,,works ,,of ,,martin ,,luther ,,with ,,introductions ,,and ,,notes ,,volume ,,ii ,,philadelphia ,a4 ,j4 ,,holman ,company #aiaf ,copyright1 #aiae1 by ,a4 ,j4 ,,holman ,company ,,works ,,of ,,martin ,,luther ,,contents ,a ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,blessed ,,sacrament ,,and ,,concerning ,,the ,,brotherhoods 7#aeai74 ,introduction 7,j4 ,j4 ,schindel7 ,translation 7,j4 ,j4 ,schindel7 ,a ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,ban 7#aebj74 ,introduction 7,j4 ,j4 ,schindel7 ,translation 7,j4 ,j4 ,schindel7 ,,an ,,open ,,letter ,,to ,,the ,,christian ,,nobility 7#aebj74 ,introduction 7,c4 ,m4 ,jacobs7 ,translation 7,c4 ,m4 ,jacobs7 ,,the ,,babylonian ,,captivity ,,of ,,the ,,church 7#aebj74 ,introduction 7,a4 ,t4 ,w4 ,steinhaeuser7 ,translation 7,a4 ,t4 ,w4 ,steinhaeuser7 ,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,christian ,,liberty 7#aebj74 ,introduction 7,w4 ,a4 ,lambert7 ,translation 7,w4 ,a4 ,lambert7 ,a ,,brief ,,explanation ,,of ,,the ,,ten ,,commandments1 ,,the ,,creed1 ,,and ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer 7#aebj74 ,introduction 7,c4 ,m4 ,jacobs7 ,translation 7,c4 ,m4 ,jacobs7 ,,the ,,eight ,,wittenberg ,,sermons 7#aebb74 ,introduction 7,a4 ,steimle7 ,translation 7,a4 ,steimle7 ,,that ,,doctrines ,,of ,,men ,,are ,,to ,,be ,,rejected 7#aebb74 ,introduction 7,w4 ,a4 ,lambert7 ,translation 7,w4 ,a4 ,lambert7 ,a ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,blessed ,,sacrament ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,and ,,true ,,body ,,of ,,christ ,,and ,,concerning ,,the ,,brotherhoods #aeai ,,introduction ,this treatise belongs to a series of four which appeared in the latter half of the year #aeai1 the others treating of the ,ban1 ,penance1 and ,baptism4 ,the latter two with our treatise form a trilogy which ,luther dedicates to the ,duchess ,margaret of ,braunschweig and ,luneburg4 ,he undertakes the work1 as he says1 because there are so many troubled and distressed ones--and ,i myself have had the experience--who do not know what the holy sacraments1 full of all grace1 are1 nor how to use them1 but1 alas6 presume upon quieting their consciences with their works1 instead of seeking peace in ,god's grace through the holy sacrament2 so completely are the holy sacraments obscured and withdrawn from us by the teaching of men4#a ,in a letter to ,spalatin#b of ,december #ah1 #aeai1 he says that no one need expect treatises from him on the other sacraments1 since he cannot acknowledge them as such4 ,a copy from the press of ,john ,grunenberg of ,wittenberg reached ,duke ,george of ,saxony by ,december #bd1 #aeai1 who on ,december #bgth already entered his protest against it with the ,elector ,frederick and the ,bishops of ,meissen and ,merseburg#c4 ,duke ,george took exception particularly to ,luther's advocacy of the two kinds in the ,communion#d4 ,this statement of ,luther1 however1 was but incidental to his broad and rich treatment of the subject of the treatise4 ,it was ,luther's first extended statement of his view of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,as such it is very significant1 not only because of what he says1 but also because of what he does not say4 ,there is no reference at all to that which was then distinctive of the ,church's doctrine1 the sacrifice of the mass4 ,luther has already abandoned this position1 but is either too loyal a church-man to attack it or has not as yet found an evangelical interpretation of the idea of sacrifice in the mass1 such as he gives us in the later treatise on the ,new ,testament#e4 ,however1 already in this treatise he gives us the antidote for the false doctrine of sacrifice in the emphasis laid upon faith1 on which all depends#f4 ,the object of this faith1 however1 is not yet stated to be the promise of the forgiveness of sins contained in the ,words of ,institution1 which are a new and eternal testament#g4 ,the treatise shows the influence of the ,german mystics#h on ,luther's thought1 but much more of the ,scriptures which furnish him with argument and illustration for his mystical conceptions4 ,christ's natural body is made of less importance than the spiritual body#i1 the communion of saints2 just as in the later treatise on the ,new ,testament the stress is placed on the ,words of ,institution with their promise of the forgiveness of sins4 ,luther does not try to explain philosophically what is inexplicable1 but is content to accept on faith the act of the presence of ,christ in the sacrament1 how and where1--we leave to ,him4#aj ,of interest is the emphasis on the spiritual body1 the communion of saints4 ,luther knows that although excommunication is exclusion from external communion1 it is not necessarily exclusion from real spiritual communion with ,christ and ,his saints#aa4 ,no wonder1 then1 that he can later treat the papal bull with so much indifference2 it cannot exclude him from the communion of saints4 ,the treatise consists of three main divisions3 sections #a to #c treating of the outward sign of the sacrament2 sections #d to #af1 of the inner significance2 sections #ag to #bb1 of faith4 ,added to this is the appendix on the subject of the brotherhoods or sodalities1 associations of laymen or charitable and devotional purposes4 ,of these there were many at this time1 ,wittenberg alone being reported as having twenty-one4 ,luther objects not only to their immoral conduct1 but also to the spiritual pride which they engendered4 ,he finds in the communion of saints the fundamental brotherhood instituted in the holy sacrament1 the common brotherhood of all saints4 ,the modern world needs to have these truths driven home anew1 and1 barring a few scholastic phrases here and there1 cannot find them better expressed than in the remarkably elevated and devotional language of ,luther in this treatise4 ,the text of the treatise is found in the following editions3 ,weimar ,ed41 vol4 ii1 #gdb2 ,erlangen ,ed41 vol4 xxvii1 #bh2 ,walch ,ed41 ,vol4 xix1 #ebb2 ,st4 ,louis ,ed41 xix1 #dbf2 ,clemen1 vol4 i1 #aif2 ,berlin ,ed41 vol4 iii1 #bei4 ,literature besides that mentioned3 ,tschackert1 ,enstehung der lutherischen und reformierten ,kirchenlehre1 #aiaj1 pp4 #agd-agf4 ,k4 ,thieme1 ,entwicklung und ,bedeutung der ,sakramentslehre ,luthers1 ,neueu ,kirchl4 ,zeitschrift1 ,,xii 7#aija71 ,nos4 #aj and #aa4 ,f4 ,graebke1 ,die ,konstruktion der ,abendmahlslehre ,luthers in ihre ,entwicklung dargestellt1 ,leipzig #aijh4 ,j4 ,j4 ,,schindel4 ,allentown1 ,,pa4 ,,footnotes #a ,see ,clemen1 #a1 p4 #age4 #b ,enders1 ,,ii1 no4 #bed4 ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,i1 no4 #bjf4 #c ,gess1 ,akten und ,briefe zur ,kirchenpolitik ,herzog ,georgs von ,sachsen1 ,leipzig1 #aije4 #d ,see below1 p4 #i4 #e ,in this edition1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #bid-ccf4 ,see especially pp4 #cab ff4 #f ,see below1 pp4 #ai1 #be4 #g ,treatise on the ,new ,testament1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #big ff4 #h ,see ,kostlin1 ,luther's ,theologie1 ,i1 #bib f42 also ,hering1 ,die ,mystik ,luthers1 ,leipzig1 #ahgi1 pp4 #aga-agd4 #i ,see below1 p4 #bc4 #aj ,see below1 p4#bj4 #aa ,see ,treatise concerning the ,ban1 below1 p4 #cg4 ,a ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,blessed ,,sacrament ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,and ,,true ,,body ,,of ,,christ ,,and ,,concerning ,,the ,,brotherhoods #aeai #a4 ,like the sacrament of holy baptism#a the holy sacrament of the altar1 or of the holy and true body of ,christ1 has three parts which it is necessary or us to know4 ,the first is the sacrament1 or sign1 the second is the significance of this sacrament1 the third is the faith required by both of these2 the three parts which must be found in every sacrament4 ,the sacrament must be external and visible1 and have some material form2 the significance must be internal and spiritual1 within the spirit of man2 faith must apply and use both these4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,part of the ,sacrament3 the ,sign #b4 ,the sacrament1 or outward sign1 is in the form of bread and wine1 just as baptism has as its sign water2 although the sign is not simply the form of bread and wine1 but the use of the bread and wine in eating and drinking1 just as the water of baptism is used by immersion or by pouring4 ,for the sacrament1 or sign1 must be received1 or must at least be desired1 if it is to work a blessing4 ,although at present the two kinds are not given the people daily1 as of old1--nor is this necessary1--yet the priesthood partakes of it daily in the sight of the people1 and it is enough that the people desire it daily and receive one kind at the proper time1 as the ,christian ,church ordains and offers#b4 #c4 ,i deem it well1 however1 that the ,church in a general council should again decree#c that all persons1 as well as the priests1 be given both kinds4 ,not that one kind were insufficient1 since indeed the simple desire of faith suffices1 as ,st4 ,augustine says3 ,why preparest thou stomach and teeth8 ,only believe and thou hast already partaken of the sacrament2#d but because it would be meet and right that the form1 or sign1 of the sacrament be given not in part only1 but in its entirety1 just as ,i have said of baptism#e that it were more fitting to immerse than to pour the water1 for the sake of the completeness and perfection of the sign4 ,for this sacrament signifies the complete union and the undivided fellowship of the saints1 as we shall see1 and this is poorly and unfittingly indicated by only one part of the sacrament4 ,nor is there as great a danger in the use of the cup as is supposed1 since the people seldom go to this sacrament1 and ,christ was well aware of all future dangers#f1 and yet saw it to institute both kinds or the use of all ,his ,christians4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,part of the ,sacrament3 the ,significance #d4 ,the significance or purpose of this sacrament is the fellowship of all saints1 whence it derives its common name synaxis or communio1 that is1 fellowship2 and communicare means to take part in this fellowship1 or as we say1 to go to the sacrament1 because ,christ and all saints are one spiritual body1 just as the inhabitants of a city are one community and body1 each citizen being a member of the other and a member of the entire city4 ,all the saints1 therefore1 are members of ,christ and of the ,church1 which is a spiritual and eternal city of ,god1 and whoever is taken into this city is said to be received into the community of saints1 and to be incorporated into ,christ's spiritual body and made a member of ,him4 ,on the other hand1 excommunicare means to put out of the community and to sever a member from this body1 and that is called in our language putting one under the ban2 yet there is a difference1 as ,i shall show in the following treatise1 concerning the ban#d4 ,to receive the bread and wine of this sacrament1 then1 is nothing else than to receive a sure sign of this fellowship and incorporation with ,christ and all saints4 ,as though a citizen were given a sign1 a document1 or some other token as a proof that he is a citizen of the city1 a member of the community4 ,even so ,st4 ,paul says3 ,we are all one bread and one body1 for we are all partakers of one bread and of one cup4 #a ,cor4 #aj3ag #e4 ,this fellowship is of such a nature that all the spiritual possessions of ,christ and ,his saints#h are imparted and communicated to him who receives this sacrament2 again1 all his sufferings and sins are communicated to them1 and thus love engenders love and unites all4 ,to carry out our homely figure3 it is like a city where every citizen shares with all the others the name1 honor1 freedom1 trade1 customs1 usages1 help1 support1 protection and the like1 of that city1 and on the other hand shares all the danger of fire and flood1 enemies and death1 losses1 imposts and the like4 ,for he who would have part in the common profits must also share in the losses1 and ever recompense love with love4 ,here we see that whoever wrongs a citizen wrongs the entire city and all the citizens2 whoever benefits one deserves favor and thanks from all the others4 ,so1 too1 in our natural body1 as ,st4 ,paul says in i ,corinthians xii1 where this sacrament is given a spiritual explanation3 the members have a care one or another2 whether one member suffer1 all the members suffer with it2 whether one member be honored1 all the members rejoice with it4 #a ,cor4 #ab3be f4 ,it is apparent then that if any one's foot hurts him1 nay1 even the smallest toe1 the eye at once looks toward it1 the fingers grasp it1 the face frowns1 the whole body bends to it1 and all are concerned with this small member2 on the other hand1 if it is cared for1 all the other members rejoice4 ,this figure must be well weighed if one wishes to understand this sacrament2 for the ,scriptures employ it or the sake of the unlearned4 #f4 ,in this sacrament1 therefore1 ,god ,himself gives through the priest a sure sign to man1 to show that1 in like manner1 he shall be united with ,christ and ,his saints and have all things in common with them2 that ,christ's sufferings and life shall be his own1 together with the lives and sufferings of all the saints1 so that whoever does him an injury does injury to ,christ and all the saints1 as ,he says by the prophet1 ,he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of ,my eye ,zech4 #b3h2 on the other hand1 whoever does him a kindness does it to ,christ and all ,his saints1 as ,he says1 ,what ye have done unto one of the least of ,my brethren1 that ye have done unto ,me4 ,matt4 #be3dj ,again1 he must be willing to share all the burdens and misfortunes of ,christ and ,his saints1 their sorrow and joy4 ,these two sides of the fellowship we shall consider more fully4 #g4 ,now1 adversity assails us in more than one form4 ,there is1 in the first place1 the sin remaining in our flesh after baptism1 the inclination to anger1 hatred1 pride and unchastity1 and so forth1 which assails us as long as we live4 ,against this we not only need the help of the congregation and of ,christ1 in order that they may fight with us against it1 but it is also necessary that ,christ and ,his saints intercede or us before ,god1 that sin may not be accounted to us according to ,god's strict judgment4 ,therefore1 in order to give us strength and courage against these sins1 ,god gives us this sacrament1 as though ,he said3 ,behold1 many kinds of sin assail thee2 take this sign by which ,i give thee ,my pledge that sin assails not only thee but ,my ,son ,christ1 and all ,his saints in heaven and on earth4 ,therefore1 be bold and confident2 thou fightest not alone2 great help and support are round about thee4 ,king ,david1 also1 says of this bread3 ,the bread strengtheneth man's heart ,ps4 #ajd3ae2 and the ,scriptures in other places characterize this sacrament as a strengthening4 ,so in ,acts ix it is written of ,st4 ,paul that he was baptised and when he had received meat1 he was strengthened4 ,acts #i3ai ,in the second place1 the evil spirit assails us unceasingly with many sins and afflictions4 ,in the third place1 the world is full of wickedness and entices and persecutes us and is altogether bad4 ,finally1 our own guilty conscience assails us with our past sins1 with the fear of death1 and with the pains of hell4 ,all of these afflictions make us weary and weaken us1 unless we seek and find strength in this fellowship4 #h4 ,if any one be in despair1 if he be distressed by his sinful conscience or terrified by death1 or have any other burden on his heart1 and desire to be rid of them all1 let him go joyfully to the sacrament of the altar and lay down his grief in the midst of the congregation and seek help from the entire company of the spiritual body2 just as when a citizen whose property has suffered injury or misfortune at the hands of his enemies makes complaint to his town council and fellow citizens and asks them for help4 ,therefore1 the immeasurable grace and mercy of ,god are given us in this sacrament1 that we may there lay down all misery and tribulation and put it on the congregation1 and especially on ,christ1 and may joyfully strengthen and comfort ourselves and say3 ,though ,i am a sinner and have fallen1 though this or that misfortune has befallen me1 ,i will go to the sacrament to receive a sign from ,god that ,i have on my side ,christ's righteousness1 ,he and sufferings1 with all holy angels and all the blessed in heaven1 and all pious men on earth4 ,if ,i die1 ,i am not alone in death2 if ,i suffer1 they suffer with me4 ,i have shared all my misfortune with ,christ and the saints1 since ,i have a sure sign of their love toward me4 ,lo1 this is the benefit to be derived from this sacrament1 this is the use we should make of it2 then the heart cannot but rejoice and be comforted4 #i4 ,when you have partaken of this sacrament1 therefore1 or desire to partake of it1 you must in turn also share the misfortunes of the congregation1 as was said#i4 ,but what are these8 ,christ in heaven and the angels together with all the saints have no misfortunes of their own1 save when injury is done to the truth and to ,god's ,word2 yea1 as we said1 every bane and blessing of all the saints on earth affects them4 ,there your heart must go out in love and devotion and learn that this sacrament is a sacrament of love1 and that love and service are given you and you again must render love and service to ,christ and ,his needy ones4 ,you must feel with sorrow all the dishonor done to ,christ in ,his holy ,word1 all the misery of ,christendom1 all the unjust suffering of the innocent1 with which the world is everywhere filled to overflowing3 you must fight1 work1 pray1 and1 if you cannot do more1 have heartfelt sympathy4 ,that is bearing in your turn the misfortune and adversity of ,christ and ,his saints4 ,here the saying of ,paul applies4 ,bear ye one another's burdens1 and so fulfil the law of ,christ4 ,gal4 #f3b ,lo1 thus you uphold them all1 thus they all again in turn uphold you1 and all things are in common1 both good and evil4 ,then all things become easy1 and the evil spirit cannot prevail against such a community4 ,when ,christ instituted the sacrament ,he said3 ,this is ,my body which is given for you1 this is ,my blood which is shed for you2 as oft as ye do this1 remember ,me4 ,luke #bb3ai f4 ,as though ,he said3 ,i am the ,head1 ,i will first give ,myself for you1 will make your suffering and misfortune ,mine own and bear it for you1 that you in your turn may do the same or ,me and for one another1 have all things in common in ,me and with ,me1 and let this sacrament be unto you a sure token of this all1 that you may not forget ,me1 but daily call to mind and admonish one another by what ,i have done or you and still am doing1 that you may be strengthened thereby1 and also bear with one another4 #aj4 ,this is also a reason1 indeed the chief reason1 why this sacrament is received many times1 while baptism is administered but once4 ,baptism is the beginning and entrance to a new life1 in the course of which boundless adversities assail us through sins and suffering1 our own and those of others4 ,the devil1 the world and our own flesh and conscience1 as was said#aj never cease to pursue us and oppress us4 ,therefore we need the strength1 support and help of ,christ and of ,his saints1 which are pledged us in this sacrament as by a sure token1 by which we are made one with them and are incorporated with them1 and all our suffering is laid down in the midst of the congregation4 ,therefore1 this holy sacrament is of little or no benefit to those who have no misfortune or anxiety or do not feel their adversity4 ,for it is given only to those who need strength and comfort1 who have timid hearts and terrified consciences1 and who are assailed by sin1 or have even fallen into sin4 ,what could it do or untroubled and falsely secure spirits1 which neither need nor desire it8 ,for the ,mother of ,god#aa says1 ,he filleth only the hungry1 and comforteth them that are distressed4 ,luke #a3ec #aa4 ,that the disciples1 therefore1 might by all means be worthy and well prepared for this sacrament ,he first made them sorrowful1 held before them ,his departure and death1 by which they were exceeding troubled4 ,and then ,he greatly terrified them when ,he said that one of them should betray ,him4 ,matt4 #be3ba ff4 ,when they were thus full of sorrow and anxiety and were concerned about the sorrow and sin of betrayal1 then they were worthy1 and ,he gave them ,his holy ,body to strengthen them4 ,by which ,he teaches us that this sacrament is strength and comfort for those whom sin and evil trouble and distress2 as ,st4 ,augustine also says#ab1 ,this food demands only hungry souls and is shunned by none so greatly as by a sated soul which does not need it4 ,just as the ,jews were required to eat the ,passover with bitter herbs1 standing and in haste1 which also signifies that this sacrament demands souls that are desirous1 needy and sorrowful4 ,now if one will make the afflictions of ,christ and of all ,christians his own1 will defend the truth1 oppose unrighteousness1 help bear the need of the innocent and the sufferings of all ,christians1 he will find affliction and adversity enough1 besides that which his evil nature1 the world1 the devil and sin daily inflict upon him4 ,and it is ,god's will and purpose to set so many hounds upon us and drive us1 and everywhere provide us bitter herbs1 that we may long for this strength and take delight in the holy sacrament1 and thus be worthy of it1 that is1 desire it4 #ab4 ,it is ,his will1 then1 that we partake of it frequently1 in order that we may remember ,him and exercise ourselves in this fellowship according to ,his example4 ,for if ,his example were no longer kept before us1 the fellowship also would soon be forgotten4 ,so we at present see to our sorrow that many masses are held and yet the ,christian fellowship which should be preached1 practiced and kept before us by ,christ's example has quite perished2 so that we hardly know what purpose this sacrament serves1 or how it should be used1 nay1 with our masses we frequently destroy this fellowship and pervert everything4 ,this is the fault of the preachers who do not preach the ,gospel nor the sacraments1 but their humanly devised fables concerning the many works#ac to be done and the ways to live aright4 ,but in times past this sacrament was so properly used1 and the people were taught to understand this fellowship so well1 that they even gathered material food and goods#ad in the church and there distributed them among those who were in need1 as ,st4 ,paul writes #a ,cor4 #aa3ba4 ,of this we have a relic in the word collect1#ae which still remains in the mass1 and means a general collection1 just as a common fund is gathered to be given to the poor4 ,that was the time when so many became martyrs and saints4 ,there were fewer masses1 but much strength and blessing resulted from the masses2 ,christians cared for one another1 assisted one another1 sympathized with one another1 bore one another's burden and affliction4 ,this has all disappeared1 and there remain only the many masses and the many who receive this sacrament without in the least understanding or practicing what it signifies4 #ac4 ,there are those1 indeed1 who would share the benefits but not the cost1 that is1 who gladly hear in this sacrament that the help1 fellowship and assistance of all the saints are promised and given to them1 but who1 because they fear the world1 are unwilling in their turn to contribute to this fellowship1 to help the poor1 to endure sins1 to care for the sick1 to suffer with the suffering1 to intercede for others1 to defend the truth1 to seek the reformation of the ,church and of all ,christians at the risk of life1 property and honor4 ,they are unwilling to suffer disfavor1 harm1 shame or death1 although it is ,god's will that they be driven1 for the sake of the truth and their neighbors1 to desire the great grace and strength of this sacrament4 ,they are self-seeking persons1 whom this sacrament does not benefit4 ,just as we could not endure a citizen who wanted to be helped1 protected and made free by the community1 and yet in his turn would do nothing for it nor serve it4 ,no1 we on our part must make others' evil our own1 if we desire ,christ and ,his saints to make our evil their own2 then will the fellowship be complete and justice be done to the sacrament4 ,for the sacrament has no blessing and significance unless love grows daily and so changes a man that he is made one with all others4 #ad4 ,to symbolize this fellowship1 ,god has appointed such signs of the sacrament as in every way serve this purpose and by their very form incite and move us to this fellowship4 ,just as the bread is made out of many grains which have been ground and mixed together1 and out of the many bodies of grain there comes the one body of the bread1 in which each grain loses its form and body and acquires the common body of the bread1 and as the drops of wine losing their own form become the body of one wine3 so should it be with us1 and is1 indeed1 if we use this sacrament aright4 ,christ with all saints1 by ,his love1 takes upon ,himself our form1 fights with us against sin1 death and all evil ,phil4 #b3g2 this enkindles in us such love that we take ,his form1 rely upon ,his righteousness1 life and blessedness1 and through the interchange of ,his blessings and our misfortunes are one loaf1 one bread1 one body1 one drink1 and have all things in common4 ,this is a great sacrament1,eph4 #e3cbaf says ,paul1 that ,christ and the ,church are one flesh and bone ,eph4 #e3ca4 ,again1 through this same love are to be changed and to make the infirmities of all other ,christians our own1 take upon ourselves their form and their necessity and make theirs all the good that is within our power1 that they may enjoy it ,judg4 #i3b4 ,that is a real fellowship1 and that is the true significance of this sacrament4 ,in this way we are changed into one another and are brought into fellowship with one another by love1 without which there can be no such change4 #ae4 ,he appointed this twofold form1 bread and wine1 rather than any other1 as a further indication of the union and fellowship in this sacrament4 ,for there is no more intimate1 deep and inseparable union than the union of the food with him who partakes of it1 since the food enters into and is assimilated with his very nature and becomes one with his being4 ,other unions1 effected by means of nails1 glue1 cords and the like1 do not make one indivisible substance of the objects joined together4 ,in the sacrament we become united with ,christ1 and are made one body with all the saints1 so that ,he concerns ,himself for us1 acts in our behalf1 as though ,he were what we are--what concerns us concerns ,him as much as us1 and even more than us2 and1 on the other hand1 that we also concern ourselves or ,him1 as though we were what ,he is1 as indeed we shall finally be1 when we are conformed to ,his likeness1 as ,st4 ,john says1 ,we know that when ,he shall appear we shall be like ,him #a ,john #c3b2 so complete is the fellowship of ,christ and all the saints with us4 ,our sins assail ,him1 ,his righteousness protects us2 for the union makes all things common1 until at last ,he completely destroys sin in us and makes us like unto ,himself1 at the last day4 ,in like manner1 by the same love we are to be united with our neighbors1 we in them and they in us4 #af4 ,in addition to this1 ,he did not appoint this twofold form by itself1 but gave ,his true natural flesh1 in the bread1 and ,his natural and true blood1 in the wine1 that ,he might give us a really perfect sacrament or sign4 ,for just as the bread is changed#ag into ,his true natural body and the wine into ,his true natural blood1 so truly are we also drawn and changed into the spiritual body1 that is1 into the fellowship of ,christ and all saints1 and put by this sacrament in possession of all the virtues and mercies of ,christ and ,his saints2 as was said above#ah of a citizen who is taken and incorporated into the city and the protection and freedom of the entire community4 ,therefore ,he instituted not simply the one form1 but the two separate forms1 ,his flesh under the bread1 ,his blood under the wine1 to indicate that not only ,his life and good works1 which are represented by ,his flesh and which ,he accomplished in ,his flesh1 but also ,his passion and martyrdom1 which are represented by ,his blood and in which ,he shed ,his blood1 are all our own1 and by being drawn into this fellowship we may use and enjoy them4 #ag4 ,all this makes it clear that this holy sacrament is naught else than a divine sign1 in which ,christ and all saints are pledged1 granted and imparted1 with all their works1 sufferings1 merits1 mercies and possessions1 or the comfort and strengthening of all who are in anxiety and sorrow1 and are persecuted by the devil1 sin1 the world1 the flesh and every evil2 and that to receive the sacrament is nothing else than to desire all this and firmly to believe that it shall be done4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,third part of the ,sacrament3 ,faith ,there follows the third part of the sacrament1 that is faith1 on which all depends4 ,for it is not enough to know what the sacrament is and signifies4 ,it is not enough that you know it is a fellowship and a gracious exchange or blending of our sin and suffering with the righteousness of ,christ and ,his saints2 you must also desire it and firmly believe that you have received it4 ,here the devil and our own nature wage their fiercest fight1 that faith may by no means stand firm4 ,there are those who practice their arts and subtleties to such an extent that they ask where the bread remains when it is changed into ,christ's flesh1 and the wine when it is changed into ,his blood2 also in what manner the whole ,christ1 ,his flesh and ,his blood1 can be comprehended in so small a portion of bread and wine4 ,what does it matter8 ,it is enough to know that it is a divine sign1 in which ,christ's flesh and blood are truly present--how and where1 we leave to ,him4#ai #ah4 ,see to it that you exercise and strengthen your faith1 so that when you are sorrowful or your sins afflict you and you go to the sacrament or hear mass1 you do so with a hearty desire for this sacrament and for what it means1 and doubt not that you have what the sacrament signifies1 that is1 that you are certain ,christ and all ,his saints come to you bringing all their virtues1 sufferings and mercies1 to live1 work1 suffer and die with you1 and be wholly yours1 to have all things in common with you4 ,if you will exercise and strengthen this faith1 you will experience what a rich and joyous wedding-supper and festival your ,god has prepared upon the altar or you4 ,then you will understand what the great feast of ,king ,ahasuerus signifies ,esth4 #a3e1 you will see what that wedding is for which ,god has slain ,his oxen and fatlings1 as it is written in the ,gospel ,matt4 #bb3b ff41 and your heart will grow right free and confident1 strong and courageous1 against all enemies4 ,for who will fear any calamity if he is sure that ,christ and all ,his saints are with ,him and share all things1 evil or good1 in common with him8 ,so we read that the disciples of ,christ broke this bread and ate with great gladness of heart4 ,since1 then1 this work is so great that our insignificant souls dare not desire it1 to say nothing of hoping for or expecting it1 it is necessary and profitable to go often to the sacrament1 or at least in the daily mass to exercise and strengthen this faith1 on which all depends and or the sake of which it was instituted4 ,for if you doubt#bj you do ,god the greatest dishonor and regard ,him as unfaithful and a liar4 ,if you cannot believe1 pray for faith1 as was said above in the other treatise#ba4 #ai4 ,see to it also that you make yourself a fellow of every man and by no means exclude any one in hatred or anger2 for this sacrament of fellowship1 love and unity cannot tolerate discord and dissension4 ,you must let the infirmities and needs of others burden your heart1 as though they were your own1 and offer them your strength1 as though it were their own1 as ,christ does for you in the sacrament4 ,that is what we mean by being changed into one another through love1 out of many particles becoming one bread and drink1 giving up one's own form and taking one that belongs to all4#bb ,for this reason slanderers and those who wickedly judge and despise others cannot but receive death in the sacrament1 as ,st4 ,paul writes #a ,cor4 #aa3bi4 ,for they do not unto their neighbor what they seek from ,christ and what the sacrament indicates2 they wish them no good1 have no sympathy with them1 do not receive them as they desire to be received by ,christ1 and then all into such blindness that they do not know what else to do in this sacrament except to fear and honor ,christ in the sacrament with their prayers and devotion4 ,when they have done this they think they have done their whole duty1 although ,christ has given ,his body for this purpose1 that the significance of the sacrament1 that is1 fellowship and mutual love1 may be put into practice1 and ,his own natural body be less regarded than ,his spiritual body1#bc which is the fellowship of ,his saints4 ,what concerns ,him most1 especially in this sacrament1 is that faith in the fellowship with ,him and with ,his saints may be rightly exercised and become strong in us1 and that we1 in accordance with it1 may rightly exercise our fellowship with one another4 ,this purpose of ,christ they do not perceive and1 in their devoutness1 they daily say and hear mass1 and remain every day the same2 nay1 become worse daily1 and mark it not4 ,therefore take heed2 it is more needful that you discern the spiritual than that you discern the natural body of ,christ1 and faith in the spiritual is more needful than faith in the natural4 ,for the natural without the spiritual profiteth us nothing in this sacrament2 a change#bd must occur and manifest itself through love4 #bj4 ,there are many who1 regardless of this change of love and faith1 rely upon the fact that the mass or the sacrament is1 as they say1 opus gratum opere operato1 that is1 a work which of itself pleases ,god1 even though they who perform it do not please ,him4 ,from this they conclude that1 however unworthily masses are said1 it is none the less a good thing to have many masses1 since the harm comes to those who say or use them unworthily4 ,i grant every one his opinion1 but such fables please me not4 ,for1 if you desire to speak thus1 there is no creature nor work that does not of itself please ,god1 as is written1 ,god saw all ,his works and they pleased ,him4 ,gen4 #a3ca ,what good can result therefrom1 if one misuse bread1 wine1 gold1 and every good creature1 though of themselves they are pleasing to ,god8 ,nay1 condemnation is the result4 ,so too1 here3 the more precious the sacrament1 the greater the harm which comes upon the whole congregation from its misuse4 ,for it was not instituted or its own sake1 that it might please ,god1 but for our sake1 that we might use it rightly1 exercise our faith by it1 and by it become pleasing to ,god4 ,if it is merely an opus operatum#be1 it works only harm2 it must become an opus operantis#bf4 ,just as bread and wine work only harm if they are not used1 no matter how much they please ,god of themselves2 so it is not enough that the sacrament be prepared 7that is1 opus operatum71 it must also be used in faith 7that is1 opus operantis74 ,and we must take heed lest with such dangerous glosses our minds be turned away from the sacrament's power and virtue1 and faith perish entirely through such false security in the outwardly completed sacrament4 ,all this results because they give heed in this sacrament to ,christ's natural body more than to the fellowship1 the spiritual body4 ,christ on the cross was also a completed work#bg1 which was well-pleasing to ,god2 but the ,jews unto this day have found it a stumbling block1 for the reason that they did not make of it a work that must be used in faith#bh4 ,see to it1 then1 that the sacrament be or you an opus operantis1 that is1 a work that is made use of1 and that it be well-pleasing to ,god1 not because of what it is in itself1 but because of your faith and your right use of it4 ,the ,word of ,god is also of itself pleasing to ,god1 but it is harmful to me when it does not please ,god also within me4 ,in short1 such expressions as opus operatum and opus operantis are nothing but useless words of men1 more of a hindrance than a help4 ,and who could tell all the abominable abuses and misbeliefs which daily multiply about this blessed sacrament1 although some of them are so spiritual and holy that they might almost lead an angel astray8 ,briefly1 whoever would understand the abuses need only keep before him the aforesaid use and faith of this sacrament2 namely1 that there must be a sorrowing1 hungry soul1 desiring heartily the love1 help1 and support of the entire communion of ,christ and of all saints1 doubting not that in faith it obtains them1 and then1 on the other hand1 making itself one with everyone4 ,whoever does not thus direct and order the hearing or reading of masses and the reception of the sacrament1 errs and does not use this sacrament to his salvation4 ,for this reason also the world is overwhelmed with pestilences1 wars and other horrible plagues#bi1 since with our many masses we only call upon us the more disfavor4 #ba4 ,we see now how necessary this sacrament is for those who must face death1 or other dangers of body and soul1 since they are not let alone in them1 but are strengthened in the communion of ,christ and all saints4 ,therefore also ,christ instituted it and gave it to ,his disciples in their extreme need and danger4 ,since we are all daily surrounded by all kinds of danger1 and must at last die1 we should humbly and heartily and with all our powers thank the ,god of all mercy for giving us a gracious sign1 by which1 if we hold fast thereto by faith4 ,he leads and draws us through death and every danger to ,himself1 to ,christ1 and to all saints4 ,therefore it is also profitable and necessary that the love and fellowship of ,christ and all saints be hidden1 invisible and spiritual1 and that only a bodily1 visible and outward sign of it be given us4 ,for were this love1 fellowship and help known to all1 like the temporal fellowship of men1 we should not be strengthened nor trained thereby to put our trust in the invisible and eternal things1 or to desire them1 but should much rather be trained to put our trust only in the temporal1 visible things and to become so accustomed to them as to be unwilling to let them go and to follow ,god onward2 we should thus be prevented from ever coming to ,him1 if we followed ,god only so far as visible and tangible things led us4 ,for everything of time and sense must fall away1 and we must learn to do without them1 if we are to come to ,god4 ,therefore the mass and this sacrament are a sign by which we train and accustom ourselves to let go all visible love1 help1 and comfort1 and to trust in ,christ and in the invisible love1 help1 and comfort of ,his saints4 ,for death takes away everything visible1 and separates us from men and temporal things2 hence1 to meet death1 we must have the help of the invisible and eternal things2 and these are indicated to us in the sacrament and sign1 to which we cling by faith1 until we attain to them also by sight4 ,thus the sacrament is or us a ford1 a bridge1 a door1 a ship1 and a litter1 in which and by which we pass from this world into eternal life4 ,therefore all depends on faith4 ,he who does not believe is like one who must cross the sea1 but is so timid that he does not trust the ship2 and so he must remain and never be saved1 because he does not embark and cross over4 ,this is due to our dependence on the senses and to our untried faith which shrinks from the passage across the ,jordan of death--the devil also cruelly helps toward this4 #bb4 ,this was indicated of old in ,joshua iii ,josh4 #c3g ff44 ,after the children of ,israel had gone dry-shod through the ,red ,sea1 a type of baptism1 they went through ,jordan in like manner2 but the priests stood with the ark in ,jordan1 and the water below them lowed by1 while that above them stood upon a heap1 a type of this sacrament4 ,the priests carry and uphold the ark in ,jordan when in the hour of our death or peril they preach and administer to us this sacrament1 ,christ1 and the fellowship of all saints4 ,i we believe1 the waters below us depart1 that is1 the temporal1 visible things harm us not1 but flee from us4 ,and those above us stand up high1 as though they would overwhelm us2 these are the horrors and apparitions of the other world1 which at the hour of death terrify us4 ,if1 however1 we pay no heed to them1 and pass on with a firm faith1 we shall enter into eternal life dry-shod and unharmed4 ,we have1 therefore1 two principal sacraments in the church1 baptism and the bread4 ,baptism leads us into a new life on earth2 the bread guides us through death into eternal life4 ,and the two are typified by the ,red ,sea and the ,jordan1 and by the two lands1 one beyond and one on this side the ,jordan4 ,therefore our ,lord said at the ,last ,supper3 ,i will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine1 until that day when ,i drink it new with you in ,my ,father's kingdom4 ,matt4 #bf3bi ,so entirely is this sacrament intended and ordained to strengthen us against death1 and to give us entrance into eternal life4 ,finally1 the blessing of this sacrament is fellowship and love1 by which we are strengthened against death and all evil4 ,this fellowship is twofold3 on the one hand we partake of ,christ and all saints1 on the other hand we permit all ,christians to be partakers of us1 in whatever way they and we are able2 so that by this sacrament all self-seeking love is uprooted and gives place to love which seeks the common good of all1 and through this mutual love there is one bread1 one drink1 one body1 one community1--that is the true union of ,christian brethren4 ,now let us see how the pretentious brotherhoods1 of which there are now so many1 measure up to this and resemble it4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,brotherhoods4#cj #a4 ,first1 let us consider the evil practices of the brotherhoods4 ,one of these is their gluttony and drunkenness1--one or more masses are held#ca1 afterward the entire day and night1 and other days besides1 are given over to the devil1 and they do only what displeases ,god4 ,such mad reveling has been introduced by the evil spirit1 and is called a brotherhood1 whereas it is rather a debauch and altogether a heathenish1 nay1 swinish mode of life4 ,there would far better be no brotherhoods in the world than that such an abomination should be permitted4 ,temporal lords and cities should unite with the clergy in abolishing it4 ,for ,god1 the saints1 and all ,christians are greatly dishonored thereby1 and the divine services and feast-days made a sport for the devil4 ,saints' days should be kept and hallowed with good works2 and the brotherhood should also be a special treasury of good works2 instead it has become a treasury of beer money4 ,what have the names of ,our ,lady1 of ,st4 ,anne1 ,st4 ,sebastian#cb1 or other saints to do with your brotherhoods1 in which you have nothing but gluttony1 drunkenness1 squandering of money1 howling1 yelling1 chattering1 dancing and wasting of time8 ,if a sow were made the patron saint of such a brotherhood she would not consent4 ,why then do they afflict the dear saints so sorely by taking their names in vain in such shameful practices and sins1 and by dishonoring and blaspheming the brotherhoods named after them with such evil practices8 ,woe unto them who do and permit this6 #b4 ,if men desire to maintain a brotherhood1 they should gather provisions1 and feed and serve a tableful or two of poor people1 for the sake of ,god2 the day previous they should fast1 and on the feast-day remain sober1 and pass the time in prayer and other good works4 ,then ,god and ,his saints would be truly honored2 this would lead to better conditions1 and a good example would be given others4 ,or they should gather the money which they intended to squander or drink and form a common treasury1 each trade#cc by itself1 so that needy fellow-workmen might be assisted1 or be lent money1 or a young couple of that trade might be fitted out respectably from the common treasury3 these would be true works of brotherhood1 which would make ,god and ,his saints look with pleasure upon the brotherhoods1 of which they would then gladly be the patrons4 ,but where they are unwilling to do this1 and follow after the old mummery1 ,i admonish that it be not done on the saints' day's1 nor in the name of the saints or of the brotherhood4 ,let them take some other weekday and leave off the names of the saints and of their brotherhoods1 lest the saints at some time mark it with disapproval4 ,although there is no day which is not dishonored by such doings1 at least the festivals and the names of the saints should be spared4 ,for such brotherhoods call themselves brotherhoods of the saints while they do the work of the devil4 #c4 ,another evil feature of the brotherhoods is of a spiritual nature2 it is a false opinion of themselves1 in that they think their brotherhood is to be a benefit to no one but to themselves1--to those who are members and are on the roll or contribute4 ,this damnably wicked opinion is an even worse evil than the first1 and is one of the reasons why ,god has brought it about that the brotherhoods are becoming such a mockery and blasphemy of ,god through gluttony1 drunkenness and the like4 ,for there they learn to seek their own good1 to love themselves1 to be faithful only to one another1 to despise others1 to think themselves better than others and presume to stand higher before ,god than others4 ,and thus perishes the communion of saints1 the ,christian love1 and the true brotherhood1 established in the holy sacrament4 ,thus a selfish love grows in them2 that is1 by these many external work-brotherhoods they oppose and destroy the one1 inner1 spiritual1 essential1 common brotherhood of all saints4 ,when ,god sees this perverted state of affairs1 ,he perverts it still more1 as is written in ,psalm xviii#cd1 ,with the perverse thou wilt be perverted ,ps4 #ah3bf2 and ,he brings it to pass that they make themselves and their brotherhoods a mockery and a disgrace1 and ,he casts them out from the common brotherhood of saints1 which they oppose and do not make common cause with1 into their brotherhood of gluttony1 drunkenness and unchastity1 so that they1 who have neither sought nor thought of anything more than their own1 may find their own2 and then ,he blinds them that they do not recognize it as an abomination and disgrace1 but adorn their unseemliness with the names of saints1 as though they were doing right2 beyond this ,he lets some fall into so deep an abyss that they openly boast and say whoever is in their brotherhood cannot be condemned1 as though baptism and the sacrament1 instituted by ,god ,himself1 were of less worth and were less certain than that which they have thought out with their darkened minds4 ,therefore their ,god will dishonor and blind those who1 with their mad conduct and the swinish practices of their brotherhoods1 mock and blaspheme ,his easts1 ,his name1 and ,his saints1 to the injury of the common ,christian brotherhood1 which flowed from the wounds of ,christ4 #d4 ,therefore1 for the right understanding and use of the brotherhoods1 one must learn to distinguish rightly between brotherhoods4 ,the first is the divine1 the heavenly1 the noblest1 which surpasses all others1 as gold surpasses copper or lead--the fellowship of all saints1 of which we spoke above#ce4 ,in this we are all brothers and sisters1 so closely united that a closer relationship cannot be conceived1 for here we have one baptism1 one ,christ1 one sacrament1 one food1 one ,gospel1 one faith1 one ,spirit1 one spiritual body1 and each is a member of the other2 no other brotherhood is so close4 ,for natural brothers are1 to be sure1 brothers of one flesh and blood1 of one heritage and home1 but they must separate and join themselves to others' blood and heritage#cf4 ,organized brotherhoods have one roll1 one mass1 one kind of good works1 one festival day1 one treasury1 and1 as things are now1 their common beer1 common feast and common debauch1 but none of these binds men so closely together as to produce one spirit1 for that is done by ,christ's brotherhood alone4 ,since1 then1 the greater1 broader and more embracing ,christ's brotherhood is1 the better it is1 therefore all other brotherhoods should be so conducted as to keep this first and noblest brotherhood constantly before their eyes1 to regard it alone as great1 and with all their works to seek nothing for themselves1 but do them for ,god's sake1 to entreat ,god that ,he keep and prosper this ,christian fellowship and brotherhood from day to day4 ,hence1 when a brotherhood is formed1 they should let it be seen that its members outstrip other persons in order to do ,christianity some special service with their prayers1 fastings1 alms and good works1 and not in order to seek selfish profit or reward1 nor to exclude others1 but to serve as the free servants of the whole community of ,christians4 ,if men had such a correct conception1 ,god would restore good order1 so that the brotherhoods might not be brought to shame by debauchery4 ,then ,god's blessing would follow1 so that a general fund might be gathered1 with which other men also might be given material aid2 then the spiritual and bodily works of the brotherhoods would be done in their proper order4 ,whoever will not follow this method in his brotherhood ,i advise to flee from it and let the brotherhood alone2 it will do him harm in body and soul4 ,but if you say1 ,if the brotherhood is not to give me some special advantage1 of what use is it to me8 ,i answer3 ,if you are seeking some special advantage1 how can the brotherhood or sisterhood help you8 ,serve the community and other men by it1 as is the nature of love1 and you will have your reward for this love without any effort and desire on your part4 ,but if you deem the service and reward of love too small1 it is evidence that yours is a perverted brotherhood4 ,love serves freely and for nothing1 therefore ,god also gives again to it every blessing freely and or nothing4 ,since1 then1 everything must be done in love1 if it is to please ,god at all1 the brotherhood must also be a brotherhood in love4 ,it is the nature1 however1 of that which is done in love not to seek its own1 nor its own profit1 but that of others1 and1 above all1 that of the community4 #e4 ,to return once more to the sacrament2 since the ,christian fellowship also is at present in a bad way1 as never before1 and daily grows worse1 especially among the rulers1 and all places are full of sin and shame1 you should not consider how many masses are said1 or how often the sacrament is celebrated1 or this will make things worse rather than better1--but how much you and others increase in that which the sacrament signifies and in the faith it demands1--for therein alone lies improvement2 and the more you find yourself being incorporated into ,christ and into the fellowship of ,his saints1 the better it is with you1--that is1 if you find that you are becoming strong in the confidence of ,christ and of ,his dear saints1 and are certain that they love you and stand by you in all the trials of life and in death1 and that you in turn take to heart the shortcomings and lapses of all ,christians and of the whole ,church1 that your love goes out to everyone1 and that you desire to help everyone1 to hate no one1 to suffer with all and pray or them3 then will the work of the sacrament proceed aright1 then you will often weep1 lament and mourn or the wretched condition of ,christendom to-day4 ,if1 however1 you find no such confidence in ,christ and ,his saints1 and the needs of the ,church and of every fellowman do not trouble or move you1 then beware of all other good works1 if in doing them you think you are godly and will be saved4 ,be assured they are only hypocrisy1 sham and deceit1 or they are without love and fellowship1 and without these nothing is good4 ,for the sum of it all is1 ,plenitudo legis est dilectio1 ,love is the fulfilling of the law4 ,rom4 #ac3aj ,amen4 ,,footnotes #a ,see ,treatise on ,baptism1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ef ff4 #b ,note the advance in ,the ,babylonian ,captivity1 below1 pp4 #agh ff4 #c ,cf4 ,babylonian ,captivity1 below1 p4 #ahf4 #d ,cf4 ,sermo1 #aab1 cap4 #e 7,migne1 xxxviii1 #fae74 #e ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ef4 #f ,e4 g41 the danger of spilling the wine4 #g ,see p4 #cg4 #h ,used here and above in the ,new ,testament sense of true ,christians1 living or dead1 cf4 #a ,cor4 #a3b4 #i ,see p4 #aa4 #aj ,see above1 pp4 #ab1 #ac1 and ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ei ff4 #aa ,the virgin ,mary4 #ab ,cf4 ,enarratio in ,ps4 ,,xxi 7,migne1 xxxvi1 #agh74 #ac ,penitential works4 #ad ,cf4 ,acts #b3df4 #ae ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #caj4 #af ,in the ,vulgate the ,greek word mystery is translated by sacramentum4 ,see below1 p4 #beh4 #ag ,luther still adheres to the doctrine of transubstantiation4 ,but see below1 pp4 #ahg ff4 #ah ,see p4 #aa4 #ai ,cf4 below1 p4 #aib4 #bj ,see ,luther's explanation of the ,first ,commandment in the ,catechisms4 ,also the answer to the last question in ,part ,v1 ,small ,catechism4 #ba ,treatise on ,penance 7,weimer ,ed41 ,,ii1 #gba71 where ,luther exhorts the troubled conscience to pray with the father of the lunatic boy1 ,lord1 ,i believe1 help ,thou mine unbelief1 and with the ,apostles1 ,lord1 increase our faith4 #bb ,cf4 above1 p4 #ag4 #bc ,the ,church4 #bd ,a transubstantiation in the communicant4 #be ,a work that is done without reference to the doer of it4 #bf ,a work considered with reference to the doer of it4 #bg ,an opus operatum4 #bh ,an opus operantis4 #bi ,cf4 #a ,cor4 #aa3cj4 #cj ,sodalities2 see ,introduction1 p4 #h1 and below1 pp4 #acg f4 #ca ,on festival days of the order and on saints' days4 #cb ,the ,carmelites are supposed to have been the first to organize sodalities1 having organized in the fourteenth century the ,sodality of ,our ,lady of ,carmel4 ,st4 ,anne was the mother of the ,holy ,virgin4 ,her sodalities were1 as ,kolde says1 epidemic in #aebj4 ,luther's appeal to ,st4 ,anne in the thunderstorm is well known 7,comp4 ,kostlin-,kawerau1 ,i1 #ee74 ,there was a sodality of ,st4 ,anne1 besides one of ,st4 ,augustine and one of ,st4 ,catherine1 in the monastery at ,erfurt in ,luther's day4 ,st4 ,sebastian was a martyr of the fourteenth century4 ,his day is ,january #bj4 ,comp4 ,arts4 ,anna1 ,sebastian and ,bruderschaten in ,prot4 ,realencyk41 ,i1 ,,ss#b2 ,,ii1 #ecd l4 #cc ,a trades' guild brotherhood4 #cd ,douay ,version1 based on ,vulgate1 from which ,luther quotes4 #ce ,see above1 p4 #aj4 #cf ,i4 e41 in marriage4 ,a ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,ban #aebj ,,introduction ,the ban1 or excommunication1 is the correlative of communion4 ,our conception of excommunication depends then1 of course1 upon our view of what constitutes communion4 ,luther gives us his view of communion in the preceding ,treatise concerning the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,from the premise there laid down it follows that excommunication1 or the ban1 excludes only from external membership in the ,church1 but cannot really separate a man from the ,church if he is in personal fellowship with his ,lord#a4 ,sin and unbelief cause this separation from ,him1 and the real ban1 therefore1 is put into effect not by the ,church1 but by the man himself when he sins against ,god4 ,the ban of the ,church cannot even deprive one of the ,sacrament1 but only of the outward use of it1 for it can still be partaken of spiritually4 ,this whole position1 of course1 is fatal to the ,roman ,catholic conception of the ,church1 and we do not wonder that it was vigorously opposed by the hierarchy4 ,of like significance is ,luther's advocacy of the separation of the temporal and spiritual powers1 practically of ,church and ,state1--the position which he develops later in the ,open ,letter to the ,nobility4 ,but in this treatise1 again1 ,luther shows himself to be anything but the immoral monster his vilifiers have tried to make of him4 ,he is again the man of conscience--will his critics say1 of oversensitive conscience8 ,thank ,god that there were some sensitive consciences in an almost conscienceless age6 ,luther fears sin more than the ban1 and sin has for him more than an ecclesiastical meaning4 ,sin is not primarily an act against the ,church1 but an offence against ,god4 ,this the ban is to teach2 it is to be the symbol of ,god's wrath against sin and it is to be used by the ,church only remedially and in love4 ,when so used it becomes the chastening rod of the dear ,mother ,church1 provided it be accepted and borne in this spirit4 ,why1 then1 did not ,luther bear his own ban in this way8 ,the justification for his subsequent conduct is to be found in two brief but important conditional clauses in this treatise4 ,god1 he says1 cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly and impudently resisted1 when it does not force us to do what is against ,god or ,his commandments4#b ,again he says1 ,when unjustly put under the ban we should be very careful not to do1 omit1 say or withhold that on account of which we are under the ban1 unless we cannot do so without sin and without injury to our neighbor4#c ,god and his neighbor were for ,luther the actors which made it necessary for him to speak and act1 when for selfish reasons he would often rather have remained passive4 ,the inception of our treatise is to be found in a sermon preached in ,wittenberg in the spring of #aeah4 ,luther's pastoral concern for his people made it necessary for him to speak on this subject in order to quiet the consciences both embittered and distressed by the wanton and unjust use of the power of excommunication4 ,added to this must have been his own personal interest in the ban certain to fall on him4 ,in a letter to ,link#d1 dated ,july #aj1 #aeah1 he speaks of having preached a sermon on the power of the ban which produced general consternation and fear that the ire enkindled by the ,,xcv ,theses would start afresh4 ,he had desired a public disputation on the subject1 but the ,bishop of ,brandenburg persuaded him to defer the matter4 ,under date of ,september #ast1 ,luther writes ,staupitz#e that because his sermon had been misrepresented and spread by unfriendly spies it became necessary for him to publish it4 ,it appeared in ,august after ,luther's summons to ,rome1 under the title ,de ,virtute ,excommunicationis4 ,our treatise is an elaboration in popular form of this ,latin treatise of #aeae4 ,the ,grunberg text given in ,clemen1 ,vol4 ,i1 which we have followed in most cases1 is dated #aebj1 and must have appeared in its original edition at the end of #aeai or the beginning of #aebj4 ,the text of the treatise is found in the following editions3 ,weimar ,ed41 vol4 vi1 #fc2 ,erlangen ,ed41 vol4 xxvii1 #ea2 ,walch ,ed41 vol4 xix1 #ajhi2 ,st4 ,louis ,ed41 vol4 4xix1 #hhd2 ,clemen1 vol4 i1 #bac2 ,berlin ,ed41 vol4 iii1 #bia4 ,j4 ,j4 ,,schindel4 ,allentown1 ,,pa4 ,,footnotes #a ,see below1 p4 #cg4 #b ,see below1 p4 #ej4 #c ,see below1 p4 #ea4 #d ,see ,enders1 ,i1 ,no4 #hd4 ,smith4 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,i1 ,no4 #fi4 #e ,see ,enders1 ,i1 ,no4 #ij4 ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,i1 ,no4 #gg4 ,a ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,ban #aebj ,,jesus #a4 ,we have seen#a that the sacrament of the holy body of ,christ is a sign of the communion of all saints1 therefore it becomes necessary to know also what the ban is which is employed in the ,church by the power of the spiritual estate4 ,for its chief and peculiar function and power is to deprive guilty ,christians of the holy sacrament and forbid it to them4 ,therefore the one cannot be understood apart from the other1 because the one is the opposite of the other2 for the ,latin word communio means fellowship1 and thus do the learned designate the ,holy ,sacrament4 ,its opposite is the word excommunicatio1 which means exclusion from this fellowship1 and so the learned term the ban4 #b4 ,there is a twofold fellowship1 corresponding to the two things in the sacrament1 the sign and the thing signified1 as was said in the treatise#b4 ,the first is an inner1 spiritual and invisible fellowship of the heart1 by which one is incorporated by true faith1 hope and love in the fellowship of ,christ and of all the saints1 signified and bestowed in the sacrament2 and this is the effect and virtue of the sacrament4 ,this fellowship can neither be given nor taken away by any one1 be he bishop1 pope1 or angel or any creature4 ,god alone through ,his ,holy ,spirit must pour it into the heart of the one who believes in the sacrament1 as was said in the treatise#c4 ,this fellowship no ban can touch or affect1 but only the unbelief or sin of the person himself2 by these he can excommunicate himself1 and thus separate himself from the grace1 the and salvation of the fellowship4 ,this ,st4 ,paul proves in ,romans viii3 ,who shall separate us from the ,god8 ,can anguish or need1 or hunger or poverty1 or danger or persecution1 or shedding of blood8 ,nay1 ,i am convinced that neither death nor life1 neither angels nor principalities nor angelic hosts1 neither things present nor things to come1 naught that is mighty on the earth1 neither height nor depth nor any other creature can separate us from the love of ,god which is ours in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,rom4 #h3ce1 #ch ,and ,st4 ,peter says3 ,and who is he that will harm you1 if ye be followers of that which is good8 #a ,peter #c3ac #c4 ,the second kind of fellowship is an outward1 bodily and visible fellowship1 by which one is admitted to the ,holy ,sacrament and receives and partakes of it together with others4 ,from this fellowship or communion bishop and pope can exclude one1 and forbid it to him on account of his sin1 and that is called putting him under the ban4 ,this ban was much in vogue of old1 and is now known as the lesser ban4 ,for the ban goes beyond this and forbids even burial1 selling1 trading1 all association and fellowship with men1 finally1 as they say1 even fire and water#d1 and this is known as the greater ban4 ,not satisfied with this1 there are some who go still farther and use the temporal powers against those under the ban1 to coerce them with sword1 fire1 and war#e4 ,these1 however1 are new inventions1 rather than the real meaning of ,scripture4 ,to wield the temporal sword belongs to the emperor1 to kings1 to princes1 and to the rulers of this world1 and by no means to the spiritual estate#f1 whose sword is not to be of iron1 but the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the ,word and commandment of ,god1 as ,st4 ,paul says4 ,eph4 #f3ag #d4 ,this external ban1 both the lesser and the greater1 was instituted by ,christ when ,he said in ,matthew xviii3 ,if thy brother shall trespass against thee1 go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone3 if he shall hear thee1 thou hast gained thy brother4 ,if he will not hear thee1 then take with thee one or two more1 that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word or transaction may be established4 ,if he will not hear them1 then tell it unto the whole congregation1 the ,church4 ,if he neglect to hear the ,church1 let him be unto thee a heathen man and a publican4 ,matt4 #ah3ae ff4 ,likewise ,st4 ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians v3 ,if any man among you be a fornicator1 or covetous1 or an idolator1 or a railer1 or a drunkard1 or an extortioner1 with such an one keep not company1 neither eat with him4 #a4 ,cor4 #e3aa ,again he says in ,,ii ,thessalonians iii3 ,if any man obey not our word by this epistle1 note that man and have no company with him1 that he may be ashamed4 #b ,thess4 #c3ad ,again1 ,john says in his second ,epistle3 ,if any one come unto you1 and bring not this doctrine1 receive him not into your house1 neither bid him ,god speed1 and he that biddeth him ,god speed is partaker of his evil deeds4 #b ,john #aj ,from all these sayings we learn how the ban is to be used4 ,first1 we should seek neither vengeance nor our own profit1 as is at present the disgraceful practice everywhere1 but only the correction of our neighbor4 ,second1 the penalty should stop short of his death or destruction2 or ,st4 ,paul limits the purpose of the ban to the correction of our neighbor1 that he be put to shame when no one associates with him1 and he adds in #aa ,thessalonians iii3 ,count him not as an enemy1 but admonish him as a brother4 #b ,thess4 #c3ae ,but now the ruthless tyrants deal with men as though they would cast them down to hell1 and do not in any wise seek their correction4 #e4 ,it may often happen that a person under the ban is deprived of the holy sacrament1 and also of burial1 and is nevertheless inwardly#g secure and blessed in the fellowship of ,christ and of all saints1 signified in the sacrament4 ,on the other hand1 there are many who are not under the outward ban and who freely partake of the sacrament1 but are nevertheless inwardly quite estranged and excommunicated from the fellowship of ,christ2 even though they be buried under the high altar in a golden pall with much pomp and singing and tolling of bells4 ,therefore1 no one is to be judged1 even if he be under the ban1 especially if he has not been put under the ban for heresy or sin1 but for the purpose of correction4 ,for to put men under the ban for the sake of money or other temporal considerations is a new invention1 of which the apostles and ,christ knew nothing4 #f4 ,to put under the ban is not1 as some think1 to deliver a soul to ,satan and deprive it of the intercession and of all the good works#h of the ,church4 ,for where the true faith and love of ,god remain in the heart1 there remains a real participation in all the possessions and intercessions of the ,church1 together with all the benefits of the sacrament1 since the ban is and can be nothing else than exclusion from the external sacrament or from association with men4 ,if ,i were cast into prison ,i would1 of course1 be deprived of the outward companionship of my friends1 and yet not be deprived of their favor and friendship2 so he that is put under the ban must relinquish the sacrament and association with men1 but is not on that account cut off from their love1 intercession and good works4 #g4 ,it is true that the ban1 when it is rightly and deservedly applied1 is a sign1 an admonition and a chastisement1 whereby the one under the ban should recognize that he himself has delivered his soul unto ,satan by his transgression and sin1 and has deprived himself of the fellowship of all the saints and of ,christ4 ,for by the penalty of the ban our mother1 the holy ,church1 would show her dear son the awful consequences of sin and thereby bring him back from the devil to ,god4 ,when an earthly mother rebukes and chastises her erring son1 she does not give him over to the hangman or to the wolves1 nor make a knave of him1 but she restrains him and shows him by her chastisement that he is in danger of the hangman1 and thus keeps him at home in his father's house4 ,in the same way1 when the spiritual power puts any one under the ban1 it should be in this spirit3 ,behold1 thou has done this or that1 whereby thou hast delivered thy soul unto the devil1 deserved ,god's wrath1 and deprived thyself of all ,christian fellowship2 thou art fallen under the inward spiritual ban in the sight of ,god and art unwilling to cease or to return4 ,so then1 ,i put thee also outwardly under the ban in the sight of men1 and to thy shame ,i deprive thee of the sacrament and of fellowship with men1 until thou come to thyself and bring back thy soul4 #h4 ,let every bishop1 provost or official#i1 who uses the ban for any other purpose1 take heed lest he put himself under the everlasting ban from which neither ,god nor any creature shall deliver him4 ,there are none to whom the ban is more harmful and dangerous than those who apply it1 even though it be laid quite justly and only on account of wrongdoing1 for the reason that they seldom if ever have this object in view4 ,besides they go about it without fear and do not consider how perchance they themselves may be more worthy of a hundred bans in the sight of ,god1 as the ,gospel records of the servant who owed his ,lord ten thousand pounds and yet would not have patience with his fellow servant who owed him a hundred pence4 ,what will become of these miserable taskmasters1 who for the sake of money have brought things to such a pass with their bans1 often violently and unjustly imposed1 that ,turks and heathen have an easier life than ,christians8 ,it is very evident that many of them are under the ban in the sight of ,god1 and are deprived of the blessing of the sacrament and of inward1 spiritual fellowship1 although they do nothing day and night but cite others to appear1 harass them and put them under the ban1 and deprive of the external sacrament those who are a thousandfold better inwardly and in the sight of ,god and are living in the spiritual fellowship of the sacrament4 ,o miserable business6 ,o terrible existence maintained by this abominable trade6 ,i am not sure whether such publicans and officials were wolves before becoming officials or whether they are on the way to becoming wolves2 their work is certainly wolves' work4 #i4 ,from this there follows the truth that the ban of itself ruins1 condemns or harms no one1 but seeks and finds the ruined and condemned soul for the purpose of bringing it back4 ,for all chastisement is for the correction of sin2 the ban is simply a chastisement and motherly correction2 therefore it makes no one worse or more sinful1 but is ordained solely to restore the inward spiritual fellowship when justly laid1 or to deepen it when unjustly imposed4 ,this is proved by ,st4 ,paul when he says in ,,ii ,corinthians xiii3 ,this ,i write to you according to the power which the ,lord hath given me1 to edification and not to destruction1 #b ,cor4 #ac3aj ,and thus1 when he rebukes him who had taken his step-mother to wife1 he says in ,i ,corinthians v3 ,i together with you deliver him unto the devil for the destruction of the flesh1 that the spirit may be saved at the last day4 #a ,cor4 #e3e ,thus also in the passage quoted above he said3 ,we should not count him who is under the ban as an enemy1 but admonish him as a brother1 in order that he may be put to shame and not be lost4 #b ,thess4 #c3ae ,nay1 even ,christ ,himself1 as man1 had not the power to cut off and deliver a single soul to the devil1 as ,he says in ,john vi3 ,him that cometh to ,me ,i will in no wise cast out1 and this is the will of ,my ,father ,who sent ,me1 that ,i should not destroy or lose what ,he giveth ,me4 ,john #f3cg1 #ci ,again ,he says3 ,the ,son of ,man is not come to destroy1 but to save men's souls4 ,luke #i3ef ,if ,christ ,himself and all the apostles had no other power than to help souls1 and have let behind them no other power in the ,church1 how dare the blind tyrants presume and boast in their presumption that they have power to curse1 to condemn and to destroy1 which power is even denied them by their own canon law2 for in the ,liber ,sextus#aj1 which treats of the sentence of excommunication1 we read3 ,since the ban is a medicine and not a poison1 only a discipline1 not a destructive uprooting1 in so far as the one subjected to it does not despise it3 therefore let every spiritual judge give diligence to prove himself one who seeks by the ban naught but to correct and to cure4 #aj4 ,from the above passage it is evident that the ban1 when it is not despised1 is wholesome and harmless1 and not fatal to the soul1 as certain timid and dejected consciences1 frightened by the outrageous abuses of some1 imagine2 although in apostolic times it was able to deliver the body to the devil and to death#aa1 as indeed it might still be1 if the judges would wield the ban1 not in the abuse of power1 but in humble faith and love1 for the correction of their neighbor4 ,it follows further that the ban brings greater danger and terror to those who apply it and are not careful to seek only the correction and salvation of those under the ban1 according to the words of the above passage#ab4 ,for the ban can be nothing else than a kind1 motherly scourge applied to the body and temporal possessions1 by which no one is cast into hell1 but rather drawn out of it1 and freed from condemnation unto salvation4 ,therefore we should not only endure it without impatience1 but receive it with all joy and reverence4 ,but for the tyrants1 who seek therein nothing else than power1 awe and gain for themselves1 the ban must be a terrible injury1 because they pervert it and its purpose1 turn the medicine into a poison1 and seek only to become a terror to a frightened people2 of correction they never think4 ,for this they will have to give an awful reckoning--woe unto them6 #aa4 ,they have devised a saying1 to wit3 ,our ban must be feared1 right or wrong4 ,with this saying they insolently comfort themselves1 swell their chests and puff themselves up like adders1 and almost dare to defy heaven and to threaten the whole world2 with this bugaboo they have made a deep and mighty impression1 imagining that there is more in these words than there really is4 ,therefore we would explain them more fully and prick this bladder1 which with its three peas makes such a rightful noise4 ,now1 it is true1 the ban must be feared and not be despised1 whether it be just or unjust4 ,but why apply this only to the ban1 which is a motherly chastening1 and not to all the other and greater penalties and tribulations as well8 ,for what great thing have you done or the ban by saying it must be feared8 ,must we not also fear when we are sick1 poor1 slandered1 despised1 or deprived of goods1 income or justice1 nay1 when the ,turk and other enemies attack or afflict us8 ,for all these and other adversities1 whether deserved or undeserved1 we should fear1 suffer and endure1 and in all things conduct ourselves as though we but received our deserts1 as the ,lord teaches3 ,o him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again4 ,luke #f3cj ,why are you not also afraid1 dear tyrant1 when you suffer injustice1 when your income is refused1 your property stolen1 your rights denied1 and why do you not think that you should endure these things in fear1 whether they be right or wrong8 ,do you think that others are commanded to endure your power in ear1 whether right or wrong1 and that you are free from this commandment and need not endure violence or wrong in fear8 ,you will learn that you also are human and under the same law with which you threaten others1 puffing yourself up in your folly4 #ab4 ,what perversity6 ,the spiritual powers come along with their ban and say it should be eared and endured1 whether right or wrong4 ,but if they are subjected to violence and injustice they will not endure it to the extent of a single heller1 but without any fear at all1 cast up the accounts in their favor and demand what is theirs4 ,thus they withdraw themselves from ,god's commandment1 in keeping which they1 most of all1 should be an example to others4 ,for if it is true that pope1 bishop and the whole spiritual estate may without fear resist injustice1 injury and contempt in their own interest1 then it is also true that the ban may be resisted and be repelled1 as vigorously as they seek their interest4 ,there is no distinction in ,god's commandment1 it concerns every one alike4 ,but may ,god forbid that6 ,we are to bear both the ban and whatever tribulation may befall us in fear1 as the ,gospel teaches4 ,therefore1 if any one wrong you or take your income1 and you do not endure it in fear1 but would frighten him with the ban#ac1 especially when you are seeking not his improvement1 but your own benefit or self-will1 take heed1 you are already worse than he4 ,for you intend to draw yourself out of fear and to draw him in1 which you have no right to do1 and compel him to keep the ,gospel which you tear to pieces4 ,how will you be able to stand before ,god8 ,therefore when they say1 ,our ban must be feared1 right or wrong1 we reply3 ,yes1 that is true1 but it is also true that your unjust ban harms no one but yourselves1 and harms you in body and soul4 ,and the just ban harms you more than it harms me4 ,therefore you should also endure your injury in fear1 be it right or wrong1 and if you glory over me because of the ban ,i will glory over you because of your suffering4 ,if a criminal took my coat and said3 ',you should endure it in fear and humility1' ,i would say1 ',i will2 not for the sake of your theft1 which harms me not1 but for the sake of ,christ's commandment ,matt4 #e3dj4' ,just so ,i fear your ban1 not for the ban's sake 7it does not harm me1 but rather yourself71 but for the sake of ,christ's commandment4 #ac4 ,though it is true that the ban must be feared1 whether it be right or wrong1 yet those who lay the ban are always in greater danger than those on whom it is laid4 ,he who is banned is in no danger but that of despising the ban and not bearing it1 whether it be right or wrong4 ,but he who bans is in danger1 in the first place1 of not enduring injustice in fear2 in the second place1 of avenging himself through the ban without any fear2 in the third place1 of not seeking1 with singleness of purpose1 his sinful neighbor's correction by means of the ban4 ,this is evident because he despises his own sin and that of others1 and only attacks the man who injures him1 all of which is contrary to the ,gospel4 ,hence it comes that by means of their dreadful perverseness those who use the ban nowadays pick up the spoon and tread in the dish#ad2 they put others under the external ban and put themselves under condemnation inwardly2 in addition1 they become so blinded that they boast how greatly their external ban is to be feared1 and inwardly they condemn themselves1 and rejoice boldly and without fear like fools and madmen4 ,for this reason ,i am sure that the ,holy ,spirit did not invent the saying1 ,our ban must be feared1 right or wrong4 ,it does not become a ,christian1 not to say one in the spiritual estate#ae1 to wrong another1 much less to lord it over him and boast that this injustice must be feared4 ,it behooves me to say1 ,thy injustice makes me tremble2 it behooves thee much more to take heed and be in fear lest thou do me wrong and threaten me besides1 saying that ,i must endure it in fear2 or thy injustice can harm me only in time1 but thee it harms to all eternity4 ,so evil and lamentable are these present times1 in which such furious tyrants shamelessly and openly boast of their sin and everlasting hurt 7which would be horrible even in ,turks and heathen71 in order that they may be defiant now and mock at the misfortunes of those who suffer1 whom they do not seek to correct1 but only to inspire with fear and false terror4 ,in a word1 the higher estate is always1 with all its works1 in greater danger than the lower estate1 and where the lower estate must needs be in fear once1 there the higher estate needs be in fear ten times over4 ,on this account those who exercise the ban have no reason to lord it over those who are under the ban or to deal arrogantly with them1 but all the more reason to weep or themselves4 ,for ,god's judgment will not be pronounced on the lowly1 but on the mighty1 as ,wisdom the wise man says ,wisdom #f3h f44 #ad4 ,it were indeed better if ,christians were taught to love the ban rather than to fear it#af1 as we are taught by ,christ to love chastisement1 pain and even death1 and not to fear them4 ,but these prattlers speak only of fear in the ban1 though they teach that all other chastisements and misfortunes are to be borne cheerfully4 ,whereby they betray their blind and cursed purpose1 which is to rule by force over the people of ,christ1 and as it were to take the free ,christian ,church captive in fear4 ,therefore let us learn what is our chief duty with respect to the ban1 namely1 not to despise it or bear it impatiently1 and this for two reasons4 ,first1 because the authority of the ban was given by ,christ to the holy mother1 the ,christian ,church1 that is1 to the community of all ,christians4 ,therefore1 in this matter we should honor and submit to our dear mother ,church and to ,christ4 ,for what ,christ and the ,church do should have our approval1 our love and our filial fear4 ,secondly1 because the effect and purpose of the ban is beneficial and salutary and never injurious1 if one endures it and does not despise it4 ,to use a homely illustration3 ,when a mother punishes her beloved son1 whether he has deserved it or not1 she certainly does not do it with evil intent1 but it is a maternal1 harmless and salutary punishment1 if the son bears it patiently4 ,only when he becomes impatient1 and is not influenced by it to leave the wrong or to do the good for the sake of which he is punished1 but turns against his mother and despises her1 does the punishment begin to do him harm2 or then he offends against ,god1 ,who has commanded3 ,thou shalt honor thy father and mother ,ex4 #bj3ab2 and out of a light1 harmless1 yea even beneficial chastisement he makes a terrible wrong and sin1 to his everlasting pain and punishment4 #ae4 ,thus it happens in our day that certain officials#ag and their associates are murdered1 beaten and bound1 or are in constant fear of death4 ,doubtless this would not occur at all1 or at least much less frequently1 if the people did not hold the wrong opinion that the ban is more harmful than profitable4 ,for this reason they venture everything1 and commit such crimes as it were in despair4 ,although this is terrible1 yet by ,god's dispensation the tyrants get what they deserve1 because they conceal the real benefit of the ban from the people1 and misuse it1 making no effort toward correction1 but aiming simply to increase their own power4 ,for although every one ought to endure the ban1 they too ought not to despise a poor human being1 be he guilty or innocent1 as ,christ says3 ,take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones that believe on ,me1 for ,i say unto you that their angels do always behold the face of ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,matt4 #ah3aj ,why should they wonder if1 in the providence of ,god1 at times their heads are broken and their commands despised1 because of the unjust tyrannical ban1 since without ceasing they act so insolently against ,god's commandment8 ,true1 there is great wrong on both sides4 ,yet if the people were taught that the power of the ban is wholesome and necessary and that it is not ordained nor used to their hurt1 but to their benefit1 the officials would be in less danger1 and find greater and readier obedience1 nay1 greater love1 good will and honor among all the people4 #af4 ,therefore the people should be taught in some such way as this3 ,my dear people1 let not those who have and use the power of the ban drive you to despair1 whether they be pious or evil1 whether they do you justice or injustice4 ,the power of the ban cannot harm you1 but must always be beneficial to the soul1 if only you bear and endure it aright2 their abuse of the ban does not hinder its virtue4 ,or if you cannot endure it1 then try to escape from it with meekness1 not with revenge and retaliation by word or deed4 ,and in all things look not to them1 but to the dear mother ,church4 ,what difference does it make to you whether she lays her rods of chastisement upon you through pious or through wicked rulers8 ,it is and remains1 nevertheless1 your dearest mother's most salutary rod4 ,from the beginning of the world it has been so1 and will ever remain1 that spiritual and temporal power is more often given to the ,pilates1 ,herods1 ,annases and ,caiaphases than to the pious ,peters1 ,pauls and the like1 and as in all other estates so in that of government there are always more of the wicked than of the pious4 ,it is not to be supposed or hoped that we shall ever have an entirely pious government1 nay1 it must come as a pure git of grace or by special prayer and merit1 if good government or a right use of power is to be had at all4 ,for ,god punishes wicked subjects by wicked rulers1 as ,he says3 ,i will give children to be their prelates and their rulers shall be childish men1 ,i will take from them every mighty man1 the wise1 the prudent and the man of war1 ,isa4 #c3d etc4 ,since1 then1 incapable or evil rulers are ,god's chastisement1 and there are so many among us who deserve such chastisement1 we must not be surprised if the government wrongs us and abuses its power toward us1 nay1 we must wonder and thank ,god when it does not wrong us and do us injustice4 #ag4 ,wherefore1 since the world is at present overburdened1 as it has abundantly deserved to be because of its heinous sins1 with young1 imprudent and inexperienced rulers1 especially in the spiritual estate1 so that this age of ours is extraordinarily perilous1 we must act very prudently and by all means see to it that we hold the government and all authority in the highest honor1 even as ,christ honors the authority of ,pilate1 ,herod1 ,annas1 ,caiaphas1 and of the temporal rulers of ,his time we must not permit such grievous abuses and the childish rule of the prelates to move us to despise all authority1 so that despite those unworthy persons who bear rule we may not at the same time despise their authority1 but cheerfully bear what it imposes1 or reuse to bear it at least with humility and proper respect4 ,for ,god cannot and will not permit authority to be wantonly and impudently resisted when it does not force us to do what is against ,god or ,his commandments#ah1 though they themselves do as much as they can against ,god1 or injure us as much as they will4 ,there are some whom ,he ,himself would judge and condemn1 and such are those great and powerful tyrants2 so too1 there are those whom ,he would help1 and such are the oppressed sufferers4 ,therefore we should yield to this ,his will and leave the mighty to ,his sword and judgment1 and allow ,him to help us1 as ,st4 ,paul says3 ,o dearly beloved brethren1 neither avenge nor defend yourselves1 but rather give place unto the wrath of ,god1 because it is written4 ,vengeance belongs to ,me alone and ,i will repay each one ,deut4 #cb3ce4 ,rom4 #ab3ai ,and yet we should humbly tell these prelates 7especially should the preachers rebuke them1 yet only by showing them from the ,word of ,god7 that they are acting against ,god and show them what ,he would have them do1 and in addition diligently and earnestly pray to ,god or them2 even as ,jeremiah wrote to the children of ,israel in ,babylon that they should zealously pray or the king of ,babylon1 or his son and for his kingdom1 although he had taken them captive1 had troubled and slain them and done them all manner of evil4 ,and we can easily do this if we remember that the ban and all unrighteous authority cannot harm our souls1 provided we submit to them1 and they must ever be of profit1 unless they are despised4 ,so also are the authorities a thousandfold worse in the sight of ,god than we1 and are therefore to be pitied rather than wickedly to be despised4 ,for this reason we are also commanded in the law of ,moses that no one shall revile the rulers1 be they good or evil1 even though they give great occasion4 ,in short1 we must have evil or childish rulers1--if it is not the ,turk1 then it must needs be the ,christians4 ,the world is far too wicked to be worthy of good and pious lords1 it must have princes who go to war1 levy taxes and shed blood1 and it must have spiritual tyrants who impoverish and burden it with bulls and letters#ai and laws4 ,this and other chastisements are rather what it has deserved1 and to resist them is nothing else than to resist ,god's chastisement4 ,as humbly as ,i conduct myself when ,god sends me a sickness1 so humbly should ,i conduct myself toward the evil government1 which the same ,god also sends me4 #ah4 ,when we are justly and deservedly put under the ban our chief concern should be to correct the sins of commission and omission which caused the ban1 since the ban always is imposed on account of sin 7which is far worse than the ban itself71 and yet here as elsewhere things are perverted1 so that we only consider how much the rod hurts and not why we are punished4 ,where can you find men to-day who are as much in fear of sinning and provoking ,god as they are in fear of the ban8 ,thus it happens that we are more in fear of the wholesome chastisement than of the heinous sins4 ,we must let men think and act thus1 because the natural man does not see the spiritual harm in sin as he feels the smarts of chastisement2 although the fear of the ban has also been exaggerated by the tyrannous methods and threatenings of the spiritual judges who drive the people to fear punishment more than sin4 ,when1 however1 we are unjustly put under the ban1 we should be very careful that we in no way do1 omit1 say or withhold that on account of which we are under the ban 7unless we cannot do so without sin and without injury to our neighbor7#bj1 but rather should we endure the ban in humility1 die happily under it1 if it cannot be otherwise1 and not be terrified1 even though we do not receive the sacrament and are buried in unconsecrated ground4 ,the reason is this3 ,truth and righteousness belong to the inner1 spiritual fellowship#ba and may not be abandoned under penalty of falling under ,god's eternal ban4 ,therefore they dare not be surrendered for the sake of the external fellowship1 which is immeasurably inferior1 nor because of the ban4 ,to receive the sacrament and to be buried in consecrated ground are of too little consequence that or their sake truth and righteousness be neglected4 ,and that no one may think this strange ,i will go further and say that even he who dies under a just ban is not damned1 unless indeed he did not repent of his sin or despised the ban4 ,for sorrow and repentance make all things right1 even though his body be exhumed or his ashes cast into the water#bb4 #ai4 ,the unjust ban then is much more to be desired than either the just ban or the external fellowship4 ,it is a very precious merit in the sight of ,god1 and blessed is he who dies under an unjust ban4 ,god will grant him an eternal crown for the truth's sake1 on account of which he is under the ban4 ,then let him sing in the words of ,psalm cix1 ,they have cursed me1 but ,thou hast blessed me4 ,ps4 #aji3bh ,only let us beware of despising the authorities1 and humbly declare our innocence2 if this does not avail1 then we are free and without guilt in the sight of ,god4 ,for if we are in duty bound by the commandment of ,christ to agree with our adversary ,matt4 #e3be2 how much more should we agree with the authority of the ,christian ,church1 be it exercised justly or unjustly1 by worthy or unworthy rulers4 ,an obedient child1 though it does not deserve the punishment it receives from its mother1 suffers no harm from the unjust chastisement1 nay1 by its very patience it becomes much dearer and more pleasing to the mother2 how much more do we become lovable in ,god's sight1 if at the hands of evil rulers we endure the unmerited punishment of the ,church1 as our spiritual mother4 ,for the ,church remains our mother because ,christ remains ,christ1 and she is not changed into a step-mother simply because of our evil rulers4 ,nevertheless1 the prelates and bishops and their officials should be temperate and not hastily use the ban1 for many bans means nothing else than many laws and commandments1 and prescribing many laws is to set many snares for poor souls4 ,and so by numerous ill-advised bans nothing more results than great offence and an occasion or sin1 by which the wrath of ,god is provoked1 although the ban was ordained to reconcile ,him4 ,and although we are truly bound to obey them1 still more are they bound to direct1 change and regulate their decree and authority according to our ability and need and for our correction and salvation2 for we have shown from ,st4 ,paul#bc that power is given not for destruction but for edification #b ,cor4 #ac3aj4 #bj4 ,the ban should be applied not only to heretics and schismatics1 but to all who are guilty of open sin1 as we have shown above from ,st4 ,paul1 who commands that the railer1 extortioner1 fornicator and drunkard be put under the ban #a ,cor4 #e3aa4 ,but in our day such sinners are let in peace1 especially if they are bigwigs2 and to the disgrace of this noble form of authority1 the ban is used only for the collection of debts of money1 often so insignificant that the costs amount to more than the original debt4 ,in order to gloss this over they have hit upon a new device1 saying they put under the ban not because of debt but because of disobedience1 because the summons was not respected2 were it not for debt1 however1 they would forget the disobedience1 as we see when many other sins1 even their own1 escape the ban4 ,a poor man must often be disobedient if he is cited to go so many miles1 lose time and money and neglect his trade4 ,it is utter tyranny to summon a man to come such a distance across country to court4 ,and ,i commend the temporal princes#bd who will not permit the ban and the abuses connected with it in their lands and among their people4 ,what are princes and counsellors for if they do not concern themselves with and judge such temporal matters as debts1 each in their city and province and among their subjects8 ,the spiritual powers should be concerned with the ,word of ,god1 with sin1 and with the devil1 in order to bring souls to ,god1 and should relinquish temporal cases to the temporal judges1 as ,paul writes#bea ,cor4 #f3a4 ,indeed1 as things are now1 it is almost necessary to use the ban in order to drive the people into the ,church and not out of it4 #ba4 ,whether one be justly or unjustly under the ban1 no one may exclude him from the ,church until the ,gospel has been read or the sermon preached#bf4 ,for from the hearing of the ,gospel and the sermon no one shall or can exclude or be excluded4 ,the hearing of the ,word of ,god should remain free to every one#bg4 ,nay1 those who are under a just ban ought most of all to hear it1 that they may perchance be moved by it to acknowledge their sin and to reform4 ,we read that it was the ancient practice of the ,church to dismiss those under the ban after the sermon1 and if a whole congregation were under the ban the sermon must be allowed to proceed just as though there were no ban4 ,in addition1 even though he who is under the ban may not remain for the mass after the sermon1 nor come to the sacrament#bh1 nevertheless he should not neglect it1 but spiritually come to the sacrament1 that is1 he should heartily desire it and believe that he can spiritually receive it1 as was said in the treatise on the sacrament#bi4 ,,footnotes #a ,in the preceding treatise on the ,blessed ,sacrament4 #b ,see above1 p4 #aj4 #c ,see above1 p4 #ah4 #d ,i4 e41 the necessaries of life4 #e ,e4 g41 the crusades against heretics1 and the inquisition of the thirteenth century4 ,luther's statement that to burn heretics is contrary to the will of the ,holy ,spirit was condemned in the ,bull ,exsurge ,domine1 of ,july #ae1 #aebj4 #f ,cf4 p4 #ec4 #g ,cf4 p4 #aj4 #h ,see ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ec1 #afc ff4 #i ,the officials were officers of the bishops' courts2 see also below1 p4 #ajc4 #aj ,in ,vito1 lib4 ,v1 tit4 xi1 c4 ,i1,cum medicinalis4 #aa ,according to ,luther's interpretation of #a ,cor4 #e3e4 ,cf4 also ,acts #e3e4 #ab ,the passage quoted from the canon law4 #ac ,for instances see the ,gravamina of the ,german ,nation 7#aeba71 ,wrede1 ,deutsche ,reichstagsakten1 ,,ii1 #fhe4 #ad ,thiele1 ,luthers ,sprichwortersammlung1 ,no4 #bgf4 #ae ,i4 e41 a cleric4 #af ,this statement also was condemned in the papal bull4 #ag ,the officials were the administrators of this discipline1 see above1 p4 #da4 #ah ,a very important limitation for ,luther's position4 #ai ,see ,open ,letter to the ,nobility1 below1 p4 #ih4 #bj ,again an important limitation4 #ba ,see above1 p4 #da4 #bb ,the ashes of ,hus were cast into the ,rhine 7#adae71 and the body of ,wycliff was exhumed and cremated and the ashes cast into the water 7#adbg74 #bc ,see above1 p4 #db4 #bd ,in #aeah both ,george and ,frederick of ,saxony took the position that spiritual jurisdiction should be limited to spiritual matters4 ,gess1 ,akten und ,briefe zur ,kirchen politik ,georgs #a1 #dd4 #be ,luther puts a peculiar construction upon this passage4 #bf ,the ancient service was divided into the service of the ,word 7missa catechumenorum7 and the celebration of the sacrament 7missa fidelium72 before the second1 those under the ban as well as the catechumens were required to withdraw4 #bg ,the great ban excluded from all services4 #bh ,according to ,roman ,catholic usage there is a distinction between hearing mass and receiving the sacrament4 #bi ,compare ,treatise ,concerning the ,blessed ,sacrament1 above1 p4 #be4 ,,an ,,open ,,letter ,,to ,,the ,,christian ,,nobility ,,of ,,the ,,german ,,nation ,,concerning ,,the ,,reform ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,estate #aebj ,,introduction ,the ,open ,letter to the ,christian ,nobility of the ,german ,nation is closely related to the tract on ,the ,papacy at ,rome3 ,a ,reply to the ,celebrated ,romanist at ,leipzig#a4 ,in a letter to ,spalatin#b dated before ,june #h1 #aebj1 ,luther says3 ,i shall assail that ass of an ,alveld in such wise as not to forget the ,roman pontiff1 and neither of them will be pleased4 ,in the same letter he writes1 ,i am minded to issue a broadside to ,charles and the nobility of ,germany against the tyranny and baseness of the ,roman curia4 ,the attack upon ,alveld is the tract on ,the ,papacy at ,rome2 the scheda publica grew into the ,open ,letter4 ,at the time when the letter to ,spalatin was written1 the work on ,the ,papacy at ,rome must have been already in press1 for it appeared in print on the #bfth of the month#c1 and the composition of the ,open ,letter had evidently not yet begun4 ,on the #bc;d ,luther sent the manuscript of the ,open ,letter to ,amsdorf#d1 with the request that he read it and suggest changes4 ,the two weeks immediately preceding the publication of the work ,on the ,papacy must1 therefore1 have been the time when the ,open ,letter was composed4 ,in the conclusion to the earlier work ,luther had said3 ,moreover1 ,i should be truly glad if kings1 princes1 and all the nobles would take hold1 and turn the knaves from ,rome out of the country1 and keep the appointments to bishoprics and benefices out of their hands4 ,how has ,roman avarice come to usurp all the foundations1 bishoprics and benefices of our fathers8 ,who has ever read or heard of such monstrous robbery8 ,do we not also have the people who need them1 while out of our poverty we must enrich the ass-drivers and stable-boys1 nay1 the harlots and knaves at ,rome1 who look upon us as nothing else but arrant fools1 and make us the objects of their vile mockery8 ,oh1 the pity1 that kings and princes have so little reverence for ,christ1 and ,his honor concerns them so little that they allow such heinous abominations to gain the upper hand1 and look on1 while at ,rome they think of nothing but to continue in their madness and to increase the abounding misery1 until no hope is let on earth except in the temporal authorities4 ,of this ,i will say more anon1 if this ,romanist comes again2 let this suffice for a beginning4 ,may ,god help us at length to open our eyes4 ,amen4 ,this passage may fairly be regarded as the germ of the ,open ,letter4 ,the ideas of the latter work are suggested with sufficient clearness to show that its materials are already at hand1 and its plan already in the author's mind4 ,the threat to write it is scarcely veiled4 ,that ,luther did not wait for that particular ,romanist to come again may have been due to the intervention of another ,romanist1 none other than his old opponent1 ,sylvester ,prierias4 ,before the #gth of ,june#e ,luther had received a copy of ,prierias' ,epitome of a ,reply to ,martin ,luther#f1 which is the boldest and baldest possible assertion of the very theory of papal power which ,luther had sought to demolish in his tract on the ,papacy4 ,in the preface to his reprint of the ,epitome1 ,luther bids farewell to ,rome3 ,farewell1 unhappy1 hopeless1 blasphemous ,rome6 ,the wrath of ,god hath come upon thee1 as thou hast deserved6 ,we have cared for ,babylon1 and she is not healed2 let us1 then1 leave her1 that she may be the habitation of dragons1 spectres and witches1 and true to her name of ,babel1 an everlasting confusion1 a new pantheon of wickedness4#g ,these words were written while the ,open ,letter was in course of composition4 ,the ,open ,letter is1 therefore1 ,luther's first publication after the time when he recognized that the breach between him and the papal church was complete1 and likely to be permanent4 ,meanwhile1 the opposing party had come to the same conclusion4 ,the verdict of the pope upon ,luther had been long delayed1 but on the #aeth of ,june1 midway between the letter to ,spalatin1 above mentioned1 and the completion of the ,open ,letter1 ,leo ,x signed the bull of excommunication1 though it was not published in ,germany until later4 ,thus the ,open ,letter shows us the mind of ,luther in the weeks when the permanent separation between him and ,rome took place4 ,it was also the time when he had the highest hopes from the