About the burning of Luther's books.
How Luther's books were burned in three places.
484 Luther's report to Staupitz on how his books were burned in three places, at Louvain, Cologne, and Mainz, but at Mainz with great contempt and danger to the burners.
See Appendix, No. 20, § 6.
Luther's judgment of his books in a letter to Spalatin, from which it can be seen that he does not care much about their demise, and instead wishes the people righteous preachers of the Holy Scriptures as living books.
See Appendix, No. 40, § 2.
B. How Luther, after the adversaries had burned his writings, publicly burned the Papal Dulle and the Decretals, along with Emser's and Eck's roofs at Wittenberg.
486 A brief history of how the antichristic Decretals of D. M. Luther were burned.
Dec. 10, 1520.
This writing is found in Latin in the Wittenberg edition (1551), tom. II, toi. 123b; in the Jena edition (1566),
tom. II, toi. 320 (incorrect 230) and in the Erlanger, opp. var. arZ., tom. V, p. 253. German in the Wittenberg (1569), vol. IX, p. IM; in the Jena (1564), vol. I, p. 353; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p. 539 and in the Leipzig, vol. XVII, p. 332.
In the year of the birth of our Lord and Savior Christ, 1520, on the tenth day of the Christian month, all the students in Wittenberg were called together by a public notice, posted on the black board in front of the Lectorio, to the effect that the antichristian decrees should be burned at nine o'clock (before noon). At that time, the students often gathered at a place in front of the Elsterthor, behind the hospital; there, a handsome magister prepared the fireplace, piled up wood, and set it on fire. Then D. M. L. threw the antichristian decrees, together with the Bulla Leonis X., which had recently gone out against him, into the fire with these words: Because thou hast afflicted the Holy One of the Lord, let the eternal fire afflict and consume thee [Jos. 7:25].
When this was done, D. Luther went back to the city. Luther went back to the city, and many doctors, masters and students with him.
The next day, D. Mart. Luther, after reading and explaining the Psalter, which he had begun to read and explain in the previous year 1519 mense Martio, admonished all listeners to beware of the papal laws and statutes.
4) That the decrees be burned would be child's play; it would be highly necessary that the pope, that is, the Roman see itself, together with all its
He said, "If you do not contradict the Pope's blasphemous rule with all your heart, you cannot be saved. He further said with great seriousness: "If you do not wholeheartedly oppose the blasphemous rule of the pope, you cannot be saved. For the kingdom of the pope is so contrary to the kingdom of Christ and Christian life that it would be better and safer to live in a wasteland where no man is to be seen than to live in and under the antichristic kingdom.
(5) Therefore every Christian should take care, as much as he loves the salvation of his soul, that he does not deny Christ. This will certainly happen if he keeps company with the papists. So that anyone who puts up with their religion and false services in the church, as they are in use today under the papacy, and does not contradict their powerful errors, must be eternally lost in that life. But if he contradicts them, he must certainly expect the death of his body and life. But, he said, I would rather wait in this world for all kinds of journeys than burden my conscience with silence, for which I would have to give an account to God (where I would remain silent).
Because I have been heartily disgusted with the raging Roman beast for some time, I consider the Babylonian plague and pestilence to be an abomination, and I want to report this to my brothers as long as I live and warn them. If I cannot resist the great harm and destruction of countless souls, some of ours are to be preserved so that they will not be cast into the abyss of hell together with the others. The others may do what they will in this matter; for it is time that we take it seriously to amend.
This and many other things like it were told by Doctor Luther in clear, distinct words, with the beautiful adornment of innate fatherly language, which I, as a clumsy, unspeaking man, cannot claim. But no one among us doubts that he is more senseless than a stick (as all papists are), that this and other things he has said are the truth. It is also clear to all simple believers who are still children in Christ, that is, who are not yet poisoned with the stain of papist doctrine and the splendid good opinion (as it can be seen) of this world, and to all innocent Christians, that Doctor Luther is an angel of the living God [Mal. 2, 7], who shall feed the erring sheep with the word of truth alone; because these same are dumb dogs and sleep [Is. 56, 10], so ascribing to them the name with dishonor that they are shepherds of the flock. And even though the mountains,
that is, the high leaders of the world and Cedern Libani (the rulers of the church) oppose with all force and pride, yet the sheep of Christ recognize their shepherd's voice, which is presented to them through his messenger [John 10:4, 5]. But these sheep do not hear the voice of a strange shepherd. Blessed are those who do not take offense at the contemptible figure of this man (Luther), who touches the mountains of the world, who cannot do otherwise, according to their nature, but smoke [Ps. 144, 5].
