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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/34904-0.txt b/34904-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b9a72a5 --- /dev/null +++ b/34904-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,18649 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Works of Martin Luther, by Luther Martin + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Works of Martin Luther + With Introductions and Notes (Volume II) + +Author: Luther Martin + +Translator: J. J. Schindel + C. M. Jacobs + +Release Date: January 10, 2011 [EBook #34904] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER *** + + + + +Produced by Michael McDermott, from scans obtained at the +Internet Archive + + + + + +WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER + +WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES + +VOLUME II + +PHILADELPHIA +A. J. HOLMAN Company +1916 + +Copyright, 1915, by +A. J. HOLMAN Company + +WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER + +CONTENTS + + A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT + AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS (1519). + Introduction (J. J. Schindel) + Translation (J. J. Schindel) + A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN (1520). + Introduction (J. J. Schindel) + Translation (J. J. Schindel) + AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY (1520). + Introduction (C. M. Jacobs) + Translation (C. M. Jacobs) + THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH (1520). + Introduction (A. T. W. Steinhaeuser) + Translation (A. T. W. Steinhaeuser) + A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY (1520). + Introduction (W. A. Lambert) + Translation (W. A. Lambert) + A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, + THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER (1520). + Introduction (C. M. Jacobs) + Translation (C. M. Jacobs) + THE EIGHT WITTENBERG SERMONS (1522). + Introduction (A. Steimle) + Translation (A. Steimle) + THAT DOCTRINES OF MEN ARE TO BE REJECTED (1522). + Introduction (W. A. Lambert) + Translation (W. A. Lambert) + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY AND TRUE BODY +OF CHRIST AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS + +1519 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +This treatise belongs to a series of four which appeared in the latter +half of the year 1519, the others treating of the Ban, Penance, and +Baptism. The latter two with our treatise form a trilogy which Luther +dedicates to the Duchess Margaret of Braunschweig and Lüneburg. + +He undertakes the work, as he says, "because there are so many +troubled and distressed ones--and I myself have had the +experience--who do not know what the holy sacraments, full of all +grace, are, nor how to use them, but, alas! presume upon quieting +their consciences with their works, instead of seeking peace in God's +grace through the holy sacrament; so completely are the holy +sacraments obscured and withdrawn from us by the teaching of men."[1] + +In a letter to Spalatin[2] of December 18, 1519, he says that no one +need expect treatises from him on the other sacraments, since he +cannot acknowledge them as such. + +A copy from the press of John Grünenberg of Wittenberg reached Duke +George of Saxony by December 24, 1519, who on December 27th already +entered his protest against it with the Elector Frederick and the +Bishops of Meissen and Merseburg[3]. Duke George took exception +particularly to Luther's advocacy of the two kinds in the +Communion[4]. This statement of Luther, however, was but incidental to +his broad and rich treatment of the subject of the treatise. + +It was Luther's first extended statement of his view of the Lord's +Supper. As such it is very significant, not only because of what he +says, but also because of what he does not say. There is no reference +at all to that which was then distinctive of the Church's doctrine, +the sacrifice of the mass. Luther has already abandoned this position, +but is either too loyal a church-man to attack it or has not as yet +found an evangelical interpretation of the idea of sacrifice in the +mass, such as he gives us in the later treatise on the New +Testament[5]. However, already in this treatise he gives us the +antidote for the false doctrine of sacrifice in the emphasis laid upon +faith, on which all depends[6]. The object of this faith, however, is +not yet stated to be the promise of the forgiveness of sins contained +in the Words of Institution, which are a new and eternal testament[7]. + +The treatise shows the influence of the German mystics[8] on Luther's +thought, but much more of the Scriptures which furnish him with +argument and illustration for his mystical conceptions. Christ's +natural body is made of less importance than the spiritual body[9], +the communion of saints; just as in the later treatise on the New +Testament the stress is placed on the Words of Institution with their +promise of the forgiveness of sins. Luther does not try to explain +philosophically what is inexplicable, but is content to accept on +faith the act of the presence of Christ in the sacrament, "how and +where,--we leave to Him."[10] + +Of interest is the emphasis on the spiritual body, the communion of +saints. Luther knows that although excommunication is exclusion from +external communion, it is not necessarily exclusion from real +spiritual communion with Christ and His saints[11]. No wonder, then, +that he can later treat the papal bull with so much indifference; it +cannot exclude him from the communion of saints. + +The treatise consists of three main divisions: sections 1 to 3 +treating of the outward sign of the sacrament; sections 4 to 16, of +the inner significance; sections 17 to 22, of faith. Added to this is +the appendix on the subject of the brotherhoods or sodalities, +associations of laymen or charitable and devotional purposes. Of these +there were many at this time, Wittenberg alone being reported as +having twenty-one. Luther objects not only to their immoral conduct, +but also to the spiritual pride which they engendered. He finds in the +communion of saints the fundamental brotherhood instituted in the holy +sacrament, the common brotherhood of all saints. + +The modern world needs to have these truths driven home anew, and, +barring a few scholastic phrases here and there, cannot find them +better expressed than in the remarkably elevated and devotional +language of Luther in this treatise. + +The text of the treatise is found in the following editions: Weimar +Ed., vol. ii, 742; Erlangen Ed., vol. xxvii, 28; Walch Ed., Vol. xix, +522; St. Louis Ed., xix, 426; Clemen, vol. i, 196; Berlin Ed., vol. +iii, 259. + +Literature besides that mentioned: + +Tschackert, _Enstehung der lutherischen und reformierten +Kirchenlehre_, 1910, pp. 174-176. + +K. Thieme, _Entwicklung und Bedeutung der Sakramentslehre Luthers_, +Neueu Kirchl. Zeitschrift, XII (1901), Nos. 10 and 11. + +F. Graebke, _Die Konstruktion der Abendmahlslehre Luthers in ihre +Entwicklung dargestellt_, Leipzig 1908. + + J. J. SCHINDEL. + +Allentown, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + +[1] See Clemen, 1, p. 175. + +[2] Enders, II, no. 254. Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, no. +206. + +[3] Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchenpolitik Herzog Georgs von +Sachsen_, Leipzig, 1905. + +[4] See below, p. 9. + +[5] In this edition, Vol. I, pp. 294-336. See especially pp. 312 ff. + +[6] See below, pp. 19, 25. + +[7] _Treatise on the New Testament_, Vol. I, pp. 297 ff. + +[8] See Köstlin, _Luther's Theologie_, I, 292 f.; also Hering, _Die +Mystik Luthers_, Leipzig, 1879, pp. 171-174. + +[9] See below, p. 23. + +[10] See below, p.20. + +[11] See _Treatise concerning the Ban_, below, p. 37. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY AND TRUE BODY +OF CHRIST AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS + +1519 + + + +1. Like the sacrament of holy baptism[1] the holy sacrament of the +altar, or of the holy and true body of Christ, has three parts which +it is necessary or us to know. The first is the sacrament, or sign, +the second is the significance of this sacrament, the third is the +faith required by both of these; the three parts which must be found +in every sacrament. The sacrament must be external and visible, and +have some material form; the significance must be internal and +spiritual, within the spirit of man; faith must apply and use both +these. + +[Sidenote: The First Part of the Sacrament: the Sign] + +2. The sacrament, or outward sign, is in the form of bread and wine, +just as baptism has as its sign water; although the sign is not simply +the form of bread and wine, but the use of the bread and wine in +eating and drinking, just as the water of baptism is used by immersion +or by pouring. For the sacrament, or sign, must be received, or must +at least be desired, if it is to work a blessing. Although at present +the two kinds are not given the people daily, as of old,--nor is this +necessary,--yet the priesthood partakes of it daily in the sight of +the people, and it is enough that the people desire it daily and +receive one kind at the proper time, as the Christian Church ordains +and offers[2]. + +3. I deem it well, however, that the Church in a general council +should again decree[3] that all persons, as well as the priests, be +given both kinds. Not that one kind were insufficient, since indeed +the simple desire of faith suffices, as St. Augustine says: "Why +preparest thou stomach and teeth? Only believe and thou hast already +partaken of the sacrament";[4] but because it would be meet and right +that the form, or sign, of the sacrament be given not in part only, +but in its entirety, just as I have said of baptism[5] that it were +more fitting to immerse than to pour the water, for the sake of the +completeness and perfection of the sign. For this sacrament signifies +the complete union and the undivided fellowship of the saints, as we +shall see, and this is poorly and unfittingly indicated by only one +part of the sacrament. Nor is there as great a danger in the use of +the cup as is supposed, since the people seldom go to this sacrament, +and Christ was well aware of all future dangers[6], and yet saw it to +institute both kinds or the use of all His Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Second Part of the Sacrament: the Significance] + +4. The significance or purpose of this sacrament is the fellowship of +all saints, whence it derives its common name _synaxis_ or _communio_, +that is, fellowship; and _communicare_ means to take part in this +fellowship, or as we say, to go to the sacrament, because Christ and +all saints are one spiritual body, just as the inhabitants of a city +are one community and body, each citizen being a member of the other +and a member of the entire city. All the saints, therefore, are +members of Christ and of the Church, which is a spiritual and eternal +city of God, and whoever is taken into this city is said to be +received into the community of saints, and to be incorporated into +Christ's spiritual body and made a member of Him. On the other hand, +_excommunicare_ means to put out of the community and to sever a +member from this body, and that is called in our language "putting one +under the ban"; yet there is a difference, as I shall show in the +following treatise, concerning the ban[4]. + +To receive the bread and wine of this sacrament, then, is nothing else +than to receive a sure sign of this fellowship and incorporation with +Christ and all saints. As though a citizen were given a sign, a +document, or some other token as a proof that he is a citizen of the +city, a member of the community. Even so St. Paul says: "We are all +one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of one bread and of +one cup." [1 Cor. 10:17] + +5. This fellowship is of such a nature that all the spiritual +possessions of Christ and His saints[8] are imparted and communicated +to him who receives this sacrament; again, all his sufferings and sins +are communicated to them, and thus love engenders love and unites all. +To carry out our homely figure: it is like a city where every citizen +shares with all the others the name, honor, freedom, trade, customs, +usages, help, support, protection and the like, of that city, and on +the other hand shares all the danger of fire and flood, enemies and +death, losses, imposts and the like. For he who would have part in the +common profits must also share in the losses, and ever recompense love +with love. Here we see that whoever wrongs a citizen wrongs the entire +city and all the citizens; whoever benefits one deserves favor and +thanks from all the others. So, too, in our natural body, as St. Paul +says in i Corinthians xii, where this sacrament is given a spiritual +explanation: the members have a care one or another; whether one +member suffer, all the members suffer with it; whether one member be +honored, all the members rejoice with it. [1 Cor. 12:25 f.] It is +apparent then that if any one's foot hurts him, nay, even the smallest +toe, the eye at once looks toward it, the fingers grasp it, the face +frowns, the whole body bends to it, and all are concerned with this +small member; on the other hand, if it is cared for, all the other +members rejoice. This figure must be well weighed if one wishes to +understand this sacrament; for the Scriptures employ it or the sake of +the unlearned. + +6. In this sacrament, therefore, God Himself gives through the priest +a sure sign to man, to show that, in like manner, he shall be united +with Christ and His saints and have all things in common with them; +that Christ's sufferings and life shall be his own, together with the +lives and sufferings of all the saints, so that whoever does him an +injury does injury to Christ and all the saints, as He says by the +prophet, "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of My eye" [Zech. +2:8]; on the other hand, whoever does him a kindness does it to Christ +and all His saints, as He says, "What ye have done unto one of the +least of My brethren, that ye have done unto Me." [Matt. 25:40] Again, +he must be willing to share all the burdens and misfortunes of Christ +and His saints, their sorrow and joy. These two sides of the +fellowship we shall consider more fully. + +7. Now, adversity assails us in more than one form. There is, in the +first place, the sin remaining in our flesh after baptism, the +inclination to anger, hatred, pride and unchastity, and so forth, +which assails us as long as we live. Against this we not only need the +help of the congregation and of Christ, in order that they may fight +with us against it, but it is also necessary that Christ and His +saints intercede or us before God, that sin may not be accounted to us +according to God's strict judgment. Therefore, in order to give us +strength and courage against these sins, God gives us this sacrament, +as though He said: "Behold, many kinds of sin assail thee; take this +sign by which I give thee My pledge that sin assails not only thee but +My Son Christ, and all His saints in heaven and on earth. Therefore, +be bold and confident; thou fightest not alone; great help and support +are round about thee." King David, also, says of this bread: "The +bread strengtheneth man's heart" [Ps. 104:15]; and the Scriptures in +other places characterize this sacrament as a strengthening. So in +Acts ix it is written of St. Paul that he was baptised and when he had +received meat, he was strengthened. [Acts 9:19] In the second place, +the evil spirit assails us unceasingly with many sins and afflictions. +In the third place, the world is full of wickedness and entices and +persecutes us and is altogether bad. Finally, our own guilty +conscience assails us with our past sins, with the fear of death, and +with the pains of hell. All of these afflictions make us weary and +weaken us, unless we seek and find strength in this fellowship. + +8. If any one be in despair, if he be distressed by his sinful +conscience or terrified by death, or have any other burden on his +heart, and desire to be rid of them all, let him go joyfully to the +sacrament of the altar and lay down his grief in the midst of the +congregation and seek help from the entire company of the spiritual +body; just as when a citizen whose property has suffered injury or +misfortune at the hands of his enemies makes complaint to his town +council and fellow citizens and asks them for help. Therefore, the +immeasurable grace and mercy of God are given us in this sacrament, +that we may there lay down all misery and tribulation and put it on +the congregation, and especially on Christ, and may joyfully +strengthen and comfort ourselves and say: "Though I am a sinner and +have fallen, though this or that misfortune has befallen me, I will go +to the sacrament to receive a sign from God that I have on my side +Christ's righteousness, He and sufferings, with all holy angels and +all the blessed in heaven, and all pious men on earth. If I die, I am +not alone in death; if I suffer, they suffer with me. I have shared +all my misfortune with Christ and the saints, since I have a sure sign +of their love toward me." Lo, this is the benefit to be derived from +this sacrament, this is the use we should make of it; then the heart +cannot but rejoice and be comforted. + +9. When you have partaken of this sacrament, therefore, or desire to +partake of it, you must in turn also share the misfortunes of the +congregation, as was said[9]. But what are these? Christ in heaven and +the angels together with all the saints have no misfortunes of their +own, save when injury is done to the truth and to God's Word; yea, as +we said, every bane and blessing of all the saints on earth affects +them. There your heart must go out in love and devotion and learn that +this sacrament is a sacrament of love, and that love and service are +given you and you again must render love and service to Christ and His +needy ones. You must feel with sorrow all the dishonor done to Christ +in His holy Word, all the misery of Christendom, all the unjust +suffering of the innocent, with which the world is everywhere filled +to overflowing: you must fight, work, pray, and, if you cannot do +more, have heartfelt sympathy. That is bearing in your turn the +misfortune and adversity of Christ and His saints. Here the saying of +Paul applies. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of +Christ." [Gal. 6:2] Lo, thus you uphold them all, thus they all again +in turn uphold you, and all things are in common, both good and evil. +Then all things become easy, and the evil spirit cannot prevail +against such a community. When Christ instituted the sacrament He +said: "This is My body which is given for you, this is My blood which +is shed for you; as oft as ye do this, remember Me." [Luke 22:19 f.] +As though He said: "I am the Head, I will first give Myself for you, +will make your suffering and misfortune Mine own and bear it for you, +that you in your turn may do the same or Me and for one another, have +all things in common in Me and with Me, and let this sacrament be unto +you a sure token of this all, that you may not forget Me, but daily +call to mind and admonish one another by what I have done or you and +still am doing, that you may be strengthened thereby, and also bear +with one another." + +10. This is also a reason, indeed the chief reason, why this sacrament +is received many times, while baptism is administered but once. +Baptism is the beginning and entrance to a new life, in the course of +which boundless adversities assail us through sins and suffering, our +own and those of others. The devil, the world and our own flesh and +conscience, as was said[10] never cease to pursue us and oppress us. +Therefore we need the strength, support and help of Christ and of His +saints, which are pledged us in this sacrament as by a sure token, by +which we are made one with them and are incorporated with them, and +all our suffering is laid down in the midst of the congregation. +Therefore, this holy sacrament is of little or no benefit to those who +have no misfortune or anxiety or do not feel their adversity. For it +is given only to those who need strength and comfort, who have timid +hearts and terrified consciences, and who are assailed by sin, or have +even fallen into sin. What could it do or untroubled and falsely +secure spirits, which neither need nor desire it? For the Mother of +God[11] says, "He filleth only the hungry, and comforteth them that +are distressed." [Luke 1:53] + +11. That the disciples, therefore, might by all means be worthy and +well prepared for this sacrament He first made them sorrowful, held +before them His departure and death, by which they were exceeding +troubled. And then He greatly terrified them when He said that one of +them should betray Him. [Matt. 25:21 ff.] When they were thus full of +sorrow and anxiety and were concerned about the sorrow and sin of +betrayal, then they were worthy, and He gave them His holy Body to +strengthen them. By which He teaches us that this sacrament is +strength and comfort for those whom sin and evil trouble and distress; +as St. Augustine also says[12], "This food demands only hungry souls +and is shunned by none so greatly as by a sated soul which does not +need it." Just as the Jews were required to eat the Passover with +bitter herbs, standing and in haste, which also signifies that this +sacrament demands souls that are desirous, needy and sorrowful. Now if +one will make the afflictions of Christ and of all Christians his own, +will defend the truth, oppose unrighteousness, help bear the need of +the innocent and the sufferings of all Christians, he will find +affliction and adversity enough, besides that which his evil nature, +the world, the devil and sin daily inflict upon him. And it is God's +will and purpose to set so many hounds upon us and drive us, and +everywhere provide us bitter herbs, that we may long for this strength +and take delight in the holy sacrament, and thus be worthy of it, that +is, desire it. + +12. It is His will, then, that we partake of it frequently, in order +that we may remember Him and exercise ourselves in this fellowship +according to His example. For if His example were no longer kept +before us, the fellowship also would soon be forgotten. So we at +present see to our sorrow that many masses are held and yet the +Christian fellowship which should be preached, practiced and kept +before us by Christ's example has quite perished; so that we hardly +know what purpose this sacrament serves, or how it should be used, +nay, with our masses we frequently destroy this fellowship and pervert +everything. This is the fault of the preachers who do not preach the +Gospel nor the sacraments, but their humanly devised fables concerning +the many works[13] to be done and the ways to live aright. + +But in times past this sacrament was so properly used, and the people +were taught to understand this fellowship so well, that they even +gathered material food and goods[14] in the church and there +distributed them among those who were in need, as St. Paul writes [1 +Cor. 11:21]. Of this we have a relic in the word "collect,"[15] which +still remains in the mass, and means a general collection, just as a +common fund is gathered to be given to the poor. That was the time +when so many became martyrs and saints. There were fewer masses, but +much strength and blessing resulted from the masses; Christians cared +for one another, assisted one another, sympathized with one another, +bore one another's burden and affliction. This has all disappeared, +and there remain only the many masses and the many who receive this +sacrament without in the least understanding or practicing what it +signifies. + +13. There are those, indeed, who would share the benefits but not the +cost, that is, who gladly hear in this sacrament that the help, +fellowship and assistance of all the saints are promised and given to +them, but who, because they fear the world, are unwilling in their +turn to contribute to this fellowship, to help the poor, to endure +sins, to care for the sick, to suffer with the suffering, to intercede +for others, to defend the truth, to seek the reformation of the Church +and of all Christians at the risk of life, property and honor. They +are unwilling to suffer disfavor, harm, shame or death, although it is +God's will that they be driven, for the sake of the truth and their +neighbors, to desire the great grace and strength of this sacrament. +They are self-seeking persons, whom this sacrament does not benefit. +Just as we could not endure a citizen who wanted to be helped, +protected and made free by the community, and yet in his turn would do +nothing for it nor serve it. No, we on our part must make others' evil +our own, if we desire Christ and His saints to make our evil their +own; then will the fellowship be complete and justice be done to the +sacrament. For the sacrament has no blessing and significance unless +love grows daily and so changes a man that he is made one with all +others. + +14. To symbolize this fellowship, God has appointed such signs of the +sacrament as in every way serve this purpose and by their very form +incite and move us to this fellowship. Just as the bread is made out +of many grains which have been ground and mixed together, and out of +the many bodies of grain there comes the one body of the bread, in +which each grain loses its form and body and acquires the common body +of the bread, and as the drops of wine losing their own form become +the body of one wine: so should it be with us, and is, indeed, if we +use this sacrament aright. Christ with all saints, by His love, takes +upon Himself our form, fights with us against sin, death and all evil +[Phil. 2:7]; this enkindles in us such love that we take His form, +rely upon His righteousness, life and blessedness, and through the +interchange of His blessings and our misfortunes are one loaf, one +bread, one body, one drink, and have all things in common. This is a +great sacrament,[Eph. 5:32][16] says Paul, that Christ and the Church +are one flesh and bone [Eph. 5:31]. Again, through this same love are +to be changed and to make the infirmities of all other Christians our +own, take upon ourselves their form and their necessity and make +theirs all the good that is within our power, that they may enjoy it +[Judg. 9:2]. That is a real fellowship, and that is the true +significance of this sacrament. In this way we are changed into one +another and are brought into fellowship with one another by love, +without which there can be no such change. + +15. He appointed this twofold form, bread and wine, rather than any +other, as a further indication of the union and fellowship in this +sacrament. For there is no more intimate, deep and inseparable union +than the union of the food with him who partakes of it, since the food +enters into and is assimilated with his very nature and becomes one +with his being. Other unions, effected by means of nails, glue, cords +and the like, do not make one indivisible substance of the objects +joined together. In the sacrament we become united with Christ, and +are made one body with all the saints, so that He concerns Himself for +us, acts in our behalf, as though He were what we are--what concerns +us concerns Him as much as us, and even more than us; and, on the +other hand, that we also concern ourselves or Him, as though we were +what He is, as indeed we shall finally be, when we are conformed to +His likeness, as St. John says, "We know that when He shall appear we +shall be like Him" [1 John 3:2]; so complete is the fellowship of +Christ and all the saints with us. Our sins assail Him, His +righteousness protects us; for the union makes all things common, +until at last He completely destroys sin in us and makes us like unto +Himself, at the last day. In like manner, by the same love we are to +be united with our neighbors, we in them and they in us. + +16. In addition to this, He did not appoint this twofold form by +itself, but gave His true natural flesh, in the bread, and His natural +and true blood, in the wine, that He might give us a really perfect +sacrament or sign. For just as the bread is changed[17] into His true +natural body and the wine into His true natural blood, so truly are we +also drawn and changed into the spiritual body, that is, into the +fellowship of Christ and all saints, and put by this sacrament in +possession of all the virtues and mercies of Christ and His saints; as +was said above[18] of a citizen who is taken and incorporated into the +city and the protection and freedom of the entire community. +Therefore He instituted not simply the one form, but the two separate +forms, His flesh under the bread, His blood under the wine, to +indicate that not only His life and good works, which are represented +by His flesh and which He accomplished in His flesh, but also His +passion and martyrdom, which are represented by His blood and in which +He shed His blood, are all our own, and by being drawn into this +fellowship we may use and enjoy them. + +17. All this makes it clear that this holy sacrament is naught else +than a divine sign, in which Christ and all saints are pledged, +granted and imparted, with all their works, sufferings, merits, +mercies and possessions, or the comfort and strengthening of all who +are in anxiety and sorrow, and are persecuted by the devil, sin, the +world, the flesh and every evil; and that to receive the sacrament is +nothing else than to desire all this and firmly to believe that it +shall be done. + +[Sidenote: The Third part of the Sacrament: Faith] + +There follows the third part of the sacrament, that is faith, on which +all depends. For it is not enough to know what the sacrament is and +signifies. It is not enough that you know it is a fellowship and a +gracious exchange or blending of our sin and suffering with the +righteousness of Christ and His saints; you must also desire it and +firmly believe that you have received it. Here the devil and our own +nature wage their fiercest fight, that faith may by no means stand +firm. There are those who practice their arts and subtleties to such +an extent that they ask where the bread remains when it is changed +into Christ's flesh, and the wine when it is changed into His blood; +also in what manner the whole Christ, His flesh and His blood, can be +comprehended in so small a portion of bread and wine. What does it +matter? It is enough to know that it is a divine sign, in which +Christ's flesh and blood are truly present--how and where, we leave to +Him.[19] + +18. See to it that you exercise and strengthen your faith, so that +when you are sorrowful or your sins afflict you and you go to the +sacrament or hear mass, you do so with a hearty desire for this +sacrament and for what it means, and doubt not that you have what the +sacrament signifies, that is, that you are certain Christ and all His +saints come to you bringing all their virtues, sufferings and mercies, +to live, work, suffer and die with you, and be wholly yours, to have +all things in common with you. If you will exercise and strengthen this +faith, you will experience what a rich and joyous wedding-supper and +festival your God has prepared upon the altar or you. Then you will +understand what the great feast of King Ahasuerus signifies [Esth. +1:5], you will see what that wedding is for which God has slain His +oxen and fatlings, as it is written in the Gospel [Matt. 22:2 ff.], +and your heart will grow right free and confident, strong and +courageous, against all enemies. For who will fear any calamity if he +is sure that Christ and all His saints are with Him and share all +things, evil or good, in common with him? So we read that the +disciples of Christ broke this bread and ate with great gladness of +heart. Since, then, this work is so great that our insignificant +souls dare not desire it, to say nothing of hoping for or expecting it, +it is necessary and profitable to go often to the sacrament, or at +least in the daily mass to exercise and strengthen this faith, on +which all depends and or the sake of which it was instituted. For if +you doubt[20] you do God the greatest dishonor and regard Him as +unfaithful and a liar. If you cannot believe, pray for faith, as was +said above in the other treatise[21]. + +19. See to it also that you make yourself a fellow of every man and by +no means exclude any one in hatred or anger; for this sacrament of +fellowship, love and unity cannot tolerate discord and dissension. You +must let the infirmities and needs of others burden your heart, as +though they were your own, and offer them your strength, as though it +were their own, as Christ does for you in the sacrament. That is what +we mean by being changed into one another through love, out of many +particles becoming one bread and drink, giving up one's own form and +taking one that belongs to all.[22] + +For this reason slanderers and those who wickedly judge and despise +others cannot but receive death in the sacrament, as St. Paul writes +[1 Cor. 11:29]. For they do not unto their neighbor what they seek +from Christ and what the sacrament indicates; they wish them no good, +have no sympathy with them, do not receive them as they desire to be +received by Christ, and then all into such blindness that they do not +know what else to do in this sacrament except to fear and honor Christ +in the sacrament with their prayers and devotion. When they have done +this they think they have done their whole duty, although Christ has +given His body for this purpose, that the significance of the +sacrament, that is, fellowship and mutual love, may be put into +practice, and His own natural body be less regarded than His spiritual +body,[23] which is the fellowship of His saints. What concerns Him +most, especially in this sacrament, is that faith in the fellowship +with Him and with His saints may be rightly exercised and become +strong in us, and that we, in accordance with it, may rightly exercise +our fellowship with one another. This purpose of Christ they do not +perceive and, in their devoutness, they daily say and hear mass, and +remain every day the same; nay, become worse daily, and mark it not. + +Therefore take heed; it is more needful that you discern the spiritual +than that you discern the natural body of Christ, and faith in the +spiritual is more needful than faith in the natural. For the natural +without the spiritual profiteth us nothing in this sacrament; a +change[24] must occur and manifest itself through love. + +20. There are many who, regardless of this change of love and faith, +rely upon the fact that the mass or the sacrament is, as they say, +_opus gratum opere operato_, that is, a work which of itself pleases +God, even though they who perform it do not please Him. From this they +conclude that, however unworthily masses are said, it is none the less +a good thing to have many masses, since the harm comes to those who +say or use them unworthily. I grant every one his opinion, but such +fables please me not. For, if you desire to speak thus, there is no +creature nor work that does not of itself please God, as is written, +"God saw all His works and they pleased Him." [Gen. 1:31] What good +can result therefrom, if one misuse bread, wine, gold, and every good +creature, though of themselves they are pleasing to God? Nay, +condemnation is the result. So too, here: the more precious the +sacrament, the greater the harm which comes upon the whole +congregation from its misuse. For it was not instituted or its own +sake, that it might please God, but for our sake, that we might use it +rightly, exercise our faith by it, and by it become pleasing to God. +If it is merely an _opus operatum_[25], it works only harm; it must +become an _opus operantis_[26]. Just as bread and wine work only harm +if they are not used, no matter how much they please God of +themselves; so it is not enough that the sacrament be prepared (that +is, _opus operatum_), it must also be used in faith (that is, _opus +operantis_). And we must take heed lest with such dangerous glosses +our minds be turned away from the sacrament's power and virtue, and +faith perish entirely through such false security in the outwardly +completed sacrament. All this results because they give heed in this +sacrament to Christ's natural body more than to the fellowship, the +spiritual body. Christ on the cross was also a completed work[27], +which was well-pleasing to God; but the Jews unto this day have found +it a stumbling block, for the reason that they did not make of it a +work that must be used in faith[28]. See to it, then, that the +sacrament be or you an _opus operantis_, that is, a work that is made +use of, and that it be well-pleasing to God, not because of what it is +in itself, but because of your faith and your right use of it. The +Word of God is also of itself pleasing to God, but it is harmful to me +when it does not please God also within me. In short, such expressions +as _opus operatum_ and _opus operantis_ are nothing but useless words +of men, more of a hindrance than a help. And who could tell all the +abominable abuses and misbeliefs which daily multiply about this +blessed sacrament, although some of them are so spiritual and holy +that they might almost lead an angel astray? Briefly, whoever would +understand the abuses need only keep before him the aforesaid use and +faith of this sacrament; namely, that there must be a sorrowing, +hungry soul, desiring heartily the love, help, and support of the +entire communion of Christ and of all saints, doubting not that in +faith it obtains them, and then, on the other hand, making itself one +with everyone. Whoever does not thus direct and order the hearing or +reading of masses and the reception of the sacrament, errs and does +not use this sacrament to his salvation. For this reason also the +world is overwhelmed with pestilences, wars and other horrible +plagues[29], since with our many masses we only call upon us the more +disfavor. + +21. We see now how necessary this sacrament is for those who must face +death, or other dangers of body and soul, since they are not let alone +in them, but are strengthened in the communion of Christ and all +saints. Therefore also Christ instituted it and gave it to His +disciples in their extreme need and danger. Since we are all daily +surrounded by all kinds of danger, and must at last die, we should +humbly and heartily and with all our powers thank the God of all mercy +for giving us a gracious sign, by which, if we hold fast thereto by +faith. He leads and draws us through death and every danger to +Himself, to Christ, and to all saints. + +Therefore it is also profitable and necessary that the love and +fellowship of Christ and all saints be hidden, invisible and +spiritual, and that only a bodily, visible and outward sign of it be +given us. For were this love, fellowship and help known to all, like +the temporal fellowship of men, we should not be strengthened nor +trained thereby to put our trust in the invisible and eternal things, +or to desire them, but should much rather be trained to put our trust +only in the temporal, visible things and to become so accustomed to +them as to be unwilling to let them go and to follow God onward; we +should thus be prevented from ever coming to Him, if we followed God +only so far as visible and tangible things led us. For everything of +time and sense must fall away, and we must learn to do without them, +if we are to come to God. + +Therefore the mass and this sacrament are a sign by which we train and +accustom ourselves to let go all visible love, help, and comfort, and +to trust in Christ and in the invisible love, help, and comfort of His +saints. For death takes away everything visible, and separates us from +men and temporal things; hence, to meet death, we must have the help +of the invisible and eternal things; and these are indicated to us in +the sacrament and sign, to which we cling by faith, until we attain to +them also by sight. Thus the sacrament is or us a ford, a bridge, a +door, a ship, and a litter, in which and by which we pass from this +world into eternal life. Therefore all depends on faith. He who does +not believe is like one who must cross the sea, but is so timid that +he does not trust the ship; and so he must remain and never be saved, +because he does not embark and cross over. This is due to our +dependence on the senses and to our untried faith which shrinks from +the passage across the Jordan of death--the devil also cruelly helps +toward this. + +22. This was indicated of old in Joshua iii [Josh. 3:7 ff.]. After the +children of Israel had gone dry-shod through the Red Sea, a type of +baptism, they went through Jordan in like manner; but the priests +stood with the ark in Jordan, and the water below them lowed by, while +that above them stood upon a heap, a type of this sacrament. The +priests carry and uphold the ark in Jordan when in the hour of our +death or peril they preach and administer to us this sacrament, +Christ, and the fellowship of all saints. I we believe, the waters +below us depart, that is, the temporal, visible things harm us not, +but flee from us. And those above us stand up high, as though they +would overwhelm us; these are the horrors and apparitions of the other +world, which at the hour of death terrify us. If, however, we pay no +heed to them, and pass on with a firm faith, we shall enter into +eternal life dry-shod and unharmed. + +We have, therefore, two principal sacraments in the church, baptism +and the bread. Baptism leads us into a new life on earth; the bread +guides us through death into eternal life. And the two are typified by +the Red Sea and the Jordan, and by the two lands, one beyond and one +on this side the Jordan. Therefore our Lord said at the Last Supper: +"I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day +when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." [Matt. 26:29] So +entirely is this sacrament intended and ordained to strengthen us +against death, and to give us entrance into eternal life. + +Finally, the blessing of this sacrament is fellowship and love, by +which we are strengthened against death and all evil. This fellowship +is twofold: on the one hand we partake of Christ and all saints, on +the other hand we permit all Christians to be partakers of us, in +whatever way they and we are able; so that by this sacrament all +self-seeking love is uprooted and gives place to love which seeks the +common good of all, and through this mutual love there is one bread, +one drink, one body, one community,--that is the true union of +Christian brethren. Now let us see how the pretentious brotherhoods, +of which there are now so many, measure up to this and resemble it. + +CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS.[30] + +1. First, let us consider the evil practices of the brotherhoods. One +of these is their gluttony and drunkenness,--one or more masses are +held[31], afterward the entire day and night, and other days besides, +are given over to the devil, and they do only what displeases God. +Such mad reveling has been introduced by the evil spirit, and is +called a brotherhood, whereas it is rather a debauch and altogether a +heathenish, nay, swinish mode of life. There would far better be no +brotherhoods in the world than that such an abomination should be +permitted. Temporal lords and cities should unite with the clergy in +abolishing it. For God, the saints, and all Christians are greatly +dishonored thereby, and the divine services and feast-days made a +sport for the devil. Saints' days should be kept and hallowed with +good works; and the brotherhood should also be a special treasury of +good works; instead it has become a treasury of beer money. What have +the names of Our Lady, of St. Anne, St. Sebastian[32], or other saints +to do with your brotherhoods, in which you have nothing but gluttony, +drunkenness, squandering of money, howling, yelling, chattering, +dancing and wasting of time? If a sow were made the patron saint of +such a brotherhood she would not consent. Why then do they afflict the +dear saints so sorely by taking their names in vain in such shameful +practices and sins, and by dishonoring and blaspheming the +brotherhoods named after them with such evil practices? Woe unto them +who do and permit this! + +2. If men desire to maintain a brotherhood, they should gather +provisions, and feed and serve a tableful or two of poor people, for +the sake of God; the day previous they should fast, and on the +feast-day remain sober, and pass the time in prayer and other good +works. Then God and His saints would be truly honored; this would lead +to better conditions, and a good example would be given others. Or +they should gather the money which they intended to squander or drink +and form a common treasury, each trade[33] by itself, so that needy +fellow-workmen might be assisted, or be lent money, or a young couple +of that trade might be fitted out respectably from the common +treasury: these would be true works of brotherhood, which would make +God and His saints look with pleasure upon the brotherhoods, of which +they would then gladly be the patrons. But where they are unwilling to +do this, and follow after the old mummery, I admonish that it be not +done on the saints' day's, nor in the name of the saints or of the +brotherhood. Let them take some other weekday and leave off the names +of the saints and of their brotherhoods, lest the saints at some time +mark it with disapproval. Although there is no day which is not +dishonored by such doings, at least the festivals and the names of the +saints should be spared. For such brotherhoods call themselves +brotherhoods of the saints while they do the work of the devil. + +3. Another evil feature of the brotherhoods is of a spiritual nature; +it is a false opinion of themselves, in that they think their +brotherhood is to be a benefit to no one but to themselves,--to those +who are members and are on the roll or contribute. This damnably +wicked opinion is an even worse evil than the first, and is one of the +reasons why God has brought it about that the brotherhoods are +becoming such a mockery and blasphemy of God through gluttony, +drunkenness and the like. For there they learn to seek their own good, +to love themselves, to be faithful only to one another, to despise +others, to think themselves better than others and presume to stand +higher before God than others. And thus perishes the communion of +saints, the Christian love, and the true brotherhood, established in +the holy sacrament. Thus a selfish love grows in them; that is, by +these many external work-brotherhoods they oppose and destroy the one, +inner, spiritual, essential, common brotherhood of all saints. + +When God sees this perverted state of affairs, He perverts it still +more, as is written in Psalm xviii[34], "With the perverse thou wilt +be perverted" [Ps. 18:26]; and He brings it to pass that they make +themselves and their brotherhoods a mockery and a disgrace, and He +casts them out from the common brotherhood of saints, which they +oppose and do not make common cause with, into their brotherhood of +gluttony, drunkenness and unchastity, so that they, who have neither +sought nor thought of anything more than their own, may find their +own; and then He blinds them that they do not recognize it as an +abomination and disgrace, but adorn their unseemliness with the names +of saints, as though they were doing right; beyond this He lets some +fall into so deep an abyss that they openly boast and say whoever is +in their brotherhood cannot be condemned, as though baptism and the +sacrament, instituted by God Himself, were of less worth and were less +certain than that which they have thought out with their darkened +minds. Therefore their God will dishonor and blind those who, with +their mad conduct and the swinish practices of their brotherhoods, +mock and blaspheme His easts, His name, and His saints, to the injury +of the common Christian brotherhood, which flowed from the wounds of +Christ. + +4. Therefore, for the right understanding and use of the brotherhoods, +one must learn to distinguish rightly between brotherhoods. The first +is the divine, the heavenly, the noblest, which surpasses all others, +as gold surpasses copper or lead--the fellowship of all saints, of +which we spoke above[35]. In this we are all brothers and sisters, so +closely united that a closer relationship cannot be conceived, for +here we have one baptism, one Christ, one sacrament, one food, one +Gospel, one faith, one Spirit, one spiritual body, and each is a +member of the other; no other brotherhood is so close. For natural +brothers are, to be sure, brothers of one flesh and blood, of one +heritage and home, but they must separate and join themselves to +others' blood and heritage[36]. Organized brotherhoods have one roll, +one mass, one kind of good works, one festival day, one treasury, and, +as things are now, their common beer, common feast and common debauch, +but none of these binds men so closely together as to produce one +spirit, for that is done by Christ's brotherhood alone. + +Since, then, the greater, broader and more embracing Christ's +brotherhood is, the better it is, therefore all other brotherhoods +should be so conducted as to keep this first and noblest brotherhood +constantly before their eyes, to regard it alone as great, and with +all their works to seek nothing for themselves, but do them for God's +sake, to entreat God that He keep and prosper this Christian +fellowship and brotherhood from day to day. Hence, when a brotherhood +is formed, they should let it be seen that its members outstrip other +persons in order to do Christianity some special service with their +prayers, fastings, alms and good works, and not in order to seek +selfish profit or reward, nor to exclude others, but to serve as the +free servants of the whole community of Christians. + +If men had such a correct conception, God would restore good order, so +that the brotherhoods might not be brought to shame by debauchery. +Then God's blessing would follow, so that a general fund might be +gathered, with which other men also might be given material aid; then +the spiritual and bodily works of the brotherhoods would be done in +their proper order. Whoever will not follow this method in his +brotherhood I advise to flee from it and let the brotherhood alone; it +will do him harm in body and soul. + +But if you say, If the brotherhood is not to give me some special +advantage, of what use is it to me? I answer: If you are seeking some +special advantage, how can the brotherhood or sisterhood help you? +Serve the community and other men by it, as is the nature of love, and +you will have your reward for this love without any effort and desire +on your part. But if you deem the service and reward of love too +small, it is evidence that yours is a perverted brotherhood. Love +serves freely and for nothing, therefore God also gives again to it +every blessing freely and or nothing. Since, then, everything must be +done in love, if it is to please God at all, the brotherhood must also +be a brotherhood in love. It is the nature, however, of that which is +done in love not to seek its own, nor its own profit, but that of +others, and, above all, that of the community. + +5. To return once more to the sacrament; since the Christian +fellowship also is at present in a bad way, as never before, and daily +grows worse, especially among the rulers, and all places are full of +sin and shame, you should not consider how many masses are said, or +how often the sacrament is celebrated, or this will make things worse +rather than better,--but how much you and others increase in that +which the sacrament signifies and in the faith it demands,--for +therein alone lies improvement; and the more you find yourself being +incorporated into Christ and into the fellowship of His saints, the +better it is with you,--that is, if you find that you are becoming +strong in the confidence of Christ and of His dear saints, and are +certain that they love you and stand by you in all the trials of life +and in death, and that you in turn take to heart the shortcomings and +lapses of all Christians and of the whole Church, that your love goes +out to everyone, and that you desire to help everyone, to hate no one, +to suffer with all and pray or them: then will the work of the +sacrament proceed aright, then you will often weep, lament and mourn +or the wretched condition of Christendom to-day. If, however, you find +no such confidence in Christ and His saints, and the needs of the +Church and of every fellowman do not trouble or move you, then beware +of all other good works, if in doing them you think you are godly and +will be saved. Be assured they are only hypocrisy, sham and deceit, or +they are without love and fellowship, and without these nothing is +good. For the sum of it all is, _Plenitudo legis est dilectio_, "Love +is the fulfilling of the law." [Rom. 13:10] Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See _Treatise on Baptism_, Vol. I, pp. 56 ff. + +[2] Note the advance in _The Babylonian Captivity_, below, pp. 178 +ff. + +[3] Cf. _Babylonian Captivity_, below, p. 186. + +[4] Cf. _Sermo_, 112, cap. 5 (Migne, xxxviii, 615). + +[5] See Vol. I, p. 56. + +[6] E. g., the danger of spilling the wine. + +[7] See p. 37. + +[8] Used here and above in the New Testament sense of true Christians, +living or dead, cf. 1 Cor. 1:2. + +[9] See p. 11. + +[10] See above, pp. 12, 13, and Vol. I, pp. 59 ff. + +[11] The virgin Mary. + +[12] Cf. _Enarratio in Ps. XXI_ (Migne, xxxvi, 178). + +[13] Penitential works. + +[14] Cf. Acts 2:46. + +[15] See Vol. I, p. 310. + +[16] In the Vulgate the Greek word "mystery" is translated by +_sacramentum_. See below, p. 258. + +[17] Luther still adheres to the doctrine of transubstantiation. But +see below, pp. 187 ff. + +[18] See p. 11. + +[19] Cf. below, p. 192. + +[20] See Luther's explanation of the First Commandment in the +Catechisms. Also the answer to the last question in Part V, Small +Catechism. + +[21] _Treatise on Penance_ (_Weimer Ed._, II, 721), where Luther +exhorts the troubled conscience to pray with the father of the lunatic +boy, "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief," and with the +Apostles, "Lord, increase our faith." + +[22] Cf. above, p. 17. + +[23] The Church. + +[24] A transubstantiation in the communicant. + +[25] A work that is done without reference to the doer of it. + +[26] A work considered with reference to the doer of it. + +[27] An _opus operatum_. + +[28] An _opus operantis_. + +[29] Cf. 1 Cor. 11:30. + +[30] Sodalities; see Introduction, p. 8, and below, pp. 137 f. + +[31] On festival days of the order and on saints' days. + +[32] The Carmelites are supposed to have been the first to organize +sodalities, having organized in the fourteenth century the Sodality of +Our Lady of Carmel. St. Anne was the mother of the Holy Virgin. Her +sodalities were, as Kolde says, epidemic in 1520. Luther's appeal to +St. Anne in the thunderstorm is well known (Comp. Köstlin-Kawerau, I, +55). There was a sodality of St. Anne, besides one of St. Augustine +and one of St. Catherine, in the monastery at Erfurt in Luther's day. +St. Sebastian was a martyr of the fourteenth century. His day is +January 20. Comp. Arts. _Anna_, _Sebastian_ and _Bruderschaten_ in +_Prot. Realencyk_., I, SS2; II, 534 l. + +[33] A trades' guild brotherhood. + +[34] Douay Version, based on Vulgate, from which Luther quotes. + +[35] See above, p. 10. + +[36] I. e., in marriage. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The ban, or excommunication, is the correlative of communion. Our +conception of excommunication depends then, of course, upon our view +of what constitutes communion. Luther gives us his view of communion +in the preceding _Treatise concerning the Blessed Sacrament_. From the +premise there laid down it follows that excommunication, or the ban, +excludes only from external membership in the Church, but cannot +really separate a man from the Church if he is in personal fellowship +with his Lord[1]. Sin and unbelief cause this separation from Him, and +the real ban, therefore, is put into effect not by the Church, but by +the man himself when he sins against God. The ban of the Church cannot +even deprive one of the Sacrament, but only of the outward use of it, +for it can still be partaken of spiritually. This whole position, of +course, is fatal to the Roman Catholic conception of the Church, and +we do not wonder that it was vigorously opposed by the hierarchy. + +Of like significance is Luther's advocacy of the separation of the +temporal and spiritual powers, practically of Church and State,--the +position which he develops later in the _Open Letter to the Nobility_. +But in this treatise, again, Luther shows himself to be anything but +the immoral monster his vilifiers have tried to make of him. He is +again the man of conscience--will his critics say, "of oversensitive +conscience"? Thank God that there were some sensitive consciences in +an almost conscienceless age! Luther fears sin more than the ban, and +sin has for him more than an ecclesiastical meaning. Sin is not +primarily an act against the Church, but an offence against God. This +the ban is to teach; it is to be the symbol of God's wrath against sin +and it is to be used by the Church only remedially and in love. When +so used it becomes the chastening rod of the dear Mother Church, +provided it be accepted and borne in this spirit. + +Why, then, did not Luther bear his own ban in this way? The +justification for his subsequent conduct is to be found in two brief +but important conditional clauses in this treatise. "God," he says, +"cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly and impudently +resisted, _when it does not force us to do what is against God or His +commandments_."[2] Again he says, "When unjustly put under the ban we +should be very careful not to do, omit, say or withhold that on +account of which we are under the ban, _unless we cannot do so without +sin and without injury to our neighbor_."[3] God and his neighbor were +for Luther the actors which made it necessary for him to speak and +act, when for selfish reasons he would often rather have remained +passive. + +The inception of our treatise is to be found in a sermon preached in +Wittenberg in the spring of 1518. Luther's pastoral concern for his +people made it necessary for him to speak on this subject in order to +quiet the consciences both embittered and distressed by the wanton and +unjust use of the power of excommunication. Added to this must have +been his own personal interest in the ban certain to fall on him. In a +letter to Link[4], dated July 10, 1518, he speaks of having preached a +sermon on the power of the ban which produced general consternation +and fear that the ire enkindled by the XCV Theses would start afresh. +He had desired a public disputation on the subject, but the Bishop of +Brandenburg persuaded him to defer the matter. Under date of September +1st, Luther writes Staupitz[5] that because his sermon had been +misrepresented and spread by unfriendly spies it became necessary for +him to publish it. It appeared in August after Luther's summons to +Rome, under the title _De Virtute Excommunicationis_. Our treatise is +an elaboration in popular form of this Latin treatise of 1515. + +The Grünberg text given in Clemen, Vol. I, which we have followed in +most cases, is dated 1520, and must have appeared in its original +edition at the end of 1519 or the beginning of 1520. + +The text of the treatise is found in the following editions: Weimar +Ed., vol. vi, 63; Erlangen Ed., vol. xxvii, 51; Walch Ed., vol. xix, +1089; St. Louis Ed., vol. .xix, 884; Clemen, vol. i, 213; Berlin Ed., +vol. iii, 291. + + J. J. SCHINDEL. + +Allentown, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See below, p. 37. + +[2] See below, p. 50. + +[3] See below, p. 51. + +[4] See Enders, I, No. 84. Smith. _Luther's Correspondence_, I, No. +69. + +[5] See Enders, I, No. 90. Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, No. +77. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN + +1520 + + + +JESUS + +1. We have seen[1] that the sacrament of the holy body of Christ is a +sign of the communion of all saints, therefore it becomes necessary to +know also what the ban is which is employed in the Church by the power +of the spiritual estate. For its chief and peculiar function and power +is to deprive guilty Christians of the holy sacrament and forbid it to +them. Therefore the one cannot be understood apart from the other, +because the one is the opposite of the other; for the Latin word +_communio_ means fellowship, and thus do the learned designate the +Holy Sacrament. Its opposite is the word _excommunicatio_, which means +exclusion from this fellowship, and so the learned term the ban. + +2. There is a twofold fellowship, corresponding to the two things in +the sacrament, the sign and the thing signified, as was said in the +treatise[2]. The first is an inner, spiritual and invisible fellowship +of the heart, by which one is incorporated by true faith, hope and +love in the fellowship of Christ and of all the saints, signified and +bestowed in the sacrament; and this is the effect and virtue of the +sacrament. This fellowship can neither be given nor taken away by any +one, be he bishop, pope, or angel or any creature. God alone through +His Holy Spirit must pour it into the heart of the one who believes in +the sacrament, as was said in the treatise[3]. This fellowship no ban +can touch or affect, but only the unbelief or sin of the person +himself; by these he can excommunicate himself, and thus separate +himself from the grace, the and salvation of the fellowship. This St. +Paul proves in Romans viii: "Who shall separate us from the God? Can +anguish or need, or hunger or poverty, or danger or persecution, or +shedding of blood? Nay, I am convinced that neither death nor life, +neither angels nor principalities nor angelic hosts, neither things +present nor things to come, naught that is mighty on the earth, +neither height nor depth nor any other creature can separate us from +the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Rom. 8:35, +38] And St. Peter says: "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be +followers of that which is good?" [1 Peter 3:13] + +3. The second kind of fellowship is an outward, bodily and visible +fellowship, by which one is admitted to the Holy Sacrament and +receives and partakes of it together with others. From this fellowship +or communion bishop and pope can exclude one, and forbid it to him on +account of his sin, and that is called putting him under the ban. This +ban was much in vogue of old, and is now known as the lesser ban. For +the ban goes beyond this and forbids even burial, selling, trading, +all association and fellowship with men, finally, as they say, even +fire and water[4], and this is known as the greater ban. + +Not satisfied with this, there are some who go still farther and use +the temporal powers against those under the ban, to coerce them with +sword, fire, and war[5]. These, however, are new inventions, rather +than the real meaning of Scripture. To wield the temporal sword +belongs to the emperor, to kings, to princes, and to the rulers of +this world, and by no means to the spiritual estate[6], whose sword is +not to be of iron, but the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word and +commandment of God, as St. Paul says. [Eph. 6:17] + +4. This external ban, both the lesser and the greater, was instituted +by Christ when He said in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother shall +trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him +alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. If he will +not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth +of two or three witnesses every word or transaction may be +established. If he will not hear them, then tell it unto the whole +congregation, the Church. If he neglect to hear the Church, let him be +unto thee a heathen man and a publican." [Matt. 18:15 ff.] + +Likewise St. Paul says in I Corinthians v: "If any man among you be a +fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, +or an extortioner, with such an one keep not company, neither eat with +him." [1. Cor. 5:11] Again he says in II Thessalonians iii: "If any +man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no +company with him, that he may be ashamed." [2 Thess. 3:14] Again, John +says in his second Epistle: "If any one come unto you, and bring not +this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God +speed, and he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil +deeds." [2 John 10] + +From all these sayings we learn how the ban is to be used. First, we +should seek neither vengeance nor our own profit, as is at present the +disgraceful practice everywhere, but only the correction of our +neighbor. Second, the penalty should stop short of his death or +destruction; or St. Paul limits the purpose of the ban to the +correction of our neighbor, that he be put to shame when no one +associates with him, and he adds in 11 Thessalonians iii: "Count him +not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." [2 Thess. 3:15] But +now the ruthless tyrants deal with men as though they would cast them +down to hell, and do not in any wise seek their correction. + +5. It may often happen that a person under the ban is deprived of the +holy sacrament, and also of burial, and is nevertheless inwardly[7] +secure and blessed in the fellowship of Christ and of all saints, +signified in the sacrament. On the other hand, there are many who are +not under the outward ban and who freely partake of the sacrament, but +are nevertheless inwardly quite estranged and excommunicated from the +fellowship of Christ; even though they be buried under the high altar +in a golden pall with much pomp and singing and tolling of bells. +Therefore, no one is to be judged, even if he be under the ban, +especially if he has not been put under the ban for heresy or sin, but +for the purpose of correction. For to put men under the ban for the +sake of money or other temporal considerations is a new invention, of +which the apostles and Christ knew nothing. + +6. To put under the ban is not, as some think, to deliver a soul to +Satan and deprive it of the intercession and of all the good works[8] +of the Church. For where the true faith and love of God remain in the +heart, there remains a real participation in all the possessions and +intercessions of the Church, together with all the benefits of the +sacrament, since the ban is and can be nothing else than exclusion +from the external sacrament or from association with men. If I were +cast into prison I would, of course, be deprived of the outward +companionship of my friends, and yet not be deprived of their favor +and friendship; so he that is put under the ban must relinquish the +sacrament and association with men, but is not on that account cut off +from their love, intercession and good works. + +7. It is true that the ban, when it is rightly and deservedly applied, +is a sign, an admonition and a chastisement, whereby the one under the +ban should recognize that he himself has delivered his soul unto Satan +by his transgression and sin, and has deprived himself of the +fellowship of all the saints and of Christ. For by the penalty of the +ban our mother, the holy Church, would show her dear son the awful +consequences of sin and thereby bring him back from the devil to God. +When an earthly mother rebukes and chastises her erring son, she does +not give him over to the hangman or to the wolves, nor make a knave of +him, but she restrains him and shows him by her chastisement that he +is in danger of the hangman, and thus keeps him at home in his +father's house. In the same way, when the spiritual power puts any one +under the ban, it should be in this spirit: "Behold, thou has done +this or that, whereby thou hast delivered thy soul unto the devil, +deserved God's wrath, and deprived thyself of all Christian +fellowship; thou art fallen under the inward spiritual ban in the +sight of God and art unwilling to cease or to return. So then, I put +thee also outwardly under the ban in the sight of men, and to thy +shame I deprive thee of the sacrament and of fellowship with men, +until thou come to thyself and bring back thy soul." + +8. Let every bishop, provost or official[9], who uses the ban for any +other purpose, take heed lest he put himself under the everlasting ban +from which neither God nor any creature shall deliver him. There are +none to whom the ban is more harmful and dangerous than those who +apply it, even though it be laid quite justly and only on account of +wrongdoing, for the reason that they seldom if ever have this object +in view. Besides they go about it without fear and do not consider how +perchance they themselves may be more worthy of a hundred bans in the +sight of God, as the Gospel records of the servant who owed his Lord +ten thousand pounds and yet would not have patience with his fellow +servant who owed him a hundred pence. What will become of these +miserable taskmasters, who for the sake of money have brought things +to such a pass with their bans, often violently and unjustly imposed, +that Turks and heathen have an easier life than Christians? It is very +evident that many of them are under the ban in the sight of God, and +are deprived of the blessing of the sacrament and of inward, spiritual +fellowship, although they do nothing day and night but cite others to +appear, harass them and put them under the ban, and deprive of the +external sacrament those who are a thousandfold better inwardly and in +the sight of God and are living in the spiritual fellowship of the +sacrament. O miserable business! O terrible existence maintained by +this abominable trade! I am not sure whether such publicans and +officials were wolves before becoming officials or whether they are on +the way to becoming wolves; their work is certainly wolves' work. + +9. From this there follows the truth that the ban of itself ruins, +condemns or harms no one, but seeks and finds the ruined and condemned +soul for the purpose of bringing it back. For all chastisement is for +the correction of sin; the ban is simply a chastisement and motherly +correction; therefore it makes no one worse or more sinful, but is +ordained solely to restore the inward spiritual fellowship when justly +laid, or to deepen it when unjustly imposed. This is proved by St. +Paul when he says in II Corinthians xiii: This I write to you +according to the power which the Lord hath given me, to edification +and not to destruction," [2 Cor. 13:10] And thus, when he rebukes him +who had taken his step-mother to wife, he says in I Corinthians v: "I +together with you deliver him unto the devil for the destruction of the +flesh, that the spirit may be saved at the last day." [1 Cor. 5:5] +Thus also in the passage quoted above he said: "We should not count +him who is under the ban as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother, +in order that he may be put to shame and not be lost." [2 Thess. 3:15] +Nay, even Christ Himself, as man, had not the power to cut off and +deliver a single soul to the devil, as He says in John vi: "Him that +cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out, and this is the will of My +Father Who sent Me, that I should not destroy or lose what He giveth +Me." [John 6:37, 39] Again He says: "The Son of Man is not come to +destroy, but to save men's souls." [Luke 9:56] If Christ Himself and +all the apostles had no other power than to help souls, and have let +behind them no other power in the Church, how dare the blind tyrants +presume and boast in their presumption that they have power to curse, +to condemn and to destroy, which power is even denied them by their +own canon law; for in the Liber Sextus[10], which treats of the +sentence of excommunication, we read: "Since the ban is a medicine and +not a poison, only a discipline, not a destructive uprooting, in so +far as the one subjected to it does not despise it: therefore let +every spiritual judge give diligence to prove himself one who seeks by +the ban naught but to correct and to cure." + +10. From the above passage it is evident that the ban, when it is not +despised, is wholesome and harmless, and not fatal to the soul, as +certain timid and dejected consciences, frightened by the outrageous +abuses of some, imagine; although in apostolic times it was able to +deliver the body to the devil and to death[11], as indeed it might +still be, if the judges would wield the ban, not in the abuse of +power, but in humble faith and love, for the correction of their +neighbor. It follows further that the ban brings greater danger and +terror to those who apply it and are not careful to seek only the +correction and salvation of those under the ban, according to the +words of the above passage[12]. For the ban can be nothing else than a +kind, motherly scourge applied to the body and temporal possessions, +by which no one is cast into hell, but rather drawn out of it, and +freed from condemnation unto salvation. Therefore we should not only +endure it without impatience, but receive it with all joy and +reverence. But for the tyrants, who seek therein nothing else than +power, awe and gain for themselves, the ban must be a terrible injury, +because they pervert it and its purpose, turn the medicine into a +poison, and seek only to become a terror to a frightened people; of +correction they never think. For this they will have to give an awful +reckoning--woe unto them! + +11. They have devised a saying, to wit: "Our ban must be feared, right +or wrong." With this saying they insolently comfort themselves, swell +their chests and puff themselves up like adders, and almost dare to +defy heaven and to threaten the whole world; with this bugaboo they +have made a deep and mighty impression, imagining that there is more +in these words than there really is. Therefore we would explain them +more fully and prick this bladder, which with its three peas makes +such a rightful noise. + +Now, it is true, the ban must be feared and not be despised, whether +it be just or unjust. But why apply this only to the ban, which is a +motherly chastening, and not to all the other and greater penalties +and tribulations as well? For what great thing have you done or the +ban by saying it must be feared? Must we not also fear when we are +sick, poor, slandered, despised, or deprived of goods, income or +justice, nay, when the Turk and other enemies attack or afflict us? +For all these and other adversities, whether deserved or undeserved, +we should fear, suffer and endure, and in all things conduct ourselves +as though we but received our deserts, as the Lord teaches: "O him +that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." [Luke 6:30] Why are +you not also afraid, dear tyrant, when you suffer injustice, when your +income is refused, your property stolen, your rights denied, and why +do you not think that you should endure these things in fear, whether +they be right or wrong? Do you think that others are commanded to +endure your power in ear, whether right or wrong, and that you are +free from this commandment and need not endure violence or wrong in +fear? You will learn that you also are human and under the same law +with which you threaten others, puffing yourself up in your folly. + +12. What perversity! The spiritual powers come along with their ban +and say it should be eared and endured, whether right or wrong. But if +they are subjected to violence and injustice they will not endure it +to the extent of a single heller, but without any fear at all, cast up +the accounts in their favor and demand what is theirs. Thus they +withdraw themselves from God's commandment, in keeping which they, +most of all, should be an example to others. For if it is true that +pope, bishop and the whole spiritual estate may without fear resist +injustice, injury and contempt in their own interest, then it is also +true that the ban may be resisted and be repelled, as vigorously as +they seek their interest. There is no distinction in God's +commandment, it concerns every one alike. But may God forbid that! We +are to bear both the ban and whatever tribulation may befall us in +fear, as the Gospel teaches. Therefore, if any one wrong you or take +your income, and you do not endure it in fear, but would frighten him +with the ban[13], especially when you are seeking not his improvement, +but your own benefit or self-will, take heed, you are already worse +than he. For you intend to draw yourself out of fear and to draw him +in, which you have no right to do, and compel him to keep the Gospel +which you tear to pieces. How will you be able to stand before God? +Therefore when they say, "Our ban must be feared, right or wrong," we +reply: "Yes, that is true, but it is also true that your unjust ban +harms no one but yourselves, and harms you in body and soul. And the +just ban harms you more than it harms me. Therefore you should also +endure your injury in fear, be it right or wrong, and if you glory +over me because of the ban I will glory over you because of your +suffering. If a criminal took my coat and said: 'You should endure it +in fear and humility,' I would say, 'I will; not for the sake of your +theft, which harms me not, but for the sake of Christ's commandment +[Matt. 5:40].' Just so I fear your ban, not for the ban's sake (it +does not harm me, but rather yourself), but for the sake of Christ's +commandment." + +13. Though it is true that the ban must be feared, whether it be right +or wrong, yet those who lay the ban are always in greater danger than +those on whom it is laid. He who is banned is in no danger but that of +despising the ban and not bearing it, whether it be right or wrong. +But he who bans is in danger, in the first place, of not enduring +injustice in fear; in the second place, of avenging himself through +the ban without any fear; in the third place, of not seeking, with +singleness of purpose, his sinful neighbor's correction by means of +the ban. This is evident because he despises his own sin and that of +others, and only attacks the man who injures him, all of which is +contrary to the Gospel. Hence it comes that by means of their dreadful +perverseness those who use the ban nowadays pick up the spoon and +tread in the dish[14]; they put others under the external ban and put +themselves under condemnation inwardly; in addition, they become so +blinded that they boast how greatly their external ban is to be +feared, and inwardly they condemn themselves, and rejoice boldly and +without fear like fools and madmen. For this reason I am sure that the +Holy Spirit did not invent the saying, Our ban must be feared, right +or wrong. It does not become a Christian, not to say one in the +spiritual estate[15], to wrong another, much less to lord it over him +and boast that this injustice must be feared. It behooves me to say, +Thy injustice makes me tremble; it behooves thee much more to take +heed and be in fear lest thou do me wrong and threaten me besides, +saying that I must endure it in fear; or thy injustice can harm me +only in time, but thee it harms to all eternity. So evil and +lamentable are these present times, in which such furious tyrants +shamelessly and openly boast of their sin and everlasting hurt (which +would be horrible even in Turks and heathen), in order that they may +be defiant now and mock at the misfortunes of those who suffer, whom +they do not seek to correct, but only to inspire with fear and false +terror. + +In a word, the higher estate is always, with all its works, in greater +danger than the lower estate, and where the lower estate must needs be +in fear once, there the higher estate needs be in fear ten times over. +On this account those who exercise the ban have no reason to lord it +over those who are under the ban or to deal arrogantly with them, but +all the more reason to weep or themselves. For God's judgment will not +be pronounced on the lowly, but on the mighty, as Wisdom the wise man +says [Wisdom 6:8 f.]. + +14. It were indeed better if Christians were taught to love the ban +rather than to fear it[16], as we are taught by Christ to love +chastisement, pain and even death, and not to fear them. But these +prattlers speak only of fear in the ban, though they teach that all +other chastisements and misfortunes are to be borne cheerfully. +Whereby they betray their blind and cursed purpose, which is to rule +by force over the people of Christ, and as it were to take the free +Christian Church captive in fear. Therefore let us learn what is our +chief duty with respect to the ban, namely, not to despise it or bear +it impatiently, and this for two reasons. First, because the authority +of the ban was given by Christ to the holy mother, the Christian +Church, that is, to the community of all Christians. Therefore, in +this matter we should honor and submit to our dear mother Church and +to Christ. For what Christ and the Church do should have our approval, +our love and our filial fear. Secondly, because the effect and purpose +of the ban is beneficial and salutary and never injurious, if one +endures it and does not despise it. To use a homely illustration: When +a mother punishes her beloved son, whether he has deserved it or not, +she certainly does not do it with evil intent, but it is a maternal, +harmless and salutary punishment, if the son bears it patiently. Only +when he becomes impatient, and is not influenced by it to leave the +wrong or to do the good for the sake of which he is punished, but +turns against his mother and despises her, does the punishment begin +to do him harm; or then he offends against God, Who has commanded: +"Thou shalt honor thy father and mother" [Ex. 20:12]; and out of a +light, harmless, yea even beneficial chastisement he makes a terrible +wrong and sin, to his everlasting pain and punishment. + +15. Thus it happens in our day that certain officials[17] and their +associates are murdered, beaten and bound, or are in constant fear of +death. Doubtless this would not occur at all, or at least much less +frequently, if the people did not hold the wrong opinion that the ban +is more harmful than profitable. For this reason they venture +everything, and commit such crimes as it were in despair. Although +this is terrible, yet by God's dispensation the tyrants get what they +deserve, because they conceal the real benefit of the ban from the +people, and misuse it, making no effort toward correction, but aiming +simply to increase their own power. For although every one ought to +endure the ban, they too ought not to despise a poor human being, be +he guilty or innocent, as Christ says: "Take heed that ye despise not +one of these little ones that believe on Me, for I say unto you that +their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in +heaven." [Matt. 18:10] Why should they wonder if, in the providence of +God, at times their heads are broken and their commands despised, +because of the unjust tyrannical ban, since without ceasing they act +so insolently against God's commandment? True, there is great wrong on +both sides. Yet if the people were taught that the power of the ban is +wholesome and necessary and that it is not ordained nor used to their +hurt, but to their benefit, the officials would be in less danger, and +find greater and readier obedience, nay, greater love, good will and +honor among all the people. + +16. Therefore the people should be taught in some such way as this: My +dear people, let not those who have and use the power of the ban drive +you to despair, whether they be pious or evil, whether they do you +justice or injustice. The power of the ban cannot harm you, but must +always be beneficial to the soul, if only you bear and endure it +aright; their abuse of the ban does not hinder its virtue. Or if you +cannot endure it, then try to escape from it with meekness, not with +revenge and retaliation by word or deed. And in all things look not to +them, but to the dear mother Church. What difference does it make to +you whether she lays her rods of chastisement upon you through pious +or through wicked rulers? It is and remains, nevertheless, your +dearest mother's most salutary rod. From the beginning of the world it +has been so, and will ever remain, that spiritual and temporal power +is more often given to the Pilates, Herods, Annases and Caiaphases +than to the pious Peters, Pauls and the like, and as in all other +estates so in that of government there are always more of the wicked +than of the pious. It is not to be supposed or hoped that we shall +ever have an entirely pious government, nay, it must come as a pure +git of grace or by special prayer and merit, if good government or a +right use of power is to be had at all. For God punishes wicked +subjects by wicked rulers, as He says: "I will give children to be +their prelates and their rulers shall be childish men, I will take +from them every mighty man, the wise, the prudent and the man of war," +[Isa. 3:4] etc. Since, then, incapable or evil rulers are God's +chastisement, and there are so many among us who deserve such +chastisement, we must not be surprised if the government wrongs us and +abuses its power toward us, nay, we must wonder and thank God when it +does not wrong us and do us injustice. + +17. Wherefore, since the world is at present overburdened, as it has +abundantly deserved to be because of its heinous sins, with young, +imprudent and inexperienced rulers, especially in the spiritual +estate, so that this age of ours is extraordinarily perilous, we must +act very prudently and by all means see to it that we hold the +government and all authority in the highest honor, even as Christ +honors the authority of Pilate, Herod, Annas, Caiaphas, and of the +temporal rulers of His time we must not permit such grievous abuses +and the childish rule of the prelates to move us to despise all +authority, so that despite those unworthy persons who bear rule we may +not at the same time despise their authority, but cheerfully bear what +it imposes, or reuse to bear it at least with humility and proper +respect. For God cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly +and impudently resisted when it does not force us to do what is +against God or His commandments[18], though they themselves do as much +as they can against God, or injure us as much as they will. There are +some whom He Himself would judge and condemn, and such are those great +and powerful tyrants; so too, there are those whom He would help, and +such are the oppressed sufferers. Therefore we should yield to this +His will and leave the mighty to His sword and judgment, and allow Him +to help us, as St. Paul says: "O dearly beloved brethren, neither +avenge nor defend yourselves, but rather give place unto the wrath of +God, because it is written. Vengeance belongs to Me alone and I will +repay each one [Deut. 32:35]." [Rom. 12:19] + +And yet we should humbly tell these prelates (especially should the +preachers rebuke them, yet only by showing them from the Word of God) +that they are acting against God and show them what He would have them +do, and in addition diligently and earnestly pray to God or them; even +as Jeremiah wrote to the children of Israel in Babylon that they +should zealously pray or the king of Babylon, or his son and for his +kingdom, although he had taken them captive, had troubled and slain +them and done them all manner of evil. + +And we can easily do this if we remember that the ban and all +unrighteous authority cannot harm our souls, provided we submit to +them, and they must ever be of profit, unless they are despised. So +also are the authorities a thousandfold worse in the sight of God than +we, and are therefore to be pitied rather than wickedly to be +despised. For this reason we are also commanded in the law of Moses +that no one shall revile the rulers, be they good or evil, even though +they give great occasion. In short, we must have evil or childish +rulers,--if it is not the Turk, then it must needs be the Christians. +The world is far too wicked to be worthy of good and pious lords, it +must have princes who go to war, levy taxes and shed blood, and it +must have spiritual tyrants who impoverish and burden it with bulls +and letters[19] and laws. This and other chastisements are rather what +it has deserved, and to resist them is nothing else than to resist +God's chastisement. As humbly as I conduct myself when God sends me a +sickness, so humbly should I conduct myself toward the evil +government, which the same God also sends me. + +18. When we are justly and deservedly put under the ban our chief +concern should be to correct the sins of commission and omission which +caused the ban, since the ban always is imposed on account of sin +(which is far worse than the ban itself), and yet here as elsewhere +things are perverted, so that we only consider how much the rod hurts +and not why we are punished. Where can you find men to-day who are as +much in fear of sinning and provoking God as they are in fear of the +ban? Thus it happens that we are more in fear of the wholesome +chastisement than of the heinous sins. We must let men think and act +thus, because the natural man does not see the spiritual harm in sin +as he feels the smarts of chastisement; although the fear of the ban +has also been exaggerated by the tyrannous methods and threatenings of +the spiritual judges who drive the people to fear punishment more than +sin. + +When, however, we are unjustly put under the ban, we should be very +careful that we in no way do, omit, say or withhold that on account of +which we are under the ban (unless we cannot do so without sin and +without injury to our neighbor)[20], but rather should we endure the +ban in humility, die happily under it, if it cannot be otherwise, and +not be terrified, even though we do not receive the sacrament and are +buried in unconsecrated ground. The reason is this: Truth and +righteousness belong to the inner, spiritual fellowship[21] and may +not be abandoned under penalty of falling under God's eternal ban. +Therefore they dare not be surrendered for the sake of the external +fellowship, which is immeasurably inferior, nor because of the ban. To +receive the sacrament and to be buried in consecrated ground are of +too little consequence that or their sake truth and righteousness be +neglected. And that no one may think this strange I will go further +and say that even he who dies under a just ban is not damned, unless +indeed he did not repent of his sin or despised the ban. For sorrow +and repentance make all things right, even though his body be exhumed +or his ashes cast into the water[22]. + +19. The unjust ban then is much more to be desired than either the +just ban or the external fellowship. It is a very precious merit in +the sight of God, and blessed is he who dies under an unjust ban. God +will grant him an eternal crown for the truth's sake, on account of +which he is under the ban. Then let him sing in the words of Psalm +cix, "They have cursed me, but Thou hast blessed me." [Ps. 109:28] +Only let us beware of despising the authorities, and humbly declare +our innocence; if this does not avail, then we are free and without +guilt in the sight of God. For if we are in duty bound by the +commandment of Christ to agree with our adversary [Matt. 5:25]; how +much more should we agree with the authority of the Christian Church, +be it exercised justly or unjustly, by worthy or unworthy rulers. + +An obedient child, though it does not deserve the punishment it +receives from its mother, suffers no harm from the unjust +chastisement, nay, by its very patience it becomes much dearer and +more pleasing to the mother; how much more do we become lovable in +God's sight, if at the hands of evil rulers we endure the unmerited +punishment of the Church, as our spiritual mother. For the Church +remains our mother because Christ remains Christ, and she is not +changed into a step-mother simply because of our evil rulers. +Nevertheless, the prelates and bishops and their officials should be +temperate and not hastily use the ban, for many bans means nothing +else than many laws and commandments, and prescribing many laws is to +set many snares for poor souls. And so by numerous ill-advised bans +nothing more results than great offence and an occasion or sin, by +which the wrath of God is provoked, although the ban was ordained to +reconcile Him. And although we are truly bound to obey them, still +more are they bound to direct, change and regulate their decree and +authority according to our ability and need and for our correction and +salvation; for we have shown from St. Paul[23] that power is given not +for destruction but for edification [2 Cor. 13:10]. + +20. The ban should be applied not only to heretics and schismatics, +but to all who are guilty of open sin, as we have shown above from St. +Paul, who commands that the railer, extortioner, fornicator and +drunkard be put under the ban [1 Cor. 5:11]. But in our day such +sinners are let in peace, especially if they are bigwigs; and to the +disgrace of this noble form of authority, the ban is used only for the +collection of debts of money, often so insignificant that the costs +amount to more than the original debt. In order to gloss this over +they have hit upon a new device, saying they put under the ban not +because of debt but because of disobedience, because the summons was +not respected; were it not for debt, however, they would forget the +disobedience, as we see when many other sins, even their own, escape +the ban. A poor man must often be disobedient if he is cited to go so +many miles, lose time and money and neglect his trade. It is utter +tyranny to summon a man to come such a distance across country to +court. + +And I commend the temporal princes[24] who will not permit the ban and +the abuses connected with it in their lands and among their people. +What are princes and counsellors for if they do not concern themselves +with and judge such temporal matters as debts, each in their city and +province and among their subjects? The spiritual powers should be +concerned with the Word of God, with sin, and with the devil, in order +to bring souls to God, and should relinquish temporal cases to the +temporal judges, as Paul writes[25][1 Cor. 6:1]. Indeed, as things are +now, it is almost necessary to use the ban in order to drive the +people into the Church and not out of it. + +21. Whether one be justly or unjustly under the ban, no one may +exclude him from the Church until the Gospel has been read or the +sermon preached[26]. For from the hearing of the Gospel and the sermon +no one shall or can exclude or be excluded. The hearing of the Word of +God should remain free to every one[27]. Nay, those who are under a +just ban ought most of all to hear it, that they may perchance be +moved by it to acknowledge their sin and to reform. We read that it +was the ancient practice of the Church to dismiss those under the ban +after the sermon, and if a whole congregation were under the ban the +sermon must be allowed to proceed just as though there were no ban. In +addition, even though he who is under the ban may not remain for the +mass after the sermon, nor come to the sacrament[28], nevertheless he +should not neglect it, but spiritually come to the sacrament, that is, +he should heartily desire it and believe that he can spiritually +receive it, as was said in the treatise on the sacrament[29]. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] In the preceding treatise on the _Blessed Sacrament_. + +[2] See above, p. 10. + +[3] See above, p. 18. + +[4] I. e., the necessaries of life. + +[5] E. g., the crusades against heretics, and the inquisition of the +thirteenth century. Luther's statement that to burn heretics is +contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit was condemned in the Bull +_Exsurge Domine_, of July 15, 1520. + +[6] Cf. p. 53. + +[7] Cf. p. 10. + +[8] See Vol. I, pp. 53, 163 ff. + +[9] The officials were officers of the bishops' courts; see also +below, p. 103. + +[10] In Vito, lib. V, tit. xi, c. I,_Cum medicinalis_. + +[11] According to Luther's interpretation of 1 Cor. 5:5. Cf. also Acts +5:5. + +[12] The passage quoted from the canon law. + +[13] For instances see the _Gravamina of the German Nation_ (1521), +Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, II, 685. + +[14] Thiele, _Luthers Sprichwörtersammlung_, No. 276. + +[15] I. e., a cleric. + +[16] This statement also was condemned in the papal bull. + +[17] The "officials" were the administrators of this discipline, see +above, p. 41. + +[18] A very important limitation for Luther's position. + +[19] See Open Letter to the Nobility, below, p. 98. + +[20] Again an important limitation. + +[21] See above, p. 41. + +[22] The ashes of Hus were cast into the Rhine (1415), and the body of +Wycliff was exhumed and cremated and the ashes cast into the water +(1427). + +[23] See above, p. 42. + +[24] In 1518 both George and Frederick of Saxony took the position +that spiritual jurisdiction should be limited to spiritual matters. +Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchen politik Georgs_ 1, 44. + +[25] Luther puts a peculiar construction upon this passage. + +[26] The ancient service was divided into the service of the Word +(_missa catechumenorum_) and the celebration of the sacrament (_missa +fidelium_); before the second, those under the ban as well as the +catechumens were required to withdraw. + +[27] The "great ban" excluded from all services. + +[28] According to Roman Catholic usage there is a distinction between +hearing mass and receiving the sacrament. + +[29] Compare Treatise Concerning the Blessed Sacrament, above, p. 25. + + + +AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY OF THE GERMAN NATION +CONCERNING THE REFORM OF THE CHRISTIAN ESTATE + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation_ is +closely related to the tract on _The Papacy at Rome: A Reply to the +Celebrated Romanist at Leipzig_[1]. In a letter to Spalatin[2] dated +before June 8, 1520, Luther says: "I shall assail that ass of an +Alveld in such wise as not to forget the Roman pontiff, and neither of +them will be pleased." In the same letter he writes, "I am minded to +issue a broadside to Charles and the nobility of Germany against the +tyranny and baseness of the Roman curia." The attack upon Alveld is +the tract on _The Papacy at Rome_; the _scheda publica_ grew into the +_Open Letter_. At the time when the letter to Spalatin was written, +the work on _The Papacy at Rome_ must have been already in press, for +it appeared in print on the 26th of the month[3], and the composition +of the Open Letter had evidently not yet begun. On the 23d Luther sent +the manuscript of the _Open Letter_ to Amsdorf[4], with the request +that he read it and suggest changes. The two weeks immediately +preceding the publication of the work _On the Papacy_ must, therefore, +have been the time when the Open Letter was composed. + +In the conclusion to the earlier work Luther had said: "Moreover, I +should be truly glad if kings, princes, and all the nobles would take +hold, and turn the knaves from Rome out of the country, and keep the +appointments to bishoprics and benefices out of their hands. How has +Roman avarice come to usurp all the foundations, bishoprics and +benefices of our fathers? Who has ever read or heard of such monstrous +robbery? Do we not also have the people who need them, while out of +our poverty we must enrich the ass-drivers and stable-boys, nay, the +harlots and knaves at Rome, who look upon us as nothing else but +arrant fools, and make us the objects of their vile mockery? Oh, the +pity, that kings and princes have so little reverence for Christ, and +His honor concerns them so little that they allow such heinous +abominations to gain the upper hand, and look on, while at Rome they +think of nothing but to continue in their madness and to increase the +abounding misery, until no hope is let on earth except in the temporal +authorities. Of this I will say more anon, if this Romanist comes +again; let this suffice for a beginning. May God help us at length to +open our eyes. Amen." + +This passage may fairly be regarded as the germ of the _Open Letter_. +The ideas of the latter work are suggested with sufficient clearness +to show that its materials are already at hand, and its plan already +in the author's mind. The threat to write it is scarcely veiled. That +Luther did not wait for that particular Romanist to "come again" may +have been due to the intervention of another Romanist, none other than +his old opponent, Sylvester Prierias. Before the 7th of June[5] Luther +had received a copy of Prierias' _Epitome of a Reply to Martin +Luther_[6], which is the boldest and baldest possible assertion of the +very theory of papal power which Luther had sought to demolish in his +tract on the Papacy. In the preface to his reprint of the Epitome, +Luther bids farewell to Rome: "Farewell, unhappy, hopeless, +blasphemous Rome! The wrath of God hath come upon thee, as thou hast +deserved! We have cared for Babylon, and she is not healed; let us, +then, leave her, that she may be the habitation of dragons, spectres +and witches, and true to her name of Babel, an everlasting confusion, +a new pantheon of wickedness."[7] + +These words were written while the _Open Letter_ was in course of +composition. The _Open Letter_ is, therefore, Luther's first +publication after the time when he recognized that the breach between +him and the papal church was complete, and likely to be permanent. +Meanwhile, the opposing party had come to the same conclusion. The +verdict of the pope upon Luther had been long delayed, but on the 15th +of June, midway between the letter to Spalatin, above mentioned, and +the completion of the _Open Letter_, Leo X signed the bull of +excommunication, though it was not published in Germany until later. +Thus the _Open Letter_ shows us the mind of Luther in the weeks when +the permanent separation between him and Rome took place. + +It was also the time when he had the highest hopes from the promised +support of the German knights[8], who formed the patriotic party in +Germany and are included in the "nobility" to whom the Open Letter is +addressed[9]. + +The first edition of 4000 copies came off the press of Melchior +Lotther in Wittenberg before the 18th of August[10]. It is +surmised[11] that the earlier portion[12] of the work was not +contained in the original manuscript, but was added while it was in +the printer's hands; perhaps it was added at the suggestion of +Amsdorf. Less than a week later a second edition was in course of +preparation[13]. This "enlarged and revised edition"[14] contained +three passages not included in the first[15]. They are indicated in +the notes to the present edition. + +He who would know the true Luther must read more than one of his +writings; he must not by any chance omit to read the _Open Letter to +the Christian Nobility of the German Nation_. In his other works we +learn to know him as the man of God, or the prophet, or the +theologian; in this treatise we meet Luther the German. His heart is +full of grief for the affliction of his people, and grief turns to +wrath as he observes that this affliction is put upon them by the +tyranny and greed of the pope and the cardinals and the "Roman +vermin." The situation is desperate; appeals and protests have been +all in vain; and so, as a last resort, he turns to the temporal +authorities,--to Charles V, newly elected, but as yet uncrowned; to +the territorial lords, great and small, who have a voice in the +imperial diet and powers of jurisdiction in their own +domains,--reciting the abuses of "Roman tyranny," and pleading with +them to intervene in behalf of the souls that are going to destruction +"through the devilish rule of Rome." It is a cry out of the heart of +Germany, a nation whose bent is all religious, but which, from that +very circumstance, is all the more open to the insults and wrongs and +deceptions of the Roman curia. + +Yet it is no formless and incoherent cry, but an orderly recital of +the ills of Germany. There are times when we feel in reading it that +the writer is laying violent hands on his own wrath in the effort to +be calm. For all its scathing quality, it is a sane arraignment of +those who "under the holy name of Christ and St. Peter" are +responsible for the nation's woes, and the remedies that are proposed +are, many of them, practicable as well as reasonable. + +The materials of the work are drawn from many sources,--from hearsay, +from personal observation, from such histories as Luther had at his +command, from the proceedings of councils and of diets; there are +passages which would seem to bear more than an accidental resemblance +to similar passages in Hutten's _Vadiscus_. All was grist that came to +Luther's mill. But the spirit of the work is Luther's own. + +For the general historian, who is concerned more with the practical +than with the theoretical or theological aspects of the Reformation, +the _Open Letter_ is undoubtedly Luther's greatest work. Its rank +outspokenness about the true condition of Germany, the number and +variety of the subjects that it treats, the multiplicity of the +sources from which the subject-matter is drawn, and the point of view +from which the whole is discussed make it a work of absorbing interest +and priceless historical value. It shows, as does no other single work +of the Reformation time, the things that were in men's minds and the +variety of motives which led them to espouse the cause of the +Protestant party. Doctrine, ethics, history, politics, economics, all +have their place in the treatise. It is not only "a blast on the +war-trumpet,"[16] but a connecting link between the thought of the +Middle Ages and that of modern times, prophetic of the new age, but +showing how closely the new is bound up with the old. + +The text of the _Open Letter_ is found in _Weimar Ed_., VI, 404-469; +_Erl. Ed._, XXI, 277-360; _Walch Ed._, X, 296-399; _St. Louis Ed._, X, +266-351; _Berlin Ed._, I, 203-290; _Clemen_ I, 363-425. The text of +the Berlin Ed._ is modernized and annotated by E. Schneider. The +editions of _K. Benrath_ (Halle, 1883) and E. Lemme (_Die 3 grossen +Reformationsschriften L's vom J. 1520_; Gotha, 1884) contain a +modernized text and extensive notes. A previous English translation in +_Wace_ and _Buchheim_, _Luther's Primary Works_ (London and +Philadelphia, 1896). The present translation is based on the text of +Clemen. + +For full discussion of the contents of the work, especially its +sources, see _Weimar Ed._, VI, 381-391; _Schäfer, Luther als +Kirchenhistoriker_, Gütersloh, 1897; Kohler, _L's Schrift an den Adel +. . . im Spiegel der Kulturgeschichte_, Halle, 1895, and _Luther und +die Kirchengeschichte_, Erlangen, 1900. Extensive comment in all the +biographies, especially Köstlin-Kawerau I, 315 ff. + + CHARLES M. JACOBS. + +Lutheran Theological Seminary, + + Mount Airy, Philadelphia. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] In this edition, I, 337 ff. + +[2] Enders, II, 414; Smith, _L.'s Correspondence_, I, No. 266. + +[3] Enders, II, 424. + +[4] See below, p. 62. + +[5] See letter of June 7th to John Hess, Enders, II, 411; Smith, I, +No. 265. + +[6] Published at Rome 1519; printed with Luther's preface and notes, +Weimar Ed., VI, 328ff.; Erl. Ed., op. var. arg., II, 79 ff. + +[7] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329. + +[8] See Enders, II, 415, 443; Smith, Nos. 269, 279, and documents in +_St. Louis Ed._, XV, 1630 ff. + +[9] See Köstlin-Kawerau, _Martin Luther_, I, 308 ff., and _Weimar +Ed._, VI, 381 ff. + +[10] See Luther's letters to Lang and Staupitz, who wished to have the +publication withheld (Enders, II, 461, 463). + +[11] _Clemen_, I. 362. + +[12] Below, pp. 65-99. + +[13] See _Weimar Ed._, VI, 397. + +[14] See title _B_, _ibid_., 398. + +[15] Printed as an appendix in _Clemen_, I, 421-425. + +[16] So it was called by Johann Lang (Enders, II, 461). + + + +AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY OF THE GERMAN NATION +CONCERNING THE REFORM OF THE CHRISTIAN ESTATE + +1520 + + + +To the + +Esteemed and Reverend Master + +NICHOLAS VON AMSDORF, + +Licentiate of Holy Scripture and Canon at Wittenberg, my special and +kind friend; + +Doctor Martin Luther. + +The grace and peace of God be with thee, esteemed and reverend dear +sir and friend. + +The time to keep silence has passed and the time to speak is come, as +saith Ecclesiastes [Eccl. 3:7]. I have followed out our intention[1] +and brought together some matters touching the reform of the Christian +Estate, to be laid before the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, +in the hope that God may deign to help His Church through the efforts +of the laity, since the clergy, to whom this task more properly +belongs, have grown quite indifferent. I am sending the whole thing to +your Reverence, that you may pass judgment on it and, if necessary, +improve it. + +I know full well that I shall not escape the charge of presumption in +that I, a despised monk, venture to address such high and great +Estates on matters of such moment, and to give advice to people of +such high intelligence. I shall offer no apologies, no matter who may +chide me. Perchance I owe my God and the world another piece of folly, +and I have now made up my mind honestly to pay that debt, if I can do +so, and for once to become court-jester; if I fail, I still have one +advantage,--no one need buy me a cap or cut me my comb[2]. It is a +question which one will put the bells on the other[3]. I must fulfil +the proverb, "Whatever the world does, a monk must be in it, even if +he has to be painted in."[4] More than once a fool has spoken wisely, +and wise men often have been arrant fools, as Paul says, "If any one +will be wise, let him become a fool." [1 Cor. 3:18] Moreover since I +am not only a fool, but also a sworn doctor of Holy Scripture, I am +glad for the chance to fulfil my doctor's oath in this fool's way. + +I pray you, make my excuses to the moderately intelligent, for I know +not how to earn the grace and favor of the immoderately intelligent, +though I have often sought to do so with great pains. Henceforth I +neither desire nor regard their favor. God help us to seek not our own +glory, but His alone! Amen. + +Wittenberg, in the house of the Augustinians, on the Eve of St. John +the Baptist (June 23d), in the year fifteen hundred and twenty. + +To + +His Most Illustrious and Mighty Imperial Majesty, + +and to + +the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, + +Doctor Martin Luther. + +Grace and power from God, Most Illustrious Majesty, and most gracious +and dear Lords. + +It is not out of sheer frowardness or rashness that I, a single, poor +man, have undertaken to address your worships. The distress and +oppression which weigh down all the Estates of Christendom, especially +of Germany, and which move not me alone, but everyone to cry out time +and again, and to pray for help[5], have forced me even now to cry +aloud that God may inspire some one with His Spirit to lend this +suffering nation a helping hand. Ofttimes the councils[6] have made +some pretence at reformation, but their attempts have been cleverly +hindered by the guile of certain men and things have gone from bad to +worse. I now intend, by the help of God, to throw some light upon the +wiles and wickedness of these men, to the end that when they are +known, they may not henceforth be so hurtful and so great a hindrance. +God has given us a noble youth to be our head and thereby has awakened +great hopes of good in many hearts[7]; wherefore it is meet that we +should do our part and profitably use this time of grace. + +In this whole matter the first and most important thing is that we +take earnest heed not to enter on it trusting in great might or in +human reason, even though all power in the world were ours; for God +cannot and will not suffer a good work to be begun with trust in our +own power or reason. Such works He crushes ruthlessly to earth, as it +is written in the xxxiii. Psalm, "There is no king saved by the +multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength." +[Ps. 33:16] On this account, I fear, it came to pass of old that the +good Emperors Frederick I[8] and II[9], and many other German emperors +were shamefully oppressed and trodden under foot by the popes, +although all the world feared them. It may be that they relied on +their own might more than on God, and therefore they had to all. In +our own times, too, what was it that raised the bloodthirsty Julius +II[10] to such heights? Nothing else, I fear, except that France, the +Germans and Venice relied upon themselves. The children of Benjamin +slew 42,000 Israelites[11] because the latter relied on their own +strength. + +That it may not so fare with us and our noble young Emperor Charles, +we must be sure that in this matter we are dealing not with men, but +with the princes of hell, who can fill the world with war and +bloodshed, but whom war and bloodshed do not overcome. We must go at +this work despairing of physical force and humbly trusting God; we +must seek God's help with earnest prayer, and fix our minds on nothing +else than the misery and distress of suffering Christendom, without +regard to the deserts of evil men. Otherwise we may start the game +with great prospect of success, but when we get well into it the evil +spirits will stir up such confusion that the whole world will swim in +blood, and yet nothing will come of it. Let us act wisely, therefore, +and in the fear of God. The more force we use, the greater our +disaster if we do not act humbly and in God's fear. The popes and the +Romans have hitherto been, able, by the devil's help, to set kings at +odds with one another, and they may well be able to do it again, if we +proceed by our own might and cunning, without God's help. + +I. THE THREE WALLS OF THE ROMANISTS + +[Sidenote: The Three Walls Described] + +The Romanists[12], with great adroitness, have built three walls about +them, behind which they have hitherto defended themselves in such wise +that no one has been able to reform them; and this has been the cause +of terrible corruption throughout all Christendom. + +_First_, when pressed by the temporal power, they have made decrees +and said that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them, but, +on the other hand, that the spiritual is above the temporal power. +_Second_, when the attempt is made to reprove them out of the +Scriptures, they raise the objection that the interpretation of the +Scriptures belongs to no one except the pope. Third, if threatened +with a council, they answer with the fable that no one can call a +council but the pope. + +In this wise they have slyly stolen from us our three rods[13], that +they may go unpunished, and have ensconced themselves within the safe +stronghold of these three walls, that they may practise all the +knavery and wickedness which we now see. Even when they have been +compelled to hold a council they have weakened its power in advance by +previously binding the princes with an oath to let them remain as they +are. Moreover, they have given the pope full authority over all the +decisions of the council, so that it is all one whether there are many +councils or no councils,--except that they deceive us with +puppet-shows and sham-battles. So terribly do they fear for their skin +in a really free council! And they have intimidated kings and princes +by making them believe it would be an offence against God not to obey +them in all these knavish, crafty deceptions[14]. Now God help us, and +give us one of the trumpets with which the walls of Jericho were +overthrown [Josh. 6:20], that we may blow down these walls of straw +and paper, and may set free the Christian rods or the punishment of +sin, bringing to light the craft and deceit of the devil, to the end +that through punishment we may reform ourselves, and once more attain +God's favor. + +Against the first wall we will direct our first attack. + +[Sidenote: The First Wall--the Spiritual Estate above the Temporal] + +It is pure invention that pope, bishops, priests and monks are to be +called the "spiritual estate"; princes, lords, artisans, and farmers +the temporal estate. That is indeed a fine bit of lying and hypocrisy. +Yet no one should be frightened by it; and for this reason--viz., that +all Christians are truly of the "spiritual estate," and there is among +them no difference at all but that of office, as Paul says in I +Corinthians xii. We are all one body, yet every member has its own +work, whereby it serves every other, all because we have one baptism, +one Gospel, one faith, and are all alike Christians [1 Cor. 12:12 +ff.]; for baptism, Gospel and faith alone make us "spiritual" and a +Christian people. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of Believers] + +But that a pope or a bishop anoints, confers tonsures, ordains, +consecrates, or prescribes dress unlike that of the laity,--this may +make hypocrites and graven images[15], but it never makes a Christian +or "spiritual" man. Through baptism all of us are consecrated to the +priesthood, as St. Peter says in I Peter ii, "Ye are a royal +priesthood, a priestly kingdom," [1 Pet. 2:9] and the book of +Revelation says, "Thou hast made us by Thy blood to be priests and +kings." [Rev. 5:10] For if we had no higher consecration than pope or +bishop gives, the consecration by pope or bishop would never make a +priest, nor might anyone either say mass or preach a sermon or give +absolution. Therefore when the bishop consecrates it is the same thing +as if he, in the place and stead of the whole congregation, all of +whom have like power, were to take one out of their number and charge +him to use this power for the others; just as though ten brothers, all +king's sons and equal heirs, were to choose one of themselves to rule +the inheritance or them all,--they would all be kings and equal in +power, though one of them would be charged with the duty of ruling. + +To make it still clearer. If a little group of pious Christian laymen +were taken captive and set down in a wilderness, and had among them no +priest consecrated by a bishop, and if there in the wilderness they +were to agree in choosing one of themselves, married or unmarried, and +were to charge him with the office of baptising, saying mass, +absolving and preaching, such a man would be as truly a priest as +though all bishops and popes had consecrated him. That is why in cases +of necessity any one can baptise and give absolution[16], which would +be impossible unless we were all priests. This great grace and power +of baptism and of the Christian Estate they have well-nigh destroyed +and caused us to forget through the canon law[17]. It was in the +manner aforesaid that Christians in olden days chose from their number +bishops and priests, who were afterwards confirmed by other bishops, +without all the show which now obtains. It was thus that Sts. +Augustine[18], Ambrose[19] and Cyprian[20] became bishops. + +[Sidenote: The Temporal Rulers, Priests] + +[Sidenote: The Priest an Office-holder] + +Since, then, the temporal authorities are baptised with same baptism +and have the same faith and Gospel as we, we must grant that they are +priests and bishops, and count their office one which has a proper and +a useful place in the Christian community. For whoever comes out of +the water of baptism[21] can boast that he is already consecrated +priest, bishop and pope, though it is not seemly that every one should +exercise the office. Nay, just because we are all in like manner +priests, no one must put himself forward and undertake, without our +consent and election, to do what is in the power of all of us. For +what is common to all, no one dare take upon himself without the will +and the command of the community; and should it happen that one chosen +for such an office were deposed for malfeasance, he would then be just +what he was before he held office. Therefore a priest in Christendom +is nothing else than an office-holder. While he is in office, he has +precedence; holder when deposed, he is a peasant or a townsman like +the rest. Beyond all doubt, then, a priest is no longer a priest when +he is deposed. But now they have invented _characteres +indelebiles_[22], and prate that a deposed priest is nevertheless +something different from a mere layman. They even dream that a priest +can never become a layman, or be anything else than a priest. All this +is mere talk and man-made law. + +From all this it follows that there is really no difference between +laymen and priests, princes and bishops, "spirituals" and "temporals," +as they call them, except that of office and work, but not of +"estate"; or they are all of the same estate[23],--true priests, +bishops and popes,--though they are not all engaged in the same work, +just as all priests and monks have not the same work. This is the +teaching of St. Paul in Romans xii [Rom. 12:4 ff.] and I Corinthians +xii [1 Cor. 12:12 ff.], and of St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:9], +as I have said above, viz., that we are all one body of Christ, the +Head, all members one of another. Christ has not two different bodies, +one "temporal," the other "spiritual." He is one Head, and He has one +body. + +Therefore, just as those who are now called "spiritual"--priests, +bishops or popes--are neither different from other Christians nor +superior to them, except that they are charged with the administration +of the Word of God and the sacraments, which is their work and office, +so it is with the temporal authorities,--they bear sword and rod with +which to punish the evil and to protect the good [Rom. 13:4]. A +cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade, +and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and every +one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every +other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily +and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the +body serve one another. + +See, now, how Christian is the decree which says that the temporal +power is not above the "spiritual estate" and may not punish it[24]. +That is as much as to say that the hand shall lend no aid when the eye +is suffering. Is it not unnatural, not to say unchristian, that one +member should not help another and prevent its destruction? Verily, +the more honorable the member, the more should the others help. I say +then, since the temporal power is ordained of God to punish evil-doers +and to protect them that do well [Rom. 13], it should therefore be +left free to perform its office without hindrance through the whole +body of Christendom without respect of persons, whether it affect +pope, bishops, priests, monks, nuns or anybody else. For if the mere +act that the temporal power has a smaller place among the Christian +offices than has the office of preachers or confessors, or of the +clergy, then the tailors, cobblers, masons, carpenters, pot-boys, +tapsters, farmers, and all the secular tradesmen, should also be +prevented from providing pope, bishops, priests and monks with shoes, +clothing, houses, meat and drink, and from paying them tribute. But if +these laymen are allowed to do their work unhindered, what do the +Roman scribes mean by their laws, with which they withdraw themselves +from the jurisdiction of the temporal Christian power, only so that +they may be free to do evil and to fulfil what St. Peter has said: +"There shall be false teachers among you, and through covetousness +shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." [2 Pet. 2:1 +ff.] + +On this account the Christian temporal power should exercise its +office without let or hindrance, regardless whether it be pope, bishop +or priest whom it affects; whoever is guilty, let him suffer. All that +the canon law has said to the contrary is sheer invention of Roman +presumption. For thus saith St. Paul to all Christians: "Let every +soul (I take that to mean the pope's soul also) be subject unto the +higher powers; for they bear not the sword in vain, but are the +ministers of God for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise +of them that do well." [Rom. 13:1, 4] St. Peter also says: "Submit +yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, for so is +the will of God." [1 Pet. 2:13, 15] He has also prophesied that such +men shall come as will despise the temporal authorities [1 Pet. 2:10]; +and this has come to pass through the canon law. + +So then, I think this first paper-wall is overthrown, since the +temporal power has become a member of the body of Christendom, and is +of the "spiritual estate," though its work is of a temporal nature. +Therefore its work should extend freely and without hindrance to all +the members of the whole body; it should punish and use force whenever +guilt deserves or necessity demands, without regard to pope, bishops +and priests,--let them hurl threats and bans as much as they will. + +This is why guilty priests, if they are surrendered to the temporal +law[25], are first deprived of their priestly dignities, which would +not be right unless the temporal sword had previously had authority +over them by divine right. Again, it is intolerable that in the canon +law so much importance is attached to the freedom, life and property +of the clergy, as though the laity were not also as spiritual and as +good Christians as they, or did not belong to the Church. Why are your +life and limb, your property and honor so free, and mine not? We are +all alike Christians, and have baptism, faith, Spirit and all things +alike. If a priest is killed, the land is laid under +interdict,[26]--why not when a peasant is killed? Whence comes this +great distinction between those who are equally Christians? Only from +human laws and inventions! + +Moreover, it can be no good spirit who has invented such exceptions +and granted to sin such license and impunity. For if we are bound to +strive against the works and words of the evil spirit, and to drive +him out in whatever way we can, as Christ commands and His Apostles, +ought we, then, to suffer it in silence when the pope or his +satellites are bent on devilish words and works? Ought we for the sake +of men to allow the suppression of divine commandments and truths +which we have sworn in baptism to support with life and limb? Of a +truth we should then have to answer for all the souls that would +thereby be abandoned and led astray. + +It must therefore have been the very prince of devils who said what is +written in the canon law: "If the pope were so scandalously bad as to +lead souls in crowds to the devil, yet he could not be deposed."[27] +On this accursed and devilish foundation they build at Rome, and think +that we should let all the world go to the devil, rather than resist +their knavery. If the act that one man is set over others were +sufficient reason why he should escape punishment, then no Christian +could punish another, since Christ commands that every man shall +esteem himself the lowliest and the least. [Matt. 18:4] + +Where sin is, there is no escape from punishment; as St. Gregory[28] +also writes that we are indeed all equal, but guilt puts us in +subjection one to another. Now we see how they whom God and the +Apostles have made subject to the temporal sword deal with +Christendom, depriving it of its liberty by their own wickedness, +without warrant of Scripture. It is to be feared that this is a game +of Anti-christ[29] or a sign that he is close at hand. + +[Sidenote: The Second Wall--The Pope the Interpreter of Scripture; +Papal Infallibility] + +The second wall is still more flimsy and worthless. They wish to be +the only Masters of the Holy Scriptures[31] even though in all their +lives they learn nothing from them. They assume for themselves sole +authority, and with insolent juggling of words they would persuade us +that the pope, whether he be a bad man or a good man, cannot err in +matters of faith[32]; and yet they cannot prove a single letter of it. +Hence it comes that so many heretical and unchristian, nay, even +unnatural ordinances have a place in the canon law, of which, however, +there is no present need to speak. For since they think that the Holy +Spirit never leaves them, be they never so unlearned and wicked, they +make bold to decree whatever they will. And if it were true, where +would be the need or use of the Holy Scriptures? Let us burn them, and +be satisfied with the unlearned lords at Rome, who are possessed of +the Holy Spirit,--although He can possess only pious hearts! Unless I +had read it myself[33], I could not have believed that the devil would +make such clumsy pretensions at Rome, and find a following. + +But not to fight them with mere words, we will quote the Scriptures. +St. Paul says in I Corinthians xiv: anyone something better is +revealed, though he be sitting and listening to another in God's Word, +then the first, who is speaking, shall hold his peace and give place." +[1 Cor. 14:30] What would be the use of this commandment, if we were +only to believe him who does the talking or who has the highest seat? +[John 6:45] Christ also says in John vi, that all Christians shall be +taught of God. Thus it may well happen that the pope and his followers +are wicked men, and no true Christians, not taught of God, not having +true understanding. On the other hand, an ordinary man may have true +understanding; why then should we not follow him? Has not the pope +erred many times? Who would help Christendom when the pope errs, if we +were not to believe another, who had the Scriptures on his side, more +than the pope? + +Therefore it is a wickedly invented fable, and they cannot produce a +letter in defence of it, that the interpretation of Scripture or the +confirmation of its interpretation belongs to the pope alone. They +have themselves usurped this power; and although they allege that this +power was given to Peter when the keys were given to him, it is plain +enough that the keys were not given to Peter alone, but to the whole +community[34]. Moreover, the keys were not ordained for doctrine or +government, but only for the binding and loosing of sin [John 20:22 +ff.], and whatever further power of the keys they arrogate to +themselves is mere invention. But Christ's word to Peter, "I have +prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," [Luke 22:32] cannot be +applied to the pope, since the majority of the popes have been without +faith, as they must themselves confess. Besides, it is not only for +Peter that Christ prayed, but also or all Apostles and Christians, as +he says in John xvii: "Father, I pray for those whom Thou hast given +Me, and not for these only, but for all who believe on Me through +their word." [John 17:9, 20] Is not this clear enough? + +Only think of it yourself! They must confess that there are pious +Christians among us, who have the true faith, Spirit, understanding, +word and mind of Christ. Why, then, should we reject their word and +understanding and follow the pope, who has neither faith nor Spirit? +That would be to deny the whole faith and the Christian Church. +Moreover, it is not the pope alone who is always in the right, if the +article of the Creed is correct: "I believe one holy Christian +Church"; otherwise the prayer must run: "I believe in the pope at +Rome," and so reduce the Christian Church to one man,--which would be +nothing else than a devilish and hellish error. + +Besides, if we are all priests, as was said above[35], and all have +one faith, one Gospel, one sacrament, why should we not also have the +power to test and judge what is correct or incorrect in matters of +faith? What becomes of the words of Paul in I Corinthians ii: "He that +is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man," +[1 Cor. 2:15] and II Corinthians iv: "We have all the same Spirit of +faith"? [2 Cor. 4:13] Why, then, should not we perceive what squares +with faith and what does not, as well as does an unbelieving pope? + +All these and many other texts should make us bold and free, and we +should not allow the Spirit of liberty, as Paul calls Him [2 Cor. +3:17], to be frightened off by the fabrications of the popes, but we +ought to go boldly forward to test all that they do or leave undone, +according to our interpretation of the Scriptures, which rests on +faith, and compel them to follow not their own interpretation, but the +one that is better. In the olden days Abraham had to listen to his +Sarah, although she was in more complete subjection to him than we are +to anyone on earth [Gen. 21:12]. Balaam's ass, also, was wiser than +the prophet himself [Num. 22:28]. If God then spoke by an ass against +a prophet, why should He not be able even now to speak by a righteous +man against the pope? In like manner St. Paul rebukes St. Peter as a +man in error [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. Therefore it behooves every Christian to +espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to +rebuke all errors. + +[Sidenote: The Third Wall--Pope and Council] + +The _third wall_ falls of itself when the first two are down. For when +the pope acts contrary to the Pope and Scriptures, it is our duty to +stand by the Scriptures, to reprove him, and to constrain him, +according to the word of Christ in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother sin +against thee, go and tell it him between thee and him alone; if he +hear thee not, then take with thee one or two more; if he hear them +not, tell it to the Church; if he hear not the Church, consider him a +heathen." [Matt. 18:15] Here every member is commanded to care for +every other. How much rather should we do this when the member that +does evil is a ruling member, and by his evil-doing is the cause of +much harm and offence to the rest! But if I am to accuse him before +the Church, I must bring the Church together. + +They have no basis in Scripture or their contention that it belongs to +the pope alone to call a council or confirm its actions[36]; for this +is based merely upon their own laws, which are valid only in so far as +they are not injurious to Christendom or contrary to the laws of God. +When the pope deserves punishment, such laws go out of force, since it +is injurious to Christendom not to punish him by means of a council. + +Thus we read in Acts xv. that it was not St. Peter who called the +Apostolic Council, but the Apostles and elders [Acts 15:6]. If, then, +that right had belonged to St. Peter alone, the council would not have +been a Christian council, but an heretical _conciliabulum_[37]. Even +the Council of Nicæa--the most famous of all--was neither called nor +confirmed by the Bishop of Rome, but by the Emperor Constantine[38], +and many other emperors after him did the like, yet these councils +were the most Christian of all[39]. But if the pope alone had the +right to call councils, then all these councils must have been +heretical. Moreover, if I consider the councils which the pope has +created, I find that they have done nothing of special importance. + +Therefore, when necessity demands, and the pope is an offence to +Christendom, the first man who is able should, as a faithful member of +the whole body, do what he can to bring about a truly free +council[40]. No one can do this so well as the temporal authorities, +especially since now they also are fellow-Christians, fellow-priests, +"fellow-spirituals,"[41] fellow-lords over all things, and whenever it +is needful or profitable, they should give free course to the office +and work in which God has put them above every man. Would it not be an +unnatural thing, if a fire broke out in a city, and everybody were to +stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could +burn, for the sole reason that nobody had the authority of the +burgomaster, or because, perhaps, the fire broke out in the +burgomaster's house? In such case is it not the duty of every citizen +to arouse and call the rest? How much more should this be done in the +spiritual city of Christ, if a fire of offence breaks out, whether in +the papal government, or anywhere else? In the same way, if the enemy +attacks a city, he who first rouses the others deserves honor and +thanks; why then should he not deserve honor who makes known the +presence of the enemy from hell, and awakens the Christians, and calls +them together? + +But all their boasts of an authority which dare not be opposed amount +to nothing after all. No one in Christendom has authority to do +injury, or to forbid the resisting of injury. There is no authority in +the Church save for edification. Therefore, if the pope were to use +his authority to prevent the calling of a free council, and thus +became a hindrance to the edification of the Church, we should have +regard neither or him nor or his authority; and if he were to hurl his +bans and thunderbolts, we should despise his conduct as that of a +madman, and relying on God, hurl back the ban on him, and coerce him +as best we could. For this presumptuous authority of his is nothing; +he has no such authority, and he is quickly overthrown by a text of +Scripture; for Paul says to the Corinthians, "God has given us +authority not for the destruction, but for the edification of +Christendom." [2 Cor. 10:8] Who is ready to overleap this text? It is +only the power of the devil and of Antichrist which resists the things +that serve or the edification of Christendom; it is, therefore, in no +wise to be obeyed, but is to be opposed with life and goods and all +our strength. + +Even though a miracle were to be done in the pope's behalf against the +temporal powers, or though someone were to be stricken with a +plague--which they boast has sometimes happened--it should be +considered only the work of the devil, because of the weakness of our +faith in God. Christ Himself prophesied in Matthew xxiv: "There shall +come in My Name false Christs and false prophets, and do signs and +wonders, so as to deceive even the elect," [Matt. 24:24] and Paul says +in II Thessalonians ii, that Antichrist shall, through the power of +Satan, be mighty in lying wonders [2 Thess. 2:9]. Let us, therefore, +hold fast to this: No Christian authority can do anything against +Christ; as St. Paul says, "We can do nothing against Christ, but for +Christ." [2 Cor. 13:8] Whatever does aught against Christ is the power +of Antichrist and of the devil, even though it were to rain and hail +wonders and plagues. Wonders and plagues prove nothing, especially in +these last evil times, for which all the Scriptures prophesy false +wonders [2 Thess. 2:9 f.]. Therefore we must cling with firm faith to +the words of God, and then the devil will cease from wonders. + +Thus I hope that the false, lying terror with which the Romans have +this long time made our conscience timid and stupid, has been allayed. +They, like all of us, are subject to the temporal sword; they have no +power to interpret the Scriptures by mere authority, without learning; +they have no authority to prevent a council or, in sheer wantonness, +to pledge it, bind it, or take away its liberty; but if they do this, +they are in truth the communion of Antichrist and of the devil, and +have nothing at all of Christ except the name. + +II. ABUSES TO BE DISCUSSED IN COUNCILS + +We shall now look at the matters which should be discussed in the +councils, and with which popes, cardinals, bishops and all the +scholars ought properly to be occupied day and night if they loved +Christ and His Church. But if they neglect this duty, then let the +laity[42] and the temporal authorities see to it, regardless of bans +and thunders; for an unjust ban is better than ten just releases, and +an unjust release worse than ten just bans. Let us, therefore, awake, +dear Germans, and fear God rather than men [Acts 5:29], that we may +not share the fate of all the poor souls who are so lamentably lost +through the shameful and devilish rule of the Romans, in which the +devil daily takes a larger and larger place,--if, indeed, it were +possible that such a hellish rule could grow worse, a thing I can +neither conceive nor believe. + +[Sidenote: Worldliness of the pope] + +1. It is a horrible and frightful thing that the ruler of Christendom, +who boasts himself vicar of Christ and successor of St. Peter, lives +in such worldly splendor that in this regard no king nor emperor can +equal or approach him, and that he who claims the title of "most holy" +and "most spiritual" is more worldly than the world itself. He wears a +triple crown, when the greatest kings wear but a single crown[43]; if +that is like the poverty of Christ and of St. Peter, then it is a new +kind of likeness. When a word is said against it, they cry out +"Heresy!" but that is because they do not wish to hear how unchristian +and ungodly such a practice is. I think, however, that if the pope +were with tears to pray to God, he would have to lay aside these +crowns, for our God can suffer no pride; and his office is nothing +else than this,--daily to weep and pray or Christendom, and to set an +example of all humility. + +However that may be, this splendor of his is an offence, and the pope +is bound on his soul's salvation to lay it aside, because St. Paul +says, "Abstain from all outward shows, which give offence," [1 Thess. +5:21] and in Rom. xii, "We should provide good, not only in the sight +of God, but also in the sight of all men." [Rom. 12:17] An ordinary +bishop's crown would be enough for the pope; he should be greater than +others in wisdom and holiness, and leave the crown of pride to +Antichrist, as did his predecessors several centuries ago. They say he +is a lord of the world; that is a lie; for Christ, Whose vicar and +officer he boasts himself to be, said before Pilate, "My kingdom is +not of this world," [John 17:36] and no vicar's rule can go beyond his +lord's. Moreover he is not the vicar of the glorified, but of the +crucified Christ, as Paul says, "I was willing to know nothing among +you save Christ, and Him only as the Crucified" [1 Cor. 2:2]; and in +Philippians ii, "So think of yourselves as ye see in Christ, Who +emptied Himself and took upon Him the appearance of a servant" [Phil. +2:5]; and again in I Corinthians i, "We preach Christ, the Crucified." +[1 Cor. 1:23] Now they make the pope a vicar of the glorified Christ +in heaven, and some of them have allowed the devil to rule them so +completely that they have maintained that the pope is above the angels +in heaven and has authority over them[44]. These are indeed the very +works of the very Antichrist. + +[Sidenote: The Cardinals] + +2. What is the use in Christendom of those people who are called the +cardinals? I shall tell you. Italy and Germany have many rich +monasteries, foundations, benefices, and livings. No better way has +been discovered to bring all these to Rome than by creating cardinals +and giving them the bishoprics, monasteries and prelacies, and so +overthrowing the worship of God. For this reason we now see Italy a +very wilderness--monasteries in ruins, bishoprics devoured, the +prelacies and the revenues of all the churches drawn to Rome, cities +decayed, land and people laid waste, because there is no more worship +or preaching. Why? The cardinals must have the income[45]. No Turk +could have so devastated Italy and suppressed the worship of God. + +Now that Italy is sucked dry, they come into Germany[46], and begin +oh, so gently. But let us beware, for Germany will soon become like +Italy. Already we have some cardinals; what the Romans seek by that +the "drunken Germans" are not to understand until we have not a +bishopric, a monastery, a living, a benefice, a _heller_ or a +_pfennig_ left. Antichrist must take the treasures of the earth, as it +was prophesied [Dan. 11:39, 43]. So it goes on. They skim the cream of +the bishoprics, monasteries and benefices, and because they do not yet +venture to turn them all to shameful use, as they have done in Italy, +they only practise for the present the sacred trickery of coupling +together ten or twenty prelacies and taking a yearly portion from each +of them, so as to make a tidy sum after all. The priory of Würzburg +yields a thousand _gulden_; that of Bamberg, something; Mainz, Trier +and the others, something more; and so from one to ten thousand gulden +might be got together, in order that a cardinal might live at Rome +like a rich king. + +"After they are used to this, we will create thirty or forty cardinals +in a day[47], and give to one Mount St. Michael at Bamberg[48] and the +bishopric of Würzburg to boot, hang on to these a few rich livings, +until churches and cities are waste, and after that we will say, 'We +are Christ's vicars and shepherds of Christ's sheep; the mad, drunken +Germans must put up with it.'" + +I advise, however, that the number of the cardinals be reduced, or +that the pope be made to keep them at his own expense. Twelve of them +would be more than enough, and each of them might have an income of a +thousand gulden a year[49]. How comes it that we Germans must put up +with such robbery and such extortion of our property, at the hands of +the pope? If the Kingdom of France has prevented it[50], why do we +Germans let them make such fools and apes of us? It would all be more +bearable if in this way they only stole our property; but they lay +waste the churches and rob Christ's sheep of their pious shepherds, +and destroy the worship and the Word of God. Even if there were not a +single cardinal, the Church would not go under. As it is they do +nothing for the good of Christendom; they only wrangle about the +incomes of bishoprics and prelacies, and that any robber could do. + +[Sidenote: The Curia] + +3. If ninety-nine parts of the papal court[51] were done away and only +the hundredth part allowed to remain, it would still be large enough +to give decisions in matters of faith. Now, however, there is such a +swarm of vermin yonder in Rome, all boasting that they are "papal," +that there was nothing like it in Babylon. There are more than three +thousand papal secretaries alone; who will count the other offices, +when they are so many that they scarcely can be counted? And they all +lie in wait for the prebends and benefices of Germany as wolves lie in +wait for the sheep. I believe that Germany now gives much more to the +pope at Rome than it gave in former times to the emperors. Indeed, +some estimate that every year more than three hundred thousand gulden +find their way from Germany to Rome, quite uselessly and fruitlessly; +we get nothing for it but scorn and contempt. And yet we wonder that +princes, nobles, cities, endowments, land and people are impoverished! +We should rather wonder that we still have anything to eat! + +Since we here come to the heart of the matter, we will pause a little, +and let it be seen that the Germans are not quite such gross fools as +not to note or understand the sharp practices of the Romans. I do not +now complain that at Rome God's command and Christian law are +despised; for such is the state of Christendom, and particularly of +Rome, that we may not now complain of such high matters. Nor do I +complain that natural or temporal law and reason count for nothing. +The case is worse even than that. I complain that they do not keep +their own self-devised canon law, though it is, to be sure, mere +tyranny, avarice and temporal splendor, rather than law. Let us see! + +[Sidenote: The Annates] + +In former times German emperors and princes permitted the pope to +receive the _annates_ from all the benefices of the German nation, i. +e., the half of the first year's revenues from each benefice[52]. This +permission was given, however, in order that by means of these large +sums of money, the pope might accumulate a treasure for fighting +against the Turks and infidels in defence of Christendom, so that the +burden of the war might not rest too heavily upon the nobility, but +that the clergy also should contribute something toward it. This +single-hearted devotion of the German nation the popes have so used, +that they have received this money for more than a hundred years, have +now made of it a binding tax and tribute, and have not only +accumulated no treasure, but have used the money to endow many orders +and offices at Rome, and to provide these offices with salaries, as +though the annates were a fixed rent. + +[Sidenote: Saracen-tax] + +When they pretend that they are about to fight against the Turks, they +send out emissaries to gather money. Ofttimes they issue an indulgence +on this same pretext of fighting the Turks[53], for they think the mad +Germans are forever to remain utter and arrant fools, give them money +without end, and satisfy their unspeakable greed; though we clearly +see that not a _heller_ of the annates or of the indulgence-money or +of all the rest, is used against the Turks, but all of it goes into +the bottomless bag. They lie and deceive, make laws and make +agreements with us, and they do not intend to keep any of them. All +this must be counted the work of Christ and St. Peter! + +Now, in this matter the German nation, bishops and princes, should +consider that they too are Christians, and should protect the people, +whom they are set to rule and guard in things temporal and spiritual, +against these ravening wolves who, in sheep's clothing, pretend to be +shepherds and rulers; and, since the annates are so shamefully abused +and the stipulated conditions are not fulfilled, they should not +permit their land and people to be so sadly robbed and ruined, against +all justice; but by a law of the emperor or of the whole nation, they +should either keep the annates at home or else abolish them again[54]. +For since the Romans do not keep the terms of the agreement, they have +no right to the annates. Therefore the bishops and princes are bound +to punish or prevent such thievery and robbery, as the law requires. + +In this they should aid the pope and support him, or he is perchance +too weak to prevent such an abuse all by himself; or if he were to +undertake to defend and maintain this practice, they ought resist him +and fight against him as against a wolf and a tyrant, for he has no +authority to do or to defend evil. Moreover, if it were ever desired +to accumulate such a treasure against the Turks, we ought in the +future to have sense enough to see that the German nation would be a +better custodian or it than the pope; for the German nation has people +enough or the fighting, if only the money is forthcoming. It is with +the annates as it has been with many another Roman pretence. + +[Sidenote: Papal Months] + +Again, the year has been so divided between the pope and the ruling +bishops and canons[55], that the pope has six months in the +year--every other month--in which to bestow the benefices which all +vacant in his months[56]. In this way almost all the benefices are +absorbed by Rome, especially the very best livings and dignities[57], +and when once they fall into the hands of Rome, they never come out of +them again, though a vacancy may never again occur in the pope's +month. Thus the canons are cheated. This is a genuine robbery, which +intends to let nothing escape. Therefore it is high time that the +"papal months" be altogether abolished, and that everything which they +have brought to Rome be taken back again. For the princes and nobles +should take measures that the stolen goods be returned, the thieves +punished, and those who have abused privilege be deprived of +privilege. If it is binding and valid when the pope on the day after +his election makes, in his chancery, rules and laws whereby our +foundations and livings are robbed,--a thing which he has no right to +do; then it should be still more valid if the Emperor Charles on the +day after his coronation[58] were to make rules and laws that not +another benefice or living in all Germany shall be allowed to come +into the hands of Rome by means of the "papal months," and that the +livings which have already fallen into its hands shall be released, +and redeemed from the Roman robbers; for he has this right by virtue +of his office and his sword. + +But now the Roman See of Avarice and Robbery has not been able to +await the time when all the benefices, one after another, would, by +the "papal months," come into its power, but hastens, with insatiable +appetite, to get possession of them all as speedily as possible; and +so besides the annates and the "months" it has hit upon a device by +which benefices and livings all to Rome in three ways: + +_First_, If any one who holds a free[59] living dies at Rome or on the +way to Rome, his living must forever belong to the Roman--I should +rather say the robbing--See[60]; and yet they will not be called +robbers, though they are guilty of such robbery as no one has ever +heard or read about. + +_Second_, In case any one who belongs to the household of the pope or +of the cardinals[61] holds or takes over a benefice, or in case one +who already holds a benefice afterwards enters the "household" of the +pope or of a cardinal. But who can count the "household" of the pope +and of the cardinals, when the pope, if he only goes on a +pleasure-ride, takes with him three or our thousand mule-riders, +eclipsing all emperors and kings? Christ and St. Peter went on foot in +order that their vicars might have the more pomp and splendor. Now +avarice has cleverly thought out another scheme, and brings it to pass +that even here many have the name of "papal servant," just as though +they were in Rome; all in order that in every place the mere rascally +little word "papal servant" may bring all benefices to Rome and tie +them fast there forever. Are not these vexatious and devilish +inventions? Let us beware! Soon Mainz, Madgeburg and Halberstadt will +gently pass into the hands of Rome, and the cardinalate will be paid +for dearly enough[62]. "Afterwards we will make all the German bishops +cardinals so that there will be nothing let outside." + +_Third_, When a contest has started at Rome over a benefice[63]. This +I hold to be almost the commonest and widest road or bringing livings +to Rome. For when there is no contest at home, unnumbered knaves will +be found at Rome to dig up contests out of the earth and assail +livings at their will. Thus many a good priest has to lose his living, +or settle the contest for a time by the payment of a sum of money[64]. +Such a living rightly or wrongly contested must also belong forever to +the Roman See. It would be no wonder if God were to rain from heaven +fire and brimstone and to sink Rome in the abyss, as He did Sodom and +Gomorrah of old [Gen. 19:24]. Why should there be a pope in +Christendom, if his power is used or nothing else than such +archknavery, and if he protects and practices it? O noble princes and +lords, how long will ye leave your lands and people naked to these +ravening wolves! + +[Sidenote: The Pallium] + +Since even these practices were not enough, and Avarice grew impatient +at the long time it took to get hold of all the bishoprics, therefore +my Lord Avarice devised the fiction that the bishoprics should be +nominally abroad, but that their land and soil should be at Rome, and +no bishop can be confirmed unless with a great sum of money he buy the +_pallium_[65], and bind himself with terrible oaths to be the pope's +servant[66]. This is the reason that no bishop ventures to act against +the pope. That, too, is what the Romans were seeking when they imposed +the oath, and thus the very richest bishoprics have fallen into debt +and ruin. Mainz pays, as I hear, 20,000 gulden. These be your Romans! +To be sure they decreed of old in the canon law that the _pallium_ +should be bestowed gratis, the number of papal servants diminished, +the contests lessened, the chapters[67] and bishops allowed their +liberty. But this did not bring in money, and so they turned over a +new leaf, and all authority was taken from the bishops and chapters; +they are made ciphers, and have no office nor authority nor work, but +everything is ruled by the archknaves at Rome; soon they will have in +hand even the office of sexton and bell-ringer in all the churches. +All contests are brought to Rome, and by authority of the pope +everyone does as he likes. + +What happened this very year? The Bishop of Strassburg[68] wished to +govern his chapter properly and to institute reforms in worship, and +with this end in view made certain godly and Christian regulations. +But my dear Lord Pope and the Holy Roman See, at the instigation of +the priests, overthrew and altogether condemned this holy and +spiritual ordinance. This is called "feeding the sheep of Christ!" +[John 20:15-17] Thus priests are to be encouraged against their own +bishop, and their disobedience to divine law is to be protected! +Antichrist himself, I hope, will not dare to put God to such open +shame! There you have your pope after your own heart! Why did he do +this? Ah! if one church were reformed, it would be a dangerous +departure; Rome's turn too might come! Therefore it were better that +no priest should be let at peace with another, that kings and princes +should be set at odds, as has been the custom heretofore, and the +world filled with the blood of Christians, only so the concord of +Christians should not trouble the Holy Roman See with a reformation. + +So far we have been getting an idea of how they deal with livings +which become vacant. But for tender-hearted Avarice the vacancies are +too few, and so he brings his foresight to bear upon the benefices +which are still occupied by their incumbents, so that they must be +unfilled, even though they are not unfilled[69]. And this he does in +many ways, as follows: + +[Sidenote: Coadjutorships] + +_First_, He lies in wait for fat prebends or bishoprics which are held +by an old or a sick man, or by one with an alleged disability. To such +an incumbent, without his desire or consent, the Holy See gives a +coadjutor, i. e., an "assistant," or the coadjutor's benefit, because +he is a "papal servant," or has paid for the position, or has earned +it by some other ignoble service to Rome. In this case the rights of +the chapter or the rights of him who has the bestowal of the +living[70] must be surrendered, and the whole thing all into the hands +of Rome. + +[Sidenote: Commendations] + +_Second_, There is a little word _commend_[71], by which the pope +entrusts the keeping of a rich, fat monastery or church to a cardinal +or to another of his people, just as though I were to give you a +hundred gulden to keep. This is not called the giving or bestowing of +the monastery nor even its destruction, or the abolition of the +worship of God, but only "giving it into keeping"; not that he to whom +it is entrusted is to care or it, or build it up, but he is to drive +out the incumbent, to receive the goods and revenues, and to install +some apostate, renegade monk[72], who accepts five or six gulden a +year and sits in the church all day selling pictures and images to the +pilgrims, so that henceforth neither prayers nor masses are said +there. If this were to be called destroying monasteries and abolishing +the worship of God, then the pope would have to be called a destroyer +of Christendom and an abolisher of God's worship, because this is his +constant practice. That would be a hard saying at Rome, and so we must +call it a commend or a "command to take charge" of the monastery. The +pope can every year make commends out of our or more of these +monasteries, a single one of which may have an income of more than six +thousand gulden. This is the way the Romans increase the worship of +God and preserve the monasteries. The Germans also are beginning to +find it out. + +[Sidenote: Incorporation] + +[Sidenote: Union] + +_Third_, There are some benefices which they call +_incompatibilia_[73], and which, according to the ordinances of the +canon law, cannot be held by one man at the same time, as for +instance, two parishes, two bishoprics and the like. In these cases +the Holy Roman See of Avarice evades the canon law by making +"glosses,"[74] called _unio_ and _incorporatio_, i. e., by +"incorporating" many _incompatibilia_, so that each becomes a part of +every other and all of them together are looked upon as though they +were one living. They are then no longer "incompatible," and the holy +canon law is satisfied, in that it is no longer binding, except upon +those who do not buy these "glosses"[75] from the pope or his +_datarius_[76]. The _unio_, i. e., "uniting," is of the same nature. +The pope binds many such benefices together like a bundle of sticks, +and by virtue of this bond they are all regarded as one benefice. So +there is at Rome one courtesan[77] who holds, for himself alone, 22 +parishes, 7 priories and 44 canonries besides,--all by the help of +that masterly "gloss," which holds that this is not illegal. What +cardinals and other prelates have, everyone may imagine or himself. In +this way the Germans are to have their purses eased and their itch +cured. + +[Sidenote: Administration] + +Another of the "glosses" is the _administratio_, i. e., a man may have +beside his bishopric, an abbacy or a dignity[78], and possess all the +property which goes with it, only he has no other title than that of +"administrator."[79] For at Rome it is sufficient that words are +changed and not the things they stand for; as though I were to teach +that a bawdy-house keeper should have the name of "burgomaster's +wife," and yet continue to ply her trade. This kind of Roman rule St. +Peter foretold when he said, in II Peter ii: "There shall come false +teachers, who in covetousness, with feigned words, shall make +merchandise of you, to get their gains." [2 Pet. 2:3] + +[Sidenote: Regression] + +Again, dear Roman Avarice has invented the custom of selling and +bestowing livings to such advantage that the seller or disposer +retains reversionary rights[80] upon them: to wit, if the incumbent +dies, the benefice freely reverts to him who previously sold, bestowed +or surrendered it. In this way they have made livings hereditary +property, so that henceforth no one can come into possession of them, +except the man to whom the seller is willing to dispose of them, or to +whom he bequeaths his rights at death. Besides, there are many who +transfer to others the mere title to a benefice from which those who +get the title derive not a _heller_ of income. It is now an old +custom, too, to give another man a benefice and to reserve a certain +part out of the annual revenue[81]. In olden times this was +simony[82]. Of these things there are so many more that they cannot +all be counted. They treat livings more shamefully than the heathen +beneath the cross treated the garments of Christ. [Matt. 27:35] + +[Sidenote: Reservation in pectore] + +Yet all that has hitherto been said is ancient history and an +every-day occurrence at Rome. Avarice has devised one thing more, +which may, I hope, be his last morsel, and choke him. The pope has a +noble little device called _pectoralis reservatio_, i. e., his "mental +reservation," and _proprius motus_, i. e., the "arbitrary will of his +authority."[83] It goes like this. When one man has gotten a benefice +at Rome, and the appointment has been regularly signed and sealed, +according to custom, and there comes another, who brings money, or has +laid the pope under obligation in some other way, of which we will not +speak, and desires of the pope the same benefice, then the pope takes +it from the first man and gives it to the second[84]. If it is said +that this is unjust, then the Most Holy Father must make some excuse, +that he may not be reproved or doing such open violence to the law, +and says that in his mind and heart he had reserved that benefice to +himself and his own plenary disposal, although he had never before in +his whole life either thought or heard of it. Thus he has now found a +little "gloss" by which he can, in his own person, lie and deceive, +and make a fool and an ape of anybody--all this he does brazenly and +openly, and yet he wishes to be the head of Christendom, though with +his open lies he lets the Evil Spirit rule him. + +This arbitrary will and lying "reservation" of the pope creates in +Rome a state of affairs which is unspeakable. There is buying, +selling, bartering, trading, trafficking, lying, deceiving, robbing, +stealing, luxury, harlotry, knavery, and every sort of contempt of +God, and even the rule of Antichrist could not be more scandalous. +Venice, Antwerp, Cairo[85] are nothing compared to this fair which is +held at Rome and the business which is done there, except that in +those other places they still observe right and reason. At Rome +everything goes as the devil wills, and out of this ocean like virtue +flows into all the world. Is it a wonder that such people fear a +reformation and a free council, and prefer to set all kings and +princes at enmity rather than have them unite and bring about a +council? Who could bear to have such knavery exposed if it were his +own? + +[Sidenote: The Dataria] + +Finally, for all this noble commerce the pope has built a warehouse, +namely, the house of the datarius[86], in Rome. Thither all must come +who deal after this fashion in benefices and livings. From him they +must buy their "glosses"[87] and get the power to practice such +archknavery. In former times Rome was generous, and then justice had +either to be bought or else suppressed with money, but now she has +become exorbitant, and no one dare be a knave unless with a great sum +he has first bought the right. If that is not a brothel above all the +brothels one can imagine, then I do not know what brothel means. + +If you have money in this house, then you can come by all the things I +have said; and not only these, but all sorts of usury[88] are here +made honest, Phil. 2:5 for a consideration, and the possession of all +property acquired by theft or robbery is legalised. Here vows are +dissolved; here monks are granted liberty to leave their orders; here +marriage is on sale to the clergy; here bastards can become +legitimate; here all dishonor and shame can come to honor; all +ill-repute and stigma of evil are here knighted and ennobled; here is +permitted the marriage which is within the forbidden degrees or has +some other defect[89]. Oh! what a taxing and a robbing rules there! +It looks as though all the laws of the Church were made for one +purpose only--to be nothing but so many money-snares, from which a man +must extricate himself[90] if he would be a Christian. Yea, here the +devil becomes a saint, and a god to boot. What heaven and earth +cannot, that this house can do! They call them _compositiones_[91]! +"Compositions" indeed! rather "confusions"! Oh, what a modest tax is +the Rhine-toll[92], compared with the tribute taken by this holy +house! + +Let no one accuse me of exaggeration! It is all so open that even at +Rome they must confess the evil to be greater and more terrible than +any one can say. I have not yet stirred up the hell-broth of personal +vices, nor do I intend to do so. I speak of things which are common +talk, and yet I have not words to tell them all. The bishops, the +priests and, above all, the doctors in the universities, who draw +their salaries or this purpose, should have done their duty and with +common consent have written and cried out against these things; but +they have done the very opposite[93]. + +[Sidenote: The Fuggers] + +There remains one last word, and I must say that too. Since boundless +Avarice has not been satisfied with all these treasures, which three +great kings might well think sufficient, he now begins to transfer +this trade and sell it to Fugger of Augsburg[94], so that the lending +and trading and buying of bishoprics and benefices, and the driving of +bargains in spiritual goods has now come to the right place, and +spiritual and temporal goods have become one business. And now I would +fain hear of a mind so lofty that it could imagine what this Roman +Avarice might yet be able to do and has not already done; unless +Fugger were to transfer or sell this combination of two lines of +business to somebody else. I believe we have reached the limit. + +As for what they have stolen in all lands and still steal and extort, +by means of indulgences, bulls, letters of confession[95], +"butter-letters"[96] and other _confessionalia_[97],--all this I +consider mere patch-work, and like casting a single devil more into +hell[98]. Not that they bring in little, for a mighty king could well +support himself on their returns, but they are not to be compared with +the streams of treasure above mentioned. I shall also say nothing at +present of how this indulgence money has been applied. Another time I +shall inquire about that, for Campoflore[99] and Belvidere[100] and +certain other places probably know something about it. + +Since, then, such devilish rule is not only open robbery and deceit, +and the tyranny of the gates of hell, but also ruins Christendom in +body and soul, it is our duty to use all diligence in protecting +Christendom against such misery and destruction. If we would fight the +Turks, let us make a beginning here, where they are at their worst. If +we justly hang thieves and behead robbers, why should we let Roman +Avarice go free? For he is the greatest thief and robber that has come +or can come into the world, and all in the holy Name of Christ and of +St. Peter! Who can longer endure it or keep silence? Almost everything +he owns has been gotten by theft and robbery; that is the truth, and +all history shows it. The pope never got by purchase such great +properties that from his _officia_[101] alone he can raise about a +million ducats, not to mention the mines of treasure named above and +the income of his lands. Nor did it come to him by inheritance from +Christ or from St. Peter; no one ever loaned it or gave it to him; it +has not become his by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment. Tell me, +then, whence he can have it? Learn from this what they have in mind +when they send out legates to collect money or use against the Turks. + +III. PROPOSALS FOR REFORM + +Now, although I am too small a man to make propositions which might +effect a reform in this dreadful state of things, nevertheless I may +as well sing my fool's song to the end, and say, so far as I am able, +what could and should be done by the temporal authorities or by a +general council. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Annates] + +1. Every prince, nobleman and city should boldly forbid their subjects +to pay the annates to Rome and should abolish them entirely[102]; for +the pope has broken the compact, and made the annates a robbery, to +the injury and shame of the whole German nation. He gives them to his +friends, sells them for large amounts of money, and uses them to endow +offices. He has thus lost his right to them, and deserves punishment. +It is therefore the duty of the temporal authorities to protect the +innocent and prevent injustice, as Paul teaches in Romans xiii [Rom. +13:4], and St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:14], Rom. and even the +canon law in Case 16, Question 7, _de filiis_[103]. Thus it has come +about that men are saying to the pope and his followers, _Tu ora_, +"Thou shalt pray"; to the emperor and his followers, _Tu protege_, +"Thou shalt guard"; to the common man, _Tu labora_, "Thou shalt work." +Not, however, as though everyone were not to pray, guard and work; for +the man who is diligent in his calling is praying, guarding and +working in all that he does, but everyone should have his own especial +task. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Roman Appointments] + +2. Since the pope with his Roman practices--his commends[104], +adjutories[105], reservations[106], _gratiae expectativae_[107], papal +months[108], incorporations[109], unions[110], _pallia_[111], rules in +chancery[112], and such like knavery--usurps all the German +foundations without authority and right, and gives and sells them to +foreigners at Rome, who do nothing in German lands to earn them; and +since he thereby robs the ordinaries[113] of their rights, makes the +bishops mere ciphers and figure-heads, and acts against his own canon +law, against nature and against reason, until it has finally gone so +far that out of sheer avarice the livings and benefices are sold to +gross, ignorant asses and knaves at Rome, while pious and learned folk +have no profit of their wisdom and merit, so that the poor people of +the German nation have to go without good and learned prelates and +thus go to ruin: + +Therefore, the Christian nobility should set itself against the pope +as against a common enemy and destroyer of Christendom, and should do +this for the salvation of the poor souls who must go to ruin through +his tyranny. They should ordain, order, and decree, that henceforth no +benefice shall be drawn into the hands of Rome, and that hereafter no +appointment shall be obtained there in any manner whatsoever, but that +the benefices shall be brought out and kept out from under this +tyrannical authority; and they should restore to the ordinaries the +right and office of ordering these benefices in the German nation as +best they may. And if a "courtesan" were to come from Rome, he should +receive a strict command either to keep his distance, or else to jump +into the Rhine or the nearest river, and take the Roman ban, with its +seals and letters, to a cold bath. They would then take note at Rome +that the Germans are not always mad and drunken, but that they have +really become Christians, and intend to permit no longer the mockery +and scorn of the holy name of Christ, under which all this knavery and +destruction of souls goes on, but have more regard to God and His +glory than to the authority of men. + +[Sidenote: Restoration of Local Church Rights] + +3. An imperial law should be issued, that no bishop's cloak[114] and +no confirmation of any dignity[115] whatsoever shall henceforth be +secured from Rome, but that the Church ordinance of the most holy and +most famous Council of Nicaea[116] shall be restored, in which it is +decreed that a bishop shall be confirmed by the two nearest bishops or +by the archbishop. If the pope will break the statutes of this and of +all other councils, what is the use of holding councils; or who has +given him the authority thus to despise and break the rules of +councils? + +If he has this power then we should depose all bishops, archbishops +and primates[117] and make them mere parish-priests, so that the pope +alone may be over them, as he now is. He leaves to bishops, +archbishops and primates no regular authority or office, usurps +everything for himself, and lets them keep only the name and empty +title. It has gone so far that by his "exemptions"[118] the +monasteries, the abbots and the prelates are withdrawn from the +regular authority of the bishops, so that there is no longer any order +in Christendom. From this must follow what has followed--relaxation of +discipline and license to do evil everywhere--so that I verily fear +the pope can be called the "man of sin." [2 Thess. 2:3] There is in +Christendom no discipline, no rule, no order; and who is to blame +except the pope? This usurped authority of his he applies strictly to +all the prelates, and takes away their rods; and he is generous to all +subjects, giving them or selling them their liberty. + +Nevertheless, for fear he may complain that he is robbed of his +authority, it should be decreed that when the primates or archbishops +are unable to settle a case, or when a controversy arises among +themselves, such a case must be laid before the pope, but not every +little matter[120]. Thus it was done in olden times, and thus the +famous Council of Nicaea decreed[121]. If a case can be settled +without the pope, then his Holiness should not be troubled with such +minor matters, but give himself to that prayer, meditation and care +for all Christendom, of which he boasts. This is what the Apostles +did. They said, "It is not meet that we should leave the Word of God +and serve tables, but we will keep to preaching and prayer and set +others over the work." [Acts 6:2] But now Rome stands or nothing else +than the despising of the Gospel and of prayer, and for the serving of +"tables," i. e., of temporal affairs, and the rule of the Apostles and +of the pope agree as Christ agrees with Lucifer, heaven with hell, +night with day; yet he is called "Vicar of Christ and Successor of the +Apostles." + +[Sidenote: Exclusion of Temporal Matters from the Papal Court] + +4. It should be decreed that no temporal matter shall be taken to +Rome[122], but that all such cases shall be left to the temporal +authorities, as the Romans themselves decree in that canon law of +theirs, which they do not keep. For it should be the duty of the pope, +as the man most learned in Papal the Scriptures and most Holy, not in +name only, but in truth, to administer affairs which concern the faith +and holy life of Christians, to hold the primates and archbishops to +these things, and to help them in dealing with and caring for these +matters. So St. Paul teaches in I Corinthians vi, and takes the +Corinthians severely to task or their concern with worldly things [1 +Cor. 6:7]. For it works intolerable injury to all lands that such +cases are tried at Rome. It increases the costs, and moreover the +judges do not know the manners, laws and customs of the various +countries, so that they often do violence to the acts and base their +decisions on their own laws and opinions, and thus injustice is +inevitably done the contestants. + +[Sidenote: and from the Bishops' Courts] + +Moreover, the outrageous extortion practised by the _officiales_[123] +must be forbidden in all the dioceses, courts so that they may attend +to nothing else than matters of faith and good morals, and leave to +the temporal judges the things that concern money, property, life and +honor. The temporal authorities, therefore, should not permit +sentences of ban or exile when faith or right life is not concerned. +Spiritual authorities should have rule over spiritual goods, as reason +teaches; but spiritual goods are not money, nor anything pertaining to +the body, but they are faith and good works. + +[Sidenote: A German Church Organization] + +Nevertheless it might be granted that cases which concern benefices or +livings should be tried before bishops, archbishops and primates. +Therefore, in order to decide contests and contentions, it might be +possible for the Primate of Germany to maintain a general consistory, +with auditors and chancellors, which should have control over the +_signaturae gratiae_ and _signaturae justitiae_[124], that are now +controlled at Rome, and which should be the final court of appeal for +German cases. The officers of this consistory must not, however, be +paid, as at Rome, by chance presents and gifts, and thereby acquire +the habit of selling justice and injustice, which they now have to do +at Rome because the pope gives them no remuneration, but allows them +to fatten themselves on presents. For at Rome no one cares what is +right or not right, but only what is money or not money. This court +might, however, be paid out of the annates, or some other way might +easily be devised, by those who are more intelligent and who have more +experience in these matters than I. All I wish to do is to arouse and +set to thinking those who have the ability and the inclination to help +the German nation become once more free and Christian, after the +wretched, heathenish and unchristian rule of the pope. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reservations] + +5. No more reservations should be valid, and no more benefices should +be seized by Rome, even if the incumbent dies, or there is a contest, +or the incumbent is a "servant" of a cardinal or of the pope[125]; and +it should be strictly forbidden and prevented that any +"courtesan"[126] should institute a contest over any benefice, so as +to cite pious priests to Rome, harass them and drive them into +lawsuits. If, in consequence of this prohibition, there should come +from Rome a ban or an ecclesiastical censure, it should be +disregarded, just as though a thief were to lay a man under the ban +because he would not let him steal. Indeed they should be severely +punished because they so blasphemously misuse the ban and the name of +God to support their robbery, and with falsely devised threats would +drive us to endure and to praise such blasphemy of God's name and such +abuse of Christian authority, and thus to become, in the sight of God, +partakers in their rascality; it is our duty before God to resist it, +or St. Paul, in Romans i, reproves as guilty of death not only "those +who do such things," but also those who consent to such things and +allow them to be done [Rom. 1:32]. Most unbearable of all is the lying +_reservatio pectoralis_[127], whereby Christendom is so scandalously +and openly put to shame and scorn, because its head deals in open +lies, and out of love for the accursed money, shamelessly deceives and +fools everybody. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reserved Cases] + +6. The _casus reservati_[128], the "reserved cases," should also be +abolished, for not only are they the means of served extorting much +money from the people, but by means of them the ravening tyrants +ensnare and confuse many poor consciences, to the intolerable injury +of their faith in God. This is especially true of the ridiculous and +childish cases about which they make so much ado in the Bull _Coena +Domini_[129], and which are not worth calling daily sins, still less +cases so grave that the pope may not remit them by any indulgence; as +for example, hindering a pilgrim on his way to Rome, furnishing +weapons to the Turks, or tampering with papal letters. With such +gross, crazy, clumsy things do they make fools of us! Sodom and +Gomorrah, and all the sins which are committed and can be committed +against the commandments of God are not reserved cases; but sins +against what God has never commanded and what they have themselves +devised, these must be reserved cases, solely that no one be hindered +in bringing money to Rome, in order that, safe from the Turks, they +may live in luxury and keep the world under their tyranny with their +wanton, useless bulls and breves[130]. + +All priests ought rightly to know, or else there should be a public +ordinance to that effect, that no secret sin, of which a man has not +been publicly accused, is a reserved case, and that every priest has +the power to remit all sorts of sins, however they may be called, so +long as they are secret; moreover that no abbot, bishop or pope has +the power to reserve any such case to himself[131]. If they attempt +it, their reservation does not hold and is not valid, and they should +be reproved, as men who without authority interfere in God's judgment, +and without cause ensnare and burden poor, ignorant consciences. But +if great public sins are committed, especially sins against God's +commandments, then there is indeed a reason for reserved cases, but +even then there should not be too many of them, and they should not be +reserved arbitrarily and without cause; for Christ has set in His +Church not tyrants, but shepherds, as saith St. Peter [1 Pet. 5:3]. + +[Sidenote: Diminution of the Papal Household] + +7. The Roman See should also do away with the _officia_[132], and +diminish the swarm of vermin at Rome, so that the pope's household can +be supported by the pope's own purse. The pope should not allow his +court to surpass in pomp and extravagance the courts of all kings, +seeing that such a condition not only has never been serviceable to +the cause of Christian faith, but the courtiers have been kept thereby +from study and prayer, until they are scarce able to speak about the +faith at all. This they proved quite plainly at the last Roman +Council[133], in which, amongst many other childish and frivolous +things, they decreed that the soul of man is immortal and that every +priest must say his prayers once a month on pain of losing his +benefice. How shall matters which concern faith and the Church be +decided by people so hardened and blinded by great avarice, wealth and +worldly splendor, that they have only now decreed that the soul is +immortal? It is no small shame to all Christians that at Rome they +deal so disgracefully with the faith. If they had less wealth and +pomp, they could pray and study better, and so become worthy and able +to deal with matters of faith, as was the case in olden times when +they were bishops, and did not presume to be kings over all kings. + +[Sidenote: Bishops' Oaths] + +8. The hard and terrible oaths should be abolished, which the bishops +are wrongfully compelled to render to the pope[134], and by which they +are bound like servants, as that worthless and unlearned chapter, +_Significasti_[135], arbitrarily and most stupidly decrees. It is not +enough that they burden us in body, soul and property with their many +mad laws, by which faith is weakened and Christendom ruined; but they +seize upon the person and office and work of the bishops, and now upon +the investiture[136] also, which was in olden times the right of the +German emperors, and in France and other kingdoms still belongs to the +kings. On this point they had great wars and disputes with the +emperors[137] until at last, with impudent authority, they took the +right and have kept it until now; just as though the Germans, above +all the Christians on earth, had to be the puppets of the pope and the +Roman See and do and suffer what no one else will do and suffer. +Since, then, this is sheer violence and robbery, hindering the regular +authority of the bishops and injuring poor souls, therefore the +emperor and his nobles are in duty bound to prevent and punish such +tyranny. + +[Sidenote: Pope and Emperor] + +9. The pope should have no authority over the emperor, except that he +anoints and crowns him at the altar, just as a bishop anoints and +crowns a king[138]; and we should not henceforth yield to that +devilish pride which compels the emperor to kiss the pope's feet or +sit at his feet, or, as they claim, hold his stirrup or the bridle of +his mule when he mounts for a ride; still less should he do homage and +swear faithful allegiance to the pope, as the popes have shamelessly +ventured to demand as if they possessed that right. The chapter +_Solite_[139], in which the papal authority is raised above the +imperial authority, is not worth a heller, nor are any of those who +rest upon it or fear it; for it does nothing else than force the holy +words of God out of their true meaning, and wrest them to human +dreams, as I have showed in a Latin treatise[140]. + +Such extravagant, over-presumptuous, and more than wicked doings of +the pope have been devised by the devil, in order that under their +cover he may in time bring in Antichrist, and raise the pope above +God, as many are already doing and have done. It is not proper for the +pope to exalt himself above the temporal authorities, save only in +spiritual offices such as preaching and absolving. In other things he +is to be subject, as Paul and Peter teach, in Romans xiii [Rom. 13:1], +and I Peter iii [1 Pet. 2:13 f.], and as I have said above. + +He is not vicar of Christ in heaven, but of Christ as He walked on +earth [Phil. 2:7][142]. For Christ in heaven, in the form of a ruler, +needs no vicar, but He sits and sees, does, and knows all things, and +has all power. But He needs a vicar in the form of a servant, in which +He walked on earth, toiling, preaching, suffering and dying. Now they +turn it around, take from Christ the heavenly form of ruler and give +it to the pope, leaving the form of a servant to perish utterly. He +might almost be the "Counter-christ" whom the Scriptures call +Antichrist, for all his nature, work and doings are against Christ, +for the destruction of Christ's nature and work. + +It is also ridiculous and childish that the pope, with such perverted +and deluded reasoning, boasts in his decretal _Pastoralis_[143], that +he is rightful heir to the Empire, in case of a vacancy. Who has given +him this right? Did Christ, when He said, "The princes of the Gentiles +are lords, but ye shall not be so" [Luke 22:25 f.]? Did St. Peter will +it to him? It vexes me that we must read and learn such shameless, +gross, crazy lies in the canon law, and must even hold them for +Christian doctrine, when they are devilish lies. Of the same sort is +also that unheard-of lie about the "Donation of Constantine."[144] It +must have been some special plague of God that so many people of +understanding have let themselves be talked into accepting such lies +as these, which are so manifest and clumsy that I should think any +drunken peasant could lie more adroitly and skilfully. How can a man +rule an empire and at the same time continue to preach, pray, study +and care for the poor? Yet these are the duties which properly and +peculiarly belong to the pope, and they were imposed by Christ in such +earnest that He even forbade His disciples to take with them cloak or +money [Matt. 10:10], since these duties can scarcely be performed by +one who has to rule even a single household. Yet the pope would rule +an empire and continue to be pope! This is a device of the knaves who +would like, under the pope's name, to be lords of the world, and by +means of the pope and the name of Christ, to restore the Roman Empire +to its former state. + +[Sidenote: Temporal Power--the Kingdom of Naples] + +10. The pope should restrain himself, take his fingers out of the pie, +and claim no title to the Kingdom of Naples the and Sicily[145]. He +has exactly as much right to that kingdom as I have, and yet he wishes +to be its overlord. It is plunder got by violence, like almost all his +other possessions. The emperor, therefore, should not grant him this +fief, and if it has been granted, he should no longer give his consent +to it, and should point him instead to the Bible and the prayer-books, +so that he may preach and pray, and leave to temporal lords the ruling +of lands and peoples, especially when no one has given them to him. + +[Sidenote: The States of the Church] + +The same opinion should hold as regards Bologna, Imola, Vicenza, +Ravenna and all the territories in the Mark of Ancona, in Romagna, and +in other Italian lands, which the pope has taken by force and +possesses without right[146]. Moreover, he has meddled in these things +against all the commands of Christ and of St. Paul. For thus saith St. +Paul, "No one entangleth himself with worldly affairs, whose business +it is to wait upon the divine knighthood."[147][2 Tim. 2:3] Now the +pope should be the head and front of this knighthood, yet he meddles +in worldly affairs more than any emperor or king. Why then he must be +helped out of them and allowed to attend to his knighthood. Christ +also, Whose vicar he boasts himself to be, was never willing to have +aught to do with temporal rule; indeed, to one who asked of him a +decision respecting his brother. He said, "Who made Me a judge over +you?" [Luke 12:14] But the pope rushes in unbidden, and boldly takes +hold of everything as though he were a god, until he no longer knows +what Christ is, Whose vicar he pretends to be. + +[Sidenote: Papal Homage] + +11. The kissing of the pope's feet[148] should take place no more. It +is an unchristian, nay, an antichristian thing for a poor sinful man +to let his feet be kissed by one who is a hundred times better than +himself. If it is done in honor of his authority, why does not the +pope do the same to others in honor of their holiness? Compare the +two--Christ and the pope! Christ washed His disciples' feet and dried +them [John 13:1 ff.], and the disciples never washed His feet; the +pope, as though he were higher than Christ, turns things around and, +as a great favor, allows people to kiss his feet, though he ought +properly to use all his power to prevent it, if anyone wished to do +it; like Paul and Barnabas, who would not let the people of Lystra pay +them divine honor, but said, "We are men like you." [Acts 14:11-16] +But our sycophants have gone so far as to make for us an idol, and now +no one ears God so much as he fears the pope, no one pays Him such +ceremonious honor. That they can endure! What they cannot endure is +that a hair's-breadth should be taken away from the proud estate of +the pope. Now if they were Christians, and held God's honor above +their own, the pope would never be happy while he knew that God's +honor was despised and his own exalted, and he would let no man pay +him honor until he saw that God's honor was again exalted and was +greater than his own. + +[149][It is another piece of the same scandalous pride, that the pope +is not satisfied to ride or to be driven in a vehicle, but although he +is strong and in good health, he has himself borne by men, with +unheard-of splendor, like an idol. How, pray, does such satanic pride +agree with the example of Christ, Who went on foot, as did all His +disciples? Where has there ever been a worldly monarch who went about +in such worldly glory as he who wishes to be the head of all those who +are to despise and lee worldly glory, i. e., of Christians? Not that +this in itself should give us very much concern, but we should rightly +fear the wrath of God, if we flatter this kind of pride and do not +show our indignation. It is enough that the pope should rant and play +the fool in this wise; but that we should approve it and tolerate +it,--this is too much. + +For what Christian heart can or ought to take pleasure in seeing that +when the pope wishes to receive the communion, he sits quiet, like a +gracious lord, and has the sacrament passed to him on a golden rod by +a bowing cardinal on bended knee? As though the holy sacrament were +not worthy that a pope, a poor stinking sinner, should rise to show +God honor, when all other Christians, who are much more holy than the +Most Holy Father, the pope, receive it with all reverence! Would it be +a wonder if God were to send a plague upon us all because we suffer +such dishonor to be done Him by our prelates, and approve it, and by +our silence or our flattery make ourselves partakers of such damnable +pride? + +It is the same way when he carries the sacrament in procession. He +must be carried, but the sacrament is set before him, like a can of +wine on the table. In short, at Rome Christ counts for nothing, the +pope counts for everything; and yet they would compel us with threats +to approve, and praise and honor such antichristian sins, though this +is against God and against all Christian doctrine. Now God help a free +Council to teach the pope that he too is a man, and is not more than +God, as he presumes to be.] + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Pilgrimages to Rome] + +12. Pilgrimages to Rome[150] should either be abolished, or else no +one should be allowed to make such a pilgrimage out of curiosity or +because of a pious impulse, unless it is first recognized by his +parish-priest, his town authorities or his overlord, that he has good +and sufficient reason for it. I say this not because pilgrimages are +bad, but because they are at this time ill-advised. For men see at +Rome no good example, but only that which offends; and they have +themselves made the proverb, "The nearer Rome, the worse +Christians."[151] Men bring back with them contempt or God and His +commandments. It is said: "The first time one goes to Rome he seeks a +rascal, the second time he finds him, the third time he brings him +home with him."[152] Now, however, they have become so clever that +they make the three journeys at once, and they have verily brought +back from Rome such pretty things that it were better never to have +seen or known Rome. + +Even if this reason did not exist, there is still another and a +better: to wit, that by these pilgrimages men are led away into a +false conceit and a misunderstanding of the divine commandments; or +they think that this going on pilgrimage is a precious, good work, and +this is not true. It is a very small good work, oftentimes an evil, +delusive work, for God has not commanded it. But He has commanded that +a man shall care for his wife and children, and look after such other +duties as belong to the married state, and besides this, to serve and +help his neighbor. Now it comes to pass that a man makes a pilgrimage +to Rome when no one has commanded him to do so, spends fifty or a +hundred gulden, more or less, and leaves his wife and child, or at +least his neighbor, at home to suffer want. Yet the foolish fellow +thinks to gloss over such disobedience and contempt of the divine +commandments with his self-willed pilgriming, when it is really only +curiosity or devilish delusion which leads him to it. The popes have +helped this along with their false, feigned, foolish, "golden +years,"[153] by which the people are excited, stirred up, torn away +from God's commandments, and drawn toward their own deluded +undertakings. Thus they have accomplished the very thing they should +have forbidden; but it has brought in money and strengthened false +authority, therefore it has had to continue, though it is against God +and the salvation of souls. + +In order to destroy in simple Christians this false, seductive faith, +and to restore a true understanding of good works, all pilgrimages +should be given up; for there is in them nothing good--no commandment, +no obedience--but, on the contrary, numberless occasions for sin and +for the despising of God's commandments. Hence come the many beggars, +who by this pilgriming carry on endless knaveries and learn the habit +of begging when they are not in want. Hence, too, come vagabondage, +and many other ills which I shall not now recount. + +If any one, now, wishes to go on pilgrimage or take a pilgrim's vow, +he should first show his reasons to his parish-priest or to his lord. +If it turns out that he wishes to do it for the sake of the good work, +the priest or lord should boldly tread the vow and good work under +foot, as though it were a lure of the devil, and show him how to apply +the money and labor necessary for the pilgrimage to the keeping of +God's commandments and to works a thousandfold better, viz., by +spending it on his own family or on his poor neighbors. But if he +wishes to make the pilgrimage out of curiosity, to see new lands and +cities, he may be allowed to do as he likes. If, however, he has made +the vow while ill, then such vows ought to be forbidden and canceled, +and the commandments of God exalted, and he ought to be shown that he +should henceforth be satisfied with the vow he made in baptism[154], +to keep the commandments of God. And yet, in order to quiet his +conscience, he may be allowed this once to perform his foolish vow. No +one wants to walk in the straight and common path of God's +commandments; everyone makes himself new roads and new vows, as though +he had fulfilled all the commandments of God. + +[Sidenote: Reform of the Mendicant Orders] + +13. Next we come to that great crowd who vow much and keep little. Be +not angry, dear lords! Truly, I mean it well. It is the truth, and +bitter-sweet, and it is this,--the building of mendicant-houses[155] +should no more be permitted. God help us, there are already far too +many of them! Would to God they were all done away, or at least given +over to two or three orders! Wandering about the land has never +brought any good, and never will bring any good. It is my advice, +therefore, to put together ten of these houses, or as many as may be +necessary, and out of them all to make one house, which will be well +provided and need no more begging. It is much more important to +consider what the common people need for their salvation, than what +St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Augustine[156] or any other man has +decreed; especially since things have not turned out as they expected. + +The mendicants should also be relieved of preaching and hearing +confession, except when they are called to this work by the express +desire of bishops, parishes, congregations or the temporal +authorities. Out of their preaching and shriving there has come +nothing but hatred and envy between priests and monks, and great +offence and hindrance to the common people. For this reason it should +properly and deservedly cease, because it can well be dispensed +with[157]. It looks suspiciously as though it were not for nothing +that the Holy Roman See has increased this army, so that the priests +and bishops, tired of its tyranny, might not some time become too +strong or it and begin a reformation which would not be to the liking +of his Holiness. + +At the same time the manifold divisions and differences within one and +the same order should be abolished. These divisions have at times +arisen for small reason and maintained themselves for still smaller, +combatting one another with unspeakable hatred and envy[158]. +Nevertheless the Christian faith, which can well exist without any of +these distinctions, is lost by both sides, and a good Christian life +is valued and sought after only in outward laws, works and forms; and +this results only in the devising of hypocrisy and the destruction of +souls, as everyone may see with his own eyes. + +The pope must also be forbidden to found and confirm any more of these +orders; nay, he must be commanded to abolish some of them and reduce +their number, since the faith of Christ, which is alone the highest +good and which exists without any orders, is in no small danger, +because these many different works and forms easily mislead men into +living for them instead of giving heed to the faith. Unless there are +in the monasteries wise prelates, who preach and who concern +themselves with faith more than with the rules of the orders, the +order cannot but harm and delude simple souls who think only of works. + +In our days, however, the prelates who have had faith and who founded +the orders have almost all passed away. Just as in olden days among +the children of Israel, when the fathers, who knew God's works and +wonders, had passed away, the children, from ignorance of God's works +and of faith, immediately became idolatrous and set up their own human +works; so now, alas! these orders have lost the understanding of God's +works and of faith, and only torture themselves pitifully, with labor +and sorrow, in their own rules, laws and customs, and withal never +come to a right understanding of a good spiritual life, as the Apostle +declared when he said, in II Timothy iii: "They have the appearance of +a spiritual life, yet there is nothing back of it; they are ever and +ever learning, but they never come to a knowledge of what a true +spiritual life is." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7] There should be no monastery +unless there were a spiritual prelate, learned in the Christian faith, +to rule it, for no other kind of prelate can rule without injury and +ruin, and the holier and better he appears to be in his outward works +and life, the more injury and ruin he causes. + +To my way of thinking it would be a necessary measure, especially in +these perilous times of ours, that all foundations and monasteries +should be re-established as they were at the first, in the days of the +Apostles and for a long time afterwards, when they were all open to +every man, and every man might remain in them as long as he pleased. +For what were the foundations and monasteries except Christian schools +in which the Scriptures and Christian living were taught, and people +were trained to rule and to preach? So we read that St. Agnes[159] +went to school, and we still see the same practice in some of the +nunneries, like that at Quedlinburg[160] and others elsewhere. And in +truth all monasteries and convents ought to be so free that God is +served in them with free will and not with forced avarice. Afterward, +however, they hedged them about with vows and turned them into a +lifelong prison, so that these vows are thought to be of more account +than the vows of baptism. What sort of fruit this has borne, we see, +hear, read and learn more and more every day. + +I suppose this advice of mine will be regarded as the height of +foolishness; but I am not concerned about that just now. I advise what +I think best; let him reject it who will! I see how the vows are kept, +especially the vow of chastity, which has become so universal through +these monasteries and yet is not commanded by Christ; on the contrary, +it is given to very few to keep it, as He himself says [Matt. 19:11 +ff.], and St. Paul [1 Cor. 7:7, Col. 2:20]. I would have all men to be +helped, and not have Christian souls caught in human, self-devised +customs and laws. + +[Sidenote: Marriage of the Clergy] + +14. We also see how the priesthood has fallen, and how many a poor +priest is overburdened with wife and child, and his conscience +troubled, yet no one does anything to help him though he might easily +be helped. Though pope and bishops may let things go as they go, and +let them go to ruin if they will, I will save my conscience and open +my mouth freely, whether it vex pope, bishops or any one else. +Wherefore I say that according to the institution of Christ and the +Apostles every city should have a priest or bishop, as St. Paul +clearly says in Titus i [Tit. 1:6]; and this priest should not be +compelled to live without a wedded wife, but should be permitted to +have one, as St. Paul says in I Timothy iii, and Titus i, "A bishop +should be a man who is blameless, and the husband of but one wedded +wife, whose children are obedient and virtuous," etc. [1 Tim. 3:2, +Tit. 1:6] For with St. Paul a bishop and a priest are one and the same +thing, as witness also St. Jerome[161]. But of bishops as they now +are, the Scriptures know nothing; they have been appointed by the +ordinance of the Christian Church, that one of them may rule over many +priests. + +So then we clearly learn from the Apostle that it should be the custom +for every town to choose out of the congregation[162] a learned and +pious citizen, entrust to him the office of the ministry, and support +him at the expense of the community, leaving him free choice to marry +or not. He should have with him several priests or deacons, who might +also be married or not, as they chose, to help him rule the people of +the community[163] by means of preaching and the sacraments, as is +still the practice in the Greek Church. At a later time[164], when +there were so many persecutions and controversies with heretics, there +were many holy fathers who of their own accord abstained from +matrimony, to the end that they might the better devote themselves to +study and be prepared at any time for death or for controversy. Then +the Roman See interfered, out of sheer wantonness, and made a +universal commandment forbidding priests to marry[165]. This was done +at the bidding of the devil, as St. Paul declares in I Timothy iv, +"There shall come teachers who bring doctrines of devils, and forbid +to marry." From this has arisen so much untold misery, occasion was +given for the withdrawal of the Greek Church[166], and division, sin, +shame and scandal were increased without end,--which is the result of +everything the devil does. + +What, then, shall we do about it? My advice is that matrimony be again +made free[167], and that every one be let free choice to marry or not +to marry. In that case, however, there must be a very different +government and administration of Church property, the whole canon law +must go to pieces and not many benefices find their way to Rome[168]. +I fear that greed has been a cause of this wretched unchaste chastity, +and as a result of greed every man has wished to become a priest and +everyone wants his son to study for the priesthood, not with the idea +of living in chastity, for that could be done outside the priesthood, +but of being supported in temporal things without care or labor, +contrary to the command of God in Genesis iii, "In the sweat of thy +face shat thou eat thy bread." [Gen. 3:19] They have construed this to +mean that their labor was to pray and say mass. + +I am not referring here to popes, bishops, canons and monks. God has +not instituted these offices. They have taken burdens on themselves; +let them bear them. I would speak only of the ministry which God has +instituted[169] and which is to rule a congregation by means of +preaching and sacraments, whose incumbents are to live and be at home +among the people. Such ministers should be granted liberty by a +Christian council to marry, for the avoidance of temptation and sin. +For since God has not bound them, no one else ought to bind them or +can bind them, even though he were an angel from heaven [Gal. 1:8], +still less if he be only a pope; and everything that the canon law +decrees to the contrary is mere fable and idle talk. + +Furthermore, I advise that henceforth neither at his consecration to +the priesthood nor at any other time shall any one under any +circumstances promise the bishop to live in celibacy, but shall +declare to the bishop that he has no authority to demand such a vow, +and that to demand it is the devil's own tyranny. + +But if anyone is compelled to say or wishes to say, as do some, "so +far as human frailty permits,"[170] let everyone frankly interpret +these words negatively, to mean "I do not promise chastity."[171] For +human frailty does not permit a chaste life[172], but only angelic +power and celestial might[2 Pet. 2:11][173] Thus he should keep his +conscience free from all vows. + +On the question whether those who are not yet married should marry or +remain unmarried, I do not care to give advice either way. I leave +that to common Christian order and to everyone's better judgment. But +as regards the wretched multitude who now sit in shame and heaviness +of conscience because their wives are called "priests' harlots" and +their children "priests' children" I will not withhold my faithful +counsel nor deprive them of the comfort which is their due. I say this +boldly by my jester's right[174]. You will find many a pious priest +against whom no one has anything to say except that he is weak and has +come to shame with a woman, though both parties may be minded with all +their heart to live always together in wedded love and troth, if only +they could do it with a clear conscience, even though they might have +to bear public shame. Two such persons are certainly married before +God. And I say that where they are thus minded, and so come to live +together, they should boldly save their consciences; let him take and +keep her as his wedded wife, and live honestly with her as her +husband, caring nothing whether the pope will have it so or not, +whether it be against canon law or human law. The salvation of your +soul is of more importance than tyrannical, arbitrary, wicked laws, +which are not necessary for salvation and are not commanded by God. +You should do like the children of Israel, who stole from the +Egyptians the hire they had earned [Ex. 12:35 f.], or like a servant +who steals from his wicked master the wages he has earned. In like +manner steal thou from the pope thy wife and child! Let the man who +has faith enough to venture this, boldly follow me; I shall not lead +him astray. Though I have not the authority of a pope, I have the +authority of a Christian to advise and help my neighbor against sins +and temptations; and that not without cause and reason. + +_First_, Not every priest can do without a woman, not only on account +of the weakness of the flesh, but much more because of the necessities +of the household. If he, then, may have a woman, and the pope grants +him that, and yet may not have her in marriage,--what is that but +leaving a man and a woman alone and forbidding them to fall? It is as +though one were to put fire and straw together and command that it +shall neither smoke nor burn. + +_Second_, The pope has as little power to command this, as he has to +forbid eating, drinking, the natural movement of the bowels or growing +fat. No one, therefore, is bound to keep it, but the pope is +responsible for all the sins which are committed against this +ordinance, for all the souls which are lost thereby, for all the +consciences which are thereby confused and tortured; and therefore he +has long deserved that some one should drive him out of the world, so +many wretched souls has he strangled with this devil's snare; though I +hope that there are many to whom God has been more gracious at their +last hour than the pope has been in their life. Nothing good has ever +come out of the papacy and its laws, nor ever will. + +_Third_, Although the law of the pope is against it, nevertheless, +when the estate of matrimony has been entered against the pope's law, +then his law is at an end, and is no longer valid; for the commandment +of God, which decrees that no one shall put man and wife asunder +[Matt. 19:6], takes precedence of the law of the pope; and the +commandments of God must not be broken and neglected for the sake of +the pope's commandment, though many mad jurists, in the papal +interest, have devised "impediments"[175] and have prevented, +destroyed and confused the estate of matrimony, until by their means +God's commandment has been altogether destroyed. To make a long story +short, there are not in the whole "spiritual" law of the pope two +lines which could be instructive to a pious Christian, and there are, +alas! so many mistaken and dangerous laws that the best thing would be +to make a bonfire of it[176]. + +But if you say that this[177] would give offence, and the pope must +first grant dispensation, I reply that whatever offence is in it, is +the fault of the Roman See, which has established such laws without +right and against God; before God and the Scriptures it is no offence. +Moreover, if the pope can grant dispensations from his avaricious and +tyrannical laws for money's sake, then every Christian can grant +dispensations from them--for the sake of God and the salvation of +souls. For Christ has set us free from all human laws, especially when +they are opposed to God and the salvation of souls, as St. Paul +teaches in Galatians v [Gal. 5:1] and I Corinthians xi [1 Cor. 9:4 +ff.; 10:23]. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reserved Cases in the Monasteries] + +15. Nor must I forget the poor convents! The evil spirit, who by human +laws now confuses all estates in life, and has made them unbearable, +has taken possession of in certain abbots, abbesses and prelates also, +and causes them so to govern their brethren and sisters as to send +them the more speedily to hell, and make them lead a wretched life +even here; for such is the lot of all the devil's martyrs. That is to +say, they have reserved to themselves in confession, all, or at least +some, of the mortal sins which are secret, so that no brother, on his +obedience and on pain of the ban, can absolve another from these +sins[178]. Now we do not always find angels everywhere, but we find +also flesh and blood, which suffers all bannings and threatenings +rather than confess secret sins to the prelates and the appointed +confessors. Thus they go to the sacrament with such consciences that +they become "irregular"[179] and all sorts of other terrible things. O +blind shepherds! O mad prelates! O ravening wolves! + +To this I say: If a sin is public or notorious, then it is proper that +the prelate alone should punish it, and of these sins only and no +others he may make exceptions, and reserve them to himself; over +secret sins he has no authority, even though they were the worst sins +that are or ever can be found, and if the prelate makes exceptions of +these sins, he is a tyrant, for he has no such right and is +interfering in the judgment of God. + +And so I advise these children, brethren and sisters: If your +superiors are unwilling to grant you permission to confess your secret +sins to whomever you wish, then take them to whatever brother or +sister you will and confess them, receive absolution, and then go and +do whatever you wish and ought to do; only believe firmly that you are +absolved, and nothing more is needed. And do not allow yourself to be +troubled by ban, "irregularity," or any of the other things they +threaten; these things are valid only in the case of public or +notorious sins which one is unwilling to confess; they do not affect +you at all. Why do you try by your threatenings, O blind prelate, to +prevent secret sins? Let go what you cannot publicly prove, so that +God's judgment and grace may also have its work in your subjects! He +did not give them so entirely into your hands as to let them go +entirely out of His own! Nay, what you have under your rule is but the +smaller part. Let your statutes be statutes, but do not exalt them to +heaven, to the judgment-seat of God. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Mortuary Masses] + +16. It were also necessary to abolish all anniversary, mortuary and +"soul" masses[180], or at least to diminish their number, since we +plainly see that they have become nothing but a mockery, by which God +is deeply angered, and that their only purpose is money-getting, +gorging and drunkenness. What kind of pleasure should God have in such +a miserable gabbling of wretched vigils and masses, which is neither +reading nor praying, and even when prayed[181], they are performed not +for God's sake and out of willing love, but for money's sake and +because they are a bounden duty. Now it is not possible that any work +not done out of willing love can please God or obtain anything from +Him. And so it is altogether Christian to abolish, or at least +diminish, everything which we see growing into an abuse, and which +angers rather than reconciles God. It would please me more--nay, it +would be more acceptable to God and far better--that a foundation, +church or monastery should put all its anniversary masses and vigils +together, and on one day, with hearty sincerity, devotion and faith, +hold a true vigil and mass for all its benefactors, rather than hold +them by the thousand every year, for each benefactor a special mass, +without this devotion and faith. O dear Christians! God cares not for +much praying, but for true praying! Nay, He condemns the many and long +prayers, and says in Matthew vi, they will only earn more punishment +thereby [Matt. 67:7; 23:14]. But avarice, which cannot trust God, +brings such things to pass, earing that otherwise it must die of +hunger! + +[Sidenote: Abolition of the Interdict] + +17. Certain of the penalties or punishments of the canon law should +also be abolished, especially the interdict[182], which is, beyond all +doubt, an invention of the evil Spirit. Is it not a devil's work to +try to atone for one sin with many greater sins? And yet, to put God's +Word and worship to silence, or to do away with them, is a greater sin +than strangling twenty popes at once, and far greater than killing a +priest or keeping back some Church property. This is another of the +tender virtues taught in the "spiritual law." For one of the reasons +why this law is called "spiritual" is because it comes from the +Spirit; not, however, from the Holy Spirit, but from the evil spirit. + +The ban[183] is to be used in no case except where the Scriptures +prescribe its use, i. e., against those who do not hold the true +faith, or who live in open sin; it is not to be used for the sake of +temporal possessions. But now it is the other way around. Everyone +believes and lives as he pleases, most of all those who use the ban to +plunder and defame other people, and all the bans are now laid only on +account of temporal possessions, or which we have no one to thank but +the holy "spiritual lawlessness."[184] Of this I have previously said +more in the Discourse[185]. + +The other punishments and penalties,--suspension, irregularity, +aggravation, reaggravation, deposition, lightnings, thunderings, +cursings, damnings and the rest of these devices,--should be buried +ten fathoms deep in the earth, so that there should be neither name +nor memory of them left on earth. The evil spirit, who has been let +loose by the "spiritual law" has brought this terrible plague and +misery into the heavenly kingdom of the holy Church, and has +accomplished by it nothing else than the destruction and hindrance of +souls, so that the word of Christ may well be applied to them[186]: +"Woe unto you scribes! Ye have taken upon you the authority to teach, +and ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. Ye go not in +yourselves, and ye suffer not them that are entering." [Matt. 23:13] + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Saints'-Days] + +18. All festivals[187] should be abolished, and Sunday alone retained. +If it were desired, however, to retain the festivals of Our Lady and +of the greater saints, they should be transferred to Sunday, or +observed only by a morning mass, after which all the rest of the day +should be a working-day. The reason is this: The feast-days are now +abused by drinking, gaming, idleness and all manner of sins, so that +on the holy days we anger God more than on other days, and have +altogether turned things around; the holy days are not holy and the +working days are holy, and not only is no service done to God and His +saints by the many holy days, but rather great dishonor. There are, +indeed, some mad prelates who think they are doing a good work if they +make a festival in honor of St. Ottilia or St. Barbara or some other +saint, according to the promptings of their blind devotion; but they +would be doing a far better work if they honored the saint by turning +a saint's-day into a working day. + +Over and above the spiritual injury, the common man receives two +material injuries from this practice, i. e., he neglects his work and +he spends more than at other times; nay, he also weakens his body and +unfits it for work. We see this every day, yet no one thinks to make +it better. We ought not to consider whether or not the pope has +instituted the feasts, and whether we must have dispensation and +permission to omit them. If a thing is opposed to God, and harmful to +man in body and soul, any community[188], council[189] or government +has not only the right to abolish it and put a stop to it, without the +will or knowledge of pope or bishop, but they are bound on their +souls' salvation to prevent it, even against the will of pope and +bishop, though these ought to be themselves the first to forbid it. + +Above all, we ought utterly to abolish the consecration days[190], +since they have become nothing else than taverns, airs and gaming +places[191], and serve only to the increase of God's dishonor and to +the damnation of souls. All the pretence about the custom having had a +good beginning and being a good work is of no avail. Did not God +Himself set aside His own law, which He had given from heaven, when it +was perverted and abused? And does He not still daily overturn what He +has appointed and destroy what He has made, because of such perversion +and abuse? As it is written of Him in Psalm xviii, "With the perverted +Thou wilt show Thyself perverse." [Ps. 18:27] + +[Sidenote: Extension of Right of Dispensation] + +19. The grades or degrees within which marriage is forbidden should be +changed, as, for instance, the sponsorships and the third and fourth +degrees; and if the pope can grant dispensation in these matters or +money and for the sake of his shameful traffic[192], then every parish +priest may give the same dispensations gratis and or the salvation of +souls. Yea, would to God that all the things which we must buy at Rome +to free ourselves from that money-snare, the canon law,--such things +as indulgences, letters of indulgence, "butter-letters,"[193] +"mass-letters,"[194] and all the rest of the _confessionalia_[195] and +knaveries for sale at Rome, with which the poor folk are deceived and +robbed of their money; would to God, I say, that any priest could, +without payment, do and omit all these things! For if the pope has +the authority to sell his snares for money and his spiritual nets (I +should say laws)[196], surely any priest has much more authority to +rend his nets and for God's sake to tread them under foot. But if he +has not this right, neither has the pope the right to sell them at his +shameful fair[196]. + +This is the place to say too that the fasts should be matters of +liberty, and all sorts of food made free, as the Gospel makes them +[Matt. 15:11]. For at Rome they themselves laugh at the fasts, making +us foreigners eat the oil with which they would not grease their +shoes, and afterwards selling us liberty to eat butter and all sorts +of other things; yet the holy Apostle says that in all these things we +already have liberty through the Gospel [1 Cor. 10:25 ff.]. But they +have caught us with their canon law and stolen our rights from us, so +that we may have to buy them back with money. Thus they have made our +consciences so timid and shy that it is no longer easy to preach about +this liberty because the common people take such great offence, +thinking it a greater sin to eat butter than to lie, to swear, or even +to live unchastely. Nevertheless, what men have decreed, that is the +work of man; put it where you will[198], nothing good ever comes out +of it. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Pilgrimages] + +20. The forest chapels and rustic churches[199] must be utterly +destroyed,--those, namely, to which the recent pilgrimages have been +directed,--Wilsnack[200], Sternberg[201], Trier[202], the +Grimmenthal[203], and now Regensburg[204] and a goodly number of +others. Oh, what a terrible and heavy account will the bishops have to +render, who permit this devilish deceit and receive its profits![205] +They should be the first to forbid it, and yet they think it a divine +and holy thing, and do not see that it is the devil's doing, to +strengthen avarice, to create a false, feigned faith, to weaken the +parish churches, to multiply taverns and harlotry, to waste money and +labor, and to lead the poor folk by the nose. If they had only read +the Scriptures to as good purpose as they have read their damnable +canon law, they would know well how to deal with this matter. + +That miracles are done at these places does not help things, for the +evil spirit can do miracles, as Christ has told us in Matthew xxiv +[Matt. 24:24]. If they took the matter seriously and forbade this sort +of thing, the miracles would quickly come to an end; on the other +hand, if the thing were of God their prohibition would not hinder it +[Acts 5:39]. And if there were no other evidence that it is not of +God, this would be enough,--that people run to these places in excited +crowds, as though they had lost their reason, like herds of cattle; +for this cannot possibly be of God. Moreover, God has commanded +nothing of all this; there is neither obedience nor merit in it; the +bishops, therefore, should boldly step in and keep the folk away. For +what is not commanded--and is concerned for self rather than for the +commands of God--that is surely the devil himself. Then, too, the +parish churches receive injury, because they are held in smaller +honor. In short, these things are signs of great unbelief among the +people; if they truly believed, they would have all that they need in +their own churches, for to them they are commanded to go. + +[Sidenote: Canonisations to be Prohibited] + +But what shall I say? Every one[206] plans only how he may establish +and maintain such a place of pilgrimage in his diocese and is not at +all concerned to have the people believe and live aright; the rulers +are like the people; one blind man leads another [Matt. 13:14]. Nay, +where pilgrimages are not successful, they begin to canonise +saints[207], not in honor of the saints--for they are sufficiently +honored without canonisation--but in order to draw crowds and bring in +money. Pope and bishop help along; it rains indulgences; there is +always money enough for that. But for what God has commanded no one +provides; no one runs after these things; there is no money or them. +Alas, that we should be so blind! We not only give the devil his own +way in his tricks, but we even strengthen him in his wantonness and +increase his pranks. I would that the dear saints were let in peace, +and the poor folk not led astray! What spirit has given the pope the +authority to canonise the saints? Who tells him whether they are +saints or not? Are there not already sins enough on earth, that we too +must tempt God, interfere in His judgment and set up the dear saints +as lures for money? + +Therefore I advise that the saints be left to canonise themselves. +Yea, it is God alone who should canonise them. And let every man stay +in his own parish, where he finds more than in all the shrines of +pilgrimage, even though all the shrines were one. Here we find baptism, +the sacrament, preaching and our neighbor, and these are greater +things than all the saints in heaven, for it is by God's Word and +sacrament that they have all been made saints. So long as we despise +such great things God is just in the wrathful judgment by which He +appoints the devil to lead us hither and thither, to establish +pilgrimages, to found churches and chapels, to secure the canonisation +of saints, and to do other such fool's-works, by which we depart from +true faith into new, false misbelief. This is what he did in olden +times to the people of Israel, when he led them away from the temple +at Jerusalem to countless other places, though he did it in the name +of God and under the plausible guise of holiness, though all the +prophets preached against it and were persecuted or so doing. But now +no one preaches against it, perhaps or fear that pope, priests and +monks would persecute him also. In this way St. Antoninus of +Florence[208] and certain others must now be made saints and +canonised, that their holiness, which would otherwise have served only +for the glory of God and as a good example, may serve to bring in fame +and money. + +Although the canonising of saints may have been good in olden times, +it is not good now; just as many other things were good in olden times +and are now scandalous and injurious, such as feast-days, +church-treasures and church-adornment. For it is evident that through +the canonising of saints neither God's glory nor the improvement of +Christians is sought, but only money and glory, in that one church +wants to be something more and have something more than others, and +would be sorry if another had the same thing and its advantage were +common property. So entirely, in these last, evil days, have spiritual +goods been misused and applied to the gaining of temporal goods, that +everything, even God Himself, has been forced into the service of +avarice. And even these special advantages lead only to dissensions, +divisions and pride, in that the churches, differing from one another, +hold each other in contempt, and exalt themselves one above another, +though all the gifts which God bestows are the common and equal +property of all churches and should only serve the cause of unity. The +pope, too, is glad or the present state of affairs; he would be sorry +if all Christians were equal and were at one. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Special Privileges] + +pThis is the place to speak of the church licenses, bulls and other +things which the pope sells at his laying-place in Rome. We should +either abolish them or disregard them, or at least make them the +common property of all churches. For if he sells or gives away +licenses and privileges, indulgences, graces, advantages, +faculties[209] to Wittenberg, to Halle, to Venice and, above, all to +his own Rome, why does he not give these things to all churches alike? +Is he not bound to do for all Christians, gratis and for God's sake, +everything that he can, and even to shed his blood for them? Tell me, +then, why he gives or sells to one church and not to another? Or must +the accursed money make, in the eyes of His Holiness, so great a +difference among Christians, who all have the same baptism, Word, +faith, Christ, God and all things? [Eph. 4:4 f.] Are we to be blind +while we have eyes to see, fools while we have our reason, that they +expect us to worship such greed, knavery and humbug? He is a +shepherd,--yes, so long as you have money, and no longer! And yet they +are not ashamed of their knavery, leading us hither and yon with their +bulls! Their one concern is the accursed money, and nothing else! + +My advice is this: If such fool's-work cannot be abolished, then every +pious Christian man should open his eyes, and not be misled by the +hypocritical Roman bulls and seals, stay at home in his own church and +be content with his baptism, his Gospel, his faith, his Christ and +with God, Who is everywhere the same; and let the pope remain a blind +leader of the blind. Neither angel nor pope can give you as much as +God gives you in your parish-church. Nay, the pope leads you away from +the gifts of God, which you have without pay, to his gifts, which you +must buy; and he gives you lead[210] for gold, hide for meat, the +string for the purse, wax for honey, words for goods, the letter for +the spirit. You see this before your very eyes, but you are unwilling +to notice it. If you are to ride to heaven on his wax and parchment, +your chariot will soon go to pieces, and you will fall into hell, not +in God's name! + +Let this be your fixed rule: What you must buy from the pope is +neither good nor of God; for what is from God, to wit, the Gospel and +the works of God, is not only given without money, but the whole world +is punished and damned because it has not been willing to receive it +as a free gift. We have deserved of God that we should be so deceived, +because we have despised His holy Word and the grace of baptism, as +St. Paul says: "God shall send a strong delusion upon all those who +have not received the truth to their salvation, to the end that they +may believe and follow after lies and knavery," [2 Thess. 2:11 f.] +which serves them right. + +[Sidenote: Mendicancy to be Prohibited, and the Poor to be Cared for] + +21. One of our greatest necessities is the abolition of all begging +throughout Christendom. Among Christians no one ought to go begging! +It would also be easy to make a law, if only we had the courage and +the serious intention, to the effect that every city should provide +for its own poor, and admit no foreign beggars by whatever name they +might be called, whether pilgrims or mendicant monks. Every city could +support its own poor, and if it were too small, the people in the +surrounding villages also should be exhorted to contribute, since in +any case they have to feed so many vagabonds and knaves in the guise +of mendicants. In this way, too, it could be known who were really +poor and who not. + +There would have to be an overseer or warden who knew all the poor and +informed the city council or the priests what they needed; or some +other better arrangement might be made. In my judgment there is no +other business in which so much knavery and deceit are practised as in +begging, and yet it could all be easily abolished. Moreover, this free +and universal begging hurts the common people. I have considered that +each of the five or six mendicant orders[211] visits the same place +more than six or seven times every year; besides these there are the +common beggars, the "stationaries"[212] and the palmers[213], so that +it has been reckoned that every town is laid under tribute about sixty +times a year, not counting what is given to the government in taxes, +imposts and assessments, what is stolen by the Roman See with its +wares, and what is uselessly consumed. Thus it seems to me one of +God's greatest miracles that we can continue to support ourselves. + +To be sure, some think that in this way[214] the poor would not be so +well provided for and that not so many great stone houses and +monasteries would be built. This I can well believe. Nor is it +necessary. He who wishes to be poor should not be rich; and if he +wishes to be rich, let him put his hand to the plow and seek his +riches in the earth! It is enough if the poor are decently cared for, +so that they do not die of hunger or of cold. It is not fitting that +one man should live in idleness on another's labor, or be rich and +live comfortably at the cost of another's discomfort, according to the +present perverted custom; for St. Paul says, "If a man will not work, +neither shall he eat." [2 Thess. 3:10] God has not decreed that any +man shall live from another's goods save only the priests, who rule +and preach, and these because of their spiritual labor, as Paul says +in I Corinthians ix [1 Cor. 9:14], and Christ also says to the +Apostles, "Every laborer is worthy of his hire." [Luke 10:7] + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Endowed Masses] + +22. It is also to be feared that the many masses[215] which are +endowed in the foundations and monasteries are not only of little use, +but greatly arouse the wrath of God. It would therefore be profitable +not to endow any more, but rather Masses to abolish many that are +already endowed, since we see that they are regarded only as +sacrifices and good works[216], though they are really sacraments, +just like baptism and penance[217], which profit only those who +receive them, and no others. But now the custom has crept in, that +masses are said for the living and the dead, and all hopes are built +upon them; for this reason so many of them have been founded and the +present state of affairs has come about. + +My proposal is perhaps too novel and daring, especially for those who +fear that through the discontinuance of these masses their trade and +livelihood may be destroyed, and so I must refrain from saying more +about it until we have come back to a correct understanding of what +the mass is and what it is good for. These many years, alas, it has +been made a trade practised for a temporal livelihood, so that I would +henceforth advise a man to become a shepherd or to seek some other +trade rather than become a priest or a monk, unless he first knows +well what it is to celebrate mass. I am not speaking, however, of the +old foundations and cathedrals, which were doubtless established in +order that the children of the nobility (since, according to the +customs of the German nation not all of them can become heirs or +rulers), might be provided for in these foundations, and there be free +to serve God, to study, to become scholars and to make scholars. But I +am speaking of the new foundations, which have been established only +for the saying of prayers and masses; for after their example, even +the old foundations have been burdened with like prayers and masses, +so that they are of little or no profit; though it is also of God's +grace that they too come at last, as they deserve, to the dregs, i. +e., to the wailing of organs and of choral singers, and to dead, cold +masses, by which the incomes of the worldly endowments are gotten and +spent. Such things pope, bishops and doctors should examine and +proscribe; but now it is they who are most given to them. They let +everything pass, if only it brings in money; one blind man is always +leading another. This is the work of avarice and of the spiritual law. + +Again, no one person should be allowed any longer to hold more than +one canonry or prebend. He must be content with a modest position, +that some one else may also have something. This would do away with +the excuses of those who say that they must hold more than one such +office to "maintain a proper station." A "proper station" might be so +broadly interpreted that a whole land would not be enough to maintain +it! Moreover avarice and veiled distrust of God assuredly go with it, +so that what is alleged to be the need of "a proper station" is often +nothing else than avarice and distrust. + +[Sidenote: Sodalities and Indulgences] + +23. Sodalities[218], indulgences, letters of indulgence, +"butter-letters,"[219] mass-letters[220], dispensations, and +everything else of the sort, are to be drowned and destroyed. There is +nothing good in them. If the pope has the power to grant you +dispensation to eat butter and to absent yourself from mass, then he +ought also be able to leave this power to the priests, from whom, +indeed, he has no right to take it. I speak especially of those +fraternities in which indulgences, masses and good works are portioned +out. Dear friend, in your baptism you entered into a fraternity with +Christ, all the angels, saints and Christians on earth. Hold to this +fraternity and live up to its demands, and you have fraternities +enough. The others--let them glitter as they will--are but as counters +compared with _guldens_. But if there were a fraternity which +contributed money to feed the poor or to help somebody in some other +way, such a one would be good, and would have its indulgence and its +merit in heaven. Now, however, they have become excuses or gluttony +and drunkenness[221]. + +Above all, we should drive out of German lands the papal legates with +their "faculties,"[222] which they sell us for large sums of money, +though that is sheer knavery. For example, in return for money they +legalize unjust gains, dissolve oaths, vows and agreements, break and +teach men to break the faith and fealty which they have pledged to one +another; and they say the pope has the authority to do this. It is the +evil Spirit who bids them say this. Thus they sell us a doctrine of +devils, and take money or teaching us sin and leading us to hell. + +If there were no other evil wiles to prove the pope the true +Antichrist, yet this one thing were enough to prove it. Hearest thou +this, pope, not most holy, but most sinful? O that God from heaven +would soon destroy thy throne and sink it in the abyss of hell! Who +hath given thee authority to exalt thyself above thy God, to break and +to loose His commandments, and to teach Christians, especially the +German nation, praised in all history for its nobility, its constancy +and fidelity, to be inconstant, perjurers, traitors, profligates, +faithless? God hath commanded to keep oath and faith even with an +enemy, and thou undertakest to loose this His commandment, and +ordainest in thine heretical, antichristian decretals that thou hast +His power. Thus through thy throat and through thy pen the wicked +Satan doth lie as he hath never lied before. Thou dost force and wrest +the Scriptures to thy fancy. O Christ, my Lord, look down, let the day +of thy judgment break, and destroy the devil's nest at Rome! Here +sitteth the man of whom St. Paul hath said that he shall exalt himself +above Thee, sit in Thy Church and set himself up as God [2 Thess. 2:3 +f.],--the man of sin and the son of perdition! What else is the papal +power than only the teaching and increasing of sin and evil, the +leading of souls to damnation under Thy name and guise? + +In olden times the children of Israel had to keep the oath which they +had unwittingly been deceived into giving to their enemies, the +Gibeonites [Josh. 9:19 ff.], and King Zedekiah was miserably lost, +with all his people, because he broke this oath to the King of Babylon +[2 Kings 24:20; 25:4 ff.]. Even among us, a hundred years ago, that +fine king of Hungary and Poland, Wladislav[223], was slain by the +Turk, with so many noble people, because he allowed himself to be +deceived by the papal legate and cardinal, and broke the good and +advantageous treaty which he had sworn with the Turk. The pious +Emperor Sigismund had no good fortune after the Council of Constance, +when he allowed the knaves to break the safe-conduct which had been +given to John Hus and Jerome[224] and all the trouble between us and +the Bohemians was the consequence. Even in our own times, God help us! +how much Christian blood has been shed over the oath and alliance +which Pope Julius made between the Emperor Maximilian and King Louis +of France[225], and afterwards broke? How could I tell all the +troubles which the popes have stirred up by the devilish presumption +with which they annul oaths and vows which have been made between +great princes, making a jest of these things, and taking money for it. +I have hopes that the judgment day is at the door; nothing can +possibly be worse than the Roman See. He suppresses God's commandment, +he exalts his own commandment over it; if he is not Antichrist, then +let some one else tell who he can be! But more of this another time, +and better. + +24. It is high time that we seriously and honestly consider the case +of the Bohemians[224], and come into union with them so that the +terrible slander, hatred and envy on both sides may cease. As befits +my folly, I shall be the first to submit an opinion on this subject, +with due deference to every one who may understand the case better +than I. + +_First_, We must honestly confess the truth, stop justifying +ourselves, and grant the Bohemians that John Hus and Jerome of Prague +were burned at Constance in violation of the papal, Christian, +imperial safe-conduct and oath; whereby God's commandment was sinned +against and the Bohemians were given ample cause for bitterness; and +although they ought to have been perfect and to have patiently endured +this great injustice and disobedience of God on our part, nevertheless +they were not bound to approve of it and to acknowledge that it was +well done. Nay, even to-day they should give up life and limb rather +than confess that it is right to violate an imperial, papal, Christian +safe-conduct, and faithlessly to act contrary to it. So then, although +it is the impatience of the Bohemians which is at fault, yet the pope +and his followers are still more to blame for all the trouble, error +and loss of souls that have followed upon that council. + +I have no desire to pass judgment at this time upon John Hus's +articles or to defend his errors, though I have not yet found any +errors in his writings, and I am quite prepared to believe that it was +neither fair judgment nor honest condemnation which was passed by +those who, in their faithless dealing, violated a Christian +safe-conduct and a commandment of God. Beyond doubt they were +possessed rather by the evil spirit than by the Holy Spirit. No one +will doubt that the Holy Spirit does not act contrary to the +commandment of God; and no one is so ignorant as not to know that the +violation of faith and of a safe-conduct is contrary to the +commandment of God, even though they had been promised to the devil +himself, still more when the promise was made to a mere heretic. It is +also quite evident that such a promise was made to John Hus and the +Bohemians and was not kept, but that he was burned in spite of it. I +do not wish, however, to make John Hus a saint or a martyr, as do some +of the Bohemians, though I confess that injustice was done him, and +that his books and doctrines were unjustly condemned; for the +judgments of God are secret and terrible, and no one save God alone +should undertake to reveal or utter them. All I wish to say is this: +though he were never so wicked a heretic, nevertheless he was burned +unjustly and against God's commandment, and the Bohemians should not +be forced to approve of such conduct, or else we shall never come into +unity. Not obstinacy but the open admission of truth must make us one. +It is useless to pretend, as was done at that time, that a +safe-conduct given to a heretic need not be kept[227]. That is as much +as to say that God's commandments are not to be kept to the end that +God's commandments may be kept. The devil made them mad and foolish, +so that they did not know what they were saying or doing. God has +commanded that a safe-conduct shall be kept. This commandment we +should keep though the world all. How much more, when it is only a +question of freeing a heretic! We should vanquish heretics with books, +not with burning; for so the ancient fathers did. If it were a science +to vanquish the heretics with fire, then the hang-men would be the +most learned doctors on earth; we should no longer need to study, but +he who overcame another by force might burn him at the stake. + +_Second_, The emperor and the princes should send to the Bohemians +some pious and sensible bishops and scholars; but by no means a +cardinal or papal legate or inquisitor, for those people are utter +ignoramuses as regards things Christian; they seek not the welfare of +souls, but, like all the pope's hypocrites, only their own power, +profit and glory; indeed, they were the prime movers in this miserable +business at Constance. The men thus sent into Bohemia should inform +themselves about the faith of the Bohemians, and whether it be +possible to unite all their sects. Then the pope should, for their +souls' sake, lay aside his supremacy for the time being, and, +according to the decree of the most Christian Council of Nicaea[228], +allow the Bohemians to choose one of their number to be Archbishop of +Prague[229], and he should be confirmed by the bishop of Olmütz in +Moravia, or the bishop of Gran in Hungary, or the bishop of Gnesen in +Poland, or the bishop of Magdeburg in Germany[230]. It will be enough +if he is confirmed by one or two of these, as was the custom in the +time of St. Cyprian[231]. The pope has no right to oppose such an +arrangement, and if he does oppose it, he becomes a wolf and a tyrant; +no one should follow him and his ban should be met with a counter-ban. + +If, however, it were desired, in honor of the See of St. Peter, to do +this with the pope's consent, I should be satisfied, provided it does +not cost the Bohemians a _heller_ and the pope does not bind them at +all nor make them subject to his tyrannies by oaths and obligations, +as he does all other bishops, in despite of God and of justice. If he +will not be satisfied with the honor of having his consent asked, then +let them not bother any more about him[232] and his rights, laws and +tyrannies; let the election suffice, and let the blood of all the +souls which are endangered cry out against him, for no one should +consent to injustice; it is enough to have offered tyranny an honor. +If it cannot be otherwise, then an election and approval by the common +people can even now be quite as valid as a confirmation by a tyrant; +but I hope this will not be necessary. Some of the Romans or the good +bishops and scholars will sometime mark and oppose papal tyranny. + +I would also advise against compelling them to abolish both kinds in +the sacrament[233], since that is neither unchristian nor heretical, +but they should be allowed to retain their own practice, if they wish. +Yet the new bishop should be careful that no discord arise because of +such a practice, but should kindly instruct them that neither practice +is wrong[234]; just as it ought not to cause dissension that the +clergy differ from the laity in manner of life and in dress. In like +manner if they were unwilling to receive the Roman canon law, they +should not be forced to do so, but we should first make sure that they +live in accordance with faith and with the Scriptures. For Christian +faith and life can well exist without the intolerable laws of the +pope, nay, they cannot well exist unless there be fewer of these Roman +laws, or none at all. In baptism we have become free and have been +made subject to God's Word only; why should any man ensnare us in his +words? As St. Paul says, "Ye have become free, be not servants of +men," [1 Cor. 7:23; Gal. 5:1] i. e. of those who rule with man-made +laws. + +If I knew that the Picards[235] held no other error touching the +sacrament of the altar except that they believe that the bread and +wine are present in their true nature, but that the body and blood of +Christ are truly present under them, then I would not condemn them, +but would let them enter the obedience of the bishop of Prague. For it +is not an article of faith that bread and wine are not essentially and +naturally in the sacrament, but this is an opinion of St. Thomas[236] +and the pope. On the other hand, it is an article of faith that in the +natural bread and wine the true natural body and blood of Christ are +present[237]. And so we should tolerate the opinions of both sides +until they come to an agreement, because there is no danger in +believing that bread is there or is not there. For we have to endure +many practices and ordinances so long as they are not harmful to +faith. On the other hand, if they had a different faith[238], I would +rather have them outside the Church; yet I would teach them the truth. + +Whatever other errors and schisms might be discovered in Bohemia +should be tolerated until the archbishop had been restored and had +gradually brought all the people together again in one common +doctrine. They will assuredly never be united by force, nor by +defiance, nor by haste; it will take time and forbearance. Had not +even Christ to tarry with His disciples a long while and bear with +their unbelief, until they believed His resurrection? If they but had +again a regular bishop and church order, without Roman tyranny, I +could hope that things would soon be better. + +The restoration of the temporal goods which formerly belonged to the +Church should not be too strictly demanded, but since we are +Christians and each is bound to help the rest, it is in our power, for +the sake of unity, to give them these things and let them keep them in +the sight of God and men. For Christ says, "Where two are at one with +each other on earth, there am I in the midst of them." [Matt. 18:19 +f.] Would to God that on both sides we were working toward this unity, +offering our hands to one another in brotherly humility, and not +standing stubbornly on our powers or rights! Love is greater and more +necessary than the papacy at Rome, or there can be papacy without love +and love without papacy. + +With this counsel I shall have done what I could. If the pope or his +followers hinder it, they shall render an account for seeking their +own things rather than the things of their neighbor, contrary to the +love of God [Phil. 2:4]. The pope ought to give up his papacy and all +his possessions and honors, if he could by that means save one soul; +but now he would let the world go to destruction rather than yield a +hair's-breadth of his presumptuous authority. And yet he would be the +"most holy"! Here my responsibility ends. + +[Sidenote: The Universities] + +[Sidenote: Aristotle] + +25. The universities also need a good, thorough reformation--I must +say it no matter whom it vexes--for everything which the papacy has +instituted and ordered is directed only towards the increasing of sin +and error. What else are the universities, if their present condition +remains unchanged, than as the book of Maccabees says, _Gymnasia +Epheborum et Graecae gloriae_[239][2 Macc. 4:9, 12], in which loose +living prevails, the Holy Scriptures and the Christian faith are +little taught, and the blind, heathen Aristotle master Aristotle[240] +rules alone, even more than Christ. In this regard my advice would be +that Aristotle's _Physics_, _Metaphysics_, _On the Soul_, _Ethics_, +which have hitherto been thought his best books, should be altogether +discarded, together with all the rest of his books which boast of +treating the things of nature, although nothing can be learned from +them either of the things of nature or the things of the Spirit. +Moreover no one has so far understood his meaning, and many souls have +been burdened with profitless labor and study, at the cost of much +precious time. I venture to say that any potter has more knowledge of +nature than is written in these books. It grieves me to the heart that +this damned, conceited, rascally heathen has with his false words +deluded and made fools of so many of the best Christians. God has sent +him as a plague upon us for our sins. + +Why, this wretched man, in his best book, _On the Soul_, teaches that +the soul dies with the body, although many have tried with vain words +to save his reputation. As though we had not the Holy Scriptures, in +which we are abundantly instructed about all things, and of them +Aristotle had not the faintest inkling! And yet this dead heathen has +conquered and obstructed and almost suppressed the books of the living +God, so that when I think of this miserable business I can believe +nothing else than that the evil spirit has introduced the study of +Aristotle. Again, his book on _Ethics_ is the worst of all books. It +flatly opposes divine grace and all Christian virtues, and yet it is +considered one of his best works. Away with such books! Keep them away +from all Christians! Let no one accuse me of exaggeration, or of +condemning what I do not understand! My dear friend, I know well +whereof I speak. I know my Aristotle as well as you or the likes of +you. I have lectured on him[241] and heard lectures on him, and I +understand him better than do St. Thomas or Scotus[242]. This I can +say without pride, and if necessary I can prove it. I care not that so +many great minds have wearied themselves over him for so many hundred +years. Such objections do not disturb me as once they did; for it is +plain as day that other errors have remained or even more centuries in +the world and in the universities. + +I should be glad to see Aristotle's books on _Logic_, _Rhetoric_ and +_Poetics_ retained or used in an abridged form; as text-books for the +profitable training of young people in speaking and preaching. But the +commentaries and notes should be abolished, and as Cicero's _Rhetoric_ +is read without commentaries and notes, so Aristotle's _Logic_ should +be read as it is, without such a mass of comments. But now neither +speaking nor preaching is learned from it, and it has become nothing +but a disputing and a weariness to the flesh. Besides this there are +the languages--Latin, Greek and Hebrew--the mathematical disciplines +and history. But all this I give over to the specialists, and, indeed, +the reform would come of itself, if we were only seriously bent upon +it. In truth, much depends upon it; for it is here[243] that the +Christian youth and the best of our people, with whom the future of +Christendom lies, are to be educated and trained. Therefore I consider +that there is no work more worthy of pope or emperor than a thorough +reformation of the universities, and there is nothing worse or more +worthy of the devil than unreformed universities. + +[Sidenote: The Canon Law] + +The medical men I leave to reform their own faculties; the jurists and +theologians I take as my share, and I say, in the first place, that it +were well if the canon law, from the first letter to the last, and +especially the decretals, were utterly blotted out. The Bible contains +more than enough directions for all our living, and so the study of +the canon law only stands in the way of the study of the Holy +Scriptures; moreover, it smacks for the most part of mere avarice and +pride. Even though there were much in it that is good, it might as +well be destroyed, for the pope has taken the whole canon law captive +and imprisoned it in the "chamber of his heart,"[244] so that the +study of it is henceorth a waste of time and a farce. At present the +canon law is not what is in the books, but what is in the sweet will +of the pope and his flatterers. Your cause may be thoroughly +established in the canon law; still the pope has his _scrinium +pectoris_[245], and all law and the whole world must be guided by +that. Now it is ofttimes a knave, and even the devil himself, who +rules this _scrinium_, and they boast that it is ruled by the Holy +Spirit! Thus they deal with Christ's unfortunate people. They give +them many laws and themselves keep none of them, but others they +compel either to keep them or else to buy release. + +Since, then, the pope and his followers have suspended the whole canon +law, and since they pay no heed to it, but regard their own wanton +will as a law exalting them above all the world, we should follow +their example and for our part also reject these books. Why should we +waste our time studying them? We could never discover the whole +arbitrary will of the pope, which has now become the canon law. The +canon law has arisen in the devil's name, let it all in the name of +God, and let there be no more _doctores decretorum_[246] in the world, +but only _doctores scrinii papalis_, that is, "hypocrites of the +pope"! It is said that there is no better temporal rule anywhere than +among the Turks, who have neither spiritual nor temporal law, but only +their Koran; and we must confess that there is no more shameful rule +than among us, with our spiritual and temporal law, so that there is +no estate which lives according to the light of nature, still less +according to Holy Scripture. + +[Sidenote: Secular Law] + +The temporal law,--God help us! what a wilderness it has become![247] +Though it is much better, wiser and more rational than the "spiritual +law" which has nothing good about it except the name, still there is +far too much of it. Surely the Holy Scriptures and good rulers would +be law enough; as St. Paul says in I Corinthians vi, "Is there no one +among you can judge his neighbor's cause, that ye must go to law +before heathen courts?" [1 Cor. 6:1] It seems just to me that +territorial laws and territorial customs should take precedence of the +general imperial laws, and the imperial laws be used only in case of +necessity. Would to God that as every land has its own peculiar +character, so it were ruled by its own brief laws, as the lands were +ruled before these imperial laws were invented, and many lands are +still ruled without them! These diffuse and far-etched laws are only a +burden to the people, and hinder causes more than they help them. I +hope, however, that others have given this matter more thought and +attention than I am able to do. + +[Sidenote: Theology] + +My friends the theologians have spared themselves pains and labor; +they leave the Bible in peace and read the Sentences. I should think +that the Sentences[248] ought to be the first study of young students +in theology and the Bible ought to be the study for the doctors. But +now it is turned around; the Bible comes first, and is put aside when +the bachelor's degree is reached, and the Sentences come last. They +are attached forever to the doctorate, and that with such a solemn +obligation that a man who is not a priest may indeed read the Bible, +but the Sentences a priest must read. A married man, I observe, could +be a Doctor of the Bible, but under no circumstances a Doctor of the +Sentences. What good fortune can we expect if we act so perversely and +in this way put the Bible, the holy Word of God, so far to the rear? +Moreover the pope commands, with many severe words, that his laws are +to be read and used in the schools and the courts, but little is said +of the Gospel. Thus it is the custom that in the schools and the +courts the Gospel lies idle in the dust under the bench[249], to the +end that the pope's harmful laws may rule alone. + +If we are called by the title of teachers[250] of Holy Scripture, then +we ought to be compelled, in accordance with our name, to teach the +Holy Scriptures and nothing else, although even this title is too +proud and boastful and no one ought to be proclaimed and crowned +teacher of Holy Scripture. Yet it might be suffered, if the work +justified the name; but now, under the despotism of the Sentences, we +find among the theologians more of heathen and human opinion than of +the holy and certain doctrine of Scripture. What, then, are we to do? +I know of no other way than humbly to pray God to give us Doctors of +Theology, Pope, emperor and universities may make Doctors of Arts, of +Medicine, of Laws, of the Sentences; but be assured that no one will +make a Doctor of Holy Scripture, save only the Holy Ghost from heaven, +as Christ says in John vi, "They must all be taught of God Himself." +[John 6:45] Now the Holy Ghost does not concern Himself about red or +brown birettas[251] or other decorations, nor does He ask whether one +is old or young, layman or priest, monk or secular, virgin or married; +nay He spake of old by an ass, against the prophet who rode upon it +[Num. 22:28]. Would God that we were worthy to have such doctors given +us, whether they were layman or priests, married or virgin. True, they +now try to force the Holy Ghost into pope, bishops and doctors, +although there is no sign or indication whatever that He is in them. + +[Sidenote: Theological Textbooks] + +The number of theological books must also be lessened, and a selection +made of the best of them. For it is not many books or much reading +that makes men learned; but it is good things, however little of them, +often read, that make men learned in the Scriptures, and make them +godly, too. Indeed the writings of all the holy fathers should be read +only for a time, in order that through them we may be led to the Holy +Scriptures. As it is, however, we read them only to be absorbed in +them and never come to the Scriptures. We are like men who study the +sign-posts and never travel the road. The dear fathers wished, by +their writings, to lead us to the Scriptures, but we so use them as to +be led away from the Scriptures, though the Scriptures alone are our +vineyard in which we ought all to work and toil. + +[Sidenote: Schools] + +Above all, the foremost and most general subject of study, both in the +higher and the lower schools, should be the Holy Scriptures, and for +the young boys the Gospel. And would to God that every town had a +girls' school also, in which the girls were taught the Gospel for an +hour each day either in German or Latin. Indeed the schools, +monasteries and nunneries began long ago with that end in view, and it +was a praiseworthy and Christian purpose, as we learn from the story +of St. Agnes[252] and other of the saints. That was the time of holy +virgins and martyrs, and then it was well with Christendom; but now +they[253] have come to nothing but praying and singing. Ought not +every Christian at his ninth or tenth year to know the entire holy +Gospel from which he derives his name[254] and his life? A spinner or +a seamstress teaches her daughter the trade in her early years; but +now even the great, learned prelates and bishops themselves do not +know the Gospel. + +O how unjustly we deal with these poor young people who are committed +to us for direction and instruction! We must give a terrible accounting +or our neglect to set the Word of God before them. They are as +Jeremiah says in Lamentations ii: "Mine eyes are grown weary with +weeping, my bowels are terrified, my liver is poured out upon the +ground, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, or +the youth and the children perish in all the streets of the whole +city; they said to their mothers, Where is bread and wine? and they +swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city and gave up the +ghost in their mothers' bosom." [Lam. 2:11 ff.] This pitiful evil we +do not see,--how even now the young folk in the midst of Christendom +languish and perish miserably for want of the Gospel, in which we +ought to be giving them constant instruction and training. + +[Sidenote: Restriction of Number of Students] + +Moreover, if the universities were diligent in the study of Holy +Scripture, we should not send everybody there, as we do when all we +ask is numbers, and everyone wishes to have a doctor's degree; but we +should send only the best qualified students, who have previously been +well trained in the lower schools. A prince or city council ought to +see to this, and permit only the well qualified to be sent. But where +the Holy Scriptures do not rule, there I advise no one to send his +son. Everyone not unceasingly busy with the Word of God must become +corrupt; that is why the people who are in the universities and who +are trained there are the kind of people they are. For this no one is +to blame but the pope, the bishops and the prelates, who are charged +with the training of the youth. For the universities ought to turn out +only men who are experts in the Holy Scriptures, who can become +bishops and priests, leaders in the fight against heretics, the devil +and all the world. But where do you find this true? I greatly fear that +the universities are wide gates of hell, if they do not diligently +teach the Holy Scriptures and impress them on the youth. + +[Sidenote: The Pope and the Holy Roman Empire] + +26.[255] I know full well that the Roman crowd will make pretensions +and great boasts about how the pope took the Holy Roman Empire from +the Greek Emperor[256] and bestowed it on the Germans, for which honor +and benevolence he is said to have justly deserved and obtained from +the Germans submission and thanks and all good things. For this reason +they will, perhaps, undertake to throw to the winds all attempts to +reform them, and will not allow us to think about anything but the +bestowal of the Roman Empire. For this cause they have heretofore +persecuted and oppressed many a worthy emperor so arbitrarily and +arrogantly that it is pity to tell of it, and with the same adroitness +they have made themselves overlords of all the temporal powers and +authorities, contrary to the Holy Gospel. Of this too I must therefore +speak. + +There is no doubt that the true Roman Empire, which the writings of +the prophets foretold in Numbers xxiv [Num. 24:24] and in Daniel [Dan. +2:39 ff.], has long since been overthrown and brought to an end, as +Balaam clearly prophesied in Numbers xxiv, when he said: "The Romans +shall come and overthrow the Jews; and afterwards they also shall be +destroyed." That was brought to pass by the Goths[257], but especially +when the Turkish Empire arose almost a thousand years ago[258]; then +in time Asia and Africa fell away, and finally Venice arose, and there +remained to Rome nothing of its former power. + +Now when the pope could not subdue to his arrogant will the Greeks and +the emperor at Constantinople, who was hereditary Roman Emperor, he +bethought himself of this device, viz., to rob him of his empire and +his title and turn it over to the Germans, who were at that time +warlike and of good repute, so as to bring the power of the Roman +Empire under his control and give it away as a fief. So too it turned +out. It was taken away from the emperor at Constantinople and its name +and title were given to us Germans. Thereby we became the servants of +the pope, and there is now a second Roman Empire, which the pope has +built upon the Germans; for the other, which was first, has long since +fallen, as I have said. + +So then the Roman See has its will. It has taken possession of Rome, +driven out the German Emperor and bound him with oaths not to dwell at +Rome. He is to be Roman Emperor, and yet he is not to have possession +of Rome, and besides he is at all times to be dependent upon the +caprice of the pope and his followers, so that we have the name and +they have the land and cities. They have always abused our simplicity +to serve their own arrogance and tyranny, and they call us mad +Germans, who let ourselves be made apes and fools at their bidding. + +Ah well! For God the Lord it is a small thing to toss empires and +principalities to and fro! He is so generous with them that once in a +while He gives a kingdom to a knave and takes it from a good man, +sometimes by the treachery of wicked, faithless men and sometimes by +heredity, as we read of the Kingdoms of Persia and Greece, and of +almost all kingdoms; and Daniel ii and iv says: "He Who ruleth over +all things dwelleth in heaven, and it is He alone Who changeth +kingdoms, tosseth them to and fro, and maketh them." [Dan. 2:21; 4:14] +Since, therefore, no one can think it a great thing to have a kingdom +given him, especially if he is a Christian, we Germans too cannot be +puffed up because a new Roman Empire is bestowed on us; for in His +eyes it is a trifling gift, which He often gives to the most unworthy, +as Daniel iv says: "All who dwell upon the earth are in His eyes as +nothing, and He has power in all the kingdoms of men, to give them to +whomsoever He will." [Dan. 4:35] + +But although the pope unjustly and by violence robbed the true emperor +of his Roman Empire, or of its name, and gave it to us Germans, it is +certain, nevertheless, that in this matter God has used the pope's +wickedness to give such an empire to the German nation, and after the +all of the first Roman Empire, to set up another, which still exists. +And although we gave no occasion to this wickedness of the popes, and +did not understand their false aims and purposes, nevertheless, +through this papal trickery and roguery, we have already paid too +dearly for our empire, with incalculable bloodshed, with the +suppression of our liberty, with the risk and robbery of all our +goods, especially the goods of the churches and canonries, and with +the suffering of unspeakable deception and insult. We have the name of +the empire, but the pope has our wealth, honor, body, life, soul and +all that is ours. So we Germans are to be cheated in the trade[259]. +What the popes sought was to be emperors, and since they could not +manage that, they at least succeeded in setting themselves over the +emperors. + +Because then, the empire has been given us without our fault, by the +providence of God and the plotting of evil men, I would not advise +that we give it up, but rather that we rule it wisely and in the fear +of God, so long as it shall please Him. For, as has been said, it +matters not to Him where an empire comes from; it is His will that it +shall be ruled. Though the popes took it dishonestly from others, +nevertheless we did not get it dishonestly. It is given us by the will +of God through evil-minded men; and we have more regard for God's will +than for the treacherous purpose of the popes, who, in bestowing it, +wished to be emperors themselves, and more than emperors, and only to +fool and mock us with the name. The King of Babylon also seized his +empire by robbery and force; yet it was God's will that it should be +ruled by the holy princes, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael [Dan +3:30; 5:29]; much more then is it His will that this empire be ruled +by the Christian princes of Germany, regardless whether the pope stole +it, or got it by robbery, or made it anew. It is all God's ordering, +which came to pass before we knew of it. + +Therefore the pope and his followers may not boast that they have done +a great favor to the German nation by the bestowal of this Roman +Empire. _First_, because they did not mean it for our good, but were +rather taking advantage of our simplicity in order to strengthen +themselves in their proud designs against the Roman Emperor at +Constantinople, from whom the pope godlessly and lawlessly took this +empire, a thing which he had no right to do. _Second_, because the +pope's intention was not to give us the empire, but to get it for +himself, that he might bring all our power, our freedom, wealth, body +and soul into subjection to himself and use us (if God had not +prevented) to subdue all the world. He clearly says so himself in his +decretals, and he has attempted it, by many evil wiles, with a number +of the German emperors. How beautifully we Germans have been taught +our German! When we thought to be lords, we became slaves of the most +deceitful tyrants; we have the name, title and insignia of the empire, +but the pope has its treasures, its authority, its law and its +liberty. So the pope gobbles the kernel, and we play with the empty +hulls. + +Now may God, Who by the wiles of tyrants has tossed this empire into +our lap, and charged us with the ruling of it, help us to live up to +the name, title and insignia, to rescue our liberty, and to show the +Romans, for once, what it is that we, through them, have received from +God! They boast that they have bestowed on us an empire. So be it, +then! If it is true, then let the pope give us Rome and everything +else which he has got from the empire; let him free our land from his +intolerable taxing and robbing, and give us back our liberty, +authority, wealth, honor, body and soul; let the empire be what an +empire should be, and let his words and pretensions be fulfilled! + +If he will not do that, then why all this shamming, these false and +lying words and juggler's tricks? Is he not satisfied with having so +rudely led this noble nation by the nose these many hundred years +without ceasing? It does not follow that the pope must be above an +emperor because he makes or crowns him. The prophet Samuel at God's +command anointed and crowned Kings Saul and David, and yet he was +their subject; and the prophet Nathan anointed King Solomon, but was +not set over him on that account [1 Sam. 16:1; 16:13]; Elisha too had +one of his servants anoint Jehu King of Israel [1 Kings 1:38 f.], and +yet they remained obedient and subject to him [2 Kings 9:1 ff.]. +Except in the case of the pope, it has never happened in all the +world's history that he who consecrated or crowned the king was over +the king. He lets himself be crowned pope by three cardinals, who are +under him, and he is nevertheless their superior. Why then should he, +contrary to the example which he himself sets, and contrary to the +custom and teaching of all the world and of the Scriptures, exalt +himself above temporal authorities, or the empire, simply because he +crowns or consecrates the emperor? It is enough that he should be the +emperor's superior in divine things, to wit, in preaching, teaching +and administering the sacraments, in which things, indeed, any bishop +or priest is over every other man, as St. Ambrose in his See was over +the emperor Theodosius[260], and the prophet Nathan over David, and +Samuel over Saul. Therefore, let the German Emperor be really and +truly emperor, and let not his authority or his sword be put down by +this blind pretension of papal hypocrites, as though they were to be +excepted from his dominion and themselves direct the temporal sword in +all things.] + +[Sidenote: Economic and Social Reforms] + +27. Enough has now been said about the failings of the clergy, though +more of them can and will be found if these are properly considered. +We would say something too about the failings of the temporal estate. + +[Sidenote: Luxury in Dress] + +1. There is great need of a general law and decree of the German +nation against the extravagance and excess in dress, by which so many +nobles and rich men are impoverished[251]. God has given to us, as to +other lands, enough wool, hair, lax and every thing else which +properly serves or the seemly and honorable dress of every rank, so +that we do not need to spend and waste such enormous sums or silk and +velvet and golden ornaments and other foreign wares. I believe that +even if the pope had not robbed us Germans with his intolerable +exactions, we should still have our hands more than full with these +domestic robbers, the silk and velvet merchants[262]. In the matter of +clothes, as we see, everybody wants to be equal to everybody else, and +pride and envy are aroused and increased among us, as we deserve. All +this and much more misery would be avoided if our curiosity would only +let us be thankful, and be satisfied with the goods which God has +given us. + +[Sidenote: The Spice Trade] + +2. In like manner it is also necessary to restrict the +spice-traffic[263] which is another of the great ships in which money +is carried out of German lands. There grows among us, by God's grace, +more to eat and drink than in any other land, and just as choice and +good. Perhaps the proposals that I make may seem foolish and +impossible and give the impression that I want to suppress the +greatest of all trades, that of commerce; but I am doing what I can. I +reforms are not generally introduced, then let every one who is +willing reform himself. I do not see that many good customs have ever +come to a land through commerce, and in ancient times God made His +people of Israel dwell away from the sea on this account, and did not +let them engage much in commerce. + +[Sidenote: The Traffic in Annuities] + +3. But the greatest misfortune of the German nation is certainly the +traffic in annuities[264]. If that did not exist many a man would have +to leave unbought his silks, velvets, golden ties ornaments, spices +and ornaments of every sort. It has not existed much over a hundred +years, and has already brought almost all princes, cities, endowed +institutions, nobles and their heirs to poverty, misery and ruin; if +it shall continue or another hundred years Germany cannot possibly +have a _pfennig_ left and we shall certainly have to devour one +another. The devil invented the practice, and the pope, by confirming +it[265], has injured the whole world. Therefore I ask and pray that +everyone open his eyes to see the ruin of himself, his children and +his heirs, which not only stands before the door, but already haunts +the house, and that emperor, princes, lords and cities do their part +that this trade be condemned as speedily as possible, and henceforth +prevented, regardless whether or not the pope, with all his law and +unlaw, is opposed to it, and whether or not benefices or church +foundations are based upon it. It is better that there should be in a +city one living based on an honest freehold or revenue, than a hundred +based on an annuity; indeed a living based on an annuity is worse and +more grievous than twenty based on freeholds. In truth this traffic in +rents must be a sign and symbol that the world, for its grievous sins, +has been sold to the devil, so that both temporal and spiritual +possessions must fail us, and yet we do not notice it at all. + +Here, too, we must put a bit in the mouth of the Fuggers and similar +corporations[266]. How is it possible that in the lifetime of a single +man such great possessions, worthy of a king, can be piled up, and yet +everything be done legally and according to God's will? I am not a +mathematician, but I do not understand how a man with a hundred gulden +can make a profit of twenty gulden in one year, nay, how with one +gulden he can make another[267]; and that, too, by another way than +agriculture or cattle-raising, in which increase of wealth depends not +on human wits, but on God's blessing. I commend this to the men of +affairs. I am a theologian, and find nothing to blame in it except its +evil and offending appearance, of which St. Paul says, "Avoid every +appearance or show of evil." [1 Thess. 5:22] This I know well, that it +would be much more pleasing to God if we increased agriculture and +diminished commerce, and that they do much better who, according to +the Scriptures, till the soil and seek their living from it, as was +said to us and to all men in Adam, "Accursed be the earth when thou +laborest therein, it shall bear thee thistles and thorns, and in the +sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." [Gen. 3:17 ff.] There is +still much land lying untilled. + +[Sidenote: Excesses in Eating and Drinking] + +4. Next comes the abuse of eating and drinking[268] which gives us +Germans a bad reputation in foreign lands, as though it were our +special vice. Preaching cannot stop it; it has become too common, and +has got too firmly the upper hand. The waste of money which it causes +would be a small thing, were it not followed by other sins,--murder, +adultery, stealing, irreverence and all the vices. The temporal sword +can do something to prevent it; or else it will be as Christ says: +"The last day shall come like a secret snare, when they shall be +eating and drinking, marrying and wooing, building and planting, +buying and selling." [Luke 21:34 f.] It is so much like that now that +I verily believe the judgment day is at the door, though men are +thinking least of all about it. + +[Sidenote: The Social Evil] + +5. Finally, is it not a pitiful thing that we Christians should +maintain among us open and common houses of prostitution, though all +of us are baptised unto chastity? I know very well what some say to +this, to wit, that it is not the custom of any one people, that it is +hard to break up, that it is better that there should be such houses +than that married women, or maidens, or those of more honorable estate +should be outraged. But should not the temporal, Christian government +consider that in this heathen way the evil is not to be controlled? I +the people of Israel could exist without such an abomination, why +could not Christian people do as much? Nay, how do many cities, towns +and villages exist without such houses? Why should not great cities +also exist without them? + +In this, and in the other matters above mentioned, I have tried to +point out how many good works the temporal government could do, and +what should be the duty of every government, to the end that every one +may learn what an awful responsibility it is to rule, and to have high +station. What good would it do that an overlord were in his own life +as holy as St. Peter, if he have not the purpose diligently to help +his subjects in these matters? His very authority will condemn him! +For it is the duty of the authorities to seek the highest good of +their subjects. But if the authorities were to consider how the young +people might be brought together in marriage, the hope of entering the +married state would greatly help every one to endure and to resist +temptation. + +[Sidenote: Celibacy and Its Abuses] + +But now every man is drawn to the priesthood or the monastic life, and +among them, I fear, there is not one in a hundred who has any other +reason than that he seeks a living, and doubts that he will ever be +able to support himself in the estate of matrimony. Therefore they +live wildly enough beforehand, and wish, as they say, to "wear out +their lust," but rather wear it in[269], as experience shows. I find +the proverb true, "Despair makes most of the monks and priests"[270]; +and so things are as we see them. + +My faithful counsel is that, in order to avoid many sins which have +become very common, neither boy nor maid should take the vow of +chastity, or of the "spiritual life," before the age of thirty +years[271]. It is, as St. Paul says, a peculiar gift [1 Cor. 7]. +Therefore let him whom God does not constrain, put off becoming a +cleric and taking the vows. Nay, I will go farther and say, If you +trust God so little that you are not willing to support yourself as a +married man, and wish to become a cleric only because of this +distrust, then for the sake of your own soul, I beg of you not to +become a cleric, but rather a farmer, or whatever else you please. For +if to obtain your temporal support you must have one measure of trust +in God, you must have ten measures of trust to continue in the life of +a cleric. If you do not trust God to support you in the world, how +will you trust him to support you in the Church? Alas, unbelief and +distrust spoil everything and lead us into all misery, as we see in +every estate of life! + +Much could be said of this miserable condition. The young people have +no one to care for them. They all do as they please, and the +government is of as much use to them as if it did not exist; and yet +this should be the chief concern of pope, bishops, lords and councils. +They wish to rule far and wide, and yet to help no one. O, what a rare +bird will a lord and ruler be in heaven just on this account, even +though he build a hundred churches or God and raise up all the dead! + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +[Let this suffice for this time! Of what the temporal powers and the +nobility ought to do, I think I have said enough in the little book. +_On Good Works_[272]. There is room for improvement in their lives and +in their rule, and yet the abuses of the temporal power are not to be +compared with those of the spiritual power, as I have there +shown.][273] + +I think too that I have pitched my song in a high key, have made many +propositions which will be thought impossible and have attacked many +things too sharply. But what am I to do? I am in duty bound to speak. +If I were able, these are the things I should wish to do. I prefer the +wrath of the world to the wrath of God; they can do no more than take +my life[274]. Many times heretofore I have made overtures of peace to +my opponents; but as I now see, God has through them compelled me to +open my mouth wider and wider and give them enough to say, bark, shout +and write, since they have nothing else to do. Ah well, I know another +little song about Rome and about them if I their ears itch for it I +will sing them that song too, and pitch the notes to the top of the +scale. Understandest thou, dear Rome, what I mean? + +I have many times offered my writings for investigation and judgment, +but it has been of no use. To be sure, I know that if my cause is +just, it must be condemned on earth, and approved only by Christ in +heaven; or all the Scriptures show that the cause of Christians and of +Christendom must be judged by God alone. Such a cause has never yet +been approved by men on earth, but the opposition has always been too +great and strong. It is my greatest care and fear that my cause may +remain uncondemned, by which I should know or certain that it was not +yet pleasing to God. + +Therefore let them boldly go to work,--pope, bishop, priest, monk and +scholar! They are the right people to persecute the truth, as they +have ever done. + +God give us all a Christian mind, and especially to the Christian +nobility of the German nation a right spiritual courage to do the best +that can be done for the poor Church. Amen. + +Wittenberg, 1520. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] _Unserm furnchmen nach_. See Introduction, p. 57. + +[2] An ironical comparison of the monks' cowl and tonsure with the +headgear of the jester. + +[3] i. e., Which one turns out to be the real fool. + +[4] The proverb ran, _Monachus semper praesens_, "a monk is always +there." See Wander, _Deutsches Sprichwörterlexicon_, under Mönch, No. +130. + +[5] Evidently a reference to the _Gravamina of the German Nation_; see +Gebhardt, _Die Grav. der Deutschen Nation_, Breslau, 1895. + +[6] Councils of the Church, especially those of Constance (1414-18), +and of Basel (1431-39). + +[7] Charles V. was elected Emperor in 1519, when but twenty years of +age. Hutten expresses his "hopes of good" from Charles in _Vadiscus_ +(Böcking, IV, 156). + +[8] Frederick Barbarossa (1152-1100). + +[9] Frederick II (1212-1250), grandson of Barbarossa and last of the +great Hohenstaufen Emperors. He died under excommunication. + +[10] Pope Julius II (1503-1513). Notorious among the popes for his +unscrupulous pursuit of political power, he was continually involved +in war with one and another of the European powers over the possession +of territories in Italy. + +[11] Luther's recollection of the figures was faulty. + +[12] The term "Romanist" is applied by Luther to the champions of the +extreme form of papal supremacy. C. Vol. I, p. 343 f. + +[13] i. e., The three rods for the punishment of an evil pope. + +[14] _Spuknisse_, literally "ghosts." The gist of the sentence is, +"the Romanists have frightened the world with ghost-stories." + +[15] _Olegötze_--"an image anointed with holy oil to make it sacred"; +in modern German, "a blockhead." + +[16] Lay-baptism in view of imminent death is a practice as old as the +Christian Church. The right of the laity to administer baptism in such +cases was expressly recognized by the Council of Elvira, in the year +306, and the decree of that Council became a part of the law of the +Church. The right of the laity to give absolution in such cases rests +on the principle that in the absence of the appointed official of the +Church any Christian can do for any other Christian the things that +are absolutely necessary or salvation, for "necessity knows no law." +Cf. Vol. I, p. 30, note 2. + +[17] The canon law, called by Luther throughout this treatise and +elsewhere, the "spiritual law," is a general name for the decrees of +councils ("canons" in the strict sense) and decisions of the popes +("decretals," "constitutions," etc.), promulgated by authority of the +popes, and collected in the so-called _Corpus juris canonici_. It +comprised the whole body of Church law, and embodied in legal forms +the mediæval theory of papal absolutism, which accounts for the +bitterness with which Luther speaks of it, especially in this +treatise. The Corpus includes the following collections of canons and +decretals: The _Decretum of Gratian_ (1142), the _Liber Extra_ (1234), +the _Liber Sextus_ (1298), the _Constitutiones Clementinae_ (1318 or +1317), and the two books of _Extravagantes_ ,--the _Extravagantes of +John XXII_, and the _Extravagantes communes_. The last pope whose +decrees are included is Sixtus IV (died 1484). See _Catholic +Encyclop._,IV, pp. 391 ff. + +[18] Augustine, the master-theologian of the Ancient Church, bishop of +Hippo in Africa from 395-430. + +[19] Ambrose, bishop of Milan from 374-397, had not yet been baptised +at the time of his election to the episcopate, which was forced upon +him by the unanimous voice of the people of the city. + +[20] Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, 247-258, is said to have consented +to accept the office only when the congregation surrounded his house +and besought him to yield to their entreaties. + +[21] _Was ausz der Tauff krochen ist_. + +[22] The _character indelebilis_, or "indelible mark," received +authoritative statement in the bull _Exultate Deo_ (1439). Eugenius +IV, summing up the Decrees of the Council of Florence, says: "Among +these sacraments there are three--baptism, confirmation, and +orders--which indelibly impress upon the soul a character, i. e., a +certain spiritual mark which distinguishes them from the rest" (Mirbt, +_Quellen_, 2d ed., No. 150). The Council of Trent in its XXIII. +Session, July 15, 1563 (Mirbt, No. 312), defined the correct Roman +teaching as follows: "Since in the sacrament of orders, as in baptism +and confirmation, a character is impressed which cannot be destroyed +or taken away, the Holy Synod justly condemns the opinion of those who +assert that the priests of the New Testament have only temporary +power, and that those once rightly ordained can again be made laymen, +if they do not exercise the ministry of the Word of God." + +[23] i. e., They are all Christians, among whom there can be no +essential difference. + +[24] The sharp distinction which the Roman Church drew between clergy +and laity found practical application in the contention that the +clergy should be exempt from the jurisdiction of the civil courts, +This is the so-called _privilegium fori_, "benefit of clergy." It was +further claimed that the government of the clergy and the +administration of Church property must be entirely in the hands of the +Church authorities, and that no lay rulers might either make or +enforce laws which in any way affected the Church. See Lea, _Studies +in Church History_, 169-219 and _Prot. Realencyk._, VI, 594. + +[25] It was the contention of the Church authorities that priests +charged with infraction of the laws of the state should first be tried +in the ecclesiastical courts. If found guilty, they were degraded from +the priesthood and handed over to the state authorities for +punishment. Formula for degradation in the canon law, C. 2 in VI, _de +poen._ (V, 9). See _Prot. Realencyk._, VI, 589. + +[26] The interdict is the prohibition of the administration of the +sacraments and of the other rites of the Church within the territory +upon which the interdict is laid (_Realencyk._, IX, 208 f.). Its use +was not uncommon in the Middle Ages, and during the time that the +power of the popes was at its height it proved an effective means of +bringing refractory rulers to terms. A famous instance is the +interdict laid upon the Kingdom of England by Innocent III in 1208. +Interdicts of more limited local extent were quite frequent. The use +of the interdict as punishment for trifling infractions of church law +was a subject of complaint at the diets of Worms (1521) and Nürnberg +(1524). See A. Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V._, +II, pp. 685 f, III, 665. + +[27] The statement of which Luther here complains is found in the +Decretum of Gratian, _Dist. XL, c. 6, Si papa_. In his _Epitome_ (see +Introduction, p. 58), Prierias had quoted this canon against Luther, +as follows: "_A Pontifex indubitatus_ (i. e., a pope who is not +accused of heresy or schism) cannot lawfully be deposed or judged +either by a council or by the whole world, even if he is so scandalous +as to lead people with him by crowds into the possession of hell." +Luther's comment is: "Be astonished, O heaven; shudder, O earth! +Behold, O Christians, what Rome is!" (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 336). + +[28] Gregory the Great, pope 590-604. The passage is found in Migne, +LXXVI, 203; LXXVII, 34. + +[29] Antichrist, the incarnation of all that is hostile to Christ and +His Kingdom. His appearance is prophesied in 2 Thess. 2:3-10 (the "man +of sin, sitting in the temple of God"); 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3, and Rev. +13. In the early Church the Fathers sometimes thought the prophecies +fulfilled in the person of some especially pestilent heretic. Wyclif +applied the term to the pope,--"the pope would seem to be not the +vicar of Christ, but the vicar of Antichrist" (see Loos, +_Dogmengeschichte_, 4th ed., p. 649). On Dec. 11, 1518, Luther wrote +to Link: "You can see whether my suspicion is correct that at the +Roman court the true Antichrist rules of whom St. Paul speaks"; and +March 13, 1519, he wrote to Spalatin: "I am not sure but that the pope +is Antichrist or his apostle." It was the worldly pretensions of the +papacy which suggested the idea both to Wyclif and to Luther. By the +year 1520 Luther had come to the definite conclusion that the pope was +the "man of sin, sitting in the temple of God," and this opinion he +never surrendered. + +[30] See above, p. 65. + +[31] According to academic usage, the holder of a Master's degree was +authorised to expound the subject named in the degree. + +[32] The doctrine of papal infallibility was never officially +sanctioned in the Middle Ages, but the claim of infallibility was +repeatedly made by the champions of the more extreme view of papal +power, e. g., Augustinus Triumphus (died 1328) in his _Summa de +potestate Papae_. In his attack upon the XCV Theses (_Dialogus de +potestate Papae_, Dec, 1517) Prierias had asserted, "The supreme +pontiff (i. e., the pope) cannot err when giving a decision as +pontiff, i. e., speaking officially (_ex officio_), and doing what in +him lies to learn the truth"; and again, "Whoever does not rest upon +the teaching of the Roman Church and the supreme pontiff as an +infallible rule of faith, from which even Holy Scripture draws its +vigor and authority, is a heretic" (_Erl. Ed., op. var. arg._, I, +348). In the _Epitome_ he had said: "Even though the pope as an +individual (_singularis persona_) can do wrong and hold a wrong faith, +nevertheless as pope he cannot give a wrong decision" (_Weimar Ed._, +VI, 337). + +[33] Most recently in Prierias's _Epitome_. See preceding note. + +[34] Luther had discussed the whole subject of the power of the keys +in a Latin treatise, _Resolutio super propositione xiii. de potestate +papae_, of 1519 (_Weimar Ed._, II, pp. 185 ff.), and in the German +treatise _The Papacy at Rome_ (Vol. I, pp. 337-394). + +[35] Pp. 66 ff. + +[36] Another contention of Prierias. In 1518 (Nov. 25th) Luther had +appealed his cause from the decision of the pope, which he foresaw +would be adverse, to the decision of a council to be held at some +future time. In the _Epitome_ Prierias discusses this appeal, +asserting, among other things, that "when there is one undisputed +pontiff, it belongs to him alone to call a council," and that "the +decrees of councils neither bind nor hold (_nullum ligant vel +astringunt_) unless they are confirmed by authority of the Roman +pontiff" (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 335). + +[37] i. e., A mere gathering of people. + +[38] The Council of Nicæa, the first of the great councils of the +Church, assembled in 325 for the settlement of the Arian controversy. +Luther's statement that it was called by the Emperor Constantine, and +that its decisions did not derive their validity from any papal +confirmation, is historically correct. On Luther's statements about +this council, see _Schäffer, _Luther als Kirchenhistoriker_, pp. 291 +ff.; Kohler, Luther und die Kg., pp. 148 ff. + +[39] Luther is here referring to the earlier so-called "ecumenical" +councils. + +[40] i. e., A council which will not be subject to the pope. Cf. +_Erl. Ed._, xxvi, 112. + +[41] i. e., They belong to the "spiritual estate"; see above, p. 69. + +[42] _Der Haufe_, i. e. Christians considered _en masse_, without +regard to official position in the Church. + +[43] The papal crown dates from the XI Century; the triple crown, or +tiara, from the beginning of the XIV. It was intended to signify that +very superiority of the pope to the rulers of this world, of which +Luther here complains. See _Realencyk._, X, 532, and literature there +cited. + +[44] A statement made by Augustinus Triumphus. See above, p. 73, note +5; and below, p. 246. + +[45] The Cardinal della Rovere, afterwards Pope Julius II, held at one +time the archbishopric of Avignon, the bishoprics of Bologna, +Lausanne, Coutances, Viviers, Mende, Ostia and Velletri, and the +abbacies of Nonantola and Grottaferrata. This is but one illustration +of the scandalous pluralism practised by the cardinals. Cf. Lea, in +_Cambridge Mod. Hist._, I, pp. 650 f. + +[46] The complaint that the cardinals were provided with incomes by +appointment to German benefices goes back to the Council of Constance +(1415). C. Benrath, p. 87, note 17. + +[47] The creation of new cardinals was a lucrative proceeding for the +popes. On July 31, 1517, Leo X created thirty-one cardinals, and is +said to have received from the new appointees about 300,000 ducats. +Needless to say, the cardinals expected to make up the fees out of the +income of their livings. See _Weimar Ed._, VI, 417, note I, and +Pastor, _Gesch. der Papste_ IV, I, 137. C. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ +(Bocking IV, 188). + +[48] The famous Benedictine monastery just outside the city of +Bamberg. + +[49] The proposal made at Constance (see above, p. 82, note 2) was +more generous. It suggested a salary of three to four thousand gulden. + +[50] As early as the XIV Century both England and France had enacted +laws prohibiting the very practices of which Luther here complains. It +should be noted, however, that these laws were enforced only +occasionally, and never very strictly. + +[51] The papal court or curia consisted of all the officials of +various sorts who were employed in the transaction of papal business, +including those who were in immediate attendance upon the person of +the pope, the so-called "papal family." On the number of such +officials in the XVI Century, see Benrath, p. 88, note 18, where +reference is made to 949 offices, exclusive of those which had to do +with the administration of the city of Rome and of the States of the +Church, and not including the members of the pope's "family." The +_Gravamina_ of 1521 complain that the increase of these offices in +recent years has added greatly to the financial burdens of the German +Church (Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V_, II, +675). + +[52] On the annates, see Vol. I, p. 383, note 1. Early in their +history, which dates from the beginning of the XIV. Century, the +annates (_fructus medii temporis_) had become a fixed tax on all +Church offices which fell vacant, and the complaint of extortion in +their appraisement and collection was frequently raised. The Council +of Constance restricted the obligation to bishoprics and abbacies, and +such other benefices as had a yearly income of more than 24 gulden. +The Council of Basel (1430) resolved to abolish them entirely, but the +resolution of the Council was inoperative, and in the Concordat of +Vienna (1448) the German nation agreed to abide by the decision of +Constance. On the use of the term "annates" to include other payments +to the curia, especially the _servitia_, see Catholic Encyclopedia, I, +pp. 537 f. + +Luther here alleges that the annates are not applied to their +ostensible purpose, viz., the Crusade. This charge is repeated in the +_Gravamina_ of the German Nation presented to the Diet of Worms +(1521), with the additional allegation that the amount demanded in the +way of annates has materially increased (A. Wrede, _Deutsche +Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V._, II, pp. 675 f.). Similar +complaints had been made at the Diet of Augsburg (1518), and were +repeated at the Diet of Nürnberg (Wrede, _op. cit._, III, 660). +Hutten calls the annates "a good at robbery" (_Ed._ Böcking, IV, 207). +In England the annates were abolished by Act of Parliament (April 10, +1532) + +[53] On the crusading-indulgences, see Vol. I, p. 18. + +[54] i. e., As was done by the Council of Basel. See above, p. 84, +note i. + +[55] The canons are the clergy attached to a cathedral church who +constituted the "chapter" of that cathedral, and to whom the right to +elect the bishop normally belonged. + +[56] This whole section deals with the abuse of the "right of +reservation," i. e., the alleged right of the pope to appoint directly +to vacant church positions. According to papal theory the right of +appointment belonged absolutely to the pope, who graciously yielded +the right to others under certain circumstances, reserving it to +himself in other cases. The practice of reserving the appointments +seems to date from the XII Century, and was originally an arbitrary +exercise of papal authority. The rules which came to govern the +reservation of appointments were regarded as limitations upon the +authority of the pope, The rule of the "papal months," as it obtained +in Germany in Luther's time, is found in the Concordat of Vienna of +1448 (Mirbt, _Quellen_, 2d ed., No. 261, pp. 167 f.). It provides that +livings, with the exception of the higher dignities in the cathedrals +and the chief posts in the monasteries, which all vacant in the months +of February, April, June, August, October and December, shall be +filled by the ordinary method--election, presentation, appointment by +the bishop, etc.--but that vacancies occurring in the other months +shall be filled by appointment of the pope. + +[57] i. e., Church offices which carried with them certain rights of +jurisdiction and gave their possessors a certain honorary precedence +over other officials of the Church. See Meyer in _Realencyk._, IV, +658. + +[58] Charles V, though elected emperor, was not crowned until October +22d. + +[59] i. e., A living which has not hitherto been filled by papal +appointment. + +[60] This rule, like that of the "papal months," is found in the +Concordat of Vienna. Luther's complaint is reiterated in the +_Gravamina_ of 1521. (Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, etc., II, +673.) + +[61] _Des Papstes und der Cardinale Gesinde_, i. e., all those who +were counted members of the "family" or "household" (called +_Dienstverwandte_ in the Gravamina of 1521) of the pope or of any of +the cardinals. The term included those who were in immediate +attendance upon the pope or the cardinals, and all those to whom, by +virtue of any special connection with the curia, the name "papal +servant" could be made to apply. These are the "courtesans" to whom +Luther afterwards refers. + +[62] In 1513 Albrecht of Brandenburg was made Archbishop of Magdeburg +and later in the same year Administrator of Halberstadt; in 1514 he +became Archbishop of Mainz as well. In 1518 he was made cardinal. + +[63] This rule, like the others mentioned above, is contained in the +Concordat of Vienna. + +[64] Cf. The _Gravamina_ of 1521, No. 20, _Von anfechtung der +cordissanen_ (see above, p. 88, note 3), where the name _cordissei_ is +applied to the practice of attacking titles to benefices. (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, pp. 677 f.) + +[65] The _pallium_ is a woolen shoulder-cape which is the emblem of +the archbishop's office, and which must be secured from Rome. The +bestowal of the _pallium_ by the pope is a very ancient custom. +Gregory I (590-604) mentions it as _prisca consuetudo_ (_Dist._, C.c. +3). The canon law prescribes (_Dist. C. c. I_) that the +archbishop-elect must secure the _pallium_ from Rome within three +months of his election; otherwise he is forbidden to discharge any of +the duties of his office. It is regarded as the necessary complement +of his election and consecration, conferring the "plenitude of the +pontifical office," and the name of archbishop. Luther's charge that +it had to be purchased "with a great sum of money" is substantiated by +similar complaints from the XII Century on, though the language of the +canon law makes it evident that Luther's other contention is also +correct, viz., that the _pallium_ was originally bestowed gratis. The +sum required from the different archbishops varied with the wealth of +their sees, and was a fixed sum in each case. The _Gravamina_ of 1521 +complain that the price has been raised: "Although according to +ancient ordinance the bishoprics of Mainz, Cologne, Salzburg, etc., +were bound to pay or the _pallium_ about 10,000 gulden and no more, +they can now scarcely get a _pallium_ from Rome for 20 or 24 thousand +gulden." (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 675.) + +[66] The oath of allegiance to the pope was required before the +pallium could be bestowed (_Dist. C, c._ I). The canon law describes +this oath as one "of allegiance, obedience and unity" (X, I, 6, c. 4). + +[67] See above, p. 86, note 2. + +[68] cf. Luther to Spalatin, June 25, 1520 (Enders, II, 424; Smith, +No. 271). + +[69] i. e., The benefices are treated as though they were vacant. + +[70] In the case of certain endowed benefices the right to nominate +the incumbent was vested in individuals, usually of the nobility, and +was hereditary in their family, This is the so-called _jus patronum_, +or "right of patronage." The complaint that this right is disregarded +is frequent in the _Gravamina_ of 1521. + +[71] _Commendation_ was one of the practices by which the pope evaded +the provision of the canon law which prescribed that the same man +should not hold two livings with the cure of souls. The man who +received an office in _commendam_ was not required to fulfil the +duties attached to the position and when a living or an abbacy was +granted in this way during the incumbency of another, the recipient +received its entire income during a subsequent vacancy. The practice +was most common in the case of abbacies. At the Diet of Worms (1521), +Duke George of Saxony, an outspoken opponent of Luther, was as +emphatic in his protest against this practice as Luther himself +(Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 665); his protest was incorporated in the +_Gravamina_ (_ibid._, 672), and reappears in the Appendix (_ibid._, +708). + +[72] A monk who deserted his monastery was known as an "apostate." + +[73] i. e., Offices which cannot be united in the hands of one man. +See e. g., note 3, p. 91. + +[74] A gloss is a note explanatory of a word or passage of doubtful +meaning. The glosses are the earliest form of commentary on the Bible. +The glosses of the canon law are the more or less authoritative +comments of the teachers, and date from the time when the study of the +canon law became a part of the theological curriculum. Their aim is +chiefly to show how the law applies to practical cases which may +arise. The so-called _glossa ordinaria_ had in Luther's time an +authority almost equal to that of the _corpus juris_ itself. Cf. +_Cath. Encyc._, VI, pp. 588 f. + +[75] The thing which was bought was, of course, the dispensation, or +permission to avail oneself of the gloss. + +[76] _Dataria_ is the name for that department of the curia which had +to deal with the granting of dispensations and the disposal of +benefices. _Datarius_ is the title of the official who presided over +this department. + +[77] See above, p. 88, note 2. For a catalogue of papal appointments +bestowed upon two "courtesans," Johannes Zink und Johannes +Ingenwinkel, see Schulte, _Die Fugger in Rom_, I, pp. 282, 291 ff. +Between 1513 and 1521, Zink received 56 appointments, and Ingenwinkel +received, between 1496 and 1521, no fewer than 106. + +[78] See above, p. 87, note 1. + +[79] So Albrecht of Mainz bore the title of "administrator" of +Halberstadt. + +[80] The name of this practice was "regression" (_regressus_). + +[81] The complaint was made at Worms (1521) that it was impossible for +a German to secure a clear title to a benefice at Rome unless he +applied for it in the name of an Italian, to whom he was obliged to +pay a percentage of the income, a yearly pension, for a fixed sum of +money for the use of his name (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 712). + +[82] _Simony_--the sin of Simon Magus (Acts 8:18-20)--the sin +committed by the sale or the purchase of an office or position which +is normally conferred by a ritual act of the Church. In the ancient +and earlier mediæval Church the use of money to secure preferment was +held to invalidate the title of the guilty party to the position thus +secured, and the acceptance of money for such a purpose was an offence +punishable by deposition and degradation. The "heresy of Simon" was +conceived to be the greatest of all heresies. The traffic in Church +offices, which became a flagrant abuse from the time of John XXII +(1316-1334), would have been regarded in earlier days as the most +atrocious simony. + +[83] The _reservatio mentalis_ or _in pectore_ is the natural +consequence of the papal theory that the right of appointment to all +Church offices of every grade belongs to the pope (see above, p. 86, +note 3). According to the theory of the canonists (Lancelotti, +_Institutiones juris canonici. Lib. I, Tit._ XXVII) this right is +exercised either _per petitionem alterius_, i. e., by confirmation of +the election, appointment, etc., of others, or _proprio motu_, i. e., +"on his own motion." In ordinary cases the exercise of the appointing +power was limited by rules, which though bitterly complained of (see +above, pp. 86 ff, and notes), were generally understood, but the +theory allowed any given case to be made an exception to the rules. Of +such a case it was said that it was "reserved in the heart of the +Pope," and the appointment was then made "on his own motion." Hutten +says of this _reservatio in pectore_ that "it is an easy, agile and +slippery thing, and bears no comparison to any other form of cheating" +(Ed. Booking, IV, 215). + +[84] For a similar instance quoted at Worms (1521), see Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, 710. + +[85] The three chief centers of foreign commerce in the XV and the +early XVI Century. The annual fairs (_Jahrmarkt_), held at stated +times in various cities, brought great numbers of merchants together +from widely distant points, and were the times when the greater part +of the wholesale business for the year was done.; + +[86] Built by Innocent VIII (1454-1490). + +[87] See above, p. 93, note 2. + +[88] The Church law forbade the taking of interest on loans of money. + +[89] During the Middle Ages all questions touching marriage and +divorce, including, therefore, the question of the legitimacy of +children, were governed by the laws of the Church, on the theory that +marriage was a sacrament. + +[90] i. e., By buying dispensations. + +[91] The sums paid or special dispensations were so called. + +[92] The toll which the "robber-barons" of the Rhine levied upon +merchants passing through their domains. + +[93] _Ja wend das blat umb szo indistu es_--The translators have +adopted the interpretation of O. Clemen, _L's. Werke_, I, 383. + +[94] The Fuggers of Augsburg were the greatest of the German +capitalists in the XVI Century. They were international bankers, "the +Rothschilds of the XVI Century." Their control of large capital +enabled them to advance large sums of money to the territorial rulers, +who were in a chronic state of need. In return for these favors they +received monopolistic concessions by which their capital was further +increased. The spiritual, as well as the temporal lords, availed +themselves regularly of the services of this accommodating firm. They +were the pope's financial representatives in Germany. On their +connection with the indulgence against which Luther protested, see +Vol. I, p. 21; on their relations with the papacy, see Schulte, _Die +Fugger in Rom_, 2 Vols., Leipzig, 1904. + +[95] Certificates entitling the holder to choose his own confessor and +authorizing the confessor to absolve him from certain classes of +"reserved" sins; referred to in the XCV Theses as _confessionalia_. +Cf. Vol. I, p. 22. + +[96] Certificates granting their possessor permission to eat milk, +eggs, butter and cheese on fast days. + +[97] The word is used here in the broad sense, and means dispensations +of all sorts, including those just mentioned, relating to penance. + +[98] Equivalent to "carrying coals to Newcastle." + +[99] The _Campo di Fiore_, a Roman market-place, restored and adorned +at great expense by Eugenius IV (1431-1447), and his successors. + +[100] A part of the Vatican palace notorious as the banqueting-hall of +Alexander VI (1402-1503), turned by Julius II (1503-1513) into a +museum for the housing of his wonderful and expensive collection of +ancient works of art. Luther is hinting that the indulgence money has +been spent on these objects rather than on the maintenance of the +Church. Cf. Clemen, I, 384, note 15. + +[101] i. e., The offices and positions in Rome which were for sale. +See Benrath, p. 88, note 18; p. 95, note 36. + +[102] See above, p. 84, note 1. + +[103] The passage is chapter 31, _Filiis vel nepotibus_. It provides +that in case the income of endowments bequeathed to the Church is +misused, and appeals to the bishop and archbishop fail to correct the +misuse, the heirs of the testator may appeal to the royal courts. +Luther wishes this principle applied to the annates. + +[104] See above, pp. 91 f. + +[105] See above, p. 91. + +[106] See above, p. 94. + +[107] i. e.. Promises to bestow on certain persons livings not yet +vacant. Complaint of the evils arising out of the practice was +continually heard from the year 1416. For the complaints made at Worms +(1521), see Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 710. + +[108] See above, pp. 86 f. + +[109] See above, pp. 92 f. + +[110] See above, p. 93. + +[111] See above, p. 89. + +[112] Rules for the transaction of papal business, including such +matters as appointments and the like. At Worms (1521) the Estates +complain that these rules are made to the advantage of the +"courtesans" and the disadvantage of the Germans. (Wrede, _op. cit._, +II, pp. 675 f.) + +[113] The local Church authorities, here equivalent to "the bishops." +On use of term see _Realencyk._, XIV, 424. + +[114] The sign of the episcopal office; as regards archbishops, the +_pallium_; see above, p. 8q, and note. + +[115] See above, p. 87, note 1. + +[116] The first of the ecumenical councils (A. D. 325). The decree to +which Luther here refers is canon IV of that Council. Cf. Köhler, _L. +und die Kg._, pp. 139 ff. + +[117] The primate is the ranking archbishop of a country. + +[118] "Exemption" was the practice by which monastic houses were +withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the bishops and made directly +subject to the pope. The practice seems to have originated in the X +Century with the famous monastery of Cluny (918), but it was almost +universal in the case of the houses of the mendicant orders. The +bishops made it a constant subject of complaint, and the Lateran +Council (Dec. 19, 1516) passed a decree abolishing all monastic +exemptions, though the decree does not seem to have been effective. +See _Creighton_, History of the Papacy, V, 266. + +[119] i. e., Antichrist. See above, p. 73, note 2. + +[120] The papal interference in the conduct of the local Church courts +was as flagrant as in the appointments, of which Luther has heretofore +spoken. At Worms (1521) it was complained that cases were cited to +Rome as a court of first instance, and the demand was made that a +regular course of appeals should be re-established. Wrede, _op. cit._, +II, 672, 718. + +[121] The reference is Canon V of the Council of Sardica (A. D. 343), +incorporated in the canon law as a canon of Nicaea (_Pt. II, qu. 6, c. +5_). See Köhler, _L. und die Kg._, 151. + +[122] i. e., Appealed to Rome for decision. This is the subject of the +first of the 102 _Gravamina_ of 1521 (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 672). + +[123] The judges in the bishops' courts. The complaint is that they +interfere with the administration of justice by citing into their +courts cases which properly belong in the lay courts, and enforce +their verdicts (usually fines) by means of ecclesiastical censures. +The charges against these courts are specified in the _Gravamina_ of +1521, Nos. 73-100 (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 694-703). + +[124] The _signatura gratiae_ and the _signatura justitiae_ were the +bureaus through which the pope regulated those matters of +administration which belonged to his own special prerogative. + +[125] See above, pp. 88 f. + +[126] See above, p. 88, note 3. + +[127] See above, p. 94. + +[128] i. e., The cases in which a priest was forbidden to give +absolution. The reference here is to cases in which only the pope +could absolve. Cf. _The XCV Theses_, Vol. I, p. 30. + +[129] A papal bull published annually at Rome on Holy Thursday. It was +directed against heretics, but to the condemnation of the heretics and +their heresies was added a list of offences which could receive +absolution only from the pope, or by his authorisation. In 1522 Luther +translated this bull into German as a New Year present for the pope +(_Weimar Ed._, VIII, 691). On Luther's earlier utterances concerning +it, see Kohler, _L. u. die Kg._, pp. 59 2. + +[130] The breve is a papal decree, of equal authority with the bull, +but differing from it in form, and usually dealing with matters of +smaller importance. + +[131] Cf. Luther's earlier statement to the same effect in _A +Discussion of Confession_, Vol. I, pp. 96 f. + +[132] See above, p. 99. + +[133] The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17). + +[134] See above, p. 90, note 1. + +[135] In the canon law, _Decretal. Greg. lib. i, tit. 6, cap. 4_. The +decretal forbids the bestowing of the pallium (see above, p. 89, note +3) on an archbishop elect, until he shall first have sworn allegiance +to the Holy See. + +[136] The induction of Church officials into office. The term was used +particularly of the greater offices--those of bishop and abbot. These +offices carried with them the enjoyment of certain incomes, and the +possession of certain temporal powers. For this reason the right of +investiture was a bone of contention between popes and emperors during +the Middle Ages. + +[137] Especially in the time of the Emperors Henry IV and V +(1056-1125). + +[138] The German Empire was regarded during the Middle Ages as a +continuation of the Roman Empire. (See below, p. 153.) The right to +crown an emperor was held to be the prerogative of the pope; until the +pope bestowed the imperial crown, the emperor bore the title, "King of +the Romans." + +[139] In the canon law, _Decretal. Greg. lib. i, tit. 33, cap. 6._ + +[140] In the treatise, _Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione XIII, +de potestate papae_ (1520). _Weimar Ed._, II, pp. 217 ff.; _Erl. Ed., +op. var. arg._, Ill, pp. 293 ff. + +[141] See p. 70. + +[142] cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I, pp. 357 f. + +[143] A decree of Pope Clement V of 1313, incorporated subsequently in +the canon law, _Clement, lib. ii, tit. 11, cap. 2._ + +[144] A forged document of the VIII Century, professing to come from +the hand of the Emperor Constantine (306-337). The Donation conveyed +to the pope title to the city of Rome (the capital had been removed to +Constantinople), certain lands in Italy and "the islands of the sea." +It was used by the popes of the Middle Ages to support their claims to +worldly power, and its genuineness was not disputed. In 1440, however, +Laurentius Valla, an Italian humanist, published a work in which he +proved that the Donation was a forgery. This work was republished in +Germany by Ulrich von Hutten in 1517, and seems to have come to +Luther's attention in the early part of 1520, just before the +composition of the present treatise (C. Enders II, 332). Luther +subsequently (1537) issued an annotated translation of the text of the +Donation (_Erl. Ed._, XXV, pp. 176 ff.). + +[145] The papal claim to temporal sovereignty over this little +kingdom, which comprised the island of Sicily and certain territories +in Southern Italy, goes back to the XI Century, and was steadily +asserted during the whole of the later Middle Ages. It was one of the +questions at issue in the conflict between the Emperor Frederick II +(1200-1260) and the popes, and played an important part in the history +of the stormy times which followed the all of the Hohenstaufen. The +popes claimed the right to award the kingdom to a ruler who would +swear allegiance to the Holy See. The right to the kingdom was at this +time contested between the royal houses of France and of Spain, of +which latter house the Emperor Charles V was the head. + +[146] The popes claimed temporal sovereignty over a strip of territory +in Italy, beginning at Rome and stretching in a northeasterly +direction across the peninsula to a point on the Adriatic south of +Venice, including the cities and lands which Luther mentions. This +formed the so-called "States of the Church." The attempt to +consolidate the States and make the papal sovereignty effective +involved Popes Alexander VI (1492-1503) and Julius II (1503-1513) in +war and entangled them in political alliances with the European powers +and petty Italian states. It resulted at last in actual war between +Pope Clement VII and the Emperor Charles V (1526-1527). See Cambridge +_Modern History_, I, 104-143; 219-252, and literature cited pp. +706-713; 727 f. + +[147] A free translation of the Vulgate, _Nemo militans Deo_. + +[148] The kissing of the pope's feet was a part of the "adoration" +which he claimed as his right. See above, p. 108. + +[149] The three paragraphs enclosed in brackets were added by Luther +to the 2d edition; see Introduction, p. 59. + +[150] The holy places of Rome had long been favorite objects of +pilgrimage, and the practice had been zealously fostered by the popes +through the institution of the "golden" or "jubilee years." Cf. Vol. +I, p. 18, and below, p. 114. + +[151] Cf. the Italian proverb, "God is everywhere except at Rome; +there He has a vicar." + +[152] Cf. Hutten's saying in _Vadiscus_: "Three things there are which +those who go to Rome usually bring home with them, a bad conscience, a +ruined stomach and an empty purse." (Ed. Böcking, IV, p. 169.) + +[153] The "golden" or "jubilee years" were the years when special +rewards were attached to worship at the shrines of Rome. The custom +was instituted by Boniface VIII in 1300, and it was the intention to +make every hundredth year a jubilee. In 1343 the interval between +jubilees was fixed at fifty, in 1389 at thirty-three, in 1473 at +twenty-five years. Cf. Vol. I, p. 18. + +[154] Cf. the statements in the _Treatise on Baptism_ and the +_Discussion of Confession_, Vol. I, pp. 68 ff., 98. + +[155] The houses, or monasteries, of the mendicant or "begging" +orders--the "friars." The members of these orders were sworn to +support themselves on the alms of the faithful. + +[156] The three leading mendicant orders were the Franciscan (the +Minorites, or "little brothers"), founded by St. Francis of Assisi +(died 1226), the Dominican (the "preaching brothers"), founded by St. +Dominic (died 1221), and the Augustinian Hermits, to which Luther +himself belonged, and which claimed foundation by St. Augustine (died +430). + +[157] The interference of the friars in the duties of the parish +clergy was a continual subject of complaint through this period. + +[158] By the middle of the XV Century there were eight distinct sects +within the Franciscan order alone (See _Realencyk._, VI, pp. 212 ff.), +and Luther had himself taken part in a vigorous dispute between two +parties in the Augustinian order. + +[159] St. Agnes the Martyr, put to death in the beginning of the IV +Century, one of the favorite saints of the Middle Ages. See Schäfer, +_L. als Kirchenhistoriker_, p. 235. + +[160] One of the most famous of the German convents, founded in 936. + +[161] The celebrated Church Father (died 420). The passages referred +to are in _Migne_, XXII, 656, and XXVI, 562. + +[162] Or "community" (_Gemeine_). Cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I. +p. 345, note 4. See also _Dass eine christl. Gemeine Recht und Macht +habe_, etc. _Weimar Ed._ XI, pp. 408 ff. + +[163] Or "congregation." See note 2. + +[164] i. e.. At a time later than that of the Apostles. + +[165] The first absolute prohibition of marriage to the clergy is +contained in a decree of Pope Siricius and dated 385. See H. C. Lea, +_History of Sacerdotal Celibacy_, 3d ed. (1907), I, pp. 59 ff. + +[166] The priests of the Greek Church are required to marry, and the +controversy over celibacy was involved in the division between the +Greek and Roman Churches. + +[167] Cf. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ (Böcking, IV, 199). + +[168] i. e., Lie in Roman appointment. + +[169] i. e., The ministry in the congregation. See above, p. 119. + +[170] _Quantum ragilitas humana permittit_. A qualification of the +vow. + +[171] i. e., Celibacy. _Non promitto castitatem_. + +[172] _Fragilitas humana non permittit caste vivere_. + +[173] _Angelica fortitudo at coelestis virtus_. + +[174] The court-jester was allowed unusual freedom of speech. See +Prefatory Letter above, p. 62. + +[175] The laws governing marriage were entirely the laws of the +Church. The canon law prohibited marriage of blood-relatives as far as +the seventh degree of consanguinity. In 1204 the prohibition was +restricted to the first our degrees; lawful marriage within these +degrees was possible only by dispensation, which was not all too +difficult to secure, especially by those who were willing to pay for +it (see above, p. 96). The relation of god-parents to god-children was +also held to establish a "spiritual consanguinity" which might serve +as a bar to lawful marriage. See Benrath, p. 103, note 74, and in the +Babylonian Captivity, below, p. 265. + +[176] This Luther actually did. When he burned the papal bull of +excommunication (Dec. 10, 1520) a copy of the canon law was also given +to the flames. + +[177] i. e., The marriage of the clergy. + +[178] On this sort of reserved cases see Discussion of Confession, +Vol. I, pp. 96 ff. + +[179] "Irregularity" is the condition of any member of a monastic +order who has violated the prescriptions of the order and been +deprived, in consequence, of the benefits enjoyed by those who live +under the _regula_, viz., the rule of the order. + +[180] The three kinds of masses are really but one thing, viz., masses +for the dead, celebrated on certain fixed days in each year, in +consideration of the enjoyment of certain incomes, received either out +of bequeathed endowments or from the heirs of the supposed +beneficiaries. + +[181] i. e., Even when the mass is decently said. + +[182] See above, p. 72, note 1. + +[183] See above, p. 104. + +[184] _Das geistliche Unrecht_. + +[185] The _Treatise concerning the Ban_, above, pp. 33 ff. + +[186] i. e., To those who teach and enforce the canon law. + +[187] Luther means the saint's-days and minor religious holidays. See +also the _Discourse on Good Works_, Vol. I, pp. 240 f. + +[188] Or "congregation." + +[189] i. e., City-council. + +[190] _Kirchweihen_, i. e., the anniversary celebration of the +consecration of a church. These days had become feast days for the +parish, and were observed in anything but a spiritual fashion. + +[191] i. e., Occasions for drunkenness, gain and gambling. + +[192] See above, pp. 96 f. + +[193] See above, p. 98, note 2. + +[194] Letters entitling their holder to the benefits of the masses +founded by the sodalities or confraternities. See Benrath, p. 103. + +[195] See above, p. 98, and Vol. I, p. 22. + +[196] The pun is untranslatable,--_Netz, Gesetz solt ich sagen_. + +[197] What the pope sold was release from the "snares" and "nets," +viz., dispensation. + +[198] i. e., Even into the law of the church. + +[199] _Die wilden Kapellen und Feldkirchen_, i. e., churches which are +built in the country, where there are no congregations. + +[200] A little town in East Prussia, where was displayed a sacramental +wafer, said to have been miraculously preserved from a fire which +destroyed the church in 1383. It was alleged that at certain times +this wafer exuded drops of blood, reverenced as the blood of Christ, +and many miracles were said to have been performed by it. Wilsnack +early became a favorite resort for pilgrims. In 1412 the archbishop of +Prague, at the instigation of John Hus, forbade the Bohemians to go +there. Despite the protests of the Universities of Leipzig and Erfurt, +Pope Eugenius IV in 1446 granted special indulgences for this +pilgrimage, and the popularity of the shrine was undiminished until +the time of the Reformation. Cf. _Realencyk_, xxi, pp. 347 ff. + +[201] In Mecklenburg, where another relic of "the Holy Blood" was +displayed after 1491. C. Benrath, pp. 104 f. + +[202] The "Holy Coat of Trier" was believed by the credulous to be the +seamless coat of Christ, which the soldiers did not rend. It was first +exhibited in 1512, but was said to have been presented to the +cathedral church of Trier by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine +the Great. + +[203] Pilgrimage to the Grimmenthal in Meiningen began in 1499. An +image of the Virgin, declared to have been miraculously created, was +displayed there, and was alleged to work wonderful cures, especially +of syphilis. + +[204] The "Fair Virgin (_die schöne Maria_) of Regensburg" was an +image of the Virgin similar to that exhibited in the Grimmenthal. The +shrine was opened March 25, 1519, and within a month 50,000 pilgrims +are said to have worshipped there. (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 447, note 1). +For another explanation see Benrath, p. 105. + +[205] The pilgrimages were a source of large revenue, derived from the +sale of medals which were worn as amulets, the fees for masses at the +shrines, and the free-will offerings of the pilgrims. A large part of +this revenue accrued to the bishop of the diocese, though the popes +never overlooked the profits which the sale of indulgences or worship +at these shrines could produce. In the _Gravamina_ of 1521 complaint +is made that the bishops demand at least 25 to 33 per cent, of the +offerings made at shrines of pilgrimage (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 687). + +[206] i. e., Every bishop. + +[207] The possession of a saint gave a church a certain reputation and +distinction, which was sufficiently coveted to make local Church +authorities willing to pay roundly for the canonisation of a departed +bishop or other local dignitary. Cf. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ (Böcking, IV, +232). + +[208] Archbishop of Florence (died 1450). He was canonised, May 31, +1523, by Pope Hadrian VI. When Luther wrote this the process of +canonisation had already begun. + +[209] _Indulta_, i. e., grants of special privilege. + +[210] "Lead," the leaden seal attached to the bull; "hide", the +parchment on which it is written; "the string," the ribbon or silken +cord from which the seals depend; "wax," the seal holding the cord to +the parchment. + +[211] Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, Carmelites and Servites. + +[212] _Botschaten_, interpreted by _Benrath_ (p. 105), Clemen (I, 406, +note) and Weimar Ed. (VI, 406, note 1) as a reference to the +_stationarii_. They were wandering beggars who, for an alms, would +enroll the contributor in the list of beneficiaries of their patron +saint, an alleged insurance against disease, accident, etc. They were +classified according to the names of their patron saints, St. Anthony, +St. Hubert, St. Valentine, etc. Protests against their operations were +raised at the Diets of Worms (1521) and Nürnberg (1523). Included in +these protests are the _terminarii_, i.e., the collectors of alms sent +out by the mendicant orders. See Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 678, 688, III, +651, and Benrath, loc. cit. + +[213] _Wallbrüder_, the professional pilgrims who spent their lives in +wandering from one place of pilgrimage to another and subsisted on the +alms of the faithful. + +[214] i. e., If the plan above proposed were adopted. + +[215] See above, p. 129, note 1. + +[216] See _Treatise on the New Testament_, Vol. I, pp. 308 ff. + +[217] In the _Babylonian Captivity_ (below, pp. 291 f.) Luther +definitely excludes penance from the number of sacraments, but see +also p. 177. + +[218] The sodalities ("fraternities," "confraternities"), still an +important institution in the Roman Church, flourished especially in +the XVI Century. They are associations for devotional purposes. The +members of the sodalities are obligated to the recitation of certain +prayers and the attendance upon certain masses at stipulated times. By +virtue of membership in the association each member is believed to +participate in the benefits accruing from these "good works" of all +the members. In the case of most of the sodalities membership entitled +the member to the enjoyment of certain indulgences. In 1520 Wittenberg +boasted of 20 such fraternities, Cologne of 80, Hamburg of more than +100 (Realencyk., Ill, 437). In 1519 Degenhard Peffinger, of +Wittenberg, was a member of 8 such fraternities in his home city, and +of 27 in other places. For Luther's view of the sodalities see above, +pp. 8, 26 ff. On the whole subject see Benrath, pp. 106 f.; Kolde in +_Realencyk._, III, pp. 434 ff.; Lea, _Hist. of Conf. and Indulg_, III, +pp. 470 ff. + +[219] See above, p. 98, note 2. + +[220] See above, p. 128, note 5. + +[221] The excesses committed at the feasts of the religious societies +were often a public scandal. See Lea, _Hist, of Conf. and Indulg_, +III, pp. 437 ff. + +[222] "Faculties" were extraordinary powers, usually for the granting +of indulgences and of absolution in "reserved cases" (see above, p. +105, note 3). They were bestowed by the pope and could be revoked by +him at any time. Sometimes they were given to local Church officials, +but were usually held by the legates or commissaries sent from Rome. +Complaints were made at the Diets of Worms (1520) and Nürnberg (1523) +that the papal commissaries and legates interfered with the ordinary +methods of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and appointment. See Weede, +_op. cit._, II, 673, III, 653. + +[223] Wladislav I forced the Sultan to sue for peace in 1443. At the +instigation of the papal legate, Cardinal Caesarini, who represented +that the treaty had not been approved by the pope, and absolved the +king from the fulfilment of its conditions, he renewed the war in +1444. At the battle of Varna, Nov. 10th, 1444, the Hungarians were +decisively defeated, and Wladislav and Caesarini both killed. See +Creighton, _Hist. of the Papacy_, III, 67. + +[224] John Hus and Jerome of Prague were convicted of heresy by the +Council of Constance and burned at the stake, the former July 6th, +1415, the latter May 30th, 1416. Hus had come to Constance under the +safe-conduct of the Emperor Sigismund. Luther is in error when he +assumes that Jerome had a similar safe-conduct. In September, 1415, +the Council passed a decree which asserted that "neither by natural, +divine or human law was any promise to be observed to the prejudice of +the catholic faith." On the whole matter of the safe-conduct and its +violation see Lea, _Hist. of the Inquisition in the M.A._, II, pp. 453 +ff. + +[225] The League of Cambray, negotiated in 1508 for war against +Venice. In 1510 Venice made terms with the pope and detached him from +the alliance, and the result was war between the pope and the King of +France. See Cambridge _Modern History_, I, pp. 130 ii., and literature +there cited. + +[226] i. e. The Hussites. After the martyrdom of Hus his followers +maintained for a time a strong organisation in Bohemia, and resisted +with arms all attempts to force them into conformity with the Roman +Church. The Council of Basel succeeded (1434) in reconciling the more +moderate party among the Bohemians (the Calixtines) by allowing the +administration of the cup to the laity. The more extreme party, +however, refused to subscribe the _Compactata_ of Basel. Though they +soon ceased to be a actor in the political situation, they remained +outside the Church and perpetuated the teachings of Hus in sectarian +organisations. The most important of these, the so-called Bohemian +Brethren, had extended into Poland and Prussia before Luther's time. +See _Realencyk._, Ill, 465-467. + +[227] See above, p. 140, note 1. + +[228] See Kohler, _L. und die Kirchengesch._, 139, 151. + +[229] The Archbishop of Prague was primate of the Church in Bohemia. + +[230] The dioceses of these bishops were contiguous to that of the +Archbishop of Prague. + +[231] Bishop of Carthage, 240-258 A. D. + +[232] _Lass man ihn ein gut jar ha ben_, literally, "Bid him +good-day." + +[233] One of the chief points of controversy between the Roman Church +and the Hussites. The Roman Church administered to the laity only the +bread, the Hussites used both elements. See below, pp. 178 f. + +[234] Luther had not yet reached the conviction that the +administration of the cup to the laity was a necessity, but see the +argument in _the Babylonian Captivity_, below, pp. 178 ff. + +[235] The Bohemian Brethren, who are here distinguished from the +Hussites, Cf. _Realencyk._, Ill, 452, 49. + +[236] St. Thomas Aquinas, the great Dominican theologian of the XIII. +Century (1225-74), whose influence is still dominant in Roman +theology. + +[237] The view of the sacramental presence adopted by William of +Occam. For Luther's own view at this time, see below, pp. 187 ff. + +[238] i. e., If they did not believe in the real presence of the body +and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper. + +[239] Places for training youths in Greek glory. + +[240] The philosophy of Aristotle dominated the mediæval universities. +It not only provided the forms in which theological and religious +truth came to expression, but it was the basis of all scientific study +in every department. The man who did not know Aristotle was an +ignoramus. + +[241] Or, "I have read him." Luther's _lesen_ allows of either +interpretation. + +[242] Duns Scotus, died 1308. In the XV and XVI Centuries he was +regarded as the rival of Thomas Aquinas for first place among the +theological teachers of the Church. + +[243] i. e., In the universities. + +[244] See above, pp. 94 f. + +[245] i. e., "The chamber of his heart." Boniface VIII (1294-1303) had +decreed, _Romanus pontiex jura omnia in scrinio pectoris sui censetur +habere_, "the Roman pontiff has all laws in the chamber of his heart." +This decree was received into the canon law (_c._ I, de const. In VIto +(I, 2)). + +[246] _Doctores decretorum_, "Doctor of Decrees," an academic degree +occasionally given to professors of Canon Law; _doctor scrinii +papalis_, "Doctor of the Papal Heart." + +[247] The introduction of Roman law into Germany, as the accepted law +of the empire, had begun in the XII Century. With the decay of the +feudal system and the increasing desire of the rulers to provide their +government with some effective legal system, its application became +more widespread, until by the end of the XV Century it was the +accepted system of the empire. The attempt to apply this ancient law +to conditions utterly different from those of the time when it was +formulated, and the continual conflict between the Roman law, the +feudal customs and the remnants of Germanic legal ideas, naturally +gave rise to a state of affairs which Luther could justly speak of as +"a wilderness." + +[248] "Sentences" (_Sententiae, libri sententiarum_) was the title of +the text-books in theology. Theological instruction was largely by way +of comment on the most famous book of Sentences, that of Peter +Lombard. + +[249] Cf. Vol. I, p. 7. + +[250] i. e., Doctors. + +[251] The head-dress of the doctors. + +[252] See above, p. 118, note 2. + +[253] i. e., The monasteries and nunneries. + +[254] i. e.. The name of Christian. + +[255] This section did not appear in the first edition; see +Introduction, p. 59. + +[256] Charles the Great, King of the Franks, was crowned Roman Emperor +by Pope Leo III in the year 800 A. D. He was a German, but regarded +himself successor to the line of emperors who had ruled at Rome. The +fiction was fostered by the popes, and the German kings, after +receiving the papal coronation, were called Roman Emperors. From this +came the name of the German Empire of the Middle Ages, "the Holy Roman +Empire of the German Nation." The popes of the later Middle Ages +claimed that the bestowal of the imperial dignity lay in the power of +the pope, and Pope Clement V (1313) even claimed that in the event of +a vacancy the pope was the possessor of the imperial power (cf. above, +p. 109). On the whole subject see Bryce, _Holy Roman Empire_, 2d ed. +(1904), and literature there cited. + +[257] The city of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410. + +[258] Luther is characteristically careless about his chronology. By +the "Turkish Empire" he means the Mohammedan power. + +[259] _So sol man die Deutschen teuschen und mit teuschen teuschenn_, +i.e., made Germans (_Deutsche_) by cheating (_teuschen_) them. + +[260] See _Cambridge Mediæval History_, I (1911), pp. 244 f. + +[261] Such a law as Luther here suggests was proposed to the Diet of +Worms (1521). Text in Wrede, _Reischstagsakten_, II, 335-341. + +[262] Cf. Luther's _Sermon von Kaubandlung und Wucher_, of 1524. +(_Weim. Ed. XV_, pp. 293) + +[263] Spices were one of the chief articles of foreign commerce in the +XVI Century. The discovery of the cape-route to India had given the +Portuguese a practical monopoly of this trade. A comparative statement +of the cost of spices for a period of years was reported to the Diet +of Nürnberg (1523). See Wrede, _op. cit._, III, 576. + +[264] The _Zinskauf_ or _Rentenkauf_ was a means or evading the +prohibition of usury. The buyer purchased an annuity, but the purchase +price was not regarded as a loan, or it could not be recalled, and the +annual payments could not therefore be called interest. + +[265] The practice was legalised by the Lateran Council, 1512. + +[266] The XVI Century was the hey-day of the great trading-companies, +among which the Fuggers of Augsburg (see above, p. 97, note 5) easily +took first place. The effort of these companies was directed toward +securing monopolies in the staple articles of commerce, and their +ability to finance large enterprises made it possible for them to gain +practical control of the home markets. The sharp rise in the cost of +living which took place on the first half of the XVI Century was laid +at their door. The Diet of Cologne (1512) had passed a stringent law +against monopolies which had, however, failed to suppress them. The +Diet of Worms (1521) debated the subject (Wrede, _Reichstagsakten_ II, +pp. 355 iff.) "in somewhat heated language" (_ibid._, 842), but failed +to agree upon methods of suppression. The subject was discussed again +at the Diet of Nürnberg (1523) and various remedies were proposed +(ibid., Ill, 556-599). + +[267] The profits of the trading-companies were enormous. The 9 per +cent, annually of the Welser (Ehrenberg, _Zeitalter der Fugger_, I, +195), pales into insignificance beside the 1634 per cent, by which the +fortune of the Fuggers grew in twenty-one years (Schulte, _Die Fugger +in Rom_, I, 3). In 1511 a certain Bartholomew Rem invested 900 gulden +in the Hochstetter company of Augsburg; by 1517 he claimed 33,000 +gulden profit. The company was willing to settle at 26,000, and the +resulting litigation caused the figures to become public (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, 842, note 4; III, pp. 574 ff.). On Luther's view of +capitalism see Eck, _Introduction to the Sermon von Kaushandlungund +Wucher_, in _Berl. Ed._, VII, 494-513. + +[268] The Diets of Augsburg (1500) and Cologne (1512) had passed +edicts against drunkenness. A committee of the Diet of Worms (1521) +recommended that these earlier edicts be reaffirmed (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, pp. 343 f.), but the Diet adjourned without acting on the +recommendation (ibid., 737) + +[269] _Sie wollen ausbuben, so sich's vielmehr hineinbubt_. + +[270] Cf. Müller, _Luther's theol. Quellen_, 1912, ch. I. + +[271] In the _Confitendi Ratio_ Luther had set the age for men at +eighteen to twenty, or women at fifteen to sixteen years. See Vol. I, +p. 100. + +[272] Translated in this edition, Vol. I, pp. 184 ff; see especially +pp. 266 ff. + +[273] These sentences did not appear in the first edition. + +[274] See _Letter to Staupitz_, Vol. I, p. 43. + +[275] This "little song" is the _Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity +of the Church_. See below, pp. 170 ff. + + + +A PRELUDE ON THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +In the _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility_ Luther overthrew the +three walls behind which Rome sat entrenched in her spiritual-temporal +power; in the _Babylonian Captivity of the Church_ he enters and takes +her central stronghold and sanctuary--the sacramental system by which +she accompanied and controlled her members from the cradle to the +grave; only then could he set forth, in language of almost lyrical +rapture, the _Liberty of a Christian Man_. + +The first of these three great reformatory treatises of the year 1520, +as they have been called, closed with the words: "I know another +little song about Rome, and if their ears itch to hear it I will sing +it for them, and pitch it in a high key. Dost thou take my meaning, +beloved Rome?" (See above, p. 164.) That some ears were itching to +hear his little song was brought home to Luther especially by two +writings, the one appearing in the summer of 1520, the other published +in the previous autumn, but not reaching Wittenberg until some months +later. + +The former came from the pen of Augustin Alveld, that "celebrated +Romanist of Leipzig," against whom Luther had culminated in _The +Papacy at Rome_, promising further disclosures if Alveld "came again." +(See Vol. I, p. 393.) He came again, this time with a _Tractatus de +communione sub utraque specie_,--date of dedication, June 23, 1520. +"The Leipzig ass has set up a fresh braying against me, full of +blasphemies"; thus Luther describes it in a letter to Spalatin, July +22, 1520. (Enders, _Luther's Briewechsel_, II, no. 328.) + +The other work was the anonymous tract of a "certain Italian friar of +Cremona," who has only recently been identified as Isidore Isolani, a +Dominican hailing from Milan, who taught theology in various Italian +cities, wrote a number of controversial works and died in 1528. (See +Fr. Lauchert, _Die italienischen literarischen Gegner Luthers_, +Freiburg, 1912.) The title of his tract is, _Revocatio Martini Lutheri +Augustiniani ad sanctam Sedem_; its date, Cremona, November 20, 1520, +according to Enders, which is a mistake for November 22,1519. Its +beginning and close, which have epistolary character, are printed in +Enders, II, no. 366, and one paragraph from each is translated in +Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, no. 199. + +These two treatises may be regarded as the immediate occasion for the +writing of the _Babylonian Captivity_, which is, however, in no sense +a direct reply to either of them. "I will not reply to Alveld," Luther +writes on August 5 to Spalatin, "but he will be the occasion of my +publishing something by which the vipers will be more irritated than +ever." (Enders, II, no. 335; Smith, I, no. 283.) Indeed, he had +promised some such work more than half a year before, in a letter to +Spalatin of December 18, 1519: "There is no reason why you or any one +else should expect from me a treatise on the other sacraments [besides +baptism, the Lord's supper, and penance] until I am taught by what +text I can prove that they are sacraments. I regard none of the others +as a sacrament, for there is no sacrament save where there is a direct +divine promise, exercising our faith. We can have no intercourse with +God except by the word of Him promising, and by the faith of man +receiving the promise. _At another time you shall hear more about +their fables of the seven sacraments._" (Enders, II, no. 254; Smith, +I, no. 206.) + +Thus the _Prelude_ grows under his hand and assumes the form of an +elaborate examination of the whole sacramental system of the Church. +He makes short work of his two opponents, and after a few pages of +delicious irony, of which Erasmus was suspected in some quarters of +being the author, he turns his back on them and addresses himself to a +positive and constructive treatment of his larger theme, lenient +toward all non-essentials, but inexorable with respect to everything +truly essential, that is, scriptural. The _Captivity_ thus represents +the culmination of Luther's reformatory thinking on the theological +side, as the _Nobility_ does on the national, and the _Liberty_ on the +religious side. It sums up and carries forward all of his previous +writings on the sacraments, just as, nine years later, the +_Catechisms_ gathered up and moulded into classic form his writings on +catechetical subjects. Passage after passage, often whole pages, from +the _Resolutiones disp._, the _Treatise on Baptism_, the _Conitendi +Ratio_, the _Treatise on the New Testament_, the _Treatise on the +Blessed Sacrament_, are transferred bodily to this new and definitive +work, and find in it the goal toward which they had been consciously +or unconsciously tending. The reader is referred to a fine comparative +study in Köstlin's _Theology of Luther_ (English trans.), I, 388-409. +The title is a reminiscence from the _Resolutiones super prop, xiii._, +of 1519,--"absit ista plus quam babylonica captivitas!" The sense in +which the work is called a "prelude" is explained on page 176; the +theologian in Luther could not deny the musician, he goes into battle +singing and comes back with the stanza of a hymn upon his lips. + +The _Captivity_ marks Luther's final and irreparable break with the +Church of Rome, and it is not without a peculiar significance that in +the same letter to Spalatin, of October 3d, in which he mentions the +arrival in Leipzig of Eck armed with the papal bull, he announces the +publication of his book on the _Babylonian Captivity of the Church_ +for the following Saturday--October 6th. (Enders, II, no. 350; Smith, +I, no. 303.) + +While the _Nobility_, addressed to the German nation as such, was +written in the language of the people, the _Captivity_, as becomes a +theological treatise, is composed in Latin, just as later the Liberty, +affecting the religious life of the individual, whether layman or +theologian, is sent out in both German and Latin. + +A translation into German appeared in the following year--the work of +the Franciscan, Thomas Murner (on whom see Theod. v. Liebenau, _Der +Franziskaner Thomas Murner_, Freiburg, 1913). Luther calls the +Franciscan his "venomous foe" and accuses him of making the +translation in order to bring him into disrepute. This charge Luther +makes in his answer to Henry VIII's _Assertio septem sacramentorum +adversus Mart. Lutherum_ (1521), the royal theologian's reply to the +_Babylonian Captivity_, for which he won from the pope the proud title +of "Defender of the Faith." + +The translation which follows is based on the Latin text as given in +Clemen's "student-edition"--_Luthers Werke in Auswahl_ (Bonn, 1912-3), +I, 426-512, which reproduces, though by no means slavishly, the text +of the _Weimar Edition_ (Vol. VI), which, together with the _Erlangen +Edition_ (_opera var. arg., V_), has been compared. The German _St. +Louis Edition_ (Vol. XIX) has been consulted, and especially the +admirable German rendering of Kawerau in the Berlin Edition (Vol. II) +as well as the careful literal translation of Lemme, _Die drei grossen +Reormationsschriten Luthers vom Jahre 1520_, 2. ed. (Gotha, 1884). +Like the last mentioned, Wace and Buchheim's English translation +(London, 1896) is incomplete, and besides is not always accurate; the +_Captivity_ is not contained in Cole's _Select Works_. The catalogue +of the British Museum notes no early English translation. +Köstlin-Kawerau's (1903) and Berger's (1895) lives should be +consulted; the former for the historical setting and full analysis, +the latter for a fine appreciation of this as of the other two +reformatory treatises of this year. For the theological development, +beside Köstlin's work mentioned above, and Tschackert, _Entstehung der +luth. und re. Kirchenlehre_ (1910), compare the exhaustive article +Sakramente, by Kattenbusch, in _Prot. Realencyklopadie_, 3. ed., XVII, +349-81. The treatise is here Englished in its entirety, including +those portions of the section on marriage which are frequently +omitted. The homeless paragraph on page 260, whose proper location is +not found even in the _Weimar Edition_ nor in Clemen, we have placed +in a foot-note, following the example of Kawerau. + + ALBERT T. W. STEINHAEUSER. + +Allentown. PA. + + +THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH + +1520 + + +JESUS + +Martin Luther, Augustinian, + +to his friend, + +Herman Tulich[1], + +Greeting + +Willy nilly, I am compelled to become every day more learned, with so +many and such able masters vying with one another to improve my mind. +Some two years ago I wrote a little book on indulgences[2], which I +now deeply regret having published; for at the time I was still sunk +in a mighty superstitious veneration for the Roman tyranny and held +that indulgences should not be altogether rejected, seeing they were +approved by the common consent of men. Nor was this to be wondered at, +for I was then engaged single-handed in my Sisyphean task. Since then, +however, through the kindness of Sylvester and the friars[3], who so +strenuously defended indulgences, I have come to see that they are +nothing but an imposture of the Roman sycophants by which they play +havoc with men's faith and fortunes. Would to God I might prevail upon +the book-sellers and upon all my readers to burn up the whole of my +writings on indulgences and to substitute for them this proposition: +INDULGENCES ARE A KNAVISH TRICK OF THE ROMAN SYCOPHANTS. + +Next, Eck and Emser, with their fellows, undertook to instruct me +concerning the primacy of the pope. Here too, not to prove ungrateful +to such learned folk, I acknowledge how greatly I have profited by +their labors. For, while denying the divine authority of the papacy, I +had yet admitted its human authority[4]. But after hearing and reading +the subtle subtleties of these coxcombs with which they adroitly prop +their idol--for in these matters my mind is not altogether +unteachable--I now know of a certainty that the papacy is the kingdom +of Babylon[5] and the power of Nimrod the mighty hunter[6]. Once more, +therefore, that all may all out to my friends' advantage, I beg both +booksellers and readers to burn what I have published on that subject +and to hold to this proposition: THE PAPACY IS THE MIGHTY HUNTING OF +THE ROMAN BISHOP. This follows from the arguments of Eck, Emser and +the Leipzig lecturer[7] on the Holy Scriptures. + +Now they are putting me to school again and teaching me about +communion in both kinds and other weighty subjects. And I must all to +with might and main, so as not to hear these my pedagogues without +profit. A certain Italian friar of Cremona[8] has written a +"Revocation of Martin Luther to the Holy See"--that is, a revocation +in which not I revoke anything (as the words declare) but he revokes +me. That is the kind of Latin the Italians are now beginning to +write[9]. Another friar, a German of Leipzig, that same lecturer, you +know, on the whole canon of the Scriptures, has written a book against +me concerning the sacrament in both kinds, and is planning, I +understand, still greater and more marvelous things. The Italian was +canny enough not to set down his name, fearing perhaps the fate of +Cajetan and Sylvester[10]. But the Leipzig man, as becomes a fierce +and valiant German, boasts on his ample title-page of his name, his +career, his saintliness, his scholarship, his office, glory, honor, +ay, almost of his very clogs[11]. Here I shall doubtless gain no +little information, since indeed his dedicatory epistle is addressed +to the Son of God Himself. On so familiar a footing are these saints +with Christ Who reigns in heaven! Moreover, methinks I hear three +magpies chattering in this book; the first in good Latin, the second +in better Greek, the third in purest Hebrew[12]. What think you, my +Herman, is there for me to do but to prick up my ears? The thing +emanates from Leipzig, from the Observance of the Holy Cross[13]. + +Fool that I was, I had hitherto thought it would be well if a general +council decided that the sacrament be administered to the laity in +both kinds[14]. The more than learned friar would set me right, and +declares that neither Christ nor the apostles commanded or commended +the administration of both kinds to the laity; it was, therefore, left +to the judgment of the Church what to do or not to do in this matter, +and the Church must be obeyed. These are his words. + +You will perhaps ask, what madness has entered into the man, or +against whom he is writing, since I have not condemned the use of one +kind, but have left the decision about the use of both kinds to the +judgment of the Church--the very thing he attempts to assert and which +he turns against me. My answer is, that this sort of argument is +common to all those who write against Luther; they assert the very +things they assail, for they set up a man of straw whom they may +attack. Thus Sylvester and Eck and Emser, thus the theologians of +Cologne and Louvain[15]; and if this friar had not been of the same +kidney he would never have written against Luther. + +Yet in one respect this man has been happier than his fellows. For in +undertaking to prove that the use of both kinds is neither commanded +nor commended, but left to the will of the Church, he brings forward +passages of Scripture to prove that by the command of Christ one kind +only was appointed for the laity. So that it is true, according to +this new interpreter of the Scriptures, that one kind was not +commanded, and at the same time was commanded, by Christ! This novel +sort of argument is, as you know, the particular forte of the Leipzig +dialecticians. Did not Emser in his earlier book[16] profess to write +of me in a friendly spirit, and then, after I had convicted him of +filthy envy and foul lying, did he not openly acknowledge in his later +book[17], written to refute my arguments, that he had written in both +a friendly and an unfriendly spirit? A sweet fellow, forsooth, as you +know. + +But hearken to our distinguished distinguisher of "kinds," for whom +the will of the Church and a command of Christ, and a command of +Christ and no command of Christ, are all one and the same! How +ingeniously he proves that only one kind is to be given to the laity, +by the command of Christ, that is, by the will of the Church. He puts +it in capital letters, thus: THE INFALLIBLE FOUNDATION. Thereupon he +treats John vi with incredible wisdom, in which passage Christ speaks +of the bread from heaven and the bread of life, which is He Himself. +The learned fellow not only refers these words to the sacrament of the +altar, but because Christ says, "I am the living bread," [John 6:35, +41, 51] and not, "I am the living cup," he actually concludes that we +have in this passage the institution of the sacrament in only one kind +for the laity. But there follow the words,--"My flesh is meat indeed, +and my blood is drink indeed," [John 6:55] and, "Except ye eat the +flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood" [John 6:53]; and when it +dawned upon the good friar that these words speak undeniably or both +kinds and against one kind--presto! how happily and learnedly he slips +out of the quandary by asserting that in these words Christ means to +say only that whoever receives the one kind receives under it both +flesh and blood. This he puts or the "infallible foundation" of a +structure well worthy of the holy and heavenly Observance. + +Now prithee, herefrom learn with me that Christ, in John vi, enjoins +the sacrament in one kind, yet in such wise that His commanding it +means leaving it to the will of the Church; and further, that Christ +is speaking in this chapter only of the laity and not of the priests. +For to the latter the living bread from heaven does not pertain, but +presumably the deadly bread from hell! And how is it with the deacons +and subdeacons, who are neither laymen nor priests?