to the articles which the Magistri nostri extracted from his Babylonian captivity and from his writing "Reason and Cause" and which they wanted to reproach him with on his arrival at Worms before the imperial assembly there, as if they were heretical, although it has never been proven from Scripture that they are.*)
End of March or beginning of April 1521.
Translated from Latin.
Carrion of the Babylonian captivity.
1. the collectors. 1) He [Luther] claims that there are not seven sacraments, but only three to be accepted at this time: baptism, penance and bread.
1) This refers to the papists who extracted the following articles from Luther's writings as heretical and brought them together.
Yes, there is no more than one sacrament and three sacramental signs; if one wants to speak precisely, there are only two sacraments in the Church of God, baptism and bread. Confirmation, marriage, priestly ordination, and the last rites are not sacraments at all.
Luther. I have said this, not in-
*) This writing first appeared in Latin under the title: D. LIartini Imtksri Responsio oxtornporsria aä "rtieulos, Pws LlnListri nostri ex Babylonien et Xssertionibus Hus oxoorpsorunt, yuos vsuiouti IVorrna-.
1030 v-". vi, 24-26. VIII. Luther's writings against the pope. Sacraments. W. xix, 1256-1259. 1031
I have denied it outright, but have added that the matter is so according to the Holy Scriptures, although I do not reject the custom and usage of the Church in the sacraments, as is clear from the booklet itself.
2. the collectors. In the sacrament of the altar true bread and true wine would remain after his, and no transformation would take place, but the bread itself would be the body of Christ.
Luther. I have not rejected the opposite opinion, but only denied that it is an article of faith, because nothing is found in Scripture about the transformation, but yet it is written that the body and blood of Christ are there.
3. the collectors. But under the one figure is not the whole and right sacrament.
Luther. I said this of the forms, not of the thing conceived in the sacrament. For I have said that under one form the whole Christ is received, but not the complete sacrament, that is, not both forms.
4. the collectors. All those who deny the laity communion of both kinds are ungodly.
Luther. Because they act contrary to the institution of Christ, since they should allow the sacrament under both forms.
5. the collectors. It is a manifest and ungodly error to offer or give the mass for sins, for pardons, for the deceased, and for any need, either one's own or that of others.
Luther. I have said this of the Mass itself, or of the Sacrament, but not of prayer in the Mass. The reasons are clear in my book, because by its nature one cannot receive the sacrament for another, but only for oneself.
6. the collectors. A baptized person cannot lose his blessedness, no matter how great his sins, unless he does not want to believe.
Luther. Because faith takes away all sins and makes man will not to sin, Rom. 1.
7. the collectors. No laws could be imposed on Christians by any right, be it from men or from angels, except as much as they themselves want. For we are free from all.
Luther. I did not say that about the civil laws, but about the church laws. And that is Paul's opinion, Col. 2.
8. the collectors. No man has the right to interpret the least thing to a Christian man unless it is done with his consent; but what is done otherwise is done out of a tyrannical spirit.
Luther. This is also clear from Paul, who says Col. 2, 8: "See to it that no one deceives you with the statutes of men.
9. the collectors. No community is governed by laws for the good.
Luther. This is what experience teaches.
10. the collectors. The prayers, fasts, vows and everything else that the pope has decreed and demands in all his decrees, which are as varied as they are unjust, he demands and decrees without any right at all, and sins against the freedom of the church as often as he dares to do such things.
Luther. Because Paul Col. 2. forbids the statutes of men, since enough of these things are set in the holy Scriptures.
11. the collectors. It is not necessary to confess secret sins to the prelate or priest, but one may reveal such sins to all brothers or sisters to whom we wish.
Luther. Because the confession of such sins cannot be proven from the holy scriptures.
12. the collectors. Let there be no doubt that anyone who has either confessed voluntarily or has been punished, asked forgiveness and reformed, has been secretly absolved of his hidden sins before some brother.
tiara aä Irapsrialsia Mo Oou Ventura obj leere nt tanczuara baeretieos, nunquara tarnen ex Keripturis täte" probates. We do not know of a single edition. It is found in Latin in the Wittenberg edition, lorn. II, rot. I72a; in the Jena (1566), lorn. II, tot. 4I7a and in the Erlangen, opp. var. arZ^ vol. VI, p. 24. Latin and German without Luther's answers in Förstemann, Neues Urkundenbuch, p. 44 and p. 46. About the time determination given by us compare the introduction. The text in Förstemann is worse than that in the Jena edition, therefore we have also translated the articles according to the latter. Spalatin's translation is not sufficient for our time.
Luther. Because Christ Matth. 18. says to all Christians: "What you will solve on earth, shall be loosed in heaven."
13. the collectors. The circumstances of the sins with their mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers-in-law, they may be committed at whatever time, in whatever place, with whatever persons they want, and what is only external, are to be despised equally and completely.
Luther. Because Christ did not command such things in his laws.
14. the collectors. With the Christians there was only one circumstance, namely that the brother had sinned.
Luther. Because God does not look at the person.
15. collectors. Marriage is not prevented by any obstacle, nor is the already concluded marriage dissolved, except by the first degree of affinity and the second degree of consanguinity. And yet even this is not general. For marriage with the daughter or granddaughter of the brother or sister is not counted among the forbidden in the old law, since it is also in the second degree.
Luther. I have said this as far as the commandment of God is concerned, who has decreed it so, although the pope should decree something else.
16. collectors. After divorce, people should not be forced to remain celibate.
Luther. Because Christ does not demand chastity from anyone, and the pope cannot demand more.
17. the collectors. The marriage concluded between a priest and his wife is a true and inseparable marriage, which is also proven by divine commandments.