487 V.M. Luther's writing: "Why the Pope's and his disciples' books were burned by D. M. Luther. Let also show whoever will, why they burned D. Luther's books." December 1520.
This writing, after the burning had taken place on December 10, was published in the same month in Latin and German at Wittenberg in quarto. The title of the Latin is: tzuare koutiüois Uolnani et ckisoipnlornrn eins lübri u D. Nnrtino I,ntkero eornknsti slnt. Oomroonstret vieissiin ynisauis volet: enr luitbori libros exnsserint. ^VittenberZ. Recorded in the Wittenberg edition (1551), torn. II, toi. 1191"; Jenaer (1566), torn. II, col. 316 d and Erlanger, opp. var. nrZ., torn. V, p. 257. In German, it has appeared in many individual editions under the title we have placed in the heading (the Erlanger edition lists thirteen of them). In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1554), vol. VII, p.138; in the Jena (1564), vol. I, p. 354b; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p.540; in the Leipzig, vol.XVII, p.333; in the Erlangen, I. edition, vol. 24, p. 150 and rn the 2nd edition, vol.24, p.151.
Jesus.
To all lovers of Christian truth be desired grace and peace from God.
I, Martinus Luther, 1) Doctor of the Holy Scriptures, Augustinian at Wittenberg, hereby declare that by my will, advice and consent, on Monday after St. Nicolai [December 10] in the year 1520, the books of the Pope of Rome and some of his disciples were burned. If anyone should be surprised at this, as I am sure he is, [and] should ask for what cause and command I have done this, let him be answered herewith.
I) This is how it is interpunctured in the German Wittenberg and Jena editions. In the Latin editions and in the Erlangen edition, the comma precedes "genannt". But compare ?3.
2. first, it is an ancient custom to burn poisonous, evil books; as we read in the stories of the apostles Cap. 19:19, where they burned books for five thousand pennies, according to the teaching of St. Paul.
(3) Secondly, I am ever unworthy to be a baptized Christian, and a sworn Doctor of the Holy Scriptures; above which a daily preacher, by virtue of his name, standing, oath, and office, is bound to destroy, or ever repel, false, seductive, unchristian doctrine. And although there are many more in the same duty who would not or would not do the same, perhaps out of ignorance or infirm fear, I would still not be excused, if my conscience were sufficiently informed and my spirit courageously enough awakened by God's grace, someone's example would let me endure.
4. Thirdly, I would not have undertaken such a work if I had not experienced and seen that the pope and the papal seducers not only err and deceive, but, after many vain instructions from me, are so hardened and obdurate in their unchristian error and ruin of souls, that they not only do not want to be instructed nor taught, but blindly condemn and burn the evangelical doctrine with blocked ears and eyes to confirm and maintain their end-Christian, devilish doctrine.
5) Fourthly, I also do not believe that they have this order from the Pope Leo the Tenth, as much as it lies in his person, I still learn otherwise; whom I also hope that such books burned by 1) me (although his ancestors) do not please himself, and whether they pleased him, I therefore have no interest in it. I also know and have certain information that the people of Cologne and Louvain, who boast that they have the imperial majesty's leave and order to burn my books, are saving the truth; for they have bought such nobles, with many thousand guilders worth of gifts, from some officials.
Fifthly, because by burning books like this, the truth has a great aftereffect.
1) Wittenberger: "before". - The Erlanger notes: "all old prints: before"; but the Jenaer has correctly: "from".
In order to prevent the evil of the common people from becoming delusional, to the ruin of many souls, I have, by stimulating (as I hope) the spirit to strengthen and preserve them, burned the books of the adversaries, again, in view of their unpleasant 2) improvement.
(7) Therefore, let not any man be moved by the high titles, names, and cries of the papal estate, of the spiritual law, of the long-standing custom of these burned books; but listen, and see first what the pope has taught in his books, and what in the sacred spiritual law is poisonous and abominable doctrine, and what we have hitherto worshipped instead of the truth, and then judge freely whether I have burned these books lawfully or unlawfully.
Articles and errors in ecclesiastical law and papal books, therefore they are to be burned and avoided.
The first.
The pope and his own are not guilty of being subject and obedient to God's commandments.
This abominable doctrine, he writes clearly in the chapter Solitae, de majoritate et obedi- entia, as he interprets St. Peter's word, who says [1. Ep. 2,13.]: "You shall be subject to all sovereigns": St. Peter did not mean himself nor his successors, but his subjects.
The second.
