"Now if such unbearable abuses are committed in the name of God and St. Peter, as if God’s name and spiritual authorities were instituted to blaspheme God’s honor and destroy the life and soul of Christendom, then we are certainly duty bound to offer appropriate resistance as far as we are able. We have to act as good children whose parents have lost their minds." [LW 44:90]
Did not know Luther had a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Luther is not saying anything novel, here. There was a significant late Medieval trend in theology which allowed for inferiors to question superiors when the superiors were clearly acting out of accord with established norms of godly thinking and conduct. Most likely Luther's most immediate influence from this trend was Wessel Gansfort, with whose works he was quite familiar. Gansfort wrote some very moving passages about the duties of children relative to "insane" parents, and of passengers relative to "drunken" captains. I have transcribed a few these quotes from Gansfort here and here.
ReplyDeleteJames,
ReplyDeleteYou have been awarded! :-)
http://gojira-thestompingground.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-bout-that-award.html
Absolute humor!
ReplyDeleteThe guy continues to amuse me.
Lito