Anno 1521.
Preface.
In order that the Germans may also see how the theologians, not only in Germany but in all countries, have gone insane as if by a common plague, I myself have translated the verdict of Paris that went out against me, thinking it was not necessary to answer them. They are all so blinded that they cannot understand what is desired of them. I have not desired to know from them what their opinion is.
I ask for the reason of their opinion from the holy scripture; so the dear larvae go along, and instead of the reason they show what they hold as if no one had known it before. I ask for the reason of their opinion from the holy scripture; so the dear larvae go along, and instead of the reason they show what they think, as if no one had known that before. And proceed right here, as if I asked them: Where does Paris come from? and they answered me: Paris is a city; therewith my question should be answered. If these are not darknesses that one may grasp, then I do not know what darknesses are.
*) This writing appeared (after the first edition in Paris) first in Latin in 1521 in a separate edition in Wittenberg under the title: Determinativ HieoioZieae Daenltatis kurisieusis super cloetrina Dutüermna Iiaetenus per eam visa. ^poIoZia pro Dutüero aäversus äeeretum Darisiensium. The Apology is written by Melanchthon and attached to this edition organized by him. Luther received this verdict of the Parisians together with Melanchthon's protective writing at Wartburg Castle in July 1521. He himself wrote a preface and an epilogue to it, translated both writings into German and had already finished this work in the month of August. This translation appeared in Wittenberg in 1521 under the title: Ein Urtheil der Theologen zu Paris über die Lehre Luthers. A counter-judgment Doctor Lutheri. Schutzrede Philippi Melanchthon gegen dasselbe Parisisch Urtheil für D. Luther. A second edition appeared in 1522. - In Latin, this "writing is found in the Jena edition, Dom. II, toi. 443; the Schutzschrift toi. 451; in the Wittenberg edition, Dom. II, toi. 194; the Schutzschrift toi. 202; in the Erlangen, opv. var. urZ. Vol. VI, p. 30; the Schutzrede p. 58. German is this writing in the Wittenberg (1554), Vol. VII, toi. 177; Melanchthon's Schutzrede toi. 186 d; in the Jena (without the Schutzrede), vol. I, t<^. 539; in the Altenburger, vol. I, p. 825; the Schutzrede, p. 836; in the Leipziger, vol. XVII, p. 658; the Schutzrede p. 671; in the Erlanger (without the Schutzrede), vol. 27, p. 379. We have reproduced the text according to the Erlanger edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Jena, as well as the Latin.
The Dean and Doctores of the Holy Scriptures of the University of Paris, salvation to all believers in Christ, with pure love of the truth.
Saint Paul, the chosen barrel, and evangelical trumpeter and teacher of the Gentiles, when he instructs his disciple Timothy that he should show himself before God [as] a workman who should not be ashamed of his work, but was proven, he admonishes him that he should avoid unspiritual and useless talk, because these almost 1) help the godless being. For where it has once been caught, the poison creeps on, and the freshness of Christian doctrine corrupts; for the doctrine of the heretics, where it takes hold of the hearts of the simple, continues to creep on all the time, and through deceitful entanglement of error, as through a tough bird's glue, wraps it up, and in time plunges it from the truth, into all too ungodly a being, and like the plague called cancer, it creeps on; which, when it seizes a living body, does not cease to take the next with it, until it corrupts it altogether. Many examples of these things can easily be told. For when the Christian church, the bride of Christ, was still young and began to flourish, there arose lying men and ungodly men, who, having fallen away from the truth, undertook to overthrow her faith; as there were Hermogenes, Philetus, Hymenaeus, and after them Ebion, Marcion, Apelles; then Sabellius, Arius, Manichaeus; But since it has grown old, and now hard before our times, Waldo, Wicleff, John Hus; so also in our times from the same generation of vipers have gone out, alas, evil children, who strive to break the bond of unity of the beautiful mother, who has neither spot nor wrinkle. Truly, they are like the young viper snakes. For just as they devour their mother's womb, and do not come out until they have killed the mother; so these also, by the deadly poison of their doctrine and pestilential poison, and many a fruit of their new little feet, in order that they may be esteemed to help and honor their mother, the church, they rather kill her as much as is in them, even though she is immortal. And even though they are the maidservant's and illegitimate children, yes, the devil's spawn, they do not suffer the free legitimate children of the mother, the church, until they poison them with their poisonous doctrines and pierce them with their 2) lost arrows; 3) only do diligence, as they have done the
3) Thus the Jena edition instead of: "durchquellen" in the Wittenberg; in Lat.: eoutorgusaut.
The beauty and adornment of the mother stain and spoil. Whose face is and always will be full of favor and the most beautiful adornment. For she is as a queen standing at the right hand of her bridegroom, in a golden robe, surrounded with the covenant 4) of laws, ceremonies, sacraments, and all goods,a ) which are useful for this and eternal life. Therefore, they do not stop tearing them apart with their poisonous writings and speeches, and work as diligently as possible to disguise them.
a) "Mark, the goods of this life." - This and the following annotations marked with letters are marginal glosses, which are attached in the original, but can also be found in the Wittenberg and Jena editions.
Among them is one, probably the most distinguished, called Martin Luther; as much as may be inferred from many of his writings that have gone out under his name, so otherwise the title is to be believed. The same, like the transgressor Ahiel, who rebuilt the city of Jericho against the banishment of Joshua, he also wants to reestablish the aforementioned heretic doctrine, reinvented[e] for this purpose. And because he has not learned to be moderately wise, he alone misses knowing more than all others who are and have been in the church. For he has been so bold that he has set his conceit before all universities;b ) in addition, he despises the old and holy teachers of the church sayings; and that he increases the heap of his ungodly being, he means to make the statutes of the holy concilia lame; just as if God alone had reserved for a Luther the things that are necessary to the believers for salvation, which the church in former times would not have known; and just as if Christ had left his bride until this time in darkness and blindness of error. O a godless and impudent presumption, which one should have overcome with dungeon, banishment, even with fire and flames, more than with reason.
b) "A great sin to act against the universities. Take yourselves by the nose, dear Parisians, for all your studying is that you daily bring forth new things that have never been heard before." - Thus the Jena edition; in the original instead of "Parisians" "priests", in the Wittenberg edition: "Pharisees".
