ve the word of God,
abide thereon, and suffer yourselves not to be drawn from it by
others that teach falsely, though they come and give forth that they
have the Holy Spirit. For this ye should know first of all (the
second matter he would speak of afterward), that no prophecy of the
Scripture is of any private interpretation; by this be directed, and
do not think that ye shall explain the Scripture by your own reason
and wisdom.

In this the private interpretation of Scripture by all the fathers is
thrown down and rejected, and it is forbidden to build on such
interpretation. Though Jerome, or Augustine, or any one of the
fathers have explained it of himself, yet would not we have it from
him. Peter has forbidden you to explain it of yourself at all. The
Holy Spirit will explain it Himself, or it shall remain unexplained.
If now any one of the holy fathers can prove that he has his
explanation from the Scriptures, which give assurance that it should
be so explained, then it is right; where this is not the case, I for
one shall not believe him. Thus Peter lays hold on the boldest and
best teachers; wherefore we should rest assured that none is to be
believed who sets the Scripture forth where he of himself opens and
explains it. For there can be no true sense obtained by private
interpretation. Here have all the teachers and fathers who have
explained the Scripture stumbled, so far as they are extant to us. As
when they refer the passage of Christ, Matt. xvi.: _Thou art Peter,
and on this rock will I build my church_, to the Pope. That is a
human, self-invented explanation; therefore, no one is to believe
them, for they cannot prove out of the Scripture that Peter is ever
spoken of as Pope. But this we can prove, that the rock is Christ and
faith, as Paul says. This explanation is the right one; for of this
we are sure, it has not been invented by men, but drawn from God's
word. Now what is found written and foretold in the prophets, says
Peter, that men have not searched out nor invented; but holy and
pious men have spoken it from the Holy Spirit.

Thus this is the first chapter, wherein St. Peter has first of all
taught us what those really good works are whereby we must give proof
of our faith. In the second place, that no man in Christendom should
preach anything but God's word alone. The reason why it should be so
is no other, as we have said, except that men should preach that word
which shall remain forever, w