to find counsel or help even in the most trivial
temptations. For the devil and reason, or human wisdom, can dispute
and syllogize with extraordinary subtlety in these things until one
imagines to be true wisdom that which is not. A wise man soon becomes
a fool; men readily err and make false steps; a Christian likewise is
prone to stumble; ay, even a good teacher and prophet can easily be
deceived by reason's brilliant logic. Essentially, then, Christians
must take warning and study, with careful meditation, the Word of
God.

24. We read of St. Martin how he would not undertake to dispute with
heretics for the simple reason that he was unwilling to fall into
wrangling, to rationalize with them or to attempt to defeat them by
the weapon of reason, the sole means whereby they pointed and adorned
all their arguments, as the world always does when opposing the Word
of God. The shrewd Papists today pretend, as they think, very acutely
to confirm and support all their antichristian abominations by the
name of the Church, making the idiotic claim that one must not effect
nor suffer any change in the religious teaching commonly accepted by
Christendom. They say we must believe the Christian Church is always
guided by the Holy Spirit and therefore demands our obedience. Notice
here the name of the Church, concerning which your spiritual wisdom
teaches according to the article: "I believe in a holy Christian
Church." But that name is distorted to confirm the lies and idolatry
of the Papacy, just as is true of the name of God. So there is need
of understanding, of careful, keen discernment, that wisdom be not
perverted and falsified, and man be deceived with its counterfeit.

25. By close examination and comparison with God's Word, the standard
and test, you may clearly prove the Papacy to be not the Church of
Christ, but a sect of Satan; it is filled with open idolatry, lies
and murder, which its adherents fain would defend. These things the
Church of Christ does not endorse, and to tax it with resolving,
appointing, ordering and demanding obedience to that which is at
variance with the Word of God, is to do the Church wrong and
violence.

CHURCH NOT TO COMPROMISE WITH PAPISTS.

26. The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to
quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to
effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the
learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor