disputirt 1516 *)
[at Wittenberg, probably in September, by M. Bartholomäus Bernhardi of Feldkirch, under the presidency of Luther, for the attainment of the dignity of Sententiarius, to which he was appointed on Sept. 25, 1516.
was awarded a doctorate].
Translated from the Latin.
Next Friday, at seven o'clock, the following question will be discussed under the chairmanship of the Honorable Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Liberal Arts and Theology:
Can man, created in God's image, keep the commandments of God, his Creator, by his natural powers, or do or think anything good and earn with grace and realize what he has earned?
First thesis.
Man, the soul made in God's image and thus capable of grace, is alone in his natural powers and subjects every creature he uses to vanity; he seeks only what is his own and what is of the flesh.
That man is in the image of God is evident from the saying Genesis 1:27: "God created man in His image"; but that he is in the image of the soul is revealed by St. Augustine in the following words: "Even if a human being is in the image of God, he is in the image of God.
*This writing was, after the occurrence of Löscher's Reformation Acta, erroneously added by Walch and the Erlangen edition as Huaestio III to two other "Quaestions^, the first of which is a fragment of a lecture by Luther, and the second of which forms "an explanation of the sixth thesis of the Heidelberg Disputation. The error came from the fact that the "Innocent News on the I. 1703" had printed these three writings from one manuscript (from the year 1518) and had given them the same title: blart. I.utüsri ijuu "8tioiies et OonLlusiouos 1518.
Although the human spirit is not of the same nature as God, yet in it is the image of God, which is the most glorious of all that there is to seek and to find; for the soul is the most glorious of all that our nature has. But that he is thus capable of the grace of God is denied by St. Augustine, who gives the reason why grace is bestowed on human nature, saying: "For the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ is not bestowed on stone, wood, or cattle; but to him who is in the image of God this grace comes; but not in such a way that his good will can precede grace, or that he gives something beforehand that must be repaid to him. Everything else in this thesis is clear enough. For man without grace is an evil tree and incapable of bearing good fruit or of using the creature for God's glory and praise, which is the ultimate purpose of his creation; and this means subjecting it to vanity, for he seeks only what is his own and what is of the flesh.
First follow-up thesis.
The old man, the greatest vanity and the entire vanity, also makes the other creatures, which are fönst good, vain.
It is clear that the old man is the one who does not love God completely purely, nor does he have a fervent hunger and thirst for Him, but with spirit and mind his satiety.
He is therefore the greatest vanity of vanities, Eccl. 1:2, and all vanity, as it is said in Ps. 39:6: "Verily, all vanity is every man that liveth" [according to the Vulgate]. But that he also makes the other creatures, which are otherwise good (according to Gen. 1, 31: "And God looked at all that he had made, and behold, it was very good," as well as according to the saying of the apostle, 1 Tim. 4, 4: "All the creature of God is good"), also vain, is taken from that saying of the apostle, Rom. 8, 20: "The creature is subject to vanity without its will." From this it is clear that it becomes evil, vain, and harmful through no fault of its own and from without, because it is esteemed by man in his imagination and erroneous opinion, or in his affection and wrong use, higher than it is in truth. For example, if hay were imagined to be human food, it would be considered better than it really is.
Second follow-up thesis.
The old man is called by the name of flesh; not only because he is led by the carnal evil desire, but (even if he is chaste, wise and righteous) because he is not born again of God through the Spirit.
pudlieutav, ex >I8ts., from which it was concluded that they also belonged together in time, and they were all assigned to the year 1516. Our disputation, however, undoubtedly belongs to this year; on the other hand, the tzuaestio II, because it elaborates on one of the Heidelberg theses, can only have been written in 1518. However, the time of the writing of tzuaoxticn I is uncertain. According to the assumption of the "Weimar edition", it is perhaps to be placed in the first quarter of the year 1518, but, since the manuscript is written in 1518, by no means after 1518. According to these "facts" presented by the Weimar edition, we also had to remove this disputation from its previous connection and add tjuaostio II to the Heidelberg disputation. Therefore, we have been forced to change the arrangement of Walcb's "edition" somewhat. - The appendix question of the mode of action of the sacrament of baptism certainly does not belong to this disputation, but is appended to it in the "Innocent News" and may be a contemporaneous record. Therefore, following the Weimar edition, we have left thePiece in its previous place. - Without the explanations, the theses are found in both editions of the kropomtionos I). LIart. I,utkeri, ad initio nc-u "tii ^vanßvlioi traotatae them. of I. 1538; then in the kropomtionon tsioolouicas of 1.1558. In the Gesammt editions they are found in the Latin Wittenberger of 1545 <tom. I, koi. I.u) and in the Latin Jena one (tom. I, tc>I. 1); German in the Leipzig AuSg. <Thl. XVII, p. 142>, as well as in the so-called Hallischer Theil (p. 1). - Together with the explanations, the theses are first found in the aforementioned "Unschuldige Nachrichten" on 1.1703; from it erroneously in Löscher's "Reformations-Acta" <Vol. I, p. 328) and tn the Erlanger Ausg. (varii "r>r. toin. I, p. 235 and 246). The text of these theses is restored in the Weimar edition, vol. I, 142 ff, according to the first edition mentioned above: kropositionev I). ölart. I,utk "ri ete., the text of the explanations after Löscher's "Unschuldige Nachrichten auf daS Jahr 1708." Our translation is made after this edition.
