Confession of the Poor and Distressed Christians

“Whoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven,” Matthew 10, verses 32 and 33.

“For no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” First Corinthians 3, verse 11.

A true knowledge of the divine word, a fruitful faith in Christ Jesus, unfeigned love, and a pious, penitent, blameless life I sincerely wish to all who shall see, read or hear this our confession, from God our heavenly Father, through Christ Jesus our Lord, who has loved us and cleansed us from our sins with his blood. To him be the honor, praise, kingdom, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Christ says, “Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was its fall,” Matthew 7, verses 24 to 27.

Honored reader, the reason we write is this. For many centuries we and our ancestors have sought light in darkness, truth in falsehood, life in death, and the way among deceivers; we have wandered about like a flock of sheep without a shepherd, and, alas, there was no one who pointed us to the way of life and led us into the pasture of the Lord. The accursed doctrine of antichrist had drawn the shameful smoke of deceit so thickly out of the bottomless pit, and had so darkened the glorious brightness of the divine word—indeed, the just judgment of God had come upon this reckless world because of its sinfulness—that, alas, there was neither true doctrine nor true knowledge of God and Christ to be found among people, nor faith, baptism, Supper or ban in accordance with God’s word, nor love, nor righteousness; and very little of these is found even yet. For all over the world we find false teachers, hypocritical deceivers and enemies of the cross, who diligently serve their own bellies, who by their tickling, erring doctrine proclaim peace to those who know no peace, and so strengthen the hands of the wicked, so that no one turns from his wickedness, as the prophet says.

Indeed, they have carried their wrangling, writing and preaching so far that they judge the Lord’s express ordinances of baptism, Supper and ban—as he commanded them, and as his holy apostles taught, practiced and testified to them—to be not only heretical but devilish; they upbraid and persecute those who keep them, as may be plainly seen. And they have instituted a new baptism, which the Scripture does not know, which is more pleasing to the flesh than the baptism of Christ; a new Supper, which is a false comfort to the ungodly; and also a ban that serves for nothing but the destruction of the pious and is founded on nothing reasonable. For if they are not banished from city and country, they are sentenced to the stake or the water; and this ban is not used sparingly on the pious in many places.

In short, they have so led the common world away from God, so estranged it by their carnal doctrine and false sacraments, and led it into such unbelief and heathenish life, that all heaven must be grieved and ashamed at it. Tell me, reasonable reader, who can count the accursed, ungodly pride, pomp, adultery, fornication, idolatry, Roman and Spanish abominations, unfaithfulness, fraud, avarice, usury, unrighteousness, debauchery, luxury, hatred, envy, murder, thefts, robbery, arson, treason, bloodshed, rude and obscene words, the terrible lying, the shameful diseases, lameness, suffering and wounds that are found in this wicked, reckless world? Yet they claim to be the church of Christ. Indeed, everything is in such a condition that we may well say with the prophet Hosea, “There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land; but swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood touches blood,” Hosea 4, verses 1 and 2; with Jeremiah, that “a wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land,” Jeremiah 5, verse 30; with John, that “the whole world lies in wickedness,” John 5, verse 19; and with John the divine, that their “sins have reached to heaven,” Revelation 18, verse 5. O faithful reader, it is worse than I can express. Whoever is reasonably disposed may see the truth of it. [Note 1]

For so many years the brightness of the sun has not shone; heaven and earth have been as copper and iron; the brooks and springs have not run, nor the dew dropped from heaven; the beautiful trees and green fields have been dry and barren (I mean spiritually). But in these latter days the gracious, great Lord, out of the rich treasures of his love, has opened the windows of heaven again and let the dew of his divine word drop, so that the earth once more produces its green branches and plants of righteousness as before, which bear fruit to the Lord and glorify his adorable name; and the holy word and sacraments of the Lord again lift up their heads from the ashes, by which the blasphemous deceit and abominations of the learned are made manifest. Therefore all the gates of hell are opened in opposition; they foam and rage, and that with such subtle deceit, blasphemous falsehood and tyranny that if the strong God did not intervene with his gracious power, no one could be saved. But they will never wrest his chosen ones from him.

