Probably October 1521.
JEsus.
To all Christians reading this, grace and peace from GOD, Amen.
It is specially doubtlessly manly conscious and evident how that between me Martin
Luther and the most highly learned, excellent priest of God and licentiate of the holy spiritual rights Hieronymus Emser had a hard dispute about this saying of St. Peter, 1 Petr. 2, 9:
*This writing appeared separately in 1521; then also without indication of place and time. About the closer determination of the time, see what was said in the introduction. In the complete editions: Wittenberger (1554), M. VII, toi. 174; Jenaer (1564), vol. I, toi. 393b; Altenburger, vol. I, p. 593; Leipziger, vol. XVII, p. 654; Erlanger, vol. 27, 308.
"You are a royal priesthood" 2c, 1)
in which St. Peter calls all Christians priests: on this I have insisted, saying that all Christians are priests, and that those who are now called priests are not called in Scripture priests or sacerdotes, but ministri, presbyteri, episcopi, that is, servants, old men, and watchmen.
Then the excellent man set out and thought: If we lose the priesthood, then all our power is over. For one knows well what power the priesthood entails, namely preaching, measuring, performing the sacrament and using the keys of heaven. Where the craft is laid down, probably ^the] the kitchen should be cold and [the] cellar should be empty. Out of such marital 2) necessity, he has undertaken to argue against me, as befits a priest of God.
First, if blasphemy and lying would help, he tried his art well, until he also gave me to the devil and wrote many impudent lies about me; and yet he is angry that I called him a liar and a knave, as liars are called in German. After that he has done well in the matter and invented two kinds of priesthood, a spiritual and a physical. So he agreed with me that all Christians are spiritual priests, but he and his are physical priests. He has brought up many sayings of the fathers, since 3) his collection is called priests, and thus St. Peter's saying gave two minds, one spiritual and one corporal.
But I have not been content with the sayings of the fathers, for the reason that the sayings of the fathers do not make articles of faith, nor do they need to be, unless they are based on Scripture. Therefore, although some of the fathers have applied this saying of Peter to the Emperor's priests, it is not compulsory, because it is a
1) One looks up here cheaply des sei. Luther's beautiful explanation of this Petrine saying in the IXth part of this collection, Col. 713 ff, (Walch).
2) Matrimonial - lawful; here, well in the sense of "substantial."
3) Wittb. and Erl,: the.
is merely human interpretation, not attested to by any Scripture.
Besides, I let myself look foolishly before I recognized the man that he threatened with a long spear and short rapier to push off and break open the cuirass (as he called me). Kürisser (as he indicated me) and to break open, also to hit me with the sword; and yet the same sword did not even attack. This was even more foolish to me, since he interpreted my spiritual mind as a scabbard and his bodily mind as a cutting edge. For I had not been in that strange Egypt at that time, where the sheaths are in the edges and the physical is hidden under the spiritual.
But this was exceedingly foolish to me, since he takes Paul's saying [2 Cor. 3, 6.]: "The spirit gives life and the letter kills," to mean that the spirit should be called his mind, and the letter my mind; yet the devils and public sinners also have their mind, and yet do not live before God by such a spirit. Again, all the saints also have my understanding, and yet do not die before God through such a letter. And what is still more marvelous, the fulfillment and meaning of his living mind is the more part dead. For his priesthood, which is signified by the living mind, is the greater part dead in sins, yet remain priests, signified by the living mind; which is never heard of, nor impossible in all other words and things.
It would also not help me that he glosses and mends himself, since he wrote: "The spirit", that is the spiritual mind, "makes alive", if man lives in grace. For this is as much as to say that man must first live in grace, and the spiritual mind does not make him alive (as it had previously hewn and stabbed with cutters, spears and swords), but finds him alive. Therefore either St. Paul would have to lie, who says: "The spirit makes alive"; or Emser would have to lie, who says: The spirit is called the spiritual mind, which does not make alive, as he confesses in his gloss.
So I thought Emser would have run himself off and given me won, since I was
wrote: The spirit would not be called a spiritual mind. And if the spiritual mind should therefore be called living, so that those who live in grace beforehand have it, the letter may also make alive; yes, the tiled stove and the hand cask may also make alive, that is, be had by the living, according to Emser's interpretation. Again, the spiritual mind may also be called that which kills, that is, be had by the dead; yes, also my inkwell may kill in this way. And in Emser's gloss, St. Paul's saying would have to gain such a nose: "The spirit makes alive" 2c, that is, the spirit is had by the living and by the dead; but the letter is had by the dead and by the living.
Since such high and excellent things were so foolish and ridiculous to me, the excellent man was angry and said: I made a jauf 1) of it, because I could not refute it with good reason. As it was not reasonable, much less necessary, that someone should make a Jauf or Gauch 2) out of such an excellent man's most subtle poetry.
But when he had to argue with Scripture, he started right away and introduced many more fathers than before; he started: Come forth, Cyril! Step forward, Ambrose! Step forward, Origen! that I thought he wanted to prepare a song dance. But it was his opinion to bring forth scripture, (that is) fathers' sayings without scripture. I didn't understand all that yet, and I didn't think it was scripture.
