,an ,open ,letter on ,translating ,by ,dr4 ,martin ,luther1 #adhc-aedf ,translated from3 ,sendbrief von ,dolmetschen in ,dr4 ,martin ,luthers ,werke1 7,weimar3 ,hermann ,boehlaus ,nachfolger1 #aiji71 ,band #cj1 ,teil ,,ii1 pp4 #fcb-fdf by ,gary ,mann1 ,ph4,d4 ,assistant ,professor of ,religion_/,theology ,augustana ,college ,rock ,island1 ,illinois ,preface ,wenceslas ,link to all believers in ,christ3 ,the wise ,solomon says in ,proverbs #aa3 ,the people who withhold grain curse him4 ,but there is a blessing on those who sell it4 ,this verse speaks truly concerning all that can serve the common good or the well-being of ,christendom4 ,this is the reason the master in the gospel reprimands the unfaithful servant like a lazy scoundrel for having hidden and buried his money in the ground4 ,so that this curse of the ,lord and the entire ,church might be avoided1 ,i must publish this letter which came into my possession through a good friend4 ,i could not withhold it1 as there has been much discussion about the translating of the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,it has been charged by the despisers of truth that the text has been modified and even falsified in many places1 which has shocked and startled many simple ,christians1 even among the educated who do not know any ,hebrew or ,greek4 ,it is devoutly hoped that with this publication the slander of the godless will be stopped and the scruples of the devout removed1 at least in part4 ,it may even give rise to more writing on such matters and questions such as these4 ,so ,i ask all friends of the ,truth to seriously take this work to heart and faithfully pray to ,god for a proper understanding of the divine ,scriptures towards the improvement and increase of our common ,christendom4 ,amen4 ,nuremberg ,sept4 #ae1 #aecj4 ,to the ,honorable and ,worthy ,n41 my favorite lord and friend4 ,grace and peace in ,christ1 honorable1 worthy and dear ,lord and friend4 ,i received your writing with the two questions or queries requesting my response4 ,in the first place1 you ask why ,i1 in the #crd chapter of ,romans1 translated the words of ,st4 ,paul3 ,arbitramur hominem iustificari ex fide absque operibus as ,we hold that the human will be justified without the works of the law but only by faith4 ,you also tell me that the ,papists are causing a great fuss because ,st4 ,paul's text does not contain the word sola 7alone71 and that my changing of the words of ,god is not to be tolerated4 ,secondly1 you ask if the departed saints intercede for us4 ,regarding the first question1 you can give the papists this answer from me--if you so desire4 ,on the first hand1 if ,i1 ,dr4 ,luther1 had thought that all the ,papists together were capable of translating even one passage of ,scripture correctly and well1 ,i would have gathered up enough humility to ask for their aid and assistance in translating the ,new ,testament into ,german4 ,however1 ,i spared them and myself the trouble1 as ,i knew and still see with my own eyes that not one of them knows how to speak or translate ,german4 ,it is obvious1 however1 that they are learning to speak and write ,german from my translations4 ,thus1 they are stealing my language from me--a language they had little knowledge of before this4 ,however1 they do not thank me for this but instead use it against me4 ,yet ,i readily grant them this as it tickles me to know that ,i have taught my ungrateful students1 even my enemies1 to speak4 ,secondly1 you might say that ,i have conscientiously translated the ,new ,testament into ,german to the best of my ability1 and that ,i have not forced anyone to read it4 ,rather ,i have left it open1 only doing the translation as a service to those who could not do it as well4 ,no one is forbidden to do it better4 ,if someone does not wish to read it1 he can let it lie1 for ,i do not ask anyone to read it or praise anyone who does6 ,it is my ,testament and my translation--and it shall remain mine4 ,if ,i have made errors within it 7although ,i am not aware of any and would most certainly be unwilling to intentionally mistranslate a single letter7 ,i will not allow the papists to judge for their ears continue to be too long and their hee-haws too weak for them to be critical of my translating4 ,i know quite well how much skill1 hard work1 understanding and intelligence is needed for a good translation4 ,they know it less than even the miller's donkey for they have never tried it4 ,it is said1 ,the one who builds along the pathway has many masters4 ,it is like this with me4 ,those who have not ever been able to speak correctly 7to say nothing of translating7 