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We need your donations. + + +An Open Letter on Translating + +By Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546 + +June 25, 1995 [Etext #272] + + +*The Project Gutenberg Etext of An Open Letter on Translating* +*****This file should be named ltran11.txt or ltran11.zip****** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, ltran11.txt. +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, ltran10a.txt. + + +Translated from: +"Sendbrief von Dolmetschen" +in _Dr. Martin Luthers Werke_, +(Weimar: Hermann Boehlaus Nachfolger, 1909), +Band 30, Teil II, pp. 632-646 +by Gary Mann, Ph.D. +Assistant Professor of Religion/Theology +Augustana College +Rock Island, Illinois + + + +We are now trying to release all our books one month in advance +of the official release dates, for time for better editing. + +Please note: neither this list nor its contents are final till +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + + +An Open Letter on Translating +By Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546 +Translated from: +"Sendbrief von Dolmetschen" +in _Dr. Martin Luthers Werke_, +(Weimar: Hermann Boehlaus Nachfolger, 1909), +Band 30, Teil II, pp. 632-646 +by Gary Mann, Ph.D. +Assistant Professor of Religion/Theology +Augustana College +Rock Island, Illinois + +Preface + +Wenceslas Link to all believers in Christ: + +The wise Solomon says in Proverbs 11: "The people who withhold +grain curse him. But there is a blessing on those who sell it." +This verse speaks truly concerning all that can serve the common +good or the well-being of Christendom. This is the reason the +master in the gospel reprimands the unfaithful servant like a lazy +scoundrel for having hidden and buried his money in the ground. +So that this curse of the Lord and the entire Church might be +avoided, I must publish this letter which came into my possession +through a good friend. I could not withhold it, as there has been +much discussion about the translating of the Old and New +Testaments. It has been charged by the despisers of truth that +the text has been modified and even falsified in many places, +which has shocked and startled many simple Christians, even among +the educated who do not know any Hebrew or Greek. It is devoutly +hoped that with this publication the slander of the godless will +be stopped and the scruples of the devout removed, at least in +part. It may even give rise to more writing on such matters and +questions such as these. So I ask all friends of the Truth to +seriously take this work to heart and faithfully pray to God for a +proper understanding of the divine Scriptures towards the +improvement and increase of our common Christendom. Amen. + +Nuremberg Sept. 15, 1530. + +To the Honorable and Worthy N., my favorite lord and friend. + +Grace and peace in Christ, honorable, worthy and dear Lord and +friend. I received your writing with the two questions or queries +requesting my response. In the first place, you ask why I, in the +3rd chapter of Romans, translated the words of St. Paul: +"Arbitramur hominem iustificari ex fide absque operibus" as "We +hold that the human will be justified without the works of the law +but only by faith." You also tell me that the Papists are causing +a great fuss because St. Paul's text does not contain the word +sola (alone), and that my changing of the words of God is not to +be tolerated. Secondly, you ask if the departed saints intercede +for us. Regarding the first question, you can give the papists +this answer from me - if you so desire. + +On the first hand, if I, Dr. Luther, had thought that all the +Papists together were capable of translating even one passage of +Scripture correctly and well, I would have gathered up enough +humility to ask for their aid and assistance in translating the +New Testament into German. However, I spared them and myself the +trouble, as I knew and still see with my own eyes that not one of +them knows how to speak or translate German. It is obvious, +however, that they are learning to speak and write German from my +translations. Thus, they are stealing my language from me - a +language they had little knowledge of before this. However, they +do not thank me for this but instead use it against me. Yet I +readily grant them this as it tickles me to know that I have +taught my ungrateful students, even my enemies, to speak. + +Secondly, you might say that I have conscientiously translated the +New Testament into German to the best of my ability, and that I +have not forced anyone to read it. Rather I have left it open, +only doing the translation as a service to those who could not do +it as well. No one is forbidden to do it better. If someone does +not wish to read it, he can let it lie, for I do not ask anyone to +read it or praise anyone who does! It is my Testament and my +translation - and it shall remain mine. If I have made errors +within it (although I am not aware of any and would most certainly +be unwilling to intentionally mistranslate a single letter) I will +not allow the papists to judge for their ears continue to be too +long and their hee-haws too weak for them to be critical of my +translating. I know quite well how much skill, hard work, +understanding and intelligence is needed for a good translation. +They know it less than even the miller's donkey for they have +never tried it. + +It is said, "The one who builds along the