I, Martin Luther, Doctor of the Augustinian Order of Hermits at Wittenberg, hereby publicly testify that some theses against the so-called papal indulgences have been published by me. Although up to now neither our praiseworthy university nor any civil or ecclesiastical authority has condemned me, there are, as I have heard, certain rash and impudent people who, as if they understood the matter well and had seen through it thoroughly, are not afraid to declare me a heretic.
I, however, as often before, also now implore everyone by the Christian faith, they should either show me a better way, if such has been revealed to them by God, or else, they should at least submit their opinion to the judgment of God and the church. For I am not so presumptuous as to want my opinion alone to take precedence over all other opinions; but neither am I so unreasonable as to want the divine word to take second place to the fables invented by human reason.
*) First we find this protestation in the Latin Wittenberg edition (tom. I, col. 195 d), where it is placed after Silvester Prieria's Lpitonm rssxonsionis aä Ick. luitlier of 1520 and before the kolisäa aävsrsus ckaeodurn Iloelistraten of 1519 (wrong 1518). Nothing follows from this for the time of writing. In the Jena (torn. I, lol. 5) it is after the 95 Theses, but according to the Jnhaltsverzeichniß of this volume it should be interposed between Xrtieuli 15 a IHalrikus Ninoritanis ckutsrdoeesnsidus and Oontra nialiKiuina t^ooii juäloium, and in its place the Protestation which precedes the Resolutions (explanations of the 95 Theses). Following the procedure of the Jena edition (without taking into account its correction), Löscher, the Erlangen and the old Walch editions also connected it with the 95 Theses, although Walch correctly notes in his historical introduction (p. 36) "that Luther's sentences against indulgences do not include a protestation at all". In the Altenburger and Leipziger Gesammt - editions this protestation is missing completely. The Weimar critical edition brings it in its II. volume, p. 620 after the correction of the Jena edition in connection with Luther's feud with the Jüterbogker Franciscans. Since its time of composition and affiliation is not entirely certain, it has been left in this place in the present edition.