8 L. V. L. I. Lt7-ris. 1. About man's ability and will without grace. Grace. W. XVM, 9
The old man is called flesh, this is evident from the saying Joh. 3, 6: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh", and Gal. 5, 17: "The flesh lusts against the Spirit"; Rom. 8, 7: "To be carnally minded is enmity against God". But with this John adds: "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit," this whole corollary thesis is clear. Whoever is not born again of the Spirit (be he ever so righteous, chaste and wise in his own eyes and in the eyes of men) is flesh, is carnal, is an old man. All good apart from God is of the flesh, only the uncreated good is of the spirit. Augustine: "But without it (he speaks of the faith that is active through love) even what seem to be good works are turned into sins."
Third follow-up thesis.
Although all unbelievers are vain, since they do no good, not all will suffer the same punishment.
The first part of this thesis can be seen in the following scriptural testimonies: Hab. 2, 4: "The righteous lives by faith"; Hebr. 11, 6: "Without faith it is impossible to please God." The second part is likewise clear from the apostle, Rom. 2:14, 15, where he says: "For as the Gentiles, who have not the law, yet by nature do the work of the law, the same, because they have not the law, are themselves a law unto them, that they may prove that the work of the law is written in their hearts; since their conscience testifieth to them, as also their thoughts, which accuse one another." Augustine treats these words in the 4th book against Julian in the 3rd chapter. He says this about unbelievers, interpreting or explaining them: "If they do not have faith in Christ, they are truly neither righteous nor pleasing to God (for 'without faith it is impossible to please God'), but their thoughts will excuse them in the day of judgment to the extent that they will be punished more tolerably, because they have by nature done what is of the law as well as possible, having written in their hearts the work of the law, which prescribes not to do unto others.
what they themselves did not want to suffer. But in this they sinned, that as men without faith they did not direct their works to the purpose to which they should have directed it. For Fabricius will be punished less than Catilina, not because he was good, but because he was less evil and less godless than Catilina. Fabricius had not true virtues, but he had not departed very much from true virtues." And a little further up he speaks, "Those who are "altogether righteous according to the natural law do not please God."
Second thesis.
Man, if the grace of God is excluded, can by no means keep His commandments, nor prepare himself for grace, whether in equity (de congruo) or in merit (de congruo), but he necessarily remains under sin.
The first part of this thesis can be seen in the saying of the apostle, Rom. 13, 10.: "Love is the fulfillment of the law"; and [1 Cor. 8, 1.): "Knowledge inflates, but love corrects," likewise [2 Cor. 3, 6.]: "The letter kills, but the spirit makes alive." St. Augustine, acting upon these words, says: "The writing of the law without love puffeth up, it mendeth not." And soon after, "The knowledge of the law, therefore, makes a haughty despiser; but by the gift of love it delights [man] to be a doer of the law." And in many places he says, "The law is given that grace might be sought; grace is given that the law might be fulfilled."
St. Augustine shows the second part in many places. It will suffice to mention only a few. Joh. 15, 5: "Without me you can do nothing". Likewise [Joh. 6, 65.]: "No one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father." The apostle says [1 Cor. 4, 7.), "For what hast thou that thou hast not received?" and in many other passages of the New and Old Testaments it is irrefutably taught thus; especially by the prophet Ezekiel, where God virtually says that He is not induced by any good merits of men to give them
as if they obeyed his commandments, but rather do them good for evil, and do it for his sake and not for theirs. For he says: "Thus says the Lord your God: I will do this to the house of Israel for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations" [Ezk 36:22]. And after many words of the prophet follows [v. 32.], "These things will I do, not for your sakes, saith the Lord God, that ye may know it." From all this St. Augustine, the defender of grace, concludes with the most holy apostle, the preacher of grace, that it does not lie in man's willing or running, but in God's mercy [Rom. 9, 16.], who only gives punishment that is deserved, but mercy only that is undeserved. Therefore, all merits must cease here, and there can be none that precede grace. Man, then, outside of grace, necessarily remains a child of wrath, for children of God are only those who are driven by the spirit of God.