It is not a commandment, but a counsel of St. Peter, since he teaches [1. Ep. 2, 13.] that all Christians should be subject to kings, ididem.
The third.
The sun signifies papal, the moon 3) secular power in Christendom, ibidem.
The fourth.
The pope and his see are not obliged to be subject to Christian conciliarities and orders, Cap. Significasti de elect.
2) "unhöffliche" (so the Jenaer correctly; Wittenberger and Erlanger: "impolite") - not to be hoped for. In Latin: luspsravili.
3) Thus the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Erlanger: "month". Latin: I^uua.
The fifth.
The pope has full power over all rights in his heart. In ?rolo. 8cxti.
The sixth.
From this it follows that the pope has the power to tear down, change, and establish all conciliation and all order, as he does daily, so that no power nor benefit remains for the conciliis and Christian orders.
The seventh.
The pope had right to demand oath and duty from bishops for their coats, c. Significasti ; contra illud: Gratis accepistis, gratis date [Matth. 10, 8.].
The eighth.
If the pope was so evil that he led countless people to the devil with great heaps, still no one should punish him for it, Dist. 40. Si Papa.
This article, if it were alone, it should be enough cause to burn all Pabst's books. What should they not do devilishly, unchristianly, if they hold and teach such an abominable thing impudently? Behold, Christian man, what spiritual law teaches you!
The ninth.
Next to God, the blessedness of all Christendom is in the pope, ibidem; contra illud: Credo ecclesiam sanctam etc.. Thus all Christians would have to perish as often as the pope is evil.
The tenth.
No one may judge the pope on earth, nor judge his judgment, but he shall judge all men on earth. 9. q. 3. c. Cuncta.
This article is the main article, and in order that it may be well established, it is always attracted by many chapters and by the entire spiritual law, so that it seems that the spiritual law is only invented so that the pope may freely do what he wants, give leave to sin and hinder the good. If this article exists, then Christ and his word are down. But if it does not exist,
so the whole spiritual right with the pope and chair lies down.
Now he does not exist; for St. Peter says 1 Ep. 5, 5: "You should all be humble toward one another"; and St. Paul [Phil. 2, 3] Rom. 12, 10: "Each one hold the other higher than himself"; and Christ often says: "He who wants to be the greatest, let him be the least" [Luc. 22, 26]. St. Paul punishes Peter, Gal. 2, 11, in such a way that he does not walk rightly according to the Gospel; and Apost. 8, 14, St. Peter was sent out with St. John by the other apostles as a subject. Therefore it is not and cannot be true that the pope is subject to no one, nor is he to be judged; but he is to be subject to everyone and to be judged, because he wants to be the supreme. And the spiritual law, because this is its reason and its whole essence, strives in all things against the gospel.
It is true that worldly authorities are not to be subject to their subjects. 1) But Christ turns and changes this and says: You shall not be like the worldly rulers. But Christ turns and changes this and says: You shall not be like the worldly rulers, and he wants his people's rulers to be subject to everyone and to suffer judgment from them. As he saith Luc. 22:25, 26: "The rulers of the Gentiles are mighty over them: but ye ought not to be so: but whosoever will be chief among you, let him be the lowest." But how can he be the lowest, if he will not let anyone judge him?
If one wants to force Christ's word (as some do) that he should respect the lowest in his heart and not show himself outwardly in this way, then one must also say that he should respect the highest in his heart and not show himself outwardly in this way. And so, either keep both spiritually in the heart, or show both outwardly, that Christ's words may stand.
This is the article where all misfortune has come from in all the world. Therefore the spiritual right, as a poisonous thing, is to be destroyed and avoided. For from this it follows, as it has followed, publicly to all, that no evil can be prevented, no good promoted, and we must continually let the gospel and faith perish.
1) In the original and in the Wittenberg: "Unterern". Latin: inlsrioritnis.
The eleventh.
The Roman See gives power and authority to all rights, but it is not subject to them, 25. q. 1.. That is to say, what he wills is right; but he owes no allegiance to it. Just as Christ says of the Jewish Pharisees, Matt. 23:4: "They lay heavy burdens on men's backs, but they will not touch them with a finger." Against this St. Paul says Gal. 5, 1: "Stand in your liberty, and be not subject to the laws of men."
The twelfth.
The rock where Christ builds His church, Matth. 16, 18, is called the Roman See, dist. 19. cum proxim" suis; but Christ alone is the same rock, 1 Cor. 10, 4.
The thirteenth.
That the keys are given to St. Peter alone, but Christ gives them to the whole church (Matth. 16, 19.) 18,18.