Since they teach and strive so fearfully against the truth, weigh out dross for silver, and besides this accuse us of all manner of shame, blasphemy, roguery and profanity, as they have done from the beginning to all who fear the Lord, we are forced and constrained, by true love of the divine word and of the salvation of your souls, to explain to you briefly, according to the word of the Lord, the sure, divine foundation and the pure, unchangeable truth of Justification, of the Preachers, of Baptism, of the Supper and of the swearing of oaths, on account of which we are so much hated and slanderously lied about by everyone, and especially by the learned; so that by this you may acknowledge what the Holy Scriptures clearly teach us about these articles, and so that we may show whether we are such useless, ungodly people as the learned incessantly cry out against us and tell the people. If you have ears to hear, then hear the word of the Lord; and if you have understanding hearts, take heed and follow the truth.

Honored reader, it is plain and manifest that Adam and Eve, the father and mother of us all, were in the beginning created in the image of God by Christ—pure, good, without sin, righteous and incorrupt—as the Scripture teaches, Genesis 1, verse 27; Genesis 5, verse 1; Genesis 2, verse 7; Acts 17, verse 24; Ecclesiasticus 17, verse 9; and that they remained pure and righteous until they sinned against their Creator’s word and commandment. For God had said to them, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”; and so it happened. For as soon as Adam and Eve, deceived by the serpent, ate of the forbidden fruit, they became impure, unrighteous, corrupt, of sinful nature, children of death and of the devil. So by their disobedience they lost their place as children of God and the purity in which they were created; and they would have had to remain forever, with all their descendants, in sin, under the curse and the bondage of death and the devil, if God, the merciful Father, whose love endures forever, had not comforted them and raised them up again by the promise of Christ, whom he promised to send in the future to bruise the serpent’s head. For his sake God would be gracious to them, forgive their transgression and show them mercy and favor, as far as they would believe. [Note 2]

When Adam and Eve heard these glad tidings of grace, the gospel of peace, from the mouth of the Lord, they joyfully accepted and believed it as the unchangeable truth of God, clung to it eagerly, and comforted themselves with it as a sure foundation of salvation. And so Adam and Eve were accepted again by God through Christ Jesus, justified, and delivered from eternal death and the curse; for according to the promise of God they believed and trusted in him, and looked for him in the latter days as the Conqueror, Savior and means of grace to eternal reconciliation.

But had they despised this means and not accepted it by faith, they would have suffered eternal death; this is beyond dispute, as Christ himself says, “He who does not believe is condemned already”; and again John the Baptist says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him,” John 3, verses 18 and 36.

Adam and Eve, then, were bitten and poisoned by the hellish serpent and became of sinful nature, and they would have been subject to eternal death if God had not accepted them again in grace through Christ Jesus. In the same way we, their descendants, are also born of them with a sinful nature, poisoned by the serpent, inclined to evil, and by inherited sin children of hell, of the devil and of everlasting death; and we cannot be delivered from this (we speak of those who have come to the years of understanding, and so to sinful works) unless we accept Christ Jesus, the only and eternal means of grace, by true and unfeigned faith, and so look in good conscience upon the brazen serpent which God, our heavenly Father, has set up as a sign of salvation. For without him there is no help for our souls, no reconciliation and no peace; nothing but disgrace, wrath and eternal death can be expected, as was said before. But those who accept this Christ by a true faith—Christ, who according to the doctrine of Paul was given us by the Father to be wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and deliverance—are in grace for Christ’s sake, and God is their Father; for by faith they are born of him. He forgives them all their sins; has compassion on all their human failings and weaknesses; turns them from the curse, wrath and eternal death; accepts them as his beloved children; and gives them Christ Jesus together with all his merits, fastings, prayers, tears, sufferings, tribulation, cross, blood and death, and besides this his Spirit, inheritance, kingdom, glory, joy and life—not, we say, by our own merits and works, but by grace through Christ Jesus, as Paul says, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loves us, even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2, verses 4 to 10.

See, kind reader, so we do not seek our salvation in works, words or sacraments, as the learned do, although they blame us for it; we seek it in Christ Jesus alone, and in no other means in heaven or on earth. In this only means we rejoice, and in no other. We trust, by the grace of God, to abide in it until death.