promised support of the ,german knights#h1 who formed the patriotic party in ,germany and are included in the nobility to whom the ,open ,letter is addressed#i4 ,the first edition of #djjj copies came off the press of ,melchior ,lotther in ,wittenberg before the #ahth of ,august#aj4 ,it is surmised#aa that the earlier portion#ab of the work was not contained in the original manuscript1 but was added while it was in the printer's hands2 perhaps it was added at the suggestion of ,amsdorf4 ,less than a week later a second edition was in course of preparation#ac4 ,this enlarged and revised edition#ad contained three passages not included in the first#ae4 ,they are indicated in the notes to the present edition4 ,he who would know the true ,luther must read more than one of his writings2 he must not by any chance omit to read the ,open ,letter to the ,christian ,nobility of the ,german ,nation4 ,in his other works we learn to know him as the man of ,god1 or the prophet1 or the theologian2 in this treatise we meet ,luther the ,german4 ,his heart is full of grief for the affliction of his people1 and grief turns to wrath as he observes that this affliction is put upon them by the tyranny and greed of the pope and the cardinals and the ,roman vermin4 ,the situation is desperate2 appeals and protests have been all in vain2 and so1 as a last resort1 he turns to the temporal authorities1--to ,charles ,v1 newly elected1 but as yet uncrowned2 to the territorial lords1 great and small1 who have a voice in the imperial diet and powers of jurisdiction in their own domains1--reciting the abuses of ,roman tyranny1 and pleading with them to intervene in behalf of the souls that are going to destruction through the devilish rule of ,rome4 ,it is a cry out of the heart of ,germany1 a nation whose bent is all religious1 but which1 from that very circumstance1 is all the more open to the insults and wrongs and deceptions of the ,roman curia4 ,yet it is no formless and incoherent cry1 but an orderly recital of the ills of ,germany4 ,there are times when we feel in reading it that the writer is laying violent hands on his own wrath in the effort to be calm4 ,for all its scathing quality1 it is a sane arraignment of those who under the holy name of ,christ and ,st4 ,peter are responsible for the nation's woes1 and the remedies that are proposed are1 many of them1 practicable as well as reasonable4 ,the materials of the work are drawn from many sources1--from hearsay1 from personal observation1 from such histories as ,luther had at his command1 from the proceedings of councils and of diets2 there are passages which would seem to bear more than an accidental resemblance to similar passages in ,hutten's ,vadiscus4 ,all was grist that came to ,luther's mill4 ,but the spirit of the work is ,luther's own4 ,for the general historian1 who is concerned more with the practical than with the theoretical or theological aspects of the ,reformation1 the ,open ,letter is undoubtedly ,luther's greatest work4 ,its rank outspokenness about the true condition of ,germany1 the number and variety of the subjects that it treats1 the multiplicity of the sources from which the subject-matter is drawn1 and the point of view from which the whole is discussed make it a work of absorbing interest and priceless historical value4 ,it shows1 as does no other single work of the ,reformation time1 the things that were in men's minds and the variety of motives which led them to espouse the cause of the ,protestant party4 ,doctrine1 ethics1 history1 politics1 economics1 all have their place in the treatise4 ,it is not only a blast on the war-trumpet1#af but a connecting link between the thought of the ,middle ,ages and that of modern times1 prophetic of the new age1 but showing how closely the new is bound up with the old4 ,the text of the ,open ,letter is found in ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #djd-dfi2 ,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxi1 #bgg-cfj2 ,walch ,ed41 ,x1 #bif-cii2 ,st4 ,louis ,ed41 ,x1 #bff-cea2 ,berlin ,ed41 ,i1 #bjc-bij2 ,clemen ,i1 #cfc-dbe4 ,the text of the ,berlin ,ed4 is modernized and annotated by ,e4 ,schneider4 ,the editions of ,k4 ,benrath 7,halle1 #ahhc7 and ,e4 ,lemme 7,die #c grossen ,reformationsschriften ,l's vom ,j4 #aebj2 ,gotha1 #ahhd7 contain a modernized text and extensive notes4 ,a previous ,english translation in ,wace and ,buchheim1 ,luther's ,primary ,works 7,london and ,philadelphia1 #ahif74 ,the present translation is based on the text of ,clemen4 ,for full discussion of the contents of the work1 especially its sources1 see ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cha-cia2 ,schafer1 ,luther als ,kirchenhistoriker1 ,gutersloh1 #ahig2 ,kohler1 ,l's ,schrift an den ,adel 4 4 4 im ,spiegel der ,kulturgeschichte1 ,halle1 #ahie1 and ,luther und die ,kirchengeschichte1 ,erlangen1 #aijj4 ,extensive comment in all the biographies1 especially ,kostlin-,kawerau ,i1 #cae ff4 ,,charles ,m4 ,,jacobs4 ,lutheran ,theological ,seminary1 ,mount ,airy1 ,philadelphia4 ,,footnotes #a ,in this edition1 ,i1 #ccg ff4 #b ,enders1 ,,ii1 #dad2 ,smith1 ,l4's ,correspondence1 ,i1 ,no4 #bff4 #c ,enders1 ,,ii1 #dbd4 #d ,see below1 p4 #fb4 #e ,see letter of ,june #gth to ,john ,hess1 ,enders1 ,,ii1 #daa2 ,smith1 ,i1 ,no4 #bfe4 #f ,published at ,rome #aeai2 printed with ,luther's preface and notes1 ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cbh;ff42 ,erl4 ,ed41 op4 var4 arg41 ,,ii1 #gi ff4 #g ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cbi4 #h ,see ,enders1 ,,ii1 #dae1 #ddc2 ,smith1 ,nos4 #bfi1 #bgi1 and documents in ,st4 ,louis ,ed41 ,,xv1 #afcj ff4 #i ,see ,kostlin-,kawerau1 ,martin ,luther1 ,i1 #cjh ff41 and ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cha ff4 #aj ,see ,luther's letters to ,lang and ,staupitz1 who wished to have the publication withheld 7,enders1 ,,ii1 #dfa1 #dfc74 #aa ,clemen1 ,i4 #cfb4 #ab ,below1 pp4 #fe-ii4 #ac ,see ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cig4 #ad ,see title ,b1 ibid41 #cih4 #ae ,printed as an appendix in ,clemen1 ,i1 #dba-dbe4 #af ,so it was called by ,johann ,lang 7,enders1 ,,ii1 #dfa74 ,,an ,,open ,,letter ,,to ,,the ,,christian ,,nobility ,,of ,,the ,,german ,,nation ,,concerning ,,the ,,reform ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,estate #aebj ,to the ,esteemed and ,reverend ,master ,,nicholas ,,von ,,amsdorf1 ,licentiate of ,holy ,scripture and ,canon at ,wittenberg1 my special and kind friend2 ,doctor ,martin ,luther4 ,the grace and peace of ,god be with thee1 esteemed and reverend dear sir and friend4 ,the time to keep silence has passed and the time to speak is come1 as saith ,ecclesiastes ,eccl4 #c3g4 ,i have followed out our intention#a and brought together some matters touching the reform of the ,christian ,estate1 to be laid before the ,christian ,nobility of the ,german ,nation1 in the hope that ,god may deign to help ,his ,church through the efforts of the laity1 since the clergy1 to whom this task more properly belongs1 have grown quite indifferent4 ,i am sending the whole thing to your ,reverence1 that you may pass judgment on it and1 if necessary1 improve it4 ,i know full well that ,i shall not escape the charge of presumption in that ,i1 a despised monk1 venture to address such high and great ,estates on matters of such moment1 and to give advice to people of such high intelligence4 ,i shall offer no apologies1 no matter who may chide me4 ,perchance ,i owe my ,god and the world another piece of folly1 and ,i have now made up my mind honestly to pay that debt1 if ,i can do so1 and for once to become court-jester2 if ,i fail1 ,i still have one advantage1--no one need buy me a cap or cut me my comb#b4 ,it is a question which one will put the bells on the other#c4 ,i must fulfil the proverb1 ,whatever the world does1 a monk must be in it1 even if he has to be painted in4#d ,more than once a fool has spoken wisely1 and wise men often have been arrant fools1 as ,paul says1 ,if any one will be wise1 let him become a fool4 #a ,cor4 #c3ah ,moreover since ,i am not only a fool1 but also a sworn doctor of ,holy ,scripture1 ,i am glad for the chance to fulfil my doctor's oath in this fool's way4 ,i pray you1 make my excuses to the moderately intelligent1 for ,i know not how to earn the grace and favor of the immoderately intelligent1 though ,i have often sought to do so with great pains4 ,henceforth ,i neither desire nor regard their favor4 ,god help us to seek not our own glory1 but ,his alone6 ,amen4 ,wittenberg1 in the house of the ,augustinians1 on the ,eve of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist 7,june #bc;d71 in the year fifteen hundred and twenty4 ,to ,his ,most ,illustrious and ,mighty ,imperial ,majesty1 and to the ,christian ,nobility of the ,german ,nation1 ,doctor ,martin ,luther4 ,grace and power from ,god1 ,most ,illustrious ,majesty1 and most gracious and dear ,lords4 ,it is not out of sheer frowardness or rashness that ,i1 a single1 poor man1 have undertaken to address your worships4 ,the distress and oppression which weigh down all the ,estates of ,christendom1 especially of ,germany1 and which move not me alone1 but everyone to cry out time and again1 and to pray for help#e1 have forced me even now to cry aloud that ,god may inspire some one with ,his ,spirit to lend this suffering nation a helping hand4 ,ofttimes the councils#f have made some pretence at reformation1 but their attempts have been cleverly hindered by the guile of certain men and things have gone from bad to worse4 ,i now intend1 by the help of ,god1 to throw some light upon the wiles and wickedness of these men1 to the end that when they are known1 they may not henceforth be so hurtful and so great a hindrance4 ,god has given us a noble youth to be our head and thereby has awakened great hopes of good in many hearts#g2 wherefore it is meet that we should do our part and profitably use this time of grace4 ,in this whole matter the first and most important thing is that we take earnest heed not to enter on it trusting in great might or in human reason1 even though all power in the world were ours2 for ,god cannot and will not suffer a good work to be begun with trust in our own power or reason4 ,such works ,he crushes ruthlessly to earth1 as it is written in the xxxiii4 ,psalm1 ,there is no king saved by the multitude of an host3 a mighty man is not delivered by much strength4 ,ps4 #cc3af ,on this account1 ,i fear1 it came to pass of old that the good ,emperors ,frederick ,i#h and ,,ii#i1 and many other ,german emperors were shamefully oppressed and trodden under foot by the popes1 although all the world feared them4 ,it may be that they relied on their own might more than on ,god1 and therefore they had to all4 ,in our own times1 too1 what was it that raised the bloodthirsty ,julius ,,ii#aj to such heights8 ,nothing else1 ,i fear1 except that ,france1 the ,germans and ,venice relied upon themselves4 ,the children of ,benjamin slew #db1jjj ,israelites#aa because the latter relied on their own strength4 ,that it may not so fare with us and our noble young ,emperor ,charles1 we must be sure that in this matter we are dealing not with men1 but with the princes of hell1 who can fill the world with war and bloodshed1 but whom war and bloodshed do not overcome4 ,we must go at this work despairing of physical force and humbly trusting ,god2 we must seek ,god's help with earnest prayer1 and fix our minds on nothing else than the misery and distress of suffering ,christendom1 without regard to the deserts of evil men4 ,otherwise we may start the game with great prospect of success1 but when we get well into it the evil spirits will stir up such confusion that the whole world will swim in blood1 and yet nothing will come of it4 ,let us act wisely1 therefore1 and in the fear of ,god4 ,the more force we use1 the greater our disaster if we do not act humbly and in ,god's fear4 ,the popes and the ,romans have hitherto been1 able1 by the devil's help1 to set kings at odds with one another1 and they may well be able to do it again1 if we proceed by our own might and cunning1 without ,god's help4 ,i4 ,,the ,,three ,,walls ,,of ,,the ,,romanists ,sidenote3 ,the ,three ,walls ,described ,the ,romanists#ab1 with great adroitness1 have built three walls about them1 behind which they have hitherto defended themselves in such wise that no one has been able to reform them2 and this has been the cause of terrible corruption throughout all ,christendom4 ,first1 when pressed by the temporal power1 they have made decrees and said that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them1 but1 on the other hand1 that the spiritual is above the temporal power4 ,second1 when the attempt is made to reprove them out of the ,scriptures1 they raise the objection that the interpretation of the ,scriptures belongs to no one except the pope4 ,third1 if threatened with a council1 they answer with the fable that no one can call a council but the pope4 ,in this wise they have slyly stolen from us our three rods#ac1 that they may go unpunished1 and have ensconced themselves within the safe stronghold of these three walls1 that they may practise all the knavery and wickedness which we now see4 ,even when they have been compelled to hold a council they have weakened its power in advance by previously binding the princes with an oath to let them remain as they are4 ,moreover1 they have given the pope full authority over all the decisions of the council1 so that it is all one whether there are many councils or no councils1--except that they deceive us with puppet-shows and sham-battles4 ,so terribly do they fear for their skin in a really free council6 ,and they have intimidated kings and princes by making them believe it would be an offence against ,god not to obey them in all these knavish1 crafty deceptions#ad4 ,now ,god help us1 and give us one of the trumpets with which the walls of ,jericho were overthrown ,josh4 #f3bj1 that we may blow down these walls of straw and paper1 and may set free the ,christian rods or the punishment of sin1 bringing to light the craft and deceit of the devil1 to the end that through punishment we may reform ourselves1 and once more attain ,god's favor4 ,against the first wall we will direct our first attack4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,wall--the ,spiritual ,estate above the ,temporal ,it is pure invention that pope1 bishops1 priests and monks are to be called the spiritual estate2 princes1 lords1 artisans1 and farmers the temporal estate4 ,that is indeed a fine bit of lying and hypocrisy4 ,yet no one should be frightened by it2 and for this reason--viz41 that all ,christians are truly of the spiritual estate1 and there is among them no difference at all but that of office1 as ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians xii4 ,we are all one body1 yet every member has its own work1 whereby it serves every other1 all because we have one baptism1 one ,gospel1 one faith1 and are all alike ,christians #a ,cor4 #ab3ab ff42 for baptism1 ,gospel and faith alone make us spiritual and a ,christian people4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,priesthood of ,believers ,but that a pope or a bishop anoints1 confers tonsures1 ordains1 consecrates1 or prescribes dress unlike that of the laity1--this may make hypocrites and graven images#ae1 but it never makes a ,christian or spiritual man4 ,through baptism all of us are consecrated to the priesthood1 as ,st4 ,peter says in ,i ,peter ii1 ,ye are a royal priesthood1 a priestly kingdom1 #a ,pet4 #b3i and the book of ,revelation says1 ,thou hast made us by ,thy blood to be priests and kings4 ,rev4 #e3aj ,for if we had no higher consecration than pope or bishop gives1 the consecration by pope or bishop would never make a priest1 nor might anyone either say mass or preach a sermon or give absolution4 ,therefore when the bishop consecrates it is the same thing as if he1 in the place and stead of the whole congregation1 all of whom have like power1 were to take one out of their number and charge him to use this power for the others2 just as though ten brothers1 all king's sons and equal heirs1 were to choose one of themselves to rule the inheritance or them all1--they would all be kings and equal in power1 though one of them would be charged with the duty of ruling4 ,to make it still clearer4 ,if a little group of pious ,christian laymen were taken captive and set down in a wilderness1 and had among them no priest consecrated by a bishop1 and if there in the wilderness they were to agree in choosing one of themselves1 married or unmarried1 and were to charge him with the office of baptising1 saying mass1 absolving and preaching1 such a man would be as truly a priest as though all bishops and popes had consecrated him4 ,that is why in cases of necessity any one can baptise and give absolution#af1 which would be impossible unless we were all priests4 ,this great grace and power of baptism and of the ,christian ,estate they have well-nigh destroyed and caused us to forget through the canon law#ag4 ,it was in the manner aforesaid that ,christians in olden days chose from their number bishops and priests1 who were afterwards confirmed by other bishops1 without all the show which now obtains4 ,it was thus that ,sts4 ,augustine#ah1 ,ambrose#ai and ,cyprian#bj became bishops4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,temporal ,rulers1 ,priests ,sidenote3 ,the ,priest an ,office-holder ,since1 then1 the temporal authorities are baptised with same baptism and have the same faith and ,gospel as we1 we must grant that they are priests and bishops1 and count their office one which has a proper and a useful place in the ,christian community4 ,for whoever comes out of the water of baptism#ba can boast that he is already consecrated priest1 bishop and pope1 though it is not seemly that every one should exercise the office4 ,nay1 just because we are all in like manner priests1 no one must put himself forward and undertake1 without our consent and election1 to do what is in the power of all of us4 ,for what is common to all1 no one dare take upon himself without the will and the command of the community2 and should it happen that one chosen for such an office were deposed for malfeasance1 he would then be just what he was before he held office4 ,therefore a priest in ,christendom is nothing else than an office-holder4 ,while he is in office1 he has precedence2 holder when deposed1 he is a peasant or a townsman like the rest4 ,beyond all doubt1 then1 a priest is no longer a priest when he is deposed4 ,but now they have invented characteres indelebiles#bb1 and prate that a deposed priest is nevertheless something different from a mere layman4 ,they even dream that a priest can never become a layman1 or be anything else than a priest4 ,all this is mere talk and man-made law4 ,from all this it follows that there is really no difference between laymen and priests1 princes and bishops1 spirituals and temporals1 as they call them1 except that of office and work1 but not of estate2 or they are all of the same estate#bc1--true priests1 bishops and popes1--though they are not all engaged in the same work1 just as all priests and monks have not the same work4 ,this is the teaching of ,st4 ,paul in ,romans xii ,rom4 #ab3d ff4 and ,i ,corinthians xii #a ,cor4 #ab3ab ff41 and of ,st4 ,peter in ,i ,peter ii #a ,pet4 #b3i1 as ,i have said above1 viz41 that we are all one body of ,christ1 the ,head1 all members one of another4 ,christ has not two different bodies1 one temporal1 the other spiritual4 ,he is one ,head1 and ,he has one body4 ,therefore1 just as those who are now called spiritual--priests1 bishops or popes--are neither different from other ,christians nor superior to them1 except that they are charged with the administration of the ,word of ,god and the sacraments1 which is their work and office1 so it is with the temporal authorities1--they bear sword and rod with which to punish the evil and to protect the good ,rom4 #ac3d4 ,a cobbler1 a smith1 a farmer1 each has the work and office of his trade1 and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops1 and every one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every other1 that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community1 even as all the members of the body serve one another4 ,see1 now1 how ,christian is the decree which says that the temporal power is not above the spiritual estate and may not punish it#bd4 ,that is as much as to say that the hand shall lend no aid when the eye is suffering4 ,is it not unnatural1 not to say unchristian1 that one member should not help another and prevent its destruction8 ,verily1 the more honorable the member1 the more should the others help4 ,i say then1 since the temporal power is ordained of ,god to punish evil-doers and to protect them that do well ,rom4 #ac1 it should therefore be left free to perform its office without hindrance through the whole body of ,christendom without respect of persons1 whether it affect pope1 bishops1 priests1 monks1 nuns or anybody else4 ,for if the mere act that the temporal power has a smaller place among the ,christian offices than has the office of preachers or confessors1 or of the clergy1 then the tailors1 cobblers1 masons1 carpenters1 pot-boys1 tapsters1 farmers1 and all the secular tradesmen1 should also be prevented from providing pope1 bishops1 priests and monks with shoes1 clothing1 houses1 meat and drink1 and from paying them tribute4 ,but if these laymen are allowed to do their work unhindered1 what do the ,roman scribes mean by their laws1 with which they withdraw themselves from the jurisdiction of the temporal ,christian power1 only so that they may be free to do evil and to fulfil what ,st4 ,peter has said3 ,there shall be false teachers among you1 and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you4 #b ,pet4 #b3a ff4 ,on this account the ,christian temporal power should exercise its office without let or hindrance1 regardless whether it be pope1 bishop or priest whom it affects2 whoever is guilty1 let him suffer4 ,all that the canon law has said to the contrary is sheer invention of ,roman presumption4 ,for thus saith ,st4 ,paul to all ,christians3 ,let every soul 7,i take that to mean the pope's soul also7 be subject unto the higher powers2 for they bear not the sword in vain1 but are the ministers of ,god for the punishment of evil-doers1 and for the praise of them that do well4 ,rom4 #ac3a1 #d ,st4 ,peter also says3 ,submit yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the ,lord's sake1 for so is the will of ,god4 #a ,pet4 #b3ac1 #ae ,he has also prophesied that such men shall come as will despise the temporal authorities #a ,pet4 #b3aj2 and this has come to pass through the canon law4 ,so then1 ,i think this first paper-wall is overthrown1 since the temporal power has become a member of the body of ,christendom1 and is of the spiritual estate1 though its work is of a temporal nature4 ,therefore its work should extend freely and without hindrance to all the members of the whole body2 it should punish and use force whenever guilt deserves or necessity demands1 without regard to pope1 bishops and priests1--let them hurl threats and bans as much as they will4 ,this is why guilty priests1 if they are surrendered to the temporal law#be1 are first deprived of their priestly dignities1 which would not be right unless the temporal sword had previously had authority over them by divine right4 ,again1 it is intolerable that in the canon law so much importance is attached to the freedom1 life and property of the clergy1 as though the laity were not also as spiritual and as good ,christians as they1 or did not belong to the ,church4 ,why are your life and limb1 your property and honor so free1 and mine not8 ,we are all alike ,christians1 and have baptism1 faith1 ,spirit and all things alike4 ,if a priest is killed1 the land is laid under interdict1#bf--why not when a peasant is killed8 ,whence comes this great distinction between those who are equally ,christians8 ,only from human laws and inventions6 ,moreover1 it can be no good spirit who has invented such exceptions and granted to sin such license and impunity4 ,for if we are bound to strive against the works and words of the evil spirit1 and to drive him out in whatever way we can1 as ,christ commands and ,his ,apostles1 ought we1 then1 to suffer it in silence when the pope or his satellites are bent on devilish words and works8 ,ought we for the sake of men to allow the suppression of divine commandments and truths which we have sworn in baptism to support with life and limb8 ,of a truth we should then have to answer for all the souls that would thereby be abandoned and led astray4 ,it must therefore have been the very prince of devils who said what is written in the canon law3 ,if the pope were so scandalously bad as to lead souls in crowds to the devil1 yet he could not be deposed4#bg ,on this accursed and devilish foundation they build at ,rome1 and think that we should let all the world go to the devil1 rather than resist their knavery4 ,if the act that one man is set over others were sufficient reason why he should escape punishment1 then no ,christian could punish another1 since ,christ commands that every man shall esteem himself the lowliest and the least4 ,matt4 #ah3d ,where sin is1 there is no escape from punishment2 as ,st4 ,gregory#bh also writes that we are indeed all equal1 but guilt puts us in subjection one to another4 ,now we see how they whom ,god and the ,apostles have made subject to the temporal sword deal with ,christendom1 depriving it of its liberty by their own wickedness1 without warrant of ,scripture4 ,it is to be feared that this is a game of ,anti-christ#bi or a sign that he is close at hand4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,wall--,the ,pope the ,interpreter of ,scripture2 ,papal ,infallibility ,the second wall is still more flimsy and worthless4 ,they wish to be the only ,masters of the ,holy ,scriptures#ca even though in all their lives they learn nothing from them4 ,they assume for themselves sole authority1 and with insolent juggling of words they would persuade us that the pope1 whether he be a bad man or a good man1 cannot err in matters of faith#cb2 and yet they cannot prove a single letter of it4 ,hence it comes that so many heretical and unchristian1 nay1 even unnatural ordinances have a place in the canon law1 of which1 however1 there is no present need to speak4 ,for since they think that the ,holy ,spirit never leaves them1 be they never so unlearned and wicked1 they make bold to decree whatever they will4 ,and if it were true1 where would be the need or use of the ,holy ,scriptures8 ,let us burn them1 and be satisfied with the unlearned lords at ,rome1 who are possessed of the ,holy ,spirit1--although ,he can possess only pious hearts6 ,unless ,i had read it myself#cc1 ,i could not have believed that the devil would make such clumsy pretensions at ,rome1 and find a following4 ,but not to fight them with mere words1 we will quote the ,scriptures4 ,st4 ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians xiv3 anyone something better is revealed1 though he be sitting and listening to another in ,god's ,word1 then the first1 who is speaking1 shall hold his peace and give place4 #a ,cor4 #ad3cj ,what would be the use of this commandment1 if we were only to believe him who does the talking or who has the highest seat8 ,john #f3de ,christ also says in ,john vi1 that all ,christians shall be taught of ,god4 ,thus it may well happen that the pope and his followers are wicked men1 and no true ,christians1 not taught of ,god1 not having true understanding4 ,on the other hand1 an ordinary man may have true understanding2 why then should we not follow him8 ,has not the pope erred many times8 ,who would help ,christendom when the pope errs1 if we were not to believe another1 who had the ,scriptures on his side1 more than the pope8 ,therefore it is a wickedly invented fable1 and they cannot produce a letter in defence of it1 that the interpretation of ,scripture or the confirmation of its interpretation belongs to the pope alone4 ,they have themselves usurped this power2 and although they allege that this power was given to ,peter when the keys were given to him1 it is plain enough that the keys were not given to ,peter alone1 but to the whole community#cd4 ,moreover1 the keys were not ordained for doctrine or government1 but only for the binding and loosing of sin ,john #bj3bb ff41 and whatever further power of the keys they arrogate to themselves is mere invention4 ,but ,christ's word to ,peter1 ,i have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not1 ,luke #bb3cb cannot be applied to the pope1 since the majority of the popes have been without faith1 as they must themselves confess4 ,besides1 it is not only for ,peter that ,christ prayed1 but also or all ,apostles and ,christians1 as he says in ,john xvii3 ,father1 ,i pray for those whom ,thou hast given ,me1 and not for these only1 but for all who believe on ,me through their word4 ,john #ag3i1 #bj ,is not this clear enough8 ,only think of it yourself6 ,they must confess that there are pious ,christians among us1 who have the true faith1 ,spirit1 understanding1 word and mind of ,christ4 ,why1 then1 should we reject their word and understanding and follow the pope1 who has neither faith nor ,spirit8 ,that would be to deny the whole faith and the ,christian ,church4 ,moreover1 it is not the pope alone who is always in the right1 if the article of the ,creed is correct3 ,i believe one holy ,christian ,church2 otherwise the prayer must run3 ,i believe in the pope at ,rome1 and so reduce the ,christian ,church to one man1--which would be nothing else than a devilish and hellish error4 ,besides1 if we are all priests1 as was said above#ce1 and all have one faith1 one ,gospel1 one sacrament1 why should we not also have the power to test and judge what is correct or incorrect in matters of faith8 ,what becomes of the words of ,paul in ,i ,corinthians ii3 ,he that is spiritual judgeth all things1 yet he himself is judged of no man1 #a ,cor4 #b3ae and ,,ii ,corinthians iv3 ,we have all the same ,spirit of faith8 #b ,cor4 #d3ac ,why1 then1 should not we perceive what squares with faith and what does not1 as well as does an unbelieving pope8 ,all these and many other texts should make us bold and free1 and we should not allow the ,spirit of liberty1 as ,paul calls ,him #b ,cor4 #c3ag1 to be frightened off by the fabrications of the popes1 but we ought to go boldly forward to test all that they do or leave undone1 according to our interpretation of the ,scriptures1 which rests on faith1 and compel them to follow not their own interpretation1 but the one that is better4 ,in the olden days ,abraham had to listen to his ,sarah1 although she was in more complete subjection to him than we are to anyone on earth ,gen4 #ba3ab4 ,balaam's ass1 also1 was wiser than the prophet himself ,num4 #bb3bh4 ,if ,god then spoke by an ass against a prophet1 why should ,he not be able even now to speak by a righteous man against the pope8 ,in like manner ,st4 ,paul rebukes ,st4 ,peter as a man in error ,gal4 #b3aa ff44 ,therefore it behooves every ,christian to espouse the cause of the faith1 to understand and defend it1 and to rebuke all errors4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,wall--,pope and ,council ,the third wall falls of itself when the first two are down4 ,for when the pope acts contrary to the ,pope and ,scriptures1 it is our duty to stand by the ,scriptures1 to reprove him1 and to constrain him1 according to the word of ,christ in ,matthew xviii3 ,if thy brother sin against thee1 go and tell it him between thee and him alone2 if he hear thee not1 then take with thee one or two more2 if he hear them not1 tell it to the ,church2 if he hear not the ,church1 consider him a heathen4 ,matt4 #ah3ae ,here every member is commanded to care for every other4 ,how much rather should we do this when the member that does evil is a ruling member1 and by his evil-doing is the cause of much harm and offence to the rest6 ,but if ,i am to accuse him before the ,church1 ,i must bring the ,church together4 ,they have no basis in ,scripture or their contention that it belongs to the pope alone to call a council or confirm its actions#cf2 for this is based merely upon their own laws1 which are valid only in so far as they are not injurious to ,christendom or contrary to the laws of ,god4 ,when the pope deserves punishment1 such laws go out of force1 since it is injurious to ,christendom not to punish him by means of a council4 ,thus we read in ,acts xv4 that it was not ,st4 ,peter who called the ,apostolic ,council1 but the ,apostles and elders ,acts #ae3f4 ,if1 then1 that right had belonged to ,st4 ,peter alone1 the council would not have been a ,christian council1 but an heretical conciliabulum#cg4 ,even the ,council of ,nicaea--the most famous of all--was neither called nor confirmed by the ,bishop of ,rome1 but by the ,emperor ,constantine#ch1 and many other emperors after him did the like1 yet these councils were the most ,christian of all#ci4 ,but if the pope alone had the right to call councils1 then all these councils must have been heretical4 ,moreover1 if ,i consider the councils which the pope has created1 ,i find that they have done nothing of special importance4 ,therefore1 when necessity demands1 and the pope is an offence to ,christendom1 the first man who is able should1 as a faithful member of the whole body1 do what he can to bring about a truly free council#dj4 ,no one can do this so well as the temporal authorities1 especially since now they also are fellow-,christians1 fellow-priests1 fellow-spirituals1#da fellow-lords over all things1 and whenever it is needful or profitable1 they should give free course to the office and work in which ,god has put them above every man4 ,would it not be an unnatural thing1 if a fire broke out in a city1 and everybody were to stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could burn1 for the sole reason that nobody had the authority of the burgomaster1 or because1 perhaps1 the fire broke out in the burgomaster's house8 ,in such case is it not the duty of every citizen to arouse and call the rest8 ,how much more should this be done in the spiritual city of ,christ1 if a fire of offence breaks out1 whether in the papal government1 or anywhere else8 ,in the same way1 if the enemy attacks a city1 he who first rouses the others deserves honor and thanks2 why then should he not deserve honor who makes known the presence of the enemy from hell1 and awakens the ,christians1 and calls them together8 ,but all their boasts of an authority which dare not be opposed amount to nothing after all4 ,no one in ,christendom has authority to do injury1 or to forbid the resisting of injury4 ,there is no authority in the ,church save for edification4 ,therefore1 if the pope were to use his authority to prevent the calling of a free council1 and thus became a hindrance to the edification of the ,church1 we should have regard neither or him nor or his authority2 and if he were to hurl his bans and thunderbolts1 we should despise his conduct as that of a madman1 and relying on ,god1 hurl back the ban on him1 and coerce him as best we could4 ,for this presumptuous authority of his is nothing2 he has no such authority1 and he is quickly overthrown by a text of ,scripture2 for ,paul says to the ,corinthians1 ,god has given us authority not for the destruction1 but for the edification of ,christendom4 #b ,cor4 #aj3h ,who is ready to overleap this text8 ,it is only the power of the devil and of ,antichrist which resists the things that serve or the edification of ,christendom2 it is1 therefore1 in no wise to be obeyed1 but is to be opposed with life and goods and all our strength4 ,even though a miracle were to be done in the pope's behalf against the temporal powers1 or though someone were to be stricken with a plague--which they boast has sometimes happened--it should be considered only the work of the devil1 because of the weakness of our faith in ,god4 ,christ ,himself prophesied in ,matthew xxiv3 ,there shall come in ,my ,name false ,christs and false prophets1 and do signs and wonders1 so as to deceive even the elect1 ,matt4 #bd3bd and ,paul says in ,,ii ,thessalonians ii1 that ,antichrist shall1 through the power of ,satan1 be mighty in lying wonders #b ,thess4 #b3i4 ,let us1 therefore1 hold fast to this3 ,no ,christian authority can do anything against ,christ2 as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,we can do nothing against ,christ1 but for ,christ4 #b ,cor4 #ac3h ,whatever does aught against ,christ is the power of ,antichrist and of the devil1 even though it were to rain and hail wonders and plagues4 ,wonders and plagues prove nothing1 especially in these last evil times1 for which all the ,scriptures prophesy false wonders #b ,thess4 #b3i f44 ,therefore we must cling with firm faith to the words of ,god1 and then the devil will cease from wonders4 ,thus ,i hope that the false1 lying terror with which the ,romans have this long time made our conscience timid and stupid1 has been allayed4 ,they1 like all of us1 are subject to the temporal sword2 they have no power to interpret the ,scriptures by mere authority1 without learning2 they have no authority to prevent a council or1 in sheer wantonness1 to pledge it1 bind it1 or take away its liberty2 but if they do this1 they are in truth the communion of ,antichrist and of the devil1 and have nothing at all of ,christ except the name4 ,,ii4 ,,abuses ,,to ,,be ,,discussed ,,in ,,councils ,we shall now look at the matters which should be discussed in the councils1 and with which popes1 cardinals1 bishops and all the scholars ought properly to be occupied day and night if they loved ,christ and ,his ,church4 ,but if they neglect this duty1 then let the laity#db and the temporal authorities see to it1 regardless of bans and thunders2 for an unjust ban is better than ten just releases1 and an unjust release worse than ten just bans4 ,let us1 therefore1 awake1 dear ,germans1 and fear ,god rather than men ,acts #e3bi1 that we may not share the fate of all the poor souls who are so lamentably lost through the shameful and devilish rule of the ,romans1 in which the devil daily takes a larger and larger place1--if1 indeed1 it were possible that such a hellish rule could grow worse1 a thing ,i can neither conceive nor believe4 ,sidenote3 ,worldliness of the pope #a4 ,it is a horrible and frightful thing that the ruler of ,christendom1 who boasts himself vicar of ,christ and successor of ,st4 ,peter1 lives in such worldly splendor that in this regard no king nor emperor can equal or approach him1 and that he who claims the title of most holy and most spiritual is more worldly than the world itself4 ,he wears a triple crown1 when the greatest kings wear but a single crown#dc2 if that is like the poverty of ,christ and of ,st4 ,peter1 then it is a new kind of likeness4 ,when a word is said against it1 they cry out ,heresy6 but that is because they do not wish to hear how unchristian and ungodly such a practice is4 ,i think1 however1 that if the pope were with tears to pray to ,god1 he would have to lay aside these crowns1 for our ,god can suffer no pride2 and his office is nothing else than this1--daily to weep and pray or ,christendom1 and to set an example of all humility4 ,however that may be1 this splendor of his is an offence1 and the pope is bound on his soul's salvation to lay it aside1 because ,st4 ,paul says1 ,abstain from all outward shows1 which give offence1 #a ,thess4 #e3ba and in ,rom4 xii1 ,we should provide good1 not only in the sight of ,god1 but also in the sight of all men4 ,rom4 #ab3ag ,an ordinary bishop's crown would be enough for the pope2 he should be greater than others in wisdom and holiness1 and leave the crown of pride to ,antichrist1 as did his predecessors several centuries ago4 ,they say he is a lord of the world2 that is a lie2 for ,christ1 ,whose vicar and officer he boasts himself to be1 said before ,pilate1 ,my kingdom is not of this world1 ,john #ag3cf and no vicar's rule can go beyond his lord's4 ,moreover he is not the vicar of the glorified1 but of the crucified ,christ1 as ,paul says1 ,i was willing to know nothing among you save ,christ1 and ,him only as the ,crucified #a ,cor4 #b3b2 and in ,philippians ii1 ,so think of yourselves as ye see in ,christ1 ,who emptied ,himself and took upon ,him the appearance of a servant ,phil4 #b3e2 and again in ,i ,corinthians i1 ,we preach ,christ1 the ,crucified4 #a ,cor4 #a3bc ,now they make the pope a vicar of the glorified ,christ in heaven1 and some of them have allowed the devil to rule them so completely that they have maintained that the pope is above the angels in heaven and has authority over them#dd4 ,these are indeed the very works of the very ,antichrist4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,cardinals #b4 ,what is the use in ,christendom of those people who are called the cardinals8 ,i shall tell you4 ,italy and ,germany have many rich monasteries1 foundations1 benefices1 and livings4 ,no better way has been discovered to bring all these to ,rome than by creating cardinals and giving them the bishoprics1 monasteries and prelacies1 and so overthrowing the worship of ,god4 ,for this reason we now see ,italy a very wilderness--monasteries in ruins1 bishoprics devoured1 the prelacies and the revenues of all the churches drawn to ,rome1 cities decayed1 land and people laid waste1 because there is no more worship or preaching4 ,why8 ,the cardinals must have the income#de4 ,no ,turk could have so devastated ,italy and suppressed the worship of ,god4 ,now that ,italy is sucked dry1 they come into ,germany#df1 and begin oh1 so gently4 ,but let us beware1 for ,germany will soon become like ,italy4 ,already we have some cardinals2 what the ,romans seek by that the drunken ,germans are not to understand until we have not a bishopric1 a monastery1 a living1 a benefice1 a heller or a pfennig left4 ,antichrist must take the treasures of the earth1 as it was prophesied ,dan4 #aa3ci1 #dc4 ,so it goes on4 ,they skim the cream of the bishoprics1 monasteries and benefices1 and because they do not yet venture to turn them all to shameful use1 as they have done in ,italy1 they only practise for the present the sacred trickery of coupling together ten or twenty prelacies and taking a yearly portion from each of them1 so as to make a tidy sum after all4 ,the priory of ,wurzburg yields a thousand gulden2 that of ,bamberg1 something2 ,mainz1 ,trier and the others1 something more2 and so from one to ten thousand gulden might be got together1 in order that a cardinal might live at ,rome like a rich king4 ,after they are used to this1 we will create thirty or forty cardinals in a day#dg1 and give to one ,mount ,st4 ,michael at ,bamberg#dh and the bishopric of ,wurzburg to boot1 hang on to these a few rich livings1 until churches and cities are waste1 and after that we will say1 ',we are ,christ's vicars and shepherds of ,christ's sheep2 the mad1 drunken ,germans must put up with it4' ,i advise1 however1 that the number of the cardinals be reduced1 or that the pope be made to keep them at his own expense4 ,twelve of them would be more than enough1 and each of them might have an income of a thousand gulden a year#di4 ,how comes it that we ,germans must put up with such robbery and such extortion of our property1 at the hands of the pope8 ,if the ,kingdom of ,france has prevented it#ej1 why do we ,germans let them make such fools and apes of us8 ,it would all be more bearable if in this way they only stole our property2 but they lay waste the churches and rob ,christ's sheep of their pious shepherds1 and destroy the worship and the ,word of ,god4 ,even if there were not a single cardinal1 the ,church would not go under4 ,as it is they do nothing for the good of ,christendom2 they only wrangle about the incomes of bishoprics and prelacies1 and that any robber could do4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,curia #c4 ,if ninety-nine parts of the papal court#ea were done away and only the hundredth part allowed to remain1 it would still be large enough to give decisions in matters of faith4 ,now1 however1 there is such a swarm of vermin yonder in ,rome1 all boasting that they are papal1 that there was nothing like it in ,babylon4 ,there are more than three thousand papal secretaries alone2 who will count the other offices1 when they are so many that they scarcely can be counted8 ,and they all lie in wait for the prebends and benefices of ,germany as wolves lie in wait for the sheep4 ,i believe that ,germany now gives much more to the pope at ,rome than it gave in former times to the emperors4 ,indeed1 some estimate that every year more than three hundred thousand gulden find their way from ,germany to ,rome1 quite uselessly and fruitlessly2 we get nothing for it but scorn and contempt4 ,and yet we wonder that princes1 nobles1 cities1 endowments1 land and people are impoverished6 ,we should rather wonder that we still have anything to eat6 ,since we here come to the heart of the matter1 we will pause a little1 and let it be seen that the ,germans are not quite such gross fools as not to note or understand the sharp practices of the ,romans4 ,i do not now complain that at ,rome ,god's command and ,christian law are despised2 for such is the state of ,christendom1 and particularly of ,rome1 that we may not now complain of such high matters4 ,nor do ,i complain that natural or temporal law and reason count for nothing4 ,the case is worse even than that4 ,i complain that they do not keep their own self-devised canon law1 though it is1 to be sure1 mere tyranny1 avarice and temporal splendor1 rather than law4 ,let us see6 ,sidenote3 ,the ,annates ,in former times ,german emperors and princes permitted the pope to receive the annates from all the benefices of the ,german nation1 i4 e41 the half of the first year's revenues from each benefice#eb4 ,this permission was given1 however1 in order that by means of these large sums of money1 the pope might accumulate a treasure for fighting against the ,turks and infidels in defence of ,christendom1 so that the burden of the war might not rest too heavily upon the nobility1 but that the clergy also should contribute something toward it4 ,this single-hearted devotion of the ,german nation the popes have so used1 that they have received this money for more than a hundred years1 have now made of it a binding tax and tribute1 and have not only accumulated no treasure1 but have used the money to endow many orders and offices at ,rome1 and to provide these offices with salaries1 as though the annates were a fixed rent4 ,sidenote3 ,saracen-tax ,when they pretend that they are about to fight against the ,turks1 they send out emissaries to gather money4 ,ofttimes they issue an indulgence on this same pretext of fighting the ,turks#ec1 for they think the mad ,germans are forever to remain utter and arrant fools1 give them money without end1 and satisfy their unspeakable greed2 though we clearly see that not a heller of the annates or of the indulgence-money or of all the rest1 is used against the ,turks1 but all of it goes into the bottomless bag4 ,they lie and deceive1 make laws and make agreements with us1 and they do not intend to keep any of them4 ,all this must be counted the work of ,christ and ,st4 ,peter6 ,now1 in this matter the ,german nation1 bishops and princes1 should consider that they too are ,christians1 and should protect the people1 whom they are set to rule and guard in things temporal and spiritual1 against these ravening wolves who1 in sheep's clothing1 pretend to be shepherds and rulers2 and1 since the annates are so shamefully abused and the stipulated conditions are not fulfilled1 they should not permit their land and people to be so sadly robbed and ruined1 against all justice2 but by a law of the emperor or of the whole nation1 they should either keep the annates at home or else abolish them again#ed4 ,for since the ,romans do not keep the terms of the agreement1 they have no right to the annates4 ,therefore the bishops and princes are bound to punish or prevent such thievery and robbery1 as the law requires4 ,in this they should aid the pope and support him1 or he is perchance too weak to prevent such an abuse all by himself2 or if he were to undertake to defend and maintain this practice1 they ought resist him and fight against him as against a wolf and a tyrant1 for he has no authority to do or to defend evil4 ,moreover1 if it were ever desired to accumulate such a treasure against the ,turks1 we ought in the future to have sense enough to see that the ,german nation would be a better custodian or it than the pope2 for the ,german nation has people enough or the fighting1 if only the money is forthcoming4 ,it is with the annates as it has been with many another ,roman pretence4 ,sidenote3 ,papal ,months ,again1 the year has been so divided between the pope and the ruling bishops and canons#ee1 that the pope has six months in the year--every other month--in which to bestow the benefices which all vacant in his months#ef4 ,in this way almost all the benefices are absorbed by ,rome1 especially the very best livings and dignities#eg1 and when once they fall into the hands of ,rome1 they never come out of them again1 though a vacancy may never again occur in the pope's month4 ,thus the canons are cheated4 ,this is a genuine robbery1 which intends to let nothing escape4 ,therefore it is high time that the papal months be altogether abolished1 and that everything which they have brought to ,rome be taken back again4 ,for the princes and nobles should take measures that the stolen goods be returned1 the thieves punished1 and those who have abused privilege be deprived of privilege4 ,if it is binding and valid when the pope on the day after his election makes1 in his chancery1 rules and laws whereby our foundations and livings are robbed1--a thing which he has no right to do2 then it should be still more valid if the ,emperor ,charles on the day after his coronation#eh were to make rules and laws that not another benefice or living in all ,germany shall be allowed to come into the hands of ,rome by means of the papal months1 and that the livings which have already fallen into its hands shall be released1 and redeemed from the ,roman robbers2 for he has this right by virtue of his office and his sword4 ,but now the ,roman ,see of ,avarice and ,robbery has not been able to await the time when all the benefices1 one after another1 would1 by the papal months1 come into its power1 but hastens1 with insatiable appetite1 to get possession of them all as speedily as possible2 and so besides the annates and the months it has hit upon a device by which benefices and livings all to ,rome in three ways3 ,first1 ,if any one who holds a free#ei living dies at ,rome or on the way to ,rome1 his living must forever belong to the ,roman--,i should rather say the robbing--,see#fj2 and yet they will not be called robbers1 though they are guilty of such robbery as no one has ever heard or read about4 ,second1 ,in case any one who belongs to the household of the pope or of the cardinals#fa holds or takes over a benefice1 or in case one who already holds a benefice afterwards enters the household of the pope or of a cardinal4 ,but who can count the household of the pope and of the cardinals1 when the pope1 if he only goes on a pleasure-ride1 takes with him three or our thousand mule-riders1 eclipsing all emperors and kings8 ,christ and ,st4 ,peter went on foot in order that their vicars might have the more pomp and splendor4 ,now avarice has cleverly thought out another scheme1 and brings it to pass that even here many have the name of papal servant1 just as though they were in ,rome2 all in order that in every place the mere rascally little word papal servant may bring all benefices to ,rome and tie them fast there forever4 ,are not these vexatious and devilish inventions8 ,let us beware6 ,soon ,mainz1 ,madgeburg and ,halberstadt will gently pass into the hands of ,rome1 and the cardinalate will be paid for dearly enough#fb4 ,afterwards we will make all the ,german bishops cardinals so that there will be nothing let outside4 ,third1 ,when a contest has started at ,rome over a benefice#fc4 ,this ,i hold to be almost the commonest and widest road or bringing livings to ,rome4 ,for when there is no contest at home1 unnumbered knaves will be found at ,rome to dig up contests out of the earth and assail livings at their will4 ,thus many a good priest has to lose his living1 or settle the contest for a time by the payment of a sum of money#fd4 ,such a living rightly or wrongly contested must also belong forever to the ,roman ,see4 ,it would be no wonder if ,god were to rain from heaven fire and brimstone and to sink ,rome in the abyss1 as ,he did ,sodom and ,gomorrah of old ,gen4 #ai3bd4 ,why should there be a pope in ,christendom1 if his power is used or nothing else than such archknavery1 and if he protects and practices it8 ,o noble princes and lords1 how long will ye leave your lands and people naked to these ravening wolves6 ,sidenote3 ,the ,pallium ,since even these practices were not enough1 and ,avarice grew impatient at the long time it took to get hold of all the bishoprics1 therefore my ,lord ,avarice devised the fiction that the bishoprics should be nominally abroad1 but that their land and soil should be at ,rome1 and no bishop can be confirmed unless with a great sum of money he buy the pallium#fe1 and bind himself with terrible oaths to be the pope's servant#ff4 ,this is the reason that no bishop ventures to act against the pope4 ,that1 too1 is what the ,romans were seeking when they imposed the oath1 and thus the very richest bishoprics have fallen into debt and ruin4 ,mainz pays1 as ,i hear1 #bj1jjj gulden4 ,these be your ,romans6 ,to be sure they decreed of old in the canon law that the pallium should be bestowed gratis1 the number of papal servants diminished1 the contests lessened1 the chapters#fg and bishops allowed their liberty4 ,but this did not bring in money1 and so they turned over a new leaf1 and all authority was taken from the bishops and chapters2 they are made ciphers1 and have no office nor authority nor work1 but everything is ruled by the archknaves at ,rome2 soon they will have in hand even the office of sexton and bell-ringer in all the churches4 ,all contests are brought to ,rome1 and by authority of the pope everyone does as he likes4 ,what happened this very year8 ,the ,bishop of ,strassburg#fh wished to govern his chapter properly and to institute reforms in worship1 and with this end in view made certain godly and ,christian regulations4 ,but my dear ,lord ,pope and the ,holy ,roman ,see1 at the instigation of the priests1 overthrew and altogether condemned this holy and spiritual ordinance4 ,this is called feeding the sheep of ,christ6 ,john #bj3ae-ag ,thus priests are to be encouraged against their own bishop1 and their disobedience to divine law is to be protected6 ,antichrist himself1 ,i hope1 will not dare to put ,god to such open shame6 ,there you have your pope after your own heart6 ,why did he do this8 ,ah6 if one church were reformed1 it would be a dangerous departure2 ,rome's turn too might come6 ,therefore it were better that no priest should be let at peace with another1 that kings and princes should be set at odds1 as has been the custom heretofore1 and the world filled with the blood of ,christians1 only so the concord of ,christians should not trouble the ,holy ,roman ,see with a reformation4 ,so far we have been getting an idea of how they deal with livings which become vacant4 ,but for tender-hearted ,avarice the vacancies are too few1 and so he brings his foresight to bear upon the benefices which are still occupied by their incumbents1 so that they must be unfilled1 even though they are not unfilled#fi4 ,and this he does in many ways1 as follows3 ,sidenote3 ,coadjutorships ,first1 ,he lies in wait for fat prebends or bishoprics which are held by an old or a sick man1 or by one with an alleged disability4 ,to such an incumbent1 without his desire or consent1 the ,holy ,see gives a coadjutor1 i4 e41 an assistant1 or the coadjutor's benefit1 because he is a papal servant1 or has paid for the position1 or has earned it by some other ignoble service to ,rome4 ,in this case the rights of the chapter or the rights of him who has the bestowal of the living#gj must be surrendered1 and the whole thing all into the hands of ,rome4 ,sidenote3 ,commendations ,second1 ,there is a little word commend#ga1 by which the pope entrusts the keeping of a rich1 fat monastery or church to a cardinal or to another of his people1 just as though ,i were to give you a hundred gulden to keep4 ,this is not called the giving or bestowing of the monastery nor even its destruction1 or the abolition of the worship of ,god1 but only giving it into keeping2 not that he to whom it is entrusted is to care or it1 or build it up1 but he is to drive out the incumbent1 to receive the goods and revenues1 and to install some apostate1 renegade monk#gb1 who accepts five or six gulden a year and sits in the church all day selling pictures and images to the pilgrims1 so that henceforth neither prayers nor masses are said there4 ,if this were to be called destroying monasteries and abolishing the worship of ,god1 then the pope would have to be called a destroyer of ,christendom and an abolisher of ,god's worship1 because this is his constant practice4 ,that would be a hard saying at ,rome1 and so we must call it a commend or a command to take charge of the monastery4 ,the pope can every year make commends out of our or more of these monasteries1 a single one of which may have an income of more than six thousand gulden4 ,this is the way the ,romans increase the worship of ,god and preserve the monasteries4 ,the ,germans also are beginning to find it out4 ,sidenote3 ,incorporation ,sidenote3 ,union ,third1 ,there are some benefices which they call incompatibilia#gc1 and which1 according to the ordinances of the canon law1 cannot be held by one man at the same time1 as for instance1 two parishes1 two bishoprics and the like4 ,in these cases the ,holy ,roman ,see of ,avarice evades the canon law by making glosses1#gd called unio and incorporatio1 i4 e41 by incorporating many incompatibilia1 so that each becomes a part of every other and all of them together are looked upon as though they were one living4 ,they are then no longer incompatible1 and the holy canon law is satisfied1 in that it is no longer binding1 except upon those who do not buy these glosses#ge from the pope or his datarius#gf4 ,the unio1 i4 e41 uniting1 is of the same nature4 ,the pope binds many such benefices together like a bundle of sticks1 and by virtue of this bond they are all regarded as one benefice4 ,so there is at ,rome one courtesan#gg who holds1 for himself alone1 #bb parishes1 #g priories and #dd canonries besides1--all by the help of that masterly gloss1 which holds that this is not illegal4 ,what cardinals and other prelates have1 everyone may imagine or himself4 ,in this way the ,germans are to have their purses eased and their itch cured4 ,sidenote3 ,administration ,another of the glosses is the administratio1 i4 e41 a man may have beside his bishopric1 an abbacy or a dignity#gh1 and possess all the property which goes with it1 only he has no other title than that of administrator4#gi ,for at ,rome it is sufficient that words are changed and not the things they stand for2 as though ,i were to teach that a bawdy-house keeper should have the name of burgomaster's wife1 and yet continue to ply her trade4 ,this kind of ,roman rule ,st4 ,peter foretold when he said1 in ,,ii ,peter ii3 ,there shall come false teachers1 who in covetousness1 with feigned words1 shall make merchandise of you1 to get their gains4 #b ,pet4 #b3c ,sidenote3 ,regression ,again1 dear ,roman ,avarice has invented the custom of selling and bestowing livings to such advantage that the seller or disposer retains reversionary rights#hj upon them3 to wit1 if the incumbent dies1 the benefice freely reverts to him who previously sold1 bestowed or surrendered it4 ,in this way they have made livings hereditary property1 so that henceforth no one can come into possession of them1 except the man to whom the seller is willing to dispose of them1 or to whom he bequeaths his rights at death4 ,besides1 there are many who transfer to others the mere title to a benefice from which those who get the title derive not a heller of income4 ,it is now an old custom1 too1 to give another man a benefice and to reserve a certain part out of the annual revenue#ha4 ,in olden times this was simony#hb4 ,of these things there are so many more that they cannot all be counted4 ,they treat livings more shamefully than the heathen beneath the cross treated the garments of ,christ4 ,matt4 #bg3ce ,sidenote3 ,reservation in pectore ,yet all that has hitherto been said is ancient history and an every-day occurrence at ,rome4 ,avarice has devised one thing more1 which may1 ,i hope1 be his last morsel1 and choke him4 ,the pope has a noble little device called pectoralis reservatio1 i4 e41 his mental reservation1 and proprius motus1 i4 e41 the arbitrary will of his authority4#hc ,it goes like this4 ,when one man has gotten a benefice at ,rome1 and the appointment has been regularly signed and sealed1 according to custom1 and there comes another1 who brings money1 or has laid the pope under obligation in some other way1 of which we will not speak1 and desires of the pope the same benefice1 then the pope takes it from the first man and gives it to the second#hd4 ,if it is said that this is unjust1 then the ,most ,holy ,father must make some excuse1 that he may not be reproved or doing such open violence to the law1 and says that in his mind and heart he had reserved that benefice to himself and his own plenary disposal1 although he had never before in his whole life either thought or heard of it4 ,thus he has now found a little gloss by which he can1 in his own person1 lie and deceive1 and make a fool and an ape of anybody--all this he does brazenly and openly1 and yet he wishes to be the head of ,christendom1 though with his open lies he lets the ,evil ,spirit rule him4 ,this arbitrary will and lying reservation of the pope creates in ,rome a state of affairs which is unspeakable4 ,there is buying1 selling1 bartering1 trading1 trafficking1 lying1 deceiving1 robbing1 stealing1 luxury1 harlotry1 knavery1 and every sort of contempt of ,god1 and even the rule of ,antichrist could not be more scandalous4 ,venice1 ,antwerp1 ,cairo#he are nothing compared to this fair which is held at ,rome and the business which is done there1 except that in those other places they still observe right and reason4 ,at ,rome everything goes as the devil wills1 and out of this ocean like virtue flows into all the world4 ,is it a wonder that such people fear a reformation and a free council1 and prefer to set all kings and princes at enmity rather than have them unite and bring about a council8 ,who could bear to have such knavery exposed if it were his own8 ,sidenote3 ,the ,dataria ,finally1 for all this noble commerce the pope has built a warehouse1 namely1 the house of the datarius#hf1 in ,rome4 ,thither all must come who deal after this fashion in benefices and livings4 ,from him they must buy their glosses#hg and get the power to practice such archknavery4 ,in former times ,rome was generous1 and then justice had either to be bought or else suppressed with money1 but now she has become exorbitant1 and no one dare be a knave unless with a great sum he has first bought the right4 ,if that is not a brothel above all the brothels one can imagine1 then ,i do not know what brothel means4 ,if you have money in this house1 then you can come by all the things ,i have said2 and not only these1 but all sorts of usury#hh are here made honest1 ,phil4 #b3e for a consideration1 and the possession of all property acquired by theft or robbery is legalised4 ,here vows are dissolved2 here monks are granted liberty to leave their orders2 here marriage is on sale to the clergy2 here bastards can become legitimate2 here all dishonor and shame can come to honor2 all ill-repute and stigma of evil are here knighted and ennobled2 here is permitted the marriage which is within the forbidden degrees or has some other defect#hi4 ,oh6 what a taxing and a robbing rules there6 ,it looks as though all the laws of the ,church were made for one purpose only--to be nothing but so many money-snares1 from which a man must extricate himself#ij if he would be a ,christian4 ,yea1 here the devil becomes a saint1 and a god to boot4 ,what heaven and earth cannot1 that this house can do6 ,they call them compositiones#ia6 ,compositions indeed6 rather confusions6 ,oh1 what a modest tax is the ,rhine-toll#ib1 compared with the tribute taken by this holy house6 ,let no one accuse me of exaggeration6 ,it is all so open that even at ,rome they must confess the evil to be greater and more terrible than any one can say4 ,i have not yet stirred up the hell-broth of personal vices1 nor do ,i intend to do so4 ,i speak of things which are common talk1 and yet ,i have not words to tell them all4 ,the bishops1 the priests and1 above all1 the doctors in the universities1 who draw their salaries or this purpose1 should have done their duty and with common consent have written and cried out against these things2 but they have done the very opposite#ic4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,fuggers ,there remains one last word1 and ,i must say that too4 ,since boundless ,avarice has not been satisfied with all these treasures1 which three great kings might well think sufficient1 he now begins to transfer this trade and sell it to ,fugger of ,augsburg#id1 so that the lending and trading and buying of bishoprics and benefices1 and the driving of bargains in spiritual goods has now come to the right place1 and spiritual and temporal goods have become one business4 ,and now ,i would fain hear of a mind so lofty that it could imagine what this ,roman ,avarice might yet be able to do and has not already done2 unless ,fugger were to transfer or sell this combination of two lines of business to somebody else4 ,i believe we have reached the limit4 ,as for what they have stolen in all lands and still steal and extort1 by means of indulgences1 bulls1 letters of confession#ie1 butter-letters#if and other confessionalia#ig1--;all this ,i consider mere patch-work1 and like casting a single devil more into hell#ih4 ,not that they bring in little1 for a mighty king could well support himself on their returns1 but they are not to be compared with the streams of treasure above mentioned4 ,i shall also say nothing at present of how this indulgence money has been applied4 ,another time ,i shall inquire about that1 for ,campoflore#ii and ,belvidere#ajj and certain other places probably know something about it4 ,since1 then1 such devilish rule is not only open robbery and deceit1 and the tyranny of the gates of hell1 but also ruins ,christendom in body and soul1 it is our duty to use all diligence in protecting ,christendom against such misery and destruction4 ,if we would fight the ,turks1 let us make a beginning here1 where they are at their worst4 ,if we justly hang thieves and behead robbers1 why should we let ,roman ,avarice go free8 ,for he is the greatest thief and robber that has come or can come into the world1 and all in the holy ,name of ,christ and of ,st4 ,peter6 ,who can longer endure it or keep silence8 ,almost everything he owns has been gotten by theft and robbery2 that is the truth1 and all history shows it4 ,the pope never got by purchase such great properties that from his officia#aja alone he can raise about a million ducats1 not to mention the mines of treasure named above and the income of his lands4 ,nor did it come to him by inheritance from ,christ or from ,st4 ,peter2 no one ever loaned it or gave it to him2 it has not become his by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment4 ,tell me1 then1 whence he can have it8 ,learn from this what they have in mind when they send out legates to collect money or use against the ,turks4 ,,iii4 ,,proposals ,,for ,,reform ,now1 although ,i am too small a man to make propositions which might effect a reform in this dreadful state of things1 nevertheless ,i may as well sing my fool's song to the end1 and say1 so far as ,i am able1 what could and should be done by the temporal authorities or by a general council4 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,annates #a4 ,every prince1 nobleman and city should boldly forbid their subjects to pay the annates to ,rome and should abolish them entirely#ajb2 for the pope has broken the compact1 and made the annates a robbery1 to the injury and shame of the whole ,german nation4 ,he gives them to his friends1 sells them for large amounts of money1 and uses them to endow offices4 ,he has thus lost his right to them1 and deserves punishment4 ,it is therefore the duty of the temporal authorities to protect the innocent and prevent injustice1 as ,paul teaches in ,romans xiii ,rom4 #ac3d1 and ,st4 ,peter in ,i ,peter ii #a ,pet4 #b3ad1 ,rom4 and even the canon law in ,case #af1 ,question #g1 de filiis#ajc4 ,thus it has come about that men are saying to the pope and his followers1 ,tu ora1 ,thou shalt pray2 to the emperor and his followers1 ,tu protege1 ,thou shalt guard2 to the common man1 ,tu labora1 ,thou shalt work4 ,not1 however1 as though everyone were not to pray1 guard and work2 for the man who is diligent in his calling is praying1 guarding and working in all that he does1 but everyone should have his own especial task4 ,sidenote3 ,prohibition of ,roman ,appointments #b4 ,since the pope with his ,roman practices--his commends#ajd1 adjutories#aje1 reservations#ajf1 gratiae expectativae#ajg1 papal months#ajh1 incorporations#aji1 unions#aaj1 pallia#aaa1 rules in chancery#aab1 and such like knavery--usurps all the ,german foundations without authority and right1 and gives and sells them to foreigners at ,rome1 who do nothing in ,german lands to earn them2 and since he thereby robs the ordinaries#aac of their rights1 makes the bishops mere ciphers and figure-heads1 and acts against his own canon law1 against nature and against reason1 until it has finally gone so far that out of sheer avarice the livings and benefices are sold to gross1 ignorant asses and knaves at ,rome1 while pious and learned folk have no profit of their wisdom and merit1 so that the poor people of the ,german nation have to go without good and learned prelates and thus go to ruin3 ,therefore1 the ,christian nobility should set itself against the pope as against a common enemy and destroyer of ,christendom1 and should do this for the salvation of the poor souls who must go to ruin through his tyranny4 ,they should ordain1 order1 and decree1 that henceforth no benefice shall be drawn into the hands of ,rome1 and that hereafter no appointment shall be obtained there in any manner whatsoever1 but that the benefices shall be brought out and kept out from under this tyrannical authority2 and they should restore to the ordinaries the right and office of ordering these benefices in the ,german nation as best they may4 ,and if a courtesan were to come from ,rome1 he should receive a strict command either to keep his distance1 or else to jump into the ,rhine or the nearest river1 and take the ,roman ban1 with its seals and letters1 to a cold bath4 ,they would then take note at ,rome that the ,germans are not always mad and drunken1 but that they have really become ,christians1 and intend to permit no longer the mockery and scorn of the holy name of ,christ1 under which all this knavery and destruction of souls goes on1 but have more regard to ,god and ,his glory than to the authority of men4 ,sidenote3 ,restoration of ,local ,church ,rights #c4 ,an imperial law should be issued1 that no bishop's cloak#aad and no confirmation of any dignity#aae whatsoever shall henceforth be secured from ,rome1 but that the ,church ordinance of the most holy and most famous ,council of ,nicaea#aaf shall be restored1 in which it is decreed that a bishop shall be confirmed by the two nearest bishops or by the archbishop4 ,if the pope will break the statutes of this and of all other councils1 what is the use of holding councils2 or who has given him the authority thus to despise and break the rules of councils8 ,if he has this power then we should depose all bishops1 archbishops and primates#aag and make them mere parish-priests1 so that the pope alone may be over them1 as he now is4 ,he leaves to bishops1 archbishops and primates no regular authority or office1 usurps everything for himself1 and lets them keep only the name and empty title4 ,it has gone so far that by his exemptions#aah the monasteries1 the abbots and the prelates are withdrawn from the regular authority of the bishops1 so that there is no longer any order in ,christendom4 ,from this must follow what has followed--relaxation of discipline and license to do evil everywhere--so that ,i verily fear the pope can be called the man of sin4 #b ,thess4 #b3c ,there is in ,christendom no discipline1 no rule1 no order2 and who is to blame except the pope8 ,this usurped authority of his he applies strictly to all the prelates1 and takes away their rods2 and he is generous to all subjects1 giving them or selling them their liberty4 ,nevertheless1 for fear he may complain that he is robbed of his authority1 it should be decreed that when the primates or archbishops are unable to settle a case1 or when a controversy arises among themselves1 such a case must be laid before the pope1 but not every little matter#abj4 ,thus it was done in olden times1 and thus the famous ,council of ,nicaea decreed#aba4 ,if a case can be settled without the pope1 then his ,holiness should not be troubled with such minor matters1 but give himself to that prayer1 meditation and care for all ,christendom1 of which he boasts4 ,this is what the ,apostles did4 ,they said1 ,it is not meet that we should leave the ,word of ,god and serve tables1 but we will keep to preaching and prayer and set others over the work4 ,acts #f3b ,but now ,rome stands or nothing else than the despising of the ,gospel and of prayer1 and for the serving of tables1 i4 e41 of temporal affairs1 and the rule of the ,apostles and of the pope agree as ,christ agrees with ,lucifer1 heaven with hell1 night with day2 yet he is called ,vicar of ,christ and ,successor of the ,apostles4 ,sidenote3 ,exclusion of ,temporal ,matters from the ,papal ,court #d4 ,it should be decreed that no temporal matter shall be taken to ,rome#abb1 but that all such cases shall be left to the temporal authorities1 as the ,romans themselves decree in that canon law of theirs1 which they do not keep4 ,for it should be the duty of the pope1 as the man most learned in ,papal the ,scriptures and most ,holy1 not in name only1 but in truth1 to administer affairs which concern the faith and holy life of ,christians1 to hold the primates and archbishops to these things1 and to help them in dealing with and caring for these matters4 ,so ,st4 ,paul teaches in ,i ,corinthians vi1 and takes the ,corinthians severely to task or their concern with worldly things #a ,cor4 #f3g4 ,for it works intolerable injury to all lands that such cases are tried at ,rome4 ,it increases the costs1 and moreover the judges do not know the manners1 laws and customs of the various countries1 so that they often do violence to the acts and base their decisions on their own laws and opinions1 and thus injustice is inevitably done the contestants4 ,sidenote3 and from the ,bishops' ,courts ,moreover1 the outrageous extortion practised by the officiales#abc must be forbidden in all the dioceses1 courts so that they may attend to nothing else than matters of faith and good morals1 and leave to the temporal judges the things that concern money1 property1 life and honor4 ,the temporal authorities1 therefore1 should not permit sentences of ban or exile when faith or right life is not concerned4 ,spiritual authorities should have rule over spiritual goods1 as reason teaches2 but spiritual goods are not money1 nor anything pertaining to the body1 but they are faith and good works4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,german ,church ,organization ,nevertheless it might be granted that cases which concern benefices or livings should be tried before bishops1 archbishops and primates4 ,therefore1 in order to decide contests and contentions1 it might be possible for the ,primate of ,germany to maintain a general consistory1 with auditors and chancellors1 which should have control over the signaturae gratiae and signaturae justitiae#abd1 that are now controlled at ,rome1 and which should be the final court of appeal for ,german cases4 ,the officers of this consistory must not1 however1 be paid1 as at ,rome1 by chance presents and gifts1 and thereby acquire the habit of selling justice and injustice1 which they now have to do at ,rome because the pope gives them no remuneration1 but allows them to fatten themselves on presents4 ,for at ,rome no one cares what is right or not right1 but only what is money or not money4 ,this court might1 however1 be paid out of the annates1 or some other way might easily be devised1 by those who are more intelligent and who have more experience in these matters than ,i4 ,all ,i wish to do is to arouse and set to thinking those who have the ability and the inclination to help the ,german nation become once more free and ,christian1 after the wretched1 heathenish and unchristian rule of the pope4 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,reservations #e4 ,no more reservations should be valid1 and no more benefices should be seized by ,rome1 even if the incumbent dies1 or there is a contest1 or the incumbent is a servant of a cardinal or of the pope#abe2 and it should be strictly forbidden and prevented that any courtesan#abf should institute a contest over any benefice1 so as to cite pious priests to ,rome1 harass them and drive them into lawsuits4 ,if1 in consequence of this prohibition1 there should come from ,rome a ban or an ecclesiastical censure1 it should be disregarded1 just as though a thief were to lay a man under the ban because he would not let him steal4 ,indeed they should be severely punished because they so blasphemously misuse the ban and the name of ,god to support their robbery1 and with falsely devised threats would drive us to endure and to praise such blasphemy of ,god's name and such abuse of ,christian authority1 and thus to become1 in the sight of ,god1 partakers in their rascality2 it is our duty before ,god to resist it1 or ,st4 ,paul1 in ,romans i1 reproves as guilty of death not only those who do such things1 but also those who consent to such things and allow them to be done ,rom4 #a3cb4 ,most unbearable of all is the lying reservatio pectoralis#abg1 whereby ,christendom is so scandalously and openly put to shame and scorn1 because its head deals in open lies1 and out of love for the accursed money1 shamelessly deceives and fools everybody4 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,reserved ,cases #f4 ,the casus reservati#abh1 the reserved cases1 should also be abolished1 for not only are they the means of served extorting much money from the people1 but by means of them the ravening tyrants ensnare and confuse many poor consciences1 to the intolerable injury of their faith in ,god4 ,this is especially true of the ridiculous and childish cases about which they make so much ado in the ,bull ,coena ,domini#abi1 and which are not worth calling daily sins1 still less cases so grave that the pope may not remit them by any indulgence2 as for example1 hindering a pilgrim on his way to ,rome1 furnishing weapons to the ,turks1 or tampering with papal letters4 ,with such gross1 crazy1 clumsy things do they make fools of us6 ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and all the sins which are committed and can be committed against the commandments of ,god are not reserved cases2 but sins against what ,god has never commanded and what they have themselves devised1 these must be reserved cases1 solely that no one be hindered in bringing money to ,rome1 in order that1 safe from the ,turks1 they may live in luxury and keep the world under their tyranny with their wanton1 useless bulls and breves#acj4 ,all priests ought rightly to know1 or else there should be a public ordinance to that effect1 that no secret sin1 of which a man has not been publicly accused1 is a reserved case1 and that every priest has the power to remit all sorts of sins1 however they may be called1 so long as they are secret2 moreover that no abbot1 bishop or pope has the power to reserve any such case to himself#aca4 ,if they attempt it1 their reservation does not hold and is not valid1 and they should be reproved1 as men who without authority interfere in ,god's judgment1 and without cause ensnare and burden poor1 ignorant consciences4 ,but if great public sins are committed1 especially sins against ,god's commandments1 then there is indeed a reason for reserved cases1 but even then there should not be too many of them1 and they should not be reserved arbitrarily and without cause2 for ,christ has set in ,his ,church not tyrants1 but shepherds1 as saith ,st4 ,peter #a ,pet4 #e3c4 ,sidenote3 ,diminution of the ,papal ,household #g4 ,the ,roman ,see should also do away with the officia#acb1 and diminish the swarm of vermin at ,rome1 so that the pope's household can be supported by the pope's own purse4 ,the pope should not allow his court to surpass in pomp and extravagance the courts of all kings1 seeing that such a condition not only has never been serviceable to the cause of ,christian faith1 but the courtiers have been kept thereby from study and prayer1 until they are scarce able to speak about the faith at all4 ,this they proved quite plainly at the last ,roman ,council#acc1 in which1 amongst many other childish and frivolous things1 they decreed that the soul of man is immortal and that every priest must say his prayers once a month on pain of losing his benefice4 ,how shall matters which concern faith and the ,church be decided by people so hardened and blinded by great avarice1 wealth and worldly splendor1 that they have only now decreed that the soul is immortal8 ,it is no small shame to all ,christians that at ,rome they deal so disgracefully with the faith4 ,if they had less wealth and pomp1 they could pray and study better1 and so become worthy and able to deal with matters of faith1 as was the case in olden times when they were bishops1 and did not presume to be kings over all kings4 ,sidenote3 ,bishops' ,oaths #h4 ,the hard and terrible oaths should be abolished1 which the bishops are wrongfully compelled to render to the pope#acd1 and by which they are bound like servants1 as that worthless and unlearned chapter1 ,significasti#ace1 arbitrarily and most stupidly decrees4 ,it is not enough that they burden us in body1 soul and property with their many mad laws1 by which faith is weakened and ,christendom ruined2 but they seize upon the person and office and work of the bishops1 and now upon the investiture#acf also1 which was in olden times the right of the ,german emperors1 and in ,france and other kingdoms still belongs to the kings4 ,on this point they had great wars and disputes with the emperors#acg until at last1 with impudent authority1 they took the right and have kept it until now2 just as though the ,germans1 above all the ,christians on earth1 had to be the puppets of the pope and the ,roman ,see and do and suffer what no one else will do and suffer4 ,since1 then1 this is sheer violence and robbery1 hindering the regular authority of the bishops and injuring poor souls1 therefore the emperor and his nobles are in duty bound to prevent and punish such tyranny4 ,sidenote3 ,pope and ,emperor #i4 ,the pope should have no authority over the emperor1 except that he anoints and crowns him at the altar1 just as a bishop anoints and crowns a king#ach2 and we should not henceforth yield to that devilish pride which compels the emperor to kiss the pope's feet or sit at his feet1 or1 as they claim1 hold his stirrup or the bridle of his mule when he mounts for a ride2 still less should he do homage and swear faithful allegiance to the pope1 as the popes have shamelessly ventured to demand as if they possessed that right4 ,the chapter ,solite#aci1 in which the papal authority is raised above the imperial authority1 is not worth a heller1 nor are any of those who rest upon it or fear it2 for it does nothing else than force the holy words of ,god out of their true meaning1 and wrest them to human dreams1 as ,i have showed in a ,latin treatise#adj4 ,such extravagant1 over-presumptuous1 and more than wicked doings of the pope have been devised by the devil1 in order that under their cover he may in time bring in ,antichrist1 and raise the pope above ,god1 as many are already doing and have done4 ,it is not proper for the pope to exalt himself above the temporal authorities1 save only in spiritual offices such as preaching and absolving4 ,in other things he is to be subject1 as ,paul and ,peter teach1 in ,romans xiii ,rom4 #ac3a1 and ,i ,peter iii #a ,pet4 #b3ac f41 and as ,i have said above4 ,he is not vicar of ,christ in heaven1 but of ,christ as ,he walked on earth ,phil4 #b3gadb4 ,for ,christ in heaven1 in the form of a ruler1 needs no vicar1 but ,he sits and sees1 does1 and knows all things1 and has all power4 ,but ,he needs a vicar in the form of a servant1 in which ,he walked on earth1 toiling1 preaching1 suffering and dying4 ,now they turn it around1 take from ,christ the heavenly form of ruler and give it to the pope1 leaving the form of a servant to perish utterly4 ,he might almost be the ,counter-christ whom the ,scriptures call ,antichrist1 for all his nature1 work and doings are against ,christ1 for the destruction of ,christ's nature and work4 ,it is also ridiculous and childish that the pope1 with such perverted and deluded reasoning1 boasts in his decretal ,pastoralis#adc1 that he is rightful heir to the ,empire1 in case of a vacancy4 ,who has given him this right8 ,did ,christ1 when ,he said1 ,the princes of the ,gentiles are lords1 but ye shall not be so ,luke #bb3be f48 ,did ,st4 ,peter will it to him8 ,it vexes me that we must read and learn such shameless1 gross1 crazy lies in the canon law1 and must even hold them for ,christian doctrine1 when they are devilish lies4 ,of the same sort is also that unheard-of lie about the ,donation of ,constantine4#add ,it must have been some special plague of ,god that so many people of understanding have let themselves be talked into accepting such lies as these1 which are so manifest and clumsy that ,i should think any drunken peasant could lie more adroitly and skilfully4 ,how can a man rule an empire and at the same time continue to preach1 pray1 study and care for the poor8 ,yet these are the duties which properly and peculiarly belong to the pope1 and they were imposed by ,christ in such earnest that ,he even forbade ,his disciples to take with them cloak or money ,matt4 #aj3aj1 since these duties can scarcely be performed by one who has to rule even a single household4 ,yet the pope would rule an empire and continue to be pope6 ,this is a device of the knaves who would like1 under the pope's name1 to be lords of the world1 and by means of the pope and the name of ,christ1 to restore the ,roman ,empire to its former state4 ,sidenote3 ,temporal ,power--the ,kingdom of ,naples #aj4 ,the pope should restrain himself1 take his fingers out of the pie1 and claim no title to the ,kingdom of ,naples the and ,sicily#ade4 ,he has exactly as much right to that kingdom as ,i have1 and yet he wishes to be its overlord4 ,it is plunder got by violence1 like almost all his other possessions4 ,the emperor1 therefore1 should not grant him this fief1 and if it has been granted1 he should no longer give his consent to it1 and should point him instead to the ,bible and the prayer-books1 so that he may preach and pray1 and leave to temporal lords the ruling of lands and peoples1 especially when no one has given them to him4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,states of the ,church ,the same opinion should hold as regards ,bologna1 ,imola1 ,vicenza1 ,ravenna and all the territories in the ,mark of ,ancona1 in ,romagna1 and in other ,italian lands1 which the pope has taken by force and possesses without right#adf4 ,moreover1 he has meddled in these things against all the commands of ,christ and of ,st4 ,paul4 ,for thus saith ,st4 ,paul1 ,no one entangleth himself with worldly affairs1 whose business it is to wait upon the divine knighthood4#adgb ,tim4 #b3c ,now the pope should be the head and front of this knighthood1 yet he meddles in worldly affairs more than any emperor or king4 ,why then he must be helped out of them and allowed to attend to his knighthood4 ,christ also1 ,whose vicar he boasts himself to be1 was never willing to have aught to do with temporal rule2 indeed1 to one who asked of him a decision respecting his brother4 ,he said1 ,who made ,me a judge over you8 ,luke #ab3ad ,but the pope rushes in unbidden1 and boldly takes hold of everything as though he were a god1 until he no longer knows what ,christ is1 ,whose vicar he pretends to be4 ,sidenote3 ,papal ,homage #aa4 ,the kissing of the pope's feet#adh should take place no more4 ,it is an unchristian1 nay1 an antichristian thing for a poor sinful man to let his feet be kissed by one who is a hundred times better than himself4 ,if it is done in honor of his authority1 why does not the pope do the same to others in honor of their holiness8 ,compare the two--,christ and the pope6 ,christ washed ,his disciples' feet and dried them ,john #ac3a ff41 and the disciples never washed ,his feet2 the pope1 as though he were higher than ,christ1 turns things around and1 as a great favor1 allows people to kiss his feet1 though he ought properly to use all his power to prevent it1 if anyone wished to do it2 like ,paul and ,barnabas1 who would not let the people of ,lystra pay them divine honor1 but said1 ,we are men like you4 ,acts #ad3aa-af ,but our sycophants have gone so far as to make for us an idol1 and now no one ears ,god so much as he fears the pope1 no one pays ,him such ceremonious honor4 ,that they can endure6 ,what they cannot endure is that a hair's-breadth should be taken away from the proud estate of the pope4 ,now if they were ,christians1 and held ,god's honor above their own1 the pope would never be happy while he knew that ,god's honor was despised and his own exalted1 and he would let no man pay him honor until he saw that ,god's honor was again exalted and was greater than his own4 #adi;,it is another piece of the same scandalous pride1 that the pope is not satisfied to ride or to be driven in a vehicle1 but although he is strong and in good health1 he has himself borne by men1 with unheard-of splendor1 like an idol4 ,how1 pray1 does such satanic pride agree with the example of ,christ1 ,who went on foot1 as did all ,his disciples8 ,where has there ever been a worldly monarch who went about in such worldly glory as he who wishes to be the head of all those who are to despise and lee worldly glory1 i4 e41 of ,christians8 ,not that this in itself should give us very much concern1 but we should rightly fear the wrath of ,god1 if we flatter this kind of pride and do not show our indignation4 ,it is enough that the pope should rant and play the fool in this wise2 but that we should approve it and tolerate it1--this is too much4 ,for what ,christian heart can or ought to take pleasure in seeing that when the pope wishes to receive the communion1 he sits quiet1 like a gracious lord1 and has the sacrament passed to him on a golden rod by a bowing cardinal on bended knee8 ,as though the holy sacrament were not worthy that a pope1 a poor stinking sinner1 should rise to show ,god honor1 when all other ,christians1 who are much more holy than the ,most ,holy ,father1 the pope1 receive it with all reverence6 ,would it be a wonder if ,god were to send a plague upon us all because we suffer such dishonor to be done ,him by our prelates1 and approve it1 and by our silence or our flattery make ourselves partakers of such damnable pride8 ,it is the same way when he carries the sacrament in procession4 ,he must be carried1 but the sacrament is set before him1 like a can of wine on the table4 ,in short1 at ,rome ,christ counts for nothing1 the pope counts for everything2 and yet they would compel us with threats to approve1 and praise and honor such antichristian sins1 though this is against ,god and against all ,christian doctrine4 ,now ,god help a free ,council to teach the pope that he too is a man1 and is not more than ,god1 as he presumes to be4 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,pilgrimages to ,rome #ab4 ,pilgrimages to ,rome#aej should either be abolished1 or else no one should be allowed to make such a pilgrimage out of curiosity or because of a pious impulse1 unless it is first recognized by his parish-priest1 his town authorities or his overlord1 that he has good and sufficient reason for it4 ,i say this not because pilgrimages are bad1 but because they are at this time ill-advised4 ,for men see at ,rome no good example1 but only that which offends2 and they have themselves made the proverb1 ,the nearer ,rome1 the worse ,christians4#aea ,men bring back with them contempt or ,god and ,his commandments4 ,it is said3 ,the first time one goes to ,rome he seeks a rascal1 the second time he finds him1 the third time he brings him home with him4#aeb ,now1 however1 they have become so clever that they make the three journeys at once1 and they have verily brought back from ,rome such pretty things that it were better never to have seen or known ,rome4 ,even if this reason did not exist1 there is still another and a better3 to wit1 that by these pilgrimages men are led away into a false conceit and a misunderstanding of the divine commandments2 or they think that this going on pilgrimage is a precious1 good work1 and this is not true4 ,it is a very small good work1 oftentimes an evil1 delusive work1 for ,god has not commanded it4 ,but ,he has commanded that a man shall care for his wife and children1 and look after such other duties as belong to the married state1 and besides this1 to serve and help his neighbor4 ,now it comes to pass that a man makes a pilgrimage to ,rome when no one has commanded him to do so1 spends fifty or a hundred gulden1 more or less1 and leaves his wife and child1 or at least his neighbor1 at home to suffer want4 ,yet the foolish fellow thinks to gloss over such disobedience and contempt of the divine commandments with his self-willed pilgriming1 when it is really only curiosity or devilish delusion which leads him to it4 ,the popes have helped this along with their false1 feigned1 foolish1 golden years1#aec by which the people are excited1 stirred up1 torn away from ,god's commandments1 and drawn toward their own deluded undertakings4 ,thus they have accomplished the very thing they should have forbidden2 but it has brought in money and strengthened false authority1 therefore it has had to continue1 though it is against ,god and the salvation of souls4 ,in order to destroy in simple ,christians this false1 seductive faith1 and to restore a true understanding of good works1 all pilgrimages should be given up2 for there is in them nothing good--no commandment1 no obedience--but1 on the contrary1 numberless occasions for sin and for the despising of ,god's commandments4 ,hence come the many beggars1 who by this pilgriming carry on endless knaveries and learn the habit of begging when they are not in want4 ,hence1 too1 come vagabondage1 and many other ills which ,i shall not now recount4 ,if any one1 now1 wishes to go on pilgrimage or take a pilgrim's vow1 he should first show his reasons to his parish-priest or to his lord4 ,if it turns out that he wishes to do it for the sake of the good work1 the priest or lord should boldly tread the vow and good work under foot1 as though it were a lure of the devil1 and show him how to apply the money and labor necessary for the pilgrimage to the keeping of ,god's commandments and to works a thousandfold better1 viz41 by spending it on his own family or on his poor neighbors4 ,but if he wishes to make the pilgrimage out of curiosity1 to see new lands and cities1 he may be allowed to do as he likes4 ,if1 however1 he has made the vow while ill1 then such vows ought to be forbidden and canceled1 and the commandments of ,god exalted1 and he ought to be shown that he should henceforth be satisfied with the vow he made in baptism#aed1 to keep the commandments of ,god4 ,and yet1 in order to quiet his conscience1 he may be allowed this once to perform his foolish vow4 ,no one wants to walk in the straight and common path of ,god's commandments2 everyone makes himself new roads and new vows1 as though he had fulfilled all the commandments of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,reform of the ,mendicant ,orders #ac4 ,next we come to that great crowd who vow much and keep little4 ,be not angry1 dear lords6 ,truly1 ,i mean it well4 ,it is the truth1 and bitter-sweet1 and it is this1--the building of mendicant-houses#aee should no more be permitted4 ,god help us1 there are already far too many of them6 ,would to ,god they were all done away1 or at least given over to two or three orders6 ,wandering about the land has never brought any good1 and never will bring any good4 ,it is my advice1 therefore1 to put together ten of these houses1 or as many as may be necessary1 and out of them all to make one house1 which will be well provided and need no more begging4 ,it is much more important to consider what the common people need for their salvation1 than what ,st4 ,francis1 ,st4 ,dominic1 ,st4 ,augustine#aef or any other man has decreed2 especially since things have not turned out as they expected4 ,the mendicants should also be relieved of preaching and hearing confession1 except when they are called to this work by the express desire of bishops1 parishes1 congregations or the temporal authorities4 ,out of their preaching and shriving there has come nothing but hatred and envy between priests and monks1 and great offence and hindrance to the common people4 ,for this reason it should properly and deservedly cease1 because it can well be dispensed with#aeg4 ,it looks suspiciously as though it were not for nothing that the ,holy ,roman ,see has increased this army1 so that the priests and bishops1 tired of its tyranny1 might not some time become too strong or it and begin a reformation which would not be to the liking of his ,holiness4 ,at the same time the manifold divisions and differences within one and the same order should be abolished4 ,these divisions have at times arisen for small reason and maintained themselves for still smaller1 combatting one another with unspeakable hatred and envy#aeh4 ,nevertheless the ,christian faith1 which can well exist without any of these distinctions1 is lost by both sides1 and a good ,christian life is valued and sought after only in outward laws1 works and forms2 and this results only in the devising of hypocrisy and the destruction of souls1 as everyone may see with his own eyes4 ,the pope must also be forbidden to found and confirm any more of these orders2 nay1 he must be commanded to abolish some of them and reduce their number1 since the faith of ,christ1 which is alone the highest good and which exists without any orders1 is in no small danger1 because these many different works and forms easily mislead men into living for them instead of giving heed to the faith4 ,unless there are in the monasteries wise prelates1 who preach and who concern themselves with faith more than with the rules of the orders1 the order cannot but harm and delude simple souls who think only of works4 ,in our days1 however1 the prelates who have had faith and who founded the orders have almost all passed away4 ,just as in olden days among the children of ,israel1 when the fathers1 who knew ,god's works and wonders1 had passed away1 the children1 from ignorance of ,god's works and of faith1 immediately became idolatrous and set up their own human works2 so now1 alas6 these orders have lost the understanding of ,god's works and of faith1 and only torture themselves pitifully1 with labor and sorrow1 in their own rules1 laws and customs1 and withal never come to a right understanding of a good spiritual life1 as the ,apostle declared when he said1 in ,,ii ,timothy iii3 ,they have the appearance of a spiritual life1 yet there is nothing back of it2 they are ever and ever learning1 but they never come to a knowledge of what a true spiritual life is4 #b ,tim4 #c3e1 #g ,there should be no monastery unless there were a spiritual prelate1 learned in the ,christian faith1 to rule it1 for no other kind of prelate can rule without injury and ruin1 and the holier and better he appears to be in his outward works and life1 the more injury and ruin he causes4 ,to my way of thinking it would be a necessary measure1 especially in these perilous times of ours1 that all foundations and monasteries should be re-established as they were at the first1 in the days of the ,apostles and for a long time afterwards1 when they were all open to every man1 and every man might remain in them as long as he pleased4 ,for what were the foundations and monasteries except ,christian schools in which the ,scriptures and ,christian living were taught1 and people were trained to rule and to preach8 ,so we read that ,st4 ,agnes#aei went to school1 and we still see the same practice in some of the nunneries1 like that at ,quedlinburg#afj and others elsewhere4 ,and in truth all monasteries and convents ought to be