On the attitude in which one must perform good works; on the value of indulgences, and that alms are better without proof. Luther regrets that it is claimed that he was inspired by the Elector to argue about indulgences.
The original of this letter is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, Vol. I, p. 49b; in Löscher's Ref.-Acta, Vol. II, p. 602; in De Wette, Vol. I, p. 90 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. I, p. 153.
His Georg Spalatin, his best friend among his friends.
JEsus.
1st Hail! As you write, yes, prescribe that I should do, so I do, dearest Spa-.
3) See St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, Introduction, p. 12 b.
4) In the thirteenth century, Petrus Hispanus wrote a textbook on logic, Lummnlas loZioales. - Petrus Tartaretus, towards the end of the fifteenth century, a Scotist and commentator on Petrus Hispanus, was on the commission chosen by the University of Paris to examine Reuchlin's "Augenspiegel".
Latin, that through you I thank the most noble prince for the excellent and truly princely gift of game, which is given to our young (novellis, as they are called) magisters, and I have told everyone that it was given by the prince. But I was extraordinarily and even more pleased by the Prince's disposition, who (as you write) is exceedingly gracious and willing to give, since even a man loves a cheerful giver.
You again add two small questions. One, what kind of mind (intentio) he must have who wants to sacrifice or do other godly works. I answer briefly: One must always have the attitude of despair and confidence in every work; namely, despair because of you and your work, but confidence because of God and His mercy. For thus saith the Spirit [Ps. 147:11], "The LORD hath pleasure in them that fear him, that hope in his goodness." For fear is a kind of beginning of despair. And to speak plainly: as often as you want to sacrifice or do works, you must know and firmly believe without any doubt that such your work cannot please God at all, no matter how good, great and laborious it may be, but is worthy of rejection. Therefore, first be your judge, and accuse yourself together with your work as such a person and confess it before God. This confession and accusation (for it comes from the fear of the divine judgment, before which no work can stand) will cause it to be pleasing; indeed, both the work and its accusation are pleasing to God, so that God has commanded us good works more to be a cause for such our accusation and fear of Him than that He should seek to be served by them. Thus saith the Psalm [Ps. 143:2], "Go not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight no living man is righteous." And in another place it is said [Proverbs 18:17, Vulg.], "The righteous first accuses himself." O, a description of justice unheard of for a long time! What is justice? It is an indictment of oneself. What is a righteous man? One who accuses himself. Why? Because he preempts the judgment of God, and condemns the very thing that God condemns, namely himself. Therefore
he is of one mind with God in all things, makes the same judgment, has the same will with God, and for this reason is true, just 2c. Thus says St. Augustine in the 9th book [Cap. 13] of his Confessions: Woe to the life of man, however praiseworthy it may be, if it is judged without mercy; and St. Jerome, acting on the word Ps. 32, 6.: "For this shall all the saints beseech thee in due time," in the Dialogue against Pelagius [Book 2, Cap. 4], says: 1) How is he holy, if he beseeches for ungodliness? or how is he ungodly, if he is holy? 2c. Thus St. Augustine will teach thee throughout that all saints are sinners. Therefore, if you have thus despaired of yourself and humbly confess this to the Lord, then you can take comfort in His mercy without any doubt.
For he who doubts his mercy sins no less than he who trusts in his own works. He wants us to rely firmly on him, so that we may completely despair of ourselves. Thus 2) he formerly modeled it in the Law of Moses [5th book, chap. 24, 6.], where he commands that one should not take the lowest and the highest millstone from the debtor, that is, that one should not take away from the sinner either hope or fear, but grind and grind him between the two. Thus St. Job [Cap. 9, 28. Vulg.] feared because of all his works, and in Proverbs 3) (Cap. 28, 14.] it is said, "Blessed is he that feareth all things." Therefore, you will only do so much in the right way of good works as much as you are comforted by the mercy of God and despair of your works. For then you are no longer working for your own glory, but God is working in you for His glory, because nothing is sought here but that His mercy be glorified in us, not that we blow ourselves out with our works against God. And this is the best, only and final intention (intentio) of all [works].
4. secondly [you ask] about the power of the
1) Compare St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, 233.
2) In the Erlanger si instead of sie; probably a printing error.
3) In Aurifaber and De Wette it says: Loel. o. IX, which is Loolesiastes sPrediger Salomo); in the Erlanger Briefwechsel: Loolkkisstieus [Sirach). Both are incorrect. In one note the Erlanger has given the correct place.
indulgence, how much he is able to do. This matter still hangs in doubt, and my disputation wavers back and forth among blasphemies. But I will say two things; the first to you alone and to our friends, until the matter is published: namely, that nowadays indulgences seem to me to be nothing but a distraction of souls, and that they are of no use at all, except for those who snore and are lazy in the way of Christ. Although our Carlstadt does not hold this opinion, it is nevertheless certain to me that he regards him as nothing. For in order to get rid of this disruption, I have, out of love for the truth, entered the dangerous labyrinth of disputation and aroused innumerable minotaurs, yes, rhadamanthotaurs and aeacdtaurs 1) against me.
The second thing, in which there is no doubt, which even my adversaries are forced to confess, and the whole church, is this: that almsgiving and the support of one's neighbor is incomparably better than indulgences. Therefore, you are advised not to buy indulgences as long as you can find poor and needy neighbors to whom you give what you would have given for indulgences. If you do otherwise, I am excused, you may see. I do not doubt that he deserves wrath who abandons the poor and buys indulgences. But you will see more, God willing, when I have published the proofs of our theses. For I am forced to do so by those people who are cruder than crudeness itself, who proclaim me a heretic in all their sermons, and even go so far in their host that they seek to make the Wittenberg University infamous and heretical for my sake. I am much more concerned with how to keep myself in check, so that I do not despise them and sin against Christ, than how to triumph over them. For they are so completely devoid of all human and divine learning that it would be an exceedingly great shame to argue with them, and yet this very ignorance produces in them an incredible insolence and a more than brazen forehead. But they are hearty alone
1) Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus were the judges of the underworld, here transformed into monsters, like the Minotaur, the guardian of the labyrinth.
by the shadows of their larvae and night ghosts, of which they are so full, and that I, too, murmur after their manner, inessentiati, that one must completely despair of their improvement. There is one thing I would like to let you know that I am very sorry about, namely that these tongue-thrashers and many others with them have armed themselves with a new artifice, and gossip that everything I do comes from our most noble prince, as if I were incited by him to spite the archbishop of Magdeburg. Please, advise what one should do here; whether one should not make this known to the prince. I regret very much that the prince should come under suspicion for my sake; and that I should be the cause of disagreement between such great princes, that I detest and fear very much.
(6) I can suffer the prince to offer me to any disputation or judgment (if only I am given safe conduct), only so that they do not also involve the innocent prince in my hatred. See, what a horrible kind of people they are, and a people of darkness, hostile to the light. They have found Johannes Reuchlin over three countries away and brought him here against his will; they despise me, who invite and ask at the door, and gossip in the corners, because they see that they cannot defend themselves. But now take care and forgive me that I have written so long and made so many words. For I have been talking to a friend. From our monastery, February 15, 1518.
Brother Martin Eleutherius, Augustinian.