have all at once become my masters and ,i their pupil4 ,if ,i were to have asked them how to translate the first two words of ,matthew ,liber ,generationis into ,german1 not one of them would have been able to say ,quack6 ,and they judge all my works6 ,fine fellows6 ,it was also like this for ,st4 ,jerome when he translated the ,bible4 ,everyone was his master4 ,he alone was entirely incompetent as people1 who were not good enough to clean his boots1 judged his works4 ,this is why it takes a great deal of patience to do good things in public for the world believes itself to be the ,master of ,knowledge1 always putting the bit under the horse's tail1 and not judging itself for that is the world's nature4 ,it can do nothing else4 ,i would gladly see a papist come forward and translate into ,german an epistle of ,st4 ,paul's or one of the prophets and1 in doing so1 not make use of ,luther's ,german or translation4 ,then one might see a fine1 beautiful and noteworthy translation into ,german4 ,we have seen that bungler from ,dresden play master to my ,new ,testament4 7,i will not mention his name in my books as he has his judge and is already well-known74 ,he does admit that my ,german is good and sweet and that he could not improve it4 ,yet1 anxious to dishonor it1 he took my ,new ,testament word for word as it was written1 and removed my prefaces and glosses1 replacing them with his own4 ,then he published my ,new ,testament under his name6 ,dear ,children1 how it pained me when his prince in a detestable preface condemned my work and forbid all from reading ,luther's ,new ,testament1 while at the same time commending the ,bungler's ,new ,testament to be read--even though it was the very same one ,luther had written6 ,so no one thinks ,i am lying1 put ,luther's and the ,bungler's ,new ,testaments side by side and compare them4 ,you will see who did the translation for both4 ,he has patched it in places and reordered it 7and although it does not all please me7 ,i can still leave it be for it does me no particular harm as far as the document is concerned4 ,that is why ,i never intended to write in opposition to it4 ,but ,i did have a laugh at the great wisdom that so terribly slandered1 condemned and forbade my ,new ,testament1 when it was published under my name1 but required its reading when published under an other's name6 ,what type of virtue is this that slanders and heaps shame on someone else's work1 and then steals it1 and publishes it under one's own name1 thereby seeking glory and esteem through the slandered work of someone else6 ,i leave that for his judge to say4 ,i am glad and satisfied that my work 7as ,st4 ,paul also boasts 7 is furthered by my enemies1 and that ,luther's work1 without ,luther's name but that of his enemy1 is to be read4 ,what better vengeance86 ,returning to the issue at hand1 if your ,papist wishes to make a great fuss about the word alone 7sola71 say this to him3 ,dr4 ,martin ,luther will have it so and he says that a papist and an ass are the same thing4 ,sic volo1 sic iubeo1 sit pro ratione voluntas4 7,i will it1 ,i command it2 my will is reason enough7 ,for we are not going to become students and followers of the papists4 ,rather we will become their judge and master4 ,we1 too1 are going to be proud and brag with these blockheads2 and just as ,st4 ,paul brags against his madly raving saints1 ,i will brag over these asses of mine6 ,they are doctors8 ,me too4 ,they are scholars8 ,i am as well4 ,they are philosophers8 ,and ,i4 ,they are dialecticians8 ,i am too4 ,they are lecturers8 ,so am ,i4 ,they write books8 ,so do ,i4 ,i will go even further with my bragging3 ,i can exegete the psalms and the prophets1 and they cannot4 ,i can translate1 and they cannot4 ,i can read ,holy ,scriptures1 and they cannot4 ,i can pray1 they cannot4 ,coming down to their level1 ,i can do their dialectics and philosophy better than all of them put together4 ,plus ,i know that not one of them understands ,aristotle4 ,if1 in fact1 any one of them can correctly understand one part or chapter of ,aristotle1 ,i will eat my hat6 ,no1 ,i am not overdoing it for ,i have been educated in and have practiced their science since my childhood4 ,i recognize how broad and deep it is4 ,they1 too1 know that everything they can do1 ,i can do4 ,yet they handle me like a stranger in their discipline1 these incurable fellows1 as if ,i had just arrived this morning and had never seen or heard what they know and teach4 ,how they do so brilliantly parade around with their science1 teaching me what ,i grew beyond twenty years ago6 ,to all their shouting and screaming ,i join the