so free that ,god is served in them with free will and not with forced avarice4 ,afterward1 however1 they hedged them about with vows and turned them into a lifelong prison1 so that these vows are thought to be of more account than the vows of baptism4 ,what sort of fruit this has borne1 we see1 hear1 read and learn more and more every day4 ,i suppose this advice of mine will be regarded as the height of foolishness2 but ,i am not concerned about that just now4 ,i advise what ,i think best2 let him reject it who will6 ,i see how the vows are kept1 especially the vow of chastity1 which has become so universal through these monasteries and yet is not commanded by ,christ2 on the contrary1 it is given to very few to keep it1 as ,he himself says ,matt4 #ai3aa ff41 and ,st4 ,paul #a ,cor4 #g3g1 ,col4 #b3bj4 ,i would have all men to be helped1 and not have ,christian souls caught in human1 self-devised customs and laws4 ,sidenote3 ,marriage of the ,clergy #ad4 ,we also see how the priesthood has fallen1 and how many a poor priest is overburdened with wife and child1 and his conscience troubled1 yet no one does anything to help him though he might easily be helped4 ,though pope and bishops may let things go as they go1 and let them go to ruin if they will1 ,i will save my conscience and open my mouth freely1 whether it vex pope1 bishops or any one else4 ,wherefore ,i say that according to the institution of ,christ and the ,apostles every city should have a priest or bishop1 as ,st4 ,paul clearly says in ,titus i ,tit4 #a3f2 and this priest should not be compelled to live without a wedded wife1 but should be permitted to have one1 as ,st4 ,paul says in ,i ,timothy iii1 and ,titus i1 ,a bishop should be a man who is blameless1 and the husband of but one wedded wife1 whose children are obedient and virtuous1 etc4 #a ,tim4 #c3b1 ,tit4 #a3f ,for with ,st4 ,paul a bishop and a priest are one and the same thing1 as witness also ,st4 ,jerome#afa4 ,but of bishops as they now are1 the ,scriptures know nothing2 they have been appointed by the ordinance of the ,christian ,church1 that one of them may rule over many priests4 ,so then we clearly learn from the ,apostle that it should be the custom for every town to choose out of the congregation#afb a learned and pious citizen1 entrust to him the office of the ministry1 and support him at the expense of the community1 leaving him free choice to marry or not4 ,he should have with him several priests or deacons1 who might also be married or not1 as they chose1 to help him rule the people of the community#afc by means of preaching and the sacraments1 as is still the practice in the ,greek ,church4 ,at a later time#afd1 when there were so many persecutions and controversies with heretics1 there were many holy fathers who of their own accord abstained from matrimony1 to the end that they might the better devote themselves to study and be prepared at any time for death or for controversy4 ,then the ,roman ,see interfered1 out of sheer wantonness1 and made a universal commandment forbidding priests to marry#afe4 ,this was done at the bidding of the devil1 as ,st4 ,paul declares in ,i ,timothy iv1 ,there shall come teachers who bring doctrines of devils1 and forbid to marry4 ,from this has arisen so much untold misery1 occasion was given for the withdrawal of the ,greek ,church#aff1 and division1 sin1 shame and scandal were increased without end1--which is the result of everything the devil does4 ,what1 then1 shall we do about it8 ,my advice is that matrimony be again made free#afg1 and that every one be let free choice to marry or not to marry4 ,in that case1 however1 there must be a very different government and administration of ,church property1 the whole canon law must go to pieces and not many benefices find their way to ,rome#afh4 ,i fear that greed has been a cause of this wretched unchaste chastity1 and as a result of greed every man has wished to become a priest and everyone wants his son to study for the priesthood1 not with the idea of living in chastity1 for that could be done outside the priesthood1 but of being supported in temporal things without care or labor1 contrary to the command of ,god in ,genesis iii1 ,in the sweat of thy face shat thou eat thy bread4 ,gen4 #c3ai ,they have construed this to mean that their labor was to pray and say mass4 ,i am not referring here to popes1 bishops1 canons and monks4 ,god has not instituted these offices4 ,they have taken burdens on themselves2 let them bear them4 ,i would speak only of the ministry which ,god has instituted#afi and which is to rule a congregation by means of preaching and sacraments1 whose incumbents are to live and be at home among the people4 ,such ministers should be granted liberty by a ,christian council to marry1 for the avoidance of temptation and sin4 ,for since ,god has not bound them1 no one else ought to bind them or can bind them1 even though he were an angel from heaven ,gal4 #a3h1 still less if he be only a pope2 and everything that the canon law decrees to the contrary is mere fable and idle talk4 ,furthermore1 ,i advise that henceforth neither at his consecration to the priesthood nor at any other time shall any one under any circumstances promise the bishop to live in celibacy1 but shall declare to the bishop that he has no authority to demand such a vow1 and that to demand it is the devil's own tyranny4 ,but if anyone is compelled to say or wishes to say1 as do some1 so far as human frailty permits1#agj let everyone frankly interpret these words negatively1 to mean ,i do not promise chastity4#aga ,for human frailty does not permit a chaste life#agb1 but only angelic power and celestial might#b ,pet4 #b3aaagc ,thus he should keep his conscience free from all vows4 ,on the question whether those who are not yet married should marry or remain unmarried1 ,i do not care to give advice either way4 ,i leave that to common ,christian order and to everyone's better judgment4 ,but as regards the wretched multitude who now sit in shame and heaviness of conscience because their wives are called priests' harlots and their children priests' children ,i will not withhold my faithful counsel nor deprive them of the comfort which is their due4 ,i say this boldly by my jester's right#agd4 ,you will find many a pious priest against whom no one has anything to say except that he is weak and has come to shame with a woman1 though both parties may be minded with all their heart to live always together in wedded love and troth1 if only they could do it with a clear conscience1 even though they might have to bear public shame4 ,two such persons are certainly married before ,god4 ,and ,i say that where they are thus minded1 and so come to live together1 they should boldly save their consciences2 let him take and keep her as his wedded wife1 and live honestly with her as her husband1 caring nothing whether the pope will have it so or not1 whether it be against canon law or human law4 ,the salvation of your soul is of more importance than tyrannical1 arbitrary1 wicked laws1 which are not necessary for salvation and are not commanded by ,god4 ,you should do like the children of ,israel1 who stole from the ,egyptians the hire they had earned ,ex4 #ab3ce f41 or like a servant who steals from his wicked master the wages he has earned4 ,in like manner steal thou from the pope thy wife and child6 ,let the man who has faith enough to venture this1 boldly follow me2 ,i shall not lead him astray4 ,though ,i have not the authority of a pope1 ,i have the authority of a ,christian to advise and help my neighbor against sins and temptations2 and that not without cause and reason4 ,first1 ,not every priest can do without a woman1 not only on account of the weakness of the flesh1 but much more because of the necessities of the household4 ,if he1 then1 may have a woman1 and the pope grants him that1 and yet may not have her in marriage1--what is that but leaving a man and a woman alone and forbidding them to fall8 ,it is as though one were to put fire and straw together and command that it shall neither smoke nor burn4 ,second1 ,the pope has as little power to command this1 as he has to forbid eating1 drinking1 the natural movement of the bowels or growing fat4 ,no one1 therefore1 is bound to keep it1 but the pope is responsible for all the sins which are committed against this ordinance1 for all the souls which are lost thereby1 for all the consciences which are thereby confused and tortured2 and therefore he has long deserved that some one should drive him out of the world1 so many wretched souls has he strangled with this devil's snare2 though ,i hope that there are many to whom ,god has been more gracious at their last hour than the pope has been in their life4 ,nothing good has ever come out of the papacy and its laws1 nor ever will4 ,third1 ,although the law of the pope is against it1 nevertheless1 when the estate of matrimony has been entered against the pope's law1 then his law is at an end1 and is no longer valid2 for the commandment of ,god1 which decrees that no one shall put man and wife asunder ,matt4 #ai3f1 takes precedence of the law of the pope2 and the commandments of ,god must not be broken and neglected for the sake of the pope's commandment1 though many mad jurists1 in the papal interest1 have devised impediments#age and have prevented1 destroyed and confused the estate of matrimony1 until by their means ,god's commandment has been altogether destroyed4 ,to make a long story short1 there are not in the whole spiritual law of the pope two lines which could be instructive to a pious ,christian1 and there are1 alas6 so many mistaken and dangerous laws that the best thing would be to make a bonfire of it#agf4 ,but if you say that this#agg would give offence1 and the pope must first grant dispensation1 ,i reply that whatever offence is in it1 is the fault of the ,roman ,see1 which has established such laws without right and against ,god2 before ,god and the ,scriptures it is no offence4 ,moreover1 if the pope can grant dispensations from his avaricious and tyrannical laws for money's sake1 then every ,christian can grant dispensations from them--for the sake of ,god and the salvation of souls4 ,for ,christ has set us free from all human laws1 especially when they are opposed to ,god and the salvation of souls1 as ,st4 ,paul teaches in ,galatians v ,gal4 #e3a and ,i ,corinthians xi #a ,cor4 #i3d ff42 #aj3bc4 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,reserved ,cases in the ,monasteries #ae4 ,nor must ,i forget the poor convents6 ,the evil spirit1 who by human laws now confuses all estates in life1 and has made them unbearable1 has taken possession of in certain abbots1 abbesses and prelates also1 and causes them so to govern their brethren and sisters as to send them the more speedily to hell1 and make them lead a wretched life even here2 for such is the lot of all the devil's martyrs4 ,that is to say1 they have reserved to themselves in confession1 all1 or at least some1 of the mortal sins which are secret1 so that no brother1 on his obedience and on pain of the ban1 can absolve another from these sins#agh4 ,now we do not always find angels everywhere1 but we find also flesh and blood1 which suffers all bannings and threatenings rather than confess secret sins to the prelates and the appointed confessors4 ,thus they go to the sacrament with such consciences that they become irregular#agi and all sorts of other terrible things4 ,o blind shepherds6 ,o mad prelates6 ,o ravening wolves6 ,to this ,i say3 ,if a sin is public or notorious1 then it is proper that the prelate alone should punish it1 and of these sins only and no others he may make exceptions1 and reserve them to himself2 over secret sins he has no authority1 even though they were the worst sins that are or ever can be found1 and if the prelate makes exceptions of these sins1 he is a tyrant1 for he has no such right and is interfering in the judgment of ,god4 ,and so ,i advise these children1 brethren and sisters3 ,if your superiors are unwilling to grant you permission to confess your secret sins to whomever you wish1 then take them to whatever brother or sister you will and confess them1 receive absolution1 and then go and do whatever you wish and ought to do2 only believe firmly that you are absolved1 and nothing more is needed4 ,and do not allow yourself to be troubled by ban1 irregularity1 or any of the other things they threaten2 these things are valid only in the case of public or notorious sins which one is unwilling to confess2 they do not affect you at all4 ,why do you try by your threatenings1 ,o blind prelate1 to prevent secret sins8 ,let go what you cannot publicly prove1 so that ,god's judgment and grace may also have its work in your subjects6 ,he did not give them so entirely into your hands as to let them go entirely out of ,his own6 ,nay1 what you have under your rule is but the smaller part4 ,let your statutes be statutes1 but do not exalt them to heaven1 to the judgment-seat of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,mortuary ,masses #af4 ,it were also necessary to abolish all anniversary1 mortuary and soul masses#ahj1 or at least to diminish their number1 since we plainly see that they have become nothing but a mockery1 by which ,god is deeply angered1 and that their only purpose is money-getting1 gorging and drunkenness4 ,what kind of pleasure should ,god have in such a miserable gabbling of wretched vigils and masses1 which is neither reading nor praying1 and even when prayed#aha1 they are performed not for ,god's sake and out of willing love1 but for money's sake and because they are a bounden duty4 ,now it is not possible that any work not done out of willing love can please ,god or obtain anything from ,him4 ,and so it is altogether ,christian to abolish1 or at least diminish1 everything which we see growing into an abuse1 and which angers rather than reconciles ,god4 ,it would please me more--nay1 it would be more acceptable to ,god and far better--that a foundation1 church or monastery should put all its anniversary masses and vigils together1 and on one day1 with hearty sincerity1 devotion and faith1 hold a true vigil and mass for all its benefactors1 rather than hold them by the thousand every year1 for each benefactor a special mass1 without this devotion and faith4 ,o dear ,christians6 ,god cares not for much praying1 but for true praying6 ,nay1 ,he condemns the many and long prayers1 and says in ,matthew vi1 they will only earn more punishment thereby ,matt4 #fg3g2 #bc3ad4 ,but avarice1 which cannot trust ,god1 brings such things to pass1 earing that otherwise it must die of hunger6 ,sidenote3 ,abolition of the ,interdict #ag4 ,certain of the penalties or punishments of the canon law should also be abolished1 especially the interdict#ahb1 which is1 beyond all doubt1 an invention of the evil ,spirit4 ,is it not a devil's work to try to atone for one sin with many greater sins8 ,and yet1 to put ,god's ,word and worship to silence1 or to do away with them1 is a greater sin than strangling twenty popes at once1 and far greater than killing a priest or keeping back some ,church property4 ,this is another of the tender virtues taught in the spiritual law4 ,for one of the reasons why this law is called spiritual is because it comes from the ,spirit2 not1 however1 from the ,holy ,spirit1 but from the evil spirit4 ,the ban#ahc is to be used in no case except where the ,scriptures prescribe its use1 i4 e41 against those who do not hold the true faith1 or who live in open sin2 it is not to be used for the sake of temporal possessions4 ,but now it is the other way around4 ,everyone believes and lives as he pleases1 most of all those who use the ban to plunder and defame other people1 and all the bans are now laid only on account of temporal possessions1 or which we have no one to thank but the holy spiritual lawlessness4#ahd ,of this ,i have previously said more in the ,discourse#ahe4 ,the other punishments and penalties1--suspension1 irregularity1 aggravation1 reaggravation1 deposition1 lightnings1 thunderings1 cursings1 damnings and the rest of these devices1--should be buried ten fathoms deep in the earth1 so that there should be neither name nor memory of them left on earth4 ,the evil spirit1 who has been let loose by the spiritual law has brought this terrible plague and misery into the heavenly kingdom of the holy ,church1 and has accomplished by it nothing else than the destruction and hindrance of souls1 so that the word of ,christ may well be applied to them#ahf3 ,woe unto you scribes6 ,ye have taken upon you the authority to teach1 and ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men4 ,ye go not in yourselves1 and ye suffer not them that are entering4 ,matt4 #bc3ac ,sidenote3 ,abolition of ,saints'-,days #ah4 ,all festivals#ahg should be abolished1 and ,sunday alone retained4 ,if it were desired1 however1 to retain the festivals of ,our ,lady and of the greater saints1 they should be transferred to ,sunday1 or observed only by a morning mass1 after which all the rest of the day should be a working-day4 ,the reason is this3 ,the feast-days are now abused by drinking1 gaming1 idleness and all manner of sins1 so that on the holy days we anger ,god more than on other days1 and have altogether turned things around2 the holy days are not holy and the working days are holy1 and not only is no service done to ,god and ,his saints by the many holy days1 but rather great dishonor4 ,there are1 indeed1 some mad prelates who think they are doing a good work if they make a festival in honor of ,st4 ,ottilia or ,st4 ,barbara or some other saint1 according to the promptings of their blind devotion2 but they would be doing a far better work if they honored the saint by turning a saint's-day into a working day4 ,over and above the spiritual injury1 the common man receives two material injuries from this practice1 i4 e41 he neglects his work and he spends more than at other times2 nay1 he also weakens his body and unfits it for work4 ,we see this every day1 yet no one thinks to make it better4 ,we ought not to consider whether or not the pope has instituted the feasts1 and whether we must have dispensation and permission to omit them4 ,if a thing is opposed to ,god1 and harmful to man in body and soul1 any community#ahh1 council#ahi or government has not only the right to abolish it and put a stop to it1 without the will or knowledge of pope or bishop1 but they are bound on their souls' salvation to prevent it1 even against the will of pope and bishop1 though these ought to be themselves the first to forbid it4 ,above all1 we ought utterly to abolish the consecration days#aij1 since they have become nothing else than taverns1 airs and gaming places#aia1 and serve only to the increase of ,god's dishonor and to the damnation of souls4 ,all the pretence about the custom having had a good beginning and being a good work is of no avail4 ,did not ,god ,himself set aside ,his own law1 which ,he had given from heaven1 when it was perverted and abused8 ,and does ,he not still daily overturn what ,he has appointed and destroy what ,he has made1 because of such perversion and abuse8 ,as it is written of ,him in ,psalm xviii1 ,with the perverted ,thou wilt show ,thyself perverse4 ,ps4 #ah3bg ,sidenote3 ,extension of ,right of ,dispensation #ai4 ,the grades or degrees within which marriage is forbidden should be changed1 as1 for instance1 the sponsorships and the third and fourth degrees2 and if the pope can grant dispensation in these matters or money and for the sake of his shameful traffic#aib1 then every parish priest may give the same dispensations gratis and or the salvation of souls4 ,yea1 would to ,god that all the things which we must buy at ,rome to free ourselves from that money-snare1 the canon law1--such things as indulgences1 letters of indulgence1 butter-letters1#aic mass-letters1#aid and all the rest of the confessionalia#aie and knaveries for sale at ,rome1 with which the poor folk are deceived and robbed of their money2 would to ,god1 ,i say1 that any priest could1 without payment1 do and omit all these things6 ,for if the pope has the authority to sell his snares for money and his spiritual nets 7,i should say laws7#aif1 surely any priest has much more authority to rend his nets and for ,god's sake to tread them under foot4 ,but if he has not this right1 neither has the pope the right to sell them at his shameful fair#aif4 ,this is the place to say too that the fasts should be matters of liberty1 and all sorts of food made free1 as the ,gospel makes them ,matt4 #ae3aa4 ,for at ,rome they themselves laugh at the fasts1 making us foreigners eat the oil with which they would not grease their shoes1 and afterwards selling us liberty to eat butter and all sorts of other things2 yet the holy ,apostle says that in all these things we already have liberty through the ,gospel #a ,cor4 #aj3be ff44 ,but they have caught us with their canon law and stolen our rights from us1 so that we may have to buy them back with money4 ,thus they have made our consciences so timid and shy that it is no longer easy to preach about this liberty because the common people take such great offence1 thinking it a greater sin to eat butter than to lie1 to swear1 or even to live unchastely4 ,nevertheless1 what men have decreed1 that is the work of man2 put it where you will#aih1 nothing good ever comes out of it4 ,sidenote3 ,prohibition of ,pilgrimages #bj4 ,the forest chapels and rustic churches#aii must be utterly destroyed1--those1 namely1 to which the recent pilgrimages have been directed1--,wilsnack#bjj1 ,sternberg#bja1 ,trier#bjb1 the ,grimmenthal#bjc1 and now ,regensburg#bjd and a goodly number of others4 ,oh1 what a terrible and heavy account will the bishops have to render1 who permit this devilish deceit and receive its profits6#bje ,they should be the first to forbid it1 and yet they think it a divine and holy thing1 and do not see that it is the devil's doing1 to strengthen avarice1 to create a false1 feigned faith1 to weaken the parish churches1 to multiply taverns and harlotry1 to waste money and labor1 and to lead the poor folk by the nose4 ,if they had only read the ,scriptures to as good purpose as they have read their damnable canon law1 they would know well how to deal with this matter4 ,that miracles are done at these places does not help things1 for the evil spirit can do miracles1 as ,christ has told us in ,matthew xxiv ,matt4 #bd3bd4 ,if they took the matter seriously and forbade this sort of thing1 the miracles would quickly come to an end2 on the other hand1 if the thing were of ,god their prohibition would not hinder it ,acts #e3ci4 ,and if there were no other evidence that it is not of ,god1 this would be enough1--that people run to these places in excited crowds1 as though they had lost their reason1 like herds of cattle2 for this cannot possibly be of ,god4 ,moreover1 ,god has commanded nothing of all this2 there is neither obedience nor merit in it2 the bishops1 therefore1 should boldly step in and keep the folk away4 ,for what is not commanded--and is concerned for self rather than for the commands of ,god--that is surely the devil himself4 ,then1 too1 the parish churches receive injury1 because they are held in smaller honor4 ,in short1 these things are signs of great unbelief among the people2 if they truly believed1 they would have all that they need in their own churches1 for to them they are commanded to go4 ,sidenote3 ,canonisations to be ,prohibited ,but what shall ,i say8 ,every one#bjf plans only how he may establish and maintain such a place of pilgrimage in his diocese and is not at all concerned to have the people believe and live aright2 the rulers are like the people2 one blind man leads another ,matt4 #ac3ad4 ,nay1 where pilgrimages are not successful1 they begin to canonise saints#bjg1 not in honor of the saints--for they are sufficiently honored without canonisation--but in order to draw crowds and bring in money4 ,pope and bishop help along2 it rains indulgences2 there is always money enough for that4 ,but for what ,god has commanded no one provides2 no one runs after these things2 there is no money or them4 ,alas1 that we should be so blind6 ,we not only give the devil his own way in his tricks1 but we even strengthen him in his wantonness and increase his pranks4 ,i would that the dear saints were let in peace1 and the poor folk not led astray6 ,what spirit has given the pope the authority to canonise the saints8 ,who tells him whether they are saints or not8 ,are there not already sins enough on earth1 that we too must tempt ,god1 interfere in ,his judgment and set up the dear saints as lures for money8 ,therefore ,i advise that the saints be left to canonise themselves4 ,yea1 it is ,god alone who should canonise them4 ,and let every man stay in his own parish1 where he finds more than in all the shrines of pilgrimage1 even though all the shrines were one4 ,here we find baptism1 the sacrament1 preaching and our neighbor1 and these are greater things than all the saints in heaven1 for it is by ,god's ,word and sacrament that they have all been made saints4 ,so long as we despise such great things ,god is just in the wrathful judgment by which ,he appoints the devil to lead us hither and thither1 to establish pilgrimages1 to found churches and chapels1 to secure the canonisation of saints1 and to do other such fool's-works1 by which we depart from true faith into new1 false misbelief4 ,this is what he did in olden times to the people of ,israel1 when he led them away from the temple at ,jerusalem to countless other places1 though he did it in the name of ,god and under the plausible guise of holiness1 though all the prophets preached against it and were persecuted or so doing4 ,but now no one preaches against it1 perhaps or fear that pope1 priests and monks would persecute him also4 ,in this way ,st4 ,antoninus of ,florence#bjh and certain others must now be made saints and canonised1 that their holiness1 which would otherwise have served only for the glory of ,god and as a good example1 may serve to bring in fame and money4 ,although the canonising of saints may have been good in olden times1 it is not good now2 just as many other things were good in olden times and are now scandalous and injurious1 such as feast-days1 church-treasures and church-adornment4 ,for it is evident that through the canonising of saints neither ,god's glory nor the improvement of ,christians is sought1 but only money and glory1 in that one church wants to be something more and have something more than others1 and would be sorry if another had the same thing and its advantage were common property4 ,so entirely1 in these last1 evil days1 have spiritual goods been misused and applied to the gaining of temporal goods1 that everything1 even ,god ,himself1 has been forced into the service of avarice4 ,and even these special advantages lead only to dissensions1 divisions and pride1 in that the churches1 differing from one another1 hold each other in contempt1 and exalt themselves one above another1 though all the gifts which ,god bestows are the common and equal property of all churches and should only serve the cause of unity4 ,the pope1 too1 is glad or the present state of affairs2 he would be sorry if all ,christians were equal and were at one4 ,sidenote3 ,prohibition of ,special ,privileges p,this is the place to speak of the church licenses1 bulls and other things which the pope sells at his laying-place in ,rome4 ,we should either abolish them or disregard them1 or at least make them the common property of all churches4 ,for if he sells or gives away licenses and privileges1 indulgences1 graces1 advantages1 faculties#bji to ,wittenberg1 to ,halle1 to ,venice and1 above1 all to his own ,rome1 why does he not give these things to all churches alike8 ,is he not bound to do for all ,christians1 gratis and for ,god's sake1 everything that he can1 and even to shed his blood for them8 ,tell me1 then1 why he gives or sells to one church and not to another8 ,or must the accursed money make1 in the eyes of ,his ,holiness1 so great a difference among ,christians1 who all have the same baptism1 ,word1 faith1 ,christ1 ,god and all things8 ,eph4 #d3d f4 ,are we to be blind while we have eyes to see1 fools while we have our reason1 that they expect us to worship such greed1 knavery and humbug8 ,he is a shepherd1--yes1 so long as you have money1 and no longer6 ,and yet they are not ashamed of their knavery1 leading us hither and yon with their bulls6 ,their one concern is the accursed money1 and nothing else6 ,my advice is this3 ,if such fool's-work cannot be abolished1 then every pious ,christian man should open his eyes1 and not be misled by the hypocritical ,roman bulls and seals1 stay at home in his own church and be content with his baptism1 his ,gospel1 his faith1 his ,christ and with ,god1 ,who is everywhere the same2 and let the pope remain a blind leader of the blind4 ,neither angel nor pope can give you as much as ,god gives you in your parish-church4 ,nay1 the pope leads you away from the gifts of ,god1 which you have without pay1 to his gifts1 which you must buy2 and he gives you lead#baj for gold1 hide for meat1 the string for the purse1 wax for honey1 words for goods1 the letter for the spirit4 ,you see this before your very eyes1 but you are unwilling to notice it4 ,if you are to ride to heaven on his wax and parchment1 your chariot will soon go to pieces1 and you will fall into hell1 not in ,god's name6 ,let this be your fixed rule3 ,what you must buy from the pope is neither good nor of ,god2 for what is from ,god1 to wit1 the ,gospel and the works of ,god1 is not only given without money1 but the whole world is punished and damned because it has not been willing to receive it as a free gift4 ,we have deserved of ,god that we should be so deceived1 because we have despised ,his holy ,word and the grace of baptism1 as ,st4 ,paul says3 ,god shall send a strong delusion upon all those who have not received the truth to their salvation1 to the end that they may believe and follow after lies and knavery1 #b ,thess4 #b3aa f4 which serves them right4 ,sidenote3 ,mendicancy to be ,prohibited1 and the ,poor to be ,cared for #ba4 ,one of our greatest necessities is the abolition of all begging throughout ,christendom4 ,among ,christians no one ought to go begging6 ,it would also be easy to make a law1 if only we had the courage and the serious intention1 to the effect that every city should provide for its own poor1 and admit no foreign beggars by whatever name they might be called1 whether pilgrims or mendicant monks4 ,every city could support its own poor1 and if it were too small1 the people in the surrounding villages also should be exhorted to contribute1 since in any case they have to feed so many vagabonds and knaves in the guise of mendicants4 ,in this way1 too1 it could be known who were really poor and who not4 ,there would have to be an overseer or warden who knew all the poor and informed the city council or the priests what they needed2 or some other better arrangement might be made4 ,in my judgment there is no other business in which so much knavery and deceit are practised as in begging1 and yet it could all be easily abolished4 ,moreover1 this free and universal begging hurts the common people4 ,i have considered that each of the five or six mendicant orders#baa visits the same place more than six or seven times every year2 besides these there are the common beggars1 the stationaries#bab and the palmers#bac1 so that it has been reckoned that every town is laid under tribute about sixty times a year1 not counting what is given to the government in taxes1 imposts and assessments1 what is stolen by the ,roman ,see with its wares1 and what is uselessly consumed4 ,thus it seems to me one of ,god's greatest miracles that we can continue to support ourselves4 ,to be sure1 some think that in this way#bad the poor would not be so well provided for and that not so many great stone houses and monasteries would be built4 ,this ,i can well believe4 ,nor is it necessary4 ,he who wishes to be poor should not be rich2 and if he wishes to be rich1 let him put his hand to the plow and seek his riches in the earth6 ,it is enough if the poor are decently cared for1 so that they do not die of hunger or of cold4 ,it is not fitting that one man should live in idleness on another's labor1 or be rich and live comfortably at the cost of another's discomfort1 according to the present perverted custom2 for ,st4 ,paul says1 ,if a man will not work1 neither shall he eat4 #b ,thess4 #c3aj ,god has not decreed that any man shall live from another's goods save only the priests1 who rule and preach1 and these because of their spiritual labor1 as ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians ix #a ,cor4 #i3ad1 and ,christ also says to the ,apostles1 ,every laborer is worthy of his hire4 ,luke #aj3g ,sidenote3 ,prohibition of ,endowed ,masses #bb4 ,it is also to be feared that the many masses#bae which are endowed in the foundations and monasteries are not only of little use1 but greatly arouse the wrath of ,god4 ,it would therefore be profitable not to endow any more1 but rather ,masses to abolish many that are already endowed1 since we see that they are regarded only as sacrifices and good works#baf1 though they are really sacraments1 just like baptism and penance#bag1 which profit only those who receive them1 and no others4 ,but now the custom has crept in1 that masses are said for the living and the dead1 and all hopes are built upon them2 for this reason so many of them have been founded and the present state of affairs has come about4 ,my proposal is perhaps too novel and daring1 especially for those who fear that through the discontinuance of these masses their trade and livelihood may be destroyed1 and so ,i must refrain from saying more about it until we have come back to a correct understanding of what the mass is and what it is good for4 ,these many years1 alas1 it has been made a trade practised for a temporal livelihood1 so that ,i would henceforth advise a man to become a shepherd or to seek some other trade rather than become a priest or a monk1 unless he first knows well what it is to celebrate mass4 ,i am not speaking1 however1 of the old foundations and cathedrals1 which were doubtless established in order that the children of the nobility 7since1 according to the customs of the ,german nation not all of them can become heirs or rulers71 might be provided for in these foundations1 and there be free to serve ,god1 to study1 to become scholars and to make scholars4 ,but ,i am speaking of the new foundations1 which have been established only for the saying of prayers and masses2 for after their example1 even the old foundations have been burdened with like prayers and masses1 so that they are of little or no profit2 though it is also of ,god's grace that they too come at last1 as they deserve1 to the dregs1 i4 e41 to the wailing of organs and of choral singers1 and to dead1 cold masses1 by which the incomes of the worldly endowments are gotten and spent4 ,such things pope1 bishops and doctors should examine and proscribe2 but now it is they who are most given to them4 ,they let everything pass1 if only it brings in money2 one blind man is always leading another4 ,this is the work of avarice and of the spiritual law4 ,again1 no one person should be allowed any longer to hold more than one canonry or prebend4 ,he must be content with a modest position1 that some one else may also have something4 ,this would do away with the excuses of those who say that they must hold more than one such office to maintain a proper station4 ,a proper station might be so broadly interpreted that a whole land would not be enough to maintain it6 ,moreover avarice and veiled distrust of ,god assuredly go with it1 so that what is alleged to be the need of a proper station is often nothing else than avarice and distrust4 ,sidenote3 ,sodalities and ,indulgences #bc4 ,sodalities#bah1 indulgences1 letters of indulgence1 butter-letters1#bai mass-letters#bbj1 dispensations1 and everything else of the sort1 are to be drowned and destroyed4 ,there is nothing good in them4 ,if the pope has the power to grant you dispensation to eat butter and to absent yourself from mass1 then he ought also be able to leave this power to the priests1 from whom1 indeed1 he has no right to take it4 ,i speak especially of those fraternities in which indulgences1 masses and good works are portioned out4 ,dear friend1 in your baptism you entered into a fraternity with ,christ1 all the angels1 saints and ,christians on earth4 ,hold to this fraternity and live up to its demands1 and you have fraternities enough4 ,the others--let them glitter as they will--are but as counters compared with guldens4 ,but if there were a fraternity which contributed money to feed the poor or to help somebody in some other way1 such a one would be good1 and would have its indulgence and its merit in heaven4 ,now1 however1 they have become excuses or gluttony and drunkenness#bba4 ,above all1 we should drive out of ,german lands the papal legates with their faculties1#bbb which they sell us for large sums of money1 though that is sheer knavery4 ,for example1 in return for money they legalize unjust gains1 dissolve oaths1 vows and agreements1 break and teach men to break the faith and fealty which they have pledged to one another2 and they say the pope has the authority to do this4 ,it is the evil ,spirit who bids them say this4 ,thus they sell us a doctrine of devils1 and take money or teaching us sin and leading us to hell4 ,if there were no other evil wiles to prove the pope the true ,antichrist1 yet this one thing were enough to prove it4 ,hearest thou this1 pope1 not most holy1 but most sinful8 ,o that ,god from heaven would soon destroy thy throne and sink it in the abyss of hell6 ,who hath given thee authority to exalt thyself above thy ,god1 to break and to loose ,his commandments1 and to teach ,christians1 especially the ,german nation1 praised in all history for its nobility1 its constancy and fidelity1 to be inconstant1 perjurers1 traitors1 profligates1 faithless8 ,god hath commanded to keep oath and faith even with an enemy1 and thou undertakest to loose this ,his commandment1 and ordainest in thine heretical1 antichristian decretals that thou hast ,his power4 ,thus through thy throat and through thy pen the wicked ,satan doth lie as he hath never lied before4 ,thou dost force and wrest the ,scriptures to thy fancy4 ,o ,christ1 my ,lord1 look down1 let the day of thy judgment break1 and destroy the devil's nest at ,rome6 ,here sitteth the man of whom ,st4 ,paul hath said that he shall exalt himself above ,thee1 sit in ,thy ,church and set himself up as ,god #b ,thess4 #b3c f41--the man of sin and the son of perdition6 ,what else is the papal power than only the teaching and increasing of sin and evil1 the leading of souls to damnation under ,thy name and guise8 ,in olden times the children of ,israel had to keep the oath which they had unwittingly been deceived into giving to their enemies1 the ,gibeonites ,josh4 #i3ai ff41 and ,king ,zedekiah was miserably lost1 with all his people1 because he broke this oath to the ,king of ,babylon #b ,kings #bd3bj2 #be3d ff44 ,even among us1 a hundred years ago1 that fine king of ,hungary and ,poland1 ,wladislav#bbc1 was slain by the ,turk1 with so many noble people1 because he allowed himself to be deceived by the papal legate and cardinal1 and broke the good and advantageous treaty which he had sworn with the ,turk4 ,the pious ,emperor ,sigismund had no good fortune after the ,council of ,constance1 when he allowed the knaves to break the safe-conduct which had been given to ,john ,hus and ,jerome#bbd and all the trouble between us and the ,bohemians was the consequence4 ,even in our own times1 ,god help us6 how much ,christian blood has been shed over the oath and alliance which ,pope ,julius made between the ,emperor ,maximilian and ,king ,louis of ,france#bbe1 and afterwards broke8 ,how could ,i tell all the troubles which the popes have stirred up by the devilish presumption with which they annul oaths and vows which have been made between great princes1 making a jest of these things1 and taking money for it4 ,i have hopes that the judgment day is at the door2 nothing can possibly be worse than the ,roman ,see4 ,he suppresses ,god's commandment1 he exalts his own commandment over it2 if he is not ,antichrist1 then let some one else tell who he can be6 ,but more of this another time1 and better4 #bd4 ,it is high time that we seriously and honestly consider the case of the ,bohemians#bbd1 and come into union with them so that the terrible slander1 hatred and envy on both sides may cease4 ,as befits my folly1 ,i shall be the first to submit an opinion on this subject1 with due deference to every one who may understand the case better than ,i4 ,first1 ,we must honestly confess the truth1 stop justifying ourselves1 and grant the ,bohemians that ,john ,hus and ,jerome of ,prague were burned at ,constance in violation of the papal1 ,christian1 imperial safe-conduct and oath2 whereby ,god's commandment was sinned against and the ,bohemians were given ample cause for bitterness2 and although they ought to have been perfect and to have patiently endured this great injustice and disobedience of ,god on our part1 nevertheless they were not bound to approve of it and to acknowledge that it was well done4 ,nay1 even to-day they should give up life and limb rather than confess that it is right to violate an imperial1 papal1 ,christian safe-conduct1 and faithlessly to act contrary to it4 ,so then1 although it is the impatience of the ,bohemians which is at fault1 yet the pope and his followers are still more to blame for all the trouble1 error and loss of souls that have followed upon that council4 ,i have no desire to pass judgment at this time upon ,john ,hus's articles or to defend his errors1 though ,i have not yet found any errors in his writings1 and ,i am quite prepared to believe that it was neither fair judgment nor honest condemnation which was passed by those who1 in their faithless dealing1 violated a ,christian safe-conduct and a commandment of ,god4 ,beyond doubt they were possessed rather by the evil spirit than by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,no one will doubt that the ,holy ,spirit does not act contrary to the commandment of ,god2 and no one is so ignorant as not to know that the violation of faith and of a safe-conduct is contrary to the commandment of ,god1 even though they had been promised to the devil himself1 still more when the promise was made to a mere heretic4 ,it is also quite evident that such a promise was made to ,john ,hus and the ,bohemians and was not kept1 but that he was burned in spite of it4 ,i do not wish1 however1 to make ,john ,hus a saint or a martyr1 as do some of the ,bohemians1 though ,i confess that injustice was done him1 and that his books and doctrines were unjustly condemned2 for the judgments of ,god are secret and terrible1 and no one save ,god alone should undertake to reveal or utter them4 ,all ,i wish to say is this3 though he were never so wicked a heretic1 nevertheless he was burned unjustly and against ,god's commandment1 and the ,bohemians should not be forced to approve of such conduct1 or else we shall never come into unity4 ,not obstinacy but the open admission of truth must make us one4 ,it is useless to pretend1 as was done at that time1 that a safe-conduct given to a heretic need not be kept#bbg4 ,that is as much as to say that ,god's commandments are not to be kept to the end that ,god's commandments may be kept4 ,the devil made them mad and foolish1 so that they did not know what they were saying or doing4 ,god has commanded that a safe-conduct shall be kept4 ,this commandment we should keep though the world all4 ,how much more1 when it is only a question of freeing a heretic6 ,we should vanquish heretics with books1 not with burning2 for so the ancient fathers did4 ,if it were a science to vanquish the heretics with fire1 then the hang-men would be the most learned doctors on earth2 we should no longer need to study1 but he who overcame another by force might burn him at the stake4 ,second1 ,the emperor and the princes should send to the ,bohemians some pious and sensible bishops and scholars2 but by no means a cardinal or papal legate or inquisitor1 for those people are utter ignoramuses as regards things ,christian2 they seek not the welfare of souls1 but1 like all the pope's hypocrites1 only their own power1 profit and glory2 indeed1 they were the prime movers in this miserable business at ,constance4 ,the men thus sent into ,bohemia should inform themselves about the faith of the ,bohemians1 and whether it be possible to unite all their sects4 ,then the pope should1 for their souls' sake1 lay aside his supremacy for the time being1 and1 according to the decree of the most ,christian ,council of ,nicaea#bbh1 allow the ,bohemians to choose one of their number to be ,archbishop of ,prague#bbi1 and he should be confirmed by the bishop of ,olmutz in ,moravia1 or the bishop of ,gran in ,hungary1 or the bishop of ,gnesen in ,poland1 or the bishop of ,magdeburg in ,germany#bcj4 ,it will be enough if he is confirmed by one or two of these1 as was the custom in the time of ,st4 ,cyprian#bca4 ,the pope has no right to oppose such an arrangement1 and if he does oppose it1 he becomes a wolf and a tyrant2 no one should follow him and his ban should be met with a counter-ban4 ,if1 however1 it were desired1 in honor of the ,see of ,st4 ,peter1 to do this with the pope's consent1 ,i should be satisfied1 provided it does not cost the ,bohemians a heller and the pope does not bind them at all nor make them subject to his tyrannies by oaths and obligations1 as he does all other bishops1 in despite of ,god and of justice4 ,if he will not be satisfied with the honor of having his consent asked1 then let them not bother any more about him#bcb and his rights1 laws and tyrannies2 let the election suffice1 and let the blood of all the souls which are endangered cry out against him1 for no one should consent to injustice2 it is enough to have offered tyranny an honor4 ,if it cannot be otherwise1 then an election and approval by the common people can even now be quite as valid as a confirmation by a tyrant2 but ,i hope this will not be necessary4 ,some of the ,romans or the good bishops and scholars will sometime mark and oppose papal tyranny4 ,i would also advise against compelling them to abolish both kinds in the sacrament#bcc1 since that is neither unchristian nor heretical1 but they should be allowed to retain their own practice1 if they wish4 ,yet the new bishop should be careful that no discord arise because of such a practice1 but should kindly instruct them that neither practice is wrong#bcd2 just as it ought not to cause dissension that the clergy differ from the laity in manner of life and in dress4 ,in like manner if they were unwilling to receive the ,roman canon law1 they should not be forced to do so1 but we should first make sure that they live in accordance with faith and with the ,scriptures4 ,for ,christian faith and life can well exist without the intolerable laws of the pope1 nay1 they cannot well exist unless there be fewer of these ,roman laws1 or none at all4 ,in baptism we have become free and have been made subject to ,god's ,word only2 why should any man ensnare us in his words8 ,as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,ye have become free1 be not servants of men1 #a ,cor4 #g3bc2 ,gal4 #e3a i4 e4 of those who rule with man-made laws4 ,if ,i knew that the ,picards#bce held no other error touching the sacrament of the altar except that they believe that the bread and wine are present in their true nature1 but that the body and blood of ,christ are truly present under them1 then ,i would not condemn them1 but would let them enter the obedience of the bishop of ,prague4 ,for it is not an article of faith that bread and wine are not essentially and naturally in the sacrament1 but this is an opinion of ,st4 ,thomas#bcf and the pope4 ,on the other hand1 it is an article of faith that in the natural bread and wine the true natural body and blood of ,christ are present#bcg4 ,and so we should tolerate the opinions of both sides until they come to an agreement1 because there is no danger in believing that bread is there or is not there4 ,for we have to endure many practices and ordinances so long as they are not harmful to faith4 ,on the other hand1 if they had a different faith#bch1 ,i would rather have them outside the ,church2 yet ,i would teach them the truth4 ,whatever other errors and schisms might be discovered in ,bohemia should be tolerated until the archbishop had been restored and had gradually brought all the people together again in one common doctrine4 ,they will assuredly never be united by force1 nor by defiance1 nor by haste2 it will take time and forbearance4 ,had not even ,christ to tarry with ,his disciples a long while and bear with their unbelief1 until they believed ,his resurrection8 ,if they but had again a regular bishop and church order1 without ,roman tyranny1 ,i could hope that things would soon be better4 ,the restoration of the temporal goods which formerly belonged to the ,church should not be too strictly demanded1 but since we are ,christians and each is bound to help the rest1 it is in our power1 for the sake of unity1 to give them these things and let them keep them in the sight of ,god and men4 ,for ,christ says1 ,where two are at one with each other on earth1 there am ,i in the midst of them4 ,matt4 #ah3ai f4 ,would to ,god that on both sides we were working toward this unity1 offering our hands to one another in brotherly humility1 and not standing stubbornly on our powers or rights6 ,love is greater and more necessary than the papacy at ,rome1 or there can be papacy without love and love without papacy4 ,with this counsel ,i shall have done what ,i could4 ,if the pope or his followers hinder it1 they shall render an account for seeking their own things rather than the things of their neighbor1 contrary to the love of ,god ,phil4 #b3d4 ,the pope ought to give up his papacy and all his possessions and honors1 if he could by that means save one soul2 but now he would let the world go to destruction rather than yield a hair's-breadth of his presumptuous authority4 ,and yet he would be the most holy6 ,here my responsibility ends4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,universities ,sidenote3 ,aristotle #be4 ,the universities also need a good1 thorough reformation--,i must say it no matter whom it vexes--for everything which the papacy has instituted and ordered is directed only towards the increasing of sin and error4 ,what else are the universities1 if their present condition remains unchanged1 than as the book of ,maccabees says1 ,gymnasia ,epheborum et ,graecae gloriae#bcib ,macc4 #d3i1 #ab1 in which loose living prevails1 the ,holy ,scriptures and the ,christian faith are little taught1 and the blind1 heathen ,aristotle master ,aristotle#bdj rules alone1 even more than ,christ4 ,in this regard my advice would be that ,aristotle's ,physics1 ,metaphysics1 ,on the ,soul1 ,ethics1 which have hitherto been thought his best books1 should be altogether discarded1 together with all the rest of his books which boast of treating the things of nature1 although nothing can be learned from them either of the things of nature or the things of the ,spirit4 ,moreover no one has so far understood his meaning1 and many souls have been burdened with profitless labor and study1 at the cost of much precious time4 ,i venture to say that any potter has more knowledge of nature than is written in these books4 ,it grieves me to the heart that this damned1 conceited1 rascally heathen has with his false words deluded and made fools of so many of the best ,christians4 ,god has sent him as a plague upon us for our sins4 ,why1 this wretched man1 in his best book1 ,on the ,soul1 teaches that the soul dies with the body1 although many have tried with vain words to save his reputation4 ,as though we had not the ,holy ,scriptures1 in which we are abundantly instructed about all things1 and of them ,aristotle had not the faintest inkling6 ,and yet this dead heathen has conquered and obstructed and almost suppressed the books of the living ,god1 so that when ,i think of this miserable business ,i can believe nothing else than that the evil spirit has introduced the study of ,aristotle4 ,again1 his book on ,ethics is the worst of all books4 ,it flatly opposes divine grace and all ,christian virtues1 and yet it is considered one of his best works4 ,away with such books6 ,keep them away from all ,christians6 ,let no one accuse me of exaggeration1 or of condemning what ,i do not understand6 ,my dear friend1 ,i know well whereof ,i speak4 ,i know my ,aristotle as well as you or the likes of you4 ,i have lectured on him#bda and heard lectures on him1 and ,i understand him better than do ,st4 ,thomas or ,scotus#bdb4 ,this ,i can say without pride1 and if necessary ,i can prove it4 ,i care not that so many great minds have wearied themselves over him for so many hundred years4 ,such objections do not disturb me as once they did2 for it is plain as day that other errors have remained or even more centuries in the world and in the universities4 ,i should be glad to see ,aristotle's books on ,logic1 ,rhetoric and ,poetics retained or used in an abridged form2 as text-books for the profitable training of young people in speaking and preaching4 ,but the commentaries and notes should be abolished1 and as ,cicero's ,rhetoric is read without commentaries and notes1 so ,aristotle's ,logic should be read as it is1 without such a mass of comments4 ,but now neither speaking nor preaching is learned from it1 and it has become nothing but a disputing and a weariness to the flesh4 ,besides this there are the languages--,latin1 ,greek and ,hebrew--the mathematical disciplines and history4 ,but all this ,i give over to the specialists1 and1 indeed1 the reform would come of itself1 if we were only seriously bent upon it4 ,in truth1 much depends upon it2 for it is here#bdc that the ,christian youth and the best of our people1 with whom the future of ,christendom lies1 are to be educated and trained4 ,therefore ,i consider that there is no work more worthy of pope or emperor than a thorough reformation of the universities1 and there is nothing worse or more worthy of the devil than unreformed universities4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,canon ,law ,the medical men ,i leave to reform their own faculties2 the jurists and theologians ,i take as my share1 and ,i say1 in the first place1 that it were well if the canon law1 from the first letter to the last1 and especially the decretals1 were utterly blotted out4 ,the ,bible contains more than enough directions for all our living1 and so the study of the canon law only stands in the way of the study of the ,holy ,scriptures2 moreover1 it smacks for the most part of mere avarice and pride4 ,even though there were much in it that is good1 it might as well be destroyed1 for the pope has taken the whole canon law captive and imprisoned it in the chamber of his heart1#bdd so that the study of it is henceorth a waste of time and a farce4 ,at present the canon law is not what is in the books1 but what is in the sweet will of the pope and his flatterers4 ,your cause may be thoroughly established in the canon law2 still the pope has his scrinium pectoris#bde1 and all law and the whole world must be guided by that4 ,now it is ofttimes a knave1 and even the devil himself1 who rules this scrinium1 and they boast that it is ruled by the ,holy ,spirit6 ,thus they deal with ,christ's unfortunate people4 ,they give them many laws and themselves keep none of them1 but others they compel either to keep them or else to buy release4 ,since1 then1 the pope and his followers have suspended the whole canon law1 and since they pay no heed to it1 but regard their own wanton will as a law exalting them above all the world1 we should follow their example and for our part also reject these books4 ,why should we waste our time studying them8 ,we could never discover the whole arbitrary will of the pope1 which has now become the canon law4 ,the canon law has arisen in the devil's name1 let it all in the name of ,god1 and let there be no more doctores decretorum#bdf in the world1 but only doctores scrinii papalis1 that is1 hypocrites of the pope6 ,it is said that there is no better temporal rule anywhere than among the ,turks1 who have neither spiritual nor temporal law1 but only their ,koran2 and we must confess that there is no more shameful rule than among us1 with our spiritual and temporal law1 so that there is no estate which lives according to the light of nature1 still less according to ,holy ,scripture4 ,sidenote3 ,secular ,law ,the temporal law1--,god help us6 what a wilderness it has become6#bdg ,though it is much better1 wiser and more rational than the spiritual law which has nothing good about it except the name1 still there is far too much of it4 ,surely the ,holy ,scriptures and good rulers would be law enough2 as ,st4 ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians vi1 ,is there no one among you can judge his neighbor's cause1 that ye must go to law before heathen courts8 #a ,cor4 #f3a ,it seems just to me that territorial laws and territorial customs should take precedence of the general imperial laws1 and the imperial laws be used only in case of necessity4 ,would to ,god that as every land has its own peculiar character1 so it were ruled by its own brief laws1 as the lands were ruled before these imperial laws were invented1 and many lands are still ruled without them6 ,these diffuse and far-etched laws are only a burden to the people1 and hinder causes more than they help them4 ,i hope1 however1 that others have given this matter more thought and attention than ,i am able to do4 ,sidenote3 ,theology ,my friends the theologians have spared themselves pains and labor2 they leave the ,bible in peace and read the ,sentences4 ,i should think that the ,sentences#bdh ought to be the first study of young students in theology and the ,bible ought to be the study for the doctors4 ,but now it is turned around2 the ,bible comes first1 and is put aside when the bachelor's degree is reached1 and the ,sentences come last4 ,they are attached forever to the doctorate1 and that with such a solemn obligation that a man who is not a priest may indeed read the ,bible1 but the ,sentences a priest must read4 ,a married man1 ,i observe1 could be a ,doctor of the ,bible1 but under no circumstances a ,doctor of the ,sentences4 ,what good fortune can we expect if we act so perversely and in this way put the ,bible1 the holy ,word of ,god1 so far to the rear8 ,moreover the pope commands1 with many severe words1 that his laws are to be read and used in the schools and the courts1 but little is said of the ,gospel4 ,thus it is the custom that in the schools and the courts the ,gospel lies idle in the dust under the bench#bdi1 to the end that the pope's harmful laws may rule alone4 ,if we are called by the title of teachers#bej of ,holy ,scripture1 then we ought to be compelled1 in accordance with our name1 to teach the ,holy ,scriptures and nothing else1 although even this title is too proud and boastful and no one ought to be proclaimed and crowned teacher of ,holy ,scripture4 ,yet it might be suffered1 if the work justified the name2 but now1 under the despotism of the ,sentences1 we find among the theologians more of heathen and human opinion than of the holy and certain doctrine of ,scripture4 ,what1 then1 are we to do8 ,i know of no other way than humbly to pray ,god to give us ,doctors of ,theology1 ,pope1 emperor and universities may make ,doctors of ,arts1 of ,medicine1 of ,laws1 of the ,sentences2 but be assured that no one will make a ,doctor of ,holy ,scripture1 save only the ,holy ,ghost from heaven1 as ,christ says in ,john vi1 ,they must all be taught of ,god ,himself4 ,john #f3de ,now the ,holy ,ghost does not concern ,himself about red or brown birettas#bea or other decorations1 nor does ,he ask whether one is old or young1 layman or priest1 monk or secular1 virgin or married2 nay ,he spake of old by an ass1 against the prophet who rode upon it ,num4 #bb3bh4 ,would ,god that we were worthy to have such doctors given us1 whether they were layman or priests1 married or virgin4 ,true1 they now try to force the ,holy ,ghost into pope1 bishops and doctors1 although there is no sign or indication whatever that ,he is in them4 ,sidenote3 ,theological ,textbooks ,the number of theological books must also be lessened1 and a selection made of the best of them4 ,for it is not many books or much reading that makes men learned2 but it is good things1 however little of them1 often read1 that make men learned in the ,scriptures1 and make them godly1 too4 ,indeed the writings of all the holy fathers should be read only for a time1 in order that through them we may be led to the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,as it is1 however1 we read them only to be absorbed in them and never come to the ,scriptures4 ,we are like men who study the sign-posts and never travel the road4 ,the dear fathers wished1 by their writings1 to lead us to the ,scriptures1 but we so use them as to be led away from the ,scriptures1 though the ,scriptures alone are our vineyard in which we ought all to work and toil4 ,sidenote3 ,schools ,above all1 the foremost and most general subject of study1 both in the higher and the lower schools1 should be the ,holy ,scriptures1 and for the young boys the ,gospel4 ,and would to ,god that every town had a girls' school also1 in which the girls were taught the ,gospel for an hour each day either in ,german or ,latin4 ,indeed the schools1 monasteries and nunneries began long ago with that end in view1 and it was a praiseworthy and ,christian purpose1 as we learn from the story of ,st4 ,agnes#beb and other of the saints4 ,that was the time of holy virgins and martyrs1 and then it was well with ,christendom2 but now they#bec have come to nothing but praying and singing4 ,ought not every ,christian at his ninth or tenth year to know the entire holy ,gospel from which he derives his name#bed and his life8 ,a spinner or a seamstress teaches her daughter the trade in her early years2 but now even the great1 learned prelates and bishops themselves do not know the ,gospel4 ,o how unjustly we deal with these poor young people who are committed to us for direction and instruction6 ,we must give a terrible accounting or our neglect to set the ,word of ,god before them4 ,they are as ,jeremiah says in ,lamentations ii3 ,mine eyes are grown weary with weeping1 my bowels are terrified1 my liver is poured out upon the ground1 because of the destruction of the daughter of my people1 or the youth and the children perish in all the streets of the whole city2 they said to their mothers1 ,where is bread and wine8 and they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city and gave up the ghost in their mothers' bosom4 ,lam4 #b3aa ff4 ,this pitiful evil we do not see1--how even now the young folk in the midst of ,christendom languish and perish miserably for want of the ,gospel1 in which we ought to be giving them constant instruction and training4 ,sidenote3 ,restriction of ,number of ,students ,moreover1 if the universities were diligent in the study of ,holy ,scripture1 we should not send everybody there1 as we do when all we ask is numbers1 and everyone wishes to have a doctor's degree2 but we should send only the best qualified students1 who have previously been well trained in the lower schools4 ,a prince or city council ought to see to this1 and permit only the well qualified to be sent4 ,but where the ,holy ,scriptures do not rule1 there ,i advise no one to send his son4 ,everyone not unceasingly busy with the ,word of ,god must become corrupt2 that is why the people who are in the universities and who are trained there are the kind of people they are4 ,for this no one is to blame but the pope1 the bishops and the prelates1 who are charged with the training of the youth4 ,for the universities ought to turn out only men who are experts in the ,holy ,scriptures1 who can become bishops and priests1 leaders in the fight against heretics1 the devil and all the world4 ,but where do you find this true8 ,i greatly fear that the universities are wide gates of hell1 if they do not diligently teach the ,holy ,scriptures and impress them on the youth4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,pope and the ,holy ,roman ,empire #bf4bee ,i know full well that the ,roman crowd will make pretensions and great boasts about how the pope took the ,holy ,roman ,empire from the ,greek ,emperor#bef and bestowed it on the ,germans1 for which honor and benevolence he is said to have justly deserved and obtained from the ,germans submission and thanks and all good things4 ,for this reason they will1 perhaps1 undertake to throw to the winds all attempts to reform them1 and will not allow us to think about anything but the bestowal of the ,roman ,empire4 ,for this cause they have heretofore persecuted and oppressed many a worthy emperor so arbitrarily and arrogantly that it is pity to tell of it1 and with the same adroitness they have made themselves overlords of all the temporal powers and authorities1 contrary to the ,holy ,gospel4 ,of this too ,i must therefore speak4 ,there is no doubt that the true ,roman ,empire1 which the writings of the prophets foretold in ,numbers xxiv ,num4 #bd3bd and in ,daniel ,dan4 #b3ci ff41 has long since been overthrown and brought to an end1 as ,balaam clearly prophesied in ,numbers xxiv1 when he said3 ,the ,romans shall come and overthrow the ,jews2 and afterwards they also shall be destroyed4 ,that was brought to pass by the ,goths#beg1 but especially when the ,turkish ,empire arose almost a thousand years ago#beh2 then in time ,asia and ,africa fell away1 and finally ,venice arose1 and there remained to ,rome nothing of its former power4 ,now when the pope could not subdue to his arrogant will the ,greeks and the emperor at ,constantinople1 who was hereditary ,roman ,emperor1 he bethought himself of this device1 viz41 to rob him of his empire and his title and turn it over to the ,germans1 who were at that time warlike and of good repute1 so as to bring the power of the ,roman ,empire under his control and give it away as a fief4 ,so too it turned out4 ,it was taken away from the emperor at ,constantinople and its name and title were given to us ,germans4 ,thereby we became the servants of the pope1 and there is now a second ,roman ,empire1 which the pope has built upon the ,germans2 for the other1 which was first1 has long since fallen1 as ,i have said4 ,so then the ,roman ,see has its will4 ,it has taken possession of ,rome1 driven out the ,german ,emperor and bound him with oaths not to dwell at ,rome4 ,he is to be ,roman ,emperor1 and yet he is not to have possession of ,rome1 and besides he is at all times to be dependent upon the caprice of the pope and his followers1 so that we have the name and they have the land and cities4 ,they have always abused our simplicity to serve their own arrogance and tyranny1 and they call us mad ,germans1 who let ourselves be made apes and fools at their bidding4 ,ah well6 ,for ,god the ,lord it is a small thing to toss empires and principalities to and fro6 ,he is so generous with them that once in a while ,he gives a kingdom to a knave and takes it from a good man1 sometimes by the treachery of wicked1 faithless men and sometimes by heredity1 as we read of the ,kingdoms of ,persia and ,greece1 and of almost all kingdoms2 and ,daniel ii and iv says3 ,he ,who ruleth over all things dwelleth in heaven1 and it is ,he alone ,who changeth kingdoms1 tosseth them to and fro1 and maketh them4 ,dan4 #b3ba2 #d3ad ,since1 therefore1 no one can think it a great thing to have a kingdom given him1 especially if he is a ,christian1 we ,germans too cannot be puffed up because a new ,roman ,empire is bestowed on us2 for in ,his eyes it is a trifling gift1 which ,he often gives to the most unworthy1 as ,daniel iv says3 ,all who dwell upon the earth are in ,his eyes as nothing1 and ,he has power in all the kingdoms of men1 to give them to whomsoever ,he will4 ,dan4 #d3ce ,but although the pope unjustly and by violence robbed the true emperor of his ,roman ,empire1 or of its name1 and gave it to us ,germans1 it is certain1 nevertheless1 that in this matter ,god has used the pope's wickedness to give such an empire to the ,german nation1 and after the all of the first ,roman ,empire1 to set up another1 which still exists4 ,and although we gave no occasion to this wickedness of the popes1 and did not understand their false aims and purposes1 nevertheless1 through this papal trickery and roguery1 we have already paid too dearly for our empire1 with incalculable bloodshed1 with the suppression of our liberty1 with the risk and robbery of all our goods1 especially the goods of the churches and canonries1 and with the suffering of unspeakable deception and insult4 ,we have the name of the empire1 but the pope has our wealth1 honor1 body1 life1 soul and all that is ours4 ,so we ,germans are to be cheated in the trade#bei4 ,what the popes sought was to be emperors1 and since they could not manage that1 they at least succeeded in setting themselves over the emperors4 ,because then1 the empire has been given us without our fault1 by the providence of ,god and the plotting of evil men1 ,i would not advise that we give it up1 but rather that we rule it wisely and in the fear of ,god1 so long as it shall please ,him4 ,for1 as has been said1 it matters not to ,him where an empire comes from2 it is ,his will that it shall be ruled4 ,though the popes took it dishonestly from others1 nevertheless we did not get it dishonestly4 ,it is given us by the will of ,god through evil-minded men2 and we have more regard for ,god's will than for the treacherous purpose of the popes1 who1 in bestowing it1 wished to be emperors themselves1 and more than emperors1 and only to fool and mock us with the name4 ,the ,king of ,babylon also seized his empire by robbery and force2 yet it was ,god's will that it should be ruled by the holy princes1 ,daniel1 ,hananiah1 ,azariah and ,mishael ,dan #c3cj2 #e3bi2 much more then is it ,his will that this empire be ruled by the ,christian princes of ,germany1 regardless whether the pope stole it1 or got it by robbery1 or made it anew4 ,it is all ,god's ordering1 which came to pass before we knew of it4 ,therefore the pope and his followers may not boast that they have done a great favor to the ,german nation by the bestowal of this ,roman ,empire4 ,first1 because they did not mean it for our good1 but were rather taking advantage of our simplicity in order to strengthen themselves in their proud designs against the ,roman ,emperor at ,constantinople1 from whom the pope godlessly and lawlessly took this empire1 a thing which he had no right to do4 ,second1 because the pope's intention was not to give us the empire1 but to get it for himself1 that he might bring all our power1 our freedom1 wealth1 body and soul into subjection to himself and use us 7if ,god had not prevented7 to subdue all the world4 ,he clearly says so himself in his decretals1 and he has attempted it1 by many evil wiles1 with a number of the ,german emperors4 ,how beautifully we ,germans have been taught our ,german6 ,when we thought to be lords1 we became slaves of the most deceitful tyrants2 we have the name1 title and insignia of the empire1 but the pope has its treasures1 its authority1 its law and its liberty4 ,so the pope gobbles the kernel1 and we play with the empty hulls4 ,now may ,god1 ,who by the wiles of tyrants has tossed this empire into our lap1 and charged us with the ruling of it1 help us to live up to the name1 title and insignia1 to rescue our liberty1 and to show the ,romans1 for once1 what it is that we1 through them1 have received from ,god6 ,they boast that they have bestowed on us an empire4 ,so be it1 then6 ,if it is true1 then let the pope give us ,rome and everything else which he has got from the empire2 let him free our land from his intolerable taxing and robbing1 and give us back our liberty1 authority1 wealth1 honor1 body and soul2 let the empire be what an empire should be1 and let his words and pretensions be fulfilled6 ,if he will not do that1 then why all this shamming1 these false and lying words and juggler's tricks8 ,is he not satisfied with having so rudely led this noble nation by the nose these many hundred years without ceasing8 ,it does not follow that the pope must be above an emperor because he makes or crowns him4 ,the prophet ,samuel at ,god's command anointed and crowned ,kings ,saul and ,david1 and yet he was their subject2 and the prophet ,nathan anointed ,king ,solomon1 but was not set over him on that account #a ,sam4 #af3a2 #af3ac2 ,elisha too had one of his servants anoint ,jehu ,king of ,israel #a ,kings #a3ch f41 and yet they remained obedient and subject to him #b ,kings #i3a ff44 ,except in the case of the pope1 it has never happened in all the world's history that he who consecrated or crowned the king was over the king4 ,he lets himself be crowned pope by three cardinals1 who are under him1 and he is nevertheless their superior4 ,why then should he1 contrary to the example which he himself sets1 and contrary to the custom and teaching of all the world and of the ,scriptures1 exalt himself above temporal authorities1 or the empire1 simply because he crowns or consecrates the emperor8 ,it is enough that he should be the emperor's superior in divine things1 to wit1 in preaching1 teaching and administering the sacraments1 in which things1 indeed1 any bishop or priest is over every other man1 as ,st4 ,ambrose in his ,see was over the emperor ,theodosius#bfj1 and the prophet ,nathan over ,david1 and ,samuel over ,saul4 ,therefore1 let the ,german ,emperor be really and truly emperor1 and let not his authority or his sword be put down by this blind pretension of papal hypocrites1 as though they were to be excepted from his dominion and themselves direct the temporal sword in all things4 ,sidenote3 ,economic and ,social ,reforms #bg4 ,enough has now been said about the failings of the clergy1 though more of them can and will be found if these are properly considered4 ,we would say something too about the failings of the temporal estate4 ,sidenote3 ,luxury in ,dress #a4 ,there is great need of a general law and decree of the ,german nation against the extravagance and excess in dress1 by which so many nobles and rich men are impoverished#bea4 ,god has given to us1 as to other lands1 enough wool1 hair1 lax and every thing else which properly serves or the seemly and honorable dress of every rank1 so that we do not need to spend and waste such enormous sums or silk and velvet and golden ornaments and other foreign wares4 ,i believe that even if the pope had not robbed us ,germans with his intolerable exactions1 we should still have our hands more than full with these domestic robbers1 the silk and velvet merchants#bfb4 ,in the matter of clothes1 as we see1 everybody wants to be equal to everybody else1 and pride and envy are aroused and increased among us1 as we deserve4 ,all this and much more misery would be avoided if our curiosity would only let us be thankful1 and be satisfied with the goods which ,god has given us4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,spice ,trade #b4 ,in like manner it is also necessary to restrict the spice-traffic#bfc which is another of the great ships in which money is carried out of ,german lands4 ,there grows among us1 by ,god's grace1 more to eat and drink than in any other land1 and just as choice and good4 ,perhaps the proposals that ,i make may seem foolish and impossible and give the impression that ,i want to suppress the greatest of all trades1 that of commerce2 but ,i am doing what ,i can4 ,i reforms are not generally introduced1 then let every one who is willing reform himself4 ,i do not see that many good customs have ever come to a land through commerce1 and in ancient times ,god made ,his people of ,israel dwell away from the sea on this account1 and did not let them engage much in commerce4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,traffic in ,annuities #c4 ,but the greatest misfortune of the ,german nation is certainly the traffic in annuities#bfd4 ,if that did not exist many a man would have to leave unbought his silks1 velvets1 golden ties ornaments1 spices and ornaments of every sort4 ,it has not existed much over a hundred years1 and has already brought almost all princes1 cities1 endowed institutions1 nobles and their heirs to poverty1 misery and ruin2 if it shall continue or another hundred years ,germany cannot possibly have a pfennig left and we shall certainly have to devour one another4 ,the devil invented the practice1 and the pope1 by confirming it#bfe1 has injured the whole world4 ,therefore ,i ask and pray that everyone open his eyes to see the ruin of himself1 his children and his heirs1 which not only stands before the door1 but already haunts the house1 and that emperor1 princes1 lords and cities do their part that this trade be condemned as speedily as possible1 and henceforth prevented1 regardless whether or not the pope1 with all his law and unlaw1 is opposed to it1 and whether or not benefices or church foundations are based upon it4 ,it is better that there should be in a city one living based on an honest freehold or revenue1 than a hundred based on an annuity2 indeed a living based on an annuity is worse and more grievous than twenty based on freeholds4 ,in truth this traffic in rents must be a sign and symbol that the world1 for its grievous sins1 has been sold to the devil1 so that both temporal and spiritual possessions must fail us1 and yet we do not notice it at all4 ,here1 too1 we must put a bit in the mouth of the ,fuggers and similar corporations#bff4 ,how is it possible that in the lifetime of a single man such great possessions1 worthy of a king1 can be piled up1 and yet everything be done legally and according to ,god's will8 ,i am not a mathematician1 but ,i do not understand how a man with a hundred gulden can make a profit of twenty gulden in one year1 nay1 how with one gulden he can make another#bfg2 and that1 too1 by another way than agriculture or cattle-raising1 in which increase of wealth depends not on human wits1 but on ,god's blessing4 ,i commend this to the men of affairs4 ,i am a theologian1 and find nothing to blame in it except its evil and offending appearance1 of which ,st4 ,paul says1 ,avoid every appearance or show of evil4 #a ,thess4 #e3bb ,this ,i know well1 that it would be much more pleasing to ,god if we increased agriculture and diminished commerce1 and that they do much better who1 according to the ,scriptures1 till the soil and seek their living from it1 as was said to us and to all men in ,adam1 ,accursed be the earth when thou laborest therein1 it shall bear thee thistles and thorns1 and in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread4 ,gen4 #c3ag ff4 ,there is still much land lying untilled4 ,sidenote3 ,excesses in ,eating and ,drinking #d4 ,next comes the abuse of eating and drinking#bfh which gives us ,germans a bad reputation in foreign lands1 as though it were our special vice4 ,preaching cannot stop it2 it has become too common1 and has got too firmly the upper hand4 ,the waste of money which it causes would be a small thing1 were it not followed by other sins1--murder1 adultery1 stealing1 irreverence and all the vices4 ,the temporal sword can do something to prevent it2 or else it will be as ,christ says3 ,the last day shall come like a secret snare1 when they shall be eating and drinking1 marrying and wooing1 building and planting1 buying and selling4 ,luke #ba3cd f4 ,it is so much like that now that ,i verily believe the judgment day is at the door1 though men are thinking least of all about it4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,social ,evil #e4 ,finally1 is it not a pitiful thing that we ,christians should maintain among us open and common houses of prostitution1 though all of us are baptised unto chastity8 ,i know very well what some say to this1 to wit1 that it is not the custom of any one people1 that it is hard to break up1 that it is better that there should be such houses than that married women1 or maidens1 or those of more honorable estate should be outraged4 ,but should not the temporal1 ,christian government consider that in this heathen way the evil is not to be controlled8 ,i the people of ,israel could exist without such an abomination1 why could not ,christian people do as much8 ,nay1 how do many cities1 towns and villages exist without such houses8 ,why should not great cities also exist without them8 ,in this1 and in the other matters above mentioned1 ,i have tried to point out how many good works the temporal government could do1 and what should be the duty of every government1 to the end that every one may learn what an awful responsibility it is to rule1 and to have high station4 ,what good would it do that an overlord were in his own life as holy as ,st4 ,peter1 if he have not the purpose diligently to help his subjects in these matters8 ,his very authority will condemn him6 ,for it is the duty of the authorities to seek the highest good of their subjects4 ,but if the authorities were to consider how the young people might be brought together in marriage1 the hope of entering the married state would greatly help every one to endure and to resist temptation4 ,sidenote3 ,celibacy and ,its ,abuses ,but now every man is drawn to the priesthood or the monastic life1 and among them1 ,i fear1 there is not one in a hundred who has any other reason than that he seeks a living1 and doubts that he will ever be able to support himself in the estate of matrimony4 ,therefore they live wildly enough beforehand1 and wish1 as they say1 to wear out their lust1 but rather wear it in#bfi1 as experience shows4 ,i find the proverb true1 ,despair makes most of the monks and priests#bgj2 and so things are as we see them4 ,my faithful counsel is that1 in order to avoid many sins which have become very common1 neither boy nor maid should take the vow of chastity1 or of the spiritual life1 before the age of thirty years#bga4 ,it is1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 a peculiar gift #a ,cor4 #g4 ,therefore let him whom ,god does not constrain1 put off becoming a cleric and taking the vows4 ,nay1 ,i will go farther and say1 ,if you trust ,god so little that you are not willing to support yourself as a married man1 and wish to become a cleric only because of this distrust1 then for the sake of your own soul1 ,i beg of you not to become a cleric1 but rather a farmer1 or whatever else you please4 ,for if to obtain your temporal support you must have one measure of trust in ,god1 you must have ten measures of trust to continue in the life of a cleric4 ,if you do not trust ,god to support you in the world1 how will you trust him to support you in the ,church8 ,alas1 unbelief and distrust spoil everything and lead us into all misery1 as we see in every estate of life6 ,much could be said of this miserable condition4 ,the young people have no one to care for them4 ,they all do as they please1 and the government is of as much use to them as if it did not exist2 and yet this should be the chief concern of pope1 bishops1 lords and councils4 ,they wish to rule far and wide1 and yet to help no one4 ,o1 what a rare bird will a lord and ruler be in heaven just on this account1 even though he build a hundred churches or ,god and raise up all the dead6 ,sidenote3 ,conclusion ,let this suffice for this time6 ,of what the temporal powers and the nobility ought to do1 ,i think ,i have said enough in the little book4 ,on ,good ,works#bgb4 ,there is room for improvement in their lives and in their rule1 and yet the abuses of the temporal power are not to be compared with those of the spiritual power1 as ,i have there shown4#bgc ,i think too that ,i have pitched my song in a high key1 have made many propositions which will be thought impossible and have attacked many things too sharply4 ,but what am ,i to do8 ,i am in duty bound to speak4 ,if ,i were able1 these are the things ,i should wish to do4 ,i prefer the wrath of the world to the wrath of ,god2 they can do no more than take my life#bgd4 ,many times heretofore ,i have made overtures of peace to my opponents2 but as ,i now see1 ,god has through them compelled me to open my mouth wider and wider and give them enough to say1 bark1 shout and write1 since they have nothing else to do4 ,ah well1 ,i know another little song about ,rome and about them if ,i their ears itch for it ,i will sing them that song too1 and pitch the notes to the top of the scale4 ,understandest thou1 dear ,rome1 what ,i mean8 ,i have many times offered my writings for investigation and judgment1 but it has been of no use4 ,to be sure1 ,i know that if my cause is just1 it must be condemned on earth1 and approved only by ,christ in heaven2 or all the ,scriptures show that the cause of ,christians and of ,christendom must be judged by ,god alone4 ,such a cause has never yet been approved by men on earth1 but the opposition has always been too great and strong4 ,it is my greatest care and fear that my cause may remain uncondemned1 by which ,i should know or certain that it was not yet pleasing to ,god4 ,therefore let them boldly go to work1--pope1 bishop1 priest1 monk and scholar6 ,they are the right people to persecute the truth1 as they have ever done4 ,god give us all a ,christian mind1 and especially to the ,christian nobility of the ,german nation a right spiritual courage to do the best that can be done for the poor ,church4 ,amen4 ,wittenberg1 #aebj4 ,,footnotes #a ,unserm furnchmen nach4 ,see ,introduction1 p4 #eg4 #b ,an ironical comparison of the monks' cowl and tonsure with the headgear of the jester4 #c i4 e41 ,which one turns out to be the real fool4 #d ,the proverb ran1 ,monachus semper praesens1 a monk is always there4 ,see ,wander1 ,deutsches ,sprichworterlexicon1 under ,monch1 ,no4 #acj4 #e ,evidently a reference to the ,gravamina of the ,german ,nation2 see ,gebhardt1 ,die ,grav4 der ,deutschen ,nation1 ,breslau1 #ahie4 #f ,councils of the ,church1 especially those of ,constance 7#adad-ah71 and of ,basel 7#adca-ci74 #g ,charles ,v4 was elected ,emperor in #aeai1 when but twenty years of age4 ,hutten expresses his hopes of good from ,charles in ,vadiscus 7,bocking1 ,,iv1 #aef74 #h ,frederick ,barbarossa 7#aaeb-aajj74 #i ,frederick ,,ii 7#abab-abej71 grandson of ,barbarossa and last of the great ,hohenstaufen ,emperors4 ,he died under excommunication4 #aj ,pope ,julius ,,ii 7#aejc-aeac74 ,notorious among the popes for his unscrupulous pursuit of political power1 he was continually involved in war with one and another of the ,european powers over the possession of territories in ,italy4 #aa ,luther's recollection of the figures was faulty4 #ab ,the term ,romanist is applied by ,luther to the champions of the extreme form of papal supremacy4 ,c4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cdc f4 #ac i4 e41 ,the three rods for the punishment of an evil pope4 #ad ,spuknisse1 literally ghosts4 ,the gist of the sentence is1 the ,romanists have frightened the world with ghost-stories4 #ae ,olegotze--an image anointed with holy oil to make it sacred2 in modern ,german1 a blockhead4 #af ,lay-baptism in view of imminent death is a practice as old as the ,christian ,church4 ,the right of the laity to administer baptism in such cases was expressly recognized by the ,council of ,elvira1 in the year #cjf1 and the decree of that ,council became a part of the law of the ,church4 ,the right of the laity to give absolution in such cases rests on the principle that in the absence of the appointed official of the ,church any ,christian can do for any other ,christian the things that are absolutely necessary or salvation1 for necessity knows no law4 ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cj1 note #b4 #ag ,the canon law1 called by ,luther throughout this treatise and elsewhere1 the spiritual law1 is a general name for the decrees of councils 7canons in the strict sense7 and decisions of the popes 7decretals1 constitutions1 etc471 promulgated by authority of the popes1 and collected in the so-called ,corpus juris canonici4 ,it comprised the whole body of ,church law1 and embodied in legal forms the mediaeval theory of papal absolutism1 which accounts for the bitterness with which ,luther speaks of it1 especially in this treatise4 ,the ,corpus includes the following collections of canons and decretals3 ,the ,decretum of ,gratian 7#aadb71 the ,liber ,extra 7#abcd71 the ,liber ,sextus 7#abih71 the ,constitutiones ,clementinae 7#acah or #acag71 and the two books of ,extravagantes 1--the ,extravagantes of ,john ,,xxii1 and the ,extravagantes communes4 ,the last pope whose decrees are included is ,sixtus ,,iv 7died #adhd74 ,see ,catholic ,encyclop41,,iv1 pp4 #cia ff4 #ah ,augustine1 the master-theologian of the ,ancient ,church1 bishop of ,hippo in ,africa from #cie-dcj4 #ai ,ambrose1 bishop of ,milan from #cgd-cig1 had not yet been baptised at the time of his election to the episcopate1 which was forced upon him by the unanimous voice of the people of the city4 #bj ,cyprian1 bishop of ,carthage1 #bdg-beh1 is said to have consented to accept the office only when the congregation surrounded his house and besought him to yield to their entreaties4 #ba ,was ausz der ,tauff krochen ist4 #bb ,the character indelebilis1 or indelible mark1 received authoritative statement in the bull ,exultate ,deo 7#adci74 ,eugenius ,,iv1 summing up the ,decrees of the ,council of ,florence1 says3 ,among these sacraments there are three--baptism1 confirmation1 and orders--which indelibly impress upon the soul a character1 i4 e41 a certain spiritual mark which distinguishes them from the rest 7,mirbt1 ,quellen1 #b;d ed41 ,no4 #aej74 ,the ,council of ,trent in its ,,xxiii4 ,session1 ,july #ae1 #aefc 7,mirbt1 ,no4 #cab71 defined the correct ,roman teaching as follows3 ,since in the sacrament of orders1 as in baptism and confirmation1 a character is impressed which cannot be destroyed or taken away1 the ,holy ,synod justly condemns the opinion of those who assert that the priests of the ,new ,testament have only temporary power1 and that those once rightly ordained can again be made laymen1 if they do not exercise the ministry of the ,word of ,god4 #bc i4 e41 ,they are all ,christians1 among whom there can be no essential difference4 #bd ,the sharp distinction which the ,roman ,church drew between clergy and laity found practical application in the contention that the clergy should be exempt from the jurisdiction of the civil courts1 ,this is the so-called privilegium fori1 benefit of clergy4 ,it was further claimed that the government of the clergy and the administration of ,church property must be entirely in the hands of the ,church authorities1 and that no lay rulers might either make or enforce laws which in any way affected the ,church4 ,see ,lea1 ,studies in ,church ,history1 #afi-bai and ,prot4 ,realencyk41 ,,vi1 #eid4 #be ,it was the contention of the ,church authorities that priests charged with infraction of the laws of the state should first be tried in the ecclesiastical courts4 ,if found guilty1 they were degraded from the priesthood and handed over to the state authorities for punishment4 ,formula for degradation in the canon law1 ,c4 #b in ,,vi1 de poen4 7,v1 #i74 ,see ,prot4 ,realencyk41 ,,vi1 #ehi4 #bf ,the interdict is the prohibition of the administration of the sacraments and of the other rites of the ,church within the territory upon which the interdict is laid 7,realencyk41 ,,ix1 #bjh f474 ,its use was not uncommon in the ,middle ,ages1 and during the time that the power of the popes was at its height it proved an effective means of bringing refractory rulers to terms4 ,a famous instance is the interdict laid upon the ,kingdom of ,england by ,innocent ,,iii in #abjh4 ,interdicts of more limited local extent were quite frequent4 ,the use of the interdict as punishment for trifling infractions of church law was a subject of complaint at the diets of ,worms 7#aeba7 and ,nurnberg 7#aebd74 ,see ,a4 ,wrede1 ,deutsche ,reichstagsakten unter ,kaiser ,karl ,v41 ,,ii1 pp4 #fhe f1 ,,iii1 #ffe4 #bg ,the statement of which ,luther here complains is found in the ,decretum of ,gratian1 ,dist4 ,,xl1 c4 #f1 ,si papa4 ,in his ,epitome 7see ,introduction1 p4 #eh71 ,prierias had quoted this canon against ,luther1 as follows3 ,a ,pontifex indubitatus 7i4 e41 a pope who is not accused of heresy or schism7 cannot lawfully be deposed or judged either by a council or by the whole world1 even if he is so scandalous as to lead people with him by crowds into the possession of hell4 ,luther's comment is3 ,be astonished1 ,o heaven2 shudder1 ,o earth6 ,behold1 ,o ,christians1 what ,rome is6 7,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #ccf74 #bh ,gregory the ,great1 pope #eij-fjd4 ,the passage is found in ,migne1 ,,lxxvi1 #bjc2 ,,lxxvii1 #cd4 #bi ,antichrist1 the incarnation of all that is hostile to ,christ and ,his ,kingdom4 ,his appearance is prophesied in #b ,thess4 #b3c-aj 7the man of sin1 sitting in the temple of ,god72 #a ,john #b3ah1 #bb2 #d3c1 and ,rev4 #ac4 ,in the early ,church the ,fathers sometimes thought the prophecies fulfilled in the person of some especially pestilent heretic4 ,wyclif applied the term to the pope1--the pope would seem to be not the vicar of ,christ1 but the vicar of ,antichrist 7see ,loos1 ,dogmengeschichte1 #dth ed41 p4 #fdi74 ,on ,dec4 #aa1 #aeah1 ,luther wrote to ,link3 ,you can see whether my suspicion is correct that at the ,roman court the true ,antichrist rules of whom ,st4 ,paul speaks2 and ,march #ac1 #aeai1 he wrote to ,spalatin3 ,i am not sure but that the pope is ,antichrist or his apostle4 ,it was the worldly pretensions of the papacy which suggested the idea both to ,wyclif and to ,luther4 ,by the year #aebj ,luther had come to the definite conclusion that the pope was the man of sin1 sitting in the temple of ,god1 and this opinion he never surrendered4 #cj ,see above1 p4 #fe4 #ca ,according to academic usage1 the holder of a ,master's degree was authorised to expound the subject named in the degree4 #cb ,the doctrine of papal infallibility was never officially sanctioned in the ,middle ,ages1 but the claim of infallibility was repeatedly made by the champions of the more extreme view of papal power1 e4 g41 ,augustinus ,triumphus 7died #acbh7 in his ,summa de potestate ,papae4 ,in his attack upon the ,,xcv ,theses 7,dialogus de potestate ,papae1 ,dec1 #aeag7 ,prierias had asserted1 ,the supreme pontiff 7i4 e41 the pope7 cannot err when giving a decision as pontiff1 i4 e41 speaking officially 7ex officio71 and doing what in him lies to learn the truth2 and again1 ,whoever does not rest upon the teaching of the ,roman ,church and the supreme pontiff as an infallible rule of faith1 from which even ,holy ,scripture draws its vigor and authority1 is a heretic 7,erl4 ,ed41 op4 var4 arg41 ,i1 #cdh74 ,in the ,epitome he had said3 ,even though the pope as an individual 7singularis persona7 can do wrong and hold a wrong faith1 nevertheless as pope he cannot give a wrong decision 7,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #ccg74 #cc ,most recently in ,prierias's ,epitome4 ,see preceding note4 #cd ,luther had discussed the whole subject of the power of the keys in a ,latin treatise1 ,resolutio super propositione xiii4 de potestate papae1 of #aeai 7,weimar ,ed41 ,,ii1 pp4 #ahe ff471 and in the ,german treatise ,the ,papacy at ,rome 7,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ccg-cid74 #ce ,pp4 #ff ff4 #cf ,another contention of ,prierias4 ,in #aeah 7,nov4 #beth7 ,luther had appealed his cause from the decision of the pope1 which he foresaw would be adverse1 to the decision of a council to be held at some future time4 ,in the ,epitome ,prierias discusses this appeal1 asserting1 among other things1 that when there is one undisputed pontiff1 it belongs to him alone to call a council1 and that the decrees of councils neither bind nor hold 7nullum ligant vel astringunt7 unless they are confirmed by authority of the ,roman pontiff 7,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cce74 #cg i4 e41 ,a mere gathering of people4 #ch ,the ,council of ,nicaea1 the first of the great councils of the ,church1 assembled in #cbe for the settlement of the ,arian controversy4 ,luther's statement that it was called by the ,emperor ,constantine1 and that its decisions did not derive their validity from any papal confirmation1 is historically correct4 ,on ,luther's statements about this council1 see ,schaffer1 ,luther als ,kirchenhistoriker1 pp4 #bia ff42 ,kohler1 ,luther und die ,kg41 pp4 #adh ff4 #ci ,luther is here referring to the earlier so-called ecumenical councils4 #dj i4 e41 ,a council which will not be subject to the pope4 ,cf4 ,erl4 ,ed41 xxvi1 #aab4 #da i4 e41 ,they belong to the spiritual estate2 see above1 p4 #fi4 #db ,der ,haufe1 i4 e4 ,christians considered en masse1 without regard to official position in the ,church4 #dc ,the papal crown dates from the ,,xi ,century2 the triple crown1 or tiara1 from the beginning of the ,,xiv4 ,it was intended to signify that very superiority of the pope to the rulers of this world1 of which ,luther here complains4 ,see ,realencyk41 ,x1 #ecb1 and literature there cited4 #dd ,a statement made by ,augustinus ,triumphus4 ,see above1 p4 #gc1 note #e2 and below1 p4 #bdf4 #de ,the ,cardinal della ,rovere1 afterwards ,pope ,julius ,,ii1 held at one time the archbishopric of ,avignon1 the bishoprics of ,bologna1 ,lausanne1 ,coutances1 ,viviers1 ,mende1 ,ostia and ,velletri1 and the abbacies of ,nonantola and ,grottaferrata4 ,this is but one illustration of the scandalous pluralism practised by the cardinals4 ,cf4 ,lea1 in ,cambridge ,mod4 ,hist41 ,i1 pp4 #fej f4 #df ,the complaint that the cardinals were provided with incomes by appointment to ,german benefices goes back to the ,council of ,constance 7#adae74 ,c4 ,benrath1 p4 #hg1 note #ag4 #dg ,the creation of new cardinals was a lucrative proceeding for the popes4 ,on ,july #ca1 #aeag1 ,leo ,x created thirty-one cardinals1 and is said to have received from the new appointees about #cjj1jjj ducats4 ,needless to say1 the cardinals expected to make up the fees out of the income of their livings4 ,see ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #dag1 note ,i1 and ,pastor1 ,gesch4 der ,papste ,,iv1 ,i1 #acg4 ,c4 ,hutten's ,vadiscus 7,bocking ,,iv1 #ahh74 #dh ,the famous ,benedictine monastery just outside the city of ,bamberg4 #di ,the proposal made at ,constance 7see above1 p4 #hb1 note #b7 was more generous4 ,it suggested a salary of three to four thousand gulden4 #ej ,as early as the ,,xiv ,century both ,england and ,france had enacted laws prohibiting the very practices of which ,luther here complains4 ,it should be noted1 however1 that these laws were enforced only occasionally1 and never very strictly4 #ea ,the papal court or curia consisted of all the officials of various sorts who were employed in the transaction of papal business1 including those who were in immediate attendance upon the person of the pope1 the so-called papal family4 ,on the number of such officials in the ,,xvi ,century1 see ,benrath1 p4 #hh1 note #ah1 where reference is made to #idi offices1 exclusive of those which had to do with the administration of the city of ,rome and of the ,states of the ,church1 and not including the members of the pope's family4 ,the ,gravamina of #aeba complain that the increase of these offices in recent years has added greatly to the financial burdens of the ,german ,church 7,wrede1 ,deutsche ,reichstagsakten unter ,kaiser ,karl ,v1 ,,ii1 #fge74 #eb ,on the annates1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #chc1 note #a4 ,early in their history1 which dates from the beginning of the ,,xiv4 ,century1 the annates 7fructus medii temporis7 had become a fixed tax on all ,church offices which fell vacant1 and the complaint of extortion in their appraisement and collection was frequently raised4 ,the ,council of ,constance restricted the obligation to bishoprics and abbacies1 and such other benefices as had a yearly income of more than #bd gulden4 ,the ,council of ,basel 7#adcj7 resolved to abolish them entirely1 but the resolution of the ,council was inoperative1 and in the ,concordat of ,vienna 7#addh7 the ,german nation agreed to abide by the decision of ,constance4 ,on the use of the term annates to include other payments to the curia1 especially the servitia1 see ,catholic ,encyclopedia1 ,i1 pp4 #ecg f4 ,luther here alleges that the annates are not applied to their ostensible purpose1 viz41 the ,crusade4 ,this charge is repeated in the ,gravamina of the ,german ,nation presented to the ,diet of ,worms 7#aeba71 with the additional allegation that the amount demanded in the way of annates has materially increased 7,a4 ,wrede1 ,deutsche ,reichstagsakten unter ,kaiser ,karl ,v41 ,,ii1 pp4 #fge f474 ,similar complaints had been made at the ,diet of ,augsburg 7#aeah71 and were repeated at the ,diet of ,nurnberg 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,iii1 #ffj74 ,hutten calls the annates a good at robbery 7,ed4 ,bocking1 ,,iv1 #bjg74 ,in ,england the annates were abolished by ,act of ,parliament 7,april #aj1 #aecb7 #ec ,on the crusading-indulgences1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ah4 #ed i4 e41 ,as was done by the ,council of ,basel4 ,see above1 p4 #hd1 note i4 #ee ,the canons are the clergy attached to a cathedral church who constituted the chapter of that cathedral1 and to whom the right to elect the bishop normally