End of June 1518.
A freedom of the sermon, papal indulgence and grace, Dr. Martin Luther's, against the refutation, so;ur disgrace of his and the same sermon invented.
JEsus.
I, Doctor Martin Luther, Augustinian at Wittenberg, confess that the German Sermon, concerning grace and indulgences, is mine; therefore I have caused and I need to defend it against some misrepresentations 1) or blasphemies, invented in vain. To what skill, it seems, that its poet has had too much time and paper, and has not known how to be better at it, 2) because, attacking the truth with impure words, he would like everyone to know how nothing he understands in Scripture.
And to avoid many words, I let go and command the dear wind (which is also more idle) the remaining forgiven words, like the cardboard flowers 3) and dry leaves, take alone before me his grounds and cornerstones of his burdock construction.
The first reason is that he says that the third part of repentance, satisfaction, is founded in Scripture, namely, in the word of Christ, "Repent, and the kingdom of heaven will be at hand" (Matt. 4:17); and this has been held by many thousands of teachers, some of whom are holy, and the Christian church does not reprove 2c; without saying that they are all to be held like the gospel.
1) D. i. Refutations.
2) I.e. without, to get rid of. 3) D. i. poppies.
4. here I say, so it shall be, that all who blaspheme the Scriptures with their false glosses shall be smitten with their own sword (as Goliath) [1 Sam. 17, 51.]; for this true saying of Christ, here falsely introduced, is the very ground and armor of my sermon, and alone enough to disgrace all the blasphemers and revilers. So I prove: Christ's teachings are divine words, therefore it is forbidden, not only to this blasphemer, but also to all angels in heaven [Gal. 1, 8], to change a letter of it; because it is written [Job 33, 14.]: "God Himself does not revoke what He once said"; and in the Psalter [119, 89.]: "Your word, Lord, remains forever"; and Matth. 5, 18.: "Not a speck of a least letter shall pass away from the commandment of God, it must all come to pass."
5. But since the holy father, the pope, walks and puts on repentance and satisfaction, it is evident that this cannot be the repentance which Christ puts on in this word of his, which the holy father, the pope, is more obliged to put on than any Christian; but it must be which the h[ater] V[ater] P[abst] and Church lay up in their word; otherwise the h[ater] V[ater] P[abst] and Church would be destroyers of the divine word. Behold now how these publishers 4) have put on the h[eilige]
4) D. i. rebuttal.
*) In 1518 itself, as well as in the following years, this manuscript was often printed separately, twice by Joh. Grüneberg in Wittenberg in 1518 and once in 1520; twice by Wolfgang Stöcke in Leipzig; once by Valentin Schumann in Lerpzig, twice by Jobst Gutknecht in Nuremberg; once by Friedr. Peipus in Nuremberg and twice by Jörgen Nadler in Augsburg. - In the complete editions, the writing is in the German Wittenberg collection (vol. IX, toi. 27), in the German Jenaer (vol. I, toi. 59), in the Altenburger (vol. I, p. 58), in the Leipziger (vol. XVII, p. 132), in the Erlanger (vol. 27, p. 10) and finally in the Weimarsche kritische Ausgabe (vol. I, p. 383), whose text the present revised edition has followed. It also went into other works Über, so in Löscher's Reformation Acta (Vol. I, p. 525), Kapp's collection (p. 364) 2c
They honor the Father with their unchristian flattery by blaming him (yet with great honors and offerings) for breaking God's commandment, saying, "He indulges in the satisfaction that is commanded and laid up in the word of Christ. From this it follows that indulgences are nothing but lies and deceptions, since they presume to forbear and forgive, which they have no power to do.
6) Secondly, that he introduces so many thousands of teachers, he has not considered them properly, and raised the computational pennies too high, otherwise he would not have found them much above three, namely St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, Magister Sententiarum, Alexander de Halis; the others as Antonius, Peter Paluditanus, Augustus Anconanus, Angelus and the like are nothing. Bonaventure, Magister Sententiarum, Alexander de Halis; the others, as Antonius, Petrus Paluditanus, Augustinus Anconanus, Angelus, and the like, are nothing but fathers and followers; besides, there is none among all these who speak or prove that the indulgenced satisfaction is that which Christ commanded. And he that saith otherwise saith his own, with violence and dishonor to them.
(7) Also, great violence and injustice is done to the same holy and worthy teachers by the blasphemers and publishers, that they proclaim as established and well-founded truth what the dear fathers considered and spoke as opinion and uncertain delusion, and in addition, with mere words, without all proof; indeed, they could not have spoken more than opinion, since not with them, but with the common Council, is the authority to finally declare the truth that is spoken without Scripture.
(8) Because such blasphemers of the dear fathers brew their own presumptuous conclusions into one another, it is no wonder that they make us a sod that makes one dread.
9 Thirdly: If so many, and even more thousands, and they, all holy teachers, would have held this or that, they are not valid against a certain saying of the holy scripture, when St. Paul says to the Galatians [1, 8.]: "If an angel from heaven or we ourselves preached to you differently than you heard [before], let it be to you a thing of confusion." Now if the same teachers had said the same thing (which they do not),
that repentance, commanded in Christ's words, would be put away by indulgences, they should not be believed at all, because the Scripture says: "No one may put away or change God's word.
(10) But the blasphemers seek only this, that by the name of many doctors they may make their false preaching to be believed, whether they also should tear up the Scriptures concerning it. And if a man understands no more of the Scriptures than this blasphemer, it behooves him to abstain from writing his blasphemy, and to learn the gospel aright.
II. The other reason is that both indicate. New and Old Testament that God demands satisfaction for sin, as is found in Deut. 25, 2. 3. St. Gregory also says that Christ prescribes a vile remedy for every vice. Item, since David sinned with adultery and counting people, he had to suffer punishment for it and the repentance was not enough [2 Sam. 12, 14. ff. 24, 12. ff.].
12 Here I complain that it is a miserable pity that one must suffer from such a sacrilegious blasphemer, who thus tears up the Scriptures. Oh, if he had only wronged me and called me a heretic, an apostate, a rebel, and according to all the pleasure of his displeasure, I would gladly have it and never become hostile to him, yes, I would kindly plead for him; but this is in no way to suffer, that he does not treat the Scriptures, our comfort, differently, but like a sow treats a sack of horseradish. Let us see this.
13) To the first he says: Both testaments give that satisfaction is demanded from God, and does not quote a sentence from the New Testament, but only the one from the 25th chapter of the 5th book of Moses of the Old Testament, and thus wants to have made a noise as if it were both testaments. For this the saying of the Old Testament is abrogated in the New Testament by Christ Himself Matth. 5, 38. 39.: "You have heard that it was said" (hear Deut. 19, 21.): "An eye for an eye. But I command you that ye resist not evil, nor him that harmeth you."
14. also the same saying is not given that God demands satisfaction by it, but rather that the
The New Testament sets a rule how far men should take revenge among themselves, so that they do not do too much, until the New Testament stops the revenge altogether; as clearly St. Augustine says about the same text, and the text itself gives. Now behold, dear man, how this blasphemer introduces the saying not only without understanding, but also against the Gospel; nor do they want to burn all heretics and throb the heavens.
15 Secondly, the saying of St. Gregory. Gregory, which clearly says of the penance taught by Christ, which is a remedy for sin, that whoever was unchaste before should now be chaste; whoever stole before should now be so mild as to give his own 2c: These divine commandments, indicated by Gregory, he drags with his hair, that his rinds crack, to the penance, which the pope can make, and does not consider, that he is not only a heretic, but nonsensical, who thinks, that the h[ater] pope makes chastity, fatigue 2c, that is, the satisfaction taught by Christ, which nevertheless followed from his introduction. Also, the laity know better, who say: Never do is the highest penance. And this is true in the sight of God, who demands no more than the highest penance, that is, never to do it.
(16) Thirdly, I would like to know where St. Augustine says that God demands convenient pardon. And if this is testified to, I say, as before, this same satisfaction is not made up for by any indulgence, but is counted as a penal chastisement imposed by God.
