Part 15 (2/2)
_They count temporal enjoyment as the fullness of pleasure._ See how indignant St. Peter is! I must not chide the young gentlemen so grievously. They think if they only live well, and have good times, then they have enough of all things, and are right well off; this one can easily trace in their spiritual claim, when they say that whoever touches them as to their property or their belly, is of the devil.
They themselves cannot deny this, that their whole system is framed to this end, that they may have lazy and idle times, and all that can suffice them. They will lade themselves with no trouble or labor, but every one must make and devote enough for them. They must go to the choir and pray. G.o.d has commanded all men that they should eat their bread by the sweat of their brow, and He has imposed trial and anxiety upon all. Meanwhile, these young masters would slip their heads out of this noose, and busy themselves with kisses. But this is the greatest blindness, that they are so dumb, and therefore hold that such a shameful life is right and lovely.
_Spots are they, and blemishes._ They know not but that they adorn Christianity, as the sun and moon do heaven, and are the n.o.blest and most precious jewels, like gold and precious stones; yet St. Peter calls them spots of shame and blemishes. The true christian life develops from faith, serves every one in love, bears the holy cross, which is the true badge, ornament, jewel and honor of the Christian Church;--but these have, in place of the cross, l.u.s.t and luxury; instead of love to their neighbor, they seek their own interest, s.n.a.t.c.h all to themselves, and let nothing go from themselves to another for his advantage. Thus they know of faith just nothing at all. For they are nothing but the spots and stains which Christianity must have as its shame and derision. That is chiding enough, certainly, for our spiritual lords.
_They lead an effeminate life through your charity, feast richly on your goods._ What was given at first out of christian love, to procure a common fund for widows and worthy persons, and also for the poor, so that no one among the Christians need suffer want or beg,--property of this kind is now all devoted to monasteries and cloisters, from which our ecclesiastics fill their bellies, living upon it most luxuriously, and revelling in it; and to this end they say it belongs to them, and no one shall restrain them for it. The Holy Spirit will not permit that the servants of the church should lead an effeminate life from other people's labor; but to the laboring cla.s.s, and to man, woman and child generally, was it properly devoted of old.
V. 14. _They have eyes full of adultery._ Such must always follow when the body is crammed with food and drink, and loiters indolent, as was said above. Wherefore does St. Peter say,--not, they are adulterers,--but, _they have eyes full of adultery_? It is as much as though he should say, They think ever on nothing but fornication, and can never restrain their roguery, nor be satisfied and quiet. This is the cause of their continual gluttony and revel, so far as they can push it, and thus they are suffered to live at large and unpunished, just as they like,--as follows:
_Their sin is not to be interfered with._ The Pope has forbidden any prince or secular magistrate to punish ecclesiastics, and where they maintain their own authority he puts them under bann. But this matter is committed to the bishops; yet, since they are knaves themselves, they look through their fingers. Thus they have excepted themselves from subjection to civil government and the sword, so that no one shall dare to restrain them in their caprice, and they all live according to their own l.u.s.ts, like those of old before the deluge.
_They allure to themselves light-minded souls._ With such great show as they exhibit in their knavish life, as going through with ma.s.s, begging, singing, &c., do they allure and draw light-minded and unstable souls, who are without faith, to imagine that everything is spiritual; and all is shaped to this end, that men may think that in that estate every one shall have enough, and good times besides, and, moreover, that he shall reach heaven; and yet it is all done only to this end, that they may fill their bellies and their dirt-bag.
_They have a heart penetrated with covetousness._ This vice is so gross and open among the ecclesiastics, that even the common people have complained of it. Yet he says not, they are covetous, but, they have a heart penetrated with covetousness, and especially exercised therein. This may be seen in the fact that they have invented so many swindling and cunning stories that it is impossible to count them, by which they bring all the world's wealth to themselves.
All that this cla.s.s practices and pursues is simple, pure covetousness, and must all be worth money enough. They show it also most plainly of all, as they are equipped and prepared on all sides to call on men for their gold; so that St. Peter was certainly not a liar.
_They are children of cursing._ That is, in the Hebrew, as much as to say, they are cursed children, subject to the curse of G.o.d, so that before G.o.d they have no favor or salvation, and only become more wicked from day to day, and continually, also, greater blasphemers of G.o.d; so that they surely lade themselves full enough with the wrath and terrible judgment of G.o.d. That is surely spoken severely and fearfully enough; while it is high time that whoever can flee and run, should flee and run forth from this cursed state. Should we bear such a _t.i.tle_, _that_ is certainly pitiful; but if the High Majesty also arraigns, curses, and condemns,--who will endure it?
V. 15. _They have forsaken the right way, and gone in error._ They should have taught the right way,--how we must cleave to Christ, and come to G.o.d by faith, and through love to our neighbor; and thereafter bear the holy cross, and endure whatever meets us therefor. But they preach no more than this, ”go hither and thither,--be monk and priest,--found churches, ma.s.ses, &c., &c.;” and they lead away the people from faith to their own works, which yet are such as are of no use to their neighbor.
V. 15, 16. _And have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness, but had a rebuke for his transgression, the dumb beast of burden speaking with man's voice and reproving the folly of the prophet._ Here he brings in an ill.u.s.tration from the fourth book of Moses, xxii.-xxiv. When the children of Israel had journeyed out of Egypt and had come into the land of the Moabites, king Balak sent to a prophet in Syria, by the name of Balaam, and besought him that he would come and curse the Jewish people, that they might become weak and that he might slay them. Then G.o.d appeared to Balaam, and forbade him to curse the people; therefore the prophet declines to comply with Balak.