belonged4 #ef ,this whole section deals with the abuse of the right of reservation1 i4 e41 the alleged right of the pope to appoint directly to vacant church positions4 ,according to papal theory the right of appointment belonged absolutely to the pope1 who graciously yielded the right to others under certain circumstances1 reserving it to himself in other cases4 ,the practice of reserving the appointments seems to date from the ,,xii ,century1 and was originally an arbitrary exercise of papal authority4 ,the rules which came to govern the reservation of appointments were regarded as limitations upon the authority of the pope1 ,the rule of the papal months1 as it obtained in ,germany in ,luther's time1 is found in the ,concordat of ,vienna of #addh 7,mirbt1 ,quellen1 #b;d ed41 ,no4 #bfa1 pp4 #afg f474 ,it provides that livings1 with the exception of the higher dignities in the cathedrals and the chief posts in the monasteries1 which all vacant in the months of ,february1 ,april1 ,june1 ,august1 ,october and ,december1 shall be filled by the ordinary method--election1 presentation1 appointment by the bishop1 etc4--but that vacancies occurring in the other months shall be filled by appointment of the pope4 #eg i4 e41 ,church offices which carried with them certain rights of jurisdiction and gave their possessors a certain honorary precedence over other officials of the ,church4 ,see ,meyer in ,realencyk41 ,,iv1 #feh4 #eh ,charles ,v1 though elected emperor1 was not crowned until ,october #bb;d4 #ei i4 e41 ,a living which has not hitherto been filled by papal appointment4 #fj ,this rule1 like that of the papal months1 is found in the ,concordat of ,vienna4 ,luther's complaint is reiterated in the ,gravamina of #aeba4 7,wrede1 ,deutsche ,reichstagsakten1 etc41 ,,ii1 #fgc47 #fa ,des ,papstes und der ,cardinale ,gesinde1 i4 e41 all those who were counted members of the family or household 7called ,dienstverwandte in the ,gravamina of #aeba7 of the pope or of any of the cardinals4 ,the term included those who were in immediate attendance upon the pope or the cardinals1 and all those to whom1 by virtue of any special connection with the curia1 the name papal servant could be made to apply4 ,these are the courtesans to whom ,luther afterwards refers4 #fb ,in #aeac ,albrecht of ,brandenburg was made ,archbishop of ,magdeburg and later in the same year ,administrator of ,halberstadt2 in #aead he became ,archbishop of ,mainz as well4 ,in #aeah he was made cardinal4 #fc ,this rule1 like the others mentioned above1 is contained in the ,concordat of ,vienna4 #fd ,cf4 ,the ,gravamina of #aeba1 ,no4 #bj1 ,von anfechtung der cordissanen 7see above1 p4 #hh1 note #c71 where the name cordissei is applied to the practice of attacking titles to benefices4 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 pp4 #fgg f47 #fe ,the pallium is a woolen shoulder-cape which is the emblem of the archbishop's office1 and which must be secured from ,rome4 ,the bestowal of the pallium by the pope is a very ancient custom4 ,gregory ,i 7#eij-fjd7 mentions it as prisca consuetudo 7,dist41 ,c4c4 #c74 ,the canon law prescribes 7,dist4 ,c4 c4 ,i7 that the archbishop-elect must secure the pallium from ,rome within three months of his election2 otherwise he is forbidden to discharge any of the duties of his office4 ,it is regarded as the necessary complement of his election and consecration1 conferring the plenitude of the pontifical office1 and the name of archbishop4 ,luther's charge that it had to be purchased with a great sum of money is substantiated by similar complaints from the ,,xii ,century on1 though the language of the canon law makes it evident that ,luther's other contention is also correct1 viz41 that the pallium was originally bestowed gratis4 ,the sum required from the different archbishops varied with the wealth of their sees1 and was a fixed sum in each case4 ,the ,gravamina of #aeba complain that the price has been raised3 ,although according to ancient ordinance the bishoprics of ,mainz1 ,cologne1 ,salzburg1 etc41 were bound to pay or the pallium about #aj1jjj gulden and no more1 they can now scarcely get a pallium from ,rome for #bj or #bd thousand gulden4 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fge47 #ff ,the oath of allegiance to the pope was required before the pallium could be bestowed 7,dist4 ,c1 c4 ,i74 ,the canon law describes this oath as one of allegiance1 obedience and unity 7,x1 ,i1 #f1 c4 #d74 #fg ,see above1 p4 #hf1 note #b4 #fh cf4 ,luther to ,spalatin1 ,june #be1 #aebj 7,enders1 ,,ii1 #dbd2 ,smith1 ,no4 #bga74 #fi i4 e41 ,the benefices are treated as though they were vacant4 #gj ,in the case of certain endowed benefices the right to nominate the incumbent was vested in individuals1 usually of the nobility1 and was hereditary in their family1 ,this is the so-called jus patronum1 or right of patronage4 ,the complaint that this right is disregarded is frequent in the ,gravamina of #aeba4 #ga ,commendation was one of the practices by which the pope evaded the provision of the canon law which prescribed that the same man should not hold two livings with the cure of souls4 ,the man who received an office in commendam was not required to fulfil the duties attached to the position and when a living or an abbacy was granted in this way during the incumbency of another1 the recipient received its entire income during a subsequent vacancy4 ,the practice was most common in the case of abbacies4 ,at the ,diet of ,worms 7#aeba71 ,duke ,george of ,saxony1 an outspoken opponent of ,luther1 was as emphatic in his protest against this practice as ,luther himself 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #ffe72 his protest was incorporated in the ,gravamina 7ibid41 #fgb71 and reappears in the ,appendix 7ibid41 #gjh74 #gb ,a monk who deserted his monastery was known as an apostate4 #gc i4 e41 ,offices which cannot be united in the hands of one man4 ,see e4 g41 note #c1 p4 #ia4 #gd ,a gloss is a note explanatory of a word or passage of doubtful meaning4 ,the glosses are the earliest form of commentary on the ,bible4 ,the glosses of the canon law are the more or less authoritative comments of the teachers1 and date from the time when the study of the canon law became a part of the theological curriculum4 ,their aim is chiefly to show how the law applies to practical cases which may arise4 ,the so-called glossa ordinaria had in ,luther's time an authority almost equal to that of the corpus juris itself4 ,cf4 ,cath4 ,encyc41 ,,vi1 pp4 #ehh f4 #ge ,the thing which was bought was1 of course1 the dispensation1 or permission to avail oneself of the gloss4 #gf ,dataria is the name for that department of the curia which had to deal with the granting of dispensations and the disposal of benefices4 ,datarius is the title of the official who presided over this department4 #gg ,see above1 p4 #hh1 note #b4 ,for a catalogue of papal appointments bestowed upon two courtesans1 ,johannes ,zink und ,johannes ,ingenwinkel1 see ,schulte1 ,die ,fugger in ,rom1 ,i1 pp4 #bhb1 #bia ff4 ,between #aeac and #aeba1 ,zink received #ef appointments1 and ,ingenwinkel received1 between #adif and #aeba1 no fewer than #ajf4 #gh ,see above1 p4 #hg1 note #a4 #gi ,so ,albrecht of ,mainz bore the title of administrator of ,halberstadt4 #hj ,the name of this practice was regression 7regressus74 #ha ,the complaint was made at ,worms 7#aeba7 that it was impossible for a ,german to secure a clear title to a benefice at ,rome unless he applied for it in the name of an ,italian1 to whom he was obliged to pay a percentage of the income1 a yearly pension1 for a fixed sum of money for the use of his name 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #gab74 #hb ,simony--the sin of ,simon ,magus 7,acts #h3ah-bj7--the sin committed by the sale or the purchase of an office or position which is normally conferred by a ritual act of the ,church4 ,in the ancient and earlier mediaeval ,church the use of money to secure preferment was held to invalidate the title of the guilty party to the position thus secured1 and the acceptance of money for such a purpose was an offence punishable by deposition and degradation4 ,the heresy of ,simon was conceived to be the greatest of all heresies4 ,the traffic in ,church offices1 which became a flagrant abuse from the time of ,john ,,xxii 7#acaf-accd71 would have been regarded in earlier days as the most atrocious simony4 #hc ,the reservatio mentalis or in pectore is the natural consequence of the papal theory that the right of appointment to all ,church offices of every grade belongs to the pope 7see above1 p4 #hf1 note #c74 ,according to the theory of the canonists 7,lancelotti1 ,institutiones juris canonici4 ,lib4 ,i1 ,tit4 ,,xxvii7 this right is exercised either per petitionem alterius1 i4 e41 by confirmation of the election1 appointment1 etc41 of others1 or proprio motu1 i4 e41 on his own motion4 ,in ordinary cases the exercise of the appointing power was limited by rules1 which though bitterly complained of 7see above1 pp4 #hf ff1 and notes71 were generally understood1 but the theory allowed any given case to be made an exception to the rules4 ,of such a case it was said that it was reserved in the heart of the ,pope1 and the appointment was then made on his own motion4 ,hutten says of this reservatio in pectore that it is an easy1 agile and slippery thing1 and bears no comparison to any other form of cheating 7,ed4 ,booking1 ,,iv1 #bae74 #hd ,for a similar instance quoted at ,worms 7#aeba71 see ,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #gaj4 #he ,the three chief centers of foreign commerce in the ,,xv and the early ,,xvi ,century4 ,the annual fairs 7,jahrmarkt71 held at stated times in various cities1 brought great numbers of merchants together from widely distant points1 and were the times when the greater part of the wholesale business for the year was done42 #hf ,built by ,innocent ,,viii 7#aded-adij74 #hg ,see above1 p4 #ic1 note #b4 #hh ,the ,church law forbade the taking of interest on loans of money4 #hi ,during the ,middle ,ages all questions touching marriage and divorce1 including1 therefore1 the question of the legitimacy of children1 were governed by the laws of the ,church1 on the theory that marriage was a sacrament4 #ij i4 e41 ,by buying dispensations4 #ia ,the sums paid or special dispensations were so called4 #ib ,the toll which the robber-barons of the ,rhine levied upon merchants passing through their domains4 #ic ,ja wend das blat umb szo indistu es--,the translators have adopted the interpretation of ,o4 ,clemen1 ,l's4 ,werke1 ,i1 #chc4 #id ,the ,fuggers of ,augsburg were the greatest of the ,german capitalists in the ,,xvi ,century4 ,they were international bankers1 the ,rothschilds of the ,,xvi ,century4 ,their control of large capital enabled them to advance large sums of money to the territorial rulers1 who were in a chronic state of need4 ,in return for these favors they received monopolistic concessions by which their capital was further increased4 ,the spiritual1 as well as the temporal lords1 availed themselves regularly of the services of this accommodating firm4 ,they were the pope's financial representatives in ,germany4 ,on their connection with the indulgence against which ,luther protested1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ba2 on their relations with the papacy1 see ,schulte1 ,die ,fugger in ,rom1 #b ,vols41 ,leipzig1 #aijd4 #ie ,certificates entitling the holder to choose his own confessor and authorizing the confessor to absolve him from certain classes of reserved sins2 referred to in the ,,xcv ,theses as confessionalia4 ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bb4 #if ,certificates granting their possessor permission to eat milk1 eggs1 butter and cheese on fast days4 #ig ,the word is used here in the broad sense1 and means dispensations of all sorts1 including those just mentioned1 relating to penance4 #ih ,equivalent to carrying coals to ,newcastle4 #ii ,the ,campo di ,fiore1 a ,roman market-place1 restored and adorned at great expense by ,eugenius ,,iv 7#adca-addg71 and his successors4 #ajj ,a part of the ,vatican palace notorious as the banqueting-hall of ,alexander ,,vi 7#adjb-aejc71 turned by ,julius ,,ii 7#aejc-aeac7 into a museum for the housing of his wonderful and expensive collection of ancient works of art4 ,luther is hinting that the indulgence money has been spent on these objects rather than on the maintenance of the ,church4 ,cf4 ,clemen1 ,i1 #chd1 note #ae4 #aja i4 e41 ,the offices and positions in ,rome which were for sale4 ,see ,benrath1 p4 #hh1 note #ah2 p4 #ie1 note #cf4 #ajb ,see above1 p4 #hd1 note #a4 #ajc ,the passage is chapter #ca1 ,filiis vel nepotibus4 ,it provides that in case the income of endowments bequeathed to the ,church is misused1 and appeals to the bishop and archbishop fail to correct the misuse1 the heirs of the testator may appeal to the royal courts4 ,luther wishes this principle applied to the annates4 #ajd ,see above1 pp4 #ia f4 #aje ,see above1 p4 #ia4 #ajf ,see above1 p4 #id4 #ajg i4 e44 ,promises to bestow on certain persons livings not yet vacant4 ,complaint of the evils arising out of the practice was continually heard from the year #adaf4 ,for the complaints made at ,worms 7#aeba71 see ,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #gaj4 #ajh ,see above1 pp4 #hf f4 #aji ,see above1 pp4 #ib f4 #aaj ,see above1 p4 #ic4 #aaa ,see above1 p4 #hi4 #aab ,rules for the transaction of papal business1 including such matters as appointments and the like4 ,at ,worms 7#aeba7 the ,estates complain that these rules are made to the advantage of the courtesans and the disadvantage of the ,germans4 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 pp4 #fge f47 #aac ,the local ,church authorities1 here equivalent to the bishops4 ,on use of term see ,realencyk41 ,,xiv1 #dbd4 #aad ,the sign of the episcopal office2 as regards archbishops1 the pallium2 see above1 p4 #hq1 and note4 #aae ,see above1 p4 #hg1 note #a4 #aaf ,the first of the ecumenical councils 7,a4 ,d4 #cbe74 ,the decree to which ,luther here refers is canon ,,iv of that ,council4 ,cf4 ,kohler1 ,l4 und die ,kg41 pp4 #aci ff4 #aag ,the primate is the ranking archbishop of a country4 #aah ,exemption was the practice by which monastic houses were withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the bishops and made directly subject to the pope4 ,the practice seems to have originated in the ,x ,century with the famous monastery of ,cluny 7#iah71 but it was almost universal in the case of the houses of the mendicant orders4 ,the bishops made it a constant subject of complaint1 and the ,lateran ,council 7,dec4 #ai1 #aeaf7 passed a decree abolishing all monastic exemptions1 though the decree does not seem to have been effective4 ,see ,creighton1 ,history of the ,papacy1 ,v1 #bff4 #aai i4 e41 ,antichrist4 ,see above1 p4 #gc1 note #b4 #abj ,the papal interference in the conduct of the local ,church courts was as flagrant as in the appointments1 of which ,luther has heretofore spoken4 ,at ,worms 7#aeba7 it was complained that cases were cited to ,rome as a court of first instance1 and the demand was made that a regular course of appeals should be re-established4 ,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fgb1 #gah4 #aba ,the reference is ,canon ,v of the ,council of ,sardica 7,a4 ,d4 #cdc71 incorporated in the canon law as a canon of ,nicaea 7,pt4 ,,ii1 qu4 #f1 c4 #e74 ,see ,kohler1 ,l4 und die ,kg41 #aea4 #abb i4 e41 ,appealed to ,rome for decision4 ,this is the subject of the first of the #ajb ,gravamina of #aeba 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fgb74 #abc ,the judges in the bishops' courts4 ,the complaint is that they interfere with the administration of justice by citing into their courts cases which properly belong in the lay courts1 and enforce their verdicts 7usually fines7 by means of ecclesiastical censures4 ,the charges against these courts are specified in the ,gravamina of #aeba1 ,nos4 #gc-ajj 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fid-gjc74 #abd ,the signatura gratiae and the signatura justitiae were the bureaus through which the pope regulated those matters of administration which belonged to his own special prerogative4 #abe ,see above1 pp4 #hh f4 #abf ,see above1 p4 #hh1 note #c4 #abg ,see above1 p4 #id4 #abh i4 e41 ,the cases in which a priest was forbidden to give absolution4 ,the reference here is to cases in which only the pope could absolve4 ,cf4 ,the ,,xcv ,theses1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cj4 #abi ,a papal bull published annually at ,rome on ,holy ,thursday4 ,it was directed against heretics1 but to the condemnation of the heretics and their heresies was added a list of offences which could receive absolution only from the pope1 or by his authorisation4 ,in #aebb ,luther translated this bull into ,german as a ,new ,year present for the pope 7,weimar ,ed41 ,,viii1 #fia74 ,on ,luther's earlier utterances concerning it1 see ,kohler1 ,l4 u4 die ,kg41 pp4 #ei #b4 #acj ,the breve is a papal decree1 of equal authority with the bull1 but differing from it in form1 and usually dealing with matters of smaller importance4 #aca ,cf4 ,luther's earlier statement to the same effect in ,a ,discussion of ,confession1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #if f4 #acb ,see above1 p4 #ii4 #acc ,the ,fifth ,lateran ,council 7#aeab-ag74 #acd ,see above1 p4 #ij1 note #a4 #ace ,in the canon law1 ,decretal4 ,greg4 lib4 i1 tit4 #f1 cap4 #d4 ,the decretal forbids the bestowing of the pallium 7see above1 p4 #hi1 note #c7 on an archbishop elect1 until he shall first have sworn allegiance to the ,holy ,see4 #acf ,the induction of ,church officials into office4 ,the term was used particularly of the greater offices--those of bishop and abbot4 ,these offices carried with them the enjoyment of certain incomes1 and the possession of certain temporal powers4 ,for this reason the right of investiture was a bone of contention between popes and emperors during the ,middle ,ages4 #acg ,especially in the time of the ,emperors ,henry ,,iv and ,v 7#ajef-aabe74 #ach ,the ,german ,empire was regarded during the ,middle ,ages as a continuation of the ,roman ,empire4 7,see below1 p4 #aec47 ,the right to crown an emperor was held to be the prerogative of the pope2 until the pope bestowed the imperial crown1 the emperor bore the title1 ,king of the ,romans4 #aci ,in the canon law1 ,decretal4 ,greg4 lib4 i1 tit4 #cc1 cap4 #f4 #adj ,in the treatise1 ,resolutio ,lutheriana super propositione ,,xiii1 de potestate papae 7#aebj74 ,weimar ,ed41 ,,ii1 pp4 #bag ff42 ,erl4 ,ed41 op4 var4 arg41 ,ill1 pp4 #bic ff4 #ada ,see p4 #gj4 #adb cf4 ,the ,papacy at ,rome1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ceg f4 #adc ,a decree of ,pope ,clement ,v of #acac1 incorporated subsequently in the canon law1 ,clement1 lib4 ii1 tit4 #aa1 cap4 #b4 #add ,a forged document of the ,,viii ,century1 professing to come from the hand of the ,emperor ,constantine 7#cjf-ccg74 ,the ,donation conveyed to the pope title to the city of ,rome 7the capital had been removed to ,constantinople71 certain lands in ,italy and the islands of the sea4 ,it was used by the popes of the ,middle ,ages to support their claims to worldly power1 and its genuineness was not disputed4 ,in #addj1 however1 ,laurentius ,valla1 an ,italian humanist1 published a work in which he proved that the ,donation was a forgery4 ,this work was republished in ,germany by ,ulrich von ,hutten in #aeag1 and seems to have come to ,luther's attention in the early part of #aebj1 just before the composition of the present treatise 7,c4 ,enders ,,ii1 #ccb74 ,luther subsequently 7#aecg7 issued an annotated translation of the text of the ,donation 7,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxv1 pp4 #agf ff474 #ade ,the papal claim to temporal sovereignty over this little kingdom1 which comprised the island of ,sicily and certain territories in ,southern ,italy1 goes back to the ,,xi ,century1 and was steadily asserted during the whole of the later ,middle ,ages4 ,it was one of the questions at issue in the conflict between the ,emperor ,frederick ,,ii 7#abjj-abfj7 and the popes1 and played an important part in the history of the stormy times which followed the all of the ,hohenstaufen4 ,the popes claimed the right to award the kingdom to a ruler who would swear allegiance to the ,holy ,see4 ,the right to the kingdom was at this time contested between the royal houses of ,france and of ,spain1 of which latter house the ,emperor ,charles ,v was the head4 #adf ,the popes claimed temporal sovereignty over a strip of territory in ,italy1 beginning at ,rome and stretching in a northeasterly direction across the peninsula to a point on the ,adriatic south of ,venice1 including the cities and lands which ,luther mentions4 ,this formed the so-called ,states of the ,church4 ,the attempt to consolidate the ,states and make the papal sovereignty effective involved ,popes ,alexander ,,vi 7#adib-aejc7 and ,julius ,,ii 7#aejc-aeac7 in war and entangled them in political alliances with the ,european powers and petty ,italian states4 ,it resulted at last in actual war between ,pope ,clement ,,vii and the ,emperor ,charles ,v 7#aebf-aebg74 ,see ,cambridge ,modern ,history1 ,i1 #ajd-adc2 #bai-beb1 and literature cited pp4 #gjf-gac2 #gbg f4 #adg ,a free translation of the ,vulgate1 ,nemo militans ,deo4 #adh ,the kissing of the pope's feet was a part of the adoration which he claimed as his right4 ,see above1 p4 #ajh4 #adi ,the three paragraphs enclosed in brackets were added by ,luther to the #b;d edition2 see ,introduction1 p4 #ei4 #aej ,the holy places of ,rome had long been favorite objects of pilgrimage1 and the practice had been zealously fostered by the popes through the institution of the golden or jubilee years4 ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ah1 and below1 p4 #aad4 #aea ,cf4 the ,italian proverb1 ,god is everywhere except at ,rome2 there ,he has a vicar4 #aeb ,cf4 ,hutten's saying in ,vadiscus3 ,three things there are which those who go to ,rome usually bring home with them1 a bad conscience1 a ruined stomach and an empty purse4 7,ed4 ,bocking1 ,,iv1 p4 #afi47 #aec ,the golden or jubilee years were the years when special rewards were attached to worship at the shrines of ,rome4 ,the custom was instituted by ,boniface ,,viii in #acjj1 and it was the intention to make every hundredth year a jubilee4 ,in #acdc the interval between jubilees was fixed at fifty1 in #achi at thirty-three1 in #adgc at twenty-five years4 ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ah4 #aed ,cf4 the statements in the ,treatise on ,baptism and the ,discussion of ,confession1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #fh ff41 #ih4 #aee ,the houses1 or monasteries1 of the mendicant or begging orders--the friars4 ,the members of these orders were sworn to support themselves on the alms of the faithful4 #aef ,the three leading mendicant orders were the ,franciscan 7the ,minorites1 or little brothers71 founded by ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi 7died #abbf71 the ,dominican 7the preaching brothers71 founded by ,st4 ,dominic 7died #abba71 and the ,augustinian ,hermits1 to which ,luther himself belonged1 and which claimed foundation by ,st4 ,augustine 7died #dcj74 #aeg ,the interference of the friars in the duties of the parish clergy was a continual subject of complaint through this period4 #aeh ,by the middle of the ,,xv ,century there were eight distinct sects within the ,franciscan order alone 7,see ,realencyk41 ,,vi1 pp4 #bab ff471 and ,luther had himself taken part in a vigorous dispute between two parties in the ,augustinian order4 #aei ,st4 ,agnes the ,martyr1 put to death in the beginning of the ,,iv ,century1 one of the favorite saints of the ,middle ,ages4 ,see ,schafer1 ,l4 als ,kirchenhistoriker1 p4 #bce4 #afj ,one of the most famous of the ,german convents1 founded in #icf4 #afa ,the celebrated ,church ,father 7died #dbj74 ,the passages referred to are in ,migne1 ,,xxii1 #fef1 and ,,xxvi1 #efb4 #afb ,or community 7,gemeine74 ,cf4 ,the ,papacy at ,rome1 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #cde1 note #d4 ,see also ,dass eine christl4 ,gemeine ,recht und ,macht habe1 etc4 ,weimar ,ed4 ,,xi1 pp4 #djh ff4 #afc ,or congregation4 ,see note #b4 #afd i4 e44 ,at a time later than that of the ,apostles4 #afe ,the first absolute prohibition of marriage to the clergy is contained in a decree of ,pope ,siricius and dated #che4 ,see ,h4 ,c4 ,lea1 ,history of ,sacerdotal ,celibacy1 #c;d ed4 7#aijg71 ,i1 pp4 #ei ff4 #aff ,the priests of the ,greek ,church are required to marry1 and the controversy over celibacy was involved in the division between the ,greek and ,roman ,churches4 #afg ,cf4 ,hutten's ,vadiscus 7,bocking1 ,,iv1 #aii74 #afh i4 e41 ,lie in ,roman appointment4 #afi i4 e41 ,the ministry in the congregation4 ,see above1 p4 #aai4 #agj ,quantum ragilitas humana permittit4 ,a qualification of the vow4 #aga i4 e41 ,celibacy4 ,non promitto castitatem4 #agb ,fragilitas humana non permittit caste vivere4 #agc ,angelica fortitudo at coelestis virtus4 #agd ,the court-jester was allowed unusual freedom of speech4 ,see ,prefatory ,letter above1 p4 #fb4 #age ,the laws governing marriage were entirely the laws of the ,church4 ,the canon law prohibited marriage of blood-relatives as far as the seventh degree of consanguinity4 ,in #abjd the prohibition was restricted to the first our degrees2 lawful marriage within these degrees was possible only by dispensation1 which was not all too difficult to secure1 especially by those who were willing to pay for it 7see above1 p4 #if74 ,the relation of god-parents to god-children was also held to establish a spiritual consanguinity which might serve as a bar to lawful marriage4 ,see ,benrath1 p4 #ajc1 note #gd1 and in the ,babylonian ,captivity1 below1 p4 #bfe4 #agf ,this ,luther actually did4 ,when he burned the papal bull of excommunication 7,dec4 #aj1 #aebj7 a copy of the canon law was also given to the flames4 #agg i4 e41 ,the marriage of the clergy4 #agh ,on this sort of reserved cases see ,discussion of ,confession1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #if ff4 #agi ,irregularity is the condition of any member of a monastic order who has violated the prescriptions of the order and been deprived1 in consequence1 of the benefits enjoyed by those who live under the regula1 viz41 the rule of the order4 #ahj ,the three kinds of masses are really but one thing1 viz41 masses for the dead1 celebrated on certain fixed days in each year1 in consideration of the enjoyment of certain incomes1 received either out of bequeathed endowments or from the heirs of the supposed beneficiaries4 #aha i4 e41 ,even when the mass is decently said4 #ahb ,see above1 p4 #gb1 note #a4 #ahc ,see above1 p4 #ajd4 #ahd ,das geistliche ,unrecht4 #ahe ,the ,treatise concerning the ,ban1 above1 pp4 #cc ff4 #ahf i4 e41 ,to those who teach and enforce the canon law4 #ahg ,luther means the saint's-days and minor religious holidays4 ,see also the ,discourse on ,good ,works1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #bdj f4 #ahh ,or congregation4 #ahi i4 e41 ,city-council4 #aij ,kirchweihen1 i4 e41 the anniversary celebration of the consecration of a church4 ,these days had become feast days for the parish1 and were observed in anything but a spiritual fashion4 #aia i4 e41 ,occasions for drunkenness1 gain and gambling4 #aib ,see above1 pp4 #if f4 #aic ,see above1 p4 #ih1 note #b4 #aid ,letters entitling their holder to the benefits of the masses founded by the sodalities or confraternities4 ,see ,benrath1 p4 #ajc4 #aie ,see above1 p4 #ih1 and ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bb4 #aif ,the pun is untranslatable1--,netz1 ,gesetz solt ich sagen4 #aig ,what the pope sold was release from the snares and nets1 viz41 dispensation4 #aih i4 e41 ,even into the law of the church4 #aii ,die wilden ,kapellen und ,feldkirchen1 i4 e41 churches which are built in the country1 where there are no congregations4 #bjj ,a little town in ,east ,prussia1 where was displayed a sacramental wafer1 said to have been miraculously preserved from a fire which destroyed the church in #achc4 ,it was alleged that at certain times this wafer exuded drops of blood1 reverenced as the blood of ,christ1 and many miracles were said to have been performed by it4 ,wilsnack early became a favorite resort for pilgrims4 ,in #adab the archbishop of ,prague1 at the instigation of ,john ,hus1 forbade the ,bohemians to go there4 ,despite the protests of the ,universities of ,leipzig and ,erfurt1 ,pope ,eugenius ,,iv in #addf granted special indulgences for this pilgrimage1 and the popularity of the shrine was undiminished until the time of the ,reformation4 ,cf4 ,realencyk1 xxi1 pp4 #cdg ff4 #bja ,in ,mecklenburg1 where another relic of the ,holy ,blood was displayed after #adia4 ,c4 ,benrath1 pp4 #ajd f4 #bjb ,the ,holy ,coat of ,trier was believed by the credulous to be the seamless coat of ,christ1 which the soldiers did not rend4 ,it was first exhibited in #aeab1 but was said to have been presented to the cathedral church of ,trier by the ,empress ,helena1 mother of ,constantine the ,great4 #bjc ,pilgrimage to the ,grimmenthal in ,meiningen began in #adii4 ,an image of the ,virgin1 declared to have been miraculously created1 was displayed there1 and was alleged to work wonderful cures1 especially of syphilis4 #bjd ,the ,fair ,virgin 7die schone ,maria7 of ,regensburg was an image of the ,virgin similar to that exhibited in the ,grimmenthal4 ,the shrine was opened ,march #be1 #aeai1 and within a month #ej1jjj pilgrims are said to have worshipped there4 7,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #ddg1 note #a74 ,for another explanation see ,benrath1 p4 #aje4 #bje ,the pilgrimages were a source of large revenue1 derived from the sale of medals which were worn as amulets1 the fees for masses at the shrines1 and the free-will offerings of the pilgrims4 ,a large part of this revenue accrued to the bishop of the diocese1 though the popes never overlooked the profits which the sale of indulgences or worship at these shrines could produce4 ,in the ,gravamina of #aeba complaint is made that the bishops demand at least #be to #cc per cent1 of the offerings made at shrines of pilgrimage 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fhg74 #bjf i4 e41 ,every bishop4 #bjg ,the possession of a saint gave a church a certain reputation and distinction1 which was sufficiently coveted to make local ,church authorities willing to pay roundly for the canonisation of a departed bishop or other local dignitary4 ,cf4 ,hutten's ,vadiscus 7,bocking1 ,,iv1 #bcb74 #bjh ,archbishop of ,florence 7died #adej74 ,he was canonised1 ,may #ca1 #aebc1 by ,pope ,hadrian ,,vi4 ,when ,luther wrote this the process of canonisation had already begun4 #bji ,indulta1 i4 e41 grants of special privilege4 #baj ,lead1 the leaden seal attached to the bull2 hide1 the parchment on which it is written2 the string1 the ribbon or silken cord from which the seals depend2 wax1 the seal holding the cord to the parchment4 #baa ,franciscans1 ,dominicans1 ,augustinians1 ,carmelites and ,servites4 #bab ,botschaten1 interpreted by ,benrath 7p4 #aje71 ,clemen 7,i1 #djf1 note7 and ,weimar ,ed4 7,,vi1 #djf1 note #a7 as a reference to the stationarii4 ,they were wandering beggars who1 for an alms1 would enroll the contributor in the list of beneficiaries of their patron saint1 an alleged insurance against disease1 accident1 etc4 ,they were classified according to the names of their patron saints1 ,st4 ,anthony1 ,st4 ,hubert1 ,st4 ,valentine1 etc4 ,protests against their operations were raised at the ,diets of ,worms 7#aeba7 and ,nurnberg 7#aebc74 ,included in these protests are the terminarii1 i4e41 the collectors of alms sent out by the mendicant orders4 ,see ,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fgh1 #fhh1 ,,iii1 #fea1 and ,benrath1 loc4 cit4 #bac ,wallbruder1 the professional pilgrims who spent their lives in wandering from one place of pilgrimage to another and subsisted on the alms of the faithful4 #bad i4 e41 ,if the plan above proposed were adopted4 #bae ,see above1 p4 #abi1 note #a4 #baf ,see ,treatise on the ,new ,testament1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cjh ff4 #bag ,in the ,babylonian ,captivity 7below1 pp4 #bia f47 ,luther definitely excludes penance from the number of sacraments1 but see also p4 #agg4 #bah ,the sodalities 7fraternities1 confraternities71 still an important institution in the ,roman ,church1 flourished especially in the ,,xvi ,century4 ,they are associations for devotional purposes4 ,the members of the sodalities are obligated to the recitation of certain prayers and the attendance upon certain masses at stipulated times4 ,by virtue of membership in the association each member is believed to participate in the benefits accruing from these good works of all the members4 ,in the case of most of the sodalities membership entitled the member to the enjoyment of certain indulgences4 ,in #aebj ,wittenberg boasted of #bj such fraternities1 ,cologne of #hj1 ,hamburg of more than #ajj 7,realencyk41 ,ill1 #dcg74 ,in #aeai ,degenhard ,peffinger1 of ,wittenberg1 was a member of #h such fraternities in his home city1 and of #bg in other places4 ,for ,luther's view of the sodalities see above1 pp4 #h1 #bf ff4 ,on the whole subject see ,benrath1 pp4 #ajf f42 ,kolde in ,realencyk41 ,,iii1 pp4 #dcd ff42 ,lea1 ,hist4 of ,conf4 and ,indulg1 ,,iii1 pp4 #dgj ff4 #bai ,see above1 p4 #ih1 note #b4 #bbj ,see above1 p4 #abh1 note #e4 #bba ,the excesses committed at the feasts of the religious societies were often a public scandal4 ,see ,lea1 ,hist1 of ,conf4 and ,indulg1 ,,iii1 pp4 #dcg ff4 #bbb ,faculties were extraordinary powers1 usually for the granting of indulgences and of absolution in reserved cases 7see above1 p4 #aje1 note #c74 ,they were bestowed by the pope and could be revoked by him at any time4 ,sometimes they were given to local ,church officials1 but were usually held by the legates or commissaries sent from ,rome4 ,complaints were made at the ,diets of ,worms 7#aebj7 and ,nurnberg 7#aebc7 that the papal commissaries and legates interfered with the ordinary methods of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and appointment4 ,see ,weede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #fgc1 ,,iii1 #fec4 #bbc ,wladislav ,i forced the ,sultan to sue for peace in #addc4 ,at the instigation of the papal legate1 ,cardinal ,caesarini1 who represented that the treaty had not been approved by the pope1 and absolved the king from the fulfilment of its conditions1 he renewed the war in #addd4 ,at the battle of ,varna1 ,nov4 #ajth1 #addd1 the ,hungarians were decisively defeated1 and ,wladislav and ,caesarini both killed4 ,see ,creighton1 ,hist4 of the ,papacy1 ,,iii1 #fg4 #bbd ,john ,hus and ,jerome of ,prague were convicted of heresy by the ,council of ,constance and burned at the stake1 the former ,july #fth1 #adae1 the latter ,may #cjth1 #adaf4 ,hus had come to ,constance under the safe-conduct of the ,emperor ,sigismund4 ,luther is in error when he assumes that ,jerome had a similar safe-conduct4 ,in ,september1 #adae1 the ,council passed a decree which asserted that neither by natural1 divine or human law was any promise to be observed to the prejudice of the catholic faith4 ,on the whole matter of the safe-conduct and its violation see ,lea1 ,hist4 of the ,inquisition in the ,m4,a41 ,,ii1 pp4 #dec ff4 #bbe ,the ,league of ,cambray1 negotiated in #aejh for war against ,venice4 ,in #aeaj ,venice made terms with the pope and detached him from the alliance1 and the result was war between the pope and the ,king of ,france4 ,see ,cambridge ,modern ,history1 ,i1 pp4 #acj ii41 and literature there cited4 #bbf i4 e4 ,the ,hussites4 ,after the martyrdom of ,hus his followers maintained for a time a strong organisation in ,bohemia1 and resisted with arms all attempts to force them into conformity with the ,roman ,church4 ,the ,council of ,basel succeeded 7#adcd7 in reconciling the more moderate party among the ,bohemians 7the ,calixtines7 by allowing the administration of the cup to the laity4 ,the more extreme party1 however1 refused to subscribe the ,compactata of ,basel4 ,though they soon ceased to be a actor in the political situation1 they remained outside the ,church and perpetuated the teachings of ,hus in sectarian organisations4 ,the most important of these1 the so-called ,bohemian ,brethren1 had extended into ,poland and ,prussia before ,luther's time4 ,see ,realencyk41 ,ill1 #dfe-dfg4 #bbg ,see above1 p4 #adj1 note #a4 #bbh ,see ,kohler1 ,l4 und die ,kirchengesch41 #aci1 #aea4 #bbi ,the ,archbishop of ,prague was primate of the ,church in ,bohemia4 #bcj ,the dioceses of these bishops were contiguous to that of the ,archbishop of ,prague4 #bca ,bishop of ,carthage1 #bdj-beh ,a4 ,d4 #bcb ,lass man ihn ein gut jar ha ben1 literally1 ,bid him good-day4 #bcc ,one of the chief points of controversy between the ,roman ,church and the ,hussites4 ,the ,roman ,church administered to the laity only the bread1 the ,hussites used both elements4 ,see below1 pp4 #agh f4 #bcd ,luther had not yet reached the conviction that the administration of the cup to the laity was a necessity1 but see the argument in the ,babylonian ,captivity1 below1 pp4 #agh ff4 #bce ,the ,bohemian ,brethren1 who are here distinguished from the ,hussites1 ,cf4 ,realencyk41 ,ill1 #deb1 #di4 #bcf ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 the great ,dominican theologian of the ,,xiii4 ,century 7#abbe-gd71 whose influence is still dominant in ,roman theology4 #bcg ,the view of the sacramental presence adopted by ,william of ,occam4 ,for ,luther's own view at this time1 see below1 pp4 #ahg ff4 #bch i4 e41 ,if they did not believe in the real presence of the body and blood of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper4 #bci ,places for training youths in ,greek glory4 #bdj ,the philosophy of ,aristotle dominated the mediaeval universities4 ,it not only provided the forms in which theological and religious truth came to expression1 but it was the basis of all scientific study in every department4 ,the man who did not know ,aristotle was an ignoramus4 #bda ,or1 ,i have read him4 ,luther's lesen allows of either interpretation4 #bdb ,duns ,scotus1 died #acjh4 ,in the ,,xv and ,,xvi ,centuries he was regarded as the rival of ,thomas ,aquinas for first place among the theological teachers of the ,church4 #bdc i4 e41 ,in the universities4 #bdd ,see above1 pp4 #id f4 #bde i4 e41 ,the chamber of his heart4 ,boniface ,,viii 7#abid-acjc7 had decreed1 ,romanus pontiex jura omnia in scrinio pectoris sui censetur habere1 the ,roman pontiff has all laws in the chamber of his heart4 ,this decree was received into the canon law 7c4 ,i1 de const4 ,in ,v,ito 7,i1 #b774 #bdf ,doctores decretorum1 ,doctor of ,decrees1 an academic degree occasionally given to professors of ,canon ,law2 doctor scrinii papalis1 ,doctor of the ,papal ,heart4 #bdg ,the introduction of ,roman law into ,germany1 as the accepted law of the empire1 had begun in the ,,xii ,century4 ,with the decay of the feudal system and the increasing desire of the rulers to provide their government with some effective legal system1 its application became more widespread1 until by the end of the ,,xv ,century it was the accepted system of the empire4 ,the attempt to apply this ancient law to conditions utterly different from those of the time when it was formulated1 and the continual conflict between the ,roman law1 the feudal customs and the remnants of ,germanic legal ideas1 naturally gave rise to a state of affairs which ,luther could justly speak of as a wilderness4 #bdh ,sentences 7,sententiae1 libri sententiarum7 was the title of the text-books in theology4 ,theological instruction was largely by way of comment on the most famous book of ,sentences1 that of ,peter ,lombard4 #bdi ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #g4 #bej i4 e41 ,doctors4 #bea ,the head-dress of the doctors4 #beb ,see above1 p4 #aah1 note #b4 #bec i4 e41 ,the monasteries and nunneries4 #bed i4 e44 ,the name of ,christian4 #bee ,this section did not appear in the first edition2 see ,introduction1 p4 #ei4 #bef ,charles the ,great1 ,king of the ,franks1 was crowned ,roman ,emperor by ,pope ,leo ,,iii in the year #hjj ,a4 ,d4 ,he was a ,german1 but regarded himself successor to the line of emperors who had ruled at ,rome4 ,the fiction was fostered by the popes1 and the ,german kings1 after receiving the papal coronation1 were called ,roman ,emperors4 ,from this came the name of the ,german ,empire of the ,middle ,ages1 the ,holy ,roman ,empire of the ,german ,nation4 ,the popes of the later ,middle ,ages claimed that the bestowal of the imperial dignity lay in the power of the pope1 and ,pope ,clement ,v 7#acac7 even claimed that in the event of a vacancy the pope was the possessor of the imperial power 7cf4 above1 p4 #aji74 ,on the whole subject see ,bryce1 ,holy ,roman ,empire1 #b;d ed4 7#aijd71 and literature there cited4 #beg ,the city of ,rome was sacked by the ,visigoths in #daj4 #beh ,luther is characteristically careless about his chronology4 ,by the ,turkish ,empire he means the ,mohammedan power4 #bei ,so sol man die ,deutschen teuschen und mit teuschen teuschenn1 i4e41 made ,germans 7,deutsche7 by cheating 7teuschen7 them4 #bfj ,see ,cambridge ,mediaeval ,history1 ,i 7#aiaa71 pp4 #bdd f4 #bfa ,such a law as ,luther here suggests was proposed to the ,diet of ,worms 7#aeba74 ,text in ,wrede1 ,reischstagsakten1 ,,ii1 #cce-cda4 #bfb ,cf4 ,luther's ,sermon von ,kaubandlung und ,wucher1 of #aebd4 7,weim4 ,ed4 ,,xv1 pp4 #bic7 #bfc ,spices were one of the chief articles of foreign commerce in the ,,xvi ,century4 ,the discovery of the cape-route to ,india had given the ,portuguese a practical monopoly of this trade4 ,a comparative statement of the cost of spices for a period of years was reported to the ,diet of ,nurnberg 7#aebc74 ,see ,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,iii1 #egf4 #bfd ,the ,zinskauf or ,rentenkauf was a means or evading the prohibition of usury4 ,the buyer purchased an annuity1 but the purchase price was not regarded as a loan1 or it could not be recalled1 and the annual payments could not therefore be called interest4 #bfe ,the practice was legalised by the ,lateran ,council1 #aeab4 #bff ,the ,,xvi ,century was the hey-day of the great trading-companies1 among which the ,fuggers of ,augsburg 7see above1 p4 #ig1 note #e7 easily took first place4 ,the effort of these companies was directed toward securing monopolies in the staple articles of commerce1 and their ability to finance large enterprises made it possible for them to gain practical control of the home markets4 ,the sharp rise in the cost of living which took place on the first half of the ,,xvi ,century was laid at their door4 ,the ,diet of ,cologne 7#aeab7 had passed a stringent law against monopolies which had1 however1 failed to suppress them4 ,the ,diet of ,worms 7#aeba7 debated the subject 7,wrede1 ,reichstagsakten ,,ii1 pp4 #cee iff47 in somewhat heated language 7ibid41 #hdb71 but failed to agree upon methods of suppression4 ,the subject was discussed again at the ,diet of ,nurnberg 7#aebc7 and various remedies were proposed 7ibid41 ,ill1 #eef-eii74 #bfg ,the profits of the trading-companies were enormous4 ,the #i per cent1 annually of the ,welser 7,ehrenberg1 ,zeitalter der ,fugger1 ,i1 #aie71 pales into insignificance beside the #afcd per cent1 by which the fortune of the ,fuggers grew in twenty-one years 7,schulte1 ,die ,fugger in ,rom1 ,i1 #c74 ,in #aeaa a certain ,bartholomew ,rem invested #ijj gulden in the ,hochstetter company of ,augsburg2 by #aeag he claimed #cc1jjj gulden profit4 ,the company was willing to settle at #bf1jjj1 and the resulting litigation caused the figures to become public 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 #hdb1 note #d2 ,,iii1 pp4 #egd ff474 ,on ,luther's view of capitalism see ,eck1 ,introduction to the ,sermon von ,kaushandlungund ,wucher1 in ,berl4 ,ed41 ,,vii1 #did-eac4 #bfh ,the ,diets of ,augsburg 7#aejj7 and ,cologne 7#aeab7 had passed edicts against drunkenness4 ,a committee of the ,diet of ,worms 7#aeba7 recommended that these earlier edicts be reaffirmed 7,wrede1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 pp4 #cdc f471 but the ,diet adjourned without acting on the recommendation 7ibid41 #gcg7 #bfi ,sie wollen ausbuben1 so sich's vielmehr hineinbubt4 #bgj ,cf4 ,muller1 ,luther's theol4 ,quellen1 #aiab1 ch4 ,i4 #bga ,in the ,confitendi ,ratio ,luther had set the age for men at eighteen to twenty1 or women at fifteen to sixteen years4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ajj4 #bgb ,translated in this edition1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ahd ff2 see especially pp4 #bff ff4 #bgc ,these sentences did not appear in the first edition4 #bgd ,see ,letter to ,staupitz1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #dc4 #bge ,this little song is the ,prelude on the ,babylonian ,captivity of the ,church4 ,see below1 pp4 #agj ff4 ,a ,,prelude ,,on ,,the ,,babylonian ,,captivity ,,of ,,the ,,church #aebj ,,introduction ,in the ,open ,letter to the ,christian ,nobility ,luther overthrew the three walls behind which ,rome sat entrenched in her spiritual-temporal power2 in the ,babylonian ,captivity of the ,church he enters and takes her central stronghold and sanctuary--the sacramental system by which she accompanied and controlled her members from the cradle to the grave2 only then could he set forth1 in language of almost lyrical rapture1 the ,liberty of a ,christian ,man4 ,the first of these three great reformatory treatises of the year #aebj1 as they have been called1 closed with the words3 ,i know another little song about ,rome1 and if their ears itch to hear it ,i will sing it for them1 and pitch it in a high key4 ,dost thou take my meaning1 beloved ,rome8 7,see above1 p4 #afd47 ,that some ears were itching to hear his little song was brought home to ,luther especially by two writings1 the one appearing in the summer of #aebj1 the other published in the previous autumn1 but not reaching ,wittenberg until some months later4 ,the former came from the pen of ,augustin ,alveld1 that celebrated ,romanist of ,leipzig1 against whom ,luther had culminated in ,the ,papacy at ,rome1 promising further disclosures if ,alveld came again4 7,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cic47 ,he came again1 this time with a ,tractatus de communione sub utraque specie1--date of dedication1 ,june #bc1 #aebj4 ,the ,leipzig ass has set up a fresh braying against me1 full of blasphemies2 thus ,luther describes it in a letter to ,spalatin1 ,july #bb1 #aebj4 7,enders1 ,luther's ,briewechsel1 ,,ii1 no4 #cbh47 ,the other work was the anonymous tract of a certain ,italian friar of ,cremona1 who has only recently been identified as ,isidore ,isolani1 a ,dominican hailing from ,milan1 who taught theology in various ,italian cities1 wrote a number of controversial works and died in #aebh4 7,see ,fr4 ,lauchert1 ,die italienischen literarischen ,gegner ,luthers1 ,freiburg1 #aiab47 ,the title of his tract is1 ,revocatio ,martini ,lutheri ,augustiniani ad sanctam ,sedem2 its date1 ,cremona1 ,november #bj1 #aebj1 according to ,enders1 which is a mistake for ,november #bb1aeai4 ,its beginning and close1 which have epistolary character1 are printed in ,enders1 ,,ii1 no4 #cff1 and one paragraph from each is translated in ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,i1 no4 #aii4 ,these two treatises may be regarded as the immediate occasion for the writing of the ,babylonian ,captivity1 which is1 however1 in no sense a direct reply to either of them4 ,i will not reply to ,alveld1 ,luther writes on ,august #e to ,spalatin1 but he will be the occasion of my publishing something by which the vipers will be more irritated than ever4 7,enders1 ,,ii1 no4 #cce2 ,smith1 ,i1 no4 #bhc47 ,indeed1 he had promised some such work more than half a year before1 in a letter to ,spalatin of ,december #ah1 #aeai3 ,there is no reason why you or any one else should expect from me a treatise on the other sacraments besides baptism1 the ,lord's supper1 and penance until ,i am taught by what text ,i can prove that they are sacraments4 ,i regard none of the others as a sacrament1 for there is no sacrament save where there is a direct divine promise1 exercising our faith4 ,we can have no intercourse with ,god except by the word of ,him promising1 and by the faith of man receiving the promise4 ,at another time you shall hear more about their fables of the seven sacraments4 7,enders1 ,,ii1 no4 #bed2 ,smith1 ,i1 no4 #bjf47 ,thus the ,prelude grows under his hand and assumes the form of an elaborate examination of the whole sacramental system of the ,church4 ,he makes short work of his two opponents1 and after a few pages of delicious irony1 of which ,erasmus was suspected in some quarters of being the author1 he turns his back on them and addresses himself to a positive and constructive treatment of his larger theme1 lenient toward all non-essentials1 but inexorable with respect to everything truly essential1 that is1 scriptural4 ,the ,captivity thus represents the culmination of ,luther's reformatory thinking on the theological side1 as the ,nobility does on the national1 and the ,liberty on the religious side4 ,it sums up and carries forward all of his previous writings on the sacraments1 just as1 nine years later1 the ,catechisms gathered up and moulded into classic form his writings on catechetical subjects4 ,passage after passage1 often whole pages1 from the ,resolutiones disp41 the ,treatise on ,baptism1 the ,conitendi ,ratio1 the ,treatise on the ,new ,testament1 the ,treatise on the ,blessed ,sacrament1 are transferred bodily to this new and definitive work1 and find in it the goal toward which they had been consciously or unconsciously tending4 ,the reader is referred to a fine comparative study in ,kostlin's ,theology of ,luther 7,english trans471 ,i1 #chh-dji4 ,the title is a reminiscence from the ,resolutiones super prop1 xiii41 of #aeai1--;absit ista plus quam babylonica captivitas6 ,the sense in which the work is called a prelude is explained on page #agf2 the theologian in ,luther could not deny the musician1 he goes into battle singing and comes back with the stanza of a hymn upon his lips4 ,the ,captivity marks ,luther's final and irreparable break with the ,church of ,rome1 and it is not without a peculiar significance that in the same letter to ,spalatin1 of ,october #c;d1 in which he mentions the arrival in ,leipzig of ,eck armed with the papal bull1 he announces the publication of his book on the ,babylonian ,captivity of the ,church for the following ,saturday--,october #fth4 7,enders1 ,,ii1 no4 #cej2 ,smith1 ,i1 no4 #cjc47 ,while the ,nobility1 addressed to the ,german nation as such1 was written in the language of the people1 the ,captivity1 as becomes a theological treatise1 is composed in ,latin1 just as later the ,liberty1 affecting the religious life of the individual1 whether layman or theologian1 is sent out in both ,german and ,latin4 ,a translation into ,german appeared in the following year--the work of the ,franciscan1 ,thomas ,murner 7on whom see ,theod4 v4 ,liebenau1 ,der ,franziskaner ,thomas ,murner1 ,freiburg1 #aiac74 ,luther calls the ,franciscan his venomous foe and accuses him of making the translation in order to bring him into disrepute4 ,this charge ,luther makes in his answer to ,henry ,,viii's ,assertio septem sacramentorum adversus ,mart4 ,lutherum 7#aeba71 the royal theologian's reply to the ,babylonian ,captivity1 for which he won from the pope the proud title of ,defender of the ,faith4 ,the translation which follows is based on the ,latin text as given in ,clemen's student-edition--,luthers ,werke in ,auswahl 7,bonn1 #aiab-c71 ,i1 #dbf-eab1 which reproduces1 though by no means slavishly1 the text of the ,weimar ,edition 7,vol4 ,,vi71 which1 together with the ,erlangen ,edition 7opera var4 arg41 ,v71 has been compared4 ,the ,german ,st4 ,louis ,edition 7,vol4 ,,xix7 has been consulted1 and especially the admirable ,german rendering of ,kawerau in the ,berlin ,edition 7,vol4 ,,ii7 as well as the careful literal translation of ,lemme1 ,die drei grossen ,reormationsschriten ,luthers vom ,jahre #aebj1 #b4 ed4 7,gotha1 #ahhd74 ,like the last mentioned1 ,wace and ,buchheim's ,english translation 7,london1 #ahif7 is incomplete1 and besides is not always accurate2 the ,captivity is not contained in ,cole's ,select ,works4 ,the catalogue of the ,british ,museum notes no early ,english translation4 ,kostlin-,kawerau's 7#aijc7 and ,berger's 7#ahie7 lives should be consulted2 the former for the historical setting and full analysis1 the latter for a fine appreciation of this as of the other two reformatory treatises of this year4 ,for the theological development1 beside ,kostlin's work mentioned above1 and ,tschackert1 ,entstehung der luth4 und re4 ,kirchenlehre 7#aiaj71 compare the exhaustive article ,sakramente1 by ,kattenbusch1 in ,prot4 ,realencyklopadie1 #c4 ed41 ,,xvii1 #cdi-ha4 ,the treatise is here ,englished in its entirety1 including those portions of the section on marriage which are frequently omitted4 ,the homeless paragraph on page #bfj1 whose proper location is not found even in the ,weimar ,edition nor in ,clemen1 we have placed in a foot-note1 following the example of ,kawerau4 ,,albert ,t4 ,w4 ,,steinhaeuser4 ,allentown4 ,,pa4 ,,the ,,babylonian ,,captivity ,,of ,,the ,,church #aebj ,,jesus ,martin ,luther1 ,augustinian1 to his friend1 ,herman ,tulich#a1 ,greeting ,willy nilly1 ,i am compelled to become every day more learned1 with so many and such able masters vying with one another to improve my mind4 ,some two years ago ,i wrote a little book on indulgences#b1 which ,i now deeply regret having published2 for at the time ,i was still sunk in a mighty superstitious veneration for the ,roman tyranny and held that indulgences should not be altogether rejected1 seeing they were approved by the common consent of men4 ,nor was this to be wondered at1 for ,i was then engaged single-handed in my ,sisyphean task4 ,since then1 however1 through the kindness of ,sylvester and the friars#c1 who so strenuously defended indulgences1 ,i have come to see that they are nothing but an imposture of the ,roman sycophants by which they play havoc with men's faith and fortunes4 ,would to ,god ,i might prevail upon the book-sellers and upon all my readers to burn up the whole of my writings on indulgences and to substitute for them this proposition3 ,,indulgences ,,are ,a ,,knavish ,,trick ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,sycophants4 ,next1 ,eck and ,emser1 with their fellows1 undertook to instruct me concerning the primacy of the pope4 ,here too1 not to prove ungrateful to such learned folk1 ,i acknowledge how greatly ,i have profited by their labors4 ,for1 while denying the divine authority of the papacy1 ,i had yet admitted its human authority#d4 ,but after hearing and reading the subtle subtleties of these coxcombs with which they adroitly prop their idol--for in these matters my mind is not altogether unteachable--,i now know of a certainty that the papacy is the kingdom of ,babylon#e and the power of ,nimrod the mighty hunter#f4 ,once more1 therefore1 that all may all out to my friends' advantage1 ,i beg both booksellers and readers to burn what ,i have published on that subject and to hold to this proposition3 ,,the ,,papacy ,,is ,,the ,,mighty ,,hunting ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,bishop4 ,this follows from the arguments of ,eck1 ,emser and the ,leipzig lecturer#g on the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,now they are putting me to school again and teaching me about communion in both kinds and other weighty subjects4 ,and ,i must all to with might and main1 so as not to hear these my pedagogues without profit4 ,a certain ,italian friar of ,cremona#h has written a ,revocation of ,martin ,luther to the ,holy ,see--that is1 a revocation in which not ,i revoke anything 7as the words declare7 but he revokes me4 ,that is the kind of ,latin the ,italians are now beginning to write#i4 ,another friar1 a ,german of ,leipzig1 that same lecturer1 you know1 on the whole canon of the ,scriptures1 has written a book against me concerning the sacrament in both kinds1 and is planning1 ,i understand1 still greater and more marvelous things4 ,the ,italian was canny enough not to set down his name1 fearing perhaps the fate of ,cajetan and ,sylvester#aj4 ,but the ,leipzig man1 as becomes a fierce and valiant ,german1 boasts on his ample title-page of his name1 his career1 his saintliness1 his scholarship1 his office1 glory1 honor1 ay1 almost of his very clogs#aa4 ,here ,i shall doubtless gain no little information1 since indeed his dedicatory epistle is addressed to the ,son of ,god ,himself4 ,on so familiar a footing are these saints with ,christ ,who reigns in heaven6 ,moreover1 methinks ,i hear three magpies chattering in this book2 the first in good ,latin1 the second in better ,greek1 the third in purest ,hebrew#ab4 ,what think you1 my ,herman1 is there for me to do but to prick up my ears8 ,the thing emanates from ,leipzig1 from the ,observance of the ,holy ,cross#ac4 ,fool that ,i was1 ,i had hitherto thought it would be well if a general council decided that the sacrament be administered to the laity in both kinds#ad4 ,the more than learned friar would set me right1 and declares that neither ,christ nor the apostles commanded or commended the administration of both kinds to the laity2 it was1 therefore1 left to the judgment of the ,church what to do or not to do in this matter1 and the ,church must be obeyed4 ,these are his words4 ,you will perhaps ask1 what madness has entered into the man1 or against whom he is writing1 since ,i have not condemned the use of one kind1 but have left the decision about the use of both kinds to the judgment of the ,church--the very thing he attempts to assert and which he turns against me4 ,my answer is1 that this sort of argument is common to all those who write against ,luther2 they assert the very things they assail1 for they set up a man of straw whom they may attack4 ,thus ,sylvester and ,eck and ,emser1 thus the theologians of ,cologne and ,louvain#ae2 and if this friar had not been of the same kidney he would never have written against ,luther4 ,yet in one respect this man has been happier than his fellows4 ,for in undertaking to prove that the use of both kinds is neither commanded nor commended1 but left to the will of the ,church1 he brings forward passages of ,scripture to prove that by the command of ,christ one kind only was appointed for the laity4 ,so that it is true1 according to this new interpreter of the ,scriptures1 that one kind was not commanded1 and at the same time was commanded1 by ,christ6 ,this novel sort of argument is1 as you know1 the particular forte of the ,leipzig dialecticians4 ,did not ,emser in his earlier book#af profess to write of me in a friendly spirit1 and then1 after ,i had convicted him of filthy envy and foul lying1 did he not openly acknowledge in his later book#ag1 written to refute my arguments1 that he had written in both a friendly and an unfriendly spirit8 ,a sweet fellow1 forsooth1 as you know4 ,but hearken to our distinguished distinguisher of kinds1 for whom the will of the ,church and a command of ,christ1 and a command of ,christ and no command of ,christ1 are all one and the same6 ,how ingeniously he proves that only one kind is to be given to the laity1 by the command of ,christ1 that is1 by the will of the ,church4 ,he puts it in capital letters1 thus3 ,,the ,,infallible ,,foundation4 ,thereupon he treats ,john vi with incredible wisdom1 in which passage ,christ speaks of the bread from heaven and the bread of life1 which is ,he ,himself4 ,the learned fellow not only refers these words to the sacrament of the altar1 but because ,christ says1 ,i am the living bread1 ,john #f3ce1 #da1 #ea and not1 ,i am the living cup1 he actually concludes that we have in this passage the institution of the sacrament in only one kind for the laity4 ,but there follow the words1--,my flesh is meat indeed1 and my blood is drink indeed1 ,john #f3ee and1 ,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man1 and drink his blood ,john #f3ec2 and when it dawned upon the good friar that these words speak undeniably or both kinds and against one kind--presto6 how happily and learnedly he slips out of the quandary by asserting that in these words ,christ means to say only that whoever receives the one kind receives under it both flesh and blood4 ,this he puts or the infallible foundation of a structure well worthy of the holy and heavenly ,observance4 ,now prithee1 herefrom learn with me that ,christ1 in ,john vi1 enjoins the sacrament in one kind1 yet in such wise that ,his commanding it means leaving it to the will of the ,church2 and further1 that ,christ is speaking in this chapter only of the laity and not of the priests4 ,for to the latter the living bread from heaven does not pertain1 but presumably the deadly bread from hell6 ,and how is it with the deacons and subdeacons1 who are neither laymen nor priests8#ah ,according to this brilliant writer1 they ought to use neither the one kind nor both kinds6 ,you see1 dear ,tulich1 this novel and observant method of treating ,scripture4 ,but learn this1 too1--that ,christ is speaking in ,john vi of the sacrament of the altar2 although ,he ,himself teaches that ,his words refer to faith in the ,word made flesh1 for ,he says1 ,this is the work of ,god1 that ye believe on him whom he hath sent4 ,john #f3bi ,but our ,leipzig professor of the ,scriptures must be permitted to prove anything he pleases from any ,scripture passage whatsoever4 ,for he is an ,anaxagorian1 or rather an ,aristotelian#ai theologian1 for whom nouns and verbs1 interchanged1 mean the same thing and any thing4 ,so aptly does he cite ,scripture proof-texts throughout the whole of his book1 that if he set out to prove the presence of ,christ in the sacrament1 he would not hesitate to commence thus3 ,here beginneth the book of the ,revelation of ,st4 ,john the ,divine4 ,all his quotations are as apt as this one would be1 and the wiseacre imagines he is adorning his drivel with the multitude of his quotations4 ,the rest ,i pass over1 lest you should smother in the filth of this vile cloaca4 ,in conclusion1 he brings forward ,i ,corinthians xi1 where ,paul says he received from the ,lord1 and delivered to the ,corinthians1 the use of both the bread and the cup #a ,cor4 #aa3bc4 ,here again our distinguisher of kinds1 treating the ,scriptures with his usual brilliance1 teaches that ,paul did not deliver1 but permitted both kinds4 ,do you ask where he gets his proof8 ,out of his own head1 as he did in the case of ,john vi4 ,for it does not behoove this lecturer to give a reason for his assertions2 he belongs to the order of those who teach and prove all things by their visions#bj4 ,accordingly we are here taught that the ,apostle1 in this passage1 addressed not the whole ,corinthian congregation1 but the laity alone--but then he permitted nothing at all to the clergy1 and they are deprived of the sacrament altogether6--and further1 that1 according to a new kind of grammar1 ,i have received from the ,lord means ,it is permitted by the ,lord1 and ,i have delivered it to you means ,i have permitted it to you4 ,i pray you1 mark this well4 ,for by this method1 not only the ,church1 but every passing knave will be at liberty1 according to this magister1 to turn all the commands1 institutions and ordinances of ,christ and the apostles into a mere permission4 ,i perceive1 therefore1 that this man is driven by an angel of ,satan1 and that he and his partners seek but to make a name or themselves through me1 as men who were worthy to cross swords with ,luther4 ,but their hopes shall be dashed3 ,i shall ignore them and not mention their names from henceforth even for ever4 ,this one reply shall suffice me for all their books4 ,if they be worthy of it1 ,i pray ,christ in ,his mercy to bring them to a sound mind2 if not1 ,i pray that they may never leave off writing such books1 and that the enemies of the truth may never deserve to read any other4 ,it is a popular and true saying1 ,this ,i know of a truth--whenever with filth ,i contended1 ,victor or vanquished1 alike1 came ,i defiled from the fray4 ,and1 since ,i perceive that they have an abundance of leisure and of writing-paper1 ,i shall see to it that they may have ample opportunity for writing4 ,i shall run on before1 and while they are celebrating a glorious victory over one of my so-called heresies1 ,i shall be meanwhile devising a new one4 ,for ,i too am desirous that these gallant leaders in battle should win to themselves many titles and decorations4 ,therefore1 while they complain that ,i laud communion in both kinds1 and are happily engrossed in this most important and worthy matter1 ,i will go yet one step farther and undertake to show that all those who deny communion in both kinds to the laity are wicked men4 ,and the more conveniently to do this1 ,i will compose a prelude on the captivity of the ,roman ,church4 ,in due time ,i shall have a great deal more to say1 when the learned papists have disposed of this book4 ,i take this course1 lest any pious reader who may chance upon this book1 should be offended at my dealing with such filthy matters1 and should justly complain of finding in it nothing to cultivate and instruct his mind or even to furnish good or learned thought4 ,for you know how impatient my friends are because ,i waste my time on the sordid fictions of these men1 which1 they say1 are amply refuted in the reading2 they look for greater things from me1 which ,satan seeks in this way to hinder4 ,i have at length resolved to follow their counsel and to leave to those hornets the pleasant business of wrangling and hurling invectives4 ,of that friar of ,cremona ,i will say nothing4 ,he is an unlearned man and a simpleton1 who attempts with a few rhetorical passages to recall me to the ,holy ,see1 from which ,i am not as yet aware of having departed1 nor has any one proved it to me4 ,he is chiefly concerned in those silly passages with showing that ,i ought to be moved by the vow of my order and by the act that the empire has been transferred to us ,germans#ba4 ,he seems thus to have set out to write1 not my revocation1 but rather the praises of the ,french people and the ,roman pontiff4 ,let him attest his loyalty in his little book2 it is the best he could do4 ,he does not deserve to be harshly treated1 for methinks he was not prompted by malice2 nor yet to be learnedly refuted1 for all his chatter is sheer ignorance and simplicity#bb4 ,at the outset ,i must deny that there are seven sacraments1 and hold for the present#bc to but three--baptism1 penance and the bread#bd4 ,these three have been subjected to a miserable captivity by the ,roman curia1 and the ,church has been deprived of all her liberty4 ,to be sure1 if ,i desired to use the term in its scriptural sense1 ,i should allow but a single sacrament#be1 with three sacramental signs2 but of this ,i shall treat more fully at the proper time4 ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,the ,,bread ,let me tell you what progress ,i have made in my studies on the administration of this sacrament4 ,for when ,i published my treatise on the ,eucharist#bf1 ,i clung to the common usage1 being in no wise concerned with the question of the right or wrong of the papacy4 ,but now1 challenged and attacked1 nay1 forcibly thrust into the arena1 ,i shall freely speak my mind1 let all the papists laugh or weep together4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,captivity3 the ,withholding of the ,cup from the ,laity ,in the first place1 ,john vi is to be entirely excluded from this discussion1 since it does not refer in a single syllable to the sacrament4 ,for not only was the sacrament not yet instituted1 but the whole context plainly shows that ,christ is speaking of faith in the ,word made flesh1 as ,i have said above#bg4 ,for ,he says1 ,my words are spirit1 and they are life1 ,john #f3fc which shows that ,he is speaking of a spiritual eating1 whereby whoever eats has life1 whereas the ,jews understood ,him to be speaking of bodily eating and therefore disputed with ,him4 ,but no eating can give life save the eating which is by faith1 for that is the truly spiritual and living eating4 ,as ,augustine also says3 ,why make ready teeth and stomach8 ,believe1 and thou hast eaten4#bh ,for the sacramental eating does not give life1 since many eat unworthily4 ,therefore1 ,he cannot be understood as speaking of the sacrament in this passage4 ,these words have indeed been wrongly applied to the sacrament1 as in the decretal ,dudum#bi and often elsewhere4 ,but it is one thing to misapply the ,scriptures1 it is quite another to understand them in their proper meaning4 ,but if ,christ in this passage enjoined the sacramental eating1 then by saying1 ,except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood1 ye have no life in you1 ,john #f3ec ,he would condemn all infants1 invalids and those absent or in any wise hindered from the sacramental eating1 however strong their faith might be4 ,thus ,augustine1 in the second book of his ,contra ,julianum#cj1 proves from ,innocent that even infants eat the flesh and drink the blood of ,christ1 without the sacrament2 that is1 they partake of them through the faith of the ,church4 ,let this then be accepted as proved1--,john vi does not belong here4 ,for this reason ,i have elsewhere#ca written that the ,bohemians have no right to rely on this passage in support of their use of the sacrament in both kinds4 ,now there are two passages that do clearly bear upon this matter--the ,gospel narratives of the institution of the ,lord's ,supper1 and ,paul in ,i ,corinthians xi4 ,these let us examine4 ,matthew1 ,mark and ,luke agree that ,christ gave the whole sacrament to all the disciples ,matt4 #bf1 ,mark #ad1 ,luke #bb1 and it is certain that ,paul delivered both kinds #a ,cor4 #aa4 ,no one has ever had the temerity to assert the contrary4 ,further1 ,matthew reports that ,christ said not of the bread1 ,eat ye all of it1 ,matt4 #bf3bg but of the cup1 ,drink ye all of it2 and ,mark likewise says not1 ,they all ate of it1 but1 ,they all drank of it4 ,mark #ad3bc ,both ,matthew and ,mark attach the note of universality to the cup1 not to the bread2 as though the ,spirit saw this schism coming1 by which some would be forbidden to partake of the cup1 which ,christ desired should be common to all4 ,how furiously1 think you1 would they rave against us1 if they had found the word all attached to the bread instead of the cup6 ,they would not leave us a loophole to escape1 they would cry out upon us and set us down as heretics1 they would damn us or schismatics4 ,but now1 since it stands on our side and against them1 they will not be bound by any force of logic--these men of the most free will#cb1 who change and change again even the things that be ,god's1 and throw everything into confusion4 ,but imagine me standing over against them and interrogating my lords the papists4 ,in the ,lord's ,supper1 ,i say1 the whole sacrament1 or communion in both kinds1 is given only to the priests or else it is given also to the laity4 ,if it is given only to the priests1 as they would have it1 then it is not right to give it to the laity in either kind2 for it must not be rashly given to any to whom ,christ did not give it when ,he instituted it4 ,for if we permit one institution of ,christ to be changed1 we make all of ,his laws invalid1 and every one will boldly claim that he is not bound by any law or institution of ,his4 ,for a single exception1 especially in the ,scriptures1 invalidates the whole4 ,but if it is given also to the laity1 then it inevitably follows that it ought not to be withheld from them in either form4 ,and if any do withhold it from them when they desire it1 they act impiously and contrary to the work1 example and institution of ,christ4 ,i confess that ,i am conquered by this to me unanswerable argument1 and that ,i have neither read nor heard nor found anything to advance against it4 ,for here the word and example of ,christ stand firm1 when ,he says1 not by way of permission but of command1 ,drink ye all of it4 ,matt4#bf3bg ,for if all are to drink1 and the words cannot be understood as addressed to the priests alone1 then it is certainly an impious act to withhold the cup from laymen who desire it1 even though an angel from heaven were to do it4 ,for when they say that the distribution of both kinds was left to the judgment of the ,church1 they make this assertion without giving any reason or it and put it forth without any authority2 it is ignored just as readily as it is proved1 and does not hold against an opponent who confronts us#cc with the word and work of ,christ4 ,such an one must be refuted with a word of ,christ1 but this we#cd do not possess4 ,but if one kind may be withheld from the laity1 then with equal right and reason a portion of baptism and penance might also be taken from them by this same authority of the ,church4 ,therefore1 just as baptism and absolution must be administered in their entirety1 so the sacrament of the bread must be given in its entirety to all laymen1 if they desire it4 ,i am amazed to find them asserting that the priests may never receive only the one kind1 in the mass1 on pain of committing a mortal sin2 and that for no other reason1 as they unanimously say1 than that both kinds constitute the one complete sacrament1 which may not be divided4 ,i pray them to tell me why it may be divided in the case of the laity1 and why to them alone the whole sacrament may not be given4 ,do they not acknowledge1 by their own testimony1 either that both kinds are to be given to the laity1 or that it is not a valid sacrament when only one kind is given to them8 ,how can the one kind be a complete sacrament or the laity and not a complete sacrament for the priests8 ,why do they flaunt the authority of the ,church and the power of the pope in my face8 ,these do not make void the ,word of ,god and the testimony of the truth4 ,but further1 if the ,church can withhold the wine from the laity1 it can also withhold the bread from them2 it could1 therefore1 withhold the entire sacrament of the altar from the laity and completely annul ,christ's institution so far as they are concerned4 ,i ask1 by what authority8 ,but if the ,church cannot withhold the bread1 or both kinds1 neither can it withhold the wine4 ,this cannot possibly be gainsaid2 for the ,church's power must be the same over either kind as over both kinds1 and if she has no power over both kinds1 she has none over either kind4 ,i am curious to hear what the ,roman sycophants will have to say to this4 ,what carries most weight with me1 however1 and quite decides me is this4 ,christ says3 ,this is my blood1 which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins4 ,matt4 #bf3bh ,here we see very plainly that the blood is given to all those for whose sins it was shed4 ,but who will dare to say it was not shed for the laity8 ,do you not see whom ,he addresses when ,he gives the cup8 ,does ,he not give it to all8 ,does ,he not say that it is shed or all8 ,for you1 ,he says--well3 we will let these be the priests--and for many--these cannot be priests2 and yet ,he says1 ,drink ye all of it4 ,matt4 #bf3bg ,i too could easily trifle here and with my words make a mockery of ,christ's words1 as my dear trifler#cd does2 but they who rely on the ,scriptures in opposing us1 must be refuted by the ,scriptures4 ,this is what has prevented me from condemning the ,bohemians1 who1 be they wicked men or good1 certainly have the word and act of ,christ on their side1 while we have neither1 but only that hollow device of men--the ,church has appointed it4 ,it was not the ,church that appointed these things1 but the tyrants of the churches1 without the consent of the ,church1 which is the people of ,god4 ,but where in all the world is the necessity1 where the religious duty1 where the practical use1 of denying both kinds1 i4 e41 the visible sign1 to the laity1 when every one concedes to them the grace#ce of the sacrament without the sign8 ,if they concede the grace1 which is the greater1 why not the sign1 which is the lesser8 ,for in every sacrament the sign as such is of far less importance than the thing signified4 ,what then is to prevent them from conceding the lesser1 when they concede the greater8 ,i can see but one reason2 it has come about by the permission of an angry ,god in order to give occasion for a schism in the ,church1 to bring home to us how1 having long ago lost the grace of the sacrament1 we contend for the sign1 which is the lesser1 against that which is the most important and the chief thing2 just as some men for the sake of ceremonies contend against love4 ,nay1 this monstrous perversion seems to date from the time when we began for the sake of the riches of this world to rage against ,christian love4 ,thus ,god would show us1 by this terrible sign1 how we esteem signs more than the things they signify4 ,how preposterous would it be to admit that the faith of baptism is granted the candidate or baptism1 and yet to deny him the sign of this faith1 namely1 the water6 ,finally1 ,paul stands invincible and stops every mouth1 when he says in ,i ,corinthians xi1 ,i have received from the ,lord what ,i also delivered unto you4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bc ,he does not say1 ,i permitted unto you1 as that friar lyingly asserts#cf4 ,nor is it true that ,paul delivered both kinds on account of the contention in the ,corinthian congregation4 ,for1 first1 the text shows that their contention was not about both kinds1 but about the contempt and envy among rich and poor1 as it is clearly stated3 ,one is hungry1 and another is drunken1 and ye put to shame them that have not4 #a ,cor4 #aa3ba ,again1 ,paul is not speaking of the time when he first delivered the sacrament to them1 for he says not1 ,i receive of the ,lord and give unto you1 but1 ,i received and delivered--namely1 when he first began to preach among them1 a long while before this contention4 ,this shows that he delivered both kinds to them2 and delivered means the same as commanded1 for elsewhere he uses the word in this sense4 ,consequently there is nothing in the friar's fuming about permission2 it is a hotch-potch without ,scripture1 reason or sense4 ,his opponents do not ask what he has dreamed1 but what the ,scriptures decree in this matter2 and out of the ,scriptures he cannot adduce one jot or tittle in support of his dreams1 while they can bring forward mighty thunderbolts in support of their faith4 ,come hither then1 ye popish flatterers1 one and all6 ,fall to and defend yourselves against the charge of godlessness1 tyranny1 lese-majesty against the ,gospel1 and the crime of slandering your brethren1--ye that decry as heretics those who will not be wise after the vaporings of your own brains1 in the face of such patent and potent words of ,scripture4 ,if any are to be called heretics and schismatics1 it is not the ,bohemians nor the ,greeks1 for they take their stand upon the ,gospel2 but you ,romans are the heretics and godless schismatics1 for you presume upon your own fictions and fly in the face of the clear ,scriptures of ,god4 ,parry that stroke1 if you can6 ,but what could be more ridiculous1 and more worthy of this friar's brain1 than his saying that the ,apostle wrote these words and gave this permission1 not to the ,church universal1 but to a particular church1 that is1 the ,corinthian8 ,where does he get his proof8 ,out of his one storehouse1 his own impious head4 ,if the ,church universal receives1 reads and follows this epistle in all points as written for itself1 why should it not do the same with this portion of it8 ,if we admit that any epistle1 or any part of any epistle1 of ,paul does not apply to the ,church universal1 then the whole authority of ,paul falls to the ground4 ,then the ,corinthians will say that what he teaches about faith in the epistle to the ,romans does not apply to them4 ,what greater blasphemy and madness can be imagined than this6 ,god forbid that there should be one jot or tittle in all of ,paul which the whole ,church universal is not bound to follow and keep6 ,not so did the ,fathers hold1 down to these perilous times1 in which ,paul foretold there should be blasphemers and blind and insensate men #b ,tim4 #c3b1 of whom this friar is one1 nay the chief4 ,however1 suppose we grant the truth of this intolerable madness4 ,if ,paul gave his permission to a particular church1 then1 even from your own point of view1 the ,greeks and ,bohemians are in the right1 for they are particular churches2 hence it is sufficient that they do not act contrary to ,paul1 who at least gave permission4 ,moreover1 ,paul could not permit anything contrary to ,christ's institution4 ,therefore ,i cast in thy teeth1 ,o ,rome1 and in the teeth of all thy sycophants1 these sayings of ,christ and ,paul1 on behalf of the ,greeks and the ,bohemians4 ,nor canst thou prove that thou hast received any authority to change them1 much less to accuse others of heresy or disregarding thy arrogance2 rather dost thou deserve to be charged with the crime of godlessness and despotism4 ,furthermore1 ,cyprian1 who alone is strong enough to hold all the ,romanists at bay1 bears witness1 in the fifth book of his treatise ,of the ,fallen1 that it was a wide-spread custom in his church to administer both kinds to the laity1 and even to children#cg1 yea to give the body of the ,lord into their hands2 of which he cites many instances4 ,he inveighs1 or example1 against certain members of the congregation as follows3 ,the sacrilegious man is angered at the priests because he does not forthwith receive the body of the ,lord with unclean hands1 or drink the blood of the ,lord with defiled lips4 ,he is speaking1 as you see1 of laymen1 and irreverent laymen1 who desired to receive the body and the blood from the priests4 ,dost thou find anything to snarl at here1 thou wretched flatterer8 ,say that even this holy martyr1 a ,church ,father preeminent for his apostolic spirit1 was a heretic and used that permission in a particular church4 ,in the same place1 ,cyprian narrates an incident that came under his own observation4 ,he describes at length how a deacon was administering the cup to a little girl1 who drew away from him1 whereupon he poured the blood of the ,lord into her mouth4 ,we read the same of ,st4 ,donatus1 whose broken chalice this wretched flatterer so lightly disposes of4 ,i read of a broken chalice1 he says1 but ,i do not read that the blood was given4#ch ,it is no wonder6 ,he that finds what he pleases in the ,scriptures will also read what he pleases in the histories4 ,but will the authority of the ,church be established1 or will heretics be refuted1 in this way8 ,enough of this6 ,i did not undertake this work to reply to him who is not worth replying to1 but to bring the truth of the matter to light4 ,i conclude1 then1 that it is wicked and despotic to deny both kinds to the laity1 and that this is not in the power of any angel1 much less of any pope or council4 ,nor does the ,council of ,constance give me pause1 for if its authority carries weight1 why does not that of the ,council of ,basel also carry weight8 ,for the latter council decided1 on the contrary1 after much disputing1 that the ,bohemians might use both kinds1 as the extant records and documents of the council prove4 ,and to that council this ignorant flatterer refers in support of his dream2 in such wisdom does his whole treatise abound#ci4 ,the first captivity of this sacrament1 therefore1 concerns its substance or completeness1 of which we have been deprived by the despotism of ,rome4 ,not that they sin against ,christ1 who use the one kind1 for ,christ did not command the use of either kind1 but let it to every one's free will1 when ,he said3 ,as oft as ye do this1 do it in remembrance of me4 #a ,cor4 #aa3be ,but they sin who forbid the giving of both kinds to such as desire to exercise this free will4 ,the fault lies not with the laity1 but with the priests4 ,the sacrament does not belong to the priests1 but to all1 and the priests are not lords but ministers1 in duty bound to administer both kinds to those who desire them1 and as oft as they desire them4 ,if they wrest this right from the laity and forcibly withhold it1 they are tyrants2 but the laity are without fault1 whether they lack one kind or both kinds2 they must meanwhile be sustained by their faith and by their desire for the complete sacrament4 ,just as the priests1 being ministers1 are bound to administer baptism and absolution to whoever seeks them1 because he has a right to them2 but if they do not administer them1 he that seeks them has at least the full merit of his faith1 while they will be accused before ,christ as wicked servants4 ,in like manner the holy ,fathers of old who dwelt in the desert did not receive the sacrament in any form for many years together#dj4 ,therefore ,i do not urge that both kinds be seized by force1 as though we were bound to this form by a rigorous command2 but ,i instruct men's consciences that they may endure the ,roman tyranny1 well knowing they have been deprived of their rightful share in the sacrament because of their own sin4 ,this only do ,i desire1--that no one justify the tyranny of ,rome1 as though it did well to forbid one of the two kinds to the laity2 we ought rather to abhor it1 withhold our consent1 and endure it just as we should do if we were held captive by the ,turk and not permitted to use either kind4 ,that is what ,i meant by saying#da it seemed well to me that this captivity should be ended by the decree of a general council1 our ,christian liberty restored to us out of the hands of the ,roman tyrant1 and every one let free to seek and receive this sacrament1 just as he is free to receive baptism and penance4 ,but now they compel us1 by the same tyranny1 to receive the one kind year after year2 so utterly lost is the liberty which ,christ has given us4 ,this is but the due reward of our godless ingratitude4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,captivity3 ,transubstantiation ,the second captivity of this sacrament is less grievous so far as the conscience is concerned1 yet the very gravest danger threatens the man who would attack it1 to say nothing of condemning it4 ,here ,i shall be called a ,wyclifite#db and a heretic a thousand times over4 ,but what of that8 ,since the ,roman bishop has ceased to be a bishop and become a tyrant1 ,i fear none of his decrees1 for ,i know that it is not in his power1 nor even in that of a general council1 to make new articles of faith4 ,years ago1 when ,i was delving into scholastic theology1 the ,cardinal of ,cambray#dc gave me food for thought1 in his comments on the fourth book of the ,sentences#dd1 where he argues with great acumen that to hold that real bread and real wine1 and not their accidents only#de1 are present on the altar1 is much more probable and requires fewer unnecessary miracles--if only the ,church had not decreed otherwise4 ,when ,i learned later what church it was that had decreed this--namely1 the ,church of ,thomas#df1 i4 e41 of ,aristotle--,i waxed bolder1 and after floating in a sea of doubt1 at last found rest for my conscience in the above view--namely1 that it is real bread and real wine1 in which ,christ's real flesh and blood are present1 not otherwise and not less really than they assume to be the case under their accidents4 ,i reached this conclusion because ,i saw that the opinions of the ,thomists1 though approved by pope and council1 remain but opinions and do not become articles of faith1 even though an angel from heaven were to decree otherwise ,gal4 #a3h4 ,for what is asserted without ,scripture for an approved revelation1 may be held as an opinion1 but need not be believed4 ,but this opinion of ,thomas hangs so completely in the air1 devoid of ,scripture and reason1 that he seems here to have forgotten both his philosophy and his logic4 ,for ,aristotle treats so very differently from ,st4 ,thomas of subject and accidents1 that methinks this great man is to be pitied1 not only for drawing his opinions in matters of faith from ,aristotle1 but for attempting to base them on him without understanding his meaning--an unfortunate superstructure upon an unfortunate foundation4 ,i therefore permit every man to hold either of these views1 as he chooses4 ,my one concern at present is to remove all scruples of conscience1 so that no one may fear to become guilty of heresy if he should believe in the presence of real bread and real wine on the altar1 and that every one may feel at liberty to ponder1 hold and believe either one view or the other1 without endangering his salvation4 ,however1 ,i shall now more fully set forth my own view4 ,in the first place1 ,i do not intend to listen or attach the least importance to those who will cry out that this teaching of mine is ,wyclifite1 ,hussite1 heretical1 and contrary to the decision of the ,church1 for they are the very persons whom ,i have convicted of manifold heresies in the matter of indulgences1 the freedom of the will and the grace of ,god1 good works and sin1 etc4 ,if ,wyclif was once a heretic1 they are heretics ten times over1 and it is a pleasure to be suspected and accused by such heretics and perverse sophists1 whom to please were the height of godlessness4 ,besides1 the only way in which they can prove their opinions and disprove those of others1 is by saying1 ,that is ,wyclifite1 ,hussite1 heretical6 ,they have this feeble retort always on their tongue1 and they have nothing else4 ,if you demand a ,scripture passage1 they say1 ,this is our opinion1 and the decision of the ,church--that is1 of ourselves6 ,thus these men1 reprobate concerning the faith #b ,tim4 #c3h and untrustworthy1 have the effrontery to set their own fancies before us in the name of the ,church as articles of faith4 ,but there are good grounds for my view1 and this above all1--no violence is to be done to the words of ,god1 whether by man or angel2 but they are to be retained in their simplest meaning wherever possible1 and to be understood in by their grammatical and literal sense unless the context plainly forbids2 lest we give our adversaries occasion to make a mockery of all the ,scriptures4 ,thus ,origen was repudiated1 in olden times1 because he despised the grammatical sense and turned the trees1 and all things else written concerning ,paradise1 into allegories2 for it might therefrom be concluded that ,god did not create trees4 ,even so here1 when the ,evangelists plainly write that ,christ took bread and brake it ,matt4 #bf3bf2 ,mark #ad3bb2 ,luke #bb3ai2 ,acts #b3df2 #a ,cor4 #aa3bc1 and the book of ,acts and ,paul1 in their turn1 call it bread1 we have to think of real bread1 and real wine1 just as we do of a real cup2 or even they do not maintain that the cup is transubstantiated4 ,but since it is not necessary to assume a transubstantiation wrought by ,divine power1 it is to be regarded as a figment of the human mind1 or it rests neither on ,scripture nor on reason1 as we shall see4 ,therefore it is an absurd and unheard-of juggling with words1 to understand bread to mean the form1 or accidents of bread1 and wine to mean the form1 or accidents of wine4 ,why do they not also understand all other things to mean their forms1 or accidents8 ,and even if this might be done with all other things1 it would yet not be right thus to emasculate the words of ,god and arbitrarily to empty them of their meaning4 ,moreover1 the ,church had the true faith for more than twelve hundred years1 during which time the holy ,fathers never once mentioned this transubstantiation--forsooth1 a monstrous word for a monstrous idea6--until the pseudophilosophy of ,aristotle became rampant in the ,church1 these last three hundred years1 during which many other things have been wrongly defined2 as for example1 that the ,divine essence neither is begotten nor begets2 that the soul is the substantial form of the human body1 and the like assertions1 which are made without reason or sense1 as the ,cardinal of ,cambray himself admits4 ,perhaps they will say that the danger of idolatry demands that bread and wine be not really present4 ,how ridiculous6 ,the laymen have never become familiar with their fine-spun philosophy of substance and accidents1 and could not grasp it if it were taught them4 ,besides1 there is the same danger in the case of the accidents which remain and which they see1 as in the case of the substance which they do not see4 ,for if they do not adore the accidents1 but ,christ hidden under them1 why should they adore the bread1 which they do not see8 ,but why could not ,christ include ,his body in the substance of the bread just as well as in the accidents8 ,the two substances of fire and iron are so mingled in the heated iron that every part is both iron and fire4 ,why could not much rather ,christ's body be thus contained in every part of the substance of the bread8 ,what will they say8 ,we believe that in ,his birth ,christ came forth out of the unopened womb of ,his mother4 ,let them say here too that the flesh of the ,virgin was meanwhile annihilated1 or as they would more aptly say1 transubstantiated1 so that ,christ1 after being enfolded in its accidents1 finally came forth through the accidents6 ,the same thing will have to be said of the shut door and of the closed mouth of the sepulchre1 through which ,he went in and out without disturbing them4 ,hence has risen that hotch-potch of a philosophy of constant quantity distinct from the substance1 until it has come to such a pass that they themselves no longer know what are accidents and what is substance4 ,for who has ever proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that heat1 color1 cold1 light1 weight or shape are mere accidents8 ,finally1 they have been driven to the fancy that a new substance is created by ,god or their accidents on the altar--all on account of ,aristotle1 who says1 ,it is the essence of an accident to be in something1 and endless other monstrosities1 of all which they would be rid if they simply permitted real bread to be present4 ,and ,i rejoice greatly that the simple faith of this sacrament is still to be found at least among the common people2 for as they do not understand1 neither do they dispute1 whether accidents are present or substance#dg but believe with a simple faith that ,christ's body and blood are truly contained in whatever is there1 and leave to those who have nothing else to do the business of disputing about that which contains them4 ,but perhaps they will say3 ,from ,aristotle we learn that in an affirmative proposition subject and predicate must be identical1 or1 to set down the beast's own words1 in the sixth book of his ,metaphysics3 ,an affirmative proposition demands the agreement of subject and predicate1 which they interpret as above4 ,hence1 when it is said1 ,this is my body1 the subject cannot be identical with the bread1 but must be identical with the body of ,christ4 ,what shall we say when ,aristotle and the doctrines of men are made to be the arbiters of these lofty and divine matters8 ,why do we not put by such curiosity1 and cling simply to the word of ,christ1 willing to remain in ignorance of what here takes place1 and content with this1 that the real body of ,christ is present by virtue of the words8#dh ,or is it necessary to comprehend the manner of the divine working in every detail8 ,but what do they say to ,aristotle's assigning a subject to whatever is predicated of the attributes1 although he holds that the substance is the chief subject8 ,hence for him1 this white1 this large1 etc41 are subjects of which something is predicated4 ,if that is correct1 ,i ask3 ,if a transubstantiation must be assumed in order that ,christ's body be not predicated of the bread1 why not also a transaccidentation in order that it be not predicated of the accidents8 ,for the same danger remains if one understands the subject to be this white or this round#di is my body1 and for the same reason that a transubstantiation is assumed1 a transaccidentation must also be assumed1 because of this identity of subject and predicate4 ,let us not1 however1 dabble too much in philosophy4 ,does not ,christ appear to have admirably anticipated such curiosity by saying of the wine1 not1 ,hoc est sanguis meus1 but ,hie est sanguis mens ,matt4 #bf3bh8 ,and yet more clearly1 by bringing in the word cup1 when ,he said1 ,this cup is the new testament in my blood4 #a ,cor4 #aa3be ,does it not seem as though ,he desired to keep us in a simple faith1 so that we might but believe ,his blood to be in the cup8 ,for my part1 if ,i cannot fathom how the bread is the body of ,christ1 ,i will take my reason captive to the obedience of ,christ #b ,cor4 #aj3e1 and clinging simply to ,his word1 firmly believe not only that the body of ,christ is in the bread1 but that the bread is the body of ,christ4 ,for in this ,i am borne out by the words1 ,he took bread1 and giving thanks1 ,he brake it and said1 ,take1 eat2 this i4 e41 this bread which ,he took and brake is my body4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bc ,and ,paul says3 ,the bread which we break1 is it not the communion of the body of ,christ8 #a ,cor4 #aj3af ,he says not1 in the bread1 but the bread itself1 is the communion of the body of ,christ4 ,what matters it if philosophy cannot fathom this8 ,the ,holy ,spirit is greater than ,aristotle4 ,does philosophy fathom that transubstantiation of theirs1 of which they themselves admit that here all philosophy breaks down8 ,but the agreement of the pronoun this with body1 in ,greek and ,latin1 is owing to the fact that in these languages the two words are of the same gender4 ,but in the ,hebrew language1 which has no neuter gender1 this agrees with bread1 so that it would be proper to say1 ,hie est corpus meum4 ,this is proved also by the use of language and by common sense2 the subject1 forsooth1 points to the bread1 not to the body1 when ,he says1 ,hoc est corpus meum1 ,das ist mein ,leib1--i4 e41 ,this bread is my body4 ,therefore it is with the sacrament even as it is with ,christ4 ,in order that the ,godhead may dwell in ,him1 it is not necessary that the human nature be transubstantiated and the ,godhead be contained under its accidents2 but both natures are there in their entirety1 and it is truly said1 ,this man is ,god1 and ,this ,god is man4 ,even though philosophy cannot grasp this1 faith grasps it1 and the authority of ,god's ,word is greater than the grasp of our intellect4 ,even so1 in order that the real body and the real blood of ,christ may be present in the sacrament1 it is not necessary that the bread and wine be transubstantiated and ,christ be contained under their accidents2 but both remain there together1 and it is truly said1 ,this bread is my body1 this wine is my blood1 ,matt4 #bf3bf and vice versa4 ,thus ,i will for the nonce understand it1 or the honor of the holy words of ,god1 which ,i will not suffer any petty human arguments to override or wrest to meanings foreign to them4 ,at the same time1 ,i permit other men to follow the other opinion1 which is laid down in the decree ,firmiter#ej2 only let them not press us to accept their opinions as articles of faith1 as ,i said above4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,captivity3 ,the ,mass a ,good ,work and a ,sacrifice ,the third captivity of this sacrament is that most wicked abuse of all1 in consequence of which there is to-day no more generally accepted and firmly believed opinion in the ,church than this1--that the mass is a good work and a sacrifice4 ,and this abuse has brought an endless host of others in its train1 so that the faith of this sacrament has ,sacrifice become utterly extinct and the holy sacrament has been turned into a veritable air1 tavern1 and place of merchandise4 ,hence participations#ea1 brotherhoods#eb1 intercessions1 merits1 anniversaries1 memorial days1 and the like wares are bought and sold1 traded and bartered in the ,church1 and from this priests and monks derive their whole living4 ,i am attacking a difficult matter1 and one perhaps impossible to abate1 since it has become so firmly entrenched through century-long custom and the common consent of men that it would be necessary to abolish most of the books now in vogue1 to alter well-nigh the whole external form of the churches1 and to introduce1 or rather re-introduce1 a totally different kind of ceremonies4 ,but my ,christ lives2 and we must be careful to give more heed to the ,word of ,god than to all the thoughts of men and of angels4 ,i will perform the duties of my office1 and uncover the acts in the case2 ,i will give the truth as ,i have received it1 freely and without malice ,matt4 #aj3h4 ,for the rest let every man look to his own salvation2 ,i will faithfully do my part that none may cast on me the blame for his lack of faith and knowledge of the truth1 when we appear before the judgment-seat of ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,word of ,christ1 which is the ,testament ,in the first place1 in order to attain safely and fortunately to a true and unbiased knowledge of this sacrament1 we must above all else be careful to put aside whatever has been added by the zeal and devotion of men to the original1 simple institution of this sacrament1--such things as vestments1 ornaments1 chants1 prayers1 organs1 candles1 and the whole pageantry of outward things#ec2 we must turn our eyes and hearts simply to the institution of ,christ and to this alone1 and set naught before us but the very word of ,christ by which ,he instituted this sacrament1 made it perfect1 and committed it to us4 ,for in that word1 and in that word alone1 reside the power1 the nature1 and the whole substance