[18] According to +this brilliant writer, they ought to use neither the one kind nor both +kinds! You see, dear Tulich, this novel and observant method of +treating Scripture. + +But learn this, too,--that Christ is speaking in John vi of the +sacrament of the altar; although He Himself teaches that His words +refer to faith in the Word made flesh, for He says, "This is the work +of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." [John 6:29] But our +Leipzig professor of the Scriptures must be permitted to prove +anything he pleases from any Scripture passage whatsoever. For he is +an Anaxagorian, or rather an Aristotelian[19] theologian, for whom +nouns and verbs, interchanged, mean the same thing and any thing. So +aptly does he cite Scripture proof-texts throughout the whole of his +book, that if he set out to prove the presence of Christ in the +sacrament, he would not hesitate to commence thus: "Here beginneth the +book of the Revelation of St. John the Divine." All his quotations are +as apt as this one would be, and the wiseacre imagines he is adorning +his drivel with the multitude of his quotations. The rest I pass over, +lest you should smother in the filth of this vile cloaca. + +In conclusion, he brings forward I Corinthians xi, where Paul says he +received from the Lord, and delivered to the Corinthians, the use of +both the bread and the cup [1 Cor. 11:23]. Here again our +distinguisher of kinds, treating the Scriptures with his usual +brilliance, teaches that Paul did not deliver, but permitted both +kinds. Do you ask where he gets his proof? Out of his own head, as he +did in the case of John vi. For it does not behoove this lecturer to +give a reason for his assertions; he belongs to the order of those who +teach and prove all things by their visions[20]. Accordingly we are +here taught that the Apostle, in this passage, addressed not the whole +Corinthian congregation, but the laity alone--but then he "permitted" +nothing at all to the clergy, and they are deprived of the sacrament +altogether!--and further, that, according to a new kind of grammar, "I +have received from the Lord" means "It is permitted by the Lord," and +"I have delivered it to you" means "I have permitted it to you." I +pray you, mark this well. For by this method, not only the Church, but +every passing knave will be at liberty, according to this magister, to +turn all the commands, institutions and ordinances of Christ and the +apostles into a mere "permission." + +I perceive, therefore, that this man is driven by an angel of Satan, +and that he and his partners seek but to make a name or themselves +through me, as men who were worthy to cross swords with Luther. But +their hopes shall be dashed: I shall ignore them and not mention their +names from henceforth even for ever. This one reply shall suffice me +for all their books. If they be worthy of it, I pray Christ in His +mercy to bring them to a sound mind; if not, I pray that they may +never leave off writing such books, and that the enemies of the truth +may never deserve to read any other. It is a popular and true saying, + + This I know of a truth--whenever with filth I contended, + Victor or vanquished, alike, came I defiled from the fray. + +And, since I perceive that they have an abundance of leisure and of +writing-paper, I shall see to it that they may have ample opportunity +for writing. I shall run on before, and while they are celebrating a +glorious victory over one of my so-called heresies, I shall be +meanwhile devising a new one. For I too am desirous that these gallant +leaders in battle should win to themselves many titles and +decorations. Therefore, while they complain that I laud communion in +both kinds, and are happily engrossed in this most important and +worthy matter, I will go yet one step farther and undertake to show +that all those who deny communion in both kinds to the laity are +wicked men. And the more conveniently to do this, I will compose a +prelude on the captivity of the Roman Church. In due time I shall have +a great deal more to say, when the learned papists have disposed of +this book. + +I take this course, lest any pious reader who may chance upon this +book, should be offended at my dealing with such filthy matters, and +should justly complain of finding in it nothing to cultivate and +instruct his mind or even to furnish good or learned thought. For you +know how impatient my friends are because I waste my time on the +sordid fictions of these men, which, they say, are amply refuted in +the reading; they look for greater things from me, which Satan seeks +in this way to hinder. I have at length resolved to follow their +counsel and to leave to those hornets the pleasant business of +wrangling and hurling invectives. + +Of that friar of Cremona I will say nothing. He is an unlearned man +and a simpleton, who attempts with a few rhetorical passages to recall +me to the Holy See, from which I am not as yet aware of having +departed, nor has any one proved it to me. He is chiefly concerned in +those silly passages with showing that I ought to be moved by the vow +of my order and by the act that the empire has been transferred to us +Germans[21]. He seems thus to have set out to write, not my +"revocation," but rather the praises of the French people and the +Roman pontiff. Let him attest his loyalty in his little book; it is +the best he could do. He does not deserve to be harshly treated, for +methinks he was not prompted by malice; nor yet to be learnedly +refuted, for all his chatter is sheer ignorance and simplicity[22]. + +At the outset I must deny that there are seven sacraments, and hold +for the present[23] to but three--baptism, penance and the bread[24]. +These three have been subjected to a miserable captivity by the Roman +curia, and the Church has been deprived of all her liberty. To be +sure, if I desired to use the term in its scriptural sense, I should +allow but a single sacrament[25], with three sacramental signs; but of +this I shall treat more fully at the proper time. + +THE SACRAMENT OF THE BREAD + +Let me tell you what progress I have made in my studies on the +administration of this sacrament. For when I published my treatise on +the Eucharist[26], I clung to the common usage, being in no wise +concerned with the question of the right or wrong of the papacy. But +now, challenged and attacked, nay, forcibly thrust into the arena, I +shall freely speak my mind, let all the papists laugh or weep +together. + +[Sidenote: The First Captivity: the Withholding of the Cup from the +Laity] + +In the first place, John vi is to be entirely excluded from this +discussion, since it does not refer in a single syllable to the +sacrament. For not only was the sacrament not yet instituted, but the +whole context plainly shows that Christ is speaking of faith in the +Word made flesh, as I have said above[27]. For He says, "My words are +spirit, and they are life," [John 6:63] which shows that He is +speaking of a spiritual eating, whereby whoever eats has life, whereas +the Jews understood Him to be speaking of bodily eating and therefore +disputed with Him. But no eating can give life save the eating which +is by faith, for that is the truly spiritual and living eating. As +Augustine also says: "Why make ready teeth and stomach? Believe, and +thou hast eaten."[28] For the sacramental eating does not give life, +since many eat unworthily. Therefore, He cannot be understood as +speaking of the sacrament in this passage. + +These words have indeed been wrongly applied to the sacrament, as in +the decretal _Dudum_[29] and often elsewhere. But it is one thing to +misapply the Scriptures, it is quite another to understand them in +their proper meaning. But if Christ in this passage enjoined the +sacramental eating, then by saying, "Except ye eat my flesh and drink +my blood, ye have no life in you," [John 6:53] He would condemn all +infants, invalids and those absent or in any wise hindered from the +sacramental eating, however strong their faith might be. Thus +Augustine, in the second book of his _Contra Julianum_[30], proves +from Innocent that even infants eat the flesh and drink the blood of +Christ, without the sacrament; that is, they partake of them through +the faith of the Church. Let this then be accepted as proved,--John vi +does not belong here. For this reason I have elsewhere[31] written +that the Bohemians have no right to rely on this passage in support of +their use of the sacrament in both kinds. + +Now there are two passages that do clearly bear upon this matter--the +Gospel narratives of the institution of the Lord's Supper, and Paul in +I Corinthians xi. These let us examine. + +Matthew, Mark and Luke agree that Christ gave the whole sacrament to +all the disciples [Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 22], and it is certain that +Paul delivered both kinds [1 Cor. 11]. No one has ever had the +temerity to assert the contrary. Further, Matthew reports that Christ +said not of the bread, "Eat ye all of it," [Matt. 26:27] but of the +cup, "Drink ye all of it"; and Mark likewise says not, "They all ate +of it," but, "They all drank of it." [Mark 14:23] Both Matthew and +Mark attach the note of universality to the cup, not to the bread; as +though the Spirit saw this schism coming, by which some would be +forbidden to partake of the cup, which Christ desired should be common +to all. How furiously, think you, would they rave against us, if they +had found the word "all" attached to the bread instead of the cup! +They would not leave us a loophole to escape, they would cry out upon +us and set us down as heretics, they would damn us or schismatics. But +now, since it stands on our side and against them, they will not be +bound by any force of logic--these men of the most free will[32], who +change and change again even the things that be God's, and throw +everything into confusion. + +But imagine me standing over against them and interrogating my lords +the papists. In the Lord's Supper, I say, the whole sacrament, or +communion in both kinds, is given only to the priests or else it is +given also to the laity. If it is given only to the priests, as they +would have it, then it is not right to give it to the laity in either +kind; for it must not be rashly given to any to whom Christ did not +give it when He instituted it. For if we permit one institution of +Christ to be changed, we make all of His laws invalid, and every one +will boldly claim that he is not bound by any law or institution of +His. For a single exception, especially in the Scriptures, invalidates +the whole. But if it is given also to the laity, then it inevitably +follows that it ought not to be withheld from them in either form. +And if any do withhold it from them when they desire it, they act +impiously and contrary to the work, example and institution of Christ. + +I confess that I am conquered by this to me unanswerable argument, and +that I have neither read nor heard nor found anything to advance +against it. For here the word and example of Christ stand firm, when +He says, not by way of permission but of command, "Drink ye all of +it." [Matt.26:27] For if all are to drink, and the words cannot be +understood as addressed to the priests alone, then it is certainly an +impious act to withhold the cup from laymen who desire it, even though +an angel from heaven were to do it. For when they say that the +distribution of both kinds was left to the judgment of the Church, +they make this assertion without giving any reason or it and put it +forth without any authority; it is ignored just as readily as it is +proved, and does not hold against an opponent who confronts us[33] +with the word and work of Christ. Such an one must be refuted with a +word of Christ, but this we[34] do not possess. + +But if one kind may be withheld from the laity, then with equal right +and reason a portion of baptism and penance might also be taken from +them by this same authority of the Church. Therefore, just as baptism +and absolution must be administered in their entirety, so the +sacrament of the bread must be given in its entirety to all laymen, if +they desire it. I am amazed to find them asserting that the priests +may never receive only the one kind, in the mass, on pain of +committing a mortal sin; and that for no other reason, as they +unanimously say, than that both kinds constitute the one complete +sacrament, which may not be divided. I pray them to tell me why it may +be divided in the case of the laity, and why to them alone the whole +sacrament may not be given. Do they not acknowledge, by their own +testimony, either that both kinds are to be given to the laity, or +that it is not a valid sacrament when only one kind is given to them? +How can the one kind be a complete sacrament or the laity and not a +complete sacrament for the priests? Why do they flaunt the authority +of the Church and the power of the pope in my face? These do not make +void the Word of God and the testimony of the truth. + +But further, if the Church can withhold the wine from the laity, it +can also withhold the bread from them; it could, therefore, withhold +the entire sacrament of the altar from the laity and completely annul +Christ's institution so far as they are concerned. I ask, by what +authority? But if the Church cannot withhold the bread, or both kinds, +neither can it withhold the wine. This cannot possibly be gainsaid; +for the Church's power must be the same over either kind as over both +kinds, and if she has no power over both kinds, she has none over +either kind. I am curious to hear what the Roman sycophants will have +to say to this. + +What carries most weight with me, however, and quite decides me is +this. Christ says: "This is my blood, which is shed for you and for +many for the remission of sins." [Matt. 26:28] Here we see very +plainly that the blood is given to all those for whose sins it was +shed. But who will dare to say it was not shed for the laity? Do you +not see whom He addresses when He gives the cup? Does He not give it +to all? Does He not say that it is shed or all? "For you," He +says--well: we will let these be the priests--"and for many"--these +cannot be priests; and yet He says, "Drink ye all of it." [Matt. +26:27] I too could easily trifle here and with my words make a mockery +of Christ's words, as my dear trifler[34] does; but they who rely on +the Scriptures in opposing us, must be refuted by the Scriptures. This +is what has prevented me from condemning the Bohemians, who, be they +wicked men or good, certainly have the word and act of Christ on their +side, while we have neither, but only that hollow device of men--"the +Church has appointed it." It was not the Church that appointed these +things, but the tyrants of the churches, without the consent of the +Church, which is the people of God. + +But where in all the world is the necessity, where the religious duty, +where the practical use, of denying both kinds, i. e., the visible +sign, to the laity, when every one concedes to them the grace[35] of +the sacrament without the sign? If they concede the grace, which is +the greater, why not the sign, which is the lesser? For in every +sacrament the sign as such is of far less importance than the thing +signified. What then is to prevent them from conceding the lesser, +when they concede the greater? I can see but one reason; it has come +about by the permission of an angry God in order to give occasion for +a schism in the Church, to bring home to us how, having long ago lost +the grace of the sacrament, we contend for the sign, which is the +lesser, against that which is the most important and the chief thing; +just as some men for the sake of ceremonies contend against love. Nay, +this monstrous perversion seems to date from the time when we began +for the sake of the riches of this world to rage against Christian +love. Thus God would show us, by this terrible sign, how we esteem +signs more than the things they signify. How preposterous would it be +to admit that the faith of baptism is granted the candidate or +baptism, and yet to deny him the sign of this faith, namely, the +water! + +Finally, Paul stands invincible and stops every mouth, when he says in +I Corinthians xi, "I have received from the Lord what I also delivered +unto you." [1 Cor. 11:23] He does not say, "I permitted unto you," as +that friar lyingly asserts[36]. Nor is it true that Paul delivered +both kinds on account of the contention in the Corinthian +congregation. For, first, the text shows that their contention was not +about both kinds, but about the contempt and envy among rich and poor, +as it is clearly stated: "One is hungry, and another is drunken, and +ye put to shame them that have not." [1 Cor. 11:21] Again, Paul is not +speaking of the time when he first delivered the sacrament to them, +for he says not, "I _receive_ of the Lord and _give_ unto you," but, +"I received and delivered"--namely, when he first began to preach +among them, a long while before this contention. This shows that he +delivered both kinds to them; and "delivered" means the same as +"commanded," for elsewhere he uses the word in this sense. +Consequently there is nothing in the friar's fuming about permission; +it is a hotch-potch without Scripture, reason or sense. His opponents +do not ask what he has dreamed, but what the Scriptures decree in this +matter; and out of the Scriptures he cannot adduce one jot or tittle +in support of his dreams, while they can bring forward mighty +thunderbolts in support of their faith. + +Come hither then, ye popish flatterers, one and all! Fall to and +defend yourselves against the charge of godlessness, tyranny, +lese-majesty against the Gospel, and the crime of slandering your +brethren,--ye that decry as heretics those who will not be wise after +the vaporings of your own brains, in the face of such patent and +potent words of Scripture. If any are to be called heretics and +schismatics, it is not the Bohemians nor the Greeks, for they take +their stand upon the Gospel; but you Romans are the heretics and +godless schismatics, for you presume upon your own fictions and fly in +the face of the clear Scriptures of God. Parry that stroke, if you +can! + +But what could be more ridiculous, and more worthy of this friar's +brain, than his saying that the Apostle wrote these words and gave +this permission, not to the Church universal, but to a particular +church, that is, the Corinthian? Where does he get his proof? Out of +his one storehouse, his own impious head. If the Church universal +receives, reads and follows this epistle in all points as written for +itself, why should it not do the same with this portion of it? If we +admit that any epistle, or any part of any epistle, of Paul does not +apply to the Church universal, then the whole authority of Paul falls +to the ground. Then the Corinthians will say that what he teaches +about faith in the epistle to the Romans does not apply to them. What +greater blasphemy and madness can be imagined than this! God forbid +that there should be one jot or tittle in all of Paul which the whole +Church universal is not bound to follow and keep! Not so did the +Fathers hold, down to these perilous times, in which Paul foretold +there should be blasphemers and blind and insensate men [2 Tim. 3:2], +of whom this friar is one, nay the chief. + +However, suppose we grant the truth of this intolerable madness. If +Paul gave his permission to a particular church, then, even from your +own point of view, the Greeks and Bohemians are in the right, for they +are particular churches; hence it is sufficient that they do not act +contrary to Paul, who at least gave permission. Moreover, Paul could +not permit anything contrary to Christ's institution. Therefore I cast +in thy teeth, O Rome, and in the teeth of all thy sycophants, these +sayings of Christ and Paul, on behalf of the Greeks and the Bohemians. +Nor canst thou prove that thou hast received any authority to change +them, much less to accuse others of heresy or disregarding thy +arrogance; rather dost thou deserve to be charged with the crime of +godlessness and despotism. + +Furthermore, Cyprian, who alone is strong enough to hold all the +Romanists at bay, bears witness, in the fifth book of his treatise _Of +the Fallen_, that it was a wide-spread custom in his church to +administer both kinds to the laity, and even to children[37], yea to +give the body of the Lord into their hands; of which he cites many +instances. He inveighs, or example, against certain members of the +congregation as follows: "The sacrilegious man is angered at the +priests because he does not forthwith receive the body of the Lord +with unclean hands, or drink the blood of the Lord with defiled lips." +He is speaking, as you see, of laymen, and irreverent laymen, who +desired to receive the body and the blood from the priests. Dost thou +find anything to snarl at here, thou wretched flatterer? Say that even +this holy martyr, a Church Father preeminent for his apostolic spirit, +was a heretic and used that permission in a particular church. + +In the same place, Cyprian narrates an incident that came under his +own observation. He describes at length how a deacon was administering +the cup to a little girl, who drew away from him, whereupon he poured +the blood of the Lord into her mouth. We read the same of St. Donatus, +whose broken chalice this wretched flatterer so lightly disposes of. +"I read of a broken chalice," he says, "but I do not read that the +blood was given."[38] It is no wonder! He that finds what he pleases +in the Scriptures will also read what he pleases in the histories. But +will the authority of the Church be established, or will heretics be +refuted, in this way? Enough of this! I did not undertake this work to +reply to him who is not worth replying to, but to bring the truth of +the matter to light. + +I conclude, then, that it is wicked and despotic to deny both kinds to +the laity, and that this is not in the power of any angel, much less +of any pope or council. Nor does the Council of Constance give me +pause, for if its authority carries weight, why does not that of the +Council of Basel also carry weight? For the latter council decided, on +the contrary, after much disputing, that the Bohemians might use both +kinds, as the extant records and documents of the council prove. And +to that council this ignorant flatterer refers in support of his +dream; in such wisdom does his whole treatise abound[39]. + +The first captivity of this sacrament, therefore, concerns its +substance or completeness, of which we have been deprived by the +despotism of Rome. Not that they sin against Christ, who use the one +kind, for Christ did not command the use of either kind, but let it to +every one's free will, when He said: "As oft as ye do this, do it in +remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:25] But they sin who forbid the giving +of both kinds to such as desire to exercise this free will. The fault +lies not with the laity, but with the priests. The sacrament does not +belong to the priests, but to all, and the priests are not lords but +ministers, in duty bound to administer both kinds to those who desire +them, and as oft as they desire them. If they wrest this right from +the laity and forcibly withhold it, they are tyrants; but the laity +are without fault, whether they lack one kind or both kinds; they must +meanwhile be sustained by their faith and by their desire for the +complete sacrament. Just as the priests, being ministers, are bound to +administer baptism and absolution to whoever seeks them, because he +has a right to them; but if they do not administer them, he that seeks +them has at least the full merit of his faith, while they will be +accused before Christ as wicked servants. In like manner the holy +Fathers of old who dwelt in the desert did not receive the sacrament +in any form for many years together[40]. + +Therefore I do not urge that both kinds be seized by force, as though +we were bound to this form by a rigorous command; but I instruct men's +consciences that they may endure the Roman tyranny, well knowing they +have been deprived of their rightful share in the sacrament because of +their own sin. This only do I desire,--that no one justify the tyranny +of Rome, as though it did well to forbid one of the two kinds to the +laity; we ought rather to abhor it, withhold our consent, and endure +it just as we should do if we were held captive by the Turk and not +permitted to use either kind. That is what I meant by saying[41] it +seemed well to me that this captivity should be ended by the decree of +a general council, our Christian liberty restored to us out of the +hands of the Roman tyrant, and every one let free to seek and receive +this sacrament, just as he is free to receive baptism and penance. But +now they compel us, by the same tyranny, to receive the one kind year +after year; so utterly lost is the liberty which Christ has given us. +This is but the due reward of our godless ingratitude. + +[Sidenote: The Second Captivity: Transubstantiation] + +The second captivity of this sacrament is less grievous so far as the +conscience is concerned, yet the very gravest danger threatens the man +who would attack it, to say nothing of condemning it. Here I shall be +called a Wyclifite[42] and a heretic a thousand times over. But what +of that? Since the Roman bishop has ceased to be a bishop and become a +tyrant, I fear none of his decrees, for I know that it is not in his +power, nor even in that of a general council, to make new articles of +faith. + +Years ago, when I was delving into scholastic theology, the Cardinal +of Cambray[43] gave me food for thought, in his comments on the fourth +book of the Sentences[44], where he argues with great acumen that to +hold that real bread and real wine, and not their accidents only[45], +are present on the altar, is much more probable and requires fewer +unnecessary miracles--if only the Church had not decreed otherwise. +When I learned later what church it was that had decreed this--namely, +the Church of Thomas[46], i. e., of Aristotle--I waxed bolder, and +after floating in a sea of doubt, at last found rest for my conscience +in the above view--namely, that it is real bread and real wine, in +which Christ's real flesh and blood are present, not otherwise and not +less really than they assume to be the case under their accidents. I +reached this conclusion because I saw that the opinions of the +Thomists, though approved by pope and council, remain but opinions and +do not become articles of faith, even though an angel from heaven were +to decree otherwise [Gal. 1:8]. For what is asserted without Scripture +for an approved revelation, may be held as an opinion, but need not be +believed. But this opinion of Thomas hangs so completely in the air, +devoid of Scripture and reason, that he seems here to have forgotten +both his philosophy and his logic. For Aristotle treats so very +differently from St. Thomas of subject and accidents, that methinks +this great man is to be pitied, not only for drawing his opinions in +matters of faith from Aristotle, but for attempting to base them on +him without understanding his meaning--an unfortunate superstructure +upon an unfortunate foundation. + +I therefore permit every man to hold either of these views, as he +chooses. My one concern at present is to remove all scruples of +conscience, so that no one may fear to become guilty of heresy if he +should believe in the presence of real bread and real wine on the +altar, and that every one may feel at liberty to ponder, hold and +believe either one view or the other, without endangering his +salvation. However, I shall now more fully set forth my own view. + +In the first place, I do not intend to listen or attach the least +importance to those who will cry out that this teaching of mine is +Wyclifite, Hussite, heretical, and contrary to the decision of the +Church, for they are the very persons whom I have convicted of +manifold heresies in the matter of indulgences, the freedom of the +will and the grace of God, good works and sin, etc. If Wyclif was once +a heretic, they are heretics ten times over, and it is a pleasure to +be suspected and accused by such heretics and perverse sophists, whom +to please were the height of godlessness. Besides, the only way in +which they can prove their opinions and disprove those of others, is +by saying, "That is Wyclifite, Hussite, heretical!" They have this +feeble retort always on their tongue, and they have nothing else. If +you demand a Scripture passage, they say, "This is our opinion, and +the decision of the Church--that is, of ourselves!" Thus these men, +"reprobate concerning the faith" [2 Tim. 3:8] and untrustworthy, have +the effrontery to set their own fancies before us in the name of the +Church as articles of faith. + +But there are good grounds for my view, and this above all,--no +violence is to be done to the words of God, whether by man or angel; +but they are to be retained in their simplest meaning wherever +possible, and to be understood in by their grammatical and literal +sense unless the context plainly forbids; lest we give our adversaries +occasion to make a mockery of all the Scriptures. Thus Origen was +repudiated, in olden times, because he despised the grammatical sense +and turned the trees, and all things else written concerning Paradise, +into allegories; for it might therefrom be concluded that God did not +create trees. Even so here, when the Evangelists plainly write that +Christ took bread and brake it [Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; +Acts 2:46; 1 Cor. 11:23], and the book of Acts and Paul, in their +turn, call it bread, we have to think of real bread, and real wine, +just as we do of a real cup; or even they do not maintain that the cup +is transubstantiated. But since it is not necessary to assume a +transubstantiation wrought by Divine power, it is to be regarded as a +figment of the human mind, or it rests neither on Scripture nor on +reason, as we shall see. + +Therefore it is an absurd and unheard-of juggling with words, to +understand "bread" to mean "the form, or accidents of bread," and +"wine" to mean "the form, or accidents of wine." Why do they not also +understand all other things to mean their forms, or accidents? And +even if this might be done with all other things, it would yet not be +right thus to emasculate the words of God and arbitrarily to empty +them of their meaning. + +Moreover, the Church had the true faith for more than twelve hundred +years, during which time the holy Fathers never once mentioned this +transubstantiation--forsooth, a monstrous word for a monstrous +idea!--until the pseudophilosophy of Aristotle became rampant in the +Church, these last three hundred years, during which many other things +have been wrongly defined; as for example, that the Divine essence +neither is begotten nor begets; that the soul is the substantial form +of the human body, and the like assertions, which are made without +reason or sense, as the Cardinal of Cambray himself admits. + +Perhaps they will say that the danger of idolatry demands that bread +and wine be not really present. How ridiculous! The laymen have never +become familiar with their fine-spun philosophy of substance and +accidents, and could not grasp it if it were taught them. Besides, +there is the same danger in the case of the accidents which remain and +which they see, as in the case of the substance which they do not see. +For if they do not adore the accidents, but Christ hidden under them, +why should they adore the bread, which they do not see? + +But why could not Christ include His body in the substance of the +bread just as well as in the accidents? The two substances of fire and +iron are so mingled in the heated iron that every part is both iron +and fire. Why could not much rather Christ's body be thus contained in +every part of the substance of the bread? + +What will they say? We believe that in His birth Christ came forth out +of the unopened womb of His mother. Let them say here too that the +flesh of the Virgin was meanwhile annihilated, or as they would more +aptly say, transubstantiated, so that Christ, after being enfolded in +its accidents, finally came forth through the accidents! The same +thing will have to be said of the shut door and of the closed mouth of +the sepulchre, through which He went in and out without disturbing +them. Hence has risen that hotch-potch of a philosophy of constant +quantity distinct from the substance, until it has come to such a pass +that they themselves no longer know what are accidents and what is +substance. For who has ever proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that +heat, color, cold, light, weight or shape are mere accidents? Finally, +they have been driven to the fancy that a new substance is created by +God or their accidents on the altar--all on account of Aristotle, who +says, "It is the essence of an accident to be in something," and +endless other monstrosities, of all which they would be rid if they +simply permitted real bread to be present. And I rejoice greatly that +the simple faith of this sacrament is still to be found at least among +the common people; for as they do not understand, neither do they +dispute, whether accidents are present or substance[47] but believe +with a simple faith that Christ's body and blood are truly contained +in whatever is there, and leave to those who have nothing else to do +the business of disputing about that which contains them. + +But perhaps they will say: From Aristotle we learn that in an +affirmative proposition subject and predicate must be identical, or, +to set down the beast's own words, in the sixth book of his +_Metaphysics_: "An affirmative proposition demands the agreement of +subject and predicate," which they interpret as above. Hence, when it +is said, "This is my body," the subject cannot be identical with the +bread, but must be identical with the body of Christ. What shall we +say when Aristotle and the doctrines of men are made to be the +arbiters of these lofty and divine matters? Why do we not put by such +curiosity, and cling simply to the word of Christ, willing to remain +in ignorance of what here takes place, and content with this, that the +real body of Christ is present by virtue of the words?[48] Or is it +necessary to comprehend the manner of the divine working in every +detail? + +But what do they say to Aristotle's assigning a subject to whatever is +predicated of the attributes, although he holds that the substance is +the chief subject? Hence for him, "this white," "this large," etc., +are subjects of which something is predicated. If that is correct, I +ask: If a transubstantiation must be assumed in order that Christ's +body be not predicated of the bread, why not also a transaccidentation +in order that it be not predicated of the accidents? For the same +danger remains if one understands the subject to be "this white" or +"this round"[49] is my body, and for the same reason that a +transubstantiation is assumed, a transaccidentation must also be +assumed, because of this identity of subject and predicate. + +Let us not, however, dabble too much in philosophy. Does not Christ +appear to have admirably anticipated such curiosity by saying of the +wine, not, "_Hoc est sanguis meus_," but "_Hie est sanguis mens_" +[Matt. 26:28]? And yet more clearly, by bringing in the word "cup," +when He said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood." [1 Cor. +11:25] Does it not seem as though He desired to keep us in a simple +faith, so that we might but believe His blood to be in the cup? For +my part, if I cannot fathom how the bread is the body of Christ, I +will take my reason captive to the obedience of Christ [2 Cor. 10:5], +and clinging simply to His word, firmly believe not only that the body +of Christ is in the bread, but that the bread is the body of Christ. +For in this I am borne out by the words, "He took bread, and giving +thanks, He brake it and said, Take, eat; this [i. e., this bread which +He took and brake] is my body." [1 Cor. 11:23] And Paul says: "The +bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" +[1 Cor. 10:16] He says not, in the bread, but the bread itself, is the +communion of the body of Christ. What matters it if philosophy cannot +fathom this? The Holy Spirit is greater than Aristotle. Does +philosophy fathom that transubstantiation of theirs, of which they +themselves admit that here all philosophy breaks down? But the +agreement of the pronoun "this" with "body," in Greek and Latin, is +owing to the fact that in these languages the two words are of the +same gender. But in the Hebrew language, which has no neuter gender, +"this" agrees with "bread," so that it would be proper to say, "_Hie +est corpus meum_." This is proved also by the use of language and by +common sense; the subject, forsooth, points to the bread, not to the +body, when He says, "_Hoc est corpus meum_," "_Das ist mein +Leib_,"--i. e., This bread is my body. + +Therefore it is with the sacrament even as it is with Christ. In order +that the Godhead may dwell in Him, it is not necessary that the human +nature be transubstantiated and the Godhead be contained under its +accidents; but both natures are there in their entirety, and it is +truly said, "This man is God," and "This God is man." Even though +philosophy cannot grasp this, faith grasps it, and the authority of +God's Word is greater than the grasp of our intellect. Even so, in +order that the real body and the real blood of Christ may be present +in the sacrament, it is not necessary that the bread and wine be +transubstantiated and Christ be contained under their accidents; but +both remain there together, and it is truly said, "This bread is my +body, this wine is my blood," [Matt. 26:26] and _vice versa_. Thus I +will for the nonce understand it, or the honor of the holy words of +God, which I will not suffer any petty human arguments to override or +wrest to meanings foreign to them. At the same time, I permit other +men to follow the other opinion, which is laid down in the decree +_Firmiter_[50]; only let them not press us to accept their opinions as +articles of faith, as I said above. + +[Sidenote: The Third Captivity: The Mass a Good Work and a Sacrifice] + +The third captivity of this sacrament is that most wicked abuse of +all, in consequence of which there is to-day no more generally +accepted and firmly believed opinion in the Church than this,--that +the mass is a good work and a sacrifice. And this abuse has brought an +endless host of others in its train, so that the faith of this +sacrament has Sacrifice become utterly extinct and the holy sacrament +has been turned into a veritable air, tavern, and place of +merchandise. Hence participations[51], brotherhoods[52], +intercessions, merits, anniversaries, memorial days, and the like +wares are bought and sold, traded and bartered in the Church, and from +this priests and monks derive their whole living. + +I am attacking a difficult matter, and one perhaps impossible to +abate, since it has become so firmly entrenched through century-long +custom and the common consent of men that it would be necessary to +abolish most of the books now in vogue, to alter well-nigh the whole +external form of the churches, and to introduce, or rather +re-introduce, a totally different kind of ceremonies. But my Christ +lives; and we must be careful to give more heed to the Word of God +than to all the thoughts of men and of angels. I will perform the +duties of my office, and uncover the acts in the case; I will give the +truth as I have received it, freely and without malice [Matt. 10:8]. +For the rest let every man look to his own salvation; I will +faithfully do my part that none may cast on me the blame for his lack +of faith and knowledge of the truth, when we appear before the +judgment-seat of Christ. + +[Sidenote: The Word of Christ, which is the Testament] + +In the first place, in order to attain safely and fortunately to a +true and unbiased knowledge of this sacrament, we must above all else +be careful to put aside whatever has been added by the zeal and +devotion of men to the original, simple institution of this +sacrament,--such things as vestments, ornaments, chants, prayers, +organs, candles, and the whole pageantry of outward things[53]; we +must turn our eyes and hearts simply to the institution of Christ and +to this alone, and set naught before us but the very word of Christ by +which He instituted this sacrament, made it perfect, and committed it +to us. For in that word, and in that word alone, reside the power, the +nature, and the whole substance of the mass. All else is the work of +man, added to the word of Christ; and the mass can be held and remain +a mass just as well without it. Now the words of Christ, in which He +instituted this sacrament, are these: + +"And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and +brake: and gave to His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat. This is +my body, which shall be given for you. And taking the chalice. He gave +thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. This is the +chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you +and for many unto remission of sins. This do for the commemoration of +me." [Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:24 f.; Luke 22:20] + +These words the Apostle also delivers and more fully expounds in i +Cor. xi [1 Cor. 11:23 ff.]. On them we must lean and build as on a +firm foundation, if we would not be carried about with every wind of +doctrine, even as we have hitherto been carried about by the wicked +doctrines of men, who turn aside the truth [Titus 1:14]. For in these +words nothing is omitted that pertains to the completeness, the use +and the blessing of this sacrament; and nothing is included that is +superfluous and not necessary for us to know. Whoever sets them aside +and meditates or teaches concerning the mass, will teach monstrous and +wicked doctrines, as they have done who made of the sacrament an _opus +operatum_[56] and a sacrifice. + +Therefore let this stand at the outset as our infallibly certain +proposition,--the mass, or sacrament of the altar, is Christ's +testament which He left behind Him at His death, to be distributed +among His believers. For that is the meaning of His word,--"This is +the chalice, the new testament in my blood." [Luke 22:20] Let this +truth stand, I say, as the immovable foundation on which we shall base +all that we have to say, or we are going to overthrow, as you will +see, all the godless opinions of men imported into this most precious +sacrament. Christ, Who is the Truth, saith truly that this is the new +testament in His blood, which is shed for us. Not without reason do I +dwell on this sentence; the matter is of no small moment, and must be +most deeply impressed upon us. + +Let us enquire, therefore, what a testament is, and we shall learn at +the same time what the mass is, what its use and blessing, and what +its abuse. A testament, as every one knows, is a promise made by one +about to die, in which he designates his bequest and appoints his +heirs. Therefore a testament involves, first, the death of the +testator, and secondly, the promise of the bequest and the naming of +the heir. Thus St. Paul discusses at length the nature of a testament +in Romans iv, Galatians iii and iv, and Hebrews ix. The same thing is +also clearly seen in these words of Christ. Christ testifies +concerning His death when He says: "This is my body, which shall be +given; this is my blood, which shall be shed." [Luke 22:19 f.] He +designates the bequest when He says: "Unto remission of sins." And He +appoints the heirs when He says: "For you, and for many"--i. e., for +such as accept and believe the promise of the testator; or here it is +faith that makes men heirs, as we shall see. + +You see, therefore, that what we call the mass is the promise of +remission of sins made to us by God; and such a promise as has been +confirmed by the death of the Son of God. For the one difference +between a promise and a testament is that a testament is a promise +which implies the death of him who makes it. A testator is a man +making a promise who is about to die; whilst he that makes a promise +is, if I may so put it, a testator who is not about to die. This +testament of Christ was forshadowed in all the promises of God from +the beginning of the world; nay, whatever value those olden promises +possessed was altogether derived from this new promise that was to +come in Christ. Hence the words "covenant" and "testament of the Lord" +occur so frequently in the Scriptures, which words signified that God +would one day die. For where there is a testament, the death of the +testator must needs follow (Hebrews ix). Now God made a testament: +therefore it was necessary that He should die [Heb. 9:16]. But God +could not die unless He became man. Thus both the incarnation and the +death of Christ are briefly comprehended in this one word "testament." + +From the above it will at once be seen what is the right and what the +wrong use of the mass, what is the worthy and what the unworthy +preparation for it. If the mass is a promise, as has been said, it is +to be approached, not with any work or strength or merit, but with +faith alone. For where there is the word of God Who makes the promise, +there must be the faith of man who takes it. It is plain, therefore, +that the first step in our salvation is faith, which clings to the +word of the promise made by God, Who without any effort on our part, +in free and unmerited mercy makes a beginning and offers us the word +of His promise. For He sent His Word, and by it healed them [Ps. +107:20]. He did not accept our work and thus heal us. God's Word is +the beginning of all; on it follows faith, and on faith charity; then +charity works every good work, for it worketh no ill, nay, it is the +fulfilling of the law [Rom. 13:10]. In no other way can man come to +God and deal with Him than through faith; that is, not man, by any +work of his, but God, by His promise, is the author of salvation, so +that all things depend on the word of His power, and are upheld and +preserved by it [Heb. 1:3], with which word He begat us, that we +should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [Jas. 1:18]. + +Thus, in order to raise up Adam after the all, God gave him this +promise, addressing the serpent: "I will put enmities between thee and +the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and +thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." [Gen. 3:15] In this word of +promise Adam, with them that were his, was carried as it were in God's +bosom, and by faith in it he was preserved, patiently waiting for the +woman who should crush the serpent's head, as God had promised. And in +that faith and expectation he died, not knowing when or in what guise +she would come, yet never doubting that she would come. For such a +promise, being the truth of God, preserves, even in hell, those who +believe it and wait for it. After this came another promise, made to +Noah--to last until the time of Abraham--when a bow was set as a sign +in the clouds [Gen. 9:12], by faith in which Noah and his descendants +found a gracious God. After that He promised Abraham that all nations +should be blessed in his seed [Gen. 12:3]; and this is Abraham's +bosom, into which his posterity was carried [Luke 16:22]. Then to +Moses and the children of Israel, and especially to David, He gave the +plain promise of Christ [Deut. 18:18], thereby at last making clear +what was meant by the promise to them of old time [2 Sam. 7:6]. And so +it came finally to the most complete promise of the new testament, in +which with plain words life and salvation are freely promised, and +granted to such as believe the promise. And He distinguished this +testament by a particular mark from the old, calling it the "new +testament." [Luke 22:20] For the old testament, which He gave by +Moses, was a promise not of remission of sins or of eternal things, +but of temporal,--namely, the land of Canaan,--by which no man was +renewed in his spirit, to lay hold on the heavenly inheritance. +Therefore it was also necessary that dumb beasts should be slain, as +types of Christ, that by their blood the testament might be confirmed; +so that the testament was even as the blood, and the promise even as +the sacrifice. But here He says: "The new testament in my blood" [Luke +22:20]--not in another's, but in His own, and by this blood grace is +promised, through the Spirit, unto the remission of sins, that we may +obtain the inheritance. + +The mass, according to its substance, is, therefore, nothing else than +the aforesaid words of Christ--"Take and eat" [1 Cor. 11:24]; as if He +said: "Behold, O sinful man and condemned, out of pure and unmerited +love wherewith I love thee, and by the will of the Father of all +mercies, I promise thee in these words, or ever thou canst desire or +deserve them, the forgiveness of all thy sins and life everlasting. +And, that thou mayest be most certainly assured of this my irrevocable +promise, I give my body and shed my blood, thus by my very death +confirming this promise, and leaving thee my body and blood as a sign +and memorial of this same promise. As oft, therefore, as thou +partakest of them, remember me, and praise, magnify, and give thanks +or my love and largess toward thee." + +Herefrom you will see that nothing else is needed for a worthy holding +of mass than a faith that confidently relies on this promise, believes +Christ to be true in these words of His, and doubts not that these +infinite blessings have been bestowed upon it. Hard on this faith +there follows, of itself, a most sweet stirring of the heart, whereby +the spirit of man is enlarged and waxes at--that is love, given by the +Holy Spirit through faith in Christ--so that he is drawn unto Christ, +that gracious and good Testator, and made quite another and a new man. +Who would not shed tears of gladness, nay well-nigh faint for the joy +he hath toward Christ, if he believed with unshaken faith that this +inestimable promise of Christ belonged to him! How could one help +loving so great a Benefactor, who offers, promises and grants, all +unbidden, such great riches, and this eternal inheritance, to one +unworthy and deserving of somewhat far different? + +Therefore, it is our one misfortune, that we have many masses in the +world, and yet none or but the fewest of us recognize, consider and +receive these promises and riches that are offered, although verily we +should do nothing else in the mass with greater zeal (yea, it demands +all our zeal) than set before our eyes, meditate, and ponder these +words, these promises of Christ, which truly are the mass itself, in +order to exercise, nourish, increase, and strengthen our faith by such +daily remembrance. For this is what He commands, saying, "This do in +remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] + +This should be done by the preachers of the Gospel, in order that this +promise might be faithfully impressed upon the people and commended to +them, to the awakening of faith in the same. But how many are there +now who know that the mass is the promise of Christ? I will say +nothing of those godless preachers of fables, who teach human +traditions instead of this promise. And even if they teach these words +of Christ, they do not teach them as a promise or testament, and, +therefore, not to the awakening of faith. + +O the pity of it! Under this captivity, they take every precaution +that no layman should hear these words of Christ, as if they were too +sacred to be delivered to the common people. So mad are we[57] priests +that we arrogantly claim that the so-called words of consecration may +be said by ourselves alone, as secret words, yet so that they do not +profit even us, or we too fail to regard them as promises or as a +testament, for the strengthening of faith. Instead of believing them, +we reverence them with I know not what superstitious and godless +fancies. This misery of ours, what is it but a device of Satan to +remove every trace of the mass out of the Church? although he is +meanwhile at work filing every nook and corner on earth with masses, +that is, abuses and mockeries of God's testament, and burdening the +world more and more heavily with grievous sins of idolatry, to its +deeper condemnation. For what worse idolatry can there be than to +abuse God's promises with perverse opinions and to neglect or +extinguish faith in them? + +For God does not deal, nor has He ever dealt, with man otherwise than +through a word of promise, as I have said[58]; again, we cannot deal +with God otherwise than through faith in the word of His promise. He +does not desire works, nor has He need of them; we deal with men and +with ourselves on the basis of works. But He has need of this,--that +we deem Him true to His promises, wait patiently for Him, and thus +worship Him with faith, hope and love. Thus He obtains His glory among +us, since it is not of ourselves who run, but of Him who showeth mercy +[Ps. 115:1], promiseth and giveth, that we have and hold every +blessing [Rom. 9:16]. That is the true worship and service of God +which we must perform in the mass. But if the words of promise are not +proclaimed, what exercise of faith can there be? And without faith, +who can have hope or love? Without faith, hope and love, what service +can there be? There is no doubt, therefore, that in our day all +priests and monks, together with all their bishops and superiors, are +idolaters and in a most perilous state, by reason of this ignorance, +abuse and mockery of the mass, or sacrament, or testament of God. + +For any one can easily see that these two--the promise and faith--must +go together. For without the promise there is nothing to believe, +while without faith the promise, remains without effect; for it is +established and fulfilled through faith. From this every one will +readily gather that the mass, which is nothing else than the promise, +is approached and observed only in this faith, without which whatever +prayers, preparations, works, signs of the cross, or genuflections are +brought to it, are incitements to impiety rather than exercises of +piety; for they who come thus prepared are wont to imagine themselves +on that account justly entitled to approach the altar, when in reality +they are less prepared than at any other time and in any other work, +by reason of the unbelief which they bring with them. How many priests +will you find every day offering the sacrifice of the mass, who accuse +themselves of a horrible crime if they--wretched men!--commit a +trifling, blunder, such as putting on the wrong robe or forgetting to +wash their hands or stumbling over their prayers; but that they +neither regard nor believe the mass itself, namely, the divine +promise--this causes them not the slightest qualms of conscience. O +worthless religion of this our age, the most godless and thankless of +all ages! + +Hence the only worthy preparation and proper use of the mass is faith +in the mass, that is to say, in the divine promise. Whoever, +therefore, is minded to approach the altar and to receive the +sacrament, let him beware of appearing empty before the Lord God [Ex. +23:15; 34:20]. But he will appear empty unless he has faith in the +mass, or this new testament. What godless work that he could commit +would be a more grievous crime against the truth of God, than this +unbelief of his, by which, as much as in him lies, he convicts God of +being a liar and a maker of empty promises? The safest course, +therefore, will be to go to mass in the same spirit in which you would +go to hear any other promise of God; that is, not to be ready to +perform and bring many works, but to believe and receive all that is +there promised, or proclaimed by the priest as having been promised to +you. If you do not go in this spirit, beware of going at all; you will +surely go to your condemnation. + +I was right then in saying[59] that the whole power of the mass +consists in the words of Christ, in which He testifies that the +remission of sins is bestowed on all those who believe that His body +is given and His blood shed for them. For this reason nothing is more +important for those who go to hear mass than diligently and in full +faith to ponder these words. Unless they do this, all else that they +do is in vain. + +[Sidenote: The External Sign, which is the Sacrament] + +But while the mass is the word of Christ, it is also true that God is +wont to add to well-nigh every promise of His a certain sign as a mark +or memorial of His promise, so that we may thereby the more faithfully +hold to His promise and be the more forcibly admonished by it. Thus, +to his promise to Noah that He would not again destroy the world by a +flood, He added His bow in the clouds, to show that He would be +mindful of His covenant [Gen. 9:13]. And after promising Abraham the +inheritance in his seed, He gave him the sign of circumcision as the +seal of his righteousness by faith. Thus, to Gideon He granted the +sign of the dry and the wet fleece, to confirm His promise of victory +over the Midianites [Judges 6:36 ff.]. And to Ahaz He offered a sign +through Isaiah concerning his victory over the kings of Syria and +Samaria, to strengthen his faith in the promise [Isa. 7:10 ff.]. And +many such signs of the promises of God do we find in the Scriptures. + +Thus also to the mass, that crown of all His promises. He adds His +body and blood in the bread and wine, as a memorial sign of this great +promise; as He says, "This do in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] +Even so in baptism He adds to the words of the promise, the sign of +immersion in water. We learn from this that in every promise of God +two things are presented to us--the word and the sign--so that we are +to understand the word to be the testament, but the sign to be the +sacrament. Thus, in the mass, the word of Christ is the testament, and +the bread and wine are the sacrament. And as there is greater power in +the word than in the sign, so there is greater power in the testament +than in the sacrament; for a man can have and use the word, or +testament, apart from the sign, or sacrament. "Believe," says +Augustine, "and thou hast eaten."[60] But what does one believe save +the word of promise? Therefore I can hold mass every day, yea, every +hour, for I can set the words of Christ before me, and with them +refresh and strengthen my faith, as often as I choose. That is a truly +spiritual eating and drinking.[61] + +Here you may see what great things our theologians of the +Sentences[62] have produced. That which is the principal and chief +thing, namely, the testament and word of promise, is not treated by +one of them; thus they have obliterated faith and the whole power of +the mass. But the second part of the mass,--the sign, or +sacrament,[63]--this alone do they discuss, yet in such a manner that +here too they teach not faith but their preparations and _opera +operata_, participations and fruits[64], as though these were the +mass, until they have fallen to babbling of transubstantiation and +endless other metaphysical quibbles, and have destroyed the proper +understanding and use of both sacrament and testament, altogether +abolished faith, and caused Christ's people to forget their God, as +the prophet says, days without number [Jer. 2:32]. But do you let the +others tell over the manifold fruits of hearing mass, and turn hither +your mind, and say and believe with the prophet, that God here +prepares a table before you, against all those that afflict you, at +which your soul may eat and grow fat [Ps. 23:5]. But your faith is fed +only with the word of divine promise, for "not in bread alone doth man +live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Deut. +8:3; Matt. 4:4] Hence, in the mass you must above all things pay +closest heed to the word of promise, as to your rich banquet, green +pasture, and sacred refreshment; you must esteem this word higher than +all else, trust in it above all things, and cling firmly to it even +through the midst of death and all sins. By thus doing you will attain +not merely to those tiny drops and crumbs of "fruits of the mass," +which some have superstitiously imagined, but to the very fountainhead +of life, which is faith in the word, from which every blessing flows; +as it is said in John iv: "He that believeth in me, out of his belly +shall flow rivers of living water" [John 7:38]; and again: "He that +shall drink of the water that I will give him, it shall become in him +a fountain of living water, springing up into life everlasting." [John +4:14][65] + +Now there are two things that commonly tempt us to lose the fruits of +the mass: first, the fact that we are sinners and unworthy of such +great things because of our exceeding vileness; and, secondly, the act +that, even if we were worthy, these things are so high that our +faint-hearted nature dare not aspire to them or ever hope to attain to +them. For to have God for our Father, to be His sons and heirs of all +His goods--these are the great blessings that come to us through the +forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. And who that regarded them +aright must not rather stand aghast before them than desire to possess +them? Against this twofold faintness of ours we must lay hold on the +word of Christ and fix our gaze on it much more firmly than on those +thoughts of our weakness. For "great are the works of the Lord [Ps. +111:2]; wrought out according to all His wills, who is able to do +exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." [Eph. 3:20] If +they did not surpass our worthiness, our grasp and all our thoughts, +they would not be divine. Thus Christ also encourages us when He says: +"Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a +kingdom." [Luke 17:32] For it is just this overflowing goodness of the +incomprehensible God, lavished upon us through Christ, that moves us +to love Him again with our whole heart above all things, to be drawn +to Him with all confidence, to despise all things else, and be ready +to suffer all things for Him; wherefore this sacrament is well styled +"a fount of love." + +Let us take an illustration of this from every day life[66]. If a +thousand _gulden_ were bequeathed by a rich lord to a beggar or an +unworthy and wicked servant, it is certain that he would boldly claim +and take them regardless of his unworthiness and the greatness of the +bequest. And if any one should seek to oppose him by casting in his +teeth his unworthiness and the large amount of the legacy, what do you +suppose he would say? He would say, forsooth: "What is that to you? +What I accept, I accept not on my merits or by any right that I may +personally have to it; I know that I am unworthy and receive more than +I have deserved, nay, I have deserved the very opposite. But I claim +it because it is so written in the will, and on the score of another's +goodness. If it was not an unworthy thing for him to bequeath so great +a sum to an unworthy person, why should I reuse to accept it because +of my unworthiness? Nay, the more unworthy I am, the more reason have +I to accept this other man's gracious gift." With such thoughts we +need to fortify the consciences of men against all qualms and +scruples, that they may lay hold on the promise of Christ with +unwavering faith, and take the greatest care to approach the +sacrament, not trusting in their confession, prayer and preparation, +but rather despairing of these and with a proud confidence in Christ +Who gives the promise. For, as we have said again and again, the word +of promise must here reign supreme in a pure and unalloyed faith, and +such faith is the one and all-sufficient preparation. + +[Sidenote: The Mass Converted into a Good Work] + +Hence we see how angry God is with us, in that he has permitted +godless teachers to conceal the words of this testament from us, and +thereby, as much as in them lay, to extinguish faith. And the +inevitable result of this extinguishing of faith is even now plainly +to be seen--namely, the most godless superstition of works. For when +faith dies and the word of faith is silent, works and the traditions +of works immediately crowd into their place. By them we have been +carried away out of our own land, as in a Babylonian captivity, and +despoiled of all our precious possessions. This has been the fate of +the mass; it has been converted by the teaching of godless men into a +good work, which they themselves call an _opus operatum_[67] and by +which they presumptuously imagine themselves all-powerful with God. +Thereupon they proceeded to the very height of madness, and having +invented the lie that the mass works _ex opere operate_[68], they +asserted further that it is none the less profitable to others, even +if it be harmful to the wicked priest celebrating it. On such a +foundation of sand they base their applications, participations, +sodalities, anniversaries and numberless other money-making schemes. + +These lures are so powerful, widespread and firmly entrenched that you +will scarcely be able to prevail against them unless you keep before +you with unremitting care the real meaning of the mass, and bear well +in mind what has been said above. We have seen that the mass is +nothing else than the divine promise or testament of Christ, sealed +with the sacrament of His body and blood. If that is true, you will +understand that it cannot possibly be a work, and that there is +nothing to do in it, nor can it be dealt with in any other way than by +faith alone. And faith is not a work, but the mistress and the life of +all works[69]. Where in all the world is there a man so foolish as to +regard a promise made to him, or a testament given to him, as a good +work which by his acceptance of it he renders to the testator? What +heir will imagine he is doing his departed father a kindness by +accepting the terms of the will and the inheritance bequeathed to him? +What godless audacity is it, therefore, when we who are to receive the +testament of God come as those who would perform a good work or Him! +This ignorance of the testament, this captivity of the sacrament--are +they not too sad for tears? When we ought to be grateful for benefits +received, we come in our pride to give that which we ought to take, +mocking with unheard-of perversity the mercy of the Giver by giving as +a work the thing we receive as a gift; so that the testator, instead +of being the dispenser of His own goods, becomes the recipient of +ours. Out upon such godless doings! + +Who has ever been so mad as to regard baptism as a good work, or to +believe that by being baptised he was performing a work which he might +offer to God or himself and communicate to others? I, therefore, there +is no good work that can be communicated to others in this one +sacrament or testament, neither will there be any in the mass, since +it too is nothing else than a testament and sacrament. Hence it is a +manifest and wicked error to offer or apply masses for sins, or +satisfactions, for the dead, or for any necessity whatsoever of one's +own or of others. You will readily see the obvious truth of this if +you but hold firmly that the mass is a divine promise, which can +profit no one, be applied to no one, intercede or no one, and be +communicated to no one, save him alone who believes with a faith of +his own. Who can receive or apply, in behalf of another, the promise +of God, which demands the personal faith of every individual? Can I +give to another what God has promised, even if he does not believe? +Can I believe for another, or cause another to believe? But this is +what I must do if I am able to apply and communicate the mass to +others; for there are but two things in the mass--the promise of God, +and the faith of man which takes that which the promise offers. But if +it is true that I can do this, then I can also hear and believe the +Gospel for others, I can be baptised for another, I can be absolved +from sins for another, I can also partake of the sacrament of the +altar for another, and--to run the gamut of their sacraments also--I +can marry a wife for another, be ordained for another, receive +confirmation and extreme unction for another! In fine, why did not +Abraham believe for all the Jews? Why was faith in the promise made to +Abraham demanded of every individual Jew? + +Therefore, let this irrefutable truth stand fast. Where there is a +divine promise every one must stand upon his own feet, every one's +personal faith is demanded, every one will give an account for himself +and will bear his own burden [Gal. 6:5], as it is said in the last +chapter of Mark: "He that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; +but he that believeth not, shall be damned." [Mark 16:16] Even so +every one may derive a blessing from the mass for himself alone and +only by his own faith, and no one can commune for any other; just as +the priest cannot administer the sacrament to any one in another's +stead, but administers the same sacrament to each individual by +himself. For in consecrating and administering, the priests are our +ministers, through whom we do not offer a good work or commune (in the +active), but receive the promises and the sign and are communed (in +the passive). That has remained to this day the custom among the +laity, for they are not said to do good, but to receive it. But the +priests have departed into godless ways; out of the sacrament and +testament of God, the source of blessings to be received, they have +made a good work which they may communicate and offer to others. + +But you will say: How is this? Will you not overturn the practice and +teaching of all the churches and monasteries, by virtue of which they +have flourished these many centuries? For the mass is the foundation +of their anniversaries, intercessions, applications, communications, +etc.--that is to say, of their at income. I answer: This is the very +thing that has constrained me to write of the captivity of the Church, +for in this manner the adorable testament of God has been subjected to +the bondage of a godless traffic, through the opinions and traditions +of wicked men, who, passing over the Word of God, have put forth the +thoughts of their own hearts and misled the whole world. What do I +care for the number and influence of those who are in this error? The +truth is mightier than they all. If you are able to gainsay Christ, +according to Whom the mass is a testament and sacrament, then I will +admit that they are in the right. Or if you can bring yourself to say +that that man is doing a good work, who receives the benefit of the +testament, or who uses this sacrament of promise in order to receive +it, then I will gladly condemn my teachings. But since you can do +neither, why do you hesitate to turn your back on the multitude who go +after evil, and to give God the glory and confess His truth? Which is, +indeed, that all priests today are perversely mistaken, who regard the +mass as a work whereby they may relieve their own necessities and +those of others, dead or alive. I am uttering unheard-of and startling +things; but if you will consider the meaning of the mass, you will +realize that I have spoken the truth. The fault lies with our utter +supineness, in which we have become blind to the wrath of God that is +raging against us. + +[Sidenote: The Prayers Distinguished from the Mass] + +I am ready, however, to admit that the prayers which we pour out +before God when we are gathered together to partake of the mass, are +good works or benefits, which we impart, apply and communicate to one +another, and which we offer for one another; as James teaches us to +pray for one another that we may be saved [Jas. 5:16], and as Paul, in +I Timothy ii, commands that supplications, prayers and intercessions +be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in high station +[1 Tim. 2:1 f.]. These are not the mass, but works of the mass--if the +prayers of heart and lips may be called works--for they flow from the +faith that is kindled or increased in the sacrament. For the mass, +being the promise of God, is not fulfilled by praying, but only by +believing; but when we believe, we shall also pray and perform every +good work. But what priest of them all offers the sacrifice of the +mass in this sense and believes that he is offering up naught but the +prayers? They all imagine themselves to be offering up Christ Himself, +as all-sufficient sacrifice, to God the Father, and to be performing a +good work for all whom they have the intention to benefit. For they +put their trust in the work which the mass accomplishes, and they do +not ascribe this work to prayer. Thus, gradually, the error has grown, +until they have come to ascribe to the sacrament what belongs to the +prayers, and to offer to God what should be received as a benefit. + +It is necessary, therefore, to make a sharp distinction between the +testament or sacrament itself and the prayers which are there offered; +and no less necessary to bear in mind that the prayers avail nothing, +either for him who offers them or for those for whom they are offered, +unless the sacrament be first received in faith, so that it is faith +that offers the prayers, for it alone is heard, as James teaches in +his first chapter [Jas. 1:6 f.]. So great is the difference between +prayer and the mass. The prayer may be extended to as many persons as +one desires; but the mass is received by none but the person who +believes for himself, and only in proportion to his faith. It cannot +be given either to God or to men; but God alone gives it, by the +ministration of the priest, to such men as receive it by faith alone, +without any works or merits. For no one would dare to make the mad +assertion that a ragged beggar does a good work when he comes to +receive a gift from a rich man. But the mass is, as has been said[70], +the gift and promise of God, offered to all men by the hand of the +priest. It is certain, therefore, that the mass is not a work which +may be communicated to others, but it is the object, as it is called, +of faith, for the strengthening and nourishing of the personal faith +of each individual. + +[Sidenote: The Most Dangerous Error of All: the Mass a Sacrifice] + +But there is yet another stumbling-block that must be removed, and +this is much greater and the most dangerous of all. It is the common +belief that the mass is a sacrifice, which is offered to God. Even the +words of the canon[71] tend in this direction, when they speak of +"these gifts," "these offerings," "this holy sacrifice," and farther +on, of "this oblation." Prayer also is made, in so many words, "that +the sacrifice may be accepted even as the sacrifice of Abel," etc., +and hence Christ is termed the "Sacrifice of the altar." In addition +to this there are the sayings of the holy Fathers, the great number of +examples, and the constant usage and custom of all the world. + +To all of this, firmly entrenched as it is, we must resolutely oppose +the words and example of Christ. For unless we hold fast to the truth, +that the mass is the promise or testament of Christ, as the words +clearly say, we shall lose the whole Gospel and all our comfort. Let +us permit nothing to prevail against these words, even though an angel +from heaven should teach otherwise [Gal. 1:8]. For there is nothing +said in them of a work or a sacrifice. Moreover, we have also the +example of Christ on our side. For at the Last Supper, when He +instituted this sacrament and established this testament, Christ did +not offer Himself to God the Father, nor did He perform a good work on +behalf of others, but He set this testament before each of them that +sat at table with Him and offered him the sign. Now, the more closely +our mass resembles that first mass of all, which Christ performed at +the Last Supper, the more Christian will it be. But Christ's mass was +most simple, without the pageantry of vestments, genuflections, chants +and other ceremonies. Indeed, if it were necessary to offer the mass +as a sacrifice, then Christ's institution of it was not complete. + +Not that any one should revile the Church universal for embellishing +and amplifying the mass with many additional rites and ceremonies. But +this is what we contend for; no one should be deceived by the glamour +of the ceremonies and entangled in the multitude of pompous forms, and +thus lose the simplicity of the mass itself, and indeed practice a +sort of transubstantiation--losing sight of the simple substance of +the mass and clinging to the manifold accidents of outward pomp. For +whatever has been added to the word and example of Christ, is an +accident of the mass, and ought to be regarded just as we regard the +so-called monstrances and corporal cloths in which the host itself is +contained[72]. Therefore, as distributing a testament, or accepting a +promise, differs diametrically from offering a sacrifice, so it is a +contradiction in terms to call the mass a sacrifice; for the former is +something that we receive, while the latter is something that we +offer. The same thing cannot be received and offered at the same time, +nor can it be both given and taken by the same person; just as little +as our prayer can be the same as that which our prayer obtains, or the +act of praying the same as the act of receiving the answer to our +prayer. + +What shall we say, then, of the canon of the mass[73] and the sayings +of the Fathers? First of all, if there were nothing at all to be said +against them, it would yet be the safer course to reject them all +rather than admit that the mass is a work or a sacrifice, lest we deny +the word of Christ and overthrow faith together with the mass. +Nevertheless, not to reject altogether the canons and the Fathers, we +shall say the following: The Apostle instructs us in I Corinthians xi +that it was customary for Christ's believers, when they came together +to mass, to bring with them meat and drink, which they called +"collections" and distributed among all who were in want [1 Cor. 11:20 +ff.], after the example of the apostles in Acts iv [Acts 4:34 f.]. +From this store was Acts taken the portion of bread and wine that was +consecrated for use in the sacrament[74]. And since all this store of +meat and drink was sanctified by the word and by prayer [1 Tim. 4:5], +being "lifted up" according to the Hebrew rite of which we read in +Moses [Lev. 8:27], the words and the rite of this lifting up, or for +offering, have come down to us, although the custom of collecting that +which was offered, or lifted up, has fallen long since into disuse. +Thus, in Isaiah xxxvii, Hezekiah commanded Isaiah to lift up his +prayer in the sight of God for the remnant [Isa. 37:4]. The Psalmist +sings: "Lift up your hands to the holy places" [Ps. 134:2]; and: "To +Thee will I lift up my hands." [Ps. 63:4] And in I Timothy ii we read: +"Lifting up pure hands in every place." [1 Tim. 2:8] For this reason +the words "sacrifice" and "oblation" must be taken to refer, not to +the sacrament and testament, but to these collections, whence also the +word "collect" has come down to us, as meaning the prayers said in the +mass. + +The same thing is indicated when the priest elevates the bread and the +chalice immediately after the consecration, whereby he shows that he +is not offering anything to God, for he does not say a single word +here about a victim or an oblation. But this elevation is either a +survival of that Hebrew rite of lifting up what was received with +thanksgiving and returned to God, or else it is an admonition to us, +to provoke us to faith in this testament which the priest has set +forth and exhibited in the words of Christ, so that now he shows us +also the sign of the testament. Thus the oblation of the bread +properly accompanies the demonstrative this in the words, "This is my +body," by which sign the priest addresses us gathered about him; and +in like manner the oblation of the chalice accompanies the +demonstrative this in the words, "This chalice is the new testament, +etc." For it is faith that the priest ought to awaken in us by this +act of elevation. And would to God that, as he elevates the sign, or +sacrament, openly before our eyes, he might also sound in our ears the +words of the testament with a loud, clear voice, and in the language +of the people, whatever it may be, in order that faith may be the more +effectively awakened. For why may mass be said in Greek and Latin and +Hebrew, and not also in German or in any other language?[75] + +[Sidenote: Fraternal Advice to the Priests] + +Let the priests, therefore, who in these corrupt and perilous times +offer the sacrifice of the mass, take heed, first, that the words of +the greater and the lesser canon[76] together with the collects, which +smack too strongly of sacrifice, be not referred by them to the +sacrament, but to the bread and wine which they consecrate, or to the +prayers which they say. For the bread and wine are offered at the +first, in order that they may be blessed and thus sanctified by the +Word and by prayer; but after they have been blessed and consecrated, +they are no longer offered, but received as a gift from God. And let +the priest bear in mind that the Gospel is to be set above all canons +and collects devised by men; and the Gospel does not sanction the +calling of the mass a sacrifice, as has been shown. + +Further, when a priest celebrates a public mass, he should determine +to do naught else through the mass than to commune himself and others; +yet he may at the same time offer prayers for himself and for others, +but he must beware lest he presume to offer the mass. But let him that +holds a private mass[77] determine to commune himself. The private +mass does not differ in the least from the ordinary communion which +any layman receives at the hand of the priest, and has no greater +effect, apart from the special prayers and the act that the priest +consecrates the elements for himself and administers them to himself. +So far as the blessing[78] of the mass and sacrament is concerned, we +are all of us on an equal footing, whether we be priests or laymen. + +If a priest be requested by others to celebrate so-called votive +masses[79], let him beware of accepting a reward for the mass, or of +presuming to offer a votive sacrifice; he should be at pains to refer +all to the prayers which he offers for the dead or the living, saying +within himself, "I will go and partake of the sacrament for myself +alone, and while partaking I will say a prayer for this one and that." +Thus he will take his reward--to buy him food and clothing--not for +the mass, but for the prayers. And let him not be disturbed because +all the world holds and practices the contrary. You have the most sure +Gospel, and relying on this you may well despise the opinions of men. +But if you despise me and insist upon offering the mass and not the +prayers alone, know that I have faithfully warned you and will be +without blame on the day of judgment; you will have to bear your sin +alone. I have said what I was bound to say as brother to brother for +his soul's salvation; yours will be the gain if you observe it, yours +the loss if you neglect it. And if some should even condemn what I +have said, I reply in the words of Paul: "But evil men and seducers +shall grow worse and worse: erring and driving into error." [2 Tim. +3:13] + +From the above every one will readily understand what there is in that +oft quoted saying of Gregory's[80]: "A mass celebrated by a wicked +priest is not to be considered of less effect than one celebrated by +any godly priest, and St. Peter's mass would not have been better than +Judas the traitor's, if they had offered the sacrifice of the mass." +Which saying has served many as a cloak to cover their godless doings, +and because of it they have invented the distinction between _opus +operati_ and _opus operantis_[81], so as to be free to lead wicked +lives themselves and yet to benefit other men. But Gregory speaks +truth; only they misunderstand and pervert his words. For it is true +beyond a question, that the testament or sacrament is given and +received through the ministration of wicked priests no less completely +than through the ministration of the most saintly. For who has any +doubt that the Gospel is preached by the ungodly? Now the mass is part +of the Gospel, nay, its sum and substance; for what is the whole +Gospel but the good tidings of the forgiveness of sins? But whatever +can be said of the forgiveness of sins and the mercy of God, is all +briefly comprehended in the word of this testament. Wherefore the +popular sermons ought to be naught else than expositions of the mass, +that is, a setting forth of the divine promise of this testament; that +would be to teach faith and truly to edify the Church. But in our day +the expounders of the mass play with the allegories of human rites and +play the fool with the people. + +Therefore, just as a wicked priest may baptise, that is, apply the +word of promise and the sign of the water to a candidate for baptism, +so he may also set forth the promise of this sacrament and administer +it to those who partake, and even himself partake, like Judas the +traitor, at the Lord's Supper. It still remains always the same +sacrament and testament, which works in the believer its own work, in +the unbeliever a "strange work." [Isa. 28:21] But when it comes to +offering a sacrifice the case is quite different. For not the mass but +the prayers are offered to God, and therefore it is as plain as day +that the offerings of a wicked priest avail nothing, but, as Gregory +says again, when an unworthy intercessor is chosen, the heart of the +judge is moved to greater displeasure. We must, therefore, not +confound these two--the mass and the prayers, the sacrament and the +work, the testament and the sacrifice; for the one comes from God to +us, through the ministration of the priest, and demands our faith, the +other proceeds from our faith to God, through the priest, and demands +His answer. The former descends, the latter ascends. Therefore the +former does not necessarily require a worthy and godly minister, but +the latter does indeed require such an one, because God heareth not +sinners [John 9:31]. He knows how to send down blessings through +evildoers, but He does not accept the work of any evildoer, as He +showed in the case of Cain [Gen. 4:5], and as it is said in Proverbs +xv, "The victims of the wicked are abominable to the Lord" [Prov. +15:8]; and in Romans xiv, "All that is not of faith is sin." [Rom. +14:23] + +[Sidenote: Worthy Communicants] + +But in order to make an end of this first part, we must take up one +remaining point against which an opponent might arise. From all that +has been said we conclude that the mass was provided only for such as +have a sad, afflicted, disturbed, perplexed and erring conscience, and +that they alone commune worthily. For, since the word of divine +promise in this sacrament sets forth the remission of sins, that man +may fearlessly draw near, whoever he be, whose sins distress him, +either with remorse or past or with temptation to future wrongdoing. +For this testament of Christ is the one remedy against sins, past, +present and future, if you but cling to it with unwavering faith and +believe that what the words of the testament declare is freely granted +to you. But if you do not believe this, you will never, nowhere, and +by no works or efforts of your own, find peace of conscience. For +faith alone sets the conscience at peace, and unbelief alone keeps the +conscience troubled. + +THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM + +Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according +to the riches of His mercy hath preserved in His Church this sacrament +at least, untouched and untainted by the ordinances of men, and hath +made it free unto all nations and every estate of mankind, nor +suffered it to be oppressed by the filthy and godless monsters of +greed and superstition. For He desired that by it little children, +incapable of greed and superstition, might be initiated and sanctified +in the simple faith of His Word; for whom even to-day baptism hath its +chief blessing. But if this sacrament were to be given to such as had +arrived at man's estate, methinks it could not possibly have retained +its power and its glory against the tyranny of greed and superstition +which has everywhere laid waste things divine. Doubtless the wisdom of +the flesh would here too have devised its preparations and +worthinesses, its reservations, restrictions, and I know not what +other snares for taking money, until water fetched as high a price as +parchment[82] does now. + +But Satan, though he could not quench the power of baptism in little +children, nevertheless succeeded in quenching it in all adults, so +that there are scarce any who call to mind their baptism and still +fewer who glory in it; so many other ways have they discovered of +ridding themselves of their sins and of reaching heaven. The source of +these false opinions is that dangerous saying of St. +Jerome's[83]--either unhappily phrased or wrongly interpreted--in +which he terms penance "the second plank" after the shipwreck; as if +baptism were not penance. Accordingly, when men fall into sin, they +despair of "the first plank," which is the ship, as though it had gone +under, and fasten all their faith on the second plank, that is, +penance. This has produced those endless burdens of vows, religious +works, satisfactions, pilgrimages, indulgences, and sects[84], whence +has arisen that flood of books, questions, opinions and human +traditions, which the world cannot contain; so that this tyranny plays +worse havoc with the Church of God than any tyrant ever did with the +Jewish people or with any other nation under heaven. + +It was the duty of the pontiffs to abate this evil, and with all +diligence to lead Christians to the true understanding of baptism, so +that they might know what manner of men they are and how it becomes +Christians to live. But instead of this, their work is now to lead the +people as far astray as possible from their baptism, to immerse all +men in the flood of their oppression, and to cause the people of +Christ, as the prophet says, to forget Him days without number [Jer. +2:32]. O unhappy, all who bear the name of priest to-day! They not +only do not know nor do what becometh priests, but they are ignorant +of what they ought to know and do. They fulfil the saying in Isaiah +lvi: "His watch-men are all blind, they are all ignorant: the +shepherds themselves knew no understanding; all have declined into +their own way, every one after his own gain." [Isa. 56:10] + +[Sidenote: The First Part of Baptism: The Divine Promise] + +Now, the first thing in baptism to be considered is the divine +promise, which says: "He that believeth and is baptised shall be +saved." This promise must be set far above all the glitter of works, +vows, religious orders, and whatever man has added thereto; for on it +all our salvation depends [Mark 16:16]. But we must so consider it as +to exercise our faith therein and in nowise doubt that we are saved +when we are baptised. For unless this faith be present or be conferred +in baptism, baptism will profit us nothing, nay, it becomes a +hindrance to us, not only in the moment of its reception, but all the +days of our life; for such unbelief accuses God's promise of being a +lie, and this is the blackest of all sins. If we set ourselves to this +exercise of faith, we shall at once perceive how difficult it is to +believe this promise of God. For our human weakness, conscious of its +sins, finds nothing more difficult to believe than that it is saved or +will be saved; and yet unless it does believe this, it cannot be +saved, because it does not believe the truth of God that promiseth +salvation. + +This message should have been untiringly impressed upon the people and +this promise dinned without ceasing in their ears; their baptism +should have been called again and again to their mind, and faith +constantly awakened and nourished. For, just as the truth of this +divine promise, once pronounced over us, continues unto death, so our +faith in the same ought never to cease, but to be nourished and +strengthened until death, by the continual remembrance of this promise +made to us in baptism. Therefore, when we rise from sins, or repent, +we do but return to the power and the faith of baptism from whence we +fell, and find our way back to the promise then made to us, from which +we departed when we sinned. For the truth of the promise once made +remains steadfast, ever ready to receive us back with open arms when +we return. This, if I mistake not, is the real meaning of the obscure +saying, that baptism is the beginning and foundation of all the +sacraments, without which none of the others may be received. + +It will, therefore, be no small gain or a penitent to lay hold before +all else on the memory of his baptism, confidently to call to mind the +promise of God, which he has forsaken, and to plead it with His Lord, +rejoicing that he is baptised and therefore is yet within the fortress +of salvation, and abhorring his wicked ingratitude in falling away +from its faith and truth. His soul will find wondrous comfort, and +will be encouraged to hope or mercy, when he considers that the divine +promise which God made to him and which cannot possibly lie, still +stands unbroken and unchanged, yea, unchangeable by any sins; as Paul +says in 1I Timothy ii, "If we believe not. He continueth faithful, He +cannot deny Himself." [2 Tim. 2:13] Ay, this truth of God will sustain +him, so that if all else should sink in ruins, this truth, if he +believe it, will not ail him. For in it he has a shield against all +assaults of the enemy, an answer to the sins that disturb his +conscience, an antidote for the dread of death and judgment, and a +comfort in every temptation,--namely, this one truth,--and he can say, +"God is faithful that promised [Heb. 10:23], Whose sign I have +received in my baptism. If God be for me, who is against me?" [Rom. +8:31] + +The children of Israel, whenever they repented of their sins, turned +their thoughts first of all to the exodus from Egypt, and, remembering +this, returned to God Who had brought them out. This memory and this +refuge were many times impressed upon them by Moses, and afterward +repeated by David. How much rather ought we to call to mind our exodus +from Egypt, and, remembering, turn back again to Him Who led us forth +through the washing of regeneration [Titus 3:5], which we are bidden +remember for this very purpose. And this we can do most fittingly in +the sacrament of bread and wine. Indeed, in olden times these three +sacraments--penance, baptism and the bread--were all celebrated at the +same service, and one supplemented and assisted the other. We read +also of a certain holy virgin who in every time of temptation made +baptism her sole defence, saying simply, "I am a Christian"; and +straight-way the adversary led from her, or he knew the power of her +baptism and of her faith which clung to the truth of God's +promise[85]. + +Lo, how rich therefore is a Christian, or one who is baptised! Even if +he would, he cannot lose his salvation, however much he sin, unless he +will not believe. For no sin can condemn him save unbelief alone. All +other sins,--if faith in God's promise made in baptism return or +remain,--all other sins, I say, are immediately blotted out through +that same faith, or rather through the truth of God, because He cannot +deny Himself if you but confess Him and cling believing to Him that +promises. But as for contrition, confession of sins, and +satisfaction[86],--with all those carefully thought-out exercises of +men,--if you turn your attention to them and neglect this truth of +God, they will suddenly fail you and leave you more wretched than +before. For whatever is done without faith in the truth of God, is +vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 1:2, 14]. + +Again, how perilous, nay, how false it is to suppose that penance is +the second plank after the shipwreck! How harmful an error it is to +believe that the power of baptism is broken, and the ship has +foundered, because we have sinned! Nay; that one, solid and unsinkable +ship remains, and is never broken up into floating timbers; it carries +all those who are brought to the harbor of salvation; it is the truth +of God giving us its promise in the sacraments. Many, indeed, rashly +leap overboard and perish in the waves; these are they who depart from +faith in the promise and plunge into sin. But the ship herself remains +intact and holds her steady course; and if one be able somehow to +return to the ship, it is not on any plank but in the good ship +herself that he is borne to life. Such an one is he who through faith +returns to the sure promise of God that abideth forever. Therefore +Peter, in his second epistle, rebukes them that sin, because they have +forgotten that they were purged from their old sins [2 Peter 1:9]; in +which words he doubtless chides their ingratitude or the baptism they +had received and their wicked unbelief. + +What is the good, then, of making many books on baptism and yet not +teaching this faith in the promise? All the sacraments were instituted +for the purpose of nourishing faith, but these godless men so +completely pass over this faith that they even assert a man dare not +be certain of the forgiveness of sins, that is, of the grace of the +sacraments. With such wicked teachings they delude the world, and not +only take captive but altogether destroy the sacrament of baptism, in +which the chief glory of our conscience consists. Meanwhile they madly +rage against the miserable souls of men with their contritions, +anxious confessions, circumstances[87], satisfactions, works and +endless other absurdities. Read, therefore, with great caution the +Master of the Sentences[88] in his fourth book, or, better yet, +despise him together with all his commentators, who at their best +write only of the material and form[87] of the sacraments, that is, +they treat of the dead and death-dealing letter of the sacraments, but +pass over in utter silence the spirit, life and use, that is, the +truth of the divine promise and our faith. + +Beware, therefore, lest the external pomp of works and the deceits of +human traditions mislead you, so that you may not wrong the divine +truth and your faith. If you would be saved, you must begin with the +faith of the sacraments, without any works whatever; but on faith the +works will follow: only do not think lightly of faith, which is a +work, and of all works the most excellent and the most difficult to +do. Through it alone you will be saved, even if you should be +compelled to do without any other works. For it is a work of God, not +of man, as Paul teaches [Eph. 2:8]. The other works He works through +us and with our help, but this one He works in us and without our +help. + +From this we can clearly see the difference, in baptism, between man +the minister and God the Doer. For man baptises and does not baptise: +he baptises, for he performs the work, immersing the person to be +baptised; he does not baptise, for in that act he officiates not by +his own authority, but in the stead of God. Hence, we ought to receive +baptism at the hands of a man just as if Christ Himself, nay, God +Himself, were baptising us with His own hands. For it is not man's +baptism, but Christ's and God's baptism, which we receive by the hand +of a man; just as every other created thing that we make use of by the +hand of another, is God's alone. Therefore beware of dividing baptism +in such a way as to ascribe the outward part to man and the inward +part to God. Ascribe both to God alone, and look upon the person +administering it as the instrument in God's hands, by which the Lord +sitting in heaven thrusts you under the water with His own hands, and +speaking by the mouth of His minister promises you, on earth with a +human voice, the forgiveness of your sins. + +This the words themselves indicate, when the priest says: "I baptise +thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. +Amen"--and not: "I baptise thee in my own name." It is as though he +said: "What I do, I do not by my own authority, but in the name and +stead of God, so that you should regard it just as if our Lord Himself +had done it in a visible manner. The Doer and the minister are +different persons, but the work of both is the same work, or, rather, +it is the work of the Doer alone, through my ministry." For I hold +that "in the name of" refers to the person of the Doer, so that the +name of the Lord is not only to be uttered and invoked while the work +is being done, but the work itself is to be done not as one's own +work, but in the name and stead of another. In this sense Christ says, +"Many shall come in my name," [Matt. 24:5] and in Romans i it is said, +"By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the +faith, in all nations, for His name." [Rom. 1:5] + +This view I heartily endorse; for there is much of comfort and a mighty +aid to faith in the knowledge that one has been baptised not by man, +but by the Triune God Himself through a man acting among us in His +name. This will dispose of that fruitless quarrel about the "form"[90] +of baptism, as these words are called. The Greeks say: "May the +servant of Christ be baptised," while the Latins say: "I baptise." +Others again, pedantic triflers, condemn the use of the words, "I +baptise thee in the name of Jesus Christ"[91]--although it is certain +that the Apostles used this formula in baptising, as we read in the +Acts of the Apostles--and would allow no other form to be valid than +this: "I baptise thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and +of the Holy Ghost." But their contention is in vain, for they bring no +proof, but merely assert their own dreams. Baptism truly saves in +whatever way it is administered, if only it be not administered in the +name of man but of God. Nay, I have no doubt that if one received +baptism in the name of the Lord, even though the wicked minister +should not give it in the name of the Lord, he would yet be truly +baptised in the name of the Lord. For the effect of baptism depends +not so much on the faith or use of him that confers it as on the faith +or use of him that receives it; of which we have an illustration in +the case of the play-actor who was baptised in jest[92]. Such anxious +disputings and questionings are aroused in us by those who ascribe +nothing to faith and everything to works and forms, whereas we owe +everything to faith alone and nothing to forms, and faith makes us +free in spirit from all those scruples and fancies. + +[Sidenote: The Second Part of Baptism: The Sign, or Sacrament] + +The second part of baptism is the sign, or sacrament, which is that +immersion into water whence also it derives its name; for the Greek +_baptizo_ means I immerse, and _baptisma_ means immersion. For, as has +been said[93], signs are added to the divine promises to represent +that which the words signify, for, as they now say, that which the +sacrament "effectively signifies." We shall see how much of truth +there is in this. The great majority have supposed that there is some +hidden spiritual power in the word or in the water, which works the +grace of God in the soul of the recipient. Others deny this and hold +that there is no power in the sacraments, but that grace is given by +God alone, Who according to His covenant aids the sacraments He has +instituted[94]. Yet all are agreed that the sacraments are effective +signs of grace, and they reach this conclusion by this one argument: +If the sacraments of the New Law merely "signified," it would not be +apparent in what respect they surpassed the sacraments of the Old Law. +Hence they have been driven to attribute such great power to the +sacraments of the New Law that in their opinion they benefit even such +men as are in mortal sins, and that they do not require faith or +grace; it is sufficient not to oppose a "bar," that is, an actual +intention to sin again. + +But these views must be carefully avoided and shunned, because they +are godless and infidel, being contrary to faith and to the nature of +the sacraments. For it is an error to hold that the sacraments of the +New Law differ from those of the Old Law in the efficacy of their +"signifying." The "signifying" of both is equally efficacious. The +same God Who now saves me by baptism saved Abel by his sacrifice, Noah +by the bow, Abraham by circumcision, and all the others by their +respective signs. So far as the "signifying" is concerned, there is no +difference between a sacrament of the Old Law and one of the New; +provided that by the Old Law you mean that which God wrought among the +patriarchs and other fathers in the days of the law. But those signs +which were given to the patriarchs and fathers must be sharply +distinguished from the legal types which Moses instituted in his law, +such as the priestly rites concerning robes, vessels, meats, +dwellings, and the like. Between these and the sacraments of the New +Law there is a vast difference, but no less between them and those +signs that God from time to time gave to the fathers living judges +under the law, such as the sign of Gideon's fleece [Judges 6:36], +Manoah's sacrifice [Judges 13:19], or the sign which Isaiah offered to +Ahaz, in Isaiah vii [Isa. 7:10]; for to these signs God attached a +certain promise which required faith in Him. + +This, then, is the difference between the legal types and the new and +old signs--the former have not attached to them any word of promise +requiring faith. Hence they are not signs of justification, for they +are not sacraments of the faith that alone justifies, but only +sacraments of works; their whole power and nature consisted in works, +not in faith, and he that observed them fulfilled them, even if he did +it without faith. But our signs, or sacraments, as well as those of +the fathers, have attached to them a word of promise, which requires +faith, and they cannot be fulfilled by any other work. Hence they are +signs or sacraments of justification, for they are the sacraments of +justifying faith and not of works. Their whole efficacy, therefore, +consists in faith itself, not in the doing of a work; for whoever +believes them fulfils them, even if he should not do a single work. +Whence has arisen the saying, "Not the sacrament but the faith of the +sacrament justifies." Thus circumcision did not justify Abraham and +his seed, and yet the Apostle calls it the seal of the righteousness +of faith [Rom. 4:11], because faith in the promise, to which +circumcision was added, justified him and fulfilled that which +circumcision signified. For faith was the spiritual circumcision of +the foreskin of the heart [Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4], which was +symbolised by the literal circumcision of the flesh. And in the same +manner it was obviously not Abel's sacrifice that justified him, but +it was his faith, by which he offered himself wholly to God and which +was symbolised by the outward sacrifice. + +Even so it is not baptism that justifies or benefits anyone, but it is +faith in the word of promise, to which baptism is added. This faith +justifies, and fulfils that which baptism signifies. For faith is the +submersion of the old man and the emerging of the new. Therefore it +cannot be that the new sacraments differ from the old, for both have +the divine promise and the same spirit of faith; although they do +differ vastly from the olden types on account of the word of promise, +which is the one decisive point of difference. Even so, to-day, the +outward show of vestments, holy places, meats and of all the endless +ceremonies has doubtless a fine symbolical meaning, which is to be +spiritually fulfilled; and yet because there is no word of divine +promise attached to these things, they can in nowise be compared with +the signs of baptism and of the bread, nor do they in any way justify +or benefit one, since they are fulfilled in the very observance, apart +from faith. For while they are taking place or are being performed, +they are being fulfilled; as the Apostle says of them, in Colossians +ii, "Which are all to perish with the using, after the commandments +and doctrines of men." [Col. 2:22] The sacraments, on the contrary, +are not fulfilled when they are observed, but when they are believed. + +It cannot be true, therefore, that there is in the sacraments a power +efficacious for justification, or that they are effective signs of +grace[95]. All such assertions tend to destroy faith, and arise from +ignorance of the divine promise. Unless you should call them effective +in the sense that they certainly and efficaciously impart grace, where +faith is unmistakably present. But it is not in this sense that +efficacy is now ascribed to them; as witness the act that they are +said to benefit all men, even the godless and unbelieving, provided +they do not oppose a "bar"--as if such unbelief were not in itself the +most obstinate and hostile of all bars to grace. So firmly bent are +they on turning the sacrament into a command, and faith into a work. +For if the sacrament confers grace on me because I receive it, then +indeed I obtain grace by virtue of my work and not of faith; I lay +hold not on the promise in the sacrament, but on the sign instituted +and commanded by God. Do you not see, then, how completely the +sacraments have been misunderstood by our sententious theologians?[96] +They have taken no account, in their discussions on the sacraments, of +either faith or the promise, but cling only to the sign and the use of +the sign, and draw us away from faith to the work, from the word to +the sign. Thus they have not only carried the sacraments captive (as I +have said)[97], but have completely destroyed them, as far as they +were able. + +Therefore, let us open our eyes and learn to give more heed to the +word than to the sign[98], and to faith than to the work, for the use +of the sign, remembering that wherever there is a divine promise there +faith is required, and that these two are so necessary to each other +that neither can be efficacious apart from the other. For it is not +possible to believe unless there be a promise, and the promise is not +established unless it be believed. But where these two meet, they give +a real and most certain efficacy to the sacraments. Hence, to seek the +efficacy of the sacrament apart from the promise and apart from faith, +is to labor in vain and to ind damnation. Thus Christ says: "He that +believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; he that believe not shall +be damned." [Mark 16:16] He shows us in this word that faith is so +necessary a part of the sacrament that it can save even without the +sacrament; for which reason He did not see it to say: "He that +believeth not, _and is not baptised_. . ." + +Baptism, then, signifies two things--death and resurrection; that is, +full and complete justification. The minister's immersing the child in +the water signifies death; his drawing it forth again signifies life. +Thus Paul expounds it in Romans vi, "We are buried together with +Christ by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by +the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life." +[Rom. 6:4] This death and resurrection we call the new creation, +regeneration, and the spiritual birth. And this must not be understood +only in a figurative sense, of the death of sin and the life of grace, +as many understand it, but of actual death and resurrection. The +significance of baptism is not an imaginary significance, and sin does +not completely die, nor does grace completely rise, until the body of +sin that we carry about in this life is destroyed; as the Apostle +teaches in the same chapter [Rom. 6:6]. For as long as we are in the +flesh, the desires of the flesh stir and are stirred. Wherefore, as +soon as ever we begin to believe, we also begin to die to this world +and to live unto God in the life to come; so that faith is truly a +death and a resurrection, that is, it is that spiritual baptism in +which we go under and come forth. + +Hence it is indeed correct to say that baptism is a washing from sins, +but that expression is too weak and mild to bring out the full +significance of baptism, which is rather a symbol of death and +resurrection. For this reason I would have the candidates for baptism +completely immersed in the water, as the word[99] says and as the +sacrament signifies. Not that I deem this necessary, but it were well +to give to so perfect and complete a things a perfect and complete +sign; thus it was also doubtless instituted by Christ. The sinner does +not so much need to be washed as he needs to die, in order to be +wholly renewed and made another creature, and to be conformed to the +death and resurrection of Christ, with Whom, through baptism, he dies +and rises again. Although you may properly say that Christ was washed +clean of mortality when He died and rose again, yet that is a weaker +way of putting it than if you said He was completely changed and +renewed. In the same way it is far more forceful to say that baptism +signifies our utter dying and rising to eternal life, than to say that +it signifies merely our being washed clean from sins. + +Here, again, you see that the sacrament of baptism, even in respect to +its sign, is not the matter of a moment, but continues for all time. +Although its administration is soon over, yet the thing it +signifies[100] continues until we die, nay, until we rise at the last +day. For as long as we live we are continually doing that which our +baptism signifies,--we die and rise again. We die, that is, not only +spiritually and in our affections, by renouncing the sins and vanities +of this world, but we die in very truth, we begin to leave this bodily +life and to lay hold on the life to come; so that there is, as they +say, a real and even a bodily going out of this world to the Father. + +We must, therefore, beware of those who have reduced the power of +baptism to such a vanishing point as to say that the grace of God is +indeed inpoured in baptism, but afterwards poured out again through +sin, and that thereupon one must reach heaven by another way; as if +baptism had then become entirely useless. Do not you hold to such a +view, but know that baptism signifies your dying and living again, and +therefore, whether it be by penance or by any other way, you can but +return to the power of your baptism, and do afresh that which you were +baptised to do and which your baptism signified. Never does baptism +lose its power, unless you despair and refuse to return to its +salvation. You may, indeed, or a season wander away from the sign, but +that does not make the sign of none effect. You have, thus, been +baptised once in the sacrament, but you must be constantly baptised +again through faith, you must constantly die, you must constantly live +again. Baptism swallowed up your whole body, and gave it forth again; +even so that which baptism signifies[101] should swallow up your whole +life in body and soul, and give it forth again at the last day, clad +in robes of glory and immortality. We are, therefore, never without +the sign of baptism nor yet without the thing it signifies; nay, we +must be baptised ever more and more completely, until we perfectly +fulfil the sign, at the last day. + +Therefore, whatever we do in this life that avails for the mortifying +of the flesh and the giving life to the spirit, belongs to baptism; +and the sooner we depart this life the sooner do we fulfil our +baptism, and the greater our sufferings the more closely do we conform +to our baptism. Hence those were the Church's halcyon days, when the +martyrs were being killed every day and accounted as sheep for the +slaughter [Ps. 44:22; Rom. 8:36]; for then the power of baptism +reigned supreme in the Church, which power we have to-day lost sight +of amid the multitude of works and doctrines of men. For all our life +should be baptism, and the fulfilling of the sign, or sacrament, of +baptism; we have been set free from all else and wholly given over to +baptism alone, that is, to death and resurrection. + +[Sidenote: The Glorious Liberty of the Baptised] + +This glorious liberty of ours, and this understanding of baptism have +been carried captive in our day; and whom have we to thank for this +but the Roman pontiff with his despotism? More than all others, it was +his first duty, as chief shepherd, to preach and defend this liberty +and this knowledge, as Paul says in I Corinthians: "Let a man so +account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the +mysteries, or sacraments[101], of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Instead of this, +he seeks only to oppress us with his decrees and his laws, and to +enslave and ensnare us in the tyranny of his power. By what right, in +God's name, does the pope impose his laws upon us? to say nothing of +his wicked and damnable neglect to teach these mysteries. Who gave him +power to despoil us of this liberty, granted us in baptism? One thing +only (as I have said)[103] has been enjoined upon us all the days of +our life,--to be baptised; that is, to be put to death and to live +again, through faith in Christ; and this faith alone should have been +taught, especially by the chief shepherd. But now there is not a word +said about faith, and the Church is laid waste with endless laws +concerning works and ceremonies; the power and right understanding of +baptism are put by, and faith in Christ is prevented. + +Therefore I say: Neither pope nor bishop nor any other man has the +right to impose a single syllable of law upon a Christian man without +his consent; and if he does, it is done in the spirit of tyranny. +Therefore the prayers, fasts, donations, and whatever else the pope +decrees and demands in all of his decretals, as numerous as they are +iniquitous, he demands and decrees without any right whatever; and he +sins against the liberty of the Church whenever he attempts any such +thing. Hence it has come to pass that the churchmen of our day are +indeed such vigorous defenders of the liberty of the Church, that is, +of wood and stone, of land and rents--for "churchly" is nowadays the +same as "spiritual"--yet with such fictions they not only take captive +but utterly destroy the true liberty of the Church, and deal with us +far worse than the Turk, in opposition to the word of the Apostle, "Be +not made the bondslaves of men." [1 Cor. 7:23] For, verily, to be +subjected to their statutes and tyrannical laws is to be made the +bondslaves of men. + +This impious and desperate tyranny is fostered by the pope's +disciples, who here drag in and pervert that saying of Christ, "He +that heareth you heareth me." [Luke 10:16] With puffed cheeks they +blow up this saying to a great size in support of their traditions. +Though Christ spake it to the apostles when they went forth to preach +the Gospel, and though it applies solely to the Gospel, they pass over +the Gospel and apply it only to their fables. He says in John x: "My +sheep hear my voice, but the voice of a stranger they hear not" [John +10:27]; and to this end He left us the Gospel, that His voice might be +uttered by the pontiffs. But they utter their own voice, and +themselves desire to be heard. Moreover, the Apostle says that he was +not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospel [1 Cor. 1:17]. Therefore, +no one is bound to the traditions of the pope, nor does he need to +give ear to him unless he teaches the Gospel and Christ, and the pope +should teach nothing but faith without any restrictions. But since +Christ says, "He that heareth you heareth me," [Luke 10:16] and does +not say to Peter only, "He that heareth thee"; why does not the pope +also hear others? In fine, where there is true faith, there must also +be the word of faith. Why then does not an unbelieving pope now and +then hear a believing servant of his, who has the word of faith? It is +blindness, sheer blindness, that holds the popes in its power. + +But others, more shameless still, arrogantly ascribe to the pope the +power to make laws, on the basis of Matthew xvi, "Whatsoever thou +shalt bind," [Matt. 16:19] etc., though Christ treats in this passage +of binding and loosing sins, not of taking the whole Church captive +and oppressing it with laws. So this tyranny treats everything with +its own lying words and violently wrests and perverts the words of +God. I admit indeed that Christians ought to bear this accursed +tyranny just as they would bear any other violence of this world, +according to Christ's word: "If one strike thee on thy right cheek, +turn to him also the other." [Matt. 5:39] But this is my +complaint,--that the godless pontiffs boastfully claim the right to do +this, that they pretend to be seeking the Church's welfare with this +Babylon of theirs, and that they foist this fiction upon all mankind. +For if they did these things, and we suffered their violence, well +knowing, both of us, that it was godlessness and tyranny, then we +might number it among the things that tend to the mortifying of this +life and the fulfilling of our baptism, and might with a good +conscience glory in the inflicted injury. But now they seek to deprive +us of this consciousness of our liberty, and would have us believe +that what they do is well done, and must not be censured or complained +of as wrongdoing. Being wolves, they masquerade as shepherds; being +anti-christs, they would be honored as Christ. + +Solely in behalf of this freedom of conscience, I lift my voice and +confidently cry: No laws may by any right be laid upon Christians, +whether by men or angels, without their consent; for we are free from +all things. And if any laws are laid upon us, we must bear them in +such a way as to preserve the consciousness of our liberty, and know +and certainly affirm that the making of such laws is an injustice, +which we will bear and glory in, giving heed not to justify the tyrant +nor yet to rebel against his tyranny. "For who is he," says Peter, +"that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" [1 +Pet. 3:13] "All things work together or good to the elect." [Rom. +8:28] + +Nevertheless, since but few know this glory of baptism and the +blessedness of Christian liberty, and cannot know them because of the +tyranny of the pope, I for one will clear my skirts and salve my +conscience by bringing this charge against the pope and all his +papists: Unless they will abolish their laws and traditions, and +restore to Christ's churches their liberty and have it taught among +them, they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this +miserable captivity, and the papacy is of a truth the kingdom of +Babylon, yea, of very Antichrist! For who is "the man of sin" and "the +son of perdition" [2 Thess. 2:3 f.] but he that with his doctrines and +his laws increases sins and the perdition of souls in the Church, +while he sitteth in the Church as if he were God? All this the papal +tyranny has fulfilled, and more than fulfilled, these many centuries; +it has extinguished faith, obscured the sacraments and oppressed the +Gospel; but its own laws, which are not only impious and sacrilegious, +but even barbarous and foolish, it has enjoined and multiplied world +without end. + +Behold, then, our miserable captivity; how the city doth sit solitary +that was full of people! How the mistress of the Gentiles is become as +a widow: the princess of provinces made tributary! There is none to +comfort her, all her friends have despised her. [Lament. 1:1 f.] So +many orders, so many rites, so many sects, so many professions, +exertions and works, in which Christians are engaged, until they lose +sight of their baptism, and for this swarm of locusts, cankerworms and +caterpillars [Joel 1:4] not one of them is able to remember that he is +baptised or what blessings his baptism brought him. We should be even +as little children, newly baptised, who are engaged in no efforts and +no works, but are free in every way, secure and saved solely through +the glory of their baptism. For we are indeed little children, +continually baptised anew in Christ. + +[Sidenote: Infant Baptism] + +In contradiction of what has been said, some will perhaps point to the +baptism of infants, who do not grasp the promise of God and cannot +have the faith of baptism; so that either faith is not necessary or +else infant baptism is without effect. Here I say what all say: +Infants are aided by the faith of others, namely, those who bring them +to baptism[104]. For the Word of God is powerful, when it is uttered, +to change even a godless heart, which is no less deaf and helpless +than any infant. Even so the infant is changed, cleansed and renewed +by inpoured faith, through the prayer of the Church that presents it +for baptism and believes, to which prayer all things are possible +[Mark 9:23]. Nor should I doubt that even a godless adult might be +changed, in any of the sacraments, if the same Church prayed and +presented him; as we read in the Gospel of the man sick of the palsy, +who was healed through the faith of others [Matt. 9:1 ff.]. I should +be ready to admit that in this sense the sacraments of the New Law are +efficacious to confer grace, not only to those who do not, but even to +those who do most obstinately, oppose a bar[105]. What obstacle will +not the faith of the Church and the prayer of faith remove? Do we not +believe that Stephen by this powerful means converted Paul the +Apostle? But then the sacraments accomplish what they do not by their +own power, but by the power of faith, without which they accomplish +nothing at all, as has been said[106]. + +There remains the question, whether it is right to baptise an infant +not yet born, with only a hand or a foot presenting. Here I will +decide nothing hastily, and confess my ignorance. I am not sure +whether the reason given by some is sufficient,--that the soul resides +in its entirety in every part of the body; or it is not the soul but +the body that is externally baptised with water. Nor do I share the +view of others, that he who is not yet born cannot be born again, even +though it has considerable force. I leave these matters to the +teaching of the Spirit, and meanwhile permit every one to abound in +his own sense [Rom. 14:15 (Vulg.)]. + +[Sidenote: Vows and the Baptismal Vow] + +One thing I will add--and would to God I might persuade all to do +it!--viz., completely to abolish or avoid all vows, be they vows to +enter religious orders, to make pilgrimages or to do any works +whatsoever, that we may remain in the liberty of our baptism, which is +the most religious and rich in works. It is impossible to say how +greatly that widespread delusion of vows lowers baptism and obscures +the knowledge of Christian liberty; to say nothing now of the +unspeakable and infinite peril of souls which that mania for making +vows and that ill-advised rashness daily increase. O most godless +pontiffs and unhappy pastors, who slumber on unheeding and indulge +your evil lusts, without pity or this "affliction of Joseph," [Amos +6:4-6] so dreadful and fraught with peril! + +Vows should either be abolished by a general edict, particularly such +as are taken for life, and all men diligently recalled to the vows of +baptism, or else everyone should be warned not to take a vow rashly, +and no one encouraged to do so, nay, permission be given only with +difficulty and reluctance. For we have vowed enough in baptism, nay, +more than we can ever fulfil; if we give ourselves to the keeping of +this one vow, we shall have all we can do. But now we compass earth +and sea to make many proselytes [Matt. 23:15]; we fill the world with +priests, monks and nuns, and imprison them all in life-long vows. You +will find those who argue and decide that a work done in fulfilment of +a vow ranks higher than one done without a vow, and is to be rewarded +with I know not what great rewards in heaven. Blind and godless +Pharisees, who measure righteousness and holiness by the greatness, +number or other quality of the works! But God measures them by faith +alone, and with Him there is no difference between works except that +which is wrought by faith. + +With such bombast these wicked men advertise their inventions and puff +up human works, to lure on the unthinking populace, who are almost +always led by the glitter of works to make shipwreck of their faith, +to forget their baptism and do despite to their Christian liberty. For +a vow is a kind of law or requirement; therefore, when vows are +multiplied, laws and works are necessarily multiplied, and when this +is done, faith is extinguished and the liberty of baptism taken +captive. Others, not content with these wicked allurements, add yet +this and say that entrance into a religious order is a new +baptism[107], as it were, which may afterward be repeated as often as +the purpose to live the religious life is renewed. Thus these +"votaries" have appropriated to themselves all righteousness, +salvation and glory, and let to those who are merely baptised nothing +to compare with them. Nay, the Roman pontiff, that fountain and source +of all superstitions, confirms, approves and adorns this mode of life +with high-sounding bulls and dispensations, while no one deems baptism +worthy of even a thought. And with such glittering pomp (as we have +said)[108] they drive the easily led people of Christ into certain +disaster, so that in their ingratitude toward baptism they presume to +achieve greater things by their works than others achieve by their +faith. + +Therefore, God again shows Himself froward to the froward [Ps. 18:26], +and to repay the makers of vows for their ingratitude and pride, +causes them to break their vows or to keep them only with prodigious +labor; to remain sunk in them, never coming to the knowledge of the +grace of faith and baptism; to continue in their hypocrisy unto the +end--since their spirit is not approved of God--and at last to become +a laughing-stock to the whole world, ever ensuing righteousness and +never attaining unto righteousness; so that they fulfil the word of +Isaiah: "The land is full of idols." [Isa. 2:8] + +I am indeed far from forbidding or discouraging any one who may desire +to take a vow privately and of his own free choice; for I would not +altogether despise and condemn vows. But I would most strongly advise +against setting up and sanctioning the making of vows as a public mode +of life. It is enough that every one should have the private right to +take a vow at his peril; but to commend the vowing of vows as a public +mode of life--this I hold to be most harmful to the Church and to +simple souls. And I hold this, first, because it runs directly counter +to the Christian life; for a vow is a certain ceremonial law and a +human tradition or presumption, and from these the Christian has been +set free through baptism. For a Christian is subject to no laws but +the law of God. Again, there is no instance in Scripture of such a +vow, especially of life-long chastity, obedience and poverty[109]. But +whatever is without warrant of Scripture is hazardous and should by no +means be commended to any one, much less established as a common and +public mode of life, although whoever will must be permitted to make +the venture at his own peril. For certain works are wrought by the +Spirit in a few men, but they must not be made an example or a mode of +life or all. + +Moreover, I greatly fear that these modes of life of the religious +orders belong to those things which the Apostle foretold: "They shall +teach a life in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, +which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving." [1 Tim. 4:2 +f.] Let no one retort by pointing to Sts. Bernard, Francis, Dominic +and others, who founded or fostered monastic orders. Terrible and +marvelous is God in His counsels toward the sons of men. He could keep +Daniel, Ananias, Azarias and Misael holy at the court of the king of +Babylon [Dan 1:6 ff.], that is, in the midst of godlessness; why could +He not sanctify those men also in their perilous mode of living or +guide them by the special operation of His Spirit, yet without +desiring it to be an example to others? Besides, it is certain that +none of them was saved through his vows and his "religious" life; they +were saved through faith alone, by which all men are saved, and with +which that splendid slavery of vows is more than anything else in +conflict. + +But every one may hold to his own view of this [Rom. 14:5]. I will +return to my argument. Speaking now in behalf of the Church's liberty +and the glory of baptism, I feel myself in duty bound publicly to set +forth the counsel I have learned under the Spirit's guidance. I +therefore counsel the magnates of the churches, first of all, to +abolish all those vows, or at least not to approve and extol them. If +they will not do this, then I counsel all men who would be assured of +their salvation, to abstain from all vows, above all from the great +and life-long vows; I give this counsel especially to all growing boys +and youths. This I do, first, because this manner of life has no +witness or warrant in the Scriptures, as I have said, but is puffed up +solely by the bulls (and they truly are "bulls")[110] of human popes. +And, secondly, because it greatly tends to hypocrisy, by reason of its +outward show and its unusual character, which engender conceit and a +contempt of the common Christian life. And if there were no other +reason for abolishing these vows, this one were reason enough, namely, +that through them, faith and baptism are slighted and works are +exalted, which cannot be done without harmful results. For in the +religious orders there is scarce one in many thousands, who is not +more concerned about works than about faith, and on the basis of this +madness they have even made distinctions among themselves, such as +"the more strict" and "the more lax," as they call them[111]. + +Therefore I advise no one to enter any religious order or the +priesthood--nay, I dissuade everyone--unless he be forearmed with this +knowledge and understand that the works of monks and priests, be they +never so holy and arduous, differ no whit in the sight of God from the +works of the rustic toiling in the field or the woman going about her +household tasks, but that all works are measured before Him by faith +alone; as Jeremiah says: "O Lord, thine eyes are upon faith" [Jer. +5:3]; and Ecclesiasticus: "In every work of thine regard thy soul in +faith: for this is the keeping of the commandments." [Eccles. 32:27] +Nay, he should know that the menial housework of a maidservant or +manservant is ofttimes more acceptable to God than all the fastings +and other works of a monk or a priest, because the latter lacks faith. +Since, therefore, vows seem to tend nowadays only to the glorification +of works and to pride, it is to be feared that there is nowhere less +of faith and of the Church than among the priests, monks and bishops, +and that these men are in truth heathen or hypocrites, who imagine +themselves to be the Church or the heart of the Church, and +"spiritual," and the Church's leaders, when they are everything else +but that. And it is to be feared that this is indeed "the people of +the captivity," [Ps. 64:1 (Vulg.)] among whom all things freely given +us in baptism are held captive, while "the people of the earth" are +left behind in poverty and in small numbers, and, as is the lot of +married folk, appear vile in their eyes[112]. + +[Sidenote: Papal Dispensations and their Inconsistency] + +From what has been said we learn that the Roman pontiff is guilty of +two glaring errors. In the first place, he grants dispensations from +vows[113], and does it as though he alone of all Christians possessed +this authority; such is the temerity and audacity of wicked men. If it +be possible to grant a dispensation from a vow, then any brother may +grant one to his neighbor or even to himself. But if one's neighbor +cannot grant a dispensation, neither can the pope by any right. For +whence has he his authority? From the power of the keys? But the keys +belong to all, and avail only for sins (Matthew xviii) [Matt. 18:15 +ff.][114]. Now they themselves claim that vows are "of divine right." +Why then does the pope deceive and destroy the poor souls of men by +granting dispensations in matters of divine right, in which no +dispensations can be granted? He babbles indeed, in the section "Of +vows and their redemption,"[115] of having the power to change vows, +just as in the law the firstborn of an ass was changed or a sheep +[Ex.13:13]--as if the firstborn of an ass, and the vow he commands to +be everywhere and always offered, were one and the same thing, or as +if when God decrees in His law that a sheep shall be changed or an +ass, the pope, a mere man, may straightway claim the same power, not +in his own law but in God's! It was not a pope, but an ass changed for +a pope[116], that made this decretal; so egregiously senseless and +godless is it. + +The other error is this. The pope decrees, on the other hand, that +marriage is dissolved if one party enter a monastery even without the +consent of the other, provided the marriage be not yet consummated. +Gramercy, what devil puts such monstrous things into the pope's mind! +God commands men to keep faith and not break their word to one +another, and again, to do good with that which is their own; for He +hates "robbery in a holocaust," [Isa. 61:8] as he says by the mouth of +Isaiah. But one spouse is bound by the marriage contract to keep faith +with the other, and he is not his own. He cannot break his faith by +any right, and whatever he does with himself is robbery if it be +without the other's consent. Why does not one who is burdened with +debts follow this same rule and obtain admission to an order, so as to +be released from his debts and be free to break his word? O more than +blind! Which is greater; the faith commanded by God or a vow devised +and chosen by man? Thou art a shepherd of souls, O pope? And ye that +teach such things are doctors of sacred theology? Why then do ye teach +them? Because, forsooth, ye have decked out your vow as a better work +than marriage, and do not exalt faith, which alone exalts all things, +but ye exalt works, which are naught in the sight of God, or which are +all alike so far as any merit is concerned[117]. + +I have no doubt, therefore, that neither men nor angels can grant a +dispensation from vows, if they be proper vows. But I am not fully +clear in my own mind whether all the things that men nowadays vow come +under the head of vows. For instance, it is simply foolish and stupid +for parents to dedicate their children, before birth or in early +infancy, to "the religious life," or to perpetual chastity; nay, it is +certain that this can by no means be termed a vow. It seems a mockery +of God to vow things which it is not at all in one's power to keep. As +to the triple vow of the monastic orders, the longer I consider it, +the less I comprehend it, and I marvel whence the custom of exacting +this vow has arisen. Still less do I understand at what age vows may +be taken in order to be legal and valid. I am pleased to find them +unanimously agreed that vows taken before the age of puberty are not +valid. Nevertheless, they deceive many young children who are ignorant +both of their age and of what they are vowing; they do not observe the +age of puberty in receiving such children, who after making their +profession are held captive and devoured by a troubled conscience, as +though they had afterward given their consent. As if a vow which was +invalid could afterward become valid with the lapse of time. + +It seems absurd to me that the terms of a legal vow should be +prescribed to others by those who cannot prescribe them for +themselves. Nor do I see why a vow taken at eighteen years of age +should be valid, and not one taken at ten or twelve years. It will not +do to say that at eighteen a man feels his carnal desires. How is it +when he scarcely feels them at twenty or thirty, or when he feels them +more keenly at thirty than at twenty? Why do they not also set a +certain age-limit or the vows of poverty and obedience? But at what +age will you say a man should feel his greed and pride? Even the most +spiritual hardly become aware of these emotions. Therefore, no vow +will ever become binding and valid until we have become spiritual, and +no longer have any need of vows. You see, these are uncertain and +perilous matters, and it would therefore be a wholesome counsel to +leave such lofty modes of living, unhampered by vows, to the Spirit +alone, as they were of old, and by no means to change them into a rule +binding or life. But let this suffice for the present concerning +baptism and its liberty; in due time[118] I may treat of the vows at +greater length. Of a truth they stand sorely in need of it. + +THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE + +We come in the third place to the sacrament of penance. On this +subject I have already given no little offence by my published +treatises and disputations[119], in which I have amply set forth my +views. These I must now briefly rehearse, in order to unmask the +tyranny that is rampant here no less than in the sacrament of the +bread. For because these two sacraments furnish opportunity for gain +and profit, the greed of the shepherds rages in them with incredible +zeal against the flock of Christ; although baptism, too, has sadly +declined among adults and become the servant of avarice, as we have +just seen in our discussion of vows. + +[Sidenote: The Abuse of Penance] + +This is the first and chief abuse of this sacrament: They have utterly +abolished the sacrament itself, so that there penance is not a vestige +of it left. For they have overthrown both the word of divine promise +and our faith, in which this as well as other sacraments consists. +They have applied to their tyranny the word of promise which Christ +spake in Matthew xvi, "Whatsoever thou shalt bind," etc. [Matt. +16:19], in Matthew xviii, "Whatsoever ye shall bind," [Matt. 18:18] +etc., and in John, the last chapter, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they +are remitted unto them," [John 20:23] etc. In these words the faith of +penitents is aroused, to the obtaining of remission of sins. But in +all their writing, teaching and preaching their sole concern has been, +not to teach Christians what is promised in these words or what they +ought to believe and what great comfort they might find in them, but +only to extend their own tyranny far and wide through force and +violence, until it has come to such a pass that some of them have +begun to command the very angels in heaven[120] and to boast in +incredible mad wickedness of having in these words obtained the right +to a heavenly and an earthly rule, and of possessing the power to bind +even in heaven. Thus they say nothing of the saving faith of the +people, but babble only of the despotic power of the pontiffs, whereas +Christ speaks not at all of power, but only of faith. + +For Christ hath not ordained principalities or powers or lordships, +but ministries, in the Church; as we learn from the Apostle, who says: +"Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the +dispensers of the mysteries of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Now when He said: +"He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved," [Mark 16:16] He +called forth the faith of those to be baptised, so that by this word +of promise a man might be certain of being saved if he believed and +was baptised. In that word there is no impartation of any power +whatever, but only the institution of the ministry of those who +baptise. Similarly, when He says here: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind," +etc. [Matt. 16:19], He calls forth the faith of the penitent, so that +by this word of promise he may be certain of being truly absolved in +heaven, if he be absolved and believe. Here there is no mention at all +of power, but of the ministry of him that absolves. It is a wonder +these blind and overbearing men missed the opportunity of arrogating a +despotic power to themselves from the promise of baptism. But if they +do not do this in the case of baptism, why should they have presumed +to do it in the case of the promise of penance? For in both there is a +like ministry, a similar promise, and the same kind of sacrament. So +that, if baptism does not belong to Peter alone, it is undeniably a +wicked usurpation of power to claim the keys for the pope alone. +Again, when Christ says: "Take, eat; this is my body, which is given +or you. Take, drink; this is the chalice in my blood," etc. [1 Cor. +11:24 f.], He calls forth the faith of those who eat, so that through +these words their conscience may be strengthened by faith and they may +rest assured of receiving the forgiveness of sins, if they have eaten. +Here, too, He says nothing of power, but only of a ministry. + +Thus the promise of baptism remains in some sort, at least to infants; +the promise of bread and the cup has been destroyed and made +subservient to greed, faith becoming a work and the testament a +sacrifice; while the promise of penance has fallen prey to the most +oppressive despotism of all and serves to establish a more than +temporal rule. + +Not content with these things, this Babylon of ours has so completely +extinguished faith that it insolently denies its necessity in this +sacrament; nay, with the wickedness of Antichrist it calls it heresy +if any one should assert its necessity. What more could this tyranny +do that it has not done? [Isa. 5:4] Verily, by the rivers of Babylon +we sit and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion. We hang our harps upon +the willows in the midst thereof. [Ps. 137:1, 2] The Lord curse the +barren willows of those streams! Amen. + +Now let us see what they have put in the place of the promise and the +faith which they have blotted out and overthrown. Three parts have +they made of penance,--contrition, confession, and satisfaction; yet +so as to destroy whatever of good there might be in any of them and to +establish here also their covetousness and tyranny. + +[Sidenote: I. Contrition.] + +In the first place, they teach that contrition precedes faith in the +promise; they hold it much too cheap[121], making it not a work of +faith, but a merit; nay, they do not mention it at all. So deep are +they sunk in works and in those instances of Scripture that show how +many obtained grace by reason of their contrition and humility of +heart; but they take no account of the faith which wrought such +contrition and sorrow of heart, as it is written of the men of Nineveh +in Jonah iii, "And the men of Nineveh believed in God: and they +proclaimed a fast," [Jonah 3:5] etc. Others, again, more bold and +wicked, have invented a so-called "attrition," which is converted into +contrition by virtue of the power of the keys, of which they know +nothing[122]. This attrition they grant to the wicked and unbelieving +and thus abolish contrition altogether. O the intolerable wrath of +God, that such things should be taught in the Church of Christ! Thus, +with both faith and its work destroyed, we go on secure in the +doctrines and opinions of men--yea, we go on to our destruction. A +contrite heart is a precious thing, but it is found only where there +is a lively faith in the promises and the threats of God. Such faith, +intent on the immutable truth of God, startles and terrifies the +conscience and thus renders it contrite, and afterwards, when it is +contrite, raises it up, consoles and preserves it; so that the truth +of God's threatening is the cause of contrition, and the truth of His +promise the cause of consolation, if it be believed. By such faith a +man merits the forgiveness of sins. Therefore faith should be taught +and aroused before all else; and when faith is obtained, contrition +and consolation will follow inevitably and of themselves. + +Therefore, although there is something of truth in their teaching that +contrition is to be attained by what they call the recollection and +contemplation of sins, yet their teaching is perilous and perverse so +long as they do not teach first of all the beginning and cause of +contrition,--the immutable truth of God's threatening and promise, to +the awakening of faith,--so that men may learn to pay more heed to the +truth of God, whereby they are cast down and lifted up, than to the +multitude of their sins, which will rather irritate and increase the +sinful desires than lead to contrition, if they be regarded apart from +the truth of God. I will say nothing now of the intolerable burden +they have bound upon us with their demand that we should frame a +contrition for every sin. That is impossible; we can know only the +smaller part of our sins, and even our good works are found to be +sins, according to Psalm cxliii, "Enter not into judgment with thy +servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." [Ps. +143:2] It is enough to lament the sins which at the present moment +distress our conscience, as well as those which we can readily call to +mind. Whoever is in this frame of mind is without doubt ready to +grieve and fear for all his sins, and will do so whenever they are +brought to his knowledge in the future. + +Beware, then, of putting your trust in your own contrition and of +ascribing the forgiveness of sins to your own sorrow. God does not +have respect to you because of that, but because of the faith by which +you have believed His threatenings and promises, and which wrought +such sorrow within you. Thus we owe whatever of good there may be in +our penance, not to our scrupulous enumeration of sins, but to the +truth of God and to our faith. All other things are the works and +fruits of this, which follow of their own accord, and do not make a +man good, but are done by a man already made good through faith in the +truth of God. Even so, "a smoke goeth up in His wrath, because He is +angry and troubleth the mountains and kindleth them," [Ps. 18:8] as it +is said in Psalm xviii. First comes the terror of His threatening, +which burns up the wicked, then faith, accepting this, sends up the +cloud of contrition, etc. + +[Sidenote: 2. Confession] + +Contrition, however, is less exposed to tyranny and gain than wholly +given over to wickedness and pestilent teaching. But confession and +satisfaction have become the chief workshop of greed and violence. Let +us first take up confession. There is no doubt that confession is +necessary and commanded of God. Thus we read in Matthew iii: "They +were baptised of John in Jordan, confessing their sins." [Matt. 3:6] +And in I John i: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to +forgive us our sins. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a +liar, and his word is not in us." [1 John 1:9 f.] If the saints may +not deny their sin, how much more ought those who are guilty of open +and great sins[123] to make confession! But most effectively of all +does Matthew xviii prove the institution of confession, in which +passage Christ teaches that a sinning brother should be rebuked, haled +before the Church, accused and, if he will not hear, excommunicated. +But he hears when, heeding the rebuke, he acknowledges and confesses +his sin. [Matt. 18:15] + +[Sidenote: Private Confession] + +[Sidenote: "Reserved Cases"] + +Of private confession, which is now observed, I am heartily in favor, +even though it cannot be proved from the Scriptures; it is useful and +necessary, nor would I have it abolished--nay, I rejoice that it +exists in the Church of Christ, for it is a cure without an equal for +distressed consciences. For when we have laid bare our conscience to +our brother and privately made known to him the evil that lurked +within, we receive from our brother's lips the word of comfort spoken +by God Himself; and, if we accept it in faith, we find peace in the +mercy of God speaking to us through our brother. This alone do I +abominate,--that this confession has been subjected to the despotism +and extortion of the pontiffs. They reserve[124] to themselves even +hidden sins, and command that they be made known to confessors named +by them, only to trouble the consciences of men. They merely play the +pontiff, while they utterly despise the true duties of pontiffs, which +are to preach the Gospel and to care for the poor. Yea, the godless +despots leave the great sins to the plain priests, and reserve to +themselves those sins only which are of less consequence, such as +those ridiculous and fictitious things in the bull _Coena +domini_[125]. Nay, to make the wickedness of their error the more +apparent, they not only do not reserve, but actually teach and +approve, the sins against the service of God, against faith and the +chief commandments; such as their running on pilgrimages, the perverse +worship of the saints, the lying saints' legends, the various forms of +trust in works and ceremonies, and the practicing of them, by all of +which faith in God is extinguished and idolatry encouraged, as we see +in our day. We have the same kind of priests to-day as Jereboam +ordained of old in Dan and Beersheba [1 Kings 12:26 ff.],--ministers +of the golden calves, men who are ignorant of the law of God, of faith +and of whatever pertains to the feeding of Christ's sheep, and who +inculcate in the people nothing but their own inventions with terror +and violence. + +Although my advice is that we bear this outrage of reserved cases, +even as Christ bids us bear all the tyranny of men, and teaches us +that we must obey these extortioners; nevertheless I deny that they +have the right to make such reservations, nor do I believe they can +bring one jot or tittle of proof that they have it. But I am going to +prove the contrary. In the first place, Christ, speaking in Matthew +xviii of open sins, says that if our brother shall hear us when we +rebuke him, we have saved the soul of our brother, and that he is to +be brought before the Church only if he refuse to hear us; so that his +sin may be corrected among brethren. How much more will it be true of +hidden sins, that they are forgiven if one brother freely makes +confession to another? So that it is not necessary to tell it to the +Church, that is, as these babblers interpret it, the prelate or +priest. We have another proof of this in Christ's words in the same +chapter: "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in +heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in +heaven." [Matt. 18:18] For this is said to each and every Christian. +Again, He says in the same place: "Again I say to you, that if two of +you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever that they +shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven." +[Matt 18:19] Now, the brother who lays his hidden sins before his +brother and craves pardon, certainly consents with his brother upon +earth in the truth, which is Christ. Of which Christ says yet more +clearly, confirming His preceding words: "Verily I say unto you, where +two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst +of them." [Matt. 18:20] + +Hence, I have no doubt but that every one is absolved from his hidden +sins when he has made confession, either of his own accord or after +being rebuked, has sought pardon and amended his ways, privately +before any brother, however much the violence of the pontiffs may rage +against it; for Christ has given to every one of His believers the +power to absolve even open sins. Add yet this little point: If any +reservation of hidden sins were valid, so that one could not be saved +unless they were forgiven, then a man's salvation would be prevented +most of all by those aforementioned good works and idolatries, which +are nowadays taught by the popes. But if these most grievous sins do +not prevent one's salvation, how foolish it is to reserve those +lighter sins! Verily, it is the foolishness and blindness of the +pastors that produce these monstrous things in the Church. Therefore I +would admonish these princes of Babylon and bishops of Bethaven [Hosea +4:15; 10:5] to refrain from reserving any cases whatsoever. Let them, +moreover, permit all brothers and sisters freely to hear the +confession of hidden sins, so that the sinner may make his sins known +to whomever he will and seek pardon and comfort, that is, the word of +Christ, by the mouth of his neighbor. For with these presumptions of +theirs they only ensnare the consciences of the weak without +necessity, establish their wicked despotism, and fatten their avarice +on the sins and ruin of their brethren. Thus they stain their hands +with the blood of souls, sons are devoured by their parents, Ephraim +devours Juda, and Syria Israel with open mouth, as Isaiah saith [Isa +9:20]. + +[Sidenote: "Circumstances"] + +To these evils they have added the "circumstances,"[126] and also the +mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers- and sisters-in-law, branches +and fruits of sins; since, forsooth, astute and idle men have worked +out a kind of family tree of relationships and affinities even among +sins--so prolific is wickedness coupled with ignorance. For this +conceit, whatever rogue be its author, has like many another become a +public law. Thus do the shepherds keep watch over the Church of +Christ; whatever new work or superstition those stupid devotees may +have dreamed of, they straightway drag to the light of day, deck out +with indulgences and safeguard with bulls; so far are they from +suppressing it and preserving to God's people the true faith and +liberty. For what has our liberty to do with the tyranny of Babylon? +My advice would be to ignore all circumstances utterly. With +Christians there is only one circumstance,--that a brother has sinned. +For there is no person to be compared with a Christian brother. And +the observance of places, times, days, persons, and all other +superstitious moonshine, only magnifies the things that are nothing, +to the injury of those which are everything; as if aught could be +greater or of more importance than the glory of Christian brotherhood! +Thus they bind us to places, days and persons, that the name of +brother may be lightly esteemed, and we may serve in bondage instead +of being free--we to whom all days, places, persons, and all external +things are one and the same. + +[Sidenote: 3. Satisfaction] + +How unworthily they have dealt with satisfaction, I have abundantly +shown in the controversies concerning indulgences[127]. They have +grossly abused it, to the ruin of Christians in body and soul. To +begin with, they taught it in such a manner that the people never +learned what satisfaction really is, namely, the renewal of a man's +life. Then, they so continually harp on it and emphasize its +necessity, that they leave no room for faith in Christ. With these +scruples they torture poor consciences to death, and one runs to Rome, +one to this place, another to that, this one to Chartreuse, that one +to some other place, one scourges himself with rods, another ruins his +body with fasts and vigils, and all cry with the same mad zeal, "Lo +here is Christ! lo there!" [Luke 17:20 f.] believing that the kingdom +of heaven, which is within us, will come with observation[128]. + +For these monstrous things we are indebted to thee, O Roman See, and +thy murderous laws and ceremonies, with which thou hast corrupted all +mankind, so that they think by works to make satisfaction or sin to +God, Who can be satisfied only by the faith of a contrite heart! This +faith thou not only keepest silent with this uproar of thine, but even +oppressest, only so thy insatiable horseleech have those to whom it +may say, "Bring, bring!" [Prov. 30:15] and may traffic in sins. + +Some have gone even farther and have constructed those instruments for +driving souls to despair,--their decrees that the penitent must +rehearse all sins anew for which he neglected to make the imposed +satisfaction. Yea, what would not they venture to do, who were born +for the sole purpose of carrying all things into a tenfold captivity? +Moreover, how many are possessed with the notion that they are in a +saved state and are making satisfaction for their sins, if they but +mumble over, word for word, the prayers the priest has imposed, even +though they give never a thought meanwhile to amending their life! +They believe that their life is changed in the one moment of +contrition and confession, and it remains only to make satisfaction +for their past sins. How should they know better, when they are not +taught otherwise? No thought is given here to the mortifying of the +flesh, no value is attached to the example of Christ, Who absolved the +woman taken in adultery and said to her, "Go, and sin no more!" [John +8:11] thereby laying upon her the cross--the mortifying of her flesh. +This perverse error is greatly encouraged by our absolving sinners +before the satisfaction has been completed, so that they are more +concerned about completing the satisfaction which lies before them, +than they are about contrition, which they suppose to be past and over +when they have made confession. Absolution ought rather to follow on +the completion of satisfaction, as it did in the ancient Church, with +the result that, after completing the work, penitents gave themselves +with greater diligence to faith and the living of a new life. + +But this must suffice in repetition of what I have more fully said on +indulgences, and in general this must suffice for the present +concerning the three sacraments, which have been treated, and yet not +treated, in so many harmful books, theological as well as juristic. It +remains to attempt some discussion of the other sacraments also, lest +I seem to have rejected them without cause. + +CONFIRMATION + +I wonder what could have possessed them to make a sacrament of +confirmation out of the laying on of hands, which Christ employed when +He blessed young children [Mark 10:16], and the apostles when they +imparted the Holy Spirit [Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6; Acts 6:6; Mark 16:18], +ordained elders and cured the sick, as the Apostle writes to Timothy, +"Lay hands suddenly on no man." [1 Tim. 5:22] Why have they not also +turned the sacrament of the bread into confirmation? For it is written +in Acts ix, "And when he had taken meat he was strengthened,"[129] and +in Psalm civ, "And that bread may cheer[130] man's heart." [Ps. +104:15] Confirmation would thus include three sacraments--the bread, +ordination, and confirmation itself. But if everything the apostles +did is a sacrament, why have they not rather made preaching a +sacrament? + +I do not say this because I condemn the seven sacraments, but because +I deny that they can be proved from the Scriptures. Would to God we +had in the Church such a laying on of hands as there was in apostolic +times, whether we called it confirmation or healing! But there is +nothing left of it now but what we ourselves have invented to adorn +the office of the bishops, that they may have at least something to do +in the Church. For after they relinquished to their inferiors those +arduous sacraments together with the Word, as being too common for +themselves,--since, forsooth, whatever the divine Majesty has +instituted must needs be despised of men!--it was no more than right +that we should discover something easy and not too burdensome for such +delicate and great heroes to do, and should by no means entrust it to +the lower clergy as something common--for whatever human wisdom has +decreed must needs be held in honor among men! Therefore, as are the +priests, so let their ministry and duty be. For a bishop who does not +preach the Gospel or care for souls [1 Cor. 8:4], what is he but an +idol in the world, having but the name and appearance of a bishop? + +But we seek, instead of this, sacraments that have been divinely +instituted, among which we see no reason for numbering confirmation. +For, in order that there be a sacrament, there is required above all +things a word of divine promise, whereby faith may be trained. But we +read nowhere that Christ ever gave a promise concerning confirmation, +although He laid hands on many and included the laying on of hands +among the signs in Mark xvi: "They shall lay their hands on the sick, +and they shall recover." [Mark 16:18] Yet no one referred this to a +sacrament, nor can this be done. Hence it is sufficient to regard +confirmation as a certain churchly rite or sacramental ceremony, +similar to other ceremonies, such as the blessing of holy water and +the like. For if every other creature is sanctified by the word and by +prayer [1 Tim. 4:4 f.], why should not much rather man be sanctified +by the same means? Still, these things cannot be called sacraments of +faith, because there is no divine promise connected with them, neither +do they save; but sacraments do save those who believe the divine +promise. + +MARRIAGE + +Not only is marriage regarded as a sacrament without the least warrant +of Scripture, but the very traditions which extol it as a sacrament +have turned it into a farce. Let me explain. + +We said[131] that there is in every sacrament a word of divine +promise, to be believed by whoever receives the sign, and that the +sign alone cannot be a sacrament. Now we read nowhere that the man who +marries a wife receives any grace of God. Nay, there is not even a +divinely instituted sign in marriage, for nowhere do we read that +marriage was instituted by God to be a sign of anything. To be sure, +whatever takes place in a visible manner may be regarded as a type or +figure of something invisible; but types and figures are not +sacraments in the sense in which we use this term. Furthermore, since +marriage existed from the beginning of the world and is still found +among unbelievers, it cannot possibly be called a sacrament of the New +Law and the exclusive possession of the Church. The marriages of the +ancients were no less sacred than are ours, nor are those of +unbelievers less true marriages than those of believers, and yet they +are not regarded as sacraments. Besides, there are even among +believers married folk who are wicked and worse than any heathen; why +should marriage be called a sacrament in their case and not among the +heathen? Or are we going to prate so foolishly of baptism and the +Church as to hold that marriage is a sacrament only in the Church, +just as some make the mad claim that temporal power exists only in the +Church? That is childish and foolish talk, by which we expose our +ignorance and our arrogance to the ridicule of unbelievers. + +But they will say: The Apostle writes in Ephesians v, "They shall be +two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament." [Eph. 5:31 f.] Surely +you are not going to contradict so plain a statement of the Apostle! I +reply: This argument, like the others, betrays great shallowness and a +negligent and thoughtless reading of Scripture. Nowhere in Holy +Scripture is this word sacrament employed in the meaning to which we +are accustomed; it has an entirely different meaning. For wherever it +occurs it signifies not the sign of a sacred thing, but a sacred, +secret, hidden thing. Thus Paul writes in i Corinthians iv, "Let a man +so account of us as the ministers of Christ, and dispensers of the +mysteries[132]--i. e., sacraments--of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Where we have +the word _sacrament_ the Greek text reads _mystery_, which word our +version sometimes translates and sometimes retains in its Greek form. +Thus our verse reads in the Greek: "They shall be two in one flesh; +this is a great _mystery_." [Eph. 5:31] This explains how they came to +find a sacrament of the New Law here--a thing they would never have +done if they had read the word _mystery_, as it is in the Greek[133]. +Thus Christ Himself is called a sacrament in I Timothy iii, "And +evidently great is the sacrament--i. e., mystery--of godliness, which +was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, appeared +unto angels, hath been preached unto the Gentiles, is believed by the +world, is taken up in glory."[1 Tim. 3:16][134] Why have they not +drawn out of this passage an eighth sacrament of the New Law, since +they have the clear authority of Paul? But if they restrained +themselves here, where they had a most excellent opportunity to +unearth a new sacrament, why are they so wanton in the former passage? +It was their ignorance, forsooth, of both words and things; they clung +to the mere sound of the words, nay, to their own fancies. For, having +once arbitrarily taken the word sacrament to mean a sign, they +straightway, without thought or scruple, made a sign of it every time +they came upon it in the Sacred Scriptures. Such new meanings of words +and such human customs they have also elsewhere dragged into Holy +Writ, and conformed it to their dreams, making anything out of any +passage whatsoever. Thus they continually chatter nonsense about the +terms: good and evil works, sin, grace, righteousness, virtue, and +wellnigh every one of the fundamental words and things. For they +employ them all after their own arbitrary judgment, learned from the +writings of men, to the detriment both of the truth of God and of our +salvation. + +Therefore, _sacrament_, or _mystery_, in Paul's writings, is that +wisdom of the Spirit, hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7 ff.], as he says +in i Corinthians ii, which is Christ, Who is for this very reason not +known to the princes of this world, wherefore they also crucified Him, +and Who still is to them foolishness, an offense, a stone of stumbling +[1 Cor. 1:23; Rom. 9:33], and a sign which is spoken against [Luke +2:34]. The preachers he calls dispensers of these mysteries because +they preach Christ, the power and the wisdom of God [1 Cor. 1:23 f.; +4:1], yet so that one cannot receive this unless one believe. +Therefore, a sacrament is a mystery, or secret thing, which is set +forth in words and is received by the faith of the heart. Such a +sacrament is spoken of in the verse before us--"They shall be two in +one flesh. This is a great sacrament"[Eph 5:31]--which they understand +as spoken of marriage, whereas Paul wrote these words of Christ and +the Church, and clearly explained his meaning by adding, "But I speak +in Christ and in the Church." Ay, how well they agree with Paul! He +declares he is setting forth a great sacrament in Christ and the +Church, but they set it forth in a man and a woman! If such wantonness +be permitted in the Sacred Scriptures, it is small wonder if one find +there anything one please, even a hundred sacraments. + +Christ and the Church are, therefore, a mystery, that is, a great and +secret thing, which it was possible and proper[135] to represent by +marriage as by a certain outward allegory, but that was no reason for +their calling marriage a sacrament. The heavens are a type of the +apostles, as Psalm xix declares; the sun is a type of Christ; the +waters, of the peoples [Ps. 19:1 ff.]; but that does not make those +things sacraments, for in every case there are lacking both the divine +institution and the divine promise, which constitute a sacrament. +Hence Paul, in Ephesians v, following his own mind[136], applies to +Christ these words in Genesis ii about marriage, or else, following +the general view,[136] he teaches that the spiritual marriage of +Christ is also contained therein, saying: "As Christ cherisheth the +Church: because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his +bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and +shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is +a great sacrament; I speak in Christ and in the Church." [Eph. 5:29 +ff.] You see, he would have the whole passage apply to Christ, and is +at pains to admonish the reader to find the sacrament in Christ and +the Church, and not in marriage.[137] + +Therefore we grant that marriage is a type of Christ and the Church, +and a sacrament, yet not divinely instituted, but invented by men in +the Church, carried away by their ignorance both of the word and of +the thing. Which ignorance, since it does not conflict with the faith, +is to be charitably borne with, just as many other practices of human +weakness and ignorance are borne with in the Church, so long as they +do not conflict with the faith and with the Word of God. But we are +now dealing with the certainty and purity of the faith and the +Scriptures; so that our faith be not exposed to ridicule, when after +affirming that a certain thing is contained in the Sacred Scriptures +and in the articles of our faith, we are refuted and shown that it is +not contained therein, and, being found ignorant of our own affairs, +become a stumbling-block to our opponents and to the weak; nay, that +we destroy not the authority of the Holy Scriptures. For those things +which have been delivered to us by God in the Sacred Scriptures must +be sharply distinguished from those that have been invented by men in +the Church, it matters not how eminent they be for saintliness and +scholarship. + +[Sidenote: Hindrances to Marriage] + +So far concerning marriage itself. But what shall we say of the wicked +laws of men by which this divinely ordained manner of life is ensnared +and tossed to and fro? Good God! it is dreadful to contemplate the +audacity of the Roman despots, who wantonly tear marriages asunder and +again force them together. Prithee, is mankind given over to the +wantonness of these men, for them to mock and in every way abuse and +make of them whatever they please, for filthy lucre's sake? + +There is circulating far and wide and enjoying a great reputation, a +book whose contents have been poured together out of the cesspool of +all human traditions, and whose title is "The Angelic Sum,[138]" +though it ought rather to be "The More than Devilish Sum." Among +endless other monstrosities, which are supposed to instruct the +confessors, while they most mischievously confuse them, there are +enumerated in this book eighteen hindrances to marriage[139]. If you +will examine these with the just and unprejudiced eye of faith, you +will see that they belong to those things which the Apostle foretold: +"There shall be those that give heed to spirits of devils, speaking +lies in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry." [1 Tim. 4:1 ff.] What is +forbidding to marry if it is not this--to invent all those hindrances +and set those snares, in order to prevent men from marrying or, if +they be married, to annul their marriage? Who gave this power to men? +Granted that they were holy men and impelled by godly zeal, why should +another's holiness disturb my liberty? why should another's zeal take +me captive? Let whoever will, be a saint and a zealot, and to his +heart's content; only let him not bring harm upon another, and let him +not rob me of my liberty! + +Yet I am glad that those shameful laws have at length attained to +their full measure of glory, which is this: the Romanists of our day +have through them become merchants. What is it they sell? The shame of +men and women--merchandise, forsooth, most worthy of such merchants, +grown altogether filthy and obscene through greed and godlessness. For +there is nowadays no hindrance that may not be legalised upon the +intercession of mammon, so that these laws of men seem to have sprung +into existence for the sole purpose of serving those grasping and +robbing Nimrods as snares for taking money and as nets for catching +souls, and in order that that "abomination" might stand "in the holy +place," [Matt. 24:15] the Church of God, and openly sell to men the +shame of either sex, or as the Scriptures say, "shame and nakedness," +[Lev. 13:6 ff.] of which they had previously robbed them by means of +their laws. O worthy trade for our pontiffs to ply, instead of the +ministry of the Gospel, which in their greed and pride they despise, +being delivered up to a reprobate sense with utter shame and infamy. +[Rom. 1:28] + +But what shall I say or do? If I enter into details, the treatise will +grow to inordinate length, for everything is in such dire confusion +one does not know where to begin, whither to go on, or where to leave +off. I know that no state is well governed by means of laws. If the +magistrate be wise, he will rule more prosperously by natural bent +than by laws. If he be not wise, he will but further the evil by means +of laws; for he will not know what use to make of the laws nor how to +adapt them to the individual case. More stress ought, therefore, to be +laid, in civil affairs, on putting good and wise men in office than on +making laws; for such men will themselves be the very best laws, and +will judge every variety of case with lively justice. And if there be +knowledge of the divine law combined with natural wisdom, then written +laws will be entirely superfluous and harmful. Above all, love needs +no laws whatever[140]. + +Nevertheless I will say and do what I can. I admonish and pray all +priests and brethren[141], when they encounter any hindrance from +which the pope can grant dispensation and which is not expressly +contained in the Scriptures, by all means to confirm[142] any marriage +that may have been contracted[143] in any way contrary to the +ecclesiastical or pontifical laws. But let them arm themselves with +the divine law, which says, "What God hath joined together, let no man +put asunder." [Matt. 19:6] For the joining together of a man and a +woman is of divine law and is binding, however it may conflict with +the laws of men; the laws of men must give way before it without +hesitation. For if a man leaves father and mother and cleaves to his +wife, how much more will he tread underfoot the silly and wicked laws +of men[144] in order to cleave to his wife! And if pope, bishop or +official[145] annul any marriage because it was contracted contrary to +the laws of men, he is antichrist, he does violence to nature, and is +guilty of lese-majesty toward God, because this word stands,--"What +God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." [Matt. 19:6] + +Besides this, no man had the right to frame such laws, and Christ has +granted to Christians a liberty which is above all laws of men, +especially where a law of God conflicts with them. Thus it is said in +Mark ii, "The Son of man is lord also of the sabbath," [Mark 2:28] +and, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." [Mark +2:27] Moreover, such laws were condemned beforehand by Paul, when he +foretold that there would be men forbidding to marry [1 Tim. 4:3]. +Here, therefore, those cruel hindrances arising from affinity, +spiritual or legal relationship[146], and consanguinity must give way, +so far as the Scriptures permit, in which the second degree of +consanguinity alone is prohibited. Thus it is written in Leviticus +xviii, in which chapter there are twelve persons a man is prohibited +from marrying; namely, his mother, his mother-in-law, his full sister, +his half-sister by either parent, his granddaughter, his father's or +mother's sister, his daughter-in-law, his brother's wife, his wife's +sister, his stepdaughter, and his uncle's wife. [Lev. 18:6 ff.] Here +only the first degree of affinity and the second degree of +consanguinity are forbidden; yet not without exception, as will appear +on closer examination, for the brother's or sister's daughter, or the +niece, is not included in the prohibition, although she is in the +second degree. Therefore, if a marriage has been contracted outside of +these degrees, it should by no means be annulled on account of the +laws of men, since it is nowhere written in the Bible that any other +degrees were prohibited by God. Marriage itself, as of divine +institution, is incomparably superior to any laws; so that marriage +should not be annulled for the sake of the laws, rather should the +laws be broken for the sake of marriage. + +That nonsense about conpaternities, conmaternities, confraternities, +consororities, and confilieties must therefore be altogether +abolished, when a marriage has been contracted. What was it but the +superstition of men that invented those spiritual relationships?[147] +If one may not marry the person one has baptised or stood sponsor for, +what right has any Christian to marry any other Christian? Is the +relationship that grows out of the external rite, or the sign, of the +sacrament more intimate that that which grows out of the blessing[148] +of the sacrament itself? Is not a Christian man brother to a Christian +woman, and is not she his sister? Is not a baptised man the spiritual +brother of a baptised woman? How foolish we are! If a man instruct his +wife in the Gospel and in faith in Christ and thus become truly her +father in Christ, would it not be right for her to remain his wife? +Would not Paul have had the right to marry a maiden out of the +Corinthian congregation, of whom he boasts that he has begotton them +all in Christ? [1 Cor. 4:15] Lo, thus has Christian liberty been +suppressed through the blindness of human superstition. + +There is even less in the legal relationship[149], and yet they have +set it above the divine right of marriage. Nor would I recognise that +hindrance which they term "disparity of religion,"[150] and which +forbids one to marry any unbaptised person, even on condition that she +become converted to the faith. Who made this prohibition? God or man? +Who gave to men the power to prohibit such a marriage? The spirits, +forsooth, that speak lies in hypocrisy, as Paul says [1 Tim 4:1]. Of +them it must be said: "The wicked have told me fables; but not as thy +law." [Ps. 119:85] The heathen Patricius married the Christian Monica, +the mother of St. Augustine; why should not the same be permitted +nowadays? + +The same stupid, nay, wicked cruelty is seen in "the hindrance of +crime,"[151]--as when a man has married a woman with whom he had lived +in adultery, or when he plotted to bring about the death of a woman's +husband in order to be able to wed the widow. I pray you, whence comes +this cruelty of man toward man, which even God never demanded? Do they +pretend not to know that Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, was wed by +David, a most saintly man, after the double crime of adultery and +murder? If the divine law did this, what do these despotic men to +their fellowservants? + +Another hindrance is that which they call "the hindrance of a +tie,"[152]--as when a man is bound by being betrothed to another +woman. Here they decide that, if he has had carnal knowledge of the +second, the betrothal with the first becomes null and void. This I do +not understand at all. I hold that he who has betrothed himself to one +woman belongs no longer to himself, and because of this act, by the +prohibition of the divine law, he belongs to the first, though he has +not known her, even if he has known the second. For it was not in his +power to give the latter what was no longer his own; he deceived her +and actually committed adultery. But they regard the matter +differently because they pay more heed to the carnal union than to the +divine command, according to which the man, having plighted his troth +to the first, is bound to keep it for ever. For whoever would give +anything must give of that which is his own. And God forbids a man to +overreach or circumvent his brother in any matter [1 Thess. 4:6]. This +prohibition must be kept, over and above all the traditions of all +men. Therefore, the man in the above case cannot with a good +conscience live in marriage with the second woman, and this hindrance +should be completely overthrown. For if a monastic vow make a man to +be no longer his own, why does not a promise of betrothal given and +received do the same?--since this[153] is one of the precepts and +fruits of the Spirit (Galatians v) [Gal. 5:22 f.; Eph. 5:9], while a +monastic vow is of human invention. And if a wife may claim her +husband despite the act that he has taken a monastic vow, why may not +a bride claim her betrothed, even though he has known another? But we +said above[154] that he who has plighted his troth to a maiden ought +not to take a monastic vow, but is in duty bound to keep faith with +her, which faith he cannot break for any tradition of men, because it +is commanded by God. Much more should the man here keep faith with his +first bride, since he could not plight his troth to a second save with +a lying heart, and therefore did not really plight it, but deceived +her, his neighbor, against God's command. Therefore, the "hindrance of +error"[155] enters in here, by which his marriage to the second woman +is rendered null and void. + +The "hindrance of ordination"[156] also is a lying invention of men, +especially since they prate that even a contracted marriage is +annulled by it. Thus they constantly exalt their traditions above the +commands of God. I do not indeed sit in judgment on the present state +of the priestly order, but I observe that Paul charges a bishop to be +the husband of one wife [1 Tim. 3:2]; hence no marriage of deacon, +priest, bishop or any other order can be annulled,--although it is +true that Paul knew nothing of this species of priests, and of the +orders that we have to-day. Perish those cursed human traditions, +which have crept into the Church only to multiply perils, sins and +evils! There exists, therefore, between a priest and his wife a true +and indissoluble marriage, approved by the divine commandment. But +what if wicked men in sheer despotism prohibit or annul it? So be it! +Let it be wrong among men; it is nevertheless right before God, Whose +command must needs take precedence if it conflicts with the commands +of men. + +An equally lying invention is that "hindrance of public decency,"[157] +by which contracted marriages are annulled. I am incensed at that +barefaced wickedness which is so ready to put asunder what God hath +joined together that one may well scent antichrist in it, for it +opposes all that Christ has done and taught. What earthly reason is +there for holding that no relative of a deceased husband, even to the +fourth degree, may marry the latter's widow? That is not a +judgment[158] of public decency, but ignorance[158] of public decency. +Why was not this judgment of public decency found among the people of +Israel, who were endowed with the best laws, the laws of God? On the +contrary, the next of kin was even compelled by the law of God to +marry the widow of his relative [Deut. 25:5]. Must the people of +Christian liberty be burdened with severer laws than the people of +legal bondage? But, to make an end of these figments, rather than +hindrances--thus far there seem to me to be no hindrances that may +justly annul a contracted marriage save these: impotence of the +husband, ignorance of a previously contracted marriage, and a vow of +chastity. Still, concerning the last, I am to this day so far from +certain that I do not know at what age such a vow is to be regarded as +binding; as I also said above in discussing the sacrament of +baptism[159]. Thus you may learn, from this one question of marriage, +how wretchedly and desperately all the activities of the Church have +been confused, hindered, ensnared, and subjected to danger through the +pestilent, ignorant and wicked traditions of men, so that there is no +hope of betterment unless we abolish at one stroke all the laws of all +men, restore the Gospel of liberty, and by it judge and rule all +things. Amen. + +[Sidenote: Impotence] + +We have to speak, then, of sexual impotence, that we may the more +readily advise the souls that are in peril.[160] But first I wish to +state that what I have said of hindrances is intended to apply after a +marriage has been contracted; no marriage should be annulled by any +such hindrance. But as to marriages which are to be contracted, I +would briefly repeat what I said above[161]. Under the stress of +youthful passion or of any other necessity for which the pope grants +dispensation, any brother may grant a dispensation to another or even +to himself, and following that counsel snatch his wife out of the +power of the tyrannical laws as best he can. For with what right am I +deprived of my liberty by another's superstition and ignorance? If the +pope grants a dispensation for money, why should not I, for my soul's +salvation, grant a dispensation to myself or to my brother? Does the +pope set up laws? Let him set them up or himself, and keep hands off +my liberty; else I will take it by stealth! Now let us discuss the +matter of impotence. + +Take the following case. A woman, wed to an impotent man, is unable to +prove her husband's impotence before court, or perhaps she is +unwilling to do so with the mass of evidence and all the notoriety +which the law demands; yet she is desirous of having children or is +unable to remain continent. Now suppose I had counseled her to demand +a divorce from her husband in order to marry another, satisfied that +her own and her husband's conscience and their experience were ample +testimony of his impotence; but the husband refused his consent to +this. Then suppose I should further counsel her, with the consent of +the man (who is not really her husband, but merely a dweller under the +same roof with her), to give herself to another, say her husband's +brother, but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children +to the so-called putative father. The question is: Is such a woman in +a saved state? I answer, Certainly. Because in this case the error and +ignorance of the man's impotence are a hindrance to the marriage; the +tyranny of the laws permits no divorce; the woman is free through the +divine law, and cannot be compelled to remain continent. Therefore the +man ought to yield her this right, and let another man have her as +wife whom he has only in outward appearance. + +Moreover, if the man will not give his consent, or agree to this +division,--rather than allow the woman to burn or to commit adultery, +I should counsel her to contract a marriage with another and flee to +distant parts unknown. What other counsel could be given to one +constantly in danger from lust? Now I know that some are troubled by +the act that then the children of this secret marriage are not the +rightful heirs of their putative father. But if it was done with the +consent of the husband, then the children will be the rightful heirs. +If, however, it was done without his knowledge or against his will, +then let unbiased Christian reason, nay, let Christian charity, decide +which of the two has done the greater injury to the other. The wife +alienates the inheritance, but the husband has deceived his wife and +is completely defrauding her of her body and her life. Is not the sin +of the man who wastes his wife's body and life a greater sin than that +of the woman who merely alienates the temporal goods of her husband? +Let him, therefore, agree to a divorce, or else be satisfied with +strange heirs; for by his own fault he deceived the innocence of a +maiden and defrauded her of the proper use of her body, besides giving +her a wellnigh irresistible opportunity to commit adultery. Let both +be weighed in the same scales. Certainly, by every right, deceit +should all back on the deceiver, and whoever has done an injury must +make it good. What is the difference between such a husband and the +man who holds another's wife captive together with her husband? Is not +such a tyrant compelled to support wife and children and husband, or +else to set them free? Why should not the same hold here? Therefore I +maintain that the man should be compelled either to submit to a +divorce or to support the other man's child as his heir. Doubtless +this would be the judgment of charity. In that case, the impotent man, +who is not really the husband, should support the heirs of his wife in +the same spirit in which he would at great cost wait on his wife if +she fell sick or suffered some other ill; for it is by his fault and +not by his wife's that she suffers this ill. This have I set forth to +the best of my ability, for the strengthening of anxious consciences, +being desirous to bring my afflicted brethren in this captivity what +little comfort I can.[162] + +[Sidenote: Divorce] + +As to divorce, it is still a moot question whether it be allowable. +For my part I so greatly detest divorce that I should prefer bigamy to +it,[163] but whether it be allowable, I do not venture to decide. +Christ Himself, the Chief Pastor[164], says in Matthew v, "Whosoever +shall put away his wife, excepting for the cause of fornication, +maketh her commit adultery; and he that shall marry her that is put +away, committeth adultery." [Matt. 5:32] Christ, then, permits +divorce, but for the cause of fornication only. The pope must, +therefore, be in error whenever he grants a divorce for any other +cause, and no one should feel safe who has obtained a dispensation by +this temerity (not authority) of the pope. Yet it is a still greater +wonder to me, why they compel a man to remain unmarried after being +separated from his wife, and why they will not permit him to remarry. +For if Christ permits divorce for the cause of fornication and compels +no one to remain unmarried, and if Paul would rather have one marry +than burn [1 Cor. 7:9], then He certainly seems to permit a man to +marry another woman in the stead of the one who has been put away. +Would to God this matter were thoroughly threshed out and decided, so +that counsel might be given in the infinite perils of those who, +without any fault of their own, are nowadays compelled to remain +unmarried, that is, of those whose wives or husbands have run away and +deserted them, to come back perhaps after ten years, perhaps never. +This matter troubles and distresses me; I meet cases of it every day, +whether it happen by the special malice of Satan or because of our +neglect of the word of God. + +I, indeed, who, alone against all, can decide nothing in this matter, +would yet greatly desire at least the passage in I Corinthians vii to +be applied here,--"But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a +brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases." [1 Cor. 7:15] +Here the Apostle gives permission to put away the unbeliever who +departs and to set the believing spouse free to marry again. Why +should not the same hold true when a believer--that is, a believer in +name, but in truth as much an unbeliever as the one Paul speaks +of--deserts his wife, especially if he never intends to return? I +certainly can see no difference between the two. But I believe that if +in the Apostle's day an unbelieving deserter had returned and had +become a believer or had promised to live again with his believing +wife, he would not have been taken back, but he too would have been +given the right to marry again. Nevertheless, in these matters I +decide nothing, as I have said,"[165] although there is nothing I +would rather see decided, since nothing at present more grievously +perplexes me and many more with me. I would have nothing decided here +on the mere authority of the pope or the bishops; but if two learned +and pious men agreed in the name of Christ and published their opinion +in the spirit of Christ [Matt. 18:19 f.], I should prefer their +judgment even to such councils as are nowadays assembled, famous only +for numbers and authority, not for scholarship and saintliness. +Herewith I hang up my harp[166][Ps. 137:2], until another and a better +man shall take up this matter with me. + +ORDINATION + +Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it is an +invention of the church of the pope. Not only is there nowhere any +promise of grace attached to it, but there is not the least mention of +it in the whole New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to put forth as a +sacrament of God that which cannot be proved to have been instituted +by God. I do not hold that this rite, which has been observed for so +many centuries, should be condemned; but in sacred things I am opposed +to the invention of human fictions, nor is it right to give out as +divinely instituted what was not divinely instituted, lest we become a +laughing-stock to our opponents. We ought to see to it that every +article of faith of which we boast be certain, pure, and based on +clear passages of Scripture. But that we are utterly unable to do in +the case of the sacrament under consideration. + +[Sidenote: The Church Cannot Institute Sacraments] + +The Church has no power to make new divine promises, as some prate, +who hold that what is decreed by the Church is of no less authority +than what is decreed by God, since the Church is under the guidance of +the Holy Spirit. But the Church owes its life to the word of promise +through faith, and is nourished and preserved by this same word. That +is to say, the promises of God make the Church, not the Church the +promise of God. For the Word of God is incomparably superior to the +Church, and in this Word the Church, being a creature, has nothing to +decree, ordain or make, but only to be decreed, ordained and made. For +who begets his own parent? Who first brings forth his own maker? This +one thing indeed the Church can do--it can distinguish the Word of God +from the words of men; as Augustine confesses that he believed the +Gospel, moved thereto by the authority of the Church, which +proclaimed, this is the Gospel.[167] Not that the Church is, +therefore, above the Gospel; if that were true, she would also be +above God, in Whom we believe because she proclaims that He is God. +But, as Augustine elsewhere says,[168] the truth itself lays hold on +the soul and thus renders it able to judge most certainly of all +things; but the truth it cannot judge, but is forced to say with +unerring certainty that it is the truth. For example, our reason +declares with unerring certainty that three and seven are ten, and yet +it cannot give a reason why this is true, although it cannot deny that +it is true; it is taken captive by the truth and does not so much +judge the truth as it is judged by the truth. Thus it is also with the +mind of the Church [1 Cor. 2:16], when under the enlightenment of the +Spirit she judges and approves doctrines; she is unable to prove it, +and yet is most certain of having it. For as in philosophy no one +judges general conceptions, but all are judged by them, so it is in +the Church with the mind of the Spirit, that judgeth all things and is +judged by none, as the Apostle says [1 Cor. 2:15]. But of this another +time.[169] + +[Sidenote: Ordination not a Sacrament] + +Let this then stand fast,--the Church can give no promises of grace; +that is the work of God alone. Therefore she cannot institute a +sacrament. But even if she could, it yet would not follow that +ordination is a sacrament. For who knows which is the Church that has +the Spirit? since when such decisions are made there are usually only +a few bishops or scholars present; it is possible that these may not +be really of the Church, and that all may err, as councils have +repeatedly erred, particularly the Council of Constance[170], which +fell into the most wicked error of all. Only that which has the +approval of the Church universal, and not of the Roman church alone, +rests on a trustworthy foundation. I therefore admit that ordination +is a certain churchly rite, on a par with many others introduced by +the Church Fathers, such as the blessing of vases, houses, vestments, +water, salt, candles, herbs, wine, and the like. No one calls any of +these a sacrament, nor is there in them any promise. In the same +manner, to anoint a man's hands with oil, or to shave his head, and +the like, is not to administer a sacrament, since there is no promise +given to those things; he is simply prepared, like a vessel or an +instrument, for a certain work. + +But you will reply: "What do you say to Dionysius,[171] who in his +_Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_ enumerates six sacraments, among which he +also includes orders?" I answer: I am well aware that this is the one +writer of antiquity who is cited in support of the seven sacraments, +although he omits marriage and thus has only six. We read simply +nothing about these "sacraments" in the other Fathers, nor do they +ever refer to them as sacraments; for the invention of sacraments is +of recent date. Indeed, to speak more boldly, the setting so great +store by this Dionysius, whoever he may have been, greatly displeases +me, for there is scarce a line of sound scholarship in him. Prithee, +by what authority and with what reasons does he establish his +hotch-potch about the angels, in his _Celestial Hierarchy_?--a book +over which many curious and superstitious spirits have cudgeled their +brains. If one were to read and judge fairly, is not all shaken out of +his sleeve and very like a dream? But in his _Mystic Theology_, which +certain most ignorant theologians greatly puff, he is downright +dangerous, being more of a Platonist than a Christian; so that, if I +had my way, no believing mind would give the least attention to these +books. So far from learning Christ in them, you will lose even what +you know of Him. I know whereof I speak. Let us rather hear Paul, that +we may learn Jesus Christ and Him crucified [1 Cor. 2:2]. He is the +way, the life and the truth; He is the ladder by which we come unto +the Father, as He saith: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." +[John 14:6] + +[Sidenote: Allegories] + +And in the _Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_, what does this Dionysius do but +describe certain churchly rites and play round them with his +allegories without proving them? just as among us the author of the +book entitled _Rationale divinorum_.[172] Such allegorical studies are +the work of idle men. Think you I should find it difficult to play +with allegories round anything in creation? Did not Bonaventure[173] +by allegory draw the liberal arts into theology? And Gerson even +converted the smaller Donatus into a mystic theologian.[173] It would +not be a difficult task for me to compose a better hierarchy than that +of Dionysius, for he knew nothing of pope, cardinals and archbishops, +and put the bishop at the top. Nay, who has so weak a mind as not to +be able to launch into allegories? I would not have a theologian give +himself to allegorizing until he has perfected himself in the +grammatical and literal interpretation of the Scriptures; otherwise +his theology will bring him into danger, as Origen discovered.[175] + +Therefore a thing does not need to be a sacrament simply because +Dionysius describes it. Otherwise, why not also make a sacrament of +the processions, which he describes in his book, and which continue to +this day? There will then be as many sacraments as there have been +rites and ceremonies multiplied in the Church. Standing on so unsteady +a foundation, they have nevertheless invented "characters"[176] which +they attribute to this sacrament of theirs and which are indelibly +impressed on those who are ordained. Whence do such ideas come? By +what authority, with what reasons, are they established? We do not +object to their being free to invent, say and give out whatever they +please; but we also insist on our liberty and demand that they shall +not arrogate to themselves the right to turn their ideas into articles +of faith, as they have hitherto presumed to do. It is enough that we +accommodate ourselves to their rites and ceremonies for the sake of +peace; but we reuse to be bound by such things as though they were +necessary to salvation, when they are not. Let them put by their +despotic demands, and we shall yield free obedience to their opinions, +and thus live at peace with them. It is a shameful and wicked slavery +for a Christian man, who is free, to be subject to any but heavenly +and divine traditions. + +[Sidenote: The Alleged Scriptural Basis of Ordination] + +We come now to their strongest argument. It is this: Christ said at +the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] Here, +they say, Christ ordained the apostles to the priesthood. From this +passage they also concluded, among other things, that both kinds are +to be administered to the priests alone.[177] In fine, they have drawn +out of this passage whatever they pleased, as men who might arrogate +to themselves the free will to prove anything whatever from any words +of Christ, no matter where found. But is that interpreting the words +of God? Pray, answer me! Christ gives us no promise here, but only +commands that this be done in remembrance of Him. Why do they not +conclude that He also ordained priests when He laid upon them the +office of the Word and of baptism, saying, "Go ye into all the world, +and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptising them in the name," +[Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19] etc.? For it is the proper duty of priests +to preach and to baptise. Or, since it is nowadays the chief and, as +they say, indispensable duty of priests to read the canonical +hours,[178] why have they not discovered the sacrament of ordination +in those passages in which Christ, in many places and particularly in +the garden, commanded them to pray that they might not enter into +temptation? [Matt. 26:41] But perhaps they will evade this argument by +saying that it is not commanded to _pray_; it is enough to _read_ the +canonical hours. Then it follows that this priestly work can be proved +nowhere in the Scriptures, and thus their praying priesthood is not of +God, as, indeed, it is not. + +But which of the ancient Fathers claimed that in this passage priests +were ordained? Whence comes this novel interpretation? I will tell +you. They have sought by this device to set up a nursery of implacable +discord, whereby clerics and laymen should be separated from each +other farther than heaven from earth, to the incredible injury of the +grace of baptism and the confusion of our fellowship in the Gospel. +Here, indeed, are the roots of that detestable tyranny of the clergy +over the laity; trusting in the external anointing by which their +hands are consecrated, in the tonsure and in vestments, they not only +exalt themselves above lay Christians, who are only anointed with the +Holy Spirit, but regard them almost as dogs and unworthy to be +included with them in the Church. Hence they are bold to demand, to +exact, to threaten, to urge, to oppress, as much as they please. In +short, the sacrament of ordination has been and is a most approved +device for the establishing of all the horrible things that have been +wrought hitherto and will yet be wrought in the Church. Here Christian +brotherhood has perished, here shepherds have been turned into wolves, +servants into tyrants, churchmen into worse than worldlings. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of All Christians] + +If they were forced to grant that as many of us as have been baptised +are all priests without distinction, as indeed we are, and that to +them was committed the ministry only, yet with our consent, they would +presently learn that they have no right to rule over us except in so +far as we freely concede it. For thus it is written in i Peter ii, "Ye +are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a priestly kingdom." +[1 Peter 2:9] Therefore we are all priests, as many of us as are +Christians.[179] But the priests, as we call them, are ministers +chosen from among us, who do all that they do in our name. And the +priesthood is nothing but a ministry, as we learn from I Corinthians +iv, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the +dispensers of the mysteries of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] + +It follows herefrom that whoever does not preach the Word, called by +the Church to this very thing, is no priest at all. And further, that +the sacrament of ordination can be nothing else than a certain rite of +choosing preachers in the Church. For thus is a priest defined in +Malachi ii, "The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they +shall seek the law at his mouth: because he is the angel of the Lord +of hosts." [Mal. 2:7] You may be certain, then, that whoever is not an +angel of the Lord of hosts, or whoever is called to anything else than +such angelic service--if I may so term it--is never a priest; as Hosea +says, "Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that +thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me." [Hosea 4:6] They +are also called pastors because they are to pasture, that is, to +teach. Therefore, they who are ordained only to read the canonical +hours and to offer masses are indeed papist, but not Christian, +priests, because they not only do not preach, but are not called to +preach; nay, it comes to this, that such a priesthood is a different +estate altogether from the office of preaching. Thus they are +hour-priests and mass-priests, that is, a sort of living idol, having +the name of priest, while they are in reality such priests as Jeroboam +ordained, in Bethaven, of the off-scouring of the people, and not of +the tribe of Levi.[180][1 Kings 12:31] + +Lo, whither hath the glory of the Church departed! The whole earth is +filled with priests, bishops, cardinals and clerics, and yet not one +of them preaches by virtue of his office, unless he be called to do so +by another and a different call besides his sacramental ordination. +Every one thinks he is doing full justice to his sacrament by mumbling +the vain repetitions of his prescribed prayers and by celebrating +masses; moreover, by never really praying those hours[181], or if he +does pray them, by praying them for himself, and by offering his +masses as a sacrifice--which is the height of perversity!--whereas the +mass consists in the use of the sacrament. It is clear, therefore, +that the ordination which, as a sacrament, makes clerics of this sort +of men, is in truth nothing but a mere fiction, devised by men who +understand nothing about the Church, the priesthood, the ministry of +the Word, or the sacraments. And as is the sacrament, so are the +priests it makes. To such errors and such blindness has come a still +worse captivity; in order to separate themselves still farther from +other Christians, whom they deem profane, they have unmanned +themselves, like the priests of Cybele, and taken upon them the burden +of a pretended celibacy. + +It was not enough for this hypocrisy and error to forbid bigamy, viz., +the having of two wives at the same time, as it was forbidden in the +law, and as is the accepted meaning of the term; but they have called +it bigamy if a man married two virgins, one after the other, or if he +married a widow. Nay, so holy is the holiness of this most holy +sacrament, that no married man can become a priest as long as his wife +lives. And--here we reach the very summit of holiness--even he is +prevented from entering the priesthood, who without his knowledge or +by an unfortunate chance married a fallen woman. But if one have +defiled a thousand harlots, or ravished countless matrons and virgins, +or even kept numerous Ganymedes, that would be no hindrance to his +becoming bishop or cardinal or pope. Moreover, the Apostle's word, +"the husband of one wife," [1 Tim. 3:2] must be interpreted to mean, +"the prelate of one church," and this has given rise to the +"incompatible benefices."[182] At the same time the pope, that +munificent dispenser, may join to one man three, twenty, one hundred +wives--I should say churches--if he be bribed with money or power--I +should say, moved by godly charity and constrained by the care of the +churches. + +O pontiffs worthy of this holy sacrament of ordination! O princes, not +of the catholic churches, but of the synagogues, nay, the black dens, +of Satan! [Rev. 2:9] I would cry out with Isaiah: "Ye scornful men, +who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem" [Isa. 28:14]; and with +Amos: "Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have +confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the +people, that go in with state into the house of Israel." [Amos 6:1] O +the reproach that such monstrous priests bring upon the Church of God! +Where are there any bishops or priests who know the Gospel, not to +speak of preaching it? Why then do they boast of being priests? Why do +they desire to be regarded as holier and better and mightier than +other Christians, who are merely laymen? To read the hours--what +unlearned men, or, as the Apostle says, what men speaking with +tongues, cannot do that? [1 Cor. 14:23] But to _pray_ the hours--that +belongs to monks, hermits, and men in private life, all of them +laymen. The duty of the priest is to preach, and if he does not preach +he is as much a priest as a painted man is a man. Does ordaining such +babbling priests make one a bishop? Or blessing churches and bells? Or +confirming boys? Certainly not. Any deacon or layman could do as much. +The ministry of the Word makes the priest and the bishop. + +[Sidenote: Ordination, the Rite of Choosing Preachers] + +Therefore my advice is: Flee, all ye that would live in safety; +begone, young men, and do not enter upon this holy estate, unless you +are determined to preach the Gospel, and are able to believe that you +are not made one whit better than the laity through this sacrament of +ordination! For to read the hours is nothing, and to offer mass is to +receive the sacrament.[183] What then is there left to you that every +layman does not have? Tonsure and vestments? A sorry priest, forsooth, +who consists of tonsure and vestment! Or the oil poured on your +fingers? But every Christian is anointed and sanctified with the oil +of the Holy Spirit, both in body and soul, and in ancient times +touched the sacrament with his hands no less than the priests do +now.[184] But to-day our superstition counts it a great crime if the +laity touch either the bare chalice or the _corporale_;[185] not even +a nun who is a pure virgin would be permitted to wash the palls[186] +and sacred linens of the altar. O God! how the sacrosanct sanctity of +this sacrament of ordination has grown and grown. I anticipate that +ere long the laity will not be permitted to touch the altar except +when they offer their money. I can scarce contain myself when I +contemplate the wicked tyrannies of these desperate men, who with +their farcical and childish fancies mock and overthrow the liberty and +the glory of the Christian religion. + +Let every one, therefore, who knows himself to be a Christian be +assured of this, and apply it to himself,--that we are all priests, +and there is no difference between us; that is to say, we have the +same power in respect to the Word and all the sacraments. However, no +one may make use of this power except by the consent of the community +or by the call of a superior. For what is the common property of all, +no individual may arrogate to himself, unless he be called. And +therefore this sacrament of ordination, if it have any meaning at all, +is nothing else than a certain rite whereby one is called to the +ministry of the Church. Furthermore, the priesthood is properly +nothing but the ministry of the Word, mark you, of the Word--not of +the law, but of the Gospel. And the diaconate is not the ministry of +reading the Gospel or the Epistle, as is the present practice, but the +ministry of distributing the Church's alms to the poor, so that the +priests may be relieved of the burden of temporal matters and may give +themselves more freely to prayer and the Word. For this was the +purpose of the institution of the diaconate, as we read in Acts vi. +[Acts 6:4] Whoever, therefore, does not know or preach the Gospel, is +not only not a priest or bishop, but he is a plague of the Church, who +under the false title of priest or bishop--in sheep's clothing, +forsooth--oppresses the Gospel and plays the wolf in the Church. +Therefore, unless those priests and bishops with whom the Church is +now filled work out their salvation in some other way, that is, +realise that they are not priests or bishops and bemoan the act that +they bear the name of an office whose duties they either do not know +or cannot fulfil, and thus with prayers and tears lament their +wretched hypocritical life--unless they do this, they are truly the +people of eternal perdition, and the words of Isaiah are fulfilled in +them: "Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not +knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their +multitude were dried up with thirst. Therefore hath hell enlarged her +soul and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strong ones, +and their people, and their high and generous ones shall go down into +it." [Isa. 5:13 f.] What a dreadful word for our age, in which +Christians are sucked down into so deep an abyss! + +Since, therefore, what we call the priesthood is a ministry, so far as +we can learn from the Scriptures, I cannot understand why one who has +been made a priest cannot again become a layman; for the sole +difference between him and a layman is his ministry. But to depose a +man from the ministry is so far from impossible that it is even now +the usual penalty imposed upon guilty priests; they are either +suspended for a season or permanently deprived of their office. For +that lying "indelible character" has long since become a +laughing-stock. I admit that the pope imparts this character, but +Christ knows nothing of it; and a priest who is consecrated with it +becomes thereby the life-long servant and captive, not of Christ, but +of the pope; as it is in our day. Moreover, unless I am greatly +mistaken, if this sacrament and this life all, the papacy itself with +its characters will scarcely survive; our joyous liberty will be +restored to us; we shall realize that we are all equal by every right, +and having cast of the yoke of tyranny, shall know that he who is a +Christian has Christ, and that he who has Christ has all things that +are Christ's and is able to do all things [Phil. 4:13]. Of this I will +write more, and more tellingly, as soon as I perceive that the above +has displeased my friends the papists.[187] + +THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION + +[Sidenote: The Authority of James] + +To the rite of anointing the sick our theologians have made two +additions which are worthy of them; first, the call it a sacrament, +and secondly, they make it the last sacrament. So that it is now the +sacrament of extreme unction, which may be administered only to such +as are at the point of death. Being such subtle dialecticians, +perchance they have done this in order to relate it to the first +unction of baptism and the two succeeding unctions of confirmation and +ordination. But here they are able to cast in my teeth, that in the +case of this sacrament there are, on the authority of James the +Apostle, both promise and sign, which, as I have all along maintained, +constitute a sacrament. For does not James say: "Is any man sick among +you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray +over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the +prayer of faith shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall +be forgiven him." [James 5:14 f.] There, say they, you have the +promise of the forgiveness of sins, and the sign of the oil. + +But I reply: If ever there was a mad conceit, here is one indeed. I +will say nothing of the act that many assert with much probability +that this Epistle is not by James the Apostle,[188] nor worthy of an +apostolic spirit, although, whoever be its author, it has come to be +esteemed as authoritative. But even if the Apostle James did write it, +I yet should say, no Apostle has the right on his own authority to +institute a sacrament, that is, to give a divine promise with a sign +attached; for this belongs to Christ alone. Thus Paul says that he +received from the Lord the sacrament of the Eucharist, and that he was +not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospel [1 Cor. 11:23; 1 Cor. +1:17]. And we read nowhere in the Gospel of this sacrament of extreme +unction. But let us also waive that point. Let us examine the words of +the Apostle, or whoever was the author of the Epistle, and we shall at +once see how little heed these multipliers of sacraments have given to +them. + +[Sidenote: The Unction Not Extreme] + +In the first place, then, if they believe the Apostle's words to be +true and binding, by what right do they change and contradict them? +Why do they make an extreme and a particular kind of unction of that +which the Apostle wished to be general? For he did not desire it to be +an extreme unction or administered only to the dying; but he says +quite generally: "If any man be sick"--not, "If any man be dying." I +care not what learned discussions Dionysius has on this point in his +_Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_;[189] the Apostle's words are clear enough, +on which words he as well as they rely, without, however, following +them. It is evident, therefore, that they have arbitrarily and without +any authority made a sacrament and an extreme unction out of the +misunderstood words of the Apostle, to the detriment of all other sick +persons, whom they have deprived of the benefit of the unction which +the Apostle enjoined. + +[Sidenote: The Unction Medicinal] + +But what follows is still better. The Apostle's promise expressly +declares that the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the +Lord shall raise him up. The Apostle commands us to anoint the sick +man and to pray, in order that he may be healed and raised up; that +is, that he may not die, and that it may not be an extreme unction. +This is proved also by the prayers which are said, during the +anointing, or the recovery of the one who is sick. But they say, on +the contrary, that the unction must be administered to none but the +dying; that is, that they may not be healed and raised up. If it were +not so serious a matter, who could help laughing at this beautiful, +apt and sound exposition of the Apostle's words? Is not the folly of +the sophists here shown in its true colors? As here, so in many other +places, they affirm what the Scriptures deny, and deny what they +affirm. Why should we not give thanks to these excellent magisters of +ours?[190] I therefore spoke truth when I said they never conceived a +crazier notion than this.[191] + +Furthermore, if this unction is a sacrament it must necessarily be, as +they say, an effective sign[192] of that which it signifies and +promises. Now it promises health and recovery to the sick, as the +words plainly say: "The prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and +the Lord shall raise him up." But who does not see that this promise +is seldom if ever fulfilled? Scarce one in a thousand is restored to +health, and when one is restored nobody believes that it came about +through the sacrament, but through the working of nature or the +medicine; or to the sacrament they ascribe the opposite power. What +shall we say then? Either the Apostle lies in making this promise or +else this unction is no sacrament. For the sacramental promise is +certain; but this promise deceives in the majority of cases. +Indeed--and here again we recognize the shrewdness and foresight of +these theologians--for this very reason they would have it to be +extreme unction, that the promise should not stand; in other words, +that the sacrament should be no sacrament. For if it is extreme +unction, it does not heal, but gives way to the disease; but if it +heals, it cannot be extreme unction. Thus, by the interpretation of +these magisters, James is shown to have contradicted himself, and to +have instituted a sacrament in order not to institute one; for they +must have an extreme unction just to make untrue what the Apostle +intends, namely, the healing of the sick. If that is not madness, pray +what is? + +[Sidenote: Priests and Elders] + +These people exemplify the word of the Apostle in i Timothy i, +"Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things +they say, nor whereof they affirm." [1 Tim. 1:7] Thus they read and +follow all things without judgment. With the same thoughtlessness they +have also found auricular confession in our Apostle's words,--"Confess +your sins one to another." [James 5:16] But they do not observe the +command of the Apostle, that the priests of the church be called, and +prayer be made for the sick. Scarce a single priestling is sent +nowadays, although the Apostle would have many present, not because of +the unction but of the prayer. Wherefore he says: "The prayer of faith +shall save the sick man," etc. I have my doubts, however, whether he +would have us understand priests when he says presbyters, that is, +elders. For one who is an elder is not therefore a priest or minister; +so that the suspicion is justified that the Apostle desired the older +and graver men in the Church to visit the sick; these should perform a +work of mercy and pray in faith and thus heal him. Still it cannot be +denied that the ancient churches were ruled by elders, chosen for this +purpose, without these ordinations and consecrations, solely on +account of their age and their long experience. + +Therefore, I take it, this unction is the same as that which the +Apostles practised, in Mark vi, "They anointed with oil many that were +sick, and healed them." [Mark 6:13] It was a ceremony of the early +Church, by which they wrought miracles on the sick, and which has long +since ceased; even as Christ, in the last chapter of Mark, gave them +that believe the power to take up serpents, to lay hands on the sick, +etc. [Mark 16:17] It is a wonder that they have not made sacraments +also of these things; for they have the same power and promise as the +words of James. Therefore, this extreme--that is, this +fictitious--unction is not a sacrament, but a counsel of James, which +whoever will may use, and it is derived from Mark vi, as I have shown. +I do not believe it was a counsel given to all sick persons, for the +Church's infirmity is her glory and death is gain [Rom. 5:3; Phil. +1:21]; but it was given only to such as might bear their sickness +impatiently and with little faith. These the Lord allowed to remain in +the Church, in order that miracles and the power of faith might be +manifest in them. + +[Sidenote: Prayer the Chief Part of Unction] + +For this very contingency James provided with care and foresight by +attaching the promise of healing and the forgiveness of sins not to +the unction, but to the prayer of faith. For he says: "And the prayer +of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up: and +if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him." A sacrament does not +demand prayer or faith on the part of the minister, since even a +wicked person may baptise and consecrate without prayer; a sacrament +depends solely on the promise and institution of God, and requires +faith on the part of him who receives it. But where is the prayer of +faith in our present use of extreme unction? Who prays over the sick +one in such faith as not to doubt that he will recover? Such a prayer +of faith James here describes, of which he said in the beginning of +his Epistle: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." [James 1:6] +And Christ says of it: "Whatsoever you ask, believe that you shall +receive; and it shall be done unto you." [Mark 11:24] + +[Sidenote: The Unction and Faith] + +If such prayer were made, even to-day, over a sick man--that is, +prayer made in full faith by older, grave and saintly men--it is +beyond all doubt that we could heal as many sick as we would. For what +could not faith do? But we neglect this faith, which the authority of +the Apostle demands above all else. By presbyters--that is, men +preeminent by reason of their age and their faith--we understand the +common herd of priests. Moreover, we turn the daily or voluntary +unction into an extreme unction, and finally, we not only do not +effect the result promised by the Apostle, namely, the healing of the +sick, but we make it of none effect by striving after the very +opposite. And yet we boast that our sacrament, nay, our figment, is +established and proved by this saying of the Apostle, which is +diametrically opposed to it. What theologians we are! Now I do not +condemn this our sacrament of extreme unction, but I firmly deny that +it is what the Apostle James prescribes; for his unction agrees with +ours neither in form, use, power nor purpose. Nevertheless we shall +number it among those sacraments which we have instituted, such as the +blessing and sprinkling of salt and holy water[193]. For we cannot +deny that every creature is sanctified by the word and by prayer, as +the Apostle Paul teaches us [1 Tim. 4:4 f.]. We do not deny, +therefore, that forgiveness of sins and peace are granted through +extreme unction; not because it is a sacrament divinely instituted, +but because he who receives it believes that these blessings are +granted to him. For the faith of the recipient does not err, however +much the minister may err. For one who baptises or absolves in +jest[194], that is, does not absolve so far as the minister is +concerned, does yet truly absolve and baptise if the person he +baptises or absolves believe. How much more will one who administers +extreme unction confer peace, even though he does not really confer +peace, so far as his ministry is concerned, since there is no +sacrament there. The faith of the one anointed receives even that +which the minister either could not or did not intend to give; it is +sufficient for him to hear and believe the Word. For whatever we +believe we shall receive, that we do really receive, it matters not +what the minister may do or not do, or whether he dissemble or jest. +The Saying of Christ stands fast,--"All things are possible to him +that believeth," [Mark 9:23] and, "Be it unto thee even as thou hast +believed." [Matt. 8:13] But in treating the sacraments our sophists +say nothing at all of this faith, but only babble with all their might +of the virtues of the sacraments themselves--"ever learning, and never +attaining to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] + +Still it was a good thing that this unction was made extreme unction, +or, thanks to that, it has been disturbed and subjected least of all +the sacraments by tyranny and greed. This one last mercy, forsooth, +has been let to the dying,--they may freely be anointed, even without +confession and communion. If it had remained a practice of daily +occurrence, especially if it had conferred health on the sick, even +without taking away sins, how many worlds would not the pontiffs have +under their control to-day? For through the one sacrament of penance +and through the power of the keys, as well as through the sacrament of +ordination, they have become such mighty emperors and princes. But now +it is a fortunate thing that they despise the prayer of faith, and +therefore do not heal any sick, and that they have made or themselves, +out of an ancient ceremony, a brand-new sacrament. + +Let this suffice now for these four sacraments. I know how it will +displease those who believe that the number and use of the sacraments +are to be learned not from the sacred Scriptures, but from the Roman +See. As though the Roman See had given those sacraments and had not +rather got them from the lecture halls of the universities, to which +it is unquestionably indebted or whatever it has. The papal despotism +would not have attained its present position, had it not taken over so +many things from the universities. For there was scarce another of the +celebrated bishoprics that had so few learned pontiffs; only in +violence, intrigue, and superstition has it hitherto surpassed the +rest. For the men who occupied the Roman See a thousand years ago +differ so vastly from those who have since come into power, that one +is compelled to refuse the name of Roman pontiff either to the former +or to the latter. + +[Sidenote: Other Possible Sacraments] + +There are yet a few other things it might seem possible to regard as +sacraments; namely, all those to which a divine promise has been +given, such as prayer, the Word, and the cross. Christ promised, in +many places, that those who pray should be heard; especially in Luke +xi, where He invites us in many parables to pray [Luke 11:5 ff.]. Of +the Word He says: "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and +keep it." [Luke 11:28] And who will tell how often He promises aid and +glory to such as are afflicted, suffer, and are cast down? Nay, who +will recount all the promises of God? The whole Scripture is concerned +with provoking us to faith; now driving us with precepts and threats, +now drawing us with promises and consolations. Indeed, whatever things +are written are either precepts or promises; the precepts humble the +proud with their demands, the promises exalt the humble with their +forgiveness. + +[Sidenote: Baptism and Bread the Only Sufficient Sacraments] + +Nevertheless, it has seemed best to restrict the name of sacrament to +such promises as have signs attached to them. The remainder, not being +bound to signs, are bare promises. Hence there are, strictly speaking, +but two sacraments in the Church of God--baptism and bread; for only +in these two do we find both the divinely instituted sign and the +promise of forgiveness of sins. The sacrament of penance, which I +added to these two[195] lacks the divinely instituted visible sign, +and is, as I have said[196], nothing but a return to baptism. Nor can +the scholastics say that their definition fits penance, for they too +ascribe to the sacrament a visible sign, which is to impress upon the +senses the form of that which it effects invisibly. But penance, or +absolution, has no such sign; wherefore they are constrained by their +own definition, either to admit that penance is not a sacrament, and +thus to reduce the number of sacraments, or else to bring forward +another definition. + +Baptism, however, which we have applied to the whole of life, will +truly be a sufficient substitute for all the sacraments we might need +as long as we live. And the bread is truly the sacrament of the dying; +for in it we commemorate the passing of Christ out of this world, that +we may imitate Him. Thus we may apportion these two sacraments as +follows: baptism belongs to the beginning and the entire course of +life, the bread belongs to the end and to death. And the Christian +should use them both as long as he is in this poor body, until, fully +baptised and strengthened, he passes out of this world and is born +unto the new life of eternity, to eat with Christ in the Kingdom of +His Father, as He promised at the Last Supper,--"Amen I say to you, I +will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until it is +fulfilled in the kingdom of God." [Matt. 26:29] Thus He seems clearly +to have instituted the sacrament of the bread with a view to our +entrance into the life to come. Then, when the meaning[197] of both +sacraments is fulfilled, baptism and bread will cease. + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +Herewith I conclude this prelude, and freely and gladly offer it to +all pious souls who desire to know the genuine sense of the Scriptures +and the proper use of the sacraments. For it is a gift of no mean +importance, to know the things that are given us, as it is said in I +Corinthians ii [1 Cor. 2:12], and what use we ought to make of them. +Endowed with this spiritual judgment, we shall not mistakenly rely on +that which does not belong here. These two things our theologians +never taught us, nay, methinks they took particular pains to conceal +them from us. If I have not taught them, I certainly did not conceal +them, and have given occasion to others to think out something better. +It has at least been my endeavor to set forth these two things. +Nevertheless, not all can do all things[198]. To the godless, on the +other hand, and those who in obstinate tyranny force on us their own +teachings instead of God's, I confidently and freely oppose these +pages, utterly indifferent to their senseless fury. Yet I wish even +them a sound mind, and do not despise their efforts, but only +distinguish them from such as are sound and truly Christian. + +I hear a rumor of new bulls and papal maledictions sent out against +me, in which I am urged to recant or be declared a heretic[199]. If +that is true, I desire this book to be a portion of the recantation I +shall make; so that these tyrants may not complain of having had their +pains for nothing. The remainder I will publish ere long, and it will, +please Christ, be such as the Roman See has hitherto neither seen nor +heard. I shall give ample proof of my obedience[200]. In the name of +our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. + + Why doth that impious Herod fear + When told that Christ the King is near? + He takes not earthly realms away, + Who gives the realms that ne'er decay.[201] + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Born at Steinheim, near Paderborn, in Westphalia; a proofreader in +Melchior Lotter's printing-house at Leipzig, with whose oldest son he +went to Wittenberg in 1519; professor of poetry at the university; +rector of the same, 1525; one of Luther's staunchest supporters; +rector of the school at Lünenberg, 1532 until his death in 1540. +Compare Enders, _Luther's Briewechsel_, II, 490; Tschackert, _op. +cit._, 203, and literature in Clemen, I, 426. + +[2] _Resolutiones disputatio num de indulgentiarum Virtute_, 1518; +others think he refers to the Sermon _von Ablass und Gnade_, of the +same year. + +[3] Sylvester Prierias and the Dominicans. Comp. Köstlin-Kawerau, +Luther, I, 189 ff. + +[4] _Resolutiones super prop, xiii._, 1519. + +[5] Comp. The Papacy at Rome, Vol. I, p. 392. + +[6] Comp. Fr. Lepp, _Schlagworter des Ref. zeitalters_ (Leipzig, +1908), p. 62. + +[7] The Franciscan Augustin Alveld. See Introduction, and compare +Lemmens, _Pater Aug. v. Alveld_ (Freiburg, 1599). + +[8] Isidore Isolani. See Introduction. + +[9] Luther pokes fun at the use of _revocatio_ with an objective +genitive. + +[10] See above, p. 58, and compare Preserved Smith, _Luther's +Correspondence_, Vol. I, letter no. 265. + +[11] Cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I, p. 337. The title-page of +Alveld's treatise contained twenty-six lines. + +[12] A satiric reference to a section in Alveld's treatise, on the +name of Jesus, which he spells IHSVH and brings proofs for this form +from the three languages, mentioned. See Seckendor, _Hist. Luth._, +lib. I, sect. 27, § lxx, add. ii. + +[13] Alveld calls himself, on his title-page, _Franciscanus regularis +observantiae Sanctae Crucis_. The Observantines were Franciscan monks +of the stricter rule, who separated from the Conventuals in the XV. +Century. See _Prot. Realencyklopädie^3, VI, 213 ff. + +[14] In the _Treatise on the Blessed Sacrament_; see above, p. 9. + +[15] The universities of Cologne and Louvain had ratified Eck's +"victory" over Luther at the Leipzig Disputation. See Köstlin-Kawerau, +I, 266, 298. + +[16] _De disputatione Lipsicensi_, 1519. + +[17] _A venatione Luteriana Aegocerotis assertio_, 1519. + +[18] Some theologians--e. g., Cajetan and Durandus--doubted whether +the Sacrament of Order was received by deacons; the Council of Trent +decided against them.--_Cath. Encyclop._, IV, 650. + +[19] For Luther's opinion of Aristotle see above, pp. 146 f. + +[20] The Franciscans are meant. The allusion may be to the seraphic +vision of St. Francis. + +[21] See above, pp. 153 ff. + +[22] A less lenient view was taken by Boniface Amerbach, writing to +his brother Basil at Basle, October 20, 1520: "The good man (Luther) +was not a little injured by the libel of a poor impostor, who, by +pretending that Martin had recanted, brought back even those who had +entered upon the way of truth to their former errors." See Smith, _op. +cit._, I, no. 316. + +[23] The present did not last very long; see below, p. 292. + +[24] So called because of the withholding of the wine from the laity. + +[25] Cf. 1 Tim. 3:16. See Köstlin, _Theology of Luther_ (E. Tr.), I, +403; and below, pp. 258 f. + +[26] The _Treatise on the Blessed Sacrament_, 1519. + +[27] See page 174. + +[28] See above, p. 10, note 1. + +[29] _Decretal. Greg., lib. Ill, tit. xli, cap. 17_. + +[30] Migne, XLIV, 699 f. + +[31] _Verklärung etlicher Artikel_, 1520. _Weimer Ed._, VI, 80 11 ff. + +[32] An allusion to his opponents' doctrine of the complete freedom of +the will, which Luther denied. Compare his _De servo arbitrio_ (1525). +_Weimar Ed._, XVIII, 600 ff. He finds in their treatment of Scripture +and of logic a practical expression of this doctrine of theirs. + +[33] Luther humbly identifies himself with the erring priesthood, + +[34] Alveld. + +[35] _The res sacramenti_. The sacrament consisted of these two +parts--(1) the _sacramentum_, or external sign, and (2) the _res +sacramenti_, or the thing signified, the sacramental grace. Another +distinction is that between (1) _materia_, or the external sign, and +(2) _forma_, or the words of institution or administration. See below, +p. 223. + +[36] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, VI, 505, note 1. + +[37] Cf. Vol. I, p. 325, and _Realencyklopädie_, X, 289, pp. 11 ff. + +[38] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, VI, 506, note 2. + +[39] Cf. W. Kohler, _Luther unci die Kirchengeschichte_ (Erlangen, +1900), chap. viii. + +[40] On the spiritual reception of the sacrament see H. Hering, _Die +Mystik Luthers_ (1879), pp. 173 f. Cf. above, p. 40. + +[41] See above, p. 172. + +[42] John Wyclif (†1384), the keenest of the mediæval critics of the +doctrine of transubstantiation. + +[43] Pierre d'Ailly (†1425), who, with his master Occam, greatly +influenced Luther. + +[44] The Sentences of Peter Lombard, the text-book of medieval +theology. + +[45] In the dogma of transubstantiation (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215) +the Church taught that the substance of bread and wine was changed +into the substance of Christ's body and blood, while the accidents of +the former--i. e., their attributes, such as form, color, taste, +etc.--remained. + +[46] Aquinas. + +[47] Thus the _Erlangen Ed._; the _Weimar Ed._ reads: _an accidentia +ibi sint sine substantia_. + +[48] See above, p. 20. + +[49] i. e., the host, or wafer. + +[50] _Decretal. Greg. lib. I, tit. i, cap. I, §3_. + +[51] See above, pp. 26 ff. + +[52] See above, p. 137. + +[54] Comp. Vol. I, pp. 295 ff. + +[55] The Douay Version has here been followed. + +[56] See Luther's own definition above, pp. 22 ff. + +[57] See above, p. 181, note. + +[58] See above, p. 198. + +[59] See above, p. 195. + +[60] See above, p. 10. + +[61] See above, p. 187, note 1. + +[62] See above, p. 188. + +[63] See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[64] On "fruits of the mass" compare Seeberg, _Dogmengesch._., III, p. +472. + +[65] Comp. Vol. I, p. 307. + +[66] Comp. Vol. I, pp. 302 f. + +[67] See above, pp. 22 f. + +[68] See p. 23. + +[69] See Vol. I, pp. 187 ff. + +[70] See above, p. 196. + +[71] That portion of the mass included between the Sanctus and the +Lord's Prayer. + +[72] See Vol. I, p. 312, and _Prot. Realencyklop._, XIV, 679, 41 ff. + +[73] See above, p. 211, note 2. + +[74] See above, p. 16. + +[75] See Vol. I, p. 306. + +[76] The offertory prayers in the mass. _C. Prot. Realencyklopädie_, +XII, 720, 46 ff. + +[77] The private mass does not require the presence of a congregation. +Besides the celebrant there need be present only a ministrant. There +is no music, the mass is only read. See _Realencyklopädie_, XII, 723. + +[78] The _res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182. + +[79] Masses celebrated by special request or in honor of certain +mysteries (e. g., of the Holy Trinity, of the Holy Spirit, or of +angels). _Realencyklopädie_, XII, 722. + +[80] Pope Gregory I. See Realencyklopädie, XII, 681 f. + +[81] See above, p. 196, note, and comp. Seeberg, _Dogmengesch._, Ill, +461 f. + +[82] For letters of indulgence. + +[83] _E p_. 130, 9 (Migne, XXII, 1115). + +[84] Factions in the monastic orders. + +[85] The reference may be to Blandina, who suffered martyrdom under +Marcus Aurelius. + +[86] The three parts of penance; see below, p. 247. + +[87] See Vol. I, p. 91. + +[88] Peter Lombard, the fourth book of whose Sentences treats of the +sacraments; see above, p. 188. + +[89] See p. 182, note 2. + +[90] The scholastics distinguished between the "material" and the +"form" of a sacrament. In baptism, the material was the water; the +form, the words, "I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Ghost." + +[91] Alexander, of Hales, denied the validity of baptism "in the name +of Jesus," which Peter Lombard defended. Cf. _Realencyklopädie_, XIX, +412. + +[92] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, I, 544, and _Erlangen Ed._, XLIV, 114 ff. + +[93] See above, p. 203. + +[94] A point at issue between Thomists and Franciscans. The former +held that the grace of the sacrament was contained in the sacramental +sign and directly imparted through it; thus Aquinas. The Franciscans +contended that the sign was merely a symbol, but that God, according +to a _pactio_, or agreement, imparted the grace of the sacrament when +the sign was being used; thus Bonaventura, and especially Duns Scotus. +See Seeberg, DC, III, 455 ff., and in _Realencyklopädie_, V, 73. + +[95] The conclusion of the investigation begun on p. 226. + +[96] See above, p. 204. + +[97] See above, p. 223. + +[98] See above, p. 226. + +[99] _Baptisma_; see above, p. 226, and compare Vol. I, p. 56. + +[100] _Res_. See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[101] _Res baptismi_. See above, p. 231. + +[102] Cf. below, pp, 258 ff. + +[103] See above, p. 231. + +[104] The position of Thomas Aquinas, going back to Augustine, and +ratified by Clement V at the Council of Vienna, 1311-12. + +[105] See above, p. 227. + +[106] See above, pp. 227 ff. + +[107] For a full discussion of this "baptism," see Scheel, in the +_Berlin Edition_ of Luther's works, _Ergänzungsband_ II, pp. 134-157. + +[108] See above, p. 238. + +[109] The threefold vow of the mendicant orders. + +[110] _Bulla_ means both a papal bull and a bubble. + +[111] Compare above, p. 172, note 4. + +[112] An obscure allegorical reference to the Babylonian captivity of +the Jews. "The people of the captivity" (comp. Ps. 64:1 and 1 Kings +24:14, Vulgate) are the better portion of the people who were carried +captive, together with their possessions, to Babylon; "the people of +the earth," _am haarez_, the common people, were left behind and +became the nucleus of the hybrid Samaritan nation. + +[113] See above, p. 123. + +[114] See above, p. 75. + +[115] See _Decretal. Greg., lib. Ill, tit. xxxiv, cap. 7_. + +[116] Cf. Köhler, _Luther und die KG._, pp. 222 ff. + +[117] Comp. below, p. 248. + +[118] This time came during Luther's sojourn at the Wartburg, when he +wrote _De votis monasticis_, 1521. See Vol. IV. + +[119] The XCV Theses, the _Resolutiones_, the _Sermon von Ablass und +Gnade_, the _Confitendi Ratio_; the first and last of these in Vol. I. + +[120] Reference to a probably spurious bull of Clement VI. In his +_Grund u. Ursach aller Artikel D. Martin Luthers, so durch röm. Bulle +unrechtlich verdammt sind_ (1521), Luther writes: "Thus it happened in +the days of John Hus that the pope commanded the angels of heaven to +conduct to heaven the souls of the Roman pilgrims who died en route. +Against this dreadful blasphemy and more than devilish presumption Hus +raised his voice, and though he lost his life therefor, yet forced the +pope to pipe a different tune and in future to refrain from such +blasphemy."--Compare Köhler, _Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte_, p. +206. See also above, p. 81. + +[121] _Longe viliorem_; the _Jena Ed._, followed by Lemme and Kawerau, +reads, _longe meliorem_. + +[122] Comp. Vol. I, p. 20. + +[123] Comp. Vol. I, p. 86. + +[124] See above, pp. 105 f. + +[125] See above, p. 105, note 4. + +[126] See above, p. 223, note 1, + +[127] See above, p. 245, note 2. + +[128] A play on the word _observantia_, which means both observation +and observance. A scriptural fling at the _Observantines_. Comp. +above, p. 172, note 4. + +[129] Luther quotes correctly, _confortatus_, but thinks +_confirmatus_. + +[130] Vulgate: _confirmet_. + +[131] Above, pp. 203 f. + +[132] Vulgate: _sacramenta_. + +[133] Erasmus edited the first published Greek New Testament in March, +1516 (Basle: John Froben), the Complutensian Polyglot being the first +printed edition (1514). Luther used Erasmus' work as soon as it came +out, as may be seen in his lectures on Romans, 1515-16 (cf. Picker, +_Luthers Vorlesung über den Romerbrie_; also Preserved Smith, +_Luther's Correspondence_, etc., I, nos. 21 and 65). In an interesting +letter to Luther of Feb. 14, 1519, Froben announces the second edition +of Erasmus' New Testament, which Luther used in making his +translation. Cf. Smith, op. cit., 00.125. + +[134] See above, p. 177. + +[135] Namely, for Paul. + +[136] The precise meaning is not clear. The Latin is: _vel proprio +spiritu vel general! sententia_. + +[137] Here follows a passage that clearly breaks into the context and +belongs elsewhere. See Introduction, p. 169. + +"I admit that the sacrament of penance existed also in the Old Law, +yea, from the beginning of the world. But the new promise of penance +and the gift of the keys are peculiar to the New Law. For as we now +have baptism instead of circumcision, so we have the keys instead of +the sacrifices and other signs of penance. We said above that the same +God at divers times gave divers promises and signs for the remission +of sins and the salvation of men, but that all nevertheless received +the same grace. Thus it is said in II Corinthians iv, 'Having the same +spirit of faith, we also believe, or which cause we speak also'; and +in i Corinthians x, 'Our fathers did all eat the same spiritual food, +and all drank the same spiritual drink; and they drank of the +spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.' Thus also +in Hebrews xi, 'These all died, not receiving the promise; God +providing some better thing or us, that they should not be perfected +without us.' For Christ Himself is, yesterday and to-day and forever, +the Head of His Church, from the beginning even to the end of the +world. Therefore there are divers signs, but the faith of all is the +same. Indeed, without faith it is impossible to please God, by which +faith even Abel pleased Him (Hebrews xi)." + +[138] The _Summa angelica_ of Angelus de Clavassio of Genoa (died +about 1495), published 1486, one of the favorite handbooks of +casuistry, in which all possible cases of conscience were treated in +alphabetical order. Cf. _Zeitschrit für Kirchengesch._, XXVII, 296 ff. +The _Summa angelica_ was among the papal books burned by Luther, +together with the bull, December 10, 1520. Cf. Smith, _Luther's +Correspondence_, I, no. 355. + +[139] For a full discussion of the hindrances see article Eherecht, by +Sehung, in _Prot. Realencyklopädie_, V. + +[140] On this whole paragraph compare Vol. I, p. 294. + +[141] It is to be borne in mind that all that follows is in the nature +of advice to confessors in dealing with difficult cases of conscience, +and is parallel to the closing paragraphs of the section on The +Sacrament of the Bread. + +[142] Namely, by officiating at the marriage ceremony. + +[143] Namely, by betrothal (_sponsalia de praesenti_). + +[144] Lemme pertinently reminds the reader that by "laws of men" +Luther here understands the man-made laws of the Church of Rome. + +[145] See above, p. 103, note 2. + +[146] Relationship arising from sponsorship and legal adoption. Cf. +above, p. 128. + +[147] _Cognatio spiritualis_. + +[148] _The res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182. + +[149] _Cognatio legalis_. + +[150] _Disparilitas religionis_. + +[151] _Impedimentum criminis_. + +[152] _Impedimentum ligamiais_. + +[153] The _fides data et accepta_, which Luther finds in the _fides_ +(faith) of Gal. 5:22 + +[154] Page 243. + +[155] _Impedimentum erroris_. With fine sarcasm Luther here plays of +one hindrance against another. + +[156] _Impedimentum ordinis_. + +[157] _Impedimentum publicae honestatis_. + +[158] An untranslatable pun: _non iustitia sed inscitia_. + +[159] Page 244. + +[160] See p. 263, note 2. + +[161] Page 242. + +[162] The following points need to be borne in mind in order to a fair +evaluation of this much criticized section: (1) What is here given is +in the nature of advice to confessors, and the one guiding principle +is the relief of souls in peril. (2) It must not be forgotten that +Luther wrote the treatise in Latin, and not for the general public. +There is without doubt a certain betrayal in turning into the +vernacular a passage written in the language of the learned. Yet we +have done this, being unwilling to all under the charge of giving a +garbled version. (3) The hindrance Luther is here discussing was one +recognized and provided or by the Church of Rome, and the remedy +suggested by him was prescribed by the German _Volksrecht_ in many +localities. (4) Divorce was absolutely forbidden. (5) Luther's error +grew out of an unhistorical interpretation of the Old Testament, and +consisted in his undervaluing the importance of the public law. "To +make the individual conscience the sole arbiter in matters belonging +to public law, leads to dangerous consequences." (See Kawarau, _Berlin +Ed._, II, 482 f., where references are given.) + +[163] As he actually did in the case of Henry VIII and Philip of +Hesse. + +[164] See above, p. 269, note 1. + +[165] Page 271. + +[166] An allusion to the act that what he is writing is a "Prelude." +See Introduction, p. 168. + +[167] _Contra epistolam Manichaei_, 5, 6 (Migne, XLII, 176). Cf. +below, p. 451. + +[168] _De trinitate_, 9, 6, 10 (Migne, VIII, 966). + +[169] See below, pp. 451 ff. + +[170] The council that condemned and burned John Hus (1414-1418). + +[171] Dionysius Areopagita, the pseudonym (cf. Acts 17:54) of the +unknown author (about 500, in Syria?) of the neoplatonic writings, _Of +the Celestial_, and _Of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_, etc. + +[172] William Durandus the elder, died 1296. + +[173] The Franciscan Bonaventura (†1274) in his _De reductione artium +ad theologiara_. + +[174] Donatus (ab. 350 A.D.), a famous Latin grammarian, whose _Ars +minor_ was a favorite mediæval text-book. The chancellor of the +University of Paris, John Gerson (†1429), published a _Donatus +moralisatus seu per allegoriam traductus_--a mystical grammar, in +which the noun was compared to man, the pronoun to man's sinful state, +the verb to the divine command to love, the _adverb_ to the fulfilment +of the divine law, etc. + +[175] See above, p. 190. + +[176] The so-called _character indelebilis_, the peculiar gift of +ordination, so that "once a priest, always a priest." See above, p. +68, note 5. + +[177] See above, pp. 178 ff. + +[178] The stated daily prayers, fixed by canon, of the clergy. The +seven hours are respectively: matins (including noctums and lauds), +prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline. + +[179] Comp. above, p. 69. The fullest development of Luther's doctrine +of the spiritual priesthood of believers is to be found in his +writings against Emser, especially _Auf das überchristliche, +übergeistliche und überkünstliche Buch Bock Emsers Antwort_, 1521. + +[180] On the last sentence see above, pp. 251 f. + +[181] See p. 278, note 1. + +[182] See above, p. 92. + +[183] See above, p. 280. + +[184] See above, p. 185. + +[185] See above, p. 213. + +[186] Covers for the chalice. + +[187] This promise was fulfilled in the Liberty of a Christian Man. + +[188] Thus Erasmus: _Fieri potest ut nomen commune cum apostolo +praebuerit occasionem ut haec epistola lacobo apostolo ascriberetur, +cum uerit alterius cuiusdam Iacobi._--Moffatt, _Introduction to the +Lit. of the N. T._, p. 472. + +[189] See above, p. 275. + +[190] Comp. above, p. 171. + +[191] See above, p. 285. + +[192] See above, p. 226. + +[193] See above, p. 275. + +[194] See above, p. 226. + +[195] See above, p. 177. + +[196] See above, pp. 220 f. + +[197] The _res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[198] Vergil's _Eclogues_, VIII, 63. + +[199] See Introduction, p. 168. + +[200] The remainder of Luther's "recantation" was the _De libertate_. +In the letter to the pope, which accompanied it, he gave ample proof +of his obedience. + +[201] The eighth stanza of Coehus Sedulius' _Hymnus acrostichis totam +vitam Christi continens_ (beginning, _A solis ortus cardine_), of the +fifth century. Stanzas 8, 9, 11 and 13 were used as an Epiphany hymn, +which Luther translated on December 12, 1541,--"Was fürchtst du, Feind +Herodes, sehr." The above translation is taken from _Hymns Ancient and +Modern_, No. 60. + + + +A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY WITH A LETTER TO POPE LEO X + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The Letter to the Pope, like an earlier letter dated March 3, 1519, +was written at the suggestion of Carl von Miltitz. Sent to Germany to +bring Luther to Rome, this German diplomat knew German conditions and +to some extent sympathized with Luther's denunciation of Tetzel and +the sellers of indulgences. He preferred, therefore, to try to settle +the controversy and to leave Luther in Germany. Although the pope +insisted that Luther must come to Rome and recant, Miltitz arranged +for a hearing of the case before a German bishop. Evidently Miltitz +was far too optimistic in his representations both to Luther and to +the pope. The pope, in a writing dated March 29, 1519, spoke in +friendly terms to Luther, and urged him to come to Rome immediately +and to make his recantation there. Luther, in the letter dated March +3, 1519, writes in most humble language to the pope, but declares it +impossible for him to recant what he had written in the XCV Theses. +The pope's letter did not reach Luther; Luther's letter was not +forwarded to the pope. + +Luther had promised to keep silent if his opponents would do the same, +and had devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures. John Eck, +however, had no such occupation to keep him from controversy, and +Luther was not averse to a debate. At the Leipzig disputation, June +27-July 15, 1519, Luther learned more of the logical implications of +his position. The plan of Miltitz had failed, but he would not be +discouraged. + +When Miltitz went to Germany, it was under the pretence of a mission +"to deliver to his elector the papal golden rose, which the latter had +coveted in vain for two years."[1] Now he decided to go in person to +Augsburg, where it had been deposited with the Fuggers, and present it +to Frederick. This also gave an opportunity for a second meeting with +Luther at Liebwierde, October 9, 1519. Luther, although placing little +confidence in Miltitz, consented to argue his case before the +archbishop of Treves. The plan failed, partly because there was no +citation for Luther to appear, partly because the Elector would not +allow Luther to go without proper safe-conduct, and partly because +Miltitz had not tried to prevent Luther's opponents from challenging +him. + +In spite of the evident lack of confidence on both sides, and in spite +of Luther's constant progress in opposition to the Roman Church, +Miltitz insisted that "the case is not as black as we priests make +it," even when a papal bull was issued against Luther on June 15, +1520. On August 28th Miltitz attended a meeting of the Augustinian +monks in Eisleben, and obtained their promise that Luther should be +requested to write a letter to the pope assuring him that he had never +attacked the pope's person. On September 11th Luther reported to +Spalatin what he had done, and said that, although neither he nor his +fellow-monks had any confidence in the plan, he would do Miltitz the +favor of writing such a letter. This promise seemed meaningless to him +after the bull against him had been published. The papal bull had been +obtained by Eck, whom Miltitz now considered to be substituted for +himself in dealing with Luther, in spite of the authority he had +received. That the bull was ignored in some places and despised in +others, pleased him and gave him new courage. There might, after all, +be some chance for him to make use of his diplomatic skill. + +Again he invited Luther to meet him in Lichtenberg. They met in the +monastery of St. Anthony on October 12th, and Luther renewed his +promise to write to the pope, to send the letter within twelve days, +and to date it back to September 6th, that the appearance of +intimidation by the papal bull might be avoided. It was agreed that +Luther should send with the letter an historical account of his +difficulties with the Roman Church which would show that Eck was the +chief instigator, and that Luther had been forced to take the +positions he defended. In writing, however, the historical review +became a part of the letter, and a treatise of far different tone was +sent as a gift to the pope, and as an evidence of the kind of work +Luther would prefer to do if his opponents permitted him to +choose--the Treatise on Christian Liberty. + +It is again a question whether the pope received this letter. It has +been an interesting speculation for more than one writer, what the +thoughts and feelings of Leo the Tenth might have been if he did +receive and read it. Schaff traces the progress of Luther in the three +letters he wrote to the pope: "In his first letter to the pope, 1518, +Luther had thrown himself at his feet as an obedient son of the vicar +of Christ; in his second letter, 1519, he still had addressed him as a +humble subject, yet refusing to recant his conscientious convictions; +in his third and last letter he addressed him as an equal, speaking to +him with great respect for his personal character even beyond his +deserts, but denouncing in the severest terms the Roman See, and +comparing him to a lamb among wolves, and to Daniel in the den of +lions."[2] If the pope ever read it, "it must have filled him with +mingled feelings of indignation and disgust." + +We may go even farther. Luther thinks of St. Bernard's attitude toward +Pope Eugene, and Bernard was Eugene's superior in the Cistercian order +and had been looked up to as "father." Luther writes as a father +confessor to a friend in trouble, and might have quoted Bernard's +words: "I grieve with you. I should say, I grieve with you if, indeed, +you also grieve. Otherwise I should have rather said, I grieve for +you; because that is not grieving with another when there is none who +grieves. Therefore if you grieve, I grieve with you; if not, still I +grieve, and then most of all, knowing that the member which is without +feeling is the farther removed from health and that the sick man who +does not feel his sickness is in the greater danger."[3] + +The pope was a humanist, not a spiritually minded priest; we may, +therefore, believe that Charles Beard is not far wrong in his estimate +of the possible effect of this letter upon him: "If Giovanni de +Medici, the head of a house which had long come to consider itself +princely, and the occupant of the Fisherman's chair, when it claimed +to be the highest of earthly thrones, read this bold apostrophe, +addressed to him by a 'peasant and a peasant's son,' he must have +thought him mad with conceit and vanity. He was incapable of being +touched by the moral nobleness of the appeal, and so audacious a +contempt of merely social distinctions the world has rarely seen."[4] + +After the mighty thunder of the Address to the Christian Nobility and +the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, the Treatise on the Liberty of +a Christian Man is, indeed, like a still, small voice. Luther himself +says: "Unless I am deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in a +brief form." Perhaps we may trace here also the influence of St. +Bernard's _De Consideratione_, which was written as a devotional book +for the pope and was a manual of Christian living for the pope, as +this is a manual of Christian living or all Christians. + +It has been rather difficult for the enemies of Luther to find much +fault with this book. The Catholic historians, Janssen and +Hergenröther, do not mention it. Grisar characteristically devotes a +little space to each of the three great writings of 1520, and +considers the book on Christian Liberty as the most mischievous of +them all. "It does, indeed, frequently bring its false thoughts in the +form of that mystical, heart-searching style which Luther learned from +older German models."[5] The French Catholic, Leon Cristiani, is far +more generous in his estimate: "A truly religious spirit breathes in +these pages. Provoking polemic is almost entirely avoided. Here one +finds again the inspiration of the great mystics of the Middle Ages. +Does not the 'Imitation' continually describe the powerlessness of man +when left to himself, the infinite mercy of God, the great benefit of +the redemption of Christ? Does it not preach the necessity of doing +all things through love, nothing of necessity? He is not a true +Christian who would venture to disapprove the passages in which Luther +speaks so eloquently of the goodness of God, of the gratitude which it +should inspire in us, of the spontaneity which should mark our +obedience, of the desire of imitating Christ which should inspire +us."[6] + +Protestants consider this book "perhaps the most beautiful of Luther's +writings, the result of religious contemplation rather than of +theological labor."[7] "It takes rank with the best books of Luther, +and rises far above the angry controversies of his age, during which +he composed it, in the full possession of the positive truth and peace +of the religion of Christ."[8] The clear presentation of the thought +of the liberty of a Christian man occurs at the close of the +Tessaradecas.[9] In the Babylonian Captivity Luther had promised to +publish a treatise on the subject after he had seen the effect of that +treatise.[10] But the promise to send a treatise to the pope gave him +an earlier opportunity, so that barely a month and a half intervened +between the publication of the Captivity, October 6th, and that of the +Liberty, middle of November. The German, although a translation in +part and in part an abbreviation and rewriting of the Latin, appeared +first, before November 16th. The publisher, seeing his opportunity, +had, however, issued the Letter to the Pope in German separately +before November 4th,[11] so that a new dedicatory letter, addressed to +Hieronymus Mülphordt (Mühlpfort), of Zwickau, was prefixed to the +German edition. + +Our translation is made from the Latin, although the German has been +compared wherever it is a real translation. + +Two translations into English appeared in the sixteenth century: one +printed by John Byddell before 1544, the translation being, according +to Preserved Smith,[12] by John Tewkesbury; the other, prepared by +James Bell and printed by Ralph Newbery and H. Bynneman, in 1579. +Unfortunately, neither of these was accessible to the present +translators. Modern translations, into English by Wace and Buchheim, +and into German by Lemme, have been consulted. + + W. A. LAMBERT. + +South Bethlehem, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] _Catholic Encyclopedia_, x, 318. + +[2] _Church History_, vi, 224 f. + +[3] _De consideratione_, i, I. + +[4] _Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany_, London, 1889, p. +370. + +[5] _Luther_, I, 351. + +[6] _Du Luthéranisme au Protestantisme_, 1911, p. 199. + +[7] Kolde, _Luther_, 1, 274. + +[8] Schaff, VI, 224. + +[9] Vol. I, p. 170. + +[10] See above, page 284. + +[11] Enders, II, p. 496, gives as the date when the letter was +written, "after Oct. 13th"; Smith, _Life and Letters of Martin +Luther_, p. 91, dates it Oct. 20th. + +[12] _Nation_, May 29, 1913. + + +LETTER TO POPE LEO X. + + +JESUS. + +To Leo the Tenth, Pope at Rome: Martin Luther wishes thee salvation in +Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. + +[Sidenote: The Pope's Person] + +In the midst of the monsters of this age with whom I am now for the +third year waging war, I am compelled at times to look up also to +thee, Leo, most blessed Father, and to think of thee; nay, since thou +art now and again regarded as the sole cause of my warfare, I cannot +but think of thee always. And although the causeless raging of thy +godless flatterers against me has compelled me to appeal from thy See +to a future council, despite those most empty decrees of thy +predecessors Pius and Julius, who with a foolish tyranny forbade such +an appeal, yet I have never so estranged my mind from thy Blessedness +as not with all my heart to wish thee and thy See every blessing, for +which I have, as much as lay in me, besought God with earnest prayers. +It is true, I have made bold almost to despise and to triumph over +those who have tried to righten me with the majesty of thy name and +authority. But there is one thing which I cannot despise, and that is +my excuse for writing once more to thy Blessedness. I understand that +I am accused of great rashness, and that this rashness is said to be +my great fault, in which, they say, I have not spared even thy person. + +For my part, I will openly confess that I know I have only spoken good +and honorable things of thee whenever I have made mention of thy name. +And if I had done otherwise, I myself could by no means approve of it, +but would entirely approve the judgment others have formed of me, and +do nothing more gladly than recant such rashness and impiety on my +part. I have called thee a Daniel in Babylon,[1] and every one who +reads knows with what zeal I defended thy notable innocence against +thy dreamer, Sylvester.[2] Indeed, thy reputation and the fame of thy +blameless life, sung as they are throughout the world by the writings +of so many great men, are too well known and too high to be assailed +in any way by any one man, however great he may be. I am not so +foolish as to attack him whom every one praises: it has rather been, +and always will be, my endeavor not to attack even those whom public +report decries; for I take no pleasure in the crimes of any man, since +I am conscious enough of the great beam in my own eye [Matt. 7:3], nor +could I be he that should cast the first stone at the adulteress [John +8:7]. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Enemies] + +I have indeed sharply inveighed against ungodly teachings in general, +and I have not been slow to bite my adversaries, not because of their +immorality, but because of their ungodliness. And of this I repent so +little that I have determined to persevere in that fervent zeal, and +to despise the judgment of men, following the example of Christ, Who +in His zeal called His adversaries a generation of vipers, blind, +hypocrites, children of the devil [Matt. 23:13, 17, 33]. And Paul +arraigned the sorcerer as a child of the devil full of all subtilty +and mischief [Acts 13:10], and brands others as dogs, deceivers and +adulterers [Phil. 3:2; 2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Cor. 2:17]. If you will allow +those delicate ears to judge, nothing would be more biting and more +unrestrained than Paul. Who is more biting than the prophets? +Nowadays, it is true, our ears are made so delicate by the mad crowds +of flatterers that as soon as we meet with a disapproving voice we cry +out that we are bitten, and when we cannot ward off the truth with any +other pretext we put it to light by ascribing it to a fierce temper, +impatience and shamelessness. What is the good of salt if it does not +bite? Or of the edge of the sword if it does not kill? Cursed be he +that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully [Jer. 48:10]. + +Wherefore, most excellent Leo, I pray thee, after I have by this +letter vindicated myself, give me a hearing, and believe that I have +never thought evil of thy person, but that I am a man who would wish +thee all good things eternally, and that I have no quarrel with any +man concerning his morality, but only concerning the Word of truth. In +all things else I will yield to any man whatsoever: to give up or to +deny the Word I have neither the power nor the will. If any man thinks +otherwise of me, or has understood my words differently, he does not +think aright, nor has he understood what I have really said. + +[Sidenote: The Roman Curia] + +But thy See, which is called the Roman Curia, and of which neither +thou nor any man can deny that it is more corrupt than any Babylon or +Sodom ever was, and which is, as far as I can see, characterized by a +totally depraved, hopeless and notorious wickedness--that See I have +truly despised, and I have been incensed to think that in thy name and +under the guise of the Roman Church the people of Christ are mocked. +And so I have resisted and will resist that See, as long as the spirit +of faith shall live in me. Not that I shall strive after the +impossible or hope that by my lone efforts anything will be +accomplished in that most disordered Babylon, where the rage of so +many sycophants is turned against me; but I acknowledge myself a +debtor to my brethren, whom it is my duty to warn, that fewer of them +may be destroyed by the plagues of Rome, or at least that their +destruction may be less cruel. + +For, as thou well knowest, these many years there has flowed forth +from Rome, like a flood covering the world, nothing but a laying waste +of men's bodies and souls and possessions, and the worst possible +examples of the worst possible things. For all this is clearer than +the day to all men, and the Roman Church, once the most holy of all, +become the most licentious den of thieves [Matt. 21:13], the most +shameless of all brothels, the kingdom of sin, death and hell; so that +even Antichrist himself, should he come, could think of nothing to add +to its wickedness. + +[Sidenote: The Pope's Helplessness] + +Meanwhile thou, Leo, sittest as a lamb in the midst of wolves [Matt. +10:16], like Daniel in the midst of the lions [Dan. 6:16], and, with +Ezekiel, thou dwellest among scorpions [Ezek. 2:6]. What canst thou do +single-handed, against these monsters? Join to thyself three or four +thoroughly learned and thoroughly good cardinals: what are even these +among so many? [John 6:9] You would all be poisoned before you could +undertake to make a single decree to help matters. There is no hope or +the Roman Curia: the wrath of God is come upon it to the end [1 Thess. +2:16]; it hates councils, it fears a reformation, it cannot reduce the +raging of its wickedness, and is meriting the praise bestowed upon its +mother, of whom it is written, "We have cured Babylon, but she is not +healed: let us forsake her."[3][Jer. 51:9] It was thy duty, indeed, +and that of thy cardinals, to remedy these evils, but that gout of +theirs mocks the healing hand, and neither chariot nor horse heeds the +guiding rein.[4] Moved by such sympathy for thee, I have always +grieved, most excellent Leo, that thou hast been made pope in these +times, for thou wert worthy of better days. The Roman Curia has not +deserved to have thee or men like thee, but rather Satan himself; and +in truth it is he more than thou who rules in that Babylon. + +O would that thou mightest lay aside what thy most mischievous enemies +boast of as thy glory, and wert living on some small priestly income +of thine own, or on thy family inheritance! To glory in that glory +none are worthy save the Iscariots, the sons of perdition [John +17:12]. For what dost thou accomplish in the Curia, my dear Leo? Only +this: the more criminal and abominable a man is, the more successfully +will he use thy name and authority to destroy the wealth and the souls +of men, to increase crime, to suppress faith and truth and the whole +Church of God. O truly, most unhappy Leo, thou sittest on a most +dangerous throne; for I tell thee the truth, because I wish thee well. +If Bernard pitied his Pope Eugene[5] at a time when the Roman See, +although even then most corrupt, yet ruled with better prospects, why +should not we lament who have for three hundred years had so great an +increase of corruption and worthlessness? Is it not true that under +yon vast expanse of heaven there is nothing more corrupt, more +pestilential, more hateful than the Roman Curia? It surpasses the +godlessness of the Turks beyond all comparison, so that in truth, +whereas it was once a gate of heaven, it is now an open mouth of hell, +and such a mouth as, because of the wrath of God, cannot be shut; +there is only one thing that we can try to do, as I have said: +perchance we may be able to call back a few from that yawning chasm of +Rome and so save them. + +Now thou seest, my Father Leo, how and why I have so violently +attacked that pestilential See: for so far have I been from raging +against thy person that I even hoped I might gain thy favor and save +thee, if I should make a strong and sharp assault upon that prison, +nay that hell of thine. For thou and thy salvation and the salvation +of many others with thee will be served by every thing that men of +ability can contribute to the confusion of this wicked Curia. They do +thy work, who bring evil upon it; they glorify Christ, who in every +way curse it. In short, they are Christians who are not Romans. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Controversies] + +[Sidenote: Eck] + +To go yet farther, I never intended to inveigh against the Roman +Curia, or to raise any controversy concerning it. For when I saw that +all efforts to save it were hopeless, I despised it and gave it a bill +of divorcement [Deut. 24:1] and said to it, "He that is filthy, let +him be filthy still, and he that is unclean, let him be unclean +still." [Rev. 22:11] Then I gave myself to the quiet and peaceful +study of holy Scripture, that I might thus be of benefit to my +brethren about me. When I had made some progress in these studies, +Satan opened his eyes and filled his servant John Eck,[6] a notable +enemy of Christ, with an insatiable lust for glory, and thereby +stirred him up to drag me at unawares into a disputation, laying hold +on me by one little word about the primacy of the Roman Church which I +had incidentally let fall. Then that boasting braggart, frothing and +gnashing his teeth, declared that he would venture all for the glory +of God and the honor of the holy Apostolic See, and, puffed up with +the hope of misusing thy power, he looked forward with perfect +confidence to a victory over me. He sought not so much to establish +the primacy of Peter as his own leadership among the theologians of +our time; and to that end he thought it no small help if he should +triumph over Luther. When that debate ended unhappily for the sophist, +an incredible madness overcame the man: for he feels that he alone +must bear the blame of all that I have brought forth to the shame of +Rome. + +[Sidenote: Cajetan] + +But permit me, I pray thee, most excellent Leo, this once to plead my +cause and to make charges against thy real enemies. Thou knowest, I +believe, what dealings thy legate, Cardinal of St. Sixtus,[7] an +unwise and unfortunate, or rather, unfaithful man, had with me. When, +because of reverence for thy name, I had put myself and all my case in +his hand, he did not try to establish peace, although with a single +word he could easily have done so, since I at that time promised to +keep silent and to end the controversy, if my opponents were ordered +to do the same. But as he was a man who sought glory, and was not +content with that agreement, he began to justify my opponents, to give +them full freedom and to order me to recant, a thing not included in +his instructions. When the matter was in a fair way, his untimely +arbitrariness brought it into a far worse condition. Therefore, for +what followed later Luther is not to blame; all the blame is +Cajetan's, who did not suffer me to keep silent and to rest, as I then +most earnestly asked him to do. What more should I have done? + +[Sidenote: Miltitz] + +Next came Carl Miltitz,[8] also a nuncio of thy Blessedness, who after +great and varied efforts and constant going to and fro, although he +omitted nothing that might help to restore that status of the question +which Cajetan had rashly and haughtily disturbed, at last with the +help of the most illustrious prince, Frederick the Elector, barely +managed to arrange several private conferences with me. Again I +yielded to your name, I was prepared to keep silent, and even accepted +as arbiter either the archbishop of Treves or the bishop of Naumburg. +So matters were arranged. But while this plan was being followed with +good prospects of success, lo, that other and greater enemy of thine, +Eck, broke in with the Leipzig Disputation which he had undertaken +against Dr. Carlstadt. When a new question concerning the primacy of +the pope was raised, he suddenly turned his weapons against me and +quite overthrew that counsel of peace. Meanwhile Carl Miltitz waited: +a disputation was held, judges were selected; but here also no +decision was reached, and no wonder: through the lies, the tricks, the +wiles of Eck everything was stirred up, aggravated and confounded +worse than ever, so that whatever decision might have been reached, a +greater conflagration would have resulted. For he sought glory, not +the truth. Here also I let nothing undone that I ought to have +done.[9] + +[Sidenote: Eck] + +I admit that on this occasion no small amount of corrupt Roman +practices came to light, but whatever wrong was done was the fault of +Eck, who undertook a task beyond his strength, and, while he strove +madly for his own glory, revealed the shame of Rome to all the world. +He is thy enemy, my dear Leo, or rather the enemy of thy Curia. From +the example of this one man thou canst learn that there is no enemy +more injurious than a flatterer. For what did he accomplish with his +flattery but an evil which no king could have accomplished? To-day the +name of the Roman Curia is a stench throughout the world, and papal +authority languishes, ignorance that was once held in honor is evil +spoken of; and of all this we should have heard nothing if Eck had not +upset the counsel of peace planned by Carl and myself, as he himself +now clearly sees, and is angry, too late and to no purpose, that my +books were published. This he should have thought of when, like a +horse that whinnies on the picket-line, he was madly seeking only his +own glory, and sought only his own gain through thee at the greatest +peril to thee. The vainglorious man thought that I would stop and keep +silent at the terror of thy name; for I do not believe that he trusted +entirely to his talents and learning. Now, when he sees that I have +more courage than that and have not been silenced, he repents him too +late of his rashness and understands that there is One in heaven who +resists the proud and humbles the haughty [1 Pet. 5:5; Judith 6:15], +if indeed he does understand it at last. + +[Sidenote: The Augustinians] + +Since we gained nothing by this disputation except that we brought +greater confusion to the cause of Rome, Carl Miltitz made a third +attempt; he came to the fathers of the Augustinian Order assembled in +their chapter, and asked counsel in settling the controversy which had +now grown most confused and dangerous. Since, by the favor of God, +they had no hope of being able to proceed against me with violence, +some of the most famous of their number were sent to me, and asked me +at least to show honor to the person of thy Blessedness, and in a +humble letter to plead as my excuse thy innocence and mine; they said +that the affair was not yet in the most desperate state if of his +innate goodness Leo the Tenth would take a hand in it. As I have +always both offered and desired peace that I might devote myself to +quieter and more useful studies, and have stormed with so great fury +merely for the purpose of overwhelming by volume and violence of +words, no less than of intellect, those whom I knew to be very unequal +foes: I not only gladly ceased, but also with joy and thankfulness +considered it a most welcome kindness to me if our hope could be +fulfilled. + +[Sidenote: Appeal to the Pope] + +So I come, most blessed Father, and, prostrate before thee, I pray, if +it be possible do thou interpose and hold in check those flatterers, +who are the enemies of peace while they pretend to keep peace. But +that I will recant, most blessed Father, let no one imagine, unless he +prefer to involve the whole question in greater turmoil. Furthermore, +I will accept no rules for the interpretation of the Word of God, +since the Word of God, which teaches the liberty of all things else, +dare not be bound [2 Tim. 2:9]. Grant me these two points, and there +is nothing that I could not or would not most gladly do or endure. I +hate disputations; I will draw out no one; but then I do not wish +others to draw me out; if they do, as Christ is my Teacher, I will not +be speechless. For, when once this controversy has been cited before +thee and settled, thy Blessedness will be able with a small and easy +word to silence both parties and command them to keep the peace, and +that is what I have always wished to hear. + +Do not listen, therefore, my dear Leo, to those sirens who make thee +out to be no mere man but a demigod, so that thou mayest command and +require what thou wilt. It will not be done in that fashion, and thou +wilt not succeed. Thou art a servant of servants,[10] and beyond all +other men in a most pitiable and most dangerous position. Be not +deceived by those who pretend that thou art lord of the world and +allow no one to be a Christian unless he accept thy authority; who +prate that thou hast power over heaven, hell and purgatory. These are +thy enemies and seek thy soul to destroy it [1 Kings 19:10]; as Isaiah +says, "O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive +thee." [Isa. 3:12 (Vulgate)] They err who exalt thee above a council +and above the Church universal. They err who ascribe to thee alone the +right of interpreting Scripture; or under cover of thy name they seek +to establish all their own wickedness in the Church, and alas! +through them Satan has already made much headway under thy +predecessors. In short, believe none who exalt thee, believe those who +humble thee. For this is the judgment of God; "He hath put down the +mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble." [Luke 1:52] See, +how unlike His successors is Christ, although they all would be His +vicars. And I fear that most of them have indeed been too literally +His vicars. For a vicar is a vicar only when his lord is absent. And +if the pope rules while Christ is absent and does not dwell in his +heart, what else is he but a vicar of Christ? But what is such a +Church except a mass of people without Christ? And what is such a +vicar else than antichrist and an idol? How much more correctly did +the Apostles call themselves servants of the present Christ, and not +vicars of an absent Christ! + +[Sidenote: Luther Follows St. Bernard's Example] + +Perhaps I am impudent, in that I seem to instruct so great, so exalted +a personage, from whom we ought all to learn, and from whom, as those +plagues of thine boast, the thrones of judges receive their decisions. +But I am following the example of St. Bernard in his book _de +consideratione ad Eugenium_, a book every pope should have by heart. +For what I am doing I do not from an eagerness to teach, but as an +evidence of that pure and faithful solicitude which constrains us to +have regard for the things of our neighbors even when they are safe, +and does not permit us to consider their dignity or lack of dignity, +since it is intent only upon the danger they run for the advantage +they may gain. For when I know that thy Blessedness is driven and +tossed about at Rome, that is, that far out at sea thou art threatened +on all sides with endless dangers, and art laboring hard in that +miserable plight, so that thou dost need even the slightest help of +the least of thy brethren, I do not think it is absurd of me, if for +the time I forget thy high office and do what brotherly love demands. +I have no desire to flatter in so serious and dangerous a matter, but +if men do not understand that I am thy friend and thy most humble +subject, there is One that understandeth and judgeth. [John 8:50] + +[Sidenote: Luther's Gift] + +Finally, that I may not approach thee empty-handed, blessed Father, I +bring with me this little treatise published under thy name as an omen +of peace and of good hope. From this book thou mayest judge with what +studies I would prefer to be more profitably engaged, as I could be if +your godless flatterers would permit me, and had hitherto permitted +me. It is a small thing if thou regard its bulk, but, unless I am +deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in brief form, if thou +wilt grasp its meaning. I am a poor man, and have no other gift to +offer, and thou hast no need to be made rich by any other than a +spiritual gift. With this I commend myself to thy Fatherhood and +Blessedness. May the Lord Jesus preserve thee forever. Amen. + +Wittenberg, September 6, 1520.[11] + + +A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY + + +[Sidenote: Faith] + +Many have thought Christian faith to be an easy thing, and not a few +have given it a place among the virtues. This they do because they +have had no experience of it, and have never tasted what great virtue +there is in faith. For it is impossible that any one should write well +of it or well understand what is correctly written of it, unless he +has at some time tasted the courage faith gives a man when trials +oppress him. But he who has had even a faint taste of it can never +write, speak, meditate or hear enough concerning it. For it is a +living fountain springing up into life everlasting, as Christ calls it +in John iv [John 4:14]. For my part, although I have no wealth of +faith to boast of and know how scant my store is, yet I hope that, +driven about by great and various temptations, I have attained to a +little faith, and that I can speak of it, if not more elegantly, +certainly more to the point, than those literalists and all too +subtile disputants have hitherto done, who have not even understood +what they have written. + +[Sidenote: Liberty and Bondage] + +That I may make the way easier or the unlearned--for only such do I +serve--I set down first these two propositions concerning the liberty +and the bondage of the spirit: + +_A Christian man is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none._ + +_A Christian man is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to +all._ + +Although these two theses seem to contradict each other, yet, if they +should be found to fit together they would serve our purpose +beautifully. For they are both Paul's own, who says, in I Cor. ix, +"Whereas I was free, I made myself the servant of all," [1 Cor. 9:19] +and, Rom. xiii, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another." [Rom. +13:8] Now love by its very nature is ready to serve and to be subject +to him who is loved. So Christ, although Lord of all, was made of a +woman, made under the law [Gal. 4:4], and hence was at the same time +free and a servant, at the same time in the form of God and in the +form of a servant [Phil. 2:6 f.]. + +[Sidenote: Man's Nature] + +Let us start, however, with something more remote from our subject, +but more obvious. Man[12] has a twofold nature, a spiritual and a +bodily. According to the spiritual nature, which men call the soul, he +is called a spiritual, or inner, or new man; according to the bodily +nature, which men call the flesh, he is called a carnal, or outward, +or old man, of whom the Apostle writes, in II Cor. iv, "Though our +outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." +[2 Cor. 4:16] Because of this diversity of nature the Scriptures +assert contradictory things of the same man, since these two men in +the same man contradict each other, since the flesh lusteth against +the spirit and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. v) [Gal. 5:17]. + +[Sidenote: The Inward Man] + +_First_, let us contemplate the inward man, to see how a righteous, +free and truly Christian man, that is, a new, spiritual, inward man, +comes into being. It is evident that no external thing, whatsoever it +be, has any influence whatever in producing Christian righteousness or +liberty, nor in producing unrighteousness or bondage. A simple +argument will furnish the proof. What can it profit the soul if the +body are well, be free and active, eat, drink and do as it pleases? +For in these things even the most godless slaves of all the vices are +well. On the other hand, how will ill health or imprisonment or hunger +or thirst or any other external misfortune hurt the soul? With these +things even the most godly men are afflicted, and those who because of +a clear conscience are most free. None of these things touch either +the liberty or the bondage of the soul. The soul receives no benefit +if the body is adorned with the sacred robes of the priesthood, or +dwells in sacred places, or is occupied with sacred duties, or prays, +fasts, abstains from certain kinds of food or does any work whatsoever +that can be done by the body and in the body. The righteousness and +the freedom of the soul demand something far different, since the +things which have been mentioned could be done by any wicked man, and +such works produce nothing but hypocrites. On the other hand, it will +not hurt the soul if the body is clothed in secular dress, dwells in +unconsecrated places, eats and drinks as others do, does not pray +aloud, and neglects to do all the things mentioned above, which +hypocrites can do. + +[Sidenote: The Word of God] + +Further, to put aside all manner of works, even contemplation, +meditation, and all that the soul can do, avail nothing. One thing and +one only is necessary for Christian life, righteousness and liberty. +That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the Gospel of Christ, as +he says, John xi, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that +believeth in me, shall not die forever" [John 11:25]; and John viii, +"If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" [John +8:26]; and Matthew iv, "Not in bread alone doth man live; but in every +word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Matt. 4:4] Let us then +consider it certain and conclusively established that the soul can do +without all things except the Word of God, and that where this is not +there is no help for the soul in anything else whatever. But if it has +the Word it is rich and lacks nothing, since this Word is the Word of +life, of truth, of light, of peace, of righteousness, of salvation, of +joy, of liberty, of wisdom, of power, of grace, of glory and of every +blessing beyond our power to estimate. This is why the prophet in the +entire cxix Psalm, and in many other places of Scripture, with so many +sighs yearns after the Word of God and applies so many names to it +[Psalm 119]. On the other hand, there is no more terrible plague with +which the wrath of God can smite men than a famine of the hearing of +His Word, as He says in Amos, just as there is no greater mercy than +when He sends forth His Word [Amos 8:11 f.], as we read in Psalm cvii, +"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their +destructions." [Psalm 107:20] Nor was Christ sent into the world for +any other ministry but that of the Word, and the whole spiritual +estate, apostles, bishops and all the priests, has been called and +instituted only or the ministry of the Word. + +[Sidenote: The Gospel] + +You ask, "What then is this Word of God, and how shall it be used, +since there are so many words of God?" I answer. The Apostle explains +that in Romans i. The Word is the Gospel of God concerning His Son, +Who was made flesh, suffered, rose from the dead, and was glorified +through the Spirit Who sanctifies. For to preach Christ means to feed +the soul, to make it righteous, to set it free and to save it, if it +believe the preaching. For faith alone is the saving and efficacious +use of the Word of God, Romans x, "If thou confess with thy mouth that +Jesus is Lord, and believe with thy heart that God hath raised Him up +from the dead, thou shalt be saved" [Rom. 10:9]; and again, "The end +of the law is Christ, unto righteousness to every one that believeth" +[Rom. 10:4]; and, Romans i, "The just shall live by his faith." [Rom. +1:17] The Word of God cannot be received and cherished by any works +whatever, but only by faith [Hab. 2:4]. Hence it is clear that, as the +soul needs only the Word for its life and righteousness, so it is +justified by faith alone and not by any works; for if it could be +justified by anything else, it would not need the Word, and therefore +it would not need faith. But this faith cannot at all exist in +connection with works, that is to say, if you at the same time claim +to be justified by works, whatever their character; for that would be +to halt between two sides, to worship Baal and to kiss the hand [1 +Kings 18:21], which, as Job says, is a very great iniquity [Job 31:27 +f.]. Therefore the moment you begin to believe, you learn that all +things in you are altogether blameworthy, sinful and damnable, as +Romans iii says, "For all have sinned and lack the glory of God" [Rom. +3:23]; and again, "There is none just, there is none that doeth good, +all have turned out of the way: they are become unprofitable +together." [Rom. 3:10 ff.] When you have learned this, you will know +that you need Christ, Who suffered and rose again or you, that, +believing in Him, you may through this faith become a new man, in that +all your sins are forgiven, and you are justified by the merits of +another, namely, of Christ alone. + +[Sidenote: Justification by Faith] + +Since, therefore, this faith can rule only in the inward man, as +Romans x says, "With the heart we believe unto righteousness"; and +since faith alone justifies, it is clear that the inward man cannot be +justified, made free and be saved by any outward work or dealing +whatsoever, and that works, whatever their character, have nothing to +do with this inward man. On the other hand, only ungodliness and +unbelief of heart, and no outward work, make him guilty and a damnable +servant of sin. Wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every +Christian to lay aside all trust in works, and more and more to +strengthen faith alone, and through faith to grow in the knowledge, +not of works, but of Christ Jesus, Who suffered and rose for him, as +Peter teaches, in the last chapter of his first Epistle [1 Pet. 5:10]; +since no other work makes a Christian. Thus when the Jews asked +Christ, John vi [John 6:28 f.], what they should do that they might +work the works of God, He brushed aside the multitude of works in +which He saw that they abounded [John 6:27], and enjoined upon them a +single work, saying, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him +Whom He hath sent. For Him hath God the Father sealed." [John 6:29] + +Hence true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison, which +brings with it all salvation and saves from every evil, as Christ says +in the last chapter of Mark, "He that believeth and is baptised, shall +be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned." [Mark 16:16] +This treasure Isaiah beheld and foretold in chapter x, "The Lord shall +make an abridged and consuming word upon the land, and the consumption +abridged shall overflow with righteousness" [Isa. 10:22]; as if he +said, "Faith, which is a brief and perfect fulfilment of the law, +shall fill believers with so great righteousness that they shall need +nothing more for their righteousness." So also Paul says, Romans x, +"With the heart we believe unto righteousness." [Rom. 10:10] + +[Sidenote: Faith and Works] + +[Sidenote: Commands reveal Weakness] + +Should you ask, how it comes that faith alone justifies without works +offers us such a treasury of great benefits, when so many works, +ceremonies and laws are prescribed in the Scriptures, I answer: First +of all, remember what has been said: faith alone, without works, +justifies, makes free and saves, as we shall later make still more +clear. Here we must point out that all the Scriptures of God are +divided into two parts--commands and promises. The commands indeed +teach things that are good, but the things taught reveal are not done +as soon as taught; for the commands show us what we ought to do, but +do not give us the power to do it; they are intended to teach a man to +know himself, that through them he may recognize his inability to do +good and may despair of his powers. That is why they are called and +are the Old Testament. For example: "Thou shalt not covet" [Ex. 20:17] +is a command which convicts us all of being sinners, since no one is +able to avoid coveting, however much he may struggle against it. +Therefore, in order not to covet, and to fulfil the command, a man is +compelled to despair of himself, and to seek elsewhere and from some +one else the help which he does not ind in himself, as is said in +Hosea, "Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in Me." +[Hos. 13:9] And as we are with this one command, so we are with all; +or it is equally impossible or us to keep any one of them. + +[Sidenote: Promises give Strength] + +But when a man through the commands has learned to know his weakness, +and has become troubled as to how he may satisfy the law, since the +law must be fulfilled so that not a jot or tittle shall perish, +otherwise man will be condemned without hope; then, being truly +humbled and reduced to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no +means of justification and salvation. Here the second part of the +Scriptures stands ready--the promises of God, which declare the glory +of God and say, "If you wish to fulfil the law, and not to covet, as +the law demands, come, believe in Christ, in Whom grace, +righteousness, peace, liberty and all things are promised you; if you +believe you shall have all, if you believe not you shall lack all." +For what is impossible for you in all the works of the law, many as +they are, but all useless, you will accomplish in a short and easy way +through faith. For God our Father has made all things depend on faith, +so that whoever has faith, shall have all, and whoever has it not, +shall have nothing. "For He has concluded all under unbelief, that He +might have mercy on all," Romans xi [Rom. 11:32]. Thus the promises of +God give what the commands of God ask, and fulfil what the law +prescribes, that all things may be of God alone, both the commands and +the fulfilling of the commands. He alone commands. He also alone +fulfils. Therefore the promises of God belong to the New Testament, +nay, they are the New Testament. + +And since these promises of God are holy, true, righteous, free and +peaceful words, full of all goodness, it comes to pass that the soul +which clings to them with a firm faith, is so united with them, nay, +altogether taken up into them, that it not only shares in all their +power, but is saturated and made drunken with it. For if a touch of +Christ healed, how much more will this most tender touch in the +spirit, rather this absorbing of the Word, communicate to the soul all +things that are the Word's. This, then, is how through faith alone +without works the soul is justified by the Word of God, sanctified, +made true and peaceful and free, filled with every blessing and made +truly a child of God, as John i says, "To them gave He power to become +the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." [John 1:12] + +[Sidenote: Faith Justifies] + +From what has been said it is easily seen whence faith has such great +power, and why no good work nor all good works together can equal it: +no work can cling to the Word of God nor be in the soul; in the soul +faith alone and the Word have sway. As the Word is, so it makes the +soul, as heated iron glows like fire because of the union of fire with +it. It is clear then that a Christian man has in his faith all that he +needs, and needs no works to justify him. And if he has no need of +works, neither does he need the law; and if he has no need of the law, +surely he is free from the law, and it is true, "the law is not made +for a righteous man." [1 Tim. 1:9] And this is that Christian liberty, +even our faith, which does not indeed cause us to live in idleness or +in wickedness, but makes the law and works unnecessary for any man's +righteousness and salvation. + +[Sidenote: Faith Fulfils the Commands] + +This is the first power of faith. Let us now examine the second also. +For it is a further function of faith, that whom it trusts it also +honors with the most reverent and high regard, since it considers him +truthful and trustworthy. For there is no other honor equal to the +estimate of truthfulness and righteousness with which we honor him +whom we trust. Or could we ascribe to a man anything greater than +truthfulness, and righteousness, and perfect goodness? On the other +hand, there is no way in which we can show greater contempt for a man +than to regard him as false and wicked and to suspect him, as we do +when we do not trust him. So when the soul firmly trusts God's +promises, it regards Him as truthful and righteous, than which nothing +more excellent can be ascribed to God. This is the very highest +worship of God, that we ascribe to Him truthfulness, righteousness and +whatever else ought to be ascribed to one who is trusted. Then the +soul consents to all His will, then it hallows His name and suffers +itself to be dealt with according to God's good pleasure, because, +clinging to God's promises, it does not doubt that He, Who is true, +just and wise, will do, dispose and provide all things well. And is +not such a soul, by this faith, in all things most obedient to God? +What commandment is there that such obedience has not abundantly +fulfilled? What more complete fulfilment is there than obedience in +all things? But this obedience is not rendered by works, but by faith +alone. On the other hand, what greater rebellion against God, what +greater wickedness, what greater contempt of God is there than not +believing His promises? For what is this but to make God a liar or to +doubt that He is truthful?--that is, to ascribe truthfulness to one's +self, but to God lying and vanity? Does not a man who does this deny +God, and in his heart set up himself as his own idol? Then of what +avail are works done in such wickedness, even if they were the works +of angels and apostles? [Rom. 11:32] Rightly, therefore, has God +concluded all--not in anger or lust, but in unbelief; so that they who +imagine that they are fulfilling the law by doing the works of +chastity and mercy required by the law (the civil and human virtues), +might not be confident that they will be saved; they are included +under the sin of unbelief, and must either seek mercy or be justly +condemned. + +But when God sees that we count Him to be true, and by the faith of +our heart pay Him the great honor which is due Him, He in turn does us +the great honor of counting us true and righteous for our faith's +sake. For faith works truth and righteousness by giving to God what +belongs to Him; therefore, God in turn gives glory to our +righteousness. It is true and just that God is truthful and just, and +to count Him and confess Him, so is to be truthful and just. So in I +Sam. ii, He says, "Them that honor Me, I will honor, and they that +despise Me, shall be lightly esteemed." [1 Sam. 2:30] So Paul says in +Rom. iv, that Abraham's faith was counted unto him or righteousness, +because by it he most perfectly gave glory to God, and that or the +same reason our faith shall be counted unto us or righteousness if we +believe. [Rom. 4:3] + +[Sidenote: Faith Unites with Christ] + +The third incomparable benefit of faith is this, that it unites the +soul with Christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom. And by this +mystery, as the Apostle teaches, Christ and the soul become one flesh +[Eph. 5:31 f.]. And if they are one flesh and there is between them a +true marriage, nay, by far the most perfect of all marriages, since +human marriages are but frail types of this one true marriage, it +follows that all they have they have in common, the good as well as +the evil, so that the believing soul can boast of and glory in +whatever Christ has as if it were its own, and whatever the soul has +Christ claims as His own. Let us compare these and we shall see things +that cannot be estimated. Christ is full of grace, life and salvation; +the soul is full of sins, death and condemnation. Now let faith come +between them, and it shall come to pass that sins, death and hell are +Christ's, and grace, life and salvation are the soul's. For it +behooves Him, if He is a bridegroom, to take upon Himself the things +which are His bride's, and to bestow upon her the things that are His. +For if He gives her His body and His very self, how shall He not give +her all that is His? And if He takes the body of the bride, how shall +He not take all that is hers? + +Lo! here we have a pleasant vision not only of communion, but of a +blessed strife and victory and salvation and redemption. For Christ is +God and man in one person, Who has neither sinned nor died, and is not +condemned, and Who cannot sin, die or be condemned; His righteousness, +life and salvation are unconquerable, eternal, omnipotent; and He by +the wedding-ring of faith shares in the sins, death and pains of hell +which are His bride's, nay, makes them His own, and acts as if they +were His own, and as if He Himself had sinned; He suffered, died and +descended into hell that He might overcome them all. Now since it was +such a one who did all this, and death and hell could not swallow Him +up, they were of necessity swallowed up of Him in a mighty duel. For +His righteousness is greater than the sins of all men, His life +stronger than death. His salvation more invincible than hell. Thus the +believing soul by the pledge of its faith is free in Christ, its +Bridegroom, from all sins, secure against death and against hell, and +is endowed with the eternal righteousness, life and salvation of +Christ, its Bridegroom. So He presents to Himself a glorious bride, +without spot or wrinkle [Eph. 5:27], cleansing her with the washing in +the Word of life, that is, by faith in the Word of life, of +righteousness, and of salvation. Thus He marries her to Himself in +faith, in loving kindness, and in mercies, in righteousness and in +judgment, as Hosea ii says. [Hos. 2:19 f.] + +Who, then, can fully appreciate what this royal marriage means? Who +can understand the riches of the glory of this grace? Here this rich +and godly Bridegroom Christ marries this poor, wicked harlot, redeems +her from all her evil and adorns her with all His good. It is now +impossible that her sins should destroy her, since they are laid upon +Christ and swallowed up in Him, and she has that righteousness in +Christ her husband of which she may boast as of her own, and which she +can confidently set against all her sins in the face of death and +hell, and say, "If I have sinned, yet my Christ, in Whom I believe, +has not sinned, and all His is mine, and all mine is His"--as the +bride in the Song of Solomon says, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." +[Song of Sol. 2:16] This is what Paul means when he says, in I Cor. +xv, "Thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord +Jesus Christ,"[1 Co4. 15:57]--that is, the victory over sin and death, +as he there says, "the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin +is the law." [1 Cor. 15:36] + +[Sidenote: Faith the Fulfilment of the Law] + +From this you see once more why so much is ascribed to faith, that it +alone may fulfil the law and justify without the Law works. You see +that the First Commandment, which says, "Thou shalt worship one God," +is fulfilled by faith alone. For though you were nothing but good +works from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head, yet you +would not be righteous, nor worship God, nor fulfil the First +Commandment, since God cannot be worshiped unless you ascribe to Him +the glory of truthfulness and of all goodness, which is due Him. And +this cannot be done by works, but only by the faith of the heart. For +not by the doing of works, but by believing, do we glorify God and +acknowledge that He is truthful. Therefore, faith alone is the +righteousness of a Christian man and the fulfilling of all the +commandments. For he who fulfils the First, has no difficulty in +fulfilling all the rest. But works, being insensate things, cannot +glorify God, although they can, if faith be present, be done to the +glory of God. At present, however, we are not inquiring what works and +what sort of works are done, but who it is that does them, who +glorifies God and brings forth the works. This is faith which dwells +in the heart, and is the head and substance of all our righteousness. +Hence, it is a blind and dangerous doctrine which teaches that the +commandments must be fulfilled by works. The commandments must be +fulfilled before any works can be done, and the works proceed from the +fulfilment of the commandments [Rom. 13:10], as we shall hear. + +[Sidenote: Old Testament Types] + +But that we may look more deeply into that grace which our inward man +has in Christ, we must consider that in the Old Testament God +sanctified to Himself every first-born male, and the birth-right was +highly prized, having a two-fold honor, that of priesthood, and that +of kingship. For the first-born brother was priest and lord over all +the others, and was a type of Christ, the true and only First-born of +God the Father and of the Virgin Mary, and true King and Priest, not +after the fashion of the flesh and of the world. For His kingdom is +not of this world [John 18:36]. He reigns in heavenly and spiritual +things and consecrates them--such as righteousness, truth, wisdom, +peace, salvation, etc. Not as if all things on earth and in hell were +not also subject to Him--else how could He protect and save us from +them?--but His kingdom consists neither in them nor of them. Nor does +His priesthood consist in the outward splendor of robes and postures, +like that human priesthood of Aaron and of our present-day Church; but +it consists in spiritual things, through which He by an unseen service +intercedes for us in heaven before God, there offers Himself as a +sacrifice and does all things a priest should do, as Paul in the +Epistle to the Hebrews describes him under the type of Melchizedek +[Heb. 6 f.]. Nor does He only pray and intercede for us, but within +our soul He teaches us through the living teaching of His Spirit, thus +performing the two real unctions of a priest, of which the prayers and +the preaching of human priests are visible types. + +Now, just as Christ by his birthright obtained these two prerogatives, +so He imparts them to and shares them with every one who believes on +Him according to the law of the aforesaid marriage, by which the wife +owns whatever belongs to the husband. Hence we are all priests and +kings in Christ, as many as believe on Christ, as I Pet. ii says, "Ye +are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood and +priestly kingdom, that ye should show forth the virtues of Him Who +hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." [1 Pet. +2:9] + +[Sidenote: The Kingship of the Christian] + +This priesthood and kingship we explain as follows: First, as to the +kingship, every Christian is by faith so exalted above all things that +by a spiritual power he is lord of all things without exception, so +that nothing can do him any harm whatever, nay, all things are made +subject to him and compelled to serve him to his salvation. Thus Paul +says in Rom. viii, "All things work together for good to them who are +called." [Rom. 8:28] And, in I Cor. iii, "All things are yours, +whether life or death, or things present or things to come, and ye are +Christ's." [1 Cor. 3:22 f.] Not as if every Christian were set over +all things, to possess and control them by physical power,--a madness +with which some churchmen are afflicted,--for such power belongs to +kings, princes and men on earth. Our ordinary experience in life shows +us that we are subjected to all, suffer many things and even die; nay, +the more Christian a man is, the more evils, sufferings and deaths is +he made subject to, as we see in Christ the first-born Prince Himself, +and in all His brethren, the saints. The power of which we speak is +spiritual; it rules in the midst of enemies, and is mighty in the +midst of oppression, which means nothing else than that strength is +made perfect in weakness [2 Cor. 12:9], and that in all things I can +find profit unto salvation, so that the cross and death itself are +compelled to serve me and to work together with me for my salvation +[Rom. 8:28]. This is a splendid prerogative and hard to attain, and a +true omnipotent power, a spiritual dominion, in which there is nothing +so good and nothing so evil, but that it shall work together for good +to me, if only I believe. And yet, since faith alone suffices for +salvation, I have need of nothing, except that faith exercise the +power and dominion of its own liberty. Lo, this is the inestimable +power and liberty of Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of the Christian] + +Not only are we the freest of kings, we are also priests forever, +which is far more excellent than being kings, because as priests we +are worthy to appear before God to pray for others and to teach one +another the things of God. For these are the functions of priests, and +cannot be granted to any unbeliever. Thus Christ has obtained for us, +if we believe on Him, that we are not only His brethren, co-heirs and +fellow-kings with Him, but also fellow-priests with Him, who may +boldly come into the presence of God in the spirit of faith and cry, +"Abba, Father!" [Heb. 10:19, 22] pray for one another and do all +things which we see done and prefigured in the outward and visible +works of priests. But he who does not believe is not served by +anything, nor does anything work for good to him, but he himself is a +servant of all, and all things become evils to him, because he +wickedly uses them to his own profit and not to the glory of God. And +so he is no priest, but a profane man, whose prayer becomes sin and +never comes into the presence of God, because God does not hear +sinners [John 9:31]. Who then can comprehend the lofty dignity of the +Christian? Through his kingly power he rules over all things, death, +life and sin, and through his priestly glory is all powerful with God, +because God does the things which he asks and desires, as it is +written, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him; He also +will hear their cry, and will save them." [Phil. 4:13] To this glory a +man attains, surely not by any works of his, but by faith alone. + +[Sidenote: Distinctions among Christians] + +From this any one can clearly see how a Christian man is free from all +things and over all things, so that he needs no works to make him +righteous and to save him, since faith alone confers all these things +abundantly. But should he grow so foolish as to presume to become +righteous, free, saved and a Christian by means of some good work, he +would on the instant lose faith and all its benefits: a foolishness +aptly illustrated in the fable of the dog who runs along a stream with +a piece of meat in his mouth, and, deceived by the reflection of the +meat in the water, opens his mouth to snap at it, and so loses both +the meat and the reflection. You will ask, "If all who are in the +Church are priests, how do those whom we now call priests differ from +laymen?" I answer: "Injustice is done those words, 'priest,' 'cleric,' +'spiritual,' 'ecclesiastic,' when they are transferred from all other +Christians to those few who are now by a mischievous usage called +'ecclesiastics.' For Holy Scripture makes no distinction between them, +except that it gives the name 'ministers,' 'servants,' 'stewards,' to +those who are now proudly called popes, bishops, and lords and who +should by the ministry of the Word serve others and teach them the +faith of Christ and the liberty of believers. For although we are all +equally priests, yet we cannot all publicly minister and teach, nor +ought we if we could." Thus Paul writes in I Cor. iv, "Let a man so +account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the +mysteries of God." [I Cor. 4:1] + +But that stewardship has now been developed into so great a pomp of +power and so terrible a tyranny, that no heathen empire or earthly +power can be compared with it, just as if laymen were not also +Christians. Through this perversion the knowledge of Christian grace, +faith, liberty and of Christ Himself has altogether perished, and its +place has been taken by an unbearable bondage of human words and laws, +until we have become, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah say, servants of +the vilest men on earth, who abuse our misfortune to serve only their +base and shameless will [Lam. 1:11]. + +[Sidenote: How Christ is to be Preached] + +To return to our purpose, I believe it has now become clear that it is +not enough nor is it Christian, to preach the works, life and words of +Christ as historical acts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice +for the conduct of life, although this is the fashion of those who +must to-day be regarded as our best preachers; and far less is it +enough for Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach +instead the laws of men and the decrees of the Fathers. And now there +are not a few who preach Christ and read about Him that they may move +men's affections to sympathy with Christ, to anger against the Jews +and such like childish and womanish nonsense. Rather ought Christ to +be preached to the end that faith in Him may be established, that He +may not only be Christ, but be Christ for thee and for me, and that +what is said of Him and what His Name denotes may be effectual in us. +And such faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why Christ +came, what He brought and bestowed,[13] what benefit it is to us to +accept Him. This is done when that Christian liberty which He bestows +is rightly taught, and we are told in what way we who are Christians +are all kings and priests and so are lords of all, and may firmly +believe that whatever we have done is pleasing and acceptable in the +sight of God, as I have said. + +[Sidenote: Effect of such Preaching] + +What man is there whose heart, hearing these things, will not rejoice +to its very core, and in receiving such comfort grow tender so as to +love Christ, as he never could be made to love by any laws or works? +Who would have power to harm such a heart or to make it afraid? If the +knowledge of sin for the fear of death break in upon it is ready to +hope in the Lord; it does not grow afraid when it hears tidings of +evil, nor is it disturbed until it shall look down upon its enemies +[Psalm 112:7 f.]. For it believes that the righteousness of Christ is +its own, and that its sin is not its own, but Christ's; and that all +sin is swallowed up by the righteousness of Christ is, as has been +said above, a necessary consequence of faith in Christ. So the heart +learns to scoff at death and sin, and to say with the Apostle, "Where, +O death, is thy victory? where, O death, is thy sting? The sting of +death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to +God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 +Cor. 15:55 ff.] For death is swallowed up not only in the victory of +Christ, but also by our victory, because through faith His victory has +become ours, and in that faith we also are conquerors. + +Let this suffice concerning the inward man, his liberty and its +source, the righteousness of faith,[14] which needs neither laws nor +good works, nay, is rather injured by them, if a man trusts that he is +justified by them. + +[Sidenote: The Outward Man] + +Now let us turn to the second part, to the outward man. Here we shall +answer all those who, misled by the word "faith" and by all that has +been said, now say: "If faith does all things and is alone sufficient +unto righteousness, why then are good works commanded? We will take +our ease and do no works, and be content with faith." I answer, Not +so, ye wicked men, not so. That would indeed be proper, if we were +wholly inward and perfectly spiritual men; but such we shall be only +at the last day, the day of the resurrection of the dead. As long as +we live in the flesh we only begin and make some progress in that +which shall be perfected in the future life. For this reason the +Apostle, in Romans viii, calls all that we attain in this he "the +first fruits" of the spirit [Rom. 8:23], because, forsooth, we shall +receive the greater portion, even the fulness of the spirit, in the +future. This is the place for that which was said above, that a +Christian man is the servant of all and made subject to all. For in so +far as he is free he does no works, but in so far as he is a servant +he does all manner of works. How this is possible, we shall see. + +[Sidenote: Needs to do Works] + +Although, as I have said, a man is abundantly justified by faith +inwardly, in his spirit, and so has all that he ought to have, except +in so far as this faith and riches must grow from day to day even unto +the future he: yet he remains in this mortal life on earth, and in +this life he must needs govern his own body and have dealings with +men. Here the works begin; here a man cannot take his ease; here he +must, indeed, take care to discipline his body by fastings, watchings, +labors and other reasonable discipline, and to make it subject to the +spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inward man and to +faith, and not revolt against faith and hinder the inward man, as it +is the body's nature to do if it be not held in check. For the inward +man, who by faith is created in the likeness of God, is both joyful +and happy because of Christ in Whom so many benefits are conferred +upon him, and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully +and for naught, in love that is not constrained. + +While he is doing this, lo, he meets a contrary will in his own flesh, +which strives to serve the world and to seek its own advantage. This +the spirit of faith cannot tolerate, and with joyful zeal it attempts +to put the body under and to hold it in check, as Paul says in Romans +vii, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see +another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and +bringing me into captivity to the law of sin" [Rom. 7:22 f.]; and, in +another place, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: +lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be +a castaway," [1 Cor. 9:27] and in Galatians, "They that are Christ's +have crucified the flesh with its lusts." [Gal. 5:24] + +[Sidenote: Works do not Justify] + +In doing these works, however, we must not think that a man is +justified before God by them: for that erroneous opinion faith, which +alone is righteousness before God, cannot endure; but we must think +that these works reduce the body to subjection and purity it of its +evil lusts, and our whole purpose is to be directed only toward the +driving out of lusts. For since by faith the soul is cleansed and made +a lover of God, it desires that all things, and especially its own +body, shall be as pure as itself, so that all things may join with it +in loving and praising God. Hence a man cannot be idle, because the +need of his body drives him and he is compelled to do many good works +to reduce it to subjection. Nevertheless the works themselves do not +justify him before God, but he does the works out of spontaneous love +in obedience to God, and considers nothing except the approval of God, +Whom he would in all things most scrupulously obey. + +In this way every one will easily be able to learn for himself the +limit and discretion, as they say, of his bodily castigations: for he +will fast, watch and labor as much as he finds sufficient to repress +the lasciviousness and lust of his body. But they who presume to be +justified by works do not regard the mortifying of the lusts, but only +the works themselves, and think that if only they have done as many +and as great works as are possible, they have done well, and have +become righteousness; at times they even addle their brains and +destroy, or at least render useless, their natural strength with their +works. This is the height of folly, and utter ignorance of Christian +life and faith, that a man should seek to be justified and saved by +works and without faith. + +[Sidenote: An Analogy] + +In order that what we have said may be more easily understood, we will +explain it by analogies. We should think of the works of a Christian +man who is justified and saved by faith because of the pure and free +mercy of God, just as we would think of the works which Adam and Eve +did in Paradise, and all their children would have done if they had +not sinned. We read in Genesis ii, "God put the man whom He had formed +into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." [Gen. 2:15] Now +Adam was created by God righteous and upright and without sin, so that +he had no need of being justified and made upright through his +dressing and keeping the garden, but, that he might not be idle, the +Lord gave him a work to do--to cultivate and to protect the garden. +These would truly have been the freest of works, done only to please +God and not to obtain righteousness, which Adam already had in full +measure, and which would have been the birthright of us all. + +Such also are the works of a believer. Through his faith he has been +restored to Paradise and created anew, has no need of works that he +may become or be righteous; but that he may not be idle and may +provide for and keep his body, he must do such works freely only to +please God; only, since we are not wholly re-created, and our faith +and love are not yet perfect, these are to be increased, not by +external works, however, but within themselves. + +[Sidenote: A Second Analogy] + +Again: A bishop, when he consecrates a Church, confirms children or +performs any other duty belonging to his office, is not made a bishop +by these works; nay, if he had not first been made a bishop, none of +these works would be valid, they would be foolish, childish and a mere +farce. So the Christian, who is consecrated by his faith, does good +works, but the works do not make him more holy or more Christian; for +that is the work of faith alone, and if a man were not first a +believer and a Christian, all his works would amount to nothing at all +and would be truly wicked and damnable sins. + +These two sayings, therefore, are true: "Good works do not make a good +man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked +man, but a wicked man does evil works"; so that it is always necessary +that the "substance" or person itself be good before there can be any +good works, and that good works follow and proceed from the good +person, as Christ also says, "A corrupt tree does not bring forth good +fruit, a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit." [Matt. 7:18] It +is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree, nor does the tree grow +on the fruits, but, on the contrary, the trees bear the fruits and the +fruits grow on the trees. As it is necessary, therefore, that the +trees must exist before their fruits, and the fruits do not make trees +either good or corrupt, but rather as the trees are so are the fruits +they bear; so the person of a man must needs first be good or wicked +before he does a good or a wicked work, and his works do not make him +good or wicked, but he himself makes his works either good or wicked. + +[Sidenote: Illustrations] + +Illustrations of the same truth can be seen in all trades, A good or a +bad house does not make a good or a bad builder, but a good or a bad +builder makes a bad or a good house. And in general, the work never +makes the workman like itself, but the workman makes the work like +himself. So it is also with the works of man: as the man is, whether +believer or unbeliever, so also is his work--good, if it was done in +faith; wicked, if it was done in unbelief. But the converse is not +true, that the work makes the man either a believer or an unbeliever. +For as works do not make a man a believer, so also they do not make +him righteous. But as faith makes a man a believer and righteous, so +faith also does good works. Since, then, works justify no one, and a +man must be righteous before he does a good work, it is very evident +that it is faith alone which, because of the pure mercy of God through +Christ and in His Word, worthily and sufficiently justifies and saves +the person, and a Christian man has no need of any work or of any law +in order to be saved, since through faith he is free from every law +and does all that he does out of pure liberty and freely, seeking +neither benefit nor salvation, since he already abounds in all things +and is saved through the grace of God because of his faith, and now +seeks only to please God. + +[Sidenote: Works Neither Save nor Damn] + +Furthermore, no good work helps an unbeliever, so as to justify or +save him. And, on the other hand, no evil work makes him wicked or +damns him, but the unbelief which makes the person and the tree evil, +does the evil and damnable works. Hence when a man is made good or +evil, this is effected not by the works, but by faith or unbelief, as +the Wise Man says, "This is the beginning of sin, that a man falls +away from God," [Sirach 10:14 f.] which happens when he does not +believe. And Paul, Hebrews xi, says, He that cometh to God must +believe." [Heb. 11:6] And Christ says the same: "Either make the tree +good and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit +corrupt," [Matt. 12:33] as if He would say, "Let him who would have +good fruit begin by planting a good tree." So let him who would do +good works not begin with the doing of works, but with believing, +which makes the person good. For nothing makes a man good except +faith, nor evil except unbelief. + +It is indeed true that in the sight of men a man is made good or evil +by his works, but this being made good or evil is no more than that he +who is good or evil is pointed out and known as such; as Christ says, +in Matthew vii, "By their fruits ye shall know them." [Matt. 7:20] But +all this remains on the surface, and very many have been deceived by +this outward appearance and have presumed to write and teach +concerning good works by which we may be justified, without even +mentioning faith; they go their way, always being deceived and +deceiving, advancing, indeed, but into a worse state, blind leaders of +the blind [2 Tim. 3:13], wearying themselves with many works, and yet +never attaining to true righteousness [Matt. 15:14]. Of such Paul +says, in II Timothy iii, "Having the form of godliness, but denying +its power, always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the +truth." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7] + +He, therefore, who does not wish to go astray with those blind men, +must look beyond works, and laws and doctrines about works; nay, +turning his eyes from works, he must look upon the person, and ask how +that is justified. For the person is justified and saved not by works +nor by laws, but by the Word of God, that is, by the promise of His +grace [Tit. 3:5], and by faith, that the glory may remain God's, Who +saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done, but +according to His mercy by the word of His grace, when we believed. [1 +Cor. 1:21] + +[Sidenote: The Doctrine of Good Works] + +From this it is easy to know in how far good works are to be rejected +or not, and by what standard all the teachings of men concerning works +are to be interpreted. If works are sought after as a means to +righteousness, are burdened with this perverse leviathan[15] and are +done under the false impression that through them you are justified, +they are made necessary and freedom and faith are destroyed; and this +addition to them makes them to be no longer good, but truly damnable +works. For they are not free, and they blaspheme the grace of God, +since to justify and to save by faith belongs to the grace of God +alone. What the works have no power to do, they yet, by a godless +presumption, through this folly of ours, pretend to do, and thus +violently force themselves into the office and the glory of grace. We +do not, therefore, reject good works; on the contrary, we cherish and +teach them as much as possible. We do not condemn them for their own +sake, but because of this godless addition to them and the perverse +idea that righteousness is to be sought through them; for that makes +them appear good outwardly, when in truth they are not good; they +deceive men and lead men to deceive each other, like ravening wolves +in sheep's clothing [Matt. 7:15]. + +But this leviathan and perverse notion concerning works is insuperable +where sincere faith is wanting. Those work-saints cannot get rid of it +unless faith, its destroyer, come and rule in their hearts. Nature of +itself cannot drive it out, nor even recognize it, but rather regards +it as a mark of the most holy will. And if the influence of custom be +added and confirm this perverseness of nature, as wicked Magisters +have caused it to do, it becomes an incurable evil, and leads astray +and destroys countless men beyond all hope of restoration. Therefore, +although it is good to preach and write about penitence, confession +and satisfaction, if we stop with that and do not go on to teach about +faith, our teaching is unquestionably deceitful and devilish. + +[Sidenote: What we are to Preach] + +Christ, like His forerunner John, not only said, "Repent ye," [Matt. +3:2] but added the word of faith, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at +hand." [Matt. 4:17] And we are not to preach only one of these words +of God, but both; we are to bring forth out of our treasure things new +and old [Matt. 13:52], the voice of the law as well as the word of +grace. We must bring forth the voice of the law that men may be made +to fear and to come to a knowledge of their sins, and so be converted +to repentance and a better life. But we must not stop with that. For +that would be only to wound and not to bind up, to smite and not to +heal, to kill and not to make alive, to lead down into hell and not to +bring back again, to humble and not to exalt. Therefore, we must also +preach the word of grace and the promise of forgiveness, by which +faith is taught and strengthened. Without this word of grace the works +of the law, contrition, penitence and all the rest are performed and +taught in vain. + +There remain even to our day preachers of repentance and grace, but +they do not so explain God's law and promise that a man might learn +from them the source of repentance and grace. For repentance proceeds +from the law of God, but faith or grace from the promise of God, as +Romans x says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of +Christ" [Rom. 10:17]; so that a man is consoled and exalted by faith +in the divine promise, after he has been humbled and led to a +knowledge of himself by the threats and the fear of the divine law. So +we read in Psalm xxx, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh +in the morning." [Ps. 30:6] + +[Sidenote: Works of Love] + +Let this suffice concerning works in general, and at the same time +concerning the works which a Christian does for his own body. Lastly, +we will also speak of the things which he does toward his neighbor. A +man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body, so as to work +for it alone, but he lives also for all men on earth, nay, rather, +lives only for others and not for himself. And to this end he brings +his body into subjection, that he may the more sincerely and freely +serve others, as Paul says in Romans xiv, "No one lives to himself, +and no man dies to himself. For he that liveth, liveth unto the Lord, +and he that dieth, dieth unto the Lord." [Rom. 14:7 f.] Therefore, it +is impossible that he should ever in this life be idle and without +works toward his neighbors, for of necessity he will speak, deal with +and converse with men, as Christ also, being made in the likeness of +men, was found in form as a man, and conversed with men, as Baruch iii +says [Bar. 3:38]. + +[Sidenote: Do not Save] + +[Sidenote: Grow out of Faith] + +But none of these things does a man need for his righteousness and +salvation. Therefore, in all his works he should be guided by this +thought and look to this one thing alone, that he may serve and +benefit others in all that he does, having regard to nothing except +the need and the advantage of his neighbor. Thus, the Apostle commands +us to work with our hands that we may give to him who is in need, +although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves; +he says, however, "that he may have to give to him that needeth." +[Eph. 4:28] And this is what makes it a Christian work to care for the +body, that through its health and comfort we may be able to work, to +acquire and to lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need, +that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker, and we may be +sons of God, each caring for and working for the other, bearing one +another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2]. Lo, +this is a truly Christian life, here faith is truly out effectual +through love [Gal. 5:6]; that is, it issues in works of the freest +service cheerfully and lovingly done, with which a man willingly +serves another without hope of reward, and for himself is satisfied +with the fulness and wealth of his faith. + +So Paul after teaching the Philippians how rich they were made through +faith in Christ, in which they obtained all things, proceeds +immediately to teach them further, saying, "If there be any +consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of +the Spirit, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same +love, being of one accord, thinking nothing through strife or +vainglory, but in lowliness each esteeming the other better than +themselves; looking not every man on his own things, but on the things +of others." [Phil. 2:1 ff.] Here we see clearly that the Apostle has +prescribed this rule for the life of Christians,--that we should +devote all our works to the welfare of others, since each has such +abundant riches in his faith, that all his other works and his whole +He are a surplus with which he can by voluntary benevolence serve and +do good to his neighbor. + +[Sidenote: The Example of Christ] + +As an example of such a life the Apostle cites Christ, saying, "Let +this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the +form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made +Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and +was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, +He became obedient unto death." [Phil. 2:5 ff.] This salutary word of +the Apostle has been obscured for us by those who have not at all +understood the Apostle's words, "form of God," "form of a servant," +"fashion," "likeness of men," and have applied them to the divine and +the human nature. Paul means this: Although Christ was filled with the +form of God and rich in all good things, so that He needed no work and +no suffering to make Him righteous and saved (for He had all this +always from the beginning), yet He was not puffed up by them, nor did +He lift Himself up above us and assume power over us, although He +could rightly have done so; but, on the contrary, He so lived, +labored, worked, suffered and died, that He might be like other men, +and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man, just as if +He had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of God. +But He did all this for our sake, that He might serve us, and that all +things He accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours. + +So a Christian, like Christ, his Head, is filled and made rich by +faith, and should be content with this form of God which he has +obtained by faith; only, as I have said, he ought to increase this +faith until it be made perfect. For this faith is his life, his +righteousness and his salvation: it saves him and makes him +acceptable, and bestows upon him all things that are Christ's, as has +been said above, and as Paul asserts in Gal. ii, when he says, "And +the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son +of God." [Gal. 2:20] Although the Christian is thus free from all +works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, to take upon himself +the form of a servant, to be made in the likeness of men, to be found +in fashion as a man, and to serve, help and in every way deal with his +neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals +with himself. And this he should do freely, having regard to nothing +except the divine approval. He ought to think: "Though I am an +unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the +riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, +out of pure, free mercy, so that henceforth I need nothing whatever +except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not +therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will, +do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a +Father, Who has overwhelmed me with His inestimable riches? I will +therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ +offered Himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I +see is necessary, profitable and salutary to my neighbor, since +through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ." + +[Sidenote: Faith and Love] + +Lo, thus from faith flow forth love and joy in the Lord, and from love +a joyful, willing and free mind that serves one's neighbor willingly +and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, of praise or blame, +of gain or loss. For a man does not serve that he may put men under +obligations, he does not distinguish between friends and enemies, nor +does he anticipate their thankfulness or unthankfulness; but most +freely and most willingly he spends himself and all that he has, +whether he waste all on the thankless or whether he gain a reward. For +as his Father does, distributing all things to all men richly and +freely, causing His sun to rise upon the good and upon the evil [Matt. +5:45], so also the son does all things and suffers all things with +that freely bestowing joy which is his delight when through Christ he +sees it in God, the dispenser of such great benefits. + +Therefore, if we recognize the great and precious things which are +given us, as Paul says [Rom. 5:5], there will be shed abroad in our +hearts by the Holy Ghost the love which makes us free, joyful, +almighty workers and conquerors over all tribulations, servants of our +neighbors and yet lords of all. But for those who do not recognize the +gifts bestowed upon them through Christ, Christ has been born in vain; +they go their way with their works, and shall never come to taste or +to feel those things. Just as our neighbor is in need and lacks that +in which we abound, so we also have been in need before God and have +lacked His mercy. Hence, as our heavenly Father has in Christ freely +come to our help, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through +our body and its works, and each should become as it were a Christ to +the other, that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the +same in all; that is, that we may be truly Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Christian Serves Freely] + +Who then can comprehend the riches and the glory of the Christian +life? It can do all things, and has all things, and lacks nothing; it +is lord over sin, death and hell, and yet at the same time it serves, +ministers to and benefits all men. But, alas, in our day this life is +unknown throughout the world; it is neither preached about nor sought +after; we are altogether ignorant of our own name and do not know why +we are Christians or bear the name of Christians. Surely we are so +named after Christ, not because He is absent from us, but because He +dwells in us, that is, because we believe on Him and are Christs one +to another and do to our neighbors as Christ does to us. But in our +day we are taught by the doctrine of men to seek naught but merits, +rewards and the things that are ours; of Christ we have made only a +taskmaster far more harsh than Moses. + +[Sidenote: Examples: The Virgin] + +Of such faith we have a pre-eminent example in the blessed Virgin. As +is written in Luke ii, she was purified according to the law of Moses, +after the custom of all women, although she was not bound by that law, +and needed not to be purified. But out of free and willing love she +submitted to the law, being made like other women, lest she should +offend or despise them. She was not justified by this work, but being +righteous she did it freely and willingly. So our works also should be +done, not that we may be justified by them; since, being justified +beforehand by faith, we ought to do all things freely and joyfully for +the sake of others. + +[Sidenote: St. Paul] + +St. Paul also circumcised his disciple Timothy, not because +circumcision was necessary for his righteousness, but that he might +not offend or despise the Jews who were weak in the faith and could +not yet grasp the liberty of faith. But on the other hand, when they +despised the liberty of faith and insisted that circumcision was +necessary for righteousness, he withstood them and did not allow Titus +to be circumcised, (Gal. ii) [Gal. 2:3]. For as he was unwilling to +offend for to despise any man's weak faith, and yielded to their will +for the time, so he was also unwilling that the liberty of faith +should be offended against or despised by stubborn work-righteous men. +He chose a middle way, sparing the weak or a time, but always +withstanding the stubborn, that he might convert all to the liberty of +faith. What we do should be done with the same zeal to sustain the +weak in faith, as Romans xiv teaches [Rom. 14:1 ff.]; but we should +firmly withstand the stubborn teachers of works. Of this we will say +more later. + +Christ also, in Matthew xvii, when the tribute money was demanded of +His disciples, argued with St. Peter, Christ whether the sons of the +king were not free from the payment of tribute, and Peter affirmed +that they were. None the less Christ commanded Peter to go to the sea, +and said, "Lest we should offend them, go, and take up the fish that +first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find +a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." +[Matt. 17:24 ff.] This incident its beautifully to our subject, since +Christ here calls Himself and those that are His, children and sons of +the King, who need nothing; and yet He freely submits and pays the +tribute. Just as necessary or helpful as this work was to Christ's +righteousness or salvation, just so much do all other works of His or +of His followers avail for righteousness; since they all follow after +righteousness and are free, and are done only to serve others and to +give them an example of good works. + +Of the same nature are the precepts which Paul gives, in Romans xiii +[Rom. 13:1 ff.] and Titus iii [Tit. 3:1], that Christians should be +subject to the powers that be, and be ready to do every good work, not +that they shall in this way be justified, since they already are +righteous through faith, but that in the liberty of the Spirit they +shall by so doing serve others and the powers themselves, and obey +their will freely and out of love. Of this nature should be the works +of all colleges, monasteries and priests. Each one should do the works +of his profession and position, not that by them he may strive after +righteousness, but that through them he may keep under his body, be an +example to others, who also need to keep under their bodies, and +finally that by such works he may submit his will to that of others in +the freedom of love. But very great care must always be taken that no +man in a false confidence imagine that by such works he will be +justified, or acquire merit or be saved; for this is the work of faith +alone, as I have repeatedly said. + +[Sidenote: Church Precepts] + +Any one knowing this could easily and without danger find his way +among those numberless mandates and precepts of pope, bishops, +monasteries, churches, princes and magistrates, upon which some +ignorant pastors insist as if they were necessary to righteousness and +salvation, calling them "precepts of the Church," although they are +nothing of the kind. For a Christian, as a free man, will say, "I will +fast, pray, do this and that as men command, not because it is +necessary to my righteousness or salvation; but that I may show due +respect to the pope, the bishop, the community, some magistrate or my +neighbor, and give them an example, I will do and suffer all things, +just as Christ did and suffered far more for me, although He needed +nothing of it all or Himself, and was made under the law for my sake, +although He was not under the law." And although tyrants do violence +or injustice in making their demands, yet it will do no harm, so long +as they demand nothing contrary to God. + +From what has been said, every one can pass a safe judgment on all +works and laws and make a trustworthy distinction between them, and +know who are the blind and ignorant pastors and who are the good and +true. For any work that is not done solely for the purpose of keeping +under the body or of serving one's neighbor, so long as he asks +nothing contrary to God, is not good nor Christian. And for this +reason I mightily fear that few or no colleges, monasteries, altars +and offices of the Church are really Christian in our day: no, nor the +special fasts and prayers on certain saints' days[16] either. I fear, +I say, that in all these we seek only our own profit, thinking that +through them our sins are purged away and that we ind salvation in +them. In this way Christian liberty perishes altogether. And this +comes from our ignorance of Christian faith and of liberty. + +[Sidenote: Ignorance of Liberty] + +This ignorance and suppression of liberty very many blind pastors take +pains to encourage: they stir up and urge on their people in these +practices by praising such works, puffing them up with their +indulgences, and never teaching faith. But I would counsel you, if you +wish to pray, fast or establish some foundation in the Church, take +heed not to do it in order to obtain some benefit, whether temporal or +eternal. For you would do injury to your faith, which alone offers you +all things, Your one care should be that faith may increase, whether +it be trained by works or by sufferings. Give your gifts freely and +for nothing, that others may profit by them and are well because of +you and your goodness. In this way you shall be truly good and +Christian. For of what benefit to you are the good works which you do +not need for the keeping under of your body? Your faith is sufficient +for you, through which God has given you all things. + +See, according to this rule the good things we have from God should +flow from one to the other and be common to all, so that every one +should "put on" his neighbor, and so conduct himself toward him as if +he himself were in the other's place. From Christ they have flowed and +are flowing into us: He has so "put on" us and acted for us as if He +had been what we are. From us they flow on to those who have need of +them, so that I should lay before God my faith and my righteousness +that they may cover and intercede for the sins of my neighbor, which I +take upon myself and so labor and serve in them as if they were my +very own. For that is what Christ did for us. This is true love and +the genuine rule of a Christian life. The love is true and genuine +where there is true and genuine faith. Hence, the Apostle says of love +in I Cor. xiii, that it seeketh not its own. [1 Cor. 13:5] + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +We conclude, therefore, that a Christian man lives not in himself, but +in Christ and in his neighbor. Otherwise he is not a Christian. He +lives in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love; by faith +he is caught up beyond himself into God, by love he sinks down beneath +himself into his neighbor; yet he always remains in God and in His +love, as Christ says in John i, "Verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye +shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending +upon the Son of man." [John 1:51] + +Enough now of liberty. As you see, it is a spiritual and true liberty, +and makes our hearts free from all sins, laws and mandates, as Paul +says, I Tim. i, "The law is not made for a righteous man." [1 Tim. +1:9] It is more excellent than all other liberty which is external, as +heaven is more excellent than earth. This liberty may Christ grant us +both to understand and to preserve. Amen. + +[Sidenote: Liberty] + +[Sidenote: Neither License] + +[Sidenote: Nor Necessity] + +Finally, something must be added for the sake of those for whom +nothing can be so well said that they will not spoil it by +misunderstanding it, though it is a question whether they will +understand even what shall here be said. There are very many who, when +they hear of this liberty of faith, immediately turn it into an +occasion for the flesh, and think that now all things are allowed +them. They want to show that they are free men and Christians only by +despising and finding fault with ceremonies, traditions and human +laws; as if they were Christians because on stated days they do not +fast or eat meat when others fast, or because they do not use the +accustomed prayers, and with upturned nose scoff at the precepts of +men, although they utterly disregard all else that pertains to the +Christian religion. The extreme opposite of these are those who rely +for their salvation solely on their reverent observance of ceremonies, +as if they would be saved because on certain days they fast or abstain +from meats, or pray certain prayers; these make a boast of the +precepts of the Church and of the Fathers, and care not a fig or the +things which are of the essence of our faith. Plainly, both are in +error, because they neglect the weightier things which are necessary +to salvation, and quarrel so noisily about those trifling and +unnecessary matters. + +How much better is the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who bids us take +a middle course, and condemns both sides when he says, "Let not him +that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth +not judge him that eateth." [Rom. 14:3] Here you see that they who +neglect and disparage ceremonies, not out of piety, but out of mere +contempt, are reproved, since the Apostle teaches us not to despise +them. Such men are puffed up by knowledge. On the other hand, he +teaches those who insist on the ceremonies not to judge the others, or +neither party acts toward the other according to the love that +edifies. Wherefore, we ought here to listen to the Scriptures, which +teach that we should not go aside to the right nor to the left [Deut. +28:14], but follow the statutes of the Lord which are right, rejoicing +the heart [Ps. 19:8]. For as a man is not righteous because he keeps +and clings to the works and forms of the ceremonies, so also will a +man not be counted righteous merely because he neglects and despises +them. + +[Sidenote: freedom from False Opinions] + +Our faith in Christ does not free us from works, but from false +opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that +justification is acquired by works. For faith redeems, corrects and +preserves our consciences, so that we know that righteousness does not +consist in works, although works neither can nor ought to be wanting; +just as we cannot be without food and drink and all the works of this +mortal body, yet our righteousness is not in them, but in faith; and +yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected on +that account. In this world we are bound by the needs of our bodily +life, but we are not righteous because of them. "My kingdom is not of +this world," [John 18:36] says Christ, but He does not say, "My +kingdom is not here, that is, in this world." And Paul says, "Though +we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh," [2 Cor. 10:3] +and in Galatians ii, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live +in the faith of the Son of God." [Gal. 2:20] Thus what we do, live, +and are in works and in ceremonies, we do because of the necessities +of this life and of the effort to rule our body; nevertheless we are +righteous not in these, but in the faith of the Son of God. + +[Sidenote: Opponents] + +[Sidenote: Ceremonialists] + +[Sidenote: Ignorant Men] + +Hence, the Christian must take a middle course and face those two +classes of men. He will meet first the unyielding, stubborn +ceremonialists, who like deaf adders [Ps. 58:4] are not willing to +hear the truth of liberty, but, having no faith, boast of, prescribe +and insist upon their ceremonies as means of justification. Such were +the Jews of old, who were unwilling to learn how to do good. These he +must resist, do the very opposite and offend them boldly, lest by +their impious views they drag many with them into error. In the +presence of such men it is good to eat meat, to break the fasts and +for the sake of the liberty of faith to do other things which they +regard the greatest of sins. Of them we must say, "Let them alone, +they are blind and leaders of the blind." [Matt. 15:14] For on this +principle Paul would not circumcise Titus when the Jews insisted that +he should [Gal. 2:3], and Christ excused the Apostles when they +plucked ears of corn on the sabbath [Matt. 12:1 ff.]; and there are +many similar instances. The other class of men whom a Christian will +meet, are the simple-minded, ignorant men, weak in the faith, as the +Apostle calls them, who cannot yet grasp the liberty of faith, even if +they were willing to do so. These he must take care not to offend; he +must yield to their weakness until they are more fully instructed. +For since these do and think as they do, not because they are +stubbornly wicked, but only because their faith is weak, the fasts and +other things which they think necessary must be observed to avoid +giving them offence. For so love demands, which would harm no one, but +would serve all men. It is not by their fault that they are weak, but +their pastors have taken them captive with the snares of their +traditions and have wickedly used these traditions as rods with which +to beat them. From these pastors they should have been delivered by +the teaching of faith and liberty. So the Apostle teaches us, Romans +xiv, "If my meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while +the world standeth" [Rom. 14:14]; and again, "I know that through +Christ nothing is unclean, except to him who esteemeth any thing to be +unclean; but it is evil or the man who eats and is offended." + +Wherefore, although we should boldly resist those teachers of +traditions and sharply censure the laws of the popes by means of which +they plunder the people of God, yet we must spare the timid multitude +whom those impious tyrants hold captive by means of these laws, until +they be set free. Fight strenuously therefore against the wolves, but +for the sheep, and not also against the sheep. This you will do if you +inveigh against the laws and the law-givers, and at the same time +observe the laws with the weak, so that they will not be offended, +until they also recognize the tyranny and understand their liberty. +But if you wish to use your liberty, do so in secret, as Paul says, +Romans xiv, "Hast thou the faith? have it to thyself before God" [Rom. +14:22]; but take care not to use your liberty in the sight of the +weak. On the other hand, use your liberty constantly and consistently +in the sight of the tyrants and the stubborn, in despite of them, that +they also may learn that they are impious, that their laws are of no +avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up. + +[Sidenote: Ceremonies] + +Now, since we cannot live our life without ceremonies and works, and +the froward and untrained youth need to be restrained and saved from +harm by such bonds; and since each one should keep his body under by +means of such works, there is need that the minister of Christ be +far-seeing and faithful; he ought so to govern and teach the people of +Christ in all these matters that their conscience and faith be not +offended, and that there spring not up in them a suspicion and a root +of bitterness, and many be defiled thereby [Heb. 12:15], as Paul +admonishes the Hebrews; that is, that they may not lose faith and +become defiled by the false estimate of the value of works, and think +that they must be justified by works. This happens easily and defiles +very many, unless faith is at the same time constantly taught; it is +impossible to avoid it when faith is not mentioned and only the +devisings of men are taught, as has been done until now through the +pestilent, impious, soul-destroying traditions of our popes and the +opinions of our theologians. By these snares numberless souls have +been dragged down to hell, so that you might see in this the work of +Antichrist. + +[Sidenote: The Test of Faith] + +[Sidenote: Temporary Helps] + +In brief, as wealth is the test of poverty, business the test of +faithfulness, honors the test of humility, easts the test of +temperance, pleasures the test of chastity, so ceremonies are the test +of the righteousness of faith. "Can a man," says Solomon, "take fire +in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" [Prov. 6:27] Yet, as a +man must live in the midst of wealth, business, honors, pleasures and +easts, so also must he live in the midst of ceremonies, that is, in +the midst of dangers. Nay, as infant boys need beyond all else to be +cherished in the bosoms and by the hands of maidens to keep them from +perishing, and yet when they are grown up their salvation is +endangered if they associate with maidens, so the inexperienced and +froward youth need to be restrained and trained by the iron bars of +ceremonies, lest their unchecked ardor rush headlong into vice after +vice. Yet it would be death or them to be always held in bondage to +ceremonies, thinking that these justify them. They are rather to be +taught that they have been so imprisoned in ceremonies, not that they +should be made righteous or gain great merit by them, but that they +might thus be kept from doing evil, and might be more easily +instructed unto the righteousness of faith. Such instruction they +would not endure if the impulsiveness of their youth were not +restrained. Hence ceremonies are to be given the same place in the +life of a Christian as models and plans have among builders and +artisans. They are prepared not as permanent structures, but because +without them nothing could be built or made. When the structure is +completed they are laid aside. You see, they are not despised, rather, +they are greatly sought after; but what we despise is the false +estimate of them, since no one holds them to be the real and permanent +structure. If any man were so egregiously foolish as to care for +nothing all his life long except the most costly, careful and +persistent preparation of plans and models, and never to think of the +structure itself, and were satisfied with his work in producing such +plans and mere aids to work, and boasted of it, would not all men pity +his insanity, and estimate that with what he has wasted something +great might have been built? Thus we do not despise ceremonies and +works, nay, we set great store by them; but we despise the false +estimate placed upon works, in order that no one may think that they +are true righteousness, as those hypocrites believe who spend and lose +their whole lives in zeal for works, and never reach that for the sake +of which the works are to be done; as the Apostle says, "ever learning +and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] +For they seem to wish to build, they make their preparations, and yet +they never build, Thus they remain caught in the form of godliness and +do not attain unto its power [2 Tim. 3:5]. Meanwhile they are pleased +with their efforts, and even dare to judge all others whom they do not +see shining with a like show of works. Yet with the gifts of God which +they have spent and abused in vain they might, if they had been filled +with faith, have accomplished great things to the salvation of +themselves and of others. + +[Sidenote: Men Need to be Taught of God] + +But since human nature and natural reason, as it is called, are by +nature superstitious and ready to imagine, when laws and works are +prescribed, that righteousness must be obtained through them; and +further, since they are trained and confirmed in this opinion by the +practice of all earthly lawgivers, it is impossible that they should +of themselves escape from the slavery of works and come to a knowledge +of the liberty of faith. Therefore there is need of the prayer that +the Lord may give us [John 6:45] and make us _theodidacti_, that is, +taught of God, and Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our +hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us. For if He Himself do not +teach our hearts this wisdom hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7], nature +can only condemn it and judge it to be heretical, because nature is +offended by it and regards it as foolishness. So we see that it +happened in olden times, in the case of the Apostles and prophets, and +so godless and blind popes and their flatterers do to me and to those +who are like me. May God at last be merciful to them and to us, and +cause His face to shine upon us [Ps. 67:1 f.], that we may know His +way upon earth. His salvation among all nations, God, Who is blessed +forever [2 Cor. 11:31]. Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See below, page 304. + +[2] Sylvester Prierias. See Vol. I, p. 338. + +[3] Cf. Preface to Prierias' Epitome, _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329. + +[4] Virgil, _Georgics_, I, 514. + +[5] Pope Eugene III, 1145-1153, for whom Bernard of Clairvaux wrote a +devotional book, _De consideratione_, in which he rehearsed the duties +and the dangers of the pope. See Realencyklopädie II, 632; Kohler, +Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte, 311 f. Cf. Resolutiones disput. de +indulg. virtute, 1518, Clemen, 1, 113. + +[6] John Maier, born in Eck an der Günz, and generally known as John +Eck; an ambitious theologian, who first attacked his professor in +Freiburg, then Erasmus' Annotations to the New Testament, and next +wrote against Luther's XCV Theses (see Vol. I, 10, 176, etc.). He was +the opponent of Luther and Carlstadt at the Leipzig Disputation +(1519), to which Luther here refers. + +[7] Jacopo de Vio, born in Gaeta, Italy, in 1469, died in 1534. The +name Cajetan he derived from his birthplace, the Latin name of which +is Cajeta. In the Dominican Order he was known as Thomas, so that his +writings are published under the title, _Thomae de Vio Cajetani +opera_. He was made cardinal-presbyter with the title of S. Sisto in +1517, and in the following year was sent as papal legate to the Diet +of Augsburg. Here he met and examined Luther, but accomplished nothing +because he insisted that Luther must recant. See Kolde in +Realencyklopädie 3, 632 ff. + +[8] Carl von Miltitz was educated at Cologne, was prebendary at Mainz, +Trier and Meissen, and later went to Rome, where he acted as agent for +Frederick, Elector of Saxony, and Duke George the Bearded. "After the +endeavours of Cardinal Cajetan to silence Luther had failed, Miltitz +appeared to be the person most suited to bring the negotiations to a +successful ending." (_Catholic Encyclopedia_, X, 318, where, however, +the statement that Miltitz was educated at Mainz, Trier and Meissen is +evidently a slip.) It seems that Miltitz returned to Rome for a time, +but in 1522 again came to Germany, where he was drowned in the Main, +November 20, 1529. See Flathe, Art. _Miltitz, in Allgemeine Deutsche +Biographie_, 21, 759 f. + +[9] The German reads: "Thus I always did what was required of me, and +neglected nothing which it was my duty to do." + +[10] This was the usual title of the pope, with which the bull of +excommunication opened: _Leo Episcopus Servus Servorum Dei_. + +[11] See above, pp. 298, 300, and compare the letters of Miltitz to +the elector Frederick in Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, pp. 367 +f. + +[12] Here the German is more accurate: "Every Christian man." + +[13] German: _Wie man sein brauchen und niessen soll_, "how we are to +benefit by and enjoy what He is for us." + +[14] German: _der heubt gerechtigkteit._ + +[15] Possibly a reminiscence of the _Leviathan serpentem tortuosum_ in +Isa. 27:1. Cf. _Erl. Ed._, xxiv, 73; xxvii, 323 f; xviii, 91. Lemme +translates _Teuelswahn_. + +[16] German: _die fasten und gepett etiichen heyligen so derlich +gethan_. + + + +A BRIEF EXPLANATION (EINE KURZE FORM) OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE +CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The work here presented bears the German title, _Eine kurze Form der +zehn Gebote, eine kurze Form des Glaubens, eine kurze Form des +Vaterunsers_. It is the most important of Luther's catechetical works +prior to the Catechisms of 1529, and deserves the name that has been +given it, "the first evangelical catechism."[1] + +To be sure, the name "catechism" was not applied to the _Kurze Form_ +at the time. In mediaeval usage "catechism" was the name for oral +instruction in the elements of Christian truth. This instruction had +been based from time immemorial upon the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. +The decalogue held a minor place and was overshadowed by the +commandments of the church. During the later Middle Ages the influence +of the sacrament of penance gave it a higher position. It gradually +became a subject of "catechetical" instruction, but only alongside of +the other standards for the classification of sins.[2] It was the work +of Luther so to expound the Ten Commandments as to give them a +permanent place of their own in Christian instruction, side by side +with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. + +The first manuals of instruction of this kind were prepared for the +use of the priests, to guide them in the questioning of penitents, but +with the discovery of the art of printing popular hand-books for the +use of the laity became more and more common, and with certain of +these manuals Luther was familiar.[3] + +From the beginning of his ministry at Wittenberg, Luther had preached +from time to time upon the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. In +1518 his friend Agricola published a series of sermons on the Lord's +Prayer which Luther had preached in Lent, 1517.[4] In the same year +Luther published his own _Kurze Auslegung der zehn Gebote, ihrer +Erfüllung und Uebertretung_.[5] The year 1519 saw the publication of +the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten_, and the +_Kurze und gute Auslegung des Vaterunsers vor sich und hinter sich_.[7] +The _Treatise on Good Works_[8], which is essentially an exposition of +the decalogue, was written in the early months of 1520. During the +same period the mind of Luther was frequently occupied with the abuses +of the confessional, as we learn from the _Confitendi Ratio_,[9] and +the _Kurze Unterweisung wie man beichten soil_.[10] All the material +for the first and third parts of the present work was, therefore, in +hand and had appeared in print before 1520. + +In 1520 the Kurze Form came from the press.[11] It consists of three +separately composed expositions of the three chief subjects of +catechetical instruction in the Middle Ages. The expositions of the +Commandments and the Lord's Prayer are reproductions of the _Kurze +Auslegung der zehn Gebote_ and the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu +verstehen und zu beten_. The treatment of the Apostles' Creed is new, +as is also the Introduction, in which Luther sets forth the relation +of the three parts to one another in the unity of the Christian life. + +The work is not scientific and theological, but popular and religious. +Its purpose is primarily devotional, not pedagogical. The mediæval +root out of which it grew is not to be denied. The catalogue of +transgressions and fulfilments attached to the explanation of the +decalogue shows that it is intended to be a manual for penitents, but +the spirit in which the Creed and the Lord's Prayer are explained is +not mediæval, and the manner in which the explanations of the +decalogue are simplified and rid of the excrescences of the XV Century +hand-books shows the new evangelical conception of confession to which +Luther had attained. The division of the Creed into three articles +instead of the traditional twelve marks an epoch in the development of +catechetical instruction. The little book contains passages of rare +beauty, clouded at times, we fear, by the new language into which it +has here been put, and seldom has the _Wesen des Christentums_ been +more simply and tellingly set forth than in the treatment of the +Creed. + +In 1522 Luther republished the _Kurze Form_ with a few slight changes +and a number of additions under the title _Betbüchlein_. The +_Betbüchlein_ ran through many editions, and grew in the end to a book +of rather large proportions, a complete manual of devotion. + +In its original form and as the chief content of the _Betbüchlein_, +the _Kurze Form_ exercised a profound influence upon the manuals of +Christian doctrine that appeared in ever-increasing number after +1522.[12] Its influence extended to England, where Marshall's _Goodly +Primer_ (1534 and 35) offered to English readers a translation of the +_Betbüchlein_, in which, however, no acknowledgments were made to the +original author.[13] + +The _Kurze Form_ is found in _Weimar Ed._, VII, 194 ff.; _Erl. Ed._, +XXII, 3 ff.; _Clemen Ed._, II, 38 ff.; _Walch Ed._, X, 182 ff.; _St. +Louis Ed._, X, 149 ff. + +LITERATURE + +F. Cohrs, _Die evang. Katechismusversuche vor L.'s Enchiridion_ +(especially I, 1 ff. and IV, 229 ff.), Arts. _Katechismen L.'s and +Katechismusunterricht_ in _Realencyk._, X, 130 ff., and XXIII, 743 +ff., and _Introd. to Betbüchlein_ in _Weimar Ed._, X; O. Albrecht, +_Vorbemerkungen zu den beiden Katechismen von 1529_, in _Weimar Ed._, +XXX', 426 ff. (Further literature cited by all the above.) See also +Gecken, _Bilderkatechismus d. XV Jh_. and von Zezschwitz, _System d. +Katechetik_ (especially II, i). + + CHARLES M. JACOBS. + +LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, + + Mount Airy, Philadelphia + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Cohrs, _Evang. Katechismusversuche_, I, 4. + +[2] _von Zezschwitz, Katechetik_, II, 176, 265 ff. + +[3] _Weimar Ed._, X', 475. + +[4] _Weimar Ed._, IX, 122 ff. The same series was republished by +Luther himself, ibid., IV, 74 ff. + +[5] _Weimar Ed._, I, 248 ff. + +[6] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 9 ff. + +[7] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 20 ff. + +[8] Vol. I, pp. 187 ff. + +[9] Vol. I, pp. 81-101. + +[10] _Weimar Ed._, II, 47 ff. + +[11] On the exact date, see _Weimar Ed._, VII, 195; _Clemen_, II, 38. + +[12] See Cohrs, IV, 326 ff. + +[13] For this information I am indebted to the Rev. J. F. Bornhold, of +Mount Holly, N. J. The act was discovered almost simultaneously by +Pro. M. Reu, of Dubuque, Iowa. + + + +A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S +PRAYER + +1520 + + + +PREFACE + + +The ordinary Christian, who cannot read the Scriptures, is required to +learn and know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer; +and this has not come to pass without God's special ordering. For +these three contain fully and completely everything that is in the +Scriptures, everything that ever should be preached, and everything +that a Christian needs to know, all put so briefly and so plainly that +no one can make complaint or excuse, saying that what he needs or his +salvation is too long or too hard to remember. + +Three things a man needs to know in order to be saved. _First_, he +must know what he ought to do and what he ought not to do. _Second_, +when he finds that by his own strength he can neither do the things he +ought, nor leave undone the things he ought not to do, he must know +where to seek and find and get the strength he needs. _Third_, he must +know how to seek and find and get this strength. + +When a man is ill, he needs to know first what his illness is,--what +he can do and what he cannot do. Then he needs to know where to find +the remedy that will restore his health and help him to do and leave +undone the things he ought. Third, he must ask for this remedy, and +seek it, and get it or have it brought to him. In like manner, the +_Commandments_ teach a man to know his illness, so that he feels and +sees what he can do and what he cannot do, what he can and what he +cannot leave undone, and thus knows himself to be a sinner and a +wicked man. After that the _Creed_ shows him and teaches him where he +may find the remedy,--the grace which helps him to become a good man +and to keep the Commandments; it shows him God, and the mercy which He +has revealed and offered in Christ. In the third place, the _Lord's +Prayer_ teaches him how to ask or this grace, get it, and take it to +himself, to wit, by habitual, humble, comforting prayer; then grace is +given, and by the fulfillment of God's commandments he is saved. + +These are the three chief things in all the Scriptures. Therefore we +begin at the beginning, with the Commandments, which are the first +thing, and learn to recognise our sin and wickedness, that is, our +spiritual illness, which prevents us from doing the things we ought to +do and leaving undone the things we ought not to do. + +THE TEN COMMANDMENTS + +[Sidenote: The First Table] + +The _First Table of Moses_--the Table of the Right Hand--contains the +first three Commandments, In these man is taught his duty toward God, +what things he is in duty bound to do, and what to leave undone. + +[Sidenote: The First Commandment] + +The _First Commandment_ teaches how man shall treat God inwardly, in +the heart, that is, how he ought always to remember Him and think of +Him and esteem Him. To Him, as to a Father and good Friend, man is to +look at all times or all good things, in all trust and faith and love, +with fear; he is not to offend Him, but trust Him as a child its +father. For nature teaches us that there is one God, Who gives all +good and helps against all evil, as even the heathen show us by their +worshiping of idols. This commandment is, + +_Thou shalt have no other gods._ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +The _Second Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God +outwardly, in words, before other men, or even inwardly before his own +self; that is, he shall honor God's Name. For no one can show God +either to himself or to others in His divine nature, but only in His +names. This commandment is, + +_Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain._ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +The _Third Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly +in deeds, that is, in the worship of God. It is, + +_Thou shalt hallow the holy day._[1] + +These three commandments, then, teach how man is to act toward God in +thoughts, words and deeds,--that is, in all his life. + +[Sidenote: The Second Table] + +The _Second Table of Moses_--the Table of the Left Hand--contains the +other seven Commandments. In these man is taught what he is in duty +bound to do and not to do to other men, that is, to his neighbor, + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +The _first_ of them teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward all +the authorities who are God's representatives. Therefore, it has its +place before the rest, and immediately after the first three, which +concern God Himself. Such authorities are father and mother, spiritual +and temporal lords, etc. It is, + +_Honor thy father and thy mother._ + +The _second_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor in matters that concern his person,--not to do him injury, +but to benefit and help him when he is in need. It is, + +_Thou shalt not kill._ + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] + +The _third_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward the best +possession one's neighbor has next to his person,--that is, toward his +wife, his child, his friend. He is to put no shame upon them, but to +preserve their honor, so far as he is able. It is, + +_Thou shalt not commit adultery._ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +The _fourth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor's temporal possessions,--not to take them from him or hinder +him in their use, but to aid him in increasing them. It is, + +_Thou shalt not steal._ + +[Sidenote: The Eighth Commandment] + +The _fifth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor's worldly honor and good name,--not to impair them, but to +increase and guard and protect them. It is, + +_Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor._ + +So, then, it is forbidden to harm one's neighbor in any of his +possessions, and it is commanded to advance his interests. If we +consider the natural law,[2] we find how just and right all these +commandments are; for there is no act here commanded, toward God or +one's neighbor, that each of us would not wish to have done toward +himself, if he were God, or in God's place or his neighbor's. + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +The last two Commandments teach how wicked human nature is, and how +pure we should be from all the desires of the flesh and desires for +this world's goods; but that means struggle and labor as long as we +live here below. They are, + +_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house._ + +_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his +maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's._ + +A BRIEF CONCLUSION TO THE TEN COMANDMENTS + +Christ Himself says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, +do ye even so to them; this is the whole law and all the prophets." +[Matt. 7:12] Now no one wishes to receive ingratitude for benefits +conferred or to let another take away his good name. No one wishes to +have pride shown toward him. No one wishes to endure disobedience, +wrath, a wife's impurity, robbery, lying, deceit, slander; but every +one wishes to find in his neighbor kindliness, thankfulness, +helpfulness, truth and fidelity. All this the Ten Commandments +require. + +THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COMMANDMENTS + +_Against the First_ + +[Sidenote: the First Commandment] + +He who in his tribulation seeks the help of sorcery, black art, or +witchcraft. + +He who uses letters[3], signs, herbs, words[4], charms and the like. + +He who uses divining-rods and incantations, and practices +crystal-gazing, cloak-riding, and milk-stealing[5]. + +He who orders his life and work by lucky days, the signs of the zodiac +and the advice of the fortune-tellers. + +He who seeks by charms and incantations to protect himself, his +cattle, his house, his children and all his property against wolves, +iron, fire and water. + +He who blames his misfortunes and tribulations on the devil or on +wicked men, and does not accept them with praise and love, as good and +evil which come from God alone, and who does not ascribe them to God +with thanksgiving and willing patience. + +He who tempts God, and needlessly puts himself in danger of body or +soul. + +He who glories in his piety, his wisdom, or other spiritual gifts. + +He who honors God and the saints only for the sake of temporal gain, +and is forgetful of his soul's need. + +He who does not trust in God at all times, and is not confident of +God's mercy in all he does. + +He who doubts concerning the faith or the grace of God. + +He who does not keep back others from unbelief and doubt, and does not +help them, so far as in him lies, to believe and trust in God's grace. + +Here, too, belong all forms of unbelief, despair, and misbelief. + +_Against the Second_ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +He who swears needlessly or habitually. + +He who perjures himself, or breaks a vow. + +He who vows or swears to do evil. + +He who curses by God's name. + +He who tells foolish tales of God, and frivolously perverts the words +of Scripture. + +He who in his tribulation calls not upon God's name, nor blesses Him +in joy and sorrow, in good fortune and in ill. + +He who by his piety, wisdom or the like seeks reputation and honor and +a name. + +He who calls upon God's name falsely, as do the heretics and all +vainglorious saints. + +He who does not praise God's name in all that befalls him. + +He who does not resist those that dishonor the name of God, use it +falsely and work evil by it. + +Here belong all the sins of vainglory and spiritual pride. + +_Against the Third_ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +He who is given to gluttony, drunkenness, gambling, dancing, idleness +and unchastity. + +He who is lazy, who sleeps when he ought to be at mass, stays away +from mass, goes walking and indulges in idle talk. + +He who without special need works and transacts business on the Lord's +day. + +He who prays not, meditates not upon Christ's sufferings, repents not +of his sins and asks no grace, and therefore keeps the day only in +outward fashion, by his dress, his food and his actions. + +He who in all his works and sufferings is not satisfied that God shall +do with him as He will. + +He who does not help others to do this and does not resist them when +they do otherwise. + +Here belongs the sin of slothfulness and indifference to worship. + +_Against the Fourth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +He who is ashamed of his parents because of their poverty, their +failings or their lowly position. + +He who does not provide them with food and clothing in their need. + +Much more, he who curses them, speaks evil of them, hates them and +disobeys them. + +He who does not from the heart esteem them highly because of God's +commandment. + +He who does not honor them, even though they do wrong and violence. + +He who does not keep the commandments of the Christian Church with +respect to fast- and feast-days, etc. + +He who dishonors, slanders and insults the priestly office. + +He who dost not pay honor, allegiance and obedience to his lords and +those in authority, be they good or bad. + +Among the transgressors of this commandment are all heretics, +schismatics, apostates, excommunicates, hardened sinners and the like. + +He who does not help men to keep this commandment and resist those who +break it. + +Here belong all forms of pride and disobedience. + +_Against the Fifth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Commandment] + +He who is angry with his neighbor. + +He who sayeth to his neighbor, _Raca_, which stands for all terms of +anger and hatred. [Matt. 5:22] + +He who sayeth to his neighbor, _Fatue_, "thou fool," which stands for +every sort of vile language, cursing, slander, evil speaking, judging, +condemning, mockery, etc. + +He who scolds about his neighbor's sins or failings, and does not +rather cover and excuse them. + +He who forgives not his enemies nor prays for them, is not kindly +disposed toward them and does them no good. + +This commandment includes also all the sins of anger and hatred, such +as murder, war, robbery, arson, quarreling, contention, envy of a +neighbor's good fortune and joy over his misfortune. + +He who does not practice works of mercy even toward his enemies. + +He who sets men at enmity with one another. + +He who sows discord between man and man. + +He who does not reconcile those who are at enmity. + +He who does not hinder or prevent wrath and enmity when he is able. + +_Against the Sixth_ + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] + +He who seduces virgins, commits adultery and is guilty of incest and +like unchastity. + +He who uses unnatural means to satisfy his desires--these are the +"mute sins."[6] + +He who arouses or displays evil desires with obscene words, songs, +tales or pictures. + +He who by looks, touch or thoughts arouses his own desires and defiles +himself. + +He who does not avoid the causes of unchastity, such as gluttony, +drunkenness, idleness, laziness, oversleeping and intimate association +with men or women. + +He who by extravagant dress or demeanor incites others to unchastity. + +He who gives house, place, time or help to the commission of this sin. + +He who does not by word and deed help others to preserve their +chastity. + +_Against the Seventh_ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +He who practices thievery, robbery and usury. + +He who uses false weights and measures, or sells bad wares for good. + +He who receives bequests and incomes dishonestly. He who withholds +wages that have been earned, and repudiates a debt. + +He who will not lend to a needy neighbor without taking interest.[7] + +All who are avaricious and make haste to be rich, and do any of those +other things by which a neighbor's property is withheld or taken away. + +He who does not protect another against loss. + +He who does not warn another against loss. + +He who places an obstacle in the way of his neighbor's profit and +begrudges his neighbor's gains. + +Against the Eighth + +[Sidenote: The Eight Commandment] + +He who conceals or suppresses the truth in a court of law. + +He who lies and deceives to another's hurt. + +All hurtful flatterers, whisperers and double-dealers. + +He who speaks evil of his neighbor's possessions, lie, words and works +and defames them. + +He who gives place to slanderers, helps them on and does not resist +them. + +He who does not use his tongue to defend his neighbor's good name. + +He who does not rebuke the slanderer. + +He who does not say all good of every man and keep silent about all +evil. + +He who conceals or does not defend the truth. + +_Against the Last Two_ + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +The last two commandments have no place in confession[8], but are set +as a goal to which we are to attain, and toward which, through +repentance and by the help and grace of God, we are daily to strive; +or wicked inclinations do not wholly die, until the flesh turns to +dust and is new created[9]. + +The "five senses"[10] are included in the Fifth and Sixth +Commandments; the "six works of mercy," in the Fifth and Seventh; of +the "seven deadly sins," pride is included in the First and Second, +unchastity in the Sixth, anger, and hatred in the Fifth, gluttony in +the Sixth, indolence in the Third, and indeed in all the commandments. +The "alien sins" are included in all the commandments, or it is +possible to sin against all the commandments by bidding, advising and +helping others to sin against them. The "crying sins" and the "mute +sins" are committed against the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Commandments, +etc. + +In all these works we see nothing else than self-love, which seeks its +own, takes from God what is His, from men what is theirs, and out of +all it is and all it has and all it can do gives nothing either to God +or men. St. Augustine well says, "The beginning of all sin is the love +of one's own self."[11] + +From all this it follows that the commandments command nothing but +love and forbid nothing but love; nothing but love fulfils the +commandments and nothing but love breaks them. Wherefore, St. Paul +says that love is the fulfilling of all commandments; just as evil +love is the transgression of all commandments. + +The Fulfilment of the Commandments + +Of the First + +[Sidenote: The First Commandment] + +To fear and love God in true faith, and always, in all our works, to +trust Him firmly, and be wholly, completely, altogether resigned in +all things, whether they be evil or good. + +Here belongs whatever is written in all the Scriptures concerning +faith, hope and love of God, all of which is briefly comprehended in +this commandment. + +_Of the Second_ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +To praise, honor, bless and call upon God's Name, and to count our own +name and honor as altogether nothing, so that God alone may be +praised; for He alone is all things, and worketh all things. + +Here belongs all that is taught in the Scripture about rendering +praise and honor and thanks to God, about God's name and about joy in +Him. + +_Of the Third_ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +To prepare oneself for God and to seek His grace by praying, hearing +mass and the Gospel, and meditating on the sufferings of Christ, so +that one goes to the sacrament in a spiritual manner; for this +commandment requires a soul "poor in spirit," [Matt. 5:3.] which +offers its nothingness to God, that He may be its God and receive in +it the honor due His work and Name according to the first two +commandments. + +Here belongs all that is commanded about worship, the hearing of +sermons, and good works by which the body is made subject to the +spirit, so that all our works may be God's and not our own. + +_Of the Fourth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +Willing obedience, humility, submission to all authority because it is +God's good-pleasure, as the Apostle St. Peter says, without retort, +complaint or murmuring. + +Here belongs all that is written of obedience, humility, +submissiveness and reverence. + +_Of the Fifth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Commandment] + +Patience, meekness, kindness, peacefulness, mercy, and a heart in all +things sweet and kindly, without hatred, anger or bitterness toward +any man, even toward enemies. Here belong all the teachings about +patience, meekness, peace and concord. + +_Of the Sixth_ + +Chastity, purity and modesty, in works, words, demeanor and thoughts; +moderation in eating, drinking and sleeping; and everything that +furthers chastity. + +Here belong all the teachings about chastity, fasting, sobriety, +moderation, prayer, watching, laboring and everything by which +chastity is preserved. + +_Of the Seventh_ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +Poverty of spirit, charity, willingness to lend and give of one's +possessions, and a life free from greed and avarice. Here belong all +the teachings about avarice, unrighteous wealth, usury, guile, deceit, +injury and hindrance of one's neighbor in temporal things. + +_Of the Eighth_ + +[Sidenote: The Eight Commandment] + +A peaceful, wholesome tongue, that injures no one and profits every +one, that reconciles those that are at enmity, apologizes for those +that are slandered and takes their part; in short, truthfulness and +simplicity in speech. Here belong all the teachings about talking and +keeping silent in matters which concern one's neighbor's honor and +rights, his cause and his salvation. + +_Of the Last Two_ + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +That entire chastity and utter despising of temporal desire and +possessions, which are perfectly attained only in the life to come. + +In all these works we see nothing else than the love of others--that +is, of God and of one's neighbor--which seeketh not its own, but what +is God's and its neighbor's [1 Cor. 13:5], and surrendereth itself +freely to every one to be his, to serve him and to do his will. + +Thus you see that the Ten Commandments contain, in a very brief and +orderly manner, all the teaching that is needful for man's life; and +if a man desires to keep them, he has good works or every hour of his +life, and has no need to choose him other works, to run hither and +thither, and do what is not commanded[12]. + +All this is evident from the act that these commandments teach nothing +about what a man shall do or not do or himself, or what he shall ask +of others, but only what he shall do and not do for others--God and +man. From this we are to learn that their fulfilment consists in love +toward others, not toward ourselves; for in his own behalf man already +seeks and does and leaves undone too much. He needs not to be taught +this, but to be kept from it. Therefore he lives best who lives in no +wise for himself, and he who lives for himself, lives worst; for so +the Ten Commandments teach. From them we learn how few men lead good +lives; nay, as man, no one can lead a good life. Knowing this, we must +learn next whence we shall get the power to lead good lives and to +keep the Commandments[13]. + +THE CREED + +[Sidenote: Division of the Creed] + +The Creed is divided into three parts[14], according to the Creed +three Persons of the holy and divine Trinity who are therein +mentioned. The first part belongs to the Father, the second to the +Son, the third to the Holy Ghost; for the Trinity is the chief thing +in the Creed, on which everything else depends. + +[Sidenote: Two Ways of Believing] + +We should note that there are two ways of believing. One way is to +believe about God, as I do when I believe that what is said of God is +true; just as I do when I believe what is said about the Turk, the +devil or hell. This faith is knowledge or observation rather than +faith. The other way is to believe in God, as I do when I not only +believe that what is said about Him is true, but put my trust in Him, +surrender myself to Him and make bold to deal with Him, believing +without doubt that He will be to me and do to me just what is said of +Him. I could not thus believe in the Turk or in any man, however +highly his praises might be sung. For I can readily believe that a man +is good, but I do not venture on that account to build my faith on +him. + +[Sidenote: True Faith] + +This faith, which in He or death dares to believe that God is what He +is said to be, is the only faith that makes a man a Christian and +obtains from God whatever it will. This faith no false and evil heart +can have, for it is a living faith; and this faith is commanded in the +First Commandment, which says, "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have +no other gods." Wherefore the word _in_ is rightly used; and it is +diligently to be noted that we may not say, "I believe God the +Father," or "about the Father," but "_in_ God the Father, _in_ Jesus +Christ, _in_ the Holy Ghost." This faith we should render to no one +but to God. Therefore we confess the divinity of Jesus Christ and of +the Holy Ghost, when we believe in them even as we believe in the +Father; and just as our faith in all three Persons is one and the same +faith, so the three Persons are one and the same God. + +The First Part of the Creed + +[Sidenote: The First Article] + +_I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth._ + +_This means--_ + +I renounce the evil spirit, all idolatry, all sorcery and misbelief. + +I put my trust in no man on earth, nor in myself, my power, my +learning, my wealth, my piety, nor anything that I may have. + +I put my trust in no creature in heaven or on earth. + +I dare to put my trust only in the one absolute, invisible, +incomprehensible God, Who made heaven and earth, and Who alone is over +all creatures. + +On the other hand, I am not afraid of any wickedness of the devil and +his company, or my God is above them all. + +Even though I be forsaken or persecuted by all men, I still believe in +God. + +I believe, even though I am poor, unwise, unlearned, despised or in +need of everything. + +I believe, even though I am a sinner. For this faith of mine must and +shall soar above everything that is and everything that is not--above +sin and virtue and all else--so that it may remain simply and purely a +faith in God, as the First Commandment constrains me. + +Nor do I ask of Him a sign, to tempt Him. [Luke 11:16] + +I trust constantly in Him, however long He tarry, and do not prescribe +the goal, the time, the measure or the manner of His working, but in +bold, true faith I leave all to His divine will. + +If He is almighty, what can I lack that He cannot give me and do for +me? + +If He is Creator of heaven and earth and Lord of all things, who will +take anything from me, or harm me? [Rom. 8:28] Nay, how shall not all +things rather serve me and turn out to my good, if He to Whom all +things are obedient and subject wishes me well? + +Because He is God, He can do the thing that is best for me, and knows +what that thing is. + +Because He is Father, He wills to do what is best for me, and to do it +with all His heart. + +Because I do not doubt, but put my trust in Him, I am assuredly His +child. His servant and His heir forever, and as I believe, so will it +be done unto me. [Matt. 8:13] + +The Second Part + +[Sidenote: The Second Article] + +_And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the +Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, +was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day +He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on +the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come +to judge the quick and the dead._ + +_This means--_ + +I believe not only that Jesus Christ is the true and only Son of God, +begotten from eternity in one eternal, divine nature and substance; +but also that all things are made subject to Him by His Father, and +that in His humanity He is made Lord of me and of all things which, in +His divinity, He, with the Father, has created. + +I believe that no one can believe in the Father or come to the Father +by his own learning, works or reason, nor by anything that can be +named in heaven or on earth, save only in and through Jesus Christ, +His only Son--that is, through faith in His name and lordship. [John +14:6] + +I firmly believe that for my sake He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, +without human or fleshly work, without bodily father or seed of man, +to the end that so He might purify my sinful, fleshly, unclean, +damnable conception, and the conception of all who believe in Him, and +make it spiritual through His own and His almighty Father's gracious +will. + +I believe that for me He was born of the pure Virgin Mary, without +harm to her bodily and spiritual virginity, in order that, by the +mercy of His Father, He might make my sinful, damnable birth, and the +birth of all who believe in Him, blessed and harmless and pure. + +I believe that He bore His cross and passion for my sin and the sin of +all believers, and thereby has consecrated all sufferings and every +cross, and made them not only harmless, but salutary and highly +meritorious. + +I believe that He died and was buried to slay entirely and to bury my +sin and the sin of all who believe in Him, and that He has destroyed +bodily death and made it altogether harmless, nay profitable and +salutary. + +I believe that He descended into hell to overthrow and take captive +the devil and all his power, guile and wickedness, for me and for all +who believe in Him, so that henceforth the devil cannot harm me; and +that He has redeemed me from the pains of hell, and made them harmless +and meritorious. + +I believe that He rose on the third day from the dead, to give to me +and to all who believe in Him a new life; and that He has thereby +quickened us with Him, in grace and in the Spirit, that we may sin no +more, but serve Him alone in every grace and virtue. + +I believe that He ascended into heaven and received from the Father +power and honor above all angels and all creatures, and thus sitteth +on the right hand of God--that is, He is King and Lord over all that +is God's, in heaven and hell and earth. Therefore, He can help me and +all believers in all our necessities against all our adversaries and +enemies. + +I believe that He will come again from heaven at the last day, to +judge those who then are living and those who have died meanwhile, and +all men, all angels and devils must come before His judgment-seat and +see Him in the flesh; that He will come to redeem me and all who +believe in Him from bodily death and all infirmities, to punish our +enemies and adversaries eternally, and to redeem us eternally from +their power. + +The Third Part + +[Sidenote: The Third Article] + +_I believe in the Holy Ghost, a Holy Christian Church, a communion of +saints, a forgiveness of sins, a resurrection of the body, and a life +everlasting. Amen._ + +_This means--_ + +I believe not only that the Holy Ghost is one true God, with the +Father and the Son, but that no one can come to the Father through +Christ and His life, sufferings and death, and all that has been said +of Him, nor attain any of His blessings, without the work of the Holy +Ghost, by which the Father and the Son teach, quicken, call, draw me +and all that are His, make us, in and through Christ, alive and holy +and spiritual, and thus bring us to the Father; for it is He by Whom +the Father, through Christ and in Christ, worketh all things and +giveth life to all. + +I believe that there is on earth, through the whole wide world, no +more than one holy, common[15], Christian Church, which is nothing +else than the congregation[16], or assembly of the saints, i. e., the +pious, believing men on earth, which is gathered, preserved, and ruled +by the Holy Ghost, and daily increased by means of the sacraments and +the Word of God. + +I believe that no one can be saved who is not found in this +congregation, holding with it to one faith, word, sacraments, hope and +love, and that no Jew, heretic, heathen or sinner can be saved along +with it, unless he become reconciled to it, united with it and +conformed to it in all things. + +I believe that in this congregation, or Church[17], all things are +common, that everyone's possessions belong to the others and no one +has anything of his own; therefore, all the prayers and good works of +the whole congregation must help, assist and strengthen me and every +believer at all times, in life and death, and thus each bear the +other's burden, as St. Paul teaches. [Gal. 6:2] + +I believe that in this congregation, and nowhere else, there is +forgiveness of sins; that outside of it, good works, however great +they be or many, are of no avail for the forgiveness of sins; but that +within it, no matter how much, how greatly or how often men may sin, +nothing can hinder forgiveness of sins, which abides wherever and as +long as this one congregation abides. To this congregation Christ +gives the keys, and says, in Matthew xviii, "Whatsoever ye shall bind +on earth shall be bound in heaven." [Matt. 18:18] In like manner He +says, in Matthew xvi, to the one man Peter, who stands as the +representative of the one and only Church [Matt. 16:19], "Whatsoever +thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." + +I believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, in which, by +the same Holy Ghost, all flesh will be raised again--that is, all men, +in flesh, or body, the good and the wicked; and, therefore, the +self-same flesh which has died, been buried, mouldered and been +destroyed in many ways shall return and become alive. + +I believe that after the resurrection there will be an eternal life +for the saints and an eternal death or sinners; and I doubt not that +the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, with and in the +Holy Ghost, will bring all this to pass--that is the meaning of +_Amen_, "It is assuredly and certainly true." + +Hereupon follows + +THE LORD'S PRAYER + +[Sidenote: The Preface] + +The Preface and Preparation for offering the Seven Petitions to God: +_Our Father Who art in heaven_. + +_This means--_ + +O Almighty God, Who in Thy boundless mercy hast not only granted us +permission, but by Thine only beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hast +bidden and taught us through His merit and mediation to look to Thee +as Father and call Thee Father, though Thou mightest in all justice be +a stern Judge of us sinners, who have sinned so often and so +grievously against Thy divine and gracious will, and thus have angered +Thee: Put in our hearts, by this Thy mercy, a comfortable confidence +in Thy fatherly love, and make us feel and taste the sweetness of +childlike trust, so that we may joyfully name Thee Father, and know +Thee and love Thee, and call upon Thee in all our necessities. Have us +in Thy keeping, that we may remain Thy children, and not be guilty of +making Thee, dear Father, a terrible Judge, and ourselves Thine +enemies, and not Thy children. + +It is Thy will that we not only call Thee Father, but that all of us +together call Thee our Father, and thus offer our prayers with one +accord or all: Grant us, therefore, brotherly love and unity, that we +may know and think of one another as true brethren and sisters, and +pray to Thee, our one common Father, or all men and for every man, +even as one child prays or another to its father. + +Let no one among us seek his own things or forget before Thee the +things of others; but, all hatred, envy and dissension laid aside +[Phil. 2:4], may we love one another as good and true children of God, +and thus say with one accord not "my Father," but "_our_ Father." + +Moreover, since Thou art not a father according to the flesh nor upon +earth, but art in heaven, a spiritual Father, Who diest not and art +not weak, but unlike an earthly father who cannot help himself, +whereby Thou showest us how immeasurably better a Father Thou art, and +teachest us to hold as nothing in comparison with Thee all earthly +fatherhood, fatherland, friends, goods, flesh and blood: Grant us, +therefore, O Father, that we may also be Thy heavenly children; teach +us to think only of our souls and of our heavenly inheritance, that +our temporal fatherland and earthly lot may not deceive and hold and +hinder us, and make us altogether children of this world, so that with +real and true cause we may say, "Of our _heavenly_ Father," and may be +truly Thy heavenly children. + +The First Petition: _Hallowed be thy Name_. The + +_This means--_ + +[Sidenote: The First Petition] + +O Almighty God, dear heavenly Father, in this wretched vale of sorrows +Thy Holy Name is so much profaned, blasphemed and put to shame, given +to much which is not for Thine honor, abused in many things and made a +cloak for sin, so that even a shameful life may well be called a +shaming and dishonoring of Thy Holy Name: + +Grant us, therefore, Thy divine grace, that we may be on our guard +against everything which doth not serve to the praise and honor of Thy +Holy Name. Help us, that all witchcraft and sorcery may be done away. +Help us, that all conjuring of the devil or of creatures by Thy Name +may cease. Help us, that all false beliefs and superstitions may be +rooted out. Help us, that all heresy and false doctrine which disguise +themselves with Thy Name may come to naught. Help us, that no false +pretence of truth and piety and holiness may deceive any man. Help us +that none may swear or lie or deceive by Thy Name. + +Protect us against all false confidence pretending to rest upon Thy +Name. Protect us against all spiritual pride and the vainglory of +worldly honor or reputation. Help us in all our necessities and +weaknesses to call upon Thy Holy Name. Help us in anguish of +conscience and in the hour of death not to forget Thy Name. Help us +with all our goods and in all our words and works to praise and honor +Thee alone, and not thereby to make or seek to make a name for +ourselves, but only for Thee, Whose alone are all things. Preserve us +from the shameful vice of ingratitude. + +Grant that by our good works and life all other men may be stirred up +to praise, not us, but Thee in us, and to honor Thy Name [Matt. 5:16]. +Help us, that our evil works or weaknesses may give no one occasion to +stumble and dishonor Thy Name or to cease from praising Thee. Keep us, +that we may not desire any temporal or eternal blessing which is not +to the honor and praise of Thy Name, and if we pray for such things, +give Thou no ear to our folly. Help us so to live that we may be found +true children of God, that Thy Fathername may not be named upon us +falsely or in vain. + +To this petition belong all the psalms and prayers in which we praise, +honor, thank and sing to God, and here belongs the whole Hallelujah. + +The Second Petition: _Thy Kingdom come_. + +[Sidenote: The Second Petition] + +_This means--_ + +This wretched life is a kingdom of all sin and wickedness, under one +lord, the evil spirit, the source and head of all wickedness and sin; +but Thy kingdom is a kingdom of every grace and virtue under one Lord, +Jesus Christ Thy dear Son, the Head and Source of every grace and +virtue. Therefore help us, dear Father, and be gracious unto us. +Grant us above all things a true and constant faith in Christ, a +fearless hope in Thy mercy despite all the fearfulness of our sinful +conscience, and a thorough love to Thee and to all mankind. Keep us +from unbelief and despair and revengefulness. + +Help us against lewdness and unchastity, and give us a love for +virginity and all purity. Help us out of dissension, war and discord, +and let the virtue of Thy kingdom come--peace, and unity, and quiet +rest. Grant that neither wrath nor any other bitterness may set up its +kingdom within us, but that there may rule within us, by Thy grace, +sweet simplicity and brotherly fidelity, and all kindliness, charity +and gentleness. Help us to have within us no undue sorrow or sadness, +but let joy and gladness in Thy grace and mercy come to us. And help +us, finally, that all sin may be turned away from us, so that we may +be filled with Thy grace, and all virtues and good works, and thus +become Thy kingdom, so that all our heart, mind and spirit, with all +our powers of body and soul, may obediently serve Thee, keep Thy +commandments and do Thy will, be ruled by Thee alone, and may not +follow after self or flesh or world or devil. + +Grant that this Thy kingdom, now begun in us, may increase, and daily +grow in power; that indifference to God's service--that subtle +wickedness--may not overcome us and make us all away, but give us +rather the power and earnest purpose not only to make a beginning in +righteousness, but boldly to go on unto perfection; as saith the +prophet, "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death or grow +idle in the good life I have begun; and lest the enemy again prevail +against us." [Ps. 13:3 f.] + +Help us that we may remain constant, and that Thy future kingdom may +finish and complete this Thy kingdom which is here begun. Help us out +of this sinful, perilous life; help us to long for the life to come, +and more and more to hate this life. Help us not to fear death, but +desire it. Take away from us the love of living here, and all +dependence on this present life, that thus Thy kingdom may in us be +made perfect and complete. + +To this petition belong all the psalms, versicles and prayers in which +we pray to God or grace and virtue. + +The Third Petition: _Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven_. + +[Sidenote: The Third Petition] + +_This means--_ + +Our will, compared with Thy will, is never good, but always evil; but +Thy will is always best, lovable above all things and most to be +desired. Therefore, be merciful to us, dear Father, and let nothing be +done according to our will. Grant us and teach us to have real and +perfect patience when our will is broken or hindered. Help us, if +anyone speaks or is silent, does or omits anything that is contrary to +our will, that we become not angry or wrathful, neither curse, nor +complain, nor cry out, nor judge, nor condemn, nor accuse. Help us +with all humility to give place to those who oppose or hinder our +will, and letting our own will go, to praise and bless them and do +good to them as those who, against our own will, fulfil Thy divine +will, which is altogether good. + +Give us grace willingly to bear illness, poverty, shame, suffering and +adversity, and to know that these are Thy divine will, or the +crucifying of our will. Help us to bear even injustice gladly, and +keep us from avenging ourselves. Suffer us not to render evil or evil +or to resist force with force, but grant us grace to take pleasure in +this will of Thine, which lays these things upon us, and to give Thee +praise and thanks. Suffer us not to lay it to the charge of the devil +or of wicked men when anything befalls us contrary to our will, but +help us to ascribe it only to Thy divine will, which orders all such +things for the hindering of our will and the increasing of our +blessedness in Thy kingdom. + +Help us to die willingly and joyfully, and to welcome death as a +manifestation of Thy will, so that impatience and despair may not make +us disobedient toward Thee. Help us that all our members--eyes, +tongue, heart, hands, feet--be not submissive to their own desires or +will, but be taken captive, imprisoned and broken in Thy will. +Preserve us from all evil, rebellious, obstinate, stubborn and +capricious self-will. + +Grant us a true obedience, a submissiveness simple and complete in all +things, spiritual and worldly, temporal and eternal. Preserve us from +the cruel vice of aspersion, slander, back-biting, malicious judging, +condemning and accusing of other men. O keep far from us the great +unhappiness and grievous plague of tongues like these; but teach us, +when we see or hear in others things blameworthy and to us +displeasing, to hold our peace, to cover them over, to make complaint +of them to none but Thee, to give them over to Thy will, and thus +heartily to forgive our debtors and have sympathy with them. + +Teach us to know that no one can do us any harm, except he first do +himself a thousandfold greater harm in Thine eyes, so that we may be +moved thereby to mercy rather than to anger, to pity rather than +revenge. Help us not to rejoice when it goes ill with those who have +not done our will or have hurt us or otherwise displeased us by their +way of life; help us also not to be disturbed when it goes well with +them. + + To this petition belong all the psalms, versicles and prayers in + which we pray to be delivered from sin and from our enemies. + +The Fourth Petition: _Give us this day our daily Bread_. + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +The bread is our Lord Jesus Christ[19], Who feedeth and comforteth the +soul. Therefore, O heavenly Father, grant us grace, that Christ's life +and words, His works and sufferings be preached, made known and +preserved to us and to all the world. Help us that in all our life we +may have His words and works before us as a powerful example and +mirror of all virtue. Help us in sufferings and adversities to find +strength and comfort in and through His cross and passion. Help us in +firm faith to overcome our own death by His death, and thus boldly to +follow our beloved Leader into the other life. + +Give Thy grace to all preachers, that they may preach Thy Word and +Christ, to profit and salvation, in all the world. Help all who hear +the preaching of Thy Word to learn Christ, and honestly to better +their lives thereby. Graciously drive out of the Holy Church all +strange preaching and teaching from which men do not learn Christ. +Have mercy upon all bishops, priests, clergy and all that are in +authority, that they may be enlightened by Thy grace to teach and +govern us aright by precept and example. Preserve all that are weak in +faith, that they may not stumble at the wicked example of their +rulers. + +Preserve us from heretical and apostate teachers, that we may remain +one, partaking of one daily bread--the daily doctrine and word of +Christ. Graciously teach us to regard aright the sufferings of Christ, +receive them into our hearts, and form them in our lives, to our +salvation. Suffer us not at our last hour to be deprived of the true +and holy body of Christ[20]. Help all priests to use and administer +the holy sacrament worthily and savingly, to the edification of the +whole Church. Help us and all Christians to receive the Holy Sacrament +at its proper season, with Thy grace and to our salvation. And _summa +summarum_, "Give us our daily bread," that is, may Christ abide in us +and we in Him forever, and may we worthily bear His name, the name of +Christian. + + To this petition belong all prayers or psalms which are prayed for + rulers, and especially those or protection against false teachers, + those for the Jews, heretics and all that are in error, and also + those or all distressed and comfortless sufferers. + +The Fifth Petition: _And forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our +Debtors._ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +To this petition a condition is attached, viz., that we first forgive +our debtors. When that has been done we may say afterward, "Forgive us +our debts." That we may do this, we have prayed in the Third Petition, +"Thy will be done." It is God's will that we patiently suffer all +things, and not render evil for evil, nor seek revenge; but render +good for evil, as doth our Father in heaven. Who maketh His sun to +rise upon the good and evil, and sendeth rain upon the thankful and +unthankful [Matt. 5:45]. Therefore, we pray: O Father, comfort our +conscience now and in our last hour, for it is now and will be +hereafter in grievous terror because of our sin and Thy judgment. Send +Thy peace into our hearts, that we may with joy await Thy judgment. +Enter not with us into the sharpness of Thy judgment, for then will no +man be found righteous [Ps. 143:2]. Teach us, dear Father, not to rely +on our own good works or merits, or to comfort ourselves therewith; +but boldly to cast ourselves upon Thy boundless mercy alone. In like +manner, suffer us not to despair because of our blameworthy, sinful +life, but to deem Thy mercy higher and broader and stronger than all +our life. + +Help all men who in the hour of death or of temptation feel the +anguish of despair, and especially N. or N. Have mercy also upon all +poor souls in purgatory, especially N. and N. Forgive them and all of +us our sins, comfort them and receive them into grace. Render us Thy +good for our evil, as Thou hast commanded us to do to others. Silence +the evil spirit, that cruel slanderer, accuser and magnifier of our +sins now and at our last hour, and in all anguish of conscience, even +as we too refrain from slander, and from magnifying the sins of other +men. Judge us not according to the accusation of the devil and of our +miserable conscience, and hearken not to the voice of our enemies who +accuse us day and night before Thee, even as we too will not give ear +to those who accuse and slander other men. Remove from us the heavy +burden of sin and conscience, that with light and joyous hearts we may +live and die, do and suffer, trusting wholly in Thy mercy. + + To this petition belong all the psalms and prayers which invoke + God's mercy upon sin. + +The Sixth Petition: _And lead us not into Temptation_. + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +We have three temptations or adversaries, the flesh, the world and the +devil. Therefore, we pray: + +[Sidenote: The Flesh] + +Dear Father, grant us grace that we may have control over the lust of +the flesh. Help us to resist its desire to eat, to drink, to sleep +overmuch, to be idle, to be slothful. Help us by fasting, by +moderation in food and dress and sleep and work, by watching and +labor, to bring the flesh into subjection and it it for good works. +Help us to fasten its evil, unchaste inclinations and all its desires +and incitements with Christ upon the cross, and to slay them, so that +we may not consent to any of its allurements, nor follow after them. +Help us when we see a beautiful person, or image or any other +creature, that it may not be a temptation, but an occasion or love of +chastity and for praising Thee in Thy creatures. When we hear sweet +sounds and feel things that please the senses, help us to seek therein +not lust, but Thy praise and honor. + +[Sidenote: The World] + +Preserve us from the great vice of avarice and the desire or the +riches of this world. Keep us, that we may not seek this world's honor +and power, nor consent to the desire for them. Preserve us, that the +world's deceit, pretences and false promises may not move us to walk +in its ways. Preserve us, that the wickedness and the adversities of +the world may not lead us to impatience, revenge, wrath or other +vices. Help us to renounce the world's lies and deceits, its promises +and unfaithfulness and all its good and evil (as we have already +promised in baptism to do), to abide firmly in this renunciation and +to grow therein from day to day. + +[Sidenote: The Devil] + +Preserve us from the suggestions of the devil, that we may not consent +to pride, become self-satisfied, and despise others for the sake of +riches, rank, power, knowledge, beauty or other good gifts of Thine. +Preserve us, that we all not into hatred or envy or any cause. +Preserve us, that we yield not to despair, that great temptation of +our faith, neither now nor at our last hour. + +Have in Thy keeping, heavenly Father, all who strive and labor against +these great and manifold temptations. Strengthen those who are yet +standing; raise up all those who have fallen and are overcome; and to +all of us grant Thy grace, that in this miserable and uncertain life, +incessantly surrounded by so many enemies, we may fight with +constancy, and with a firm and knightly faith, and win the everlasting +crown. + +The Seventh Petition: _Deliver us from evil._ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Petition] + +_This means--_ + +This petition is a prayer against all that is evil in pain and +punishment; as the holy Church prays in the litanies: Deliver us, O +Father, from Thine eternal wrath and from the pains of hell. Deliver +us from Thy strict judgment, in death and at the last day. Deliver us +from sudden death. Preserve us from water and fire, from lightning and +hail. Preserve us from famine and scarcity. Preserve us from war and +bloodshed. Preserve us from Thy great plagues, pestilence, the French +sickness, and other grievous diseases. Preserve us from all evils and +necessities of body, yet in such wise that in all these things Thy +Name may be honored, Thy Kingdom increased and Thy divine Will be +done. Amen. + +AMEN + +[Sidenote: The Amen] + +The God help us, without doubting, to obtain all these petitions, and +suffer us not to doubt that Thou hast heard us and wilt hear us in +them all; that it is "Yea," not "Nay," and not "Perhaps." Therefore we +say with joy, "Amen--it is true and certain." Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] For this translation see Vol. I, p. 222, note 1. + +[2] The law that we have outside of divine revelation. C.f. Rom. 2:15. + +[3] The possessor of these letters (_Himmels-und Teuelsbriefe_) was +thought to be under the special protection of the spirits. + +[4] Magical formulas. + +[5] Practices popularly ascribed to the witches. + +[6] See below, p. 364, note 1. + +[7] Luther believed, with the mediæval Church, that the lending of +money at interest was a sin. See above pp. 159 ff., and _Weimar Ed._, +XXV, 293 ff. + +[8] i. e., In the confession made to the priest. See Vol. I, p. 285, +and Introduction, above, p. 351. + +[9] C. Vol. I, pp. 58, 285. + +[10] In the manuals for confession with which Luther was familiar sins +were divided into the various classes mentioned here. C. Vol. I, pp. +90 ff.; Gecken, _Der Bilderkatechismus des XV Jhs._, and especially v. +Zezschwitz, II, 197 ff. + +[11] _Serm._, 96, 2; _Migne_, XXVIII, 585. + +[12] Cf. Vol. I, p. 187. + +[13] See above, p. 355. + +[14] Luther has here departed from the customary Roman division of the +Creed into twelve articles. + +[15] _Gemein._ + +[16] _Gemeine._ + +[17] _Christenheit_, cf. Vol. I, p. 338. + +[18] _Kirche._ + +[19] In the catechisms of 1529 Luther abandons this interpretation of +the bread. + +[20] i. e. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper. + + + +THE EIGHT WITTENBERG SERMONS + +1522 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +After the bold utterance of unshaken conviction at the Diet of Worms +Luther disappeared from the scene of his activities. In the darkness +of night he was taken by the friendly "foe" to the secure hiding-place +where the imperial proscription could not affect him. Thus he entered +the Wartburg on May 4, 1521. But the "crowded canvas of the sixteenth +century," bereft of its central figure, threatened to become mere +portrayal of turbulence and confusion. In Wittenberg and other places +the new life of the soul had burst its ancient fetters and was about +to lose its spiritual value in a destructive lateral movement. The +inability of the hesitating elector and the helpless Melanchthon to +stem the tide, caused Luther, in utter disregard of personal safety, +to return to his beloved city on March 6, 1522, and on Sunday, March +9th, and the seven days following to preach the _Eight Sermons_ +herewith given, guiding the turbulent waves of popular uprising into +the channels marked by faith and love. + +During his absence others had heeded the clarion call to lead the +Church out of its "Babylonian Captivity," and had put into practice +the measures which would carry out the principles he had uttered. The +mass was abolished[1], monks left the monasteries, some priests took +wives, and communion under both kinds was instituted. With these +measures Luther was in sympathy, which is evident from his letters to +Melanchthon[2] and to Wenceslaus Link, Staupitz's successor as the +Augustinian vicar[3], and the treatises _De votis monasticis_ and _De +abroganda missa privata_[4]. But these treatises also show that Luther +was not fully informed of the disturbances accompanying the new +measures. In so critical a time the absence of a great leader was soon +manifest. Melanchthon, ardent in the beginning, could not hold back +the radical procedure of Carlstadt and Zwilling. + +Carlstadt, moderate at first in his conduct, nevertheless had sown the +seeds, in his teaching, which resulted in the bountiful harvest of +disorder Without Luther's clearness of vision and aptness of speech, +he likewise failed to discern the pitfalls which Luther so carefully +avoided. "In my opinion, he who partakes only of the bread, sins."[5] +"In all things of divine appointment, the divine law must be taught +and observed, even if it cause offence."[6] "The Gregorian chant keeps +the spirit away from God. . . . Organs belong to theatrical +exhibitions and princes' palaces."[7] "That we have images in churches +is wrong and contrary to the first commandment. To have carved and +painted idols standing on the altar is even more harmful and +devilish."[8] For his Scripture proof in other places, too, +particularly concerning vows, Carlstadt drew largely from the Old +Testament. On Christmas Day, 1521, he preached a sermon in which he +opposed going to confession before receiving communion. Attired in his +street garb he then proceeded to celebrate an "evangelical" mass by +giving communion in both kinds to the people, placing the elements +directly into their hands. Many of the communicants had not previously +confessed, nor observed the prescribed rule of fasting. From a denial +of any distinction between clergy and laity, Carlstadt finally +progressed to a condemnation of all scholarship and learning as +unnecessary to an understanding of the Divine Word, since it is given +directly from above[9]. + +Without the theological acumen of Carlstadt, and with less restraint, +the Augustinian monk Gabriel Zwilling labored in season and out of +season for the new order of things. In December the Zwickau prophets, +Niclas Storch, Thomas Drechsel, weavers by trade, and Marcus Stübner, +a former university student, appeared in Wittenberg claiming direct +divine inspiration, and preached the overturn of present conditions. +Earlier in the month (December 3d) some students and citizens had +caused a disturbance in the parish church and driven off the priests +who were saying mass. Soon after a number of citizens crowded into the +council chamber and demanded of the three councillors who presided +over Wittenberg the abolition of the mass by law, the restitution of +the cup, and the release of those in custody for causing the tumult of +December 3d. On Christmas Eve both the parish and the castle churches +witnessed scenes of wild disorder. On January 11th the monks, led by +Zwilling, destroyed all the altars except one in the convent church, +and cast out the images. The city council, in the endeavor to restore +order, on January 24, 1522, in full accord with a commission of the +university, adopted a "Worthy Ordinance for the princely City of +Wittenberg,"[10] in which the popular demands were met and a date was +fixed on which the images should be removed from the parish +church--the only one of the four churches of Wittenberg subject to the +council's control. But the excited populace did not await the day. +Taking the matter into its own hands it invaded the church, tore +images and pictures from the walls and burned them up. + +The council and the university turned to Luther. Immediately after his +three-day secret visit to Wittenberg in December, on which he had +sensed the unrest in Wittenberg and elsewhere, he issued his _Faithful +Exhortation for all Christians to shun Riot and Rebellion_[11], in +which he emphasizes the principles reiterated in the _Eight Sermons_, +the sufficiency of the Word and the duty of dealing gently with the +weak. But the time for writing had passed. "Satan had broken into his +sheepfold" and had caused such havoc that he could not meet it "by +writing."[12] In spite of the elector's instruction to remain--the +same whose ineffectual measures had failed to avert the storm--Luther +on March 1st bade farewell to the Wartburg. On his way to Wittenberg, +in Borna on March 5th, he wrote the famous letter to the elector[13] +in which he declared that he desired no protection from the elector. +"I come to Wittenberg under much higher protection." He arrived in +Wittenberg on Thursday, March 6th, and on the following Sunday, March +6th, the first Sunday in Lent, he again ascended the pulpit in the +parish church. In an interesting report of an eye and ear +witness--Johann Kessler--we are told that he first gave an explanation +of the Gospel for the day on the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1 ff.), +after which "he dropped the text and took up the present affair."[14] +This earlier portion of the sermon has not come down to us. It may be +that Luther likewise first preached on the Gospel for the day on the +following Sunday, and for that reason it is called "a brief summary" +(see Sermon No. 8) in the early printed editions, when, in reality, it +is longer than that of Saturday (No. 7). + +The sermons, delivered in a _vox suavis et sonora_[15], produced +immediate results. In a letter by Schurf, dated March 15th, even +before the last of the sermons had been delivered, it is stated that +"Gabriel [Zwilling] has confessed that he was wrong." Carlstadt was +silenced, the city council made acknowledgment to Luther by +substantial gifts and Wittenberg bowed to law and order. + +Luther did not publish these sermons himself. He elaborated the +principles here uttered in the treatise, published a few weeks later, +_The Reception of both Kinds in the Sacrament_[16]. A fragment, +covering the thoughts of sermons 1 to 4, and formerly described as a +pastoral letter to the Wittenberg congregation, is now held to be a +piece of written preparation by Luther for these sermons[17]. + +The notes of a hearer of these sermons furnished the basis for the +printed editions. The Wednesday sermon (No. 4--On the Images) was +published separately at Augsburg and other places; the eight sermons +were published in Augsburg and Mainz. Seven editions of the former and +six of the latter are known. + +Johann Aurifaber, the publisher of Luther's Table-talk, also edited +and published these sermons at Eisleben in 1564. His free +amplification of the older text, in an attempt to modernize it, is not +an improvement. His considerable additions to Luther's Scripture +citations are from Luther's own translation of a later date. Yet for +two centuries this edition remained the standard. The _Walch Edition_ +was the first again to pay attention to the original text, however +placing the Aurifaber text first. (_Walch Ed._, XX.) The _Erlangen +Edition_ (XXYHI) observes the same order. O. von Gerlach, _Luthers +Werke_, _Auswahl seiner Hauptschriten_ (Berlin, 1841), gives only the +older text (V); Buchwald, in the Berlin Edition (I), gives only the +Aurifaber text. The Weimar Edition (Xc) places the old text on the +upper half of the page, with the Aurifaber recension immediately +below. The translation which follows is based on the older text as +found in the _Weimar Edition_, with which the other editions have been +compared. + +For further discussion, see, in addition to the literature mentioned, +the biographies of Luther and the Church Histories. Also + +Barge's articles in the _Realencyklopädie_, X, 73 ff. and XXIII, 738 +ff.; also Kolde's, IV, 639 ff. and XIII, 556 ff. + +Barge, _Frühprotestantisches Gemeindechristentum in Wittenberg und +Orlamiinde_, Leipzig, 1909. + +Cristiani, _Du Luthéranisme au Protestantisme_, Paris, 1911. + +Boehmer, _Luther im Lichte der neueren Forschung_, third ed., Leipzig, +1914. + +Vedder, _The Reformation in Germany_. New York, 1914. + + A. STEIMLE. + +Allentown, Pa. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] The consequent closing of the churches except for preaching +services leads Müller (_Luther und Karlstadt_, p. 52) to see in this +the origin of the Protestant custom of closing churches on weekdays. + +[2] August 1, 1521. Enders, _Luthers Briewechsel_, III, 208. + +[3] December 20, 1521. Enders, III, 257. + +[4] Date of both, November, 1521. Both in _Weimar Ed._, VIII, and in +_Erl. Ed., O; var. arg._, VI. The latter also in German (_Vom +Misbrauch der Messe_), _Erl. Ed._, XXVIII. + +[5] 24 Theses (July, 1521). Barge, _Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt_, +I, 291. Repeated in _De celebratione missae_ (October), _ibid._, 487. + +[6] _De scandalo et missa_ (Oct. or Nov.), _ibid._, 491. + +[7] _De cantu gregoriano disputatio_ (1520), _ibid._, 492. + +[8] _Von Abthuung der Bilder_ (January, 1522), _ibid._, 367. + +[9] See Köstlin-Kawesau, _Martin Luther_, I, 485. + +[10] Published by H. Lietzmann in _Kleine Texte_, no. 21; also in +Richter, _Kirchenordnungen_, II, 484. + +[11] _Weimar Ed._, VIII, 670 ff. _Erl. Ed._, XXII, 43 ff. + +[12] Luther's letter to the elector on March 7th. De Wette, II, 138; +_Weimar Ed._, Xc Introd., xlvii f. + +[13] Enders, III, 484. + +[14] Kessler, _Sabbata_, _St. Gallen_, 1902. Quoted at length in +_Weimar Ed._, Xc, Introduction, lii. + +[15] Letter of Albert Burer, _Briewechsel des Beatus Rhenanus_, 303. +See also Introd., liii, in _Weimar Ed._, Xc. + +[16] _Weimar Ed._, Xb; _Erl. Ed._, XXVIII. + +[17] See Kawerau, _Luthers Rückkehr von der Wartburg_, 67. Fragment in +full in _Weimar Ed._, Xc, Introduction, lv ff., where see also a +recently discovered short Latin fragment, which served a similar +purpose. + + +EIGHT SERMONS BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER + + +Preached at Wittenberg in Lent, 1522 + +Treating Briefly of the Mass, Images, Both Kinds In The Sacrament, +Eating of Meats, Private Confession, etc. + + +THE FIRST SERMON + +INVOCAVIT SUNDAY + + +[Sidenote: The Chief Things] + +The challenge of death comes to us all, and no one can die for +another. Every one must fight his own battle with death by himself, +alone. We can shout into one another's ears, but every one must be +prepared finally to meet death alone. I will not be with you then, nor +you with me. Therefore every one must know for himself the chief +things in Christianity, and be armed therewith. They are the same +which you, my beloved, have long ago heard from me. + +In the first place, We must know that we are the children of wrath, +and all our works, intentions and thoughts are nothing at all. To +prove this point we must have a clear, strong text, and although there +are many such in the Bible I will not overwhelm you with them, but ask +you to note just this one, "We are all the children of wrath." [Eph. +2:3] And pray, do not boast in reply: I have builded an altar, given a +foundation for masses, etc. + +Secondly, That God has sent us His only-begotten Son that we may +believe in Him, and whosoever will put his trust in Him, should be +free from sin and a child of God, as John declares in the first +chapter, "He gave them power to become the sons of God, even to them +that believe in his name." [John 1:12] Here we should all be +thoroughly at home in the Bible and be ready with many passages to +confront the devil. In respect to these two points nothing seems to be +lacking or amiss, but they have been rightly preached to you; I should +be very sorry if it were otherwise. Nay, I am well aware and I dare +say, that you are more learned herein than I, and that there are not +only one, two, three, or four, but perhaps ten or more, who have this +wisdom and enlightenment. + +[Sidenote: Love] + +Thirdly, There must also be love, and through love we must do unto one +another as God has done unto us through faith. For without love faith +is nothing, as St. Paul says, I Cor. ii, "If I could speak with the +tongues of angels, and of the highest things in faith, and have not +love, I am nothing." [1 Cor. 13:1] And here, dear friends, have you +not grievously failed? I see no signs of love among you, and I observe +that you have not been grateful to God for His rich gifts and +treasures. + +Let us beware lest Wittenberg become Capernaum. I notice that you have +a great deal to say of the doctrine which is preached to you, of faith +and of love. This is not surprising; an ass can almost intone the +lessons, and why should you not be able to repeat the doctrines and +formulas? Dear friends, the kingdom of God,--and we are that +kingdom,--consists not in speech or in words, but in deeds, in works +and exercises. God does not want hearers and repeaters of words, but +doers and followers who exercise themselves in the faith that worketh +by love. For a faith without love is not enough--rather it is not +faith at all [1 Cor. 13:12], but a counterfeit of faith, just as a +face seen in a mirror is not a real face, but merely the reflection of +a face. + +[Sidenote: Patience] + +Fourthly, We likewise need patience. For whoever has faith, trusts in +God and shows love to his neighbor, practicing it day by day, must +needs suffer persecution. For the devil never sleeps, and continually +molests. But patience works and produces hope, which freely yields +itself to God and finds solace in Him [Rom. 5:4]. Thus faith, by much +affliction and persecution, ever increases, and is strengthened day by +day. And the heart which by God's grace has received such virtues must +ever be active and freely expend itself for the benefit and service of +the brethren, even as it has received from God. + +[Sidenote: Forbearance] + +And here, dear friends, one must not insist upon his rights, but must +see what may be useful and helpful to his brother, as St. Paul says, +_Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expediunt_, "All things are lawful +for me, but not all things are expedient." [1 Cor. 6:12] We are not +all equally strong in faith; some of you have a stronger faith than I. +Therefore we must not look upon ourselves, or our strength, or our +rank, but upon our neighbor, for God has said through Moses, "I have +borne and nourished thee, even as a mother her child." [Deut. 1:31] +How does a mother nourish her child? First, she feeds it with milk, +then gruel, then eggs and soft food. If she weaned it and at once gave +it the ordinary, coarse food, the child would never thrive. So we +should also deal with our brother, have patience with him for a time, +suffer his weakness and help him bear it; we should give him milk-food +[1 Peter 2:2], too, as was done with us, until he likewise grows +strong, and thus we do not travel heavenward alone, but bring the +brethren, who are not now on our side, with us. If all mothers were to +abandon their children, where would we have been? Dear brother, if you +have suckled long enough, do not at once cut off the breast, but let +thy brother be nourished also. I would not have gone so far as you +have done, if I had been here. What you did was good, but you have +gone too fast. For there are also brothers and sisters on the other +side who belong to us, and must still be won. + +Let me illustrate. The sun has two properties, light and heat. No king +has power enough to bend or guide the light of the sun; it remains +straight in the place where it shines. But the heat may be turned and +guided, and yet is ever about the sun. Thus the faith must always +remain pure and immovable in the heart, never wavering; but love moves +and is guided, according as our neighbors may grasp it or follow us. +There are some who can run, others must walk, still others can hardly +creep. Therefore we must not look upon our own, but upon our brother's +powers, so that he who is weak in faith, and attempts to follow the +strong, may not be destroyed of the devil. Therefore, dear brethren, +obey me. I have never been a destroyer, and I was also the very first +whom God called to this work. Neither can I run away, but must remain +as long as it pleases God. I was the first, too, to whom God revealed +it, to preach His Word to you; moreover, I am sure that you have the +pure Word of God. + +[Sidenote: Abolishing the Mass] + +Let us, therefore, take up this matter with fear and humility, cast +ourselves at one another's feet, join hands with each other, and help +one another. I will do my part, which is no more than my duty, for I +love you even as I love my own soul. For here we battle not against +pope or bishop, but against the devil [Eph. 6:12], and do you imagine +he is asleep? He sleeps not, but sees the true light rising, and to +keep it from shining into his eyes he would make a flank attack--and +he will succeed, if we are not on our guard. I know him well[1], and I +hope, too, that with the help of God I am his master. But if we yield +him but an inch, we must soon look to it how we may be rid of him. +Therefore all those have erred who have consented and helped to +abolish the mass--in itself a good undertaking, but not accomplished +in an orderly way. You say it was right according to the Scriptures. +I agree, but what becomes of order? For it was done in wantonness, +with no regard to proper order and with offence to your neighbor. If, +beforehand, you had called upon God in earnest prayer, and had +obtained the aid of the authorities, one could be certain that it had +come from God. I, too, would have taken steps toward the same end if +it had been a good thing to do; and if the mass were not so evil a +thing, I would introduce it again. For I cannot defend your action, as +I have just said. To the papists and the blockheads I could defend it, +for I could say: How do you know whether it was done with good or bad +intention, since the work in itself was really a good work? But I can +find nothing to reply to the devil. For if on their deathbeds the +devil reminds those who began this affair of texts like these, "Every +plant, which My father hath not planted, shall be rooted up," [Matt. +15:13] or "I have not sent them, yet they ran," [Jer. 23:21] how will +they be able to withstand?[2] He will cast them into hell. But I have +a weapon to brandish in the devil's face, so that the wide world will +become too small for him: I know that in spite of my reluctance I was +regularly called by the Council to preach in this place. And I would +that you should have the same assurance as I. You could so easily have +consulted me about the matter. + +[Sidenote: "Must" and "Free"] + +I was not so far away that you could not reach me with a letter, +especially since I did not interfere with you in any way. Did you want +to begin something, and then leave me to shoulder the responsibility? +That is more than I can undertake, and I will not do it. Here one can +see that you have not the Spirit, in spite of your deep knowledge of +the Scriptures. Take note of these two things, "must" and "free." The +"must" is that which necessity requires, and which must ever be +unyielding; as, for instance, the faith, which I shall never permit +any one to take away from me, but which I must always keep in my heart +and freely confess before every one. But "free" is that in which I +have choice, and may use or not, yet in such wise that it profit my +brother and not me. Now do not make a "must" out of what is "free," as +you have done, so that you may not be called to account for those who +were led astray by your exercise of liberty without love. For if you +entice any one to eat meat on Friday, and he is troubled about it on +his deathbed, and thinks, Woe is me, for I have eaten meat and I am +lost! God will call you to account for that soul. I would like to +begin many things, in which but few would follow me; but what is the +use? I know that those who have begun this thing, when it comes to the +point, cannot maintain themselves, and will be the first to retreat. +How would it be, if I brought the people to the point of attack, and +though I had been the foremost to exhort others, I would then flee, +and not face death with courage? How the poor people would be +deceived! + +Let us, therefore, feed others also with the milk which we received, +until they, too, become strong in the faith. For there are many who +are otherwise in accord with us and who would also gladly accept this +one thing, but they do not yet fully understand it--all such we drive +away. Therefore, let us show love to our neighbors, or our work will +not endure. We must have patience with them for a time, and not cast +out him who is weak in the faith; much more should we regulate our +doing and our not doing according to the demands of love, provided no +injury is done to our faith. If we do not earnestly pray to God, and +act circumspectly in this matter, the thing looks to me as if all the +misery which we have begun to cause the papists will all upon us. +Therefore I could no longer remain away, but was compelled to come and +say these things to you. + +This is enough about the mass; tomorrow we shall treat of the images. + + +THE SECOND SERMON + +MONDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: Necessity and Choice] + +Dear Friends: You heard yesterday the characteristics of a Christian +man, how his whole life is faith and love. Faith is directed toward +God, love toward man and one's neighbor, and consists in such love and +service for him as we have received from God without our work and +merit. Thus there are two things: the one, which is the most needful, +and which must be done in one way and no other; the other, which is a +matter of choice and not of necessity, which may be kept or not, +without endangering faith or incurring hell. In both, love must deal +with our neighbor in the same manner as God has dealt with us; it must +walk the straight road, straying neither to the let nor to the right. +In the things which are "musts" and are matters of necessity, such as +believing in Christ, love nevertheless never uses force or undue +constraint. Thus the mass is an evil thing, and God is displeased with +it, because it is performed as a sacrifice and work of merit. +Therefore it must be abolished. Here there is no room for question, +just as little as if you should ask whether you should pray to God. +Here we are entirely agreed: the private mass must be abolished, as I +have said in my writings[3]. And I heartily wish it would be abolished +everywhere and only the evangelical mass for all the people be +retained. Yet Christian love should not employ harshness here nor +force the matter. It should be preached and taught with tongue and +pen, that to hold mass in such a manner is a sin, but no one should be +dragged away from it by force. The matter should be let to God; His +word should do the work alone, without our work. Why? Because it is +not in my power to fashion the hearts of men as the potter moulds the +clay, and to do with them as I please. I can get no farther than to +men's ears; their hearts I cannot reach. And since I cannot pour faith +into their hearts, I cannot, nor should I, force any one to have +faith. That is God's work alone, who causes faith to live in the +heart. Therefore we should give free course to the Word, and not add +our works to it. We have the _jus verbi_[4], but not the +_executio_[5]; we should preach the Word, but the consequences must be +let to God's own good pleasure. + +[Sidenote: Compulsion and Persuasion] + +Now if I should rush in and abolish the mass by force, there are many +who would be compelled to consent to it and yet not know their own +minds, but say: I do not know if it is right or wrong, I do not know +where I stand, I was compelled by force to submit to the majority. And +this forcing and commanding results in a mere mockery, an external +show, a fool's play, man-made ordinances, sham-saints and hypocrites. +For where the heart is not good, I care nothing at all for the work. +We must first win the hearts of the people. And that is done when I +teach only the Word of God, preach the Gospel and say: "Dear lords or +pastors, desist from holding the mass, it is not right, you are +sinning when you do it; I cannot refrain from telling you this." But I +would not make it an ordinance for them, nor urge a general law; he +who would follow me could do so, and he who refused would remain +without. In the latter case the Word would sink into the heart and +perform its work. Thus he would become convinced and acknowledge his +error, and all away from the mass; to-morrow another would do the +same, and thus God would accomplish more with His Word than if you and +I would forge into one all power and authority. For if you have won +the heart, you have won the whole man--and the mass must finally fall +of its own weight and come to an end. And if the hearts and minds of +all men are united in the purpose--abolish the mass; but if all are +not heart and soul for its abolishment--leave it in God's hands, I +beseech you, otherwise the result will not be good. Not, indeed, that +I would again set up the mass; I let it live in God's name. Faith must +not be chained and imprisoned, nor bound by an ordinance to any work. +This is the principle by which you must be governed. For I am sure you +will not be able to carry out your plans, and if you should carry them +out with such general laws, then I will recant all the things that I +have written and preached, and I will not support you, and therefore I +ask you plainly: What harm can the mass do to you? You have your +faith, pure and strong, toward God, and the mass cannot hurt you. + +[Sidenote: Paul's Method] + +Love, therefore, demands that you have compassion on the weak, as all +the apostles had. Once, when Paul came to Athens, a mighty city, he +found in the temple many altars, and he went from one to the other and +looked at them all [Acts 17:16 ff.], but did not touch any one of them +even with his foot. But he stood in the midst of the market-place and +said they were all idolatrous works, and begged the people to forsake +them; yet he did not destroy one of them by force. When the word took +hold of their hearts, they forsook their idols of their own accord, +and in consequence idolatry fell of itself. Now, if I had seen that +they held mass, I would have preached and admonished them concerning +it. Had they heeded my admonition, they would have been won; if not, I +would nevertheless not have torn them from it by the hair or employed +any force, but simply allowed the Word to act, while I prayed for +them. For the Word created heaven and earth and all things; the Word +must do this thing, and not we poor sinners. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Method] + +[Sidenote: Jerome and Augustine] + +In conclusion: I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will +constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without +compulsion. Take myself as an example. I have opposed the indulgences +and all the papists, but never by force. I simply taught, preached, +wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And then while I slept, or +drank Wittenberg beer with my Philip[6] and with Amsdor[7], the Word +so greatly weakened the papacy, that never a prince or emperor +inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing; the Word did it all. Had +I desired to foment trouble, I could have brought great bloodshed upon +Germany, Yea, I could have started such a little game at Worms that +even the emperor would not have been safe. But what would it have +been? A fool's play. I did nothing; I left it to the Word. What do you +suppose is Satan's thought, when an effort is made to do things by +violence? He sits back in hell and thinks: How fine a game these fools +will make for me! But it brings him distress when we only spread the +Word, and let it alone do the work. For it is almighty and takes +captive the hearts, and if the hearts are captured the evil work will +all of itself. Let me cite an instance. Aforetime there were sects, +too, Jewish and Gentile Christians, differing on the law of Moses in +respect to circumcision. The former would keep it, the latter not [1 +Cor. 7:18 ff.]. Then came Paul and preached that it might be kept or +not, it mattered not one way or the other; they should make no "must" +of it, but leave it to the choice of the individual; to keep it or +not, was immaterial. Later came Jerome, who would have made a "must" +out of it, and wanted laws and ordinances to prohibit it. Then came +St. Augustine, who held to the opinion of St. Paul: it might be kept +or not, as one wished; St. Jerome had missed the meaning of St. Paul +by a hundred miles. The two doctors bumped heads rather hard over the +proposition. But when St. Augustine died, St. Jerome accomplished his +purpose. After that came the popes; they would add something of their +own, and they, too, made laws. Thus out of the making of one law grew +a thousand laws, until they have completely buried us under laws. And +so it will be here; one law will soon make two, two will increase to +three, and so forth. + +Let this be enough at this time concerning the things that are +necessary, and let us beware lest we lead astray those of weak +conscience. + + +THE THIRD SERMON + +TUESDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +We have heard the things most necessary in Christian life, and what is +a necessary result, namely, the doing away with the private mass. For +the works which are necessary are those which God has either commanded +or forbidden, according to the appointment of the Majesty on high. But +no one shall be dragged to them by the hair, or kept from them by +force, for I can drive no man to heaven with a club. I said this +plainly enough, and I believe you understood what I said. + +[Sidenote: Nonessentials] + +[Sidenote: Marriage of Monks and Nuns] + +We shall now consider the things that are not matters of necessity, +but are let to our free choice by God, and which we may keep or not; +for instance, whether one shall marry or not, or whether monks and +nuns shall leave the cloisters. These things are matters of choice and +must not be forbidden by any one, and if they are forbidden, the +forbidding is wrong, since it is contrary to God's appointment. In the +things that are free, such as being married or remaining single, you +should do on this wise: If you can restrain yourself without burdening +your conscience thereby, do so by all means, but there must be no +general law, and every one shall be perfectly free. Any priest, monk +or nun who cannot restrain the desires of the flesh, should marry, and +thus relieve the burden of conscience. But see to it that you be +well-armed and fortified, so that you can stand before God and the +world when you are assailed, and especially when the devil attacks you +in the hour of death. It is not enough to say: This man or that has +done the same, I followed the example of the crowd, according to the +preaching of the provost[8] or Dr. Carlstadt, or Gabriel[9], or +Michael[10]. Not so, but every one must stand on his own feet and be +prepared to give battle to the devil. You must rest upon a strong and +clear text of Scripture if you would stand the test. If you cannot do +that, you will never withstand,--the devil will pluck you like a +withered leaf. Therefore the priests who have taken wives, and the +nuns who have taken husbands, in order to save their consciences must +stand squarely upon a clear text of Scripture, such as this one by St. +Paul--although there are many more: "In the latter times some shall +depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines +of devils (methinks Paul uses plain language here!) forbidding to +marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created." +This text the devil shall not overthrow nor devour, it shall rather +overthrow and devour him. Therefore any monk or nun who is too weak to +keep the vow of chastity, should conscientiously examine himself; if +heart and conscience are strong, so that he can defend himself with a +good conscience, let him marry. Would to God all monks and nuns could +hear this sermon and properly understood this matter and would all +forsake the cloisters and thus all the cloisters in the world cease to +exist--this is my earnest desire. But now they have no understanding +of the matter (for no one preaches it to them), and hearing that in +other places many are leaving the cloisters, who however are +well-prepared or such a step, they would follow their example, but +have not yet fortified their consciences and do not know that it is a +matter of liberty. This is bad, although it is better that the evil +should be outside than inside[11]. Therefore I say, what God has made +free shall remain free, and you must not obey if some one forbids it, +even as the pope has done, the Antichrist. He who can do so without +harm and or love of his neighbor, may wear a cowl or a tonsure, since +it will not injure his faith; wearing a cowl will not kill him. + +[Sidenote: Monks' Vows] + +Thus, dear friends, it is plain enough, and I believe you ought to +understand it and not make liberty a law, saying: This priest has +taken a wife, therefore all priests must take wives. Not at all. Or +this monk or that nun has left the cloister, therefore they must all +come out. Not at all. Or this man has broken the images and burnt +them, therefore all images must be burned--not at all, dear brother! +And again, this priest has no wife, therefore no priest dare marry. +Not at all! They who cannot retain their chastity should take wives, +and for others who can be chaste, it is good that they restrain +themselves, as those who live in the spirit and not in the flesh. +Neither should they be troubled about the vows they have made, such as +the monks' vows of obedience, chastity and poverty (though they are +rich enough withal). For we cannot vow anything that is contrary to +God's commands. God has made it a matter of liberty to marry or not to +marry, and thou fool undertakest to turn this liberty into a vow +against the ordinance of God? Therefore you must leave liberty alone +and not make a compulsion out of it; your vow is contrary to God's +liberty. Suppose I should vow to strike my father on the mouth, or to +steal some one's property, do you believe God would be pleased with +such a vow? And as little as I ought to keep a vow to strike my father +on the mouth, so little ought I to abstain from marriage because I am +bound by a vow of chastity, for in both cases God has ordered it +otherwise. God has ordained that I should be free to eat fish or +flesh, and there should be no commandment concerning them. Therefore +all the Carthusians[12] and all monks and nuns forsake the ordinance +and liberty which God has given when they believe that if they eat +meat they are defiled. + +[Sidenote: The Images] + +[Sidenote: Moses and Images] + +But we must come to the images, and concerning them also it is true +that they are unnecessary, and we are free to have them or not, +although it would be much better if we did not have them. I am not +partial to them. A great controversy arose on the subject of images +between the Roman emperor and the pope; the emperor held that he had +the authority to banish the images, but the pope insisted that they +should remain, and both were wrong. Much blood was shed, but the pope +emerged as victor and the emperor lost[13]. What was it all about? +They wished to make a "must" out of that which is free, and that God +cannot tolerate. Do you wish to change the ordering of the Majesty on +high? Not so; you will not do any such thing. You read in the Law, +Exodus xx, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any +likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth +beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." [Ex. 20:4] There +you take your stand; that is your ground. Now let us see! When our +adversaries shall say: The first commandment aims at this, that we +should worship one God alone and not any image, even as it is said +immediately following, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor +serve them," and declare that the worship of images is forbidden and +not the making of them, they disturb and unsettle our foundation for +us. And if you reply: The text says, "Thou shalt not make any images," +they answer: It also says, "Thou shalt not worship them." In the face +of such uncertainty who would be so bold as to destroy the images? Not +I. But let us go farther. They say: Did not Noah, Abraham, Jacob build +altars? And who will deny that? We must admit it. Again, did not Moses +erect a brazen serpent [Num. 21:9], as we read in his fourth book? How +can you say Moses forbids the making of images when he himself makes +one? It seems to me, such a serpent is an image, too. How shall we +answer that? Again, do we not read that two birds were erected on the +mercy-seat, the very place where God willed that He should be +worshiped? [Ex. 37:7] Here we must admit, that we may make images and +have images but we must not worship them, and when they are worshiped, +they should be put away and destroyed, just as King Hezekiah brake in +pieces the serpent erected by Moses [2 Kings 18:4]. And who will be so +bold as to say, when called to account: They worship the images. They +will answer: Art thou the man who dares to accuse us of worshiping the +images? Do not believe that they will acknowledge it. To be sure it is +true, but we cannot make them admit it. Remember how they acted when I +condemned works without faith. They said: Do you believe that we have +no faith, or that our works are performed without faith? I can do +nothing more than put my lute back in its pocket; give them a hair's +breadth, and they take a hundred miles. + +[Sidenote: St. Paul and the Twins] + +Therefore it should have been preached that images were nothing and +that God is not served by their erection, and they would have fallen +of themselves. That is what I did; that is what Paul did in Athens, +when he went into their churches and saw all their idols[14]. He did +not strike at any of them, but stood in the market-place and said, "Ye +men of Athens, ye are all idolatrous." [Acts 17;22] He preached +against their idols, but he overthrew none by force. And you would +rush in, create an uproar, break down the altars and overthrow the +images? Do you really believe you can abolish the images on this wise? +Nay, you will only set them up more firmly. Even if you overthrew the +images in this place, do you think you have overthrown those in +Nürnberg and the rest of the world? Not at all, St. Paul, as we read +in the Book of Acts, sat in a ship on whose prow were painted or +carved the Twin Brothers[15]. He went on board and did not bother +about it at all, neither did he break them off. Why must Luke describe +the Twins at this place? Without doubt he wanted to show that outward +things could do no harm to faith, if only the heart does not cleave to +them nor put its trust in them. This is what we must preach and teach, +and let the Word alone do the work, as I said before. The Word must +first capture the hearts of men and enlighten them,--we cannot do it. +Therefore the apostles gloried in their service, _ministerium_, and +not in its effect, _executio_. + +We will let this be enough or to-day, and pray God for His grace. + + +THE FOURTH SERMON WEDNESDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: The Abuse of Images] + +Dear Friends: We have heard the things which are necessary, as for +instance, that the mass is regarded as a sacrifice[16]. Then we +considered the things which are left to our liberty, such as marriage, +the monastic life, the abolishing of images. We have treated these +four subjects, and have said that in all these matters love is the +captain. On the subject of images, in particular, we saw that they +ought to be abolished if they are going to be worshiped, otherwise +not, although I wish they were abolished everywhere because they are +abused,--it is useless to deny it. For whoever places an image in a +church, imagines he has performed a service unto God and a good work, +which is downright idolatry. And this, the greatest, foremost and +highest reason or abolishing the images, you have neglected, and taken +up the very lowest. For I suppose there is scarcely any man who does +not understand that yonder crucifix is not my God, for my God is in +heaven, but that this is simply a sign. But the world is full of the +other abuse, for who would place an image of silver or of wood in a +church, if he did not think that in so doing he was doing God a +service? Think you that Duke Frederick, the bishop of Halle, and the +others would have placed so many silver images in the churches, if +they thought it counted nothing before God? Nay, they would not do it. +But this is not sufficient reason to abolish, destroy and burn all the +images; and why? Because we must admit that there are still people who +have not the wrong opinion of them, but to whom they may be useful. +Although they are few, yet we cannot and should not condemn anything +which is still useful to the devotions of any man. But you should have +taught that images are nothing, God cares nothing for them, and that +He is not served, nor pleased when we make an image for Him, but that +we would do better to give a poor man a gold-piece than to give God a +golden image, or God has forbidden the latter, but not the former. If +they had heard this teaching, that images count or nothing, they would +have ceased of their own accord, and the images would have fallen +without any uproar or tumult, even as it was already coming to pass. + +[Sidenote: The Devil's Game] + +We must, therefore, be on our guard, for the devil is after us, +through his apostles, with all his craft and cunning. Now, although it +is true, and no one can deny that the images are evil because they are +abused, nevertheless we must not on that account reject them, nor +condemn anything because it is abused. That would result in utter +confusion. God has commanded us not to lift up our eyes unto the sun, +etc. [Deut. 4:19], that we may not worship them, for they are created +to serve all nations. But there are many people who worship the sun +and the stars. Shall we, therefore, essay to pull the sun and stars +from the skies? Nay, we will not do it. Again, wine and women bring +many a man to misery and make a fool of him. Shall we, therefore, kill +all the women and pour out all the wine? Again, gold and silver cause +much evil, shall we, therefore, condemn them? Nay, if we would drive +away our one worst enemy, who does us the most harm, we would have to +kill ourselves, for we have no greater enemy than our own heart, even +as Jeremiah says, "The heart of man is crooked," [Jer. 17:9] or, as I +take the meaning, "always twisting to one side or the other." And what +good would that do us? + +He who would blacken the devil must have good charcoal, for he, too, +wears fine clothes and goes to the fair. But I can catch him by asking +him: Do you not place the images in the churches because you think it +a special service of God? and when he says Yes, as he must, you may +conclude that what was meant as a service of God he has turned into +idolatry by abusing the images; he eagerly sought what God has not +commanded and neglected God's positive command, to help the neighbor. +But I have not yet caught him; he escapes me by saying: I help the +poor, too; cannot I give to my neighbor and at the same time place +images in churches? That is not true,--for who would not rather give +his neighbor a gold-piece, than God a golden image! Nay, he would not +trouble himself about placing images in churches if he believed that +God was not served thereby. Therefore I freely admit, images are +neither here nor there, neither evil nor good, we may have them or +not, as we please. This trouble has been caused by you; the devil +would not have accomplished it with me, for I cannot deny that it is +possible to find some one to whom images are useful. And if I were +asked about it, I would confess that none of these things give offence +to me, and if just one man were found upon earth who used the images +aright, the devil would soon draw the conclusion against me: Why +condemnest thou that which is still useful in worship? This challenge +I could not answer; he would have successfully defied me. He would not +have got nearly so far if I had been here. He played a bold game, and +won, although it does no harm to the Word of God. You wanted to paint +the devil black, but forgot the charcoal and used chalk. If you would +fight the devil, you must be well versed in the Scriptures, and, +besides, use them at the right time. + +[Sidenote: Of Meats] + +Let us proceed and speak of the eating of meats. It is true that we +are free to eat any manner of food, meats, fish, eggs or butter. This +no one can deny. God has given us this liberty. That is true; +nevertheless we must know how to use our liberty, and treat the weak +brother differently from the stubborn. Observe, then, how you must use +this liberty. + +First of all, If you cannot give up meat without harm to yourself, or +if you are sick, you may eat whatever you like, and if any one takes +offence, let him be offended. And if the whole world took offence, yet +you are not committing a sin, for God can excuse you in view of the +liberty He has so graciously bestowed upon you, and of the necessities +of your health, which would be endangered by your abstinence. + +[Sidenote: Liberty and Law] + +Secondly, If you should be pressed to eat fish instead of meat on +Friday, and to eat fish and abstain from eggs and butter during Lent, +etc., as the pope has done with his fools' laws, then you must in no +wise allow yourself to be drawn away from the liberty in which God has +placed you, but do just the contrary to spite him, and say: Because +you forbid me to eat meat, and presume to turn my liberty into law, I +will eat meat in spite of you. And thus you must do in all other +things which are matters of liberty. To give you an example: If the +pope, or any one else would force me to wear a cowl, just as he +prescribes it, I would take of the cowl just to spite him. But since +it is left to my own free choice, I wear it or take it off, according +to my pleasure. + +[Sidenote: Peter and the Gentiles] + +Thirdly, There are some who are still weak in faith, who ought to be +instructed, and who would gladly believe as we do. But their ignorance +prevents them, and if this were faithfully preached to them, as it was +to us, they would be one with us. Toward such well-meaning people we +must assume an entirely different attitude from that which we assume +toward the stubborn. We must bear patiently with them and not use our +liberty, since it brings no peril or harm to body or soul, nay, rather +is salutary, and we are doing our brothers and sisters a great service +besides. But if we use our liberty without need, and deliberately +cause offence to our neighbor, we drive away the very one who in time +would come to our faith. Thus St. Paul circumcised Timothy because +simple-minded Jews had taken offence [Acts 16:3]; he thought, What +harm can it do, since they are offended because of their ignorance? +But when, in Antioch, they would insist that he ought and must +circumcise Titus, Paul withstood them all and to spite them would not +have Titus circumcised [Gal. 2:3]. And he held his ground. He did the +same when St. Peter by the exercise of his liberty caused a wrong +conception in the minds of the unlearned [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. It was on +this wise: When Peter was with the Gentiles, he ate pork and sausage +with them, but when the Jews came in, he would not touch this food and +ate no more with them. Then the Gentiles who had become Christians, +thought: Alas! we, too, must be like the Jews, eat no pork and live +according to the law of Moses. But when Paul found that it would +injure the liberty of the Gospel, he reproved Peter publicly and read +him an apostolic lecture, saying: "If thou, being a Jew, livest after +the manner of the Gentiles, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live +as do the Jews?" [Gal. 2:14] Thus we, too, should order our lives and +use our liberty at the proper time, so that Christian liberty may +suffer no injury, and no offence be given to our weak brothers and +sisters who are still without the knowledge of this liberty. + + +THE FIFTH SERMON: A SERMON ON THE SACRAMENT THURSDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +We have heard of the things that are necessary, such as the mass, +which is regarded as a sacrifice[17], and of the unnecessary things, +such as the leaving of monasteries by monks, the marriage of priests, +and the images. We have seen how we must treat these matters, that no +compulsion or law must be made of them, and that no one shall be +dragged from them by the hair, but that we must let the Word of God +alone do the work. Let us now consider how we must observe the blessed +sacrament. + +[Sidenote: Foolish Law of the Pope] + +You have heard how I preached against the foolish law the Pope of the +pope and opposed his precept[18], that no woman shall wash the +altar-linen on which the body of Christ has lain, even if it be a pure +nun, except it first be washed by a pure priest. Likewise, when any +one touches the body of Christ with the hand, the priests come running +and scrape his fingers, and much more of the same sort. But when a +priest is incontinent, the pope winks at it. If the woman bears a +child, he lets that pass, too. The altar-linen and the sacrament, +however, dare not be touched. + +[Sidenote: Handling the Sacrament] + +Against such fools' laws we have preached, and set forth that no sin +is involved in these foolish prescriptions of the pope, and that a +layman does not commit sin if he touch the cup or the body of Christ +with his hands. You should give thanks to God that you have come to +such clear knowledge, which many great men have lacked. But now you +have become just as foolish as the pope, with your notion that you +must handle the sacrament; you would prove that you are good +Christians by touching the sacrament with your hands. You have dealt +with the sacrament, our highest treasure, in such a way that it is a +wonder you were not struck down by thunder and lightning. The other +things God would have suffered you to do, but to make this a matter of +compulsion. He can in no wise tolerate. And if you do not recede from +this, neither the emperor nor any one else need drive me from you, I +will go without urging; yea, I dare say, none of my enemies, although +they have caused me much sorrow, have wounded me as you have wounded +me in this matter. If you would show that you are good Christians by +handling the sacrament, and boast of it before everybody, then indeed +Herod and Pilate are the chief and best Christians. Methinks they +handled the body of Christ when they had him nailed to the cross and +put to death. + +[Sidenote: What does "Take" mean?] + +Nay, my dear friends, the kingdom of God consists not in outward +things, which can be touched or perceived, but in faith [Luke 17:20]. +But you may say: We live and should live in accordance with the +Scriptures, and God has instituted the sacrament in such a manner that +we should take it with our hands, for He said: "Take and eat, this is +my body." [Matt. 26:26] Answer: Though I am convinced beyond a doubt +that the disciples of the Lord took it with their hands, and though I +admit that you may do the same without committing sin, nevertheless I +can neither make it compulsory nor prove that it is the only way. And +my reason therefor is this: when the devil, in his seeking after us, +argues, Where have you read in the Scriptures that "take" means +"seizing with the hands"?--how shall I prove or defend it? Nay, how +will I answer him when he cites, from the Scriptures, the very +opposite, and proves that "take" does not mean to receive with the +hands only, but also to convey to ourselves in other ways? "See, my +good fellow," so he says, "how the word 'take' is used by three +Evangelists in describing the taking of gall and vinegar by the Lord +[Matt. 27:34, Mark 15:23, Luke 23:26]. You must admit that the Lord +did not touch or handle it with His hands, for His hands were nailed +to the cross." This verse is a strong argument against me. Again, he +cites the passage: _Et accepit omnes timor_,--"And fear took hold on +all," [Luke 7:16] where again we must admit that fear has no hands. +Thus I am driven into a corner and must concede, even against my will, +that "take" means not only to receive with the hands, but to convey to +myself in any other way in which it can be done. So you see, dear +friends, we must be on firm ground, if we are to withstand the devil's +attack. Although I must acknowledge that you committed no sin when you +touched the sacrament with your hands, nevertheless I must tell you +that it was not a good work, because it caused offence everywhere. +For the universal custom is, to receive the blessed sacrament directly +from the hands of the priest. Why will you not herein also serve those +who are weak in the faith and abstain from your liberty? It does not +help you if you do it, nor harm you if you do it not. + +Therefore no new practices should be introduced, unless the Gospel has +first been thoroughly preached and understood, even as it has been +with you. On this account, dear friends, let us deal soberly and +wisely in the things that pertain to God, or God will not be mocked. +You may mock the saints, but with God it is vastly different. +Therefore, I pray you, give up this practice. + +[Sidenote: Both Kinds in the Sacrament] + +Let us now speak of the two kinds. Although I hold that it is +necessary that the sacrament should be received in both kinds, +according to the institution of the Lord, nevertheless it must not be +made compulsory nor a general law. We must occupy ourselves with the +Word, practice it and preach it. For the result we should look +entirely to the Word, and let every one have his liberty in this +matter. Where that is not done, the sacrament becomes an external +observance and a hypocrisy, which is just what the devil wants. But +when the Word is given free course and is not bound to any observance, +it takes hold of one to-day and falls into his heart, to-morrow it +touches another, and so on. Thus quietly and soberly it will do its +work, and no one will know how it all came about. + +I was glad to know when some one wrote me, that some people in this +city had begun to receive the sacrament in both kinds. You should have +allowed it to remain thus and not have forced it into a law. But now +you go at it pell-mell, and headlong force every one to it. Dear +friends, you will not succeed in that way. And if you desire to be +regarded as better Christians than others, by this that you take the +sacrament into your hands and receive it in both kinds, you are really +poor Christians indeed! In this way even a sow could be a Christian, +for she has a big enough snout to receive the sacrament outwardly. We +must deal soberly with such high things. Dear friends, this dare be no +mockery, and if you would heed me, give it up. If you will not heed +me, no one need drive me away from you--I will leave you unbidden, and +I shall regret that I ever preached so much as one sermon in this +place. The other things could be passed by, but this cannot be passed +by; you have gone so far that men say: "At Wittenberg there are very +good Christians, for they take the sacrament with the hands and handle +the cup, and then they go to their brandy and drink until they are +drunken." Thus are the weak and simple-minded men driven away, who +would come to us if as much instruction had been given to them as was +given to us. + +But if there is any one so stupid that he must touch the sacrament +with his hands, let him have it brought home to his house and there +let him handle it to his heart's content. But in public let him +abstain, since that will not bring him harm and the offence will be +avoided which is caused to our brothers, sisters and neighbors, who +are now so angry with us that they are ready to kill us. I may say +that none of the enemies who have opposed me until now have brought so +much grief upon me as you. + +This is enough for to-day; we shall continue on the morrow. + + +THE SIXTH SERMON FRIDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: The Reception of the Sacrament] + +In our discussion of the chief things we have come to the reception of +the sacrament, which we have not yet finished. To-day we shall see how +we must conduct ourselves here, and also who is worthy to receive the +sacrament and who belongs there. + +It is very necessary here that your hearts and consciences be well +instructed, so that you distinguish well between the outward reception +and the inner and spiritual reception. This is the bodily and outward +reception, when a man receives with his mouth the body of Christ and +His blood. Any man can receive the sacrament in this way, for such +reception may be without faith and love. But that reception does not +make a man a Christian, for if it did, even a mouse would be a +Christian, or it can likewise eat the bread and drink out of the cup. +It is such a simple thing to do. But the true, inner, spiritual +reception is a very different thing, for it consists in the right use +of the sacrament and of its fruits. + +I would say in the first place that such reception is the true inner +one, and is a reception in faith. We Christians have no other outward +sign by which we may be distinguished from others than this sacrament +and baptism; but a mere outward reception, without faith, amounts to +nothing. There must be faith to make one well prepared or the +reception and acceptable before God, otherwise it is all sham and a +mere external show, which is not Christianity at all. Christianity is +a thing of faith, which is never bound to any external work. + +[Sidenote: The One Requisite: Faith] + +But faith (which we all must have, if we wish to go to the sacrament +worthily) is a firm trust, that Christ, the Son of God, stands in our +place and has taken all our sins upon Faith His shoulders, that He is +the eternal satisfaction for our sin and reconciles us with God the +Father. He who has this faith belongs to this sacrament, and neither +devil nor hell nor sin can harm him. Do you ask why? Because God is +his protector and defender. And when I have this faith, then I am +certain God is fighting for me; I can defy devil, death, hell and sin, +and all the harm with which they threaten me. This is the great, +inestimable treasure given us in Christ, which the words of man fail +to describe. Only faith can take hold of the heart, and not every one +has such faith. Therefore this sacrament must not be made a law, as +the most holy father, the pope, has done with his fools' commandment: +All Christians must go to the sacrament at the holy Eastertide, and he +who does not go shall not be buried in consecrated ground[19]. Is it +not a foolish law which the pope has set up? You ask why? Because we +are not all alike; we do not all have equal faith; the faith of one is +stronger than that of another. It is therefore impossible that the +sacrament can be made a law, and the greatest sins are committed at +Easter solely on account of this unchristian command, which would +drive everybody to the sacrament. And if all robbery, usury, +unchastity and all the other sins were cast upon one great heap, this +sin would overtop it--even at the time and place of seeming greatest +silliness. And why? Because the pope can look into no one's heart to +see whether he has faith or not. + +[Sidenote: The Result: Assurance] + +But if you believe that God is with you and stakes all His treasures +and His blood for you, as if He said: Fall in behind Me without fear +or delay, and then let come what may to attempt thy harm, let devil, +death, sin and hell and all creation try it, I shall go before thee, +for I will be thy captain and thy shield, trust Me and rely upon Me +completely--he who believes thus cannot be harmed by devil, hell, sin +or death; if God fights for him, what can you do to him? + +[Sidenote: Who are Worthy] + +He who has such faith is fit for the altar and receives the sacrament +as an assurance, or seal, or sign to assure him of God's promises and +grace. But such faith we do not all have; would to God one-tenth of +the Christians had it! See, such rich, immeasurable treasures, which +God in His grace showers upon us, cannot be the possession of every +one, but only of those who suffer either bodily or spiritual +adversity: the bodily through the persecution of man, and the +spiritual by despair of conscience; outwardly or inwardly, when the +devil causes your heart to be weak, timid and discouraged, so that you +know not how you stand with God, and when he reproaches you with your +sins. And in such terrified and trembling hearts alone God desires to +dwell, as the prophet Isaiah says [Isa. 66:2]. For he who has not felt +the battle within him, is not distressed by his sins nor has a daily +quarrel with them, and wishes no protector, defender and shield to +stand before him, is not yet ready for this food. This food demands a +hungering and longing man, for it delights to enter a hungering soul, +one that is in constant battle with its sins and eager to be rid of +them. He who is not thus prepared should abstain for a while from this +sacrament, for this food is not for a sated and full heart, and if it +comes to such, it is harmful. Therefore, if we think upon, and feel +within us, such distress of conscience and the fear of a timid heart, +we shall come with all humbleness and reverence, and not rush to it +pell-mell, with insolence and without fear and humility. We are not +always fit for it; to-day I have the grace, and am fit for it, but not +to-morrow, yea, it may be that or six months I have no desire nor +fitness or it. + +Therefore are they the most worthy who are constantly vexed by death +and the devil, and they receive it most opportunely, to remind them +and strengthen them in the faith that no harm can come unto them, for +He is now with them, from Whom no one can take them away; let come +death or devil or sin, they cannot do them harm. + +This is what Christ did, when He prepared to institute the blessed +sacrament. He brought anguish upon His disciples and trembling to +their hearts when He said that He would go away from them [Matt. +26:2], and again they were tormented when He said: One of you shall +betray me [Matt. 26:21]. Think you not that that cut them to the +heart? Truly, they received the word with all fear, and sat there as +though they were all traitors to God. And after He had made them all +tremble with fear and sorrow, then only did He institute the blessed +sacrament as a comfort, and consoled them again. For this bread is a +comfort for the sorrowing, a healing for the sick, a life for the +dying, a food for all the hungry, and a rich treasure for all the poor +and needy[20]. + +Let this be enough at this time concerning the proper use of this +sacrament. I commend you to God. + + +THE SEVENTH SERMON SATURDAY BEFORE REMINISCERE + + +Yesterday we heard of the use of the holy and blessed sacrament and +saw who are worthy to receive it, even those in whom is the fear of +death, who have timid and despairing consciences and who live in fear +of hell. All such come prepared to partake of this food for the +strengthening of their weak faith and the comforting of their +conscience. This is the true and right use of this sacrament, and +whoever does not find himself in this state, let him refrain from +coming until God also takes hold of him and draws him through His +Word. + +[Sidenote: Fruit of the Sacrament: Love] + +We shall now speak of the fruit of this sacrament, which is love; that +is, that we should treat our neighbor even as God has treated us. Now +we have received from God naught but love and favor, for Christ has +pledged and given us His righteousness and everything that He has, has +poured out upon us all His treasures, which no man can measure and no +angel can understand or fathom, for God is a glowing furnace of love, +reaching even from the earth to the heavens. + +[Sidenote: The Lack of Love] + +Love, I say, is a fruit of this sacrament. But I do not yet perceive +it among you here in Wittenberg, although there is much preaching of +love and you ought to practice it above all other things. This is the +principal thing, and alone is seemly in a Christian. But no one shows +eagerness for this, and you want to do all sorts of unnecessary +things, which are of no account. If you do not want to show yourselves +Christians by your love, then leave the other things undone, too, for +St. Paul says in I Corinthians, "If I speak with the tongues of men +and of angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass or a tinkling +cymbal." [1 Cor. 13:1] This is a terrible saying of Paul. And further: +"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries +of God, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I +could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And if I +bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be +burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing." [1 Cor. 13:2, 3] +You have not got so far as that, although you have received great and +rich gifts from God, especially a knowledge of the Scriptures. It is +true, you have the pure Gospel and the true Word of God, but no one as +yet has given his goods to the poor, no one has yet been burned, and +even these things would profit nothing without love. You would take +all of God's goods in the sacrament, and yet not pour them forth again +in love. One will not lend the other a helping hand, no one thinks +first of another, but every one looks out or himself and his own gain, +seeks but his own and lets everything else go as it will,--if anybody +is helped, well and good. No one looks after the poor or seeks how to +help them. It is pitiful. You have heard many sermons about it and all +my books are full of it and have the one purpose, to urge you to faith +and love. + +And if you will not love one another, God will send a great plague +upon you; let this be a warning to you, for God will not reveal His +Word and have it preached in vain. You are tempting God too far, my +friends. If some one in times past had preached the Word to our +forefathers, they would perchance have acted differently. Or if the +Word were preached to-day to many poor children in the cloisters, they +would receive it with much greater joy than you. You do not heed it at +all, and give yourselves to other things, which are unnecessary and +foolish. + +I commend you to God. + + +THE EIGHTH SERMON + +A SHORT SUMMARY[21] OF THE SERMON OF DR. M. LUTHER DELIVERED ON +REMINISCERE SUNDAY ON PRIVATE CONFESSION + + +[Sidenote: Confession before the Congregation] + +Now we have heard all the things which ought to be considered here, +except confession. Of this we shall speak now. In the first place, +There is a confession which is founded on the Scriptures; namely, when +some one commits a sin publicly, or with other men's knowledge, and is +accused before the congregation. If he abandons his sin, they +intercede for him with God. But if he will not hear the congregation, +he is excluded from the church and cast out, so that no one will have +anything to do with him. And this confession is commanded by God in +Matthew xviii, "If thy brother trespass against thee (so that thou and +others are offended), go and tell him his fault between thee and him +alone." [Matt. 18:15] Of this confession there is no longer even a +trace to be found, and in this particular the Gospel is put aside in +this place. He who could reestablish it would perform a good work. +Here is where you ought to have taken pains and reestablished this +kind of confession, and let the other things go. For by this no one +would have been offended, and it would have been accomplished without +disturbance. It should be done in this way: When you see a usurer, +adulterer, thief or drunkard, you should go to him in secret and +admonish him to give up his sin. If he will not hear, you should take +two others with you and admonish him once more, in a brotherly way, to +give up his sin. But if he scorns that, you should tell the pastor +before the whole congregation, have your witnesses with you, and +accuse him before the pastor in the presence of the people, saying: +"Dear pastor, this man has done this and that, and would not receive +our brotherly admonition to give up his sin. Therefore I accuse him, +together with my witnesses who were present." And then, if he will not +give up and willingly acknowledge his guilt, the pastor should exclude +him and put him under the ban before the whole assembly, for the sake +of the congregation, until he comes to himself and is received back +again. This would be Christian. But I cannot undertake to carry it out +single-handed. + +[Sidneote: Confession to God] + +Secondly, A confession is necessary for us, when we go away in a corner +by ourselves, and confess to God Himself and pour out before Him all +our faults. And this confession is also commanded. From this comes the +familiar word of Scripture: "_Facite judicium et justitiam_." [Gen. +18:19] _Judicium acere est nos ipsos accusare et damnare; justitiam +autem acere est idere misericordiae Dei_[22]. As it is written, +"Blessed are they that keep judgment and do righteousness at all +times." [Ps. 106:3] The judgment is nothing else than a man's knowing +and judging and condemning himself, and this is true humility and +self-abasement. The righteousness is nothing else than a man's knowing +himself and praying to God or the mercy and help through which God +raises him up again. This is what David means when he says: "I have +sinned; I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord," [Ps. 32:5 f.] +and, "Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin; for this all Thy saints +shall pray unto Thee." + +[Sidenote: Confession to a Brother] + +Thirdly, There is also a confession when one takes another aside, and +tells him what troubles him, so that he may hear from him a word of +comfort; and this confession is commanded by the pope. It is this +urging and forcing which I condemned when I wrote concerning +confession[23], and I refuse to go to confession just because the pope +wishes it and has commanded it. For I wish him to keep his hands of +the confession and not make of it a compulsion or command, which he +has not the power to do. Yet I will let no man take private confession +away from me, and I would not give it up for all the treasures in the +world, since I know what comfort and strength it has given me. No one +knows what it can do or him except one who has struggled much with the +devil. Yea, the devil would have slain me long ago, if the confession +had not sustained me. For there are many doubts which a man cannot +resolve by himself, and so he takes a brother aside and tells him his +trouble. What harm is there, if he humbles himself a little before his +neighbor, puts himself to shame, looks or a word of comfort from him, +and takes it to himself and believes it, as if he heard it from God +himself, as we read in Matthew xviii: "If two of you shall agree as +touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them." +[Matt. 18:19] + +[Sidenote: Many Absolutions] + +And we must have many absolutions, so that we may strengthen our timid +consciences and despairing hearts against the devil and against God. +Therefore no man shall forbid the confession nor keep or drive any one +away from it. And if any one wrestles with his sins, is eager to be +rid of them and looks or some assurance from the Scriptures, let him +go and confess to another in secret, and receive what is said to him +there as if it came directly from God's own lips. Whoever has the +strong and firm faith that his sins are forgiven, may ignore this +confession and confess to God alone. But how many have such a strong +faith? Therefore, as I have said, I will not let this private +confession be taken from me. Yet I would force no one to it, but leave +the matter to every one's free will. + +[Sidenote: Five Comforts for the Conscience] + +For our God is not so miserly that He has left us with only one +comfort or strengthening for our conscience, or one absolution, but we +have many absolutions in the Gospel, and are showered richly with +them. For instance, we have this in the Gospel: "If ye forgive men +their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." [Matt. +6:14] Another comfort we have in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our +trespasses," [Matt. 6:12] etc. A third is our baptism, when I reason +thus: See, my Lord, I am baptized in Thy name so that I may be assured +of Thy grace and mercy. After that we have the private confession, +when I go and receive a sure absolution as if God Himself spake it, so +that I may be assured that my sins are forgiven. Finally I take to +myself the blessed sacrament, when I eat His body and drink His blood +as a sign that I am rid of my sins and God has freed me from all my +frailties; and in order to make me sure of this, He gives me His body +to eat and His blood to drink, so that I shall not and cannot despair: +I cannot doubt I have a gracious God. Thus we see that confession must +not be despised, but that it is a true comfort. And since we need many +absolutions and comforts, because we must fight against the devil, +death, hell and sin, we must not allow any of our weapons to be taken +away, but keep intact the whole armor and equipment which God has +given us or use against our enemies. For you do not yet know what work +it is to fight with the devil and to overcome him. I know it well; I +have eaten salt with him once or twice[24]. I know him well, and he +knows me well, too. I only you knew him, you would not in this manner +drive out confession. + +I commend you to God. Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Cp. his experiences at the Wartburg. See Köstlin-Kawerau, I, 439 +ff. + +[2] Carlstadt, without authority, preached, administered the sacrament +and brought about the upheaval in the _parish_ church--Luther's own. +He was archdeacon and preacher at the _castle_ church. See Müller, +_Luther und Karlstadt_, 69 and passim. + +[3] In the _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility_ and the _Babylonian +Captivity_. See pp. 125 f., 136 f., and 215 f. of this volume. + +[4] Right to speak. + +[5] Power to do. + +[6] Melanchthon. + +[7] See above, p. 61. + +[8] Justus Jonas, provost at the castle church. + +[9] Gabriel Zwilling, an Augustinian, who, next to Carlstadt, was the +leader in forcing the reforms which Luther is here discussing. See +Introduction, p. 388. + +[10] Was Luther led by the name of Gabriel to add a last touch by the +mention of the other archangel, in the thought of St. Paul, that even +an angel from heaven cannot change the Gospel, Gal. 1:8. See note in +_Weimar Ed._, Xc, 438. See also a similar outburst in a letter to +Johann Lang in 1516, six years previous, where Gabriel Biel's name +furnished the incitement. Enders, I, 54; Smith, I, 42. + +[11] Namely, of the monasteries. + +[12] A monastic order, founded 1084, noted or the strictness of its +rule. + +[13] The Iconoclastic controversy in the Eastern church, which called +forth the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nice in 787, whose decrees +were favorable to images in the churches. The controversy, which raged +for over a century, was finally settled in 843. Since the promulgation +of this decree the First Sunday in Lent has been celebrated annually +as the "Feast of Orthodoxy." See _Realencyk._, III, 222 ff. + +[14] See above, p. 309. + +[15] i. e., Castor and Pollux. + +[16] Luther's great objection to the mass was its turning of the +Sacrament into a sacrifice. This view of the mass was for him an utter +perversion of the gospel, and, therefore, comes under the category of +essentials. See Vol. I, pp. 309 ff., and above, pp. 211 ff. + +[17] See above, p. 407, note 1. + +[18] Cf. above, p. 282. + +[19] In the canon law, C. 12, X, _de poenitentiis_. + +[20] On the last four paragraphs, cf. above, pp. 15 f. + +[21] On this title, see Introduction, p. 389. + +[22] "Let there be judgment and righteousness." To keep judgment is to +accuse and condemn ourselves; but to do righteousness is to trust in +the mercy of God. + +[23] The treatise _Von der Beichte, ob die der Papst Macht habe zu +gebieten_, written during the sojourn on the Wartburg. See _Weimar +Ed._, VIII, 129; _Erl. Ed._, XXVII, 318. + +[24] See above, p. 394. + + + +THAT DOCTRINES OF MEN ARE TO BE REJECTED + +TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINES OF +MEN (VON MENSCHENLEHREN ZU MEIDEN) + +1522 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +"Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee." +Somewhat in the spirit of these words Luther had planned to dedicate a +small book to his host of the Wartburg, Hans von Berlepsch. For a time +Luther had thought that von Berlepsch himself was bearing the expense +of his entertainment in that retreat, and that he was being more +royally treated than he deserved. Not only the material comforts with +which he was surrounded appealed to him, however. Von Berlepsch was +interested in Luther and in Luther's work. He talked with him +seriously on religious questions, and expressed a desire to have more +information, particularly concerning the authority of the teachings of +the Roman Church which had no direct warrant in Scripture. + +To this desire of von Berlepsch we can trace the origin of our +treatise, That the Doctrines of Men are to be Rejected. There is no +dedication to von Berlepsch, however, and no reference to the months +of companionship on the Wartburg. Luther returned from the Wartburg +early in March, 1522, and on the 28th of March sent the first part of +the treatise to Spalatin, with the request that it be forwarded to von +Berlepsch. The second part, the Reply to Texts Quoted in Defence of +the Doctrines of Men, was added in a second edition. + +This was not the only writing forwarded to von Berlepsch in memory of +the pleasant days spent on the Wartburg. Perhaps of even greater +interest was the gift sent on September 25, 1522--one of the first +complete copies of the German New Testament. + +Buchwald has called our treatise "a model of sound explanation of the +Scriptures for the purpose of refuting error." We must caution the +reader, however, not to think of Luther's occasional statements +concerning the authority of Scripture as final. Luther is still +largely upon medieval ground, accepting the premise of the Roman +Church, and refuting the practice of the popes, priests and monks from +the fundamental assumption of the authority of the Scriptures. The +succeeding years, the controversies with the leaders of the peasants +and with the heavenly prophets, led him to clearer views. Where in +this treatise he wrote, "The same things which are found in the Books +of Moses are found in the others. For the other books do no more than +show how in the course of history the word of Moses was kept or not +kept," he was thinking of the one Gospel which he found everywhere in +the Scriptures. But he distinguished carefully between the permanent +and the temporary in the Books of Moses and elsewhere, and speaks of +"that which God has decreed" in the Old Testament as having "come to +an end, and no longer binding the consciences of men" (p. 442). That +which is permanent is the Gospel, "for it is beyond question that all +the Scriptures point to Christ alone" (p. 432). Probably the clearest +statement of his views is found in a sermon preached in 1527: "The +Word was given in many ways from the beginning. We must not only ask +whether it is God's Word, whether God spoke it, but much more, to whom +He spoke it, whether it applies to you or to another." "The false +prophets rush in and say, 'Dear people, this is God's Word.' It is +true, and we cannot deny it; but we are not the people to whom He +speaks" (_Erl. Ed._, 33, 16.) + +In reading the treatise, therefore, it will be well to consider when +it was written and for whom; and not to think of it as a final +statement of Luther's views on the authority of the Scriptures. + +The treatise is found in the original German in Weimar Ed., X2; in +Erlangen, 28, 318-343; in Berlin, 2, 289-314. + + W. A. LAMBERT. + +South Bethlehem, PA. + + +THAT WE ARE TO REJECT THE DOCTRINES OF MEN: + +TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO THE TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINES +OF MEN + + +To all who read or hear this little book may God grant grace and +understanding. Amen. + +I, Martin Luther, have published this brief book for the comfort and +saving of the poor consciences which are by the law of men held in +bondage in monasteries and convents; that they may be able to arm and +strengthen themselves with the Word of God, so as to be steadfast in +the pains of death and other trials. But those who are overbold and +unruly, who give no other evidence of being Christians except that +they can eat eggs, meat and milk, stay away from confession and break +the images, etc.,--these I warn that I do not wish my words to help +them. For I regard them as the filthy people who defiled the camp of +Israel [Deut. 23:12 f.], although such cleanliness was enjoined upon +the people that a man was required to go outside the camp to ease +himself and to cover up with earth that which came from him. We also +must endure these unclean lapwings in our nest [Deut. 14:18, Lev. +11:19], until God teach them manners. This Christian liberty I would +have preached only to poor, humble, captive consciences, so that poor +children, nuns and monks, who would like to escape from their bondage +may inform their consciences how they may do so with God's approval +and without danger, and use their freedom in an orderly and Christian +way. May God grant His blessing. Amen. + +_That the doctrines of men are to be rejected: proof from the +Scriptures_. + +I + +Moses in Deuteronomy iv, 2 says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which +I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it," [Deut. 4:2] + +But some one will say that Moses speaks only of his word; but to the +books of Moses there have also been added many books of the prophets +and the entire New Testament. I answer: True; but nothing new has been +added: the same things that are found in the books of Moses are found +in the others. For the other books do no more than show how in the +course of history the word of Moses was kept or not kept. It is indeed +stated in different words and the histories are different, but +thoughout there is one and the same teaching. And here we can +challenge them to point out anywhere in all the books added to the +books of Moses a single word that is not found earlier in the books of +Moses. For it is beyond question that all the Scriptures point to +Christ alone. Now Christ says, in John V, 46, "Moses wrote of me." +[John 5:46] Therefore everything that is in the other books is also in +the books of Moses, and these are the original documents. + +II + +Isaiah xxix, 13, which the Lord quotes in Matthew xv, 8: "This people +draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me. +But in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and +commandments of men." [Isa. 29:13, Matt. 15:8] + +Mark the word of Christ, Who calls it vain worship to serve God after +the doctrines of men. For Christ is not drunken or a fool; on His word +we must build in all things rather than on all angels and creatures +[Gal. 1:8]. + +III + +The same Christ in the same chapter, Matthew xv, 11, says, "Not that +which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out +of the mouth, this defileth a man." [Matt. 15:11] + +This saying must be well understood, for it is powerful and mightily +overthrows all teaching, custom and manner of life that distinguishes +between foods, and it sets all consciences free from all laws +concerning food and drink; so that it is allowable to eat milk, +butter, eggs, cheese and meat every day, whether it be Sunday or +Friday, Lent or Advent; and no one needs to pay butter-money or buy +butter-letters. For this word stands firm and does not deceive: "That +which goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man." + +[Sidenote: Fast-days] + +From this it follows, first, that it is a lie when they say that St. +Peter instituted the fast-days and that the commandment of the Church +has made it a mortal sin to eat eggs, butter, milk and meat on +fast-days. For neither St. Peter nor the Church institutes or teaches +anything contrary to Christ. And if they did, we must not obey them. +To do what they ask would indeed not be wicked; but it is wicked to +make a necessity and a commandment of that which is free, and to +pretend that something does defile and is sin of which Christ Himself +says that it is no sin and does not defile. + +[Sidenote: Dispensation] + +It follows, secondly, that it is sheer devil's knavery for the pope to +sell letters and grant permission to eat butter, meat, etc.; for +Christ in this word has already made it a matter of liberty and has +permitted it. + +[Sidenote: Special Fast-days] + +In the third place, it is an error and a lie to say that goldfasts[1], +banfasts[2], and the fasts on the eve of Apostles' days and saints' +days must be observed and that their non-observance is sin, because +the Church has so commanded. For against everything of the kind stands +this word of Christ: "That which goeth into the mouth doth not defile +the man." Fasting should be free and voluntary, both as to the day and +as to the food, forever. + +[Sidenote: The Orders] + +Fourthly, the orders of St. Benedict, and of St. Bernard, the +Carthusians, and all others which avoid the use of meat and other food +because they hold that this is necessary and commanded and that not to +do so would be sin, contradict Christ. For their law flatly +contradicts the word of Christ and says: That which goeth into the +mouth defileth. Then they must make Christ a liar when He says: "That +which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man." Thus you see that +this one saying of Christ mightily condemns all orders and spiritual +rules. For if that which goeth into the mouth does not defile, how +much less will that defile which is put on the body? whether it be +cowl, coat, shirt, hose, shoes, cloak, whether green, yellow, blue, +red, white, motley, or whatever one wish. And the same is true of +places, whether churches, cells or the rooms of a house. + +It follows that he who regards it a sin for a monk to go without the +dress of his order, and would not leave it a matter of freedom, also +makes Christ a liar and makes that a sin which Christ freed from sin, +and says Yes! where Christ says No! What then are such monks but +people who say to Christ's very ace. Thou liest! there is sin in that +which thou sayest is not sin. It will not help them to quote St. +Bernard, St. Gregory, St. Francis and other saints. We must hear what +Christ says, Who alone has been made our Teacher by the Father, when +on Mount Tabor He said, Matthew xvii, 5, "This is my beloved Son, in +Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." [Matt. 17:5] He did not say. +Hear ye St. Bernard, St. Gregory, etc., but, Hear ye Him, Him, Him, my +beloved Son. Who knows how far the saints sinned or did right in this +matter? What they did, they did not of necessity nor by commandment. +Or if they did it as of necessity and by commandment, they erred, and +we must not forsake Christ to follow them. + +All this is confirmed by Christ in the words which follow in Matthew +xv, 11, "That which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. For +out of the mouth, coming forth from the heart, come evil thoughts, +adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, etc. +These defile a man." [Matt. 15:11] Here we ask, If that alone is sin +and defiles a man, which proceeds from the heart, as Christ here so +strongly argues and decides, how then can butter, milk, eggs, cheese +defile, which proceed not from the mouth nor from the heart, but come +from the belies of cows and of hens? Who has ever seen meat, tonsures, +cowls, monasteries, hair-shirts coming out of men's mouths? Then it +must be the cows that sin in giving us milk and butter, and in bearing +calves. + +Therefore, all the laws of monks and of men concerning food, clothing +and places and all things that are external, are not only blasphemy of +God and lying and deceiving, but the buffoonery of apes. It is true, a +man may have an inordinate desire to eat excessively and to dress +extravagantly; but that proceeds from the heart, and may refer to fish +as well as to meat, to gray homespun as well as to red velvet. In +short, Christ does not lie when He says, "That which goeth into the +mouth defileth not a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this +defileth a man." + +But if it is true that neglect to do what men command neither defiles +nor is sin, then on the other hand, the keeping and doing of men's +commandments cannot make us clean nor give us merit; since only the +opposite of sin and of the unclean is clean and gives merit. +Therefore, all of the monastic life neither makes clean nor gives +merit. And that is what the Lord Christ means when He says, Matthew +XV, 9, "In vain do they worship me with the commandments of men." +[Matt. 15:9] Why 'in vain'? Because neglecting them is no sin and +keeping them is no merit, but both are free. They deceive themselves, +therefore, and make a merit of that which is no merit, and are afraid +of sinning where there is no sin, as Psalm xiv, 5, says, "There have +they trembled for fear, where there was no fear." [Ps. 14:5] + +IV + +St. Paul in I Timothy iv, 1-7 says: "Now the Spirit speaketh +expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, +giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking +lies in hypocrisy; having their consciences seared with a hot iron; +forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God +hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe +and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to +be reused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified +by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance +of these things, thou shat be a good minister of Jesus Christ, +nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto +thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables." [1 +Tim. 4:1-7] + +O how this thunders and storms against all the works, doctrines and +orders of men. First, if they boast that they have derived their +practice from the pope and from holy fathers, what will Christ's +judgment be? Will He not say, "Paul, My Apostle, is My chosen vessel, +as Luke writes. Acts ix, 15: why then have you not ascribed greater +authority to his word than to that of the pope and the fathers, of +whom you do not know whose vessels they are?" [Acts 9:15] How will +they stand before Him? + +Next, we ask them whether butter, eggs, meat, milk and all the food +which they avoid on fast-days and in the orders, have not been created +by God, and are not God's good creatures? Then it is certain that they +are the men of whom Paul here says that they forbid the food which God +has created and has given to believers to use. And they also forbid +marriage, so that they cannot escape: this passage its them and is +spoken of them. Let us see what Paul thinks of them and how he +reproves them. + +[Sidenote: Departed from the Faith] + +I. They have departed from the faith; for they could not have +introduced such doctrines and works if they had not thought the +doctrines and works would make them pious and save them. But such an +opinion is of itself a sure sign that they have fallen away from the +faith, since it is the work of faith alone to do that which they +expect works to do, as has frequently been said. + +[Sidenote: Give Heed to Seducing Spirits] + +II. They give heed to seducing spirits. He does not say, "to seducing +men," but "to seducing spirits"; and these are they who pretend to be +spiritual and bear the name spiritual, and claim to be of the Spirit +and in the Spirit. But since they are without faith it is impossible +for them not to err in spiritual matters. Hence this is a fitting +succession: they depart from the faith and follow after error in the +spirit. + +[Sidenote: Doctrines of Devils] + +III. Their doctrines he calls "doctrines of devils." This also must +follow where faith and the true Spirit are wanting: the devil gives +them the seducing spirit and leads them on with beautifully varnished +doctrines and works, so that they think they are altogether spiritual. +But since the doctrine does not originate in the Scriptures, it can be +the doctrine of no one but the devil. + +[Sidenote: Speakers of Lies] + +IV. They are speakers of lies. For they at times quote even the +Scriptures and the sayings of the fathers and wrest them to support +their doctrines, as we see them do daily. But this is all false and a +lie, since the Scriptures are altogether against them. + +[Sidenote: Hypocrisy] + +V. It is sheer hypocrisy. This is true and needs no comment. For all +that they do is only appearance and show, concerned with external +matters of food and clothes. + +[Sidenote: Seared Conscience] + +VI. They have their conscience seared with a hot iron; that is, they +have an unnatural conscience. For where there is no sin nor matter of +conscience, they make sin and a matter of conscience, as was said +above. Just as a scar caused by searing is an unnatural mark on the +body. + +[Sidenote: Forbid to Marry] + +VII. They forbid to marry, by creating an estate in which there shall +be no marriage, as we see in the case of both priests and monks. +Wherefore, behold the judgment of God upon such doctrines and estates: +that they are doctrines of devils, seducing doctrines, false +doctrines, faithless doctrines, hypocritical doctrines. God help us! +Who would remain in them when God Himself passes such judgment? What +would it help you, if you had made a thousand vows and oaths on such +doctrines? Nay, the stricter the vow, the more reason to break it, +because it was made after the devil's doctrines and against God. + +[Sidenote: The Tatianists] + +But see how cleverly they worm themselves out and ward off this text +from themselves, saying that it does not apply to them, but to the +Tatianists[3], the heretics who condemned marriage altogether. Paul, +however, does not speak here of those who condemn marriage, but of +those who forbid it for the sake of appearing spiritual. Let us grant, +however, that Paul speaks against the Tatianists. Then, if the pope +does what the Tatianists did, why does it not apply to him as well? Be +they Tatianists or the pope, this text speaks of those who forbid +marriage. The words of Paul condemn the work, and make no distinction +about the person who does it. He who forbids marriage is the devil's +disciple and apostle, as the words clearly say. And since the pope +does this, he must be the devil's disciple, as must all his followers; +otherwise, St. Paul must be a liar. + +[Sidenote: Forbid Food] + +VIII. They forbid the food which God has created. Here, again, you see +that the doctrines of man are ascribed to the devil by God Himself +through the mouth of Paul. What greater and more terrible thing would +you wish to hear concerning the doctrines of men, than that they are a +falling away from the faith, seducing, false, devilish, hypocritical? +What will satisfy those whom this text does not satisfy? But if the +doctrine that forbids certain kinds of food is devilish and +unchristian, that which concerns clothes, tonsures, places and +everything external will be just as devilish and unchristian. + +[Sidenote: The Manicheans] + +But here again they worm themselves out, and say that St. Paul is +speaking of the Manicheans[4]. We are not asking about that. St. Paul +speaks of the forbidding of meats, and, be they Manicheans or +Tatianists, the pope and his followers forbid meats. Paul speaks of +the work which we see that the pope does. Therefore we cannot save him +from this text. If some other man arose today or tomorrow and forbade +meats, would it not apply to him, even if he were no Manichean? If +that way of interpreting Scripture were true, we might boldly do what +Paul here forbids, and say. It does not apply to us, but to the +ancient Manicheans. But that is not the way. Whether the pope with his +monks and priests be not a Manichean, I do not discuss; but I do say, +that in his teaching and works he contradicts the teaching of St. Paul +more than any Manichean. + +[Sidenote: Unthankful] + +IX. They are unthankful. For God has created meats, says St. Paul, to +be received with thanksgiving. And they refuse to receive them, that +they may have no occasion to be thankful for God's goodness. The +reason for which is, that they have no faith and do not know the +truth. For Paul says, I Tim. iv, 3, "To them which believe and to them +which know the truth, they are given to be used with thanksgiving." [1 +Tim. 4:3] But if they are unbelieving and do not know the truth, as +St. Paul here says they are, they are beyond question heathen, +non-Christians, blind and foolish. And this, I suppose, they regard as +praise of the pope, priests and monks! + +[Sidenote: Harmful Preachers] + +X. Paul rebukes them as wicked, harmful preachers; for he says that +Timothy shall be a good preacher, nourished up in the words of faith +and of good doctrine, if he will put the brethren in remembrance of +these things. It follows that they who teach the contrary must be +wicked preachers and be nourished with words of unbelief and of wicked +doctrines. + +[Sidenote: Old Wives' Fables] + +XI. He calls such doctrines profane and old wives' fables. Is not that +foolish talk? He says that the great doctors busy themselves with +fables such as old wives chatter about behind the stove, and calls +them profane, unchristian and unholy idle talk, although the doctors +claim that they are the very essence of holiness! + +Who has ever heard the doctrines of men so terribly decried in every +way? that they are apostate, unbelieving, unchristian, heathen, +seducing, devilish, false, hypocritical, searing the conscience, +unthankful, that they dishonor God and His creature and are harmful +ables and old wives' chatter. Let him who can, flee from beneath this +judgment of God. + +V + +St. Paul in Colossians ii, 16 and the following verses says: "Let no +man burden you in meat or in drink or in respect of certain days which +are holy days, or days of the new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow +of things to come, but the body is in Christ. Let no one seduce you +who follows his own will in the humility and religion of angels, of +whom he has never seen even one, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, +and does not hold fast the Head, from which all the body, by joints +and bands, is supplied with nourishment and is knit together, and so +groweth unto a stature given of God. If then you be dead with Christ +from the elements of this world, why do you burden yourselves with +ordinances as if you were alive? Ordinances which say. This thou shalt +not touch, this thou shalt not eat or drink, this thou shalt not put +on (which all perish in the using), according to the commandments and +doctrines of men, who have a show of wisdom because of their +self-chosen spirituality and humility, and because they do not spare +the body and do not supply its needs." [Col. 2:16 ff.] Is St. Paul +here also speaking of the Manicheans or Tatianists? Or can we find +excuse here for the papists? He speaks against those who take captive +the consciences of men with the doctrines of men and make matters of +conscience of food, drink, clothes, days and everything that is +external. And it cannot be denied that the pope, the chapters and +monasteries with their rules and statutes do this when they forbid the +eating of meat, eggs and butter, and the wearing of ordinary clothes +such as other people wear. And here stands St. Paul, and says: + +[Sidenote: Burden the Conscience] + +I. "Let no man burden your consciences, or judge or condemn you in +respect of food, drink, clothes or days." What does this mean if not +this: Be not priests nor monks, nor in any way keep the pope's laws; +and believe him not when he says that a certain thing is sin or a +matter of conscience. See, here God through Paul commands us to +despise the laws of the pope and of the monasteries, and to keep them +free, so that they do not take captive the conscience. That is as much +as to say, Do not become monks or priests, and let him who has become +monk or priest turn back, or else retain his position as a matter of +freedom without constraint of conscience. + +And although Paul wrote this of the Jews, who did such things +according to the Law (for he says in Colossians ii, 17, that they have +the shadow and type of things to come, but that the body itself is in +Christ [Col. 2:17]), yet it holds much more against the decrees of the +pope and of the monks. For if that which God has decreed comes to an +end and shall no longer bind the consciences of men, how much more +shall men neither decree nor keep anything that would bind the +conscience? And farther on more will be said of the laws of mere men, +for + +[Sidenote: By-paths] + +II. He says, "Let no one seduce you or lead you toward paths the prize +in by-paths." What does this mean but to lead men to works and away +from faith, which alone is the one right road by which to gain the +prize of salvation, to strive toward heaven by other ways, and to +claim that this is the way to gain the prize? And this is what the +orders and the pope's doctrines do. And what are the ways they +propose? Listen: + +[Sidenote: Humility] + +III. He says, "In self-willed humility and the religion of angels." +What words could better it the orders? Is it not true that the pope +and all of them prattle much of their obedience, which is said to be +the noblest virtue, that is, the precious spiritual humility of the +papists? But who has commanded this humility? They themselves have +invented it and sought it out that they might seduce themselves. For +with it they have withdrawn themselves from the common humility and +obedience which God has commanded, namely, that every one shall humble +himself and be subject to his neighbor. But they are subject to no man +on earth, and have withdrawn themselves entirely; they have made an +obedience and a humility of their own after their statutes. Yet they +claim that their obedience is superhuman, perfect and, as it were, +angelic, although there are no more disobedient and less humble people +on earth than they are. + +In the same way they also have their vows of chastity and poverty. +They do not work like other people but, like the angels in heaven, +they praise and worship God day and night; in short, their life is +heavenly, although nowhere on earth can you ind more horrible +unchastity, greater wealth, less devotional hearts, or more hardened +people than in the spiritual estate, as every one knows. Yet they +seduce all the world from the true way to the by-path with their +self-willed, beautiful, spiritual and angelic life. All this, it seems +to me, is not spoken of the Jews nor of the Manicheans, but of the +papists; the works prove it. + +[Sidenote: Uncertainty] + +IV. He says, "He walks in such religion and in that which he has never +seen." This is the very worst feature of the doctrines of men and the +life built upon them, that they are without foundation and without +warrant in the Scriptures, and that men cannot know whether what they +do is good or wicked. For all their life is an uncertain venture. If +you ask them whether they are certain that what they are and do is +pleasing to God, they say, they do not know, they must take the +chances: "the end will show us." And this is all they can say, for +they have no faith, and faith alone makes us certain that all that we +are is well-pleasing to God, not because of our merit, but because of +His mercy. Thus all their humility, obedience and all of their +religion is, at the very best, uncertain and in vain. + +[Sidenote: Vainly Puffed Up] + +V. "Vainly they puff themselves up," that is, they have no +reason to do so. For although their practices are uncertain, +unbelieving and altogether damnable, yet they make bold to puff +themselves up and to claim that they have the best and the only true +way, so that in comparison with theirs every other manner of living +stinks and is nothing at all. But this puffed-up carnal mind of theirs +they neither see nor feel, so great is their angelic humility and +obedience! O, the fruit of the doctrines of men! + +[Sidenote: Against Christ] + +VI. "They do not hold fast the Head," which is Christ. For the +doctrines of men and Christ cannot agree; one must destroy the other. +If the conscience finds comfort in Christ, the comfort derived from +works and doctrines must all; if it finds comfort in works, Christ +must fall. The heart cannot build upon a twofold foundation; one must +be forsaken. Now we see that all the comfort of the papists rests upon +their practices; for if it did not rest upon them, they would not +esteem them and would give them up, or else they would use them as +matters of freedom, how and when they pleased. + +If there were no other misfortune connected with the doctrines of men, +this were of itself all too great--that for their sake Christ must be +forsaken, the Head must be lost, and the heart must build on such an +abomination. For this reason St. Peter calls the orders abominable and +damnable heresies, which deny Christ, when he says, in the Second +Epistle, ii, I, "There shall arise among you false teachers, who +privily shall bring in damnable heresies, and deny the Lord that +bought them." [2 Pet. 2:1] + +[Sidenote: Why Burden the Conscience?] + +VII. It is clear enough that he means our spiritual estate when he +says, "If ye be dead with Christ, why do ye burden your consciences +with ordinances, such as: This thou shalt not touch, this thou shalt +not eat, this thou shalt not wear, etc." Who can here deny that God +through St. Paul forbids us to teach and to hear all doctrines of men, +in so far as they constrain the conscience? Who then can with a good +conscience be a monk or a priest, or be subject to the pope? They must +confess that their consciences are taken captive with such laws. Thus +thou seest what a mighty saying this is against all doctrines of men. +It is dreadful to hear that they forsake Christ the Head, deny the +faith and so must needs become heathen, and yet think their holiness +upholds the world. + +VI. + +Paul, in Galatians I, 8., says: "But though we, or an angel from +heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have +preached unto you, let him be accursed[5]. As we said before, so say I +now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye +have received, let him be accursed." [Gal. 1:8 f.] + +[Sidenote: God's Ban] + +In these words you hear a judgment of God against the pope and all +doctrines of men, which says that they are under the ban. And this ban +is not like the pope's ban; it is eternal and separates a man from +God, from Christ, from all salvation and from everything that is good, +and makes him the companion of devils. O what a terrible judgment is +this! Look now, whether the pope, priests and monks do not proclaim +another and a different doctrine than that taught by Christ and His +Apostles. We said above that Christ teaches, "What goeth into the +mouth doth not defile a man." Contrary to this and beyond it the pope, +priests and monks say, "Thou liest, Christ, in so saying; for the +eating of meat defiles a Carthusian and condemns him; and the same is +true of the other orders." Is not this striking Christ on the mouth, +calling Him a liar and blaspheming Him, and teaching other doctrines +than He taught? Therefore it is a just judgment, that they in their +great holiness are condemned like blasphemers of God with an eternal +ban. + +VII + +Paul, in Titus i, 14, says: "Teach them not to give heed Titus to +Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn them from the +truth." [Titus 1:14] + +[Sidenote: Christ, or Men?] + +This is a strong command, that we are not at all to regard the +commandments of men. Is not this clear enough? And Paul gives his +reason: they turn men from the truth, he says. For as has been said +above, the heart cannot trust in Christ and at the same time in the +doctrines or the works of men. Therefore, as soon as a man turns to +the doctrines of men he turns away from the truth, and does not regard +it. On the other hand, he who finds his comfort in Christ cannot +regard the commandments and the works of men. Look now, whose ban you +should fear most! The pope and his followers cast you far beyond hell +if you do not heed their commandments, and Christ commands you not to +heed them on pain of His ban. Consider whom you wish to obey. + +VIII + +II Peter ii, 1-3: "There shall be false teachers among you, who +privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that +bought them, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken +of, and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make +merchandise of you." + +[Sidenote: The Orders Damnable Heresies] + +So then, the orders and monastic houses are damnable heresies. Why? +Because they deny Christ, and blaspheme the way of faith. How? Christ +says, there is no sin and no righteousness in eating, drinking, +clothes, places and works of men; this they condemn, and teach and +live the opposite, namely, that sin and righteousness are in these +things. Hence Christ must be a liar, He must be denied and blasphemed +together with His teaching and faith. And they make use of feigned +words, and make much of their obedience, chastity and worship; but +only through covetousness, that they may make merchandise of us, until +they have brought all the wealth of the world into their possession, +on the ground that they are the people who by their worship would help +every man to heaven. For this reason they are and remain damnable and +blasphemous heresies. + +IX + +Christ says, in Matthew xxiv, 23 ff.: "Then if any man shall say unto +you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall +arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and +wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the +very elect. Behold, I have told you before, Wherefore if they shall +say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is +in the secret chambers; believe it not." + +Tell me, how can a monk be saved? He binds his salvation to a place +and says, "Here I find Christ; if I did not remain here, I should be +lost." But Christ says, "No, I am not here." Who will reconcile these +two? Therefore, it is clear from this word of Christ that all +doctrines which bind the conscience to places are contrary to Christ. +And if He does not allow the conscience to be bound to places, neither +does He allow it to be bound to meats, clothes, postures or anything +that is external. There is no doubt then that this passage speaks of +the pope and his clergy, and that Christ Himself releases and sets +free all priests and monks, in that He condemns all orders and +monasteries and says, "Believe not, go not out," etc. + +He says the same thing also in Luke xvii, 20 f.: "The kingdom of God +cometh not with observation, and men shall not say, Lo here! or, Lo +there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." [Luke 17:20 f.] + +Is not this also clear enough? The doctrines of men can command +nothing but external things; and since the kingdom of God is not +external, both teachers and disciples must needs miss the kingdom and +go astray. Nor will it help them to say that the holy fathers +instituted the orders. For Christ has already destroyed this argument, +since He says, that the very elect might be misled, that is, they will +err, but not remain in their error. How else would it be an exceeding +great error, if the elect were not misled? Let the teaching and the +practice of the saints be what it will, the words of Christ are +certain and clear. Him we must follow, and not the saints, whose +teaching and works are uncertain. What He says stands firm, "The +kingdom of God is among[6] you, and not at a distance, either here or +there." + +X + +Solomon, in Proverbs xxx, 5 f., says: "Every word of God is purified: +and is a shield unto all them that put their trust in it. Add thou not +unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." +[Prov. 30:5 f.] + +With this I will end or the present; or there is much more in the +prophets, especially in Jeremiah, of which I have written in the +treatise on Confession. Here then Solomon concludes that he is a liar +who adds aught to the words of God; for the Word of God alone is to +teach us, as Christ says, Matthew xxiii, 8, "Be ye not called masters. +One Master is in you, even Christ." [Matt. 23:8] Amen. + + +A REPLY TO TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENSE OF THE DOCTRINES OF MEN + + +The first is Luke x, 16, where Christ says, "He that heareth you, +heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." [Luke 10:16] He +spoke similar words in Matthew x, 40 [Matt. 10:40], and in John xiii, +20 [John 13:20]. Here, they claim, Christ demands of us that we accept +their man-made laws. + +[Sidenote: The Command of Christ] + +I reply: That is not true. For immediately before speaking these +words, Christ says, "Go and say, the kingdom of God is at hand." +[Matt. 10:7, Luke 10:9] With these words Christ stops the mouths of +all the teachers of the doctrines of men, and commands the apostles +what they are to teach, and Himself puts the words in their mouth, +saying that they shall preach the kingdom of God. Now he who does not +preach the kingdom of God is not sent by Christ, and him these words +do not concern. Much rather do these words demand of us that we hear +not the doctrines of men. Now to preach of the kingdom of God is +nothing else than to preach the Gospel, in which the faith of Christ +is taught, by which alone God dwells and rules in us. But the +doctrines of men do not preach about faith, but about eating, +clothing, times, places, persons and about purely external things +which do not profit the soul. + +[Sidenote: The Perversion of the Text] + +Behold how honestly the pious shepherds and faithful teachers have +dealt with the poor common people. This text, "Who hears you, hears +me," they have in a masterly fashion torn out of its context and have +terrified us with it, until they have made us subject to themselves. +But what precedes, "Preach the kingdom of God," they have taken good +care not to mention, and have bravely leaped over it, that they might +by no means be compelled to preach nothing but the Gospel. The noble, +and most excellent teachers! We ought to thank them for it! + +In Mark, the last chapter, we read that He sent out the disciples to +preach. Let us hear what command He gives them, and how He sets a +limit to their teaching and bridles their tongues, saying, "Go ye into +all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that +believeth, shall be saved," etc., Mark xvi, 15 [Mark 16:15]. He does +not say, Go and preach what you will, or what you think to be good; +but He puts His own word into their mouth, and bids them preach the +Gospel. + +In Matthew, the last chapter, He says, "Go and make disciples of all +nations, baptise them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of +the Holy Ghost; and teach them to observe all things which I have +commanded you." Here, again. He does not say, Teach them to observe +what you devise, but what I have commanded you. Therefore the pope and +his bishops and teachers must be wolves and the apostles of the devil; +it cannot be otherwise, for they teach not the commands of Christ, but +their own words. So also in Matthew xxv, 15, in the parable of the +three servants, the Lord points out that the householder bade the +servants trade not with their own property, but with his, and gave the +first five talents, the second two and the third one. [Matt. 25:15] + +Our second text is Matthew xxiii, 2 f., where the Lord says, "The +scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore whatsoever +they bid you observe, that observe and do." + +Here, here, they say, we have authority to teach what we think to be +right. + +[Sidenote: Moses' Seat] + +I answer: If that is what Christ means, then we are in a sorry plight. +Every pope might then create more new laws, until the world could no +longer contain all the laws. But they quote this text as they quote +the first. What do the words "sit in Moses' seat" mean? Let us ask, +what did Moses teach? And if he still sat in his seat today, what +would he teach? Beyond a doubt, nothing but what he taught of old, +namely, the commandments and the word of God. He never yet spoke the +doctrines of men, but what God commanded him to speak, as almost every +chapter of his shows. It follows, then, that he who teaches something +else than Moses teaches, does not sit in Moses' seat. For the Lord +calls it Moses' seat, because from it the doctrines of Moses should be +read and taught. The same meaning is contained in the words which +follow, in which the Lord says, "But do not ye after their works, for +they say, and do not; for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be +borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not +move them with one of their fingers." [Matt. 23:3 f.] + +See, here He reproves their works, because they add many laws to the +doctrines of Moses and lay them on the people, but themselves do not +touch them. And afterward He says, in verse 13, "Woe unto you, scribes +and Pharisees, hypocrites! which say, Whosoever shall swear by the +temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the +temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater? +the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" [Matt. 23:13, 16 +f.] Is it not clear that Christ here condemns their doctrines of men? +He can, therefore, not have confirmed them by speaking of sitting in +Moses' seat; else He would have contradicted Himself. Therefore Moses' +seat must mean no more than the Law of Moses, and the sitting in it no +more than the preaching of the Law of Moses. + +This is what Moses himself said of his seat and doctrine, Deuteronomy +iv, 2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you." [Deut. +4:2] And in Deuteronomy xii, 32, "What thing soever I command you, +observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it." +[Deut. 12:32] These doctrines they were required to teach in Moses' +seat; therefore Moses' seat cannot endure any doctrines of men. + +[Sidenote: St. Augustine] + +St. Augustine is quoted as having written in _the Book against the +Letter of the Manicheans_[7], "I would not believe the Gospel if I did +not believe the Church." + +Here you see, they say, we are to believe the Church more than the +Gospel. + +[Sidenote: Authority] + +I answer: Even if Augustine had used those words, who gave him +authority, that we must believe what he says? What Scripture does he +quote to prove the statement? What if he erred here, as we know that +he frequently did, as did all the fathers? Should one single sentence +of Augustine be so mighty as to refute all the texts quoted above? +That is not what God wills; St. Augustine must yield to them. + +Further, if that were St. Augustine's meaning, he would contradict +himself; for in very many places he exalts the Holy Scriptures above +the opinions of all teachers, above the decrees of all councils and +churches, and will have men judge of him and of the teachings of all +men according to the Scriptures. Why then do the faithful shepherds +pass by those sayings of St. Augustine, plain and clear as they are, +and light on this lonely one, which is so obscure and sounds so unlike +Augustine as we know him from all his writings? It can only be because +they want to bolster up their tyranny with idle, empty words. + +[Sidenote: Words Perverted] + +Furthermore, they are deceivers, in that they not only ascribe to St. +Augustine an opinion he did not hold, but they also falsify and +pervert his words. For St. Augustine's words really are, "I would not +have believed the Gospel if the authority of the whole Church had not +moved me." Augustine speaks of the whole Church, and says that +throughout the world it with one consent preaches the Gospel and not +the Letter of the Manicheans; and this unanimous authority of the +Church moves him to consider it the true Gospel. But our tyrants apply +this name of the Church to themselves, as if the laymen and the common +people were not also Christians. And what they teach they want men to +consider as the teaching of the Christian Church, although they are a +minority, and we, who are universal Christendom, should also be +consulted about what is to be taught in the name of universal +Christendom. See, so cleverly do they quote the words of St. +Augustine: what he says of the Church throughout all the world, they +would have us understand of the Roman See. + +But how does it follow from this saying that the doctrines of men are +also to be observed? What doctrine of men has ever been devised that +has been accepted and preached by all of the universal Church +throughout the world? Not one; the Gospel alone is accepted by all +Christians everywhere. + +[Sidenote: Their True Meaning] + +But then we must not understand St. Augustine to say that he would not +believe the Gospel unless he were moved thereto by the authority of +the whole Church. For that were false and unchristian. Every man must +believe only because it is God's Word, and because he is convinced in +his heart that it is true, although an angel from heaven and all the +world preached the contrary. His meaning is rather, as he himself +says, that he finds the Gospel nowhere except in the Church, and that +this external proof can be given heretics that their doctrine is not +right, but that that is right which all the world has with one accord +accepted. For the eunuch in Acts viii, 37, believed on the Gospel as +preached by Philip, although he did not know whether many or few +believed on it [Acts 8:37]. So also Abraham believed the promise of +God all by himself, when no man knew of it, Romans iv, 18 [Rom. 4:18]. +And Mary, Luke i, 38 [Luke 1:38], believed the message of Gabriel by +herself, and there was no one on earth who believed with her. In this +way Augustine also had to believe, and all the saints, and we too, +every one for himself alone. + +For this reason St. Augustine's words cannot bear the interpretation +they put upon them; but they must be understood of the external proof +of faith, by which heretics are refuted and the weak strengthened in +faith, when they see that all the world preaches and regards as Gospel +that which they believe. And if this meaning cannot be found in St. +Augustine's words, it is better to reject the words; for they are +contrary to the Scriptures and to all experience if they have that +other meaning. + +[Sidenote: The Apostles Also Men] + +Finally, when they are refuted with Scripture so that they cannot +escape, they begin to blaspheme God and say, "But St. Matthew, Paul +and Peter also were men; therefore what they teach is also the +doctrine of men. And if their doctrine is to be observed, let the +pope's doctrine be observed as well!" Such blasphemy is now being +uttered even by some princes and bishops, who count themselves wise. +When you hear such utterly hardened and blinded blasphemers, turn away +from them or stop your ears; they are not worthy that one should talk +with them. If that argument were to hold, then Moses also was a man, +and all the prophets were men. Then let us go our way, and believe +nothing at all, but regard everything as the doctrine of men, and +follow our fancy. + +[Sidenote: Answer] + +But if you will talk with them, do so, and say, Well, let St. Paul or +Matthew be the doctrine of men; then we ask, Whence comes their +authority? How will they prove that they have authority to teach and +to be bishops? Or how shall we know where the Church is? If they say +that St. Matthew has so asserted in Matthew xvi, 19 [Matt. 16:19], or +St. Paul in some place or other, do you say, But that does not hold: +they are the doctrines of men, as you say; you must have God's Word to +confirm you. And then you will find that these hardened blasphemers +put themselves to shame and confusion with their own folly. They +cannot even distinguish between a man who speaks for himself and one +through whom God speaks. The words of the Apostles were commanded them +by God, and confirmed and proved by great miracles, such as were never +done for the doctrines of men. And if they are certain in themselves, +and will prove it to us, that God has commanded them to teach as they +do, we will believe them as we believe the Apostles. If it is +uncertain whether the words of the Apostles are of God, who will give +us certainty that their doctrines of men are of God? _O furor et +amentia his saeculis digna!_[8] + +[Sidenote: Why Doctrines of Men are Condemned] + +But we do not condemn the doctrines of men because they are the +doctrines of men, for we would gladly endure them, but because they +are contrary to the Gospel and to the Scriptures. The Scriptures set +the consciences of men free, and forbid that they be taken captive +with the doctrines of men. The doctrines of men take captive the +conscience. This conflict between the Scriptures and the doctrines of +men we cannot reconcile. Hence, because these two forms of doctrine +contradict one another, we allow even young children to judge here +whether we are to give up the Scriptures, in which the one Word of God +is taught from the beginning of the world, or the doctrines of men +which were newly devised yesterday and change daily? And we hope that +every one will agree in the decision that the doctrines of men must be +forsaken and the Scriptures retained. For they cannot be reconciled, +but are by nature opposed to one another, like fire and water, like +heaven and earth; As Isaiah Iv, 8 f. says: "As the heavens are exalted +above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." [Isa. 55:8 f.] +Now he who walks on the earth cannot at the same time walk in heaven, +and he who walks in heaven cannot walk on the earth. + +Therefore we request the papists that they first reconcile their +doctrines with the Scriptures. If they accomplish that, we will +observe their doctrines. But that they will not do before the Holy +Spirit has become a liar. Therefore we say again. The doctrines of men +we censure not because they are spoken by men, but because they are +lies and blasphemies against the Scriptures. And the Scriptures, +although they also were written by men, are not of men nor from men, +but from God. Now since Scriptures and the doctrines of men are +contrary the one to the other, one must lie and the other be true. Let +us see to which of the two they themselves will ascribe the lie. Let +this suffice. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Goldfasts are the ember-fasts, on the three ember-days of each of +the four seasons of the year; possibly called "goldfasts" because on +these days rents were collected. See _Realencyklopädie_, 5: 780, 9. + +[2] The fasts enjoined upon a people by a public edict or ban. The +term "ban" as here used does not denote the Church's excommunication, +but an authoritative proclamation. + +[3] The Tatianists, followers of Tatian, who lived in Syria in the +middle of the second century. Tatian, apparently basing his view of +marriage upon 1 Cor. 7:5, ascribes the institution of marriage and the +whole Old Testament Law to the devil. Eusebius held that Tatian was +the founder of a sect known as the _Encratites_, or _Abstainers_. +Modern historians see in the _Encratites_ groups of ascetic Christians +found frequently in the early Church, somewhat similar to the later +monks and nuns, so that Harnack can write that Tatian "joined the +Encratites." _Dogmengeschichte_3, I, 227 n. See _Realencyklopädie_3, +19, 386-394 on Tatian; 5, 392 f. on the Encratites. + +[4] The Manicheans, strictly speaking not a Christian sect, but a +rival religious community, which made inroads upon the Christian +Church. Founded by the Babylonian Mani, who was born in the third +century, they taught the inherent evil of all matter, and consequently +had many fasts, averaging seven days in each month, while the +"perfect" among them abstained from meat, wine and marriage. See +_Realencyklopädie_ 3, 12, 193-228; von Orelli, _Religionsgeschichte_, +279-291. + +[5] The Greek _anathema_ Luther here translates _ein Bann_, "let him +be a ban." This explains the reference to the ban below. + +[6] _Stehet untereuch_, whereas above Luther writes _ist inwendig in +euch_. + +[7] _Contra Epistolam Manichaei_, vi, _Paris Ed._, 1839, 28: 185: _Ego +vero Evangelic non crederem, nisi me ecclesiae catholicae commoveret +anctoritas_. On the preceding page Augustine had written: "If the +claim of truth be shown to be so evident that it cannot be called into +question, it is to be preferred before all those things by which I am +held in the Catholic faith." + +[8] O raging madness, worthy of our age! + + + +INDEX + + + +SCRIPTURE REFERENCES + + +INDEX + + +Abel +Abraham +Absolution + power of +Abuses +Accident and substance +Adam +Adjutories +Administratio +Adversity +Agnes, St. +Agricola +Agriculture +Ahasuerus +Ahaz +d'Ailly +Albrecht of Brandenburg +Alexander of Hales +Alexander VI. +Alien sins +Allegories +Alveld +Ambrose +Amen, meaning of +Amerbach, Boniface +Amsdor +Angelic Sum +Angels +Angelus de Clavissio +Armas +Annates +Amie, St. +Anniversaries +Anniaities +Anthony, St. +Antichrist +Antonius of Florence +Antwerp +Apostles +Apostolic Council +Aquinas, Thomas +Archbishop +Aristotle +Articles of faith +Attrition +Augsburg, Diet of +Augustine, St. +Augustinian fathers +Augustinus Trimnphus +Auriaber +Avarice + +Babylon +Babylonian captivity +Balaam +Balaam's ass +Bamberg +Ban + power of + greater and lesser + purpose of + penalty of +Ban, danger of + harms no one + a medicine + to be respected + to be loved + unjust, to be desired + or debt + abuses of + does not exclude from Gospel +Banfasts +Baptism + grace of + makes priests + foundation of sacraments + a ship + God's work + formula of + by wicked minister + efficacy of + significance of + vows of + comfort of +Bar to grace +Barbara, St. +Barnabas +Basel, Council of +Beer-money +Begging +Belief and faith +Belvidere +Benedict, St. +Benefit of clergy +Berlepsch, Hans von +Bernard, St. +Bethaven +Biel, Gabriel +Bigamy +Birettas +Bishops +Bishops' paths +Blandina, St. +Blasphemy +Bohemians +Bonaventure +Boniace VIII. +Both kinds in the sacrament +Botschaten +Brandenburg +Bread, Sacrament of the Altar + daily, is Christ +Breves +Brotherhood, Christian +Brotherhoods + perversion of + kinds of + proper conduct of +Bull, Coena Domini + papal +Burer, Albrecht +Butter-letters + +Cæsarini, Cardinal +Caiaphas +Cairo +Cajetan +Cambray, Cardinal of +Campolore +Canaan +Canon law +Canon of the mass +Canonical hours +Canonization +Canonry +Captivity of the Church + v. Babylonian Captivity. +Cardinals +Carlstadt +Carmelites +Carthusian +Castor and Pollux +Casus reservati +Catechisms +Cathedrals +Celibacy +Ceremonialist +Ceremonies +Certainty of salvation +Chancery, rules in +Chapters +Character indelebilis +Charity +Charles the Great +Charles V. +Chartreuse +Chastity +Christ + spiritual body of + as king and priest + sacrifice of the altar + sacrament + faith in +Christian nobility, duty of +Christian, the name + what makes + marks of a +Christianity +Church + authority of + cannot institute sacraments + community of Christians + our mother + and state +Church laws +Cicero +Circumcision +Circumstances +Clement V. +Clement VI. +Clement VII. +Clergy +Coadjutorships +Cognatio legalis and spiritualis +Collect +Cologne +Commandments of God +Commandments, Ten +Commend +Commerce +Communio +Communion + worthy + in two kinds + of saints +Complutensian polyglott +Compositions +Concordat of Vienna +Confession +Confessionalia +Confirmation +Congregations, power to elect priests, +Consanguinity, spiritual +Conscience +Constance, Council of +Constantine, Emperor +Contested benefices +Contrition +Corporal cloths +Corporations +Corpus juris canonici +Councils +Councils can err +Courtesans +Creed +Cremona +Crusades +Crying sins +Cyprian + +Daniel + the pope as +Datarius +David +Deacons +Death + must serve the Christian +Decretals +Devil +Dignities +Dionysius, Areopagita +Disparihtas religionis +Dispensations +Divorce +Doctorate +Doctrines of men +Dominic, St. +Donation of Constantine +Donatus, St. +Dress, extravagance in +Dims Scotus +Durandus + +Eck, John +Economic reforms +Edification of the Church +Elevation of the host +Elisha +Elvira, Council of +Emperor +Emser +England +Erasmus +Erurt +Estates of Christendom +Eternal life +Eugenius IV. +Evil spirit +Excesses in eating and drinking +Excommunication +Executio +Exemptions +Extortion +Extreme unction +Ezekiel + +Fable quoted +Faculties +Faith + not a work + and promise + and works + alone justifies + all things depend on + fulfils commandments + unites with Christ + and love +Fasts +Fathers of the Church +Feast days +Feldkirchen +Fellowship, twofold + spiritual +Five senses, sins of +Florence, Council of +Forgiveness of sins +Forma sacramenti +Foundations +France +Francis, St. +Franciscans +Fraternities +Frederick, Duke +Frederick, Elector +Frederick I. +Frederick II. +Free will +Fruits of the mass +Fugger of Augsburg + +General Council +George of Saxony +German knights + bishops and princes + nation + emperors + empire + mass +Germans +Germany +Gerson, John +Gibeonites +Gideon +Glosses +God, faith in +God's bosom +Golden rule +Golden years +Goldfasts +Gospel +Goths +Government, good, a gift of grace +Grammatical sense of Scripture +Gratiæ expectivse +Greek Church + emperor +Greeks +Grimmenthal + +Hadrian VI. +Halberstadt +Halle +Hamburg +Henry IV. and V. +Henry VIII +Heresy +Heretics +Herod +Hess, John +Hezekiah +Himmelsbriee +Hindrance of crime + error +Holy Ghost, faith in +Hubert, St. +Huss, John +Hussites +Hutten, Ulrich von +Hymns of praise + +Iconoclastic controversy +Idolatry +Ignorance +Images +Immersion +Impediments +Impedimentum criminis + erroris + ligaminis + ordinis +Impotence +Incarnation +Incompatibilia +Incorporation +Indulgences +Indulta +Infant baptism +Ingenwinkel, Joh. +Innocent I. +Innocent III. +Innocent VIII. +Inquisition +Intercessions +Interdict +Investiture +Irregular monks +Isaiah +Isolani, Isidore +Israel +Italy + +Jahrmarkt +James, St., Epistle of +Jehu +Jereboam +Jeremiah +Jerome + of Prague +John XXII. +Jonas, Justus +Jordan, crossing of +Joseph, affliction of +Jubilee years +Judas +Judgment day +Julius II. +Jus patronum +Jus verbi +Justification by faith + +Kessler, John +Keys, power of +Kingdom of God +Kingship of the Christian +Kirchweihen +Koran + +Laity +Lang, Johan +Lateran Council +Law, the +Law in the universities +Laws as snares for souls + of men + V. Doctrines of men. +Lay-baptism +Legal relationships +Leipzig + Disputation +Leo III. +Leo X. +Letters of confession +Liberty + not external + and service +Licenses +Link, Wenceslaus +Livings +Lombard, Peter +Lord's Prayer +Lord's Supper +Lotther, Melchior +Louis, King of France +Louvain +Love +Luther + pastoral concern + the German + as a fool + knowledge of Aristotle + not a mathematician + as a musician + compelled to speak + his progress + his duty + recantation + appeal to a council + zeal + separation from Rome + appeal to the pope + friend of the pope + his faith + as a reformer + purpose of writing + +Magdeburg +Magistrate +Mainz +Man, nature of + inward + outward + of sin +Manichaeans +Manoah +Marcus Aurelius +Margaret of Braunschweig +Marriage + of the clergy + forbidden degrees + a type + a sacrament + hindrances +Martyrs +Mass + sacrifice of + letters + anniversary + mortuary + endowed +Maximilian, Emperor +Mecklenburg +Medicine in universities +Meissen +Melanchthon +Melchizedek +Memorial days +Mendicants orders +Merchants +Merseburg +Miltitz, Carl von +Ministerium +Ministry +Miracles +Missa catechumenorum and fidelium +Monasteries +Monastic life +Monstrance +Moses +Moses' seat +Mother of God +Mühlphort, Hieronymus +Murner, Thomas +Mute sins +Mystery + and sacrament +Mystics + +Name of God +Naples and Sicily, Kingdom of +Nathan +Natural law + revelation +New Testament +Nicæa, Council of +Nimrod +Noah +Nobility, German +Nürnberg, Diet of + +Oblations +Observance +Occam, William of +Officia of the pope +Officials +Old Testament +Opus operantis +Opus operatum +Order to be observed +Orders, monastic +Ordinaries +Ordination +Origen +Ottilia, St. +Our Lady + +Pallium +Palmers +Papacy +Papal court + secretaries + months + family + servant + letters + homage +Parents, duty toward +Participations +Passover +Patience +Patron saints +Paul, St. +Penalties to be abolished +Penance + second plank +Penitence +Persia +Peter, St. +Pfeffinger, D. +Philip of Hesse +Philosophy +Picards +Pilate +Pilgrimages +Pius, Pope +Pope + power of + can be deposed + errors of + tyranny + an idol + compared with Christ + wealth of + infallibility of + worldliness of + vicar of crucified Christ + vicar of absent Christ + duty of + temporal power of + letter to +Power not to be trusted +Prague +Prayer +Preachers +Preaching, true +Prebend +Precepts of the Church +Presbyters +Prierias, Sylvester +Priesthood of believers + why men seek + is ministry of the Word +Priests +Priests, officeholders + duty of +Primate +Private confession + mass +Privilegium fori +Promise of God +Proprius motus +Prostitution +Proverbs quoted +Purgatory + +Quedunburg, convent + +Real presence +Reason +Reformation +Reforms suggested +Regeneration +Regensburg +Regression +Remission of sins +Rentenkauf +Repentance +Res sacramenti +Reservatio pectoralis +Reservation, right of +Reserved cases +Rhine-toll +Rods, three +Roman curia +Roman Empire +Roman See +Romanists +Rome +Rulers, wicked + +Sacrament of the Altar + institution of + reception of + not a law + not a sacrifice + daily use of + significance of + preparation for + benefit of + a sign + purpose of + misuse of + faith of + right use of + necessity of +Sacrament, types of + and the pope +Sacraments + parts of + signs of + two principal + grace of + fount of love + not a good work + efficacy of + of Old and New Law + significance of + not effective signs of grace + institution of +Sacramentum is mystery +Sacrifices +Safe conduct +Saints +Saints' days +Samuel +Sardica, Council of +Satisfactions +Saul +Schism +Schismatics +Schools, Christian + for girls +Scrinium pectoris +Scriptures + commands and promises +Sebastian, St. +Secret sin +Sects +Sedulius, CÅ“lius +Sentences +Sententious theologians +Sermons +Signatura gratiæ and justitiæ +Signiicasti, Chapter +Simony +Sins + demand punishment + seven deadly +Siricius, Pope +Sixtus IV. +Slanderers +Social evil +Sodalities +Solite, Chapter +Solomon +Soul + immortality of +Spalatin +Spice trade +Spiritual, what makes us + duties + relationship + law +States of the Church +Stationaries +Staupitz +Stephen, St. +Sternberg +Strassburg +Students, restriction of +Substance and accident +Sycophants +Synaxis + +Tatianists +Teachings of men, v. Doctrines of men. +Temporal estate + power +Temptations +Ten Commandments +Testament +Testament, words of +Tetzel +Teufelsbriefe +Theodidacti +Theodosius +Theology in the universities + text-books +Theses, XCV +Thomists +Timothy +Titus +Transaccidentation +Transubstantiation, + of communicant +Trent, Council of +Trier +Triple crown +Truth +Tulich, Herman +Turks + worst in Rome +Types +Tyranny, Roman + +Unbelief +Unchastity +Unio +Unity of the Church +Universities +Usury + +Valentine, St. +Valla, Laurentius +Varna, Battle of +Venice +Vergil +Vienna, Council, of +Virgin Mary +Visions +Votaries +Votive masses +Vows + of celibacy + ceremonial laws + triple + +Wallbrüder +Walls, the three, of Rome +Wartburg +Wicked, success of +Will of God +Wilsnack +Witchcraft +Wittenberg +Wladislav +Word of God +Works + measure of + good, are sins + do not justify +Works of love + six, of mercy +World +Worms, Diet of +Worship, true +Würzburg, 82 +Wyclif + +Zedekiah +Zink, Johaimes +Zinskau +Zwickau Prophets +Zwilling, Gabriel + + +SCRIPTURE REFERENCES + + +Genesis-- + 1:31 + 2:15 + 3:15 + 3:17 + 3:19 + 4:5 + 9:12 + 9:15 + 12:3 + 13:5 + 17:10ff + 18:19 + 19:24 + 21:12 + 49:3 + +Exodus-- + 12:8, 11 + 12:35ff + 13:2 + 13:13 + 20:4 + 20:12 + 20:17 + 22:28 + 23:15 + 34:20 + 37:7 + +Leviticus-- + 8:27 + 11:19 + 18:6ff + +Numbers-- + 3:13 + 21:9 + 22:28 + 24:24 + +Deuteronomy-- + 1:31 + 4:2 + 4:19 + 8:3 + 10:16 + 12:32 + 14:18 + 16:16. + 23:12f. + 24:1 + 25:5 + 28:14 + 32:35 + +Joshua-- + 3:7 + 6:20 + 9:19 + +Judges-- + 6:36ff + 9:2 + 13:19 + 20:21 + +I. Samuel-- + 2:30 + 16:13 + +II. Samuel 7:16 + +I. Kings-- + 1:38 + 12:26 + 12:31 + 18:21 + 19:20 + +II. Kings-- + 9:1 + 18:4 + 24:20 + 25:4 + +Esther 1:5 + +Job 31:27 + +Psalms-- + 13:3f + 14:5 + 18;8 + 18:26 + 19:1ff + 19:8 + 23:5 + 30:5 + 32:5f + 33:16 + 44:23 + 58:4 + 63:5 + 64:1 + 67:1f + 104:15 + 106:3 + 107:20 + 109:28 + 111:2 + 112:7 + 115:1 + 119 + 119:85 + 134:2 + 137:1 + 143:2 + +Proverbs-- + 6:27 + 15:8 + 30:5f + 30:15 + +Ecclesiastes-- + 1:2 + 3:7 + +Song of Solomon 2:16 + +Isaiah-- + 2:8 + 3:4 + 3:10 + 5:4 + 3:13f + 7:10ff + 9:20 + 10:22 + 28:14 + 28:21 + 29:13 + 37:4 + 55:8 + 56:10 + 61:8 + 66:2 + +Jeremiah-- + 2:32 + 4:4 + 5:3 + 17:9 + 23:21 + 29:7 + 48:10 + 51:9 + +Lamentations-- + 1:1f + 1:11 + 2:11ff + +Ezekiel 2:6 + +Daniel-- + 1:6 + 2:21 + 3:30 + 4:14 + 4:35 + 5:29 + 6:16 + 11:39,43 + +Hosea-- + 2:19 + 4:6 + 4:15 + 10:5 + 13:9 + +Joel 1:5 + +Amos-- +6:1 +6:4-6 +8:11 + +Jonah 3:5 + +Habakkuk 2:4 + +Zechariah 2:8 + +Malachi 2:7 + +Matthew-- + 3:2 + 3:6 + 4:1ff + 4:4 + 4:17 + 5:3 + 5:16 + 5:18 + 5:22 + 5:25 + 5:29 + 5:32 + 5:40 + 5:45 + 6:7 + 6:12 + 6:14 + 7:3 + 7:12 + 7:15 + 7:18 + 7:20 + 8:13 + 9:1 + 10:7 + 10:8 + 10:10 + 10:16 + 10:40 + 11:23 + 12:1ff + 12:33 + 13:14 + 13:52 + 15:4 + 15:8 + 15:9 + 15:11 + 15:13 + 15:14 + 16:19 + 17:5 + 17:24ff + 17:33 + 18:4 + 18:10 + 18:15 + 18:18 + 18:19f + 18:20 + 18:24, 28 + 19:6 123, 263. + 19:6 + 21:13 + 22:2f 20 + 23:3f + 23:8 + 23:13 + 23:14 + 23:15 + 23:16f + 24:5 + 24:15 + 24:23f + 24:24 + 25:15 + 25:40 + 26 + 26:2 + 26:21ff + 26:26 + 26:27 + 26:28 + 26:29 + 26:41 + 27:34 + 27:35 + 28:19 + +Mark-- + 2:27 + 6:13 + 9:23 + 10:16 + 11:24 + 14 + 14:22 + 14:23 + 15:23 + 16:15 + 16:16 + 16:17 + 16:18 + +Luke-- + 1:38 + 1:52 + 1:53 + 2:22 + 2:34 + 6:30 + 7:16 + 9:48 + 9:56 + 10:7 + 10:9 + 10:16 + 11:5ff + 11:16 + 11:28 + 12:14 + 12:32 + 16:22 + 17:20f + 21:34 + 22 + 22:19f + 22:25 + 22:32 + 22:20 + 23:26 + +John-- + 1:12 + 1:51 + 4:14 + 5:46 + 6:9 + 6:27 + 6:35, 41, 51 + 6:37,39 + 6:45 + 6:53, 55 + 6:54 + 6:63 + 7:38 + 8:7 + 8:11 + 8:26 + 8:44 + 8:50 + 9:31 + 10:27 + 11:25 + 13:1ff + 13:20 + 14:6 + 17:9, 20 + 17:12 + 17:36 + 18:36 + 20:15-17 + 20:22ff + 20:23 + +Acts-- + 2:46f + 3:6 + 4:34f + 5:5 + 5:9 + 5:39 + 6:4 + 6:6 + 8:18 + 8:17 + 8:37 + 9:15 + 9:19 + 13:10 + 14:11-16 + 15:6 + 16:3 + 17:16ff + 17:22 + 17:54 + 18:6 + 28:11 + +Romans-- + 1:11 + 1:5 + 1:17 + 1:28 + 1:32 + 3:10ff + 3:23 + 4:3 + 4 + 4:11 + 4:18 + 5:3 + 5:4 + 5:5 + 6:4,6 + 7:22 + 8:23 + 8:28 + 8:31 + 8:35, 3 + 8:36 + 9:16 + 9:33 + 10:4 + 10:9 + 10:10 + 10:17 + 11:32 + 12:4ff + 12:17 + 12:19 + 13 + 13:1, 4 + 13:4 + 13:8 + 13:10 + 14:1ff + 14:3 + 14:5 + 14:7f + 14:14f + 14:22 + 14:23 + +I. Corinthians-- + 1:1 + 1:2 + 1:7 + 1:21 + 1:23 + 2:2 + 2:7 + 2:12 + 2:15 + 3:18 + 3:22 + 4:1 + 4:15 + 4:20 + 5:5 + 5:11 + 6:1ff + 6:7 + 6:12 + 7:5 + 7:7 + 7:9 + 7:15 + 7:18ff + 7:23 + 8:4 + 8:13 + 9:4ff + 9:14 + 9:19 + 9:27 + 10 + 10:5 + 10:16 + 10:17 + 10:23 + 10:25ff + 11 + 11:20 + 11:21 + 11:23 + 11:24 + 11:25 + 11:29 + 11:30 + 12:12ff + 12:25f + 13:1 + 13:2 + 13:5 + 13:12 + 14:23 + 14:30 + 15:55ff + +II. Corinthians-- + 2:17 + 3:17 + 4 + 4:13 + 4:16 + 10:3 + 10:8 + 11:13 + 11:31 + 12:9 + 13:8 + 13:10 + +Galatians-- + 1:8 + 2:3 + 2:11 + 2:14 + 2:20 + 3:4 + 4:4 + 5:1 + 5:6 + 5:17 + 5:22 + 5:24 + 6:2 + 6:5 + +Ephesians-- + 2:3 + 2:8 + 3:20 + 4:4 + 4:14 + 4:28 + 5:9 + 5:27 + 5:29 + 5:31 + 6:12 + 6:17 + +Philippians-- + 1:21 + 2:1 + 2:4 + 2:5 + 2:6 + 2:7 + 3:2 + 4:13 + +Colossians-- + 2:16 + 2:20 + 2:22 + +I. Thessalonians-- + 2:16 + 4:6 + 5:21 + 5:22 + +II. Thessalonians-- + 2:3 + 2:3-10 + 2:9 + 2:11 + 3:10 + 3:14 + 3:15 + +I. Timothy-- + 1:7 + 1:9 + 2:1 + 2:8 + 3:2 + 3:16 + 4:1ff + 4:2f + 4:3 + 4:4f + 4:5 + 4:8 + 5:22 + +II. Timothy-- + 2:3 + 2:9 + 2:13 + 3:2 + 3:5-7 + 3:7 + 3:8 + 3:13 + +Titus-- + 1:6 + 1:14 + 3:1 + 3:5 + +Hebrews-- + 1:3 + 6 + 9:16 + 10:19, 22 + 10:23 + 11 + 11:6 + 12:15 + +James-- + 1:6 + 1:18 + 5:14 + 5:16 + +I. Peter-- + 2:11 + 2:2 + 2:9 + 2:10 + 2:13, 15 + 2:14 + 2:18 + 3:13 + 5:3 + 5:5 + 5:10 + +II. Peter-- + 1:9 + 2:1 + 2:1-3 + 2:3 + +I. John-- + 1:9 + 2:18, 22 + 3:2 + 4:3 + +II. John 10 + +Revelation-- + 2:9 + 5:10 + 13 + 22:11 + +OLD TESTAMENT APOCRYPHA + +Judith 6:15 + +Wisdom 6:8 + +Ecclesiasticus-- + 10:13 + 32:27 + +Baruch-- + 1:11 + 3:38 + +II. Maccabees 4:8, 12 + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Works of Martin Luther, by Luther Martin + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER *** + +***** This file should be named 34904-0.txt or 34904-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/9/0/34904/ + +Produced by Michael McDermott, from scans obtained at the +Internet Archive + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Works of Martin Luther + With Introductions and Notes (Volume II) + +Author: Luther Martin + +Translator: J. J. Schindel + C. M. Jacobs + +Release Date: January 10, 2011 [EBook #34904] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER *** + + + + +Produced by Michael McDermott, from scans obtained at the +Internet Archive + + + + + +WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER + +WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES + +VOLUME II + +PHILADELPHIA +A. J. HOLMAN Company +1916 + +Copyright, 1915, by +A. J. HOLMAN Company + +WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER + +CONTENTS + + A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT + AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS (1519). + Introduction (J. J. Schindel) + Translation (J. J. Schindel) + A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN (1520). + Introduction (J. J. Schindel) + Translation (J. J. Schindel) + AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY (1520). + Introduction (C. M. Jacobs) + Translation (C. M. Jacobs) + THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH (1520). + Introduction (A. T. W. Steinhaeuser) + Translation (A. T. W. Steinhaeuser) + A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY (1520). + Introduction (W. A. Lambert) + Translation (W. A. Lambert) + A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, + THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER (1520). + Introduction (C. M. Jacobs) + Translation (C. M. Jacobs) + THE EIGHT WITTENBERG SERMONS (1522). + Introduction (A. Steimle) + Translation (A. Steimle) + THAT DOCTRINES OF MEN ARE TO BE REJECTED (1522). + Introduction (W. A. Lambert) + Translation (W. A. Lambert) + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY AND TRUE BODY +OF CHRIST AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS + +1519 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +This treatise belongs to a series of four which appeared in the latter +half of the year 1519, the others treating of the Ban, Penance, and +Baptism. The latter two with our treatise form a trilogy which Luther +dedicates to the Duchess Margaret of Braunschweig and Lüneburg. + +He undertakes the work, as he says, "because there are so many +troubled and distressed ones--and I myself have had the +experience--who do not know what the holy sacraments, full of all +grace, are, nor how to use them, but, alas! presume upon quieting +their consciences with their works, instead of seeking peace in God's +grace through the holy sacrament; so completely are the holy +sacraments obscured and withdrawn from us by the teaching of men."[1] + +In a letter to Spalatin[2] of December 18, 1519, he says that no one +need expect treatises from him on the other sacraments, since he +cannot acknowledge them as such. + +A copy from the press of John Grünenberg of Wittenberg reached Duke +George of Saxony by December 24, 1519, who on December 27th already +entered his protest against it with the Elector Frederick and the +Bishops of Meissen and Merseburg[3]. Duke George took exception +particularly to Luther's advocacy of the two kinds in the +Communion[4]. This statement of Luther, however, was but incidental to +his broad and rich treatment of the subject of the treatise. + +It was Luther's first extended statement of his view of the Lord's +Supper. As such it is very significant, not only because of what he +says, but also because of what he does not say. There is no reference +at all to that which was then distinctive of the Church's doctrine, +the sacrifice of the mass. Luther has already abandoned this position, +but is either too loyal a church-man to attack it or has not as yet +found an evangelical interpretation of the idea of sacrifice in the +mass, such as he gives us in the later treatise on the New +Testament[5]. However, already in this treatise he gives us the +antidote for the false doctrine of sacrifice in the emphasis laid upon +faith, on which all depends[6]. The object of this faith, however, is +not yet stated to be the promise of the forgiveness of sins contained +in the Words of Institution, which are a new and eternal testament[7]. + +The treatise shows the influence of the German mystics[8] on Luther's +thought, but much more of the Scriptures which furnish him with +argument and illustration for his mystical conceptions. Christ's +natural body is made of less importance than the spiritual body[9], +the communion of saints; just as in the later treatise on the New +Testament the stress is placed on the Words of Institution with their +promise of the forgiveness of sins. Luther does not try to explain +philosophically what is inexplicable, but is content to accept on +faith the act of the presence of Christ in the sacrament, "how and +where,--we leave to Him."[10] + +Of interest is the emphasis on the spiritual body, the communion of +saints. Luther knows that although excommunication is exclusion from +external communion, it is not necessarily exclusion from real +spiritual communion with Christ and His saints[11]. No wonder, then, +that he can later treat the papal bull with so much indifference; it +cannot exclude him from the communion of saints. + +The treatise consists of three main divisions: sections 1 to 3 +treating of the outward sign of the sacrament; sections 4 to 16, of +the inner significance; sections 17 to 22, of faith. Added to this is +the appendix on the subject of the brotherhoods or sodalities, +associations of laymen or charitable and devotional purposes. Of these +there were many at this time, Wittenberg alone being reported as +having twenty-one. Luther objects not only to their immoral conduct, +but also to the spiritual pride which they engendered. He finds in the +communion of saints the fundamental brotherhood instituted in the holy +sacrament, the common brotherhood of all saints. + +The modern world needs to have these truths driven home anew, and, +barring a few scholastic phrases here and there, cannot find them +better expressed than in the remarkably elevated and devotional +language of Luther in this treatise. + +The text of the treatise is found in the following editions: Weimar +Ed., vol. ii, 742; Erlangen Ed., vol. xxvii, 28; Walch Ed., Vol. xix, +522; St. Louis Ed., xix, 426; Clemen, vol. i, 196; Berlin Ed., vol. +iii, 259. + +Literature besides that mentioned: + +Tschackert, _Enstehung der lutherischen und reformierten +Kirchenlehre_, 1910, pp. 174-176. + +K. Thieme, _Entwicklung und Bedeutung der Sakramentslehre Luthers_, +Neueu Kirchl. Zeitschrift, XII (1901), Nos. 10 and 11. + +F. Graebke, _Die Konstruktion der Abendmahlslehre Luthers in ihre +Entwicklung dargestellt_, Leipzig 1908. + + J. J. SCHINDEL. + +Allentown, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + +[1] See Clemen, 1, p. 175. + +[2] Enders, II, no. 254. Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, no. +206. + +[3] Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchenpolitik Herzog Georgs von +Sachsen_, Leipzig, 1905. + +[4] See below, p. 9. + +[5] In this edition, Vol. I, pp. 294-336. See especially pp. 312 ff. + +[6] See below, pp. 19, 25. + +[7] _Treatise on the New Testament_, Vol. I, pp. 297 ff. + +[8] See Köstlin, _Luther's Theologie_, I, 292 f.; also Hering, _Die +Mystik Luthers_, Leipzig, 1879, pp. 171-174. + +[9] See below, p. 23. + +[10] See below, p.20. + +[11] See _Treatise concerning the Ban_, below, p. 37. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY AND TRUE BODY +OF CHRIST AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS + +1519 + + + +1. Like the sacrament of holy baptism[1] the holy sacrament of the +altar, or of the holy and true body of Christ, has three parts which +it is necessary or us to know. The first is the sacrament, or sign, +the second is the significance of this sacrament, the third is the +faith required by both of these; the three parts which must be found +in every sacrament. The sacrament must be external and visible, and +have some material form; the significance must be internal and +spiritual, within the spirit of man; faith must apply and use both +these. + +[Sidenote: The First Part of the Sacrament: the Sign] + +2. The sacrament, or outward sign, is in the form of bread and wine, +just as baptism has as its sign water; although the sign is not simply +the form of bread and wine, but the use of the bread and wine in +eating and drinking, just as the water of baptism is used by immersion +or by pouring. For the sacrament, or sign, must be received, or must +at least be desired, if it is to work a blessing. Although at present +the two kinds are not given the people daily, as of old,--nor is this +necessary,--yet the priesthood partakes of it daily in the sight of +the people, and it is enough that the people desire it daily and +receive one kind at the proper time, as the Christian Church ordains +and offers[2]. + +3. I deem it well, however, that the Church in a general council +should again decree[3] that all persons, as well as the priests, be +given both kinds. Not that one kind were insufficient, since indeed +the simple desire of faith suffices, as St. Augustine says: "Why +preparest thou stomach and teeth? Only believe and thou hast already +partaken of the sacrament";[4] but because it would be meet and right +that the form, or sign, of the sacrament be given not in part only, +but in its entirety, just as I have said of baptism[5] that it were +more fitting to immerse than to pour the water, for the sake of the +completeness and perfection of the sign. For this sacrament signifies +the complete union and the undivided fellowship of the saints, as we +shall see, and this is poorly and unfittingly indicated by only one +part of the sacrament. Nor is there as great a danger in the use of +the cup as is supposed, since the people seldom go to this sacrament, +and Christ was well aware of all future dangers[6], and yet saw it to +institute both kinds or the use of all His Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Second Part of the Sacrament: the Significance] + +4. The significance or purpose of this sacrament is the fellowship of +all saints, whence it derives its common name _synaxis_ or _communio_, +that is, fellowship; and _communicare_ means to take part in this +fellowship, or as we say, to go to the sacrament, because Christ and +all saints are one spiritual body, just as the inhabitants of a city +are one community and body, each citizen being a member of the other +and a member of the entire city. All the saints, therefore, are +members of Christ and of the Church, which is a spiritual and eternal +city of God, and whoever is taken into this city is said to be +received into the community of saints, and to be incorporated into +Christ's spiritual body and made a member of Him. On the other hand, +_excommunicare_ means to put out of the community and to sever a +member from this body, and that is called in our language "putting one +under the ban"; yet there is a difference, as I shall show in the +following treatise, concerning the ban[4]. + +To receive the bread and wine of this sacrament, then, is nothing else +than to receive a sure sign of this fellowship and incorporation with +Christ and all saints. As though a citizen were given a sign, a +document, or some other token as a proof that he is a citizen of the +city, a member of the community. Even so St. Paul says: "We are all +one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of one bread and of +one cup." [1 Cor. 10:17] + +5. This fellowship is of such a nature that all the spiritual +possessions of Christ and His saints[8] are imparted and communicated +to him who receives this sacrament; again, all his sufferings and sins +are communicated to them, and thus love engenders love and unites all. +To carry out our homely figure: it is like a city where every citizen +shares with all the others the name, honor, freedom, trade, customs, +usages, help, support, protection and the like, of that city, and on +the other hand shares all the danger of fire and flood, enemies and +death, losses, imposts and the like. For he who would have part in the +common profits must also share in the losses, and ever recompense love +with love. Here we see that whoever wrongs a citizen wrongs the entire +city and all the citizens; whoever benefits one deserves favor and +thanks from all the others. So, too, in our natural body, as St. Paul +says in i Corinthians xii, where this sacrament is given a spiritual +explanation: the members have a care one or another; whether one +member suffer, all the members suffer with it; whether one member be +honored, all the members rejoice with it. [1 Cor. 12:25 f.] It is +apparent then that if any one's foot hurts him, nay, even the smallest +toe, the eye at once looks toward it, the fingers grasp it, the face +frowns, the whole body bends to it, and all are concerned with this +small member; on the other hand, if it is cared for, all the other +members rejoice. This figure must be well weighed if one wishes to +understand this sacrament; for the Scriptures employ it or the sake of +the unlearned. + +6. In this sacrament, therefore, God Himself gives through the priest +a sure sign to man, to show that, in like manner, he shall be united +with Christ and His saints and have all things in common with them; +that Christ's sufferings and life shall be his own, together with the +lives and sufferings of all the saints, so that whoever does him an +injury does injury to Christ and all the saints, as He says by the +prophet, "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of My eye" [Zech. +2:8]; on the other hand, whoever does him a kindness does it to Christ +and all His saints, as He says, "What ye have done unto one of the +least of My brethren, that ye have done unto Me." [Matt. 25:40] Again, +he must be willing to share all the burdens and misfortunes of Christ +and His saints, their sorrow and joy. These two sides of the +fellowship we shall consider more fully. + +7. Now, adversity assails us in more than one form. There is, in the +first place, the sin remaining in our flesh after baptism, the +inclination to anger, hatred, pride and unchastity, and so forth, +which assails us as long as we live. Against this we not only need the +help of the congregation and of Christ, in order that they may fight +with us against it, but it is also necessary that Christ and His +saints intercede or us before God, that sin may not be accounted to us +according to God's strict judgment. Therefore, in order to give us +strength and courage against these sins, God gives us this sacrament, +as though He said: "Behold, many kinds of sin assail thee; take this +sign by which I give thee My pledge that sin assails not only thee but +My Son Christ, and all His saints in heaven and on earth. Therefore, +be bold and confident; thou fightest not alone; great help and support +are round about thee." King David, also, says of this bread: "The +bread strengtheneth man's heart" [Ps. 104:15]; and the Scriptures in +other places characterize this sacrament as a strengthening. So in +Acts ix it is written of St. Paul that he was baptised and when he had +received meat, he was strengthened. [Acts 9:19] In the second place, +the evil spirit assails us unceasingly with many sins and afflictions. +In the third place, the world is full of wickedness and entices and +persecutes us and is altogether bad. Finally, our own guilty +conscience assails us with our past sins, with the fear of death, and +with the pains of hell. All of these afflictions make us weary and +weaken us, unless we seek and find strength in this fellowship. + +8. If any one be in despair, if he be distressed by his sinful +conscience or terrified by death, or have any other burden on his +heart, and desire to be rid of them all, let him go joyfully to the +sacrament of the altar and lay down his grief in the midst of the +congregation and seek help from the entire company of the spiritual +body; just as when a citizen whose property has suffered injury or +misfortune at the hands of his enemies makes complaint to his town +council and fellow citizens and asks them for help. Therefore, the +immeasurable grace and mercy of God are given us in this sacrament, +that we may there lay down all misery and tribulation and put it on +the congregation, and especially on Christ, and may joyfully +strengthen and comfort ourselves and say: "Though I am a sinner and +have fallen, though this or that misfortune has befallen me, I will go +to the sacrament to receive a sign from God that I have on my side +Christ's righteousness, He and sufferings, with all holy angels and +all the blessed in heaven, and all pious men on earth. If I die, I am +not alone in death; if I suffer, they suffer with me. I have shared +all my misfortune with Christ and the saints, since I have a sure sign +of their love toward me." Lo, this is the benefit to be derived from +this sacrament, this is the use we should make of it; then the heart +cannot but rejoice and be comforted. + +9. When you have partaken of this sacrament, therefore, or desire to +partake of it, you must in turn also share the misfortunes of the +congregation, as was said[9]. But what are these? Christ in heaven and +the angels together with all the saints have no misfortunes of their +own, save when injury is done to the truth and to God's Word; yea, as +we said, every bane and blessing of all the saints on earth affects +them. There your heart must go out in love and devotion and learn that +this sacrament is a sacrament of love, and that love and service are +given you and you again must render love and service to Christ and His +needy ones. You must feel with sorrow all the dishonor done to Christ +in His holy Word, all the misery of Christendom, all the unjust +suffering of the innocent, with which the world is everywhere filled +to overflowing: you must fight, work, pray, and, if you cannot do +more, have heartfelt sympathy. That is bearing in your turn the +misfortune and adversity of Christ and His saints. Here the saying of +Paul applies. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of +Christ." [Gal. 6:2] Lo, thus you uphold them all, thus they all again +in turn uphold you, and all things are in common, both good and evil. +Then all things become easy, and the evil spirit cannot prevail +against such a community. When Christ instituted the sacrament He +said: "This is My body which is given for you, this is My blood which +is shed for you; as oft as ye do this, remember Me." [Luke 22:19 f.] +As though He said: "I am the Head, I will first give Myself for you, +will make your suffering and misfortune Mine own and bear it for you, +that you in your turn may do the same or Me and for one another, have +all things in common in Me and with Me, and let this sacrament be unto +you a sure token of this all, that you may not forget Me, but daily +call to mind and admonish one another by what I have done or you and +still am doing, that you may be strengthened thereby, and also bear +with one another." + +10. This is also a reason, indeed the chief reason, why this sacrament +is received many times, while baptism is administered but once. +Baptism is the beginning and entrance to a new life, in the course of +which boundless adversities assail us through sins and suffering, our +own and those of others. The devil, the world and our own flesh and +conscience, as was said[10] never cease to pursue us and oppress us. +Therefore we need the strength, support and help of Christ and of His +saints, which are pledged us in this sacrament as by a sure token, by +which we are made one with them and are incorporated with them, and +all our suffering is laid down in the midst of the congregation. +Therefore, this holy sacrament is of little or no benefit to those who +have no misfortune or anxiety or do not feel their adversity. For it +is given only to those who need strength and comfort, who have timid +hearts and terrified consciences, and who are assailed by sin, or have +even fallen into sin. What could it do or untroubled and falsely +secure spirits, which neither need nor desire it? For the Mother of +God[11] says, "He filleth only the hungry, and comforteth them that +are distressed." [Luke 1:53] + +11. That the disciples, therefore, might by all means be worthy and +well prepared for this sacrament He first made them sorrowful, held +before them His departure and death, by which they were exceeding +troubled. And then He greatly terrified them when He said that one of +them should betray Him. [Matt. 25:21 ff.] When they were thus full of +sorrow and anxiety and were concerned about the sorrow and sin of +betrayal, then they were worthy, and He gave them His holy Body to +strengthen them. By which He teaches us that this sacrament is +strength and comfort for those whom sin and evil trouble and distress; +as St. Augustine also says[12], "This food demands only hungry souls +and is shunned by none so greatly as by a sated soul which does not +need it." Just as the Jews were required to eat the Passover with +bitter herbs, standing and in haste, which also signifies that this +sacrament demands souls that are desirous, needy and sorrowful. Now if +one will make the afflictions of Christ and of all Christians his own, +will defend the truth, oppose unrighteousness, help bear the need of +the innocent and the sufferings of all Christians, he will find +affliction and adversity enough, besides that which his evil nature, +the world, the devil and sin daily inflict upon him. And it is God's +will and purpose to set so many hounds upon us and drive us, and +everywhere provide us bitter herbs, that we may long for this strength +and take delight in the holy sacrament, and thus be worthy of it, that +is, desire it. + +12. It is His will, then, that we partake of it frequently, in order +that we may remember Him and exercise ourselves in this fellowship +according to His example. For if His example were no longer kept +before us, the fellowship also would soon be forgotten. So we at +present see to our sorrow that many masses are held and yet the +Christian fellowship which should be preached, practiced and kept +before us by Christ's example has quite perished; so that we hardly +know what purpose this sacrament serves, or how it should be used, +nay, with our masses we frequently destroy this fellowship and pervert +everything. This is the fault of the preachers who do not preach the +Gospel nor the sacraments, but their humanly devised fables concerning +the many works[13] to be done and the ways to live aright. + +But in times past this sacrament was so properly used, and the people +were taught to understand this fellowship so well, that they even +gathered material food and goods[14] in the church and there +distributed them among those who were in need, as St. Paul writes [1 +Cor. 11:21]. Of this we have a relic in the word "collect,"[15] which +still remains in the mass, and means a general collection, just as a +common fund is gathered to be given to the poor. That was the time +when so many became martyrs and saints. There were fewer masses, but +much strength and blessing resulted from the masses; Christians cared +for one another, assisted one another, sympathized with one another, +bore one another's burden and affliction. This has all disappeared, +and there remain only the many masses and the many who receive this +sacrament without in the least understanding or practicing what it +signifies. + +13. There are those, indeed, who would share the benefits but not the +cost, that is, who gladly hear in this sacrament that the help, +fellowship and assistance of all the saints are promised and given to +them, but who, because they fear the world, are unwilling in their +turn to contribute to this fellowship, to help the poor, to endure +sins, to care for the sick, to suffer with the suffering, to intercede +for others, to defend the truth, to seek the reformation of the Church +and of all Christians at the risk of life, property and honor. They +are unwilling to suffer disfavor, harm, shame or death, although it is +God's will that they be driven, for the sake of the truth and their +neighbors, to desire the great grace and strength of this sacrament. +They are self-seeking persons, whom this sacrament does not benefit. +Just as we could not endure a citizen who wanted to be helped, +protected and made free by the community, and yet in his turn would do +nothing for it nor serve it. No, we on our part must make others' evil +our own, if we desire Christ and His saints to make our evil their +own; then will the fellowship be complete and justice be done to the +sacrament. For the sacrament has no blessing and significance unless +love grows daily and so changes a man that he is made one with all +others. + +14. To symbolize this fellowship, God has appointed such signs of the +sacrament as in every way serve this purpose and by their very form +incite and move us to this fellowship. Just as the bread is made out +of many grains which have been ground and mixed together, and out of +the many bodies of grain there comes the one body of the bread, in +which each grain loses its form and body and acquires the common body +of the bread, and as the drops of wine losing their own form become +the body of one wine: so should it be with us, and is, indeed, if we +use this sacrament aright. Christ with all saints, by His love, takes +upon Himself our form, fights with us against sin, death and all evil +[Phil. 2:7]; this enkindles in us such love that we take His form, +rely upon His righteousness, life and blessedness, and through the +interchange of His blessings and our misfortunes are one loaf, one +bread, one body, one drink, and have all things in common. This is a +great sacrament,[Eph. 5:32][16] says Paul, that Christ and the Church +are one flesh and bone [Eph. 5:31]. Again, through this same love are +to be changed and to make the infirmities of all other Christians our +own, take upon ourselves their form and their necessity and make +theirs all the good that is within our power, that they may enjoy it +[Judg. 9:2]. That is a real fellowship, and that is the true +significance of this sacrament. In this way we are changed into one +another and are brought into fellowship with one another by love, +without which there can be no such change. + +15. He appointed this twofold form, bread and wine, rather than any +other, as a further indication of the union and fellowship in this +sacrament. For there is no more intimate, deep and inseparable union +than the union of the food with him who partakes of it, since the food +enters into and is assimilated with his very nature and becomes one +with his being. Other unions, effected by means of nails, glue, cords +and the like, do not make one indivisible substance of the objects +joined together. In the sacrament we become united with Christ, and +are made one body with all the saints, so that He concerns Himself for +us, acts in our behalf, as though He were what we are--what concerns +us concerns Him as much as us, and even more than us; and, on the +other hand, that we also concern ourselves or Him, as though we were +what He is, as indeed we shall finally be, when we are conformed to +His likeness, as St. John says, "We know that when He shall appear we +shall be like Him" [1 John 3:2]; so complete is the fellowship of +Christ and all the saints with us. Our sins assail Him, His +righteousness protects us; for the union makes all things common, +until at last He completely destroys sin in us and makes us like unto +Himself, at the last day. In like manner, by the same love we are to +be united with our neighbors, we in them and they in us. + +16. In addition to this, He did not appoint this twofold form by +itself, but gave His true natural flesh, in the bread, and His natural +and true blood, in the wine, that He might give us a really perfect +sacrament or sign. For just as the bread is changed[17] into His true +natural body and the wine into His true natural blood, so truly are we +also drawn and changed into the spiritual body, that is, into the +fellowship of Christ and all saints, and put by this sacrament in +possession of all the virtues and mercies of Christ and His saints; as +was said above[18] of a citizen who is taken and incorporated into the +city and the protection and freedom of the entire community. +Therefore He instituted not simply the one form, but the two separate +forms, His flesh under the bread, His blood under the wine, to +indicate that not only His life and good works, which are represented +by His flesh and which He accomplished in His flesh, but also His +passion and martyrdom, which are represented by His blood and in which +He shed His blood, are all our own, and by being drawn into this +fellowship we may use and enjoy them. + +17. All this makes it clear that this holy sacrament is naught else +than a divine sign, in which Christ and all saints are pledged, +granted and imparted, with all their works, sufferings, merits, +mercies and possessions, or the comfort and strengthening of all who +are in anxiety and sorrow, and are persecuted by the devil, sin, the +world, the flesh and every evil; and that to receive the sacrament is +nothing else than to desire all this and firmly to believe that it +shall be done. + +[Sidenote: The Third part of the Sacrament: Faith] + +There follows the third part of the sacrament, that is faith, on which +all depends. For it is not enough to know what the sacrament is and +signifies. It is not enough that you know it is a fellowship and a +gracious exchange or blending of our sin and suffering with the +righteousness of Christ and His saints; you must also desire it and +firmly believe that you have received it. Here the devil and our own +nature wage their fiercest fight, that faith may by no means stand +firm. There are those who practice their arts and subtleties to such +an extent that they ask where the bread remains when it is changed +into Christ's flesh, and the wine when it is changed into His blood; +also in what manner the whole Christ, His flesh and His blood, can be +comprehended in so small a portion of bread and wine. What does it +matter? It is enough to know that it is a divine sign, in which +Christ's flesh and blood are truly present--how and where, we leave to +Him.[19] + +18. See to it that you exercise and strengthen your faith, so that +when you are sorrowful or your sins afflict you and you go to the +sacrament or hear mass, you do so with a hearty desire for this +sacrament and for what it means, and doubt not that you have what the +sacrament signifies, that is, that you are certain Christ and all His +saints come to you bringing all their virtues, sufferings and mercies, +to live, work, suffer and die with you, and be wholly yours, to have +all things in common with you. If you will exercise and strengthen this +faith, you will experience what a rich and joyous wedding-supper and +festival your God has prepared upon the altar or you. Then you will +understand what the great feast of King Ahasuerus signifies [Esth. +1:5], you will see what that wedding is for which God has slain His +oxen and fatlings, as it is written in the Gospel [Matt. 22:2 ff.], +and your heart will grow right free and confident, strong and +courageous, against all enemies. For who will fear any calamity if he +is sure that Christ and all His saints are with Him and share all +things, evil or good, in common with him? So we read that the +disciples of Christ broke this bread and ate with great gladness of +heart. Since, then, this work is so great that our insignificant +souls dare not desire it, to say nothing of hoping for or expecting it, +it is necessary and profitable to go often to the sacrament, or at +least in the daily mass to exercise and strengthen this faith, on +which all depends and or the sake of which it was instituted. For if +you doubt[20] you do God the greatest dishonor and regard Him as +unfaithful and a liar. If you cannot believe, pray for faith, as was +said above in the other treatise[21]. + +19. See to it also that you make yourself a fellow of every man and by +no means exclude any one in hatred or anger; for this sacrament of +fellowship, love and unity cannot tolerate discord and dissension. You +must let the infirmities and needs of others burden your heart, as +though they were your own, and offer them your strength, as though it +were their own, as Christ does for you in the sacrament. That is what +we mean by being changed into one another through love, out of many +particles becoming one bread and drink, giving up one's own form and +taking one that belongs to all.[22] + +For this reason slanderers and those who wickedly judge and despise +others cannot but receive death in the sacrament, as St. Paul writes +[1 Cor. 11:29]. For they do not unto their neighbor what they seek +from Christ and what the sacrament indicates; they wish them no good, +have no sympathy with them, do not receive them as they desire to be +received by Christ, and then all into such blindness that they do not +know what else to do in this sacrament except to fear and honor Christ +in the sacrament with their prayers and devotion. When they have done +this they think they have done their whole duty, although Christ has +given His body for this purpose, that the significance of the +sacrament, that is, fellowship and mutual love, may be put into +practice, and His own natural body be less regarded than His spiritual +body,[23] which is the fellowship of His saints. What concerns Him +most, especially in this sacrament, is that faith in the fellowship +with Him and with His saints may be rightly exercised and become +strong in us, and that we, in accordance with it, may rightly exercise +our fellowship with one another. This purpose of Christ they do not +perceive and, in their devoutness, they daily say and hear mass, and +remain every day the same; nay, become worse daily, and mark it not. + +Therefore take heed; it is more needful that you discern the spiritual +than that you discern the natural body of Christ, and faith in the +spiritual is more needful than faith in the natural. For the natural +without the spiritual profiteth us nothing in this sacrament; a +change[24] must occur and manifest itself through love. + +20. There are many who, regardless of this change of love and faith, +rely upon the fact that the mass or the sacrament is, as they say, +_opus gratum opere operato_, that is, a work which of itself pleases +God, even though they who perform it do not please Him. From this they +conclude that, however unworthily masses are said, it is none the less +a good thing to have many masses, since the harm comes to those who +say or use them unworthily. I grant every one his opinion, but such +fables please me not. For, if you desire to speak thus, there is no +creature nor work that does not of itself please God, as is written, +"God saw all His works and they pleased Him." [Gen. 1:31] What good +can result therefrom, if one misuse bread, wine, gold, and every good +creature, though of themselves they are pleasing to God? Nay, +condemnation is the result. So too, here: the more precious the +sacrament, the greater the harm which comes upon the whole +congregation from its misuse. For it was not instituted or its own +sake, that it might please God, but for our sake, that we might use it +rightly, exercise our faith by it, and by it become pleasing to God. +If it is merely an _opus operatum_[25], it works only harm; it must +become an _opus operantis_[26]. Just as bread and wine work only harm +if they are not used, no matter how much they please God of +themselves; so it is not enough that the sacrament be prepared (that +is, _opus operatum_), it must also be used in faith (that is, _opus +operantis_). And we must take heed lest with such dangerous glosses +our minds be turned away from the sacrament's power and virtue, and +faith perish entirely through such false security in the outwardly +completed sacrament. All this results because they give heed in this +sacrament to Christ's natural body more than to the fellowship, the +spiritual body. Christ on the cross was also a completed work[27], +which was well-pleasing to God; but the Jews unto this day have found +it a stumbling block, for the reason that they did not make of it a +work that must be used in faith[28]. See to it, then, that the +sacrament be or you an _opus operantis_, that is, a work that is made +use of, and that it be well-pleasing to God, not because of what it is +in itself, but because of your faith and your right use of it. The +Word of God is also of itself pleasing to God, but it is harmful to me +when it does not please God also within me. In short, such expressions +as _opus operatum_ and _opus operantis_ are nothing but useless words +of men, more of a hindrance than a help. And who could tell all the +abominable abuses and misbeliefs which daily multiply about this +blessed sacrament, although some of them are so spiritual and holy +that they might almost lead an angel astray? Briefly, whoever would +understand the abuses need only keep before him the aforesaid use and +faith of this sacrament; namely, that there must be a sorrowing, +hungry soul, desiring heartily the love, help, and support of the +entire communion of Christ and of all saints, doubting not that in +faith it obtains them, and then, on the other hand, making itself one +with everyone. Whoever does not thus direct and order the hearing or +reading of masses and the reception of the sacrament, errs and does +not use this sacrament to his salvation. For this reason also the +world is overwhelmed with pestilences, wars and other horrible +plagues[29], since with our many masses we only call upon us the more +disfavor. + +21. We see now how necessary this sacrament is for those who must face +death, or other dangers of body and soul, since they are not let alone +in them, but are strengthened in the communion of Christ and all +saints. Therefore also Christ instituted it and gave it to His +disciples in their extreme need and danger. Since we are all daily +surrounded by all kinds of danger, and must at last die, we should +humbly and heartily and with all our powers thank the God of all mercy +for giving us a gracious sign, by which, if we hold fast thereto by +faith. He leads and draws us through death and every danger to +Himself, to Christ, and to all saints. + +Therefore it is also profitable and necessary that the love and +fellowship of Christ and all saints be hidden, invisible and +spiritual, and that only a bodily, visible and outward sign of it be +given us. For were this love, fellowship and help known to all, like +the temporal fellowship of men, we should not be strengthened nor +trained thereby to put our trust in the invisible and eternal things, +or to desire them, but should much rather be trained to put our trust +only in the temporal, visible things and to become so accustomed to +them as to be unwilling to let them go and to follow God onward; we +should thus be prevented from ever coming to Him, if we followed God +only so far as visible and tangible things led us. For everything of +time and sense must fall away, and we must learn to do without them, +if we are to come to God. + +Therefore the mass and this sacrament are a sign by which we train and +accustom ourselves to let go all visible love, help, and comfort, and +to trust in Christ and in the invisible love, help, and comfort of His +saints. For death takes away everything visible, and separates us from +men and temporal things; hence, to meet death, we must have the help +of the invisible and eternal things; and these are indicated to us in +the sacrament and sign, to which we cling by faith, until we attain to +them also by sight. Thus the sacrament is or us a ford, a bridge, a +door, a ship, and a litter, in which and by which we pass from this +world into eternal life. Therefore all depends on faith. He who does +not believe is like one who must cross the sea, but is so timid that +he does not trust the ship; and so he must remain and never be saved, +because he does not embark and cross over. This is due to our +dependence on the senses and to our untried faith which shrinks from +the passage across the Jordan of death--the devil also cruelly helps +toward this. + +22. This was indicated of old in Joshua iii [Josh. 3:7 ff.]. After the +children of Israel had gone dry-shod through the Red Sea, a type of +baptism, they went through Jordan in like manner; but the priests +stood with the ark in Jordan, and the water below them lowed by, while +that above them stood upon a heap, a type of this sacrament. The +priests carry and uphold the ark in Jordan when in the hour of our +death or peril they preach and administer to us this sacrament, +Christ, and the fellowship of all saints. I we believe, the waters +below us depart, that is, the temporal, visible things harm us not, +but flee from us. And those above us stand up high, as though they +would overwhelm us; these are the horrors and apparitions of the other +world, which at the hour of death terrify us. If, however, we pay no +heed to them, and pass on with a firm faith, we shall enter into +eternal life dry-shod and unharmed. + +We have, therefore, two principal sacraments in the church, baptism +and the bread. Baptism leads us into a new life on earth; the bread +guides us through death into eternal life. And the two are typified by +the Red Sea and the Jordan, and by the two lands, one beyond and one +on this side the Jordan. Therefore our Lord said at the Last Supper: +"I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day +when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." [Matt. 26:29] So +entirely is this sacrament intended and ordained to strengthen us +against death, and to give us entrance into eternal life. + +Finally, the blessing of this sacrament is fellowship and love, by +which we are strengthened against death and all evil. This fellowship +is twofold: on the one hand we partake of Christ and all saints, on +the other hand we permit all Christians to be partakers of us, in +whatever way they and we are able; so that by this sacrament all +self-seeking love is uprooted and gives place to love which seeks the +common good of all, and through this mutual love there is one bread, +one drink, one body, one community,--that is the true union of +Christian brethren. Now let us see how the pretentious brotherhoods, +of which there are now so many, measure up to this and resemble it. + +CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS.[30] + +1. First, let us consider the evil practices of the brotherhoods. One +of these is their gluttony and drunkenness,--one or more masses are +held[31], afterward the entire day and night, and other days besides, +are given over to the devil, and they do only what displeases God. +Such mad reveling has been introduced by the evil spirit, and is +called a brotherhood, whereas it is rather a debauch and altogether a +heathenish, nay, swinish mode of life. There would far better be no +brotherhoods in the world than that such an abomination should be +permitted. Temporal lords and cities should unite with the clergy in +abolishing it. For God, the saints, and all Christians are greatly +dishonored thereby, and the divine services and feast-days made a +sport for the devil. Saints' days should be kept and hallowed with +good works; and the brotherhood should also be a special treasury of +good works; instead it has become a treasury of beer money. What have +the names of Our Lady, of St. Anne, St. Sebastian[32], or other saints +to do with your brotherhoods, in which you have nothing but gluttony, +drunkenness, squandering of money, howling, yelling, chattering, +dancing and wasting of time? If a sow were made the patron saint of +such a brotherhood she would not consent. Why then do they afflict the +dear saints so sorely by taking their names in vain in such shameful +practices and sins, and by dishonoring and blaspheming the +brotherhoods named after them with such evil practices? Woe unto them +who do and permit this! + +2. If men desire to maintain a brotherhood, they should gather +provisions, and feed and serve a tableful or two of poor people, for +the sake of God; the day previous they should fast, and on the +feast-day remain sober, and pass the time in prayer and other good +works. Then God and His saints would be truly honored; this would lead +to better conditions, and a good example would be given others. Or +they should gather the money which they intended to squander or drink +and form a common treasury, each trade[33] by itself, so that needy +fellow-workmen might be assisted, or be lent money, or a young couple +of that trade might be fitted out respectably from the common +treasury: these would be true works of brotherhood, which would make +God and His saints look with pleasure upon the brotherhoods, of which +they would then gladly be the patrons. But where they are unwilling to +do this, and follow after the old mummery, I admonish that it be not +done on the saints' day's, nor in the name of the saints or of the +brotherhood. Let them take some other weekday and leave off the names +of the saints and of their brotherhoods, lest the saints at some time +mark it with disapproval. Although there is no day which is not +dishonored by such doings, at least the festivals and the names of the +saints should be spared. For such brotherhoods call themselves +brotherhoods of the saints while they do the work of the devil. + +3. Another evil feature of the brotherhoods is of a spiritual nature; +it is a false opinion of themselves, in that they think their +brotherhood is to be a benefit to no one but to themselves,--to those +who are members and are on the roll or contribute. This damnably +wicked opinion is an even worse evil than the first, and is one of the +reasons why God has brought it about that the brotherhoods are +becoming such a mockery and blasphemy of God through gluttony, +drunkenness and the like. For there they learn to seek their own good, +to love themselves, to be faithful only to one another, to despise +others, to think themselves better than others and presume to stand +higher before God than others. And thus perishes the communion of +saints, the Christian love, and the true brotherhood, established in +the holy sacrament. Thus a selfish love grows in them; that is, by +these many external work-brotherhoods they oppose and destroy the one, +inner, spiritual, essential, common brotherhood of all saints. + +When God sees this perverted state of affairs, He perverts it still +more, as is written in Psalm xviii[34], "With the perverse thou wilt +be perverted" [Ps. 18:26]; and He brings it to pass that they make +themselves and their brotherhoods a mockery and a disgrace, and He +casts them out from the common brotherhood of saints, which they +oppose and do not make common cause with, into their brotherhood of +gluttony, drunkenness and unchastity, so that they, who have neither +sought nor thought of anything more than their own, may find their +own; and then He blinds them that they do not recognize it as an +abomination and disgrace, but adorn their unseemliness with the names +of saints, as though they were doing right; beyond this He lets some +fall into so deep an abyss that they openly boast and say whoever is +in their brotherhood cannot be condemned, as though baptism and the +sacrament, instituted by God Himself, were of less worth and were less +certain than that which they have thought out with their darkened +minds. Therefore their God will dishonor and blind those who, with +their mad conduct and the swinish practices of their brotherhoods, +mock and blaspheme His easts, His name, and His saints, to the injury +of the common Christian brotherhood, which flowed from the wounds of +Christ. + +4. Therefore, for the right understanding and use of the brotherhoods, +one must learn to distinguish rightly between brotherhoods. The first +is the divine, the heavenly, the noblest, which surpasses all others, +as gold surpasses copper or lead--the fellowship of all saints, of +which we spoke above[35]. In this we are all brothers and sisters, so +closely united that a closer relationship cannot be conceived, for +here we have one baptism, one Christ, one sacrament, one food, one +Gospel, one faith, one Spirit, one spiritual body, and each is a +member of the other; no other brotherhood is so close. For natural +brothers are, to be sure, brothers of one flesh and blood, of one +heritage and home, but they must separate and join themselves to +others' blood and heritage[36]. Organized brotherhoods have one roll, +one mass, one kind of good works, one festival day, one treasury, and, +as things are now, their common beer, common feast and common debauch, +but none of these binds men so closely together as to produce one +spirit, for that is done by Christ's brotherhood alone. + +Since, then, the greater, broader and more embracing Christ's +brotherhood is, the better it is, therefore all other brotherhoods +should be so conducted as to keep this first and noblest brotherhood +constantly before their eyes, to regard it alone as great, and with +all their works to seek nothing for themselves, but do them for God's +sake, to entreat God that He keep and prosper this Christian +fellowship and brotherhood from day to day. Hence, when a brotherhood +is formed, they should let it be seen that its members outstrip other +persons in order to do Christianity some special service with their +prayers, fastings, alms and good works, and not in order to seek +selfish profit or reward, nor to exclude others, but to serve as the +free servants of the whole community of Christians. + +If men had such a correct conception, God would restore good order, so +that the brotherhoods might not be brought to shame by debauchery. +Then God's blessing would follow, so that a general fund might be +gathered, with which other men also might be given material aid; then +the spiritual and bodily works of the brotherhoods would be done in +their proper order. Whoever will not follow this method in his +brotherhood I advise to flee from it and let the brotherhood alone; it +will do him harm in body and soul. + +But if you say, If the brotherhood is not to give me some special +advantage, of what use is it to me? I answer: If you are seeking some +special advantage, how can the brotherhood or sisterhood help you? +Serve the community and other men by it, as is the nature of love, and +you will have your reward for this love without any effort and desire +on your part. But if you deem the service and reward of love too +small, it is evidence that yours is a perverted brotherhood. Love +serves freely and for nothing, therefore God also gives again to it +every blessing freely and or nothing. Since, then, everything must be +done in love, if it is to please God at all, the brotherhood must also +be a brotherhood in love. It is the nature, however, of that which is +done in love not to seek its own, nor its own profit, but that of +others, and, above all, that of the community. + +5. To return once more to the sacrament; since the Christian +fellowship also is at present in a bad way, as never before, and daily +grows worse, especially among the rulers, and all places are full of +sin and shame, you should not consider how many masses are said, or +how often the sacrament is celebrated, or this will make things worse +rather than better,--but how much you and others increase in that +which the sacrament signifies and in the faith it demands,--for +therein alone lies improvement; and the more you find yourself being +incorporated into Christ and into the fellowship of His saints, the +better it is with you,--that is, if you find that you are becoming +strong in the confidence of Christ and of His dear saints, and are +certain that they love you and stand by you in all the trials of life +and in death, and that you in turn take to heart the shortcomings and +lapses of all Christians and of the whole Church, that your love goes +out to everyone, and that you desire to help everyone, to hate no one, +to suffer with all and pray or them: then will the work of the +sacrament proceed aright, then you will often weep, lament and mourn +or the wretched condition of Christendom to-day. If, however, you find +no such confidence in Christ and His saints, and the needs of the +Church and of every fellowman do not trouble or move you, then beware +of all other good works, if in doing them you think you are godly and +will be saved. Be assured they are only hypocrisy, sham and deceit, or +they are without love and fellowship, and without these nothing is +good. For the sum of it all is, _Plenitudo legis est dilectio_, "Love +is the fulfilling of the law." [Rom. 13:10] Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See _Treatise on Baptism_, Vol. I, pp. 56 ff. + +[2] Note the advance in _The Babylonian Captivity_, below, pp. 178 +ff. + +[3] Cf. _Babylonian Captivity_, below, p. 186. + +[4] Cf. _Sermo_, 112, cap. 5 (Migne, xxxviii, 615). + +[5] See Vol. I, p. 56. + +[6] E. g., the danger of spilling the wine. + +[7] See p. 37. + +[8] Used here and above in the New Testament sense of true Christians, +living or dead, cf. 1 Cor. 1:2. + +[9] See p. 11. + +[10] See above, pp. 12, 13, and Vol. I, pp. 59 ff. + +[11] The virgin Mary. + +[12] Cf. _Enarratio in Ps. XXI_ (Migne, xxxvi, 178). + +[13] Penitential works. + +[14] Cf. Acts 2:46. + +[15] See Vol. I, p. 310. + +[16] In the Vulgate the Greek word "mystery" is translated by +_sacramentum_. See below, p. 258. + +[17] Luther still adheres to the doctrine of transubstantiation. But +see below, pp. 187 ff. + +[18] See p. 11. + +[19] Cf. below, p. 192. + +[20] See Luther's explanation of the First Commandment in the +Catechisms. Also the answer to the last question in Part V, Small +Catechism. + +[21] _Treatise on Penance_ (_Weimer Ed._, II, 721), where Luther +exhorts the troubled conscience to pray with the father of the lunatic +boy, "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief," and with the +Apostles, "Lord, increase our faith." + +[22] Cf. above, p. 17. + +[23] The Church. + +[24] A transubstantiation in the communicant. + +[25] A work that is done without reference to the doer of it. + +[26] A work considered with reference to the doer of it. + +[27] An _opus operatum_. + +[28] An _opus operantis_. + +[29] Cf. 1 Cor. 11:30. + +[30] Sodalities; see Introduction, p. 8, and below, pp. 137 f. + +[31] On festival days of the order and on saints' days. + +[32] The Carmelites are supposed to have been the first to organize +sodalities, having organized in the fourteenth century the Sodality of +Our Lady of Carmel. St. Anne was the mother of the Holy Virgin. Her +sodalities were, as Kolde says, epidemic in 1520. Luther's appeal to +St. Anne in the thunderstorm is well known (Comp. Köstlin-Kawerau, I, +55). There was a sodality of St. Anne, besides one of St. Augustine +and one of St. Catherine, in the monastery at Erfurt in Luther's day. +St. Sebastian was a martyr of the fourteenth century. His day is +January 20. Comp. Arts. _Anna_, _Sebastian_ and _Bruderschaten_ in +_Prot. Realencyk_., I, SS2; II, 534 l. + +[33] A trades' guild brotherhood. + +[34] Douay Version, based on Vulgate, from which Luther quotes. + +[35] See above, p. 10. + +[36] I. e., in marriage. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The ban, or excommunication, is the correlative of communion. Our +conception of excommunication depends then, of course, upon our view +of what constitutes communion. Luther gives us his view of communion +in the preceding _Treatise concerning the Blessed Sacrament_. From the +premise there laid down it follows that excommunication, or the ban, +excludes only from external membership in the Church, but cannot +really separate a man from the Church if he is in personal fellowship +with his Lord[1]. Sin and unbelief cause this separation from Him, and +the real ban, therefore, is put into effect not by the Church, but by +the man himself when he sins against God. The ban of the Church cannot +even deprive one of the Sacrament, but only of the outward use of it, +for it can still be partaken of spiritually. This whole position, of +course, is fatal to the Roman Catholic conception of the Church, and +we do not wonder that it was vigorously opposed by the hierarchy. + +Of like significance is Luther's advocacy of the separation of the +temporal and spiritual powers, practically of Church and State,--the +position which he develops later in the _Open Letter to the Nobility_. +But in this treatise, again, Luther shows himself to be anything but +the immoral monster his vilifiers have tried to make of him. He is +again the man of conscience--will his critics say, "of oversensitive +conscience"? Thank God that there were some sensitive consciences in +an almost conscienceless age! Luther fears sin more than the ban, and +sin has for him more than an ecclesiastical meaning. Sin is not +primarily an act against the Church, but an offence against God. This +the ban is to teach; it is to be the symbol of God's wrath against sin +and it is to be used by the Church only remedially and in love. When +so used it becomes the chastening rod of the dear Mother Church, +provided it be accepted and borne in this spirit. + +Why, then, did not Luther bear his own ban in this way? The +justification for his subsequent conduct is to be found in two brief +but important conditional clauses in this treatise. "God," he says, +"cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly and impudently +resisted, _when it does not force us to do what is against God or His +commandments_."[2] Again he says, "When unjustly put under the ban we +should be very careful not to do, omit, say or withhold that on +account of which we are under the ban, _unless we cannot do so without +sin and without injury to our neighbor_."[3] God and his neighbor were +for Luther the actors which made it necessary for him to speak and +act, when for selfish reasons he would often rather have remained +passive. + +The inception of our treatise is to be found in a sermon preached in +Wittenberg in the spring of 1518. Luther's pastoral concern for his +people made it necessary for him to speak on this subject in order to +quiet the consciences both embittered and distressed by the wanton and +unjust use of the power of excommunication. Added to this must have +been his own personal interest in the ban certain to fall on him. In a +letter to Link[4], dated July 10, 1518, he speaks of having preached a +sermon on the power of the ban which produced general consternation +and fear that the ire enkindled by the XCV Theses would start afresh. +He had desired a public disputation on the subject, but the Bishop of +Brandenburg persuaded him to defer the matter. Under date of September +1st, Luther writes Staupitz[5] that because his sermon had been +misrepresented and spread by unfriendly spies it became necessary for +him to publish it. It appeared in August after Luther's summons to +Rome, under the title _De Virtute Excommunicationis_. Our treatise is +an elaboration in popular form of this Latin treatise of 1515. + +The Grünberg text given in Clemen, Vol. I, which we have followed in +most cases, is dated 1520, and must have appeared in its original +edition at the end of 1519 or the beginning of 1520. + +The text of the treatise is found in the following editions: Weimar +Ed., vol. vi, 63; Erlangen Ed., vol. xxvii, 51; Walch Ed., vol. xix, +1089; St. Louis Ed., vol. .xix, 884; Clemen, vol. i, 213; Berlin Ed., +vol. iii, 291. + + J. J. SCHINDEL. + +Allentown, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See below, p. 37. + +[2] See below, p. 50. + +[3] See below, p. 51. + +[4] See Enders, I, No. 84. Smith. _Luther's Correspondence_, I, No. +69. + +[5] See Enders, I, No. 90. Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, No. +77. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN + +1520 + + + +JESUS + +1. We have seen[1] that the sacrament of the holy body of Christ is a +sign of the communion of all saints, therefore it becomes necessary to +know also what the ban is which is employed in the Church by the power +of the spiritual estate. For its chief and peculiar function and power +is to deprive guilty Christians of the holy sacrament and forbid it to +them. Therefore the one cannot be understood apart from the other, +because the one is the opposite of the other; for the Latin word +_communio_ means fellowship, and thus do the learned designate the +Holy Sacrament. Its opposite is the word _excommunicatio_, which means +exclusion from this fellowship, and so the learned term the ban. + +2. There is a twofold fellowship, corresponding to the two things in +the sacrament, the sign and the thing signified, as was said in the +treatise[2]. The first is an inner, spiritual and invisible fellowship +of the heart, by which one is incorporated by true faith, hope and +love in the fellowship of Christ and of all the saints, signified and +bestowed in the sacrament; and this is the effect and virtue of the +sacrament. This fellowship can neither be given nor taken away by any +one, be he bishop, pope, or angel or any creature. God alone through +His Holy Spirit must pour it into the heart of the one who believes in +the sacrament, as was said in the treatise[3]. This fellowship no ban +can touch or affect, but only the unbelief or sin of the person +himself; by these he can excommunicate himself, and thus separate +himself from the grace, the and salvation of the fellowship. This St. +Paul proves in Romans viii: "Who shall separate us from the God? Can +anguish or need, or hunger or poverty, or danger or persecution, or +shedding of blood? Nay, I am convinced that neither death nor life, +neither angels nor principalities nor angelic hosts, neither things +present nor things to come, naught that is mighty on the earth, +neither height nor depth nor any other creature can separate us from +the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Rom. 8:35, +38] And St. Peter says: "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be +followers of that which is good?" [1 Peter 3:13] + +3. The second kind of fellowship is an outward, bodily and visible +fellowship, by which one is admitted to the Holy Sacrament and +receives and partakes of it together with others. From this fellowship +or communion bishop and pope can exclude one, and forbid it to him on +account of his sin, and that is called putting him under the ban. This +ban was much in vogue of old, and is now known as the lesser ban. For +the ban goes beyond this and forbids even burial, selling, trading, +all association and fellowship with men, finally, as they say, even +fire and water[4], and this is known as the greater ban. + +Not satisfied with this, there are some who go still farther and use +the temporal powers against those under the ban, to coerce them with +sword, fire, and war[5]. These, however, are new inventions, rather +than the real meaning of Scripture. To wield the temporal sword +belongs to the emperor, to kings, to princes, and to the rulers of +this world, and by no means to the spiritual estate[6], whose sword is +not to be of iron, but the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word and +commandment of God, as St. Paul says. [Eph. 6:17] + +4. This external ban, both the lesser and the greater, was instituted +by Christ when He said in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother shall +trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him +alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. If he will +not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth +of two or three witnesses every word or transaction may be +established. If he will not hear them, then tell it unto the whole +congregation, the Church. If he neglect to hear the Church, let him be +unto thee a heathen man and a publican." [Matt. 18:15 ff.] + +Likewise St. Paul says in I Corinthians v: "If any man among you be a +fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, +or an extortioner, with such an one keep not company, neither eat with +him." [1. Cor. 5:11] Again he says in II Thessalonians iii: "If any +man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no +company with him, that he may be ashamed." [2 Thess. 3:14] Again, John +says in his second Epistle: "If any one come unto you, and bring not +this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God +speed, and he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil +deeds." [2 John 10] + +From all these sayings we learn how the ban is to be used. First, we +should seek neither vengeance nor our own profit, as is at present the +disgraceful practice everywhere, but only the correction of our +neighbor. Second, the penalty should stop short of his death or +destruction; or St. Paul limits the purpose of the ban to the +correction of our neighbor, that he be put to shame when no one +associates with him, and he adds in 11 Thessalonians iii: "Count him +not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." [2 Thess. 3:15] But +now the ruthless tyrants deal with men as though they would cast them +down to hell, and do not in any wise seek their correction. + +5. It may often happen that a person under the ban is deprived of the +holy sacrament, and also of burial, and is nevertheless inwardly[7] +secure and blessed in the fellowship of Christ and of all saints, +signified in the sacrament. On the other hand, there are many who are +not under the outward ban and who freely partake of the sacrament, but +are nevertheless inwardly quite estranged and excommunicated from the +fellowship of Christ; even though they be buried under the high altar +in a golden pall with much pomp and singing and tolling of bells. +Therefore, no one is to be judged, even if he be under the ban, +especially if he has not been put under the ban for heresy or sin, but +for the purpose of correction. For to put men under the ban for the +sake of money or other temporal considerations is a new invention, of +which the apostles and Christ knew nothing. + +6. To put under the ban is not, as some think, to deliver a soul to +Satan and deprive it of the intercession and of all the good works[8] +of the Church. For where the true faith and love of God remain in the +heart, there remains a real participation in all the possessions and +intercessions of the Church, together with all the benefits of the +sacrament, since the ban is and can be nothing else than exclusion +from the external sacrament or from association with men. If I were +cast into prison I would, of course, be deprived of the outward +companionship of my friends, and yet not be deprived of their favor +and friendship; so he that is put under the ban must relinquish the +sacrament and association with men, but is not on that account cut off +from their love, intercession and good works. + +7. It is true that the ban, when it is rightly and deservedly applied, +is a sign, an admonition and a chastisement, whereby the one under the +ban should recognize that he himself has delivered his soul unto Satan +by his transgression and sin, and has deprived himself of the +fellowship of all the saints and of Christ. For by the penalty of the +ban our mother, the holy Church, would show her dear son the awful +consequences of sin and thereby bring him back from the devil to God. +When an earthly mother rebukes and chastises her erring son, she does +not give him over to the hangman or to the wolves, nor make a knave of +him, but she restrains him and shows him by her chastisement that he +is in danger of the hangman, and thus keeps him at home in his +father's house. In the same way, when the spiritual power puts any one +under the ban, it should be in this spirit: "Behold, thou has done +this or that, whereby thou hast delivered thy soul unto the devil, +deserved God's wrath, and deprived thyself of all Christian +fellowship; thou art fallen under the inward spiritual ban in the +sight of God and art unwilling to cease or to return. So then, I put +thee also outwardly under the ban in the sight of men, and to thy +shame I deprive thee of the sacrament and of fellowship with men, +until thou come to thyself and bring back thy soul." + +8. Let every bishop, provost or official[9], who uses the ban for any +other purpose, take heed lest he put himself under the everlasting ban +from which neither God nor any creature shall deliver him. There are +none to whom the ban is more harmful and dangerous than those who +apply it, even though it be laid quite justly and only on account of +wrongdoing, for the reason that they seldom if ever have this object +in view. Besides they go about it without fear and do not consider how +perchance they themselves may be more worthy of a hundred bans in the +sight of God, as the Gospel records of the servant who owed his Lord +ten thousand pounds and yet would not have patience with his fellow +servant who owed him a hundred pence. What will become of these +miserable taskmasters, who for the sake of money have brought things +to such a pass with their bans, often violently and unjustly imposed, +that Turks and heathen have an easier life than Christians? It is very +evident that many of them are under the ban in the sight of God, and +are deprived of the blessing of the sacrament and of inward, spiritual +fellowship, although they do nothing day and night but cite others to +appear, harass them and put them under the ban, and deprive of the +external sacrament those who are a thousandfold better inwardly and in +the sight of God and are living in the spiritual fellowship of the +sacrament. O miserable business! O terrible existence maintained by +this abominable trade! I am not sure whether such publicans and +officials were wolves before becoming officials or whether they are on +the way to becoming wolves; their work is certainly wolves' work. + +9. From this there follows the truth that the ban of itself ruins, +condemns or harms no one, but seeks and finds the ruined and condemned +soul for the purpose of bringing it back. For all chastisement is for +the correction of sin; the ban is simply a chastisement and motherly +correction; therefore it makes no one worse or more sinful, but is +ordained solely to restore the inward spiritual fellowship when justly +laid, or to deepen it when unjustly imposed. This is proved by St. +Paul when he says in II Corinthians xiii: This I write to you +according to the power which the Lord hath given me, to edification +and not to destruction," [2 Cor. 13:10] And thus, when he rebukes him +who had taken his step-mother to wife, he says in I Corinthians v: "I +together with you deliver him unto the devil for the destruction of the +flesh, that the spirit may be saved at the last day." [1 Cor. 5:5] +Thus also in the passage quoted above he said: "We should not count +him who is under the ban as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother, +in order that he may be put to shame and not be lost." [2 Thess. 3:15] +Nay, even Christ Himself, as man, had not the power to cut off and +deliver a single soul to the devil, as He says in John vi: "Him that +cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out, and this is the will of My +Father Who sent Me, that I should not destroy or lose what He giveth +Me." [John 6:37, 39] Again He says: "The Son of Man is not come to +destroy, but to save men's souls." [Luke 9:56] If Christ Himself and +all the apostles had no other power than to help souls, and have let +behind them no other power in the Church, how dare the blind tyrants +presume and boast in their presumption that they have power to curse, +to condemn and to destroy, which power is even denied them by their +own canon law; for in the Liber Sextus[10], which treats of the +sentence of excommunication, we read: "Since the ban is a medicine and +not a poison, only a discipline, not a destructive uprooting, in so +far as the one subjected to it does not despise it: therefore let +every spiritual judge give diligence to prove himself one who seeks by +the ban naught but to correct and to cure." + +10. From the above passage it is evident that the ban, when it is not +despised, is wholesome and harmless, and not fatal to the soul, as +certain timid and dejected consciences, frightened by the outrageous +abuses of some, imagine; although in apostolic times it was able to +deliver the body to the devil and to death[11], as indeed it might +still be, if the judges would wield the ban, not in the abuse of +power, but in humble faith and love, for the correction of their +neighbor. It follows further that the ban brings greater danger and +terror to those who apply it and are not careful to seek only the +correction and salvation of those under the ban, according to the +words of the above passage[12]. For the ban can be nothing else than a +kind, motherly scourge applied to the body and temporal possessions, +by which no one is cast into hell, but rather drawn out of it, and +freed from condemnation unto salvation. Therefore we should not only +endure it without impatience, but receive it with all joy and +reverence. But for the tyrants, who seek therein nothing else than +power, awe and gain for themselves, the ban must be a terrible injury, +because they pervert it and its purpose, turn the medicine into a +poison, and seek only to become a terror to a frightened people; of +correction they never think. For this they will have to give an awful +reckoning--woe unto them! + +11. They have devised a saying, to wit: "Our ban must be feared, right +or wrong." With this saying they insolently comfort themselves, swell +their chests and puff themselves up like adders, and almost dare to +defy heaven and to threaten the whole world; with this bugaboo they +have made a deep and mighty impression, imagining that there is more +in these words than there really is. Therefore we would explain them +more fully and prick this bladder, which with its three peas makes +such a rightful noise. + +Now, it is true, the ban must be feared and not be despised, whether +it be just or unjust. But why apply this only to the ban, which is a +motherly chastening, and not to all the other and greater penalties +and tribulations as well? For what great thing have you done or the +ban by saying it must be feared? Must we not also fear when we are +sick, poor, slandered, despised, or deprived of goods, income or +justice, nay, when the Turk and other enemies attack or afflict us? +For all these and other adversities, whether deserved or undeserved, +we should fear, suffer and endure, and in all things conduct ourselves +as though we but received our deserts, as the Lord teaches: "O him +that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." [Luke 6:30] Why are +you not also afraid, dear tyrant, when you suffer injustice, when your +income is refused, your property stolen, your rights denied, and why +do you not think that you should endure these things in fear, whether +they be right or wrong? Do you think that others are commanded to +endure your power in ear, whether right or wrong, and that you are +free from this commandment and need not endure violence or wrong in +fear? You will learn that you also are human and under the same law +with which you threaten others, puffing yourself up in your folly. + +12. What perversity! The spiritual powers come along with their ban +and say it should be eared and endured, whether right or wrong. But if +they are subjected to violence and injustice they will not endure it +to the extent of a single heller, but without any fear at all, cast up +the accounts in their favor and demand what is theirs. Thus they +withdraw themselves from God's commandment, in keeping which they, +most of all, should be an example to others. For if it is true that +pope, bishop and the whole spiritual estate may without fear resist +injustice, injury and contempt in their own interest, then it is also +true that the ban may be resisted and be repelled, as vigorously as +they seek their interest. There is no distinction in God's +commandment, it concerns every one alike. But may God forbid that! We +are to bear both the ban and whatever tribulation may befall us in +fear, as the Gospel teaches. Therefore, if any one wrong you or take +your income, and you do not endure it in fear, but would frighten him +with the ban[13], especially when you are seeking not his improvement, +but your own benefit or self-will, take heed, you are already worse +than he. For you intend to draw yourself out of fear and to draw him +in, which you have no right to do, and compel him to keep the Gospel +which you tear to pieces. How will you be able to stand before God? +Therefore when they say, "Our ban must be feared, right or wrong," we +reply: "Yes, that is true, but it is also true that your unjust ban +harms no one but yourselves, and harms you in body and soul. And the +just ban harms you more than it harms me. Therefore you should also +endure your injury in fear, be it right or wrong, and if you glory +over me because of the ban I will glory over you because of your +suffering. If a criminal took my coat and said: 'You should endure it +in fear and humility,' I would say, 'I will; not for the sake of your +theft, which harms me not, but for the sake of Christ's commandment +[Matt. 5:40].' Just so I fear your ban, not for the ban's sake (it +does not harm me, but rather yourself), but for the sake of Christ's +commandment." + +13. Though it is true that the ban must be feared, whether it be right +or wrong, yet those who lay the ban are always in greater danger than +those on whom it is laid. He who is banned is in no danger but that of +despising the ban and not bearing it, whether it be right or wrong. +But he who bans is in danger, in the first place, of not enduring +injustice in fear; in the second place, of avenging himself through +the ban without any fear; in the third place, of not seeking, with +singleness of purpose, his sinful neighbor's correction by means of +the ban. This is evident because he despises his own sin and that of +others, and only attacks the man who injures him, all of which is +contrary to the Gospel. Hence it comes that by means of their dreadful +perverseness those who use the ban nowadays pick up the spoon and +tread in the dish[14]; they put others under the external ban and put +themselves under condemnation inwardly; in addition, they become so +blinded that they boast how greatly their external ban is to be +feared, and inwardly they condemn themselves, and rejoice boldly and +without fear like fools and madmen. For this reason I am sure that the +Holy Spirit did not invent the saying, Our ban must be feared, right +or wrong. It does not become a Christian, not to say one in the +spiritual estate[15], to wrong another, much less to lord it over him +and boast that this injustice must be feared. It behooves me to say, +Thy injustice makes me tremble; it behooves thee much more to take +heed and be in fear lest thou do me wrong and threaten me besides, +saying that I must endure it in fear; or thy injustice can harm me +only in time, but thee it harms to all eternity. So evil and +lamentable are these present times, in which such furious tyrants +shamelessly and openly boast of their sin and everlasting hurt (which +would be horrible even in Turks and heathen), in order that they may +be defiant now and mock at the misfortunes of those who suffer, whom +they do not seek to correct, but only to inspire with fear and false +terror. + +In a word, the higher estate is always, with all its works, in greater +danger than the lower estate, and where the lower estate must needs be +in fear once, there the higher estate needs be in fear ten times over. +On this account those who exercise the ban have no reason to lord it +over those who are under the ban or to deal arrogantly with them, but +all the more reason to weep or themselves. For God's judgment will not +be pronounced on the lowly, but on the mighty, as Wisdom the wise man +says [Wisdom 6:8 f.]. + +14. It were indeed better if Christians were taught to love the ban +rather than to fear it[16], as we are taught by Christ to love +chastisement, pain and even death, and not to fear them. But these +prattlers speak only of fear in the ban, though they teach that all +other chastisements and misfortunes are to be borne cheerfully. +Whereby they betray their blind and cursed purpose, which is to rule +by force over the people of Christ, and as it were to take the free +Christian Church captive in fear. Therefore let us learn what is our +chief duty with respect to the ban, namely, not to despise it or bear +it impatiently, and this for two reasons. First, because the authority +of the ban was given by Christ to the holy mother, the Christian +Church, that is, to the community of all Christians. Therefore, in +this matter we should honor and submit to our dear mother Church and +to Christ. For what Christ and the Church do should have our approval, +our love and our filial fear. Secondly, because the effect and purpose +of the ban is beneficial and salutary and never injurious, if one +endures it and does not despise it. To use a homely illustration: When +a mother punishes her beloved son, whether he has deserved it or not, +she certainly does not do it with evil intent, but it is a maternal, +harmless and salutary punishment, if the son bears it patiently. Only +when he becomes impatient, and is not influenced by it to leave the +wrong or to do the good for the sake of which he is punished, but +turns against his mother and despises her, does the punishment begin +to do him harm; or then he offends against God, Who has commanded: +"Thou shalt honor thy father and mother" [Ex. 20:12]; and out of a +light, harmless, yea even beneficial chastisement he makes a terrible +wrong and sin, to his everlasting pain and punishment. + +15. Thus it happens in our day that certain officials[17] and their +associates are murdered, beaten and bound, or are in constant fear of +death. Doubtless this would not occur at all, or at least much less +frequently, if the people did not hold the wrong opinion that the ban +is more harmful than profitable. For this reason they venture +everything, and commit such crimes as it were in despair. Although +this is terrible, yet by God's dispensation the tyrants get what they +deserve, because they conceal the real benefit of the ban from the +people, and misuse it, making no effort toward correction, but aiming +simply to increase their own power. For although every one ought to +endure the ban, they too ought not to despise a poor human being, be +he guilty or innocent, as Christ says: "Take heed that ye despise not +one of these little ones that believe on Me, for I say unto you that +their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in +heaven." [Matt. 18:10] Why should they wonder if, in the providence of +God, at times their heads are broken and their commands despised, +because of the unjust tyrannical ban, since without ceasing they act +so insolently against God's commandment? True, there is great wrong on +both sides. Yet if the people were taught that the power of the ban is +wholesome and necessary and that it is not ordained nor used to their +hurt, but to their benefit, the officials would be in less danger, and +find greater and readier obedience, nay, greater love, good will and +honor among all the people. + +16. Therefore the people should be taught in some such way as this: My +dear people, let not those who have and use the power of the ban drive +you to despair, whether they be pious or evil, whether they do you +justice or injustice. The power of the ban cannot harm you, but must +always be beneficial to the soul, if only you bear and endure it +aright; their abuse of the ban does not hinder its virtue. Or if you +cannot endure it, then try to escape from it with meekness, not with +revenge and retaliation by word or deed. And in all things look not to +them, but to the dear mother Church. What difference does it make to +you whether she lays her rods of chastisement upon you through pious +or through wicked rulers? It is and remains, nevertheless, your +dearest mother's most salutary rod. From the beginning of the world it +has been so, and will ever remain, that spiritual and temporal power +is more often given to the Pilates, Herods, Annases and Caiaphases +than to the pious Peters, Pauls and the like, and as in all other +estates so in that of government there are always more of the wicked +than of the pious. It is not to be supposed or hoped that we shall +ever have an entirely pious government, nay, it must come as a pure +git of grace or by special prayer and merit, if good government or a +right use of power is to be had at all. For God punishes wicked +subjects by wicked rulers, as He says: "I will give children to be +their prelates and their rulers shall be childish men, I will take +from them every mighty man, the wise, the prudent and the man of war," +[Isa. 3:4] etc. Since, then, incapable or evil rulers are God's +chastisement, and there are so many among us who deserve such +chastisement, we must not be surprised if the government wrongs us and +abuses its power toward us, nay, we must wonder and thank God when it +does not wrong us and do us injustice. + +17. Wherefore, since the world is at present overburdened, as it has +abundantly deserved to be because of its heinous sins, with young, +imprudent and inexperienced rulers, especially in the spiritual +estate, so that this age of ours is extraordinarily perilous, we must +act very prudently and by all means see to it that we hold the +government and all authority in the highest honor, even as Christ +honors the authority of Pilate, Herod, Annas, Caiaphas, and of the +temporal rulers of His time we must not permit such grievous abuses +and the childish rule of the prelates to move us to despise all +authority, so that despite those unworthy persons who bear rule we may +not at the same time despise their authority, but cheerfully bear what +it imposes, or reuse to bear it at least with humility and proper +respect. For God cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly +and impudently resisted when it does not force us to do what is +against God or His commandments[18], though they themselves do as much +as they can against God, or injure us as much as they will. There are +some whom He Himself would judge and condemn, and such are those great +and powerful tyrants; so too, there are those whom He would help, and +such are the oppressed sufferers. Therefore we should yield to this +His will and leave the mighty to His sword and judgment, and allow Him +to help us, as St. Paul says: "O dearly beloved brethren, neither +avenge nor defend yourselves, but rather give place unto the wrath of +God, because it is written. Vengeance belongs to Me alone and I will +repay each one [Deut. 32:35]." [Rom. 12:19] + +And yet we should humbly tell these prelates (especially should the +preachers rebuke them, yet only by showing them from the Word of God) +that they are acting against God and show them what He would have them +do, and in addition diligently and earnestly pray to God or them; even +as Jeremiah wrote to the children of Israel in Babylon that they +should zealously pray or the king of Babylon, or his son and for his +kingdom, although he had taken them captive, had troubled and slain +them and done them all manner of evil. + +And we can easily do this if we remember that the ban and all +unrighteous authority cannot harm our souls, provided we submit to +them, and they must ever be of profit, unless they are despised. So +also are the authorities a thousandfold worse in the sight of God than +we, and are therefore to be pitied rather than wickedly to be +despised. For this reason we are also commanded in the law of Moses +that no one shall revile the rulers, be they good or evil, even though +they give great occasion. In short, we must have evil or childish +rulers,--if it is not the Turk, then it must needs be the Christians. +The world is far too wicked to be worthy of good and pious lords, it +must have princes who go to war, levy taxes and shed blood, and it +must have spiritual tyrants who impoverish and burden it with bulls +and letters[19] and laws. This and other chastisements are rather what +it has deserved, and to resist them is nothing else than to resist +God's chastisement. As humbly as I conduct myself when God sends me a +sickness, so humbly should I conduct myself toward the evil +government, which the same God also sends me. + +18. When we are justly and deservedly put under the ban our chief +concern should be to correct the sins of commission and omission which +caused the ban, since the ban always is imposed on account of sin +(which is far worse than the ban itself), and yet here as elsewhere +things are perverted, so that we only consider how much the rod hurts +and not why we are punished. Where can you find men to-day who are as +much in fear of sinning and provoking God as they are in fear of the +ban? Thus it happens that we are more in fear of the wholesome +chastisement than of the heinous sins. We must let men think and act +thus, because the natural man does not see the spiritual harm in sin +as he feels the smarts of chastisement; although the fear of the ban +has also been exaggerated by the tyrannous methods and threatenings of +the spiritual judges who drive the people to fear punishment more than +sin. + +When, however, we are unjustly put under the ban, we should be very +careful that we in no way do, omit, say or withhold that on account of +which we are under the ban (unless we cannot do so without sin and +without injury to our neighbor)[20], but rather should we endure the +ban in humility, die happily under it, if it cannot be otherwise, and +not be terrified, even though we do not receive the sacrament and are +buried in unconsecrated ground. The reason is this: Truth and +righteousness belong to the inner, spiritual fellowship[21] and may +not be abandoned under penalty of falling under God's eternal ban. +Therefore they dare not be surrendered for the sake of the external +fellowship, which is immeasurably inferior, nor because of the ban. To +receive the sacrament and to be buried in consecrated ground are of +too little consequence that or their sake truth and righteousness be +neglected. And that no one may think this strange I will go further +and say that even he who dies under a just ban is not damned, unless +indeed he did not repent of his sin or despised the ban. For sorrow +and repentance make all things right, even though his body be exhumed +or his ashes cast into the water[22]. + +19. The unjust ban then is much more to be desired than either the +just ban or the external fellowship. It is a very precious merit in +the sight of God, and blessed is he who dies under an unjust ban. God +will grant him an eternal crown for the truth's sake, on account of +which he is under the ban. Then let him sing in the words of Psalm +cix, "They have cursed me, but Thou hast blessed me." [Ps. 109:28] +Only let us beware of despising the authorities, and humbly declare +our innocence; if this does not avail, then we are free and without +guilt in the sight of God. For if we are in duty bound by the +commandment of Christ to agree with our adversary [Matt. 5:25]; how +much more should we agree with the authority of the Christian Church, +be it exercised justly or unjustly, by worthy or unworthy rulers. + +An obedient child, though it does not deserve the punishment it +receives from its mother, suffers no harm from the unjust +chastisement, nay, by its very patience it becomes much dearer and +more pleasing to the mother; how much more do we become lovable in +God's sight, if at the hands of evil rulers we endure the unmerited +punishment of the Church, as our spiritual mother. For the Church +remains our mother because Christ remains Christ, and she is not +changed into a step-mother simply because of our evil rulers. +Nevertheless, the prelates and bishops and their officials should be +temperate and not hastily use the ban, for many bans means nothing +else than many laws and commandments, and prescribing many laws is to +set many snares for poor souls. And so by numerous ill-advised bans +nothing more results than great offence and an occasion or sin, by +which the wrath of God is provoked, although the ban was ordained to +reconcile Him. And although we are truly bound to obey them, still +more are they bound to direct, change and regulate their decree and +authority according to our ability and need and for our correction and +salvation; for we have shown from St. Paul[23] that power is given not +for destruction but for edification [2 Cor. 13:10]. + +20. The ban should be applied not only to heretics and schismatics, +but to all who are guilty of open sin, as we have shown above from St. +Paul, who commands that the railer, extortioner, fornicator and +drunkard be put under the ban [1 Cor. 5:11]. But in our day such +sinners are let in peace, especially if they are bigwigs; and to the +disgrace of this noble form of authority, the ban is used only for the +collection of debts of money, often so insignificant that the costs +amount to more than the original debt. In order to gloss this over +they have hit upon a new device, saying they put under the ban not +because of debt but because of disobedience, because the summons was +not respected; were it not for debt, however, they would forget the +disobedience, as we see when many other sins, even their own, escape +the ban. A poor man must often be disobedient if he is cited to go so +many miles, lose time and money and neglect his trade. It is utter +tyranny to summon a man to come such a distance across country to +court. + +And I commend the temporal princes[24] who will not permit the ban and +the abuses connected with it in their lands and among their people. +What are princes and counsellors for if they do not concern themselves +with and judge such temporal matters as debts, each in their city and +province and among their subjects? The spiritual powers should be +concerned with the Word of God, with sin, and with the devil, in order +to bring souls to God, and should relinquish temporal cases to the +temporal judges, as Paul writes[25][1 Cor. 6:1]. Indeed, as things are +now, it is almost necessary to use the ban in order to drive the +people into the Church and not out of it. + +21. Whether one be justly or unjustly under the ban, no one may +exclude him from the Church until the Gospel has been read or the +sermon preached[26]. For from the hearing of the Gospel and the sermon +no one shall or can exclude or be excluded. The hearing of the Word of +God should remain free to every one[27]. Nay, those who are under a +just ban ought most of all to hear it, that they may perchance be +moved by it to acknowledge their sin and to reform. We read that it +was the ancient practice of the Church to dismiss those under the ban +after the sermon, and if a whole congregation were under the ban the +sermon must be allowed to proceed just as though there were no ban. In +addition, even though he who is under the ban may not remain for the +mass after the sermon, nor come to the sacrament[28], nevertheless he +should not neglect it, but spiritually come to the sacrament, that is, +he should heartily desire it and believe that he can spiritually +receive it, as was said in the treatise on the sacrament[29]. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] In the preceding treatise on the _Blessed Sacrament_. + +[2] See above, p. 10. + +[3] See above, p. 18. + +[4] I. e., the necessaries of life. + +[5] E. g., the crusades against heretics, and the inquisition of the +thirteenth century. Luther's statement that to burn heretics is +contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit was condemned in the Bull +_Exsurge Domine_, of July 15, 1520. + +[6] Cf. p. 53. + +[7] Cf. p. 10. + +[8] See Vol. I, pp. 53, 163 ff. + +[9] The officials were officers of the bishops' courts; see also +below, p. 103. + +[10] In Vito, lib. V, tit. xi, c. I,_Cum medicinalis_. + +[11] According to Luther's interpretation of 1 Cor. 5:5. Cf. also Acts +5:5. + +[12] The passage quoted from the canon law. + +[13] For instances see the _Gravamina of the German Nation_ (1521), +Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, II, 685. + +[14] Thiele, _Luthers Sprichwörtersammlung_, No. 276. + +[15] I. e., a cleric. + +[16] This statement also was condemned in the papal bull. + +[17] The "officials" were the administrators of this discipline, see +above, p. 41. + +[18] A very important limitation for Luther's position. + +[19] See Open Letter to the Nobility, below, p. 98. + +[20] Again an important limitation. + +[21] See above, p. 41. + +[22] The ashes of Hus were cast into the Rhine (1415), and the body of +Wycliff was exhumed and cremated and the ashes cast into the water +(1427). + +[23] See above, p. 42. + +[24] In 1518 both George and Frederick of Saxony took the position +that spiritual jurisdiction should be limited to spiritual matters. +Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchen politik Georgs_ 1, 44. + +[25] Luther puts a peculiar construction upon this passage. + +[26] The ancient service was divided into the service of the Word +(_missa catechumenorum_) and the celebration of the sacrament (_missa +fidelium_); before the second, those under the ban as well as the +catechumens were required to withdraw. + +[27] The "great ban" excluded from all services. + +[28] According to Roman Catholic usage there is a distinction between +hearing mass and receiving the sacrament. + +[29] Compare Treatise Concerning the Blessed Sacrament, above, p. 25. + + + +AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY OF THE GERMAN NATION +CONCERNING THE REFORM OF THE CHRISTIAN ESTATE + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation_ is +closely related to the tract on _The Papacy at Rome: A Reply to the +Celebrated Romanist at Leipzig_[1]. In a letter to Spalatin[2] dated +before June 8, 1520, Luther says: "I shall assail that ass of an +Alveld in such wise as not to forget the Roman pontiff, and neither of +them will be pleased." In the same letter he writes, "I am minded to +issue a broadside to Charles and the nobility of Germany against the +tyranny and baseness of the Roman curia." The attack upon Alveld is +the tract on _The Papacy at Rome_; the _scheda publica_ grew into the +_Open Letter_. At the time when the letter to Spalatin was written, +the work on _The Papacy at Rome_ must have been already in press, for +it appeared in print on the 26th of the month[3], and the composition +of the Open Letter had evidently not yet begun. On the 23d Luther sent +the manuscript of the _Open Letter_ to Amsdorf[4], with the request +that he read it and suggest changes. The two weeks immediately +preceding the publication of the work _On the Papacy_ must, therefore, +have been the time when the Open Letter was composed. + +In the conclusion to the earlier work Luther had said: "Moreover, I +should be truly glad if kings, princes, and all the nobles would take +hold, and turn the knaves from Rome out of the country, and keep the +appointments to bishoprics and benefices out of their hands. How has +Roman avarice come to usurp all the foundations, bishoprics and +benefices of our fathers? Who has ever read or heard of such monstrous +robbery? Do we not also have the people who need them, while out of +our poverty we must enrich the ass-drivers and stable-boys, nay, the +harlots and knaves at Rome, who look upon us as nothing else but +arrant fools, and make us the objects of their vile mockery? Oh, the +pity, that kings and princes have so little reverence for Christ, and +His honor concerns them so little that they allow such heinous +abominations to gain the upper hand, and look on, while at Rome they +think of nothing but to continue in their madness and to increase the +abounding misery, until no hope is let on earth except in the temporal +authorities. Of this I will say more anon, if this Romanist comes +again; let this suffice for a beginning. May God help us at length to +open our eyes. Amen." + +This passage may fairly be regarded as the germ of the _Open Letter_. +The ideas of the latter work are suggested with sufficient clearness +to show that its materials are already at hand, and its plan already +in the author's mind. The threat to write it is scarcely veiled. That +Luther did not wait for that particular Romanist to "come again" may +have been due to the intervention of another Romanist, none other than +his old opponent, Sylvester Prierias. Before the 7th of June[5] Luther +had received a copy of Prierias' _Epitome of a Reply to Martin +Luther_[6], which is the boldest and baldest possible assertion of the +very theory of papal power which Luther had sought to demolish in his +tract on the Papacy. In the preface to his reprint of the Epitome, +Luther bids farewell to Rome: "Farewell, unhappy, hopeless, +blasphemous Rome! The wrath of God hath come upon thee, as thou hast +deserved! We have cared for Babylon, and she is not healed; let us, +then, leave her, that she may be the habitation of dragons, spectres +and witches, and true to her name of Babel, an everlasting confusion, +a new pantheon of wickedness."[7] + +These words were written while the _Open Letter_ was in course of +composition. The _Open Letter_ is, therefore, Luther's first +publication after the time when he recognized that the breach between +him and the papal church was complete, and likely to be permanent. +Meanwhile, the opposing party had come to the same conclusion. The +verdict of the pope upon Luther had been long delayed, but on the 15th +of June, midway between the letter to Spalatin, above mentioned, and +the completion of the _Open Letter_, Leo X signed the bull of +excommunication, though it was not published in Germany until later. +Thus the _Open Letter_ shows us the mind of Luther in the weeks when +the permanent separation between him and Rome took place. + +It was also the time when he had the highest hopes from the promised +support of the German knights[8], who formed the patriotic party in +Germany and are included in the "nobility" to whom the Open Letter is +addressed[9]. + +The first edition of 4000 copies came off the press of Melchior +Lotther in Wittenberg before the 18th of August[10]. It is +surmised[11] that the earlier portion[12] of the work was not +contained in the original manuscript, but was added while it was in +the printer's hands; perhaps it was added at the suggestion of +Amsdorf. Less than a week later a second edition was in course of +preparation[13]. This "enlarged and revised edition"[14] contained +three passages not included in the first[15]. They are indicated in +the notes to the present edition. + +He who would know the true Luther must read more than one of his +writings; he must not by any chance omit to read the _Open Letter to +the Christian Nobility of the German Nation_. In his other works we +learn to know him as the man of God, or the prophet, or the +theologian; in this treatise we meet Luther the German. His heart is +full of grief for the affliction of his people, and grief turns to +wrath as he observes that this affliction is put upon them by the +tyranny and greed of the pope and the cardinals and the "Roman +vermin." The situation is desperate; appeals and protests have been +all in vain; and so, as a last resort, he turns to the temporal +authorities,--to Charles V, newly elected, but as yet uncrowned; to +the territorial lords, great and small, who have a voice in the +imperial diet and powers of jurisdiction in their own +domains,--reciting the abuses of "Roman tyranny," and pleading with +them to intervene in behalf of the souls that are going to destruction +"through the devilish rule of Rome." It is a cry out of the heart of +Germany, a nation whose bent is all religious, but which, from that +very circumstance, is all the more open to the insults and wrongs and +deceptions of the Roman curia. + +Yet it is no formless and incoherent cry, but an orderly recital of +the ills of Germany. There are times when we feel in reading it that +the writer is laying violent hands on his own wrath in the effort to +be calm. For all its scathing quality, it is a sane arraignment of +those who "under the holy name of Christ and St. Peter" are +responsible for the nation's woes, and the remedies that are proposed +are, many of them, practicable as well as reasonable. + +The materials of the work are drawn from many sources,--from hearsay, +from personal observation, from such histories as Luther had at his +command, from the proceedings of councils and of diets; there are +passages which would seem to bear more than an accidental resemblance +to similar passages in Hutten's _Vadiscus_. All was grist that came to +Luther's mill. But the spirit of the work is Luther's own. + +For the general historian, who is concerned more with the practical +than with the theoretical or theological aspects of the Reformation, +the _Open Letter_ is undoubtedly Luther's greatest work. Its rank +outspokenness about the true condition of Germany, the number and +variety of the subjects that it treats, the multiplicity of the +sources from which the subject-matter is drawn, and the point of view +from which the whole is discussed make it a work of absorbing interest +and priceless historical value. It shows, as does no other single work +of the Reformation time, the things that were in men's minds and the +variety of motives which led them to espouse the cause of the +Protestant party. Doctrine, ethics, history, politics, economics, all +have their place in the treatise. It is not only "a blast on the +war-trumpet,"[16] but a connecting link between the thought of the +Middle Ages and that of modern times, prophetic of the new age, but +showing how closely the new is bound up with the old. + +The text of the _Open Letter_ is found in _Weimar Ed_., VI, 404-469; +_Erl. Ed._, XXI, 277-360; _Walch Ed._, X, 296-399; _St. Louis Ed._, X, +266-351; _Berlin Ed._, I, 203-290; _Clemen_ I, 363-425. The text of +the Berlin Ed._ is modernized and annotated by E. Schneider. The +editions of _K. Benrath_ (Halle, 1883) and E. Lemme (_Die 3 grossen +Reformationsschriften L's vom J. 1520_; Gotha, 1884) contain a +modernized text and extensive notes. A previous English translation in +_Wace_ and _Buchheim_, _Luther's Primary Works_ (London and +Philadelphia, 1896). The present translation is based on the text of +Clemen. + +For full discussion of the contents of the work, especially its +sources, see _Weimar Ed._, VI, 381-391; _Schäfer, Luther als +Kirchenhistoriker_, Gütersloh, 1897; Kohler, _L's Schrift an den Adel +. . . im Spiegel der Kulturgeschichte_, Halle, 1895, and _Luther und +die Kirchengeschichte_, Erlangen, 1900. Extensive comment in all the +biographies, especially Köstlin-Kawerau I, 315 ff. + + CHARLES M. JACOBS. + +Lutheran Theological Seminary, + + Mount Airy, Philadelphia. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] In this edition, I, 337 ff. + +[2] Enders, II, 414; Smith, _L.'s Correspondence_, I, No. 266. + +[3] Enders, II, 424. + +[4] See below, p. 62. + +[5] See letter of June 7th to John Hess, Enders, II, 411; Smith, I, +No. 265. + +[6] Published at Rome 1519; printed with Luther's preface and notes, +Weimar Ed., VI, 328ff.; Erl. Ed., op. var. arg., II, 79 ff. + +[7] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329. + +[8] See Enders, II, 415, 443; Smith, Nos. 269, 279, and documents in +_St. Louis Ed._, XV, 1630 ff. + +[9] See Köstlin-Kawerau, _Martin Luther_, I, 308 ff., and _Weimar +Ed._, VI, 381 ff. + +[10] See Luther's letters to Lang and Staupitz, who wished to have the +publication withheld (Enders, II, 461, 463). + +[11] _Clemen_, I. 362. + +[12] Below, pp. 65-99. + +[13] See _Weimar Ed._, VI, 397. + +[14] See title _B_, _ibid_., 398. + +[15] Printed as an appendix in _Clemen_, I, 421-425. + +[16] So it was called by Johann Lang (Enders, II, 461). + + + +AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY OF THE GERMAN NATION +CONCERNING THE REFORM OF THE CHRISTIAN ESTATE + +1520 + + + +To the + +Esteemed and Reverend Master + +NICHOLAS VON AMSDORF, + +Licentiate of Holy Scripture and Canon at Wittenberg, my special and +kind friend; + +Doctor Martin Luther. + +The grace and peace of God be with thee, esteemed and reverend dear +sir and friend. + +The time to keep silence has passed and the time to speak is come, as +saith Ecclesiastes [Eccl. 3:7]. I have followed out our intention[1] +and brought together some matters touching the reform of the Christian +Estate, to be laid before the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, +in the hope that God may deign to help His Church through the efforts +of the laity, since the clergy, to whom this task more properly +belongs, have grown quite indifferent. I am sending the whole thing to +your Reverence, that you may pass judgment on it and, if necessary, +improve it. + +I know full well that I shall not escape the charge of presumption in +that I, a despised monk, venture to address such high and great +Estates on matters of such moment, and to give advice to people of +such high intelligence. I shall offer no apologies, no matter who may +chide me. Perchance I owe my God and the world another piece of folly, +and I have now made up my mind honestly to pay that debt, if I can do +so, and for once to become court-jester; if I fail, I still have one +advantage,--no one need buy me a cap or cut me my comb[2]. It is a +question which one will put the bells on the other[3]. I must fulfil +the proverb, "Whatever the world does, a monk must be in it, even if +he has to be painted in."[4] More than once a fool has spoken wisely, +and wise men often have been arrant fools, as Paul says, "If any one +will be wise, let him become a fool." [1 Cor. 3:18] Moreover since I +am not only a fool, but also a sworn doctor of Holy Scripture, I am +glad for the chance to fulfil my doctor's oath in this fool's way. + +I pray you, make my excuses to the moderately intelligent, for I know +not how to earn the grace and favor of the immoderately intelligent, +though I have often sought to do so with great pains. Henceforth I +neither desire nor regard their favor. God help us to seek not our own +glory, but His alone! Amen. + +Wittenberg, in the house of the Augustinians, on the Eve of St. John +the Baptist (June 23d), in the year fifteen hundred and twenty. + +To + +His Most Illustrious and Mighty Imperial Majesty, + +and to + +the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, + +Doctor Martin Luther. + +Grace and power from God, Most Illustrious Majesty, and most gracious +and dear Lords. + +It is not out of sheer frowardness or rashness that I, a single, poor +man, have undertaken to address your worships. The distress and +oppression which weigh down all the Estates of Christendom, especially +of Germany, and which move not me alone, but everyone to cry out time +and again, and to pray for help[5], have forced me even now to cry +aloud that God may inspire some one with His Spirit to lend this +suffering nation a helping hand. Ofttimes the councils[6] have made +some pretence at reformation, but their attempts have been cleverly +hindered by the guile of certain men and things have gone from bad to +worse. I now intend, by the help of God, to throw some light upon the +wiles and wickedness of these men, to the end that when they are +known, they may not henceforth be so hurtful and so great a hindrance. +God has given us a noble youth to be our head and thereby has awakened +great hopes of good in many hearts[7]; wherefore it is meet that we +should do our part and profitably use this time of grace. + +In this whole matter the first and most important thing is that we +take earnest heed not to enter on it trusting in great might or in +human reason, even though all power in the world were ours; for God +cannot and will not suffer a good work to be begun with trust in our +own power or reason. Such works He crushes ruthlessly to earth, as it +is written in the xxxiii. Psalm, "There is no king saved by the +multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength." +[Ps. 33:16] On this account, I fear, it came to pass of old that the +good Emperors Frederick I[8] and II[9], and many other German emperors +were shamefully oppressed and trodden under foot by the popes, +although all the world feared them. It may be that they relied on +their own might more than on God, and therefore they had to all. In +our own times, too, what was it that raised the bloodthirsty Julius +II[10] to such heights? Nothing else, I fear, except that France, the +Germans and Venice relied upon themselves. The children of Benjamin +slew 42,000 Israelites[11] because the latter relied on their own +strength. + +That it may not so fare with us and our noble young Emperor Charles, +we must be sure that in this matter we are dealing not with men, but +with the princes of hell, who can fill the world with war and +bloodshed, but whom war and bloodshed do not overcome. We must go at +this work despairing of physical force and humbly trusting God; we +must seek God's help with earnest prayer, and fix our minds on nothing +else than the misery and distress of suffering Christendom, without +regard to the deserts of evil men. Otherwise we may start the game +with great prospect of success, but when we get well into it the evil +spirits will stir up such confusion that the whole world will swim in +blood, and yet nothing will come of it. Let us act wisely, therefore, +and in the fear of God. The more force we use, the greater our +disaster if we do not act humbly and in God's fear. The popes and the +Romans have hitherto been, able, by the devil's help, to set kings at +odds with one another, and they may well be able to do it again, if we +proceed by our own might and cunning, without God's help. + +I. THE THREE WALLS OF THE ROMANISTS + +[Sidenote: The Three Walls Described] + +The Romanists[12], with great adroitness, have built three walls about +them, behind which they have hitherto defended themselves in such wise +that no one has been able to reform them; and this has been the cause +of terrible corruption throughout all Christendom. + +_First_, when pressed by the temporal power, they have made decrees +and said that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them, but, +on the other hand, that the spiritual is above the temporal power. +_Second_, when the attempt is made to reprove them out of the +Scriptures, they raise the objection that the interpretation of the +Scriptures belongs to no one except the pope. Third, if threatened +with a council, they answer with the fable that no one can call a +council but the pope. + +In this wise they have slyly stolen from us our three rods[13], that +they may go unpunished, and have ensconced themselves within the safe +stronghold of these three walls, that they may practise all the +knavery and wickedness which we now see. Even when they have been +compelled to hold a council they have weakened its power in advance by +previously binding the princes with an oath to let them remain as they +are. Moreover, they have given the pope full authority over all the +decisions of the council, so that it is all one whether there are many +councils or no councils,--except that they deceive us with +puppet-shows and sham-battles. So terribly do they fear for their skin +in a really free council! And they have intimidated kings and princes +by making them believe it would be an offence against God not to obey +them in all these knavish, crafty deceptions[14]. Now God help us, and +give us one of the trumpets with which the walls of Jericho were +overthrown [Josh. 6:20], that we may blow down these walls of straw +and paper, and may set free the Christian rods or the punishment of +sin, bringing to light the craft and deceit of the devil, to the end +that through punishment we may reform ourselves, and once more attain +God's favor. + +Against the first wall we will direct our first attack. + +[Sidenote: The First Wall--the Spiritual Estate above the Temporal] + +It is pure invention that pope, bishops, priests and monks are to be +called the "spiritual estate"; princes, lords, artisans, and farmers +the temporal estate. That is indeed a fine bit of lying and hypocrisy. +Yet no one should be frightened by it; and for this reason--viz., that +all Christians are truly of the "spiritual estate," and there is among +them no difference at all but that of office, as Paul says in I +Corinthians xii. We are all one body, yet every member has its own +work, whereby it serves every other, all because we have one baptism, +one Gospel, one faith, and are all alike Christians [1 Cor. 12:12 +ff.]; for baptism, Gospel and faith alone make us "spiritual" and a +Christian people. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of Believers] + +But that a pope or a bishop anoints, confers tonsures, ordains, +consecrates, or prescribes dress unlike that of the laity,--this may +make hypocrites and graven images[15], but it never makes a Christian +or "spiritual" man. Through baptism all of us are consecrated to the +priesthood, as St. Peter says in I Peter ii, "Ye are a royal +priesthood, a priestly kingdom," [1 Pet. 2:9] and the book of +Revelation says, "Thou hast made us by Thy blood to be priests and +kings." [Rev. 5:10] For if we had no higher consecration than pope or +bishop gives, the consecration by pope or bishop would never make a +priest, nor might anyone either say mass or preach a sermon or give +absolution. Therefore when the bishop consecrates it is the same thing +as if he, in the place and stead of the whole congregation, all of +whom have like power, were to take one out of their number and charge +him to use this power for the others; just as though ten brothers, all +king's sons and equal heirs, were to choose one of themselves to rule +the inheritance or them all,--they would all be kings and equal in +power, though one of them would be charged with the duty of ruling. + +To make it still clearer. If a little group of pious Christian laymen +were taken captive and set down in a wilderness, and had among them no +priest consecrated by a bishop, and if there in the wilderness they +were to agree in choosing one of themselves, married or unmarried, and +were to charge him with the office of baptising, saying mass, +absolving and preaching, such a man would be as truly a priest as +though all bishops and popes had consecrated him. That is why in cases +of necessity any one can baptise and give absolution[16], which would +be impossible unless we were all priests. This great grace and power +of baptism and of the Christian Estate they have well-nigh destroyed +and caused us to forget through the canon law[17]. It was in the +manner aforesaid that Christians in olden days chose from their number +bishops and priests, who were afterwards confirmed by other bishops, +without all the show which now obtains. It was thus that Sts. +Augustine[18], Ambrose[19] and Cyprian[20] became bishops. + +[Sidenote: The Temporal Rulers, Priests] + +[Sidenote: The Priest an Office-holder] + +Since, then, the temporal authorities are baptised with same baptism +and have the same faith and Gospel as we, we must grant that they are +priests and bishops, and count their office one which has a proper and +a useful place in the Christian community. For whoever comes out of +the water of baptism[21] can boast that he is already consecrated +priest, bishop and pope, though it is not seemly that every one should +exercise the office. Nay, just because we are all in like manner +priests, no one must put himself forward and undertake, without our +consent and election, to do what is in the power of all of us. For +what is common to all, no one dare take upon himself without the will +and the command of the community; and should it happen that one chosen +for such an office were deposed for malfeasance, he would then be just +what he was before he held office. Therefore a priest in Christendom +is nothing else than an office-holder. While he is in office, he has +precedence; holder when deposed, he is a peasant or a townsman like +the rest. Beyond all doubt, then, a priest is no longer a priest when +he is deposed. But now they have invented _characteres +indelebiles_[22], and prate that a deposed priest is nevertheless +something different from a mere layman. They even dream that a priest +can never become a layman, or be anything else than a priest. All this +is mere talk and man-made law. + +From all this it follows that there is really no difference between +laymen and priests, princes and bishops, "spirituals" and "temporals," +as they call them, except that of office and work, but not of +"estate"; or they are all of the same estate[23],--true priests, +bishops and popes,--though they are not all engaged in the same work, +just as all priests and monks have not the same work. This is the +teaching of St. Paul in Romans xii [Rom. 12:4 ff.] and I Corinthians +xii [1 Cor. 12:12 ff.], and of St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:9], +as I have said above, viz., that we are all one body of Christ, the +Head, all members one of another. Christ has not two different bodies, +one "temporal," the other "spiritual." He is one Head, and He has one +body. + +Therefore, just as those who are now called "spiritual"--priests, +bishops or popes--are neither different from other Christians nor +superior to them, except that they are charged with the administration +of the Word of God and the sacraments, which is their work and office, +so it is with the temporal authorities,--they bear sword and rod with +which to punish the evil and to protect the good [Rom. 13:4]. A +cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade, +and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and every +one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every +other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily +and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the +body serve one another. + +See, now, how Christian is the decree which says that the temporal +power is not above the "spiritual estate" and may not punish it[24]. +That is as much as to say that the hand shall lend no aid when the eye +is suffering. Is it not unnatural, not to say unchristian, that one +member should not help another and prevent its destruction? Verily, +the more honorable the member, the more should the others help. I say +then, since the temporal power is ordained of God to punish evil-doers +and to protect them that do well [Rom. 13], it should therefore be +left free to perform its office without hindrance through the whole +body of Christendom without respect of persons, whether it affect +pope, bishops, priests, monks, nuns or anybody else. For if the mere +act that the temporal power has a smaller place among the Christian +offices than has the office of preachers or confessors, or of the +clergy, then the tailors, cobblers, masons, carpenters, pot-boys, +tapsters, farmers, and all the secular tradesmen, should also be +prevented from providing pope, bishops, priests and monks with shoes, +clothing, houses, meat and drink, and from paying them tribute. But if +these laymen are allowed to do their work unhindered, what do the +Roman scribes mean by their laws, with which they withdraw themselves +from the jurisdiction of the temporal Christian power, only so that +they may be free to do evil and to fulfil what St. Peter has said: +"There shall be false teachers among you, and through covetousness +shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." [2 Pet. 2:1 +ff.] + +On this account the Christian temporal power should exercise its +office without let or hindrance, regardless whether it be pope, bishop +or priest whom it affects; whoever is guilty, let him suffer. All that +the canon law has said to the contrary is sheer invention of Roman +presumption. For thus saith St. Paul to all Christians: "Let every +soul (I take that to mean the pope's soul also) be subject unto the +higher powers; for they bear not the sword in vain, but are the +ministers of God for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise +of them that do well." [Rom. 13:1, 4] St. Peter also says: "Submit +yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, for so is +the will of God." [1 Pet. 2:13, 15] He has also prophesied that such +men shall come as will despise the temporal authorities [1 Pet. 2:10]; +and this has come to pass through the canon law. + +So then, I think this first paper-wall is overthrown, since the +temporal power has become a member of the body of Christendom, and is +of the "spiritual estate," though its work is of a temporal nature. +Therefore its work should extend freely and without hindrance to all +the members of the whole body; it should punish and use force whenever +guilt deserves or necessity demands, without regard to pope, bishops +and priests,--let them hurl threats and bans as much as they will. + +This is why guilty priests, if they are surrendered to the temporal +law[25], are first deprived of their priestly dignities, which would +not be right unless the temporal sword had previously had authority +over them by divine right. Again, it is intolerable that in the canon +law so much importance is attached to the freedom, life and property +of the clergy, as though the laity were not also as spiritual and as +good Christians as they, or did not belong to the Church. Why are your +life and limb, your property and honor so free, and mine not? We are +all alike Christians, and have baptism, faith, Spirit and all things +alike. If a priest is killed, the land is laid under +interdict,[26]--why not when a peasant is killed? Whence comes this +great distinction between those who are equally Christians? Only from +human laws and inventions! + +Moreover, it can be no good spirit who has invented such exceptions +and granted to sin such license and impunity. For if we are bound to +strive against the works and words of the evil spirit, and to drive +him out in whatever way we can, as Christ commands and His Apostles, +ought we, then, to suffer it in silence when the pope or his +satellites are bent on devilish words and works? Ought we for the sake +of men to allow the suppression of divine commandments and truths +which we have sworn in baptism to support with life and limb? Of a +truth we should then have to answer for all the souls that would +thereby be abandoned and led astray. + +It must therefore have been the very prince of devils who said what is +written in the canon law: "If the pope were so scandalously bad as to +lead souls in crowds to the devil, yet he could not be deposed."[27] +On this accursed and devilish foundation they build at Rome, and think +that we should let all the world go to the devil, rather than resist +their knavery. If the act that one man is set over others were +sufficient reason why he should escape punishment, then no Christian +could punish another, since Christ commands that every man shall +esteem himself the lowliest and the least. [Matt. 18:4] + +Where sin is, there is no escape from punishment; as St. Gregory[28] +also writes that we are indeed all equal, but guilt puts us in +subjection one to another. Now we see how they whom God and the +Apostles have made subject to the temporal sword deal with +Christendom, depriving it of its liberty by their own wickedness, +without warrant of Scripture. It is to be feared that this is a game +of Anti-christ[29] or a sign that he is close at hand. + +[Sidenote: The Second Wall--The Pope the Interpreter of Scripture; +Papal Infallibility] + +The second wall is still more flimsy and worthless. They wish to be +the only Masters of the Holy Scriptures[31] even though in all their +lives they learn nothing from them. They assume for themselves sole +authority, and with insolent juggling of words they would persuade us +that the pope, whether he be a bad man or a good man, cannot err in +matters of faith[32]; and yet they cannot prove a single letter of it. +Hence it comes that so many heretical and unchristian, nay, even +unnatural ordinances have a place in the canon law, of which, however, +there is no present need to speak. For since they think that the Holy +Spirit never leaves them, be they never so unlearned and wicked, they +make bold to decree whatever they will. And if it were true, where +would be the need or use of the Holy Scriptures? Let us burn them, and +be satisfied with the unlearned lords at Rome, who are possessed of +the Holy Spirit,--although He can possess only pious hearts! Unless I +had read it myself[33], I could not have believed that the devil would +make such clumsy pretensions at Rome, and find a following. + +But not to fight them with mere words, we will quote the Scriptures. +St. Paul says in I Corinthians xiv: anyone something better is +revealed, though he be sitting and listening to another in God's Word, +then the first, who is speaking, shall hold his peace and give place." +[1 Cor. 14:30] What would be the use of this commandment, if we were +only to believe him who does the talking or who has the highest seat? +[John 6:45] Christ also says in John vi, that all Christians shall be +taught of God. Thus it may well happen that the pope and his followers +are wicked men, and no true Christians, not taught of God, not having +true understanding. On the other hand, an ordinary man may have true +understanding; why then should we not follow him? Has not the pope +erred many times? Who would help Christendom when the pope errs, if we +were not to believe another, who had the Scriptures on his side, more +than the pope? + +Therefore it is a wickedly invented fable, and they cannot produce a +letter in defence of it, that the interpretation of Scripture or the +confirmation of its interpretation belongs to the pope alone. They +have themselves usurped this power; and although they allege that this +power was given to Peter when the keys were given to him, it is plain +enough that the keys were not given to Peter alone, but to the whole +community[34]. Moreover, the keys were not ordained for doctrine or +government, but only for the binding and loosing of sin [John 20:22 +ff.], and whatever further power of the keys they arrogate to +themselves is mere invention. But Christ's word to Peter, "I have +prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," [Luke 22:32] cannot be +applied to the pope, since the majority of the popes have been without +faith, as they must themselves confess. Besides, it is not only for +Peter that Christ prayed, but also or all Apostles and Christians, as +he says in John xvii: "Father, I pray for those whom Thou hast given +Me, and not for these only, but for all who believe on Me through +their word." [John 17:9, 20] Is not this clear enough? + +Only think of it yourself! They must confess that there are pious +Christians among us, who have the true faith, Spirit, understanding, +word and mind of Christ. Why, then, should we reject their word and +understanding and follow the pope, who has neither faith nor Spirit? +That would be to deny the whole faith and the Christian Church. +Moreover, it is not the pope alone who is always in the right, if the +article of the Creed is correct: "I believe one holy Christian +Church"; otherwise the prayer must run: "I believe in the pope at +Rome," and so reduce the Christian Church to one man,--which would be +nothing else than a devilish and hellish error. + +Besides, if we are all priests, as was said above[35], and all have +one faith, one Gospel, one sacrament, why should we not also have the +power to test and judge what is correct or incorrect in matters of +faith? What becomes of the words of Paul in I Corinthians ii: "He that +is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man," +[1 Cor. 2:15] and II Corinthians iv: "We have all the same Spirit of +faith"? [2 Cor. 4:13] Why, then, should not we perceive what squares +with faith and what does not, as well as does an unbelieving pope? + +All these and many other texts should make us bold and free, and we +should not allow the Spirit of liberty, as Paul calls Him [2 Cor. +3:17], to be frightened off by the fabrications of the popes, but we +ought to go boldly forward to test all that they do or leave undone, +according to our interpretation of the Scriptures, which rests on +faith, and compel them to follow not their own interpretation, but the +one that is better. In the olden days Abraham had to listen to his +Sarah, although she was in more complete subjection to him than we are +to anyone on earth [Gen. 21:12]. Balaam's ass, also, was wiser than +the prophet himself [Num. 22:28]. If God then spoke by an ass against +a prophet, why should He not be able even now to speak by a righteous +man against the pope? In like manner St. Paul rebukes St. Peter as a +man in error [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. Therefore it behooves every Christian to +espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to +rebuke all errors. + +[Sidenote: The Third Wall--Pope and Council] + +The _third wall_ falls of itself when the first two are down. For when +the pope acts contrary to the Pope and Scriptures, it is our duty to +stand by the Scriptures, to reprove him, and to constrain him, +according to the word of Christ in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother sin +against thee, go and tell it him between thee and him alone; if he +hear thee not, then take with thee one or two more; if he hear them +not, tell it to the Church; if he hear not the Church, consider him a +heathen." [Matt. 18:15] Here every member is commanded to care for +every other. How much rather should we do this when the member that +does evil is a ruling member, and by his evil-doing is the cause of +much harm and offence to the rest! But if I am to accuse him before +the Church, I must bring the Church together. + +They have no basis in Scripture or their contention that it belongs to +the pope alone to call a council or confirm its actions[36]; for this +is based merely upon their own laws, which are valid only in so far as +they are not injurious to Christendom or contrary to the laws of God. +When the pope deserves punishment, such laws go out of force, since it +is injurious to Christendom not to punish him by means of a council. + +Thus we read in Acts xv. that it was not St. Peter who called the +Apostolic Council, but the Apostles and elders [Acts 15:6]. If, then, +that right had belonged to St. Peter alone, the council would not have +been a Christian council, but an heretical _conciliabulum_[37]. Even +the Council of Nicæa--the most famous of all--was neither called nor +confirmed by the Bishop of Rome, but by the Emperor Constantine[38], +and many other emperors after him did the like, yet these councils +were the most Christian of all[39]. But if the pope alone had the +right to call councils, then all these councils must have been +heretical. Moreover, if I consider the councils which the pope has +created, I find that they have done nothing of special importance. + +Therefore, when necessity demands, and the pope is an offence to +Christendom, the first man who is able should, as a faithful member of +the whole body, do what he can to bring about a truly free +council[40]. No one can do this so well as the temporal authorities, +especially since now they also are fellow-Christians, fellow-priests, +"fellow-spirituals,"[41] fellow-lords over all things, and whenever it +is needful or profitable, they should give free course to the office +and work in which God has put them above every man. Would it not be an +unnatural thing, if a fire broke out in a city, and everybody were to +stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could +burn, for the sole reason that nobody had the authority of the +burgomaster, or because, perhaps, the fire broke out in the +burgomaster's house? In such case is it not the duty of every citizen +to arouse and call the rest? How much more should this be done in the +spiritual city of Christ, if a fire of offence breaks out, whether in +the papal government, or anywhere else? In the same way, if the enemy +attacks a city, he who first rouses the others deserves honor and +thanks; why then should he not deserve honor who makes known the +presence of the enemy from hell, and awakens the Christians, and calls +them together? + +But all their boasts of an authority which dare not be opposed amount +to nothing after all. No one in Christendom has authority to do +injury, or to forbid the resisting of injury. There is no authority in +the Church save for edification. Therefore, if the pope were to use +his authority to prevent the calling of a free council, and thus +became a hindrance to the edification of the Church, we should have +regard neither or him nor or his authority; and if he were to hurl his +bans and thunderbolts, we should despise his conduct as that of a +madman, and relying on God, hurl back the ban on him, and coerce him +as best we could. For this presumptuous authority of his is nothing; +he has no such authority, and he is quickly overthrown by a text of +Scripture; for Paul says to the Corinthians, "God has given us +authority not for the destruction, but for the edification of +Christendom." [2 Cor. 10:8] Who is ready to overleap this text? It is +only the power of the devil and of Antichrist which resists the things +that serve or the edification of Christendom; it is, therefore, in no +wise to be obeyed, but is to be opposed with life and goods and all +our strength. + +Even though a miracle were to be done in the pope's behalf against the +temporal powers, or though someone were to be stricken with a +plague--which they boast has sometimes happened--it should be +considered only the work of the devil, because of the weakness of our +faith in God. Christ Himself prophesied in Matthew xxiv: "There shall +come in My Name false Christs and false prophets, and do signs and +wonders, so as to deceive even the elect," [Matt. 24:24] and Paul says +in II Thessalonians ii, that Antichrist shall, through the power of +Satan, be mighty in lying wonders [2 Thess. 2:9]. Let us, therefore, +hold fast to this: No Christian authority can do anything against +Christ; as St. Paul says, "We can do nothing against Christ, but for +Christ." [2 Cor. 13:8] Whatever does aught against Christ is the power +of Antichrist and of the devil, even though it were to rain and hail +wonders and plagues. Wonders and plagues prove nothing, especially in +these last evil times, for which all the Scriptures prophesy false +wonders [2 Thess. 2:9 f.]. Therefore we must cling with firm faith to +the words of God, and then the devil will cease from wonders. + +Thus I hope that the false, lying terror with which the Romans have +this long time made our conscience timid and stupid, has been allayed. +They, like all of us, are subject to the temporal sword; they have no +power to interpret the Scriptures by mere authority, without learning; +they have no authority to prevent a council or, in sheer wantonness, +to pledge it, bind it, or take away its liberty; but if they do this, +they are in truth the communion of Antichrist and of the devil, and +have nothing at all of Christ except the name. + +II. ABUSES TO BE DISCUSSED IN COUNCILS + +We shall now look at the matters which should be discussed in the +councils, and with which popes, cardinals, bishops and all the +scholars ought properly to be occupied day and night if they loved +Christ and His Church. But if they neglect this duty, then let the +laity[42] and the temporal authorities see to it, regardless of bans +and thunders; for an unjust ban is better than ten just releases, and +an unjust release worse than ten just bans. Let us, therefore, awake, +dear Germans, and fear God rather than men [Acts 5:29], that we may +not share the fate of all the poor souls who are so lamentably lost +through the shameful and devilish rule of the Romans, in which the +devil daily takes a larger and larger place,--if, indeed, it were +possible that such a hellish rule could grow worse, a thing I can +neither conceive nor believe. + +[Sidenote: Worldliness of the pope] + +1. It is a horrible and frightful thing that the ruler of Christendom, +who boasts himself vicar of Christ and successor of St. Peter, lives +in such worldly splendor that in this regard no king nor emperor can +equal or approach him, and that he who claims the title of "most holy" +and "most spiritual" is more worldly than the world itself. He wears a +triple crown, when the greatest kings wear but a single crown[43]; if +that is like the poverty of Christ and of St. Peter, then it is a new +kind of likeness. When a word is said against it, they cry out +"Heresy!" but that is because they do not wish to hear how unchristian +and ungodly such a practice is. I think, however, that if the pope +were with tears to pray to God, he would have to lay aside these +crowns, for our God can suffer no pride; and his office is nothing +else than this,--daily to weep and pray or Christendom, and to set an +example of all humility. + +However that may be, this splendor of his is an offence, and the pope +is bound on his soul's salvation to lay it aside, because St. Paul +says, "Abstain from all outward shows, which give offence," [1 Thess. +5:21] and in Rom. xii, "We should provide good, not only in the sight +of God, but also in the sight of all men." [Rom. 12:17] An ordinary +bishop's crown would be enough for the pope; he should be greater than +others in wisdom and holiness, and leave the crown of pride to +Antichrist, as did his predecessors several centuries ago. They say he +is a lord of the world; that is a lie; for Christ, Whose vicar and +officer he boasts himself to be, said before Pilate, "My kingdom is +not of this world," [John 17:36] and no vicar's rule can go beyond his +lord's. Moreover he is not the vicar of the glorified, but of the +crucified Christ, as Paul says, "I was willing to know nothing among +you save Christ, and Him only as the Crucified" [1 Cor. 2:2]; and in +Philippians ii, "So think of yourselves as ye see in Christ, Who +emptied Himself and took upon Him the appearance of a servant" [Phil. +2:5]; and again in I Corinthians i, "We preach Christ, the Crucified." +[1 Cor. 1:23] Now they make the pope a vicar of the glorified Christ +in heaven, and some of them have allowed the devil to rule them so +completely that they have maintained that the pope is above the angels +in heaven and has authority over them[44]. These are indeed the very +works of the very Antichrist. + +[Sidenote: The Cardinals] + +2. What is the use in Christendom of those people who are called the +cardinals? I shall tell you. Italy and Germany have many rich +monasteries, foundations, benefices, and livings. No better way has +been discovered to bring all these to Rome than by creating cardinals +and giving them the bishoprics, monasteries and prelacies, and so +overthrowing the worship of God. For this reason we now see Italy a +very wilderness--monasteries in ruins, bishoprics devoured, the +prelacies and the revenues of all the churches drawn to Rome, cities +decayed, land and people laid waste, because there is no more worship +or preaching. Why? The cardinals must have the income[45]. No Turk +could have so devastated Italy and suppressed the worship of God. + +Now that Italy is sucked dry, they come into Germany[46], and begin +oh, so gently. But let us beware, for Germany will soon become like +Italy. Already we have some cardinals; what the Romans seek by that +the "drunken Germans" are not to understand until we have not a +bishopric, a monastery, a living, a benefice, a _heller_ or a +_pfennig_ left. Antichrist must take the treasures of the earth, as it +was prophesied [Dan. 11:39, 43]. So it goes on. They skim the cream of +the bishoprics, monasteries and benefices, and because they do not yet +venture to turn them all to shameful use, as they have done in Italy, +they only practise for the present the sacred trickery of coupling +together ten or twenty prelacies and taking a yearly portion from each +of them, so as to make a tidy sum after all. The priory of Würzburg +yields a thousand _gulden_; that of Bamberg, something; Mainz, Trier +and the others, something more; and so from one to ten thousand gulden +might be got together, in order that a cardinal might live at Rome +like a rich king. + +"After they are used to this, we will create thirty or forty cardinals +in a day[47], and give to one Mount St. Michael at Bamberg[48] and the +bishopric of Würzburg to boot, hang on to these a few rich livings, +until churches and cities are waste, and after that we will say, 'We +are Christ's vicars and shepherds of Christ's sheep; the mad, drunken +Germans must put up with it.'" + +I advise, however, that the number of the cardinals be reduced, or +that the pope be made to keep them at his own expense. Twelve of them +would be more than enough, and each of them might have an income of a +thousand gulden a year[49]. How comes it that we Germans must put up +with such robbery and such extortion of our property, at the hands of +the pope? If the Kingdom of France has prevented it[50], why do we +Germans let them make such fools and apes of us? It would all be more +bearable if in this way they only stole our property; but they lay +waste the churches and rob Christ's sheep of their pious shepherds, +and destroy the worship and the Word of God. Even if there were not a +single cardinal, the Church would not go under. As it is they do +nothing for the good of Christendom; they only wrangle about the +incomes of bishoprics and prelacies, and that any robber could do. + +[Sidenote: The Curia] + +3. If ninety-nine parts of the papal court[51] were done away and only +the hundredth part allowed to remain, it would still be large enough +to give decisions in matters of faith. Now, however, there is such a +swarm of vermin yonder in Rome, all boasting that they are "papal," +that there was nothing like it in Babylon. There are more than three +thousand papal secretaries alone; who will count the other offices, +when they are so many that they scarcely can be counted? And they all +lie in wait for the prebends and benefices of Germany as wolves lie in +wait for the sheep. I believe that Germany now gives much more to the +pope at Rome than it gave in former times to the emperors. Indeed, +some estimate that every year more than three hundred thousand gulden +find their way from Germany to Rome, quite uselessly and fruitlessly; +we get nothing for it but scorn and contempt. And yet we wonder that +princes, nobles, cities, endowments, land and people are impoverished! +We should rather wonder that we still have anything to eat! + +Since we here come to the heart of the matter, we will pause a little, +and let it be seen that the Germans are not quite such gross fools as +not to note or understand the sharp practices of the Romans. I do not +now complain that at Rome God's command and Christian law are +despised; for such is the state of Christendom, and particularly of +Rome, that we may not now complain of such high matters. Nor do I +complain that natural or temporal law and reason count for nothing. +The case is worse even than that. I complain that they do not keep +their own self-devised canon law, though it is, to be sure, mere +tyranny, avarice and temporal splendor, rather than law. Let us see! + +[Sidenote: The Annates] + +In former times German emperors and princes permitted the pope to +receive the _annates_ from all the benefices of the German nation, i. +e., the half of the first year's revenues from each benefice[52]. This +permission was given, however, in order that by means of these large +sums of money, the pope might accumulate a treasure for fighting +against the Turks and infidels in defence of Christendom, so that the +burden of the war might not rest too heavily upon the nobility, but +that the clergy also should contribute something toward it. This +single-hearted devotion of the German nation the popes have so used, +that they have received this money for more than a hundred years, have +now made of it a binding tax and tribute, and have not only +accumulated no treasure, but have used the money to endow many orders +and offices at Rome, and to provide these offices with salaries, as +though the annates were a fixed rent. + +[Sidenote: Saracen-tax] + +When they pretend that they are about to fight against the Turks, they +send out emissaries to gather money. Ofttimes they issue an indulgence +on this same pretext of fighting the Turks[53], for they think the mad +Germans are forever to remain utter and arrant fools, give them money +without end, and satisfy their unspeakable greed; though we clearly +see that not a _heller_ of the annates or of the indulgence-money or +of all the rest, is used against the Turks, but all of it goes into +the bottomless bag. They lie and deceive, make laws and make +agreements with us, and they do not intend to keep any of them. All +this must be counted the work of Christ and St. Peter! + +Now, in this matter the German nation, bishops and princes, should +consider that they too are Christians, and should protect the people, +whom they are set to rule and guard in things temporal and spiritual, +against these ravening wolves who, in sheep's clothing, pretend to be +shepherds and rulers; and, since the annates are so shamefully abused +and the stipulated conditions are not fulfilled, they should not +permit their land and people to be so sadly robbed and ruined, against +all justice; but by a law of the emperor or of the whole nation, they +should either keep the annates at home or else abolish them again[54]. +For since the Romans do not keep the terms of the agreement, they have +no right to the annates. Therefore the bishops and princes are bound +to punish or prevent such thievery and robbery, as the law requires. + +In this they should aid the pope and support him, or he is perchance +too weak to prevent such an abuse all by himself; or if he were to +undertake to defend and maintain this practice, they ought resist him +and fight against him as against a wolf and a tyrant, for he has no +authority to do or to defend evil. Moreover, if it were ever desired +to accumulate such a treasure against the Turks, we ought in the +future to have sense enough to see that the German nation would be a +better custodian or it than the pope; for the German nation has people +enough or the fighting, if only the money is forthcoming. It is with +the annates as it has been with many another Roman pretence. + +[Sidenote: Papal Months] + +Again, the year has been so divided between the pope and the ruling +bishops and canons[55], that the pope has six months in the +year--every other month--in which to bestow the benefices which all +vacant in his months[56]. In this way almost all the benefices are +absorbed by Rome, especially the very best livings and dignities[57], +and when once they fall into the hands of Rome, they never come out of +them again, though a vacancy may never again occur in the pope's +month. Thus the canons are cheated. This is a genuine robbery, which +intends to let nothing escape. Therefore it is high time that the +"papal months" be altogether abolished, and that everything which they +have brought to Rome be taken back again. For the princes and nobles +should take measures that the stolen goods be returned, the thieves +punished, and those who have abused privilege be deprived of +privilege. If it is binding and valid when the pope on the day after +his election makes, in his chancery, rules and laws whereby our +foundations and livings are robbed,--a thing which he has no right to +do; then it should be still more valid if the Emperor Charles on the +day after his coronation[58] were to make rules and laws that not +another benefice or living in all Germany shall be allowed to come +into the hands of Rome by means of the "papal months," and that the +livings which have already fallen into its hands shall be released, +and redeemed from the Roman robbers; for he has this right by virtue +of his office and his sword. + +But now the Roman See of Avarice and Robbery has not been able to +await the time when all the benefices, one after another, would, by +the "papal months," come into its power, but hastens, with insatiable +appetite, to get possession of them all as speedily as possible; and +so besides the annates and the "months" it has hit upon a device by +which benefices and livings all to Rome in three ways: + +_First_, If any one who holds a free[59] living dies at Rome or on the +way to Rome, his living must forever belong to the Roman--I should +rather say the robbing--See[60]; and yet they will not be called +robbers, though they are guilty of such robbery as no one has ever +heard or read about. + +_Second_, In case any one who belongs to the household of the pope or +of the cardinals[61] holds or takes over a benefice, or in case one +who already holds a benefice afterwards enters the "household" of the +pope or of a cardinal. But who can count the "household" of the pope +and of the cardinals, when the pope, if he only goes on a +pleasure-ride, takes with him three or our thousand mule-riders, +eclipsing all emperors and kings? Christ and St. Peter went on foot in +order that their vicars might have the more pomp and splendor. Now +avarice has cleverly thought out another scheme, and brings it to pass +that even here many have the name of "papal servant," just as though +they were in Rome; all in order that in every place the mere rascally +little word "papal servant" may bring all benefices to Rome and tie +them fast there forever. Are not these vexatious and devilish +inventions? Let us beware! Soon Mainz, Madgeburg and Halberstadt will +gently pass into the hands of Rome, and the cardinalate will be paid +for dearly enough[62]. "Afterwards we will make all the German bishops +cardinals so that there will be nothing let outside." + +_Third_, When a contest has started at Rome over a benefice[63]. This +I hold to be almost the commonest and widest road or bringing livings +to Rome. For when there is no contest at home, unnumbered knaves will +be found at Rome to dig up contests out of the earth and assail +livings at their will. Thus many a good priest has to lose his living, +or settle the contest for a time by the payment of a sum of money[64]. +Such a living rightly or wrongly contested must also belong forever to +the Roman See. It would be no wonder if God were to rain from heaven +fire and brimstone and to sink Rome in the abyss, as He did Sodom and +Gomorrah of old [Gen. 19:24]. Why should there be a pope in +Christendom, if his power is used or nothing else than such +archknavery, and if he protects and practices it? O noble princes and +lords, how long will ye leave your lands and people naked to these +ravening wolves! + +[Sidenote: The Pallium] + +Since even these practices were not enough, and Avarice grew impatient +at the long time it took to get hold of all the bishoprics, therefore +my Lord Avarice devised the fiction that the bishoprics should be +nominally abroad, but that their land and soil should be at Rome, and +no bishop can be confirmed unless with a great sum of money he buy the +_pallium_[65], and bind himself with terrible oaths to be the pope's +servant[66]. This is the reason that no bishop ventures to act against +the pope. That, too, is what the Romans were seeking when they imposed +the oath, and thus the very richest bishoprics have fallen into debt +and ruin. Mainz pays, as I hear, 20,000 gulden. These be your Romans! +To be sure they decreed of old in the canon law that the _pallium_ +should be bestowed gratis, the number of papal servants diminished, +the contests lessened, the chapters[67] and bishops allowed their +liberty. But this did not bring in money, and so they turned over a +new leaf, and all authority was taken from the bishops and chapters; +they are made ciphers, and have no office nor authority nor work, but +everything is ruled by the archknaves at Rome; soon they will have in +hand even the office of sexton and bell-ringer in all the churches. +All contests are brought to Rome, and by authority of the pope +everyone does as he likes. + +What happened this very year? The Bishop of Strassburg[68] wished to +govern his chapter properly and to institute reforms in worship, and +with this end in view made certain godly and Christian regulations. +But my dear Lord Pope and the Holy Roman See, at the instigation of +the priests, overthrew and altogether condemned this holy and +spiritual ordinance. This is called "feeding the sheep of Christ!" +[John 20:15-17] Thus priests are to be encouraged against their own +bishop, and their disobedience to divine law is to be protected! +Antichrist himself, I hope, will not dare to put God to such open +shame! There you have your pope after your own heart! Why did he do +this? Ah! if one church were reformed, it would be a dangerous +departure; Rome's turn too might come! Therefore it were better that +no priest should be let at peace with another, that kings and princes +should be set at odds, as has been the custom heretofore, and the +world filled with the blood of Christians, only so the concord of +Christians should not trouble the Holy Roman See with a reformation. + +So far we have been getting an idea of how they deal with livings +which become vacant. But for tender-hearted Avarice the vacancies are +too few, and so he brings his foresight to bear upon the benefices +which are still occupied by their incumbents, so that they must be +unfilled, even though they are not unfilled[69]. And this he does in +many ways, as follows: + +[Sidenote: Coadjutorships] + +_First_, He lies in wait for fat prebends or bishoprics which are held +by an old or a sick man, or by one with an alleged disability. To such +an incumbent, without his desire or consent, the Holy See gives a +coadjutor, i. e., an "assistant," or the coadjutor's benefit, because +he is a "papal servant," or has paid for the position, or has earned +it by some other ignoble service to Rome. In this case the rights of +the chapter or the rights of him who has the bestowal of the +living[70] must be surrendered, and the whole thing all into the hands +of Rome. + +[Sidenote: Commendations] + +_Second_, There is a little word _commend_[71], by which the pope +entrusts the keeping of a rich, fat monastery or church to a cardinal +or to another of his people, just as though I were to give you a +hundred gulden to keep. This is not called the giving or bestowing of +the monastery nor even its destruction, or the abolition of the +worship of God, but only "giving it into keeping"; not that he to whom +it is entrusted is to care or it, or build it up, but he is to drive +out the incumbent, to receive the goods and revenues, and to install +some apostate, renegade monk[72], who accepts five or six gulden a +year and sits in the church all day selling pictures and images to the +pilgrims, so that henceforth neither prayers nor masses are said +there. If this were to be called destroying monasteries and abolishing +the worship of God, then the pope would have to be called a destroyer +of Christendom and an abolisher of God's worship, because this is his +constant practice. That would be a hard saying at Rome, and so we must +call it a commend or a "command to take charge" of the monastery. The +pope can every year make commends out of our or more of these +monasteries, a single one of which may have an income of more than six +thousand gulden. This is the way the Romans increase the worship of +God and preserve the monasteries. The Germans also are beginning to +find it out. + +[Sidenote: Incorporation] + +[Sidenote: Union] + +_Third_, There are some benefices which they call +_incompatibilia_[73], and which, according to the ordinances of the +canon law, cannot be held by one man at the same time, as for +instance, two parishes, two bishoprics and the like. In these cases +the Holy Roman See of Avarice evades the canon law by making +"glosses,"[74] called _unio_ and _incorporatio_, i. e., by +"incorporating" many _incompatibilia_, so that each becomes a part of +every other and all of them together are looked upon as though they +were one living. They are then no longer "incompatible," and the holy +canon law is satisfied, in that it is no longer binding, except upon +those who do not buy these "glosses"[75] from the pope or his +_datarius_[76]. The _unio_, i. e., "uniting," is of the same nature. +The pope binds many such benefices together like a bundle of sticks, +and by virtue of this bond they are all regarded as one benefice. So +there is at Rome one courtesan[77] who holds, for himself alone, 22 +parishes, 7 priories and 44 canonries besides,--all by the help of +that masterly "gloss," which holds that this is not illegal. What +cardinals and other prelates have, everyone may imagine or himself. In +this way the Germans are to have their purses eased and their itch +cured. + +[Sidenote: Administration] + +Another of the "glosses" is the _administratio_, i. e., a man may have +beside his bishopric, an abbacy or a dignity[78], and possess all the +property which goes with it, only he has no other title than that of +"administrator."[79] For at Rome it is sufficient that words are +changed and not the things they stand for; as though I were to teach +that a bawdy-house keeper should have the name of "burgomaster's +wife," and yet continue to ply her trade. This kind of Roman rule St. +Peter foretold when he said, in II Peter ii: "There shall come false +teachers, who in covetousness, with feigned words, shall make +merchandise of you, to get their gains." [2 Pet. 2:3] + +[Sidenote: Regression] + +Again, dear Roman Avarice has invented the custom of selling and +bestowing livings to such advantage that the seller or disposer +retains reversionary rights[80] upon them: to wit, if the incumbent +dies, the benefice freely reverts to him who previously sold, bestowed +or surrendered it. In this way they have made livings hereditary +property, so that henceforth no one can come into possession of them, +except the man to whom the seller is willing to dispose of them, or to +whom he bequeaths his rights at death. Besides, there are many who +transfer to others the mere title to a benefice from which those who +get the title derive not a _heller_ of income. It is now an old +custom, too, to give another man a benefice and to reserve a certain +part out of the annual revenue[81]. In olden times this was +simony[82]. Of these things there are so many more that they cannot +all be counted. They treat livings more shamefully than the heathen +beneath the cross treated the garments of Christ. [Matt. 27:35] + +[Sidenote: Reservation in pectore] + +Yet all that has hitherto been said is ancient history and an +every-day occurrence at Rome. Avarice has devised one thing more, +which may, I hope, be his last morsel, and choke him. The pope has a +noble little device called _pectoralis reservatio_, i. e., his "mental +reservation," and _proprius motus_, i. e., the "arbitrary will of his +authority."[83] It goes like this. When one man has gotten a benefice +at Rome, and the appointment has been regularly signed and sealed, +according to custom, and there comes another, who brings money, or has +laid the pope under obligation in some other way, of which we will not +speak, and desires of the pope the same benefice, then the pope takes +it from the first man and gives it to the second[84]. If it is said +that this is unjust, then the Most Holy Father must make some excuse, +that he may not be reproved or doing such open violence to the law, +and says that in his mind and heart he had reserved that benefice to +himself and his own plenary disposal, although he had never before in +his whole life either thought or heard of it. Thus he has now found a +little "gloss" by which he can, in his own person, lie and deceive, +and make a fool and an ape of anybody--all this he does brazenly and +openly, and yet he wishes to be the head of Christendom, though with +his open lies he lets the Evil Spirit rule him. + +This arbitrary will and lying "reservation" of the pope creates in +Rome a state of affairs which is unspeakable. There is buying, +selling, bartering, trading, trafficking, lying, deceiving, robbing, +stealing, luxury, harlotry, knavery, and every sort of contempt of +God, and even the rule of Antichrist could not be more scandalous. +Venice, Antwerp, Cairo[85] are nothing compared to this fair which is +held at Rome and the business which is done there, except that in +those other places they still observe right and reason. At Rome +everything goes as the devil wills, and out of this ocean like virtue +flows into all the world. Is it a wonder that such people fear a +reformation and a free council, and prefer to set all kings and +princes at enmity rather than have them unite and bring about a +council? Who could bear to have such knavery exposed if it were his +own? + +[Sidenote: The Dataria] + +Finally, for all this noble commerce the pope has built a warehouse, +namely, the house of the datarius[86], in Rome. Thither all must come +who deal after this fashion in benefices and livings. From him they +must buy their "glosses"[87] and get the power to practice such +archknavery. In former times Rome was generous, and then justice had +either to be bought or else suppressed with money, but now she has +become exorbitant, and no one dare be a knave unless with a great sum +he has first bought the right. If that is not a brothel above all the +brothels one can imagine, then I do not know what brothel means. + +If you have money in this house, then you can come by all the things I +have said; and not only these, but all sorts of usury[88] are here +made honest, Phil. 2:5 for a consideration, and the possession of all +property acquired by theft or robbery is legalised. Here vows are +dissolved; here monks are granted liberty to leave their orders; here +marriage is on sale to the clergy; here bastards can become +legitimate; here all dishonor and shame can come to honor; all +ill-repute and stigma of evil are here knighted and ennobled; here is +permitted the marriage which is within the forbidden degrees or has +some other defect[89]. Oh! what a taxing and a robbing rules there! +It looks as though all the laws of the Church were made for one +purpose only--to be nothing but so many money-snares, from which a man +must extricate himself[90] if he would be a Christian. Yea, here the +devil becomes a saint, and a god to boot. What heaven and earth +cannot, that this house can do! They call them _compositiones_[91]! +"Compositions" indeed! rather "confusions"! Oh, what a modest tax is +the Rhine-toll[92], compared with the tribute taken by this holy +house! + +Let no one accuse me of exaggeration! It is all so open that even at +Rome they must confess the evil to be greater and more terrible than +any one can say. I have not yet stirred up the hell-broth of personal +vices, nor do I intend to do so. I speak of things which are common +talk, and yet I have not words to tell them all. The bishops, the +priests and, above all, the doctors in the universities, who draw +their salaries or this purpose, should have done their duty and with +common consent have written and cried out against these things; but +they have done the very opposite[93]. + +[Sidenote: The Fuggers] + +There remains one last word, and I must say that too. Since boundless +Avarice has not been satisfied with all these treasures, which three +great kings might well think sufficient, he now begins to transfer +this trade and sell it to Fugger of Augsburg[94], so that the lending +and trading and buying of bishoprics and benefices, and the driving of +bargains in spiritual goods has now come to the right place, and +spiritual and temporal goods have become one business. And now I would +fain hear of a mind so lofty that it could imagine what this Roman +Avarice might yet be able to do and has not already done; unless +Fugger were to transfer or sell this combination of two lines of +business to somebody else. I believe we have reached the limit. + +As for what they have stolen in all lands and still steal and extort, +by means of indulgences, bulls, letters of confession[95], +"butter-letters"[96] and other _confessionalia_[97],--all this I +consider mere patch-work, and like casting a single devil more into +hell[98]. Not that they bring in little, for a mighty king could well +support himself on their returns, but they are not to be compared with +the streams of treasure above mentioned. I shall also say nothing at +present of how this indulgence money has been applied. Another time I +shall inquire about that, for Campoflore[99] and Belvidere[100] and +certain other places probably know something about it. + +Since, then, such devilish rule is not only open robbery and deceit, +and the tyranny of the gates of hell, but also ruins Christendom in +body and soul, it is our duty to use all diligence in protecting +Christendom against such misery and destruction. If we would fight the +Turks, let us make a beginning here, where they are at their worst. If +we justly hang thieves and behead robbers, why should we let Roman +Avarice go free? For he is the greatest thief and robber that has come +or can come into the world, and all in the holy Name of Christ and of +St. Peter! Who can longer endure it or keep silence? Almost everything +he owns has been gotten by theft and robbery; that is the truth, and +all history shows it. The pope never got by purchase such great +properties that from his _officia_[101] alone he can raise about a +million ducats, not to mention the mines of treasure named above and +the income of his lands. Nor did it come to him by inheritance from +Christ or from St. Peter; no one ever loaned it or gave it to him; it +has not become his by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment. Tell me, +then, whence he can have it? Learn from this what they have in mind +when they send out legates to collect money or use against the Turks. + +III. PROPOSALS FOR REFORM + +Now, although I am too small a man to make propositions which might +effect a reform in this dreadful state of things, nevertheless I may +as well sing my fool's song to the end, and say, so far as I am able, +what could and should be done by the temporal authorities or by a +general council. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Annates] + +1. Every prince, nobleman and city should boldly forbid their subjects +to pay the annates to Rome and should abolish them entirely[102]; for +the pope has broken the compact, and made the annates a robbery, to +the injury and shame of the whole German nation. He gives them to his +friends, sells them for large amounts of money, and uses them to endow +offices. He has thus lost his right to them, and deserves punishment. +It is therefore the duty of the temporal authorities to protect the +innocent and prevent injustice, as Paul teaches in Romans xiii [Rom. +13:4], and St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:14], Rom. and even the +canon law in Case 16, Question 7, _de filiis_[103]. Thus it has come +about that men are saying to the pope and his followers, _Tu ora_, +"Thou shalt pray"; to the emperor and his followers, _Tu protege_, +"Thou shalt guard"; to the common man, _Tu labora_, "Thou shalt work." +Not, however, as though everyone were not to pray, guard and work; for +the man who is diligent in his calling is praying, guarding and +working in all that he does, but everyone should have his own especial +task. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Roman Appointments] + +2. Since the pope with his Roman practices--his commends[104], +adjutories[105], reservations[106], _gratiae expectativae_[107], papal +months[108], incorporations[109], unions[110], _pallia_[111], rules in +chancery[112], and such like knavery--usurps all the German +foundations without authority and right, and gives and sells them to +foreigners at Rome, who do nothing in German lands to earn them; and +since he thereby robs the ordinaries[113] of their rights, makes the +bishops mere ciphers and figure-heads, and acts against his own canon +law, against nature and against reason, until it has finally gone so +far that out of sheer avarice the livings and benefices are sold to +gross, ignorant asses and knaves at Rome, while pious and learned folk +have no profit of their wisdom and merit, so that the poor people of +the German nation have to go without good and learned prelates and +thus go to ruin: + +Therefore, the Christian nobility should set itself against the pope +as against a common enemy and destroyer of Christendom, and should do +this for the salvation of the poor souls who must go to ruin through +his tyranny. They should ordain, order, and decree, that henceforth no +benefice shall be drawn into the hands of Rome, and that hereafter no +appointment shall be obtained there in any manner whatsoever, but that +the benefices shall be brought out and kept out from under this +tyrannical authority; and they should restore to the ordinaries the +right and office of ordering these benefices in the German nation as +best they may. And if a "courtesan" were to come from Rome, he should +receive a strict command either to keep his distance, or else to jump +into the Rhine or the nearest river, and take the Roman ban, with its +seals and letters, to a cold bath. They would then take note at Rome +that the Germans are not always mad and drunken, but that they have +really become Christians, and intend to permit no longer the mockery +and scorn of the holy name of Christ, under which all this knavery and +destruction of souls goes on, but have more regard to God and His +glory than to the authority of men. + +[Sidenote: Restoration of Local Church Rights] + +3. An imperial law should be issued, that no bishop's cloak[114] and +no confirmation of any dignity[115] whatsoever shall henceforth be +secured from Rome, but that the Church ordinance of the most holy and +most famous Council of Nicaea[116] shall be restored, in which it is +decreed that a bishop shall be confirmed by the two nearest bishops or +by the archbishop. If the pope will break the statutes of this and of +all other councils, what is the use of holding councils; or who has +given him the authority thus to despise and break the rules of +councils? + +If he has this power then we should depose all bishops, archbishops +and primates[117] and make them mere parish-priests, so that the pope +alone may be over them, as he now is. He leaves to bishops, +archbishops and primates no regular authority or office, usurps +everything for himself, and lets them keep only the name and empty +title. It has gone so far that by his "exemptions"[118] the +monasteries, the abbots and the prelates are withdrawn from the +regular authority of the bishops, so that there is no longer any order +in Christendom. From this must follow what has followed--relaxation of +discipline and license to do evil everywhere--so that I verily fear +the pope can be called the "man of sin." [2 Thess. 2:3] There is in +Christendom no discipline, no rule, no order; and who is to blame +except the pope? This usurped authority of his he applies strictly to +all the prelates, and takes away their rods; and he is generous to all +subjects, giving them or selling them their liberty. + +Nevertheless, for fear he may complain that he is robbed of his +authority, it should be decreed that when the primates or archbishops +are unable to settle a case, or when a controversy arises among +themselves, such a case must be laid before the pope, but not every +little matter[120]. Thus it was done in olden times, and thus the +famous Council of Nicaea decreed[121]. If a case can be settled +without the pope, then his Holiness should not be troubled with such +minor matters, but give himself to that prayer, meditation and care +for all Christendom, of which he boasts. This is what the Apostles +did. They said, "It is not meet that we should leave the Word of God +and serve tables, but we will keep to preaching and prayer and set +others over the work." [Acts 6:2] But now Rome stands or nothing else +than the despising of the Gospel and of prayer, and for the serving of +"tables," i. e., of temporal affairs, and the rule of the Apostles and +of the pope agree as Christ agrees with Lucifer, heaven with hell, +night with day; yet he is called "Vicar of Christ and Successor of the +Apostles." + +[Sidenote: Exclusion of Temporal Matters from the Papal Court] + +4. It should be decreed that no temporal matter shall be taken to +Rome[122], but that all such cases shall be left to the temporal +authorities, as the Romans themselves decree in that canon law of +theirs, which they do not keep. For it should be the duty of the pope, +as the man most learned in Papal the Scriptures and most Holy, not in +name only, but in truth, to administer affairs which concern the faith +and holy life of Christians, to hold the primates and archbishops to +these things, and to help them in dealing with and caring for these +matters. So St. Paul teaches in I Corinthians vi, and takes the +Corinthians severely to task or their concern with worldly things [1 +Cor. 6:7]. For it works intolerable injury to all lands that such +cases are tried at Rome. It increases the costs, and moreover the +judges do not know the manners, laws and customs of the various +countries, so that they often do violence to the acts and base their +decisions on their own laws and opinions, and thus injustice is +inevitably done the contestants. + +[Sidenote: and from the Bishops' Courts] + +Moreover, the outrageous extortion practised by the _officiales_[123] +must be forbidden in all the dioceses, courts so that they may attend +to nothing else than matters of faith and good morals, and leave to +the temporal judges the things that concern money, property, life and +honor. The temporal authorities, therefore, should not permit +sentences of ban or exile when faith or right life is not concerned. +Spiritual authorities should have rule over spiritual goods, as reason +teaches; but spiritual goods are not money, nor anything pertaining to +the body, but they are faith and good works. + +[Sidenote: A German Church Organization] + +Nevertheless it might be granted that cases which concern benefices or +livings should be tried before bishops, archbishops and primates. +Therefore, in order to decide contests and contentions, it might be +possible for the Primate of Germany to maintain a general consistory, +with auditors and chancellors, which should have control over the +_signaturae gratiae_ and _signaturae justitiae_[124], that are now +controlled at Rome, and which should be the final court of appeal for +German cases. The officers of this consistory must not, however, be +paid, as at Rome, by chance presents and gifts, and thereby acquire +the habit of selling justice and injustice, which they now have to do +at Rome because the pope gives them no remuneration, but allows them +to fatten themselves on presents. For at Rome no one cares what is +right or not right, but only what is money or not money. This court +might, however, be paid out of the annates, or some other way might +easily be devised, by those who are more intelligent and who have more +experience in these matters than I. All I wish to do is to arouse and +set to thinking those who have the ability and the inclination to help +the German nation become once more free and Christian, after the +wretched, heathenish and unchristian rule of the pope. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reservations] + +5. No more reservations should be valid, and no more benefices should +be seized by Rome, even if the incumbent dies, or there is a contest, +or the incumbent is a "servant" of a cardinal or of the pope[125]; and +it should be strictly forbidden and prevented that any +"courtesan"[126] should institute a contest over any benefice, so as +to cite pious priests to Rome, harass them and drive them into +lawsuits. If, in consequence of this prohibition, there should come +from Rome a ban or an ecclesiastical censure, it should be +disregarded, just as though a thief were to lay a man under the ban +because he would not let him steal. Indeed they should be severely +punished because they so blasphemously misuse the ban and the name of +God to support their robbery, and with falsely devised threats would +drive us to endure and to praise such blasphemy of God's name and such +abuse of Christian authority, and thus to become, in the sight of God, +partakers in their rascality; it is our duty before God to resist it, +or St. Paul, in Romans i, reproves as guilty of death not only "those +who do such things," but also those who consent to such things and +allow them to be done [Rom. 1:32]. Most unbearable of all is the lying +_reservatio pectoralis_[127], whereby Christendom is so scandalously +and openly put to shame and scorn, because its head deals in open +lies, and out of love for the accursed money, shamelessly deceives and +fools everybody. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reserved Cases] + +6. The _casus reservati_[128], the "reserved cases," should also be +abolished, for not only are they the means of served extorting much +money from the people, but by means of them the ravening tyrants +ensnare and confuse many poor consciences, to the intolerable injury +of their faith in God. This is especially true of the ridiculous and +childish cases about which they make so much ado in the Bull _Coena +Domini_[129], and which are not worth calling daily sins, still less +cases so grave that the pope may not remit them by any indulgence; as +for example, hindering a pilgrim on his way to Rome, furnishing +weapons to the Turks, or tampering with papal letters. With such +gross, crazy, clumsy things do they make fools of us! Sodom and +Gomorrah, and all the sins which are committed and can be committed +against the commandments of God are not reserved cases; but sins +against what God has never commanded and what they have themselves +devised, these must be reserved cases, solely that no one be hindered +in bringing money to Rome, in order that, safe from the Turks, they +may live in luxury and keep the world under their tyranny with their +wanton, useless bulls and breves[130]. + +All priests ought rightly to know, or else there should be a public +ordinance to that effect, that no secret sin, of which a man has not +been publicly accused, is a reserved case, and that every priest has +the power to remit all sorts of sins, however they may be called, so +long as they are secret; moreover that no abbot, bishop or pope has +the power to reserve any such case to himself[131]. If they attempt +it, their reservation does not hold and is not valid, and they should +be reproved, as men who without authority interfere in God's judgment, +and without cause ensnare and burden poor, ignorant consciences. But +if great public sins are committed, especially sins against God's +commandments, then there is indeed a reason for reserved cases, but +even then there should not be too many of them, and they should not be +reserved arbitrarily and without cause; for Christ has set in His +Church not tyrants, but shepherds, as saith St. Peter [1 Pet. 5:3]. + +[Sidenote: Diminution of the Papal Household] + +7. The Roman See should also do away with the _officia_[132], and +diminish the swarm of vermin at Rome, so that the pope's household can +be supported by the pope's own purse. The pope should not allow his +court to surpass in pomp and extravagance the courts of all kings, +seeing that such a condition not only has never been serviceable to +the cause of Christian faith, but the courtiers have been kept thereby +from study and prayer, until they are scarce able to speak about the +faith at all. This they proved quite plainly at the last Roman +Council[133], in which, amongst many other childish and frivolous +things, they decreed that the soul of man is immortal and that every +priest must say his prayers once a month on pain of losing his +benefice. How shall matters which concern faith and the Church be +decided by people so hardened and blinded by great avarice, wealth and +worldly splendor, that they have only now decreed that the soul is +immortal? It is no small shame to all Christians that at Rome they +deal so disgracefully with the faith. If they had less wealth and +pomp, they could pray and study better, and so become worthy and able +to deal with matters of faith, as was the case in olden times when +they were bishops, and did not presume to be kings over all kings. + +[Sidenote: Bishops' Oaths] + +8. The hard and terrible oaths should be abolished, which the bishops +are wrongfully compelled to render to the pope[134], and by which they +are bound like servants, as that worthless and unlearned chapter, +_Significasti_[135], arbitrarily and most stupidly decrees. It is not +enough that they burden us in body, soul and property with their many +mad laws, by which faith is weakened and Christendom ruined; but they +seize upon the person and office and work of the bishops, and now upon +the investiture[136] also, which was in olden times the right of the +German emperors, and in France and other kingdoms still belongs to the +kings. On this point they had great wars and disputes with the +emperors[137] until at last, with impudent authority, they took the +right and have kept it until now; just as though the Germans, above +all the Christians on earth, had to be the puppets of the pope and the +Roman See and do and suffer what no one else will do and suffer. +Since, then, this is sheer violence and robbery, hindering the regular +authority of the bishops and injuring poor souls, therefore the +emperor and his nobles are in duty bound to prevent and punish such +tyranny. + +[Sidenote: Pope and Emperor] + +9. The pope should have no authority over the emperor, except that he +anoints and crowns him at the altar, just as a bishop anoints and +crowns a king[138]; and we should not henceforth yield to that +devilish pride which compels the emperor to kiss the pope's feet or +sit at his feet, or, as they claim, hold his stirrup or the bridle of +his mule when he mounts for a ride; still less should he do homage and +swear faithful allegiance to the pope, as the popes have shamelessly +ventured to demand as if they possessed that right. The chapter +_Solite_[139], in which the papal authority is raised above the +imperial authority, is not worth a heller, nor are any of those who +rest upon it or fear it; for it does nothing else than force the holy +words of God out of their true meaning, and wrest them to human +dreams, as I have showed in a Latin treatise[140]. + +Such extravagant, over-presumptuous, and more than wicked doings of +the pope have been devised by the devil, in order that under their +cover he may in time bring in Antichrist, and raise the pope above +God, as many are already doing and have done. It is not proper for the +pope to exalt himself above the temporal authorities, save only in +spiritual offices such as preaching and absolving. In other things he +is to be subject, as Paul and Peter teach, in Romans xiii [Rom. 13:1], +and I Peter iii [1 Pet. 2:13 f.], and as I have said above. + +He is not vicar of Christ in heaven, but of Christ as He walked on +earth [Phil. 2:7][142]. For Christ in heaven, in the form of a ruler, +needs no vicar, but He sits and sees, does, and knows all things, and +has all power. But He needs a vicar in the form of a servant, in which +He walked on earth, toiling, preaching, suffering and dying. Now they +turn it around, take from Christ the heavenly form of ruler and give +it to the pope, leaving the form of a servant to perish utterly. He +might almost be the "Counter-christ" whom the Scriptures call +Antichrist, for all his nature, work and doings are against Christ, +for the destruction of Christ's nature and work. + +It is also ridiculous and childish that the pope, with such perverted +and deluded reasoning, boasts in his decretal _Pastoralis_[143], that +he is rightful heir to the Empire, in case of a vacancy. Who has given +him this right? Did Christ, when He said, "The princes of the Gentiles +are lords, but ye shall not be so" [Luke 22:25 f.]? Did St. Peter will +it to him? It vexes me that we must read and learn such shameless, +gross, crazy lies in the canon law, and must even hold them for +Christian doctrine, when they are devilish lies. Of the same sort is +also that unheard-of lie about the "Donation of Constantine."[144] It +must have been some special plague of God that so many people of +understanding have let themselves be talked into accepting such lies +as these, which are so manifest and clumsy that I should think any +drunken peasant could lie more adroitly and skilfully. How can a man +rule an empire and at the same time continue to preach, pray, study +and care for the poor? Yet these are the duties which properly and +peculiarly belong to the pope, and they were imposed by Christ in such +earnest that He even forbade His disciples to take with them cloak or +money [Matt. 10:10], since these duties can scarcely be performed by +one who has to rule even a single household. Yet the pope would rule +an empire and continue to be pope! This is a device of the knaves who +would like, under the pope's name, to be lords of the world, and by +means of the pope and the name of Christ, to restore the Roman Empire +to its former state. + +[Sidenote: Temporal Power--the Kingdom of Naples] + +10. The pope should restrain himself, take his fingers out of the pie, +and claim no title to the Kingdom of Naples the and Sicily[145]. He +has exactly as much right to that kingdom as I have, and yet he wishes +to be its overlord. It is plunder got by violence, like almost all his +other possessions. The emperor, therefore, should not grant him this +fief, and if it has been granted, he should no longer give his consent +to it, and should point him instead to the Bible and the prayer-books, +so that he may preach and pray, and leave to temporal lords the ruling +of lands and peoples, especially when no one has given them to him. + +[Sidenote: The States of the Church] + +The same opinion should hold as regards Bologna, Imola, Vicenza, +Ravenna and all the territories in the Mark of Ancona, in Romagna, and +in other Italian lands, which the pope has taken by force and +possesses without right[146]. Moreover, he has meddled in these things +against all the commands of Christ and of St. Paul. For thus saith St. +Paul, "No one entangleth himself with worldly affairs, whose business +it is to wait upon the divine knighthood."[147][2 Tim. 2:3] Now the +pope should be the head and front of this knighthood, yet he meddles +in worldly affairs more than any emperor or king. Why then he must be +helped out of them and allowed to attend to his knighthood. Christ +also, Whose vicar he boasts himself to be, was never willing to have +aught to do with temporal rule; indeed, to one who asked of him a +decision respecting his brother. He said, "Who made Me a judge over +you?" [Luke 12:14] But the pope rushes in unbidden, and boldly takes +hold of everything as though he were a god, until he no longer knows +what Christ is, Whose vicar he pretends to be. + +[Sidenote: Papal Homage] + +11. The kissing of the pope's feet[148] should take place no more. It +is an unchristian, nay, an antichristian thing for a poor sinful man +to let his feet be kissed by one who is a hundred times better than +himself. If it is done in honor of his authority, why does not the +pope do the same to others in honor of their holiness? Compare the +two--Christ and the pope! Christ washed His disciples' feet and dried +them [John 13:1 ff.], and the disciples never washed His feet; the +pope, as though he were higher than Christ, turns things around and, +as a great favor, allows people to kiss his feet, though he ought +properly to use all his power to prevent it, if anyone wished to do +it; like Paul and Barnabas, who would not let the people of Lystra pay +them divine honor, but said, "We are men like you." [Acts 14:11-16] +But our sycophants have gone so far as to make for us an idol, and now +no one ears God so much as he fears the pope, no one pays Him such +ceremonious honor. That they can endure! What they cannot endure is +that a hair's-breadth should be taken away from the proud estate of +the pope. Now if they were Christians, and held God's honor above +their own, the pope would never be happy while he knew that God's +honor was despised and his own exalted, and he would let no man pay +him honor until he saw that God's honor was again exalted and was +greater than his own. + +[149][It is another piece of the same scandalous pride, that the pope +is not satisfied to ride or to be driven in a vehicle, but although he +is strong and in good health, he has himself borne by men, with +unheard-of splendor, like an idol. How, pray, does such satanic pride +agree with the example of Christ, Who went on foot, as did all His +disciples? Where has there ever been a worldly monarch who went about +in such worldly glory as he who wishes to be the head of all those who +are to despise and lee worldly glory, i. e., of Christians? Not that +this in itself should give us very much concern, but we should rightly +fear the wrath of God, if we flatter this kind of pride and do not +show our indignation. It is enough that the pope should rant and play +the fool in this wise; but that we should approve it and tolerate +it,--this is too much. + +For what Christian heart can or ought to take pleasure in seeing that +when the pope wishes to receive the communion, he sits quiet, like a +gracious lord, and has the sacrament passed to him on a golden rod by +a bowing cardinal on bended knee? As though the holy sacrament were +not worthy that a pope, a poor stinking sinner, should rise to show +God honor, when all other Christians, who are much more holy than the +Most Holy Father, the pope, receive it with all reverence! Would it be +a wonder if God were to send a plague upon us all because we suffer +such dishonor to be done Him by our prelates, and approve it, and by +our silence or our flattery make ourselves partakers of such damnable +pride? + +It is the same way when he carries the sacrament in procession. He +must be carried, but the sacrament is set before him, like a can of +wine on the table. In short, at Rome Christ counts for nothing, the +pope counts for everything; and yet they would compel us with threats +to approve, and praise and honor such antichristian sins, though this +is against God and against all Christian doctrine. Now God help a free +Council to teach the pope that he too is a man, and is not more than +God, as he presumes to be.] + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Pilgrimages to Rome] + +12. Pilgrimages to Rome[150] should either be abolished, or else no +one should be allowed to make such a pilgrimage out of curiosity or +because of a pious impulse, unless it is first recognized by his +parish-priest, his town authorities or his overlord, that he has good +and sufficient reason for it. I say this not because pilgrimages are +bad, but because they are at this time ill-advised. For men see at +Rome no good example, but only that which offends; and they have +themselves made the proverb, "The nearer Rome, the worse +Christians."[151] Men bring back with them contempt or God and His +commandments. It is said: "The first time one goes to Rome he seeks a +rascal, the second time he finds him, the third time he brings him +home with him."[152] Now, however, they have become so clever that +they make the three journeys at once, and they have verily brought +back from Rome such pretty things that it were better never to have +seen or known Rome. + +Even if this reason did not exist, there is still another and a +better: to wit, that by these pilgrimages men are led away into a +false conceit and a misunderstanding of the divine commandments; or +they think that this going on pilgrimage is a precious, good work, and +this is not true. It is a very small good work, oftentimes an evil, +delusive work, for God has not commanded it. But He has commanded that +a man shall care for his wife and children, and look after such other +duties as belong to the married state, and besides this, to serve and +help his neighbor. Now it comes to pass that a man makes a pilgrimage +to Rome when no one has commanded him to do so, spends fifty or a +hundred gulden, more or less, and leaves his wife and child, or at +least his neighbor, at home to suffer want. Yet the foolish fellow +thinks to gloss over such disobedience and contempt of the divine +commandments with his self-willed pilgriming, when it is really only +curiosity or devilish delusion which leads him to it. The popes have +helped this along with their false, feigned, foolish, "golden +years,"[153] by which the people are excited, stirred up, torn away +from God's commandments, and drawn toward their own deluded +undertakings. Thus they have accomplished the very thing they should +have forbidden; but it has brought in money and strengthened false +authority, therefore it has had to continue, though it is against God +and the salvation of souls. + +In order to destroy in simple Christians this false, seductive faith, +and to restore a true understanding of good works, all pilgrimages +should be given up; for there is in them nothing good--no commandment, +no obedience--but, on the contrary, numberless occasions for sin and +for the despising of God's commandments. Hence come the many beggars, +who by this pilgriming carry on endless knaveries and learn the habit +of begging when they are not in want. Hence, too, come vagabondage, +and many other ills which I shall not now recount. + +If any one, now, wishes to go on pilgrimage or take a pilgrim's vow, +he should first show his reasons to his parish-priest or to his lord. +If it turns out that he wishes to do it for the sake of the good work, +the priest or lord should boldly tread the vow and good work under +foot, as though it were a lure of the devil, and show him how to apply +the money and labor necessary for the pilgrimage to the keeping of +God's commandments and to works a thousandfold better, viz., by +spending it on his own family or on his poor neighbors. But if he +wishes to make the pilgrimage out of curiosity, to see new lands and +cities, he may be allowed to do as he likes. If, however, he has made +the vow while ill, then such vows ought to be forbidden and canceled, +and the commandments of God exalted, and he ought to be shown that he +should henceforth be satisfied with the vow he made in baptism[154], +to keep the commandments of God. And yet, in order to quiet his +conscience, he may be allowed this once to perform his foolish vow. No +one wants to walk in the straight and common path of God's +commandments; everyone makes himself new roads and new vows, as though +he had fulfilled all the commandments of God. + +[Sidenote: Reform of the Mendicant Orders] + +13. Next we come to that great crowd who vow much and keep little. Be +not angry, dear lords! Truly, I mean it well. It is the truth, and +bitter-sweet, and it is this,--the building of mendicant-houses[155] +should no more be permitted. God help us, there are already far too +many of them! Would to God they were all done away, or at least given +over to two or three orders! Wandering about the land has never +brought any good, and never will bring any good. It is my advice, +therefore, to put together ten of these houses, or as many as may be +necessary, and out of them all to make one house, which will be well +provided and need no more begging. It is much more important to +consider what the common people need for their salvation, than what +St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Augustine[156] or any other man has +decreed; especially since things have not turned out as they expected. + +The mendicants should also be relieved of preaching and hearing +confession, except when they are called to this work by the express +desire of bishops, parishes, congregations or the temporal +authorities. Out of their preaching and shriving there has come +nothing but hatred and envy between priests and monks, and great +offence and hindrance to the common people. For this reason it should +properly and deservedly cease, because it can well be dispensed +with[157]. It looks suspiciously as though it were not for nothing +that the Holy Roman See has increased this army, so that the priests +and bishops, tired of its tyranny, might not some time become too +strong or it and begin a reformation which would not be to the liking +of his Holiness. + +At the same time the manifold divisions and differences within one and +the same order should be abolished. These divisions have at times +arisen for small reason and maintained themselves for still smaller, +combatting one another with unspeakable hatred and envy[158]. +Nevertheless the Christian faith, which can well exist without any of +these distinctions, is lost by both sides, and a good Christian life +is valued and sought after only in outward laws, works and forms; and +this results only in the devising of hypocrisy and the destruction of +souls, as everyone may see with his own eyes. + +The pope must also be forbidden to found and confirm any more of these +orders; nay, he must be commanded to abolish some of them and reduce +their number, since the faith of Christ, which is alone the highest +good and which exists without any orders, is in no small danger, +because these many different works and forms easily mislead men into +living for them instead of giving heed to the faith. Unless there are +in the monasteries wise prelates, who preach and who concern +themselves with faith more than with the rules of the orders, the +order cannot but harm and delude simple souls who think only of works. + +In our days, however, the prelates who have had faith and who founded +the orders have almost all passed away. Just as in olden days among +the children of Israel, when the fathers, who knew God's works and +wonders, had passed away, the children, from ignorance of God's works +and of faith, immediately became idolatrous and set up their own human +works; so now, alas! these orders have lost the understanding of God's +works and of faith, and only torture themselves pitifully, with labor +and sorrow, in their own rules, laws and customs, and withal never +come to a right understanding of a good spiritual life, as the Apostle +declared when he said, in II Timothy iii: "They have the appearance of +a spiritual life, yet there is nothing back of it; they are ever and +ever learning, but they never come to a knowledge of what a true +spiritual life is." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7] There should be no monastery +unless there were a spiritual prelate, learned in the Christian faith, +to rule it, for no other kind of prelate can rule without injury and +ruin, and the holier and better he appears to be in his outward works +and life, the more injury and ruin he causes. + +To my way of thinking it would be a necessary measure, especially in +these perilous times of ours, that all foundations and monasteries +should be re-established as they were at the first, in the days of the +Apostles and for a long time afterwards, when they were all open to +every man, and every man might remain in them as long as he pleased. +For what were the foundations and monasteries except Christian schools +in which the Scriptures and Christian living were taught, and people +were trained to rule and to preach? So we read that St. Agnes[159] +went to school, and we still see the same practice in some of the +nunneries, like that at Quedlinburg[160] and others elsewhere. And in +truth all monasteries and convents ought to be so free that God is +served in them with free will and not with forced avarice. Afterward, +however, they hedged them about with vows and turned them into a +lifelong prison, so that these vows are thought to be of more account +than the vows of baptism. What sort of fruit this has borne, we see, +hear, read and learn more and more every day. + +I suppose this advice of mine will be regarded as the height of +foolishness; but I am not concerned about that just now. I advise what +I think best; let him reject it who will! I see how the vows are kept, +especially the vow of chastity, which has become so universal through +these monasteries and yet is not commanded by Christ; on the contrary, +it is given to very few to keep it, as He himself says [Matt. 19:11 +ff.], and St. Paul [1 Cor. 7:7, Col. 2:20]. I would have all men to be +helped, and not have Christian souls caught in human, self-devised +customs and laws. + +[Sidenote: Marriage of the Clergy] + +14. We also see how the priesthood has fallen, and how many a poor +priest is overburdened with wife and child, and his conscience +troubled, yet no one does anything to help him though he might easily +be helped. Though pope and bishops may let things go as they go, and +let them go to ruin if they will, I will save my conscience and open +my mouth freely, whether it vex pope, bishops or any one else. +Wherefore I say that according to the institution of Christ and the +Apostles every city should have a priest or bishop, as St. Paul +clearly says in Titus i [Tit. 1:6]; and this priest should not be +compelled to live without a wedded wife, but should be permitted to +have one, as St. Paul says in I Timothy iii, and Titus i, "A bishop +should be a man who is blameless, and the husband of but one wedded +wife, whose children are obedient and virtuous," etc. [1 Tim. 3:2, +Tit. 1:6] For with St. Paul a bishop and a priest are one and the same +thing, as witness also St. Jerome[161]. But of bishops as they now +are, the Scriptures know nothing; they have been appointed by the +ordinance of the Christian Church, that one of them may rule over many +priests. + +So then we clearly learn from the Apostle that it should be the custom +for every town to choose out of the congregation[162] a learned and +pious citizen, entrust to him the office of the ministry, and support +him at the expense of the community, leaving him free choice to marry +or not. He should have with him several priests or deacons, who might +also be married or not, as they chose, to help him rule the people of +the community[163] by means of preaching and the sacraments, as is +still the practice in the Greek Church. At a later time[164], when +there were so many persecutions and controversies with heretics, there +were many holy fathers who of their own accord abstained from +matrimony, to the end that they might the better devote themselves to +study and be prepared at any time for death or for controversy. Then +the Roman See interfered, out of sheer wantonness, and made a +universal commandment forbidding priests to marry[165]. This was done +at the bidding of the devil, as St. Paul declares in I Timothy iv, +"There shall come teachers who bring doctrines of devils, and forbid +to marry." From this has arisen so much untold misery, occasion was +given for the withdrawal of the Greek Church[166], and division, sin, +shame and scandal were increased without end,--which is the result of +everything the devil does. + +What, then, shall we do about it? My advice is that matrimony be again +made free[167], and that every one be let free choice to marry or not +to marry. In that case, however, there must be a very different +government and administration of Church property, the whole canon law +must go to pieces and not many benefices find their way to Rome[168]. +I fear that greed has been a cause of this wretched unchaste chastity, +and as a result of greed every man has wished to become a priest and +everyone wants his son to study for the priesthood, not with the idea +of living in chastity, for that could be done outside the priesthood, +but of being supported in temporal things without care or labor, +contrary to the command of God in Genesis iii, "In the sweat of thy +face shat thou eat thy bread." [Gen. 3:19] They have construed this to +mean that their labor was to pray and say mass. + +I am not referring here to popes, bishops, canons and monks. God has +not instituted these offices. They have taken burdens on themselves; +let them bear them. I would speak only of the ministry which God has +instituted[169] and which is to rule a congregation by means of +preaching and sacraments, whose incumbents are to live and be at home +among the people. Such ministers should be granted liberty by a +Christian council to marry, for the avoidance of temptation and sin. +For since God has not bound them, no one else ought to bind them or +can bind them, even though he were an angel from heaven [Gal. 1:8], +still less if he be only a pope; and everything that the canon law +decrees to the contrary is mere fable and idle talk. + +Furthermore, I advise that henceforth neither at his consecration to +the priesthood nor at any other time shall any one under any +circumstances promise the bishop to live in celibacy, but shall +declare to the bishop that he has no authority to demand such a vow, +and that to demand it is the devil's own tyranny. + +But if anyone is compelled to say or wishes to say, as do some, "so +far as human frailty permits,"[170] let everyone frankly interpret +these words negatively, to mean "I do not promise chastity."[171] For +human frailty does not permit a chaste life[172], but only angelic +power and celestial might[2 Pet. 2:11][173] Thus he should keep his +conscience free from all vows. + +On the question whether those who are not yet married should marry or +remain unmarried, I do not care to give advice either way. I leave +that to common Christian order and to everyone's better judgment. But +as regards the wretched multitude who now sit in shame and heaviness +of conscience because their wives are called "priests' harlots" and +their children "priests' children" I will not withhold my faithful +counsel nor deprive them of the comfort which is their due. I say this +boldly by my jester's right[174]. You will find many a pious priest +against whom no one has anything to say except that he is weak and has +come to shame with a woman, though both parties may be minded with all +their heart to live always together in wedded love and troth, if only +they could do it with a clear conscience, even though they might have +to bear public shame. Two such persons are certainly married before +God. And I say that where they are thus minded, and so come to live +together, they should boldly save their consciences; let him take and +keep her as his wedded wife, and live honestly with her as her +husband, caring nothing whether the pope will have it so or not, +whether it be against canon law or human law. The salvation of your +soul is of more importance than tyrannical, arbitrary, wicked laws, +which are not necessary for salvation and are not commanded by God. +You should do like the children of Israel, who stole from the +Egyptians the hire they had earned [Ex. 12:35 f.], or like a servant +who steals from his wicked master the wages he has earned. In like +manner steal thou from the pope thy wife and child! Let the man who +has faith enough to venture this, boldly follow me; I shall not lead +him astray. Though I have not the authority of a pope, I have the +authority of a Christian to advise and help my neighbor against sins +and temptations; and that not without cause and reason. + +_First_, Not every priest can do without a woman, not only on account +of the weakness of the flesh, but much more because of the necessities +of the household. If he, then, may have a woman, and the pope grants +him that, and yet may not have her in marriage,--what is that but +leaving a man and a woman alone and forbidding them to fall? It is as +though one were to put fire and straw together and command that it +shall neither smoke nor burn. + +_Second_, The pope has as little power to command this, as he has to +forbid eating, drinking, the natural movement of the bowels or growing +fat. No one, therefore, is bound to keep it, but the pope is +responsible for all the sins which are committed against this +ordinance, for all the souls which are lost thereby, for all the +consciences which are thereby confused and tortured; and therefore he +has long deserved that some one should drive him out of the world, so +many wretched souls has he strangled with this devil's snare; though I +hope that there are many to whom God has been more gracious at their +last hour than the pope has been in their life. Nothing good has ever +come out of the papacy and its laws, nor ever will. + +_Third_, Although the law of the pope is against it, nevertheless, +when the estate of matrimony has been entered against the pope's law, +then his law is at an end, and is no longer valid; for the commandment +of God, which decrees that no one shall put man and wife asunder +[Matt. 19:6], takes precedence of the law of the pope; and the +commandments of God must not be broken and neglected for the sake of +the pope's commandment, though many mad jurists, in the papal +interest, have devised "impediments"[175] and have prevented, +destroyed and confused the estate of matrimony, until by their means +God's commandment has been altogether destroyed. To make a long story +short, there are not in the whole "spiritual" law of the pope two +lines which could be instructive to a pious Christian, and there are, +alas! so many mistaken and dangerous laws that the best thing would be +to make a bonfire of it[176]. + +But if you say that this[177] would give offence, and the pope must +first grant dispensation, I reply that whatever offence is in it, is +the fault of the Roman See, which has established such laws without +right and against God; before God and the Scriptures it is no offence. +Moreover, if the pope can grant dispensations from his avaricious and +tyrannical laws for money's sake, then every Christian can grant +dispensations from them--for the sake of God and the salvation of +souls. For Christ has set us free from all human laws, especially when +they are opposed to God and the salvation of souls, as St. Paul +teaches in Galatians v [Gal. 5:1] and I Corinthians xi [1 Cor. 9:4 +ff.; 10:23]. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reserved Cases in the Monasteries] + +15. Nor must I forget the poor convents! The evil spirit, who by human +laws now confuses all estates in life, and has made them unbearable, +has taken possession of in certain abbots, abbesses and prelates also, +and causes them so to govern their brethren and sisters as to send +them the more speedily to hell, and make them lead a wretched life +even here; for such is the lot of all the devil's martyrs. That is to +say, they have reserved to themselves in confession, all, or at least +some, of the mortal sins which are secret, so that no brother, on his +obedience and on pain of the ban, can absolve another from these +sins[178]. Now we do not always find angels everywhere, but we find +also flesh and blood, which suffers all bannings and threatenings +rather than confess secret sins to the prelates and the appointed +confessors. Thus they go to the sacrament with such consciences that +they become "irregular"[179] and all sorts of other terrible things. O +blind shepherds! O mad prelates! O ravening wolves! + +To this I say: If a sin is public or notorious, then it is proper that +the prelate alone should punish it, and of these sins only and no +others he may make exceptions, and reserve them to himself; over +secret sins he has no authority, even though they were the worst sins +that are or ever can be found, and if the prelate makes exceptions of +these sins, he is a tyrant, for he has no such right and is +interfering in the judgment of God. + +And so I advise these children, brethren and sisters: If your +superiors are unwilling to grant you permission to confess your secret +sins to whomever you wish, then take them to whatever brother or +sister you will and confess them, receive absolution, and then go and +do whatever you wish and ought to do; only believe firmly that you are +absolved, and nothing more is needed. And do not allow yourself to be +troubled by ban, "irregularity," or any of the other things they +threaten; these things are valid only in the case of public or +notorious sins which one is unwilling to confess; they do not affect +you at all. Why do you try by your threatenings, O blind prelate, to +prevent secret sins? Let go what you cannot publicly prove, so that +God's judgment and grace may also have its work in your subjects! He +did not give them so entirely into your hands as to let them go +entirely out of His own! Nay, what you have under your rule is but the +smaller part. Let your statutes be statutes, but do not exalt them to +heaven, to the judgment-seat of God. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Mortuary Masses] + +16. It were also necessary to abolish all anniversary, mortuary and +"soul" masses[180], or at least to diminish their number, since we +plainly see that they have become nothing but a mockery, by which God +is deeply angered, and that their only purpose is money-getting, +gorging and drunkenness. What kind of pleasure should God have in such +a miserable gabbling of wretched vigils and masses, which is neither +reading nor praying, and even when prayed[181], they are performed not +for God's sake and out of willing love, but for money's sake and +because they are a bounden duty. Now it is not possible that any work +not done out of willing love can please God or obtain anything from +Him. And so it is altogether Christian to abolish, or at least +diminish, everything which we see growing into an abuse, and which +angers rather than reconciles God. It would please me more--nay, it +would be more acceptable to God and far better--that a foundation, +church or monastery should put all its anniversary masses and vigils +together, and on one day, with hearty sincerity, devotion and faith, +hold a true vigil and mass for all its benefactors, rather than hold +them by the thousand every year, for each benefactor a special mass, +without this devotion and faith. O dear Christians! God cares not for +much praying, but for true praying! Nay, He condemns the many and long +prayers, and says in Matthew vi, they will only earn more punishment +thereby [Matt. 67:7; 23:14]. But avarice, which cannot trust God, +brings such things to pass, earing that otherwise it must die of +hunger! + +[Sidenote: Abolition of the Interdict] + +17. Certain of the penalties or punishments of the canon law should +also be abolished, especially the interdict[182], which is, beyond all +doubt, an invention of the evil Spirit. Is it not a devil's work to +try to atone for one sin with many greater sins? And yet, to put God's +Word and worship to silence, or to do away with them, is a greater sin +than strangling twenty popes at once, and far greater than killing a +priest or keeping back some Church property. This is another of the +tender virtues taught in the "spiritual law." For one of the reasons +why this law is called "spiritual" is because it comes from the +Spirit; not, however, from the Holy Spirit, but from the evil spirit. + +The ban[183] is to be used in no case except where the Scriptures +prescribe its use, i. e., against those who do not hold the true +faith, or who live in open sin; it is not to be used for the sake of +temporal possessions. But now it is the other way around. Everyone +believes and lives as he pleases, most of all those who use the ban to +plunder and defame other people, and all the bans are now laid only on +account of temporal possessions, or which we have no one to thank but +the holy "spiritual lawlessness."[184] Of this I have previously said +more in the Discourse[185]. + +The other punishments and penalties,--suspension, irregularity, +aggravation, reaggravation, deposition, lightnings, thunderings, +cursings, damnings and the rest of these devices,--should be buried +ten fathoms deep in the earth, so that there should be neither name +nor memory of them left on earth. The evil spirit, who has been let +loose by the "spiritual law" has brought this terrible plague and +misery into the heavenly kingdom of the holy Church, and has +accomplished by it nothing else than the destruction and hindrance of +souls, so that the word of Christ may well be applied to them[186]: +"Woe unto you scribes! Ye have taken upon you the authority to teach, +and ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. Ye go not in +yourselves, and ye suffer not them that are entering." [Matt. 23:13] + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Saints'-Days] + +18. All festivals[187] should be abolished, and Sunday alone retained. +If it were desired, however, to retain the festivals of Our Lady and +of the greater saints, they should be transferred to Sunday, or +observed only by a morning mass, after which all the rest of the day +should be a working-day. The reason is this: The feast-days are now +abused by drinking, gaming, idleness and all manner of sins, so that +on the holy days we anger God more than on other days, and have +altogether turned things around; the holy days are not holy and the +working days are holy, and not only is no service done to God and His +saints by the many holy days, but rather great dishonor. There are, +indeed, some mad prelates who think they are doing a good work if they +make a festival in honor of St. Ottilia or St. Barbara or some other +saint, according to the promptings of their blind devotion; but they +would be doing a far better work if they honored the saint by turning +a saint's-day into a working day. + +Over and above the spiritual injury, the common man receives two +material injuries from this practice, i. e., he neglects his work and +he spends more than at other times; nay, he also weakens his body and +unfits it for work. We see this every day, yet no one thinks to make +it better. We ought not to consider whether or not the pope has +instituted the feasts, and whether we must have dispensation and +permission to omit them. If a thing is opposed to God, and harmful to +man in body and soul, any community[188], council[189] or government +has not only the right to abolish it and put a stop to it, without the +will or knowledge of pope or bishop, but they are bound on their +souls' salvation to prevent it, even against the will of pope and +bishop, though these ought to be themselves the first to forbid it. + +Above all, we ought utterly to abolish the consecration days[190], +since they have become nothing else than taverns, airs and gaming +places[191], and serve only to the increase of God's dishonor and to +the damnation of souls. All the pretence about the custom having had a +good beginning and being a good work is of no avail. Did not God +Himself set aside His own law, which He had given from heaven, when it +was perverted and abused? And does He not still daily overturn what He +has appointed and destroy what He has made, because of such perversion +and abuse? As it is written of Him in Psalm xviii, "With the perverted +Thou wilt show Thyself perverse." [Ps. 18:27] + +[Sidenote: Extension of Right of Dispensation] + +19. The grades or degrees within which marriage is forbidden should be +changed, as, for instance, the sponsorships and the third and fourth +degrees; and if the pope can grant dispensation in these matters or +money and for the sake of his shameful traffic[192], then every parish +priest may give the same dispensations gratis and or the salvation of +souls. Yea, would to God that all the things which we must buy at Rome +to free ourselves from that money-snare, the canon law,--such things +as indulgences, letters of indulgence, "butter-letters,"[193] +"mass-letters,"[194] and all the rest of the _confessionalia_[195] and +knaveries for sale at Rome, with which the poor folk are deceived and +robbed of their money; would to God, I say, that any priest could, +without payment, do and omit all these things! For if the pope has +the authority to sell his snares for money and his spiritual nets (I +should say laws)[196], surely any priest has much more authority to +rend his nets and for God's sake to tread them under foot. But if he +has not this right, neither has the pope the right to sell them at his +shameful fair[196]. + +This is the place to say too that the fasts should be matters of +liberty, and all sorts of food made free, as the Gospel makes them +[Matt. 15:11]. For at Rome they themselves laugh at the fasts, making +us foreigners eat the oil with which they would not grease their +shoes, and afterwards selling us liberty to eat butter and all sorts +of other things; yet the holy Apostle says that in all these things we +already have liberty through the Gospel [1 Cor. 10:25 ff.]. But they +have caught us with their canon law and stolen our rights from us, so +that we may have to buy them back with money. Thus they have made our +consciences so timid and shy that it is no longer easy to preach about +this liberty because the common people take such great offence, +thinking it a greater sin to eat butter than to lie, to swear, or even +to live unchastely. Nevertheless, what men have decreed, that is the +work of man; put it where you will[198], nothing good ever comes out +of it. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Pilgrimages] + +20. The forest chapels and rustic churches[199] must be utterly +destroyed,--those, namely, to which the recent pilgrimages have been +directed,--Wilsnack[200], Sternberg[201], Trier[202], the +Grimmenthal[203], and now Regensburg[204] and a goodly number of +others. Oh, what a terrible and heavy account will the bishops have to +render, who permit this devilish deceit and receive its profits![205] +They should be the first to forbid it, and yet they think it a divine +and holy thing, and do not see that it is the devil's doing, to +strengthen avarice, to create a false, feigned faith, to weaken the +parish churches, to multiply taverns and harlotry, to waste money and +labor, and to lead the poor folk by the nose. If they had only read +the Scriptures to as good purpose as they have read their damnable +canon law, they would know well how to deal with this matter. + +That miracles are done at these places does not help things, for the +evil spirit can do miracles, as Christ has told us in Matthew xxiv +[Matt. 24:24]. If they took the matter seriously and forbade this sort +of thing, the miracles would quickly come to an end; on the other +hand, if the thing were of God their prohibition would not hinder it +[Acts 5:39]. And if there were no other evidence that it is not of +God, this would be enough,--that people run to these places in excited +crowds, as though they had lost their reason, like herds of cattle; +for this cannot possibly be of God. Moreover, God has commanded +nothing of all this; there is neither obedience nor merit in it; the +bishops, therefore, should boldly step in and keep the folk away. For +what is not commanded--and is concerned for self rather than for the +commands of God--that is surely the devil himself. Then, too, the +parish churches receive injury, because they are held in smaller +honor. In short, these things are signs of great unbelief among the +people; if they truly believed, they would have all that they need in +their own churches, for to them they are commanded to go. + +[Sidenote: Canonisations to be Prohibited] + +But what shall I say? Every one[206] plans only how he may establish +and maintain such a place of pilgrimage in his diocese and is not at +all concerned to have the people believe and live aright; the rulers +are like the people; one blind man leads another [Matt. 13:14]. Nay, +where pilgrimages are not successful, they begin to canonise +saints[207], not in honor of the saints--for they are sufficiently +honored without canonisation--but in order to draw crowds and bring in +money. Pope and bishop help along; it rains indulgences; there is +always money enough for that. But for what God has commanded no one +provides; no one runs after these things; there is no money or them. +Alas, that we should be so blind! We not only give the devil his own +way in his tricks, but we even strengthen him in his wantonness and +increase his pranks. I would that the dear saints were let in peace, +and the poor folk not led astray! What spirit has given the pope the +authority to canonise the saints? Who tells him whether they are +saints or not? Are there not already sins enough on earth, that we too +must tempt God, interfere in His judgment and set up the dear saints +as lures for money? + +Therefore I advise that the saints be left to canonise themselves. +Yea, it is God alone who should canonise them. And let every man stay +in his own parish, where he finds more than in all the shrines of +pilgrimage, even though all the shrines were one. Here we find baptism, +the sacrament, preaching and our neighbor, and these are greater +things than all the saints in heaven, for it is by God's Word and +sacrament that they have all been made saints. So long as we despise +such great things God is just in the wrathful judgment by which He +appoints the devil to lead us hither and thither, to establish +pilgrimages, to found churches and chapels, to secure the canonisation +of saints, and to do other such fool's-works, by which we depart from +true faith into new, false misbelief. This is what he did in olden +times to the people of Israel, when he led them away from the temple +at Jerusalem to countless other places, though he did it in the name +of God and under the plausible guise of holiness, though all the +prophets preached against it and were persecuted or so doing. But now +no one preaches against it, perhaps or fear that pope, priests and +monks would persecute him also. In this way St. Antoninus of +Florence[208] and certain others must now be made saints and +canonised, that their holiness, which would otherwise have served only +for the glory of God and as a good example, may serve to bring in fame +and money. + +Although the canonising of saints may have been good in olden times, +it is not good now; just as many other things were good in olden times +and are now scandalous and injurious, such as feast-days, +church-treasures and church-adornment. For it is evident that through +the canonising of saints neither God's glory nor the improvement of +Christians is sought, but only money and glory, in that one church +wants to be something more and have something more than others, and +would be sorry if another had the same thing and its advantage were +common property. So entirely, in these last, evil days, have spiritual +goods been misused and applied to the gaining of temporal goods, that +everything, even God Himself, has been forced into the service of +avarice. And even these special advantages lead only to dissensions, +divisions and pride, in that the churches, differing from one another, +hold each other in contempt, and exalt themselves one above another, +though all the gifts which God bestows are the common and equal +property of all churches and should only serve the cause of unity. The +pope, too, is glad or the present state of affairs; he would be sorry +if all Christians were equal and were at one. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Special Privileges] + +pThis is the place to speak of the church licenses, bulls and other +things which the pope sells at his laying-place in Rome. We should +either abolish them or disregard them, or at least make them the +common property of all churches. For if he sells or gives away +licenses and privileges, indulgences, graces, advantages, +faculties[209] to Wittenberg, to Halle, to Venice and, above, all to +his own Rome, why does he not give these things to all churches alike? +Is he not bound to do for all Christians, gratis and for God's sake, +everything that he can, and even to shed his blood for them? Tell me, +then, why he gives or sells to one church and not to another? Or must +the accursed money make, in the eyes of His Holiness, so great a +difference among Christians, who all have the same baptism, Word, +faith, Christ, God and all things? [Eph. 4:4 f.] Are we to be blind +while we have eyes to see, fools while we have our reason, that they +expect us to worship such greed, knavery and humbug? He is a +shepherd,--yes, so long as you have money, and no longer! And yet they +are not ashamed of their knavery, leading us hither and yon with their +bulls! Their one concern is the accursed money, and nothing else! + +My advice is this: If such fool's-work cannot be abolished, then every +pious Christian man should open his eyes, and not be misled by the +hypocritical Roman bulls and seals, stay at home in his own church and +be content with his baptism, his Gospel, his faith, his Christ and +with God, Who is everywhere the same; and let the pope remain a blind +leader of the blind. Neither angel nor pope can give you as much as +God gives you in your parish-church. Nay, the pope leads you away from +the gifts of God, which you have without pay, to his gifts, which you +must buy; and he gives you lead[210] for gold, hide for meat, the +string for the purse, wax for honey, words for goods, the letter for +the spirit. You see this before your very eyes, but you are unwilling +to notice it. If you are to ride to heaven on his wax and parchment, +your chariot will soon go to pieces, and you will fall into hell, not +in God's name! + +Let this be your fixed rule: What you must buy from the pope is +neither good nor of God; for what is from God, to wit, the Gospel and +the works of God, is not only given without money, but the whole world +is punished and damned because it has not been willing to receive it +as a free gift. We have deserved of God that we should be so deceived, +because we have despised His holy Word and the grace of baptism, as +St. Paul says: "God shall send a strong delusion upon all those who +have not received the truth to their salvation, to the end that they +may believe and follow after lies and knavery," [2 Thess. 2:11 f.] +which serves them right. + +[Sidenote: Mendicancy to be Prohibited, and the Poor to be Cared for] + +21. One of our greatest necessities is the abolition of all begging +throughout Christendom. Among Christians no one ought to go begging! +It would also be easy to make a law, if only we had the courage and +the serious intention, to the effect that every city should provide +for its own poor, and admit no foreign beggars by whatever name they +might be called, whether pilgrims or mendicant monks. Every city could +support its own poor, and if it were too small, the people in the +surrounding villages also should be exhorted to contribute, since in +any case they have to feed so many vagabonds and knaves in the guise +of mendicants. In this way, too, it could be known who were really +poor and who not. + +There would have to be an overseer or warden who knew all the poor and +informed the city council or the priests what they needed; or some +other better arrangement might be made. In my judgment there is no +other business in which so much knavery and deceit are practised as in +begging, and yet it could all be easily abolished. Moreover, this free +and universal begging hurts the common people. I have considered that +each of the five or six mendicant orders[211] visits the same place +more than six or seven times every year; besides these there are the +common beggars, the "stationaries"[212] and the palmers[213], so that +it has been reckoned that every town is laid under tribute about sixty +times a year, not counting what is given to the government in taxes, +imposts and assessments, what is stolen by the Roman See with its +wares, and what is uselessly consumed. Thus it seems to me one of +God's greatest miracles that we can continue to support ourselves. + +To be sure, some think that in this way[214] the poor would not be so +well provided for and that not so many great stone houses and +monasteries would be built. This I can well believe. Nor is it +necessary. He who wishes to be poor should not be rich; and if he +wishes to be rich, let him put his hand to the plow and seek his +riches in the earth! It is enough if the poor are decently cared for, +so that they do not die of hunger or of cold. It is not fitting that +one man should live in idleness on another's labor, or be rich and +live comfortably at the cost of another's discomfort, according to the +present perverted custom; for St. Paul says, "If a man will not work, +neither shall he eat." [2 Thess. 3:10] God has not decreed that any +man shall live from another's goods save only the priests, who rule +and preach, and these because of their spiritual labor, as Paul says +in I Corinthians ix [1 Cor. 9:14], and Christ also says to the +Apostles, "Every laborer is worthy of his hire." [Luke 10:7] + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Endowed Masses] + +22. It is also to be feared that the many masses[215] which are +endowed in the foundations and monasteries are not only of little use, +but greatly arouse the wrath of God. It would therefore be profitable +not to endow any more, but rather Masses to abolish many that are +already endowed, since we see that they are regarded only as +sacrifices and good works[216], though they are really sacraments, +just like baptism and penance[217], which profit only those who +receive them, and no others. But now the custom has crept in, that +masses are said for the living and the dead, and all hopes are built +upon them; for this reason so many of them have been founded and the +present state of affairs has come about. + +My proposal is perhaps too novel and daring, especially for those who +fear that through the discontinuance of these masses their trade and +livelihood may be destroyed, and so I must refrain from saying more +about it until we have come back to a correct understanding of what +the mass is and what it is good for. These many years, alas, it has +been made a trade practised for a temporal livelihood, so that I would +henceforth advise a man to become a shepherd or to seek some other +trade rather than become a priest or a monk, unless he first knows +well what it is to celebrate mass. I am not speaking, however, of the +old foundations and cathedrals, which were doubtless established in +order that the children of the nobility (since, according to the +customs of the German nation not all of them can become heirs or +rulers), might be provided for in these foundations, and there be free +to serve God, to study, to become scholars and to make scholars. But I +am speaking of the new foundations, which have been established only +for the saying of prayers and masses; for after their example, even +the old foundations have been burdened with like prayers and masses, +so that they are of little or no profit; though it is also of God's +grace that they too come at last, as they deserve, to the dregs, i. +e., to the wailing of organs and of choral singers, and to dead, cold +masses, by which the incomes of the worldly endowments are gotten and +spent. Such things pope, bishops and doctors should examine and +proscribe; but now it is they who are most given to them. They let +everything pass, if only it brings in money; one blind man is always +leading another. This is the work of avarice and of the spiritual law. + +Again, no one person should be allowed any longer to hold more than +one canonry or prebend. He must be content with a modest position, +that some one else may also have something. This would do away with +the excuses of those who say that they must hold more than one such +office to "maintain a proper station." A "proper station" might be so +broadly interpreted that a whole land would not be enough to maintain +it! Moreover avarice and veiled distrust of God assuredly go with it, +so that what is alleged to be the need of "a proper station" is often +nothing else than avarice and distrust. + +[Sidenote: Sodalities and Indulgences] + +23. Sodalities[218], indulgences, letters of indulgence, +"butter-letters,"[219] mass-letters[220], dispensations, and +everything else of the sort, are to be drowned and destroyed. There is +nothing good in them. If the pope has the power to grant you +dispensation to eat butter and to absent yourself from mass, then he +ought also be able to leave this power to the priests, from whom, +indeed, he has no right to take it. I speak especially of those +fraternities in which indulgences, masses and good works are portioned +out. Dear friend, in your baptism you entered into a fraternity with +Christ, all the angels, saints and Christians on earth. Hold to this +fraternity and live up to its demands, and you have fraternities +enough. The others--let them glitter as they will--are but as counters +compared with _guldens_. But if there were a fraternity which +contributed money to feed the poor or to help somebody in some other +way, such a one would be good, and would have its indulgence and its +merit in heaven. Now, however, they have become excuses or gluttony +and drunkenness[221]. + +Above all, we should drive out of German lands the papal legates with +their "faculties,"[222] which they sell us for large sums of money, +though that is sheer knavery. For example, in return for money they +legalize unjust gains, dissolve oaths, vows and agreements, break and +teach men to break the faith and fealty which they have pledged to one +another; and they say the pope has the authority to do this. It is the +evil Spirit who bids them say this. Thus they sell us a doctrine of +devils, and take money or teaching us sin and leading us to hell. + +If there were no other evil wiles to prove the pope the true +Antichrist, yet this one thing were enough to prove it. Hearest thou +this, pope, not most holy, but most sinful? O that God from heaven +would soon destroy thy throne and sink it in the abyss of hell! Who +hath given thee authority to exalt thyself above thy God, to break and +to loose His commandments, and to teach Christians, especially the +German nation, praised in all history for its nobility, its constancy +and fidelity, to be inconstant, perjurers, traitors, profligates, +faithless? God hath commanded to keep oath and faith even with an +enemy, and thou undertakest to loose this His commandment, and +ordainest in thine heretical, antichristian decretals that thou hast +His power. Thus through thy throat and through thy pen the wicked +Satan doth lie as he hath never lied before. Thou dost force and wrest +the Scriptures to thy fancy. O Christ, my Lord, look down, let the day +of thy judgment break, and destroy the devil's nest at Rome! Here +sitteth the man of whom St. Paul hath said that he shall exalt himself +above Thee, sit in Thy Church and set himself up as God [2 Thess. 2:3 +f.],--the man of sin and the son of perdition! What else is the papal +power than only the teaching and increasing of sin and evil, the +leading of souls to damnation under Thy name and guise? + +In olden times the children of Israel had to keep the oath which they +had unwittingly been deceived into giving to their enemies, the +Gibeonites [Josh. 9:19 ff.], and King Zedekiah was miserably lost, +with all his people, because he broke this oath to the King of Babylon +[2 Kings 24:20; 25:4 ff.]. Even among us, a hundred years ago, that +fine king of Hungary and Poland, Wladislav[223], was slain by the +Turk, with so many noble people, because he allowed himself to be +deceived by the papal legate and cardinal, and broke the good and +advantageous treaty which he had sworn with the Turk. The pious +Emperor Sigismund had no good fortune after the Council of Constance, +when he allowed the knaves to break the safe-conduct which had been +given to John Hus and Jerome[224] and all the trouble between us and +the Bohemians was the consequence. Even in our own times, God help us! +how much Christian blood has been shed over the oath and alliance +which Pope Julius made between the Emperor Maximilian and King Louis +of France[225], and afterwards broke? How could I tell all the +troubles which the popes have stirred up by the devilish presumption +with which they annul oaths and vows which have been made between +great princes, making a jest of these things, and taking money for it. +I have hopes that the judgment day is at the door; nothing can +possibly be worse than the Roman See. He suppresses God's commandment, +he exalts his own commandment over it; if he is not Antichrist, then +let some one else tell who he can be! But more of this another time, +and better. + +24. It is high time that we seriously and honestly consider the case +of the Bohemians[224], and come into union with them so that the +terrible slander, hatred and envy on both sides may cease. As befits +my folly, I shall be the first to submit an opinion on this subject, +with due deference to every one who may understand the case better +than I. + +_First_, We must honestly confess the truth, stop justifying +ourselves, and grant the Bohemians that John Hus and Jerome of Prague +were burned at Constance in violation of the papal, Christian, +imperial safe-conduct and oath; whereby God's commandment was sinned +against and the Bohemians were given ample cause for bitterness; and +although they ought to have been perfect and to have patiently endured +this great injustice and disobedience of God on our part, nevertheless +they were not bound to approve of it and to acknowledge that it was +well done. Nay, even to-day they should give up life and limb rather +than confess that it is right to violate an imperial, papal, Christian +safe-conduct, and faithlessly to act contrary to it. So then, although +it is the impatience of the Bohemians which is at fault, yet the pope +and his followers are still more to blame for all the trouble, error +and loss of souls that have followed upon that council. + +I have no desire to pass judgment at this time upon John Hus's +articles or to defend his errors, though I have not yet found any +errors in his writings, and I am quite prepared to believe that it was +neither fair judgment nor honest condemnation which was passed by +those who, in their faithless dealing, violated a Christian +safe-conduct and a commandment of God. Beyond doubt they were +possessed rather by the evil spirit than by the Holy Spirit. No one +will doubt that the Holy Spirit does not act contrary to the +commandment of God; and no one is so ignorant as not to know that the +violation of faith and of a safe-conduct is contrary to the +commandment of God, even though they had been promised to the devil +himself, still more when the promise was made to a mere heretic. It is +also quite evident that such a promise was made to John Hus and the +Bohemians and was not kept, but that he was burned in spite of it. I +do not wish, however, to make John Hus a saint or a martyr, as do some +of the Bohemians, though I confess that injustice was done him, and +that his books and doctrines were unjustly condemned; for the +judgments of God are secret and terrible, and no one save God alone +should undertake to reveal or utter them. All I wish to say is this: +though he were never so wicked a heretic, nevertheless he was burned +unjustly and against God's commandment, and the Bohemians should not +be forced to approve of such conduct, or else we shall never come into +unity. Not obstinacy but the open admission of truth must make us one. +It is useless to pretend, as was done at that time, that a +safe-conduct given to a heretic need not be kept[227]. That is as much +as to say that God's commandments are not to be kept to the end that +God's commandments may be kept. The devil made them mad and foolish, +so that they did not know what they were saying or doing. God has +commanded that a safe-conduct shall be kept. This commandment we +should keep though the world all. How much more, when it is only a +question of freeing a heretic! We should vanquish heretics with books, +not with burning; for so the ancient fathers did. If it were a science +to vanquish the heretics with fire, then the hang-men would be the +most learned doctors on earth; we should no longer need to study, but +he who overcame another by force might burn him at the stake. + +_Second_, The emperor and the princes should send to the Bohemians +some pious and sensible bishops and scholars; but by no means a +cardinal or papal legate or inquisitor, for those people are utter +ignoramuses as regards things Christian; they seek not the welfare of +souls, but, like all the pope's hypocrites, only their own power, +profit and glory; indeed, they were the prime movers in this miserable +business at Constance. The men thus sent into Bohemia should inform +themselves about the faith of the Bohemians, and whether it be +possible to unite all their sects. Then the pope should, for their +souls' sake, lay aside his supremacy for the time being, and, +according to the decree of the most Christian Council of Nicaea[228], +allow the Bohemians to choose one of their number to be Archbishop of +Prague[229], and he should be confirmed by the bishop of Olmütz in +Moravia, or the bishop of Gran in Hungary, or the bishop of Gnesen in +Poland, or the bishop of Magdeburg in Germany[230]. It will be enough +if he is confirmed by one or two of these, as was the custom in the +time of St. Cyprian[231]. The pope has no right to oppose such an +arrangement, and if he does oppose it, he becomes a wolf and a tyrant; +no one should follow him and his ban should be met with a counter-ban. + +If, however, it were desired, in honor of the See of St. Peter, to do +this with the pope's consent, I should be satisfied, provided it does +not cost the Bohemians a _heller_ and the pope does not bind them at +all nor make them subject to his tyrannies by oaths and obligations, +as he does all other bishops, in despite of God and of justice. If he +will not be satisfied with the honor of having his consent asked, then +let them not bother any more about him[232] and his rights, laws and +tyrannies; let the election suffice, and let the blood of all the +souls which are endangered cry out against him, for no one should +consent to injustice; it is enough to have offered tyranny an honor. +If it cannot be otherwise, then an election and approval by the common +people can even now be quite as valid as a confirmation by a tyrant; +but I hope this will not be necessary. Some of the Romans or the good +bishops and scholars will sometime mark and oppose papal tyranny. + +I would also advise against compelling them to abolish both kinds in +the sacrament[233], since that is neither unchristian nor heretical, +but they should be allowed to retain their own practice, if they wish. +Yet the new bishop should be careful that no discord arise because of +such a practice, but should kindly instruct them that neither practice +is wrong[234]; just as it ought not to cause dissension that the +clergy differ from the laity in manner of life and in dress. In like +manner if they were unwilling to receive the Roman canon law, they +should not be forced to do so, but we should first make sure that they +live in accordance with faith and with the Scriptures. For Christian +faith and life can well exist without the intolerable laws of the +pope, nay, they cannot well exist unless there be fewer of these Roman +laws, or none at all. In baptism we have become free and have been +made subject to God's Word only; why should any man ensnare us in his +words? As St. Paul says, "Ye have become free, be not servants of +men," [1 Cor. 7:23; Gal. 5:1] i. e. of those who rule with man-made +laws. + +If I knew that the Picards[235] held no other error touching the +sacrament of the altar except that they believe that the bread and +wine are present in their true nature, but that the body and blood of +Christ are truly present under them, then I would not condemn them, +but would let them enter the obedience of the bishop of Prague. For it +is not an article of faith that bread and wine are not essentially and +naturally in the sacrament, but this is an opinion of St. Thomas[236] +and the pope. On the other hand, it is an article of faith that in the +natural bread and wine the true natural body and blood of Christ are +present[237]. And so we should tolerate the opinions of both sides +until they come to an agreement, because there is no danger in +believing that bread is there or is not there. For we have to endure +many practices and ordinances so long as they are not harmful to +faith. On the other hand, if they had a different faith[238], I would +rather have them outside the Church; yet I would teach them the truth. + +Whatever other errors and schisms might be discovered in Bohemia +should be tolerated until the archbishop had been restored and had +gradually brought all the people together again in one common +doctrine. They will assuredly never be united by force, nor by +defiance, nor by haste; it will take time and forbearance. Had not +even Christ to tarry with His disciples a long while and bear with +their unbelief, until they believed His resurrection? If they but had +again a regular bishop and church order, without Roman tyranny, I +could hope that things would soon be better. + +The restoration of the temporal goods which formerly belonged to the +Church should not be too strictly demanded, but since we are +Christians and each is bound to help the rest, it is in our power, for +the sake of unity, to give them these things and let them keep them in +the sight of God and men. For Christ says, "Where two are at one with +each other on earth, there am I in the midst of them." [Matt. 18:19 +f.] Would to God that on both sides we were working toward this unity, +offering our hands to one another in brotherly humility, and not +standing stubbornly on our powers or rights! Love is greater and more +necessary than the papacy at Rome, or there can be papacy without love +and love without papacy. + +With this counsel I shall have done what I could. If the pope or his +followers hinder it, they shall render an account for seeking their +own things rather than the things of their neighbor, contrary to the +love of God [Phil. 2:4]. The pope ought to give up his papacy and all +his possessions and honors, if he could by that means save one soul; +but now he would let the world go to destruction rather than yield a +hair's-breadth of his presumptuous authority. And yet he would be the +"most holy"! Here my responsibility ends. + +[Sidenote: The Universities] + +[Sidenote: Aristotle] + +25. The universities also need a good, thorough reformation--I must +say it no matter whom it vexes--for everything which the papacy has +instituted and ordered is directed only towards the increasing of sin +and error. What else are the universities, if their present condition +remains unchanged, than as the book of Maccabees says, _Gymnasia +Epheborum et Graecae gloriae_[239][2 Macc. 4:9, 12], in which loose +living prevails, the Holy Scriptures and the Christian faith are +little taught, and the blind, heathen Aristotle master Aristotle[240] +rules alone, even more than Christ. In this regard my advice would be +that Aristotle's _Physics_, _Metaphysics_, _On the Soul_, _Ethics_, +which have hitherto been thought his best books, should be altogether +discarded, together with all the rest of his books which boast of +treating the things of nature, although nothing can be learned from +them either of the things of nature or the things of the Spirit. +Moreover no one has so far understood his meaning, and many souls have +been burdened with profitless labor and study, at the cost of much +precious time. I venture to say that any potter has more knowledge of +nature than is written in these books. It grieves me to the heart that +this damned, conceited, rascally heathen has with his false words +deluded and made fools of so many of the best Christians. God has sent +him as a plague upon us for our sins. + +Why, this wretched man, in his best book, _On the Soul_, teaches that +the soul dies with the body, although many have tried with vain words +to save his reputation. As though we had not the Holy Scriptures, in +which we are abundantly instructed about all things, and of them +Aristotle had not the faintest inkling! And yet this dead heathen has +conquered and obstructed and almost suppressed the books of the living +God, so that when I think of this miserable business I can believe +nothing else than that the evil spirit has introduced the study of +Aristotle. Again, his book on _Ethics_ is the worst of all books. It +flatly opposes divine grace and all Christian virtues, and yet it is +considered one of his best works. Away with such books! Keep them away +from all Christians! Let no one accuse me of exaggeration, or of +condemning what I do not understand! My dear friend, I know well +whereof I speak. I know my Aristotle as well as you or the likes of +you. I have lectured on him[241] and heard lectures on him, and I +understand him better than do St. Thomas or Scotus[242]. This I can +say without pride, and if necessary I can prove it. I care not that so +many great minds have wearied themselves over him for so many hundred +years. Such objections do not disturb me as once they did; for it is +plain as day that other errors have remained or even more centuries in +the world and in the universities. + +I should be glad to see Aristotle's books on _Logic_, _Rhetoric_ and +_Poetics_ retained or used in an abridged form; as text-books for the +profitable training of young people in speaking and preaching. But the +commentaries and notes should be abolished, and as Cicero's _Rhetoric_ +is read without commentaries and notes, so Aristotle's _Logic_ should +be read as it is, without such a mass of comments. But now neither +speaking nor preaching is learned from it, and it has become nothing +but a disputing and a weariness to the flesh. Besides this there are +the languages--Latin, Greek and Hebrew--the mathematical disciplines +and history. But all this I give over to the specialists, and, indeed, +the reform would come of itself, if we were only seriously bent upon +it. In truth, much depends upon it; for it is here[243] that the +Christian youth and the best of our people, with whom the future of +Christendom lies, are to be educated and trained. Therefore I consider +that there is no work more worthy of pope or emperor than a thorough +reformation of the universities, and there is nothing worse or more +worthy of the devil than unreformed universities. + +[Sidenote: The Canon Law] + +The medical men I leave to reform their own faculties; the jurists and +theologians I take as my share, and I say, in the first place, that it +were well if the canon law, from the first letter to the last, and +especially the decretals, were utterly blotted out. The Bible contains +more than enough directions for all our living, and so the study of +the canon law only stands in the way of the study of the Holy +Scriptures; moreover, it smacks for the most part of mere avarice and +pride. Even though there were much in it that is good, it might as +well be destroyed, for the pope has taken the whole canon law captive +and imprisoned it in the "chamber of his heart,"[244] so that the +study of it is henceorth a waste of time and a farce. At present the +canon law is not what is in the books, but what is in the sweet will +of the pope and his flatterers. Your cause may be thoroughly +established in the canon law; still the pope has his _scrinium +pectoris_[245], and all law and the whole world must be guided by +that. Now it is ofttimes a knave, and even the devil himself, who +rules this _scrinium_, and they boast that it is ruled by the Holy +Spirit! Thus they deal with Christ's unfortunate people. They give +them many laws and themselves keep none of them, but others they +compel either to keep them or else to buy release. + +Since, then, the pope and his followers have suspended the whole canon +law, and since they pay no heed to it, but regard their own wanton +will as a law exalting them above all the world, we should follow +their example and for our part also reject these books. Why should we +waste our time studying them? We could never discover the whole +arbitrary will of the pope, which has now become the canon law. The +canon law has arisen in the devil's name, let it all in the name of +God, and let there be no more _doctores decretorum_[246] in the world, +but only _doctores scrinii papalis_, that is, "hypocrites of the +pope"! It is said that there is no better temporal rule anywhere than +among the Turks, who have neither spiritual nor temporal law, but only +their Koran; and we must confess that there is no more shameful rule +than among us, with our spiritual and temporal law, so that there is +no estate which lives according to the light of nature, still less +according to Holy Scripture. + +[Sidenote: Secular Law] + +The temporal law,--God help us! what a wilderness it has become![247] +Though it is much better, wiser and more rational than the "spiritual +law" which has nothing good about it except the name, still there is +far too much of it. Surely the Holy Scriptures and good rulers would +be law enough; as St. Paul says in I Corinthians vi, "Is there no one +among you can judge his neighbor's cause, that ye must go to law +before heathen courts?" [1 Cor. 6:1] It seems just to me that +territorial laws and territorial customs should take precedence of the +general imperial laws, and the imperial laws be used only in case of +necessity. Would to God that as every land has its own peculiar +character, so it were ruled by its own brief laws, as the lands were +ruled before these imperial laws were invented, and many lands are +still ruled without them! These diffuse and far-etched laws are only a +burden to the people, and hinder causes more than they help them. I +hope, however, that others have given this matter more thought and +attention than I am able to do. + +[Sidenote: Theology] + +My friends the theologians have spared themselves pains and labor; +they leave the Bible in peace and read the Sentences. I should think +that the Sentences[248] ought to be the first study of young students +in theology and the Bible ought to be the study for the doctors. But +now it is turned around; the Bible comes first, and is put aside when +the bachelor's degree is reached, and the Sentences come last. They +are attached forever to the doctorate, and that with such a solemn +obligation that a man who is not a priest may indeed read the Bible, +but the Sentences a priest must read. A married man, I observe, could +be a Doctor of the Bible, but under no circumstances a Doctor of the +Sentences. What good fortune can we expect if we act so perversely and +in this way put the Bible, the holy Word of God, so far to the rear? +Moreover the pope commands, with many severe words, that his laws are +to be read and used in the schools and the courts, but little is said +of the Gospel. Thus it is the custom that in the schools and the +courts the Gospel lies idle in the dust under the bench[249], to the +end that the pope's harmful laws may rule alone. + +If we are called by the title of teachers[250] of Holy Scripture, then +we ought to be compelled, in accordance with our name, to teach the +Holy Scriptures and nothing else, although even this title is too +proud and boastful and no one ought to be proclaimed and crowned +teacher of Holy Scripture. Yet it might be suffered, if the work +justified the name; but now, under the despotism of the Sentences, we +find among the theologians more of heathen and human opinion than of +the holy and certain doctrine of Scripture. What, then, are we to do? +I know of no other way than humbly to pray God to give us Doctors of +Theology, Pope, emperor and universities may make Doctors of Arts, of +Medicine, of Laws, of the Sentences; but be assured that no one will +make a Doctor of Holy Scripture, save only the Holy Ghost from heaven, +as Christ says in John vi, "They must all be taught of God Himself." +[John 6:45] Now the Holy Ghost does not concern Himself about red or +brown birettas[251] or other decorations, nor does He ask whether one +is old or young, layman or priest, monk or secular, virgin or married; +nay He spake of old by an ass, against the prophet who rode upon it +[Num. 22:28]. Would God that we were worthy to have such doctors given +us, whether they were layman or priests, married or virgin. True, they +now try to force the Holy Ghost into pope, bishops and doctors, +although there is no sign or indication whatever that He is in them. + +[Sidenote: Theological Textbooks] + +The number of theological books must also be lessened, and a selection +made of the best of them. For it is not many books or much reading +that makes men learned; but it is good things, however little of them, +often read, that make men learned in the Scriptures, and make them +godly, too. Indeed the writings of all the holy fathers should be read +only for a time, in order that through them we may be led to the Holy +Scriptures. As it is, however, we read them only to be absorbed in +them and never come to the Scriptures. We are like men who study the +sign-posts and never travel the road. The dear fathers wished, by +their writings, to lead us to the Scriptures, but we so use them as to +be led away from the Scriptures, though the Scriptures alone are our +vineyard in which we ought all to work and toil. + +[Sidenote: Schools] + +Above all, the foremost and most general subject of study, both in the +higher and the lower schools, should be the Holy Scriptures, and for +the young boys the Gospel. And would to God that every town had a +girls' school also, in which the girls were taught the Gospel for an +hour each day either in German or Latin. Indeed the schools, +monasteries and nunneries began long ago with that end in view, and it +was a praiseworthy and Christian purpose, as we learn from the story +of St. Agnes[252] and other of the saints. That was the time of holy +virgins and martyrs, and then it was well with Christendom; but now +they[253] have come to nothing but praying and singing. Ought not +every Christian at his ninth or tenth year to know the entire holy +Gospel from which he derives his name[254] and his life? A spinner or +a seamstress teaches her daughter the trade in her early years; but +now even the great, learned prelates and bishops themselves do not +know the Gospel. + +O how unjustly we deal with these poor young people who are committed +to us for direction and instruction! We must give a terrible accounting +or our neglect to set the Word of God before them. They are as +Jeremiah says in Lamentations ii: "Mine eyes are grown weary with +weeping, my bowels are terrified, my liver is poured out upon the +ground, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, or +the youth and the children perish in all the streets of the whole +city; they said to their mothers, Where is bread and wine? and they +swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city and gave up the +ghost in their mothers' bosom." [Lam. 2:11 ff.] This pitiful evil we +do not see,--how even now the young folk in the midst of Christendom +languish and perish miserably for want of the Gospel, in which we +ought to be giving them constant instruction and training. + +[Sidenote: Restriction of Number of Students] + +Moreover, if the universities were diligent in the study of Holy +Scripture, we should not send everybody there, as we do when all we +ask is numbers, and everyone wishes to have a doctor's degree; but we +should send only the best qualified students, who have previously been +well trained in the lower schools. A prince or city council ought to +see to this, and permit only the well qualified to be sent. But where +the Holy Scriptures do not rule, there I advise no one to send his +son. Everyone not unceasingly busy with the Word of God must become +corrupt; that is why the people who are in the universities and who +are trained there are the kind of people they are. For this no one is +to blame but the pope, the bishops and the prelates, who are charged +with the training of the youth. For the universities ought to turn out +only men who are experts in the Holy Scriptures, who can become +bishops and priests, leaders in the fight against heretics, the devil +and all the world. But where do you find this true? I greatly fear that +the universities are wide gates of hell, if they do not diligently +teach the Holy Scriptures and impress them on the youth. + +[Sidenote: The Pope and the Holy Roman Empire] + +26.[255] I know full well that the Roman crowd will make pretensions +and great boasts about how the pope took the Holy Roman Empire from +the Greek Emperor[256] and bestowed it on the Germans, for which honor +and benevolence he is said to have justly deserved and obtained from +the Germans submission and thanks and all good things. For this reason +they will, perhaps, undertake to throw to the winds all attempts to +reform them, and will not allow us to think about anything but the +bestowal of the Roman Empire. For this cause they have heretofore +persecuted and oppressed many a worthy emperor so arbitrarily and +arrogantly that it is pity to tell of it, and with the same adroitness +they have made themselves overlords of all the temporal powers and +authorities, contrary to the Holy Gospel. Of this too I must therefore +speak. + +There is no doubt that the true Roman Empire, which the writings of +the prophets foretold in Numbers xxiv [Num. 24:24] and in Daniel [Dan. +2:39 ff.], has long since been overthrown and brought to an end, as +Balaam clearly prophesied in Numbers xxiv, when he said: "The Romans +shall come and overthrow the Jews; and afterwards they also shall be +destroyed." That was brought to pass by the Goths[257], but especially +when the Turkish Empire arose almost a thousand years ago[258]; then +in time Asia and Africa fell away, and finally Venice arose, and there +remained to Rome nothing of its former power. + +Now when the pope could not subdue to his arrogant will the Greeks and +the emperor at Constantinople, who was hereditary Roman Emperor, he +bethought himself of this device, viz., to rob him of his empire and +his title and turn it over to the Germans, who were at that time +warlike and of good repute, so as to bring the power of the Roman +Empire under his control and give it away as a fief. So too it turned +out. It was taken away from the emperor at Constantinople and its name +and title were given to us Germans. Thereby we became the servants of +the pope, and there is now a second Roman Empire, which the pope has +built upon the Germans; for the other, which was first, has long since +fallen, as I have said. + +So then the Roman See has its will. It has taken possession of Rome, +driven out the German Emperor and bound him with oaths not to dwell at +Rome. He is to be Roman Emperor, and yet he is not to have possession +of Rome, and besides he is at all times to be dependent upon the +caprice of the pope and his followers, so that we have the name and +they have the land and cities. They have always abused our simplicity +to serve their own arrogance and tyranny, and they call us mad +Germans, who let ourselves be made apes and fools at their bidding. + +Ah well! For God the Lord it is a small thing to toss empires and +principalities to and fro! He is so generous with them that once in a +while He gives a kingdom to a knave and takes it from a good man, +sometimes by the treachery of wicked, faithless men and sometimes by +heredity, as we read of the Kingdoms of Persia and Greece, and of +almost all kingdoms; and Daniel ii and iv says: "He Who ruleth over +all things dwelleth in heaven, and it is He alone Who changeth +kingdoms, tosseth them to and fro, and maketh them." [Dan. 2:21; 4:14] +Since, therefore, no one can think it a great thing to have a kingdom +given him, especially if he is a Christian, we Germans too cannot be +puffed up because a new Roman Empire is bestowed on us; for in His +eyes it is a trifling gift, which He often gives to the most unworthy, +as Daniel iv says: "All who dwell upon the earth are in His eyes as +nothing, and He has power in all the kingdoms of men, to give them to +whomsoever He will." [Dan. 4:35] + +But although the pope unjustly and by violence robbed the true emperor +of his Roman Empire, or of its name, and gave it to us Germans, it is +certain, nevertheless, that in this matter God has used the pope's +wickedness to give such an empire to the German nation, and after the +all of the first Roman Empire, to set up another, which still exists. +And although we gave no occasion to this wickedness of the popes, and +did not understand their false aims and purposes, nevertheless, +through this papal trickery and roguery, we have already paid too +dearly for our empire, with incalculable bloodshed, with the +suppression of our liberty, with the risk and robbery of all our +goods, especially the goods of the churches and canonries, and with +the suffering of unspeakable deception and insult. We have the name of +the empire, but the pope has our wealth, honor, body, life, soul and +all that is ours. So we Germans are to be cheated in the trade[259]. +What the popes sought was to be emperors, and since they could not +manage that, they at least succeeded in setting themselves over the +emperors. + +Because then, the empire has been given us without our fault, by the +providence of God and the plotting of evil men, I would not advise +that we give it up, but rather that we rule it wisely and in the fear +of God, so long as it shall please Him. For, as has been said, it +matters not to Him where an empire comes from; it is His will that it +shall be ruled. Though the popes took it dishonestly from others, +nevertheless we did not get it dishonestly. It is given us by the will +of God through evil-minded men; and we have more regard for God's will +than for the treacherous purpose of the popes, who, in bestowing it, +wished to be emperors themselves, and more than emperors, and only to +fool and mock us with the name. The King of Babylon also seized his +empire by robbery and force; yet it was God's will that it should be +ruled by the holy princes, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael [Dan +3:30; 5:29]; much more then is it His will that this empire be ruled +by the Christian princes of Germany, regardless whether the pope stole +it, or got it by robbery, or made it anew. It is all God's ordering, +which came to pass before we knew of it. + +Therefore the pope and his followers may not boast that they have done +a great favor to the German nation by the bestowal of this Roman +Empire. _First_, because they did not mean it for our good, but were +rather taking advantage of our simplicity in order to strengthen +themselves in their proud designs against the Roman Emperor at +Constantinople, from whom the pope godlessly and lawlessly took this +empire, a thing which he had no right to do. _Second_, because the +pope's intention was not to give us the empire, but to get it for +himself, that he might bring all our power, our freedom, wealth, body +and soul into subjection to himself and use us (if God had not +prevented) to subdue all the world. He clearly says so himself in his +decretals, and he has attempted it, by many evil wiles, with a number +of the German emperors. How beautifully we Germans have been taught +our German! When we thought to be lords, we became slaves of the most +deceitful tyrants; we have the name, title and insignia of the empire, +but the pope has its treasures, its authority, its law and its +liberty. So the pope gobbles the kernel, and we play with the empty +hulls. + +Now may God, Who by the wiles of tyrants has tossed this empire into +our lap, and charged us with the ruling of it, help us to live up to +the name, title and insignia, to rescue our liberty, and to show the +Romans, for once, what it is that we, through them, have received from +God! They boast that they have bestowed on us an empire. So be it, +then! If it is true, then let the pope give us Rome and everything +else which he has got from the empire; let him free our land from his +intolerable taxing and robbing, and give us back our liberty, +authority, wealth, honor, body and soul; let the empire be what an +empire should be, and let his words and pretensions be fulfilled! + +If he will not do that, then why all this shamming, these false and +lying words and juggler's tricks? Is he not satisfied with having so +rudely led this noble nation by the nose these many hundred years +without ceasing? It does not follow that the pope must be above an +emperor because he makes or crowns him. The prophet Samuel at God's +command anointed and crowned Kings Saul and David, and yet he was +their subject; and the prophet Nathan anointed King Solomon, but was +not set over him on that account [1 Sam. 16:1; 16:13]; Elisha too had +one of his servants anoint Jehu King of Israel [1 Kings 1:38 f.], and +yet they remained obedient and subject to him [2 Kings 9:1 ff.]. +Except in the case of the pope, it has never happened in all the +world's history that he who consecrated or crowned the king was over +the king. He lets himself be crowned pope by three cardinals, who are +under him, and he is nevertheless their superior. Why then should he, +contrary to the example which he himself sets, and contrary to the +custom and teaching of all the world and of the Scriptures, exalt +himself above temporal authorities, or the empire, simply because he +crowns or consecrates the emperor? It is enough that he should be the +emperor's superior in divine things, to wit, in preaching, teaching +and administering the sacraments, in which things, indeed, any bishop +or priest is over every other man, as St. Ambrose in his See was over +the emperor Theodosius[260], and the prophet Nathan over David, and +Samuel over Saul. Therefore, let the German Emperor be really and +truly emperor, and let not his authority or his sword be put down by +this blind pretension of papal hypocrites, as though they were to be +excepted from his dominion and themselves direct the temporal sword in +all things.] + +[Sidenote: Economic and Social Reforms] + +27. Enough has now been said about the failings of the clergy, though +more of them can and will be found if these are properly considered. +We would say something too about the failings of the temporal estate. + +[Sidenote: Luxury in Dress] + +1. There is great need of a general law and decree of the German +nation against the extravagance and excess in dress, by which so many +nobles and rich men are impoverished[251]. God has given to us, as to +other lands, enough wool, hair, lax and every thing else which +properly serves or the seemly and honorable dress of every rank, so +that we do not need to spend and waste such enormous sums or silk and +velvet and golden ornaments and other foreign wares. I believe that +even if the pope had not robbed us Germans with his intolerable +exactions, we should still have our hands more than full with these +domestic robbers, the silk and velvet merchants[262]. In the matter of +clothes, as we see, everybody wants to be equal to everybody else, and +pride and envy are aroused and increased among us, as we deserve. All +this and much more misery would be avoided if our curiosity would only +let us be thankful, and be satisfied with the goods which God has +given us. + +[Sidenote: The Spice Trade] + +2. In like manner it is also necessary to restrict the +spice-traffic[263] which is another of the great ships in which money +is carried out of German lands. There grows among us, by God's grace, +more to eat and drink than in any other land, and just as choice and +good. Perhaps the proposals that I make may seem foolish and +impossible and give the impression that I want to suppress the +greatest of all trades, that of commerce; but I am doing what I can. I +reforms are not generally introduced, then let every one who is +willing reform himself. I do not see that many good customs have ever +come to a land through commerce, and in ancient times God made His +people of Israel dwell away from the sea on this account, and did not +let them engage much in commerce. + +[Sidenote: The Traffic in Annuities] + +3. But the greatest misfortune of the German nation is certainly the +traffic in annuities[264]. If that did not exist many a man would have +to leave unbought his silks, velvets, golden ties ornaments, spices +and ornaments of every sort. It has not existed much over a hundred +years, and has already brought almost all princes, cities, endowed +institutions, nobles and their heirs to poverty, misery and ruin; if +it shall continue or another hundred years Germany cannot possibly +have a _pfennig_ left and we shall certainly have to devour one +another. The devil invented the practice, and the pope, by confirming +it[265], has injured the whole world. Therefore I ask and pray that +everyone open his eyes to see the ruin of himself, his children and +his heirs, which not only stands before the door, but already haunts +the house, and that emperor, princes, lords and cities do their part +that this trade be condemned as speedily as possible, and henceforth +prevented, regardless whether or not the pope, with all his law and +unlaw, is opposed to it, and whether or not benefices or church +foundations are based upon it. It is better that there should be in a +city one living based on an honest freehold or revenue, than a hundred +based on an annuity; indeed a living based on an annuity is worse and +more grievous than twenty based on freeholds. In truth this traffic in +rents must be a sign and symbol that the world, for its grievous sins, +has been sold to the devil, so that both temporal and spiritual +possessions must fail us, and yet we do not notice it at all. + +Here, too, we must put a bit in the mouth of the Fuggers and similar +corporations[266]. How is it possible that in the lifetime of a single +man such great possessions, worthy of a king, can be piled up, and yet +everything be done legally and according to God's will? I am not a +mathematician, but I do not understand how a man with a hundred gulden +can make a profit of twenty gulden in one year, nay, how with one +gulden he can make another[267]; and that, too, by another way than +agriculture or cattle-raising, in which increase of wealth depends not +on human wits, but on God's blessing. I commend this to the men of +affairs. I am a theologian, and find nothing to blame in it except its +evil and offending appearance, of which St. Paul says, "Avoid every +appearance or show of evil." [1 Thess. 5:22] This I know well, that it +would be much more pleasing to God if we increased agriculture and +diminished commerce, and that they do much better who, according to +the Scriptures, till the soil and seek their living from it, as was +said to us and to all men in Adam, "Accursed be the earth when thou +laborest therein, it shall bear thee thistles and thorns, and in the +sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." [Gen. 3:17 ff.] There is +still much land lying untilled. + +[Sidenote: Excesses in Eating and Drinking] + +4. Next comes the abuse of eating and drinking[268] which gives us +Germans a bad reputation in foreign lands, as though it were our +special vice. Preaching cannot stop it; it has become too common, and +has got too firmly the upper hand. The waste of money which it causes +would be a small thing, were it not followed by other sins,--murder, +adultery, stealing, irreverence and all the vices. The temporal sword +can do something to prevent it; or else it will be as Christ says: +"The last day shall come like a secret snare, when they shall be +eating and drinking, marrying and wooing, building and planting, +buying and selling." [Luke 21:34 f.] It is so much like that now that +I verily believe the judgment day is at the door, though men are +thinking least of all about it. + +[Sidenote: The Social Evil] + +5. Finally, is it not a pitiful thing that we Christians should +maintain among us open and common houses of prostitution, though all +of us are baptised unto chastity? I know very well what some say to +this, to wit, that it is not the custom of any one people, that it is +hard to break up, that it is better that there should be such houses +than that married women, or maidens, or those of more honorable estate +should be outraged. But should not the temporal, Christian government +consider that in this heathen way the evil is not to be controlled? I +the people of Israel could exist without such an abomination, why +could not Christian people do as much? Nay, how do many cities, towns +and villages exist without such houses? Why should not great cities +also exist without them? + +In this, and in the other matters above mentioned, I have tried to +point out how many good works the temporal government could do, and +what should be the duty of every government, to the end that every one +may learn what an awful responsibility it is to rule, and to have high +station. What good would it do that an overlord were in his own life +as holy as St. Peter, if he have not the purpose diligently to help +his subjects in these matters? His very authority will condemn him! +For it is the duty of the authorities to seek the highest good of +their subjects. But if the authorities were to consider how the young +people might be brought together in marriage, the hope of entering the +married state would greatly help every one to endure and to resist +temptation. + +[Sidenote: Celibacy and Its Abuses] + +But now every man is drawn to the priesthood or the monastic life, and +among them, I fear, there is not one in a hundred who has any other +reason than that he seeks a living, and doubts that he will ever be +able to support himself in the estate of matrimony. Therefore they +live wildly enough beforehand, and wish, as they say, to "wear out +their lust," but rather wear it in[269], as experience shows. I find +the proverb true, "Despair makes most of the monks and priests"[270]; +and so things are as we see them. + +My faithful counsel is that, in order to avoid many sins which have +become very common, neither boy nor maid should take the vow of +chastity, or of the "spiritual life," before the age of thirty +years[271]. It is, as St. Paul says, a peculiar gift [1 Cor. 7]. +Therefore let him whom God does not constrain, put off becoming a +cleric and taking the vows. Nay, I will go farther and say, If you +trust God so little that you are not willing to support yourself as a +married man, and wish to become a cleric only because of this +distrust, then for the sake of your own soul, I beg of you not to +become a cleric, but rather a farmer, or whatever else you please. For +if to obtain your temporal support you must have one measure of trust +in God, you must have ten measures of trust to continue in the life of +a cleric. If you do not trust God to support you in the world, how +will you trust him to support you in the Church? Alas, unbelief and +distrust spoil everything and lead us into all misery, as we see in +every estate of life! + +Much could be said of this miserable condition. The young people have +no one to care for them. They all do as they please, and the +government is of as much use to them as if it did not exist; and yet +this should be the chief concern of pope, bishops, lords and councils. +They wish to rule far and wide, and yet to help no one. O, what a rare +bird will a lord and ruler be in heaven just on this account, even +though he build a hundred churches or God and raise up all the dead! + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +[Let this suffice for this time! Of what the temporal powers and the +nobility ought to do, I think I have said enough in the little book. +_On Good Works_[272]. There is room for improvement in their lives and +in their rule, and yet the abuses of the temporal power are not to be +compared with those of the spiritual power, as I have there +shown.][273] + +I think too that I have pitched my song in a high key, have made many +propositions which will be thought impossible and have attacked many +things too sharply. But what am I to do? I am in duty bound to speak. +If I were able, these are the things I should wish to do. I prefer the +wrath of the world to the wrath of God; they can do no more than take +my life[274]. Many times heretofore I have made overtures of peace to +my opponents; but as I now see, God has through them compelled me to +open my mouth wider and wider and give them enough to say, bark, shout +and write, since they have nothing else to do. Ah well, I know another +little song about Rome and about them if I their ears itch for it I +will sing them that song too, and pitch the notes to the top of the +scale. Understandest thou, dear Rome, what I mean? + +I have many times offered my writings for investigation and judgment, +but it has been of no use. To be sure, I know that if my cause is +just, it must be condemned on earth, and approved only by Christ in +heaven; or all the Scriptures show that the cause of Christians and of +Christendom must be judged by God alone. Such a cause has never yet +been approved by men on earth, but the opposition has always been too +great and strong. It is my greatest care and fear that my cause may +remain uncondemned, by which I should know or certain that it was not +yet pleasing to God. + +Therefore let them boldly go to work,--pope, bishop, priest, monk and +scholar! They are the right people to persecute the truth, as they +have ever done. + +God give us all a Christian mind, and especially to the Christian +nobility of the German nation a right spiritual courage to do the best +that can be done for the poor Church. Amen. + +Wittenberg, 1520. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] _Unserm furnchmen nach_. See Introduction, p. 57. + +[2] An ironical comparison of the monks' cowl and tonsure with the +headgear of the jester. + +[3] i. e., Which one turns out to be the real fool. + +[4] The proverb ran, _Monachus semper praesens_, "a monk is always +there." See Wander, _Deutsches Sprichwörterlexicon_, under Mönch, No. +130. + +[5] Evidently a reference to the _Gravamina of the German Nation_; see +Gebhardt, _Die Grav. der Deutschen Nation_, Breslau, 1895. + +[6] Councils of the Church, especially those of Constance (1414-18), +and of Basel (1431-39). + +[7] Charles V. was elected Emperor in 1519, when but twenty years of +age. Hutten expresses his "hopes of good" from Charles in _Vadiscus_ +(Böcking, IV, 156). + +[8] Frederick Barbarossa (1152-1100). + +[9] Frederick II (1212-1250), grandson of Barbarossa and last of the +great Hohenstaufen Emperors. He died under excommunication. + +[10] Pope Julius II (1503-1513). Notorious among the popes for his +unscrupulous pursuit of political power, he was continually involved +in war with one and another of the European powers over the possession +of territories in Italy. + +[11] Luther's recollection of the figures was faulty. + +[12] The term "Romanist" is applied by Luther to the champions of the +extreme form of papal supremacy. C. Vol. I, p. 343 f. + +[13] i. e., The three rods for the punishment of an evil pope. + +[14] _Spuknisse_, literally "ghosts." The gist of the sentence is, +"the Romanists have frightened the world with ghost-stories." + +[15] _Olegötze_--"an image anointed with holy oil to make it sacred"; +in modern German, "a blockhead." + +[16] Lay-baptism in view of imminent death is a practice as old as the +Christian Church. The right of the laity to administer baptism in such +cases was expressly recognized by the Council of Elvira, in the year +306, and the decree of that Council became a part of the law of the +Church. The right of the laity to give absolution in such cases rests +on the principle that in the absence of the appointed official of the +Church any Christian can do for any other Christian the things that +are absolutely necessary or salvation, for "necessity knows no law." +Cf. Vol. I, p. 30, note 2. + +[17] The canon law, called by Luther throughout this treatise and +elsewhere, the "spiritual law," is a general name for the decrees of +councils ("canons" in the strict sense) and decisions of the popes +("decretals," "constitutions," etc.), promulgated by authority of the +popes, and collected in the so-called _Corpus juris canonici_. It +comprised the whole body of Church law, and embodied in legal forms +the mediæval theory of papal absolutism, which accounts for the +bitterness with which Luther speaks of it, especially in this +treatise. The Corpus includes the following collections of canons and +decretals: The _Decretum of Gratian_ (1142), the _Liber Extra_ (1234), +the _Liber Sextus_ (1298), the _Constitutiones Clementinae_ (1318 or +1317), and the two books of _Extravagantes_ ,--the _Extravagantes of +John XXII_, and the _Extravagantes communes_. The last pope whose +decrees are included is Sixtus IV (died 1484). See _Catholic +Encyclop._,IV, pp. 391 ff. + +[18] Augustine, the master-theologian of the Ancient Church, bishop of +Hippo in Africa from 395-430. + +[19] Ambrose, bishop of Milan from 374-397, had not yet been baptised +at the time of his election to the episcopate, which was forced upon +him by the unanimous voice of the people of the city. + +[20] Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, 247-258, is said to have consented +to accept the office only when the congregation surrounded his house +and besought him to yield to their entreaties. + +[21] _Was ausz der Tauff krochen ist_. + +[22] The _character indelebilis_, or "indelible mark," received +authoritative statement in the bull _Exultate Deo_ (1439). Eugenius +IV, summing up the Decrees of the Council of Florence, says: "Among +these sacraments there are three--baptism, confirmation, and +orders--which indelibly impress upon the soul a character, i. e., a +certain spiritual mark which distinguishes them from the rest" (Mirbt, +_Quellen_, 2d ed., No. 150). The Council of Trent in its XXIII. +Session, July 15, 1563 (Mirbt, No. 312), defined the correct Roman +teaching as follows: "Since in the sacrament of orders, as in baptism +and confirmation, a character is impressed which cannot be destroyed +or taken away, the Holy Synod justly condemns the opinion of those who +assert that the priests of the New Testament have only temporary +power, and that those once rightly ordained can again be made laymen, +if they do not exercise the ministry of the Word of God." + +[23] i. e., They are all Christians, among whom there can be no +essential difference. + +[24] The sharp distinction which the Roman Church drew between clergy +and laity found practical application in the contention that the +clergy should be exempt from the jurisdiction of the civil courts, +This is the so-called _privilegium fori_, "benefit of clergy." It was +further claimed that the government of the clergy and the +administration of Church property must be entirely in the hands of the +Church authorities, and that no lay rulers might either make or +enforce laws which in any way affected the Church. See Lea, _Studies +in Church History_, 169-219 and _Prot. Realencyk._, VI, 594. + +[25] It was the contention of the Church authorities that priests +charged with infraction of the laws of the state should first be tried +in the ecclesiastical courts. If found guilty, they were degraded from +the priesthood and handed over to the state authorities for +punishment. Formula for degradation in the canon law, C. 2 in VI, _de +poen._ (V, 9). See _Prot. Realencyk._, VI, 589. + +[26] The interdict is the prohibition of the administration of the +sacraments and of the other rites of the Church within the territory +upon which the interdict is laid (_Realencyk._, IX, 208 f.). Its use +was not uncommon in the Middle Ages, and during the time that the +power of the popes was at its height it proved an effective means of +bringing refractory rulers to terms. A famous instance is the +interdict laid upon the Kingdom of England by Innocent III in 1208. +Interdicts of more limited local extent were quite frequent. The use +of the interdict as punishment for trifling infractions of church law +was a subject of complaint at the diets of Worms (1521) and Nürnberg +(1524). See A. Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V._, +II, pp. 685 f, III, 665. + +[27] The statement of which Luther here complains is found in the +Decretum of Gratian, _Dist. XL, c. 6, Si papa_. In his _Epitome_ (see +Introduction, p. 58), Prierias had quoted this canon against Luther, +as follows: "_A Pontifex indubitatus_ (i. e., a pope who is not +accused of heresy or schism) cannot lawfully be deposed or judged +either by a council or by the whole world, even if he is so scandalous +as to lead people with him by crowds into the possession of hell." +Luther's comment is: "Be astonished, O heaven; shudder, O earth! +Behold, O Christians, what Rome is!" (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 336). + +[28] Gregory the Great, pope 590-604. The passage is found in Migne, +LXXVI, 203; LXXVII, 34. + +[29] Antichrist, the incarnation of all that is hostile to Christ and +His Kingdom. His appearance is prophesied in 2 Thess. 2:3-10 (the "man +of sin, sitting in the temple of God"); 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3, and Rev. +13. In the early Church the Fathers sometimes thought the prophecies +fulfilled in the person of some especially pestilent heretic. Wyclif +applied the term to the pope,--"the pope would seem to be not the +vicar of Christ, but the vicar of Antichrist" (see Loos, +_Dogmengeschichte_, 4th ed., p. 649). On Dec. 11, 1518, Luther wrote +to Link: "You can see whether my suspicion is correct that at the +Roman court the true Antichrist rules of whom St. Paul speaks"; and +March 13, 1519, he wrote to Spalatin: "I am not sure but that the pope +is Antichrist or his apostle." It was the worldly pretensions of the +papacy which suggested the idea both to Wyclif and to Luther. By the +year 1520 Luther had come to the definite conclusion that the pope was +the "man of sin, sitting in the temple of God," and this opinion he +never surrendered. + +[30] See above, p. 65. + +[31] According to academic usage, the holder of a Master's degree was +authorised to expound the subject named in the degree. + +[32] The doctrine of papal infallibility was never officially +sanctioned in the Middle Ages, but the claim of infallibility was +repeatedly made by the champions of the more extreme view of papal +power, e. g., Augustinus Triumphus (died 1328) in his _Summa de +potestate Papae_. In his attack upon the XCV Theses (_Dialogus de +potestate Papae_, Dec, 1517) Prierias had asserted, "The supreme +pontiff (i. e., the pope) cannot err when giving a decision as +pontiff, i. e., speaking officially (_ex officio_), and doing what in +him lies to learn the truth"; and again, "Whoever does not rest upon +the teaching of the Roman Church and the supreme pontiff as an +infallible rule of faith, from which even Holy Scripture draws its +vigor and authority, is a heretic" (_Erl. Ed., op. var. arg._, I, +348). In the _Epitome_ he had said: "Even though the pope as an +individual (_singularis persona_) can do wrong and hold a wrong faith, +nevertheless as pope he cannot give a wrong decision" (_Weimar Ed._, +VI, 337). + +[33] Most recently in Prierias's _Epitome_. See preceding note. + +[34] Luther had discussed the whole subject of the power of the keys +in a Latin treatise, _Resolutio super propositione xiii. de potestate +papae_, of 1519 (_Weimar Ed._, II, pp. 185 ff.), and in the German +treatise _The Papacy at Rome_ (Vol. I, pp. 337-394). + +[35] Pp. 66 ff. + +[36] Another contention of Prierias. In 1518 (Nov. 25th) Luther had +appealed his cause from the decision of the pope, which he foresaw +would be adverse, to the decision of a council to be held at some +future time. In the _Epitome_ Prierias discusses this appeal, +asserting, among other things, that "when there is one undisputed +pontiff, it belongs to him alone to call a council," and that "the +decrees of councils neither bind nor hold (_nullum ligant vel +astringunt_) unless they are confirmed by authority of the Roman +pontiff" (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 335). + +[37] i. e., A mere gathering of people. + +[38] The Council of Nicæa, the first of the great councils of the +Church, assembled in 325 for the settlement of the Arian controversy. +Luther's statement that it was called by the Emperor Constantine, and +that its decisions did not derive their validity from any papal +confirmation, is historically correct. On Luther's statements about +this council, see _Schäffer, _Luther als Kirchenhistoriker_, pp. 291 +ff.; Kohler, Luther und die Kg., pp. 148 ff. + +[39] Luther is here referring to the earlier so-called "ecumenical" +councils. + +[40] i. e., A council which will not be subject to the pope. Cf. +_Erl. Ed._, xxvi, 112. + +[41] i. e., They belong to the "spiritual estate"; see above, p. 69. + +[42] _Der Haufe_, i. e. Christians considered _en masse_, without +regard to official position in the Church. + +[43] The papal crown dates from the XI Century; the triple crown, or +tiara, from the beginning of the XIV. It was intended to signify that +very superiority of the pope to the rulers of this world, of which +Luther here complains. See _Realencyk._, X, 532, and literature there +cited. + +[44] A statement made by Augustinus Triumphus. See above, p. 73, note +5; and below, p. 246. + +[45] The Cardinal della Rovere, afterwards Pope Julius II, held at one +time the archbishopric of Avignon, the bishoprics of Bologna, +Lausanne, Coutances, Viviers, Mende, Ostia and Velletri, and the +abbacies of Nonantola and Grottaferrata. This is but one illustration +of the scandalous pluralism practised by the cardinals. Cf. Lea, in +_Cambridge Mod. Hist._, I, pp. 650 f. + +[46] The complaint that the cardinals were provided with incomes by +appointment to German benefices goes back to the Council of Constance +(1415). C. Benrath, p. 87, note 17. + +[47] The creation of new cardinals was a lucrative proceeding for the +popes. On July 31, 1517, Leo X created thirty-one cardinals, and is +said to have received from the new appointees about 300,000 ducats. +Needless to say, the cardinals expected to make up the fees out of the +income of their livings. See _Weimar Ed._, VI, 417, note I, and +Pastor, _Gesch. der Papste_ IV, I, 137. C. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ +(Bocking IV, 188). + +[48] The famous Benedictine monastery just outside the city of +Bamberg. + +[49] The proposal made at Constance (see above, p. 82, note 2) was +more generous. It suggested a salary of three to four thousand gulden. + +[50] As early as the XIV Century both England and France had enacted +laws prohibiting the very practices of which Luther here complains. It +should be noted, however, that these laws were enforced only +occasionally, and never very strictly. + +[51] The papal court or curia consisted of all the officials of +various sorts who were employed in the transaction of papal business, +including those who were in immediate attendance upon the person of +the pope, the so-called "papal family." On the number of such +officials in the XVI Century, see Benrath, p. 88, note 18, where +reference is made to 949 offices, exclusive of those which had to do +with the administration of the city of Rome and of the States of the +Church, and not including the members of the pope's "family." The +_Gravamina_ of 1521 complain that the increase of these offices in +recent years has added greatly to the financial burdens of the German +Church (Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V_, II, +675). + +[52] On the annates, see Vol. I, p. 383, note 1. Early in their +history, which dates from the beginning of the XIV. Century, the +annates (_fructus medii temporis_) had become a fixed tax on all +Church offices which fell vacant, and the complaint of extortion in +their appraisement and collection was frequently raised. The Council +of Constance restricted the obligation to bishoprics and abbacies, and +such other benefices as had a yearly income of more than 24 gulden. +The Council of Basel (1430) resolved to abolish them entirely, but the +resolution of the Council was inoperative, and in the Concordat of +Vienna (1448) the German nation agreed to abide by the decision of +Constance. On the use of the term "annates" to include other payments +to the curia, especially the _servitia_, see Catholic Encyclopedia, I, +pp. 537 f. + +Luther here alleges that the annates are not applied to their +ostensible purpose, viz., the Crusade. This charge is repeated in the +_Gravamina_ of the German Nation presented to the Diet of Worms +(1521), with the additional allegation that the amount demanded in the +way of annates has materially increased (A. Wrede, _Deutsche +Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V._, II, pp. 675 f.). Similar +complaints had been made at the Diet of Augsburg (1518), and were +repeated at the Diet of Nürnberg (Wrede, _op. cit._, III, 660). +Hutten calls the annates "a good at robbery" (_Ed._ Böcking, IV, 207). +In England the annates were abolished by Act of Parliament (April 10, +1532) + +[53] On the crusading-indulgences, see Vol. I, p. 18. + +[54] i. e., As was done by the Council of Basel. See above, p. 84, +note i. + +[55] The canons are the clergy attached to a cathedral church who +constituted the "chapter" of that cathedral, and to whom the right to +elect the bishop normally belonged. + +[56] This whole section deals with the abuse of the "right of +reservation," i. e., the alleged right of the pope to appoint directly +to vacant church positions. According to papal theory the right of +appointment belonged absolutely to the pope, who graciously yielded +the right to others under certain circumstances, reserving it to +himself in other cases. The practice of reserving the appointments +seems to date from the XII Century, and was originally an arbitrary +exercise of papal authority. The rules which came to govern the +reservation of appointments were regarded as limitations upon the +authority of the pope, The rule of the "papal months," as it obtained +in Germany in Luther's time, is found in the Concordat of Vienna of +1448 (Mirbt, _Quellen_, 2d ed., No. 261, pp. 167 f.). It provides that +livings, with the exception of the higher dignities in the cathedrals +and the chief posts in the monasteries, which all vacant in the months +of February, April, June, August, October and December, shall be +filled by the ordinary method--election, presentation, appointment by +the bishop, etc.--but that vacancies occurring in the other months +shall be filled by appointment of the pope. + +[57] i. e., Church offices which carried with them certain rights of +jurisdiction and gave their possessors a certain honorary precedence +over other officials of the Church. See Meyer in _Realencyk._, IV, +658. + +[58] Charles V, though elected emperor, was not crowned until October +22d. + +[59] i. e., A living which has not hitherto been filled by papal +appointment. + +[60] This rule, like that of the "papal months," is found in the +Concordat of Vienna. Luther's complaint is reiterated in the +_Gravamina_ of 1521. (Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, etc., II, +673.) + +[61] _Des Papstes und der Cardinale Gesinde_, i. e., all those who +were counted members of the "family" or "household" (called +_Dienstverwandte_ in the Gravamina of 1521) of the pope or of any of +the cardinals. The term included those who were in immediate +attendance upon the pope or the cardinals, and all those to whom, by +virtue of any special connection with the curia, the name "papal +servant" could be made to apply. These are the "courtesans" to whom +Luther afterwards refers. + +[62] In 1513 Albrecht of Brandenburg was made Archbishop of Magdeburg +and later in the same year Administrator of Halberstadt; in 1514 he +became Archbishop of Mainz as well. In 1518 he was made cardinal. + +[63] This rule, like the others mentioned above, is contained in the +Concordat of Vienna. + +[64] Cf. The _Gravamina_ of 1521, No. 20, _Von anfechtung der +cordissanen_ (see above, p. 88, note 3), where the name _cordissei_ is +applied to the practice of attacking titles to benefices. (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, pp. 677 f.) + +[65] The _pallium_ is a woolen shoulder-cape which is the emblem of +the archbishop's office, and which must be secured from Rome. The +bestowal of the _pallium_ by the pope is a very ancient custom. +Gregory I (590-604) mentions it as _prisca consuetudo_ (_Dist._, C.c. +3). The canon law prescribes (_Dist. C. c. I_) that the +archbishop-elect must secure the _pallium_ from Rome within three +months of his election; otherwise he is forbidden to discharge any of +the duties of his office. It is regarded as the necessary complement +of his election and consecration, conferring the "plenitude of the +pontifical office," and the name of archbishop. Luther's charge that +it had to be purchased "with a great sum of money" is substantiated by +similar complaints from the XII Century on, though the language of the +canon law makes it evident that Luther's other contention is also +correct, viz., that the _pallium_ was originally bestowed gratis. The +sum required from the different archbishops varied with the wealth of +their sees, and was a fixed sum in each case. The _Gravamina_ of 1521 +complain that the price has been raised: "Although according to +ancient ordinance the bishoprics of Mainz, Cologne, Salzburg, etc., +were bound to pay or the _pallium_ about 10,000 gulden and no more, +they can now scarcely get a _pallium_ from Rome for 20 or 24 thousand +gulden." (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 675.) + +[66] The oath of allegiance to the pope was required before the +pallium could be bestowed (_Dist. C, c._ I). The canon law describes +this oath as one "of allegiance, obedience and unity" (X, I, 6, c. 4). + +[67] See above, p. 86, note 2. + +[68] cf. Luther to Spalatin, June 25, 1520 (Enders, II, 424; Smith, +No. 271). + +[69] i. e., The benefices are treated as though they were vacant. + +[70] In the case of certain endowed benefices the right to nominate +the incumbent was vested in individuals, usually of the nobility, and +was hereditary in their family, This is the so-called _jus patronum_, +or "right of patronage." The complaint that this right is disregarded +is frequent in the _Gravamina_ of 1521. + +[71] _Commendation_ was one of the practices by which the pope evaded +the provision of the canon law which prescribed that the same man +should not hold two livings with the cure of souls. The man who +received an office in _commendam_ was not required to fulfil the +duties attached to the position and when a living or an abbacy was +granted in this way during the incumbency of another, the recipient +received its entire income during a subsequent vacancy. The practice +was most common in the case of abbacies. At the Diet of Worms (1521), +Duke George of Saxony, an outspoken opponent of Luther, was as +emphatic in his protest against this practice as Luther himself +(Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 665); his protest was incorporated in the +_Gravamina_ (_ibid._, 672), and reappears in the Appendix (_ibid._, +708). + +[72] A monk who deserted his monastery was known as an "apostate." + +[73] i. e., Offices which cannot be united in the hands of one man. +See e. g., note 3, p. 91. + +[74] A gloss is a note explanatory of a word or passage of doubtful +meaning. The glosses are the earliest form of commentary on the Bible. +The glosses of the canon law are the more or less authoritative +comments of the teachers, and date from the time when the study of the +canon law became a part of the theological curriculum. Their aim is +chiefly to show how the law applies to practical cases which may +arise. The so-called _glossa ordinaria_ had in Luther's time an +authority almost equal to that of the _corpus juris_ itself. Cf. +_Cath. Encyc._, VI, pp. 588 f. + +[75] The thing which was bought was, of course, the dispensation, or +permission to avail oneself of the gloss. + +[76] _Dataria_ is the name for that department of the curia which had +to deal with the granting of dispensations and the disposal of +benefices. _Datarius_ is the title of the official who presided over +this department. + +[77] See above, p. 88, note 2. For a catalogue of papal appointments +bestowed upon two "courtesans," Johannes Zink und Johannes +Ingenwinkel, see Schulte, _Die Fugger in Rom_, I, pp. 282, 291 ff. +Between 1513 and 1521, Zink received 56 appointments, and Ingenwinkel +received, between 1496 and 1521, no fewer than 106. + +[78] See above, p. 87, note 1. + +[79] So Albrecht of Mainz bore the title of "administrator" of +Halberstadt. + +[80] The name of this practice was "regression" (_regressus_). + +[81] The complaint was made at Worms (1521) that it was impossible for +a German to secure a clear title to a benefice at Rome unless he +applied for it in the name of an Italian, to whom he was obliged to +pay a percentage of the income, a yearly pension, for a fixed sum of +money for the use of his name (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 712). + +[82] _Simony_--the sin of Simon Magus (Acts 8:18-20)--the sin +committed by the sale or the purchase of an office or position which +is normally conferred by a ritual act of the Church. In the ancient +and earlier mediæval Church the use of money to secure preferment was +held to invalidate the title of the guilty party to the position thus +secured, and the acceptance of money for such a purpose was an offence +punishable by deposition and degradation. The "heresy of Simon" was +conceived to be the greatest of all heresies. The traffic in Church +offices, which became a flagrant abuse from the time of John XXII +(1316-1334), would have been regarded in earlier days as the most +atrocious simony. + +[83] The _reservatio mentalis_ or _in pectore_ is the natural +consequence of the papal theory that the right of appointment to all +Church offices of every grade belongs to the pope (see above, p. 86, +note 3). According to the theory of the canonists (Lancelotti, +_Institutiones juris canonici. Lib. I, Tit._ XXVII) this right is +exercised either _per petitionem alterius_, i. e., by confirmation of +the election, appointment, etc., of others, or _proprio motu_, i. e., +"on his own motion." In ordinary cases the exercise of the appointing +power was limited by rules, which though bitterly complained of (see +above, pp. 86 ff, and notes), were generally understood, but the +theory allowed any given case to be made an exception to the rules. Of +such a case it was said that it was "reserved in the heart of the +Pope," and the appointment was then made "on his own motion." Hutten +says of this _reservatio in pectore_ that "it is an easy, agile and +slippery thing, and bears no comparison to any other form of cheating" +(Ed. Booking, IV, 215). + +[84] For a similar instance quoted at Worms (1521), see Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, 710. + +[85] The three chief centers of foreign commerce in the XV and the +early XVI Century. The annual fairs (_Jahrmarkt_), held at stated +times in various cities, brought great numbers of merchants together +from widely distant points, and were the times when the greater part +of the wholesale business for the year was done.; + +[86] Built by Innocent VIII (1454-1490). + +[87] See above, p. 93, note 2. + +[88] The Church law forbade the taking of interest on loans of money. + +[89] During the Middle Ages all questions touching marriage and +divorce, including, therefore, the question of the legitimacy of +children, were governed by the laws of the Church, on the theory that +marriage was a sacrament. + +[90] i. e., By buying dispensations. + +[91] The sums paid or special dispensations were so called. + +[92] The toll which the "robber-barons" of the Rhine levied upon +merchants passing through their domains. + +[93] _Ja wend das blat umb szo indistu es_--The translators have +adopted the interpretation of O. Clemen, _L's. Werke_, I, 383. + +[94] The Fuggers of Augsburg were the greatest of the German +capitalists in the XVI Century. They were international bankers, "the +Rothschilds of the XVI Century." Their control of large capital +enabled them to advance large sums of money to the territorial rulers, +who were in a chronic state of need. In return for these favors they +received monopolistic concessions by which their capital was further +increased. The spiritual, as well as the temporal lords, availed +themselves regularly of the services of this accommodating firm. They +were the pope's financial representatives in Germany. On their +connection with the indulgence against which Luther protested, see +Vol. I, p. 21; on their relations with the papacy, see Schulte, _Die +Fugger in Rom_, 2 Vols., Leipzig, 1904. + +[95] Certificates entitling the holder to choose his own confessor and +authorizing the confessor to absolve him from certain classes of +"reserved" sins; referred to in the XCV Theses as _confessionalia_. +Cf. Vol. I, p. 22. + +[96] Certificates granting their possessor permission to eat milk, +eggs, butter and cheese on fast days. + +[97] The word is used here in the broad sense, and means dispensations +of all sorts, including those just mentioned, relating to penance. + +[98] Equivalent to "carrying coals to Newcastle." + +[99] The _Campo di Fiore_, a Roman market-place, restored and adorned +at great expense by Eugenius IV (1431-1447), and his successors. + +[100] A part of the Vatican palace notorious as the banqueting-hall of +Alexander VI (1402-1503), turned by Julius II (1503-1513) into a +museum for the housing of his wonderful and expensive collection of +ancient works of art. Luther is hinting that the indulgence money has +been spent on these objects rather than on the maintenance of the +Church. Cf. Clemen, I, 384, note 15. + +[101] i. e., The offices and positions in Rome which were for sale. +See Benrath, p. 88, note 18; p. 95, note 36. + +[102] See above, p. 84, note 1. + +[103] The passage is chapter 31, _Filiis vel nepotibus_. It provides +that in case the income of endowments bequeathed to the Church is +misused, and appeals to the bishop and archbishop fail to correct the +misuse, the heirs of the testator may appeal to the royal courts. +Luther wishes this principle applied to the annates. + +[104] See above, pp. 91 f. + +[105] See above, p. 91. + +[106] See above, p. 94. + +[107] i. e.. Promises to bestow on certain persons livings not yet +vacant. Complaint of the evils arising out of the practice was +continually heard from the year 1416. For the complaints made at Worms +(1521), see Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 710. + +[108] See above, pp. 86 f. + +[109] See above, pp. 92 f. + +[110] See above, p. 93. + +[111] See above, p. 89. + +[112] Rules for the transaction of papal business, including such +matters as appointments and the like. At Worms (1521) the Estates +complain that these rules are made to the advantage of the +"courtesans" and the disadvantage of the Germans. (Wrede, _op. cit._, +II, pp. 675 f.) + +[113] The local Church authorities, here equivalent to "the bishops." +On use of term see _Realencyk._, XIV, 424. + +[114] The sign of the episcopal office; as regards archbishops, the +_pallium_; see above, p. 8q, and note. + +[115] See above, p. 87, note 1. + +[116] The first of the ecumenical councils (A. D. 325). The decree to +which Luther here refers is canon IV of that Council. Cf. Köhler, _L. +und die Kg._, pp. 139 ff. + +[117] The primate is the ranking archbishop of a country. + +[118] "Exemption" was the practice by which monastic houses were +withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the bishops and made directly +subject to the pope. The practice seems to have originated in the X +Century with the famous monastery of Cluny (918), but it was almost +universal in the case of the houses of the mendicant orders. The +bishops made it a constant subject of complaint, and the Lateran +Council (Dec. 19, 1516) passed a decree abolishing all monastic +exemptions, though the decree does not seem to have been effective. +See _Creighton_, History of the Papacy, V, 266. + +[119] i. e., Antichrist. See above, p. 73, note 2. + +[120] The papal interference in the conduct of the local Church courts +was as flagrant as in the appointments, of which Luther has heretofore +spoken. At Worms (1521) it was complained that cases were cited to +Rome as a court of first instance, and the demand was made that a +regular course of appeals should be re-established. Wrede, _op. cit._, +II, 672, 718. + +[121] The reference is Canon V of the Council of Sardica (A. D. 343), +incorporated in the canon law as a canon of Nicaea (_Pt. II, qu. 6, c. +5_). See Köhler, _L. und die Kg._, 151. + +[122] i. e., Appealed to Rome for decision. This is the subject of the +first of the 102 _Gravamina_ of 1521 (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 672). + +[123] The judges in the bishops' courts. The complaint is that they +interfere with the administration of justice by citing into their +courts cases which properly belong in the lay courts, and enforce +their verdicts (usually fines) by means of ecclesiastical censures. +The charges against these courts are specified in the _Gravamina_ of +1521, Nos. 73-100 (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 694-703). + +[124] The _signatura gratiae_ and the _signatura justitiae_ were the +bureaus through which the pope regulated those matters of +administration which belonged to his own special prerogative. + +[125] See above, pp. 88 f. + +[126] See above, p. 88, note 3. + +[127] See above, p. 94. + +[128] i. e., The cases in which a priest was forbidden to give +absolution. The reference here is to cases in which only the pope +could absolve. Cf. _The XCV Theses_, Vol. I, p. 30. + +[129] A papal bull published annually at Rome on Holy Thursday. It was +directed against heretics, but to the condemnation of the heretics and +their heresies was added a list of offences which could receive +absolution only from the pope, or by his authorisation. In 1522 Luther +translated this bull into German as a New Year present for the pope +(_Weimar Ed._, VIII, 691). On Luther's earlier utterances concerning +it, see Kohler, _L. u. die Kg._, pp. 59 2. + +[130] The breve is a papal decree, of equal authority with the bull, +but differing from it in form, and usually dealing with matters of +smaller importance. + +[131] Cf. Luther's earlier statement to the same effect in _A +Discussion of Confession_, Vol. I, pp. 96 f. + +[132] See above, p. 99. + +[133] The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17). + +[134] See above, p. 90, note 1. + +[135] In the canon law, _Decretal. Greg. lib. i, tit. 6, cap. 4_. The +decretal forbids the bestowing of the pallium (see above, p. 89, note +3) on an archbishop elect, until he shall first have sworn allegiance +to the Holy See. + +[136] The induction of Church officials into office. The term was used +particularly of the greater offices--those of bishop and abbot. These +offices carried with them the enjoyment of certain incomes, and the +possession of certain temporal powers. For this reason the right of +investiture was a bone of contention between popes and emperors during +the Middle Ages. + +[137] Especially in the time of the Emperors Henry IV and V +(1056-1125). + +[138] The German Empire was regarded during the Middle Ages as a +continuation of the Roman Empire. (See below, p. 153.) The right to +crown an emperor was held to be the prerogative of the pope; until the +pope bestowed the imperial crown, the emperor bore the title, "King of +the Romans." + +[139] In the canon law, _Decretal. Greg. lib. i, tit. 33, cap. 6._ + +[140] In the treatise, _Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione XIII, +de potestate papae_ (1520). _Weimar Ed._, II, pp. 217 ff.; _Erl. Ed., +op. var. arg._, Ill, pp. 293 ff. + +[141] See p. 70. + +[142] cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I, pp. 357 f. + +[143] A decree of Pope Clement V of 1313, incorporated subsequently in +the canon law, _Clement, lib. ii, tit. 11, cap. 2._ + +[144] A forged document of the VIII Century, professing to come from +the hand of the Emperor Constantine (306-337). The Donation conveyed +to the pope title to the city of Rome (the capital had been removed to +Constantinople), certain lands in Italy and "the islands of the sea." +It was used by the popes of the Middle Ages to support their claims to +worldly power, and its genuineness was not disputed. In 1440, however, +Laurentius Valla, an Italian humanist, published a work in which he +proved that the Donation was a forgery. This work was republished in +Germany by Ulrich von Hutten in 1517, and seems to have come to +Luther's attention in the early part of 1520, just before the +composition of the present treatise (C. Enders II, 332). Luther +subsequently (1537) issued an annotated translation of the text of the +Donation (_Erl. Ed._, XXV, pp. 176 ff.). + +[145] The papal claim to temporal sovereignty over this little +kingdom, which comprised the island of Sicily and certain territories +in Southern Italy, goes back to the XI Century, and was steadily +asserted during the whole of the later Middle Ages. It was one of the +questions at issue in the conflict between the Emperor Frederick II +(1200-1260) and the popes, and played an important part in the history +of the stormy times which followed the all of the Hohenstaufen. The +popes claimed the right to award the kingdom to a ruler who would +swear allegiance to the Holy See. The right to the kingdom was at this +time contested between the royal houses of France and of Spain, of +which latter house the Emperor Charles V was the head. + +[146] The popes claimed temporal sovereignty over a strip of territory +in Italy, beginning at Rome and stretching in a northeasterly +direction across the peninsula to a point on the Adriatic south of +Venice, including the cities and lands which Luther mentions. This +formed the so-called "States of the Church." The attempt to +consolidate the States and make the papal sovereignty effective +involved Popes Alexander VI (1492-1503) and Julius II (1503-1513) in +war and entangled them in political alliances with the European powers +and petty Italian states. It resulted at last in actual war between +Pope Clement VII and the Emperor Charles V (1526-1527). See Cambridge +_Modern History_, I, 104-143; 219-252, and literature cited pp. +706-713; 727 f. + +[147] A free translation of the Vulgate, _Nemo militans Deo_. + +[148] The kissing of the pope's feet was a part of the "adoration" +which he claimed as his right. See above, p. 108. + +[149] The three paragraphs enclosed in brackets were added by Luther +to the 2d edition; see Introduction, p. 59. + +[150] The holy places of Rome had long been favorite objects of +pilgrimage, and the practice had been zealously fostered by the popes +through the institution of the "golden" or "jubilee years." Cf. Vol. +I, p. 18, and below, p. 114. + +[151] Cf. the Italian proverb, "God is everywhere except at Rome; +there He has a vicar." + +[152] Cf. Hutten's saying in _Vadiscus_: "Three things there are which +those who go to Rome usually bring home with them, a bad conscience, a +ruined stomach and an empty purse." (Ed. Böcking, IV, p. 169.) + +[153] The "golden" or "jubilee years" were the years when special +rewards were attached to worship at the shrines of Rome. The custom +was instituted by Boniface VIII in 1300, and it was the intention to +make every hundredth year a jubilee. In 1343 the interval between +jubilees was fixed at fifty, in 1389 at thirty-three, in 1473 at +twenty-five years. Cf. Vol. I, p. 18. + +[154] Cf. the statements in the _Treatise on Baptism_ and the +_Discussion of Confession_, Vol. I, pp. 68 ff., 98. + +[155] The houses, or monasteries, of the mendicant or "begging" +orders--the "friars." The members of these orders were sworn to +support themselves on the alms of the faithful. + +[156] The three leading mendicant orders were the Franciscan (the +Minorites, or "little brothers"), founded by St. Francis of Assisi +(died 1226), the Dominican (the "preaching brothers"), founded by St. +Dominic (died 1221), and the Augustinian Hermits, to which Luther +himself belonged, and which claimed foundation by St. Augustine (died +430). + +[157] The interference of the friars in the duties of the parish +clergy was a continual subject of complaint through this period. + +[158] By the middle of the XV Century there were eight distinct sects +within the Franciscan order alone (See _Realencyk._, VI, pp. 212 ff.), +and Luther had himself taken part in a vigorous dispute between two +parties in the Augustinian order. + +[159] St. Agnes the Martyr, put to death in the beginning of the IV +Century, one of the favorite saints of the Middle Ages. See Schäfer, +_L. als Kirchenhistoriker_, p. 235. + +[160] One of the most famous of the German convents, founded in 936. + +[161] The celebrated Church Father (died 420). The passages referred +to are in _Migne_, XXII, 656, and XXVI, 562. + +[162] Or "community" (_Gemeine_). Cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I. +p. 345, note 4. See also _Dass eine christl. Gemeine Recht und Macht +habe_, etc. _Weimar Ed._ XI, pp. 408 ff. + +[163] Or "congregation." See note 2. + +[164] i. e.. At a time later than that of the Apostles. + +[165] The first absolute prohibition of marriage to the clergy is +contained in a decree of Pope Siricius and dated 385. See H. C. Lea, +_History of Sacerdotal Celibacy_, 3d ed. (1907), I, pp. 59 ff. + +[166] The priests of the Greek Church are required to marry, and the +controversy over celibacy was involved in the division between the +Greek and Roman Churches. + +[167] Cf. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ (Böcking, IV, 199). + +[168] i. e., Lie in Roman appointment. + +[169] i. e., The ministry in the congregation. See above, p. 119. + +[170] _Quantum ragilitas humana permittit_. A qualification of the +vow. + +[171] i. e., Celibacy. _Non promitto castitatem_. + +[172] _Fragilitas humana non permittit caste vivere_. + +[173] _Angelica fortitudo at coelestis virtus_. + +[174] The court-jester was allowed unusual freedom of speech. See +Prefatory Letter above, p. 62. + +[175] The laws governing marriage were entirely the laws of the +Church. The canon law prohibited marriage of blood-relatives as far as +the seventh degree of consanguinity. In 1204 the prohibition was +restricted to the first our degrees; lawful marriage within these +degrees was possible only by dispensation, which was not all too +difficult to secure, especially by those who were willing to pay for +it (see above, p. 96). The relation of god-parents to god-children was +also held to establish a "spiritual consanguinity" which might serve +as a bar to lawful marriage. See Benrath, p. 103, note 74, and in the +Babylonian Captivity, below, p. 265. + +[176] This Luther actually did. When he burned the papal bull of +excommunication (Dec. 10, 1520) a copy of the canon law was also given +to the flames. + +[177] i. e., The marriage of the clergy. + +[178] On this sort of reserved cases see Discussion of Confession, +Vol. I, pp. 96 ff. + +[179] "Irregularity" is the condition of any member of a monastic +order who has violated the prescriptions of the order and been +deprived, in consequence, of the benefits enjoyed by those who live +under the _regula_, viz., the rule of the order. + +[180] The three kinds of masses are really but one thing, viz., masses +for the dead, celebrated on certain fixed days in each year, in +consideration of the enjoyment of certain incomes, received either out +of bequeathed endowments or from the heirs of the supposed +beneficiaries. + +[181] i. e., Even when the mass is decently said. + +[182] See above, p. 72, note 1. + +[183] See above, p. 104. + +[184] _Das geistliche Unrecht_. + +[185] The _Treatise concerning the Ban_, above, pp. 33 ff. + +[186] i. e., To those who teach and enforce the canon law. + +[187] Luther means the saint's-days and minor religious holidays. See +also the _Discourse on Good Works_, Vol. I, pp. 240 f. + +[188] Or "congregation." + +[189] i. e., City-council. + +[190] _Kirchweihen_, i. e., the anniversary celebration of the +consecration of a church. These days had become feast days for the +parish, and were observed in anything but a spiritual fashion. + +[191] i. e., Occasions for drunkenness, gain and gambling. + +[192] See above, pp. 96 f. + +[193] See above, p. 98, note 2. + +[194] Letters entitling their holder to the benefits of the masses +founded by the sodalities or confraternities. See Benrath, p. 103. + +[195] See above, p. 98, and Vol. I, p. 22. + +[196] The pun is untranslatable,--_Netz, Gesetz solt ich sagen_. + +[197] What the pope sold was release from the "snares" and "nets," +viz., dispensation. + +[198] i. e., Even into the law of the church. + +[199] _Die wilden Kapellen und Feldkirchen_, i. e., churches which are +built in the country, where there are no congregations. + +[200] A little town in East Prussia, where was displayed a sacramental +wafer, said to have been miraculously preserved from a fire which +destroyed the church in 1383. It was alleged that at certain times +this wafer exuded drops of blood, reverenced as the blood of Christ, +and many miracles were said to have been performed by it. Wilsnack +early became a favorite resort for pilgrims. In 1412 the archbishop of +Prague, at the instigation of John Hus, forbade the Bohemians to go +there. Despite the protests of the Universities of Leipzig and Erfurt, +Pope Eugenius IV in 1446 granted special indulgences for this +pilgrimage, and the popularity of the shrine was undiminished until +the time of the Reformation. Cf. _Realencyk_, xxi, pp. 347 ff. + +[201] In Mecklenburg, where another relic of "the Holy Blood" was +displayed after 1491. C. Benrath, pp. 104 f. + +[202] The "Holy Coat of Trier" was believed by the credulous to be the +seamless coat of Christ, which the soldiers did not rend. It was first +exhibited in 1512, but was said to have been presented to the +cathedral church of Trier by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine +the Great. + +[203] Pilgrimage to the Grimmenthal in Meiningen began in 1499. An +image of the Virgin, declared to have been miraculously created, was +displayed there, and was alleged to work wonderful cures, especially +of syphilis. + +[204] The "Fair Virgin (_die schöne Maria_) of Regensburg" was an +image of the Virgin similar to that exhibited in the Grimmenthal. The +shrine was opened March 25, 1519, and within a month 50,000 pilgrims +are said to have worshipped there. (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 447, note 1). +For another explanation see Benrath, p. 105. + +[205] The pilgrimages were a source of large revenue, derived from the +sale of medals which were worn as amulets, the fees for masses at the +shrines, and the free-will offerings of the pilgrims. A large part of +this revenue accrued to the bishop of the diocese, though the popes +never overlooked the profits which the sale of indulgences or worship +at these shrines could produce. In the _Gravamina_ of 1521 complaint +is made that the bishops demand at least 25 to 33 per cent, of the +offerings made at shrines of pilgrimage (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 687). + +[206] i. e., Every bishop. + +[207] The possession of a saint gave a church a certain reputation and +distinction, which was sufficiently coveted to make local Church +authorities willing to pay roundly for the canonisation of a departed +bishop or other local dignitary. Cf. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ (Böcking, IV, +232). + +[208] Archbishop of Florence (died 1450). He was canonised, May 31, +1523, by Pope Hadrian VI. When Luther wrote this the process of +canonisation had already begun. + +[209] _Indulta_, i. e., grants of special privilege. + +[210] "Lead," the leaden seal attached to the bull; "hide", the +parchment on which it is written; "the string," the ribbon or silken +cord from which the seals depend; "wax," the seal holding the cord to +the parchment. + +[211] Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, Carmelites and Servites. + +[212] _Botschaten_, interpreted by _Benrath_ (p. 105), Clemen (I, 406, +note) and Weimar Ed. (VI, 406, note 1) as a reference to the +_stationarii_. They were wandering beggars who, for an alms, would +enroll the contributor in the list of beneficiaries of their patron +saint, an alleged insurance against disease, accident, etc. They were +classified according to the names of their patron saints, St. Anthony, +St. Hubert, St. Valentine, etc. Protests against their operations were +raised at the Diets of Worms (1521) and Nürnberg (1523). Included in +these protests are the _terminarii_, i.e., the collectors of alms sent +out by the mendicant orders. See Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 678, 688, III, +651, and Benrath, loc. cit. + +[213] _Wallbrüder_, the professional pilgrims who spent their lives in +wandering from one place of pilgrimage to another and subsisted on the +alms of the faithful. + +[214] i. e., If the plan above proposed were adopted. + +[215] See above, p. 129, note 1. + +[216] See _Treatise on the New Testament_, Vol. I, pp. 308 ff. + +[217] In the _Babylonian Captivity_ (below, pp. 291 f.) Luther +definitely excludes penance from the number of sacraments, but see +also p. 177. + +[218] The sodalities ("fraternities," "confraternities"), still an +important institution in the Roman Church, flourished especially in +the XVI Century. They are associations for devotional purposes. The +members of the sodalities are obligated to the recitation of certain +prayers and the attendance upon certain masses at stipulated times. By +virtue of membership in the association each member is believed to +participate in the benefits accruing from these "good works" of all +the members. In the case of most of the sodalities membership entitled +the member to the enjoyment of certain indulgences. In 1520 Wittenberg +boasted of 20 such fraternities, Cologne of 80, Hamburg of more than +100 (Realencyk., Ill, 437). In 1519 Degenhard Peffinger, of +Wittenberg, was a member of 8 such fraternities in his home city, and +of 27 in other places. For Luther's view of the sodalities see above, +pp. 8, 26 ff. On the whole subject see Benrath, pp. 106 f.; Kolde in +_Realencyk._, III, pp. 434 ff.; Lea, _Hist. of Conf. and Indulg_, III, +pp. 470 ff. + +[219] See above, p. 98, note 2. + +[220] See above, p. 128, note 5. + +[221] The excesses committed at the feasts of the religious societies +were often a public scandal. See Lea, _Hist, of Conf. and Indulg_, +III, pp. 437 ff. + +[222] "Faculties" were extraordinary powers, usually for the granting +of indulgences and of absolution in "reserved cases" (see above, p. +105, note 3). They were bestowed by the pope and could be revoked by +him at any time. Sometimes they were given to local Church officials, +but were usually held by the legates or commissaries sent from Rome. +Complaints were made at the Diets of Worms (1520) and Nürnberg (1523) +that the papal commissaries and legates interfered with the ordinary +methods of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and appointment. See Weede, +_op. cit._, II, 673, III, 653. + +[223] Wladislav I forced the Sultan to sue for peace in 1443. At the +instigation of the papal legate, Cardinal Caesarini, who represented +that the treaty had not been approved by the pope, and absolved the +king from the fulfilment of its conditions, he renewed the war in +1444. At the battle of Varna, Nov. 10th, 1444, the Hungarians were +decisively defeated, and Wladislav and Caesarini both killed. See +Creighton, _Hist. of the Papacy_, III, 67. + +[224] John Hus and Jerome of Prague were convicted of heresy by the +Council of Constance and burned at the stake, the former July 6th, +1415, the latter May 30th, 1416. Hus had come to Constance under the +safe-conduct of the Emperor Sigismund. Luther is in error when he +assumes that Jerome had a similar safe-conduct. In September, 1415, +the Council passed a decree which asserted that "neither by natural, +divine or human law was any promise to be observed to the prejudice of +the catholic faith." On the whole matter of the safe-conduct and its +violation see Lea, _Hist. of the Inquisition in the M.A._, II, pp. 453 +ff. + +[225] The League of Cambray, negotiated in 1508 for war against +Venice. In 1510 Venice made terms with the pope and detached him from +the alliance, and the result was war between the pope and the King of +France. See Cambridge _Modern History_, I, pp. 130 ii., and literature +there cited. + +[226] i. e. The Hussites. After the martyrdom of Hus his followers +maintained for a time a strong organisation in Bohemia, and resisted +with arms all attempts to force them into conformity with the Roman +Church. The Council of Basel succeeded (1434) in reconciling the more +moderate party among the Bohemians (the Calixtines) by allowing the +administration of the cup to the laity. The more extreme party, +however, refused to subscribe the _Compactata_ of Basel. Though they +soon ceased to be a actor in the political situation, they remained +outside the Church and perpetuated the teachings of Hus in sectarian +organisations. The most important of these, the so-called Bohemian +Brethren, had extended into Poland and Prussia before Luther's time. +See _Realencyk._, Ill, 465-467. + +[227] See above, p. 140, note 1. + +[228] See Kohler, _L. und die Kirchengesch._, 139, 151. + +[229] The Archbishop of Prague was primate of the Church in Bohemia. + +[230] The dioceses of these bishops were contiguous to that of the +Archbishop of Prague. + +[231] Bishop of Carthage, 240-258 A. D. + +[232] _Lass man ihn ein gut jar ha ben_, literally, "Bid him +good-day." + +[233] One of the chief points of controversy between the Roman Church +and the Hussites. The Roman Church administered to the laity only the +bread, the Hussites used both elements. See below, pp. 178 f. + +[234] Luther had not yet reached the conviction that the +administration of the cup to the laity was a necessity, but see the +argument in _the Babylonian Captivity_, below, pp. 178 ff. + +[235] The Bohemian Brethren, who are here distinguished from the +Hussites, Cf. _Realencyk._, Ill, 452, 49. + +[236] St. Thomas Aquinas, the great Dominican theologian of the XIII. +Century (1225-74), whose influence is still dominant in Roman +theology. + +[237] The view of the sacramental presence adopted by William of +Occam. For Luther's own view at this time, see below, pp. 187 ff. + +[238] i. e., If they did not believe in the real presence of the body +and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper. + +[239] Places for training youths in Greek glory. + +[240] The philosophy of Aristotle dominated the mediæval universities. +It not only provided the forms in which theological and religious +truth came to expression, but it was the basis of all scientific study +in every department. The man who did not know Aristotle was an +ignoramus. + +[241] Or, "I have read him." Luther's _lesen_ allows of either +interpretation. + +[242] Duns Scotus, died 1308. In the XV and XVI Centuries he was +regarded as the rival of Thomas Aquinas for first place among the +theological teachers of the Church. + +[243] i. e., In the universities. + +[244] See above, pp. 94 f. + +[245] i. e., "The chamber of his heart." Boniface VIII (1294-1303) had +decreed, _Romanus pontiex jura omnia in scrinio pectoris sui censetur +habere_, "the Roman pontiff has all laws in the chamber of his heart." +This decree was received into the canon law (_c._ I, de const. In VIto +(I, 2)). + +[246] _Doctores decretorum_, "Doctor of Decrees," an academic degree +occasionally given to professors of Canon Law; _doctor scrinii +papalis_, "Doctor of the Papal Heart." + +[247] The introduction of Roman law into Germany, as the accepted law +of the empire, had begun in the XII Century. With the decay of the +feudal system and the increasing desire of the rulers to provide their +government with some effective legal system, its application became +more widespread, until by the end of the XV Century it was the +accepted system of the empire. The attempt to apply this ancient law +to conditions utterly different from those of the time when it was +formulated, and the continual conflict between the Roman law, the +feudal customs and the remnants of Germanic legal ideas, naturally +gave rise to a state of affairs which Luther could justly speak of as +"a wilderness." + +[248] "Sentences" (_Sententiae, libri sententiarum_) was the title of +the text-books in theology. Theological instruction was largely by way +of comment on the most famous book of Sentences, that of Peter +Lombard. + +[249] Cf. Vol. I, p. 7. + +[250] i. e., Doctors. + +[251] The head-dress of the doctors. + +[252] See above, p. 118, note 2. + +[253] i. e., The monasteries and nunneries. + +[254] i. e.. The name of Christian. + +[255] This section did not appear in the first edition; see +Introduction, p. 59. + +[256] Charles the Great, King of the Franks, was crowned Roman Emperor +by Pope Leo III in the year 800 A. D. He was a German, but regarded +himself successor to the line of emperors who had ruled at Rome. The +fiction was fostered by the popes, and the German kings, after +receiving the papal coronation, were called Roman Emperors. From this +came the name of the German Empire of the Middle Ages, "the Holy Roman +Empire of the German Nation." The popes of the later Middle Ages +claimed that the bestowal of the imperial dignity lay in the power of +the pope, and Pope Clement V (1313) even claimed that in the event of +a vacancy the pope was the possessor of the imperial power (cf. above, +p. 109). On the whole subject see Bryce, _Holy Roman Empire_, 2d ed. +(1904), and literature there cited. + +[257] The city of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410. + +[258] Luther is characteristically careless about his chronology. By +the "Turkish Empire" he means the Mohammedan power. + +[259] _So sol man die Deutschen teuschen und mit teuschen teuschenn_, +i.e., made Germans (_Deutsche_) by cheating (_teuschen_) them. + +[260] See _Cambridge Mediæval History_, I (1911), pp. 244 f. + +[261] Such a law as Luther here suggests was proposed to the Diet of +Worms (1521). Text in Wrede, _Reischstagsakten_, II, 335-341. + +[262] Cf. Luther's _Sermon von Kaubandlung und Wucher_, of 1524. +(_Weim. Ed. XV_, pp. 293) + +[263] Spices were one of the chief articles of foreign commerce in the +XVI Century. The discovery of the cape-route to India had given the +Portuguese a practical monopoly of this trade. A comparative statement +of the cost of spices for a period of years was reported to the Diet +of Nürnberg (1523). See Wrede, _op. cit._, III, 576. + +[264] The _Zinskauf_ or _Rentenkauf_ was a means or evading the +prohibition of usury. The buyer purchased an annuity, but the purchase +price was not regarded as a loan, or it could not be recalled, and the +annual payments could not therefore be called interest. + +[265] The practice was legalised by the Lateran Council, 1512. + +[266] The XVI Century was the hey-day of the great trading-companies, +among which the Fuggers of Augsburg (see above, p. 97, note 5) easily +took first place. The effort of these companies was directed toward +securing monopolies in the staple articles of commerce, and their +ability to finance large enterprises made it possible for them to gain +practical control of the home markets. The sharp rise in the cost of +living which took place on the first half of the XVI Century was laid +at their door. The Diet of Cologne (1512) had passed a stringent law +against monopolies which had, however, failed to suppress them. The +Diet of Worms (1521) debated the subject (Wrede, _Reichstagsakten_ II, +pp. 355 iff.) "in somewhat heated language" (_ibid._, 842), but failed +to agree upon methods of suppression. The subject was discussed again +at the Diet of Nürnberg (1523) and various remedies were proposed +(ibid., Ill, 556-599). + +[267] The profits of the trading-companies were enormous. The 9 per +cent, annually of the Welser (Ehrenberg, _Zeitalter der Fugger_, I, +195), pales into insignificance beside the 1634 per cent, by which the +fortune of the Fuggers grew in twenty-one years (Schulte, _Die Fugger +in Rom_, I, 3). In 1511 a certain Bartholomew Rem invested 900 gulden +in the Hochstetter company of Augsburg; by 1517 he claimed 33,000 +gulden profit. The company was willing to settle at 26,000, and the +resulting litigation caused the figures to become public (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, 842, note 4; III, pp. 574 ff.). On Luther's view of +capitalism see Eck, _Introduction to the Sermon von Kaushandlungund +Wucher_, in _Berl. Ed._, VII, 494-513. + +[268] The Diets of Augsburg (1500) and Cologne (1512) had passed +edicts against drunkenness. A committee of the Diet of Worms (1521) +recommended that these earlier edicts be reaffirmed (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, pp. 343 f.), but the Diet adjourned without acting on the +recommendation (ibid., 737) + +[269] _Sie wollen ausbuben, so sich's vielmehr hineinbubt_. + +[270] Cf. Müller, _Luther's theol. Quellen_, 1912, ch. I. + +[271] In the _Confitendi Ratio_ Luther had set the age for men at +eighteen to twenty, or women at fifteen to sixteen years. See Vol. I, +p. 100. + +[272] Translated in this edition, Vol. I, pp. 184 ff; see especially +pp. 266 ff. + +[273] These sentences did not appear in the first edition. + +[274] See _Letter to Staupitz_, Vol. I, p. 43. + +[275] This "little song" is the _Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity +of the Church_. See below, pp. 170 ff. + + + +A PRELUDE ON THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +In the _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility_ Luther overthrew the +three walls behind which Rome sat entrenched in her spiritual-temporal +power; in the _Babylonian Captivity of the Church_ he enters and takes +her central stronghold and sanctuary--the sacramental system by which +she accompanied and controlled her members from the cradle to the +grave; only then could he set forth, in language of almost lyrical +rapture, the _Liberty of a Christian Man_. + +The first of these three great reformatory treatises of the year 1520, +as they have been called, closed with the words: "I know another +little song about Rome, and if their ears itch to hear it I will sing +it for them, and pitch it in a high key. Dost thou take my meaning, +beloved Rome?" (See above, p. 164.) That some ears were itching to +hear his little song was brought home to Luther especially by two +writings, the one appearing in the summer of 1520, the other published +in the previous autumn, but not reaching Wittenberg until some months +later. + +The former came from the pen of Augustin Alveld, that "celebrated +Romanist of Leipzig," against whom Luther had culminated in _The +Papacy at Rome_, promising further disclosures if Alveld "came again." +(See Vol. I, p. 393.) He came again, this time with a _Tractatus de +communione sub utraque specie_,--date of dedication, June 23, 1520. +"The Leipzig ass has set up a fresh braying against me, full of +blasphemies"; thus Luther describes it in a letter to Spalatin, July +22, 1520. (Enders, _Luther's Briewechsel_, II, no. 328.) + +The other work was the anonymous tract of a "certain Italian friar of +Cremona," who has only recently been identified as Isidore Isolani, a +Dominican hailing from Milan, who taught theology in various Italian +cities, wrote a number of controversial works and died in 1528. (See +Fr. Lauchert, _Die italienischen literarischen Gegner Luthers_, +Freiburg, 1912.) The title of his tract is, _Revocatio Martini Lutheri +Augustiniani ad sanctam Sedem_; its date, Cremona, November 20, 1520, +according to Enders, which is a mistake for November 22,1519. Its +beginning and close, which have epistolary character, are printed in +Enders, II, no. 366, and one paragraph from each is translated in +Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, no. 199. + +These two treatises may be regarded as the immediate occasion for the +writing of the _Babylonian Captivity_, which is, however, in no sense +a direct reply to either of them. "I will not reply to Alveld," Luther +writes on August 5 to Spalatin, "but he will be the occasion of my +publishing something by which the vipers will be more irritated than +ever." (Enders, II, no. 335; Smith, I, no. 283.) Indeed, he had +promised some such work more than half a year before, in a letter to +Spalatin of December 18, 1519: "There is no reason why you or any one +else should expect from me a treatise on the other sacraments [besides +baptism, the Lord's supper, and penance] until I am taught by what +text I can prove that they are sacraments. I regard none of the others +as a sacrament, for there is no sacrament save where there is a direct +divine promise, exercising our faith. We can have no intercourse with +God except by the word of Him promising, and by the faith of man +receiving the promise. _At another time you shall hear more about +their fables of the seven sacraments._" (Enders, II, no. 254; Smith, +I, no. 206.) + +Thus the _Prelude_ grows under his hand and assumes the form of an +elaborate examination of the whole sacramental system of the Church. +He makes short work of his two opponents, and after a few pages of +delicious irony, of which Erasmus was suspected in some quarters of +being the author, he turns his back on them and addresses himself to a +positive and constructive treatment of his larger theme, lenient +toward all non-essentials, but inexorable with respect to everything +truly essential, that is, scriptural. The _Captivity_ thus represents +the culmination of Luther's reformatory thinking on the theological +side, as the _Nobility_ does on the national, and the _Liberty_ on the +religious side. It sums up and carries forward all of his previous +writings on the sacraments, just as, nine years later, the +_Catechisms_ gathered up and moulded into classic form his writings on +catechetical subjects. Passage after passage, often whole pages, from +the _Resolutiones disp._, the _Treatise on Baptism_, the _Conitendi +Ratio_, the _Treatise on the New Testament_, the _Treatise on the +Blessed Sacrament_, are transferred bodily to this new and definitive +work, and find in it the goal toward which they had been consciously +or unconsciously tending. The reader is referred to a fine comparative +study in Köstlin's _Theology of Luther_ (English trans.), I, 388-409. +The title is a reminiscence from the _Resolutiones super prop, xiii._, +of 1519,--"absit ista plus quam babylonica captivitas!" The sense in +which the work is called a "prelude" is explained on page 176; the +theologian in Luther could not deny the musician, he goes into battle +singing and comes back with the stanza of a hymn upon his lips. + +The _Captivity_ marks Luther's final and irreparable break with the +Church of Rome, and it is not without a peculiar significance that in +the same letter to Spalatin, of October 3d, in which he mentions the +arrival in Leipzig of Eck armed with the papal bull, he announces the +publication of his book on the _Babylonian Captivity of the Church_ +for the following Saturday--October 6th. (Enders, II, no. 350; Smith, +I, no. 303.) + +While the _Nobility_, addressed to the German nation as such, was +written in the language of the people, the _Captivity_, as becomes a +theological treatise, is composed in Latin, just as later the Liberty, +affecting the religious life of the individual, whether layman or +theologian, is sent out in both German and Latin. + +A translation into German appeared in the following year--the work of +the Franciscan, Thomas Murner (on whom see Theod. v. Liebenau, _Der +Franziskaner Thomas Murner_, Freiburg, 1913). Luther calls the +Franciscan his "venomous foe" and accuses him of making the +translation in order to bring him into disrepute. This charge Luther +makes in his answer to Henry VIII's _Assertio septem sacramentorum +adversus Mart. Lutherum_ (1521), the royal theologian's reply to the +_Babylonian Captivity_, for which he won from the pope the proud title +of "Defender of the Faith." + +The translation which follows is based on the Latin text as given in +Clemen's "student-edition"--_Luthers Werke in Auswahl_ (Bonn, 1912-3), +I, 426-512, which reproduces, though by no means slavishly, the text +of the _Weimar Edition_ (Vol. VI), which, together with the _Erlangen +Edition_ (_opera var. arg., V_), has been compared. The German _St. +Louis Edition_ (Vol. XIX) has been consulted, and especially the +admirable German rendering of Kawerau in the Berlin Edition (Vol. II) +as well as the careful literal translation of Lemme, _Die drei grossen +Reormationsschriten Luthers vom Jahre 1520_, 2. ed. (Gotha, 1884). +Like the last mentioned, Wace and Buchheim's English translation +(London, 1896) is incomplete, and besides is not always accurate; the +_Captivity_ is not contained in Cole's _Select Works_. The catalogue +of the British Museum notes no early English translation. +Köstlin-Kawerau's (1903) and Berger's (1895) lives should be +consulted; the former for the historical setting and full analysis, +the latter for a fine appreciation of this as of the other two +reformatory treatises of this year. For the theological development, +beside Köstlin's work mentioned above, and Tschackert, _Entstehung der +luth. und re. Kirchenlehre_ (1910), compare the exhaustive article +Sakramente, by Kattenbusch, in _Prot. Realencyklopadie_, 3. ed., XVII, +349-81. The treatise is here Englished in its entirety, including +those portions of the section on marriage which are frequently +omitted. The homeless paragraph on page 260, whose proper location is +not found even in the _Weimar Edition_ nor in Clemen, we have placed +in a foot-note, following the example of Kawerau. + + ALBERT T. W. STEINHAEUSER. + +Allentown. PA. + + +THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH + +1520 + + +JESUS + +Martin Luther, Augustinian, + +to his friend, + +Herman Tulich[1], + +Greeting + +Willy nilly, I am compelled to become every day more learned, with so +many and such able masters vying with one another to improve my mind. +Some two years ago I wrote a little book on indulgences[2], which I +now deeply regret having published; for at the time I was still sunk +in a mighty superstitious veneration for the Roman tyranny and held +that indulgences should not be altogether rejected, seeing they were +approved by the common consent of men. Nor was this to be wondered at, +for I was then engaged single-handed in my Sisyphean task. Since then, +however, through the kindness of Sylvester and the friars[3], who so +strenuously defended indulgences, I have come to see that they are +nothing but an imposture of the Roman sycophants by which they play +havoc with men's faith and fortunes. Would to God I might prevail upon +the book-sellers and upon all my readers to burn up the whole of my +writings on indulgences and to substitute for them this proposition: +INDULGENCES ARE A KNAVISH TRICK OF THE ROMAN SYCOPHANTS. + +Next, Eck and Emser, with their fellows, undertook to instruct me +concerning the primacy of the pope. Here too, not to prove ungrateful +to such learned folk, I acknowledge how greatly I have profited by +their labors. For, while denying the divine authority of the papacy, I +had yet admitted its human authority[4]. But after hearing and reading +the subtle subtleties of these coxcombs with which they adroitly prop +their idol--for in these matters my mind is not altogether +unteachable--I now know of a certainty that the papacy is the kingdom +of Babylon[5] and the power of Nimrod the mighty hunter[6]. Once more, +therefore, that all may all out to my friends' advantage, I beg both +booksellers and readers to burn what I have published on that subject +and to hold to this proposition: THE PAPACY IS THE MIGHTY HUNTING OF +THE ROMAN BISHOP. This follows from the arguments of Eck, Emser and +the Leipzig lecturer[7] on the Holy Scriptures. + +Now they are putting me to school again and teaching me about +communion in both kinds and other weighty subjects. And I must all to +with might and main, so as not to hear these my pedagogues without +profit. A certain Italian friar of Cremona[8] has written a +"Revocation of Martin Luther to the Holy See"--that is, a revocation +in which not I revoke anything (as the words declare) but he revokes +me. That is the kind of Latin the Italians are now beginning to +write[9]. Another friar, a German of Leipzig, that same lecturer, you +know, on the whole canon of the Scriptures, has written a book against +me concerning the sacrament in both kinds, and is planning, I +understand, still greater and more marvelous things. The Italian was +canny enough not to set down his name, fearing perhaps the fate of +Cajetan and Sylvester[10]. But the Leipzig man, as becomes a fierce +and valiant German, boasts on his ample title-page of his name, his +career, his saintliness, his scholarship, his office, glory, honor, +ay, almost of his very clogs[11]. Here I shall doubtless gain no +little information, since indeed his dedicatory epistle is addressed +to the Son of God Himself. On so familiar a footing are these saints +with Christ Who reigns in heaven! Moreover, methinks I hear three +magpies chattering in this book; the first in good Latin, the second +in better Greek, the third in purest Hebrew[12]. What think you, my +Herman, is there for me to do but to prick up my ears? The thing +emanates from Leipzig, from the Observance of the Holy Cross[13]. + +Fool that I was, I had hitherto thought it would be well if a general +council decided that the sacrament be administered to the laity in +both kinds[14]. The more than learned friar would set me right, and +declares that neither Christ nor the apostles commanded or commended +the administration of both kinds to the laity; it was, therefore, left +to the judgment of the Church what to do or not to do in this matter, +and the Church must be obeyed. These are his words. + +You will perhaps ask, what madness has entered into the man, or +against whom he is writing, since I have not condemned the use of one +kind, but have left the decision about the use of both kinds to the +judgment of the Church--the very thing he attempts to assert and which +he turns against me. My answer is, that this sort of argument is +common to all those who write against Luther; they assert the very +things they assail, for they set up a man of straw whom they may +attack. Thus Sylvester and Eck and Emser, thus the theologians of +Cologne and Louvain[15]; and if this friar had not been of the same +kidney he would never have written against Luther. + +Yet in one respect this man has been happier than his fellows. For in +undertaking to prove that the use of both kinds is neither commanded +nor commended, but left to the will of the Church, he brings forward +passages of Scripture to prove that by the command of Christ one kind +only was appointed for the laity. So that it is true, according to +this new interpreter of the Scriptures, that one kind was not +commanded, and at the same time was commanded, by Christ! This novel +sort of argument is, as you know, the particular forte of the Leipzig +dialecticians. Did not Emser in his earlier book[16] profess to write +of me in a friendly spirit, and then, after I had convicted him of +filthy envy and foul lying, did he not openly acknowledge in his later +book[17], written to refute my arguments, that he had written in both +a friendly and an unfriendly spirit? A sweet fellow, forsooth, as you +know. + +But hearken to our distinguished distinguisher of "kinds," for whom +the will of the Church and a command of Christ, and a command of +Christ and no command of Christ, are all one and the same! How +ingeniously he proves that only one kind is to be given to the laity, +by the command of Christ, that is, by the will of the Church. He puts +it in capital letters, thus: THE INFALLIBLE FOUNDATION. Thereupon he +treats John vi with incredible wisdom, in which passage Christ speaks +of the bread from heaven and the bread of life, which is He Himself. +The learned fellow not only refers these words to the sacrament of the +altar, but because Christ says, "I am the living bread," [John 6:35, +41, 51] and not, "I am the living cup," he actually concludes that we +have in this passage the institution of the sacrament in only one kind +for the laity. But there follow the words,--"My flesh is meat indeed, +and my blood is drink indeed," [John 6:55] and, "Except ye eat the +flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood" [John 6:53]; and when it +dawned upon the good friar that these words speak undeniably or both +kinds and against one kind--presto! how happily and learnedly he slips +out of the quandary by asserting that in these words Christ means to +say only that whoever receives the one kind receives under it both +flesh and blood. This he puts or the "infallible foundation" of a +structure well worthy of the holy and heavenly Observance. + +Now prithee, herefrom learn with me that Christ, in John vi, enjoins +the sacrament in one kind, yet in such wise that His commanding it +means leaving it to the will of the Church; and further, that Christ +is speaking in this chapter only of the laity and not of the priests. +For to the latter the living bread from heaven does not pertain, but +presumably the deadly bread from hell! And how is it with the deacons +and subdeacons, who are neither laymen nor priests?[18] According to +this brilliant writer, they ought to use neither the one kind nor both +kinds! You see, dear Tulich, this novel and observant method of +treating Scripture. + +But learn this, too,--that Christ is speaking in John vi of the +sacrament of the altar; although He Himself teaches that His words +refer to faith in the Word made flesh, for He says, "This is the work +of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." [John 6:29] But our +Leipzig professor of the Scriptures must be permitted to prove +anything he pleases from any Scripture passage whatsoever. For he is +an Anaxagorian, or rather an Aristotelian[19] theologian, for whom +nouns and verbs, interchanged, mean the same thing and any thing. So +aptly does he cite Scripture proof-texts throughout the whole of his +book, that if he set out to prove the presence of Christ in the +sacrament, he would not hesitate to commence thus: "Here beginneth the +book of the Revelation of St. John the Divine." All his quotations are +as apt as this one would be, and the wiseacre imagines he is adorning +his drivel with the multitude of his quotations. The rest I pass over, +lest you should smother in the filth of this vile cloaca. + +In conclusion, he brings forward I Corinthians xi, where Paul says he +received from the Lord, and delivered to the Corinthians, the use of +both the bread and the cup [1 Cor. 11:23]. Here again our +distinguisher of kinds, treating the Scriptures with his usual +brilliance, teaches that Paul did not deliver, but permitted both +kinds. Do you ask where he gets his proof? Out of his own head, as he +did in the case of John vi. For it does not behoove this lecturer to +give a reason for his assertions; he belongs to the order of those who +teach and prove all things by their visions[20]. Accordingly we are +here taught that the Apostle, in this passage, addressed not the whole +Corinthian congregation, but the laity alone--but then he "permitted" +nothing at all to the clergy, and they are deprived of the sacrament +altogether!--and further, that, according to a new kind of grammar, "I +have received from the Lord" means "It is permitted by the Lord," and +"I have delivered it to you" means "I have permitted it to you." I +pray you, mark this well. For by this method, not only the Church, but +every passing knave will be at liberty, according to this magister, to +turn all the commands, institutions and ordinances of Christ and the +apostles into a mere "permission." + +I perceive, therefore, that this man is driven by an angel of Satan, +and that he and his partners seek but to make a name or themselves +through me, as men who were worthy to cross swords with Luther. But +their hopes shall be dashed: I shall ignore them and not mention their +names from henceforth even for ever. This one reply shall suffice me +for all their books. If they be worthy of it, I pray Christ in His +mercy to bring them to a sound mind; if not, I pray that they may +never leave off writing such books, and that the enemies of the truth +may never deserve to read any other. It is a popular and true saying, + + This I know of a truth--whenever with filth I contended, + Victor or vanquished, alike, came I defiled from the fray. + +And, since I perceive that they have an abundance of leisure and of +writing-paper, I shall see to it that they may have ample opportunity +for writing. I shall run on before, and while they are celebrating a +glorious victory over one of my so-called heresies, I shall be +meanwhile devising a new one. For I too am desirous that these gallant +leaders in battle should win to themselves many titles and +decorations. Therefore, while they complain that I laud communion in +both kinds, and are happily engrossed in this most important and +worthy matter, I will go yet one step farther and undertake to show +that all those who deny communion in both kinds to the laity are +wicked men. And the more conveniently to do this, I will compose a +prelude on the captivity of the Roman Church. In due time I shall have +a great deal more to say, when the learned papists have disposed of +this book. + +I take this course, lest any pious reader who may chance upon this +book, should be offended at my dealing with such filthy matters, and +should justly complain of finding in it nothing to cultivate and +instruct his mind or even to furnish good or learned thought. For you +know how impatient my friends are because I waste my time on the +sordid fictions of these men, which, they say, are amply refuted in +the reading; they look for greater things from me, which Satan seeks +in this way to hinder. I have at length resolved to follow their +counsel and to leave to those hornets the pleasant business of +wrangling and hurling invectives. + +Of that friar of Cremona I will say nothing. He is an unlearned man +and a simpleton, who attempts with a few rhetorical passages to recall +me to the Holy See, from which I am not as yet aware of having +departed, nor has any one proved it to me. He is chiefly concerned in +those silly passages with showing that I ought to be moved by the vow +of my order and by the act that the empire has been transferred to us +Germans[21]. He seems thus to have set out to write, not my +"revocation," but rather the praises of the French people and the +Roman pontiff. Let him attest his loyalty in his little book; it is +the best he could do. He does not deserve to be harshly treated, for +methinks he was not prompted by malice; nor yet to be learnedly +refuted, for all his chatter is sheer ignorance and simplicity[22]. + +At the outset I must deny that there are seven sacraments, and hold +for the present[23] to but three--baptism, penance and the bread[24]. +These three have been subjected to a miserable captivity by the Roman +curia, and the Church has been deprived of all her liberty. To be +sure, if I desired to use the term in its scriptural sense, I should +allow but a single sacrament[25], with three sacramental signs; but of +this I shall treat more fully at the proper time. + +THE SACRAMENT OF THE BREAD + +Let me tell you what progress I have made in my studies on the +administration of this sacrament. For when I published my treatise on +the Eucharist[26], I clung to the common usage, being in no wise +concerned with the question of the right or wrong of the papacy. But +now, challenged and attacked, nay, forcibly thrust into the arena, I +shall freely speak my mind, let all the papists laugh or weep +together. + +[Sidenote: The First Captivity: the Withholding of the Cup from the +Laity] + +In the first place, John vi is to be entirely excluded from this +discussion, since it does not refer in a single syllable to the +sacrament. For not only was the sacrament not yet instituted, but the +whole context plainly shows that Christ is speaking of faith in the +Word made flesh, as I have said above[27]. For He says, "My words are +spirit, and they are life," [John 6:63] which shows that He is +speaking of a spiritual eating, whereby whoever eats has life, whereas +the Jews understood Him to be speaking of bodily eating and therefore +disputed with Him. But no eating can give life save the eating which +is by faith, for that is the truly spiritual and living eating. As +Augustine also says: "Why make ready teeth and stomach? Believe, and +thou hast eaten."[28] For the sacramental eating does not give life, +since many eat unworthily. Therefore, He cannot be understood as +speaking of the sacrament in this passage. + +These words have indeed been wrongly applied to the sacrament, as in +the decretal _Dudum_[29] and often elsewhere. But it is one thing to +misapply the Scriptures, it is quite another to understand them in +their proper meaning. But if Christ in this passage enjoined the +sacramental eating, then by saying, "Except ye eat my flesh and drink +my blood, ye have no life in you," [John 6:53] He would condemn all +infants, invalids and those absent or in any wise hindered from the +sacramental eating, however strong their faith might be. Thus +Augustine, in the second book of his _Contra Julianum_[30], proves +from Innocent that even infants eat the flesh and drink the blood of +Christ, without the sacrament; that is, they partake of them through +the faith of the Church. Let this then be accepted as proved,--John vi +does not belong here. For this reason I have elsewhere[31] written +that the Bohemians have no right to rely on this passage in support of +their use of the sacrament in both kinds. + +Now there are two passages that do clearly bear upon this matter--the +Gospel narratives of the institution of the Lord's Supper, and Paul in +I Corinthians xi. These let us examine. + +Matthew, Mark and Luke agree that Christ gave the whole sacrament to +all the disciples [Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 22], and it is certain that +Paul delivered both kinds [1 Cor. 11]. No one has ever had the +temerity to assert the contrary. Further, Matthew reports that Christ +said not of the bread, "Eat ye all of it," [Matt. 26:27] but of the +cup, "Drink ye all of it"; and Mark likewise says not, "They all ate +of it," but, "They all drank of it." [Mark 14:23] Both Matthew and +Mark attach the note of universality to the cup, not to the bread; as +though the Spirit saw this schism coming, by which some would be +forbidden to partake of the cup, which Christ desired should be common +to all. How furiously, think you, would they rave against us, if they +had found the word "all" attached to the bread instead of the cup! +They would not leave us a loophole to escape, they would cry out upon +us and set us down as heretics, they would damn us or schismatics. But +now, since it stands on our side and against them, they will not be +bound by any force of logic--these men of the most free will[32], who +change and change again even the things that be God's, and throw +everything into confusion. + +But imagine me standing over against them and interrogating my lords +the papists. In the Lord's Supper, I say, the whole sacrament, or +communion in both kinds, is given only to the priests or else it is +given also to the laity. If it is given only to the priests, as they +would have it, then it is not right to give it to the laity in either +kind; for it must not be rashly given to any to whom Christ did not +give it when He instituted it. For if we permit one institution of +Christ to be changed, we make all of His laws invalid, and every one +will boldly claim that he is not bound by any law or institution of +His. For a single exception, especially in the Scriptures, invalidates +the whole. But if it is given also to the laity, then it inevitably +follows that it ought not to be withheld from them in either form. +And if any do withhold it from them when they desire it, they act +impiously and contrary to the work, example and institution of Christ. + +I confess that I am conquered by this to me unanswerable argument, and +that I have neither read nor heard nor found anything to advance +against it. For here the word and example of Christ stand firm, when +He says, not by way of permission but of command, "Drink ye all of +it." [Matt.26:27] For if all are to drink, and the words cannot be +understood as addressed to the priests alone, then it is certainly an +impious act to withhold the cup from laymen who desire it, even though +an angel from heaven were to do it. For when they say that the +distribution of both kinds was left to the judgment of the Church, +they make this assertion without giving any reason or it and put it +forth without any authority; it is ignored just as readily as it is +proved, and does not hold against an opponent who confronts us[33] +with the word and work of Christ. Such an one must be refuted with a +word of Christ, but this we[34] do not possess. + +But if one kind may be withheld from the laity, then with equal right +and reason a portion of baptism and penance might also be taken from +them by this same authority of the Church. Therefore, just as baptism +and absolution must be administered in their entirety, so the +sacrament of the bread must be given in its entirety to all laymen, if +they desire it. I am amazed to find them asserting that the priests +may never receive only the one kind, in the mass, on pain of +committing a mortal sin; and that for no other reason, as they +unanimously say, than that both kinds constitute the one complete +sacrament, which may not be divided. I pray them to tell me why it may +be divided in the case of the laity, and why to them alone the whole +sacrament may not be given. Do they not acknowledge, by their own +testimony, either that both kinds are to be given to the laity, or +that it is not a valid sacrament when only one kind is given to them? +How can the one kind be a complete sacrament or the laity and not a +complete sacrament for the priests? Why do they flaunt the authority +of the Church and the power of the pope in my face? These do not make +void the Word of God and the testimony of the truth. + +But further, if the Church can withhold the wine from the laity, it +can also withhold the bread from them; it could, therefore, withhold +the entire sacrament of the altar from the laity and completely annul +Christ's institution so far as they are concerned. I ask, by what +authority? But if the Church cannot withhold the bread, or both kinds, +neither can it withhold the wine. This cannot possibly be gainsaid; +for the Church's power must be the same over either kind as over both +kinds, and if she has no power over both kinds, she has none over +either kind. I am curious to hear what the Roman sycophants will have +to say to this. + +What carries most weight with me, however, and quite decides me is +this. Christ says: "This is my blood, which is shed for you and for +many for the remission of sins." [Matt. 26:28] Here we see very +plainly that the blood is given to all those for whose sins it was +shed. But who will dare to say it was not shed for the laity? Do you +not see whom He addresses when He gives the cup? Does He not give it +to all? Does He not say that it is shed or all? "For you," He +says--well: we will let these be the priests--"and for many"--these +cannot be priests; and yet He says, "Drink ye all of it." [Matt. +26:27] I too could easily trifle here and with my words make a mockery +of Christ's words, as my dear trifler[34] does; but they who rely on +the Scriptures in opposing us, must be refuted by the Scriptures. This +is what has prevented me from condemning the Bohemians, who, be they +wicked men or good, certainly have the word and act of Christ on their +side, while we have neither, but only that hollow device of men--"the +Church has appointed it." It was not the Church that appointed these +things, but the tyrants of the churches, without the consent of the +Church, which is the people of God. + +But where in all the world is the necessity, where the religious duty, +where the practical use, of denying both kinds, i. e., the visible +sign, to the laity, when every one concedes to them the grace[35] of +the sacrament without the sign? If they concede the grace, which is +the greater, why not the sign, which is the lesser? For in every +sacrament the sign as such is of far less importance than the thing +signified. What then is to prevent them from conceding the lesser, +when they concede the greater? I can see but one reason; it has come +about by the permission of an angry God in order to give occasion for +a schism in the Church, to bring home to us how, having long ago lost +the grace of the sacrament, we contend for the sign, which is the +lesser, against that which is the most important and the chief thing; +just as some men for the sake of ceremonies contend against love. Nay, +this monstrous perversion seems to date from the time when we began +for the sake of the riches of this world to rage against Christian +love. Thus God would show us, by this terrible sign, how we esteem +signs more than the things they signify. How preposterous would it be +to admit that the faith of baptism is granted the candidate or +baptism, and yet to deny him the sign of this faith, namely, the +water! + +Finally, Paul stands invincible and stops every mouth, when he says in +I Corinthians xi, "I have received from the Lord what I also delivered +unto you." [1 Cor. 11:23] He does not say, "I permitted unto you," as +that friar lyingly asserts[36]. Nor is it true that Paul delivered +both kinds on account of the contention in the Corinthian +congregation. For, first, the text shows that their contention was not +about both kinds, but about the contempt and envy among rich and poor, +as it is clearly stated: "One is hungry, and another is drunken, and +ye put to shame them that have not." [1 Cor. 11:21] Again, Paul is not +speaking of the time when he first delivered the sacrament to them, +for he says not, "I _receive_ of the Lord and _give_ unto you," but, +"I received and delivered"--namely, when he first began to preach +among them, a long while before this contention. This shows that he +delivered both kinds to them; and "delivered" means the same as +"commanded," for elsewhere he uses the word in this sense. +Consequently there is nothing in the friar's fuming about permission; +it is a hotch-potch without Scripture, reason or sense. His opponents +do not ask what he has dreamed, but what the Scriptures decree in this +matter; and out of the Scriptures he cannot adduce one jot or tittle +in support of his dreams, while they can bring forward mighty +thunderbolts in support of their faith. + +Come hither then, ye popish flatterers, one and all! Fall to and +defend yourselves against the charge of godlessness, tyranny, +lese-majesty against the Gospel, and the crime of slandering your +brethren,--ye that decry as heretics those who will not be wise after +the vaporings of your own brains, in the face of such patent and +potent words of Scripture. If any are to be called heretics and +schismatics, it is not the Bohemians nor the Greeks, for they take +their stand upon the Gospel; but you Romans are the heretics and +godless schismatics, for you presume upon your own fictions and fly in +the face of the clear Scriptures of God. Parry that stroke, if you +can! + +But what could be more ridiculous, and more worthy of this friar's +brain, than his saying that the Apostle wrote these words and gave +this permission, not to the Church universal, but to a particular +church, that is, the Corinthian? Where does he get his proof? Out of +his one storehouse, his own impious head. If the Church universal +receives, reads and follows this epistle in all points as written for +itself, why should it not do the same with this portion of it? If we +admit that any epistle, or any part of any epistle, of Paul does not +apply to the Church universal, then the whole authority of Paul falls +to the ground. Then the Corinthians will say that what he teaches +about faith in the epistle to the Romans does not apply to them. What +greater blasphemy and madness can be imagined than this! God forbid +that there should be one jot or tittle in all of Paul which the whole +Church universal is not bound to follow and keep! Not so did the +Fathers hold, down to these perilous times, in which Paul foretold +there should be blasphemers and blind and insensate men [2 Tim. 3:2], +of whom this friar is one, nay the chief. + +However, suppose we grant the truth of this intolerable madness. If +Paul gave his permission to a particular church, then, even from your +own point of view, the Greeks and Bohemians are in the right, for they +are particular churches; hence it is sufficient that they do not act +contrary to Paul, who at least gave permission. Moreover, Paul could +not permit anything contrary to Christ's institution. Therefore I cast +in thy teeth, O Rome, and in the teeth of all thy sycophants, these +sayings of Christ and Paul, on behalf of the Greeks and the Bohemians. +Nor canst thou prove that thou hast received any authority to change +them, much less to accuse others of heresy or disregarding thy +arrogance; rather dost thou deserve to be charged with the crime of +godlessness and despotism. + +Furthermore, Cyprian, who alone is strong enough to hold all the +Romanists at bay, bears witness, in the fifth book of his treatise _Of +the Fallen_, that it was a wide-spread custom in his church to +administer both kinds to the laity, and even to children[37], yea to +give the body of the Lord into their hands; of which he cites many +instances. He inveighs, or example, against certain members of the +congregation as follows: "The sacrilegious man is angered at the +priests because he does not forthwith receive the body of the Lord +with unclean hands, or drink the blood of the Lord with defiled lips." +He is speaking, as you see, of laymen, and irreverent laymen, who +desired to receive the body and the blood from the priests. Dost thou +find anything to snarl at here, thou wretched flatterer? Say that even +this holy martyr, a Church Father preeminent for his apostolic spirit, +was a heretic and used that permission in a particular church. + +In the same place, Cyprian narrates an incident that came under his +own observation. He describes at length how a deacon was administering +the cup to a little girl, who drew away from him, whereupon he poured +the blood of the Lord into her mouth. We read the same of St. Donatus, +whose broken chalice this wretched flatterer so lightly disposes of. +"I read of a broken chalice," he says, "but I do not read that the +blood was given."[38] It is no wonder! He that finds what he pleases +in the Scriptures will also read what he pleases in the histories. But +will the authority of the Church be established, or will heretics be +refuted, in this way? Enough of this! I did not undertake this work to +reply to him who is not worth replying to, but to bring the truth of +the matter to light. + +I conclude, then, that it is wicked and despotic to deny both kinds to +the laity, and that this is not in the power of any angel, much less +of any pope or council. Nor does the Council of Constance give me +pause, for if its authority carries weight, why does not that of the +Council of Basel also carry weight? For the latter council decided, on +the contrary, after much disputing, that the Bohemians might use both +kinds, as the extant records and documents of the council prove. And +to that council this ignorant flatterer refers in support of his +dream; in such wisdom does his whole treatise abound[39]. + +The first captivity of this sacrament, therefore, concerns its +substance or completeness, of which we have been deprived by the +despotism of Rome. Not that they sin against Christ, who use the one +kind, for Christ did not command the use of either kind, but let it to +every one's free will, when He said: "As oft as ye do this, do it in +remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:25] But they sin who forbid the giving +of both kinds to such as desire to exercise this free will. The fault +lies not with the laity, but with the priests. The sacrament does not +belong to the priests, but to all, and the priests are not lords but +ministers, in duty bound to administer both kinds to those who desire +them, and as oft as they desire them. If they wrest this right from +the laity and forcibly withhold it, they are tyrants; but the laity +are without fault, whether they lack one kind or both kinds; they must +meanwhile be sustained by their faith and by their desire for the +complete sacrament. Just as the priests, being ministers, are bound to +administer baptism and absolution to whoever seeks them, because he +has a right to them; but if they do not administer them, he that seeks +them has at least the full merit of his faith, while they will be +accused before Christ as wicked servants. In like manner the holy +Fathers of old who dwelt in the desert did not receive the sacrament +in any form for many years together[40]. + +Therefore I do not urge that both kinds be seized by force, as though +we were bound to this form by a rigorous command; but I instruct men's +consciences that they may endure the Roman tyranny, well knowing they +have been deprived of their rightful share in the sacrament because of +their own sin. This only do I desire,--that no one justify the tyranny +of Rome, as though it did well to forbid one of the two kinds to the +laity; we ought rather to abhor it, withhold our consent, and endure +it just as we should do if we were held captive by the Turk and not +permitted to use either kind. That is what I meant by saying[41] it +seemed well to me that this captivity should be ended by the decree of +a general council, our Christian liberty restored to us out of the +hands of the Roman tyrant, and every one let free to seek and receive +this sacrament, just as he is free to receive baptism and penance. But +now they compel us, by the same tyranny, to receive the one kind year +after year; so utterly lost is the liberty which Christ has given us. +This is but the due reward of our godless ingratitude. + +[Sidenote: The Second Captivity: Transubstantiation] + +The second captivity of this sacrament is less grievous so far as the +conscience is concerned, yet the very gravest danger threatens the man +who would attack it, to say nothing of condemning it. Here I shall be +called a Wyclifite[42] and a heretic a thousand times over. But what +of that? Since the Roman bishop has ceased to be a bishop and become a +tyrant, I fear none of his decrees, for I know that it is not in his +power, nor even in that of a general council, to make new articles of +faith. + +Years ago, when I was delving into scholastic theology, the Cardinal +of Cambray[43] gave me food for thought, in his comments on the fourth +book of the Sentences[44], where he argues with great acumen that to +hold that real bread and real wine, and not their accidents only[45], +are present on the altar, is much more probable and requires fewer +unnecessary miracles--if only the Church had not decreed otherwise. +When I learned later what church it was that had decreed this--namely, +the Church of Thomas[46], i. e., of Aristotle--I waxed bolder, and +after floating in a sea of doubt, at last found rest for my conscience +in the above view--namely, that it is real bread and real wine, in +which Christ's real flesh and blood are present, not otherwise and not +less really than they assume to be the case under their accidents. I +reached this conclusion because I saw that the opinions of the +Thomists, though approved by pope and council, remain but opinions and +do not become articles of faith, even though an angel from heaven were +to decree otherwise [Gal. 1:8]. For what is asserted without Scripture +for an approved revelation, may be held as an opinion, but need not be +believed. But this opinion of Thomas hangs so completely in the air, +devoid of Scripture and reason, that he seems here to have forgotten +both his philosophy and his logic. For Aristotle treats so very +differently from St. Thomas of subject and accidents, that methinks +this great man is to be pitied, not only for drawing his opinions in +matters of faith from Aristotle, but for attempting to base them on +him without understanding his meaning--an unfortunate superstructure +upon an unfortunate foundation. + +I therefore permit every man to hold either of these views, as he +chooses. My one concern at present is to remove all scruples of +conscience, so that no one may fear to become guilty of heresy if he +should believe in the presence of real bread and real wine on the +altar, and that every one may feel at liberty to ponder, hold and +believe either one view or the other, without endangering his +salvation. However, I shall now more fully set forth my own view. + +In the first place, I do not intend to listen or attach the least +importance to those who will cry out that this teaching of mine is +Wyclifite, Hussite, heretical, and contrary to the decision of the +Church, for they are the very persons whom I have convicted of +manifold heresies in the matter of indulgences, the freedom of the +will and the grace of God, good works and sin, etc. If Wyclif was once +a heretic, they are heretics ten times over, and it is a pleasure to +be suspected and accused by such heretics and perverse sophists, whom +to please were the height of godlessness. Besides, the only way in +which they can prove their opinions and disprove those of others, is +by saying, "That is Wyclifite, Hussite, heretical!" They have this +feeble retort always on their tongue, and they have nothing else. If +you demand a Scripture passage, they say, "This is our opinion, and +the decision of the Church--that is, of ourselves!" Thus these men, +"reprobate concerning the faith" [2 Tim. 3:8] and untrustworthy, have +the effrontery to set their own fancies before us in the name of the +Church as articles of faith. + +But there are good grounds for my view, and this above all,--no +violence is to be done to the words of God, whether by man or angel; +but they are to be retained in their simplest meaning wherever +possible, and to be understood in by their grammatical and literal +sense unless the context plainly forbids; lest we give our adversaries +occasion to make a mockery of all the Scriptures. Thus Origen was +repudiated, in olden times, because he despised the grammatical sense +and turned the trees, and all things else written concerning Paradise, +into allegories; for it might therefrom be concluded that God did not +create trees. Even so here, when the Evangelists plainly write that +Christ took bread and brake it [Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; +Acts 2:46; 1 Cor. 11:23], and the book of Acts and Paul, in their +turn, call it bread, we have to think of real bread, and real wine, +just as we do of a real cup; or even they do not maintain that the cup +is transubstantiated. But since it is not necessary to assume a +transubstantiation wrought by Divine power, it is to be regarded as a +figment of the human mind, or it rests neither on Scripture nor on +reason, as we shall see. + +Therefore it is an absurd and unheard-of juggling with words, to +understand "bread" to mean "the form, or accidents of bread," and +"wine" to mean "the form, or accidents of wine." Why do they not also +understand all other things to mean their forms, or accidents? And +even if this might be done with all other things, it would yet not be +right thus to emasculate the words of God and arbitrarily to empty +them of their meaning. + +Moreover, the Church had the true faith for more than twelve hundred +years, during which time the holy Fathers never once mentioned this +transubstantiation--forsooth, a monstrous word for a monstrous +idea!--until the pseudophilosophy of Aristotle became rampant in the +Church, these last three hundred years, during which many other things +have been wrongly defined; as for example, that the Divine essence +neither is begotten nor begets; that the soul is the substantial form +of the human body, and the like assertions, which are made without +reason or sense, as the Cardinal of Cambray himself admits. + +Perhaps they will say that the danger of idolatry demands that bread +and wine be not really present. How ridiculous! The laymen have never +become familiar with their fine-spun philosophy of substance and +accidents, and could not grasp it if it were taught them. Besides, +there is the same danger in the case of the accidents which remain and +which they see, as in the case of the substance which they do not see. +For if they do not adore the accidents, but Christ hidden under them, +why should they adore the bread, which they do not see? + +But why could not Christ include His body in the substance of the +bread just as well as in the accidents? The two substances of fire and +iron are so mingled in the heated iron that every part is both iron +and fire. Why could not much rather Christ's body be thus contained in +every part of the substance of the bread? + +What will they say? We believe that in His birth Christ came forth out +of the unopened womb of His mother. Let them say here too that the +flesh of the Virgin was meanwhile annihilated, or as they would more +aptly say, transubstantiated, so that Christ, after being enfolded in +its accidents, finally came forth through the accidents! The same +thing will have to be said of the shut door and of the closed mouth of +the sepulchre, through which He went in and out without disturbing +them. Hence has risen that hotch-potch of a philosophy of constant +quantity distinct from the substance, until it has come to such a pass +that they themselves no longer know what are accidents and what is +substance. For who has ever proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that +heat, color, cold, light, weight or shape are mere accidents? Finally, +they have been driven to the fancy that a new substance is created by +God or their accidents on the altar--all on account of Aristotle, who +says, "It is the essence of an accident to be in something," and +endless other monstrosities, of all which they would be rid if they +simply permitted real bread to be present. And I rejoice greatly that +the simple faith of this sacrament is still to be found at least among +the common people; for as they do not understand, neither do they +dispute, whether accidents are present or substance[47] but believe +with a simple faith that Christ's body and blood are truly contained +in whatever is there, and leave to those who have nothing else to do +the business of disputing about that which contains them. + +But perhaps they will say: From Aristotle we learn that in an +affirmative proposition subject and predicate must be identical, or, +to set down the beast's own words, in the sixth book of his +_Metaphysics_: "An affirmative proposition demands the agreement of +subject and predicate," which they interpret as above. Hence, when it +is said, "This is my body," the subject cannot be identical with the +bread, but must be identical with the body of Christ. What shall we +say when Aristotle and the doctrines of men are made to be the +arbiters of these lofty and divine matters? Why do we not put by such +curiosity, and cling simply to the word of Christ, willing to remain +in ignorance of what here takes place, and content with this, that the +real body of Christ is present by virtue of the words?[48] Or is it +necessary to comprehend the manner of the divine working in every +detail? + +But what do they say to Aristotle's assigning a subject to whatever is +predicated of the attributes, although he holds that the substance is +the chief subject? Hence for him, "this white," "this large," etc., +are subjects of which something is predicated. If that is correct, I +ask: If a transubstantiation must be assumed in order that Christ's +body be not predicated of the bread, why not also a transaccidentation +in order that it be not predicated of the accidents? For the same +danger remains if one understands the subject to be "this white" or +"this round"[49] is my body, and for the same reason that a +transubstantiation is assumed, a transaccidentation must also be +assumed, because of this identity of subject and predicate. + +Let us not, however, dabble too much in philosophy. Does not Christ +appear to have admirably anticipated such curiosity by saying of the +wine, not, "_Hoc est sanguis meus_," but "_Hie est sanguis mens_" +[Matt. 26:28]? And yet more clearly, by bringing in the word "cup," +when He said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood." [1 Cor. +11:25] Does it not seem as though He desired to keep us in a simple +faith, so that we might but believe His blood to be in the cup? For +my part, if I cannot fathom how the bread is the body of Christ, I +will take my reason captive to the obedience of Christ [2 Cor. 10:5], +and clinging simply to His word, firmly believe not only that the body +of Christ is in the bread, but that the bread is the body of Christ. +For in this I am borne out by the words, "He took bread, and giving +thanks, He brake it and said, Take, eat; this [i. e., this bread which +He took and brake] is my body." [1 Cor. 11:23] And Paul says: "The +bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" +[1 Cor. 10:16] He says not, in the bread, but the bread itself, is the +communion of the body of Christ. What matters it if philosophy cannot +fathom this? The Holy Spirit is greater than Aristotle. Does +philosophy fathom that transubstantiation of theirs, of which they +themselves admit that here all philosophy breaks down? But the +agreement of the pronoun "this" with "body," in Greek and Latin, is +owing to the fact that in these languages the two words are of the +same gender. But in the Hebrew language, which has no neuter gender, +"this" agrees with "bread," so that it would be proper to say, "_Hie +est corpus meum_." This is proved also by the use of language and by +common sense; the subject, forsooth, points to the bread, not to the +body, when He says, "_Hoc est corpus meum_," "_Das ist mein +Leib_,"--i. e., This bread is my body. + +Therefore it is with the sacrament even as it is with Christ. In order +that the Godhead may dwell in Him, it is not necessary that the human +nature be transubstantiated and the Godhead be contained under its +accidents; but both natures are there in their entirety, and it is +truly said, "This man is God," and "This God is man." Even though +philosophy cannot grasp this, faith grasps it, and the authority of +God's Word is greater than the grasp of our intellect. Even so, in +order that the real body and the real blood of Christ may be present +in the sacrament, it is not necessary that the bread and wine be +transubstantiated and Christ be contained under their accidents; but +both remain there together, and it is truly said, "This bread is my +body, this wine is my blood," [Matt. 26:26] and _vice versa_. Thus I +will for the nonce understand it, or the honor of the holy words of +God, which I will not suffer any petty human arguments to override or +wrest to meanings foreign to them. At the same time, I permit other +men to follow the other opinion, which is laid down in the decree +_Firmiter_[50]; only let them not press us to accept their opinions as +articles of faith, as I said above. + +[Sidenote: The Third Captivity: The Mass a Good Work and a Sacrifice] + +The third captivity of this sacrament is that most wicked abuse of +all, in consequence of which there is to-day no more generally +accepted and firmly believed opinion in the Church than this,--that +the mass is a good work and a sacrifice. And this abuse has brought an +endless host of others in its train, so that the faith of this +sacrament has Sacrifice become utterly extinct and the holy sacrament +has been turned into a veritable air, tavern, and place of +merchandise. Hence participations[51], brotherhoods[52], +intercessions, merits, anniversaries, memorial days, and the like +wares are bought and sold, traded and bartered in the Church, and from +this priests and monks derive their whole living. + +I am attacking a difficult matter, and one perhaps impossible to +abate, since it has become so firmly entrenched through century-long +custom and the common consent of men that it would be necessary to +abolish most of the books now in vogue, to alter well-nigh the whole +external form of the churches, and to introduce, or rather +re-introduce, a totally different kind of ceremonies. But my Christ +lives; and we must be careful to give more heed to the Word of God +than to all the thoughts of men and of angels. I will perform the +duties of my office, and uncover the acts in the case; I will give the +truth as I have received it, freely and without malice [Matt. 10:8]. +For the rest let every man look to his own salvation; I will +faithfully do my part that none may cast on me the blame for his lack +of faith and knowledge of the truth, when we appear before the +judgment-seat of Christ. + +[Sidenote: The Word of Christ, which is the Testament] + +In the first place, in order to attain safely and fortunately to a +true and unbiased knowledge of this sacrament, we must above all else +be careful to put aside whatever has been added by the zeal and +devotion of men to the original, simple institution of this +sacrament,--such things as vestments, ornaments, chants, prayers, +organs, candles, and the whole pageantry of outward things[53]; we +must turn our eyes and hearts simply to the institution of Christ and +to this alone, and set naught before us but the very word of Christ by +which He instituted this sacrament, made it perfect, and committed it +to us. For in that word, and in that word alone, reside the power, the +nature, and the whole substance of the mass. All else is the work of +man, added to the word of Christ; and the mass can be held and remain +a mass just as well without it. Now the words of Christ, in which He +instituted this sacrament, are these: + +"And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and +brake: and gave to His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat. This is +my body, which shall be given for you. And taking the chalice. He gave +thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. This is the +chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you +and for many unto remission of sins. This do for the commemoration of +me." [Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:24 f.; Luke 22:20] + +These words the Apostle also delivers and more fully expounds in i +Cor. xi [1 Cor. 11:23 ff.]. On them we must lean and build as on a +firm foundation, if we would not be carried about with every wind of +doctrine, even as we have hitherto been carried about by the wicked +doctrines of men, who turn aside the truth [Titus 1:14]. For in these +words nothing is omitted that pertains to the completeness, the use +and the blessing of this sacrament; and nothing is included that is +superfluous and not necessary for us to know. Whoever sets them aside +and meditates or teaches concerning the mass, will teach monstrous and +wicked doctrines, as they have done who made of the sacrament an _opus +operatum_[56] and a sacrifice. + +Therefore let this stand at the outset as our infallibly certain +proposition,--the mass, or sacrament of the altar, is Christ's +testament which He left behind Him at His death, to be distributed +among His believers. For that is the meaning of His word,--"This is +the chalice, the new testament in my blood." [Luke 22:20] Let this +truth stand, I say, as the immovable foundation on which we shall base +all that we have to say, or we are going to overthrow, as you will +see, all the godless opinions of men imported into this most precious +sacrament. Christ, Who is the Truth, saith truly that this is the new +testament in His blood, which is shed for us. Not without reason do I +dwell on this sentence; the matter is of no small moment, and must be +most deeply impressed upon us. + +Let us enquire, therefore, what a testament is, and we shall learn at +the same time what the mass is, what its use and blessing, and what +its abuse. A testament, as every one knows, is a promise made by one +about to die, in which he designates his bequest and appoints his +heirs. Therefore a testament involves, first, the death of the +testator, and secondly, the promise of the bequest and the naming of +the heir. Thus St. Paul discusses at length the nature of a testament +in Romans iv, Galatians iii and iv, and Hebrews ix. The same thing is +also clearly seen in these words of Christ. Christ testifies +concerning His death when He says: "This is my body, which shall be +given; this is my blood, which shall be shed." [Luke 22:19 f.] He +designates the bequest when He says: "Unto remission of sins." And He +appoints the heirs when He says: "For you, and for many"--i. e., for +such as accept and believe the promise of the testator; or here it is +faith that makes men heirs, as we shall see. + +You see, therefore, that what we call the mass is the promise of +remission of sins made to us by God; and such a promise as has been +confirmed by the death of the Son of God. For the one difference +between a promise and a testament is that a testament is a promise +which implies the death of him who makes it. A testator is a man +making a promise who is about to die; whilst he that makes a promise +is, if I may so put it, a testator who is not about to die. This +testament of Christ was forshadowed in all the promises of God from +the beginning of the world; nay, whatever value those olden promises +possessed was altogether derived from this new promise that was to +come in Christ. Hence the words "covenant" and "testament of the Lord" +occur so frequently in the Scriptures, which words signified that God +would one day die. For where there is a testament, the death of the +testator must needs follow (Hebrews ix). Now God made a testament: +therefore it was necessary that He should die [Heb. 9:16]. But God +could not die unless He became man. Thus both the incarnation and the +death of Christ are briefly comprehended in this one word "testament." + +From the above it will at once be seen what is the right and what the +wrong use of the mass, what is the worthy and what the unworthy +preparation for it. If the mass is a promise, as has been said, it is +to be approached, not with any work or strength or merit, but with +faith alone. For where there is the word of God Who makes the promise, +there must be the faith of man who takes it. It is plain, therefore, +that the first step in our salvation is faith, which clings to the +word of the promise made by God, Who without any effort on our part, +in free and unmerited mercy makes a beginning and offers us the word +of His promise. For He sent His Word, and by it healed them [Ps. +107:20]. He did not accept our work and thus heal us. God's Word is +the beginning of all; on it follows faith, and on faith charity; then +charity works every good work, for it worketh no ill, nay, it is the +fulfilling of the law [Rom. 13:10]. In no other way can man come to +God and deal with Him than through faith; that is, not man, by any +work of his, but God, by His promise, is the author of salvation, so +that all things depend on the word of His power, and are upheld and +preserved by it [Heb. 1:3], with which word He begat us, that we +should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [Jas. 1:18]. + +Thus, in order to raise up Adam after the all, God gave him this +promise, addressing the serpent: "I will put enmities between thee and +the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and +thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." [Gen. 3:15] In this word of +promise Adam, with them that were his, was carried as it were in God's +bosom, and by faith in it he was preserved, patiently waiting for the +woman who should crush the serpent's head, as God had promised. And in +that faith and expectation he died, not knowing when or in what guise +she would come, yet never doubting that she would come. For such a +promise, being the truth of God, preserves, even in hell, those who +believe it and wait for it. After this came another promise, made to +Noah--to last until the time of Abraham--when a bow was set as a sign +in the clouds [Gen. 9:12], by faith in which Noah and his descendants +found a gracious God. After that He promised Abraham that all nations +should be blessed in his seed [Gen. 12:3]; and this is Abraham's +bosom, into which his posterity was carried [Luke 16:22]. Then to +Moses and the children of Israel, and especially to David, He gave the +plain promise of Christ [Deut. 18:18], thereby at last making clear +what was meant by the promise to them of old time [2 Sam. 7:6]. And so +it came finally to the most complete promise of the new testament, in +which with plain words life and salvation are freely promised, and +granted to such as believe the promise. And He distinguished this +testament by a particular mark from the old, calling it the "new +testament." [Luke 22:20] For the old testament, which He gave by +Moses, was a promise not of remission of sins or of eternal things, +but of temporal,--namely, the land of Canaan,--by which no man was +renewed in his spirit, to lay hold on the heavenly inheritance. +Therefore it was also necessary that dumb beasts should be slain, as +types of Christ, that by their blood the testament might be confirmed; +so that the testament was even as the blood, and the promise even as +the sacrifice. But here He says: "The new testament in my blood" [Luke +22:20]--not in another's, but in His own, and by this blood grace is +promised, through the Spirit, unto the remission of sins, that we may +obtain the inheritance. + +The mass, according to its substance, is, therefore, nothing else than +the aforesaid words of Christ--"Take and eat" [1 Cor. 11:24]; as if He +said: "Behold, O sinful man and condemned, out of pure and unmerited +love wherewith I love thee, and by the will of the Father of all +mercies, I promise thee in these words, or ever thou canst desire or +deserve them, the forgiveness of all thy sins and life everlasting. +And, that thou mayest be most certainly assured of this my irrevocable +promise, I give my body and shed my blood, thus by my very death +confirming this promise, and leaving thee my body and blood as a sign +and memorial of this same promise. As oft, therefore, as thou +partakest of them, remember me, and praise, magnify, and give thanks +or my love and largess toward thee." + +Herefrom you will see that nothing else is needed for a worthy holding +of mass than a faith that confidently relies on this promise, believes +Christ to be true in these words of His, and doubts not that these +infinite blessings have been bestowed upon it. Hard on this faith +there follows, of itself, a most sweet stirring of the heart, whereby +the spirit of man is enlarged and waxes at--that is love, given by the +Holy Spirit through faith in Christ--so that he is drawn unto Christ, +that gracious and good Testator, and made quite another and a new man. +Who would not shed tears of gladness, nay well-nigh faint for the joy +he hath toward Christ, if he believed with unshaken faith that this +inestimable promise of Christ belonged to him! How could one help +loving so great a Benefactor, who offers, promises and grants, all +unbidden, such great riches, and this eternal inheritance, to one +unworthy and deserving of somewhat far different? + +Therefore, it is our one misfortune, that we have many masses in the +world, and yet none or but the fewest of us recognize, consider and +receive these promises and riches that are offered, although verily we +should do nothing else in the mass with greater zeal (yea, it demands +all our zeal) than set before our eyes, meditate, and ponder these +words, these promises of Christ, which truly are the mass itself, in +order to exercise, nourish, increase, and strengthen our faith by such +daily remembrance. For this is what He commands, saying, "This do in +remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] + +This should be done by the preachers of the Gospel, in order that this +promise might be faithfully impressed upon the people and commended to +them, to the awakening of faith in the same. But how many are there +now who know that the mass is the promise of Christ? I will say +nothing of those godless preachers of fables, who teach human +traditions instead of this promise. And even if they teach these words +of Christ, they do not teach them as a promise or testament, and, +therefore, not to the awakening of faith. + +O the pity of it! Under this captivity, they take every precaution +that no layman should hear these words of Christ, as if they were too +sacred to be delivered to the common people. So mad are we[57] priests +that we arrogantly claim that the so-called words of consecration may +be said by ourselves alone, as secret words, yet so that they do not +profit even us, or we too fail to regard them as promises or as a +testament, for the strengthening of faith. Instead of believing them, +we reverence them with I know not what superstitious and godless +fancies. This misery of ours, what is it but a device of Satan to +remove every trace of the mass out of the Church? although he is +meanwhile at work filing every nook and corner on earth with masses, +that is, abuses and mockeries of God's testament, and burdening the +world more and more heavily with grievous sins of idolatry, to its +deeper condemnation. For what worse idolatry can there be than to +abuse God's promises with perverse opinions and to neglect or +extinguish faith in them? + +For God does not deal, nor has He ever dealt, with man otherwise than +through a word of promise, as I have said[58]; again, we cannot deal +with God otherwise than through faith in the word of His promise. He +does not desire works, nor has He need of them; we deal with men and +with ourselves on the basis of works. But He has need of this,--that +we deem Him true to His promises, wait patiently for Him, and thus +worship Him with faith, hope and love. Thus He obtains His glory among +us, since it is not of ourselves who run, but of Him who showeth mercy +[Ps. 115:1], promiseth and giveth, that we have and hold every +blessing [Rom. 9:16]. That is the true worship and service of God +which we must perform in the mass. But if the words of promise are not +proclaimed, what exercise of faith can there be? And without faith, +who can have hope or love? Without faith, hope and love, what service +can there be? There is no doubt, therefore, that in our day all +priests and monks, together with all their bishops and superiors, are +idolaters and in a most perilous state, by reason of this ignorance, +abuse and mockery of the mass, or sacrament, or testament of God. + +For any one can easily see that these two--the promise and faith--must +go together. For without the promise there is nothing to believe, +while without faith the promise, remains without effect; for it is +established and fulfilled through faith. From this every one will +readily gather that the mass, which is nothing else than the promise, +is approached and observed only in this faith, without which whatever +prayers, preparations, works, signs of the cross, or genuflections are +brought to it, are incitements to impiety rather than exercises of +piety; for they who come thus prepared are wont to imagine themselves +on that account justly entitled to approach the altar, when in reality +they are less prepared than at any other time and in any other work, +by reason of the unbelief which they bring with them. How many priests +will you find every day offering the sacrifice of the mass, who accuse +themselves of a horrible crime if they--wretched men!--commit a +trifling, blunder, such as putting on the wrong robe or forgetting to +wash their hands or stumbling over their prayers; but that they +neither regard nor believe the mass itself, namely, the divine +promise--this causes them not the slightest qualms of conscience. O +worthless religion of this our age, the most godless and thankless of +all ages! + +Hence the only worthy preparation and proper use of the mass is faith +in the mass, that is to say, in the divine promise. Whoever, +therefore, is minded to approach the altar and to receive the +sacrament, let him beware of appearing empty before the Lord God [Ex. +23:15; 34:20]. But he will appear empty unless he has faith in the +mass, or this new testament. What godless work that he could commit +would be a more grievous crime against the truth of God, than this +unbelief of his, by which, as much as in him lies, he convicts God of +being a liar and a maker of empty promises? The safest course, +therefore, will be to go to mass in the same spirit in which you would +go to hear any other promise of God; that is, not to be ready to +perform and bring many works, but to believe and receive all that is +there promised, or proclaimed by the priest as having been promised to +you. If you do not go in this spirit, beware of going at all; you will +surely go to your condemnation. + +I was right then in saying[59] that the whole power of the mass +consists in the words of Christ, in which He testifies that the +remission of sins is bestowed on all those who believe that His body +is given and His blood shed for them. For this reason nothing is more +important for those who go to hear mass than diligently and in full +faith to ponder these words. Unless they do this, all else that they +do is in vain. + +[Sidenote: The External Sign, which is the Sacrament] + +But while the mass is the word of Christ, it is also true that God is +wont to add to well-nigh every promise of His a certain sign as a mark +or memorial of His promise, so that we may thereby the more faithfully +hold to His promise and be the more forcibly admonished by it. Thus, +to his promise to Noah that He would not again destroy the world by a +flood, He added His bow in the clouds, to show that He would be +mindful of His covenant [Gen. 9:13]. And after promising Abraham the +inheritance in his seed, He gave him the sign of circumcision as the +seal of his righteousness by faith. Thus, to Gideon He granted the +sign of the dry and the wet fleece, to confirm His promise of victory +over the Midianites [Judges 6:36 ff.]. And to Ahaz He offered a sign +through Isaiah concerning his victory over the kings of Syria and +Samaria, to strengthen his faith in the promise [Isa. 7:10 ff.]. And +many such signs of the promises of God do we find in the Scriptures. + +Thus also to the mass, that crown of all His promises. He adds His +body and blood in the bread and wine, as a memorial sign of this great +promise; as He says, "This do in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] +Even so in baptism He adds to the words of the promise, the sign of +immersion in water. We learn from this that in every promise of God +two things are presented to us--the word and the sign--so that we are +to understand the word to be the testament, but the sign to be the +sacrament. Thus, in the mass, the word of Christ is the testament, and +the bread and wine are the sacrament. And as there is greater power in +the word than in the sign, so there is greater power in the testament +than in the sacrament; for a man can have and use the word, or +testament, apart from the sign, or sacrament. "Believe," says +Augustine, "and thou hast eaten."[60] But what does one believe save +the word of promise? Therefore I can hold mass every day, yea, every +hour, for I can set the words of Christ before me, and with them +refresh and strengthen my faith, as often as I choose. That is a truly +spiritual eating and drinking.[61] + +Here you may see what great things our theologians of the +Sentences[62] have produced. That which is the principal and chief +thing, namely, the testament and word of promise, is not treated by +one of them; thus they have obliterated faith and the whole power of +the mass. But the second part of the mass,--the sign, or +sacrament,[63]--this alone do they discuss, yet in such a manner that +here too they teach not faith but their preparations and _opera +operata_, participations and fruits[64], as though these were the +mass, until they have fallen to babbling of transubstantiation and +endless other metaphysical quibbles, and have destroyed the proper +understanding and use of both sacrament and testament, altogether +abolished faith, and caused Christ's people to forget their God, as +the prophet says, days without number [Jer. 2:32]. But do you let the +others tell over the manifold fruits of hearing mass, and turn hither +your mind, and say and believe with the prophet, that God here +prepares a table before you, against all those that afflict you, at +which your soul may eat and grow fat [Ps. 23:5]. But your faith is fed +only with the word of divine promise, for "not in bread alone doth man +live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Deut. +8:3; Matt. 4:4] Hence, in the mass you must above all things pay +closest heed to the word of promise, as to your rich banquet, green +pasture, and sacred refreshment; you must esteem this word higher than +all else, trust in it above all things, and cling firmly to it even +through the midst of death and all sins. By thus doing you will attain +not merely to those tiny drops and crumbs of "fruits of the mass," +which some have superstitiously imagined, but to the very fountainhead +of life, which is faith in the word, from which every blessing flows; +as it is said in John iv: "He that believeth in me, out of his belly +shall flow rivers of living water" [John 7:38]; and again: "He that +shall drink of the water that I will give him, it shall become in him +a fountain of living water, springing up into life everlasting." [John +4:14][65] + +Now there are two things that commonly tempt us to lose the fruits of +the mass: first, the fact that we are sinners and unworthy of such +great things because of our exceeding vileness; and, secondly, the act +that, even if we were worthy, these things are so high that our +faint-hearted nature dare not aspire to them or ever hope to attain to +them. For to have God for our Father, to be His sons and heirs of all +His goods--these are the great blessings that come to us through the +forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. And who that regarded them +aright must not rather stand aghast before them than desire to possess +them? Against this twofold faintness of ours we must lay hold on the +word of Christ and fix our gaze on it much more firmly than on those +thoughts of our weakness. For "great are the works of the Lord [Ps. +111:2]; wrought out according to all His wills, who is able to do +exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." [Eph. 3:20] If +they did not surpass our worthiness, our grasp and all our thoughts, +they would not be divine. Thus Christ also encourages us when He says: +"Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a +kingdom." [Luke 17:32] For it is just this overflowing goodness of the +incomprehensible God, lavished upon us through Christ, that moves us +to love Him again with our whole heart above all things, to be drawn +to Him with all confidence, to despise all things else, and be ready +to suffer all things for Him; wherefore this sacrament is well styled +"a fount of love." + +Let us take an illustration of this from every day life[66]. If a +thousand _gulden_ were bequeathed by a rich lord to a beggar or an +unworthy and wicked servant, it is certain that he would boldly claim +and take them regardless of his unworthiness and the greatness of the +bequest. And if any one should seek to oppose him by casting in his +teeth his unworthiness and the large amount of the legacy, what do you +suppose he would say? He would say, forsooth: "What is that to you? +What I accept, I accept not on my merits or by any right that I may +personally have to it; I know that I am unworthy and receive more than +I have deserved, nay, I have deserved the very opposite. But I claim +it because it is so written in the will, and on the score of another's +goodness. If it was not an unworthy thing for him to bequeath so great +a sum to an unworthy person, why should I reuse to accept it because +of my unworthiness? Nay, the more unworthy I am, the more reason have +I to accept this other man's gracious gift." With such thoughts we +need to fortify the consciences of men against all qualms and +scruples, that they may lay hold on the promise of Christ with +unwavering faith, and take the greatest care to approach the +sacrament, not trusting in their confession, prayer and preparation, +but rather despairing of these and with a proud confidence in Christ +Who gives the promise. For, as we have said again and again, the word +of promise must here reign supreme in a pure and unalloyed faith, and +such faith is the one and all-sufficient preparation. + +[Sidenote: The Mass Converted into a Good Work] + +Hence we see how angry God is with us, in that he has permitted +godless teachers to conceal the words of this testament from us, and +thereby, as much as in them lay, to extinguish faith. And the +inevitable result of this extinguishing of faith is even now plainly +to be seen--namely, the most godless superstition of works. For when +faith dies and the word of faith is silent, works and the traditions +of works immediately crowd into their place. By them we have been +carried away out of our own land, as in a Babylonian captivity, and +despoiled of all our precious possessions. This has been the fate of +the mass; it has been converted by the teaching of godless men into a +good work, which they themselves call an _opus operatum_[67] and by +which they presumptuously imagine themselves all-powerful with God. +Thereupon they proceeded to the very height of madness, and having +invented the lie that the mass works _ex opere operate_[68], they +asserted further that it is none the less profitable to others, even +if it be harmful to the wicked priest celebrating it. On such a +foundation of sand they base their applications, participations, +sodalities, anniversaries and numberless other money-making schemes. + +These lures are so powerful, widespread and firmly entrenched that you +will scarcely be able to prevail against them unless you keep before +you with unremitting care the real meaning of the mass, and bear well +in mind what has been said above. We have seen that the mass is +nothing else than the divine promise or testament of Christ, sealed +with the sacrament of His body and blood. If that is true, you will +understand that it cannot possibly be a work, and that there is +nothing to do in it, nor can it be dealt with in any other way than by +faith alone. And faith is not a work, but the mistress and the life of +all works[69]. Where in all the world is there a man so foolish as to +regard a promise made to him, or a testament given to him, as a good +work which by his acceptance of it he renders to the testator? What +heir will imagine he is doing his departed father a kindness by +accepting the terms of the will and the inheritance bequeathed to him? +What godless audacity is it, therefore, when we who are to receive the +testament of God come as those who would perform a good work or Him! +This ignorance of the testament, this captivity of the sacrament--are +they not too sad for tears? When we ought to be grateful for benefits +received, we come in our pride to give that which we ought to take, +mocking with unheard-of perversity the mercy of the Giver by giving as +a work the thing we receive as a gift; so that the testator, instead +of being the dispenser of His own goods, becomes the recipient of +ours. Out upon such godless doings! + +Who has ever been so mad as to regard baptism as a good work, or to +believe that by being baptised he was performing a work which he might +offer to God or himself and communicate to others? I, therefore, there +is no good work that can be communicated to others in this one +sacrament or testament, neither will there be any in the mass, since +it too is nothing else than a testament and sacrament. Hence it is a +manifest and wicked error to offer or apply masses for sins, or +satisfactions, for the dead, or for any necessity whatsoever of one's +own or of others. You will readily see the obvious truth of this if +you but hold firmly that the mass is a divine promise, which can +profit no one, be applied to no one, intercede or no one, and be +communicated to no one, save him alone who believes with a faith of +his own. Who can receive or apply, in behalf of another, the promise +of God, which demands the personal faith of every individual? Can I +give to another what God has promised, even if he does not believe? +Can I believe for another, or cause another to believe? But this is +what I must do if I am able to apply and communicate the mass to +others; for there are but two things in the mass--the promise of God, +and the faith of man which takes that which the promise offers. But if +it is true that I can do this, then I can also hear and believe the +Gospel for others, I can be baptised for another, I can be absolved +from sins for another, I can also partake of the sacrament of the +altar for another, and--to run the gamut of their sacraments also--I +can marry a wife for another, be ordained for another, receive +confirmation and extreme unction for another! In fine, why did not +Abraham believe for all the Jews? Why was faith in the promise made to +Abraham demanded of every individual Jew? + +Therefore, let this irrefutable truth stand fast. Where there is a +divine promise every one must stand upon his own feet, every one's +personal faith is demanded, every one will give an account for himself +and will bear his own burden [Gal. 6:5], as it is said in the last +chapter of Mark: "He that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; +but he that believeth not, shall be damned." [Mark 16:16] Even so +every one may derive a blessing from the mass for himself alone and +only by his own faith, and no one can commune for any other; just as +the priest cannot administer the sacrament to any one in another's +stead, but administers the same sacrament to each individual by +himself. For in consecrating and administering, the priests are our +ministers, through whom we do not offer a good work or commune (in the +active), but receive the promises and the sign and are communed (in +the passive). That has remained to this day the custom among the +laity, for they are not said to do good, but to receive it. But the +priests have departed into godless ways; out of the sacrament and +testament of God, the source of blessings to be received, they have +made a good work which they may communicate and offer to others. + +But you will say: How is this? Will you not overturn the practice and +teaching of all the churches and monasteries, by virtue of which they +have flourished these many centuries? For the mass is the foundation +of their anniversaries, intercessions, applications, communications, +etc.--that is to say, of their at income. I answer: This is the very +thing that has constrained me to write of the captivity of the Church, +for in this manner the adorable testament of God has been subjected to +the bondage of a godless traffic, through the opinions and traditions +of wicked men, who, passing over the Word of God, have put forth the +thoughts of their own hearts and misled the whole world. What do I +care for the number and influence of those who are in this error? The +truth is mightier than they all. If you are able to gainsay Christ, +according to Whom the mass is a testament and sacrament, then I will +admit that they are in the right. Or if you can bring yourself to say +that that man is doing a good work, who receives the benefit of the +testament, or who uses this sacrament of promise in order to receive +it, then I will gladly condemn my teachings. But since you can do +neither, why do you hesitate to turn your back on the multitude who go +after evil, and to give God the glory and confess His truth? Which is, +indeed, that all priests today are perversely mistaken, who regard the +mass as a work whereby they may relieve their own necessities and +those of others, dead or alive. I am uttering unheard-of and startling +things; but if you will consider the meaning of the mass, you will +realize that I have spoken the truth. The fault lies with our utter +supineness, in which we have become blind to the wrath of God that is +raging against us. + +[Sidenote: The Prayers Distinguished from the Mass] + +I am ready, however, to admit that the prayers which we pour out +before God when we are gathered together to partake of the mass, are +good works or benefits, which we impart, apply and communicate to one +another, and which we offer for one another; as James teaches us to +pray for one another that we may be saved [Jas. 5:16], and as Paul, in +I Timothy ii, commands that supplications, prayers and intercessions +be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in high station +[1 Tim. 2:1 f.]. These are not the mass, but works of the mass--if the +prayers of heart and lips may be called works--for they flow from the +faith that is kindled or increased in the sacrament. For the mass, +being the promise of God, is not fulfilled by praying, but only by +believing; but when we believe, we shall also pray and perform every +good work. But what priest of them all offers the sacrifice of the +mass in this sense and believes that he is offering up naught but the +prayers? They all imagine themselves to be offering up Christ Himself, +as all-sufficient sacrifice, to God the Father, and to be performing a +good work for all whom they have the intention to benefit. For they +put their trust in the work which the mass accomplishes, and they do +not ascribe this work to prayer. Thus, gradually, the error has grown, +until they have come to ascribe to the sacrament what belongs to the +prayers, and to offer to God what should be received as a benefit. + +It is necessary, therefore, to make a sharp distinction between the +testament or sacrament itself and the prayers which are there offered; +and no less necessary to bear in mind that the prayers avail nothing, +either for him who offers them or for those for whom they are offered, +unless the sacrament be first received in faith, so that it is faith +that offers the prayers, for it alone is heard, as James teaches in +his first chapter [Jas. 1:6 f.]. So great is the difference between +prayer and the mass. The prayer may be extended to as many persons as +one desires; but the mass is received by none but the person who +believes for himself, and only in proportion to his faith. It cannot +be given either to God or to men; but God alone gives it, by the +ministration of the priest, to such men as receive it by faith alone, +without any works or merits. For no one would dare to make the mad +assertion that a ragged beggar does a good work when he comes to +receive a gift from a rich man. But the mass is, as has been said[70], +the gift and promise of God, offered to all men by the hand of the +priest. It is certain, therefore, that the mass is not a work which +may be communicated to others, but it is the object, as it is called, +of faith, for the strengthening and nourishing of the personal faith +of each individual. + +[Sidenote: The Most Dangerous Error of All: the Mass a Sacrifice] + +But there is yet another stumbling-block that must be removed, and +this is much greater and the most dangerous of all. It is the common +belief that the mass is a sacrifice, which is offered to God. Even the +words of the canon[71] tend in this direction, when they speak of +"these gifts," "these offerings," "this holy sacrifice," and farther +on, of "this oblation." Prayer also is made, in so many words, "that +the sacrifice may be accepted even as the sacrifice of Abel," etc., +and hence Christ is termed the "Sacrifice of the altar." In addition +to this there are the sayings of the holy Fathers, the great number of +examples, and the constant usage and custom of all the world. + +To all of this, firmly entrenched as it is, we must resolutely oppose +the words and example of Christ. For unless we hold fast to the truth, +that the mass is the promise or testament of Christ, as the words +clearly say, we shall lose the whole Gospel and all our comfort. Let +us permit nothing to prevail against these words, even though an angel +from heaven should teach otherwise [Gal. 1:8]. For there is nothing +said in them of a work or a sacrifice. Moreover, we have also the +example of Christ on our side. For at the Last Supper, when He +instituted this sacrament and established this testament, Christ did +not offer Himself to God the Father, nor did He perform a good work on +behalf of others, but He set this testament before each of them that +sat at table with Him and offered him the sign. Now, the more closely +our mass resembles that first mass of all, which Christ performed at +the Last Supper, the more Christian will it be. But Christ's mass was +most simple, without the pageantry of vestments, genuflections, chants +and other ceremonies. Indeed, if it were necessary to offer the mass +as a sacrifice, then Christ's institution of it was not complete. + +Not that any one should revile the Church universal for embellishing +and amplifying the mass with many additional rites and ceremonies. But +this is what we contend for; no one should be deceived by the glamour +of the ceremonies and entangled in the multitude of pompous forms, and +thus lose the simplicity of the mass itself, and indeed practice a +sort of transubstantiation--losing sight of the simple substance of +the mass and clinging to the manifold accidents of outward pomp. For +whatever has been added to the word and example of Christ, is an +accident of the mass, and ought to be regarded just as we regard the +so-called monstrances and corporal cloths in which the host itself is +contained[72]. Therefore, as distributing a testament, or accepting a +promise, differs diametrically from offering a sacrifice, so it is a +contradiction in terms to call the mass a sacrifice; for the former is +something that we receive, while the latter is something that we +offer. The same thing cannot be received and offered at the same time, +nor can it be both given and taken by the same person; just as little +as our prayer can be the same as that which our prayer obtains, or the +act of praying the same as the act of receiving the answer to our +prayer. + +What shall we say, then, of the canon of the mass[73] and the sayings +of the Fathers? First of all, if there were nothing at all to be said +against them, it would yet be the safer course to reject them all +rather than admit that the mass is a work or a sacrifice, lest we deny +the word of Christ and overthrow faith together with the mass. +Nevertheless, not to reject altogether the canons and the Fathers, we +shall say the following: The Apostle instructs us in I Corinthians xi +that it was customary for Christ's believers, when they came together +to mass, to bring with them meat and drink, which they called +"collections" and distributed among all who were in want [1 Cor. 11:20 +ff.], after the example of the apostles in Acts iv [Acts 4:34 f.]. +From this store was Acts taken the portion of bread and wine that was +consecrated for use in the sacrament[74]. And since all this store of +meat and drink was sanctified by the word and by prayer [1 Tim. 4:5], +being "lifted up" according to the Hebrew rite of which we read in +Moses [Lev. 8:27], the words and the rite of this lifting up, or for +offering, have come down to us, although the custom of collecting that +which was offered, or lifted up, has fallen long since into disuse. +Thus, in Isaiah xxxvii, Hezekiah commanded Isaiah to lift up his +prayer in the sight of God for the remnant [Isa. 37:4]. The Psalmist +sings: "Lift up your hands to the holy places" [Ps. 134:2]; and: "To +Thee will I lift up my hands." [Ps. 63:4] And in I Timothy ii we read: +"Lifting up pure hands in every place." [1 Tim. 2:8] For this reason +the words "sacrifice" and "oblation" must be taken to refer, not to +the sacrament and testament, but to these collections, whence also the +word "collect" has come down to us, as meaning the prayers said in the +mass. + +The same thing is indicated when the priest elevates the bread and the +chalice immediately after the consecration, whereby he shows that he +is not offering anything to God, for he does not say a single word +here about a victim or an oblation. But this elevation is either a +survival of that Hebrew rite of lifting up what was received with +thanksgiving and returned to God, or else it is an admonition to us, +to provoke us to faith in this testament which the priest has set +forth and exhibited in the words of Christ, so that now he shows us +also the sign of the testament. Thus the oblation of the bread +properly accompanies the demonstrative this in the words, "This is my +body," by which sign the priest addresses us gathered about him; and +in like manner the oblation of the chalice accompanies the +demonstrative this in the words, "This chalice is the new testament, +etc." For it is faith that the priest ought to awaken in us by this +act of elevation. And would to God that, as he elevates the sign, or +sacrament, openly before our eyes, he might also sound in our ears the +words of the testament with a loud, clear voice, and in the language +of the people, whatever it may be, in order that faith may be the more +effectively awakened. For why may mass be said in Greek and Latin and +Hebrew, and not also in German or in any other language?[75] + +[Sidenote: Fraternal Advice to the Priests] + +Let the priests, therefore, who in these corrupt and perilous times +offer the sacrifice of the mass, take heed, first, that the words of +the greater and the lesser canon[76] together with the collects, which +smack too strongly of sacrifice, be not referred by them to the +sacrament, but to the bread and wine which they consecrate, or to the +prayers which they say. For the bread and wine are offered at the +first, in order that they may be blessed and thus sanctified by the +Word and by prayer; but after they have been blessed and consecrated, +they are no longer offered, but received as a gift from God. And let +the priest bear in mind that the Gospel is to be set above all canons +and collects devised by men; and the Gospel does not sanction the +calling of the mass a sacrifice, as has been shown. + +Further, when a priest celebrates a public mass, he should determine +to do naught else through the mass than to commune himself and others; +yet he may at the same time offer prayers for himself and for others, +but he must beware lest he presume to offer the mass. But let him that +holds a private mass[77] determine to commune himself. The private +mass does not differ in the least from the ordinary communion which +any layman receives at the hand of the priest, and has no greater +effect, apart from the special prayers and the act that the priest +consecrates the elements for himself and administers them to himself. +So far as the blessing[78] of the mass and sacrament is concerned, we +are all of us on an equal footing, whether we be priests or laymen. + +If a priest be requested by others to celebrate so-called votive +masses[79], let him beware of accepting a reward for the mass, or of +presuming to offer a votive sacrifice; he should be at pains to refer +all to the prayers which he offers for the dead or the living, saying +within himself, "I will go and partake of the sacrament for myself +alone, and while partaking I will say a prayer for this one and that." +Thus he will take his reward--to buy him food and clothing--not for +the mass, but for the prayers. And let him not be disturbed because +all the world holds and practices the contrary. You have the most sure +Gospel, and relying on this you may well despise the opinions of men. +But if you despise me and insist upon offering the mass and not the +prayers alone, know that I have faithfully warned you and will be +without blame on the day of judgment; you will have to bear your sin +alone. I have said what I was bound to say as brother to brother for +his soul's salvation; yours will be the gain if you observe it, yours +the loss if you neglect it. And if some should even condemn what I +have said, I reply in the words of Paul: "But evil men and seducers +shall grow worse and worse: erring and driving into error." [2 Tim. +3:13] + +From the above every one will readily understand what there is in that +oft quoted saying of Gregory's[80]: "A mass celebrated by a wicked +priest is not to be considered of less effect than one celebrated by +any godly priest, and St. Peter's mass would not have been better than +Judas the traitor's, if they had offered the sacrifice of the mass." +Which saying has served many as a cloak to cover their godless doings, +and because of it they have invented the distinction between _opus +operati_ and _opus operantis_[81], so as to be free to lead wicked +lives themselves and yet to benefit other men. But Gregory speaks +truth; only they misunderstand and pervert his words. For it is true +beyond a question, that the testament or sacrament is given and +received through the ministration of wicked priests no less completely +than through the ministration of the most saintly. For who has any +doubt that the Gospel is preached by the ungodly? Now the mass is part +of the Gospel, nay, its sum and substance; for what is the whole +Gospel but the good tidings of the forgiveness of sins? But whatever +can be said of the forgiveness of sins and the mercy of God, is all +briefly comprehended in the word of this testament. Wherefore the +popular sermons ought to be naught else than expositions of the mass, +that is, a setting forth of the divine promise of this testament; that +would be to teach faith and truly to edify the Church. But in our day +the expounders of the mass play with the allegories of human rites and +play the fool with the people. + +Therefore, just as a wicked priest may baptise, that is, apply the +word of promise and the sign of the water to a candidate for baptism, +so he may also set forth the promise of this sacrament and administer +it to those who partake, and even himself partake, like Judas the +traitor, at the Lord's Supper. It still remains always the same +sacrament and testament, which works in the believer its own work, in +the unbeliever a "strange work." [Isa. 28:21] But when it comes to +offering a sacrifice the case is quite different. For not the mass but +the prayers are offered to God, and therefore it is as plain as day +that the offerings of a wicked priest avail nothing, but, as Gregory +says again, when an unworthy intercessor is chosen, the heart of the +judge is moved to greater displeasure. We must, therefore, not +confound these two--the mass and the prayers, the sacrament and the +work, the testament and the sacrifice; for the one comes from God to +us, through the ministration of the priest, and demands our faith, the +other proceeds from our faith to God, through the priest, and demands +His answer. The former descends, the latter ascends. Therefore the +former does not necessarily require a worthy and godly minister, but +the latter does indeed require such an one, because God heareth not +sinners [John 9:31]. He knows how to send down blessings through +evildoers, but He does not accept the work of any evildoer, as He +showed in the case of Cain [Gen. 4:5], and as it is said in Proverbs +xv, "The victims of the wicked are abominable to the Lord" [Prov. +15:8]; and in Romans xiv, "All that is not of faith is sin." [Rom. +14:23] + +[Sidenote: Worthy Communicants] + +But in order to make an end of this first part, we must take up one +remaining point against which an opponent might arise. From all that +has been said we conclude that the mass was provided only for such as +have a sad, afflicted, disturbed, perplexed and erring conscience, and +that they alone commune worthily. For, since the word of divine +promise in this sacrament sets forth the remission of sins, that man +may fearlessly draw near, whoever he be, whose sins distress him, +either with remorse or past or with temptation to future wrongdoing. +For this testament of Christ is the one remedy against sins, past, +present and future, if you but cling to it with unwavering faith and +believe that what the words of the testament declare is freely granted +to you. But if you do not believe this, you will never, nowhere, and +by no works or efforts of your own, find peace of conscience. For +faith alone sets the conscience at peace, and unbelief alone keeps the +conscience troubled. + +THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM + +Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according +to the riches of His mercy hath preserved in His Church this sacrament +at least, untouched and untainted by the ordinances of men, and hath +made it free unto all nations and every estate of mankind, nor +suffered it to be oppressed by the filthy and godless monsters of +greed and superstition. For He desired that by it little children, +incapable of greed and superstition, might be initiated and sanctified +in the simple faith of His Word; for whom even to-day baptism hath its +chief blessing. But if this sacrament were to be given to such as had +arrived at man's estate, methinks it could not possibly have retained +its power and its glory against the tyranny of greed and superstition +which has everywhere laid waste things divine. Doubtless the wisdom of +the flesh would here too have devised its preparations and +worthinesses, its reservations, restrictions, and I know not what +other snares for taking money, until water fetched as high a price as +parchment[82] does now. + +But Satan, though he could not quench the power of baptism in little +children, nevertheless succeeded in quenching it in all adults, so +that there are scarce any who call to mind their baptism and still +fewer who glory in it; so many other ways have they discovered of +ridding themselves of their sins and of reaching heaven. The source of +these false opinions is that dangerous saying of St. +Jerome's[83]--either unhappily phrased or wrongly interpreted--in +which he terms penance "the second plank" after the shipwreck; as if +baptism were not penance. Accordingly, when men fall into sin, they +despair of "the first plank," which is the ship, as though it had gone +under, and fasten all their faith on the second plank, that is, +penance. This has produced those endless burdens of vows, religious +works, satisfactions, pilgrimages, indulgences, and sects[84], whence +has arisen that flood of books, questions, opinions and human +traditions, which the world cannot contain; so that this tyranny plays +worse havoc with the Church of God than any tyrant ever did with the +Jewish people or with any other nation under heaven. + +It was the duty of the pontiffs to abate this evil, and with all +diligence to lead Christians to the true understanding of baptism, so +that they might know what manner of men they are and how it becomes +Christians to live. But instead of this, their work is now to lead the +people as far astray as possible from their baptism, to immerse all +men in the flood of their oppression, and to cause the people of +Christ, as the prophet says, to forget Him days without number [Jer. +2:32]. O unhappy, all who bear the name of priest to-day! They not +only do not know nor do what becometh priests, but they are ignorant +of what they ought to know and do. They fulfil the saying in Isaiah +lvi: "His watch-men are all blind, they are all ignorant: the +shepherds themselves knew no understanding; all have declined into +their own way, every one after his own gain." [Isa. 56:10] + +[Sidenote: The First Part of Baptism: The Divine Promise] + +Now, the first thing in baptism to be considered is the divine +promise, which says: "He that believeth and is baptised shall be +saved." This promise must be set far above all the glitter of works, +vows, religious orders, and whatever man has added thereto; for on it +all our salvation depends [Mark 16:16]. But we must so consider it as +to exercise our faith therein and in nowise doubt that we are saved +when we are baptised. For unless this faith be present or be conferred +in baptism, baptism will profit us nothing, nay, it becomes a +hindrance to us, not only in the moment of its reception, but all the +days of our life; for such unbelief accuses God's promise of being a +lie, and this is the blackest of all sins. If we set ourselves to this +exercise of faith, we shall at once perceive how difficult it is to +believe this promise of God. For our human weakness, conscious of its +sins, finds nothing more difficult to believe than that it is saved or +will be saved; and yet unless it does believe this, it cannot be +saved, because it does not believe the truth of God that promiseth +salvation. + +This message should have been untiringly impressed upon the people and +this promise dinned without ceasing in their ears; their baptism +should have been called again and again to their mind, and faith +constantly awakened and nourished. For, just as the truth of this +divine promise, once pronounced over us, continues unto death, so our +faith in the same ought never to cease, but to be nourished and +strengthened until death, by the continual remembrance of this promise +made to us in baptism. Therefore, when we rise from sins, or repent, +we do but return to the power and the faith of baptism from whence we +fell, and find our way back to the promise then made to us, from which +we departed when we sinned. For the truth of the promise once made +remains steadfast, ever ready to receive us back with open arms when +we return. This, if I mistake not, is the real meaning of the obscure +saying, that baptism is the beginning and foundation of all the +sacraments, without which none of the others may be received. + +It will, therefore, be no small gain or a penitent to lay hold before +all else on the memory of his baptism, confidently to call to mind the +promise of God, which he has forsaken, and to plead it with His Lord, +rejoicing that he is baptised and therefore is yet within the fortress +of salvation, and abhorring his wicked ingratitude in falling away +from its faith and truth. His soul will find wondrous comfort, and +will be encouraged to hope or mercy, when he considers that the divine +promise which God made to him and which cannot possibly lie, still +stands unbroken and unchanged, yea, unchangeable by any sins; as Paul +says in 1I Timothy ii, "If we believe not. He continueth faithful, He +cannot deny Himself." [2 Tim. 2:13] Ay, this truth of God will sustain +him, so that if all else should sink in ruins, this truth, if he +believe it, will not ail him. For in it he has a shield against all +assaults of the enemy, an answer to the sins that disturb his +conscience, an antidote for the dread of death and judgment, and a +comfort in every temptation,--namely, this one truth,--and he can say, +"God is faithful that promised [Heb. 10:23], Whose sign I have +received in my baptism. If God be for me, who is against me?" [Rom. +8:31] + +The children of Israel, whenever they repented of their sins, turned +their thoughts first of all to the exodus from Egypt, and, remembering +this, returned to God Who had brought them out. This memory and this +refuge were many times impressed upon them by Moses, and afterward +repeated by David. How much rather ought we to call to mind our exodus +from Egypt, and, remembering, turn back again to Him Who led us forth +through the washing of regeneration [Titus 3:5], which we are bidden +remember for this very purpose. And this we can do most fittingly in +the sacrament of bread and wine. Indeed, in olden times these three +sacraments--penance, baptism and the bread--were all celebrated at the +same service, and one supplemented and assisted the other. We read +also of a certain holy virgin who in every time of temptation made +baptism her sole defence, saying simply, "I am a Christian"; and +straight-way the adversary led from her, or he knew the power of her +baptism and of her faith which clung to the truth of God's +promise[85]. + +Lo, how rich therefore is a Christian, or one who is baptised! Even if +he would, he cannot lose his salvation, however much he sin, unless he +will not believe. For no sin can condemn him save unbelief alone. All +other sins,--if faith in God's promise made in baptism return or +remain,--all other sins, I say, are immediately blotted out through +that same faith, or rather through the truth of God, because He cannot +deny Himself if you but confess Him and cling believing to Him that +promises. But as for contrition, confession of sins, and +satisfaction[86],--with all those carefully thought-out exercises of +men,--if you turn your attention to them and neglect this truth of +God, they will suddenly fail you and leave you more wretched than +before. For whatever is done without faith in the truth of God, is +vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 1:2, 14]. + +Again, how perilous, nay, how false it is to suppose that penance is +the second plank after the shipwreck! How harmful an error it is to +believe that the power of baptism is broken, and the ship has +foundered, because we have sinned! Nay; that one, solid and unsinkable +ship remains, and is never broken up into floating timbers; it carries +all those who are brought to the harbor of salvation; it is the truth +of God giving us its promise in the sacraments. Many, indeed, rashly +leap overboard and perish in the waves; these are they who depart from +faith in the promise and plunge into sin. But the ship herself remains +intact and holds her steady course; and if one be able somehow to +return to the ship, it is not on any plank but in the good ship +herself that he is borne to life. Such an one is he who through faith +returns to the sure promise of God that abideth forever. Therefore +Peter, in his second epistle, rebukes them that sin, because they have +forgotten that they were purged from their old sins [2 Peter 1:9]; in +which words he doubtless chides their ingratitude or the baptism they +had received and their wicked unbelief. + +What is the good, then, of making many books on baptism and yet not +teaching this faith in the promise? All the sacraments were instituted +for the purpose of nourishing faith, but these godless men so +completely pass over this faith that they even assert a man dare not +be certain of the forgiveness of sins, that is, of the grace of the +sacraments. With such wicked teachings they delude the world, and not +only take captive but altogether destroy the sacrament of baptism, in +which the chief glory of our conscience consists. Meanwhile they madly +rage against the miserable souls of men with their contritions, +anxious confessions, circumstances[87], satisfactions, works and +endless other absurdities. Read, therefore, with great caution the +Master of the Sentences[88] in his fourth book, or, better yet, +despise him together with all his commentators, who at their best +write only of the material and form[87] of the sacraments, that is, +they treat of the dead and death-dealing letter of the sacraments, but +pass over in utter silence the spirit, life and use, that is, the +truth of the divine promise and our faith. + +Beware, therefore, lest the external pomp of works and the deceits of +human traditions mislead you, so that you may not wrong the divine +truth and your faith. If you would be saved, you must begin with the +faith of the sacraments, without any works whatever; but on faith the +works will follow: only do not think lightly of faith, which is a +work, and of all works the most excellent and the most difficult to +do. Through it alone you will be saved, even if you should be +compelled to do without any other works. For it is a work of God, not +of man, as Paul teaches [Eph. 2:8]. The other works He works through +us and with our help, but this one He works in us and without our +help. + +From this we can clearly see the difference, in baptism, between man +the minister and God the Doer. For man baptises and does not baptise: +he baptises, for he performs the work, immersing the person to be +baptised; he does not baptise, for in that act he officiates not by +his own authority, but in the stead of God. Hence, we ought to receive +baptism at the hands of a man just as if Christ Himself, nay, God +Himself, were baptising us with His own hands. For it is not man's +baptism, but Christ's and God's baptism, which we receive by the hand +of a man; just as every other created thing that we make use of by the +hand of another, is God's alone. Therefore beware of dividing baptism +in such a way as to ascribe the outward part to man and the inward +part to God. Ascribe both to God alone, and look upon the person +administering it as the instrument in God's hands, by which the Lord +sitting in heaven thrusts you under the water with His own hands, and +speaking by the mouth of His minister promises you, on earth with a +human voice, the forgiveness of your sins. + +This the words themselves indicate, when the priest says: "I baptise +thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. +Amen"--and not: "I baptise thee in my own name." It is as though he +said: "What I do, I do not by my own authority, but in the name and +stead of God, so that you should regard it just as if our Lord Himself +had done it in a visible manner. The Doer and the minister are +different persons, but the work of both is the same work, or, rather, +it is the work of the Doer alone, through my ministry." For I hold +that "in the name of" refers to the person of the Doer, so that the +name of the Lord is not only to be uttered and invoked while the work +is being done, but the work itself is to be done not as one's own +work, but in the name and stead of another. In this sense Christ says, +"Many shall come in my name," [Matt. 24:5] and in Romans i it is said, +"By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the +faith, in all nations, for His name." [Rom. 1:5] + +This view I heartily endorse; for there is much of comfort and a mighty +aid to faith in the knowledge that one has been baptised not by man, +but by the Triune God Himself through a man acting among us in His +name. This will dispose of that fruitless quarrel about the "form"[90] +of baptism, as these words are called. The Greeks say: "May the +servant of Christ be baptised," while the Latins say: "I baptise." +Others again, pedantic triflers, condemn the use of the words, "I +baptise thee in the name of Jesus Christ"[91]--although it is certain +that the Apostles used this formula in baptising, as we read in the +Acts of the Apostles--and would allow no other form to be valid than +this: "I baptise thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and +of the Holy Ghost." But their contention is in vain, for they bring no +proof, but merely assert their own dreams. Baptism truly saves in +whatever way it is administered, if only it be not administered in the +name of man but of God. Nay, I have no doubt that if one received +baptism in the name of the Lord, even though the wicked minister +should not give it in the name of the Lord, he would yet be truly +baptised in the name of the Lord. For the effect of baptism depends +not so much on the faith or use of him that confers it as on the faith +or use of him that receives it; of which we have an illustration in +the case of the play-actor who was baptised in jest[92]. Such anxious +disputings and questionings are aroused in us by those who ascribe +nothing to faith and everything to works and forms, whereas we owe +everything to faith alone and nothing to forms, and faith makes us +free in spirit from all those scruples and fancies. + +[Sidenote: The Second Part of Baptism: The Sign, or Sacrament] + +The second part of baptism is the sign, or sacrament, which is that +immersion into water whence also it derives its name; for the Greek +_baptizo_ means I immerse, and _baptisma_ means immersion. For, as has +been said[93], signs are added to the divine promises to represent +that which the words signify, for, as they now say, that which the +sacrament "effectively signifies." We shall see how much of truth +there is in this. The great majority have supposed that there is some +hidden spiritual power in the word or in the water, which works the +grace of God in the soul of the recipient. Others deny this and hold +that there is no power in the sacraments, but that grace is given by +God alone, Who according to His covenant aids the sacraments He has +instituted[94]. Yet all are agreed that the sacraments are effective +signs of grace, and they reach this conclusion by this one argument: +If the sacraments of the New Law merely "signified," it would not be +apparent in what respect they surpassed the sacraments of the Old Law. +Hence they have been driven to attribute such great power to the +sacraments of the New Law that in their opinion they benefit even such +men as are in mortal sins, and that they do not require faith or +grace; it is sufficient not to oppose a "bar," that is, an actual +intention to sin again. + +But these views must be carefully avoided and shunned, because they +are godless and infidel, being contrary to faith and to the nature of +the sacraments. For it is an error to hold that the sacraments of the +New Law differ from those of the Old Law in the efficacy of their +"signifying." The "signifying" of both is equally efficacious. The +same God Who now saves me by baptism saved Abel by his sacrifice, Noah +by the bow, Abraham by circumcision, and all the others by their +respective signs. So far as the "signifying" is concerned, there is no +difference between a sacrament of the Old Law and one of the New; +provided that by the Old Law you mean that which God wrought among the +patriarchs and other fathers in the days of the law. But those signs +which were given to the patriarchs and fathers must be sharply +distinguished from the legal types which Moses instituted in his law, +such as the priestly rites concerning robes, vessels, meats, +dwellings, and the like. Between these and the sacraments of the New +Law there is a vast difference, but no less between them and those +signs that God from time to time gave to the fathers living judges +under the law, such as the sign of Gideon's fleece [Judges 6:36], +Manoah's sacrifice [Judges 13:19], or the sign which Isaiah offered to +Ahaz, in Isaiah vii [Isa. 7:10]; for to these signs God attached a +certain promise which required faith in Him. + +This, then, is the difference between the legal types and the new and +old signs--the former have not attached to them any word of promise +requiring faith. Hence they are not signs of justification, for they +are not sacraments of the faith that alone justifies, but only +sacraments of works; their whole power and nature consisted in works, +not in faith, and he that observed them fulfilled them, even if he did +it without faith. But our signs, or sacraments, as well as those of +the fathers, have attached to them a word of promise, which requires +faith, and they cannot be fulfilled by any other work. Hence they are +signs or sacraments of justification, for they are the sacraments of +justifying faith and not of works. Their whole efficacy, therefore, +consists in faith itself, not in the doing of a work; for whoever +believes them fulfils them, even if he should not do a single work. +Whence has arisen the saying, "Not the sacrament but the faith of the +sacrament justifies." Thus circumcision did not justify Abraham and +his seed, and yet the Apostle calls it the seal of the righteousness +of faith [Rom. 4:11], because faith in the promise, to which +circumcision was added, justified him and fulfilled that which +circumcision signified. For faith was the spiritual circumcision of +the foreskin of the heart [Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4], which was +symbolised by the literal circumcision of the flesh. And in the same +manner it was obviously not Abel's sacrifice that justified him, but +it was his faith, by which he offered himself wholly to God and which +was symbolised by the outward sacrifice. + +Even so it is not baptism that justifies or benefits anyone, but it is +faith in the word of promise, to which baptism is added. This faith +justifies, and fulfils that which baptism signifies. For faith is the +submersion of the old man and the emerging of the new. Therefore it +cannot be that the new sacraments differ from the old, for both have +the divine promise and the same spirit of faith; although they do +differ vastly from the olden types on account of the word of promise, +which is the one decisive point of difference. Even so, to-day, the +outward show of vestments, holy places, meats and of all the endless +ceremonies has doubtless a fine symbolical meaning, which is to be +spiritually fulfilled; and yet because there is no word of divine +promise attached to these things, they can in nowise be compared with +the signs of baptism and of the bread, nor do they in any way justify +or benefit one, since they are fulfilled in the very observance, apart +from faith. For while they are taking place or are being performed, +they are being fulfilled; as the Apostle says of them, in Colossians +ii, "Which are all to perish with the using, after the commandments +and doctrines of men." [Col. 2:22] The sacraments, on the contrary, +are not fulfilled when they are observed, but when they are believed. + +It cannot be true, therefore, that there is in the sacraments a power +efficacious for justification, or that they are effective signs of +grace[95]. All such assertions tend to destroy faith, and arise from +ignorance of the divine promise. Unless you should call them effective +in the sense that they certainly and efficaciously impart grace, where +faith is unmistakably present. But it is not in this sense that +efficacy is now ascribed to them; as witness the act that they are +said to benefit all men, even the godless and unbelieving, provided +they do not oppose a "bar"--as if such unbelief were not in itself the +most obstinate and hostile of all bars to grace. So firmly bent are +they on turning the sacrament into a command, and faith into a work. +For if the sacrament confers grace on me because I receive it, then +indeed I obtain grace by virtue of my work and not of faith; I lay +hold not on the promise in the sacrament, but on the sign instituted +and commanded by God. Do you not see, then, how completely the +sacraments have been misunderstood by our sententious theologians?