(17) Fourthly, that David was punished for his sin is for me; for I have said in the seventh article of the German Sermon that God lays out the punishment, and no one can take it off. Therefore the Scripture is crucified again, and the punishment of David is drawn into the atonement, which the father P[abst] may lay aside. This is man's talk; for the same seventh article plainly declares me to deny the third part of the atonement; not the good works commanded by God, or the sufferings and punishment; but the atonement or satisfaction which the indulgence may make; which, I say, no one will prove from Scripture to be required by God;
but he commands this to the Holy Father and the Church, as he says to St. Peter [Matth. 16, 19.]: "What you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you loose shall be loosed" 2c
18 The Holy Father Pope has full power, not to do all things, as the harmful flatterers say, which are necessary for man's salvation, because Christ would be excluded by the words, but he has the power to absolve all sins that are confessed; but he does not have the power to fall into God's judgment and counsel, therefore he may not put away chastisements, if God or divine justice interprets them. For he did not say to St. Peter, "What I bind, you shall loose"; but, "What you loose, you shall be loosed." From this it does not follow that my binding is therefore also loose; but your binding is loose. But our publishers have taken away from them the power to judge the Scriptures according to their head. Therefore they do not understand what is inside, but what they want. Can no bishop loose what the pope binds; how then do the harmful flatterers presume to seduce the pope and the church with him in such a way that he refrains from loosening what his God binds, when he has immeasurably less power in God's power than a bishop in his own power?
(19) Therefore, all those who say that through indulgences the chastisement or work of satisfaction imposed by God may be put away are mistaken and deceptive, and want to mix the power of the church with the power of God, and invent new words for us every day, claves excellentiae, claves autoritatis, claves ministrabiles [keys of privilege, keys of power, keys of office], as long as they empty all our bags and chests, and then unlock hell and shut heaven.
The third reason that he says: The customs and practices of the church are to be considered a law, because Christianity needs indulgences 2c: "I say that what is true, what is custom and practice in Christianity, is the same as the commandment of the church; but it is understood by the good and not by the evil.
21 Secondly, the Roman Church has
1) D. i. of the pope.
The Church has never had in practice that indulgences save souls and redeem sinners from torment or satisfaction, imposed by God; but, as the insolent quaestors want to frighten people like young children, they strive to make their words be God's word and their 1) abuse be the custom of the Christian Church; also the spiritual law says that such sermons are lies; c. c. abusionibus verb. mendaciter. Glo. etc. Compare the gloss to the chapter Abusionibus at the word mendaciter]. 2)
(22) The fourth reason: He who gives indulgences does better than he who gives alms to a poor person who is not in dire need. Here watch and let God have mercy on you, that is what the teachers of the Christian people say. Now it is not terrible to hear how the Turks dishonor our church and cross; we have with us a hundred times worse Turks, who so blasphemously destroy the only sanctuary, the Word of God, which sanctifies all things. John, the holy apostle, says: "If a man sees his brother in need or in distress, and shuts up his charity from him, how can the love of God abide in him? [1 John 3:17.]
23. over this text comes this blasphemer and misplaces, yes, injures and puts away over a thousand miles with such a gloss: the dying or need-suffering is to be understood from the last need.
(24) I must be impatient here with displeasure and call out that the gloss has been introduced by the devil, or has fallen out of an unchristian, Jewish, or ever thoughtless mind of someone. If a Christian man should not help another sooner than in the last need, then never ever or in many years not once will the other be helped. Christian love will not be as good as 3) friendship among animals. Oh God! Must your word be mastered in this way? Well, we have more of these little pieces from our dream preachers.
(25) Now let him who follows this publisher beware that he does not feed the
1) D. i. of the same.
2) This chapter is the second in the 5th book of the Clementines, title 9.
3) In the original: thus.
Clothe the hungry, clothe the naked, they come into the last distresses, that their soul runs out and [they] need his charity no longer. Right, right, such teachers' works should not be worth anything else, except that they happen because they are unnecessary.