harlot in singing3 ,i have known for seven years that horseshoe nails are iron4 ,so this can be the answer to your first question4 ,please do not give these asses any other answer to their useless braying about that word sola than simply ,luther will have it so1 and he says that he is a doctor above all the papal doctors4 ,let it remain at that4 ,i will1 from now on1 hold them in contempt1 and have already held them in contempt1 as long as they are the kind of people that they are--asses1 ,i should say4 ,and there are brazen idiots among them who have never learned their own art of sophistry--like ,dr4 ,schmidt and ,snot-,nose1 and such like them4 ,they set themselves against me in this matter1 which not only transcends sophistry1 but as ,st4 ,paul writes1 all the wisdom and understanding in the world as well4 ,an ass truly does not have to sing much as he is already known for his ears4 ,for you and our people1 however1 ,i shall show why ,i used the word sola--even though in ,romans #c it wasn't sola ,i used but solum or tantum4 ,that is how closely those asses have looked at my text6 ,however1 ,i have used sola fides in other places1 and ,i want to use both solum and sola4 ,i have continually tried translating in a pure and accurate ,german4 ,it has happened that ,i have sometimes searched and inquired about a single word for three or four weeks4 ,sometimes ,i have not found it even then4 ,i have worked ,meister ,philip and ,aurogallus so hard in translating ,job1 sometimes barely translating #c lines after four days4 ,now that it has been translated into ,german and completed1 all can read and criticize it4 ,one can now read three or four pages without stumbling one time--without realizing just what rocks and hindrances had once been where now one travels as as if over a smoothly-cut plank4 ,we had to sweat and toil there before we removed those rocks and hindrances1 so one could go along nicely4 ,the plowing goes nicely in a clear field4 ,but nobody wants the task of digging out the rocks and hindrances4 ,there is no such thing as earning the world's thanks4 ,even ,god cannot earn thanks1 not with the sun1 nor with heaven and earth1 or even the death of his ,son4 ,it just is and remains as it is1 in the devil's name1 as it will not be anything else4 ,i also know that in ,rom4 #c1 the word solum is not present in either ,greek or ,latin text--the papists did not have to teach me that--it is fact6 ,the letters s-o-l-a are not there4 ,and these knotheads stare at them like cows at a new gate1 while at the same time they do not recognize that it conveys the sense of the text--if the translation is to be clear and accurate1 it belongs there4 ,i wanted to speak ,german since it was ,german ,i had spoken in translation--not ,latin or ,greek4 ,but it is the nature of our language that in speaking about two things1 one which is affirmed1 the other denied1 we use the word solum only along with the word not 7nicht7 or no 7kein74 ,for example1 we say the farmer brings only 7allein7 grain and no money2 or ,no1 ,i really have no money1 but only 7allein7 grain2 ,i have only eaten and not yet drunk2 ,did you write it only and not read it over8 ,there are a vast number of such everyday cases4 ,in all these phrases1 this is a ,german usage1 even though it is not the ,latin or ,greek usage4 ,it is the nature of the ,german tongue to add allein in order that nicht or kein may be clearer and more complete4 ,to be sure1 ,i can also say ,the farmer brings grain and no 7kein7 money1 but the words kein money do not sound as full and clear as if ,i were to say1 the farmer brings allein grain and kein money4 ,here the word allein helps the word kein so much that it becomes a clear and complete ,german expression4 ,we do not have to ask about the literal ,latin or how we are to speak ,german--as these asses do4 ,rather we must ask the mother in the home1 the children on the street1 the common person in the market about this4 ,we must be guided by their tongue1 the manner of their speech1 and do our translating accordingly4 ,then they will understand it and recognize that we are speaking ,german to them4 ,for instance1 ,christ says3 ,ex abundatia cordis os loquitur4 ,if ,i am to follow these asses1 they will lay the original before me literally and translate it as3 ,out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks4 ,is that speaking with a ,german tongue8 ,what ,german could understand something like that8 ,what is this abundance of the heart8 ,no ,german can say that2 unless1 of course1 he was trying to say that someone was altogether too magnanimous1 or too courageous1 though even that