of the mass4 ,all else is the work of man1 added to the word of ,christ2 and the mass can be held and remain a mass just as well without it4 ,now the words of ,christ1 in which ,he instituted this sacrament1 are these3 ,and whilst they were at supper1 ,jesus took bread1 and blessed1 and brake3 and gave to ,his disciples1 and said3 ,take ye and eat4 ,this is my body1 which shall be given for you4 ,and taking the chalice4 ,he gave thanks1 and gave to them1 saying3 ,drink ye all of this4 ,this is the chalice1 the new testament in my blood1 which shall be shed for you and for many unto remission of sins4 ,this do for the commemoration of me4 ,matt4 #bf3bf2 #a ,cor4 #aa3bd f42 ,luke #bb3bj ,these words the ,apostle also delivers and more fully expounds in i ,cor4 xi #a ,cor4 #aa3bc ff44 ,on them we must lean and build as on a firm foundation1 if we would not be carried about with every wind of doctrine1 even as we have hitherto been carried about by the wicked doctrines of men1 who turn aside the truth ,titus #a3ad4 ,for in these words nothing is omitted that pertains to the completeness1 the use and the blessing of this sacrament2 and nothing is included that is superfluous and not necessary for us to know4 ,whoever sets them aside and meditates or teaches concerning the mass1 will teach monstrous and wicked doctrines1 as they have done who made of the sacrament an opus operatum#ef and a sacrifice4 ,therefore let this stand at the outset as our infallibly certain proposition1--the mass1 or sacrament of the altar1 is ,christ's testament which ,he left behind ,him at ,his death1 to be distributed among ,his believers4 ,for that is the meaning of ,his word1--,this is the chalice1 the new testament in my blood4 ,luke #bb3bj ,let this truth stand1 ,i say1 as the immovable foundation on which we shall base all that we have to say1 or we are going to overthrow1 as you will see1 all the godless opinions of men imported into this most precious sacrament4 ,christ1 ,who is the ,truth1 saith truly that this is the new testament in ,his blood1 which is shed for us4 ,not without reason do ,i dwell on this sentence2 the matter is of no small moment1 and must be most deeply impressed upon us4 ,let us enquire1 therefore1 what a testament is1 and we shall learn at the same time what the mass is1 what its use and blessing1 and what its abuse4 ,a testament1 as every one knows1 is a promise made by one about to die1 in which he designates his bequest and appoints his heirs4 ,therefore a testament involves1 first1 the death of the testator1 and secondly1 the promise of the bequest and the naming of the heir4 ,thus ,st4 ,paul discusses at length the nature of a testament in ,romans iv1 ,galatians iii and iv1 and ,hebrews ix4 ,the same thing is also clearly seen in these words of ,christ4 ,christ testifies concerning ,his death when ,he says3 ,this is my body1 which shall be given2 this is my blood1 which shall be shed4 ,luke #bb3ai f4 ,he designates the bequest when ,he says3 ,unto remission of sins4 ,and ,he appoints the heirs when ,he says3 ,for you1 and for many--i4 e41 for such as accept and believe the promise of the testator2 or here it is faith that makes men heirs1 as we shall see4 ,you see1 therefore1 that what we call the mass is the promise of remission of sins made to us by ,god2 and such a promise as has been confirmed by the death of the ,son of ,god4 ,for the one difference between a promise and a testament is that a testament is a promise which implies the death of him who makes it4 ,a testator is a man making a promise who is about to die2 whilst he that makes a promise is1 if ,i may so put it1 a testator who is not about to die4 ,this testament of ,christ was forshadowed in all the promises of ,god from the beginning of the world2 nay1 whatever value those olden promises possessed was altogether derived from this new promise that was to come in ,christ4 ,hence the words covenant and testament of the ,lord occur so frequently in the ,scriptures1 which words signified that ,god would one day die4 ,for where there is a testament1 the death of the testator must needs follow 7,hebrews ix74 ,now ,god made a testament3 therefore it was necessary that ,he should die ,heb4 #i3af4 ,but ,god could not die unless ,he became man4 ,thus both the incarnation and the death of ,christ are briefly comprehended in this one word testament4 ,from the above it will at once be seen what is the right and what the wrong use of the mass1 what is the worthy and what the unworthy preparation for it4 ,if the mass is a promise1 as has been said1 it is to be approached1 not with any work or strength or merit1 but with faith alone4 ,for where there is the word of ,god ,who makes the promise1 there must be the faith of man who takes it4 ,it is plain1 therefore1 that the first step in our salvation is faith1 which clings to the word of the promise made by ,god1 ,who without any effort on our part1 in free and unmerited mercy makes a beginning and offers us the word of ,his promise4 ,for ,he sent ,his ,word1 and by it healed them ,ps4 #ajg3bj4 ,he did not accept our work and thus heal us4 ,god's ,word is the beginning of all2 on it follows faith1 and on faith charity2 then charity works every good work1 for it worketh no ill1 nay1 it is the fulfilling of the law ,rom4 #ac3aj4 ,in no other way can man come to ,god and deal with ,him than through faith2 that is1 not man1 by any work of his1 but ,god1 by ,his promise1 is the author of salvation1 so that all things depend on the word of ,his power1 and are upheld and preserved by it ,heb4 #a3c1 with which word ,he begat us1 that we should be a kind of firstfruits of ,his creatures ,jas4 #a3ah4 ,thus1 in order to raise up ,adam after the all1 ,god gave him this promise1 addressing the serpent3 ,i will put enmities between thee and the woman1 and thy seed and her seed3 she shall crush thy head1 and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel4 ,gen4 #c3ae ,in this word of promise ,adam1 with them that were his1 was carried as it were in ,god's bosom1 and by faith in it he was preserved1 patiently waiting for the woman who should crush the serpent's head1 as ,god had promised4 ,and in that faith and expectation he died1 not knowing when or in what guise she would come1 yet never doubting that she would come4 ,for such a promise1 being the truth of ,god1 preserves1 even in hell1 those who believe it and wait for it4 ,after this came another promise1 made to ,noah--to last until the time of ,abraham--when a bow was set as a sign in the clouds ,gen4 #i3ab1 by faith in which ,noah and his descendants found a gracious ,god4 ,after that ,he promised ,abraham that all nations should be blessed in his seed ,gen4 #ab3c2 and this is ,abraham's bosom1 into which his posterity was carried ,luke #af3bb4 ,then to ,moses and the children of ,israel1 and especially to ,david1 ,he gave the plain promise of ,christ ,deut4 #ah3ah1 thereby at last making clear what was meant by the promise to them of old time #b ,sam4 #g3f4 ,and so it came finally to the most complete promise of the new testament1 in which with plain words life and salvation are freely promised1 and granted to such as believe the promise4 ,and ,he distinguished this testament by a particular mark from the old1 calling it the new testament4 ,luke #bb3bj ,for the old testament1 which ,he gave by ,moses1 was a promise not of remission of sins or of eternal things1 but of temporal1--namely1 the land of ,canaan1--by which no man was renewed in his spirit1 to lay hold on the heavenly inheritance4 ,therefore it was also necessary that dumb beasts should be slain1 as types of ,christ1 that by their blood the testament might be confirmed2 so that the testament was even as the blood1 and the promise even as the sacrifice4 ,but here ,he says3 ,the new testament in my blood ,luke #bb3bj--not in another's1 but in ,his own1 and by this blood grace is promised1 through the ,spirit1 unto the remission of sins1 that we may obtain the inheritance4 ,the mass1 according to its substance1 is1 therefore1 nothing else than the aforesaid words of ,christ--,take and eat #a ,cor4 #aa3bd2 as if ,he said3 ,behold1 ,o sinful man and condemned1 out of pure and unmerited love wherewith ,i love thee1 and by the will of the ,father of all mercies1 ,i promise thee in these words1 or ever thou canst desire or deserve them1 the forgiveness of all thy sins and life everlasting4 ,and1 that thou mayest be most certainly assured of this my irrevocable promise1 ,i give my body and shed my blood1 thus by my very death confirming this promise1 and leaving thee my body and blood as a sign and memorial of this same promise4 ,as oft1 therefore1 as thou partakest of them1 remember me1 and praise1 magnify1 and give thanks or my love and largess toward thee4 ,herefrom you will see that nothing else is needed for a worthy holding of mass than a faith that confidently relies on this promise1 believes ,christ to be true in these words of ,his1 and doubts not that these infinite blessings have been bestowed upon it4 ,hard on this faith there follows1 of itself1 a most sweet stirring of the heart1 whereby the spirit of man is enlarged and waxes at--that is love1 given by the ,holy ,spirit through faith in ,christ--so that he is drawn unto ,christ1 that gracious and good ,testator1 and made quite another and a new man4 ,who would not shed tears of gladness1 nay well-nigh faint for the joy he hath toward ,christ1 if he believed with unshaken faith that this inestimable promise of ,christ belonged to him6 ,how could one help loving so great a ,benefactor1 who offers1 promises and grants1 all unbidden1 such great riches1 and this eternal inheritance1 to one unworthy and deserving of somewhat far different8 ,therefore1 it is our one misfortune1 that we have many masses in the world1 and yet none or but the fewest of us recognize1 consider and receive these promises and riches that are offered1 although verily we should do nothing else in the mass with greater zeal 7yea1 it demands all our zeal7 than set before our eyes1 meditate1 and ponder these words1 these promises of ,christ1 which truly are the mass itself1 in order to exercise1 nourish1 increase1 and strengthen our faith by such daily remembrance4 ,for this is what ,he commands1 saying1 ,this do in remembrance of me4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bd ,this should be done by the preachers of the ,gospel1 in order that this promise might be faithfully impressed upon the people and commended to them1 to the awakening of faith in the same4 ,but how many are there now who know that the mass is the promise of ,christ8 ,i will say nothing of those godless preachers of fables1 who teach human traditions instead of this promise4 ,and even if they teach these words of ,christ1 they do not teach them as a promise or testament1 and1 therefore1 not to the awakening of faith4 ,o the pity of it6 ,under this captivity1 they take every precaution that no layman should hear these words of ,christ1 as if they were too sacred to be delivered to the common people4 ,so mad are we#eg priests that we arrogantly claim that the so-called words of consecration may be said by ourselves alone1 as secret words1 yet so that they do not profit even us1 or we too fail to regard them as promises or as a testament1 for the strengthening of faith4 ,instead of believing them1 we reverence them with ,i know not what superstitious and godless fancies4 ,this misery of ours1 what is it but a device of ,satan to remove every trace of the mass out of the ,church8 although he is meanwhile at work filing every nook and corner on earth with masses1 that is1 abuses and mockeries of ,god's testament1 and burdening the world more and more heavily with grievous sins of idolatry1 to its deeper condemnation4 ,for what worse idolatry can there be than to abuse ,god's promises with perverse opinions and to neglect or extinguish faith in them8 ,for ,god does not deal1 nor has ,he ever dealt1 with man otherwise than through a word of promise1 as ,i have said#eh2 again1 we cannot deal with ,god otherwise than through faith in the word of ,his promise4 ,he does not desire works1 nor has ,he need of them2 we deal with men and with ourselves on the basis of works4 ,but ,he has need of this1--that we deem ,him true to ,his promises1 wait patiently for ,him1 and thus worship ,him with faith1 hope and love4 ,thus ,he obtains ,his glory among us1 since it is not of ourselves who run1 but of ,him who showeth mercy ,ps4 #aae3a1 promiseth and giveth1 that we have and hold every blessing ,rom4 #i3af4 ,that is the true worship and service of ,god which we must perform in the mass4 ,but if the words of promise are not proclaimed1 what exercise of faith can there be8 ,and without faith1 who can have hope or love8 ,without faith1 hope and love1 what service can there be8 ,there is no doubt1 therefore1 that in our day all priests and monks1 together with all their bishops and superiors1 are idolaters and in a most perilous state1 by reason of this ignorance1 abuse and mockery of the mass1 or sacrament1 or testament of ,god4 ,for any one can easily see that these two--the promise and faith--must go together4 ,for without the promise there is nothing to believe1 while without faith the promise1 remains without effect2 for it is established and fulfilled through faith4 ,from this every one will readily gather that the mass1 which is nothing else than the promise1 is approached and observed only in this faith1 without which whatever prayers1 preparations1 works1 signs of the cross1 or genuflections are brought to it1 are incitements to impiety rather than exercises of piety2 for they who come thus prepared are wont to imagine themselves on that account justly entitled to approach the altar1 when in reality they are less prepared than at any other time and in any other work1 by reason of the unbelief which they bring with them4 ,how many priests will you find every day offering the sacrifice of the mass1 who accuse themselves of a horrible crime if they--wretched men6--commit a trifling1 blunder1 such as putting on the wrong robe or forgetting to wash their hands or stumbling over their prayers2 but that they neither regard nor believe the mass itself1 namely1 the divine promise--this causes them not the slightest qualms of conscience4 ,o worthless religion of this our age1 the most godless and thankless of all ages6 ,hence the only worthy preparation and proper use of the mass is faith in the mass1 that is to say1 in the divine promise4 ,whoever1 therefore1 is minded to approach the altar and to receive the sacrament1 let him beware of appearing empty before the ,lord ,god ,ex4 #bc3ae2 #cd3bj4 ,but he will appear empty unless he has faith in the mass1 or this new testament4 ,what godless work that he could commit would be a more grievous crime against the truth of ,god1 than this unbelief of his1 by which1 as much as in him lies1 he convicts ,god of being a liar and a maker of empty promises8 ,the safest course1 therefore1 will be to go to mass in the same spirit in which you would go to hear any other promise of ,god2 that is1 not to be ready to perform and bring many works1 but to believe and receive all that is there promised1 or proclaimed by the priest as having been promised to you4 ,if you do not go in this spirit1 beware of going at all2 you will surely go to your condemnation4 ,i was right then in saying#ei that the whole power of the mass consists in the words of ,christ1 in which ,he testifies that the remission of sins is bestowed on all those who believe that ,his body is given and ,his blood shed for them4 ,for this reason nothing is more important for those who go to hear mass than diligently and in full faith to ponder these words4 ,unless they do this1 all else that they do is in vain4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,external ,sign1 which is the ,sacrament ,but while the mass is the word of ,christ1 it is also true that ,god is wont to add to well-nigh every promise of ,his a certain sign as a mark or memorial of ,his promise1 so that we may thereby the more faithfully hold to ,his promise and be the more forcibly admonished by it4 ,thus1 to his promise to ,noah that ,he would not again destroy the world by a flood1 ,he added ,his bow in the clouds1 to show that ,he would be mindful of ,his covenant ,gen4 #i3ac4 ,and after promising ,abraham the inheritance in his seed1 ,he gave him the sign of circumcision as the seal of his righteousness by faith4 ,thus1 to ,gideon ,he granted the sign of the dry and the wet fleece1 to confirm ,his promise of victory over the ,midianites ,judges #f3cf ff44 ,and to ,ahaz ,he offered a sign through ,isaiah concerning his victory over the kings of ,syria and ,samaria1 to strengthen his faith in the promise ,isa4 #g3aj ff44 ,and many such signs of the promises of ,god do we find in the ,scriptures4 ,thus also to the mass1 that crown of all ,his promises4 ,he adds ,his body and blood in the bread and wine1 as a memorial sign of this great promise2 as ,he says1 ,this do in remembrance of me4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bd ,even so in baptism ,he adds to the words of the promise1 the sign of immersion in water4 ,we learn from this that in every promise of ,god two things are presented to us--the word and the sign--so that we are to understand the word to be the testament1 but the sign to be the sacrament4 ,thus1 in the mass1 the word of ,christ is the testament1 and the bread and wine are the sacrament4 ,and as there is greater power in the word than in the sign1 so there is greater power in the testament than in the sacrament2 for a man can have and use the word1 or testament1 apart from the sign1 or sacrament4 ,believe1 says ,augustine1 and thou hast eaten4#fj ,but what does one believe save the word of promise8 ,therefore ,i can hold mass every day1 yea1 every hour1 for ,i can set the words of ,christ before me1 and with them refresh and strengthen my faith1 as often as ,i choose4 ,that is a truly spiritual eating and drinking4#fa ,here you may see what great things our theologians of the ,sentences#fb have produced4 ,that which is the principal and chief thing1 namely1 the testament and word of promise1 is not treated by one of them2 thus they have obliterated faith and the whole power of the mass4 ,but the second part of the mass1--the sign1 or sacrament1#fc--this alone do they discuss1 yet in such a manner that here too they teach not faith but their preparations and opera operata1 participations and fruits#fd1 as though these were the mass1 until they have fallen to babbling of transubstantiation and endless other metaphysical quibbles1 and have destroyed the proper understanding and use of both sacrament and testament1 altogether abolished faith1 and caused ,christ's people to forget their ,god1 as the prophet says1 days without number ,jer4 #b3cb4 ,but do you let the others tell over the manifold fruits of hearing mass1 and turn hither your mind1 and say and believe with the prophet1 that ,god here prepares a table before you1 against all those that afflict you1 at which your soul may eat and grow fat ,ps4 #bc3e4 ,but your faith is fed only with the word of divine promise1 for not in bread alone doth man live1 but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of ,god4 ,deut4 #h3c2 ,matt4 #d3d ,hence1 in the mass you must above all things pay closest heed to the word of promise1 as to your rich banquet1 green pasture1 and sacred refreshment2 you must esteem this word higher than all else1 trust in it above all things1 and cling firmly to it even through the midst of death and all sins4 ,by thus doing you will attain not merely to those tiny drops and crumbs of fruits of the mass1 which some have superstitiously imagined1 but to the very fountainhead of life1 which is faith in the word1 from which every blessing flows2 as it is said in ,john iv3 ,he that believeth in me1 out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water ,john #g3ch2 and again3 ,he that shall drink of the water that ,i will give him1 it shall become in him a fountain of living water1 springing up into life everlasting4 ,john #d3adfe ,now there are two things that commonly tempt us to lose the fruits of the mass3 first1 the fact that we are sinners and unworthy of such great things because of our exceeding vileness2 and1 secondly1 the act that1 even if we were worthy1 these things are so high that our faint-hearted nature dare not aspire to them or ever hope to attain to them4 ,for to have ,god for our ,father1 to be ,his sons and heirs of all ,his goods--these are the great blessings that come to us through the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting4 ,and who that regarded them aright must not rather stand aghast before them than desire to possess them8 ,against this twofold faintness of ours we must lay hold on the word of ,christ and fix our gaze on it much more firmly than on those thoughts of our weakness4 ,for great are the works of the ,lord ,ps4 #aaa3b2 wrought out according to all ,his wills1 who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think4 ,eph4 #c3bj ,if they did not surpass our worthiness1 our grasp and all our thoughts1 they would not be divine4 ,thus ,christ also encourages us when ,he says3 ,fear not1 little flock1 for it hath pleased your ,father to give you a kingdom4 ,luke #ag3cb ,for it is just this overflowing goodness of the incomprehensible ,god1 lavished upon us through ,christ1 that moves us to love ,him again with our whole heart above all things1 to be drawn to ,him with all confidence1 to despise all things else1 and be ready to suffer all things for ,him2 wherefore this sacrament is well styled a fount of love4 ,let us take an illustration of this from every day life#ff4 ,if a thousand gulden were bequeathed by a rich lord to a beggar or an unworthy and wicked servant1 it is certain that he would boldly claim and take them regardless of his unworthiness and the greatness of the bequest4 ,and if any one should seek to oppose him by casting in his teeth his unworthiness and the large amount of the legacy1 what do you suppose he would say8 ,he would say1 forsooth3 ,what is that to you8 ,what ,i accept1 ,i accept not on my merits or by any right that ,i may personally have to it2 ,i know that ,i am unworthy and receive more than ,i have deserved1 nay1 ,i have deserved the very opposite4 ,but ,i claim it because it is so written in the will1 and on the score of another's goodness4 ,if it was not an unworthy thing for him to bequeath so great a sum to an unworthy person1 why should ,i reuse to accept it because of my unworthiness8 ,nay1 the more unworthy ,i am1 the more reason have ,i to accept this other man's gracious gift4 ,with such thoughts we need to fortify the consciences of men against all qualms and scruples1 that they may lay hold on the promise of ,christ with unwavering faith1 and take the greatest care to approach the sacrament1 not trusting in their confession1 prayer and preparation1 but rather despairing of these and with a proud confidence in ,christ ,who gives the promise4 ,for1 as we have said again and again1 the word of promise must here reign supreme in a pure and unalloyed faith1 and such faith is the one and all-sufficient preparation4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,mass ,converted into a ,good ,work ,hence we see how angry ,god is with us1 in that he has permitted godless teachers to conceal the words of this testament from us1 and thereby1 as much as in them lay1 to extinguish faith4 ,and the inevitable result of this extinguishing of faith is even now plainly to be seen--namely1 the most godless superstition of works4 ,for when faith dies and the word of faith is silent1 works and the traditions of works immediately crowd into their place4 ,by them we have been carried away out of our own land1 as in a ,babylonian captivity1 and despoiled of all our precious possessions4 ,this has been the fate of the mass2 it has been converted by the teaching of godless men into a good work1 which they themselves call an opus operatum#fg and by which they presumptuously imagine themselves all-powerful with ,god4 ,thereupon they proceeded to the very height of madness1 and having invented the lie that the mass works ex opere operate#fh1 they asserted further that it is none the less profitable to others1 even if it be harmful to the wicked priest celebrating it4 ,on such a foundation of sand they base their applications1 participations1 sodalities1 anniversaries and numberless other money-making schemes4 ,these lures are so powerful1 widespread and firmly entrenched that you will scarcely be able to prevail against them unless you keep before you with unremitting care the real meaning of the mass1 and bear well in mind what has been said above4 ,we have seen that the mass is nothing else than the divine promise or testament of ,christ1 sealed with the sacrament of ,his body and blood4 ,if that is true1 you will understand that it cannot possibly be a work1 and that there is nothing to do in it1 nor can it be dealt with in any other way than by faith alone4 ,and faith is not a work1 but the mistress and the life of all works#fi4 ,where in all the world is there a man so foolish as to regard a promise made to him1 or a testament given to him1 as a good work which by his acceptance of it he renders to the testator8 ,what heir will imagine he is doing his departed father a kindness by accepting the terms of the will and the inheritance bequeathed to him8 ,what godless audacity is it1 therefore1 when we who are to receive the testament of ,god come as those who would perform a good work or ,him6 ,this ignorance of the testament1 this captivity of the sacrament--are they not too sad for tears8 ,when we ought to be grateful for benefits received1 we come in our pride to give that which we ought to take1 mocking with unheard-of perversity the mercy of the ,giver by giving as a work the thing we receive as a gift2 so that the testator1 instead of being the dispenser of ,his own goods1 becomes the recipient of ours4 ,out upon such godless doings6 ,who has ever been so mad as to regard baptism as a good work1 or to believe that by being baptised he was performing a work which he might offer to ,god or himself and communicate to others8 ,i1 therefore1 there is no good work that can be communicated to others in this one sacrament or testament1 neither will there be any in the mass1 since it too is nothing else than a testament and sacrament4 ,hence it is a manifest and wicked error to offer or apply masses for sins1 or satisfactions1 for the dead1 or for any necessity whatsoever of one's own or of others4 ,you will readily see the obvious truth of this if you but hold firmly that the mass is a divine promise1 which can profit no one1 be applied to no one1 intercede or no one1 and be communicated to no one1 save him alone who believes with a faith of his own4 ,who can receive or apply1 in behalf of another1 the promise of ,god1 which demands the personal faith of every individual8 ,can ,i give to another what ,god has promised1 even if he does not believe8 ,can ,i believe for another1 or cause another to believe8 ,but this is what ,i must do if ,i am able to apply and communicate the mass to others2 for there are but two things in the mass--the promise of ,god1 and the faith of man which takes that which the promise offers4 ,but if it is true that ,i can do this1 then ,i can also hear and believe the ,gospel for others1 ,i can be baptised for another1 ,i can be absolved from sins for another1 ,i can also partake of the sacrament of the altar for another1 and--to run the gamut of their sacraments also--,i can marry a wife for another1 be ordained for another1 receive confirmation and extreme unction for another6 ,in fine1 why did not ,abraham believe for all the ,jews8 ,why was faith in the promise made to ,abraham demanded of every individual ,jew8 ,therefore1 let this irrefutable truth stand fast4 ,where there is a divine promise every one must stand upon his own feet1 every one's personal faith is demanded1 every one will give an account for himself and will bear his own burden ,gal4 #f3e1 as it is said in the last chapter of ,mark3 ,he that believeth and is baptised1 shall be saved2 but he that believeth not1 shall be damned4 ,mark #af3af ,even so every one may derive a blessing from the mass for himself alone and only by his own faith1 and no one can commune for any other2 just as the priest cannot administer the sacrament to any one in another's stead1 but administers the same sacrament to each individual by himself4 ,for in consecrating and administering1 the priests are our ministers1 through whom we do not offer a good work or commune 7in the active71 but receive the promises and the sign and are communed 7in the passive74 ,that has remained to this day the custom among the laity1 for they are not said to do good1 but to receive it4 ,but the priests have departed into godless ways2 out of the sacrament and testament of ,god1 the source of blessings to be received1 they have made a good work which they may communicate and offer to others4 ,but you will say3 ,how is this8 ,will you not overturn the practice and teaching of all the churches and monasteries1 by virtue of which they have flourished these many centuries8 ,for the mass is the foundation of their anniversaries1 intercessions1 applications1 communications1 etc4--that is to say1 of their at income4 ,i answer3 ,this is the very thing that has constrained me to write of the captivity of the ,church1 for in this manner the adorable testament of ,god has been subjected to the bondage of a godless traffic1 through the opinions and traditions of wicked men1 who1 passing over the ,word of ,god1 have put forth the thoughts of their own hearts and misled the whole world4 ,what do ,i care for the number and influence of those who are in this error8 ,the truth is mightier than they all4 ,if you are able to gainsay ,christ1 according to ,whom the mass is a testament and sacrament1 then ,i will admit that they are in the right4 ,or if you can bring yourself to say that that man is doing a good work1 who receives the benefit of the testament1 or who uses this sacrament of promise in order to receive it1 then ,i will gladly condemn my teachings4 ,but since you can do neither1 why do you hesitate to turn your back on the multitude who go after evil1 and to give ,god the glory and confess ,his truth8 ,which is1 indeed1 that all priests today are perversely mistaken1 who regard the mass as a work whereby they may relieve their own necessities and those of others1 dead or alive4 ,i am uttering unheard-of and startling things2 but if you will consider the meaning of the mass1 you will realize that ,i have spoken the truth4 ,the fault lies with our utter supineness1 in which we have become blind to the wrath of ,god that is raging against us4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,prayers ,distinguished from the ,mass ,i am ready1 however1 to admit that the prayers which we pour out before ,god when we are gathered together to partake of the mass1 are good works or benefits1 which we impart1 apply and communicate to one another1 and which we offer for one another2 as ,james teaches us to pray for one another that we may be saved ,jas4 #e3af1 and as ,paul1 in ,i ,timothy ii1 commands that supplications1 prayers and intercessions be made for all men1 for kings1 and for all that are in high station #a ,tim4 #b3a f44 ,these are not the mass1 but works of the mass--if the prayers of heart and lips may be called works--for they flow from the faith that is kindled or increased in the sacrament4 ,for the mass1 being the promise of ,god1 is not fulfilled by praying1 but only by believing2 but when we believe1 we shall also pray and perform every good work4 ,but what priest of them all offers the sacrifice of the mass in this sense and believes that he is offering up naught but the prayers8 ,they all imagine themselves to be offering up ,christ ,himself1 as all-sufficient sacrifice1 to ,god the ,father1 and to be performing a good work for all whom they have the intention to benefit4 ,for they put their trust in the work which the mass accomplishes1 and they do not ascribe this work to prayer4 ,thus1 gradually1 the error has grown1 until they have come to ascribe to the sacrament what belongs to the prayers1 and to offer to ,god what should be received as a benefit4 ,it is necessary1 therefore1 to make a sharp distinction between the testament or sacrament itself and the prayers which are there offered2 and no less necessary to bear in mind that the prayers avail nothing1 either for him who offers them or for those for whom they are offered1 unless the sacrament be first received in faith1 so that it is faith that offers the prayers1 for it alone is heard1 as ,james teaches in his first chapter ,jas4 #a3f f44 ,so great is the difference between prayer and the mass4 ,the prayer may be extended to as many persons as one desires2 but the mass is received by none but the person who believes for himself1 and only in proportion to his faith4 ,it cannot be given either to ,god or to men2 but ,god alone gives it1 by the ministration of the priest1 to such men as receive it by faith alone1 without any works or merits4 ,for no one would dare to make the mad assertion that a ragged beggar does a good work when he comes to receive a gift from a rich man4 ,but the mass is1 as has been said#gj1 the gift and promise of ,god1 offered to all men by the hand of the priest4 ,it is certain1 therefore1 that the mass is not a work which may be communicated to others1 but it is the object1 as it is called1 of faith1 for the strengthening and nourishing of the personal faith of each individual4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,most ,dangerous ,error of ,all3 the ,mass a ,sacrifice ,but there is yet another stumbling-block that must be removed1 and this is much greater and the most dangerous of all4 ,it is the common belief that the mass is a sacrifice1 which is offered to ,god4 ,even the words of the canon#ga tend in this direction1 when they speak of these gifts1 these offerings1 this holy sacrifice1 and farther on1 of this oblation4 ,prayer also is made1 in so many words1 that the sacrifice may be accepted even as the sacrifice of ,abel1 etc41 and hence ,christ is termed the ,sacrifice of the altar4 ,in addition to this there are the sayings of the holy ,fathers1 the great number of examples1 and the constant usage and custom of all the world4 ,to all of this1 firmly entrenched as it is1 we must resolutely oppose the words and example of ,christ4 ,for unless we hold fast to the truth1 that the mass is the promise or testament of ,christ1 as the words clearly say1 we shall lose the whole ,gospel and all our comfort4 ,let us permit nothing to prevail against these words1 even though an angel from heaven should teach otherwise ,gal4 #a3h4 ,for there is nothing said in them of a work or a sacrifice4 ,moreover1 we have also the example of ,christ on our side4 ,for at the ,last ,supper1 when ,he instituted this sacrament and established this testament1 ,christ did not offer ,himself to ,god the ,father1 nor did ,he perform a good work on behalf of others1 but ,he set this testament before each of them that sat at table with ,him and offered him the sign4 ,now1 the more closely our mass resembles that first mass of all1 which ,christ performed at the ,last ,supper1 the more ,christian will it be4 ,but ,christ's mass was most simple1 without the pageantry of vestments1 genuflections1 chants and other ceremonies4 ,indeed1 if it were necessary to offer the mass as a sacrifice1 then ,christ's institution of it was not complete4 ,not that any one should revile the ,church universal for embellishing and amplifying the mass with many additional rites and ceremonies4 ,but this is what we contend for2 no one should be deceived by the glamour of the ceremonies and entangled in the multitude of pompous forms1 and thus lose the simplicity of the mass itself1 and indeed practice a sort of transubstantiation--losing sight of the simple substance of the mass and clinging to the manifold accidents of outward pomp4 ,for whatever has been added to the word and example of ,christ1 is an accident of the mass1 and ought to be regarded just as we regard the so-called monstrances and corporal cloths in which the host itself is contained#gb4 ,therefore1 as distributing a testament1 or accepting a promise1 differs diametrically from offering a sacrifice1 so it is a contradiction in terms to call the mass a sacrifice2 for the former is something that we receive1 while the latter is something that we offer4 ,the same thing cannot be received and offered at the same time1 nor can it be both given and taken by the same person2 just as little as our prayer can be the same as that which our prayer obtains1 or the act of praying the same as the act of receiving the answer to our prayer4 ,what shall we say1 then1 of the canon of the mass#gc and the sayings of the ,fathers8 ,first of all1 if there were nothing at all to be said against them1 it would yet be the safer course to reject them all rather than admit that the mass is a work or a sacrifice1 lest we deny the word of ,christ and overthrow faith together with the mass4 ,nevertheless1 not to reject altogether the canons and the ,fathers1 we shall say the following3 ,the ,apostle instructs us in ,i ,corinthians xi that it was customary for ,christ's believers1 when they came together to mass1 to bring with them meat and drink1 which they called collections and distributed among all who were in want #a ,cor4 #aa3bj ff41 after the example of the apostles in ,acts iv ,acts #d3cd f44 ,from this store was ,acts taken the portion of bread and wine that was consecrated for use in the sacrament#gd4 ,and since all this store of meat and drink was sanctified by the word and by prayer #a ,tim4 #d3e1 being lifted up according to the ,hebrew rite of which we read in ,moses ,lev4 #h3bg1 the words and the rite of this lifting up1 or for offering1 have come down to us1 although the custom of collecting that which was offered1 or lifted up1 has fallen long since into disuse4 ,thus1 in ,isaiah xxxvii1 ,hezekiah commanded ,isaiah to lift up his prayer in the sight of ,god for the remnant ,isa4 #cg3d4 ,the ,psalmist sings3 ,lift up your hands to the holy places ,ps4 #acd3b2 and3 ,to ,thee will ,i lift up my hands4 ,ps4 #fc3d ,and in ,i ,timothy ii we read3 ,lifting up pure hands in every place4 #a ,tim4 #b3h ,for this reason the words sacrifice and oblation must be taken to refer1 not to the sacrament and testament1 but to these collections1 whence also the word collect has come down to us1 as meaning the prayers said in the mass4 ,the same thing is indicated when the priest elevates the bread and the chalice immediately after the consecration1 whereby he shows that he is not offering anything to ,god1 for he does not say a single word here about a victim or an oblation4 ,but this elevation is either a survival of that ,hebrew rite of lifting up what was received with thanksgiving and returned to ,god1 or else it is an admonition to us1 to provoke us to faith in this testament which the priest has set forth and exhibited in the words of ,christ1 so that now he shows us also the sign of the testament4 ,thus the oblation of the bread properly accompanies the demonstrative this in the words1 ,this is my body1 by which sign the priest addresses us gathered about him2 and in like manner the oblation of the chalice accompanies the demonstrative this in the words1 ,this chalice is the new testament1 etc4 ,for it is faith that the priest ought to awaken in us by this act of elevation4 ,and would to ,god that1 as he elevates the sign1 or sacrament1 openly before our eyes1 he might also sound in our ears the words of the testament with a loud1 clear voice1 and in the language of the people1 whatever it may be1 in order that faith may be the more effectively awakened4 ,for why may mass be said in ,greek and ,latin and ,hebrew1 and not also in ,german or in any other language8#ge ,sidenote3 ,fraternal ,advice to the ,priests ,let the priests1 therefore1 who in these corrupt and perilous times offer the sacrifice of the mass1 take heed1 first1 that the words of the greater and the lesser canon#gf together with the collects1 which smack too strongly of sacrifice1 be not referred by them to the sacrament1 but to the bread and wine which they consecrate1 or to the prayers which they say4 ,for the bread and wine are offered at the first1 in order that they may be blessed and thus sanctified by the ,word and by prayer2 but after they have been blessed and consecrated1 they are no longer offered1 but received as a gift from ,god4 ,and let the priest bear in mind that the ,gospel is to be set above all canons and collects devised by men2 and the ,gospel does not sanction the calling of the mass a sacrifice1 as has been shown4 ,further1 when a priest celebrates a public mass1 he should determine to do naught else through the mass than to commune himself and others2 yet he may at the same time offer prayers for himself and for others1 but he must beware lest he presume to offer the mass4 ,but let him that holds a private mass#gg determine to commune himself4 ,the private mass does not differ in the least from the ordinary communion which any layman receives at the hand of the priest1 and has no greater effect1 apart from the special prayers and the act that the priest consecrates the elements for himself and administers them to himself4 ,so far as the blessing#gh of the mass and sacrament is concerned1 we are all of us on an equal footing1 whether we be priests or laymen4 ,if a priest be requested by others to celebrate so-called votive masses#gi1 let him beware of accepting a reward for the mass1 or of presuming to offer a votive sacrifice2 he should be at pains to refer all to the prayers which he offers for the dead or the living1 saying within himself1 ,i will go and partake of the sacrament for myself alone1 and while partaking ,i will say a prayer for this one and that4 ,thus he will take his reward--to buy him food and clothing--not for the mass1 but for the prayers4 ,and let him not be disturbed because all the world holds and practices the contrary4 ,you have the most sure ,gospel1 and relying on this you may well despise the opinions of men4 ,but if you despise me and insist upon offering the mass and not the prayers alone1 know that ,i have faithfully warned you and will be without blame on the day of judgment2 you will have to bear your sin alone4 ,i have said what ,i was bound to say as brother to brother for his soul's salvation2 yours will be the gain if you observe it1 yours the loss if you neglect it4 ,and if some should even condemn what ,i have said1 ,i reply in the words of ,paul3 ,but evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse3 erring and driving into error4 #b ,tim4 #c3ac ,from the above every one will readily understand what there is in that oft quoted saying of ,gregory's#hj3 ,a mass celebrated by a wicked priest is not to be considered of less effect than one celebrated by any godly priest1 and ,st4 ,peter's mass would not have been better than ,judas the traitor's1 if they had offered the sacrifice of the mass4 ,which saying has served many as a cloak to cover their godless doings1 and because of it they have invented the distinction between opus operati and opus operantis#ha1 so as to be free to lead wicked lives themselves and yet to benefit other men4 ,but ,gregory speaks truth2 only they misunderstand and pervert his words4 ,for it is true beyond a question1 that the testament or sacrament is given and received through the ministration of wicked priests no less completely than through the ministration of the most saintly4 ,for who has any doubt that the ,gospel is preached by the ungodly8 ,now the mass is part of the ,gospel1 nay1 its sum and substance2 for what is the whole ,gospel but the good tidings of the forgiveness of sins8 ,but whatever can be said of the forgiveness of sins and the mercy of ,god1 is all briefly comprehended in the word of this testament4 ,wherefore the popular sermons ought to be naught else than expositions of the mass1 that is1 a setting forth of the divine promise of this testament2 that would be to teach faith and truly to edify the ,church4 ,but in our day the expounders of the mass play with the allegories of human rites and play the fool with the people4 ,therefore1 just as a wicked priest may baptise1 that is1 apply the word of promise and the sign of the water to a candidate for baptism1 so he may also set forth the promise of this sacrament and administer it to those who partake1 and even himself partake1 like ,judas the traitor1 at the ,lord's ,supper4 ,it still remains always the same sacrament and testament1 which works in the believer its own work1 in the unbeliever a strange work4 ,isa4 #bh3ba ,but when it comes to offering a sacrifice the case is quite different4 ,for not the mass but the prayers are offered to ,god1 and therefore it is as plain as day that the offerings of a wicked priest avail nothing1 but1 as ,gregory says again1 when an unworthy intercessor is chosen1 the heart of the judge is moved to greater displeasure4 ,we must1 therefore1 not confound these two--the mass and the prayers1 the sacrament and the work1 the testament and the sacrifice2 for the one comes from ,god to us1 through the ministration of the priest1 and demands our faith1 the other proceeds from our faith to ,god1 through the priest1 and demands ,his answer4 ,the former descends1 the latter ascends4 ,therefore the former does not necessarily require a worthy and godly minister1 but the latter does indeed require such an one1 because ,god heareth not sinners ,john #i3ca4 ,he knows how to send down blessings through evildoers1 but ,he does not accept the work of any evildoer1 as ,he showed in the case of ,cain ,gen4 #d3e1 and as it is said in ,proverbs xv1 ,the victims of the wicked are abominable to the ,lord ,prov4 #ae3h2 and in ,romans xiv1 ,all that is not of faith is sin4 ,rom4 #ad3bc ,sidenote3 ,worthy ,communicants ,but in order to make an end of this first part1 we must take up one remaining point against which an opponent might arise4 ,from all that has been said we conclude that the mass was provided only for such as have a sad1 afflicted1 disturbed1 perplexed and erring conscience1 and that they alone commune worthily4 ,for1 since the word of divine promise in this sacrament sets forth the remission of sins1 that man may fearlessly draw near1 whoever he be1 whose sins distress him1 either with remorse or past or with temptation to future wrongdoing4 ,for this testament of ,christ is the one remedy against sins1 past1 present and future1 if you but cling to it with unwavering faith and believe that what the words of the testament declare is freely granted to you4 ,but if you do not believe this1 you will never1 nowhere1 and by no works or efforts of your own1 find peace of conscience4 ,for faith alone sets the conscience at peace1 and unbelief alone keeps the conscience troubled4 ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,baptism ,blessed be ,god and the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,who according to the riches of ,his mercy hath preserved in ,his ,church this sacrament at least1 untouched and untainted by the ordinances of men1 and hath made it free unto all nations and every estate of mankind1 nor suffered it to be oppressed by the filthy and godless monsters of greed and superstition4 ,for ,he desired that by it little children1 incapable of greed and superstition1 might be initiated and sanctified in the simple faith of ,his ,word2 for whom even to-day baptism hath its chief blessing4 ,but if this sacrament were to be given to such as had arrived at man's estate1 methinks it could not possibly have retained its power and its glory against the tyranny of greed and superstition which has everywhere laid waste things divine4 ,doubtless the wisdom of the flesh would here too have devised its preparations and worthinesses1 its reservations1 restrictions1 and ,i know not what other snares for taking money1 until water fetched as high a price as parchment#hb does now4 ,but ,satan1 though he could not quench the power of baptism in little children1 nevertheless succeeded in quenching it in all adults1 so that there are scarce any who call to mind their baptism and still fewer who glory in it2 so many other ways have they discovered of ridding themselves of their sins and of reaching heaven4 ,the source of these false opinions is that dangerous saying of ,st4 ,jerome's#hc--;either unhappily phrased or wrongly interpreted--in which he terms penance the second plank after the shipwreck2 as if baptism were not penance4 ,accordingly1 when men fall into sin1 they despair of the first plank1 which is the ship1 as though it had gone under1 and fasten all their faith on the second plank1 that is1 penance4 ,this has produced those endless burdens of vows1 religious works1 satisfactions1 pilgrimages1 indulgences1 and sects#hd1 whence has arisen that flood of books1 questions1 opinions and human traditions1 which the world cannot contain2 so that this tyranny plays worse havoc with the ,church of ,god than any tyrant ever did with the ,jewish people or with any other nation under heaven4 ,it was the duty of the pontiffs to abate this evil1 and with all diligence to lead ,christians to the true understanding of baptism1 so that they might know what manner of men they are and how it becomes ,christians to live4 ,but instead of this1 their work is now to lead the people as far astray as possible from their baptism1 to immerse all men in the flood of their oppression1 and to cause the people of ,christ1 as the prophet says1 to forget ,him days without number ,jer4 #b3cb4 ,o unhappy1 all who bear the name of priest to-day6 ,they not only do not know nor do what becometh priests1 but they are ignorant of what they ought to know and do4 ,they fulfil the saying in ,isaiah lvi3 ,his watch-men are all blind1 they are all ignorant3 the shepherds themselves knew no understanding2 all have declined into their own way1 every one after his own gain4 ,isa4 #ef3aj ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,part of ,baptism3 ,the ,divine ,promise ,now1 the first thing in baptism to be considered is the divine promise1 which says3 ,he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved4 ,this promise must be set far above all the glitter of works1 vows1 religious orders1 and whatever man has added thereto2 for on it all our salvation depends ,mark #af3af4 ,but we must so consider it as to exercise our faith therein and in nowise doubt that we are saved when we are baptised4 ,for unless this faith be present or be conferred in baptism1 baptism will profit us nothing1 nay1 it becomes a hindrance to us1 not only in the moment of its reception1 but all the days of our life2 for such unbelief accuses ,god's promise of being a lie1 and this is the blackest of all sins4 ,if we set ourselves to this exercise of faith1 we shall at once perceive how difficult it is to believe this promise of ,god4 ,for our human weakness1 conscious of its sins1 finds nothing more difficult to believe than that it is saved or will be saved2 and yet unless it does believe this1 it cannot be saved1 because it does not believe the truth of ,god that promiseth salvation4 ,this message should have been untiringly impressed upon the people and this promise dinned without ceasing in their ears2 their baptism should have been called again and again to their mind1 and faith constantly awakened and nourished4 ,for1 just as the truth of this divine promise1 once pronounced over us1 continues unto death1 so our faith in the same ought never to cease1 but to be nourished and strengthened until death1 by the continual remembrance of this promise made to us in baptism4 ,therefore1 when we rise from sins1 or repent1 we do but return to the power and the faith of baptism from whence we fell1 and find our way back to the promise then made to us1 from which we departed when we sinned4 ,for the truth of the promise once made remains steadfast1 ever ready to receive us back with open arms when we return4 ,this1 if ,i mistake not1 is the real meaning of the obscure saying1 that baptism is the beginning and foundation of all the sacraments1 without which none of the others may be received4 ,it will1 therefore1 be no small gain or a penitent to lay hold before all else on the memory of his baptism1 confidently to call to mind the promise of ,god1 which he has forsaken1 and to plead it with ,his ,lord1 rejoicing that he is baptised and therefore is yet within the fortress of salvation1 and abhorring his wicked ingratitude in falling away from its faith and truth4 ,his soul will find wondrous comfort1 and will be encouraged to hope or mercy1 when he considers that the divine promise which ,god made to him and which cannot possibly lie1 still stands unbroken and unchanged1 yea1 unchangeable by any sins2 as ,paul says in #a;,i ,timothy ii1 ,if we believe not4 ,he continueth faithful1 ,he cannot deny ,himself4 #b ,tim4 #b3ac ,ay1 this truth of ,god will sustain him1 so that if all else should sink in ruins1 this truth1 if he believe it1 will not ail him4 ,for in it he has a shield against all assaults of the enemy1 an answer to the sins that disturb his conscience1 an antidote for the dread of death and judgment1 and a comfort in every temptation1--namely1 this one truth1--and he can say1 ,god is faithful that promised ,heb4 #aj3bc1 ,whose sign ,i have received in my baptism4 ,if ,god be for me1 who is against me8 ,rom4 #h3ca ,the children of ,israel1 whenever they repented of their sins1 turned their thoughts first of all to the exodus from ,egypt1 and1 remembering this1 returned to ,god ,who had brought them out4 ,this memory and this refuge were many times impressed upon them by ,moses1 and afterward repeated by ,david4 ,how much rather ought we to call to mind our exodus from ,egypt1 and1 remembering1 turn back again to ,him ,who led us forth through the washing of regeneration ,titus #c3e1 which we are bidden remember for this very purpose4 ,and this we can do most fittingly in the sacrament of bread and wine4 ,indeed1 in olden times these three sacraments--penance1 baptism and the bread--were all celebrated at the same service1 and one supplemented and assisted the other4 ,we read also of a certain holy virgin who in every time of temptation made baptism her sole defence1 saying simply1 ,i am a ,christian2 and straight-way the adversary led from her1 or he knew the power of her baptism and of her faith which clung to the truth of ,god's promise#he4 ,lo1 how rich therefore is a ,christian1 or one who is baptised6 ,even if he would1 he cannot lose his salvation1 however much he sin1 unless he will not believe4 ,for no sin can condemn him save unbelief alone4 ,all other sins1--if faith in ,god's promise made in baptism return or remain1--all other sins1 ,i say1 are immediately blotted out through that same faith1 or rather through the truth of ,god1 because ,he cannot deny ,himself if you but confess ,him and cling believing to ,him that promises4 ,but as for contrition1 confession of sins1 and satisfaction#hf1--with all those carefully thought-out exercises of men1--if you turn your attention to them and neglect this truth of ,god1 they will suddenly fail you and leave you more wretched than before4 ,for whatever is done without faith in the truth of ,god1 is vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit ,eccl4 #a3b1 #ad4 ,again1 how perilous1 nay1 how false it is to suppose that penance is the second plank after the shipwreck6 ,how harmful an error it is to believe that the power of baptism is broken1 and the ship has foundered1 because we have sinned6 ,nay2 that one1 solid and unsinkable ship remains1 and is never broken up into floating timbers2 it carries all those who are brought to the harbor of salvation2 it is the truth of ,god giving us its promise in the sacraments4 ,many1 indeed1 rashly leap overboard and perish in the waves2 these are they who depart from faith in the promise and plunge into sin4 ,but the ship herself remains intact and holds her steady course2 and if one be able somehow to return to the ship1 it is not on any plank but in the good ship herself that he is borne to life4 ,such an one is he who through faith returns to the sure promise of ,god that abideth forever4 ,therefore ,peter1 in his second epistle1 rebukes them that sin1 because they have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins #b ,peter #a3i2 in which words he doubtless chides their ingratitude or the baptism they had received and their wicked unbelief4 ,what is the good1 then1 of making many books on baptism and yet not teaching this faith in the promise8 ,all the sacraments were instituted for the purpose of nourishing faith1 but these godless men so completely pass over this faith that they even assert a man dare not be certain of the forgiveness of sins1 that is1 of the grace of the sacraments4 ,with such wicked teachings they delude the world1 and not only take captive but altogether destroy the sacrament of baptism1 in which the chief glory of our conscience consists4 ,meanwhile they madly rage against the miserable souls of men with their contritions1 anxious confessions1 circumstances#hg1 satisfactions1 works and endless other absurdities4 ,read1 therefore1 with great caution the ,master of the ,sentences#hh in his fourth book1 or1 better yet1 despise him together with all his commentators1 who at their best write only of the material and form#hg of the sacraments1 that is1 they treat of the dead and death-dealing letter of the sacraments1 but pass over in utter silence the spirit1 life and use1 that is1 the truth of the divine promise and our faith4 ,beware1 therefore1 lest the external pomp of works and the deceits of human traditions mislead you1 so that you may not wrong the divine truth and your faith4 ,if you would be saved1 you must begin with the faith of the sacraments1 without any works whatever2 but on faith the works will follow3 only do not think lightly of faith1 which is a work1 and of all works the most excellent and the most difficult to do4 ,through it alone you will be saved1 even if you should be compelled to do without any other works4 ,for it is a work of ,god1 not of man1 as ,paul teaches ,eph4 #b3h4 ,the other works ,he works through us and with our help1 but this one ,he works in us and without our help4 ,from this we can clearly see the difference1 in baptism1 between man the minister and ,god the ,doer4 ,for man baptises and does not baptise3 he baptises1 for he performs the work1 immersing the person to be baptised2 he does not baptise1 for in that act he officiates not by his own authority1 but in the stead of ,god4 ,hence1 we ought to receive baptism at the hands of a man just as if ,christ ,himself1 nay1 ,god ,himself1 were baptising us with ,his own hands4 ,for it is not man's baptism1 but ,christ's and ,god's baptism1 which we receive by the hand of a man2 just as every other created thing that we make use of by the hand of another1 is ,god's alone4 ,therefore beware of dividing baptism in such a way as to ascribe the outward part to man and the inward part to ,god4 ,ascribe both to ,god alone1 and look upon the person administering it as the instrument in ,god's hands1 by which the ,lord sitting in heaven thrusts you under the water with ,his own hands1 and speaking by the mouth of ,his minister promises you1 on earth with a human voice1 the forgiveness of your sins4 ,this the words themselves indicate1 when the priest says3 ,i baptise thee in the ,name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen--and not3 ,i baptise thee in my own name4 ,it is as though he said3 ,what ,i do1 ,i do not by my own authority1 but in the name and stead of ,god1 so that you should regard it just as if our ,lord ,himself had done it in a visible manner4 ,the ,doer and the minister are different persons1 but the work of both is the same work1 or1 rather1 it is the work of the ,doer alone1 through my ministry4 ,for ,i hold that in the name of refers to the person of the ,doer1 so that the name of the ,lord is not only to be uttered and invoked while the work is being done1 but the work itself is to be done not as one's own work1 but in the name and stead of another4 ,in this sense ,christ says1 ,many shall come in my name1 ,matt4 #bd3e and in ,romans i it is said1 ,by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith1 in all nations1 for ,his name4 ,rom4 #a3e ,this view ,i heartily endorse2 for there is much of comfort and a mighty aid to faith in the knowledge that one has been baptised not by man1 but by the ,triune ,god ,himself through a man acting among us in ,his name4 ,this will dispose of that fruitless quarrel about the form#ij of baptism1 as these words are called4 ,the ,greeks say3 ,may the servant of ,christ be baptised1 while the ,latins say3 ,i baptise4 ,others again1 pedantic triflers1 condemn the use of the words1 ,i baptise thee in the name of ,jesus ,christ#ia--;although it is certain that the ,apostles used this formula in baptising1 as we read in the ,acts of the ,apostles--and would allow no other form to be valid than this3 ,i baptise thee in the ,name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but their contention is in vain1 for they bring no proof1 but merely assert their own dreams4 ,baptism truly saves in whatever way it is administered1 if only it be not administered in the name of man but of ,god4 ,nay1 ,i have no doubt that if one received baptism in the name of the ,lord1 even though the wicked minister should not give it in the name of the ,lord1 he would yet be truly baptised in the name of the ,lord4 ,for the effect of baptism depends not so much on the faith or use of him that confers it as on the faith or use of him that receives it2 of which we have an illustration in the case of the play-actor who was baptised in jest#ib4 ,such anxious disputings and questionings are aroused in us by those who ascribe nothing to faith and everything to works and forms1 whereas we owe everything to faith alone and nothing to forms1 and faith makes us free in spirit from all those scruples and fancies4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,part of ,baptism3 ,the ,sign1 or ,sacrament ,the second part of baptism is the sign1 or sacrament1 which is that immersion into water whence also it derives its name2 for the ,greek baptizo means ,i immerse1 and baptisma means immersion4 ,for1 as has been said#ic1 signs are added to the divine promises to represent that which the words signify1 for1 as they now say1 that which the sacrament effectively signifies4 ,we shall see how much of truth there is in this4 ,the great majority have supposed that there is some hidden spiritual power in the word or in the water1 which works the grace of ,god in the soul of the recipient4 ,others deny this and hold that there is no power in the sacraments1 but that grace is given by ,god alone1 ,who according to ,his covenant aids the sacraments ,he has instituted#id4 ,yet all are agreed that the sacraments are effective signs of grace1 and they reach this conclusion by this one argument3 ,if the sacraments of the ,new ,law merely signified1 it would not be apparent in what respect they surpassed the sacraments of the ,old ,law4 ,hence they have been driven to attribute such great power to the sacraments of the ,new ,law that in their opinion they benefit even such men as are in mortal sins1 and that they do not require faith or grace2 it is sufficient not to oppose a bar1 that is1 an actual intention to sin again4 ,but these views must be carefully avoided and shunned1 because they are godless and infidel1 being contrary to faith and to the nature of the sacraments4 ,for it is an error to hold that the sacraments of the ,new ,law differ from those of the ,old ,law in the efficacy of their signifying4 ,the signifying of both is equally efficacious4 ,the same ,god ,who now saves me by baptism saved ,abel by his sacrifice1 ,noah by the bow1 ,abraham by circumcision1 and all the others by their respective signs4 ,so far as the signifying is concerned1 there is no difference between a sacrament of the ,old ,law and one of the ,new2 provided that by the ,old ,law you mean that which ,god wrought among the patriarchs and other fathers in the days of the law4 ,but those signs which were given to the patriarchs and fathers must be sharply distinguished from the legal types which ,moses instituted in his law1 such as the priestly rites concerning robes1 vessels1 meats1 dwellings1 and the like4 ,between these and the sacraments of the ,new ,law there is a vast difference1 but no less between them and those signs that ,god from time to time gave to the fathers living judges under the law1 such as the sign of ,gideon's fleece ,judges #f3cf1 ,manoah's sacrifice ,judges #ac3ai1 or the sign which ,isaiah offered to ,ahaz1 in ,isaiah vii ,isa4 #g3aj2 for to these signs ,god attached a certain promise which required faith in ,him4 ,this1 then1 is the difference between the legal types and the new and old signs--the former have not attached to them any word of promise requiring faith4 ,hence they are not signs of justification1 for they are not sacraments of the faith that alone justifies1 but only sacraments of works2 their whole power and nature consisted in works1 not in faith1 and he that observed them fulfilled them1 even if he did it without faith4 ,but our signs1 or sacraments1 as well as those of the fathers1 have attached to them a word of promise1 which requires faith1 and they cannot be fulfilled by any other work4 ,hence they are signs or sacraments of justification1 for they are the sacraments of justifying faith and not of works4 ,their whole efficacy1 therefore1 consists in faith itself1 not in the doing of a work2 for whoever believes them fulfils them1 even if he should not do a single work4 ,whence has arisen the saying1 ,not the sacrament but the faith of the sacrament justifies4 ,thus circumcision did not justify ,abraham and his seed1 and yet the ,apostle calls it the seal of the righteousness of faith ,rom4 #d3aa1 because faith in the promise1 to which circumcision was added1 justified him and fulfilled that which circumcision signified4 ,for faith was the spiritual circumcision of the foreskin of the heart ,deut4 #aj3af2 ,jer4 #d3d1 which was symbolised by the literal circumcision of the flesh4 ,and in the same manner it was obviously not ,abel's sacrifice that justified him1 but it was his faith1 by which he offered himself wholly to ,god and which was symbolised by the outward sacrifice4 ,even so it is not baptism that justifies or benefits anyone1 but it is faith in the word of promise1 to which baptism is added4 ,this faith justifies1 and fulfils that which baptism signifies4 ,for faith is the submersion of the old man and the emerging of the new4 ,therefore it cannot be that the new sacraments differ from the old1 for both have the divine promise and the same spirit of faith2 although they do differ vastly from the olden types on account of the word of promise1 which is the one decisive point of difference4 ,even so1 to-day1 the outward show of vestments1 holy places1 meats and of all the endless ceremonies has doubtless a fine symbolical meaning1 which is to be spiritually fulfilled2 and yet because there is no word of divine promise attached to these things1 they can in nowise be compared with the signs of baptism and of the bread1 nor do they in any way justify or benefit one1 since they are fulfilled in the very observance1 apart from faith4 ,for while they are taking place or are being performed1 they are being fulfilled2 as the ,apostle says of them1 in ,colossians ii1 ,which are all to perish with the using1 after the commandments and doctrines of men4 ,col4 #b3bb ,the sacraments1 on the contrary1 are not fulfilled when they are observed1 but when they are believed4 ,it cannot be true1 therefore1 that there is in the sacraments a power efficacious for justification1 or that they are effective signs of grace#ie4 ,all such assertions tend to destroy faith1 and arise from ignorance of the divine promise4 ,unless you should call them effective in the sense that they certainly and efficaciously impart grace1 where faith is unmistakably present4 ,but it is not in this sense that efficacy is now ascribed to them2 as witness the act that they are said to benefit all men1 even the godless and unbelieving1 provided they do not oppose a bar--as if such unbelief were not in itself the most obstinate and hostile of all bars to grace4 ,so firmly bent are they on turning the sacrament into a command1 and faith into a work4 ,for if the sacrament confers grace on me because ,i receive it1 then indeed ,i obtain grace by virtue of my work and not of faith2 ,i lay hold not on the promise in the sacrament1 but on the sign instituted and commanded by ,god4 ,do you not see1 then1 how completely the sacraments have been misunderstood by our sententious theologians8#if ,they have taken no account1 in their discussions on the sacraments1 of either faith or the promise1 but cling only to the sign and the use of the sign1 and draw us away from faith to the work1 from the word to the sign4 ,thus they have not only carried the sacraments captive 7as ,i have said7#ig1 but have completely destroyed them1 as far as they were able4 ,therefore1 let us open our eyes and learn to give more heed to the word than to the sign#ih1 and to faith than to the work1 for the use of the sign1 remembering that wherever there is a divine promise there faith is required1 and that these two are so necessary to each other that neither can be efficacious apart from the other4 ,for it is not possible to believe unless there be a promise1 and the promise is not established unless it be believed4 ,but where these two meet1 they give a real and most certain efficacy to the sacraments4 ,hence1 to seek the efficacy of the sacrament apart from the promise and apart from faith1 is to labor in vain and to ind damnation4 ,thus ,christ says3 ,he that believeth and is baptised1 shall be saved2 he that believe not shall be damned4 ,mark #af3af ,he shows us in this word that faith is so necessary a part of the sacrament that it can save even without the sacrament2 for which reason ,he did not see it to say3 ,he that believeth not1 and is not baptised4 4 4 ,baptism1 then1 signifies two things--death and resurrection2 that is1 full and complete justification4 ,the minister's immersing the child in the water signifies death2 his drawing it forth again signifies life4 ,thus ,paul expounds it in ,romans vi1 ,we are buried together with ,christ by baptism into death2 that as ,christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 so we also may walk in newness of life4 ,rom4 #f3d ,this death and resurrection we call the new creation1 regeneration1 and the spiritual birth4 ,and this must not be understood only in a figurative sense1 of the death of sin and the life of grace1 as many understand it1 but of actual death and resurrection4 ,the significance of baptism is not an imaginary significance1 and sin does not completely die1 nor does grace completely rise1 until the body of sin that we carry about in this life is destroyed2 as the ,apostle teaches in the same chapter ,rom4 #f3f4 ,for as long as we are in the flesh1 the desires of the flesh stir and are stirred4 ,wherefore1 as soon as ever we begin to believe1 we also begin to die to this world and to live unto ,god in the life to come2 so that faith is truly a death and a resurrection1 that is1 it is that spiritual baptism in which we go under and come forth4 ,hence it is indeed correct to say that baptism is a washing from sins1 but that expression is too weak and mild to bring out the full significance of baptism1 which is rather a symbol of death and resurrection4 ,for this reason ,i would have the candidates for baptism completely immersed in the water1 as the word#ii says and as the sacrament signifies4 ,not that ,i deem this necessary1 but it were well to give to so perfect and complete a things a perfect and complete sign2 thus it was also doubtless instituted by ,christ4 ,the sinner does not so much need to be washed as he needs to die1 in order to be wholly renewed and made another creature1 and to be conformed to the death and resurrection of ,christ1 with ,whom1 through baptism1 he dies and rises again4 ,although you may properly say that ,christ was washed clean of mortality when ,he died and rose again1 yet that is a weaker way of putting it than if you said ,he was completely changed and renewed4 ,in the same way it is far more forceful to say that baptism signifies our utter dying and rising to eternal life1 than to say that it signifies merely our being washed clean from sins4 ,here1 again1 you see that the sacrament of baptism1 even in respect to its sign1 is not the matter of a moment1 but continues for all time4 ,although its administration is soon over1 yet the thing it signifies#ajj continues until we die1 nay1 until we rise at the last day4 ,for as long as we live we are continually doing that which our baptism signifies1--we die and rise again4 ,we die1 that is1 not only spiritually and in our affections1 by renouncing the sins and vanities of this world1 but we die in very truth1 we begin to leave this bodily life and to lay hold on the life to come2 so that there is1 as they say1 a real and even a bodily going out of this world to the ,father4 ,we must1 therefore1 beware of those who have reduced the power of baptism to such a vanishing point as to say that the grace of ,god is indeed inpoured in baptism1 but afterwards poured out again through sin1 and that thereupon one must reach heaven by another way2 as if baptism had then become entirely useless4 ,do not you hold to such a view1 but know that baptism signifies your dying and living again1 and therefore1 whether it be by penance or by any other way1 you can but return to the power of your baptism1 and do afresh that which you were baptised to do and which your baptism signified4 ,never does baptism lose its power1 unless you despair and refuse to return to its salvation4 ,you may1 indeed1 or a season wander away from the sign1 but that does not make the sign of none effect4 ,you have1 thus1 been baptised once in the sacrament1 but you must be constantly baptised again through faith1 you must constantly die1 you must constantly live again4 ,baptism swallowed up your whole body1 and gave it forth again2 even so that which baptism signifies#aja should swallow up your whole life in body and soul1 and give it forth again at the last day1 clad in robes of glory and immortality4 ,we are1 therefore1 never without the sign of baptism nor yet without the thing it signifies2 nay1 we must be baptised ever more and more completely1 until we perfectly fulfil the sign1 at the last day4 ,therefore1 whatever we do in this life that avails for the mortifying of the flesh and the giving life to the spirit1 belongs to baptism2 and the sooner we depart this life the sooner do we fulfil our baptism1 and the greater our sufferings the more closely do we conform to our baptism4 ,hence those were the ,church's halcyon days1 when the martyrs were being killed every day and accounted as sheep for the slaughter ,ps4 #dd3bb2 ,rom4 #h3cf2 for then the power of baptism reigned supreme in the ,church1 which power we have to-day lost sight of amid the multitude of works and doctrines of men4 ,for all our life should be baptism1 and the fulfilling of the sign1 or sacrament1 of baptism2 we have been set free from all else and wholly given over to baptism alone1 that is1 to death and resurrection4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,glorious ,liberty of the ,baptised ,this glorious liberty of ours1 and this understanding of baptism have been carried captive in our day2 and whom have we to thank for this but the ,roman pontiff with his despotism8 ,more than all others1 it was his first duty1 as chief shepherd1 to preach and defend this liberty and this knowledge1 as ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians3 ,let a man so account of us as of the ministers of ,christ1 and the dispensers of the mysteries1 or sacraments#aja1 of ,god4 #a ,cor4 #d3a ,instead of this1 he seeks only to oppress us with his decrees and his laws1 and to enslave and ensnare us in the tyranny of his power4 ,by what right1 in ,god's name1 does the pope impose his laws upon us8 to say nothing of his wicked and damnable neglect to teach these mysteries4 ,who gave him power to despoil us of this liberty1 granted us in baptism8 ,one thing only 7as ,i have said7#ajc has been enjoined upon us all the days of our life1--to be baptised2 that is1 to be put to death and to live again1 through faith in ,christ2 and this faith alone should have been taught1 especially by the chief shepherd4 ,but now there is not a word said about faith1 and the ,church is laid waste with endless laws concerning works and ceremonies2 the power and right understanding of baptism are put by1 and faith in ,christ is prevented4 ,therefore ,i say3 ,neither pope nor bishop nor any other man has the right to impose a single syllable of law upon a ,christian man without his consent2 and if he does1 it is done in the spirit of tyranny4 ,therefore the prayers1 fasts1 donations1 and whatever else the pope decrees and demands in all of his decretals1 as numerous as they are iniquitous1 he demands and decrees without any right whatever2 and he sins against the liberty of the ,church whenever he attempts any such thing4 ,hence it has come to pass that the churchmen of our day are indeed such vigorous defenders of the liberty of the ,church1 that is1 of wood and stone1 of land and rents--for churchly is nowadays the same as spiritual--yet with such fictions they not only take captive but utterly destroy the true liberty of the ,church1 and deal with us far worse than the ,turk1 in opposition to the word of the ,apostle1 ,be not made the bondslaves of men4 #a ,cor4 #g3bc ,for1 verily1 to be subjected to their statutes and tyrannical laws is to be made the bondslaves of men4 ,this impious and desperate tyranny is fostered by the pope's disciples1 who here drag in and pervert that saying of ,christ1 ,he that heareth you heareth me4 ,luke #aj3af ,with puffed cheeks they blow up this saying to a great size in support of their traditions4 ,though ,christ spake it to the apostles when they went forth to preach the ,gospel1 and though it applies solely to the ,gospel1 they pass over the ,gospel and apply it only to their fables4 ,he says in ,john x3 ,my sheep hear my voice1 but the voice of a stranger they hear not ,john #aj3bg2 and to this end ,he left us the ,gospel1 that ,his voice might be uttered by the pontiffs4 ,but they utter their own voice1 and themselves desire to be heard4 ,moreover1 the ,apostle says that he was not sent to baptise but to preach the ,gospel #a ,cor4 #a3ag4 ,therefore1 no one is bound to the traditions of the pope1 nor does he need to give ear to him unless he teaches the ,gospel and ,christ1 and the pope should teach nothing but faith without any restrictions4 ,but since ,christ says1 ,he that heareth you heareth me1 ,luke #aj3af and does not say to ,peter only1 ,he that heareth thee2 why does not the pope also hear others8 ,in fine1 where there is true faith1 there must also be the word of faith4 ,why then does not an unbelieving pope now and then hear a believing servant of his1 who has the word of faith8 ,it is blindness1 sheer blindness1 that holds the popes in its power4 ,but others1 more shameless still1 arrogantly ascribe to the pope the power to make laws1 on the basis of ,matthew xvi1 ,whatsoever thou shalt bind1 ,matt4 #af3ai etc41 though ,christ treats in this passage of binding and loosing sins1 not of taking the whole ,church captive and oppressing it with laws4 ,so this tyranny treats everything with its own lying words and violently wrests and perverts the words of ,god4 ,i admit indeed that ,christians ought to bear this accursed tyranny just as they would bear any other violence of this world1 according to ,christ's word3 ,if one strike thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him also the other4 ,matt4 #e3ci ,but this is my complaint1--that the godless pontiffs boastfully claim the right to do this1 that they pretend to be seeking the ,church's welfare with this ,babylon of theirs1 and that they foist this fiction upon all mankind4 ,for if they did these things1 and we suffered their violence1 well knowing1 both of us1 that it was godlessness and tyranny1 then we might number it among the things that tend to the mortifying of this life and the fulfilling of our baptism1 and might with a good conscience glory in the inflicted injury4 ,but now they seek to deprive us of this consciousness of our liberty1 and would have us believe that what they do is well done1 and must not be censured or complained of as wrongdoing4 ,being wolves1 they masquerade as shepherds2 being anti-christs1 they would be honored as ,christ4 ,solely in behalf of this freedom of conscience1 ,i lift my voice and confidently cry3 ,no laws may by any right be laid upon ,christians1 whether by men or angels1 without their consent2 for we are free from all things4 ,and if any laws are laid upon us1 we must bear them in such a way as to preserve the consciousness of our liberty1 and know and certainly affirm that the making of such laws is an injustice1 which we will bear and glory in1 giving heed not to justify the tyrant nor yet to rebel against his tyranny4 ,for who is he1 says ,peter1 that will harm you1 if ye be followers of that which is good8 #a ,pet4 #c3ac ,all things work together or good to the elect4 ,rom4 #h3bh ,nevertheless1 since but few know this glory of baptism and the blessedness of ,christian liberty1 and cannot know them because of the tyranny of the pope1 ,i for one will clear my skirts and salve my conscience by bringing this charge against the pope and all his papists3 ,unless they will abolish their laws and traditions1 and restore to ,christ's churches their liberty and have it taught among them1 they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this miserable captivity1 and the papacy is of a truth the kingdom of ,babylon1 yea1 of very ,antichrist6 ,for who is the man of sin and the son of perdition #b ,thess4 #b3c f4 but he that with his doctrines and his laws increases sins and the perdition of souls in the ,church1 while he sitteth in the ,church as if he were ,god8 ,all this the papal tyranny has fulfilled1 and more than fulfilled1 these many centuries2 it has extinguished faith1 obscured the sacraments and oppressed the ,gospel2 but its own laws1 which are not only impious and sacrilegious1 but even barbarous and foolish1 it has enjoined and multiplied world without end4 ,behold1 then1 our miserable captivity2 how the city doth sit solitary that was full of people6 ,how the mistress of the ,gentiles is become as a widow3 the princess of provinces made tributary6 ,there is none to comfort her1 all her friends have despised her4 ,lament4 #a3a f4 ,so many orders1 so many rites1 so many sects1 so many professions1 exertions and works1 in which ,christians are engaged1 until they lose sight of their baptism1 and for this swarm of locusts1 cankerworms and caterpillars ,joel #a3d not one of them is able to remember that he is baptised or what blessings his baptism brought him4 ,we should be even as little children1 newly baptised1 who are engaged in no efforts and no works1 but are free in every way1 secure and saved solely through the glory of their baptism4 ,for we are indeed little children1 continually baptised anew in ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,infant ,baptism ,in contradiction of what has been said1 some will perhaps point to the baptism of infants1 who do not grasp the promise of ,god and cannot have the faith of baptism2 so that either faith is not necessary or else infant baptism is without effect4 ,here ,i say what all say3 ,infants are aided by the faith of others1 namely1 those who bring them to baptism#ajd4 ,for the ,word of ,god is powerful1 when it is uttered1 to change even a godless heart1 which is no less deaf and helpless than any infant4 ,even so the infant is changed1 cleansed and renewed by inpoured faith1 through the prayer of the ,church that presents it for baptism and believes1 to which prayer all things are possible ,mark #i3bc4 ,nor should ,i doubt that even a godless adult might be changed1 in any of the sacraments1 if the same ,church prayed and presented him2 as we read in the ,gospel of the man sick of the palsy1 who was healed through the faith of others ,matt4 #i3a ff44 ,i should be ready to admit that in this sense the sacraments of the ,new ,law are efficacious to confer grace1 not only to those who do not1 but even to those who do most obstinately1 oppose a bar#aje4 ,what obstacle will not the faith of the ,church and the prayer of faith remove8 ,do we not believe that ,stephen by this powerful means converted ,paul the ,apostle8 ,but then the sacraments accomplish what they do not by their own power1 but by the power of faith1 without which they accomplish nothing at all1 as has been said#ajf4 ,there remains the question1 whether it is right to baptise an infant not yet born1 with only a hand or a foot presenting4 ,here ,i will decide nothing hastily1 and confess my ignorance4 ,i am not sure whether the reason given by some is sufficient1--that the soul resides in its entirety in every part of the body2 or it is not the soul but the body that is externally baptised with water4 ,nor do ,i share the view of others1 that he who is not yet born cannot be born again1 even though it has considerable force4 ,i leave these matters to the teaching of the ,spirit1 and meanwhile permit every one to abound in his own sense ,rom4 #ad3ae 7,vulg474 ,sidenote3 ,vows and the ,baptismal ,vow ,one thing ,i will add--and would to ,god ,i might persuade all to do it6--viz41 completely to abolish or avoid all vows1 be they vows to enter religious orders1 to make pilgrimages or to do any works whatsoever1 that we may remain in the liberty of our baptism1 which is the most religious and rich in works4 ,it is impossible to say how greatly that widespread delusion of vows lowers baptism and obscures the knowledge of ,christian liberty2 to say nothing now of the unspeakable and infinite peril of souls which that mania for making vows and that ill-advised rashness daily increase4 ,o most godless pontiffs and unhappy pastors1 who slumber on unheeding and indulge your evil lusts1 without pity or this affliction of ,joseph1 ,amos #f3d-f so dreadful and fraught with peril6 ,vows should either be abolished by a general edict1 particularly such as are taken for life1 and all men diligently recalled to the vows of baptism1 or else everyone should be warned not to take a vow rashly1 and no one encouraged to do so1 nay1 permission be given only with difficulty and reluctance4 ,for we have vowed enough in baptism1 nay1 more than we can ever fulfil2 if we give ourselves to the keeping of this one vow1 we shall have all we can do4 ,but now we compass earth and sea to make many proselytes ,matt4 #bc3ae2 we fill the world with priests1 monks and nuns1 and imprison them all in life-long vows4 ,you will find those who argue and decide that a work done in fulfilment of a vow ranks higher than one done without a vow1 and is to be rewarded with ,i know not what great rewards in heaven4 ,blind and godless ,pharisees1 who measure righteousness and holiness by the greatness1 number or other quality of the works6 ,but ,god measures them by faith alone1 and with ,him there is no difference between works except that which is wrought by faith4 ,with such bombast these wicked men advertise their inventions and puff up human works1 to lure on the unthinking populace1 who are almost always led by the glitter of works to make shipwreck of their faith1 to forget their baptism and do despite to their ,christian liberty4 ,for a vow is a kind of law or requirement2 therefore1 when vows are multiplied1 laws and works are necessarily multiplied1 and when this is done1 faith is extinguished and the liberty of baptism taken captive4 ,others1 not content with these wicked allurements1 add yet this and say that entrance into a religious order is a new baptism#ajg1 as it were1 which may afterward be repeated as often as the purpose to live the religious life is renewed4 ,thus these votaries have appropriated to themselves all righteousness1 salvation and glory1 and let to those who are merely baptised nothing to compare with them4 ,nay1 the ,roman pontiff1 that fountain and source of all superstitions1 confirms1 approves and adorns this mode of life with high-sounding bulls and dispensations1 while no one deems baptism worthy of even a thought4 ,and with such glittering pomp 7as we have said7#ajh they drive the easily led people of ,christ into certain disaster1 so that in their ingratitude toward baptism they presume to achieve greater things by their works than others achieve by their faith4 ,therefore1 ,god again shows ,himself froward to the froward ,ps4 #ah3bf1 and to repay the makers of vows for their ingratitude and pride1 causes them to break their vows or to keep them only with prodigious labor2 to remain sunk in them1 never coming to the knowledge of the grace of faith and baptism2 to continue in their hypocrisy unto the end--since their spirit is not approved of ,god--and at last to become a laughing-stock to the whole world1 ever ensuing righteousness and never attaining unto righteousness2 so that they fulfil the word of ,isaiah3 ,the land is full of idols4 ,isa4 #b3h ,i am indeed far from forbidding or discouraging any one who may desire to take a vow privately and of his own free choice2 for ,i would not altogether despise and condemn vows4 ,but ,i would most strongly advise against setting up and sanctioning the making of vows as a public mode of life4 ,it is enough that every one should have the private right to take a vow at his peril2 but to commend the vowing of vows as a public mode of life--this ,i hold to be most harmful to the ,church and to simple souls4 ,and ,i hold this1 first1 because it runs directly counter to the ,christian life2 for a vow is a certain ceremonial law and a human tradition or presumption1 and from these the ,christian has been set free through baptism4 ,for a ,christian is subject to no laws but the law of ,god4 ,again1 there is no instance in ,scripture of such a vow1 especially of life-long chastity1 obedience and poverty#aji4 ,but whatever is without warrant of ,scripture is hazardous and should by no means be commended to any one1 much less established as a common and public mode of life1 although whoever will must be permitted to make the venture at his own peril4 ,for certain works are wrought by the ,spirit in a few men1 but they must not be made an example or a mode of life or all4 ,moreover1 ,i greatly fear that these modes of life of the religious orders belong to those things which the ,apostle foretold3 ,they shall teach a life in hypocrisy1 forbidding to marry1 to abstain from meats1 which ,god hath created to be received with thanksgiving4 #a ,tim4 #d3b f4 ,let no one retort by pointing to ,sts4 ,bernard1 ,francis1 ,dominic and others1 who founded or fostered monastic orders4 ,terrible and marvelous is ,god in ,his counsels toward the sons of men4 ,he could keep ,daniel1 ,ananias1 ,azarias and ,misael holy at the court of the king of ,babylon ,dan #a3f ff41 that is1 in the midst of godlessness2 why could ,he not sanctify those men also in their perilous mode of living or guide them by the special operation of ,his ,spirit1 yet without desiring it to be an example to others8 ,besides1 it is certain that none of them was saved through his vows and his religious life2 they were saved through faith alone1 by which all men are saved1 and with which that splendid slavery of vows is more than anything else in conflict4 ,but every one may hold to his own view of this ,rom4 #ad3e4 ,i will return to my argument4 ,speaking now in behalf of the ,church's liberty and the glory of baptism1 ,i feel myself in duty bound publicly to set forth the counsel ,i have learned under the ,spirit's guidance4 ,i therefore counsel the magnates of the churches1 first of all1 to abolish all those vows1 or at least not to approve and extol them4 ,if they will not do this1 then ,i counsel all men who would be assured of their salvation1 to abstain from all vows1 above all from the great and life-long vows2 ,i give this counsel especially to all growing boys and youths4 ,this ,i do1 first1 because this manner of life has no witness or warrant in the ,scriptures1 as ,i have said1 but is puffed up solely by the bulls 7and they truly are bulls7#aaj of human popes4 ,and1 secondly1 because it greatly tends to hypocrisy1 by reason of its outward show and its unusual character1 which engender conceit and a contempt of the common ,christian life4 ,and if there were no other reason for abolishing these vows1 this one were reason enough1 namely1 that through them1 faith and baptism are slighted and works are exalted1 which cannot be done without harmful results4 ,for in the religious orders there is scarce one in many thousands1 who is not more concerned about works than about faith1 and on the basis of this madness they have even made distinctions among themselves1 such as the more strict and the more lax1 as they call them#aaa4 ,therefore ,i advise no one to enter any religious order or the priesthood--nay1 ,i dissuade everyone--unless he be forearmed with this knowledge and understand that the works of monks and priests1 be they never so holy and arduous1 differ no whit in the sight of ,god from the works of the rustic toiling in the field or the woman going about her household tasks1 but that all works are measured before ,him by faith alone2 as ,jeremiah says3 ,o ,lord1 thine eyes are upon faith ,jer4 #e3c2 and ,ecclesiasticus3 ,in every work of thine regard thy soul in faith3 for this is the keeping of the commandments4 ,eccles4 #cb3bg ,nay1 he should know that the menial housework of a maidservant or manservant is ofttimes more acceptable to ,god than all the fastings and other works of a monk or a priest1 because the latter lacks faith4 ,since1 therefore1 vows seem to tend nowadays only to the glorification of works and to pride1 it is to be feared that there is nowhere less of faith and of the ,church than among the priests1 monks and bishops1 and that these men are in truth heathen or hypocrites1 who imagine themselves to be the ,church or the heart of the ,church1 and spiritual1 and the ,church's leaders1 when they are everything else but that4 ,and it is to be feared that this is indeed the people of the captivity1 ,ps4 #fd3a 7,vulg47 among whom all things freely given us in baptism are held captive1 while the people of the earth are left behind in poverty and in small numbers1 and1 as is the lot of married folk1 appear vile in their eyes#aab4 ,sidenote3 ,papal ,dispensations and their ,inconsistency ,from what has been said we learn that the ,roman pontiff is guilty of two glaring errors4 ,in the first place1 he grants dispensations from vows#aac1 and does it as though he alone of all ,christians possessed this authority2 such is the temerity and audacity of wicked men4 ,if it be possible to grant a dispensation from a vow1 then any brother may grant one to his neighbor or even to himself4 ,but if one's neighbor cannot grant a dispensation1 neither can the pope by any right4 ,for whence has he his authority8 ,from the power of the keys8 ,but the keys belong to all1 and avail only for sins 7,matthew xviii7 ,matt4 #ah3ae ff4#aad4 ,now they themselves claim that vows are of divine right4 ,why then does the pope deceive and destroy the poor souls of men by granting dispensations in matters of divine right1 in which no dispensations can be granted8 ,he babbles indeed1 in the section ,of vows and their redemption1#aae of having the power to change vows1 just as in the law the firstborn of an ass was changed or a sheep ,ex4#ac3ac--;as if the firstborn of an ass1 and the vow he commands to be everywhere and always offered1 were one and the same thing1 or as if when ,god decrees in ,his law that a sheep shall be changed or an ass1 the pope1 a mere man1 may straightway claim the same power1 not in his own law but in ,god's6 ,it was not a pope1 but an ass changed for a pope#aaf1 that made this decretal2 so egregiously senseless and godless is it4 ,the other error is this4 ,the pope decrees1 on the other hand1 that marriage is dissolved if one party enter a monastery even without the consent of the other1 provided the marriage be not yet consummated4 ,gramercy1 what devil puts such monstrous things into the pope's mind6 ,god commands men to keep faith and not break their word to one another1 and again1 to do good with that which is their own2 for ,he hates robbery in a holocaust1 ,isa4 #fa3h as he says by the mouth of ,isaiah4 ,but one spouse is bound by the marriage contract to keep faith with the other1 and he is not his own4 ,he cannot break his faith by any right1 and whatever he does with himself is robbery if it be without the other's consent4 ,why does not one who is burdened with debts follow this same rule and obtain admission to an order1 so as to be released from his debts and be free to break his word8 ,o more than blind6 ,which is greater2 the faith commanded by ,god or a vow devised and chosen by man8 ,thou art a shepherd of souls1 ,o pope8 ,and ye that teach such things are doctors of sacred theology8 ,why then do ye teach them8 ,because1 forsooth1 ye have decked out your vow as a better work than marriage1 and do not exalt faith1 which alone exalts all things1 but ye exalt works1 which are naught in the sight of ,god1 or which are all alike so far as any merit is concerned#aag4 ,i have no doubt1 therefore1 that neither men nor angels can grant a dispensation from vows1 if they be proper vows4 ,but ,i am not fully clear in my own mind whether all the things that men nowadays vow come under the head of vows4 ,for instance1 it is simply foolish and stupid for parents to dedicate their children1 before birth or in early infancy1 to the religious life1 or to perpetual chastity2 nay1 it is certain that this can by no means be termed a vow4 ,it seems a mockery of ,god to vow things which it is not at all in one's power to keep4 ,as to the triple vow of the monastic orders1 the longer ,i consider it1 the less ,i comprehend it1 and ,i marvel whence the custom of exacting this vow has arisen4 ,still less do ,i understand at what age vows may be taken in order to be legal and valid4 ,i am pleased to find them unanimously agreed that vows taken before the age of puberty are not valid4 ,nevertheless1 they deceive many young children who are ignorant both of their age and of what they are vowing2 they do not observe the age of puberty in receiving such children1 who after making their profession are held captive and devoured by a troubled conscience1 as though they had afterward given their consent4 ,as if a vow which was invalid could afterward become valid with the lapse of time4 ,it seems absurd to me that the terms of a legal vow should be prescribed to others by those who cannot prescribe them for themselves4 ,nor do ,i see why a vow taken at eighteen years of age should be valid1 and not one taken at ten or twelve years4 ,it will not do to say that at eighteen a man feels his carnal desires4 ,how is it when he scarcely feels them at twenty or thirty1 or when he feels them more keenly at thirty than at twenty8 ,why do they not also set a certain age-limit or the vows of poverty and obedience8 ,but at what age will you say a man should feel his greed and pride8 ,even the most spiritual hardly become aware of these emotions4 ,therefore1 no vow will ever become binding and valid until we have become spiritual1 and no longer have any need of vows4 ,you see1 these are uncertain and perilous matters1 and it would therefore be a wholesome counsel to leave such lofty modes of living1 unhampered by vows1 to the ,spirit alone1 as they were of old1 and by no means to change them into a rule binding or life4 ,but let this suffice for the present concerning baptism and its liberty2 in due time#aah ,i may treat of the vows at greater length4 ,of a truth they stand sorely in need of it4 ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,penance ,we come in the third place to the sacrament of penance4 ,on this subject ,i have already given no little offence by my published treatises and disputations#aai1 in which ,i have amply set forth my views4 ,these ,i must now briefly rehearse1 in order to unmask the tyranny that is rampant here no less than in the sacrament of the bread4 ,for because these two sacraments furnish opportunity for gain and profit1 the greed of the shepherds rages in them with incredible zeal against the flock of ,christ2 although baptism1 too1 has sadly declined among adults and become the servant of avarice1 as we have just seen in our discussion of vows4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,abuse of ,penance ,this is the first and chief abuse of this sacrament3 ,they have utterly abolished the sacrament itself1 so that there penance is not a vestige of it left4 ,for they have overthrown both the word of divine promise and our faith1 in which this as well as other sacraments consists4 ,they have applied to their tyranny the word of promise which ,christ spake in ,matthew xvi1 ,whatsoever thou shalt bind1 etc4 ,matt4 #af3ai1 in ,matthew xviii1 ,whatsoever ye shall bind1 ,matt4 #ah3ah etc41 and in ,john1 the last chapter1 ,whose soever sins ye remit1 they are remitted unto them1 ,john #bj3bc etc4 ,in these words the faith of penitents is aroused1 to the obtaining of remission of sins4 ,but in all their writing1 teaching and preaching their sole concern has