how to order their service in the cathedral church in a Christian way.*)
August 19, 1523.
Translated from Latin.
To the highly learned and worthy men, the provost, dean and canon and the entire chapter of the Church of All Saints at Wittenberg, his most revered and venerable lords in the Lord.
Grace and peace. Esteemed and worthy lords in the Lord Christ! Since you ask me to show you an institution of Christian worship (pietatis), according to which the worship of your church should be ordered, I will do what I can, although I do not doubt that there are people among you who can offer better, because they understand your things better and also know ours very well; but we gladly submit this to your judgment.
First, if it is so (as some of you testify) that the great crowd (chaos) of those masses, or at least a large part of them, is held by lazy people devoted to drink, who have absolutely nothing else in mind than the profit they seek to gain by their shouting or by the comedy of their office, then these are either to be excluded completely or to be forced to sobriety. For it is in vain to subject oneself to an office or work, especially in divine matters, if one does not have, as much as possible, suitable persons for it.
Secondly. Keep suitable persons or take them on anew, but abolish all wage-vests and vigils altogether, regardless of whether some do not yet understand or do not understand.
*This writing is found in Latin in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 152 d and in De Wette, vol. II, p. 388. In German translation it appeared in 1524 in Wittenberg under the title: "Doctor Martinus Luthers verteutschte Schrift an das Capitel zu Wittenberg, wie man die Ceremonien der Kirchen bessern soll, allen hohen und niedern Stiften sehr dienstlich. Then in the Eisleben Collection, Vol. I, p. 178; in the Altenburg, Vol. II, p. 357 and in the Leipzig, Vol. XVIII, p. 498. We have retranslated according to De Wette.
cannot understand that the use of these masses is sacrilegious and abominable, after they have seen and heard enough of these things for almost two whole years. For even under King Josiah, not all the prophets of Baal understood that their thing was ungodly. But Josias did not look at them, because he destroyed their idolatry. Then it is something else to bear the weak in means (neutralibus), but in obviously ungodly things it is ungodly to exercise toleration (tolerare), and it is certain that also we would be stained by this ungodly nature, if we were to bear it longer in silence, as we have been silent up to now.
Thirdly. The matins, the vespers, the tides, 1) the complet may remain, but in such a way that only the chants "of the time" are sung, and of no other saints than those we have from Scripture. And the collects or chants, which are from the help of the saints, are to be exchanged with collects and chants from time.
But instead of the masses, a lecture from the Old Testament should take place before the Te Deum laudamus, with an exhortation and interpretation according to apostolic custom, as one reads 1 Cor. 14, 26. f.; this may be held by the provost or whoever else one wants to take for it.
At Vespers there should also be a reading of the New Testament with interpretation, given by D. Amsdorf or someone else, and it would be nice if this took place before the Magnificat instead of the hymns or after the hymns. The Complet (completorium), as its name and meaning expresses, should be fulfilled immediately after supper, before going to bed.
Fourth. As the presence. 2) has hitherto been distributed among those who were present at the masses and vigils, but denied to those who were absent, so now it could be given or withdrawn from those who were present or absent at the lectures. So it will happen that also those who want to be godly,
1) The koras oanonioas. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. X, 2253, ยง 10. - In the text koras should be between commas.
2) Cf. Col. 1173, note 6.
The first thing is that the people of the world may enjoy the presence, whereas until now it could not benefit anyone who did not want to be godless: in such a way, no one would have the enjoyment without effort or service, namely, by waiting for the lectures in abundance.
Fifth. The small choir must also be brought into a certain order or abolished altogether, since it is entirely and solely directed to the veneration of the Virgin Mary in Christ's stead as a mediatrix.
Sixth. On Sundays and feast days, a mass shall be held at which those communicate who otherwise like to say mass or would like to do so.
Reason and cause.
First of all, the mass. That it is neither a sacrifice nor a work is proved by the words of Christ at the institution, then also by the example of the apostles themselves and of the whole first church. Furthermore, ask the Mass-keepers what is the custom and use of their Masses. If they say that they are held to atone for sins, or to serve God, then godlessness is evident, since there is only One sacrifice to atone for sins, namely Christ, who was once sacrificed, of whom all are made partakers, not by works nor by sacrifice, but by faith alone through the Word. It is blasphemous to add anything to this sacrifice, as if it had not entirely taken away the sins of all men. Therefore, the verdict must be certain: By Christ's death either all sins, present and future, are not blotted out, or the Mass cannot be a sacrifice or work for sins. Therefore, only through the practice of faith, which is practiced through the Mass, can the death of Christ alone be the conqueror of sins and effective in us, but not through a work or sacrifice.
Secondly. With regard to the vigils and the saints, this is the reason that it is dangerous to undertake something in a holy matter and before God that does not have a certain testimony and example in Scripture, since even in the things that are certain, there is still imperfection and evil enough on our side.
1188 De Wette II. 390 f. 421. 141. letter to the chapter etc. at Wittenberg. W. XIX, 1448-I4S0. 1189
but there is nothing in the Scriptures about the dead and the saints. Therefore, although one would like to give credit to the special (privato) inclination of a spiritual man, that he in these things follows his! Therefore, although it is to be credited to the special inclination of a spiritual man to follow his senses in these things, an open and public worship in them must not be tolerated, because of the aversion of the ignorant and weak, who fall on it and let the faith stand. Then also both are suspect, because they were introduced by lying signs and by testimonies of the Scriptures, which are taken out of context (privatis).
It is therefore evident that this service, which we prescribe, was formerly common to all Christians; but later, as people fell away from it, only the ministers of the church retained it, and that in Latin. Hence the distinction between clergy and laity arose.
After that, to an even greater evil, the common worship began to be turned into a special service of God, and thus the lectures and the communion (synaxi) were turned into a work with a subordinate emphasis on faith and the treatment of the Word, until, to the greatest evil and harm, the common worship began to be sold by the clergy to the laity in order to redeem sin and reconcile God.
Thus, the one mediator of people, Chri
stus was eradicated and taken away, and in his place 1) as many mediators as trees in the forest and sand on the sea (silvas et arenas) were put. Care must be taken that this does not happen again and does not continue any longer. This can be done in no other way than by restarting and preserving the ministry of the Word. Even though this service may seem small and contemptible in comparison to the former brilliant frequent (denso) service that was held up to now, let us also consider how small, indeed how nothing at all Christ was, when that great amount of the exceedingly numerous and all-dominating service was going on among the Jews; again, how complete and strong Christ will be in faith and love through this small service.
This, dear sirs, is what I have tried to give you; others, if you wish, can be found in my books on vows and masses. But the Lord, who has shown himself to us anew in his goodness, enlighten and inflame your hearts, that you may know and do his good, pleasing and perfect will. Amen, etc. From our monastery, Wednesday after the Assumption of Mary, 1523.
Martin Luther.
1) Latin: accepit. The subject eeclssia is probably to be added to this.