But that we abhor carnal works and desire to conform ourselves to his word and commandment, according to our weakness, we do because he has so taught and commanded us. For whoever does not walk according to his doctrine proves by his deeds that he does not believe in him or know him, and that he is not in the communion of the saints, First John 3, verse 10; First John 5, verse 10; Second John 1, verse 6.

Now all who accept this means of divine grace, Jesus Christ, with believing hearts and hold him fast in their consciences, believe and confess that their sins are forgiven through his sacrifice, death and blood; that his wrath and damnation will not be on them forever; and that he accepts them as his beloved sons and daughters and gives them eternal life. All such become peaceable and joyful in spirit and give thanks to God with renewed hearts; for the power of faith makes them alive and changes them into newness of life. And so, by the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit, in the power of their new birth and according to the measure of their faith, they walk in obedience to their God, who has shown them such great love; they watch diligently, lest they fall from the grace and favor of God through licentiousness and ungodliness. They acknowledge from the Scriptures that Adam and Eve, the world before the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the patriarchs in the wilderness were severely punished by God because of their sins; that the wages of sin is death; and also that Christ Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God who knew no sin, was so deeply humiliated and tortured because of our sinfulness, Genesis 3, verse 7; Genesis 19, verses 9 and 10; Leviticus 10, verses 1 to 4; Romans 6, verse 23; First Peter 1, verse 19.

They believe the word of the Lord which says that to be carnally minded is death—if you live according to the flesh you shall die—and that adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, the avaricious, the proud, liars and so on shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and besides this they believe that God is truth, that no one can be saved contrary to his word, and that he will judge in accordance with his word, because he is truth and cannot lie, as the Scriptures testify, Romans 8, verses 6 and 13; First Corinthians 5, verse 10; First Corinthians 6, verse 10; Galatians 5, verse 21; Ephesians 5, verse 5; Revelation 22, verse 15. Therefore they sincerely fear the Lord, and through fear they die to their flesh, crucify their lusts and desires, and shun and abhor the unclean, ungodly works that are contrary to the word of the Lord.

Besides this they acknowledge the abundant grace, favor and love of God toward us, as shown in Christ Jesus; and therefore in return they love their God, for he first loved us, and by this love they stand ready, in their weakness, to obey his holy word, will, commandments, counsel, doctrine and ordinances, according to the talent they have received. So they show by their deeds that they believe, that they are born of God and are spiritually minded. They lead a pious, blameless life before all people; they let themselves be baptized according to the commandment of the Lord, as proof that they bury their sins in the death of Christ and are ready to walk with him in newness of life; they break the bread of peace with their beloved brothers as proof and testimony that they are one in Christ and his holy church, and that they have or know no other means of grace and remission of their sins, either in heaven or on earth, than the innocent flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, which he once, by his eternal Spirit, in obedience to the Father, sacrificed and shed on the cross for us poor sinners; they walk in all love and mercy, and serve their neighbors. In short, in their weakness they conform themselves to all the words, commandments, ordinances, Spirit, rule, example and measure of Christ, as the Scripture teaches; for they are in Christ and Christ is in them. Therefore they no longer live in the old life of sin after the first, earthly Adam (weakness excepted), but in the new life of righteousness which comes by faith, after the second and heavenly Adam, Christ. Paul says, I do not now live, “but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,” Galatians 2, verse 20. Christ says, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” John 14, verse 15.

Do not think, beloved reader, that we boast of being perfect and without sin. Not at all. For myself, I confess that my prayer is often mixed with sin and my righteousness with unrighteousness; for by the grace of God, by the anointing that is in me, I feel what kind of flesh I inherited from Adam when I compare my weak nature with Christ and his commandments. Indeed, if God judged us according to our worthiness, righteousness, works and merits, and not according to his great goodness and mercy, then I confess with holy David that no one could stand before his judgment, Psalm 143, verse 2; Psalm 130, verse 3. Therefore far be it from us to comfort ourselves with anything but the grace of God through Christ Jesus; for it is he alone, and no other, who has perfectly fulfilled the righteousness that God requires. We also know, by the grace of God, that all the saints from the beginning have lamented the corruption of their flesh, as may be seen in the writings of Moses, David, Job, Isaiah, Paul, James and John.

