My dear friends, since this misfortune has happened to our beloved sovereign prince, and the habit and custom of holding masses for the dead and funeral processions when they are buried has ceased, we nevertheless do not wish to allow this service of worship to be omitted, in order that we may preach God’s Word to the praise of God and the betterment of the people. For we must deal with the subject and also do what is right on this occasion, since the Lord our God has again taken unto himself and graciously summoned our beloved head. Therefore we shall take as our text what St. Paul says to the Thessalonians in the fourth chapter:

“But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” [I Thess. 4:13–14].

So much we shall take up for now, in order that I may not overburden myself and you. You know that the greatest divine service is the preaching [of the Word of God], and not only the greatest divine service, but also the best we can have in every situation; but especially on these solemn occasions of sorrow [there is nothing better we can do than to preach]. (“Sermon at the Funeral of the Elector, Duke John of Saxony” Luther’s Works, v.51 p.231)

… In the midst of these very blasphemies and infamous deeds they claim the right to the name and designation “the saintliest”; they boast that they are the vicars of Christ, the successors of Peter, etc.

Accordingly, the greatest wrongs are associated with the designation of holiness, church, true religions, etc. If anyone should express disapproval, he is immediately clubbed with the curse of excommunication and is condemned as a heretic and an enemy of God and the church. Next to the Roman popes and their confederates there is no people that prides itself more on its godliness and righteousness than the Turks, who despise Christians as idolaters but regard themselves as the saintliest and wisest of men. And yet what else is their life and godliness than endless murder, robbery, depredation, and other awful crimes?

The examples of the present time, therefore, show how those two incompatibles can exist side by side: the utmost godliness is paired with the greatest abominations, the utmost violence with the appearance of righteousness. This is also the reason why men become so hardened and smug, and do not look for the punishment they have deserved because of their sins. (Luther’s Works, v.2 p.158)

Moreover, by his addition—“And the earth was filled with violence”—he indicates that this is the unvarying sequence of events: after the Word has been lost, and faith has ceased to exist, and tradition and ἐθελοθρχει̂ια, as Paul calls them (Col. 2:23), flourish in place of the true forms of worship, acts of violence and a shameful life follow.

The word חָמָס properly denotes violence, force, and harm, with disregard of all law and equity, when anyone may do what he pleases, and whatever things are done are done not by law but by force. If this was their kind of life, someone may say, how could they maintain an outward reputation for saintliness and righteousness? As though indeed one did not have similar examples before one’s eyes today! What has the world ever seen that is crueler than the Turks? Nevertheless, they adorn all their brutality with the name of God and godliness. (Luther’s Works, v.2 p.158)