It is impossible to avoid this
evil, when faith is passed over in silence, and only the ordinances of
men are taught, as has been done hitherto by the pestilent, impious,
and soul-destroying traditions of our pontiffs and opinions of our
theologians. An infinite number of souls have been drawn down to hell by
these snares, so that you may recognise the work of antichrist.
In brief, as poverty is imperilled amid riches, honesty amid business,
humility amid honours, abstinence amid feasting, purity amid pleasures,
so is justification by faith imperilled among ceremonies. Solomon says,
"Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"
(Prov. vi. 27). And yet as we must live among riches, business, honours,
pleasures, feastings, so must we among ceremonies, that is among perils.
Just as infant boys have the greatest need of being cherished in the
bosoms and by the care of girls, that they may not die, and yet, when
they are grown, there is peril to their salvation in living among
girls, so inexperienced and fervid young men require to be kept in and
restrained by the barriers of ceremonies, even were they of iron, lest
their weak minds should rush headlong into vice. And yet it would be
death to them to persevere in believing that they can be justified
by these things. They must rather be taught that they have been thus
imprisoned, not with the purpose of their being justified or gaining
merit in this way, but in order that they might avoid wrong-doing, and
be more easily instructed in that righteousness which is by faith, a
thing which the headlong character of youth would not bear unless it
were put under restraint.
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