Report on Whether Secular Authority Should Suppress the Writings of Enthusiasts (1556) - Page 6

blessed people / the Christians, point toward an inner word, by which they make Christian teaching entirely uncertain; and they thereby open doors and windows to all kinds of fanaticism. original: "Schwermereien." A term used by mainstream Reformers to describe radical groups who claimed to receive direct, "enthusiastic" revelations from the Holy Spirit independent of the Bible. Yet Christ sits at the right hand of the Father for this very purpose: that he might give preachers to his Church here on Earth at all times, through whom he wishes to speak with us.

But what the plot of the thousand-wiled Satan might be, and what he seeks through their screaming and blubbering of "Spirit, Spirit, Spirit," is easy to notice. For the Devil never learned a better craft than to apply all earnest diligence to this: that the more useful and necessary a thing is to us Christians, the more he loves to falsify it and turn it toward total destruction. The reason is this: that he too considers it significant. We are not ignorant of his thoughts original Latin: "Non ignoramus cogitationes eius." A quotation of 2 Corinthians 2:11, suggesting that the faithful should be aware of the devil's tactics. (says St. Paul). We know what he has in mind. If the Word of God is taken away, then Lord Devil original: "Juncker Teufel." A mocking or sarcastic title for the devil common in 16th-century Lutheran polemics. has surely already won the best advantage, original: "Lurzsch." Likely a variant of "Lurch," a term from card games or gambling referring to a decisive win or getting the upper hand. as nothing but countless errors must follow among such people. For precisely the written and preached Word of God should be the guide for our faith and life, and nothing else.

Therefore, certainly nothing more dangerous can happen to us humans on earth than the errors of the fanatics, mobs, and sects, who despise the written and preached Word of God and boast of their Spirit alone—even though Christ says: He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear them, because you are not of God. John 8:47. Likewise: My sheep hear my voice. John 10:27. So will...