_The Smalcald Articles.
                      Articles of Christian Doctrine
               which were to have been presented on our part
           to the Council, if any had been assembled at Mantua
               or elsewhere, indicating what we could accept
                      or yield, and what we could not._
                         by Dr. Martin Luther, 1537
                   Translated by F. Bente and  W. H. T. Dau
                                Published in:
                  _Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books
                        of the Ev. Lutheran Church_.
        (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921), pp. 453-529.
 
        THE SECOND PART
         
        Article IV: Of the Papacy. 
         
        That the Pope is not, according to divine law or according to
        the Word of God the head of all Christendom (for this [name]
        belongs to One only, whose name is Jesus Christ), but is only
        the bishop and pastor of the Church at Rome, and of those who
        voluntarily or through a human creature (that is, a political
        magistrate) have attached themselves to him, to be Christians,
        not under him as a lord, but with him as brethren [colleagues]
        and comrades, as the ancient councils and the age of St.
        Cyprian show. 
         
        But to-day none of the bishops dare to address the Pope as
        brother as was done at that time [in the age of Cyprian]; but
        they must call him most gracious lord, even though they be
        kings or emperors. This [Such arrogance] we will not, cannot,
        must not take upon our conscience [with a good conscience
        approve]. Let him, however, who will do it, do so without us
        [at his own risk]. 
         
        Hence it follows that all things which the Pope, from a power
        so false, mischievous, blasphemous, and arrogant, has done and
        undertaken. have been and still are purely diabolical affairs
        and transactions (with the exception of such things as pertain
        to the secular government, where God often permits much good
        to be effected for a people, even through a tyrant and
        [faithless] scoundrel) for the ruin of the entire holy
        [catholic or] Christian Church (so far as it is in his power)
        and for the destruction of the first and chief article
        concerning the redemption made through Jesus Christ. 
         
        For all his bulls and books are extant, in which he roars like
        a lion (as the angel in Rev. 12 depicts him, [crying out] that
        no Christian can be saved unless he obeys him and is subject
        to him in all things that he wishes, that he says, and that he
        does. All of which amounts to nothing less than saying:
        Although you believe in Christ, and have in Him [alone]
        everything that is necessary to salvation, yet it is nothing
        and all in vain unless you regard [have and worship] me as
        your god, and be subject and obedient to me. And yet it is
        manifest that the holy Church has been without the Pope for at
        least more than five hundred years, and that even to the
        present day the churches of the Greeks and of many other
        languages neither have been nor are yet under the Pope.
        Besides, as often remarked, it is a human figment which is not
        commanded, and is unnecessary and useless; for the holy
        Christian [or catholic] Church can exist very well without
        such a head, and it would certainly have remained better
        [purer, and its career would have been more prosperous] if
        such a head had not been raised up by the devil. And the
        Papacy is also of no use in the Church, because it exercises
        no Christian office; and therefore it is necessary for the
        Church to continue and to exist without the Pope. 
         
        And supposing that the Pope would yield this point, so as not
        to be supreme by divine right or from Gods command, but that
        we must have [there must be elected] a [certain] head, to whom
        all the rest adhere [as their support] in order that the
        [concord and] unity of Christians may be preserved against
        sects and heretics, and that such a head were chosen by men,
        and that it were placed within the choice and power of men to
        change or remove this head, just as the Council of Constance
        adopted nearly this course with reference to the Popes,
        deposing three and electing a fourth; supposing, I say, that
        the Pope and See at Rome would yield and accept this (which,
        nevertheless, is impossible; for thus he would have to suffer
        his entire realm and estate to be overthrown and destroyed,
        with all his rights and books, a thing which, to speak in few
        words, he cannot do), nevertheless, even in this way
        Christianity would not be helped, but many more sects would
        arise than before. 
         
        For since men would have to be subject to this head, not from
        God's command, but from their personal good pleasure, it would
        easily and in a short time be despised, and at last retain no
        member; neither would it have to be forever confined to Rome
        or any other place, but it might be wherever and in whatever
        church God would grant a man fit for the [taking upon him such
        a great] office. Oh, the complicated and confused state of
        affairs [perplexity] that would result! 
         
        Therefore the Church can never be better governed and
        preserved than if we all live under one head, Christ, and all
        the bishops equal in office (although they be unequal in
        gifts), be diligently joined in unity of doctrine, faith,
        Sacraments, prayer, and works of love, etc., as St. Jerome
        writes that the priests at Alexandria together and in common
        governed the churches, as did also the apostles, and
        afterwards all bishops throughout all Christendom, until the
        Pope raised his head above all. 
         
        This teaching shows forcefully that the Pope is the very
        Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself
        against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be
        saved without his power, which, nevertheless, is nothing, and
        is neither ordained nor commanded by God. This is, properly
        speaking to exalt himself above all that is called God as Paul
        says, 2 Thess. 2, 4. Even the Turks or the Tartars, great
        enemies of Christians as they are, do not do this, but they
        allow whoever wishes to believe in Christ, and take bodily
        tribute and obedience from Christians. 
         
        The Pope, however, prohibits this faith, saying that to be
        saved a person must obey him. This we are unwilling to do,
        even though on this account we must die in God s name. This
        all proceeds from the fact that the Pope has wished to be
        called the supreme head of the Christian Church by divine
        right. Accordingly he had to make himself equal and superior
        to Christ, and had to cause himself to be proclaimed the head
        and then the lord of the Church, and finally of the whole
        world, and simply God on earth, until he has dared to issue
        commands even to the angels in heaven. And when we distinguish
        the Pope s teaching from, or measure and hold it against, Holy
        Scripture, it is found [it appears plainly] that the Pope s
        teaching, where it is best, has been taken from the imperial
        and heathen law and treats of political matters and decisions
        or rights, as the Decretals show; furthermore, it teaches of
        ceremonies concerning churches, garments, food, persons and
        [similar] puerile, theatrical and comical things without
        measure, but in all these things nothing at all of Christ,
        faith, and the commandments of God. Lastly, it is nothing else
        than the devil himself, because above and against God he urges
        [and disseminates] his [papal] falsehoods concerning masses,
        purgatory, the monastic life, one's own works and [fictitious]
        divine worship (for this is the very Papacy [upon each of
        which the Papacy is altogether founded and is standing]), and
        condemns, murders and tortures all Christians who do not exalt
        and honor these abominations [of the Pope] above all things.
        Therefore, just as little as we can worship the devil himself
        as Lord and God, we can endure his apostle, the Pope, or
        Antichrist, in his rule as head or lord. For to lie and to
        kill, and to destroy body and soul eternally, that is wherein
        his papal government really consists, as I have very clearly
        shown in many books. 
         
        In these four articles they will have enough to condemn in the
        Council. For they cannot and will not concede us even the
        least point in one of these articles. Of this we should be
        certain, and animate ourselves with [be forewarned and made
        firm in] the hope that Christ, our Lord, has attacked His
        adversary, and he will press the attack home [pursue and
        destroy him] both by His Spirit and coming. Amen. 
         
        For in the Council we will stand not before the Emperor or the
        political magistrate, as at Augsburg (where the Emperor
        published a most gracious edict, and caused matters to be
        heard kindly [and dispassionately]), but [we will appear]
        before the Pope and devil himself, who intends to listen to
        nothing, but merely [when the case has been publicly
        announced] to condemn, to murder and to force us to idolatry.
        Therefore we ought not here to kiss his feet, or to say: Thou
        art my gracious lord, but as the angel in Zechariah 3, 2 said
        to Satan: The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. 
        
 
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