s of hell: Not to be in an external
communion[69], authority, jurisdiction or assembly in a bodily
manner, according to your way of babbling about the Roman
communion[69] and its unity, but by a firm and true faith to be
built upon Christ, the Rock which can never be suppressed by any
power of the devil, even if he counts more followers and uses
unceasing strife, cunning, and violence against it.

[Sidenote: Evil Results of Roman Authority]

Now the greater part of the Roman communion,[69] and even some of
the popes themselves, have forsaken the faith wantonly and
without struggle, and live under the power of Satan, as is
plainly to be seen, and thus the papacy often has been under the
dominion of the gates of hell. And should I speak quite openly,
this same Roman authority, ever since the time it has presumed to
soar over all Christendom, not only has never attained its
purpose, but has become the cause of nearly all the apostasy,
heresy, discord, sects, unbelief and misery in Christendom, and
has never freed itself from the gates of hell. And if there were
no other passage to prove that Roman authority was of human and
not of divine right, this passage alone would be sufficient,
where Christ says, the gates of hell shall not prevail against
His building on the rock. Now the gates of hell ofttimes had the
papacy in their power, at times the pope was not a pious man, and
the office was occupied by a man without faith, without grace,
without good works; which God would never have permitted if the
papacy were meant in Christ's word concerning the rock. For then
He would not be true to His promise, nor fulfil His own word;
therefore the rock, and the building of Christ founded upon it,
must be something entirely different from the papacy and its
external Church.

Accordingly I say further, that the Roman bishop has often been
deposed or appointed by other bishops. If, however, his authority
were by divine appointment and promise, God would never have
permitted this to happen, for it would be against His word and
promise. And if God were found to be unfaithful in so much as
even one word, then would perish faith, truth, the Scriptures,
and God Himself. But if God's words stand firm, then my
adversaries must prove to me that the pope was never subject,
even once, to Satan or to man. I would much like to hear just
what my good Romanists have to say to this. I trust they are
slain with their own sword, like Goliath [1 Sa