But for Christ’s sake we are in grace; for his sake we are heard; and for his sake our failings and transgressions, which are committed unwillingly, are forgiven. For it is he who stands between his Father and his imperfect children with his perfect righteousness and his innocent blood and death, and intercedes for all who believe in him, who strive by faith in the divine word to turn from evil and follow what is good, and who sincerely desire with Paul to attain the perfection that is in Christ, Philippians 3, verse 12.

Note well, beloved reader, that we neither believe nor teach that we are to be saved by our merits and works, as the envious accuse us without truth, but that we are to be saved solely by grace, through Christ Jesus, as has been said before. By grace man was created, through Christ Jesus, Genesis 1, verse 27.

By grace he was accepted again through Christ when he was lost. By grace Christ was sent to us by the Father, John 3, verse 34. By grace he sought the lost sheep, Luke 15, verse 4, and taught them repentance and the remission of sins. He died for us when we were still ungodly and enemies, Romans 5, verse 6; by grace we receive faith. By grace the Holy Spirit was given us in the name of Jesus, John 14, verse 16. In short, by grace we receive eternal life through Christ Jesus, Romans 6, verse 8.

See, kind reader, this is our faith and confession concerning this article, namely: that we cannot obtain salvation, grace, reconciliation or peace with the Father in any other way than through Christ Jesus, as he himself says, “No man comes to the Father but by me,” John 14, verse 6. Peter also says, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” than the name of Jesus. And all those who accept this grace in Christ, preached by the gospel, accepted by a firm faith and wholeheartedly held fast by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith, become new people, born of God, changed in their hearts, renewed and of a different mind—indeed, transferred from Adam into Christ—and so walk in newness of life, as obedient children, in the grace that has been shown to them. For they are renewed; they have become humble-minded, meek, merciful, compassionate, peaceable, patient, hungry and thirsty for righteousness; they strive steadfastly by good works after eternal life; for they are believers, born of God, they are in Christ and Christ in them; they are partakers of his Spirit and nature, and so they live according to the word of the Lord by the power of Christ that is in them. And this, according to Scripture, is to be a believer, to be a Christian, and to be in Christ and Christ in us.

Again, all those who disregard this preached grace and do not accept Christ Jesus by faith, who reject his holy word, will, commandments and ordinances and hate and persecute them, who live according to their lusts and licentiously, are lost; and it will avail them nothing before the Lord to boast of their faith, the new creature, Christ’s grace, death and blood. For they do not believe; they remain in their first birth, that is, unchanged in their earthly, corrupt nature, impenitent, carnally minded, indeed, utterly without Spirit, Word and Christ; and therefore they are children of death, as Scripture teaches. For they do not know Christ, in whom is life, as John says, “This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life,” First John 5, verses 11 and 12.

See, worthy reader, this now is our foundation and confession concerning justification, as you have read it here. Judge for yourself whether the preachers act rightly in so slanderously lying about us, saying that we expect to be saved by our merits and works, and that we boast of being without sin.

May the Lord forgive them for lying about us so devilishly with such shameful lies. O that these miserable men would for once take to heart that backbiters, slanderers and liars are of the devil and worthy of death; that God abhors all liars; that they shall have no part in his kingdom; and that a lying mouth kills the soul, John 8, verse 44; Romans 1, verse 32; Psalm 5, verse 7; Revelation 21, verse 27; Revelation 22, verse 15.

This, I say, is our foundation, and by the grace of God it will always remain our foundation; for we truly know and confess that it is the invincible word and truth of the Lord. Therefore we testify before you and before all the world that we do not agree with those who teach and institute a dead faith, which they gather from profane history: first, that there can be Spirit, power and fruits without change; second, that we can be saved by our own merits and works, for the reasons stated above.

May the merciful, gracious Father, through his beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord, grant us all the gift of his Holy Spirit, so that we may sincerely believe and confess this grace, described above, in and through Christ, and may walk and abide in it firmly and faithfully to the end, to the eternal praise and glory of God. Amen.