Is it not true that he who holds and writes in this way denies the essentials of the Christian faith and openly confesses a godless nature? c) Is it not true that he confesses himself to be a godless and unbeliever, who denies the common faith, the holy teachers of the church and the sacred teachings?
4) Bundwerk, an edging with various kinds of fur.
The people who refuse to believe in the Christian church. Whom will he believe who refuses to believe the Christian church? Or how can he be considered Christian who does not hear the church? For it has been said from the mouth of truth: If he does not hear the church, he is to you as a heathen and a public. 1)
c) "When [i.e. egg! Just look], dear children, how the angry dean of Paris lies that [it] stinks."
But this is a real nonsense of the heretics,d ) that they force the Scriptures according to their will, and think that they alone have it, they alone walk according to the true Gospel, they alone will be saved, and that they seduce with themselves in false skill, and do not want to accept any teacher, however holy or learned he may be, yes, not even the church's sentence or decision, contrary to their understanding, which they have once presented to themselves in the Scriptures. This is proven by the nonsensical Montanus with his Prisca and Maximilla, who believed in the most un-Christian way that the future of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled in him, more than in the apostles. Likewise the unchristian Manichaeus, who, seduced by the vanity of Lucifer, became such a fool that he called himself the Holy Spirit sent by Christ. So also Secundinus, the same disciple of Manichaeus, who was allowed to freely say that Augustine and other Christians were mistaken, and pretended to pity Augustine, and wrote that he did not know what he should answer before the eternal judge, if he left Manichaeus. Such is the way of heretics. But because they do not want to hear the church (e ), and do not allow them to submit their necks to the gentle yoke of Christian chastisement; therefore, by deception of lying and erroneous spirits, they fall into public error, and instead of faith they teach accursed blasphemies.
d) "That is, of the theologians to Paris."
e) "Merk, die Kirch auf Pariser Sprach heißt der Dechant zu Paris in der hohen Schule."
Which all proves more clearly than the light of Luther, or who is the master of such books, which went out under his name; who, because he despises the church and the holy fathers' blessed teachings, he has become an arch-heretic, and a fully poisonous reviver of the old heresies. For where he teaches about free will, he follows the Manichaeans; in the repentance of sin, and what comes before, he follows the Hussites; in confession, the Viklefists; in the Ten Commandments, the Begards; in the punishment of heretics, the Cathars; in
1) D. i. Publican.
2) and evangelical councils to the Waldensians and Bohemians; in the oath he agrees with the heretics who rise up from the order of the apostles; in keeping the ceremonies of the old law he approaches the heresy of the Ebionites; In addition, from sacramental absolution, pardon, preparation for the sacrament of the altar, from sins, from the chastisements of purgatory, from the common conciliarities, he sows errors that are not to be suffered, and does not look at the Scriptures, but perverts them. He also speaks evil of the famous statutes of philosophy, of which he is ignorant, just as he speaks evil of the Christian church's authority and indulgences.
Above that, it was not enough for him to spit out such pestilential teachings, he also let a book go out, is the title right, which he called "Of the Babylonian Prison": it is full of so many errors that it could fairly be compared to the Alcoran. In it he strives with all the strength of his heart to bring back to light and awaken the old heresies, which have been extinguished and thoroughly rooted out, so that there was not one more sign, especially in the parts concerning the sacraments of the church. The same writer, whoever he may be, is a harmful enemy to the Church of Christ, and a cursed bringer back of the old blasphemies. For in the same book, by the same poet, the nonsensical errors of the Bohemians, the Albigensians, the Waldensians, the Heracleonites, the Pepucians, the Erians, the Lamperians, the Jovinianists, the Artotyrites, and other such desolate abominations are accepted, praised, and exalted. f)
f) "As the angry dean says to Paris, otherwise it's a lie."
Therefore, we have recognized that it behooves us to counteract with all our might such poisonous and growing errors, which increase more and more every day, and we have wanted to clarify what we think about this teaching,g ) and to proclaim our opinion about it to all Christians, so that (since God is before) the long-rejected, manifold un-Christian teaching does not continue to creep, as much as is in us; and that the deceitful teaching, emanating from the father of lies, does not poison the faithful people of God, we have diligently investigated through ourselves, and thoughtfully and willingly tried all the teaching attributed to Luther's name, and have certainly found out
2) Lat.: ecclksiastieorura, i.e. of the so-called spiritual goods.
3) I.e. the Albigensian.
and judged that it is full of cursed errors, especially in the parts concerning faith and morals, and is seductive to the simple-minded people and unbiddable to the teachers, 1) and unchristian to the Christian authority and to the whole order of the clergy, unruly, publicly ambiguous, contrary to the Holy Scriptures, and perverted and blasphemous to the Holy Spirit. h) Therefore, we consider them harmful to the Christian community, to be completely exterminated, and to be publicly commanded to the vengeful flames, and to drive the poet to public contradiction by all legal means.
g) "Right, methinks, not what the Scriptures think." h) "That is, in the angry dean of Paris."
In order that all this may be made clearer to everyone, we have arranged some articles from the same writings in an order, and placed our judgment next to them; in this we have followed our ancestors' way, which is not alien from the way that the apostles held to discussi ) For when a question was put to them about the keeping of the ceremonies of the old law, they expressed in few words what they held, and have shown no reason in writingk ) why they held so. Which way to speak, also the common Concilia care to keep; but what matters are recognized by us, especially which we now undertake to omit, are shown in the following register, according to which they belong together.
i) "Mark, Paris has vain apostles, and are like the first apostles."
k) "This you deny, they indicated the Holy Spirit, that they were certain from Christ's promises and sending."
A register of matters, from some of Luther's books, extracted by the theologians at Paris, and first, from the book of the Babylonian prison.
Of the Sacraments.
From the statutes of the church.
Of equality of works.
Of the vows.
From the divine being.
The material is drawn from the other books of the same Luther.
Of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Of repentance.
From confession.
