“Christ means to say here: ‘Now you see what two great virtues are yours! You are hostile to God and to your fellow men who do not see eye to eye with you. Therefore you are not free; you are committing these two sins, and the devil is riding you.’ The pope cannot show a greater affinity with the devil than by being hostile to all that God and man say and do. These two sins are two great lords and emperors. When they take possession of a man, he would like to see all the world dead. The pope, his bishops and princes, yes, the burghers, the peasants, and all men now do this; they are all enemies of God and man. They do not want to have the truth preached to them, nor can they bear to have a person who cites God’s Word assail their evil ways. Therefore they would be glad to kill all if they could. That is the source of damning, judging, condemning, defaming, and killing. That is Abraham’s seed.
‘Now, you noble little beast, you herblet, you little fruit, you floweret, are you Abraham’s seed? It is the devil’s seed that you are!’ According to their flesh and blood, they are Abraham’s seed; but according to their works, they are the devil’s seed. Similarly, the pope is the Christian Church inasmuch as he holds to Baptism, the Gospel, and Holy Writ; but since he is the enemy of God and of all Christians, he has fallen away from Christ and Baptism and has the devil as his father. He and all his cardinals, bishops, monks, and priests are children of the devil; for they are all murderers and liars” (Luther’s Works, v. 23, p. 417-418).