First follow-up thesis.
The will of man without the grace is not free, but is servile, though not unwillingly.
This is clear from Joh. 8, 34. 1): "He who commits sin is the servant of sin." The will that sins without grace is therefore not free. This is also evident from the words of the holy evangelist [John 8:36], where Christ says: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Therefore Augustine says: "What do you oppose to free will, which, to do righteousness, cannot be free until you are a sheep? He, therefore, who makes men sheep, makes also the human will free to the obedience of godliness." Yet he is not unwilling to serve, but serves willingly. This is also clear from Augustine, in the 1st book against the Pelagians, where he says: "Because in good he cannot be free, since liberation has not made him free, but in evil he has a free will for the enjoyment of wickedness.
1) In the original erroneously Rom. 7.
and he serves a deception, either openly or secretly, or has persuaded himself." Augustine in the 2nd book against Julian: "You want to make man perfect? oh, that you wanted it by the gift of God and not by the free, but rather unfree choice of your own will."
Second follow-up thesis.
Man, when he does as much as is in him, sins, since he can neither will nor think of himself.
This follow-up thesis is clear, because a bad tree can only bear bad fruit, Matth. 7, 17. But man, if grace is excluded, is a bad tree according to St. Augustine in many places. Therefore, no matter what he does, if he uses his reason as he pleases, if he performs, commands, and does actions without the faith that is active through love, he is always sinning. The same is testified by the apostle, Phil. 2, 13: "It is God who works in you both to will and to do, according to His good pleasure." And in another place, 2 Cor. 3:5: "Not that we are able of ourselves to think anything but of ourselves, but that we are able is of God." Augustine says: "To think something good is less than to desire it. Though we think all that we desire, we do not desire all that we think." From this he also concludes, "To that which is less, namely, to think something good, we are not competent as of ourselves, but that we are competent is of God: and to that which is more, namely, to desire something good, should we be competent of our own free will without divine assistance?" Prov. 16, 1.: Man sets before him well in his heart, but not without God's assistance. The apostle speaks [1 Cor. 12, 3.1: "No one deceives JEsum who speaks by the Spirit of God; and no one can call JEsum a Lord unless the Lord has likewise put it in him." Here the apostle speaks spiritually, not actually.2) In actual-
2) At this point Walch complains about a corrupted text that does not make sense. Although the text of the
But surely the wise man is called the lord who makes known his will and his opinion by the sound of his voice.
Third follow-up thesis.
Since the righteousness of believers is hidden in God, but their sin is evident in themselves, it is true that only the righteous are condemned and sinners and fornicators are blessed.
With regard to the first part this is clear, because the righteousness of the believers comes solely from the imputation of God according to the saying Ps. 32, 2: "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity"; and in another Psalm [Ps. 121, 2]: "My help comes from the Lord." And Hosea 13:9 says, "Israel, thou bringest thyself into trouble, for thy salvation is with me alone." The second part is clear, for another Psalm [Ps. 51:5.] speaks of a "sin that is always before me," that is, in my eyes I am always a sinner. And the apostle speaks, Col. 3, 3. 4.: "You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ your life shall be manifested, then shall ye also be manifested with him in glory." Consequently, every saint is consciously a sinner, but unconsciously a righteous one; a sinner according to reality, a righteous one according to hope; a sinner in fact, but a righteous one by the imputation of the merciful God. It is therefore true that only the righteous, that is, those who do not impute sin to themselves, but are righteous in their own eyes, are condemned, but the fornicators, who impute their sins to themselves, are fornicators and sinners in their own eyes, but confess their ungodliness before God and pray for forgiveness of it in due time [Ps. 32:6], hoping in Him and not in themselves, will be saved. Here also belongs that the Lord said to the priests and scribes [Matth. 21, 31.]: "Verily I say unto you, the publicans and the harlots
Weimarsche Ausgabe is significantly better than that offered by the Erlanger Ausgab" Opp. vsr. urx. I, 251, it does not seem to us to be quite correct. Instead of vet proprie, perhaps irou propris would be read, which we have assumed.
may well enter the kingdom of heaven sooner than you." Likewise, "I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners" [Matt. 9:13]; "the sick need a physician" [Matt. 9:12]; "there will be greater joy in heaven over one sinner" etc. [Luc. 15, 7.]
Third thesis.