Luther. Because such a marriage is forbidden by Pabst's commandment alone and not by God's commandment.
18. the collectors. In what the pope may dispense in marriage or vows, each may make this dispensation with his brother, or with himself.
Luther. Because Christ, Matth. 18. and Joh. at the last, has given the power of the keys to all, not to the pope alone, as I have said.
19. the collectors. Inequality in religion should not be an obstacle, either per se or on condition of conversion to the faith; one may marry a person who has not been baptized. 1)
Luther. Because Christ did not make this obstacle, but only the pope, who has no power to give any law, as I said.
20. the collectors. The Christian Church does not know anything about the sacrament of consecration, but it is an invention of the Papal Church.
Luther. Let them prove the opposite from Scripture, but they will not be able to do so.
21. the collectors. Let it be clear that the ordination of priests, who are ordained as priests by a sacrament, is true, mere and entirely a fiction.
Luther. I do not say that consecration is a fiction, but only that consecration is called a sacrament; since this does not appear in Scripture, I say it is a fiction.
22. the collectors. The customs were retained in the priestly ordination, such as the consecration of buildings, clothes, water, salt, lights, herbs, wine, and the like, and these are neither a sacrament, nor can they give a sacrament, but only prepare a man for certain performances, as vessels and instruments.
Luther. Because they are handed down through men and not from Christ.
23. the collectors. Let it be certain, and let it be assumed, that all of us, as much as we are baptized, are priests in the same way, that is, have the same power over the Word and over every sacrament.
Luther. Because Peter 1 Ep. 2 says, "You are the royal priesthood." But not all have the use and service, but only those who are ordained to such authority.
1) In order to give the reader an example of Spalatin's translation, we place this sentence from Förstemann's Urundenbuche, p. 47, here: "The difference of faith, then, whether one person is a believer in Christ and the other is an unbeliever, is again bad and undesirable; to make the unbelieving person a believer would be an obstacle to marriage, since an unchristened person may be married.
1034 V. L. VI, 28 f. VIII. Luther's Writings Against the Pabst. Sacraments. W. LIX, 1261-1264. 1035
24. the collectors. Priests may ordain, consecrate churches and bells, confirm children, and any deacon or layman may do so.
Luther. That is, these lesser tasks should be given to the lower clergy and not to the bishops whose office is to preach the gospel.
25. the collectors. The last, that is, invented oelung is not a sacrament.
Luther. I do not reject blessedness, but Scripture does not teach that it is a sacrament.
From the Scripture, "Reason and Cause of the Articles so condemned [by the Roman Bull]."
1. the collectors. The Costnitz Concilium had erred most grossly of all.
Luther. Because it condemned this article of faith: I believe a holy Catholic Church.
2. the collectors. The murderers of the Costnitz Council, popes and Pharisees, had burned the pious and learned John Hus. All the teachings of John Hus condemned at the Costnitz Council were evangelical and Christian, while all the teachings of the pope were ungodly and diabolical.
Luther. Because everything he (Hus) says belongs to this article: I believe a holy Catholic Church, as is evident from his booklet.
3. the collectors. If John Hus was a heretic, I (says Luther) am ten times more of a heretic, because he said far less and less, in that he only began, as it were, to put the light of truth on the lampstand.
Luther. Because I have touched greater errors and more abuses of the pope.
4. the collectors. Although today St. Peter would be sitting in Rome, he would not be the pope, because the pope is something invented in the world, has not been, nor will he be, but will be invented.
Luther. I still say this, and the opposite cannot be proven from Scripture.
5. the collectors. The articles of Johann Hus [which have been condemned] 1) I take
1) The "words bracketed here are missing in the editions, but are to be added from the writing ^.sssrtlo with necessity.
I am ready to defend them by the grace of Christ against the monster and the abomination that stands in the holy place. But all the articles of John Hus, which were accepted at the Concilio of Costnitz, I do not admit.
Luther. Because they are about the holy catholic church, as can be seen from his book.
6. the collectors. Free will is a fictitious thing or an empty name without reality, because it is in no one's power to think something bad or good, but as the article Wiklefs condemned at Constance rightly teaches, that everything happens by an absolute necessity, which the poet also wanted to indicate when he said: Esrta staut owuia 1sK6 s^that is, everything exists according to a certain law.
Luther. Because man can neither will nor do anything good of himself, but only evil, Genesis 6 and 8, as I have explained in my writing "Reason and Cause".
7. the collectors. There are also countless other blasphemous things in his books that are completely contrary to the use of the church.
Luther. Because they themselves cannot count them, since I have written nothing like that, but they themselves know how to invent and dream countless such things.
8. the collectors. He recognized the Roman pope, to whose judgment he initially submitted himself, as he was obliged to do, both as the true governor of Christ and as the bishop of the general church.
Luther. Because I did not know at the beginning that he was an open enemy of the holy scripture and exercised tyranny with his own laws. Because I learned this only afterwards from the experience in this dispute.
9 The collectors. In his writings he calls the Roman pope now and then a heretic, now one who causes divisions, now an idol, now even a Satan.
Luther. That is true.
10. the collectors. He rejects and despises the decrees.
Luther. Because they are contrary to Scripture.
11. the collectors. He rejects the concilia, ridicules the holy fathers, rebukes the teachers of the church, stirs up divisions everywhere in the church and scatters new heresies.
Luther. That is not true..
12. the collectors. All that he says departs in a most ungodly and [to the church] contrary manner from custom and from the
Use of the Catholic Church, which our fathers have observed until now.
Luther. By use here is understood the Thomists' and the Pabst's tyranny and ignorance. For I have said nothing against, but everything for the church, as my books testify.