been1 not to teach ,christians what is promised in these words or what they ought to believe and what great comfort they might find in them1 but only to extend their own tyranny far and wide through force and violence1 until it has come to such a pass that some of them have begun to command the very angels in heaven#abj and to boast in incredible mad wickedness of having in these words obtained the right to a heavenly and an earthly rule1 and of possessing the power to bind even in heaven4 ,thus they say nothing of the saving faith of the people1 but babble only of the despotic power of the pontiffs1 whereas ,christ speaks not at all of power1 but only of faith4 ,for ,christ hath not ordained principalities or powers or lordships1 but ministries1 in the ,church2 as we learn from the ,apostle1 who says3 ,let a man so account of us as of the ministers of ,christ1 and the dispensers of the mysteries of ,god4 #a ,cor4 #d3a ,now when ,he said3 ,he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved1 ,mark #af3af ,he called forth the faith of those to be baptised1 so that by this word of promise a man might be certain of being saved if he believed and was baptised4 ,in that word there is no impartation of any power whatever1 but only the institution of the ministry of those who baptise4 ,similarly1 when ,he says here3 ,whatsoever thou shalt bind1 etc4 ,matt4 #af3ai1 ,he calls forth the faith of the penitent1 so that by this word of promise he may be certain of being truly absolved in heaven1 if he be absolved and believe4 ,here there is no mention at all of power1 but of the ministry of him that absolves4 ,it is a wonder these blind and overbearing men missed the opportunity of arrogating a despotic power to themselves from the promise of baptism4 ,but if they do not do this in the case of baptism1 why should they have presumed to do it in the case of the promise of penance8 ,for in both there is a like ministry1 a similar promise1 and the same kind of sacrament4 ,so that1 if baptism does not belong to ,peter alone1 it is undeniably a wicked usurpation of power to claim the keys for the pope alone4 ,again1 when ,christ says3 ,take1 eat2 this is my body1 which is given or you4 ,take1 drink2 this is the chalice in my blood1 etc4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bd f41 ,he calls forth the faith of those who eat1 so that through these words their conscience may be strengthened by faith and they may rest assured of receiving the forgiveness of sins1 if they have eaten4 ,here1 too1 ,he says nothing of power1 but only of a ministry4 ,thus the promise of baptism remains in some sort1 at least to infants2 the promise of bread and the cup has been destroyed and made subservient to greed1 faith becoming a work and the testament a sacrifice2 while the promise of penance has fallen prey to the most oppressive despotism of all and serves to establish a more than temporal rule4 ,not content with these things1 this ,babylon of ours has so completely extinguished faith that it insolently denies its necessity in this sacrament2 nay1 with the wickedness of ,antichrist it calls it heresy if any one should assert its necessity4 ,what more could this tyranny do that it has not done8 ,isa4 #e3d ,verily1 by the rivers of ,babylon we sit and weep1 when we remember thee1 ,o ,zion4 ,we hang our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof4 ,ps4 #acg3a1 #b ,the ,lord curse the barren willows of those streams6 ,amen4 ,now let us see what they have put in the place of the promise and the faith which they have blotted out and overthrown4 ,three parts have they made of penance1--contrition1 confession1 and satisfaction2 yet so as to destroy whatever of good there might be in any of them and to establish here also their covetousness and tyranny4 ,sidenote3 ,i4 ,contrition4 ,in the first place1 they teach that contrition precedes faith in the promise2 they hold it much too cheap#aba1 making it not a work of faith1 but a merit2 nay1 they do not mention it at all4 ,so deep are they sunk in works and in those instances of ,scripture that show how many obtained grace by reason of their contrition and humility of heart2 but they take no account of the faith which wrought such contrition and sorrow of heart1 as it is written of the men of ,nineveh in ,jonah iii1 ,and the men of ,nineveh believed in ,god3 and they proclaimed a fast1 ,jonah #c3e etc4 ,others1 again1 more bold and wicked1 have invented a so-called attrition1 which is converted into contrition by virtue of the power of the keys1 of which they know nothing#abb4 ,this attrition they grant to the wicked and unbelieving and thus abolish contrition altogether4 ,o the intolerable wrath of ,god1 that such things should be taught in the ,church of ,christ6 ,thus1 with both faith and its work destroyed1 we go on secure in the doctrines and opinions of men--yea1 we go on to our destruction4 ,a contrite heart is a precious thing1 but it is found only where there is a lively faith in the promises and the threats of ,god4 ,such faith1 intent on the immutable truth of ,god1 startles and terrifies the conscience and thus renders it contrite1 and afterwards1 when it is contrite1 raises it up1 consoles and preserves it2 so that the truth of ,god's threatening is the cause of contrition1 and the truth of ,his promise the cause of consolation1 if it be believed4 ,by such faith a man merits the forgiveness of sins4 ,therefore faith should be taught and aroused before all else2 and when faith is obtained1 contrition and consolation will follow inevitably and of themselves4 ,therefore1 although there is something of truth in their teaching that contrition is to be attained by what they call the recollection and contemplation of sins1 yet their teaching is perilous and perverse so long as they do not teach first of all the beginning and cause of contrition1--the immutable truth of ,god's threatening and promise1 to the awakening of faith1--so that men may learn to pay more heed to the truth of ,god1 whereby they are cast down and lifted up1 than to the multitude of their sins1 which will rather irritate and increase the sinful desires than lead to contrition1 if they be regarded apart from the truth of ,god4 ,i will say nothing now of the intolerable burden they have bound upon us with their demand that we should frame a contrition for every sin4 ,that is impossible2 we can know only the smaller part of our sins1 and even our good works are found to be sins1 according to ,psalm cxliii1 ,enter not into judgment with thy servant2 for in thy sight shall no man living be justified4 ,ps4 #adc3b ,it is enough to lament the sins which at the present moment distress our conscience1 as well as those which we can readily call to mind4 ,whoever is in this frame of mind is without doubt ready to grieve and fear for all his sins1 and will do so whenever they are brought to his knowledge in the future4 ,beware1 then1 of putting your trust in your own contrition and of ascribing the forgiveness of sins to your own sorrow4 ,god does not have respect to you because of that1 but because of the faith by which you have believed ,his threatenings and promises1 and which wrought such sorrow within you4 ,thus we owe whatever of good there may be in our penance1 not to our scrupulous enumeration of sins1 but to the truth of ,god and to our faith4 ,all other things are the works and fruits of this1 which follow of their own accord1 and do not make a man good1 but are done by a man already made good through faith in the truth of ,god4 ,even so1 a smoke goeth up in ,his wrath1 because ,he is angry and troubleth the mountains and kindleth them1 ,ps4 #ah3h as it is said in ,psalm xviii4 ,first comes the terror of ,his threatening1 which burns up the wicked1 then faith1 accepting this1 sends up the cloud of contrition1 etc4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,confession ,contrition1 however1 is less exposed to tyranny and gain than wholly given over to wickedness and pestilent teaching4 ,but confession and satisfaction have become the chief workshop of greed and violence4 ,let us first take up confession4 ,there is no doubt that confession is necessary and commanded of ,god4 ,thus we read in ,matthew iii3 ,they were baptised of ,john in ,jordan1 confessing their sins4 ,matt4 #c3f ,and in ,i ,john i3 ,if we confess our sins1 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins4 ,if we say that we have not sinned1 we make him a liar1 and his word is not in us4 #a ,john #a3i f4 ,if the saints may not deny their sin1 how much more ought those who are guilty of open and great sins#abc to make confession6 ,but most effectively of all does ,matthew xviii prove the institution of confession1 in which passage ,christ teaches that a sinning brother should be rebuked1 haled before the ,church1 accused and1 if he will not hear1 excommunicated4 ,but he hears when1 heeding the rebuke1 he acknowledges and confesses his sin4 ,matt4 #ah3ae ,sidenote3 ,private ,confession ,sidenote3 ,reserved ,cases ,of private confession1 which is now observed1 ,i am heartily in favor1 even though it cannot be proved from the ,scriptures2 it is useful and necessary1 nor would ,i have it abolished--nay1 ,i rejoice that it exists in the ,church of ,christ1 for it is a cure without an equal for distressed consciences4 ,for when we have laid bare our conscience to our brother and privately made known to him the evil that lurked within1 we receive from our brother's lips the word of comfort spoken by ,god ,himself2 and1 if we accept it in faith1 we find peace in the mercy of ,god speaking to us through our brother4 ,this alone do ,i abominate1--that this confession has been subjected to the despotism and extortion of the pontiffs4 ,they reserve#abd to themselves even hidden sins1 and command that they be made known to confessors named by them1 only to trouble the consciences of men4 ,they merely play the pontiff1 while they utterly despise the true duties of pontiffs1 which are to preach the ,gospel and to care for the poor4 ,yea1 the godless despots leave the great sins to the plain priests1 and reserve to themselves those sins only which are of less consequence1 such as those ridiculous and fictitious things in the bull ,coena domini#abe4 ,nay1 to make the wickedness of their error the more apparent1 they not only do not reserve1 but actually teach and approve1 the sins against the service of ,god1 against faith and the chief commandments2 such as their running on pilgrimages1 the perverse worship of the saints1 the lying saints' legends1 the various forms of trust in works and ceremonies1 and the practicing of them1 by all of which faith in ,god is extinguished and idolatry encouraged1 as we see in our day4 ,we have the same kind of priests to-day as ,jereboam ordained of old in ,dan and ,beersheba #a ,kings #ab3bf ff41--ministers of the golden calves1 men who are ignorant of the law of ,god1 of faith and of whatever pertains to the feeding of ,christ's sheep1 and who inculcate in the people nothing but their own inventions with terror and violence4 ,although my advice is that we bear this outrage of reserved cases1 even as ,christ bids us bear all the tyranny of men1 and teaches us that we must obey these extortioners2 nevertheless ,i deny that they have the right to make such reservations1 nor do ,i believe they can bring one jot or tittle of proof that they have it4 ,but ,i am going to prove the contrary4 ,in the first place1 ,christ1 speaking in ,matthew xviii of open sins1 says that if our brother shall hear us when we rebuke him1 we have saved the soul of our brother1 and that he is to be brought before the ,church only if he refuse to hear us2 so that his sin may be corrected among brethren4 ,how much more will it be true of hidden sins1 that they are forgiven if one brother freely makes confession to another8 ,so that it is not necessary to tell it to the ,church1 that is1 as these babblers interpret it1 the prelate or priest4 ,we have another proof of this in ,christ's words in the same chapter3 ,whatsoever you shall bind on earth1 shall be bound also in heaven2 and whatsoever you shall loose on earth1 shall be loosed in heaven4 ,matt4 #ah3ah ,for this is said to each and every ,christian4 ,again1 ,he says in the same place3 ,again ,i say to you1 that if two of you shall consent upon earth1 concerning anything whatsoever that they shall ask1 it shall be done to them by my ,father who is in heaven4 ,matt #ah3ai ,now1 the brother who lays his hidden sins before his brother and craves pardon1 certainly consents with his brother upon earth in the truth1 which is ,christ4 ,of which ,christ says yet more clearly1 confirming ,his preceding words3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 where two or three are gathered together in my name1 there am ,i in the midst of them4 ,matt4 #ah3bj ,hence1 ,i have no doubt but that every one is absolved from his hidden sins when he has made confession1 either of his own accord or after being rebuked1 has sought pardon and amended his ways1 privately before any brother1 however much the violence of the pontiffs may rage against it2 for ,christ has given to every one of ,his believers the power to absolve even open sins4 ,add yet this little point3 ,if any reservation of hidden sins were valid1 so that one could not be saved unless they were forgiven1 then a man's salvation would be prevented most of all by those aforementioned good works and idolatries1 which are nowadays taught by the popes4 ,but if these most grievous sins do not prevent one's salvation1 how foolish it is to reserve those lighter sins6 ,verily1 it is the foolishness and blindness of the pastors that produce these monstrous things in the ,church4 ,therefore ,i would admonish these princes of ,babylon and bishops of ,bethaven ,hosea #d3ae2 #aj3e to refrain from reserving any cases whatsoever4 ,let them1 moreover1 permit all brothers and sisters freely to hear the confession of hidden sins1 so that the sinner may make his sins known to whomever he will and seek pardon and comfort1 that is1 the word of ,christ1 by the mouth of his neighbor4 ,for with these presumptions of theirs they only ensnare the consciences of the weak without necessity1 establish their wicked despotism1 and fatten their avarice on the sins and ruin of their brethren4 ,thus they stain their hands with the blood of souls1 sons are devoured by their parents1 ,ephraim devours ,juda1 and ,syria ,israel with open mouth1 as ,isaiah saith ,isa #i3bj4 ,sidenote3 ,circumstances ,to these evils they have added the circumstances1#abf and also the mothers1 daughters1 sisters1 brothers- and sisters-in-law1 branches and fruits of sins2 since1 forsooth1 astute and idle men have worked out a kind of family tree of relationships and affinities even among sins--so prolific is wickedness coupled with ignorance4 ,for this conceit1 whatever rogue be its author1 has like many another become a public law4 ,thus do the shepherds keep watch over the ,church of ,christ2 whatever new work or superstition those stupid devotees may have dreamed of1 they straightway drag to the light of day1 deck out with indulgences and safeguard with bulls2 so far are they from suppressing it and preserving to ,god's people the true faith and liberty4 ,for what has our liberty to do with the tyranny of ,babylon8 ,my advice would be to ignore all circumstances utterly4 ,with ,christians there is only one circumstance1--that a brother has sinned4 ,for there is no person to be compared with a ,christian brother4 ,and the observance of places1 times1 days1 persons1 and all other superstitious moonshine1 only magnifies the things that are nothing1 to the injury of those which are everything2 as if aught could be greater or of more importance than the glory of ,christian brotherhood6 ,thus they bind us to places1 days and persons1 that the name of brother may be lightly esteemed1 and we may serve in bondage instead of being free--we to whom all days1 places1 persons1 and all external things are one and the same4 ,sidenote3 #c4 ,satisfaction ,how unworthily they have dealt with satisfaction1 ,i have abundantly shown in the controversies concerning indulgences#abg4 ,they have grossly abused it1 to the ruin of ,christians in body and soul4 ,to begin with1 they taught it in such a manner that the people never learned what satisfaction really is1 namely1 the renewal of a man's life4 ,then1 they so continually harp on it and emphasize its necessity1 that they leave no room for faith in ,christ4 ,with these scruples they torture poor consciences to death1 and one runs to ,rome1 one to this place1 another to that1 this one to ,chartreuse1 that one to some other place1 one scourges himself with rods1 another ruins his body with fasts and vigils1 and all cry with the same mad zeal1 ,lo here is ,christ6 lo there6 ,luke #ag3bj f4 believing that the kingdom of heaven1 which is within us1 will come with observation#abh4 ,for these monstrous things we are indebted to thee1 ,o ,roman ,see1 and thy murderous laws and ceremonies1 with which thou hast corrupted all mankind1 so that they think by works to make satisfaction or sin to ,god1 ,who can be satisfied only by the faith of a contrite heart6 ,this faith thou not only keepest silent with this uproar of thine1 but even oppressest1 only so thy insatiable horseleech have those to whom it may say1 ,bring1 bring6 ,prov4 #cj3ae and may traffic in sins4 ,some have gone even farther and have constructed those instruments for driving souls to despair1--their decrees that the penitent must rehearse all sins anew for which he neglected to make the imposed satisfaction4 ,yea1 what would not they venture to do1 who were born for the sole purpose of carrying all things into a tenfold captivity8 ,moreover1 how many are possessed with the notion that they are in a saved state and are making satisfaction for their sins1 if they but mumble over1 word for word1 the prayers the priest has imposed1 even though they give never a thought meanwhile to amending their life6 ,they believe that their life is changed in the one moment of contrition and confession1 and it remains only to make satisfaction for their past sins4 ,how should they know better1 when they are not taught otherwise8 ,no thought is given here to the mortifying of the flesh1 no value is attached to the example of ,christ1 ,who absolved the woman taken in adultery and said to her1 ,go1 and sin no more6 ,john #h3aa thereby laying upon her the cross--the mortifying of her flesh4 ,this perverse error is greatly encouraged by our absolving sinners before the satisfaction has been completed1 so that they are more concerned about completing the satisfaction which lies before them1 than they are about contrition1 which they suppose to be past and over when they have made confession4 ,absolution ought rather to follow on the completion of satisfaction1 as it did in the ancient ,church1 with the result that1 after completing the work1 penitents gave themselves with greater diligence to faith and the living of a new life4 ,but this must suffice in repetition of what ,i have more fully said on indulgences1 and in general this must suffice for the present concerning the three sacraments1 which have been treated1 and yet not treated1 in so many harmful books1 theological as well as juristic4 ,it remains to attempt some discussion of the other sacraments also1 lest ,i seem to have rejected them without cause4 ,,confirmation ,i wonder what could have possessed them to make a sacrament of confirmation out of the laying on of hands1 which ,christ employed when ,he blessed young children ,mark #aj3af1 and the apostles when they imparted the ,holy ,spirit ,acts #h3ag2 ,acts #ai3f2 ,acts #f3f2 ,mark #af3ah1 ordained elders and cured the sick1 as the ,apostle writes to ,timothy1 ,lay hands suddenly on no man4 #a ,tim4 #e3bb ,why have they not also turned the sacrament of the bread into confirmation8 ,for it is written in ,acts ix1 ,and when he had taken meat he was strengthened1#abi and in ,psalm civ1 ,and that bread may cheer#acj man's heart4 ,ps4 #ajd3ae ,confirmation would thus include three sacraments--the bread1 ordination1 and confirmation itself4 ,but if everything the apostles did is a sacrament1 why have they not rather made preaching a sacrament8 ,i do not say this because ,i condemn the seven sacraments1 but because ,i deny that they can be proved from the ,scriptures4 ,would to ,god we had in the ,church such a laying on of hands as there was in apostolic times1 whether we called it confirmation or healing6 ,but there is nothing left of it now but what we ourselves have invented to adorn the office of the bishops1 that they may have at least something to do in the ,church4 ,for after they relinquished to their inferiors those arduous sacraments together with the ,word1 as being too common for themselves1--since1 forsooth1 whatever the divine ,majesty has instituted must needs be despised of men6--it was no more than right that we should discover something easy and not too burdensome for such delicate and great heroes to do1 and should by no means entrust it to the lower clergy as something common--for whatever human wisdom has decreed must needs be held in honor among men6 ,therefore1 as are the priests1 so let their ministry and duty be4 ,for a bishop who does not preach the ,gospel or care for souls #a ,cor4 #h3d1 what is he but an idol in the world1 having but the name and appearance of a bishop8 ,but we seek1 instead of this1 sacraments that have been divinely instituted1 among which we see no reason for numbering confirmation4 ,for1 in order that there be a sacrament1 there is required above all things a word of divine promise1 whereby faith may be trained4 ,but we read nowhere that ,christ ever gave a promise concerning confirmation1 although ,he laid hands on many and included the laying on of hands among the signs in ,mark xvi3 ,they shall lay their hands on the sick1 and they shall recover4 ,mark #af3ah ,yet no one referred this to a sacrament1 nor can this be done4 ,hence it is sufficient to regard confirmation as a certain churchly rite or sacramental ceremony1 similar to other ceremonies1 such as the blessing of holy water and the like4 ,for if every other creature is sanctified by the word and by prayer #a ,tim4 #d3d f41 why should not much rather man be sanctified by the same means8 ,still1 these things cannot be called sacraments of faith1 because there is no divine promise connected with them1 neither do they save2 but sacraments do save those who believe the divine promise4 ,,marriage ,not only is marriage regarded as a sacrament without the least warrant of ,scripture1 but the very traditions which extol it as a sacrament have turned it into a farce4 ,let me explain4 ,we said#aca that there is in every sacrament a word of divine promise1 to be believed by whoever receives the sign1 and that the sign alone cannot be a sacrament4 ,now we read nowhere that the man who marries a wife receives any grace of ,god4 ,nay1 there is not even a divinely instituted sign in marriage1 for nowhere do we read that marriage was instituted by ,god to be a sign of anything4 ,to be sure1 whatever takes place in a visible manner may be regarded as a type or figure of something invisible2 but types and figures are not sacraments in the sense in which we use this term4 ,furthermore1 since marriage existed from the beginning of the world and is still found among unbelievers1 it cannot possibly be called a sacrament of the ,new ,law and the exclusive possession of the ,church4 ,the marriages of the ancients were no less sacred than are ours1 nor are those of unbelievers less true marriages than those of believers1 and yet they are not regarded as sacraments4 ,besides1 there are even among believers married folk who are wicked and worse than any heathen2 why should marriage be called a sacrament in their case and not among the heathen8 ,or are we going to prate so foolishly of baptism and the ,church as to hold that marriage is a sacrament only in the ,church1 just as some make the mad claim that temporal power exists only in the ,church8 ,that is childish and foolish talk1 by which we expose our ignorance and our arrogance to the ridicule of unbelievers4 ,but they will say3 ,the ,apostle writes in ,ephesians v1 ,they shall be two in one flesh4 ,this is a great sacrament4 ,eph4 #e3ca f4 ,surely you are not going to contradict so plain a statement of the ,apostle6 ,i reply3 ,this argument1 like the others1 betrays great shallowness and a negligent and thoughtless reading of ,scripture4 ,nowhere in ,holy ,scripture is this word sacrament employed in the meaning to which we are accustomed2 it has an entirely different meaning4 ,for wherever it occurs it signifies not the sign of a sacred thing1 but a sacred1 secret1 hidden thing4 ,thus ,paul writes in i ,corinthians iv1 ,let a man so account of us as the ministers of ,christ1 and dispensers of the mysteries#acb--;i4 e41 sacraments--of ,god4 #a ,cor4 #d3a ,where we have the word sacrament the ,greek text reads mystery1 which word our version sometimes translates and sometimes retains in its ,greek form4 ,thus our verse reads in the ,greek3 ,they shall be two in one flesh2 this is a great mystery4 ,eph4 #e3ca ,this explains how they came to find a sacrament of the ,new ,law here--a thing they would never have done if they had read the word mystery1 as it is in the ,greek#acc4 ,thus ,christ ,himself is called a sacrament in ,i ,timothy iii1 ,and evidently great is the sacrament--i4 e41 mystery--of godliness1 which was manifested in the flesh1 was justified in the spirit1 appeared unto angels1 hath been preached unto the ,gentiles1 is believed by the world1 is taken up in glory4#a ,tim4 #c3afacd ,why have they not drawn out of this passage an eighth sacrament of the ,new ,law1 since they have the clear authority of ,paul8 ,but if they restrained themselves here1 where they had a most excellent opportunity to unearth a new sacrament1 why are they so wanton in the former passage8 ,it was their ignorance1 forsooth1 of both words and things2 they clung to the mere sound of the words1 nay1 to their own fancies4 ,for1 having once arbitrarily taken the word sacrament to mean a sign1 they straightway1 without thought or scruple1 made a sign of it every time they came upon it in the ,sacred ,scriptures4 ,such new meanings of words and such human customs they have also elsewhere dragged into ,holy ,writ1 and conformed it to their dreams1 making anything out of any passage whatsoever4 ,thus they continually chatter nonsense about the terms3 good and evil works1 sin1 grace1 righteousness1 virtue1 and wellnigh every one of the fundamental words and things4 ,for they employ them all after their own arbitrary judgment1 learned from the writings of men1 to the detriment both of the truth of ,god and of our salvation4 ,therefore1 sacrament1 or mystery1 in ,paul's writings1 is that wisdom of the ,spirit1 hidden in a mystery #a ,cor4 #b3g ff41 as he says in i ,corinthians ii1 which is ,christ1 ,who is for this very reason not known to the princes of this world1 wherefore they also crucified ,him1 and ,who still is to them foolishness1 an offense1 a stone of stumbling #a ,cor4 #a3bc2 ,rom4 #i3cc1 and a sign which is spoken against ,luke #b3cd4 ,the preachers he calls dispensers of these mysteries because they preach ,christ1 the power and the wisdom of ,god #a ,cor4 #a3bc f42 #d3a1 yet so that one cannot receive this unless one believe4 ,therefore1 a sacrament is a mystery1 or secret thing1 which is set forth in words and is received by the faith of the heart4 ,such a sacrament is spoken of in the verse before us--,they shall be two in one flesh4 ,this is a great sacrament,eph #e3ca--which they understand as spoken of marriage1 whereas ,paul wrote these words of ,christ and the ,church1 and clearly explained his meaning by adding1 ,but ,i speak in ,christ and in the ,church4 ,ay1 how well they agree with ,paul6 ,he declares he is setting forth a great sacrament in ,christ and the ,church1 but they set it forth in a man and a woman6 ,if such wantonness be permitted in the ,sacred ,scriptures1 it is small wonder if one find there anything one please1 even a hundred sacraments4 ,christ and the ,church are1 therefore1 a mystery1 that is1 a great and secret thing1 which it was possible and proper#ace to represent by marriage as by a certain outward allegory1 but that was no reason for their calling marriage a sacrament4 ,the heavens are a type of the apostles1 as ,psalm xix declares2 the sun is a type of ,christ2 the waters1 of the peoples ,ps4 #ai3a ff42 but that does not make those things sacraments1 for in every case there are lacking both the divine institution and the divine promise1 which constitute a sacrament4 ,hence ,paul1 in ,ephesians v1 following his own mind#acf1 applies to ,christ these words in ,genesis ii about marriage1 or else1 following the general view1#acf he teaches that the spiritual marriage of ,christ is also contained therein1 saying3 ,as ,christ cherisheth the ,church3 because we are members of his body1 of his flesh and of his bones4 ,for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother1 and shall cleave to his wife1 and they shall be two in one flesh4 ,this is a great sacrament2 ,i speak in ,christ and in the ,church4 ,eph4 #e3bi ff4 ,you see1 he would have the whole passage apply to ,christ1 and is at pains to admonish the reader to find the sacrament in ,christ and the ,church1 and not in marriage4#acg ,therefore we grant that marriage is a type of ,christ and the ,church1 and a sacrament1 yet not divinely instituted1 but invented by men in the ,church1 carried away by their ignorance both of the word and of the thing4 ,which ignorance1 since it does not conflict with the faith1 is to be charitably borne with1 just as many other practices of human weakness and ignorance are borne with in the ,church1 so long as they do not conflict with the faith and with the ,word of ,god4 ,but we are now dealing with the certainty and purity of the faith and the ,scriptures2 so that our faith be not exposed to ridicule1 when after affirming that a certain thing is contained in the ,sacred ,scriptures and in the articles of our faith1 we are refuted and shown that it is not contained therein1 and1 being found ignorant of our own affairs1 become a stumbling-block to our opponents and to the weak2 nay1 that we destroy not the authority of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,for those things which have been delivered to us by ,god in the ,sacred ,scriptures must be sharply distinguished from those that have been invented by men in the ,church1 it matters not how eminent they be for saintliness and scholarship4 ,sidenote3 ,hindrances to ,marriage ,so far concerning marriage itself4 ,but what shall we say of the wicked laws of men by which this divinely ordained manner of life is ensnared and tossed to and fro8 ,good ,god6 it is dreadful to contemplate the audacity of the ,roman despots1 who wantonly tear marriages asunder and again force them together4 ,prithee1 is mankind given over to the wantonness of these men1 for them to mock and in every way abuse and make of them whatever they please1 for filthy lucre's sake8 ,there is circulating far and wide and enjoying a great reputation1 a book whose contents have been poured together out of the cesspool of all human traditions1 and whose title is ,the ,angelic ,sum1#ach though it ought rather to be ,the ,more than ,devilish ,sum4 ,among endless other monstrosities1 which are supposed to instruct the confessors1 while they most mischievously confuse them1 there are enumerated in this book eighteen hindrances to marriage#aci4 ,if you will examine these with the just and unprejudiced eye of faith1 you will see that they belong to those things which the ,apostle foretold3 ,there shall be those that give heed to spirits of devils1 speaking lies in hypocrisy1 forbidding to marry4 #a ,tim4 #d3a ff4 ,what is forbidding to marry if it is not this--to invent all those hindrances and set those snares1 in order to prevent men from marrying or1 if they be married1 to annul their marriage8 ,who gave this power to men8 ,granted that they were holy men and impelled by godly zeal1 why should another's holiness disturb my liberty8 why should another's zeal take me captive8 ,let whoever will1 be a saint and a zealot1 and to his heart's content2 only let him not bring harm upon another1 and let him not rob me of my liberty6 ,yet ,i am glad that those shameful laws have at length attained to their full measure of glory1 which is this3 the ,romanists of our day have through them become merchants4 ,what is it they sell8 ,the shame of men and women--merchandise1 forsooth1 most worthy of such merchants1 grown altogether filthy and obscene through greed and godlessness4 ,for there is nowadays no hindrance that may not be legalised upon the intercession of mammon1 so that these laws of men seem to have sprung into existence for the sole purpose of serving those grasping and robbing ,nimrods as snares for taking money and as nets for catching souls1 and in order that that abomination might stand in the holy place1 ,matt4 #bd3ae the ,church of ,god1 and openly sell to men the shame of either sex1 or as the ,scriptures say1 shame and nakedness1 ,lev4 #ac3f ff4 of which they had previously robbed them by means of their laws4 ,o worthy trade for our pontiffs to ply1 instead of the ministry of the ,gospel1 which in their greed and pride they despise1 being delivered up to a reprobate sense with utter shame and infamy4 ,rom4 #a3bh ,but what shall ,i say or do8 ,if ,i enter into details1 the treatise will grow to inordinate length1 for everything is in such dire confusion one does not know where to begin1 whither to go on1 or where to leave off4 ,i know that no state is well governed by means of laws4 ,if the magistrate be wise1 he will rule more prosperously by natural bent than by laws4 ,if he be not wise1 he will but further the evil by means of laws2 for he will not know what use to make of the laws nor how to adapt them to the individual case4 ,more stress ought1 therefore1 to be laid1 in civil affairs1 on putting good and wise men in office than on making laws2 for such men will themselves be the very best laws1 and will judge every variety of case with lively justice4 ,and if there be knowledge of the divine law combined with natural wisdom1 then written laws will be entirely superfluous and harmful4 ,above all1 love needs no laws whatever#adj4 ,nevertheless ,i will say and do what ,i can4 ,i admonish and pray all priests and brethren#ada1 when they encounter any hindrance from which the pope can grant dispensation and which is not expressly contained in the ,scriptures1 by all means to confirm#adb any marriage that may have been contracted#adc in any way contrary to the ecclesiastical or pontifical laws4 ,but let them arm themselves with the divine law1 which says1 ,what ,god hath joined together1 let no man put asunder4 ,matt4 #ai3f ,for the joining together of a man and a woman is of divine law and is binding1 however it may conflict with the laws of men2 the laws of men must give way before it without hesitation4 ,for if a man leaves father and mother and cleaves to his wife1 how much more will he tread underfoot the silly and wicked laws of men#add in order to cleave to his wife6 ,and if pope1 bishop or official#ade annul any marriage because it was contracted contrary to the laws of men1 he is antichrist1 he does violence to nature1 and is guilty of lese-majesty toward ,god1 because this word stands1--,what ,god hath joined together1 let no man put asunder4 ,matt4 #ai3f ,besides this1 no man had the right to frame such laws1 and ,christ has granted to ,christians a liberty which is above all laws of men1 especially where a law of ,god conflicts with them4 ,thus it is said in ,mark ii1 ,the ,son of man is lord also of the sabbath1 ,mark #b3bh and1 ,the sabbath was made for man1 not man for the sabbath4 ,mark #b3bg ,moreover1 such laws were condemned beforehand by ,paul1 when he foretold that there would be men forbidding to marry #a ,tim4 #d3c4 ,here1 therefore1 those cruel hindrances arising from affinity1 spiritual or legal relationship#adf1 and consanguinity must give way1 so far as the ,scriptures permit1 in which the second degree of consanguinity alone is prohibited4 ,thus it is written in ,leviticus xviii1 in which chapter there are twelve persons a man is prohibited from marrying2 namely1 his mother1 his mother-in-law1 his full sister1 his half-sister by either parent1 his granddaughter1 his father's or mother's sister1 his daughter-in-law1 his brother's wife1 his wife's sister1 his stepdaughter1 and his uncle's wife4 ,lev4 #ah3f ff4 ,here only the first degree of affinity and the second degree of consanguinity are forbidden2 yet not without exception1 as will appear on closer examination1 for the brother's or sister's daughter1 or the niece1 is not included in the prohibition1 although she is in the second degree4 ,therefore1 if a marriage has been contracted outside of these degrees1 it should by no means be annulled on account of the laws of men1 since it is nowhere written in the ,bible that any other degrees were prohibited by ,god4 ,marriage itself1 as of divine institution1 is incomparably superior to any laws2 so that marriage should not be annulled for the sake of the laws1 rather should the laws be broken for the sake of marriage4 ,that nonsense about conpaternities1 conmaternities1 confraternities1 consororities1 and confilieties must therefore be altogether abolished1 when a marriage has been contracted4 ,what was it but the superstition of men that invented those spiritual relationships8#adg ,if one may not marry the person one has baptised or stood sponsor for1 what right has any ,christian to marry any other ,christian8 ,is the relationship that grows out of the external rite1 or the sign1 of the sacrament more intimate that that which grows out of the blessing#adh of the sacrament itself8 ,is not a ,christian man brother to a ,christian woman1 and is not she his sister8 ,is not a baptised man the spiritual brother of a baptised woman8 ,how foolish we are6 ,if a man instruct his wife in the ,gospel and in faith in ,christ and thus become truly her father in ,christ1 would it not be right for her to remain his wife8 ,would not ,paul have had the right to marry a maiden out of the ,corinthian congregation1 of whom he boasts that he has begotton them all in ,christ8 #a ,cor4 #d3ae ,lo1 thus has ,christian liberty been suppressed through the blindness of human superstition4 ,there is even less in the legal relationship#adi1 and yet they have set it above the divine right of marriage4 ,nor would ,i recognise that hindrance which they term disparity of religion1#aej and which forbids one to marry any unbaptised person1 even on condition that she become converted to the faith4 ,who made this prohibition8 ,god or man8 ,who gave to men the power to prohibit such a marriage8 ,the spirits1 forsooth1 that speak lies in hypocrisy1 as ,paul says #a ,tim #d3a4 ,of them it must be said3 ,the wicked have told me fables2 but not as thy law4 ,ps4 #aai3he ,the heathen ,patricius married the ,christian ,monica1 the mother of ,st4 ,augustine2 why should not the same be permitted nowadays8 ,the same stupid1 nay1 wicked cruelty is seen in the hindrance of crime1#aea--;as when a man has married a woman with whom he had lived in adultery1 or when he plotted to bring about the death of a woman's husband in order to be able to wed the widow4 ,i pray you1 whence comes this cruelty of man toward man1 which even ,god never demanded8 ,do they pretend not to know that ,bathsheba1 the wife of ,uriah1 was wed by ,david1 a most saintly man1 after the double crime of adultery and murder8 ,if the divine law did this1 what do these despotic men to their fellowservants8 ,another hindrance is that which they call the hindrance of a tie1#aeb--;as when a man is bound by being betrothed to another woman4 ,here they decide that1 if he has had carnal knowledge of the second1 the betrothal with the first becomes null and void4 ,this ,i do not understand at all4 ,i hold that he who has betrothed himself to one woman belongs no longer to himself1 and because of this act1 by the prohibition of the divine law1 he belongs to the first1 though he has not known her1 even if he has known the second4 ,for it was not in his power to give the latter what was no longer his own2 he deceived her and actually committed adultery4 ,but they regard the matter differently because they pay more heed to the carnal union than to the divine command1 according to which the man1 having plighted his troth to the first1 is bound to keep it for ever4 ,for whoever would give anything must give of that which is his own4 ,and ,god forbids a man to overreach or circumvent his brother in any matter #a ,thess4 #d3f4 ,this prohibition must be kept1 over and above all the traditions of all men4 ,therefore1 the man in the above case cannot with a good conscience live in marriage with the second woman1 and this hindrance should be completely overthrown4 ,for if a monastic vow make a man to be no longer his own1 why does not a promise of betrothal given and received do the same8--since this#aec is one of the precepts and fruits of the ,spirit 7,galatians v7 ,gal4 #e3bb f42 ,eph4 #e3i1 while a monastic vow is of human invention4 ,and if a wife may claim her husband despite the act that he has taken a monastic vow1 why may not a bride claim her betrothed1 even though he has known another8 ,but we said above#aed that he who has plighted his troth to a maiden ought not to take a monastic vow1 but is in duty bound to keep faith with her1 which faith he cannot break for any tradition of men1 because it is commanded by ,god4 ,much more should the man here keep faith with his first bride1 since he could not plight his troth to a second save with a lying heart1 and therefore did not really plight it1 but deceived her1 his neighbor1 against ,god's command4 ,therefore1 the hindrance of error#aee enters in here1 by which his marriage to the second woman is rendered null and void4 ,the hindrance of ordination#aef also is a lying invention of men1 especially since they prate that even a contracted marriage is annulled by it4 ,thus they constantly exalt their traditions above the commands of ,god4 ,i do not indeed sit in judgment on the present state of the priestly order1 but ,i observe that ,paul charges a bishop to be the husband of one wife #a ,tim4 #c3b2 hence no marriage of deacon1 priest1 bishop or any other order can be annulled1--although it is true that ,paul knew nothing of this species of priests1 and of the orders that we have to-day4 ,perish those cursed human traditions1 which have crept into the ,church only to multiply perils1 sins and evils6 ,there exists1 therefore1 between a priest and his wife a true and indissoluble marriage1 approved by the divine commandment4 ,but what if wicked men in sheer despotism prohibit or annul it8 ,so be it6 ,let it be wrong among men2 it is nevertheless right before ,god1 ,whose command must needs take precedence if it conflicts with the commands of men4 ,an equally lying invention is that hindrance of public decency1#aeg by which contracted marriages are annulled4 ,i am incensed at that barefaced wickedness which is so ready to put asunder what ,god hath joined together that one may well scent antichrist in it1 for it opposes all that ,christ has done and taught4 ,what earthly reason is there for holding that no relative of a deceased husband1 even to the fourth degree1 may marry the latter's widow8 ,that is not a judgment#aeh of public decency1 but ignorance#aeh of public decency4 ,why was not this judgment of public decency found among the people of ,israel1 who were endowed with the best laws1 the laws of ,god8 ,on the contrary1 the next of kin was even compelled by the law of ,god to marry the widow of his relative ,deut4 #be3e4 ,must the people of ,christian liberty be burdened with severer laws than the people of legal bondage8 ,but1 to make an end of these figments1 rather than hindrances--thus far there seem to me to be no hindrances that may justly annul a contracted marriage save these3 impotence of the husband1 ignorance of a previously contracted marriage1 and a vow of chastity4 ,still1 concerning the last1 ,i am to this day so far from certain that ,i do not know at what age such a vow is to be regarded as binding2 as ,i also said above in discussing the sacrament of baptism#aei4 ,thus you may learn1 from this one question of marriage1 how wretchedly and desperately all the activities of the ,church have been confused1 hindered1 ensnared1 and subjected to danger through the pestilent1 ignorant and wicked traditions of men1 so that there is no hope of betterment unless we abolish at one stroke all the laws of all men1 restore the ,gospel of liberty1 and by it judge and rule all things4 ,amen4 ,sidenote3 ,impotence ,we have to speak1 then1 of sexual impotence1 that we may the more readily advise the souls that are in peril4#afj ,but first ,i wish to state that what ,i have said of hindrances is intended to apply after a marriage has been contracted2 no marriage should be annulled by any such hindrance4 ,but as to marriages which are to be contracted1 ,i would briefly repeat what ,i said above#afa4 ,under the stress of youthful passion or of any other necessity for which the pope grants dispensation1 any brother may grant a dispensation to another or even to himself1 and following that counsel snatch his wife out of the power of the tyrannical laws as best he can4 ,for with what right am ,i deprived of my liberty by another's superstition and ignorance8 ,if the pope grants a dispensation for money1 why should not ,i1 for my soul's salvation1 grant a dispensation to myself or to my brother8 ,does the pope set up laws8 ,let him set them up or himself1 and keep hands off my liberty2 else ,i will take it by stealth6 ,now let us discuss the matter of impotence4 ,take the following case4 ,a woman1 wed to an impotent man1 is unable to prove her husband's impotence before court1 or perhaps she is unwilling to do so with the mass of evidence and all the notoriety which the law demands2 yet she is desirous of having children or is unable to remain continent4 ,now suppose ,i had counseled her to demand a divorce from her husband in order to marry another1 satisfied that her own and her husband's conscience and their experience were ample testimony of his impotence2 but the husband refused his consent to this4 ,then suppose ,i should further counsel her1 with the consent of the man 7who is not really her husband1 but merely a dweller under the same roof with her71 to give herself to another1 say her husband's brother1 but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children to the so-called putative father4 ,the question is3 ,is such a woman in a saved state8 ,i answer1 ,certainly4 ,because in this case the error and ignorance of the man's impotence are a hindrance to the marriage2 the tyranny of the laws permits no divorce2 the woman is free through the divine law1 and cannot be compelled to remain continent4 ,therefore the man ought to yield her this right1 and let another man have her as wife whom he has only in outward appearance4 ,moreover1 if the man will not give his consent1 or agree to this division1--rather than allow the woman to burn or to commit adultery1 ,i should counsel her to contract a marriage with another and flee to distant parts unknown4 ,what other counsel could be given to one constantly in danger from lust8 ,now ,i know that some are troubled by the act that then the children of this secret marriage are not the rightful heirs of their putative father4 ,but if it was done with the consent of the husband1 then the children will be the rightful heirs4 ,if1 however1 it was done without his knowledge or against his will1 then let unbiased ,christian reason1 nay1 let ,christian charity1 decide which of the two has done the greater injury to the other4 ,the wife alienates the inheritance1 but the husband has deceived his wife and is completely defrauding her of her body and her life4 ,is not the sin of the man who wastes his wife's body and life a greater sin than that of the woman who merely alienates the temporal goods of her husband8 ,let him1 therefore1 agree to a divorce1 or else be satisfied with strange heirs2 for by his own fault he deceived the innocence of a maiden and defrauded her of the proper use of her body1 besides giving her a wellnigh irresistible opportunity to commit adultery4 ,let both be weighed in the same scales4 ,certainly1 by every right1 deceit should all back on the deceiver1 and whoever has done an injury must make it good4 ,what is the difference between such a husband and the man who holds another's wife captive together with her husband8 ,is not such a tyrant compelled to support wife and children and husband1 or else to set them free8 ,why should not the same hold here8 ,therefore ,i maintain that the man should be compelled either to submit to a divorce or to support the other man's child as his heir4 ,doubtless this would be the judgment of charity4 ,in that case1 the impotent man1 who is not really the husband1 should support the heirs of his wife in the same spirit in which he would at great cost wait on his wife if she fell sick or suffered some other ill2 for it is by his fault and not by his wife's that she suffers this ill4 ,this have ,i set forth to the best of my ability1 for the strengthening of anxious consciences1 being desirous to bring my afflicted brethren in this captivity what little comfort ,i can4#afb ,sidenote3 ,divorce ,as to divorce1 it is still a moot question whether it be allowable4 ,for my part ,i so greatly detest divorce that ,i should prefer bigamy to it1#afc but whether it be allowable1 ,i do not venture to decide4 ,christ ,himself1 the ,chief ,pastor#afd1 says in ,matthew v1 ,whosoever shall put away his wife1 excepting for the cause of fornication1 maketh her commit adultery2 and he that shall marry her that is put away1 committeth adultery4 ,matt4 #e3cb ,christ1 then1 permits divorce1 but for the cause of fornication only4 ,the pope must1 therefore1 be in error whenever he grants a divorce for any other cause1 and no one should feel safe who has obtained a dispensation by this temerity 7not authority7 of the pope4 ,yet it is a still greater wonder to me1 why they compel a man to remain unmarried after being separated from his wife1 and why they will not permit him to remarry4 ,for if ,christ permits divorce for the cause of fornication and compels no one to remain unmarried1 and if ,paul would rather have one marry than burn #a ,cor4 #g3i1 then ,he certainly seems to permit a man to marry another woman in the stead of the one who has been put away4 ,would to ,god this matter were thoroughly threshed out and decided1 so that counsel might be given in the infinite perils of those who1 without any fault of their own1 are nowadays compelled to remain unmarried1 that is1 of those whose wives or husbands have run away and deserted them1 to come back perhaps after ten years1 perhaps never4 ,this matter troubles and distresses me2 ,i meet cases of it every day1 whether it happen by the special malice of ,satan or because of our neglect of the word of ,god4 ,i1 indeed1 who1 alone against all1 can decide nothing in this matter1 would yet greatly desire at least the passage in ,i ,corinthians vii to be applied here1--,but if the unbeliever depart1 let him depart4 ,for a brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases4 #a ,cor4 #g3ae ,here the ,apostle gives permission to put away the unbeliever who departs and to set the believing spouse free to marry again4 ,why should not the same hold true when a believer--that is1 a believer in name1 but in truth as much an unbeliever as the one ,paul speaks of--deserts his wife1 especially if he never intends to return8 ,i certainly can see no difference between the two4 ,but ,i believe that if in the ,apostle's day an unbelieving deserter had returned and had become a believer or had promised to live again with his believing wife1 he would not have been taken back1 but he too would have been given the right to marry again4 ,nevertheless1 in these matters ,i decide nothing1 as ,i have said1#afe although there is nothing ,i would rather see decided1 since nothing at present more grievously perplexes me and many more with me4 ,i would have nothing decided here on the mere authority of the pope or the bishops2 but if two learned and pious men agreed in the name of ,christ and published their opinion in the spirit of ,christ ,matt4 #ah3ai f41 ,i should prefer their judgment even to such councils as are nowadays assembled1 famous only for numbers and authority1 not for scholarship and saintliness4 ,herewith ,i hang up my harp#aff,ps4 #acg3b1 until another and a better man shall take up this matter with me4 ,,ordination ,of this sacrament the ,church of ,christ knows nothing2 it is an invention of the church of the pope4 ,not only is there nowhere any promise of grace attached to it1 but there is not the least mention of it in the whole ,new ,testament4 ,now it is ridiculous to put forth as a sacrament of ,god that which cannot be proved to have been instituted by ,god4 ,i do not hold that this rite1 which has been observed for so many centuries1 should be condemned2 but in sacred things ,i am opposed to the invention of human fictions1 nor is it right to give out as divinely instituted what was not divinely instituted1 lest we become a laughing-stock to our opponents4 ,we ought to see to it that every article of faith of which we boast be certain1 pure1 and based on clear passages of ,scripture4 ,but that we are utterly unable to do in the case of the sacrament under consideration4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,church ,cannot ,institute ,sacraments ,the ,church has no power to make new divine promises1 as some prate1 who hold that what is decreed by the ,church is of no less authority than what is decreed by ,god1 since the ,church is under the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but the ,church owes its life to the word of promise through faith1 and is nourished and preserved by this same word4 ,that is to say1 the promises of ,god make the ,church1 not the ,church the promise of ,god4 ,for the ,word of ,god is incomparably superior to the ,church1 and in this ,word the ,church1 being a creature1 has nothing to decree1 ordain or make1 but only to be decreed1 ordained and made4 ,for who begets his own parent8 ,who first brings forth his own maker8 ,this one thing indeed the ,church can do--it can distinguish the ,word of ,god from the words of men2 as ,augustine confesses that he believed the ,gospel1 moved thereto by the authority of the ,church1 which proclaimed1 this is the ,gospel4#afg ,not that the ,church is1 therefore1 above the ,gospel2 if that were true1 she would also be above ,god1 in ,whom we believe because she proclaims that ,he is ,god4 ,but1 as ,augustine elsewhere says1#afh the truth itself lays hold on the soul and thus renders it able to judge most certainly of all things2 but the truth it cannot judge1 but is forced to say with unerring certainty that it is the truth4 ,for example1 our reason declares with unerring certainty that three and seven are ten1 and yet it cannot give a reason why this is true1 although it cannot deny that it is true2 it is taken captive by the truth and does not so much judge the truth as it is judged by the truth4 ,thus it is also with the mind of the ,church #a ,cor4 #b3af1 when under the enlightenment of the ,spirit she judges and approves doctrines2 she is unable to prove it1 and yet is most certain of having it4 ,for as in philosophy no one judges general conceptions1 but all are judged by them1 so it is in the ,church with the mind of the ,spirit1 that judgeth all things and is judged by none1 as the ,apostle says #a ,cor4 #b3ae4 ,but of this another time4#afi ,sidenote3 ,ordination not a ,sacrament ,let this then stand fast1--the ,church can give no promises of grace2 that is the work of ,god alone4 ,therefore she cannot institute a sacrament4 ,but even if she could1 it yet would not follow that ordination is a sacrament4 ,for who knows which is the ,church that has the ,spirit8 since when such decisions are made there are usually only a few bishops or scholars present2 it is possible that these may not be really of the ,church1 and that all may err1 as councils have repeatedly erred1 particularly the ,council of ,constance#agj1 which fell into the most wicked error of all4 ,only that which has the approval of the ,church universal1 and not of the ,roman church alone1 rests on a trustworthy foundation4 ,i therefore admit that ordination is a certain churchly rite1 on a par with many others introduced by the ,church ,fathers1 such as the blessing of vases1 houses1 vestments1 water1 salt1 candles1 herbs1 wine1 and the like4 ,no one calls any of these a sacrament1 nor is there in them any promise4 ,in the same manner1 to anoint a man's hands with oil1 or to shave his head1 and the like1 is not to administer a sacrament1 since there is no promise given to those things2 he is simply prepared1 like a vessel or an instrument1 for a certain work4 ,but you will reply3 ,what do you say to ,dionysius1#aga who in his ,ecclesiastical ,hierarchy enumerates six sacraments1 among which he also includes orders8 ,i answer3 ,i am well aware that this is the one writer of antiquity who is cited in support of the seven sacraments1 although he omits marriage and thus has only six4 ,we read simply nothing about these sacraments in the other ,fathers1 nor do they ever refer to them as sacraments2 for the invention of sacraments is of recent date4 ,indeed1 to speak more boldly1 the setting so great store by this ,dionysius1 whoever he may have been1 greatly displeases me1 for there is scarce a line of sound scholarship in him4 ,prithee1 by what authority and with what reasons does he establish his hotch-potch about the angels1 in his ,celestial ,hierarchy8--a book over which many curious and superstitious spirits have cudgeled their brains4 ,if one were to read and judge fairly1 is not all shaken out of his sleeve and very like a dream8 ,but in his ,mystic ,theology1 which certain most ignorant theologians greatly puff1 he is downright dangerous1 being more of a ,platonist than a ,christian2 so that1 if ,i had my way1 no believing mind would give the least attention to these books4 ,so far from learning ,christ in them1 you will lose even what you know of ,him4 ,i know whereof ,i speak4 ,let us rather hear ,paul1 that we may learn ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified #a ,cor4 #b3b4 ,he is the way1 the life and the truth2 ,he is the ladder by which we come unto the ,father1 as ,he saith3 ,no man cometh unto the ,father but by me4 ,john #ad3f ,sidenote3 ,allegories ,and in the ,ecclesiastical ,hierarchy1 what does this ,dionysius do but describe certain churchly rites and play round them with his allegories without proving them8 just as among us the author of the book entitled ,rationale divinorum4#agb ,such allegorical studies are the work of idle men4 ,think you ,i should find it difficult to play with allegories round anything in creation8 ,did not ,bonaventure#agc by allegory draw the liberal arts into theology8 ,and ,gerson even converted the smaller ,donatus into a mystic theologian4#agc ,it would not be a difficult task for me to compose a better hierarchy than that of ,dionysius1 for he knew nothing of pope1 cardinals and archbishops1 and put the bishop at the top4 ,nay1 who has so weak a mind as not to be able to launch into allegories8 ,i would not have a theologian give himself to allegorizing until he has perfected himself in the grammatical and literal interpretation of the ,scriptures2 otherwise his theology will bring him into danger1 as ,origen discovered4#age ,therefore a thing does not need to be a sacrament simply because ,dionysius describes it4 ,otherwise1 why not also make a sacrament of the processions1 which he describes in his book1 and which continue to this day8 ,there will then be as many sacraments as there have been rites and ceremonies multiplied in the ,church4 ,standing on so unsteady a foundation1 they have nevertheless invented characters#agf which they attribute to this sacrament of theirs and which are indelibly impressed on those who are ordained4 ,whence do such ideas come8 ,by what authority1 with what reasons1 are they established8 ,we do not object to their being free to invent1 say and give out whatever they please2 but we also insist on our liberty and demand that they shall not arrogate to themselves the right to turn their ideas into articles of faith1 as they have hitherto presumed to do4 ,it is enough that we accommodate ourselves to their rites and ceremonies for the sake of peace2 but we reuse to be bound by such things as though they were necessary to salvation1 when they are not4 ,let them put by their despotic demands1 and we shall yield free obedience to their opinions1 and thus live at peace with them4 ,it is a shameful and wicked slavery for a ,christian man1 who is free1 to be subject to any but heavenly and divine traditions4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,alleged ,scriptural ,basis of ,ordination ,we come now to their strongest argument4 ,it is this3 ,christ said at the ,last ,supper3 ,do this in remembrance of me4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bd ,here1 they say1 ,christ ordained the apostles to the priesthood4 ,from this passage they also concluded1 among other things1 that both kinds are to be administered to the priests alone4#agg ,in fine1 they have drawn out of this passage whatever they pleased1 as men who might arrogate to themselves the free will to prove anything whatever from any words of ,christ1 no matter where found4 ,but is that interpreting the words of ,god8 ,pray1 answer me6 ,christ gives us no promise here1 but only commands that this be done in remembrance of ,him4 ,why do they not conclude that ,he also ordained priests when ,he laid upon them the office of the ,word and of baptism1 saying1 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature1 baptising them in the name1 ,mark #af3ae2 ,matt4 #bh3ai etc48 ,for it is the proper duty of priests to preach and to baptise4 ,or1 since it is nowadays the chief and1 as they say1 indispensable duty of priests to read the canonical hours1#agh why have they not discovered the sacrament of ordination in those passages in which ,christ1 in many places and particularly in the garden1 commanded them to pray that they might not enter into temptation8 ,matt4 #bf3da ,but perhaps they will evade this argument by saying that it is not commanded to pray2 it is enough to read the canonical hours4 ,then it follows that this priestly work can be proved nowhere in the ,scriptures1 and thus their praying priesthood is not of ,god1 as1 indeed1 it is not4 ,but which of the ancient ,fathers claimed that in this passage priests were ordained8 ,whence comes this novel interpretation8 ,i will tell you4 ,they have sought by this device to set up a nursery of implacable discord1 whereby clerics and laymen should be separated from each other farther than heaven from earth1 to the incredible injury of the grace of baptism and the confusion of our fellowship in the ,gospel4 ,here1 indeed1 are the roots of that detestable tyranny of the clergy over the laity2 trusting in the external anointing by which their hands are consecrated1 in the tonsure and in vestments1 they not only exalt themselves above lay ,christians1 who are only anointed with the ,holy ,spirit1 but regard them almost as dogs and unworthy to be included with them in the ,church4 ,hence they are bold to demand1 to exact1 to threaten1 to urge1 to oppress1 as much as they please4 ,in short1 the sacrament of ordination has been and is a most approved device for the establishing of all the horrible things that have been wrought hitherto and will yet be wrought in the ,church4 ,here ,christian brotherhood has perished1 here shepherds have been turned into wolves1 servants into tyrants1 churchmen into worse than worldlings4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,priesthood of ,all ,christians ,if they were forced to grant that as many of us as have been baptised are all priests without distinction1 as indeed we are1 and that to them was committed the ministry only1 yet with our consent1 they would presently learn that they have no right to rule over us except in so far as we freely concede it4 ,for thus it is written in i ,peter ii1 ,ye are a chosen generation1 a royal priesthood1 and a priestly kingdom4 #a ,peter #b3i ,therefore we are all priests1 as many of us as are ,christians4#agi ,but the priests1 as we call them1 are ministers chosen from among us1 who do all that they do in our name4 ,and the priesthood is nothing but a ministry1 as we learn from ,i ,corinthians iv1 ,let a man so account of us as of the ministers of ,christ1 and the dispensers of the mysteries of ,god4 #a ,cor4 #d3a ,it follows herefrom that whoever does not preach the ,word1 called by the ,church to this very thing1 is no priest at all4 ,and further1 that the sacrament of ordination can be nothing else than a certain rite of choosing preachers in the ,church4 ,for thus is a priest defined in ,malachi ii1 ,the lips of the priest shall keep knowledge1 and they shall seek the law at his mouth3 because he is the angel of the ,lord of hosts4 ,mal4 #b3g ,you may be certain1 then1 that whoever is not an angel of the ,lord of hosts1 or whoever is called to anything else than such angelic service--if ,i may so term it--is never a priest2 as ,hosea says1 ,because thou hast rejected knowledge1 ,i will reject thee1 that thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me4 ,hosea #d3f ,they are also called pastors because they are to pasture1 that is1 to teach4 ,therefore1 they who are ordained only to read the canonical hours and to offer masses are indeed papist1 but not ,christian1 priests1 because they not only do not preach1 but are not called to preach2 nay1 it comes to this1 that such a priesthood is a different estate altogether from the office of preaching4 ,thus they are hour-priests and mass-priests1 that is1 a sort of living idol1 having the name of priest1 while they are in reality such priests as ,jeroboam ordained1 in ,bethaven1 of the off-scouring of the people1 and not of the tribe of ,levi4#ahja ,kings #ab3ca ,lo1 whither hath the glory of the ,church departed6 ,the whole earth is filled with priests1 bishops1 cardinals and clerics1 and yet not one of them preaches by virtue of his office1 unless he be called to do so by another and a different call besides his sacramental ordination4 ,every one thinks he is doing full justice to his sacrament by mumbling the vain repetitions of his prescribed prayers and by celebrating masses2 moreover1 by never really praying those hours#aha1 or if he does pray them1 by praying them for himself1 and by offering his masses as a sacrifice--which is the height of perversity6--whereas the mass consists in the use of the sacrament4 ,it is clear1 therefore1 that the ordination which1 as a sacrament1 makes clerics of this sort of men1 is in truth nothing but a mere fiction1 devised by men who understand nothing about the ,church1 the priesthood1 the ministry of the ,word1 or the sacraments4 ,and as is the sacrament1 so are the priests it makes4 ,to such errors and such blindness has come a still worse captivity2 in order to separate themselves still farther from other ,christians1 whom they deem profane1 they have unmanned themselves1 like the priests of ,cybele1 and taken upon them the burden of a pretended celibacy4 ,it was not enough for this hypocrisy and error to forbid bigamy1 viz41 the having of two wives at the same time1 as it was forbidden in the law1 and as is the accepted meaning of the term2 but they have called it bigamy if a man married two virgins1 one after the other1 or if he married a widow4 ,nay1 so holy is the holiness of this most holy sacrament1 that no married man can become a priest as long as his wife lives4 ,and--here we reach the very summit of holiness--even he is prevented from entering the priesthood1 who without his knowledge or by an unfortunate chance married a fallen woman4 ,but if one have defiled a thousand harlots1 or ravished countless matrons and virgins1 or even kept numerous ,ganymedes1 that would be no hindrance to his becoming bishop or cardinal or pope4 ,moreover1 the ,apostle's word1 the husband of one wife1 #a ,tim4 #c3b must be interpreted to mean1 the prelate of one church1 and this has given rise to the incompatible benefices4#ahb ,at the same time the pope1 that munificent dispenser1 may join to one man three1 twenty1 one hundred wives--,i should say churches--if he be bribed with money or power--,i should say1 moved by godly charity and constrained by the care of the churches4 ,o pontiffs worthy of this holy sacrament of ordination6 ,o princes1 not of the catholic churches1 but of the synagogues1 nay1 the black dens1 of ,satan6 ,rev4 #b3i ,i would cry out with ,isaiah3 ,ye scornful men1 who rule over my people that is in ,jerusalem ,isa4 #bh3ad2 and with ,amos3 ,woe to you that are wealthy in ,sion1 and to you that have confidence in the mountain of ,samaria3 ye great men1 heads of the people1 that go in with state into the house of ,israel4 ,amos #f3a ,o the reproach that such monstrous priests bring upon the ,church of ,god6 ,where are there any bishops or priests who know the ,gospel1 not to speak of preaching it8 ,why then do they boast of being priests8 ,why do they desire to be regarded as holier and better and mightier than other ,christians1 who are merely laymen8 ,to read the hours--what unlearned men1 or1 as the ,apostle says1 what men speaking with tongues1 cannot do that8 #a ,cor4 #ad3bc ,but to pray the hours--that belongs to monks1 hermits1 and men in private life1 all of them laymen4 ,the duty of the priest is to preach1 and if he does not preach he is as much a priest as a painted man is a man4 ,does ordaining such babbling priests make one a bishop8 ,or blessing churches and bells8 ,or confirming boys8 ,certainly not4 ,any deacon or layman could do as much4 ,the ministry of the ,word makes the priest and the bishop4 ,sidenote3 ,ordination1 the ,rite of ,choosing ,preachers ,therefore my advice is3 ,flee1 all ye that would live in safety2 begone1 young men1 and do not enter upon this holy estate1 unless you are determined to preach the ,gospel1 and are able to believe that you are not made one whit better than the laity through this sacrament of ordination6 ,for to read the hours is nothing1 and to offer mass is to receive the sacrament4#ahc ,what then is there left to you that every layman does not have8 ,tonsure and vestments8 ,a sorry priest1 forsooth1 who consists of tonsure and vestment6 ,or the oil poured on your fingers8 ,but every ,christian is anointed and sanctified with the oil of the ,holy ,spirit1 both in body and soul1 and in ancient times touched the sacrament with his hands no less than the priests do now4#ahd ,but to-day our superstition counts it a great crime if the laity touch either the bare chalice or the corporale2#ahe not even a nun who is a pure virgin would be permitted to wash the palls#ahf and sacred linens of the altar4 ,o ,god6 how the sacrosanct sanctity of this sacrament of ordination has grown and grown4 ,i anticipate that ere long the laity will not be permitted to touch the altar except when they offer their money4 ,i can scarce contain myself when ,i contemplate the wicked tyrannies of these desperate men1 who with their farcical and childish fancies mock and overthrow the liberty and the glory of the ,christian religion4 ,let every one1 therefore1 who knows himself to be a ,christian be assured of this1 and apply it to himself1--that we are all priests1 and there is no difference between us2 that is to say1 we have the same power in respect to the ,word and all the sacraments4 ,however1 no one may make use of this power except by the consent of the community or by the call of a superior4 ,for what is the common property of all1 no individual may arrogate to himself1 unless he be called4 ,and therefore this sacrament of ordination1 if it have any meaning at all1 is nothing else than a certain rite whereby one is called to the ministry of the ,church4 ,furthermore1 the priesthood is properly nothing but the ministry of the ,word1 mark you1 of the ,word--not of the law1 but of the ,gospel4 ,and the diaconate is not the ministry of reading the ,gospel or the ,epistle1 as is the present practice1 but the ministry of distributing the ,church's alms to the poor1 so that the priests may be relieved of the burden of temporal matters and may give themselves more freely to prayer and the ,word4 ,for this was the purpose of the institution of the diaconate1 as we read in ,acts vi4 ,acts #f3d ,whoever1 therefore1 does not know or preach the ,gospel1 is not only not a priest or bishop1 but he is a plague of the ,church1 who under the false title of priest or bishop--in sheep's clothing1 forsooth--oppresses the ,gospel and plays the wolf in the ,church4 ,therefore1 unless those priests and bishops with whom the ,church is now filled work out their salvation in some other way1 that is1 realise that they are not priests or bishops and bemoan the act that they bear the name of an office whose duties they either do not know or cannot fulfil1 and thus with prayers and tears lament their wretched hypocritical life--unless they do this1 they are truly the people of eternal perdition1 and the words of ,isaiah are fulfilled in them3 ,therefore is my people led away captive1 because they had not knowledge1 and their nobles have perished with famine1 and their multitude were dried up with thirst4 ,therefore hath hell enlarged her soul and opened her mouth without any bounds1 and their strong ones1 and their people1 and their high and generous ones shall go down into it4 ,isa4 #e3ac f4 ,what a dreadful word for our age1 in which ,christians are sucked down into so deep an abyss6 ,since1 therefore1 what we call the priesthood is a ministry1 so far as we can learn from the ,scriptures1 ,i cannot understand why one who has been made a priest cannot again become a layman2 for the sole difference between him and a layman is his ministry4 ,but to depose a man from the ministry is so far from impossible that it is even now the usual penalty imposed upon guilty priests2 they are either suspended for a season or permanently deprived of their office4 ,for that lying indelible character has long since become a laughing-stock4 ,i admit that the pope imparts this character1 but ,christ knows nothing of it2 and a priest who is consecrated with it becomes thereby the life-long servant and captive1 not of ,christ1 but of the pope2 as it is in our day4 ,moreover1 unless ,i am greatly mistaken1 if this sacrament and this life all1 the papacy itself with its characters will scarcely survive2 our joyous liberty will be restored to us2 we shall realize that we are all equal by every right1 and having cast of the yoke of tyranny1 shall know that he who is a ,christian has ,christ1 and that he who has ,christ has all things that are ,christ's and is able to do all things ,phil4 #d3ac4 ,of this ,i will write more1 and more tellingly1 as soon as ,i perceive that the above has displeased my friends the papists4#ahg ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,extreme ,,unction ,sidenote3 ,the ,authority of ,james ,to the rite of anointing the sick our theologians have made two additions which are worthy of them2 first1 the call it a sacrament1 and secondly1 they make it the last sacrament4 ,so that it is now the sacrament of extreme unction1 which may be administered only to such as are at the point of death4 ,being such subtle dialecticians1 perchance they have done this in order to relate it to the first unction of baptism and the two succeeding unctions of confirmation and ordination4 ,but here they are able to cast in my teeth1 that in the case of this sacrament there are1 on the authority of ,james the ,apostle1 both promise and sign1 which1 as ,i have all along maintained1 constitute a sacrament4 ,for does not ,james say3 ,is any man sick among you8 ,let him bring in the priests of the church1 and let them pray over him1 anointing him with oil in the name of the ,lord4 ,and the prayer of faith shall raise him up3 and if he be in sins1 they shall be forgiven him4 ,james #e3ad f4 ,there1 say they1 you have the promise of the forgiveness of sins1 and the sign of the oil4 ,but ,i reply3 ,if ever there was a mad conceit1 here is one indeed4 ,i will say nothing of the act that many assert with much probability that this ,epistle is not by ,james the ,apostle1#ahh nor worthy of an apostolic spirit1 although1 whoever be its author1 it has come to be esteemed as authoritative4 ,but even if the ,apostle ,james did write it1 ,i yet should say1 no ,apostle has the right on his own authority to institute a sacrament1 that is1 to give a divine promise with a sign attached2 for this belongs to ,christ alone4 ,thus ,paul says that he received from the ,lord the sacrament of the ,eucharist1 and that he was not sent to baptise but to preach the ,gospel #a ,cor4 #aa3bc2 #a ,cor4 #a3ag4 ,and we read nowhere in the ,gospel of this sacrament of extreme unction4 ,but let us also waive that point4 ,let us examine the words of the ,apostle1 or whoever was the author of the ,epistle1 and we shall at once see how little heed these multipliers of sacraments have given to them4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,unction ,not ,extreme ,in the first place1 then1 if they believe the ,apostle's words to be true and binding1 by what right do they change and contradict them8 ,why do they make an extreme and a particular kind of unction of that which the ,apostle wished to be general8 ,for he did not desire it to be an extreme unction or administered only to the dying2 but he says quite generally3 ,if any man be sick--not1 ,if any man be dying4 ,i care not what learned discussions ,dionysius has on this point in his ,ecclesiastical ,hierarchy2#ahi the ,apostle's words are clear enough1 on which words he as well as they rely1 without1 however1 following them4 ,it is evident1 therefore1 that they have arbitrarily and without any authority made a sacrament and an extreme unction out of the misunderstood words of the ,apostle1 to the detriment of all other sick persons1 whom they have deprived of the benefit of the unction which the ,apostle enjoined4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,unction ,medicinal ,but what follows is still better4 ,the ,apostle's promise expressly declares that the prayer of faith shall save the sick man1 and the ,lord shall raise him up4 ,the ,apostle commands us to anoint the sick man and to pray1 in order that he may be healed and raised up2 that is1 that he may not die1 and that it may not be an extreme unction4 ,this is proved also by the prayers which are said1 during the anointing1 or the recovery of the one who is sick4 ,but they say1 on the contrary1 that the unction must be administered to none but the dying2 that is1 that they may not be healed and raised up4 ,if it were not so serious a matter1 who could help laughing at this beautiful1 apt and sound exposition of the ,apostle's words8 ,is not the folly of the sophists here shown in its true colors8 ,as here1 so in many other places1 they affirm what the ,scriptures deny1 and deny what they affirm4 ,why should we not give thanks to these excellent magisters of ours8#aij ,i therefore spoke truth when ,i said they never conceived a crazier notion than this4#aia ,furthermore1 if this unction is a sacrament it must necessarily be1 as they say1 an effective sign#aib of that which it signifies and promises4 ,now it promises health and recovery to the sick1 as the words plainly say3 ,the prayer of faith shall save the sick man1 and the ,lord shall raise him up4 ,but who does not see that this promise is seldom if ever fulfilled8 ,scarce one in a thousand is restored to health1 and when one is restored nobody believes that it came about through the sacrament1 but through the working of nature or the medicine2 or to the sacrament they ascribe the opposite power4 ,what shall we say then8 ,either the ,apostle lies in making this promise or else this unction is no sacrament4 ,for the sacramental promise is certain2 but this promise deceives in the majority of cases4 ,indeed--and here again we recognize the shrewdness and foresight of these theologians--for this very reason they would have it to be extreme unction1 that the promise should not stand2 in other words1 that the sacrament should be no sacrament4 ,for if it is extreme unction1 it does not heal1 but gives way to the disease2 but if it heals1 it cannot be extreme unction4 ,thus1 by the interpretation of these magisters1 ,james is shown to have contradicted himself1 and to have instituted a sacrament in order not to institute one2 for they must have an extreme unction just to make untrue what the ,apostle intends1 namely1 the healing of the sick4 ,if that is not madness1 pray what is8 ,sidenote3 ,priests and ,elders ,these people exemplify the word of the ,apostle in i ,timothy i1 ,desiring to be teachers of the law1 understanding neither the things they say1 nor whereof they affirm4 #a ,tim4 #a3g ,thus they read and follow all things without judgment4 ,with the same thoughtlessness they have also found auricular confession in our ,apostle's words1--,confess your sins one to another4 ,james #e3af ,but they do not observe the command of the ,apostle1 that the priests of the church be called1 and prayer be made for the sick4 ,scarce a single priestling is sent nowadays1 although the ,apostle would have many present1 not because of the unction but of the prayer4 ,wherefore he says3 ,the prayer of faith shall save the sick man1 etc4 ,i have my doubts1 however1 whether he would have us understand priests when he says presbyters1 that is1 elders4 ,for one who is an elder is not therefore a priest or minister2 so that the suspicion is justified that the ,apostle desired the older and graver men in the ,church to visit the sick2 these should perform a work of mercy and pray in faith and thus heal him4 ,still it cannot be denied that the ancient churches were ruled by elders1 chosen for this purpose1 without these ordinations and consecrations1 solely on account of their age and their long experience4 ,therefore1 ,i take it1 this unction is the same as that which the ,apostles practised1 in ,mark vi1 ,they anointed with oil many that were sick1 and healed them4 ,mark #f3ac ,it was a ceremony of the early ,church1 by which they wrought miracles on the sick1 and which has long since ceased2 even as ,christ1 in the last chapter of ,mark1 gave them that believe the power to take up serpents1 to lay hands on the sick1 etc4 ,mark #af3ag ,it is a wonder that they have not made sacraments also of these things2 for they have the same power and promise as the words of ,james4 ,therefore1 this extreme--that is1 this fictitious--unction is not a sacrament1 but a counsel of ,james1 which whoever will may use1 and it is derived from ,mark vi1 as ,i have shown4 ,i do not believe it was a counsel given to all sick persons1 for the ,church's infirmity is her glory and death is gain ,rom4 #e3c2 ,phil4 #a3ba2 but it was given only to such as might bear their sickness impatiently and with little faith4 ,these the ,lord allowed to remain in the ,church1 in order that miracles and the power of faith might be manifest in them4 ,sidenote3 ,prayer the ,chief ,part of ,unction ,for this very contingency ,james provided with care and foresight by attaching the promise of healing and the forgiveness of sins not to the unction1 but to the prayer of faith4 ,for he says3 ,and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man1 and the ,lord shall raise him up3 and if he be in sins1 they shall be forgiven him4 ,a sacrament does not demand prayer or faith on the part of the minister1 since even a wicked person may baptise and consecrate without prayer2 a sacrament depends solely on the promise and institution of ,god1 and requires faith on the part of him who receives it4 ,but where is the prayer of faith in our present use of extreme unction8 ,who prays over the sick one in such faith as not to doubt that he will recover8 ,such a prayer of faith ,james here describes1 of which he said in the beginning of his ,epistle3 ,but let him ask in faith1 nothing wavering4 ,james #a3f ,and ,christ says of it3 ,whatsoever you ask1 believe that you shall receive2 and it shall be done unto you4 ,mark #aa3bd ,sidenote3 ,the ,unction and ,faith ,if such prayer were made1 even to-day1 over a sick man--that is1 prayer made in full faith by older1 grave and saintly men--it is beyond all doubt that we could heal as many sick as we would4 ,for what could not faith do8 ,but we neglect this faith1 which the authority of the ,apostle demands above all else4 ,by presbyters--that is1 men preeminent by reason of their age and their faith--we understand the common herd of priests4 ,moreover1 we turn the daily or voluntary unction into an extreme unction1 and finally1 we not only do not effect the result promised by the ,apostle1 namely1 the healing of the sick1 but we make it of none effect by striving after the very opposite4 ,and yet we boast that our sacrament1 nay1 our figment1 is established and proved by this saying of the ,apostle1 which is diametrically opposed to it4 ,what theologians we are6 ,now ,i do not condemn this our sacrament of extreme unction1 but ,i firmly deny that it is what the ,apostle ,james prescribes2 for his unction agrees with ours neither in form1 use1 power nor purpose4 ,nevertheless we shall number it among those sacraments which we have instituted1 such as the blessing and sprinkling of salt and holy water#aic4 ,for we cannot deny that every creature is sanctified by the word and by prayer1 as the ,apostle ,paul teaches us #a ,tim4 #d3d f44 ,we do not deny1 therefore1 that forgiveness of sins and peace are granted through extreme unction2 not because it is a sacrament divinely instituted1 but because he who receives it believes that these blessings are granted to him4 ,for the faith of the recipient does not err1 however much the minister may err4 ,for one who baptises or absolves in jest#aid1 that is1 does not absolve so far as the minister is concerned1 does yet truly absolve and baptise if the person he baptises or absolves believe4 ,how much more will one who administers extreme unction confer peace1 even though he does not really confer peace1 so far as his ministry is concerned1 since there is no sacrament there4 ,the faith of the one anointed receives even that which the minister either could not or did not intend to give2 it is sufficient for him to hear and believe the ,word4 ,for whatever we believe we shall receive1 that we do really receive1 it matters not what the minister may do or not do1 or whether he dissemble or jest4 ,the ,saying of ,christ stands fast1--,all things are possible to him that believeth1 ,mark #i3bc and1 ,be it unto thee even as thou hast believed4 ,matt4 #h3ac ,but in treating the sacraments our sophists say nothing at all of this faith1 but only babble with all their might of the virtues of the sacraments themselves--ever learning1 and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth4 #b ,tim4 #c3g ,still it was a good thing that this unction was made extreme unction1 or1 thanks to that1 it has been disturbed and subjected least of all the sacraments by tyranny and greed4 ,this one last mercy1 forsooth1 has been let to the dying1--they may freely be anointed1 even without confession and communion4 ,if it had remained a practice of daily occurrence1 especially if it had conferred health on the sick1 even without taking away sins1 how many worlds would not the pontiffs have under their control to-day8 ,for through the one sacrament of penance and through the power of the keys1 as well as through the sacrament of ordination1 they have become such mighty emperors and princes4 ,but now it is a fortunate thing that they despise the prayer of faith1 and therefore do not heal any sick1 and that they have made or themselves1 out of an ancient ceremony1 a brand-new sacrament4 ,let this suffice now for these four sacraments4 ,i know how it will displease those who believe that the number and use of the sacraments are to be learned not from the sacred ,scriptures1 but from the ,roman ,see4 ,as though the ,roman ,see had given those sacraments and had not rather got them from the lecture halls of the universities1 to which it is unquestionably indebted or whatever it has4 ,the papal despotism would not have attained its present position1 had it not taken over so many things from the universities4 ,for there was scarce another of the celebrated bishoprics that had so few learned pontiffs2 only in violence1 intrigue1 and superstition has it hitherto surpassed the rest4 ,for the men who occupied the ,roman ,see a thousand years ago differ so vastly from those who have since come into power1 that one is compelled to refuse the name of ,roman pontiff either to the former or to the latter4 ,sidenote3 ,other ,possible ,sacraments ,there are yet a few other things it might seem possible to regard as sacraments2 namely1 all those to which a divine promise has been given1 such as prayer1 the ,word1 and the cross4 ,christ promised1 in many places1 that those who pray should be heard2 especially in ,luke xi1 where ,he invites us in many parables to pray ,luke #aa3e ff44 ,of the ,word ,he says3 ,blessed are they that hear the word of ,god1 and keep it4 ,luke #aa3bh ,and who will tell how often ,he promises aid and glory to such as are afflicted1 suffer1 and are cast down8 ,nay1 who will recount all the promises of ,god8 ,the whole ,scripture is concerned with provoking us to faith2 now driving us with precepts and threats1 now drawing us with promises and consolations4 ,indeed1 whatever things are written are either precepts or promises2 the precepts humble the proud with their demands1 the promises exalt the humble with their forgiveness4 ,sidenote3 ,baptism and ,bread the ,only ,sufficient ,sacraments ,nevertheless1 it has seemed best to restrict the name of sacrament to such promises as have signs attached to them4 ,the remainder1 not being bound to signs1 are bare promises4 ,hence there are1 strictly speaking1 but two sacraments in the ,church of ,god--baptism and bread2 for only in these two do we find both the divinely instituted sign and the promise of forgiveness of sins4 ,the sacrament of penance1 which ,i added to these two#aie lacks the divinely instituted visible sign1 and is1 as ,i have said#aif1 nothing but a return to baptism4 ,nor can the scholastics say that their definition fits penance1 for they too ascribe to the sacrament a visible sign1 which is to impress upon the senses the form of that which it effects invisibly4 ,but penance1 or absolution1 has no such sign2 wherefore they are constrained by their own definition1 either to admit that penance is not a sacrament1 and thus to reduce the number of sacraments1 or else to bring forward another definition4 ,baptism1 however1 which we have applied to the whole of life1 will truly be a sufficient substitute for all the sacraments we might need as long as we live4 ,and the bread is truly the sacrament of the dying2 for in it we commemorate the passing of ,christ out of this world1 that we may imitate ,him4 ,thus we may apportion these two sacraments as follows3 baptism belongs to the beginning and the entire course of life1 the bread belongs to the end and to death4 ,and the ,christian should use them both as long as he is in this poor body1 until1 fully baptised and strengthened1 he passes out of this world and is born unto the new life of eternity1 to eat with ,christ in the ,kingdom of ,his ,father1 as ,he promised at the ,last ,supper1--,amen ,i say to you1 ,i will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine1 until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of ,god4 ,matt4 #bf3bi ,thus ,he seems clearly to have instituted the sacrament of the bread with a view to our entrance into the life to come4 ,then1 when the meaning#aig of both sacraments is fulfilled1 baptism and bread will cease4 ,sidenote3 ,conclusion ,herewith ,i conclude this prelude1 and freely and gladly offer it to all pious souls who desire to know the genuine sense of the ,scriptures and the proper use of the sacraments4 ,for it is a gift of no mean importance1 to know the things that are given us1 as it is said in ,i ,corinthians ii #a ,cor4 #b3ab1 and what use we ought to make of them4 ,endowed with this spiritual judgment1 we shall not mistakenly rely on that which does not belong here4 ,these two things our theologians never taught us1 nay1 methinks they took particular pains to conceal them from us4 ,if ,i have not taught them1 ,i certainly did not conceal them1 and have given occasion to others to think out something better4 ,it has at least been my endeavor to set forth these two things4 ,nevertheless1 not all can do all things#aih4 ,to the godless1 on the other hand1 and those who in obstinate tyranny force on us their own teachings instead of ,god's1 ,i confidently and freely oppose these pages1 utterly indifferent to their senseless fury4 ,yet ,i wish even them a sound mind1 and do not despise their efforts1 but only distinguish them from such as are sound and truly ,christian4 ,i hear a rumor of new bulls and papal maledictions sent out against me1 in which ,i am urged to recant or be declared a heretic#aii4 ,if that is true1 ,i desire this book to be a portion of the recantation ,i shall make2 so that these tyrants may not complain of having had their pains for nothing4 ,the remainder ,i will publish ere long1 and it will1 please ,christ1 be such as the ,roman ,see has hitherto neither seen nor heard4 ,i shall give ample proof of my obedience#bjj4 ,in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,amen4 ,why doth that impious ,herod fear ,when told that ,christ the ,king is near8 ,he takes not earthly realms away1 ,who gives the realms that ne'er decay4#bja ,,footnotes #a ,born at ,steinheim1 near ,paderborn1 in ,westphalia2 a proofreader in ,melchior ,lotter's printing-house at ,leipzig1 with whose oldest son he went to ,wittenberg in #aeai2 professor of poetry at the university2 rector of the same1 #aebe2 one of ,luther's staunchest supporters2 rector of the school at ,lunenberg1 #aecb until his death in #aedj4 ,compare ,enders1 ,luther's ,briewechsel1 ,,ii1 #dij2 ,tschackert1 op4 cit41 #bjc1 and literature in ,clemen1 ,i1 #dbf4 #b ,resolutiones disputatio num de indulgentiarum ,virtute1 #aeah2 others think he refers to the ,sermon von ,ablass und ,gnade1 of the same year4 #c ,sylvester ,prierias and the ,dominicans4 ,comp4 ,kostlin-,kawerau1 ,luther1 ,i1 #ahi ff4 #d ,resolutiones super prop1 xiii41 #aeai4 #e ,comp4 ,the ,papacy at ,rome1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cib4 #f ,comp4 ,fr4 ,lepp1 ,schlagworter des ,ref4 zeitalters 7,leipzig1 #aijh71 p4 #fb4 #g ,the ,franciscan ,augustin ,alveld4 ,see ,introduction1 and compare ,lemmens1 ,pater ,aug4 v4 ,alveld 7,freiburg1 #aeii74 #h ,isidore ,isolani4 ,see ,introduction4 #i ,luther pokes fun at the use of revocatio with an objective genitive4 #aj ,see above1 p4 #eh1 and compare ,preserved ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,vol4 ,i1 letter no4 #bfe4 #aa ,cf4 ,the ,papacy at ,rome1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ccg4 ,the title-page of ,alveld's treatise contained twenty-six lines4 #ab ,a satiric reference to a section in ,alveld's treatise1 on the name of ,jesus1 which he spells ,,ihsvh and brings proofs for this form from the three languages1 mentioned4 ,see ,seckendor1 ,hist4 ,luth41 lib4 ,i1 sect4 #bg1 section lxx1 add4 ii4 #ac ,alveld calls himself1 on his title-page1 ,franciscanus regularis observantiae ,sanctae ,crucis4 ,the ,observantines were ,franciscan monks of the stricter rule1 who separated from the ,conventuals in the ,,xv4 ,century4 ,see ,prot4 ,realencyklopadie#c1 ,,vi1 #bac ff4 #ad ,in the ,treatise on the ,blessed ,sacrament2 see above1 p4 #i4 #ae ,the universities of ,cologne and ,louvain had ratified ,eck's victory over ,luther at the ,leipzig ,disputation4 ,see ,kostlin-,kawerau1 ,i1 #bff1 #bih4 #af ,de disputatione ,lipsicensi1 #aeai4 #ag ,a venatione ,luteriana ,aegocerotis assertio1 #aeai4 #ah ,some theologians--e4 g41 ,cajetan and ,durandus--doubted whether the ,sacrament of ,order was received by deacons2 the ,council of ,trent decided against them4--,cath4 ,encyclop41 ,,iv1 #fej4 #ai ,for ,luther's opinion of ,aristotle see above1 pp4 #adf f4 #bj ,the ,franciscans are meant4 ,the allusion may be to the seraphic vision of ,st4 ,francis4 #ba ,see above1 pp4 #aec ff4 #bb ,a less lenient view was taken by ,boniface ,amerbach1 writing to his brother ,basil at ,basle1 ,october #bj1 #aebj3 ,the good man 7,luther7 was not a little injured by the libel of a poor impostor1 who1 by pretending that ,martin had recanted1 brought back even those who had entered upon the way of truth to their former errors4 ,see ,smith1 op4 cit41 ,i1 no4 #caf4 #bc ,the present did not last very long2 see below1 p4 #bib4 #bd ,so called because of the withholding of the wine from the laity4 #be ,cf4 #a ,tim4 #c3af4 ,see ,kostlin1 ,theology of ,luther 7,e4 ,tr471 ,i1 #djc2 and below1 pp4 #beh f4 #bf ,the ,treatise on the ,blessed ,sacrament1 #aeai4 #bg ,see page #agd4 #bh ,see above1 p4 #aj1 note #a4 #bi ,decretal4 ,greg41 lib4 ,ill1 tit4 xli1 cap4 #ag4 #cj ,migne1 ,,xliv1 #fii f4 #ca ,verklarung etlicher ,artikel1 #aebj4 ,weimer ,ed41 ,,vi1 #hj #aa ff4 #cb ,an allusion to his opponents' doctrine of the complete freedom of the will1 which ,luther denied4 ,compare his ,de servo arbitrio 7#aebe74 ,weimar ,ed41 ,,xviii1 #fjj ff4 ,he finds in their treatment of ,scripture and of logic a practical expression of this doctrine of theirs4 #cc ,luther humbly identifies himself with the erring priesthood1 #cd ,alveld4 #ce ,the res sacramenti4 ,the sacrament consisted of these two parts--7#a7 the sacramentum1 or external sign1 and 7#b7 the res sacramenti1 or the thing signified1 the sacramental grace4 ,another distinction is that between 7#a7 materia1 or the external sign1 and 7#b7 forma1 or the words of institution or administration4 ,see below1 p4 #bbc4 #cf ,cf4 ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #eje1 note #a4 #cg ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cbe1 and ,realencyklopadie1 ,x1 #bhi1 pp4 #aa ff4 #ch ,cf4 ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #ejf1 note #b4 #ci ,cf4 ,w4 ,kohler1 ,luther unci die ,kirchengeschichte 7,erlangen1 #aijj71 chap4 viii4 #dj ,on the spiritual reception of the sacrament see ,h4 ,hering1 ,die ,mystik ,luthers 7#ahgi71 pp4 #agc f4 ,cf4 above1 p4 #dj4 #da ,see above1 p4 #agb4 #db ,john ,wyclif 7,died #achd71 the keenest of the mediaeval critics of the doctrine of transubstantiation4 #dc ,pierre d',ailly 7,died #adbe71 who1 with his master ,occam1 greatly influenced ,luther4 #dd ,the ,sentences of ,peter ,lombard1 the text-book of medieval theology4 #de ,in the dogma of transubstantiation 7,fourth ,lateran ,council1 #abae7 the ,church taught that the substance of bread and wine was changed into the substance of ,christ's body and blood1 while the accidents of the former--i4 e41 their attributes1 such as form1 color1 taste1 etc4--remained4 #df ,aquinas4 #dg ,thus the ,erlangen ,ed42 the ,weimar ,ed4 reads3 an accidentia ibi sint sine substantia4 #dh ,see above1 p4 #bj4 #di i4 e41 the host1 or wafer4 #ej ,decretal4 ,greg4 lib4 ,i1 tit4 i1 cap4 ,i1 section #c4 #ea ,see above1 pp4 #bf ff4 #eb ,see above1 p4 #acg4 #ed ,comp4 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #bie ff4 #ee ,the ,douay ,version has here been followed4 #ef ,see ,luther's own definition above1 pp4 #bb ff4 #eg ,see above1 p4 #aha1 note4 #eh ,see above1 p4 #aih4 #ei ,see above1 p4 #aie4 #fj ,see above1 p4 #aj4 #fa ,see above1 p4 #ahg1 note #a4 #fb ,see above1 p4 #ahh4 #fc ,see above1 p4 #ahb1 note #b4 #fd ,on fruits of the mass compare ,seeberg1 ,dogmengesch441 ,,iii1 p4 #dgb4 #fe ,comp4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cjg4 #ff ,comp4 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cjb f4 #fg ,see above1 pp4 #bb f4 #fh ,see p4 #bc4 #fi ,see ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ahg ff4 #gj ,see above1 p4 #aif4 #ga ,that portion of the mass included between the ,sanctus and the ,lord's ,prayer4 #gb ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cab1 and ,prot4 ,realencyklop41 ,,xiv1 #fgi1 #da ff4 #gc ,see above1 p4 #baa1 note #b4 #gd ,see above1 p4 #af4 #ge ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cjf4 #gf ,the offertory prayers in the mass4 ,c4 ,prot4 ,realencyklopadie1 ,,xii1 #gbj1 #df ff4 #gg ,the private mass does not require the presence of a congregation4 ,besides the celebrant there need be present only a ministrant4 ,there is no music1 the mass is only read4 ,see ,realencyklopadie1 ,,xii1 #gbc4 #gh ,the res sacramenti4 ,see above1 p4 #ahb4 #gi ,masses celebrated by special request or in honor of certain mysteries 7e4 g41 of the ,holy ,trinity1 of the ,holy ,spirit1 or of angels74 ,realencyklopadie1 ,,xii1 #gbb4 #hj ,pope ,gregory ,i4 ,see ,realencyklopadie1 ,,xii1 #fha f4 #ha ,see above1 p4 #aif1 note1 and comp4 ,seeberg1 ,dogmengesch41 ,ill1 #dfa f4 #hb ,for letters of indulgence4 #hc ,e p4 #acj1 #i 7,migne1 ,,xxii1 #aaae74 #hd ,factions in the monastic orders4 #he ,the reference may be to ,blandina1 who suffered martyrdom under ,marcus ,aurelius4 #hf ,the three parts of penance2 see below1 p4 #bdg4 #hg ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ia4 #hh ,peter ,lombard1 the fourth book of whose ,sentences treats of the sacraments2 see above1 p4 #ahh4 #hi ,see p4 #ahb1 note #b4 #ij ,the