#34- Distinguish Between The True Church of Christ and the Church of the Devil

“I, too, am a doctor in their theology and neither as unlearned nor inexperienced in it as their ranters (who do not understand their own theology) believe. Still, I did not know a good argument to defend the mass. I could also say, ‘Church, church, fathers, fathers,’ as they do, and with that vindicate everything. However, I do not possess that kind of strange faith (God who once saved me from it will also guard me against it) so that I could call those the church of Christ who are factions of the godless and the church of the devil, who embellish themselves with the name of the church of Christ and glory in it and yet the fruits cogently convict the tree of being evil. Just as little am I able to place the church above Christ and allow it to change and pervert what he teaches and ordains. For he should and must be the head, and the church (as St. Paul states) is subject and obedient to him out of fear and reverence. Otherwise, by what means could one make the distinction between the true church of Christ and the church of the devil except by its obedience or disobedience to Christ, especially when disobedience, publicly known and understood, excuses itself wickedly and shamelessly and claims to be in the right? For the holy church sins and stumbles or can even err, as the Lord’s Prayer teaches. However, it does not defend or excuse itself, but humbly asks for forgiveness and improves itself as it is able. Thus it is forgiven so that henceforth its sin is no longer reckoned as sin” (Luther’s Works, v.38 p.228-229).