(26) Against the damning and seductive gloss, we should know that need or want is called any need or want; just as Christ fetched the donkeys and said, "They are in need of the Lord," that is, he needs them (Matth. 21:3). Therefore one should understand the need, that it remains according to the word of Christ: "If your brother is allowed to borrow, lend to him without any charge" [Luc. 6, 34.). Now borrowing is not the last, nor the middle, but the first need. The need should also be in accordance with the commandment: "Do to others as you would have them do to you" [Matth. 7, 12]. Now no one wants him to be allowed to come to the last hardships; how then could St. John have allowed them? From Aristotle's quiver flew the gloss, in which they learn necessitatem and other words, only to corrupt the holy scripture.
(27) Above all, brotherly Christian love does not wait until there is need; therefore John punishes them for letting it become need. Further it is to be known that the Scripture says: "Love covers all multitude of sins" [1 Petr. 4, 8. Prov. 10, 12.); and Christ: "What is above you, give alms, and all things are clean" or forgiven [Luc. 11, 41.), and Daniel [4, 24.): "Redeem your sin with alms."
(28) No preacher of grace likes to preach these and similar sayings, nor do they like to hear them preached to the people. For it follows that indulgences are not needed by anyone, and that much better indulgences could be obtained through works of charity and almsgiving; but this would not fill the coffers.
29 These subtle publishers have nevertheless learned so much from Aristotle's distinction that they take it for granted that an alms or good work done to one's neighbor is not properly self-love, and does not seek its own salvation first, but must first redeem indulgences, and thus have mercy on itself first. If Christ is not true God
I think he would have long since such our theologians let devour the earth.
30. first: Daniel teaches the king of Babylon, he should solve his sin with alms; so also says the wise man Sirach [3, 33.: "As water extinguishes a burning fire, so alms extinguishes sin" 2c.]. To this Christ says: "Give alms, and all is clean unto you." Now there is no nobler way to love oneself and be blessed than to remove sin and make oneself pure; and this is what Christ himself calls almsgiving.
31 To the other: Now watch and hold it against one another. Christ says: Giving alms to one's neighbor takes away sorrow and guilt, and makes all things pure, and this must ever be the very best and first love of oneself and one's blessedness; as now said.
The publishers say: The indulgence takes away only the chastisement; that must ever be the least love of itself, and not necessary nor required; also so much less, as temporal chastisement is less, than guilt of eternal chastisement. Nevertheless, they 1) say without fear and shame that he who follows their doctrine and not Christ's doctrine loves himself properly. For the alms that redeems chastisement and guilt, as Christ says, they put behind the alms that redeems only a little temporal chastisement by indulgence, and is not necessary, nor commanded. These are our dear Christian publishers, who thoroughly introduce the Scriptures; yes, into the abyss of hell with themselves and all who adhere to them.
Third, this is a false love, which first seeks itself in itself. For St. Gregory says that divine love cannot exist in itself, but must reach out to another. And the same loving makes pure; as also St. James [5, 20.] says that "love covers all sin." Therefore he that would love himself must go out of himself, and love himself not in himself, but in another; that is, he must hate himself in himself, and suffer himself, and love all others; as Christ teaches us by words and works.
34 Therefore, it is to be feared that whoever ab-
1) I. e. they may --- they dare.
The people seek only to flee the chastisement, and thus love themselves in it, and give it not for love but for fear. And our preachers of indulgences want to drive the people into fear with their terror and grandstanding of chastisement and indulgences; if they were to drive out chastisement and make it contemptible, if they wanted to preach Christianity, they would also have to admit money.
35 Fourth: Now it is to be noted whether I have rightly introduced the saying of St. Paul in the 16th article, when I said: One should help the neighbor first and then build our churches with us first and at last redeem indulgences. For 2) St. Paul says: "He who does not do good to his fellow men is worse than a heathen", 1 Tim. 5, 8. The publishers should have considered this better, so that they would not be ridiculed with their unchristian and heretical publishing.
The fifth reason is about the altars and churches in Rome, in which souls are redeemed with masses, and the holy popes tolerate this, and in addition St. Thomas confirms in such doctrine of popes 2c Here I say: it is true that in Rome some consider it, and I myself said more than one mass there for the souls. I have repented of the faith 3) because I have learned that there is no proof or confirmation of it, so that one may exist honestly, and even in Rome they do not pay much attention to it.