scholastics distinguished between the material and the form of a sacrament4 ,in baptism1 the material was the water2 the form1 the words1 ,i baptise thee in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 #ia ,alexander1 of ,hales1 denied the validity of baptism in the name of ,jesus1 which ,peter ,lombard defended4 ,cf4 ,realencyklopadie1 ,,xix1 #dab4 #ib ,cf4 ,weimar ,ed41 ,i1 #edd1 and ,erlangen ,ed41 ,,xliv1 #aad ff4 #ic ,see above1 p4 #bjc4 #id ,a point at issue between ,thomists and ,franciscans4 ,the former held that the grace of the sacrament was contained in the sacramental sign and directly imparted through it2 thus ,aquinas4 ,the ,franciscans contended that the sign was merely a symbol1 but that ,god1 according to a pactio1 or agreement1 imparted the grace of the sacrament when the sign was being used2 thus ,bonaventura1 and especially ,duns ,scotus4 ,see ,seeberg1 ,,dc1 ,,iii1 #dee ff41 and in ,realencyklopadie1 ,v1 #gc4 #ie ,the conclusion of the investigation begun on p4 #bbf4 #if ,see above1 p4 #bjd4 #ig ,see above1 p4 #bbc4 #ih ,see above1 p4 #bbf4 #ii ,baptisma2 see above1 p4 #bbf1 and compare ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ef4 #ajj ,res4 ,see above1 p4 #ahb1 note #b4 #aja ,res baptismi4 ,see above1 p4 #bca4 #ajb ,cf4 below1 pp1 #beh ff4 #ajc ,see above1 p4 #bca4 #ajd ,the position of ,thomas ,aquinas1 going back to ,augustine1 and ratified by ,clement ,v at the ,council of ,vienna1 #acaa-ab4 #aje ,see above1 p4 #bbg4 #ajf ,see above1 pp4 #bbg ff4 #ajg ,for a full discussion of this baptism1 see ,scheel1 in the ,berlin ,edition of ,luther's works1 ,erganzungsband ,,ii1 pp4 #acd-aeg4 #ajh ,see above1 p4 #bch4 #aji ,the threefold vow of the mendicant orders4 #aaj ,bulla means both a papal bull and a bubble4 #aaa ,compare above1 p4 #agb1 note #d4 #aab ,an obscure allegorical reference to the ,babylonian captivity of the ,jews4 ,the people of the captivity 7comp4 ,ps4 #fd3a and #a ,kings #bd3ad1 ,vulgate7 are the better portion of the people who were carried captive1 together with their possessions1 to ,babylon2 the people of the earth1 am haarez1 the common people1 were left behind and became the nucleus of the hybrid ,samaritan nation4 #aac ,see above1 p4 #abc4 #aad ,see above1 p4 #ge4 #aae ,see ,decretal4 ,greg41 lib4 ,ill1 tit4 xxxiv1 cap4 #g4 #aaf ,cf4 ,kohler1 ,luther und die ,,kg41 pp4 #bbb ff4 #aag ,comp4 below1 p4 #bdh4 #aah ,this time came during ,luther's sojourn at the ,wartburg1 when he wrote ,de votis monasticis1 #aeba4 ,see ,vol4 ,,iv4 #aai ,the ,,xcv ,theses1 the ,resolutiones1 the ,sermon von ,ablass und ,gnade1 the ,confitendi ,ratio2 the first and last of these in ,vol4 ,i4 #abj ,reference to a probably spurious bull of ,clement ,,vi4 ,in his ,grund u4 ,ursach aller ,artikel ,d4 ,martin ,luthers1 so durch rom4 ,bulle unrechtlich verdammt sind 7#aeba71 ,luther writes3 ,thus it happened in the days of ,john ,hus that the pope commanded the angels of heaven to conduct to heaven the souls of the ,roman pilgrims who died en route4 ,against this dreadful blasphemy and more than devilish presumption ,hus raised his voice1 and though he lost his life therefor1 yet forced the pope to pipe a different tune and in future to refrain from such blasphemy4--,compare ,kohler1 ,luther u4 die ,kirchengeschichte1 p4 #bjf4 ,see also above1 p4 #ha4 #aba ,longe viliorem2 the ,jena ,ed41 followed by ,lemme and ,kawerau1 reads1 longe meliorem4 #abb ,comp4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bj4 #abc ,comp4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #hf4 #abd ,see above1 pp4 #aje f4 #abe ,see above1 p4 #aje1 note #d4 #abf ,see above1 p4 #bbc1 note #a1 #abg ,see above1 p4 #bde1 note #b4 #abh ,a play on the word observantia1 which means both observation and observance4 ,a scriptural fling at the ,observantines4 ,comp4 above1 p4 #agb1 note #d4 #abi ,luther quotes correctly1 confortatus1 but thinks confirmatus4 #acj ,vulgate3 confirmet4 #aca ,above1 pp4 #bjc f4 #acb ,vulgate3 sacramenta4 #acc ,erasmus edited the first published ,greek ,new ,testament in ,march1 #aeaf 7,basle3 ,john ,froben71 the ,complutensian ,polyglot being the first printed edition 7#aead74 ,luther used ,erasmus' work as soon as it came out1 as may be seen in his lectures on ,romans1 #aeae-af 7cf4 ,picker1 ,luthers ,vorlesung uber den ,romerbrie2 also ,preserved ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 etc41 ,i1 nos4 #ba and #fe74 ,in an interesting letter to ,luther of ,feb4 #ad1 #aeai1 ,froben announces the second edition of ,erasmus' ,new ,testament1 which ,luther used in making his translation4 ,cf4 ,smith1 op4 cit41 #jj4abe4 #acd ,see above1 p4 #agg4 #ace ,namely1 for ,paul4 #acf ,the precise meaning is not clear4 ,the ,latin is3 vel proprio spiritu vel general6 sententia4 #acg ,here follows a passage that clearly breaks into the context and belongs elsewhere4 ,see ,introduction1 p4 #afi4 ,i admit that the sacrament of penance existed also in the ,old ,law1 yea1 from the beginning of the world4 ,but the new promise of penance and the gift of the keys are peculiar to the ,new ,law4 ,for as we now have baptism instead of circumcision1 so we have the keys instead of the sacrifices and other signs of penance4 ,we said above that the same ,god at divers times gave divers promises and signs for the remission of sins and the salvation of men1 but that all nevertheless received the same grace4 ,thus it is said in ,,ii ,corinthians iv1 ',having the same spirit of faith1 we also believe1 or which cause we speak also'2 and in i ,corinthians x1 ',our fathers did all eat the same spiritual food1 and all drank the same spiritual drink2 and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them1 and the rock was ,christ4' ,thus also in ,hebrews xi1 ',these all died1 not receiving the promise2 ,god providing some better thing or us1 that they should not be perfected without us4' ,for ,christ ,himself is1 yesterday and to-day and forever1 the ,head of ,his ,church1 from the beginning even to the end of the world4 ,therefore there are divers signs1 but the faith of all is the same4 ,indeed1 without faith it is impossible to please ,god1 by which faith even ,abel pleased ,him 7,hebrews xi74 #ach ,the ,summa angelica of ,angelus de ,clavassio of ,genoa 7died about #adie71 published #adhf1 one of the favorite handbooks of casuistry1 in which all possible cases of conscience were treated in alphabetical order4 ,cf4 ,zeitschrit fur ,kirchengesch41 ,,xxvii1 #bif ff4 ,the ,summa angelica was among the papal books burned by ,luther1 together with the bull1 ,december #aj1 #aebj4 ,cf4 ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,i1 no4 #cee4 #aci ,for a full discussion of the hindrances see article ,eherecht1 by ,sehung1 in ,prot4 ,realencyklopadie1 ,v4 #adj ,on this whole paragraph compare ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bid4 #ada ,it is to be borne in mind that all that follows is in the nature of advice to confessors in dealing with difficult cases of conscience1 and is parallel to the closing paragraphs of the section on ,the ,sacrament of the ,bread4 #adb ,namely1 by officiating at the marriage ceremony4 #adc ,namely1 by betrothal 7sponsalia de praesenti74 #add ,lemme pertinently reminds the reader that by laws of men ,luther here understands the man-made laws of the ,church of ,rome4 #ade ,see above1 p4 #ajc1 note #b4 #adf ,relationship arising from sponsorship and legal adoption4 ,cf4 above1 p4 #abh4 #adg ,cognatio spiritualis4 #adh ,the res sacramenti4 ,see above1 p4 #ahb4 #adi ,cognatio legalis4 #aej ,disparilitas religionis4 #aea ,impedimentum criminis4 #aeb ,impedimentum ligamiais4 #aec ,the fides data et accepta1 which ,luther finds in the fides 7faith7 of ,gal4 #e3bb #aed ,page #bdc4 #aee ,impedimentum erroris4 ,with fine sarcasm ,luther here plays of one hindrance against another4 #aef ,impedimentum ordinis4 #aeg ,impedimentum publicae honestatis4 #aeh ,an untranslatable pun3 non iustitia sed inscitia4 #aei ,page #bdd4 #afj ,see p4 #bfc1 note #b4 #afa ,page #bdb4 #afb ,the following points need to be borne in mind in order to a fair evaluation of this much criticized section3 7#a7 ,what is here given is in the nature of advice to confessors1 and the one guiding principle is the relief of souls in peril4 7#b7 ,it must not be forgotten that ,luther wrote the treatise in ,latin1 and not for the general public4 ,there is without doubt a certain betrayal in turning into the vernacular a passage written in the language of the learned4 ,yet we have done this1 being unwilling to all under the charge of giving a garbled version4 7#c7 ,the hindrance ,luther is here discussing was one recognized and provided or by the ,church of ,rome1 and the remedy suggested by him was prescribed by the ,german ,volksrecht in many localities4 7#d7 ,divorce was absolutely forbidden4 7#e7 ,luther's error grew out of an unhistorical interpretation of the ,old ,testament1 and consisted in his undervaluing the importance of the public law4 ,to make the individual conscience the sole arbiter in matters belonging to public law1 leads to dangerous consequences4 7,see ,kawarau1 ,berlin ,ed41 ,,ii1 #dhb f41 where references are given47 #afc ,as he actually did in the case of ,henry ,,viii and ,philip of ,hesse4 #afd ,see above1 p4 #bfi1 note #a4 #afe ,page #bga4 #aff ,an allusion to the act that what he is writing is a ,prelude4 ,see ,introduction1 p4 #afh4 #afg ,contra epistolam ,manichaei1 #e1 #f 7,migne1 ,,xlii1 #agf74 ,cf4 below1 p4 #dea4 #afh ,de trinitate1 #i1 #f1 #aj 7,migne1 ,,viii1 #iff74 #afi ,see below1 pp4 #dea ff4 #agj ,the council that condemned and burned ,john ,hus 7#adad-adah74 #aga ,dionysius ,areopagita1 the pseudonym 7cf4 ,acts #ag3ed7 of the unknown author 7about #ejj1 in ,syria87 of the neoplatonic writings1 ,of the ,celestial1 and ,of the ,ecclesiastical ,hierarchy1 etc4 #agb ,william ,durandus the elder1 died #abif4 #agc ,the ,franciscan ,bonaventura 7,died #abgd7 in his ,de reductione artium ad theologiara4 #agd ,donatus 7ab4 #cej ,a4,d471 a famous ,latin grammarian1 whose ,ars minor was a favorite mediaeval text-book4 ,the chancellor of the ,university of ,paris1 ,john ,gerson 7,died #adbi71 published a ,donatus moralisatus seu per allegoriam traductus--a mystical grammar1 in which the noun was compared to man1 the pronoun to man's sinful state1 the verb to the divine command to love1 the adverb to the fulfilment of the divine law1 etc4 #age ,see above1 p4 #aij4 #agf ,the so-called character indelebilis1 the peculiar gift of ordination1 so that once a priest1 always a priest4 ,see above1 p4 #fh1 note #e4 #agg ,see above1 pp4 #agh ff4 #agh ,the stated daily prayers1 fixed by canon1 of the clergy4 ,the seven hours are respectively3 matins 7including noctums and lauds71 prime1 tierce1 sext1 nones1 vespers1 and compline4 #agi ,comp4 above1 p4 #fi4 ,the fullest development of ,luther's doctrine of the spiritual priesthood of believers is to be found in his writings against ,emser1 especially ,auf das uberchristliche1 ubergeistliche und uberkunstliche ,buch ,bock ,emsers ,antwort1 #aeba4 #ahj ,on the last sentence see above1 pp4 #bea f4 #aha ,see p4 #bgh1 note #a4 #ahb ,see above1 p4 #ib4 #ahc ,see above1 p4 #bhj4 #ahd ,see above1 p4 #ahe4 #ahe ,see above1 p4 #bac4 #ahf ,covers for the chalice4 #ahg ,this promise was fulfilled in the ,liberty of a ,christian ,man4 #ahh ,thus ,erasmus3 ,fieri potest ut nomen commune cum apostolo praebuerit occasionem ut haec epistola lacobo apostolo ascriberetur1 cum uerit alterius cuiusdam ,iacobi4--,moffatt1 ,introduction to the ,lit4 of the ,n4 ,t41 p4 #dgb4 #ahi ,see above1 p4 #bge4 #aij ,comp4 above1 p4 #aga4 #aia ,see above1 p4 #bhe4 #aib ,see above1 p4 #bbf4 #aic ,see above1 p4 #bge4 #aid ,see above1 p4 #bbf4 #aie ,see above1 p4 #agg4 #aif ,see above1 pp4 #bbj f4 #aig ,the res sacramenti4 ,see above1 p4 #ahb1 note #b4 #aih ,vergil's ,eclogues1 ,,viii1 #fc4 #aii ,see ,introduction1 p4 #afh4 #bjj ,the remainder of ,luther's recantation was the ,de libertate4 ,in the letter to the pope1 which accompanied it1 he gave ample proof of his obedience4 #bja ,the eighth stanza of ,coehus ,sedulius' ,hymnus acrostichis totam vitam ,christi continens 7beginning1 ,a solis ortus cardine71 of the fifth century4 ,stanzas #h1 #i1 #aa and #ac were used as an ,epiphany hymn1 which ,luther translated on ,december #ab1 #aeda1--,was furchtst du1 ,feind ,herodes1 sehr4 ,the above translation is taken from ,hymns ,ancient and ,modern1 ,no4 #fj4 ,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,christian ,,liberty ,,with ,a ,,letter ,,to ,,pope ,,leo ,x #aebj ,,introduction ,the ,letter to the ,pope1 like an earlier letter dated ,march #c1 #aeai1 was written at the suggestion of ,carl von ,miltitz4 ,sent to ,germany to bring ,luther to ,rome1 this ,german diplomat knew ,german conditions and to some extent sympathized with ,luther's denunciation of ,tetzel and the sellers of indulgences4 ,he preferred1 therefore1 to try to settle the controversy and to leave ,luther in ,germany4 ,although the pope insisted that ,luther must come to ,rome and recant1 ,miltitz arranged for a hearing of the case before a ,german bishop4 ,evidently ,miltitz was far too optimistic in his representations both to ,luther and to the pope4 ,the pope1 in a writing dated ,march #bi1 #aeai1 spoke in friendly terms to ,luther1 and urged him to come to ,rome immediately and to make his recantation there4 ,luther1 in the letter dated ,march #c1 #aeai1 writes in most humble language to the pope1 but declares it impossible for him to recant what he had written in the ,,xcv ,theses4 ,the pope's letter did not reach ,luther2 ,luther's letter was not forwarded to the pope4 ,luther had promised to keep silent if his opponents would do the same1 and had devoted himself to the study of the ,scriptures4 ,john ,eck1 however1 had no such occupation to keep him from controversy1 and ,luther was not averse to a debate4 ,at the ,leipzig disputation1 ,june #bg-;,july #ae1 #aeai1 ,luther learned more of the logical implications of his position4 ,the plan of ,miltitz had failed1 but he would not be discouraged4 ,when ,miltitz went to ,germany1 it was under the pretence of a mission to deliver to his elector the papal golden rose1 which the latter had coveted in vain for two years4#a ,now he decided to go in person to ,augsburg1 where it had been deposited with the ,fuggers1 and present it to ,frederick4 ,this also gave an opportunity for a second meeting with ,luther at ,liebwierde1 ,october #i1 #aeai4 ,luther1 although placing little confidence in ,miltitz1 consented to argue his case before the archbishop of ,treves4 ,the plan failed1 partly because there was no citation for ,luther to appear1 partly because the ,elector would not allow ,luther to go without proper safe-conduct1 and partly because ,miltitz had not tried to prevent ,luther's opponents from challenging him4 ,in spite of the evident lack of confidence on both sides1 and in spite of ,luther's constant progress in opposition to the ,roman ,church1 ,miltitz insisted that the case is not as black as we priests make it1 even when a papal bull was issued against ,luther on ,june #ae1 #aebj4 ,on ,august #bhth ,miltitz attended a meeting of the ,augustinian monks in ,eisleben1 and obtained their promise that ,luther should be requested to write a letter to the pope assuring him that he had never attacked the pope's person4 ,on ,september #aath ,luther reported to ,spalatin what he had done1 and said that1 although neither he nor his fellow-monks had any confidence in the plan1 he would do ,miltitz the favor of writing such a letter4 ,this promise seemed meaningless to him after the bull against him had been published4 ,the papal bull had been obtained by ,eck1 whom ,miltitz now considered to be substituted for himself in dealing with ,luther1 in spite of the authority he had received4 ,that the bull was ignored in some places and despised in others1 pleased him and gave him new courage4 ,there might1 after all1 be some chance for him to make use of his diplomatic skill4 ,again he invited ,luther to meet him in ,lichtenberg4 ,they met in the monastery of ,st4 ,anthony on ,october #abth1 and ,luther renewed his promise to write to the pope1 to send the letter within twelve days1 and to date it back to ,september #fth1 that the appearance of intimidation by the papal bull might be avoided4 ,it was agreed that ,luther should send with the letter an historical account of his difficulties with the ,roman ,church which would show that ,eck was the chief instigator1 and that ,luther had been forced to take the positions he defended4 ,in writing1 however1 the historical review became a part of the letter1 and a treatise of far different tone was sent as a gift to the pope1 and as an evidence of the kind of work ,luther would prefer to do if his opponents permitted him to choose--the ,treatise on ,christian ,liberty4 ,it is again a question whether the pope received this letter4 ,it has been an interesting speculation for more than one writer1 what the thoughts and feelings of ,leo the ,tenth might have been if he did receive and read it4 ,schaff traces the progress of ,luther in the three letters he wrote to the pope3 ,in his first letter to the pope1 #aeah1 ,luther had thrown himself at his feet as an obedient son of the vicar of ,christ2 in his second letter1 #aeai1 he still had addressed him as a humble subject1 yet refusing to recant his conscientious convictions2 in his third and last letter he addressed him as an equal1 speaking to him with great respect for his personal character even beyond his deserts1 but denouncing in the severest terms the ,roman ,see1 and comparing him to a lamb among wolves1 and to ,daniel in the den of lions4#b ,if the pope ever read it1 it must have filled him with mingled feelings of indignation and disgust4 ,we may go even farther4 ,luther thinks of ,st4 ,bernard's attitude toward ,pope ,eugene1 and ,bernard was ,eugene's superior in the ,cistercian order and had been looked up to as father4 ,luther writes as a father confessor to a friend in trouble1 and might have quoted ,bernard's words3 ,i grieve with you4 ,i should say1 ,i grieve with you if1 indeed1 you also grieve4 ,otherwise ,i should have rather said1 ,i grieve for you2 because that is not grieving with another when there is none who grieves4 ,therefore if you grieve1 ,i grieve with you2 if not1 still ,i grieve1 and then most of all1 knowing that the member which is without feeling is the farther removed from health and that the sick man who does not feel his sickness is in the greater danger4#c ,the pope was a humanist1 not a spiritually minded priest2 we may1 therefore1 believe that ,charles ,beard is not far wrong in his estimate of the possible effect of this letter upon him3 ,if ,giovanni de ,medici1 the head of a house which had long come to consider itself princely1 and the occupant of the ,fisherman's chair1 when it claimed to be the highest of earthly thrones1 read this bold apostrophe1 addressed to him by a 'peasant and a peasant's son1' he must have thought him mad with conceit and vanity4 ,he was incapable of being touched by the moral nobleness of the appeal1 and so audacious a contempt of merely social distinctions the world has rarely seen4#d ,after the mighty thunder of the ,address to the ,christian ,nobility and the ,babylonian ,captivity of the ,church1 the ,treatise on the ,liberty of a ,christian ,man is1 indeed1 like a still1 small voice4 ,luther himself says3 ,unless ,i am deceived1 it is the whole of ,christian living in a brief form4 ,perhaps we may trace here also the influence of ,st4 ,bernard's ,de ,consideratione1 which was written as a devotional book for the pope and was a manual of ,christian living for the pope1 as this is a manual of ,christian living or all ,christians4 ,it has been rather difficult for the enemies of ,luther to find much fault with this book4 ,the ,catholic historians1 ,janssen and ,hergenrother1 do not mention it4 ,grisar characteristically devotes a little space to each of the three great writings of #aebj1 and considers the book on ,christian ,liberty as the most mischievous of them all4 ,it does1 indeed1 frequently bring its false thoughts in the form of that mystical1 heart-searching style which ,luther learned from older ,german models4#e ,the ,french ,catholic1 ,leon ,cristiani1 is far more generous in his estimate3 ,a truly religious spirit breathes in these pages4 ,provoking polemic is almost entirely avoided4 ,here one finds again the inspiration of the great mystics of the ,middle ,ages4 ,does not the ',imitation' continually describe the powerlessness of man when left to himself1 the infinite mercy of ,god1 the great benefit of the redemption of ,christ8 ,does it not preach the necessity of doing all things through love1 nothing of necessity8 ,he is not a true ,christian who would venture to disapprove the passages in which ,luther speaks so eloquently of the goodness of ,god1 of the gratitude which it should inspire in us1 of the spontaneity which should mark our obedience1 of the desire of imitating ,christ which should inspire us4#f ,protestants consider this book perhaps the most beautiful of ,luther's writings1 the result of religious contemplation rather than of theological labor4#g ,it takes rank with the best books of ,luther1 and rises far above the angry controversies of his age1 during which he composed it1 in the full possession of the positive truth and peace of the religion of ,christ4#h ,the clear presentation of the thought of the liberty of a ,christian man occurs at the close of the ,tessaradecas4#i ,in the ,babylonian ,captivity ,luther had promised to publish a treatise on the subject after he had seen the effect of that treatise4#aj ,but the promise to send a treatise to the pope gave him an earlier opportunity1 so that barely a month and a half intervened between the publication of the ,captivity1 ,october #fth1 and that of the ,liberty1 middle of ,november4 ,the ,german1 although a translation in part and in part an abbreviation and rewriting of the ,latin1 appeared first1 before ,november #afth4 ,the publisher1 seeing his opportunity1 had1 however1 issued the ,letter to the ,pope in ,german separately before ,november #dth1#aa so that a new dedicatory letter1 addressed to ,hieronymus ,mulphordt 7,muhlpfort71 of ,zwickau1 was prefixed to the ,german edition4 ,our translation is made from the ,latin1 although the ,german has been compared wherever it is a real translation4 ,two translations into ,english appeared in the sixteenth century3 one printed by ,john ,byddell before #aedd1 the translation being1 according to ,preserved ,smith1#ab by ,john ,tewkesbury2 the other1 prepared by ,james ,bell and printed by ,ralph ,newbery and ,h4 ,bynneman1 in #aegi4 ,unfortunately1 neither of these was accessible to the present translators4 ,modern translations1 into ,english by ,wace and ,buchheim1 and into ,german by ,lemme1 have been consulted4 ,w4 ,a4 ,,lambert4 ,south ,bethlehem1 ,,pa4 ,,footnotes #a ,catholic ,encyclopedia1 x1 #cah4 #b ,church ,history1 vi1 #bbd f4 #c ,de consideratione1 i1 ,i4 #d ,martin ,luther and the ,reformation in ,germany1 ,london1 #ahhi1 p4 #cgj4 #e ,luther1 ,i1 #cea4 #f ,du ,lutheranisme au ,protestantisme1 #aiaa1 p4 #aii4 #g ,kolde1 ,luther1 #a1 #bgd4 #h ,schaff1 ,,vi1 #bbd4 #i ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #agj4 #aj ,see above1 page #bhd4 #aa ,enders1 ,,ii1 p4 #dif1 gives as the date when the letter was written1 after ,oct4 #acth2 ,smith1 ,life and ,letters of ,martin ,luther1 p4 #ia1 dates it ,oct4 #bjth4 #ab ,nation1 ,may #bi1 #aiac4 ,,letter ,,to ,,pope ,,leo ,x4 ,,jesus4 ,to ,leo the ,tenth1 ,pope at ,rome3 ,martin ,luther wishes thee salvation in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,amen4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,pope's ,person ,in the midst of the monsters of this age with whom ,i am now for the third year waging war1 ,i am compelled at times to look up also to thee1 ,leo1 most blessed ,father1 and to think of thee2 nay1 since thou art now and again regarded as the sole cause of my warfare1 ,i cannot but think of thee always4 ,and although the causeless raging of thy godless flatterers against me has compelled me to appeal from thy ,see to a future council1 despite those most empty decrees of thy predecessors ,pius and ,julius1 who with a foolish tyranny forbade such an appeal1 yet ,i have never so estranged my mind from thy ,blessedness as not with all my heart to wish thee and thy ,see every blessing1 for which ,i have1 as much as lay in me1 besought ,god with earnest prayers4 ,it is true1 ,i have made bold almost to despise and to triumph over those who have tried to righten me with the majesty of thy name and authority4 ,but there is one thing which ,i cannot despise1 and that is my excuse for writing once more to thy ,blessedness4 ,i understand that ,i am accused of great rashness1 and that this rashness is said to be my great fault1 in which1 they say1 ,i have not spared even thy person4 ,for my part1 ,i will openly confess that ,i know ,i have only spoken good and honorable things of thee whenever ,i have made mention of thy name4 ,and if ,i had done otherwise1 ,i myself could by no means approve of it1 but would entirely approve the judgment others have formed of me1 and do nothing more gladly than recant such rashness and impiety on my part4 ,i have called thee a ,daniel in ,babylon1#a and every one who reads knows with what zeal ,i defended thy notable innocence against thy dreamer1 ,sylvester4#b ,indeed1 thy reputation and the fame of thy blameless life1 sung as they are throughout the world by the writings of so many great men1 are too well known and too high to be assailed in any way by any one man1 however great he may be4 ,i am not so foolish as to attack him whom every one praises3 it has rather been1 and always will be1 my endeavor not to attack even those whom public report decries2 for ,i take no pleasure in the crimes of any man1 since ,i am conscious enough of the great beam in my own eye ,matt4 #g3c1 nor could ,i be he that should cast the first stone at the adulteress ,john #h3g4 ,sidenote3 ,luther's ,enemies ,i have indeed sharply inveighed against ungodly teachings in general1 and ,i have not been slow to bite my adversaries1 not because of their immorality1 but because of their ungodliness4 ,and of this ,i repent so little that ,i have determined to persevere in that fervent zeal1 and to despise the judgment of men1 following the example of ,christ1 ,who in ,his zeal called ,his adversaries a generation of vipers1 blind1 hypocrites1 children of the devil ,matt4 #bc3ac1 #ag1 #cc4 ,and ,paul arraigned the sorcerer as a child of the devil full of all subtilty and mischief ,acts #ac3aj1 and brands others as dogs1 deceivers and adulterers ,phil4 #c3b2 #b ,cor4 #aa3ac2 #b ,cor4 #b3ag4 ,if you will allow those delicate ears to judge1 nothing would be more biting and more unrestrained than ,paul4 ,who is more biting than the prophets8 ,nowadays1 it is true1 our ears are made so delicate by the mad crowds of flatterers that as soon as we meet with a disapproving voice we cry out that we are bitten1 and when we cannot ward off the truth with any other pretext we put it to light by ascribing it to a fierce temper1 impatience and shamelessness4 ,what is the good of salt if it does not bite8 ,or of the edge of the sword if it does not kill8 ,cursed be he that doeth the work of the ,lord deceitfully ,jer4 #dh3aj4 ,wherefore1 most excellent ,leo1 ,i pray thee1 after ,i have by this letter vindicated myself1 give me a hearing1 and believe that ,i have never thought evil of thy person1 but that ,i am a man who would wish thee all good things eternally1 and that ,i have no quarrel with any man concerning his morality1 but only concerning the ,word of truth4 ,in all things else ,i will yield to any man whatsoever3 to give up or to deny the ,word ,i have neither the power nor the will4 ,if any man thinks otherwise of me1 or has understood my words differently1 he does not think aright1 nor has he understood what ,i have really said4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,roman ,curia ,but thy ,see1 which is called the ,roman ,curia1 and of which neither thou nor any man can deny that it is more corrupt than any ,babylon or ,sodom ever was1 and which is1 as far as ,i can see1 characterized by a totally depraved1 hopeless and notorious wickedness--that ,see ,i have truly despised1 and ,i have been incensed to think that in thy name and under the guise of the ,roman ,church the people of ,christ are mocked4 ,and so ,i have resisted and will resist that ,see1 as long as the spirit of faith shall live in me4 ,not that ,i shall strive after the impossible or hope that by my lone efforts anything will be accomplished in that most disordered ,babylon1 where the rage of so many sycophants is turned against me2 but ,i acknowledge myself a debtor to my brethren1 whom it is my duty to warn1 that fewer of them may be destroyed by the plagues of ,rome1 or at least that their destruction may be less cruel4 ,for1 as thou well knowest1 these many years there has flowed forth from ,rome1 like a flood covering the world1 nothing but a laying waste of men's bodies and souls and possessions1 and the worst possible examples of the worst possible things4 ,for all this is clearer than the day to all men1 and the ,roman ,church1 once the most holy of all1 become the most licentious den of thieves ,matt4 #ba3ac1 the most shameless of all brothels1 the kingdom of sin1 death and hell2 so that even ,antichrist himself1 should he come1 could think of nothing to add to its wickedness4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,pope's ,helplessness ,meanwhile thou1 ,leo1 sittest as a lamb in the midst of wolves ,matt4 #aj3af1 like ,daniel in the midst of the lions ,dan4 #f3af1 and1 with ,ezekiel1 thou dwellest among scorpions ,ezek4 #b3f4 ,what canst thou do single-handed1 against these monsters8 ,join to thyself three or four thoroughly learned and thoroughly good cardinals3 what are even these among so many8 ,john #f3i ,you would all be poisoned before you could undertake to make a single decree to help matters4 ,there is no hope or the ,roman ,curia3 the wrath of ,god is come upon it to the end #a ,thess4 #b3af2 it hates councils1 it fears a reformation1 it cannot reduce the raging of its wickedness1 and is meriting the praise bestowed upon its mother1 of whom it is written1 ,we have cured ,babylon1 but she is not healed3 let us forsake her4#c;,jer4 #ea3i ,it was thy duty1 indeed1 and that of thy cardinals1 to remedy these evils1 but that gout of theirs mocks the healing hand1 and neither chariot nor horse heeds the guiding rein4#d ,moved by such sympathy for thee1 ,i have always grieved1 most excellent ,leo1 that thou hast been made pope in these times1 for thou wert worthy of better days4 ,the ,roman ,curia has not deserved to have thee or men like thee1 but rather ,satan himself2 and in truth it is he more than thou who rules in that ,babylon4 ,o would that thou mightest lay aside what thy most mischievous enemies boast of as thy glory1 and wert living on some small priestly income of thine own1 or on thy family inheritance6 ,to glory in that glory none are worthy save the ,iscariots1 the sons of perdition ,john #ag3ab4 ,for what dost thou accomplish in the ,curia1 my dear ,leo8 ,only this3 the more criminal and abominable a man is1 the more successfully will he use thy name and authority to destroy the wealth and the souls of men1 to increase crime1 to suppress faith and truth and the whole ,church of ,god4 ,o truly1 most unhappy ,leo1 thou sittest on a most dangerous throne2 for ,i tell thee the truth1 because ,i wish thee well4 ,if ,bernard pitied his ,pope ,eugene#e at a time when the ,roman ,see1 although even then most corrupt1 yet ruled with better prospects1 why should not we lament who have for three hundred years had so great an increase of corruption and worthlessness8 ,is it not true that under yon vast expanse of heaven there is nothing more corrupt1 more pestilential1 more hateful than the ,roman ,curia8 ,it surpasses the godlessness of the ,turks beyond all comparison1 so that in truth1 whereas it was once a gate of heaven1 it is now an open mouth of hell1 and such a mouth as1 because of the wrath of ,god1 cannot be shut2 there is only one thing that we can try to do1 as ,i have said3 perchance we may be able to call back a few from that yawning chasm of ,rome and so save them4 ,now thou seest1 my ,father ,leo1 how and why ,i have so violently attacked that pestilential ,see3 for so far have ,i been from raging against thy person that ,i even hoped ,i might gain thy favor and save thee1 if ,i should make a strong and sharp assault upon that prison1 nay that hell of thine4 ,for thou and thy salvation and the salvation of many others with thee will be served by every thing that men of ability can contribute to the confusion of this wicked ,curia4 ,they do thy work1 who bring evil upon it2 they glorify ,christ1 who in every way curse it4 ,in short1 they are ,christians who are not ,romans4 ,sidenote3 ,luther's ,controversies ,sidenote3 ,eck ,to go yet farther1 ,i never intended to inveigh against the ,roman ,curia1 or to raise any controversy concerning it4 ,for when ,i saw that all efforts to save it were hopeless1 ,i despised it and gave it a bill of divorcement ,deut4 #bd3a and said to it1 ,he that is filthy1 let him be filthy still1 and he that is unclean1 let him be unclean still4 ,rev4 #bb3aa ,then ,i gave myself to the quiet and peaceful study of holy ,scripture1 that ,i might thus be of benefit to my brethren about me4 ,when ,i had made some progress in these studies1 ,satan opened his eyes and filled his servant ,john ,eck1#f a notable enemy of ,christ1 with an insatiable lust for glory1 and thereby stirred him up to drag me at unawares into a disputation1 laying hold on me by one little word about the primacy of the ,roman ,church which ,i had incidentally let fall4 ,then that boasting braggart1 frothing and gnashing his teeth1 declared that he would venture all for the glory of ,god and the honor of the holy ,apostolic ,see1 and1 puffed up with the hope of misusing thy power1 he looked forward with perfect confidence to a victory over me4 ,he sought not so much to establish the primacy of ,peter as his own leadership among the theologians of our time2 and to that end he thought it no small help if he should triumph over ,luther4 ,when that debate ended unhappily for the sophist1 an incredible madness overcame the man3 for he feels that he alone must bear the blame of all that ,i have brought forth to the shame of ,rome4 ,sidenote3 ,cajetan ,but permit me1 ,i pray thee1 most excellent ,leo1 this once to plead my cause and to make charges against thy real enemies4 ,thou knowest1 ,i believe1 what dealings thy legate1 ,cardinal of ,st4 ,sixtus1#g an unwise and unfortunate1 or rather1 unfaithful man1 had with me4 ,when1 because of reverence for thy name1 ,i had put myself and all my case in his hand1 he did not try to establish peace1 although with a single word he could easily have done so1 since ,i at that time promised to keep silent and to end the controversy1 if my opponents were ordered to do the same4 ,but as he was a man who sought glory1 and was not content with that agreement1 he began to justify my opponents1 to give them full freedom and to order me to recant1 a thing not included in his instructions4 ,when the matter was in a fair way1 his untimely arbitrariness brought it into a far worse condition4 ,therefore1 for what followed later ,luther is not to blame2 all the blame is ,cajetan's1 who did not suffer me to keep silent and to rest1 as ,i then most earnestly asked him to do4 ,what more should ,i have done8 ,sidenote3 ,miltitz ,next came ,carl ,miltitz1#h also a nuncio of thy ,blessedness1 who after great and varied efforts and constant going to and fro1 although he omitted nothing that might help to restore that status of the question which ,cajetan had rashly and haughtily disturbed1 at last with the help of the most illustrious prince1 ,frederick the ,elector1 barely managed to arrange several private conferences with me4 ,again ,i yielded to your name1 ,i was prepared to keep silent1 and even accepted as arbiter either the archbishop of ,treves or the bishop of ,naumburg4 ,so matters were arranged4 ,but while this plan was being followed with good prospects of success1 lo1 that other and greater enemy of thine1 ,eck1 broke in with the ,leipzig ,disputation which he had undertaken against ,dr4 ,carlstadt4 ,when a new question concerning the primacy of the pope was raised1 he suddenly turned his weapons against me and quite overthrew that counsel of peace4 ,meanwhile ,carl ,miltitz waited3 a disputation was held1 judges were selected2 but here also no decision was reached1 and no wonder3 through the lies1 the tricks1 the wiles of ,eck everything was stirred up1 aggravated and confounded worse than ever1 so that whatever decision might have been reached1 a greater conflagration would have resulted4 ,for he sought glory1 not the truth4 ,here also ,i let nothing undone that ,i ought to have done4#i ,sidenote3 ,eck ,i admit that on this occasion no small amount of corrupt ,roman practices came to light1 but whatever wrong was done was the fault of ,eck1 who undertook a task beyond his strength1 and1 while he strove madly for his own glory1 revealed the shame of ,rome to all the world4 ,he is thy enemy1 my dear ,leo1 or rather the enemy of thy ,curia4 ,from the example of this one man thou canst learn that there is no enemy more injurious than a flatterer4 ,for what did he accomplish with his flattery but an evil which no king could have accomplished8 ,to-day the name of the ,roman ,curia is a stench throughout the world1 and papal authority languishes1 ignorance that was once held in honor is evil spoken of2 and of all this we should have heard nothing if ,eck had not upset the counsel of peace planned by ,carl and myself1 as he himself now clearly sees1 and is angry1 too late and to no purpose1 that my books were published4 ,this he should have thought of when1 like a horse that whinnies on the picket-line1 he was madly seeking only his own glory1 and sought only his own gain through thee at the greatest peril to thee4 ,the vainglorious man thought that ,i would stop and keep silent at the terror of thy name2 for ,i do not believe that he trusted entirely to his talents and learning4 ,now1 when he sees that ,i have more courage than that and have not been silenced1 he repents him too late of his rashness and understands that there is ,one in heaven who resists the proud and humbles the haughty #a ,pet4 #e3e2 ,judith #f3ae1 if indeed he does understand it at last4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,augustinians ,since we gained nothing by this disputation except that we brought greater confusion to the cause of ,rome1 ,carl ,miltitz made a third attempt2 he came to the fathers of the ,augustinian ,order assembled in their chapter1 and asked counsel in settling the controversy which had now grown most confused and dangerous4 ,since1 by the favor of ,god1 they had no hope of being able to proceed against me with violence1 some of the most famous of their number were sent to me1 and asked me at least to show honor to the person of thy ,blessedness1 and in a humble letter to plead as my excuse thy innocence and mine2 they said that the affair was not yet in the most desperate state if of his innate goodness ,leo the ,tenth would take a hand in it4 ,as ,i have always both offered and desired peace that ,i might devote myself to quieter and more useful studies1 and have stormed with so great fury merely for the purpose of overwhelming by volume and violence of words1 no less than of intellect1 those whom ,i knew to be very unequal foes3 ,i not only gladly ceased1 but also with joy and thankfulness considered it a most welcome kindness to me if our hope could be fulfilled4 ,sidenote3 ,appeal to the ,pope ,so ,i come1 most blessed ,father1 and1 prostrate before thee1 ,i pray1 if it be possible do thou interpose and hold in check those flatterers1 who are the enemies of peace while they pretend to keep peace4 ,but that ,i will recant1 most blessed ,father1 let no one imagine1 unless he prefer to involve the whole question in greater turmoil4 ,furthermore1 ,i will accept no rules for the interpretation of the ,word of ,god1 since the ,word of ,god1 which teaches the liberty of all things else1 dare not be bound #b ,tim4 #b3i4 ,grant me these two points1 and there is nothing that ,i could not or would not most gladly do or endure4 ,i hate disputations2 ,i will draw out no one2 but then ,i do not wish others to draw me out2 if they do1 as ,christ is my ,teacher1 ,i will not be speechless4 ,for1 when once this controversy has been cited before thee and settled1 thy ,blessedness will be able with a small and easy word to silence both parties and command them to keep the peace1 and that is what ,i have always wished to hear4 ,do not listen1 therefore1 my dear ,leo1 to those sirens who make thee out to be no mere man but a demigod1 so that thou mayest command and require what thou wilt4 ,it will not be done in that fashion1 and thou wilt not succeed4 ,thou art a servant of servants1#aj and beyond all other men in a most pitiable and most dangerous position4 ,be not deceived by those who pretend that thou art lord of the world and allow no one to be a ,christian unless he accept thy authority2 who prate that thou hast power over heaven1 hell and purgatory4 ,these are thy enemies and seek thy soul to destroy it #a ,kings #ai3aj2 as ,isaiah says1 ,o my people1 they that call thee blessed1 the same deceive thee4 ,isa4 #c3ab 7,vulgate7 ,they err who exalt thee above a council and above the ,church universal4 ,they err who ascribe to thee alone the right of interpreting ,scripture2 or under cover of thy name they seek to establish all their own wickedness in the ,church1 and alas6 through them ,satan has already made much headway under thy predecessors4 ,in short1 believe none who exalt thee1 believe those who humble thee4 ,for this is the judgment of ,god2 ,he hath put down the mighty from their seat1 and hath exalted the humble4 ,luke #a3eb ,see1 how unlike ,his successors is ,christ1 although they all would be ,his vicars4 ,and ,i fear that most of them have indeed been too literally ,his vicars4 ,for a vicar is a vicar only when his lord is absent4 ,and if the pope rules while ,christ is absent and does not dwell in his heart1 what else is he but a vicar of ,christ8 ,but what is such a ,church except a mass of people without ,christ8 ,and what is such a vicar else than antichrist and an idol8 ,how much more correctly did the ,apostles call themselves servants of the present ,christ1 and not vicars of an absent ,christ6 ,sidenote3 ,luther ,follows ,st4 ,bernard's ,example ,perhaps ,i am impudent1 in that ,i seem to instruct so great1 so exalted a personage1 from whom we ought all to learn1 and from whom1 as those plagues of thine boast1 the thrones of judges receive their decisions4 ,but ,i am following the example of ,st4 ,bernard in his book de consideratione ad ,eugenium1 a book every pope should have by heart4 ,for what ,i am doing ,i do not from an eagerness to teach1 but as an evidence of that pure and faithful solicitude which constrains us to have regard for the things of our neighbors even when they are safe1 and does not permit us to consider their dignity or lack of dignity1 since it is intent only upon the danger they run for the advantage they may gain4 ,for when ,i know that thy ,blessedness is driven and tossed about at ,rome1 that is1 that far out at sea thou art threatened on all sides with endless dangers1 and art laboring hard in that miserable plight1 so that thou dost need even the slightest help of the least of thy brethren1 ,i do not think it is absurd of me1 if for the time ,i forget thy high office and do what brotherly love demands4 ,i have no desire to flatter in so serious and dangerous a matter1 but if men do not understand that ,i am thy friend and thy most humble subject1 there is ,one that understandeth and judgeth4 ,john #h3ej ,sidenote3 ,luther's ,gift ,finally1 that ,i may not approach thee empty-handed1 blessed ,father1 ,i bring with me this little treatise published under thy name as an omen of peace and of good hope4 ,from this book thou mayest judge with what studies ,i would prefer to be more profitably engaged1 as ,i could be if your godless flatterers would permit me1 and had hitherto permitted me4 ,it is a small thing if thou regard its bulk1 but1 unless ,i am deceived1 it is the whole of ,christian living in brief form1 if thou wilt grasp its meaning4 ,i am a poor man1 and have no other gift to offer1 and thou hast no need to be made rich by any other than a spiritual gift4 ,with this ,i commend myself to thy ,fatherhood and ,blessedness4 ,may the ,lord ,jesus preserve thee forever4 ,amen4 ,wittenberg1 ,september #f1 #aebj4aa ,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,christian ,,liberty ,sidenote3 ,faith ,many have thought ,christian faith to be an easy thing1 and not a few have given it a place among the virtues4 ,this they do because they have had no experience of it1 and have never tasted what great virtue there is in faith4 ,for it is impossible that any one should write well of it or well understand what is correctly written of it1 unless he has at some time tasted the courage faith gives a man when trials oppress him4 ,but he who has had even a faint taste of it can never write1 speak1 meditate or hear enough concerning it4 ,for it is a living fountain springing up into life everlasting1 as ,christ calls it in ,john iv ,john #d3ad4 ,for my part1 although ,i have no wealth of faith to boast of and know how scant my store is1 yet ,i hope that1 driven about by great and various temptations1 ,i have attained to a little faith1 and that ,i can speak of it1 if not more elegantly1 certainly more to the point1 than those literalists and all too subtile disputants have hitherto done1 who have not even understood what they have written4 ,sidenote3 ,liberty and ,bondage ,that ,i may make the way easier or the unlearned--for only such do ,i serve--,i set down first these two propositions concerning the liberty and the bondage of the spirit3 ,a ,christian man is a perfectly free lord of all1 subject to none4 ,a ,christian man is a perfectly dutiful servant of all1 subject to all4 ,although these two theses seem to contradict each other1 yet1 if they should be found to fit together they would serve our purpose beautifully4 ,for they are both ,paul's own1 who says1 in ,i ,cor4 ix1 ,whereas ,i was free1 ,i made myself the servant of all1 #a ,cor4 #i3ai and1 ,rom4 xiii1 ,owe no man anything1 but to love one another4 ,rom4 #ac3h ,now love by its very nature is ready to serve and to be subject to him who is loved4 ,so ,christ1 although ,lord of all1 was made of a woman1 made under the law ,gal4 #d3d1 and hence was at the same time free and a servant1 at the same time in the form of ,god and in the form of a servant ,phil4 #b3f f44 ,sidenote3 ,man's ,nature ,let us start1 however1 with something more remote from our subject1 but more obvious4 ,man#ab has a twofold nature1 a spiritual and a bodily4 ,according to the spiritual nature1 which men call the soul1 he is called a spiritual1 or inner1 or new man2 according to the bodily nature1 which men call the flesh1 he is called a carnal1 or outward1 or old man1 of whom the ,apostle writes1 in ,,ii ,cor4 iv1 ,though our outward man is corrupted1 yet the inward man is renewed day by day4 #b ,cor4 #d3af ,because of this diversity of nature the ,scriptures assert contradictory things of the same man1 since these two men in the same man contradict each other1 since the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh 7,gal4 v7 ,gal4 #e3ag4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,inward ,man ,first1 let us contemplate the inward man1 to see how a righteous1 free and truly ,christian man1 that is1 a new1 spiritual1 inward man1 comes into being4 ,it is evident that no external thing1 whatsoever it be1 has any influence whatever in producing ,christian righteousness or liberty1 nor in producing unrighteousness or bondage4 ,a simple argument will furnish the proof4 ,what can it profit the soul if the body are well1 be free and active1 eat1 drink and do as it pleases8 ,for in these things even the most godless slaves of all the vices are well4 ,on the other hand1 how will ill health or imprisonment or hunger or thirst or any other external misfortune hurt the soul8 ,with these things even the most godly men are afflicted1 and those who because of a clear conscience are most free4 ,none of these things touch either the liberty or the bondage of the soul4 ,the soul receives no benefit if the body is adorned with the sacred robes of the priesthood1 or dwells in sacred places1 or is occupied with sacred duties1 or prays1 fasts1 abstains from certain kinds of food or does any work whatsoever that can be done by the body and in the body4 ,the righteousness and the freedom of the soul demand something far different1 since the things which have been mentioned could be done by any wicked man1 and such works produce nothing but hypocrites4 ,on the other hand1 it will not hurt the soul if the body is clothed in secular dress1 dwells in unconsecrated places1 eats and drinks as others do1 does not pray aloud1 and neglects to do all the things mentioned above1 which hypocrites can do4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,word of ,god ,further1 to put aside all manner of works1 even contemplation1 meditation1 and all that the soul can do1 avail nothing4 ,one thing and one only is necessary for ,christian life1 righteousness and liberty4 ,that one thing is the most holy ,word of ,god1 the ,gospel of ,christ1 as he says1 ,john xi1 ,i am the resurrection and the life3 he that believeth in me1 shall not die forever ,john #aa3be2 and ,john viii1 ,if the ,son shall make you free1 you shall be free indeed ,john #h3bf2 and ,matthew iv1 ,not in bread alone doth man live2 but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of ,god4 ,matt4 #d3d ,let us then consider it certain and conclusively established that the soul can do without all things except the ,word of ,god1 and that where this is not there is no help for the soul in anything else whatever4 ,but if it has the ,word it is rich and lacks nothing1 since this ,word is the ,word of life1 of truth1 of light1 of peace1 of righteousness1 of salvation1 of joy1 of liberty1 of wisdom1 of power1 of grace1 of glory and of every blessing beyond our power to estimate4 ,this is why the prophet in the entire cxix ,psalm1 and in many other places of ,scripture1 with so many sighs yearns after the ,word of ,god and applies so many names to it ,psalm #aai4 ,on the other hand1 there is no more terrible plague with which the wrath of ,god can smite men than a famine of the hearing of ,his ,word1 as ,he says in ,amos1 just as there is no greater mercy than when ,he sends forth ,his ,word ,amos #h3aa f41 as we read in ,psalm cvii1 ,he sent ,his word and healed them1 and delivered them from their destructions4 ,psalm #ajg3bj ,nor was ,christ sent into the world for any other ministry but that of the ,word1 and the whole spiritual estate1 apostles1 bishops and all the priests1 has been called and instituted only or the ministry of the ,word4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,gospel ,you ask1 ,what then is this ,word of ,god1 and how shall it be used1 since there are so many words of ,god8 ,i answer4 ,the ,apostle explains that in ,romans i4 ,the ,word is the ,gospel of ,god concerning ,his ,son1 ,who was made flesh1 suffered1 rose from the dead1 and was glorified through the ,spirit ,who sanctifies4 ,for to preach ,christ means to feed the soul1 to make it righteous1 to set it free and to save it1 if it believe the preaching4 ,for faith alone is the saving and efficacious use of the ,word of ,god1 ,romans x1 ,if thou confess with thy mouth that ,jesus is ,lord1 and believe with thy heart that ,god hath raised ,him up from the dead1 thou shalt be saved ,rom4 #aj3i2 and again1 ,the end of the law is ,christ1 unto righteousness to every one that believeth ,rom4 #aj3d2 and1 ,romans i1 ,the just shall live by his faith4 ,rom4 #a3ag ,the ,word of ,god cannot be received and cherished by any works whatever1 but only by faith ,hab4 #b3d4 ,hence it is clear that1 as the soul needs only the ,word for its life and righteousness1 so it is justified by faith alone and not by any works2 for if it could be justified by anything else1 it would not need the ,word1 and therefore it would not need faith4 ,but this faith cannot at all exist in connection with works1 that is to say1 if you at the same time claim to be justified by works1 whatever their character2 for that would be to halt between two sides1 to worship ,baal and to kiss the hand #a ,kings #ah3ba1 which1 as ,job says1 is a very great iniquity ,job #ca3bg f44 ,therefore the moment you begin to believe1 you learn that all things in you are altogether blameworthy1 sinful and damnable1 as ,romans iii says1 ,for all have sinned and lack the glory of ,god ,rom4 #c3bc2 and again1 ,there is none just1 there is none that doeth good1 all have turned out of the way3 they are become unprofitable together4 ,rom4 #c3aj ff4 ,when you have learned this1 you will know that you need ,christ1 ,who suffered and rose again or you1 that1 believing in ,him1 you may through this faith become a new man1 in that all your sins are forgiven1 and you are justified by the merits of another1 namely1 of ,christ alone4 ,sidenote3 ,justification by ,faith ,since1 therefore1 this faith can rule only in the inward man1 as ,romans x says1 ,with the heart we believe unto righteousness2 and since faith alone justifies1 it is clear that the inward man cannot be justified1 made free and be saved by any outward work or dealing whatsoever1 and that works1 whatever their character1 have nothing to do with this inward man4 ,on the other hand1 only ungodliness and unbelief of heart1 and no outward work1 make him guilty and a damnable servant of sin4 ,wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every ,christian to lay aside all trust in works1 and more and more to strengthen faith alone1 and through faith to grow in the knowledge1 not of works1 but of ,christ ,jesus1 ,who suffered and rose for him1 as ,peter teaches1 in the last chapter of his first ,epistle #a ,pet4 #e3aj2 since no other work makes a ,christian4 ,thus when the ,jews asked ,christ1 ,john vi ,john #f3bh f41 what they should do that they might work the works of ,god1 ,he brushed aside the multitude of works in which ,he saw that they abounded ,john #f3bg1 and enjoined upon them a single work1 saying1 ,this is the work of ,god1 that you believe in ,him ,whom ,he hath sent4 ,for ,him hath ,god the ,father sealed4 ,john #f3bi ,hence true faith in ,christ is a treasure beyond comparison1 which brings with it all salvation and saves from every evil1 as ,christ says in the last chapter of ,mark1 ,he that believeth and is baptised1 shall be saved2 but he that believeth not1 shall be condemned4 ,mark #af3af ,this treasure ,isaiah beheld and foretold in chapter x1 ,the ,lord shall make an abridged and consuming word upon the land1 and the consumption abridged shall overflow with righteousness ,isa4 #aj3bb2 as if he said1 ,faith1 which is a brief and perfect fulfilment of the law1 shall fill believers with so great righteousness that they shall need nothing more for their righteousness4 ,so also ,paul says1 ,romans x1 ,with the heart we believe unto righteousness4 ,rom4 #aj3aj ,sidenote3 ,faith and ,works ,sidenote3 ,commands reveal ,weakness ,should you ask1 how it comes that faith alone justifies without works offers us such a treasury of great benefits1 when so many works1 ceremonies and laws are prescribed in the ,scriptures1 ,i answer3 ,first of all1 remember what has been said3 faith alone1 without works1 justifies1 makes free and saves1 as we shall later make still more clear4 ,here we must point out that all the ,scriptures of ,god are divided into two parts--commands and promises4 ,the commands indeed teach things that are good1 but the things taught reveal are not done as soon as taught2 for the commands show us what we ought to do1 but do not give us the power to do it2 they are intended to teach a man to know himself1 that through them he may recognize his inability to do good and may despair of his powers4 ,that is why they are called and are the ,old ,testament4 ,for example3 ,thou shalt not covet ,ex4 #bj3ag is a command which convicts us all of being sinners1 since no one is able to avoid coveting1 however much he may struggle against it4 ,therefore1 in order not to covet1 and to fulfil the command1 a man is compelled to despair of himself1 and to seek elsewhere and from some one else the help which he does not ind in himself1 as is said in ,hosea1 ,destruction is thy own1 ,o ,israel3 thy help is only in ,me4 ,hos4 #ac3i ,and as we are with this one command1 so we are with all2 or it is equally impossible or us to keep any one of them4 ,sidenote3 ,promises give ,strength ,but when a man through the commands has learned to know his weakness1 and has become troubled as to how he may satisfy the law1 since the law must be fulfilled so that not a jot or tittle shall perish1 otherwise man will be condemned without hope2 then1 being truly humbled and reduced to nothing in his own eyes1 he finds in himself no means of justification and salvation4 ,here the second part of the ,scriptures stands ready--the promises of ,god1 which declare the glory of ,god and say1 ,if you wish to fulfil the law1 and not to covet1 as the law demands1 come1 believe in ,christ1 in ,whom grace1 righteousness1 peace1 liberty and all things are promised you2 if you believe you shall have all1 if you believe not you shall lack all4 ,for what is impossible for you in all the works of the law1 many as they are1 but all useless1 you will accomplish in a short and easy way through faith4 ,for ,god our ,father has made all things depend on faith1 so that whoever has faith1 shall have all1 and whoever has it not1 shall have nothing4 ,for ,he has concluded all under unbelief1 that ,he might have mercy on all1 ,romans xi ,rom4 #aa3cb4 ,thus the promises of ,god give what the commands of ,god ask1 and fulfil what the law prescribes1 that all things may be of ,god alone1 both the commands and the fulfilling of the commands4 ,he alone commands4 ,he also alone fulfils4 ,therefore the promises of ,god belong to the ,new ,testament1 nay1 they are the ,new ,testament4 ,and since these promises of ,god are holy1 true1 righteous1 free and peaceful words1 full of all goodness1 it comes to pass that the soul which clings to them with a firm faith1 is so united with them1 nay1 altogether taken up into them1 that it not only shares in all their power1 but is saturated and made drunken with it4 ,for if a touch of ,christ healed1 how much more will this most tender touch in the spirit1 rather this absorbing of the ,word1 communicate to the soul all things that are the ,word's4 ,this1 then1 is how through faith alone without works the soul is justified by the ,word of ,god1 sanctified1 made true and peaceful and free1 filled with every blessing and made truly a child of ,god1 as ,john i says1 ,to them gave ,he power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe on ,his ,name4 ,john #a3ab ,sidenote3 ,faith ,justifies ,from what has been said it is easily seen whence faith has such great power1 and why no good work nor all good works together can equal it3 no work can cling to the ,word of ,god nor be in the soul2 in the soul faith alone and the ,word have sway4 ,as the ,word is1 so it makes the soul1 as heated iron glows like fire because of the union of fire with it4 ,it is clear then that a ,christian man has in his faith all that he needs1 and needs no works to justify him4 ,and if he has no need of works1 neither does he need the law2 and if he has no need of the law1 surely he is free from the law1 and it is true1 the law is not made for a righteous man4 #a ,tim4 #a3i ,and this is that ,christian liberty1 even our faith1 which does not indeed cause us to live in idleness or in wickedness1 but makes the law and works unnecessary for any man's righteousness and salvation4 ,sidenote3 ,faith ,fulfils the ,commands ,this is the first power of faith4 ,let us now examine the second also4 ,for it is a further function of faith1 that whom it trusts it also honors with the most reverent and high regard1 since it considers him truthful and trustworthy4 ,for there is no other honor equal to the estimate of truthfulness and righteousness with which we honor him whom we trust4 ,or could we ascribe to a man anything greater than truthfulness1 and righteousness1 and perfect goodness8 ,on the other hand1 there is no way in which we can show greater contempt for a man than to regard him as false and wicked and to suspect him1 as we do when we do not trust him4 ,so when the soul firmly trusts ,god's promises1 it regards ,him as truthful and righteous1 than which nothing more excellent can be ascribed to ,god4 ,this is the very highest worship of ,god1 that we ascribe to ,him truthfulness1 righteousness and whatever else ought to be ascribed to one who is trusted4 ,then the soul consents to all ,his will1 then it hallows ,his name and suffers itself to be dealt with according to ,god's good pleasure1 because1 clinging to ,god's promises1 it does not doubt that ,he1 ,who is true1 just and wise1 will do1 dispose and provide all things well4 ,and is not such a soul1 by this faith1 in all things most obedient to ,god8 ,what commandment is there that such obedience has not abundantly fulfilled8 ,what more complete fulfilment is there than obedience in all things8 ,but this obedience is not rendered by works1 but by faith alone4 ,on the other hand1 what greater rebellion against ,god1 what greater wickedness1 what greater contempt of ,god is there than not believing ,his promises8 ,for what is this but to make ,god a liar or to doubt that ,he is truthful8--that is1 to ascribe truthfulness to one's self1 but to ,god lying and vanity8 ,does not a man who does this deny ,god1 and in his heart set up himself as his own idol8 ,then of what avail are works done in such wickedness1 even if they were the works of angels and apostles8 ,rom4 #aa3cb ,rightly1 therefore1 has ,god concluded all--not in anger or lust1 but in unbelief2 so that they who imagine that they are fulfilling the law by doing the works of chastity and mercy required by the law 7the civil and human virtues71 might not be confident that they will be saved2 they are included under the sin of unbelief1 and must either seek mercy or be justly condemned4 ,but when ,god sees that we count ,him to be true1 and by the faith of our heart pay ,him the great honor which is due ,him1 ,he in turn does us the great honor of counting us true and righteous for our faith's sake4 ,for faith works truth and righteousness by giving to ,god what belongs to ,him2 therefore1 ,god in turn gives glory to our righteousness4 ,it is true and just that ,god is truthful and just1 and to count ,him and confess ,him1 so is to be truthful and just4 ,so in ,i ,sam4 ii1 ,he says1 ,them that honor ,me1 ,i will honor1 and they that despise ,me1 shall be lightly esteemed4 #a ,sam4 #b3cj ,so ,paul says in ,rom4 iv1 that ,abraham's faith was counted unto him or righteousness1 because by it he most perfectly gave glory to ,god1 and that or the same reason our faith shall be counted unto us or righteousness if we believe4 ,rom4 #d3c ,sidenote3 ,faith ,unites with ,christ ,the third incomparable benefit of faith is this1 that it unites the soul with ,christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom4 ,and by this mystery1 as the ,apostle teaches1 ,christ and the soul become one flesh ,eph4 #e3ca f44 ,and if they are one flesh and there is between them a true marriage1 nay1 by far the most perfect of all marriages1 since human marriages are but frail types of this one true marriage1 it follows that all they have they have in common1 the good as well as the evil1 so that the believing soul can boast of and glory in whatever ,christ has as if it were its own1 and whatever the soul has ,christ claims as ,his own4 ,let us compare these and we shall see things that cannot be estimated4 ,christ is full of grace1 life and salvation2 the soul is full of sins1 death and condemnation4 ,now let faith come between them1 and it shall come to pass that sins1 death and hell are ,christ's1 and grace1 life and salvation are the soul's4 ,for it behooves ,him1 if ,he is a bridegroom1 to take upon ,himself the things which are ,his bride's1 and to bestow upon her the things that are ,his4 ,for if ,he gives her ,his body and ,his very self1 how shall ,he not give her all that is ,his8 ,and if ,he takes the body of the bride1 how shall ,he not take all that is hers8 ,lo6 here we have a pleasant vision not only of communion1 but of a blessed strife and victory and salvation and redemption4 ,for ,christ is ,god and man in one person1 ,who has neither sinned nor died1 and is not condemned1 and ,who cannot sin1 die or be condemned2 ,his righteousness1 life and salvation are unconquerable1 eternal1 omnipotent2 and ,he by the wedding-ring of faith shares in the sins1 death and pains of hell which are ,his bride's1 nay1 makes them ,his own1 and acts as if they were ,his own1 and as if ,he ,himself had sinned2 ,he suffered1 died and descended into hell that ,he might overcome them all4 ,now since it was such a one who did all this1 and death and hell could not swallow ,him up1 they were of necessity swallowed up of ,him in a mighty duel4 ,for ,his righteousness is greater than the sins of all men1 ,his life stronger than death4 ,his salvation more invincible than hell4 ,thus the believing soul by the pledge of its faith is free in ,christ1 its ,bridegroom1 from all sins1 secure against death and against hell1 and is endowed with the eternal righteousness1 life and salvation of ,christ1 its ,bridegroom4 ,so ,he presents to ,himself a glorious bride1 without spot or wrinkle ,eph4 #e3bg1 cleansing her with the washing in the ,word of life1 that is1 by faith in the ,word of life1 of righteousness1 and of salvation4 ,thus ,he marries her to ,himself in faith1 in loving kindness1 and in mercies1 in righteousness and in judgment1 as ,hosea ii says4 ,hos4 #b3ai f4 ,who1 then1 can fully appreciate what this royal marriage means8 ,who can understand the riches of the glory of this grace8 ,here this rich and godly ,bridegroom ,christ marries this poor1 wicked harlot1 redeems her from all her evil and adorns her with all ,his good4 ,it is now impossible that her sins should destroy her1 since they are laid upon ,christ and swallowed up in ,him1 and she has that righteousness in ,christ her husband of which she may boast as of her own1 and which she can confidently set against all her sins in the face of death and hell1 and say1 ,if ,i have sinned1 yet my ,christ1 in ,whom ,i believe1 has not sinned1 and all ,his is mine1 and all mine is ,his--as the bride in the ,song of ,solomon says1 ,my beloved is mine1 and ,i am his4 ,song of ,sol4 #b3af ,this is what ,paul means when he says1 in ,i ,cor4 xv1 ,thanks be to ,god1 ,which giveth us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1#a ,co#d4 #ae3eg--that is1 the victory over sin and death1 as he there says1 the sting of death is sin1 and the strength of sin is the law4 #a ,cor4 #ae3cf ,sidenote3 ,faith the ,fulfilment of the ,law ,from this you see once more why so much is ascribed to faith1 that it alone may fulfil the law and justify without the ,law works4 ,you see that the ,first ,commandment1 which says1 ,thou shalt worship one ,god1 is fulfilled by faith alone4 ,for though you were nothing but good works from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head1 yet you would not be righteous1 nor worship ,god1 nor fulfil the ,first ,commandment1 since ,god cannot be worshiped unless you ascribe to ,him the glory of truthfulness and of all goodness1 which is due ,him4 ,and this cannot be done by works1 but only by the faith of the heart4 ,for not by the doing of works1 but by believing1 do we glorify ,god and acknowledge that ,he is truthful4 ,therefore1 faith alone is the righteousness of a ,christian man and the fulfilling of all the commandments4 ,for he who fulfils the ,first1 has no difficulty in fulfilling all the rest4 ,but works1 being insensate things1 cannot glorify ,god1 although they can1 if faith be present1 be done to the glory of ,god4 ,at present1 however1 we are not inquiring what works and what sort of works are done1 but who it is that does them1 who glorifies ,god and brings forth the works4 ,this is faith which dwells in the heart1 and is the head and substance of all our righteousness4 ,hence1 it is a blind and dangerous doctrine which teaches that the commandments must be fulfilled by works4 ,the commandments must be fulfilled before any works can be done1 and the works proceed from the fulfilment of the commandments ,rom4 #ac3aj1 as we shall hear4 ,sidenote3 ,old ,testament ,types ,but that we may look more deeply into that grace which our inward man has in ,christ1 we must consider that in the ,old ,testament ,god sanctified to ,himself every first-born male1 and the birth-right was highly prized1 having a two-fold honor1 that of priesthood1 and that of kingship4 ,for the first-born brother was priest and lord over all the others1 and was a type of ,christ1 the true and only ,first-born of ,god the ,father and of the ,virgin ,mary1 and true ,king and ,priest1 not after the fashion of the flesh and of the world4 ,for ,his kingdom is not of this world ,john #ah3cf4 ,he reigns in heavenly and spiritual things and consecrates them--such as righteousness1 truth1 wisdom1 peace1 salvation1 etc4 ,not as if all things on earth and in hell were not also subject to ,him--else how could ,he protect and save us from them8--but ,his kingdom consists neither in them nor of them4 ,nor does ,his priesthood consist in the outward splendor of robes and postures1 like that human priesthood of ,aaron and of our present-day ,church2 but it consists in spiritual things1 through which ,he by an unseen service intercedes for us in heaven before ,god1 there offers ,himself as a sacrifice and does all things a priest should do1 as ,paul in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews describes him under the type of ,melchizedek ,heb4 #f f44 ,nor does ,he only pray and intercede for us1 but within our soul ,he teaches us through the living teaching of ,his ,spirit1 thus performing the two real unctions of a priest1 of which the prayers and the preaching of human priests are visible types4 ,now1 just as ,christ by his birthright obtained these two prerogatives1 so ,he imparts them to and shares them with every one who believes on ,him according to the law of the aforesaid marriage1 by which the wife owns whatever belongs to the husband4 ,hence we are all priests and kings in ,christ1 as many as believe on ,christ1 as ,i ,pet4 ii says1 ,ye are a chosen generation1 a peculiar people1 a royal priesthood and priestly kingdom1 that ye should show forth the virtues of ,him ,who hath called you out of darkness into ,his marvelous light4 #a ,pet4 #b3i ,sidenote3 ,the ,kingship of the ,christian ,this priesthood and kingship we explain as follows3 ,first1 as to the kingship1 every ,christian is by faith so exalted above all things that by a spiritual power he is lord of all things without exception1 so that nothing can do him any harm whatever1 nay1 all things are made subject to him and compelled to serve him to his salvation4 ,thus ,paul says in ,rom4 viii1 ,all things work together for good to them who are called4 ,rom4 #h3bh ,and1 in ,i ,cor4 iii1 ,all things are yours1 whether life or death1 or things present or things to come1 and ye are ,christ's4 #a ,cor4 #c3bb f4 ,not as if every ,christian were set over all things1 to possess and control them by physical power1--a madness with which some churchmen are afflicted1--for such power belongs to kings1 princes and men on earth4 ,our ordinary experience in life shows us that we are subjected to all1 suffer many things and even die2 nay1 the more ,christian a man is1 the more evils1 sufferings and deaths is he made subject to1 as we see in ,christ the first-born ,prince ,himself1 and in all ,his brethren1 the saints4 ,the power of which we speak is spiritual2 it rules in the midst of enemies1 and is mighty in the midst of oppression1 which means nothing else than that strength is made perfect in weakness #b ,cor4 #ab3i1 and that in all things ,i can find profit unto salvation1 so that the cross and death itself are compelled to serve me and to work together with me for my salvation ,rom4 #h3bh4 ,this is a splendid prerogative and hard to attain1 and a true omnipotent power1 a spiritual dominion1 in which there is nothing so good and nothing so evil1 but that it shall work together for good to me1 if only ,i believe4 ,and yet1 since faith alone suffices for salvation1 ,i have need of nothing1 except that faith exercise the power and dominion of its own liberty4 ,lo1 this is the inestimable power and liberty of ,christians4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,priesthood of the ,christian ,not only are we the freest of kings1 we are also priests forever1 which is far more excellent than being kings1 because as priests we are worthy to appear before ,god to pray for others and to teach one another the things of ,god4 ,for these are the functions of priests1 and cannot be granted to any unbeliever4 ,thus ,christ has obtained for us1 if we believe on ,him1 that we are not only ,his brethren1 co-heirs and fellow-kings with ,him1 but also fellow-priests with ,him1 who may boldly come into the presence of ,god in the spirit of faith and cry1 ,abba1 ,father6 ,heb4 #aj3ai1 #bb pray for one another and do all things which we see done and prefigured in the outward and visible works of priests4 ,but he who does not believe is not served by anything1 nor does anything work for good to him1 but he himself is a servant of all1 and all things become evils to him1 because he wickedly uses them to his own profit and not to the glory of ,god4 ,and so he is no priest1 but a profane man1 whose prayer becomes sin and never comes into the presence of ,god1 because ,god does not hear sinners ,john #i3ca4 ,who then can comprehend the lofty dignity of the ,christian8 ,through his kingly power he rules over all things1 death1 life and sin1 and through his priestly glory is all powerful with ,god1 because ,god does the things which he asks and desires1 as it is written1 ,he will fulfil the desire of them that fear ,him2 ,he also will hear their cry1 and will save them4 ,phil4 #d3ac ,to this glory a man attains1 surely not by any works of his1 but by faith alone4 ,sidenote3 ,distinctions among ,christians ,from this any one can clearly see how a ,christian man is free from all things and over all things1 so that he needs no works to make him righteous and to save him1 since faith alone confers all these things abundantly4 ,but should he grow so foolish as to presume to become righteous1 free1 saved and a ,christian by means of some good work1 he would on the instant lose faith and all its benefits3 a foolishness aptly illustrated in the fable of the dog who runs along a stream with a piece of meat in his mouth1 and1 deceived by the reflection of the meat in the water1 opens his mouth to snap at it1 and so loses both the meat and the reflection4 ,you will ask1 ,if all who are in the ,church are priests1 how do those whom we now call priests differ from laymen8 ,i answer3 ,injustice is done those words1 'priest1' 'cleric1' 'spiritual1' 'ecclesiastic1' when they are transferred from all other ,christians to those few who are now by a mischievous usage called 'ecclesiastics4' ,for ,holy ,scripture makes no distinction between them1 except that it gives the name 'ministers1' 'servants1' 'stewards1' to those who are now proudly called popes1 bishops1 and lords and who should by the ministry of the ,word serve others and teach them the faith of ,christ and the liberty of believers4 ,for although we are all equally priests1 yet we cannot all publicly minister and teach1 nor ought we if we could4 ,thus ,paul writes in ,i ,cor4 iv1 ,let a man so account of us1 as of the ministers of ,christ1 and stewards of the mysteries of ,god4 ,i ,cor4 #d3a ,but that stewardship has now been developed into so great a pomp of power and so terrible a tyranny1 that no heathen empire or earthly power can be compared with it1 just as if laymen were not also ,christians4 ,through this perversion the knowledge of ,christian grace1 faith1 liberty and of ,christ ,himself has altogether perished1 and its place has been taken by an unbearable bondage of human words and laws1 until we have become1 as the ,lamentations of ,jeremiah say1 servants of the vilest men on earth1 who abuse our misfortune to serve only their base and shameless will ,lam4 #a3aa4 ,sidenote3 ,how ,christ is to be ,preached ,to return to our purpose1 ,i believe it has now become clear that it is not enough nor is it ,christian1 to preach the works1 life and words of ,christ as historical acts1 as if the knowledge of these would suffice for the conduct of life1 although this is the fashion of those who must to-day be regarded as our best preachers2 and far less is it enough for ,christian to say nothing at all about ,christ and to teach instead the laws of men and the decrees of the ,fathers4 ,and now there are not a few who preach ,christ and read about ,him that they may move men's affections to sympathy with ,christ1 to anger against the ,jews and such like childish and womanish nonsense4 ,rather ought ,christ to be preached to the end that faith in ,him may be established1 that ,he may not only be ,christ1 but be ,christ for thee and for me1 and that what is said of ,him and what ,his ,name denotes may be effectual in us4 ,and such faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why ,christ came1 what ,he brought and bestowed1#ac what benefit it is to us to accept ,him4 ,this is done when that ,christian liberty which ,he bestows is rightly taught1 and we are told in what way we who are ,christians are all kings and priests and so are lords of all1 and may firmly believe that whatever we have done is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of ,god1 as ,i have said4 ,sidenote3 ,effect of such ,preaching ,what man is there whose heart1 hearing these things1 will not rejoice to its very core1 and in receiving such comfort grow tender so as to love ,christ1 as he never could be made to love by any laws or works8 ,who would have power to harm such a heart or to make it afraid8 ,if the knowledge of sin for the fear of death break in upon it is ready to hope in the ,lord2 it does not grow afraid when it hears tidings of evil1 nor is it disturbed until it shall look down upon its enemies ,psalm #aab3g f44 ,for it believes that the righteousness of ,christ is its own1 and that its sin is not its own1 but ,christ's2 and that all sin is swallowed up by the righteousness of ,christ is1 as has been said above1 a necessary consequence of faith in ,christ4 ,so the heart learns to scoff at death and sin1 and to say with the ,apostle1 ,where1 ,o death1 is thy victory8 where1 ,o death1 is thy sting8 ,the sting of death is sin1 and the strength of sin is the law4 ,but thanks be to ,god1 which giveth us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #a ,cor4 #ae3ee ff4 ,for death is swallowed up not only in the victory of ,christ1 but also by our victory1 because through faith ,his victory has become ours1 and in that faith we also are conquerors4 ,let this suffice concerning the inward man1 his liberty and its source1 the righteousness of faith1#ad which needs neither laws nor good works1 nay1 is rather injured by them1 if a man trusts that he is justified by them4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,outward ,man ,now let us turn to the second part1 to the outward man4 ,here we shall answer all those who1 misled by the word faith and by all that has been said1 now say3 ,if faith does all things and is alone sufficient unto righteousness1 why then are good works commanded8 ,we will take our ease and do no works1 and be content with faith4 ,i answer1 ,not so1 ye wicked men1 not so4 ,that would indeed be proper1 if we were wholly inward and perfectly spiritual men2 but such we shall be only at the last day1 the day of the resurrection of the dead4 ,as long as we live in the flesh we only begin and make some progress in that which shall be perfected in the future life4 ,for this reason the ,apostle1 in ,romans viii1 calls all that we attain in this he the first fruits of the spirit ,rom4 #h3bc1 because1 forsooth1 we shall receive the greater portion1 even the fulness of the spirit1 in the future4 ,this is the place for that which was said above1 that a ,christian man is the servant of all and made subject to all4 ,for in so far as he is free he does no works1 but in so far as he is a servant he does all manner of works4 ,how this is possible1 we shall see4 ,sidenote3 ,needs to do ,works ,although1 as ,i have said1 a man is abundantly justified by faith inwardly1 in his spirit1 and so has all that he ought to have1 except in so far as this faith and riches must grow from day to day even unto the future he3 yet he remains in this mortal life on earth1 and in this life he must needs govern his own body and have dealings with men4 ,here the works begin2 here a man cannot take his ease2 here he must1 indeed1 take care to discipline his body by fastings1 watchings1 labors and other reasonable discipline1 and to make it subject to the spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inward man and to faith1 and not revolt against faith and hinder the inward man1 as it is the body's nature to do if it be not held in check4 ,for the inward man1 who by faith is created in the likeness of ,god1 is both joyful and happy because of ,christ in ,whom so many benefits are conferred upon him1 and therefore it is his one occupation to serve ,god joyfully and for naught1 in love that is not constrained4 ,while he is doing this1 lo1 he meets a contrary will in his own flesh1 which strives to serve the world and to seek its own advantage4 ,this the spirit of faith cannot tolerate1 and with joyful zeal it attempts to put the body under and to hold it in check1 as ,paul says in ,romans vii1 ,i delight in the law of ,god after the inward man2 but ,i see another law in my members1 warring against the law of my mind1 and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin ,rom4 #g3bb f42 and1 in another place1 ,i keep under my body1 and bring it into subjection3 lest by any means1 when ,i have preached to others1 ,i myself should be a castaway1 #a ,cor4 #i3bg and in ,galatians1 ,they that are ,christ's have crucified the flesh with its lusts4 ,gal4 #e3bd ,sidenote3 ,works do not ,justify ,in doing these works1 however1 we must not think that a man is justified before ,god by them3 for that erroneous opinion faith1 which alone is righteousness before ,god1 cannot endure2 but we must think that these works reduce the body to subjection and purity it of its evil lusts1 and our whole purpose is to be directed only toward the driving out of lusts4 ,for since by faith the soul is cleansed and made a lover of ,god1 it desires that all things1 and especially its own body1 shall be as pure as itself1 so that all things may join with it in loving and praising ,god4 ,hence a man cannot be idle1 because the need of his body drives him and he is compelled to do many good works to reduce it to subjection4 ,nevertheless the works themselves do not justify him before ,god1 but he does the works out of spontaneous love in obedience to ,god1 and considers nothing except the approval of ,god1 ,whom he would in all things most scrupulously obey4 ,in this way every one will easily be able to learn for himself the limit and discretion1 as they say1 of his bodily castigations3 for he will fast1 watch and labor as much as he finds sufficient to repress the lasciviousness and lust of his body4 ,but they who presume to be justified by works do not regard the mortifying of the lusts1 but only the works themselves1 and think that if only they have done as many and as great works as are possible1 they have done well1 and have become righteousness2 at times they even addle their brains and destroy1 or at least render useless1 their natural strength with their works4 ,this is the height of folly1 and utter ignorance of ,christian life and faith1 that a man should seek to be justified and saved by works and without faith4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,analogy ,in order that what we have said may be more easily understood1 we will explain it by analogies4 ,we should think of the works of a ,christian man who is justified and saved by faith because of the pure and free mercy of ,god1 just as we would think of the works which ,adam and ,eve did in ,paradise1 and all their children would have done if they had not sinned4 ,we read in ,genesis ii1 ,god put the man whom ,he had formed into the garden of ,eden to dress it and to keep it4 ,gen4 #b3ae ,now ,adam was created by ,god righteous and upright and without sin1 so that he had no need of being justified and made upright through his dressing and keeping the garden1 but1 that he might not be idle1 the ,lord gave him a work to do--to cultivate and to protect the garden4 ,these would truly have been the freest of works1 done only to please ,god and not to obtain righteousness1 which ,adam already had in full measure1 and which would have been the birthright of us all4 ,such also are the works of a believer4 ,through his faith he has been restored to ,paradise and created anew1 has no need of works that he may become or be righteous2 but that he may not be idle and may provide for and keep his body1 he must do such works freely only to please ,god2 only1 since we are not wholly re-created1 and our faith and love are not yet perfect1 these are to be increased1 not by external works1 however1 but within themselves4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,second ,analogy ,again3 ,a bishop1 when he consecrates a ,church1 confirms children or performs any other duty belonging to his office1 is not made a bishop by these works2 nay1 if he had not first been made a bishop1 none of these works would be valid1 they would be foolish1 childish and a mere farce4 ,so the ,christian1 who is consecrated by his faith1 does good works1 but the works do not make him more holy or more ,christian2 for that is the work of faith alone1 and if a man were not first a believer and a ,christian1 all his works would amount to nothing at all and would be truly wicked and damnable sins4 ,these two sayings1 therefore1 are true3 ,good works do not make a good man1 but a good man does good works2 evil works do not make a wicked man1 but a wicked man does evil works2 so that it is always necessary that the substance or person itself be good before there can be any good works1 and that good works follow and proceed from the good person1 as ,christ also says1 ,a corrupt tree does not bring forth good fruit1 a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit4 ,matt4 #g3ah ,it is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree1 nor does the tree grow on the fruits1 but1 on the contrary1 the trees bear the fruits and the fruits grow on the trees4 ,as it is necessary1 therefore1 that the trees must exist before their fruits1 and the fruits do not make trees either good or corrupt1 but rather as the trees are so are the fruits they bear2 so the person of a man must needs first be good or wicked before he does a good or a wicked work1 and his works do not make him good or wicked1 but he himself makes his works either good or wicked4 ,sidenote3 ,illustrations ,illustrations of the same truth can be seen in all trades1 ,a good or a bad house does not make a good or a bad builder1 but a good or a bad builder makes a bad or a good house4 ,and in general1 the work never makes the workman like itself1 but the workman makes the work like himself4 ,so it is also with the works of man3 as the man is1 whether believer or unbeliever1 so also is his work--good1 if it was done in faith2 wicked1 if it was done in unbelief4 ,but the converse is not true1 that the work makes the man either a believer or an unbeliever4 ,for as works do not make a man a believer1 so also they do not make him righteous4 ,but as faith makes a man a believer and righteous1 so faith also does good works4 ,since1 then1 works justify no one1 and a man must be righteous before he does a good work1 it is very evident that it is faith alone which1 because of the pure mercy of ,god through ,christ and in ,his ,word1 worthily and sufficiently justifies and saves the person1 and a ,christian man has no need of any work or of any law in order to be saved1 since through faith he is free from every law and does all that he does out of pure liberty and freely1 seeking neither benefit nor salvation1 since he already abounds in all things and is saved through the grace of ,god because of his faith1 and now seeks only to please ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,works ,neither ,save nor ,damn ,furthermore1 no good work helps an unbeliever1 so as to justify or save him4 ,and1 on the other hand1 no evil work makes him wicked or damns him1 but the unbelief which makes the person and the tree evil1 does the evil and damnable works4 ,hence when a man is made good or evil1 this is effected not by the works1 but by faith or unbelief1 as the ,wise ,man says1 ,this is the beginning of sin1 that a man falls away from ,god1 ,sirach #aj3ad f4 which happens when he does not believe4 ,and ,paul1 ,hebrews xi1 says1 ,he that cometh to ,god must believe4 ,heb4 #aa3f ,and ,christ says the same3 ,either make the tree good and his fruit good2 or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt1 ,matt4 #ab3cc as if ,he would say1 ,let him who would have good fruit begin by planting a good tree4 ,so let him who would do good works not begin with the doing of works1 but with believing1 which makes the person good4 ,for nothing makes a man good except faith1 nor evil except unbelief4 ,it is indeed true that in the sight of men a man is made good or evil by his works1 but this being made good or evil is no more than that he who is good or evil is pointed out and known as such2 as ,christ says1 in ,matthew vii1 ,by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,matt4 #g3bj ,but all this remains on the surface1 and very many have been deceived by this outward appearance and have presumed to write and teach concerning good works by which we may be justified1 without even mentioning faith2 they go their way1 always being deceived and deceiving1 advancing1 indeed1 but into a worse state1 blind leaders of the blind #b ,tim4 #c3ac1 wearying themselves with many works1 and yet never attaining to true righteousness ,matt4 #ae3ad4 ,of such ,paul says1 in ,,ii ,timothy iii1 ,having the form of godliness1 but denying its power1 always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth4 #b ,tim4 #c3e1 #g ,he1 therefore1 who does not wish to go astray with those blind men1 must look beyond works1 and laws and doctrines about works2 nay1 turning his eyes from works1 he must look upon the person1 and ask how that is justified4 ,for the person is justified and saved not by works nor by laws1 but by the ,word of ,god1 that is1 by the promise of ,his grace ,tit4 #c3e1 and by faith1 that the glory may remain ,god's1 ,who saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done1 but according to ,his mercy by the word of ,his grace1 when we believed4 #a ,cor4 #a3ba ,sidenote3 ,the ,doctrine of ,good ,works ,from this it is easy to know in how far good works are to be rejected or not1 and by what standard all the teachings of men concerning works are to be interpreted4 ,if works are sought after as a means to righteousness1 are burdened with this perverse leviathan#ae and are done under the false impression that through them you are justified1 they are made necessary and freedom and faith are destroyed2 and this addition to them makes them to be no longer good1 but truly damnable works4 ,for they are not free1 and they blaspheme the grace of ,god1 since to justify and to save by faith belongs to the grace of ,god alone4 ,what the works have no power to do1 they yet1 by a godless presumption1 through this folly of ours1 pretend to do1 and thus violently force themselves into the office and the glory of grace4 ,we do not1 therefore1 reject good works2 on the contrary1 we cherish and teach them as much as possible4 ,we do not condemn them for their own sake1 but because of this godless addition to them and the perverse idea that righteousness is to be sought through them2 for that makes them appear good outwardly1 when in truth they are not good2 they deceive men and lead men to deceive each other1 like ravening wolves in sheep's clothing ,matt4 #g3ae4 ,but this leviathan and perverse notion concerning works is insuperable where sincere faith is wanting4 ,those work-saints cannot get rid of it unless faith1 its destroyer1 come and rule in their hearts4 ,nature of itself cannot drive it out1 nor even recognize it1 but rather regards it as a mark of the most holy will4 ,and if the influence of custom be added and confirm this perverseness of nature1 as wicked ,magisters have caused it to do1 it becomes an incurable evil1 and leads astray and destroys countless men beyond all hope of restoration4 ,therefore1 although it is good to preach and write about penitence1 confession and satisfaction1 if we stop with that and do not go on to teach about faith1 our teaching is unquestionably deceitful and devilish4 ,sidenote3 ,what we are to ,preach ,christ1 like ,his forerunner ,john1 not only said1 ,repent ye1 ,matt4 #c3b but added the word of faith1 saying1 ,the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,matt4 #d3ag ,and we are not to preach only one of these words of ,god1 but both2 we are to bring forth out of our treasure things new and old ,matt4 #ac3eb1 the voice of the law as well as the word of grace4 ,we must bring forth the voice of the law that men may be made to fear and to come to a knowledge of their sins1 and so be converted to repentance and a better life4 ,but we must not stop with that4 ,for that would be only to wound and not to bind up1 to smite and not to heal1 to kill and not to make alive1 to lead down into hell and not to bring back again1 to humble and not to exalt4 ,therefore1 we must also preach the word of grace and the promise of forgiveness1 by which faith is taught and strengthened4 ,without this word of grace the works of the law1 contrition1 penitence and all the rest are performed and taught in vain4 ,there remain even to our day preachers of repentance and grace1 but they do not so explain ,god's law and promise that a man might learn from them the source of repentance and grace4 ,for repentance proceeds from the law of ,god1 but faith or grace from the promise of ,god1 as ,romans x says1 ,faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the word of ,christ ,rom4 #aj3ag2 so that a man is consoled and exalted by faith in the divine promise1 after he has been humbled and led to a knowledge of himself by the threats and the fear of the divine law4 ,so we read in ,psalm xxx1 ,weeping may endure for a night1 but joy cometh in the morning4 ,ps4 #cj3f ,sidenote3 ,works of ,love ,let this suffice concerning works in general1 and at the same time concerning the works which a ,christian does for his own body4 ,lastly1 we will also speak of the things which he does toward his neighbor4 ,a man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body1 so as to work for it alone1 but he lives also for all men on earth1 nay1 rather1 lives only for others and not for himself4 ,and to this end he brings his body into subjection1 that he may the more sincerely and freely serve others1 as ,paul says in ,romans xiv1 ,no one lives to himself1 and no man dies to himself4 ,for he that liveth1 liveth unto the ,lord1 and he that dieth1 dieth unto the ,lord4 ,rom4 #ad3g f4 ,therefore1 it is impossible that he should ever in this life be idle and without works toward his neighbors1 for of necessity he will speak1 deal with and converse with men1 as ,christ also1 being made in the likeness of men1 was found in form as a man1 and conversed with men1 as ,baruch iii says ,bar4 #c3ch4 ,sidenote3 ,do not ,save ,sidenote3 ,grow out of ,faith ,but none of these things does a man need for his righteousness and salvation4 ,therefore1 in all his works he should be guided by this thought and look to this one thing alone1 that he may serve and benefit others in all that he does1 having regard to nothing except the need and the advantage of his neighbor4 ,thus1 the ,apostle commands us to work with our hands that we may give to him who is in need1 although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves2 he says1 however1 that he may have to give to him that needeth4 ,eph4 #d3bh ,and this is what makes it a ,christian work to care for the body1 that through its health and comfort we may be able to work1 to acquire and to lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need1 that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker1 and we may be sons of ,god1 each caring for and working for the other1 bearing one another's burdens1 and so fulfilling the law of ,christ ,gal4 #f3b4 ,lo1 this is a truly ,christian life1 here faith is truly out effectual through love ,gal4 #e3f2 that is1 it issues in works of the freest service cheerfully and lovingly done1 with which a man willingly serves another without hope of reward1 and for himself is satisfied with the fulness and wealth of his faith4 ,so ,paul after teaching the ,philippians how rich they were made through faith in ,christ1 in which they obtained all things1 proceeds immediately to teach them further1 saying1 ,if there be any consolation in ,christ1 if any comfort of love1 if any fellowship of the ,spirit1 fulfil ye my joy1 that ye be likeminded1 having the same love1 being of one accord1 thinking nothing through strife or vainglory1 but in lowliness each esteeming the other better than themselves2 looking not every man on his own things1 but on the things of others4 ,phil4 #b3a ff4 ,here we see clearly that the ,apostle has prescribed this rule for the life of ,christians1--that we should devote all our works to the welfare of others1 since each has such abundant riches in his faith1 that all his other works and his whole ,he are a surplus with which he can by voluntary benevolence serve and do good to his neighbor4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,example of ,christ ,as an example of such a life the ,apostle cites ,christ1 saying1 ,let this mind be in you1 which was also in ,christ ,jesus1 ,who1 being in the form of ,god1 thought it not robbery to be equal with ,god3 but made ,himself of no reputation1 and took upon ,him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of men3 and being found in fashion as a man1 ,he became obedient unto death4 ,phil4 #b3e ff4 ,this salutary word of the ,apostle has been obscured for us by those who have not at all understood the ,apostle's words1 form of ,god1 form of a servant1 fashion1 likeness of men1 and have applied them to the divine and the human nature4 ,paul means this3 ,although ,christ was filled with the form of ,god and rich in all good things1 so that ,he needed no work and no suffering to make ,him righteous and saved 7for ,he had all this always from the beginning71 yet ,he was not puffed up by them1 nor did ,he lift ,himself up above us and assume power over us1 although ,he could rightly have done so2 but1 on the contrary1 ,he so lived1 labored1 worked1 suffered and died1 that ,he might be like other men1 and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man1 just as if ,he had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of ,god4 ,but ,he did all this for our sake1 that ,he might serve us1 and that all things ,he accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours4 ,so a ,christian1 like ,christ1 his ,head1 is filled and made rich by faith1 and should be content with this form of ,god which he has obtained by faith2 only1 as ,i have said1 he ought to increase this faith until it be made perfect4 ,for this faith is his life1 his righteousness and his salvation3 it saves him and makes him acceptable1 and bestows upon him all things that are ,christ's1 as has been said above1 and as ,paul asserts in ,gal4 ii1 when he says1 ,and the life which ,i now live in the flesh1 ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god4 ,gal4 #b3bj ,although the ,christian is thus free from all works1 he ought in this liberty to empty himself1 to take upon himself the form of a servant1 to be made in the likeness of men1 to be found in fashion as a man1 and to serve1 help and in every way deal with his neighbor as he sees that ,god through ,christ has dealt and still deals with himself4 ,and this he should do freely1 having regard to nothing except the divine approval4 ,he ought to think3 ,though ,i am an unworthy and condemned man1 my ,god has given me in ,christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part1 out of pure1 free mercy1 so that henceforth ,i need nothing whatever except faith which believes that this is true4 ,why should ,i not therefore freely1 joyfully1 with all my heart1 and with an eager will1 do all things which ,i know are pleasing and acceptable to such a ,father1 ,who has overwhelmed me with ,his inestimable riches8 ,i will therefore give myself as a ,christ to my neighbor1 just as ,christ offered ,himself to me2 ,i will do