peter . . . superioures. Cf. CWM 6/1.106/30–33.
obey . . .
swerde. For temporal rulers, cf. Eph. 6.5–7, Tit. 2.9, Tit.
3.1, Heb. 13.17, 1 Pet. 2.13–14, 18.
] Ephesians
] Titus
] Titus
] 1 Peter
] 1 Peter
] Hebrews
The Pope will not obey princes though God haue commaunded hym so
to do.[1573]
obey . . .
awne. For spiritual leaders, cf. 2 Pet. 2.1, Gal. 1.8.
] Galatians
] 2 Peter
(which . . . them).]
ed., (which . . . them [1531], ) whiche . . . them. [1573]
Tradycyons [1531]
be bonde] [1573], bonde [1531]
the fayth] thy faith [1573]
Of tradicions . .
. vnite. Erasmus had lamented that the life of Christians is
burdened by "human constitutions" that impose ceremonial
practices. Still, liturgical ceremonies, with due moderation, add proper
solemnity to divine worship. Cf. Ratio verae theologiae (1518) in Holborn 238–39, 252.
Luther formulated his protest against obligatory ecclesiastical
traditions in Avoiding the Doctrines of
Men, a short tract of 1522 that also circulated in a 1525 Latin
version. Luther stressed that two Pauline texts, 1 Tim. 4.1–4 and Col.
2.16–23, foresaw and condemned such attempts to ensnare Christian
consciences regarding fasts and feasts (WA 10/2.72–92; LW 35.131–47).
Here Christian freedom rests on ten biblical texts that undercut any
ecclesiastical authority to lay down binding obligations. The observance
of fasts and feasts is not evil in itself, but making them obligatory
is, according to Luther, to add to God's commandments in contravention
of Deut. 4.2 and to make God's good creatures defiling, against Matt.
15.11.
Johann Eck dedicated Ch. 13 of his Enchiridion,
"On Human Constitutions " (Fraenkel 146–57; Battles 93–99), to
demonstrating from other biblical texts that church authorities are
empowered to enact laws concerning matters that are coherent with
Scripture and that promote discipline and communal activity. Eck also
took up eight texts cited by reformers and argued that each of them was
wrongly used in the polemic against "traditions." In 1530 the same
argument unfolded between Articles 15 and 26 of the Augsburg
Confession (cf. The Book of Concord 36f and
63–70) and the corresponding articles of the imperial Die Confutatio der Confessio Augustana (112–15 and 176–85).
The 1530 argument is treated in Wicks, "Abuses" 280–85 (Augsburg
Confession) and 297–300 (Confutatio). For
fasting, cf. [commentary notes on F1v, “referrynge theyr fast . . . spirite”; G2, “wenisdaye . . . S. katerine”; G2, “fast sayntes euens”].
] Deuteronomy
] Matthew
] Colossians
] 1 Timothy