At last he thrusts out the bottom of the reproach 3) and hews after me a cubit deep into the hard rock; there flashes once his sharp-edged sword, as if he were Master Lawrence among the Swiss; says: Step forth, Christe! 2c There he indicates how Christ called such people priests, since he says, Matth. 5, 13, "You are [the] salt of the earth." There you have it, Luther; this is the scripture that proves that Emser's people are called priests; this is the interpretation of St. Peter's saying:
1) d. i. Joke.
2) Gauch is here synonymous with Jauf.
3) D. i. Joke.
Salt is called the priest, incense the chaplain, water the sexton, and fire the schoolmaster, straw the pupils. So, so, so the quarrel would come to an end. Now I am satisfied, now there is no need to laugh. The executioner makes a jauf out of such seriousness. Who can with good reason refute that salt is called a priest? Therefore, lest it rain better, I will think of contradiction with all seriousness, and it shall be:
I, Martin Luther, confess that I am in agreement with the highly learned gentleman and priest of God, Hieronymus Emser, and agree that the saying of St. Peter is to be understood not only from the spiritual, but also from the physical, or, to put it most clearly, from all the priesthood that is in Christendom. This I say in all earnestness; for I have not in truth before rightly considered the matter. Now I hope that Luther is no longer a heretic and has even united me with Emsern.
But that I do not light a fire on the other side, with my good friends, I ask, they would not hold such contradiction against me; considered that the truth should be right before all things. In this way we lose nothing, but gain more than before. If you ask how this happens, listen: In all my writings I have not wanted more than this, that all Christians are priests, but not all of them are ordained by bishops, nor do they all preach, say mass and exercise priestly office, because they are ordained and called to do so. Here is the end of my opinion.
But Emser jumps far beyond and enforces by his cutting, lively mind with full power, irrefutably, that all Christians are also priests in the flesh, ordained by bishops, may all preach, hold mass and cultivate all priestly offices 4) without further command or calling. This is the prize and gratitude that Emser has won and conquered from Luther in this sand with all honors, which I grant him from the bottom of my heart, and I want to keep it; I also ask that he who does not want to be a heretic keep it.
But would anyone like to think it was my
4) In the old prints: Priestly Office.
Mockery, then I will prove with seriousness that this must be Emser's opinion unquestionably. Is it not seriously true and obvious enough that Emser says: St. Peter also talks about the physical priesthood? He lied and blasphemed me so horribly about it until I had to admit it to him. This is even more seriously true and so obvious that no one can deny that St. Peter's saying is said to all Christians, whether young or old, male or female; so also everything that may be understood in it must be understood by all of them without any wavering. If then all Christians are called priests, since he says: "You are a royal priesthood", and this is also to be understood of bodily priesthood, who are consecrated and have plates, as the tailor 1) Emser teaches and wins; then we must confess that without doubt all Christians are such bodily priests, if we do not otherwise want to be heretics and the devil's own, as Emser threatens. Therefore perhaps the women wear veils and the virgins braids, so that one does not see their consecration and plates.
Well then, that is decided; but it still has one big flaw. I will gladly humble myself to hear preaching from women and children; but how will we be able to do this to Emsern, the pumpkin-eater? He will not want to be in the common priesthood; nor will he allow women to teach him, for great chastity, even if they were all pretty, smooth, young butchers. But I hope he could be persuaded to make his confession in secret to such a confessor and to wait for absolution in the most humble way. However, lest he become angry and complain that his thing is a celibacy 2) and avarice, as is true, we must now think for ourselves what is to be done about this.
I will give my advice. Because they boast and boast of a peculiar, unparalleled priesthood, and all priesthoods, spiritual, bodily, or whatever they may be and be called, are in St. Peter's words assigned to all Christians, as the saying enforces: "So I am the priest.
1) "Schneider" is what Luther calls him, because Emser claimed to cut with the ^Schneide", not with the sheath.
2) Gauchery -foolishness; Gauch is also called a simple-minded person, a Thor, fool. - Gauch-empty talk.
It follows that Emser's priesthood is a strange, unchristian thing. Therefore I consider it best that we henceforth call such foreign priesthood not priests, but plate bearers, and drive the useless people out to the country. What is the use of the plate people, who are neither spiritual nor physical priests? And what need have we of them, if we ourselves are all priests in body, in spirit, and of all kinds? As Emser himself teaches us with his cutting edge; they, as the foreign useless guests, eat our bread. Therefore only off, off with the boys.