37 Secondly: Since there is no commandment to believe the same [indulgence], nor can there be a commandment that it must be redeemed and sought, therefore there is no merit in it, for where there is no obedience, there is no merit; but where there is no commandment, there is no obedience, - it is better to remain with what is certain and meritorious, to pray for it by good works: Nor am I in any doubt that the mass said for souls is better and more powerful to redeem souls than the indulgences sought by masses.
38 Thirdly: To such great perilous article a Christian publisher should introduce the Scripture, Spiritual Right or Fair Reason. For what is at Rome or otherwise-
2) In the original: When.
3) In the original: repent.
If the church decides that indulgences will save souls, I will not do so, lest I deceive myself and the poor with me. Therefore, if the church decides, I will believe that indulgences save souls; however, I will refrain from the sacrilege, so that I do not deceive myself and the poor souls with me.
39 Also, as said above, spiritual law is a lie, and no priest has ever been subject to it; and it is to be hoped that Christ will not let anyone fall so low as to take it from him, because he himself has taken it from him and reserved it for him, as he says to Petro: "What you loose on earth shall be loosed" [Matth. 16, 19]. But the souls are no longer on earth. And even though some took it upon themselves to flatter the pope, to drag this saying under the earth as well, they are still God's words and so evident that they have remained and will remain. For they are not only over St. Peter and Paul and all the popes, but also over all the angels, yes, even over the humanity of Christ Himself, when He says: "My words are not My words, but the words of Him who sent Me" [John 14:24].
40 Fourthly, that St. Thomas is confirmed, I let it be; but one knows in all universities how far the confirmation extends. Therefore, what the holy father proves with Scripture or reason, I accept: the other I let be his good delusion.
41. fifth: Is not this true, that the indulgence is of the number of things that belong to blessedness and faith. Therefore, whether the pope tolerates this is not a miracle, so unfortunately! probably greater evil pieces and tricks outside and inside Rome are tolerated.
(42) And that I say more, because the apostle saith, that the things which are lawful are not profitable unto salvation, but those things which are commanded: it followeth that he is sure who regardeth not indulgences at all, and he is uncertain who regardeth indulgences greatly. For the former may easily err in the same, the latter cannot err. For the farther from what is allowed, and nearer to the commandments, the safer beings. For obedience is certain; freedom is dangerous.
1) D. i. excluded.
The sixth reason: that I reject the Doctores scholasticos unreasonably, as if they were not enough. To fortify a sermon 2c, that I have done, not that I reject them altogether, for they have done theirs; but their opinion: and especially for the sake of the publishers, who think to press me with the same, and yet do not introduce them, since they are tried with Scripture and reason, but since they are most nasty and sickly, as here in the matter of indulgences. For this reason I have said: "with their opinions", to express that I want to have them well with scriptures and reason. For in sermons one should let opinion be opinion and preach the word of God, as God has commanded us through St. Paul, that one should not teach fables, but the Scriptures, inspired from above [1 Tim. 4, 7. 2 Tim. 3, 16.].
44. at the last, when he has grown weary of torturing the Scriptures, or perhaps no longer knew, the weather passes over me, and there I am an arch-heretic, heretic, apostate, erring, sacrilegious, unbeliever 2c To this I answer: God give me and you His grace, Amen.
(45) These publishers are such corrupt disciples that they have not learned all their days what is called heretics in Latin, or heresy in German; and yet they presume to preach Scripture and to distribute heresy. For a heretic is one who does not believe the things that are necessary and commanded to be believed. Since they themselves confess, and it is true, that indulgences are not commanded, nor are they necessary for salvation, it is not possible for anyone to be a heretic, to despise, omit, 2) or to contradict indulgences as he pleases; which I have not done, but have placed only among the good works in his order 3). If then such publishers do not know the Scriptures, do not understand Latin and German, and so blasphemously reproach me, I must feel as if a rough donkey were shouting at me; yes, I am happy and should be sorry that such people call me a pious Christian.
