Article IV The Papacy
[1] The pope is not, according to divine law or God’s Word, the head of all Christendom. This name belongs to One only, whose name is Jesus Christ [Colossians 1:18]. The pope is only the bishop and pastor of the Church at Rome and of those who have attached themselves to him voluntarily or through a human agency (such as a political ruler). Christians are not under him as a lord. They are with him as brethren and companions, as the ancient councils and the age of St. Cyprian show.
[2] Today, though, none of the bishops dare to address the pope as “brother” as was done in the time ‹of Cyprian›. Even kings or emperors have to call him “most gracious lord.” We will not, cannot, and must not approve this arrogance with a good conscience. Whoever wants to, can do it without us.
[3] It follows that all the pope has done and undertaken from such false, mischievous, blasphemous, and arrogant power are devilish affairs and transactions. (With the exception of what relates to the secular government, where God often allows much good to be done for a people, even through a tyrant and scoundrel.) The pope does this all for the ruin of the entire holy Christian Church (so far as it is in his power) and for the destruction of the chief article about the redemption made through Jesus Christ.
[4] For there stand all the pope’s bulls and books. He roars like a lion in them (as the angel in Revelation 12 depicts him), crying out that no Christian can be saved without obeying him and being subject to him in all that he wishes, says, and does. All of this amounts to nothing less than this: Although you believe in Christ and have in Him alone everything you need for salvation, yet it is nothing and all in vain unless you regard me as your god, and be subject and obedient to me. It is clear that the holy Church has been without the pope for over five hundred years at least. To this day, the churches of the Greeks and of many other languages neither have been nor are presently under the pope. [5] Besides, as is often remarked, the papacy is a human invention that is not commanded and is not necessary but useless. The holy Christian Church can exist very well without such a head. It would certainly have remained purer if such a head had not been raised up by the devil. [6] The papacy is also of no use in the Church, because it exercises no Christian office. Therefore, it is necessary for the Church to continue and to exist without the pope.
[7] Suppose that the pope would yield this point. He would not be supreme by divine right or from God’s command, but just because we need a head, to whom all the rest cling in order to preserve the unity of Christians against sects and heretics. Suppose that such a head were chosen, and that people had the choice and the power to change or remove this head. (The Council of Constance nearly adopted this course with reference to the popes, deposing three and electing a fourth.) Suppose, I say, that the pope and See at Rome would yield and accept this (though this is impossible, for then he would have to let his entire realm and estate be overthrown and destroyed, with all his rights and books, which, to put it briefly, he cannot do). Nevertheless, even if this were done, Christianity would not be helped, but many more sects would arise than before.
[8] People would have to be subject to this head, not from God’s command, but from their personal good pleasure. Such a head would easily and in a short time be despised, and finally not have any members. The head would not have to be forever confined to Rome or any other place. It might be wherever and in whatever church God would grant a man fit for the office. Oh, how complicated and confused that would be!
[9] The Church can never be better governed and preserved than if we all live under one head, Christ. All the bishops should be equal in office (although they may be unequal in gifts). They should be diligently joined in unity of doctrine, faith, sacraments, prayer, works of love, and such. According to St. Jerome, this is how the priests at Alexandria governed the churches, together and in common. So did the apostles and, afterward, all bishops throughout all Christendom, until the pope raised his head above all.
[10] This teaching shows forcefully that the pope is the true Endchrist or Antichrist [1 John 2:18]. He has exalted himself above and opposed himself against Christ. For he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power, which, nevertheless, is nothing, and is neither ordained nor commanded by God. [11] This is, properly speaking, how he “exalts himself against every so-called god” as Paul says (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Even the Turks or the Tartars, great enemies of Christians as they are, do not do this. They take bodily tribute and obedience from Christians, but they allow whoever wishes to believe in Christ.
[12] The pope, however, bans this faith. He says that to be saved a person must obey him. This we are unwilling to do, even though we must die in God’s name because of this. [13] This all proceeds from the pope wishing to be called the supreme head of the Christian Church by divine right. So he had to make himself equal and superior to Christ. He had to have himself proclaimed the head and then the lord of the Church, and finally of the whole world. This makes him simply God on earth, to the point that he has dared to issue commands even to the angels in heaven. [14] When we distinguish the pope’s teaching from, or compare it to, Holy Scripture, it is clear that the pope’s teaching at its best has been taken from the imperial and heathen law. It deals with political matters and decisions or rights, as the decretals show. His law also teaches ceremonies about churches, garments, food, persons, and childish, theatrical, and comical things without measure. But in all of this, nothing at all is taught about Christ, faith, and God’s commandments. Finally, the papacy is nothing else than the devil himself, because above and against God the pope pushes his falsehoods about Masses, purgatory, the monastic life, one’s own works, and false worship. (This, in fact, is the papacy.) He also condemns, murders, and tortures all Christians who do not exalt and honor ‹his› abominations above all things. Therefore, just as we cannot worship the devil himself as Lord and God, so we cannot endure his apostle—the pope or Antichrist—in his rule as head or lord. For what his papal government really consists of (as I have very clearly shown in many books) is to lie and kill and destroy body and soul eternally.
[15] They will have enough to condemn in the council in these four articles. For they cannot and will not concede to us even the least point in one of these articles. Of this we can be certain. We must be sure and consider the hope that Christ, our Lord, has attacked His adversary. He will press and attack him both by His Spirit and His coming. Amen.
[16] In the council we will not stand before the emperor or the political ruler, as at Augsburg (where the emperor published a most gracious edict, and caused matters to be heard kindly). Instead, we will appear before the pope and devil himself, who intends to listen to nothing, but will just condemn, murder, and force us to idolatry. Therefore, we should not here kiss his feet, or say, “you are my gracious lord.” Rather, we should say as the angel [of the LORD] in Zechariah 3:2 said to the devil, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan!”