[96] +They have taken no account, in their discussions on the sacraments, of +either faith or the promise, but cling only to the sign and the use of +the sign, and draw us away from faith to the work, from the word to +the sign. Thus they have not only carried the sacraments captive (as I +have said)[97], but have completely destroyed them, as far as they +were able. + +Therefore, let us open our eyes and learn to give more heed to the +word than to the sign[98], and to faith than to the work, for the use +of the sign, remembering that wherever there is a divine promise there +faith is required, and that these two are so necessary to each other +that neither can be efficacious apart from the other. For it is not +possible to believe unless there be a promise, and the promise is not +established unless it be believed. But where these two meet, they give +a real and most certain efficacy to the sacraments. Hence, to seek the +efficacy of the sacrament apart from the promise and apart from faith, +is to labor in vain and to ind damnation. Thus Christ says: "He that +believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; he that believe not shall +be damned." [Mark 16:16] He shows us in this word that faith is so +necessary a part of the sacrament that it can save even without the +sacrament; for which reason He did not see it to say: "He that +believeth not, _and is not baptised_. . ." + +Baptism, then, signifies two things--death and resurrection; that is, +full and complete justification. The minister's immersing the child in +the water signifies death; his drawing it forth again signifies life. +Thus Paul expounds it in Romans vi, "We are buried together with +Christ by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by +the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life." +[Rom. 6:4] This death and resurrection we call the new creation, +regeneration, and the spiritual birth. And this must not be understood +only in a figurative sense, of the death of sin and the life of grace, +as many understand it, but of actual death and resurrection. The +significance of baptism is not an imaginary significance, and sin does +not completely die, nor does grace completely rise, until the body of +sin that we carry about in this life is destroyed; as the Apostle +teaches in the same chapter [Rom. 6:6]. For as long as we are in the +flesh, the desires of the flesh stir and are stirred. Wherefore, as +soon as ever we begin to believe, we also begin to die to this world +and to live unto God in the life to come; so that faith is truly a +death and a resurrection, that is, it is that spiritual baptism in +which we go under and come forth. + +Hence it is indeed correct to say that baptism is a washing from sins, +but that expression is too weak and mild to bring out the full +significance of baptism, which is rather a symbol of death and +resurrection. For this reason I would have the candidates for baptism +completely immersed in the water, as the word[99] says and as the +sacrament signifies. Not that I deem this necessary, but it were well +to give to so perfect and complete a things a perfect and complete +sign; thus it was also doubtless instituted by Christ. The sinner does +not so much need to be washed as he needs to die, in order to be +wholly renewed and made another creature, and to be conformed to the +death and resurrection of Christ, with Whom, through baptism, he dies +and rises again. Although you may properly say that Christ was washed +clean of mortality when He died and rose again, yet that is a weaker +way of putting it than if you said He was completely changed and +renewed. In the same way it is far more forceful to say that baptism +signifies our utter dying and rising to eternal life, than to say that +it signifies merely our being washed clean from sins. + +Here, again, you see that the sacrament of baptism, even in respect to +its sign, is not the matter of a moment, but continues for all time. +Although its administration is soon over, yet the thing it +signifies[100] continues until we die, nay, until we rise at the last +day. For as long as we live we are continually doing that which our +baptism signifies,--we die and rise again. We die, that is, not only +spiritually and in our affections, by renouncing the sins and vanities +of this world, but we die in very truth, we begin to leave this bodily +life and to lay hold on the life to come; so that there is, as they +say, a real and even a bodily going out of this world to the Father. + +We must, therefore, beware of those who have reduced the power of +baptism to such a vanishing point as to say that the grace of God is +indeed inpoured in baptism, but afterwards poured out again through +sin, and that thereupon one must reach heaven by another way; as if +baptism had then become entirely useless. Do not you hold to such a +view, but know that baptism signifies your dying and living again, and +therefore, whether it be by penance or by any other way, you can but +return to the power of your baptism, and do afresh that which you were +baptised to do and which your baptism signified. Never does baptism +lose its power, unless you despair and refuse to return to its +salvation. You may, indeed, or a season wander away from the sign, but +that does not make the sign of none effect. You have, thus, been +baptised once in the sacrament, but you must be constantly baptised +again through faith, you must constantly die, you must constantly live +again. Baptism swallowed up your whole body, and gave it forth again; +even so that which baptism signifies[101] should swallow up your whole +life in body and soul, and give it forth again at the last day, clad +in robes of glory and immortality. We are, therefore, never without +the sign of baptism nor yet without the thing it signifies; nay, we +must be baptised ever more and more completely, until we perfectly +fulfil the sign, at the last day. + +Therefore, whatever we do in this life that avails for the mortifying +of the flesh and the giving life to the spirit, belongs to baptism; +and the sooner we depart this life the sooner do we fulfil our +baptism, and the greater our sufferings the more closely do we conform +to our baptism. Hence those were the Church's halcyon days, when the +martyrs were being killed every day and accounted as sheep for the +slaughter [Ps. 44:22; Rom. 8:36]; for then the power of baptism +reigned supreme in the Church, which power we have to-day lost sight +of amid the multitude of works and doctrines of men. For all our life +should be baptism, and the fulfilling of the sign, or sacrament, of +baptism; we have been set free from all else and wholly given over to +baptism alone, that is, to death and resurrection. + +[Sidenote: The Glorious Liberty of the Baptised] + +This glorious liberty of ours, and this understanding of baptism have +been carried captive in our day; and whom have we to thank for this +but the Roman pontiff with his despotism? More than all others, it was +his first duty, as chief shepherd, to preach and defend this liberty +and this knowledge, as Paul says in I Corinthians: "Let a man so +account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the +mysteries, or sacraments[101], of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Instead of this, +he seeks only to oppress us with his decrees and his laws, and to +enslave and ensnare us in the tyranny of his power. By what right, in +God's name, does the pope impose his laws upon us? to say nothing of +his wicked and damnable neglect to teach these mysteries. Who gave him +power to despoil us of this liberty, granted us in baptism? One thing +only (as I have said)[103] has been enjoined upon us all the days of +our life,--to be baptised; that is, to be put to death and to live +again, through faith in Christ; and this faith alone should have been +taught, especially by the chief shepherd. But now there is not a word +said about faith, and the Church is laid waste with endless laws +concerning works and ceremonies; the power and right understanding of +baptism are put by, and faith in Christ is prevented. + +Therefore I say: Neither pope nor bishop nor any other man has the +right to impose a single syllable of law upon a Christian man without +his consent; and if he does, it is done in the spirit of tyranny. +Therefore the prayers, fasts, donations, and whatever else the pope +decrees and demands in all of his decretals, as numerous as they are +iniquitous, he demands and decrees without any right whatever; and he +sins against the liberty of the Church whenever he attempts any such +thing. Hence it has come to pass that the churchmen of our day are +indeed such vigorous defenders of the liberty of the Church, that is, +of wood and stone, of land and rents--for "churchly" is nowadays the +same as "spiritual"--yet with such fictions they not only take captive +but utterly destroy the true liberty of the Church, and deal with us +far worse than the Turk, in opposition to the word of the Apostle, "Be +not made the bondslaves of men." [1 Cor. 7:23] For, verily, to be +subjected to their statutes and tyrannical laws is to be made the +bondslaves of men. + +This impious and desperate tyranny is fostered by the pope's +disciples, who here drag in and pervert that saying of Christ, "He +that heareth you heareth me." [Luke 10:16] With puffed cheeks they +blow up this saying to a great size in support of their traditions. +Though Christ spake it to the apostles when they went forth to preach +the Gospel, and though it applies solely to the Gospel, they pass over +the Gospel and apply it only to their fables. He says in John x: "My +sheep hear my voice, but the voice of a stranger they hear not" [John +10:27]; and to this end He left us the Gospel, that His voice might be +uttered by the pontiffs. But they utter their own voice, and +themselves desire to be heard. Moreover, the Apostle says that he was +not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospel [1 Cor. 1:17]. Therefore, +no one is bound to the traditions of the pope, nor does he need to +give ear to him unless he teaches the Gospel and Christ, and the pope +should teach nothing but faith without any restrictions. But since +Christ says, "He that heareth you heareth me," [Luke 10:16] and does +not say to Peter only, "He that heareth thee"; why does not the pope +also hear others? In fine, where there is true faith, there must also +be the word of faith. Why then does not an unbelieving pope now and +then hear a believing servant of his, who has the word of faith? It is +blindness, sheer blindness, that holds the popes in its power. + +But others, more shameless still, arrogantly ascribe to the pope the +power to make laws, on the basis of Matthew xvi, "Whatsoever thou +shalt bind," [Matt. 16:19] etc., though Christ treats in this passage +of binding and loosing sins, not of taking the whole Church captive +and oppressing it with laws. So this tyranny treats everything with +its own lying words and violently wrests and perverts the words of +God. I admit indeed that Christians ought to bear this accursed +tyranny just as they would bear any other violence of this world, +according to Christ's word: "If one strike thee on thy right cheek, +turn to him also the other." [Matt. 5:39] But this is my +complaint,--that the godless pontiffs boastfully claim the right to do +this, that they pretend to be seeking the Church's welfare with this +Babylon of theirs, and that they foist this fiction upon all mankind. +For if they did these things, and we suffered their violence, well +knowing, both of us, that it was godlessness and tyranny, then we +might number it among the things that tend to the mortifying of this +life and the fulfilling of our baptism, and might with a good +conscience glory in the inflicted injury. But now they seek to deprive +us of this consciousness of our liberty, and would have us believe +that what they do is well done, and must not be censured or complained +of as wrongdoing. Being wolves, they masquerade as shepherds; being +anti-christs, they would be honored as Christ. + +Solely in behalf of this freedom of conscience, I lift my voice and +confidently cry: No laws may by any right be laid upon Christians, +whether by men or angels, without their consent; for we are free from +all things. And if any laws are laid upon us, we must bear them in +such a way as to preserve the consciousness of our liberty, and know +and certainly affirm that the making of such laws is an injustice, +which we will bear and glory in, giving heed not to justify the tyrant +nor yet to rebel against his tyranny. "For who is he," says Peter, +"that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" [1 +Pet. 3:13] "All things work together or good to the elect." [Rom. +8:28] + +Nevertheless, since but few know this glory of baptism and the +blessedness of Christian liberty, and cannot know them because of the +tyranny of the pope, I for one will clear my skirts and salve my +conscience by bringing this charge against the pope and all his +papists: Unless they will abolish their laws and traditions, and +restore to Christ's churches their liberty and have it taught among +them, they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this +miserable captivity, and the papacy is of a truth the kingdom of +Babylon, yea, of very Antichrist! For who is "the man of sin" and "the +son of perdition" [2 Thess. 2:3 f.] but he that with his doctrines and +his laws increases sins and the perdition of souls in the Church, +while he sitteth in the Church as if he were God? All this the papal +tyranny has fulfilled, and more than fulfilled, these many centuries; +it has extinguished faith, obscured the sacraments and oppressed the +Gospel; but its own laws, which are not only impious and sacrilegious, +but even barbarous and foolish, it has enjoined and multiplied world +without end. + +Behold, then, our miserable captivity; how the city doth sit solitary +that was full of people! How the mistress of the Gentiles is become as +a widow: the princess of provinces made tributary! There is none to +comfort her, all her friends have despised her. [Lament. 1:1 f.] So +many orders, so many rites, so many sects, so many professions, +exertions and works, in which Christians are engaged, until they lose +sight of their baptism, and for this swarm of locusts, cankerworms and +caterpillars [Joel 1:4] not one of them is able to remember that he is +baptised or what blessings his baptism brought him. We should be even +as little children, newly baptised, who are engaged in no efforts and +no works, but are free in every way, secure and saved solely through +the glory of their baptism. For we are indeed little children, +continually baptised anew in Christ. + +[Sidenote: Infant Baptism] + +In contradiction of what has been said, some will perhaps point to the +baptism of infants, who do not grasp the promise of God and cannot +have the faith of baptism; so that either faith is not necessary or +else infant baptism is without effect. Here I say what all say: +Infants are aided by the faith of others, namely, those who bring them +to baptism[104]. For the Word of God is powerful, when it is uttered, +to change even a godless heart, which is no less deaf and helpless +than any infant. Even so the infant is changed, cleansed and renewed +by inpoured faith, through the prayer of the Church that presents it +for baptism and believes, to which prayer all things are possible +[Mark 9:23]. Nor should I doubt that even a godless adult might be +changed, in any of the sacraments, if the same Church prayed and +presented him; as we read in the Gospel of the man sick of the palsy, +who was healed through the faith of others [Matt. 9:1 ff.]. I should +be ready to admit that in this sense the sacraments of the New Law are +efficacious to confer grace, not only to those who do not, but even to +those who do most obstinately, oppose a bar[105]. What obstacle will +not the faith of the Church and the prayer of faith remove? Do we not +believe that Stephen by this powerful means converted Paul the +Apostle? But then the sacraments accomplish what they do not by their +own power, but by the power of faith, without which they accomplish +nothing at all, as has been said[106]. + +There remains the question, whether it is right to baptise an infant +not yet born, with only a hand or a foot presenting. Here I will +decide nothing hastily, and confess my ignorance. I am not sure +whether the reason given by some is sufficient,--that the soul resides +in its entirety in every part of the body; or it is not the soul but +the body that is externally baptised with water. Nor do I share the +view of others, that he who is not yet born cannot be born again, even +though it has considerable force. I leave these matters to the +teaching of the Spirit, and meanwhile permit every one to abound in +his own sense [Rom. 14:15 (Vulg.)]. + +[Sidenote: Vows and the Baptismal Vow] + +One thing I will add--and would to God I might persuade all to do +it!--viz., completely to abolish or avoid all vows, be they vows to +enter religious orders, to make pilgrimages or to do any works +whatsoever, that we may remain in the liberty of our baptism, which is +the most religious and rich in works. It is impossible to say how +greatly that widespread delusion of vows lowers baptism and obscures +the knowledge of Christian liberty; to say nothing now of the +unspeakable and infinite peril of souls which that mania for making +vows and that ill-advised rashness daily increase. O most godless +pontiffs and unhappy pastors, who slumber on unheeding and indulge +your evil lusts, without pity or this "affliction of Joseph," [Amos +6:4-6] so dreadful and fraught with peril! + +Vows should either be abolished by a general edict, particularly such +as are taken for life, and all men diligently recalled to the vows of +baptism, or else everyone should be warned not to take a vow rashly, +and no one encouraged to do so, nay, permission be given only with +difficulty and reluctance. For we have vowed enough in baptism, nay, +more than we can ever fulfil; if we give ourselves to the keeping of +this one vow, we shall have all we can do. But now we compass earth +and sea to make many proselytes [Matt. 23:15]; we fill the world with +priests, monks and nuns, and imprison them all in life-long vows. You +will find those who argue and decide that a work done in fulfilment of +a vow ranks higher than one done without a vow, and is to be rewarded +with I know not what great rewards in heaven. Blind and godless +Pharisees, who measure righteousness and holiness by the greatness, +number or other quality of the works! But God measures them by faith +alone, and with Him there is no difference between works except that +which is wrought by faith. + +With such bombast these wicked men advertise their inventions and puff +up human works, to lure on the unthinking populace, who are almost +always led by the glitter of works to make shipwreck of their faith, +to forget their baptism and do despite to their Christian liberty. For +a vow is a kind of law or requirement; therefore, when vows are +multiplied, laws and works are necessarily multiplied, and when this +is done, faith is extinguished and the liberty of baptism taken +captive. Others, not content with these wicked allurements, add yet +this and say that entrance into a religious order is a new +baptism[107], as it were, which may afterward be repeated as often as +the purpose to live the religious life is renewed. Thus these +"votaries" have appropriated to themselves all righteousness, +salvation and glory, and let to those who are merely baptised nothing +to compare with them. Nay, the Roman pontiff, that fountain and source +of all superstitions, confirms, approves and adorns this mode of life +with high-sounding bulls and dispensations, while no one deems baptism +worthy of even a thought. And with such glittering pomp (as we have +said)[108] they drive the easily led people of Christ into certain +disaster, so that in their ingratitude toward baptism they presume to +achieve greater things by their works than others achieve by their +faith. + +Therefore, God again shows Himself froward to the froward [Ps. 18:26], +and to repay the makers of vows for their ingratitude and pride, +causes them to break their vows or to keep them only with prodigious +labor; to remain sunk in them, never coming to the knowledge of the +grace of faith and baptism; to continue in their hypocrisy unto the +end--since their spirit is not approved of God--and at last to become +a laughing-stock to the whole world, ever ensuing righteousness and +never attaining unto righteousness; so that they fulfil the word of +Isaiah: "The land is full of idols." [Isa. 2:8] + +I am indeed far from forbidding or discouraging any one who may desire +to take a vow privately and of his own free choice; for I would not +altogether despise and condemn vows. But I would most strongly advise +against setting up and sanctioning the making of vows as a public mode +of life. It is enough that every one should have the private right to +take a vow at his peril; but to commend the vowing of vows as a public +mode of life--this I hold to be most harmful to the Church and to +simple souls. And I hold this, first, because it runs directly counter +to the Christian life; for a vow is a certain ceremonial law and a +human tradition or presumption, and from these the Christian has been +set free through baptism. For a Christian is subject to no laws but +the law of God. Again, there is no instance in Scripture of such a +vow, especially of life-long chastity, obedience and poverty[109]. But +whatever is without warrant of Scripture is hazardous and should by no +means be commended to any one, much less established as a common and +public mode of life, although whoever will must be permitted to make +the venture at his own peril. For certain works are wrought by the +Spirit in a few men, but they must not be made an example or a mode of +life or all. + +Moreover, I greatly fear that these modes of life of the religious +orders belong to those things which the Apostle foretold: "They shall +teach a life in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, +which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving." [1 Tim. 4:2 +f.] Let no one retort by pointing to Sts. Bernard, Francis, Dominic +and others, who founded or fostered monastic orders. Terrible and +marvelous is God in His counsels toward the sons of men. He could keep +Daniel, Ananias, Azarias and Misael holy at the court of the king of +Babylon [Dan 1:6 ff.], that is, in the midst of godlessness; why could +He not sanctify those men also in their perilous mode of living or +guide them by the special operation of His Spirit, yet without +desiring it to be an example to others? Besides, it is certain that +none of them was saved through his vows and his "religious" life; they +were saved through faith alone, by which all men are saved, and with +which that splendid slavery of vows is more than anything else in +conflict. + +But every one may hold to his own view of this [Rom. 14:5]. I will +return to my argument. Speaking now in behalf of the Church's liberty +and the glory of baptism, I feel myself in duty bound publicly to set +forth the counsel I have learned under the Spirit's guidance. I +therefore counsel the magnates of the churches, first of all, to +abolish all those vows, or at least not to approve and extol them. If +they will not do this, then I counsel all men who would be assured of +their salvation, to abstain from all vows, above all from the great +and life-long vows; I give this counsel especially to all growing boys +and youths. This I do, first, because this manner of life has no +witness or warrant in the Scriptures, as I have said, but is puffed up +solely by the bulls (and they truly are "bulls")[110] of human popes. +And, secondly, because it greatly tends to hypocrisy, by reason of its +outward show and its unusual character, which engender conceit and a +contempt of the common Christian life. And if there were no other +reason for abolishing these vows, this one were reason enough, namely, +that through them, faith and baptism are slighted and works are +exalted, which cannot be done without harmful results. For in the +religious orders there is scarce one in many thousands, who is not +more concerned about works than about faith, and on the basis of this +madness they have even made distinctions among themselves, such as +"the more strict" and "the more lax," as they call them[111]. + +Therefore I advise no one to enter any religious order or the +priesthood--nay, I dissuade everyone--unless he be forearmed with this +knowledge and understand that the works of monks and priests, be they +never so holy and arduous, differ no whit in the sight of God from the +works of the rustic toiling in the field or the woman going about her +household tasks, but that all works are measured before Him by faith +alone; as Jeremiah says: "O Lord, thine eyes are upon faith" [Jer. +5:3]; and Ecclesiasticus: "In every work of thine regard thy soul in +faith: for this is the keeping of the commandments." [Eccles. 32:27] +Nay, he should know that the menial housework of a maidservant or +manservant is ofttimes more acceptable to God than all the fastings +and other works of a monk or a priest, because the latter lacks faith. +Since, therefore, vows seem to tend nowadays only to the glorification +of works and to pride, it is to be feared that there is nowhere less +of faith and of the Church than among the priests, monks and bishops, +and that these men are in truth heathen or hypocrites, who imagine +themselves to be the Church or the heart of the Church, and +"spiritual," and the Church's leaders, when they are everything else +but that. And it is to be feared that this is indeed "the people of +the captivity," [Ps. 64:1 (Vulg.)] among whom all things freely given +us in baptism are held captive, while "the people of the earth" are +left behind in poverty and in small numbers, and, as is the lot of +married folk, appear vile in their eyes[112]. + +[Sidenote: Papal Dispensations and their Inconsistency] + +From what has been said we learn that the Roman pontiff is guilty of +two glaring errors. In the first place, he grants dispensations from +vows[113], and does it as though he alone of all Christians possessed +this authority; such is the temerity and audacity of wicked men. If it +be possible to grant a dispensation from a vow, then any brother may +grant one to his neighbor or even to himself. But if one's neighbor +cannot grant a dispensation, neither can the pope by any right. For +whence has he his authority? From the power of the keys? But the keys +belong to all, and avail only for sins (Matthew xviii) [Matt. 18:15 +ff.][114]. Now they themselves claim that vows are "of divine right." +Why then does the pope deceive and destroy the poor souls of men by +granting dispensations in matters of divine right, in which no +dispensations can be granted? He babbles indeed, in the section "Of +vows and their redemption,"[115] of having the power to change vows, +just as in the law the firstborn of an ass was changed or a sheep +[Ex.13:13]--as if the firstborn of an ass, and the vow he commands to +be everywhere and always offered, were one and the same thing, or as +if when God decrees in His law that a sheep shall be changed or an +ass, the pope, a mere man, may straightway claim the same power, not +in his own law but in God's! It was not a pope, but an ass changed for +a pope[116], that made this decretal; so egregiously senseless and +godless is it. + +The other error is this. The pope decrees, on the other hand, that +marriage is dissolved if one party enter a monastery even without the +consent of the other, provided the marriage be not yet consummated. +Gramercy, what devil puts such monstrous things into the pope's mind! +God commands men to keep faith and not break their word to one +another, and again, to do good with that which is their own; for He +hates "robbery in a holocaust," [Isa. 61:8] as he says by the mouth of +Isaiah. But one spouse is bound by the marriage contract to keep faith +with the other, and he is not his own. He cannot break his faith by +any right, and whatever he does with himself is robbery if it be +without the other's consent. Why does not one who is burdened with +debts follow this same rule and obtain admission to an order, so as to +be released from his debts and be free to break his word? O more than +blind! Which is greater; the faith commanded by God or a vow devised +and chosen by man? Thou art a shepherd of souls, O pope? And ye that +teach such things are doctors of sacred theology? Why then do ye teach +them? Because, forsooth, ye have decked out your vow as a better work +than marriage, and do not exalt faith, which alone exalts all things, +but ye exalt works, which are naught in the sight of God, or which are +all alike so far as any merit is concerned[117]. + +I have no doubt, therefore, that neither men nor angels can grant a +dispensation from vows, if they be proper vows. But I am not fully +clear in my own mind whether all the things that men nowadays vow come +under the head of vows. For instance, it is simply foolish and stupid +for parents to dedicate their children, before birth or in early +infancy, to "the religious life," or to perpetual chastity; nay, it is +certain that this can by no means be termed a vow. It seems a mockery +of God to vow things which it is not at all in one's power to keep. As +to the triple vow of the monastic orders, the longer I consider it, +the less I comprehend it, and I marvel whence the custom of exacting +this vow has arisen. Still less do I understand at what age vows may +be taken in order to be legal and valid. I am pleased to find them +unanimously agreed that vows taken before the age of puberty are not +valid. Nevertheless, they deceive many young children who are ignorant +both of their age and of what they are vowing; they do not observe the +age of puberty in receiving such children, who after making their +profession are held captive and devoured by a troubled conscience, as +though they had afterward given their consent. As if a vow which was +invalid could afterward become valid with the lapse of time. + +It seems absurd to me that the terms of a legal vow should be +prescribed to others by those who cannot prescribe them for +themselves. Nor do I see why a vow taken at eighteen years of age +should be valid, and not one taken at ten or twelve years. It will not +do to say that at eighteen a man feels his carnal desires. How is it +when he scarcely feels them at twenty or thirty, or when he feels them +more keenly at thirty than at twenty? Why do they not also set a +certain age-limit or the vows of poverty and obedience? But at what +age will you say a man should feel his greed and pride? Even the most +spiritual hardly become aware of these emotions. Therefore, no vow +will ever become binding and valid until we have become spiritual, and +no longer have any need of vows. You see, these are uncertain and +perilous matters, and it would therefore be a wholesome counsel to +leave such lofty modes of living, unhampered by vows, to the Spirit +alone, as they were of old, and by no means to change them into a rule +binding or life. But let this suffice for the present concerning +baptism and its liberty; in due time[118] I may treat of the vows at +greater length. Of a truth they stand sorely in need of it. + +THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE + +We come in the third place to the sacrament of penance. On this +subject I have already given no little offence by my published +treatises and disputations[119], in which I have amply set forth my +views. These I must now briefly rehearse, in order to unmask the +tyranny that is rampant here no less than in the sacrament of the +bread. For because these two sacraments furnish opportunity for gain +and profit, the greed of the shepherds rages in them with incredible +zeal against the flock of Christ; although baptism, too, has sadly +declined among adults and become the servant of avarice, as we have +just seen in our discussion of vows. + +[Sidenote: The Abuse of Penance] + +This is the first and chief abuse of this sacrament: They have utterly +abolished the sacrament itself, so that there penance is not a vestige +of it left. For they have overthrown both the word of divine promise +and our faith, in which this as well as other sacraments consists. +They have applied to their tyranny the word of promise which Christ +spake in Matthew xvi, "Whatsoever thou shalt bind," etc. [Matt. +16:19], in Matthew xviii, "Whatsoever ye shall bind," [Matt. 18:18] +etc., and in John, the last chapter, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they +are remitted unto them," [John 20:23] etc. In these words the faith of +penitents is aroused, to the obtaining of remission of sins. But in +all their writing, teaching and preaching their sole concern has been, +not to teach Christians what is promised in these words or what they +ought to believe and what great comfort they might find in them, but +only to extend their own tyranny far and wide through force and +violence, until it has come to such a pass that some of them have +begun to command the very angels in heaven[120] and to boast in +incredible mad wickedness of having in these words obtained the right +to a heavenly and an earthly rule, and of possessing the power to bind +even in heaven. Thus they say nothing of the saving faith of the +people, but babble only of the despotic power of the pontiffs, whereas +Christ speaks not at all of power, but only of faith. + +For Christ hath not ordained principalities or powers or lordships, +but ministries, in the Church; as we learn from the Apostle, who says: +"Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the +dispensers of the mysteries of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Now when He said: +"He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved," [Mark 16:16] He +called forth the faith of those to be baptised, so that by this word +of promise a man might be certain of being saved if he believed and +was baptised. In that word there is no impartation of any power +whatever, but only the institution of the ministry of those who +baptise. Similarly, when He says here: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind," +etc. [Matt. 16:19], He calls forth the faith of the penitent, so that +by this word of promise he may be certain of being truly absolved in +heaven, if he be absolved and believe. Here there is no mention at all +of power, but of the ministry of him that absolves. It is a wonder +these blind and overbearing men missed the opportunity of arrogating a +despotic power to themselves from the promise of baptism. But if they +do not do this in the case of baptism, why should they have presumed +to do it in the case of the promise of penance? For in both there is a +like ministry, a similar promise, and the same kind of sacrament. So +that, if baptism does not belong to Peter alone, it is undeniably a +wicked usurpation of power to claim the keys for the pope alone. +Again, when Christ says: "Take, eat; this is my body, which is given +or you. Take, drink; this is the chalice in my blood," etc. [1 Cor. +11:24 f.], He calls forth the faith of those who eat, so that through +these words their conscience may be strengthened by faith and they may +rest assured of receiving the forgiveness of sins, if they have eaten. +Here, too, He says nothing of power, but only of a ministry. + +Thus the promise of baptism remains in some sort, at least to infants; +the promise of bread and the cup has been destroyed and made +subservient to greed, faith becoming a work and the testament a +sacrifice; while the promise of penance has fallen prey to the most +oppressive despotism of all and serves to establish a more than +temporal rule. + +Not content with these things, this Babylon of ours has so completely +extinguished faith that it insolently denies its necessity in this +sacrament; nay, with the wickedness of Antichrist it calls it heresy +if any one should assert its necessity. What more could this tyranny +do that it has not done? [Isa. 5:4] Verily, by the rivers of Babylon +we sit and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion. We hang our harps upon +the willows in the midst thereof. [Ps. 137:1, 2] The Lord curse the +barren willows of those streams! Amen. + +Now let us see what they have put in the place of the promise and the +faith which they have blotted out and overthrown. Three parts have +they made of penance,--contrition, confession, and satisfaction; yet +so as to destroy whatever of good there might be in any of them and to +establish here also their covetousness and tyranny. + +[Sidenote: I. Contrition.] + +In the first place, they teach that contrition precedes faith in the +promise; they hold it much too cheap[121], making it not a work of +faith, but a merit; nay, they do not mention it at all. So deep are +they sunk in works and in those instances of Scripture that show how +many obtained grace by reason of their contrition and humility of +heart; but they take no account of the faith which wrought such +contrition and sorrow of heart, as it is written of the men of Nineveh +in Jonah iii, "And the men of Nineveh believed in God: and they +proclaimed a fast," [Jonah 3:5] etc. Others, again, more bold and +wicked, have invented a so-called "attrition," which is converted into +contrition by virtue of the power of the keys, of which they know +nothing[122]. This attrition they grant to the wicked and unbelieving +and thus abolish contrition altogether. O the intolerable wrath of +God, that such things should be taught in the Church of Christ! Thus, +with both faith and its work destroyed, we go on secure in the +doctrines and opinions of men--yea, we go on to our destruction. A +contrite heart is a precious thing, but it is found only where there +is a lively faith in the promises and the threats of God. Such faith, +intent on the immutable truth of God, startles and terrifies the +conscience and thus renders it contrite, and afterwards, when it is +contrite, raises it up, consoles and preserves it; so that the truth +of God's threatening is the cause of contrition, and the truth of His +promise the cause of consolation, if it be believed. By such faith a +man merits the forgiveness of sins. Therefore faith should be taught +and aroused before all else; and when faith is obtained, contrition +and consolation will follow inevitably and of themselves. + +Therefore, although there is something of truth in their teaching that +contrition is to be attained by what they call the recollection and +contemplation of sins, yet their teaching is perilous and perverse so +long as they do not teach first of all the beginning and cause of +contrition,--the immutable truth of God's threatening and promise, to +the awakening of faith,--so that men may learn to pay more heed to the +truth of God, whereby they are cast down and lifted up, than to the +multitude of their sins, which will rather irritate and increase the +sinful desires than lead to contrition, if they be regarded apart from +the truth of God. I will say nothing now of the intolerable burden +they have bound upon us with their demand that we should frame a +contrition for every sin. That is impossible; we can know only the +smaller part of our sins, and even our good works are found to be +sins, according to Psalm cxliii, "Enter not into judgment with thy +servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." [Ps. +143:2] It is enough to lament the sins which at the present moment +distress our conscience, as well as those which we can readily call to +mind. Whoever is in this frame of mind is without doubt ready to +grieve and fear for all his sins, and will do so whenever they are +brought to his knowledge in the future. + +Beware, then, of putting your trust in your own contrition and of +ascribing the forgiveness of sins to your own sorrow. God does not +have respect to you because of that, but because of the faith by which +you have believed His threatenings and promises, and which wrought +such sorrow within you. Thus we owe whatever of good there may be in +our penance, not to our scrupulous enumeration of sins, but to the +truth of God and to our faith. All other things are the works and +fruits of this, which follow of their own accord, and do not make a +man good, but are done by a man already made good through faith in the +truth of God. Even so, "a smoke goeth up in His wrath, because He is +angry and troubleth the mountains and kindleth them," [Ps. 18:8] as it +is said in Psalm xviii. First comes the terror of His threatening, +which burns up the wicked, then faith, accepting this, sends up the +cloud of contrition, etc. + +[Sidenote: 2. Confession] + +Contrition, however, is less exposed to tyranny and gain than wholly +given over to wickedness and pestilent teaching. But confession and +satisfaction have become the chief workshop of greed and violence. Let +us first take up confession. There is no doubt that confession is +necessary and commanded of God. Thus we read in Matthew iii: "They +were baptised of John in Jordan, confessing their sins." [Matt. 3:6] +And in I John i: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to +forgive us our sins. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a +liar, and his word is not in us." [1 John 1:9 f.] If the saints may +not deny their sin, how much more ought those who are guilty of open +and great sins[123] to make confession! But most effectively of all +does Matthew xviii prove the institution of confession, in which +passage Christ teaches that a sinning brother should be rebuked, haled +before the Church, accused and, if he will not hear, excommunicated. +But he hears when, heeding the rebuke, he acknowledges and confesses +his sin. [Matt. 18:15] + +[Sidenote: Private Confession] + +[Sidenote: "Reserved Cases"] + +Of private confession, which is now observed, I am heartily in favor, +even though it cannot be proved from the Scriptures; it is useful and +necessary, nor would I have it abolished--nay, I rejoice that it +exists in the Church of Christ, for it is a cure without an equal for +distressed consciences. For when we have laid bare our conscience to +our brother and privately made known to him the evil that lurked +within, we receive from our brother's lips the word of comfort spoken +by God Himself; and, if we accept it in faith, we find peace in the +mercy of God speaking to us through our brother. This alone do I +abominate,--that this confession has been subjected to the despotism +and extortion of the pontiffs. They reserve[124] to themselves even +hidden sins, and command that they be made known to confessors named +by them, only to trouble the consciences of men. They merely play the +pontiff, while they utterly despise the true duties of pontiffs, which +are to preach the Gospel and to care for the poor. Yea, the godless +despots leave the great sins to the plain priests, and reserve to +themselves those sins only which are of less consequence, such as +those ridiculous and fictitious things in the bull _Coena +domini_[125]. Nay, to make the wickedness of their error the more +apparent, they not only do not reserve, but actually teach and +approve, the sins against the service of God, against faith and the +chief commandments; such as their running on pilgrimages, the perverse +worship of the saints, the lying saints' legends, the various forms of +trust in works and ceremonies, and the practicing of them, by all of +which faith in God is extinguished and idolatry encouraged, as we see +in our day. We have the same kind of priests to-day as Jereboam +ordained of old in Dan and Beersheba [1 Kings 12:26 ff.],--ministers +of the golden calves, men who are ignorant of the law of God, of faith +and of whatever pertains to the feeding of Christ's sheep, and who +inculcate in the people nothing but their own inventions with terror +and violence. + +Although my advice is that we bear this outrage of reserved cases, +even as Christ bids us bear all the tyranny of men, and teaches us +that we must obey these extortioners; nevertheless I deny that they +have the right to make such reservations, nor do I believe they can +bring one jot or tittle of proof that they have it. But I am going to +prove the contrary. In the first place, Christ, speaking in Matthew +xviii of open sins, says that if our brother shall hear us when we +rebuke him, we have saved the soul of our brother, and that he is to +be brought before the Church only if he refuse to hear us; so that his +sin may be corrected among brethren. How much more will it be true of +hidden sins, that they are forgiven if one brother freely makes +confession to another? So that it is not necessary to tell it to the +Church, that is, as these babblers interpret it, the prelate or +priest. We have another proof of this in Christ's words in the same +chapter: "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in +heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in +heaven." [Matt. 18:18] For this is said to each and every Christian. +Again, He says in the same place: "Again I say to you, that if two of +you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever that they +shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven." +[Matt 18:19] Now, the brother who lays his hidden sins before his +brother and craves pardon, certainly consents with his brother upon +earth in the truth, which is Christ. Of which Christ says yet more +clearly, confirming His preceding words: "Verily I say unto you, where +two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst +of them." [Matt. 18:20] + +Hence, I have no doubt but that every one is absolved from his hidden +sins when he has made confession, either of his own accord or after +being rebuked, has sought pardon and amended his ways, privately +before any brother, however much the violence of the pontiffs may rage +against it; for Christ has given to every one of His believers the +power to absolve even open sins. Add yet this little point: If any +reservation of hidden sins were valid, so that one could not be saved +unless they were forgiven, then a man's salvation would be prevented +most of all by those aforementioned good works and idolatries, which +are nowadays taught by the popes. But if these most grievous sins do +not prevent one's salvation, how foolish it is to reserve those +lighter sins! Verily, it is the foolishness and blindness of the +pastors that produce these monstrous things in the Church. Therefore I +would admonish these princes of Babylon and bishops of Bethaven [Hosea +4:15; 10:5] to refrain from reserving any cases whatsoever. Let them, +moreover, permit all brothers and sisters freely to hear the +confession of hidden sins, so that the sinner may make his sins known +to whomever he will and seek pardon and comfort, that is, the word of +Christ, by the mouth of his neighbor. For with these presumptions of +theirs they only ensnare the consciences of the weak without +necessity, establish their wicked despotism, and fatten their avarice +on the sins and ruin of their brethren. Thus they stain their hands +with the blood of souls, sons are devoured by their parents, Ephraim +devours Juda, and Syria Israel with open mouth, as Isaiah saith [Isa +9:20]. + +[Sidenote: "Circumstances"] + +To these evils they have added the "circumstances,"[126] and also the +mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers- and sisters-in-law, branches +and fruits of sins; since, forsooth, astute and idle men have worked +out a kind of family tree of relationships and affinities even among +sins--so prolific is wickedness coupled with ignorance. For this +conceit, whatever rogue be its author, has like many another become a +public law. Thus do the shepherds keep watch over the Church of +Christ; whatever new work or superstition those stupid devotees may +have dreamed of, they straightway drag to the light of day, deck out +with indulgences and safeguard with bulls; so far are they from +suppressing it and preserving to God's people the true faith and +liberty. For what has our liberty to do with the tyranny of Babylon? +My advice would be to ignore all circumstances utterly. With +Christians there is only one circumstance,--that a brother has sinned. +For there is no person to be compared with a Christian brother. And +the observance of places, times, days, persons, and all other +superstitious moonshine, only magnifies the things that are nothing, +to the injury of those which are everything; as if aught could be +greater or of more importance than the glory of Christian brotherhood! +Thus they bind us to places, days and persons, that the name of +brother may be lightly esteemed, and we may serve in bondage instead +of being free--we to whom all days, places, persons, and all external +things are one and the same. + +[Sidenote: 3. Satisfaction] + +How unworthily they have dealt with satisfaction, I have abundantly +shown in the controversies concerning indulgences[127]. They have +grossly abused it, to the ruin of Christians in body and soul. To +begin with, they taught it in such a manner that the people never +learned what satisfaction really is, namely, the renewal of a man's +life. Then, they so continually harp on it and emphasize its +necessity, that they leave no room for faith in Christ. With these +scruples they torture poor consciences to death, and one runs to Rome, +one to this place, another to that, this one to Chartreuse, that one +to some other place, one scourges himself with rods, another ruins his +body with fasts and vigils, and all cry with the same mad zeal, "Lo +here is Christ! lo there!" [Luke 17:20 f.] believing that the kingdom +of heaven, which is within us, will come with observation[128]. + +For these monstrous things we are indebted to thee, O Roman See, and +thy murderous laws and ceremonies, with which thou hast corrupted all +mankind, so that they think by works to make satisfaction or sin to +God, Who can be satisfied only by the faith of a contrite heart! This +faith thou not only keepest silent with this uproar of thine, but even +oppressest, only so thy insatiable horseleech have those to whom it +may say, "Bring, bring!" [Prov. 30:15] and may traffic in sins. + +Some have gone even farther and have constructed those instruments for +driving souls to despair,--their decrees that the penitent must +rehearse all sins anew for which he neglected to make the imposed +satisfaction. Yea, what would not they venture to do, who were born +for the sole purpose of carrying all things into a tenfold captivity? +Moreover, how many are possessed with the notion that they are in a +saved state and are making satisfaction for their sins, if they but +mumble over, word for word, the prayers the priest has imposed, even +though they give never a thought meanwhile to amending their life! +They believe that their life is changed in the one moment of +contrition and confession, and it remains only to make satisfaction +for their past sins. How should they know better, when they are not +taught otherwise? No thought is given here to the mortifying of the +flesh, no value is attached to the example of Christ, Who absolved the +woman taken in adultery and said to her, "Go, and sin no more!" [John +8:11] thereby laying upon her the cross--the mortifying of her flesh. +This perverse error is greatly encouraged by our absolving sinners +before the satisfaction has been completed, so that they are more +concerned about completing the satisfaction which lies before them, +than they are about contrition, which they suppose to be past and over +when they have made confession. Absolution ought rather to follow on +the completion of satisfaction, as it did in the ancient Church, with +the result that, after completing the work, penitents gave themselves +with greater diligence to faith and the living of a new life. + +But this must suffice in repetition of what I have more fully said on +indulgences, and in general this must suffice for the present +concerning the three sacraments, which have been treated, and yet not +treated, in so many harmful books, theological as well as juristic. It +remains to attempt some discussion of the other sacraments also, lest +I seem to have rejected them without cause. + +CONFIRMATION + +I wonder what could have possessed them to make a sacrament of +confirmation out of the laying on of hands, which Christ employed when +He blessed young children [Mark 10:16], and the apostles when they +imparted the Holy Spirit [Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6; Acts 6:6; Mark 16:18], +ordained elders and cured the sick, as the Apostle writes to Timothy, +"Lay hands suddenly on no man." [1 Tim. 5:22] Why have they not also +turned the sacrament of the bread into confirmation? For it is written +in Acts ix, "And when he had taken meat he was strengthened,"[129] and +in Psalm civ, "And that bread may cheer[130] man's heart." [Ps. +104:15] Confirmation would thus include three sacraments--the bread, +ordination, and confirmation itself. But if everything the apostles +did is a sacrament, why have they not rather made preaching a +sacrament? + +I do not say this because I condemn the seven sacraments, but because +I deny that they can be proved from the Scriptures. Would to God we +had in the Church such a laying on of hands as there was in apostolic +times, whether we called it confirmation or healing! But there is +nothing left of it now but what we ourselves have invented to adorn +the office of the bishops, that they may have at least something to do +in the Church. For after they relinquished to their inferiors those +arduous sacraments together with the Word, as being too common for +themselves,--since, forsooth, whatever the divine Majesty has +instituted must needs be despised of men!--it was no more than right +that we should discover something easy and not too burdensome for such +delicate and great heroes to do, and should by no means entrust it to +the lower clergy as something common--for whatever human wisdom has +decreed must needs be held in honor among men! Therefore, as are the +priests, so let their ministry and duty be. For a bishop who does not +preach the Gospel or care for souls [1 Cor. 8:4], what is he but an +idol in the world, having but the name and appearance of a bishop? + +But we seek, instead of this, sacraments that have been divinely +instituted, among which we see no reason for numbering confirmation. +For, in order that there be a sacrament, there is required above all +things a word of divine promise, whereby faith may be trained. But we +read nowhere that Christ ever gave a promise concerning confirmation, +although He laid hands on many and included the laying on of hands +among the signs in Mark xvi: "They shall lay their hands on the sick, +and they shall recover." [Mark 16:18] Yet no one referred this to a +sacrament, nor can this be done. Hence it is sufficient to regard +confirmation as a certain churchly rite or sacramental ceremony, +similar to other ceremonies, such as the blessing of holy water and +the like. For if every other creature is sanctified by the word and by +prayer [1 Tim. 4:4 f.], why should not much rather man be sanctified +by the same means? Still, these things cannot be called sacraments of +faith, because there is no divine promise connected with them, neither +do they save; but sacraments do save those who believe the divine +promise. + +MARRIAGE + +Not only is marriage regarded as a sacrament without the least warrant +of Scripture, but the very traditions which extol it as a sacrament +have turned it into a farce. Let me explain. + +We said[131] that there is in every sacrament a word of divine +promise, to be believed by whoever receives the sign, and that the +sign alone cannot be a sacrament. Now we read nowhere that the man who +marries a wife receives any grace of God. Nay, there is not even a +divinely instituted sign in marriage, for nowhere do we read that +marriage was instituted by God to be a sign of anything. To be sure, +whatever takes place in a visible manner may be regarded as a type or +figure of something invisible; but types and figures are not +sacraments in the sense in which we use this term. Furthermore, since +marriage existed from the beginning of the world and is still found +among unbelievers, it cannot possibly be called a sacrament of the New +Law and the exclusive possession of the Church. The marriages of the +ancients were no less sacred than are ours, nor are those of +unbelievers less true marriages than those of believers, and yet they +are not regarded as sacraments. Besides, there are even among +believers married folk who are wicked and worse than any heathen; why +should marriage be called a sacrament in their case and not among the +heathen? Or are we going to prate so foolishly of baptism and the +Church as to hold that marriage is a sacrament only in the Church, +just as some make the mad claim that temporal power exists only in the +Church? That is childish and foolish talk, by which we expose our +ignorance and our arrogance to the ridicule of unbelievers. + +But they will say: The Apostle writes in Ephesians v, "They shall be +two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament." [Eph. 5:31 f.] Surely +you are not going to contradict so plain a statement of the Apostle! I +reply: This argument, like the others, betrays great shallowness and a +negligent and thoughtless reading of Scripture. Nowhere in Holy +Scripture is this word sacrament employed in the meaning to which we +are accustomed; it has an entirely different meaning. For wherever it +occurs it signifies not the sign of a sacred thing, but a sacred, +secret, hidden thing. Thus Paul writes in i Corinthians iv, "Let a man +so account of us as the ministers of Christ, and dispensers of the +mysteries[132]--i. e., sacraments--of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Where we have +the word _sacrament_ the Greek text reads _mystery_, which word our +version sometimes translates and sometimes retains in its Greek form. +Thus our verse reads in the Greek: "They shall be two in one flesh; +this is a great _mystery_." [Eph. 5:31] This explains how they came to +find a sacrament of the New Law here--a thing they would never have +done if they had read the word _mystery_, as it is in the Greek[133]. +Thus Christ Himself is called a sacrament in I Timothy iii, "And +evidently great is the sacrament--i. e., mystery--of godliness, which +was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, appeared +unto angels, hath been preached unto the Gentiles, is believed by the +world, is taken up in glory."[1 Tim. 3:16][134] Why have they not +drawn out of this passage an eighth sacrament of the New Law, since +they have the clear authority of Paul? But if they restrained +themselves here, where they had a most excellent opportunity to +unearth a new sacrament, why are they so wanton in the former passage? +It was their ignorance, forsooth, of both words and things; they clung +to the mere sound of the words, nay, to their own fancies. For, having +once arbitrarily taken the word sacrament to mean a sign, they +straightway, without thought or scruple, made a sign of it every time +they came upon it in the Sacred Scriptures. Such new meanings of words +and such human customs they have also elsewhere dragged into Holy +Writ, and conformed it to their dreams, making anything out of any +passage whatsoever. Thus they continually chatter nonsense about the +terms: good and evil works, sin, grace, righteousness, virtue, and +wellnigh every one of the fundamental words and things. For they +employ them all after their own arbitrary judgment, learned from the +writings of men, to the detriment both of the truth of God and of our +salvation. + +Therefore, _sacrament_, or _mystery_, in Paul's writings, is that +wisdom of the Spirit, hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7 ff.], as he says +in i Corinthians ii, which is Christ, Who is for this very reason not +known to the princes of this world, wherefore they also crucified Him, +and Who still is to them foolishness, an offense, a stone of stumbling +[1 Cor. 1:23; Rom. 9:33], and a sign which is spoken against [Luke +2:34]. The preachers he calls dispensers of these mysteries because +they preach Christ, the power and the wisdom of God [1 Cor. 1:23 f.; +4:1], yet so that one cannot receive this unless one believe. +Therefore, a sacrament is a mystery, or secret thing, which is set +forth in words and is received by the faith of the heart. Such a +sacrament is spoken of in the verse before us--"They shall be two in +one flesh. This is a great sacrament"[Eph 5:31]--which they understand +as spoken of marriage, whereas Paul wrote these words of Christ and +the Church, and clearly explained his meaning by adding, "But I speak +in Christ and in the Church." Ay, how well they agree with Paul! He +declares he is setting forth a great sacrament in Christ and the +Church, but they set it forth in a man and a woman! If such wantonness +be permitted in the Sacred Scriptures, it is small wonder if one find +there anything one please, even a hundred sacraments. + +Christ and the Church are, therefore, a mystery, that is, a great and +secret thing, which it was possible and proper[135] to represent by +marriage as by a certain outward allegory, but that was no reason for +their calling marriage a sacrament. The heavens are a type of the +apostles, as Psalm xix declares; the sun is a type of Christ; the +waters, of the peoples [Ps. 19:1 ff.]; but that does not make those +things sacraments, for in every case there are lacking both the divine +institution and the divine promise, which constitute a sacrament. +Hence Paul, in Ephesians v, following his own mind[136], applies to +Christ these words in Genesis ii about marriage, or else, following +the general view,[136] he teaches that the spiritual marriage of +Christ is also contained therein, saying: "As Christ cherisheth the +Church: because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his +bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and +shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is +a great sacrament; I speak in Christ and in the Church." [Eph. 5:29 +ff.] You see, he would have the whole passage apply to Christ, and is +at pains to admonish the reader to find the sacrament in Christ and +the Church, and not in marriage.[137] + +Therefore we grant that marriage is a type of Christ and the Church, +and a sacrament, yet not divinely instituted, but invented by men in +the Church, carried away by their ignorance both of the word and of +the thing. Which ignorance, since it does not conflict with the faith, +is to be charitably borne with, just as many other practices of human +weakness and ignorance are borne with in the Church, so long as they +do not conflict with the faith and with the Word of God. But we are +now dealing with the certainty and purity of the faith and the +Scriptures; so that our faith be not exposed to ridicule, when after +affirming that a certain thing is contained in the Sacred Scriptures +and in the articles of our faith, we are refuted and shown that it is +not contained therein, and, being found ignorant of our own affairs, +become a stumbling-block to our opponents and to the weak; nay, that +we destroy not the authority of the Holy Scriptures. For those things +which have been delivered to us by God in the Sacred Scriptures must +be sharply distinguished from those that have been invented by men in +the Church, it matters not how eminent they be for saintliness and +scholarship. + +[Sidenote: Hindrances to Marriage] + +So far concerning marriage itself. But what shall we say of the wicked +laws of men by which this divinely ordained manner of life is ensnared +and tossed to and fro? Good God! it is dreadful to contemplate the +audacity of the Roman despots, who wantonly tear marriages asunder and +again force them together. Prithee, is mankind given over to the +wantonness of these men, for them to mock and in every way abuse and +make of them whatever they please, for filthy lucre's sake? + +There is circulating far and wide and enjoying a great reputation, a +book whose contents have been poured together out of the cesspool of +all human traditions, and whose title is "The Angelic Sum,[138]" +though it ought rather to be "The More than Devilish Sum." Among +endless other monstrosities, which are supposed to instruct the +confessors, while they most mischievously confuse them, there are +enumerated in this book eighteen hindrances to marriage[139]. If you +will examine these with the just and unprejudiced eye of faith, you +will see that they belong to those things which the Apostle foretold: +"There shall be those that give heed to spirits of devils, speaking +lies in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry." [1 Tim. 4:1 ff.] What is +forbidding to marry if it is not this--to invent all those hindrances +and set those snares, in order to prevent men from marrying or, if +they be married, to annul their marriage? Who gave this power to men? +Granted that they were holy men and impelled by godly zeal, why should +another's holiness disturb my liberty? why should another's zeal take +me captive? Let whoever will, be a saint and a zealot, and to his +heart's content; only let him not bring harm upon another, and let him +not rob me of my liberty! + +Yet I am glad that those shameful laws have at length attained to +their full measure of glory, which is this: the Romanists of our day +have through them become merchants. What is it they sell? The shame of +men and women--merchandise, forsooth, most worthy of such merchants, +grown altogether filthy and obscene through greed and godlessness. For +there is nowadays no hindrance that may not be legalised upon the +intercession of mammon, so that these laws of men seem to have sprung +into existence for the sole purpose of serving those grasping and +robbing Nimrods as snares for taking money and as nets for catching +souls, and in order that that "abomination" might stand "in the holy +place," [Matt. 24:15] the Church of God, and openly sell to men the +shame of either sex, or as the Scriptures say, "shame and nakedness," +[Lev. 13:6 ff.] of which they had previously robbed them by means of +their laws. O worthy trade for our pontiffs to ply, instead of the +ministry of the Gospel, which in their greed and pride they despise, +being delivered up to a reprobate sense with utter shame and infamy. +[Rom. 1:28] + +But what shall I say or do? If I enter into details, the treatise will +grow to inordinate length, for everything is in such dire confusion +one does not know where to begin, whither to go on, or where to leave +off. I know that no state is well governed by means of laws. If the +magistrate be wise, he will rule more prosperously by natural bent +than by laws. If he be not wise, he will but further the evil by means +of laws; for he will not know what use to make of the laws nor how to +adapt them to the individual case. More stress ought, therefore, to be +laid, in civil affairs, on putting good and wise men in office than on +making laws; for such men will themselves be the very best laws, and +will judge every variety of case with lively justice. And if there be +knowledge of the divine law combined with natural wisdom, then written +laws will be entirely superfluous and harmful. Above all, love needs +no laws whatever[140]. + +Nevertheless I will say and do what I can. I admonish and pray all +priests and brethren[141], when they encounter any hindrance from +which the pope can grant dispensation and which is not expressly +contained in the Scriptures, by all means to confirm[142] any marriage +that may have been contracted[143] in any way contrary to the +ecclesiastical or pontifical laws. But let them arm themselves with +the divine law, which says, "What God hath joined together, let no man +put asunder." [Matt. 19:6] For the joining together of a man and a +woman is of divine law and is binding, however it may conflict with +the laws of men; the laws of men must give way before it without +hesitation. For if a man leaves father and mother and cleaves to his +wife, how much more will he tread underfoot the silly and wicked laws +of men[144] in order to cleave to his wife! And if pope, bishop or +official[145] annul any marriage because it was contracted contrary to +the laws of men, he is antichrist, he does violence to nature, and is +guilty of lese-majesty toward God, because this word stands,--"What +God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." [Matt. 19:6] + +Besides this, no man had the right to frame such laws, and Christ has +granted to Christians a liberty which is above all laws of men, +especially where a law of God conflicts with them. Thus it is said in +Mark ii, "The Son of man is lord also of the sabbath," [Mark 2:28] +and, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." [Mark +2:27] Moreover, such laws were condemned beforehand by Paul, when he +foretold that there would be men forbidding to marry [1 Tim. 4:3]. +Here, therefore, those cruel hindrances arising from affinity, +spiritual or legal relationship[146], and consanguinity must give way, +so far as the Scriptures permit, in which the second degree of +consanguinity alone is prohibited. Thus it is written in Leviticus +xviii, in which chapter there are twelve persons a man is prohibited +from marrying; namely, his mother, his mother-in-law, his full sister, +his half-sister by either parent, his granddaughter, his father's or +mother's sister, his daughter-in-law, his brother's wife, his wife's +sister, his stepdaughter, and his uncle's wife. [Lev. 18:6 ff.] Here +only the first degree of affinity and the second degree of +consanguinity are forbidden; yet not without exception, as will appear +on closer examination, for the brother's or sister's daughter, or the +niece, is not included in the prohibition, although she is in the +second degree. Therefore, if a marriage has been contracted outside of +these degrees, it should by no means be annulled on account of the +laws of men, since it is nowhere written in the Bible that any other +degrees were prohibited by God. Marriage itself, as of divine +institution, is incomparably superior to any laws; so that marriage +should not be annulled for the sake of the laws, rather should the +laws be broken for the sake of marriage. + +That nonsense about conpaternities, conmaternities, confraternities, +consororities, and confilieties must therefore be altogether +abolished, when a marriage has been contracted. What was it but the +superstition of men that invented those spiritual relationships?[147] +If one may not marry the person one has baptised or stood sponsor for, +what right has any Christian to marry any other Christian? Is the +relationship that grows out of the external rite, or the sign, of the +sacrament more intimate that that which grows out of the blessing[148] +of the sacrament itself? Is not a Christian man brother to a Christian +woman, and is not she his sister? Is not a baptised man the spiritual +brother of a baptised woman? How foolish we are! If a man instruct his +wife in the Gospel and in faith in Christ and thus become truly her +father in Christ, would it not be right for her to remain his wife? +Would not Paul have had the right to marry a maiden out of the +Corinthian congregation, of whom he boasts that he has begotton them +all in Christ? [1 Cor. 4:15] Lo, thus has Christian liberty been +suppressed through the blindness of human superstition. + +There is even less in the legal relationship[149], and yet they have +set it above the divine right of marriage. Nor would I recognise that +hindrance which they term "disparity of religion,"[150] and which +forbids one to marry any unbaptised person, even on condition that she +become converted to the faith. Who made this prohibition? God or man? +Who gave to men the power to prohibit such a marriage? The spirits, +forsooth, that speak lies in hypocrisy, as Paul says [1 Tim 4:1]. Of +them it must be said: "The wicked have told me fables; but not as thy +law." [Ps. 119:85] The heathen Patricius married the Christian Monica, +the mother of St. Augustine; why should not the same be permitted +nowadays? + +The same stupid, nay, wicked cruelty is seen in "the hindrance of +crime,"[151]--as when a man has married a woman with whom he had lived +in adultery, or when he plotted to bring about the death of a woman's +husband in order to be able to wed the widow. I pray you, whence comes +this cruelty of man toward man, which even God never demanded? Do they +pretend not to know that Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, was wed by +David, a most saintly man, after the double crime of adultery and +murder? If the divine law did this, what do these despotic men to +their fellowservants? + +Another hindrance is that which they call "the hindrance of a +tie,"[152]--as when a man is bound by being betrothed to another +woman. Here they decide that, if he has had carnal knowledge of the +second, the betrothal with the first becomes null and void. This I do +not understand at all. I hold that he who has betrothed himself to one +woman belongs no longer to himself, and because of this act, by the +prohibition of the divine law, he belongs to the first, though he has +not known her, even if he has known the second. For it was not in his +power to give the latter what was no longer his own; he deceived her +and actually committed adultery. But they regard the matter +differently because they pay more heed to the carnal union than to the +divine command, according to which the man, having plighted his troth +to the first, is bound to keep it for ever. For whoever would give +anything must give of that which is his own. And God forbids a man to +overreach or circumvent his brother in any matter [1 Thess. 4:6]. This +prohibition must be kept, over and above all the traditions of all +men. Therefore, the man in the above case cannot with a good +conscience live in marriage with the second woman, and this hindrance +should be completely overthrown. For if a monastic vow make a man to +be no longer his own, why does not a promise of betrothal given and +received do the same?--since this[153] is one of the precepts and +fruits of the Spirit (Galatians v) [Gal. 5:22 f.; Eph. 5:9], while a +monastic vow is of human invention. And if a wife may claim her +husband despite the act that he has taken a monastic vow, why may not +a bride claim her betrothed, even though he has known another? But we +said above[154] that he who has plighted his troth to a maiden ought +not to take a monastic vow, but is in duty bound to keep faith with +her, which faith he cannot break for any tradition of men, because it +is commanded by God. Much more should the man here keep faith with his +first bride, since he could not plight his troth to a second save with +a lying heart, and therefore did not really plight it, but deceived +her, his neighbor, against God's command. Therefore, the "hindrance of +error"[155] enters in here, by which his marriage to the second woman +is rendered null and void. + +The "hindrance of ordination"[156] also is a lying invention of men, +especially since they prate that even a contracted marriage is +annulled by it. Thus they constantly exalt their traditions above the +commands of God. I do not indeed sit in judgment on the present state +of the priestly order, but I observe that Paul charges a bishop to be +the husband of one wife [1 Tim. 3:2]; hence no marriage of deacon, +priest, bishop or any other order can be annulled,--although it is +true that Paul knew nothing of this species of priests, and of the +orders that we have to-day. Perish those cursed human traditions, +which have crept into the Church only to multiply perils, sins and +evils! There exists, therefore, between a priest and his wife a true +and indissoluble marriage, approved by the divine commandment. But +what if wicked men in sheer despotism prohibit or annul it? So be it! +Let it be wrong among men; it is nevertheless right before God, Whose +command must needs take precedence if it conflicts with the commands +of men. + +An equally lying invention is that "hindrance of public decency,"[157] +by which contracted marriages are annulled. I am incensed at that +barefaced wickedness which is so ready to put asunder what God hath +joined together that one may well scent antichrist in it, for it +opposes all that Christ has done and taught. What earthly reason is +there for holding that no relative of a deceased husband, even to the +fourth degree, may marry the latter's widow? That is not a +judgment[158] of public decency, but ignorance[158] of public decency. +Why was not this judgment of public decency found among the people of +Israel, who were endowed with the best laws, the laws of God? On the +contrary, the next of kin was even compelled by the law of God to +marry the widow of his relative [Deut. 25:5]. Must the people of +Christian liberty be burdened with severer laws than the people of +legal bondage? But, to make an end of these figments, rather than +hindrances--thus far there seem to me to be no hindrances that may +justly annul a contracted marriage save these: impotence of the +husband, ignorance of a previously contracted marriage, and a vow of +chastity. Still, concerning the last, I am to this day so far from +certain that I do not know at what age such a vow is to be regarded as +binding; as I also said above in discussing the sacrament of +baptism[159]. Thus you may learn, from this one question of marriage, +how wretchedly and desperately all the activities of the Church have +been confused, hindered, ensnared, and subjected to danger through the +pestilent, ignorant and wicked traditions of men, so that there is no +hope of betterment unless we abolish at one stroke all the laws of all +men, restore the Gospel of liberty, and by it judge and rule all +things. Amen. + +[Sidenote: Impotence] + +We have to speak, then, of sexual impotence, that we may the more +readily advise the souls that are in peril.[160] But first I wish to +state that what I have said of hindrances is intended to apply after a +marriage has been contracted; no marriage should be annulled by any +such hindrance. But as to marriages which are to be contracted, I +would briefly repeat what I said above[161]. Under the stress of +youthful passion or of any other necessity for which the pope grants +dispensation, any brother may grant a dispensation to another or even +to himself, and following that counsel snatch his wife out of the +power of the tyrannical laws as best he can. For with what right am I +deprived of my liberty by another's superstition and ignorance? If the +pope grants a dispensation for money, why should not I, for my soul's +salvation, grant a dispensation to myself or to my brother? Does the +pope set up laws? Let him set them up or himself, and keep hands off +my liberty; else I will take it by stealth! Now let us discuss the +matter of impotence. + +Take the following case. A woman, wed to an impotent man, is unable to +prove her husband's impotence before court, or perhaps she is +unwilling to do so with the mass of evidence and all the notoriety +which the law demands; yet she is desirous of having children or is +unable to remain continent. Now suppose I had counseled her to demand +a divorce from her husband in order to marry another, satisfied that +her own and her husband's conscience and their experience were ample +testimony of his impotence; but the husband refused his consent to +this. Then suppose I should further counsel her, with the consent of +the man (who is not really her husband, but merely a dweller under the +same roof with her), to give herself to another, say her husband's +brother, but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children +to the so-called putative father. The question is: Is such a woman in +a saved state? I answer, Certainly. Because in this case the error and +ignorance of the man's impotence are a hindrance to the marriage; the +tyranny of the laws permits no divorce; the woman is free through the +divine law, and cannot be compelled to remain continent. Therefore the +man ought to yield her this right, and let another man have her as +wife whom he has only in outward appearance. + +Moreover, if the man will not give his consent, or agree to this +division,--rather than allow the woman to burn or to commit adultery, +I should counsel her to contract a marriage with another and flee to +distant parts unknown. What other counsel could be given to one +constantly in danger from lust? Now I know that some are troubled by +the act that then the children of this secret marriage are not the +rightful heirs of their putative father. But if it was done with the +consent of the husband, then the children will be the rightful heirs. +If, however, it was done without his knowledge or against his will, +then let unbiased Christian reason, nay, let Christian charity, decide +which of the two has done the greater injury to the other. The wife +alienates the inheritance, but the husband has deceived his wife and +is completely defrauding her of her body and her life. Is not the sin +of the man who wastes his wife's body and life a greater sin than that +of the woman who merely alienates the temporal goods of her husband? +Let him, therefore, agree to a divorce, or else be satisfied with +strange heirs; for by his own fault he deceived the innocence of a +maiden and defrauded her of the proper use of her body, besides giving +her a wellnigh irresistible opportunity to commit adultery. Let both +be weighed in the same scales. Certainly, by every right, deceit +should all back on the deceiver, and whoever has done an injury must +make it good. What is the difference between such a husband and the +man who holds another's wife captive together with her husband? Is not +such a tyrant compelled to support wife and children and husband, or +else to set them free? Why should not the same hold here? Therefore I +maintain that the man should be compelled either to submit to a +divorce or to support the other man's child as his heir. Doubtless +this would be the judgment of charity. In that case, the impotent man, +who is not really the husband, should support the heirs of his wife in +the same spirit in which he would at great cost wait on his wife if +she fell sick or suffered some other ill; for it is by his fault and +not by his wife's that she suffers this ill. This have I set forth to +the best of my ability, for the strengthening of anxious consciences, +being desirous to bring my afflicted brethren in this captivity what +little comfort I can.[162] + +[Sidenote: Divorce] + +As to divorce, it is still a moot question whether it be allowable. +For my part I so greatly detest divorce that I should prefer bigamy to +it,[163] but whether it be allowable, I do not venture to decide. +Christ Himself, the Chief Pastor[164], says in Matthew v, "Whosoever +shall put away his wife, excepting for the cause of fornication, +maketh her commit adultery; and he that shall marry her that is put +away, committeth adultery." [Matt. 5:32] Christ, then, permits +divorce, but for the cause of fornication only. The pope must, +therefore, be in error whenever he grants a divorce for any other +cause, and no one should feel safe who has obtained a dispensation by +this temerity (not authority) of the pope. Yet it is a still greater +wonder to me, why they compel a man to remain unmarried after being +separated from his wife, and why they will not permit him to remarry. +For if Christ permits divorce for the cause of fornication and compels +no one to remain unmarried, and if Paul would rather have one marry +than burn [1 Cor. 7:9], then He certainly seems to permit a man to +marry another woman in the stead of the one who has been put away. +Would to God this matter were thoroughly threshed out and decided, so +that counsel might be given in the infinite perils of those who, +without any fault of their own, are nowadays compelled to remain +unmarried, that is, of those whose wives or husbands have run away and +deserted them, to come back perhaps after ten years, perhaps never. +This matter troubles and distresses me; I meet cases of it every day, +whether it happen by the special malice of Satan or because of our +neglect of the word of God. + +I, indeed, who, alone against all, can decide nothing in this matter, +would yet greatly desire at least the passage in I Corinthians vii to +be applied here,--"But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a +brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases." [1 Cor. 7:15] +Here the Apostle gives permission to put away the unbeliever who +departs and to set the believing spouse free to marry again. Why +should not the same hold true when a believer--that is, a believer in +name, but in truth as much an unbeliever as the one Paul speaks +of--deserts his wife, especially if he never intends to return? I +certainly can see no difference between the two. But I believe that if +in the Apostle's day an unbelieving deserter had returned and had +become a believer or had promised to live again with his believing +wife, he would not have been taken back, but he too would have been +given the right to marry again. Nevertheless, in these matters I +decide nothing, as I have said,"[165] although there is nothing I +would rather see decided, since nothing at present more grievously +perplexes me and many more with me. I would have nothing decided here +on the mere authority of the pope or the bishops; but if two learned +and pious men agreed in the name of Christ and published their opinion +in the spirit of Christ [Matt. 18:19 f.], I should prefer their +judgment even to such councils as are nowadays assembled, famous only +for numbers and authority, not for scholarship and saintliness. +Herewith I hang up my harp[166][Ps. 137:2], until another and a better +man shall take up this matter with me. + +ORDINATION + +Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it is an +invention of the church of the pope. Not only is there nowhere any +promise of grace attached to it, but there is not the least mention of +it in the whole New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to put forth as a +sacrament of God that which cannot be proved to have been instituted +by God. I do not hold that this rite, which has been observed for so +many centuries, should be condemned; but in sacred things I am opposed +to the invention of human fictions, nor is it right to give out as +divinely instituted what was not divinely instituted, lest we become a +laughing-stock to our opponents. We ought to see to it that every +article of faith of which we boast be certain, pure, and based on +clear passages of Scripture. But that we are utterly unable to do in +the case of the sacrament under consideration. + +[Sidenote: The Church Cannot Institute Sacraments] + +The Church has no power to make new divine promises, as some prate, +who hold that what is decreed by the Church is of no less authority +than what is decreed by God, since the Church is under the guidance of +the Holy Spirit. But the Church owes its life to the word of promise +through faith, and is nourished and preserved by this same word. That +is to say, the promises of God make the Church, not the Church the +promise of God. For the Word of God is incomparably superior to the +Church, and in this Word the Church, being a creature, has nothing to +decree, ordain or make, but only to be decreed, ordained and made. For +who begets his own parent? Who first brings forth his own maker? This +one thing indeed the Church can do--it can distinguish the Word of God +from the words of men; as Augustine confesses that he believed the +Gospel, moved thereto by the authority of the Church, which +proclaimed, this is the Gospel.[167] Not that the Church is, +therefore, above the Gospel; if that were true, she would also be +above God, in Whom we believe because she proclaims that He is God. +But, as Augustine elsewhere says,[168] the truth itself lays hold on +the soul and thus renders it able to judge most certainly of all +things; but the truth it cannot judge, but is forced to say with +unerring certainty that it is the truth. For example, our reason +declares with unerring certainty that three and seven are ten, and yet +it cannot give a reason why this is true, although it cannot deny that +it is true; it is taken captive by the truth and does not so much +judge the truth as it is judged by the truth. Thus it is also with the +mind of the Church [1 Cor. 2:16], when under the enlightenment of the +Spirit she judges and approves doctrines; she is unable to prove it, +and yet is most certain of having it. For as in philosophy no one +judges general conceptions, but all are judged by them, so it is in +the Church with the mind of the Spirit, that judgeth all things and is +judged by none, as the Apostle says [1 Cor. 2:15]. But of this another +time.[169] + +[Sidenote: Ordination not a Sacrament] + +Let this then stand fast,--the Church can give no promises of grace; +that is the work of God alone. Therefore she cannot institute a +sacrament. But even if she could, it yet would not follow that +ordination is a sacrament. For who knows which is the Church that has +the Spirit? since when such decisions are made there are usually only +a few bishops or scholars present; it is possible that these may not +be really of the Church, and that all may err, as councils have +repeatedly erred, particularly the Council of Constance[170], which +fell into the most wicked error of all. Only that which has the +approval of the Church universal, and not of the Roman church alone, +rests on a trustworthy foundation. I therefore admit that ordination +is a certain churchly rite, on a par with many others introduced by +the Church Fathers, such as the blessing of vases, houses, vestments, +water, salt, candles, herbs, wine, and the like. No one calls any of +these a sacrament, nor is there in them any promise. In the same +manner, to anoint a man's hands with oil, or to shave his head, and +the like, is not to administer a sacrament, since there is no promise +given to those things; he is simply prepared, like a vessel or an +instrument, for a certain work. + +But you will reply: "What do you say to Dionysius,[171] who in his +_Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_ enumerates six sacraments, among which he +also includes orders?" I answer: I am well aware that this is the one +writer of antiquity who is cited in support of the seven sacraments, +although he omits marriage and thus has only six. We read simply +nothing about these "sacraments" in the other Fathers, nor do they +ever refer to them as sacraments; for the invention of sacraments is +of recent date. Indeed, to speak more boldly, the setting so great +store by this Dionysius, whoever he may have been, greatly displeases +me, for there is scarce a line of sound scholarship in him. Prithee, +by what authority and with what reasons does he establish his +hotch-potch about the angels, in his _Celestial Hierarchy_?--a book +over which many curious and superstitious spirits have cudgeled their +brains. If one were to read and judge fairly, is not all shaken out of +his sleeve and very like a dream? But in his _Mystic Theology_, which +certain most ignorant theologians greatly puff, he is downright +dangerous, being more of a Platonist than a Christian; so that, if I +had my way, no believing mind would give the least attention to these +books. So far from learning Christ in them, you will lose even what +you know of Him. I know whereof I speak. Let us rather hear Paul, that +we may learn Jesus Christ and Him crucified [1 Cor. 2:2]. He is the +way, the life and the truth; He is the ladder by which we come unto +the Father, as He saith: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." +[John 14:6] + +[Sidenote: Allegories] + +And in the _Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_, what does this Dionysius do but +describe certain churchly rites and play round them with his +allegories without proving them? just as among us the author of the +book entitled _Rationale divinorum_.[172] Such allegorical studies are +the work of idle men. Think you I should find it difficult to play +with allegories round anything in creation? Did not Bonaventure[173] +by allegory draw the liberal arts into theology? And Gerson even +converted the smaller Donatus into a mystic theologian.[173] It would +not be a difficult task for me to compose a better hierarchy than that +of Dionysius, for he knew nothing of pope, cardinals and archbishops, +and put the bishop at the top. Nay, who has so weak a mind as not to +be able to launch into allegories? I would not have a theologian give +himself to allegorizing until he has perfected himself in the +grammatical and literal interpretation of the Scriptures; otherwise +his theology will bring him into danger, as Origen discovered.[175] + +Therefore a thing does not need to be a sacrament simply because +Dionysius describes it. Otherwise, why not also make a sacrament of +the processions, which he describes in his book, and which continue to +this day? There will then be as many sacraments as there have been +rites and ceremonies multiplied in the Church. Standing on so unsteady +a foundation, they have nevertheless invented "characters"[176] which +they attribute to this sacrament of theirs and which are indelibly +impressed on those who are ordained. Whence do such ideas come? By +what authority, with what reasons, are they established? We do not +object to their being free to invent, say and give out whatever they +please; but we also insist on our liberty and demand that they shall +not arrogate to themselves the right to turn their ideas into articles +of faith, as they have hitherto presumed to do. It is enough that we +accommodate ourselves to their rites and ceremonies for the sake of +peace; but we reuse to be bound by such things as though they were +necessary to salvation, when they are not. Let them put by their +despotic demands, and we shall yield free obedience to their opinions, +and thus live at peace with them. It is a shameful and wicked slavery +for a Christian man, who is free, to be subject to any but heavenly +and divine traditions. + +[Sidenote: The Alleged Scriptural Basis of Ordination] + +We come now to their strongest argument. It is this: Christ said at +the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] Here, +they say, Christ ordained the apostles to the priesthood. From this +passage they also concluded, among other things, that both kinds are +to be administered to the priests alone.[177] In fine, they have drawn +out of this passage whatever they pleased, as men who might arrogate +to themselves the free will to prove anything whatever from any words +of Christ, no matter where found. But is that interpreting the words +of God? Pray, answer me! Christ gives us no promise here, but only +commands that this be done in remembrance of Him. Why do they not +conclude that He also ordained priests when He laid upon them the +office of the Word and of baptism, saying, "Go ye into all the world, +and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptising them in the name," +[Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19] etc.? For it is the proper duty of priests +to preach and to baptise. Or, since it is nowadays the chief and, as +they say, indispensable duty of priests to read the canonical +hours,[178] why have they not discovered the sacrament of ordination +in those passages in which Christ, in many places and particularly in +the garden, commanded them to pray that they might not enter into +temptation? [Matt. 26:41] But perhaps they will evade this argument by +saying that it is not commanded to _pray_; it is enough to _read_ the +canonical hours. Then it follows that this priestly work can be proved +nowhere in the Scriptures, and thus their praying priesthood is not of +God, as, indeed, it is not. + +But which of the ancient Fathers claimed that in this passage priests +were ordained? Whence comes this novel interpretation? I will tell +you. They have sought by this device to set up a nursery of implacable +discord, whereby clerics and laymen should be separated from each +other farther than heaven from earth, to the incredible injury of the +grace of baptism and the confusion of our fellowship in the Gospel. +Here, indeed, are the roots of that detestable tyranny of the clergy +over the laity; trusting in the external anointing by which their +hands are consecrated, in the tonsure and in vestments, they not only +exalt themselves above lay Christians, who are only anointed with the +Holy Spirit, but regard them almost as dogs and unworthy to be +included with them in the Church. Hence they are bold to demand, to +exact, to threaten, to urge, to oppress, as much as they please. In +short, the sacrament of ordination has been and is a most approved +device for the establishing of all the horrible things that have been +wrought hitherto and will yet be wrought in the Church. Here Christian +brotherhood has perished, here shepherds have been turned into wolves, +servants into tyrants, churchmen into worse than worldlings. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of All Christians] + +If they were forced to grant that as many of us as have been baptised +are all priests without distinction, as indeed we are, and that to +them was committed the ministry only, yet with our consent, they would +presently learn that they have no right to rule over us except in so +far as we freely concede it. For thus it is written in i Peter ii, "Ye +are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a priestly kingdom." +[1 Peter 2:9] Therefore we are all priests, as many of us as are +Christians.[179] But the priests, as we call them, are ministers +chosen from among us, who do all that they do in our name. And the +priesthood is nothing but a ministry, as we learn from I Corinthians +iv, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the +dispensers of the mysteries of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] + +It follows herefrom that whoever does not preach the Word, called by +the Church to this very thing, is no priest at all. And further, that +the sacrament of ordination can be nothing else than a certain rite of +choosing preachers in the Church. For thus is a priest defined in +Malachi ii, "The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they +shall seek the law at his mouth: because he is the angel of the Lord +of hosts." [Mal. 2:7] You may be certain, then, that whoever is not an +angel of the Lord of hosts, or whoever is called to anything else than +such angelic service--if I may so term it--is never a priest; as Hosea +says, "Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that +thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me." [Hosea 4:6] They +are also called pastors because they are to pasture, that is, to +teach. Therefore, they who are ordained only to read the canonical +hours and to offer masses are indeed papist, but not Christian, +priests, because they not only do not preach, but are not called to +preach; nay, it comes to this, that such a priesthood is a different +estate altogether from the office of preaching. Thus they are +hour-priests and mass-priests, that is, a sort of living idol, having +the name of priest, while they are in reality such priests as Jeroboam +ordained, in Bethaven, of the off-scouring of the people, and not of +the tribe of Levi.[180][1 Kings 12:31] + +Lo, whither hath the glory of the Church departed! The whole earth is +filled with priests, bishops, cardinals and clerics, and yet not one +of them preaches by virtue of his office, unless he be called to do so +by another and a different call besides his sacramental ordination. +Every one thinks he is doing full justice to his sacrament by mumbling +the vain repetitions of his prescribed prayers and by celebrating +masses; moreover, by never really praying those hours[181], or if he +does pray them, by praying them for himself, and by offering his +masses as a sacrifice--which is the height of perversity!--whereas the +mass consists in the use of the sacrament. It is clear, therefore, +that the ordination which, as a sacrament, makes clerics of this sort +of men, is in truth nothing but a mere fiction, devised by men who +understand nothing about the Church, the priesthood, the ministry of +the Word, or the sacraments. And as is the sacrament, so are the +priests it makes. To such errors and such blindness has come a still +worse captivity; in order to separate themselves still farther from +other Christians, whom they deem profane, they have unmanned +themselves, like the priests of Cybele, and taken upon them the burden +of a pretended celibacy. + +It was not enough for this hypocrisy and error to forbid bigamy, viz., +the having of two wives at the same time, as it was forbidden in the +law, and as is the accepted meaning of the term; but they have called +it bigamy if a man married two virgins, one after the other, or if he +married a widow. Nay, so holy is the holiness of this most holy +sacrament, that no married man can become a priest as long as his wife +lives. And--here we reach the very summit of holiness--even he is +prevented from entering the priesthood, who without his knowledge or +by an unfortunate chance married a fallen woman. But if one have +defiled a thousand harlots, or ravished countless matrons and virgins, +or even kept numerous Ganymedes, that would be no hindrance to his +becoming bishop or cardinal or pope. Moreover, the Apostle's word, +"the husband of one wife," [1 Tim. 3:2] must be interpreted to mean, +"the prelate of one church," and this has given rise to the +"incompatible benefices."[182] At the same time the pope, that +munificent dispenser, may join to one man three, twenty, one hundred +wives--I should say churches--if he be bribed with money or power--I +should say, moved by godly charity and constrained by the care of the +churches. + +O pontiffs worthy of this holy sacrament of ordination! O princes, not +of the catholic churches, but of the synagogues, nay, the black dens, +of Satan! [Rev. 2:9] I would cry out with Isaiah: "Ye scornful men, +who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem" [Isa. 28:14]; and with +Amos: "Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have +confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the +people, that go in with state into the house of Israel." [Amos 6:1] O +the reproach that such monstrous priests bring upon the Church of God! +Where are there any bishops or priests who know the Gospel, not to +speak of preaching it? Why then do they boast of being priests? Why do +they desire to be regarded as holier and better and mightier than +other Christians, who are merely laymen? To read the hours--what +unlearned men, or, as the Apostle says, what men speaking with +tongues, cannot do that? [1 Cor. 14:23] But to _pray_ the hours--that +belongs to monks, hermits, and men in private life, all of them +laymen. The duty of the priest is to preach, and if he does not preach +he is as much a priest as a painted man is a man. Does ordaining such +babbling priests make one a bishop? Or blessing churches and bells? Or +confirming boys? Certainly not. Any deacon or layman could do as much. +The ministry of the Word makes the priest and the bishop. + +[Sidenote: Ordination, the Rite of Choosing Preachers] + +Therefore my advice is: Flee, all ye that would live in safety; +begone, young men, and do not enter upon this holy estate, unless you +are determined to preach the Gospel, and are able to believe that you +are not made one whit better than the laity through this sacrament of +ordination! For to read the hours is nothing, and to offer mass is to +receive the sacrament.[183] What then is there left to you that every +layman does not have? Tonsure and vestments? A sorry priest, forsooth, +who consists of tonsure and vestment! Or the oil poured on your +fingers? But every Christian is anointed and sanctified with the oil +of the Holy Spirit, both in body and soul, and in ancient times +touched the sacrament with his hands no less than the priests do +now.[184] But to-day our superstition counts it a great crime if the +laity touch either the bare chalice or the _corporale_;[185] not even +a nun who is a pure virgin would be permitted to wash the palls[186] +and sacred linens of the altar. O God! how the sacrosanct sanctity of +this sacrament of ordination has grown and grown. I anticipate that +ere long the laity will not be permitted to touch the altar except +when they offer their money. I can scarce contain myself when I +contemplate the wicked tyrannies of these desperate men, who with +their farcical and childish fancies mock and overthrow the liberty and +the glory of the Christian religion. + +Let every one, therefore, who knows himself to be a Christian be +assured of this, and apply it to himself,--that we are all priests, +and there is no difference between us; that is to say, we have the +same power in respect to the Word and all the sacraments. However, no +one may make use of this power except by the consent of the community +or by the call of a superior. For what is the common property of all, +no individual may arrogate to himself, unless he be called. And +therefore this sacrament of ordination, if it have any meaning at all, +is nothing else than a certain rite whereby one is called to the +ministry of the Church. Furthermore, the priesthood is properly +nothing but the ministry of the Word, mark you, of the Word--not of +the law, but of the Gospel. And the diaconate is not the ministry of +reading the Gospel or the Epistle, as is the present practice, but the +ministry of distributing the Church's alms to the poor, so that the +priests may be relieved of the burden of temporal matters and may give +themselves more freely to prayer and the Word. For this was the +purpose of the institution of the diaconate, as we read in Acts vi. +[Acts 6:4] Whoever, therefore, does not know or preach the Gospel, is +not only not a priest or bishop, but he is a plague of the Church, who +under the false title of priest or bishop--in sheep's clothing, +forsooth--oppresses the Gospel and plays the wolf in the Church. +Therefore, unless those priests and bishops with whom the Church is +now filled work out their salvation in some other way, that is, +realise that they are not priests or bishops and bemoan the act that +they bear the name of an office whose duties they either do not know +or cannot fulfil, and thus with prayers and tears lament their +wretched hypocritical life--unless they do this, they are truly the +people of eternal perdition, and the words of Isaiah are fulfilled in +them: "Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not +knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their +multitude were dried up with thirst. Therefore hath hell enlarged her +soul and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strong ones, +and their people, and their high and generous ones shall go down into +it." [Isa. 5:13 f.] What a dreadful word for our age, in which +Christians are sucked down into so deep an abyss! + +Since, therefore, what we call the priesthood is a ministry, so far as +we can learn from the Scriptures, I cannot understand why one who has +been made a priest cannot again become a layman; for the sole +difference between him and a layman is his ministry. But to depose a +man from the ministry is so far from impossible that it is even now +the usual penalty imposed upon guilty priests; they are either +suspended for a season or permanently deprived of their office. For +that lying "indelible character" has long since become a +laughing-stock. I admit that the pope imparts this character, but +Christ knows nothing of it; and a priest who is consecrated with it +becomes thereby the life-long servant and captive, not of Christ, but +of the pope; as it is in our day. Moreover, unless I am greatly +mistaken, if this sacrament and this life all, the papacy itself with +its characters will scarcely survive; our joyous liberty will be +restored to us; we shall realize that we are all equal by every right, +and having cast of the yoke of tyranny, shall know that he who is a +Christian has Christ, and that he who has Christ has all things that +are Christ's and is able to do all things [Phil. 4:13]. Of this I will +write more, and more tellingly, as soon as I perceive that the above +has displeased my friends the papists.[187] + +THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION + +[Sidenote: The Authority of James] + +To the rite of anointing the sick our theologians have made two +additions which are worthy of them; first, the call it a sacrament, +and secondly, they make it the last sacrament. So that it is now the +sacrament of extreme unction, which may be administered only to such +as are at the point of death. Being such subtle dialecticians, +perchance they have done this in order to relate it to the first +unction of baptism and the two succeeding unctions of confirmation and +ordination. But here they are able to cast in my teeth, that in the +case of this sacrament there are, on the authority of James the +Apostle, both promise and sign, which, as I have all along maintained, +constitute a sacrament. For does not James say: "Is any man sick among +you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray +over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the +prayer of faith shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall +be forgiven him." [James 5:14 f.] There, say they, you have the +promise of the forgiveness of sins, and the sign of the oil. + +But I reply: If ever there was a mad conceit, here is one indeed. I +will say nothing of the act that many assert with much probability +that this Epistle is not by James the Apostle,[188] nor worthy of an +apostolic spirit, although, whoever be its author, it has come to be +esteemed as authoritative. But even if the Apostle James did write it, +I yet should say, no Apostle has the right on his own authority to +institute a sacrament, that is, to give a divine promise with a sign +attached; for this belongs to Christ alone. Thus Paul says that he +received from the Lord the sacrament of the Eucharist, and that he was +not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospel [1 Cor. 11:23; 1 Cor. +1:17]. And we read nowhere in the Gospel of this sacrament of extreme +unction. But let us also waive that point. Let us examine the words of +the Apostle, or whoever was the author of the Epistle, and we shall at +once see how little heed these multipliers of sacraments have given to +them. + +[Sidenote: The Unction Not Extreme] + +In the first place, then, if they believe the Apostle's words to be +true and binding, by what right do they change and contradict them? +Why do they make an extreme and a particular kind of unction of that +which the Apostle wished to be general? For he did not desire it to be +an extreme unction or administered only to the dying; but he says +quite generally: "If any man be sick"--not, "If any man be dying." I +care not what learned discussions Dionysius has on this point in his +_Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_;[189] the Apostle's words are clear enough, +on which words he as well as they rely, without, however, following +them. It is evident, therefore, that they have arbitrarily and without +any authority made a sacrament and an extreme unction out of the +misunderstood words of the Apostle, to the detriment of all other sick +persons, whom they have deprived of the benefit of the unction which +the Apostle enjoined. + +[Sidenote: The Unction Medicinal] + +But what follows is still better. The Apostle's promise expressly +declares that the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the +Lord shall raise him up. The Apostle commands us to anoint the sick +man and to pray, in order that he may be healed and raised up; that +is, that he may not die, and that it may not be an extreme unction. +This is proved also by the prayers which are said, during the +anointing, or the recovery of the one who is sick. But they say, on +the contrary, that the unction must be administered to none but the +dying; that is, that they may not be healed and raised up. If it were +not so serious a matter, who could help laughing at this beautiful, +apt and sound exposition of the Apostle's words? Is not the folly of +the sophists here shown in its true colors? As here, so in many other +places, they affirm what the Scriptures deny, and deny what they +affirm. Why should we not give thanks to these excellent magisters of +ours?[190] I therefore spoke truth when I said they never conceived a +crazier notion than this.[191] + +Furthermore, if this unction is a sacrament it must necessarily be, as +they say, an effective sign[192] of that which it signifies and +promises. Now it promises health and recovery to the sick, as the +words plainly say: "The prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and +the Lord shall raise him up." But who does not see that this promise +is seldom if ever fulfilled? Scarce one in a thousand is restored to +health, and when one is restored nobody believes that it came about +through the sacrament, but through the working of nature or the +medicine; or to the sacrament they ascribe the opposite power. What +shall we say then? Either the Apostle lies in making this promise or +else this unction is no sacrament. For the sacramental promise is +certain; but this promise deceives in the majority of cases. +Indeed--and here again we recognize the shrewdness and foresight of +these theologians--for this very reason they would have it to be +extreme unction, that the promise should not stand; in other words, +that the sacrament should be no sacrament. For if it is extreme +unction, it does not heal, but gives way to the disease; but if it +heals, it cannot be extreme unction. Thus, by the interpretation of +these magisters, James is shown to have contradicted himself, and to +have instituted a sacrament in order not to institute one; for they +must have an extreme unction just to make untrue what the Apostle +intends, namely, the healing of the sick. If that is not madness, pray +what is? + +[Sidenote: Priests and Elders] + +These people exemplify the word of the Apostle in i Timothy i, +"Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things +they say, nor whereof they affirm." [1 Tim. 1:7] Thus they read and +follow all things without judgment. With the same thoughtlessness they +have also found auricular confession in our Apostle's words,--"Confess +your sins one to another." [James 5:16] But they do not observe the +command of the Apostle, that the priests of the church be called, and +prayer be made for the sick. Scarce a single priestling is sent +nowadays, although the Apostle would have many present, not because of +the unction but of the prayer. Wherefore he says: "The prayer of faith +shall save the sick man," etc. I have my doubts, however, whether he +would have us understand priests when he says presbyters, that is, +elders. For one who is an elder is not therefore a priest or minister; +so that the suspicion is justified that the Apostle desired the older +and graver men in the Church to visit the sick; these should perform a +work of mercy and pray in faith and thus heal him. Still it cannot be +denied that the ancient churches were ruled by elders, chosen for this +purpose, without these ordinations and consecrations, solely on +account of their age and their long experience. + +Therefore, I take it, this unction is the same as that which the +Apostles practised, in Mark vi, "They anointed with oil many that were +sick, and healed them." [Mark 6:13] It was a ceremony of the early +Church, by which they wrought miracles on the sick, and which has long +since ceased; even as Christ, in the last chapter of Mark, gave them +that believe the power to take up serpents, to lay hands on the sick, +etc. [Mark 16:17] It is a wonder that they have not made sacraments +also of these things; for they have the same power and promise as the +words of James. Therefore, this extreme--that is, this +fictitious--unction is not a sacrament, but a counsel of James, which +whoever will may use, and it is derived from Mark vi, as I have shown. +I do not believe it was a counsel given to all sick persons, for the +Church's infirmity is her glory and death is gain [Rom. 5:3; Phil. +1:21]; but it was given only to such as might bear their sickness +impatiently and with little faith. These the Lord allowed to remain in +the Church, in order that miracles and the power of faith might be +manifest in them. + +[Sidenote: Prayer the Chief Part of Unction] + +For this very contingency James provided with care and foresight by +attaching the promise of healing and the forgiveness of sins not to +the unction, but to the prayer of faith. For he says: "And the prayer +of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up: and +if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him." A sacrament does not +demand prayer or faith on the part of the minister, since even a +wicked person may baptise and consecrate without prayer; a sacrament +depends solely on the promise and institution of God, and requires +faith on the part of him who receives it. But where is the prayer of +faith in our present use of extreme unction? Who prays over the sick +one in such faith as not to doubt that he will recover? Such a prayer +of faith James here describes, of which he said in the beginning of +his Epistle: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." [James 1:6] +And Christ says of it: "Whatsoever you ask, believe that you shall +receive; and it shall be done unto you." [Mark 11:24] + +[Sidenote: The Unction and Faith] + +If such prayer were made, even to-day, over a sick man--that is, +prayer made in full faith by older, grave and saintly men--it is +beyond all doubt that we could heal as many sick as we would. For what +could not faith do? But we neglect this faith, which the authority of +the Apostle demands above all else. By presbyters--that is, men +preeminent by reason of their age and their faith--we understand the +common herd of priests. Moreover, we turn the daily or voluntary +unction into an extreme unction, and finally, we not only do not +effect the result promised by the Apostle, namely, the healing of the +sick, but we make it of none effect by striving after the very +opposite. And yet we boast that our sacrament, nay, our figment, is +established and proved by this saying of the Apostle, which is +diametrically opposed to it. What theologians we are! Now I do not +condemn this our sacrament of extreme unction, but I firmly deny that +it is what the Apostle James prescribes; for his unction agrees with +ours neither in form, use, power nor purpose. Nevertheless we shall +number it among those sacraments which we have instituted, such as the +blessing and sprinkling of salt and holy water[193]. For we cannot +deny that every creature is sanctified by the word and by prayer, as +the Apostle Paul teaches us [1 Tim. 4:4 f.]. We do not deny, +therefore, that forgiveness of sins and peace are granted through +extreme unction; not because it is a sacrament divinely instituted, +but because he who receives it believes that these blessings are +granted to him. For the faith of the recipient does not err, however +much the minister may err. For one who baptises or absolves in +jest[194], that is, does not absolve so far as the minister is +concerned, does yet truly absolve and baptise if the person he +baptises or absolves believe. How much more will one who administers +extreme unction confer peace, even though he does not really confer +peace, so far as his ministry is concerned, since there is no +sacrament there. The faith of the one anointed receives even that +which the minister either could not or did not intend to give; it is +sufficient for him to hear and believe the Word. For whatever we +believe we shall receive, that we do really receive, it matters not +what the minister may do or not do, or whether he dissemble or jest. +The Saying of Christ stands fast,--"All things are possible to him +that believeth," [Mark 9:23] and, "Be it unto thee even as thou hast +believed." [Matt. 8:13] But in treating the sacraments our sophists +say nothing at all of this faith, but only babble with all their might +of the virtues of the sacraments themselves--"ever learning, and never +attaining to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] + +Still it was a good thing that this unction was made extreme unction, +or, thanks to that, it has been disturbed and subjected least of all +the sacraments by tyranny and greed. This one last mercy, forsooth, +has been let to the dying,--they may freely be anointed, even without +confession and communion. If it had remained a practice of daily +occurrence, especially if it had conferred health on the sick, even +without taking away sins, how many worlds would not the pontiffs have +under their control to-day? For through the one sacrament of penance +and through the power of the keys, as well as through the sacrament of +ordination, they have become such mighty emperors and princes. But now +it is a fortunate thing that they despise the prayer of faith, and +therefore do not heal any sick, and that they have made or themselves, +out of an ancient ceremony, a brand-new sacrament. + +Let this suffice now for these four sacraments. I know how it will +displease those who believe that the number and use of the sacraments +are to be learned not from the sacred Scriptures, but from the Roman +See. As though the Roman See had given those sacraments and had not +rather got them from the lecture halls of the universities, to which +it is unquestionably indebted or whatever it has. The papal despotism +would not have attained its present position, had it not taken over so +many things from the universities. For there was scarce another of the +celebrated bishoprics that had so few learned pontiffs; only in +violence, intrigue, and superstition has it hitherto surpassed the +rest. For the men who occupied the Roman See a thousand years ago +differ so vastly from those who have since come into power, that one +is compelled to refuse the name of Roman pontiff either to the former +or to the latter. + +[Sidenote: Other Possible Sacraments] + +There are yet a few other things it might seem possible to regard as +sacraments; namely, all those to which a divine promise has been +given, such as prayer, the Word, and the cross. Christ promised, in +many places, that those who pray should be heard; especially in Luke +xi, where He invites us in many parables to pray [Luke 11:5 ff.]. Of +the Word He says: "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and +keep it." [Luke 11:28] And who will tell how often He promises aid and +glory to such as are afflicted, suffer, and are cast down? Nay, who +will recount all the promises of God? The whole Scripture is concerned +with provoking us to faith; now driving us with precepts and threats, +now drawing us with promises and consolations. Indeed, whatever things +are written are either precepts or promises; the precepts humble the +proud with their demands, the promises exalt the humble with their +forgiveness. + +[Sidenote: Baptism and Bread the Only Sufficient Sacraments] + +Nevertheless, it has seemed best to restrict the name of sacrament to +such promises as have signs attached to them. The remainder, not being +bound to signs, are bare promises. Hence there are, strictly speaking, +but two sacraments in the Church of God--baptism and bread; for only +in these two do we find both the divinely instituted sign and the +promise of forgiveness of sins. The sacrament of penance, which I +added to these two[195] lacks the divinely instituted visible sign, +and is, as I have said[196], nothing but a return to baptism. Nor can +the scholastics say that their definition fits penance, for they too +ascribe to the sacrament a visible sign, which is to impress upon the +senses the form of that which it effects invisibly. But penance, or +absolution, has no such sign; wherefore they are constrained by their +own definition, either to admit that penance is not a sacrament, and +thus to reduce the number of sacraments, or else to bring forward +another definition. + +Baptism, however, which we have applied to the whole of life, will +truly be a sufficient substitute for all the sacraments we might need +as long as we live. And the bread is truly the sacrament of the dying; +for in it we commemorate the passing of Christ out of this world, that +we may imitate Him. Thus we may apportion these two sacraments as +follows: baptism belongs to the beginning and the entire course of +life, the bread belongs to the end and to death. And the Christian +should use them both as long as he is in this poor body, until, fully +baptised and strengthened, he passes out of this world and is born +unto the new life of eternity, to eat with Christ in the Kingdom of +His Father, as He promised at the Last Supper,--"Amen I say to you, I +will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until it is +fulfilled in the kingdom of God." [Matt. 26:29] Thus He seems clearly +to have instituted the sacrament of the bread with a view to our +entrance into the life to come. Then, when the meaning[197] of both +sacraments is fulfilled, baptism and bread will cease. + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +Herewith I conclude this prelude, and freely and gladly offer it to +all pious souls who desire to know the genuine sense of the Scriptures +and the proper use of the sacraments. For it is a gift of no mean +importance, to know the things that are given us, as it is said in I +Corinthians ii [1 Cor. 2:12], and what use we ought to make of them. +Endowed with this spiritual judgment, we shall not mistakenly rely on +that which does not belong here. These two things our theologians +never taught us, nay, methinks they took particular pains to conceal +them from us. If I have not taught them, I certainly did not conceal +them, and have given occasion to others to think out something better. +It has at least been my endeavor to set forth these two things. +Nevertheless, not all can do all things[198]. To the godless, on the +other hand, and those who in obstinate tyranny force on us their own +teachings instead of God's, I confidently and freely oppose these +pages, utterly indifferent to their senseless fury. Yet I wish even +them a sound mind, and do not despise their efforts, but only +distinguish them from such as are sound and truly Christian. + +I hear a rumor of new bulls and papal maledictions sent out against +me, in which I am urged to recant or be declared a heretic[199]. If +that is true, I desire this book to be a portion of the recantation I +shall make; so that these tyrants may not complain of having had their +pains for nothing. The remainder I will publish ere long, and it will, +please Christ, be such as the Roman See has hitherto neither seen nor +heard. I shall give ample proof of my obedience[200]. In the name of +our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. + + Why doth that impious Herod fear + When told that Christ the King is near? + He takes not earthly realms away, + Who gives the realms that ne'er decay.[201] + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Born at Steinheim, near Paderborn, in Westphalia; a proofreader in +Melchior Lotter's printing-house at Leipzig, with whose oldest son he +went to Wittenberg in 1519; professor of poetry at the university; +rector of the same, 1525; one of Luther's staunchest supporters; +rector of the school at Lünenberg, 1532 until his death in 1540. +Compare Enders, _Luther's Briewechsel_, II, 490; Tschackert, _op. +cit._, 203, and literature in Clemen, I, 426. + +[2] _Resolutiones disputatio num de indulgentiarum Virtute_, 1518; +others think he refers to the Sermon _von Ablass und Gnade_, of the +same year. + +[3] Sylvester Prierias and the Dominicans. Comp. Köstlin-Kawerau, +Luther, I, 189 ff. + +[4] _Resolutiones super prop, xiii._, 1519. + +[5] Comp. The Papacy at Rome, Vol. I, p. 392. + +[6] Comp. Fr. Lepp, _Schlagworter des Ref. zeitalters_ (Leipzig, +1908), p. 62. + +[7] The Franciscan Augustin Alveld. See Introduction, and compare +Lemmens, _Pater Aug. v. Alveld_ (Freiburg, 1599). + +[8] Isidore Isolani. See Introduction. + +[9] Luther pokes fun at the use of _revocatio_ with an objective +genitive. + +[10] See above, p. 58, and compare Preserved Smith, _Luther's +Correspondence_, Vol. I, letter no. 265. + +[11] Cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I, p. 337. The title-page of +Alveld's treatise contained twenty-six lines. + +[12] A satiric reference to a section in Alveld's treatise, on the +name of Jesus, which he spells IHSVH and brings proofs for this form +from the three languages, mentioned. See Seckendor, _Hist. Luth._, +lib. I, sect. 27, section lxx, add. ii. + +[13] Alveld calls himself, on his title-page, _Franciscanus regularis +observantiae Sanctae Crucis_. The Observantines were Franciscan monks +of the stricter rule, who separated from the Conventuals in the XV. +Century. See _Prot. Realencyklopädie^3, VI, 213 ff. + +[14] In the _Treatise on the Blessed Sacrament_; see above, p. 9. + +[15] The universities of Cologne and Louvain had ratified Eck's +"victory" over Luther at the Leipzig Disputation. See Köstlin-Kawerau, +I, 266, 298. + +[16] _De disputatione Lipsicensi_, 1519. + +[17] _A venatione Luteriana Aegocerotis assertio_, 1519. + +[18] Some theologians--e. g., Cajetan and Durandus--doubted whether +the Sacrament of Order was received by deacons; the Council of Trent +decided against them.--_Cath. Encyclop._, IV, 650. + +[19] For Luther's opinion of Aristotle see above, pp. 146 f. + +[20] The Franciscans are meant. The allusion may be to the seraphic +vision of St. Francis. + +[21] See above, pp. 153 ff. + +[22] A less lenient view was taken by Boniface Amerbach, writing to +his brother Basil at Basle, October 20, 1520: "The good man (Luther) +was not a little injured by the libel of a poor impostor, who, by +pretending that Martin had recanted, brought back even those who had +entered upon the way of truth to their former errors." See Smith, _op. +cit._, I, no. 316. + +[23] The present did not last very long; see below, p. 292. + +[24] So called because of the withholding of the wine from the laity. + +[25] Cf. 1 Tim. 3:16. See Köstlin, _Theology of Luther_ (E. Tr.), I, +403; and below, pp. 258 f. + +[26] The _Treatise on the Blessed Sacrament_, 1519. + +[27] See page 174. + +[28] See above, p. 10, note 1. + +[29] _Decretal. Greg., lib. Ill, tit. xli, cap. 17_. + +[30] Migne, XLIV, 699 f. + +[31] _Verklärung etlicher Artikel_, 1520. _Weimer Ed._, VI, 80 11 ff. + +[32] An allusion to his opponents' doctrine of the complete freedom of +the will, which Luther denied. Compare his _De servo arbitrio_ (1525). +_Weimar Ed._, XVIII, 600 ff. He finds in their treatment of Scripture +and of logic a practical expression of this doctrine of theirs. + +[33] Luther humbly identifies himself with the erring priesthood, + +[34] Alveld. + +[35] _The res sacramenti_. The sacrament consisted of these two +parts--(1) the _sacramentum_, or external sign, and (2) the _res +sacramenti_, or the thing signified, the sacramental grace. Another +distinction is that between (1) _materia_, or the external sign, and +(2) _forma_, or the words of institution or administration. See below, +p. 223. + +[36] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, VI, 505, note 1. + +[37] Cf. Vol. I, p. 325, and _Realencyklopädie_, X, 289, pp. 11 ff. + +[38] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, VI, 506, note 2. + +[39] Cf. W. Kohler, _Luther unci die Kirchengeschichte_ (Erlangen, +1900), chap. viii. + +[40] On the spiritual reception of the sacrament see H. Hering, _Die +Mystik Luthers_ (1879), pp. 173 f. Cf. above, p. 40. + +[41] See above, p. 172. + +[42] John Wyclif (Died 1384), the keenest of the mediæval critics of the +doctrine of transubstantiation. + +[43] Pierre d'Ailly (Died 1425), who, with his master Occam, greatly +influenced Luther. + +[44] The Sentences of Peter Lombard, the text-book of medieval +theology. + +[45] In the dogma of transubstantiation (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215) +the Church taught that the substance of bread and wine was changed +into the substance of Christ's body and blood, while the accidents of +the former--i. e., their attributes, such as form, color, taste, +etc.--remained. + +[46] Aquinas. + +[47] Thus the _Erlangen Ed._; the _Weimar Ed._ reads: _an accidentia +ibi sint sine substantia_. + +[48] See above, p. 20. + +[49] i. e., the host, or wafer. + +[50] _Decretal. Greg. lib. I, tit. i, cap. I, section 3_. + +[51] See above, pp. 26 ff. + +[52] See above, p. 137. + +[54] Comp. Vol. I, pp. 295 ff. + +[55] The Douay Version has here been followed. + +[56] See Luther's own definition above, pp. 22 ff. + +[57] See above, p. 181, note. + +[58] See above, p. 198. + +[59] See above, p. 195. + +[60] See above, p. 10. + +[61] See above, p. 187, note 1. + +[62] See above, p. 188. + +[63] See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[64] On "fruits of the mass" compare Seeberg, _Dogmengesch._., III, p. +472. + +[65] Comp. Vol. I, p. 307. + +[66] Comp. Vol. I, pp. 302 f. + +[67] See above, pp. 22 f. + +[68] See p. 23. + +[69] See Vol. I, pp. 187 ff. + +[70] See above, p. 196. + +[71] That portion of the mass included between the Sanctus and the +Lord's Prayer. + +[72] See Vol. I, p. 312, and _Prot. Realencyklop._, XIV, 679, 41 ff. + +[73] See above, p. 211, note 2. + +[74] See above, p. 16. + +[75] See Vol. I, p. 306. + +[76] The offertory prayers in the mass. _C. Prot. Realencyklopädie_, +XII, 720, 46 ff. + +[77] The private mass does not require the presence of a congregation. +Besides the celebrant there need be present only a ministrant. There +is no music, the mass is only read. See _Realencyklopädie_, XII, 723. + +[78] The _res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182. + +[79] Masses celebrated by special request or in honor of certain +mysteries (e. g., of the Holy Trinity, of the Holy Spirit, or of +angels). _Realencyklopädie_, XII, 722. + +[80] Pope Gregory I. See Realencyklopädie, XII, 681 f. + +[81] See above, p. 196, note, and comp. Seeberg, _Dogmengesch._, Ill, +461 f. + +[82] For letters of indulgence. + +[83] _E p_. 130, 9 (Migne, XXII, 1115). + +[84] Factions in the monastic orders. + +[85] The reference may be to Blandina, who suffered martyrdom under +Marcus Aurelius. + +[86] The three parts of penance; see below, p. 247. + +[87] See Vol. I, p. 91. + +[88] Peter Lombard, the fourth book of whose Sentences treats of the +sacraments; see above, p. 188. + +[89] See p. 182, note 2. + +[90] The scholastics distinguished between the "material" and the +"form" of a sacrament. In baptism, the material was the water; the +form, the words, "I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Ghost." + +[91] Alexander, of Hales, denied the validity of baptism "in the name +of Jesus," which Peter Lombard defended. Cf. _Realencyklopädie_, XIX, +412. + +[92] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, I, 544, and _Erlangen Ed._, XLIV, 114 ff. + +[93] See above, p. 203. + +[94] A point at issue between Thomists and Franciscans. The former +held that the grace of the sacrament was contained in the sacramental +sign and directly imparted through it; thus Aquinas. The Franciscans +contended that the sign was merely a symbol, but that God, according +to a _pactio_, or agreement, imparted the grace of the sacrament when +the sign was being used; thus Bonaventura, and especially Duns Scotus. +See Seeberg, DC, III, 455 ff., and in _Realencyklopädie_, V, 73. + +[95] The conclusion of the investigation begun on p. 226. + +[96] See above, p. 204. + +[97] See above, p. 223. + +[98] See above, p. 226. + +[99] _Baptisma_; see above, p. 226, and compare Vol. I, p. 56. + +[100] _Res_. See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[101] _Res baptismi_. See above, p. 231. + +[102] Cf. below, pp, 258 ff. + +[103] See above, p. 231. + +[104] The position of Thomas Aquinas, going back to Augustine, and +ratified by Clement V at the Council of Vienna, 1311-12. + +[105] See above, p. 227. + +[106] See above, pp. 227 ff. + +[107] For a full discussion of this "baptism," see Scheel, in the +_Berlin Edition_ of Luther's works, _Ergänzungsband_ II, pp. 134-157. + +[108] See above, p. 238. + +[109] The threefold vow of the mendicant orders. + +[110] _Bulla_ means both a papal bull and a bubble. + +[111] Compare above, p. 172, note 4. + +[112] An obscure allegorical reference to the Babylonian captivity of +the Jews. "The people of the captivity" (comp. Ps. 64:1 and 1 Kings +24:14, Vulgate) are the better portion of the people who were carried +captive, together with their possessions, to Babylon; "the people of +the earth," _am haarez_, the common people, were left behind and +became the nucleus of the hybrid Samaritan nation. + +[113] See above, p. 123. + +[114] See above, p. 75. + +[115] See _Decretal. Greg., lib. Ill, tit. xxxiv, cap. 7_. + +[116] Cf. Köhler, _Luther und die KG._, pp. 222 ff. + +[117] Comp. below, p. 248. + +[118] This time came during Luther's sojourn at the Wartburg, when he +wrote _De votis monasticis_, 1521. See Vol. IV. + +[119] The XCV Theses, the _Resolutiones_, the _Sermon von Ablass und +Gnade_, the _Confitendi Ratio_; the first and last of these in Vol. I. + +[120] Reference to a probably spurious bull of Clement VI. In his +_Grund u. Ursach aller Artikel D. Martin Luthers, so durch röm. Bulle +unrechtlich verdammt sind_ (1521), Luther writes: "Thus it happened in +the days of John Hus that the pope commanded the angels of heaven to +conduct to heaven the souls of the Roman pilgrims who died en route. +Against this dreadful blasphemy and more than devilish presumption Hus +raised his voice, and though he lost his life therefor, yet forced the +pope to pipe a different tune and in future to refrain from such +blasphemy."--Compare Köhler, _Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte_, p. +206. See also above, p. 81. + +[121] _Longe viliorem_; the _Jena Ed._, followed by Lemme and Kawerau, +reads, _longe meliorem_. + +[122] Comp. Vol. I, p. 20. + +[123] Comp. Vol. I, p. 86. + +[124] See above, pp. 105 f. + +[125] See above, p. 105, note 4. + +[126] See above, p. 223, note 1, + +[127] See above, p. 245, note 2. + +[128] A play on the word _observantia_, which means both observation +and observance. A scriptural fling at the _Observantines_. Comp. +above, p. 172, note 4. + +[129] Luther quotes correctly, _confortatus_, but thinks +_confirmatus_. + +[130] Vulgate: _confirmet_. + +[131] Above, pp. 203 f. + +[132] Vulgate: _sacramenta_. + +[133] Erasmus edited the first published Greek New Testament in March, +1516 (Basle: John Froben), the Complutensian Polyglot being the first +printed edition (1514). Luther used Erasmus' work as soon as it came +out, as may be seen in his lectures on Romans, 1515-16 (cf. Picker, +_Luthers Vorlesung über den Romerbrie_; also Preserved Smith, +_Luther's Correspondence_, etc., I, nos. 21 and 65). In an interesting +letter to Luther of Feb. 14, 1519, Froben announces the second edition +of Erasmus' New Testament, which Luther used in making his +translation. Cf. Smith, op. cit., 00.125. + +[134] See above, p. 177. + +[135] Namely, for Paul. + +[136] The precise meaning is not clear. The Latin is: _vel proprio +spiritu vel general! sententia_. + +[137] Here follows a passage that clearly breaks into the context and +belongs elsewhere. See Introduction, p. 169. + +"I admit that the sacrament of penance existed also in the Old Law, +yea, from the beginning of the world. But the new promise of penance +and the gift of the keys are peculiar to the New Law. For as we now +have baptism instead of circumcision, so we have the keys instead of +the sacrifices and other signs of penance. We said above that the same +God at divers times gave divers promises and signs for the remission +of sins and the salvation of men, but that all nevertheless received +the same grace. Thus it is said in II Corinthians iv, 'Having the same +spirit of faith, we also believe, or which cause we speak also'; and +in i Corinthians x, 'Our fathers did all eat the same spiritual food, +and all drank the same spiritual drink; and they drank of the +spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.' Thus also +in Hebrews xi, 'These all died, not receiving the promise; God +providing some better thing or us, that they should not be perfected +without us.' For Christ Himself is, yesterday and to-day and forever, +the Head of His Church, from the beginning even to the end of the +world. Therefore there are divers signs, but the faith of all is the +same. Indeed, without faith it is impossible to please God, by which +faith even Abel pleased Him (Hebrews xi)." + +[138] The _Summa angelica_ of Angelus de Clavassio of Genoa (died +about 1495), published 1486, one of the favorite handbooks of +casuistry, in which all possible cases of conscience were treated in +alphabetical order. Cf. _Zeitschrit für Kirchengesch._, XXVII, 296 ff. +The _Summa angelica_ was among the papal books burned by Luther, +together with the bull, December 10, 1520. Cf. Smith, _Luther's +Correspondence_, I, no. 355. + +[139] For a full discussion of the hindrances see article Eherecht, by +Sehung, in _Prot. Realencyklopädie_, V. + +[140] On this whole paragraph compare Vol. I, p. 294. + +[141] It is to be borne in mind that all that follows is in the nature +of advice to confessors in dealing with difficult cases of conscience, +and is parallel to the closing paragraphs of the section on The +Sacrament of the Bread. + +[142] Namely, by officiating at the marriage ceremony. + +[143] Namely, by betrothal (_sponsalia de praesenti_). + +[144] Lemme pertinently reminds the reader that by "laws of men" +Luther here understands the man-made laws of the Church of Rome. + +[145] See above, p. 103, note 2. + +[146] Relationship arising from sponsorship and legal adoption. Cf. +above, p. 128. + +[147] _Cognatio spiritualis_. + +[148] _The res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182. + +[149] _Cognatio legalis_. + +[150] _Disparilitas religionis_. + +[151] _Impedimentum criminis_. + +[152] _Impedimentum ligamiais_. + +[153] The _fides data et accepta_, which Luther finds in the _fides_ +(faith) of Gal. 5:22 + +[154] Page 243. + +[155] _Impedimentum erroris_. With fine sarcasm Luther here plays of +one hindrance against another. + +[156] _Impedimentum ordinis_. + +[157] _Impedimentum publicae honestatis_. + +[158] An untranslatable pun: _non iustitia sed inscitia_. + +[159] Page 244. + +[160] See p. 263, note 2. + +[161] Page 242. + +[162] The following points need to be borne in mind in order to a fair +evaluation of this much criticized section: (1) What is here given is +in the nature of advice to confessors, and the one guiding principle +is the relief of souls in peril. (2) It must not be forgotten that +Luther wrote the treatise in Latin, and not for the general public. +There is without doubt a certain betrayal in turning into the +vernacular a passage written in the language of the learned. Yet we +have done this, being unwilling to all under the charge of giving a +garbled version. (3) The hindrance Luther is here discussing was one +recognized and provided or by the Church of Rome, and the remedy +suggested by him was prescribed by the German _Volksrecht_ in many +localities. (4) Divorce was absolutely forbidden. (5) Luther's error +grew out of an unhistorical interpretation of the Old Testament, and +consisted in his undervaluing the importance of the public law. "To +make the individual conscience the sole arbiter in matters belonging +to public law, leads to dangerous consequences." (See Kawarau, _Berlin +Ed._, II, 482 f., where references are given.) + +[163] As he actually did in the case of Henry VIII and Philip of +Hesse. + +[164] See above, p. 269, note 1. + +[165] Page 271. + +[166] An allusion to the act that what he is writing is a "Prelude." +See Introduction, p. 168. + +[167] _Contra epistolam Manichaei_, 5, 6 (Migne, XLII, 176). Cf. +below, p. 451. + +[168] _De trinitate_, 9, 6, 10 (Migne, VIII, 966). + +[169] See below, pp. 451 ff. + +[170] The council that condemned and burned John Hus (1414-1418). + +[171] Dionysius Areopagita, the pseudonym (cf. Acts 17:54) of the +unknown author (about 500, in Syria?) of the neoplatonic writings, _Of +the Celestial_, and _Of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_, etc. + +[172] William Durandus the elder, died 1296. + +[173] The Franciscan Bonaventura (Died 1274) in his _De reductione artium +ad theologiara_. + +[174] Donatus (ab. 350 A.D.), a famous Latin grammarian, whose _Ars +minor_ was a favorite mediæval text-book. The chancellor of the +University of Paris, John Gerson (Died 1429), published a _Donatus +moralisatus seu per allegoriam traductus_--a mystical grammar, in +which the noun was compared to man, the pronoun to man's sinful state, +the verb to the divine command to love, the _adverb_ to the fulfilment +of the divine law, etc. + +[175] See above, p. 190. + +[176] The so-called _character indelebilis_, the peculiar gift of +ordination, so that "once a priest, always a priest." See above, p. +68, note 5. + +[177] See above, pp. 178 ff. + +[178] The stated daily prayers, fixed by canon, of the clergy. The +seven hours are respectively: matins (including noctums and lauds), +prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline. + +[179] Comp. above, p. 69. The fullest development of Luther's doctrine +of the spiritual priesthood of believers is to be found in his +writings against Emser, especially _Auf das überchristliche, +übergeistliche und überkünstliche Buch Bock Emsers Antwort_, 1521. + +[180] On the last sentence see above, pp. 251 f. + +[181] See p. 278, note 1. + +[182] See above, p. 92. + +[183] See above, p. 280. + +[184] See above, p. 185. + +[185] See above, p. 213. + +[186] Covers for the chalice. + +[187] This promise was fulfilled in the Liberty of a Christian Man. + +[188] Thus Erasmus: _Fieri potest ut nomen commune cum apostolo +praebuerit occasionem ut haec epistola lacobo apostolo ascriberetur, +cum uerit alterius cuiusdam Iacobi._--Moffatt, _Introduction to the +Lit. of the N. T._, p. 472. + +[189] See above, p. 275. + +[190] Comp. above, p. 171. + +[191] See above, p. 285. + +[192] See above, p. 226. + +[193] See above, p. 275. + +[194] See above, p. 226. + +[195] See above, p. 177. + +[196] See above, pp. 220 f. + +[197] The _res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[198] Vergil's _Eclogues_, VIII, 63. + +[199] See Introduction, p. 168. + +[200] The remainder of Luther's "recantation" was the _De libertate_. +In the letter to the pope, which accompanied it, he gave ample proof +of his obedience. + +[201] The eighth stanza of Coehus Sedulius' _Hymnus acrostichis totam +vitam Christi continens_ (beginning, _A solis ortus cardine_), of the +fifth century. Stanzas 8, 9, 11 and 13 were used as an Epiphany hymn, +which Luther translated on December 12, 1541,--"Was fürchtst du, Feind +Herodes, sehr." The above translation is taken from _Hymns Ancient and +Modern_, No. 60. + + + +A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY WITH A LETTER TO POPE LEO X + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The Letter to the Pope, like an earlier letter dated March 3, 1519, +was written at the suggestion of Carl von Miltitz. Sent to Germany to +bring Luther to Rome, this German diplomat knew German conditions and +to some extent sympathized with Luther's denunciation of Tetzel and +the sellers of indulgences. He preferred, therefore, to try to settle +the controversy and to leave Luther in Germany. Although the pope +insisted that Luther must come to Rome and recant, Miltitz arranged +for a hearing of the case before a German bishop. Evidently Miltitz +was far too optimistic in his representations both to Luther and to +the pope. The pope, in a writing dated March 29, 1519, spoke in +friendly terms to Luther, and urged him to come to Rome immediately +and to make his recantation there. Luther, in the letter dated March +3, 1519, writes in most humble language to the pope, but declares it +impossible for him to recant what he had written in the XCV Theses. +The pope's letter did not reach Luther; Luther's letter was not +forwarded to the pope. + +Luther had promised to keep silent if his opponents would do the same, +and had devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures. John Eck, +however, had no such occupation to keep him from controversy, and +Luther was not averse to a debate. At the Leipzig disputation, June +27-July 15, 1519, Luther learned more of the logical implications of +his position. The plan of Miltitz had failed, but he would not be +discouraged. + +When Miltitz went to Germany, it was under the pretence of a mission +"to deliver to his elector the papal golden rose, which the latter had +coveted in vain for two years."[1] Now he decided to go in person to +Augsburg, where it had been deposited with the Fuggers, and present it +to Frederick. This also gave an opportunity for a second meeting with +Luther at Liebwierde, October 9, 1519. Luther, although placing little +confidence in Miltitz, consented to argue his case before the +archbishop of Treves. The plan failed, partly because there was no +citation for Luther to appear, partly because the Elector would not +allow Luther to go without proper safe-conduct, and partly because +Miltitz had not tried to prevent Luther's opponents from challenging +him. + +In spite of the evident lack of confidence on both sides, and in spite +of Luther's constant progress in opposition to the Roman Church, +Miltitz insisted that "the case is not as black as we priests make +it," even when a papal bull was issued against Luther on June 15, +1520. On August 28th Miltitz attended a meeting of the Augustinian +monks in Eisleben, and obtained their promise that Luther should be +requested to write a letter to the pope assuring him that he had never +attacked the pope's person. On September 11th Luther reported to +Spalatin what he had done, and said that, although neither he nor his +fellow-monks had any confidence in the plan, he would do Miltitz the +favor of writing such a letter. This promise seemed meaningless to him +after the bull against him had been published. The papal bull had been +obtained by Eck, whom Miltitz now considered to be substituted for +himself in dealing with Luther, in spite of the authority he had +received. That the bull was ignored in some places and despised in +others, pleased him and gave him new courage. There might, after all, +be some chance for him to make use of his diplomatic skill. + +Again he invited Luther to meet him in Lichtenberg. They met in the +monastery of St. Anthony on October 12th, and Luther renewed his +promise to write to the pope, to send the letter within twelve days, +and to date it back to September 6th, that the appearance of +intimidation by the papal bull might be avoided. It was agreed that +Luther should send with the letter an historical account of his +difficulties with the Roman Church which would show that Eck was the +chief instigator, and that Luther had been forced to take the +positions he defended. In writing, however, the historical review +became a part of the letter, and a treatise of far different tone was +sent as a gift to the pope, and as an evidence of the kind of work +Luther would prefer to do if his opponents permitted him to +choose--the Treatise on Christian Liberty. + +It is again a question whether the pope received this letter. It has +been an interesting speculation for more than one writer, what the +thoughts and feelings of Leo the Tenth might have been if he did +receive and read it. Schaff traces the progress of Luther in the three +letters he wrote to the pope: "In his first letter to the pope, 1518, +Luther had thrown himself at his feet as an obedient son of the vicar +of Christ; in his second letter, 1519, he still had addressed him as a +humble subject, yet refusing to recant his conscientious convictions; +in his third and last letter he addressed him as an equal, speaking to +him with great respect for his personal character even beyond his +deserts, but denouncing in the severest terms the Roman See, and +comparing him to a lamb among wolves, and to Daniel in the den of +lions."[2] If the pope ever read it, "it must have filled him with +mingled feelings of indignation and disgust." + +We may go even farther. Luther thinks of St. Bernard's attitude toward +Pope Eugene, and Bernard was Eugene's superior in the Cistercian order +and had been looked up to as "father." Luther writes as a father +confessor to a friend in trouble, and might have quoted Bernard's +words: "I grieve with you. I should say, I grieve with you if, indeed, +you also grieve. Otherwise I should have rather said, I grieve for +you; because that is not grieving with another when there is none who +grieves. Therefore if you grieve, I grieve with you; if not, still I +grieve, and then most of all, knowing that the member which is without +feeling is the farther removed from health and that the sick man who +does not feel his sickness is in the greater danger."[3] + +The pope was a humanist, not a spiritually minded priest; we may, +therefore, believe that Charles Beard is not far wrong in his estimate +of the possible effect of this letter upon him: "If Giovanni de +Medici, the head of a house which had long come to consider itself +princely, and the occupant of the Fisherman's chair, when it claimed +to be the highest of earthly thrones, read this bold apostrophe, +addressed to him by a 'peasant and a peasant's son,' he must have +thought him mad with conceit and vanity. He was incapable of being +touched by the moral nobleness of the appeal, and so audacious a +contempt of merely social distinctions the world has rarely seen."[4] + +After the mighty thunder of the Address to the Christian Nobility and +the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, the Treatise on the Liberty of +a Christian Man is, indeed, like a still, small voice. Luther himself +says: "Unless I am deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in a +brief form." Perhaps we may trace here also the influence of St. +Bernard's _De Consideratione_, which was written as a devotional book +for the pope and was a manual of Christian living for the pope, as +this is a manual of Christian living or all Christians. + +It has been rather difficult for the enemies of Luther to find much +fault with this book. The Catholic historians, Janssen and +Hergenröther, do not mention it. Grisar characteristically devotes a +little space to each of the three great writings of 1520, and +considers the book on Christian Liberty as the most mischievous of +them all. "It does, indeed, frequently bring its false thoughts in the +form of that mystical, heart-searching style which Luther learned from +older German models."[5] The French Catholic, Leon Cristiani, is far +more generous in his estimate: "A truly religious spirit breathes in +these pages. Provoking polemic is almost entirely avoided. Here one +finds again the inspiration of the great mystics of the Middle Ages. +Does not the 'Imitation' continually describe the powerlessness of man +when left to himself, the infinite mercy of God, the great benefit of +the redemption of Christ? Does it not preach the necessity of doing +all things through love, nothing of necessity? He is not a true +Christian who would venture to disapprove the passages in which Luther +speaks so eloquently of the goodness of God, of the gratitude which it +should inspire in us, of the spontaneity which should mark our +obedience, of the desire of imitating Christ which should inspire +us."[6] + +Protestants consider this book "perhaps the most beautiful of Luther's +writings, the result of religious contemplation rather than of +theological labor."[7] "It takes rank with the best books of Luther, +and rises far above the angry controversies of his age, during which +he composed it, in the full possession of the positive truth and peace +of the religion of Christ."[8] The clear presentation of the thought +of the liberty of a Christian man occurs at the close of the +Tessaradecas.[9] In the Babylonian Captivity Luther had promised to +publish a treatise on the subject after he had seen the effect of that +treatise.[10] But the promise to send a treatise to the pope gave him +an earlier opportunity, so that barely a month and a half intervened +between the publication of the Captivity, October 6th, and that of the +Liberty, middle of November. The German, although a translation in +part and in part an abbreviation and rewriting of the Latin, appeared +first, before November 16th. The publisher, seeing his opportunity, +had, however, issued the Letter to the Pope in German separately +before November 4th,[11] so that a new dedicatory letter, addressed to +Hieronymus Mülphordt (Mühlpfort), of Zwickau, was prefixed to the +German edition. + +Our translation is made from the Latin, although the German has been +compared wherever it is a real translation. + +Two translations into English appeared in the sixteenth century: one +printed by John Byddell before 1544, the translation being, according +to Preserved Smith,[12] by John Tewkesbury; the other, prepared by +James Bell and printed by Ralph Newbery and H. Bynneman, in 1579. +Unfortunately, neither of these was accessible to the present +translators. Modern translations, into English by Wace and Buchheim, +and into German by Lemme, have been consulted. + + W. A. LAMBERT. + +South Bethlehem, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] _Catholic Encyclopedia_, x, 318. + +[2] _Church History_, vi, 224 f. + +[3] _De consideratione_, i, I. + +[4] _Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany_, London, 1889, p. +370. + +[5] _Luther_, I, 351. + +[6] _Du Luthéranisme au Protestantisme_, 1911, p. 199. + +[7] Kolde, _Luther_, 1, 274. + +[8] Schaff, VI, 224. + +[9] Vol. I, p. 170. + +[10] See above, page 284. + +[11] Enders, II, p. 496, gives as the date when the letter was +written, "after Oct. 13th"; Smith, _Life and Letters of Martin +Luther_, p. 91, dates it Oct. 20th. + +[12] _Nation_, May 29, 1913. + + +LETTER TO POPE LEO X. + + +JESUS. + +To Leo the Tenth, Pope at Rome: Martin Luther wishes thee salvation in +Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. + +[Sidenote: The Pope's Person] + +In the midst of the monsters of this age with whom I am now for the +third year waging war, I am compelled at times to look up also to +thee, Leo, most blessed Father, and to think of thee; nay, since thou +art now and again regarded as the sole cause of my warfare, I cannot +but think of thee always. And although the causeless raging of thy +godless flatterers against me has compelled me to appeal from thy See +to a future council, despite those most empty decrees of thy +predecessors Pius and Julius, who with a foolish tyranny forbade such +an appeal, yet I have never so estranged my mind from thy Blessedness +as not with all my heart to wish thee and thy See every blessing, for +which I have, as much as lay in me, besought God with earnest prayers. +It is true, I have made bold almost to despise and to triumph over +those who have tried to righten me with the majesty of thy name and +authority. But there is one thing which I cannot despise, and that is +my excuse for writing once more to thy Blessedness. I understand that +I am accused of great rashness, and that this rashness is said to be +my great fault, in which, they say, I have not spared even thy person. + +For my part, I will openly confess that I know I have only spoken good +and honorable things of thee whenever I have made mention of thy name. +And if I had done otherwise, I myself could by no means approve of it, +but would entirely approve the judgment others have formed of me, and +do nothing more gladly than recant such rashness and impiety on my +part. I have called thee a Daniel in Babylon,[1] and every one who +reads knows with what zeal I defended thy notable innocence against +thy dreamer, Sylvester.[2] Indeed, thy reputation and the fame of thy +blameless life, sung as they are throughout the world by the writings +of so many great men, are too well known and too high to be assailed +in any way by any one man, however great he may be. I am not so +foolish as to attack him whom every one praises: it has rather been, +and always will be, my endeavor not to attack even those whom public +report decries; for I take no pleasure in the crimes of any man, since +I am conscious enough of the great beam in my own eye [Matt. 7:3], nor +could I be he that should cast the first stone at the adulteress [John +8:7]. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Enemies] + +I have indeed sharply inveighed against ungodly teachings in general, +and I have not been slow to bite my adversaries, not because of their +immorality, but because of their ungodliness. And of this I repent so +little that I have determined to persevere in that fervent zeal, and +to despise the judgment of men, following the example of Christ, Who +in His zeal called His adversaries a generation of vipers, blind, +hypocrites, children of the devil [Matt. 23:13, 17, 33]. And Paul +arraigned the sorcerer as a child of the devil full of all subtilty +and mischief [Acts 13:10], and brands others as dogs, deceivers and +adulterers [Phil. 3:2; 2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Cor. 2:17]. If you will allow +those delicate ears to judge, nothing would be more biting and more +unrestrained than Paul. Who is more biting than the prophets? +Nowadays, it is true, our ears are made so delicate by the mad crowds +of flatterers that as soon as we meet with a disapproving voice we cry +out that we are bitten, and when we cannot ward off the truth with any +other pretext we put it to light by ascribing it to a fierce temper, +impatience and shamelessness. What is the good of salt if it does not +bite? Or of the edge of the sword if it does not kill? Cursed be he +that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully [Jer. 48:10]. + +Wherefore, most excellent Leo, I pray thee, after I have by this +letter vindicated myself, give me a hearing, and believe that I have +never thought evil of thy person, but that I am a man who would wish +thee all good things eternally, and that I have no quarrel with any +man concerning his morality, but only concerning the Word of truth. In +all things else I will yield to any man whatsoever: to give up or to +deny the Word I have neither the power nor the will. If any man thinks +otherwise of me, or has understood my words differently, he does not +think aright, nor has he understood what I have really said. + +[Sidenote: The Roman Curia] + +But thy See, which is called the Roman Curia, and of which neither +thou nor any man can deny that it is more corrupt than any Babylon or +Sodom ever was, and which is, as far as I can see, characterized by a +totally depraved, hopeless and notorious wickedness--that See I have +truly despised, and I have been incensed to think that in thy name and +under the guise of the Roman Church the people of Christ are mocked. +And so I have resisted and will resist that See, as long as the spirit +of faith shall live in me. Not that I shall strive after the +impossible or hope that by my lone efforts anything will be +accomplished in that most disordered Babylon, where the rage of so +many sycophants is turned against me; but I acknowledge myself a +debtor to my brethren, whom it is my duty to warn, that fewer of them +may be destroyed by the plagues of Rome, or at least that their +destruction may be less cruel. + +For, as thou well knowest, these many years there has flowed forth +from Rome, like a flood covering the world, nothing but a laying waste +of men's bodies and souls and possessions, and the worst possible +examples of the worst possible things. For all this is clearer than +the day to all men, and the Roman Church, once the most holy of all, +become the most licentious den of thieves [Matt. 21:13], the most +shameless of all brothels, the kingdom of sin, death and hell; so that +even Antichrist himself, should he come, could think of nothing to add +to its wickedness. + +[Sidenote: The Pope's Helplessness] + +Meanwhile thou, Leo, sittest as a lamb in the midst of wolves [Matt. +10:16], like Daniel in the midst of the lions [Dan. 6:16], and, with +Ezekiel, thou dwellest among scorpions [Ezek. 2:6]. What canst thou do +single-handed, against these monsters? Join to thyself three or four +thoroughly learned and thoroughly good cardinals: what are even these +among so many? [John 6:9] You would all be poisoned before you could +undertake to make a single decree to help matters. There is no hope or +the Roman Curia: the wrath of God is come upon it to the end [1 Thess. +2:16]; it hates councils, it fears a reformation, it cannot reduce the +raging of its wickedness, and is meriting the praise bestowed upon its +mother, of whom it is written, "We have cured Babylon, but she is not +healed: let us forsake her."[3][Jer. 51:9] It was thy duty, indeed, +and that of thy cardinals, to remedy these evils, but that gout of +theirs mocks the healing hand, and neither chariot nor horse heeds the +guiding rein.[4] Moved by such sympathy for thee, I have always +grieved, most excellent Leo, that thou hast been made pope in these +times, for thou wert worthy of better days. The Roman Curia has not +deserved to have thee or men like thee, but rather Satan himself; and +in truth it is he more than thou who rules in that Babylon. + +O would that thou mightest lay aside what thy most mischievous enemies +boast of as thy glory, and wert living on some small priestly income +of thine own, or on thy family inheritance! To glory in that glory +none are worthy save the Iscariots, the sons of perdition [John +17:12]. For what dost thou accomplish in the Curia, my dear Leo? Only +this: the more criminal and abominable a man is, the more successfully +will he use thy name and authority to destroy the wealth and the souls +of men, to increase crime, to suppress faith and truth and the whole +Church of God. O truly, most unhappy Leo, thou sittest on a most +dangerous throne; for I tell thee the truth, because I wish thee well. +If Bernard pitied his Pope Eugene[5] at a time when the Roman See, +although even then most corrupt, yet ruled with better prospects, why +should not we lament who have for three hundred years had so great an +increase of corruption and worthlessness? Is it not true that under +yon vast expanse of heaven there is nothing more corrupt, more +pestilential, more hateful than the Roman Curia? It surpasses the +godlessness of the Turks beyond all comparison, so that in truth, +whereas it was once a gate of heaven, it is now an open mouth of hell, +and such a mouth as, because of the wrath of God, cannot be shut; +there is only one thing that we can try to do, as I have said: +perchance we may be able to call back a few from that yawning chasm of +Rome and so save them. + +Now thou seest, my Father Leo, how and why I have so violently +attacked that pestilential See: for so far have I been from raging +against thy person that I even hoped I might gain thy favor and save +thee, if I should make a strong and sharp assault upon that prison, +nay that hell of thine. For thou and thy salvation and the salvation +of many others with thee will be served by every thing that men of +ability can contribute to the confusion of this wicked Curia. They do +thy work, who bring evil upon it; they glorify Christ, who in every +way curse it. In short, they are Christians who are not Romans. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Controversies] + +[Sidenote: Eck] + +To go yet farther, I never intended to inveigh against the Roman +Curia, or to raise any controversy concerning it. For when I saw that +all efforts to save it were hopeless, I despised it and gave it a bill +of divorcement [Deut. 24:1] and said to it, "He that is filthy, let +him be filthy still, and he that is unclean, let him be unclean +still." [Rev. 22:11] Then I gave myself to the quiet and peaceful +study of holy Scripture, that I might thus be of benefit to my +brethren about me. When I had made some progress in these studies, +Satan opened his eyes and filled his servant John Eck,[6] a notable +enemy of Christ, with an insatiable lust for glory, and thereby +stirred him up to drag me at unawares into a disputation, laying hold +on me by one little word about the primacy of the Roman Church which I +had incidentally let fall. Then that boasting braggart, frothing and +gnashing his teeth, declared that he would venture all for the glory +of God and the honor of the holy Apostolic See, and, puffed up with +the hope of misusing thy power, he looked forward with perfect +confidence to a victory over me. He sought not so much to establish +the primacy of Peter as his own leadership among the theologians of +our time; and to that end he thought it no small help if he should +triumph over Luther. When that debate ended unhappily for the sophist, +an incredible madness overcame the man: for he feels that he alone +must bear the blame of all that I have brought forth to the shame of +Rome. + +[Sidenote: Cajetan] + +But permit me, I pray thee, most excellent Leo, this once to plead my +cause and to make charges against thy real enemies. Thou knowest, I +believe, what dealings thy legate, Cardinal of St. Sixtus,[7] an +unwise and unfortunate, or rather, unfaithful man, had with me. When, +because of reverence for thy name, I had put myself and all my case in +his hand, he did not try to establish peace, although with a single +word he could easily have done so, since I at that time promised to +keep silent and to end the controversy, if my opponents were ordered +to do the same. But as he was a man who sought glory, and was not +content with that agreement, he began to justify my opponents, to give +them full freedom and to order me to recant, a thing not included in +his instructions. When the matter was in a fair way, his untimely +arbitrariness brought it into a far worse condition. Therefore, for +what followed later Luther is not to blame; all the blame is +Cajetan's, who did not suffer me to keep silent and to rest, as I then +most earnestly asked him to do. What more should I have done? + +[Sidenote: Miltitz] + +Next came Carl Miltitz,[8] also a nuncio of thy Blessedness, who after +great and varied efforts and constant going to and fro, although he +omitted nothing that might help to restore that status of the question +which Cajetan had rashly and haughtily disturbed, at last with the +help of the most illustrious prince, Frederick the Elector, barely +managed to arrange several private conferences with me. Again I +yielded to your name, I was prepared to keep silent, and even accepted +as arbiter either the archbishop of Treves or the bishop of Naumburg. +So matters were arranged. But while this plan was being followed with +good prospects of success, lo, that other and greater enemy of thine, +Eck, broke in with the Leipzig Disputation which he had undertaken +against Dr. Carlstadt. When a new question concerning the primacy of +the pope was raised, he suddenly turned his weapons against me and +quite overthrew that counsel of peace. Meanwhile Carl Miltitz waited: +a disputation was held, judges were selected; but here also no +decision was reached, and no wonder: through the lies, the tricks, the +wiles of Eck everything was stirred up, aggravated and confounded +worse than ever, so that whatever decision might have been reached, a +greater conflagration would have resulted. For he sought glory, not +the truth. Here also I let nothing undone that I ought to have +done.[9] + +[Sidenote: Eck] + +I admit that on this occasion no small amount of corrupt Roman +practices came to light, but whatever wrong was done was the fault of +Eck, who undertook a task beyond his strength, and, while he strove +madly for his own glory, revealed the shame of Rome to all the world. +He is thy enemy, my dear Leo, or rather the enemy of thy Curia. From +the example of this one man thou canst learn that there is no enemy +more injurious than a flatterer. For what did he accomplish with his +flattery but an evil which no king could have accomplished? To-day the +name of the Roman Curia is a stench throughout the world, and papal +authority languishes, ignorance that was once held in honor is evil +spoken of; and of all this we should have heard nothing if Eck had not +upset the counsel of peace planned by Carl and myself, as he himself +now clearly sees, and is angry, too late and to no purpose, that my +books were published. This he should have thought of when, like a +horse that whinnies on the picket-line, he was madly seeking only his +own glory, and sought only his own gain through thee at the greatest +peril to thee. The vainglorious man thought that I would stop and keep +silent at the terror of thy name; for I do not believe that he trusted +entirely to his talents and learning. Now, when he sees that I have +more courage than that and have not been silenced, he repents him too +late of his rashness and understands that there is One in heaven who +resists the proud and humbles the haughty [1 Pet. 5:5; Judith 6:15], +if indeed he does understand it at last. + +[Sidenote: The Augustinians] + +Since we gained nothing by this disputation except that we brought +greater confusion to the cause of Rome, Carl Miltitz made a third +attempt; he came to the fathers of the Augustinian Order assembled in +their chapter, and asked counsel in settling the controversy which had +now grown most confused and dangerous. Since, by the favor of God, +they had no hope of being able to proceed against me with violence, +some of the most famous of their number were sent to me, and asked me +at least to show honor to the person of thy Blessedness, and in a +humble letter to plead as my excuse thy innocence and mine; they said +that the affair was not yet in the most desperate state if of his +innate goodness Leo the Tenth would take a hand in it. As I have +always both offered and desired peace that I might devote myself to +quieter and more useful studies, and have stormed with so great fury +merely for the purpose of overwhelming by volume and violence of +words, no less than of intellect, those whom I knew to be very unequal +foes: I not only gladly ceased, but also with joy and thankfulness +considered it a most welcome kindness to me if our hope could be +fulfilled. + +[Sidenote: Appeal to the Pope] + +So I come, most blessed Father, and, prostrate before thee, I pray, if +it be possible do thou interpose and hold in check those flatterers, +who are the enemies of peace while they pretend to keep peace. But +that I will recant, most blessed Father, let no one imagine, unless he +prefer to involve the whole question in greater turmoil. Furthermore, +I will accept no rules for the interpretation of the Word of God, +since the Word of God, which teaches the liberty of all things else, +dare not be bound [2 Tim. 2:9]. Grant me these two points, and there +is nothing that I could not or would not most gladly do or endure. I +hate disputations; I will draw out no one; but then I do not wish +others to draw me out; if they do, as Christ is my Teacher, I will not +be speechless. For, when once this controversy has been cited before +thee and settled, thy Blessedness will be able with a small and easy +word to silence both parties and command them to keep the peace, and +that is what I have always wished to hear. + +Do not listen, therefore, my dear Leo, to those sirens who make thee +out to be no mere man but a demigod, so that thou mayest command and +require what thou wilt. It will not be done in that fashion, and thou +wilt not succeed. Thou art a servant of servants,[10] and beyond all +other men in a most pitiable and most dangerous position. Be not +deceived by those who pretend that thou art lord of the world and +allow no one to be a Christian unless he accept thy authority; who +prate that thou hast power over heaven, hell and purgatory. These are +thy enemies and seek thy soul to destroy it [1 Kings 19:10]; as Isaiah +says, "O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive +thee." [Isa. 3:12 (Vulgate)] They err who exalt thee above a council +and above the Church universal. They err who ascribe to thee alone the +right of interpreting Scripture; or under cover of thy name they seek +to establish all their own wickedness in the Church, and alas! +through them Satan has already made much headway under thy +predecessors. In short, believe none who exalt thee, believe those who +humble thee. For this is the judgment of God; "He hath put down the +mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble." [Luke 1:52] See, +how unlike His successors is Christ, although they all would be His +vicars. And I fear that most of them have indeed been too literally +His vicars. For a vicar is a vicar only when his lord is absent. And +if the pope rules while Christ is absent and does not dwell in his +heart, what else is he but a vicar of Christ? But what is such a +Church except a mass of people without Christ? And what is such a +vicar else than antichrist and an idol? How much more correctly did +the Apostles call themselves servants of the present Christ, and not +vicars of an absent Christ! + +[Sidenote: Luther Follows St. Bernard's Example] + +Perhaps I am impudent, in that I seem to instruct so great, so exalted +a personage, from whom we ought all to learn, and from whom, as those +plagues of thine boast, the thrones of judges receive their decisions. +But I am following the example of St. Bernard in his book _de +consideratione ad Eugenium_, a book every pope should have by heart. +For what I am doing I do not from an eagerness to teach, but as an +evidence of that pure and faithful solicitude which constrains us to +have regard for the things of our neighbors even when they are safe, +and does not permit us to consider their dignity or lack of dignity, +since it is intent only upon the danger they run for the advantage +they may gain. For when I know that thy Blessedness is driven and +tossed about at Rome, that is, that far out at sea thou art threatened +on all sides with endless dangers, and art laboring hard in that +miserable plight, so that thou dost need even the slightest help of +the least of thy brethren, I do not think it is absurd of me, if for +the time I forget thy high office and do what brotherly love demands. +I have no desire to flatter in so serious and dangerous a matter, but +if men do not understand that I am thy friend and thy most humble +subject, there is One that understandeth and judgeth. [John 8:50] + +[Sidenote: Luther's Gift] + +Finally, that I may not approach thee empty-handed, blessed Father, I +bring with me this little treatise published under thy name as an omen +of peace and of good hope. From this book thou mayest judge with what +studies I would prefer to be more profitably engaged, as I could be if +your godless flatterers would permit me, and had hitherto permitted +me. It is a small thing if thou regard its bulk, but, unless I am +deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in brief form, if thou +wilt grasp its meaning. I am a poor man, and have no other gift to +offer, and thou hast no need to be made rich by any other than a +spiritual gift. With this I commend myself to thy Fatherhood and +Blessedness. May the Lord Jesus preserve thee forever. Amen. + +Wittenberg, September 6, 1520.[11] + + +A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY + + +[Sidenote: Faith] + +Many have thought Christian faith to be an easy thing, and not a few +have given it a place among the virtues. This they do because they +have had no experience of it, and have never tasted what great virtue +there is in faith. For it is impossible that any one should write well +of it or well understand what is correctly written of it, unless he +has at some time tasted the courage faith gives a man when trials +oppress him. But he who has had even a faint taste of it can never +write, speak, meditate or hear enough concerning it. For it is a +living fountain springing up into life everlasting, as Christ calls it +in John iv [John 4:14]. For my part, although I have no wealth of +faith to boast of and know how scant my store is, yet I hope that, +driven about by great and various temptations, I have attained to a +little faith, and that I can speak of it, if not more elegantly, +certainly more to the point, than those literalists and all too +subtile disputants have hitherto done, who have not even understood +what they have written. + +[Sidenote: Liberty and Bondage] + +That I may make the way easier or the unlearned--for only such do I +serve--I set down first these two propositions concerning the liberty +and the bondage of the spirit: + +_A Christian man is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none._ + +_A Christian man is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to +all._ + +Although these two theses seem to contradict each other, yet, if they +should be found to fit together they would serve our purpose +beautifully. For they are both Paul's own, who says, in I Cor. ix, +"Whereas I was free, I made myself the servant of all," [1 Cor. 9:19] +and, Rom. xiii, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another." [Rom. +13:8] Now love by its very nature is ready to serve and to be subject +to him who is loved. So Christ, although Lord of all, was made of a +woman, made under the law [Gal. 4:4], and hence was at the same time +free and a servant, at the same time in the form of God and in the +form of a servant [Phil. 2:6 f.]. + +[Sidenote: Man's Nature] + +Let us start, however, with something more remote from our subject, +but more obvious. Man[12] has a twofold nature, a spiritual and a +bodily. According to the spiritual nature, which men call the soul, he +is called a spiritual, or inner, or new man; according to the bodily +nature, which men call the flesh, he is called a carnal, or outward, +or old man, of whom the Apostle writes, in II Cor. iv, "Though our +outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." +[2 Cor. 4:16] Because of this diversity of nature the Scriptures +assert contradictory things of the same man, since these two men in +the same man contradict each other, since the flesh lusteth against +the spirit and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. v) [Gal. 5:17]. + +[Sidenote: The Inward Man] + +_First_, let us contemplate the inward man, to see how a righteous, +free and truly Christian man, that is, a new, spiritual, inward man, +comes into being. It is evident that no external thing, whatsoever it +be, has any influence whatever in producing Christian righteousness or +liberty, nor in producing unrighteousness or bondage. A simple +argument will furnish the proof. What can it profit the soul if the +body are well, be free and active, eat, drink and do as it pleases? +For in these things even the most godless slaves of all the vices are +well. On the other hand, how will ill health or imprisonment or hunger +or thirst or any other external misfortune hurt the soul? With these +things even the most godly men are afflicted, and those who because of +a clear conscience are most free. None of these things touch either +the liberty or the bondage of the soul. The soul receives no benefit +if the body is adorned with the sacred robes of the priesthood, or +dwells in sacred places, or is occupied with sacred duties, or prays, +fasts, abstains from certain kinds of food or does any work whatsoever +that can be done by the body and in the body. The righteousness and +the freedom of the soul demand something far different, since the +things which have been mentioned could be done by any wicked man, and +such works produce nothing but hypocrites. On the other hand, it will +not hurt the soul if the body is clothed in secular dress, dwells in +unconsecrated places, eats and drinks as others do, does not pray +aloud, and neglects to do all the things mentioned above, which +hypocrites can do. + +[Sidenote: The Word of God] + +Further, to put aside all manner of works, even contemplation, +meditation, and all that the soul can do, avail nothing. One thing and +one only is necessary for Christian life, righteousness and liberty. +That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the Gospel of Christ, as +he says, John xi, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that +believeth in me, shall not die forever" [John 11:25]; and John viii, +"If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" [John +8:26]; and Matthew iv, "Not in bread alone doth man live; but in every +word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Matt. 4:4] Let us then +consider it certain and conclusively established that the soul can do +without all things except the Word of God, and that where this is not +there is no help for the soul in anything else whatever. But if it has +the Word it is rich and lacks nothing, since this Word is the Word of +life, of truth, of light, of peace, of righteousness, of salvation, of +joy, of liberty, of wisdom, of power, of grace, of glory and of every +blessing beyond our power to estimate. This is why the prophet in the +entire cxix Psalm, and in many other places of Scripture, with so many +sighs yearns after the Word of God and applies so many names to it +[Psalm 119]. On the other hand, there is no more terrible plague with +which the wrath of God can smite men than a famine of the hearing of +His Word, as He says in Amos, just as there is no greater mercy than +when He sends forth His Word [Amos 8:11 f.], as we read in Psalm cvii, +"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their +destructions." [Psalm 107:20] Nor was Christ sent into the world for +any other ministry but that of the Word, and the whole spiritual +estate, apostles, bishops and all the priests, has been called and +instituted only or the ministry of the Word. + +[Sidenote: The Gospel] + +You ask, "What then is this Word of God, and how shall it be used, +since there are so many words of God?" I answer. The Apostle explains +that in Romans i. The Word is the Gospel of God concerning His Son, +Who was made flesh, suffered, rose from the dead, and was glorified +through the Spirit Who sanctifies. For to preach Christ means to feed +the soul, to make it righteous, to set it free and to save it, if it +believe the preaching. For faith alone is the saving and efficacious +use of the Word of God, Romans x, "If thou confess with thy mouth that +Jesus is Lord, and believe with thy heart that God hath raised Him up +from the dead, thou shalt be saved" [Rom. 10:9]; and again, "The end +of the law is Christ, unto righteousness to every one that believeth" +[Rom. 10:4]; and, Romans i, "The just shall live by his faith." [Rom. +1:17] The Word of God cannot be received and cherished by any works +whatever, but only by faith [Hab. 2:4]. Hence it is clear that, as the +soul needs only the Word for its life and righteousness, so it is +justified by faith alone and not by any works; for if it could be +justified by anything else, it would not need the Word, and therefore +it would not need faith. But this faith cannot at all exist in +connection with works, that is to say, if you at the same time claim +to be justified by works, whatever their character; for that would be +to halt between two sides, to worship Baal and to kiss the hand [1 +Kings 18:21], which, as Job says, is a very great iniquity [Job 31:27 +f.]. Therefore the moment you begin to believe, you learn that all +things in you are altogether blameworthy, sinful and damnable, as +Romans iii says, "For all have sinned and lack the glory of God" [Rom. +3:23]; and again, "There is none just, there is none that doeth good, +all have turned out of the way: they are become unprofitable +together." [Rom. 3:10 ff.] When you have learned this, you will know +that you need Christ, Who suffered and rose again or you, that, +believing in Him, you may through this faith become a new man, in that +all your sins are forgiven, and you are justified by the merits of +another, namely, of Christ alone. + +[Sidenote: Justification by Faith] + +Since, therefore, this faith can rule only in the inward man, as +Romans x says, "With the heart we believe unto righteousness"; and +since faith alone justifies, it is clear that the inward man cannot be +justified, made free and be saved by any outward work or dealing +whatsoever, and that works, whatever their character, have nothing to +do with this inward man. On the other hand, only ungodliness and +unbelief of heart, and no outward work, make him guilty and a damnable +servant of sin. Wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every +Christian to lay aside all trust in works, and more and more to +strengthen faith alone, and through faith to grow in the knowledge, +not of works, but of Christ Jesus, Who suffered and rose for him, as +Peter teaches, in the last chapter of his first Epistle [1 Pet. 5:10]; +since no other work makes a Christian. Thus when the Jews asked +Christ, John vi [John 6:28 f.], what they should do that they might +work the works of God, He brushed aside the multitude of works in +which He saw that they abounded [John 6:27], and enjoined upon them a +single work, saying, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him +Whom He hath sent. For Him hath God the Father sealed." [John 6:29] + +Hence true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison, which +brings with it all salvation and saves from every evil, as Christ says +in the last chapter of Mark, "He that believeth and is baptised, shall +be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned." [Mark 16:16] +This treasure Isaiah beheld and foretold in chapter x, "The Lord shall +make an abridged and consuming word upon the land, and the consumption +abridged shall overflow with righteousness" [Isa. 10:22]; as if he +said, "Faith, which is a brief and perfect fulfilment of the law, +shall fill believers with so great righteousness that they shall need +nothing more for their righteousness." So also Paul says, Romans x, +"With the heart we believe unto righteousness." [Rom. 10:10] + +[Sidenote: Faith and Works] + +[Sidenote: Commands reveal Weakness] + +Should you ask, how it comes that faith alone justifies without works +offers us such a treasury of great benefits, when so many works, +ceremonies and laws are prescribed in the Scriptures, I answer: First +of all, remember what has been said: faith alone, without works, +justifies, makes free and saves, as we shall later make still more +clear. Here we must point out that all the Scriptures of God are +divided into two parts--commands and promises. The commands indeed +teach things that are good, but the things taught reveal are not done +as soon as taught; for the commands show us what we ought to do, but +do not give us the power to do it; they are intended to teach a man to +know himself, that through them he may recognize his inability to do +good and may despair of his powers. That is why they are called and +are the Old Testament. For example: "Thou shalt not covet" [Ex. 20:17] +is a command which convicts us all of being sinners, since no one is +able to avoid coveting, however much he may struggle against it. +Therefore, in order not to covet, and to fulfil the command, a man is +compelled to despair of himself, and to seek elsewhere and from some +one else the help which he does not ind in himself, as is said in +Hosea, "Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in Me." +[Hos. 13:9] And as we are with this one command, so we are with all; +or it is equally impossible or us to keep any one of them. + +[Sidenote: Promises give Strength] + +But when a man through the commands has learned to know his weakness, +and has become troubled as to how he may satisfy the law, since the +law must be fulfilled so that not a jot or tittle shall perish, +otherwise man will be condemned without hope; then, being truly +humbled and reduced to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no +means of justification and salvation. Here the second part of the +Scriptures stands ready--the promises of God, which declare the glory +of God and say, "If you wish to fulfil the law, and not to covet, as +the law demands, come, believe in Christ, in Whom grace, +righteousness, peace, liberty and all things are promised you; if you +believe you shall have all, if you believe not you shall lack all." +For what is impossible for you in all the works of the law, many as +they are, but all useless, you will accomplish in a short and easy way +through faith. For God our Father has made all things depend on faith, +so that whoever has faith, shall have all, and whoever has it not, +shall have nothing. "For He has concluded all under unbelief, that He +might have mercy on all," Romans xi [Rom. 11:32]. Thus the promises of +God give what the commands of God ask, and fulfil what the law +prescribes, that all things may be of God alone, both the commands and +the fulfilling of the commands. He alone commands. He also alone +fulfils. Therefore the promises of God belong to the New Testament, +nay, they are the New Testament. + +And since these promises of God are holy, true, righteous, free and +peaceful words, full of all goodness, it comes to pass that the soul +which clings to them with a firm faith, is so united with them, nay, +altogether taken up into them, that it not only shares in all their +power, but is saturated and made drunken with it. For if a touch of +Christ healed, how much more will this most tender touch in the +spirit, rather this absorbing of the Word, communicate to the soul all +things that are the Word's. This, then, is how through faith alone +without works the soul is justified by the Word of God, sanctified, +made true and peaceful and free, filled with every blessing and made +truly a child of God, as John i says, "To them gave He power to become +the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." [John 1:12] + +[Sidenote: Faith Justifies] + +From what has been said it is easily seen whence faith has such great +power, and why no good work nor all good works together can equal it: +no work can cling to the Word of God nor be in the soul; in the soul +faith alone and the Word have sway. As the Word is, so it makes the +soul, as heated iron glows like fire because of the union of fire with +it. It is clear then that a Christian man has in his faith all that he +needs, and needs no works to justify him. And if he has no need of +works, neither does he need the law; and if he has no need of the law, +surely he is free from the law, and it is true, "the law is not made +for a righteous man." [1 Tim. 1:9] And this is that Christian liberty, +even our faith, which does not indeed cause us to live in idleness or +in wickedness, but makes the law and works unnecessary for any man's +righteousness and salvation. + +[Sidenote: Faith Fulfils the Commands] + +This is the first power of faith. Let us now examine the second also. +For it is a further function of faith, that whom it trusts it also +honors with the most reverent and high regard, since it considers him +truthful and trustworthy. For there is no other honor equal to the +estimate of truthfulness and righteousness with which we honor him +whom we trust. Or could we ascribe to a man anything greater than +truthfulness, and righteousness, and perfect goodness? On the other +hand, there is no way in which we can show greater contempt for a man +than to regard him as false and wicked and to suspect him, as we do +when we do not trust him. So when the soul firmly trusts God's +promises, it regards Him as truthful and righteous, than which nothing +more excellent can be ascribed to God. This is the very highest +worship of God, that we ascribe to Him truthfulness, righteousness and +whatever else ought to be ascribed to one who is trusted. Then the +soul consents to all His will, then it hallows His name and suffers +itself to be dealt with according to God's good pleasure, because, +clinging to God's promises, it does not doubt that He, Who is true, +just and wise, will do, dispose and provide all things well. And is +not such a soul, by this faith, in all things most obedient to God? +What commandment is there that such obedience has not abundantly +fulfilled? What more complete fulfilment is there than obedience in +all things? But this obedience is not rendered by works, but by faith +alone. On the other hand, what greater rebellion against God, what +greater wickedness, what greater contempt of God is there than not +believing His promises? For what is this but to make God a liar or to +doubt that He is truthful?--that is, to ascribe truthfulness to one's +self, but to God lying and vanity? Does not a man who does this deny +God, and in his heart set up himself as his own idol? Then of what +avail are works done in such wickedness, even if they were the works +of angels and apostles? [Rom. 11:32] Rightly, therefore, has God +concluded all--not in anger or lust, but in unbelief; so that they who +imagine that they are fulfilling the law by doing the works of +chastity and mercy required by the law (the civil and human virtues), +might not be confident that they will be saved; they are included +under the sin of unbelief, and must either seek mercy or be justly +condemned. + +But when God sees that we count Him to be true, and by the faith of +our heart pay Him the great honor which is due Him, He in turn does us +the great honor of counting us true and righteous for our faith's +sake. For faith works truth and righteousness by giving to God what +belongs to Him; therefore, God in turn gives glory to our +righteousness. It is true and just that God is truthful and just, and +to count Him and confess Him, so is to be truthful and just. So in I +Sam. ii, He says, "Them that honor Me, I will honor, and they that +despise Me, shall be lightly esteemed." [1 Sam. 2:30] So Paul says in +Rom. iv, that Abraham's faith was counted unto him or righteousness, +because by it he most perfectly gave glory to God, and that or the +same reason our faith shall be counted unto us or righteousness if we +believe. [Rom. 4:3] + +[Sidenote: Faith Unites with Christ] + +The third incomparable benefit of faith is this, that it unites the +soul with Christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom. And by this +mystery, as the Apostle teaches, Christ and the soul become one flesh +[Eph. 5:31 f.]. And if they are one flesh and there is between them a +true marriage, nay, by far the most perfect of all marriages, since +human marriages are but frail types of this one true marriage, it +follows that all they have they have in common, the good as well as +the evil, so that the believing soul can boast of and glory in +whatever Christ has as if it were its own, and whatever the soul has +Christ claims as His own. Let us compare these and we shall see things +that cannot be estimated. Christ is full of grace, life and salvation; +the soul is full of sins, death and condemnation. Now let faith come +between them, and it shall come to pass that sins, death and hell are +Christ's, and grace, life and salvation are the soul's. For it +behooves Him, if He is a bridegroom, to take upon Himself the things +which are His bride's, and to bestow upon her the things that are His. +For if He gives her His body and His very self, how shall He not give +her all that is His? And if He takes the body of the bride, how shall +He not take all that is hers? + +Lo! here we have a pleasant vision not only of communion, but of a +blessed strife and victory and salvation and redemption. For Christ is +God and man in one person, Who has neither sinned nor died, and is not +condemned, and Who cannot sin, die or be condemned; His righteousness, +life and salvation are unconquerable, eternal, omnipotent; and He by +the wedding-ring of faith shares in the sins, death and pains of hell +which are His bride's, nay, makes them His own, and acts as if they +were His own, and as if He Himself had sinned; He suffered, died and +descended into hell that He might overcome them all. Now since it was +such a one who did all this, and death and hell could not swallow Him +up, they were of necessity swallowed up of Him in a mighty duel. For +His righteousness is greater than the sins of all men, His life +stronger than death. His salvation more invincible than hell. Thus the +believing soul by the pledge of its faith is free in Christ, its +Bridegroom, from all sins, secure against death and against hell, and +is endowed with the eternal righteousness, life and salvation of +Christ, its Bridegroom. So He presents to Himself a glorious bride, +without spot or wrinkle [Eph. 5:27], cleansing her with the washing in +the Word of life, that is, by faith in the Word of life, of +righteousness, and of salvation. Thus He marries her to Himself in +faith, in loving kindness, and in mercies, in righteousness and in +judgment, as Hosea ii says. [Hos. 2:19 f.] + +Who, then, can fully appreciate what this royal marriage means? Who +can understand the riches of the glory of this grace? Here this rich +and godly Bridegroom Christ marries this poor, wicked harlot, redeems +her from all her evil and adorns her with all His good. It is now +impossible that her sins should destroy her, since they are laid upon +Christ and swallowed up in Him, and she has that righteousness in +Christ her husband of which she may boast as of her own, and which she +can confidently set against all her sins in the face of death and +hell, and say, "If I have sinned, yet my Christ, in Whom I believe, +has not sinned, and all His is mine, and all mine is His"--as the +bride in the Song of Solomon says, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." +[Song of Sol. 2:16] This is what Paul means when he says, in I Cor. +xv, "Thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord +Jesus Christ,"[1 Co4. 15:57]--that is, the victory over sin and death, +as he there says, "the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin +is the law." [1 Cor. 15:36] + +[Sidenote: Faith the Fulfilment of the Law] + +From this you see once more why so much is ascribed to faith, that it +alone may fulfil the law and justify without the Law works. You see +that the First Commandment, which says, "Thou shalt worship one God," +is fulfilled by faith alone. For though you were nothing but good +works from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head, yet you +would not be righteous, nor worship God, nor fulfil the First +Commandment, since God cannot be worshiped unless you ascribe to Him +the glory of truthfulness and of all goodness, which is due Him. And +this cannot be done by works, but only by the faith of the heart. For +not by the doing of works, but by believing, do we glorify God and +acknowledge that He is truthful. Therefore, faith alone is the +righteousness of a Christian man and the fulfilling of all the +commandments. For he who fulfils the First, has no difficulty in +fulfilling all the rest. But works, being insensate things, cannot +glorify God, although they can, if faith be present, be done to the +glory of God. At present, however, we are not inquiring what works and +what sort of works are done, but who it is that does them, who +glorifies God and brings forth the works. This is faith which dwells +in the heart, and is the head and substance of all our righteousness. +Hence, it is a blind and dangerous doctrine which teaches that the +commandments must be fulfilled by works. The commandments must be +fulfilled before any works can be done, and the works proceed from the +fulfilment of the commandments [Rom. 13:10], as we shall hear. + +[Sidenote: Old Testament Types] + +But that we may look more deeply into that grace which our inward man +has in Christ, we must consider that in the Old Testament God +sanctified to Himself every first-born male, and the birth-right was +highly prized, having a two-fold honor, that of priesthood, and that +of kingship. For the first-born brother was priest and lord over all +the others, and was a type of Christ, the true and only First-born of +God the Father and of the Virgin Mary, and true King and Priest, not +after the fashion of the flesh and of the world. For His kingdom is +not of this world [John 18:36]. He reigns in heavenly and spiritual +things and consecrates them--such as righteousness, truth, wisdom, +peace, salvation, etc. Not as if all things on earth and in hell were +not also subject to Him--else how could He protect and save us from +them?--but His kingdom consists neither in them nor of them. Nor does +His priesthood consist in the outward splendor of robes and postures, +like that human priesthood of Aaron and of our present-day Church; but +it consists in spiritual things, through which He by an unseen service +intercedes for us in heaven before God, there offers Himself as a +sacrifice and does all things a priest should do, as Paul in the +Epistle to the Hebrews describes him under the type of Melchizedek +[Heb. 6 f.]. Nor does He only pray and intercede for us, but within +our soul He teaches us through the living teaching of His Spirit, thus +performing the two real unctions of a priest, of which the prayers and +the preaching of human priests are visible types. + +Now, just as Christ by his birthright obtained these two prerogatives, +so He imparts them to and shares them with every one who believes on +Him according to the law of the aforesaid marriage, by which the wife +owns whatever belongs to the husband. Hence we are all priests and +kings in Christ, as many as believe on Christ, as I Pet. ii says, "Ye +are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood and +priestly kingdom, that ye should show forth the virtues of Him Who +hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." [1 Pet. +2:9] + +[Sidenote: The Kingship of the Christian] + +This priesthood and kingship we explain as follows: First, as to the +kingship, every Christian is by faith so exalted above all things that +by a spiritual power he is lord of all things without exception, so +that nothing can do him any harm whatever, nay, all things are made +subject to him and compelled to serve him to his salvation. Thus Paul +says in Rom. viii, "All things work together for good to them who are +called." [Rom. 8:28] And, in I Cor. iii, "All things are yours, +whether life or death, or things present or things to come, and ye are +Christ's." [1 Cor. 3:22 f.] Not as if every Christian were set over +all things, to possess and control them by physical power,--a madness +with which some churchmen are afflicted,--for such power belongs to +kings, princes and men on earth. Our ordinary experience in life shows +us that we are subjected to all, suffer many things and even die; nay, +the more Christian a man is, the more evils, sufferings and deaths is +he made subject to, as we see in Christ the first-born Prince Himself, +and in all His brethren, the saints. The power of which we speak is +spiritual; it rules in the midst of enemies, and is mighty in the +midst of oppression, which means nothing else than that strength is +made perfect in weakness [2 Cor. 12:9], and that in all things I can +find profit unto salvation, so that the cross and death itself are +compelled to serve me and to work together with me for my salvation +[Rom. 8:28]. This is a splendid prerogative and hard to attain, and a +true omnipotent power, a spiritual dominion, in which there is nothing +so good and nothing so evil, but that it shall work together for good +to me, if only I believe. And yet, since faith alone suffices for +salvation, I have need of nothing, except that faith exercise the +power and dominion of its own liberty. Lo, this is the inestimable +power and liberty of Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of the Christian] + +Not only are we the freest of kings, we are also priests forever, +which is far more excellent than being kings, because as priests we +are worthy to appear before God to pray for others and to teach one +another the things of God. For these are the functions of priests, and +cannot be granted to any unbeliever. Thus Christ has obtained for us, +if we believe on Him, that we are not only His brethren, co-heirs and +fellow-kings with Him, but also fellow-priests with Him, who may +boldly come into the presence of God in the spirit of faith and cry, +"Abba, Father!" [Heb. 10:19, 22] pray for one another and do all +things which we see done and prefigured in the outward and visible +works of priests. But he who does not believe is not served by +anything, nor does anything work for good to him, but he himself is a +servant of all, and all things become evils to him, because he +wickedly uses them to his own profit and not to the glory of God. And +so he is no priest, but a profane man, whose prayer becomes sin and +never comes into the presence of God, because God does not hear +sinners [John 9:31]. Who then can comprehend the lofty dignity of the +Christian? Through his kingly power he rules over all things, death, +life and sin, and through his priestly glory is all powerful with God, +because God does the things which he asks and desires, as it is +written, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him; He also +will hear their cry, and will save them." [Phil. 4:13] To this glory a +man attains, surely not by any works of his, but by faith alone. + +[Sidenote: Distinctions among Christians] + +From this any one can clearly see how a Christian man is free from all +things and over all things, so that he needs no works to make him +righteous and to save him, since faith alone confers all these things +abundantly. But should he grow so foolish as to presume to become +righteous, free, saved and a Christian by means of some good work, he +would on the instant lose faith and all its benefits: a foolishness +aptly illustrated in the fable of the dog who runs along a stream with +a piece of meat in his mouth, and, deceived by the reflection of the +meat in the water, opens his mouth to snap at it, and so loses both +the meat and the reflection. You will ask, "If all who are in the +Church are priests, how do those whom we now call priests differ from +laymen?" I answer: "Injustice is done those words, 'priest,' 'cleric,' +'spiritual,' 'ecclesiastic,' when they are transferred from all other +Christians to those few who are now by a mischievous usage called +'ecclesiastics.' For Holy Scripture makes no distinction between them, +except that it gives the name 'ministers,' 'servants,' 'stewards,' to +those who are now proudly called popes, bishops, and lords and who +should by the ministry of the Word serve others and teach them the +faith of Christ and the liberty of believers. For although we are all +equally priests, yet we cannot all publicly minister and teach, nor +ought we if we could." Thus Paul writes in I Cor. iv, "Let a man so +account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the +mysteries of God." [I Cor. 4:1] + +But that stewardship has now been developed into so great a pomp of +power and so terrible a tyranny, that no heathen empire or earthly +power can be compared with it, just as if laymen were not also +Christians. Through this perversion the knowledge of Christian grace, +faith, liberty and of Christ Himself has altogether perished, and its +place has been taken by an unbearable bondage of human words and laws, +until we have become, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah say, servants of +the vilest men on earth, who abuse our misfortune to serve only their +base and shameless will [Lam. 1:11]. + +[Sidenote: How Christ is to be Preached] + +To return to our purpose, I believe it has now become clear that it is +not enough nor is it Christian, to preach the works, life and words of +Christ as historical acts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice +for the conduct of life, although this is the fashion of those who +must to-day be regarded as our best preachers; and far less is it +enough for Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach +instead the laws of men and the decrees of the Fathers. And now there +are not a few who preach Christ and read about Him that they may move +men's affections to sympathy with Christ, to anger against the Jews +and such like childish and womanish nonsense. Rather ought Christ to +be preached to the end that faith in Him may be established, that He +may not only be Christ, but be Christ for thee and for me, and that +what is said of Him and what His Name denotes may be effectual in us. +And such faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why Christ +came, what He brought and bestowed,[13] what benefit it is to us to +accept Him. This is done when that Christian liberty which He bestows +is rightly taught, and we are told in what way we who are Christians +are all kings and priests and so are lords of all, and may firmly +believe that whatever we have done is pleasing and acceptable in the +sight of God, as I have said. + +[Sidenote: Effect of such Preaching] + +What man is there whose heart, hearing these things, will not rejoice +to its very core, and in receiving such comfort grow tender so as to +love Christ, as he never could be made to love by any laws or works? +Who would have power to harm such a heart or to make it afraid? If the +knowledge of sin for the fear of death break in upon it is ready to +hope in the Lord; it does not grow afraid when it hears tidings of +evil, nor is it disturbed until it shall look down upon its enemies +[Psalm 112:7 f.]. For it believes that the righteousness of Christ is +its own, and that its sin is not its own, but Christ's; and that all +sin is swallowed up by the righteousness of Christ is, as has been +said above, a necessary consequence of faith in Christ. So the heart +learns to scoff at death and sin, and to say with the Apostle, "Where, +O death, is thy victory? where, O death, is thy sting? The sting of +death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to +God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 +Cor. 15:55 ff.] For death is swallowed up not only in the victory of +Christ, but also by our victory, because through faith His victory has +become ours, and in that faith we also are conquerors. + +Let this suffice concerning the inward man, his liberty and its +source, the righteousness of faith,[14] which needs neither laws nor +good works, nay, is rather injured by them, if a man trusts that he is +justified by them. + +[Sidenote: The Outward Man] + +Now let us turn to the second part, to the outward man. Here we shall +answer all those who, misled by the word "faith" and by all that has +been said, now say: "If faith does all things and is alone sufficient +unto righteousness, why then are good works commanded? We will take +our ease and do no works, and be content with faith." I answer, Not +so, ye wicked men, not so. That would indeed be proper, if we were +wholly inward and perfectly spiritual men; but such we shall be only +at the last day, the day of the resurrection of the dead. As long as +we live in the flesh we only begin and make some progress in that +which shall be perfected in the future life. For this reason the +Apostle, in Romans viii, calls all that we attain in this he "the +first fruits" of the spirit [Rom. 8:23], because, forsooth, we shall +receive the greater portion, even the fulness of the spirit, in the +future. This is the place for that which was said above, that a +Christian man is the servant of all and made subject to all. For in so +far as he is free he does no works, but in so far as he is a servant +he does all manner of works. How this is possible, we shall see. + +[Sidenote: Needs to do Works] + +Although, as I have said, a man is abundantly justified by faith +inwardly, in his spirit, and so has all that he ought to have, except +in so far as this faith and riches must grow from day to day even unto +the future he: yet he remains in this mortal life on earth, and in +this life he must needs govern his own body and have dealings with +men. Here the works begin; here a man cannot take his ease; here he +must, indeed, take care to discipline his body by fastings, watchings, +labors and other reasonable discipline, and to make it subject to the +spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inward man and to +faith, and not revolt against faith and hinder the inward man, as it +is the body's nature to do if it be not held in check. For the inward +man, who by faith is created in the likeness of God, is both joyful +and happy because of Christ in Whom so many benefits are conferred +upon him, and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully +and for naught, in love that is not constrained. + +While he is doing this, lo, he meets a contrary will in his own flesh, +which strives to serve the world and to seek its own advantage. This +the spirit of faith cannot tolerate, and with joyful zeal it attempts +to put the body under and to hold it in check, as Paul says in Romans +vii, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see +another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and +bringing me into captivity to the law of sin" [Rom. 7:22 f.]; and, in +another place, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: +lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be +a castaway," [1 Cor. 9:27] and in Galatians, "They that are Christ's +have crucified the flesh with its lusts." [Gal. 5:24] + +[Sidenote: Works do not Justify] + +In doing these works, however, we must not think that a man is +justified before God by them: for that erroneous opinion faith, which +alone is righteousness before God, cannot endure; but we must think +that these works reduce the body to subjection and purity it of its +evil lusts, and our whole purpose is to be directed only toward the +driving out of lusts. For since by faith the soul is cleansed and made +a lover of God, it desires that all things, and especially its own +body, shall be as pure as itself, so that all things may join with it +in loving and praising God. Hence a man cannot be idle, because the +need of his body drives him and he is compelled to do many good works +to reduce it to subjection. Nevertheless the works themselves do not +justify him before God, but he does the works out of spontaneous love +in obedience to God, and considers nothing except the approval of God, +Whom he would in all things most scrupulously obey. + +In this way every one will easily be able to learn for himself the +limit and discretion, as they say, of his bodily castigations: for he +will fast, watch and labor as much as he finds sufficient to repress +the lasciviousness and lust of his body. But they who presume to be +justified by works do not regard the mortifying of the lusts, but only +the works themselves, and think that if only they have done as many +and as great works as are possible, they have done well, and have +become righteousness; at times they even addle their brains and +destroy, or at least render useless, their natural strength with their +works. This is the height of folly, and utter ignorance of Christian +life and faith, that a man should seek to be justified and saved by +works and without faith. + +[Sidenote: An Analogy] + +In order that what we have said may be more easily understood, we will +explain it by analogies. We should think of the works of a Christian +man who is justified and saved by faith because of the pure and free +mercy of God, just as we would think of the works which Adam and Eve +did in Paradise, and all their children would have done if they had +not sinned. We read in Genesis ii, "God put the man whom He had formed +into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." [Gen. 2:15] Now +Adam was created by God righteous and upright and without sin, so that +he had no need of being justified and made upright through his +dressing and keeping the garden, but, that he might not be idle, the +Lord gave him a work to do--to cultivate and to protect the garden. +These would truly have been the freest of works, done only to please +God and not to obtain righteousness, which Adam already had in full +measure, and which would have been the birthright of us all. + +Such also are the works of a believer. Through his faith he has been +restored to Paradise and created anew, has no need of works that he +may become or be righteous; but that he may not be idle and may +provide for and keep his body, he must do such works freely only to +please God; only, since we are not wholly re-created, and our faith +and love are not yet perfect, these are to be increased, not by +external works, however, but within themselves. + +[Sidenote: A Second Analogy] + +Again: A bishop, when he consecrates a Church, confirms children or +performs any other duty belonging to his office, is not made a bishop +by these works; nay, if he had not first been made a bishop, none of +these works would be valid, they would be foolish, childish and a mere +farce. So the Christian, who is consecrated by his faith, does good +works, but the works do not make him more holy or more Christian; for +that is the work of faith alone, and if a man were not first a +believer and a Christian, all his works would amount to nothing at all +and would be truly wicked and damnable sins. + +These two sayings, therefore, are true: "Good works do not make a good +man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked +man, but a wicked man does evil works"; so that it is always necessary +that the "substance" or person itself be good before there can be any +good works, and that good works follow and proceed from the good +person, as Christ also says, "A corrupt tree does not bring forth good +fruit, a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit." [Matt. 7:18] It +is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree, nor does the tree grow +on the fruits, but, on the contrary, the trees bear the fruits and the +fruits grow on the trees. As it is necessary, therefore, that the +trees must exist before their fruits, and the fruits do not make trees +either good or corrupt, but rather as the trees are so are the fruits +they bear; so the person of a man must needs first be good or wicked +before he does a good or a wicked work, and his works do not make him +good or wicked, but he himself makes his works either good or wicked. + +[Sidenote: Illustrations] + +Illustrations of the same truth can be seen in all trades, A good or a +bad house does not make a good or a bad builder, but a good or a bad +builder makes a bad or a good house. And in general, the work never +makes the workman like itself, but the workman makes the work like +himself. So it is also with the works of man: as the man is, whether +believer or unbeliever, so also is his work--good, if it was done in +faith; wicked, if it was done in unbelief. But the converse is not +true, that the work makes the man either a believer or an unbeliever. +For as works do not make a man a believer, so also they do not make +him righteous. But as faith makes a man a believer and righteous, so +faith also does good works. Since, then, works justify no one, and a +man must be righteous before he does a good work, it is very evident +that it is faith alone which, because of the pure mercy of God through +Christ and in His Word, worthily and sufficiently justifies and saves +the person, and a Christian man has no need of any work or of any law +in order to be saved, since through faith he is free from every law +and does all that he does out of pure liberty and freely, seeking +neither benefit nor salvation, since he already abounds in all things +and is saved through the grace of God because of his faith, and now +seeks only to please God. + +[Sidenote: Works Neither Save nor Damn] + +Furthermore, no good work helps an unbeliever, so as to justify or +save him. And, on the other hand, no evil work makes him wicked or +damns him, but the unbelief which makes the person and the tree evil, +does the evil and damnable works. Hence when a man is made good or +evil, this is effected not by the works, but by faith or unbelief, as +the Wise Man says, "This is the beginning of sin, that a man falls +away from God," [Sirach 10:14 f.] which happens when he does not +believe. And Paul, Hebrews xi, says, He that cometh to God must +believe." [Heb. 11:6] And Christ says the same: "Either make the tree +good and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit +corrupt," [Matt. 12:33] as if He would say, "Let him who would have +good fruit begin by planting a good tree." So let him who would do +good works not begin with the doing of works, but with believing, +which makes the person good. For nothing makes a man good except +faith, nor evil except unbelief. + +It is indeed true that in the sight of men a man is made good or evil +by his works, but this being made good or evil is no more than that he +who is good or evil is pointed out and known as such; as Christ says, +in Matthew vii, "By their fruits ye shall know them." [Matt. 7:20] But +all this remains on the surface, and very many have been deceived by +this outward appearance and have presumed to write and teach +concerning good works by which we may be justified, without even +mentioning faith; they go their way, always being deceived and +deceiving, advancing, indeed, but into a worse state, blind leaders of +the blind [2 Tim. 3:13], wearying themselves with many works, and yet +never attaining to true righteousness [Matt. 15:14]. Of such Paul +says, in II Timothy iii, "Having the form of godliness, but denying +its power, always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the +truth." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7] + +He, therefore, who does not wish to go astray with those blind men, +must look beyond works, and laws and doctrines about works; nay, +turning his eyes from works, he must look upon the person, and ask how +that is justified. For the person is justified and saved not by works +nor by laws, but by the Word of God, that is, by the promise of His +grace [Tit. 3:5], and by faith, that the glory may remain God's, Who +saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done, but +according to His mercy by the word of His grace, when we believed. [1 +Cor. 1:21] + +[Sidenote: The Doctrine of Good Works] + +From this it is easy to know in how far good works are to be rejected +or not, and by what standard all the teachings of men concerning works +are to be interpreted. If works are sought after as a means to +righteousness, are burdened with this perverse leviathan[15] and are +done under the false impression that through them you are justified, +they are made necessary and freedom and faith are destroyed; and this +addition to them makes them to be no longer good, but truly damnable +works. For they are not free, and they blaspheme the grace of God, +since to justify and to save by faith belongs to the grace of God +alone. What the works have no power to do, they yet, by a godless +presumption, through this folly of ours, pretend to do, and thus +violently force themselves into the office and the glory of grace. We +do not, therefore, reject good works; on the contrary, we cherish and +teach them as much as possible. We do not condemn them for their own +sake, but because of this godless addition to them and the perverse +idea that righteousness is to be sought through them; for that makes +them appear good outwardly, when in truth they are not good; they +deceive men and lead men to deceive each other, like ravening wolves +in sheep's clothing [Matt. 7:15]. + +But this leviathan and perverse notion concerning works is insuperable +where sincere faith is wanting. Those work-saints cannot get rid of it +unless faith, its destroyer, come and rule in their hearts. Nature of +itself cannot drive it out, nor even recognize it, but rather regards +it as a mark of the most holy will. And if the influence of custom be +added and confirm this perverseness of nature, as wicked Magisters +have caused it to do, it becomes an incurable evil, and leads astray +and destroys countless men beyond all hope of restoration. Therefore, +although it is good to preach and write about penitence, confession +and satisfaction, if we stop with that and do not go on to teach about +faith, our teaching is unquestionably deceitful and devilish. + +[Sidenote: What we are to Preach] + +Christ, like His forerunner John, not only said, "Repent ye," [Matt. +3:2] but added the word of faith, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at +hand." [Matt. 4:17] And we are not to preach only one of these words +of God, but both; we are to bring forth out of our treasure things new +and old [Matt. 13:52], the voice of the law as well as the word of +grace. We must bring forth the voice of the law that men may be made +to fear and to come to a knowledge of their sins, and so be converted +to repentance and a better life. But we must not stop with that. For +that would be only to wound and not to bind up, to smite and not to +heal, to kill and not to make alive, to lead down into hell and not to +bring back again, to humble and not to exalt. Therefore, we must also +preach the word of grace and the promise of forgiveness, by which +faith is taught and strengthened. Without this word of grace the works +of the law, contrition, penitence and all the rest are performed and +taught in vain. + +There remain even to our day preachers of repentance and grace, but +they do not so explain God's law and promise that a man might learn +from them the source of repentance and grace. For repentance proceeds +from the law of God, but faith or grace from the promise of God, as +Romans x says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of +Christ" [Rom. 10:17]; so that a man is consoled and exalted by faith +in the divine promise, after he has been humbled and led to a +knowledge of himself by the threats and the fear of the divine law. So +we read in Psalm xxx, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh +in the morning." [Ps. 30:6] + +[Sidenote: Works of Love] + +Let this suffice concerning works in general, and at the same time +concerning the works which a Christian does for his own body. Lastly, +we will also speak of the things which he does toward his neighbor. A +man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body, so as to work +for it alone, but he lives also for all men on earth, nay, rather, +lives only for others and not for himself. And to this end he brings +his body into subjection, that he may the more sincerely and freely +serve others, as Paul says in Romans xiv, "No one lives to himself, +and no man dies to himself. For he that liveth, liveth unto the Lord, +and he that dieth, dieth unto the Lord." [Rom. 14:7 f.] Therefore, it +is impossible that he should ever in this life be idle and without +works toward his neighbors, for of necessity he will speak, deal with +and converse with men, as Christ also, being made in the likeness of +men, was found in form as a man, and conversed with men, as Baruch iii +says [Bar. 3:38]. + +[Sidenote: Do not Save] + +[Sidenote: Grow out of Faith] + +But none of these things does a man need for his righteousness and +salvation. Therefore, in all his works he should be guided by this +thought and look to this one thing alone, that he may serve and +benefit others in all that he does, having regard to nothing except +the need and the advantage of his neighbor. Thus, the Apostle commands +us to work with our hands that we may give to him who is in need, +although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves; +he says, however, "that he may have to give to him that needeth." +[Eph. 4:28] And this is what makes it a Christian work to care for the +body, that through its health and comfort we may be able to work, to +acquire and to lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need, +that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker, and we may be +sons of God, each caring for and working for the other, bearing one +another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2]. Lo, +this is a truly Christian life, here faith is truly out effectual +through love [Gal. 5:6]; that is, it issues in works of the freest +service cheerfully and lovingly done, with which a man willingly +serves another without hope of reward, and for himself is satisfied +with the fulness and wealth of his faith. + +So Paul after teaching the Philippians how rich they were made through +faith in Christ, in which they obtained all things, proceeds +immediately to teach them further, saying, "If there be any +consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of +the Spirit, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same +love, being of one accord, thinking nothing through strife or +vainglory, but in lowliness each esteeming the other better than +themselves; looking not every man on his own things, but on the things +of others." [Phil. 2:1 ff.] Here we see clearly that the Apostle has +prescribed this rule for the life of Christians,--that we should +devote all our works to the welfare of others, since each has such +abundant riches in his faith, that all his other works and his whole +He are a surplus with which he can by voluntary benevolence serve and +do good to his neighbor. + +[Sidenote: The Example of Christ] + +As an example of such a life the Apostle cites Christ, saying, "Let +this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the +form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made +Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and +was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, +He became obedient unto death." [Phil. 2:5 ff.] This salutary word of +the Apostle has been obscured for us by those who have not at all +understood the Apostle's words, "form of God," "form of a servant," +"fashion," "likeness of men," and have applied them to the divine and +the human nature. Paul means this: Although Christ was filled with the +form of God and rich in all good things, so that He needed no work and +no suffering to make Him righteous and saved (for He had all this +always from the beginning), yet He was not puffed up by them, nor did +He lift Himself up above us and assume power over us, although He +could rightly have done so; but, on the contrary, He so lived, +labored, worked, suffered and died, that He might be like other men, +and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man, just as if +He had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of God. +But He did all this for our sake, that He might serve us, and that all +things He accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours. + +So a Christian, like Christ, his Head, is filled and made rich by +faith, and should be content with this form of God which he has +obtained by faith; only, as I have said, he ought to increase this +faith until it be made perfect. For this faith is his life, his +righteousness and his salvation: it saves him and makes him +acceptable, and bestows upon him all things that are Christ's, as has +been said above, and as Paul asserts in Gal. ii, when he says, "And +the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son +of God." [Gal. 2:20] Although the Christian is thus free from all +works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, to take upon himself +the form of a servant, to be made in the likeness of men, to be found +in fashion as a man, and to serve, help and in every way deal with his +neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals +with himself. And this he should do freely, having regard to nothing +except the divine approval. He ought to think: "Though I am an +unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the +riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, +out of pure, free mercy, so that henceforth I need nothing whatever +except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not +therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will, +do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a +Father, Who has overwhelmed me with His inestimable riches? I will +therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ +offered Himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I +see is necessary, profitable and salutary to my neighbor, since +through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ." + +[Sidenote: Faith and Love] + +Lo, thus from faith flow forth love and joy in the Lord, and from love +a joyful, willing and free mind that serves one's neighbor willingly +and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, of praise or blame, +of gain or loss. For a man does not serve that he may put men under +obligations, he does not distinguish between friends and enemies, nor +does he anticipate their thankfulness or unthankfulness; but most +freely and most willingly he spends himself and all that he has, +whether he waste all on the thankless or whether he gain a reward. For +as his Father does, distributing all things to all men richly and +freely, causing His sun to rise upon the good and upon the evil [Matt. +5:45], so also the son does all things and suffers all things with +that freely bestowing joy which is his delight when through Christ he +sees it in God, the dispenser of such great benefits. + +Therefore, if we recognize the great and precious things which are +given us, as Paul says [Rom. 5:5], there will be shed abroad in our +hearts by the Holy Ghost the love which makes us free, joyful, +almighty workers and conquerors over all tribulations, servants of our +neighbors and yet lords of all. But for those who do not recognize the +gifts bestowed upon them through Christ, Christ has been born in vain; +they go their way with their works, and shall never come to taste or +to feel those things. Just as our neighbor is in need and lacks that +in which we abound, so we also have been in need before God and have +lacked His mercy. Hence, as our heavenly Father has in Christ freely +come to our help, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through +our body and its works, and each should become as it were a Christ to +the other, that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the +same in all; that is, that we may be truly Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Christian Serves Freely] + +Who then can comprehend the riches and the glory of the Christian +life? It can do all things, and has all things, and lacks nothing; it +is lord over sin, death and hell, and yet at the same time it serves, +ministers to and benefits all men. But, alas, in our day this life is +unknown throughout the world; it is neither preached about nor sought +after; we are altogether ignorant of our own name and do not know why +we are Christians or bear the name of Christians. Surely we are so +named after Christ, not because He is absent from us, but because He +dwells in us, that is, because we believe on Him and are Christs one +to another and do to our neighbors as Christ does to us. But in our +day we are taught by the doctrine of men to seek naught but merits, +rewards and the things that are ours; of Christ we have made only a +taskmaster far more harsh than Moses. + +[Sidenote: Examples: The Virgin] + +Of such faith we have a pre-eminent example in the blessed Virgin. As +is written in Luke ii, she was purified according to the law of Moses, +after the custom of all women, although she was not bound by that law, +and needed not to be purified. But out of free and willing love she +submitted to the law, being made like other women, lest she should +offend or despise them. She was not justified by this work, but being +righteous she did it freely and willingly. So our works also should be +done, not that we may be justified by them; since, being justified +beforehand by faith, we ought to do all things freely and joyfully for +the sake of others. + +[Sidenote: St. Paul] + +St. Paul also circumcised his disciple Timothy, not because +circumcision was necessary for his righteousness, but that he might +not offend or despise the Jews who were weak in the faith and could +not yet grasp the liberty of faith. But on the other hand, when they +despised the liberty of faith and insisted that circumcision was +necessary for righteousness, he withstood them and did not allow Titus +to be circumcised, (Gal. ii) [Gal. 2:3]. For as he was unwilling to +offend for to despise any man's weak faith, and yielded to their will +for the time, so he was also unwilling that the liberty of faith +should be offended against or despised by stubborn work-righteous men. +He chose a middle way, sparing the weak or a time, but always +withstanding the stubborn, that he might convert all to the liberty of +faith. What we do should be done with the same zeal to sustain the +weak in faith, as Romans xiv teaches [Rom. 14:1 ff.]; but we should +firmly withstand the stubborn teachers of works. Of this we will say +more later. + +Christ also, in Matthew xvii, when the tribute money was demanded of +His disciples, argued with St. Peter, Christ whether the sons of the +king were not free from the payment of tribute, and Peter affirmed +that they were. None the less Christ commanded Peter to go to the sea, +and said, "Lest we should offend them, go, and take up the fish that +first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find +a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." +[Matt. 17:24 ff.] This incident its beautifully to our subject, since +Christ here calls Himself and those that are His, children and sons of +the King, who need nothing; and yet He freely submits and pays the +tribute. Just as necessary or helpful as this work was to Christ's +righteousness or salvation, just so much do all other works of His or +of His followers avail for righteousness; since they all follow after +righteousness and are free, and are done only to serve others and to +give them an example of good works. + +Of the same nature are the precepts which Paul gives, in Romans xiii +[Rom. 13:1 ff.] and Titus iii [Tit. 3:1], that Christians should be +subject to the powers that be, and be ready to do every good work, not +that they shall in this way be justified, since they already are +righteous through faith, but that in the liberty of the Spirit they +shall by so doing serve others and the powers themselves, and obey +their will freely and out of love. Of this nature should be the works +of all colleges, monasteries and priests. Each one should do the works +of his profession and position, not that by them he may strive after +righteousness, but that through them he may keep under his body, be an +example to others, who also need to keep under their bodies, and +finally that by such works he may submit his will to that of others in +the freedom of love. But very great care must always be taken that no +man in a false confidence imagine that by such works he will be +justified, or acquire merit or be saved; for this is the work of faith +alone, as I have repeatedly said. + +[Sidenote: Church Precepts] + +Any one knowing this could easily and without danger find his way +among those numberless mandates and precepts of pope, bishops, +monasteries, churches, princes and magistrates, upon which some +ignorant pastors insist as if they were necessary to righteousness and +salvation, calling them "precepts of the Church," although they are +nothing of the kind. For a Christian, as a free man, will say, "I will +fast, pray, do this and that as men command, not because it is +necessary to my righteousness or salvation; but that I may show due +respect to the pope, the bishop, the community, some magistrate or my +neighbor, and give them an example, I will do and suffer all things, +just as Christ did and suffered far more for me, although He needed +nothing of it all or Himself, and was made under the law for my sake, +although He was not under the law." And although tyrants do violence +or injustice in making their demands, yet it will do no harm, so long +as they demand nothing contrary to God. + +From what has been said, every one can pass a safe judgment on all +works and laws and make a trustworthy distinction between them, and +know who are the blind and ignorant pastors and who are the good and +true. For any work that is not done solely for the purpose of keeping +under the body or of serving one's neighbor, so long as he asks +nothing contrary to God, is not good nor Christian. And for this +reason I mightily fear that few or no colleges, monasteries, altars +and offices of the Church are really Christian in our day: no, nor the +special fasts and prayers on certain saints' days[16] either. I fear, +I say, that in all these we seek only our own profit, thinking that +through them our sins are purged away and that we ind salvation in +them. In this way Christian liberty perishes altogether. And this +comes from our ignorance of Christian faith and of liberty. + +[Sidenote: Ignorance of Liberty] + +This ignorance and suppression of liberty very many blind pastors take +pains to encourage: they stir up and urge on their people in these +practices by praising such works, puffing them up with their +indulgences, and never teaching faith. But I would counsel you, if you +wish to pray, fast or establish some foundation in the Church, take +heed not to do it in order to obtain some benefit, whether temporal or +eternal. For you would do injury to your faith, which alone offers you +all things, Your one care should be that faith may increase, whether +it be trained by works or by sufferings. Give your gifts freely and +for nothing, that others may profit by them and are well because of +you and your goodness. In this way you shall be truly good and +Christian. For of what benefit to you are the good works which you do +not need for the keeping under of your body? Your faith is sufficient +for you, through which God has given you all things. + +See, according to this rule the good things we have from God should +flow from one to the other and be common to all, so that every one +should "put on" his neighbor, and so conduct himself toward him as if +he himself were in the other's place. From Christ they have flowed and +are flowing into us: He has so "put on" us and acted for us as if He +had been what we are. From us they flow on to those who have need of +them, so that I should lay before God my faith and my righteousness +that they may cover and intercede for the sins of my neighbor, which I +take upon myself and so labor and serve in them as if they were my +very own. For that is what Christ did for us. This is true love and +the genuine rule of a Christian life. The love is true and genuine +where there is true and genuine faith. Hence, the Apostle says of love +in I Cor. xiii, that it seeketh not its own. [1 Cor. 13:5] + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +We conclude, therefore, that a Christian man lives not in himself, but +in Christ and in his neighbor. Otherwise he is not a Christian. He +lives in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love; by faith +he is caught up beyond himself into God, by love he sinks down beneath +himself into his neighbor; yet he always remains in God and in His +love, as Christ says in John i, "Verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye +shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending +upon the Son of man." [John 1:51] + +Enough now of liberty. As you see, it is a spiritual and true liberty, +and makes our hearts free from all sins, laws and mandates, as Paul +says, I Tim. i, "The law is not made for a righteous man." [1 Tim. +1:9] It is more excellent than all other liberty which is external, as +heaven is more excellent than earth. This liberty may Christ grant us +both to understand and to preserve. Amen. + +[Sidenote: Liberty] + +[Sidenote: Neither License] + +[Sidenote: Nor Necessity] + +Finally, something must be added for the sake of those for whom +nothing can be so well said that they will not spoil it by +misunderstanding it, though it is a question whether they will +understand even what shall here be said. There are very many who, when +they hear of this liberty of faith, immediately turn it into an +occasion for the flesh, and think that now all things are allowed +them. They want to show that they are free men and Christians only by +despising and finding fault with ceremonies, traditions and human +laws; as if they were Christians because on stated days they do not +fast or eat meat when others fast, or because they do not use the +accustomed prayers, and with upturned nose scoff at the precepts of +men, although they utterly disregard all else that pertains to the +Christian religion. The extreme opposite of these are those who rely +for their salvation solely on their reverent observance of ceremonies, +as if they would be saved because on certain days they fast or abstain +from meats, or pray certain prayers; these make a boast of the +precepts of the Church and of the Fathers, and care not a fig or the +things which are of the essence of our faith. Plainly, both are in +error, because they neglect the weightier things which are necessary +to salvation, and quarrel so noisily about those trifling and +unnecessary matters. + +How much better is the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who bids us take +a middle course, and condemns both sides when he says, "Let not him +that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth +not judge him that eateth." [Rom. 14:3] Here you see that they who +neglect and disparage ceremonies, not out of piety, but out of mere +contempt, are reproved, since the Apostle teaches us not to despise +them. Such men are puffed up by knowledge. On the other hand, he +teaches those who insist on the ceremonies not to judge the others, or +neither party acts toward the other according to the love that +edifies. Wherefore, we ought here to listen to the Scriptures, which +teach that we should not go aside to the right nor to the left [Deut. +28:14], but follow the statutes of the Lord which are right, rejoicing +the heart [Ps. 19:8]. For as a man is not righteous because he keeps +and clings to the works and forms of the ceremonies, so also will a +man not be counted righteous merely because he neglects and despises +them. + +[Sidenote: freedom from False Opinions] + +Our faith in Christ does not free us from works, but from false +opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that +justification is acquired by works. For faith redeems, corrects and +preserves our consciences, so that we know that righteousness does not +consist in works, although works neither can nor ought to be wanting; +just as we cannot be without food and drink and all the works of this +mortal body, yet our righteousness is not in them, but in faith; and +yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected on +that account. In this world we are bound by the needs of our bodily +life, but we are not righteous because of them. "My kingdom is not of +this world," [John 18:36] says Christ, but He does not say, "My +kingdom is not here, that is, in this world." And Paul says, "Though +we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh," [2 Cor. 10:3] +and in Galatians ii, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live +in the faith of the Son of God." [Gal. 2:20] Thus what we do, live, +and are in works and in ceremonies, we do because of the necessities +of this life and of the effort to rule our body; nevertheless we are +righteous not in these, but in the faith of the Son of God. + +[Sidenote: Opponents] + +[Sidenote: Ceremonialists] + +[Sidenote: Ignorant Men] + +Hence, the Christian must take a middle course and face those two +classes of men. He will meet first the unyielding, stubborn +ceremonialists, who like deaf adders [Ps. 58:4] are not willing to +hear the truth of liberty, but, having no faith, boast of, prescribe +and insist upon their ceremonies as means of justification. Such were +the Jews of old, who were unwilling to learn how to do good. These he +must resist, do the very opposite and offend them boldly, lest by +their impious views they drag many with them into error. In the +presence of such men it is good to eat meat, to break the fasts and +for the sake of the liberty of faith to do other things which they +regard the greatest of sins. Of them we must say, "Let them alone, +they are blind and leaders of the blind." [Matt. 15:14] For on this +principle Paul would not circumcise Titus when the Jews insisted that +he should [Gal. 2:3], and Christ excused the Apostles when they +plucked ears of corn on the sabbath [Matt. 12:1 ff.]; and there are +many similar instances. The other class of men whom a Christian will +meet, are the simple-minded, ignorant men, weak in the faith, as the +Apostle calls them, who cannot yet grasp the liberty of faith, even if +they were willing to do so. These he must take care not to offend; he +must yield to their weakness until they are more fully instructed. +For since these do and think as they do, not because they are +stubbornly wicked, but only because their faith is weak, the fasts and +other things which they think necessary must be observed to avoid +giving them offence. For so love demands, which would harm no one, but +would serve all men. It is not by their fault that they are weak, but +their pastors have taken them captive with the snares of their +traditions and have wickedly used these traditions as rods with which +to beat them. From these pastors they should have been delivered by +the teaching of faith and liberty. So the Apostle teaches us, Romans +xiv, "If my meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while +the world standeth" [Rom. 14:14]; and again, "I know that through +Christ nothing is unclean, except to him who esteemeth any thing to be +unclean; but it is evil or the man who eats and is offended." + +Wherefore, although we should boldly resist those teachers of +traditions and sharply censure the laws of the popes by means of which +they plunder the people of God, yet we must spare the timid multitude +whom those impious tyrants hold captive by means of these laws, until +they be set free. Fight strenuously therefore against the wolves, but +for the sheep, and not also against the sheep. This you will do if you +inveigh against the laws and the law-givers, and at the same time +observe the laws with the weak, so that they will not be offended, +until they also recognize the tyranny and understand their liberty. +But if you wish to use your liberty, do so in secret, as Paul says, +Romans xiv, "Hast thou the faith? have it to thyself before God" [Rom. +14:22]; but take care not to use your liberty in the sight of the +weak. On the other hand, use your liberty constantly and consistently +in the sight of the tyrants and the stubborn, in despite of them, that +they also may learn that they are impious, that their laws are of no +avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up. + +[Sidenote: Ceremonies] + +Now, since we cannot live our life without ceremonies and works, and +the froward and untrained youth need to be restrained and saved from +harm by such bonds; and since each one should keep his body under by +means of such works, there is need that the minister of Christ be +far-seeing and faithful; he ought so to govern and teach the people of +Christ in all these matters that their conscience and faith be not +offended, and that there spring not up in them a suspicion and a root +of bitterness, and many be defiled thereby [Heb. 12:15], as Paul +admonishes the Hebrews; that is, that they may not lose faith and +become defiled by the false estimate of the value of works, and think +that they must be justified by works. This happens easily and defiles +very many, unless faith is at the same time constantly taught; it is +impossible to avoid it when faith is not mentioned and only the +devisings of men are taught, as has been done until now through the +pestilent, impious, soul-destroying traditions of our popes and the +opinions of our theologians. By these snares numberless souls have +been dragged down to hell, so that you might see in this the work of +Antichrist. + +[Sidenote: The Test of Faith] + +[Sidenote: Temporary Helps] + +In brief, as wealth is the test of poverty, business the test of +faithfulness, honors the test of humility, easts the test of +temperance, pleasures the test of chastity, so ceremonies are the test +of the righteousness of faith. "Can a man," says Solomon, "take fire +in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" [Prov. 6:27] Yet, as a +man must live in the midst of wealth, business, honors, pleasures and +easts, so also must he live in the midst of ceremonies, that is, in +the midst of dangers. Nay, as infant boys need beyond all else to be +cherished in the bosoms and by the hands of maidens to keep them from +perishing, and yet when they are grown up their salvation is +endangered if they associate with maidens, so the inexperienced and +froward youth need to be restrained and trained by the iron bars of +ceremonies, lest their unchecked ardor rush headlong into vice after +vice. Yet it would be death or them to be always held in bondage to +ceremonies, thinking that these justify them. They are rather to be +taught that they have been so imprisoned in ceremonies, not that they +should be made righteous or gain great merit by them, but that they +might thus be kept from doing evil, and might be more easily +instructed unto the righteousness of faith. Such instruction they +would not endure if the impulsiveness of their youth were not +restrained. Hence ceremonies are to be given the same place in the +life of a Christian as models and plans have among builders and +artisans. They are prepared not as permanent structures, but because +without them nothing could be built or made. When the structure is +completed they are laid aside. You see, they are not despised, rather, +they are greatly sought after; but what we despise is the false +estimate of them, since no one holds them to be the real and permanent +structure. If any man were so egregiously foolish as to care for +nothing all his life long except the most costly, careful and +persistent preparation of plans and models, and never to think of the +structure itself, and were satisfied with his work in producing such +plans and mere aids to work, and boasted of it, would not all men pity +his insanity, and estimate that with what he has wasted something +great might have been built? Thus we do not despise ceremonies and +works, nay, we set great store by them; but we despise the false +estimate placed upon works, in order that no one may think that they +are true righteousness, as those hypocrites believe who spend and lose +their whole lives in zeal for works, and never reach that for the sake +of which the works are to be done; as the Apostle says, "ever learning +and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] +For they seem to wish to build, they make their preparations, and yet +they never build, Thus they remain caught in the form of godliness and +do not attain unto its power [2 Tim. 3:5]. Meanwhile they are pleased +with their efforts, and even dare to judge all others whom they do not +see shining with a like show of works. Yet with the gifts of God which +they have spent and abused in vain they might, if they had been filled +with faith, have accomplished great things to the salvation of +themselves and of others. + +[Sidenote: Men Need to be Taught of God] + +But since human nature and natural reason, as it is called, are by +nature superstitious and ready to imagine, when laws and works are +prescribed, that righteousness must be obtained through them; and +further, since they are trained and confirmed in this opinion by the +practice of all earthly lawgivers, it is impossible that they should +of themselves escape from the slavery of works and come to a knowledge +of the liberty of faith. Therefore there is need of the prayer that +the Lord may give us [John 6:45] and make us _theodidacti_, that is, +taught of God, and Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our +hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us. For if He Himself do not +teach our hearts this wisdom hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7], nature +can only condemn it and judge it to be heretical, because nature is +offended by it and regards it as foolishness. So we see that it +happened in olden times, in the case of the Apostles and prophets, and +so godless and blind popes and their flatterers do to me and to those +who are like me. May God at last be merciful to them and to us, and +cause His face to shine upon us [Ps. 67:1 f.], that we may know His +way upon earth. His salvation among all nations, God, Who is blessed +forever [2 Cor. 11:31]. Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See below, page 304. + +[2] Sylvester Prierias. See Vol. I, p. 338. + +[3] Cf. Preface to Prierias' Epitome, _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329. + +[4] Virgil, _Georgics_, I, 514. + +[5] Pope Eugene III, 1145-1153, for whom Bernard of Clairvaux wrote a +devotional book, _De consideratione_, in which he rehearsed the duties +and the dangers of the pope. See Realencyklopädie II, 632; Kohler, +Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte, 311 f. Cf. Resolutiones disput. de +indulg. virtute, 1518, Clemen, 1, 113. + +[6] John Maier, born in Eck an der Günz, and generally known as John +Eck; an ambitious theologian, who first attacked his professor in +Freiburg, then Erasmus' Annotations to the New Testament, and next +wrote against Luther's XCV Theses (see Vol. I, 10, 176, etc.). He was +the opponent of Luther and Carlstadt at the Leipzig Disputation +(1519), to which Luther here refers. + +[7] Jacopo de Vio, born in Gaeta, Italy, in 1469, died in 1534. The +name Cajetan he derived from his birthplace, the Latin name of which +is Cajeta. In the Dominican Order he was known as Thomas, so that his +writings are published under the title, _Thomae de Vio Cajetani +opera_. He was made cardinal-presbyter with the title of S. Sisto in +1517, and in the following year was sent as papal legate to the Diet +of Augsburg. Here he met and examined Luther, but accomplished nothing +because he insisted that Luther must recant. See Kolde in +Realencyklopädie 3, 632 ff. + +[8] Carl von Miltitz was educated at Cologne, was prebendary at Mainz, +Trier and Meissen, and later went to Rome, where he acted as agent for +Frederick, Elector of Saxony, and Duke George the Bearded. "After the +endeavours of Cardinal Cajetan to silence Luther had failed, Miltitz +appeared to be the person most suited to bring the negotiations to a +successful ending." (_Catholic Encyclopedia_, X, 318, where, however, +the statement that Miltitz was educated at Mainz, Trier and Meissen is +evidently a slip.) It seems that Miltitz returned to Rome for a time, +but in 1522 again came to Germany, where he was drowned in the Main, +November 20, 1529. See Flathe, Art. _Miltitz, in Allgemeine Deutsche +Biographie_, 21, 759 f. + +[9] The German reads: "Thus I always did what was required of me, and +neglected nothing which it was my duty to do." + +[10] This was the usual title of the pope, with which the bull of +excommunication opened: _Leo Episcopus Servus Servorum Dei_. + +[11] See above, pp. 298, 300, and compare the letters of Miltitz to +the elector Frederick in Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, pp. 367 +f. + +[12] Here the German is more accurate: "Every Christian man." + +[13] German: _Wie man sein brauchen und niessen soll_, "how we are to +benefit by and enjoy what He is for us." + +[14] German: _der heubt gerechtigkteit._ + +[15] Possibly a reminiscence of the _Leviathan serpentem tortuosum_ in +Isa. 27:1. Cf. _Erl. Ed._, xxiv, 73; xxvii, 323 f; xviii, 91. Lemme +translates _Teuelswahn_. + +[16] German: _die fasten und gepett etiichen heyligen so derlich +gethan_. + + + +A BRIEF EXPLANATION (EINE KURZE FORM) OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE +CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The work here presented bears the German title, _Eine kurze Form der +zehn Gebote, eine kurze Form des Glaubens, eine kurze Form des +Vaterunsers_. It is the most important of Luther's catechetical works +prior to the Catechisms of 1529, and deserves the name that has been +given it, "the first evangelical catechism."[1] + +To be sure, the name "catechism" was not applied to the _Kurze Form_ +at the time. In mediaeval usage "catechism" was the name for oral +instruction in the elements of Christian truth. This instruction had +been based from time immemorial upon the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. +The decalogue held a minor place and was overshadowed by the +commandments of the church. During the later Middle Ages the influence +of the sacrament of penance gave it a higher position. It gradually +became a subject of "catechetical" instruction, but only alongside of +the other standards for the classification of sins.[2] It was the work +of Luther so to expound the Ten Commandments as to give them a +permanent place of their own in Christian instruction, side by side +with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. + +The first manuals of instruction of this kind were prepared for the +use of the priests, to guide them in the questioning of penitents, but +with the discovery of the art of printing popular hand-books for the +use of the laity became more and more common, and with certain of +these manuals Luther was familiar.[3] + +From the beginning of his ministry at Wittenberg, Luther had preached +from time to time upon the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. In +1518 his friend Agricola published a series of sermons on the Lord's +Prayer which Luther had preached in Lent, 1517.[4] In the same year +Luther published his own _Kurze Auslegung der zehn Gebote, ihrer +Erfüllung und Uebertretung_.[5] The year 1519 saw the publication of +the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten_, and the +_Kurze und gute Auslegung des Vaterunsers vor sich und hinter sich_.[7] +The _Treatise on Good Works_[8], which is essentially an exposition of +the decalogue, was written in the early months of 1520. During the +same period the mind of Luther was frequently occupied with the abuses +of the confessional, as we learn from the _Confitendi Ratio_,[9] and +the _Kurze Unterweisung wie man beichten soil_.[10] All the material +for the first and third parts of the present work was, therefore, in +hand and had appeared in print before 1520. + +In 1520 the Kurze Form came from the press.[11] It consists of three +separately composed expositions of the three chief subjects of +catechetical instruction in the Middle Ages. The expositions of the +Commandments and the Lord's Prayer are reproductions of the _Kurze +Auslegung der zehn Gebote_ and the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu +verstehen und zu beten_. The treatment of the Apostles' Creed is new, +as is also the Introduction, in which Luther sets forth the relation +of the three parts to one another in the unity of the Christian life. + +The work is not scientific and theological, but popular and religious. +Its purpose is primarily devotional, not pedagogical. The mediæval +root out of which it grew is not to be denied. The catalogue of +transgressions and fulfilments attached to the explanation of the +decalogue shows that it is intended to be a manual for penitents, but +the spirit in which the Creed and the Lord's Prayer are explained is +not mediæval, and the manner in which the explanations of the +decalogue are simplified and rid of the excrescences of the XV Century +hand-books shows the new evangelical conception of confession to which +Luther had attained. The division of the Creed into three articles +instead of the traditional twelve marks an epoch in the development of +catechetical instruction. The little book contains passages of rare +beauty, clouded at times, we fear, by the new language into which it +has here been put, and seldom has the _Wesen des Christentums_ been +more simply and tellingly set forth than in the treatment of the +Creed. + +In 1522 Luther republished the _Kurze Form_ with a few slight changes +and a number of additions under the title _Betbüchlein_. The +_Betbüchlein_ ran through many editions, and grew in the end to a book +of rather large proportions, a complete manual of devotion. + +In its original form and as the chief content of the _Betbüchlein_, +the _Kurze Form_ exercised a profound influence upon the manuals of +Christian doctrine that appeared in ever-increasing number after +1522.[12] Its influence extended to England, where Marshall's _Goodly +Primer_ (1534 and 35) offered to English readers a translation of the +_Betbüchlein_, in which, however, no acknowledgments were made to the +original author.[13] + +The _Kurze Form_ is found in _Weimar Ed._, VII, 194 ff.; _Erl. Ed._, +XXII, 3 ff.; _Clemen Ed._, II, 38 ff.; _Walch Ed._, X, 182 ff.; _St. +Louis Ed._, X, 149 ff. + +LITERATURE + +F. Cohrs, _Die evang. Katechismusversuche vor L.'s Enchiridion_ +(especially I, 1 ff. and IV, 229 ff.), Arts. _Katechismen L.'s and +Katechismusunterricht_ in _Realencyk._, X, 130 ff., and XXIII, 743 +ff., and _Introd. to Betbüchlein_ in _Weimar Ed._, X; O. Albrecht, +_Vorbemerkungen zu den beiden Katechismen von 1529_, in _Weimar Ed._, +XXX', 426 ff. (Further literature cited by all the above.) See also +Gecken, _Bilderkatechismus d. XV Jh_. and von Zezschwitz, _System d. +Katechetik_ (especially II, i). + + CHARLES M. JACOBS. + +LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, + + Mount Airy, Philadelphia + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Cohrs, _Evang. Katechismusversuche_, I, 4. + +[2] _von Zezschwitz, Katechetik_, II, 176, 265 ff. + +[3] _Weimar Ed._, X', 475. + +[4] _Weimar Ed._, IX, 122 ff. The same series was republished by +Luther himself, ibid., IV, 74 ff. + +[5] _Weimar Ed._, I, 248 ff. + +[6] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 9 ff. + +[7] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 20 ff. + +[8] Vol. I, pp. 187 ff. + +[9] Vol. I, pp. 81-101. + +[10] _Weimar Ed._, II, 47 ff. + +[11] On the exact date, see _Weimar Ed._, VII, 195; _Clemen_, II, 38. + +[12] See Cohrs, IV, 326 ff. + +[13] For this information I am indebted to the Rev. J. F. Bornhold, of +Mount Holly, N. J. The act was discovered almost simultaneously by +Pro. M. Reu, of Dubuque, Iowa. + + + +A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S +PRAYER + +1520 + + + +PREFACE + + +The ordinary Christian, who cannot read the Scriptures, is required to +learn and know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer; +and this has not come to pass without God's special ordering. For +these three contain fully and completely everything that is in the +Scriptures, everything that ever should be preached, and everything +that a Christian needs to know, all put so briefly and so plainly that +no one can make complaint or excuse, saying that what he needs or his +salvation is too long or too hard to remember. + +Three things a man needs to know in order to be saved. _First_, he +must know what he ought to do and what he ought not to do. _Second_, +when he finds that by his own strength he can neither do the things he +ought, nor leave undone the things he ought not to do, he must know +where to seek and find and get the strength he needs. _Third_, he must +know how to seek and find and get this strength. + +When a man is ill, he needs to know first what his illness is,--what +he can do and what he cannot do. Then he needs to know where to find +the remedy that will restore his health and help him to do and leave +undone the things he ought. Third, he must ask for this remedy, and +seek it, and get it or have it brought to him. In like manner, the +_Commandments_ teach a man to know his illness, so that he feels and +sees what he can do and what he cannot do, what he can and what he +cannot leave undone, and thus knows himself to be a sinner and a +wicked man. After that the _Creed_ shows him and teaches him where he +may find the remedy,--the grace which helps him to become a good man +and to keep the Commandments; it shows him God, and the mercy which He +has revealed and offered in Christ. In the third place, the _Lord's +Prayer_ teaches him how to ask or this grace, get it, and take it to +himself, to wit, by habitual, humble, comforting prayer; then grace is +given, and by the fulfillment of God's commandments he is saved. + +These are the three chief things in all the Scriptures. Therefore we +begin at the beginning, with the Commandments, which are the first +thing, and learn to recognise our sin and wickedness, that is, our +spiritual illness, which prevents us from doing the things we ought to +do and leaving undone the things we ought not to do. + +THE TEN COMMANDMENTS + +[Sidenote: The First Table] + +The _First Table of Moses_--the Table of the Right Hand--contains the +first three Commandments, In these man is taught his duty toward God, +what things he is in duty bound to do, and what to leave undone. + +[Sidenote: The First Commandment] + +The _First Commandment_ teaches how man shall treat God inwardly, in +the heart, that is, how he ought always to remember Him and think of +Him and esteem Him. To Him, as to a Father and good Friend, man is to +look at all times or all good things, in all trust and faith and love, +with fear; he is not to offend Him, but trust Him as a child its +father. For nature teaches us that there is one God, Who gives all +good and helps against all evil, as even the heathen show us by their +worshiping of idols. This commandment is, + +_Thou shalt have no other gods._ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +The _Second Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God +outwardly, in words, before other men, or even inwardly before his own +self; that is, he shall honor God's Name. For no one can show God +either to himself or to others in His divine nature, but only in His +names. This commandment is, + +_Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain._ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +The _Third Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly +in deeds, that is, in the worship of God. It is, + +_Thou shalt hallow the holy day._[1] + +These three commandments, then, teach how man is to act toward God in +thoughts, words and deeds,--that is, in all his life. + +[Sidenote: The Second Table] + +The _Second Table of Moses_--the Table of the Left Hand--contains the +other seven Commandments. In these man is taught what he is in duty +bound to do and not to do to other men, that is, to his neighbor, + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +The _first_ of them teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward all +the authorities who are God's representatives. Therefore, it has its +place before the rest, and immediately after the first three, which +concern God Himself. Such authorities are father and mother, spiritual +and temporal lords, etc. It is, + +_Honor thy father and thy mother._ + +The _second_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor in matters that concern his person,--not to do him injury, +but to benefit and help him when he is in need. It is, + +_Thou shalt not kill._ + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] + +The _third_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward the best +possession one's neighbor has next to his person,--that is, toward his +wife, his child, his friend. He is to put no shame upon them, but to +preserve their honor, so far as he is able. It is, + +_Thou shalt not commit adultery._ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +The _fourth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor's temporal possessions,--not to take them from him or hinder +him in their use, but to aid him in increasing them. It is, + +_Thou shalt not steal._ + +[Sidenote: The Eighth Commandment] + +The _fifth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor's worldly honor and good name,--not to impair them, but to +increase and guard and protect them. It is, + +_Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor._ + +So, then, it is forbidden to harm one's neighbor in any of his +possessions, and it is commanded to advance his interests. If we +consider the natural law,[2] we find how just and right all these +commandments are; for there is no act here commanded, toward God or +one's neighbor, that each of us would not wish to have done toward +himself, if he were God, or in God's place or his neighbor's. + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +The last two Commandments teach how wicked human nature is, and how +pure we should be from all the desires of the flesh and desires for +this world's goods; but that means struggle and labor as long as we +live here below. They are, + +_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house._ + +_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his +maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's._ + +A BRIEF CONCLUSION TO THE TEN COMANDMENTS + +Christ Himself says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, +do ye even so to them; this is the whole law and all the prophets." +[Matt. 7:12] Now no one wishes to receive ingratitude for benefits +conferred or to let another take away his good name. No one wishes to +have pride shown toward him. No one wishes to endure disobedience, +wrath, a wife's impurity, robbery, lying, deceit, slander; but every +one wishes to find in his neighbor kindliness, thankfulness, +helpfulness, truth and fidelity. All this the Ten Commandments +require. + +THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COMMANDMENTS + +_Against the First_ + +[Sidenote: the First Commandment] + +He who in his tribulation seeks the help of sorcery, black art, or +witchcraft. + +He who uses letters[3], signs, herbs, words[4], charms and the like. + +He who uses divining-rods and incantations, and practices +crystal-gazing, cloak-riding, and milk-stealing[5]. + +He who orders his life and work by lucky days, the signs of the zodiac +and the advice of the fortune-tellers. + +He who seeks by charms and incantations to protect himself, his +cattle, his house, his children and all his property against wolves, +iron, fire and water. + +He who blames his misfortunes and tribulations on the devil or on +wicked men, and does not accept them with praise and love, as good and +evil which come from God alone, and who does not ascribe them to God +with thanksgiving and willing patience. + +He who tempts God, and needlessly puts himself in danger of body or +soul. + +He who glories in his piety, his wisdom, or other spiritual gifts. + +He who honors God and the saints only for the sake of temporal gain, +and is forgetful of his soul's need. + +He who does not trust in God at all times, and is not confident of +God's mercy in all he does. + +He who doubts concerning the faith or the grace of God. + +He who does not keep back others from unbelief and doubt, and does not +help them, so far as in him lies, to believe and trust in God's grace. + +Here, too, belong all forms of unbelief, despair, and misbelief. + +_Against the Second_ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +He who swears needlessly or habitually. + +He who perjures himself, or breaks a vow. + +He who vows or swears to do evil. + +He who curses by God's name. + +He who tells foolish tales of God, and frivolously perverts the words +of Scripture. + +He who in his tribulation calls not upon God's name, nor blesses Him +in joy and sorrow, in good fortune and in ill. + +He who by his piety, wisdom or the like seeks reputation and honor and +a name. + +He who calls upon God's name falsely, as do the heretics and all +vainglorious saints. + +He who does not praise God's name in all that befalls him. + +He who does not resist those that dishonor the name of God, use it +falsely and work evil by it. + +Here belong all the sins of vainglory and spiritual pride. + +_Against the Third_ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +He who is given to gluttony, drunkenness, gambling, dancing, idleness +and unchastity. + +He who is lazy, who sleeps when he ought to be at mass, stays away +from mass, goes walking and indulges in idle talk. + +He who without special need works and transacts business on the Lord's +day. + +He who prays not, meditates not upon Christ's sufferings, repents not +of his sins and asks no grace, and therefore keeps the day only in +outward fashion, by his dress, his food and his actions. + +He who in all his works and sufferings is not satisfied that God shall +do with him as He will. + +He who does not help others to do this and does not resist them when +they do otherwise. + +Here belongs the sin of slothfulness and indifference to worship. + +_Against the Fourth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +He who is ashamed of his parents because of their poverty, their +failings or their lowly position. + +He who does not provide them with food and clothing in their need. + +Much more, he who curses them, speaks evil of them, hates them and +disobeys them. + +He who does not from the heart esteem them highly because of God's +commandment. + +He who does not honor them, even though they do wrong and violence. + +He who does not keep the commandments of the Christian Church with +respect to fast- and feast-days, etc. + +He who dishonors, slanders and insults the priestly office. + +He who dost not pay honor, allegiance and obedience to his lords and +those in authority, be they good or bad. + +Among the transgressors of this commandment are all heretics, +schismatics, apostates, excommunicates, hardened sinners and the like. + +He who does not help men to keep this commandment and resist those who +break it. + +Here belong all forms of pride and disobedience. + +_Against the Fifth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Commandment] + +He who is angry with his neighbor. + +He who sayeth to his neighbor, _Raca_, which stands for all terms of +anger and hatred. [Matt. 5:22] + +He who sayeth to his neighbor, _Fatue_, "thou fool," which stands for +every sort of vile language, cursing, slander, evil speaking, judging, +condemning, mockery, etc. + +He who scolds about his neighbor's sins or failings, and does not +rather cover and excuse them. + +He who forgives not his enemies nor prays for them, is not kindly +disposed toward them and does them no good. + +This commandment includes also all the sins of anger and hatred, such +as murder, war, robbery, arson, quarreling, contention, envy of a +neighbor's good fortune and joy over his misfortune. + +He who does not practice works of mercy even toward his enemies. + +He who sets men at enmity with one another. + +He who sows discord between man and man. + +He who does not reconcile those who are at enmity. + +He who does not hinder or prevent wrath and enmity when he is able. + +_Against the Sixth_ + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] + +He who seduces virgins, commits adultery and is guilty of incest and +like unchastity. + +He who uses unnatural means to satisfy his desires--these are the +"mute sins."[6] + +He who arouses or displays evil desires with obscene words, songs, +tales or pictures. + +He who by looks, touch or thoughts arouses his own desires and defiles +himself. + +He who does not avoid the causes of unchastity, such as gluttony, +drunkenness, idleness, laziness, oversleeping and intimate association +with men or women. + +He who by extravagant dress or demeanor incites others to unchastity. + +He who gives house, place, time or help to the commission of this sin. + +He who does not by word and deed help others to preserve their +chastity. + +_Against the Seventh_ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +He who practices thievery, robbery and usury. + +He who uses false weights and measures, or sells bad wares for good. + +He who receives bequests and incomes dishonestly. He who withholds +wages that have been earned, and repudiates a debt. + +He who will not lend to a needy neighbor without taking interest.[7] + +All who are avaricious and make haste to be rich, and do any of those +other things by which a neighbor's property is withheld or taken away. + +He who does not protect another against loss. + +He who does not warn another against loss. + +He who places an obstacle in the way of his neighbor's profit and +begrudges his neighbor's gains. + +Against the Eighth + +[Sidenote: The Eight Commandment] + +He who conceals or suppresses the truth in a court of law. + +He who lies and deceives to another's hurt. + +All hurtful flatterers, whisperers and double-dealers. + +He who speaks evil of his neighbor's possessions, lie, words and works +and defames them. + +He who gives place to slanderers, helps them on and does not resist +them. + +He who does not use his tongue to defend his neighbor's good name. + +He who does not rebuke the slanderer. + +He who does not say all good of every man and keep silent about all +evil. + +He who conceals or does not defend the truth. + +_Against the Last Two_ + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +The last two commandments have no place in confession[8], but are set +as a goal to which we are to attain, and toward which, through +repentance and by the help and grace of God, we are daily to strive; +or wicked inclinations do not wholly die, until the flesh turns to +dust and is new created[9]. + +The "five senses"[10] are included in the Fifth and Sixth +Commandments; the "six works of mercy," in the Fifth and Seventh; of +the "seven deadly sins," pride is included in the First and Second, +unchastity in the Sixth, anger, and hatred in the Fifth, gluttony in +the Sixth, indolence in the Third, and indeed in all the commandments. +The "alien sins" are included in all the commandments, or it is +possible to sin against all the commandments by bidding, advising and +helping others to sin against them. The "crying sins" and the "mute +sins" are committed against the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Commandments, +etc. + +In all these works we see nothing else than self-love, which seeks its +own, takes from God what is His, from men what is theirs, and out of +all it is and all it has and all it can do gives nothing either to God +or men. St. Augustine well says, "The beginning of all sin is the love +of one's own self."[11] + +From all this it follows that the commandments command nothing but +love and forbid nothing but love; nothing but love fulfils the +commandments and nothing but love breaks them. Wherefore, St. Paul +says that love is the fulfilling of all commandments; just as evil +love is the transgression of all commandments. + +The Fulfilment of the Commandments + +Of the First + +[Sidenote: The First Commandment] + +To fear and love God in true faith, and always, in all our works, to +trust Him firmly, and be wholly, completely, altogether resigned in +all things, whether they be evil or good. + +Here belongs whatever is written in all the Scriptures concerning +faith, hope and love of God, all of which is briefly comprehended in +this commandment. + +_Of the Second_ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +To praise, honor, bless and call upon God's Name, and to count our own +name and honor as altogether nothing, so that God alone may be +praised; for He alone is all things, and worketh all things. + +Here belongs all that is taught in the Scripture about rendering +praise and honor and thanks to God, about God's name and about joy in +Him. + +_Of the Third_ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +To prepare oneself for God and to seek His grace by praying, hearing +mass and the Gospel, and meditating on the sufferings of Christ, so +that one goes to the sacrament in a spiritual manner; for this +commandment requires a soul "poor in spirit," [Matt. 5:3.] which +offers its nothingness to God, that He may be its God and receive in +it the honor due His work and Name according to the first two +commandments. + +Here belongs all that is commanded about worship, the hearing of +sermons, and good works by which the body is made subject to the +spirit, so that all our works may be God's and not our own. + +_Of the Fourth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +Willing obedience, humility, submission to all authority because it is +God's good-pleasure, as the Apostle St. Peter says, without retort, +complaint or murmuring. + +Here belongs all that is written of obedience, humility, +submissiveness and reverence. + +_Of the Fifth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Commandment] + +Patience, meekness, kindness, peacefulness, mercy, and a heart in all +things sweet and kindly, without hatred, anger or bitterness toward +any man, even toward enemies. Here belong all the teachings about +patience, meekness, peace and concord. + +_Of the Sixth_ + +Chastity, purity and modesty, in works, words, demeanor and thoughts; +moderation in eating, drinking and sleeping; and everything that +furthers chastity. + +Here belong all the teachings about chastity, fasting, sobriety, +moderation, prayer, watching, laboring and everything by which +chastity is preserved. + +_Of the Seventh_ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +Poverty of spirit, charity, willingness to lend and give of one's +possessions, and a life free from greed and avarice. Here belong all +the teachings about avarice, unrighteous wealth, usury, guile, deceit, +injury and hindrance of one's neighbor in temporal things. + +_Of the Eighth_ + +[Sidenote: The Eight Commandment] + +A peaceful, wholesome tongue, that injures no one and profits every +one, that reconciles those that are at enmity, apologizes for those +that are slandered and takes their part; in short, truthfulness and +simplicity in speech. Here belong all the teachings about talking and +keeping silent in matters which concern one's neighbor's honor and +rights, his cause and his salvation. + +_Of the Last Two_ + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +That entire chastity and utter despising of temporal desire and +possessions, which are perfectly attained only in the life to come. + +In all these works we see nothing else than the love of others--that +is, of God and of one's neighbor--which seeketh not its own, but what +is God's and its neighbor's [1 Cor. 13:5], and surrendereth itself +freely to every one to be his, to serve him and to do his will. + +Thus you see that the Ten Commandments contain, in a very brief and +orderly manner, all the teaching that is needful for man's life; and +if a man desires to keep them, he has good works or every hour of his +life, and has no need to choose him other works, to run hither and +thither, and do what is not commanded[12]. + +All this is evident from the act that these commandments teach nothing +about what a man shall do or not do or himself, or what he shall ask +of others, but only what he shall do and not do for others--God and +man. From this we are to learn that their fulfilment consists in love +toward others, not toward ourselves; for in his own behalf man already +seeks and does and leaves undone too much. He needs not to be taught +this, but to be kept from it. Therefore he lives best who lives in no +wise for himself, and he who lives for himself, lives worst; for so +the Ten Commandments teach. From them we learn how few men lead good +lives; nay, as man, no one can lead a good life. Knowing this, we must +learn next whence we shall get the power to lead good lives and to +keep the Commandments[13]. + +THE CREED + +[Sidenote: Division of the Creed] + +The Creed is divided into three parts[14], according to the Creed +three Persons of the holy and divine Trinity who are therein +mentioned. The first part belongs to the Father, the second to the +Son, the third to the Holy Ghost; for the Trinity is the chief thing +in the Creed, on which everything else depends. + +[Sidenote: Two Ways of Believing] + +We should note that there are two ways of believing. One way is to +believe about God, as I do when I believe that what is said of God is +true; just as I do when I believe what is said about the Turk, the +devil or hell. This faith is knowledge or observation rather than +faith. The other way is to believe in God, as I do when I not only +believe that what is said about Him is true, but put my trust in Him, +surrender myself to Him and make bold to deal with Him, believing +without doubt that He will be to me and do to me just what is said of +Him. I could not thus believe in the Turk or in any man, however +highly his praises might be sung. For I can readily believe that a man +is good, but I do not venture on that account to build my faith on +him. + +[Sidenote: True Faith] + +This faith, which in He or death dares to believe that God is what He +is said to be, is the only faith that makes a man a Christian and +obtains from God whatever it will. This faith no false and evil heart +can have, for it is a living faith; and this faith is commanded in the +First Commandment, which says, "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have +no other gods." Wherefore the word _in_ is rightly used; and it is +diligently to be noted that we may not say, "I believe God the +Father," or "about the Father," but "_in_ God the Father, _in_ Jesus +Christ, _in_ the Holy Ghost." This faith we should render to no one +but to God. Therefore we confess the divinity of Jesus Christ and of +the Holy Ghost, when we believe in them even as we believe in the +Father; and just as our faith in all three Persons is one and the same +faith, so the three Persons are one and the same God. + +The First Part of the Creed + +[Sidenote: The First Article] + +_I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth._ + +_This means--_ + +I renounce the evil spirit, all idolatry, all sorcery and misbelief. + +I put my trust in no man on earth, nor in myself, my power, my +learning, my wealth, my piety, nor anything that I may have. + +I put my trust in no creature in heaven or on earth. + +I dare to put my trust only in the one absolute, invisible, +incomprehensible God, Who made heaven and earth, and Who alone is over +all creatures. + +On the other hand, I am not afraid of any wickedness of the devil and +his company, or my God is above them all. + +Even though I be forsaken or persecuted by all men, I still believe in +God. + +I believe, even though I am poor, unwise, unlearned, despised or in +need of everything. + +I believe, even though I am a sinner. For this faith of mine must and +shall soar above everything that is and everything that is not--above +sin and virtue and all else--so that it may remain simply and purely a +faith in God, as the First Commandment constrains me. + +Nor do I ask of Him a sign, to tempt Him. [Luke 11:16] + +I trust constantly in Him, however long He tarry, and do not prescribe +the goal, the time, the measure or the manner of His working, but in +bold, true faith I leave all to His divine will. + +If He is almighty, what can I lack that He cannot give me and do for +me? + +If He is Creator of heaven and earth and Lord of all things, who will +take anything from me, or harm me? [Rom. 8:28] Nay, how shall not all +things rather serve me and turn out to my good, if He to Whom all +things are obedient and subject wishes me well? + +Because He is God, He can do the thing that is best for me, and knows +what that thing is. + +Because He is Father, He wills to do what is best for me, and to do it +with all His heart. + +Because I do not doubt, but put my trust in Him, I am assuredly His +child. His servant and His heir forever, and as I believe, so will it +be done unto me. [Matt. 8:13] + +The Second Part + +[Sidenote: The Second Article] + +_And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the +Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, +was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day +He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on +the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come +to judge the quick and the dead._ + +_This means--_ + +I believe not only that Jesus Christ is the true and only Son of God, +begotten from eternity in one eternal, divine nature and substance; +but also that all things are made subject to Him by His Father, and +that in His humanity He is made Lord of me and of all things which, in +His divinity, He, with the Father, has created. + +I believe that no one can believe in the Father or come to the Father +by his own learning, works or reason, nor by anything that can be +named in heaven or on earth, save only in and through Jesus Christ, +His only Son--that is, through faith in His name and lordship. [John +14:6] + +I firmly believe that for my sake He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, +without human or fleshly work, without bodily father or seed of man, +to the end that so He might purify my sinful, fleshly, unclean, +damnable conception, and the conception of all who believe in Him, and +make it spiritual through His own and His almighty Father's gracious +will. + +I believe that for me He was born of the pure Virgin Mary, without +harm to her bodily and spiritual virginity, in order that, by the +mercy of His Father, He might make my sinful, damnable birth, and the +birth of all who believe in Him, blessed and harmless and pure. + +I believe that He bore His cross and passion for my sin and the sin of +all believers, and thereby has consecrated all sufferings and every +cross, and made them not only harmless, but salutary and highly +meritorious. + +I believe that He died and was buried to slay entirely and to bury my +sin and the sin of all who believe in Him, and that He has destroyed +bodily death and made it altogether harmless, nay profitable and +salutary. + +I believe that He descended into hell to overthrow and take captive +the devil and all his power, guile and wickedness, for me and for all +who believe in Him, so that henceforth the devil cannot harm me; and +that He has redeemed me from the pains of hell, and made them harmless +and meritorious. + +I believe that He rose on the third day from the dead, to give to me +and to all who believe in Him a new life; and that He has thereby +quickened us with Him, in grace and in the Spirit, that we may sin no +more, but serve Him alone in every grace and virtue. + +I believe that He ascended into heaven and received from the Father +power and honor above all angels and all creatures, and thus sitteth +on the right hand of God--that is, He is King and Lord over all that +is God's, in heaven and hell and earth. Therefore, He can help me and +all believers in all our necessities against all our adversaries and +enemies. + +I believe that He will come again from heaven at the last day, to +judge those who then are living and those who have died meanwhile, and +all men, all angels and devils must come before His judgment-seat and +see Him in the flesh; that He will come to redeem me and all who +believe in Him from bodily death and all infirmities, to punish our +enemies and adversaries eternally, and to redeem us eternally from +their power. + +The Third Part + +[Sidenote: The Third Article] + +_I believe in the Holy Ghost, a Holy Christian Church, a communion of +saints, a forgiveness of sins, a resurrection of the body, and a life +everlasting. Amen._ + +_This means--_ + +I believe not only that the Holy Ghost is one true God, with the +Father and the Son, but that no one can come to the Father through +Christ and His life, sufferings and death, and all that has been said +of Him, nor attain any of His blessings, without the work of the Holy +Ghost, by which the Father and the Son teach, quicken, call, draw me +and all that are His, make us, in and through Christ, alive and holy +and spiritual, and thus bring us to the Father; for it is He by Whom +the Father, through Christ and in Christ, worketh all things and +giveth life to all. + +I believe that there is on earth, through the whole wide world, no +more than one holy, common[15], Christian Church, which is nothing +else than the congregation[16], or assembly of the saints, i. e., the +pious, believing men on earth, which is gathered, preserved, and ruled +by the Holy Ghost, and daily increased by means of the sacraments and +the Word of God. + +I believe that no one can be saved who is not found in this +congregation, holding with it to one faith, word, sacraments, hope and +love, and that no Jew, heretic, heathen or sinner can be saved along +with it, unless he become reconciled to it, united with it and +conformed to it in all things. + +I believe that in this congregation, or Church[17], all things are +common, that everyone's possessions belong to the others and no one +has anything of his own; therefore, all the prayers and good works of +the whole congregation must help, assist and strengthen me and every +believer at all times, in life and death, and thus each bear the +other's burden, as St. Paul teaches. [Gal. 6:2] + +I believe that in this congregation, and nowhere else, there is +forgiveness of sins; that outside of it, good works, however great +they be or many, are of no avail for the forgiveness of sins; but that +within it, no matter how much, how greatly or how often men may sin, +nothing can hinder forgiveness of sins, which abides wherever and as +long as this one congregation abides. To this congregation Christ +gives the keys, and says, in Matthew xviii, "Whatsoever ye shall bind +on earth shall be bound in heaven." [Matt. 18:18] In like manner He +says, in Matthew xvi, to the one man Peter, who stands as the +representative of the one and only Church [Matt. 16:19], "Whatsoever +thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." + +I believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, in which, by +the same Holy Ghost, all flesh will be raised again--that is, all men, +in flesh, or body, the good and the wicked; and, therefore, the +self-same flesh which has died, been buried, mouldered and been +destroyed in many ways shall return and become alive. + +I believe that after the resurrection there will be an eternal life +for the saints and an eternal death or sinners; and I doubt not that +the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, with and in the +Holy Ghost, will bring all this to pass--that is the meaning of +_Amen_, "It is assuredly and certainly true." + +Hereupon follows + +THE LORD'S PRAYER + +[Sidenote: The Preface] + +The Preface and Preparation for offering the Seven Petitions to God: +_Our Father Who art in heaven_. + +_This means--_ + +O Almighty God, Who in Thy boundless mercy hast not only granted us +permission, but by Thine only beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hast +bidden and taught us through His merit and mediation to look to Thee +as Father and call Thee Father, though Thou mightest in all justice be +a stern Judge of us sinners, who have sinned so often and so +grievously against Thy divine and gracious will, and thus have angered +Thee: Put in our hearts, by this Thy mercy, a comfortable confidence +in Thy fatherly love, and make us feel and taste the sweetness of +childlike trust, so that we may joyfully name Thee Father, and know +Thee and love Thee, and call upon Thee in all our necessities. Have us +in Thy keeping, that we may remain Thy children, and not be guilty of +making Thee, dear Father, a terrible Judge, and ourselves Thine +enemies, and not Thy children. + +It is Thy will that we not only call Thee Father, but that all of us +together call Thee our Father, and thus offer our prayers with one +accord or all: Grant us, therefore, brotherly love and unity, that we +may know and think of one another as true brethren and sisters, and +pray to Thee, our one common Father, or all men and for every man, +even as one child prays or another to its father. + +Let no one among us seek his own things or forget before Thee the +things of others; but, all hatred, envy and dissension laid aside +[Phil. 2:4], may we love one another as good and true children of God, +and thus say with one accord not "my Father," but "_our_ Father." + +Moreover, since Thou art not a father according to the flesh nor upon +earth, but art in heaven, a spiritual Father, Who diest not and art +not weak, but unlike an earthly father who cannot help himself, +whereby Thou showest us how immeasurably better a Father Thou art, and +teachest us to hold as nothing in comparison with Thee all earthly +fatherhood, fatherland, friends, goods, flesh and blood: Grant us, +therefore, O Father, that we may also be Thy heavenly children; teach +us to think only of our souls and of our heavenly inheritance, that +our temporal fatherland and earthly lot may not deceive and hold and +hinder us, and make us altogether children of this world, so that with +real and true cause we may say, "Of our _heavenly_ Father," and may be +truly Thy heavenly children. + +The First Petition: _Hallowed be thy Name_. The + +_This means--_ + +[Sidenote: The First Petition] + +O Almighty God, dear heavenly Father, in this wretched vale of sorrows +Thy Holy Name is so much profaned, blasphemed and put to shame, given +to much which is not for Thine honor, abused in many things and made a +cloak for sin, so that even a shameful life may well be called a +shaming and dishonoring of Thy Holy Name: + +Grant us, therefore, Thy divine grace, that we may be on our guard +against everything which doth not serve to the praise and honor of Thy +Holy Name. Help us, that all witchcraft and sorcery may be done away. +Help us, that all conjuring of the devil or of creatures by Thy Name +may cease. Help us, that all false beliefs and superstitions may be +rooted out. Help us, that all heresy and false doctrine which disguise +themselves with Thy Name may come to naught. Help us, that no false +pretence of truth and piety and holiness may deceive any man. Help us +that none may swear or lie or deceive by Thy Name. + +Protect us against all false confidence pretending to rest upon Thy +Name. Protect us against all spiritual pride and the vainglory of +worldly honor or reputation. Help us in all our necessities and +weaknesses to call upon Thy Holy Name. Help us in anguish of +conscience and in the hour of death not to forget Thy Name. Help us +with all our goods and in all our words and works to praise and honor +Thee alone, and not thereby to make or seek to make a name for +ourselves, but only for Thee, Whose alone are all things. Preserve us +from the shameful vice of ingratitude. + +Grant that by our good works and life all other men may be stirred up +to praise, not us, but Thee in us, and to honor Thy Name [Matt. 5:16]. +Help us, that our evil works or weaknesses may give no one occasion to +stumble and dishonor Thy Name or to cease from praising Thee. Keep us, +that we may not desire any temporal or eternal blessing which is not +to the honor and praise of Thy Name, and if we pray for such things, +give Thou no ear to our folly. Help us so to live that we may be found +true children of God, that Thy Fathername may not be named upon us +falsely or in vain. + +To this petition belong all the psalms and prayers in which we praise, +honor, thank and sing to God, and here belongs the whole Hallelujah. + +The Second Petition: _Thy Kingdom come_. + +[Sidenote: The Second Petition] + +_This means--_ + +This wretched life is a kingdom of all sin and wickedness, under one +lord, the evil spirit, the source and head of all wickedness and sin; +but Thy kingdom is a kingdom of every grace and virtue under one Lord, +Jesus Christ Thy dear Son, the Head and Source of every grace and +virtue. Therefore help us, dear Father, and be gracious unto us. +Grant us above all things a true and constant faith in Christ, a +fearless hope in Thy mercy despite all the fearfulness of our sinful +conscience, and a thorough love to Thee and to all mankind. Keep us +from unbelief and despair and revengefulness. + +Help us against lewdness and unchastity, and give us a love for +virginity and all purity. Help us out of dissension, war and discord, +and let the virtue of Thy kingdom come--peace, and unity, and quiet +rest. Grant that neither wrath nor any other bitterness may set up its +kingdom within us, but that there may rule within us, by Thy grace, +sweet simplicity and brotherly fidelity, and all kindliness, charity +and gentleness. Help us to have within us no undue sorrow or sadness, +but let joy and gladness in Thy grace and mercy come to us. And help +us, finally, that all sin may be turned away from us, so that we may +be filled with Thy grace, and all virtues and good works, and thus +become Thy kingdom, so that all our heart, mind and spirit, with all +our powers of body and soul, may obediently serve Thee, keep Thy +commandments and do Thy will, be ruled by Thee alone, and may not +follow after self or flesh or world or devil. + +Grant that this Thy kingdom, now begun in us, may increase, and daily +grow in power; that indifference to God's service--that subtle +wickedness--may not overcome us and make us all away, but give us +rather the power and earnest purpose not only to make a beginning in +righteousness, but boldly to go on unto perfection; as saith the +prophet, "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death or grow +idle in the good life I have begun; and lest the enemy again prevail +against us." [Ps. 13:3 f.] + +Help us that we may remain constant, and that Thy future kingdom may +finish and complete this Thy kingdom which is here begun. Help us out +of this sinful, perilous life; help us to long for the life to come, +and more and more to hate this life. Help us not to fear death, but +desire it. Take away from us the love of living here, and all +dependence on this present life, that thus Thy kingdom may in us be +made perfect and complete. + +To this petition belong all the psalms, versicles and prayers in which +we pray to God or grace and virtue. + +The Third Petition: _Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven_. + +[Sidenote: The Third Petition] + +_This means--_ + +Our will, compared with Thy will, is never good, but always evil; but +Thy will is always best, lovable above all things and most to be +desired. Therefore, be merciful to us, dear Father, and let nothing be +done according to our will. Grant us and teach us to have real and +perfect patience when our will is broken or hindered. Help us, if +anyone speaks or is silent, does or omits anything that is contrary to +our will, that we become not angry or wrathful, neither curse, nor +complain, nor cry out, nor judge, nor condemn, nor accuse. Help us +with all humility to give place to those who oppose or hinder our +will, and letting our own will go, to praise and bless them and do +good to them as those who, against our own will, fulfil Thy divine +will, which is altogether good. + +Give us grace willingly to bear illness, poverty, shame, suffering and +adversity, and to know that these are Thy divine will, or the +crucifying of our will. Help us to bear even injustice gladly, and +keep us from avenging ourselves. Suffer us not to render evil or evil +or to resist force with force, but grant us grace to take pleasure in +this will of Thine, which lays these things upon us, and to give Thee +praise and thanks. Suffer us not to lay it to the charge of the devil +or of wicked men when anything befalls us contrary to our will, but +help us to ascribe it only to Thy divine will, which orders all such +things for the hindering of our will and the increasing of our +blessedness in Thy kingdom. + +Help us to die willingly and joyfully, and to welcome death as a +manifestation of Thy will, so that impatience and despair may not make +us disobedient toward Thee. Help us that all our members--eyes, +tongue, heart, hands, feet--be not submissive to their own desires or +will, but be taken captive, imprisoned and broken in Thy will. +Preserve us from all evil, rebellious, obstinate, stubborn and +capricious self-will. + +Grant us a true obedience, a submissiveness simple and complete in all +things, spiritual and worldly, temporal and eternal. Preserve us from +the cruel vice of aspersion, slander, back-biting, malicious judging, +condemning and accusing of other men. O keep far from us the great +unhappiness and grievous plague of tongues like these; but teach us, +when we see or hear in others things blameworthy and to us +displeasing, to hold our peace, to cover them over, to make complaint +of them to none but Thee, to give them over to Thy will, and thus +heartily to forgive our debtors and have sympathy with them. + +Teach us to know that no one can do us any harm, except he first do +himself a thousandfold greater harm in Thine eyes, so that we may be +moved thereby to mercy rather than to anger, to pity rather than +revenge. Help us not to rejoice when it goes ill with those who have +not done our will or have hurt us or otherwise displeased us by their +way of life; help us also not to be disturbed when it goes well with +them. + + To this petition belong all the psalms, versicles and prayers in + which we pray to be delivered from sin and from our enemies. + +The Fourth Petition: _Give us this day our daily Bread_. + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +The bread is our Lord Jesus Christ[19], Who feedeth and comforteth the +soul. Therefore, O heavenly Father, grant us grace, that Christ's life +and words, His works and sufferings be preached, made known and +preserved to us and to all the world. Help us that in all our life we +may have His words and works before us as a powerful example and +mirror of all virtue. Help us in sufferings and adversities to find +strength and comfort in and through His cross and passion. Help us in +firm faith to overcome our own death by His death, and thus boldly to +follow our beloved Leader into the other life. + +Give Thy grace to all preachers, that they may preach Thy Word and +Christ, to profit and salvation, in all the world. Help all who hear +the preaching of Thy Word to learn Christ, and honestly to better +their lives thereby. Graciously drive out of the Holy Church all +strange preaching and teaching from which men do not learn Christ. +Have mercy upon all bishops, priests, clergy and all that are in +authority, that they may be enlightened by Thy grace to teach and +govern us aright by precept and example. Preserve all that are weak in +faith, that they may not stumble at the wicked example of their +rulers. + +Preserve us from heretical and apostate teachers, that we may remain +one, partaking of one daily bread--the daily doctrine and word of +Christ. Graciously teach us to regard aright the sufferings of Christ, +receive them into our hearts, and form them in our lives, to our +salvation. Suffer us not at our last hour to be deprived of the true +and holy body of Christ[20]. Help all priests to use and administer +the holy sacrament worthily and savingly, to the edification of the +whole Church. Help us and all Christians to receive the Holy Sacrament +at its proper season, with Thy grace and to our salvation. And _summa +summarum_, "Give us our daily bread," that is, may Christ abide in us +and we in Him forever, and may we worthily bear His name, the name of +Christian. + + To this petition belong all prayers or psalms which are prayed for + rulers, and especially those or protection against false teachers, + those for the Jews, heretics and all that are in error, and also + those or all distressed and comfortless sufferers. + +The Fifth Petition: _And forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our +Debtors._ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +To this petition a condition is attached, viz., that we first forgive +our debtors. When that has been done we may say afterward, "Forgive us +our debts." That we may do this, we have prayed in the Third Petition, +"Thy will be done." It is God's will that we patiently suffer all +things, and not render evil for evil, nor seek revenge; but render +good for evil, as doth our Father in heaven. Who maketh His sun to +rise upon the good and evil, and sendeth rain upon the thankful and +unthankful [Matt. 5:45]. Therefore, we pray: O Father, comfort our +conscience now and in our last hour, for it is now and will be +hereafter in grievous terror because of our sin and Thy judgment. Send +Thy peace into our hearts, that we may with joy await Thy judgment. +Enter not with us into the sharpness of Thy judgment, for then will no +man be found righteous [Ps. 143:2]. Teach us, dear Father, not to rely +on our own good works or merits, or to comfort ourselves therewith; +but boldly to cast ourselves upon Thy boundless mercy alone. In like +manner, suffer us not to despair because of our blameworthy, sinful +life, but to deem Thy mercy higher and broader and stronger than all +our life. + +Help all men who in the hour of death or of temptation feel the +anguish of despair, and especially N. or N. Have mercy also upon all +poor souls in purgatory, especially N. and N. Forgive them and all of +us our sins, comfort them and receive them into grace. Render us Thy +good for our evil, as Thou hast commanded us to do to others. Silence +the evil spirit, that cruel slanderer, accuser and magnifier of our +sins now and at our last hour, and in all anguish of conscience, even +as we too refrain from slander, and from magnifying the sins of other +men. Judge us not according to the accusation of the devil and of our +miserable conscience, and hearken not to the voice of our enemies who +accuse us day and night before Thee, even as we too will not give ear +to those who accuse and slander other men. Remove from us the heavy +burden of sin and conscience, that with light and joyous hearts we may +live and die, do and suffer, trusting wholly in Thy mercy. + + To this petition belong all the psalms and prayers which invoke + God's mercy upon sin. + +The Sixth Petition: _And lead us not into Temptation_. + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +We have three temptations or adversaries, the flesh, the world and the +devil. Therefore, we pray: + +[Sidenote: The Flesh] + +Dear Father, grant us grace that we may have control over the lust of +the flesh. Help us to resist its desire to eat, to drink, to sleep +overmuch, to be idle, to be slothful. Help us by fasting, by +moderation in food and dress and sleep and work, by watching and +labor, to bring the flesh into subjection and it it for good works. +Help us to fasten its evil, unchaste inclinations and all its desires +and incitements with Christ upon the cross, and to slay them, so that +we may not consent to any of its allurements, nor follow after them. +Help us when we see a beautiful person, or image or any other +creature, that it may not be a temptation, but an occasion or love of +chastity and for praising Thee in Thy creatures. When we hear sweet +sounds and feel things that please the senses, help us to seek therein +not lust, but Thy praise and honor. + +[Sidenote: The World] + +Preserve us from the great vice of avarice and the desire or the +riches of this world. Keep us, that we may not seek this world's honor +and power, nor consent to the desire for them. Preserve us, that the +world's deceit, pretences and false promises may not move us to walk +in its ways. Preserve us, that the wickedness and the adversities of +the world may not lead us to impatience, revenge, wrath or other +vices. Help us to renounce the world's lies and deceits, its promises +and unfaithfulness and all its good and evil (as we have already +promised in baptism to do), to abide firmly in this renunciation and +to grow therein from day to day. + +[Sidenote: The Devil] + +Preserve us from the suggestions of the devil, that we may not consent +to pride, become self-satisfied, and despise others for the sake of +riches, rank, power, knowledge, beauty or other good gifts of Thine. +Preserve us, that we all not into hatred or envy or any cause. +Preserve us, that we yield not to despair, that great temptation of +our faith, neither now nor at our last hour. + +Have in Thy keeping, heavenly Father, all who strive and labor against +these great and manifold temptations. Strengthen those who are yet +standing; raise up all those who have fallen and are overcome; and to +all of us grant Thy grace, that in this miserable and uncertain life, +incessantly surrounded by so many enemies, we may fight with +constancy, and with a firm and knightly faith, and win the everlasting +crown. + +The Seventh Petition: _Deliver us from evil._ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Petition] + +_This means--_ + +This petition is a prayer against all that is evil in pain and +punishment; as the holy Church prays in the litanies: Deliver us, O +Father, from Thine eternal wrath and from the pains of hell. Deliver +us from Thy strict judgment, in death and at the last day. Deliver us +from sudden death. Preserve us from water and fire, from lightning and +hail. Preserve us from famine and scarcity. Preserve us from war and +bloodshed. Preserve us from Thy great plagues, pestilence, the French +sickness, and other grievous diseases. Preserve us from all evils and +necessities of body, yet in such wise that in all these things Thy +Name may be honored, Thy Kingdom increased and Thy divine Will be +done. Amen. + +AMEN + +[Sidenote: The Amen] + +The God help us, without doubting, to obtain all these petitions, and +suffer us not to doubt that Thou hast heard us and wilt hear us in +them all; that it is "Yea," not "Nay," and not "Perhaps." Therefore we +say with joy, "Amen--it is true and certain." Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] For this translation see Vol. I, p. 222, note 1. + +[2] The law that we have outside of divine revelation. C.f. Rom. 2:15. + +[3] The possessor of these letters (_Himmels-und Teuelsbriefe_) was +thought to be under the special protection of the spirits. + +[4] Magical formulas. + +[5] Practices popularly ascribed to the witches. + +[6] See below, p. 364, note 1. + +[7] Luther believed, with the mediæval Church, that the lending of +money at interest was a sin. See above pp. 159 ff., and _Weimar Ed._, +XXV, 293 ff. + +[8] i. e., In the confession made to the priest. See Vol. I, p. 285, +and Introduction, above, p. 351. + +[9] C. Vol. I, pp. 58, 285. + +[10] In the manuals for confession with which Luther was familiar sins +were divided into the various classes mentioned here. C. Vol. I, pp. +90 ff.; Gecken, _Der Bilderkatechismus des XV Jhs._, and especially v. +Zezschwitz, II, 197 ff. + +[11] _Serm._, 96, 2; _Migne_, XXVIII, 585. + +[12] Cf. Vol. I, p. 187. + +[13] See above, p. 355. + +[14] Luther has here departed from the customary Roman division of the +Creed into twelve articles. + +[15] _Gemein._ + +[16] _Gemeine._ + +[17] _Christenheit_, cf. Vol. I, p. 338. + +[18] _Kirche._ + +[19] In the catechisms of 1529 Luther abandons this interpretation of +the bread. + +[20] i. e. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper. + + + +THE EIGHT WITTENBERG SERMONS + +1522 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +After the bold utterance of unshaken conviction at the Diet of Worms +Luther disappeared from the scene of his activities. In the darkness +of night he was taken by the friendly "foe" to the secure hiding-place +where the imperial proscription could not affect him. Thus he entered +the Wartburg on May 4, 1521. But the "crowded canvas of the sixteenth +century," bereft of its central figure, threatened to become mere +portrayal of turbulence and confusion. In Wittenberg and other places +the new life of the soul had burst its ancient fetters and was about +to lose its spiritual value in a destructive lateral movement. The +inability of the hesitating elector and the helpless Melanchthon to +stem the tide, caused Luther, in utter disregard of personal safety, +to return to his beloved city on March 6, 1522, and on Sunday, March +9th, and the seven days following to preach the _Eight Sermons_ +herewith given, guiding the turbulent waves of popular uprising into +the channels marked by faith and love. + +During his absence others had heeded the clarion call to lead the +Church out of its "Babylonian Captivity," and had put into practice +the measures which would carry out the principles he had uttered. The +mass was abolished[1], monks left the monasteries, some priests took +wives, and communion under both kinds was instituted. With these +measures Luther was in sympathy, which is evident from his letters to +Melanchthon[2] and to Wenceslaus Link, Staupitz's successor as the +Augustinian vicar[3], and the treatises _De votis monasticis_ and _De +abroganda missa privata_[4]. But these treatises also show that Luther +was not fully informed of the disturbances accompanying the new +measures. In so critical a time the absence of a great leader was soon +manifest. Melanchthon, ardent in the beginning, could not hold back +the radical procedure of Carlstadt and Zwilling. + +Carlstadt, moderate at first in his conduct, nevertheless had sown the +seeds, in his teaching, which resulted in the bountiful harvest of +disorder Without Luther's clearness of vision and aptness of speech, +he likewise failed to discern the pitfalls which Luther so carefully +avoided. "In my opinion, he who partakes only of the bread, sins."[5] +"In all things of divine appointment, the divine law must be taught +and observed, even if it cause offence."[6] "The Gregorian chant keeps +the spirit away from God. . . . Organs belong to theatrical +exhibitions and princes' palaces."[7] "That we have images in churches +is wrong and contrary to the first commandment. To have carved and +painted idols standing on the altar is even more harmful and +devilish."[8] For his Scripture proof in other places, too, +particularly concerning vows, Carlstadt drew largely from the Old +Testament. On Christmas Day, 1521, he preached a sermon in which he +opposed going to confession before receiving communion. Attired in his +street garb he then proceeded to celebrate an "evangelical" mass by +giving communion in both kinds to the people, placing the elements +directly into their hands. Many of the communicants had not previously +confessed, nor observed the prescribed rule of fasting. From a denial +of any distinction between clergy and laity, Carlstadt finally +progressed to a condemnation of all scholarship and learning as +unnecessary to an understanding of the Divine Word, since it is given +directly from above[9]. + +Without the theological acumen of Carlstadt, and with less restraint, +the Augustinian monk Gabriel Zwilling labored in season and out of +season for the new order of things. In December the Zwickau prophets, +Niclas Storch, Thomas Drechsel, weavers by trade, and Marcus Stübner, +a former university student, appeared in Wittenberg claiming direct +divine inspiration, and preached the overturn of present conditions. +Earlier in the month (December 3d) some students and citizens had +caused a disturbance in the parish church and driven off the priests +who were saying mass. Soon after a number of citizens crowded into the +council chamber and demanded of the three councillors who presided +over Wittenberg the abolition of the mass by law, the restitution of +the cup, and the release of those in custody for causing the tumult of +December 3d. On Christmas Eve both the parish and the castle churches +witnessed scenes of wild disorder. On January 11th the monks, led by +Zwilling, destroyed all the altars except one in the convent church, +and cast out the images. The city council, in the endeavor to restore +order, on January 24, 1522, in full accord with a commission of the +university, adopted a "Worthy Ordinance for the princely City of +Wittenberg,"[10] in which the popular demands were met and a date was +fixed on which the images should be removed from the parish +church--the only one of the four churches of Wittenberg subject to the +council's control. But the excited populace did not await the day. +Taking the matter into its own hands it invaded the church, tore +images and pictures from the walls and burned them up. + +The council and the university turned to Luther. Immediately after his +three-day secret visit to Wittenberg in December, on which he had +sensed the unrest in Wittenberg and elsewhere, he issued his _Faithful +Exhortation for all Christians to shun Riot and Rebellion_[11], in +which he emphasizes the principles reiterated in the _Eight Sermons_, +the sufficiency of the Word and the duty of dealing gently with the +weak. But the time for writing had passed. "Satan had broken into his +sheepfold" and had caused such havoc that he could not meet it "by +writing."[12] In spite of the elector's instruction to remain--the +same whose ineffectual measures had failed to avert the storm--Luther +on March 1st bade farewell to the Wartburg. On his way to Wittenberg, +in Borna on March 5th, he wrote the famous letter to the elector[13] +in which he declared that he desired no protection from the elector. +"I come to Wittenberg under much higher protection." He arrived in +Wittenberg on Thursday, March 6th, and on the following Sunday, March +6th, the first Sunday in Lent, he again ascended the pulpit in the +parish church. In an interesting report of an eye and ear +witness--Johann Kessler--we are told that he first gave an explanation +of the Gospel for the day on the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1 ff.), +after which "he dropped the text and took up the present affair."[14] +This earlier portion of the sermon has not come down to us. It may be +that Luther likewise first preached on the Gospel for the day on the +following Sunday, and for that reason it is called "a brief summary" +(see Sermon No. 8) in the early printed editions, when, in reality, it +is longer than that of Saturday (No. 7). + +The sermons, delivered in a _vox suavis et sonora_[15], produced +immediate results. In a letter by Schurf, dated March 15th, even +before the last of the sermons had been delivered, it is stated that +"Gabriel [Zwilling] has confessed that he was wrong." Carlstadt was +silenced, the city council made acknowledgment to Luther by +substantial gifts and Wittenberg bowed to law and order. + +Luther did not publish these sermons himself. He elaborated the +principles here uttered in the treatise, published a few weeks later, +_The Reception of both Kinds in the Sacrament_[16]. A fragment, +covering the thoughts of sermons 1 to 4, and formerly described as a +pastoral letter to the Wittenberg congregation, is now held to be a +piece of written preparation by Luther for these sermons[17]. + +The notes of a hearer of these sermons furnished the basis for the +printed editions. The Wednesday sermon (No. 4--On the Images) was +published separately at Augsburg and other places; the eight sermons +were published in Augsburg and Mainz. Seven editions of the former and +six of the latter are known. + +Johann Aurifaber, the publisher of Luther's Table-talk, also edited +and published these sermons at Eisleben in 1564. His free +amplification of the older text, in an attempt to modernize it, is not +an improvement. His considerable additions to Luther's Scripture +citations are from Luther's own translation of a later date. Yet for +two centuries this edition remained the standard. The _Walch Edition_ +was the first again to pay attention to the original text, however +placing the Aurifaber text first. (_Walch Ed._, XX.) The _Erlangen +Edition_ (XXYHI) observes the same order. O. von Gerlach, _Luthers +Werke_, _Auswahl seiner Hauptschriten_ (Berlin, 1841), gives only the +older text (V); Buchwald, in the Berlin Edition (I), gives only the +Aurifaber text. The Weimar Edition (Xc) places the old text on the +upper half of the page, with the Aurifaber recension immediately +below. The translation which follows is based on the older text as +found in the _Weimar Edition_, with which the other editions have been +compared. + +For further discussion, see, in addition to the literature mentioned, +the biographies of Luther and the Church Histories. Also + +Barge's articles in the _Realencyklopädie_, X, 73 ff. and XXIII, 738 +ff.; also Kolde's, IV, 639 ff. and XIII, 556 ff. + +Barge, _Frühprotestantisches Gemeindechristentum in Wittenberg und +Orlamiinde_, Leipzig, 1909. + +Cristiani, _Du Luthéranisme au Protestantisme_, Paris, 1911. + +Boehmer, _Luther im Lichte der neueren Forschung_, third ed., Leipzig, +1914. + +Vedder, _The Reformation in Germany_. New York, 1914. + + A. STEIMLE. + +Allentown, Pa. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] The consequent closing of the churches except for preaching +services leads Müller (_Luther und Karlstadt_, p. 52) to see in this +the origin of the Protestant custom of closing churches on weekdays. + +[2] August 1, 1521. Enders, _Luthers Briewechsel_, III, 208. + +[3] December 20, 1521. Enders, III, 257. + +[4] Date of both, November, 1521. Both in _Weimar Ed._, VIII, and in +_Erl. Ed., O; var. arg._, VI. The latter also in German (_Vom +Misbrauch der Messe_), _Erl. Ed._, XXVIII. + +[5] 24 Theses (July, 1521). Barge, _Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt_, +I, 291. Repeated in _De celebratione missae_ (October), _ibid._, 487. + +[6] _De scandalo et missa_ (Oct. or Nov.), _ibid._, 491. + +[7] _De cantu gregoriano disputatio_ (1520), _ibid._, 492. + +[8] _Von Abthuung der Bilder_ (January, 1522), _ibid._, 367. + +[9] See Köstlin-Kawesau, _Martin Luther_, I, 485. + +[10] Published by H. Lietzmann in _Kleine Texte_, no. 21; also in +Richter, _Kirchenordnungen_, II, 484. + +[11] _Weimar Ed._, VIII, 670 ff. _Erl. Ed._, XXII, 43 ff. + +[12] Luther's letter to the elector on March 7th. De Wette, II, 138; +_Weimar Ed._, Xc Introd., xlvii f. + +[13] Enders, III, 484. + +[14] Kessler, _Sabbata_, _St. Gallen_, 1902. Quoted at length in +_Weimar Ed._, Xc, Introduction, lii. + +[15] Letter of Albert Burer, _Briewechsel des Beatus Rhenanus_, 303. +See also Introd., liii, in _Weimar Ed._, Xc. + +[16] _Weimar Ed._, Xb; _Erl. Ed._, XXVIII. + +[17] See Kawerau, _Luthers Rückkehr von der Wartburg_, 67. Fragment in +full in _Weimar Ed._, Xc, Introduction, lv ff., where see also a +recently discovered short Latin fragment, which served a similar +purpose. + + +EIGHT SERMONS BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER + + +Preached at Wittenberg in Lent, 1522 + +Treating Briefly of the Mass, Images, Both Kinds In The Sacrament, +Eating of Meats, Private Confession, etc. + + +THE FIRST SERMON + +INVOCAVIT SUNDAY + + +[Sidenote: The Chief Things] + +The challenge of death comes to us all, and no one can die for +another. Every one must fight his own battle with death by himself, +alone. We can shout into one another's ears, but every one must be +prepared finally to meet death alone. I will not be with you then, nor +you with me. Therefore every one must know for himself the chief +things in Christianity, and be armed therewith. They are the same +which you, my beloved, have long ago heard from me. + +In the first place, We must know that we are the children of wrath, +and all our works, intentions and thoughts are nothing at all. To +prove this point we must have a clear, strong text, and although there +are many such in the Bible I will not overwhelm you with them, but ask +you to note just this one, "We are all the children of wrath." [Eph. +2:3] And pray, do not boast in reply: I have builded an altar, given a +foundation for masses, etc. + +Secondly, That God has sent us His only-begotten Son that we may +believe in Him, and whosoever will put his trust in Him, should be +free from sin and a child of God, as John declares in the first +chapter, "He gave them power to become the sons of God, even to them +that believe in his name." [John 1:12] Here we should all be +thoroughly at home in the Bible and be ready with many passages to +confront the devil. In respect to these two points nothing seems to be +lacking or amiss, but they have been rightly preached to you; I should +be very sorry if it were otherwise. Nay, I am well aware and I dare +say, that you are more learned herein than I, and that there are not +only one, two, three, or four, but perhaps ten or more, who have this +wisdom and enlightenment. + +[Sidenote: Love] + +Thirdly, There must also be love, and through love we must do unto one +another as God has done unto us through faith. For without love faith +is nothing, as St. Paul says, I Cor. ii, "If I could speak with the +tongues of angels, and of the highest things in faith, and have not +love, I am nothing." [1 Cor. 13:1] And here, dear friends, have you +not grievously failed? I see no signs of love among you, and I observe +that you have not been grateful to God for His rich gifts and +treasures. + +Let us beware lest Wittenberg become Capernaum. I notice that you have +a great deal to say of the doctrine which is preached to you, of faith +and of love. This is not surprising; an ass can almost intone the +lessons, and why should you not be able to repeat the doctrines and +formulas? Dear friends, the kingdom of God,--and we are that +kingdom,--consists not in speech or in words, but in deeds, in works +and exercises. God does not want hearers and repeaters of words, but +doers and followers who exercise themselves in the faith that worketh +by love. For a faith without love is not enough--rather it is not +faith at all [1 Cor. 13:12], but a counterfeit of faith, just as a +face seen in a mirror is not a real face, but merely the reflection of +a face. + +[Sidenote: Patience] + +Fourthly, We likewise need patience. For whoever has faith, trusts in +God and shows love to his neighbor, practicing it day by day, must +needs suffer persecution. For the devil never sleeps, and continually +molests. But patience works and produces hope, which freely yields +itself to God and finds solace in Him [Rom. 5:4]. Thus faith, by much +affliction and persecution, ever increases, and is strengthened day by +day. And the heart which by God's grace has received such virtues must +ever be active and freely expend itself for the benefit and service of +the brethren, even as it has received from God. + +[Sidenote: Forbearance] + +And here, dear friends, one must not insist upon his rights, but must +see what may be useful and helpful to his brother, as St. Paul says, +_Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expediunt_, "All things are lawful +for me, but not all things are expedient." [1 Cor. 6:12] We are not +all equally strong in faith; some of you have a stronger faith than I. +Therefore we must not look upon ourselves, or our strength, or our +rank, but upon our neighbor, for God has said through Moses, "I have +borne and nourished thee, even as a mother her child." [Deut. 1:31] +How does a mother nourish her child? First, she feeds it with milk, +then gruel, then eggs and soft food. If she weaned it and at once gave +it the ordinary, coarse food, the child would never thrive. So we +should also deal with our brother, have patience with him for a time, +suffer his weakness and help him bear it; we should give him milk-food +[1 Peter 2:2], too, as was done with us, until he likewise grows +strong, and thus we do not travel heavenward alone, but bring the +brethren, who are not now on our side, with us. If all mothers were to +abandon their children, where would we have been? Dear brother, if you +have suckled long enough, do not at once cut off the breast, but let +thy brother be nourished also. I would not have gone so far as you +have done, if I had been here. What you did was good, but you have +gone too fast. For there are also brothers and sisters on the other +side who belong to us, and must still be won. + +Let me illustrate. The sun has two properties, light and heat. No king +has power enough to bend or guide the light of the sun; it remains +straight in the place where it shines. But the heat may be turned and +guided, and yet is ever about the sun. Thus the faith must always +remain pure and immovable in the heart, never wavering; but love moves +and is guided, according as our neighbors may grasp it or follow us. +There are some who can run, others must walk, still others can hardly +creep. Therefore we must not look upon our own, but upon our brother's +powers, so that he who is weak in faith, and attempts to follow the +strong, may not be destroyed of the devil. Therefore, dear brethren, +obey me. I have never been a destroyer, and I was also the very first +whom God called to this work. Neither can I run away, but must remain +as long as it pleases God. I was the first, too, to whom God revealed +it, to preach His Word to you; moreover, I am sure that you have the +pure Word of God. + +[Sidenote: Abolishing the Mass] + +Let us, therefore, take up this matter with fear and humility, cast +ourselves at one another's feet, join hands with each other, and help +one another. I will do my part, which is no more than my duty, for I +love you even as I love my own soul. For here we battle not against +pope or bishop, but against the devil [Eph. 6:12], and do you imagine +he is asleep? He sleeps not, but sees the true light rising, and to +keep it from shining into his eyes he would make a flank attack--and +he will succeed, if we are not on our guard. I know him well[1], and I +hope, too, that with the help of God I am his master. But if we yield +him but an inch, we must soon look to it how we may be rid of him. +Therefore all those have erred who have consented and helped to +abolish the mass--in itself a good undertaking, but not accomplished +in an orderly way. You say it was right according to the Scriptures. +I agree, but what becomes of order? For it was done in wantonness, +with no regard to proper order and with offence to your neighbor. If, +beforehand, you had called upon God in earnest prayer, and had +obtained the aid of the authorities, one could be certain that it had +come from God. I, too, would have taken steps toward the same end if +it had been a good thing to do; and if the mass were not so evil a +thing, I would introduce it again. For I cannot defend your action, as +I have just said. To the papists and the blockheads I could defend it, +for I could say: How do you know whether it was done with good or bad +intention, since the work in itself was really a good work? But I can +find nothing to reply to the devil. For if on their deathbeds the +devil reminds those who began this affair of texts like these, "Every +plant, which My father hath not planted, shall be rooted up," [Matt. +15:13] or "I have not sent them, yet they ran," [Jer. 23:21] how will +they be able to withstand?[2] He will cast them into hell. But I have +a weapon to brandish in the devil's face, so that the wide world will +become too small for him: I know that in spite of my reluctance I was +regularly called by the Council to preach in this place. And I would +that you should have the same assurance as I. You could so easily have +consulted me about the matter. + +[Sidenote: "Must" and "Free"] + +I was not so far away that you could not reach me with a letter, +especially since I did not interfere with you in any way. Did you want +to begin something, and then leave me to shoulder the responsibility? +That is more than I can undertake, and I will not do it. Here one can +see that you have not the Spirit, in spite of your deep knowledge of +the Scriptures. Take note of these two things, "must" and "free." The +"must" is that which necessity requires, and which must ever be +unyielding; as, for instance, the faith, which I shall never permit +any one to take away from me, but which I must always keep in my heart +and freely confess before every one. But "free" is that in which I +have choice, and may use or not, yet in such wise that it profit my +brother and not me. Now do not make a "must" out of what is "free," as +you have done, so that you may not be called to account for those who +were led astray by your exercise of liberty without love. For if you +entice any one to eat meat on Friday, and he is troubled about it on +his deathbed, and thinks, Woe is me, for I have eaten meat and I am +lost! God will call you to account for that soul. I would like to +begin many things, in which but few would follow me; but what is the +use? I know that those who have begun this thing, when it comes to the +point, cannot maintain themselves, and will be the first to retreat. +How would it be, if I brought the people to the point of attack, and +though I had been the foremost to exhort others, I would then flee, +and not face death with courage? How the poor people would be +deceived! + +Let us, therefore, feed others also with the milk which we received, +until they, too, become strong in the faith. For there are many who +are otherwise in accord with us and who would also gladly accept this +one thing, but they do not yet fully understand it--all such we drive +away. Therefore, let us show love to our neighbors, or our work will +not endure. We must have patience with them for a time, and not cast +out him who is weak in the faith; much more should we regulate our +doing and our not doing according to the demands of love, provided no +injury is done to our faith. If we do not earnestly pray to God, and +act circumspectly in this matter, the thing looks to me as if all the +misery which we have begun to cause the papists will all upon us. +Therefore I could no longer remain away, but was compelled to come and +say these things to you. + +This is enough about the mass; tomorrow we shall treat of the images. + + +THE SECOND SERMON + +MONDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: Necessity and Choice] + +Dear Friends: You heard yesterday the characteristics of a Christian +man, how his whole life is faith and love. Faith is directed toward +God, love toward man and one's neighbor, and consists in such love and +service for him as we have received from God without our work and +merit. Thus there are two things: the one, which is the most needful, +and which must be done in one way and no other; the other, which is a +matter of choice and not of necessity, which may be kept or not, +without endangering faith or incurring hell. In both, love must deal +with our neighbor in the same manner as God has dealt with us; it must +walk the straight road, straying neither to the let nor to the right. +In the things which are "musts" and are matters of necessity, such as +believing in Christ, love nevertheless never uses force or undue +constraint. Thus the mass is an evil thing, and God is displeased with +it, because it is performed as a sacrifice and work of merit. +Therefore it must be abolished. Here there is no room for question, +just as little as if you should ask whether you should pray to God. +Here we are entirely agreed: the private mass must be abolished, as I +have said in my writings[3]. And I heartily wish it would be abolished +everywhere and only the evangelical mass for all the people be +retained. Yet Christian love should not employ harshness here nor +force the matter. It should be preached and taught with tongue and +pen, that to hold mass in such a manner is a sin, but no one should be +dragged away from it by force. The matter should be let to God; His +word should do the work alone, without our work. Why? Because it is +not in my power to fashion the hearts of men as the potter moulds the +clay, and to do with them as I please. I can get no farther than to +men's ears; their hearts I cannot reach. And since I cannot pour faith +into their hearts, I cannot, nor should I, force any one to have +faith. That is God's work alone, who causes faith to live in the +heart. Therefore we should give free course to the Word, and not add +our works to it. We have the _jus verbi_[4], but not the +_executio_[5]; we should preach the Word, but the consequences must be +let to God's own good pleasure. + +[Sidenote: Compulsion and Persuasion] + +Now if I should rush in and abolish the mass by force, there are many +who would be compelled to consent to it and yet not know their own +minds, but say: I do not know if it is right or wrong, I do not know +where I stand, I was compelled by force to submit to the majority. And +this forcing and commanding results in a mere mockery, an external +show, a fool's play, man-made ordinances, sham-saints and hypocrites. +For where the heart is not good, I care nothing at all for the work. +We must first win the hearts of the people. And that is done when I +teach only the Word of God, preach the Gospel and say: "Dear lords or +pastors, desist from holding the mass, it is not right, you are +sinning when you do it; I cannot refrain from telling you this." But I +would not make it an ordinance for them, nor urge a general law; he +who would follow me could do so, and he who refused would remain +without. In the latter case the Word would sink into the heart and +perform its work. Thus he would become convinced and acknowledge his +error, and all away from the mass; to-morrow another would do the +same, and thus God would accomplish more with His Word than if you and +I would forge into one all power and authority. For if you have won +the heart, you have won the whole man--and the mass must finally fall +of its own weight and come to an end. And if the hearts and minds of +all men are united in the purpose--abolish the mass; but if all are +not heart and soul for its abolishment--leave it in God's hands, I +beseech you, otherwise the result will not be good. Not, indeed, that +I would again set up the mass; I let it live in God's name. Faith must +not be chained and imprisoned, nor bound by an ordinance to any work. +This is the principle by which you must be governed. For I am sure you +will not be able to carry out your plans, and if you should carry them +out with such general laws, then I will recant all the things that I +have written and preached, and I will not support you, and therefore I +ask you plainly: What harm can the mass do to you? You have your +faith, pure and strong, toward God, and the mass cannot hurt you. + +[Sidenote: Paul's Method] + +Love, therefore, demands that you have compassion on the weak, as all +the apostles had. Once, when Paul came to Athens, a mighty city, he +found in the temple many altars, and he went from one to the other and +looked at them all [Acts 17:16 ff.], but did not touch any one of them +even with his foot. But he stood in the midst of the market-place and +said they were all idolatrous works, and begged the people to forsake +them; yet he did not destroy one of them by force. When the word took +hold of their hearts, they forsook their idols of their own accord, +and in consequence idolatry fell of itself. Now, if I had seen that +they held mass, I would have preached and admonished them concerning +it. Had they heeded my admonition, they would have been won; if not, I +would nevertheless not have torn them from it by the hair or employed +any force, but simply allowed the Word to act, while I prayed for +them. For the Word created heaven and earth and all things; the Word +must do this thing, and not we poor sinners. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Method] + +[Sidenote: Jerome and Augustine] + +In conclusion: I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will +constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without +compulsion. Take myself as an example. I have opposed the indulgences +and all the papists, but never by force. I simply taught, preached, +wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And then while I slept, or +drank Wittenberg beer with my Philip[6] and with Amsdor[7], the Word +so greatly weakened the papacy, that never a prince or emperor +inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing; the Word did it all. Had +I desired to foment trouble, I could have brought great bloodshed upon +Germany, Yea, I could have started such a little game at Worms that +even the emperor would not have been safe. But what would it have +been? A fool's play. I did nothing; I left it to the Word. What do you +suppose is Satan's thought, when an effort is made to do things by +violence? He sits back in hell and thinks: How fine a game these fools +will make for me! But it brings him distress when we only spread the +Word, and let it alone do the work. For it is almighty and takes +captive the hearts, and if the hearts are captured the evil work will +all of itself. Let me cite an instance. Aforetime there were sects, +too, Jewish and Gentile Christians, differing on the law of Moses in +respect to circumcision. The former would keep it, the latter not [1 +Cor. 7:18 ff.]. Then came Paul and preached that it might be kept or +not, it mattered not one way or the other; they should make no "must" +of it, but leave it to the choice of the individual; to keep it or +not, was immaterial. Later came Jerome, who would have made a "must" +out of it, and wanted laws and ordinances to prohibit it. Then came +St. Augustine, who held to the opinion of St. Paul: it might be kept +or not, as one wished; St. Jerome had missed the meaning of St. Paul +by a hundred miles. The two doctors bumped heads rather hard over the +proposition. But when St. Augustine died, St. Jerome accomplished his +purpose. After that came the popes; they would add something of their +own, and they, too, made laws. Thus out of the making of one law grew +a thousand laws, until they have completely buried us under laws. And +so it will be here; one law will soon make two, two will increase to +three, and so forth. + +Let this be enough at this time concerning the things that are +necessary, and let us beware lest we lead astray those of weak +conscience. + + +THE THIRD SERMON + +TUESDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +We have heard the things most necessary in Christian life, and what is +a necessary result, namely, the doing away with the private mass. For +the works which are necessary are those which God has either commanded +or forbidden, according to the appointment of the Majesty on high. But +no one shall be dragged to them by the hair, or kept from them by +force, for I can drive no man to heaven with a club. I said this +plainly enough, and I believe you understood what I said. + +[Sidenote: Nonessentials] + +[Sidenote: Marriage of Monks and Nuns] + +We shall now consider the things that are not matters of necessity, +but are let to our free choice by God, and which we may keep or not; +for instance, whether one shall marry or not, or whether monks and +nuns shall leave the cloisters. These things are matters of choice and +must not be forbidden by any one, and if they are forbidden, the +forbidding is wrong, since it is contrary to God's appointment. In the +things that are free, such as being married or remaining single, you +should do on this wise: If you can restrain yourself without burdening +your conscience thereby, do so by all means, but there must be no +general law, and every one shall be perfectly free. Any priest, monk +or nun who cannot restrain the desires of the flesh, should marry, and +thus relieve the burden of conscience. But see to it that you be +well-armed and fortified, so that you can stand before God and the +world when you are assailed, and especially when the devil attacks you +in the hour of death. It is not enough to say: This man or that has +done the same, I followed the example of the crowd, according to the +preaching of the provost[8] or Dr. Carlstadt, or Gabriel[9], or +Michael[10]. Not so, but every one must stand on his own feet and be +prepared to give battle to the devil. You must rest upon a strong and +clear text of Scripture if you would stand the test. If you cannot do +that, you will never withstand,--the devil will pluck you like a +withered leaf. Therefore the priests who have taken wives, and the +nuns who have taken husbands, in order to save their consciences must +stand squarely upon a clear text of Scripture, such as this one by St. +Paul--although there are many more: "In the latter times some shall +depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines +of devils (methinks Paul uses plain language here!) forbidding to +marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created." +This text the devil shall not overthrow nor devour, it shall rather +overthrow and devour him. Therefore any monk or nun who is too weak to +keep the vow of chastity, should conscientiously examine himself; if +heart and conscience are strong, so that he can defend himself with a +good conscience, let him marry. Would to God all monks and nuns could +hear this sermon and properly understood this matter and would all +forsake the cloisters and thus all the cloisters in the world cease to +exist--this is my earnest desire. But now they have no understanding +of the matter (for no one preaches it to them), and hearing that in +other places many are leaving the cloisters, who however are +well-prepared or such a step, they would follow their example, but +have not yet fortified their consciences and do not know that it is a +matter of liberty. This is bad, although it is better that the evil +should be outside than inside[11]. Therefore I say, what God has made +free shall remain free, and you must not obey if some one forbids it, +even as the pope has done, the Antichrist. He who can do so without +harm and or love of his neighbor, may wear a cowl or a tonsure, since +it will not injure his faith; wearing a cowl will not kill him. + +[Sidenote: Monks' Vows] + +Thus, dear friends, it is plain enough, and I believe you ought to +understand it and not make liberty a law, saying: This priest has +taken a wife, therefore all priests must take wives. Not at all. Or +this monk or that nun has left the cloister, therefore they must all +come out. Not at all. Or this man has broken the images and burnt +them, therefore all images must be burned--not at all, dear brother! +And again, this priest has no wife, therefore no priest dare marry. +Not at all! They who cannot retain their chastity should take wives, +and for others who can be chaste, it is good that they restrain +themselves, as those who live in the spirit and not in the flesh. +Neither should they be troubled about the vows they have made, such as +the monks' vows of obedience, chastity and poverty (though they are +rich enough withal). For we cannot vow anything that is contrary to +God's commands. God has made it a matter of liberty to marry or not to +marry, and thou fool undertakest to turn this liberty into a vow +against the ordinance of God? Therefore you must leave liberty alone +and not make a compulsion out of it; your vow is contrary to God's +liberty. Suppose I should vow to strike my father on the mouth, or to +steal some one's property, do you believe God would be pleased with +such a vow? And as little as I ought to keep a vow to strike my father +on the mouth, so little ought I to abstain from marriage because I am +bound by a vow of chastity, for in both cases God has ordered it +otherwise. God has ordained that I should be free to eat fish or +flesh, and there should be no commandment concerning them. Therefore +all the Carthusians[12] and all monks and nuns forsake the ordinance +and liberty which God has given when they believe that if they eat +meat they are defiled. + +[Sidenote: The Images] + +[Sidenote: Moses and Images] + +But we must come to the images, and concerning them also it is true +that they are unnecessary, and we are free to have them or not, +although it would be much better if we did not have them. I am not +partial to them. A great controversy arose on the subject of images +between the Roman emperor and the pope; the emperor held that he had +the authority to banish the images, but the pope insisted that they +should remain, and both were wrong. Much blood was shed, but the pope +emerged as victor and the emperor lost[13]. What was it all about? +They wished to make a "must" out of that which is free, and that God +cannot tolerate. Do you wish to change the ordering of the Majesty on +high? Not so; you will not do any such thing. You read in the Law, +Exodus xx, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any +likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth +beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." [Ex. 20:4] There +you take your stand; that is your ground. Now let us see! When our +adversaries shall say: The first commandment aims at this, that we +should worship one God alone and not any image, even as it is said +immediately following, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor +serve them," and declare that the worship of images is forbidden and +not the making of them, they disturb and unsettle our foundation for +us. And if you reply: The text says, "Thou shalt not make any images," +they answer: It also says, "Thou shalt not worship them." In the face +of such uncertainty who would be so bold as to destroy the images? Not +I. But let us go farther. They say: Did not Noah, Abraham, Jacob build +altars? And who will deny that? We must admit it. Again, did not Moses +erect a brazen serpent [Num. 21:9], as we read in his fourth book? How +can you say Moses forbids the making of images when he himself makes +one? It seems to me, such a serpent is an image, too. How shall we +answer that? Again, do we not read that two birds were erected on the +mercy-seat, the very place where God willed that He should be +worshiped? [Ex. 37:7] Here we must admit, that we may make images and +have images but we must not worship them, and when they are worshiped, +they should be put away and destroyed, just as King Hezekiah brake in +pieces the serpent erected by Moses [2 Kings 18:4]. And who will be so +bold as to say, when called to account: They worship the images. They +will answer: Art thou the man who dares to accuse us of worshiping the +images? Do not believe that they will acknowledge it. To be sure it is +true, but we cannot make them admit it. Remember how they acted when I +condemned works without faith. They said: Do you believe that we have +no faith, or that our works are performed without faith? I can do +nothing more than put my lute back in its pocket; give them a hair's +breadth, and they take a hundred miles. + +[Sidenote: St. Paul and the Twins] + +Therefore it should have been preached that images were nothing and +that God is not served by their erection, and they would have fallen +of themselves. That is what I did; that is what Paul did in Athens, +when he went into their churches and saw all their idols[14]. He did +not strike at any of them, but stood in the market-place and said, "Ye +men of Athens, ye are all idolatrous." [Acts 17;22] He preached +against their idols, but he overthrew none by force. And you would +rush in, create an uproar, break down the altars and overthrow the +images? Do you really believe you can abolish the images on this wise? +Nay, you will only set them up more firmly. Even if you overthrew the +images in this place, do you think you have overthrown those in +Nürnberg and the rest of the world? Not at all, St. Paul, as we read +in the Book of Acts, sat in a ship on whose prow were painted or +carved the Twin Brothers[15]. He went on board and did not bother +about it at all, neither did he break them off. Why must Luke describe +the Twins at this place? Without doubt he wanted to show that outward +things could do no harm to faith, if only the heart does not cleave to +them nor put its trust in them. This is what we must preach and teach, +and let the Word alone do the work, as I said before. The Word must +first capture the hearts of men and enlighten them,--we cannot do it. +Therefore the apostles gloried in their service, _ministerium_, and +not in its effect, _executio_. + +We will let this be enough or to-day, and pray God for His grace. + + +THE FOURTH SERMON WEDNESDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: The Abuse of Images] + +Dear Friends: We have heard the things which are necessary, as for +instance, that the mass is regarded as a sacrifice[16]. Then we +considered the things which are left to our liberty, such as marriage, +the monastic life, the abolishing of images. We have treated these +four subjects, and have said that in all these matters love is the +captain. On the subject of images, in particular, we saw that they +ought to be abolished if they are going to be worshiped, otherwise +not, although I wish they were abolished everywhere because they are +abused,--it is useless to deny it. For whoever places an image in a +church, imagines he has performed a service unto God and a good work, +which is downright idolatry. And this, the greatest, foremost and +highest reason or abolishing the images, you have neglected, and taken +up the very lowest. For I suppose there is scarcely any man who does +not understand that yonder crucifix is not my God, for my God is in +heaven, but that this is simply a sign. But the world is full of the +other abuse, for who would place an image of silver or of wood in a +church, if he did not think that in so doing he was doing God a +service? Think you that Duke Frederick, the bishop of Halle, and the +others would have placed so many silver images in the churches, if +they thought it counted nothing before God? Nay, they would not do it. +But this is not sufficient reason to abolish, destroy and burn all the +images; and why? Because we must admit that there are still people who +have not the wrong opinion of them, but to whom they may be useful. +Although they are few, yet we cannot and should not condemn anything +which is still useful to the devotions of any man. But you should have +taught that images are nothing, God cares nothing for them, and that +He is not served, nor pleased when we make an image for Him, but that +we would do better to give a poor man a gold-piece than to give God a +golden image, or God has forbidden the latter, but not the former. If +they had heard this teaching, that images count or nothing, they would +have ceased of their own accord, and the images would have fallen +without any uproar or tumult, even as it was already coming to pass. + +[Sidenote: The Devil's Game] + +We must, therefore, be on our guard, for the devil is after us, +through his apostles, with all his craft and cunning. Now, although it +is true, and no one can deny that the images are evil because they are +abused, nevertheless we must not on that account reject them, nor +condemn anything because it is abused. That would result in utter +confusion. God has commanded us not to lift up our eyes unto the sun, +etc. [Deut. 4:19], that we may not worship them, for they are created +to serve all nations. But there are many people who worship the sun +and the stars. Shall we, therefore, essay to pull the sun and stars +from the skies? Nay, we will not do it. Again, wine and women bring +many a man to misery and make a fool of him. Shall we, therefore, kill +all the women and pour out all the wine? Again, gold and silver cause +much evil, shall we, therefore, condemn them? Nay, if we would drive +away our one worst enemy, who does us the most harm, we would have to +kill ourselves, for we have no greater enemy than our own heart, even +as Jeremiah says, "The heart of man is crooked," [Jer. 17:9] or, as I +take the meaning, "always twisting to one side or the other." And what +good would that do us? + +He who would blacken the devil must have good charcoal, for he, too, +wears fine clothes and goes to the fair. But I can catch him by asking +him: Do you not place the images in the churches because you think it +a special service of God? and when he says Yes, as he must, you may +conclude that what was meant as a service of God he has turned into +idolatry by abusing the images; he eagerly sought what God has not +commanded and neglected God's positive command, to help the neighbor. +But I have not yet caught him; he escapes me by saying: I help the +poor, too; cannot I give to my neighbor and at the same time place +images in churches? That is not true,--for who would not rather give +his neighbor a gold-piece, than God a golden image! Nay, he would not +trouble himself about placing images in churches if he believed that +God was not served thereby. Therefore I freely admit, images are +neither here nor there, neither evil nor good, we may have them or +not, as we please. This trouble has been caused by you; the devil +would not have accomplished it with me, for I cannot deny that it is +possible to find some one to whom images are useful. And if I were +asked about it, I would confess that none of these things give offence +to me, and if just one man were found upon earth who used the images +aright, the devil would soon draw the conclusion against me: Why +condemnest thou that which is still useful in worship? This challenge +I could not answer; he would have successfully defied me. He would not +have got nearly so far if I had been here. He played a bold game, and +won, although it does no harm to the Word of God. You wanted to paint +the devil black, but forgot the charcoal and used chalk. If you would +fight the devil, you must be well versed in the Scriptures, and, +besides, use them at the right time. + +[Sidenote: Of Meats] + +Let us proceed and speak of the eating of meats. It is true that we +are free to eat any manner of food, meats, fish, eggs or butter. This +no one can deny. God has given us this liberty. That is true; +nevertheless we must know how to use our liberty, and treat the weak +brother differently from the stubborn. Observe, then, how you must use +this liberty. + +First of all, If you cannot give up meat without harm to yourself, or +if you are sick, you may eat whatever you like, and if any one takes +offence, let him be offended. And if the whole world took offence, yet +you are not committing a sin, for God can excuse you in view of the +liberty He has so graciously bestowed upon you, and of the necessities +of your health, which would be endangered by your abstinence. + +[Sidenote: Liberty and Law] + +Secondly, If you should be pressed to eat fish instead of meat on +Friday, and to eat fish and abstain from eggs and butter during Lent, +etc., as the pope has done with his fools' laws, then you must in no +wise allow yourself to be drawn away from the liberty in which God has +placed you, but do just the contrary to spite him, and say: Because +you forbid me to eat meat, and presume to turn my liberty into law, I +will eat meat in spite of you. And thus you must do in all other +things which are matters of liberty. To give you an example: If the +pope, or any one else would force me to wear a cowl, just as he +prescribes it, I would take of the cowl just to spite him. But since +it is left to my own free choice, I wear it or take it off, according +to my pleasure. + +[Sidenote: Peter and the Gentiles] + +Thirdly, There are some who are still weak in faith, who ought to be +instructed, and who would gladly believe as we do. But their ignorance +prevents them, and if this were faithfully preached to them, as it was +to us, they would be one with us. Toward such well-meaning people we +must assume an entirely different attitude from that which we assume +toward the stubborn. We must bear patiently with them and not use our +liberty, since it brings no peril or harm to body or soul, nay, rather +is salutary, and we are doing our brothers and sisters a great service +besides. But if we use our liberty without need, and deliberately +cause offence to our neighbor, we drive away the very one who in time +would come to our faith. Thus St. Paul circumcised Timothy because +simple-minded Jews had taken offence [Acts 16:3]; he thought, What +harm can it do, since they are offended because of their ignorance? +But when, in Antioch, they would insist that he ought and must +circumcise Titus, Paul withstood them all and to spite them would not +have Titus circumcised [Gal. 2:3]. And he held his ground. He did the +same when St. Peter by the exercise of his liberty caused a wrong +conception in the minds of the unlearned [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. It was on +this wise: When Peter was with the Gentiles, he ate pork and sausage +with them, but when the Jews came in, he would not touch this food and +ate no more with them. Then the Gentiles who had become Christians, +thought: Alas! we, too, must be like the Jews, eat no pork and live +according to the law of Moses. But when Paul found that it would +injure the liberty of the Gospel, he reproved Peter publicly and read +him an apostolic lecture, saying: "If thou, being a Jew, livest after +the manner of the Gentiles, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live +as do the Jews?" [Gal. 2:14] Thus we, too, should order our lives and +use our liberty at the proper time, so that Christian liberty may +suffer no injury, and no offence be given to our weak brothers and +sisters who are still without the knowledge of this liberty. + + +THE FIFTH SERMON: A SERMON ON THE SACRAMENT THURSDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +We have heard of the things that are necessary, such as the mass, +which is regarded as a sacrifice[17], and of the unnecessary things, +such as the leaving of monasteries by monks, the marriage of priests, +and the images. We have seen how we must treat these matters, that no +compulsion or law must be made of them, and that no one shall be +dragged from them by the hair, but that we must let the Word of God +alone do the work. Let us now consider how we must observe the blessed +sacrament. + +[Sidenote: Foolish Law of the Pope] + +You have heard how I preached against the foolish law the Pope of the +pope and opposed his precept[18], that no woman shall wash the +altar-linen on which the body of Christ has lain, even if it be a pure +nun, except it first be washed by a pure priest. Likewise, when any +one touches the body of Christ with the hand, the priests come running +and scrape his fingers, and much more of the same sort. But when a +priest is incontinent, the pope winks at it. If the woman bears a +child, he lets that pass, too. The altar-linen and the sacrament, +however, dare not be touched. + +[Sidenote: Handling the Sacrament] + +Against such fools' laws we have preached, and set forth that no sin +is involved in these foolish prescriptions of the pope, and that a +layman does not commit sin if he touch the cup or the body of Christ +with his hands. You should give thanks to God that you have come to +such clear knowledge, which many great men have lacked. But now you +have become just as foolish as the pope, with your notion that you +must handle the sacrament; you would prove that you are good +Christians by touching the sacrament with your hands. You have dealt +with the sacrament, our highest treasure, in such a way that it is a +wonder you were not struck down by thunder and lightning. The other +things God would have suffered you to do, but to make this a matter of +compulsion. He can in no wise tolerate. And if you do not recede from +this, neither the emperor nor any one else need drive me from you, I +will go without urging; yea, I dare say, none of my enemies, although +they have caused me much sorrow, have wounded me as you have wounded +me in this matter. If you would show that you are good Christians by +handling the sacrament, and boast of it before everybody, then indeed +Herod and Pilate are the chief and best Christians. Methinks they +handled the body of Christ when they had him nailed to the cross and +put to death. + +[Sidenote: What does "Take" mean?] + +Nay, my dear friends, the kingdom of God consists not in outward +things, which can be touched or perceived, but in faith [Luke 17:20]. +But you may say: We live and should live in accordance with the +Scriptures, and God has instituted the sacrament in such a manner that +we should take it with our hands, for He said: "Take and eat, this is +my body." [Matt. 26:26] Answer: Though I am convinced beyond a doubt +that the disciples of the Lord took it with their hands, and though I +admit that you may do the same without committing sin, nevertheless I +can neither make it compulsory nor prove that it is the only way. And +my reason therefor is this: when the devil, in his seeking after us, +argues, Where have you read in the Scriptures that "take" means +"seizing with the hands"?--how shall I prove or defend it? Nay, how +will I answer him when he cites, from the Scriptures, the very +opposite, and proves that "take" does not mean to receive with the +hands only, but also to convey to ourselves in other ways? "See, my +good fellow," so he says, "how the word 'take' is used by three +Evangelists in describing the taking of gall and vinegar by the Lord +[Matt. 27:34, Mark 15:23, Luke 23:26]. You must admit that the Lord +did not touch or handle it with His hands, for His hands were nailed +to the cross." This verse is a strong argument against me. Again, he +cites the passage: _Et accepit omnes timor_,--"And fear took hold on +all," [Luke 7:16] where again we must admit that fear has no hands. +Thus I am driven into a corner and must concede, even against my will, +that "take" means not only to receive with the hands, but to convey to +myself in any other way in which it can be done. So you see, dear +friends, we must be on firm ground, if we are to withstand the devil's +attack. Although I must acknowledge that you committed no sin when you +touched the sacrament with your hands, nevertheless I must tell you +that it was not a good work, because it caused offence everywhere. +For the universal custom is, to receive the blessed sacrament directly +from the hands of the priest. Why will you not herein also serve those +who are weak in the faith and abstain from your liberty? It does not +help you if you do it, nor harm you if you do it not. + +Therefore no new practices should be introduced, unless the Gospel has +first been thoroughly preached and understood, even as it has been +with you. On this account, dear friends, let us deal soberly and +wisely in the things that pertain to God, or God will not be mocked. +You may mock the saints, but with God it is vastly different. +Therefore, I pray you, give up this practice. + +[Sidenote: Both Kinds in the Sacrament] + +Let us now speak of the two kinds. Although I hold that it is +necessary that the sacrament should be received in both kinds, +according to the institution of the Lord, nevertheless it must not be +made compulsory nor a general law. We must occupy ourselves with the +Word, practice it and preach it. For the result we should look +entirely to the Word, and let every one have his liberty in this +matter. Where that is not done, the sacrament becomes an external +observance and a hypocrisy, which is just what the devil wants. But +when the Word is given free course and is not bound to any observance, +it takes hold of one to-day and falls into his heart, to-morrow it +touches another, and so on. Thus quietly and soberly it will do its +work, and no one will know how it all came about. + +I was glad to know when some one wrote me, that some people in this +city had begun to receive the sacrament in both kinds. You should have +allowed it to remain thus and not have forced it into a law. But now +you go at it pell-mell, and headlong force every one to it. Dear +friends, you will not succeed in that way. And if you desire to be +regarded as better Christians than others, by this that you take the +sacrament into your hands and receive it in both kinds, you are really +poor Christians indeed! In this way even a sow could be a Christian, +for she has a big enough snout to receive the sacrament outwardly. We +must deal soberly with such high things. Dear friends, this dare be no +mockery, and if you would heed me, give it up. If you will not heed +me, no one need drive me away from you--I will leave you unbidden, and +I shall regret that I ever preached so much as one sermon in this +place. The other things could be passed by, but this cannot be passed +by; you have gone so far that men say: "At Wittenberg there are very +good Christians, for they take the sacrament with the hands and handle +the cup, and then they go to their brandy and drink until they are +drunken." Thus are the weak and simple-minded men driven away, who +would come to us if as much instruction had been given to them as was +given to us. + +But if there is any one so stupid that he must touch the sacrament +with his hands, let him have it brought home to his house and there +let him handle it to his heart's content. But in public let him +abstain, since that will not bring him harm and the offence will be +avoided which is caused to our brothers, sisters and neighbors, who +are now so angry with us that they are ready to kill us. I may say +that none of the enemies who have opposed me until now have brought so +much grief upon me as you. + +This is enough for to-day; we shall continue on the morrow. + + +THE SIXTH SERMON FRIDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: The Reception of the Sacrament] + +In our discussion of the chief things we have come to the reception of +the sacrament, which we have not yet finished. To-day we shall see how +we must conduct ourselves here, and also who is worthy to receive the +sacrament and who belongs there. + +It is very necessary here that your hearts and consciences be well +instructed, so that you distinguish well between the outward reception +and the inner and spiritual reception. This is the bodily and outward +reception, when a man receives with his mouth the body of Christ and +His blood. Any man can receive the sacrament in this way, for such +reception may be without faith and love. But that reception does not +make a man a Christian, for if it did, even a mouse would be a +Christian, or it can likewise eat the bread and drink out of the cup. +It is such a simple thing to do. But the true, inner, spiritual +reception is a very different thing, for it consists in the right use +of the sacrament and of its fruits. + +I would say in the first place that such reception is the true inner +one, and is a reception in faith. We Christians have no other outward +sign by which we may be distinguished from others than this sacrament +and baptism; but a mere outward reception, without faith, amounts to +nothing. There must be faith to make one well prepared or the +reception and acceptable before God, otherwise it is all sham and a +mere external show, which is not Christianity at all. Christianity is +a thing of faith, which is never bound to any external work. + +[Sidenote: The One Requisite: Faith] + +But faith (which we all must have, if we wish to go to the sacrament +worthily) is a firm trust, that Christ, the Son of God, stands in our +place and has taken all our sins upon Faith His shoulders, that He is +the eternal satisfaction for our sin and reconciles us with God the +Father. He who has this faith belongs to this sacrament, and neither +devil nor hell nor sin can harm him. Do you ask why? Because God is +his protector and defender. And when I have this faith, then I am +certain God is fighting for me; I can defy devil, death, hell and sin, +and all the harm with which they threaten me. This is the great, +inestimable treasure given us in Christ, which the words of man fail +to describe. Only faith can take hold of the heart, and not every one +has such faith. Therefore this sacrament must not be made a law, as +the most holy father, the pope, has done with his fools' commandment: +All Christians must go to the sacrament at the holy Eastertide, and he +who does not go shall not be buried in consecrated ground[19]. Is it +not a foolish law which the pope has set up? You ask why? Because we +are not all alike; we do not all have equal faith; the faith of one is +stronger than that of another. It is therefore impossible that the +sacrament can be made a law, and the greatest sins are committed at +Easter solely on account of this unchristian command, which would +drive everybody to the sacrament. And if all robbery, usury, +unchastity and all the other sins were cast upon one great heap, this +sin would overtop it--even at the time and place of seeming greatest +silliness. And why? Because the pope can look into no one's heart to +see whether he has faith or not. + +[Sidenote: The Result: Assurance] + +But if you believe that God is with you and stakes all His treasures +and His blood for you, as if He said: Fall in behind Me without fear +or delay, and then let come what may to attempt thy harm, let devil, +death, sin and hell and all creation try it, I shall go before thee, +for I will be thy captain and thy shield, trust Me and rely upon Me +completely--he who believes thus cannot be harmed by devil, hell, sin +or death; if God fights for him, what can you do to him? + +[Sidenote: Who are Worthy] + +He who has such faith is fit for the altar and receives the sacrament +as an assurance, or seal, or sign to assure him of God's promises and +grace. But such faith we do not all have; would to God one-tenth of +the Christians had it! See, such rich, immeasurable treasures, which +God in His grace showers upon us, cannot be the possession of every +one, but only of those who suffer either bodily or spiritual +adversity: the bodily through the persecution of man, and the +spiritual by despair of conscience; outwardly or inwardly, when the +devil causes your heart to be weak, timid and discouraged, so that you +know not how you stand with God, and when he reproaches you with your +sins. And in such terrified and trembling hearts alone God desires to +dwell, as the prophet Isaiah says [Isa. 66:2]. For he who has not felt +the battle within him, is not distressed by his sins nor has a daily +quarrel with them, and wishes no protector, defender and shield to +stand before him, is not yet ready for this food. This food demands a +hungering and longing man, for it delights to enter a hungering soul, +one that is in constant battle with its sins and eager to be rid of +them. He who is not thus prepared should abstain for a while from this +sacrament, for this food is not for a sated and full heart, and if it +comes to such, it is harmful. Therefore, if we think upon, and feel +within us, such distress of conscience and the fear of a timid heart, +we shall come with all humbleness and reverence, and not rush to it +pell-mell, with insolence and without fear and humility. We are not +always fit for it; to-day I have the grace, and am fit for it, but not +to-morrow, yea, it may be that or six months I have no desire nor +fitness or it. + +Therefore are they the most worthy who are constantly vexed by death +and the devil, and they receive it most opportunely, to remind them +and strengthen them in the faith that no harm can come unto them, for +He is now with them, from Whom no one can take them away; let come +death or devil or sin, they cannot do them harm. + +This is what Christ did, when He prepared to institute the blessed +sacrament. He brought anguish upon His disciples and trembling to +their hearts when He said that He would go away from them [Matt. +26:2], and again they were tormented when He said: One of you shall +betray me [Matt. 26:21]. Think you not that that cut them to the +heart? Truly, they received the word with all fear, and sat there as +though they were all traitors to God. And after He had made them all +tremble with fear and sorrow, then only did He institute the blessed +sacrament as a comfort, and consoled them again. For this bread is a +comfort for the sorrowing, a healing for the sick, a life for the +dying, a food for all the hungry, and a rich treasure for all the poor +and needy[20]. + +Let this be enough at this time concerning the proper use of this +sacrament. I commend you to God. + + +THE SEVENTH SERMON SATURDAY BEFORE REMINISCERE + + +Yesterday we heard of the use of the holy and blessed sacrament and +saw who are worthy to receive it, even those in whom is the fear of +death, who have timid and despairing consciences and who live in fear +of hell. All such come prepared to partake of this food for the +strengthening of their weak faith and the comforting of their +conscience. This is the true and right use of this sacrament, and +whoever does not find himself in this state, let him refrain from +coming until God also takes hold of him and draws him through His +Word. + +[Sidenote: Fruit of the Sacrament: Love] + +We shall now speak of the fruit of this sacrament, which is love; that +is, that we should treat our neighbor even as God has treated us. Now +we have received from God naught but love and favor, for Christ has +pledged and given us His righteousness and everything that He has, has +poured out upon us all His treasures, which no man can measure and no +angel can understand or fathom, for God is a glowing furnace of love, +reaching even from the earth to the heavens. + +[Sidenote: The Lack of Love] + +Love, I say, is a fruit of this sacrament. But I do not yet perceive +it among you here in Wittenberg, although there is much preaching of +love and you ought to practice it above all other things. This is the +principal thing, and alone is seemly in a Christian. But no one shows +eagerness for this, and you want to do all sorts of unnecessary +things, which are of no account. If you do not want to show yourselves +Christians by your love, then leave the other things undone, too, for +St. Paul says in I Corinthians, "If I speak with the tongues of men +and of angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass or a tinkling +cymbal." [1 Cor. 13:1] This is a terrible saying of Paul. And further: +"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries +of God, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I +could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And if I +bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be +burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing." [1 Cor. 13:2, 3] +You have not got so far as that, although you have received great and +rich gifts from God, especially a knowledge of the Scriptures. It is +true, you have the pure Gospel and the true Word of God, but no one as +yet has given his goods to the poor, no one has yet been burned, and +even these things would profit nothing without love. You would take +all of God's goods in the sacrament, and yet not pour them forth again +in love. One will not lend the other a helping hand, no one thinks +first of another, but every one looks out or himself and his own gain, +seeks but his own and lets everything else go as it will,--if anybody +is helped, well and good. No one looks after the poor or seeks how to +help them. It is pitiful. You have heard many sermons about it and all +my books are full of it and have the one purpose, to urge you to faith +and love. + +And if you will not love one another, God will send a great plague +upon you; let this be a warning to you, for God will not reveal His +Word and have it preached in vain. You are tempting God too far, my +friends. If some one in times past had preached the Word to our +forefathers, they would perchance have acted differently. Or if the +Word were preached to-day to many poor children in the cloisters, they +would receive it with much greater joy than you. You do not heed it at +all, and give yourselves to other things, which are unnecessary and +foolish. + +I commend you to God. + + +THE EIGHTH SERMON + +A SHORT SUMMARY[21] OF THE SERMON OF DR. M. LUTHER DELIVERED ON +REMINISCERE SUNDAY ON PRIVATE CONFESSION + + +[Sidenote: Confession before the Congregation] + +Now we have heard all the things which ought to be considered here, +except confession. Of this we shall speak now. In the first place, +There is a confession which is founded on the Scriptures; namely, when +some one commits a sin publicly, or with other men's knowledge, and is +accused before the congregation. If he abandons his sin, they +intercede for him with God. But if he will not hear the congregation, +he is excluded from the church and cast out, so that no one will have +anything to do with him. And this confession is commanded by God in +Matthew xviii, "If thy brother trespass against thee (so that thou and +others are offended), go and tell him his fault between thee and him +alone." [Matt. 18:15] Of this confession there is no longer even a +trace to be found, and in this particular the Gospel is put aside in +this place. He who could reestablish it would perform a good work. +Here is where you ought to have taken pains and reestablished this +kind of confession, and let the other things go. For by this no one +would have been offended, and it would have been accomplished without +disturbance. It should be done in this way: When you see a usurer, +adulterer, thief or drunkard, you should go to him in secret and +admonish him to give up his sin. If he will not hear, you should take +two others with you and admonish him once more, in a brotherly way, to +give up his sin. But if he scorns that, you should tell the pastor +before the whole congregation, have your witnesses with you, and +accuse him before the pastor in the presence of the people, saying: +"Dear pastor, this man has done this and that, and would not receive +our brotherly admonition to give up his sin. Therefore I accuse him, +together with my witnesses who were present." And then, if he will not +give up and willingly acknowledge his guilt, the pastor should exclude +him and put him under the ban before the whole assembly, for the sake +of the congregation, until he comes to himself and is received back +again. This would be Christian. But I cannot undertake to carry it out +single-handed. + +[Sidneote: Confession to God] + +Secondly, A confession is necessary for us, when we go away in a corner +by ourselves, and confess to God Himself and pour out before Him all +our faults. And this confession is also commanded. From this comes the +familiar word of Scripture: "_Facite judicium et justitiam_." [Gen. +18:19] _Judicium acere est nos ipsos accusare et damnare; justitiam +autem acere est idere misericordiae Dei_[22]. As it is written, +"Blessed are they that keep judgment and do righteousness at all +times." [Ps. 106:3] The judgment is nothing else than a man's knowing +and judging and condemning himself, and this is true humility and +self-abasement. The righteousness is nothing else than a man's knowing +himself and praying to God or the mercy and help through which God +raises him up again. This is what David means when he says: "I have +sinned; I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord," [Ps. 32:5 f.] +and, "Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin; for this all Thy saints +shall pray unto Thee." + +[Sidenote: Confession to a Brother] + +Thirdly, There is also a confession when one takes another aside, and +tells him what troubles him, so that he may hear from him a word of +comfort; and this confession is commanded by the pope. It is this +urging and forcing which I condemned when I wrote concerning +confession[23], and I refuse to go to confession just because the pope +wishes it and has commanded it. For I wish him to keep his hands of +the confession and not make of it a compulsion or command, which he +has not the power to do. Yet I will let no man take private confession +away from me, and I would not give it up for all the treasures in the +world, since I know what comfort and strength it has given me. No one +knows what it can do or him except one who has struggled much with the +devil. Yea, the devil would have slain me long ago, if the confession +had not sustained me. For there are many doubts which a man cannot +resolve by himself, and so he takes a brother aside and tells him his +trouble. What harm is there, if he humbles himself a little before his +neighbor, puts himself to shame, looks or a word of comfort from him, +and takes it to himself and believes it, as if he heard it from God +himself, as we read in Matthew xviii: "If two of you shall agree as +touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them." +[Matt. 18:19] + +[Sidenote: Many Absolutions] + +And we must have many absolutions, so that we may strengthen our timid +consciences and despairing hearts against the devil and against God. +Therefore no man shall forbid the confession nor keep or drive any one +away from it. And if any one wrestles with his sins, is eager to be +rid of them and looks or some assurance from the Scriptures, let him +go and confess to another in secret, and receive what is said to him +there as if it came directly from God's own lips. Whoever has the +strong and firm faith that his sins are forgiven, may ignore this +confession and confess to God alone. But how many have such a strong +faith? Therefore, as I have said, I will not let this private +confession be taken from me. Yet I would force no one to it, but leave +the matter to every one's free will. + +[Sidenote: Five Comforts for the Conscience] + +For our God is not so miserly that He has left us with only one +comfort or strengthening for our conscience, or one absolution, but we +have many absolutions in the Gospel, and are showered richly with +them. For instance, we have this in the Gospel: "If ye forgive men +their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." [Matt. +6:14] Another comfort we have in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our +trespasses," [Matt. 6:12] etc. A third is our baptism, when I reason +thus: See, my Lord, I am baptized in Thy name so that I may be assured +of Thy grace and mercy. After that we have the private confession, +when I go and receive a sure absolution as if God Himself spake it, so +that I may be assured that my sins are forgiven. Finally I take to +myself the blessed sacrament, when I eat His body and drink His blood +as a sign that I am rid of my sins and God has freed me from all my +frailties; and in order to make me sure of this, He gives me His body +to eat and His blood to drink, so that I shall not and cannot despair: +I cannot doubt I have a gracious God. Thus we see that confession must +not be despised, but that it is a true comfort. And since we need many +absolutions and comforts, because we must fight against the devil, +death, hell and sin, we must not allow any of our weapons to be taken +away, but keep intact the whole armor and equipment which God has +given us or use against our enemies. For you do not yet know what work +it is to fight with the devil and to overcome him. I know it well; I +have eaten salt with him once or twice[24]. I know him well, and he +knows me well, too. I only you knew him, you would not in this manner +drive out confession. + +I commend you to God. Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Cp. his experiences at the Wartburg. See Köstlin-Kawerau, I, 439 +ff. + +[2] Carlstadt, without authority, preached, administered the sacrament +and brought about the upheaval in the _parish_ church--Luther's own. +He was archdeacon and preacher at the _castle_ church. See Müller, +_Luther und Karlstadt_, 69 and passim. + +[3] In the _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility_ and the _Babylonian +Captivity_. See pp. 125 f., 136 f., and 215 f. of this volume. + +[4] Right to speak. + +[5] Power to do. + +[6] Melanchthon. + +[7] See above, p. 61. + +[8] Justus Jonas, provost at the castle church. + +[9] Gabriel Zwilling, an Augustinian, who, next to Carlstadt, was the +leader in forcing the reforms which Luther is here discussing. See +Introduction, p. 388. + +[10] Was Luther led by the name of Gabriel to add a last touch by the +mention of the other archangel, in the thought of St. Paul, that even +an angel from heaven cannot change the Gospel, Gal. 1:8. See note in +_Weimar Ed._, Xc, 438. See also a similar outburst in a letter to +Johann Lang in 1516, six years previous, where Gabriel Biel's name +furnished the incitement. Enders, I, 54; Smith, I, 42. + +[11] Namely, of the monasteries. + +[12] A monastic order, founded 1084, noted or the strictness of its +rule. + +[13] The Iconoclastic controversy in the Eastern church, which called +forth the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nice in 787, whose decrees +were favorable to images in the churches. The controversy, which raged +for over a century, was finally settled in 843. Since the promulgation +of this decree the First Sunday in Lent has been celebrated annually +as the "Feast of Orthodoxy." See _Realencyk._, III, 222 ff. + +[14] See above, p. 309. + +[15] i. e., Castor and Pollux. + +[16] Luther's great objection to the mass was its turning of the +Sacrament into a sacrifice. This view of the mass was for him an utter +perversion of the gospel, and, therefore, comes under the category of +essentials. See Vol. I, pp. 309 ff., and above, pp. 211 ff. + +[17] See above, p. 407, note 1. + +[18] Cf. above, p. 282. + +[19] In the canon law, C. 12, X, _de poenitentiis_. + +[20] On the last four paragraphs, cf. above, pp. 15 f. + +[21] On this title, see Introduction, p. 389. + +[22] "Let there be judgment and righteousness." To keep judgment is to +accuse and condemn ourselves; but to do righteousness is to trust in +the mercy of God. + +[23] The treatise _Von der Beichte, ob die der Papst Macht habe zu +gebieten_, written during the sojourn on the Wartburg. See _Weimar +Ed._, VIII, 129; _Erl. Ed._, XXVII, 318. + +[24] See above, p. 394. + + + +THAT DOCTRINES OF MEN ARE TO BE REJECTED + +TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINES OF +MEN (VON MENSCHENLEHREN ZU MEIDEN) + +1522 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +"Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee." +Somewhat in the spirit of these words Luther had planned to dedicate a +small book to his host of the Wartburg, Hans von Berlepsch. For a time +Luther had thought that von Berlepsch himself was bearing the expense +of his entertainment in that retreat, and that he was being more +royally treated than he deserved. Not only the material comforts with +which he was surrounded appealed to him, however. Von Berlepsch was +interested in Luther and in Luther's work. He talked with him +seriously on religious questions, and expressed a desire to have more +information, particularly concerning the authority of the teachings of +the Roman Church which had no direct warrant in Scripture. + +To this desire of von Berlepsch we can trace the origin of our +treatise, That the Doctrines of Men are to be Rejected. There is no +dedication to von Berlepsch, however, and no reference to the months +of companionship on the Wartburg. Luther returned from the Wartburg +early in March, 1522, and on the 28th of March sent the first part of +the treatise to Spalatin, with the request that it be forwarded to von +Berlepsch. The second part, the Reply to Texts Quoted in Defence of +the Doctrines of Men, was added in a second edition. + +This was not the only writing forwarded to von Berlepsch in memory of +the pleasant days spent on the Wartburg. Perhaps of even greater +interest was the gift sent on September 25, 1522--one of the first +complete copies of the German New Testament. + +Buchwald has called our treatise "a model of sound explanation of the +Scriptures for the purpose of refuting error." We must caution the +reader, however, not to think of Luther's occasional statements +concerning the authority of Scripture as final. Luther is still +largely upon medieval ground, accepting the premise of the Roman +Church, and refuting the practice of the popes, priests and monks from +the fundamental assumption of the authority of the Scriptures. The +succeeding years, the controversies with the leaders of the peasants +and with the heavenly prophets, led him to clearer views. Where in +this treatise he wrote, "The same things which are found in the Books +of Moses are found in the others. For the other books do no more than +show how in the course of history the word of Moses was kept or not +kept," he was thinking of the one Gospel which he found everywhere in +the Scriptures. But he distinguished carefully between the permanent +and the temporary in the Books of Moses and elsewhere, and speaks of +"that which God has decreed" in the Old Testament as having "come to +an end, and no longer binding the consciences of men" (p. 442). That +which is permanent is the Gospel, "for it is beyond question that all +the Scriptures point to Christ alone" (p. 432). Probably the clearest +statement of his views is found in a sermon preached in 1527: "The +Word was given in many ways from the beginning. We must not only ask +whether it is God's Word, whether God spoke it, but much more, to whom +He spoke it, whether it applies to you or to another." "The false +prophets rush in and say, 'Dear people, this is God's Word.' It is +true, and we cannot deny it; but we are not the people to whom He +speaks" (_Erl. Ed._, 33, 16.) + +In reading the treatise, therefore, it will be well to consider when +it was written and for whom; and not to think of it as a final +statement of Luther's views on the authority of the Scriptures. + +The treatise is found in the original German in Weimar Ed., X2; in +Erlangen, 28, 318-343; in Berlin, 2, 289-314. + + W. A. LAMBERT. + +South Bethlehem, PA. + + +THAT WE ARE TO REJECT THE DOCTRINES OF MEN: + +TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO THE TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINES +OF MEN + + +To all who read or hear this little book may God grant grace and +understanding. Amen. + +I, Martin Luther, have published this brief book for the comfort and +saving of the poor consciences which are by the law of men held in +bondage in monasteries and convents; that they may be able to arm and +strengthen themselves with the Word of God, so as to be steadfast in +the pains of death and other trials. But those who are overbold and +unruly, who give no other evidence of being Christians except that +they can eat eggs, meat and milk, stay away from confession and break +the images, etc.,--these I warn that I do not wish my words to help +them. For I regard them as the filthy people who defiled the camp of +Israel [Deut. 23:12 f.], although such cleanliness was enjoined upon +the people that a man was required to go outside the camp to ease +himself and to cover up with earth that which came from him. We also +must endure these unclean lapwings in our nest [Deut. 14:18, Lev. +11:19], until God teach them manners. This Christian liberty I would +have preached only to poor, humble, captive consciences, so that poor +children, nuns and monks, who would like to escape from their bondage +may inform their consciences how they may do so with God's approval +and without danger, and use their freedom in an orderly and Christian +way. May God grant His blessing. Amen. + +_That the doctrines of men are to be rejected: proof from the +Scriptures_. + +I + +Moses in Deuteronomy iv, 2 says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which +I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it," [Deut. 4:2] + +But some one will say that Moses speaks only of his word; but to the +books of Moses there have also been added many books of the prophets +and the entire New Testament. I answer: True; but nothing new has been +added: the same things that are found in the books of Moses are found +in the others. For the other books do no more than show how in the +course of history the word of Moses was kept or not kept. It is indeed +stated in different words and the histories are different, but +thoughout there is one and the same teaching. And here we can +challenge them to point out anywhere in all the books added to the +books of Moses a single word that is not found earlier in the books of +Moses. For it is beyond question that all the Scriptures point to +Christ alone. Now Christ says, in John V, 46, "Moses wrote of me." +[John 5:46] Therefore everything that is in the other books is also in +the books of Moses, and these are the original documents. + +II + +Isaiah xxix, 13, which the Lord quotes in Matthew xv, 8: "This people +draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me. +But in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and +commandments of men." [Isa. 29:13, Matt. 15:8] + +Mark the word of Christ, Who calls it vain worship to serve God after +the doctrines of men. For Christ is not drunken or a fool; on His word +we must build in all things rather than on all angels and creatures +[Gal. 1:8]. + +III + +The same Christ in the same chapter, Matthew xv, 11, says, "Not that +which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out +of the mouth, this defileth a man." [Matt. 15:11] + +This saying must be well understood, for it is powerful and mightily +overthrows all teaching, custom and manner of life that distinguishes +between foods, and it sets all consciences free from all laws +concerning food and drink; so that it is allowable to eat milk, +butter, eggs, cheese and meat every day, whether it be Sunday or +Friday, Lent or Advent; and no one needs to pay butter-money or buy +butter-letters. For this word stands firm and does not deceive: "That +which goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man." + +[Sidenote: Fast-days] + +From this it follows, first, that it is a lie when they say that St. +Peter instituted the fast-days and that the commandment of the Church +has made it a mortal sin to eat eggs, butter, milk and meat on +fast-days. For neither St. Peter nor the Church institutes or teaches +anything contrary to Christ. And if they did, we must not obey them. +To do what they ask would indeed not be wicked; but it is wicked to +make a necessity and a commandment of that which is free, and to +pretend that something does defile and is sin of which Christ Himself +says that it is no sin and does not defile. + +[Sidenote: Dispensation] + +It follows, secondly, that it is sheer devil's knavery for the pope to +sell letters and grant permission to eat butter, meat, etc.; for +Christ in this word has already made it a matter of liberty and has +permitted it. + +[Sidenote: Special Fast-days] + +In the third place, it is an error and a lie to say that goldfasts[1], +banfasts[2], and the fasts on the eve of Apostles' days and saints' +days must be observed and that their non-observance is sin, because +the Church has so commanded. For against everything of the kind stands +this word of Christ: "That which goeth into the mouth doth not defile +the man." Fasting should be free and voluntary, both as to the day and +as to the food, forever. + +[Sidenote: The Orders] + +Fourthly, the orders of St. Benedict, and of St. Bernard, the +Carthusians, and all others which avoid the use of meat and other food +because they hold that this is necessary and commanded and that not to +do so would be sin, contradict Christ. For their law flatly +contradicts the word of Christ and says: That which goeth into the +mouth defileth. Then they must make Christ a liar when He says: "That +which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man." Thus you see that +this one saying of Christ mightily condemns all orders and spiritual +rules. For if that which goeth into the mouth does not defile, how +much less will that defile which is put on the body? whether it be +cowl, coat, shirt, hose, shoes, cloak, whether green, yellow, blue, +red, white, motley, or whatever one wish. And the same is true of +places, whether churches, cells or the rooms of a house. + +It follows that he who regards it a sin for a monk to go without the +dress of his order, and would not leave it a matter of freedom, also +makes Christ a liar and makes that a sin which Christ freed from sin, +and says Yes! where Christ says No! What then are such monks but +people who say to Christ's very ace. Thou liest! there is sin in that +which thou sayest is not sin. It will not help them to quote St. +Bernard, St. Gregory, St. Francis and other saints. We must hear what +Christ says, Who alone has been made our Teacher by the Father, when +on Mount Tabor He said, Matthew xvii, 5, "This is my beloved Son, in +Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." [Matt. 17:5] He did not say. +Hear ye St. Bernard, St. Gregory, etc., but, Hear ye Him, Him, Him, my +beloved Son. Who knows how far the saints sinned or did right in this +matter? What they did, they did not of necessity nor by commandment. +Or if they did it as of necessity and by commandment, they erred, and +we must not forsake Christ to follow them. + +All this is confirmed by Christ in the words which follow in Matthew +xv, 11, "That which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. For +out of the mouth, coming forth from the heart, come evil thoughts, +adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, etc. +These defile a man." [Matt. 15:11] Here we ask, If that alone is sin +and defiles a man, which proceeds from the heart, as Christ here so +strongly argues and decides, how then can butter, milk, eggs, cheese +defile, which proceed not from the mouth nor from the heart, but come +from the belies of cows and of hens? Who has ever seen meat, tonsures, +cowls, monasteries, hair-shirts coming out of men's mouths? Then it +must be the cows that sin in giving us milk and butter, and in bearing +calves. + +Therefore, all the laws of monks and of men concerning food, clothing +and places and all things that are external, are not only blasphemy of +God and lying and deceiving, but the buffoonery of apes. It is true, a +man may have an inordinate desire to eat excessively and to dress +extravagantly; but that proceeds from the heart, and may refer to fish +as well as to meat, to gray homespun as well as to red velvet. In +short, Christ does not lie when He says, "That which goeth into the +mouth defileth not a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this +defileth a man." + +But if it is true that neglect to do what men command neither defiles +nor is sin, then on the other hand, the keeping and doing of men's +commandments cannot make us clean nor give us merit; since only the +opposite of sin and of the unclean is clean and gives merit. +Therefore, all of the monastic life neither makes clean nor gives +merit. And that is what the Lord Christ means when He says, Matthew +XV, 9, "In vain do they worship me with the commandments of men." +[Matt. 15:9] Why 'in vain'? Because neglecting them is no sin and +keeping them is no merit, but both are free. They deceive themselves, +therefore, and make a merit of that which is no merit, and are afraid +of sinning where there is no sin, as Psalm xiv, 5, says, "There have +they trembled for fear, where there was no fear." [Ps. 14:5] + +IV + +St. Paul in I Timothy iv, 1-7 says: "Now the Spirit speaketh +expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, +giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking +lies in hypocrisy; having their consciences seared with a hot iron; +forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God +hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe +and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to +be reused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified +by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance +of these things, thou shat be a good minister of Jesus Christ, +nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto +thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables." [1 +Tim. 4:1-7] + +O how this thunders and storms against all the works, doctrines and +orders of men. First, if they boast that they have derived their +practice from the pope and from holy fathers, what will Christ's +judgment be? Will He not say, "Paul, My Apostle, is My chosen vessel, +as Luke writes. Acts ix, 15: why then have you not ascribed greater +authority to his word than to that of the pope and the fathers, of +whom you do not know whose vessels they are?" [Acts 9:15] How will +they stand before Him? + +Next, we ask them whether butter, eggs, meat, milk and all the food +which they avoid on fast-days and in the orders, have not been created +by God, and are not God's good creatures? Then it is certain that they +are the men of whom Paul here says that they forbid the food which God +has created and has given to believers to use. And they also forbid +marriage, so that they cannot escape: this passage its them and is +spoken of them. Let us see what Paul thinks of them and how he +reproves them. + +[Sidenote: Departed from the Faith] + +I. They have departed from the faith; for they could not have +introduced such doctrines and works if they had not thought the +doctrines and works would make them pious and save them. But such an +opinion is of itself a sure sign that they have fallen away from the +faith, since it is the work of faith alone to do that which they +expect works to do, as has frequently been said. + +[Sidenote: Give Heed to Seducing Spirits] + +II. They give heed to seducing spirits. He does not say, "to seducing +men," but "to seducing spirits"; and these are they who pretend to be +spiritual and bear the name spiritual, and claim to be of the Spirit +and in the Spirit. But since they are without faith it is impossible +for them not to err in spiritual matters. Hence this is a fitting +succession: they depart from the faith and follow after error in the +spirit. + +[Sidenote: Doctrines of Devils] + +III. Their doctrines he calls "doctrines of devils." This also must +follow where faith and the true Spirit are wanting: the devil gives +them the seducing spirit and leads them on with beautifully varnished +doctrines and works, so that they think they are altogether spiritual. +But since the doctrine does not originate in the Scriptures, it can be +the doctrine of no one but the devil. + +[Sidenote: Speakers of Lies] + +IV. They are speakers of lies. For they at times quote even the +Scriptures and the sayings of the fathers and wrest them to support +their doctrines, as we see them do daily. But this is all false and a +lie, since the Scriptures are altogether against them. + +[Sidenote: Hypocrisy] + +V. It is sheer hypocrisy. This is true and needs no comment. For all +that they do is only appearance and show, concerned with external +matters of food and clothes. + +[Sidenote: Seared Conscience] + +VI. They have their conscience seared with a hot iron; that is, they +have an unnatural conscience. For where there is no sin nor matter of +conscience, they make sin and a matter of conscience, as was said +above. Just as a scar caused by searing is an unnatural mark on the +body. + +[Sidenote: Forbid to Marry] + +VII. They forbid to marry, by creating an estate in which there shall +be no marriage, as we see in the case of both priests and monks. +Wherefore, behold the judgment of God upon such doctrines and estates: +that they are doctrines of devils, seducing doctrines, false +doctrines, faithless doctrines, hypocritical doctrines. God help us! +Who would remain in them when God Himself passes such judgment? What +would it help you, if you had made a thousand vows and oaths on such +doctrines? Nay, the stricter the vow, the more reason to break it, +because it was made after the devil's doctrines and against God. + +[Sidenote: The Tatianists] + +But see how cleverly they worm themselves out and ward off this text +from themselves, saying that it does not apply to them, but to the +Tatianists[3], the heretics who condemned marriage altogether. Paul, +however, does not speak here of those who condemn marriage, but of +those who forbid it for the sake of appearing spiritual. Let us grant, +however, that Paul speaks against the Tatianists. Then, if the pope +does what the Tatianists did, why does it not apply to him as well? Be +they Tatianists or the pope, this text speaks of those who forbid +marriage. The words of Paul condemn the work, and make no distinction +about the person who does it. He who forbids marriage is the devil's +disciple and apostle, as the words clearly say. And since the pope +does this, he must be the devil's disciple, as must all his followers; +otherwise, St. Paul must be a liar. + +[Sidenote: Forbid Food] + +VIII. They forbid the food which God has created. Here, again, you see +that the doctrines of man are ascribed to the devil by God Himself +through the mouth of Paul. What greater and more terrible thing would +you wish to hear concerning the doctrines of men, than that they are a +falling away from the faith, seducing, false, devilish, hypocritical? +What will satisfy those whom this text does not satisfy? But if the +doctrine that forbids certain kinds of food is devilish and +unchristian, that which concerns clothes, tonsures, places and +everything external will be just as devilish and unchristian. + +[Sidenote: The Manicheans] + +But here again they worm themselves out, and say that St. Paul is +speaking of the Manicheans[4]. We are not asking about that. St. Paul +speaks of the forbidding of meats, and, be they Manicheans or +Tatianists, the pope and his followers forbid meats. Paul speaks of +the work which we see that the pope does. Therefore we cannot save him +from this text. If some other man arose today or tomorrow and forbade +meats, would it not apply to him, even if he were no Manichean? If +that way of interpreting Scripture were true, we might boldly do what +Paul here forbids, and say. It does not apply to us, but to the +ancient Manicheans. But that is not the way. Whether the pope with his +monks and priests be not a Manichean, I do not discuss; but I do say, +that in his teaching and works he contradicts the teaching of St. Paul +more than any Manichean. + +[Sidenote: Unthankful] + +IX. They are unthankful. For God has created meats, says St. Paul, to +be received with thanksgiving. And they refuse to receive them, that +they may have no occasion to be thankful for God's goodness. The +reason for which is, that they have no faith and do not know the +truth. For Paul says, I Tim. iv, 3, "To them which believe and to them +which know the truth, they are given to be used with thanksgiving." [1 +Tim. 4:3] But if they are unbelieving and do not know the truth, as +St. Paul here says they are, they are beyond question heathen, +non-Christians, blind and foolish. And this, I suppose, they regard as +praise of the pope, priests and monks! + +[Sidenote: Harmful Preachers] + +X. Paul rebukes them as wicked, harmful preachers; for he says that +Timothy shall be a good preacher, nourished up in the words of faith +and of good doctrine, if he will put the brethren in remembrance of +these things. It follows that they who teach the contrary must be +wicked preachers and be nourished with words of unbelief and of wicked +doctrines. + +[Sidenote: Old Wives' Fables] + +XI. He calls such doctrines profane and old wives' fables. Is not that +foolish talk? He says that the great doctors busy themselves with +fables such as old wives chatter about behind the stove, and calls +them profane, unchristian and unholy idle talk, although the doctors +claim that they are the very essence of holiness! + +Who has ever heard the doctrines of men so terribly decried in every +way? that they are apostate, unbelieving, unchristian, heathen, +seducing, devilish, false, hypocritical, searing the conscience, +unthankful, that they dishonor God and His creature and are harmful +ables and old wives' chatter. Let him who can, flee from beneath this +judgment of God. + +V + +St. Paul in Colossians ii, 16 and the following verses says: "Let no +man burden you in meat or in drink or in respect of certain days which +are holy days, or days of the new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow +of things to come, but the body is in Christ. Let no one seduce you +who follows his own will in the humility and religion of angels, of +whom he has never seen even one, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, +and does not hold fast the Head, from which all the body, by joints +and bands, is supplied with nourishment and is knit together, and so +groweth unto a stature given of God. If then you be dead with Christ +from the elements of this world, why do you burden yourselves with +ordinances as if you were alive? Ordinances which say. This thou shalt +not touch, this thou shalt not eat or drink, this thou shalt not put +on (which all perish in the using), according to the commandments and +doctrines of men, who have a show of wisdom because of their +self-chosen spirituality and humility, and because they do not spare +the body and do not supply its needs." [Col. 2:16 ff.] Is St. Paul +here also speaking of the Manicheans or Tatianists? Or can we find +excuse here for the papists? He speaks against those who take captive +the consciences of men with the doctrines of men and make matters of +conscience of food, drink, clothes, days and everything that is +external. And it cannot be denied that the pope, the chapters and +monasteries with their rules and statutes do this when they forbid the +eating of meat, eggs and butter, and the wearing of ordinary clothes +such as other people wear. And here stands St. Paul, and says: + +[Sidenote: Burden the Conscience] + +I. "Let no man burden your consciences, or judge or condemn you in +respect of food, drink, clothes or days." What does this mean if not +this: Be not priests nor monks, nor in any way keep the pope's laws; +and believe him not when he says that a certain thing is sin or a +matter of conscience. See, here God through Paul commands us to +despise the laws of the pope and of the monasteries, and to keep them +free, so that they do not take captive the conscience. That is as much +as to say, Do not become monks or priests, and let him who has become +monk or priest turn back, or else retain his position as a matter of +freedom without constraint of conscience. + +And although Paul wrote this of the Jews, who did such things +according to the Law (for he says in Colossians ii, 17, that they have +the shadow and type of things to come, but that the body itself is in +Christ [Col. 2:17]), yet it holds much more against the decrees of the +pope and of the monks. For if that which God has decreed comes to an +end and shall no longer bind the consciences of men, how much more +shall men neither decree nor keep anything that would bind the +conscience? And farther on more will be said of the laws of mere men, +for + +[Sidenote: By-paths] + +II. He says, "Let no one seduce you or lead you toward paths the prize +in by-paths." What does this mean but to lead men to works and away +from faith, which alone is the one right road by which to gain the +prize of salvation, to strive toward heaven by other ways, and to +claim that this is the way to gain the prize? And this is what the +orders and the pope's doctrines do. And what are the ways they +propose? Listen: + +[Sidenote: Humility] + +III. He says, "In self-willed humility and the religion of angels." +What words could better it the orders? Is it not true that the pope +and all of them prattle much of their obedience, which is said to be +the noblest virtue, that is, the precious spiritual humility of the +papists? But who has commanded this humility? They themselves have +invented it and sought it out that they might seduce themselves. For +with it they have withdrawn themselves from the common humility and +obedience which God has commanded, namely, that every one shall humble +himself and be subject to his neighbor. But they are subject to no man +on earth, and have withdrawn themselves entirely; they have made an +obedience and a humility of their own after their statutes. Yet they +claim that their obedience is superhuman, perfect and, as it were, +angelic, although there are no more disobedient and less humble people +on earth than they are. + +In the same way they also have their vows of chastity and poverty. +They do not work like other people but, like the angels in heaven, +they praise and worship God day and night; in short, their life is +heavenly, although nowhere on earth can you ind more horrible +unchastity, greater wealth, less devotional hearts, or more hardened +people than in the spiritual estate, as every one knows. Yet they +seduce all the world from the true way to the by-path with their +self-willed, beautiful, spiritual and angelic life. All this, it seems +to me, is not spoken of the Jews nor of the Manicheans, but of the +papists; the works prove it. + +[Sidenote: Uncertainty] + +IV. He says, "He walks in such religion and in that which he has never +seen." This is the very worst feature of the doctrines of men and the +life built upon them, that they are without foundation and without +warrant in the Scriptures, and that men cannot know whether what they +do is good or wicked. For all their life is an uncertain venture. If +you ask them whether they are certain that what they are and do is +pleasing to God, they say, they do not know, they must take the +chances: "the end will show us." And this is all they can say, for +they have no faith, and faith alone makes us certain that all that we +are is well-pleasing to God, not because of our merit, but because of +His mercy. Thus all their humility, obedience and all of their +religion is, at the very best, uncertain and in vain. + +[Sidenote: Vainly Puffed Up] + +V. "Vainly they puff themselves up," that is, they have no +reason to do so. For although their practices are uncertain, +unbelieving and altogether damnable, yet they make bold to puff +themselves up and to claim that they have the best and the only true +way, so that in comparison with theirs every other manner of living +stinks and is nothing at all. But this puffed-up carnal mind of theirs +they neither see nor feel, so great is their angelic humility and +obedience! O, the fruit of the doctrines of men! + +[Sidenote: Against Christ] + +VI. "They do not hold fast the Head," which is Christ. For the +doctrines of men and Christ cannot agree; one must destroy the other. +If the conscience finds comfort in Christ, the comfort derived from +works and doctrines must all; if it finds comfort in works, Christ +must fall. The heart cannot build upon a twofold foundation; one must +be forsaken. Now we see that all the comfort of the papists rests upon +their practices; for if it did not rest upon them, they would not +esteem them and would give them up, or else they would use them as +matters of freedom, how and when they pleased. + +If there were no other misfortune connected with the doctrines of men, +this were of itself all too great--that for their sake Christ must be +forsaken, the Head must be lost, and the heart must build on such an +abomination. For this reason St. Peter calls the orders abominable and +damnable heresies, which deny Christ, when he says, in the Second +Epistle, ii, I, "There shall arise among you false teachers, who +privily shall bring in damnable heresies, and deny the Lord that +bought them." [2 Pet. 2:1] + +[Sidenote: Why Burden the Conscience?] + +VII. It is clear enough that he means our spiritual estate when he +says, "If ye be dead with Christ, why do ye burden your consciences +with ordinances, such as: This thou shalt not touch, this thou shalt +not eat, this thou shalt not wear, etc." Who can here deny that God +through St. Paul forbids us to teach and to hear all doctrines of men, +in so far as they constrain the conscience? Who then can with a good +conscience be a monk or a priest, or be subject to the pope? They must +confess that their consciences are taken captive with such laws. Thus +thou seest what a mighty saying this is against all doctrines of men. +It is dreadful to hear that they forsake Christ the Head, deny the +faith and so must needs become heathen, and yet think their holiness +upholds the world. + +VI. + +Paul, in Galatians I, 8., says: "But though we, or an angel from +heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have +preached unto you, let him be accursed[5]. As we said before, so say I +now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye +have received, let him be accursed." [Gal. 1:8 f.] + +[Sidenote: God's Ban] + +In these words you hear a judgment of God against the pope and all +doctrines of men, which says that they are under the ban. And this ban +is not like the pope's ban; it is eternal and separates a man from +God, from Christ, from all salvation and from everything that is good, +and makes him the companion of devils. O what a terrible judgment is +this! Look now, whether the pope, priests and monks do not proclaim +another and a different doctrine than that taught by Christ and His +Apostles. We said above that Christ teaches, "What goeth into the +mouth doth not defile a man." Contrary to this and beyond it the pope, +priests and monks say, "Thou liest, Christ, in so saying; for the +eating of meat defiles a Carthusian and condemns him; and the same is +true of the other orders." Is not this striking Christ on the mouth, +calling Him a liar and blaspheming Him, and teaching other doctrines +than He taught? Therefore it is a just judgment, that they in their +great holiness are condemned like blasphemers of God with an eternal +ban. + +VII + +Paul, in Titus i, 14, says: "Teach them not to give heed Titus to +Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn them from the +truth." [Titus 1:14] + +[Sidenote: Christ, or Men?] + +This is a strong command, that we are not at all to regard the +commandments of men. Is not this clear enough? And Paul gives his +reason: they turn men from the truth, he says. For as has been said +above, the heart cannot trust in Christ and at the same time in the +doctrines or the works of men. Therefore, as soon as a man turns to +the doctrines of men he turns away from the truth, and does not regard +it. On the other hand, he who finds his comfort in Christ cannot +regard the commandments and the works of men. Look now, whose ban you +should fear most! The pope and his followers cast you far beyond hell +if you do not heed their commandments, and Christ commands you not to +heed them on pain of His ban. Consider whom you wish to obey. + +VIII + +II Peter ii, 1-3: "There shall be false teachers among you, who +privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that +bought them, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken +of, and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make +merchandise of you." + +[Sidenote: The Orders Damnable Heresies] + +So then, the orders and monastic houses are damnable heresies. Why? +Because they deny Christ, and blaspheme the way of faith. How? Christ +says, there is no sin and no righteousness in eating, drinking, +clothes, places and works of men; this they condemn, and teach and +live the opposite, namely, that sin and righteousness are in these +things. Hence Christ must be a liar, He must be denied and blasphemed +together with His teaching and faith. And they make use of feigned +words, and make much of their obedience, chastity and worship; but +only through covetousness, that they may make merchandise of us, until +they have brought all the wealth of the world into their possession, +on the ground that they are the people who by their worship would help +every man to heaven. For this reason they are and remain damnable and +blasphemous heresies. + +IX + +Christ says, in Matthew xxiv, 23 ff.: "Then if any man shall say unto +you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall +arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and +wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the +very elect. Behold, I have told you before, Wherefore if they shall +say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is +in the secret chambers; believe it not." + +Tell me, how can a monk be saved? He binds his salvation to a place +and says, "Here I find Christ; if I did not remain here, I should be +lost." But Christ says, "No, I am not here." Who will reconcile these +two? Therefore, it is clear from this word of Christ that all +doctrines which bind the conscience to places are contrary to Christ. +And if He does not allow the conscience to be bound to places, neither +does He allow it to be bound to meats, clothes, postures or anything +that is external. There is no doubt then that this passage speaks of +the pope and his clergy, and that Christ Himself releases and sets +free all priests and monks, in that He condemns all orders and +monasteries and says, "Believe not, go not out," etc. + +He says the same thing also in Luke xvii, 20 f.: "The kingdom of God +cometh not with observation, and men shall not say, Lo here! or, Lo +there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." [Luke 17:20 f.] + +Is not this also clear enough? The doctrines of men can command +nothing but external things; and since the kingdom of God is not +external, both teachers and disciples must needs miss the kingdom and +go astray. Nor will it help them to say that the holy fathers +instituted the orders. For Christ has already destroyed this argument, +since He says, that the very elect might be misled, that is, they will +err, but not remain in their error. How else would it be an exceeding +great error, if the elect were not misled? Let the teaching and the +practice of the saints be what it will, the words of Christ are +certain and clear. Him we must follow, and not the saints, whose +teaching and works are uncertain. What He says stands firm, "The +kingdom of God is among[6] you, and not at a distance, either here or +there." + +X + +Solomon, in Proverbs xxx, 5 f., says: "Every word of God is purified: +and is a shield unto all them that put their trust in it. Add thou not +unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." +[Prov. 30:5 f.] + +With this I will end or the present; or there is much more in the +prophets, especially in Jeremiah, of which I have written in the +treatise on Confession. Here then Solomon concludes that he is a liar +who adds aught to the words of God; for the Word of God alone is to +teach us, as Christ says, Matthew xxiii, 8, "Be ye not called masters. +One Master is in you, even Christ." [Matt. 23:8] Amen. + + +A REPLY TO TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENSE OF THE DOCTRINES OF MEN + + +The first is Luke x, 16, where Christ says, "He that heareth you, +heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." [Luke 10:16] He +spoke similar words in Matthew x, 40 [Matt. 10:40], and in John xiii, +20 [John 13:20]. Here, they claim, Christ demands of us that we accept +their man-made laws. + +[Sidenote: The Command of Christ] + +I reply: That is not true. For immediately before speaking these +words, Christ says, "Go and say, the kingdom of God is at hand." +[Matt. 10:7, Luke 10:9] With these words Christ stops the mouths of +all the teachers of the doctrines of men, and commands the apostles +what they are to teach, and Himself puts the words in their mouth, +saying that they shall preach the kingdom of God. Now he who does not +preach the kingdom of God is not sent by Christ, and him these words +do not concern. Much rather do these words demand of us that we hear +not the doctrines of men. Now to preach of the kingdom of God is +nothing else than to preach the Gospel, in which the faith of Christ +is taught, by which alone God dwells and rules in us. But the +doctrines of men do not preach about faith, but about eating, +clothing, times, places, persons and about purely external things +which do not profit the soul. + +[Sidenote: The Perversion of the Text] + +Behold how honestly the pious shepherds and faithful teachers have +dealt with the poor common people. This text, "Who hears you, hears +me," they have in a masterly fashion torn out of its context and have +terrified us with it, until they have made us subject to themselves. +But what precedes, "Preach the kingdom of God," they have taken good +care not to mention, and have bravely leaped over it, that they might +by no means be compelled to preach nothing but the Gospel. The noble, +and most excellent teachers! We ought to thank them for it! + +In Mark, the last chapter, we read that He sent out the disciples to +preach. Let us hear what command He gives them, and how He sets a +limit to their teaching and bridles their tongues, saying, "Go ye into +all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that +believeth, shall be saved," etc., Mark xvi, 15 [Mark 16:15]. He does +not say, Go and preach what you will, or what you think to be good; +but He puts His own word into their mouth, and bids them preach the +Gospel. + +In Matthew, the last chapter, He says, "Go and make disciples of all +nations, baptise them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of +the Holy Ghost; and teach them to observe all things which I have +commanded you." Here, again. He does not say, Teach them to observe +what you devise, but what I have commanded you. Therefore the pope and +his bishops and teachers must be wolves and the apostles of the devil; +it cannot be otherwise, for they teach not the commands of Christ, but +their own words. So also in Matthew xxv, 15, in the parable of the +three servants, the Lord points out that the householder bade the +servants trade not with their own property, but with his, and gave the +first five talents, the second two and the third one. [Matt. 25:15] + +Our second text is Matthew xxiii, 2 f., where the Lord says, "The +scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore whatsoever +they bid you observe, that observe and do." + +Here, here, they say, we have authority to teach what we think to be +right. + +[Sidenote: Moses' Seat] + +I answer: If that is what Christ means, then we are in a sorry plight. +Every pope might then create more new laws, until the world could no +longer contain all the laws. But they quote this text as they quote +the first. What do the words "sit in Moses' seat" mean? Let us ask, +what did Moses teach? And if he still sat in his seat today, what +would he teach? Beyond a doubt, nothing but what he taught of old, +namely, the commandments and the word of God. He never yet spoke the +doctrines of men, but what God commanded him to speak, as almost every +chapter of his shows. It follows, then, that he who teaches something +else than Moses teaches, does not sit in Moses' seat. For the Lord +calls it Moses' seat, because from it the doctrines of Moses should be +read and taught. The same meaning is contained in the words which +follow, in which the Lord says, "But do not ye after their works, for +they say, and do not; for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be +borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not +move them with one of their fingers." [Matt. 23:3 f.] + +See, here He reproves their works, because they add many laws to the +doctrines of Moses and lay them on the people, but themselves do not +touch them. And afterward He says, in verse 13, "Woe unto you, scribes +and Pharisees, hypocrites! which say, Whosoever shall swear by the +temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the +temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater? +the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" [Matt. 23:13, 16 +f.] Is it not clear that Christ here condemns their doctrines of men? +He can, therefore, not have confirmed them by speaking of sitting in +Moses' seat; else He would have contradicted Himself. Therefore Moses' +seat must mean no more than the Law of Moses, and the sitting in it no +more than the preaching of the Law of Moses. + +This is what Moses himself said of his seat and doctrine, Deuteronomy +iv, 2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you." [Deut. +4:2] And in Deuteronomy xii, 32, "What thing soever I command you, +observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it." +[Deut. 12:32] These doctrines they were required to teach in Moses' +seat; therefore Moses' seat cannot endure any doctrines of men. + +[Sidenote: St. Augustine] + +St. Augustine is quoted as having written in _the Book against the +Letter of the Manicheans_[7], "I would not believe the Gospel if I did +not believe the Church." + +Here you see, they say, we are to believe the Church more than the +Gospel. + +[Sidenote: Authority] + +I answer: Even if Augustine had used those words, who gave him +authority, that we must believe what he says? What Scripture does he +quote to prove the statement? What if he erred here, as we know that +he frequently did, as did all the fathers? Should one single sentence +of Augustine be so mighty as to refute all the texts quoted above? +That is not what God wills; St. Augustine must yield to them. + +Further, if that were St. Augustine's meaning, he would contradict +himself; for in very many places he exalts the Holy Scriptures above +the opinions of all teachers, above the decrees of all councils and +churches, and will have men judge of him and of the teachings of all +men according to the Scriptures. Why then do the faithful shepherds +pass by those sayings of St. Augustine, plain and clear as they are, +and light on this lonely one, which is so obscure and sounds so unlike +Augustine as we know him from all his writings? It can only be because +they want to bolster up their tyranny with idle, empty words. + +[Sidenote: Words Perverted] + +Furthermore, they are deceivers, in that they not only ascribe to St. +Augustine an opinion he did not hold, but they also falsify and +pervert his words. For St. Augustine's words really are, "I would not +have believed the Gospel if the authority of the whole Church had not +moved me." Augustine speaks of the whole Church, and says that +throughout the world it with one consent preaches the Gospel and not +the Letter of the Manicheans; and this unanimous authority of the +Church moves him to consider it the true Gospel. But our tyrants apply +this name of the Church to themselves, as if the laymen and the common +people were not also Christians. And what they teach they want men to +consider as the teaching of the Christian Church, although they are a +minority, and we, who are universal Christendom, should also be +consulted about what is to be taught in the name of universal +Christendom. See, so cleverly do they quote the words of St. +Augustine: what he says of the Church throughout all the world, they +would have us understand of the Roman See. + +But how does it follow from this saying that the doctrines of men are +also to be observed? What doctrine of men has ever been devised that +has been accepted and preached by all of the universal Church +throughout the world? Not one; the Gospel alone is accepted by all +Christians everywhere. + +[Sidenote: Their True Meaning] + +But then we must not understand St. Augustine to say that he would not +believe the Gospel unless he were moved thereto by the authority of +the whole Church. For that were false and unchristian. Every man must +believe only because it is God's Word, and because he is convinced in +his heart that it is true, although an angel from heaven and all the +world preached the contrary. His meaning is rather, as he himself +says, that he finds the Gospel nowhere except in the Church, and that +this external proof can be given heretics that their doctrine is not +right, but that that is right which all the world has with one accord +accepted. For the eunuch in Acts viii, 37, believed on the Gospel as +preached by Philip, although he did not know whether many or few +believed on it [Acts 8:37]. So also Abraham believed the promise of +God all by himself, when no man knew of it, Romans iv, 18 [Rom. 4:18]. +And Mary, Luke i, 38 [Luke 1:38], believed the message of Gabriel by +herself, and there was no one on earth who believed with her. In this +way Augustine also had to believe, and all the saints, and we too, +every one for himself alone. + +For this reason St. Augustine's words cannot bear the interpretation +they put upon them; but they must be understood of the external proof +of faith, by which heretics are refuted and the weak strengthened in +faith, when they see that all the world preaches and regards as Gospel +that which they believe. And if this meaning cannot be found in St. +Augustine's words, it is better to reject the words; for they are +contrary to the Scriptures and to all experience if they have that +other meaning. + +[Sidenote: The Apostles Also Men] + +Finally, when they are refuted with Scripture so that they cannot +escape, they begin to blaspheme God and say, "But St. Matthew, Paul +and Peter also were men; therefore what they teach is also the +doctrine of men. And if their doctrine is to be observed, let the +pope's doctrine be observed as well!" Such blasphemy is now being +uttered even by some princes and bishops, who count themselves wise. +When you hear such utterly hardened and blinded blasphemers, turn away +from them or stop your ears; they are not worthy that one should talk +with them. If that argument were to hold, then Moses also was a man, +and all the prophets were men. Then let us go our way, and believe +nothing at all, but regard everything as the doctrine of men, and +follow our fancy. + +[Sidenote: Answer] + +But if you will talk with them, do so, and say, Well, let St. Paul or +Matthew be the doctrine of men; then we ask, Whence comes their +authority? How will they prove that they have authority to teach and +to be bishops? Or how shall we know where the Church is? If they say +that St. Matthew has so asserted in Matthew xvi, 19 [Matt. 16:19], or +St. Paul in some place or other, do you say, But that does not hold: +they are the doctrines of men, as you say; you must have God's Word to +confirm you. And then you will find that these hardened blasphemers +put themselves to shame and confusion with their own folly. They +cannot even distinguish between a man who speaks for himself and one +through whom God speaks. The words of the Apostles were commanded them +by God, and confirmed and proved by great miracles, such as were never +done for the doctrines of men. And if they are certain in themselves, +and will prove it to us, that God has commanded them to teach as they +do, we will believe them as we believe the Apostles. If it is +uncertain whether the words of the Apostles are of God, who will give +us certainty that their doctrines of men are of God? _O furor et +amentia his saeculis digna!_[8] + +[Sidenote: Why Doctrines of Men are Condemned] + +But we do not condemn the doctrines of men because they are the +doctrines of men, for we would gladly endure them, but because they +are contrary to the Gospel and to the Scriptures. The Scriptures set +the consciences of men free, and forbid that they be taken captive +with the doctrines of men. The doctrines of men take captive the +conscience. This conflict between the Scriptures and the doctrines of +men we cannot reconcile. Hence, because these two forms of doctrine +contradict one another, we allow even young children to judge here +whether we are to give up the Scriptures, in which the one Word of God +is taught from the beginning of the world, or the doctrines of men +which were newly devised yesterday and change daily? And we hope that +every one will agree in the decision that the doctrines of men must be +forsaken and the Scriptures retained. For they cannot be reconciled, +but are by nature opposed to one another, like fire and water, like +heaven and earth; As Isaiah Iv, 8 f. says: "As the heavens are exalted +above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." [Isa. 55:8 f.] +Now he who walks on the earth cannot at the same time walk in heaven, +and he who walks in heaven cannot walk on the earth. + +Therefore we request the papists that they first reconcile their +doctrines with the Scriptures. If they accomplish that, we will +observe their doctrines. But that they will not do before the Holy +Spirit has become a liar. Therefore we say again. The doctrines of men +we censure not because they are spoken by men, but because they are +lies and blasphemies against the Scriptures. And the Scriptures, +although they also were written by men, are not of men nor from men, +but from God. Now since Scriptures and the doctrines of men are +contrary the one to the other, one must lie and the other be true. Let +us see to which of the two they themselves will ascribe the lie. Let +this suffice. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Goldfasts are the ember-fasts, on the three ember-days of each of +the four seasons of the year; possibly called "goldfasts" because on +these days rents were collected. See _Realencyklopädie_, 5: 780, 9. + +[2] The fasts enjoined upon a people by a public edict or ban. The +term "ban" as here used does not denote the Church's excommunication, +but an authoritative proclamation. + +[3] The Tatianists, followers of Tatian, who lived in Syria in the +middle of the second century. Tatian, apparently basing his view of +marriage upon 1 Cor. 7:5, ascribes the institution of marriage and the +whole Old Testament Law to the devil. Eusebius held that Tatian was +the founder of a sect known as the _Encratites_, or _Abstainers_. +Modern historians see in the _Encratites_ groups of ascetic Christians +found frequently in the early Church, somewhat similar to the later +monks and nuns, so that Harnack can write that Tatian "joined the +Encratites." _Dogmengeschichte_3, I, 227 n. See _Realencyklopädie_3, +19, 386-394 on Tatian; 5, 392 f. on the Encratites. + +[4] The Manicheans, strictly speaking not a Christian sect, but a +rival religious community, which made inroads upon the Christian +Church. Founded by the Babylonian Mani, who was born in the third +century, they taught the inherent evil of all matter, and consequently +had many fasts, averaging seven days in each month, while the +"perfect" among them abstained from meat, wine and marriage. See +_Realencyklopädie_ 3, 12, 193-228; von Orelli, _Religionsgeschichte_, +279-291. + +[5] The Greek _anathema_ Luther here translates _ein Bann_, "let him +be a ban." This explains the reference to the ban below. + +[6] _Stehet untereuch_, whereas above Luther writes _ist inwendig in +euch_. + +[7] _Contra Epistolam Manichaei_, vi, _Paris Ed._, 1839, 28: 185: _Ego +vero Evangelic non crederem, nisi me ecclesiae catholicae commoveret +anctoritas_. On the preceding page Augustine had written: "If the +claim of truth be shown to be so evident that it cannot be called into +question, it is to be preferred before all those things by which I am +held in the Catholic faith." + +[8] O raging madness, worthy of our age! + + + +INDEX + + + +SCRIPTURE REFERENCES + + +INDEX + + +Abel +Abraham +Absolution + power of +Abuses +Accident and substance +Adam +Adjutories +Administratio +Adversity +Agnes, St. +Agricola +Agriculture +Ahasuerus +Ahaz +d'Ailly +Albrecht of Brandenburg +Alexander of Hales +Alexander VI. +Alien sins +Allegories +Alveld +Ambrose +Amen, meaning of +Amerbach, Boniface +Amsdor +Angelic Sum +Angels +Angelus de Clavissio +Armas +Annates +Amie, St. +Anniversaries +Anniaities +Anthony, St. +Antichrist +Antonius of Florence +Antwerp +Apostles +Apostolic Council +Aquinas, Thomas +Archbishop +Aristotle +Articles of faith +Attrition +Augsburg, Diet of +Augustine, St. +Augustinian fathers +Augustinus Trimnphus +Auriaber +Avarice + +Babylon +Babylonian captivity +Balaam +Balaam's ass +Bamberg +Ban + power of + greater and lesser + purpose of + penalty of +Ban, danger of + harms no one + a medicine + to be respected + to be loved + unjust, to be desired + or debt + abuses of + does not exclude from Gospel +Banfasts +Baptism + grace of + makes priests + foundation of sacraments + a ship + God's work + formula of + by wicked minister + efficacy of + significance of + vows of + comfort of +Bar to grace +Barbara, St. +Barnabas +Basel, Council of +Beer-money +Begging +Belief and faith +Belvidere +Benedict, St. +Benefit of clergy +Berlepsch, Hans von +Bernard, St. +Bethaven +Biel, Gabriel +Bigamy +Birettas +Bishops +Bishops' paths +Blandina, St. +Blasphemy +Bohemians +Bonaventure +Boniace VIII. +Both kinds in the sacrament +Botschaten +Brandenburg +Bread, Sacrament of the Altar + daily, is Christ +Breves +Brotherhood, Christian +Brotherhoods + perversion of + kinds of + proper conduct of +Bull, Coena Domini + papal +Burer, Albrecht +Butter-letters + +Cæsarini, Cardinal +Caiaphas +Cairo +Cajetan +Cambray, Cardinal of +Campolore +Canaan +Canon law +Canon of the mass +Canonical hours +Canonization +Canonry +Captivity of the Church + v. Babylonian Captivity. +Cardinals +Carlstadt +Carmelites +Carthusian +Castor and Pollux +Casus reservati +Catechisms +Cathedrals +Celibacy +Ceremonialist +Ceremonies +Certainty of salvation +Chancery, rules in +Chapters +Character indelebilis +Charity +Charles the Great +Charles V. +Chartreuse +Chastity +Christ + spiritual body of + as king and priest + sacrifice of the altar + sacrament + faith in +Christian nobility, duty of +Christian, the name + what makes + marks of a +Christianity +Church + authority of + cannot institute sacraments + community of Christians + our mother + and state +Church laws +Cicero +Circumcision +Circumstances +Clement V. +Clement VI. +Clement VII. +Clergy +Coadjutorships +Cognatio legalis and spiritualis +Collect +Cologne +Commandments of God +Commandments, Ten +Commend +Commerce +Communio +Communion + worthy + in two kinds + of saints +Complutensian polyglott +Compositions +Concordat of Vienna +Confession +Confessionalia +Confirmation +Congregations, power to elect priests, +Consanguinity, spiritual +Conscience +Constance, Council of +Constantine, Emperor +Contested benefices +Contrition +Corporal cloths +Corporations +Corpus juris canonici +Councils +Councils can err +Courtesans +Creed +Cremona +Crusades +Crying sins +Cyprian + +Daniel + the pope as +Datarius +David +Deacons +Death + must serve the Christian +Decretals +Devil +Dignities +Dionysius, Areopagita +Disparihtas religionis +Dispensations +Divorce +Doctorate +Doctrines of men +Dominic, St. +Donation of Constantine +Donatus, St. +Dress, extravagance in +Dims Scotus +Durandus + +Eck, John +Economic reforms +Edification of the Church +Elevation of the host +Elisha +Elvira, Council of +Emperor +Emser +England +Erasmus +Erurt +Estates of Christendom +Eternal life +Eugenius IV. +Evil spirit +Excesses in eating and drinking +Excommunication +Executio +Exemptions +Extortion +Extreme unction +Ezekiel + +Fable quoted +Faculties +Faith + not a work + and promise + and works + alone justifies + all things depend on + fulfils commandments + unites with Christ + and love +Fasts +Fathers of the Church +Feast days +Feldkirchen +Fellowship, twofold + spiritual +Five senses, sins of +Florence, Council of +Forgiveness of sins +Forma sacramenti +Foundations +France +Francis, St. +Franciscans +Fraternities +Frederick, Duke +Frederick, Elector +Frederick I. +Frederick II. +Free will +Fruits of the mass +Fugger of Augsburg + +General Council +George of Saxony +German knights + bishops and princes + nation + emperors + empire + mass +Germans +Germany +Gerson, John +Gibeonites +Gideon +Glosses +God, faith in +God's bosom +Golden rule +Golden years +Goldfasts +Gospel +Goths +Government, good, a gift of grace +Grammatical sense of Scripture +Gratiæ expectivse +Greek Church + emperor +Greeks +Grimmenthal + +Hadrian VI. +Halberstadt +Halle +Hamburg +Henry IV. and V. +Henry VIII +Heresy +Heretics +Herod +Hess, John +Hezekiah +Himmelsbriee +Hindrance of crime + error +Holy Ghost, faith in +Hubert, St. +Huss, John +Hussites +Hutten, Ulrich von +Hymns of praise + +Iconoclastic controversy +Idolatry +Ignorance +Images +Immersion +Impediments +Impedimentum criminis + erroris + ligaminis + ordinis +Impotence +Incarnation +Incompatibilia +Incorporation +Indulgences +Indulta +Infant baptism +Ingenwinkel, Joh. +Innocent I. +Innocent III. +Innocent VIII. +Inquisition +Intercessions +Interdict +Investiture +Irregular monks +Isaiah +Isolani, Isidore +Israel +Italy + +Jahrmarkt +James, St., Epistle of +Jehu +Jereboam +Jeremiah +Jerome + of Prague +John XXII. +Jonas, Justus +Jordan, crossing of +Joseph, affliction of +Jubilee years +Judas +Judgment day +Julius II. +Jus patronum +Jus verbi +Justification by faith + +Kessler, John +Keys, power of +Kingdom of God +Kingship of the Christian +Kirchweihen +Koran + +Laity +Lang, Johan +Lateran Council +Law, the +Law in the universities +Laws as snares for souls + of men + V. Doctrines of men. +Lay-baptism +Legal relationships +Leipzig + Disputation +Leo III. +Leo X. +Letters of confession +Liberty + not external + and service +Licenses +Link, Wenceslaus +Livings +Lombard, Peter +Lord's Prayer +Lord's Supper +Lotther, Melchior +Louis, King of France +Louvain +Love +Luther + pastoral concern + the German + as a fool + knowledge of Aristotle + not a mathematician + as a musician + compelled to speak + his progress + his duty + recantation + appeal to a council + zeal + separation from Rome + appeal to the pope + friend of the pope + his faith + as a reformer + purpose of writing + +Magdeburg +Magistrate +Mainz +Man, nature of + inward + outward + of sin +Manichaeans +Manoah +Marcus Aurelius +Margaret of Braunschweig +Marriage + of the clergy + forbidden degrees + a type + a sacrament + hindrances +Martyrs +Mass + sacrifice of + letters + anniversary + mortuary + endowed +Maximilian, Emperor +Mecklenburg +Medicine in universities +Meissen +Melanchthon +Melchizedek +Memorial days +Mendicants orders +Merchants +Merseburg +Miltitz, Carl von +Ministerium +Ministry +Miracles +Missa catechumenorum and fidelium +Monasteries +Monastic life +Monstrance +Moses +Moses' seat +Mother of God +Mühlphort, Hieronymus +Murner, Thomas +Mute sins +Mystery + and sacrament +Mystics + +Name of God +Naples and Sicily, Kingdom of +Nathan +Natural law + revelation +New Testament +Nicæa, Council of +Nimrod +Noah +Nobility, German +Nürnberg, Diet of + +Oblations +Observance +Occam, William of +Officia of the pope +Officials +Old Testament +Opus operantis +Opus operatum +Order to be observed +Orders, monastic +Ordinaries +Ordination +Origen +Ottilia, St. +Our Lady + +Pallium +Palmers +Papacy +Papal court + secretaries + months + family + servant + letters + homage +Parents, duty toward +Participations +Passover +Patience +Patron saints +Paul, St. +Penalties to be abolished +Penance + second plank +Penitence +Persia +Peter, St. +Pfeffinger, D. +Philip of Hesse +Philosophy +Picards +Pilate +Pilgrimages +Pius, Pope +Pope + power of + can be deposed + errors of + tyranny + an idol + compared with Christ + wealth of + infallibility of + worldliness of + vicar of crucified Christ + vicar of absent Christ + duty of + temporal power of + letter to +Power not to be trusted +Prague +Prayer +Preachers +Preaching, true +Prebend +Precepts of the Church +Presbyters +Prierias, Sylvester +Priesthood of believers + why men seek + is ministry of the Word +Priests +Priests, officeholders + duty of +Primate +Private confession + mass +Privilegium fori +Promise of God +Proprius motus +Prostitution +Proverbs quoted +Purgatory + +Quedunburg, convent + +Real presence +Reason +Reformation +Reforms suggested +Regeneration +Regensburg +Regression +Remission of sins +Rentenkauf +Repentance +Res sacramenti +Reservatio pectoralis +Reservation, right of +Reserved cases +Rhine-toll +Rods, three +Roman curia +Roman Empire +Roman See +Romanists +Rome +Rulers, wicked + +Sacrament of the Altar + institution of + reception of + not a law + not a sacrifice + daily use of + significance of + preparation for + benefit of + a sign + purpose of + misuse of + faith of + right use of + necessity of +Sacrament, types of + and the pope +Sacraments + parts of + signs of + two principal + grace of + fount of love + not a good work + efficacy of + of Old and New Law + significance of + not effective signs of grace + institution of +Sacramentum is mystery +Sacrifices +Safe conduct +Saints +Saints' days +Samuel +Sardica, Council of +Satisfactions +Saul +Schism +Schismatics +Schools, Christian + for girls +Scrinium pectoris +Scriptures + commands and promises +Sebastian, St. +Secret sin +Sects +Sedulius, Coelius +Sentences +Sententious theologians +Sermons +Signatura gratiæ and justitiæ +Signiicasti, Chapter +Simony +Sins + demand punishment + seven deadly +Siricius, Pope +Sixtus IV. +Slanderers +Social evil +Sodalities +Solite, Chapter +Solomon +Soul + immortality of +Spalatin +Spice trade +Spiritual, what makes us + duties + relationship + law +States of the Church +Stationaries +Staupitz +Stephen, St. +Sternberg +Strassburg +Students, restriction of +Substance and accident +Sycophants +Synaxis + +Tatianists +Teachings of men, v. Doctrines of men. +Temporal estate + power +Temptations +Ten Commandments +Testament +Testament, words of +Tetzel +Teufelsbriefe +Theodidacti +Theodosius +Theology in the universities + text-books +Theses, XCV +Thomists +Timothy +Titus +Transaccidentation +Transubstantiation, + of communicant +Trent, Council of +Trier +Triple crown +Truth +Tulich, Herman +Turks + worst in Rome +Types +Tyranny, Roman + +Unbelief +Unchastity +Unio +Unity of the Church +Universities +Usury + +Valentine, St. +Valla, Laurentius +Varna, Battle of +Venice +Vergil +Vienna, Council, of +Virgin Mary +Visions +Votaries +Votive masses +Vows + of celibacy + ceremonial laws + triple + +Wallbrüder +Walls, the three, of Rome +Wartburg +Wicked, success of +Will of God +Wilsnack +Witchcraft +Wittenberg +Wladislav +Word of God +Works + measure of + good, are sins + do not justify +Works of love + six, of mercy +World +Worms, Diet of +Worship, true +Würzburg, 82 +Wyclif + +Zedekiah +Zink, Johaimes +Zinskau +Zwickau Prophets +Zwilling, Gabriel + + +SCRIPTURE REFERENCES + + +Genesis-- + 1:31 + 2:15 + 3:15 + 3:17 + 3:19 + 4:5 + 9:12 + 9:15 + 12:3 + 13:5 + 17:10ff + 18:19 + 19:24 + 21:12 + 49:3 + +Exodus-- + 12:8, 11 + 12:35ff + 13:2 + 13:13 + 20:4 + 20:12 + 20:17 + 22:28 + 23:15 + 34:20 + 37:7 + +Leviticus-- + 8:27 + 11:19 + 18:6ff + +Numbers-- + 3:13 + 21:9 + 22:28 + 24:24 + +Deuteronomy-- + 1:31 + 4:2 + 4:19 + 8:3 + 10:16 + 12:32 + 14:18 + 16:16. + 23:12f. + 24:1 + 25:5 + 28:14 + 32:35 + +Joshua-- + 3:7 + 6:20 + 9:19 + +Judges-- + 6:36ff + 9:2 + 13:19 + 20:21 + +I. Samuel-- + 2:30 + 16:13 + +II. Samuel 7:16 + +I. Kings-- + 1:38 + 12:26 + 12:31 + 18:21 + 19:20 + +II. Kings-- + 9:1 + 18:4 + 24:20 + 25:4 + +Esther 1:5 + +Job 31:27 + +Psalms-- + 13:3f + 14:5 + 18;8 + 18:26 + 19:1ff + 19:8 + 23:5 + 30:5 + 32:5f + 33:16 + 44:23 + 58:4 + 63:5 + 64:1 + 67:1f + 104:15 + 106:3 + 107:20 + 109:28 + 111:2 + 112:7 + 115:1 + 119 + 119:85 + 134:2 + 137:1 + 143:2 + +Proverbs-- + 6:27 + 15:8 + 30:5f + 30:15 + +Ecclesiastes-- + 1:2 + 3:7 + +Song of Solomon 2:16 + +Isaiah-- + 2:8 + 3:4 + 3:10 + 5:4 + 3:13f + 7:10ff + 9:20 + 10:22 + 28:14 + 28:21 + 29:13 + 37:4 + 55:8 + 56:10 + 61:8 + 66:2 + +Jeremiah-- + 2:32 + 4:4 + 5:3 + 17:9 + 23:21 + 29:7 + 48:10 + 51:9 + +Lamentations-- + 1:1f + 1:11 + 2:11ff + +Ezekiel 2:6 + +Daniel-- + 1:6 + 2:21 + 3:30 + 4:14 + 4:35 + 5:29 + 6:16 + 11:39,43 + +Hosea-- + 2:19 + 4:6 + 4:15 + 10:5 + 13:9 + +Joel 1:5 + +Amos-- +6:1 +6:4-6 +8:11 + +Jonah 3:5 + +Habakkuk 2:4 + +Zechariah 2:8 + +Malachi 2:7 + +Matthew-- + 3:2 + 3:6 + 4:1ff + 4:4 + 4:17 + 5:3 + 5:16 + 5:18 + 5:22 + 5:25 + 5:29 + 5:32 + 5:40 + 5:45 + 6:7 + 6:12 + 6:14 + 7:3 + 7:12 + 7:15 + 7:18 + 7:20 + 8:13 + 9:1 + 10:7 + 10:8 + 10:10 + 10:16 + 10:40 + 11:23 + 12:1ff + 12:33 + 13:14 + 13:52 + 15:4 + 15:8 + 15:9 + 15:11 + 15:13 + 15:14 + 16:19 + 17:5 + 17:24ff + 17:33 + 18:4 + 18:10 + 18:15 + 18:18 + 18:19f + 18:20 + 18:24, 28 + 19:6 123, 263. + 19:6 + 21:13 + 22:2f 20 + 23:3f + 23:8 + 23:13 + 23:14 + 23:15 + 23:16f + 24:5 + 24:15 + 24:23f + 24:24 + 25:15 + 25:40 + 26 + 26:2 + 26:21ff + 26:26 + 26:27 + 26:28 + 26:29 + 26:41 + 27:34 + 27:35 + 28:19 + +Mark-- + 2:27 + 6:13 + 9:23 + 10:16 + 11:24 + 14 + 14:22 + 14:23 + 15:23 + 16:15 + 16:16 + 16:17 + 16:18 + +Luke-- + 1:38 + 1:52 + 1:53 + 2:22 + 2:34 + 6:30 + 7:16 + 9:48 + 9:56 + 10:7 + 10:9 + 10:16 + 11:5ff + 11:16 + 11:28 + 12:14 + 12:32 + 16:22 + 17:20f + 21:34 + 22 + 22:19f + 22:25 + 22:32 + 22:20 + 23:26 + +John-- + 1:12 + 1:51 + 4:14 + 5:46 + 6:9 + 6:27 + 6:35, 41, 51 + 6:37,39 + 6:45 + 6:53, 55 + 6:54 + 6:63 + 7:38 + 8:7 + 8:11 + 8:26 + 8:44 + 8:50 + 9:31 + 10:27 + 11:25 + 13:1ff + 13:20 + 14:6 + 17:9, 20 + 17:12 + 17:36 + 18:36 + 20:15-17 + 20:22ff + 20:23 + +Acts-- + 2:46f + 3:6 + 4:34f + 5:5 + 5:9 + 5:39 + 6:4 + 6:6 + 8:18 + 8:17 + 8:37 + 9:15 + 9:19 + 13:10 + 14:11-16 + 15:6 + 16:3 + 17:16ff + 17:22 + 17:54 + 18:6 + 28:11 + +Romans-- + 1:11 + 1:5 + 1:17 + 1:28 + 1:32 + 3:10ff + 3:23 + 4:3 + 4 + 4:11 + 4:18 + 5:3 + 5:4 + 5:5 + 6:4,6 + 7:22 + 8:23 + 8:28 + 8:31 + 8:35, 3 + 8:36 + 9:16 + 9:33 + 10:4 + 10:9 + 10:10 + 10:17 + 11:32 + 12:4ff + 12:17 + 12:19 + 13 + 13:1, 4 + 13:4 + 13:8 + 13:10 + 14:1ff + 14:3 + 14:5 + 14:7f + 14:14f + 14:22 + 14:23 + +I. Corinthians-- + 1:1 + 1:2 + 1:7 + 1:21 + 1:23 + 2:2 + 2:7 + 2:12 + 2:15 + 3:18 + 3:22 + 4:1 + 4:15 + 4:20 + 5:5 + 5:11 + 6:1ff + 6:7 + 6:12 + 7:5 + 7:7 + 7:9 + 7:15 + 7:18ff + 7:23 + 8:4 + 8:13 + 9:4ff + 9:14 + 9:19 + 9:27 + 10 + 10:5 + 10:16 + 10:17 + 10:23 + 10:25ff + 11 + 11:20 + 11:21 + 11:23 + 11:24 + 11:25 + 11:29 + 11:30 + 12:12ff + 12:25f + 13:1 + 13:2 + 13:5 + 13:12 + 14:23 + 14:30 + 15:55ff + +II. Corinthians-- + 2:17 + 3:17 + 4 + 4:13 + 4:16 + 10:3 + 10:8 + 11:13 + 11:31 + 12:9 + 13:8 + 13:10 + +Galatians-- + 1:8 + 2:3 + 2:11 + 2:14 + 2:20 + 3:4 + 4:4 + 5:1 + 5:6 + 5:17 + 5:22 + 5:24 + 6:2 + 6:5 + +Ephesians-- + 2:3 + 2:8 + 3:20 + 4:4 + 4:14 + 4:28 + 5:9 + 5:27 + 5:29 + 5:31 + 6:12 + 6:17 + +Philippians-- + 1:21 + 2:1 + 2:4 + 2:5 + 2:6 + 2:7 + 3:2 + 4:13 + +Colossians-- + 2:16 + 2:20 + 2:22 + +I. Thessalonians-- + 2:16 + 4:6 + 5:21 + 5:22 + +II. Thessalonians-- + 2:3 + 2:3-10 + 2:9 + 2:11 + 3:10 + 3:14 + 3:15 + +I. Timothy-- + 1:7 + 1:9 + 2:1 + 2:8 + 3:2 + 3:16 + 4:1ff + 4:2f + 4:3 + 4:4f + 4:5 + 4:8 + 5:22 + +II. Timothy-- + 2:3 + 2:9 + 2:13 + 3:2 + 3:5-7 + 3:7 + 3:8 + 3:13 + +Titus-- + 1:6 + 1:14 + 3:1 + 3:5 + +Hebrews-- + 1:3 + 6 + 9:16 + 10:19, 22 + 10:23 + 11 + 11:6 + 12:15 + +James-- + 1:6 + 1:18 + 5:14 + 5:16 + +I. Peter-- + 2:11 + 2:2 + 2:9 + 2:10 + 2:13, 15 + 2:14 + 2:18 + 3:13 + 5:3 + 5:5 + 5:10 + +II. Peter-- + 1:9 + 2:1 + 2:1-3 + 2:3 + +I. John-- + 1:9 + 2:18, 22 + 3:2 + 4:3 + +II. John 10 + +Revelation-- + 2:9 + 5:10 + 13 + 22:11 + +OLD TESTAMENT APOCRYPHA + +Judith 6:15 + +Wisdom 6:8 + +Ecclesiasticus-- + 10:13 + 32:27 + +Baruch-- + 1:11 + 3:38 + +II. Maccabees 4:8, 12 + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Works of Martin Luther, by Luther Martin + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER *** + +***** This file should be named 34904-8.txt or 34904-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/9/0/34904/ + +Produced by Michael McDermott, from scans obtained at the +Internet Archive + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Works of Martin Luther + With Introductions and Notes (Volume II) + +Author: Luther Martin + +Translator: J. J. Schindel + C. M. Jacobs + +Release Date: January 10, 2011 [EBook #34904] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER *** + + + + +Produced by Michael McDermott, from scans obtained at the +Internet Archive + + + + + +WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER + +WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES + +VOLUME II + +PHILADELPHIA +A. J. HOLMAN Company +1916 + +Copyright, 1915, by +A. J. HOLMAN Company + +WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER + +CONTENTS + + A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT + AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS (1519). + Introduction (J. J. Schindel) + Translation (J. J. Schindel) + A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN (1520). + Introduction (J. J. Schindel) + Translation (J. J. Schindel) + AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY (1520). + Introduction (C. M. Jacobs) + Translation (C. M. Jacobs) + THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH (1520). + Introduction (A. T. W. Steinhaeuser) + Translation (A. T. W. Steinhaeuser) + A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY (1520). + Introduction (W. A. Lambert) + Translation (W. A. Lambert) + A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, + THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER (1520). + Introduction (C. M. Jacobs) + Translation (C. M. Jacobs) + THE EIGHT WITTENBERG SERMONS (1522). + Introduction (A. Steimle) + Translation (A. Steimle) + THAT DOCTRINES OF MEN ARE TO BE REJECTED (1522). + Introduction (W. A. Lambert) + Translation (W. A. Lambert) + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY AND TRUE BODY +OF CHRIST AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS + +1519 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +This treatise belongs to a series of four which appeared in the latter +half of the year 1519, the others treating of the Ban, Penance, and +Baptism. The latter two with our treatise form a trilogy which Luther +dedicates to the Duchess Margaret of Braunschweig and Luneburg. + +He undertakes the work, as he says, "because there are so many +troubled and distressed ones--and I myself have had the +experience--who do not know what the holy sacraments, full of all +grace, are, nor how to use them, but, alas! presume upon quieting +their consciences with their works, instead of seeking peace in God's +grace through the holy sacrament; so completely are the holy +sacraments obscured and withdrawn from us by the teaching of men."[1] + +In a letter to Spalatin[2] of December 18, 1519, he says that no one +need expect treatises from him on the other sacraments, since he +cannot acknowledge them as such. + +A copy from the press of John Grunenberg of Wittenberg reached Duke +George of Saxony by December 24, 1519, who on December 27th already +entered his protest against it with the Elector Frederick and the +Bishops of Meissen and Merseburg[3]. Duke George took exception +particularly to Luther's advocacy of the two kinds in the +Communion[4]. This statement of Luther, however, was but incidental to +his broad and rich treatment of the subject of the treatise. + +It was Luther's first extended statement of his view of the Lord's +Supper. As such it is very significant, not only because of what he +says, but also because of what he does not say. There is no reference +at all to that which was then distinctive of the Church's doctrine, +the sacrifice of the mass. Luther has already abandoned this position, +but is either too loyal a church-man to attack it or has not as yet +found an evangelical interpretation of the idea of sacrifice in the +mass, such as he gives us in the later treatise on the New +Testament[5]. However, already in this treatise he gives us the +antidote for the false doctrine of sacrifice in the emphasis laid upon +faith, on which all depends[6]. The object of this faith, however, is +not yet stated to be the promise of the forgiveness of sins contained +in the Words of Institution, which are a new and eternal testament[7]. + +The treatise shows the influence of the German mystics[8] on Luther's +thought, but much more of the Scriptures which furnish him with +argument and illustration for his mystical conceptions. Christ's +natural body is made of less importance than the spiritual body[9], +the communion of saints; just as in the later treatise on the New +Testament the stress is placed on the Words of Institution with their +promise of the forgiveness of sins. Luther does not try to explain +philosophically what is inexplicable, but is content to accept on +faith the act of the presence of Christ in the sacrament, "how and +where,--we leave to Him."[10] + +Of interest is the emphasis on the spiritual body, the communion of +saints. Luther knows that although excommunication is exclusion from +external communion, it is not necessarily exclusion from real +spiritual communion with Christ and His saints[11]. No wonder, then, +that he can later treat the papal bull with so much indifference; it +cannot exclude him from the communion of saints. + +The treatise consists of three main divisions: sections 1 to 3 +treating of the outward sign of the sacrament; sections 4 to 16, of +the inner significance; sections 17 to 22, of faith. Added to this is +the appendix on the subject of the brotherhoods or sodalities, +associations of laymen or charitable and devotional purposes. Of these +there were many at this time, Wittenberg alone being reported as +having twenty-one. Luther objects not only to their immoral conduct, +but also to the spiritual pride which they engendered. He finds in the +communion of saints the fundamental brotherhood instituted in the holy +sacrament, the common brotherhood of all saints. + +The modern world needs to have these truths driven home anew, and, +barring a few scholastic phrases here and there, cannot find them +better expressed than in the remarkably elevated and devotional +language of Luther in this treatise. + +The text of the treatise is found in the following editions: Weimar +Ed., vol. ii, 742; Erlangen Ed., vol. xxvii, 28; Walch Ed., Vol. xix, +522; St. Louis Ed., xix, 426; Clemen, vol. i, 196; Berlin Ed., vol. +iii, 259. + +Literature besides that mentioned: + +Tschackert, _Enstehung der lutherischen und reformierten +Kirchenlehre_, 1910, pp. 174-176. + +K. Thieme, _Entwicklung und Bedeutung der Sakramentslehre Luthers_, +Neueu Kirchl. Zeitschrift, XII (1901), Nos. 10 and 11. + +F. Graebke, _Die Konstruktion der Abendmahlslehre Luthers in ihre +Entwicklung dargestellt_, Leipzig 1908. + + J. J. SCHINDEL. + +Allentown, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + +[1] See Clemen, 1, p. 175. + +[2] Enders, II, no. 254. Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, no. +206. + +[3] Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchenpolitik Herzog Georgs von +Sachsen_, Leipzig, 1905. + +[4] See below, p. 9. + +[5] In this edition, Vol. I, pp. 294-336. See especially pp. 312 ff. + +[6] See below, pp. 19, 25. + +[7] _Treatise on the New Testament_, Vol. I, pp. 297 ff. + +[8] See Kostlin, _Luther's Theologie_, I, 292 f.; also Hering, _Die +Mystik Luthers_, Leipzig, 1879, pp. 171-174. + +[9] See below, p. 23. + +[10] See below, p.20. + +[11] See _Treatise concerning the Ban_, below, p. 37. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY AND TRUE BODY +OF CHRIST AND CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS + +1519 + + + +1. Like the sacrament of holy baptism[1] the holy sacrament of the +altar, or of the holy and true body of Christ, has three parts which +it is necessary or us to know. The first is the sacrament, or sign, +the second is the significance of this sacrament, the third is the +faith required by both of these; the three parts which must be found +in every sacrament. The sacrament must be external and visible, and +have some material form; the significance must be internal and +spiritual, within the spirit of man; faith must apply and use both +these. + +[Sidenote: The First Part of the Sacrament: the Sign] + +2. The sacrament, or outward sign, is in the form of bread and wine, +just as baptism has as its sign water; although the sign is not simply +the form of bread and wine, but the use of the bread and wine in +eating and drinking, just as the water of baptism is used by immersion +or by pouring. For the sacrament, or sign, must be received, or must +at least be desired, if it is to work a blessing. Although at present +the two kinds are not given the people daily, as of old,--nor is this +necessary,--yet the priesthood partakes of it daily in the sight of +the people, and it is enough that the people desire it daily and +receive one kind at the proper time, as the Christian Church ordains +and offers[2]. + +3. I deem it well, however, that the Church in a general council +should again decree[3] that all persons, as well as the priests, be +given both kinds. Not that one kind were insufficient, since indeed +the simple desire of faith suffices, as St. Augustine says: "Why +preparest thou stomach and teeth? Only believe and thou hast already +partaken of the sacrament";[4] but because it would be meet and right +that the form, or sign, of the sacrament be given not in part only, +but in its entirety, just as I have said of baptism[5] that it were +more fitting to immerse than to pour the water, for the sake of the +completeness and perfection of the sign. For this sacrament signifies +the complete union and the undivided fellowship of the saints, as we +shall see, and this is poorly and unfittingly indicated by only one +part of the sacrament. Nor is there as great a danger in the use of +the cup as is supposed, since the people seldom go to this sacrament, +and Christ was well aware of all future dangers[6], and yet saw it to +institute both kinds or the use of all His Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Second Part of the Sacrament: the Significance] + +4. The significance or purpose of this sacrament is the fellowship of +all saints, whence it derives its common name _synaxis_ or _communio_, +that is, fellowship; and _communicare_ means to take part in this +fellowship, or as we say, to go to the sacrament, because Christ and +all saints are one spiritual body, just as the inhabitants of a city +are one community and body, each citizen being a member of the other +and a member of the entire city. All the saints, therefore, are +members of Christ and of the Church, which is a spiritual and eternal +city of God, and whoever is taken into this city is said to be +received into the community of saints, and to be incorporated into +Christ's spiritual body and made a member of Him. On the other hand, +_excommunicare_ means to put out of the community and to sever a +member from this body, and that is called in our language "putting one +under the ban"; yet there is a difference, as I shall show in the +following treatise, concerning the ban[4]. + +To receive the bread and wine of this sacrament, then, is nothing else +than to receive a sure sign of this fellowship and incorporation with +Christ and all saints. As though a citizen were given a sign, a +document, or some other token as a proof that he is a citizen of the +city, a member of the community. Even so St. Paul says: "We are all +one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of one bread and of +one cup." [1 Cor. 10:17] + +5. This fellowship is of such a nature that all the spiritual +possessions of Christ and His saints[8] are imparted and communicated +to him who receives this sacrament; again, all his sufferings and sins +are communicated to them, and thus love engenders love and unites all. +To carry out our homely figure: it is like a city where every citizen +shares with all the others the name, honor, freedom, trade, customs, +usages, help, support, protection and the like, of that city, and on +the other hand shares all the danger of fire and flood, enemies and +death, losses, imposts and the like. For he who would have part in the +common profits must also share in the losses, and ever recompense love +with love. Here we see that whoever wrongs a citizen wrongs the entire +city and all the citizens; whoever benefits one deserves favor and +thanks from all the others. So, too, in our natural body, as St. Paul +says in i Corinthians xii, where this sacrament is given a spiritual +explanation: the members have a care one or another; whether one +member suffer, all the members suffer with it; whether one member be +honored, all the members rejoice with it. [1 Cor. 12:25 f.] It is +apparent then that if any one's foot hurts him, nay, even the smallest +toe, the eye at once looks toward it, the fingers grasp it, the face +frowns, the whole body bends to it, and all are concerned with this +small member; on the other hand, if it is cared for, all the other +members rejoice. This figure must be well weighed if one wishes to +understand this sacrament; for the Scriptures employ it or the sake of +the unlearned. + +6. In this sacrament, therefore, God Himself gives through the priest +a sure sign to man, to show that, in like manner, he shall be united +with Christ and His saints and have all things in common with them; +that Christ's sufferings and life shall be his own, together with the +lives and sufferings of all the saints, so that whoever does him an +injury does injury to Christ and all the saints, as He says by the +prophet, "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of My eye" [Zech. +2:8]; on the other hand, whoever does him a kindness does it to Christ +and all His saints, as He says, "What ye have done unto one of the +least of My brethren, that ye have done unto Me." [Matt. 25:40] Again, +he must be willing to share all the burdens and misfortunes of Christ +and His saints, their sorrow and joy. These two sides of the +fellowship we shall consider more fully. + +7. Now, adversity assails us in more than one form. There is, in the +first place, the sin remaining in our flesh after baptism, the +inclination to anger, hatred, pride and unchastity, and so forth, +which assails us as long as we live. Against this we not only need the +help of the congregation and of Christ, in order that they may fight +with us against it, but it is also necessary that Christ and His +saints intercede or us before God, that sin may not be accounted to us +according to God's strict judgment. Therefore, in order to give us +strength and courage against these sins, God gives us this sacrament, +as though He said: "Behold, many kinds of sin assail thee; take this +sign by which I give thee My pledge that sin assails not only thee but +My Son Christ, and all His saints in heaven and on earth. Therefore, +be bold and confident; thou fightest not alone; great help and support +are round about thee." King David, also, says of this bread: "The +bread strengtheneth man's heart" [Ps. 104:15]; and the Scriptures in +other places characterize this sacrament as a strengthening. So in +Acts ix it is written of St. Paul that he was baptised and when he had +received meat, he was strengthened. [Acts 9:19] In the second place, +the evil spirit assails us unceasingly with many sins and afflictions. +In the third place, the world is full of wickedness and entices and +persecutes us and is altogether bad. Finally, our own guilty +conscience assails us with our past sins, with the fear of death, and +with the pains of hell. All of these afflictions make us weary and +weaken us, unless we seek and find strength in this fellowship. + +8. If any one be in despair, if he be distressed by his sinful +conscience or terrified by death, or have any other burden on his +heart, and desire to be rid of them all, let him go joyfully to the +sacrament of the altar and lay down his grief in the midst of the +congregation and seek help from the entire company of the spiritual +body; just as when a citizen whose property has suffered injury or +misfortune at the hands of his enemies makes complaint to his town +council and fellow citizens and asks them for help. Therefore, the +immeasurable grace and mercy of God are given us in this sacrament, +that we may there lay down all misery and tribulation and put it on +the congregation, and especially on Christ, and may joyfully +strengthen and comfort ourselves and say: "Though I am a sinner and +have fallen, though this or that misfortune has befallen me, I will go +to the sacrament to receive a sign from God that I have on my side +Christ's righteousness, He and sufferings, with all holy angels and +all the blessed in heaven, and all pious men on earth. If I die, I am +not alone in death; if I suffer, they suffer with me. I have shared +all my misfortune with Christ and the saints, since I have a sure sign +of their love toward me." Lo, this is the benefit to be derived from +this sacrament, this is the use we should make of it; then the heart +cannot but rejoice and be comforted. + +9. When you have partaken of this sacrament, therefore, or desire to +partake of it, you must in turn also share the misfortunes of the +congregation, as was said[9]. But what are these? Christ in heaven and +the angels together with all the saints have no misfortunes of their +own, save when injury is done to the truth and to God's Word; yea, as +we said, every bane and blessing of all the saints on earth affects +them. There your heart must go out in love and devotion and learn that +this sacrament is a sacrament of love, and that love and service are +given you and you again must render love and service to Christ and His +needy ones. You must feel with sorrow all the dishonor done to Christ +in His holy Word, all the misery of Christendom, all the unjust +suffering of the innocent, with which the world is everywhere filled +to overflowing: you must fight, work, pray, and, if you cannot do +more, have heartfelt sympathy. That is bearing in your turn the +misfortune and adversity of Christ and His saints. Here the saying of +Paul applies. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of +Christ." [Gal. 6:2] Lo, thus you uphold them all, thus they all again +in turn uphold you, and all things are in common, both good and evil. +Then all things become easy, and the evil spirit cannot prevail +against such a community. When Christ instituted the sacrament He +said: "This is My body which is given for you, this is My blood which +is shed for you; as oft as ye do this, remember Me." [Luke 22:19 f.] +As though He said: "I am the Head, I will first give Myself for you, +will make your suffering and misfortune Mine own and bear it for you, +that you in your turn may do the same or Me and for one another, have +all things in common in Me and with Me, and let this sacrament be unto +you a sure token of this all, that you may not forget Me, but daily +call to mind and admonish one another by what I have done or you and +still am doing, that you may be strengthened thereby, and also bear +with one another." + +10. This is also a reason, indeed the chief reason, why this sacrament +is received many times, while baptism is administered but once. +Baptism is the beginning and entrance to a new life, in the course of +which boundless adversities assail us through sins and suffering, our +own and those of others. The devil, the world and our own flesh and +conscience, as was said[10] never cease to pursue us and oppress us. +Therefore we need the strength, support and help of Christ and of His +saints, which are pledged us in this sacrament as by a sure token, by +which we are made one with them and are incorporated with them, and +all our suffering is laid down in the midst of the congregation. +Therefore, this holy sacrament is of little or no benefit to those who +have no misfortune or anxiety or do not feel their adversity. For it +is given only to those who need strength and comfort, who have timid +hearts and terrified consciences, and who are assailed by sin, or have +even fallen into sin. What could it do or untroubled and falsely +secure spirits, which neither need nor desire it? For the Mother of +God[11] says, "He filleth only the hungry, and comforteth them that +are distressed." [Luke 1:53] + +11. That the disciples, therefore, might by all means be worthy and +well prepared for this sacrament He first made them sorrowful, held +before them His departure and death, by which they were exceeding +troubled. And then He greatly terrified them when He said that one of +them should betray Him. [Matt. 25:21 ff.] When they were thus full of +sorrow and anxiety and were concerned about the sorrow and sin of +betrayal, then they were worthy, and He gave them His holy Body to +strengthen them. By which He teaches us that this sacrament is +strength and comfort for those whom sin and evil trouble and distress; +as St. Augustine also says[12], "This food demands only hungry souls +and is shunned by none so greatly as by a sated soul which does not +need it." Just as the Jews were required to eat the Passover with +bitter herbs, standing and in haste, which also signifies that this +sacrament demands souls that are desirous, needy and sorrowful. Now if +one will make the afflictions of Christ and of all Christians his own, +will defend the truth, oppose unrighteousness, help bear the need of +the innocent and the sufferings of all Christians, he will find +affliction and adversity enough, besides that which his evil nature, +the world, the devil and sin daily inflict upon him. And it is God's +will and purpose to set so many hounds upon us and drive us, and +everywhere provide us bitter herbs, that we may long for this strength +and take delight in the holy sacrament, and thus be worthy of it, that +is, desire it. + +12. It is His will, then, that we partake of it frequently, in order +that we may remember Him and exercise ourselves in this fellowship +according to His example. For if His example were no longer kept +before us, the fellowship also would soon be forgotten. So we at +present see to our sorrow that many masses are held and yet the +Christian fellowship which should be preached, practiced and kept +before us by Christ's example has quite perished; so that we hardly +know what purpose this sacrament serves, or how it should be used, +nay, with our masses we frequently destroy this fellowship and pervert +everything. This is the fault of the preachers who do not preach the +Gospel nor the sacraments, but their humanly devised fables concerning +the many works[13] to be done and the ways to live aright. + +But in times past this sacrament was so properly used, and the people +were taught to understand this fellowship so well, that they even +gathered material food and goods[14] in the church and there +distributed them among those who were in need, as St. Paul writes [1 +Cor. 11:21]. Of this we have a relic in the word "collect,"[15] which +still remains in the mass, and means a general collection, just as a +common fund is gathered to be given to the poor. That was the time +when so many became martyrs and saints. There were fewer masses, but +much strength and blessing resulted from the masses; Christians cared +for one another, assisted one another, sympathized with one another, +bore one another's burden and affliction. This has all disappeared, +and there remain only the many masses and the many who receive this +sacrament without in the least understanding or practicing what it +signifies. + +13. There are those, indeed, who would share the benefits but not the +cost, that is, who gladly hear in this sacrament that the help, +fellowship and assistance of all the saints are promised and given to +them, but who, because they fear the world, are unwilling in their +turn to contribute to this fellowship, to help the poor, to endure +sins, to care for the sick, to suffer with the suffering, to intercede +for others, to defend the truth, to seek the reformation of the Church +and of all Christians at the risk of life, property and honor. They +are unwilling to suffer disfavor, harm, shame or death, although it is +God's will that they be driven, for the sake of the truth and their +neighbors, to desire the great grace and strength of this sacrament. +They are self-seeking persons, whom this sacrament does not benefit. +Just as we could not endure a citizen who wanted to be helped, +protected and made free by the community, and yet in his turn would do +nothing for it nor serve it. No, we on our part must make others' evil +our own, if we desire Christ and His saints to make our evil their +own; then will the fellowship be complete and justice be done to the +sacrament. For the sacrament has no blessing and significance unless +love grows daily and so changes a man that he is made one with all +others. + +14. To symbolize this fellowship, God has appointed such signs of the +sacrament as in every way serve this purpose and by their very form +incite and move us to this fellowship. Just as the bread is made out +of many grains which have been ground and mixed together, and out of +the many bodies of grain there comes the one body of the bread, in +which each grain loses its form and body and acquires the common body +of the bread, and as the drops of wine losing their own form become +the body of one wine: so should it be with us, and is, indeed, if we +use this sacrament aright. Christ with all saints, by His love, takes +upon Himself our form, fights with us against sin, death and all evil +[Phil. 2:7]; this enkindles in us such love that we take His form, +rely upon His righteousness, life and blessedness, and through the +interchange of His blessings and our misfortunes are one loaf, one +bread, one body, one drink, and have all things in common. This is a +great sacrament,[Eph. 5:32][16] says Paul, that Christ and the Church +are one flesh and bone [Eph. 5:31]. Again, through this same love are +to be changed and to make the infirmities of all other Christians our +own, take upon ourselves their form and their necessity and make +theirs all the good that is within our power, that they may enjoy it +[Judg. 9:2]. That is a real fellowship, and that is the true +significance of this sacrament. In this way we are changed into one +another and are brought into fellowship with one another by love, +without which there can be no such change. + +15. He appointed this twofold form, bread and wine, rather than any +other, as a further indication of the union and fellowship in this +sacrament. For there is no more intimate, deep and inseparable union +than the union of the food with him who partakes of it, since the food +enters into and is assimilated with his very nature and becomes one +with his being. Other unions, effected by means of nails, glue, cords +and the like, do not make one indivisible substance of the objects +joined together. In the sacrament we become united with Christ, and +are made one body with all the saints, so that He concerns Himself for +us, acts in our behalf, as though He were what we are--what concerns +us concerns Him as much as us, and even more than us; and, on the +other hand, that we also concern ourselves or Him, as though we were +what He is, as indeed we shall finally be, when we are conformed to +His likeness, as St. John says, "We know that when He shall appear we +shall be like Him" [1 John 3:2]; so complete is the fellowship of +Christ and all the saints with us. Our sins assail Him, His +righteousness protects us; for the union makes all things common, +until at last He completely destroys sin in us and makes us like unto +Himself, at the last day. In like manner, by the same love we are to +be united with our neighbors, we in them and they in us. + +16. In addition to this, He did not appoint this twofold form by +itself, but gave His true natural flesh, in the bread, and His natural +and true blood, in the wine, that He might give us a really perfect +sacrament or sign. For just as the bread is changed[17] into His true +natural body and the wine into His true natural blood, so truly are we +also drawn and changed into the spiritual body, that is, into the +fellowship of Christ and all saints, and put by this sacrament in +possession of all the virtues and mercies of Christ and His saints; as +was said above[18] of a citizen who is taken and incorporated into the +city and the protection and freedom of the entire community. +Therefore He instituted not simply the one form, but the two separate +forms, His flesh under the bread, His blood under the wine, to +indicate that not only His life and good works, which are represented +by His flesh and which He accomplished in His flesh, but also His +passion and martyrdom, which are represented by His blood and in which +He shed His blood, are all our own, and by being drawn into this +fellowship we may use and enjoy them. + +17. All this makes it clear that this holy sacrament is naught else +than a divine sign, in which Christ and all saints are pledged, +granted and imparted, with all their works, sufferings, merits, +mercies and possessions, or the comfort and strengthening of all who +are in anxiety and sorrow, and are persecuted by the devil, sin, the +world, the flesh and every evil; and that to receive the sacrament is +nothing else than to desire all this and firmly to believe that it +shall be done. + +[Sidenote: The Third part of the Sacrament: Faith] + +There follows the third part of the sacrament, that is faith, on which +all depends. For it is not enough to know what the sacrament is and +signifies. It is not enough that you know it is a fellowship and a +gracious exchange or blending of our sin and suffering with the +righteousness of Christ and His saints; you must also desire it and +firmly believe that you have received it. Here the devil and our own +nature wage their fiercest fight, that faith may by no means stand +firm. There are those who practice their arts and subtleties to such +an extent that they ask where the bread remains when it is changed +into Christ's flesh, and the wine when it is changed into His blood; +also in what manner the whole Christ, His flesh and His blood, can be +comprehended in so small a portion of bread and wine. What does it +matter? It is enough to know that it is a divine sign, in which +Christ's flesh and blood are truly present--how and where, we leave to +Him.[19] + +18. See to it that you exercise and strengthen your faith, so that +when you are sorrowful or your sins afflict you and you go to the +sacrament or hear mass, you do so with a hearty desire for this +sacrament and for what it means, and doubt not that you have what the +sacrament signifies, that is, that you are certain Christ and all His +saints come to you bringing all their virtues, sufferings and mercies, +to live, work, suffer and die with you, and be wholly yours, to have +all things in common with you. If you will exercise and strengthen this +faith, you will experience what a rich and joyous wedding-supper and +festival your God has prepared upon the altar or you. Then you will +understand what the great feast of King Ahasuerus signifies [Esth. +1:5], you will see what that wedding is for which God has slain His +oxen and fatlings, as it is written in the Gospel [Matt. 22:2 ff.], +and your heart will grow right free and confident, strong and +courageous, against all enemies. For who will fear any calamity if he +is sure that Christ and all His saints are with Him and share all +things, evil or good, in common with him? So we read that the +disciples of Christ broke this bread and ate with great gladness of +heart. Since, then, this work is so great that our insignificant +souls dare not desire it, to say nothing of hoping for or expecting it, +it is necessary and profitable to go often to the sacrament, or at +least in the daily mass to exercise and strengthen this faith, on +which all depends and or the sake of which it was instituted. For if +you doubt[20] you do God the greatest dishonor and regard Him as +unfaithful and a liar. If you cannot believe, pray for faith, as was +said above in the other treatise[21]. + +19. See to it also that you make yourself a fellow of every man and by +no means exclude any one in hatred or anger; for this sacrament of +fellowship, love and unity cannot tolerate discord and dissension. You +must let the infirmities and needs of others burden your heart, as +though they were your own, and offer them your strength, as though it +were their own, as Christ does for you in the sacrament. That is what +we mean by being changed into one another through love, out of many +particles becoming one bread and drink, giving up one's own form and +taking one that belongs to all.[22] + +For this reason slanderers and those who wickedly judge and despise +others cannot but receive death in the sacrament, as St. Paul writes +[1 Cor. 11:29]. For they do not unto their neighbor what they seek +from Christ and what the sacrament indicates; they wish them no good, +have no sympathy with them, do not receive them as they desire to be +received by Christ, and then all into such blindness that they do not +know what else to do in this sacrament except to fear and honor Christ +in the sacrament with their prayers and devotion. When they have done +this they think they have done their whole duty, although Christ has +given His body for this purpose, that the significance of the +sacrament, that is, fellowship and mutual love, may be put into +practice, and His own natural body be less regarded than His spiritual +body,[23] which is the fellowship of His saints. What concerns Him +most, especially in this sacrament, is that faith in the fellowship +with Him and with His saints may be rightly exercised and become +strong in us, and that we, in accordance with it, may rightly exercise +our fellowship with one another. This purpose of Christ they do not +perceive and, in their devoutness, they daily say and hear mass, and +remain every day the same; nay, become worse daily, and mark it not. + +Therefore take heed; it is more needful that you discern the spiritual +than that you discern the natural body of Christ, and faith in the +spiritual is more needful than faith in the natural. For the natural +without the spiritual profiteth us nothing in this sacrament; a +change[24] must occur and manifest itself through love. + +20. There are many who, regardless of this change of love and faith, +rely upon the fact that the mass or the sacrament is, as they say, +_opus gratum opere operato_, that is, a work which of itself pleases +God, even though they who perform it do not please Him. From this they +conclude that, however unworthily masses are said, it is none the less +a good thing to have many masses, since the harm comes to those who +say or use them unworthily. I grant every one his opinion, but such +fables please me not. For, if you desire to speak thus, there is no +creature nor work that does not of itself please God, as is written, +"God saw all His works and they pleased Him." [Gen. 1:31] What good +can result therefrom, if one misuse bread, wine, gold, and every good +creature, though of themselves they are pleasing to God? Nay, +condemnation is the result. So too, here: the more precious the +sacrament, the greater the harm which comes upon the whole +congregation from its misuse. For it was not instituted or its own +sake, that it might please God, but for our sake, that we might use it +rightly, exercise our faith by it, and by it become pleasing to God. +If it is merely an _opus operatum_[25], it works only harm; it must +become an _opus operantis_[26]. Just as bread and wine work only harm +if they are not used, no matter how much they please God of +themselves; so it is not enough that the sacrament be prepared (that +is, _opus operatum_), it must also be used in faith (that is, _opus +operantis_). And we must take heed lest with such dangerous glosses +our minds be turned away from the sacrament's power and virtue, and +faith perish entirely through such false security in the outwardly +completed sacrament. All this results because they give heed in this +sacrament to Christ's natural body more than to the fellowship, the +spiritual body. Christ on the cross was also a completed work[27], +which was well-pleasing to God; but the Jews unto this day have found +it a stumbling block, for the reason that they did not make of it a +work that must be used in faith[28]. See to it, then, that the +sacrament be or you an _opus operantis_, that is, a work that is made +use of, and that it be well-pleasing to God, not because of what it is +in itself, but because of your faith and your right use of it. The +Word of God is also of itself pleasing to God, but it is harmful to me +when it does not please God also within me. In short, such expressions +as _opus operatum_ and _opus operantis_ are nothing but useless words +of men, more of a hindrance than a help. And who could tell all the +abominable abuses and misbeliefs which daily multiply about this +blessed sacrament, although some of them are so spiritual and holy +that they might almost lead an angel astray? Briefly, whoever would +understand the abuses need only keep before him the aforesaid use and +faith of this sacrament; namely, that there must be a sorrowing, +hungry soul, desiring heartily the love, help, and support of the +entire communion of Christ and of all saints, doubting not that in +faith it obtains them, and then, on the other hand, making itself one +with everyone. Whoever does not thus direct and order the hearing or +reading of masses and the reception of the sacrament, errs and does +not use this sacrament to his salvation. For this reason also the +world is overwhelmed with pestilences, wars and other horrible +plagues[29], since with our many masses we only call upon us the more +disfavor. + +21. We see now how necessary this sacrament is for those who must face +death, or other dangers of body and soul, since they are not let alone +in them, but are strengthened in the communion of Christ and all +saints. Therefore also Christ instituted it and gave it to His +disciples in their extreme need and danger. Since we are all daily +surrounded by all kinds of danger, and must at last die, we should +humbly and heartily and with all our powers thank the God of all mercy +for giving us a gracious sign, by which, if we hold fast thereto by +faith. He leads and draws us through death and every danger to +Himself, to Christ, and to all saints. + +Therefore it is also profitable and necessary that the love and +fellowship of Christ and all saints be hidden, invisible and +spiritual, and that only a bodily, visible and outward sign of it be +given us. For were this love, fellowship and help known to all, like +the temporal fellowship of men, we should not be strengthened nor +trained thereby to put our trust in the invisible and eternal things, +or to desire them, but should much rather be trained to put our trust +only in the temporal, visible things and to become so accustomed to +them as to be unwilling to let them go and to follow God onward; we +should thus be prevented from ever coming to Him, if we followed God +only so far as visible and tangible things led us. For everything of +time and sense must fall away, and we must learn to do without them, +if we are to come to God. + +Therefore the mass and this sacrament are a sign by which we train and +accustom ourselves to let go all visible love, help, and comfort, and +to trust in Christ and in the invisible love, help, and comfort of His +saints. For death takes away everything visible, and separates us from +men and temporal things; hence, to meet death, we must have the help +of the invisible and eternal things; and these are indicated to us in +the sacrament and sign, to which we cling by faith, until we attain to +them also by sight. Thus the sacrament is or us a ford, a bridge, a +door, a ship, and a litter, in which and by which we pass from this +world into eternal life. Therefore all depends on faith. He who does +not believe is like one who must cross the sea, but is so timid that +he does not trust the ship; and so he must remain and never be saved, +because he does not embark and cross over. This is due to our +dependence on the senses and to our untried faith which shrinks from +the passage across the Jordan of death--the devil also cruelly helps +toward this. + +22. This was indicated of old in Joshua iii [Josh. 3:7 ff.]. After the +children of Israel had gone dry-shod through the Red Sea, a type of +baptism, they went through Jordan in like manner; but the priests +stood with the ark in Jordan, and the water below them lowed by, while +that above them stood upon a heap, a type of this sacrament. The +priests carry and uphold the ark in Jordan when in the hour of our +death or peril they preach and administer to us this sacrament, +Christ, and the fellowship of all saints. I we believe, the waters +below us depart, that is, the temporal, visible things harm us not, +but flee from us. And those above us stand up high, as though they +would overwhelm us; these are the horrors and apparitions of the other +world, which at the hour of death terrify us. If, however, we pay no +heed to them, and pass on with a firm faith, we shall enter into +eternal life dry-shod and unharmed. + +We have, therefore, two principal sacraments in the church, baptism +and the bread. Baptism leads us into a new life on earth; the bread +guides us through death into eternal life. And the two are typified by +the Red Sea and the Jordan, and by the two lands, one beyond and one +on this side the Jordan. Therefore our Lord said at the Last Supper: +"I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day +when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." [Matt. 26:29] So +entirely is this sacrament intended and ordained to strengthen us +against death, and to give us entrance into eternal life. + +Finally, the blessing of this sacrament is fellowship and love, by +which we are strengthened against death and all evil. This fellowship +is twofold: on the one hand we partake of Christ and all saints, on +the other hand we permit all Christians to be partakers of us, in +whatever way they and we are able; so that by this sacrament all +self-seeking love is uprooted and gives place to love which seeks the +common good of all, and through this mutual love there is one bread, +one drink, one body, one community,--that is the true union of +Christian brethren. Now let us see how the pretentious brotherhoods, +of which there are now so many, measure up to this and resemble it. + +CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOODS.[30] + +1. First, let us consider the evil practices of the brotherhoods. One +of these is their gluttony and drunkenness,--one or more masses are +held[31], afterward the entire day and night, and other days besides, +are given over to the devil, and they do only what displeases God. +Such mad reveling has been introduced by the evil spirit, and is +called a brotherhood, whereas it is rather a debauch and altogether a +heathenish, nay, swinish mode of life. There would far better be no +brotherhoods in the world than that such an abomination should be +permitted. Temporal lords and cities should unite with the clergy in +abolishing it. For God, the saints, and all Christians are greatly +dishonored thereby, and the divine services and feast-days made a +sport for the devil. Saints' days should be kept and hallowed with +good works; and the brotherhood should also be a special treasury of +good works; instead it has become a treasury of beer money. What have +the names of Our Lady, of St. Anne, St. Sebastian[32], or other saints +to do with your brotherhoods, in which you have nothing but gluttony, +drunkenness, squandering of money, howling, yelling, chattering, +dancing and wasting of time? If a sow were made the patron saint of +such a brotherhood she would not consent. Why then do they afflict the +dear saints so sorely by taking their names in vain in such shameful +practices and sins, and by dishonoring and blaspheming the +brotherhoods named after them with such evil practices? Woe unto them +who do and permit this! + +2. If men desire to maintain a brotherhood, they should gather +provisions, and feed and serve a tableful or two of poor people, for +the sake of God; the day previous they should fast, and on the +feast-day remain sober, and pass the time in prayer and other good +works. Then God and His saints would be truly honored; this would lead +to better conditions, and a good example would be given others. Or +they should gather the money which they intended to squander or drink +and form a common treasury, each trade[33] by itself, so that needy +fellow-workmen might be assisted, or be lent money, or a young couple +of that trade might be fitted out respectably from the common +treasury: these would be true works of brotherhood, which would make +God and His saints look with pleasure upon the brotherhoods, of which +they would then gladly be the patrons. But where they are unwilling to +do this, and follow after the old mummery, I admonish that it be not +done on the saints' day's, nor in the name of the saints or of the +brotherhood. Let them take some other weekday and leave off the names +of the saints and of their brotherhoods, lest the saints at some time +mark it with disapproval. Although there is no day which is not +dishonored by such doings, at least the festivals and the names of the +saints should be spared. For such brotherhoods call themselves +brotherhoods of the saints while they do the work of the devil. + +3. Another evil feature of the brotherhoods is of a spiritual nature; +it is a false opinion of themselves, in that they think their +brotherhood is to be a benefit to no one but to themselves,--to those +who are members and are on the roll or contribute. This damnably +wicked opinion is an even worse evil than the first, and is one of the +reasons why God has brought it about that the brotherhoods are +becoming such a mockery and blasphemy of God through gluttony, +drunkenness and the like. For there they learn to seek their own good, +to love themselves, to be faithful only to one another, to despise +others, to think themselves better than others and presume to stand +higher before God than others. And thus perishes the communion of +saints, the Christian love, and the true brotherhood, established in +the holy sacrament. Thus a selfish love grows in them; that is, by +these many external work-brotherhoods they oppose and destroy the one, +inner, spiritual, essential, common brotherhood of all saints. + +When God sees this perverted state of affairs, He perverts it still +more, as is written in Psalm xviii[34], "With the perverse thou wilt +be perverted" [Ps. 18:26]; and He brings it to pass that they make +themselves and their brotherhoods a mockery and a disgrace, and He +casts them out from the common brotherhood of saints, which they +oppose and do not make common cause with, into their brotherhood of +gluttony, drunkenness and unchastity, so that they, who have neither +sought nor thought of anything more than their own, may find their +own; and then He blinds them that they do not recognize it as an +abomination and disgrace, but adorn their unseemliness with the names +of saints, as though they were doing right; beyond this He lets some +fall into so deep an abyss that they openly boast and say whoever is +in their brotherhood cannot be condemned, as though baptism and the +sacrament, instituted by God Himself, were of less worth and were less +certain than that which they have thought out with their darkened +minds. Therefore their God will dishonor and blind those who, with +their mad conduct and the swinish practices of their brotherhoods, +mock and blaspheme His easts, His name, and His saints, to the injury +of the common Christian brotherhood, which flowed from the wounds of +Christ. + +4. Therefore, for the right understanding and use of the brotherhoods, +one must learn to distinguish rightly between brotherhoods. The first +is the divine, the heavenly, the noblest, which surpasses all others, +as gold surpasses copper or lead--the fellowship of all saints, of +which we spoke above[35]. In this we are all brothers and sisters, so +closely united that a closer relationship cannot be conceived, for +here we have one baptism, one Christ, one sacrament, one food, one +Gospel, one faith, one Spirit, one spiritual body, and each is a +member of the other; no other brotherhood is so close. For natural +brothers are, to be sure, brothers of one flesh and blood, of one +heritage and home, but they must separate and join themselves to +others' blood and heritage[36]. Organized brotherhoods have one roll, +one mass, one kind of good works, one festival day, one treasury, and, +as things are now, their common beer, common feast and common debauch, +but none of these binds men so closely together as to produce one +spirit, for that is done by Christ's brotherhood alone. + +Since, then, the greater, broader and more embracing Christ's +brotherhood is, the better it is, therefore all other brotherhoods +should be so conducted as to keep this first and noblest brotherhood +constantly before their eyes, to regard it alone as great, and with +all their works to seek nothing for themselves, but do them for God's +sake, to entreat God that He keep and prosper this Christian +fellowship and brotherhood from day to day. Hence, when a brotherhood +is formed, they should let it be seen that its members outstrip other +persons in order to do Christianity some special service with their +prayers, fastings, alms and good works, and not in order to seek +selfish profit or reward, nor to exclude others, but to serve as the +free servants of the whole community of Christians. + +If men had such a correct conception, God would restore good order, so +that the brotherhoods might not be brought to shame by debauchery. +Then God's blessing would follow, so that a general fund might be +gathered, with which other men also might be given material aid; then +the spiritual and bodily works of the brotherhoods would be done in +their proper order. Whoever will not follow this method in his +brotherhood I advise to flee from it and let the brotherhood alone; it +will do him harm in body and soul. + +But if you say, If the brotherhood is not to give me some special +advantage, of what use is it to me? I answer: If you are seeking some +special advantage, how can the brotherhood or sisterhood help you? +Serve the community and other men by it, as is the nature of love, and +you will have your reward for this love without any effort and desire +on your part. But if you deem the service and reward of love too +small, it is evidence that yours is a perverted brotherhood. Love +serves freely and for nothing, therefore God also gives again to it +every blessing freely and or nothing. Since, then, everything must be +done in love, if it is to please God at all, the brotherhood must also +be a brotherhood in love. It is the nature, however, of that which is +done in love not to seek its own, nor its own profit, but that of +others, and, above all, that of the community. + +5. To return once more to the sacrament; since the Christian +fellowship also is at present in a bad way, as never before, and daily +grows worse, especially among the rulers, and all places are full of +sin and shame, you should not consider how many masses are said, or +how often the sacrament is celebrated, or this will make things worse +rather than better,--but how much you and others increase in that +which the sacrament signifies and in the faith it demands,--for +therein alone lies improvement; and the more you find yourself being +incorporated into Christ and into the fellowship of His saints, the +better it is with you,--that is, if you find that you are becoming +strong in the confidence of Christ and of His dear saints, and are +certain that they love you and stand by you in all the trials of life +and in death, and that you in turn take to heart the shortcomings and +lapses of all Christians and of the whole Church, that your love goes +out to everyone, and that you desire to help everyone, to hate no one, +to suffer with all and pray or them: then will the work of the +sacrament proceed aright, then you will often weep, lament and mourn +or the wretched condition of Christendom to-day. If, however, you find +no such confidence in Christ and His saints, and the needs of the +Church and of every fellowman do not trouble or move you, then beware +of all other good works, if in doing them you think you are godly and +will be saved. Be assured they are only hypocrisy, sham and deceit, or +they are without love and fellowship, and without these nothing is +good. For the sum of it all is, _Plenitudo legis est dilectio_, "Love +is the fulfilling of the law." [Rom. 13:10] Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See _Treatise on Baptism_, Vol. I, pp. 56 ff. + +[2] Note the advance in _The Babylonian Captivity_, below, pp. 178 +ff. + +[3] Cf. _Babylonian Captivity_, below, p. 186. + +[4] Cf. _Sermo_, 112, cap. 5 (Migne, xxxviii, 615). + +[5] See Vol. I, p. 56. + +[6] E. g., the danger of spilling the wine. + +[7] See p. 37. + +[8] Used here and above in the New Testament sense of true Christians, +living or dead, cf. 1 Cor. 1:2. + +[9] See p. 11. + +[10] See above, pp. 12, 13, and Vol. I, pp. 59 ff. + +[11] The virgin Mary. + +[12] Cf. _Enarratio in Ps. XXI_ (Migne, xxxvi, 178). + +[13] Penitential works. + +[14] Cf. Acts 2:46. + +[15] See Vol. I, p. 310. + +[16] In the Vulgate the Greek word "mystery" is translated by +_sacramentum_. See below, p. 258. + +[17] Luther still adheres to the doctrine of transubstantiation. But +see below, pp. 187 ff. + +[18] See p. 11. + +[19] Cf. below, p. 192. + +[20] See Luther's explanation of the First Commandment in the +Catechisms. Also the answer to the last question in Part V, Small +Catechism. + +[21] _Treatise on Penance_ (_Weimer Ed._, II, 721), where Luther +exhorts the troubled conscience to pray with the father of the lunatic +boy, "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief," and with the +Apostles, "Lord, increase our faith." + +[22] Cf. above, p. 17. + +[23] The Church. + +[24] A transubstantiation in the communicant. + +[25] A work that is done without reference to the doer of it. + +[26] A work considered with reference to the doer of it. + +[27] An _opus operatum_. + +[28] An _opus operantis_. + +[29] Cf. 1 Cor. 11:30. + +[30] Sodalities; see Introduction, p. 8, and below, pp. 137 f. + +[31] On festival days of the order and on saints' days. + +[32] The Carmelites are supposed to have been the first to organize +sodalities, having organized in the fourteenth century the Sodality of +Our Lady of Carmel. St. Anne was the mother of the Holy Virgin. Her +sodalities were, as Kolde says, epidemic in 1520. Luther's appeal to +St. Anne in the thunderstorm is well known (Comp. Kostlin-Kawerau, I, +55). There was a sodality of St. Anne, besides one of St. Augustine +and one of St. Catherine, in the monastery at Erfurt in Luther's day. +St. Sebastian was a martyr of the fourteenth century. His day is +January 20. Comp. Arts. _Anna_, _Sebastian_ and _Bruderschaten_ in +_Prot. Realencyk_., I, SS2; II, 534 l. + +[33] A trades' guild brotherhood. + +[34] Douay Version, based on Vulgate, from which Luther quotes. + +[35] See above, p. 10. + +[36] I. e., in marriage. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The ban, or excommunication, is the correlative of communion. Our +conception of excommunication depends then, of course, upon our view +of what constitutes communion. Luther gives us his view of communion +in the preceding _Treatise concerning the Blessed Sacrament_. From the +premise there laid down it follows that excommunication, or the ban, +excludes only from external membership in the Church, but cannot +really separate a man from the Church if he is in personal fellowship +with his Lord[1]. Sin and unbelief cause this separation from Him, and +the real ban, therefore, is put into effect not by the Church, but by +the man himself when he sins against God. The ban of the Church cannot +even deprive one of the Sacrament, but only of the outward use of it, +for it can still be partaken of spiritually. This whole position, of +course, is fatal to the Roman Catholic conception of the Church, and +we do not wonder that it was vigorously opposed by the hierarchy. + +Of like significance is Luther's advocacy of the separation of the +temporal and spiritual powers, practically of Church and State,--the +position which he develops later in the _Open Letter to the Nobility_. +But in this treatise, again, Luther shows himself to be anything but +the immoral monster his vilifiers have tried to make of him. He is +again the man of conscience--will his critics say, "of oversensitive +conscience"? Thank God that there were some sensitive consciences in +an almost conscienceless age! Luther fears sin more than the ban, and +sin has for him more than an ecclesiastical meaning. Sin is not +primarily an act against the Church, but an offence against God. This +the ban is to teach; it is to be the symbol of God's wrath against sin +and it is to be used by the Church only remedially and in love. When +so used it becomes the chastening rod of the dear Mother Church, +provided it be accepted and borne in this spirit. + +Why, then, did not Luther bear his own ban in this way? The +justification for his subsequent conduct is to be found in two brief +but important conditional clauses in this treatise. "God," he says, +"cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly and impudently +resisted, _when it does not force us to do what is against God or His +commandments_."[2] Again he says, "When unjustly put under the ban we +should be very careful not to do, omit, say or withhold that on +account of which we are under the ban, _unless we cannot do so without +sin and without injury to our neighbor_."[3] God and his neighbor were +for Luther the actors which made it necessary for him to speak and +act, when for selfish reasons he would often rather have remained +passive. + +The inception of our treatise is to be found in a sermon preached in +Wittenberg in the spring of 1518. Luther's pastoral concern for his +people made it necessary for him to speak on this subject in order to +quiet the consciences both embittered and distressed by the wanton and +unjust use of the power of excommunication. Added to this must have +been his own personal interest in the ban certain to fall on him. In a +letter to Link[4], dated July 10, 1518, he speaks of having preached a +sermon on the power of the ban which produced general consternation +and fear that the ire enkindled by the XCV Theses would start afresh. +He had desired a public disputation on the subject, but the Bishop of +Brandenburg persuaded him to defer the matter. Under date of September +1st, Luther writes Staupitz[5] that because his sermon had been +misrepresented and spread by unfriendly spies it became necessary for +him to publish it. It appeared in August after Luther's summons to +Rome, under the title _De Virtute Excommunicationis_. Our treatise is +an elaboration in popular form of this Latin treatise of 1515. + +The Grunberg text given in Clemen, Vol. I, which we have followed in +most cases, is dated 1520, and must have appeared in its original +edition at the end of 1519 or the beginning of 1520. + +The text of the treatise is found in the following editions: Weimar +Ed., vol. vi, 63; Erlangen Ed., vol. xxvii, 51; Walch Ed., vol. xix, +1089; St. Louis Ed., vol. .xix, 884; Clemen, vol. i, 213; Berlin Ed., +vol. iii, 291. + + J. J. SCHINDEL. + +Allentown, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See below, p. 37. + +[2] See below, p. 50. + +[3] See below, p. 51. + +[4] See Enders, I, No. 84. Smith. _Luther's Correspondence_, I, No. +69. + +[5] See Enders, I, No. 90. Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, No. +77. + + + +A TREATISE CONCERNING THE BAN + +1520 + + + +JESUS + +1. We have seen[1] that the sacrament of the holy body of Christ is a +sign of the communion of all saints, therefore it becomes necessary to +know also what the ban is which is employed in the Church by the power +of the spiritual estate. For its chief and peculiar function and power +is to deprive guilty Christians of the holy sacrament and forbid it to +them. Therefore the one cannot be understood apart from the other, +because the one is the opposite of the other; for the Latin word +_communio_ means fellowship, and thus do the learned designate the +Holy Sacrament. Its opposite is the word _excommunicatio_, which means +exclusion from this fellowship, and so the learned term the ban. + +2. There is a twofold fellowship, corresponding to the two things in +the sacrament, the sign and the thing signified, as was said in the +treatise[2]. The first is an inner, spiritual and invisible fellowship +of the heart, by which one is incorporated by true faith, hope and +love in the fellowship of Christ and of all the saints, signified and +bestowed in the sacrament; and this is the effect and virtue of the +sacrament. This fellowship can neither be given nor taken away by any +one, be he bishop, pope, or angel or any creature. God alone through +His Holy Spirit must pour it into the heart of the one who believes in +the sacrament, as was said in the treatise[3]. This fellowship no ban +can touch or affect, but only the unbelief or sin of the person +himself; by these he can excommunicate himself, and thus separate +himself from the grace, the and salvation of the fellowship. This St. +Paul proves in Romans viii: "Who shall separate us from the God? Can +anguish or need, or hunger or poverty, or danger or persecution, or +shedding of blood? Nay, I am convinced that neither death nor life, +neither angels nor principalities nor angelic hosts, neither things +present nor things to come, naught that is mighty on the earth, +neither height nor depth nor any other creature can separate us from +the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Rom. 8:35, +38] And St. Peter says: "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be +followers of that which is good?" [1 Peter 3:13] + +3. The second kind of fellowship is an outward, bodily and visible +fellowship, by which one is admitted to the Holy Sacrament and +receives and partakes of it together with others. From this fellowship +or communion bishop and pope can exclude one, and forbid it to him on +account of his sin, and that is called putting him under the ban. This +ban was much in vogue of old, and is now known as the lesser ban. For +the ban goes beyond this and forbids even burial, selling, trading, +all association and fellowship with men, finally, as they say, even +fire and water[4], and this is known as the greater ban. + +Not satisfied with this, there are some who go still farther and use +the temporal powers against those under the ban, to coerce them with +sword, fire, and war[5]. These, however, are new inventions, rather +than the real meaning of Scripture. To wield the temporal sword +belongs to the emperor, to kings, to princes, and to the rulers of +this world, and by no means to the spiritual estate[6], whose sword is +not to be of iron, but the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word and +commandment of God, as St. Paul says. [Eph. 6:17] + +4. This external ban, both the lesser and the greater, was instituted +by Christ when He said in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother shall +trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him +alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. If he will +not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth +of two or three witnesses every word or transaction may be +established. If he will not hear them, then tell it unto the whole +congregation, the Church. If he neglect to hear the Church, let him be +unto thee a heathen man and a publican." [Matt. 18:15 ff.] + +Likewise St. Paul says in I Corinthians v: "If any man among you be a +fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, +or an extortioner, with such an one keep not company, neither eat with +him." [1. Cor. 5:11] Again he says in II Thessalonians iii: "If any +man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no +company with him, that he may be ashamed." [2 Thess. 3:14] Again, John +says in his second Epistle: "If any one come unto you, and bring not +this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God +speed, and he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil +deeds." [2 John 10] + +From all these sayings we learn how the ban is to be used. First, we +should seek neither vengeance nor our own profit, as is at present the +disgraceful practice everywhere, but only the correction of our +neighbor. Second, the penalty should stop short of his death or +destruction; or St. Paul limits the purpose of the ban to the +correction of our neighbor, that he be put to shame when no one +associates with him, and he adds in 11 Thessalonians iii: "Count him +not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." [2 Thess. 3:15] But +now the ruthless tyrants deal with men as though they would cast them +down to hell, and do not in any wise seek their correction. + +5. It may often happen that a person under the ban is deprived of the +holy sacrament, and also of burial, and is nevertheless inwardly[7] +secure and blessed in the fellowship of Christ and of all saints, +signified in the sacrament. On the other hand, there are many who are +not under the outward ban and who freely partake of the sacrament, but +are nevertheless inwardly quite estranged and excommunicated from the +fellowship of Christ; even though they be buried under the high altar +in a golden pall with much pomp and singing and tolling of bells. +Therefore, no one is to be judged, even if he be under the ban, +especially if he has not been put under the ban for heresy or sin, but +for the purpose of correction. For to put men under the ban for the +sake of money or other temporal considerations is a new invention, of +which the apostles and Christ knew nothing. + +6. To put under the ban is not, as some think, to deliver a soul to +Satan and deprive it of the intercession and of all the good works[8] +of the Church. For where the true faith and love of God remain in the +heart, there remains a real participation in all the possessions and +intercessions of the Church, together with all the benefits of the +sacrament, since the ban is and can be nothing else than exclusion +from the external sacrament or from association with men. If I were +cast into prison I would, of course, be deprived of the outward +companionship of my friends, and yet not be deprived of their favor +and friendship; so he that is put under the ban must relinquish the +sacrament and association with men, but is not on that account cut off +from their love, intercession and good works. + +7. It is true that the ban, when it is rightly and deservedly applied, +is a sign, an admonition and a chastisement, whereby the one under the +ban should recognize that he himself has delivered his soul unto Satan +by his transgression and sin, and has deprived himself of the +fellowship of all the saints and of Christ. For by the penalty of the +ban our mother, the holy Church, would show her dear son the awful +consequences of sin and thereby bring him back from the devil to God. +When an earthly mother rebukes and chastises her erring son, she does +not give him over to the hangman or to the wolves, nor make a knave of +him, but she restrains him and shows him by her chastisement that he +is in danger of the hangman, and thus keeps him at home in his +father's house. In the same way, when the spiritual power puts any one +under the ban, it should be in this spirit: "Behold, thou has done +this or that, whereby thou hast delivered thy soul unto the devil, +deserved God's wrath, and deprived thyself of all Christian +fellowship; thou art fallen under the inward spiritual ban in the +sight of God and art unwilling to cease or to return. So then, I put +thee also outwardly under the ban in the sight of men, and to thy +shame I deprive thee of the sacrament and of fellowship with men, +until thou come to thyself and bring back thy soul." + +8. Let every bishop, provost or official[9], who uses the ban for any +other purpose, take heed lest he put himself under the everlasting ban +from which neither God nor any creature shall deliver him. There are +none to whom the ban is more harmful and dangerous than those who +apply it, even though it be laid quite justly and only on account of +wrongdoing, for the reason that they seldom if ever have this object +in view. Besides they go about it without fear and do not consider how +perchance they themselves may be more worthy of a hundred bans in the +sight of God, as the Gospel records of the servant who owed his Lord +ten thousand pounds and yet would not have patience with his fellow +servant who owed him a hundred pence. What will become of these +miserable taskmasters, who for the sake of money have brought things +to such a pass with their bans, often violently and unjustly imposed, +that Turks and heathen have an easier life than Christians? It is very +evident that many of them are under the ban in the sight of God, and +are deprived of the blessing of the sacrament and of inward, spiritual +fellowship, although they do nothing day and night but cite others to +appear, harass them and put them under the ban, and deprive of the +external sacrament those who are a thousandfold better inwardly and in +the sight of God and are living in the spiritual fellowship of the +sacrament. O miserable business! O terrible existence maintained by +this abominable trade! I am not sure whether such publicans and +officials were wolves before becoming officials or whether they are on +the way to becoming wolves; their work is certainly wolves' work. + +9. From this there follows the truth that the ban of itself ruins, +condemns or harms no one, but seeks and finds the ruined and condemned +soul for the purpose of bringing it back. For all chastisement is for +the correction of sin; the ban is simply a chastisement and motherly +correction; therefore it makes no one worse or more sinful, but is +ordained solely to restore the inward spiritual fellowship when justly +laid, or to deepen it when unjustly imposed. This is proved by St. +Paul when he says in II Corinthians xiii: This I write to you +according to the power which the Lord hath given me, to edification +and not to destruction," [2 Cor. 13:10] And thus, when he rebukes him +who had taken his step-mother to wife, he says in I Corinthians v: "I +together with you deliver him unto the devil for the destruction of the +flesh, that the spirit may be saved at the last day." [1 Cor. 5:5] +Thus also in the passage quoted above he said: "We should not count +him who is under the ban as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother, +in order that he may be put to shame and not be lost." [2 Thess. 3:15] +Nay, even Christ Himself, as man, had not the power to cut off and +deliver a single soul to the devil, as He says in John vi: "Him that +cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out, and this is the will of My +Father Who sent Me, that I should not destroy or lose what He giveth +Me." [John 6:37, 39] Again He says: "The Son of Man is not come to +destroy, but to save men's souls." [Luke 9:56] If Christ Himself and +all the apostles had no other power than to help souls, and have let +behind them no other power in the Church, how dare the blind tyrants +presume and boast in their presumption that they have power to curse, +to condemn and to destroy, which power is even denied them by their +own canon law; for in the Liber Sextus[10], which treats of the +sentence of excommunication, we read: "Since the ban is a medicine and +not a poison, only a discipline, not a destructive uprooting, in so +far as the one subjected to it does not despise it: therefore let +every spiritual judge give diligence to prove himself one who seeks by +the ban naught but to correct and to cure." + +10. From the above passage it is evident that the ban, when it is not +despised, is wholesome and harmless, and not fatal to the soul, as +certain timid and dejected consciences, frightened by the outrageous +abuses of some, imagine; although in apostolic times it was able to +deliver the body to the devil and to death[11], as indeed it might +still be, if the judges would wield the ban, not in the abuse of +power, but in humble faith and love, for the correction of their +neighbor. It follows further that the ban brings greater danger and +terror to those who apply it and are not careful to seek only the +correction and salvation of those under the ban, according to the +words of the above passage[12]. For the ban can be nothing else than a +kind, motherly scourge applied to the body and temporal possessions, +by which no one is cast into hell, but rather drawn out of it, and +freed from condemnation unto salvation. Therefore we should not only +endure it without impatience, but receive it with all joy and +reverence. But for the tyrants, who seek therein nothing else than +power, awe and gain for themselves, the ban must be a terrible injury, +because they pervert it and its purpose, turn the medicine into a +poison, and seek only to become a terror to a frightened people; of +correction they never think. For this they will have to give an awful +reckoning--woe unto them! + +11. They have devised a saying, to wit: "Our ban must be feared, right +or wrong." With this saying they insolently comfort themselves, swell +their chests and puff themselves up like adders, and almost dare to +defy heaven and to threaten the whole world; with this bugaboo they +have made a deep and mighty impression, imagining that there is more +in these words than there really is. Therefore we would explain them +more fully and prick this bladder, which with its three peas makes +such a rightful noise. + +Now, it is true, the ban must be feared and not be despised, whether +it be just or unjust. But why apply this only to the ban, which is a +motherly chastening, and not to all the other and greater penalties +and tribulations as well? For what great thing have you done or the +ban by saying it must be feared? Must we not also fear when we are +sick, poor, slandered, despised, or deprived of goods, income or +justice, nay, when the Turk and other enemies attack or afflict us? +For all these and other adversities, whether deserved or undeserved, +we should fear, suffer and endure, and in all things conduct ourselves +as though we but received our deserts, as the Lord teaches: "O him +that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." [Luke 6:30] Why are +you not also afraid, dear tyrant, when you suffer injustice, when your +income is refused, your property stolen, your rights denied, and why +do you not think that you should endure these things in fear, whether +they be right or wrong? Do you think that others are commanded to +endure your power in ear, whether right or wrong, and that you are +free from this commandment and need not endure violence or wrong in +fear? You will learn that you also are human and under the same law +with which you threaten others, puffing yourself up in your folly. + +12. What perversity! The spiritual powers come along with their ban +and say it should be eared and endured, whether right or wrong. But if +they are subjected to violence and injustice they will not endure it +to the extent of a single heller, but without any fear at all, cast up +the accounts in their favor and demand what is theirs. Thus they +withdraw themselves from God's commandment, in keeping which they, +most of all, should be an example to others. For if it is true that +pope, bishop and the whole spiritual estate may without fear resist +injustice, injury and contempt in their own interest, then it is also +true that the ban may be resisted and be repelled, as vigorously as +they seek their interest. There is no distinction in God's +commandment, it concerns every one alike. But may God forbid that! We +are to bear both the ban and whatever tribulation may befall us in +fear, as the Gospel teaches. Therefore, if any one wrong you or take +your income, and you do not endure it in fear, but would frighten him +with the ban[13], especially when you are seeking not his improvement, +but your own benefit or self-will, take heed, you are already worse +than he. For you intend to draw yourself out of fear and to draw him +in, which you have no right to do, and compel him to keep the Gospel +which you tear to pieces. How will you be able to stand before God? +Therefore when they say, "Our ban must be feared, right or wrong," we +reply: "Yes, that is true, but it is also true that your unjust ban +harms no one but yourselves, and harms you in body and soul. And the +just ban harms you more than it harms me. Therefore you should also +endure your injury in fear, be it right or wrong, and if you glory +over me because of the ban I will glory over you because of your +suffering. If a criminal took my coat and said: 'You should endure it +in fear and humility,' I would say, 'I will; not for the sake of your +theft, which harms me not, but for the sake of Christ's commandment +[Matt. 5:40].' Just so I fear your ban, not for the ban's sake (it +does not harm me, but rather yourself), but for the sake of Christ's +commandment." + +13. Though it is true that the ban must be feared, whether it be right +or wrong, yet those who lay the ban are always in greater danger than +those on whom it is laid. He who is banned is in no danger but that of +despising the ban and not bearing it, whether it be right or wrong. +But he who bans is in danger, in the first place, of not enduring +injustice in fear; in the second place, of avenging himself through +the ban without any fear; in the third place, of not seeking, with +singleness of purpose, his sinful neighbor's correction by means of +the ban. This is evident because he despises his own sin and that of +others, and only attacks the man who injures him, all of which is +contrary to the Gospel. Hence it comes that by means of their dreadful +perverseness those who use the ban nowadays pick up the spoon and +tread in the dish[14]; they put others under the external ban and put +themselves under condemnation inwardly; in addition, they become so +blinded that they boast how greatly their external ban is to be +feared, and inwardly they condemn themselves, and rejoice boldly and +without fear like fools and madmen. For this reason I am sure that the +Holy Spirit did not invent the saying, Our ban must be feared, right +or wrong. It does not become a Christian, not to say one in the +spiritual estate[15], to wrong another, much less to lord it over him +and boast that this injustice must be feared. It behooves me to say, +Thy injustice makes me tremble; it behooves thee much more to take +heed and be in fear lest thou do me wrong and threaten me besides, +saying that I must endure it in fear; or thy injustice can harm me +only in time, but thee it harms to all eternity. So evil and +lamentable are these present times, in which such furious tyrants +shamelessly and openly boast of their sin and everlasting hurt (which +would be horrible even in Turks and heathen), in order that they may +be defiant now and mock at the misfortunes of those who suffer, whom +they do not seek to correct, but only to inspire with fear and false +terror. + +In a word, the higher estate is always, with all its works, in greater +danger than the lower estate, and where the lower estate must needs be +in fear once, there the higher estate needs be in fear ten times over. +On this account those who exercise the ban have no reason to lord it +over those who are under the ban or to deal arrogantly with them, but +all the more reason to weep or themselves. For God's judgment will not +be pronounced on the lowly, but on the mighty, as Wisdom the wise man +says [Wisdom 6:8 f.]. + +14. It were indeed better if Christians were taught to love the ban +rather than to fear it[16], as we are taught by Christ to love +chastisement, pain and even death, and not to fear them. But these +prattlers speak only of fear in the ban, though they teach that all +other chastisements and misfortunes are to be borne cheerfully. +Whereby they betray their blind and cursed purpose, which is to rule +by force over the people of Christ, and as it were to take the free +Christian Church captive in fear. Therefore let us learn what is our +chief duty with respect to the ban, namely, not to despise it or bear +it impatiently, and this for two reasons. First, because the authority +of the ban was given by Christ to the holy mother, the Christian +Church, that is, to the community of all Christians. Therefore, in +this matter we should honor and submit to our dear mother Church and +to Christ. For what Christ and the Church do should have our approval, +our love and our filial fear. Secondly, because the effect and purpose +of the ban is beneficial and salutary and never injurious, if one +endures it and does not despise it. To use a homely illustration: When +a mother punishes her beloved son, whether he has deserved it or not, +she certainly does not do it with evil intent, but it is a maternal, +harmless and salutary punishment, if the son bears it patiently. Only +when he becomes impatient, and is not influenced by it to leave the +wrong or to do the good for the sake of which he is punished, but +turns against his mother and despises her, does the punishment begin +to do him harm; or then he offends against God, Who has commanded: +"Thou shalt honor thy father and mother" [Ex. 20:12]; and out of a +light, harmless, yea even beneficial chastisement he makes a terrible +wrong and sin, to his everlasting pain and punishment. + +15. Thus it happens in our day that certain officials[17] and their +associates are murdered, beaten and bound, or are in constant fear of +death. Doubtless this would not occur at all, or at least much less +frequently, if the people did not hold the wrong opinion that the ban +is more harmful than profitable. For this reason they venture +everything, and commit such crimes as it were in despair. Although +this is terrible, yet by God's dispensation the tyrants get what they +deserve, because they conceal the real benefit of the ban from the +people, and misuse it, making no effort toward correction, but aiming +simply to increase their own power. For although every one ought to +endure the ban, they too ought not to despise a poor human being, be +he guilty or innocent, as Christ says: "Take heed that ye despise not +one of these little ones that believe on Me, for I say unto you that +their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in +heaven." [Matt. 18:10] Why should they wonder if, in the providence of +God, at times their heads are broken and their commands despised, +because of the unjust tyrannical ban, since without ceasing they act +so insolently against God's commandment? True, there is great wrong on +both sides. Yet if the people were taught that the power of the ban is +wholesome and necessary and that it is not ordained nor used to their +hurt, but to their benefit, the officials would be in less danger, and +find greater and readier obedience, nay, greater love, good will and +honor among all the people. + +16. Therefore the people should be taught in some such way as this: My +dear people, let not those who have and use the power of the ban drive +you to despair, whether they be pious or evil, whether they do you +justice or injustice. The power of the ban cannot harm you, but must +always be beneficial to the soul, if only you bear and endure it +aright; their abuse of the ban does not hinder its virtue. Or if you +cannot endure it, then try to escape from it with meekness, not with +revenge and retaliation by word or deed. And in all things look not to +them, but to the dear mother Church. What difference does it make to +you whether she lays her rods of chastisement upon you through pious +or through wicked rulers? It is and remains, nevertheless, your +dearest mother's most salutary rod. From the beginning of the world it +has been so, and will ever remain, that spiritual and temporal power +is more often given to the Pilates, Herods, Annases and Caiaphases +than to the pious Peters, Pauls and the like, and as in all other +estates so in that of government there are always more of the wicked +than of the pious. It is not to be supposed or hoped that we shall +ever have an entirely pious government, nay, it must come as a pure +git of grace or by special prayer and merit, if good government or a +right use of power is to be had at all. For God punishes wicked +subjects by wicked rulers, as He says: "I will give children to be +their prelates and their rulers shall be childish men, I will take +from them every mighty man, the wise, the prudent and the man of war," +[Isa. 3:4] etc. Since, then, incapable or evil rulers are God's +chastisement, and there are so many among us who deserve such +chastisement, we must not be surprised if the government wrongs us and +abuses its power toward us, nay, we must wonder and thank God when it +does not wrong us and do us injustice. + +17. Wherefore, since the world is at present overburdened, as it has +abundantly deserved to be because of its heinous sins, with young, +imprudent and inexperienced rulers, especially in the spiritual +estate, so that this age of ours is extraordinarily perilous, we must +act very prudently and by all means see to it that we hold the +government and all authority in the highest honor, even as Christ +honors the authority of Pilate, Herod, Annas, Caiaphas, and of the +temporal rulers of His time we must not permit such grievous abuses +and the childish rule of the prelates to move us to despise all +authority, so that despite those unworthy persons who bear rule we may +not at the same time despise their authority, but cheerfully bear what +it imposes, or reuse to bear it at least with humility and proper +respect. For God cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly +and impudently resisted when it does not force us to do what is +against God or His commandments[18], though they themselves do as much +as they can against God, or injure us as much as they will. There are +some whom He Himself would judge and condemn, and such are those great +and powerful tyrants; so too, there are those whom He would help, and +such are the oppressed sufferers. Therefore we should yield to this +His will and leave the mighty to His sword and judgment, and allow Him +to help us, as St. Paul says: "O dearly beloved brethren, neither +avenge nor defend yourselves, but rather give place unto the wrath of +God, because it is written. Vengeance belongs to Me alone and I will +repay each one [Deut. 32:35]." [Rom. 12:19] + +And yet we should humbly tell these prelates (especially should the +preachers rebuke them, yet only by showing them from the Word of God) +that they are acting against God and show them what He would have them +do, and in addition diligently and earnestly pray to God or them; even +as Jeremiah wrote to the children of Israel in Babylon that they +should zealously pray or the king of Babylon, or his son and for his +kingdom, although he had taken them captive, had troubled and slain +them and done them all manner of evil. + +And we can easily do this if we remember that the ban and all +unrighteous authority cannot harm our souls, provided we submit to +them, and they must ever be of profit, unless they are despised. So +also are the authorities a thousandfold worse in the sight of God than +we, and are therefore to be pitied rather than wickedly to be +despised. For this reason we are also commanded in the law of Moses +that no one shall revile the rulers, be they good or evil, even though +they give great occasion. In short, we must have evil or childish +rulers,--if it is not the Turk, then it must needs be the Christians. +The world is far too wicked to be worthy of good and pious lords, it +must have princes who go to war, levy taxes and shed blood, and it +must have spiritual tyrants who impoverish and burden it with bulls +and letters[19] and laws. This and other chastisements are rather what +it has deserved, and to resist them is nothing else than to resist +God's chastisement. As humbly as I conduct myself when God sends me a +sickness, so humbly should I conduct myself toward the evil +government, which the same God also sends me. + +18. When we are justly and deservedly put under the ban our chief +concern should be to correct the sins of commission and omission which +caused the ban, since the ban always is imposed on account of sin +(which is far worse than the ban itself), and yet here as elsewhere +things are perverted, so that we only consider how much the rod hurts +and not why we are punished. Where can you find men to-day who are as +much in fear of sinning and provoking God as they are in fear of the +ban? Thus it happens that we are more in fear of the wholesome +chastisement than of the heinous sins. We must let men think and act +thus, because the natural man does not see the spiritual harm in sin +as he feels the smarts of chastisement; although the fear of the ban +has also been exaggerated by the tyrannous methods and threatenings of +the spiritual judges who drive the people to fear punishment more than +sin. + +When, however, we are unjustly put under the ban, we should be very +careful that we in no way do, omit, say or withhold that on account of +which we are under the ban (unless we cannot do so without sin and +without injury to our neighbor)[20], but rather should we endure the +ban in humility, die happily under it, if it cannot be otherwise, and +not be terrified, even though we do not receive the sacrament and are +buried in unconsecrated ground. The reason is this: Truth and +righteousness belong to the inner, spiritual fellowship[21] and may +not be abandoned under penalty of falling under God's eternal ban. +Therefore they dare not be surrendered for the sake of the external +fellowship, which is immeasurably inferior, nor because of the ban. To +receive the sacrament and to be buried in consecrated ground are of +too little consequence that or their sake truth and righteousness be +neglected. And that no one may think this strange I will go further +and say that even he who dies under a just ban is not damned, unless +indeed he did not repent of his sin or despised the ban. For sorrow +and repentance make all things right, even though his body be exhumed +or his ashes cast into the water[22]. + +19. The unjust ban then is much more to be desired than either the +just ban or the external fellowship. It is a very precious merit in +the sight of God, and blessed is he who dies under an unjust ban. God +will grant him an eternal crown for the truth's sake, on account of +which he is under the ban. Then let him sing in the words of Psalm +cix, "They have cursed me, but Thou hast blessed me." [Ps. 109:28] +Only let us beware of despising the authorities, and humbly declare +our innocence; if this does not avail, then we are free and without +guilt in the sight of God. For if we are in duty bound by the +commandment of Christ to agree with our adversary [Matt. 5:25]; how +much more should we agree with the authority of the Christian Church, +be it exercised justly or unjustly, by worthy or unworthy rulers. + +An obedient child, though it does not deserve the punishment it +receives from its mother, suffers no harm from the unjust +chastisement, nay, by its very patience it becomes much dearer and +more pleasing to the mother; how much more do we become lovable in +God's sight, if at the hands of evil rulers we endure the unmerited +punishment of the Church, as our spiritual mother. For the Church +remains our mother because Christ remains Christ, and she is not +changed into a step-mother simply because of our evil rulers. +Nevertheless, the prelates and bishops and their officials should be +temperate and not hastily use the ban, for many bans means nothing +else than many laws and commandments, and prescribing many laws is to +set many snares for poor souls. And so by numerous ill-advised bans +nothing more results than great offence and an occasion or sin, by +which the wrath of God is provoked, although the ban was ordained to +reconcile Him. And although we are truly bound to obey them, still +more are they bound to direct, change and regulate their decree and +authority according to our ability and need and for our correction and +salvation; for we have shown from St. Paul[23] that power is given not +for destruction but for edification [2 Cor. 13:10]. + +20. The ban should be applied not only to heretics and schismatics, +but to all who are guilty of open sin, as we have shown above from St. +Paul, who commands that the railer, extortioner, fornicator and +drunkard be put under the ban [1 Cor. 5:11]. But in our day such +sinners are let in peace, especially if they are bigwigs; and to the +disgrace of this noble form of authority, the ban is used only for the +collection of debts of money, often so insignificant that the costs +amount to more than the original debt. In order to gloss this over +they have hit upon a new device, saying they put under the ban not +because of debt but because of disobedience, because the summons was +not respected; were it not for debt, however, they would forget the +disobedience, as we see when many other sins, even their own, escape +the ban. A poor man must often be disobedient if he is cited to go so +many miles, lose time and money and neglect his trade. It is utter +tyranny to summon a man to come such a distance across country to +court. + +And I commend the temporal princes[24] who will not permit the ban and +the abuses connected with it in their lands and among their people. +What are princes and counsellors for if they do not concern themselves +with and judge such temporal matters as debts, each in their city and +province and among their subjects? The spiritual powers should be +concerned with the Word of God, with sin, and with the devil, in order +to bring souls to God, and should relinquish temporal cases to the +temporal judges, as Paul writes[25][1 Cor. 6:1]. Indeed, as things are +now, it is almost necessary to use the ban in order to drive the +people into the Church and not out of it. + +21. Whether one be justly or unjustly under the ban, no one may +exclude him from the Church until the Gospel has been read or the +sermon preached[26]. For from the hearing of the Gospel and the sermon +no one shall or can exclude or be excluded. The hearing of the Word of +God should remain free to every one[27]. Nay, those who are under a +just ban ought most of all to hear it, that they may perchance be +moved by it to acknowledge their sin and to reform. We read that it +was the ancient practice of the Church to dismiss those under the ban +after the sermon, and if a whole congregation were under the ban the +sermon must be allowed to proceed just as though there were no ban. In +addition, even though he who is under the ban may not remain for the +mass after the sermon, nor come to the sacrament[28], nevertheless he +should not neglect it, but spiritually come to the sacrament, that is, +he should heartily desire it and believe that he can spiritually +receive it, as was said in the treatise on the sacrament[29]. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] In the preceding treatise on the _Blessed Sacrament_. + +[2] See above, p. 10. + +[3] See above, p. 18. + +[4] I. e., the necessaries of life. + +[5] E. g., the crusades against heretics, and the inquisition of the +thirteenth century. Luther's statement that to burn heretics is +contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit was condemned in the Bull +_Exsurge Domine_, of July 15, 1520. + +[6] Cf. p. 53. + +[7] Cf. p. 10. + +[8] See Vol. I, pp. 53, 163 ff. + +[9] The officials were officers of the bishops' courts; see also +below, p. 103. + +[10] In Vito, lib. V, tit. xi, c. I,_Cum medicinalis_. + +[11] According to Luther's interpretation of 1 Cor. 5:5. Cf. also Acts +5:5. + +[12] The passage quoted from the canon law. + +[13] For instances see the _Gravamina of the German Nation_ (1521), +Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, II, 685. + +[14] Thiele, _Luthers Sprichwortersammlung_, No. 276. + +[15] I. e., a cleric. + +[16] This statement also was condemned in the papal bull. + +[17] The "officials" were the administrators of this discipline, see +above, p. 41. + +[18] A very important limitation for Luther's position. + +[19] See Open Letter to the Nobility, below, p. 98. + +[20] Again an important limitation. + +[21] See above, p. 41. + +[22] The ashes of Hus were cast into the Rhine (1415), and the body of +Wycliff was exhumed and cremated and the ashes cast into the water +(1427). + +[23] See above, p. 42. + +[24] In 1518 both George and Frederick of Saxony took the position +that spiritual jurisdiction should be limited to spiritual matters. +Gess, _Akten und Briefe zur Kirchen politik Georgs_ 1, 44. + +[25] Luther puts a peculiar construction upon this passage. + +[26] The ancient service was divided into the service of the Word +(_missa catechumenorum_) and the celebration of the sacrament (_missa +fidelium_); before the second, those under the ban as well as the +catechumens were required to withdraw. + +[27] The "great ban" excluded from all services. + +[28] According to Roman Catholic usage there is a distinction between +hearing mass and receiving the sacrament. + +[29] Compare Treatise Concerning the Blessed Sacrament, above, p. 25. + + + +AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY OF THE GERMAN NATION +CONCERNING THE REFORM OF THE CHRISTIAN ESTATE + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation_ is +closely related to the tract on _The Papacy at Rome: A Reply to the +Celebrated Romanist at Leipzig_[1]. In a letter to Spalatin[2] dated +before June 8, 1520, Luther says: "I shall assail that ass of an +Alveld in such wise as not to forget the Roman pontiff, and neither of +them will be pleased." In the same letter he writes, "I am minded to +issue a broadside to Charles and the nobility of Germany against the +tyranny and baseness of the Roman curia." The attack upon Alveld is +the tract on _The Papacy at Rome_; the _scheda publica_ grew into the +_Open Letter_. At the time when the letter to Spalatin was written, +the work on _The Papacy at Rome_ must have been already in press, for +it appeared in print on the 26th of the month[3], and the composition +of the Open Letter had evidently not yet begun. On the 23d Luther sent +the manuscript of the _Open Letter_ to Amsdorf[4], with the request +that he read it and suggest changes. The two weeks immediately +preceding the publication of the work _On the Papacy_ must, therefore, +have been the time when the Open Letter was composed. + +In the conclusion to the earlier work Luther had said: "Moreover, I +should be truly glad if kings, princes, and all the nobles would take +hold, and turn the knaves from Rome out of the country, and keep the +appointments to bishoprics and benefices out of their hands. How has +Roman avarice come to usurp all the foundations, bishoprics and +benefices of our fathers? Who has ever read or heard of such monstrous +robbery? Do we not also have the people who need them, while out of +our poverty we must enrich the ass-drivers and stable-boys, nay, the +harlots and knaves at Rome, who look upon us as nothing else but +arrant fools, and make us the objects of their vile mockery? Oh, the +pity, that kings and princes have so little reverence for Christ, and +His honor concerns them so little that they allow such heinous +abominations to gain the upper hand, and look on, while at Rome they +think of nothing but to continue in their madness and to increase the +abounding misery, until no hope is let on earth except in the temporal +authorities. Of this I will say more anon, if this Romanist comes +again; let this suffice for a beginning. May God help us at length to +open our eyes. Amen." + +This passage may fairly be regarded as the germ of the _Open Letter_. +The ideas of the latter work are suggested with sufficient clearness +to show that its materials are already at hand, and its plan already +in the author's mind. The threat to write it is scarcely veiled. That +Luther did not wait for that particular Romanist to "come again" may +have been due to the intervention of another Romanist, none other than +his old opponent, Sylvester Prierias. Before the 7th of June[5] Luther +had received a copy of Prierias' _Epitome of a Reply to Martin +Luther_[6], which is the boldest and baldest possible assertion of the +very theory of papal power which Luther had sought to demolish in his +tract on the Papacy. In the preface to his reprint of the Epitome, +Luther bids farewell to Rome: "Farewell, unhappy, hopeless, +blasphemous Rome! The wrath of God hath come upon thee, as thou hast +deserved! We have cared for Babylon, and she is not healed; let us, +then, leave her, that she may be the habitation of dragons, spectres +and witches, and true to her name of Babel, an everlasting confusion, +a new pantheon of wickedness."[7] + +These words were written while the _Open Letter_ was in course of +composition. The _Open Letter_ is, therefore, Luther's first +publication after the time when he recognized that the breach between +him and the papal church was complete, and likely to be permanent. +Meanwhile, the opposing party had come to the same conclusion. The +verdict of the pope upon Luther had been long delayed, but on the 15th +of June, midway between the letter to Spalatin, above mentioned, and +the completion of the _Open Letter_, Leo X signed the bull of +excommunication, though it was not published in Germany until later. +Thus the _Open Letter_ shows us the mind of Luther in the weeks when +the permanent separation between him and Rome took place. + +It was also the time when he had the highest hopes from the promised +support of the German knights[8], who formed the patriotic party in +Germany and are included in the "nobility" to whom the Open Letter is +addressed[9]. + +The first edition of 4000 copies came off the press of Melchior +Lotther in Wittenberg before the 18th of August[10]. It is +surmised[11] that the earlier portion[12] of the work was not +contained in the original manuscript, but was added while it was in +the printer's hands; perhaps it was added at the suggestion of +Amsdorf. Less than a week later a second edition was in course of +preparation[13]. This "enlarged and revised edition"[14] contained +three passages not included in the first[15]. They are indicated in +the notes to the present edition. + +He who would know the true Luther must read more than one of his +writings; he must not by any chance omit to read the _Open Letter to +the Christian Nobility of the German Nation_. In his other works we +learn to know him as the man of God, or the prophet, or the +theologian; in this treatise we meet Luther the German. His heart is +full of grief for the affliction of his people, and grief turns to +wrath as he observes that this affliction is put upon them by the +tyranny and greed of the pope and the cardinals and the "Roman +vermin." The situation is desperate; appeals and protests have been +all in vain; and so, as a last resort, he turns to the temporal +authorities,--to Charles V, newly elected, but as yet uncrowned; to +the territorial lords, great and small, who have a voice in the +imperial diet and powers of jurisdiction in their own +domains,--reciting the abuses of "Roman tyranny," and pleading with +them to intervene in behalf of the souls that are going to destruction +"through the devilish rule of Rome." It is a cry out of the heart of +Germany, a nation whose bent is all religious, but which, from that +very circumstance, is all the more open to the insults and wrongs and +deceptions of the Roman curia. + +Yet it is no formless and incoherent cry, but an orderly recital of +the ills of Germany. There are times when we feel in reading it that +the writer is laying violent hands on his own wrath in the effort to +be calm. For all its scathing quality, it is a sane arraignment of +those who "under the holy name of Christ and St. Peter" are +responsible for the nation's woes, and the remedies that are proposed +are, many of them, practicable as well as reasonable. + +The materials of the work are drawn from many sources,--from hearsay, +from personal observation, from such histories as Luther had at his +command, from the proceedings of councils and of diets; there are +passages which would seem to bear more than an accidental resemblance +to similar passages in Hutten's _Vadiscus_. All was grist that came to +Luther's mill. But the spirit of the work is Luther's own. + +For the general historian, who is concerned more with the practical +than with the theoretical or theological aspects of the Reformation, +the _Open Letter_ is undoubtedly Luther's greatest work. Its rank +outspokenness about the true condition of Germany, the number and +variety of the subjects that it treats, the multiplicity of the +sources from which the subject-matter is drawn, and the point of view +from which the whole is discussed make it a work of absorbing interest +and priceless historical value. It shows, as does no other single work +of the Reformation time, the things that were in men's minds and the +variety of motives which led them to espouse the cause of the +Protestant party. Doctrine, ethics, history, politics, economics, all +have their place in the treatise. It is not only "a blast on the +war-trumpet,"[16] but a connecting link between the thought of the +Middle Ages and that of modern times, prophetic of the new age, but +showing how closely the new is bound up with the old. + +The text of the _Open Letter_ is found in _Weimar Ed_., VI, 404-469; +_Erl. Ed._, XXI, 277-360; _Walch Ed._, X, 296-399; _St. Louis Ed._, X, +266-351; _Berlin Ed._, I, 203-290; _Clemen_ I, 363-425. The text of +the Berlin Ed._ is modernized and annotated by E. Schneider. The +editions of _K. Benrath_ (Halle, 1883) and E. Lemme (_Die 3 grossen +Reformationsschriften L's vom J. 1520_; Gotha, 1884) contain a +modernized text and extensive notes. A previous English translation in +_Wace_ and _Buchheim_, _Luther's Primary Works_ (London and +Philadelphia, 1896). The present translation is based on the text of +Clemen. + +For full discussion of the contents of the work, especially its +sources, see _Weimar Ed._, VI, 381-391; _Schafer, Luther als +Kirchenhistoriker_, Gutersloh, 1897; Kohler, _L's Schrift an den Adel +. . . im Spiegel der Kulturgeschichte_, Halle, 1895, and _Luther und +die Kirchengeschichte_, Erlangen, 1900. Extensive comment in all the +biographies, especially Kostlin-Kawerau I, 315 ff. + + CHARLES M. JACOBS. + +Lutheran Theological Seminary, + + Mount Airy, Philadelphia. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] In this edition, I, 337 ff. + +[2] Enders, II, 414; Smith, _L.'s Correspondence_, I, No. 266. + +[3] Enders, II, 424. + +[4] See below, p. 62. + +[5] See letter of June 7th to John Hess, Enders, II, 411; Smith, I, +No. 265. + +[6] Published at Rome 1519; printed with Luther's preface and notes, +Weimar Ed., VI, 328ff.; Erl. Ed., op. var. arg., II, 79 ff. + +[7] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329. + +[8] See Enders, II, 415, 443; Smith, Nos. 269, 279, and documents in +_St. Louis Ed._, XV, 1630 ff. + +[9] See Kostlin-Kawerau, _Martin Luther_, I, 308 ff., and _Weimar +Ed._, VI, 381 ff. + +[10] See Luther's letters to Lang and Staupitz, who wished to have the +publication withheld (Enders, II, 461, 463). + +[11] _Clemen_, I. 362. + +[12] Below, pp. 65-99. + +[13] See _Weimar Ed._, VI, 397. + +[14] See title _B_, _ibid_., 398. + +[15] Printed as an appendix in _Clemen_, I, 421-425. + +[16] So it was called by Johann Lang (Enders, II, 461). + + + +AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHRISTIAN NOBILITY OF THE GERMAN NATION +CONCERNING THE REFORM OF THE CHRISTIAN ESTATE + +1520 + + + +To the + +Esteemed and Reverend Master + +NICHOLAS VON AMSDORF, + +Licentiate of Holy Scripture and Canon at Wittenberg, my special and +kind friend; + +Doctor Martin Luther. + +The grace and peace of God be with thee, esteemed and reverend dear +sir and friend. + +The time to keep silence has passed and the time to speak is come, as +saith Ecclesiastes [Eccl. 3:7]. I have followed out our intention[1] +and brought together some matters touching the reform of the Christian +Estate, to be laid before the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, +in the hope that God may deign to help His Church through the efforts +of the laity, since the clergy, to whom this task more properly +belongs, have grown quite indifferent. I am sending the whole thing to +your Reverence, that you may pass judgment on it and, if necessary, +improve it. + +I know full well that I shall not escape the charge of presumption in +that I, a despised monk, venture to address such high and great +Estates on matters of such moment, and to give advice to people of +such high intelligence. I shall offer no apologies, no matter who may +chide me. Perchance I owe my God and the world another piece of folly, +and I have now made up my mind honestly to pay that debt, if I can do +so, and for once to become court-jester; if I fail, I still have one +advantage,--no one need buy me a cap or cut me my comb[2]. It is a +question which one will put the bells on the other[3]. I must fulfil +the proverb, "Whatever the world does, a monk must be in it, even if +he has to be painted in."[4] More than once a fool has spoken wisely, +and wise men often have been arrant fools, as Paul says, "If any one +will be wise, let him become a fool." [1 Cor. 3:18] Moreover since I +am not only a fool, but also a sworn doctor of Holy Scripture, I am +glad for the chance to fulfil my doctor's oath in this fool's way. + +I pray you, make my excuses to the moderately intelligent, for I know +not how to earn the grace and favor of the immoderately intelligent, +though I have often sought to do so with great pains. Henceforth I +neither desire nor regard their favor. God help us to seek not our own +glory, but His alone! Amen. + +Wittenberg, in the house of the Augustinians, on the Eve of St. John +the Baptist (June 23d), in the year fifteen hundred and twenty. + +To + +His Most Illustrious and Mighty Imperial Majesty, + +and to + +the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, + +Doctor Martin Luther. + +Grace and power from God, Most Illustrious Majesty, and most gracious +and dear Lords. + +It is not out of sheer frowardness or rashness that I, a single, poor +man, have undertaken to address your worships. The distress and +oppression which weigh down all the Estates of Christendom, especially +of Germany, and which move not me alone, but everyone to cry out time +and again, and to pray for help[5], have forced me even now to cry +aloud that God may inspire some one with His Spirit to lend this +suffering nation a helping hand. Ofttimes the councils[6] have made +some pretence at reformation, but their attempts have been cleverly +hindered by the guile of certain men and things have gone from bad to +worse. I now intend, by the help of God, to throw some light upon the +wiles and wickedness of these men, to the end that when they are +known, they may not henceforth be so hurtful and so great a hindrance. +God has given us a noble youth to be our head and thereby has awakened +great hopes of good in many hearts[7]; wherefore it is meet that we +should do our part and profitably use this time of grace. + +In this whole matter the first and most important thing is that we +take earnest heed not to enter on it trusting in great might or in +human reason, even though all power in the world were ours; for God +cannot and will not suffer a good work to be begun with trust in our +own power or reason. Such works He crushes ruthlessly to earth, as it +is written in the xxxiii. Psalm, "There is no king saved by the +multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength." +[Ps. 33:16] On this account, I fear, it came to pass of old that the +good Emperors Frederick I[8] and II[9], and many other German emperors +were shamefully oppressed and trodden under foot by the popes, +although all the world feared them. It may be that they relied on +their own might more than on God, and therefore they had to all. In +our own times, too, what was it that raised the bloodthirsty Julius +II[10] to such heights? Nothing else, I fear, except that France, the +Germans and Venice relied upon themselves. The children of Benjamin +slew 42,000 Israelites[11] because the latter relied on their own +strength. + +That it may not so fare with us and our noble young Emperor Charles, +we must be sure that in this matter we are dealing not with men, but +with the princes of hell, who can fill the world with war and +bloodshed, but whom war and bloodshed do not overcome. We must go at +this work despairing of physical force and humbly trusting God; we +must seek God's help with earnest prayer, and fix our minds on nothing +else than the misery and distress of suffering Christendom, without +regard to the deserts of evil men. Otherwise we may start the game +with great prospect of success, but when we get well into it the evil +spirits will stir up such confusion that the whole world will swim in +blood, and yet nothing will come of it. Let us act wisely, therefore, +and in the fear of God. The more force we use, the greater our +disaster if we do not act humbly and in God's fear. The popes and the +Romans have hitherto been, able, by the devil's help, to set kings at +odds with one another, and they may well be able to do it again, if we +proceed by our own might and cunning, without God's help. + +I. THE THREE WALLS OF THE ROMANISTS + +[Sidenote: The Three Walls Described] + +The Romanists[12], with great adroitness, have built three walls about +them, behind which they have hitherto defended themselves in such wise +that no one has been able to reform them; and this has been the cause +of terrible corruption throughout all Christendom. + +_First_, when pressed by the temporal power, they have made decrees +and said that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them, but, +on the other hand, that the spiritual is above the temporal power. +_Second_, when the attempt is made to reprove them out of the +Scriptures, they raise the objection that the interpretation of the +Scriptures belongs to no one except the pope. Third, if threatened +with a council, they answer with the fable that no one can call a +council but the pope. + +In this wise they have slyly stolen from us our three rods[13], that +they may go unpunished, and have ensconced themselves within the safe +stronghold of these three walls, that they may practise all the +knavery and wickedness which we now see. Even when they have been +compelled to hold a council they have weakened its power in advance by +previously binding the princes with an oath to let them remain as they +are. Moreover, they have given the pope full authority over all the +decisions of the council, so that it is all one whether there are many +councils or no councils,--except that they deceive us with +puppet-shows and sham-battles. So terribly do they fear for their skin +in a really free council! And they have intimidated kings and princes +by making them believe it would be an offence against God not to obey +them in all these knavish, crafty deceptions[14]. Now God help us, and +give us one of the trumpets with which the walls of Jericho were +overthrown [Josh. 6:20], that we may blow down these walls of straw +and paper, and may set free the Christian rods or the punishment of +sin, bringing to light the craft and deceit of the devil, to the end +that through punishment we may reform ourselves, and once more attain +God's favor. + +Against the first wall we will direct our first attack. + +[Sidenote: The First Wall--the Spiritual Estate above the Temporal] + +It is pure invention that pope, bishops, priests and monks are to be +called the "spiritual estate"; princes, lords, artisans, and farmers +the temporal estate. That is indeed a fine bit of lying and hypocrisy. +Yet no one should be frightened by it; and for this reason--viz., that +all Christians are truly of the "spiritual estate," and there is among +them no difference at all but that of office, as Paul says in I +Corinthians xii. We are all one body, yet every member has its own +work, whereby it serves every other, all because we have one baptism, +one Gospel, one faith, and are all alike Christians [1 Cor. 12:12 +ff.]; for baptism, Gospel and faith alone make us "spiritual" and a +Christian people. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of Believers] + +But that a pope or a bishop anoints, confers tonsures, ordains, +consecrates, or prescribes dress unlike that of the laity,--this may +make hypocrites and graven images[15], but it never makes a Christian +or "spiritual" man. Through baptism all of us are consecrated to the +priesthood, as St. Peter says in I Peter ii, "Ye are a royal +priesthood, a priestly kingdom," [1 Pet. 2:9] and the book of +Revelation says, "Thou hast made us by Thy blood to be priests and +kings." [Rev. 5:10] For if we had no higher consecration than pope or +bishop gives, the consecration by pope or bishop would never make a +priest, nor might anyone either say mass or preach a sermon or give +absolution. Therefore when the bishop consecrates it is the same thing +as if he, in the place and stead of the whole congregation, all of +whom have like power, were to take one out of their number and charge +him to use this power for the others; just as though ten brothers, all +king's sons and equal heirs, were to choose one of themselves to rule +the inheritance or them all,--they would all be kings and equal in +power, though one of them would be charged with the duty of ruling. + +To make it still clearer. If a little group of pious Christian laymen +were taken captive and set down in a wilderness, and had among them no +priest consecrated by a bishop, and if there in the wilderness they +were to agree in choosing one of themselves, married or unmarried, and +were to charge him with the office of baptising, saying mass, +absolving and preaching, such a man would be as truly a priest as +though all bishops and popes had consecrated him. That is why in cases +of necessity any one can baptise and give absolution[16], which would +be impossible unless we were all priests. This great grace and power +of baptism and of the Christian Estate they have well-nigh destroyed +and caused us to forget through the canon law[17]. It was in the +manner aforesaid that Christians in olden days chose from their number +bishops and priests, who were afterwards confirmed by other bishops, +without all the show which now obtains. It was thus that Sts. +Augustine[18], Ambrose[19] and Cyprian[20] became bishops. + +[Sidenote: The Temporal Rulers, Priests] + +[Sidenote: The Priest an Office-holder] + +Since, then, the temporal authorities are baptised with same baptism +and have the same faith and Gospel as we, we must grant that they are +priests and bishops, and count their office one which has a proper and +a useful place in the Christian community. For whoever comes out of +the water of baptism[21] can boast that he is already consecrated +priest, bishop and pope, though it is not seemly that every one should +exercise the office. Nay, just because we are all in like manner +priests, no one must put himself forward and undertake, without our +consent and election, to do what is in the power of all of us. For +what is common to all, no one dare take upon himself without the will +and the command of the community; and should it happen that one chosen +for such an office were deposed for malfeasance, he would then be just +what he was before he held office. Therefore a priest in Christendom +is nothing else than an office-holder. While he is in office, he has +precedence; holder when deposed, he is a peasant or a townsman like +the rest. Beyond all doubt, then, a priest is no longer a priest when +he is deposed. But now they have invented _characteres +indelebiles_[22], and prate that a deposed priest is nevertheless +something different from a mere layman. They even dream that a priest +can never become a layman, or be anything else than a priest. All this +is mere talk and man-made law. + +From all this it follows that there is really no difference between +laymen and priests, princes and bishops, "spirituals" and "temporals," +as they call them, except that of office and work, but not of +"estate"; or they are all of the same estate[23],--true priests, +bishops and popes,--though they are not all engaged in the same work, +just as all priests and monks have not the same work. This is the +teaching of St. Paul in Romans xii [Rom. 12:4 ff.] and I Corinthians +xii [1 Cor. 12:12 ff.], and of St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:9], +as I have said above, viz., that we are all one body of Christ, the +Head, all members one of another. Christ has not two different bodies, +one "temporal," the other "spiritual." He is one Head, and He has one +body. + +Therefore, just as those who are now called "spiritual"--priests, +bishops or popes--are neither different from other Christians nor +superior to them, except that they are charged with the administration +of the Word of God and the sacraments, which is their work and office, +so it is with the temporal authorities,--they bear sword and rod with +which to punish the evil and to protect the good [Rom. 13:4]. A +cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade, +and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and every +one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every +other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily +and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the +body serve one another. + +See, now, how Christian is the decree which says that the temporal +power is not above the "spiritual estate" and may not punish it[24]. +That is as much as to say that the hand shall lend no aid when the eye +is suffering. Is it not unnatural, not to say unchristian, that one +member should not help another and prevent its destruction? Verily, +the more honorable the member, the more should the others help. I say +then, since the temporal power is ordained of God to punish evil-doers +and to protect them that do well [Rom. 13], it should therefore be +left free to perform its office without hindrance through the whole +body of Christendom without respect of persons, whether it affect +pope, bishops, priests, monks, nuns or anybody else. For if the mere +act that the temporal power has a smaller place among the Christian +offices than has the office of preachers or confessors, or of the +clergy, then the tailors, cobblers, masons, carpenters, pot-boys, +tapsters, farmers, and all the secular tradesmen, should also be +prevented from providing pope, bishops, priests and monks with shoes, +clothing, houses, meat and drink, and from paying them tribute. But if +these laymen are allowed to do their work unhindered, what do the +Roman scribes mean by their laws, with which they withdraw themselves +from the jurisdiction of the temporal Christian power, only so that +they may be free to do evil and to fulfil what St. Peter has said: +"There shall be false teachers among you, and through covetousness +shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." [2 Pet. 2:1 +ff.] + +On this account the Christian temporal power should exercise its +office without let or hindrance, regardless whether it be pope, bishop +or priest whom it affects; whoever is guilty, let him suffer. All that +the canon law has said to the contrary is sheer invention of Roman +presumption. For thus saith St. Paul to all Christians: "Let every +soul (I take that to mean the pope's soul also) be subject unto the +higher powers; for they bear not the sword in vain, but are the +ministers of God for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise +of them that do well." [Rom. 13:1, 4] St. Peter also says: "Submit +yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, for so is +the will of God." [1 Pet. 2:13, 15] He has also prophesied that such +men shall come as will despise the temporal authorities [1 Pet. 2:10]; +and this has come to pass through the canon law. + +So then, I think this first paper-wall is overthrown, since the +temporal power has become a member of the body of Christendom, and is +of the "spiritual estate," though its work is of a temporal nature. +Therefore its work should extend freely and without hindrance to all +the members of the whole body; it should punish and use force whenever +guilt deserves or necessity demands, without regard to pope, bishops +and priests,--let them hurl threats and bans as much as they will. + +This is why guilty priests, if they are surrendered to the temporal +law[25], are first deprived of their priestly dignities, which would +not be right unless the temporal sword had previously had authority +over them by divine right. Again, it is intolerable that in the canon +law so much importance is attached to the freedom, life and property +of the clergy, as though the laity were not also as spiritual and as +good Christians as they, or did not belong to the Church. Why are your +life and limb, your property and honor so free, and mine not? We are +all alike Christians, and have baptism, faith, Spirit and all things +alike. If a priest is killed, the land is laid under +interdict,[26]--why not when a peasant is killed? Whence comes this +great distinction between those who are equally Christians? Only from +human laws and inventions! + +Moreover, it can be no good spirit who has invented such exceptions +and granted to sin such license and impunity. For if we are bound to +strive against the works and words of the evil spirit, and to drive +him out in whatever way we can, as Christ commands and His Apostles, +ought we, then, to suffer it in silence when the pope or his +satellites are bent on devilish words and works? Ought we for the sake +of men to allow the suppression of divine commandments and truths +which we have sworn in baptism to support with life and limb? Of a +truth we should then have to answer for all the souls that would +thereby be abandoned and led astray. + +It must therefore have been the very prince of devils who said what is +written in the canon law: "If the pope were so scandalously bad as to +lead souls in crowds to the devil, yet he could not be deposed."[27] +On this accursed and devilish foundation they build at Rome, and think +that we should let all the world go to the devil, rather than resist +their knavery. If the act that one man is set over others were +sufficient reason why he should escape punishment, then no Christian +could punish another, since Christ commands that every man shall +esteem himself the lowliest and the least. [Matt. 18:4] + +Where sin is, there is no escape from punishment; as St. Gregory[28] +also writes that we are indeed all equal, but guilt puts us in +subjection one to another. Now we see how they whom God and the +Apostles have made subject to the temporal sword deal with +Christendom, depriving it of its liberty by their own wickedness, +without warrant of Scripture. It is to be feared that this is a game +of Anti-christ[29] or a sign that he is close at hand. + +[Sidenote: The Second Wall--The Pope the Interpreter of Scripture; +Papal Infallibility] + +The second wall is still more flimsy and worthless. They wish to be +the only Masters of the Holy Scriptures[31] even though in all their +lives they learn nothing from them. They assume for themselves sole +authority, and with insolent juggling of words they would persuade us +that the pope, whether he be a bad man or a good man, cannot err in +matters of faith[32]; and yet they cannot prove a single letter of it. +Hence it comes that so many heretical and unchristian, nay, even +unnatural ordinances have a place in the canon law, of which, however, +there is no present need to speak. For since they think that the Holy +Spirit never leaves them, be they never so unlearned and wicked, they +make bold to decree whatever they will. And if it were true, where +would be the need or use of the Holy Scriptures? Let us burn them, and +be satisfied with the unlearned lords at Rome, who are possessed of +the Holy Spirit,--although He can possess only pious hearts! Unless I +had read it myself[33], I could not have believed that the devil would +make such clumsy pretensions at Rome, and find a following. + +But not to fight them with mere words, we will quote the Scriptures. +St. Paul says in I Corinthians xiv: anyone something better is +revealed, though he be sitting and listening to another in God's Word, +then the first, who is speaking, shall hold his peace and give place." +[1 Cor. 14:30] What would be the use of this commandment, if we were +only to believe him who does the talking or who has the highest seat? +[John 6:45] Christ also says in John vi, that all Christians shall be +taught of God. Thus it may well happen that the pope and his followers +are wicked men, and no true Christians, not taught of God, not having +true understanding. On the other hand, an ordinary man may have true +understanding; why then should we not follow him? Has not the pope +erred many times? Who would help Christendom when the pope errs, if we +were not to believe another, who had the Scriptures on his side, more +than the pope? + +Therefore it is a wickedly invented fable, and they cannot produce a +letter in defence of it, that the interpretation of Scripture or the +confirmation of its interpretation belongs to the pope alone. They +have themselves usurped this power; and although they allege that this +power was given to Peter when the keys were given to him, it is plain +enough that the keys were not given to Peter alone, but to the whole +community[34]. Moreover, the keys were not ordained for doctrine or +government, but only for the binding and loosing of sin [John 20:22 +ff.], and whatever further power of the keys they arrogate to +themselves is mere invention. But Christ's word to Peter, "I have +prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," [Luke 22:32] cannot be +applied to the pope, since the majority of the popes have been without +faith, as they must themselves confess. Besides, it is not only for +Peter that Christ prayed, but also or all Apostles and Christians, as +he says in John xvii: "Father, I pray for those whom Thou hast given +Me, and not for these only, but for all who believe on Me through +their word." [John 17:9, 20] Is not this clear enough? + +Only think of it yourself! They must confess that there are pious +Christians among us, who have the true faith, Spirit, understanding, +word and mind of Christ. Why, then, should we reject their word and +understanding and follow the pope, who has neither faith nor Spirit? +That would be to deny the whole faith and the Christian Church. +Moreover, it is not the pope alone who is always in the right, if the +article of the Creed is correct: "I believe one holy Christian +Church"; otherwise the prayer must run: "I believe in the pope at +Rome," and so reduce the Christian Church to one man,--which would be +nothing else than a devilish and hellish error. + +Besides, if we are all priests, as was said above[35], and all have +one faith, one Gospel, one sacrament, why should we not also have the +power to test and judge what is correct or incorrect in matters of +faith? What becomes of the words of Paul in I Corinthians ii: "He that +is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man," +[1 Cor. 2:15] and II Corinthians iv: "We have all the same Spirit of +faith"? [2 Cor. 4:13] Why, then, should not we perceive what squares +with faith and what does not, as well as does an unbelieving pope? + +All these and many other texts should make us bold and free, and we +should not allow the Spirit of liberty, as Paul calls Him [2 Cor. +3:17], to be frightened off by the fabrications of the popes, but we +ought to go boldly forward to test all that they do or leave undone, +according to our interpretation of the Scriptures, which rests on +faith, and compel them to follow not their own interpretation, but the +one that is better. In the olden days Abraham had to listen to his +Sarah, although she was in more complete subjection to him than we are +to anyone on earth [Gen. 21:12]. Balaam's ass, also, was wiser than +the prophet himself [Num. 22:28]. If God then spoke by an ass against +a prophet, why should He not be able even now to speak by a righteous +man against the pope? In like manner St. Paul rebukes St. Peter as a +man in error [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. Therefore it behooves every Christian to +espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to +rebuke all errors. + +[Sidenote: The Third Wall--Pope and Council] + +The _third wall_ falls of itself when the first two are down. For when +the pope acts contrary to the Pope and Scriptures, it is our duty to +stand by the Scriptures, to reprove him, and to constrain him, +according to the word of Christ in Matthew xviii: "If thy brother sin +against thee, go and tell it him between thee and him alone; if he +hear thee not, then take with thee one or two more; if he hear them +not, tell it to the Church; if he hear not the Church, consider him a +heathen." [Matt. 18:15] Here every member is commanded to care for +every other. How much rather should we do this when the member that +does evil is a ruling member, and by his evil-doing is the cause of +much harm and offence to the rest! But if I am to accuse him before +the Church, I must bring the Church together. + +They have no basis in Scripture or their contention that it belongs to +the pope alone to call a council or confirm its actions[36]; for this +is based merely upon their own laws, which are valid only in so far as +they are not injurious to Christendom or contrary to the laws of God. +When the pope deserves punishment, such laws go out of force, since it +is injurious to Christendom not to punish him by means of a council. + +Thus we read in Acts xv. that it was not St. Peter who called the +Apostolic Council, but the Apostles and elders [Acts 15:6]. If, then, +that right had belonged to St. Peter alone, the council would not have +been a Christian council, but an heretical _conciliabulum_[37]. Even +the Council of Nicaea--the most famous of all--was neither called nor +confirmed by the Bishop of Rome, but by the Emperor Constantine[38], +and many other emperors after him did the like, yet these councils +were the most Christian of all[39]. But if the pope alone had the +right to call councils, then all these councils must have been +heretical. Moreover, if I consider the councils which the pope has +created, I find that they have done nothing of special importance. + +Therefore, when necessity demands, and the pope is an offence to +Christendom, the first man who is able should, as a faithful member of +the whole body, do what he can to bring about a truly free +council[40]. No one can do this so well as the temporal authorities, +especially since now they also are fellow-Christians, fellow-priests, +"fellow-spirituals,"[41] fellow-lords over all things, and whenever it +is needful or profitable, they should give free course to the office +and work in which God has put them above every man. Would it not be an +unnatural thing, if a fire broke out in a city, and everybody were to +stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could +burn, for the sole reason that nobody had the authority of the +burgomaster, or because, perhaps, the fire broke out in the +burgomaster's house? In such case is it not the duty of every citizen +to arouse and call the rest? How much more should this be done in the +spiritual city of Christ, if a fire of offence breaks out, whether in +the papal government, or anywhere else? In the same way, if the enemy +attacks a city, he who first rouses the others deserves honor and +thanks; why then should he not deserve honor who makes known the +presence of the enemy from hell, and awakens the Christians, and calls +them together? + +But all their boasts of an authority which dare not be opposed amount +to nothing after all. No one in Christendom has authority to do +injury, or to forbid the resisting of injury. There is no authority in +the Church save for edification. Therefore, if the pope were to use +his authority to prevent the calling of a free council, and thus +became a hindrance to the edification of the Church, we should have +regard neither or him nor or his authority; and if he were to hurl his +bans and thunderbolts, we should despise his conduct as that of a +madman, and relying on God, hurl back the ban on him, and coerce him +as best we could. For this presumptuous authority of his is nothing; +he has no such authority, and he is quickly overthrown by a text of +Scripture; for Paul says to the Corinthians, "God has given us +authority not for the destruction, but for the edification of +Christendom." [2 Cor. 10:8] Who is ready to overleap this text? It is +only the power of the devil and of Antichrist which resists the things +that serve or the edification of Christendom; it is, therefore, in no +wise to be obeyed, but is to be opposed with life and goods and all +our strength. + +Even though a miracle were to be done in the pope's behalf against the +temporal powers, or though someone were to be stricken with a +plague--which they boast has sometimes happened--it should be +considered only the work of the devil, because of the weakness of our +faith in God. Christ Himself prophesied in Matthew xxiv: "There shall +come in My Name false Christs and false prophets, and do signs and +wonders, so as to deceive even the elect," [Matt. 24:24] and Paul says +in II Thessalonians ii, that Antichrist shall, through the power of +Satan, be mighty in lying wonders [2 Thess. 2:9]. Let us, therefore, +hold fast to this: No Christian authority can do anything against +Christ; as St. Paul says, "We can do nothing against Christ, but for +Christ." [2 Cor. 13:8] Whatever does aught against Christ is the power +of Antichrist and of the devil, even though it were to rain and hail +wonders and plagues. Wonders and plagues prove nothing, especially in +these last evil times, for which all the Scriptures prophesy false +wonders [2 Thess. 2:9 f.]. Therefore we must cling with firm faith to +the words of God, and then the devil will cease from wonders. + +Thus I hope that the false, lying terror with which the Romans have +this long time made our conscience timid and stupid, has been allayed. +They, like all of us, are subject to the temporal sword; they have no +power to interpret the Scriptures by mere authority, without learning; +they have no authority to prevent a council or, in sheer wantonness, +to pledge it, bind it, or take away its liberty; but if they do this, +they are in truth the communion of Antichrist and of the devil, and +have nothing at all of Christ except the name. + +II. ABUSES TO BE DISCUSSED IN COUNCILS + +We shall now look at the matters which should be discussed in the +councils, and with which popes, cardinals, bishops and all the +scholars ought properly to be occupied day and night if they loved +Christ and His Church. But if they neglect this duty, then let the +laity[42] and the temporal authorities see to it, regardless of bans +and thunders; for an unjust ban is better than ten just releases, and +an unjust release worse than ten just bans. Let us, therefore, awake, +dear Germans, and fear God rather than men [Acts 5:29], that we may +not share the fate of all the poor souls who are so lamentably lost +through the shameful and devilish rule of the Romans, in which the +devil daily takes a larger and larger place,--if, indeed, it were +possible that such a hellish rule could grow worse, a thing I can +neither conceive nor believe. + +[Sidenote: Worldliness of the pope] + +1. It is a horrible and frightful thing that the ruler of Christendom, +who boasts himself vicar of Christ and successor of St. Peter, lives +in such worldly splendor that in this regard no king nor emperor can +equal or approach him, and that he who claims the title of "most holy" +and "most spiritual" is more worldly than the world itself. He wears a +triple crown, when the greatest kings wear but a single crown[43]; if +that is like the poverty of Christ and of St. Peter, then it is a new +kind of likeness. When a word is said against it, they cry out +"Heresy!" but that is because they do not wish to hear how unchristian +and ungodly such a practice is. I think, however, that if the pope +were with tears to pray to God, he would have to lay aside these +crowns, for our God can suffer no pride; and his office is nothing +else than this,--daily to weep and pray or Christendom, and to set an +example of all humility. + +However that may be, this splendor of his is an offence, and the pope +is bound on his soul's salvation to lay it aside, because St. Paul +says, "Abstain from all outward shows, which give offence," [1 Thess. +5:21] and in Rom. xii, "We should provide good, not only in the sight +of God, but also in the sight of all men." [Rom. 12:17] An ordinary +bishop's crown would be enough for the pope; he should be greater than +others in wisdom and holiness, and leave the crown of pride to +Antichrist, as did his predecessors several centuries ago. They say he +is a lord of the world; that is a lie; for Christ, Whose vicar and +officer he boasts himself to be, said before Pilate, "My kingdom is +not of this world," [John 17:36] and no vicar's rule can go beyond his +lord's. Moreover he is not the vicar of the glorified, but of the +crucified Christ, as Paul says, "I was willing to know nothing among +you save Christ, and Him only as the Crucified" [1 Cor. 2:2]; and in +Philippians ii, "So think of yourselves as ye see in Christ, Who +emptied Himself and took upon Him the appearance of a servant" [Phil. +2:5]; and again in I Corinthians i, "We preach Christ, the Crucified." +[1 Cor. 1:23] Now they make the pope a vicar of the glorified Christ +in heaven, and some of them have allowed the devil to rule them so +completely that they have maintained that the pope is above the angels +in heaven and has authority over them[44]. These are indeed the very +works of the very Antichrist. + +[Sidenote: The Cardinals] + +2. What is the use in Christendom of those people who are called the +cardinals? I shall tell you. Italy and Germany have many rich +monasteries, foundations, benefices, and livings. No better way has +been discovered to bring all these to Rome than by creating cardinals +and giving them the bishoprics, monasteries and prelacies, and so +overthrowing the worship of God. For this reason we now see Italy a +very wilderness--monasteries in ruins, bishoprics devoured, the +prelacies and the revenues of all the churches drawn to Rome, cities +decayed, land and people laid waste, because there is no more worship +or preaching. Why? The cardinals must have the income[45]. No Turk +could have so devastated Italy and suppressed the worship of God. + +Now that Italy is sucked dry, they come into Germany[46], and begin +oh, so gently. But let us beware, for Germany will soon become like +Italy. Already we have some cardinals; what the Romans seek by that +the "drunken Germans" are not to understand until we have not a +bishopric, a monastery, a living, a benefice, a _heller_ or a +_pfennig_ left. Antichrist must take the treasures of the earth, as it +was prophesied [Dan. 11:39, 43]. So it goes on. They skim the cream of +the bishoprics, monasteries and benefices, and because they do not yet +venture to turn them all to shameful use, as they have done in Italy, +they only practise for the present the sacred trickery of coupling +together ten or twenty prelacies and taking a yearly portion from each +of them, so as to make a tidy sum after all. The priory of Wurzburg +yields a thousand _gulden_; that of Bamberg, something; Mainz, Trier +and the others, something more; and so from one to ten thousand gulden +might be got together, in order that a cardinal might live at Rome +like a rich king. + +"After they are used to this, we will create thirty or forty cardinals +in a day[47], and give to one Mount St. Michael at Bamberg[48] and the +bishopric of Wurzburg to boot, hang on to these a few rich livings, +until churches and cities are waste, and after that we will say, 'We +are Christ's vicars and shepherds of Christ's sheep; the mad, drunken +Germans must put up with it.'" + +I advise, however, that the number of the cardinals be reduced, or +that the pope be made to keep them at his own expense. Twelve of them +would be more than enough, and each of them might have an income of a +thousand gulden a year[49]. How comes it that we Germans must put up +with such robbery and such extortion of our property, at the hands of +the pope? If the Kingdom of France has prevented it[50], why do we +Germans let them make such fools and apes of us? It would all be more +bearable if in this way they only stole our property; but they lay +waste the churches and rob Christ's sheep of their pious shepherds, +and destroy the worship and the Word of God. Even if there were not a +single cardinal, the Church would not go under. As it is they do +nothing for the good of Christendom; they only wrangle about the +incomes of bishoprics and prelacies, and that any robber could do. + +[Sidenote: The Curia] + +3. If ninety-nine parts of the papal court[51] were done away and only +the hundredth part allowed to remain, it would still be large enough +to give decisions in matters of faith. Now, however, there is such a +swarm of vermin yonder in Rome, all boasting that they are "papal," +that there was nothing like it in Babylon. There are more than three +thousand papal secretaries alone; who will count the other offices, +when they are so many that they scarcely can be counted? And they all +lie in wait for the prebends and benefices of Germany as wolves lie in +wait for the sheep. I believe that Germany now gives much more to the +pope at Rome than it gave in former times to the emperors. Indeed, +some estimate that every year more than three hundred thousand gulden +find their way from Germany to Rome, quite uselessly and fruitlessly; +we get nothing for it but scorn and contempt. And yet we wonder that +princes, nobles, cities, endowments, land and people are impoverished! +We should rather wonder that we still have anything to eat! + +Since we here come to the heart of the matter, we will pause a little, +and let it be seen that the Germans are not quite such gross fools as +not to note or understand the sharp practices of the Romans. I do not +now complain that at Rome God's command and Christian law are +despised; for such is the state of Christendom, and particularly of +Rome, that we may not now complain of such high matters. Nor do I +complain that natural or temporal law and reason count for nothing. +The case is worse even than that. I complain that they do not keep +their own self-devised canon law, though it is, to be sure, mere +tyranny, avarice and temporal splendor, rather than law. Let us see! + +[Sidenote: The Annates] + +In former times German emperors and princes permitted the pope to +receive the _annates_ from all the benefices of the German nation, i. +e., the half of the first year's revenues from each benefice[52]. This +permission was given, however, in order that by means of these large +sums of money, the pope might accumulate a treasure for fighting +against the Turks and infidels in defence of Christendom, so that the +burden of the war might not rest too heavily upon the nobility, but +that the clergy also should contribute something toward it. This +single-hearted devotion of the German nation the popes have so used, +that they have received this money for more than a hundred years, have +now made of it a binding tax and tribute, and have not only +accumulated no treasure, but have used the money to endow many orders +and offices at Rome, and to provide these offices with salaries, as +though the annates were a fixed rent. + +[Sidenote: Saracen-tax] + +When they pretend that they are about to fight against the Turks, they +send out emissaries to gather money. Ofttimes they issue an indulgence +on this same pretext of fighting the Turks[53], for they think the mad +Germans are forever to remain utter and arrant fools, give them money +without end, and satisfy their unspeakable greed; though we clearly +see that not a _heller_ of the annates or of the indulgence-money or +of all the rest, is used against the Turks, but all of it goes into +the bottomless bag. They lie and deceive, make laws and make +agreements with us, and they do not intend to keep any of them. All +this must be counted the work of Christ and St. Peter! + +Now, in this matter the German nation, bishops and princes, should +consider that they too are Christians, and should protect the people, +whom they are set to rule and guard in things temporal and spiritual, +against these ravening wolves who, in sheep's clothing, pretend to be +shepherds and rulers; and, since the annates are so shamefully abused +and the stipulated conditions are not fulfilled, they should not +permit their land and people to be so sadly robbed and ruined, against +all justice; but by a law of the emperor or of the whole nation, they +should either keep the annates at home or else abolish them again[54]. +For since the Romans do not keep the terms of the agreement, they have +no right to the annates. Therefore the bishops and princes are bound +to punish or prevent such thievery and robbery, as the law requires. + +In this they should aid the pope and support him, or he is perchance +too weak to prevent such an abuse all by himself; or if he were to +undertake to defend and maintain this practice, they ought resist him +and fight against him as against a wolf and a tyrant, for he has no +authority to do or to defend evil. Moreover, if it were ever desired +to accumulate such a treasure against the Turks, we ought in the +future to have sense enough to see that the German nation would be a +better custodian or it than the pope; for the German nation has people +enough or the fighting, if only the money is forthcoming. It is with +the annates as it has been with many another Roman pretence. + +[Sidenote: Papal Months] + +Again, the year has been so divided between the pope and the ruling +bishops and canons[55], that the pope has six months in the +year--every other month--in which to bestow the benefices which all +vacant in his months[56]. In this way almost all the benefices are +absorbed by Rome, especially the very best livings and dignities[57], +and when once they fall into the hands of Rome, they never come out of +them again, though a vacancy may never again occur in the pope's +month. Thus the canons are cheated. This is a genuine robbery, which +intends to let nothing escape. Therefore it is high time that the +"papal months" be altogether abolished, and that everything which they +have brought to Rome be taken back again. For the princes and nobles +should take measures that the stolen goods be returned, the thieves +punished, and those who have abused privilege be deprived of +privilege. If it is binding and valid when the pope on the day after +his election makes, in his chancery, rules and laws whereby our +foundations and livings are robbed,--a thing which he has no right to +do; then it should be still more valid if the Emperor Charles on the +day after his coronation[58] were to make rules and laws that not +another benefice or living in all Germany shall be allowed to come +into the hands of Rome by means of the "papal months," and that the +livings which have already fallen into its hands shall be released, +and redeemed from the Roman robbers; for he has this right by virtue +of his office and his sword. + +But now the Roman See of Avarice and Robbery has not been able to +await the time when all the benefices, one after another, would, by +the "papal months," come into its power, but hastens, with insatiable +appetite, to get possession of them all as speedily as possible; and +so besides the annates and the "months" it has hit upon a device by +which benefices and livings all to Rome in three ways: + +_First_, If any one who holds a free[59] living dies at Rome or on the +way to Rome, his living must forever belong to the Roman--I should +rather say the robbing--See[60]; and yet they will not be called +robbers, though they are guilty of such robbery as no one has ever +heard or read about. + +_Second_, In case any one who belongs to the household of the pope or +of the cardinals[61] holds or takes over a benefice, or in case one +who already holds a benefice afterwards enters the "household" of the +pope or of a cardinal. But who can count the "household" of the pope +and of the cardinals, when the pope, if he only goes on a +pleasure-ride, takes with him three or our thousand mule-riders, +eclipsing all emperors and kings? Christ and St. Peter went on foot in +order that their vicars might have the more pomp and splendor. Now +avarice has cleverly thought out another scheme, and brings it to pass +that even here many have the name of "papal servant," just as though +they were in Rome; all in order that in every place the mere rascally +little word "papal servant" may bring all benefices to Rome and tie +them fast there forever. Are not these vexatious and devilish +inventions? Let us beware! Soon Mainz, Madgeburg and Halberstadt will +gently pass into the hands of Rome, and the cardinalate will be paid +for dearly enough[62]. "Afterwards we will make all the German bishops +cardinals so that there will be nothing let outside." + +_Third_, When a contest has started at Rome over a benefice[63]. This +I hold to be almost the commonest and widest road or bringing livings +to Rome. For when there is no contest at home, unnumbered knaves will +be found at Rome to dig up contests out of the earth and assail +livings at their will. Thus many a good priest has to lose his living, +or settle the contest for a time by the payment of a sum of money[64]. +Such a living rightly or wrongly contested must also belong forever to +the Roman See. It would be no wonder if God were to rain from heaven +fire and brimstone and to sink Rome in the abyss, as He did Sodom and +Gomorrah of old [Gen. 19:24]. Why should there be a pope in +Christendom, if his power is used or nothing else than such +archknavery, and if he protects and practices it? O noble princes and +lords, how long will ye leave your lands and people naked to these +ravening wolves! + +[Sidenote: The Pallium] + +Since even these practices were not enough, and Avarice grew impatient +at the long time it took to get hold of all the bishoprics, therefore +my Lord Avarice devised the fiction that the bishoprics should be +nominally abroad, but that their land and soil should be at Rome, and +no bishop can be confirmed unless with a great sum of money he buy the +_pallium_[65], and bind himself with terrible oaths to be the pope's +servant[66]. This is the reason that no bishop ventures to act against +the pope. That, too, is what the Romans were seeking when they imposed +the oath, and thus the very richest bishoprics have fallen into debt +and ruin. Mainz pays, as I hear, 20,000 gulden. These be your Romans! +To be sure they decreed of old in the canon law that the _pallium_ +should be bestowed gratis, the number of papal servants diminished, +the contests lessened, the chapters[67] and bishops allowed their +liberty. But this did not bring in money, and so they turned over a +new leaf, and all authority was taken from the bishops and chapters; +they are made ciphers, and have no office nor authority nor work, but +everything is ruled by the archknaves at Rome; soon they will have in +hand even the office of sexton and bell-ringer in all the churches. +All contests are brought to Rome, and by authority of the pope +everyone does as he likes. + +What happened this very year? The Bishop of Strassburg[68] wished to +govern his chapter properly and to institute reforms in worship, and +with this end in view made certain godly and Christian regulations. +But my dear Lord Pope and the Holy Roman See, at the instigation of +the priests, overthrew and altogether condemned this holy and +spiritual ordinance. This is called "feeding the sheep of Christ!" +[John 20:15-17] Thus priests are to be encouraged against their own +bishop, and their disobedience to divine law is to be protected! +Antichrist himself, I hope, will not dare to put God to such open +shame! There you have your pope after your own heart! Why did he do +this? Ah! if one church were reformed, it would be a dangerous +departure; Rome's turn too might come! Therefore it were better that +no priest should be let at peace with another, that kings and princes +should be set at odds, as has been the custom heretofore, and the +world filled with the blood of Christians, only so the concord of +Christians should not trouble the Holy Roman See with a reformation. + +So far we have been getting an idea of how they deal with livings +which become vacant. But for tender-hearted Avarice the vacancies are +too few, and so he brings his foresight to bear upon the benefices +which are still occupied by their incumbents, so that they must be +unfilled, even though they are not unfilled[69]. And this he does in +many ways, as follows: + +[Sidenote: Coadjutorships] + +_First_, He lies in wait for fat prebends or bishoprics which are held +by an old or a sick man, or by one with an alleged disability. To such +an incumbent, without his desire or consent, the Holy See gives a +coadjutor, i. e., an "assistant," or the coadjutor's benefit, because +he is a "papal servant," or has paid for the position, or has earned +it by some other ignoble service to Rome. In this case the rights of +the chapter or the rights of him who has the bestowal of the +living[70] must be surrendered, and the whole thing all into the hands +of Rome. + +[Sidenote: Commendations] + +_Second_, There is a little word _commend_[71], by which the pope +entrusts the keeping of a rich, fat monastery or church to a cardinal +or to another of his people, just as though I were to give you a +hundred gulden to keep. This is not called the giving or bestowing of +the monastery nor even its destruction, or the abolition of the +worship of God, but only "giving it into keeping"; not that he to whom +it is entrusted is to care or it, or build it up, but he is to drive +out the incumbent, to receive the goods and revenues, and to install +some apostate, renegade monk[72], who accepts five or six gulden a +year and sits in the church all day selling pictures and images to the +pilgrims, so that henceforth neither prayers nor masses are said +there. If this were to be called destroying monasteries and abolishing +the worship of God, then the pope would have to be called a destroyer +of Christendom and an abolisher of God's worship, because this is his +constant practice. That would be a hard saying at Rome, and so we must +call it a commend or a "command to take charge" of the monastery. The +pope can every year make commends out of our or more of these +monasteries, a single one of which may have an income of more than six +thousand gulden. This is the way the Romans increase the worship of +God and preserve the monasteries. The Germans also are beginning to +find it out. + +[Sidenote: Incorporation] + +[Sidenote: Union] + +_Third_, There are some benefices which they call +_incompatibilia_[73], and which, according to the ordinances of the +canon law, cannot be held by one man at the same time, as for +instance, two parishes, two bishoprics and the like. In these cases +the Holy Roman See of Avarice evades the canon law by making +"glosses,"[74] called _unio_ and _incorporatio_, i. e., by +"incorporating" many _incompatibilia_, so that each becomes a part of +every other and all of them together are looked upon as though they +were one living. They are then no longer "incompatible," and the holy +canon law is satisfied, in that it is no longer binding, except upon +those who do not buy these "glosses"[75] from the pope or his +_datarius_[76]. The _unio_, i. e., "uniting," is of the same nature. +The pope binds many such benefices together like a bundle of sticks, +and by virtue of this bond they are all regarded as one benefice. So +there is at Rome one courtesan[77] who holds, for himself alone, 22 +parishes, 7 priories and 44 canonries besides,--all by the help of +that masterly "gloss," which holds that this is not illegal. What +cardinals and other prelates have, everyone may imagine or himself. In +this way the Germans are to have their purses eased and their itch +cured. + +[Sidenote: Administration] + +Another of the "glosses" is the _administratio_, i. e., a man may have +beside his bishopric, an abbacy or a dignity[78], and possess all the +property which goes with it, only he has no other title than that of +"administrator."[79] For at Rome it is sufficient that words are +changed and not the things they stand for; as though I were to teach +that a bawdy-house keeper should have the name of "burgomaster's +wife," and yet continue to ply her trade. This kind of Roman rule St. +Peter foretold when he said, in II Peter ii: "There shall come false +teachers, who in covetousness, with feigned words, shall make +merchandise of you, to get their gains." [2 Pet. 2:3] + +[Sidenote: Regression] + +Again, dear Roman Avarice has invented the custom of selling and +bestowing livings to such advantage that the seller or disposer +retains reversionary rights[80] upon them: to wit, if the incumbent +dies, the benefice freely reverts to him who previously sold, bestowed +or surrendered it. In this way they have made livings hereditary +property, so that henceforth no one can come into possession of them, +except the man to whom the seller is willing to dispose of them, or to +whom he bequeaths his rights at death. Besides, there are many who +transfer to others the mere title to a benefice from which those who +get the title derive not a _heller_ of income. It is now an old +custom, too, to give another man a benefice and to reserve a certain +part out of the annual revenue[81]. In olden times this was +simony[82]. Of these things there are so many more that they cannot +all be counted. They treat livings more shamefully than the heathen +beneath the cross treated the garments of Christ. [Matt. 27:35] + +[Sidenote: Reservation in pectore] + +Yet all that has hitherto been said is ancient history and an +every-day occurrence at Rome. Avarice has devised one thing more, +which may, I hope, be his last morsel, and choke him. The pope has a +noble little device called _pectoralis reservatio_, i. e., his "mental +reservation," and _proprius motus_, i. e., the "arbitrary will of his +authority."[83] It goes like this. When one man has gotten a benefice +at Rome, and the appointment has been regularly signed and sealed, +according to custom, and there comes another, who brings money, or has +laid the pope under obligation in some other way, of which we will not +speak, and desires of the pope the same benefice, then the pope takes +it from the first man and gives it to the second[84]. If it is said +that this is unjust, then the Most Holy Father must make some excuse, +that he may not be reproved or doing such open violence to the law, +and says that in his mind and heart he had reserved that benefice to +himself and his own plenary disposal, although he had never before in +his whole life either thought or heard of it. Thus he has now found a +little "gloss" by which he can, in his own person, lie and deceive, +and make a fool and an ape of anybody--all this he does brazenly and +openly, and yet he wishes to be the head of Christendom, though with +his open lies he lets the Evil Spirit rule him. + +This arbitrary will and lying "reservation" of the pope creates in +Rome a state of affairs which is unspeakable. There is buying, +selling, bartering, trading, trafficking, lying, deceiving, robbing, +stealing, luxury, harlotry, knavery, and every sort of contempt of +God, and even the rule of Antichrist could not be more scandalous. +Venice, Antwerp, Cairo[85] are nothing compared to this fair which is +held at Rome and the business which is done there, except that in +those other places they still observe right and reason. At Rome +everything goes as the devil wills, and out of this ocean like virtue +flows into all the world. Is it a wonder that such people fear a +reformation and a free council, and prefer to set all kings and +princes at enmity rather than have them unite and bring about a +council? Who could bear to have such knavery exposed if it were his +own? + +[Sidenote: The Dataria] + +Finally, for all this noble commerce the pope has built a warehouse, +namely, the house of the datarius[86], in Rome. Thither all must come +who deal after this fashion in benefices and livings. From him they +must buy their "glosses"[87] and get the power to practice such +archknavery. In former times Rome was generous, and then justice had +either to be bought or else suppressed with money, but now she has +become exorbitant, and no one dare be a knave unless with a great sum +he has first bought the right. If that is not a brothel above all the +brothels one can imagine, then I do not know what brothel means. + +If you have money in this house, then you can come by all the things I +have said; and not only these, but all sorts of usury[88] are here +made honest, Phil. 2:5 for a consideration, and the possession of all +property acquired by theft or robbery is legalised. Here vows are +dissolved; here monks are granted liberty to leave their orders; here +marriage is on sale to the clergy; here bastards can become +legitimate; here all dishonor and shame can come to honor; all +ill-repute and stigma of evil are here knighted and ennobled; here is +permitted the marriage which is within the forbidden degrees or has +some other defect[89]. Oh! what a taxing and a robbing rules there! +It looks as though all the laws of the Church were made for one +purpose only--to be nothing but so many money-snares, from which a man +must extricate himself[90] if he would be a Christian. Yea, here the +devil becomes a saint, and a god to boot. What heaven and earth +cannot, that this house can do! They call them _compositiones_[91]! +"Compositions" indeed! rather "confusions"! Oh, what a modest tax is +the Rhine-toll[92], compared with the tribute taken by this holy +house! + +Let no one accuse me of exaggeration! It is all so open that even at +Rome they must confess the evil to be greater and more terrible than +any one can say. I have not yet stirred up the hell-broth of personal +vices, nor do I intend to do so. I speak of things which are common +talk, and yet I have not words to tell them all. The bishops, the +priests and, above all, the doctors in the universities, who draw +their salaries or this purpose, should have done their duty and with +common consent have written and cried out against these things; but +they have done the very opposite[93]. + +[Sidenote: The Fuggers] + +There remains one last word, and I must say that too. Since boundless +Avarice has not been satisfied with all these treasures, which three +great kings might well think sufficient, he now begins to transfer +this trade and sell it to Fugger of Augsburg[94], so that the lending +and trading and buying of bishoprics and benefices, and the driving of +bargains in spiritual goods has now come to the right place, and +spiritual and temporal goods have become one business. And now I would +fain hear of a mind so lofty that it could imagine what this Roman +Avarice might yet be able to do and has not already done; unless +Fugger were to transfer or sell this combination of two lines of +business to somebody else. I believe we have reached the limit. + +As for what they have stolen in all lands and still steal and extort, +by means of indulgences, bulls, letters of confession[95], +"butter-letters"[96] and other _confessionalia_[97],--all this I +consider mere patch-work, and like casting a single devil more into +hell[98]. Not that they bring in little, for a mighty king could well +support himself on their returns, but they are not to be compared with +the streams of treasure above mentioned. I shall also say nothing at +present of how this indulgence money has been applied. Another time I +shall inquire about that, for Campoflore[99] and Belvidere[100] and +certain other places probably know something about it. + +Since, then, such devilish rule is not only open robbery and deceit, +and the tyranny of the gates of hell, but also ruins Christendom in +body and soul, it is our duty to use all diligence in protecting +Christendom against such misery and destruction. If we would fight the +Turks, let us make a beginning here, where they are at their worst. If +we justly hang thieves and behead robbers, why should we let Roman +Avarice go free? For he is the greatest thief and robber that has come +or can come into the world, and all in the holy Name of Christ and of +St. Peter! Who can longer endure it or keep silence? Almost everything +he owns has been gotten by theft and robbery; that is the truth, and +all history shows it. The pope never got by purchase such great +properties that from his _officia_[101] alone he can raise about a +million ducats, not to mention the mines of treasure named above and +the income of his lands. Nor did it come to him by inheritance from +Christ or from St. Peter; no one ever loaned it or gave it to him; it +has not become his by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment. Tell me, +then, whence he can have it? Learn from this what they have in mind +when they send out legates to collect money or use against the Turks. + +III. PROPOSALS FOR REFORM + +Now, although I am too small a man to make propositions which might +effect a reform in this dreadful state of things, nevertheless I may +as well sing my fool's song to the end, and say, so far as I am able, +what could and should be done by the temporal authorities or by a +general council. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Annates] + +1. Every prince, nobleman and city should boldly forbid their subjects +to pay the annates to Rome and should abolish them entirely[102]; for +the pope has broken the compact, and made the annates a robbery, to +the injury and shame of the whole German nation. He gives them to his +friends, sells them for large amounts of money, and uses them to endow +offices. He has thus lost his right to them, and deserves punishment. +It is therefore the duty of the temporal authorities to protect the +innocent and prevent injustice, as Paul teaches in Romans xiii [Rom. +13:4], and St. Peter in I Peter ii [1 Pet. 2:14], Rom. and even the +canon law in Case 16, Question 7, _de filiis_[103]. Thus it has come +about that men are saying to the pope and his followers, _Tu ora_, +"Thou shalt pray"; to the emperor and his followers, _Tu protege_, +"Thou shalt guard"; to the common man, _Tu labora_, "Thou shalt work." +Not, however, as though everyone were not to pray, guard and work; for +the man who is diligent in his calling is praying, guarding and +working in all that he does, but everyone should have his own especial +task. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Roman Appointments] + +2. Since the pope with his Roman practices--his commends[104], +adjutories[105], reservations[106], _gratiae expectativae_[107], papal +months[108], incorporations[109], unions[110], _pallia_[111], rules in +chancery[112], and such like knavery--usurps all the German +foundations without authority and right, and gives and sells them to +foreigners at Rome, who do nothing in German lands to earn them; and +since he thereby robs the ordinaries[113] of their rights, makes the +bishops mere ciphers and figure-heads, and acts against his own canon +law, against nature and against reason, until it has finally gone so +far that out of sheer avarice the livings and benefices are sold to +gross, ignorant asses and knaves at Rome, while pious and learned folk +have no profit of their wisdom and merit, so that the poor people of +the German nation have to go without good and learned prelates and +thus go to ruin: + +Therefore, the Christian nobility should set itself against the pope +as against a common enemy and destroyer of Christendom, and should do +this for the salvation of the poor souls who must go to ruin through +his tyranny. They should ordain, order, and decree, that henceforth no +benefice shall be drawn into the hands of Rome, and that hereafter no +appointment shall be obtained there in any manner whatsoever, but that +the benefices shall be brought out and kept out from under this +tyrannical authority; and they should restore to the ordinaries the +right and office of ordering these benefices in the German nation as +best they may. And if a "courtesan" were to come from Rome, he should +receive a strict command either to keep his distance, or else to jump +into the Rhine or the nearest river, and take the Roman ban, with its +seals and letters, to a cold bath. They would then take note at Rome +that the Germans are not always mad and drunken, but that they have +really become Christians, and intend to permit no longer the mockery +and scorn of the holy name of Christ, under which all this knavery and +destruction of souls goes on, but have more regard to God and His +glory than to the authority of men. + +[Sidenote: Restoration of Local Church Rights] + +3. An imperial law should be issued, that no bishop's cloak[114] and +no confirmation of any dignity[115] whatsoever shall henceforth be +secured from Rome, but that the Church ordinance of the most holy and +most famous Council of Nicaea[116] shall be restored, in which it is +decreed that a bishop shall be confirmed by the two nearest bishops or +by the archbishop. If the pope will break the statutes of this and of +all other councils, what is the use of holding councils; or who has +given him the authority thus to despise and break the rules of +councils? + +If he has this power then we should depose all bishops, archbishops +and primates[117] and make them mere parish-priests, so that the pope +alone may be over them, as he now is. He leaves to bishops, +archbishops and primates no regular authority or office, usurps +everything for himself, and lets them keep only the name and empty +title. It has gone so far that by his "exemptions"[118] the +monasteries, the abbots and the prelates are withdrawn from the +regular authority of the bishops, so that there is no longer any order +in Christendom. From this must follow what has followed--relaxation of +discipline and license to do evil everywhere--so that I verily fear +the pope can be called the "man of sin." [2 Thess. 2:3] There is in +Christendom no discipline, no rule, no order; and who is to blame +except the pope? This usurped authority of his he applies strictly to +all the prelates, and takes away their rods; and he is generous to all +subjects, giving them or selling them their liberty. + +Nevertheless, for fear he may complain that he is robbed of his +authority, it should be decreed that when the primates or archbishops +are unable to settle a case, or when a controversy arises among +themselves, such a case must be laid before the pope, but not every +little matter[120]. Thus it was done in olden times, and thus the +famous Council of Nicaea decreed[121]. If a case can be settled +without the pope, then his Holiness should not be troubled with such +minor matters, but give himself to that prayer, meditation and care +for all Christendom, of which he boasts. This is what the Apostles +did. They said, "It is not meet that we should leave the Word of God +and serve tables, but we will keep to preaching and prayer and set +others over the work." [Acts 6:2] But now Rome stands or nothing else +than the despising of the Gospel and of prayer, and for the serving of +"tables," i. e., of temporal affairs, and the rule of the Apostles and +of the pope agree as Christ agrees with Lucifer, heaven with hell, +night with day; yet he is called "Vicar of Christ and Successor of the +Apostles." + +[Sidenote: Exclusion of Temporal Matters from the Papal Court] + +4. It should be decreed that no temporal matter shall be taken to +Rome[122], but that all such cases shall be left to the temporal +authorities, as the Romans themselves decree in that canon law of +theirs, which they do not keep. For it should be the duty of the pope, +as the man most learned in Papal the Scriptures and most Holy, not in +name only, but in truth, to administer affairs which concern the faith +and holy life of Christians, to hold the primates and archbishops to +these things, and to help them in dealing with and caring for these +matters. So St. Paul teaches in I Corinthians vi, and takes the +Corinthians severely to task or their concern with worldly things [1 +Cor. 6:7]. For it works intolerable injury to all lands that such +cases are tried at Rome. It increases the costs, and moreover the +judges do not know the manners, laws and customs of the various +countries, so that they often do violence to the acts and base their +decisions on their own laws and opinions, and thus injustice is +inevitably done the contestants. + +[Sidenote: and from the Bishops' Courts] + +Moreover, the outrageous extortion practised by the _officiales_[123] +must be forbidden in all the dioceses, courts so that they may attend +to nothing else than matters of faith and good morals, and leave to +the temporal judges the things that concern money, property, life and +honor. The temporal authorities, therefore, should not permit +sentences of ban or exile when faith or right life is not concerned. +Spiritual authorities should have rule over spiritual goods, as reason +teaches; but spiritual goods are not money, nor anything pertaining to +the body, but they are faith and good works. + +[Sidenote: A German Church Organization] + +Nevertheless it might be granted that cases which concern benefices or +livings should be tried before bishops, archbishops and primates. +Therefore, in order to decide contests and contentions, it might be +possible for the Primate of Germany to maintain a general consistory, +with auditors and chancellors, which should have control over the +_signaturae gratiae_ and _signaturae justitiae_[124], that are now +controlled at Rome, and which should be the final court of appeal for +German cases. The officers of this consistory must not, however, be +paid, as at Rome, by chance presents and gifts, and thereby acquire +the habit of selling justice and injustice, which they now have to do +at Rome because the pope gives them no remuneration, but allows them +to fatten themselves on presents. For at Rome no one cares what is +right or not right, but only what is money or not money. This court +might, however, be paid out of the annates, or some other way might +easily be devised, by those who are more intelligent and who have more +experience in these matters than I. All I wish to do is to arouse and +set to thinking those who have the ability and the inclination to help +the German nation become once more free and Christian, after the +wretched, heathenish and unchristian rule of the pope. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reservations] + +5. No more reservations should be valid, and no more benefices should +be seized by Rome, even if the incumbent dies, or there is a contest, +or the incumbent is a "servant" of a cardinal or of the pope[125]; and +it should be strictly forbidden and prevented that any +"courtesan"[126] should institute a contest over any benefice, so as +to cite pious priests to Rome, harass them and drive them into +lawsuits. If, in consequence of this prohibition, there should come +from Rome a ban or an ecclesiastical censure, it should be +disregarded, just as though a thief were to lay a man under the ban +because he would not let him steal. Indeed they should be severely +punished because they so blasphemously misuse the ban and the name of +God to support their robbery, and with falsely devised threats would +drive us to endure and to praise such blasphemy of God's name and such +abuse of Christian authority, and thus to become, in the sight of God, +partakers in their rascality; it is our duty before God to resist it, +or St. Paul, in Romans i, reproves as guilty of death not only "those +who do such things," but also those who consent to such things and +allow them to be done [Rom. 1:32]. Most unbearable of all is the lying +_reservatio pectoralis_[127], whereby Christendom is so scandalously +and openly put to shame and scorn, because its head deals in open +lies, and out of love for the accursed money, shamelessly deceives and +fools everybody. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reserved Cases] + +6. The _casus reservati_[128], the "reserved cases," should also be +abolished, for not only are they the means of served extorting much +money from the people, but by means of them the ravening tyrants +ensnare and confuse many poor consciences, to the intolerable injury +of their faith in God. This is especially true of the ridiculous and +childish cases about which they make so much ado in the Bull _Coena +Domini_[129], and which are not worth calling daily sins, still less +cases so grave that the pope may not remit them by any indulgence; as +for example, hindering a pilgrim on his way to Rome, furnishing +weapons to the Turks, or tampering with papal letters. With such +gross, crazy, clumsy things do they make fools of us! Sodom and +Gomorrah, and all the sins which are committed and can be committed +against the commandments of God are not reserved cases; but sins +against what God has never commanded and what they have themselves +devised, these must be reserved cases, solely that no one be hindered +in bringing money to Rome, in order that, safe from the Turks, they +may live in luxury and keep the world under their tyranny with their +wanton, useless bulls and breves[130]. + +All priests ought rightly to know, or else there should be a public +ordinance to that effect, that no secret sin, of which a man has not +been publicly accused, is a reserved case, and that every priest has +the power to remit all sorts of sins, however they may be called, so +long as they are secret; moreover that no abbot, bishop or pope has +the power to reserve any such case to himself[131]. If they attempt +it, their reservation does not hold and is not valid, and they should +be reproved, as men who without authority interfere in God's judgment, +and without cause ensnare and burden poor, ignorant consciences. But +if great public sins are committed, especially sins against God's +commandments, then there is indeed a reason for reserved cases, but +even then there should not be too many of them, and they should not be +reserved arbitrarily and without cause; for Christ has set in His +Church not tyrants, but shepherds, as saith St. Peter [1 Pet. 5:3]. + +[Sidenote: Diminution of the Papal Household] + +7. The Roman See should also do away with the _officia_[132], and +diminish the swarm of vermin at Rome, so that the pope's household can +be supported by the pope's own purse. The pope should not allow his +court to surpass in pomp and extravagance the courts of all kings, +seeing that such a condition not only has never been serviceable to +the cause of Christian faith, but the courtiers have been kept thereby +from study and prayer, until they are scarce able to speak about the +faith at all. This they proved quite plainly at the last Roman +Council[133], in which, amongst many other childish and frivolous +things, they decreed that the soul of man is immortal and that every +priest must say his prayers once a month on pain of losing his +benefice. How shall matters which concern faith and the Church be +decided by people so hardened and blinded by great avarice, wealth and +worldly splendor, that they have only now decreed that the soul is +immortal? It is no small shame to all Christians that at Rome they +deal so disgracefully with the faith. If they had less wealth and +pomp, they could pray and study better, and so become worthy and able +to deal with matters of faith, as was the case in olden times when +they were bishops, and did not presume to be kings over all kings. + +[Sidenote: Bishops' Oaths] + +8. The hard and terrible oaths should be abolished, which the bishops +are wrongfully compelled to render to the pope[134], and by which they +are bound like servants, as that worthless and unlearned chapter, +_Significasti_[135], arbitrarily and most stupidly decrees. It is not +enough that they burden us in body, soul and property with their many +mad laws, by which faith is weakened and Christendom ruined; but they +seize upon the person and office and work of the bishops, and now upon +the investiture[136] also, which was in olden times the right of the +German emperors, and in France and other kingdoms still belongs to the +kings. On this point they had great wars and disputes with the +emperors[137] until at last, with impudent authority, they took the +right and have kept it until now; just as though the Germans, above +all the Christians on earth, had to be the puppets of the pope and the +Roman See and do and suffer what no one else will do and suffer. +Since, then, this is sheer violence and robbery, hindering the regular +authority of the bishops and injuring poor souls, therefore the +emperor and his nobles are in duty bound to prevent and punish such +tyranny. + +[Sidenote: Pope and Emperor] + +9. The pope should have no authority over the emperor, except that he +anoints and crowns him at the altar, just as a bishop anoints and +crowns a king[138]; and we should not henceforth yield to that +devilish pride which compels the emperor to kiss the pope's feet or +sit at his feet, or, as they claim, hold his stirrup or the bridle of +his mule when he mounts for a ride; still less should he do homage and +swear faithful allegiance to the pope, as the popes have shamelessly +ventured to demand as if they possessed that right. The chapter +_Solite_[139], in which the papal authority is raised above the +imperial authority, is not worth a heller, nor are any of those who +rest upon it or fear it; for it does nothing else than force the holy +words of God out of their true meaning, and wrest them to human +dreams, as I have showed in a Latin treatise[140]. + +Such extravagant, over-presumptuous, and more than wicked doings of +the pope have been devised by the devil, in order that under their +cover he may in time bring in Antichrist, and raise the pope above +God, as many are already doing and have done. It is not proper for the +pope to exalt himself above the temporal authorities, save only in +spiritual offices such as preaching and absolving. In other things he +is to be subject, as Paul and Peter teach, in Romans xiii [Rom. 13:1], +and I Peter iii [1 Pet. 2:13 f.], and as I have said above. + +He is not vicar of Christ in heaven, but of Christ as He walked on +earth [Phil. 2:7][142]. For Christ in heaven, in the form of a ruler, +needs no vicar, but He sits and sees, does, and knows all things, and +has all power. But He needs a vicar in the form of a servant, in which +He walked on earth, toiling, preaching, suffering and dying. Now they +turn it around, take from Christ the heavenly form of ruler and give +it to the pope, leaving the form of a servant to perish utterly. He +might almost be the "Counter-christ" whom the Scriptures call +Antichrist, for all his nature, work and doings are against Christ, +for the destruction of Christ's nature and work. + +It is also ridiculous and childish that the pope, with such perverted +and deluded reasoning, boasts in his decretal _Pastoralis_[143], that +he is rightful heir to the Empire, in case of a vacancy. Who has given +him this right? Did Christ, when He said, "The princes of the Gentiles +are lords, but ye shall not be so" [Luke 22:25 f.]? Did St. Peter will +it to him? It vexes me that we must read and learn such shameless, +gross, crazy lies in the canon law, and must even hold them for +Christian doctrine, when they are devilish lies. Of the same sort is +also that unheard-of lie about the "Donation of Constantine."[144] It +must have been some special plague of God that so many people of +understanding have let themselves be talked into accepting such lies +as these, which are so manifest and clumsy that I should think any +drunken peasant could lie more adroitly and skilfully. How can a man +rule an empire and at the same time continue to preach, pray, study +and care for the poor? Yet these are the duties which properly and +peculiarly belong to the pope, and they were imposed by Christ in such +earnest that He even forbade His disciples to take with them cloak or +money [Matt. 10:10], since these duties can scarcely be performed by +one who has to rule even a single household. Yet the pope would rule +an empire and continue to be pope! This is a device of the knaves who +would like, under the pope's name, to be lords of the world, and by +means of the pope and the name of Christ, to restore the Roman Empire +to its former state. + +[Sidenote: Temporal Power--the Kingdom of Naples] + +10. The pope should restrain himself, take his fingers out of the pie, +and claim no title to the Kingdom of Naples the and Sicily[145]. He +has exactly as much right to that kingdom as I have, and yet he wishes +to be its overlord. It is plunder got by violence, like almost all his +other possessions. The emperor, therefore, should not grant him this +fief, and if it has been granted, he should no longer give his consent +to it, and should point him instead to the Bible and the prayer-books, +so that he may preach and pray, and leave to temporal lords the ruling +of lands and peoples, especially when no one has given them to him. + +[Sidenote: The States of the Church] + +The same opinion should hold as regards Bologna, Imola, Vicenza, +Ravenna and all the territories in the Mark of Ancona, in Romagna, and +in other Italian lands, which the pope has taken by force and +possesses without right[146]. Moreover, he has meddled in these things +against all the commands of Christ and of St. Paul. For thus saith St. +Paul, "No one entangleth himself with worldly affairs, whose business +it is to wait upon the divine knighthood."[147][2 Tim. 2:3] Now the +pope should be the head and front of this knighthood, yet he meddles +in worldly affairs more than any emperor or king. Why then he must be +helped out of them and allowed to attend to his knighthood. Christ +also, Whose vicar he boasts himself to be, was never willing to have +aught to do with temporal rule; indeed, to one who asked of him a +decision respecting his brother. He said, "Who made Me a judge over +you?" [Luke 12:14] But the pope rushes in unbidden, and boldly takes +hold of everything as though he were a god, until he no longer knows +what Christ is, Whose vicar he pretends to be. + +[Sidenote: Papal Homage] + +11. The kissing of the pope's feet[148] should take place no more. It +is an unchristian, nay, an antichristian thing for a poor sinful man +to let his feet be kissed by one who is a hundred times better than +himself. If it is done in honor of his authority, why does not the +pope do the same to others in honor of their holiness? Compare the +two--Christ and the pope! Christ washed His disciples' feet and dried +them [John 13:1 ff.], and the disciples never washed His feet; the +pope, as though he were higher than Christ, turns things around and, +as a great favor, allows people to kiss his feet, though he ought +properly to use all his power to prevent it, if anyone wished to do +it; like Paul and Barnabas, who would not let the people of Lystra pay +them divine honor, but said, "We are men like you." [Acts 14:11-16] +But our sycophants have gone so far as to make for us an idol, and now +no one ears God so much as he fears the pope, no one pays Him such +ceremonious honor. That they can endure! What they cannot endure is +that a hair's-breadth should be taken away from the proud estate of +the pope. Now if they were Christians, and held God's honor above +their own, the pope would never be happy while he knew that God's +honor was despised and his own exalted, and he would let no man pay +him honor until he saw that God's honor was again exalted and was +greater than his own. + +[149][It is another piece of the same scandalous pride, that the pope +is not satisfied to ride or to be driven in a vehicle, but although he +is strong and in good health, he has himself borne by men, with +unheard-of splendor, like an idol. How, pray, does such satanic pride +agree with the example of Christ, Who went on foot, as did all His +disciples? Where has there ever been a worldly monarch who went about +in such worldly glory as he who wishes to be the head of all those who +are to despise and lee worldly glory, i. e., of Christians? Not that +this in itself should give us very much concern, but we should rightly +fear the wrath of God, if we flatter this kind of pride and do not +show our indignation. It is enough that the pope should rant and play +the fool in this wise; but that we should approve it and tolerate +it,--this is too much. + +For what Christian heart can or ought to take pleasure in seeing that +when the pope wishes to receive the communion, he sits quiet, like a +gracious lord, and has the sacrament passed to him on a golden rod by +a bowing cardinal on bended knee? As though the holy sacrament were +not worthy that a pope, a poor stinking sinner, should rise to show +God honor, when all other Christians, who are much more holy than the +Most Holy Father, the pope, receive it with all reverence! Would it be +a wonder if God were to send a plague upon us all because we suffer +such dishonor to be done Him by our prelates, and approve it, and by +our silence or our flattery make ourselves partakers of such damnable +pride? + +It is the same way when he carries the sacrament in procession. He +must be carried, but the sacrament is set before him, like a can of +wine on the table. In short, at Rome Christ counts for nothing, the +pope counts for everything; and yet they would compel us with threats +to approve, and praise and honor such antichristian sins, though this +is against God and against all Christian doctrine. Now God help a free +Council to teach the pope that he too is a man, and is not more than +God, as he presumes to be.] + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Pilgrimages to Rome] + +12. Pilgrimages to Rome[150] should either be abolished, or else no +one should be allowed to make such a pilgrimage out of curiosity or +because of a pious impulse, unless it is first recognized by his +parish-priest, his town authorities or his overlord, that he has good +and sufficient reason for it. I say this not because pilgrimages are +bad, but because they are at this time ill-advised. For men see at +Rome no good example, but only that which offends; and they have +themselves made the proverb, "The nearer Rome, the worse +Christians."[151] Men bring back with them contempt or God and His +commandments. It is said: "The first time one goes to Rome he seeks a +rascal, the second time he finds him, the third time he brings him +home with him."[152] Now, however, they have become so clever that +they make the three journeys at once, and they have verily brought +back from Rome such pretty things that it were better never to have +seen or known Rome. + +Even if this reason did not exist, there is still another and a +better: to wit, that by these pilgrimages men are led away into a +false conceit and a misunderstanding of the divine commandments; or +they think that this going on pilgrimage is a precious, good work, and +this is not true. It is a very small good work, oftentimes an evil, +delusive work, for God has not commanded it. But He has commanded that +a man shall care for his wife and children, and look after such other +duties as belong to the married state, and besides this, to serve and +help his neighbor. Now it comes to pass that a man makes a pilgrimage +to Rome when no one has commanded him to do so, spends fifty or a +hundred gulden, more or less, and leaves his wife and child, or at +least his neighbor, at home to suffer want. Yet the foolish fellow +thinks to gloss over such disobedience and contempt of the divine +commandments with his self-willed pilgriming, when it is really only +curiosity or devilish delusion which leads him to it. The popes have +helped this along with their false, feigned, foolish, "golden +years,"[153] by which the people are excited, stirred up, torn away +from God's commandments, and drawn toward their own deluded +undertakings. Thus they have accomplished the very thing they should +have forbidden; but it has brought in money and strengthened false +authority, therefore it has had to continue, though it is against God +and the salvation of souls. + +In order to destroy in simple Christians this false, seductive faith, +and to restore a true understanding of good works, all pilgrimages +should be given up; for there is in them nothing good--no commandment, +no obedience--but, on the contrary, numberless occasions for sin and +for the despising of God's commandments. Hence come the many beggars, +who by this pilgriming carry on endless knaveries and learn the habit +of begging when they are not in want. Hence, too, come vagabondage, +and many other ills which I shall not now recount. + +If any one, now, wishes to go on pilgrimage or take a pilgrim's vow, +he should first show his reasons to his parish-priest or to his lord. +If it turns out that he wishes to do it for the sake of the good work, +the priest or lord should boldly tread the vow and good work under +foot, as though it were a lure of the devil, and show him how to apply +the money and labor necessary for the pilgrimage to the keeping of +God's commandments and to works a thousandfold better, viz., by +spending it on his own family or on his poor neighbors. But if he +wishes to make the pilgrimage out of curiosity, to see new lands and +cities, he may be allowed to do as he likes. If, however, he has made +the vow while ill, then such vows ought to be forbidden and canceled, +and the commandments of God exalted, and he ought to be shown that he +should henceforth be satisfied with the vow he made in baptism[154], +to keep the commandments of God. And yet, in order to quiet his +conscience, he may be allowed this once to perform his foolish vow. No +one wants to walk in the straight and common path of God's +commandments; everyone makes himself new roads and new vows, as though +he had fulfilled all the commandments of God. + +[Sidenote: Reform of the Mendicant Orders] + +13. Next we come to that great crowd who vow much and keep little. Be +not angry, dear lords! Truly, I mean it well. It is the truth, and +bitter-sweet, and it is this,--the building of mendicant-houses[155] +should no more be permitted. God help us, there are already far too +many of them! Would to God they were all done away, or at least given +over to two or three orders! Wandering about the land has never +brought any good, and never will bring any good. It is my advice, +therefore, to put together ten of these houses, or as many as may be +necessary, and out of them all to make one house, which will be well +provided and need no more begging. It is much more important to +consider what the common people need for their salvation, than what +St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Augustine[156] or any other man has +decreed; especially since things have not turned out as they expected. + +The mendicants should also be relieved of preaching and hearing +confession, except when they are called to this work by the express +desire of bishops, parishes, congregations or the temporal +authorities. Out of their preaching and shriving there has come +nothing but hatred and envy between priests and monks, and great +offence and hindrance to the common people. For this reason it should +properly and deservedly cease, because it can well be dispensed +with[157]. It looks suspiciously as though it were not for nothing +that the Holy Roman See has increased this army, so that the priests +and bishops, tired of its tyranny, might not some time become too +strong or it and begin a reformation which would not be to the liking +of his Holiness. + +At the same time the manifold divisions and differences within one and +the same order should be abolished. These divisions have at times +arisen for small reason and maintained themselves for still smaller, +combatting one another with unspeakable hatred and envy[158]. +Nevertheless the Christian faith, which can well exist without any of +these distinctions, is lost by both sides, and a good Christian life +is valued and sought after only in outward laws, works and forms; and +this results only in the devising of hypocrisy and the destruction of +souls, as everyone may see with his own eyes. + +The pope must also be forbidden to found and confirm any more of these +orders; nay, he must be commanded to abolish some of them and reduce +their number, since the faith of Christ, which is alone the highest +good and which exists without any orders, is in no small danger, +because these many different works and forms easily mislead men into +living for them instead of giving heed to the faith. Unless there are +in the monasteries wise prelates, who preach and who concern +themselves with faith more than with the rules of the orders, the +order cannot but harm and delude simple souls who think only of works. + +In our days, however, the prelates who have had faith and who founded +the orders have almost all passed away. Just as in olden days among +the children of Israel, when the fathers, who knew God's works and +wonders, had passed away, the children, from ignorance of God's works +and of faith, immediately became idolatrous and set up their own human +works; so now, alas! these orders have lost the understanding of God's +works and of faith, and only torture themselves pitifully, with labor +and sorrow, in their own rules, laws and customs, and withal never +come to a right understanding of a good spiritual life, as the Apostle +declared when he said, in II Timothy iii: "They have the appearance of +a spiritual life, yet there is nothing back of it; they are ever and +ever learning, but they never come to a knowledge of what a true +spiritual life is." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7] There should be no monastery +unless there were a spiritual prelate, learned in the Christian faith, +to rule it, for no other kind of prelate can rule without injury and +ruin, and the holier and better he appears to be in his outward works +and life, the more injury and ruin he causes. + +To my way of thinking it would be a necessary measure, especially in +these perilous times of ours, that all foundations and monasteries +should be re-established as they were at the first, in the days of the +Apostles and for a long time afterwards, when they were all open to +every man, and every man might remain in them as long as he pleased. +For what were the foundations and monasteries except Christian schools +in which the Scriptures and Christian living were taught, and people +were trained to rule and to preach? So we read that St. Agnes[159] +went to school, and we still see the same practice in some of the +nunneries, like that at Quedlinburg[160] and others elsewhere. And in +truth all monasteries and convents ought to be so free that God is +served in them with free will and not with forced avarice. Afterward, +however, they hedged them about with vows and turned them into a +lifelong prison, so that these vows are thought to be of more account +than the vows of baptism. What sort of fruit this has borne, we see, +hear, read and learn more and more every day. + +I suppose this advice of mine will be regarded as the height of +foolishness; but I am not concerned about that just now. I advise what +I think best; let him reject it who will! I see how the vows are kept, +especially the vow of chastity, which has become so universal through +these monasteries and yet is not commanded by Christ; on the contrary, +it is given to very few to keep it, as He himself says [Matt. 19:11 +ff.], and St. Paul [1 Cor. 7:7, Col. 2:20]. I would have all men to be +helped, and not have Christian souls caught in human, self-devised +customs and laws. + +[Sidenote: Marriage of the Clergy] + +14. We also see how the priesthood has fallen, and how many a poor +priest is overburdened with wife and child, and his conscience +troubled, yet no one does anything to help him though he might easily +be helped. Though pope and bishops may let things go as they go, and +let them go to ruin if they will, I will save my conscience and open +my mouth freely, whether it vex pope, bishops or any one else. +Wherefore I say that according to the institution of Christ and the +Apostles every city should have a priest or bishop, as St. Paul +clearly says in Titus i [Tit. 1:6]; and this priest should not be +compelled to live without a wedded wife, but should be permitted to +have one, as St. Paul says in I Timothy iii, and Titus i, "A bishop +should be a man who is blameless, and the husband of but one wedded +wife, whose children are obedient and virtuous," etc. [1 Tim. 3:2, +Tit. 1:6] For with St. Paul a bishop and a priest are one and the same +thing, as witness also St. Jerome[161]. But of bishops as they now +are, the Scriptures know nothing; they have been appointed by the +ordinance of the Christian Church, that one of them may rule over many +priests. + +So then we clearly learn from the Apostle that it should be the custom +for every town to choose out of the congregation[162] a learned and +pious citizen, entrust to him the office of the ministry, and support +him at the expense of the community, leaving him free choice to marry +or not. He should have with him several priests or deacons, who might +also be married or not, as they chose, to help him rule the people of +the community[163] by means of preaching and the sacraments, as is +still the practice in the Greek Church. At a later time[164], when +there were so many persecutions and controversies with heretics, there +were many holy fathers who of their own accord abstained from +matrimony, to the end that they might the better devote themselves to +study and be prepared at any time for death or for controversy. Then +the Roman See interfered, out of sheer wantonness, and made a +universal commandment forbidding priests to marry[165]. This was done +at the bidding of the devil, as St. Paul declares in I Timothy iv, +"There shall come teachers who bring doctrines of devils, and forbid +to marry." From this has arisen so much untold misery, occasion was +given for the withdrawal of the Greek Church[166], and division, sin, +shame and scandal were increased without end,--which is the result of +everything the devil does. + +What, then, shall we do about it? My advice is that matrimony be again +made free[167], and that every one be let free choice to marry or not +to marry. In that case, however, there must be a very different +government and administration of Church property, the whole canon law +must go to pieces and not many benefices find their way to Rome[168]. +I fear that greed has been a cause of this wretched unchaste chastity, +and as a result of greed every man has wished to become a priest and +everyone wants his son to study for the priesthood, not with the idea +of living in chastity, for that could be done outside the priesthood, +but of being supported in temporal things without care or labor, +contrary to the command of God in Genesis iii, "In the sweat of thy +face shat thou eat thy bread." [Gen. 3:19] They have construed this to +mean that their labor was to pray and say mass. + +I am not referring here to popes, bishops, canons and monks. God has +not instituted these offices. They have taken burdens on themselves; +let them bear them. I would speak only of the ministry which God has +instituted[169] and which is to rule a congregation by means of +preaching and sacraments, whose incumbents are to live and be at home +among the people. Such ministers should be granted liberty by a +Christian council to marry, for the avoidance of temptation and sin. +For since God has not bound them, no one else ought to bind them or +can bind them, even though he were an angel from heaven [Gal. 1:8], +still less if he be only a pope; and everything that the canon law +decrees to the contrary is mere fable and idle talk. + +Furthermore, I advise that henceforth neither at his consecration to +the priesthood nor at any other time shall any one under any +circumstances promise the bishop to live in celibacy, but shall +declare to the bishop that he has no authority to demand such a vow, +and that to demand it is the devil's own tyranny. + +But if anyone is compelled to say or wishes to say, as do some, "so +far as human frailty permits,"[170] let everyone frankly interpret +these words negatively, to mean "I do not promise chastity."[171] For +human frailty does not permit a chaste life[172], but only angelic +power and celestial might[2 Pet. 2:11][173] Thus he should keep his +conscience free from all vows. + +On the question whether those who are not yet married should marry or +remain unmarried, I do not care to give advice either way. I leave +that to common Christian order and to everyone's better judgment. But +as regards the wretched multitude who now sit in shame and heaviness +of conscience because their wives are called "priests' harlots" and +their children "priests' children" I will not withhold my faithful +counsel nor deprive them of the comfort which is their due. I say this +boldly by my jester's right[174]. You will find many a pious priest +against whom no one has anything to say except that he is weak and has +come to shame with a woman, though both parties may be minded with all +their heart to live always together in wedded love and troth, if only +they could do it with a clear conscience, even though they might have +to bear public shame. Two such persons are certainly married before +God. And I say that where they are thus minded, and so come to live +together, they should boldly save their consciences; let him take and +keep her as his wedded wife, and live honestly with her as her +husband, caring nothing whether the pope will have it so or not, +whether it be against canon law or human law. The salvation of your +soul is of more importance than tyrannical, arbitrary, wicked laws, +which are not necessary for salvation and are not commanded by God. +You should do like the children of Israel, who stole from the +Egyptians the hire they had earned [Ex. 12:35 f.], or like a servant +who steals from his wicked master the wages he has earned. In like +manner steal thou from the pope thy wife and child! Let the man who +has faith enough to venture this, boldly follow me; I shall not lead +him astray. Though I have not the authority of a pope, I have the +authority of a Christian to advise and help my neighbor against sins +and temptations; and that not without cause and reason. + +_First_, Not every priest can do without a woman, not only on account +of the weakness of the flesh, but much more because of the necessities +of the household. If he, then, may have a woman, and the pope grants +him that, and yet may not have her in marriage,--what is that but +leaving a man and a woman alone and forbidding them to fall? It is as +though one were to put fire and straw together and command that it +shall neither smoke nor burn. + +_Second_, The pope has as little power to command this, as he has to +forbid eating, drinking, the natural movement of the bowels or growing +fat. No one, therefore, is bound to keep it, but the pope is +responsible for all the sins which are committed against this +ordinance, for all the souls which are lost thereby, for all the +consciences which are thereby confused and tortured; and therefore he +has long deserved that some one should drive him out of the world, so +many wretched souls has he strangled with this devil's snare; though I +hope that there are many to whom God has been more gracious at their +last hour than the pope has been in their life. Nothing good has ever +come out of the papacy and its laws, nor ever will. + +_Third_, Although the law of the pope is against it, nevertheless, +when the estate of matrimony has been entered against the pope's law, +then his law is at an end, and is no longer valid; for the commandment +of God, which decrees that no one shall put man and wife asunder +[Matt. 19:6], takes precedence of the law of the pope; and the +commandments of God must not be broken and neglected for the sake of +the pope's commandment, though many mad jurists, in the papal +interest, have devised "impediments"[175] and have prevented, +destroyed and confused the estate of matrimony, until by their means +God's commandment has been altogether destroyed. To make a long story +short, there are not in the whole "spiritual" law of the pope two +lines which could be instructive to a pious Christian, and there are, +alas! so many mistaken and dangerous laws that the best thing would be +to make a bonfire of it[176]. + +But if you say that this[177] would give offence, and the pope must +first grant dispensation, I reply that whatever offence is in it, is +the fault of the Roman See, which has established such laws without +right and against God; before God and the Scriptures it is no offence. +Moreover, if the pope can grant dispensations from his avaricious and +tyrannical laws for money's sake, then every Christian can grant +dispensations from them--for the sake of God and the salvation of +souls. For Christ has set us free from all human laws, especially when +they are opposed to God and the salvation of souls, as St. Paul +teaches in Galatians v [Gal. 5:1] and I Corinthians xi [1 Cor. 9:4 +ff.; 10:23]. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Reserved Cases in the Monasteries] + +15. Nor must I forget the poor convents! The evil spirit, who by human +laws now confuses all estates in life, and has made them unbearable, +has taken possession of in certain abbots, abbesses and prelates also, +and causes them so to govern their brethren and sisters as to send +them the more speedily to hell, and make them lead a wretched life +even here; for such is the lot of all the devil's martyrs. That is to +say, they have reserved to themselves in confession, all, or at least +some, of the mortal sins which are secret, so that no brother, on his +obedience and on pain of the ban, can absolve another from these +sins[178]. Now we do not always find angels everywhere, but we find +also flesh and blood, which suffers all bannings and threatenings +rather than confess secret sins to the prelates and the appointed +confessors. Thus they go to the sacrament with such consciences that +they become "irregular"[179] and all sorts of other terrible things. O +blind shepherds! O mad prelates! O ravening wolves! + +To this I say: If a sin is public or notorious, then it is proper that +the prelate alone should punish it, and of these sins only and no +others he may make exceptions, and reserve them to himself; over +secret sins he has no authority, even though they were the worst sins +that are or ever can be found, and if the prelate makes exceptions of +these sins, he is a tyrant, for he has no such right and is +interfering in the judgment of God. + +And so I advise these children, brethren and sisters: If your +superiors are unwilling to grant you permission to confess your secret +sins to whomever you wish, then take them to whatever brother or +sister you will and confess them, receive absolution, and then go and +do whatever you wish and ought to do; only believe firmly that you are +absolved, and nothing more is needed. And do not allow yourself to be +troubled by ban, "irregularity," or any of the other things they +threaten; these things are valid only in the case of public or +notorious sins which one is unwilling to confess; they do not affect +you at all. Why do you try by your threatenings, O blind prelate, to +prevent secret sins? Let go what you cannot publicly prove, so that +God's judgment and grace may also have its work in your subjects! He +did not give them so entirely into your hands as to let them go +entirely out of His own! Nay, what you have under your rule is but the +smaller part. Let your statutes be statutes, but do not exalt them to +heaven, to the judgment-seat of God. + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Mortuary Masses] + +16. It were also necessary to abolish all anniversary, mortuary and +"soul" masses[180], or at least to diminish their number, since we +plainly see that they have become nothing but a mockery, by which God +is deeply angered, and that their only purpose is money-getting, +gorging and drunkenness. What kind of pleasure should God have in such +a miserable gabbling of wretched vigils and masses, which is neither +reading nor praying, and even when prayed[181], they are performed not +for God's sake and out of willing love, but for money's sake and +because they are a bounden duty. Now it is not possible that any work +not done out of willing love can please God or obtain anything from +Him. And so it is altogether Christian to abolish, or at least +diminish, everything which we see growing into an abuse, and which +angers rather than reconciles God. It would please me more--nay, it +would be more acceptable to God and far better--that a foundation, +church or monastery should put all its anniversary masses and vigils +together, and on one day, with hearty sincerity, devotion and faith, +hold a true vigil and mass for all its benefactors, rather than hold +them by the thousand every year, for each benefactor a special mass, +without this devotion and faith. O dear Christians! God cares not for +much praying, but for true praying! Nay, He condemns the many and long +prayers, and says in Matthew vi, they will only earn more punishment +thereby [Matt. 67:7; 23:14]. But avarice, which cannot trust God, +brings such things to pass, earing that otherwise it must die of +hunger! + +[Sidenote: Abolition of the Interdict] + +17. Certain of the penalties or punishments of the canon law should +also be abolished, especially the interdict[182], which is, beyond all +doubt, an invention of the evil Spirit. Is it not a devil's work to +try to atone for one sin with many greater sins? And yet, to put God's +Word and worship to silence, or to do away with them, is a greater sin +than strangling twenty popes at once, and far greater than killing a +priest or keeping back some Church property. This is another of the +tender virtues taught in the "spiritual law." For one of the reasons +why this law is called "spiritual" is because it comes from the +Spirit; not, however, from the Holy Spirit, but from the evil spirit. + +The ban[183] is to be used in no case except where the Scriptures +prescribe its use, i. e., against those who do not hold the true +faith, or who live in open sin; it is not to be used for the sake of +temporal possessions. But now it is the other way around. Everyone +believes and lives as he pleases, most of all those who use the ban to +plunder and defame other people, and all the bans are now laid only on +account of temporal possessions, or which we have no one to thank but +the holy "spiritual lawlessness."[184] Of this I have previously said +more in the Discourse[185]. + +The other punishments and penalties,--suspension, irregularity, +aggravation, reaggravation, deposition, lightnings, thunderings, +cursings, damnings and the rest of these devices,--should be buried +ten fathoms deep in the earth, so that there should be neither name +nor memory of them left on earth. The evil spirit, who has been let +loose by the "spiritual law" has brought this terrible plague and +misery into the heavenly kingdom of the holy Church, and has +accomplished by it nothing else than the destruction and hindrance of +souls, so that the word of Christ may well be applied to them[186]: +"Woe unto you scribes! Ye have taken upon you the authority to teach, +and ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. Ye go not in +yourselves, and ye suffer not them that are entering." [Matt. 23:13] + +[Sidenote: Abolition of Saints'-Days] + +18. All festivals[187] should be abolished, and Sunday alone retained. +If it were desired, however, to retain the festivals of Our Lady and +of the greater saints, they should be transferred to Sunday, or +observed only by a morning mass, after which all the rest of the day +should be a working-day. The reason is this: The feast-days are now +abused by drinking, gaming, idleness and all manner of sins, so that +on the holy days we anger God more than on other days, and have +altogether turned things around; the holy days are not holy and the +working days are holy, and not only is no service done to God and His +saints by the many holy days, but rather great dishonor. There are, +indeed, some mad prelates who think they are doing a good work if they +make a festival in honor of St. Ottilia or St. Barbara or some other +saint, according to the promptings of their blind devotion; but they +would be doing a far better work if they honored the saint by turning +a saint's-day into a working day. + +Over and above the spiritual injury, the common man receives two +material injuries from this practice, i. e., he neglects his work and +he spends more than at other times; nay, he also weakens his body and +unfits it for work. We see this every day, yet no one thinks to make +it better. We ought not to consider whether or not the pope has +instituted the feasts, and whether we must have dispensation and +permission to omit them. If a thing is opposed to God, and harmful to +man in body and soul, any community[188], council[189] or government +has not only the right to abolish it and put a stop to it, without the +will or knowledge of pope or bishop, but they are bound on their +souls' salvation to prevent it, even against the will of pope and +bishop, though these ought to be themselves the first to forbid it. + +Above all, we ought utterly to abolish the consecration days[190], +since they have become nothing else than taverns, airs and gaming +places[191], and serve only to the increase of God's dishonor and to +the damnation of souls. All the pretence about the custom having had a +good beginning and being a good work is of no avail. Did not God +Himself set aside His own law, which He had given from heaven, when it +was perverted and abused? And does He not still daily overturn what He +has appointed and destroy what He has made, because of such perversion +and abuse? As it is written of Him in Psalm xviii, "With the perverted +Thou wilt show Thyself perverse." [Ps. 18:27] + +[Sidenote: Extension of Right of Dispensation] + +19. The grades or degrees within which marriage is forbidden should be +changed, as, for instance, the sponsorships and the third and fourth +degrees; and if the pope can grant dispensation in these matters or +money and for the sake of his shameful traffic[192], then every parish +priest may give the same dispensations gratis and or the salvation of +souls. Yea, would to God that all the things which we must buy at Rome +to free ourselves from that money-snare, the canon law,--such things +as indulgences, letters of indulgence, "butter-letters,"[193] +"mass-letters,"[194] and all the rest of the _confessionalia_[195] and +knaveries for sale at Rome, with which the poor folk are deceived and +robbed of their money; would to God, I say, that any priest could, +without payment, do and omit all these things! For if the pope has +the authority to sell his snares for money and his spiritual nets (I +should say laws)[196], surely any priest has much more authority to +rend his nets and for God's sake to tread them under foot. But if he +has not this right, neither has the pope the right to sell them at his +shameful fair[196]. + +This is the place to say too that the fasts should be matters of +liberty, and all sorts of food made free, as the Gospel makes them +[Matt. 15:11]. For at Rome they themselves laugh at the fasts, making +us foreigners eat the oil with which they would not grease their +shoes, and afterwards selling us liberty to eat butter and all sorts +of other things; yet the holy Apostle says that in all these things we +already have liberty through the Gospel [1 Cor. 10:25 ff.]. But they +have caught us with their canon law and stolen our rights from us, so +that we may have to buy them back with money. Thus they have made our +consciences so timid and shy that it is no longer easy to preach about +this liberty because the common people take such great offence, +thinking it a greater sin to eat butter than to lie, to swear, or even +to live unchastely. Nevertheless, what men have decreed, that is the +work of man; put it where you will[198], nothing good ever comes out +of it. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Pilgrimages] + +20. The forest chapels and rustic churches[199] must be utterly +destroyed,--those, namely, to which the recent pilgrimages have been +directed,--Wilsnack[200], Sternberg[201], Trier[202], the +Grimmenthal[203], and now Regensburg[204] and a goodly number of +others. Oh, what a terrible and heavy account will the bishops have to +render, who permit this devilish deceit and receive its profits![205] +They should be the first to forbid it, and yet they think it a divine +and holy thing, and do not see that it is the devil's doing, to +strengthen avarice, to create a false, feigned faith, to weaken the +parish churches, to multiply taverns and harlotry, to waste money and +labor, and to lead the poor folk by the nose. If they had only read +the Scriptures to as good purpose as they have read their damnable +canon law, they would know well how to deal with this matter. + +That miracles are done at these places does not help things, for the +evil spirit can do miracles, as Christ has told us in Matthew xxiv +[Matt. 24:24]. If they took the matter seriously and forbade this sort +of thing, the miracles would quickly come to an end; on the other +hand, if the thing were of God their prohibition would not hinder it +[Acts 5:39]. And if there were no other evidence that it is not of +God, this would be enough,--that people run to these places in excited +crowds, as though they had lost their reason, like herds of cattle; +for this cannot possibly be of God. Moreover, God has commanded +nothing of all this; there is neither obedience nor merit in it; the +bishops, therefore, should boldly step in and keep the folk away. For +what is not commanded--and is concerned for self rather than for the +commands of God--that is surely the devil himself. Then, too, the +parish churches receive injury, because they are held in smaller +honor. In short, these things are signs of great unbelief among the +people; if they truly believed, they would have all that they need in +their own churches, for to them they are commanded to go. + +[Sidenote: Canonisations to be Prohibited] + +But what shall I say? Every one[206] plans only how he may establish +and maintain such a place of pilgrimage in his diocese and is not at +all concerned to have the people believe and live aright; the rulers +are like the people; one blind man leads another [Matt. 13:14]. Nay, +where pilgrimages are not successful, they begin to canonise +saints[207], not in honor of the saints--for they are sufficiently +honored without canonisation--but in order to draw crowds and bring in +money. Pope and bishop help along; it rains indulgences; there is +always money enough for that. But for what God has commanded no one +provides; no one runs after these things; there is no money or them. +Alas, that we should be so blind! We not only give the devil his own +way in his tricks, but we even strengthen him in his wantonness and +increase his pranks. I would that the dear saints were let in peace, +and the poor folk not led astray! What spirit has given the pope the +authority to canonise the saints? Who tells him whether they are +saints or not? Are there not already sins enough on earth, that we too +must tempt God, interfere in His judgment and set up the dear saints +as lures for money? + +Therefore I advise that the saints be left to canonise themselves. +Yea, it is God alone who should canonise them. And let every man stay +in his own parish, where he finds more than in all the shrines of +pilgrimage, even though all the shrines were one. Here we find baptism, +the sacrament, preaching and our neighbor, and these are greater +things than all the saints in heaven, for it is by God's Word and +sacrament that they have all been made saints. So long as we despise +such great things God is just in the wrathful judgment by which He +appoints the devil to lead us hither and thither, to establish +pilgrimages, to found churches and chapels, to secure the canonisation +of saints, and to do other such fool's-works, by which we depart from +true faith into new, false misbelief. This is what he did in olden +times to the people of Israel, when he led them away from the temple +at Jerusalem to countless other places, though he did it in the name +of God and under the plausible guise of holiness, though all the +prophets preached against it and were persecuted or so doing. But now +no one preaches against it, perhaps or fear that pope, priests and +monks would persecute him also. In this way St. Antoninus of +Florence[208] and certain others must now be made saints and +canonised, that their holiness, which would otherwise have served only +for the glory of God and as a good example, may serve to bring in fame +and money. + +Although the canonising of saints may have been good in olden times, +it is not good now; just as many other things were good in olden times +and are now scandalous and injurious, such as feast-days, +church-treasures and church-adornment. For it is evident that through +the canonising of saints neither God's glory nor the improvement of +Christians is sought, but only money and glory, in that one church +wants to be something more and have something more than others, and +would be sorry if another had the same thing and its advantage were +common property. So entirely, in these last, evil days, have spiritual +goods been misused and applied to the gaining of temporal goods, that +everything, even God Himself, has been forced into the service of +avarice. And even these special advantages lead only to dissensions, +divisions and pride, in that the churches, differing from one another, +hold each other in contempt, and exalt themselves one above another, +though all the gifts which God bestows are the common and equal +property of all churches and should only serve the cause of unity. The +pope, too, is glad or the present state of affairs; he would be sorry +if all Christians were equal and were at one. + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Special Privileges] + +pThis is the place to speak of the church licenses, bulls and other +things which the pope sells at his laying-place in Rome. We should +either abolish them or disregard them, or at least make them the +common property of all churches. For if he sells or gives away +licenses and privileges, indulgences, graces, advantages, +faculties[209] to Wittenberg, to Halle, to Venice and, above, all to +his own Rome, why does he not give these things to all churches alike? +Is he not bound to do for all Christians, gratis and for God's sake, +everything that he can, and even to shed his blood for them? Tell me, +then, why he gives or sells to one church and not to another? Or must +the accursed money make, in the eyes of His Holiness, so great a +difference among Christians, who all have the same baptism, Word, +faith, Christ, God and all things? [Eph. 4:4 f.] Are we to be blind +while we have eyes to see, fools while we have our reason, that they +expect us to worship such greed, knavery and humbug? He is a +shepherd,--yes, so long as you have money, and no longer! And yet they +are not ashamed of their knavery, leading us hither and yon with their +bulls! Their one concern is the accursed money, and nothing else! + +My advice is this: If such fool's-work cannot be abolished, then every +pious Christian man should open his eyes, and not be misled by the +hypocritical Roman bulls and seals, stay at home in his own church and +be content with his baptism, his Gospel, his faith, his Christ and +with God, Who is everywhere the same; and let the pope remain a blind +leader of the blind. Neither angel nor pope can give you as much as +God gives you in your parish-church. Nay, the pope leads you away from +the gifts of God, which you have without pay, to his gifts, which you +must buy; and he gives you lead[210] for gold, hide for meat, the +string for the purse, wax for honey, words for goods, the letter for +the spirit. You see this before your very eyes, but you are unwilling +to notice it. If you are to ride to heaven on his wax and parchment, +your chariot will soon go to pieces, and you will fall into hell, not +in God's name! + +Let this be your fixed rule: What you must buy from the pope is +neither good nor of God; for what is from God, to wit, the Gospel and +the works of God, is not only given without money, but the whole world +is punished and damned because it has not been willing to receive it +as a free gift. We have deserved of God that we should be so deceived, +because we have despised His holy Word and the grace of baptism, as +St. Paul says: "God shall send a strong delusion upon all those who +have not received the truth to their salvation, to the end that they +may believe and follow after lies and knavery," [2 Thess. 2:11 f.] +which serves them right. + +[Sidenote: Mendicancy to be Prohibited, and the Poor to be Cared for] + +21. One of our greatest necessities is the abolition of all begging +throughout Christendom. Among Christians no one ought to go begging! +It would also be easy to make a law, if only we had the courage and +the serious intention, to the effect that every city should provide +for its own poor, and admit no foreign beggars by whatever name they +might be called, whether pilgrims or mendicant monks. Every city could +support its own poor, and if it were too small, the people in the +surrounding villages also should be exhorted to contribute, since in +any case they have to feed so many vagabonds and knaves in the guise +of mendicants. In this way, too, it could be known who were really +poor and who not. + +There would have to be an overseer or warden who knew all the poor and +informed the city council or the priests what they needed; or some +other better arrangement might be made. In my judgment there is no +other business in which so much knavery and deceit are practised as in +begging, and yet it could all be easily abolished. Moreover, this free +and universal begging hurts the common people. I have considered that +each of the five or six mendicant orders[211] visits the same place +more than six or seven times every year; besides these there are the +common beggars, the "stationaries"[212] and the palmers[213], so that +it has been reckoned that every town is laid under tribute about sixty +times a year, not counting what is given to the government in taxes, +imposts and assessments, what is stolen by the Roman See with its +wares, and what is uselessly consumed. Thus it seems to me one of +God's greatest miracles that we can continue to support ourselves. + +To be sure, some think that in this way[214] the poor would not be so +well provided for and that not so many great stone houses and +monasteries would be built. This I can well believe. Nor is it +necessary. He who wishes to be poor should not be rich; and if he +wishes to be rich, let him put his hand to the plow and seek his +riches in the earth! It is enough if the poor are decently cared for, +so that they do not die of hunger or of cold. It is not fitting that +one man should live in idleness on another's labor, or be rich and +live comfortably at the cost of another's discomfort, according to the +present perverted custom; for St. Paul says, "If a man will not work, +neither shall he eat." [2 Thess. 