would not yet be correct1 as abundance of the heart is not ,german1 not any more than abundance of the house1 abundance of the stove or abundance of the bench is ,german4 ,but the mother in the home and the common man say this3 ,what fills the heart overflows the mouth4 ,that is speaking with the proper ,german tongue of the kind ,i have tried for1 although unfortunately not always successfully4 ,the literal ,latin is a great barrier to speaking proper ,german4 ,so1 as the traitor ,judas says in ,matthew #bf3 ,ut quid perditio haec8 and in ,mark #ad3 ,ut quid perditio iste unguenti facta est8 ,subsequently1 for these literalist asses ,i would have to translate it3 ,why has this loss of salve occurred8 ,but what kind of ,german is this8 ,what ,german says loss of salve occurred8 ,and if he does understand it at all1 he would think that the salve is lost and must be looked for and found again2 even though that is still obscure and uncertain4 ,now if that is good ,german why do they not come out and make us a fine1 new ,german testament and let ,luther's testament be8 ,i think that would really bring out their talents4 ,but a ,german would say ,ut quid1 etc44 as ,why this waste8 or ,why this extravagance8 ,even it is a shame about the ointment--these are good ,german1 in which one can understand that ,magdalene had wasted the salve she poured out and had done wrong4 ,that was what ,judas meant as he thought he could have used it better4 ,now when the angel greets ,mary1 he says3 ,greetings to you1 ,mary1 full of grace1 the ,lord is with you4 ,well up to this point1 this has simply been translated from the simple ,latin1 but tell me is that good ,german8 ,since when does a ,german speak like that--being full of grace8 ,one would have to think about a keg full of beer or a purse full of money4 ,so ,i translated it3 ,you gracious one4 ,this way a ,german can at last think about what the angel meant by his greeting4 ,yet the papists rant about me corrupting the angelic greeting--and ,i still have not used the most satisfactory ,german translation4 ,what if ,i had used the most satisfactory ,german and translated the salutation3 ,god says hello1 ,mary dear 7for that is what the angel was intending to say and what he would have said had he even been ,german674 ,if ,i had1 ,i believe that they would have hanged themselves out of their great devotion to dear ,mary and because ,i have destroyed the greeting4 ,yet why should ,i be concerned about their ranting and raving8 ,i will not stop them from translating as they want4 ,but ,i too shall translate as ,i want and not to please them1 and whoever does not like it can just ignore it and keep his criticism to himself1 for ,i will neither look at nor listen to it4 ,they do not have to answer for or bear responsibility for my translation4 ,listen up1 ,i shall say gracious ,mary and dear ,mary1 and they can say ,mary full of grace4 ,anyone who knows ,german also knows what an expressive word dear7liebe7 is3 dear ,mary1 dear ,god1 the dear emperor1 the dear prince1 the dear man1 the dear child4 ,i do not know if one can say this word liebe in ,latin or in other languages with so much depth of emotion that it pierces the heart and echoes throughout as it does in our tongue4 ,i think that ,st4 ,luke1 as a master of the ,hebrew and ,greek tongues1 wanted to clarify and articulate the ,greek word kecharitomene that the angel used4 ,and ,i think that the angel ,gabriel spoke with ,mary just as he spoke with ,daniel1 when he called him ,chamudoth and ,ish chamudoth1 vir desiriorum1 that is ,dear ,daniel4 ,that is the way ,gabriel speaks1 as we can see in ,daniel4 ,now if ,i were to literally translate the words of the angel1 and use the skills of these asses1 ,i would have to translate it as ,daniel1 you man of desires or ,daniel1 you man of lust4 ,oh1 that would be beautiful ,german6 ,a ,german would1 of course1 recognize ,man1 ,lueste and begirunge as being ,german words1 although not altogether pure as lust and begir would be better4 ,but when those words are put together you get you man of desires and no ,german is going to understand that4 ,he might even think that ,daniel is full of lustful desires4 ,now wouldn't that be a fine translation6 ,so ,i have to let the literal words go and try to discover how the ,german says what the ,hebrew ish chamudoth expresses4 ,i discover that the ,german says this1 ,you dear ,daniel1 you dear ,mary1 or you gracious maiden1 you lovely maiden1 you gentle girl and so on4 ,a translator must have a large vocabulary so he can have more words for when a particular one just does not fit in the context4 ,why should ,i talk about translating so much8 ,i would need an entire year were ,i to point out the reasons and concerns behind my words4 ,i have learned what an art and job translating is by experience1 so ,i will not tolerate some papal ass or mule as my critic1 or judge4 ,they have not tried the task4 ,if anyone does not like my translations1 they can ignore it2 and may the devil repay the one who dislikes or criticizes my translations without my knowledge or permission4 ,should it be criticized1 ,i will do it myself4 ,if ,i do not do it1 then they can leave my translations in peace4 ,they can each do a translation that suits them--what do ,i care8 ,to this ,i can1 with good conscience1 give witness--that ,i gave my utmost effort and care and ,i had no ulterior motives4 ,i have not taken or wanted even a small coin in return4 ,neither have ,i made any by it4 ,god knows that ,i have not even sought honor by it1 but ,i have done it as a service to the blessed ,christians and to the honor of the ,one who sits above who blesses me every hour of my life that had ,i translated a thousand times more diligently1 ,i should not have deserved to live or have a sound eye for even a single hour4 ,all ,i am and have to offer is from his mercy and grace--indeed of his precious blood and bitter sweat4 ,therefore1 ,god willing1 all of it will also serve to his honor1 joyfully and sincerely4 ,i may be insulted by the scribblers and papists but true ,christians1 along with ,christ1 their ,lord1 bless me4 ,further1 ,i am more than amply rewarded if just one ,christian acknowledge me as a workman with integrity4 ,i do not care about the papists1 as they are not good enough to acknowledge my work and1 if they were to bless me1 it would break my heart4 ,i may be insulted by their highest praise and honor1 but ,i will still be a doctor1 even a distinguished one4 ,i am certain that they shall never take from me until the final day4 ,yet ,i have not just gone ahead1 ignoring the exact wording in the original4 ,instead1 with great care1 ,i have1 along with my helpers1 gone ahead and have kept literally to the original1 without the slightest deviation1 wherever it appeared that a passage was crucial4 ,for instance1 in ,john #f ,christ says3 ,him has ,god the ,father set his seal upon 7versiegelt74 ,it would be more clear in ,german to say ,him has ,god the ,father signified 7gezeiehent7 or even ,god the ,father means him4 ,but rather than doing violence to the original1 ,i have done violence to the ,german tongue4 ,ah1 translating is not every one's skill as some mad saints think4 ,a right1 devout1 honest1 sincere1 ,god-fearing ,christian1 trained1 educated1 and experienced heart is required4 ,so ,i hold that no false ,christian or divisive spirit can be a good translator4 ,that is obvious given the translation of the ,prophets at ,worms which although carefully done and approximating my own ,german quite closely1 does not show much reverence for ,christ due to the ,jews who shared in the translation4 ,aside from that it shows plenty of skill and craftsmanship there4 ,so much for translating and the nature of language4 ,however1 ,i was not depending upon or following the nature of language when ,i inserted the word solum 7alone7 in ,rom4 #c as the text itself1 and ,st4 ,paul's meaning1 urgently necessitated and demanded it4 ,he is dealing with the main point of ,christian doctrine in this passage--namely that we are justified by faith in ,christ without any works of the ,law4 ,in fact1 he rejects all works so completely as to say that the works of the ,law1 though it is ,god's law and word1 do not aid us in justification4 ,using ,abraham as an example1 he argues that ,abraham was so justified without works that even the highest work1 which had been commanded by ,god1 over and above all others1 namely circumcision1 did not aid him in justification4 ,instead1 ,abraham was justified without circumcision and without any works1 but by faith1 as he says in ,chapter #d3 ,if ,abraham is justified by works1 he may boast1 but not before ,god4 ,however1 when all works are so completely rejected--which must mean faith alone justifies--whoever would speak plainly and clearly about this rejection of works would have to say ,faith alone justifies and not works4 ,the matter itself and the nature of language necessitates it4 ,yet1 they say1 it has such an offensive tone that people infer from it that they need not do any good works4 ,dear1 what are we to say8 ,,is it not more offensive for ,st4 ,paul himself to not use the term faith alone but spell it even more clearly1 putting the finishing touches on it by saying ,without the works of the ,law8 ,gal4 #a #b4af says that not by works of the law 7as well as in many other places7 for the phrase without the works of the law is so ever offensive1 and scandalous that no amount of revision can help it4 ,how much more might people learn from that they need not do any good works1 when all they hear is preaching about the works themselves1 stated in such a clear strong way3 ,no works1 without works1 not by works6 ,if it is not offensive to preach without works1 not by works1 no works1 why is it offensive to preach by faith alone8 ,still more offensive is that ,st4 ,paul does not reject just ordinary works1 but works of the law6 ,it follows that one could take offense at that all the more and say that the law is condemned and cursed before ,god and one ought only do what is contrary to the law as it is said in ,rom4 #c3 ,why not do evil so that there might be more good8 which is what that one divisive spirit of our time was doing4 ,should one reject ,st4 ,paul's word because of such 'offense' or refrain from speaking freely about faith8 ,gracious1 ,st4 ,paul and ,i want to offend like this for we preach so strongly against works1 insisting on faith alone for no other reason than to offend people that they might stumble and fall and learn that they are not saved by good works but only by ,christ's death and resurrection4 ,knowing that they cannot be saved by their good works of the law1 how much more will they realize that they shall not be saved by bad works1 or without the law6 ,therefore1 it does not follow that because good works do not help1 bad works will2 just as it does not follow that because the sun cannot help a blind person see1 the night and darkness must help him see4 ,it astounds me that one can be offended by something as obvious as this6 ,just tell me1 is ,christ's death and resurrection our work1 what we do1 or not8 ,it is obviously not our work1 nor is it the work of the law4 ,now it is ,christ's death and resurrection alone which saves and frees us from sin1 as ,paul writes in ,rom4 #d3 ,he died for our sin and arose for our righteousness4 ,tell me more6 ,what is the work by which we take hold of ,christ's death and resurrection8 ,it must not be an external work but only the eternal faith in the heart that alone1 indeed all alone1 which takes hold of this death and resurrection when it is preached through the gospel4 ,then why all this ranting and raving1 this making of heretics and burning of them1 when it is clear at its very core1 proving that faith alone takes hold of ,christ's death and resurrection1 without any works1 and that his death and resurrection are our life and righteousness8 ,as this fact is so obvious1 that faith alone gives1 brings1 and takes a hold of this life and righteousness--why should we not say so8 ,it is not heretical that faith alone holds on to ,christ and gives life2 and yet it seems to be heresy if someone mentions it4 ,are they not insane1 foolish and ridiculous8 ,they will say that one thing is right but brand the telling of this right thing as wrong--even though something cannot be simultaneously right and wrong4 ,furthermore1 ,i am not the only one1 nor the first1 to say that faith alone makes one righteous4 ,there was ,ambrose1 ,augustine and many others who said it before me4 ,and if one is to read and understand ,st4 ,paul1 the same thing must be said and not anything else4 ,his words1 as well1 are blunt--no works--none at all6 ,if it is not works1 it must be faith alone4 ,oh what a marvelous1 constructive and inoffensive teaching that would be1 to be taught that one can be saved by works as well as by faith4 ,that would be like saying that it is not ,christ's death alone that takes away our sin but that our works have something to do with it4 ,now that would be a fine way of honoring ,christ's death1 saying that it is helped by our works1 and that whatever it does our works can also do--that we are his equal in goodness and power4 ,this is the devil itself for he cannot ever stop abusing the blood of ,christ4 ,therefore the matter itself1 at its very core1 necessitates that one say3 ,faith alone makes one righteous4 ,the nature of the ,german tongue teaches us to say it in the same way4 ,in addition1 ,i have the examples of the holy fathers4 ,the dangers confronting the people also compel it so they do not continue to hang onto works and wander away from faith1 losing ,christ1 especially at this time when they have been so accustomed to works they have to be pulled away from them by force4 ,it is for these reasons that it is not only right but also necessary to say it as plainly and