The fourteenth.
That Christ's priesthood was transferred from him to St. Peter, de constit. c. translato. 1) Against this David says Ps. 110, 4 and Paul to the Hebrews [Cap. 7, 17]: that Christ is a unique, eternal priest, which priesthood will never be transferred.
The fifteenth.
That the pope has authority to make law over the Christian church, 25. q. 1. ideo permittente. Against this St. Paul says Gal. 5,13: "You are called to a freedom from God."
The sixteenth.
That he interprets the saying [Matth.16,19.): Quodcunque ligaveris etc. to the effect that he has power to burden the whole of Christendom with his wanton laws, when Christ wants nothing else with it than to drive sinners to punishment and repentance, and nothing at all to burden the other innocent with laws, as the words clearly read.
1) So in all Latin editions and in the German Wittenberg. Jenaer and Erlanger: trmWlatio; the latter notes that this is wrong.
The seventeenth.
That he should not eat meat, eggs, butter, this and that for several days, when he has no power to do so, and should only kindly admonish each person's free will and leave it unrestrained.
The eighteenth.
That he forbade the whole priesthood to marry, thereby increasing much sin and disgrace without cause, against God's command and Christian freedom.
The nineteenth.
That the Pope Nicolaus the Third or Fourth in his final Christian decree, among many evil pieces, puts: Christ has given with the keys to St. Petro and his descendants power of the heavenly and earthly kingdom, so everyone knows well how Christ fled the earthly kingdom [John 6, 15.], and all priests have the keys, but not all emperors are over heavenly and earthly kingdom.
The twentieth.
That he considers the great unchristian lie, that Emperor Constantinus gave him Rome, land, empire and power on earth, to be true and demands, against which Christ says Matth. 6, 19: "You shall not gather treasures on earth"; item, v. 24: "You may not serve good and God at the same time."
The twenty-first.
That he boasts that he is the heir of the Roman Empire, de sent. et re jud. c. Pastoralis; so everyone knows well that spiritual office and secular government do not suffer with each other. And St. Paul teaches [Titus 1,9] that a bishop should wait for the word of God.
The twenty-second.
That he teaches that it is right for a Christian to protect himself against violence by force; against and about Christ, who says, Matth. 5, 40: "Whoever takes away your skirt, let him also have your coat."
The twenty-third.
That the nations may disobey their overlords, and the kings he may depose; as in many places he sets and often does, against and above God.
The twenty-fourth.
That he also will tear all oaths, covenants and duties, made between high and low estates, against and above God, who commanded that everyone should keep faith with the other.
The twenty-fifth.
The pope has the power to discard and change the vows made to God, de vot. et vot. redempt. which is also against and above God.
The twenty-sixth.
Whoever pardons his vow to fulfill the Pope's commandment is not guilty of the vow's crime. Ibidem. That is so much said: The pope is above God.
The twenty-seventh.
Let no one serve God who is legitimate; yet Abraham and many saints were legitimate, and God Himself instituted marriage, without doubt. Thus, the final Christian rises above God.
The twenty-eighth.
That he makes his useless law equal to the gospels and holy scripture; as he indicates many times in the decree.
The twenty-ninth.
That the pope has the power to interpret and guide the holy scripture according to his own will, and that no one may interpret it differently than he wills; so that he sets himself above God's word, and tears it apart and destroys it. St. Paul 1 Cor. 14,30. says: The superior shall give way to the inferior enlightenment.
The thirtieth.
That not the pope from the Scripture, but the Scripture from him have credible continuance, power and honor; which is the main article of one, therefore he, as a right final Christian, deserves that Christ from heaven himself destroy him with his regiment; as Paul proclaimed.
In these and similar articles, of which there are countless many more, all are directed to the effect that the pope is above God and man, and that he alone is subject to no one, but to everyone, including God and the angels.
that they themselves also say, his disciples, that the pope is a strange thing; that he is not God, nor is he a man (perhaps the devil himself), now Paul's saying [2 Thess. 2, 3. f.] is fulfilled, when he says: "There shall come forth a man of sins, and a child of perdition, who shall resist, and exalt himself above all that is called a god, by the working of the evil spirit" etc. When he calls him a man of sin and a child of perdition, he does not mean his person alone, for that would be a small pity; but that his rule is nothing but sin and perdition, and that he will only rule to lead all the world to sin and hell. As can be seen from such articles, and is evident today, that nothing but sin and destruction has come into the world from the pope, and more is coming every day.
