among them, that should make up
the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I
should not destroy it; but I found none. Therefore have I poured
out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the
fire of My wrath." [Ezek. 22:30] With these words God indicates
how He wants us to withstand Him and turn away His anger from one
another [Ex. 32:11 ff.], as it is frequently written of the
Prophet Moses, that he restrained God, [Num. 14:13 ff., 21:7]
lest His anger should overwhelm the people of Israel. [Ps.
106:23]

[Sidenote: The Indifference of Man]

XV. But what will they do, who not only do not regard such
misfortune of Christendom, and do not pray against Men it, but
laugh at it, take pleasure in it, condemn, malign, sing and talk
of their neighbor's sin, and yet dare, unafraid and unashamed, go
to church, hear mass, say prayers, and regard themselves and are
regarded as pious Christians? These truly are in need that we
pray twice for them, if we pray once for those whom they condemn,
talk about and laugh at. That there would be such is also
prophesied by Luke the thief on Christ's left band, who
blasphemed Him in His suffering, weakness and need; [Luke 23:39,
35] also by all those who reviled Christ on the Cross, when they
should most of all have helped Him.

O God, how blind, nay, how insane have we Christians become! When
will there be an end of wrath, O heavenly Father? That we mock at
the misfortune of Christendom, to pray for which we gather
together in Church and at the mass, that we blaspheme and condemn
men, this is the fruit of our mad materialism.[33] If the Turk
destroys cities, country and people, and ruins churches, we think
a great injury has been done Christendom. Then we complain, and
urge kings and princes to war. But when faith perishes, love
grows cold, God's Word is neglected, and all manner of sin
flourishes, then no one thinks of fighting, nay, pope, bishops,
priests and clergy, who ought to be generals, captains and
standard-bearers in this spiritual warfare against these
spiritual and many times worse Turks, these are themselves the
very princes and leaders of such Turks and of the devil host,
just as Judas was the leader of the Jews when they took Christ
[Luke 24:47]. It had to be an apostle, a bishop, a priest, one of
the number of the best, who began the work of slaying Christ. So
also must Christendom be laid waste by no others than those who
ought to protect