forcefully as possible3 ,faith alone saves without works6 ,i am only sorry ,i did not add alle and aller1 and said without any 7alle7 works or any 7aller7 laws4 ,that would have stated it most effectively4 ,therefore1 it will remain in the ,new ,testament1 and though all the papal asses rant and rave at me1 they shall not take it away from me4 ,let this be enough for now4 ,i will have to speak more about this in the treatise ,on ,justification 7if ,god grants me grace74 ,on the other question as to whether the departed saints intercede for us4 ,for the present ,i am only going to give a brief answer as ,i am considering publishing a sermon on the beloved angels in which ,i will respond more fully on this matter 7,god willing74 ,first1 you know that under the papacy it is not only taught that the saints in heaven intercede for us--even though we cannot know this as the ,scripture does not tell us such--but the saints have been made into gods1 and that they are to be our patrons to whom we should call4 ,some of them have never existed6 ,to each of these saints a particular power and might has been given--one over fire1 another over water1 another over pestilence1 fever and all sorts of plagues4 ,indeed1 ,god must have been altogether idle to have let the saints work in his place4 ,of this atrocity the papists themselves are aware1 as they quietly take up their pipes and preen and primp themselves over this doctrine of the intercession of the saints4 ,i will leave this subject for now--but you can count on my not forgetting it and allowing this primping and preening to continue without cost4 ,and again1 you know that there is not a single passage from ,god demanding us to call upon either saints or angels to intercede for us1 and that there is no example of such in the ,scriptures4 ,one finds that the beloved angels spoke with the fathers and the prophets1 but that none of them had ever been asked to intercede for them4 ,why even ,jacob the patriarch did not ask the angel with whom he wrestled for any intercession4 ,instead1 he only took from him a blessing4 ,in fact1 one finds the very opposite in revelation as the angel will not allow itself to be worshipped by ,john4 ,rev4 #bb ,so the worship of saints shows itself as nothing but human nonsense1 our own invention separated from the word of ,god and the ,scriptures4 ,as it is not proper in the matter of divine worship for us to do anything that is not commanded by ,god 7and that whoever does is putting ,god to the test71 it is therefore also not advisable or tolerable for one to call upon the saints for intercession or to teach others to do so4 ,in fact1 it is to be condemned and people taught to avoid it4 ,therefore1 ,i also will not advise it and burden my conscience with the iniquities of others4 ,it was difficult for me to stop from worshipping the saints as ,i was so steeped in it to have nearly drowned4 ,but the light of the gospel is now shining so brightly that from now on no one has an excuse for remaining in the darkness4 ,we all very well know what we are to do4 ,this is itself a very risky and blasphemous way to worship for people are easily accustomed to turning away from ,christ4 ,they learn quickly to trust more in the saints than in ,christ himself4 ,when our nature is already all too prone to run from ,god and ,christ1 and trust in humanity1 it is indeed difficult to learn to trust in ,god and ,christ1 even though we have vowed to do so and are therefore obligated to do so4 ,therefore1 this offense is not to be tolerated whereby those who are weak and of the flesh participate in idolatry1 against the first commandment and our baptism4 ,even if one tries nothing other than to switch their trust from the saints to ,christ1 through teaching and practice1 it will be difficult to accomplish1 that one should come to him and rightly take hold of him4 ,one need not paint the ,devil on the door--he will already be present4 ,we can finally be certain that ,god is not angry with us1 and that even if we do not call on the saints for intercession1 we are secure for ,god has never commanded it4 ,god says that ,god is a jealous ,god granting their iniquities on those who do not keep his commandments ,ex4#bj2 but there is no commandment here and1 therefore1 no anger to be feared4 ,since1 then1 there is on this side security and on the other side great risk and offense against the ,word of ,god1 why should we go from security into danger where we do not have the ,word of ,god to sustain1 comfort and save us in the times of trial8 ,for it is written1 ,whoever loves danger will perish by it ,ecclus4 #c1 and ,god's commandment