(9) They themselves, who hold the spiritual law, though in the corner, have confessed that it stinks of vain avarice and violence. This is also true; and he who does not want to lie must confess this. For if you want to know in brief what is written in spiritual law, listen. It is Summa Summarum:
The pope is a god on earth, over everything heavenly, earthly, spiritual and worldly, and everything is his own. For no one may say, "What are you doing?
10. this is the abomination and stink, because Christ says about it Matth. 24,15: "When you see the stinking abomination, which makes all things desolate, that it stands in the holy city, of which Daniel said: He that readeth these things understandeth them well," etc., and St. Paul [2 Thess. 2:4.]: "He shall sit in the temple of God (that is, in Christendom), and shall present himself as if he were a god."
(11) That no one, or few people, should have told the pope of such an abomination is not surprising, for it is proclaimed that he will burn all those who oppose him, and will have the followers of all kings and princes.
(12) If the seduction of the end Christ were so gross that everyone would know it, or so small that the kings and great men would not be the most noble in it, then
the prophets and apostles cried out and wrote about it so much and so earnestly in vain.
(13) When Christ was on earth, many people who heard his word and saw his work spoke against those who would not let him be Christ: If Christ comes, how can he do more miracles than this one? So now they also mumble. If the final Christ is already coming, what more evil can he do than the Pabst's regiment has done, and does daily? Surely it is not credible, if his regiment were of God, that he should so much corrupt and sin come out of it, and let the evil spirit rule so mightily in it. We do not believe yet, until we are lost, and all too slowly recognize the final Christ.
14. just as from the beginning of all creatures the greatest evil has always come from the best. For in the highest choir of angels, where God worked the greatest, Lucifer sinned and did great harm. In Paradise, the greatest sin and harm happened to the first, best man; after that, Genesis 6:4, the giants and tyrants grew from none but the holy children of God. And Christ, the Son of God, was not crucified except in the holy city of Jerusalem, where he was most honored and did many miracles; and by none but the princes and chief priests and most learned, most holy. And Judas also had to damage none but the apostles. Thus God has not endowed any city on earth with so many graces and saints as Rome, and has done more for her than for any other. Therefore, she, like Jerusalem, must do the greatest harm in gratitude to Him, and give the world the right, most harmful final Christ, who will do more harm than Christ did good before. And so it certainly goes, and all this must happen under the name and appearance of Christ and God, so that no one believes it until he himself comes and illuminates such darkness with the light of his future, as St. Paul says.
15 This article is enough for now. But if someone is a relative of the pope's, and if he is funny, and if he refrains from protecting and defending them, I will explain them to him more clearly.
and raise much more of the same. These should be a beginning of the seriousness; because up to now I have only joked and played with the Pabst's thing. I have started it in God's name; I hope that it is time that it also carries itself out in the same without me. Here I want to understand all the articles, which have been condemned and burned by the endchrist's messenger, now from Rome, in the last bull, as being Christian and true, and as many articles have been imposed on the pope, which are endchristian and unchristian, as many of my articles are condemned. If they may burn my articles, since there is more gospel and well-founded holy scripture in them (which I want to say and prove with truth without glory) than in all Pabst's books, I will burn their unchristian law books much more cheaply, in which there is nothing good. And even if there is something good in it, as I must confess about the decree, it is all intended to do harm and to strengthen the pope in his endchristian regiment; for this none of it is ever kept, above all other diligence, only what is evil and harmful that is in it.
(16) I leave each one his own conceit; I am most moved by the fact that the pope has never refuted with writing or reason anyone who has spoken, written, or done against him, but has always used force, banishment, kings, princes, and other followers, or suppressed, chased away, burned, or otherwise strangled with lists and false words, of which I will convince him with all history. For this reason, he has never wanted to suffer any judgment 1) or verdict, and has always proclaimed that he is above all scripture, judgment and power.
Now it is true that truth and righteousness do not shy away from judgment, that they love nothing better than light and judgment, 1) that they like to be looked at and tried. The apostles gave Apost. 4:19 to their enemies, saying, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right to be more obedient to you than to God"; so certain was the truth. But the pope wants to blind everyone's eyes, to let no one judge, but to judge everyone alone; so utterly uncertain and fearful is he of his cause, and
1) In the original: "Richt"; Latin: judioium.
Handel. And this his mourning in darkness and shunning of the light makes that, if the pope were a vain angel, I could still believe nothing of him. Everyone hates the dark business and loves the light. Amen.
In all this I offer myself [to] stand in judgment before everyone.
Samson Richt. 15, 11.:
Sicut fecerunt mihi, sic feci eis.