The grace or love that comes to the rescue only in the utmost need is quite inactive and rather not love; unless one understands by the utmost need not the danger of death but the lack of some thing.
This is evident recently from the well-known saying of St. Ambrose: "The grace of the Holy Spirit knows no idle zeal." And that love does not wait for the danger of death, is evident from the commandment of charity: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." There is no man who does not want to be helped before the danger of death; therefore he must also help others before the danger of death according to the saying of the Savior, Matth. 7, 12: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Likewise 1 John 3:17: "If a man have the goods of this world, and see his brother brought to nought, and shut up his heart against him, how doth the love of God abide with him?"
First follow-up thesis.
Christ Jesus, our power, our righteousness, who tests hearts and kidneys, is the only one who investigates and judges our merits.
This corollary thesis is clear from many passages of Scripture; as: 1 Chron. 29, 9; Deut. 8, 2; from the saying Ps. 46, 1: "God is our confidence and strength, a help in the troubles that have befallen us"; also 1 Cor. 1, 30: "Who was made for us by God for wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption"; Ps. 7, 10: "You, righteous God, test hearts and kidneys." The rest is clear from the saying Ecclesiastes 9:1: "There are the righteous and the wise.
and their works in the hand of God, yet no man knows either the love or the hate of one whom he has before him."
Second follow-up thesis.
Since all things are possible to him who believes through the power of Christ, it is superstitious to attribute this help to one saint and that to another, according to human arbitrariness.
That all things are possible to him that believeth, our Saviour, Marc. 9, 23, hath spoken outright, likewise Matth. 21, 22: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, if ye believe, ye shall receive it." If, therefore, those who believe are able to do all this, so much the more in other cases, since God will be all in all, it is clear that it is superstitious to ascribe this help to one saint and another help to another, as we see fit. Here also belongs the saying 1 Cor. 3, 21. 22.: "All things are yours; whether life or death, whether things present or things to come, all things are yours"; and Rom. 8, 32.: "How should he not give us all things with him?"
The following has no "contextual connection" with the preceding and can therefore hardly belong to the second sequential thesis. The following is perhaps the conclusion of the explanation of the third sequential thesis, which may have read:
Third follow-up thesis.
[By omitting the good, man falls under the punishment of damnation. He can escape this only through grace, which alone works all recognition and doing of the good].
... Augustine in the third chapter "Of Grace": "But even that ignorance, which is not found in those who do not want to muck, but in those who, so to say, are simply ignorant, excuses no one in such a way that he should not therefore burn in the eternal fire, if he has not believed because he has not heard at all what he should have believed; but perhaps, that he should be less inclined to
has to burn." 1) Matth. 19, 10. The disciples say: "If the matter of a woman with a man stands thus, it is not good to become married." The Lord answers, "The word does not fast for everyone, but for those to whom it is given." Weish. 8, 21: "No one can be chaste, unless God gives it." Paul, who had said in 2 Tim. 4, 7, "I have fought a good fight," says in another place [1 Cor. 15, 57.], "But thanks be to God, who has given us the victory." Likewise, after he had said [2 Tim. 4, 7.], "I have run the race, kept the faith," elsewhere [1 Cor. 7, 25.], "I have obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful"; and Eph. 2, 10.: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ JEsu unto all good works." Augustine: "It is not that creation by which we have become men, but that of which He spoke who was already man [Ps. 51:12]: 'Create in me, O God, a pure heart.'" Augustine: "Grace, namely, helps that each one may be a doer of the law, without which grace man under the law is more only a hearer of the law." When the Lord speaks through the mouth of Ezekiel, Cap. 11, 19: "I will take away the stony heart from them, and will give them a heart of flesh," this is not to be understood in such a way that those may live carnally, who nevertheless must live spiritually, but because a stone is without feeling, to which the hard heart is compared with what else, but the feeling flesh, should the gentle heart have been compared?
2) After the foregoing, it is now easy to answer the question.
1) Also the Weimar critical edition has retained here the corrumpirten text of the old editions. According to Augustinus la. a. O. of the Mauriner edition) this passage must be corrigirt so: .^<-6 ot illa i^noruntia, "zuns non est eoriim, qui wäre nolunt, 8eri eorum, qui tunlzuuiu 8Uniäi<'it<>r nc^c-iunt, noruinem sie vxousut, nt nompitc-rno ixnv nan "rileut, si proptc-res, non croclüiit, quin non auctivit, "wnino czuui crvdcrot, sv<i kortu88c>, ut initius arltvut. According to this reading we have translated above.
2) This sentence has the heading in the editions: Third Consequence Thesis.