pathway has many +masters." It is like this with me. Those who have not ever been +able to speak correctly (to say nothing of translating) have all +at once become my masters and I their pupil. If I were to have +asked them how to translate the first two words of Matthew "Liber +Generationis" into German, not one of them would have been able to +say "Quack!" And they judge all my works! Fine fellows! It was +also like this for St. Jerome when he translated the Bible. +Everyone was his master. He alone was entirely incompetent as +people, who were not good enough to clean his boots, judged his +works. This is why it takes a great deal of patience to do good +things in public for the world believes itself to be the Master of +Knowledge, always putting the bit under the horse's tail, and not +judging itself for that is the world's nature. It can do nothing +else. + +I would gladly see a papist come forward and translate into German +an epistle of St. Paul's or one of the prophets and, in doing so, +not make use of Luther's German or translation. Then one might +see a fine, beautiful and noteworthy translation into German. + +We have seen that bungler from Dresden play master to my New +Testament. (I will not mention his name in my books as he has his +judge and is already well- known). He does admit that my German +is good and sweet and that he could not improve it. Yet, anxious +to dishonor it, he took my New Testament word for word as it was +written, and removed my prefaces and glosses, replacing them with +his own. Then he published my New Testament under his name! Dear +Children, how it pained me when his prince in a detestable preface +condemned my work and forbid all from reading Luther's New +Testament, while at the same time commending the Bungler's New +Testament to be read - even though it was the very same one Luther +had written! + +So no one thinks I am lying, put Luther's and the Bungler's New +Testaments side by side and compare them. You will see who did +the translation for both. He has patched it in places and +reordered it (and although it does not all please me) I can still +leave it be for it does me no particular harm as far as the +document is concerned. That is why I never intended to write in +opposition to it. But I did have a laugh at the great wisdom that +so terribly slandered, condemned and forbade my New Testament, +when it was published under my name, but required its reading when +published under an other's name! What type of virtue is this that +slanders and heaps shame on someone else's work, and then steals +it, and publishes it under one's own name, thereby seeking glory +and esteem through the slandered work of someone else! I leave +that for his judge to say. I am glad and satisfied that my work +(as St. Paul also boasts ) is furthered by my enemies, and that +Luther's work, without Luther's name but that of his enemy, is to +be read. What better vengeance?! + +Returning to the issue at hand, if your Papist wishes to make a +great fuss about the word "alone" (sola), say this to him: "Dr. +Martin Luther will have it so and he says that a papist and an ass +are the same thing." Sic volo, sic iubeo, sit pro ratione +voluntas. (I will it, I command it; my will is reason enough) For +we are not going to become students and followers of the papists. +Rather we will become their judge and master. We, too, are going +to be proud and brag with these blockheads; and just as St. Paul +brags against his madly raving saints, I will brag over these +asses of mine! They are doctors? Me too. They are scholars? I +am as well. They are philosophers? And I. They are +dialecticians? I am too. They are lecturers? So am I. They +write books? So do I. + +I will go even further with my bragging: I can exegete the psalms +and the prophets, and they cannot. I can translate, and they +cannot. I can read Holy Scriptures, and they cannot. I can pray, +they cannot. Coming down to their level, I can do their +dialectics and philosophy better than all of them put together. +Plus I know that not one of them understands Aristotle. If, in +fact, any one of them can correctly understand one part or chapter +of Aristotle, I will eat my hat! No, I am not overdoing it for I +have been educated in and have practiced their science since my +childhood. I recognize how broad and deep it is. They, too, know +that everything they can do, I can do. Yet they handle me like a +stranger in their discipline, these incurable fellows, as if I had +just arrived this morning and had never seen or heard what they +know and teach. How they do so brilliantly parade around with +their science, teaching me what I grew beyond twenty years ago! +To all their shouting and screaming I join the harlot in singing: +"I have known for seven years that horseshoe nails are iron." + +So this can be the answer to your first question. Please do not +give these asses any other answer to their useless braying about +that word "sola" than simply "Luther will have it so, and he says +that he is a doctor above all the papal doctors." Let it remain +at that. I will, from now on, hold them in contempt, and have +already held them in contempt, as long as they are the kind of +people that they are - asses, I should say. And there are brazen +idiots among them who have never learned their own art of +sophistry - like Dr. Schmidt and Snot-Nose, and such like them. +They set themselves against me in this matter, which not only +transcends sophistry, but as St. Paul writes, all the wisdom and +understanding in the world as well. An ass truly does not have to +sing much as he is already known for his ears. + +For you and our people, however, I shall show why I used the word +"sola" - even though in Romans 3 it wasn't "sola" I used but +"solum" or "tantum". That is how closely those asses have looked +at my text! However, I have used "sola fides" in other places, +and I want to use both "solum" and "sola". I have continually +tried translating in a pure and accurate German. It has happened +that I have sometimes searched and inquired about a single word +for three or four weeks. Sometimes I have not found it even then. +I have worked Meister Philip and Aurogallus so hard in translating +Job, sometimes barely translating 3 lines after four days. Now +that it has been translated into German and completed, all can +read and criticize it. One can now read three or four pages +without stumbling one time - without realizing just what rocks and +hindrances had once been where now one travels as as if over a +smoothly-cut plank. We had to sweat and toil there before we +removed those rocks and hindrances, so one could go along nicely. +The plowing goes nicely in a clear field. But nobody wants the +task of digging out the rocks and hindrances. There is no such +thing as earning the world's thanks. Even God cannot earn thanks, +not with the sun, nor with heaven and earth, or even the death of +his Son. It just is and remains as it is, in the devil's name, as +it will not be anything else. + +I also know that in Rom. 3, the word "solum" is not present in +either Greek or Latin text - the papists did not have to teach me +that - it is fact! The letters s-o-l-a are not there. And these +knotheads stare at them like cows at a new gate, while at the same +time they do not recognize that it conveys the sense of the text - +if the translation is to be clear and accurate, it belongs there. +I wanted to speak German since it was German I had spoken in +translation - not Latin or Greek. But it is the nature of our +language that in speaking about two things, one which is affirmed, +the other denied, we use the word "solum" only along with the word +"not" (nicht) or "no" (kein). For example, we say "the farmer +brings only (allein) grain and no money"; or "No, I really have no +money, but only (allein) grain"; I have only eaten and not yet +drunk"; "Did you write it only and not read it over?" There are a +vast number of such everyday cases. + +In all these phrases, this is a German usage, even though it is +not the Latin or Greek usage. It is the nature of the German +tongue to add "allein" in order that "nicht" or "kein" may be +clearer and more complete. To be sure, I can also say "The farmer +brings grain and no (kein) money, but the words "kein money" do +not sound as full and clear as if I were to say, "the farmer +brings allein grain and kein money." Here the word "allein" helps +the word "kein" so much that it becomes a clear and complete +German expression. + +We do not have to ask about the literal Latin or how we are to +speak German - as these asses do. Rather we must ask the mother +in the home, the children on the street, the common person in the +market about this. We must be guided by their tongue, the manner +of their speech, and do our translating accordingly. Then they +will understand it and recognize that we are speaking German to +them. + +For instance, Christ says: Ex abundatia cordis os loquitur. If I +am to follow these asses, they will lay the original before me +literally and translate it as: "Out of the abundance of the heart +the mouth speaks." Is that speaking with a German tongue? What +German could understand something like that? What is this +"abundance of the heart?" No German can say that; unless, of +course, he was trying to say that someone was altogether too +magnanimous, or too courageous, though even that would not yet be +correct, as "abundance of the heart" is not German, not any more +than "abundance of the house, "abundance of the stove" or +"abundance of the bench" is German. But the mother in the home +and the common man say this: "What fills the heart overflows the +mouth." That is speaking with the proper German tongue of the +kind I have tried for, although unfortunately not always +successfully. The literal Latin is a great barrier to speaking +proper German. + +So, as the traitor Judas says in Matthew 26: "Ut quid perditio +haec?" and in Mark 14: "Ut quid perditio iste unguenti facta est?" +Subsequently, for these literalist asses I would have to translate +it: "Why has this loss of salve occurred?" But what kind of +German is this? What German says "loss of salve occurred"? And +if he does understand it at all, he would think that the salve is +lost and must be looked for and found again; even though that is +still obscure and uncertain. Now if that is good German why do +they not come out and make us a fine, new German testament and let +Luther's testament be? I think that would really bring out their +talents. But a German would say "Ut quid, etc.." as "Why this +waste?" or "Why this extravagance?" Even "it is a shame about the +ointment" - these are good German, in which one can understand +that Magdalene had wasted the salve she poured out and had done +wrong. That was what Judas meant as he thought he could have used +it better. + +Now when the angel greets Mary, he