Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/289

 posed a penalty for their violation, and when they sinned He Himself punished them, that is, Adam and Eve. Like- wise He punished Lantech, Cain, and certain others, as is read in Genesis, chapters four and five. Thus from the time of Noah until our time God rightly began to rule His creatures through ministers, of whom the first was Noah. In what manner he was the ruler of the people appears from the fact that God gave him the government of the ark, by which the Church is signified. How God gave the government and the law to Noah and his sons is related in Genesis ix. Although Noah is not said to have been a priest, yet he exercised the function of a priest immediately after entering the ark, and before he gave laws to the people.* To this vicariate suc- ceeded the patriarchs, judges, kings, priests and others, who for a time governed the Jewish people. This lasted until the time of Christ, our natural Lord and King, of whom the psalm says, "Give the king thy judgments, O God."" Christ Himself constituted Peter His vicar and His successor, when He gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and when He said, "Feed my sheep."* And although the offices and gov- ernments differ in many things, yet it is a legal necessity to have recurrence to the Pope, because there is no superior judge, or else because lesser judges cannot actually execute their sentences, or will not give justice as they ought. These are golden words of Innocent, quoted by the Abbot,* who says that they please Hostiensis.* They are proved by the words of Isaiah, "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us."* They are also proved by that chosen vessel, Paul, who wrote the Hebrews, "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also in the law."* These words were received into the Canon Law in the chapter

^Genesis viii (not ix), ao.

'Psalm Ixxii, i.

•John xxi, 16.

to text in appendix.
 * The Abbot," u he was called, was Nicholas de Tudeschis (ti4Sd)* See note

' Hostiensis was Henry de Segusia, a celebrated jurist, who died 1271. See note to text in Appendix.


 * Isaiah xxx, 32.


 * Hebrews Tii, 12.

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