“If they were the true church, they would say: ‘I hold to the words of my dear Lord Christ. To these I cling firmly; according to them I decide everything, and I do not hold with those who want to do otherwise.’ That is what the church did years ago when it condemned all heresy and false doctrine, not on the basis of its own thinking, as the pope and his clique do, but in accordance with God’s Word. It concluded: ‘That is what my Christ says; that is what the Holy Spirit has taught me. Therefore I conclude and declare that Arius and others who teach the opposite are heretics and accursed teachers.’ This is a correct conclusion—the conclusion which must be adopted by the Christian Church. And this must be respected and observed. But conclusions touching on other things, such as vestments, food, drink, and other external show, were not reached in this manner; for they are based, not on Christ’s Word but on the pope’s own opinion. Let them prescribe in this sphere what they please; these matters do not concern the church. For whatever God’s Word teaches and Christendom concludes does not pertain to this life; it pertains to the life beyond. Therefore it must come not from our reason; it must come from above, from Christ, and must be in accord with His command” (Luther’s Works, v. 24, p. 176).