A Sermon on Indulgences and Grace by the Worthy Doctor Martinus Luther, Augustinian at Wittenberg.
First, you should know that some new teachers, such as Magister Sententiarum, St. Thomas, and their followers, give repentance three parts, namely repentance, confession, and atonement, and although this distinction, in their opinion, is hardly or not at all found in the holy Scriptures, nor in the old holy Christian teachers, we will leave it that way and speak according to their way.
Secondly, they say: Indulgence does not take away the first or second part, i.e. repentance or confession, but the third, namely satisfaction.
Thirdly: The satisfaction is further divided into three parts, i.e. praying, fasting, almsgiving, so that praying means all kinds of works proper to the soul, such as reading, reading, listening to God's word, preaching, teaching, and the like; fasting means all kinds of works of mortification of the flesh, such as watching, working, sleeping hard, clothing, etc.; almsgiving means all kinds of good works of love and mercy toward one's neighbor.
4th Fourthly, there is no doubt in all of them that the indulgence accepts the same works of atonement for sin, or that it is imposed; for if it should accept all the same works, there would be no good thing left for us to do.
5th To the fifth: has been at many a
great and still undecided Opiny [opinion], whether the indulgence also accepts something more than such imposed good works, namely, whether it also takes away the chastisement that [the] divine justice demands for sin.
(6) Sixthly, I leave their opiny unrejected at the mark. This I say, that it cannot be proved from any Scripture that divine justice desires or demands any chastisement or satisfaction from the sinner, but only his heartfelt and true repentance or conversion, with the intention of bearing the cross of Christ for the sake of it, and to perform the above-mentioned works (also not imposed by anyone); for thus he speaks through Ezekiel [Ezek 18:21, 33:14-16]: "If the sinner repents and does right, I will remember his sin no more." Item, so he himself absolved all those: Mary Magdalene, the gout-breaker, the adulteress 2c, and [I] would like to hear who is to prove otherwise, regardless of the fact that some doctors thought so.
7) The seventh: One finds that God punishes some according to His justice, or by chastisement brings them to repentance, as in the 88th Psalm [Ps. 89:31-34]: "If His children sin, I will punish their sin with a rod, but I will not turn away My mercy from them." But this chastisement is in no one's power to abate,
*) Of this sermon, 13 different individual editions are known from the 1.1518 alone, which were published in Wittenberg, Leipzig, Nuremberg, Augsburg and Basel, 5 individual editions from the 1.1519 and 4 from the 1.1520. It was then included in "Mancherlei Büchlein und Tractätlein Dr. M. Luthers" 2c from the 1.1520 and passed into all complete editions: in the Wittenberg edition it is vol. VII, col. I; in the Jenaer Bd. I, fol. 58; in the Altenburger Bd. I, p. 56; in the Leipziger Bd. XVII, p. 119; in the Erlanger Bd. 27, p. 4, and in the Weimarsche kritische Ausgabe Bd. I, p. 243. Löscher also included it in his Reformation Acta, Bd. I, p. 469. This sermon, which Luther probably delivered in the chapel of the Augustinian monastery in Wittenberg on the day of the posting of the theses, was not published in print until February 1518. Frobenius in Basel in October 1518, from where it was published in the Latin volumes of the Wittenberg edition (vol. I, col. 58), in the Latin Jena edition (vol. I, fol. II) and in the Erlangen edition (oxx. Int. vnrü arg. I, p. 326).
for God alone; indeed, he will not leave them, but promises to put them on.
Eighth: Therefore, no name can be given to this punishment, nor does anyone know what it is, if it is not this punishment, nor the good works mentioned above.
9. To the ninth: I say that even if the Christian church today decides and declares that indulgences are more acceptable than works of pardon, it would still be a thousand times better that no Christian man should cancel or desire indulgences, but rather that they should do works and suffer penance; for indulgences are nothing else, nor can they be, than indulgences of good works and salutary penance, which should be chosen more cheaply than abandoned, 1) although some of the new preachers have invented two kinds of penance: medicativas, satisfactorias, that is, some chastisements for satisfaction, some for correction. But we have more liberty to despise (praise God!) such and such chatter than they have to invent; for all chastisements, indeed everything that God lays out, is better and beneficial to Christians.
