is the reason, too, why the pope and the
Romanists cannot bear any questioning and investigating of the
foundation of papal power, and every one is accused of doing a
scandalous, presumptuous and heretical thing, who is not
satisfied with their mere assertions, but seeks for its real
basis. But that one should ask if God is God, and seek in
frivolous presumption to penetrate all His mysteries, they suffer
with equanimity, and it does not concern them. Whence this
perverted game? From this, that, as Christ says, John iii, "He
that doeth evil, feareth the light." [John 3:20] Where is the
thief or robber who courts investigation? Thus the evil
conscience cannot bear the light; but truth loveth the light, and
is an enemy to darkness, even as Christ says in the same chapter,
"He that doeth truth, cometh to the light." [John 3:21]

Now we see that the two sayings of Christ, spoken to Peter, on
which they build the papacy, are stronger against the papacy than
all others, and the Romanists can produce nothing that does not
make them a laughing-stock. I shall let the matter rest here,
and pass by whatever else this miserable Romanist spues out in
his book; since I have controverted it all many times before, and
now also some others have effectually done so in Latin.[79] I
find nothing in it, except that he soils the Holy Scriptures like
a sniveling child; in no place does he show a mastery of his
words or an understanding of his subject.

[Sidenote: The Conclusion of the Matter]

On the subject of the papacy I have come to this conclusion:
Since we observe that the pope has full authority over all our
bishops, and has not attained it apart from the providence of
God--although I do not believe that it is a gracious, but rather
a wrathful providence which permits men, as a plague on the
world, to exalt themselves and oppress others--therefore I do not
desire that any one should resist the pope, but rather bow to the
providence of God, honor this authority, and endure it with all
patience, just as if the Turk ruled over us; in this wise it will
do no harm.

I contend for but two things. First: I will not suffer any man to
establish new articles of faith, and to abuse all other
Christians in the world, and slander and brand them as heretics,
apostates and unbelievers, simply because they are not under the
pope. It is enough that we let the pope be pope, and it is not
needful that, for his sake, God and His saints on earth sh