1) I. e. insulting. Lat.: luzuM.
From absolution.
About the satisfaction.
Of those who go to the Sacrament.
From the certainty of the love had.
From the sins.
From the commandments.
From the Protestant Councils.
From the purgatory.
Of the Common Conciliis of the Church.
From the heretic punishment.
Of cessation of the old law.
From the war against the Turks.
Of the freedom of the clergy.
From the free will.
From the Philosophia and Schultheologia.
Articles from Luther's book called "Of the Babylonian Prison", collected and condemned by the theologians of Paris.
Martinus. The Sacraments Fund is a new thing.
Paris. This article, because it wants the sacraments to be recently invented by men and not instituted by Christ, is sacrilegious, unchristian, and publicly heretical.
Martinus. 2. the sacrament of consecration does not know the Church of Christ.
Paris. The article is heretical, and is an error of the poor of Lyon, the Albiger 2) and Wiklefists.
Martinus. All Christians have equal authority in preaching and in every sacrament.
4. the keys of the church are common to all.
All Christians are priests.
Paris. Each of these three articles is abortive to the clergy, and heretical, and is an error of the aforementioned heretics, including the Pepucians.
Martinus. 6. the Confirmation and the Holy Orders are not sacraments instituted by Christ.
Paris. This article is heretical, and in the first part an error of the Albiger and Wiklefists, in the other part of the Heraclionites.
Martinus. The mass is believed everywhere to be a sacrifice offered to God; therefore Christ is called a host of the altar. But the Gospel does not let the Mass be a sacrifice.
Paris. This article in its other part, namely: "the gospel leaves" 2c is unchristian and blasphemous in the holy gospel; and heretical, insofar as we use the little word measure, as St. Gregory.
2) D. i. Albigensians.
Martinus. 8. It is a public error that one confers or offers the mass for sin, for satisfaction, for the dead, or whatever 1) need of oneself or others.
Paris. This article is against the Christian Church, the Bride of Christ, scornful 2) and heretical, and is like the Erian heresy and the Artotyrian error.
There is no doubt that all the priests and monks of this time, with the bishops and all their superiors, are idolatrous, and walk in the most dangerous state, for ignorance, abuse and mockery of the Mass. .
Paris. This article is false and most vexatious, and mocks the whole spiritual state, set forth multiply and thorougly. And by pretending that no one is in the state of blessedness, because he agrees with such errors, he agrees with the unbelief of the Donatists, Asiatics, and Apostolics, who said that the Christian Church of God was only abiding with them.
Martinus. I firmly believe that the bread is the body of Christ, says Luther.
Paris. This belief of Luther's is inept, heretical, and condemned before time.
Martinus. It is unchristian and tyrannical to deny the laity both forms.
Paris. This article is erroneous, spurious, unchristian, and drawn from the damned error of the Bohemians.
Martinus. The Bohemians are not to be called heretics or peculiar, but the Romans.
Paris. This article is false, unchristian defense of the Bohemian unbelief, and is mockery of the Roman Church.
Martinus. Marriage is not a sacrament instituted by God, but invented by men in the Church.
Paris. This article is heretical and has long been condemned.
Martinus. 14. the union of man and woman, whether or not it is contrary to human law.
15 The priests are obliged to confirm all the marriages that are made against the Church or the pope's law, in which the pope may dispense, and which are not expressed in the Scriptures.
Paris. These two articles are false and abortive of the church's authority, and come from the damned error of the Waldensians.
Martinus. The whole power of the sacraments is faith.
1) I.e. any one.
2) Lat.: eontnmeliosn.
Paris. This article is abortive of the power of the sacraments of the New Testament and heretical.
Martinus. 17) What we think we receive, we certainly receive, the priest or sacramental minister does or does not do, scold 3) or curse.
Paris. This article is inept, and set from the wrong understanding of Scripture, and heretical.
Martinus. It is dangerous, even wrong, to think that repentance is the other table after the shipwreck.
Paris. This article is set freventlich, err, and foolishly, and to St. Jerome, who says so, unbiddable. 4)
Martinus. (19) If anyone confesses willingly or is punished, asks for mercy, and repents before any brother, I do not doubt that he is absolved of his sins.
Paris. This article, which indicates that the laity, man and woman, have power over the keys, is false, insulting to the sacraments of consecration and penance, and heretical, and agrees with the error of the Waldensians and Quintilians.
Bon the statutes of the church.
Martinus. Neither pope, nor bishop, nor any man has power to set a syllable over the Christian man, except with his full word. 5) What happens otherwise, happens from a tyrannical spirit.
Paris. This article prevents the subjects from dutiful submission and obedience to their superiors and prelates, and rebelliously breaks all human laws, and is erroneous in faith and morals, and is an error of the Waldenses, and agrees with the error of the Erians.
Of the equality of works.
Martinus. The works are nothing before God; or are all equal as far as the services are concerned.
Paris. This article is false and contrary to the holy scripture, and conforms to the error of the Jovinianists. >
Of the vows.
Martinus. 1. It is advisable that all vows be annulled or avoided.
Paris. This article is contrary to the teaching of Christ, and the holy fathers custom, who counsel the vows; and flows from the error of
3) D. i. do joke
4) D. i. dishonorable.
5) I. e. with his consent. Lat.: oovssnsu.
of the Lamperians, the Viklefists, and those who boasted of the Order of the Apostles.
Martinus. It is proven 1) that all vows are useless at this time, except for the glory of works and presumption.
Paris. This article is false, scornful of the monastic state]. and in agreement with the aforementioned errors.
Of the divine nature and form of the human body.
Martinus. In these last three hundred years, many things have been discussed badly, such as: The divine nature is not born, nor does it give birth. And that the soul is an essential form of the human body.
Paris. This article is wrongly and deliberately set by a man who is a stranger to the Christian Church, and is unbiddable to the common conciliis.
Articles drawn from Luther's other books, damned as above. And to the first from the
Conception of the Virgin Mary.
Martinus. The counter-article of this article: The Blessed Virgin Mary is conceived without original sin, is not rejected.