(10) The tenth: This is nothing said, that the chastisement and works are too much, that man cannot accomplish them for the shortness of his life, therefore indulgences are necessary for him. I answer that there is no reason for this and that it is a pure poem; for God and the holy church do not put on anyone more than he is able to bear, as St. Paul also says that God does not allow anyone to be tempted more than he is able to bear, and it is not a little disgraceful for Christianity that it is blamed for putting on more than we are able to bear.
Eleventh: Although the penances, set in spiritual law, are now still such that for every mortal sin seven years' penance would be imposed, yet Christianity should leave them set and not impose them further than they are to be borne by anyone. Much less, now that they are not, should one take care that more is imposed than anyone can well bear.
Twelfth: It is said that the
1) D. i. let stand in line.
The sinner should be sent to purgatory or indulgence with the rest of the punishment, but more things are said without reason and probation.
Thirteenth: It is a great error for anyone to think that he will do enough for his sins, when God always forgives them freely out of inestimable grace, desiring nothing in return but to live well for them. Christianity demands something, so it may and should let up on it and not impose anything heavy or unbearable.
14. fourteenth: Indulgences are allowed for the sake of imperfect and slothful Christians, who do not wish to practice prudence in good works or to be unmerciful [without suffering]; for indulgences do not promote anyone to the better, but tolerate and allow to their imperfection[s]. Therefore one should not speak against indulgences, but one should also not speak to them.
15) The fifteenth: Much safer and better 2) would he do who gives to the building of St. Peter's or whatever else is called for the sake of God, than to take indulgences for it; for it is dangerous that he gives such a gift for the sake of indulgences and not for the sake of God.
Sixteenth: Much better is the work done to a poor man than that given for building, also much better than the indulgence given for it; for, as I said, it is better a good work done than much indulged; but indulgence is indulgence of many good works, or is nothing indulged.
(17) Yea, that I may instruct you aright, take heed: You shall give before all things (neither St. Peter's building nor indulgences considered) to your nearest poor, if you want to give something. But if it comes to pass that there is no longer anyone in need of help in your city (which, God willing, shall never happen), then you shall give as you wish to the churches, altars, ornaments and chalices that are in your city. And if this is no longer necessary, then first of all, if you wish, you may give to the building of St. Peter's or elsewhere. But you should not do this for the sake of indulgences, because St. Paul says
2) In the Orig.: better.
[1 Tim. 5:8: "He that doeth not well to his own household is no Christian, and worse than a heathen:" and hold them harmless, that whosoever saith otherwise deceiveth thee, or seeketh thy soul in thy bag; and if he found pennies therein, he would rather have them than all souls.
(18) Thou sayest, I will never redeem indulgences. I reply, "I have already said this above, that my will, desire, request and counsel is that no one should redeem indulgences; let the lazy and sleepy Christians redeem indulgences, you go for yourself.
19. to the seventeenth: Indulgences are not commanded, neither are they counseled, but of the number of things that are allowed and permitted; therefore it is not a work of obedience, nor meritorious, but an extract of obedience. Therefore, though no one should be hindered from redeeming it, yet all Christians should be drawn away from it, and be provoked and strengthened to the works and chastisements that are indulged in.
20 To the eighteenth: Whether souls are drawn out of purgatory through indulgences, I do not know and do not yet believe,
although some new doctors say so; but it is impossible for them to prove it, nor has the church yet decided it: therefore, for several certainties, it is much better that you ask and work for them yourself, for this is more proven and is certain.
21. to the nineteenth: On these points I have no doubt, and [they] are sufficiently founded in Scripture; therefore you also should have no doubt, and let Doctores scholasticos be scholasticos; they are all not enough with their opinions that they should fortify a sermon.
22) Twentiethly, though some call me a heretic, to whom such truth is very harmful in the box, yet I do not esteem such blasphemy great, since this is not done, because some dark brains, who never smelled the Bible, never read the Christian teachers, never understood their own teachers, but decayed much closer in their hole-ridden and torn opinions. For if they had understood them, they would know that no one should blaspheme them unheard and unconquered. But God give them and us right sense. Amen.