says1 ,you shall not put the ,lord your ,god to the test ,matt4 #d4 ,but1 they say1 this way you condemn all of ,christendom which has always maintained this--until now4 ,i answer3 ,i know very well that the priests and monks seek this cloak for their blasphemies4 ,they want to give to ,christendom the damage caused by their own negligence4 ,then1 when we say1 ,christendom does not err1 we shall also be saying that they do not err1 since ,christendom believes it to be so4 ,so no pilgrimage can be wrong1 no matter how obviously the ,devil is a participant in it4 ,no indulgence can be wrong1 regardless of how horrible the lies involved4 ,in other words1 there is nothing there but holiness6 ,therefore to this you reply1 ,it is not a question of who is and who is not condemned4 ,they inject this irrelevant idea in order to divert us from the topic at hand4 ,we are now discussing the ,word of ,god4 ,what ,christendom is or does belongs somewhere else4 ,the question here is3 ,what is or is not the ,word of ,god8 ,what is not the ,word of ,god does not make ,christendom4 ,we read that in the days of ,elijah the prophet there was apparently no word from ,god and no worship of ,god in ,israel4 ,for ,elijah says1 ,lord1 they have killed your prophets and destroyed your altars1 and ,i am left totally alone ,i ,kings #ai4 ,here ,king ,ahab and others could have said1 ,elijah1 with talk like that you are condemning all the people of ,god4 ,however ,god had at the same time kept seven thousand ,i ,kings #ai4 ,how8 ,do you not also think that ,god could now1 under the papacy1 have preserved his own1 even though the priests and monks of ,christendom have been teachers of the devil and gone to hell8 ,many children and young people have died in ,christ4 ,for even under the anti-,christ1 ,christ has strongly sustained baptism1 the bare text of the gospel in the pulpit1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and the ,creed4 ,by this means he sustained many of his ,christians1 and therefore also his ,christendom1 and said nothing about it to these devil's teachers4 ,now even though ,christians have done some parts of the papal blasphemy1 the papal asses have not yet proved that they did it gladly4 ,still less does it prove that they even did the right thing4 ,all ,christians can err and sin1 but ,god has taught them to pray in the ,lord's ,prayer for the forgiveness of sins4 ,god could very well forgive the sins they had to unwillingly1 unknowingly1 and under the coercion of the ,antichrist commit1 without saying anything about it to the priests and monks6 ,it can1 however1 be easily proven that there has always been a great deal of secret murmuring and complaining against the clergy throughout the world1 and that they are not treating ,christendom properly4 ,and the papal asses have courageously withstood such complaining with fire and sword1 even to the present day4 ,this murmuring proves how happy ,christians have been over these blasphemies1 and how right they have been in doing them6 ,so out with it1 you papal asses6 ,say that this is the teaching of ,christendom3 these stinking lies which you villains and traitors have forced upon ,christendom and for the sake of which you murderers have killed many ,christians4 ,why each letter of every papal law gives testimony to the fact that nothing has ever been taught by the counsel and the consent of ,christendom4 ,there is nothing there but districte precipiendo mandamus we teach and strictly command4 ,that has been your ,holy ,spirit4 ,christendom has had to suffer this tyranny4 ,this tyranny has robbed it of the sacrament and1 not by its own fault1 has been held in captivity4 ,and still the asses would pawn off on us this intolerable tyranny of their own wickedness as a willing act and example of ,christendom--and thereby acquit themselves6 ,but this is getting too long4 ,let this be enough of an answer to your questions for now4 ,more another time4 ,excuse this long letter4 ,christ our ,lord be with us all4 ,amen4 ,martin ,luther1 ,your good friend4 ,the ,wilderness1 ,september #h1 #aecj 99 99 99 99 99 ,this text was translated for ,project ,wittenberg by ,dr4 ,gary ,mann in #aiie and was placed by him in the public domain4 ,you may freely distribute1 copy or print this text1 providing the information in this statement remains attached4 ,please direct any comments or suggestions to3 ,rev4 ,robert ,e4 ,smith of the ,walther ,library at ,concordia ,theological ,seminary4 ,e-mail3 ,c,f,w,library,,crf4,,cuis4,,edu ,surface ,mail3 #ffjj ,n4 ,clinton ,st41 ,ft4 ,wayne1 ,,in #dfhbe ,,usa ,phone3 7#bai7 #dha-babc ,fax3 7#bai7 #dha-babf