Paris. This article is false, ignorant and unchristian set Against the honor of the Immaculate Virgin.
About repentance and what comes before.
Martinus. 1. when the law is revealed or remembered, as soon as the increase of sins follows, where grace is not there.
Paris. This article, speaking of the grace that justifies, is false and far from the right understanding of Scripture, and is an obstacle to considering the divine law.
Martinus. The law before love works nothing but wrath, and increases sin.
Paris. This article is false, and offends the Christian ears, and blasphemes God and His laws, and does not agree with the opinion of St. Pauli.
Martinus. All works apart from love are sinful and damnable, and only unskillful for grace.
Paris. This article is false, freely set, and prevents sinners from their correction, and tastes like heresies.
Martinus. (4) He who teaches that one should do a good work or penance by hating sin.
1) I.e. It can be proved.
If a man is a sinner before the love of righteousness, and the same is not sin, he is to be counted among the Pelagians.
Paris. This article is wrongly and ignorantly placed when speaking of the love that follows after the divine love or grace that justifies.
Martinus. (5) The repentance that is prepared with the investigation, collection, and displeasure of sins, as one contemplates his days in bitterness of soul, moves the heaviness, multitude, and lowness of sins, and the loss of eternal blessedness, and gain of eternal damnation, this repentance makes a glutton, even more a sinner.
Paris. This article is false and hinders the way to repentance, and is unlike the holy scriptures and teachings of the holy fathers.
Martinus. Neither with fear nor with love can man rise to receive the grace of God.
Paris. This article is erroneous in faith and morals, unchristianly taking away all preparation for repentance.
Martinus. 7) Without 2) the grace that first remits the guilt, man may not have a will to seek forgiveness.
Paris. This article is false and unchristian, and leads sinners into despair.
Christ has never forced sinners to repent with fear.
Paris. This article, called "compel" as much as "lead," as it is often taken in Scripture, is heretical.
Martinus 9: Fear is good and useful, though not enough, through which in time a habit of righteousness is formed. 3) These words of Augustine are followed by Luther's conceit 4): This is (he says), as it seems to me, a habit to despair, and to hate God, if grace is excluded.
Paris. This conceit of Luther about the saying of Augustine: "fear is good" 2c, is wrong, sacrilegious and unchristian, if one calls grace, as above, for the justifying grace; as then this Luther does.
Martinus. (10) If St. John the Baptist had taught that fear was the beginning of repentance, it does not follow that repentance begins with fear.
2) In all German editions, probably erroneously, "In" instead of "An". Lat.: 8in6. In other writings of Luther, "an" occurs, i.e. without, e.g. Col. 296 of this volume.
3) That is, a purely external justice.
4) I.e., to believe; Latin: juäioium.
Paris. This article is publicly erroneous and mocking[er] in 1) the teaching of Christ and his forerunner, inspired by the Spirit. 1)
1) "Behold, what boys they are!"
From confession.
Martinus. 1. the art of confession, as hitherto we have been taught to count the sands, that is, to investigate, collect and move all sin, to make a repentance, is a useless art, even an art to despair and ruin souls.
Paris. This article is false, unchristian, cold, and too close to confession, which is an art of winning souls.
Martinus. The confession, which now happens secretly in an ear, may not be proven by divine law, and it has not been before.
Paris. This article's first piece is false, said out of ignorance of divine law. The other is freely put.
Martinus. 3) The spiritually broken 2) is to be opened to God alone, 3)
If it is ever necessary to confess the secret sin of the heart, people should confess only those who have been in the work of a full 4) will.
The sin against the last two commandments is to be done badly from the confession.
Paris. Each of these three is mistaken in faith and makes unchristian confession.
Martinus. Man shall in no wise undertake to confess his daily sin.
Paris. This contradiction, because it states that it is presumptuous to confess the daily sin, shows it 5) to a sacrilegious courage, withdraws from the good work; therefore it is harmful.
Martinus. We are not justified by works, penance or confession.
Paris. This article, speaking of good works not excluding the faith of Christ, is erroneous and contemptuous of penance and confession, and contrary to the right understanding of divine Scripture.
1) D. i. Wider.
2) In the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions: "Der Geistlich gespreche. In the Jena and Walch editions: "Der Geistlichen Gespräche. We assume that instead of "conversations" we read "Gepreste" or "Gepreche". This word is masculine in Luther.
3) I. e. Spiritual defect or lack is to be revealed to God alone. Lat.: Kxiritunlis äswotus 68t 8OÜ voo ux6ri6näu8.
4) That is, they should confess the sins they have been determined to commit.
5) In these two places, all German editions erroneously use "sie" instead of "es". This word refers to "Widerrathen" (6i8sua8io). The feminine gender of the Latin word may have caused the error.
From absolution.
Martinus. 1. Absolution is powerful, not because it happens, it happens by whom it may, he errs or does not err, but because it is believed.
2. believe firmly that you are absolved, then you are certainly absolved, be it for your repentance, as it may.
If it were possible that the one who confessed did not repent, or that the priest did not absolve him seriously, but in disgrace, 6) if he nevertheless believes that he is absolved, he is truly absolved.
Paris. These three articles, according to their writer, are false, unchristian, ignorant, and inappropriate to the right understanding of sacred Scripture; and that he says, "let it be done by whom it may, he errs or errs not," and that follows: "not seriously, but shamefully absolved," they are offensive to Christian ears, mock the sacrament of penance, and are contrary to the statutes of the common conciliarities.
Martinus. 4. every priest must absolve himself from chastisement and guilt, or he sins.
Paris. This article, according to its writer, is false and contrary to the custom and teaching of the common Christian Church in matters concerning the Sacrament of Penance.
About the satisfaction.
Martinus. 1. God forgives and always remits sin freely, 7) demands nothing from us in return, except that we may live well from now on.
Paris. This article is alien from the opinion of the holy teachers, and draws the faithful by a vain foolish confidence of guilty satisfaction for sin, and is heretical.
Martinus. The apostle's opinion is that guilt and chastisement cease at the same time.
The prophet condemns with knowledge and will the opinion of those who prove the satisfaction, because he says: If you had wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it; but in the sacrifice you have no pleasure. Ps. 51, v. 19.
