Of the Marriage of Priests

1] To prohibit marriage, and to burden the divine order of priests with perpetual celibacy, they have had

neither authority nor right [they have done out of malice, without any honest reason], but have acted like

antichristian, tyrannical, desperate scoundrels [have performed the work of antichrist, of tyrants and the

worst knaves], and have thereby caused all kinds of horrible, abominable, innumerable sins of unchastity

[depraved lusts], in which they still wallow. 2] Now, as little as we or they have been given the power to

make a woman out of a man or a man out of a woman, or to nullify either sex, so little have they had the

power to [sunder and] separate such creatures of God, or to forbid them from living [and cohabiting]

honestly in marriage with one another. 3] Therefore we are unwilling to assent to their abominable

celibacy, nor will we [even] tolerate it, but we wish to have marriage free as God has instituted [and

ordained] it, and we wish neither to rescind nor hinder His work; for Paul says, 1 Tim. 4, 1ff , that this

[prohibition of marriage] is a doctrine of devils.