#47 Be Careful, Children Often Ruined By Universities

Here belongs Molech, that is, a king. For these people make great lords, doctors, and masters who are skilled in ruling others. We can see before our very eyes how no one can become a preacher or a pastor unless he is a master or doctor, or has at least attended the university. One must first crown the donkey; then he goes forth and rules. And the parents do not see, or if they see they pay no attention to the fact, that nowhere is youth more grossly corrupted and misled, since no one prevents it. That they fall into fornication, gluttony, and other open wickedness is the least of their corruption; but that they are instructed in false, heathenish art and ungodly, human doctrine is the fire of Molech. No one can bemoan that enough, for through it the most devout and clever lads are miserably ruined in the universities. So great is the wrath of God over this valley of Topheth and Hinnom [II Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31] that those who learn most and best and live in chastity are ruined more miserably than those who learn nothing and live in fornication. For the latter learn nothing which ought to be unlearned again; they are well aware that they are doing wrong. The former, however, absorb poisons of which they can never rid themselves; they hold evil to be good and teach this also to their pupils. All this is what accounts for the fact that the sun of the gospel is darkened and obscured by human teaching. (Luther’s Works, v. 36 p.224

Posted in 2019 Teaching Children.