The prophet Micah mocks them who want to do enough by works. Mich. 3, v. 11. Cap. 6, 6. 7.
Paris. The first article of these three is scornful against St. Paul; the second against the prophet; the third against Micah, and are all false, unchristian, and blasphemous in the Holy Spirit.
6) I.e. in jest.
7) Instead of "ablässt nach" in the editions: "abläßt".
946 Erl. S7,3SS-898. VI Luther's dispute with the theologians at Cologne 2c W. XVIII, 1129-1131. 947
Martinus. 5 Some boast that by the power of the keys the punishments required by divine justice are forgiven; I do not believe this to be true, and it will never be proven.
Paris. This article, in which he denies that by key power the punishments required by divine justice are forgiven, is false, annoying, and abortive of the key power. And since he says: "I do not believe that it is true, nor is it ever proved", he shows a sacrilegious and presumptuous mind.
Martinus. (6) It is a poem and a loose talk that some say that because the priest does not know the measure of the penitent's repentance, and therefore perhaps does not give as much penance as divine justice demands, it is therefore necessary to do enough for divine justice with one's own works or with indulgences.
Paris. This article is false, contrary to the custom and teaching of the Church, and paralyzes penitential repentance.
Martinus. The punishment by which God wants to punish sin may not be remitted by man or the pope.
Paris. This article is contrary, unchristian, and contrary to the authority given by Christ to the Church, and smacks of heresy.
To this matter is added an article of the Sacraments in common.
It is a heretical opinion that teaches that the sacraments of the New Testament give justifying grace to those who do not put a bar in front of them, since it is impossible to give the sacrament to those who already believe and are worthy. 1)
Paris. This article is wrongly, accidentally, and deliberately set.
Of those who go to the Sacrament.
Martinus. (1) A great and harmful error is when one goes to the sacrament, trusting that he has confessed, that he is not aware of any mortal sin, that he has said his prayer and preparation; all these eat and drink their damnation.
Paris. This article is unchristian, and too much of a hindrance to guilty readiness to receive the sacrament, and leads to despair,
1) I.e.: It is impossible that the sacrament is given only to believers and worthy ones; there will always be unbelievers and unworthy ones among the recipients.
and is contrary to the teaching of St. Paul, even the faithful in such trust do not exclude God's mercy.
Martinus. 2. the examination, so that a man investigates and moves his sin, belongs only to the coarse, hard despisers of this sacrament.
Paris. This article is freventlich and vermeßlich set, unchristian and annoying.
From the certainty of the love had.
Martinus. The theologians teach evil, since they teach that we do not know when we are in love.
Paris. This article, so that is understood, as the faith does not know for certain, 2) of which then this writer speaks, is false, disagreeing with the holy teachers and the right understanding of the Scriptures.
Martinus. (2) Let every Christian beware lest he be uncertain whether his works please God. For he who doubts sins, loses all his works, and labors in vain.
Paris. This counsel to speak of certainty, as stated above, is sacrilegious, harmful, and contrary to the Scriptures.
From the sins.
Martinus. 1. the justifier sins in all good works.
All good works done to the best of their ability are daily sin.
Paris. These articles are both false and offensive to Christian ears, and slander good works.
Martinus. 3. That we do not always repent and amend is a vice or infirmity.
Paris. This article, if the offense is called sin or guilt, as the opinion of the writer would have it, is false and unreasonable, and set from an erroneous understanding of Scripture.
Martinus. This is the most deadly of all mortal sins, if someone believes that he is not guilty of mortal, damnable sin before God.
Paris. This article is false, unchristian, and leads to despair, and smacks of heresy.
Martinus. The theologians, who teach according to their rule how daily sins are separated from mortal ones, want to lead people's consciences to nonsense in the most pernicious way.
Paris. This article is foolishly and deliberately set, too close to the holy teachers, and in suggesting that daily sins are not distinct from mortal ones, it is heretical.
2) Lat.: nesoiro osrtituäins üäsi " that one does not know it from the certainty of faith.
From the commandments.
Martinus. 1. He who denies that God has commanded us impossible things does evil, and he who says that it is false does more than evil.
Paris. This article is annoying, unchristian, and infamous to the Christian laws, and, as Augustine says, it is blasphemous in GOD.
Martinus. (2) The two last commandments of Moses alone are not fulfilled by anyone, however holy he may be; the others all fulfill them, but in these two they remain guilty and sinners, for they fulfill nothing in them.
Paris. This article is erroneous, unchristian, blasphemous to the laws and legislators, and disrespectful to the saints. 1)
Martinus. (3) All God's commandments are set more to rebuke past and present sin than to forbid future sin; for St. Paul says, "By the law we have no more than knowledge of sin. (Rom. 3, 30.)
Paris. This article in the first part is wrong, unjustified, and without reason. The other piece, that, as St. Paul says: "By the law" 2c is erroneous, contrary to the law and St. Paul's opinion.
Martinus. (4) Because no commandment is necessary to a man who has love, the commandment, "You shall keep the holiday holy," commands not works but rest.
5.. This third commandment, "Thou shalt keep the feast day holy," is abrogated, even all the commandments of the perfect Christian are abrogated: for to the righteous there is no commandment. (1 Tim. 1, 9.)
For the imperfect, whose old man is not yet dead, it is necessary that they be trained in certain works, days, 2) ways, such as watching, fasting, praying, chastening and the like, so that they may come to the perfection of the inner man. And when the body is mortified and brought into subjection, and the evil desires are killed, then the same exercises cease, and become so much less, as much as the inward man increases; so even that, when he becomes perfect, all shall fall away.
Paris. Each of these three articles is based on an erroneous understanding of Scripture, was rejected in the Concilio of Vienna against the Begards, and is heretical.
1) I.e. he does them shame.
2) In the Lat. dwdus; in the Erlangen edition instead "Ruhen"; in the Wittenberg and Jena "rugen", without preceding comma; "tagen" may easily have been read into "rügen".
From the Protestant Councils.