It is well known, kind reader, that it is chiefly because of this article that we are so hated and persecuted by the learned, and that all the world cries out and complains against us that we will not hear God’s word. Therefore, since it concerns the praise of God and the salvation of our souls, we are necessarily compelled to give the reason according to the word of God (which we would gladly leave undone if Scripture did not require it)—to give the reason why we do not hear them and in good conscience dare not listen to them, on account of which we have to suffer so much pain and tribulation. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Paul also says, “If any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” And John says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God,” John 3, verse 3; Romans 8, verse 9; First John 1, verse 9. [Note 3]

Honored reader, consider the word of the Lord. That the preachers of the world are not born again, do not have the Spirit of Christ and do not abide in his word, their fruits abundantly prove; for it is manifest that they pitiably adulterate the word of the Lord and walk according to the flesh, as will be clearly shown in what follows.

First, I am convinced that you never saw the preachers, who are one with their church, convert an avaricious person from his avarice, a drunkard from his drunkenness, or a proud person from his pride and luxury, which are plainly works of the flesh and, according to Scripture, punishable with eternal death if not repented of. Since, as it appears, they convert no one, it is plain that their doctrine is nothing but vain prattle without power or fruit; which, alas, all the world clearly shows and proves by its unbecoming life.

Second, the reckless people are chained in and comforted in their unbelief and licentious, carnal life by the preachers’ light-minded doctrine, sacraments and easy life. For they preach and teach you, “There is no one who can truly believe; we are all sinners—therefore no one can rightly keep the commandments of God. In your baptism (they say) you became a regenerated Christian and received the Holy Spirit”—although you could not understand the word, although you had no faith in Christ Jesus, no knowledge of good or evil, and no change or renewal of heart, because you were an unconscious child—and similar false comforts. You hear their absolutions and receive their bread as if that were enough, and never mind that you are still an impenitent, avaricious, proud, drunken, unclean, envious and idolatrous man. We leave it to you to judge whether those can be called preachers of peace who make arm cushions and pillows for the people and preach what pleases them, Deuteronomy 1, verse 39; Ezra 13, verse 18. [Note 4]

Since no one is made better by their doctrine and sacraments, but people are comforted more and more in unrighteousness, it must be acknowledged that they strengthen you in your evildoing, shut the kingdom of heaven to you, lead you into the ditch, and rob and murder your souls, Jeremiah 23, verse 14; Matthew 15, verse 14.

O kind reader, they have so enchanted the ignorant people, who so gladly walk on the broad road, with their light-minded doctrine that we may well exclaim with Jeremiah that “no man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done?” Jeremiah 8, verse 6. Or who inquires after a pious, penitent or godly life? What is worse, they have carried it so far that, alas, those must be called work-saints and heaven-stormers who with faithful hearts hear, believe, fear and love the word of the Lord, and obey it according to the measure of their faith. See how entirely the smoke of the pit has darkened the sun and the sky, Revelation 9, verse 2.

As to their sacraments, it is manifest that they do not have the sacraments of Christ, but self-made abominations and idols, only a semblance of the Lord’s sacraments. For they baptize infants, of which Christ has not taught or commanded a single word in the whole New Testament, and these are then called Christians, even though such baptized persons generally walk in perverse ways all their lives, and not only fail to confess Christ Jesus together with his holy word, but even hate him and oppose the word.

Again, their supper must be called the Lord’s flesh and blood, while the Scripture testifies in many places that he ascended to heaven, Mark 16, verse 19; Luke 24, verse 51; Acts 1, verse 9; Ephesians 4, verse 8, and is seated at the right hand of his Father; and common sense, besides the Scripture, teaches us that he cannot be chewed with teeth or consumed by the stomach. Besides this, some administer it as if for the remission of sins. See, they have so entirely forsaken the Lord who has bought them with his blood that they have changed his praise and honor into such a weak creature. Whether this may not be called serving Baal and molding calves, you may judge according to Scripture.

Lastly, how they conform their lives to the doctrine of Paul you may best judge from their fruits and life. That they do not walk in humility of heart before the Lord, their appearance and titles prove. They let themselves be greeted as lords and masters, although this is forbidden by the mouth of the Lord. Tell me, kind reader, did you ever hear or read that the holy apostles and prophets were covetous of such high, vain titles as the learned and the preachers of the world are? It is true that the word Rabbi, or Master, was applied to the ambitious scribes and Pharisees, but not to the apostles and prophets. For we do not read of Doctor Isaiah, of Master Ezekiel, or of Lords Paul and Peter. No, no. All who have rightly taught the word of the Lord were not honored in their time with such high-sounding titles. I write this so that you may know that such ambitious, proud spirits can never rightly teach you the humble word of the cross.

