m. 17:51]. For I
can prove that the papacy has been subject not only to Satan, but
to other bishops, yea, also to temporal powers, to the emperors.
How did the rock prevail then against the gates of hell? I will
leave the choice to them: either these words mean defeat for the
papacy, or God is a liar. Let us see which they will choose.

Nor is it enough that you try to squirm out of the dilemma by
saying that even if the papacy has been under Satan now and then,
yet there have always been pious Christians under it. I reply:
Under the rule of the Turk there are Christians, and likewise
there are Christians in all the world, as there were aforetime
under Nero and other tyrants. How does that help you? The papacy
and the pope himself must at no time have been under Satan if
Christ's word refers to them when He speaks of "a rock set
against the gates of hell." See, thus do the Romanists interpret
the Scriptures in accordance with their mad folly. Faith they
turn into authority, spiritual edification into outward show, and
yet they are not heretics--they make all others to be the
heretics. Such are the Romanists.

Another passage which they cite in support of their contention is
that in which the Lord says three times to Peter, "Feed My
sheep." [John 21:15] Here they reach real eminence as theologians
when they say: Since Christ said to Peter in particular, "Feed My
sheep," He thereby conferred on him authority above all others.

[Sidenote: Feeding the Sheep and Roman Authority]

Now we shall see to what labor and pains they are put to bring
about that result. In the first place, we must know what they
mean by "feeding." "Feeding," in the Roman sense, means to burden
Christendom with many human and hurtful laws, to sell the
bishoprics at the highest possible price, to extract the
annates[70] from all benefices, to usurp authority over all
foundations, to force into servitude all the bishops with
terrible oaths, to sell indulgences, to rob the whole world by
means of letters, bulls, seals and wax, to prohibit the preaching
of the Gospel, to appoint knaves from Rome to all the places, to
bring all litigation to Rome, to increase quarrels and
disputes--in short, to allow no one to come freely to the truth
and to have peace.

But if they say that by "feeding" they do not understand such
abuse of authority, but the authority itself, it is simply not
true. And I prove it in this wise: Where one protests very mildly
agains