3:10] God has not decreed that any +man shall live from another's goods save only the priests, who rule +and preach, and these because of their spiritual labor, as Paul says +in I Corinthians ix [1 Cor. 9:14], and Christ also says to the +Apostles, "Every laborer is worthy of his hire." [Luke 10:7] + +[Sidenote: Prohibition of Endowed Masses] + +22. It is also to be feared that the many masses[215] which are +endowed in the foundations and monasteries are not only of little use, +but greatly arouse the wrath of God. It would therefore be profitable +not to endow any more, but rather Masses to abolish many that are +already endowed, since we see that they are regarded only as +sacrifices and good works[216], though they are really sacraments, +just like baptism and penance[217], which profit only those who +receive them, and no others. But now the custom has crept in, that +masses are said for the living and the dead, and all hopes are built +upon them; for this reason so many of them have been founded and the +present state of affairs has come about. + +My proposal is perhaps too novel and daring, especially for those who +fear that through the discontinuance of these masses their trade and +livelihood may be destroyed, and so I must refrain from saying more +about it until we have come back to a correct understanding of what +the mass is and what it is good for. These many years, alas, it has +been made a trade practised for a temporal livelihood, so that I would +henceforth advise a man to become a shepherd or to seek some other +trade rather than become a priest or a monk, unless he first knows +well what it is to celebrate mass. I am not speaking, however, of the +old foundations and cathedrals, which were doubtless established in +order that the children of the nobility (since, according to the +customs of the German nation not all of them can become heirs or +rulers), might be provided for in these foundations, and there be free +to serve God, to study, to become scholars and to make scholars. But I +am speaking of the new foundations, which have been established only +for the saying of prayers and masses; for after their example, even +the old foundations have been burdened with like prayers and masses, +so that they are of little or no profit; though it is also of God's +grace that they too come at last, as they deserve, to the dregs, i. +e., to the wailing of organs and of choral singers, and to dead, cold +masses, by which the incomes of the worldly endowments are gotten and +spent. Such things pope, bishops and doctors should examine and +proscribe; but now it is they who are most given to them. They let +everything pass, if only it brings in money; one blind man is always +leading another. This is the work of avarice and of the spiritual law. + +Again, no one person should be allowed any longer to hold more than +one canonry or prebend. He must be content with a modest position, +that some one else may also have something. This would do away with +the excuses of those who say that they must hold more than one such +office to "maintain a proper station." A "proper station" might be so +broadly interpreted that a whole land would not be enough to maintain +it! Moreover avarice and veiled distrust of God assuredly go with it, +so that what is alleged to be the need of "a proper station" is often +nothing else than avarice and distrust. + +[Sidenote: Sodalities and Indulgences] + +23. Sodalities[218], indulgences, letters of indulgence, +"butter-letters,"[219] mass-letters[220], dispensations, and +everything else of the sort, are to be drowned and destroyed. There is +nothing good in them. If the pope has the power to grant you +dispensation to eat butter and to absent yourself from mass, then he +ought also be able to leave this power to the priests, from whom, +indeed, he has no right to take it. I speak especially of those +fraternities in which indulgences, masses and good works are portioned +out. Dear friend, in your baptism you entered into a fraternity with +Christ, all the angels, saints and Christians on earth. Hold to this +fraternity and live up to its demands, and you have fraternities +enough. The others--let them glitter as they will--are but as counters +compared with _guldens_. But if there were a fraternity which +contributed money to feed the poor or to help somebody in some other +way, such a one would be good, and would have its indulgence and its +merit in heaven. Now, however, they have become excuses or gluttony +and drunkenness[221]. + +Above all, we should drive out of German lands the papal legates with +their "faculties,"[222] which they sell us for large sums of money, +though that is sheer knavery. For example, in return for money they +legalize unjust gains, dissolve oaths, vows and agreements, break and +teach men to break the faith and fealty which they have pledged to one +another; and they say the pope has the authority to do this. It is the +evil Spirit who bids them say this. Thus they sell us a doctrine of +devils, and take money or teaching us sin and leading us to hell. + +If there were no other evil wiles to prove the pope the true +Antichrist, yet this one thing were enough to prove it. Hearest thou +this, pope, not most holy, but most sinful? O that God from heaven +would soon destroy thy throne and sink it in the abyss of hell! Who +hath given thee authority to exalt thyself above thy God, to break and +to loose His commandments, and to teach Christians, especially the +German nation, praised in all history for its nobility, its constancy +and fidelity, to be inconstant, perjurers, traitors, profligates, +faithless? God hath commanded to keep oath and faith even with an +enemy, and thou undertakest to loose this His commandment, and +ordainest in thine heretical, antichristian decretals that thou hast +His power. Thus through thy throat and through thy pen the wicked +Satan doth lie as he hath never lied before. Thou dost force and wrest +the Scriptures to thy fancy. O Christ, my Lord, look down, let the day +of thy judgment break, and destroy the devil's nest at Rome! Here +sitteth the man of whom St. Paul hath said that he shall exalt himself +above Thee, sit in Thy Church and set himself up as God [2 Thess. 2:3 +f.],--the man of sin and the son of perdition! What else is the papal +power than only the teaching and increasing of sin and evil, the +leading of souls to damnation under Thy name and guise? + +In olden times the children of Israel had to keep the oath which they +had unwittingly been deceived into giving to their enemies, the +Gibeonites [Josh. 9:19 ff.], and King Zedekiah was miserably lost, +with all his people, because he broke this oath to the King of Babylon +[2 Kings 24:20; 25:4 ff.]. Even among us, a hundred years ago, that +fine king of Hungary and Poland, Wladislav[223], was slain by the +Turk, with so many noble people, because he allowed himself to be +deceived by the papal legate and cardinal, and broke the good and +advantageous treaty which he had sworn with the Turk. The pious +Emperor Sigismund had no good fortune after the Council of Constance, +when he allowed the knaves to break the safe-conduct which had been +given to John Hus and Jerome[224] and all the trouble between us and +the Bohemians was the consequence. Even in our own times, God help us! +how much Christian blood has been shed over the oath and alliance +which Pope Julius made between the Emperor Maximilian and King Louis +of France[225], and afterwards broke? How could I tell all the +troubles which the popes have stirred up by the devilish presumption +with which they annul oaths and vows which have been made between +great princes, making a jest of these things, and taking money for it. +I have hopes that the judgment day is at the door; nothing can +possibly be worse than the Roman See. He suppresses God's commandment, +he exalts his own commandment over it; if he is not Antichrist, then +let some one else tell who he can be! But more of this another time, +and better. + +24. It is high time that we seriously and honestly consider the case +of the Bohemians[224], and come into union with them so that the +terrible slander, hatred and envy on both sides may cease. As befits +my folly, I shall be the first to submit an opinion on this subject, +with due deference to every one who may understand the case better +than I. + +_First_, We must honestly confess the truth, stop justifying +ourselves, and grant the Bohemians that John Hus and Jerome of Prague +were burned at Constance in violation of the papal, Christian, +imperial safe-conduct and oath; whereby God's commandment was sinned +against and the Bohemians were given ample cause for bitterness; and +although they ought to have been perfect and to have patiently endured +this great injustice and disobedience of God on our part, nevertheless +they were not bound to approve of it and to acknowledge that it was +well done. Nay, even to-day they should give up life and limb rather +than confess that it is right to violate an imperial, papal, Christian +safe-conduct, and faithlessly to act contrary to it. So then, although +it is the impatience of the Bohemians which is at fault, yet the pope +and his followers are still more to blame for all the trouble, error +and loss of souls that have followed upon that council. + +I have no desire to pass judgment at this time upon John Hus's +articles or to defend his errors, though I have not yet found any +errors in his writings, and I am quite prepared to believe that it was +neither fair judgment nor honest condemnation which was passed by +those who, in their faithless dealing, violated a Christian +safe-conduct and a commandment of God. Beyond doubt they were +possessed rather by the evil spirit than by the Holy Spirit. No one +will doubt that the Holy Spirit does not act contrary to the +commandment of God; and no one is so ignorant as not to know that the +violation of faith and of a safe-conduct is contrary to the +commandment of God, even though they had been promised to the devil +himself, still more when the promise was made to a mere heretic. It is +also quite evident that such a promise was made to John Hus and the +Bohemians and was not kept, but that he was burned in spite of it. I +do not wish, however, to make John Hus a saint or a martyr, as do some +of the Bohemians, though I confess that injustice was done him, and +that his books and doctrines were unjustly condemned; for the +judgments of God are secret and terrible, and no one save God alone +should undertake to reveal or utter them. All I wish to say is this: +though he were never so wicked a heretic, nevertheless he was burned +unjustly and against God's commandment, and the Bohemians should not +be forced to approve of such conduct, or else we shall never come into +unity. Not obstinacy but the open admission of truth must make us one. +It is useless to pretend, as was done at that time, that a +safe-conduct given to a heretic need not be kept[227]. That is as much +as to say that God's commandments are not to be kept to the end that +God's commandments may be kept. The devil made them mad and foolish, +so that they did not know what they were saying or doing. God has +commanded that a safe-conduct shall be kept. This commandment we +should keep though the world all. How much more, when it is only a +question of freeing a heretic! We should vanquish heretics with books, +not with burning; for so the ancient fathers did. If it were a science +to vanquish the heretics with fire, then the hang-men would be the +most learned doctors on earth; we should no longer need to study, but +he who overcame another by force might burn him at the stake. + +_Second_, The emperor and the princes should send to the Bohemians +some pious and sensible bishops and scholars; but by no means a +cardinal or papal legate or inquisitor, for those people are utter +ignoramuses as regards things Christian; they seek not the welfare of +souls, but, like all the pope's hypocrites, only their own power, +profit and glory; indeed, they were the prime movers in this miserable +business at Constance. The men thus sent into Bohemia should inform +themselves about the faith of the Bohemians, and whether it be +possible to unite all their sects. Then the pope should, for their +souls' sake, lay aside his supremacy for the time being, and, +according to the decree of the most Christian Council of Nicaea[228], +allow the Bohemians to choose one of their number to be Archbishop of +Prague[229], and he should be confirmed by the bishop of Olmutz in +Moravia, or the bishop of Gran in Hungary, or the bishop of Gnesen in +Poland, or the bishop of Magdeburg in Germany[230]. It will be enough +if he is confirmed by one or two of these, as was the custom in the +time of St. Cyprian[231]. The pope has no right to oppose such an +arrangement, and if he does oppose it, he becomes a wolf and a tyrant; +no one should follow him and his ban should be met with a counter-ban. + +If, however, it were desired, in honor of the See of St. Peter, to do +this with the pope's consent, I should be satisfied, provided it does +not cost the Bohemians a _heller_ and the pope does not bind them at +all nor make them subject to his tyrannies by oaths and obligations, +as he does all other bishops, in despite of God and of justice. If he +will not be satisfied with the honor of having his consent asked, then +let them not bother any more about him[232] and his rights, laws and +tyrannies; let the election suffice, and let the blood of all the +souls which are endangered cry out against him, for no one should +consent to injustice; it is enough to have offered tyranny an honor. +If it cannot be otherwise, then an election and approval by the common +people can even now be quite as valid as a confirmation by a tyrant; +but I hope this will not be necessary. Some of the Romans or the good +bishops and scholars will sometime mark and oppose papal tyranny. + +I would also advise against compelling them to abolish both kinds in +the sacrament[233], since that is neither unchristian nor heretical, +but they should be allowed to retain their own practice, if they wish. +Yet the new bishop should be careful that no discord arise because of +such a practice, but should kindly instruct them that neither practice +is wrong[234]; just as it ought not to cause dissension that the +clergy differ from the laity in manner of life and in dress. In like +manner if they were unwilling to receive the Roman canon law, they +should not be forced to do so, but we should first make sure that they +live in accordance with faith and with the Scriptures. For Christian +faith and life can well exist without the intolerable laws of the +pope, nay, they cannot well exist unless there be fewer of these Roman +laws, or none at all. In baptism we have become free and have been +made subject to God's Word only; why should any man ensnare us in his +words? As St. Paul says, "Ye have become free, be not servants of +men," [1 Cor. 7:23; Gal. 5:1] i. e. of those who rule with man-made +laws. + +If I knew that the Picards[235] held no other error touching the +sacrament of the altar except that they believe that the bread and +wine are present in their true nature, but that the body and blood of +Christ are truly present under them, then I would not condemn them, +but would let them enter the obedience of the bishop of Prague. For it +is not an article of faith that bread and wine are not essentially and +naturally in the sacrament, but this is an opinion of St. Thomas[236] +and the pope. On the other hand, it is an article of faith that in the +natural bread and wine the true natural body and blood of Christ are +present[237]. And so we should tolerate the opinions of both sides +until they come to an agreement, because there is no danger in +believing that bread is there or is not there. For we have to endure +many practices and ordinances so long as they are not harmful to +faith. On the other hand, if they had a different faith[238], I would +rather have them outside the Church; yet I would teach them the truth. + +Whatever other errors and schisms might be discovered in Bohemia +should be tolerated until the archbishop had been restored and had +gradually brought all the people together again in one common +doctrine. They will assuredly never be united by force, nor by +defiance, nor by haste; it will take time and forbearance. Had not +even Christ to tarry with His disciples a long while and bear with +their unbelief, until they believed His resurrection? If they but had +again a regular bishop and church order, without Roman tyranny, I +could hope that things would soon be better. + +The restoration of the temporal goods which formerly belonged to the +Church should not be too strictly demanded, but since we are +Christians and each is bound to help the rest, it is in our power, for +the sake of unity, to give them these things and let them keep them in +the sight of God and men. For Christ says, "Where two are at one with +each other on earth, there am I in the midst of them." [Matt. 18:19 +f.] Would to God that on both sides we were working toward this unity, +offering our hands to one another in brotherly humility, and not +standing stubbornly on our powers or rights! Love is greater and more +necessary than the papacy at Rome, or there can be papacy without love +and love without papacy. + +With this counsel I shall have done what I could. If the pope or his +followers hinder it, they shall render an account for seeking their +own things rather than the things of their neighbor, contrary to the +love of God [Phil. 2:4]. The pope ought to give up his papacy and all +his possessions and honors, if he could by that means save one soul; +but now he would let the world go to destruction rather than yield a +hair's-breadth of his presumptuous authority. And yet he would be the +"most holy"! Here my responsibility ends. + +[Sidenote: The Universities] + +[Sidenote: Aristotle] + +25. The universities also need a good, thorough reformation--I must +say it no matter whom it vexes--for everything which the papacy has +instituted and ordered is directed only towards the increasing of sin +and error. What else are the universities, if their present condition +remains unchanged, than as the book of Maccabees says, _Gymnasia +Epheborum et Graecae gloriae_[239][2 Macc. 4:9, 12], in which loose +living prevails, the Holy Scriptures and the Christian faith are +little taught, and the blind, heathen Aristotle master Aristotle[240] +rules alone, even more than Christ. In this regard my advice would be +that Aristotle's _Physics_, _Metaphysics_, _On the Soul_, _Ethics_, +which have hitherto been thought his best books, should be altogether +discarded, together with all the rest of his books which boast of +treating the things of nature, although nothing can be learned from +them either of the things of nature or the things of the Spirit. +Moreover no one has so far understood his meaning, and many souls have +been burdened with profitless labor and study, at the cost of much +precious time. I venture to say that any potter has more knowledge of +nature than is written in these books. It grieves me to the heart that +this damned, conceited, rascally heathen has with his false words +deluded and made fools of so many of the best Christians. God has sent +him as a plague upon us for our sins. + +Why, this wretched man, in his best book, _On the Soul_, teaches that +the soul dies with the body, although many have tried with vain words +to save his reputation. As though we had not the Holy Scriptures, in +which we are abundantly instructed about all things, and of them +Aristotle had not the faintest inkling! And yet this dead heathen has +conquered and obstructed and almost suppressed the books of the living +God, so that when I think of this miserable business I can believe +nothing else than that the evil spirit has introduced the study of +Aristotle. Again, his book on _Ethics_ is the worst of all books. It +flatly opposes divine grace and all Christian virtues, and yet it is +considered one of his best works. Away with such books! Keep them away +from all Christians! Let no one accuse me of exaggeration, or of +condemning what I do not understand! My dear friend, I know well +whereof I speak. I know my Aristotle as well as you or the likes of +you. I have lectured on him[241] and heard lectures on him, and I +understand him better than do St. Thomas or Scotus[242]. This I can +say without pride, and if necessary I can prove it. I care not that so +many great minds have wearied themselves over him for so many hundred +years. Such objections do not disturb me as once they did; for it is +plain as day that other errors have remained or even more centuries in +the world and in the universities. + +I should be glad to see Aristotle's books on _Logic_, _Rhetoric_ and +_Poetics_ retained or used in an abridged form; as text-books for the +profitable training of young people in speaking and preaching. But the +commentaries and notes should be abolished, and as Cicero's _Rhetoric_ +is read without commentaries and notes, so Aristotle's _Logic_ should +be read as it is, without such a mass of comments. But now neither +speaking nor preaching is learned from it, and it has become nothing +but a disputing and a weariness to the flesh. Besides this there are +the languages--Latin, Greek and Hebrew--the mathematical disciplines +and history. But all this I give over to the specialists, and, indeed, +the reform would come of itself, if we were only seriously bent upon +it. In truth, much depends upon it; for it is here[243] that the +Christian youth and the best of our people, with whom the future of +Christendom lies, are to be educated and trained. Therefore I consider +that there is no work more worthy of pope or emperor than a thorough +reformation of the universities, and there is nothing worse or more +worthy of the devil than unreformed universities. + +[Sidenote: The Canon Law] + +The medical men I leave to reform their own faculties; the jurists and +theologians I take as my share, and I say, in the first place, that it +were well if the canon law, from the first letter to the last, and +especially the decretals, were utterly blotted out. The Bible contains +more than enough directions for all our living, and so the study of +the canon law only stands in the way of the study of the Holy +Scriptures; moreover, it smacks for the most part of mere avarice and +pride. Even though there were much in it that is good, it might as +well be destroyed, for the pope has taken the whole canon law captive +and imprisoned it in the "chamber of his heart,"[244] so that the +study of it is henceorth a waste of time and a farce. At present the +canon law is not what is in the books, but what is in the sweet will +of the pope and his flatterers. Your cause may be thoroughly +established in the canon law; still the pope has his _scrinium +pectoris_[245], and all law and the whole world must be guided by +that. Now it is ofttimes a knave, and even the devil himself, who +rules this _scrinium_, and they boast that it is ruled by the Holy +Spirit! Thus they deal with Christ's unfortunate people. They give +them many laws and themselves keep none of them, but others they +compel either to keep them or else to buy release. + +Since, then, the pope and his followers have suspended the whole canon +law, and since they pay no heed to it, but regard their own wanton +will as a law exalting them above all the world, we should follow +their example and for our part also reject these books. Why should we +waste our time studying them? We could never discover the whole +arbitrary will of the pope, which has now become the canon law. The +canon law has arisen in the devil's name, let it all in the name of +God, and let there be no more _doctores decretorum_[246] in the world, +but only _doctores scrinii papalis_, that is, "hypocrites of the +pope"! It is said that there is no better temporal rule anywhere than +among the Turks, who have neither spiritual nor temporal law, but only +their Koran; and we must confess that there is no more shameful rule +than among us, with our spiritual and temporal law, so that there is +no estate which lives according to the light of nature, still less +according to Holy Scripture. + +[Sidenote: Secular Law] + +The temporal law,--God help us! what a wilderness it has become![247] +Though it is much better, wiser and more rational than the "spiritual +law" which has nothing good about it except the name, still there is +far too much of it. Surely the Holy Scriptures and good rulers would +be law enough; as St. Paul says in I Corinthians vi, "Is there no one +among you can judge his neighbor's cause, that ye must go to law +before heathen courts?" [1 Cor. 6:1] It seems just to me that +territorial laws and territorial customs should take precedence of the +general imperial laws, and the imperial laws be used only in case of +necessity. Would to God that as every land has its own peculiar +character, so it were ruled by its own brief laws, as the lands were +ruled before these imperial laws were invented, and many lands are +still ruled without them! These diffuse and far-etched laws are only a +burden to the people, and hinder causes more than they help them. I +hope, however, that others have given this matter more thought and +attention than I am able to do. + +[Sidenote: Theology] + +My friends the theologians have spared themselves pains and labor; +they leave the Bible in peace and read the Sentences. I should think +that the Sentences[248] ought to be the first study of young students +in theology and the Bible ought to be the study for the doctors. But +now it is turned around; the Bible comes first, and is put aside when +the bachelor's degree is reached, and the Sentences come last. They +are attached forever to the doctorate, and that with such a solemn +obligation that a man who is not a priest may indeed read the Bible, +but the Sentences a priest must read. A married man, I observe, could +be a Doctor of the Bible, but under no circumstances a Doctor of the +Sentences. What good fortune can we expect if we act so perversely and +in this way put the Bible, the holy Word of God, so far to the rear? +Moreover the pope commands, with many severe words, that his laws are +to be read and used in the schools and the courts, but little is said +of the Gospel. Thus it is the custom that in the schools and the +courts the Gospel lies idle in the dust under the bench[249], to the +end that the pope's harmful laws may rule alone. + +If we are called by the title of teachers[250] of Holy Scripture, then +we ought to be compelled, in accordance with our name, to teach the +Holy Scriptures and nothing else, although even this title is too +proud and boastful and no one ought to be proclaimed and crowned +teacher of Holy Scripture. Yet it might be suffered, if the work +justified the name; but now, under the despotism of the Sentences, we +find among the theologians more of heathen and human opinion than of +the holy and certain doctrine of Scripture. What, then, are we to do? +I know of no other way than humbly to pray God to give us Doctors of +Theology, Pope, emperor and universities may make Doctors of Arts, of +Medicine, of Laws, of the Sentences; but be assured that no one will +make a Doctor of Holy Scripture, save only the Holy Ghost from heaven, +as Christ says in John vi, "They must all be taught of God Himself." +[John 6:45] Now the Holy Ghost does not concern Himself about red or +brown birettas[251] or other decorations, nor does He ask whether one +is old or young, layman or priest, monk or secular, virgin or married; +nay He spake of old by an ass, against the prophet who rode upon it +[Num. 22:28]. Would God that we were worthy to have such doctors given +us, whether they were layman or priests, married or virgin. True, they +now try to force the Holy Ghost into pope, bishops and doctors, +although there is no sign or indication whatever that He is in them. + +[Sidenote: Theological Textbooks] + +The number of theological books must also be lessened, and a selection +made of the best of them. For it is not many books or much reading +that makes men learned; but it is good things, however little of them, +often read, that make men learned in the Scriptures, and make them +godly, too. Indeed the writings of all the holy fathers should be read +only for a time, in order that through them we may be led to the Holy +Scriptures. As it is, however, we read them only to be absorbed in +them and never come to the Scriptures. We are like men who study the +sign-posts and never travel the road. The dear fathers wished, by +their writings, to lead us to the Scriptures, but we so use them as to +be led away from the Scriptures, though the Scriptures alone are our +vineyard in which we ought all to work and toil. + +[Sidenote: Schools] + +Above all, the foremost and most general subject of study, both in the +higher and the lower schools, should be the Holy Scriptures, and for +the young boys the Gospel. And would to God that every town had a +girls' school also, in which the girls were taught the Gospel for an +hour each day either in German or Latin. Indeed the schools, +monasteries and nunneries began long ago with that end in view, and it +was a praiseworthy and Christian purpose, as we learn from the story +of St. Agnes[252] and other of the saints. That was the time of holy +virgins and martyrs, and then it was well with Christendom; but now +they[253] have come to nothing but praying and singing. Ought not +every Christian at his ninth or tenth year to know the entire holy +Gospel from which he derives his name[254] and his life? A spinner or +a seamstress teaches her daughter the trade in her early years; but +now even the great, learned prelates and bishops themselves do not +know the Gospel. + +O how unjustly we deal with these poor young people who are committed +to us for direction and instruction! We must give a terrible accounting +or our neglect to set the Word of God before them. They are as +Jeremiah says in Lamentations ii: "Mine eyes are grown weary with +weeping, my bowels are terrified, my liver is poured out upon the +ground, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, or +the youth and the children perish in all the streets of the whole +city; they said to their mothers, Where is bread and wine? and they +swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city and gave up the +ghost in their mothers' bosom." [Lam. 2:11 ff.] This pitiful evil we +do not see,--how even now the young folk in the midst of Christendom +languish and perish miserably for want of the Gospel, in which we +ought to be giving them constant instruction and training. + +[Sidenote: Restriction of Number of Students] + +Moreover, if the universities were diligent in the study of Holy +Scripture, we should not send everybody there, as we do when all we +ask is numbers, and everyone wishes to have a doctor's degree; but we +should send only the best qualified students, who have previously been +well trained in the lower schools. A prince or city council ought to +see to this, and permit only the well qualified to be sent. But where +the Holy Scriptures do not rule, there I advise no one to send his +son. Everyone not unceasingly busy with the Word of God must become +corrupt; that is why the people who are in the universities and who +are trained there are the kind of people they are. For this no one is +to blame but the pope, the bishops and the prelates, who are charged +with the training of the youth. For the universities ought to turn out +only men who are experts in the Holy Scriptures, who can become +bishops and priests, leaders in the fight against heretics, the devil +and all the world. But where do you find this true? I greatly fear that +the universities are wide gates of hell, if they do not diligently +teach the Holy Scriptures and impress them on the youth. + +[Sidenote: The Pope and the Holy Roman Empire] + +26.[255] I know full well that the Roman crowd will make pretensions +and great boasts about how the pope took the Holy Roman Empire from +the Greek Emperor[256] and bestowed it on the Germans, for which honor +and benevolence he is said to have justly deserved and obtained from +the Germans submission and thanks and all good things. For this reason +they will, perhaps, undertake to throw to the winds all attempts to +reform them, and will not allow us to think about anything but the +bestowal of the Roman Empire. For this cause they have heretofore +persecuted and oppressed many a worthy emperor so arbitrarily and +arrogantly that it is pity to tell of it, and with the same adroitness +they have made themselves overlords of all the temporal powers and +authorities, contrary to the Holy Gospel. Of this too I must therefore +speak. + +There is no doubt that the true Roman Empire, which the writings of +the prophets foretold in Numbers xxiv [Num. 24:24] and in Daniel [Dan. +2:39 ff.], has long since been overthrown and brought to an end, as +Balaam clearly prophesied in Numbers xxiv, when he said: "The Romans +shall come and overthrow the Jews; and afterwards they also shall be +destroyed." That was brought to pass by the Goths[257], but especially +when the Turkish Empire arose almost a thousand years ago[258]; then +in time Asia and Africa fell away, and finally Venice arose, and there +remained to Rome nothing of its former power. + +Now when the pope could not subdue to his arrogant will the Greeks and +the emperor at Constantinople, who was hereditary Roman Emperor, he +bethought himself of this device, viz., to rob him of his empire and +his title and turn it over to the Germans, who were at that time +warlike and of good repute, so as to bring the power of the Roman +Empire under his control and give it away as a fief. So too it turned +out. It was taken away from the emperor at Constantinople and its name +and title were given to us Germans. Thereby we became the servants of +the pope, and there is now a second Roman Empire, which the pope has +built upon the Germans; for the other, which was first, has long since +fallen, as I have said. + +So then the Roman See has its will. It has taken possession of Rome, +driven out the German Emperor and bound him with oaths not to dwell at +Rome. He is to be Roman Emperor, and yet he is not to have possession +of Rome, and besides he is at all times to be dependent upon the +caprice of the pope and his followers, so that we have the name and +they have the land and cities. They have always abused our simplicity +to serve their own arrogance and tyranny, and they call us mad +Germans, who let ourselves be made apes and fools at their bidding. + +Ah well! For God the Lord it is a small thing to toss empires and +principalities to and fro! He is so generous with them that once in a +while He gives a kingdom to a knave and takes it from a good man, +sometimes by the treachery of wicked, faithless men and sometimes by +heredity, as we read of the Kingdoms of Persia and Greece, and of +almost all kingdoms; and Daniel ii and iv says: "He Who ruleth over +all things dwelleth in heaven, and it is He alone Who changeth +kingdoms, tosseth them to and fro, and maketh them." [Dan. 2:21; 4:14] +Since, therefore, no one can think it a great thing to have a kingdom +given him, especially if he is a Christian, we Germans too cannot be +puffed up because a new Roman Empire is bestowed on us; for in His +eyes it is a trifling gift, which He often gives to the most unworthy, +as Daniel iv says: "All who dwell upon the earth are in His eyes as +nothing, and He has power in all the kingdoms of men, to give them to +whomsoever He will." [Dan. 4:35] + +But although the pope unjustly and by violence robbed the true emperor +of his Roman Empire, or of its name, and gave it to us Germans, it is +certain, nevertheless, that in this matter God has used the pope's +wickedness to give such an empire to the German nation, and after the +all of the first Roman Empire, to set up another, which still exists. +And although we gave no occasion to this wickedness of the popes, and +did not understand their false aims and purposes, nevertheless, +through this papal trickery and roguery, we have already paid too +dearly for our empire, with incalculable bloodshed, with the +suppression of our liberty, with the risk and robbery of all our +goods, especially the goods of the churches and canonries, and with +the suffering of unspeakable deception and insult. We have the name of +the empire, but the pope has our wealth, honor, body, life, soul and +all that is ours. So we Germans are to be cheated in the trade[259]. +What the popes sought was to be emperors, and since they could not +manage that, they at least succeeded in setting themselves over the +emperors. + +Because then, the empire has been given us without our fault, by the +providence of God and the plotting of evil men, I would not advise +that we give it up, but rather that we rule it wisely and in the fear +of God, so long as it shall please Him. For, as has been said, it +matters not to Him where an empire comes from; it is His will that it +shall be ruled. Though the popes took it dishonestly from others, +nevertheless we did not get it dishonestly. It is given us by the will +of God through evil-minded men; and we have more regard for God's will +than for the treacherous purpose of the popes, who, in bestowing it, +wished to be emperors themselves, and more than emperors, and only to +fool and mock us with the name. The King of Babylon also seized his +empire by robbery and force; yet it was God's will that it should be +ruled by the holy princes, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael [Dan +3:30; 5:29]; much more then is it His will that this empire be ruled +by the Christian princes of Germany, regardless whether the pope stole +it, or got it by robbery, or made it anew. It is all God's ordering, +which came to pass before we knew of it. + +Therefore the pope and his followers may not boast that they have done +a great favor to the German nation by the bestowal of this Roman +Empire. _First_, because they did not mean it for our good, but were +rather taking advantage of our simplicity in order to strengthen +themselves in their proud designs against the Roman Emperor at +Constantinople, from whom the pope godlessly and lawlessly took this +empire, a thing which he had no right to do. _Second_, because the +pope's intention was not to give us the empire, but to get it for +himself, that he might bring all our power, our freedom, wealth, body +and soul into subjection to himself and use us (if God had not +prevented) to subdue all the world. He clearly says so himself in his +decretals, and he has attempted it, by many evil wiles, with a number +of the German emperors. How beautifully we Germans have been taught +our German! When we thought to be lords, we became slaves of the most +deceitful tyrants; we have the name, title and insignia of the empire, +but the pope has its treasures, its authority, its law and its +liberty. So the pope gobbles the kernel, and we play with the empty +hulls. + +Now may God, Who by the wiles of tyrants has tossed this empire into +our lap, and charged us with the ruling of it, help us to live up to +the name, title and insignia, to rescue our liberty, and to show the +Romans, for once, what it is that we, through them, have received from +God! They boast that they have bestowed on us an empire. So be it, +then! If it is true, then let the pope give us Rome and everything +else which he has got from the empire; let him free our land from his +intolerable taxing and robbing, and give us back our liberty, +authority, wealth, honor, body and soul; let the empire be what an +empire should be, and let his words and pretensions be fulfilled! + +If he will not do that, then why all this shamming, these false and +lying words and juggler's tricks? Is he not satisfied with having so +rudely led this noble nation by the nose these many hundred years +without ceasing? It does not follow that the pope must be above an +emperor because he makes or crowns him. The prophet Samuel at God's +command anointed and crowned Kings Saul and David, and yet he was +their subject; and the prophet Nathan anointed King Solomon, but was +not set over him on that account [1 Sam. 16:1; 16:13]; Elisha too had +one of his servants anoint Jehu King of Israel [1 Kings 1:38 f.], and +yet they remained obedient and subject to him [2 Kings 9:1 ff.]. +Except in the case of the pope, it has never happened in all the +world's history that he who consecrated or crowned the king was over +the king. He lets himself be crowned pope by three cardinals, who are +under him, and he is nevertheless their superior. Why then should he, +contrary to the example which he himself sets, and contrary to the +custom and teaching of all the world and of the Scriptures, exalt +himself above temporal authorities, or the empire, simply because he +crowns or consecrates the emperor? It is enough that he should be the +emperor's superior in divine things, to wit, in preaching, teaching +and administering the sacraments, in which things, indeed, any bishop +or priest is over every other man, as St. Ambrose in his See was over +the emperor Theodosius[260], and the prophet Nathan over David, and +Samuel over Saul. Therefore, let the German Emperor be really and +truly emperor, and let not his authority or his sword be put down by +this blind pretension of papal hypocrites, as though they were to be +excepted from his dominion and themselves direct the temporal sword in +all things.] + +[Sidenote: Economic and Social Reforms] + +27. Enough has now been said about the failings of the clergy, though +more of them can and will be found if these are properly considered. +We would say something too about the failings of the temporal estate. + +[Sidenote: Luxury in Dress] + +1. There is great need of a general law and decree of the German +nation against the extravagance and excess in dress, by which so many +nobles and rich men are impoverished[251]. God has given to us, as to +other lands, enough wool, hair, lax and every thing else which +properly serves or the seemly and honorable dress of every rank, so +that we do not need to spend and waste such enormous sums or silk and +velvet and golden ornaments and other foreign wares. I believe that +even if the pope had not robbed us Germans with his intolerable +exactions, we should still have our hands more than full with these +domestic robbers, the silk and velvet merchants[262]. In the matter of +clothes, as we see, everybody wants to be equal to everybody else, and +pride and envy are aroused and increased among us, as we deserve. All +this and much more misery would be avoided if our curiosity would only +let us be thankful, and be satisfied with the goods which God has +given us. + +[Sidenote: The Spice Trade] + +2. In like manner it is also necessary to restrict the +spice-traffic[263] which is another of the great ships in which money +is carried out of German lands. There grows among us, by God's grace, +more to eat and drink than in any other land, and just as choice and +good. Perhaps the proposals that I make may seem foolish and +impossible and give the impression that I want to suppress the +greatest of all trades, that of commerce; but I am doing what I can. I +reforms are not generally introduced, then let every one who is +willing reform himself. I do not see that many good customs have ever +come to a land through commerce, and in ancient times God made His +people of Israel dwell away from the sea on this account, and did not +let them engage much in commerce. + +[Sidenote: The Traffic in Annuities] + +3. But the greatest misfortune of the German nation is certainly the +traffic in annuities[264]. If that did not exist many a man would have +to leave unbought his silks, velvets, golden ties ornaments, spices +and ornaments of every sort. It has not existed much over a hundred +years, and has already brought almost all princes, cities, endowed +institutions, nobles and their heirs to poverty, misery and ruin; if +it shall continue or another hundred years Germany cannot possibly +have a _pfennig_ left and we shall certainly have to devour one +another. The devil invented the practice, and the pope, by confirming +it[265], has injured the whole world. Therefore I ask and pray that +everyone open his eyes to see the ruin of himself, his children and +his heirs, which not only stands before the door, but already haunts +the house, and that emperor, princes, lords and cities do their part +that this trade be condemned as speedily as possible, and henceforth +prevented, regardless whether or not the pope, with all his law and +unlaw, is opposed to it, and whether or not benefices or church +foundations are based upon it. It is better that there should be in a +city one living based on an honest freehold or revenue, than a hundred +based on an annuity; indeed a living based on an annuity is worse and +more grievous than twenty based on freeholds. In truth this traffic in +rents must be a sign and symbol that the world, for its grievous sins, +has been sold to the devil, so that both temporal and spiritual +possessions must fail us, and yet we do not notice it at all. + +Here, too, we must put a bit in the mouth of the Fuggers and similar +corporations[266]. How is it possible that in the lifetime of a single +man such great possessions, worthy of a king, can be piled up, and yet +everything be done legally and according to God's will? I am not a +mathematician, but I do not understand how a man with a hundred gulden +can make a profit of twenty gulden in one year, nay, how with one +gulden he can make another[267]; and that, too, by another way than +agriculture or cattle-raising, in which increase of wealth depends not +on human wits, but on God's blessing. I commend this to the men of +affairs. I am a theologian, and find nothing to blame in it except its +evil and offending appearance, of which St. Paul says, "Avoid every +appearance or show of evil." [1 Thess. 5:22] This I know well, that it +would be much more pleasing to God if we increased agriculture and +diminished commerce, and that they do much better who, according to +the Scriptures, till the soil and seek their living from it, as was +said to us and to all men in Adam, "Accursed be the earth when thou +laborest therein, it shall bear thee thistles and thorns, and in the +sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." [Gen. 3:17 ff.] There is +still much land lying untilled. + +[Sidenote: Excesses in Eating and Drinking] + +4. Next comes the abuse of eating and drinking[268] which gives us +Germans a bad reputation in foreign lands, as though it were our +special vice. Preaching cannot stop it; it has become too common, and +has got too firmly the upper hand. The waste of money which it causes +would be a small thing, were it not followed by other sins,--murder, +adultery, stealing, irreverence and all the vices. The temporal sword +can do something to prevent it; or else it will be as Christ says: +"The last day shall come like a secret snare, when they shall be +eating and drinking, marrying and wooing, building and planting, +buying and selling." [Luke 21:34 f.] It is so much like that now that +I verily believe the judgment day is at the door, though men are +thinking least of all about it. + +[Sidenote: The Social Evil] + +5. Finally, is it not a pitiful thing that we Christians should +maintain among us open and common houses of prostitution, though all +of us are baptised unto chastity? I know very well what some say to +this, to wit, that it is not the custom of any one people, that it is +hard to break up, that it is better that there should be such houses +than that married women, or maidens, or those of more honorable estate +should be outraged. But should not the temporal, Christian government +consider that in this heathen way the evil is not to be controlled? I +the people of Israel could exist without such an abomination, why +could not Christian people do as much? Nay, how do many cities, towns +and villages exist without such houses? Why should not great cities +also exist without them? + +In this, and in the other matters above mentioned, I have tried to +point out how many good works the temporal government could do, and +what should be the duty of every government, to the end that every one +may learn what an awful responsibility it is to rule, and to have high +station. What good would it do that an overlord were in his own life +as holy as St. Peter, if he have not the purpose diligently to help +his subjects in these matters? His very authority will condemn him! +For it is the duty of the authorities to seek the highest good of +their subjects. But if the authorities were to consider how the young +people might be brought together in marriage, the hope of entering the +married state would greatly help every one to endure and to resist +temptation. + +[Sidenote: Celibacy and Its Abuses] + +But now every man is drawn to the priesthood or the monastic life, and +among them, I fear, there is not one in a hundred who has any other +reason than that he seeks a living, and doubts that he will ever be +able to support himself in the estate of matrimony. Therefore they +live wildly enough beforehand, and wish, as they say, to "wear out +their lust," but rather wear it in[269], as experience shows. I find +the proverb true, "Despair makes most of the monks and priests"[270]; +and so things are as we see them. + +My faithful counsel is that, in order to avoid many sins which have +become very common, neither boy nor maid should take the vow of +chastity, or of the "spiritual life," before the age of thirty +years[271]. It is, as St. Paul says, a peculiar gift [1 Cor. 7]. +Therefore let him whom God does not constrain, put off becoming a +cleric and taking the vows. Nay, I will go farther and say, If you +trust God so little that you are not willing to support yourself as a +married man, and wish to become a cleric only because of this +distrust, then for the sake of your own soul, I beg of you not to +become a cleric, but rather a farmer, or whatever else you please. For +if to obtain your temporal support you must have one measure of trust +in God, you must have ten measures of trust to continue in the life of +a cleric. If you do not trust God to support you in the world, how +will you trust him to support you in the Church? Alas, unbelief and +distrust spoil everything and lead us into all misery, as we see in +every estate of life! + +Much could be said of this miserable condition. The young people have +no one to care for them. They all do as they please, and the +government is of as much use to them as if it did not exist; and yet +this should be the chief concern of pope, bishops, lords and councils. +They wish to rule far and wide, and yet to help no one. O, what a rare +bird will a lord and ruler be in heaven just on this account, even +though he build a hundred churches or God and raise up all the dead! + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +[Let this suffice for this time! Of what the temporal powers and the +nobility ought to do, I think I have said enough in the little book. +_On Good Works_[272]. There is room for improvement in their lives and +in their rule, and yet the abuses of the temporal power are not to be +compared with those of the spiritual power, as I have there +shown.][273] + +I think too that I have pitched my song in a high key, have made many +propositions which will be thought impossible and have attacked many +things too sharply. But what am I to do? I am in duty bound to speak. +If I were able, these are the things I should wish to do. I prefer the +wrath of the world to the wrath of God; they can do no more than take +my life[274]. Many times heretofore I have made overtures of peace to +my opponents; but as I now see, God has through them compelled me to +open my mouth wider and wider and give them enough to say, bark, shout +and write, since they have nothing else to do. Ah well, I know another +little song about Rome and about them if I their ears itch for it I +will sing them that song too, and pitch the notes to the top of the +scale. Understandest thou, dear Rome, what I mean? + +I have many times offered my writings for investigation and judgment, +but it has been of no use. To be sure, I know that if my cause is +just, it must be condemned on earth, and approved only by Christ in +heaven; or all the Scriptures show that the cause of Christians and of +Christendom must be judged by God alone. Such a cause has never yet +been approved by men on earth, but the opposition has always been too +great and strong. It is my greatest care and fear that my cause may +remain uncondemned, by which I should know or certain that it was not +yet pleasing to God. + +Therefore let them boldly go to work,--pope, bishop, priest, monk and +scholar! They are the right people to persecute the truth, as they +have ever done. + +God give us all a Christian mind, and especially to the Christian +nobility of the German nation a right spiritual courage to do the best +that can be done for the poor Church. Amen. + +Wittenberg, 1520. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] _Unserm furnchmen nach_. See Introduction, p. 57. + +[2] An ironical comparison of the monks' cowl and tonsure with the +headgear of the jester. + +[3] i. e., Which one turns out to be the real fool. + +[4] The proverb ran, _Monachus semper praesens_, "a monk is always +there." See Wander, _Deutsches Sprichworterlexicon_, under Monch, No. +130. + +[5] Evidently a reference to the _Gravamina of the German Nation_; see +Gebhardt, _Die Grav. der Deutschen Nation_, Breslau, 1895. + +[6] Councils of the Church, especially those of Constance (1414-18), +and of Basel (1431-39). + +[7] Charles V. was elected Emperor in 1519, when but twenty years of +age. Hutten expresses his "hopes of good" from Charles in _Vadiscus_ +(Bocking, IV, 156). + +[8] Frederick Barbarossa (1152-1100). + +[9] Frederick II (1212-1250), grandson of Barbarossa and last of the +great Hohenstaufen Emperors. He died under excommunication. + +[10] Pope Julius II (1503-1513). Notorious among the popes for his +unscrupulous pursuit of political power, he was continually involved +in war with one and another of the European powers over the possession +of territories in Italy. + +[11] Luther's recollection of the figures was faulty. + +[12] The term "Romanist" is applied by Luther to the champions of the +extreme form of papal supremacy. C. Vol. I, p. 343 f. + +[13] i. e., The three rods for the punishment of an evil pope. + +[14] _Spuknisse_, literally "ghosts." The gist of the sentence is, +"the Romanists have frightened the world with ghost-stories." + +[15] _Olegotze_--"an image anointed with holy oil to make it sacred"; +in modern German, "a blockhead." + +[16] Lay-baptism in view of imminent death is a practice as old as the +Christian Church. The right of the laity to administer baptism in such +cases was expressly recognized by the Council of Elvira, in the year +306, and the decree of that Council became a part of the law of the +Church. The right of the laity to give absolution in such cases rests +on the principle that in the absence of the appointed official of the +Church any Christian can do for any other Christian the things that +are absolutely necessary or salvation, for "necessity knows no law." +Cf. Vol. I, p. 30, note 2. + +[17] The canon law, called by Luther throughout this treatise and +elsewhere, the "spiritual law," is a general name for the decrees of +councils ("canons" in the strict sense) and decisions of the popes +("decretals," "constitutions," etc.), promulgated by authority of the +popes, and collected in the so-called _Corpus juris canonici_. It +comprised the whole body of Church law, and embodied in legal forms +the mediaeval theory of papal absolutism, which accounts for the +bitterness with which Luther speaks of it, especially in this +treatise. The Corpus includes the following collections of canons and +decretals: The _Decretum of Gratian_ (1142), the _Liber Extra_ (1234), +the _Liber Sextus_ (1298), the _Constitutiones Clementinae_ (1318 or +1317), and the two books of _Extravagantes_ ,--the _Extravagantes of +John XXII_, and the _Extravagantes communes_. The last pope whose +decrees are included is Sixtus IV (died 1484). See _Catholic +Encyclop._,IV, pp. 391 ff. + +[18] Augustine, the master-theologian of the Ancient Church, bishop of +Hippo in Africa from 395-430. + +[19] Ambrose, bishop of Milan from 374-397, had not yet been baptised +at the time of his election to the episcopate, which was forced upon +him by the unanimous voice of the people of the city. + +[20] Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, 247-258, is said to have consented +to accept the office only when the congregation surrounded his house +and besought him to yield to their entreaties. + +[21] _Was ausz der Tauff krochen ist_. + +[22] The _character indelebilis_, or "indelible mark," received +authoritative statement in the bull _Exultate Deo_ (1439). Eugenius +IV, summing up the Decrees of the Council of Florence, says: "Among +these sacraments there are three--baptism, confirmation, and +orders--which indelibly impress upon the soul a character, i. e., a +certain spiritual mark which distinguishes them from the rest" (Mirbt, +_Quellen_, 2d ed., No. 150). The Council of Trent in its XXIII. +Session, July 15, 1563 (Mirbt, No. 312), defined the correct Roman +teaching as follows: "Since in the sacrament of orders, as in baptism +and confirmation, a character is impressed which cannot be destroyed +or taken away, the Holy Synod justly condemns the opinion of those who +assert that the priests of the New Testament have only temporary +power, and that those once rightly ordained can again be made laymen, +if they do not exercise the ministry of the Word of God." + +[23] i. e., They are all Christians, among whom there can be no +essential difference. + +[24] The sharp distinction which the Roman Church drew between clergy +and laity found practical application in the contention that the +clergy should be exempt from the jurisdiction of the civil courts, +This is the so-called _privilegium fori_, "benefit of clergy." It was +further claimed that the government of the clergy and the +administration of Church property must be entirely in the hands of the +Church authorities, and that no lay rulers might either make or +enforce laws which in any way affected the Church. See Lea, _Studies +in Church History_, 169-219 and _Prot. Realencyk._, VI, 594. + +[25] It was the contention of the Church authorities that priests +charged with infraction of the laws of the state should first be tried +in the ecclesiastical courts. If found guilty, they were degraded from +the priesthood and handed over to the state authorities for +punishment. Formula for degradation in the canon law, C. 2 in VI, _de +poen._ (V, 9). See _Prot. Realencyk._, VI, 589. + +[26] The interdict is the prohibition of the administration of the +sacraments and of the other rites of the Church within the territory +upon which the interdict is laid (_Realencyk._, IX, 208 f.). Its use +was not uncommon in the Middle Ages, and during the time that the +power of the popes was at its height it proved an effective means of +bringing refractory rulers to terms. A famous instance is the +interdict laid upon the Kingdom of England by Innocent III in 1208. +Interdicts of more limited local extent were quite frequent. The use +of the interdict as punishment for trifling infractions of church law +was a subject of complaint at the diets of Worms (1521) and Nurnberg +(1524). See A. Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V._, +II, pp. 685 f, III, 665. + +[27] The statement of which Luther here complains is found in the +Decretum of Gratian, _Dist. XL, c. 6, Si papa_. In his _Epitome_ (see +Introduction, p. 58), Prierias had quoted this canon against Luther, +as follows: "_A Pontifex indubitatus_ (i. e., a pope who is not +accused of heresy or schism) cannot lawfully be deposed or judged +either by a council or by the whole world, even if he is so scandalous +as to lead people with him by crowds into the possession of hell." +Luther's comment is: "Be astonished, O heaven; shudder, O earth! +Behold, O Christians, what Rome is!" (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 336). + +[28] Gregory the Great, pope 590-604. The passage is found in Migne, +LXXVI, 203; LXXVII, 34. + +[29] Antichrist, the incarnation of all that is hostile to Christ and +His Kingdom. His appearance is prophesied in 2 Thess. 2:3-10 (the "man +of sin, sitting in the temple of God"); 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3, and Rev. +13. In the early Church the Fathers sometimes thought the prophecies +fulfilled in the person of some especially pestilent heretic. Wyclif +applied the term to the pope,--"the pope would seem to be not the +vicar of Christ, but the vicar of Antichrist" (see Loos, +_Dogmengeschichte_, 4th ed., p. 649). On Dec. 11, 1518, Luther wrote +to Link: "You can see whether my suspicion is correct that at the +Roman court the true Antichrist rules of whom St. Paul speaks"; and +March 13, 1519, he wrote to Spalatin: "I am not sure but that the pope +is Antichrist or his apostle." It was the worldly pretensions of the +papacy which suggested the idea both to Wyclif and to Luther. By the +year 1520 Luther had come to the definite conclusion that the pope was +the "man of sin, sitting in the temple of God," and this opinion he +never surrendered. + +[30] See above, p. 65. + +[31] According to academic usage, the holder of a Master's degree was +authorised to expound the subject named in the degree. + +[32] The doctrine of papal infallibility was never officially +sanctioned in the Middle Ages, but the claim of infallibility was +repeatedly made by the champions of the more extreme view of papal +power, e. g., Augustinus Triumphus (died 1328) in his _Summa de +potestate Papae_. In his attack upon the XCV Theses (_Dialogus de +potestate Papae_, Dec, 1517) Prierias had asserted, "The supreme +pontiff (i. e., the pope) cannot err when giving a decision as +pontiff, i. e., speaking officially (_ex officio_), and doing what in +him lies to learn the truth"; and again, "Whoever does not rest upon +the teaching of the Roman Church and the supreme pontiff as an +infallible rule of faith, from which even Holy Scripture draws its +vigor and authority, is a heretic" (_Erl. Ed., op. var. arg._, I, +348). In the _Epitome_ he had said: "Even though the pope as an +individual (_singularis persona_) can do wrong and hold a wrong faith, +nevertheless as pope he cannot give a wrong decision" (_Weimar Ed._, +VI, 337). + +[33] Most recently in Prierias's _Epitome_. See preceding note. + +[34] Luther had discussed the whole subject of the power of the keys +in a Latin treatise, _Resolutio super propositione xiii. de potestate +papae_, of 1519 (_Weimar Ed._, II, pp. 185 ff.), and in the German +treatise _The Papacy at Rome_ (Vol. I, pp. 337-394). + +[35] Pp. 66 ff. + +[36] Another contention of Prierias. In 1518 (Nov. 25th) Luther had +appealed his cause from the decision of the pope, which he foresaw +would be adverse, to the decision of a council to be held at some +future time. In the _Epitome_ Prierias discusses this appeal, +asserting, among other things, that "when there is one undisputed +pontiff, it belongs to him alone to call a council," and that "the +decrees of councils neither bind nor hold (_nullum ligant vel +astringunt_) unless they are confirmed by authority of the Roman +pontiff" (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 335). + +[37] i. e., A mere gathering of people. + +[38] The Council of Nicaea, the first of the great councils of the +Church, assembled in 325 for the settlement of the Arian controversy. +Luther's statement that it was called by the Emperor Constantine, and +that its decisions did not derive their validity from any papal +confirmation, is historically correct. On Luther's statements about +this council, see _Schaffer, _Luther als Kirchenhistoriker_, pp. 291 +ff.; Kohler, Luther und die Kg., pp. 148 ff. + +[39] Luther is here referring to the earlier so-called "ecumenical" +councils. + +[40] i. e., A council which will not be subject to the pope. Cf. +_Erl. Ed._, xxvi, 112. + +[41] i. e., They belong to the "spiritual estate"; see above, p. 69. + +[42] _Der Haufe_, i. e. Christians considered _en masse_, without +regard to official position in the Church. + +[43] The papal crown dates from the XI Century; the triple crown, or +tiara, from the beginning of the XIV. It was intended to signify that +very superiority of the pope to the rulers of this world, of which +Luther here complains. See _Realencyk._, X, 532, and literature there +cited. + +[44] A statement made by Augustinus Triumphus. See above, p. 73, note +5; and below, p. 246. + +[45] The Cardinal della Rovere, afterwards Pope Julius II, held at one +time the archbishopric of Avignon, the bishoprics of Bologna, +Lausanne, Coutances, Viviers, Mende, Ostia and Velletri, and the +abbacies of Nonantola and Grottaferrata. This is but one illustration +of the scandalous pluralism practised by the cardinals. Cf. Lea, in +_Cambridge Mod. Hist._, I, pp. 650 f. + +[46] The complaint that the cardinals were provided with incomes by +appointment to German benefices goes back to the Council of Constance +(1415). C. Benrath, p. 87, note 17. + +[47] The creation of new cardinals was a lucrative proceeding for the +popes. On July 31, 1517, Leo X created thirty-one cardinals, and is +said to have received from the new appointees about 300,000 ducats. +Needless to say, the cardinals expected to make up the fees out of the +income of their livings. See _Weimar Ed._, VI, 417, note I, and +Pastor, _Gesch. der Papste_ IV, I, 137. C. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ +(Bocking IV, 188). + +[48] The famous Benedictine monastery just outside the city of +Bamberg. + +[49] The proposal made at Constance (see above, p. 82, note 2) was +more generous. It suggested a salary of three to four thousand gulden. + +[50] As early as the XIV Century both England and France had enacted +laws prohibiting the very practices of which Luther here complains. It +should be noted, however, that these laws were enforced only +occasionally, and never very strictly. + +[51] The papal court or curia consisted of all the officials of +various sorts who were employed in the transaction of papal business, +including those who were in immediate attendance upon the person of +the pope, the so-called "papal family." On the number of such +officials in the XVI Century, see Benrath, p. 88, note 18, where +reference is made to 949 offices, exclusive of those which had to do +with the administration of the city of Rome and of the States of the +Church, and not including the members of the pope's "family." The +_Gravamina_ of 1521 complain that the increase of these offices in +recent years has added greatly to the financial burdens of the German +Church (Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V_, II, +675). + +[52] On the annates, see Vol. I, p. 383, note 1. Early in their +history, which dates from the beginning of the XIV. Century, the +annates (_fructus medii temporis_) had become a fixed tax on all +Church offices which fell vacant, and the complaint of extortion in +their appraisement and collection was frequently raised. The Council +of Constance restricted the obligation to bishoprics and abbacies, and +such other benefices as had a yearly income of more than 24 gulden. +The Council of Basel (1430) resolved to abolish them entirely, but the +resolution of the Council was inoperative, and in the Concordat of +Vienna (1448) the German nation agreed to abide by the decision of +Constance. On the use of the term "annates" to include other payments +to the curia, especially the _servitia_, see Catholic Encyclopedia, I, +pp. 537 f. + +Luther here alleges that the annates are not applied to their +ostensible purpose, viz., the Crusade. This charge is repeated in the +_Gravamina_ of the German Nation presented to the Diet of Worms +(1521), with the additional allegation that the amount demanded in the +way of annates has materially increased (A. Wrede, _Deutsche +Reichstagsakten unter Kaiser Karl V._, II, pp. 675 f.). Similar +complaints had been made at the Diet of Augsburg (1518), and were +repeated at the Diet of Nurnberg (Wrede, _op. cit._, III, 660). +Hutten calls the annates "a good at robbery" (_Ed._ Bocking, IV, 207). +In England the annates were abolished by Act of Parliament (April 10, +1532) + +[53] On the crusading-indulgences, see Vol. I, p. 18. + +[54] i. e., As was done by the Council of Basel. See above, p. 84, +note i. + +[55] The canons are the clergy attached to a cathedral church who +constituted the "chapter" of that cathedral, and to whom the right to +elect the bishop normally belonged. + +[56] This whole section deals with the abuse of the "right of +reservation," i. e., the alleged right of the pope to appoint directly +to vacant church positions. According to papal theory the right of +appointment belonged absolutely to the pope, who graciously yielded +the right to others under certain circumstances, reserving it to +himself in other cases. The practice of reserving the appointments +seems to date from the XII Century, and was originally an arbitrary +exercise of papal authority. The rules which came to govern the +reservation of appointments were regarded as limitations upon the +authority of the pope, The rule of the "papal months," as it obtained +in Germany in Luther's time, is found in the Concordat of Vienna of +1448 (Mirbt, _Quellen_, 2d ed., No. 261, pp. 167 f.). It provides that +livings, with the exception of the higher dignities in the cathedrals +and the chief posts in the monasteries, which all vacant in the months +of February, April, June, August, October and December, shall be +filled by the ordinary method--election, presentation, appointment by +the bishop, etc.--but that vacancies occurring in the other months +shall be filled by appointment of the pope. + +[57] i. e., Church offices which carried with them certain rights of +jurisdiction and gave their possessors a certain honorary precedence +over other officials of the Church. See Meyer in _Realencyk._, IV, +658. + +[58] Charles V, though elected emperor, was not crowned until October +22d. + +[59] i. e., A living which has not hitherto been filled by papal +appointment. + +[60] This rule, like that of the "papal months," is found in the +Concordat of Vienna. Luther's complaint is reiterated in the +_Gravamina_ of 1521. (Wrede, _Deutsche Reichstagsakten_, etc., II, +673.) + +[61] _Des Papstes und der Cardinale Gesinde_, i. e., all those who +were counted members of the "family" or "household" (called +_Dienstverwandte_ in the Gravamina of 1521) of the pope or of any of +the cardinals. The term included those who were in immediate +attendance upon the pope or the cardinals, and all those to whom, by +virtue of any special connection with the curia, the name "papal +servant" could be made to apply. These are the "courtesans" to whom +Luther afterwards refers. + +[62] In 1513 Albrecht of Brandenburg was made Archbishop of Magdeburg +and later in the same year Administrator of Halberstadt; in 1514 he +became Archbishop of Mainz as well. In 1518 he was made cardinal. + +[63] This rule, like the others mentioned above, is contained in the +Concordat of Vienna. + +[64] Cf. The _Gravamina_ of 1521, No. 20, _Von anfechtung der +cordissanen_ (see above, p. 88, note 3), where the name _cordissei_ is +applied to the practice of attacking titles to benefices. (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, pp. 677 f.) + +[65] The _pallium_ is a woolen shoulder-cape which is the emblem of +the archbishop's office, and which must be secured from Rome. The +bestowal of the _pallium_ by the pope is a very ancient custom. +Gregory I (590-604) mentions it as _prisca consuetudo_ (_Dist._, C.c. +3). The canon law prescribes (_Dist. C. c. I_) that the +archbishop-elect must secure the _pallium_ from Rome within three +months of his election; otherwise he is forbidden to discharge any of +the duties of his office. It is regarded as the necessary complement +of his election and consecration, conferring the "plenitude of the +pontifical office," and the name of archbishop. Luther's charge that +it had to be purchased "with a great sum of money" is substantiated by +similar complaints from the XII Century on, though the language of the +canon law makes it evident that Luther's other contention is also +correct, viz., that the _pallium_ was originally bestowed gratis. The +sum required from the different archbishops varied with the wealth of +their sees, and was a fixed sum in each case. The _Gravamina_ of 1521 +complain that the price has been raised: "Although according to +ancient ordinance the bishoprics of Mainz, Cologne, Salzburg, etc., +were bound to pay or the _pallium_ about 10,000 gulden and no more, +they can now scarcely get a _pallium_ from Rome for 20 or 24 thousand +gulden." (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 675.) + +[66] The oath of allegiance to the pope was required before the +pallium could be bestowed (_Dist. C, c._ I). The canon law describes +this oath as one "of allegiance, obedience and unity" (X, I, 6, c. 4). + +[67] See above, p. 86, note 2. + +[68] cf. Luther to Spalatin, June 25, 1520 (Enders, II, 424; Smith, +No. 271). + +[69] i. e., The benefices are treated as though they were vacant. + +[70] In the case of certain endowed benefices the right to nominate +the incumbent was vested in individuals, usually of the nobility, and +was hereditary in their family, This is the so-called _jus patronum_, +or "right of patronage." The complaint that this right is disregarded +is frequent in the _Gravamina_ of 1521. + +[71] _Commendation_ was one of the practices by which the pope evaded +the provision of the canon law which prescribed that the same man +should not hold two livings with the cure of souls. The man who +received an office in _commendam_ was not required to fulfil the +duties attached to the position and when a living or an abbacy was +granted in this way during the incumbency of another, the recipient +received its entire income during a subsequent vacancy. The practice +was most common in the case of abbacies. At the Diet of Worms (1521), +Duke George of Saxony, an outspoken opponent of Luther, was as +emphatic in his protest against this practice as Luther himself +(Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 665); his protest was incorporated in the +_Gravamina_ (_ibid._, 672), and reappears in the Appendix (_ibid._, +708). + +[72] A monk who deserted his monastery was known as an "apostate." + +[73] i. e., Offices which cannot be united in the hands of one man. +See e. g., note 3, p. 91. + +[74] A gloss is a note explanatory of a word or passage of doubtful +meaning. The glosses are the earliest form of commentary on the Bible. +The glosses of the canon law are the more or less authoritative +comments of the teachers, and date from the time when the study of the +canon law became a part of the theological curriculum. Their aim is +chiefly to show how the law applies to practical cases which may +arise. The so-called _glossa ordinaria_ had in Luther's time an +authority almost equal to that of the _corpus juris_ itself. Cf. +_Cath. Encyc._, VI, pp. 588 f. + +[75] The thing which was bought was, of course, the dispensation, or +permission to avail oneself of the gloss. + +[76] _Dataria_ is the name for that department of the curia which had +to deal with the granting of dispensations and the disposal of +benefices. _Datarius_ is the title of the official who presided over +this department. + +[77] See above, p. 88, note 2. For a catalogue of papal appointments +bestowed upon two "courtesans," Johannes Zink und Johannes +Ingenwinkel, see Schulte, _Die Fugger in Rom_, I, pp. 282, 291 ff. +Between 1513 and 1521, Zink received 56 appointments, and Ingenwinkel +received, between 1496 and 1521, no fewer than 106. + +[78] See above, p. 87, note 1. + +[79] So Albrecht of Mainz bore the title of "administrator" of +Halberstadt. + +[80] The name of this practice was "regression" (_regressus_). + +[81] The complaint was made at Worms (1521) that it was impossible for +a German to secure a clear title to a benefice at Rome unless he +applied for it in the name of an Italian, to whom he was obliged to +pay a percentage of the income, a yearly pension, for a fixed sum of +money for the use of his name (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 712). + +[82] _Simony_--the sin of Simon Magus (Acts 8:18-20)--the sin +committed by the sale or the purchase of an office or position which +is normally conferred by a ritual act of the Church. In the ancient +and earlier mediaeval Church the use of money to secure preferment was +held to invalidate the title of the guilty party to the position thus +secured, and the acceptance of money for such a purpose was an offence +punishable by deposition and degradation. The "heresy of Simon" was +conceived to be the greatest of all heresies. The traffic in Church +offices, which became a flagrant abuse from the time of John XXII +(1316-1334), would have been regarded in earlier days as the most +atrocious simony. + +[83] The _reservatio mentalis_ or _in pectore_ is the natural +consequence of the papal theory that the right of appointment to all +Church offices of every grade belongs to the pope (see above, p. 86, +note 3). According to the theory of the canonists (Lancelotti, +_Institutiones juris canonici. Lib. I, Tit._ XXVII) this right is +exercised either _per petitionem alterius_, i. e., by confirmation of +the election, appointment, etc., of others, or _proprio motu_, i. e., +"on his own motion." In ordinary cases the exercise of the appointing +power was limited by rules, which though bitterly complained of (see +above, pp. 86 ff, and notes), were generally understood, but the +theory allowed any given case to be made an exception to the rules. Of +such a case it was said that it was "reserved in the heart of the +Pope," and the appointment was then made "on his own motion." Hutten +says of this _reservatio in pectore_ that "it is an easy, agile and +slippery thing, and bears no comparison to any other form of cheating" +(Ed. Booking, IV, 215). + +[84] For a similar instance quoted at Worms (1521), see Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, 710. + +[85] The three chief centers of foreign commerce in the XV and the +early XVI Century. The annual fairs (_Jahrmarkt_), held at stated +times in various cities, brought great numbers of merchants together +from widely distant points, and were the times when the greater part +of the wholesale business for the year was done.; + +[86] Built by Innocent VIII (1454-1490). + +[87] See above, p. 93, note 2. + +[88] The Church law forbade the taking of interest on loans of money. + +[89] During the Middle Ages all questions touching marriage and +divorce, including, therefore, the question of the legitimacy of +children, were governed by the laws of the Church, on the theory that +marriage was a sacrament. + +[90] i. e., By buying dispensations. + +[91] The sums paid or special dispensations were so called. + +[92] The toll which the "robber-barons" of the Rhine levied upon +merchants passing through their domains. + +[93] _Ja wend das blat umb szo indistu es_--The translators have +adopted the interpretation of O. Clemen, _L's. Werke_, I, 383. + +[94] The Fuggers of Augsburg were the greatest of the German +capitalists in the XVI Century. They were international bankers, "the +Rothschilds of the XVI Century." Their control of large capital +enabled them to advance large sums of money to the territorial rulers, +who were in a chronic state of need. In return for these favors they +received monopolistic concessions by which their capital was further +increased. The spiritual, as well as the temporal lords, availed +themselves regularly of the services of this accommodating firm. They +were the pope's financial representatives in Germany. On their +connection with the indulgence against which Luther protested, see +Vol. I, p. 21; on their relations with the papacy, see Schulte, _Die +Fugger in Rom_, 2 Vols., Leipzig, 1904. + +[95] Certificates entitling the holder to choose his own confessor and +authorizing the confessor to absolve him from certain classes of +"reserved" sins; referred to in the XCV Theses as _confessionalia_. +Cf. Vol. I, p. 22. + +[96] Certificates granting their possessor permission to eat milk, +eggs, butter and cheese on fast days. + +[97] The word is used here in the broad sense, and means dispensations +of all sorts, including those just mentioned, relating to penance. + +[98] Equivalent to "carrying coals to Newcastle." + +[99] The _Campo di Fiore_, a Roman market-place, restored and adorned +at great expense by Eugenius IV (1431-1447), and his successors. + +[100] A part of the Vatican palace notorious as the banqueting-hall of +Alexander VI (1402-1503), turned by Julius II (1503-1513) into a +museum for the housing of his wonderful and expensive collection of +ancient works of art. Luther is hinting that the indulgence money has +been spent on these objects rather than on the maintenance of the +Church. Cf. Clemen, I, 384, note 15. + +[101] i. e., The offices and positions in Rome which were for sale. +See Benrath, p. 88, note 18; p. 95, note 36. + +[102] See above, p. 84, note 1. + +[103] The passage is chapter 31, _Filiis vel nepotibus_. It provides +that in case the income of endowments bequeathed to the Church is +misused, and appeals to the bishop and archbishop fail to correct the +misuse, the heirs of the testator may appeal to the royal courts. +Luther wishes this principle applied to the annates. + +[104] See above, pp. 91 f. + +[105] See above, p. 91. + +[106] See above, p. 94. + +[107] i. e.. Promises to bestow on certain persons livings not yet +vacant. Complaint of the evils arising out of the practice was +continually heard from the year 1416. For the complaints made at Worms +(1521), see Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 710. + +[108] See above, pp. 86 f. + +[109] See above, pp. 92 f. + +[110] See above, p. 93. + +[111] See above, p. 89. + +[112] Rules for the transaction of papal business, including such +matters as appointments and the like. At Worms (1521) the Estates +complain that these rules are made to the advantage of the +"courtesans" and the disadvantage of the Germans. (Wrede, _op. cit._, +II, pp. 675 f.) + +[113] The local Church authorities, here equivalent to "the bishops." +On use of term see _Realencyk._, XIV, 424. + +[114] The sign of the episcopal office; as regards archbishops, the +_pallium_; see above, p. 8q, and note. + +[115] See above, p. 87, note 1. + +[116] The first of the ecumenical councils (A. D. 325). The decree to +which Luther here refers is canon IV of that Council. Cf. Kohler, _L. +und die Kg._, pp. 139 ff. + +[117] The primate is the ranking archbishop of a country. + +[118] "Exemption" was the practice by which monastic houses were +withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the bishops and made directly +subject to the pope. The practice seems to have originated in the X +Century with the famous monastery of Cluny (918), but it was almost +universal in the case of the houses of the mendicant orders. The +bishops made it a constant subject of complaint, and the Lateran +Council (Dec. 19, 1516) passed a decree abolishing all monastic +exemptions, though the decree does not seem to have been effective. +See _Creighton_, History of the Papacy, V, 266. + +[119] i. e., Antichrist. See above, p. 73, note 2. + +[120] The papal interference in the conduct of the local Church courts +was as flagrant as in the appointments, of which Luther has heretofore +spoken. At Worms (1521) it was complained that cases were cited to +Rome as a court of first instance, and the demand was made that a +regular course of appeals should be re-established. Wrede, _op. cit._, +II, 672, 718. + +[121] The reference is Canon V of the Council of Sardica (A. D. 343), +incorporated in the canon law as a canon of Nicaea (_Pt. II, qu. 6, c. +5_). See Kohler, _L. und die Kg._, 151. + +[122] i. e., Appealed to Rome for decision. This is the subject of the +first of the 102 _Gravamina_ of 1521 (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 672). + +[123] The judges in the bishops' courts. The complaint is that they +interfere with the administration of justice by citing into their +courts cases which properly belong in the lay courts, and enforce +their verdicts (usually fines) by means of ecclesiastical censures. +The charges against these courts are specified in the _Gravamina_ of +1521, Nos. 73-100 (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 694-703). + +[124] The _signatura gratiae_ and the _signatura justitiae_ were the +bureaus through which the pope regulated those matters of +administration which belonged to his own special prerogative. + +[125] See above, pp. 88 f. + +[126] See above, p. 88, note 3. + +[127] See above, p. 94. + +[128] i. e., The cases in which a priest was forbidden to give +absolution. The reference here is to cases in which only the pope +could absolve. Cf. _The XCV Theses_, Vol. I, p. 30. + +[129] A papal bull published annually at Rome on Holy Thursday. It was +directed against heretics, but to the condemnation of the heretics and +their heresies was added a list of offences which could receive +absolution only from the pope, or by his authorisation. In 1522 Luther +translated this bull into German as a New Year present for the pope +(_Weimar Ed._, VIII, 691). On Luther's earlier utterances concerning +it, see Kohler, _L. u. die Kg._, pp. 59 2. + +[130] The breve is a papal decree, of equal authority with the bull, +but differing from it in form, and usually dealing with matters of +smaller importance. + +[131] Cf. Luther's earlier statement to the same effect in _A +Discussion of Confession_, Vol. I, pp. 96 f. + +[132] See above, p. 99. + +[133] The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17). + +[134] See above, p. 90, note 1. + +[135] In the canon law, _Decretal. Greg. lib. i, tit. 6, cap. 4_. The +decretal forbids the bestowing of the pallium (see above, p. 89, note +3) on an archbishop elect, until he shall first have sworn allegiance +to the Holy See. + +[136] The induction of Church officials into office. The term was used +particularly of the greater offices--those of bishop and abbot. These +offices carried with them the enjoyment of certain incomes, and the +possession of certain temporal powers. For this reason the right of +investiture was a bone of contention between popes and emperors during +the Middle Ages. + +[137] Especially in the time of the Emperors Henry IV and V +(1056-1125). + +[138] The German Empire was regarded during the Middle Ages as a +continuation of the Roman Empire. (See below, p. 153.) The right to +crown an emperor was held to be the prerogative of the pope; until the +pope bestowed the imperial crown, the emperor bore the title, "King of +the Romans." + +[139] In the canon law, _Decretal. Greg. lib. i, tit. 33, cap. 6._ + +[140] In the treatise, _Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione XIII, +de potestate papae_ (1520). _Weimar Ed._, II, pp. 217 ff.; _Erl. Ed., +op. var. arg._, Ill, pp. 293 ff. + +[141] See p. 70. + +[142] cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I, pp. 357 f. + +[143] A decree of Pope Clement V of 1313, incorporated subsequently in +the canon law, _Clement, lib. ii, tit. 11, cap. 2._ + +[144] A forged document of the VIII Century, professing to come from +the hand of the Emperor Constantine (306-337). The Donation conveyed +to the pope title to the city of Rome (the capital had been removed to +Constantinople), certain lands in Italy and "the islands of the sea." +It was used by the popes of the Middle Ages to support their claims to +worldly power, and its genuineness was not disputed. In 1440, however, +Laurentius Valla, an Italian humanist, published a work in which he +proved that the Donation was a forgery. This work was republished in +Germany by Ulrich von Hutten in 1517, and seems to have come to +Luther's attention in the early part of 1520, just before the +composition of the present treatise (C. Enders II, 332). Luther +subsequently (1537) issued an annotated translation of the text of the +Donation (_Erl. Ed._, XXV, pp. 176 ff.). + +[145] The papal claim to temporal sovereignty over this little +kingdom, which comprised the island of Sicily and certain territories +in Southern Italy, goes back to the XI Century, and was steadily +asserted during the whole of the later Middle Ages. It was one of the +questions at issue in the conflict between the Emperor Frederick II +(1200-1260) and the popes, and played an important part in the history +of the stormy times which followed the all of the Hohenstaufen. The +popes claimed the right to award the kingdom to a ruler who would +swear allegiance to the Holy See. The right to the kingdom was at this +time contested between the royal houses of France and of Spain, of +which latter house the Emperor Charles V was the head. + +[146] The popes claimed temporal sovereignty over a strip of territory +in Italy, beginning at Rome and stretching in a northeasterly +direction across the peninsula to a point on the Adriatic south of +Venice, including the cities and lands which Luther mentions. This +formed the so-called "States of the Church." The attempt to +consolidate the States and make the papal sovereignty effective +involved Popes Alexander VI (1492-1503) and Julius II (1503-1513) in +war and entangled them in political alliances with the European powers +and petty Italian states. It resulted at last in actual war between +Pope Clement VII and the Emperor Charles V (1526-1527). See Cambridge +_Modern History_, I, 104-143; 219-252, and literature cited pp. +706-713; 727 f. + +[147] A free translation of the Vulgate, _Nemo militans Deo_. + +[148] The kissing of the pope's feet was a part of the "adoration" +which he claimed as his right. See above, p. 108. + +[149] The three paragraphs enclosed in brackets were added by Luther +to the 2d edition; see Introduction, p. 59. + +[150] The holy places of Rome had long been favorite objects of +pilgrimage, and the practice had been zealously fostered by the popes +through the institution of the "golden" or "jubilee years." Cf. Vol. +I, p. 18, and below, p. 114. + +[151] Cf. the Italian proverb, "God is everywhere except at Rome; +there He has a vicar." + +[152] Cf. Hutten's saying in _Vadiscus_: "Three things there are which +those who go to Rome usually bring home with them, a bad conscience, a +ruined stomach and an empty purse." (Ed. Bocking, IV, p. 169.) + +[153] The "golden" or "jubilee years" were the years when special +rewards were attached to worship at the shrines of Rome. The custom +was instituted by Boniface VIII in 1300, and it was the intention to +make every hundredth year a jubilee. In 1343 the interval between +jubilees was fixed at fifty, in 1389 at thirty-three, in 1473 at +twenty-five years. Cf. Vol. I, p. 18. + +[154] Cf. the statements in the _Treatise on Baptism_ and the +_Discussion of Confession_, Vol. I, pp. 68 ff., 98. + +[155] The houses, or monasteries, of the mendicant or "begging" +orders--the "friars." The members of these orders were sworn to +support themselves on the alms of the faithful. + +[156] The three leading mendicant orders were the Franciscan (the +Minorites, or "little brothers"), founded by St. Francis of Assisi +(died 1226), the Dominican (the "preaching brothers"), founded by St. +Dominic (died 1221), and the Augustinian Hermits, to which Luther +himself belonged, and which claimed foundation by St. Augustine (died +430). + +[157] The interference of the friars in the duties of the parish +clergy was a continual subject of complaint through this period. + +[158] By the middle of the XV Century there were eight distinct sects +within the Franciscan order alone (See _Realencyk._, VI, pp. 212 ff.), +and Luther had himself taken part in a vigorous dispute between two +parties in the Augustinian order. + +[159] St. Agnes the Martyr, put to death in the beginning of the IV +Century, one of the favorite saints of the Middle Ages. See Schafer, +_L. als Kirchenhistoriker_, p. 235. + +[160] One of the most famous of the German convents, founded in 936. + +[161] The celebrated Church Father (died 420). The passages referred +to are in _Migne_, XXII, 656, and XXVI, 562. + +[162] Or "community" (_Gemeine_). Cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I. +p. 345, note 4. See also _Dass eine christl. Gemeine Recht und Macht +habe_, etc. _Weimar Ed._ XI, pp. 408 ff. + +[163] Or "congregation." See note 2. + +[164] i. e.. At a time later than that of the Apostles. + +[165] The first absolute prohibition of marriage to the clergy is +contained in a decree of Pope Siricius and dated 385. See H. C. Lea, +_History of Sacerdotal Celibacy_, 3d ed. (1907), I, pp. 59 ff. + +[166] The priests of the Greek Church are required to marry, and the +controversy over celibacy was involved in the division between the +Greek and Roman Churches. + +[167] Cf. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ (Bocking, IV, 199). + +[168] i. e., Lie in Roman appointment. + +[169] i. e., The ministry in the congregation. See above, p. 119. + +[170] _Quantum ragilitas humana permittit_. A qualification of the +vow. + +[171] i. e., Celibacy. _Non promitto castitatem_. + +[172] _Fragilitas humana non permittit caste vivere_. + +[173] _Angelica fortitudo at coelestis virtus_. + +[174] The court-jester was allowed unusual freedom of speech. See +Prefatory Letter above, p. 62. + +[175] The laws governing marriage were entirely the laws of the +Church. The canon law prohibited marriage of blood-relatives as far as +the seventh degree of consanguinity. In 1204 the prohibition was +restricted to the first our degrees; lawful marriage within these +degrees was possible only by dispensation, which was not all too +difficult to secure, especially by those who were willing to pay for +it (see above, p. 96). The relation of god-parents to god-children was +also held to establish a "spiritual consanguinity" which might serve +as a bar to lawful marriage. See Benrath, p. 103, note 74, and in the +Babylonian Captivity, below, p. 265. + +[176] This Luther actually did. When he burned the papal bull of +excommunication (Dec. 10, 1520) a copy of the canon law was also given +to the flames. + +[177] i. e., The marriage of the clergy. + +[178] On this sort of reserved cases see Discussion of Confession, +Vol. I, pp. 96 ff. + +[179] "Irregularity" is the condition of any member of a monastic +order who has violated the prescriptions of the order and been +deprived, in consequence, of the benefits enjoyed by those who live +under the _regula_, viz., the rule of the order. + +[180] The three kinds of masses are really but one thing, viz., masses +for the dead, celebrated on certain fixed days in each year, in +consideration of the enjoyment of certain incomes, received either out +of bequeathed endowments or from the heirs of the supposed +beneficiaries. + +[181] i. e., Even when the mass is decently said. + +[182] See above, p. 72, note 1. + +[183] See above, p. 104. + +[184] _Das geistliche Unrecht_. + +[185] The _Treatise concerning the Ban_, above, pp. 33 ff. + +[186] i. e., To those who teach and enforce the canon law. + +[187] Luther means the saint's-days and minor religious holidays. See +also the _Discourse on Good Works_, Vol. I, pp. 240 f. + +[188] Or "congregation." + +[189] i. e., City-council. + +[190] _Kirchweihen_, i. e., the anniversary celebration of the +consecration of a church. These days had become feast days for the +parish, and were observed in anything but a spiritual fashion. + +[191] i. e., Occasions for drunkenness, gain and gambling. + +[192] See above, pp. 96 f. + +[193] See above, p. 98, note 2. + +[194] Letters entitling their holder to the benefits of the masses +founded by the sodalities or confraternities. See Benrath, p. 103. + +[195] See above, p. 98, and Vol. I, p. 22. + +[196] The pun is untranslatable,--_Netz, Gesetz solt ich sagen_. + +[197] What the pope sold was release from the "snares" and "nets," +viz., dispensation. + +[198] i. e., Even into the law of the church. + +[199] _Die wilden Kapellen und Feldkirchen_, i. e., churches which are +built in the country, where there are no congregations. + +[200] A little town in East Prussia, where was displayed a sacramental +wafer, said to have been miraculously preserved from a fire which +destroyed the church in 1383. It was alleged that at certain times +this wafer exuded drops of blood, reverenced as the blood of Christ, +and many miracles were said to have been performed by it. Wilsnack +early became a favorite resort for pilgrims. In 1412 the archbishop of +Prague, at the instigation of John Hus, forbade the Bohemians to go +there. Despite the protests of the Universities of Leipzig and Erfurt, +Pope Eugenius IV in 1446 granted special indulgences for this +pilgrimage, and the popularity of the shrine was undiminished until +the time of the Reformation. Cf. _Realencyk_, xxi, pp. 347 ff. + +[201] In Mecklenburg, where another relic of "the Holy Blood" was +displayed after 1491. C. Benrath, pp. 104 f. + +[202] The "Holy Coat of Trier" was believed by the credulous to be the +seamless coat of Christ, which the soldiers did not rend. It was first +exhibited in 1512, but was said to have been presented to the +cathedral church of Trier by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine +the Great. + +[203] Pilgrimage to the Grimmenthal in Meiningen began in 1499. An +image of the Virgin, declared to have been miraculously created, was +displayed there, and was alleged to work wonderful cures, especially +of syphilis. + +[204] The "Fair Virgin (_die schone Maria_) of Regensburg" was an +image of the Virgin similar to that exhibited in the Grimmenthal. The +shrine was opened March 25, 1519, and within a month 50,000 pilgrims +are said to have worshipped there. (_Weimar Ed._, VI, 447, note 1). +For another explanation see Benrath, p. 105. + +[205] The pilgrimages were a source of large revenue, derived from the +sale of medals which were worn as amulets, the fees for masses at the +shrines, and the free-will offerings of the pilgrims. A large part of +this revenue accrued to the bishop of the diocese, though the popes +never overlooked the profits which the sale of indulgences or worship +at these shrines could produce. In the _Gravamina_ of 1521 complaint +is made that the bishops demand at least 25 to 33 per cent, of the +offerings made at shrines of pilgrimage (Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 687). + +[206] i. e., Every bishop. + +[207] The possession of a saint gave a church a certain reputation and +distinction, which was sufficiently coveted to make local Church +authorities willing to pay roundly for the canonisation of a departed +bishop or other local dignitary. Cf. Hutten's _Vadiscus_ (Bocking, IV, +232). + +[208] Archbishop of Florence (died 1450). He was canonised, May 31, +1523, by Pope Hadrian VI. When Luther wrote this the process of +canonisation had already begun. + +[209] _Indulta_, i. e., grants of special privilege. + +[210] "Lead," the leaden seal attached to the bull; "hide", the +parchment on which it is written; "the string," the ribbon or silken +cord from which the seals depend; "wax," the seal holding the cord to +the parchment. + +[211] Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, Carmelites and Servites. + +[212] _Botschaten_, interpreted by _Benrath_ (p. 105), Clemen (I, 406, +note) and Weimar Ed. (VI, 406, note 1) as a reference to the +_stationarii_. They were wandering beggars who, for an alms, would +enroll the contributor in the list of beneficiaries of their patron +saint, an alleged insurance against disease, accident, etc. They were +classified according to the names of their patron saints, St. Anthony, +St. Hubert, St. Valentine, etc. Protests against their operations were +raised at the Diets of Worms (1521) and Nurnberg (1523). Included in +these protests are the _terminarii_, i.e., the collectors of alms sent +out by the mendicant orders. See Wrede, _op. cit._, II, 678, 688, III, +651, and Benrath, loc. cit. + +[213] _Wallbruder_, the professional pilgrims who spent their lives in +wandering from one place of pilgrimage to another and subsisted on the +alms of the faithful. + +[214] i. e., If the plan above proposed were adopted. + +[215] See above, p. 129, note 1. + +[216] See _Treatise on the New Testament_, Vol. I, pp. 308 ff. + +[217] In the _Babylonian Captivity_ (below, pp. 291 f.) Luther +definitely excludes penance from the number of sacraments, but see +also p. 177. + +[218] The sodalities ("fraternities," "confraternities"), still an +important institution in the Roman Church, flourished especially in +the XVI Century. They are associations for devotional purposes. The +members of the sodalities are obligated to the recitation of certain +prayers and the attendance upon certain masses at stipulated times. By +virtue of membership in the association each member is believed to +participate in the benefits accruing from these "good works" of all +the members. In the case of most of the sodalities membership entitled +the member to the enjoyment of certain indulgences. In 1520 Wittenberg +boasted of 20 such fraternities, Cologne of 80, Hamburg of more than +100 (Realencyk., Ill, 437). In 1519 Degenhard Peffinger, of +Wittenberg, was a member of 8 such fraternities in his home city, and +of 27 in other places. For Luther's view of the sodalities see above, +pp. 8, 26 ff. On the whole subject see Benrath, pp. 106 f.; Kolde in +_Realencyk._, III, pp. 434 ff.; Lea, _Hist. of Conf. and Indulg_, III, +pp. 470 ff. + +[219] See above, p. 98, note 2. + +[220] See above, p. 128, note 5. + +[221] The excesses committed at the feasts of the religious societies +were often a public scandal. See Lea, _Hist, of Conf. and Indulg_, +III, pp. 437 ff. + +[222] "Faculties" were extraordinary powers, usually for the granting +of indulgences and of absolution in "reserved cases" (see above, p. +105, note 3). They were bestowed by the pope and could be revoked by +him at any time. Sometimes they were given to local Church officials, +but were usually held by the legates or commissaries sent from Rome. +Complaints were made at the Diets of Worms (1520) and Nurnberg (1523) +that the papal commissaries and legates interfered with the ordinary +methods of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and appointment. See Weede, +_op. cit._, II, 673, III, 653. + +[223] Wladislav I forced the Sultan to sue for peace in 1443. At the +instigation of the papal legate, Cardinal Caesarini, who represented +that the treaty had not been approved by the pope, and absolved the +king from the fulfilment of its conditions, he renewed the war in +1444. At the battle of Varna, Nov. 10th, 1444, the Hungarians were +decisively defeated, and Wladislav and Caesarini both killed. See +Creighton, _Hist. of the Papacy_, III, 67. + +[224] John Hus and Jerome of Prague were convicted of heresy by the +Council of Constance and burned at the stake, the former July 6th, +1415, the latter May 30th, 1416. Hus had come to Constance under the +safe-conduct of the Emperor Sigismund. Luther is in error when he +assumes that Jerome had a similar safe-conduct. In September, 1415, +the Council passed a decree which asserted that "neither by natural, +divine or human law was any promise to be observed to the prejudice of +the catholic faith." On the whole matter of the safe-conduct and its +violation see Lea, _Hist. of the Inquisition in the M.A._, II, pp. 453 +ff. + +[225] The League of Cambray, negotiated in 1508 for war against +Venice. In 1510 Venice made terms with the pope and detached him from +the alliance, and the result was war between the pope and the King of +France. See Cambridge _Modern History_, I, pp. 130 ii., and literature +there cited. + +[226] i. e. The Hussites. After the martyrdom of Hus his followers +maintained for a time a strong organisation in Bohemia, and resisted +with arms all attempts to force them into conformity with the Roman +Church. The Council of Basel succeeded (1434) in reconciling the more +moderate party among the Bohemians (the Calixtines) by allowing the +administration of the cup to the laity. The more extreme party, +however, refused to subscribe the _Compactata_ of Basel. Though they +soon ceased to be a actor in the political situation, they remained +outside the Church and perpetuated the teachings of Hus in sectarian +organisations. The most important of these, the so-called Bohemian +Brethren, had extended into Poland and Prussia before Luther's time. +See _Realencyk._, Ill, 465-467. + +[227] See above, p. 140, note 1. + +[228] See Kohler, _L. und die Kirchengesch._, 139, 151. + +[229] The Archbishop of Prague was primate of the Church in Bohemia. + +[230] The dioceses of these bishops were contiguous to that of the +Archbishop of Prague. + +[231] Bishop of Carthage, 240-258 A. D. + +[232] _Lass man ihn ein gut jar ha ben_, literally, "Bid him +good-day." + +[233] One of the chief points of controversy between the Roman Church +and the Hussites. The Roman Church administered to the laity only the +bread, the Hussites used both elements. See below, pp. 178 f. + +[234] Luther had not yet reached the conviction that the +administration of the cup to the laity was a necessity, but see the +argument in _the Babylonian Captivity_, below, pp. 178 ff. + +[235] The Bohemian Brethren, who are here distinguished from the +Hussites, Cf. _Realencyk._, Ill, 452, 49. + +[236] St. Thomas Aquinas, the great Dominican theologian of the XIII. +Century (1225-74), whose influence is still dominant in Roman +theology. + +[237] The view of the sacramental presence adopted by William of +Occam. For Luther's own view at this time, see below, pp. 187 ff. + +[238] i. e., If they did not believe in the real presence of the body +and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper. + +[239] Places for training youths in Greek glory. + +[240] The philosophy of Aristotle dominated the mediaeval universities. +It not only provided the forms in which theological and religious +truth came to expression, but it was the basis of all scientific study +in every department. The man who did not know Aristotle was an +ignoramus. + +[241] Or, "I have read him." Luther's _lesen_ allows of either +interpretation. + +[242] Duns Scotus, died 1308. In the XV and XVI Centuries he was +regarded as the rival of Thomas Aquinas for first place among the +theological teachers of the Church. + +[243] i. e., In the universities. + +[244] See above, pp. 94 f. + +[245] i. e., "The chamber of his heart." Boniface VIII (1294-1303) had +decreed, _Romanus pontiex jura omnia in scrinio pectoris sui censetur +habere_, "the Roman pontiff has all laws in the chamber of his heart." +This decree was received into the canon law (_c._ I, de const. In VIto +(I, 2)). + +[246] _Doctores decretorum_, "Doctor of Decrees," an academic degree +occasionally given to professors of Canon Law; _doctor scrinii +papalis_, "Doctor of the Papal Heart." + +[247] The introduction of Roman law into Germany, as the accepted law +of the empire, had begun in the XII Century. With the decay of the +feudal system and the increasing desire of the rulers to provide their +government with some effective legal system, its application became +more widespread, until by the end of the XV Century it was the +accepted system of the empire. The attempt to apply this ancient law +to conditions utterly different from those of the time when it was +formulated, and the continual conflict between the Roman law, the +feudal customs and the remnants of Germanic legal ideas, naturally +gave rise to a state of affairs which Luther could justly speak of as +"a wilderness." + +[248] "Sentences" (_Sententiae, libri sententiarum_) was the title of +the text-books in theology. Theological instruction was largely by way +of comment on the most famous book of Sentences, that of Peter +Lombard. + +[249] Cf. Vol. I, p. 7. + +[250] i. e., Doctors. + +[251] The head-dress of the doctors. + +[252] See above, p. 118, note 2. + +[253] i. e., The monasteries and nunneries. + +[254] i. e.. The name of Christian. + +[255] This section did not appear in the first edition; see +Introduction, p. 59. + +[256] Charles the Great, King of the Franks, was crowned Roman Emperor +by Pope Leo III in the year 800 A. D. He was a German, but regarded +himself successor to the line of emperors who had ruled at Rome. The +fiction was fostered by the popes, and the German kings, after +receiving the papal coronation, were called Roman Emperors. From this +came the name of the German Empire of the Middle Ages, "the Holy Roman +Empire of the German Nation." The popes of the later Middle Ages +claimed that the bestowal of the imperial dignity lay in the power of +the pope, and Pope Clement V (1313) even claimed that in the event of +a vacancy the pope was the possessor of the imperial power (cf. above, +p. 109). On the whole subject see Bryce, _Holy Roman Empire_, 2d ed. +(1904), and literature there cited. + +[257] The city of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410. + +[258] Luther is characteristically careless about his chronology. By +the "Turkish Empire" he means the Mohammedan power. + +[259] _So sol man die Deutschen teuschen und mit teuschen teuschenn_, +i.e., made Germans (_Deutsche_) by cheating (_teuschen_) them. + +[260] See _Cambridge Mediaeval History_, I (1911), pp. 244 f. + +[261] Such a law as Luther here suggests was proposed to the Diet of +Worms (1521). Text in Wrede, _Reischstagsakten_, II, 335-341. + +[262] Cf. Luther's _Sermon von Kaubandlung und Wucher_, of 1524. +(_Weim. Ed. XV_, pp. 293) + +[263] Spices were one of the chief articles of foreign commerce in the +XVI Century. The discovery of the cape-route to India had given the +Portuguese a practical monopoly of this trade. A comparative statement +of the cost of spices for a period of years was reported to the Diet +of Nurnberg (1523). See Wrede, _op. cit._, III, 576. + +[264] The _Zinskauf_ or _Rentenkauf_ was a means or evading the +prohibition of usury. The buyer purchased an annuity, but the purchase +price was not regarded as a loan, or it could not be recalled, and the +annual payments could not therefore be called interest. + +[265] The practice was legalised by the Lateran Council, 1512. + +[266] The XVI Century was the hey-day of the great trading-companies, +among which the Fuggers of Augsburg (see above, p. 97, note 5) easily +took first place. The effort of these companies was directed toward +securing monopolies in the staple articles of commerce, and their +ability to finance large enterprises made it possible for them to gain +practical control of the home markets. The sharp rise in the cost of +living which took place on the first half of the XVI Century was laid +at their door. The Diet of Cologne (1512) had passed a stringent law +against monopolies which had, however, failed to suppress them. The +Diet of Worms (1521) debated the subject (Wrede, _Reichstagsakten_ II, +pp. 355 iff.) "in somewhat heated language" (_ibid._, 842), but failed +to agree upon methods of suppression. The subject was discussed again +at the Diet of Nurnberg (1523) and various remedies were proposed +(ibid., Ill, 556-599). + +[267] The profits of the trading-companies were enormous. The 9 per +cent, annually of the Welser (Ehrenberg, _Zeitalter der Fugger_, I, +195), pales into insignificance beside the 1634 per cent, by which the +fortune of the Fuggers grew in twenty-one years (Schulte, _Die Fugger +in Rom_, I, 3). In 1511 a certain Bartholomew Rem invested 900 gulden +in the Hochstetter company of Augsburg; by 1517 he claimed 33,000 +gulden profit. The company was willing to settle at 26,000, and the +resulting litigation caused the figures to become public (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, 842, note 4; III, pp. 574 ff.). On Luther's view of +capitalism see Eck, _Introduction to the Sermon von Kaushandlungund +Wucher_, in _Berl. Ed._, VII, 494-513. + +[268] The Diets of Augsburg (1500) and Cologne (1512) had passed +edicts against drunkenness. A committee of the Diet of Worms (1521) +recommended that these earlier edicts be reaffirmed (Wrede, _op. +cit._, II, pp. 343 f.), but the Diet adjourned without acting on the +recommendation (ibid., 737) + +[269] _Sie wollen ausbuben, so sich's vielmehr hineinbubt_. + +[270] Cf. Muller, _Luther's theol. Quellen_, 1912, ch. I. + +[271] In the _Confitendi Ratio_ Luther had set the age for men at +eighteen to twenty, or women at fifteen to sixteen years. See Vol. I, +p. 100. + +[272] Translated in this edition, Vol. I, pp. 184 ff; see especially +pp. 266 ff. + +[273] These sentences did not appear in the first edition. + +[274] See _Letter to Staupitz_, Vol. I, p. 43. + +[275] This "little song" is the _Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity +of the Church_. See below, pp. 170 ff. + + + +A PRELUDE ON THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +In the _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility_ Luther overthrew the +three walls behind which Rome sat entrenched in her spiritual-temporal +power; in the _Babylonian Captivity of the Church_ he enters and takes +her central stronghold and sanctuary--the sacramental system by which +she accompanied and controlled her members from the cradle to the +grave; only then could he set forth, in language of almost lyrical +rapture, the _Liberty of a Christian Man_. + +The first of these three great reformatory treatises of the year 1520, +as they have been called, closed with the words: "I know another +little song about Rome, and if their ears itch to hear it I will sing +it for them, and pitch it in a high key. Dost thou take my meaning, +beloved Rome?" (See above, p. 164.) That some ears were itching to +hear his little song was brought home to Luther especially by two +writings, the one appearing in the summer of 1520, the other published +in the previous autumn, but not reaching Wittenberg until some months +later. + +The former came from the pen of Augustin Alveld, that "celebrated +Romanist of Leipzig," against whom Luther had culminated in _The +Papacy at Rome_, promising further disclosures if Alveld "came again." +(See Vol. I, p. 393.) He came again, this time with a _Tractatus de +communione sub utraque specie_,--date of dedication, June 23, 1520. +"The Leipzig ass has set up a fresh braying against me, full of +blasphemies"; thus Luther describes it in a letter to Spalatin, July +22, 1520. (Enders, _Luther's Briewechsel_, II, no. 328.) + +The other work was the anonymous tract of a "certain Italian friar of +Cremona," who has only recently been identified as Isidore Isolani, a +Dominican hailing from Milan, who taught theology in various Italian +cities, wrote a number of controversial works and died in 1528. (See +Fr. Lauchert, _Die italienischen literarischen Gegner Luthers_, +Freiburg, 1912.) The title of his tract is, _Revocatio Martini Lutheri +Augustiniani ad sanctam Sedem_; its date, Cremona, November 20, 1520, +according to Enders, which is a mistake for November 22,1519. Its +beginning and close, which have epistolary character, are printed in +Enders, II, no. 366, and one paragraph from each is translated in +Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, no. 199. + +These two treatises may be regarded as the immediate occasion for the +writing of the _Babylonian Captivity_, which is, however, in no sense +a direct reply to either of them. "I will not reply to Alveld," Luther +writes on August 5 to Spalatin, "but he will be the occasion of my +publishing something by which the vipers will be more irritated than +ever." (Enders, II, no. 335; Smith, I, no. 283.) Indeed, he had +promised some such work more than half a year before, in a letter to +Spalatin of December 18, 1519: "There is no reason why you or any one +else should expect from me a treatise on the other sacraments [besides +baptism, the Lord's supper, and penance] until I am taught by what +text I can prove that they are sacraments. I regard none of the others +as a sacrament, for there is no sacrament save where there is a direct +divine promise, exercising our faith. We can have no intercourse with +God except by the word of Him promising, and by the faith of man +receiving the promise. _At another time you shall hear more about +their fables of the seven sacraments._" (Enders, II, no. 254; Smith, +I, no. 206.) + +Thus the _Prelude_ grows under his hand and assumes the form of an +elaborate examination of the whole sacramental system of the Church. +He makes short work of his two opponents, and after a few pages of +delicious irony, of which Erasmus was suspected in some quarters of +being the author, he turns his back on them and addresses himself to a +positive and constructive treatment of his larger theme, lenient +toward all non-essentials, but inexorable with respect to everything +truly essential, that is, scriptural. The _Captivity_ thus represents +the culmination of Luther's reformatory thinking on the theological +side, as the _Nobility_ does on the national, and the _Liberty_ on the +religious side. It sums up and carries forward all of his previous +writings on the sacraments, just as, nine years later, the +_Catechisms_ gathered up and moulded into classic form his writings on +catechetical subjects. Passage after passage, often whole pages, from +the _Resolutiones disp._, the _Treatise on Baptism_, the _Conitendi +Ratio_, the _Treatise on the New Testament_, the _Treatise on the +Blessed Sacrament_, are transferred bodily to this new and definitive +work, and find in it the goal toward which they had been consciously +or unconsciously tending. The reader is referred to a fine comparative +study in Kostlin's _Theology of Luther_ (English trans.), I, 388-409. +The title is a reminiscence from the _Resolutiones super prop, xiii._, +of 1519,--"absit ista plus quam babylonica captivitas!" The sense in +which the work is called a "prelude" is explained on page 176; the +theologian in Luther could not deny the musician, he goes into battle +singing and comes back with the stanza of a hymn upon his lips. + +The _Captivity_ marks Luther's final and irreparable break with the +Church of Rome, and it is not without a peculiar significance that in +the same letter to Spalatin, of October 3d, in which he mentions the +arrival in Leipzig of Eck armed with the papal bull, he announces the +publication of his book on the _Babylonian Captivity of the Church_ +for the following Saturday--October 6th. (Enders, II, no. 350; Smith, +I, no. 303.) + +While the _Nobility_, addressed to the German nation as such, was +written in the language of the people, the _Captivity_, as becomes a +theological treatise, is composed in Latin, just as later the Liberty, +affecting the religious life of the individual, whether layman or +theologian, is sent out in both German and Latin. + +A translation into German appeared in the following year--the work of +the Franciscan, Thomas Murner (on whom see Theod. v. Liebenau, _Der +Franziskaner Thomas Murner_, Freiburg, 1913). Luther calls the +Franciscan his "venomous foe" and accuses him of making the +translation in order to bring him into disrepute. This charge Luther +makes in his answer to Henry VIII's _Assertio septem sacramentorum +adversus Mart. Lutherum_ (1521), the royal theologian's reply to the +_Babylonian Captivity_, for which he won from the pope the proud title +of "Defender of the Faith." + +The translation which follows is based on the Latin text as given in +Clemen's "student-edition"--_Luthers Werke in Auswahl_ (Bonn, 1912-3), +I, 426-512, which reproduces, though by no means slavishly, the text +of the _Weimar Edition_ (Vol. VI), which, together with the _Erlangen +Edition_ (_opera var. arg., V_), has been compared. The German _St. +Louis Edition_ (Vol. XIX) has been consulted, and especially the +admirable German rendering of Kawerau in the Berlin Edition (Vol. II) +as well as the careful literal translation of Lemme, _Die drei grossen +Reormationsschriten Luthers vom Jahre 1520_, 2. ed. (Gotha, 1884). +Like the last mentioned, Wace and Buchheim's English translation +(London, 1896) is incomplete, and besides is not always accurate; the +_Captivity_ is not contained in Cole's _Select Works_. The catalogue +of the British Museum notes no early English translation. +Kostlin-Kawerau's (1903) and Berger's (1895) lives should be +consulted; the former for the historical setting and full analysis, +the latter for a fine appreciation of this as of the other two +reformatory treatises of this year. For the theological development, +beside Kostlin's work mentioned above, and Tschackert, _Entstehung der +luth. und re. Kirchenlehre_ (1910), compare the exhaustive article +Sakramente, by Kattenbusch, in _Prot. Realencyklopadie_, 3. ed., XVII, +349-81. The treatise is here Englished in its entirety, including +those portions of the section on marriage which are frequently +omitted. The homeless paragraph on page 260, whose proper location is +not found even in the _Weimar Edition_ nor in Clemen, we have placed +in a foot-note, following the example of Kawerau. + + ALBERT T. W. STEINHAEUSER. + +Allentown. PA. + + +THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF THE CHURCH + +1520 + + +JESUS + +Martin Luther, Augustinian, + +to his friend, + +Herman Tulich[1], + +Greeting + +Willy nilly, I am compelled to become every day more learned, with so +many and such able masters vying with one another to improve my mind. +Some two years ago I wrote a little book on indulgences[2], which I +now deeply regret having published; for at the time I was still sunk +in a mighty superstitious veneration for the Roman tyranny and held +that indulgences should not be altogether rejected, seeing they were +approved by the common consent of men. Nor was this to be wondered at, +for I was then engaged single-handed in my Sisyphean task. Since then, +however, through the kindness of Sylvester and the friars[3], who so +strenuously defended indulgences, I have come to see that they are +nothing but an imposture of the Roman sycophants by which they play +havoc with men's faith and fortunes. Would to God I might prevail upon +the book-sellers and upon all my readers to burn up the whole of my +writings on indulgences and to substitute for them this proposition: +INDULGENCES ARE A KNAVISH TRICK OF THE ROMAN SYCOPHANTS. + +Next, Eck and Emser, with their fellows, undertook to instruct me +concerning the primacy of the pope. Here too, not to prove ungrateful +to such learned folk, I acknowledge how greatly I have profited by +their labors. For, while denying the divine authority of the papacy, I +had yet admitted its human authority[4]. But after hearing and reading +the subtle subtleties of these coxcombs with which they adroitly prop +their idol--for in these matters my mind is not altogether +unteachable--I now know of a certainty that the papacy is the kingdom +of Babylon[5] and the power of Nimrod the mighty hunter[6]. Once more, +therefore, that all may all out to my friends' advantage, I beg both +booksellers and readers to burn what I have published on that subject +and to hold to this proposition: THE PAPACY IS THE MIGHTY HUNTING OF +THE ROMAN BISHOP. This follows from the arguments of Eck, Emser and +the Leipzig lecturer[7] on the Holy Scriptures. + +Now they are putting me to school again and teaching me about +communion in both kinds and other weighty subjects. And I must all to +with might and main, so as not to hear these my pedagogues without +profit. A certain Italian friar of Cremona[8] has written a +"Revocation of Martin Luther to the Holy See"--that is, a revocation +in which not I revoke anything (as the words declare) but he revokes +me. That is the kind of Latin the Italians are now beginning to +write[9]. Another friar, a German of Leipzig, that same lecturer, you +know, on the whole canon of the Scriptures, has written a book against +me concerning the sacrament in both kinds, and is planning, I +understand, still greater and more marvelous things. The Italian was +canny enough not to set down his name, fearing perhaps the fate of +Cajetan and Sylvester[10]. But the Leipzig man, as becomes a fierce +and valiant German, boasts on his ample title-page of his name, his +career, his saintliness, his scholarship, his office, glory, honor, +ay, almost of his very clogs[11]. Here I shall doubtless gain no +little information, since indeed his dedicatory epistle is addressed +to the Son of God Himself. On so familiar a footing are these saints +with Christ Who reigns in heaven! Moreover, methinks I hear three +magpies chattering in this book; the first in good Latin, the second +in better Greek, the third in purest Hebrew[12]. What think you, my +Herman, is there for me to do but to prick up my ears? The thing +emanates from Leipzig, from the Observance of the Holy Cross[13]. + +Fool that I was, I had hitherto thought it would be well if a general +council decided that the sacrament be administered to the laity in +both kinds[14]. The more than learned friar would set me right, and +declares that neither Christ nor the apostles commanded or commended +the administration of both kinds to the laity; it was, therefore, left +to the judgment of the Church what to do or not to do in this matter, +and the Church must be obeyed. These are his words. + +You will perhaps ask, what madness has entered into the man, or +against whom he is writing, since I have not condemned the use of one +kind, but have left the decision about the use of both kinds to the +judgment of the Church--the very thing he attempts to assert and which +he turns against me. My answer is, that this sort of argument is +common to all those who write against Luther; they assert the very +things they assail, for they set up a man of straw whom they may +attack. Thus Sylvester and Eck and Emser, thus the theologians of +Cologne and Louvain[15]; and if this friar had not been of the same +kidney he would never have written against Luther. + +Yet in one respect this man has been happier than his fellows. For in +undertaking to prove that the use of both kinds is neither commanded +nor commended, but left to the will of the Church, he brings forward +passages of Scripture to prove that by the command of Christ one kind +only was appointed for the laity. So that it is true, according to +this new interpreter of the Scriptures, that one kind was not +commanded, and at the same time was commanded, by Christ! This novel +sort of argument is, as you know, the particular forte of the Leipzig +dialecticians. Did not Emser in his earlier book[16] profess to write +of me in a friendly spirit, and then, after I had convicted him of +filthy envy and foul lying, did he not openly acknowledge in his later +book[17], written to refute my arguments, that he had written in both +a friendly and an unfriendly spirit? A sweet fellow, forsooth, as you +know. + +But hearken to our distinguished distinguisher of "kinds," for whom +the will of the Church and a command of Christ, and a command of +Christ and no command of Christ, are all one and the same! How +ingeniously he proves that only one kind is to be given to the laity, +by the command of Christ, that is, by the will of the Church. He puts +it in capital letters, thus: THE INFALLIBLE FOUNDATION. Thereupon he +treats John vi with incredible wisdom, in which passage Christ speaks +of the bread from heaven and the bread of life, which is He Himself. +The learned fellow not only refers these words to the sacrament of the +altar, but because Christ says, "I am the living bread," [John 6:35, +41, 51] and not, "I am the living cup," he actually concludes that we +have in this passage the institution of the sacrament in only one kind +for the laity. But there follow the words,--"My flesh is meat indeed, +and my blood is drink indeed," [John 6:55] and, "Except ye eat the +flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood" [John 6:53]; and when it +dawned upon the good friar that these words speak undeniably or both +kinds and against one kind--presto! how happily and learnedly he slips +out of the quandary by asserting that in these words Christ means to +say only that whoever receives the one kind receives under it both +flesh and blood. This he puts or the "infallible foundation" of a +structure well worthy of the holy and heavenly Observance. + +Now prithee, herefrom learn with me that Christ, in John vi, enjoins +the sacrament in one kind, yet in such wise that His commanding it +means leaving it to the will of the Church; and further, that Christ +is speaking in this chapter only of the laity and not of the priests. +For to the latter the living bread from heaven does not pertain, but +presumably the deadly bread from hell! And how is it with the deacons +and subdeacons, who are neither laymen nor priests?[18] According to +this brilliant writer, they ought to use neither the one kind nor both +kinds! You see, dear Tulich, this novel and observant method of +treating Scripture. + +But learn this, too,--that Christ is speaking in John vi of the +sacrament of the altar; although He Himself teaches that His words +refer to faith in the Word made flesh, for He says, "This is the work +of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." [John 6:29] But our +Leipzig professor of the Scriptures must be permitted to prove +anything he pleases from any Scripture passage whatsoever. For he is +an Anaxagorian, or rather an Aristotelian[19] theologian, for whom +nouns and verbs, interchanged, mean the same thing and any thing. So +aptly does he cite Scripture proof-texts throughout the whole of his +book, that if he set out to prove the presence of Christ in the +sacrament, he would not hesitate to commence thus: "Here beginneth the +book of the Revelation of St. John the Divine." All his quotations are +as apt as this one would be, and the wiseacre imagines he is adorning +his drivel with the multitude of his quotations. The rest I pass over, +lest you should smother in the filth of this vile cloaca. + +In conclusion, he brings forward I Corinthians xi, where Paul says he +received from the Lord, and delivered to the Corinthians, the use of +both the bread and the cup [1 Cor. 11:23]. Here again our +distinguisher of kinds, treating the Scriptures with his usual +brilliance, teaches that Paul did not deliver, but permitted both +kinds. Do you ask where he gets his proof? Out of his own head, as he +did in the case of John vi. For it does not behoove this lecturer to +give a reason for his assertions; he belongs to the order of those who +teach and prove all things by their visions[20]. Accordingly we are +here taught that the Apostle, in this passage, addressed not the whole +Corinthian congregation, but the laity alone--but then he "permitted" +nothing at all to the clergy, and they are deprived of the sacrament +altogether!--and further, that, according to a new kind of grammar, "I +have received from the Lord" means "It is permitted by the Lord," and +"I have delivered it to you" means "I have permitted it to you." I +pray you, mark this well. For by this method, not only the Church, but +every passing knave will be at liberty, according to this magister, to +turn all the commands, institutions and ordinances of Christ and the +apostles into a mere "permission." + +I perceive, therefore, that this man is driven by an angel of Satan, +and that he and his partners seek but to make a name or themselves +through me, as men who were worthy to cross swords with Luther. But +their hopes shall be dashed: I shall ignore them and not mention their +names from henceforth even for ever. This one reply shall suffice me +for all their books. If they be worthy of it, I pray Christ in His +mercy to bring them to a sound mind; if not, I pray that they may +never leave off writing such books, and that the enemies of the truth +may never deserve to read any other. It is a popular and true saying, + + This I know of a truth--whenever with filth I contended, + Victor or vanquished, alike, came I defiled from the fray. + +And, since I perceive that they have an abundance of leisure and of +writing-paper, I shall see to it that they may have ample opportunity +for writing. I shall run on before, and while they are celebrating a +glorious victory over one of my so-called heresies, I shall be +meanwhile devising a new one. For I too am desirous that these gallant +leaders in battle should win to themselves many titles and +decorations. Therefore, while they complain that I laud communion in +both kinds, and are happily engrossed in this most important and +worthy matter, I will go yet one step farther and undertake to show +that all those who deny communion in both kinds to the laity are +wicked men. And the more conveniently to do this, I will compose a +prelude on the captivity of the Roman Church. In due time I shall have +a great deal more to say, when the learned papists have disposed of +this book. + +I take this course, lest any pious reader who may chance upon this +book, should be offended at my dealing with such filthy matters, and +should justly complain of finding in it nothing to cultivate and +instruct his mind or even to furnish good or learned thought. For you +know how impatient my friends are because I waste my time on the +sordid fictions of these men, which, they say, are amply refuted in +the reading; they look for greater things from me, which Satan seeks +in this way to hinder. I have at length resolved to follow their +counsel and to leave to those hornets the pleasant business of +wrangling and hurling invectives. + +Of that friar of Cremona I will say nothing. He is an unlearned man +and a simpleton, who attempts with a few rhetorical passages to recall +me to the Holy See, from which I am not as yet aware of having +departed, nor has any one proved it to me. He is chiefly concerned in +those silly passages with showing that I ought to be moved by the vow +of my order and by the act that the empire has been transferred to us +Germans[21]. He seems thus to have set out to write, not my +"revocation," but rather the praises of the French people and the +Roman pontiff. Let him attest his loyalty in his little book; it is +the best he could do. He does not deserve to be harshly treated, for +methinks he was not prompted by malice; nor yet to be learnedly +refuted, for all his chatter is sheer ignorance and simplicity[22]. + +At the outset I must deny that there are seven sacraments, and hold +for the present[23] to but three--baptism, penance and the bread[24]. +These three have been subjected to a miserable captivity by the Roman +curia, and the Church has been deprived of all her liberty. To be +sure, if I desired to use the term in its scriptural sense, I should +allow but a single sacrament[25], with three sacramental signs; but of +this I shall treat more fully at the proper time. + +THE SACRAMENT OF THE BREAD + +Let me tell you what progress I have made in my studies on the +administration of this sacrament. For when I published my treatise on +the Eucharist[26], I clung to the common usage, being in no wise +concerned with the question of the right or wrong of the papacy. But +now, challenged and attacked, nay, forcibly thrust into the arena, I +shall freely speak my mind, let all the papists laugh or weep +together. + +[Sidenote: The First Captivity: the Withholding of the Cup from the +Laity] + +In the first place, John vi is to be entirely excluded from this +discussion, since it does not refer in a single syllable to the +sacrament. For not only was the sacrament not yet instituted, but the +whole context plainly shows that Christ is speaking of faith in the +Word made flesh, as I have said above[27]. For He says, "My words are +spirit, and they are life," [John 6:63] which shows that He is +speaking of a spiritual eating, whereby whoever eats has life, whereas +the Jews understood Him to be speaking of bodily eating and therefore +disputed with Him. But no eating can give life save the eating which +is by faith, for that is the truly spiritual and living eating. As +Augustine also says: "Why make ready teeth and stomach? Believe, and +thou hast eaten."[28] For the sacramental eating does not give life, +since many eat unworthily. Therefore, He cannot be understood as +speaking of the sacrament in this passage. + +These words have indeed been wrongly applied to the sacrament, as in +the decretal _Dudum_[29] and often elsewhere. But it is one thing to +misapply the Scriptures, it is quite another to understand them in +their proper meaning. But if Christ in this passage enjoined the +sacramental eating, then by saying, "Except ye eat my flesh and drink +my blood, ye have no life in you," [John 6:53] He would condemn all +infants, invalids and those absent or in any wise hindered from the +sacramental eating, however strong their faith might be. Thus +Augustine, in the second book of his _Contra Julianum_[30], proves +from Innocent that even infants eat the flesh and drink the blood of +Christ, without the sacrament; that is, they partake of them through +the faith of the Church. Let this then be accepted as proved,--John vi +does not belong here. For this reason I have elsewhere[31] written +that the Bohemians have no right to rely on this passage in support of +their use of the sacrament in both kinds. + +Now there are two passages that do clearly bear upon this matter--the +Gospel narratives of the institution of the Lord's Supper, and Paul in +I Corinthians xi. These let us examine. + +Matthew, Mark and Luke agree that Christ gave the whole sacrament to +all the disciples [Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 22], and it is certain that +Paul delivered both kinds [1 Cor. 11]. No one has ever had the +temerity to assert the contrary. Further, Matthew reports that Christ +said not of the bread, "Eat ye all of it," [Matt. 26:27] but of the +cup, "Drink ye all of it"; and Mark likewise says not, "They all ate +of it," but, "They all drank of it." [Mark 14:23] Both Matthew and +Mark attach the note of universality to the cup, not to the bread; as +though the Spirit saw this schism coming, by which some would be +forbidden to partake of the cup, which Christ desired should be common +to all. How furiously, think you, would they rave against us, if they +had found the word "all" attached to the bread instead of the cup! +They would not leave us a loophole to escape, they would cry out upon +us and set us down as heretics, they would damn us or schismatics. But +now, since it stands on our side and against them, they will not be +bound by any force of logic--these men of the most free will[32], who +change and change again even the things that be God's, and throw +everything into confusion. + +But imagine me standing over against them and interrogating my lords +the papists. In the Lord's Supper, I say, the whole sacrament, or +communion in both kinds, is given only to the priests or else it is +given also to the laity. If it is given only to the priests, as they +would have it, then it is not right to give it to the laity in either +kind; for it must not be rashly given to any to whom Christ did not +give it when He instituted it. For if we permit one institution of +Christ to be changed, we make all of His laws invalid, and every one +will boldly claim that he is not bound by any law or institution of +His. For a single exception, especially in the Scriptures, invalidates +the whole. But if it is given also to the laity, then it inevitably +follows that it ought not to be withheld from them in either form. +And if any do withhold it from them when they desire it, they act +impiously and contrary to the work, example and institution of Christ. + +I confess that I am conquered by this to me unanswerable argument, and +that I have neither read nor heard nor found anything to advance +against it. For here the word and example of Christ stand firm, when +He says, not by way of permission but of command, "Drink ye all of +it." [Matt.26:27] For if all are to drink, and the words cannot be +understood as addressed to the priests alone, then it is certainly an +impious act to withhold the cup from laymen who desire it, even though +an angel from heaven were to do it. For when they say that the +distribution of both kinds was left to the judgment of the Church, +they make this assertion without giving any reason or it and put it +forth without any authority; it is ignored just as readily as it is +proved, and does not hold against an opponent who confronts us[33] +with the word and work of Christ. Such an one must be refuted with a +word of Christ, but this we[34] do not possess. + +But if one kind may be withheld from the laity, then with equal right +and reason a portion of baptism and penance might also be taken from +them by this same authority of the Church. Therefore, just as baptism +and absolution must be administered in their entirety, so the +sacrament of the bread must be given in its entirety to all laymen, if +they desire it. I am amazed to find them asserting that the priests +may never receive only the one kind, in the mass, on pain of +committing a mortal sin; and that for no other reason, as they +unanimously say, than that both kinds constitute the one complete +sacrament, which may not be divided. I pray them to tell me why it may +be divided in the case of the laity, and why to them alone the whole +sacrament may not be given. Do they not acknowledge, by their own +testimony, either that both kinds are to be given to the laity, or +that it is not a valid sacrament when only one kind is given to them? +How can the one kind be a complete sacrament or the laity and not a +complete sacrament for the priests? Why do they flaunt the authority +of the Church and the power of the pope in my face? These do not make +void the Word of God and the testimony of the truth. + +But further, if the Church can withhold the wine from the laity, it +can also withhold the bread from them; it could, therefore, withhold +the entire sacrament of the altar from the laity and completely annul +Christ's institution so far as they are concerned. I ask, by what +authority? But if the Church cannot withhold the bread, or both kinds, +neither can it withhold the wine. This cannot possibly be gainsaid; +for the Church's power must be the same over either kind as over both +kinds, and if she has no power over both kinds, she has none over +either kind. I am curious to hear what the Roman sycophants will have +to say to this. + +What carries most weight with me, however, and quite decides me is +this. Christ says: "This is my blood, which is shed for you and for +many for the remission of sins." [Matt. 26:28] Here we see very +plainly that the blood is given to all those for whose sins it was +shed. But who will dare to say it was not shed for the laity? Do you +not see whom He addresses when He gives the cup? Does He not give it +to all? Does He not say that it is shed or all? "For you," He +says--well: we will let these be the priests--"and for many"--these +cannot be priests; and yet He says, "Drink ye all of it." [Matt. +26:27] I too could easily trifle here and with my words make a mockery +of Christ's words, as my dear trifler[34] does; but they who rely on +the Scriptures in opposing us, must be refuted by the Scriptures. This +is what has prevented me from condemning the Bohemians, who, be they +wicked men or good, certainly have the word and act of Christ on their +side, while we have neither, but only that hollow device of men--"the +Church has appointed it." It was not the Church that appointed these +things, but the tyrants of the churches, without the consent of the +Church, which is the people of God. + +But where in all the world is the necessity, where the religious duty, +where the practical use, of denying both kinds, i. e., the visible +sign, to the laity, when every one concedes to them the grace[35] of +the sacrament without the sign? If they concede the grace, which is +the greater, why not the sign, which is the lesser? For in every +sacrament the sign as such is of far less importance than the thing +signified. What then is to prevent them from conceding the lesser, +when they concede the greater? I can see but one reason; it has come +about by the permission of an angry God in order to give occasion for +a schism in the Church, to bring home to us how, having long ago lost +the grace of the sacrament, we contend for the sign, which is the +lesser, against that which is the most important and the chief thing; +just as some men for the sake of ceremonies contend against love. Nay, +this monstrous perversion seems to date from the time when we began +for the sake of the riches of this world to rage against Christian +love. Thus God would show us, by this terrible sign, how we esteem +signs more than the things they signify. How preposterous would it be +to admit that the faith of baptism is granted the candidate or +baptism, and yet to deny him the sign of this faith, namely, the +water! + +Finally, Paul stands invincible and stops every mouth, when he says in +I Corinthians xi, "I have received from the Lord what I also delivered +unto you." [1 Cor. 11:23] He does not say, "I permitted unto you," as +that friar lyingly asserts[36]. Nor is it true that Paul delivered +both kinds on account of the contention in the Corinthian +congregation. For, first, the text shows that their contention was not +about both kinds, but about the contempt and envy among rich and poor, +as it is clearly stated: "One is hungry, and another is drunken, and +ye put to shame them that have not." [1 Cor. 11:21] Again, Paul is not +speaking of the time when he first delivered the sacrament to them, +for he says not, "I _receive_ of the Lord and _give_ unto you," but, +"I received and delivered"--namely, when he first began to preach +among them, a long while before this contention. This shows that he +delivered both kinds to them; and "delivered" means the same as +"commanded," for elsewhere he uses the word in this sense. +Consequently there is nothing in the friar's fuming about permission; +it is a hotch-potch without Scripture, reason or sense. His opponents +do not ask what he has dreamed, but what the Scriptures decree in this +matter; and out of the Scriptures he cannot adduce one jot or tittle +in support of his dreams, while they can bring forward mighty +thunderbolts in support of their faith. + +Come hither then, ye popish flatterers, one and all! Fall to and +defend yourselves against the charge of godlessness, tyranny, +lese-majesty against the Gospel, and the crime of slandering your +brethren,--ye that decry as heretics those who will not be wise after +the vaporings of your own brains, in the face of such patent and +potent words of Scripture. If any are to be called heretics and +schismatics, it is not the Bohemians nor the Greeks, for they take +their stand upon the Gospel; but you Romans are the heretics and +godless schismatics, for you presume upon your own fictions and fly in +the face of the clear Scriptures of God. Parry that stroke, if you +can! + +But what could be more ridiculous, and more worthy of this friar's +brain, than his saying that the Apostle wrote these words and gave +this permission, not to the Church universal, but to a particular +church, that is, the Corinthian? Where does he get his proof? Out of +his one storehouse, his own impious head. If the Church universal +receives, reads and follows this epistle in all points as written for +itself, why should it not do the same with this portion of it? If we +admit that any epistle, or any part of any epistle, of Paul does not +apply to the Church universal, then the whole authority of Paul falls +to the ground. Then the Corinthians will say that what he teaches +about faith in the epistle to the Romans does not apply to them. What +greater blasphemy and madness can be imagined than this! God forbid +that there should be one jot or tittle in all of Paul which the whole +Church universal is not bound to follow and keep! Not so did the +Fathers hold, down to these perilous times, in which Paul foretold +there should be blasphemers and blind and insensate men [2 Tim. 3:2], +of whom this friar is one, nay the chief. + +However, suppose we grant the truth of this intolerable madness. If +Paul gave his permission to a particular church, then, even from your +own point of view, the Greeks and Bohemians are in the right, for they +are particular churches; hence it is sufficient that they do not act +contrary to Paul, who at least gave permission. Moreover, Paul could +not permit anything contrary to Christ's institution. Therefore I cast +in thy teeth, O Rome, and in the teeth of all thy sycophants, these +sayings of Christ and Paul, on behalf of the Greeks and the Bohemians. +Nor canst thou prove that thou hast received any authority to change +them, much less to accuse others of heresy or disregarding thy +arrogance; rather dost thou deserve to be charged with the crime of +godlessness and despotism. + +Furthermore, Cyprian, who alone is strong enough to hold all the +Romanists at bay, bears witness, in the fifth book of his treatise _Of +the Fallen_, that it was a wide-spread custom in his church to +administer both kinds to the laity, and even to children[37], yea to +give the body of the Lord into their hands; of which he cites many +instances. He inveighs, or example, against certain members of the +congregation as follows: "The sacrilegious man is angered at the +priests because he does not forthwith receive the body of the Lord +with unclean hands, or drink the blood of the Lord with defiled lips." +He is speaking, as you see, of laymen, and irreverent laymen, who +desired to receive the body and the blood from the priests. Dost thou +find anything to snarl at here, thou wretched flatterer? Say that even +this holy martyr, a Church Father preeminent for his apostolic spirit, +was a heretic and used that permission in a particular church. + +In the same place, Cyprian narrates an incident that came under his +own observation. He describes at length how a deacon was administering +the cup to a little girl, who drew away from him, whereupon he poured +the blood of the Lord into her mouth. We read the same of St. Donatus, +whose broken chalice this wretched flatterer so lightly disposes of. +"I read of a broken chalice," he says, "but I do not read that the +blood was given."[38] It is no wonder! He that finds what he pleases +in the Scriptures will also read what he pleases in the histories. But +will the authority of the Church be established, or will heretics be +refuted, in this way? Enough of this! I did not undertake this work to +reply to him who is not worth replying to, but to bring the truth of +the matter to light. + +I conclude, then, that it is wicked and despotic to deny both kinds to +the laity, and that this is not in the power of any angel, much less +of any pope or council. Nor does the Council of Constance give me +pause, for if its authority carries weight, why does not that of the +Council of Basel also carry weight? For the latter council decided, on +the contrary, after much disputing, that the Bohemians might use both +kinds, as the extant records and documents of the council prove. And +to that council this ignorant flatterer refers in support of his +dream; in such wisdom does his whole treatise abound[39]. + +The first captivity of this sacrament, therefore, concerns its +substance or completeness, of which we have been deprived by the +despotism of Rome. Not that they sin against Christ, who use the one +kind, for Christ did not command the use of either kind, but let it to +every one's free will, when He said: "As oft as ye do this, do it in +remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:25] But they sin who forbid the giving +of both kinds to such as desire to exercise this free will. The fault +lies not with the laity, but with the priests. The sacrament does not +belong to the priests, but to all, and the priests are not lords but +ministers, in duty bound to administer both kinds to those who desire +them, and as oft as they desire them. If they wrest this right from +the laity and forcibly withhold it, they are tyrants; but the laity +are without fault, whether they lack one kind or both kinds; they must +meanwhile be sustained by their faith and by their desire for the +complete sacrament. Just as the priests, being ministers, are bound to +administer baptism and absolution to whoever seeks them, because he +has a right to them; but if they do not administer them, he that seeks +them has at least the full merit of his faith, while they will be +accused before Christ as wicked servants. In like manner the holy +Fathers of old who dwelt in the desert did not receive the sacrament +in any form for many years together[40]. + +Therefore I do not urge that both kinds be seized by force, as though +we were bound to this form by a rigorous command; but I instruct men's +consciences that they may endure the Roman tyranny, well knowing they +have been deprived of their rightful share in the sacrament because of +their own sin. This only do I desire,--that no one justify the tyranny +of Rome, as though it did well to forbid one of the two kinds to the +laity; we ought rather to abhor it, withhold our consent, and endure +it just as we should do if we were held captive by the Turk and not +permitted to use either kind. That is what I meant by saying[41] it +seemed well to me that this captivity should be ended by the decree of +a general council, our Christian liberty restored to us out of the +hands of the Roman tyrant, and every one let free to seek and receive +this sacrament, just as he is free to receive baptism and penance. But +now they compel us, by the same tyranny, to receive the one kind year +after year; so utterly lost is the liberty which Christ has given us. +This is but the due reward of our godless ingratitude. + +[Sidenote: The Second Captivity: Transubstantiation] + +The second captivity of this sacrament is less grievous so far as the +conscience is concerned, yet the very gravest danger threatens the man +who would attack it, to say nothing of condemning it. Here I shall be +called a Wyclifite[42] and a heretic a thousand times over. But what +of that? Since the Roman bishop has ceased to be a bishop and become a +tyrant, I fear none of his decrees, for I know that it is not in his +power, nor even in that of a general council, to make new articles of +faith. + +Years ago, when I was delving into scholastic theology, the Cardinal +of Cambray[43] gave me food for thought, in his comments on the fourth +book of the Sentences[44], where he argues with great acumen that to +hold that real bread and real wine, and not their accidents only[45], +are present on the altar, is much more probable and requires fewer +unnecessary miracles--if only the Church had not decreed otherwise. +When I learned later what church it was that had decreed this--namely, +the Church of Thomas[46], i. e., of Aristotle--I waxed bolder, and +after floating in a sea of doubt, at last found rest for my conscience +in the above view--namely, that it is real bread and real wine, in +which Christ's real flesh and blood are present, not otherwise and not +less really than they assume to be the case under their accidents. I +reached this conclusion because I saw that the opinions of the +Thomists, though approved by pope and council, remain but opinions and +do not become articles of faith, even though an angel from heaven were +to decree otherwise [Gal. 1:8]. For what is asserted without Scripture +for an approved revelation, may be held as an opinion, but need not be +believed. But this opinion of Thomas hangs so completely in the air, +devoid of Scripture and reason, that he seems here to have forgotten +both his philosophy and his logic. For Aristotle treats so very +differently from St. Thomas of subject and accidents, that methinks +this great man is to be pitied, not only for drawing his opinions in +matters of faith from Aristotle, but for attempting to base them on +him without understanding his meaning--an unfortunate superstructure +upon an unfortunate foundation. + +I therefore permit every man to hold either of these views, as he +chooses. My one concern at present is to remove all scruples of +conscience, so that no one may fear to become guilty of heresy if he +should believe in the presence of real bread and real wine on the +altar, and that every one may feel at liberty to ponder, hold and +believe either one view or the other, without endangering his +salvation. However, I shall now more fully set forth my own view. + +In the first place, I do not intend to listen or attach the least +importance to those who will cry out that this teaching of mine is +Wyclifite, Hussite, heretical, and contrary to the decision of the +Church, for they are the very persons whom I have convicted of +manifold heresies in the matter of indulgences, the freedom of the +will and the grace of God, good works and sin, etc. If Wyclif was once +a heretic, they are heretics ten times over, and it is a pleasure to +be suspected and accused by such heretics and perverse sophists, whom +to please were the height of godlessness. Besides, the only way in +which they can prove their opinions and disprove those of others, is +by saying, "That is Wyclifite, Hussite, heretical!" They have this +feeble retort always on their tongue, and they have nothing else. If +you demand a Scripture passage, they say, "This is our opinion, and +the decision of the Church--that is, of ourselves!" Thus these men, +"reprobate concerning the faith" [2 Tim. 3:8] and untrustworthy, have +the effrontery to set their own fancies before us in the name of the +Church as articles of faith. + +But there are good grounds for my view, and this above all,--no +violence is to be done to the words of God, whether by man or angel; +but they are to be retained in their simplest meaning wherever +possible, and to be understood in by their grammatical and literal +sense unless the context plainly forbids; lest we give our adversaries +occasion to make a mockery of all the Scriptures. Thus Origen was +repudiated, in olden times, because he despised the grammatical sense +and turned the trees, and all things else written concerning Paradise, +into allegories; for it might therefrom be concluded that God did not +create trees. Even so here, when the Evangelists plainly write that +Christ took bread and brake it [Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; +Acts 2:46; 1 Cor. 11:23], and the book of Acts and Paul, in their +turn, call it bread, we have to think of real bread, and real wine, +just as we do of a real cup; or even they do not maintain that the cup +is transubstantiated. But since it is not necessary to assume a +transubstantiation wrought by Divine power, it is to be regarded as a +figment of the human mind, or it rests neither on Scripture nor on +reason, as we shall see. + +Therefore it is an absurd and unheard-of juggling with words, to +understand "bread" to mean "the form, or accidents of bread," and +"wine" to mean "the form, or accidents of wine." Why do they not also +understand all other things to mean their forms, or accidents? And +even if this might be done with all other things, it would yet not be +right thus to emasculate the words of God and arbitrarily to empty +them of their meaning. + +Moreover, the Church had the true faith for more than twelve hundred +years, during which time the holy Fathers never once mentioned this +transubstantiation--forsooth, a monstrous word for a monstrous +idea!--until the pseudophilosophy of Aristotle became rampant in the +Church, these last three hundred years, during which many other things +have been wrongly defined; as for example, that the Divine essence +neither is begotten nor begets; that the soul is the substantial form +of the human body, and the like assertions, which are made without +reason or sense, as the Cardinal of Cambray himself admits. + +Perhaps they will say that the danger of idolatry demands that bread +and wine be not really present. How ridiculous! The laymen have never +become familiar with their fine-spun philosophy of substance and +accidents, and could not grasp it if it were taught them. Besides, +there is the same danger in the case of the accidents which remain and +which they see, as in the case of the substance which they do not see. +For if they do not adore the accidents, but Christ hidden under them, +why should they adore the bread, which they do not see? + +But why could not Christ include His body in the substance of the +bread just as well as in the accidents? The two substances of fire and +iron are so mingled in the heated iron that every part is both iron +and fire. Why could not much rather Christ's body be thus contained in +every part of the substance of the bread? + +What will they say? We believe that in His birth Christ came forth out +of the unopened womb of His mother. Let them say here too that the +flesh of the Virgin was meanwhile annihilated, or as they would more +aptly say, transubstantiated, so that Christ, after being enfolded in +its accidents, finally came forth through the accidents! The same +thing will have to be said of the shut door and of the closed mouth of +the sepulchre, through which He went in and out without disturbing +them. Hence has risen that hotch-potch of a philosophy of constant +quantity distinct from the substance, until it has come to such a pass +that they themselves no longer know what are accidents and what is +substance. For who has ever proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that +heat, color, cold, light, weight or shape are mere accidents? Finally, +they have been driven to the fancy that a new substance is created by +God or their accidents on the altar--all on account of Aristotle, who +says, "It is the essence of an accident to be in something," and +endless other monstrosities, of all which they would be rid if they +simply permitted real bread to be present. And I rejoice greatly that +the simple faith of this sacrament is still to be found at least among +the common people; for as they do not understand, neither do they +dispute, whether accidents are present or substance[47] but believe +with a simple faith that Christ's body and blood are truly contained +in whatever is there, and leave to those who have nothing else to do +the business of disputing about that which contains them. + +But perhaps they will say: From Aristotle we learn that in an +affirmative proposition subject and predicate must be identical, or, +to set down the beast's own words, in the sixth book of his +_Metaphysics_: "An affirmative proposition demands the agreement of +subject and predicate," which they interpret as above. Hence, when it +is said, "This is my body," the subject cannot be identical with the +bread, but must be identical with the body of Christ. What shall we +say when Aristotle and the doctrines of men are made to be the +arbiters of these lofty and divine matters? Why do we not put by such +curiosity, and cling simply to the word of Christ, willing to remain +in ignorance of what here takes place, and content with this, that the +real body of Christ is present by virtue of the words?[48] Or is it +necessary to comprehend the manner of the divine working in every +detail? + +But what do they say to Aristotle's assigning a subject to whatever is +predicated of the attributes, although he holds that the substance is +the chief subject? Hence for him, "this white," "this large," etc., +are subjects of which something is predicated. If that is correct, I +ask: If a transubstantiation must be assumed in order that Christ's +body be not predicated of the bread, why not also a transaccidentation +in order that it be not predicated of the accidents? For the same +danger remains if one understands the subject to be "this white" or +"this round"[49] is my body, and for the same reason that a +transubstantiation is assumed, a transaccidentation must also be +assumed, because of this identity of subject and predicate. + +Let us not, however, dabble too much in philosophy. Does not Christ +appear to have admirably anticipated such curiosity by saying of the +wine, not, "_Hoc est sanguis meus_," but "_Hie est sanguis mens_" +[Matt. 26:28]? And yet more clearly, by bringing in the word "cup," +when He said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood." [1 Cor. +11:25] Does it not seem as though He desired to keep us in a simple +faith, so that we might but believe His blood to be in the cup? For +my part, if I cannot fathom how the bread is the body of Christ, I +will take my reason captive to the obedience of Christ [2 Cor. 10:5], +and clinging simply to His word, firmly believe not only that the body +of Christ is in the bread, but that the bread is the body of Christ. +For in this I am borne out by the words, "He took bread, and giving +thanks, He brake it and said, Take, eat; this [i. e., this bread which +He took and brake] is my body." [1 Cor. 11:23] And Paul says: "The +bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" +[1 Cor. 10:16] He says not, in the bread, but the bread itself, is the +communion of the body of Christ. What matters it if philosophy cannot +fathom this? The Holy Spirit is greater than Aristotle. Does +philosophy fathom that transubstantiation of theirs, of which they +themselves admit that here all philosophy breaks down? But the +agreement of the pronoun "this" with "body," in Greek and Latin, is +owing to the fact that in these languages the two words are of the +same gender. But in the Hebrew language, which has no neuter gender, +"this" agrees with "bread," so that it would be proper to say, "_Hie +est corpus meum_." This is proved also by the use of language and by +common sense; the subject, forsooth, points to the bread, not to the +body, when He says, "_Hoc est corpus meum_," "_Das ist mein +Leib_,"--i. e., This bread is my body. + +Therefore it is with the sacrament even as it is with Christ. In order +that the Godhead may dwell in Him, it is not necessary that the human +nature be transubstantiated and the Godhead be contained under its +accidents; but both natures are there in their entirety, and it is +truly said, "This man is God," and "This God is man." Even though +philosophy cannot grasp this, faith grasps it, and the authority of +God's Word is greater than the grasp of our intellect. Even so, in +order that the real body and the real blood of Christ may be present +in the sacrament, it is not necessary that the bread and wine be +transubstantiated and Christ be contained under their accidents; but +both remain there together, and it is truly said, "This bread is my +body, this wine is my blood," [Matt. 26:26] and _vice versa_. Thus I +will for the nonce understand it, or the honor of the holy words of +God, which I will not suffer any petty human arguments to override or +wrest to meanings foreign to them. At the same time, I permit other +men to follow the other opinion, which is laid down in the decree +_Firmiter_[50]; only let them not press us to accept their opinions as +articles of faith, as I said above. + +[Sidenote: The Third Captivity: The Mass a Good Work and a Sacrifice] + +The third captivity of this sacrament is that most wicked abuse of +all, in consequence of which there is to-day no more generally +accepted and firmly believed opinion in the Church than this,--that +the mass is a good work and a sacrifice. And this abuse has brought an +endless host of others in its train, so that the faith of this +sacrament has Sacrifice become utterly extinct and the holy sacrament +has been turned into a veritable air, tavern, and place of +merchandise. Hence participations[51], brotherhoods[52], +intercessions, merits, anniversaries, memorial days, and the like +wares are bought and sold, traded and bartered in the Church, and from +this priests and monks derive their whole living. + +I am attacking a difficult matter, and one perhaps impossible to +abate, since it has become so firmly entrenched through century-long +custom and the common consent of men that it would be necessary to +abolish most of the books now in vogue, to alter well-nigh the whole +external form of the churches, and to introduce, or rather +re-introduce, a totally different kind of ceremonies. But my Christ +lives; and we must be careful to give more heed to the Word of God +than to all the thoughts of men and of angels. I will perform the +duties of my office, and uncover the acts in the case; I will give the +truth as I have received it, freely and without malice [Matt. 10:8]. +For the rest let every man look to his own salvation; I will +faithfully do my part that none may cast on me the blame for his lack +of faith and knowledge of the truth, when we appear before the +judgment-seat of Christ. + +[Sidenote: The Word of Christ, which is the Testament] + +In the first place, in order to attain safely and fortunately to a +true and unbiased knowledge of this sacrament, we must above all else +be careful to put aside whatever has been added by the zeal and +devotion of men to the original, simple institution of this +sacrament,--such things as vestments, ornaments, chants, prayers, +organs, candles, and the whole pageantry of outward things[53]; we +must turn our eyes and hearts simply to the institution of Christ and +to this alone, and set naught before us but the very word of Christ by +which He instituted this sacrament, made it perfect, and committed it +to us. For in that word, and in that word alone, reside the power, the +nature, and the whole substance of the mass. All else is the work of +man, added to the word of Christ; and the mass can be held and remain +a mass just as well without it. Now the words of Christ, in which He +instituted this sacrament, are these: + +"And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and +brake: and gave to His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat. This is +my body, which shall be given for you. And taking the chalice. He gave +thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. This is the +chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you +and for many unto remission of sins. This do for the commemoration of +me." [Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:24 f.; Luke 22:20] + +These words the Apostle also delivers and more fully expounds in i +Cor. xi [1 Cor. 11:23 ff.]. On them we must lean and build as on a +firm foundation, if we would not be carried about with every wind of +doctrine, even as we have hitherto been carried about by the wicked +doctrines of men, who turn aside the truth [Titus 1:14]. For in these +words nothing is omitted that pertains to the completeness, the use +and the blessing of this sacrament; and nothing is included that is +superfluous and not necessary for us to know. Whoever sets them aside +and meditates or teaches concerning the mass, will teach monstrous and +wicked doctrines, as they have done who made of the sacrament an _opus +operatum_[56] and a sacrifice. + +Therefore let this stand at the outset as our infallibly certain +proposition,--the mass, or sacrament of the altar, is Christ's +testament which He left behind Him at His death, to be distributed +among His believers. For that is the meaning of His word,--"This is +the chalice, the new testament in my blood." [Luke 22:20] Let this +truth stand, I say, as the immovable foundation on which we shall base +all that we have to say, or we are going to overthrow, as you will +see, all the godless opinions of men imported into this most precious +sacrament. Christ, Who is the Truth, saith truly that this is the new +testament in His blood, which is shed for us. Not without reason do I +dwell on this sentence; the matter is of no small moment, and must be +most deeply impressed upon us. + +Let us enquire, therefore, what a testament is, and we shall learn at +the same time what the mass is, what its use and blessing, and what +its abuse. A testament, as every one knows, is a promise made by one +about to die, in which he designates his bequest and appoints his +heirs. Therefore a testament involves, first, the death of the +testator, and secondly, the promise of the bequest and the naming of +the heir. Thus St. Paul discusses at length the nature of a testament +in Romans iv, Galatians iii and iv, and Hebrews ix. The same thing is +also clearly seen in these words of Christ. Christ testifies +concerning His death when He says: "This is my body, which shall be +given; this is my blood, which shall be shed." [Luke 22:19 f.] He +designates the bequest when He says: "Unto remission of sins." And He +appoints the heirs when He says: "For you, and for many"--i. e., for +such as accept and believe the promise of the testator; or here it is +faith that makes men heirs, as we shall see. + +You see, therefore, that what we call the mass is the promise of +remission of sins made to us by God; and such a promise as has been +confirmed by the death of the Son of God. For the one difference +between a promise and a testament is that a testament is a promise +which implies the death of him who makes it. A testator is a man +making a promise who is about to die; whilst he that makes a promise +is, if I may so put it, a testator who is not about to die. This +testament of Christ was forshadowed in all the promises of God from +the beginning of the world; nay, whatever value those olden promises +possessed was altogether derived from this new promise that was to +come in Christ. Hence the words "covenant" and "testament of the Lord" +occur so frequently in the Scriptures, which words signified that God +would one day die. For where there is a testament, the death of the +testator must needs follow (Hebrews ix). Now God made a testament: +therefore it was necessary that He should die [Heb. 9:16]. But God +could not die unless He became man. Thus both the incarnation and the +death of Christ are briefly comprehended in this one word "testament." + +From the above it will at once be seen what is the right and what the +wrong use of the mass, what is the worthy and what the unworthy +preparation for it. If the mass is a promise, as has been said, it is +to be approached, not with any work or strength or merit, but with +faith alone. For where there is the word of God Who makes the promise, +there must be the faith of man who takes it. It is plain, therefore, +that the first step in our salvation is faith, which clings to the +word of the promise made by God, Who without any effort on our part, +in free and unmerited mercy makes a beginning and offers us the word +of His promise. For He sent His Word, and by it healed them [Ps. +107:20]. He did not accept our work and thus heal us. God's Word is +the beginning of all; on it follows faith, and on faith charity; then +charity works every good work, for it worketh no ill, nay, it is the +fulfilling of the law [Rom. 13:10]. In no other way can man come to +God and deal with Him than through faith; that is, not man, by any +work of his, but God, by His promise, is the author of salvation, so +that all things depend on the word of His power, and are upheld and +preserved by it [Heb. 1:3], with which word He begat us, that we +should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [Jas. 1:18]. + +Thus, in order to raise up Adam after the all, God gave him this +promise, addressing the serpent: "I will put enmities between thee and +the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and +thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." [Gen. 3:15] In this word of +promise Adam, with them that were his, was carried as it were in God's +bosom, and by faith in it he was preserved, patiently waiting for the +woman who should crush the serpent's head, as God had promised. And in +that faith and expectation he died, not knowing when or in what guise +she would come, yet never doubting that she would come. For such a +promise, being the truth of God, preserves, even in hell, those who +believe it and wait for it. After this came another promise, made to +Noah--to last until the time of Abraham--when a bow was set as a sign +in the clouds [Gen. 9:12], by faith in which Noah and his descendants +found a gracious God. After that He promised Abraham that all nations +should be blessed in his seed [Gen. 12:3]; and this is Abraham's +bosom, into which his posterity was carried [Luke 16:22]. Then to +Moses and the children of Israel, and especially to David, He gave the +plain promise of Christ [Deut. 18:18], thereby at last making clear +what was meant by the promise to them of old time [2 Sam. 7:6]. And so +it came finally to the most complete promise of the new testament, in +which with plain words life and salvation are freely promised, and +granted to such as believe the promise. And He distinguished this +testament by a particular mark from the old, calling it the "new +testament." [Luke 22:20] For the old testament, which He gave by +Moses, was a promise not of remission of sins or of eternal things, +but of temporal,--namely, the land of Canaan,--by which no man was +renewed in his spirit, to lay hold on the heavenly inheritance. +Therefore it was also necessary that dumb beasts should be slain, as +types of Christ, that by their blood the testament might be confirmed; +so that the testament was even as the blood, and the promise even as +the sacrifice. But here He says: "The new testament in my blood" [Luke +22:20]--not in another's, but in His own, and by this blood grace is +promised, through the Spirit, unto the remission of sins, that we may +obtain the inheritance. + +The mass, according to its substance, is, therefore, nothing else than +the aforesaid words of Christ--"Take and eat" [1 Cor. 11:24]; as if He +said: "Behold, O sinful man and condemned, out of pure and unmerited +love wherewith I love thee, and by the will of the Father of all +mercies, I promise thee in these words, or ever thou canst desire or +deserve them, the forgiveness of all thy sins and life everlasting. +And, that thou mayest be most certainly assured of this my irrevocable +promise, I give my body and shed my blood, thus by my very death +confirming this promise, and leaving thee my body and blood as a sign +and memorial of this same promise. As oft, therefore, as thou +partakest of them, remember me, and praise, magnify, and give thanks +or my love and largess toward thee." + +Herefrom you will see that nothing else is needed for a worthy holding +of mass than a faith that confidently relies on this promise, believes +Christ to be true in these words of His, and doubts not that these +infinite blessings have been bestowed upon it. Hard on this faith +there follows, of itself, a most sweet stirring of the heart, whereby +the spirit of man is enlarged and waxes at--that is love, given by the +Holy Spirit through faith in Christ--so that he is drawn unto Christ, +that gracious and good Testator, and made quite another and a new man. +Who would not shed tears of gladness, nay well-nigh faint for the joy +he hath toward Christ, if he believed with unshaken faith that this +inestimable promise of Christ belonged to him! How could one help +loving so great a Benefactor, who offers, promises and grants, all +unbidden, such great riches, and this eternal inheritance, to one +unworthy and deserving of somewhat far different? + +Therefore, it is our one misfortune, that we have many masses in the +world, and yet none or but the fewest of us recognize, consider and +receive these promises and riches that are offered, although verily we +should do nothing else in the mass with greater zeal (yea, it demands +all our zeal) than set before our eyes, meditate, and ponder these +words, these promises of Christ, which truly are the mass itself, in +order to exercise, nourish, increase, and strengthen our faith by such +daily remembrance. For this is what He commands, saying, "This do in +remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] + +This should be done by the preachers of the Gospel, in order that this +promise might be faithfully impressed upon the people and commended to +them, to the awakening of faith in the same. But how many are there +now who know that the mass is the promise of Christ? I will say +nothing of those godless preachers of fables, who teach human +traditions instead of this promise. And even if they teach these words +of Christ, they do not teach them as a promise or testament, and, +therefore, not to the awakening of faith. + +O the pity of it! Under this captivity, they take every precaution +that no layman should hear these words of Christ, as if they were too +sacred to be delivered to the common people. So mad are we[57] priests +that we arrogantly claim that the so-called words of consecration may +be said by ourselves alone, as secret words, yet so that they do not +profit even us, or we too fail to regard them as promises or as a +testament, for the strengthening of faith. Instead of believing them, +we reverence them with I know not what superstitious and godless +fancies. This misery of ours, what is it but a device of Satan to +remove every trace of the mass out of the Church? although he is +meanwhile at work filing every nook and corner on earth with masses, +that is, abuses and mockeries of God's testament, and burdening the +world more and more heavily with grievous sins of idolatry, to its +deeper condemnation. For what worse idolatry can there be than to +abuse God's promises with perverse opinions and to neglect or +extinguish faith in them? + +For God does not deal, nor has He ever dealt, with man otherwise than +through a word of promise, as I have said[58]; again, we cannot deal +with God otherwise than through faith in the word of His promise. He +does not desire works, nor has He need of them; we deal with men and +with ourselves on the basis of works. But He has need of this,--that +we deem Him true to His promises, wait patiently for Him, and thus +worship Him with faith, hope and love. Thus He obtains His glory among +us, since it is not of ourselves who run, but of Him who showeth mercy +[Ps. 115:1], promiseth and giveth, that we have and hold every +blessing [Rom. 9:16]. That is the true worship and service of God +which we must perform in the mass. But if the words of promise are not +proclaimed, what exercise of faith can there be? And without faith, +who can have hope or love? Without faith, hope and love, what service +can there be? There is no doubt, therefore, that in our day all +priests and monks, together with all their bishops and superiors, are +idolaters and in a most perilous state, by reason of this ignorance, +abuse and mockery of the mass, or sacrament, or testament of God. + +For any one can easily see that these two--the promise and faith--must +go together. For without the promise there is nothing to believe, +while without faith the promise, remains without effect; for it is +established and fulfilled through faith. From this every one will +readily gather that the mass, which is nothing else than the promise, +is approached and observed only in this faith, without which whatever +prayers, preparations, works, signs of the cross, or genuflections are +brought to it, are incitements to impiety rather than exercises of +piety; for they who come thus prepared are wont to imagine themselves +on that account justly entitled to approach the altar, when in reality +they are less prepared than at any other time and in any other work, +by reason of the unbelief which they bring with them. How many priests +will you find every day offering the sacrifice of the mass, who accuse +themselves of a horrible crime if they--wretched men!--commit a +trifling, blunder, such as putting on the wrong robe or forgetting to +wash their hands or stumbling over their prayers; but that they +neither regard nor believe the mass itself, namely, the divine +promise--this causes them not the slightest qualms of conscience. O +worthless religion of this our age, the most godless and thankless of +all ages! + +Hence the only worthy preparation and proper use of the mass is faith +in the mass, that is to say, in the divine promise. Whoever, +therefore, is minded to approach the altar and to receive the +sacrament, let him beware of appearing empty before the Lord God [Ex. +23:15; 34:20]. But he will appear empty unless he has faith in the +mass, or this new testament. What godless work that he could commit +would be a more grievous crime against the truth of God, than this +unbelief of his, by which, as much as in him lies, he convicts God of +being a liar and a maker of empty promises? The safest course, +therefore, will be to go to mass in the same spirit in which you would +go to hear any other promise of God; that is, not to be ready to +perform and bring many works, but to believe and receive all that is +there promised, or proclaimed by the priest as having been promised to +you. If you do not go in this spirit, beware of going at all; you will +surely go to your condemnation. + +I was right then in saying[59] that the whole power of the mass +consists in the words of Christ, in which He testifies that the +remission of sins is bestowed on all those who believe that His body +is given and His blood shed for them. For this reason nothing is more +important for those who go to hear mass than diligently and in full +faith to ponder these words. Unless they do this, all else that they +do is in vain. + +[Sidenote: The External Sign, which is the Sacrament] + +But while the mass is the word of Christ, it is also true that God is +wont to add to well-nigh every promise of His a certain sign as a mark +or memorial of His promise, so that we may thereby the more faithfully +hold to His promise and be the more forcibly admonished by it. Thus, +to his promise to Noah that He would not again destroy the world by a +flood, He added His bow in the clouds, to show that He would be +mindful of His covenant [Gen. 9:13]. And after promising Abraham the +inheritance in his seed, He gave him the sign of circumcision as the +seal of his righteousness by faith. Thus, to Gideon He granted the +sign of the dry and the wet fleece, to confirm His promise of victory +over the Midianites [Judges 6:36 ff.]. And to Ahaz He offered a sign +through Isaiah concerning his victory over the kings of Syria and +Samaria, to strengthen his faith in the promise [Isa. 7:10 ff.]. And +many such signs of the promises of God do we find in the Scriptures. + +Thus also to the mass, that crown of all His promises. He adds His +body and blood in the bread and wine, as a memorial sign of this great +promise; as He says, "This do in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] +Even so in baptism He adds to the words of the promise, the sign of +immersion in water. We learn from this that in every promise of God +two things are presented to us--the word and the sign--so that we are +to understand the word to be the testament, but the sign to be the +sacrament. Thus, in the mass, the word of Christ is the testament, and +the bread and wine are the sacrament. And as there is greater power in +the word than in the sign, so there is greater power in the testament +than in the sacrament; for a man can have and use the word, or +testament, apart from the sign, or sacrament. "Believe," says +Augustine, "and thou hast eaten."[60] But what does one believe save +the word of promise? Therefore I can hold mass every day, yea, every +hour, for I can set the words of Christ before me, and with them +refresh and strengthen my faith, as often as I choose. That is a truly +spiritual eating and drinking.[61] + +Here you may see what great things our theologians of the +Sentences[62] have produced. That which is the principal and chief +thing, namely, the testament and word of promise, is not treated by +one of them; thus they have obliterated faith and the whole power of +the mass. But the second part of the mass,--the sign, or +sacrament,[63]--this alone do they discuss, yet in such a manner that +here too they teach not faith but their preparations and _opera +operata_, participations and fruits[64], as though these were the +mass, until they have fallen to babbling of transubstantiation and +endless other metaphysical quibbles, and have destroyed the proper +understanding and use of both sacrament and testament, altogether +abolished faith, and caused Christ's people to forget their God, as +the prophet says, days without number [Jer. 2:32]. But do you let the +others tell over the manifold fruits of hearing mass, and turn hither +your mind, and say and believe with the prophet, that God here +prepares a table before you, against all those that afflict you, at +which your soul may eat and grow fat [Ps. 23:5]. But your faith is fed +only with the word of divine promise, for "not in bread alone doth man +live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Deut. +8:3; Matt. 4:4] Hence, in the mass you must above all things pay +closest heed to the word of promise, as to your rich banquet, green +pasture, and sacred refreshment; you must esteem this word higher than +all else, trust in it above all things, and cling firmly to it even +through the midst of death and all sins. By thus doing you will attain +not merely to those tiny drops and crumbs of "fruits of the mass," +which some have superstitiously imagined, but to the very fountainhead +of life, which is faith in the word, from which every blessing flows; +as it is said in John iv: "He that believeth in me, out of his belly +shall flow rivers of living water" [John 7:38]; and again: "He that +shall drink of the water that I will give him, it shall become in him +a fountain of living water, springing up into life everlasting." [John +4:14][65] + +Now there are two things that commonly tempt us to lose the fruits of +the mass: first, the fact that we are sinners and unworthy of such +great things because of our exceeding vileness; and, secondly, the act +that, even if we were worthy, these things are so high that our +faint-hearted nature dare not aspire to them or ever hope to attain to +them. For to have God for our Father, to be His sons and heirs of all +His goods--these are the great blessings that come to us through the +forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. And who that regarded them +aright must not rather stand aghast before them than desire to possess +them? Against this twofold faintness of ours we must lay hold on the +word of Christ and fix our gaze on it much more firmly than on those +thoughts of our weakness. For "great are the works of the Lord [Ps. +111:2]; wrought out according to all His wills, who is able to do +exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." [Eph. 3:20] If +they did not surpass our worthiness, our grasp and all our thoughts, +they would not be divine. Thus Christ also encourages us when He says: +"Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a +kingdom." [Luke 17:32] For it is just this overflowing goodness of the +incomprehensible God, lavished upon us through Christ, that moves us +to love Him again with our whole heart above all things, to be drawn +to Him with all confidence, to despise all things else, and be ready +to suffer all things for Him; wherefore this sacrament is well styled +"a fount of love." + +Let us take an illustration of this from every day life[66]. If a +thousand _gulden_ were bequeathed by a rich lord to a beggar or an +unworthy and wicked servant, it is certain that he would boldly claim +and take them regardless of his unworthiness and the greatness of the +bequest. And if any one should seek to oppose him by casting in his +teeth his unworthiness and the large amount of the legacy, what do you +suppose he would say? He would say, forsooth: "What is that to you? +What I accept, I accept not on my merits or by any right that I may +personally have to it; I know that I am unworthy and receive more than +I have deserved, nay, I have deserved the very opposite. But I claim +it because it is so written in the will, and on the score of another's +goodness. If it was not an unworthy thing for him to bequeath so great +a sum to an unworthy person, why should I reuse to accept it because +of my unworthiness? Nay, the more unworthy I am, the more reason have +I to accept this other man's gracious gift." With such thoughts we +need to fortify the consciences of men against all qualms and +scruples, that they may lay hold on the promise of Christ with +unwavering faith, and take the greatest care to approach the +sacrament, not trusting in their confession, prayer and preparation, +but rather despairing of these and with a proud confidence in Christ +Who gives the promise. For, as we have said again and again, the word +of promise must here reign supreme in a pure and unalloyed faith, and +such faith is the one and all-sufficient preparation. + +[Sidenote: The Mass Converted into a Good Work] + +Hence we see how angry God is with us, in that he has permitted +godless teachers to conceal the words of this testament from us, and +thereby, as much as in them lay, to extinguish faith. And the +inevitable result of this extinguishing of faith is even now plainly +to be seen--namely, the most godless superstition of works. For when +faith dies and the word of faith is silent, works and the traditions +of works immediately crowd into their place. By them we have been +carried away out of our own land, as in a Babylonian captivity, and +despoiled of all our precious possessions. This has been the fate of +the mass; it has been converted by the teaching of godless men into a +good work, which they themselves call an _opus operatum_[67] and by +which they presumptuously imagine themselves all-powerful with God. +Thereupon they proceeded to the very height of madness, and having +invented the lie that the mass works _ex opere operate_[68], they +asserted further that it is none the less profitable to others, even +if it be harmful to the wicked priest celebrating it. On such a +foundation of sand they base their applications, participations, +sodalities, anniversaries and numberless other money-making schemes. + +These lures are so powerful, widespread and firmly entrenched that you +will scarcely be able to prevail against them unless you keep before +you with unremitting care the real meaning of the mass, and bear well +in mind what has been said above. We have seen that the mass is +nothing else than the divine promise or testament of Christ, sealed +with the sacrament of His body and blood. If that is true, you will +understand that it cannot possibly be a work, and that there is +nothing to do in it, nor can it be dealt with in any other way than by +faith alone. And faith is not a work, but the mistress and the life of +all works[69]. Where in all the world is there a man so foolish as to +regard a promise made to him, or a testament given to him, as a good +work which by his acceptance of it he renders to the testator? What +heir will imagine he is doing his departed father a kindness by +accepting the terms of the will and the inheritance bequeathed to him? +What godless audacity is it, therefore, when we who are to receive the +testament of God come as those who would perform a good work or Him! +This ignorance of the testament, this captivity of the sacrament--are +they not too sad for tears? When we ought to be grateful for benefits +received, we come in our pride to give that which we ought to take, +mocking with unheard-of perversity the mercy of the Giver by giving as +a work the thing we receive as a gift; so that the testator, instead +of being the dispenser of His own goods, becomes the recipient of +ours. Out upon such godless doings! + +Who has ever been so mad as to regard baptism as a good work, or to +believe that by being baptised he was performing a work which he might +offer to God or himself and communicate to others? I, therefore, there +is no good work that can be communicated to others in this one +sacrament or testament, neither will there be any in the mass, since +it too is nothing else than a testament and sacrament. Hence it is a +manifest and wicked error to offer or apply masses for sins, or +satisfactions, for the dead, or for any necessity whatsoever of one's +own or of others. You will readily see the obvious truth of this if +you but hold firmly that the mass is a divine promise, which can +profit no one, be applied to no one, intercede or no one, and be +communicated to no one, save him alone who believes with a faith of +his own. Who can receive or apply, in behalf of another, the promise +of God, which demands the personal faith of every individual? Can I +give to another what God has promised, even if he does not believe? +Can I believe for another, or cause another to believe? But this is +what I must do if I am able to apply and communicate the mass to +others; for there are but two things in the mass--the promise of God, +and the faith of man which takes that which the promise offers. But if +it is true that I can do this, then I can also hear and believe the +Gospel for others, I can be baptised for another, I can be absolved +from sins for another, I can also partake of the sacrament of the +altar for another, and--to run the gamut of their sacraments also--I +can marry a wife for another, be ordained for another, receive +confirmation and extreme unction for another! In fine, why did not +Abraham believe for all the Jews? Why was faith in the promise made to +Abraham demanded of every individual Jew? + +Therefore, let this irrefutable truth stand fast. Where there is a +divine promise every one must stand upon his own feet, every one's +personal faith is demanded, every one will give an account for himself +and will bear his own burden [Gal. 6:5], as it is said in the last +chapter of Mark: "He that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; +but he that believeth not, shall be damned." [Mark 16:16] Even so +every one may derive a blessing from the mass for himself alone and +only by his own faith, and no one can commune for any other; just as +the priest cannot administer the sacrament to any one in another's +stead, but administers the same sacrament to each individual by +himself. For in consecrating and administering, the priests are our +ministers, through whom we do not offer a good work or commune (in the +active), but receive the promises and the sign and are communed (in +the passive). That has remained to this day the custom among the +laity, for they are not said to do good, but to receive it. But the +priests have departed into godless ways; out of the sacrament and +testament of God, the source of blessings to be received, they have +made a good work which they may communicate and offer to others. + +But you will say: How is this? Will you not overturn the practice and +teaching of all the churches and monasteries, by virtue of which they +have flourished these many centuries? For the mass is the foundation +of their anniversaries, intercessions, applications, communications, +etc.--that is to say, of their at income. I answer: This is the very +thing that has constrained me to write of the captivity of the Church, +for in this manner the adorable testament of God has been subjected to +the bondage of a godless traffic, through the opinions and traditions +of wicked men, who, passing over the Word of God, have put forth the +thoughts of their own hearts and misled the whole world. What do I +care for the number and influence of those who are in this error? The +truth is mightier than they all. If you are able to gainsay Christ, +according to Whom the mass is a testament and sacrament, then I will +admit that they are in the right. Or if you can bring yourself to say +that that man is doing a good work, who receives the benefit of the +testament, or who uses this sacrament of promise in order to receive +it, then I will gladly condemn my teachings. But since you can do +neither, why do you hesitate to turn your back on the multitude who go +after evil, and to give God the glory and confess His truth? Which is, +indeed, that all priests today are perversely mistaken, who regard the +mass as a work whereby they may relieve their own necessities and +those of others, dead or alive. I am uttering unheard-of and startling +things; but if you will consider the meaning of the mass, you will +realize that I have spoken the truth. The fault lies with our utter +supineness, in which we have become blind to the wrath of God that is +raging against us. + +[Sidenote: The Prayers Distinguished from the Mass] + +I am ready, however, to admit that the prayers which we pour out +before God when we are gathered together to partake of the mass, are +good works or benefits, which we impart, apply and communicate to one +another, and which we offer for one another; as James teaches us to +pray for one another that we may be saved [Jas. 5:16], and as Paul, in +I Timothy ii, commands that supplications, prayers and intercessions +be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in high station +[1 Tim. 2:1 f.]. These are not the mass, but works of the mass--if the +prayers of heart and lips may be called works--for they flow from the +faith that is kindled or increased in the sacrament. For the mass, +being the promise of God, is not fulfilled by praying, but only by +believing; but when we believe, we shall also pray and perform every +good work. But what priest of them all offers the sacrifice of the +mass in this sense and believes that he is offering up naught but the +prayers? They all imagine themselves to be offering up Christ Himself, +as all-sufficient sacrifice, to God the Father, and to be performing a +good work for all whom they have the intention to benefit. For they +put their trust in the work which the mass accomplishes, and they do +not ascribe this work to prayer. Thus, gradually, the error has grown, +until they have come to ascribe to the sacrament what belongs to the +prayers, and to offer to God what should be received as a benefit. + +It is necessary, therefore, to make a sharp distinction between the +testament or sacrament itself and the prayers which are there offered; +and no less necessary to bear in mind that the prayers avail nothing, +either for him who offers them or for those for whom they are offered, +unless the sacrament be first received in faith, so that it is faith +that offers the prayers, for it alone is heard, as James teaches in +his first chapter [Jas. 1:6 f.]. So great is the difference between +prayer and the mass. The prayer may be extended to as many persons as +one desires; but the mass is received by none but the person who +believes for himself, and only in proportion to his faith. It cannot +be given either to God or to men; but God alone gives it, by the +ministration of the priest, to such men as receive it by faith alone, +without any works or merits. For no one would dare to make the mad +assertion that a ragged beggar does a good work when he comes to +receive a gift from a rich man. But the mass is, as has been said[70], +the gift and promise of God, offered to all men by the hand of the +priest. It is certain, therefore, that the mass is not a work which +may be communicated to others, but it is the object, as it is called, +of faith, for the strengthening and nourishing of the personal faith +of each individual. + +[Sidenote: The Most Dangerous Error of All: the Mass a Sacrifice] + +But there is yet another stumbling-block that must be removed, and +this is much greater and the most dangerous of all. It is the common +belief that the mass is a sacrifice, which is offered to God. Even the +words of the canon[71] tend in this direction, when they speak of +"these gifts," "these offerings," "this holy sacrifice," and farther +on, of "this oblation." Prayer also is made, in so many words, "that +the sacrifice may be accepted even as the sacrifice of Abel," etc., +and hence Christ is termed the "Sacrifice of the altar." In addition +to this there are the sayings of the holy Fathers, the great number of +examples, and the constant usage and custom of all the world. + +To all of this, firmly entrenched as it is, we must resolutely oppose +the words and example of Christ. For unless we hold fast to the truth, +that the mass is the promise or testament of Christ, as the words +clearly say, we shall lose the whole Gospel and all our comfort. Let +us permit nothing to prevail against these words, even though an angel +from heaven should teach otherwise [Gal. 1:8]. For there is nothing +said in them of a work or a sacrifice. Moreover, we have also the +example of Christ on our side. For at the Last Supper, when He +instituted this sacrament and established this testament, Christ did +not offer Himself to God the Father, nor did He perform a good work on +behalf of others, but He set this testament before each of them that +sat at table with Him and offered him the sign. Now, the more closely +our mass resembles that first mass of all, which Christ performed at +the Last Supper, the more Christian will it be. But Christ's mass was +most simple, without the pageantry of vestments, genuflections, chants +and other ceremonies. Indeed, if it were necessary to offer the mass +as a sacrifice, then Christ's institution of it was not complete. + +Not that any one should revile the Church universal for embellishing +and amplifying the mass with many additional rites and ceremonies. But +this is what we contend for; no one should be deceived by the glamour +of the ceremonies and entangled in the multitude of pompous forms, and +thus lose the simplicity of the mass itself, and indeed practice a +sort of transubstantiation--losing sight of the simple substance of +the mass and clinging to the manifold accidents of outward pomp. For +whatever has been added to the word and example of Christ, is an +accident of the mass, and ought to be regarded just as we regard the +so-called monstrances and corporal cloths in which the host itself is +contained[72]. Therefore, as distributing a testament, or accepting a +promise, differs diametrically from offering a sacrifice, so it is a +contradiction in terms to call the mass a sacrifice; for the former is +something that we receive, while the latter is something that we +offer. The same thing cannot be received and offered at the same time, +nor can it be both given and taken by the same person; just as little +as our prayer can be the same as that which our prayer obtains, or the +act of praying the same as the act of receiving the answer to our +prayer. + +What shall we say, then, of the canon of the mass[73] and the sayings +of the Fathers? First of all, if there were nothing at all to be said +against them, it would yet be the safer course to reject them all +rather than admit that the mass is a work or a sacrifice, lest we deny +the word of Christ and overthrow faith together with the mass. +Nevertheless, not to reject altogether the canons and the Fathers, we +shall say the following: The Apostle instructs us in I Corinthians xi +that it was customary for Christ's believers, when they came together +to mass, to bring with them meat and drink, which they called +"collections" and distributed among all who were in want [1 Cor. 11:20 +ff.], after the example of the apostles in Acts iv [Acts 4:34 f.]. +From this store was Acts taken the portion of bread and wine that was +consecrated for use in the sacrament[74]. And since all this store of +meat and drink was sanctified by the word and by prayer [1 Tim. 4:5], +being "lifted up" according to the Hebrew rite of which we read in +Moses [Lev. 8:27], the words and the rite of this lifting up, or for +offering, have come down to us, although the custom of collecting that +which was offered, or lifted up, has fallen long since into disuse. +Thus, in Isaiah xxxvii, Hezekiah commanded Isaiah to lift up his +prayer in the sight of God for the remnant [Isa. 37:4]. The Psalmist +sings: "Lift up your hands to the holy places" [Ps. 134:2]; and: "To +Thee will I lift up my hands." [Ps. 63:4] And in I Timothy ii we read: +"Lifting up pure hands in every place." [1 Tim. 2:8] For this reason +the words "sacrifice" and "oblation" must be taken to refer, not to +the sacrament and testament, but to these collections, whence also the +word "collect" has come down to us, as meaning the prayers said in the +mass. + +The same thing is indicated when the priest elevates the bread and the +chalice immediately after the consecration, whereby he shows that he +is not offering anything to God, for he does not say a single word +here about a victim or an oblation. But this elevation is either a +survival of that Hebrew rite of lifting up what was received with +thanksgiving and returned to God, or else it is an admonition to us, +to provoke us to faith in this testament which the priest has set +forth and exhibited in the words of Christ, so that now he shows us +also the sign of the testament. Thus the oblation of the bread +properly accompanies the demonstrative this in the words, "This is my +body," by which sign the priest addresses us gathered about him; and +in like manner the oblation of the chalice accompanies the +demonstrative this in the words, "This chalice is the new testament, +etc." For it is faith that the priest ought to awaken in us by this +act of elevation. And would to God that, as he elevates the sign, or +sacrament, openly before our eyes, he might also sound in our ears the +words of the testament with a loud, clear voice, and in the language +of the people, whatever it may be, in order that faith may be the more +effectively awakened. For why may mass be said in Greek and Latin and +Hebrew, and not also in German or in any other language?[75] + +[Sidenote: Fraternal Advice to the Priests] + +Let the priests, therefore, who in these corrupt and perilous times +offer the sacrifice of the mass, take heed, first, that the words of +the greater and the lesser canon[76] together with the collects, which +smack too strongly of sacrifice, be not referred by them to the +sacrament, but to the bread and wine which they consecrate, or to the +prayers which they say. For the bread and wine are offered at the +first, in order that they may be blessed and thus sanctified by the +Word and by prayer; but after they have been blessed and consecrated, +they are no longer offered, but received as a gift from God. And let +the priest bear in mind that the Gospel is to be set above all canons +and collects devised by men; and the Gospel does not sanction the +calling of the mass a sacrifice, as has been shown. + +Further, when a priest celebrates a public mass, he should determine +to do naught else through the mass than to commune himself and others; +yet he may at the same time offer prayers for himself and for others, +but he must beware lest he presume to offer the mass. But let him that +holds a private mass[77] determine to commune himself. The private +mass does not differ in the least from the ordinary communion which +any layman receives at the hand of the priest, and has no greater +effect, apart from the special prayers and the act that the priest +consecrates the elements for himself and administers them to himself. +So far as the blessing[78] of the mass and sacrament is concerned, we +are all of us on an equal footing, whether we be priests or laymen. + +If a priest be requested by others to celebrate so-called votive +masses[79], let him beware of accepting a reward for the mass, or of +presuming to offer a votive sacrifice; he should be at pains to refer +all to the prayers which he offers for the dead or the living, saying +within himself, "I will go and partake of the sacrament for myself +alone, and while partaking I will say a prayer for this one and that." +Thus he will take his reward--to buy him food and clothing--not for +the mass, but for the prayers. And let him not be disturbed because +all the world holds and practices the contrary. You have the most sure +Gospel, and relying on this you may well despise the opinions of men. +But if you despise me and insist upon offering the mass and not the +prayers alone, know that I have faithfully warned you and will be +without blame on the day of judgment; you will have to bear your sin +alone. I have said what I was bound to say as brother to brother for +his soul's salvation; yours will be the gain if you observe it, yours +the loss if you neglect it. And if some should even condemn what I +have said, I reply in the words of Paul: "But evil men and seducers +shall grow worse and worse: erring and driving into error." [2 Tim. +3:13] + +From the above every one will readily understand what there is in that +oft quoted saying of Gregory's[80]: "A mass celebrated by a wicked +priest is not to be considered of less effect than one celebrated by +any godly priest, and St. Peter's mass would not have been better than +Judas the traitor's, if they had offered the sacrifice of the mass." +Which saying has served many as a cloak to cover their godless doings, +and because of it they have invented the distinction between _opus +operati_ and _opus operantis_[81], so as to be free to lead wicked +lives themselves and yet to benefit other men. But Gregory speaks +truth; only they misunderstand and pervert his words. For it is true +beyond a question, that the testament or sacrament is given and +received through the ministration of wicked priests no less completely +than through the ministration of the most saintly. For who has any +doubt that the Gospel is preached by the ungodly? Now the mass is part +of the Gospel, nay, its sum and substance; for what is the whole +Gospel but the good tidings of the forgiveness of sins? But whatever +can be said of the forgiveness of sins and the mercy of God, is all +briefly comprehended in the word of this testament. Wherefore the +popular sermons ought to be naught else than expositions of the mass, +that is, a setting forth of the divine promise of this testament; that +would be to teach faith and truly to edify the Church. But in our day +the expounders of the mass play with the allegories of human rites and +play the fool with the people. + +Therefore, just as a wicked priest may baptise, that is, apply the +word of promise and the sign of the water to a candidate for baptism, +so he may also set forth the promise of this sacrament and administer +it to those who partake, and even himself partake, like Judas the +traitor, at the Lord's Supper. It still remains always the same +sacrament and testament, which works in the believer its own work, in +the unbeliever a "strange work." [Isa. 28:21] But when it comes to +offering a sacrifice the case is quite different. For not the mass but +the prayers are offered to God, and therefore it is as plain as day +that the offerings of a wicked priest avail nothing, but, as Gregory +says again, when an unworthy intercessor is chosen, the heart of the +judge is moved to greater displeasure. We must, therefore, not +confound these two--the mass and the prayers, the sacrament and the +work, the testament and the sacrifice; for the one comes from God to +us, through the ministration of the priest, and demands our faith, the +other proceeds from our faith to God, through the priest, and demands +His answer. The former descends, the latter ascends. Therefore the +former does not necessarily require a worthy and godly minister, but +the latter does indeed require such an one, because God heareth not +sinners [John 9:31]. He knows how to send down blessings through +evildoers, but He does not accept the work of any evildoer, as He +showed in the case of Cain [Gen. 4:5], and as it is said in Proverbs +xv, "The victims of the wicked are abominable to the Lord" [Prov. +15:8]; and in Romans xiv, "All that is not of faith is sin." [Rom. +14:23] + +[Sidenote: Worthy Communicants] + +But in order to make an end of this first part, we must take up one +remaining point against which an opponent might arise. From all that +has been said we conclude that the mass was provided only for such as +have a sad, afflicted, disturbed, perplexed and erring conscience, and +that they alone commune worthily. For, since the word of divine +promise in this sacrament sets forth the remission of sins, that man +may fearlessly draw near, whoever he be, whose sins distress him, +either with remorse or past or with temptation to future wrongdoing. +For this testament of Christ is the one remedy against sins, past, +present and future, if you but cling to it with unwavering faith and +believe that what the words of the testament declare is freely granted +to you. But if you do not believe this, you will never, nowhere, and +by no works or efforts of your own, find peace of conscience. For +faith alone sets the conscience at peace, and unbelief alone keeps the +conscience troubled. + +THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM + +Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according +to the riches of His mercy hath preserved in His Church this sacrament +at least, untouched and untainted by the ordinances of men, and hath +made it free unto all nations and every estate of mankind, nor +suffered it to be oppressed by the filthy and godless monsters of +greed and superstition. For He desired that by it little children, +incapable of greed and superstition, might be initiated and sanctified +in the simple faith of His Word; for whom even to-day baptism hath its +chief blessing. But if this sacrament were to be given to such as had +arrived at man's estate, methinks it could not possibly have retained +its power and its glory against the tyranny of greed and superstition +which has everywhere laid waste things divine. Doubtless the wisdom of +the flesh would here too have devised its preparations and +worthinesses, its reservations, restrictions, and I know not what +other snares for taking money, until water fetched as high a price as +parchment[82] does now. + +But Satan, though he could not quench the power of baptism in little +children, nevertheless succeeded in quenching it in all adults, so +that there are scarce any who call to mind their baptism and still +fewer who glory in it; so many other ways have they discovered of +ridding themselves of their sins and of reaching heaven. The source of +these false opinions is that dangerous saying of St. +Jerome's[83]--either unhappily phrased or wrongly interpreted--in +which he terms penance "the second plank" after the shipwreck; as if +baptism were not penance. Accordingly, when men fall into sin, they +despair of "the first plank," which is the ship, as though it had gone +under, and fasten all their faith on the second plank, that is, +penance. This has produced those endless burdens of vows, religious +works, satisfactions, pilgrimages, indulgences, and sects[84], whence +has arisen that flood of books, questions, opinions and human +traditions, which the world cannot contain; so that this tyranny plays +worse havoc with the Church of God than any tyrant ever did with the +Jewish people or with any other nation under heaven. + +It was the duty of the pontiffs to abate this evil, and with all +diligence to lead Christians to the true understanding of baptism, so +that they might know what manner of men they are and how it becomes +Christians to live. But instead of this, their work is now to lead the +people as far astray as possible from their baptism, to immerse all +men in the flood of their oppression, and to cause the people of +Christ, as the prophet says, to forget Him days without number [Jer. +2:32]. O unhappy, all who bear the name of priest to-day! They not +only do not know nor do what becometh priests, but they are ignorant +of what they ought to know and do. They fulfil the saying in Isaiah +lvi: "His watch-men are all blind, they are all ignorant: the +shepherds themselves knew no understanding; all have declined into +their own way, every one after his own gain." [Isa. 56:10] + +[Sidenote: The First Part of Baptism: The Divine Promise] + +Now, the first thing in baptism to be considered is the divine +promise, which says: "He that believeth and is baptised shall be +saved." This promise must be set far above all the glitter of works, +vows, religious orders, and whatever man has added thereto; for on it +all our salvation depends [Mark 16:16]. But we must so consider it as +to exercise our faith therein and in nowise doubt that we are saved +when we are baptised. For unless this faith be present or be conferred +in baptism, baptism will profit us nothing, nay, it becomes a +hindrance to us, not only in the moment of its reception, but all the +days of our life; for such unbelief accuses God's promise of being a +lie, and this is the blackest of all sins. If we set ourselves to this +exercise of faith, we shall at once perceive how difficult it is to +believe this promise of God. For our human weakness, conscious of its +sins, finds nothing more difficult to believe than that it is saved or +will be saved; and yet unless it does believe this, it cannot be +saved, because it does not believe the truth of God that promiseth +salvation. + +This message should have been untiringly impressed upon the people and +this promise dinned without ceasing in their ears; their baptism +should have been called again and again to their mind, and faith +constantly awakened and nourished. For, just as the truth of this +divine promise, once pronounced over us, continues unto death, so our +faith in the same ought never to cease, but to be nourished and +strengthened until death, by the continual remembrance of this promise +made to us in baptism. Therefore, when we rise from sins, or repent, +we do but return to the power and the faith of baptism from whence we +fell, and find our way back to the promise then made to us, from which +we departed when we sinned. For the truth of the promise once made +remains steadfast, ever ready to receive us back with open arms when +we return. This, if I mistake not, is the real meaning of the obscure +saying, that baptism is the beginning and foundation of all the +sacraments, without which none of the others may be received. + +It will, therefore, be no small gain or a penitent to lay hold before +all else on the memory of his baptism, confidently to call to mind the +promise of God, which he has forsaken, and to plead it with His Lord, +rejoicing that he is baptised and therefore is yet within the fortress +of salvation, and abhorring his wicked ingratitude in falling away +from its faith and truth. His soul will find wondrous comfort, and +will be encouraged to hope or mercy, when he considers that the divine +promise which God made to him and which cannot possibly lie, still +stands unbroken and unchanged, yea, unchangeable by any sins; as Paul +says in 1I Timothy ii, "If we believe not. He continueth faithful, He +cannot deny Himself." [2 Tim. 2:13] Ay, this truth of God will sustain +him, so that if all else should sink in ruins, this truth, if he +believe it, will not ail him. For in it he has a shield against all +assaults of the enemy, an answer to the sins that disturb his +conscience, an antidote for the dread of death and judgment, and a +comfort in every temptation,--namely, this one truth,--and he can say, +"God is faithful that promised [Heb. 10:23], Whose sign I have +received in my baptism. If God be for me, who is against me?" [Rom. +8:31] + +The children of Israel, whenever they repented of their sins, turned +their thoughts first of all to the exodus from Egypt, and, remembering +this, returned to God Who had brought them out. This memory and this +refuge were many times impressed upon them by Moses, and afterward +repeated by David. How much rather ought we to call to mind our exodus +from Egypt, and, remembering, turn back again to Him Who led us forth +through the washing of regeneration [Titus 3:5], which we are bidden +remember for this very purpose. And this we can do most fittingly in +the sacrament of bread and wine. Indeed, in olden times these three +sacraments--penance, baptism and the bread--were all celebrated at the +same service, and one supplemented and assisted the other. We read +also of a certain holy virgin who in every time of temptation made +baptism her sole defence, saying simply, "I am a Christian"; and +straight-way the adversary led from her, or he knew the power of her +baptism and of her faith which clung to the truth of God's +promise[85]. + +Lo, how rich therefore is a Christian, or one who is baptised! Even if +he would, he cannot lose his salvation, however much he sin, unless he +will not believe. For no sin can condemn him save unbelief alone. All +other sins,--if faith in God's promise made in baptism return or +remain,--all other sins, I say, are immediately blotted out through +that same faith, or rather through the truth of God, because He cannot +deny Himself if you but confess Him and cling believing to Him that +promises. But as for contrition, confession of sins, and +satisfaction[86],--with all those carefully thought-out exercises of +men,--if you turn your attention to them and neglect this truth of +God, they will suddenly fail you and leave you more wretched than +before. For whatever is done without faith in the truth of God, is +vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 1:2, 14]. + +Again, how perilous, nay, how false it is to suppose that penance is +the second plank after the shipwreck! How harmful an error it is to +believe that the power of baptism is broken, and the ship has +foundered, because we have sinned! Nay; that one, solid and unsinkable +ship remains, and is never broken up into floating timbers; it carries +all those who are brought to the harbor of salvation; it is the truth +of God giving us its promise in the sacraments. Many, indeed, rashly +leap overboard and perish in the waves; these are they who depart from +faith in the promise and plunge into sin. But the ship herself remains +intact and holds her steady course; and if one be able somehow to +return to the ship, it is not on any plank but in the good ship +herself that he is borne to life. Such an one is he who through faith +returns to the sure promise of God that abideth forever. Therefore +Peter, in his second epistle, rebukes them that sin, because they have +forgotten that they were purged from their old sins [2 Peter 1:9]; in +which words he doubtless chides their ingratitude or the baptism they +had received and their wicked unbelief. + +What is the good, then, of making many books on baptism and yet not +teaching this faith in the promise? All the sacraments were instituted +for the purpose of nourishing faith, but these godless men so +completely pass over this faith that they even assert a man dare not +be certain of the forgiveness of sins, that is, of the grace of the +sacraments. With such wicked teachings they delude the world, and not +only take captive but altogether destroy the sacrament of baptism, in +which the chief glory of our conscience consists. Meanwhile they madly +rage against the miserable souls of men with their contritions, +anxious confessions, circumstances[87], satisfactions, works and +endless other absurdities. Read, therefore, with great caution the +Master of the Sentences[88] in his fourth book, or, better yet, +despise him together with all his commentators, who at their best +write only of the material and form[87] of the sacraments, that is, +they treat of the dead and death-dealing letter of the sacraments, but +pass over in utter silence the spirit, life and use, that is, the +truth of the divine promise and our faith. + +Beware, therefore, lest the external pomp of works and the deceits of +human traditions mislead you, so that you may not wrong the divine +truth and your faith. If you would be saved, you must begin with the +faith of the sacraments, without any works whatever; but on faith the +works will follow: only do not think lightly of faith, which is a +work, and of all works the most excellent and the most difficult to +do. Through it alone you will be saved, even if you should be +compelled to do without any other works. For it is a work of God, not +of man, as Paul teaches [Eph. 2:8]. The other works He works through +us and with our help, but this one He works in us and without our +help. + +From this we can clearly see the difference, in baptism, between man +the minister and God the Doer. For man baptises and does not baptise: +he baptises, for he performs the work, immersing the person to be +baptised; he does not baptise, for in that act he officiates not by +his own authority, but in the stead of God. Hence, we ought to receive +baptism at the hands of a man just as if Christ Himself, nay, God +Himself, were baptising us with His own hands. For it is not man's +baptism, but Christ's and God's baptism, which we receive by the hand +of a man; just as every other created thing that we make use of by the +hand of another, is God's alone. Therefore beware of dividing baptism +in such a way as to ascribe the outward part to man and the inward +part to God. Ascribe both to God alone, and look upon the person +administering it as the instrument in God's hands, by which the Lord +sitting in heaven thrusts you under the water with His own hands, and +speaking by the mouth of His minister promises you, on earth with a +human voice, the forgiveness of your sins. + +This the words themselves indicate, when the priest says: "I baptise +thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. +Amen"--and not: "I baptise thee in my own name." It is as though he +said: "What I do, I do not by my own authority, but in the name and +stead of God, so that you should regard it just as if our Lord Himself +had done it in a visible manner. The Doer and the minister are +different persons, but the work of both is the same work, or, rather, +it is the work of the Doer alone, through my ministry." For I hold +that "in the name of" refers to the person of the Doer, so that the +name of the Lord is not only to be uttered and invoked while the work +is being done, but the work itself is to be done not as one's own +work, but in the name and stead of another. In this sense Christ says, +"Many shall come in my name," [Matt. 24:5] and in Romans i it is said, +"By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the +faith, in all nations, for His name." [Rom. 1:5] + +This view I heartily endorse; for there is much of comfort and a mighty +aid to faith in the knowledge that one has been baptised not by man, +but by the Triune God Himself through a man acting among us in His +name. This will dispose of that fruitless quarrel about the "form"[90] +of baptism, as these words are called. The Greeks say: "May the +servant of Christ be baptised," while the Latins say: "I baptise." +Others again, pedantic triflers, condemn the use of the words, "I +baptise thee in the name of Jesus Christ"[91]--although it is certain +that the Apostles used this formula in baptising, as we read in the +Acts of the Apostles--and would allow no other form to be valid than +this: "I baptise thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and +of the Holy Ghost." But their contention is in vain, for they bring no +proof, but merely assert their own dreams. Baptism truly saves in +whatever way it is administered, if only it be not administered in the +name of man but of God. Nay, I have no doubt that if one received +baptism in the name of the Lord, even though the wicked minister +should not give it in the name of the Lord, he would yet be truly +baptised in the name of the Lord. For the effect of baptism depends +not so much on the faith or use of him that confers it as on the faith +or use of him that receives it; of which we have an illustration in +the case of the play-actor who was baptised in jest[92]. Such anxious +disputings and questionings are aroused in us by those who ascribe +nothing to faith and everything to works and forms, whereas we owe +everything to faith alone and nothing to forms, and faith makes us +free in spirit from all those scruples and fancies. + +[Sidenote: The Second Part of Baptism: The Sign, or Sacrament] + +The second part of baptism is the sign, or sacrament, which is that +immersion into water whence also it derives its name; for the Greek +_baptizo_ means I immerse, and _baptisma_ means immersion. For, as has +been said[93], signs are added to the divine promises to represent +that which the words signify, for, as they now say, that which the +sacrament "effectively signifies." We shall see how much of truth +there is in this. The great majority have supposed that there is some +hidden spiritual power in the word or in the water, which works the +grace of God in the soul of the recipient. Others deny this and hold +that there is no power in the sacraments, but that grace is given by +God alone, Who according to His covenant aids the sacraments He has +instituted[94]. Yet all are agreed that the sacraments are effective +signs of grace, and they reach this conclusion by this one argument: +If the sacraments of the New Law merely "signified," it would not be +apparent in what respect they surpassed the sacraments of the Old Law. +Hence they have been driven to attribute such great power to the +sacraments of the New Law that in their opinion they benefit even such +men as are in mortal sins, and that they do not require faith or +grace; it is sufficient not to oppose a "bar," that is, an actual +intention to sin again. + +But these views must be carefully avoided and shunned, because they +are godless and infidel, being contrary to faith and to the nature of +the sacraments. For it is an error to hold that the sacraments of the +New Law differ from those of the Old Law in the efficacy of their +"signifying." The "signifying" of both is equally efficacious. The +same God Who now saves me by baptism saved Abel by his sacrifice, Noah +by the bow, Abraham by circumcision, and all the others by their +respective signs. So far as the "signifying" is concerned, there is no +difference between a sacrament of the Old Law and one of the New; +provided that by the Old Law you mean that which God wrought among the +patriarchs and other fathers in the days of the law. But those signs +which were given to the patriarchs and fathers must be sharply +distinguished from the legal types which Moses instituted in his law, +such as the priestly rites concerning robes, vessels, meats, +dwellings, and the like. Between these and the sacraments of the New +Law there is a vast difference, but no less between them and those +signs that God from time to time gave to the fathers living judges +under the law, such as the sign of Gideon's fleece [Judges 6:36], +Manoah's sacrifice [Judges 13:19], or the sign which Isaiah offered to +Ahaz, in Isaiah vii [Isa. 7:10]; for to these signs God attached a +certain promise which required faith in Him. + +This, then, is the difference between the legal types and the new and +old signs--the former have not attached to them any word of promise +requiring faith. Hence they are not signs of justification, for they +are not sacraments of the faith that alone justifies, but only +sacraments of works; their whole power and nature consisted in works, +not in faith, and he that observed them fulfilled them, even if he did +it without faith. But our signs, or sacraments, as well as those of +the fathers, have attached to them a word of promise, which requires +faith, and they cannot be fulfilled by any other work. Hence they are +signs or sacraments of justification, for they are the sacraments of +justifying faith and not of works. Their whole efficacy, therefore, +consists in faith itself, not in the doing of a work; for whoever +believes them fulfils them, even if he should not do a single work. +Whence has arisen the saying, "Not the sacrament but the faith of the +sacrament justifies." Thus circumcision did not justify Abraham and +his seed, and yet the Apostle calls it the seal of the righteousness +of faith [Rom. 4:11], because faith in the promise, to which +circumcision was added, justified him and fulfilled that which +circumcision signified. For faith was the spiritual circumcision of +the foreskin of the heart [Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4], which was +symbolised by the literal circumcision of the flesh. And in the same +manner it was obviously not Abel's sacrifice that justified him, but +it was his faith, by which he offered himself wholly to God and which +was symbolised by the outward sacrifice. + +Even so it is not baptism that justifies or benefits anyone, but it is +faith in the word of promise, to which baptism is added. This faith +justifies, and fulfils that which baptism signifies. For faith is the +submersion of the old man and the emerging of the new. Therefore it +cannot be that the new sacraments differ from the old, for both have +the divine promise and the same spirit of faith; although they do +differ vastly from the olden types on account of the word of promise, +which is the one decisive point of difference. Even so, to-day, the +outward show of vestments, holy places, meats and of all the endless +ceremonies has doubtless a fine symbolical meaning, which is to be +spiritually fulfilled; and yet because there is no word of divine +promise attached to these things, they can in nowise be compared with +the signs of baptism and of the bread, nor do they in any way justify +or benefit one, since they are fulfilled in the very observance, apart +from faith. For while they are taking place or are being performed, +they are being fulfilled; as the Apostle says of them, in Colossians +ii, "Which are all to perish with the using, after the commandments +and doctrines of men." [Col. 2:22] The sacraments, on the contrary, +are not fulfilled when they are observed, but when they are believed. + +It cannot be true, therefore, that there is in the sacraments a power +efficacious for justification, or that they are effective signs of +grace[95]. All such assertions tend to destroy faith, and arise from +ignorance of the divine promise. Unless you should call them effective +in the sense that they certainly and efficaciously impart grace, where +faith is unmistakably present. But it is not in this sense that +efficacy is now ascribed to them; as witness the act that they are +said to benefit all men, even the godless and unbelieving, provided +they do not oppose a "bar"--as if such unbelief were not in itself the +most obstinate and hostile of all bars to grace. So firmly bent are +they on turning the sacrament into a command, and faith into a work. +For if the sacrament confers grace on me because I receive it, then +indeed I obtain grace by virtue of my work and not of faith; I lay +hold not on the promise in the sacrament, but on the sign instituted +and commanded by God. Do you not see, then, how completely the +sacraments have been misunderstood by our sententious theologians?[96] +They have taken no account, in their discussions on the sacraments, of +either faith or the promise, but cling only to the sign and the use of +the sign, and draw us away from faith to the work, from the word to +the sign. Thus they have not only carried the sacraments captive (as I +have said)[97], but have completely destroyed them, as far as they +were able. + +Therefore, let us open our eyes and learn to give more heed to the +word than to the sign[98], and to faith than to the work, for the use +of the sign, remembering that wherever there is a divine promise there +faith is required, and that these two are so necessary to each other +that neither can be efficacious apart from the other. For it is not +possible to believe unless there be a promise, and the promise is not +established unless it be believed. But where these two meet, they give +a real and most certain efficacy to the sacraments. Hence, to seek the +efficacy of the sacrament apart from the promise and apart from faith, +is to labor in vain and to ind damnation. Thus Christ says: "He that +believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; he that believe not shall +be damned." [Mark 16:16] He shows us in this word that faith is so +necessary a part of the sacrament that it can save even without the +sacrament; for which reason He did not see it to say: "He that +believeth not, _and is not baptised_. . ." + +Baptism, then, signifies two things--death and resurrection; that is, +full and complete justification. The minister's immersing the child in +the water signifies death; his drawing it forth again signifies life. +Thus Paul expounds it in Romans vi, "We are buried together with +Christ by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by +the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life." +[Rom. 6:4] This death and resurrection we call the new creation, +regeneration, and the spiritual birth. And this must not be understood +only in a figurative sense, of the death of sin and the life of grace, +as many understand it, but of actual death and resurrection. The +significance of baptism is not an imaginary significance, and sin does +not completely die, nor does grace completely rise, until the body of +sin that we carry about in this life is destroyed; as the Apostle +teaches in the same chapter [Rom. 6:6]. For as long as we are in the +flesh, the desires of the flesh stir and are stirred. Wherefore, as +soon as ever we begin to believe, we also begin to die to this world +and to live unto God in the life to come; so that faith is truly a +death and a resurrection, that is, it is that spiritual baptism in +which we go under and come forth. + +Hence it is indeed correct to say that baptism is a washing from sins, +but that expression is too weak and mild to bring out the full +significance of baptism, which is rather a symbol of death and +resurrection. For this reason I would have the candidates for baptism +completely immersed in the water, as the word[99] says and as the +sacrament signifies. Not that I deem this necessary, but it were well +to give to so perfect and complete a things a perfect and complete +sign; thus it was also doubtless instituted by Christ. The sinner does +not so much need to be washed as he needs to die, in order to be +wholly renewed and made another creature, and to be conformed to the +death and resurrection of Christ, with Whom, through baptism, he dies +and rises again. Although you may properly say that Christ was washed +clean of mortality when He died and rose again, yet that is a weaker +way of putting it than if you said He was completely changed and +renewed. In the same way it is far more forceful to say that baptism +signifies our utter dying and rising to eternal life, than to say that +it signifies merely our being washed clean from sins. + +Here, again, you see that the sacrament of baptism, even in respect to +its sign, is not the matter of a moment, but continues for all time. +Although its administration is soon over, yet the thing it +signifies[100] continues until we die, nay, until we rise at the last +day. For as long as we live we are continually doing that which our +baptism signifies,--we die and rise again. We die, that is, not only +spiritually and in our affections, by renouncing the sins and vanities +of this world, but we die in very truth, we begin to leave this bodily +life and to lay hold on the life to come; so that there is, as they +say, a real and even a bodily going out of this world to the Father. + +We must, therefore, beware of those who have reduced the power of +baptism to such a vanishing point as to say that the grace of God is +indeed inpoured in baptism, but afterwards poured out again through +sin, and that thereupon one must reach heaven by another way; as if +baptism had then become entirely useless. Do not you hold to such a +view, but know that baptism signifies your dying and living again, and +therefore, whether it be by penance or by any other way, you can but +return to the power of your baptism, and do afresh that which you were +baptised to do and which your baptism signified. Never does baptism +lose its power, unless you despair and refuse to return to its +salvation. You may, indeed, or a season wander away from the sign, but +that does not make the sign of none effect. You have, thus, been +baptised once in the sacrament, but you must be constantly baptised +again through faith, you must constantly die, you must constantly live +again. Baptism swallowed up your whole body, and gave it forth again; +even so that which baptism signifies[101] should swallow up your whole +life in body and soul, and give it forth again at the last day, clad +in robes of glory and immortality. We are, therefore, never without +the sign of baptism nor yet without the thing it signifies; nay, we +must be baptised ever more and more completely, until we perfectly +fulfil the sign, at the last day. + +Therefore, whatever we do in this life that avails for the mortifying +of the flesh and the giving life to the spirit, belongs to baptism; +and the sooner we depart this life the sooner do we fulfil our +baptism, and the greater our sufferings the more closely do we conform +to our baptism. Hence those were the Church's halcyon days, when the +martyrs were being killed every day and accounted as sheep for the +slaughter [Ps. 44:22; Rom. 8:36]; for then the power of baptism +reigned supreme in the Church, which power we have to-day lost sight +of amid the multitude of works and doctrines of men. For all our life +should be baptism, and the fulfilling of the sign, or sacrament, of +baptism; we have been set free from all else and wholly given over to +baptism alone, that is, to death and resurrection. + +[Sidenote: The Glorious Liberty of the Baptised] + +This glorious liberty of ours, and this understanding of baptism have +been carried captive in our day; and whom have we to thank for this +but the Roman pontiff with his despotism? More than all others, it was +his first duty, as chief shepherd, to preach and defend this liberty +and this knowledge, as Paul says in I Corinthians: "Let a man so +account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the +mysteries, or sacraments[101], of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Instead of this, +he seeks only to oppress us with his decrees and his laws, and to +enslave and ensnare us in the tyranny of his power. By what right, in +God's name, does the pope impose his laws upon us? to say nothing of +his wicked and damnable neglect to teach these mysteries. Who gave him +power to despoil us of this liberty, granted us in baptism? One thing +only (as I have said)[103] has been enjoined upon us all the days of +our life,--to be baptised; that is, to be put to death and to live +again, through faith in Christ; and this faith alone should have been +taught, especially by the chief shepherd. But now there is not a word +said about faith, and the Church is laid waste with endless laws +concerning works and ceremonies; the power and right understanding of +baptism are put by, and faith in Christ is prevented. + +Therefore I say: Neither pope nor bishop nor any other man has the +right to impose a single syllable of law upon a Christian man without +his consent; and if he does, it is done in the spirit of tyranny. +Therefore the prayers, fasts, donations, and whatever else the pope +decrees and demands in all of his decretals, as numerous as they are +iniquitous, he demands and decrees without any right whatever; and he +sins against the liberty of the Church whenever he attempts any such +thing. Hence it has come to pass that the churchmen of our day are +indeed such vigorous defenders of the liberty of the Church, that is, +of wood and stone, of land and rents--for "churchly" is nowadays the +same as "spiritual"--yet with such fictions they not only take captive +but utterly destroy the true liberty of the Church, and deal with us +far worse than the Turk, in opposition to the word of the Apostle, "Be +not made the bondslaves of men." [1 Cor. 7:23] For, verily, to be +subjected to their statutes and tyrannical laws is to be made the +bondslaves of men. + +This impious and desperate tyranny is fostered by the pope's +disciples, who here drag in and pervert that saying of Christ, "He +that heareth you heareth me." [Luke 10:16] With puffed cheeks they +blow up this saying to a great size in support of their traditions. +Though Christ spake it to the apostles when they went forth to preach +the Gospel, and though it applies solely to the Gospel, they pass over +the Gospel and apply it only to their fables. He says in John x: "My +sheep hear my voice, but the voice of a stranger they hear not" [John +10:27]; and to this end He left us the Gospel, that His voice might be +uttered by the pontiffs. But they utter their own voice, and +themselves desire to be heard. Moreover, the Apostle says that he was +not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospel [1 Cor. 1:17]. Therefore, +no one is bound to the traditions of the pope, nor does he need to +give ear to him unless he teaches the Gospel and Christ, and the pope +should teach nothing but faith without any restrictions. But since +Christ says, "He that heareth you heareth me," [Luke 10:16] and does +not say to Peter only, "He that heareth thee"; why does not the pope +also hear others? In fine, where there is true faith, there must also +be the word of faith. Why then does not an unbelieving pope now and +then hear a believing servant of his, who has the word of faith? It is +blindness, sheer blindness, that holds the popes in its power. + +But others, more shameless still, arrogantly ascribe to the pope the +power to make laws, on the basis of Matthew xvi, "Whatsoever thou +shalt bind," [Matt. 16:19] etc., though Christ treats in this passage +of binding and loosing sins, not of taking the whole Church captive +and oppressing it with laws. So this tyranny treats everything with +its own lying words and violently wrests and perverts the words of +God. I admit indeed that Christians ought to bear this accursed +tyranny just as they would bear any other violence of this world, +according to Christ's word: "If one strike thee on thy right cheek, +turn to him also the other." [Matt. 5:39] But this is my +complaint,--that the godless pontiffs boastfully claim the right to do +this, that they pretend to be seeking the Church's welfare with this +Babylon of theirs, and that they foist this fiction upon all mankind. +For if they did these things, and we suffered their violence, well +knowing, both of us, that it was godlessness and tyranny, then we +might number it among the things that tend to the mortifying of this +life and the fulfilling of our baptism, and might with a good +conscience glory in the inflicted injury. But now they seek to deprive +us of this consciousness of our liberty, and would have us believe +that what they do is well done, and must not be censured or complained +of as wrongdoing. Being wolves, they masquerade as shepherds; being +anti-christs, they would be honored as Christ. + +Solely in behalf of this freedom of conscience, I lift my voice and +confidently cry: No laws may by any right be laid upon Christians, +whether by men or angels, without their consent; for we are free from +all things. And if any laws are laid upon us, we must bear them in +such a way as to preserve the consciousness of our liberty, and know +and certainly affirm that the making of such laws is an injustice, +which we will bear and glory in, giving heed not to justify the tyrant +nor yet to rebel against his tyranny. "For who is he," says Peter, +"that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" [1 +Pet. 3:13] "All things work together or good to the elect." [Rom. +8:28] + +Nevertheless, since but few know this glory of baptism and the +blessedness of Christian liberty, and cannot know them because of the +tyranny of the pope, I for one will clear my skirts and salve my +conscience by bringing this charge against the pope and all his +papists: Unless they will abolish their laws and traditions, and +restore to Christ's churches their liberty and have it taught among +them, they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this +miserable captivity, and the papacy is of a truth the kingdom of +Babylon, yea, of very Antichrist! For who is "the man of sin" and "the +son of perdition" [2 Thess. 2:3 f.] but he that with his doctrines and +his laws increases sins and the perdition of souls in the Church, +while he sitteth in the Church as if he were God? All this the papal +tyranny has fulfilled, and more than fulfilled, these many centuries; +it has extinguished faith, obscured the sacraments and oppressed the +Gospel; but its own laws, which are not only impious and sacrilegious, +but even barbarous and foolish, it has enjoined and multiplied world +without end. + +Behold, then, our miserable captivity; how the city doth sit solitary +that was full of people! How the mistress of the Gentiles is become as +a widow: the princess of provinces made tributary! There is none to +comfort her, all her friends have despised her. [Lament. 1:1 f.] So +many orders, so many rites, so many sects, so many professions, +exertions and works, in which Christians are engaged, until they lose +sight of their baptism, and for this swarm of locusts, cankerworms and +caterpillars [Joel 1:4] not one of them is able to remember that he is +baptised or what blessings his baptism brought him. We should be even +as little children, newly baptised, who are engaged in no efforts and +no works, but are free in every way, secure and saved solely through +the glory of their baptism. For we are indeed little children, +continually baptised anew in Christ. + +[Sidenote: Infant Baptism] + +In contradiction of what has been said, some will perhaps point to the +baptism of infants, who do not grasp the promise of God and cannot +have the faith of baptism; so that either faith is not necessary or +else infant baptism is without effect. Here I say what all say: +Infants are aided by the faith of others, namely, those who bring them +to baptism[104]. For the Word of God is powerful, when it is uttered, +to change even a godless heart, which is no less deaf and helpless +than any infant. Even so the infant is changed, cleansed and renewed +by inpoured faith, through the prayer of the Church that presents it +for baptism and believes, to which prayer all things are possible +[Mark 9:23]. Nor should I doubt that even a godless adult might be +changed, in any of the sacraments, if the same Church prayed and +presented him; as we read in the Gospel of the man sick of the palsy, +who was healed through the faith of others [Matt. 9:1 ff.]. I should +be ready to admit that in this sense the sacraments of the New Law are +efficacious to confer grace, not only to those who do not, but even to +those who do most obstinately, oppose a bar[105]. What obstacle will +not the faith of the Church and the prayer of faith remove? Do we not +believe that Stephen by this powerful means converted Paul the +Apostle? But then the sacraments accomplish what they do not by their +own power, but by the power of faith, without which they accomplish +nothing at all, as has been said[106]. + +There remains the question, whether it is right to baptise an infant +not yet born, with only a hand or a foot presenting. Here I will +decide nothing hastily, and confess my ignorance. I am not sure +whether the reason given by some is sufficient,--that the soul resides +in its entirety in every part of the body; or it is not the soul but +the body that is externally baptised with water. Nor do I share the +view of others, that he who is not yet born cannot be born again, even +though it has considerable force. I leave these matters to the +teaching of the Spirit, and meanwhile permit every one to abound in +his own sense [Rom. 14:15 (Vulg.)]. + +[Sidenote: Vows and the Baptismal Vow] + +One thing I will add--and would to God I might persuade all to do +it!--viz., completely to abolish or avoid all vows, be they vows to +enter religious orders, to make pilgrimages or to do any works +whatsoever, that we may remain in the liberty of our baptism, which is +the most religious and rich in works. It is impossible to say how +greatly that widespread delusion of vows lowers baptism and obscures +the knowledge of Christian liberty; to say nothing now of the +unspeakable and infinite peril of souls which that mania for making +vows and that ill-advised rashness daily increase. O most godless +pontiffs and unhappy pastors, who slumber on unheeding and indulge +your evil lusts, without pity or this "affliction of Joseph," [Amos +6:4-6] so dreadful and fraught with peril! + +Vows should either be abolished by a general edict, particularly such +as are taken for life, and all men diligently recalled to the vows of +baptism, or else everyone should be warned not to take a vow rashly, +and no one encouraged to do so, nay, permission be given only with +difficulty and reluctance. For we have vowed enough in baptism, nay, +more than we can ever fulfil; if we give ourselves to the keeping of +this one vow, we shall have all we can do. But now we compass earth +and sea to make many proselytes [Matt. 23:15]; we fill the world with +priests, monks and nuns, and imprison them all in life-long vows. You +will find those who argue and decide that a work done in fulfilment of +a vow ranks higher than one done without a vow, and is to be rewarded +with I know not what great rewards in heaven. Blind and godless +Pharisees, who measure righteousness and holiness by the greatness, +number or other quality of the works! But God measures them by faith +alone, and with Him there is no difference between works except that +which is wrought by faith. + +With such bombast these wicked men advertise their inventions and puff +up human works, to lure on the unthinking populace, who are almost +always led by the glitter of works to make shipwreck of their faith, +to forget their baptism and do despite to their Christian liberty. For +a vow is a kind of law or requirement; therefore, when vows are +multiplied, laws and works are necessarily multiplied, and when this +is done, faith is extinguished and the liberty of baptism taken +captive. Others, not content with these wicked allurements, add yet +this and say that entrance into a religious order is a new +baptism[107], as it were, which may afterward be repeated as often as +the purpose to live the religious life is renewed. Thus these +"votaries" have appropriated to themselves all righteousness, +salvation and glory, and let to those who are merely baptised nothing +to compare with them. Nay, the Roman pontiff, that fountain and source +of all superstitions, confirms, approves and adorns this mode of life +with high-sounding bulls and dispensations, while no one deems baptism +worthy of even a thought. And with such glittering pomp (as we have +said)[108] they drive the easily led people of Christ into certain +disaster, so that in their ingratitude toward baptism they presume to +achieve greater things by their works than others achieve by their +faith. + +Therefore, God again shows Himself froward to the froward [Ps. 18:26], +and to repay the makers of vows for their ingratitude and pride, +causes them to break their vows or to keep them only with prodigious +labor; to remain sunk in them, never coming to the knowledge of the +grace of faith and baptism; to continue in their hypocrisy unto the +end--since their spirit is not approved of God--and at last to become +a laughing-stock to the whole world, ever ensuing righteousness and +never attaining unto righteousness; so that they fulfil the word of +Isaiah: "The land is full of idols." [Isa. 2:8] + +I am indeed far from forbidding or discouraging any one who may desire +to take a vow privately and of his own free choice; for I would not +altogether despise and condemn vows. But I would most strongly advise +against setting up and sanctioning the making of vows as a public mode +of life. It is enough that every one should have the private right to +take a vow at his peril; but to commend the vowing of vows as a public +mode of life--this I hold to be most harmful to the Church and to +simple souls. And I hold this, first, because it runs directly counter +to the Christian life; for a vow is a certain ceremonial law and a +human tradition or presumption, and from these the Christian has been +set free through baptism. For a Christian is subject to no laws but +the law of God. Again, there is no instance in Scripture of such a +vow, especially of life-long chastity, obedience and poverty[109]. But +whatever is without warrant of Scripture is hazardous and should by no +means be commended to any one, much less established as a common and +public mode of life, although whoever will must be permitted to make +the venture at his own peril. For certain works are wrought by the +Spirit in a few men, but they must not be made an example or a mode of +life or all. + +Moreover, I greatly fear that these modes of life of the religious +orders belong to those things which the Apostle foretold: "They shall +teach a life in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, +which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving." [1 Tim. 4:2 +f.] Let no one retort by pointing to Sts. Bernard, Francis, Dominic +and others, who founded or fostered monastic orders. Terrible and +marvelous is God in His counsels toward the sons of men. He could keep +Daniel, Ananias, Azarias and Misael holy at the court of the king of +Babylon [Dan 1:6 ff.], that is, in the midst of godlessness; why could +He not sanctify those men also in their perilous mode of living or +guide them by the special operation of His Spirit, yet without +desiring it to be an example to others? Besides, it is certain that +none of them was saved through his vows and his "religious" life; they +were saved through faith alone, by which all men are saved, and with +which that splendid slavery of vows is more than anything else in +conflict. + +But every one may hold to his own view of this [Rom. 14:5]. I will +return to my argument. Speaking now in behalf of the Church's liberty +and the glory of baptism, I feel myself in duty bound publicly to set +forth the counsel I have learned under the Spirit's guidance. I +therefore counsel the magnates of the churches, first of all, to +abolish all those vows, or at least not to approve and extol them. If +they will not do this, then I counsel all men who would be assured of +their salvation, to abstain from all vows, above all from the great +and life-long vows; I give this counsel especially to all growing boys +and youths. This I do, first, because this manner of life has no +witness or warrant in the Scriptures, as I have said, but is puffed up +solely by the bulls (and they truly are "bulls")[110] of human popes. +And, secondly, because it greatly tends to hypocrisy, by reason of its +outward show and its unusual character, which engender conceit and a +contempt of the common Christian life. And if there were no other +reason for abolishing these vows, this one were reason enough, namely, +that through them, faith and baptism are slighted and works are +exalted, which cannot be done without harmful results. For in the +religious orders there is scarce one in many thousands, who is not +more concerned about works than about faith, and on the basis of this +madness they have even made distinctions among themselves, such as +"the more strict" and "the more lax," as they call them[111]. + +Therefore I advise no one to enter any religious order or the +priesthood--nay, I dissuade everyone--unless he be forearmed with this +knowledge and understand that the works of monks and priests, be they +never so holy and arduous, differ no whit in the sight of God from the +works of the rustic toiling in the field or the woman going about her +household tasks, but that all works are measured before Him by faith +alone; as Jeremiah says: "O Lord, thine eyes are upon faith" [Jer. +5:3]; and Ecclesiasticus: "In every work of thine regard thy soul in +faith: for this is the keeping of the commandments." [Eccles. 32:27] +Nay, he should know that the menial housework of a maidservant or +manservant is ofttimes more acceptable to God than all the fastings +and other works of a monk or a priest, because the latter lacks faith. +Since, therefore, vows seem to tend nowadays only to the glorification +of works and to pride, it is to be feared that there is nowhere less +of faith and of the Church than among the priests, monks and bishops, +and that these men are in truth heathen or hypocrites, who imagine +themselves to be the Church or the heart of the Church, and +"spiritual," and the Church's leaders, when they are everything else +but that. And it is to be feared that this is indeed "the people of +the captivity," [Ps. 64:1 (Vulg.)] among whom all things freely given +us in baptism are held captive, while "the people of the earth" are +left behind in poverty and in small numbers, and, as is the lot of +married folk, appear vile in their eyes[112]. + +[Sidenote: Papal Dispensations and their Inconsistency] + +From what has been said we learn that the Roman pontiff is guilty of +two glaring errors. In the first place, he grants dispensations from +vows[113], and does it as though he alone of all Christians possessed +this authority; such is the temerity and audacity of wicked men. If it +be possible to grant a dispensation from a vow, then any brother may +grant one to his neighbor or even to himself. But if one's neighbor +cannot grant a dispensation, neither can the pope by any right. For +whence has he his authority? From the power of the keys? But the keys +belong to all, and avail only for sins (Matthew xviii) [Matt. 18:15 +ff.][114]. Now they themselves claim that vows are "of divine right." +Why then does the pope deceive and destroy the poor souls of men by +granting dispensations in matters of divine right, in which no +dispensations can be granted? He babbles indeed, in the section "Of +vows and their redemption,"[115] of having the power to change vows, +just as in the law the firstborn of an ass was changed or a sheep +[Ex.13:13]--as if the firstborn of an ass, and the vow he commands to +be everywhere and always offered, were one and the same thing, or as +if when God decrees in His law that a sheep shall be changed or an +ass, the pope, a mere man, may straightway claim the same power, not +in his own law but in God's! It was not a pope, but an ass changed for +a pope[116], that made this decretal; so egregiously senseless and +godless is it. + +The other error is this. The pope decrees, on the other hand, that +marriage is dissolved if one party enter a monastery even without the +consent of the other, provided the marriage be not yet consummated. +Gramercy, what devil puts such monstrous things into the pope's mind! +God commands men to keep faith and not break their word to one +another, and again, to do good with that which is their own; for He +hates "robbery in a holocaust," [Isa. 61:8] as he says by the mouth of +Isaiah. But one spouse is bound by the marriage contract to keep faith +with the other, and he is not his own. He cannot break his faith by +any right, and whatever he does with himself is robbery if it be +without the other's consent. Why does not one who is burdened with +debts follow this same rule and obtain admission to an order, so as to +be released from his debts and be free to break his word? O more than +blind! Which is greater; the faith commanded by God or a vow devised +and chosen by man? Thou art a shepherd of souls, O pope? And ye that +teach such things are doctors of sacred theology? Why then do ye teach +them? Because, forsooth, ye have decked out your vow as a better work +than marriage, and do not exalt faith, which alone exalts all things, +but ye exalt works, which are naught in the sight of God, or which are +all alike so far as any merit is concerned[117]. + +I have no doubt, therefore, that neither men nor angels can grant a +dispensation from vows, if they be proper vows. But I am not fully +clear in my own mind whether all the things that men nowadays vow come +under the head of vows. For instance, it is simply foolish and stupid +for parents to dedicate their children, before birth or in early +infancy, to "the religious life," or to perpetual chastity; nay, it is +certain that this can by no means be termed a vow. It seems a mockery +of God to vow things which it is not at all in one's power to keep. As +to the triple vow of the monastic orders, the longer I consider it, +the less I comprehend it, and I marvel whence the custom of exacting +this vow has arisen. Still less do I understand at what age vows may +be taken in order to be legal and valid. I am pleased to find them +unanimously agreed that vows taken before the age of puberty are not +valid. Nevertheless, they deceive many young children who are ignorant +both of their age and of what they are vowing; they do not observe the +age of puberty in receiving such children, who after making their +profession are held captive and devoured by a troubled conscience, as +though they had afterward given their consent. As if a vow which was +invalid could afterward become valid with the lapse of time. + +It seems absurd to me that the terms of a legal vow should be +prescribed to others by those who cannot prescribe them for +themselves. Nor do I see why a vow taken at eighteen years of age +should be valid, and not one taken at ten or twelve years. It will not +do to say that at eighteen a man feels his carnal desires. How is it +when he scarcely feels them at twenty or thirty, or when he feels them +more keenly at thirty than at twenty? Why do they not also set a +certain age-limit or the vows of poverty and obedience? But at what +age will you say a man should feel his greed and pride? Even the most +spiritual hardly become aware of these emotions. Therefore, no vow +will ever become binding and valid until we have become spiritual, and +no longer have any need of vows. You see, these are uncertain and +perilous matters, and it would therefore be a wholesome counsel to +leave such lofty modes of living, unhampered by vows, to the Spirit +alone, as they were of old, and by no means to change them into a rule +binding or life. But let this suffice for the present concerning +baptism and its liberty; in due time[118] I may treat of the vows at +greater length. Of a truth they stand sorely in need of it. + +THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE + +We come in the third place to the sacrament of penance. On this +subject I have already given no little offence by my published +treatises and disputations[119], in which I have amply set forth my +views. These I must now briefly rehearse, in order to unmask the +tyranny that is rampant here no less than in the sacrament of the +bread. For because these two sacraments furnish opportunity for gain +and profit, the greed of the shepherds rages in them with incredible +zeal against the flock of Christ; although baptism, too, has sadly +declined among adults and become the servant of avarice, as we have +just seen in our discussion of vows. + +[Sidenote: The Abuse of Penance] + +This is the first and chief abuse of this sacrament: They have utterly +abolished the sacrament itself, so that there penance is not a vestige +of it left. For they have overthrown both the word of divine promise +and our faith, in which this as well as other sacraments consists. +They have applied to their tyranny the word of promise which Christ +spake in Matthew xvi, "Whatsoever thou shalt bind," etc. [Matt. +16:19], in Matthew xviii, "Whatsoever ye shall bind," [Matt. 18:18] +etc., and in John, the last chapter, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they +are remitted unto them," [John 20:23] etc. In these words the faith of +penitents is aroused, to the obtaining of remission of sins. But in +all their writing, teaching and preaching their sole concern has been, +not to teach Christians what is promised in these words or what they +ought to believe and what great comfort they might find in them, but +only to extend their own tyranny far and wide through force and +violence, until it has come to such a pass that some of them have +begun to command the very angels in heaven[120] and to boast in +incredible mad wickedness of having in these words obtained the right +to a heavenly and an earthly rule, and of possessing the power to bind +even in heaven. Thus they say nothing of the saving faith of the +people, but babble only of the despotic power of the pontiffs, whereas +Christ speaks not at all of power, but only of faith. + +For Christ hath not ordained principalities or powers or lordships, +but ministries, in the Church; as we learn from the Apostle, who says: +"Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the +dispensers of the mysteries of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Now when He said: +"He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved," [Mark 16:16] He +called forth the faith of those to be baptised, so that by this word +of promise a man might be certain of being saved if he believed and +was baptised. In that word there is no impartation of any power +whatever, but only the institution of the ministry of those who +baptise. Similarly, when He says here: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind," +etc. [Matt. 16:19], He calls forth the faith of the penitent, so that +by this word of promise he may be certain of being truly absolved in +heaven, if he be absolved and believe. Here there is no mention at all +of power, but of the ministry of him that absolves. It is a wonder +these blind and overbearing men missed the opportunity of arrogating a +despotic power to themselves from the promise of baptism. But if they +do not do this in the case of baptism, why should they have presumed +to do it in the case of the promise of penance? For in both there is a +like ministry, a similar promise, and the same kind of sacrament. So +that, if baptism does not belong to Peter alone, it is undeniably a +wicked usurpation of power to claim the keys for the pope alone. +Again, when Christ says: "Take, eat; this is my body, which is given +or you. Take, drink; this is the chalice in my blood," etc. [1 Cor. +11:24 f.], He calls forth the faith of those who eat, so that through +these words their conscience may be strengthened by faith and they may +rest assured of receiving the forgiveness of sins, if they have eaten. +Here, too, He says nothing of power, but only of a ministry. + +Thus the promise of baptism remains in some sort, at least to infants; +the promise of bread and the cup has been destroyed and made +subservient to greed, faith becoming a work and the testament a +sacrifice; while the promise of penance has fallen prey to the most +oppressive despotism of all and serves to establish a more than +temporal rule. + +Not content with these things, this Babylon of ours has so completely +extinguished faith that it insolently denies its necessity in this +sacrament; nay, with the wickedness of Antichrist it calls it heresy +if any one should assert its necessity. What more could this tyranny +do that it has not done? [Isa. 5:4] Verily, by the rivers of Babylon +we sit and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion. We hang our harps upon +the willows in the midst thereof. [Ps. 137:1, 2] The Lord curse the +barren willows of those streams! Amen. + +Now let us see what they have put in the place of the promise and the +faith which they have blotted out and overthrown. Three parts have +they made of penance,--contrition, confession, and satisfaction; yet +so as to destroy whatever of good there might be in any of them and to +establish here also their covetousness and tyranny. + +[Sidenote: I. Contrition.] + +In the first place, they teach that contrition precedes faith in the +promise; they hold it much too cheap[121], making it not a work of +faith, but a merit; nay, they do not mention it at all. So deep are +they sunk in works and in those instances of Scripture that show how +many obtained grace by reason of their contrition and humility of +heart; but they take no account of the faith which wrought such +contrition and sorrow of heart, as it is written of the men of Nineveh +in Jonah iii, "And the men of Nineveh believed in God: and they +proclaimed a fast," [Jonah 3:5] etc. Others, again, more bold and +wicked, have invented a so-called "attrition," which is converted into +contrition by virtue of the power of the keys, of which they know +nothing[122]. This attrition they grant to the wicked and unbelieving +and thus abolish contrition altogether. O the intolerable wrath of +God, that such things should be taught in the Church of Christ! Thus, +with both faith and its work destroyed, we go on secure in the +doctrines and opinions of men--yea, we go on to our destruction. A +contrite heart is a precious thing, but it is found only where there +is a lively faith in the promises and the threats of God. Such faith, +intent on the immutable truth of God, startles and terrifies the +conscience and thus renders it contrite, and afterwards, when it is +contrite, raises it up, consoles and preserves it; so that the truth +of God's threatening is the cause of contrition, and the truth of His +promise the cause of consolation, if it be believed. By such faith a +man merits the forgiveness of sins. Therefore faith should be taught +and aroused before all else; and when faith is obtained, contrition +and consolation will follow inevitably and of themselves. + +Therefore, although there is something of truth in their teaching that +contrition is to be attained by what they call the recollection and +contemplation of sins, yet their teaching is perilous and perverse so +long as they do not teach first of all the beginning and cause of +contrition,--the immutable truth of God's threatening and promise, to +the awakening of faith,--so that men may learn to pay more heed to the +truth of God, whereby they are cast down and lifted up, than to the +multitude of their sins, which will rather irritate and increase the +sinful desires than lead to contrition, if they be regarded apart from +the truth of God. I will say nothing now of the intolerable burden +they have bound upon us with their demand that we should frame a +contrition for every sin. That is impossible; we can know only the +smaller part of our sins, and even our good works are found to be +sins, according to Psalm cxliii, "Enter not into judgment with thy +servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." [Ps. +143:2] It is enough to lament the sins which at the present moment +distress our conscience, as well as those which we can readily call to +mind. Whoever is in this frame of mind is without doubt ready to +grieve and fear for all his sins, and will do so whenever they are +brought to his knowledge in the future. + +Beware, then, of putting your trust in your own contrition and of +ascribing the forgiveness of sins to your own sorrow. God does not +have respect to you because of that, but because of the faith by which +you have believed His threatenings and promises, and which wrought +such sorrow within you. Thus we owe whatever of good there may be in +our penance, not to our scrupulous enumeration of sins, but to the +truth of God and to our faith. All other things are the works and +fruits of this, which follow of their own accord, and do not make a +man good, but are done by a man already made good through faith in the +truth of God. Even so, "a smoke goeth up in His wrath, because He is +angry and troubleth the mountains and kindleth them," [Ps. 18:8] as it +is said in Psalm xviii. First comes the terror of His threatening, +which burns up the wicked, then faith, accepting this, sends up the +cloud of contrition, etc. + +[Sidenote: 2. Confession] + +Contrition, however, is less exposed to tyranny and gain than wholly +given over to wickedness and pestilent teaching. But confession and +satisfaction have become the chief workshop of greed and violence. Let +us first take up confession. There is no doubt that confession is +necessary and commanded of God. Thus we read in Matthew iii: "They +were baptised of John in Jordan, confessing their sins." [Matt. 3:6] +And in I John i: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to +forgive us our sins. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a +liar, and his word is not in us." [1 John 1:9 f.] If the saints may +not deny their sin, how much more ought those who are guilty of open +and great sins[123] to make confession! But most effectively of all +does Matthew xviii prove the institution of confession, in which +passage Christ teaches that a sinning brother should be rebuked, haled +before the Church, accused and, if he will not hear, excommunicated. +But he hears when, heeding the rebuke, he acknowledges and confesses +his sin. [Matt. 18:15] + +[Sidenote: Private Confession] + +[Sidenote: "Reserved Cases"] + +Of private confession, which is now observed, I am heartily in favor, +even though it cannot be proved from the Scriptures; it is useful and +necessary, nor would I have it abolished--nay, I rejoice that it +exists in the Church of Christ, for it is a cure without an equal for +distressed consciences. For when we have laid bare our conscience to +our brother and privately made known to him the evil that lurked +within, we receive from our brother's lips the word of comfort spoken +by God Himself; and, if we accept it in faith, we find peace in the +mercy of God speaking to us through our brother. This alone do I +abominate,--that this confession has been subjected to the despotism +and extortion of the pontiffs. They reserve[124] to themselves even +hidden sins, and command that they be made known to confessors named +by them, only to trouble the consciences of men. They merely play the +pontiff, while they utterly despise the true duties of pontiffs, which +are to preach the Gospel and to care for the poor. Yea, the godless +despots leave the great sins to the plain priests, and reserve to +themselves those sins only which are of less consequence, such as +those ridiculous and fictitious things in the bull _Coena +domini_[125]. Nay, to make the wickedness of their error the more +apparent, they not only do not reserve, but actually teach and +approve, the sins against the service of God, against faith and the +chief commandments; such as their running on pilgrimages, the perverse +worship of the saints, the lying saints' legends, the various forms of +trust in works and ceremonies, and the practicing of them, by all of +which faith in God is extinguished and idolatry encouraged, as we see +in our day. We have the same kind of priests to-day as Jereboam +ordained of old in Dan and Beersheba [1 Kings 12:26 ff.],--ministers +of the golden calves, men who are ignorant of the law of God, of faith +and of whatever pertains to the feeding of Christ's sheep, and who +inculcate in the people nothing but their own inventions with terror +and violence. + +Although my advice is that we bear this outrage of reserved cases, +even as Christ bids us bear all the tyranny of men, and teaches us +that we must obey these extortioners; nevertheless I deny that they +have the right to make such reservations, nor do I believe they can +bring one jot or tittle of proof that they have it. But I am going to +prove the contrary. In the first place, Christ, speaking in Matthew +xviii of open sins, says that if our brother shall hear us when we +rebuke him, we have saved the soul of our brother, and that he is to +be brought before the Church only if he refuse to hear us; so that his +sin may be corrected among brethren. How much more will it be true of +hidden sins, that they are forgiven if one brother freely makes +confession to another? So that it is not necessary to tell it to the +Church, that is, as these babblers interpret it, the prelate or +priest. We have another proof of this in Christ's words in the same +chapter: "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in +heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in +heaven." [Matt. 18:18] For this is said to each and every Christian. +Again, He says in the same place: "Again I say to you, that if two of +you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever that they +shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven." +[Matt 18:19] Now, the brother who lays his hidden sins before his +brother and craves pardon, certainly consents with his brother upon +earth in the truth, which is Christ. Of which Christ says yet more +clearly, confirming His preceding words: "Verily I say unto you, where +two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst +of them." [Matt. 18:20] + +Hence, I have no doubt but that every one is absolved from his hidden +sins when he has made confession, either of his own accord or after +being rebuked, has sought pardon and amended his ways, privately +before any brother, however much the violence of the pontiffs may rage +against it; for Christ has given to every one of His believers the +power to absolve even open sins. Add yet this little point: If any +reservation of hidden sins were valid, so that one could not be saved +unless they were forgiven, then a man's salvation would be prevented +most of all by those aforementioned good works and idolatries, which +are nowadays taught by the popes. But if these most grievous sins do +not prevent one's salvation, how foolish it is to reserve those +lighter sins! Verily, it is the foolishness and blindness of the +pastors that produce these monstrous things in the Church. Therefore I +would admonish these princes of Babylon and bishops of Bethaven [Hosea +4:15; 10:5] to refrain from reserving any cases whatsoever. Let them, +moreover, permit all brothers and sisters freely to hear the +confession of hidden sins, so that the sinner may make his sins known +to whomever he will and seek pardon and comfort, that is, the word of +Christ, by the mouth of his neighbor. For with these presumptions of +theirs they only ensnare the consciences of the weak without +necessity, establish their wicked despotism, and fatten their avarice +on the sins and ruin of their brethren. Thus they stain their hands +with the blood of souls, sons are devoured by their parents, Ephraim +devours Juda, and Syria Israel with open mouth, as Isaiah saith [Isa +9:20]. + +[Sidenote: "Circumstances"] + +To these evils they have added the "circumstances,"[126] and also the +mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers- and sisters-in-law, branches +and fruits of sins; since, forsooth, astute and idle men have worked +out a kind of family tree of relationships and affinities even among +sins--so prolific is wickedness coupled with ignorance. For this +conceit, whatever rogue be its author, has like many another become a +public law. Thus do the shepherds keep watch over the Church of +Christ; whatever new work or superstition those stupid devotees may +have dreamed of, they straightway drag to the light of day, deck out +with indulgences and safeguard with bulls; so far are they from +suppressing it and preserving to God's people the true faith and +liberty. For what has our liberty to do with the tyranny of Babylon? +My advice would be to ignore all circumstances utterly. With +Christians there is only one circumstance,--that a brother has sinned. +For there is no person to be compared with a Christian brother. And +the observance of places, times, days, persons, and all other +superstitious moonshine, only magnifies the things that are nothing, +to the injury of those which are everything; as if aught could be +greater or of more importance than the glory of Christian brotherhood! +Thus they bind us to places, days and persons, that the name of +brother may be lightly esteemed, and we may serve in bondage instead +of being free--we to whom all days, places, persons, and all external +things are one and the same. + +[Sidenote: 3. Satisfaction] + +How unworthily they have dealt with satisfaction, I have abundantly +shown in the controversies concerning indulgences[127]. They have +grossly abused it, to the ruin of Christians in body and soul. To +begin with, they taught it in such a manner that the people never +learned what satisfaction really is, namely, the renewal of a man's +life. Then, they so continually harp on it and emphasize its +necessity, that they leave no room for faith in Christ. With these +scruples they torture poor consciences to death, and one runs to Rome, +one to this place, another to that, this one to Chartreuse, that one +to some other place, one scourges himself with rods, another ruins his +body with fasts and vigils, and all cry with the same mad zeal, "Lo +here is Christ! lo there!" [Luke 17:20 f.] believing that the kingdom +of heaven, which is within us, will come with observation[128]. + +For these monstrous things we are indebted to thee, O Roman See, and +thy murderous laws and ceremonies, with which thou hast corrupted all +mankind, so that they think by works to make satisfaction or sin to +God, Who can be satisfied only by the faith of a contrite heart! This +faith thou not only keepest silent with this uproar of thine, but even +oppressest, only so thy insatiable horseleech have those to whom it +may say, "Bring, bring!" [Prov. 30:15] and may traffic in sins. + +Some have gone even farther and have constructed those instruments for +driving souls to despair,--their decrees that the penitent must +rehearse all sins anew for which he neglected to make the imposed +satisfaction. Yea, what would not they venture to do, who were born +for the sole purpose of carrying all things into a tenfold captivity? +Moreover, how many are possessed with the notion that they are in a +saved state and are making satisfaction for their sins, if they but +mumble over, word for word, the prayers the priest has imposed, even +though they give never a thought meanwhile to amending their life! +They believe that their life is changed in the one moment of +contrition and confession, and it remains only to make satisfaction +for their past sins. How should they know better, when they are not +taught otherwise? No thought is given here to the mortifying of the +flesh, no value is attached to the example of Christ, Who absolved the +woman taken in adultery and said to her, "Go, and sin no more!" [John +8:11] thereby laying upon her the cross--the mortifying of her flesh. +This perverse error is greatly encouraged by our absolving sinners +before the satisfaction has been completed, so that they are more +concerned about completing the satisfaction which lies before them, +than they are about contrition, which they suppose to be past and over +when they have made confession. Absolution ought rather to follow on +the completion of satisfaction, as it did in the ancient Church, with +the result that, after completing the work, penitents gave themselves +with greater diligence to faith and the living of a new life. + +But this must suffice in repetition of what I have more fully said on +indulgences, and in general this must suffice for the present +concerning the three sacraments, which have been treated, and yet not +treated, in so many harmful books, theological as well as juristic. It +remains to attempt some discussion of the other sacraments also, lest +I seem to have rejected them without cause. + +CONFIRMATION + +I wonder what could have possessed them to make a sacrament of +confirmation out of the laying on of hands, which Christ employed when +He blessed young children [Mark 10:16], and the apostles when they +imparted the Holy Spirit [Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6; Acts 6:6; Mark 16:18], +ordained elders and cured the sick, as the Apostle writes to Timothy, +"Lay hands suddenly on no man." [1 Tim. 5:22] Why have they not also +turned the sacrament of the bread into confirmation? For it is written +in Acts ix, "And when he had taken meat he was strengthened,"[129] and +in Psalm civ, "And that bread may cheer[130] man's heart." [Ps. +104:15] Confirmation would thus include three sacraments--the bread, +ordination, and confirmation itself. But if everything the apostles +did is a sacrament, why have they not rather made preaching a +sacrament? + +I do not say this because I condemn the seven sacraments, but because +I deny that they can be proved from the Scriptures. Would to God we +had in the Church such a laying on of hands as there was in apostolic +times, whether we called it confirmation or healing! But there is +nothing left of it now but what we ourselves have invented to adorn +the office of the bishops, that they may have at least something to do +in the Church. For after they relinquished to their inferiors those +arduous sacraments together with the Word, as being too common for +themselves,--since, forsooth, whatever the divine Majesty has +instituted must needs be despised of men!--it was no more than right +that we should discover something easy and not too burdensome for such +delicate and great heroes to do, and should by no means entrust it to +the lower clergy as something common--for whatever human wisdom has +decreed must needs be held in honor among men! Therefore, as are the +priests, so let their ministry and duty be. For a bishop who does not +preach the Gospel or care for souls [1 Cor. 8:4], what is he but an +idol in the world, having but the name and appearance of a bishop? + +But we seek, instead of this, sacraments that have been divinely +instituted, among which we see no reason for numbering confirmation. +For, in order that there be a sacrament, there is required above all +things a word of divine promise, whereby faith may be trained. But we +read nowhere that Christ ever gave a promise concerning confirmation, +although He laid hands on many and included the laying on of hands +among the signs in Mark xvi: "They shall lay their hands on the sick, +and they shall recover." [Mark 16:18] Yet no one referred this to a +sacrament, nor can this be done. Hence it is sufficient to regard +confirmation as a certain churchly rite or sacramental ceremony, +similar to other ceremonies, such as the blessing of holy water and +the like. For if every other creature is sanctified by the word and by +prayer [1 Tim. 4:4 f.], why should not much rather man be sanctified +by the same means? Still, these things cannot be called sacraments of +faith, because there is no divine promise connected with them, neither +do they save; but sacraments do save those who believe the divine +promise. + +MARRIAGE + +Not only is marriage regarded as a sacrament without the least warrant +of Scripture, but the very traditions which extol it as a sacrament +have turned it into a farce. Let me explain. + +We said[131] that there is in every sacrament a word of divine +promise, to be believed by whoever receives the sign, and that the +sign alone cannot be a sacrament. Now we read nowhere that the man who +marries a wife receives any grace of God. Nay, there is not even a +divinely instituted sign in marriage, for nowhere do we read that +marriage was instituted by God to be a sign of anything. To be sure, +whatever takes place in a visible manner may be regarded as a type or +figure of something invisible; but types and figures are not +sacraments in the sense in which we use this term. Furthermore, since +marriage existed from the beginning of the world and is still found +among unbelievers, it cannot possibly be called a sacrament of the New +Law and the exclusive possession of the Church. The marriages of the +ancients were no less sacred than are ours, nor are those of +unbelievers less true marriages than those of believers, and yet they +are not regarded as sacraments. Besides, there are even among +believers married folk who are wicked and worse than any heathen; why +should marriage be called a sacrament in their case and not among the +heathen? Or are we going to prate so foolishly of baptism and the +Church as to hold that marriage is a sacrament only in the Church, +just as some make the mad claim that temporal power exists only in the +Church? That is childish and foolish talk, by which we expose our +ignorance and our arrogance to the ridicule of unbelievers. + +But they will say: The Apostle writes in Ephesians v, "They shall be +two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament." [Eph. 5:31 f.] Surely +you are not going to contradict so plain a statement of the Apostle! I +reply: This argument, like the others, betrays great shallowness and a +negligent and thoughtless reading of Scripture. Nowhere in Holy +Scripture is this word sacrament employed in the meaning to which we +are accustomed; it has an entirely different meaning. For wherever it +occurs it signifies not the sign of a sacred thing, but a sacred, +secret, hidden thing. Thus Paul writes in i Corinthians iv, "Let a man +so account of us as the ministers of Christ, and dispensers of the +mysteries[132]--i. e., sacraments--of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] Where we have +the word _sacrament_ the Greek text reads _mystery_, which word our +version sometimes translates and sometimes retains in its Greek form. +Thus our verse reads in the Greek: "They shall be two in one flesh; +this is a great _mystery_." [Eph. 5:31] This explains how they came to +find a sacrament of the New Law here--a thing they would never have +done if they had read the word _mystery_, as it is in the Greek[133]. +Thus Christ Himself is called a sacrament in I Timothy iii, "And +evidently great is the sacrament--i. e., mystery--of godliness, which +was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, appeared +unto angels, hath been preached unto the Gentiles, is believed by the +world, is taken up in glory."[1 Tim. 3:16][134] Why have they not +drawn out of this passage an eighth sacrament of the New Law, since +they have the clear authority of Paul? But if they restrained +themselves here, where they had a most excellent opportunity to +unearth a new sacrament, why are they so wanton in the former passage? +It was their ignorance, forsooth, of both words and things; they clung +to the mere sound of the words, nay, to their own fancies. For, having +once arbitrarily taken the word sacrament to mean a sign, they +straightway, without thought or scruple, made a sign of it every time +they came upon it in the Sacred Scriptures. Such new meanings of words +and such human customs they have also elsewhere dragged into Holy +Writ, and conformed it to their dreams, making anything out of any +passage whatsoever. Thus they continually chatter nonsense about the +terms: good and evil works, sin, grace, righteousness, virtue, and +wellnigh every one of the fundamental words and things. For they +employ them all after their own arbitrary judgment, learned from the +writings of men, to the detriment both of the truth of God and of our +salvation. + +Therefore, _sacrament_, or _mystery_, in Paul's writings, is that +wisdom of the Spirit, hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7 ff.], as he says +in i Corinthians ii, which is Christ, Who is for this very reason not +known to the princes of this world, wherefore they also crucified Him, +and Who still is to them foolishness, an offense, a stone of stumbling +[1 Cor. 1:23; Rom. 9:33], and a sign which is spoken against [Luke +2:34]. The preachers he calls dispensers of these mysteries because +they preach Christ, the power and the wisdom of God [1 Cor. 1:23 f.; +4:1], yet so that one cannot receive this unless one believe. +Therefore, a sacrament is a mystery, or secret thing, which is set +forth in words and is received by the faith of the heart. Such a +sacrament is spoken of in the verse before us--"They shall be two in +one flesh. This is a great sacrament"[Eph 5:31]--which they understand +as spoken of marriage, whereas Paul wrote these words of Christ and +the Church, and clearly explained his meaning by adding, "But I speak +in Christ and in the Church." Ay, how well they agree with Paul! He +declares he is setting forth a great sacrament in Christ and the +Church, but they set it forth in a man and a woman! If such wantonness +be permitted in the Sacred Scriptures, it is small wonder if one find +there anything one please, even a hundred sacraments. + +Christ and the Church are, therefore, a mystery, that is, a great and +secret thing, which it was possible and proper[135] to represent by +marriage as by a certain outward allegory, but that was no reason for +their calling marriage a sacrament. The heavens are a type of the +apostles, as Psalm xix declares; the sun is a type of Christ; the +waters, of the peoples [Ps. 19:1 ff.]; but that does not make those +things sacraments, for in every case there are lacking both the divine +institution and the divine promise, which constitute a sacrament. +Hence Paul, in Ephesians v, following his own mind[136], applies to +Christ these words in Genesis ii about marriage, or else, following +the general view,[136] he teaches that the spiritual marriage of +Christ is also contained therein, saying: "As Christ cherisheth the +Church: because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his +bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and +shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is +a great sacrament; I speak in Christ and in the Church." [Eph. 5:29 +ff.] You see, he would have the whole passage apply to Christ, and is +at pains to admonish the reader to find the sacrament in Christ and +the Church, and not in marriage.[137] + +Therefore we grant that marriage is a type of Christ and the Church, +and a sacrament, yet not divinely instituted, but invented by men in +the Church, carried away by their ignorance both of the word and of +the thing. Which ignorance, since it does not conflict with the faith, +is to be charitably borne with, just as many other practices of human +weakness and ignorance are borne with in the Church, so long as they +do not conflict with the faith and with the Word of God. But we are +now dealing with the certainty and purity of the faith and the +Scriptures; so that our faith be not exposed to ridicule, when after +affirming that a certain thing is contained in the Sacred Scriptures +and in the articles of our faith, we are refuted and shown that it is +not contained therein, and, being found ignorant of our own affairs, +become a stumbling-block to our opponents and to the weak; nay, that +we destroy not the authority of the Holy Scriptures. For those things +which have been delivered to us by God in the Sacred Scriptures must +be sharply distinguished from those that have been invented by men in +the Church, it matters not how eminent they be for saintliness and +scholarship. + +[Sidenote: Hindrances to Marriage] + +So far concerning marriage itself. But what shall we say of the wicked +laws of men by which this divinely ordained manner of life is ensnared +and tossed to and fro? Good God! it is dreadful to contemplate the +audacity of the Roman despots, who wantonly tear marriages asunder and +again force them together. Prithee, is mankind given over to the +wantonness of these men, for them to mock and in every way abuse and +make of them whatever they please, for filthy lucre's sake? + +There is circulating far and wide and enjoying a great reputation, a +book whose contents have been poured together out of the cesspool of +all human traditions, and whose title is "The Angelic Sum,[138]" +though it ought rather to be "The More than Devilish Sum." Among +endless other monstrosities, which are supposed to instruct the +confessors, while they most mischievously confuse them, there are +enumerated in this book eighteen hindrances to marriage[139]. If you +will examine these with the just and unprejudiced eye of faith, you +will see that they belong to those things which the Apostle foretold: +"There shall be those that give heed to spirits of devils, speaking +lies in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry." [1 Tim. 4:1 ff.] What is +forbidding to marry if it is not this--to invent all those hindrances +and set those snares, in order to prevent men from marrying or, if +they be married, to annul their marriage? Who gave this power to men? +Granted that they were holy men and impelled by godly zeal, why should +another's holiness disturb my liberty? why should another's zeal take +me captive? Let whoever will, be a saint and a zealot, and to his +heart's content; only let him not bring harm upon another, and let him +not rob me of my liberty! + +Yet I am glad that those shameful laws have at length attained to +their full measure of glory, which is this: the Romanists of our day +have through them become merchants. What is it they sell? The shame of +men and women--merchandise, forsooth, most worthy of such merchants, +grown altogether filthy and obscene through greed and godlessness. For +there is nowadays no hindrance that may not be legalised upon the +intercession of mammon, so that these laws of men seem to have sprung +into existence for the sole purpose of serving those grasping and +robbing Nimrods as snares for taking money and as nets for catching +souls, and in order that that "abomination" might stand "in the holy +place," [Matt. 24:15] the Church of God, and openly sell to men the +shame of either sex, or as the Scriptures say, "shame and nakedness," +[Lev. 13:6 ff.] of which they had previously robbed them by means of +their laws. O worthy trade for our pontiffs to ply, instead of the +ministry of the Gospel, which in their greed and pride they despise, +being delivered up to a reprobate sense with utter shame and infamy. +[Rom. 1:28] + +But what shall I say or do? If I enter into details, the treatise will +grow to inordinate length, for everything is in such dire confusion +one does not know where to begin, whither to go on, or where to leave +off. I know that no state is well governed by means of laws. If the +magistrate be wise, he will rule more prosperously by natural bent +than by laws. If he be not wise, he will but further the evil by means +of laws; for he will not know what use to make of the laws nor how to +adapt them to the individual case. More stress ought, therefore, to be +laid, in civil affairs, on putting good and wise men in office than on +making laws; for such men will themselves be the very best laws, and +will judge every variety of case with lively justice. And if there be +knowledge of the divine law combined with natural wisdom, then written +laws will be entirely superfluous and harmful. Above all, love needs +no laws whatever[140]. + +Nevertheless I will say and do what I can. I admonish and pray all +priests and brethren[141], when they encounter any hindrance from +which the pope can grant dispensation and which is not expressly +contained in the Scriptures, by all means to confirm[142] any marriage +that may have been contracted[143] in any way contrary to the +ecclesiastical or pontifical laws. But let them arm themselves with +the divine law, which says, "What God hath joined together, let no man +put asunder." [Matt. 19:6] For the joining together of a man and a +woman is of divine law and is binding, however it may conflict with +the laws of men; the laws of men must give way before it without +hesitation. For if a man leaves father and mother and cleaves to his +wife, how much more will he tread underfoot the silly and wicked laws +of men[144] in order to cleave to his wife! And if pope, bishop or +official[145] annul any marriage because it was contracted contrary to +the laws of men, he is antichrist, he does violence to nature, and is +guilty of lese-majesty toward God, because this word stands,--"What +God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." [Matt. 19:6] + +Besides this, no man had the right to frame such laws, and Christ has +granted to Christians a liberty which is above all laws of men, +especially where a law of God conflicts with them. Thus it is said in +Mark ii, "The Son of man is lord also of the sabbath," [Mark 2:28] +and, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." [Mark +2:27] Moreover, such laws were condemned beforehand by Paul, when he +foretold that there would be men forbidding to marry [1 Tim. 4:3]. +Here, therefore, those cruel hindrances arising from affinity, +spiritual or legal relationship[146], and consanguinity must give way, +so far as the Scriptures permit, in which the second degree of +consanguinity alone is prohibited. Thus it is written in Leviticus +xviii, in which chapter there are twelve persons a man is prohibited +from marrying; namely, his mother, his mother-in-law, his full sister, +his half-sister by either parent, his granddaughter, his father's or +mother's sister, his daughter-in-law, his brother's wife, his wife's +sister, his stepdaughter, and his uncle's wife. [Lev. 18:6 ff.] Here +only the first degree of affinity and the second degree of +consanguinity are forbidden; yet not without exception, as will appear +on closer examination, for the brother's or sister's daughter, or the +niece, is not included in the prohibition, although she is in the +second degree. Therefore, if a marriage has been contracted outside of +these degrees, it should by no means be annulled on account of the +laws of men, since it is nowhere written in the Bible that any other +degrees were prohibited by God. Marriage itself, as of divine +institution, is incomparably superior to any laws; so that marriage +should not be annulled for the sake of the laws, rather should the +laws be broken for the sake of marriage. + +That nonsense about conpaternities, conmaternities, confraternities, +consororities, and confilieties must therefore be altogether +abolished, when a marriage has been contracted. What was it but the +superstition of men that invented those spiritual relationships?[147] +If one may not marry the person one has baptised or stood sponsor for, +what right has any Christian to marry any other Christian? Is the +relationship that grows out of the external rite, or the sign, of the +sacrament more intimate that that which grows out of the blessing[148] +of the sacrament itself? Is not a Christian man brother to a Christian +woman, and is not she his sister? Is not a baptised man the spiritual +brother of a baptised woman? How foolish we are! If a man instruct his +wife in the Gospel and in faith in Christ and thus become truly her +father in Christ, would it not be right for her to remain his wife? +Would not Paul have had the right to marry a maiden out of the +Corinthian congregation, of whom he boasts that he has begotton them +all in Christ? [1 Cor. 4:15] Lo, thus has Christian liberty been +suppressed through the blindness of human superstition. + +There is even less in the legal relationship[149], and yet they have +set it above the divine right of marriage. Nor would I recognise that +hindrance which they term "disparity of religion,"[150] and which +forbids one to marry any unbaptised person, even on condition that she +become converted to the faith. Who made this prohibition? God or man? +Who gave to men the power to prohibit such a marriage? The spirits, +forsooth, that speak lies in hypocrisy, as Paul says [1 Tim 4:1]. Of +them it must be said: "The wicked have told me fables; but not as thy +law." [Ps. 119:85] The heathen Patricius married the Christian Monica, +the mother of St. Augustine; why should not the same be permitted +nowadays? + +The same stupid, nay, wicked cruelty is seen in "the hindrance of +crime,"[151]--as when a man has married a woman with whom he had lived +in adultery, or when he plotted to bring about the death of a woman's +husband in order to be able to wed the widow. I pray you, whence comes +this cruelty of man toward man, which even God never demanded? Do they +pretend not to know that Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, was wed by +David, a most saintly man, after the double crime of adultery and +murder? If the divine law did this, what do these despotic men to +their fellowservants? + +Another hindrance is that which they call "the hindrance of a +tie,"[152]--as when a man is bound by being betrothed to another +woman. Here they decide that, if he has had carnal knowledge of the +second, the betrothal with the first becomes null and void. This I do +not understand at all. I hold that he who has betrothed himself to one +woman belongs no longer to himself, and because of this act, by the +prohibition of the divine law, he belongs to the first, though he has +not known her, even if he has known the second. For it was not in his +power to give the latter what was no longer his own; he deceived her +and actually committed adultery. But they regard the matter +differently because they pay more heed to the carnal union than to the +divine command, according to which the man, having plighted his troth +to the first, is bound to keep it for ever. For whoever would give +anything must give of that which is his own. And God forbids a man to +overreach or circumvent his brother in any matter [1 Thess. 4:6]. This +prohibition must be kept, over and above all the traditions of all +men. Therefore, the man in the above case cannot with a good +conscience live in marriage with the second woman, and this hindrance +should be completely overthrown. For if a monastic vow make a man to +be no longer his own, why does not a promise of betrothal given and +received do the same?--since this[153] is one of the precepts and +fruits of the Spirit (Galatians v) [Gal. 5:22 f.; Eph. 5:9], while a +monastic vow is of human invention. And if a wife may claim her +husband despite the act that he has taken a monastic vow, why may not +a bride claim her betrothed, even though he has known another? But we +said above[154] that he who has plighted his troth to a maiden ought +not to take a monastic vow, but is in duty bound to keep faith with +her, which faith he cannot break for any tradition of men, because it +is commanded by God. Much more should the man here keep faith with his +first bride, since he could not plight his troth to a second save with +a lying heart, and therefore did not really plight it, but deceived +her, his neighbor, against God's command. Therefore, the "hindrance of +error"[155] enters in here, by which his marriage to the second woman +is rendered null and void. + +The "hindrance of ordination"[156] also is a lying invention of men, +especially since they prate that even a contracted marriage is +annulled by it. Thus they constantly exalt their traditions above the +commands of God. I do not indeed sit in judgment on the present state +of the priestly order, but I observe that Paul charges a bishop to be +the husband of one wife [1 Tim. 3:2]; hence no marriage of deacon, +priest, bishop or any other order can be annulled,--although it is +true that Paul knew nothing of this species of priests, and of the +orders that we have to-day. Perish those cursed human traditions, +which have crept into the Church only to multiply perils, sins and +evils! There exists, therefore, between a priest and his wife a true +and indissoluble marriage, approved by the divine commandment. But +what if wicked men in sheer despotism prohibit or annul it? So be it! +Let it be wrong among men; it is nevertheless right before God, Whose +command must needs take precedence if it conflicts with the commands +of men. + +An equally lying invention is that "hindrance of public decency,"[157] +by which contracted marriages are annulled. I am incensed at that +barefaced wickedness which is so ready to put asunder what God hath +joined together that one may well scent antichrist in it, for it +opposes all that Christ has done and taught. What earthly reason is +there for holding that no relative of a deceased husband, even to the +fourth degree, may marry the latter's widow? That is not a +judgment[158] of public decency, but ignorance[158] of public decency. +Why was not this judgment of public decency found among the people of +Israel, who were endowed with the best laws, the laws of God? On the +contrary, the next of kin was even compelled by the law of God to +marry the widow of his relative [Deut. 25:5]. Must the people of +Christian liberty be burdened with severer laws than the people of +legal bondage? But, to make an end of these figments, rather than +hindrances--thus far there seem to me to be no hindrances that may +justly annul a contracted marriage save these: impotence of the +husband, ignorance of a previously contracted marriage, and a vow of +chastity. Still, concerning the last, I am to this day so far from +certain that I do not know at what age such a vow is to be regarded as +binding; as I also said above in discussing the sacrament of +baptism[159]. Thus you may learn, from this one question of marriage, +how wretchedly and desperately all the activities of the Church have +been confused, hindered, ensnared, and subjected to danger through the +pestilent, ignorant and wicked traditions of men, so that there is no +hope of betterment unless we abolish at one stroke all the laws of all +men, restore the Gospel of liberty, and by it judge and rule all +things. Amen. + +[Sidenote: Impotence] + +We have to speak, then, of sexual impotence, that we may the more +readily advise the souls that are in peril.[160] But first I wish to +state that what I have said of hindrances is intended to apply after a +marriage has been contracted; no marriage should be annulled by any +such hindrance. But as to marriages which are to be contracted, I +would briefly repeat what I said above[161]. Under the stress of +youthful passion or of any other necessity for which the pope grants +dispensation, any brother may grant a dispensation to another or even +to himself, and following that counsel snatch his wife out of the +power of the tyrannical laws as best he can. For with what right am I +deprived of my liberty by another's superstition and ignorance? If the +pope grants a dispensation for money, why should not I, for my soul's +salvation, grant a dispensation to myself or to my brother? Does the +pope set up laws? Let him set them up or himself, and keep hands off +my liberty; else I will take it by stealth! Now let us discuss the +matter of impotence. + +Take the following case. A woman, wed to an impotent man, is unable to +prove her husband's impotence before court, or perhaps she is +unwilling to do so with the mass of evidence and all the notoriety +which the law demands; yet she is desirous of having children or is +unable to remain continent. Now suppose I had counseled her to demand +a divorce from her husband in order to marry another, satisfied that +her own and her husband's conscience and their experience were ample +testimony of his impotence; but the husband refused his consent to +this. Then suppose I should further counsel her, with the consent of +the man (who is not really her husband, but merely a dweller under the +same roof with her), to give herself to another, say her husband's +brother, but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children +to the so-called putative father. The question is: Is such a woman in +a saved state? I answer, Certainly. Because in this case the error and +ignorance of the man's impotence are a hindrance to the marriage; the +tyranny of the laws permits no divorce; the woman is free through the +divine law, and cannot be compelled to remain continent. Therefore the +man ought to yield her this right, and let another man have her as +wife whom he has only in outward appearance. + +Moreover, if the man will not give his consent, or agree to this +division,--rather than allow the woman to burn or to commit adultery, +I should counsel her to contract a marriage with another and flee to +distant parts unknown. What other counsel could be given to one +constantly in danger from lust? Now I know that some are troubled by +the act that then the children of this secret marriage are not the +rightful heirs of their putative father. But if it was done with the +consent of the husband, then the children will be the rightful heirs. +If, however, it was done without his knowledge or against his will, +then let unbiased Christian reason, nay, let Christian charity, decide +which of the two has done the greater injury to the other. The wife +alienates the inheritance, but the husband has deceived his wife and +is completely defrauding her of her body and her life. Is not the sin +of the man who wastes his wife's body and life a greater sin than that +of the woman who merely alienates the temporal goods of her husband? +Let him, therefore, agree to a divorce, or else be satisfied with +strange heirs; for by his own fault he deceived the innocence of a +maiden and defrauded her of the proper use of her body, besides giving +her a wellnigh irresistible opportunity to commit adultery. Let both +be weighed in the same scales. Certainly, by every right, deceit +should all back on the deceiver, and whoever has done an injury must +make it good. What is the difference between such a husband and the +man who holds another's wife captive together with her husband? Is not +such a tyrant compelled to support wife and children and husband, or +else to set them free? Why should not the same hold here? Therefore I +maintain that the man should be compelled either to submit to a +divorce or to support the other man's child as his heir. Doubtless +this would be the judgment of charity. In that case, the impotent man, +who is not really the husband, should support the heirs of his wife in +the same spirit in which he would at great cost wait on his wife if +she fell sick or suffered some other ill; for it is by his fault and +not by his wife's that she suffers this ill. This have I set forth to +the best of my ability, for the strengthening of anxious consciences, +being desirous to bring my afflicted brethren in this captivity what +little comfort I can.[162] + +[Sidenote: Divorce] + +As to divorce, it is still a moot question whether it be allowable. +For my part I so greatly detest divorce that I should prefer bigamy to +it,[163] but whether it be allowable, I do not venture to decide. +Christ Himself, the Chief Pastor[164], says in Matthew v, "Whosoever +shall put away his wife, excepting for the cause of fornication, +maketh her commit adultery; and he that shall marry her that is put +away, committeth adultery." [Matt. 5:32] Christ, then, permits +divorce, but for the cause of fornication only. The pope must, +therefore, be in error whenever he grants a divorce for any other +cause, and no one should feel safe who has obtained a dispensation by +this temerity (not authority) of the pope. Yet it is a still greater +wonder to me, why they compel a man to remain unmarried after being +separated from his wife, and why they will not permit him to remarry. +For if Christ permits divorce for the cause of fornication and compels +no one to remain unmarried, and if Paul would rather have one marry +than burn [1 Cor. 7:9], then He certainly seems to permit a man to +marry another woman in the stead of the one who has been put away. +Would to God this matter were thoroughly threshed out and decided, so +that counsel might be given in the infinite perils of those who, +without any fault of their own, are nowadays compelled to remain +unmarried, that is, of those whose wives or husbands have run away and +deserted them, to come back perhaps after ten years, perhaps never. +This matter troubles and distresses me; I meet cases of it every day, +whether it happen by the special malice of Satan or because of our +neglect of the word of God. + +I, indeed, who, alone against all, can decide nothing in this matter, +would yet greatly desire at least the passage in I Corinthians vii to +be applied here,--"But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a +brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases." [1 Cor. 7:15] +Here the Apostle gives permission to put away the unbeliever who +departs and to set the believing spouse free to marry again. Why +should not the same hold true when a believer--that is, a believer in +name, but in truth as much an unbeliever as the one Paul speaks +of--deserts his wife, especially if he never intends to return? I +certainly can see no difference between the two. But I believe that if +in the Apostle's day an unbelieving deserter had returned and had +become a believer or had promised to live again with his believing +wife, he would not have been taken back, but he too would have been +given the right to marry again. Nevertheless, in these matters I +decide nothing, as I have said,"[165] although there is nothing I +would rather see decided, since nothing at present more grievously +perplexes me and many more with me. I would have nothing decided here +on the mere authority of the pope or the bishops; but if two learned +and pious men agreed in the name of Christ and published their opinion +in the spirit of Christ [Matt. 18:19 f.], I should prefer their +judgment even to such councils as are nowadays assembled, famous only +for numbers and authority, not for scholarship and saintliness. +Herewith I hang up my harp[166][Ps. 137:2], until another and a better +man shall take up this matter with me. + +ORDINATION + +Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it is an +invention of the church of the pope. Not only is there nowhere any +promise of grace attached to it, but there is not the least mention of +it in the whole New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to put forth as a +sacrament of God that which cannot be proved to have been instituted +by God. I do not hold that this rite, which has been observed for so +many centuries, should be condemned; but in sacred things I am opposed +to the invention of human fictions, nor is it right to give out as +divinely instituted what was not divinely instituted, lest we become a +laughing-stock to our opponents. We ought to see to it that every +article of faith of which we boast be certain, pure, and based on +clear passages of Scripture. But that we are utterly unable to do in +the case of the sacrament under consideration. + +[Sidenote: The Church Cannot Institute Sacraments] + +The Church has no power to make new divine promises, as some prate, +who hold that what is decreed by the Church is of no less authority +than what is decreed by God, since the Church is under the guidance of +the Holy Spirit. But the Church owes its life to the word of promise +through faith, and is nourished and preserved by this same word. That +is to say, the promises of God make the Church, not the Church the +promise of God. For the Word of God is incomparably superior to the +Church, and in this Word the Church, being a creature, has nothing to +decree, ordain or make, but only to be decreed, ordained and made. For +who begets his own parent? Who first brings forth his own maker? This +one thing indeed the Church can do--it can distinguish the Word of God +from the words of men; as Augustine confesses that he believed the +Gospel, moved thereto by the authority of the Church, which +proclaimed, this is the Gospel.[167] Not that the Church is, +therefore, above the Gospel; if that were true, she would also be +above God, in Whom we believe because she proclaims that He is God. +But, as Augustine elsewhere says,[168] the truth itself lays hold on +the soul and thus renders it able to judge most certainly of all +things; but the truth it cannot judge, but is forced to say with +unerring certainty that it is the truth. For example, our reason +declares with unerring certainty that three and seven are ten, and yet +it cannot give a reason why this is true, although it cannot deny that +it is true; it is taken captive by the truth and does not so much +judge the truth as it is judged by the truth. Thus it is also with the +mind of the Church [1 Cor. 2:16], when under the enlightenment of the +Spirit she judges and approves doctrines; she is unable to prove it, +and yet is most certain of having it. For as in philosophy no one +judges general conceptions, but all are judged by them, so it is in +the Church with the mind of the Spirit, that judgeth all things and is +judged by none, as the Apostle says [1 Cor. 2:15]. But of this another +time.[169] + +[Sidenote: Ordination not a Sacrament] + +Let this then stand fast,--the Church can give no promises of grace; +that is the work of God alone. Therefore she cannot institute a +sacrament. But even if she could, it yet would not follow that +ordination is a sacrament. For who knows which is the Church that has +the Spirit? since when such decisions are made there are usually only +a few bishops or scholars present; it is possible that these may not +be really of the Church, and that all may err, as councils have +repeatedly erred, particularly the Council of Constance[170], which +fell into the most wicked error of all. Only that which has the +approval of the Church universal, and not of the Roman church alone, +rests on a trustworthy foundation. I therefore admit that ordination +is a certain churchly rite, on a par with many others introduced by +the Church Fathers, such as the blessing of vases, houses, vestments, +water, salt, candles, herbs, wine, and the like. No one calls any of +these a sacrament, nor is there in them any promise. In the same +manner, to anoint a man's hands with oil, or to shave his head, and +the like, is not to administer a sacrament, since there is no promise +given to those things; he is simply prepared, like a vessel or an +instrument, for a certain work. + +But you will reply: "What do you say to Dionysius,[171] who in his +_Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_ enumerates six sacraments, among which he +also includes orders?" I answer: I am well aware that this is the one +writer of antiquity who is cited in support of the seven sacraments, +although he omits marriage and thus has only six. We read simply +nothing about these "sacraments" in the other Fathers, nor do they +ever refer to them as sacraments; for the invention of sacraments is +of recent date. Indeed, to speak more boldly, the setting so great +store by this Dionysius, whoever he may have been, greatly displeases +me, for there is scarce a line of sound scholarship in him. Prithee, +by what authority and with what reasons does he establish his +hotch-potch about the angels, in his _Celestial Hierarchy_?--a book +over which many curious and superstitious spirits have cudgeled their +brains. If one were to read and judge fairly, is not all shaken out of +his sleeve and very like a dream? But in his _Mystic Theology_, which +certain most ignorant theologians greatly puff, he is downright +dangerous, being more of a Platonist than a Christian; so that, if I +had my way, no believing mind would give the least attention to these +books. So far from learning Christ in them, you will lose even what +you know of Him. I know whereof I speak. Let us rather hear Paul, that +we may learn Jesus Christ and Him crucified [1 Cor. 2:2]. He is the +way, the life and the truth; He is the ladder by which we come unto +the Father, as He saith: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." +[John 14:6] + +[Sidenote: Allegories] + +And in the _Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_, what does this Dionysius do but +describe certain churchly rites and play round them with his +allegories without proving them? just as among us the author of the +book entitled _Rationale divinorum_.[172] Such allegorical studies are +the work of idle men. Think you I should find it difficult to play +with allegories round anything in creation? Did not Bonaventure[173] +by allegory draw the liberal arts into theology? And Gerson even +converted the smaller Donatus into a mystic theologian.[173] It would +not be a difficult task for me to compose a better hierarchy than that +of Dionysius, for he knew nothing of pope, cardinals and archbishops, +and put the bishop at the top. Nay, who has so weak a mind as not to +be able to launch into allegories? I would not have a theologian give +himself to allegorizing until he has perfected himself in the +grammatical and literal interpretation of the Scriptures; otherwise +his theology will bring him into danger, as Origen discovered.[175] + +Therefore a thing does not need to be a sacrament simply because +Dionysius describes it. Otherwise, why not also make a sacrament of +the processions, which he describes in his book, and which continue to +this day? There will then be as many sacraments as there have been +rites and ceremonies multiplied in the Church. Standing on so unsteady +a foundation, they have nevertheless invented "characters"[176] which +they attribute to this sacrament of theirs and which are indelibly +impressed on those who are ordained. Whence do such ideas come? By +what authority, with what reasons, are they established? We do not +object to their being free to invent, say and give out whatever they +please; but we also insist on our liberty and demand that they shall +not arrogate to themselves the right to turn their ideas into articles +of faith, as they have hitherto presumed to do. It is enough that we +accommodate ourselves to their rites and ceremonies for the sake of +peace; but we reuse to be bound by such things as though they were +necessary to salvation, when they are not. Let them put by their +despotic demands, and we shall yield free obedience to their opinions, +and thus live at peace with them. It is a shameful and wicked slavery +for a Christian man, who is free, to be subject to any but heavenly +and divine traditions. + +[Sidenote: The Alleged Scriptural Basis of Ordination] + +We come now to their strongest argument. It is this: Christ said at +the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me." [1 Cor. 11:24] Here, +they say, Christ ordained the apostles to the priesthood. From this +passage they also concluded, among other things, that both kinds are +to be administered to the priests alone.[177] In fine, they have drawn +out of this passage whatever they pleased, as men who might arrogate +to themselves the free will to prove anything whatever from any words +of Christ, no matter where found. But is that interpreting the words +of God? Pray, answer me! Christ gives us no promise here, but only +commands that this be done in remembrance of Him. Why do they not +conclude that He also ordained priests when He laid upon them the +office of the Word and of baptism, saying, "Go ye into all the world, +and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptising them in the name," +[Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19] etc.? For it is the proper duty of priests +to preach and to baptise. Or, since it is nowadays the chief and, as +they say, indispensable duty of priests to read the canonical +hours,[178] why have they not discovered the sacrament of ordination +in those passages in which Christ, in many places and particularly in +the garden, commanded them to pray that they might not enter into +temptation? [Matt. 26:41] But perhaps they will evade this argument by +saying that it is not commanded to _pray_; it is enough to _read_ the +canonical hours. Then it follows that this priestly work can be proved +nowhere in the Scriptures, and thus their praying priesthood is not of +God, as, indeed, it is not. + +But which of the ancient Fathers claimed that in this passage priests +were ordained? Whence comes this novel interpretation? I will tell +you. They have sought by this device to set up a nursery of implacable +discord, whereby clerics and laymen should be separated from each +other farther than heaven from earth, to the incredible injury of the +grace of baptism and the confusion of our fellowship in the Gospel. +Here, indeed, are the roots of that detestable tyranny of the clergy +over the laity; trusting in the external anointing by which their +hands are consecrated, in the tonsure and in vestments, they not only +exalt themselves above lay Christians, who are only anointed with the +Holy Spirit, but regard them almost as dogs and unworthy to be +included with them in the Church. Hence they are bold to demand, to +exact, to threaten, to urge, to oppress, as much as they please. In +short, the sacrament of ordination has been and is a most approved +device for the establishing of all the horrible things that have been +wrought hitherto and will yet be wrought in the Church. Here Christian +brotherhood has perished, here shepherds have been turned into wolves, +servants into tyrants, churchmen into worse than worldlings. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of All Christians] + +If they were forced to grant that as many of us as have been baptised +are all priests without distinction, as indeed we are, and that to +them was committed the ministry only, yet with our consent, they would +presently learn that they have no right to rule over us except in so +far as we freely concede it. For thus it is written in i Peter ii, "Ye +are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a priestly kingdom." +[1 Peter 2:9] Therefore we are all priests, as many of us as are +Christians.[179] But the priests, as we call them, are ministers +chosen from among us, who do all that they do in our name. And the +priesthood is nothing but a ministry, as we learn from I Corinthians +iv, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the +dispensers of the mysteries of God." [1 Cor. 4:1] + +It follows herefrom that whoever does not preach the Word, called by +the Church to this very thing, is no priest at all. And further, that +the sacrament of ordination can be nothing else than a certain rite of +choosing preachers in the Church. For thus is a priest defined in +Malachi ii, "The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they +shall seek the law at his mouth: because he is the angel of the Lord +of hosts." [Mal. 2:7] You may be certain, then, that whoever is not an +angel of the Lord of hosts, or whoever is called to anything else than +such angelic service--if I may so term it--is never a priest; as Hosea +says, "Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that +thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me." [Hosea 4:6] They +are also called pastors because they are to pasture, that is, to +teach. Therefore, they who are ordained only to read the canonical +hours and to offer masses are indeed papist, but not Christian, +priests, because they not only do not preach, but are not called to +preach; nay, it comes to this, that such a priesthood is a different +estate altogether from the office of preaching. Thus they are +hour-priests and mass-priests, that is, a sort of living idol, having +the name of priest, while they are in reality such priests as Jeroboam +ordained, in Bethaven, of the off-scouring of the people, and not of +the tribe of Levi.[180][1 Kings 12:31] + +Lo, whither hath the glory of the Church departed! The whole earth is +filled with priests, bishops, cardinals and clerics, and yet not one +of them preaches by virtue of his office, unless he be called to do so +by another and a different call besides his sacramental ordination. +Every one thinks he is doing full justice to his sacrament by mumbling +the vain repetitions of his prescribed prayers and by celebrating +masses; moreover, by never really praying those hours[181], or if he +does pray them, by praying them for himself, and by offering his +masses as a sacrifice--which is the height of perversity!--whereas the +mass consists in the use of the sacrament. It is clear, therefore, +that the ordination which, as a sacrament, makes clerics of this sort +of men, is in truth nothing but a mere fiction, devised by men who +understand nothing about the Church, the priesthood, the ministry of +the Word, or the sacraments. And as is the sacrament, so are the +priests it makes. To such errors and such blindness has come a still +worse captivity; in order to separate themselves still farther from +other Christians, whom they deem profane, they have unmanned +themselves, like the priests of Cybele, and taken upon them the burden +of a pretended celibacy. + +It was not enough for this hypocrisy and error to forbid bigamy, viz., +the having of two wives at the same time, as it was forbidden in the +law, and as is the accepted meaning of the term; but they have called +it bigamy if a man married two virgins, one after the other, or if he +married a widow. Nay, so holy is the holiness of this most holy +sacrament, that no married man can become a priest as long as his wife +lives. And--here we reach the very summit of holiness--even he is +prevented from entering the priesthood, who without his knowledge or +by an unfortunate chance married a fallen woman. But if one have +defiled a thousand harlots, or ravished countless matrons and virgins, +or even kept numerous Ganymedes, that would be no hindrance to his +becoming bishop or cardinal or pope. Moreover, the Apostle's word, +"the husband of one wife," [1 Tim. 3:2] must be interpreted to mean, +"the prelate of one church," and this has given rise to the +"incompatible benefices."[182] At the same time the pope, that +munificent dispenser, may join to one man three, twenty, one hundred +wives--I should say churches--if he be bribed with money or power--I +should say, moved by godly charity and constrained by the care of the +churches. + +O pontiffs worthy of this holy sacrament of ordination! O princes, not +of the catholic churches, but of the synagogues, nay, the black dens, +of Satan! [Rev. 2:9] I would cry out with Isaiah: "Ye scornful men, +who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem" [Isa. 28:14]; and with +Amos: "Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have +confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the +people, that go in with state into the house of Israel." [Amos 6:1] O +the reproach that such monstrous priests bring upon the Church of God! +Where are there any bishops or priests who know the Gospel, not to +speak of preaching it? Why then do they boast of being priests? Why do +they desire to be regarded as holier and better and mightier than +other Christians, who are merely laymen? To read the hours--what +unlearned men, or, as the Apostle says, what men speaking with +tongues, cannot do that? [1 Cor. 14:23] But to _pray_ the hours--that +belongs to monks, hermits, and men in private life, all of them +laymen. The duty of the priest is to preach, and if he does not preach +he is as much a priest as a painted man is a man. Does ordaining such +babbling priests make one a bishop? Or blessing churches and bells? Or +confirming boys? Certainly not. Any deacon or layman could do as much. +The ministry of the Word makes the priest and the bishop. + +[Sidenote: Ordination, the Rite of Choosing Preachers] + +Therefore my advice is: Flee, all ye that would live in safety; +begone, young men, and do not enter upon this holy estate, unless you +are determined to preach the Gospel, and are able to believe that you +are not made one whit better than the laity through this sacrament of +ordination! For to read the hours is nothing, and to offer mass is to +receive the sacrament.[183] What then is there left to you that every +layman does not have? Tonsure and vestments? A sorry priest, forsooth, +who consists of tonsure and vestment! Or the oil poured on your +fingers? But every Christian is anointed and sanctified with the oil +of the Holy Spirit, both in body and soul, and in ancient times +touched the sacrament with his hands no less than the priests do +now.[184] But to-day our superstition counts it a great crime if the +laity touch either the bare chalice or the _corporale_;[185] not even +a nun who is a pure virgin would be permitted to wash the palls[186] +and sacred linens of the altar. O God! how the sacrosanct sanctity of +this sacrament of ordination has grown and grown. I anticipate that +ere long the laity will not be permitted to touch the altar except +when they offer their money. I can scarce contain myself when I +contemplate the wicked tyrannies of these desperate men, who with +their farcical and childish fancies mock and overthrow the liberty and +the glory of the Christian religion. + +Let every one, therefore, who knows himself to be a Christian be +assured of this, and apply it to himself,--that we are all priests, +and there is no difference between us; that is to say, we have the +same power in respect to the Word and all the sacraments. However, no +one may make use of this power except by the consent of the community +or by the call of a superior. For what is the common property of all, +no individual may arrogate to himself, unless he be called. And +therefore this sacrament of ordination, if it have any meaning at all, +is nothing else than a certain rite whereby one is called to the +ministry of the Church. Furthermore, the priesthood is properly +nothing but the ministry of the Word, mark you, of the Word--not of +the law, but of the Gospel. And the diaconate is not the ministry of +reading the Gospel or the Epistle, as is the present practice, but the +ministry of distributing the Church's alms to the poor, so that the +priests may be relieved of the burden of temporal matters and may give +themselves more freely to prayer and the Word. For this was the +purpose of the institution of the diaconate, as we read in Acts vi. +[Acts 6:4] Whoever, therefore, does not know or preach the Gospel, is +not only not a priest or bishop, but he is a plague of the Church, who +under the false title of priest or bishop--in sheep's clothing, +forsooth--oppresses the Gospel and plays the wolf in the Church. +Therefore, unless those priests and bishops with whom the Church is +now filled work out their salvation in some other way, that is, +realise that they are not priests or bishops and bemoan the act that +they bear the name of an office whose duties they either do not know +or cannot fulfil, and thus with prayers and tears lament their +wretched hypocritical life--unless they do this, they are truly the +people of eternal perdition, and the words of Isaiah are fulfilled in +them: "Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not +knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their +multitude were dried up with thirst. Therefore hath hell enlarged her +soul and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strong ones, +and their people, and their high and generous ones shall go down into +it." [Isa. 5:13 f.] What a dreadful word for our age, in which +Christians are sucked down into so deep an abyss! + +Since, therefore, what we call the priesthood is a ministry, so far as +we can learn from the Scriptures, I cannot understand why one who has +been made a priest cannot again become a layman; for the sole +difference between him and a layman is his ministry. But to depose a +man from the ministry is so far from impossible that it is even now +the usual penalty imposed upon guilty priests; they are either +suspended for a season or permanently deprived of their office. For +that lying "indelible character" has long since become a +laughing-stock. I admit that the pope imparts this character, but +Christ knows nothing of it; and a priest who is consecrated with it +becomes thereby the life-long servant and captive, not of Christ, but +of the pope; as it is in our day. Moreover, unless I am greatly +mistaken, if this sacrament and this life all, the papacy itself with +its characters will scarcely survive; our joyous liberty will be +restored to us; we shall realize that we are all equal by every right, +and having cast of the yoke of tyranny, shall know that he who is a +Christian has Christ, and that he who has Christ has all things that +are Christ's and is able to do all things [Phil. 4:13]. Of this I will +write more, and more tellingly, as soon as I perceive that the above +has displeased my friends the papists.[187] + +THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION + +[Sidenote: The Authority of James] + +To the rite of anointing the sick our theologians have made two +additions which are worthy of them; first, the call it a sacrament, +and secondly, they make it the last sacrament. So that it is now the +sacrament of extreme unction, which may be administered only to such +as are at the point of death. Being such subtle dialecticians, +perchance they have done this in order to relate it to the first +unction of baptism and the two succeeding unctions of confirmation and +ordination. But here they are able to cast in my teeth, that in the +case of this sacrament there are, on the authority of James the +Apostle, both promise and sign, which, as I have all along maintained, +constitute a sacrament. For does not James say: "Is any man sick among +you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray +over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the +prayer of faith shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall +be forgiven him." [James 5:14 f.] There, say they, you have the +promise of the forgiveness of sins, and the sign of the oil. + +But I reply: If ever there was a mad conceit, here is one indeed. I +will say nothing of the act that many assert with much probability +that this Epistle is not by James the Apostle,[188] nor worthy of an +apostolic spirit, although, whoever be its author, it has come to be +esteemed as authoritative. But even if the Apostle James did write it, +I yet should say, no Apostle has the right on his own authority to +institute a sacrament, that is, to give a divine promise with a sign +attached; for this belongs to Christ alone. Thus Paul says that he +received from the Lord the sacrament of the Eucharist, and that he was +not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospel [1 Cor. 11:23; 1 Cor. +1:17]. And we read nowhere in the Gospel of this sacrament of extreme +unction. But let us also waive that point. Let us examine the words of +the Apostle, or whoever was the author of the Epistle, and we shall at +once see how little heed these multipliers of sacraments have given to +them. + +[Sidenote: The Unction Not Extreme] + +In the first place, then, if they believe the Apostle's words to be +true and binding, by what right do they change and contradict them? +Why do they make an extreme and a particular kind of unction of that +which the Apostle wished to be general? For he did not desire it to be +an extreme unction or administered only to the dying; but he says +quite generally: "If any man be sick"--not, "If any man be dying." I +care not what learned discussions Dionysius has on this point in his +_Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_;[189] the Apostle's words are clear enough, +on which words he as well as they rely, without, however, following +them. It is evident, therefore, that they have arbitrarily and without +any authority made a sacrament and an extreme unction out of the +misunderstood words of the Apostle, to the detriment of all other sick +persons, whom they have deprived of the benefit of the unction which +the Apostle enjoined. + +[Sidenote: The Unction Medicinal] + +But what follows is still better. The Apostle's promise expressly +declares that the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the +Lord shall raise him up. The Apostle commands us to anoint the sick +man and to pray, in order that he may be healed and raised up; that +is, that he may not die, and that it may not be an extreme unction. +This is proved also by the prayers which are said, during the +anointing, or the recovery of the one who is sick. But they say, on +the contrary, that the unction must be administered to none but the +dying; that is, that they may not be healed and raised up. If it were +not so serious a matter, who could help laughing at this beautiful, +apt and sound exposition of the Apostle's words? Is not the folly of +the sophists here shown in its true colors? As here, so in many other +places, they affirm what the Scriptures deny, and deny what they +affirm. Why should we not give thanks to these excellent magisters of +ours?[190] I therefore spoke truth when I said they never conceived a +crazier notion than this.