Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

This is rightly to have answered, and with honour to have stopped the mouths of these controllers & fault finders, the causes being sufficiently showed, why they ought not here to find fault with him or control him. They have well surely yielded unto him with shame enough, as it is meet, and have gained nothing else by their mastership and controlment then utter shame and ignominy. For it is a shame to such masters, yea and an exceeding great abomination, that they stick not to arrogate so much unto themselves, as to teach that man, and admonish him of his duty, who of God is appointed a master over ⟨p. 108⟩all. But it ought so to fall out, as I have said, that he which will rule and judge a Christian by his mastership, and endeavoureth to bring him from his baptism and the article of Christ, to be ruled by his wisdom or law, doth not only become a fool, but is also the author of extreme abomination and homicide. For he worketh shame to the temple and sanctuary of God, and with devilish rashness invadeth his kingdom, where he alone with the holy Ghost must reign. Wherefore he very well deserveth, that God again bring him to shame and ignominy before the whole world, seeing that he taketh to himself mastership in that place, where only Christ ought to be master, and not unworthily to his great evil he kicketh against the prick.

This is rightly to haue aunswered, and with honour to haue stopped the mouthes of these controllers & fault finders, the causes being sufficiently shewed, why they ought not here to finde fault with him or controlle him. They haue well surely yeelded vnto him with shame enough, as it is meete, and haue gained nothing els by their maistership and controllement then vtter shame and ignominie. For it is a shame to such maisters, yea and an exceeding great abomination, that they sticke not to arrogate so much vnto themselues, as to teache that man, and admonish him of his dutie, who of God is appointed a maister ouer ⟨p. 108⟩all. But it ought so to fall out, as I haue said, that he which will rule and iudge a Christian by his maistership, and endeuoureth to bring him from his baptisme and the article of Christ, to be ruled by his wisedome or law, doth not onely become a foole, but is also the author of extreme abomination and homicide. For he worketh shame to the temple and sanctuarie of God, and with deuelish rashnes inuadeth his kingdom, where he alone with the holy Ghost must reigne. Wherefore he verie well deserueth, that God againe bring him to shame and ignominie before the whole world, seing that he taketh to himselfe maistership in that place, where only Christ ought to be maister, and not vnworthely to his great euell he kicketh against the pricke.