Thereupon the king sent to him once more, and promised to give him large wealth. Then G.o.d permits him to go to him, yet he shall say nothing but what He shall direct him to say.
Upon this, he rose up and mounted upon an a.s.s. The angel of G.o.d came and walked in the way, and stood before him with a drawn sword. The a.s.s saw it, and turned aside out of the way, at which the prophet struck her, that she should go in the way. Then the angel went to a narrow place where the a.s.s could not turn aside, and when she presses herself against the wall and bruises the prophet's foot, she is forced to fall under him upon her knee, while he is angered so as in his rage to strike the a.s.s with his staff. Then G.o.d opens the mouth of the beast to speak with the voice of a man, and she said, ”What have I done to you that you should strike me so?” And he said, ”Ah!
if I had now a sword in my hand, I would slay you.” Then the a.s.s answered and said, ”Am I yet the a.s.s upon which thou hast ridden continually even to this day, and have I done it for no more than this?” Then were the eyes of the prophet opened, so that he saw the angel with the drawn sword, at which he was affrighted and would have turned back; but the angel of the Lord bade him go on, but thereupon forbade him to speak anything else than what He should say to him.
When now the prophet was come to the king, he takes him up to a height from which he could see the whole people of Israel. Then the prophet bade him erect seven altars, and on each offer a sacrifice; and then went aside and asked the Lord what he should say. And G.o.d gave him his word in his mouth. And he rose up to bless and glorify the people of Israel with fair words; and this he did three times, one after another. Then was the king filled with wrath, and said, ”Did I not call thee that thou shouldst curse mine enemies? and yet thou hast blest them now these three times. I had thought that I should have honored thee, but the Lord hath turned thee away from honor.” Balaam answered and said, ”Yet I told thee at first, that though thou shouldst give me thine house full of silver and gold, still I could speak nothing else but what G.o.d should say to me.”
Yet did the prophet afterward give the king counsel how he should manage with the people, although he might not curse them and overcome them by power,--so that they sinned against G.o.d. Then the king sets up an idol, by name Baal-Peor, and causes that the Moabite women, daughters of lords and princes, should ensnare the people to themselves to sacrifice to their G.o.ds; and when they had brought them to themselves, they made supplication to the idol with meats and drinks, and committed sin with the women. Then was G.o.d angry, and commanded the chief of the people to be hung upon the gallows, and permitted four and twenty thousand men to be overcome in one day.
Such was this prophet Balaam's advice, for the sake of gold.
Of this St. Peter here speaks, and would say that our ecclesiastics are specially Balaam's children and scholars; for just as he gave evil counsel to set up an idol so that the children of Israel should be brought to sin and provoke G.o.d that they should be slain, so have our bishops also set up an idol, in G.o.d's name,--to wit, their human doctrine of their own works; and they let faith go, and they lure to themselves christian souls whom they injure, and thereby provoke G.o.d to anger, so that he has punished the world with blindness and stupidity. For all this we may thank our spiritual masters.
Thus Peter compares especially these false teachers to the prophet Balaam, since they even, like Balaam, purely for the sake of gold, set up such idolatry and ruin souls.
Besides, he mentions his right name, for Bileaam or Balaam is he called in Hebrew, a swallower or swiller, like one who gapes his throat open, and swallows and devours all. This shameful name must he bear, because he has brought so many people into sin, insomuch that they are destroyed and overcome.
Such Balaamites are our bishops and ecclesiastics, who are the throat of the devil, by which he draws so many souls to himself, and swallows them down. But the surname of this prophet is, the son of Bosor,--that is to say, flesh,--or, as Moses says, son of Beor, that is, of a fool. A fool is his father. So are these, also, blind, dull and foolish people, who must yet needs rule; such a people as the flesh bears, for the spirit makes men of another stamp. So G.o.d has given these in the Scripture their own name, and therein they are so painted to the life, that we may know in what account they are to be held.
Now the dumb beast of burden, the a.s.s, signifies the people that lets itself be bridled and ridden, and goes as it is led, like the a.s.s, who was forced and beaten cruelly when he went out of the way into the ditch, and must neither give place before the angel in the way so long as it could help, nor turn aside, and so must fall down. For in the same way have these seducers also urged on the people, until these last have become sensible that it is a thing not to be endured, and that they deal unfairly with them, and have wished to turn them aside from the way. But the harshness has been so gross whereby they have troubled the people, that at length G.o.d has opened our lips and given words into our mouths, so that even the children speak of it; whereby their folly is made plain, so that they must be ashamed. In this way we ought to meet them when they go about, and give out that it belongs not to the laity to read the Scripture, and therefore say, we must hear what the Councils determine. For then you may answer, Has not G.o.d spoken even by an a.s.s? Be content with our knowing that ye, in times past, preached the word of G.o.d; but now ye have become fools, and are possessed by avarice, what wonder is it that now the common people have been roused and impelled by G.o.d to speak the truth, though it has been so burdened and oppressed like a dumb beast of burden. This is their likeness, taken from the prophet Balaam. Now St. Peter says further of these false teachers:
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