[191] + +Furthermore, if this unction is a sacrament it must necessarily be, as +they say, an effective sign[192] of that which it signifies and +promises. Now it promises health and recovery to the sick, as the +words plainly say: "The prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and +the Lord shall raise him up." But who does not see that this promise +is seldom if ever fulfilled? Scarce one in a thousand is restored to +health, and when one is restored nobody believes that it came about +through the sacrament, but through the working of nature or the +medicine; or to the sacrament they ascribe the opposite power. What +shall we say then? Either the Apostle lies in making this promise or +else this unction is no sacrament. For the sacramental promise is +certain; but this promise deceives in the majority of cases. +Indeed--and here again we recognize the shrewdness and foresight of +these theologians--for this very reason they would have it to be +extreme unction, that the promise should not stand; in other words, +that the sacrament should be no sacrament. For if it is extreme +unction, it does not heal, but gives way to the disease; but if it +heals, it cannot be extreme unction. Thus, by the interpretation of +these magisters, James is shown to have contradicted himself, and to +have instituted a sacrament in order not to institute one; for they +must have an extreme unction just to make untrue what the Apostle +intends, namely, the healing of the sick. If that is not madness, pray +what is? + +[Sidenote: Priests and Elders] + +These people exemplify the word of the Apostle in i Timothy i, +"Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things +they say, nor whereof they affirm." [1 Tim. 1:7] Thus they read and +follow all things without judgment. With the same thoughtlessness they +have also found auricular confession in our Apostle's words,--"Confess +your sins one to another." [James 5:16] But they do not observe the +command of the Apostle, that the priests of the church be called, and +prayer be made for the sick. Scarce a single priestling is sent +nowadays, although the Apostle would have many present, not because of +the unction but of the prayer. Wherefore he says: "The prayer of faith +shall save the sick man," etc. I have my doubts, however, whether he +would have us understand priests when he says presbyters, that is, +elders. For one who is an elder is not therefore a priest or minister; +so that the suspicion is justified that the Apostle desired the older +and graver men in the Church to visit the sick; these should perform a +work of mercy and pray in faith and thus heal him. Still it cannot be +denied that the ancient churches were ruled by elders, chosen for this +purpose, without these ordinations and consecrations, solely on +account of their age and their long experience. + +Therefore, I take it, this unction is the same as that which the +Apostles practised, in Mark vi, "They anointed with oil many that were +sick, and healed them." [Mark 6:13] It was a ceremony of the early +Church, by which they wrought miracles on the sick, and which has long +since ceased; even as Christ, in the last chapter of Mark, gave them +that believe the power to take up serpents, to lay hands on the sick, +etc. [Mark 16:17] It is a wonder that they have not made sacraments +also of these things; for they have the same power and promise as the +words of James. Therefore, this extreme--that is, this +fictitious--unction is not a sacrament, but a counsel of James, which +whoever will may use, and it is derived from Mark vi, as I have shown. +I do not believe it was a counsel given to all sick persons, for the +Church's infirmity is her glory and death is gain [Rom. 5:3; Phil. +1:21]; but it was given only to such as might bear their sickness +impatiently and with little faith. These the Lord allowed to remain in +the Church, in order that miracles and the power of faith might be +manifest in them. + +[Sidenote: Prayer the Chief Part of Unction] + +For this very contingency James provided with care and foresight by +attaching the promise of healing and the forgiveness of sins not to +the unction, but to the prayer of faith. For he says: "And the prayer +of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up: and +if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him." A sacrament does not +demand prayer or faith on the part of the minister, since even a +wicked person may baptise and consecrate without prayer; a sacrament +depends solely on the promise and institution of God, and requires +faith on the part of him who receives it. But where is the prayer of +faith in our present use of extreme unction? Who prays over the sick +one in such faith as not to doubt that he will recover? Such a prayer +of faith James here describes, of which he said in the beginning of +his Epistle: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." [James 1:6] +And Christ says of it: "Whatsoever you ask, believe that you shall +receive; and it shall be done unto you." [Mark 11:24] + +[Sidenote: The Unction and Faith] + +If such prayer were made, even to-day, over a sick man--that is, +prayer made in full faith by older, grave and saintly men--it is +beyond all doubt that we could heal as many sick as we would. For what +could not faith do? But we neglect this faith, which the authority of +the Apostle demands above all else. By presbyters--that is, men +preeminent by reason of their age and their faith--we understand the +common herd of priests. Moreover, we turn the daily or voluntary +unction into an extreme unction, and finally, we not only do not +effect the result promised by the Apostle, namely, the healing of the +sick, but we make it of none effect by striving after the very +opposite. And yet we boast that our sacrament, nay, our figment, is +established and proved by this saying of the Apostle, which is +diametrically opposed to it. What theologians we are! Now I do not +condemn this our sacrament of extreme unction, but I firmly deny that +it is what the Apostle James prescribes; for his unction agrees with +ours neither in form, use, power nor purpose. Nevertheless we shall +number it among those sacraments which we have instituted, such as the +blessing and sprinkling of salt and holy water[193]. For we cannot +deny that every creature is sanctified by the word and by prayer, as +the Apostle Paul teaches us [1 Tim. 4:4 f.]. We do not deny, +therefore, that forgiveness of sins and peace are granted through +extreme unction; not because it is a sacrament divinely instituted, +but because he who receives it believes that these blessings are +granted to him. For the faith of the recipient does not err, however +much the minister may err. For one who baptises or absolves in +jest[194], that is, does not absolve so far as the minister is +concerned, does yet truly absolve and baptise if the person he +baptises or absolves believe. How much more will one who administers +extreme unction confer peace, even though he does not really confer +peace, so far as his ministry is concerned, since there is no +sacrament there. The faith of the one anointed receives even that +which the minister either could not or did not intend to give; it is +sufficient for him to hear and believe the Word. For whatever we +believe we shall receive, that we do really receive, it matters not +what the minister may do or not do, or whether he dissemble or jest. +The Saying of Christ stands fast,--"All things are possible to him +that believeth," [Mark 9:23] and, "Be it unto thee even as thou hast +believed." [Matt. 8:13] But in treating the sacraments our sophists +say nothing at all of this faith, but only babble with all their might +of the virtues of the sacraments themselves--"ever learning, and never +attaining to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] + +Still it was a good thing that this unction was made extreme unction, +or, thanks to that, it has been disturbed and subjected least of all +the sacraments by tyranny and greed. This one last mercy, forsooth, +has been let to the dying,--they may freely be anointed, even without +confession and communion. If it had remained a practice of daily +occurrence, especially if it had conferred health on the sick, even +without taking away sins, how many worlds would not the pontiffs have +under their control to-day? For through the one sacrament of penance +and through the power of the keys, as well as through the sacrament of +ordination, they have become such mighty emperors and princes. But now +it is a fortunate thing that they despise the prayer of faith, and +therefore do not heal any sick, and that they have made or themselves, +out of an ancient ceremony, a brand-new sacrament. + +Let this suffice now for these four sacraments. I know how it will +displease those who believe that the number and use of the sacraments +are to be learned not from the sacred Scriptures, but from the Roman +See. As though the Roman See had given those sacraments and had not +rather got them from the lecture halls of the universities, to which +it is unquestionably indebted or whatever it has. The papal despotism +would not have attained its present position, had it not taken over so +many things from the universities. For there was scarce another of the +celebrated bishoprics that had so few learned pontiffs; only in +violence, intrigue, and superstition has it hitherto surpassed the +rest. For the men who occupied the Roman See a thousand years ago +differ so vastly from those who have since come into power, that one +is compelled to refuse the name of Roman pontiff either to the former +or to the latter. + +[Sidenote: Other Possible Sacraments] + +There are yet a few other things it might seem possible to regard as +sacraments; namely, all those to which a divine promise has been +given, such as prayer, the Word, and the cross. Christ promised, in +many places, that those who pray should be heard; especially in Luke +xi, where He invites us in many parables to pray [Luke 11:5 ff.]. Of +the Word He says: "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and +keep it." [Luke 11:28] And who will tell how often He promises aid and +glory to such as are afflicted, suffer, and are cast down? Nay, who +will recount all the promises of God? The whole Scripture is concerned +with provoking us to faith; now driving us with precepts and threats, +now drawing us with promises and consolations. Indeed, whatever things +are written are either precepts or promises; the precepts humble the +proud with their demands, the promises exalt the humble with their +forgiveness. + +[Sidenote: Baptism and Bread the Only Sufficient Sacraments] + +Nevertheless, it has seemed best to restrict the name of sacrament to +such promises as have signs attached to them. The remainder, not being +bound to signs, are bare promises. Hence there are, strictly speaking, +but two sacraments in the Church of God--baptism and bread; for only +in these two do we find both the divinely instituted sign and the +promise of forgiveness of sins. The sacrament of penance, which I +added to these two[195] lacks the divinely instituted visible sign, +and is, as I have said[196], nothing but a return to baptism. Nor can +the scholastics say that their definition fits penance, for they too +ascribe to the sacrament a visible sign, which is to impress upon the +senses the form of that which it effects invisibly. But penance, or +absolution, has no such sign; wherefore they are constrained by their +own definition, either to admit that penance is not a sacrament, and +thus to reduce the number of sacraments, or else to bring forward +another definition. + +Baptism, however, which we have applied to the whole of life, will +truly be a sufficient substitute for all the sacraments we might need +as long as we live. And the bread is truly the sacrament of the dying; +for in it we commemorate the passing of Christ out of this world, that +we may imitate Him. Thus we may apportion these two sacraments as +follows: baptism belongs to the beginning and the entire course of +life, the bread belongs to the end and to death. And the Christian +should use them both as long as he is in this poor body, until, fully +baptised and strengthened, he passes out of this world and is born +unto the new life of eternity, to eat with Christ in the Kingdom of +His Father, as He promised at the Last Supper,--"Amen I say to you, I +will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until it is +fulfilled in the kingdom of God." [Matt. 26:29] Thus He seems clearly +to have instituted the sacrament of the bread with a view to our +entrance into the life to come. Then, when the meaning[197] of both +sacraments is fulfilled, baptism and bread will cease. + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +Herewith I conclude this prelude, and freely and gladly offer it to +all pious souls who desire to know the genuine sense of the Scriptures +and the proper use of the sacraments. For it is a gift of no mean +importance, to know the things that are given us, as it is said in I +Corinthians ii [1 Cor. 2:12], and what use we ought to make of them. +Endowed with this spiritual judgment, we shall not mistakenly rely on +that which does not belong here. These two things our theologians +never taught us, nay, methinks they took particular pains to conceal +them from us. If I have not taught them, I certainly did not conceal +them, and have given occasion to others to think out something better. +It has at least been my endeavor to set forth these two things. +Nevertheless, not all can do all things[198]. To the godless, on the +other hand, and those who in obstinate tyranny force on us their own +teachings instead of God's, I confidently and freely oppose these +pages, utterly indifferent to their senseless fury. Yet I wish even +them a sound mind, and do not despise their efforts, but only +distinguish them from such as are sound and truly Christian. + +I hear a rumor of new bulls and papal maledictions sent out against +me, in which I am urged to recant or be declared a heretic[199]. If +that is true, I desire this book to be a portion of the recantation I +shall make; so that these tyrants may not complain of having had their +pains for nothing. The remainder I will publish ere long, and it will, +please Christ, be such as the Roman See has hitherto neither seen nor +heard. I shall give ample proof of my obedience[200]. In the name of +our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. + + Why doth that impious Herod fear + When told that Christ the King is near? + He takes not earthly realms away, + Who gives the realms that ne'er decay.[201] + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Born at Steinheim, near Paderborn, in Westphalia; a proofreader in +Melchior Lotter's printing-house at Leipzig, with whose oldest son he +went to Wittenberg in 1519; professor of poetry at the university; +rector of the same, 1525; one of Luther's staunchest supporters; +rector of the school at Lunenberg, 1532 until his death in 1540. +Compare Enders, _Luther's Briewechsel_, II, 490; Tschackert, _op. +cit._, 203, and literature in Clemen, I, 426. + +[2] _Resolutiones disputatio num de indulgentiarum Virtute_, 1518; +others think he refers to the Sermon _von Ablass und Gnade_, of the +same year. + +[3] Sylvester Prierias and the Dominicans. Comp. Kostlin-Kawerau, +Luther, I, 189 ff. + +[4] _Resolutiones super prop, xiii._, 1519. + +[5] Comp. The Papacy at Rome, Vol. I, p. 392. + +[6] Comp. Fr. Lepp, _Schlagworter des Ref. zeitalters_ (Leipzig, +1908), p. 62. + +[7] The Franciscan Augustin Alveld. See Introduction, and compare +Lemmens, _Pater Aug. v. Alveld_ (Freiburg, 1599). + +[8] Isidore Isolani. See Introduction. + +[9] Luther pokes fun at the use of _revocatio_ with an objective +genitive. + +[10] See above, p. 58, and compare Preserved Smith, _Luther's +Correspondence_, Vol. I, letter no. 265. + +[11] Cf. _The Papacy at Rome_, Vol. I, p. 337. The title-page of +Alveld's treatise contained twenty-six lines. + +[12] A satiric reference to a section in Alveld's treatise, on the +name of Jesus, which he spells IHSVH and brings proofs for this form +from the three languages, mentioned. See Seckendor, _Hist. Luth._, +lib. I, sect. 27, section lxx, add. ii. + +[13] Alveld calls himself, on his title-page, _Franciscanus regularis +observantiae Sanctae Crucis_. The Observantines were Franciscan monks +of the stricter rule, who separated from the Conventuals in the XV. +Century. See _Prot. Realencyklopadie^3, VI, 213 ff. + +[14] In the _Treatise on the Blessed Sacrament_; see above, p. 9. + +[15] The universities of Cologne and Louvain had ratified Eck's +"victory" over Luther at the Leipzig Disputation. See Kostlin-Kawerau, +I, 266, 298. + +[16] _De disputatione Lipsicensi_, 1519. + +[17] _A venatione Luteriana Aegocerotis assertio_, 1519. + +[18] Some theologians--e. g., Cajetan and Durandus--doubted whether +the Sacrament of Order was received by deacons; the Council of Trent +decided against them.--_Cath. Encyclop._, IV, 650. + +[19] For Luther's opinion of Aristotle see above, pp. 146 f. + +[20] The Franciscans are meant. The allusion may be to the seraphic +vision of St. Francis. + +[21] See above, pp. 153 ff. + +[22] A less lenient view was taken by Boniface Amerbach, writing to +his brother Basil at Basle, October 20, 1520: "The good man (Luther) +was not a little injured by the libel of a poor impostor, who, by +pretending that Martin had recanted, brought back even those who had +entered upon the way of truth to their former errors." See Smith, _op. +cit._, I, no. 316. + +[23] The present did not last very long; see below, p. 292. + +[24] So called because of the withholding of the wine from the laity. + +[25] Cf. 1 Tim. 3:16. See Kostlin, _Theology of Luther_ (E. Tr.), I, +403; and below, pp. 258 f. + +[26] The _Treatise on the Blessed Sacrament_, 1519. + +[27] See page 174. + +[28] See above, p. 10, note 1. + +[29] _Decretal. Greg., lib. Ill, tit. xli, cap. 17_. + +[30] Migne, XLIV, 699 f. + +[31] _Verklarung etlicher Artikel_, 1520. _Weimer Ed._, VI, 80 11 ff. + +[32] An allusion to his opponents' doctrine of the complete freedom of +the will, which Luther denied. Compare his _De servo arbitrio_ (1525). +_Weimar Ed._, XVIII, 600 ff. He finds in their treatment of Scripture +and of logic a practical expression of this doctrine of theirs. + +[33] Luther humbly identifies himself with the erring priesthood, + +[34] Alveld. + +[35] _The res sacramenti_. The sacrament consisted of these two +parts--(1) the _sacramentum_, or external sign, and (2) the _res +sacramenti_, or the thing signified, the sacramental grace. Another +distinction is that between (1) _materia_, or the external sign, and +(2) _forma_, or the words of institution or administration. See below, +p. 223. + +[36] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, VI, 505, note 1. + +[37] Cf. Vol. I, p. 325, and _Realencyklopadie_, X, 289, pp. 11 ff. + +[38] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, VI, 506, note 2. + +[39] Cf. W. Kohler, _Luther unci die Kirchengeschichte_ (Erlangen, +1900), chap. viii. + +[40] On the spiritual reception of the sacrament see H. Hering, _Die +Mystik Luthers_ (1879), pp. 173 f. Cf. above, p. 40. + +[41] See above, p. 172. + +[42] John Wyclif (Died 1384), the keenest of the mediaeval critics of the +doctrine of transubstantiation. + +[43] Pierre d'Ailly (Died 1425), who, with his master Occam, greatly +influenced Luther. + +[44] The Sentences of Peter Lombard, the text-book of medieval +theology. + +[45] In the dogma of transubstantiation (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215) +the Church taught that the substance of bread and wine was changed +into the substance of Christ's body and blood, while the accidents of +the former--i. e., their attributes, such as form, color, taste, +etc.--remained. + +[46] Aquinas. + +[47] Thus the _Erlangen Ed._; the _Weimar Ed._ reads: _an accidentia +ibi sint sine substantia_. + +[48] See above, p. 20. + +[49] i. e., the host, or wafer. + +[50] _Decretal. Greg. lib. I, tit. i, cap. I, section 3_. + +[51] See above, pp. 26 ff. + +[52] See above, p. 137. + +[54] Comp. Vol. I, pp. 295 ff. + +[55] The Douay Version has here been followed. + +[56] See Luther's own definition above, pp. 22 ff. + +[57] See above, p. 181, note. + +[58] See above, p. 198. + +[59] See above, p. 195. + +[60] See above, p. 10. + +[61] See above, p. 187, note 1. + +[62] See above, p. 188. + +[63] See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[64] On "fruits of the mass" compare Seeberg, _Dogmengesch._., III, p. +472. + +[65] Comp. Vol. I, p. 307. + +[66] Comp. Vol. I, pp. 302 f. + +[67] See above, pp. 22 f. + +[68] See p. 23. + +[69] See Vol. I, pp. 187 ff. + +[70] See above, p. 196. + +[71] That portion of the mass included between the Sanctus and the +Lord's Prayer. + +[72] See Vol. I, p. 312, and _Prot. Realencyklop._, XIV, 679, 41 ff. + +[73] See above, p. 211, note 2. + +[74] See above, p. 16. + +[75] See Vol. I, p. 306. + +[76] The offertory prayers in the mass. _C. Prot. Realencyklopadie_, +XII, 720, 46 ff. + +[77] The private mass does not require the presence of a congregation. +Besides the celebrant there need be present only a ministrant. There +is no music, the mass is only read. See _Realencyklopadie_, XII, 723. + +[78] The _res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182. + +[79] Masses celebrated by special request or in honor of certain +mysteries (e. g., of the Holy Trinity, of the Holy Spirit, or of +angels). _Realencyklopadie_, XII, 722. + +[80] Pope Gregory I. See Realencyklopadie, XII, 681 f. + +[81] See above, p. 196, note, and comp. Seeberg, _Dogmengesch._, Ill, +461 f. + +[82] For letters of indulgence. + +[83] _E p_. 130, 9 (Migne, XXII, 1115). + +[84] Factions in the monastic orders. + +[85] The reference may be to Blandina, who suffered martyrdom under +Marcus Aurelius. + +[86] The three parts of penance; see below, p. 247. + +[87] See Vol. I, p. 91. + +[88] Peter Lombard, the fourth book of whose Sentences treats of the +sacraments; see above, p. 188. + +[89] See p. 182, note 2. + +[90] The scholastics distinguished between the "material" and the +"form" of a sacrament. In baptism, the material was the water; the +form, the words, "I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Ghost." + +[91] Alexander, of Hales, denied the validity of baptism "in the name +of Jesus," which Peter Lombard defended. Cf. _Realencyklopadie_, XIX, +412. + +[92] Cf. _Weimar Ed._, I, 544, and _Erlangen Ed._, XLIV, 114 ff. + +[93] See above, p. 203. + +[94] A point at issue between Thomists and Franciscans. The former +held that the grace of the sacrament was contained in the sacramental +sign and directly imparted through it; thus Aquinas. The Franciscans +contended that the sign was merely a symbol, but that God, according +to a _pactio_, or agreement, imparted the grace of the sacrament when +the sign was being used; thus Bonaventura, and especially Duns Scotus. +See Seeberg, DC, III, 455 ff., and in _Realencyklopadie_, V, 73. + +[95] The conclusion of the investigation begun on p. 226. + +[96] See above, p. 204. + +[97] See above, p. 223. + +[98] See above, p. 226. + +[99] _Baptisma_; see above, p. 226, and compare Vol. I, p. 56. + +[100] _Res_. See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[101] _Res baptismi_. See above, p. 231. + +[102] Cf. below, pp, 258 ff. + +[103] See above, p. 231. + +[104] The position of Thomas Aquinas, going back to Augustine, and +ratified by Clement V at the Council of Vienna, 1311-12. + +[105] See above, p. 227. + +[106] See above, pp. 227 ff. + +[107] For a full discussion of this "baptism," see Scheel, in the +_Berlin Edition_ of Luther's works, _Erganzungsband_ II, pp. 134-157. + +[108] See above, p. 238. + +[109] The threefold vow of the mendicant orders. + +[110] _Bulla_ means both a papal bull and a bubble. + +[111] Compare above, p. 172, note 4. + +[112] An obscure allegorical reference to the Babylonian captivity of +the Jews. "The people of the captivity" (comp. Ps. 64:1 and 1 Kings +24:14, Vulgate) are the better portion of the people who were carried +captive, together with their possessions, to Babylon; "the people of +the earth," _am haarez_, the common people, were left behind and +became the nucleus of the hybrid Samaritan nation. + +[113] See above, p. 123. + +[114] See above, p. 75. + +[115] See _Decretal. Greg., lib. Ill, tit. xxxiv, cap. 7_. + +[116] Cf. Kohler, _Luther und die KG._, pp. 222 ff. + +[117] Comp. below, p. 248. + +[118] This time came during Luther's sojourn at the Wartburg, when he +wrote _De votis monasticis_, 1521. See Vol. IV. + +[119] The XCV Theses, the _Resolutiones_, the _Sermon von Ablass und +Gnade_, the _Confitendi Ratio_; the first and last of these in Vol. I. + +[120] Reference to a probably spurious bull of Clement VI. In his +_Grund u. Ursach aller Artikel D. Martin Luthers, so durch rom. Bulle +unrechtlich verdammt sind_ (1521), Luther writes: "Thus it happened in +the days of John Hus that the pope commanded the angels of heaven to +conduct to heaven the souls of the Roman pilgrims who died en route. +Against this dreadful blasphemy and more than devilish presumption Hus +raised his voice, and though he lost his life therefor, yet forced the +pope to pipe a different tune and in future to refrain from such +blasphemy."--Compare Kohler, _Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte_, p. +206. See also above, p. 81. + +[121] _Longe viliorem_; the _Jena Ed._, followed by Lemme and Kawerau, +reads, _longe meliorem_. + +[122] Comp. Vol. I, p. 20. + +[123] Comp. Vol. I, p. 86. + +[124] See above, pp. 105 f. + +[125] See above, p. 105, note 4. + +[126] See above, p. 223, note 1, + +[127] See above, p. 245, note 2. + +[128] A play on the word _observantia_, which means both observation +and observance. A scriptural fling at the _Observantines_. Comp. +above, p. 172, note 4. + +[129] Luther quotes correctly, _confortatus_, but thinks +_confirmatus_. + +[130] Vulgate: _confirmet_. + +[131] Above, pp. 203 f. + +[132] Vulgate: _sacramenta_. + +[133] Erasmus edited the first published Greek New Testament in March, +1516 (Basle: John Froben), the Complutensian Polyglot being the first +printed edition (1514). Luther used Erasmus' work as soon as it came +out, as may be seen in his lectures on Romans, 1515-16 (cf. Picker, +_Luthers Vorlesung uber den Romerbrie_; also Preserved Smith, +_Luther's Correspondence_, etc., I, nos. 21 and 65). In an interesting +letter to Luther of Feb. 14, 1519, Froben announces the second edition +of Erasmus' New Testament, which Luther used in making his +translation. Cf. Smith, op. cit., 00.125. + +[134] See above, p. 177. + +[135] Namely, for Paul. + +[136] The precise meaning is not clear. The Latin is: _vel proprio +spiritu vel general! sententia_. + +[137] Here follows a passage that clearly breaks into the context and +belongs elsewhere. See Introduction, p. 169. + +"I admit that the sacrament of penance existed also in the Old Law, +yea, from the beginning of the world. But the new promise of penance +and the gift of the keys are peculiar to the New Law. For as we now +have baptism instead of circumcision, so we have the keys instead of +the sacrifices and other signs of penance. We said above that the same +God at divers times gave divers promises and signs for the remission +of sins and the salvation of men, but that all nevertheless received +the same grace. Thus it is said in II Corinthians iv, 'Having the same +spirit of faith, we also believe, or which cause we speak also'; and +in i Corinthians x, 'Our fathers did all eat the same spiritual food, +and all drank the same spiritual drink; and they drank of the +spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.' Thus also +in Hebrews xi, 'These all died, not receiving the promise; God +providing some better thing or us, that they should not be perfected +without us.' For Christ Himself is, yesterday and to-day and forever, +the Head of His Church, from the beginning even to the end of the +world. Therefore there are divers signs, but the faith of all is the +same. Indeed, without faith it is impossible to please God, by which +faith even Abel pleased Him (Hebrews xi)." + +[138] The _Summa angelica_ of Angelus de Clavassio of Genoa (died +about 1495), published 1486, one of the favorite handbooks of +casuistry, in which all possible cases of conscience were treated in +alphabetical order. Cf. _Zeitschrit fur Kirchengesch._, XXVII, 296 ff. +The _Summa angelica_ was among the papal books burned by Luther, +together with the bull, December 10, 1520. Cf. Smith, _Luther's +Correspondence_, I, no. 355. + +[139] For a full discussion of the hindrances see article Eherecht, by +Sehung, in _Prot. Realencyklopadie_, V. + +[140] On this whole paragraph compare Vol. I, p. 294. + +[141] It is to be borne in mind that all that follows is in the nature +of advice to confessors in dealing with difficult cases of conscience, +and is parallel to the closing paragraphs of the section on The +Sacrament of the Bread. + +[142] Namely, by officiating at the marriage ceremony. + +[143] Namely, by betrothal (_sponsalia de praesenti_). + +[144] Lemme pertinently reminds the reader that by "laws of men" +Luther here understands the man-made laws of the Church of Rome. + +[145] See above, p. 103, note 2. + +[146] Relationship arising from sponsorship and legal adoption. Cf. +above, p. 128. + +[147] _Cognatio spiritualis_. + +[148] _The res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182. + +[149] _Cognatio legalis_. + +[150] _Disparilitas religionis_. + +[151] _Impedimentum criminis_. + +[152] _Impedimentum ligamiais_. + +[153] The _fides data et accepta_, which Luther finds in the _fides_ +(faith) of Gal. 5:22 + +[154] Page 243. + +[155] _Impedimentum erroris_. With fine sarcasm Luther here plays of +one hindrance against another. + +[156] _Impedimentum ordinis_. + +[157] _Impedimentum publicae honestatis_. + +[158] An untranslatable pun: _non iustitia sed inscitia_. + +[159] Page 244. + +[160] See p. 263, note 2. + +[161] Page 242. + +[162] The following points need to be borne in mind in order to a fair +evaluation of this much criticized section: (1) What is here given is +in the nature of advice to confessors, and the one guiding principle +is the relief of souls in peril. (2) It must not be forgotten that +Luther wrote the treatise in Latin, and not for the general public. +There is without doubt a certain betrayal in turning into the +vernacular a passage written in the language of the learned. Yet we +have done this, being unwilling to all under the charge of giving a +garbled version. (3) The hindrance Luther is here discussing was one +recognized and provided or by the Church of Rome, and the remedy +suggested by him was prescribed by the German _Volksrecht_ in many +localities. (4) Divorce was absolutely forbidden. (5) Luther's error +grew out of an unhistorical interpretation of the Old Testament, and +consisted in his undervaluing the importance of the public law. "To +make the individual conscience the sole arbiter in matters belonging +to public law, leads to dangerous consequences." (See Kawarau, _Berlin +Ed._, II, 482 f., where references are given.) + +[163] As he actually did in the case of Henry VIII and Philip of +Hesse. + +[164] See above, p. 269, note 1. + +[165] Page 271. + +[166] An allusion to the act that what he is writing is a "Prelude." +See Introduction, p. 168. + +[167] _Contra epistolam Manichaei_, 5, 6 (Migne, XLII, 176). Cf. +below, p. 451. + +[168] _De trinitate_, 9, 6, 10 (Migne, VIII, 966). + +[169] See below, pp. 451 ff. + +[170] The council that condemned and burned John Hus (1414-1418). + +[171] Dionysius Areopagita, the pseudonym (cf. Acts 17:54) of the +unknown author (about 500, in Syria?) of the neoplatonic writings, _Of +the Celestial_, and _Of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy_, etc. + +[172] William Durandus the elder, died 1296. + +[173] The Franciscan Bonaventura (Died 1274) in his _De reductione artium +ad theologiara_. + +[174] Donatus (ab. 350 A.D.), a famous Latin grammarian, whose _Ars +minor_ was a favorite mediaeval text-book. The chancellor of the +University of Paris, John Gerson (Died 1429), published a _Donatus +moralisatus seu per allegoriam traductus_--a mystical grammar, in +which the noun was compared to man, the pronoun to man's sinful state, +the verb to the divine command to love, the _adverb_ to the fulfilment +of the divine law, etc. + +[175] See above, p. 190. + +[176] The so-called _character indelebilis_, the peculiar gift of +ordination, so that "once a priest, always a priest." See above, p. +68, note 5. + +[177] See above, pp. 178 ff. + +[178] The stated daily prayers, fixed by canon, of the clergy. The +seven hours are respectively: matins (including noctums and lauds), +prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline. + +[179] Comp. above, p. 69. The fullest development of Luther's doctrine +of the spiritual priesthood of believers is to be found in his +writings against Emser, especially _Auf das uberchristliche, +ubergeistliche und uberkunstliche Buch Bock Emsers Antwort_, 1521. + +[180] On the last sentence see above, pp. 251 f. + +[181] See p. 278, note 1. + +[182] See above, p. 92. + +[183] See above, p. 280. + +[184] See above, p. 185. + +[185] See above, p. 213. + +[186] Covers for the chalice. + +[187] This promise was fulfilled in the Liberty of a Christian Man. + +[188] Thus Erasmus: _Fieri potest ut nomen commune cum apostolo +praebuerit occasionem ut haec epistola lacobo apostolo ascriberetur, +cum uerit alterius cuiusdam Iacobi._--Moffatt, _Introduction to the +Lit. of the N. T._, p. 472. + +[189] See above, p. 275. + +[190] Comp. above, p. 171. + +[191] See above, p. 285. + +[192] See above, p. 226. + +[193] See above, p. 275. + +[194] See above, p. 226. + +[195] See above, p. 177. + +[196] See above, pp. 220 f. + +[197] The _res sacramenti_. See above, p. 182, note 2. + +[198] Vergil's _Eclogues_, VIII, 63. + +[199] See Introduction, p. 168. + +[200] The remainder of Luther's "recantation" was the _De libertate_. +In the letter to the pope, which accompanied it, he gave ample proof +of his obedience. + +[201] The eighth stanza of Coehus Sedulius' _Hymnus acrostichis totam +vitam Christi continens_ (beginning, _A solis ortus cardine_), of the +fifth century. Stanzas 8, 9, 11 and 13 were used as an Epiphany hymn, +which Luther translated on December 12, 1541,--"Was furchtst du, Feind +Herodes, sehr." The above translation is taken from _Hymns Ancient and +Modern_, No. 60. + + + +A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY WITH A LETTER TO POPE LEO X + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The Letter to the Pope, like an earlier letter dated March 3, 1519, +was written at the suggestion of Carl von Miltitz. Sent to Germany to +bring Luther to Rome, this German diplomat knew German conditions and +to some extent sympathized with Luther's denunciation of Tetzel and +the sellers of indulgences. He preferred, therefore, to try to settle +the controversy and to leave Luther in Germany. Although the pope +insisted that Luther must come to Rome and recant, Miltitz arranged +for a hearing of the case before a German bishop. Evidently Miltitz +was far too optimistic in his representations both to Luther and to +the pope. The pope, in a writing dated March 29, 1519, spoke in +friendly terms to Luther, and urged him to come to Rome immediately +and to make his recantation there. Luther, in the letter dated March +3, 1519, writes in most humble language to the pope, but declares it +impossible for him to recant what he had written in the XCV Theses. +The pope's letter did not reach Luther; Luther's letter was not +forwarded to the pope. + +Luther had promised to keep silent if his opponents would do the same, +and had devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures. John Eck, +however, had no such occupation to keep him from controversy, and +Luther was not averse to a debate. At the Leipzig disputation, June +27-July 15, 1519, Luther learned more of the logical implications of +his position. The plan of Miltitz had failed, but he would not be +discouraged. + +When Miltitz went to Germany, it was under the pretence of a mission +"to deliver to his elector the papal golden rose, which the latter had +coveted in vain for two years."[1] Now he decided to go in person to +Augsburg, where it had been deposited with the Fuggers, and present it +to Frederick. This also gave an opportunity for a second meeting with +Luther at Liebwierde, October 9, 1519. Luther, although placing little +confidence in Miltitz, consented to argue his case before the +archbishop of Treves. The plan failed, partly because there was no +citation for Luther to appear, partly because the Elector would not +allow Luther to go without proper safe-conduct, and partly because +Miltitz had not tried to prevent Luther's opponents from challenging +him. + +In spite of the evident lack of confidence on both sides, and in spite +of Luther's constant progress in opposition to the Roman Church, +Miltitz insisted that "the case is not as black as we priests make +it," even when a papal bull was issued against Luther on June 15, +1520. On August 28th Miltitz attended a meeting of the Augustinian +monks in Eisleben, and obtained their promise that Luther should be +requested to write a letter to the pope assuring him that he had never +attacked the pope's person. On September 11th Luther reported to +Spalatin what he had done, and said that, although neither he nor his +fellow-monks had any confidence in the plan, he would do Miltitz the +favor of writing such a letter. This promise seemed meaningless to him +after the bull against him had been published. The papal bull had been +obtained by Eck, whom Miltitz now considered to be substituted for +himself in dealing with Luther, in spite of the authority he had +received. That the bull was ignored in some places and despised in +others, pleased him and gave him new courage. There might, after all, +be some chance for him to make use of his diplomatic skill. + +Again he invited Luther to meet him in Lichtenberg. They met in the +monastery of St. Anthony on October 12th, and Luther renewed his +promise to write to the pope, to send the letter within twelve days, +and to date it back to September 6th, that the appearance of +intimidation by the papal bull might be avoided. It was agreed that +Luther should send with the letter an historical account of his +difficulties with the Roman Church which would show that Eck was the +chief instigator, and that Luther had been forced to take the +positions he defended. In writing, however, the historical review +became a part of the letter, and a treatise of far different tone was +sent as a gift to the pope, and as an evidence of the kind of work +Luther would prefer to do if his opponents permitted him to +choose--the Treatise on Christian Liberty. + +It is again a question whether the pope received this letter. It has +been an interesting speculation for more than one writer, what the +thoughts and feelings of Leo the Tenth might have been if he did +receive and read it. Schaff traces the progress of Luther in the three +letters he wrote to the pope: "In his first letter to the pope, 1518, +Luther had thrown himself at his feet as an obedient son of the vicar +of Christ; in his second letter, 1519, he still had addressed him as a +humble subject, yet refusing to recant his conscientious convictions; +in his third and last letter he addressed him as an equal, speaking to +him with great respect for his personal character even beyond his +deserts, but denouncing in the severest terms the Roman See, and +comparing him to a lamb among wolves, and to Daniel in the den of +lions."[2] If the pope ever read it, "it must have filled him with +mingled feelings of indignation and disgust." + +We may go even farther. Luther thinks of St. Bernard's attitude toward +Pope Eugene, and Bernard was Eugene's superior in the Cistercian order +and had been looked up to as "father." Luther writes as a father +confessor to a friend in trouble, and might have quoted Bernard's +words: "I grieve with you. I should say, I grieve with you if, indeed, +you also grieve. Otherwise I should have rather said, I grieve for +you; because that is not grieving with another when there is none who +grieves. Therefore if you grieve, I grieve with you; if not, still I +grieve, and then most of all, knowing that the member which is without +feeling is the farther removed from health and that the sick man who +does not feel his sickness is in the greater danger."[3] + +The pope was a humanist, not a spiritually minded priest; we may, +therefore, believe that Charles Beard is not far wrong in his estimate +of the possible effect of this letter upon him: "If Giovanni de +Medici, the head of a house which had long come to consider itself +princely, and the occupant of the Fisherman's chair, when it claimed +to be the highest of earthly thrones, read this bold apostrophe, +addressed to him by a 'peasant and a peasant's son,' he must have +thought him mad with conceit and vanity. He was incapable of being +touched by the moral nobleness of the appeal, and so audacious a +contempt of merely social distinctions the world has rarely seen."[4] + +After the mighty thunder of the Address to the Christian Nobility and +the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, the Treatise on the Liberty of +a Christian Man is, indeed, like a still, small voice. Luther himself +says: "Unless I am deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in a +brief form." Perhaps we may trace here also the influence of St. +Bernard's _De Consideratione_, which was written as a devotional book +for the pope and was a manual of Christian living for the pope, as +this is a manual of Christian living or all Christians. + +It has been rather difficult for the enemies of Luther to find much +fault with this book. The Catholic historians, Janssen and +Hergenrother, do not mention it. Grisar characteristically devotes a +little space to each of the three great writings of 1520, and +considers the book on Christian Liberty as the most mischievous of +them all. "It does, indeed, frequently bring its false thoughts in the +form of that mystical, heart-searching style which Luther learned from +older German models."[5] The French Catholic, Leon Cristiani, is far +more generous in his estimate: "A truly religious spirit breathes in +these pages. Provoking polemic is almost entirely avoided. Here one +finds again the inspiration of the great mystics of the Middle Ages. +Does not the 'Imitation' continually describe the powerlessness of man +when left to himself, the infinite mercy of God, the great benefit of +the redemption of Christ? Does it not preach the necessity of doing +all things through love, nothing of necessity? He is not a true +Christian who would venture to disapprove the passages in which Luther +speaks so eloquently of the goodness of God, of the gratitude which it +should inspire in us, of the spontaneity which should mark our +obedience, of the desire of imitating Christ which should inspire +us."[6] + +Protestants consider this book "perhaps the most beautiful of Luther's +writings, the result of religious contemplation rather than of +theological labor."[7] "It takes rank with the best books of Luther, +and rises far above the angry controversies of his age, during which +he composed it, in the full possession of the positive truth and peace +of the religion of Christ."[8] The clear presentation of the thought +of the liberty of a Christian man occurs at the close of the +Tessaradecas.[9] In the Babylonian Captivity Luther had promised to +publish a treatise on the subject after he had seen the effect of that +treatise.[10] But the promise to send a treatise to the pope gave him +an earlier opportunity, so that barely a month and a half intervened +between the publication of the Captivity, October 6th, and that of the +Liberty, middle of November. The German, although a translation in +part and in part an abbreviation and rewriting of the Latin, appeared +first, before November 16th. The publisher, seeing his opportunity, +had, however, issued the Letter to the Pope in German separately +before November 4th,[11] so that a new dedicatory letter, addressed to +Hieronymus Mulphordt (Muhlpfort), of Zwickau, was prefixed to the +German edition. + +Our translation is made from the Latin, although the German has been +compared wherever it is a real translation. + +Two translations into English appeared in the sixteenth century: one +printed by John Byddell before 1544, the translation being, according +to Preserved Smith,[12] by John Tewkesbury; the other, prepared by +James Bell and printed by Ralph Newbery and H. Bynneman, in 1579. +Unfortunately, neither of these was accessible to the present +translators. Modern translations, into English by Wace and Buchheim, +and into German by Lemme, have been consulted. + + W. A. LAMBERT. + +South Bethlehem, PA. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] _Catholic Encyclopedia_, x, 318. + +[2] _Church History_, vi, 224 f. + +[3] _De consideratione_, i, I. + +[4] _Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany_, London, 1889, p. +370. + +[5] _Luther_, I, 351. + +[6] _Du Lutheranisme au Protestantisme_, 1911, p. 199. + +[7] Kolde, _Luther_, 1, 274. + +[8] Schaff, VI, 224. + +[9] Vol. I, p. 170. + +[10] See above, page 284. + +[11] Enders, II, p. 496, gives as the date when the letter was +written, "after Oct. 13th"; Smith, _Life and Letters of Martin +Luther_, p. 91, dates it Oct. 20th. + +[12] _Nation_, May 29, 1913. + + +LETTER TO POPE LEO X. + + +JESUS. + +To Leo the Tenth, Pope at Rome: Martin Luther wishes thee salvation in +Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. + +[Sidenote: The Pope's Person] + +In the midst of the monsters of this age with whom I am now for the +third year waging war, I am compelled at times to look up also to +thee, Leo, most blessed Father, and to think of thee; nay, since thou +art now and again regarded as the sole cause of my warfare, I cannot +but think of thee always. And although the causeless raging of thy +godless flatterers against me has compelled me to appeal from thy See +to a future council, despite those most empty decrees of thy +predecessors Pius and Julius, who with a foolish tyranny forbade such +an appeal, yet I have never so estranged my mind from thy Blessedness +as not with all my heart to wish thee and thy See every blessing, for +which I have, as much as lay in me, besought God with earnest prayers. +It is true, I have made bold almost to despise and to triumph over +those who have tried to righten me with the majesty of thy name and +authority. But there is one thing which I cannot despise, and that is +my excuse for writing once more to thy Blessedness. I understand that +I am accused of great rashness, and that this rashness is said to be +my great fault, in which, they say, I have not spared even thy person. + +For my part, I will openly confess that I know I have only spoken good +and honorable things of thee whenever I have made mention of thy name. +And if I had done otherwise, I myself could by no means approve of it, +but would entirely approve the judgment others have formed of me, and +do nothing more gladly than recant such rashness and impiety on my +part. I have called thee a Daniel in Babylon,[1] and every one who +reads knows with what zeal I defended thy notable innocence against +thy dreamer, Sylvester.[2] Indeed, thy reputation and the fame of thy +blameless life, sung as they are throughout the world by the writings +of so many great men, are too well known and too high to be assailed +in any way by any one man, however great he may be. I am not so +foolish as to attack him whom every one praises: it has rather been, +and always will be, my endeavor not to attack even those whom public +report decries; for I take no pleasure in the crimes of any man, since +I am conscious enough of the great beam in my own eye [Matt. 7:3], nor +could I be he that should cast the first stone at the adulteress [John +8:7]. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Enemies] + +I have indeed sharply inveighed against ungodly teachings in general, +and I have not been slow to bite my adversaries, not because of their +immorality, but because of their ungodliness. And of this I repent so +little that I have determined to persevere in that fervent zeal, and +to despise the judgment of men, following the example of Christ, Who +in His zeal called His adversaries a generation of vipers, blind, +hypocrites, children of the devil [Matt. 23:13, 17, 33]. And Paul +arraigned the sorcerer as a child of the devil full of all subtilty +and mischief [Acts 13:10], and brands others as dogs, deceivers and +adulterers [Phil. 3:2; 2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Cor. 2:17]. If you will allow +those delicate ears to judge, nothing would be more biting and more +unrestrained than Paul. Who is more biting than the prophets? +Nowadays, it is true, our ears are made so delicate by the mad crowds +of flatterers that as soon as we meet with a disapproving voice we cry +out that we are bitten, and when we cannot ward off the truth with any +other pretext we put it to light by ascribing it to a fierce temper, +impatience and shamelessness. What is the good of salt if it does not +bite? Or of the edge of the sword if it does not kill? Cursed be he +that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully [Jer. 48:10]. + +Wherefore, most excellent Leo, I pray thee, after I have by this +letter vindicated myself, give me a hearing, and believe that I have +never thought evil of thy person, but that I am a man who would wish +thee all good things eternally, and that I have no quarrel with any +man concerning his morality, but only concerning the Word of truth. In +all things else I will yield to any man whatsoever: to give up or to +deny the Word I have neither the power nor the will. If any man thinks +otherwise of me, or has understood my words differently, he does not +think aright, nor has he understood what I have really said. + +[Sidenote: The Roman Curia] + +But thy See, which is called the Roman Curia, and of which neither +thou nor any man can deny that it is more corrupt than any Babylon or +Sodom ever was, and which is, as far as I can see, characterized by a +totally depraved, hopeless and notorious wickedness--that See I have +truly despised, and I have been incensed to think that in thy name and +under the guise of the Roman Church the people of Christ are mocked. +And so I have resisted and will resist that See, as long as the spirit +of faith shall live in me. Not that I shall strive after the +impossible or hope that by my lone efforts anything will be +accomplished in that most disordered Babylon, where the rage of so +many sycophants is turned against me; but I acknowledge myself a +debtor to my brethren, whom it is my duty to warn, that fewer of them +may be destroyed by the plagues of Rome, or at least that their +destruction may be less cruel. + +For, as thou well knowest, these many years there has flowed forth +from Rome, like a flood covering the world, nothing but a laying waste +of men's bodies and souls and possessions, and the worst possible +examples of the worst possible things. For all this is clearer than +the day to all men, and the Roman Church, once the most holy of all, +become the most licentious den of thieves [Matt. 21:13], the most +shameless of all brothels, the kingdom of sin, death and hell; so that +even Antichrist himself, should he come, could think of nothing to add +to its wickedness. + +[Sidenote: The Pope's Helplessness] + +Meanwhile thou, Leo, sittest as a lamb in the midst of wolves [Matt. +10:16], like Daniel in the midst of the lions [Dan. 6:16], and, with +Ezekiel, thou dwellest among scorpions [Ezek. 2:6]. What canst thou do +single-handed, against these monsters? Join to thyself three or four +thoroughly learned and thoroughly good cardinals: what are even these +among so many? [John 6:9] You would all be poisoned before you could +undertake to make a single decree to help matters. There is no hope or +the Roman Curia: the wrath of God is come upon it to the end [1 Thess. +2:16]; it hates councils, it fears a reformation, it cannot reduce the +raging of its wickedness, and is meriting the praise bestowed upon its +mother, of whom it is written, "We have cured Babylon, but she is not +healed: let us forsake her."[3][Jer. 51:9] It was thy duty, indeed, +and that of thy cardinals, to remedy these evils, but that gout of +theirs mocks the healing hand, and neither chariot nor horse heeds the +guiding rein.[4] Moved by such sympathy for thee, I have always +grieved, most excellent Leo, that thou hast been made pope in these +times, for thou wert worthy of better days. The Roman Curia has not +deserved to have thee or men like thee, but rather Satan himself; and +in truth it is he more than thou who rules in that Babylon. + +O would that thou mightest lay aside what thy most mischievous enemies +boast of as thy glory, and wert living on some small priestly income +of thine own, or on thy family inheritance! To glory in that glory +none are worthy save the Iscariots, the sons of perdition [John +17:12]. For what dost thou accomplish in the Curia, my dear Leo? Only +this: the more criminal and abominable a man is, the more successfully +will he use thy name and authority to destroy the wealth and the souls +of men, to increase crime, to suppress faith and truth and the whole +Church of God. O truly, most unhappy Leo, thou sittest on a most +dangerous throne; for I tell thee the truth, because I wish thee well. +If Bernard pitied his Pope Eugene[5] at a time when the Roman See, +although even then most corrupt, yet ruled with better prospects, why +should not we lament who have for three hundred years had so great an +increase of corruption and worthlessness? Is it not true that under +yon vast expanse of heaven there is nothing more corrupt, more +pestilential, more hateful than the Roman Curia? It surpasses the +godlessness of the Turks beyond all comparison, so that in truth, +whereas it was once a gate of heaven, it is now an open mouth of hell, +and such a mouth as, because of the wrath of God, cannot be shut; +there is only one thing that we can try to do, as I have said: +perchance we may be able to call back a few from that yawning chasm of +Rome and so save them. + +Now thou seest, my Father Leo, how and why I have so violently +attacked that pestilential See: for so far have I been from raging +against thy person that I even hoped I might gain thy favor and save +thee, if I should make a strong and sharp assault upon that prison, +nay that hell of thine. For thou and thy salvation and the salvation +of many others with thee will be served by every thing that men of +ability can contribute to the confusion of this wicked Curia. They do +thy work, who bring evil upon it; they glorify Christ, who in every +way curse it. In short, they are Christians who are not Romans. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Controversies] + +[Sidenote: Eck] + +To go yet farther, I never intended to inveigh against the Roman +Curia, or to raise any controversy concerning it. For when I saw that +all efforts to save it were hopeless, I despised it and gave it a bill +of divorcement [Deut. 24:1] and said to it, "He that is filthy, let +him be filthy still, and he that is unclean, let him be unclean +still." [Rev. 22:11] Then I gave myself to the quiet and peaceful +study of holy Scripture, that I might thus be of benefit to my +brethren about me. When I had made some progress in these studies, +Satan opened his eyes and filled his servant John Eck,[6] a notable +enemy of Christ, with an insatiable lust for glory, and thereby +stirred him up to drag me at unawares into a disputation, laying hold +on me by one little word about the primacy of the Roman Church which I +had incidentally let fall. Then that boasting braggart, frothing and +gnashing his teeth, declared that he would venture all for the glory +of God and the honor of the holy Apostolic See, and, puffed up with +the hope of misusing thy power, he looked forward with perfect +confidence to a victory over me. He sought not so much to establish +the primacy of Peter as his own leadership among the theologians of +our time; and to that end he thought it no small help if he should +triumph over Luther. When that debate ended unhappily for the sophist, +an incredible madness overcame the man: for he feels that he alone +must bear the blame of all that I have brought forth to the shame of +Rome. + +[Sidenote: Cajetan] + +But permit me, I pray thee, most excellent Leo, this once to plead my +cause and to make charges against thy real enemies. Thou knowest, I +believe, what dealings thy legate, Cardinal of St. Sixtus,[7] an +unwise and unfortunate, or rather, unfaithful man, had with me. When, +because of reverence for thy name, I had put myself and all my case in +his hand, he did not try to establish peace, although with a single +word he could easily have done so, since I at that time promised to +keep silent and to end the controversy, if my opponents were ordered +to do the same. But as he was a man who sought glory, and was not +content with that agreement, he began to justify my opponents, to give +them full freedom and to order me to recant, a thing not included in +his instructions. When the matter was in a fair way, his untimely +arbitrariness brought it into a far worse condition. Therefore, for +what followed later Luther is not to blame; all the blame is +Cajetan's, who did not suffer me to keep silent and to rest, as I then +most earnestly asked him to do. What more should I have done? + +[Sidenote: Miltitz] + +Next came Carl Miltitz,[8] also a nuncio of thy Blessedness, who after +great and varied efforts and constant going to and fro, although he +omitted nothing that might help to restore that status of the question +which Cajetan had rashly and haughtily disturbed, at last with the +help of the most illustrious prince, Frederick the Elector, barely +managed to arrange several private conferences with me. Again I +yielded to your name, I was prepared to keep silent, and even accepted +as arbiter either the archbishop of Treves or the bishop of Naumburg. +So matters were arranged. But while this plan was being followed with +good prospects of success, lo, that other and greater enemy of thine, +Eck, broke in with the Leipzig Disputation which he had undertaken +against Dr. Carlstadt. When a new question concerning the primacy of +the pope was raised, he suddenly turned his weapons against me and +quite overthrew that counsel of peace. Meanwhile Carl Miltitz waited: +a disputation was held, judges were selected; but here also no +decision was reached, and no wonder: through the lies, the tricks, the +wiles of Eck everything was stirred up, aggravated and confounded +worse than ever, so that whatever decision might have been reached, a +greater conflagration would have resulted. For he sought glory, not +the truth. Here also I let nothing undone that I ought to have +done.[9] + +[Sidenote: Eck] + +I admit that on this occasion no small amount of corrupt Roman +practices came to light, but whatever wrong was done was the fault of +Eck, who undertook a task beyond his strength, and, while he strove +madly for his own glory, revealed the shame of Rome to all the world. +He is thy enemy, my dear Leo, or rather the enemy of thy Curia. From +the example of this one man thou canst learn that there is no enemy +more injurious than a flatterer. For what did he accomplish with his +flattery but an evil which no king could have accomplished? To-day the +name of the Roman Curia is a stench throughout the world, and papal +authority languishes, ignorance that was once held in honor is evil +spoken of; and of all this we should have heard nothing if Eck had not +upset the counsel of peace planned by Carl and myself, as he himself +now clearly sees, and is angry, too late and to no purpose, that my +books were published. This he should have thought of when, like a +horse that whinnies on the picket-line, he was madly seeking only his +own glory, and sought only his own gain through thee at the greatest +peril to thee. The vainglorious man thought that I would stop and keep +silent at the terror of thy name; for I do not believe that he trusted +entirely to his talents and learning. Now, when he sees that I have +more courage than that and have not been silenced, he repents him too +late of his rashness and understands that there is One in heaven who +resists the proud and humbles the haughty [1 Pet. 5:5; Judith 6:15], +if indeed he does understand it at last. + +[Sidenote: The Augustinians] + +Since we gained nothing by this disputation except that we brought +greater confusion to the cause of Rome, Carl Miltitz made a third +attempt; he came to the fathers of the Augustinian Order assembled in +their chapter, and asked counsel in settling the controversy which had +now grown most confused and dangerous. Since, by the favor of God, +they had no hope of being able to proceed against me with violence, +some of the most famous of their number were sent to me, and asked me +at least to show honor to the person of thy Blessedness, and in a +humble letter to plead as my excuse thy innocence and mine; they said +that the affair was not yet in the most desperate state if of his +innate goodness Leo the Tenth would take a hand in it. As I have +always both offered and desired peace that I might devote myself to +quieter and more useful studies, and have stormed with so great fury +merely for the purpose of overwhelming by volume and violence of +words, no less than of intellect, those whom I knew to be very unequal +foes: I not only gladly ceased, but also with joy and thankfulness +considered it a most welcome kindness to me if our hope could be +fulfilled. + +[Sidenote: Appeal to the Pope] + +So I come, most blessed Father, and, prostrate before thee, I pray, if +it be possible do thou interpose and hold in check those flatterers, +who are the enemies of peace while they pretend to keep peace. But +that I will recant, most blessed Father, let no one imagine, unless he +prefer to involve the whole question in greater turmoil. Furthermore, +I will accept no rules for the interpretation of the Word of God, +since the Word of God, which teaches the liberty of all things else, +dare not be bound [2 Tim. 2:9]. Grant me these two points, and there +is nothing that I could not or would not most gladly do or endure. I +hate disputations; I will draw out no one; but then I do not wish +others to draw me out; if they do, as Christ is my Teacher, I will not +be speechless. For, when once this controversy has been cited before +thee and settled, thy Blessedness will be able with a small and easy +word to silence both parties and command them to keep the peace, and +that is what I have always wished to hear. + +Do not listen, therefore, my dear Leo, to those sirens who make thee +out to be no mere man but a demigod, so that thou mayest command and +require what thou wilt. It will not be done in that fashion, and thou +wilt not succeed. Thou art a servant of servants,[10] and beyond all +other men in a most pitiable and most dangerous position. Be not +deceived by those who pretend that thou art lord of the world and +allow no one to be a Christian unless he accept thy authority; who +prate that thou hast power over heaven, hell and purgatory. These are +thy enemies and seek thy soul to destroy it [1 Kings 19:10]; as Isaiah +says, "O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive +thee." [Isa. 3:12 (Vulgate)] They err who exalt thee above a council +and above the Church universal. They err who ascribe to thee alone the +right of interpreting Scripture; or under cover of thy name they seek +to establish all their own wickedness in the Church, and alas! +through them Satan has already made much headway under thy +predecessors. In short, believe none who exalt thee, believe those who +humble thee. For this is the judgment of God; "He hath put down the +mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble." [Luke 1:52] See, +how unlike His successors is Christ, although they all would be His +vicars. And I fear that most of them have indeed been too literally +His vicars. For a vicar is a vicar only when his lord is absent. And +if the pope rules while Christ is absent and does not dwell in his +heart, what else is he but a vicar of Christ? But what is such a +Church except a mass of people without Christ? And what is such a +vicar else than antichrist and an idol? How much more correctly did +the Apostles call themselves servants of the present Christ, and not +vicars of an absent Christ! + +[Sidenote: Luther Follows St. Bernard's Example] + +Perhaps I am impudent, in that I seem to instruct so great, so exalted +a personage, from whom we ought all to learn, and from whom, as those +plagues of thine boast, the thrones of judges receive their decisions. +But I am following the example of St. Bernard in his book _de +consideratione ad Eugenium_, a book every pope should have by heart. +For what I am doing I do not from an eagerness to teach, but as an +evidence of that pure and faithful solicitude which constrains us to +have regard for the things of our neighbors even when they are safe, +and does not permit us to consider their dignity or lack of dignity, +since it is intent only upon the danger they run for the advantage +they may gain. For when I know that thy Blessedness is driven and +tossed about at Rome, that is, that far out at sea thou art threatened +on all sides with endless dangers, and art laboring hard in that +miserable plight, so that thou dost need even the slightest help of +the least of thy brethren, I do not think it is absurd of me, if for +the time I forget thy high office and do what brotherly love demands. +I have no desire to flatter in so serious and dangerous a matter, but +if men do not understand that I am thy friend and thy most humble +subject, there is One that understandeth and judgeth. [John 8:50] + +[Sidenote: Luther's Gift] + +Finally, that I may not approach thee empty-handed, blessed Father, I +bring with me this little treatise published under thy name as an omen +of peace and of good hope. From this book thou mayest judge with what +studies I would prefer to be more profitably engaged, as I could be if +your godless flatterers would permit me, and had hitherto permitted +me. It is a small thing if thou regard its bulk, but, unless I am +deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in brief form, if thou +wilt grasp its meaning. I am a poor man, and have no other gift to +offer, and thou hast no need to be made rich by any other than a +spiritual gift. With this I commend myself to thy Fatherhood and +Blessedness. May the Lord Jesus preserve thee forever. Amen. + +Wittenberg, September 6, 1520.[11] + + +A TREATISE ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY + + +[Sidenote: Faith] + +Many have thought Christian faith to be an easy thing, and not a few +have given it a place among the virtues. This they do because they +have had no experience of it, and have never tasted what great virtue +there is in faith. For it is impossible that any one should write well +of it or well understand what is correctly written of it, unless he +has at some time tasted the courage faith gives a man when trials +oppress him. But he who has had even a faint taste of it can never +write, speak, meditate or hear enough concerning it. For it is a +living fountain springing up into life everlasting, as Christ calls it +in John iv [John 4:14]. For my part, although I have no wealth of +faith to boast of and know how scant my store is, yet I hope that, +driven about by great and various temptations, I have attained to a +little faith, and that I can speak of it, if not more elegantly, +certainly more to the point, than those literalists and all too +subtile disputants have hitherto done, who have not even understood +what they have written. + +[Sidenote: Liberty and Bondage] + +That I may make the way easier or the unlearned--for only such do I +serve--I set down first these two propositions concerning the liberty +and the bondage of the spirit: + +_A Christian man is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none._ + +_A Christian man is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to +all._ + +Although these two theses seem to contradict each other, yet, if they +should be found to fit together they would serve our purpose +beautifully. For they are both Paul's own, who says, in I Cor. ix, +"Whereas I was free, I made myself the servant of all," [1 Cor. 9:19] +and, Rom. xiii, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another." [Rom. +13:8] Now love by its very nature is ready to serve and to be subject +to him who is loved. So Christ, although Lord of all, was made of a +woman, made under the law [Gal. 4:4], and hence was at the same time +free and a servant, at the same time in the form of God and in the +form of a servant [Phil. 2:6 f.]. + +[Sidenote: Man's Nature] + +Let us start, however, with something more remote from our subject, +but more obvious. Man[12] has a twofold nature, a spiritual and a +bodily. According to the spiritual nature, which men call the soul, he +is called a spiritual, or inner, or new man; according to the bodily +nature, which men call the flesh, he is called a carnal, or outward, +or old man, of whom the Apostle writes, in II Cor. iv, "Though our +outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." +[2 Cor. 4:16] Because of this diversity of nature the Scriptures +assert contradictory things of the same man, since these two men in +the same man contradict each other, since the flesh lusteth against +the spirit and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. v) [Gal. 5:17]. + +[Sidenote: The Inward Man] + +_First_, let us contemplate the inward man, to see how a righteous, +free and truly Christian man, that is, a new, spiritual, inward man, +comes into being. It is evident that no external thing, whatsoever it +be, has any influence whatever in producing Christian righteousness or +liberty, nor in producing unrighteousness or bondage. A simple +argument will furnish the proof. What can it profit the soul if the +body are well, be free and active, eat, drink and do as it pleases? +For in these things even the most godless slaves of all the vices are +well. On the other hand, how will ill health or imprisonment or hunger +or thirst or any other external misfortune hurt the soul? With these +things even the most godly men are afflicted, and those who because of +a clear conscience are most free. None of these things touch either +the liberty or the bondage of the soul. The soul receives no benefit +if the body is adorned with the sacred robes of the priesthood, or +dwells in sacred places, or is occupied with sacred duties, or prays, +fasts, abstains from certain kinds of food or does any work whatsoever +that can be done by the body and in the body. The righteousness and +the freedom of the soul demand something far different, since the +things which have been mentioned could be done by any wicked man, and +such works produce nothing but hypocrites. On the other hand, it will +not hurt the soul if the body is clothed in secular dress, dwells in +unconsecrated places, eats and drinks as others do, does not pray +aloud, and neglects to do all the things mentioned above, which +hypocrites can do. + +[Sidenote: The Word of God] + +Further, to put aside all manner of works, even contemplation, +meditation, and all that the soul can do, avail nothing. One thing and +one only is necessary for Christian life, righteousness and liberty. +That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the Gospel of Christ, as +he says, John xi, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that +believeth in me, shall not die forever" [John 11:25]; and John viii, +"If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" [John +8:26]; and Matthew iv, "Not in bread alone doth man live; but in every +word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." [Matt. 4:4] Let us then +consider it certain and conclusively established that the soul can do +without all things except the Word of God, and that where this is not +there is no help for the soul in anything else whatever. But if it has +the Word it is rich and lacks nothing, since this Word is the Word of +life, of truth, of light, of peace, of righteousness, of salvation, of +joy, of liberty, of wisdom, of power, of grace, of glory and of every +blessing beyond our power to estimate. This is why the prophet in the +entire cxix Psalm, and in many other places of Scripture, with so many +sighs yearns after the Word of God and applies so many names to it +[Psalm 119]. On the other hand, there is no more terrible plague with +which the wrath of God can smite men than a famine of the hearing of +His Word, as He says in Amos, just as there is no greater mercy than +when He sends forth His Word [Amos 8:11 f.], as we read in Psalm cvii, +"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their +destructions." [Psalm 107:20] Nor was Christ sent into the world for +any other ministry but that of the Word, and the whole spiritual +estate, apostles, bishops and all the priests, has been called and +instituted only or the ministry of the Word. + +[Sidenote: The Gospel] + +You ask, "What then is this Word of God, and how shall it be used, +since there are so many words of God?" I answer. The Apostle explains +that in Romans i. The Word is the Gospel of God concerning His Son, +Who was made flesh, suffered, rose from the dead, and was glorified +through the Spirit Who sanctifies. For to preach Christ means to feed +the soul, to make it righteous, to set it free and to save it, if it +believe the preaching. For faith alone is the saving and efficacious +use of the Word of God, Romans x, "If thou confess with thy mouth that +Jesus is Lord, and believe with thy heart that God hath raised Him up +from the dead, thou shalt be saved" [Rom. 10:9]; and again, "The end +of the law is Christ, unto righteousness to every one that believeth" +[Rom. 10:4]; and, Romans i, "The just shall live by his faith." [Rom. +1:17] The Word of God cannot be received and cherished by any works +whatever, but only by faith [Hab. 2:4]. Hence it is clear that, as the +soul needs only the Word for its life and righteousness, so it is +justified by faith alone and not by any works; for if it could be +justified by anything else, it would not need the Word, and therefore +it would not need faith. But this faith cannot at all exist in +connection with works, that is to say, if you at the same time claim +to be justified by works, whatever their character; for that would be +to halt between two sides, to worship Baal and to kiss the hand [1 +Kings 18:21], which, as Job says, is a very great iniquity [Job 31:27 +f.]. Therefore the moment you begin to believe, you learn that all +things in you are altogether blameworthy, sinful and damnable, as +Romans iii says, "For all have sinned and lack the glory of God" [Rom. +3:23]; and again, "There is none just, there is none that doeth good, +all have turned out of the way: they are become unprofitable +together." [Rom. 3:10 ff.] When you have learned this, you will know +that you need Christ, Who suffered and rose again or you, that, +believing in Him, you may through this faith become a new man, in that +all your sins are forgiven, and you are justified by the merits of +another, namely, of Christ alone. + +[Sidenote: Justification by Faith] + +Since, therefore, this faith can rule only in the inward man, as +Romans x says, "With the heart we believe unto righteousness"; and +since faith alone justifies, it is clear that the inward man cannot be +justified, made free and be saved by any outward work or dealing +whatsoever, and that works, whatever their character, have nothing to +do with this inward man. On the other hand, only ungodliness and +unbelief of heart, and no outward work, make him guilty and a damnable +servant of sin. Wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every +Christian to lay aside all trust in works, and more and more to +strengthen faith alone, and through faith to grow in the knowledge, +not of works, but of Christ Jesus, Who suffered and rose for him, as +Peter teaches, in the last chapter of his first Epistle [1 Pet. 5:10]; +since no other work makes a Christian. Thus when the Jews asked +Christ, John vi [John 6:28 f.], what they should do that they might +work the works of God, He brushed aside the multitude of works in +which He saw that they abounded [John 6:27], and enjoined upon them a +single work, saying, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him +Whom He hath sent. For Him hath God the Father sealed." [John 6:29] + +Hence true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison, which +brings with it all salvation and saves from every evil, as Christ says +in the last chapter of Mark, "He that believeth and is baptised, shall +be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned." [Mark 16:16] +This treasure Isaiah beheld and foretold in chapter x, "The Lord shall +make an abridged and consuming word upon the land, and the consumption +abridged shall overflow with righteousness" [Isa. 10:22]; as if he +said, "Faith, which is a brief and perfect fulfilment of the law, +shall fill believers with so great righteousness that they shall need +nothing more for their righteousness." So also Paul says, Romans x, +"With the heart we believe unto righteousness." [Rom. 10:10] + +[Sidenote: Faith and Works] + +[Sidenote: Commands reveal Weakness] + +Should you ask, how it comes that faith alone justifies without works +offers us such a treasury of great benefits, when so many works, +ceremonies and laws are prescribed in the Scriptures, I answer: First +of all, remember what has been said: faith alone, without works, +justifies, makes free and saves, as we shall later make still more +clear. Here we must point out that all the Scriptures of God are +divided into two parts--commands and promises. The commands indeed +teach things that are good, but the things taught reveal are not done +as soon as taught; for the commands show us what we ought to do, but +do not give us the power to do it; they are intended to teach a man to +know himself, that through them he may recognize his inability to do +good and may despair of his powers. That is why they are called and +are the Old Testament. For example: "Thou shalt not covet" [Ex. 20:17] +is a command which convicts us all of being sinners, since no one is +able to avoid coveting, however much he may struggle against it. +Therefore, in order not to covet, and to fulfil the command, a man is +compelled to despair of himself, and to seek elsewhere and from some +one else the help which he does not ind in himself, as is said in +Hosea, "Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in Me." +[Hos. 13:9] And as we are with this one command, so we are with all; +or it is equally impossible or us to keep any one of them. + +[Sidenote: Promises give Strength] + +But when a man through the commands has learned to know his weakness, +and has become troubled as to how he may satisfy the law, since the +law must be fulfilled so that not a jot or tittle shall perish, +otherwise man will be condemned without hope; then, being truly +humbled and reduced to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no +means of justification and salvation. Here the second part of the +Scriptures stands ready--the promises of God, which declare the glory +of God and say, "If you wish to fulfil the law, and not to covet, as +the law demands, come, believe in Christ, in Whom grace, +righteousness, peace, liberty and all things are promised you; if you +believe you shall have all, if you believe not you shall lack all." +For what is impossible for you in all the works of the law, many as +they are, but all useless, you will accomplish in a short and easy way +through faith. For God our Father has made all things depend on faith, +so that whoever has faith, shall have all, and whoever has it not, +shall have nothing. "For He has concluded all under unbelief, that He +might have mercy on all," Romans xi [Rom. 11:32]. Thus the promises of +God give what the commands of God ask, and fulfil what the law +prescribes, that all things may be of God alone, both the commands and +the fulfilling of the commands. He alone commands. He also alone +fulfils. Therefore the promises of God belong to the New Testament, +nay, they are the New Testament. + +And since these promises of God are holy, true, righteous, free and +peaceful words, full of all goodness, it comes to pass that the soul +which clings to them with a firm faith, is so united with them, nay, +altogether taken up into them, that it not only shares in all their +power, but is saturated and made drunken with it. For if a touch of +Christ healed, how much more will this most tender touch in the +spirit, rather this absorbing of the Word, communicate to the soul all +things that are the Word's. This, then, is how through faith alone +without works the soul is justified by the Word of God, sanctified, +made true and peaceful and free, filled with every blessing and made +truly a child of God, as John i says, "To them gave He power to become +the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." [John 1:12] + +[Sidenote: Faith Justifies] + +From what has been said it is easily seen whence faith has such great +power, and why no good work nor all good works together can equal it: +no work can cling to the Word of God nor be in the soul; in the soul +faith alone and the Word have sway. As the Word is, so it makes the +soul, as heated iron glows like fire because of the union of fire with +it. It is clear then that a Christian man has in his faith all that he +needs, and needs no works to justify him. And if he has no need of +works, neither does he need the law; and if he has no need of the law, +surely he is free from the law, and it is true, "the law is not made +for a righteous man." [1 Tim. 1:9] And this is that Christian liberty, +even our faith, which does not indeed cause us to live in idleness or +in wickedness, but makes the law and works unnecessary for any man's +righteousness and salvation. + +[Sidenote: Faith Fulfils the Commands] + +This is the first power of faith. Let us now examine the second also. +For it is a further function of faith, that whom it trusts it also +honors with the most reverent and high regard, since it considers him +truthful and trustworthy. For there is no other honor equal to the +estimate of truthfulness and righteousness with which we honor him +whom we trust. Or could we ascribe to a man anything greater than +truthfulness, and righteousness, and perfect goodness? On the other +hand, there is no way in which we can show greater contempt for a man +than to regard him as false and wicked and to suspect him, as we do +when we do not trust him. So when the soul firmly trusts God's +promises, it regards Him as truthful and righteous, than which nothing +more excellent can be ascribed to God. This is the very highest +worship of God, that we ascribe to Him truthfulness, righteousness and +whatever else ought to be ascribed to one who is trusted. Then the +soul consents to all His will, then it hallows His name and suffers +itself to be dealt with according to God's good pleasure, because, +clinging to God's promises, it does not doubt that He, Who is true, +just and wise, will do, dispose and provide all things well. And is +not such a soul, by this faith, in all things most obedient to God? +What commandment is there that such obedience has not abundantly +fulfilled? What more complete fulfilment is there than obedience in +all things? But this obedience is not rendered by works, but by faith +alone. On the other hand, what greater rebellion against God, what +greater wickedness, what greater contempt of God is there than not +believing His promises? For what is this but to make God a liar or to +doubt that He is truthful?--that is, to ascribe truthfulness to one's +self, but to God lying and vanity? Does not a man who does this deny +God, and in his heart set up himself as his own idol? Then of what +avail are works done in such wickedness, even if they were the works +of angels and apostles? [Rom. 11:32] Rightly, therefore, has God +concluded all--not in anger or lust, but in unbelief; so that they who +imagine that they are fulfilling the law by doing the works of +chastity and mercy required by the law (the civil and human virtues), +might not be confident that they will be saved; they are included +under the sin of unbelief, and must either seek mercy or be justly +condemned. + +But when God sees that we count Him to be true, and by the faith of +our heart pay Him the great honor which is due Him, He in turn does us +the great honor of counting us true and righteous for our faith's +sake. For faith works truth and righteousness by giving to God what +belongs to Him; therefore, God in turn gives glory to our +righteousness. It is true and just that God is truthful and just, and +to count Him and confess Him, so is to be truthful and just. So in I +Sam. ii, He says, "Them that honor Me, I will honor, and they that +despise Me, shall be lightly esteemed." [1 Sam. 2:30] So Paul says in +Rom. iv, that Abraham's faith was counted unto him or righteousness, +because by it he most perfectly gave glory to God, and that or the +same reason our faith shall be counted unto us or righteousness if we +believe. [Rom. 4:3] + +[Sidenote: Faith Unites with Christ] + +The third incomparable benefit of faith is this, that it unites the +soul with Christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom. And by this +mystery, as the Apostle teaches, Christ and the soul become one flesh +[Eph. 5:31 f.]. And if they are one flesh and there is between them a +true marriage, nay, by far the most perfect of all marriages, since +human marriages are but frail types of this one true marriage, it +follows that all they have they have in common, the good as well as +the evil, so that the believing soul can boast of and glory in +whatever Christ has as if it were its own, and whatever the soul has +Christ claims as His own. Let us compare these and we shall see things +that cannot be estimated. Christ is full of grace, life and salvation; +the soul is full of sins, death and condemnation. Now let faith come +between them, and it shall come to pass that sins, death and hell are +Christ's, and grace, life and salvation are the soul's. For it +behooves Him, if He is a bridegroom, to take upon Himself the things +which are His bride's, and to bestow upon her the things that are His. +For if He gives her His body and His very self, how shall He not give +her all that is His? And if He takes the body of the bride, how shall +He not take all that is hers? + +Lo! here we have a pleasant vision not only of communion, but of a +blessed strife and victory and salvation and redemption. For Christ is +God and man in one person, Who has neither sinned nor died, and is not +condemned, and Who cannot sin, die or be condemned; His righteousness, +life and salvation are unconquerable, eternal, omnipotent; and He by +the wedding-ring of faith shares in the sins, death and pains of hell +which are His bride's, nay, makes them His own, and acts as if they +were His own, and as if He Himself had sinned; He suffered, died and +descended into hell that He might overcome them all. Now since it was +such a one who did all this, and death and hell could not swallow Him +up, they were of necessity swallowed up of Him in a mighty duel. For +His righteousness is greater than the sins of all men, His life +stronger than death. His salvation more invincible than hell. Thus the +believing soul by the pledge of its faith is free in Christ, its +Bridegroom, from all sins, secure against death and against hell, and +is endowed with the eternal righteousness, life and salvation of +Christ, its Bridegroom. So He presents to Himself a glorious bride, +without spot or wrinkle [Eph. 5:27], cleansing her with the washing in +the Word of life, that is, by faith in the Word of life, of +righteousness, and of salvation. Thus He marries her to Himself in +faith, in loving kindness, and in mercies, in righteousness and in +judgment, as Hosea ii says. [Hos. 2:19 f.] + +Who, then, can fully appreciate what this royal marriage means? Who +can understand the riches of the glory of this grace? Here this rich +and godly Bridegroom Christ marries this poor, wicked harlot, redeems +her from all her evil and adorns her with all His good. It is now +impossible that her sins should destroy her, since they are laid upon +Christ and swallowed up in Him, and she has that righteousness in +Christ her husband of which she may boast as of her own, and which she +can confidently set against all her sins in the face of death and +hell, and say, "If I have sinned, yet my Christ, in Whom I believe, +has not sinned, and all His is mine, and all mine is His"--as the +bride in the Song of Solomon says, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." +[Song of Sol. 2:16] This is what Paul means when he says, in I Cor. +xv, "Thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord +Jesus Christ,"[1 Co4. 15:57]--that is, the victory over sin and death, +as he there says, "the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin +is the law." [1 Cor. 15:36] + +[Sidenote: Faith the Fulfilment of the Law] + +From this you see once more why so much is ascribed to faith, that it +alone may fulfil the law and justify without the Law works. You see +that the First Commandment, which says, "Thou shalt worship one God," +is fulfilled by faith alone. For though you were nothing but good +works from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head, yet you +would not be righteous, nor worship God, nor fulfil the First +Commandment, since God cannot be worshiped unless you ascribe to Him +the glory of truthfulness and of all goodness, which is due Him. And +this cannot be done by works, but only by the faith of the heart. For +not by the doing of works, but by believing, do we glorify God and +acknowledge that He is truthful. Therefore, faith alone is the +righteousness of a Christian man and the fulfilling of all the +commandments. For he who fulfils the First, has no difficulty in +fulfilling all the rest. But works, being insensate things, cannot +glorify God, although they can, if faith be present, be done to the +glory of God. At present, however, we are not inquiring what works and +what sort of works are done, but who it is that does them, who +glorifies God and brings forth the works. This is faith which dwells +in the heart, and is the head and substance of all our righteousness. +Hence, it is a blind and dangerous doctrine which teaches that the +commandments must be fulfilled by works. The commandments must be +fulfilled before any works can be done, and the works proceed from the +fulfilment of the commandments [Rom. 13:10], as we shall hear. + +[Sidenote: Old Testament Types] + +But that we may look more deeply into that grace which our inward man +has in Christ, we must consider that in the Old Testament God +sanctified to Himself every first-born male, and the birth-right was +highly prized, having a two-fold honor, that of priesthood, and that +of kingship. For the first-born brother was priest and lord over all +the others, and was a type of Christ, the true and only First-born of +God the Father and of the Virgin Mary, and true King and Priest, not +after the fashion of the flesh and of the world. For His kingdom is +not of this world [John 18:36]. He reigns in heavenly and spiritual +things and consecrates them--such as righteousness, truth, wisdom, +peace, salvation, etc. Not as if all things on earth and in hell were +not also subject to Him--else how could He protect and save us from +them?--but His kingdom consists neither in them nor of them. Nor does +His priesthood consist in the outward splendor of robes and postures, +like that human priesthood of Aaron and of our present-day Church; but +it consists in spiritual things, through which He by an unseen service +intercedes for us in heaven before God, there offers Himself as a +sacrifice and does all things a priest should do, as Paul in the +Epistle to the Hebrews describes him under the type of Melchizedek +[Heb. 6 f.]. Nor does He only pray and intercede for us, but within +our soul He teaches us through the living teaching of His Spirit, thus +performing the two real unctions of a priest, of which the prayers and +the preaching of human priests are visible types. + +Now, just as Christ by his birthright obtained these two prerogatives, +so He imparts them to and shares them with every one who believes on +Him according to the law of the aforesaid marriage, by which the wife +owns whatever belongs to the husband. Hence we are all priests and +kings in Christ, as many as believe on Christ, as I Pet. ii says, "Ye +are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood and +priestly kingdom, that ye should show forth the virtues of Him Who +hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." [1 Pet. +2:9] + +[Sidenote: The Kingship of the Christian] + +This priesthood and kingship we explain as follows: First, as to the +kingship, every Christian is by faith so exalted above all things that +by a spiritual power he is lord of all things without exception, so +that nothing can do him any harm whatever, nay, all things are made +subject to him and compelled to serve him to his salvation. Thus Paul +says in Rom. viii, "All things work together for good to them who are +called." [Rom. 8:28] And, in I Cor. iii, "All things are yours, +whether life or death, or things present or things to come, and ye are +Christ's." [1 Cor. 3:22 f.] Not as if every Christian were set over +all things, to possess and control them by physical power,--a madness +with which some churchmen are afflicted,--for such power belongs to +kings, princes and men on earth. Our ordinary experience in life shows +us that we are subjected to all, suffer many things and even die; nay, +the more Christian a man is, the more evils, sufferings and deaths is +he made subject to, as we see in Christ the first-born Prince Himself, +and in all His brethren, the saints. The power of which we speak is +spiritual; it rules in the midst of enemies, and is mighty in the +midst of oppression, which means nothing else than that strength is +made perfect in weakness [2 Cor. 12:9], and that in all things I can +find profit unto salvation, so that the cross and death itself are +compelled to serve me and to work together with me for my salvation +[Rom. 8:28]. This is a splendid prerogative and hard to attain, and a +true omnipotent power, a spiritual dominion, in which there is nothing +so good and nothing so evil, but that it shall work together for good +to me, if only I believe. And yet, since faith alone suffices for +salvation, I have need of nothing, except that faith exercise the +power and dominion of its own liberty. Lo, this is the inestimable +power and liberty of Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Priesthood of the Christian] + +Not only are we the freest of kings, we are also priests forever, +which is far more excellent than being kings, because as priests we +are worthy to appear before God to pray for others and to teach one +another the things of God. For these are the functions of priests, and +cannot be granted to any unbeliever. Thus Christ has obtained for us, +if we believe on Him, that we are not only His brethren, co-heirs and +fellow-kings with Him, but also fellow-priests with Him, who may +boldly come into the presence of God in the spirit of faith and cry, +"Abba, Father!" [Heb. 10:19, 22] pray for one another and do all +things which we see done and prefigured in the outward and visible +works of priests. But he who does not believe is not served by +anything, nor does anything work for good to him, but he himself is a +servant of all, and all things become evils to him, because he +wickedly uses them to his own profit and not to the glory of God. And +so he is no priest, but a profane man, whose prayer becomes sin and +never comes into the presence of God, because God does not hear +sinners [John 9:31]. Who then can comprehend the lofty dignity of the +Christian? Through his kingly power he rules over all things, death, +life and sin, and through his priestly glory is all powerful with God, +because God does the things which he asks and desires, as it is +written, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him; He also +will hear their cry, and will save them." [Phil. 4:13] To this glory a +man attains, surely not by any works of his, but by faith alone. + +[Sidenote: Distinctions among Christians] + +From this any one can clearly see how a Christian man is free from all +things and over all things, so that he needs no works to make him +righteous and to save him, since faith alone confers all these things +abundantly. But should he grow so foolish as to presume to become +righteous, free, saved and a Christian by means of some good work, he +would on the instant lose faith and all its benefits: a foolishness +aptly illustrated in the fable of the dog who runs along a stream with +a piece of meat in his mouth, and, deceived by the reflection of the +meat in the water, opens his mouth to snap at it, and so loses both +the meat and the reflection. You will ask, "If all who are in the +Church are priests, how do those whom we now call priests differ from +laymen?" I answer: "Injustice is done those words, 'priest,' 'cleric,' +'spiritual,' 'ecclesiastic,' when they are transferred from all other +Christians to those few who are now by a mischievous usage called +'ecclesiastics.' For Holy Scripture makes no distinction between them, +except that it gives the name 'ministers,' 'servants,' 'stewards,' to +those who are now proudly called popes, bishops, and lords and who +should by the ministry of the Word serve others and teach them the +faith of Christ and the liberty of believers. For although we are all +equally priests, yet we cannot all publicly minister and teach, nor +ought we if we could." Thus Paul writes in I Cor. iv, "Let a man so +account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the +mysteries of God." [I Cor. 4:1] + +But that stewardship has now been developed into so great a pomp of +power and so terrible a tyranny, that no heathen empire or earthly +power can be compared with it, just as if laymen were not also +Christians. Through this perversion the knowledge of Christian grace, +faith, liberty and of Christ Himself has altogether perished, and its +place has been taken by an unbearable bondage of human words and laws, +until we have become, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah say, servants of +the vilest men on earth, who abuse our misfortune to serve only their +base and shameless will [Lam. 1:11]. + +[Sidenote: How Christ is to be Preached] + +To return to our purpose, I believe it has now become clear that it is +not enough nor is it Christian, to preach the works, life and words of +Christ as historical acts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice +for the conduct of life, although this is the fashion of those who +must to-day be regarded as our best preachers; and far less is it +enough for Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach +instead the laws of men and the decrees of the Fathers. And now there +are not a few who preach Christ and read about Him that they may move +men's affections to sympathy with Christ, to anger against the Jews +and such like childish and womanish nonsense. Rather ought Christ to +be preached to the end that faith in Him may be established, that He +may not only be Christ, but be Christ for thee and for me, and that +what is said of Him and what His Name denotes may be effectual in us. +And such faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why Christ +came, what He brought and bestowed,[13] what benefit it is to us to +accept Him. This is done when that Christian liberty which He bestows +is rightly taught, and we are told in what way we who are Christians +are all kings and priests and so are lords of all, and may firmly +believe that whatever we have done is pleasing and acceptable in the +sight of God, as I have said. + +[Sidenote: Effect of such Preaching] + +What man is there whose heart, hearing these things, will not rejoice +to its very core, and in receiving such comfort grow tender so as to +love Christ, as he never could be made to love by any laws or works? +Who would have power to harm such a heart or to make it afraid? If the +knowledge of sin for the fear of death break in upon it is ready to +hope in the Lord; it does not grow afraid when it hears tidings of +evil, nor is it disturbed until it shall look down upon its enemies +[Psalm 112:7 f.]. For it believes that the righteousness of Christ is +its own, and that its sin is not its own, but Christ's; and that all +sin is swallowed up by the righteousness of Christ is, as has been +said above, a necessary consequence of faith in Christ. So the heart +learns to scoff at death and sin, and to say with the Apostle, "Where, +O death, is thy victory? where, O death, is thy sting? The sting of +death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to +God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 +Cor. 15:55 ff.] For death is swallowed up not only in the victory of +Christ, but also by our victory, because through faith His victory has +become ours, and in that faith we also are conquerors. + +Let this suffice concerning the inward man, his liberty and its +source, the righteousness of faith,[14] which needs neither laws nor +good works, nay, is rather injured by them, if a man trusts that he is +justified by them. + +[Sidenote: The Outward Man] + +Now let us turn to the second part, to the outward man. Here we shall +answer all those who, misled by the word "faith" and by all that has +been said, now say: "If faith does all things and is alone sufficient +unto righteousness, why then are good works commanded? We will take +our ease and do no works, and be content with faith." I answer, Not +so, ye wicked men, not so. That would indeed be proper, if we were +wholly inward and perfectly spiritual men; but such we shall be only +at the last day, the day of the resurrection of the dead. As long as +we live in the flesh we only begin and make some progress in that +which shall be perfected in the future life. For this reason the +Apostle, in Romans viii, calls all that we attain in this he "the +first fruits" of the spirit [Rom. 8:23], because, forsooth, we shall +receive the greater portion, even the fulness of the spirit, in the +future. This is the place for that which was said above, that a +Christian man is the servant of all and made subject to all. For in so +far as he is free he does no works, but in so far as he is a servant +he does all manner of works. How this is possible, we shall see. + +[Sidenote: Needs to do Works] + +Although, as I have said, a man is abundantly justified by faith +inwardly, in his spirit, and so has all that he ought to have, except +in so far as this faith and riches must grow from day to day even unto +the future he: yet he remains in this mortal life on earth, and in +this life he must needs govern his own body and have dealings with +men. Here the works begin; here a man cannot take his ease; here he +must, indeed, take care to discipline his body by fastings, watchings, +labors and other reasonable discipline, and to make it subject to the +spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inward man and to +faith, and not revolt against faith and hinder the inward man, as it +is the body's nature to do if it be not held in check. For the inward +man, who by faith is created in the likeness of God, is both joyful +and happy because of Christ in Whom so many benefits are conferred +upon him, and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully +and for naught, in love that is not constrained. + +While he is doing this, lo, he meets a contrary will in his own flesh, +which strives to serve the world and to seek its own advantage. This +the spirit of faith cannot tolerate, and with joyful zeal it attempts +to put the body under and to hold it in check, as Paul says in Romans +vii, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see +another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and +bringing me into captivity to the law of sin" [Rom. 7:22 f.]; and, in +another place, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: +lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be +a castaway," [1 Cor. 9:27] and in Galatians, "They that are Christ's +have crucified the flesh with its lusts." [Gal. 5:24] + +[Sidenote: Works do not Justify] + +In doing these works, however, we must not think that a man is +justified before God by them: for that erroneous opinion faith, which +alone is righteousness before God, cannot endure; but we must think +that these works reduce the body to subjection and purity it of its +evil lusts, and our whole purpose is to be directed only toward the +driving out of lusts. For since by faith the soul is cleansed and made +a lover of God, it desires that all things, and especially its own +body, shall be as pure as itself, so that all things may join with it +in loving and praising God. Hence a man cannot be idle, because the +need of his body drives him and he is compelled to do many good works +to reduce it to subjection. Nevertheless the works themselves do not +justify him before God, but he does the works out of spontaneous love +in obedience to God, and considers nothing except the approval of God, +Whom he would in all things most scrupulously obey. + +In this way every one will easily be able to learn for himself the +limit and discretion, as they say, of his bodily castigations: for he +will fast, watch and labor as much as he finds sufficient to repress +the lasciviousness and lust of his body. But they who presume to be +justified by works do not regard the mortifying of the lusts, but only +the works themselves, and think that if only they have done as many +and as great works as are possible, they have done well, and have +become righteousness; at times they even addle their brains and +destroy, or at least render useless, their natural strength with their +works. This is the height of folly, and utter ignorance of Christian +life and faith, that a man should seek to be justified and saved by +works and without faith. + +[Sidenote: An Analogy] + +In order that what we have said may be more easily understood, we will +explain it by analogies. We should think of the works of a Christian +man who is justified and saved by faith because of the pure and free +mercy of God, just as we would think of the works which Adam and Eve +did in Paradise, and all their children would have done if they had +not sinned. We read in Genesis ii, "God put the man whom He had formed +into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." [Gen. 2:15] Now +Adam was created by God righteous and upright and without sin, so that +he had no need of being justified and made upright through his +dressing and keeping the garden, but, that he might not be idle, the +Lord gave him a work to do--to cultivate and to protect the garden. +These would truly have been the freest of works, done only to please +God and not to obtain righteousness, which Adam already had in full +measure, and which would have been the birthright of us all. + +Such also are the works of a believer. Through his faith he has been +restored to Paradise and created anew, has no need of works that he +may become or be righteous; but that he may not be idle and may +provide for and keep his body, he must do such works freely only to +please God; only, since we are not wholly re-created, and our faith +and love are not yet perfect, these are to be increased, not by +external works, however, but within themselves. + +[Sidenote: A Second Analogy] + +Again: A bishop, when he consecrates a Church, confirms children or +performs any other duty belonging to his office, is not made a bishop +by these works; nay, if he had not first been made a bishop, none of +these works would be valid, they would be foolish, childish and a mere +farce. So the Christian, who is consecrated by his faith, does good +works, but the works do not make him more holy or more Christian; for +that is the work of faith alone, and if a man were not first a +believer and a Christian, all his works would amount to nothing at all +and would be truly wicked and damnable sins. + +These two sayings, therefore, are true: "Good works do not make a good +man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked +man, but a wicked man does evil works"; so that it is always necessary +that the "substance" or person itself be good before there can be any +good works, and that good works follow and proceed from the good +person, as Christ also says, "A corrupt tree does not bring forth good +fruit, a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit." [Matt. 7:18] It +is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree, nor does the tree grow +on the fruits, but, on the contrary, the trees bear the fruits and the +fruits grow on the trees. As it is necessary, therefore, that the +trees must exist before their fruits, and the fruits do not make trees +either good or corrupt, but rather as the trees are so are the fruits +they bear; so the person of a man must needs first be good or wicked +before he does a good or a wicked work, and his works do not make him +good or wicked, but he himself makes his works either good or wicked. + +[Sidenote: Illustrations] + +Illustrations of the same truth can be seen in all trades, A good or a +bad house does not make a good or a bad builder, but a good or a bad +builder makes a bad or a good house. And in general, the work never +makes the workman like itself, but the workman makes the work like +himself. So it is also with the works of man: as the man is, whether +believer or unbeliever, so also is his work--good, if it was done in +faith; wicked, if it was done in unbelief. But the converse is not +true, that the work makes the man either a believer or an unbeliever. +For as works do not make a man a believer, so also they do not make +him righteous. But as faith makes a man a believer and righteous, so +faith also does good works. Since, then, works justify no one, and a +man must be righteous before he does a good work, it is very evident +that it is faith alone which, because of the pure mercy of God through +Christ and in His Word, worthily and sufficiently justifies and saves +the person, and a Christian man has no need of any work or of any law +in order to be saved, since through faith he is free from every law +and does all that he does out of pure liberty and freely, seeking +neither benefit nor salvation, since he already abounds in all things +and is saved through the grace of God because of his faith, and now +seeks only to please God. + +[Sidenote: Works Neither Save nor Damn] + +Furthermore, no good work helps an unbeliever, so as to justify or +save him. And, on the other hand, no evil work makes him wicked or +damns him, but the unbelief which makes the person and the tree evil, +does the evil and damnable works. Hence when a man is made good or +evil, this is effected not by the works, but by faith or unbelief, as +the Wise Man says, "This is the beginning of sin, that a man falls +away from God," [Sirach 10:14 f.] which happens when he does not +believe. And Paul, Hebrews xi, says, He that cometh to God must +believe." [Heb. 11:6] And Christ says the same: "Either make the tree +good and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit +corrupt," [Matt. 12:33] as if He would say, "Let him who would have +good fruit begin by planting a good tree." So let him who would do +good works not begin with the doing of works, but with believing, +which makes the person good. For nothing makes a man good except +faith, nor evil except unbelief. + +It is indeed true that in the sight of men a man is made good or evil +by his works, but this being made good or evil is no more than that he +who is good or evil is pointed out and known as such; as Christ says, +in Matthew vii, "By their fruits ye shall know them." [Matt. 7:20] But +all this remains on the surface, and very many have been deceived by +this outward appearance and have presumed to write and teach +concerning good works by which we may be justified, without even +mentioning faith; they go their way, always being deceived and +deceiving, advancing, indeed, but into a worse state, blind leaders of +the blind [2 Tim. 3:13], wearying themselves with many works, and yet +never attaining to true righteousness [Matt. 15:14]. Of such Paul +says, in II Timothy iii, "Having the form of godliness, but denying +its power, always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the +truth." [2 Tim. 3:5, 7] + +He, therefore, who does not wish to go astray with those blind men, +must look beyond works, and laws and doctrines about works; nay, +turning his eyes from works, he must look upon the person, and ask how +that is justified. For the person is justified and saved not by works +nor by laws, but by the Word of God, that is, by the promise of His +grace [Tit. 3:5], and by faith, that the glory may remain God's, Who +saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done, but +according to His mercy by the word of His grace, when we believed. [1 +Cor. 1:21] + +[Sidenote: The Doctrine of Good Works] + +From this it is easy to know in how far good works are to be rejected +or not, and by what standard all the teachings of men concerning works +are to be interpreted. If works are sought after as a means to +righteousness, are burdened with this perverse leviathan[15] and are +done under the false impression that through them you are justified, +they are made necessary and freedom and faith are destroyed; and this +addition to them makes them to be no longer good, but truly damnable +works. For they are not free, and they blaspheme the grace of God, +since to justify and to save by faith belongs to the grace of God +alone. What the works have no power to do, they yet, by a godless +presumption, through this folly of ours, pretend to do, and thus +violently force themselves into the office and the glory of grace. We +do not, therefore, reject good works; on the contrary, we cherish and +teach them as much as possible. We do not condemn them for their own +sake, but because of this godless addition to them and the perverse +idea that righteousness is to be sought through them; for that makes +them appear good outwardly, when in truth they are not good; they +deceive men and lead men to deceive each other, like ravening wolves +in sheep's clothing [Matt. 7:15]. + +But this leviathan and perverse notion concerning works is insuperable +where sincere faith is wanting. Those work-saints cannot get rid of it +unless faith, its destroyer, come and rule in their hearts. Nature of +itself cannot drive it out, nor even recognize it, but rather regards +it as a mark of the most holy will. And if the influence of custom be +added and confirm this perverseness of nature, as wicked Magisters +have caused it to do, it becomes an incurable evil, and leads astray +and destroys countless men beyond all hope of restoration. Therefore, +although it is good to preach and write about penitence, confession +and satisfaction, if we stop with that and do not go on to teach about +faith, our teaching is unquestionably deceitful and devilish. + +[Sidenote: What we are to Preach] + +Christ, like His forerunner John, not only said, "Repent ye," [Matt. +3:2] but added the word of faith, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at +hand." [Matt. 4:17] And we are not to preach only one of these words +of God, but both; we are to bring forth out of our treasure things new +and old [Matt. 13:52], the voice of the law as well as the word of +grace. We must bring forth the voice of the law that men may be made +to fear and to come to a knowledge of their sins, and so be converted +to repentance and a better life. But we must not stop with that. For +that would be only to wound and not to bind up, to smite and not to +heal, to kill and not to make alive, to lead down into hell and not to +bring back again, to humble and not to exalt. Therefore, we must also +preach the word of grace and the promise of forgiveness, by which +faith is taught and strengthened. Without this word of grace the works +of the law, contrition, penitence and all the rest are performed and +taught in vain. + +There remain even to our day preachers of repentance and grace, but +they do not so explain God's law and promise that a man might learn +from them the source of repentance and grace. For repentance proceeds +from the law of God, but faith or grace from the promise of God, as +Romans x says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of +Christ" [Rom. 10:17]; so that a man is consoled and exalted by faith +in the divine promise, after he has been humbled and led to a +knowledge of himself by the threats and the fear of the divine law. So +we read in Psalm xxx, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh +in the morning." [Ps. 30:6] + +[Sidenote: Works of Love] + +Let this suffice concerning works in general, and at the same time +concerning the works which a Christian does for his own body. Lastly, +we will also speak of the things which he does toward his neighbor. A +man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body, so as to work +for it alone, but he lives also for all men on earth, nay, rather, +lives only for others and not for himself. And to this end he brings +his body into subjection, that he may the more sincerely and freely +serve others, as Paul says in Romans xiv, "No one lives to himself, +and no man dies to himself. For he that liveth, liveth unto the Lord, +and he that dieth, dieth unto the Lord." [Rom. 14:7 f.] Therefore, it +is impossible that he should ever in this life be idle and without +works toward his neighbors, for of necessity he will speak, deal with +and converse with men, as Christ also, being made in the likeness of +men, was found in form as a man, and conversed with men, as Baruch iii +says [Bar. 3:38]. + +[Sidenote: Do not Save] + +[Sidenote: Grow out of Faith] + +But none of these things does a man need for his righteousness and +salvation. Therefore, in all his works he should be guided by this +thought and look to this one thing alone, that he may serve and +benefit others in all that he does, having regard to nothing except +the need and the advantage of his neighbor. Thus, the Apostle commands +us to work with our hands that we may give to him who is in need, +although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves; +he says, however, "that he may have to give to him that needeth." +[Eph. 4:28] And this is what makes it a Christian work to care for the +body, that through its health and comfort we may be able to work, to +acquire and to lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need, +that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker, and we may be +sons of God, each caring for and working for the other, bearing one +another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2]. Lo, +this is a truly Christian life, here faith is truly out effectual +through love [Gal. 5:6]; that is, it issues in works of the freest +service cheerfully and lovingly done, with which a man willingly +serves another without hope of reward, and for himself is satisfied +with the fulness and wealth of his faith. + +So Paul after teaching the Philippians how rich they were made through +faith in Christ, in which they obtained all things, proceeds +immediately to teach them further, saying, "If there be any +consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of +the Spirit, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same +love, being of one accord, thinking nothing through strife or +vainglory, but in lowliness each esteeming the other better than +themselves; looking not every man on his own things, but on the things +of others." [Phil. 2:1 ff.] Here we see clearly that the Apostle has +prescribed this rule for the life of Christians,--that we should +devote all our works to the welfare of others, since each has such +abundant riches in his faith, that all his other works and his whole +He are a surplus with which he can by voluntary benevolence serve and +do good to his neighbor. + +[Sidenote: The Example of Christ] + +As an example of such a life the Apostle cites Christ, saying, "Let +this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the +form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made +Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and +was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, +He became obedient unto death." [Phil. 2:5 ff.] This salutary word of +the Apostle has been obscured for us by those who have not at all +understood the Apostle's words, "form of God," "form of a servant," +"fashion," "likeness of men," and have applied them to the divine and +the human nature. Paul means this: Although Christ was filled with the +form of God and rich in all good things, so that He needed no work and +no suffering to make Him righteous and saved (for He had all this +always from the beginning), yet He was not puffed up by them, nor did +He lift Himself up above us and assume power over us, although He +could rightly have done so; but, on the contrary, He so lived, +labored, worked, suffered and died, that He might be like other men, +and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man, just as if +He had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of God. +But He did all this for our sake, that He might serve us, and that all +things He accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours. + +So a Christian, like Christ, his Head, is filled and made rich by +faith, and should be content with this form of God which he has +obtained by faith; only, as I have said, he ought to increase this +faith until it be made perfect. For this faith is his life, his +righteousness and his salvation: it saves him and makes him +acceptable, and bestows upon him all things that are Christ's, as has +been said above, and as Paul asserts in Gal. ii, when he says, "And +the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son +of God." [Gal. 2:20] Although the Christian is thus free from all +works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, to take upon himself +the form of a servant, to be made in the likeness of men, to be found +in fashion as a man, and to serve, help and in every way deal with his +neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals +with himself. And this he should do freely, having regard to nothing +except the divine approval. He ought to think: "Though I am an +unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the +riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, +out of pure, free mercy, so that henceforth I need nothing whatever +except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not +therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will, +do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a +Father, Who has overwhelmed me with His inestimable riches? I will +therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ +offered Himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I +see is necessary, profitable and salutary to my neighbor, since +through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ." + +[Sidenote: Faith and Love] + +Lo, thus from faith flow forth love and joy in the Lord, and from love +a joyful, willing and free mind that serves one's neighbor willingly +and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, of praise or blame, +of gain or loss. For a man does not serve that he may put men under +obligations, he does not distinguish between friends and enemies, nor +does he anticipate their thankfulness or unthankfulness; but most +freely and most willingly he spends himself and all that he has, +whether he waste all on the thankless or whether he gain a reward. For +as his Father does, distributing all things to all men richly and +freely, causing His sun to rise upon the good and upon the evil [Matt. +5:45], so also the son does all things and suffers all things with +that freely bestowing joy which is his delight when through Christ he +sees it in God, the dispenser of such great benefits. + +Therefore, if we recognize the great and precious things which are +given us, as Paul says [Rom. 5:5], there will be shed abroad in our +hearts by the Holy Ghost the love which makes us free, joyful, +almighty workers and conquerors over all tribulations, servants of our +neighbors and yet lords of all. But for those who do not recognize the +gifts bestowed upon them through Christ, Christ has been born in vain; +they go their way with their works, and shall never come to taste or +to feel those things. Just as our neighbor is in need and lacks that +in which we abound, so we also have been in need before God and have +lacked His mercy. Hence, as our heavenly Father has in Christ freely +come to our help, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through +our body and its works, and each should become as it were a Christ to +the other, that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the +same in all; that is, that we may be truly Christians. + +[Sidenote: The Christian Serves Freely] + +Who then can comprehend the riches and the glory of the Christian +life? It can do all things, and has all things, and lacks nothing; it +is lord over sin, death and hell, and yet at the same time it serves, +ministers to and benefits all men. But, alas, in our day this life is +unknown throughout the world; it is neither preached about nor sought +after; we are altogether ignorant of our own name and do not know why +we are Christians or bear the name of Christians. Surely we are so +named after Christ, not because He is absent from us, but because He +dwells in us, that is, because we believe on Him and are Christs one +to another and do to our neighbors as Christ does to us. But in our +day we are taught by the doctrine of men to seek naught but merits, +rewards and the things that are ours; of Christ we have made only a +taskmaster far more harsh than Moses. + +[Sidenote: Examples: The Virgin] + +Of such faith we have a pre-eminent example in the blessed Virgin. As +is written in Luke ii, she was purified according to the law of Moses, +after the custom of all women, although she was not bound by that law, +and needed not to be purified. But out of free and willing love she +submitted to the law, being made like other women, lest she should +offend or despise them. She was not justified by this work, but being +righteous she did it freely and willingly. So our works also should be +done, not that we may be justified by them; since, being justified +beforehand by faith, we ought to do all things freely and joyfully for +the sake of others. + +[Sidenote: St. Paul] + +St. Paul also circumcised his disciple Timothy, not because +circumcision was necessary for his righteousness, but that he might +not offend or despise the Jews who were weak in the faith and could +not yet grasp the liberty of faith. But on the other hand, when they +despised the liberty of faith and insisted that circumcision was +necessary for righteousness, he withstood them and did not allow Titus +to be circumcised, (Gal. ii) [Gal. 2:3]. For as he was unwilling to +offend for to despise any man's weak faith, and yielded to their will +for the time, so he was also unwilling that the liberty of faith +should be offended against or despised by stubborn work-righteous men. +He chose a middle way, sparing the weak or a time, but always +withstanding the stubborn, that he might convert all to the liberty of +faith. What we do should be done with the same zeal to sustain the +weak in faith, as Romans xiv teaches [Rom. 14:1 ff.]; but we should +firmly withstand the stubborn teachers of works. Of this we will say +more later. + +Christ also, in Matthew xvii, when the tribute money was demanded of +His disciples, argued with St. Peter, Christ whether the sons of the +king were not free from the payment of tribute, and Peter affirmed +that they were. None the less Christ commanded Peter to go to the sea, +and said, "Lest we should offend them, go, and take up the fish that +first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find +a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." +[Matt. 17:24 ff.] This incident its beautifully to our subject, since +Christ here calls Himself and those that are His, children and sons of +the King, who need nothing; and yet He freely submits and pays the +tribute. Just as necessary or helpful as this work was to Christ's +righteousness or salvation, just so much do all other works of His or +of His followers avail for righteousness; since they all follow after +righteousness and are free, and are done only to serve others and to +give them an example of good works. + +Of the same nature are the precepts which Paul gives, in Romans xiii +[Rom. 13:1 ff.] and Titus iii [Tit. 3:1], that Christians should be +subject to the powers that be, and be ready to do every good work, not +that they shall in this way be justified, since they already are +righteous through faith, but that in the liberty of the Spirit they +shall by so doing serve others and the powers themselves, and obey +their will freely and out of love. Of this nature should be the works +of all colleges, monasteries and priests. Each one should do the works +of his profession and position, not that by them he may strive after +righteousness, but that through them he may keep under his body, be an +example to others, who also need to keep under their bodies, and +finally that by such works he may submit his will to that of others in +the freedom of love. But very great care must always be taken that no +man in a false confidence imagine that by such works he will be +justified, or acquire merit or be saved; for this is the work of faith +alone, as I have repeatedly said. + +[Sidenote: Church Precepts] + +Any one knowing this could easily and without danger find his way +among those numberless mandates and precepts of pope, bishops, +monasteries, churches, princes and magistrates, upon which some +ignorant pastors insist as if they were necessary to righteousness and +salvation, calling them "precepts of the Church," although they are +nothing of the kind. For a Christian, as a free man, will say, "I will +fast, pray, do this and that as men command, not because it is +necessary to my righteousness or salvation; but that I may show due +respect to the pope, the bishop, the community, some magistrate or my +neighbor, and give them an example, I will do and suffer all things, +just as Christ did and suffered far more for me, although He needed +nothing of it all or Himself, and was made under the law for my sake, +although He was not under the law." And although tyrants do violence +or injustice in making their demands, yet it will do no harm, so long +as they demand nothing contrary to God. + +From what has been said, every one can pass a safe judgment on all +works and laws and make a trustworthy distinction between them, and +know who are the blind and ignorant pastors and who are the good and +true. For any work that is not done solely for the purpose of keeping +under the body or of serving one's neighbor, so long as he asks +nothing contrary to God, is not good nor Christian. And for this +reason I mightily fear that few or no colleges, monasteries, altars +and offices of the Church are really Christian in our day: no, nor the +special fasts and prayers on certain saints' days[16] either. I fear, +I say, that in all these we seek only our own profit, thinking that +through them our sins are purged away and that we ind salvation in +them. In this way Christian liberty perishes altogether. And this +comes from our ignorance of Christian faith and of liberty. + +[Sidenote: Ignorance of Liberty] + +This ignorance and suppression of liberty very many blind pastors take +pains to encourage: they stir up and urge on their people in these +practices by praising such works, puffing them up with their +indulgences, and never teaching faith. But I would counsel you, if you +wish to pray, fast or establish some foundation in the Church, take +heed not to do it in order to obtain some benefit, whether temporal or +eternal. For you would do injury to your faith, which alone offers you +all things, Your one care should be that faith may increase, whether +it be trained by works or by sufferings. Give your gifts freely and +for nothing, that others may profit by them and are well because of +you and your goodness. In this way you shall be truly good and +Christian. For of what benefit to you are the good works which you do +not need for the keeping under of your body? Your faith is sufficient +for you, through which God has given you all things. + +See, according to this rule the good things we have from God should +flow from one to the other and be common to all, so that every one +should "put on" his neighbor, and so conduct himself toward him as if +he himself were in the other's place. From Christ they have flowed and +are flowing into us: He has so "put on" us and acted for us as if He +had been what we are. From us they flow on to those who have need of +them, so that I should lay before God my faith and my righteousness +that they may cover and intercede for the sins of my neighbor, which I +take upon myself and so labor and serve in them as if they were my +very own. For that is what Christ did for us. This is true love and +the genuine rule of a Christian life. The love is true and genuine +where there is true and genuine faith. Hence, the Apostle says of love +in I Cor. xiii, that it seeketh not its own. [1 Cor. 13:5] + +[Sidenote: Conclusion] + +We conclude, therefore, that a Christian man lives not in himself, but +in Christ and in his neighbor. Otherwise he is not a Christian. He +lives in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love; by faith +he is caught up beyond himself into God, by love he sinks down beneath +himself into his neighbor; yet he always remains in God and in His +love, as Christ says in John i, "Verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye +shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending +upon the Son of man." [John 1:51] + +Enough now of liberty. As you see, it is a spiritual and true liberty, +and makes our hearts free from all sins, laws and mandates, as Paul +says, I Tim. i, "The law is not made for a righteous man." [1 Tim. +1:9] It is more excellent than all other liberty which is external, as +heaven is more excellent than earth. This liberty may Christ grant us +both to understand and to preserve. Amen. + +[Sidenote: Liberty] + +[Sidenote: Neither License] + +[Sidenote: Nor Necessity] + +Finally, something must be added for the sake of those for whom +nothing can be so well said that they will not spoil it by +misunderstanding it, though it is a question whether they will +understand even what shall here be said. There are very many who, when +they hear of this liberty of faith, immediately turn it into an +occasion for the flesh, and think that now all things are allowed +them. They want to show that they are free men and Christians only by +despising and finding fault with ceremonies, traditions and human +laws; as if they were Christians because on stated days they do not +fast or eat meat when others fast, or because they do not use the +accustomed prayers, and with upturned nose scoff at the precepts of +men, although they utterly disregard all else that pertains to the +Christian religion. The extreme opposite of these are those who rely +for their salvation solely on their reverent observance of ceremonies, +as if they would be saved because on certain days they fast or abstain +from meats, or pray certain prayers; these make a boast of the +precepts of the Church and of the Fathers, and care not a fig or the +things which are of the essence of our faith. Plainly, both are in +error, because they neglect the weightier things which are necessary +to salvation, and quarrel so noisily about those trifling and +unnecessary matters. + +How much better is the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who bids us take +a middle course, and condemns both sides when he says, "Let not him +that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth +not judge him that eateth." [Rom. 14:3] Here you see that they who +neglect and disparage ceremonies, not out of piety, but out of mere +contempt, are reproved, since the Apostle teaches us not to despise +them. Such men are puffed up by knowledge. On the other hand, he +teaches those who insist on the ceremonies not to judge the others, or +neither party acts toward the other according to the love that +edifies. Wherefore, we ought here to listen to the Scriptures, which +teach that we should not go aside to the right nor to the left [Deut. +28:14], but follow the statutes of the Lord which are right, rejoicing +the heart [Ps. 19:8]. For as a man is not righteous because he keeps +and clings to the works and forms of the ceremonies, so also will a +man not be counted righteous merely because he neglects and despises +them. + +[Sidenote: freedom from False Opinions] + +Our faith in Christ does not free us from works, but from false +opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that +justification is acquired by works. For faith redeems, corrects and +preserves our consciences, so that we know that righteousness does not +consist in works, although works neither can nor ought to be wanting; +just as we cannot be without food and drink and all the works of this +mortal body, yet our righteousness is not in them, but in faith; and +yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected on +that account. In this world we are bound by the needs of our bodily +life, but we are not righteous because of them. "My kingdom is not of +this world," [John 18:36] says Christ, but He does not say, "My +kingdom is not here, that is, in this world." And Paul says, "Though +we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh," [2 Cor. 10:3] +and in Galatians ii, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live +in the faith of the Son of God." [Gal. 2:20] Thus what we do, live, +and are in works and in ceremonies, we do because of the necessities +of this life and of the effort to rule our body; nevertheless we are +righteous not in these, but in the faith of the Son of God. + +[Sidenote: Opponents] + +[Sidenote: Ceremonialists] + +[Sidenote: Ignorant Men] + +Hence, the Christian must take a middle course and face those two +classes of men. He will meet first the unyielding, stubborn +ceremonialists, who like deaf adders [Ps. 58:4] are not willing to +hear the truth of liberty, but, having no faith, boast of, prescribe +and insist upon their ceremonies as means of justification. Such were +the Jews of old, who were unwilling to learn how to do good. These he +must resist, do the very opposite and offend them boldly, lest by +their impious views they drag many with them into error. In the +presence of such men it is good to eat meat, to break the fasts and +for the sake of the liberty of faith to do other things which they +regard the greatest of sins. Of them we must say, "Let them alone, +they are blind and leaders of the blind." [Matt. 15:14] For on this +principle Paul would not circumcise Titus when the Jews insisted that +he should [Gal. 2:3], and Christ excused the Apostles when they +plucked ears of corn on the sabbath [Matt. 12:1 ff.]; and there are +many similar instances. The other class of men whom a Christian will +meet, are the simple-minded, ignorant men, weak in the faith, as the +Apostle calls them, who cannot yet grasp the liberty of faith, even if +they were willing to do so. These he must take care not to offend; he +must yield to their weakness until they are more fully instructed. +For since these do and think as they do, not because they are +stubbornly wicked, but only because their faith is weak, the fasts and +other things which they think necessary must be observed to avoid +giving them offence. For so love demands, which would harm no one, but +would serve all men. It is not by their fault that they are weak, but +their pastors have taken them captive with the snares of their +traditions and have wickedly used these traditions as rods with which +to beat them. From these pastors they should have been delivered by +the teaching of faith and liberty. So the Apostle teaches us, Romans +xiv, "If my meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while +the world standeth" [Rom. 14:14]; and again, "I know that through +Christ nothing is unclean, except to him who esteemeth any thing to be +unclean; but it is evil or the man who eats and is offended." + +Wherefore, although we should boldly resist those teachers of +traditions and sharply censure the laws of the popes by means of which +they plunder the people of God, yet we must spare the timid multitude +whom those impious tyrants hold captive by means of these laws, until +they be set free. Fight strenuously therefore against the wolves, but +for the sheep, and not also against the sheep. This you will do if you +inveigh against the laws and the law-givers, and at the same time +observe the laws with the weak, so that they will not be offended, +until they also recognize the tyranny and understand their liberty. +But if you wish to use your liberty, do so in secret, as Paul says, +Romans xiv, "Hast thou the faith? have it to thyself before God" [Rom. +14:22]; but take care not to use your liberty in the sight of the +weak. On the other hand, use your liberty constantly and consistently +in the sight of the tyrants and the stubborn, in despite of them, that +they also may learn that they are impious, that their laws are of no +avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up. + +[Sidenote: Ceremonies] + +Now, since we cannot live our life without ceremonies and works, and +the froward and untrained youth need to be restrained and saved from +harm by such bonds; and since each one should keep his body under by +means of such works, there is need that the minister of Christ be +far-seeing and faithful; he ought so to govern and teach the people of +Christ in all these matters that their conscience and faith be not +offended, and that there spring not up in them a suspicion and a root +of bitterness, and many be defiled thereby [Heb. 12:15], as Paul +admonishes the Hebrews; that is, that they may not lose faith and +become defiled by the false estimate of the value of works, and think +that they must be justified by works. This happens easily and defiles +very many, unless faith is at the same time constantly taught; it is +impossible to avoid it when faith is not mentioned and only the +devisings of men are taught, as has been done until now through the +pestilent, impious, soul-destroying traditions of our popes and the +opinions of our theologians. By these snares numberless souls have +been dragged down to hell, so that you might see in this the work of +Antichrist. + +[Sidenote: The Test of Faith] + +[Sidenote: Temporary Helps] + +In brief, as wealth is the test of poverty, business the test of +faithfulness, honors the test of humility, easts the test of +temperance, pleasures the test of chastity, so ceremonies are the test +of the righteousness of faith. "Can a man," says Solomon, "take fire +in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" [Prov. 6:27] Yet, as a +man must live in the midst of wealth, business, honors, pleasures and +easts, so also must he live in the midst of ceremonies, that is, in +the midst of dangers. Nay, as infant boys need beyond all else to be +cherished in the bosoms and by the hands of maidens to keep them from +perishing, and yet when they are grown up their salvation is +endangered if they associate with maidens, so the inexperienced and +froward youth need to be restrained and trained by the iron bars of +ceremonies, lest their unchecked ardor rush headlong into vice after +vice. Yet it would be death or them to be always held in bondage to +ceremonies, thinking that these justify them. They are rather to be +taught that they have been so imprisoned in ceremonies, not that they +should be made righteous or gain great merit by them, but that they +might thus be kept from doing evil, and might be more easily +instructed unto the righteousness of faith. Such instruction they +would not endure if the impulsiveness of their youth were not +restrained. Hence ceremonies are to be given the same place in the +life of a Christian as models and plans have among builders and +artisans. They are prepared not as permanent structures, but because +without them nothing could be built or made. When the structure is +completed they are laid aside. You see, they are not despised, rather, +they are greatly sought after; but what we despise is the false +estimate of them, since no one holds them to be the real and permanent +structure. If any man were so egregiously foolish as to care for +nothing all his life long except the most costly, careful and +persistent preparation of plans and models, and never to think of the +structure itself, and were satisfied with his work in producing such +plans and mere aids to work, and boasted of it, would not all men pity +his insanity, and estimate that with what he has wasted something +great might have been built? Thus we do not despise ceremonies and +works, nay, we set great store by them; but we despise the false +estimate placed upon works, in order that no one may think that they +are true righteousness, as those hypocrites believe who spend and lose +their whole lives in zeal for works, and never reach that for the sake +of which the works are to be done; as the Apostle says, "ever learning +and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim. 3:7] +For they seem to wish to build, they make their preparations, and yet +they never build, Thus they remain caught in the form of godliness and +do not attain unto its power [2 Tim. 3:5]. Meanwhile they are pleased +with their efforts, and even dare to judge all others whom they do not +see shining with a like show of works. Yet with the gifts of God which +they have spent and abused in vain they might, if they had been filled +with faith, have accomplished great things to the salvation of +themselves and of others. + +[Sidenote: Men Need to be Taught of God] + +But since human nature and natural reason, as it is called, are by +nature superstitious and ready to imagine, when laws and works are +prescribed, that righteousness must be obtained through them; and +further, since they are trained and confirmed in this opinion by the +practice of all earthly lawgivers, it is impossible that they should +of themselves escape from the slavery of works and come to a knowledge +of the liberty of faith. Therefore there is need of the prayer that +the Lord may give us [John 6:45] and make us _theodidacti_, that is, +taught of God, and Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our +hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us. For if He Himself do not +teach our hearts this wisdom hidden in a mystery [1 Cor. 2:7], nature +can only condemn it and judge it to be heretical, because nature is +offended by it and regards it as foolishness. So we see that it +happened in olden times, in the case of the Apostles and prophets, and +so godless and blind popes and their flatterers do to me and to those +who are like me. May God at last be merciful to them and to us, and +cause His face to shine upon us [Ps. 67:1 f.], that we may know His +way upon earth. His salvation among all nations, God, Who is blessed +forever [2 Cor. 11:31]. Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] See below, page 304. + +[2] Sylvester Prierias. See Vol. I, p. 338. + +[3] Cf. Preface to Prierias' Epitome, _Weimar Ed._, VI, 329. + +[4] Virgil, _Georgics_, I, 514. + +[5] Pope Eugene III, 1145-1153, for whom Bernard of Clairvaux wrote a +devotional book, _De consideratione_, in which he rehearsed the duties +and the dangers of the pope. See Realencyklopadie II, 632; Kohler, +Luther u. die Kirchengeschichte, 311 f. Cf. Resolutiones disput. de +indulg. virtute, 1518, Clemen, 1, 113. + +[6] John Maier, born in Eck an der Gunz, and generally known as John +Eck; an ambitious theologian, who first attacked his professor in +Freiburg, then Erasmus' Annotations to the New Testament, and next +wrote against Luther's XCV Theses (see Vol. I, 10, 176, etc.). He was +the opponent of Luther and Carlstadt at the Leipzig Disputation +(1519), to which Luther here refers. + +[7] Jacopo de Vio, born in Gaeta, Italy, in 1469, died in 1534. The +name Cajetan he derived from his birthplace, the Latin name of which +is Cajeta. In the Dominican Order he was known as Thomas, so that his +writings are published under the title, _Thomae de Vio Cajetani +opera_. He was made cardinal-presbyter with the title of S. Sisto in +1517, and in the following year was sent as papal legate to the Diet +of Augsburg. Here he met and examined Luther, but accomplished nothing +because he insisted that Luther must recant. See Kolde in +Realencyklopadie 3, 632 ff. + +[8] Carl von Miltitz was educated at Cologne, was prebendary at Mainz, +Trier and Meissen, and later went to Rome, where he acted as agent for +Frederick, Elector of Saxony, and Duke George the Bearded. "After the +endeavours of Cardinal Cajetan to silence Luther had failed, Miltitz +appeared to be the person most suited to bring the negotiations to a +successful ending." (_Catholic Encyclopedia_, X, 318, where, however, +the statement that Miltitz was educated at Mainz, Trier and Meissen is +evidently a slip.) It seems that Miltitz returned to Rome for a time, +but in 1522 again came to Germany, where he was drowned in the Main, +November 20, 1529. See Flathe, Art. _Miltitz, in Allgemeine Deutsche +Biographie_, 21, 759 f. + +[9] The German reads: "Thus I always did what was required of me, and +neglected nothing which it was my duty to do." + +[10] This was the usual title of the pope, with which the bull of +excommunication opened: _Leo Episcopus Servus Servorum Dei_. + +[11] See above, pp. 298, 300, and compare the letters of Miltitz to +the elector Frederick in Smith, _Luther's Correspondence_, I, pp. 367 +f. + +[12] Here the German is more accurate: "Every Christian man." + +[13] German: _Wie man sein brauchen und niessen soll_, "how we are to +benefit by and enjoy what He is for us." + +[14] German: _der heubt gerechtigkteit._ + +[15] Possibly a reminiscence of the _Leviathan serpentem tortuosum_ in +Isa. 27:1. Cf. _Erl. Ed._, xxiv, 73; xxvii, 323 f; xviii, 91. Lemme +translates _Teuelswahn_. + +[16] German: _die fasten und gepett etiichen heyligen so derlich +gethan_. + + + +A BRIEF EXPLANATION (EINE KURZE FORM) OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE +CREED, AND THE LORD'S PRAYER + +1520 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The work here presented bears the German title, _Eine kurze Form der +zehn Gebote, eine kurze Form des Glaubens, eine kurze Form des +Vaterunsers_. It is the most important of Luther's catechetical works +prior to the Catechisms of 1529, and deserves the name that has been +given it, "the first evangelical catechism."[1] + +To be sure, the name "catechism" was not applied to the _Kurze Form_ +at the time. In mediaeval usage "catechism" was the name for oral +instruction in the elements of Christian truth. This instruction had +been based from time immemorial upon the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. +The decalogue held a minor place and was overshadowed by the +commandments of the church. During the later Middle Ages the influence +of the sacrament of penance gave it a higher position. It gradually +became a subject of "catechetical" instruction, but only alongside of +the other standards for the classification of sins.[2] It was the work +of Luther so to expound the Ten Commandments as to give them a +permanent place of their own in Christian instruction, side by side +with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. + +The first manuals of instruction of this kind were prepared for the +use of the priests, to guide them in the questioning of penitents, but +with the discovery of the art of printing popular hand-books for the +use of the laity became more and more common, and with certain of +these manuals Luther was familiar.[3] + +From the beginning of his ministry at Wittenberg, Luther had preached +from time to time upon the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. In +1518 his friend Agricola published a series of sermons on the Lord's +Prayer which Luther had preached in Lent, 1517.[4] In the same year +Luther published his own _Kurze Auslegung der zehn Gebote, ihrer +Erfullung und Uebertretung_.[5] The year 1519 saw the publication of +the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten_, and the +_Kurze und gute Auslegung des Vaterunsers vor sich und hinter sich_.[7] +The _Treatise on Good Works_[8], which is essentially an exposition of +the decalogue, was written in the early months of 1520. During the +same period the mind of Luther was frequently occupied with the abuses +of the confessional, as we learn from the _Confitendi Ratio_,[9] and +the _Kurze Unterweisung wie man beichten soil_.[10] All the material +for the first and third parts of the present work was, therefore, in +hand and had appeared in print before 1520. + +In 1520 the Kurze Form came from the press.[11] It consists of three +separately composed expositions of the three chief subjects of +catechetical instruction in the Middle Ages. The expositions of the +Commandments and the Lord's Prayer are reproductions of the _Kurze +Auslegung der zehn Gebote_ and the _Kurze Form das Paternoster zu +verstehen und zu beten_. The treatment of the Apostles' Creed is new, +as is also the Introduction, in which Luther sets forth the relation +of the three parts to one another in the unity of the Christian life. + +The work is not scientific and theological, but popular and religious. +Its purpose is primarily devotional, not pedagogical. The mediaeval +root out of which it grew is not to be denied. The catalogue of +transgressions and fulfilments attached to the explanation of the +decalogue shows that it is intended to be a manual for penitents, but +the spirit in which the Creed and the Lord's Prayer are explained is +not mediaeval, and the manner in which the explanations of the +decalogue are simplified and rid of the excrescences of the XV Century +hand-books shows the new evangelical conception of confession to which +Luther had attained. The division of the Creed into three articles +instead of the traditional twelve marks an epoch in the development of +catechetical instruction. The little book contains passages of rare +beauty, clouded at times, we fear, by the new language into which it +has here been put, and seldom has the _Wesen des Christentums_ been +more simply and tellingly set forth than in the treatment of the +Creed. + +In 1522 Luther republished the _Kurze Form_ with a few slight changes +and a number of additions under the title _Betbuchlein_. The +_Betbuchlein_ ran through many editions, and grew in the end to a book +of rather large proportions, a complete manual of devotion. + +In its original form and as the chief content of the _Betbuchlein_, +the _Kurze Form_ exercised a profound influence upon the manuals of +Christian doctrine that appeared in ever-increasing number after +1522.[12] Its influence extended to England, where Marshall's _Goodly +Primer_ (1534 and 35) offered to English readers a translation of the +_Betbuchlein_, in which, however, no acknowledgments were made to the +original author.[13] + +The _Kurze Form_ is found in _Weimar Ed._, VII, 194 ff.; _Erl. Ed._, +XXII, 3 ff.; _Clemen Ed._, II, 38 ff.; _Walch Ed._, X, 182 ff.; _St. +Louis Ed._, X, 149 ff. + +LITERATURE + +F. Cohrs, _Die evang. Katechismusversuche vor L.'s Enchiridion_ +(especially I, 1 ff. and IV, 229 ff.), Arts. _Katechismen L.'s and +Katechismusunterricht_ in _Realencyk._, X, 130 ff., and XXIII, 743 +ff., and _Introd. to Betbuchlein_ in _Weimar Ed._, X; O. Albrecht, +_Vorbemerkungen zu den beiden Katechismen von 1529_, in _Weimar Ed._, +XXX', 426 ff. (Further literature cited by all the above.) See also +Gecken, _Bilderkatechismus d. XV Jh_. and von Zezschwitz, _System d. +Katechetik_ (especially II, i). + + CHARLES M. JACOBS. + +LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, + + Mount Airy, Philadelphia + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Cohrs, _Evang. Katechismusversuche_, I, 4. + +[2] _von Zezschwitz, Katechetik_, II, 176, 265 ff. + +[3] _Weimar Ed._, X', 475. + +[4] _Weimar Ed._, IX, 122 ff. The same series was republished by +Luther himself, ibid., IV, 74 ff. + +[5] _Weimar Ed._, I, 248 ff. + +[6] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 9 ff. + +[7] _Weimar Ed._, VI, 20 ff. + +[8] Vol. I, pp. 187 ff. + +[9] Vol. I, pp. 81-101. + +[10] _Weimar Ed._, II, 47 ff. + +[11] On the exact date, see _Weimar Ed._, VII, 195; _Clemen_, II, 38. + +[12] See Cohrs, IV, 326 ff. + +[13] For this information I am indebted to the Rev. J. F. Bornhold, of +Mount Holly, N. J. The act was discovered almost simultaneously by +Pro. M. Reu, of Dubuque, Iowa. + + + +A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE CREED, AND THE LORD'S +PRAYER + +1520 + + + +PREFACE + + +The ordinary Christian, who cannot read the Scriptures, is required to +learn and know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer; +and this has not come to pass without God's special ordering. For +these three contain fully and completely everything that is in the +Scriptures, everything that ever should be preached, and everything +that a Christian needs to know, all put so briefly and so plainly that +no one can make complaint or excuse, saying that what he needs or his +salvation is too long or too hard to remember. + +Three things a man needs to know in order to be saved. _First_, he +must know what he ought to do and what he ought not to do. _Second_, +when he finds that by his own strength he can neither do the things he +ought, nor leave undone the things he ought not to do, he must know +where to seek and find and get the strength he needs. _Third_, he must +know how to seek and find and get this strength. + +When a man is ill, he needs to know first what his illness is,--what +he can do and what he cannot do. Then he needs to know where to find +the remedy that will restore his health and help him to do and leave +undone the things he ought. Third, he must ask for this remedy, and +seek it, and get it or have it brought to him. In like manner, the +_Commandments_ teach a man to know his illness, so that he feels and +sees what he can do and what he cannot do, what he can and what he +cannot leave undone, and thus knows himself to be a sinner and a +wicked man. After that the _Creed_ shows him and teaches him where he +may find the remedy,--the grace which helps him to become a good man +and to keep the Commandments; it shows him God, and the mercy which He +has revealed and offered in Christ. In the third place, the _Lord's +Prayer_ teaches him how to ask or this grace, get it, and take it to +himself, to wit, by habitual, humble, comforting prayer; then grace is +given, and by the fulfillment of God's commandments he is saved. + +These are the three chief things in all the Scriptures. Therefore we +begin at the beginning, with the Commandments, which are the first +thing, and learn to recognise our sin and wickedness, that is, our +spiritual illness, which prevents us from doing the things we ought to +do and leaving undone the things we ought not to do. + +THE TEN COMMANDMENTS + +[Sidenote: The First Table] + +The _First Table of Moses_--the Table of the Right Hand--contains the +first three Commandments, In these man is taught his duty toward God, +what things he is in duty bound to do, and what to leave undone. + +[Sidenote: The First Commandment] + +The _First Commandment_ teaches how man shall treat God inwardly, in +the heart, that is, how he ought always to remember Him and think of +Him and esteem Him. To Him, as to a Father and good Friend, man is to +look at all times or all good things, in all trust and faith and love, +with fear; he is not to offend Him, but trust Him as a child its +father. For nature teaches us that there is one God, Who gives all +good and helps against all evil, as even the heathen show us by their +worshiping of idols. This commandment is, + +_Thou shalt have no other gods._ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +The _Second Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God +outwardly, in words, before other men, or even inwardly before his own +self; that is, he shall honor God's Name. For no one can show God +either to himself or to others in His divine nature, but only in His +names. This commandment is, + +_Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain._ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +The _Third Commandment_ teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly +in deeds, that is, in the worship of God. It is, + +_Thou shalt hallow the holy day._[1] + +These three commandments, then, teach how man is to act toward God in +thoughts, words and deeds,--that is, in all his life. + +[Sidenote: The Second Table] + +The _Second Table of Moses_--the Table of the Left Hand--contains the +other seven Commandments. In these man is taught what he is in duty +bound to do and not to do to other men, that is, to his neighbor, + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +The _first_ of them teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward all +the authorities who are God's representatives. Therefore, it has its +place before the rest, and immediately after the first three, which +concern God Himself. Such authorities are father and mother, spiritual +and temporal lords, etc. It is, + +_Honor thy father and thy mother._ + +The _second_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor in matters that concern his person,--not to do him injury, +but to benefit and help him when he is in need. It is, + +_Thou shalt not kill._ + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] + +The _third_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward the best +possession one's neighbor has next to his person,--that is, toward his +wife, his child, his friend. He is to put no shame upon them, but to +preserve their honor, so far as he is able. It is, + +_Thou shalt not commit adultery._ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +The _fourth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor's temporal possessions,--not to take them from him or hinder +him in their use, but to aid him in increasing them. It is, + +_Thou shalt not steal._ + +[Sidenote: The Eighth Commandment] + +The _fifth_ teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's +neighbor's worldly honor and good name,--not to impair them, but to +increase and guard and protect them. It is, + +_Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor._ + +So, then, it is forbidden to harm one's neighbor in any of his +possessions, and it is commanded to advance his interests. If we +consider the natural law,[2] we find how just and right all these +commandments are; for there is no act here commanded, toward God or +one's neighbor, that each of us would not wish to have done toward +himself, if he were God, or in God's place or his neighbor's. + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +The last two Commandments teach how wicked human nature is, and how +pure we should be from all the desires of the flesh and desires for +this world's goods; but that means struggle and labor as long as we +live here below. They are, + +_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house._ + +_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his +maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's._ + +A BRIEF CONCLUSION TO THE TEN COMANDMENTS + +Christ Himself says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, +do ye even so to them; this is the whole law and all the prophets." +[Matt. 7:12] Now no one wishes to receive ingratitude for benefits +conferred or to let another take away his good name. No one wishes to +have pride shown toward him. No one wishes to endure disobedience, +wrath, a wife's impurity, robbery, lying, deceit, slander; but every +one wishes to find in his neighbor kindliness, thankfulness, +helpfulness, truth and fidelity. All this the Ten Commandments +require. + +THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COMMANDMENTS + +_Against the First_ + +[Sidenote: the First Commandment] + +He who in his tribulation seeks the help of sorcery, black art, or +witchcraft. + +He who uses letters[3], signs, herbs, words[4], charms and the like. + +He who uses divining-rods and incantations, and practices +crystal-gazing, cloak-riding, and milk-stealing[5]. + +He who orders his life and work by lucky days, the signs of the zodiac +and the advice of the fortune-tellers. + +He who seeks by charms and incantations to protect himself, his +cattle, his house, his children and all his property against wolves, +iron, fire and water. + +He who blames his misfortunes and tribulations on the devil or on +wicked men, and does not accept them with praise and love, as good and +evil which come from God alone, and who does not ascribe them to God +with thanksgiving and willing patience. + +He who tempts God, and needlessly puts himself in danger of body or +soul. + +He who glories in his piety, his wisdom, or other spiritual gifts. + +He who honors God and the saints only for the sake of temporal gain, +and is forgetful of his soul's need. + +He who does not trust in God at all times, and is not confident of +God's mercy in all he does. + +He who doubts concerning the faith or the grace of God. + +He who does not keep back others from unbelief and doubt, and does not +help them, so far as in him lies, to believe and trust in God's grace. + +Here, too, belong all forms of unbelief, despair, and misbelief. + +_Against the Second_ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +He who swears needlessly or habitually. + +He who perjures himself, or breaks a vow. + +He who vows or swears to do evil. + +He who curses by God's name. + +He who tells foolish tales of God, and frivolously perverts the words +of Scripture. + +He who in his tribulation calls not upon God's name, nor blesses Him +in joy and sorrow, in good fortune and in ill. + +He who by his piety, wisdom or the like seeks reputation and honor and +a name. + +He who calls upon God's name falsely, as do the heretics and all +vainglorious saints. + +He who does not praise God's name in all that befalls him. + +He who does not resist those that dishonor the name of God, use it +falsely and work evil by it. + +Here belong all the sins of vainglory and spiritual pride. + +_Against the Third_ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +He who is given to gluttony, drunkenness, gambling, dancing, idleness +and unchastity. + +He who is lazy, who sleeps when he ought to be at mass, stays away +from mass, goes walking and indulges in idle talk. + +He who without special need works and transacts business on the Lord's +day. + +He who prays not, meditates not upon Christ's sufferings, repents not +of his sins and asks no grace, and therefore keeps the day only in +outward fashion, by his dress, his food and his actions. + +He who in all his works and sufferings is not satisfied that God shall +do with him as He will. + +He who does not help others to do this and does not resist them when +they do otherwise. + +Here belongs the sin of slothfulness and indifference to worship. + +_Against the Fourth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +He who is ashamed of his parents because of their poverty, their +failings or their lowly position. + +He who does not provide them with food and clothing in their need. + +Much more, he who curses them, speaks evil of them, hates them and +disobeys them. + +He who does not from the heart esteem them highly because of God's +commandment. + +He who does not honor them, even though they do wrong and violence. + +He who does not keep the commandments of the Christian Church with +respect to fast- and feast-days, etc. + +He who dishonors, slanders and insults the priestly office. + +He who dost not pay honor, allegiance and obedience to his lords and +those in authority, be they good or bad. + +Among the transgressors of this commandment are all heretics, +schismatics, apostates, excommunicates, hardened sinners and the like. + +He who does not help men to keep this commandment and resist those who +break it. + +Here belong all forms of pride and disobedience. + +_Against the Fifth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Commandment] + +He who is angry with his neighbor. + +He who sayeth to his neighbor, _Raca_, which stands for all terms of +anger and hatred. [Matt. 5:22] + +He who sayeth to his neighbor, _Fatue_, "thou fool," which stands for +every sort of vile language, cursing, slander, evil speaking, judging, +condemning, mockery, etc. + +He who scolds about his neighbor's sins or failings, and does not +rather cover and excuse them. + +He who forgives not his enemies nor prays for them, is not kindly +disposed toward them and does them no good. + +This commandment includes also all the sins of anger and hatred, such +as murder, war, robbery, arson, quarreling, contention, envy of a +neighbor's good fortune and joy over his misfortune. + +He who does not practice works of mercy even toward his enemies. + +He who sets men at enmity with one another. + +He who sows discord between man and man. + +He who does not reconcile those who are at enmity. + +He who does not hinder or prevent wrath and enmity when he is able. + +_Against the Sixth_ + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Commandment] + +He who seduces virgins, commits adultery and is guilty of incest and +like unchastity. + +He who uses unnatural means to satisfy his desires--these are the +"mute sins."[6] + +He who arouses or displays evil desires with obscene words, songs, +tales or pictures. + +He who by looks, touch or thoughts arouses his own desires and defiles +himself. + +He who does not avoid the causes of unchastity, such as gluttony, +drunkenness, idleness, laziness, oversleeping and intimate association +with men or women. + +He who by extravagant dress or demeanor incites others to unchastity. + +He who gives house, place, time or help to the commission of this sin. + +He who does not by word and deed help others to preserve their +chastity. + +_Against the Seventh_ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +He who practices thievery, robbery and usury. + +He who uses false weights and measures, or sells bad wares for good. + +He who receives bequests and incomes dishonestly. He who withholds +wages that have been earned, and repudiates a debt. + +He who will not lend to a needy neighbor without taking interest.[7] + +All who are avaricious and make haste to be rich, and do any of those +other things by which a neighbor's property is withheld or taken away. + +He who does not protect another against loss. + +He who does not warn another against loss. + +He who places an obstacle in the way of his neighbor's profit and +begrudges his neighbor's gains. + +Against the Eighth + +[Sidenote: The Eight Commandment] + +He who conceals or suppresses the truth in a court of law. + +He who lies and deceives to another's hurt. + +All hurtful flatterers, whisperers and double-dealers. + +He who speaks evil of his neighbor's possessions, lie, words and works +and defames them. + +He who gives place to slanderers, helps them on and does not resist +them. + +He who does not use his tongue to defend his neighbor's good name. + +He who does not rebuke the slanderer. + +He who does not say all good of every man and keep silent about all +evil. + +He who conceals or does not defend the truth. + +_Against the Last Two_ + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +The last two commandments have no place in confession[8], but are set +as a goal to which we are to attain, and toward which, through +repentance and by the help and grace of God, we are daily to strive; +or wicked inclinations do not wholly die, until the flesh turns to +dust and is new created[9]. + +The "five senses"[10] are included in the Fifth and Sixth +Commandments; the "six works of mercy," in the Fifth and Seventh; of +the "seven deadly sins," pride is included in the First and Second, +unchastity in the Sixth, anger, and hatred in the Fifth, gluttony in +the Sixth, indolence in the Third, and indeed in all the commandments. +The "alien sins" are included in all the commandments, or it is +possible to sin against all the commandments by bidding, advising and +helping others to sin against them. The "crying sins" and the "mute +sins" are committed against the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Commandments, +etc. + +In all these works we see nothing else than self-love, which seeks its +own, takes from God what is His, from men what is theirs, and out of +all it is and all it has and all it can do gives nothing either to God +or men. St. Augustine well says, "The beginning of all sin is the love +of one's own self."[11] + +From all this it follows that the commandments command nothing but +love and forbid nothing but love; nothing but love fulfils the +commandments and nothing but love breaks them. Wherefore, St. Paul +says that love is the fulfilling of all commandments; just as evil +love is the transgression of all commandments. + +The Fulfilment of the Commandments + +Of the First + +[Sidenote: The First Commandment] + +To fear and love God in true faith, and always, in all our works, to +trust Him firmly, and be wholly, completely, altogether resigned in +all things, whether they be evil or good. + +Here belongs whatever is written in all the Scriptures concerning +faith, hope and love of God, all of which is briefly comprehended in +this commandment. + +_Of the Second_ + +[Sidenote: The Second Commandment] + +To praise, honor, bless and call upon God's Name, and to count our own +name and honor as altogether nothing, so that God alone may be +praised; for He alone is all things, and worketh all things. + +Here belongs all that is taught in the Scripture about rendering +praise and honor and thanks to God, about God's name and about joy in +Him. + +_Of the Third_ + +[Sidenote: The Third Commandment] + +To prepare oneself for God and to seek His grace by praying, hearing +mass and the Gospel, and meditating on the sufferings of Christ, so +that one goes to the sacrament in a spiritual manner; for this +commandment requires a soul "poor in spirit," [Matt. 5:3.] which +offers its nothingness to God, that He may be its God and receive in +it the honor due His work and Name according to the first two +commandments. + +Here belongs all that is commanded about worship, the hearing of +sermons, and good works by which the body is made subject to the +spirit, so that all our works may be God's and not our own. + +_Of the Fourth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Commandment] + +Willing obedience, humility, submission to all authority because it is +God's good-pleasure, as the Apostle St. Peter says, without retort, +complaint or murmuring. + +Here belongs all that is written of obedience, humility, +submissiveness and reverence. + +_Of the Fifth_ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Commandment] + +Patience, meekness, kindness, peacefulness, mercy, and a heart in all +things sweet and kindly, without hatred, anger or bitterness toward +any man, even toward enemies. Here belong all the teachings about +patience, meekness, peace and concord. + +_Of the Sixth_ + +Chastity, purity and modesty, in works, words, demeanor and thoughts; +moderation in eating, drinking and sleeping; and everything that +furthers chastity. + +Here belong all the teachings about chastity, fasting, sobriety, +moderation, prayer, watching, laboring and everything by which +chastity is preserved. + +_Of the Seventh_ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Commandment] + +Poverty of spirit, charity, willingness to lend and give of one's +possessions, and a life free from greed and avarice. Here belong all +the teachings about avarice, unrighteous wealth, usury, guile, deceit, +injury and hindrance of one's neighbor in temporal things. + +_Of the Eighth_ + +[Sidenote: The Eight Commandment] + +A peaceful, wholesome tongue, that injures no one and profits every +one, that reconciles those that are at enmity, apologizes for those +that are slandered and takes their part; in short, truthfulness and +simplicity in speech. Here belong all the teachings about talking and +keeping silent in matters which concern one's neighbor's honor and +rights, his cause and his salvation. + +_Of the Last Two_ + +[Sidenote: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments] + +That entire chastity and utter despising of temporal desire and +possessions, which are perfectly attained only in the life to come. + +In all these works we see nothing else than the love of others--that +is, of God and of one's neighbor--which seeketh not its own, but what +is God's and its neighbor's [1 Cor. 13:5], and surrendereth itself +freely to every one to be his, to serve him and to do his will. + +Thus you see that the Ten Commandments contain, in a very brief and +orderly manner, all the teaching that is needful for man's life; and +if a man desires to keep them, he has good works or every hour of his +life, and has no need to choose him other works, to run hither and +thither, and do what is not commanded[12]. + +All this is evident from the act that these commandments teach nothing +about what a man shall do or not do or himself, or what he shall ask +of others, but only what he shall do and not do for others--God and +man. From this we are to learn that their fulfilment consists in love +toward others, not toward ourselves; for in his own behalf man already +seeks and does and leaves undone too much. He needs not to be taught +this, but to be kept from it. Therefore he lives best who lives in no +wise for himself, and he who lives for himself, lives worst; for so +the Ten Commandments teach. From them we learn how few men lead good +lives; nay, as man, no one can lead a good life. Knowing this, we must +learn next whence we shall get the power to lead good lives and to +keep the Commandments[13]. + +THE CREED + +[Sidenote: Division of the Creed] + +The Creed is divided into three parts[14], according to the Creed +three Persons of the holy and divine Trinity who are therein +mentioned. The first part belongs to the Father, the second to the +Son, the third to the Holy Ghost; for the Trinity is the chief thing +in the Creed, on which everything else depends. + +[Sidenote: Two Ways of Believing] + +We should note that there are two ways of believing. One way is to +believe about God, as I do when I believe that what is said of God is +true; just as I do when I believe what is said about the Turk, the +devil or hell. This faith is knowledge or observation rather than +faith. The other way is to believe in God, as I do when I not only +believe that what is said about Him is true, but put my trust in Him, +surrender myself to Him and make bold to deal with Him, believing +without doubt that He will be to me and do to me just what is said of +Him. I could not thus believe in the Turk or in any man, however +highly his praises might be sung. For I can readily believe that a man +is good, but I do not venture on that account to build my faith on +him. + +[Sidenote: True Faith] + +This faith, which in He or death dares to believe that God is what He +is said to be, is the only faith that makes a man a Christian and +obtains from God whatever it will. This faith no false and evil heart +can have, for it is a living faith; and this faith is commanded in the +First Commandment, which says, "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have +no other gods." Wherefore the word _in_ is rightly used; and it is +diligently to be noted that we may not say, "I believe God the +Father," or "about the Father," but "_in_ God the Father, _in_ Jesus +Christ, _in_ the Holy Ghost." This faith we should render to no one +but to God. Therefore we confess the divinity of Jesus Christ and of +the Holy Ghost, when we believe in them even as we believe in the +Father; and just as our faith in all three Persons is one and the same +faith, so the three Persons are one and the same God. + +The First Part of the Creed + +[Sidenote: The First Article] + +_I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth._ + +_This means--_ + +I renounce the evil spirit, all idolatry, all sorcery and misbelief. + +I put my trust in no man on earth, nor in myself, my power, my +learning, my wealth, my piety, nor anything that I may have. + +I put my trust in no creature in heaven or on earth. + +I dare to put my trust only in the one absolute, invisible, +incomprehensible God, Who made heaven and earth, and Who alone is over +all creatures. + +On the other hand, I am not afraid of any wickedness of the devil and +his company, or my God is above them all. + +Even though I be forsaken or persecuted by all men, I still believe in +God. + +I believe, even though I am poor, unwise, unlearned, despised or in +need of everything. + +I believe, even though I am a sinner. For this faith of mine must and +shall soar above everything that is and everything that is not--above +sin and virtue and all else--so that it may remain simply and purely a +faith in God, as the First Commandment constrains me. + +Nor do I ask of Him a sign, to tempt Him. [Luke 11:16] + +I trust constantly in Him, however long He tarry, and do not prescribe +the goal, the time, the measure or the manner of His working, but in +bold, true faith I leave all to His divine will. + +If He is almighty, what can I lack that He cannot give me and do for +me? + +If He is Creator of heaven and earth and Lord of all things, who will +take anything from me, or harm me? [Rom. 8:28] Nay, how shall not all +things rather serve me and turn out to my good, if He to Whom all +things are obedient and subject wishes me well? + +Because He is God, He can do the thing that is best for me, and knows +what that thing is. + +Because He is Father, He wills to do what is best for me, and to do it +with all His heart. + +Because I do not doubt, but put my trust in Him, I am assuredly His +child. His servant and His heir forever, and as I believe, so will it +be done unto me. [Matt. 8:13] + +The Second Part + +[Sidenote: The Second Article] + +_And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the +Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, +was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day +He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on +the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come +to judge the quick and the dead._ + +_This means--_ + +I believe not only that Jesus Christ is the true and only Son of God, +begotten from eternity in one eternal, divine nature and substance; +but also that all things are made subject to Him by His Father, and +that in His humanity He is made Lord of me and of all things which, in +His divinity, He, with the Father, has created. + +I believe that no one can believe in the Father or come to the Father +by his own learning, works or reason, nor by anything that can be +named in heaven or on earth, save only in and through Jesus Christ, +His only Son--that is, through faith in His name and lordship. [John +14:6] + +I firmly believe that for my sake He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, +without human or fleshly work, without bodily father or seed of man, +to the end that so He might purify my sinful, fleshly, unclean, +damnable conception, and the conception of all who believe in Him, and +make it spiritual through His own and His almighty Father's gracious +will. + +I believe that for me He was born of the pure Virgin Mary, without +harm to her bodily and spiritual virginity, in order that, by the +mercy of His Father, He might make my sinful, damnable birth, and the +birth of all who believe in Him, blessed and harmless and pure. + +I believe that He bore His cross and passion for my sin and the sin of +all believers, and thereby has consecrated all sufferings and every +cross, and made them not only harmless, but salutary and highly +meritorious. + +I believe that He died and was buried to slay entirely and to bury my +sin and the sin of all who believe in Him, and that He has destroyed +bodily death and made it altogether harmless, nay profitable and +salutary. + +I believe that He descended into hell to overthrow and take captive +the devil and all his power, guile and wickedness, for me and for all +who believe in Him, so that henceforth the devil cannot harm me; and +that He has redeemed me from the pains of hell, and made them harmless +and meritorious. + +I believe that He rose on the third day from the dead, to give to me +and to all who believe in Him a new life; and that He has thereby +quickened us with Him, in grace and in the Spirit, that we may sin no +more, but serve Him alone in every grace and virtue. + +I believe that He ascended into heaven and received from the Father +power and honor above all angels and all creatures, and thus sitteth +on the right hand of God--that is, He is King and Lord over all that +is God's, in heaven and hell and earth. Therefore, He can help me and +all believers in all our necessities against all our adversaries and +enemies. + +I believe that He will come again from heaven at the last day, to +judge those who then are living and those who have died meanwhile, and +all men, all angels and devils must come before His judgment-seat and +see Him in the flesh; that He will come to redeem me and all who +believe in Him from bodily death and all infirmities, to punish our +enemies and adversaries eternally, and to redeem us eternally from +their power. + +The Third Part + +[Sidenote: The Third Article] + +_I believe in the Holy Ghost, a Holy Christian Church, a communion of +saints, a forgiveness of sins, a resurrection of the body, and a life +everlasting. Amen._ + +_This means--_ + +I believe not only that the Holy Ghost is one true God, with the +Father and the Son, but that no one can come to the Father through +Christ and His life, sufferings and death, and all that has been said +of Him, nor attain any of His blessings, without the work of the Holy +Ghost, by which the Father and the Son teach, quicken, call, draw me +and all that are His, make us, in and through Christ, alive and holy +and spiritual, and thus bring us to the Father; for it is He by Whom +the Father, through Christ and in Christ, worketh all things and +giveth life to all. + +I believe that there is on earth, through the whole wide world, no +more than one holy, common[15], Christian Church, which is nothing +else than the congregation[16], or assembly of the saints, i. e., the +pious, believing men on earth, which is gathered, preserved, and ruled +by the Holy Ghost, and daily increased by means of the sacraments and +the Word of God. + +I believe that no one can be saved who is not found in this +congregation, holding with it to one faith, word, sacraments, hope and +love, and that no Jew, heretic, heathen or sinner can be saved along +with it, unless he become reconciled to it, united with it and +conformed to it in all things. + +I believe that in this congregation, or Church[17], all things are +common, that everyone's possessions belong to the others and no one +has anything of his own; therefore, all the prayers and good works of +the whole congregation must help, assist and strengthen me and every +believer at all times, in life and death, and thus each bear the +other's burden, as St. Paul teaches. [Gal. 6:2] + +I believe that in this congregation, and nowhere else, there is +forgiveness of sins; that outside of it, good works, however great +they be or many, are of no avail for the forgiveness of sins; but that +within it, no matter how much, how greatly or how often men may sin, +nothing can hinder forgiveness of sins, which abides wherever and as +long as this one congregation abides. To this congregation Christ +gives the keys, and says, in Matthew xviii, "Whatsoever ye shall bind +on earth shall be bound in heaven." [Matt. 18:18] In like manner He +says, in Matthew xvi, to the one man Peter, who stands as the +representative of the one and only Church [Matt. 16:19], "Whatsoever +thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." + +I believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, in which, by +the same Holy Ghost, all flesh will be raised again--that is, all men, +in flesh, or body, the good and the wicked; and, therefore, the +self-same flesh which has died, been buried, mouldered and been +destroyed in many ways shall return and become alive. + +I believe that after the resurrection there will be an eternal life +for the saints and an eternal death or sinners; and I doubt not that +the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, with and in the +Holy Ghost, will bring all this to pass--that is the meaning of +_Amen_, "It is assuredly and certainly true." + +Hereupon follows + +THE LORD'S PRAYER + +[Sidenote: The Preface] + +The Preface and Preparation for offering the Seven Petitions to God: +_Our Father Who art in heaven_. + +_This means--_ + +O Almighty God, Who in Thy boundless mercy hast not only granted us +permission, but by Thine only beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hast +bidden and taught us through His merit and mediation to look to Thee +as Father and call Thee Father, though Thou mightest in all justice be +a stern Judge of us sinners, who have sinned so often and so +grievously against Thy divine and gracious will, and thus have angered +Thee: Put in our hearts, by this Thy mercy, a comfortable confidence +in Thy fatherly love, and make us feel and taste the sweetness of +childlike trust, so that we may joyfully name Thee Father, and know +Thee and love Thee, and call upon Thee in all our necessities. Have us +in Thy keeping, that we may remain Thy children, and not be guilty of +making Thee, dear Father, a terrible Judge, and ourselves Thine +enemies, and not Thy children. + +It is Thy will that we not only call Thee Father, but that all of us +together call Thee our Father, and thus offer our prayers with one +accord or all: Grant us, therefore, brotherly love and unity, that we +may know and think of one another as true brethren and sisters, and +pray to Thee, our one common Father, or all men and for every man, +even as one child prays or another to its father. + +Let no one among us seek his own things or forget before Thee the +things of others; but, all hatred, envy and dissension laid aside +[Phil. 2:4], may we love one another as good and true children of God, +and thus say with one accord not "my Father," but "_our_ Father." + +Moreover, since Thou art not a father according to the flesh nor upon +earth, but art in heaven, a spiritual Father, Who diest not and art +not weak, but unlike an earthly father who cannot help himself, +whereby Thou showest us how immeasurably better a Father Thou art, and +teachest us to hold as nothing in comparison with Thee all earthly +fatherhood, fatherland, friends, goods, flesh and blood: Grant us, +therefore, O Father, that we may also be Thy heavenly children; teach +us to think only of our souls and of our heavenly inheritance, that +our temporal fatherland and earthly lot may not deceive and hold and +hinder us, and make us altogether children of this world, so that with +real and true cause we may say, "Of our _heavenly_ Father," and may be +truly Thy heavenly children. + +The First Petition: _Hallowed be thy Name_. The + +_This means--_ + +[Sidenote: The First Petition] + +O Almighty God, dear heavenly Father, in this wretched vale of sorrows +Thy Holy Name is so much profaned, blasphemed and put to shame, given +to much which is not for Thine honor, abused in many things and made a +cloak for sin, so that even a shameful life may well be called a +shaming and dishonoring of Thy Holy Name: + +Grant us, therefore, Thy divine grace, that we may be on our guard +against everything which doth not serve to the praise and honor of Thy +Holy Name. Help us, that all witchcraft and sorcery may be done away. +Help us, that all conjuring of the devil or of creatures by Thy Name +may cease. Help us, that all false beliefs and superstitions may be +rooted out. Help us, that all heresy and false doctrine which disguise +themselves with Thy Name may come to naught. Help us, that no false +pretence of truth and piety and holiness may deceive any man. Help us +that none may swear or lie or deceive by Thy Name. + +Protect us against all false confidence pretending to rest upon Thy +Name. Protect us against all spiritual pride and the vainglory of +worldly honor or reputation. Help us in all our necessities and +weaknesses to call upon Thy Holy Name. Help us in anguish of +conscience and in the hour of death not to forget Thy Name. Help us +with all our goods and in all our words and works to praise and honor +Thee alone, and not thereby to make or seek to make a name for +ourselves, but only for Thee, Whose alone are all things. Preserve us +from the shameful vice of ingratitude. + +Grant that by our good works and life all other men may be stirred up +to praise, not us, but Thee in us, and to honor Thy Name [Matt. 5:16]. +Help us, that our evil works or weaknesses may give no one occasion to +stumble and dishonor Thy Name or to cease from praising Thee. Keep us, +that we may not desire any temporal or eternal blessing which is not +to the honor and praise of Thy Name, and if we pray for such things, +give Thou no ear to our folly. Help us so to live that we may be found +true children of God, that Thy Fathername may not be named upon us +falsely or in vain. + +To this petition belong all the psalms and prayers in which we praise, +honor, thank and sing to God, and here belongs the whole Hallelujah. + +The Second Petition: _Thy Kingdom come_. + +[Sidenote: The Second Petition] + +_This means--_ + +This wretched life is a kingdom of all sin and wickedness, under one +lord, the evil spirit, the source and head of all wickedness and sin; +but Thy kingdom is a kingdom of every grace and virtue under one Lord, +Jesus Christ Thy dear Son, the Head and Source of every grace and +virtue. Therefore help us, dear Father, and be gracious unto us. +Grant us above all things a true and constant faith in Christ, a +fearless hope in Thy mercy despite all the fearfulness of our sinful +conscience, and a thorough love to Thee and to all mankind. Keep us +from unbelief and despair and revengefulness. + +Help us against lewdness and unchastity, and give us a love for +virginity and all purity. Help us out of dissension, war and discord, +and let the virtue of Thy kingdom come--peace, and unity, and quiet +rest. Grant that neither wrath nor any other bitterness may set up its +kingdom within us, but that there may rule within us, by Thy grace, +sweet simplicity and brotherly fidelity, and all kindliness, charity +and gentleness. Help us to have within us no undue sorrow or sadness, +but let joy and gladness in Thy grace and mercy come to us. And help +us, finally, that all sin may be turned away from us, so that we may +be filled with Thy grace, and all virtues and good works, and thus +become Thy kingdom, so that all our heart, mind and spirit, with all +our powers of body and soul, may obediently serve Thee, keep Thy +commandments and do Thy will, be ruled by Thee alone, and may not +follow after self or flesh or world or devil. + +Grant that this Thy kingdom, now begun in us, may increase, and daily +grow in power; that indifference to God's service--that subtle +wickedness--may not overcome us and make us all away, but give us +rather the power and earnest purpose not only to make a beginning in +righteousness, but boldly to go on unto perfection; as saith the +prophet, "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death or grow +idle in the good life I have begun; and lest the enemy again prevail +against us." [Ps. 13:3 f.] + +Help us that we may remain constant, and that Thy future kingdom may +finish and complete this Thy kingdom which is here begun. Help us out +of this sinful, perilous life; help us to long for the life to come, +and more and more to hate this life. Help us not to fear death, but +desire it. Take away from us the love of living here, and all +dependence on this present life, that thus Thy kingdom may in us be +made perfect and complete. + +To this petition belong all the psalms, versicles and prayers in which +we pray to God or grace and virtue. + +The Third Petition: _Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven_. + +[Sidenote: The Third Petition] + +_This means--_ + +Our will, compared with Thy will, is never good, but always evil; but +Thy will is always best, lovable above all things and most to be +desired. Therefore, be merciful to us, dear Father, and let nothing be +done according to our will. Grant us and teach us to have real and +perfect patience when our will is broken or hindered. Help us, if +anyone speaks or is silent, does or omits anything that is contrary to +our will, that we become not angry or wrathful, neither curse, nor +complain, nor cry out, nor judge, nor condemn, nor accuse. Help us +with all humility to give place to those who oppose or hinder our +will, and letting our own will go, to praise and bless them and do +good to them as those who, against our own will, fulfil Thy divine +will, which is altogether good. + +Give us grace willingly to bear illness, poverty, shame, suffering and +adversity, and to know that these are Thy divine will, or the +crucifying of our will. Help us to bear even injustice gladly, and +keep us from avenging ourselves. Suffer us not to render evil or evil +or to resist force with force, but grant us grace to take pleasure in +this will of Thine, which lays these things upon us, and to give Thee +praise and thanks. Suffer us not to lay it to the charge of the devil +or of wicked men when anything befalls us contrary to our will, but +help us to ascribe it only to Thy divine will, which orders all such +things for the hindering of our will and the increasing of our +blessedness in Thy kingdom. + +Help us to die willingly and joyfully, and to welcome death as a +manifestation of Thy will, so that impatience and despair may not make +us disobedient toward Thee. Help us that all our members--eyes, +tongue, heart, hands, feet--be not submissive to their own desires or +will, but be taken captive, imprisoned and broken in Thy will. +Preserve us from all evil, rebellious, obstinate, stubborn and +capricious self-will. + +Grant us a true obedience, a submissiveness simple and complete in all +things, spiritual and worldly, temporal and eternal. Preserve us from +the cruel vice of aspersion, slander, back-biting, malicious judging, +condemning and accusing of other men. O keep far from us the great +unhappiness and grievous plague of tongues like these; but teach us, +when we see or hear in others things blameworthy and to us +displeasing, to hold our peace, to cover them over, to make complaint +of them to none but Thee, to give them over to Thy will, and thus +heartily to forgive our debtors and have sympathy with them. + +Teach us to know that no one can do us any harm, except he first do +himself a thousandfold greater harm in Thine eyes, so that we may be +moved thereby to mercy rather than to anger, to pity rather than +revenge. Help us not to rejoice when it goes ill with those who have +not done our will or have hurt us or otherwise displeased us by their +way of life; help us also not to be disturbed when it goes well with +them. + + To this petition belong all the psalms, versicles and prayers in + which we pray to be delivered from sin and from our enemies. + +The Fourth Petition: _Give us this day our daily Bread_. + +[Sidenote: The Fourth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +The bread is our Lord Jesus Christ[19], Who feedeth and comforteth the +soul. Therefore, O heavenly Father, grant us grace, that Christ's life +and words, His works and sufferings be preached, made known and +preserved to us and to all the world. Help us that in all our life we +may have His words and works before us as a powerful example and +mirror of all virtue. Help us in sufferings and adversities to find +strength and comfort in and through His cross and passion. Help us in +firm faith to overcome our own death by His death, and thus boldly to +follow our beloved Leader into the other life. + +Give Thy grace to all preachers, that they may preach Thy Word and +Christ, to profit and salvation, in all the world. Help all who hear +the preaching of Thy Word to learn Christ, and honestly to better +their lives thereby. Graciously drive out of the Holy Church all +strange preaching and teaching from which men do not learn Christ. +Have mercy upon all bishops, priests, clergy and all that are in +authority, that they may be enlightened by Thy grace to teach and +govern us aright by precept and example. Preserve all that are weak in +faith, that they may not stumble at the wicked example of their +rulers. + +Preserve us from heretical and apostate teachers, that we may remain +one, partaking of one daily bread--the daily doctrine and word of +Christ. Graciously teach us to regard aright the sufferings of Christ, +receive them into our hearts, and form them in our lives, to our +salvation. Suffer us not at our last hour to be deprived of the true +and holy body of Christ[20]. Help all priests to use and administer +the holy sacrament worthily and savingly, to the edification of the +whole Church. Help us and all Christians to receive the Holy Sacrament +at its proper season, with Thy grace and to our salvation. And _summa +summarum_, "Give us our daily bread," that is, may Christ abide in us +and we in Him forever, and may we worthily bear His name, the name of +Christian. + + To this petition belong all prayers or psalms which are prayed for + rulers, and especially those or protection against false teachers, + those for the Jews, heretics and all that are in error, and also + those or all distressed and comfortless sufferers. + +The Fifth Petition: _And forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our +Debtors._ + +[Sidenote: The Fifth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +To this petition a condition is attached, viz., that we first forgive +our debtors. When that has been done we may say afterward, "Forgive us +our debts." That we may do this, we have prayed in the Third Petition, +"Thy will be done." It is God's will that we patiently suffer all +things, and not render evil for evil, nor seek revenge; but render +good for evil, as doth our Father in heaven. Who maketh His sun to +rise upon the good and evil, and sendeth rain upon the thankful and +unthankful [Matt. 5:45]. Therefore, we pray: O Father, comfort our +conscience now and in our last hour, for it is now and will be +hereafter in grievous terror because of our sin and Thy judgment. Send +Thy peace into our hearts, that we may with joy await Thy judgment. +Enter not with us into the sharpness of Thy judgment, for then will no +man be found righteous [Ps. 143:2]. Teach us, dear Father, not to rely +on our own good works or merits, or to comfort ourselves therewith; +but boldly to cast ourselves upon Thy boundless mercy alone. In like +manner, suffer us not to despair because of our blameworthy, sinful +life, but to deem Thy mercy higher and broader and stronger than all +our life. + +Help all men who in the hour of death or of temptation feel the +anguish of despair, and especially N. or N. Have mercy also upon all +poor souls in purgatory, especially N. and N. Forgive them and all of +us our sins, comfort them and receive them into grace. Render us Thy +good for our evil, as Thou hast commanded us to do to others. Silence +the evil spirit, that cruel slanderer, accuser and magnifier of our +sins now and at our last hour, and in all anguish of conscience, even +as we too refrain from slander, and from magnifying the sins of other +men. Judge us not according to the accusation of the devil and of our +miserable conscience, and hearken not to the voice of our enemies who +accuse us day and night before Thee, even as we too will not give ear +to those who accuse and slander other men. Remove from us the heavy +burden of sin and conscience, that with light and joyous hearts we may +live and die, do and suffer, trusting wholly in Thy mercy. + + To this petition belong all the psalms and prayers which invoke + God's mercy upon sin. + +The Sixth Petition: _And lead us not into Temptation_. + +[Sidenote: The Sixth Petition] + +_This means--_ + +We have three temptations or adversaries, the flesh, the world and the +devil. Therefore, we pray: + +[Sidenote: The Flesh] + +Dear Father, grant us grace that we may have control over the lust of +the flesh. Help us to resist its desire to eat, to drink, to sleep +overmuch, to be idle, to be slothful. Help us by fasting, by +moderation in food and dress and sleep and work, by watching and +labor, to bring the flesh into subjection and it it for good works. +Help us to fasten its evil, unchaste inclinations and all its desires +and incitements with Christ upon the cross, and to slay them, so that +we may not consent to any of its allurements, nor follow after them. +Help us when we see a beautiful person, or image or any other +creature, that it may not be a temptation, but an occasion or love of +chastity and for praising Thee in Thy creatures. When we hear sweet +sounds and feel things that please the senses, help us to seek therein +not lust, but Thy praise and honor. + +[Sidenote: The World] + +Preserve us from the great vice of avarice and the desire or the +riches of this world. Keep us, that we may not seek this world's honor +and power, nor consent to the desire for them. Preserve us, that the +world's deceit, pretences and false promises may not move us to walk +in its ways. Preserve us, that the wickedness and the adversities of +the world may not lead us to impatience, revenge, wrath or other +vices. Help us to renounce the world's lies and deceits, its promises +and unfaithfulness and all its good and evil (as we have already +promised in baptism to do), to abide firmly in this renunciation and +to grow therein from day to day. + +[Sidenote: The Devil] + +Preserve us from the suggestions of the devil, that we may not consent +to pride, become self-satisfied, and despise others for the sake of +riches, rank, power, knowledge, beauty or other good gifts of Thine. +Preserve us, that we all not into hatred or envy or any cause. +Preserve us, that we yield not to despair, that great temptation of +our faith, neither now nor at our last hour. + +Have in Thy keeping, heavenly Father, all who strive and labor against +these great and manifold temptations. Strengthen those who are yet +standing; raise up all those who have fallen and are overcome; and to +all of us grant Thy grace, that in this miserable and uncertain life, +incessantly surrounded by so many enemies, we may fight with +constancy, and with a firm and knightly faith, and win the everlasting +crown. + +The Seventh Petition: _Deliver us from evil._ + +[Sidenote: The Seventh Petition] + +_This means--_ + +This petition is a prayer against all that is evil in pain and +punishment; as the holy Church prays in the litanies: Deliver us, O +Father, from Thine eternal wrath and from the pains of hell. Deliver +us from Thy strict judgment, in death and at the last day. Deliver us +from sudden death. Preserve us from water and fire, from lightning and +hail. Preserve us from famine and scarcity. Preserve us from war and +bloodshed. Preserve us from Thy great plagues, pestilence, the French +sickness, and other grievous diseases. Preserve us from all evils and +necessities of body, yet in such wise that in all these things Thy +Name may be honored, Thy Kingdom increased and Thy divine Will be +done. Amen. + +AMEN + +[Sidenote: The Amen] + +The God help us, without doubting, to obtain all these petitions, and +suffer us not to doubt that Thou hast heard us and wilt hear us in +them all; that it is "Yea," not "Nay," and not "Perhaps." Therefore we +say with joy, "Amen--it is true and certain." Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] For this translation see Vol. I, p. 222, note 1. + +[2] The law that we have outside of divine revelation. C.f. Rom. 2:15. + +[3] The possessor of these letters (_Himmels-und Teuelsbriefe_) was +thought to be under the special protection of the spirits. + +[4] Magical formulas. + +[5] Practices popularly ascribed to the witches. + +[6] See below, p. 364, note 1. + +[7] Luther believed, with the mediaeval Church, that the lending of +money at interest was a sin. See above pp. 159 ff., and _Weimar Ed._, +XXV, 293 ff. + +[8] i. e., In the confession made to the priest. See Vol. I, p. 285, +and Introduction, above, p. 351. + +[9] C. Vol. I, pp. 58, 285. + +[10] In the manuals for confession with which Luther was familiar sins +were divided into the various classes mentioned here. C. Vol. I, pp. +90 ff.; Gecken, _Der Bilderkatechismus des XV Jhs._, and especially v. +Zezschwitz, II, 197 ff. + +[11] _Serm._, 96, 2; _Migne_, XXVIII, 585. + +[12] Cf. Vol. I, p. 187. + +[13] See above, p. 355. + +[14] Luther has here departed from the customary Roman division of the +Creed into twelve articles. + +[15] _Gemein._ + +[16] _Gemeine._ + +[17] _Christenheit_, cf. Vol. I, p. 338. + +[18] _Kirche._ + +[19] In the catechisms of 1529 Luther abandons this interpretation of +the bread. + +[20] i. e. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper. + + + +THE EIGHT WITTENBERG SERMONS + +1522 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +After the bold utterance of unshaken conviction at the Diet of Worms +Luther disappeared from the scene of his activities. In the darkness +of night he was taken by the friendly "foe" to the secure hiding-place +where the imperial proscription could not affect him. Thus he entered +the Wartburg on May 4, 1521. But the "crowded canvas of the sixteenth +century," bereft of its central figure, threatened to become mere +portrayal of turbulence and confusion. In Wittenberg and other places +the new life of the soul had burst its ancient fetters and was about +to lose its spiritual value in a destructive lateral movement. The +inability of the hesitating elector and the helpless Melanchthon to +stem the tide, caused Luther, in utter disregard of personal safety, +to return to his beloved city on March 6, 1522, and on Sunday, March +9th, and the seven days following to preach the _Eight Sermons_ +herewith given, guiding the turbulent waves of popular uprising into +the channels marked by faith and love. + +During his absence others had heeded the clarion call to lead the +Church out of its "Babylonian Captivity," and had put into practice +the measures which would carry out the principles he had uttered. The +mass was abolished[1], monks left the monasteries, some priests took +wives, and communion under both kinds was instituted. With these +measures Luther was in sympathy, which is evident from his letters to +Melanchthon[2] and to Wenceslaus Link, Staupitz's successor as the +Augustinian vicar[3], and the treatises _De votis monasticis_ and _De +abroganda missa privata_[4]. But these treatises also show that Luther +was not fully informed of the disturbances accompanying the new +measures. In so critical a time the absence of a great leader was soon +manifest. Melanchthon, ardent in the beginning, could not hold back +the radical procedure of Carlstadt and Zwilling. + +Carlstadt, moderate at first in his conduct, nevertheless had sown the +seeds, in his teaching, which resulted in the bountiful harvest of +disorder Without Luther's clearness of vision and aptness of speech, +he likewise failed to discern the pitfalls which Luther so carefully +avoided. "In my opinion, he who partakes only of the bread, sins."[5] +"In all things of divine appointment, the divine law must be taught +and observed, even if it cause offence."[6] "The Gregorian chant keeps +the spirit away from God. . . . Organs belong to theatrical +exhibitions and princes' palaces."[7] "That we have images in churches +is wrong and contrary to the first commandment. To have carved and +painted idols standing on the altar is even more harmful and +devilish."[8] For his Scripture proof in other places, too, +particularly concerning vows, Carlstadt drew largely from the Old +Testament. On Christmas Day, 1521, he preached a sermon in which he +opposed going to confession before receiving communion. Attired in his +street garb he then proceeded to celebrate an "evangelical" mass by +giving communion in both kinds to the people, placing the elements +directly into their hands. Many of the communicants had not previously +confessed, nor observed the prescribed rule of fasting. From a denial +of any distinction between clergy and laity, Carlstadt finally +progressed to a condemnation of all scholarship and learning as +unnecessary to an understanding of the Divine Word, since it is given +directly from above[9]. + +Without the theological acumen of Carlstadt, and with less restraint, +the Augustinian monk Gabriel Zwilling labored in season and out of +season for the new order of things. In December the Zwickau prophets, +Niclas Storch, Thomas Drechsel, weavers by trade, and Marcus Stubner, +a former university student, appeared in Wittenberg claiming direct +divine inspiration, and preached the overturn of present conditions. +Earlier in the month (December 3d) some students and citizens had +caused a disturbance in the parish church and driven off the priests +who were saying mass. Soon after a number of citizens crowded into the +council chamber and demanded of the three councillors who presided +over Wittenberg the abolition of the mass by law, the restitution of +the cup, and the release of those in custody for causing the tumult of +December 3d. On Christmas Eve both the parish and the castle churches +witnessed scenes of wild disorder. On January 11th the monks, led by +Zwilling, destroyed all the altars except one in the convent church, +and cast out the images. The city council, in the endeavor to restore +order, on January 24, 1522, in full accord with a commission of the +university, adopted a "Worthy Ordinance for the princely City of +Wittenberg,"[10] in which the popular demands were met and a date was +fixed on which the images should be removed from the parish +church--the only one of the four churches of Wittenberg subject to the +council's control. But the excited populace did not await the day. +Taking the matter into its own hands it invaded the church, tore +images and pictures from the walls and burned them up. + +The council and the university turned to Luther. Immediately after his +three-day secret visit to Wittenberg in December, on which he had +sensed the unrest in Wittenberg and elsewhere, he issued his _Faithful +Exhortation for all Christians to shun Riot and Rebellion_[11], in +which he emphasizes the principles reiterated in the _Eight Sermons_, +the sufficiency of the Word and the duty of dealing gently with the +weak. But the time for writing had passed. "Satan had broken into his +sheepfold" and had caused such havoc that he could not meet it "by +writing."[12] In spite of the elector's instruction to remain--the +same whose ineffectual measures had failed to avert the storm--Luther +on March 1st bade farewell to the Wartburg. On his way to Wittenberg, +in Borna on March 5th, he wrote the famous letter to the elector[13] +in which he declared that he desired no protection from the elector. +"I come to Wittenberg under much higher protection." He arrived in +Wittenberg on Thursday, March 6th, and on the following Sunday, March +6th, the first Sunday in Lent, he again ascended the pulpit in the +parish church. In an interesting report of an eye and ear +witness--Johann Kessler--we are told that he first gave an explanation +of the Gospel for the day on the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1 ff.), +after which "he dropped the text and took up the present affair."[14] +This earlier portion of the sermon has not come down to us. It may be +that Luther likewise first preached on the Gospel for the day on the +following Sunday, and for that reason it is called "a brief summary" +(see Sermon No. 8) in the early printed editions, when, in reality, it +is longer than that of Saturday (No. 7). + +The sermons, delivered in a _vox suavis et sonora_[15], produced +immediate results. In a letter by Schurf, dated March 15th, even +before the last of the sermons had been delivered, it is stated that +"Gabriel [Zwilling] has confessed that he was wrong." Carlstadt was +silenced, the city council made acknowledgment to Luther by +substantial gifts and Wittenberg bowed to law and order. + +Luther did not publish these sermons himself. He elaborated the +principles here uttered in the treatise, published a few weeks later, +_The Reception of both Kinds in the Sacrament_[16]. A fragment, +covering the thoughts of sermons 1 to 4, and formerly described as a +pastoral letter to the Wittenberg congregation, is now held to be a +piece of written preparation by Luther for these sermons[17]. + +The notes of a hearer of these sermons furnished the basis for the +printed editions. The Wednesday sermon (No. 4--On the Images) was +published separately at Augsburg and other places; the eight sermons +were published in Augsburg and Mainz. Seven editions of the former and +six of the latter are known. + +Johann Aurifaber, the publisher of Luther's Table-talk, also edited +and published these sermons at Eisleben in 1564. His free +amplification of the older text, in an attempt to modernize it, is not +an improvement. His considerable additions to Luther's Scripture +citations are from Luther's own translation of a later date. Yet for +two centuries this edition remained the standard. The _Walch Edition_ +was the first again to pay attention to the original text, however +placing the Aurifaber text first. (_Walch Ed._, XX.) The _Erlangen +Edition_ (XXYHI) observes the same order. O. von Gerlach, _Luthers +Werke_, _Auswahl seiner Hauptschriten_ (Berlin, 1841), gives only the +older text (V); Buchwald, in the Berlin Edition (I), gives only the +Aurifaber text. The Weimar Edition (Xc) places the old text on the +upper half of the page, with the Aurifaber recension immediately +below. The translation which follows is based on the older text as +found in the _Weimar Edition_, with which the other editions have been +compared. + +For further discussion, see, in addition to the literature mentioned, +the biographies of Luther and the Church Histories. Also + +Barge's articles in the _Realencyklopadie_, X, 73 ff. and XXIII, 738 +ff.; also Kolde's, IV, 639 ff. and XIII, 556 ff. + +Barge, _Fruhprotestantisches Gemeindechristentum in Wittenberg und +Orlamiinde_, Leipzig, 1909. + +Cristiani, _Du Lutheranisme au Protestantisme_, Paris, 1911. + +Boehmer, _Luther im Lichte der neueren Forschung_, third ed., Leipzig, +1914. + +Vedder, _The Reformation in Germany_. New York, 1914. + + A. STEIMLE. + +Allentown, Pa. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] The consequent closing of the churches except for preaching +services leads Muller (_Luther und Karlstadt_, p. 52) to see in this +the origin of the Protestant custom of closing churches on weekdays. + +[2] August 1, 1521. Enders, _Luthers Briewechsel_, III, 208. + +[3] December 20, 1521. Enders, III, 257. + +[4] Date of both, November, 1521. Both in _Weimar Ed._, VIII, and in +_Erl. Ed., O; var. arg._, VI. The latter also in German (_Vom +Misbrauch der Messe_), _Erl. Ed._, XXVIII. + +[5] 24 Theses (July, 1521). Barge, _Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt_, +I, 291. Repeated in _De celebratione missae_ (October), _ibid._, 487. + +[6] _De scandalo et missa_ (Oct. or Nov.), _ibid._, 491. + +[7] _De cantu gregoriano disputatio_ (1520), _ibid._, 492. + +[8] _Von Abthuung der Bilder_ (January, 1522), _ibid._, 367. + +[9] See Kostlin-Kawesau, _Martin Luther_, I, 485. + +[10] Published by H. Lietzmann in _Kleine Texte_, no. 21; also in +Richter, _Kirchenordnungen_, II, 484. + +[11] _Weimar Ed._, VIII, 670 ff. _Erl. Ed._, XXII, 43 ff. + +[12] Luther's letter to the elector on March 7th. De Wette, II, 138; +_Weimar Ed._, Xc Introd., xlvii f. + +[13] Enders, III, 484. + +[14] Kessler, _Sabbata_, _St. Gallen_, 1902. Quoted at length in +_Weimar Ed._, Xc, Introduction, lii. + +[15] Letter of Albert Burer, _Briewechsel des Beatus Rhenanus_, 303. +See also Introd., liii, in _Weimar Ed._, Xc. + +[16] _Weimar Ed._, Xb; _Erl. Ed._, XXVIII. + +[17] See Kawerau, _Luthers Ruckkehr von der Wartburg_, 67. Fragment in +full in _Weimar Ed._, Xc, Introduction, lv ff., where see also a +recently discovered short Latin fragment, which served a similar +purpose. + + +EIGHT SERMONS BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER + + +Preached at Wittenberg in Lent, 1522 + +Treating Briefly of the Mass, Images, Both Kinds In The Sacrament, +Eating of Meats, Private Confession, etc. + + +THE FIRST SERMON + +INVOCAVIT SUNDAY + + +[Sidenote: The Chief Things] + +The challenge of death comes to us all, and no one can die for +another. Every one must fight his own battle with death by himself, +alone. We can shout into one another's ears, but every one must be +prepared finally to meet death alone. I will not be with you then, nor +you with me. Therefore every one must know for himself the chief +things in Christianity, and be armed therewith. They are the same +which you, my beloved, have long ago heard from me. + +In the first place, We must know that we are the children of wrath, +and all our works, intentions and thoughts are nothing at all. To +prove this point we must have a clear, strong text, and although there +are many such in the Bible I will not overwhelm you with them, but ask +you to note just this one, "We are all the children of wrath." [Eph. +2:3] And pray, do not boast in reply: I have builded an altar, given a +foundation for masses, etc. + +Secondly, That God has sent us His only-begotten Son that we may +believe in Him, and whosoever will put his trust in Him, should be +free from sin and a child of God, as John declares in the first +chapter, "He gave them power to become the sons of God, even to them +that believe in his name." [John 1:12] Here we should all be +thoroughly at home in the Bible and be ready with many passages to +confront the devil. In respect to these two points nothing seems to be +lacking or amiss, but they have been rightly preached to you; I should +be very sorry if it were otherwise. Nay, I am well aware and I dare +say, that you are more learned herein than I, and that there are not +only one, two, three, or four, but perhaps ten or more, who have this +wisdom and enlightenment. + +[Sidenote: Love] + +Thirdly, There must also be love, and through love we must do unto one +another as God has done unto us through faith. For without love faith +is nothing, as St. Paul says, I Cor. ii, "If I could speak with the +tongues of angels, and of the highest things in faith, and have not +love, I am nothing." [1 Cor. 13:1] And here, dear friends, have you +not grievously failed? I see no signs of love among you, and I observe +that you have not been grateful to God for His rich gifts and +treasures. + +Let us beware lest Wittenberg become Capernaum. I notice that you have +a great deal to say of the doctrine which is preached to you, of faith +and of love. This is not surprising; an ass can almost intone the +lessons, and why should you not be able to repeat the doctrines and +formulas? Dear friends, the kingdom of God,--and we are that +kingdom,--consists not in speech or in words, but in deeds, in works +and exercises. God does not want hearers and repeaters of words, but +doers and followers who exercise themselves in the faith that worketh +by love. For a faith without love is not enough--rather it is not +faith at all [1 Cor. 13:12], but a counterfeit of faith, just as a +face seen in a mirror is not a real face, but merely the reflection of +a face. + +[Sidenote: Patience] + +Fourthly, We likewise need patience. For whoever has faith, trusts in +God and shows love to his neighbor, practicing it day by day, must +needs suffer persecution. For the devil never sleeps, and continually +molests. But patience works and produces hope, which freely yields +itself to God and finds solace in Him [Rom. 5:4]. Thus faith, by much +affliction and persecution, ever increases, and is strengthened day by +day. And the heart which by God's grace has received such virtues must +ever be active and freely expend itself for the benefit and service of +the brethren, even as it has received from God. + +[Sidenote: Forbearance] + +And here, dear friends, one must not insist upon his rights, but must +see what may be useful and helpful to his brother, as St. Paul says, +_Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expediunt_, "All things are lawful +for me, but not all things are expedient." [1 Cor. 6:12] We are not +all equally strong in faith; some of you have a stronger faith than I. +Therefore we must not look upon ourselves, or our strength, or our +rank, but upon our neighbor, for God has said through Moses, "I have +borne and nourished thee, even as a mother her child." [Deut. 1:31] +How does a mother nourish her child? First, she feeds it with milk, +then gruel, then eggs and soft food. If she weaned it and at once gave +it the ordinary, coarse food, the child would never thrive. So we +should also deal with our brother, have patience with him for a time, +suffer his weakness and help him bear it; we should give him milk-food +[1 Peter 2:2], too, as was done with us, until he likewise grows +strong, and thus we do not travel heavenward alone, but bring the +brethren, who are not now on our side, with us. If all mothers were to +abandon their children, where would we have been? Dear brother, if you +have suckled long enough, do not at once cut off the breast, but let +thy brother be nourished also. I would not have gone so far as you +have done, if I had been here. What you did was good, but you have +gone too fast. For there are also brothers and sisters on the other +side who belong to us, and must still be won. + +Let me illustrate. The sun has two properties, light and heat. No king +has power enough to bend or guide the light of the sun; it remains +straight in the place where it shines. But the heat may be turned and +guided, and yet is ever about the sun. Thus the faith must always +remain pure and immovable in the heart, never wavering; but love moves +and is guided, according as our neighbors may grasp it or follow us. +There are some who can run, others must walk, still others can hardly +creep. Therefore we must not look upon our own, but upon our brother's +powers, so that he who is weak in faith, and attempts to follow the +strong, may not be destroyed of the devil. Therefore, dear brethren, +obey me. I have never been a destroyer, and I was also the very first +whom God called to this work. Neither can I run away, but must remain +as long as it pleases God. I was the first, too, to whom God revealed +it, to preach His Word to you; moreover, I am sure that you have the +pure Word of God. + +[Sidenote: Abolishing the Mass] + +Let us, therefore, take up this matter with fear and humility, cast +ourselves at one another's feet, join hands with each other, and help +one another. I will do my part, which is no more than my duty, for I +love you even as I love my own soul. For here we battle not against +pope or bishop, but against the devil [Eph. 6:12], and do you imagine +he is asleep? He sleeps not, but sees the true light rising, and to +keep it from shining into his eyes he would make a flank attack--and +he will succeed, if we are not on our guard. I know him well[1], and I +hope, too, that with the help of God I am his master. But if we yield +him but an inch, we must soon look to it how we may be rid of him. +Therefore all those have erred who have consented and helped to +abolish the mass--in itself a good undertaking, but not accomplished +in an orderly way. You say it was right according to the Scriptures. +I agree, but what becomes of order? For it was done in wantonness, +with no regard to proper order and with offence to your neighbor. If, +beforehand, you had called upon God in earnest prayer, and had +obtained the aid of the authorities, one could be certain that it had +come from God. I, too, would have taken steps toward the same end if +it had been a good thing to do; and if the mass were not so evil a +thing, I would introduce it again. For I cannot defend your action, as +I have just said. To the papists and the blockheads I could defend it, +for I could say: How do you know whether it was done with good or bad +intention, since the work in itself was really a good work? But I can +find nothing to reply to the devil. For if on their deathbeds the +devil reminds those who began this affair of texts like these, "Every +plant, which My father hath not planted, shall be rooted up," [Matt. +15:13] or "I have not sent them, yet they ran," [Jer. 23:21] how will +they be able to withstand?[2] He will cast them into hell. But I have +a weapon to brandish in the devil's face, so that the wide world will +become too small for him: I know that in spite of my reluctance I was +regularly called by the Council to preach in this place. And I would +that you should have the same assurance as I. You could so easily have +consulted me about the matter. + +[Sidenote: "Must" and "Free"] + +I was not so far away that you could not reach me with a letter, +especially since I did not interfere with you in any way. Did you want +to begin something, and then leave me to shoulder the responsibility? +That is more than I can undertake, and I will not do it. Here one can +see that you have not the Spirit, in spite of your deep knowledge of +the Scriptures. Take note of these two things, "must" and "free." The +"must" is that which necessity requires, and which must ever be +unyielding; as, for instance, the faith, which I shall never permit +any one to take away from me, but which I must always keep in my heart +and freely confess before every one. But "free" is that in which I +have choice, and may use or not, yet in such wise that it profit my +brother and not me. Now do not make a "must" out of what is "free," as +you have done, so that you may not be called to account for those who +were led astray by your exercise of liberty without love. For if you +entice any one to eat meat on Friday, and he is troubled about it on +his deathbed, and thinks, Woe is me, for I have eaten meat and I am +lost! God will call you to account for that soul. I would like to +begin many things, in which but few would follow me; but what is the +use? I know that those who have begun this thing, when it comes to the +point, cannot maintain themselves, and will be the first to retreat. +How would it be, if I brought the people to the point of attack, and +though I had been the foremost to exhort others, I would then flee, +and not face death with courage? How the poor people would be +deceived! + +Let us, therefore, feed others also with the milk which we received, +until they, too, become strong in the faith. For there are many who +are otherwise in accord with us and who would also gladly accept this +one thing, but they do not yet fully understand it--all such we drive +away. Therefore, let us show love to our neighbors, or our work will +not endure. We must have patience with them for a time, and not cast +out him who is weak in the faith; much more should we regulate our +doing and our not doing according to the demands of love, provided no +injury is done to our faith. If we do not earnestly pray to God, and +act circumspectly in this matter, the thing looks to me as if all the +misery which we have begun to cause the papists will all upon us. +Therefore I could no longer remain away, but was compelled to come and +say these things to you. + +This is enough about the mass; tomorrow we shall treat of the images. + + +THE SECOND SERMON + +MONDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: Necessity and Choice] + +Dear Friends: You heard yesterday the characteristics of a Christian +man, how his whole life is faith and love. Faith is directed toward +God, love toward man and one's neighbor, and consists in such love and +service for him as we have received from God without our work and +merit. Thus there are two things: the one, which is the most needful, +and which must be done in one way and no other; the other, which is a +matter of choice and not of necessity, which may be kept or not, +without endangering faith or incurring hell. In both, love must deal +with our neighbor in the same manner as God has dealt with us; it must +walk the straight road, straying neither to the let nor to the right. +In the things which are "musts" and are matters of necessity, such as +believing in Christ, love nevertheless never uses force or undue +constraint. Thus the mass is an evil thing, and God is displeased with +it, because it is performed as a sacrifice and work of merit. +Therefore it must be abolished. Here there is no room for question, +just as little as if you should ask whether you should pray to God. +Here we are entirely agreed: the private mass must be abolished, as I +have said in my writings[3]. And I heartily wish it would be abolished +everywhere and only the evangelical mass for all the people be +retained. Yet Christian love should not employ harshness here nor +force the matter. It should be preached and taught with tongue and +pen, that to hold mass in such a manner is a sin, but no one should be +dragged away from it by force. The matter should be let to God; His +word should do the work alone, without our work. Why? Because it is +not in my power to fashion the hearts of men as the potter moulds the +clay, and to do with them as I please. I can get no farther than to +men's ears; their hearts I cannot reach. And since I cannot pour faith +into their hearts, I cannot, nor should I, force any one to have +faith. That is God's work alone, who causes faith to live in the +heart. Therefore we should give free course to the Word, and not add +our works to it. We have the _jus verbi_[4], but not the +_executio_[5]; we should preach the Word, but the consequences must be +let to God's own good pleasure. + +[Sidenote: Compulsion and Persuasion] + +Now if I should rush in and abolish the mass by force, there are many +who would be compelled to consent to it and yet not know their own +minds, but say: I do not know if it is right or wrong, I do not know +where I stand, I was compelled by force to submit to the majority. And +this forcing and commanding results in a mere mockery, an external +show, a fool's play, man-made ordinances, sham-saints and hypocrites. +For where the heart is not good, I care nothing at all for the work. +We must first win the hearts of the people. And that is done when I +teach only the Word of God, preach the Gospel and say: "Dear lords or +pastors, desist from holding the mass, it is not right, you are +sinning when you do it; I cannot refrain from telling you this." But I +would not make it an ordinance for them, nor urge a general law; he +who would follow me could do so, and he who refused would remain +without. In the latter case the Word would sink into the heart and +perform its work. Thus he would become convinced and acknowledge his +error, and all away from the mass; to-morrow another would do the +same, and thus God would accomplish more with His Word than if you and +I would forge into one all power and authority. For if you have won +the heart, you have won the whole man--and the mass must finally fall +of its own weight and come to an end. And if the hearts and minds of +all men are united in the purpose--abolish the mass; but if all are +not heart and soul for its abolishment--leave it in God's hands, I +beseech you, otherwise the result will not be good. Not, indeed, that +I would again set up the mass; I let it live in God's name. Faith must +not be chained and imprisoned, nor bound by an ordinance to any work. +This is the principle by which you must be governed. For I am sure you +will not be able to carry out your plans, and if you should carry them +out with such general laws, then I will recant all the things that I +have written and preached, and I will not support you, and therefore I +ask you plainly: What harm can the mass do to you? You have your +faith, pure and strong, toward God, and the mass cannot hurt you. + +[Sidenote: Paul's Method] + +Love, therefore, demands that you have compassion on the weak, as all +the apostles had. Once, when Paul came to Athens, a mighty city, he +found in the temple many altars, and he went from one to the other and +looked at them all [Acts 17:16 ff.], but did not touch any one of them +even with his foot. But he stood in the midst of the market-place and +said they were all idolatrous works, and begged the people to forsake +them; yet he did not destroy one of them by force. When the word took +hold of their hearts, they forsook their idols of their own accord, +and in consequence idolatry fell of itself. Now, if I had seen that +they held mass, I would have preached and admonished them concerning +it. Had they heeded my admonition, they would have been won; if not, I +would nevertheless not have torn them from it by the hair or employed +any force, but simply allowed the Word to act, while I prayed for +them. For the Word created heaven and earth and all things; the Word +must do this thing, and not we poor sinners. + +[Sidenote: Luther's Method] + +[Sidenote: Jerome and Augustine] + +In conclusion: I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will +constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without +compulsion. Take myself as an example. I have opposed the indulgences +and all the papists, but never by force. I simply taught, preached, +wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And then while I slept, or +drank Wittenberg beer with my Philip[6] and with Amsdor[7], the Word +so greatly weakened the papacy, that never a prince or emperor +inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing; the Word did it all. Had +I desired to foment trouble, I could have brought great bloodshed upon +Germany, Yea, I could have started such a little game at Worms that +even the emperor would not have been safe. But what would it have +been? A fool's play. I did nothing; I left it to the Word. What do you +suppose is Satan's thought, when an effort is made to do things by +violence? He sits back in hell and thinks: How fine a game these fools +will make for me! But it brings him distress when we only spread the +Word, and let it alone do the work. For it is almighty and takes +captive the hearts, and if the hearts are captured the evil work will +all of itself. Let me cite an instance. Aforetime there were sects, +too, Jewish and Gentile Christians, differing on the law of Moses in +respect to circumcision. The former would keep it, the latter not [1 +Cor. 7:18 ff.]. Then came Paul and preached that it might be kept or +not, it mattered not one way or the other; they should make no "must" +of it, but leave it to the choice of the individual; to keep it or +not, was immaterial. Later came Jerome, who would have made a "must" +out of it, and wanted laws and ordinances to prohibit it. Then came +St. Augustine, who held to the opinion of St. Paul: it might be kept +or not, as one wished; St. Jerome had missed the meaning of St. Paul +by a hundred miles. The two doctors bumped heads rather hard over the +proposition. But when St. Augustine died, St. Jerome accomplished his +purpose. After that came the popes; they would add something of their +own, and they, too, made laws. Thus out of the making of one law grew +a thousand laws, until they have completely buried us under laws. And +so it will be here; one law will soon make two, two will increase to +three, and so forth. + +Let this be enough at this time concerning the things that are +necessary, and let us beware lest we lead astray those of weak +conscience. + + +THE THIRD SERMON + +TUESDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +We have heard the things most necessary in Christian life, and what is +a necessary result, namely, the doing away with the private mass. For +the works which are necessary are those which God has either commanded +or forbidden, according to the appointment of the Majesty on high. But +no one shall be dragged to them by the hair, or kept from them by +force, for I can drive no man to heaven with a club. I said this +plainly enough, and I believe you understood what I said. + +[Sidenote: Nonessentials] + +[Sidenote: Marriage of Monks and Nuns] + +We shall now consider the things that are not matters of necessity, +but are let to our free choice by God, and which we may keep or not; +for instance, whether one shall marry or not, or whether monks and +nuns shall leave the cloisters. These things are matters of choice and +must not be forbidden by any one, and if they are forbidden, the +forbidding is wrong, since it is contrary to God's appointment. In the +things that are free, such as being married or remaining single, you +should do on this wise: If you can restrain yourself without burdening +your conscience thereby, do so by all means, but there must be no +general law, and every one shall be perfectly free. Any priest, monk +or nun who cannot restrain the desires of the flesh, should marry, and +thus relieve the burden of conscience. But see to it that you be +well-armed and fortified, so that you can stand before God and the +world when you are assailed, and especially when the devil attacks you +in the hour of death. It is not enough to say: This man or that has +done the same, I followed the example of the crowd, according to the +preaching of the provost[8] or Dr. Carlstadt, or Gabriel[9], or +Michael[10]. Not so, but every one must stand on his own feet and be +prepared to give battle to the devil. You must rest upon a strong and +clear text of Scripture if you would stand the test. If you cannot do +that, you will never withstand,--the devil will pluck you like a +withered leaf. Therefore the priests who have taken wives, and the +nuns who have taken husbands, in order to save their consciences must +stand squarely upon a clear text of Scripture, such as this one by St. +Paul--although there are many more: "In the latter times some shall +depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines +of devils (methinks Paul uses plain language here!) forbidding to +marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created." +This text the devil shall not overthrow nor devour, it shall rather +overthrow and devour him. Therefore any monk or nun who is too weak to +keep the vow of chastity, should conscientiously examine himself; if +heart and conscience are strong, so that he can defend himself with a +good conscience, let him marry. Would to God all monks and nuns could +hear this sermon and properly understood this matter and would all +forsake the cloisters and thus all the cloisters in the world cease to +exist--this is my earnest desire. But now they have no understanding +of the matter (for no one preaches it to them), and hearing that in +other places many are leaving the cloisters, who however are +well-prepared or such a step, they would follow their example, but +have not yet fortified their consciences and do not know that it is a +matter of liberty. This is bad, although it is better that the evil +should be outside than inside[11]. Therefore I say, what God has made +free shall remain free, and you must not obey if some one forbids it, +even as the pope has done, the Antichrist. He who can do so without +harm and or love of his neighbor, may wear a cowl or a tonsure, since +it will not injure his faith; wearing a cowl will not kill him. + +[Sidenote: Monks' Vows] + +Thus, dear friends, it is plain enough, and I believe you ought to +understand it and not make liberty a law, saying: This priest has +taken a wife, therefore all priests must take wives. Not at all. Or +this monk or that nun has left the cloister, therefore they must all +come out. Not at all. Or this man has broken the images and burnt +them, therefore all images must be burned--not at all, dear brother! +And again, this priest has no wife, therefore no priest dare marry. +Not at all! They who cannot retain their chastity should take wives, +and for others who can be chaste, it is good that they restrain +themselves, as those who live in the spirit and not in the flesh. +Neither should they be troubled about the vows they have made, such as +the monks' vows of obedience, chastity and poverty (though they are +rich enough withal). For we cannot vow anything that is contrary to +God's commands. God has made it a matter of liberty to marry or not to +marry, and thou fool undertakest to turn this liberty into a vow +against the ordinance of God? Therefore you must leave liberty alone +and not make a compulsion out of it; your vow is contrary to God's +liberty. Suppose I should vow to strike my father on the mouth, or to +steal some one's property, do you believe God would be pleased with +such a vow? And as little as I ought to keep a vow to strike my father +on the mouth, so little ought I to abstain from marriage because I am +bound by a vow of chastity, for in both cases God has ordered it +otherwise. God has ordained that I should be free to eat fish or +flesh, and there should be no commandment concerning them. Therefore +all the Carthusians[12] and all monks and nuns forsake the ordinance +and liberty which God has given when they believe that if they eat +meat they are defiled. + +[Sidenote: The Images] + +[Sidenote: Moses and Images] + +But we must come to the images, and concerning them also it is true +that they are unnecessary, and we are free to have them or not, +although it would be much better if we did not have them. I am not +partial to them. A great controversy arose on the subject of images +between the Roman emperor and the pope; the emperor held that he had +the authority to banish the images, but the pope insisted that they +should remain, and both were wrong. Much blood was shed, but the pope +emerged as victor and the emperor lost[13]. What was it all about? +They wished to make a "must" out of that which is free, and that God +cannot tolerate. Do you wish to change the ordering of the Majesty on +high? Not so; you will not do any such thing. You read in the Law, +Exodus xx, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any +likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth +beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." [Ex. 20:4] There +you take your stand; that is your ground. Now let us see! When our +adversaries shall say: The first commandment aims at this, that we +should worship one God alone and not any image, even as it is said +immediately following, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor +serve them," and declare that the worship of images is forbidden and +not the making of them, they disturb and unsettle our foundation for +us. And if you reply: The text says, "Thou shalt not make any images," +they answer: It also says, "Thou shalt not worship them." In the face +of such uncertainty who would be so bold as to destroy the images? Not +I. But let us go farther. They say: Did not Noah, Abraham, Jacob build +altars? And who will deny that? We must admit it. Again, did not Moses +erect a brazen serpent [Num. 21:9], as we read in his fourth book? How +can you say Moses forbids the making of images when he himself makes +one? It seems to me, such a serpent is an image, too. How shall we +answer that? Again, do we not read that two birds were erected on the +mercy-seat, the very place where God willed that He should be +worshiped? [Ex. 37:7] Here we must admit, that we may make images and +have images but we must not worship them, and when they are worshiped, +they should be put away and destroyed, just as King Hezekiah brake in +pieces the serpent erected by Moses [2 Kings 18:4]. And who will be so +bold as to say, when called to account: They worship the images. They +will answer: Art thou the man who dares to accuse us of worshiping the +images? Do not believe that they will acknowledge it. To be sure it is +true, but we cannot make them admit it. Remember how they acted when I +condemned works without faith. They said: Do you believe that we have +no faith, or that our works are performed without faith? I can do +nothing more than put my lute back in its pocket; give them a hair's +breadth, and they take a hundred miles. + +[Sidenote: St. Paul and the Twins] + +Therefore it should have been preached that images were nothing and +that God is not served by their erection, and they would have fallen +of themselves. That is what I did; that is what Paul did in Athens, +when he went into their churches and saw all their idols[14]. He did +not strike at any of them, but stood in the market-place and said, "Ye +men of Athens, ye are all idolatrous." [Acts 17;22] He preached +against their idols, but he overthrew none by force. And you would +rush in, create an uproar, break down the altars and overthrow the +images? Do you really believe you can abolish the images on this wise? +Nay, you will only set them up more firmly. Even if you overthrew the +images in this place, do you think you have overthrown those in +Nurnberg and the rest of the world? Not at all, St. Paul, as we read +in the Book of Acts, sat in a ship on whose prow were painted or +carved the Twin Brothers[15]. He went on board and did not bother +about it at all, neither did he break them off. Why must Luke describe +the Twins at this place? Without doubt he wanted to show that outward +things could do no harm to faith, if only the heart does not cleave to +them nor put its trust in them. This is what we must preach and teach, +and let the Word alone do the work, as I said before. The Word must +first capture the hearts of men and enlighten them,--we cannot do it. +Therefore the apostles gloried in their service, _ministerium_, and +not in its effect, _executio_. + +We will let this be enough or to-day, and pray God for His grace. + + +THE FOURTH SERMON WEDNESDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: The Abuse of Images] + +Dear Friends: We have heard the things which are necessary, as for +instance, that the mass is regarded as a sacrifice[16]. Then we +considered the things which are left to our liberty, such as marriage, +the monastic life, the abolishing of images. We have treated these +four subjects, and have said that in all these matters love is the +captain. On the subject of images, in particular, we saw that they +ought to be abolished if they are going to be worshiped, otherwise +not, although I wish they were abolished everywhere because they are +abused,--it is useless to deny it. For whoever places an image in a +church, imagines he has performed a service unto God and a good work, +which is downright idolatry. And this, the greatest, foremost and +highest reason or abolishing the images, you have neglected, and taken +up the very lowest. For I suppose there is scarcely any man who does +not understand that yonder crucifix is not my God, for my God is in +heaven, but that this is simply a sign. But the world is full of the +other abuse, for who would place an image of silver or of wood in a +church, if he did not think that in so doing he was doing God a +service? Think you that Duke Frederick, the bishop of Halle, and the +others would have placed so many silver images in the churches, if +they thought it counted nothing before God? Nay, they would not do it. +But this is not sufficient reason to abolish, destroy and burn all the +images; and why? Because we must admit that there are still people who +have not the wrong opinion of them, but to whom they may be useful. +Although they are few, yet we cannot and should not condemn anything +which is still useful to the devotions of any man. But you should have +taught that images are nothing, God cares nothing for them, and that +He is not served, nor pleased when we make an image for Him, but that +we would do better to give a poor man a gold-piece than to give God a +golden image, or God has forbidden the latter, but not the former. If +they had heard this teaching, that images count or nothing, they would +have ceased of their own accord, and the images would have fallen +without any uproar or tumult, even as it was already coming to pass. + +[Sidenote: The Devil's Game] + +We must, therefore, be on our guard, for the devil is after us, +through his apostles, with all his craft and cunning. Now, although it +is true, and no one can deny that the images are evil because they are +abused, nevertheless we must not on that account reject them, nor +condemn anything because it is abused. That would result in utter +confusion. God has commanded us not to lift up our eyes unto the sun, +etc. [Deut. 4:19], that we may not worship them, for they are created +to serve all nations. But there are many people who worship the sun +and the stars. Shall we, therefore, essay to pull the sun and stars +from the skies? Nay, we will not do it. Again, wine and women bring +many a man to misery and make a fool of him. Shall we, therefore, kill +all the women and pour out all the wine? Again, gold and silver cause +much evil, shall we, therefore, condemn them? Nay, if we would drive +away our one worst enemy, who does us the most harm, we would have to +kill ourselves, for we have no greater enemy than our own heart, even +as Jeremiah says, "The heart of man is crooked," [Jer. 17:9] or, as I +take the meaning, "always twisting to one side or the other." And what +good would that do us? + +He who would blacken the devil must have good charcoal, for he, too, +wears fine clothes and goes to the fair. But I can catch him by asking +him: Do you not place the images in the churches because you think it +a special service of God? and when he says Yes, as he must, you may +conclude that what was meant as a service of God he has turned into +idolatry by abusing the images; he eagerly sought what God has not +commanded and neglected God's positive command, to help the neighbor. +But I have not yet caught him; he escapes me by saying: I help the +poor, too; cannot I give to my neighbor and at the same time place +images in churches? That is not true,--for who would not rather give +his neighbor a gold-piece, than God a golden image! Nay, he would not +trouble himself about placing images in churches if he believed that +God was not served thereby. Therefore I freely admit, images are +neither here nor there, neither evil nor good, we may have them or +not, as we please. This trouble has been caused by you; the devil +would not have accomplished it with me, for I cannot deny that it is +possible to find some one to whom images are useful. And if I were +asked about it, I would confess that none of these things give offence +to me, and if just one man were found upon earth who used the images +aright, the devil would soon draw the conclusion against me: Why +condemnest thou that which is still useful in worship? This challenge +I could not answer; he would have successfully defied me. He would not +have got nearly so far if I had been here. He played a bold game, and +won, although it does no harm to the Word of God. You wanted to paint +the devil black, but forgot the charcoal and used chalk. If you would +fight the devil, you must be well versed in the Scriptures, and, +besides, use them at the right time. + +[Sidenote: Of Meats] + +Let us proceed and speak of the eating of meats. It is true that we +are free to eat any manner of food, meats, fish, eggs or butter. This +no one can deny. God has given us this liberty. That is true; +nevertheless we must know how to use our liberty, and treat the weak +brother differently from the stubborn. Observe, then, how you must use +this liberty. + +First of all, If you cannot give up meat without harm to yourself, or +if you are sick, you may eat whatever you like, and if any one takes +offence, let him be offended. And if the whole world took offence, yet +you are not committing a sin, for God can excuse you in view of the +liberty He has so graciously bestowed upon you, and of the necessities +of your health, which would be endangered by your abstinence. + +[Sidenote: Liberty and Law] + +Secondly, If you should be pressed to eat fish instead of meat on +Friday, and to eat fish and abstain from eggs and butter during Lent, +etc., as the pope has done with his fools' laws, then you must in no +wise allow yourself to be drawn away from the liberty in which God has +placed you, but do just the contrary to spite him, and say: Because +you forbid me to eat meat, and presume to turn my liberty into law, I +will eat meat in spite of you. And thus you must do in all other +things which are matters of liberty. To give you an example: If the +pope, or any one else would force me to wear a cowl, just as he +prescribes it, I would take of the cowl just to spite him. But since +it is left to my own free choice, I wear it or take it off, according +to my pleasure. + +[Sidenote: Peter and the Gentiles] + +Thirdly, There are some who are still weak in faith, who ought to be +instructed, and who would gladly believe as we do. But their ignorance +prevents them, and if this were faithfully preached to them, as it was +to us, they would be one with us. Toward such well-meaning people we +must assume an entirely different attitude from that which we assume +toward the stubborn. We must bear patiently with them and not use our +liberty, since it brings no peril or harm to body or soul, nay, rather +is salutary, and we are doing our brothers and sisters a great service +besides. But if we use our liberty without need, and deliberately +cause offence to our neighbor, we drive away the very one who in time +would come to our faith. Thus St. Paul circumcised Timothy because +simple-minded Jews had taken offence [Acts 16:3]; he thought, What +harm can it do, since they are offended because of their ignorance? +But when, in Antioch, they would insist that he ought and must +circumcise Titus, Paul withstood them all and to spite them would not +have Titus circumcised [Gal. 2:3]. And he held his ground. He did the +same when St. Peter by the exercise of his liberty caused a wrong +conception in the minds of the unlearned [Gal. 2:11 ff.]. It was on +this wise: When Peter was with the Gentiles, he ate pork and sausage +with them, but when the Jews came in, he would not touch this food and +ate no more with them. Then the Gentiles who had become Christians, +thought: Alas! we, too, must be like the Jews, eat no pork and live +according to the law of Moses. But when Paul found that it would +injure the liberty of the Gospel, he reproved Peter publicly and read +him an apostolic lecture, saying: "If thou, being a Jew, livest after +the manner of the Gentiles, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live +as do the Jews?" [Gal. 2:14] Thus we, too, should order our lives and +use our liberty at the proper time, so that Christian liberty may +suffer no injury, and no offence be given to our weak brothers and +sisters who are still without the knowledge of this liberty. + + +THE FIFTH SERMON: A SERMON ON THE SACRAMENT THURSDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +We have heard of the things that are necessary, such as the mass, +which is regarded as a sacrifice[17], and of the unnecessary things, +such as the leaving of monasteries by monks, the marriage of priests, +and the images. We have seen how we must treat these matters, that no +compulsion or law must be made of them, and that no one shall be +dragged from them by the hair, but that we must let the Word of God +alone do the work. Let us now consider how we must observe the blessed +sacrament. + +[Sidenote: Foolish Law of the Pope] + +You have heard how I preached against the foolish law the Pope of the +pope and opposed his precept[18], that no woman shall wash the +altar-linen on which the body of Christ has lain, even if it be a pure +nun, except it first be washed by a pure priest. Likewise, when any +one touches the body of Christ with the hand, the priests come running +and scrape his fingers, and much more of the same sort. But when a +priest is incontinent, the pope winks at it. If the woman bears a +child, he lets that pass, too. The altar-linen and the sacrament, +however, dare not be touched. + +[Sidenote: Handling the Sacrament] + +Against such fools' laws we have preached, and set forth that no sin +is involved in these foolish prescriptions of the pope, and that a +layman does not commit sin if he touch the cup or the body of Christ +with his hands. You should give thanks to God that you have come to +such clear knowledge, which many great men have lacked. But now you +have become just as foolish as the pope, with your notion that you +must handle the sacrament; you would prove that you are good +Christians by touching the sacrament with your hands. You have dealt +with the sacrament, our highest treasure, in such a way that it is a +wonder you were not struck down by thunder and lightning. The other +things God would have suffered you to do, but to make this a matter of +compulsion. He can in no wise tolerate. And if you do not recede from +this, neither the emperor nor any one else need drive me from you, I +will go without urging; yea, I dare say, none of my enemies, although +they have caused me much sorrow, have wounded me as you have wounded +me in this matter. If you would show that you are good Christians by +handling the sacrament, and boast of it before everybody, then indeed +Herod and Pilate are the chief and best Christians. Methinks they +handled the body of Christ when they had him nailed to the cross and +put to death. + +[Sidenote: What does "Take" mean?] + +Nay, my dear friends, the kingdom of God consists not in outward +things, which can be touched or perceived, but in faith [Luke 17:20]. +But you may say: We live and should live in accordance with the +Scriptures, and God has instituted the sacrament in such a manner that +we should take it with our hands, for He said: "Take and eat, this is +my body." [Matt. 26:26] Answer: Though I am convinced beyond a doubt +that the disciples of the Lord took it with their hands, and though I +admit that you may do the same without committing sin, nevertheless I +can neither make it compulsory nor prove that it is the only way. And +my reason therefor is this: when the devil, in his seeking after us, +argues, Where have you read in the Scriptures that "take" means +"seizing with the hands"?--how shall I prove or defend it? Nay, how +will I answer him when he cites, from the Scriptures, the very +opposite, and proves that "take" does not mean to receive with the +hands only, but also to convey to ourselves in other ways? "See, my +good fellow," so he says, "how the word 'take' is used by three +Evangelists in describing the taking of gall and vinegar by the Lord +[Matt. 27:34, Mark 15:23, Luke 23:26]. You must admit that the Lord +did not touch or handle it with His hands, for His hands were nailed +to the cross." This verse is a strong argument against me. Again, he +cites the passage: _Et accepit omnes timor_,--"And fear took hold on +all," [Luke 7:16] where again we must admit that fear has no hands. +Thus I am driven into a corner and must concede, even against my will, +that "take" means not only to receive with the hands, but to convey to +myself in any other way in which it can be done. So you see, dear +friends, we must be on firm ground, if we are to withstand the devil's +attack. Although I must acknowledge that you committed no sin when you +touched the sacrament with your hands, nevertheless I must tell you +that it was not a good work, because it caused offence everywhere. +For the universal custom is, to receive the blessed sacrament directly +from the hands of the priest. Why will you not herein also serve those +who are weak in the faith and abstain from your liberty? It does not +help you if you do it, nor harm you if you do it not. + +Therefore no new practices should be introduced, unless the Gospel has +first been thoroughly preached and understood, even as it has been +with you. On this account, dear friends, let us deal soberly and +wisely in the things that pertain to God, or God will not be mocked. +You may mock the saints, but with God it is vastly different. +Therefore, I pray you, give up this practice. + +[Sidenote: Both Kinds in the Sacrament] + +Let us now speak of the two kinds. Although I hold that it is +necessary that the sacrament should be received in both kinds, +according to the institution of the Lord, nevertheless it must not be +made compulsory nor a general law. We must occupy ourselves with the +Word, practice it and preach it. For the result we should look +entirely to the Word, and let every one have his liberty in this +matter. Where that is not done, the sacrament becomes an external +observance and a hypocrisy, which is just what the devil wants. But +when the Word is given free course and is not bound to any observance, +it takes hold of one to-day and falls into his heart, to-morrow it +touches another, and so on. Thus quietly and soberly it will do its +work, and no one will know how it all came about. + +I was glad to know when some one wrote me, that some people in this +city had begun to receive the sacrament in both kinds. You should have +allowed it to remain thus and not have forced it into a law. But now +you go at it pell-mell, and headlong force every one to it. Dear +friends, you will not succeed in that way. And if you desire to be +regarded as better Christians than others, by this that you take the +sacrament into your hands and receive it in both kinds, you are really +poor Christians indeed! In this way even a sow could be a Christian, +for she has a big enough snout to receive the sacrament outwardly. We +must deal soberly with such high things. Dear friends, this dare be no +mockery, and if you would heed me, give it up. If you will not heed +me, no one need drive me away from you--I will leave you unbidden, and +I shall regret that I ever preached so much as one sermon in this +place. The other things could be passed by, but this cannot be passed +by; you have gone so far that men say: "At Wittenberg there are very +good Christians, for they take the sacrament with the hands and handle +the cup, and then they go to their brandy and drink until they are +drunken." Thus are the weak and simple-minded men driven away, who +would come to us if as much instruction had been given to them as was +given to us. + +But if there is any one so stupid that he must touch the sacrament +with his hands, let him have it brought home to his house and there +let him handle it to his heart's content. But in public let him +abstain, since that will not bring him harm and the offence will be +avoided which is caused to our brothers, sisters and neighbors, who +are now so angry with us that they are ready to kill us. I may say +that none of the enemies who have opposed me until now have brought so +much grief upon me as you. + +This is enough for to-day; we shall continue on the morrow. + + +THE SIXTH SERMON FRIDAY AFTER INVOCAVIT + + +[Sidenote: The Reception of the Sacrament] + +In our discussion of the chief things we have come to the reception of +the sacrament, which we have not yet finished. To-day we shall see how +we must conduct ourselves here, and also who is worthy to receive the +sacrament and who belongs there. + +It is very necessary here that your hearts and consciences be well +instructed, so that you distinguish well between the outward reception +and the inner and spiritual reception. This is the bodily and outward +reception, when a man receives with his mouth the body of Christ and +His blood. Any man can receive the sacrament in this way, for such +reception may be without faith and love. But that reception does not +make a man a Christian, for if it did, even a mouse would be a +Christian, or it can likewise eat the bread and drink out of the cup. +It is such a simple thing to do. But the true, inner, spiritual +reception is a very different thing, for it consists in the right use +of the sacrament and of its fruits. + +I would say in the first place that such reception is the true inner +one, and is a reception in faith. We Christians have no other outward +sign by which we may be distinguished from others than this sacrament +and baptism; but a mere outward reception, without faith, amounts to +nothing. There must be faith to make one well prepared or the +reception and acceptable before God, otherwise it is all sham and a +mere external show, which is not Christianity at all. Christianity is +a thing of faith, which is never bound to any external work. + +[Sidenote: The One Requisite: Faith] + +But faith (which we all must have, if we wish to go to the sacrament +worthily) is a firm trust, that Christ, the Son of God, stands in our +place and has taken all our sins upon Faith His shoulders, that He is +the eternal satisfaction for our sin and reconciles us with God the +Father. He who has this faith belongs to this sacrament, and neither +devil nor hell nor sin can harm him. Do you ask why? Because God is +his protector and defender. And when I have this faith, then I am +certain God is fighting for me; I can defy devil, death, hell and sin, +and all the harm with which they threaten me. This is the great, +inestimable treasure given us in Christ, which the words of man fail +to describe. Only faith can take hold of the heart, and not every one +has such faith. Therefore this sacrament must not be made a law, as +the most holy father, the pope, has done with his fools' commandment: +All Christians must go to the sacrament at the holy Eastertide, and he +who does not go shall not be buried in consecrated ground[19]. Is it +not a foolish law which the pope has set up? You ask why? Because we +are not all alike; we do not all have equal faith; the faith of one is +stronger than that of another. It is therefore impossible that the +sacrament can be made a law, and the greatest sins are committed at +Easter solely on account of this unchristian command, which would +drive everybody to the sacrament. And if all robbery, usury, +unchastity and all the other sins were cast upon one great heap, this +sin would overtop it--even at the time and place of seeming greatest +silliness. And why? Because the pope can look into no one's heart to +see whether he has faith or not. + +[Sidenote: The Result: Assurance] + +But if you believe that God is with you and stakes all His treasures +and His blood for you, as if He said: Fall in behind Me without fear +or delay, and then let come what may to attempt thy harm, let devil, +death, sin and hell and all creation try it, I shall go before thee, +for I will be thy captain and thy shield, trust Me and rely upon Me +completely--he who believes thus cannot be harmed by devil, hell, sin +or death; if God fights for him, what can you do to him? + +[Sidenote: Who are Worthy] + +He who has such faith is fit for the altar and receives the sacrament +as an assurance, or seal, or sign to assure him of God's promises and +grace. But such faith we do not all have; would to God one-tenth of +the Christians had it! See, such rich, immeasurable treasures, which +God in His grace showers upon us, cannot be the possession of every +one, but only of those who suffer either bodily or spiritual +adversity: the bodily through the persecution of man, and the +spiritual by despair of conscience; outwardly or inwardly, when the +devil causes your heart to be weak, timid and discouraged, so that you +know not how you stand with God, and when he reproaches you with your +sins. And in such terrified and trembling hearts alone God desires to +dwell, as the prophet Isaiah says [Isa. 66:2]. For he who has not felt +the battle within him, is not distressed by his sins nor has a daily +quarrel with them, and wishes no protector, defender and shield to +stand before him, is not yet ready for this food. This food demands a +hungering and longing man, for it delights to enter a hungering soul, +one that is in constant battle with its sins and eager to be rid of +them. He who is not thus prepared should abstain for a while from this +sacrament, for this food is not for a sated and full heart, and if it +comes to such, it is harmful. Therefore, if we think upon, and feel +within us, such distress of conscience and the fear of a timid heart, +we shall come with all humbleness and reverence, and not rush to it +pell-mell, with insolence and without fear and humility. We are not +always fit for it; to-day I have the grace, and am fit for it, but not +to-morrow, yea, it may be that or six months I have no desire nor +fitness or it. + +Therefore are they the most worthy who are constantly vexed by death +and the devil, and they receive it most opportunely, to remind them +and strengthen them in the faith that no harm can come unto them, for +He is now with them, from Whom no one can take them away; let come +death or devil or sin, they cannot do them harm. + +This is what Christ did, when He prepared to institute the blessed +sacrament. He brought anguish upon His disciples and trembling to +their hearts when He said that He would go away from them [Matt. +26:2], and again they were tormented when He said: One of you shall +betray me [Matt. 26:21]. Think you not that that cut them to the +heart? Truly, they received the word with all fear, and sat there as +though they were all traitors to God. And after He had made them all +tremble with fear and sorrow, then only did He institute the blessed +sacrament as a comfort, and consoled them again. For this bread is a +comfort for the sorrowing, a healing for the sick, a life for the +dying, a food for all the hungry, and a rich treasure for all the poor +and needy[20]. + +Let this be enough at this time concerning the proper use of this +sacrament. I commend you to God. + + +THE SEVENTH SERMON SATURDAY BEFORE REMINISCERE + + +Yesterday we heard of the use of the holy and blessed sacrament and +saw who are worthy to receive it, even those in whom is the fear of +death, who have timid and despairing consciences and who live in fear +of hell. All such come prepared to partake of this food for the +strengthening of their weak faith and the comforting of their +conscience. This is the true and right use of this sacrament, and +whoever does not find himself in this state, let him refrain from +coming until God also takes hold of him and draws him through His +Word. + +[Sidenote: Fruit of the Sacrament: Love] + +We shall now speak of the fruit of this sacrament, which is love; that +is, that we should treat our neighbor even as God has treated us. Now +we have received from God naught but love and favor, for Christ has +pledged and given us His righteousness and everything that He has, has +poured out upon us all His treasures, which no man can measure and no +angel can understand or fathom, for God is a glowing furnace of love, +reaching even from the earth to the heavens. + +[Sidenote: The Lack of Love] + +Love, I say, is a fruit of this sacrament. But I do not yet perceive +it among you here in Wittenberg, although there is much preaching of +love and you ought to practice it above all other things. This is the +principal thing, and alone is seemly in a Christian. But no one shows +eagerness for this, and you want to do all sorts of unnecessary +things, which are of no account. If you do not want to show yourselves +Christians by your love, then leave the other things undone, too, for +St. Paul says in I Corinthians, "If I speak with the tongues of men +and of angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass or a tinkling +cymbal." [1 Cor. 13:1] This is a terrible saying of Paul. And further: +"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries +of God, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I +could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And if I +bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be +burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing." [1 Cor. 13:2, 3] +You have not got so far as that, although you have received great and +rich gifts from God, especially a knowledge of the Scriptures. It is +true, you have the pure Gospel and the true Word of God, but no one as +yet has given his goods to the poor, no one has yet been burned, and +even these things would profit nothing without love. You would take +all of God's goods in the sacrament, and yet not pour them forth again +in love. One will not lend the other a helping hand, no one thinks +first of another, but every one looks out or himself and his own gain, +seeks but his own and lets everything else go as it will,--if anybody +is helped, well and good. No one looks after the poor or seeks how to +help them. It is pitiful. You have heard many sermons about it and all +my books are full of it and have the one purpose, to urge you to faith +and love. + +And if you will not love one another, God will send a great plague +upon you; let this be a warning to you, for God will not reveal His +Word and have it preached in vain. You are tempting God too far, my +friends. If some one in times past had preached the Word to our +forefathers, they would perchance have acted differently. Or if the +Word were preached to-day to many poor children in the cloisters, they +would receive it with much greater joy than you. You do not heed it at +all, and give yourselves to other things, which are unnecessary and +foolish. + +I commend you to God. + + +THE EIGHTH SERMON + +A SHORT SUMMARY[21] OF THE SERMON OF DR. M. LUTHER DELIVERED ON +REMINISCERE SUNDAY ON PRIVATE CONFESSION + + +[Sidenote: Confession before the Congregation] + +Now we have heard all the things which ought to be considered here, +except confession. Of this we shall speak now. In the first place, +There is a confession which is founded on the Scriptures; namely, when +some one commits a sin publicly, or with other men's knowledge, and is +accused before the congregation. If he abandons his sin, they +intercede for him with God. But if he will not hear the congregation, +he is excluded from the church and cast out, so that no one will have +anything to do with him. And this confession is commanded by God in +Matthew xviii, "If thy brother trespass against thee (so that thou and +others are offended), go and tell him his fault between thee and him +alone." [Matt. 18:15] Of this confession there is no longer even a +trace to be found, and in this particular the Gospel is put aside in +this place. He who could reestablish it would perform a good work. +Here is where you ought to have taken pains and reestablished this +kind of confession, and let the other things go. For by this no one +would have been offended, and it would have been accomplished without +disturbance. It should be done in this way: When you see a usurer, +adulterer, thief or drunkard, you should go to him in secret and +admonish him to give up his sin. If he will not hear, you should take +two others with you and admonish him once more, in a brotherly way, to +give up his sin. But if he scorns that, you should tell the pastor +before the whole congregation, have your witnesses with you, and +accuse him before the pastor in the presence of the people, saying: +"Dear pastor, this man has done this and that, and would not receive +our brotherly admonition to give up his sin. Therefore I accuse him, +together with my witnesses who were present." And then, if he will not +give up and willingly acknowledge his guilt, the pastor should exclude +him and put him under the ban before the whole assembly, for the sake +of the congregation, until he comes to himself and is received back +again. This would be Christian. But I cannot undertake to carry it out +single-handed. + +[Sidneote: Confession to God] + +Secondly, A confession is necessary for us, when we go away in a corner +by ourselves, and confess to God Himself and pour out before Him all +our faults. And this confession is also commanded. From this comes the +familiar word of Scripture: "_Facite judicium et justitiam_." [Gen. +18:19] _Judicium acere est nos ipsos accusare et damnare; justitiam +autem acere est idere misericordiae Dei_[22]. As it is written, +"Blessed are they that keep judgment and do righteousness at all +times." [Ps. 106:3] The judgment is nothing else than a man's knowing +and judging and condemning himself, and this is true humility and +self-abasement. The righteousness is nothing else than a man's knowing +himself and praying to God or the mercy and help through which God +raises him up again. This is what David means when he says: "I have +sinned; I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord," [Ps. 32:5 f.] +and, "Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin; for this all Thy saints +shall pray unto Thee." + +[Sidenote: Confession to a Brother] + +Thirdly, There is also a confession when one takes another aside, and +tells him what troubles him, so that he may hear from him a word of +comfort; and this confession is commanded by the pope. It is this +urging and forcing which I condemned when I wrote concerning +confession[23], and I refuse to go to confession just because the pope +wishes it and has commanded it. For I wish him to keep his hands of +the confession and not make of it a compulsion or command, which he +has not the power to do. Yet I will let no man take private confession +away from me, and I would not give it up for all the treasures in the +world, since I know what comfort and strength it has given me. No one +knows what it can do or him except one who has struggled much with the +devil. Yea, the devil would have slain me long ago, if the confession +had not sustained me. For there are many doubts which a man cannot +resolve by himself, and so he takes a brother aside and tells him his +trouble. What harm is there, if he humbles himself a little before his +neighbor, puts himself to shame, looks or a word of comfort from him, +and takes it to himself and believes it, as if he heard it from God +himself, as we read in Matthew xviii: "If two of you shall agree as +touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them." +[Matt. 18:19] + +[Sidenote: Many Absolutions] + +And we must have many absolutions, so that we may strengthen our timid +consciences and despairing hearts against the devil and against God. +Therefore no man shall forbid the confession nor keep or drive any one +away from it. And if any one wrestles with his sins, is eager to be +rid of them and looks or some assurance from the Scriptures, let him +go and confess to another in secret, and receive what is said to him +there as if it came directly from God's own lips. Whoever has the +strong and firm faith that his sins are forgiven, may ignore this +confession and confess to God alone. But how many have such a strong +faith? Therefore, as I have said, I will not let this private +confession be taken from me. Yet I would force no one to it, but leave +the matter to every one's free will. + +[Sidenote: Five Comforts for the Conscience] + +For our God is not so miserly that He has left us with only one +comfort or strengthening for our conscience, or one absolution, but we +have many absolutions in the Gospel, and are showered richly with +them. For instance, we have this in the Gospel: "If ye forgive men +their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." [Matt. +6:14] Another comfort we have in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our +trespasses," [Matt. 6:12] etc. A third is our baptism, when I reason +thus: See, my Lord, I am baptized in Thy name so that I may be assured +of Thy grace and mercy. After that we have the private confession, +when I go and receive a sure absolution as if God Himself spake it, so +that I may be assured that my sins are forgiven. Finally I take to +myself the blessed sacrament, when I eat His body and drink His blood +as a sign that I am rid of my sins and God has freed me from all my +frailties; and in order to make me sure of this, He gives me His body +to eat and His blood to drink, so that I shall not and cannot despair: +I cannot doubt I have a gracious God. Thus we see that confession must +not be despised, but that it is a true comfort. And since we need many +absolutions and comforts, because we must fight against the devil, +death, hell and sin, we must not allow any of our weapons to be taken +away, but keep intact the whole armor and equipment which God has +given us or use against our enemies. For you do not yet know what work +it is to fight with the devil and to overcome him. I know it well; I +have eaten salt with him once or twice[24]. I know him well, and he +knows me well, too. I only you knew him, you would not in this manner +drive out confession. + +I commend you to God. Amen. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Cp. his experiences at the Wartburg. See Kostlin-Kawerau, I, 439 +ff. + +[2] Carlstadt, without authority, preached, administered the sacrament +and brought about the upheaval in the _parish_ church--Luther's own. +He was archdeacon and preacher at the _castle_ church. See Muller, +_Luther und Karlstadt_, 69 and passim. + +[3] In the _Open Letter to the Christian Nobility_ and the _Babylonian +Captivity_. See pp. 125 f., 136 f., and 215 f. of this volume. + +[4] Right to speak. + +[5] Power to do. + +[6] Melanchthon. + +[7] See above, p. 61. + +[8] Justus Jonas, provost at the castle church. + +[9] Gabriel Zwilling, an Augustinian, who, next to Carlstadt, was the +leader in forcing the reforms which Luther is here discussing. See +Introduction, p. 388. + +[10] Was Luther led by the name of Gabriel to add a last touch by the +mention of the other archangel, in the thought of St. Paul, that even +an angel from heaven cannot change the Gospel, Gal. 1:8. See note in +_Weimar Ed._, Xc, 438. See also a similar outburst in a letter to +Johann Lang in 1516, six years previous, where Gabriel Biel's name +furnished the incitement. Enders, I, 54; Smith, I, 42. + +[11] Namely, of the monasteries. + +[12] A monastic order, founded 1084, noted or the strictness of its +rule. + +[13] The Iconoclastic controversy in the Eastern church, which called +forth the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nice in 787, whose decrees +were favorable to images in the churches. The controversy, which raged +for over a century, was finally settled in 843. Since the promulgation +of this decree the First Sunday in Lent has been celebrated annually +as the "Feast of Orthodoxy." See _Realencyk._, III, 222 ff. + +[14] See above, p. 309. + +[15] i. e., Castor and Pollux. + +[16] Luther's great objection to the mass was its turning of the +Sacrament into a sacrifice. This view of the mass was for him an utter +perversion of the gospel, and, therefore, comes under the category of +essentials. See Vol. I, pp. 309 ff., and above, pp. 211 ff. + +[17] See above, p. 407, note 1. + +[18] Cf. above, p. 282. + +[19] In the canon law, C. 12, X, _de poenitentiis_. + +[20] On the last four paragraphs, cf. above, pp. 15 f. + +[21] On this title, see Introduction, p. 389. + +[22] "Let there be judgment and righteousness." To keep judgment is to +accuse and condemn ourselves; but to do righteousness is to trust in +the mercy of God. + +[23] The treatise _Von der Beichte, ob die der Papst Macht habe zu +gebieten_, written during the sojourn on the Wartburg. See _Weimar +Ed._, VIII, 129; _Erl. Ed._, XXVII, 318. + +[24] See above, p. 394. + + + +THAT DOCTRINES OF MEN ARE TO BE REJECTED + +TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINES OF +MEN (VON MENSCHENLEHREN ZU MEIDEN) + +1522 + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +"Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee." +Somewhat in the spirit of these words Luther had planned to dedicate a +small book to his host of the Wartburg, Hans von Berlepsch. For a time +Luther had thought that von Berlepsch himself was bearing the expense +of his entertainment in that retreat, and that he was being more +royally treated than he deserved. Not only the material comforts with +which he was surrounded appealed to him, however. Von Berlepsch was +interested in Luther and in Luther's work. He talked with him +seriously on religious questions, and expressed a desire to have more +information, particularly concerning the authority of the teachings of +the Roman Church which had no direct warrant in Scripture. + +To this desire of von Berlepsch we can trace the origin of our +treatise, That the Doctrines of Men are to be Rejected. There is no +dedication to von Berlepsch, however, and no reference to the months +of companionship on the Wartburg. Luther returned from the Wartburg +early in March, 1522, and on the 28th of March sent the first part of +the treatise to Spalatin, with the request that it be forwarded to von +Berlepsch. The second part, the Reply to Texts Quoted in Defence of +the Doctrines of Men, was added in a second edition. + +This was not the only writing forwarded to von Berlepsch in memory of +the pleasant days spent on the Wartburg. Perhaps of even greater +interest was the gift sent on September 25, 1522--one of the first +complete copies of the German New Testament. + +Buchwald has called our treatise "a model of sound explanation of the +Scriptures for the purpose of refuting error." We must caution the +reader, however, not to think of Luther's occasional statements +concerning the authority of Scripture as final. Luther is still +largely upon medieval ground, accepting the premise of the Roman +Church, and refuting the practice of the popes, priests and monks from +the fundamental assumption of the authority of the Scriptures. The +succeeding years, the controversies with the leaders of the peasants +and with the heavenly prophets, led him to clearer views. Where in +this treatise he wrote, "The same things which are found in the Books +of Moses are found in the others. For the other books do no more than +show how in the course of history the word of Moses was kept or not +kept," he was thinking of the one Gospel which he found everywhere in +the Scriptures. But he distinguished carefully between the permanent +and the temporary in the Books of Moses and elsewhere, and speaks of +"that which God has decreed" in the Old Testament as having "come to +an end, and no longer binding the consciences of men" (p. 442). That +which is permanent is the Gospel, "for it is beyond question that all +the Scriptures point to Christ alone" (p. 432). Probably the clearest +statement of his views is found in a sermon preached in 1527: "The +Word was given in many ways from the beginning. We must not only ask +whether it is God's Word, whether God spoke it, but much more, to whom +He spoke it, whether it applies to you or to another." "The false +prophets rush in and say, 'Dear people, this is God's Word.' It is +true, and we cannot deny it; but we are not the people to whom He +speaks" (_Erl. Ed._, 33, 16.) + +In reading the treatise, therefore, it will be well to consider when +it was written and for whom; and not to think of it as a final +statement of Luther's views on the authority of the Scriptures. + +The treatise is found in the original German in Weimar Ed., X2; in +Erlangen, 28, 318-343; in Berlin, 2, 289-314. + + W. A. LAMBERT. + +South Bethlehem, PA. + + +THAT WE ARE TO REJECT THE DOCTRINES OF MEN: + +TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO THE TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINES +OF MEN + + +To all who read or hear this little book may God grant grace and +understanding. Amen. + +I, Martin Luther, have published this brief book for the comfort and +saving of the poor consciences which are by the law of men held in +bondage in monasteries and convents; that they may be able to arm and +strengthen themselves with the Word of God, so as to be steadfast in +the pains of death and other trials. But those who are overbold and +unruly, who give no other evidence of being Christians except that +they can eat eggs, meat and milk, stay away from confession and break +the images, etc.,--these I warn that I do not wish my words to help +them. For I regard them as the filthy people who defiled the camp of +Israel [Deut. 23:12 f.], although such cleanliness was enjoined upon +the people that a man was required to go outside the camp to ease +himself and to cover up with earth that which came from him. We also +must endure these unclean lapwings in our nest [Deut. 14:18, Lev. +11:19], until God teach them manners. This Christian liberty I would +have preached only to poor, humble, captive consciences, so that poor +children, nuns and monks, who would like to escape from their bondage +may inform their consciences how they may do so with God's approval +and without danger, and use their freedom in an orderly and Christian +way. May God grant His blessing. Amen. + +_That the doctrines of men are to be rejected: proof from the +Scriptures_. + +I + +Moses in Deuteronomy iv, 2 says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which +I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it," [Deut. 4:2] + +But some one will say that Moses speaks only of his word; but to the +books of Moses there have also been added many books of the prophets +and the entire New Testament. I answer: True; but nothing new has been +added: the same things that are found in the books of Moses are found +in the others. For the other books do no more than show how in the +course of history the word of Moses was kept or not kept. It is indeed +stated in different words and the histories are different, but +thoughout there is one and the same teaching. And here we can +challenge them to point out anywhere in all the books added to the +books of Moses a single word that is not found earlier in the books of +Moses. For it is beyond question that all the Scriptures point to +Christ alone. Now Christ says, in John V, 46, "Moses wrote of me." +[John 5:46] Therefore everything that is in the other books is also in +the books of Moses, and these are the original documents. + +II + +Isaiah xxix, 13, which the Lord quotes in Matthew xv, 8: "This people +draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me. +But in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and +commandments of men." [Isa. 29:13, Matt. 15:8] + +Mark the word of Christ, Who calls it vain worship to serve God after +the doctrines of men. For Christ is not drunken or a fool; on His word +we must build in all things rather than on all angels and creatures +[Gal. 1:8]. + +III + +The same Christ in the same chapter, Matthew xv, 11, says, "Not that +which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out +of the mouth, this defileth a man." [Matt. 15:11] + +This saying must be well understood, for it is powerful and mightily +overthrows all teaching, custom and manner of life that distinguishes +between foods, and it sets all consciences free from all laws +concerning food and drink; so that it is allowable to eat milk, +butter, eggs, cheese and meat every day, whether it be Sunday or +Friday, Lent or Advent; and no one needs to pay butter-money or buy +butter-letters. For this word stands firm and does not deceive: "That +which goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man." + +[Sidenote: Fast-days] + +From this it follows, first, that it is a lie when they say that St. +Peter instituted the fast-days and that the commandment of the Church +has made it a mortal sin to eat eggs, butter, milk and meat on +fast-days. For neither St. Peter nor the Church institutes or teaches +anything contrary to Christ. And if they did, we must not obey them. +To do what they ask would indeed not be wicked; but it is wicked to +make a necessity and a commandment of that which is free, and to +pretend that something does defile and is sin of which Christ Himself +says that it is no sin and does not defile. + +[Sidenote: Dispensation] + +It follows, secondly, that it is sheer devil's knavery for the pope to +sell letters and grant permission to eat butter, meat, etc.; for +Christ in this word has already made it a matter of liberty and has +permitted it. + +[Sidenote: Special Fast-days] + +In the third place, it is an error and a lie to say that goldfasts[1], +banfasts[2], and the fasts on the eve of Apostles' days and saints' +days must be observed and that their non-observance is sin, because +the Church has so commanded. For against everything of the kind stands +this word of Christ: "That which goeth into the mouth doth not defile +the man." Fasting should be free and voluntary, both as to the day and +as to the food, forever. + +[Sidenote: The Orders] + +Fourthly, the orders of St. Benedict, and of St. Bernard, the +Carthusians, and all others which avoid the use of meat and other food +because they hold that this is necessary and commanded and that not to +do so would be sin, contradict Christ. For their law flatly +contradicts the word of Christ and says: That which goeth into the +mouth defileth. Then they must make Christ a liar when He says: "That +which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man." Thus you see that +this one saying of Christ mightily condemns all orders and spiritual +rules. For if that which goeth into the mouth does not defile, how +much less will that defile which is put on the body? whether it be +cowl, coat, shirt, hose, shoes, cloak, whether green, yellow, blue, +red, white, motley, or whatever one wish. And the same is true of +places, whether churches, cells or the rooms of a house. + +It follows that he who regards it a sin for a monk to go without the +dress of his order, and would not leave it a matter of freedom, also +makes Christ a liar and makes that a sin which Christ freed from sin, +and says Yes! where Christ says No! What then are such monks but +people who say to Christ's very ace. Thou liest! there is sin in that +which thou sayest is not sin. It will not help them to quote St. +Bernard, St. Gregory, St. Francis and other saints. We must hear what +Christ says, Who alone has been made our Teacher by the Father, when +on Mount Tabor He said, Matthew xvii, 5, "This is my beloved Son, in +Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." [Matt. 17:5] He did not say. +Hear ye St. Bernard, St. Gregory, etc., but, Hear ye Him, Him, Him, my +beloved Son. Who knows how far the saints sinned or did right in this +matter? What they did, they did not of necessity nor by commandment. +Or if they did it as of necessity and by commandment, they erred, and +we must not forsake Christ to follow them. + +All this is confirmed by Christ in the words which follow in Matthew +xv, 11, "That which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. For +out of the mouth, coming forth from the heart, come evil thoughts, +adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, etc. +These defile a man." [Matt. 15:11] Here we ask, If that alone is sin +and defiles a man, which proceeds from the heart, as Christ here so +strongly argues and decides, how then can butter, milk, eggs, cheese +defile, which proceed not from the mouth nor from the heart, but come +from the belies of cows and of hens? Who has ever seen meat, tonsures, +cowls, monasteries, hair-shirts coming out of men's mouths? Then it +must be the cows that sin in giving us milk and butter, and in bearing +calves. + +Therefore, all the laws of monks and of men concerning food, clothing +and places and all things that are external, are not only blasphemy of +God and lying and deceiving, but the buffoonery of apes. It is true, a +man may have an inordinate desire to eat excessively and to dress +extravagantly; but that proceeds from the heart, and may refer to fish +as well as to meat, to gray homespun as well as to red velvet. In +short, Christ does not lie when He says, "That which goeth into the +mouth defileth not a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this +defileth a man." + +But if it is true that neglect to do what men command neither defiles +nor is sin, then on the other hand, the keeping and doing of men's +commandments cannot make us clean nor give us merit; since only the +opposite of sin and of the unclean is clean and gives merit. +Therefore, all of the monastic life neither makes clean nor gives +merit. And that is what the Lord Christ means when He says, Matthew +XV, 9, "In vain do they worship me with the commandments of men." +[Matt. 15:9] Why 'in vain'? Because neglecting them is no sin and +keeping them is no merit, but both are free. They deceive themselves, +therefore, and make a merit of that which is no merit, and are afraid +of sinning where there is no sin, as Psalm xiv, 5, says, "There have +they trembled for fear, where there was no fear." [Ps. 14:5] + +IV + +St. Paul in I Timothy iv, 1-7 says: "Now the Spirit speaketh +expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, +giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking +lies in hypocrisy; having their consciences seared with a hot iron; +forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God +hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe +and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to +be reused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified +by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance +of these things, thou shat be a good minister of Jesus Christ, +nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto +thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables." [1 +Tim. 4:1-7] + +O how this thunders and storms against all the works, doctrines and +orders of men. First, if they boast that they have derived their +practice from the pope and from holy fathers, what will Christ's +judgment be? Will He not say, "Paul, My Apostle, is My chosen vessel, +as Luke writes. Acts ix, 15: why then have you not ascribed greater +authority to his word than to that of the pope and the fathers, of +whom you do not know whose vessels they are?" [Acts 9:15] How will +they stand before Him? + +Next, we ask them whether butter, eggs, meat, milk and all the food +which they avoid on fast-days and in the orders, have not been created +by God, and are not God's good creatures? Then it is certain that they +are the men of whom Paul here says that they forbid the food which God +has created and has given to believers to use. And they also forbid +marriage, so that they cannot escape: this passage its them and is +spoken of them. Let us see what Paul thinks of them and how he +reproves them. + +[Sidenote: Departed from the Faith] + +I. They have departed from the faith; for they could not have +introduced such doctrines and works if they had not thought the +doctrines and works would make them pious and save them. But such an +opinion is of itself a sure sign that they have fallen away from the +faith, since it is the work of faith alone to do that which they +expect works to do, as has frequently been said. + +[Sidenote: Give Heed to Seducing Spirits] + +II. They give heed to seducing spirits. He does not say, "to seducing +men," but "to seducing spirits"; and these are they who pretend to be +spiritual and bear the name spiritual, and claim to be of the Spirit +and in the Spirit. But since they are without faith it is impossible +for them not to err in spiritual matters. Hence this is a fitting +succession: they depart from the faith and follow after error in the +spirit. + +[Sidenote: Doctrines of Devils] + +III. Their doctrines he calls "doctrines of devils." This also must +follow where faith and the true Spirit are wanting: the devil gives +them the seducing spirit and leads them on with beautifully varnished +doctrines and works, so that they think they are altogether spiritual. +But since the doctrine does not originate in the Scriptures, it can be +the doctrine of no one but the devil. + +[Sidenote: Speakers of Lies] + +IV. They are speakers of lies. For they at times quote even the +Scriptures and the sayings of the fathers and wrest them to support +their doctrines, as we see them do daily. But this is all false and a +lie, since the Scriptures are altogether against them. + +[Sidenote: Hypocrisy] + +V. It is sheer hypocrisy. This is true and needs no comment. For all +that they do is only appearance and show, concerned with external +matters of food and clothes. + +[Sidenote: Seared Conscience] + +VI. They have their conscience seared with a hot iron; that is, they +have an unnatural conscience. For where there is no sin nor matter of +conscience, they make sin and a matter of conscience, as was said +above. Just as a scar caused by searing is an unnatural mark on the +body. + +[Sidenote: Forbid to Marry] + +VII. They forbid to marry, by creating an estate in which there shall +be no marriage, as we see in the case of both priests and monks. +Wherefore, behold the judgment of God upon such doctrines and estates: +that they are doctrines of devils, seducing doctrines, false +doctrines, faithless doctrines, hypocritical doctrines. God help us! +Who would remain in them when God Himself passes such judgment? What +would it help you, if you had made a thousand vows and oaths on such +doctrines? Nay, the stricter the vow, the more reason to break it, +because it was made after the devil's doctrines and against God. + +[Sidenote: The Tatianists] + +But see how cleverly they worm themselves out and ward off this text +from themselves, saying that it does not apply to them, but to the +Tatianists[3], the heretics who condemned marriage altogether. Paul, +however, does not speak here of those who condemn marriage, but of +those who forbid it for the sake of appearing spiritual. Let us grant, +however, that Paul speaks against the Tatianists. Then, if the pope +does what the Tatianists did, why does it not apply to him as well? Be +they Tatianists or the pope, this text speaks of those who forbid +marriage. The words of Paul condemn the work, and make no distinction +about the person who does it. He who forbids marriage is the devil's +disciple and apostle, as the words clearly say. And since the pope +does this, he must be the devil's disciple, as must all his followers; +otherwise, St. Paul must be a liar. + +[Sidenote: Forbid Food] + +VIII. They forbid the food which God has created. Here, again, you see +that the doctrines of man are ascribed to the devil by God Himself +through the mouth of Paul. What greater and more terrible thing would +you wish to hear concerning the doctrines of men, than that they are a +falling away from the faith, seducing, false, devilish, hypocritical? +What will satisfy those whom this text does not satisfy? But if the +doctrine that forbids certain kinds of food is devilish and +unchristian, that which concerns clothes, tonsures, places and +everything external will be just as devilish and unchristian. + +[Sidenote: The Manicheans] + +But here again they worm themselves out, and say that St. Paul is +speaking of the Manicheans[4]. We are not asking about that. St. Paul +speaks of the forbidding of meats, and, be they Manicheans or +Tatianists, the pope and his followers forbid meats. Paul speaks of +the work which we see that the pope does. Therefore we cannot save him +from this text. If some other man arose today or tomorrow and forbade +meats, would it not apply to him, even if he were no Manichean? If +that way of interpreting Scripture were true, we might boldly do what +Paul here forbids, and say. It does not apply to us, but to the +ancient Manicheans. But that is not the way. Whether the pope with his +monks and priests be not a Manichean, I do not discuss; but I do say, +that in his teaching and works he contradicts the teaching of St. Paul +more than any Manichean. + +[Sidenote: Unthankful] + +IX. They are unthankful. For God has created meats, says St. Paul, to +be received with thanksgiving. And they refuse to receive them, that +they may have no occasion to be thankful for God's goodness. The +reason for which is, that they have no faith and do not know the +truth. For Paul says, I Tim. iv, 3, "To them which believe and to them +which know the truth, they are given to be used with thanksgiving." [1 +Tim. 4:3] But if they are unbelieving and do not know the truth, as +St. Paul here says they are, they are beyond question heathen, +non-Christians, blind and foolish. And this, I suppose, they regard as +praise of the pope, priests and monks! + +[Sidenote: Harmful Preachers] + +X. Paul rebukes them as wicked, harmful preachers; for he says that +Timothy shall be a good preacher, nourished up in the words of faith +and of good doctrine, if he will put the brethren in remembrance of +these things. It follows that they who teach the contrary must be +wicked preachers and be nourished with words of unbelief and of wicked +doctrines. + +[Sidenote: Old Wives' Fables] + +XI. He calls such doctrines profane and old wives' fables. Is not that +foolish talk? He says that the great doctors busy themselves with +fables such as old wives chatter about behind the stove, and calls +them profane, unchristian and unholy idle talk, although the doctors +claim that they are the very essence of holiness! + +Who has ever heard the doctrines of men so terribly decried in every +way? that they are apostate, unbelieving, unchristian, heathen, +seducing, devilish, false, hypocritical, searing the conscience, +unthankful, that they dishonor God and His creature and are harmful +ables and old wives' chatter. Let him who can, flee from beneath this +judgment of God. + +V + +St. Paul in Colossians ii, 16 and the following verses says: "Let no +man burden you in meat or in drink or in respect of certain days which +are holy days, or days of the new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow +of things to come, but the body is in Christ. Let no one seduce you +who follows his own will in the humility and religion of angels, of +whom he has never seen even one, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, +and does not hold fast the Head, from which all the body, by joints +and bands, is supplied with nourishment and is knit together, and so +groweth unto a stature given of God. If then you be dead with Christ +from the elements of this world, why do you burden yourselves with +ordinances as if you were alive? Ordinances which say. This thou shalt +not touch, this thou shalt not eat or drink, this thou shalt not put +on (which all perish in the using), according to the commandments and +doctrines of men, who have a show of wisdom because of their +self-chosen spirituality and humility, and because they do not spare +the body and do not supply its needs." [Col. 2:16 ff.] Is St. Paul +here also speaking of the Manicheans or Tatianists? Or can we find +excuse here for the papists? He speaks against those who take captive +the consciences of men with the doctrines of men and make matters of +conscience of food, drink, clothes, days and everything that is +external. And it cannot be denied that the pope, the chapters and +monasteries with their rules and statutes do this when they forbid the +eating of meat, eggs and butter, and the wearing of ordinary clothes +such as other people wear. And here stands St. Paul, and says: + +[Sidenote: Burden the Conscience] + +I. "Let no man burden your consciences, or judge or condemn you in +respect of food, drink, clothes or days." What does this mean if not +this: Be not priests nor monks, nor in any way keep the pope's laws; +and believe him not when he says that a certain thing is sin or a +matter of conscience. See, here God through Paul commands us to +despise the laws of the pope and of the monasteries, and to keep them +free, so that they do not take captive the conscience. That is as much +as to say, Do not become monks or priests, and let him who has become +monk or priest turn back, or else retain his position as a matter of +freedom without constraint of conscience. + +And although Paul wrote this of the Jews, who did such things +according to the Law (for he says in Colossians ii, 17, that they have +the shadow and type of things to come, but that the body itself is in +Christ [Col. 2:17]), yet it holds much more against the decrees of the +pope and of the monks. For if that which God has decreed comes to an +end and shall no longer bind the consciences of men, how much more +shall men neither decree nor keep anything that would bind the +conscience? And farther on more will be said of the laws of mere men, +for + +[Sidenote: By-paths] + +II. He says, "Let no one seduce you or lead you toward paths the prize +in by-paths." What does this mean but to lead men to works and away +from faith, which alone is the one right road by which to gain the +prize of salvation, to strive toward heaven by other ways, and to +claim that this is the way to gain the prize? And this is what the +orders and the pope's doctrines do. And what are the ways they +propose? Listen: + +[Sidenote: Humility] + +III. He says, "In self-willed humility and the religion of angels." +What words could better it the orders? Is it not true that the pope +and all of them prattle much of their obedience, which is said to be +the noblest virtue, that is, the precious spiritual humility of the +papists? But who has commanded this humility? They themselves have +invented it and sought it out that they might seduce themselves. For +with it they have withdrawn themselves from the common humility and +obedience which God has commanded, namely, that every one shall humble +himself and be subject to his neighbor. But they are subject to no man +on earth, and have withdrawn themselves entirely; they have made an +obedience and a humility of their own after their statutes. Yet they +claim that their obedience is superhuman, perfect and, as it were, +angelic, although there are no more disobedient and less humble people +on earth than they are. + +In the same way they also have their vows of chastity and poverty. +They do not work like other people but, like the angels in heaven, +they praise and worship God day and night; in short, their life is +heavenly, although nowhere on earth can you ind more horrible +unchastity, greater wealth, less devotional hearts, or more hardened +people than in the spiritual estate, as every one knows. Yet they +seduce all the world from the true way to the by-path with their +self-willed, beautiful, spiritual and angelic life. All this, it seems +to me, is not spoken of the Jews nor of the Manicheans, but of the +papists; the works prove it. + +[Sidenote: Uncertainty] + +IV. He says, "He walks in such religion and in that which he has never +seen." This is the very worst feature of the doctrines of men and the +life built upon them, that they are without foundation and without +warrant in the Scriptures, and that men cannot know whether what they +do is good or wicked. For all their life is an uncertain venture. If +you ask them whether they are certain that what they are and do is +pleasing to God, they say, they do not know, they must take the +chances: "the end will show us." And this is all they can say, for +they have no faith, and faith alone makes us certain that all that we +are is well-pleasing to God, not because of our merit, but because of +His mercy. Thus all their humility, obedience and all of their +religion is, at the very best, uncertain and in vain. + +[Sidenote: Vainly Puffed Up] + +V. "Vainly they puff themselves up," that is, they have no +reason to do so. For although their practices are uncertain, +unbelieving and altogether damnable, yet they make bold to puff +themselves up and to claim that they have the best and the only true +way, so that in comparison with theirs every other manner of living +stinks and is nothing at all. But this puffed-up carnal mind of theirs +they neither see nor feel, so great is their angelic humility and +obedience! O, the fruit of the doctrines of men! + +[Sidenote: Against Christ] + +VI. "They do not hold fast the Head," which is Christ. For the +doctrines of men and Christ cannot agree; one must destroy the other. +If the conscience finds comfort in Christ, the comfort derived from +works and doctrines must all; if it finds comfort in works, Christ +must fall. The heart cannot build upon a twofold foundation; one must +be forsaken. Now we see that all the comfort of the papists rests upon +their practices; for if it did not rest upon them, they would not +esteem them and would give them up, or else they would use them as +matters of freedom, how and when they pleased. + +If there were no other misfortune connected with the doctrines of men, +this were of itself all too great--that for their sake Christ must be +forsaken, the Head must be lost, and the heart must build on such an +abomination. For this reason St. Peter calls the orders abominable and +damnable heresies, which deny Christ, when he says, in the Second +Epistle, ii, I, "There shall arise among you false teachers, who +privily shall bring in damnable heresies, and deny the Lord that +bought them." [2 Pet. 2:1] + +[Sidenote: Why Burden the Conscience?] + +VII. It is clear enough that he means our spiritual estate when he +says, "If ye be dead with Christ, why do ye burden your consciences +with ordinances, such as: This thou shalt not touch, this thou shalt +not eat, this thou shalt not wear, etc." Who can here deny that God +through St. Paul forbids us to teach and to hear all doctrines of men, +in so far as they constrain the conscience? Who then can with a good +conscience be a monk or a priest, or be subject to the pope? They must +confess that their consciences are taken captive with such laws. Thus +thou seest what a mighty saying this is against all doctrines of men. +It is dreadful to hear that they forsake Christ the Head, deny the +faith and so must needs become heathen, and yet think their holiness +upholds the world. + +VI. + +Paul, in Galatians I, 8., says: "But though we, or an angel from +heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have +preached unto you, let him be accursed[5]. As we said before, so say I +now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye +have received, let him be accursed." [Gal. 1:8 f.] + +[Sidenote: God's Ban] + +In these words you hear a judgment of God against the pope and all +doctrines of men, which says that they are under the ban. And this ban +is not like the pope's ban; it is eternal and separates a man from +God, from Christ, from all salvation and from everything that is good, +and makes him the companion of devils. O what a terrible judgment is +this! Look now, whether the pope, priests and monks do not proclaim +another and a different doctrine than that taught by Christ and His +Apostles. We said above that Christ teaches, "What goeth into the +mouth doth not defile a man." Contrary to this and beyond it the pope, +priests and monks say, "Thou liest, Christ, in so saying; for the +eating of meat defiles a Carthusian and condemns him; and the same is +true of the other orders." Is not this striking Christ on the mouth, +calling Him a liar and blaspheming Him, and teaching other doctrines +than He taught? Therefore it is a just judgment, that they in their +great holiness are condemned like blasphemers of God with an eternal +ban. + +VII + +Paul, in Titus i, 14, says: "Teach them not to give heed Titus to +Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn them from the +truth." [Titus 1:14] + +[Sidenote: Christ, or Men?] + +This is a strong command, that we are not at all to regard the +commandments of men. Is not this clear enough? And Paul gives his +reason: they turn men from the truth, he says. For as has been said +above, the heart cannot trust in Christ and at the same time in the +doctrines or the works of men. Therefore, as soon as a man turns to +the doctrines of men he turns away from the truth, and does not regard +it. On the other hand, he who finds his comfort in Christ cannot +regard the commandments and the works of men. Look now, whose ban you +should fear most! The pope and his followers cast you far beyond hell +if you do not heed their commandments, and Christ commands you not to +heed them on pain of His ban. Consider whom you wish to obey. + +VIII + +II Peter ii, 1-3: "There shall be false teachers among you, who +privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that +bought them, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken +of, and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make +merchandise of you." + +[Sidenote: The Orders Damnable Heresies] + +So then, the orders and monastic houses are damnable heresies. Why? +Because they deny Christ, and blaspheme the way of faith. How? Christ +says, there is no sin and no righteousness in eating, drinking, +clothes, places and works of men; this they condemn, and teach and +live the opposite, namely, that sin and righteousness are in these +things. Hence Christ must be a liar, He must be denied and blasphemed +together with His teaching and faith. And they make use of feigned +words, and make much of their obedience, chastity and worship; but +only through covetousness, that they may make merchandise of us, until +they have brought all the wealth of the world into their possession, +on the ground that they are the people who by their worship would help +every man to heaven. For this reason they are and remain damnable and +blasphemous heresies. + +IX + +Christ says, in Matthew xxiv, 23 ff.: "Then if any man shall say unto +you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall +arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and +wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the +very elect. Behold, I have told you before, Wherefore if they shall +say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is +in the secret chambers; believe it not." + +Tell me, how can a monk be saved? He binds his salvation to a place +and says, "Here I find Christ; if I did not remain here, I should be +lost." But Christ says, "No, I am not here." Who will reconcile these +two? Therefore, it is clear from this word of Christ that all +doctrines which bind the conscience to places are contrary to Christ. +And if He does not allow the conscience to be bound to places, neither +does He allow it to be bound to meats, clothes, postures or anything +that is external. There is no doubt then that this passage speaks of +the pope and his clergy, and that Christ Himself releases and sets +free all priests and monks, in that He condemns all orders and +monasteries and says, "Believe not, go not out," etc. + +He says the same thing also in Luke xvii, 20 f.: "The kingdom of God +cometh not with observation, and men shall not say, Lo here! or, Lo +there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." [Luke 17:20 f.] + +Is not this also clear enough? The doctrines of men can command +nothing but external things; and since the kingdom of God is not +external, both teachers and disciples must needs miss the kingdom and +go astray. Nor will it help them to say that the holy fathers +instituted the orders. For Christ has already destroyed this argument, +since He says, that the very elect might be misled, that is, they will +err, but not remain in their error. How else would it be an exceeding +great error, if the elect were not misled? Let the teaching and the +practice of the saints be what it will, the words of Christ are +certain and clear. Him we must follow, and not the saints, whose +teaching and works are uncertain. What He says stands firm, "The +kingdom of God is among[6] you, and not at a distance, either here or +there." + +X + +Solomon, in Proverbs xxx, 5 f., says: "Every word of God is purified: +and is a shield unto all them that put their trust in it. Add thou not +unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." +[Prov. 30:5 f.] + +With this I will end or the present; or there is much more in the +prophets, especially in Jeremiah, of which I have written in the +treatise on Confession. Here then Solomon concludes that he is a liar +who adds aught to the words of God; for the Word of God alone is to +teach us, as Christ says, Matthew xxiii, 8, "Be ye not called masters. +One Master is in you, even Christ." [Matt. 23:8] Amen. + + +A REPLY TO TEXTS QUOTED IN DEFENSE OF THE DOCTRINES OF MEN + + +The first is Luke x, 16, where Christ says, "He that heareth you, +heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." [Luke 10:16] He +spoke similar words in Matthew x, 40 [Matt. 10:40], and in John xiii, +20 [John 13:20]. Here, they claim, Christ demands of us that we accept +their man-made laws. + +[Sidenote: The Command of Christ] + +I reply: That is not true. For immediately before speaking these +words, Christ says, "Go and say, the kingdom of God is at hand." +[Matt. 10:7, Luke 10:9] With these words Christ stops the mouths of +all the teachers of the doctrines of men, and commands the apostles +what they are to teach, and Himself puts the words in their mouth, +saying that they shall preach the kingdom of God. Now he who does not +preach the kingdom of God is not sent by Christ, and him these words +do not concern. Much rather do these words demand of us that we hear +not the doctrines of men. Now to preach of the kingdom of God is +nothing else than to preach the Gospel, in which the faith of Christ +is taught, by which alone God dwells and rules in us. But the +doctrines of men do not preach about faith, but about eating, +clothing, times, places, persons and about purely external things +which do not profit the soul. + +[Sidenote: The Perversion of the Text] + +Behold how honestly the pious shepherds and faithful teachers have +dealt with the poor common people. This text, "Who hears you, hears +me," they have in a masterly fashion torn out of its context and have +terrified us with it, until they have made us subject to themselves. +But what precedes, "Preach the kingdom of God," they have taken good +care not to mention, and have bravely leaped over it, that they might +by no means be compelled to preach nothing but the Gospel. The noble, +and most excellent teachers! We ought to thank them for it! + +In Mark, the last chapter, we read that He sent out the disciples to +preach. Let us hear what command He gives them, and how He sets a +limit to their teaching and bridles their tongues, saying, "Go ye into +all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that +believeth, shall be saved," etc., Mark xvi, 15 [Mark 16:15]. He does +not say, Go and preach what you will, or what you think to be good; +but He puts His own word into their mouth, and bids them preach the +Gospel. + +In Matthew, the last chapter, He says, "Go and make disciples of all +nations, baptise them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of +the Holy Ghost; and teach them to observe all things which I have +commanded you." Here, again. He does not say, Teach them to observe +what you devise, but what I have commanded you. Therefore the pope and +his bishops and teachers must be wolves and the apostles of the devil; +it cannot be otherwise, for they teach not the commands of Christ, but +their own words. So also in Matthew xxv, 15, in the parable of the +three servants, the Lord points out that the householder bade the +servants trade not with their own property, but with his, and gave the +first five talents, the second two and the third one. [Matt. 25:15] + +Our second text is Matthew xxiii, 2 f., where the Lord says, "The +scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore whatsoever +they bid you observe, that observe and do." + +Here, here, they say, we have authority to teach what we think to be +right. + +[Sidenote: Moses' Seat] + +I answer: If that is what Christ means, then we are in a sorry plight. +Every pope might then create more new laws, until the world could no +longer contain all the laws. But they quote this text as they quote +the first. What do the words "sit in Moses' seat" mean? Let us ask, +what did Moses teach? And if he still sat in his seat today, what +would he teach? Beyond a doubt, nothing but what he taught of old, +namely, the commandments and the word of God. He never yet spoke the +doctrines of men, but what God commanded him to speak, as almost every +chapter of his shows. It follows, then, that he who teaches something +else than Moses teaches, does not sit in Moses' seat. For the Lord +calls it Moses' seat, because from it the doctrines of Moses should be +read and taught. The same meaning is contained in the words which +follow, in which the Lord says, "But do not ye after their works, for +they say, and do not; for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be +borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not +move them with one of their fingers." [Matt. 23:3 f.] + +See, here He reproves their works, because they add many laws to the +doctrines of Moses and lay them on the people, but themselves do not +touch them. And afterward He says, in verse 13, "Woe unto you, scribes +and Pharisees, hypocrites! which say, Whosoever shall swear by the +temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the +temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater? +the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" [Matt. 23:13, 16 +f.] Is it not clear that Christ here condemns their doctrines of men? +He can, therefore, not have confirmed them by speaking of sitting in +Moses' seat; else He would have contradicted Himself. Therefore Moses' +seat must mean no more than the Law of Moses, and the sitting in it no +more than the preaching of the Law of Moses. + +This is what Moses himself said of his seat and doctrine, Deuteronomy +iv, 2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you." [Deut. +4:2] And in Deuteronomy xii, 32, "What thing soever I command you, +observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it." +[Deut. 12:32] These doctrines they were required to teach in Moses' +seat; therefore Moses' seat cannot endure any doctrines of men. + +[Sidenote: St. Augustine] + +St. Augustine is quoted as having written in _the Book against the +Letter of the Manicheans_[7], "I would not believe the Gospel if I did +not believe the Church." + +Here you see, they say, we are to believe the Church more than the +Gospel. + +[Sidenote: Authority] + +I answer: Even if Augustine had used those words, who gave him +authority, that we must believe what he says? What Scripture does he +quote to prove the statement? What if he erred here, as we know that +he frequently did, as did all the fathers? Should one single sentence +of Augustine be so mighty as to refute all the texts quoted above? +That is not what God wills; St. Augustine must yield to them. + +Further, if that were St. Augustine's meaning, he would contradict +himself; for in very many places he exalts the Holy Scriptures above +the opinions of all teachers, above the decrees of all councils and +churches, and will have men judge of him and of the teachings of all +men according to the Scriptures. Why then do the faithful shepherds +pass by those sayings of St. Augustine, plain and clear as they are, +and light on this lonely one, which is so obscure and sounds so unlike +Augustine as we know him from all his writings? It can only be because +they want to bolster up their tyranny with idle, empty words. + +[Sidenote: Words Perverted] + +Furthermore, they are deceivers, in that they not only ascribe to St. +Augustine an opinion he did not hold, but they also falsify and +pervert his words. For St. Augustine's words really are, "I would not +have believed the Gospel if the authority of the whole Church had not +moved me." Augustine speaks of the whole Church, and says that +throughout the world it with one consent preaches the Gospel and not +the Letter of the Manicheans; and this unanimous authority of the +Church moves him to consider it the true Gospel. But our tyrants apply +this name of the Church to themselves, as if the laymen and the common +people were not also Christians. And what they teach they want men to +consider as the teaching of the Christian Church, although they are a +minority, and we, who are universal Christendom, should also be +consulted about what is to be taught in the name of universal +Christendom. See, so cleverly do they quote the words of St. +Augustine: what he says of the Church throughout all the world, they +would have us understand of the Roman See. + +But how does it follow from this saying that the doctrines of men are +also to be observed? What doctrine of men has ever been devised that +has been accepted and preached by all of the universal Church +throughout the world? Not one; the Gospel alone is accepted by all +Christians everywhere. + +[Sidenote: Their True Meaning] + +But then we must not understand St. Augustine to say that he would not +believe the Gospel unless he were moved thereto by the authority of +the whole Church. For that were false and unchristian. Every man must +believe only because it is God's Word, and because he is convinced in +his heart that it is true, although an angel from heaven and all the +world preached the contrary. His meaning is rather, as he himself +says, that he finds the Gospel nowhere except in the Church, and that +this external proof can be given heretics that their doctrine is not +right, but that that is right which all the world has with one accord +accepted. For the eunuch in Acts viii, 37, believed on the Gospel as +preached by Philip, although he did not know whether many or few +believed on it [Acts 8:37]. So also Abraham believed the promise of +God all by himself, when no man knew of it, Romans iv, 18 [Rom. 4:18]. +And Mary, Luke i, 38 [Luke 1:38], believed the message of Gabriel by +herself, and there was no one on earth who believed with her. In this +way Augustine also had to believe, and all the saints, and we too, +every one for himself alone. + +For this reason St. Augustine's words cannot bear the interpretation +they put upon them; but they must be understood of the external proof +of faith, by which heretics are refuted and the weak strengthened in +faith, when they see that all the world preaches and regards as Gospel +that which they believe. And if this meaning cannot be found in St. +Augustine's words, it is better to reject the words; for they are +contrary to the Scriptures and to all experience if they have that +other meaning. + +[Sidenote: The Apostles Also Men] + +Finally, when they are refuted with Scripture so that they cannot +escape, they begin to blaspheme God and say, "But St. Matthew, Paul +and Peter also were men; therefore what they teach is also the +doctrine of men. And if their doctrine is to be observed, let the +pope's doctrine be observed as well!" Such blasphemy is now being +uttered even by some princes and bishops, who count themselves wise. +When you hear such utterly hardened and blinded blasphemers, turn away +from them or stop your ears; they are not worthy that one should talk +with them. If that argument were to hold, then Moses also was a man, +and all the prophets were men. Then let us go our way, and believe +nothing at all, but regard everything as the doctrine of men, and +follow our fancy. + +[Sidenote: Answer] + +But if you will talk with them, do so, and say, Well, let St. Paul or +Matthew be the doctrine of men; then we ask, Whence comes their +authority? How will they prove that they have authority to teach and +to be bishops? Or how shall we know where the Church is? If they say +that St. Matthew has so asserted in Matthew xvi, 19 [Matt. 16:19], or +St. Paul in some place or other, do you say, But that does not hold: +they are the doctrines of men, as you say; you must have God's Word to +confirm you. And then you will find that these hardened blasphemers +put themselves to shame and confusion with their own folly. They +cannot even distinguish between a man who speaks for himself and one +through whom God speaks. The words of the Apostles were commanded them +by God, and confirmed and proved by great miracles, such as were never +done for the doctrines of men. And if they are certain in themselves, +and will prove it to us, that God has commanded them to teach as they +do, we will believe them as we believe the Apostles. If it is +uncertain whether the words of the Apostles are of God, who will give +us certainty that their doctrines of men are of God? _O furor et +amentia his saeculis digna!_[8] + +[Sidenote: Why Doctrines of Men are Condemned] + +But we do not condemn the doctrines of men because they are the +doctrines of men, for we would gladly endure them, but because they +are contrary to the Gospel and to the Scriptures. The Scriptures set +the consciences of men free, and forbid that they be taken captive +with the doctrines of men. The doctrines of men take captive the +conscience. This conflict between the Scriptures and the doctrines of +men we cannot reconcile. Hence, because these two forms of doctrine +contradict one another, we allow even young children to judge here +whether we are to give up the Scriptures, in which the one Word of God +is taught from the beginning of the world, or the doctrines of men +which were newly devised yesterday and change daily? And we hope that +every one will agree in the decision that the doctrines of men must be +forsaken and the Scriptures retained. For they cannot be reconciled, +but are by nature opposed to one another, like fire and water, like +heaven and earth; As Isaiah Iv, 8 f. says: "As the heavens are exalted +above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." [Isa. 55:8 f.] +Now he who walks on the earth cannot at the same time walk in heaven, +and he who walks in heaven cannot walk on the earth. + +Therefore we request the papists that they first reconcile their +doctrines with the Scriptures. If they accomplish that, we will +observe their doctrines. But that they will not do before the Holy +Spirit has become a liar. Therefore we say again. The doctrines of men +we censure not because they are spoken by men, but because they are +lies and blasphemies against the Scriptures. And the Scriptures, +although they also were written by men, are not of men nor from men, +but from God. Now since Scriptures and the doctrines of men are +contrary the one to the other, one must lie and the other be true. Let +us see to which of the two they themselves will ascribe the lie. Let +this suffice. + + +FOOTNOTES + + +[1] Goldfasts are the ember-fasts, on the three ember-days of each of +the four seasons of the year; possibly called "goldfasts" because on +these days rents were collected. See _Realencyklopadie_, 5: 780, 9. + +[2] The fasts enjoined upon a people by a public edict or ban. The +term "ban" as here used does not denote the Church's excommunication, +but an authoritative proclamation. + +[3] The Tatianists, followers of Tatian, who lived in Syria in the +middle of the second century. Tatian, apparently basing his view of +marriage upon 1 Cor. 7:5, ascribes the institution of marriage and the +whole Old Testament Law to the devil. Eusebius held that Tatian was +the founder of a sect known as the _Encratites_, or _Abstainers_. +Modern historians see in the _Encratites_ groups of ascetic Christians +found frequently in the early Church, somewhat similar to the later +monks and nuns, so that Harnack can write that Tatian "joined the +Encratites." _Dogmengeschichte_3, I, 227 n. See _Realencyklopadie_3, +19, 386-394 on Tatian; 5, 392 f. on the Encratites. + +[4] The Manicheans, strictly speaking not a Christian sect, but a +rival religious community, which made inroads upon the Christian +Church. Founded by the Babylonian Mani, who was born in the third +century, they taught the inherent evil of all matter, and consequently +had many fasts, averaging seven days in each month, while the +"perfect" among them abstained from meat, wine and marriage. See +_Realencyklopadie_ 3, 12, 193-228; von Orelli, _Religionsgeschichte_, +279-291. + +[5] The Greek _anathema_ Luther here translates _ein Bann_, "let him +be a ban." This explains the reference to the ban below. + +[6] _Stehet untereuch_, whereas above Luther writes _ist inwendig in +euch_. + +[7] _Contra Epistolam Manichaei_, vi, _Paris Ed._, 1839, 28: 185: _Ego +vero Evangelic non crederem, nisi me ecclesiae catholicae commoveret +anctoritas_. On the preceding page Augustine had written: "If the +claim of truth be shown to be so evident that it cannot be called into +question, it is to be preferred before all those things by which I am +held in the Catholic faith." + +[8] O raging madness, worthy of our age! + + + +INDEX + + + +SCRIPTURE REFERENCES + + +INDEX + + +Abel +Abraham +Absolution + power of +Abuses +Accident and substance +Adam +Adjutories +Administratio +Adversity +Agnes, St. +Agricola +Agriculture +Ahasuerus +Ahaz +d'Ailly +Albrecht of Brandenburg +Alexander of Hales +Alexander VI. +Alien sins +Allegories +Alveld +Ambrose +Amen, meaning of +Amerbach, Boniface +Amsdor +Angelic Sum +Angels +Angelus de Clavissio +Armas +Annates +Amie, St. +Anniversaries +Anniaities +Anthony, St. +Antichrist +Antonius of Florence +Antwerp +Apostles +Apostolic Council +Aquinas, Thomas +Archbishop +Aristotle +Articles of faith +Attrition +Augsburg, Diet of +Augustine, St. +Augustinian fathers +Augustinus Trimnphus +Auriaber +Avarice + +Babylon +Babylonian captivity +Balaam +Balaam's ass +Bamberg +Ban + power of + greater and lesser + purpose of + penalty of +Ban, danger of + harms no one + a medicine + to be respected + to be loved + unjust, to be desired + or debt + abuses of + does not exclude from Gospel +Banfasts +Baptism + grace of + makes priests + foundation of sacraments + a ship + God's work + formula of + by wicked minister + efficacy of + significance of + vows of + comfort of +Bar to grace +Barbara, St. +Barnabas +Basel, Council of +Beer-money +Begging +Belief and faith +Belvidere +Benedict, St. +Benefit of clergy +Berlepsch, Hans von +Bernard, St. +Bethaven +Biel, Gabriel +Bigamy +Birettas +Bishops +Bishops' paths +Blandina, St. +Blasphemy +Bohemians +Bonaventure +Boniace VIII. +Both kinds in the sacrament +Botschaten +Brandenburg +Bread, Sacrament of the Altar + daily, is Christ +Breves +Brotherhood, Christian +Brotherhoods + perversion of + kinds of + proper conduct of +Bull, Coena Domini + papal +Burer, Albrecht +Butter-letters + +Caesarini, Cardinal +Caiaphas +Cairo +Cajetan +Cambray, Cardinal of +Campolore +Canaan +Canon law +Canon of the mass +Canonical hours +Canonization +Canonry +Captivity of the Church + v. Babylonian Captivity. +Cardinals +Carlstadt +Carmelites +Carthusian +Castor and Pollux +Casus reservati +Catechisms +Cathedrals +Celibacy +Ceremonialist +Ceremonies +Certainty of salvation +Chancery, rules in +Chapters +Character indelebilis +Charity +Charles the Great +Charles V. +Chartreuse +Chastity +Christ + spiritual body of + as king and priest + sacrifice of the altar + sacrament + faith in +Christian nobility, duty of +Christian, the name + what makes + marks of a +Christianity +Church + authority of + cannot institute sacraments + community of Christians + our mother + and state +Church laws +Cicero +Circumcision +Circumstances +Clement V. +Clement VI. +Clement VII. +Clergy +Coadjutorships +Cognatio legalis and spiritualis +Collect +Cologne +Commandments of God +Commandments, Ten +Commend +Commerce +Communio +Communion + worthy + in two kinds + of saints +Complutensian polyglott +Compositions +Concordat of Vienna +Confession +Confessionalia +Confirmation +Congregations, power to elect priests, +Consanguinity, spiritual +Conscience +Constance, Council of +Constantine, Emperor +Contested benefices +Contrition +Corporal cloths +Corporations +Corpus juris canonici +Councils +Councils can err +Courtesans +Creed +Cremona +Crusades +Crying sins +Cyprian + +Daniel + the pope as +Datarius +David +Deacons +Death + must serve the Christian +Decretals +Devil +Dignities +Dionysius, Areopagita +Disparihtas religionis +Dispensations +Divorce +Doctorate +Doctrines of men +Dominic, St. +Donation of Constantine +Donatus, St. +Dress, extravagance in +Dims Scotus +Durandus + +Eck, John +Economic reforms +Edification of the Church +Elevation of the host +Elisha +Elvira, Council of +Emperor +Emser +England +Erasmus +Erurt +Estates of Christendom +Eternal life +Eugenius IV. +Evil spirit +Excesses in eating and drinking +Excommunication +Executio +Exemptions +Extortion +Extreme unction +Ezekiel + +Fable quoted +Faculties +Faith + not a work + and promise + and works + alone justifies + all things depend on + fulfils commandments + unites with Christ + and love +Fasts +Fathers of the Church +Feast days +Feldkirchen +Fellowship, twofold + spiritual +Five senses, sins of +Florence, Council of +Forgiveness of sins +Forma sacramenti +Foundations +France +Francis, St. +Franciscans +Fraternities +Frederick, Duke +Frederick, Elector +Frederick I. +Frederick II. +Free will +Fruits of the mass +Fugger of Augsburg + +General Council +George of Saxony +German knights + bishops and princes + nation + emperors + empire + mass +Germans +Germany +Gerson, John +Gibeonites +Gideon +Glosses +God, faith in +God's bosom +Golden rule +Golden years +Goldfasts +Gospel +Goths +Government, good, a gift of grace +Grammatical sense of Scripture +Gratiae expectivse +Greek Church + emperor +Greeks +Grimmenthal + +Hadrian VI. +Halberstadt +Halle +Hamburg +Henry IV. and V. +Henry VIII +Heresy +Heretics +Herod +Hess, John +Hezekiah +Himmelsbriee +Hindrance of crime + error +Holy Ghost, faith in +Hubert, St. +Huss, John +Hussites +Hutten, Ulrich von +Hymns of praise + +Iconoclastic controversy +Idolatry +Ignorance +Images +Immersion +Impediments +Impedimentum criminis + erroris + ligaminis + ordinis +Impotence +Incarnation +Incompatibilia +Incorporation +Indulgences +Indulta +Infant baptism +Ingenwinkel, Joh. +Innocent I. +Innocent III. +Innocent VIII. +Inquisition +Intercessions +Interdict +Investiture +Irregular monks +Isaiah +Isolani, Isidore +Israel +Italy + +Jahrmarkt +James, St., Epistle of +Jehu +Jereboam +Jeremiah +Jerome + of Prague +John XXII. +Jonas, Justus +Jordan, crossing of +Joseph, affliction of +Jubilee years +Judas +Judgment day +Julius II. +Jus patronum +Jus verbi +Justification by faith + +Kessler, John +Keys, power of +Kingdom of God +Kingship of the Christian +Kirchweihen +Koran + +Laity +Lang, Johan +Lateran Council +Law, the +Law in the universities +Laws as snares for souls + of men + V. Doctrines of men. +Lay-baptism +Legal relationships +Leipzig + Disputation +Leo III. +Leo X. +Letters of confession +Liberty + not external + and service +Licenses +Link, Wenceslaus +Livings +Lombard, Peter +Lord's Prayer +Lord's Supper +Lotther, Melchior +Louis, King of France +Louvain +Love +Luther + pastoral concern + the German + as a fool + knowledge of Aristotle + not a mathematician + as a musician + compelled to speak + his progress + his duty + recantation + appeal to a council + zeal + separation from Rome + appeal to the pope + friend of the pope + his faith + as a reformer + purpose of writing + +Magdeburg +Magistrate +Mainz +Man, nature of + inward + outward + of sin +Manichaeans +Manoah +Marcus Aurelius +Margaret of Braunschweig +Marriage + of the clergy + forbidden degrees + a type + a sacrament + hindrances +Martyrs +Mass + sacrifice of + letters + anniversary + mortuary + endowed +Maximilian, Emperor +Mecklenburg +Medicine in universities +Meissen +Melanchthon +Melchizedek +Memorial days +Mendicants orders +Merchants +Merseburg +Miltitz, Carl von +Ministerium +Ministry +Miracles +Missa catechumenorum and fidelium +Monasteries +Monastic life +Monstrance +Moses +Moses' seat +Mother of God +Muhlphort, Hieronymus +Murner, Thomas +Mute sins +Mystery + and sacrament +Mystics + +Name of God +Naples and Sicily, Kingdom of +Nathan +Natural law + revelation +New Testament +Nicaea, Council of +Nimrod +Noah +Nobility, German +Nurnberg, Diet of + +Oblations +Observance +Occam, William of +Officia of the pope +Officials +Old Testament +Opus operantis +Opus operatum +Order to be observed +Orders, monastic +Ordinaries +Ordination +Origen +Ottilia, St. +Our Lady + +Pallium +Palmers +Papacy +Papal court + secretaries + months + family + servant + letters + homage +Parents, duty toward +Participations +Passover +Patience +Patron saints +Paul, St. +Penalties to be abolished +Penance + second plank +Penitence +Persia +Peter, St. +Pfeffinger, D. +Philip of Hesse +Philosophy +Picards +Pilate +Pilgrimages +Pius, Pope +Pope + power of + can be deposed + errors of + tyranny + an idol + compared with Christ + wealth of + infallibility of + worldliness of + vicar of crucified Christ + vicar of absent Christ + duty of + temporal power of + letter to +Power not to be trusted +Prague +Prayer +Preachers +Preaching, true +Prebend +Precepts of the Church +Presbyters +Prierias, Sylvester +Priesthood of believers + why men seek + is ministry of the Word +Priests +Priests, officeholders + duty of +Primate +Private confession + mass +Privilegium fori +Promise of God +Proprius motus +Prostitution +Proverbs quoted +Purgatory + +Quedunburg, convent + +Real presence +Reason +Reformation +Reforms suggested +Regeneration +Regensburg +Regression +Remission of sins +Rentenkauf +Repentance +Res sacramenti +Reservatio pectoralis +Reservation, right of +Reserved cases +Rhine-toll +Rods, three +Roman curia +Roman Empire +Roman See +Romanists +Rome +Rulers, wicked + +Sacrament of the Altar + institution of + reception of + not a law + not a sacrifice + daily use of + significance of + preparation for + benefit of + a sign + purpose of + misuse of + faith of + right use of + necessity of +Sacrament, types of + and the pope +Sacraments + parts of + signs of + two principal + grace of + fount of love + not a good work + efficacy of + of Old and New Law + significance of + not effective signs of grace + institution of +Sacramentum is mystery +Sacrifices +Safe conduct +Saints +Saints' days +Samuel +Sardica, Council of +Satisfactions +Saul +Schism +Schismatics +Schools, Christian + for girls +Scrinium pectoris +Scriptures + commands and promises +Sebastian, St. +Secret sin +Sects +Sedulius, Coelius +Sentences +Sententious theologians +Sermons +Signatura gratiae and justitiae +Signiicasti, Chapter +Simony +Sins + demand punishment + seven deadly +Siricius, Pope +Sixtus IV. +Slanderers +Social evil +Sodalities +Solite, Chapter +Solomon +Soul + immortality of +Spalatin +Spice trade +Spiritual, what makes us + duties + relationship + law +States of the Church +Stationaries +Staupitz +Stephen, St. +Sternberg +Strassburg +Students, restriction of +Substance and accident +Sycophants +Synaxis + +Tatianists +Teachings of men, v. Doctrines of men. +Temporal estate + power +Temptations +Ten Commandments +Testament +Testament, words of +Tetzel +Teufelsbriefe +Theodidacti +Theodosius +Theology in the universities + text-books +Theses, XCV +Thomists +Timothy +Titus +Transaccidentation +Transubstantiation, + of communicant +Trent, Council of +Trier +Triple crown +Truth +Tulich, Herman +Turks + worst in Rome +Types +Tyranny, Roman + +Unbelief +Unchastity +Unio +Unity of the Church +Universities +Usury + +Valentine, St. +Valla, Laurentius +Varna, Battle of +Venice +Vergil +Vienna, Council, of +Virgin Mary +Visions +Votaries +Votive masses +Vows + of celibacy + ceremonial laws + triple + +Wallbruder +Walls, the three, of Rome +Wartburg +Wicked, success of +Will of God +Wilsnack +Witchcraft +Wittenberg +Wladislav +Word of God +Works + measure of + good, are sins + do not justify +Works of love + six, of mercy +World +Worms, Diet of +Worship, true +Wurzburg, 82 +Wyclif + +Zedekiah +Zink, Johaimes +Zinskau +Zwickau Prophets +Zwilling, Gabriel + + +SCRIPTURE REFERENCES + + +Genesis-- + 1:31 + 2:15 + 3:15 + 3:17 + 3:19 + 4:5 + 9:12 + 9:15 + 12:3 + 13:5 + 17:10ff + 18:19 + 19:24 + 21:12 + 49:3 + +Exodus-- + 12:8, 11 + 12:35ff + 13:2 + 13:13 + 20:4 + 20:12 + 20:17 + 22:28 + 23:15 + 34:20 + 37:7 + +Leviticus-- + 8:27 + 11:19 + 18:6ff + +Numbers-- + 3:13 + 21:9 + 22:28 + 24:24 + +Deuteronomy-- + 1:31 + 4:2 + 4:19 + 8:3 + 10:16 + 12:32 + 14:18 + 16:16. + 23:12f. + 24:1 + 25:5 + 28:14 + 32:35 + +Joshua-- + 3:7 + 6:20 + 9:19 + +Judges-- + 6:36ff + 9:2 + 13:19 + 20:21 + +I. Samuel-- + 2:30 + 16:13 + +II. Samuel 7:16 + +I. Kings-- + 1:38 + 12:26 + 12:31 + 18:21 + 19:20 + +II. Kings-- + 9:1 + 18:4 + 24:20 + 25:4 + +Esther 1:5 + +Job 31:27 + +Psalms-- + 13:3f + 14:5 + 18;8 + 18:26 + 19:1ff + 19:8 + 23:5 + 30:5 + 32:5f + 33:16 + 44:23 + 58:4 + 63:5 + 64:1 + 67:1f + 104:15 + 106:3 + 107:20 + 109:28 + 111:2 + 112:7 + 115:1 + 119 + 119:85 + 134:2 + 137:1 + 143:2 + +Proverbs-- + 6:27 + 15:8 + 30:5f + 30:15 + +Ecclesiastes-- + 1:2 + 3:7 + +Song of Solomon 2:16 + +Isaiah-- + 2:8 + 3:4 + 3:10 + 5:4 + 3:13f + 7:10ff + 9:20 + 10:22 + 28:14 + 28:21 + 29:13 + 37:4 + 55:8 + 56:10 + 61:8 + 66:2 + +Jeremiah-- + 2:32 + 4:4 + 5:3 + 17:9 + 23:21 + 29:7 + 48:10 + 51:9 + +Lamentations-- + 1:1f + 1:11 + 2:11ff + +Ezekiel 2:6 + +Daniel-- + 1:6 + 2:21 + 3:30 + 4:14 + 4:35 + 5:29 + 6:16 + 11:39,43 + +Hosea-- + 2:19 + 4:6 + 4:15 + 10:5 + 13:9 + +Joel 1:5 + +Amos-- +6:1 +6:4-6 +8:11 + +Jonah 3:5 + +Habakkuk 2:4 + +Zechariah 2:8 + +Malachi 2:7 + +Matthew-- + 3:2 + 3:6 + 4:1ff + 4:4 + 4:17 + 5:3 + 5:16 + 5:18 + 5:22 + 5:25 + 5:29 + 5:32 + 5:40 + 5:45 + 6:7 + 6:12 + 6:14 + 7:3 + 7:12 + 7:15 + 7:18 + 7:20 + 8:13 + 9:1 + 10:7 + 10:8 + 10:10 + 10:16 + 10:40 + 11:23 + 12:1ff + 12:33 + 13:14 + 13:52 + 15:4 + 15:8 + 15:9 + 15:11 + 15:13 + 15:14 + 16:19 + 17:5 + 17:24ff + 17:33 + 18:4 + 18:10 + 18:15 + 18:18 + 18:19f + 18:20 + 18:24, 28 + 19:6 123, 263. + 19:6 + 21:13 + 22:2f 20 + 23:3f + 23:8 + 23:13 + 23:14 + 23:15 + 23:16f + 24:5 + 24:15 + 24:23f + 24:24 + 25:15 + 25:40 + 26 + 26:2 + 26:21ff + 26:26 + 26:27 + 26:28 + 26:29 + 26:41 + 27:34 + 27:35 + 28:19 + +Mark-- + 2:27 + 6:13 + 9:23 + 10:16 + 11:24 + 14 + 14:22 + 14:23 + 15:23 + 16:15 + 16:16 + 16:17 + 16:18 + +Luke-- + 1:38 + 1:52 + 1:53 + 2:22 + 2:34 + 6:30 + 7:16 + 9:48 + 9:56 + 10:7 + 10:9 + 10:16 + 11:5ff + 11:16 + 11:28 + 12:14 + 12:32 + 16:22 + 17:20f + 21:34 + 22 + 22:19f + 22:25 + 22:32 + 22:20 + 23:26 + +John-- + 1:12 + 1:51 + 4:14 + 5:46 + 6:9 + 6:27 + 6:35, 41, 51 + 6:37,39 + 6:45 + 6:53, 55 + 6:54 + 6:63 + 7:38 + 8:7 + 8:11 + 8:26 + 8:44 + 8:50 + 9:31 + 10:27 + 11:25 + 13:1ff + 13:20 + 14:6 + 17:9, 20 + 17:12 + 17:36 + 18:36 + 20:15-17 + 20:22ff + 20:23 + +Acts-- + 2:46f + 3:6 + 4:34f + 5:5 + 5:9 + 5:39 + 6:4 + 6:6 + 8:18 + 8:17 + 8:37 + 9:15 + 9:19 + 13:10 + 14:11-16 + 15:6 + 16:3 + 17:16ff + 17:22 + 17:54 + 18:6 + 28:11 + +Romans-- + 1:11 + 1:5 + 1:17 + 1:28 + 1:32 + 3:10ff + 3:23 + 4:3 + 4 + 4:11 + 4:18 + 5:3 + 5:4 + 5:5 + 6:4,6 + 7:22 + 8:23 + 8:28 + 8:31 + 8:35, 3 + 8:36 + 9:16 + 9:33 + 10:4 + 10:9 + 10:10 + 10:17 + 11:32 + 12:4ff + 12:17 + 12:19 + 13 + 13:1, 4 + 13:4 + 13:8 + 13:10 + 14:1ff + 14:3 + 14:5 + 14:7f + 14:14f + 14:22 + 14:23 + +I. Corinthians-- + 1:1 + 1:2 + 1:7 + 1:21 + 1:23 + 2:2 + 2:7 + 2:12 + 2:15 + 3:18 + 3:22 + 4:1 + 4:15 + 4:20 + 5:5 + 5:11 + 6:1ff + 6:7 + 6:12 + 7:5 + 7:7 + 7:9 + 7:15 + 7:18ff + 7:23 + 8:4 + 8:13 + 9:4ff + 9:14 + 9:19 + 9:27 + 10 + 10:5 + 10:16 + 10:17 + 10:23 + 10:25ff + 11 + 11:20 + 11:21 + 11:23 + 11:24 + 11:25 + 11:29 + 11:30 + 12:12ff + 12:25f + 13:1 + 13:2 + 13:5 + 13:12 + 14:23 + 14:30 + 15:55ff + +II. Corinthians-- + 2:17 + 3:17 + 4 + 4:13 + 4:16 + 10:3 + 10:8 + 11:13 + 11:31 + 12:9 + 13:8 + 13:10 + +Galatians-- + 1:8 + 2:3 + 2:11 + 2:14 + 2:20 + 3:4 + 4:4 + 5:1 + 5:6 + 5:17 + 5:22 + 5:24 + 6:2 + 6:5 + +Ephesians-- + 2:3 + 2:8 + 3:20 + 4:4 + 4:14 + 4:28 + 5:9 + 5:27 + 5:29 + 5:31 + 6:12 + 6:17 + +Philippians-- + 1:21 + 2:1 + 2:4 + 2:5 + 2:6 + 2:7 + 3:2 + 4:13 + +Colossians-- + 2:16 + 2:20 + 2:22 + +I. Thessalonians-- + 2:16 + 4:6 + 5:21 + 5:22 + +II. Thessalonians-- + 2:3 + 2:3-10 + 2:9 + 2:11 + 3:10 + 3:14 + 3:15 + +I. Timothy-- + 1:7 + 1:9 + 2:1 + 2:8 + 3:2 + 3:16 + 4:1ff + 4:2f + 4:3 + 4:4f + 4:5 + 4:8 + 5:22 + +II. Timothy-- + 2:3 + 2:9 + 2:13 + 3:2 + 3:5-7 + 3:7 + 3:8 + 3:13 + +Titus-- + 1:6 + 1:14 + 3:1 + 3:5 + +Hebrews-- + 1:3 + 6 + 9:16 + 10:19, 22 + 10:23 + 11 + 11:6 + 12:15 + +James-- + 1:6 + 1:18 + 5:14 + 5:16 + +I. Peter-- + 2:11 + 2:2 + 2:9 + 2:10 + 2:13, 15 + 2:14 + 2:18 + 3:13 + 5:3 + 5:5 + 5:10 + +II. Peter-- + 1:9 + 2:1 + 2:1-3 + 2:3 + +I. John-- + 1:9 + 2:18, 22 + 3:2 + 4:3 + +II. John 10 + +Revelation-- + 2:9 + 5:10 + 13 + 22:11 + +OLD TESTAMENT APOCRYPHA + +Judith 6:15 + +Wisdom 6:8 + +Ecclesiasticus-- + 10:13 + 32:27 + +Baruch-- + 1:11 + 3:38 + +II. Maccabees 4:8, 12 + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Works of Martin Luther, by Luther Martin + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER *** + +***** This file should be named 34904.txt or 34904.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/9/0/34904/ + +Produced by Michael McDermott, from scans obtained at the +Internet Archive + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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