says: "Greetings to you, Mary, +full of grace, the Lord is with you." Well up to this point, this +has simply been translated from the simple Latin, but tell me is +that good German? Since when does a German speak like that - being +"full of grace"? One would have to think about a keg "full of" +beer or a purse "full of" money. So I translated it: "You +gracious one". This way a German can at last think about what the +angel meant by his greeting. Yet the papists rant about me +corrupting the angelic greeting - and I still have not used the +most satisfactory German translation. What if I had used the most +satisfactory German and translated the salutation: "God says +hello, Mary dear" (for that is what the angel was intending to say +and what he would have said had he even been German!). If I had, +I believe that they would have hanged themselves out of their +great devotion to dear Mary and because I have destroyed the +greeting. + +Yet why should I be concerned about their ranting and raving? I +will not stop them from translating as they want. But I too shall +translate as I want and not to please them, and whoever does not +like it can just ignore it and keep his criticism to himself, for +I will neither look at nor listen to it. They do not have to +answer for or bear responsibility for my translation. Listen up, +I shall say "gracious Mary" and "dear Mary", and they can say +"Mary full of grace". Anyone who knows German also knows what an +expressive word "dear"(liebe) is: dear Mary, dear God, the dear +emperor, the dear prince, the dear man, the dear child. I do not +know if one can say this word "liebe" in Latin or in other +languages with so much depth of emotion that it pierces the heart +and echoes throughout as it does in our tongue. + +I think that St. Luke, as a master of the Hebrew and Greek +tongues, wanted to clarify and articulate the Greek word +"kecharitomene" that the angel used. And I think that the angel +Gabriel spoke with Mary just as he spoke with Daniel, when he +called him "Chamudoth" and "Ish chamudoth, vir desiriorum", that +is "Dear Daniel." That is the way Gabriel speaks, as we can see +in Daniel. Now if I were to literally translate the words of the +angel, and use the skills of these asses, I would have to +translate it as "Daniel, you man of desires" or "Daniel, you man +of lust". Oh, that would be beautiful German! A German would, of +course, recognize "Man", "Lueste" and "begirunge" as being German +words, although not altogether pure as "lust" and "begir" would be +better. But when those words are put together you get "you man of +desires" and no German is going to understand that. He might even +think that Daniel is full of lustful desires. Now wouldn't that +be a fine translation! So I have to let the literal words go and +try to discover how the German says what the Hebrew "ish +chamudoth" expresses. I discover that the German says this, "You +dear Daniel", "you dear Mary", or "you gracious maiden", "you +lovely maiden", "you gentle girl" and so on. A translator must +have a large vocabulary so he can have more words for when a +particular one just does not fit in the context. + +Why should I talk about translating so much? I would need an +entire year were I to point out the reasons and concerns behind my +words. I have learned what an art and job translating is by +experience, so I will not tolerate some papal ass or mule as my +critic, or judge. They have not tried the task. If anyone does +not like my translations, they can ignore it; and may the devil +repay the one who dislikes or criticizes my translations without +my knowledge or permission. Should it be criticized, I will do it +myself. If I do not do it, then they can leave my translations in +peace. They can each do a translation that suits them - what do I +care? + +To this I can, with good conscience, give witness - that I gave my +utmost effort and care and I had no ulterior motives. I have not +taken or wanted even a small coin in return. Neither have I made +any by it. God knows that I have not even sought honor by it, but +I have done it as a service to the blessed Christians and to the +honor of the One who sits above who blesses me every hour of my +life that had I translated a thousand times more diligently, I +should not have deserved to live or have a sound eye for even a +single hour. All I am and have to offer is from his mercy and +grace - indeed of his precious blood and bitter sweat. Therefore, +God willing, all of it will also serve to his honor, joyfully and +sincerely. I may be insulted by the scribblers and papists but +true Christians, along with Christ, their Lord, bless me. +Further, I am more than amply rewarded if just one Christian +acknowledge me as a workman with integrity. I do not care about +the papists, as they are not good enough to acknowledge my work +and, if they were to bless me, it would break my heart. I may be +insulted by their highest praise and honor, but I will still be a +doctor, even a distinguished one. I am certain that they shall +never take from me until the final day. + +Yet I have not just gone ahead, ignoring the exact wording in the +original. Instead, with great care, I have, along with my +helpers, gone ahead and have kept literally to the original, +without the slightest deviation, wherever it appeared that a +passage was crucial. For instance, in John 6 Christ says: "Him +has God the Father set his seal upon (versiegelt)." It