Luther's Epiphany Sermon
184. Thirdly, when, however, they wish to reprove or accuse another, they deal as unmercifully with him as though they themselves were in need of no grace, and as though they themselves had never committed any sin. They do not tell his superior but revile him publicly before those who knew nothing of it before. Here the love of justice is bought for a high price, for thereby the neighbor is robbed of his honor and disgraced. Here it concerns them not when he is driven into despair, hazards his body and soul, becomes a desperate man. They have reproved the sin as pious, honorable people, but as to betterment, let another see to that. They cast him from them as one who would always remain a good-for-nothing. Oh, what a senseless mass of holy, honorable people they are; they have no scruples of conscience, they go and pray as though they had done their part well!
Behold! to this vice they add the ones spoken of previously; they are boastful lovers of self and also without natural affection, obstinate, who concern themselves about no one, are of service to no one and seek only their own honor to the shame and detriment of others. For this reason St.
Paul her calls them diabolus, slanderers, defilers, who know no other way of dealing with their neighbor’s sins than thereby to disgrace him, to rob him publicly of his good name that they only may be looked upon as pious, well bred and honored men: For if they were merciful and kind-hearted, they would seek to better and not to defame or cast away any one but destroy his sin.
185. St. Paul has indeed described them perfectly; for experience teaches how insanely the clergy and men of this kind are bent upon listening to other people’s sins and shame, ridiculing, speaking about and spreading them, that they indeed are worthy of the name diaboli or devils. St. Paul always uses this little word diabolus in this sense; although some people use it for the devil, whose nature also is to expose, spread and magnify people’s sins. But when St. Paul speaks of the devil he usually says Satan.
Thus he says, 1 Timothy 3:6: “A bishop must not be a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the diabolus,” that is, the slanderer, that he may not have occasion to judge evil of him etc.