But that everyone may know how St. Peter's saying is said to all Christians; although it is not necessary to prove this, because Emser himself confesses it, we will nevertheless tell the text in its order and sequence, which reads thus, 1 Petr. 2, 1. 2. 4. 5:
"Put away all malice, and all guile, and falsehood, and hatred, and all after-talk, and seek the pure, unadulterated milk, even as the little children that are now born do, that ye may grow up in the same: if ye have tasted otherwise how sweet is the Lord, unto whom ye are come as unto the living corner-stone, despised of men, but chosen of God, and true. Upon whom also ye build yourselves, as the living stones, into a spiritual house, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices, acceptable unto God through JESUS CHRIST" 2c
What man is so stupid that he does not see how these words are spoken to all in general? Who are they, who should put away the told vices and seek reasonable unadulterated milk? It may ever not be understood by the plate bearers. He speaks of "seeking milk" as the women use to say of the little child, it seeks when it desires its mother and milk. So all Christians should also seek their sensible milk, that is, the evangelical doctrine, which comes with human doctrine unadulterated, pure, pure, from the right mother, bride of Christ, the holy church.
Now he speaks to them, "they should build themselves on Christ to a holy priesthood". When is the clergy holy? When does it offer spiritual sacrifices? [Christianity is always holy, or is not Christianity holy?
stenthum; for he does not speak here of lay sacrifices, but how the priests sacrifice. This happens in the New Testament in such a way that, as Christ himself was priest and sacrifice, so are we all, if we are Christians, truly a holy priesthood and the sacrifice itself; as Paul, Rom, 12, 1., further expands on this, as he teaches how we should offer our bodies a priestly sacrifice.
Follows St. Peter 1 Ep. 2:6-10..:
"Therefore the scripture saith, Behold, I will lay in Zion a chief corner stone, a chosen one, an honest one: and whosoever believeth in him shall not be put to shame. For this reason you have honor who believe. But to the unbelievers the stone which the builders rejected has become a chief cornerstone, and a stone to stumble at, and a rock to fall upon; that is, they who take offense at the word, and believe not on which they are to be built. But you are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, holy people, a people of ownership; that you should proclaim the deeds of him who called you from darkness into his marvelous light. You were not a people before, but now you have become a people" 2c
Tell me, can someone be so rude who does not understand to whom St. Peter is speaking here? Or do fathers' sayings have to come forth and be interpreted here? If he calls the people and the congregation so clearly and yet calls them all a "royal priesthood", he commands them to preach the deeds of God who has called them. If this is also said of Emser's priesthood, as our Emser teaches, we are certainly all such priests as well. Let him interpret priests as he will, so all Christians are such priests by this saying. If then we are all to preach, the plate bearers must keep silent, because they have another priesthood of their own before all Christians.
In this way are also the two sayings, one Revelation 5, 9. 10.: "You have redeemed us by your blood and made a kingdom of God and priests", the other Revelation 20, 6.: "In this the other death will have no power, but they will be God's and his
Christ's priests be", all both said by the whole church and to understand, how the words force without all gloss. And there is no more saying in the New Testament that says of priests than these three; the others all call Emser's priests not priests, but ministers, watchmen, and old men. So that the Holy Spirit teaches us, that not oil, consecration, plates, chasuble, albums, 1) chalice, mass, sermon 2c make priests and give authority; but priesthood and power must be there beforehand, brought along from baptism, common to all Christians through faith, which builds them on Christ, the right supreme priest, as St. Peter says here.
But to exercise such authority and to carry out such work does not belong to everyone; but whoever is called by the multitude or by the one who has the command and will of the multitude, he does such work in the place and person of the multitude and common authority. Therefore it is not true that there is more than one simple priesthood in the church; and the plate bearers are not called priests according to the Scriptures, as Emser lies. The name is common to us all, with all its power, right and hearing; 2) which these robbers and thieves of God would gladly tear from us and appropriate to themselves alone. But just as they called themselves the church, and we stole the robbery from them, so they made themselves priests: that is now also taken from them. But we will leave them the plates, that they may be plate bearers, because they never want to carry God's word, but only to pervert it.
What would it help if Emser had a thousand and a thousand fathers' sayings, all of whom were called priests? Nevertheless, there would be no scripture, but only the words of men, who have erred, but who have not been stiff-necked, like these plate bearers. But St. Peter's words are God's words, which leave no other than the one common priesthood. It pushes the others all to powder; no Emser helps for it, if he should lie to death and blaspheme.
Although I also let go the use that now reigns, that alone the lubricated and
1) Casel = chasuble; alb = white chasuble. 2) I.e.: what belongs to it.
It is enough for us to prevent them from tearing the holy Scriptures to pieces and threatening and forcing us with false terror through the divine word, according to their will, as they have done up to now and still want to do, but that we have the power to frighten them and, where they do not want to, to try Custos virgum 1) with them.
They shall be subject to the mob as servants and leave their tyranny. If not, we shall show them the Scriptures and teach them morality. Since they are afraid of the
1) The schoolmaster with the rod.
Therefore, they strive so that only they may be called priests of the nobility by the Scriptures. No, the sword of Emser does not cut, his spear does not pierce, his sword does not break; lying and blasphemy do not help: but God and his word remain forever, amen.
So we have taken away the two names from the church robbers again, that they are neither church nor priest, more than all Christians. They shall also give back the name Clerus without their thanks; and remain laymen, yes, less than laymen, so that they sit between two chairs; just as they are neither spiritual nor secular. God should help me to recognize the Egyptian foreign people correctly. That is enough of the first contradiction.