sometimes rendered quite rigorous and sometimes relaxed. [They write
of such precepts as of fasting for forty days, the four canonical
hours for prayer, etc.] How that most excellent man, Gerson, is
tortured while he searches for the grades and extent of the precepts!
Nevertheless, he is not able to fix _epieicheian_ [mitigation] in a
definite grade [and yet cannot find any sure grade where he could
confidently promise the heart assurance and peace]. Meanwhile, he
deeply deplores the dangers to godly consciences which this rigid
interpretation of the traditions produces.

Against this semblance of wisdom and righteousness in human rites,
which deceives men, let us therefore fortify ourselves by the Word of
God, and let us know, first of all that these neither merit before
God the remission of sins or justification, nor are necessary for
justification. We have above cited some testimonies. And Paul is
full of them. To the Colossians, 2, 16. 17, he clearly says: Let no
man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an
holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath-days, which are a
shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Here now he
embraces at the same time both the Law of Moses and human traditions
in order that the adversaries may not elude these testimonies,
according to their custom, upon the ground that Paul is speaking only
of the Law of Moses. But he clearly testifies here that he is
speaking of human traditions. However, the adversaries do not see
what they are saying; if the Gospel says that the ceremonies of Moses,
which were divinely instituted, do not justify, how much less do
human traditions justify!

Neither have the bishops the power to institute services, as though
they justified, or were necessary for justification. Yea, the