Besides this, consider also their avarice and their care for their appetite; for they do not preach or perform services without pay, as if the office of a preacher and shepherd were a profession or a trade. Jude says, they honor persons for the sake of profit. Where there are no liens and rents, there we find no preachers; but where liens and rents are abundant, there is no lack of preachers. [Note 5]

Again, some of them are usurers, some fornicators or adulterers, greedy, liars, hot-tempered, proud, hateful, lustful, vain and lazy, envious, cruel, treacherous and rebellious toward all who sincerely seek and fear God. In short, if you rightly confess the Lord and his word, then you must acknowledge that the best and most pious of them are still far outside of Christ and his word in doctrine, in sacraments and also in their walk.

Since all of them, in doctrine, sacraments and walk, are so diametrically opposed to the Spirit, word and walk of the Lord, as is evident, and since Christ says, “Every tree is known by its own fruit,” Luke 6, verse 44, it is plainly proven that they do not see the kingdom and glory of God, are not of the Lord, and do not have God, as was said before.

If they do not see the kingdom of God, as Christ says, how then can they rightly preach it and teach it to others?

If they do not have the Spirit of the Lord and are not of him (as is evident), how then can they be true ministers and servants of the spiritual office?

And if they do not have God, how then can they rightly teach and point out his precious word to righteousness? Since it is well known to all theologians that they do not understand the kingdom of God and his glory, are not of the Lord and have no God, as was said, we conclude from this, and truly, that their sending, calling, office and service are not of God and his word, but that they are of the bottomless pit, and of the dragon and the beast, Revelation 9, verse 2. By this we do not mean this one or that one, but all preachers in general who do not act according to the word of God, no matter of what denomination or sect. We do not judge by their boasting and appearance, but truthfully, by doctrine, sacraments, fruits and life. For we are sure that the high and holy office, which should be filled in the power of the Spirit, can never be filled by the avaricious, nor by the proud and unrighteous, the carnally and earthly minded, nor by drunkards and the lustful who serve their appetites before their God, as Paul says; nor by slanderers, vain prattlers, liars, soothsayers or hirelings, nor by those who adulterate, hate and oppose the Spirit, will, word, ordinances and commandments of the Lord, and who are ignorant and blind in all spiritual and evangelical matters. For the Spirit and word of God do not know such shepherds and teachers; the Scripture portrays them with many terrible names and calls them profane, blind watchmen and greedy dogs, blind leaders, devourers of souls, false daubers, fools who do not seek the Lord, preachers of peace, of whom it is written, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I did not send them, nor have I commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their heart,” Jeremiah 23, verse 11; Matthew 15, verse 14; Ezekiel 13, verse 10; Jeremiah 10, verse 8; Jeremiah 14, verse 14. In short, they are the teachers against whom the word of the Lord has faithfully warned us. Read here and there in the prophets, particularly Jeremiah 23, verse 13; Matthew 7, verse 15; Matthew 15, verse 14; Matthew 16, verse 12; Matthew 24, verse 11; Mark 12, verse 38; Luke 12, verse 1; Luke 20, verse 45.

Tell me, kind reader, did you ever read in the Scriptures of any proud, avaricious, unclean, lying, drunken and idolatrous prophets, apostles and shepherds who were pleasing to the Lord? Or of any who, to please the world, adulterated, changed and abused the word, ordinances and commandments of the Lord? Or of any who said to cities, districts or towns, “If you will provide for our necessities of life, or if you will give us so much money or income, we will teach you the word of the Lord”? O no, reader, no. It never was and never will be the way of the holy prophets, apostles or servants of Christ. Of this we are sure.

The teachers and preachers who are sent by God are born of God, are of godly nature and are moved by the Spirit of the Lord; they acknowledge the kingdom of heaven; they are driven into the vineyard of the Lord by pure, unfeigned love of God and of their neighbors; they do not seek the gifts of Balak or the tables of Jezebel, but they seek the praise of God and the salvation of your souls, and commit their bodily cares to him who, according to the word of his promise, provides the necessities of life to all creatures on earth, Matthew 13, verse 25; Numbers 22, verse 28; Second Peter 2, verse 16.