Martinus, 1. the word of Christ Matth. 5, V. 39: "He who strikes you on the right cheek" 2c and Rom. 12, V. 19: "You shall not defend yourselves. 2c are not counsels, as many theologians are seen to err, but are commandments.
Paris. This article is false, and all too complicates the Christian law 3), and is contrary to the right understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
Martinus. 2. Christians are forbidden to demand their rights before the court.
Paris. This article is wrong, annoying, contrary to divine and natural law.
Martinus. (3) Because a Christian should not love temporal goods, he should not swear for them.
Paris. This article is erroneous in manners, and smacks of heresy.
Martinus. The Jews are permitted to swear to the truth according to their will.
Paris. This article, if it is understood that "permitted" is as much as "fairly," is false, contrary to the divine commandment, and an old error of the Jews.
From Purgatory.
Martinus. 1. the whole holy scripture has nothing at all about purgatory.
Paris. This article is false, and almost increases the error of the Waldensians, and contradicts the opinion of the holy teachers.
Martinus. 2. it does not seem as if it is proven that the souls in purgatory are out of the state of merit or increasing love.
Paris. This article is false, unholy, and unchristian; and in that it pretends, "The souls in purgatory are beyond the state of merit or increasing love," it is erroneous in faith.
Martinus. 3. it does not seem as if it is proven that the souls in purgatory are sure and certain of their salvation all together.
Paris. This article is false and presumptuous; and in pretending that "the souls in purgatory are not certain of their blessedness," it is contrary to the tradition of the Church and the teaching of the saints.
Martinus. The souls in purgatory sin without ceasing as long as they refuse torment and desire rest: for they seek their own rather than God's will; this is contrary to love.
3) D. i. makes the Christian law all too burdensome.
950 Erl. 27,400-402. VI Luther's dispute with the theologians at Cologne 2c W. xvm, 1134-1136. 951
Paris. This article is false, unchristian, too close to the fairy souls and heretical.
Martinus. 5. the imperfect health or love of the dying has with it a great fear, and so much greater, so much smaller that is.
Martinus. The chastisement of the purgatory is terror and horror of hell and damnation.
Paris. These two articles are all false, unjustified and without reason.
Martinus. It is believable that the souls in purgatory, because of their horror, do not know in what state they are, damned or blessed; indeed, it seems to them how they are now going down to hell and damnation.
The souls in purgatory feel nothing but the lifting of their damnation, without yet feeling the gates of hell closed behind them.
Paris. These two articles are all wrong, offensive to Christian ears, wanton and unreasonable, and too close to the state in purgatory.
All souls who go to purgatory are imperfect in faith or health, nor would they be made perfect by putting away any chastisement unless sin, that is, imperfect faith, hope and love, were first taken away from them.
Paris. This article is wrong in all its parts, set in an unwarranted manner, and inconsistent with the right understanding of Scripture.
From the common conciliis.
Martinus. (1) A way has now been made for us to lame the power of the conciliationists, and freely to contradict their dealings, and to judge their statutes.
Paris. This article, if its author believes it to be quite contrary to the authority of a righteous concilii in matters concerning faith and morals, is spurious and heretical.
- Martinus. It is certain that among the articles of John Hus or the Bohemians there are many bad ones, 1) the most Christian and evangelical, which all of Christendom does not want to condemn.
Paris. This article, so he talks of the damned articles of which this writer wants is
1) I.e. simple, straightforward.
he wrong, unchristian, and too close to the holy conciliis.
Martinus. The two articles: "There is one holy Christian church, which is the gathering of the elect. Item: "The holy Christian church is only one, as only one number is of the elect", these are not [of] John Hus, but of St. Augustine super Johannem.
Paris. This article, according to the Hussite opinion, is falsely attributed to St. Augustine; but the articles, speaking of the contending church, of which it is said here, are heretical.
Martinus. The article: "the two natures, divinity and humanity, are One Christ", is to be admitted by the Christians. The same is also true of: "All human works are divided into two parts, that they are either good or evil. If a man is good and works, he does good. If he is evil and works, he does evil."
Paris. This article is false, and set out of ignorance of right theologia. But the first article, namely "the two natures" 2c is heretical. But the other, namely "all human works" 2c smacks of heresy.
From hope.
Martinus. Hope does not come from merit.
Paris. This article is false, leads to presumption, and is inconsistent with Scripture.
From the heretic punishment.
Martinus. Burning the heretics is against the will of the Spirit.
Paris. This article is false, set against the will of the Holy Spirit, and agrees with the error of the Cathars and Waldensians.
From attitude of the old law.
Martinus. All kinds of works of the old law may be done, if brotherly love demands it, and would not be done out of necessity of the law; in which case one may also circumcise himself without danger and with much merit. '
Paris. This article is hostile to Christian law, favorable to Jewish unbelief, and heretical.
From the war against the Turks.
Martinus. War against the Turks is God: Resist, who through them visit our wickedness.
Paris. This article, commonly understood, is false, and does not agree with the Scriptures.
Of the freedoms of the clergy.
Martinus. So emperors and princes revoked the freedom given to spiritual persons and their estates, one cannot resist them without sin and unchristian.
Paris. This article is false, un-Christian, spurious, and paralyzes spiritual freedom, awakening and disturbing 1) to the tyrannical un-Christian.
From the free will.
Martinus. 1. free will is not a master of its works.
Paris. This article is false, contrary to the sacred teachers and all moral teachings, in agreement with the Manichaean error, and is heretical.
Martinus. 2 The sophists chat in vain that a good work is entirely from God, but not entirely.
Paris. This article is too close to the holy teachers who put it, before Ambrose, Augustine and Bernard, whom he calls Sophists. And by pretending that good works are entirely of God, and in no way of free will, he is heretical.
Martinus. Free will, when it does what is in it, sins mortally.
Paris. This article is annoying, unchristian, erroneous in faith and morals.
Martinus. 4. free will before grace is good for nothing but to sin and not to atone. Ex Augustino de Spiritu et litera.
Paris. This article, if it understands by "grace" the justifying grace, of which the writer reports, is erroneous, according to the Manichaean error, far from the Holy Scriptures, drawn from Augustine in a perverse and piecemeal way.
