, while Peter and Paul, and Christ
even, were men:" when you hear people of this stamp, who are so blind
and obtuse that they deny that this is God's word,