would be +more clear in German to say "Him has God the Father signified +(gezeiehent)" or even "God the Father means him." But rather than +doing violence to the original, I have done violence to the German +tongue. Ah, translating is not every one's skill as some mad +saints think. A right, devout, honest, sincere, God-fearing +Christian, trained, educated, and experienced heart is required. +So I hold that no false Christian or divisive spirit can be a good +translator. That is obvious given the translation of the Prophets +at Worms which although carefully done and approximating my own +German quite closely, does not show much reverence for Christ due +to the Jews who shared in the translation. Aside from that it +shows plenty of skill and craftsmanship there. + +So much for translating and the nature of language. However, I was +not depending upon or following the nature of language when I +inserted the word "solum" (alone) in Rom. 3 as the text itself, +and St. Paul's meaning, urgently necessitated and demanded it. He +is dealing with the main point of Christian doctrine in this +passage - namely that we are justified by faith in Christ without +any works of the Law. In fact, he rejects all works so completely +as to say that the works of the Law, though it is God's law and +word, do not aid us in justification. Using Abraham as an +example, he argues that Abraham was so justified without works +that even the highest work, which had been commanded by God, over +and above all others, namely circumcision, did not aid him in +justification. Instead, Abraham was justified without +circumcision and without any works, but by faith, as he says in +Chapter 4: "If Abraham is justified by works, he may boast, but +not before God." However, when all works are so completely +rejected - which must mean faith alone justifies - whoever would +speak plainly and clearly about this rejection of works would have +to say "Faith alone justifies and not works." The matter itself +and the nature of language necessitates it. + +"Yet", they say, "it has such an offensive tone that people infer +from it that they need not do any good works." Dear, what are we to +say? IS it not more offensive for St. Paul himself to not use the +term "faith alone" but spell it even more clearly, putting the +finishing touches on it by saying "Without the works of the Law?" +Gal. 1 [2.16] says that "not by works of the law' (as well as in +many other places) for the phrase "without the works of the law" +is so ever offensive, and scandalous that no amount of revision +can help it. How much more might people learn from "that they +need not do any good works", when all they hear is preaching +about the works themselves, stated in such a clear strong way: +"No works", "without works", "not by works"! If it is not +offensive to preach "without works", "not by works"!, "no works", +why is it offensive to preach "by faith alone"? + +Still more offensive is that St. Paul does not reject just +ordinary works, but works of the law! It follows that one could +take offense at that all the more and say that the law is +condemned and cursed before God and one ought only do what is +contrary to the law as it is said in Rom. 3: "Why not do evil so +that there might be more good?" which is what that one divisive +spirit of our time was doing. Should one reject St. Paul's word +because of such `offense' or refrain from speaking freely about +faith? Gracious, St. Paul and I want to offend like this for we +preach so strongly against works, insisting on faith alone for no +other reason than to offend people that they might stumble and +fall and learn that they are not saved by good works but only by +Christ's death and resurrection. Knowing that they cannot be +saved by their good works of the law, how much more will they +realize that they shall not be saved by bad works, or without the +law! Therefore, it does not follow that because good works do not +help, bad works will; just as it does not follow that because the +sun cannot help a blind person see, the night and darkness must +help him see. + +It astounds me that one can be offended by something as obvious as +this! Just tell me, is Christ's death and resurrection our work, +what we do, or not? It is obviously not our work, nor is it the +work of the law. Now it is Christ's death and resurrection alone +which saves and frees us from sin, as Paul writes in Rom. 4: "He +died for our sin and arose for our righteousness." Tell me more! +What is the work by which we take hold of Christ's death and +resurrection? It must not be an external work but only the +eternal faith in the heart that alone, indeed all alone, which +takes hold of this death and resurrection when it is preached +through the gospel. Then why all this ranting and raving, this +making of heretics and burning of them, when it is clear at its +very core, proving that faith alone takes hold of Christ's death +and resurrection, without any works, and that his death and +resurrection are our life and righteousness? As this fact is so +obvious, that faith alone gives, brings, and takes a hold of this +life and righteousness - why should we not say so? It is not +heretical that faith alone holds on to Christ and gives life; and +yet it seems to be heresy if someone mentions it. Are they not +insane, foolish and ridiculous? They will say that one thing is +right but brand the telling of this right thing as wrong - even +though something cannot be simultaneously right and wrong. + +Furthermore, I am not the only one, nor the first, to say that +faith alone makes one righteous. There was Ambrose, Augustine and +many others who said it before me. And if one is to read and +understand St. Paul, the same thing must be said and not anything +else. His words, as well, are blunt - "no works" - none at all! +If it is not works, it must be faith alone. Oh what a marvelous, +constructive and inoffensive teaching that would be, to be taught +that one can be saved by works as well as by faith. That would be +like saying that it is not Christ's death alone that takes away +our sin but that our works have something to do with it. Now that +would be a fine way of honoring Christ's death, saying that it is +helped by our works, and that whatever it does our works can also +do - that we are his equal in goodness and power. This is the +devil itself for he cannot ever stop abusing the blood of Christ. + +Therefore the matter itself, at its very core, necessitates that one +say: "Faith alone makes one righteous." The nature of the German +tongue teaches us to say it in the same way. In addition, I have +the examples of the holy fathers. The dangers confronting the +people also compel it so they do not continue to hang onto works +and wander away from faith, losing Christ, especially at this time +when they have been so accustomed to works they have to be pulled +away from them by force. It is for these reasons that it is not +only right but also necessary to say it as plainly and forcefully +as possible: "Faith alone saves without works!" I am only sorry I +did not add "alle" and "aller", and said "without any (alle) works +or any (aller) laws." That would have stated it most effectively. +Therefore, it will remain in the New Testament, and though all the +papal asses rant and rave at me, they shall not take it away from +me. Let this be enough for now. I will have to speak more about +this in the treatise "On Justification" (if God grants me grace). + +On the other question as to whether the departed saints intercede +for us. For the present I am only going to give a brief answer as +I am considering publishing a sermon on the beloved angels in +which I will respond more fully on this matter (God willing). + +First, you know that under the papacy it is not only taught that +the saints in heaven intercede for us - even though we cannot know +this as the Scripture does not tell us such - but the saints have +been made into gods, and that they are to be our patrons to whom +we should call. Some of them have never existed! To each of these +saints a particular power and might has been given - one over +fire, another over water, another over pestilence, fever and all +sorts of plagues. Indeed, God must have been altogether idle to +have let the saints work in his place. Of this atrocity the +papists themselves are aware, as they quietly take up their pipes +and preen and primp themselves over this doctrine of the +intercession of the saints. I will leave this subject for now - +but you can count on my not forgetting it and allowing this +primping and preening to continue without cost. + +And again, you know that there is not a single passage from God +demanding us to call upon either saints or angels to intercede for +us, and that there is no example of such in the Scriptures. One +finds that the beloved angels spoke with the fathers and the +prophets, but that none of them had ever been asked to intercede +for them. Why even Jacob the patriarch did not ask the angel with +whom he wrestled for any intercession. Instead, he only took from +him a blessing. In fact, one finds the very opposite in revelation +as the angel will not allow itself to be worshipped by John. [Rev. +22] So the worship of saints shows itself as nothing but human +nonsense, our own invention separated from the word of God and the +Scriptures. + +As it is not proper in the matter of divine worship for us to do +anything that is not commanded by God (and that whoever does is +putting God to the test), it is therefore also not advisable or +tolerable for one to call upon the saints for intercession or to +teach others to do so. In fact, it is to be condemned and people +taught to avoid it. Therefore, I also will not advise it and +burden my conscience with the iniquities of others. It was +difficult for me to stop from worshipping the saints as I was so +steeped in it to have nearly drowned. But the light of the gospel +is now shining so brightly that from now on no one has an excuse +for remaining in the darkness. We all very well know what we are +to do. + +This is itself a very risky and blasphemous way to worship for +people are easily accustomed to turning away from Christ. They +learn quickly to trust more in the saints than in Christ himself. +When our nature is already all too prone to run from God and +Christ, and trust in humanity, it is indeed difficult to learn to +trust in God and Christ, even though we have vowed to do so and +are therefore obligated to do so. Therefore, this offense is not +to be tolerated whereby those who are weak and of the flesh +participate in idolatry, against the first commandment and our +baptism. Even if one tries nothing other than to switch their +trust from the saints to Christ, through teaching and practice, it +will be difficult to accomplish, that one should come to him and +rightly take hold of him. One need not paint the Devil on the +door - he will already be present. + +We can finally be certain that God is not angry with us, and that +even if we do not call on the saints for intercession, we are +secure for God has never commanded it. God says that God is a +jealous God granting their iniquities on those who do not keep his +commandments [Ex.20]; but there is no commandment here and, +therefore, no anger to be feared. Since, then, there is on this +side security and on the other side great risk and offense against +the Word of God, why should we go from security into danger where +we do not have the Word of God to sustain, comfort and save us in +the times of trial? For it is written, "Whoever loves danger will +perish by it" [Ecclus. 