46. but that he was my cane, dungeon,
2) In the original: vorlaß.
3) D. i. order.
1) I poor brother cannot refuse water and fire. However, also for himself, my faithful advice would be to offer himself with modesty to the vine water and to the fire smoking from the roasted geese, which he is better accustomed to.
47 Should not a Christian man be displeased that one should first of all so childishly and mockingly intend to frighten people with bodily fire and death, if it is a terribly serious thing (as in the 49th Psalm) to err in the interpretation of the Scriptures and to deceive people, so that it means hellish fire and eternal death for the same blasphemers? Therefore, whoever has such a hard forehead that he himself is not frightened by such cruel and unmistakable wrath of God, may well keep quiet about frightening others with human wrath in unnecessary matters.
48 However, although this matter does not touch faith, blessedness, need or commandment, and they are so godly and love-loving to burn heretics even in such unnecessary, unheretical matters: so forgive me, my gracious God and Father, that to the mockery of all honor that is not yours, I may also defy one against my Baalites.
49. Here I am in Wittenberg, Doctor Martinus Luther, Augustinian, and if there is a heretic who is bent on eating iron and tearing rocks, I let him know that he has safe conduct, open gates, free lodging and food in it, through the gracious promise of the laudable and Christian prince, Duke Frederick, Elector of Saxony 2c Thereby also the blasphemers may notice that the same Christian prince is not, as they would like to lie and revile in their last drunken positions 2), the one who, to the detriment of Christian truth, wants to protect me or someone in heretical authority, also in these things, since heresy may never be inside.
50. he also complains that my sermon brings great offense and contempt to the See of Rome, to the faith, to the sacrament, to the teachers of Scripture 2c I know all this
1) I.e. offers for exchange.
2) Namely in the 47th and 48th thesis of Tetzel's second disputation.
not to be understood otherwise, for thus: The sky will still fall today, and will be no old pot tomorrow whole.
51 But to remind the poor people who have a weak and erroneous memory before the great business of the holy indulgence, I say, as before: the indulgence is not commanded, not necessary, and nothing is attached to it for salvation, even if no one respects it, as he himself said and must say.
52 For this reason it is not possible for error or misery to occur in contempt of indulgences; but cruel error may occur in contempt of indulgences, as well as in other free, unbidden indulgences. For there must be trouble in things that are necessary to salvation. Thus it follows that not for the love of souls, but for our honor and benefit, we would like our unnecessary, unbidden words to be understood and called church, pope, scripture, sacrament, teacher, faith, and we alone to be all necessary and commanded things, and without us nothing, and thus our annoyance of all things would be annoyance. So also the Jews were angry with Christ, but he says: "Let them go, they are blind and lead the blind" [Matth. 15, 14].
53. besides, notice that these publishers blaspheme the Scriptures and make God lie in His words, that is, mend and honor Christianity. But that one teaches how indulgences are not necessary to solve, yes, that it is not fair to scam money from poor people: that is to dishonor the church and sacrament and to annoy Christians. I say this so that one may understand their language and the new red forgery.
54 He also wants to urge me to more appearance of his nobility, to offer my sermon on knowledge of papal holiness 2c I say: I do not need any riveting root, I also do not have such big snouts that I do not smell that. But it shall not last long, I will offer my matter, perhaps more than they should like.
55 Now let this be enough, that it is not necessary to burden papal holiness and the Roman See with unnecessary sermons, unless a wooden chair were empty; much less with revealed texts of Scripture, by which the Holy Spirit can be read.
whole of Christendom preached and understood with one accord.
56. his positions, of which he boasts to receive at Frankfurt, of which also the sun and the moon are astonished by the great light of their wisdom, I consider the several parts to be truth, without that I would well suffer that, where it says: docendi sunt Christiani [i.e. the Christians are to be taught], that there would be: docendi sunt Quaestores et haere.
ticae pravitatis Inquisitores [i.e., the quaestors and judges of heresy are to be taught].
Help, God, the truth alone and no one else, Amen.
I do not presume to fly over the tall firs; neither do I despair, I may crawl over the barren grass.
1) In the original: flihen.