Martinus. 5 Free will without grace, the more it strives to work, the more it approaches injustice; from Ambrose.
Paris. This article, understood by grace, as above, is false, offensive to Christian ears, and draws from good works, and is wrongly and piecemeal drawn from Ambrose.
From the philosophy and school theology.
Martinus. 1. the philosophy of Aristotle of the moral virtues, of the same
1) I. e. irritates.
Counter-measures, 2) of the deeds and inward deeds is such a thing, which cannot be taught to the people; is also no use to understand the Scriptures, because there is nothing more in it than word-grey, only invented in words for the purpose of quarreling.
Paris. This article in all his pieces is false, and is set as being by an enemy of the art, avoidable and incomprehensible 3) if one speaks of the philosophy of Aristotle; before in the things in which he does not disregard faith.
Martinus. 2) All moral virtue and visual arts 4) are not true virtues and arts, but error and sin.
Paris. This article in the first play, that the moral virtues are sin, is to be discussed as the one discussed above, since it says: "All works before love are sin." In the other piece, that "the visual arts are errors," it is publicly false.
Martinus. School theology is a false understanding of the Scriptures and sacraments, and has driven away from us the true true theology.
Paris. This article is false, impudent and arrogant, and hostile to right doctrine.
Martinus. In the sermons of Johannes Tauler, written in German, I find (says Luther) more pure and well-founded theology than is invented, or may be invented, in all the high schools of all school teachers, in all their high meaning writings.
Paris. This article, which Luther sets, is publicly frevelich.
Martinus. From the time when school theology, that is, false theology, began, the theology of the cross was interpreted and everything was reversed.
Paris. This article is wrongly, deliberately, and unreasonably placed, and is close to the damned error of the Bohemians.
Martinus. The Christian church has suffered the courage to tear up the Scriptures with inordinate damage from the school theologians for three hundred years now.
Paris. This article is set incorrectly, foolishly and maliciously.
Martinus. The school theologians lied badly that Aristotle's moral books are in agreement with Christ's and Paul's doctrine.
2) D. i. Object (ovjoeto).
3) I. e. unintelligent. Lat.: insixieEr.
4) I. e. contemplative or contemplative science; Latin: seisutias spoeulativas, to be understood especially of Aristotelian philosophy.
5) D. i. straight.
954 Erl. 27, 405-407. VI Luther's dispute with the theologians at Cologne 2c W. xvm, 113S-1141. 955
Paris. With this article, its writer lies to the school theologians impudently and falsely, which is not true; although it is sufficiently experienced that Aristotle's mores in many pieces agree with Christ's and Paul's doctrine.
For this is done also the article from his book of the Babylonian prison.
Martinus. In Dionysius, who wrote about the celestial hierarchy, there is almost nothing of thorough teaching, and all his things are poetry in the same book, and almost equal to dreams. But in the book of Mystica Theologia he is harmful, more Platonic than Christian. And in Ecclesiastica Hierarchia he plays with allegories; which is a study of idle men.
Paris. This article is wrongly, sacrilegiously, and deliberately set, and too close to the holy man of great art, whom Damascenus calls the divine Areopagita, a disciple of Paul, the most holy and the most eloquent in divine things.
The Decision.
We, the aforementioned deans and theologians, have investigated all of this for a long time and have diligently recorded what the holy teachers held in this regard, which would be forbidden in Scripture and in the concilia. After which research, which we have often held in the Sorbona, 1) we have summoned ours on their oath and held a meeting; there it was decided and discussed with a unanimous mind. Finally, to top it all off, we held a common meeting at St. Maturin, had it proclaimed once again at their oath, held it there after mass, [according to] our usual manner, and once again, with considerable approval, vowed, proved, and confirmed the same, also still vowing, proving, and confirming; and that one should hold such things unobjectionably 2) we discuss and order by this our judgment. This was done in the year 1521 on the 15th day of April. For which testimony 3) we have printed our seal on the open letters, which are kept in our boxes and stores for eternal remembrance. According to which copy these are faithfully printed from our order, we confess. Haec illi.
1) The university building in Paris. Cf. Tischreden, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, Cav. 67, § 4.
2) I.e. unshakable, without wavering.
3) I.e.: That is, the testimony.
Martin Luther's corollary speech.
Behold, Luther, write more books; go to Paris and get some rolls. Now do you know who you are? I mean, they once read you the right laudes? Do you still tickle the highly learned Magistri nostri? From now on you don't need a goat, a holhipler, 4) or a lottery boy. Now you see what our magistri are capable of when they get angry.
Well, what shall I do? If I say that the dean of Paris with his sophists are rude asses, I only give them cause to make an article out of it, and say: This article is false, foolish, sacrilegious, unchristian, propagandistic, erroneous, heretical, and too close to our Magistris nostris. What else can the angry lords of Paris do? Who could have imagined that there would be such children, such women, such fools in the school? I had ever wondered why the papists were so almost [very] ashamed of this booklet, and did not soon let it pass through all the presses.
Help God, what public lies are in there, how they pull my words after all their will, as if they were vain Emserböcke! That is not enough; where they do not find room to blaspheme me, they make room and force themselves inside, 5) saying: If Luther means it, if he wants it that way, if you take it this way, that way. Well, you burrowing asses of Paris! What saying in Scripture is not heretical, if one thus compels himself to it, rhymes, and wilfully pulls where one wants to go? I would like to say that Moses is a heretic, just as he says: God created heaven and earth, if he wanted to understand a sheep or an annual calf by creating.
Who has ever heard or read such arrogance that the asses of Paris compare themselves to the apostles and conciliis? And may write with an insolent brow: The apostles, without written cause, have judged; therefore they also want to do so: although they lie, and have not read the Scriptures through their eyes.
4) An expression that Emser had used against Luther. Cf. Luther's writing "an den Bock zu Leipzig" in this volume, paragraph 7, for the meaning.
5) I.e.: force themselves to do so.
Smoke hole considered. For the apostles have neither set nor acted without cause. But I will report their counsel in due time. My spirit has not been far from them, when they have pondered the wise counsel, why they would not show reason; and the very thing they feared shall seize them. Now let us see the new apostolic example.