3], and God's commandment says, "You shall +not put the Lord your God to the test" [Matt. 4]. + +"But," they say, "this way you condemn all of Christendom which +has always maintained this - until now." I answer: I know very +well that the priests and monks seek this cloak for their +blasphemies. They want to give to Christendom the damage caused +by their own negligence. Then, when we say, "Christendom does not +err," we shall also be saying that they do not err, since +Christendom believes it to be so. So no pilgrimage can be wrong, +no matter how obviously the Devil is a participant in it. No +indulgence can be wrong, regardless of how horrible the lies +involved. In other words, there is nothing there but holiness! +Therefore to this you reply, "It is not a question of who is and +who is not condemned." They inject this irrelevant idea in order +to divert us from the topic at hand. We are now discussing the +Word of God. What Christendom is or does belongs somewhere +else. The question here is: "What is or is not the Word of God? +What is not the Word of God does not make Christendom. + +We read that in the days of Elijah the prophet there was +apparently no word from God and no worship of God in Israel. For +Elijah says, "Lord, they have killed your prophets and destroyed +your altars, and I am left totally alone" [I Kings 19]. Here King +Ahab and others could have said, "Elijah, with talk like that you +are condemning all the people of God." However God had at the +same time kept seven thousand [I Kings 19]. How? Do you not also +think that God could now, under the papacy, have preserved his +own, even though the priests and monks of Christendom have been +teachers of the devil and gone to hell? Many children and young +people have died in Christ. For even under the anti-Christ, +Christ has strongly sustained baptism, the bare text of the gospel +in the pulpit, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed. By this means he +sustained many of his Christians, and therefore also his +Christendom, and said nothing about it to these devil's teachers. + +Now even though Christians have done some parts of the papal +blasphemy, the papal asses have not yet proved that they did it +gladly. Still less does it prove that they even did the right +thing. All Christians can err and sin, but God has taught them to +pray in the Lord's Prayer for the forgiveness of sins. God could +very well forgive the sins they had to unwillingly, unknowingly, +and under the coercion of the Antichrist commit, without saying +anything about it to the priests and monks! It can, however, be +easily proven that there has always been a great deal of secret +murmuring and complaining against the clergy throughout the world, +and that they are not treating Christendom properly. And the +papal asses have courageously withstood such complaining with fire +and sword, even to the present day. This murmuring proves how +happy Christians have been over these blasphemies, and how right +they have been in doing them! + +So out with it, you papal asses! Say that this is the teaching of +Christendom: these stinking lies which you villains and traitors +have forced upon Christendom and for the sake of which you +murderers have killed many Christians. Why each letter of every +papal law gives testimony to the fact that nothing has ever been +taught by the counsel and the consent of Christendom. There is +nothing there but "districte precipiendo mandamus" ["we teach and +strictly command"]. That has been your Holy Spirit. Christendom +has had to suffer this tyranny. This tyranny has robbed it of the +sacrament and, not by its own fault, has been held in captivity. +And still the asses would pawn off on us this intolerable tyranny +of their own wickedness as a willing act and example of +Christendom - and thereby acquit themselves! + +But this is getting too long. Let this be enough of an answer to +your questions for now. More another time. Excuse this long +letter. Christ our Lord be with us all. Amen. + +Martin Luther, +Your good friend. +The Wilderness, September 8, 1530 + +*** + +This text was translated for Project Wittenberg by Dr. Gary Mann +in 1995 and was placed by him in the public domain. You may +freely distribute, copy or print this text, providing the +information in this statement remains attached. Please direct any +comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther +Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. + +E-mail: CFWLibrary@CRF.CUIS.EDU +Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA +Phone: (219) 481-2123 Fax: (219) 481-2126 + +*** + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of An Open Letter on Translating + + + |