They teach the word of the law in the power of the Spirit, to the remission of sins and the denial of all flesh, by the gospel of grace, to the comfort, peace and joy of all God-fearing, pious hearts, who before disregarded the law and so greatly feared the wrath and judgment of the Lord.

They reprove and shun all false doctrine, deceit, abuse, idolatry and licentious, reckless life, which is of the flesh and contrary to the word of the Lord. They use baptism, Supper, ban and all the ordinances of God as the word of the Lord commands them, be it to life or to death. They admonish lords and princes, learned and unlearned, men and women, as far as they possibly can, if they are granted a hearing; for the word of God excuses neither emperor nor king, doctor nor master, rich nor poor; all who wish to be saved must follow the word of the Lord, Matthew 28, verse 19; Acts 2, verse 38; Acts 9, verse 6.

They lead their lives in the fear of the Lord; they die daily, with holy Paul, for the sake of their brothers; they are pointed at by all the world, slandered, persecuted and regarded as the very sap and substance of all knaves and rogues, even though they are always ready to show their love and faithfulness to all, as was once the case with Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah the son of Berechiah, John the Baptist, the apostles and Christ himself; and how the pious are thanked and rewarded today for their love and services, the burning, the sword, the stake and the wheel show, First Corinthians 15, verse 32. Observe carefully and understand me, kind reader. The sending, calling, doctrine, sacraments and life of the preachers do not agree with this rule described above, and are therefore not of God, as was said. For in general they come in only to destroy, steal and murder, as the Lord says; to adulterate and garble the precious word and the holy sacraments in order to gratify their appetites; to shut out the word of God and institute their own; to kill the souls that would have eternal life, and promise life to those who will die the eternal death—and that for a handful of barley and a mouthful of bread, as the prophet says. They rule but do not serve; deceive but do not lead; corrupt but do not teach; weaken but do not cure; scatter but do not gather; shut the kingdom of heaven against people and freely lead all poor souls to hell. See, this is why we do not hear them, and cannot hear them in good conscience; for the word of the Lord everywhere admonishes and commands us to beware of them, flee and shun them, and not hear them, as was said before, Ezekiel 13, verse 14; Ezekiel 34, verse 1; Jeremiah 5, verse 26; Philippians 3, verse 17; First Timothy 6, verse 4; Titus 3, verse 8; Second John 1, verse 8.

Judge now, kind reader, whether these reasons are not sufficient for shunning the preachers. We have not presented philosophical words, garbled flatteries or falsehood to you here; we have pointed you to such facts as you may observe and hear of daily among your preachers. This is what our much beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus—fellow partakers of the tribulation, kingdom and obedience of Christ, the faithful children of God—have for many long years so frankly confessed and so heroically maintained before this idolatrous, bloody world, in an extreme measure of poverty, by preaching and writing, at the peril of life, property, blood, prison, banishment, water, fire, chains, gallows, wheels and the stake. But preachers remain preachers, and the world remains the world. As it appears, they will never be converted. They cling so firmly to their idolatry that they will not let themselves be converted, Jeremiah, chapter 8.

Honored reader, we pray you for Christ’s sake to understand this our confession rightly. Do not think that we have written this out of bitter feelings or hatred because it so openly reproves, uncovers and points out the shame of the preachers. O no. We testify before you and before the Lord who created us that there is no hatred or bitterness in our hearts; for we know and confess that these are works of the flesh and will be rewarded with death. But we have written in purity of heart, as before him who tries the hearts and reins, for the service of you and of all people, whether they are our opponents or not, learned or unlearned—for the service of all who seek the truth: so that by such explanations we may uncover the judgment of the Babylonian whore and the hidden wiles of the learned, so that you and all God-fearing hearts may by such explanation grow weary of these inhuman abominations, and so understand the word and truth of the Lord, and seek and obey it with all your hearts, that you may be saved, Romans 1, verse 32; Galatians 5, verse 21; First Corinthians 6, verse 10; Ephesians 5, verse 5; Revelation 17, verse 1. [Note 6]