But if each one may condemn the other, and it is not necessary for him to prove the reason, the right and the cause, then it is also true for me, and for each one as well as for the other, let us play a fine game. Each one condemn, curse, chase away, burn, kill the other, take away his wife, his child, and what he has, then speak, as the scholars of Paris teach us, it is the apostle's example, they have also acted without a proven reason and cause, be it enough that they think so well. Thanks be to you, scholars of Paris! Thank you, King Francis of France, that you feed the world with so much expense such teachers.
Now, I also want to use the new apostolic example and Parisian law, and first of all, I want to try the same new apostles and teachers, and I also want to make a judgment about them, as it seems to me, without reason and cause, and this shall be:
The high school of Paris at its highest part, which is called the Facultät Theologiä, is from the top to the heels vain snow-white leprosy, the right, last end-christian main heresy; a mother of all errors in Christendom; the greatest spiritual whore, which is shone by the sun, and the right back gate at hell. It is proclaimed that at the time of the end of Christ all heresies that have ever been shall come into one basic soup and destroy the world; this I have in mind to prove about Paris, the Pope's, the right end of Christ's, greatest whorehouse, and to show that they are worse than Montani[sten], Ebionites, and what they have called more heretics; whether God wills, they are, I would have desired long ago. For even though my dear Philip answered them masterfully, he touched them too gently and ran over them with a light plane. I see that I have to use the peasant's axes to cut over the rough blocks.
and they are right in the forest, otherwise they won't feel it. But I still don't want to act without reason.
But I cannot wonder enough what they have in mind, that among so many articles they do not remember the article of the papacy with a single letter; yet they persecute it, as the most distinguished, Sylvester, Eck, Rhadinus, Catharinus, Cologne, Löwen, and the two paper abusers at Leipzig 1) with all the papists, in the most outrageous way. They do not do it out of forgetfulness; for they have searched my writings so thoroughly that they have counted all my bones, and fence hard over the laws of men. So they do it also not from ignorance; because I have him 2) ever in my books de Captiv. Babyl. et Resolut. prop. 13., which they attract, as which they read and condemn, to good measure, that the pope and the papists cry murder over me, may have learned it only from such crying.
So I think they also condemn it; otherwise all their things would already be nothing, and there would be no good vein in them, if they considered it to be right, and they would keep quiet, would not threaten to testify to the truth, because they see such an uproar in the world rising above the one main article. For of the others there is as yet no tumult in the world, and the common man knows little about it. This will certainly be the reason why the papists do not like the verdict. For they see that their idol is abandoned even in it, and think: If Paris falls to the monk in the article, then Pope, Cologne, Louvain, and all the papists are too weak. In the same way, they abandon the poor wretched indulgence, which is the other most noble article, on which everything else has risen.
But they still think of their appeal. The pope has harmed them, so they want to take revenge on him and force him to plead with them, so that it will be said: No one but Paris has oppressed Luther. Therefore I will not have their votes; they do it for no love of truth. I will not be sworn with the boys, who have their
1) This probably refers to Emser and Alveld.
2) Wittenberg and Jena: "jnen".
958 Erl. 27, 409 f. VI Luther's dispute with the theologians at Cologne 2c W. XVHI, 1143-1145. 959
Let the Lord in hardships, not for the sake of God. And if I could with a good conscience, I would raise the papacy again to the defiance and suffering of the French perfidies. Well, there you have Sophists, Papists, Cologne, Louvain, Leipzig, the judgment of Paris; do a song dance about it, and be merry! You have lost your head, how finely you hop around with stockings. But in Latin, I hope, it shall come to day, what the boys are all looking for.
For my lords of Paris strive that they alone in the world may damn, set and do what they will, over friend and foe. Yes, dear donkeys, let you sit on the cushion and eat lampreys! If your belly gurgles and you leave a forz, urge us that it is an article of faith; then say that it seemed so to you and that it is the apostle's example. It is no longer valid to merely pass judgment, dear asses, as you have been accustomed to do until now; you have led the common man by the nose for so long, deprived him of body, property and soul with your teachings, that he can never suffer it, nor will, nor should, open his eyes, want to know the reason for your deception, which you have practiced under the name of the holy church, and are still practicing. The time is here that says: Speak rationem villicationis tuae. Luc. 16, 2.
However, I ask all who love Christ and are hostile to the end of Christ to be cheerful, to have good courage, to give thanks to God, and not to cease in their prayers for the holy gospel. We see God's miracles, that He wants to help us, and without our counsel and action blinds His enemies so deeply that they must be ashamed of themselves. For this booklet shall, if God wills, still in a short time disgrace all who refuse to listen to God's word.
strive towards. We have here their main piece, the highest school; they may now never deceive and pretend. It has come to light what they think of the gospel and faith, which they have covered up until now, and always said that they also teach the gospel, and that the old nose is the best.
My heart is glad and thanks God. Oh how thoroughly I begrudge the pope such patrons, he is worthy of none better. How he has corrupted and defiled us poor Christians with his laws! He has not regarded us differently, but as if we were not worthy of his secret chamber, where he pours all the filth and filth of his laws, which only want to go from him; and so many noble spirits have to harbor the stink, dung and filth, even with great food, toil and labor, with body and soul. That the saying of Jeremiah is fulfilled of us: "Those who have eaten saffron before must eat filth." (Luke 4:5) Satan has atoned for his great wrath and has cooled his anger against us, which he drew in the time of the martyrs, when the gospel was suppressed by his human law; as it says in the Apocalypsis about the great dragon. (Revelation 12:12, 17.)
But now God starts to pay him and creates such helpers for him, of which he must be ashamed in his heart. How shall his heart throb! How shall the evil spirit tremble, that he sees such a great light rising, and yet may not dim it! and the more he dims, the brighter it becomes and the more horribly his shame is exposed. Therefore let us pray with joy and all confidence: Manda, Deus, virtuti tuae, confirma hoc, Deus, quod operatus es in nobis. I hope that the last day is at the door, amen.