nothing in this life except what ,i see is necessary1 profitable and salutary to my neighbor1 since through faith ,i have an abundance of all good things in ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,faith and ,love ,lo1 thus from faith flow forth love and joy in the ,lord1 and from love a joyful1 willing and free mind that serves one's neighbor willingly and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude1 of praise or blame1 of gain or loss4 ,for a man does not serve that he may put men under obligations1 he does not distinguish between friends and enemies1 nor does he anticipate their thankfulness or unthankfulness2 but most freely and most willingly he spends himself and all that he has1 whether he waste all on the thankless or whether he gain a reward4 ,for as his ,father does1 distributing all things to all men richly and freely1 causing ,his sun to rise upon the good and upon the evil ,matt4 #e3de1 so also the son does all things and suffers all things with that freely bestowing joy which is his delight when through ,christ he sees it in ,god1 the dispenser of such great benefits4 ,therefore1 if we recognize the great and precious things which are given us1 as ,paul says ,rom4 #e3e1 there will be shed abroad in our hearts by the ,holy ,ghost the love which makes us free1 joyful1 almighty workers and conquerors over all tribulations1 servants of our neighbors and yet lords of all4 ,but for those who do not recognize the gifts bestowed upon them through ,christ1 ,christ has been born in vain2 they go their way with their works1 and shall never come to taste or to feel those things4 ,just as our neighbor is in need and lacks that in which we abound1 so we also have been in need before ,god and have lacked ,his mercy4 ,hence1 as our heavenly ,father has in ,christ freely come to our help1 we also ought freely to help our neighbor through our body and its works1 and each should become as it were a ,christ to the other1 that we may be ,christs to one another and ,christ may be the same in all2 that is1 that we may be truly ,christians4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,christian ,serves ,freely ,who then can comprehend the riches and the glory of the ,christian life8 ,it can do all things1 and has all things1 and lacks nothing2 it is lord over sin1 death and hell1 and yet at the same time it serves1 ministers to and benefits all men4 ,but1 alas1 in our day this life is unknown throughout the world2 it is neither preached about nor sought after2 we are altogether ignorant of our own name and do not know why we are ,christians or bear the name of ,christians4 ,surely we are so named after ,christ1 not because ,he is absent from us1 but because ,he dwells in us1 that is1 because we believe on ,him and are ,christs one to another and do to our neighbors as ,christ does to us4 ,but in our day we are taught by the doctrine of men to seek naught but merits1 rewards and the things that are ours2 of ,christ we have made only a taskmaster far more harsh than ,moses4 ,sidenote3 ,examples3 ,the ,virgin ,of such faith we have a pre-eminent example in the blessed ,virgin4 ,as is written in ,luke ii1 she was purified according to the law of ,moses1 after the custom of all women1 although she was not bound by that law1 and needed not to be purified4 ,but out of free and willing love she submitted to the law1 being made like other women1 lest she should offend or despise them4 ,she was not justified by this work1 but being righteous she did it freely and willingly4 ,so our works also should be done1 not that we may be justified by them2 since1 being justified beforehand by faith1 we ought to do all things freely and joyfully for the sake of others4 ,sidenote3 ,st4 ,paul ,st4 ,paul also circumcised his disciple ,timothy1 not because circumcision was necessary for his righteousness1 but that he might not offend or despise the ,jews who were weak in the faith and could not yet grasp the liberty of faith4 ,but on the other hand1 when they despised the liberty of faith and insisted that circumcision was necessary for righteousness1 he withstood them and did not allow ,titus to be circumcised1 7,gal4 ii7 ,gal4 #b3c4 ,for as he was unwilling to offend for to despise any man's weak faith1 and yielded to their will for the time1 so he was also unwilling that the liberty of faith should be offended against or despised by stubborn work-righteous men4 ,he chose a middle way1 sparing the weak or a time1 but always withstanding the stubborn1 that he might convert all to the liberty of faith4 ,what we do should be done with the same zeal to sustain the weak in faith1 as ,romans xiv teaches ,rom4 #ad3a ff42 but we should firmly withstand the stubborn teachers of works4 ,of this we will say more later4 ,christ also1 in ,matthew xvii1 when the tribute money was demanded of ,his disciples1 argued with ,st4 ,peter1 ,christ whether the sons of the king were not free from the payment of tribute1 and ,peter affirmed that they were4 ,none the less ,christ commanded ,peter to go to the sea1 and said1 ,lest we should offend them1 go1 and take up the fish that first cometh up2 and when thou hast opened his mouth1 thou shalt find a piece of money3 that take1 and give unto them for me and thee4 ,matt4 #ag3bd ff4 ,this incident its beautifully to our subject1 since ,christ here calls ,himself and those that are ,his1 children and sons of the ,king1 who need nothing2 and yet ,he freely submits and pays the tribute4 ,just as necessary or helpful as this work was to ,christ's righteousness or salvation1 just so much do all other works of ,his or of ,his followers avail for righteousness2 since they all follow after righteousness and are free1 and are done only to serve others and to give them an example of good works4 ,of the same nature are the precepts which ,paul gives1 in ,romans xiii ,rom4 #ac3a ff4 and ,titus iii ,tit4 #c3a1 that ,christians should be subject to the powers that be1 and be ready to do every good work1 not that they shall in this way be justified1 since they already are righteous through faith1 but that in the liberty of the ,spirit they shall by so doing serve others and the powers themselves1 and obey their will freely and out of love4 ,of this nature should be the works of all colleges1 monasteries and priests4 ,each one should do the works of his profession and position1 not that by them he may strive after righteousness1 but that through them he may keep under his body1 be an example to others1 who also need to keep under their bodies1 and finally that by such works he may submit his will to that of others in the freedom of love4 ,but very great care must always be taken that no man in a false confidence imagine that by such works he will be justified1 or acquire merit or be saved2 for this is the work of faith alone1 as ,i have repeatedly said4 ,sidenote3 ,church ,precepts ,any one knowing this could easily and without danger find his way among those numberless mandates and precepts of pope1 bishops1 monasteries1 churches1 princes and magistrates1 upon which some ignorant pastors insist as if they were necessary to righteousness and salvation1 calling them precepts of the ,church1 although they are nothing of the kind4 ,for a ,christian1 as a free man1 will say1 ,i will fast1 pray1 do this and that as men command1 not because it is necessary to my righteousness or salvation2 but that ,i may show due respect to the pope1 the bishop1 the community1 some magistrate or my neighbor1 and give them an example1 ,i will do and suffer all things1 just as ,christ did and suffered far more for me1 although ,he needed nothing of it all or ,himself1 and was made under the law for my sake1 although ,he was not under the law4 ,and although tyrants do violence or injustice in making their demands1 yet it will do no harm1 so long as they demand nothing contrary to ,god4 ,from what has been said1 every one can pass a safe judgment on all works and laws and make a trustworthy distinction between them1 and know who are the blind and ignorant pastors and who are the good and true4 ,for any work that is not done solely for the purpose of keeping under the body or of serving one's neighbor1 so long as he asks nothing contrary to ,god1 is not good nor ,christian4 ,and for this reason ,i mightily fear that few or no colleges1 monasteries1 altars and offices of the ,church are really ,christian in our day3 no1 nor the special fasts and prayers on certain saints' days#af either4 ,i fear1 ,i say1 that in all these we seek only our own profit1 thinking that through them our sins are purged away and that we ind salvation in them4 ,in this way ,christian liberty perishes altogether4 ,and this comes from our ignorance of ,christian faith and of liberty4 ,sidenote3 ,ignorance of ,liberty ,this ignorance and suppression of liberty very many blind pastors take pains to encourage3 they stir up and urge on their people in these practices by praising such works1 puffing them up with their indulgences1 and never teaching faith4 ,but ,i would counsel you1 if you wish to pray1 fast or establish some foundation in the ,church1 take heed not to do it in order to obtain some benefit1 whether temporal or eternal4 ,for you would do injury to your faith1 which alone offers you all things1 ,your one care should be that faith may increase1 whether it be trained by works or by sufferings4 ,give your gifts freely and for nothing1 that others may profit by them and are well because of you and your goodness4 ,in this way you shall be truly good and ,christian4 ,for of what benefit to you are the good works which you do not need for the keeping under of your body8 ,your faith is sufficient for you1 through which ,god has given you all things4 ,see1 according to this rule the good things we have from ,god should flow from one to the other and be common to all1 so that every one should put on his neighbor1 and so conduct himself toward him as if he himself were in the other's place4 ,from ,christ they have flowed and are flowing into us3 ,he has so put on us and acted for us as if ,he had been what we are4 ,from us they flow on to those who have need of them1 so that ,i should lay before ,god my faith and my righteousness that they may cover and intercede for the sins of my neighbor1 which ,i take upon myself and so labor and serve in them as if they were my very own4 ,for that is what ,christ did for us4 ,this is true love and the genuine rule of a ,christian life4 ,the love is true and genuine where there is true and genuine faith4 ,hence1 the ,apostle says of love in ,i ,cor4 xiii1 that it seeketh not its own4 #a ,cor4 #ac3e ,sidenote3 ,conclusion ,we conclude1 therefore1 that a ,christian man lives not in himself1 but in ,christ and in his neighbor4 ,otherwise he is not a ,christian4 ,he lives in ,christ through faith1 in his neighbor through love2 by faith he is caught up beyond himself into ,god1 by love he sinks down beneath himself into his neighbor2 yet he always remains in ,god and in ,his love1 as ,christ says in ,john i1 ,verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,hereafter ye shall see heaven open1 and the angels of ,god ascending and descending upon the ,son of man4 ,john #a3ea ,enough now of liberty4 ,as you see1 it is a spiritual and true liberty1 and makes our hearts free from all sins1 laws and mandates1 as ,paul says1 ,i ,tim4 i1 ,the law is not made for a righteous man4 #a ,tim4 #a3i ,it is more excellent than all other liberty which is external1 as heaven is more excellent than earth4 ,this liberty may ,christ grant us both to understand and to preserve4 ,amen4 ,sidenote3 ,liberty ,sidenote3 ,neither ,license ,sidenote3 ,nor ,necessity ,finally1 something must be added for the sake of those for whom nothing can be so well said that they will not spoil it by misunderstanding it1 though it is a question whether they will understand even what shall here be said4 ,there are very many who1 when they hear of this liberty of faith1 immediately turn it into an occasion for the flesh1 and think that now all things are allowed them4 ,they want to show that they are free men and ,christians only by despising and finding fault with ceremonies1 traditions and human laws2 as if they were ,christians because on stated days they do not fast or eat meat when others fast1 or because they do not use the accustomed prayers1 and with upturned nose scoff at the precepts of men1 although they utterly disregard all else that pertains to the ,christian religion4 ,the extreme opposite of these are those who rely for their salvation solely on their reverent observance of ceremonies1 as if they would be saved because on certain days they fast or abstain from meats1 or pray certain prayers2 these make a boast of the precepts of the ,church and of the ,fathers1 and care not a fig or the things which are of the essence of our faith4 ,plainly1 both are in error1 because they neglect the weightier things which are necessary to salvation1 and quarrel so noisily about those trifling and unnecessary matters4 ,how much better is the teaching of the ,apostle ,paul1 who bids us take a middle course1 and condemns both sides when he says1 ,let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not2 and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth4 ,rom4 #ad3c ,here you see that they who neglect and disparage ceremonies1 not out of piety1 but out of mere contempt1 are reproved1 since the ,apostle teaches us not to despise them4 ,such men are puffed up by knowledge4 ,on the other hand1 he teaches those who insist on the ceremonies not to judge the others1 or neither party acts toward the other according to the love that edifies4 ,wherefore1 we ought here to listen to the ,scriptures1 which teach that we should not go aside to the right nor to the left ,deut4 #bh3ad1 but follow the statutes of the ,lord which are right1 rejoicing the heart ,ps4 #ai3h4 ,for as a man is not righteous because he keeps and clings to the works and forms of the ceremonies1 so also will a man not be counted righteous merely because he neglects and despises them4 ,sidenote3 freedom from ,false ,opinions ,our faith in ,christ does not free us from works1 but from false opinions concerning works1 that is1 from the foolish presumption that justification is acquired by works4 ,for faith redeems1 corrects and preserves our consciences1 so that we know that righteousness does not consist in works1 although works neither can nor ought to be wanting2 just as we cannot be without food and drink and all the works of this mortal body1 yet our righteousness is not in them1 but in faith2 and yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected on that account4 ,in this world we are bound by the needs of our bodily life1 but we are not righteous because of them4 ,my kingdom is not of this world1 ,john #ah3cf says ,christ1 but ,he does not say1 ,my kingdom is not here1 that is1 in this world4 ,and ,paul says1 ,though we walk in the flesh1 we do not war after the flesh1 #b ,cor4 #aj3c and in ,galatians ii1 ,the life which ,i now live in the flesh1 ,i live in the faith of the ,son of ,god4 ,gal4 #b3bj ,thus what we do1 live1 and are in works and in ceremonies1 we do because of the necessities of this life and of the effort to rule our body2 nevertheless we are righteous not in these1 but in the faith of the ,son of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,opponents ,sidenote3 ,ceremonialists ,sidenote3 ,ignorant ,men ,hence1 the ,christian must take a middle course and face those two classes of men4 ,he will meet first the unyielding1 stubborn ceremonialists1 who like deaf adders ,ps4 #eh3d are not willing to hear the truth of liberty1 but1 having no faith1 boast of1 prescribe and insist upon their ceremonies as means of justification4 ,such were the ,jews of old1 who were unwilling to learn how to do good4 ,these he must resist1 do the very opposite and offend them boldly1 lest by their impious views they drag many with them into error4 ,in the presence of such men it is good to eat meat1 to break the fasts and for the sake of the liberty of faith to do other things which they regard the greatest of sins4 ,of them we must say1 ,let them alone1 they are blind and leaders of the blind4 ,matt4 #ae3ad ,for on this principle ,paul would not circumcise ,titus when the ,jews insisted that he should ,gal4 #b3c1 and ,christ excused the ,apostles when they plucked ears of corn on the sabbath ,matt4 #ab3a ff42 and there are many similar instances4 ,the other class of men whom a ,christian will meet1 are the simple-minded1 ignorant men1 weak in the faith1 as the ,apostle calls them1 who cannot yet grasp the liberty of faith1 even if they were willing to do so4 ,these he must take care not to offend2 he must yield to their weakness until they are more fully instructed4 ,for since these do and think as they do1 not because they are stubbornly wicked1 but only because their faith is weak1 the fasts and other things which they think necessary must be observed to avoid giving them offence4 ,for so love demands1 which would harm no one1 but would serve all men4 ,it is not by their fault that they are weak1 but their pastors have taken them captive with the snares of their traditions and have wickedly used these traditions as rods with which to beat them4 ,from these pastors they should have been delivered by the teaching of faith and liberty4 ,so the ,apostle teaches us1 ,romans xiv1 ,if my meat cause my brother to offend1 ,i will eat no flesh while the world standeth ,rom4 #ad3ad2 and again1 ,i know that through ,christ nothing is unclean1 except to him who esteemeth any thing to be unclean2 but it is evil or the man who eats and is offended4 ,wherefore1 although we should boldly resist those teachers of traditions and sharply censure the laws of the popes by means of which they plunder the people of ,god1 yet we must spare the timid multitude whom those impious tyrants hold captive by means of these laws1 until they be set free4 ,fight strenuously therefore against the wolves1 but for the sheep1 and not also against the sheep4 ,this you will do if you inveigh against the laws and the law-givers1 and at the same time observe the laws with the weak1 so that they will not be offended1 until they also recognize the tyranny and understand their liberty4 ,but if you wish to use your liberty1 do so in secret1 as ,paul says1 ,romans xiv1 ,hast thou the faith8 have it to thyself before ,god ,rom4 #ad3bb2 but take care not to use your liberty in the sight of the weak4 ,on the other hand1 use your liberty constantly and consistently in the sight of the tyrants and the stubborn1 in despite of them1 that they also may learn that they are impious1 that their laws are of no avail for righteousness1 and that they had no right to set them up4 ,sidenote3 ,ceremonies ,now1 since we cannot live our life without ceremonies and works1 and the froward and untrained youth need to be restrained and saved from harm by such bonds2 and since each one should keep his body under by means of such works1 there is need that the minister of ,christ be far-seeing and faithful2 he ought so to govern and teach the people of ,christ in all these matters that their conscience and faith be not offended1 and that there spring not up in them a suspicion and a root of bitterness1 and many be defiled thereby ,heb4 #ab3ae1 as ,paul admonishes the ,hebrews2 that is1 that they may not lose faith and become defiled by the false estimate of the value of works1 and think that they must be justified by works4 ,this happens easily and defiles very many1 unless faith is at the same time constantly taught2 it is impossible to avoid it when faith is not mentioned and only the devisings of men are taught1 as has been done until now through the pestilent1 impious1 soul-destroying traditions of our popes and the opinions of our theologians4 ,by these snares numberless souls have been dragged down to hell1 so that you might see in this the work of ,antichrist4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,test of ,faith ,sidenote3 ,temporary ,helps ,in brief1 as wealth is the test of poverty1 business the test of faithfulness1 honors the test of humility1 easts the test of temperance1 pleasures the test of chastity1 so ceremonies are the test of the righteousness of faith4 ,can a man1 says ,solomon1 take fire in his bosom1 and his clothes not be burned8 ,prov4 #f3bg ,yet1 as a man must live in the midst of wealth1 business1 honors1 pleasures and easts1 so also must he live in the midst of ceremonies1 that is1 in the midst of dangers4 ,nay1 as infant boys need beyond all else to be cherished in the bosoms and by the hands of maidens to keep them from perishing1 and yet when they are grown up their salvation is endangered if they associate with maidens1 so the inexperienced and froward youth need to be restrained and trained by the iron bars of ceremonies1 lest their unchecked ardor rush headlong into vice after vice4 ,yet it would be death or them to be always held in bondage to ceremonies1 thinking that these justify them4 ,they are rather to be taught that they have been so imprisoned in ceremonies1 not that they should be made righteous or gain great merit by them1 but that they might thus be kept from doing evil1 and might be more easily instructed unto the righteousness of faith4 ,such instruction they would not endure if the impulsiveness of their youth were not restrained4 ,hence ceremonies are to be given the same place in the life of a ,christian as models and plans have among builders and artisans4 ,they are prepared not as permanent structures1 but because without them nothing could be built or made4 ,when the structure is completed they are laid aside4 ,you see1 they are not despised1 rather1 they are greatly sought after2 but what we despise is the false estimate of them1 since no one holds them to be the real and permanent structure4 ,if any man were so egregiously foolish as to care for nothing all his life long except the most costly1 careful and persistent preparation of plans and models1 and never to think of the structure itself1 and were satisfied with his work in producing such plans and mere aids to work1 and boasted of it1 would not all men pity his insanity1 and estimate that with what he has wasted something great might have been built8 ,thus we do not despise ceremonies and works1 nay1 we set great store by them2 but we despise the false estimate placed upon works1 in order that no one may think that they are true righteousness1 as those hypocrites believe who spend and lose their whole lives in zeal for works1 and never reach that for the sake of which the works are to be done2 as the ,apostle says1 ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth4 #b ,tim4 #c3g ,for they seem to wish to build1 they make their preparations1 and yet they never build1 ,thus they remain caught in the form of godliness and do not attain unto its power #b ,tim4 #c3e4 ,meanwhile they are pleased with their efforts1 and even dare to judge all others whom they do not see shining with a like show of works4 ,yet with the gifts of ,god which they have spent and abused in vain they might1 if they had been filled with faith1 have accomplished great things to the salvation of themselves and of others4 ,sidenote3 ,men ,need to be ,taught of ,god ,but since human nature and natural reason1 as it is called1 are by nature superstitious and ready to imagine1 when laws and works are prescribed1 that righteousness must be obtained through them2 and further1 since they are trained and confirmed in this opinion by the practice of all earthly lawgivers1 it is impossible that they should of themselves escape from the slavery of works and come to a knowledge of the liberty of faith4 ,therefore there is need of the prayer that the ,lord may give us ,john #f3de and make us theodidacti1 that is1 taught of ,god1 and ,himself1 as ,he has promised1 write ,his law in our hearts2 otherwise there is no hope for us4 ,for if ,he ,himself do not teach our hearts this wisdom hidden in a mystery #a ,cor4 #b3g1 nature can only condemn it and judge it to be heretical1 because nature is offended by it and regards it as foolishness4 ,so we see that it happened in olden times1 in the case of the ,apostles and prophets1 and so godless and blind popes and their flatterers do to me and to those who are like me4 ,may ,god at last be merciful to them and to us1 and cause ,his face to shine upon us ,ps4 #fg3a f41 that we may know ,his way upon earth4 ,his salvation among all nations1 ,god1 ,who is blessed forever #b ,cor4 #aa3ca4 ,amen4 ,,footnotes #a ,see below1 page #cjd4 #b ,sylvester ,prierias4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cch4 #c ,cf4 ,preface to ,prierias' ,epitome1 ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #cbi4 #d ,virgil1 ,georgics1 ,i1 #ead4 #e ,pope ,eugene ,,iii1 #aade-aaec1 for whom ,bernard of ,clairvaux wrote a devotional book1 ,de consideratione1 in which he rehearsed the duties and the dangers of the pope4 ,see ,realencyklopadie ,,ii1 #fcb2 ,kohler1 ,luther u4 die ,kirchengeschichte1 #caa f4 ,cf4 ,resolutiones disput4 de indulg4 virtute1 #aeah1 ,clemen1 #a1 #aac4 #f ,john ,maier1 born in ,eck an der ,gunz1 and generally known as ,john ,eck2 an ambitious theologian1 who first attacked his professor in ,freiburg1 then ,erasmus' ,annotations to the ,new ,testament1 and next wrote against ,luther's ,,xcv ,theses 7see ,vol4 ,i1 #aj1 #agf1 etc474 ,he was the opponent of ,luther and ,carlstadt at the ,leipzig ,disputation 7#aeai71 to which ,luther here refers4 #g ,jacopo de ,vio1 born in ,gaeta1 ,italy1 in #adfi1 died in #aecd4 ,the name ,cajetan he derived from his birthplace1 the ,latin name of which is ,cajeta4 ,in the ,dominican ,order he was known as ,thomas1 so that his writings are published under the title1 ,thomae de ,vio ,cajetani opera4 ,he was made cardinal-presbyter with the title of ,s4 ,sisto in #aeag1 and in the following year was sent as papal legate to the ,diet of ,augsburg4 ,here he met and examined ,luther1 but accomplished nothing because he insisted that ,luther must recant4 ,see ,kolde in ,realencyklopadie #c1 #fcb ff4 #h ,carl von ,miltitz was educated at ,cologne1 was prebendary at ,mainz1 ,trier and ,meissen1 and later went to ,rome1 where he acted as agent for ,frederick1 ,elector of ,saxony1 and ,duke ,george the ,bearded4 ,after the endeavours of ,cardinal ,cajetan to silence ,luther had failed1 ,miltitz appeared to be the person most suited to bring the negotiations to a successful ending4 7,catholic ,encyclopedia1 ,x1 #cah1 where1 however1 the statement that ,miltitz was educated at ,mainz1 ,trier and ,meissen is evidently a slip47 ,it seems that ,miltitz returned to ,rome for a time1 but in #aebb again came to ,germany1 where he was drowned in the ,main1 ,november #bj1 #aebi4 ,see ,flathe1 ,art4 ,miltitz1 in ,allgemeine ,deutsche ,biographie1 #ba1 #gei f4 #i ,the ,german reads3 ,thus ,i always did what was required of me1 and neglected nothing which it was my duty to do4 #aj ,this was the usual title of the pope1 with which the bull of excommunication opened3 ,leo ,episcopus ,servus ,servorum ,dei4 #aa ,see above1 pp4 #bih1 #cjj1 and compare the letters of ,miltitz to the elector ,frederick in ,smith1 ,luther's ,correspondence1 ,i1 pp4 #cfg f4 #ab ,here the ,german is more accurate3 ,every ,christian man4 #ac ,german3 ,wie man sein brauchen und niessen soll1 how we are to benefit by and enjoy what ,he is for us4 #ad ,german3 der heubt gerechtigkteit4 #ae ,possibly a reminiscence of the ,leviathan serpentem tortuosum in ,isa4 #bg3a4 ,cf4 ,erl4 ,ed41 xxiv1 #gc2 xxvii1 #cbc f2 xviii1 #ia4 ,lemme translates ,teuelswahn4 #af ,german3 die fasten und gepett etiichen heyligen so derlich gethan4 ,a ,,brief ,,explanation 7,,eine ,,kurze ,,form7 ,,of ,,the ,,ten ,,commandments1 ,,the ,,creed1 ,,and ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer #aebj ,,introduction ,the work here presented bears the ,german title1 ,eine kurze ,form der zehn ,gebote1 eine kurze ,form des ,glaubens1 eine kurze ,form des ,vaterunsers4 ,it is the most important of ,luther's catechetical works prior to the ,catechisms of #aebi1 and deserves the name that has been given it1 the first evangelical catechism4#a ,to be sure1 the name catechism was not applied to the ,kurze ,form at the time4 ,in mediaeval usage catechism was the name for oral instruction in the elements of ,christian truth4 ,this instruction had been based from time immemorial upon the ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,the decalogue held a minor place and was overshadowed by the commandments of the church4 ,during the later ,middle ,ages the influence of the sacrament of penance gave it a higher position4 ,it gradually became a subject of catechetical instruction1 but only alongside of the other standards for the classification of sins4#b ,it was the work of ,luther so to expound the ,ten ,commandments as to give them a permanent place of their own in ,christian instruction1 side by side with the ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,the first manuals of instruction of this kind were prepared for the use of the priests1 to guide them in the questioning of penitents1 but with the discovery of the art of printing popular hand-books for the use of the laity became more and more common1 and with certain of these manuals ,luther was familiar4#c ,from the beginning of his ministry at ,wittenberg1 ,luther had preached from time to time upon the ,ten ,commandments and the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,in #aeah his friend ,agricola published a series of sermons on the ,lord's ,prayer which ,luther had preached in ,lent1 #aeag4d ,in the same year ,luther published his own ,kurze ,auslegung der zehn ,gebote1 ihrer ,erfullung und ,uebertretung4#e ,the year #aeai saw the publication of the ,kurze ,form das ,paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten1 and the ,kurze und gute ,auslegung des ,vaterunsers vor sich und hinter sich4#g ,the ,treatise on ,good ,works#h1 which is essentially an exposition of the decalogue1 was written in the early months of #aebj4 ,during the same period the mind of ,luther was frequently occupied with the abuses of the confessional1 as we learn from the ,confitendi ,ratio1#i and the ,kurze ,unterweisung wie man beichten soil4#aj ,all the material for the first and third parts of the present work was1 therefore1 in hand and had appeared in print before #aebj4 ,in #aebj the ,kurze ,form came from the press4#aa ,it consists of three separately composed expositions of the three chief subjects of catechetical instruction in the ,middle ,ages4 ,the expositions of the ,commandments and the ,lord's ,prayer are reproductions of the ,kurze ,auslegung der zehn ,gebote and the ,kurze ,form das ,paternoster zu verstehen und zu beten4 ,the treatment of the ,apostles' ,creed is new1 as is also the ,introduction1 in which ,luther sets forth the relation of the three parts to one another in the unity of the ,christian life4 ,the work is not scientific and theological1 but popular and religious4 ,its purpose is primarily devotional1 not pedagogical4 ,the mediaeval root out of which it grew is not to be denied4 ,the catalogue of transgressions and fulfilments attached to the explanation of the decalogue shows that it is intended to be a manual for penitents1 but the spirit in which the ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer are explained is not mediaeval1 and the manner in which the explanations of the decalogue are simplified and rid of the excrescences of the ,,xv ,century hand-books shows the new evangelical conception of confession to which ,luther had attained4 ,the division of the ,creed into three articles instead of the traditional twelve marks an epoch in the development of catechetical instruction4 ,the little book contains passages of rare beauty1 clouded at times1 we fear1 by the new language into which it has here been put1 and seldom has the ,wesen des ,christentums been more simply and tellingly set forth than in the treatment of the ,creed4 ,in #aebb ,luther republished the ,kurze ,form with a few slight changes and a number of additions under the title ,betbuchlein4 ,the ,betbuchlein ran through many editions1 and grew in the end to a book of rather large proportions1 a complete manual of devotion4 ,in its original form and as the chief content of the ,betbuchlein1 the ,kurze ,form exercised a profound influence upon the manuals of ,christian doctrine that appeared in ever-increasing number after #aebb4ab ,its influence extended to ,england1 where ,marshall's ,goodly ,primer 7#aecd and #ce7 offered to ,english readers a translation of the ,betbuchlein1 in which1 however1 no acknowledgments were made to the original author4#ac ,the ,kurze ,form is found in ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vii1 #aid ff42 ,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxii1 #c ff42 ,clemen ,ed41 ,,ii1 #ch ff42 ,walch ,ed41 ,x1 #ahb ff42 ,st4 ,louis ,ed41 ,x1 #adi ff4 ,,literature ,f4 ,cohrs1 ,die evang4 ,katechismusversuche vor ,l4's ,enchiridion 7especially ,i1 #a ff4 and ,,iv1 #bbi ff471 ,arts4 ,katechismen ,l4's and ,katechismusunterricht in ,realencyk41 ,x1 #acj ff41 and ,,xxiii1 #gdc ff41 and ,introd4 to ,betbuchlein in ,weimar ,ed41 ,x2 ,o4 ,albrecht1 ,vorbemerkungen zu den beiden ,katechismen von #aebi1 in ,weimar ,ed41 ,,xxx'1 #dbf ff4 7,further literature cited by all the above47 ,see also ,gecken1 ,bilderkatechismus d4 ,,xv ,jh4 and von ,zezschwitz1 ,system d4 ,katechetik 7especially ,,ii1 i74 ,,charles ,m4 ,,jacobs4 ,,lutheran ,,theological ,,seminary1 ,mount ,airy1 ,philadelphia ,,footnotes #a ,cohrs1 ,evang4 ,katechismusversuche1 ,i1 #d4 #b von ,zezschwitz1 ,katechetik1 ,,ii1 #agf1 #bfe ff4 #c ,weimar ,ed41 ,x'1 #dge4 #d ,weimar ,ed41 ,,ix1 #abb ff4 ,the same series was republished by ,luther himself1 ibid41 ,,iv1 #gd ff4 #e ,weimar ,ed41 ,i1 #bdh ff4 #f ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #i ff4 #g ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vi1 #bj ff4 #h ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ahg ff4 #i ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ha-aja4 #aj ,weimar ,ed41 ,,ii1 #dg ff4 #aa ,on the exact date1 see ,weimar ,ed41 ,,vii1 #aie2 ,clemen1 ,,ii1 #ch4 #ab ,see ,cohrs1 ,,iv1 #cbf ff4 #ac ,for this information ,i am indebted to the ,rev4 ,j4 ,f4 ,bornhold1 of ,mount ,holly1 ,n4 ,j4 ,the act was discovered almost simultaneously by ,pro4 ,m4 ,reu1 of ,dubuque1 ,iowa4 ,a ,,brief ,,explanation ,,of ,,the ,,ten ,,commandments1 ,,the ,,creed1 ,,and ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer #aebj ,,preface ,the ordinary ,christian1 who cannot read the ,scriptures1 is required to learn and know the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer2 and this has not come to pass without ,god's special ordering4 ,for these three contain fully and completely everything that is in the ,scriptures1 everything that ever should be preached1 and everything that a ,christian needs to know1 all put so briefly and so plainly that no one can make complaint or excuse1 saying that what he needs or his salvation is too long or too hard to remember4 ,three things a man needs to know in order to be saved4 ,first1 he must know what he ought to do and what he ought not to do4 ,second1 when he finds that by his own strength he can neither do the things he ought1 nor leave undone the things he ought not to do1 he must know where to seek and find and get the strength he needs4 ,third1 he must know how to seek and find and get this strength4 ,when a man is ill1 he needs to know first what his illness is1--what he can do and what he cannot do4 ,then he needs to know where to find the remedy that will restore his health and help him to do and leave undone the things he ought4 ,third1 he must ask for this remedy1 and seek it1 and get it or have it brought to him4 ,in like manner1 the ,commandments teach a man to know his illness1 so that he feels and sees what he can do and what he cannot do1 what he can and what he cannot leave undone1 and thus knows himself to be a sinner and a wicked man4 ,after that the ,creed shows him and teaches him where he may find the remedy1--the grace which helps him to become a good man and to keep the ,commandments2 it shows him ,god1 and the mercy which ,he has revealed and offered in ,christ4 ,in the third place1 the ,lord's ,prayer teaches him how to ask or this grace1 get it1 and take it to himself1 to wit1 by habitual1 humble1 comforting prayer2 then grace is given1 and by the fulfillment of ,god's commandments he is saved4 ,these are the three chief things in all the ,scriptures4 ,therefore we begin at the beginning1 with the ,commandments1 which are the first thing1 and learn to recognise our sin and wickedness1 that is1 our spiritual illness1 which prevents us from doing the things we ought to do and leaving undone the things we ought not to do4 ,,the ,,ten ,,commandments ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,table ,the ,first ,table of ,moses--the ,table of the ,right ,hand--contains the first three ,commandments1 ,in these man is taught his duty toward ,god1 what things he is in duty bound to do1 and what to leave undone4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,commandment ,the ,first ,commandment teaches how man shall treat ,god inwardly1 in the heart1 that is1 how he ought always to remember ,him and think of ,him and esteem ,him4 ,to ,him1 as to a ,father and good ,friend1 man is to look at all times or all good things1 in all trust and faith and love1 with fear2 he is not to offend ,him1 but trust ,him as a child its father4 ,for nature teaches us that there is one ,god1 ,who gives all good and helps against all evil1 as even the heathen show us by their worshiping of idols4 ,this commandment is1 ,thou shalt have no other gods4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,commandment ,the ,second ,commandment teaches how man shall act toward ,god outwardly1 in words1 before other men1 or even inwardly before his own self2 that is1 he shall honor ,god's ,name4 ,for no one can show ,god either to himself or to others in ,his divine nature1 but only in ,his names4 ,this commandment is1 ,thou shalt not take the ,name of the ,lord thy ,god in vain4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,commandment ,the ,third ,commandment teaches how man shall act toward ,god outwardly in deeds1 that is1 in the worship of ,god4 ,it is1 ,thou shalt hallow the holy day4#a ,these three commandments1 then1 teach how man is to act toward ,god in thoughts1 words and deeds1--that is1 in all his life4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,table ,the ,second ,table of ,moses--the ,table of the ,left ,hand--contains the other seven ,commandments4 ,in these man is taught what he is in duty bound to do and not to do to other men1 that is1 to his neighbor1 ,sidenote3 ,the ,fourth ,commandment ,the first of them teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward all the authorities who are ,god's representatives4 ,therefore1 it has its place before the rest1 and immediately after the first three1 which concern ,god ,himself4 ,such authorities are father and mother1 spiritual and temporal lords1 etc4 ,it is1 ,honor thy father and thy mother4 ,the second teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor in matters that concern his person1--not to do him injury1 but to benefit and help him when he is in need4 ,it is1 ,thou shalt not kill4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,sixth ,commandment ,the third teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward the best possession one's neighbor has next to his person1--that is1 toward his wife1 his child1 his friend4 ,he is to put no shame upon them1 but to preserve their honor1 so far as he is able4 ,it is1 ,thou shalt not commit adultery4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,seventh ,commandment ,the fourth teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor's temporal possessions1--not to take them from him or hinder him in their use1 but to aid him in increasing them4 ,it is1 ,thou shalt not steal4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,eighth ,commandment ,the fifth teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor's worldly honor and good name1--not to impair them1 but to increase and guard and protect them4 ,it is1 ,thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor4 ,so1 then1 it is forbidden to harm one's neighbor in any of his possessions1 and it is commanded to advance his interests4 ,if we consider the natural law1#b we find how just and right all these commandments are2 for there is no act here commanded1 toward ,god or one's neighbor1 that each of us would not wish to have done toward himself1 if he were ,god1 or in ,god's place or his neighbor's4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,ninth and ,tenth ,commandments ,the last two ,commandments teach how wicked human nature is1 and how pure we should be from all the desires of the flesh and desires for this world's goods2 but that means struggle and labor as long as we live here below4 ,they are1 ,thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house4 ,thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife1 nor his manservant1 nor his maidservant1 nor his cattle1 nor anything that is thy neighbor's4 ,a ,,brief ,,conclusion ,,to ,,the ,,ten ,,comandments ,christ ,himself says1 ,whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you1 do ye even so to them2 this is the whole law and all the prophets4 ,matt4 #g3ab ,now no one wishes to receive ingratitude for benefits conferred or to let another take away his good name4 ,no one wishes to have pride shown toward him4 ,no one wishes to endure disobedience1 wrath1 a wife's impurity1 robbery1 lying1 deceit1 slander2 but every one wishes to find in his neighbor kindliness1 thankfulness1 helpfulness1 truth and fidelity4 ,all this the ,ten ,commandments require4 ,,the ,,transgression ,,of ,,the ,,commandments ,against the ,first ,sidenote3 the ,first ,commandment ,he who in his tribulation seeks the help of sorcery1 black art1 or witchcraft4 ,he who uses letters#c1 signs1 herbs1 words#d1 charms and the like4 ,he who uses divining-rods and incantations1 and practices crystal-gazing1 cloak-riding1 and milk-stealing#e4 ,he who orders his life and work by lucky days1 the signs of the zodiac and the advice of the fortune-tellers4 ,he who seeks by charms and incantations to protect himself1 his cattle1 his house1 his children and all his property against wolves1 iron1 fire and water4 ,he who blames his misfortunes and tribulations on the devil or on wicked men1 and does not accept them with praise and love1 as good and evil which come from ,god alone1 and who does not ascribe them to ,god with thanksgiving and willing patience4 ,he who tempts ,god1 and needlessly puts himself in danger of body or soul4 ,he who glories in his piety1 his wisdom1 or other spiritual gifts4 ,he who honors ,god and the saints only for the sake of temporal gain1 and is forgetful of his soul's need4 ,he who does not trust in ,god at all times1 and is not confident of ,god's mercy in all he does4 ,he who doubts concerning the faith or the grace of ,god4 ,he who does not keep back others from unbelief and doubt1 and does not help them1 so far as in him lies1 to believe and trust in ,god's grace4 ,here1 too1 belong all forms of unbelief1 despair1 and misbelief4 ,against the ,second ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,commandment ,he who swears needlessly or habitually4 ,he who perjures himself1 or breaks a vow4 ,he who vows or swears to do evil4 ,he who curses by ,god's name4 ,he who tells foolish tales of ,god1 and frivolously perverts the words of ,scripture4 ,he who in his tribulation calls not upon ,god's name1 nor blesses ,him in joy and sorrow1 in good fortune and in ill4 ,he who by his piety1 wisdom or the like seeks reputation and honor and a name4 ,he who calls upon ,god's name falsely1 as do the heretics and all vainglorious saints4 ,he who does not praise ,god's name in all that befalls him4 ,he who does not resist those that dishonor the name of ,god1 use it falsely and work evil by it4 ,here belong all the sins of vainglory and spiritual pride4 ,against the ,third ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,commandment ,he who is given to gluttony1 drunkenness1 gambling1 dancing1 idleness and unchastity4 ,he who is lazy1 who sleeps when he ought to be at mass1 stays away from mass1 goes walking and indulges in idle talk4 ,he who without special need works and transacts business on the ,lord's day4 ,he who prays not1 meditates not upon ,christ's sufferings1 repents not of his sins and asks no grace1 and therefore keeps the day only in outward fashion1 by his dress1 his food and his actions4 ,he who in all his works and sufferings is not satisfied that ,god shall do with him as ,he will4 ,he who does not help others to do this and does not resist them when they do otherwise4 ,here belongs the sin of slothfulness and indifference to worship4 ,against the ,fourth ,sidenote3 ,the ,fourth ,commandment ,he who is ashamed of his parents because of their poverty1 their failings or their lowly position4 ,he who does not provide them with food and clothing in their need4 ,much more1 he who curses them1 speaks evil of them1 hates them and disobeys them4 ,he who does not from the heart esteem them highly because of ,god's commandment4 ,he who does not honor them1 even though they do wrong and violence4 ,he who does not keep the commandments of the ,christian ,church with respect to fast- and feast-days1 etc4 ,he who dishonors1 slanders and insults the priestly office4 ,he who dost not pay honor1 allegiance and obedience to his lords and those in authority1 be they good or bad4 ,among the transgressors of this commandment are all heretics1 schismatics1 apostates1 excommunicates1 hardened sinners and the like4 ,he who does not help men to keep this commandment and resist those who break it4 ,here belong all forms of pride and disobedience4 ,against the ,fifth ,sidenote3 ,the ,fifth ,commandment ,he who is angry with his neighbor4 ,he who sayeth to his neighbor1 ,raca1 which stands for all terms of anger and hatred4 ,matt4 #e3bb ,he who sayeth to his neighbor1 ,fatue1 thou fool1 which stands for every sort of vile language1 cursing1 slander1 evil speaking1 judging1 condemning1 mockery1 etc4 ,he who scolds about his neighbor's sins or failings1 and does not rather cover and excuse them4 ,he who forgives not his enemies nor prays for them1 is not kindly disposed toward them and does them no good4 ,this commandment includes also all the sins of anger and hatred1 such as murder1 war1 robbery1 arson1 quarreling1 contention1 envy of a neighbor's good fortune and joy over his misfortune4 ,he who does not practice works of mercy even toward his enemies4 ,he who sets men at enmity with one another4 ,he who sows discord between man and man4 ,he who does not reconcile those who are at enmity4 ,he who does not hinder or prevent wrath and enmity when he is able4 ,against the ,sixth ,sidenote3 ,the ,sixth ,commandment ,he who seduces virgins1 commits adultery and is guilty of incest and like unchastity4 ,he who uses unnatural means to satisfy his desires--these are the mute sins4#f ,he who arouses or displays evil desires with obscene words1 songs1 tales or pictures4 ,he who by looks1 touch or thoughts arouses his own desires and defiles himself4 ,he who does not avoid the causes of unchastity1 such as gluttony1 drunkenness1 idleness1 laziness1 oversleeping and intimate association with men or women4 ,he who by extravagant dress or demeanor incites others to unchastity4 ,he who gives house1 place1 time or help to the commission of this sin4 ,he who does not by word and deed help others to preserve their chastity4 ,against the ,seventh ,sidenote3 ,the ,seventh ,commandment ,he who practices thievery1 robbery and usury4 ,he who uses false weights and measures1 or sells bad wares for good4 ,he who receives bequests and incomes dishonestly4 ,he who withholds wages that have been earned1 and repudiates a debt4 ,he who will not lend to a needy neighbor without taking interest4#g ,all who are avaricious and make haste to be rich1 and do any of those other things by which a neighbor's property is withheld or taken away4 ,he who does not protect another against loss4 ,he who does not warn another against loss4 ,he who places an obstacle in the way of his neighbor's profit and begrudges his neighbor's gains4 ,against the ,eighth ,sidenote3 ,the ,eight ,commandment ,he who conceals or suppresses the truth in a court of law4 ,he who lies and deceives to another's hurt4 ,all hurtful flatterers1 whisperers and double-dealers4 ,he who speaks evil of his neighbor's possessions1 lie1 words and works and defames them4 ,he who gives place to slanderers1 helps them on and does not resist them4 ,he who does not use his tongue to defend his neighbor's good name4 ,he who does not rebuke the slanderer4 ,he who does not say all good of every man and keep silent about all evil4 ,he who conceals or does not defend the truth4 ,against the ,last ,two ,sidenote3 ,the ,ninth and ,tenth ,commandments ,the last two commandments have no place in confession#h1 but are set as a goal to which we are to attain1 and toward which1 through repentance and by the help and grace of ,god1 we are daily to strive2 or wicked inclinations do not wholly die1 until the flesh turns to dust and is new created#i4 ,the five senses#aj are included in the ,fifth and ,sixth ,commandments2 the six works of mercy1 in the ,fifth and ,seventh2 of the seven deadly sins1 pride is included in the ,first and ,second1 unchastity in the ,sixth1 anger1 and hatred in the ,fifth1 gluttony in the ,sixth1 indolence in the ,third1 and indeed in all the commandments4 ,the alien sins are included in all the commandments1 or it is possible to sin against all the commandments by bidding1 advising and helping others to sin against them4 ,the crying sins and the mute sins are committed against the ,fifth1 ,sixth and ,seventh ,commandments1 etc4 ,in all these works we see nothing else than self-love1 which seeks its own1 takes from ,god what is ,his1 from men what is theirs1 and out of all it is and all it has and all it can do gives nothing either to ,god or men4 ,st4 ,augustine well says1 ,the beginning of all sin is the love of one's own self4#aa ,from all this it follows that the commandments command nothing but love and forbid nothing but love2 nothing but love fulfils the commandments and nothing but love breaks them4 ,wherefore1 ,st4 ,paul says that love is the fulfilling of all commandments2 just as evil love is the transgression of all commandments4 ,the ,fulfilment of the ,commandments ,of the ,first ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,commandment ,to fear and love ,god in true faith1 and always1 in all our works1 to trust ,him firmly1 and be wholly1 completely1 altogether resigned in all things1 whether they be evil or good4 ,here belongs whatever is written in all the ,scriptures concerning faith1 hope and love of ,god1 all of which is briefly comprehended in this commandment4 ,of the ,second ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,commandment ,to praise1 honor1 bless and call upon ,god's ,name1 and to count our own name and honor as altogether nothing1 so that ,god alone may be praised2 for ,he alone is all things1 and worketh all things4 ,here belongs all that is taught in the ,scripture about rendering praise and honor and thanks to ,god1 about ,god's name and about joy in ,him4 ,of the ,third ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,commandment ,to prepare oneself for ,god and to seek ,his grace by praying1 hearing mass and the ,gospel1 and meditating on the sufferings of ,christ1 so that one goes to the sacrament in a spiritual manner2 for this commandment requires a soul poor in spirit1 ,matt4 #e3c4 which offers its nothingness to ,god1 that ,he may be its ,god and receive in it the honor due ,his work and ,name according to the first two commandments4 ,here belongs all that is commanded about worship1 the hearing of sermons1 and good works by which the body is made subject to the spirit1 so that all our works may be ,god's and not our own4 ,of the ,fourth ,sidenote3 ,the ,fourth ,commandment ,willing obedience1 humility1 submission to all authority because it is ,god's good-pleasure1 as the ,apostle ,st4 ,peter says1 without retort1 complaint or murmuring4 ,here belongs all that is written of obedience1 humility1 submissiveness and reverence4 ,of the ,fifth ,sidenote3 ,the ,fifth ,commandment ,patience1 meekness1 kindness1 peacefulness1 mercy1 and a heart in all things sweet and kindly1 without hatred1 anger or bitterness toward any man1 even toward enemies4 ,here belong all the teachings about patience1 meekness1 peace and concord4 ,of the ,sixth ,chastity1 purity and modesty1 in works1 words1 demeanor and thoughts2 moderation in eating1 drinking and sleeping2 and everything that furthers chastity4 ,here belong all the teachings about chastity1 fasting1 sobriety1 moderation1 prayer1 watching1 laboring and everything by which chastity is preserved4 ,of the ,seventh ,sidenote3 ,the ,seventh ,commandment ,poverty of spirit1 charity1 willingness to lend and give of one's possessions1 and a life free from greed and avarice4 ,here belong all the teachings about avarice1 unrighteous wealth1 usury1 guile1 deceit1 injury and hindrance of one's neighbor in temporal things4 ,of the ,eighth ,sidenote3 ,the ,eight ,commandment ,a peaceful1 wholesome tongue1 that injures no one and profits every one1 that reconciles those that are at enmity1 apologizes for those that are slandered and takes their part2 in short1 truthfulness and simplicity in speech4 ,here belong all the teachings about talking and keeping silent in matters which concern one's neighbor's honor and rights1 his cause and his salvation4 ,of the ,last ,two ,sidenote3 ,the ,ninth and ,tenth ,commandments ,that entire chastity and utter despising of temporal desire and possessions1 which are perfectly attained only in the life to come4 ,in all these works we see nothing else than the love of others--that is1 of ,god and of one's neighbor--which seeketh not its own1 but what is ,god's and its neighbor's #a ,cor4 #ac3e1 and surrendereth itself freely to every one to be his1 to serve him and to do his will4 ,thus you see that the ,ten ,commandments contain1 in a very brief and orderly manner1 all the teaching that is needful for man's life2 and if a man desires to keep them1 he has good works or every hour of his life1 and has no need to choose him other works1 to run hither and thither1 and do what is not commanded#ab4 ,all this is evident from the act that these commandments teach nothing about what a man shall do or not do or himself1 or what he shall ask of others1 but only what he shall do and not do for others--,god and man4 ,from this we are to learn that their fulfilment consists in love toward others1 not toward ourselves2 for in his own behalf man already seeks and does and leaves undone too much4 ,he needs not to be taught this1 but to be kept from it4 ,therefore he lives best who lives in no wise for himself1 and he who lives for himself1 lives worst2 for so the ,ten ,commandments teach4 ,from them we learn how few men lead good lives2 nay1 as man1 no one can lead a good life4 ,knowing this1 we must learn next whence we shall get the power to lead good lives and to keep the ,commandments#ac4 ,,the ,,creed ,sidenote3 ,division of the ,creed ,the ,creed is divided into three parts#ad1 according to the ,creed three ,persons of the holy and divine ,trinity who are therein mentioned4 ,the first part belongs to the ,father1 the second to the ,son1 the third to the ,holy ,ghost2 for the ,trinity is the chief thing in the ,creed1 on which everything else depends4 ,sidenote3 ,two ,ways of ,believing ,we should note that there are two ways of believing4 ,one way is to believe about ,god1 as ,i do when ,i believe that what is said of ,god is true2 just as ,i do when ,i believe what is said about the ,turk1 the devil or hell4 ,this faith is knowledge or observation rather than faith4 ,the other way is to believe in ,god1 as ,i do when ,i not only believe that what is said about ,him is true1 but put my trust in ,him1 surrender myself to ,him and make bold to deal with ,him1 believing without doubt that ,he will be to me and do to me just what is said of ,him4 ,i could not thus believe in the ,turk or in any man1 however highly his praises might be sung4 ,for ,i can readily believe that a man is good1 but ,i do not venture on that account to build my faith on him4 ,sidenote3 ,true ,faith ,this faith1 which in ,he or death dares to believe that ,god is what ,he is said to be1 is the only faith that makes a man a ,christian and obtains from ,god whatever it will4 ,this faith no false and evil heart can have1 for it is a living faith2 and this faith is commanded in the ,first ,commandment1 which says1 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 thou shalt have no other gods4 ,wherefore the word in is rightly used2 and it is diligently to be noted that we may not say1 ,i believe ,god the ,father1 or about the ,father1 but in ,god the ,father1 in ,jesus ,christ1 in the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this faith we should render to no one but to ,god4 ,therefore we confess the divinity of ,jesus ,christ and of the ,holy ,ghost1 when we believe in them even as we believe in the ,father2 and just as our faith in all three ,persons is one and the same faith1 so the three ,persons are one and the same ,god4 ,the ,first ,part of the ,creed ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,article ,i believe in ,god the ,father ,almighty1 ,maker of heaven and earth4 ,this means-- ,i renounce the evil spirit1 all idolatry1 all sorcery and misbelief4 ,i put my trust in no man on earth1 nor in myself1 my power1 my learning1 my wealth1 my piety1 nor anything that ,i may have4 ,i put my trust in no creature in heaven or on earth4 ,i dare to put my trust only in the one absolute1 invisible1 incomprehensible ,god1 ,who made heaven and earth1 and ,who alone is over all creatures4 ,on the other hand1 ,i am not afraid of any wickedness of the devil and his company1 or my ,god is above them all4 ,even though ,i be forsaken or persecuted by all men1 ,i still believe in ,god4 ,i believe1 even though ,i am poor1 unwise1 unlearned1 despised or in need of everything4 ,i believe1 even though ,i am a sinner4 ,for this faith of mine must and shall soar above everything that is and everything that is not--above sin and virtue and all else--so that it may remain simply and purely a faith in ,god1 as the ,first ,commandment constrains me4 ,nor do ,i ask of ,him a sign1 to tempt ,him4 ,luke #aa3af ,i trust constantly in ,him1 however long ,he tarry1 and do not prescribe the goal1 the time1 the measure or the manner of ,his working1 but in bold1 true faith ,i leave all to ,his divine will4 ,if ,he is almighty1 what can ,i lack that ,he cannot give me and do for me8 ,if ,he is ,creator of heaven and earth and ,lord of all things1 who will take anything from me1 or harm me8 ,rom4 #h3bh ,nay1 how shall not all things rather serve me and turn out to my good1 if ,he to ,whom all things are obedient and subject wishes me well8 ,because ,he is ,god1 ,he can do the thing that is best for me1 and knows what that thing is4 ,because ,he is ,father1 ,he wills to do what is best for me1 and to do it with all ,his heart4 ,because ,i do not doubt1 but put my trust in ,him1 ,i am assuredly ,his child4 ,his servant and ,his heir forever1 and as ,i believe1 so will it be done unto me4 ,matt4 #h3ac ,the ,second ,part ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,article ,and in ,jesus ,christ1 ,his only ,son1 our ,lord1 ,who was conceived by the ,holy ,ghost1 born of the ,virgin ,mary1 suffered under ,pontius ,pilate1 was crucified1 dead1 and buried2 ,he descended into hell2 the third day ,he rose again from the dead2 ,he ascended into heaven1 and sitteth on the right hand of ,god the ,father ,almighty2 from thence ,he shall come to judge the quick and the dead4 ,this means-- ,i believe not only that ,jesus ,christ is the true and only ,son of ,god1 begotten from eternity in one eternal1 divine nature and substance2 but also that all things are made subject to ,him by ,his ,father1 and that in ,his humanity ,he is made ,lord of me and of all things which1 in ,his divinity1 ,he1 with the ,father1 has created4 ,i believe that no one can believe in the ,father or come to the ,father by his own learning1 works or reason1 nor by anything that can be named in heaven or on earth1 save only in and through ,jesus ,christ1 ,his only ,son--that is1 through faith in ,his name and lordship4 ,john #ad3f ,i firmly believe that for my sake ,he was conceived by the ,holy ,ghost1 without human or fleshly work1 without bodily father or seed of man1 to the end that so ,he might purify my sinful1 fleshly1 unclean1 damnable conception1 and the conception of all who believe in ,him1 and make it spiritual through ,his own and ,his almighty ,father's gracious will4 ,i believe that for me ,he was born of the pure ,virgin ,mary1 without harm to her bodily and spiritual virginity1 in order that1 by the mercy of ,his ,father1 ,he might make my sinful1 damnable birth1 and the birth of all who believe in ,him1 blessed and harmless and pure4 ,i believe that ,he bore ,his cross and passion for my sin and the sin of all believers1 and thereby has consecrated all sufferings and every cross1 and made them not only harmless1 but salutary and highly meritorious4 ,i believe that ,he died and was buried to slay entirely and to bury my sin and the sin of all who believe in ,him1 and that ,he has destroyed bodily death and made it altogether harmless1 nay profitable and salutary4 ,i believe that ,he descended into hell to overthrow and take captive the devil and all his power1 guile and wickedness1 for me and for all who believe in ,him1 so that henceforth the devil cannot harm me2 and that ,he has redeemed me from the pains of hell1 and made them harmless and meritorious4 ,i believe that ,he rose on the third day from the dead1 to give to me and to all who believe in ,him a new life2 and that ,he has thereby quickened us with ,him1 in grace and in the ,spirit1 that we may sin no more1 but serve ,him alone in every grace and virtue4 ,i believe that ,he ascended into heaven and received from the ,father power and honor above all angels and all creatures1 and thus sitteth on the right hand of ,god--that is1 ,he is ,king and ,lord over all that is ,god's1 in heaven and hell and earth4 ,therefore1 ,he can help me and all believers in all our necessities against all our adversaries and enemies4 ,i believe that ,he will come again from heaven at the last day1 to judge those who then are living and those who have died meanwhile1 and all men1 all angels and devils must come before ,his judgment-seat and see ,him in the flesh2 that ,he will come to redeem me and all who believe in ,him from bodily death and all infirmities1 to punish our enemies and adversaries eternally1 and to redeem us eternally from their power4 ,the ,third ,part ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,article ,i believe in the ,holy ,ghost1 a ,holy ,christian ,church1 a communion of saints1 a forgiveness of sins1 a resurrection of the body1 and a life everlasting4 ,amen4 ,this means-- ,i believe not only that the ,holy ,ghost is one true ,god1 with the ,father and the ,son1 but that no one can come to the ,father through ,christ and ,his life1 sufferings and death1 and all that has been said of ,him1 nor attain any of ,his blessings1 without the work of the ,holy ,ghost1 by which the ,father and the ,son teach1 quicken1 call1 draw me and all that are ,his1 make us1 in and through ,christ1 alive and holy and spiritual1 and thus bring us to the ,father2 for it is ,he by ,whom the ,father1 through ,christ and in ,christ1 worketh all things and giveth life to all4 ,i believe that there is on earth1 through the whole wide world1 no more than one holy1 common#ae1 ,christian ,church1 which is nothing else than the congregation#af1 or assembly of the saints1 i4 e41 the pious1 believing men on earth1 which is gathered1 preserved1 and ruled by the ,holy ,ghost1 and daily increased by means of the sacraments and the ,word of ,god4 ,i believe that no one can be saved who is not found in this congregation1 holding with it to one faith1 word1 sacraments1 hope and love1 and that no ,jew1 heretic1 heathen or sinner can be saved along with it1 unless he become reconciled to it1 united with it and conformed to it in all things4 ,i believe that in this congregation1 or ,church#ag1 all things are common1 that everyone's possessions belong to the others and no one has anything of his own2 therefore1 all the prayers and good works of the whole congregation must help1 assist and strengthen me and every believer at all times1 in life and death1 and thus each bear the other's burden1 as ,st4 ,paul teaches4 ,gal4 #f3b ,i believe that in this congregation1 and nowhere else1 there is forgiveness of sins2 that outside of it1 good works1 however great they be or many1 are of no avail for the forgiveness of sins2 but that within it1 no matter how much1 how greatly or how often men may sin1 nothing can hinder forgiveness of sins1 which abides wherever and as long as this one congregation abides4 ,to this congregation ,christ gives the keys1 and says1 in ,matthew xviii1 ,whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven4 ,matt4 #ah3ah ,in like manner ,he says1 in ,matthew xvi1 to the one man ,peter1 who stands as the representative of the one and only ,church ,matt4 #af3ai1 ,whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven4 ,i believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead1 in which1 by the same ,holy ,ghost1 all flesh will be raised again--that is1 all men1 in flesh1 or body1 the good and the wicked2 and1 therefore1 the self-same flesh which has died1 been buried1 mouldered and been destroyed in many ways shall return and become alive4 ,i believe that after the resurrection there will be an eternal life for the saints and an eternal death or sinners2 and ,i doubt not that the ,father1 through ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ our ,lord1 with and in the ,holy ,ghost1 will bring all this to pass--that is the meaning of ,amen1 ,it is assuredly and certainly true4 ,hereupon follows ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer ,sidenote3 ,the ,preface ,the ,preface and ,preparation for offering the ,seven ,petitions to ,god3 ,our ,father ,who art in heaven4 ,this means-- ,o ,almighty ,god1 ,who in ,thy boundless mercy hast not only granted us permission1 but by ,thine only beloved ,son1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 hast bidden and taught us through ,his merit and mediation to look to ,thee as ,father and call ,thee ,father1 though ,thou mightest in all justice be a stern ,judge of us sinners1 who have sinned so often and so grievously against ,thy divine and gracious will1 and thus have angered ,thee3 ,put in our hearts1 by this ,thy mercy1 a comfortable confidence in ,thy fatherly love1 and make us feel and taste the sweetness of childlike trust1 so that we may joyfully name ,thee ,father1 and know ,thee and love ,thee1 and call upon ,thee in all our necessities4 ,have us in ,thy keeping1 that we may remain ,thy children1 and not be guilty of making ,thee1 dear ,father1 a terrible ,judge1 and ourselves ,thine enemies1 and not ,thy children4 ,it is ,thy will that we not only call ,thee ,father1 but that all of us together call ,thee our ,father1 and thus offer our prayers with one accord or all3 ,grant us1 therefore1 brotherly love and unity1 that we may know and think of one another as true brethren and sisters1 and pray to ,thee1 our one common ,father1 or all men and for every man1 even as one child prays or another to its father4 ,let no one among us seek his own things or forget before ,thee the things of others2 but1 all hatred1 envy and dissension laid aside ,phil4 #b3d1 may we love one another as good and true children of ,god1 and thus say with one accord not my ,father1 but our ,father4 ,moreover1 since ,thou art not a father according to the flesh nor upon earth1 but art in heaven1 a spiritual ,father1 ,who diest not and art not weak1 but unlike an earthly father who cannot help himself1 whereby ,thou showest us how immeasurably better a ,father ,thou art1 and teachest us to hold as nothing in comparison with ,thee all earthly fatherhood1 fatherland1 friends1 goods1 flesh and blood3 ,grant us1 therefore1 ,o ,father1 that we may also be ,thy heavenly children2 teach us to think only of our souls and of our heavenly inheritance1 that our temporal fatherland and earthly lot may not deceive and hold and hinder us1 and make us altogether children of this world1 so that with real and true cause we may say1 ,of our heavenly ,father1 and may be truly ,thy heavenly children4 ,the ,first ,petition3 ,hallowed be thy ,name4 ,the ,this means-- ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,petition ,o ,almighty ,god1 dear heavenly ,father1 in this wretched vale of sorrows ,thy ,holy ,name is so much profaned1 blasphemed and put to shame1 given to much which is not for ,thine honor1 abused in many things and made a cloak for sin1 so that even a shameful life may well be called a shaming and dishonoring of ,thy ,holy ,name3 ,grant us1 therefore1 ,thy divine grace1 that we may be on our guard against everything which doth not serve to the praise and honor of ,thy ,holy ,name4 ,help us1 that all witchcraft and sorcery may be done away4 ,help us1 that all conjuring of the devil or of creatures by ,thy ,name may cease4 ,help us1 that all false beliefs and superstitions may be rooted out4 ,help us1 that all heresy and false doctrine which disguise themselves with ,thy ,name may come to naught4 ,help us1 that no false pretence of truth and piety and holiness may deceive any man4 ,help us that none may swear or lie or deceive by ,thy ,name4 ,protect us against all false confidence pretending to rest upon ,thy ,name4 ,protect us against all spiritual pride and the vainglory of worldly honor or reputation4 ,help us in all our necessities and weaknesses to call upon ,thy ,holy ,name4 ,help us in anguish of conscience and in the hour of death not to forget ,thy ,name4 ,help us with all our goods and in all our words and works to praise and honor ,thee alone1 and not thereby to make or seek to make a name for ourselves1 but only for ,thee1 ,whose alone are all things4 ,preserve us from the shameful vice of ingratitude4 ,grant that by our good works and life all other men may be stirred up to praise1 not us1 but ,thee in us1 and to honor ,thy ,name ,matt4 #e3af4 ,help us1 that our evil works or weaknesses may give no one occasion to stumble and dishonor ,thy ,name or to cease from praising ,thee4 ,keep us1 that we may not desire any temporal or eternal blessing which is not to the honor and praise of ,thy ,name1 and if we pray for such things1 give ,thou no ear to our folly4 ,help us so to live that we may be found true children of ,god1 that ,thy ,fathername may not be named upon us falsely or in vain4 ,to this petition belong all the psalms and prayers in which we praise1 honor1 thank and sing to ,god1 and here belongs the whole ,hallelujah4 ,the ,second ,petition3 ,thy ,kingdom come4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,second ,petition ,this means-- ,this wretched life is a kingdom of all sin and wickedness1 under one lord1 the evil spirit1 the source and head of all wickedness and sin2 but ,thy kingdom is a kingdom of every grace and virtue under one ,lord1 ,jesus ,christ ,thy dear ,son1 the ,head and ,source of every grace and virtue4 ,therefore help us1 dear ,father1 and be gracious unto us4 ,grant us above all things a true and constant faith in ,christ1 a fearless hope in ,thy mercy despite all the fearfulness of our sinful conscience1 and a thorough love to ,thee and to all mankind4 ,keep us from unbelief and despair and revengefulness4 ,help us against lewdness and unchastity1 and give us a love for virginity and all purity4 ,help us out of dissension1 war and discord1 and let the virtue of ,thy kingdom come--peace1 and unity1 and quiet rest4 ,grant that neither wrath nor any other bitterness may set up its kingdom within us1 but that there may rule within us1 by ,thy grace1 sweet simplicity and brotherly fidelity1 and all kindliness1 charity and gentleness4 ,help us to have within us no undue sorrow or sadness1 but let joy and gladness in ,thy grace and mercy come to us4 ,and help us1 finally1 that all sin may be turned away from us1 so that we may be filled with ,thy grace1 and all virtues and good works1 and thus become ,thy kingdom1 so that all our heart1 mind and spirit1 with all our powers of body and soul1 may obediently serve ,thee1 keep ,thy commandments and do ,thy will1 be ruled by ,thee alone1 and may not follow after self or flesh or world or devil4 ,grant that this ,thy kingdom1 now begun in us1 may increase1 and daily grow in power2 that indifference to ,god's service--that subtle wickedness--may not overcome us and make us all away1 but give us rather the power and earnest purpose not only to make a beginning in righteousness1 but boldly to go on unto perfection2 as saith the prophet1 ,lighten mine eyes1 lest ,i sleep the sleep of death or grow idle in the good life ,i have begun2 and lest the enemy again prevail against us4 ,ps4 #ac3c f4 ,help us that we may remain constant1 and that ,thy future kingdom may finish and complete this ,thy kingdom which is here begun4 ,help us out of this sinful1 perilous life2 help us to long for the life to come1 and more and more to hate this life4 ,help us not to fear death1 but desire it4 ,take away from us the love of living here1 and all dependence on this present life1 that thus ,thy kingdom may in us be made perfect and complete4 ,to this petition belong all the psalms1 versicles and prayers in which we pray to ,god or grace and virtue4 ,the ,third ,petition3 ,thy ,will be done on earth as it is in heaven4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,third ,petition ,this means-- ,our will1 compared with ,thy will1 is never good1 but always evil2 but ,thy will is always best1 lovable above all things and most to be desired4 ,therefore1 be merciful to us1 dear ,father1 and let nothing be done according to our will4 ,grant us and teach us to have real and perfect patience when our will is broken or hindered4 ,help us1 if anyone speaks or is silent1 does or omits anything that is contrary to our will1 that we become not angry or wrathful1 neither curse1 nor complain1 nor cry out1 nor judge1 nor condemn1 nor accuse4 ,help us with all humility to give place to those who oppose or hinder our will1 and letting our own will go1 to praise and bless them and do good to them as those who1 against our own will1 fulfil ,thy divine will1 which is altogether good4 ,give us grace willingly to bear illness1 poverty1 shame1 suffering and adversity1 and to know that these are ,thy divine will1 or the crucifying of our will4 ,help us to bear even injustice gladly1 and keep us from avenging ourselves4 ,suffer us not to render evil or evil or to resist force with force1 but grant us grace to take pleasure in this will of ,thine1 which lays these things upon us1 and to give ,thee praise and thanks4 ,suffer us not to lay it to the charge of the devil or of wicked men when anything befalls us contrary to our will1 but help us to ascribe it only to ,thy divine will1 which orders all such things for the hindering of our will and the increasing of our blessedness in ,thy kingdom4 ,help us to die willingly and joyfully1 and to welcome death as a manifestation of ,thy will1 so that impatience and despair may not make us disobedient toward ,thee4 ,help us that all our members--eyes1 tongue1 heart1 hands1 feet--be not submissive to their own desires or will1 but be taken captive1 imprisoned and broken in ,thy will4 ,preserve us from all evil1 rebellious1 obstinate1 stubborn and capricious self-will4 ,grant us a true obedience1 a submissiveness simple and complete in all things1 spiritual and worldly1 temporal and eternal4 ,preserve us from the cruel vice of aspersion1 slander1 back-biting1 malicious judging1 condemning and accusing of other men4 ,o keep far from us the great unhappiness and grievous plague of tongues like these2 but teach us1 when we see or hear in others things blameworthy and to us displeasing1 to hold our peace1 to cover them over1 to make complaint of them to none but ,thee1 to give them over to ,thy will1 and thus heartily to forgive our debtors and have sympathy with them4 ,teach us to know that no one can do us any harm1 except he first do himself a thousandfold greater harm in ,thine eyes1 so that we may be moved thereby to mercy rather than to anger1 to pity rather than revenge4 ,help us not to rejoice when it goes ill with those who have not done our will or have hurt us or otherwise displeased us by their way of life2 help us also not to be disturbed when it goes well with them4 ,to this petition belong all the psalms1 versicles and prayers in which we pray to be delivered from sin and from our enemies4 ,the ,fourth ,petition3 ,give us this day our daily ,bread4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,fourth ,petition ,this means-- ,the bread is our ,lord ,jesus ,christ#ai1 ,who feedeth and comforteth the soul4 ,therefore1 ,o heavenly ,father1 grant us grace1 that ,christ's life and words1 ,his works and sufferings be preached1 made known and preserved to us and to all the world4 ,help us that in all our life we may have ,his words and works before us as a powerful example and mirror of all virtue4 ,help us in sufferings and adversities to find strength and comfort in and through ,his cross and passion4 ,help us in firm faith to overcome our own death by ,his death1 and thus boldly to follow our beloved ,leader into the other life4 ,give ,thy grace to all preachers1 that they may preach ,thy ,word and ,christ1 to profit and salvation1 in all the world4 ,help all who hear the preaching of ,thy ,word to learn ,christ1 and honestly to better their lives thereby4 ,graciously drive out of the ,holy ,church all strange preaching and teaching from which men do not learn ,christ4 ,have mercy upon all bishops1 priests1 clergy and all that are in authority1 that they may be enlightened by ,thy grace to teach and govern us aright by precept and example4 ,preserve all that are weak in faith1 that they may not stumble at the wicked example of their rulers4 ,preserve us from heretical and apostate teachers1 that we may remain one1 partaking of one daily bread--the daily doctrine and word of ,christ4 ,graciously teach us to regard aright the sufferings of ,christ1 receive them into our hearts1 and form them in our lives1 to our salvation4 ,suffer us not at our last hour to be deprived of the true and holy body of ,christ#bj4 ,help all priests to use and administer the holy sacrament worthily and savingly1 to the edification of the whole ,church4 ,help us and all ,christians to receive the ,holy ,sacrament at its proper season1 with ,thy grace and to our salvation4 ,and summa summarum1 ,give us our daily bread1 that is1 may ,christ abide in us and we in ,him forever1 and may we worthily bear ,his name1 the name of ,christian4 ,to this petition belong all prayers or psalms which are prayed for rulers1 and especially those or protection against false teachers1 those for the ,jews1 heretics and all that are in error1 and also those or all distressed and comfortless sufferers4 ,the ,fifth ,petition3 ,and forgive us our ,debts1 as we forgive our ,debtors4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,fifth ,petition ,this means-- ,to this petition a condition is attached1 viz41 that we first forgive our debtors4 ,when that has been done we may say afterward1 ,forgive us our debts4 ,that we may do this1 we have prayed in the ,third ,petition1 ,thy will be done4 ,it is ,god's will that we patiently suffer all things1 and not render evil for evil1 nor seek revenge2 but render good for evil1 as doth our ,father in heaven4 ,who maketh ,his sun to rise upon the good and evil1 and sendeth rain upon the thankful and unthankful ,matt4 #e3de4 ,therefore1 we pray3 ,o ,father1 comfort our conscience now and in our last hour1 for it is now and will be hereafter in grievous terror because of our sin and ,thy judgment4 ,send ,thy peace into our hearts1 that we may with joy await ,thy judgment4 ,enter not with us into the sharpness of ,thy judgment1 for then will no man be found righteous ,ps4 #adc3b4 ,teach us1 dear ,father1 not to rely on our own good works or merits1 or to comfort ourselves therewith2 but boldly to cast ourselves upon ,thy boundless mercy alone4 ,in like manner1 suffer us not to despair because of our blameworthy1 sinful life1 but to deem ,thy mercy higher and broader and stronger than all our life4 ,help all men who in the hour of death or of temptation feel the anguish of despair1 and especially ,n4 or ,n4 ,have mercy also upon all poor souls in purgatory1 especially ,n4 and ,n4 ,forgive them and all of us our sins1 comfort them and receive them into grace4 ,render us ,thy good for our evil1 as ,thou hast commanded us to do to others4 ,silence the evil spirit1 that cruel slanderer1 accuser and magnifier of our sins now and at our last hour1 and in all anguish of conscience1 even as we too refrain from slander1 and from magnifying the sins of other men4 ,judge us not according to the accusation of the devil and of our miserable conscience1 and hearken not to the voice of our enemies who accuse us day and night before ,thee1 even as we too will not give ear to those who accuse and slander other men4 ,remove from us the heavy burden of sin and conscience1 that with light and joyous hearts we may live and die1 do and suffer1 trusting wholly in ,thy mercy4 ,to this petition belong all the psalms and prayers which invoke ,god's mercy upon sin4 ,the ,sixth ,petition3 ,and lead us not into ,temptation4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,sixth ,petition ,this means-- ,we have three temptations or adversaries1 the flesh1 the world and the devil4 ,therefore1 we pray3 ,sidenote3 ,the ,flesh ,dear ,father1 grant us grace that we may have control over the lust of the flesh4 ,help us to resist its desire to eat1 to drink1 to sleep overmuch1 to be idle1 to be slothful4 ,help us by fasting1 by moderation in food and dress and sleep and work1 by watching and labor1 to bring the flesh into subjection and it it for good works4 ,help us to fasten its evil1 unchaste inclinations and all its desires and incitements with ,christ upon the cross1 and to slay them1 so that we may not consent to any of its allurements1 nor follow after them4 ,help us when we see a beautiful person1 or image or any other creature1 that it may not be a temptation1 but an occasion or love of chastity and for praising ,thee in ,thy creatures4 ,when we hear sweet sounds and feel things that please the senses1 help us to seek therein not lust1 but ,thy praise and honor4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,world ,preserve us from the great vice of avarice and the desire or the riches of this world4 ,keep us1 that we may not seek this world's honor and power1 nor consent to the desire for them4 ,preserve us1 that the world's deceit1 pretences and false promises may not move us to walk in its ways4 ,preserve us1 that the wickedness and the adversities of the world may not lead us to impatience1 revenge1 wrath or other vices4 ,help us to renounce the world's lies and deceits1 its promises and unfaithfulness and all its good and evil 7as we have already promised in baptism to do71 to abide firmly in this renunciation and to grow therein from day to day4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,devil ,preserve us from the suggestions of the devil1 that we may not consent to pride1 become self-satisfied1 and despise others for the sake of riches1 rank1 power1 knowledge1 beauty or other good gifts of ,thine4 ,preserve us1 that we all not into hatred or envy or any cause4 ,preserve us1 that we yield not to despair1 that great temptation of our faith1 neither now nor at our last hour4 ,have in ,thy keeping1 heavenly ,father1 all who strive and labor against these great and manifold temptations4 ,strengthen those who are yet standing2 raise up all those who have fallen and are overcome2 and to all of us grant ,thy grace1 that in this miserable and uncertain life1 incessantly surrounded by so many enemies1 we may fight with constancy1 and with a firm and knightly faith1 and win the everlasting crown4 ,the ,seventh ,petition3 ,deliver us from evil4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,seventh ,petition ,this means-- ,this petition is a prayer against all that is evil in pain and punishment2 as the holy ,church prays in the litanies3 ,deliver us1 ,o ,father1 from ,thine eternal wrath and from the pains of hell4 ,deliver us from ,thy strict judgment1 in death and at the last day4 ,deliver us from sudden death4 ,preserve us from water and fire1 from lightning and hail4 ,preserve us from famine and scarcity4 ,preserve us from war and bloodshed4 ,preserve us from ,thy great plagues1 pestilence1 the ,french sickness1 and other grievous diseases4 ,preserve us from all evils and necessities of body1 yet in such wise that in all these things ,thy ,name may be honored1 ,thy ,kingdom increased and ,thy divine ,will be done4 ,amen4 ,,amen ,sidenote3 ,the ,amen ,the ,god help us1 without doubting1 to obtain all these petitions1 and suffer us not to doubt that ,thou hast heard us and wilt hear us in them all2 that it is ,yea1 not ,nay1 and not ,perhaps4 ,therefore we say with joy1 ,amen--it is true and certain4 ,amen4 ,,footnotes #a ,for this translation see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bbb1 note #a4 #b ,the law that we have outside of divine revelation4 ,c4f4 ,rom4 #b3ae4 #c ,the possessor of these letters 7,himmels-und ,teuelsbriefe7 was thought to be under the special protection of the spirits4 #d ,magical formulas4 #e ,practices popularly ascribed to the witches4 #f ,see below1 p4 #cfd1 note #a4 #g ,luther believed1 with the mediaeval ,church1 that the lending of money at interest was a sin4 ,see above pp4 #aei ff41 and ,weimar ,ed41 ,,xxv1 #bic ff4 #h i4 e41 ,in the confession made to the priest4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bhe1 and ,introduction1 above1 p4 #cea4 #i ,c4 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #eh1 #bhe4 #aj ,in the manuals for confession with which ,luther was familiar sins were divided into the various classes mentioned here4 ,c4 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ij ff42 ,gecken1 ,der ,bilderkatechismus des ,,xv ,jhs41 and especially v4 ,zezschwitz1 ,,ii1 #aig ff4 #aa ,serm41 #if1 #b2 ,migne1 ,,xxviii1 #ehe4 #ab ,cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ahg4 #ac ,see above1 p4 #cee4 #ad ,luther has here departed from the customary ,roman division of the ,creed into twelve articles4 #ae ,gemein4 #af ,gemeine4 #ag ,christenheit1 cf4 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cch4 #ah ,kirche4 #ai ,in the catechisms of #aebi ,luther abandons this interpretation of the bread4 #bj i4 e4 ,the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,,the ,,eight ,,wittenberg ,,sermons #aebb ,,introduction ,after the bold utterance of unshaken conviction at the ,diet of ,worms ,luther disappeared from the scene of his activities4 ,in the darkness of night he was taken by the friendly foe to the secure hiding-place where the imperial proscription could not affect him4 ,thus he entered the ,wartburg on ,may #d1 #aeba4 ,but the crowded canvas of the sixteenth century1 bereft of its central figure1 threatened to become mere portrayal of turbulence and confusion4 ,in ,wittenberg and other places the new life of the soul had burst its ancient fetters and was about to lose its spiritual value in a destructive lateral movement4 ,the inability of the hesitating elector and the helpless ,melanchthon to stem the tide1 caused ,luther1 in utter disregard of personal safety1 to return to his beloved city on ,march #f1 #aebb1 and on ,sunday1 ,march #ith1 and the seven days following to preach the ,eight ,sermons herewith given1 guiding the turbulent waves of popular uprising into the channels marked by faith and love4 ,during his absence others had heeded the clarion call to lead the ,church out of its ,babylonian ,captivity1 and had put into practice the measures which would carry out the principles he had uttered4 ,the mass was abolished#a1 monks left the monasteries1 some priests took wives1 and communion under both kinds was instituted4 ,with these measures ,luther was in sympathy1 which is evident from his letters to ,melanchthon#b and to ,wenceslaus ,link1 ,staupitz's successor as the ,augustinian vicar#c1 and the treatises ,de votis monasticis and ,de abroganda missa privata#d4 ,but these treatises also show that ,luther was not fully informed of the disturbances accompanying the new measures4 ,in so critical a time the absence of a great leader was soon manifest4 ,melanchthon1 ardent in the beginning1 could not hold back the radical procedure of ,carlstadt and ,zwilling4 ,carlstadt1 moderate at first in his conduct1 nevertheless had sown the seeds1 in his teaching1 which resulted in the bountiful harvest of disorder ,without ,luther's clearness of vision and aptness of speech1 he likewise failed to discern the pitfalls which ,luther so carefully avoided4 ,in my opinion1 he who partakes only of the bread1 sins4#e ,in all things of divine appointment1 the divine law must be taught and observed1 even if it cause offence4#f ,the ,gregorian chant keeps the spirit away from ,god4 4 4 4 ,organs belong to theatrical exhibitions and princes' palaces4#g ,that we have images in churches is wrong and contrary to the first commandment4 ,to have carved and painted idols standing on the altar is even more harmful and devilish4#h ,for his ,scripture proof in other places1 too1 particularly concerning vows1 ,carlstadt drew largely from the ,old ,testament4 ,on ,christmas ,day1 #aeba1 he preached a sermon in which he opposed going to confession before receiving communion4 ,attired in his street garb he then proceeded to celebrate an evangelical mass by giving communion in both kinds to the people1 placing the elements directly into their hands4 ,many of the communicants had not previously confessed1 nor observed the prescribed rule of fasting4 ,from a denial of any distinction between clergy and laity1 ,carlstadt finally progressed to a condemnation of all scholarship and learning as unnecessary to an understanding of the ,divine ,word1 since it is given directly from above#i4 ,without the theological acumen of ,carlstadt1 and with less restraint1 the ,augustinian monk ,gabriel ,zwilling labored in season and out of season for the new order of things4 ,in ,december the ,zwickau prophets1 ,niclas ,storch1 ,thomas ,drechsel1 weavers by trade1 and ,marcus ,stubner1 a former university student1 appeared in ,wittenberg claiming direct divine inspiration1 and preached the overturn of present conditions4 ,earlier in the month 7,december #c;d7 some students and citizens had caused a disturbance in the parish church and driven off the priests who were saying mass4 ,soon after a number of citizens crowded into the council chamber and demanded of the three councillors who presided over ,wittenberg the abolition of the mass by law1 the restitution of the cup1 and the release of those in custody for causing the tumult of ,december #c;d4 ,on ,christmas ,eve both the parish and the castle churches witnessed scenes of wild disorder4 ,on ,january #aath the monks1 led by ,zwilling1 destroyed all the altars except one in the convent church1 and cast out the images4 ,the city council1 in the endeavor to restore order1 on ,january #bd1 #aebb1 in full accord with a commission of the university1 adopted a ,worthy ,ordinance for the princely ,city of ,wittenberg1#aj in which the popular demands were met and a date was fixed on which the images should be removed from the parish church--the only one of the four churches of ,wittenberg subject to the council's control4 ,but the excited populace did not await the day4 ,taking the matter into its own hands it invaded the church1 tore images and pictures from the walls and burned them up4 ,the council and the university turned to ,luther4 ,immediately after his three-day secret visit to ,wittenberg in ,december1 on which he had sensed the unrest in ,wittenberg and elsewhere1 he issued his ,faithful ,exhortation for all ,christians to shun ,riot and ,rebellion#aa1 in which he emphasizes the principles reiterated in the ,eight ,sermons1 the sufficiency of the ,word and the duty of dealing gently with the weak4 ,but the time for writing had passed4 ,satan had broken into his sheepfold and had caused such havoc that he could not meet it by writing4#ab ,in spite of the elector's instruction to remain--the same whose ineffectual measures had failed to avert the storm--,luther on ,march #ast bade farewell to the ,wartburg4 ,on his way to ,wittenberg1 in ,borna on ,march #eth1 he wrote the famous letter to the elector#ac in which he declared that he desired no protection from the elector4 ,i come to ,wittenberg under much higher protection4 ,he arrived in ,wittenberg on ,thursday1 ,march #fth1 and on the following ,sunday1 ,march #fth1 the first ,sunday in ,lent1 he again ascended the pulpit in the parish church4 ,in an interesting report of an eye and ear witness--,johann ,kessler--we are told that he first gave an explanation of the ,gospel for the day on the temptation of ,christ 7,matt4 #d3a ff471 after which he dropped the text and took up the present affair4#ad ,this earlier portion of the sermon has not come down to us4 ,it may be that ,luther likewise first preached on the ,gospel for the day on the following ,sunday1 and for that reason it is called a brief summary 7see ,sermon ,no4 #h7 in the early printed editions1 when1 in reality1 it is longer than that of ,saturday 7,no4 #g74 ,the sermons1 delivered in a vox suavis et sonora#ae1 produced immediate results4 ,in a letter by ,schurf1 dated ,march #aeth1 even before the last of the sermons had been delivered1 it is stated that ,gabriel ,zwilling has confessed that he was wrong4 ,carlstadt was silenced1 the city council made acknowledgment to ,luther by substantial gifts and ,wittenberg bowed to law and order4 ,luther did not publish these sermons himself4 ,he elaborated the principles here uttered in the treatise1 published a few weeks later1 ,the ,reception of both ,kinds in the ,sacrament#af4 ,a fragment1 covering the thoughts of sermons #a to #d1 and formerly described as a pastoral letter to the ,wittenberg congregation1 is now held to be a piece of written preparation by ,luther for these sermons#ag4 ,the notes of a hearer of these sermons furnished the basis for the printed editions4 ,the ,wednesday sermon 7,no4 #d--,on the ,images7 was published separately at ,augsburg and other places2 the eight sermons were published in ,augsburg and ,mainz4 ,seven editions of the former and six of the latter are known4 ,johann ,aurifaber1 the publisher of ,luther's ,table-talk1 also edited and published these sermons at ,eisleben in #aefd4 ,his free amplification of the older text1 in an attempt to modernize it1 is not an improvement4 ,his considerable additions to ,luther's ,scripture citations are from ,luther's own translation of a later date4 ,yet for two centuries this edition remained the standard4 ,the ,walch ,edition was the first again to pay attention to the original text1 however placing the ,aurifaber text first4 7,walch ,ed41 ,,xx47 ,the ,erlangen ,edition 7,,xxyhi7 observes the same order4 ,o4 von ,gerlach1 ,luthers ,werke1 ,auswahl seiner ,hauptschriten 7,berlin1 #ahda71 gives only the older text 7,v72 ,buchwald1 in the ,berlin ,edition 7,i71 gives only the ,aurifaber text4 ,the ,weimar ,edition 7,xc7 places the old text on the upper half of the page1 with the ,aurifaber recension immediately below4 ,the translation which follows is based on the older text as found in the ,weimar ,edition1 with which the other editions have been compared4 ,for further discussion1 see1 in addition to the literature mentioned1 the biographies of ,luther and the ,church ,histories4 ,also ,barge's articles in the ,realencyklopadie1 ,x1 #gc ff4 and ,,xxiii1 #gch ff42 also ,kolde's1 ,,iv1 #fci ff4 and ,,xiii1 #eef ff4 ,barge1 ,fruhprotestantisches ,gemeindechristentum in ,wittenberg und ,orlamiinde1 ,leipzig1 #aiji4 ,cristiani1 ,du ,lutheranisme au ,protestantisme1 ,paris1 #aiaa4 ,boehmer1 ,luther im ,lichte der neueren ,forschung1 third ed41 ,leipzig1 #aiad4 ,vedder1 ,the ,reformation in ,germany4 ,new ,york1 #aiad4 ,a4 ,,steimle4 ,allentown1 ,pa4 ,,footnotes #a ,the consequent closing of the churches except for preaching services leads ,muller 7,luther und ,karlstadt1 p4 #eb7 to see in this the origin of the ,protestant custom of closing churches on weekdays4 #b ,august #a1 #aeba4 ,enders1 ,luthers ,briewechsel1 ,,iii1 #bjh4 #c ,december #bj1 #aeba4 ,enders1 ,,iii1 #beg4 #d ,date of both1 ,november1 #aeba4 ,both in ,weimar ,ed41 ,,viii1 and in ,erl4 ,ed41 ,o2 var4 arg41 ,,vi4 ,the latter also in ,german 7,vom ,misbrauch der ,messe71 ,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxviii4 #e #bd ,theses 7,july1 #aeba74 ,barge1 ,andreas ,bodenstein von ,karlstadt1 ,i1 #bia4 ,repeated in ,de celebratione missae 7,october71 ibid41 #dhg4 #f ,de scandalo et missa 7,oct4 or ,nov471 ibid41 #dia4 #g ,de cantu gregoriano disputatio 7#aebj71 ibid41 #dib4 #h ,von ,abthuung der ,bilder 7,january1 #aebb71 ibid41 #cfg4 #i ,see ,kostlin-,kawesau1 ,martin ,luther1 ,i1 #dhe4 #aj ,published by ,h4 ,lietzmann in ,kleine ,texte1 no4 #ba2 also in ,richter1 ,kirchenordnungen1 ,,ii1 #dhd4 #aa ,weimar ,ed41 ,,viii1 #fgj ff4 ,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxii1 #dc ff4 #ab ,luther's letter to the elector on ,march #gth4 ,de ,wette1 ,,ii1 #ach2 ,weimar ,ed41 ,xc ,introd41 xlvii f4 #ac ,enders1 ,,iii1 #dhd4 #ad ,kessler1 ,sabbata1 ,st4 ,gallen1 #aijb4 ,quoted at length in ,weimar ,ed41 ,xc1 ,introduction1 lii4 #ae ,letter of ,albert ,burer1 ,briewechsel des ,beatus ,rhenanus1 #cjc4 ,see also ,introd41 liii1 in ,weimar ,ed41 ,xc4 #af ,weimar ,ed41 ,xb2 ,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxviii4 #ag ,see ,kawerau1 ,luthers ,ruckkehr von der ,wartburg1 #fg4 ,fragment in full in ,weimar ,ed41 ,xc1 ,introduction1 lv ff41 where see also a recently discovered short ,latin fragment1 which served a similar purpose4 ,,eight ,,sermons ,,by ,,dr4 ,,martin ,,luther ,preached at ,wittenberg in ,lent1 #aebb ,treating ,briefly of the ,mass1 ,images1 ,both ,kinds ,in ,the ,sacrament1 ,eating of ,meats1 ,private ,confession1 etc4 ,,the ,,first ,,sermon ,,invocavit ,,sunday ,sidenote3 ,the ,chief ,things ,the challenge of death comes to us all1 and no one can die for another4 ,every one must fight his own battle with death by himself1 alone4 ,we can shout into one another's ears1 but every one must be prepared finally to meet death alone4 ,i will not be with you then1 nor you with me4 ,therefore every one must know for himself the chief things in ,christianity1 and be armed therewith4 ,they are the same which you1 my beloved1 have long ago heard from me4 ,in the first place1 ,we must know that we are the children of wrath1 and all our works1 intentions and thoughts are nothing at all4 ,to prove this point we must have a clear1 strong text1 and although there are many such in the ,bible ,i will not overwhelm you with them1 but ask you to note just this one1 ,we are all the children of wrath4 ,eph4 #b3c ,and pray1 do not boast in reply3 ,i have builded an altar1 given a foundation for masses1 etc4 ,secondly1 ,that ,god has sent us ,his only-begotten ,son that we may believe in ,him1 and whosoever will put his trust in ,him1 should be free from sin and a child of ,god1 as ,john declares in the first chapter1 ,he gave them power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe in his name4 ,john #a3ab ,here we should all be thoroughly at home in the ,bible and be ready with many passages to confront the devil4 ,in respect to these two points nothing seems to be lacking or amiss1 but they have been rightly preached to you2 ,i should be very sorry if it were otherwise4 ,nay1 ,i am well aware and ,i dare say1 that you are more learned herein than ,i1 and that there are not only one1 two1 three1 or four1 but perhaps ten or more1 who have this wisdom and enlightenment4 ,sidenote3 ,love ,thirdly1 ,there must also be love1 and through love we must do unto one another as ,god has done unto us through faith4 ,for without love faith is nothing1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,i ,cor4 ii1 ,if ,i could speak with the tongues of angels1 and of the highest things in faith1 and have not love1 ,i am nothing4 #a ,cor4 #ac3a ,and here1 dear friends1 have you not grievously failed8 ,i see no signs of love among you1 and ,i observe that you have not been grateful to ,god for ,his rich gifts and treasures4 ,let us beware lest ,wittenberg become ,capernaum4 ,i notice that you have a great deal to say of the doctrine which is preached to you1 of faith and of love4 ,this is not surprising2 an ass can almost intone the lessons1 and why should you not be able to repeat the doctrines and formulas8 ,dear friends1 the kingdom of ,god1--and we are that kingdom1--consists not in speech or in words1 but in deeds1 in works and exercises4 ,god does not want hearers and repeaters of words1 but doers and followers who exercise themselves in the faith that worketh by love4 ,for a faith without love is not enough--rather it is not faith at all #a ,cor4 #ac3ab1 but a counterfeit of faith1 just as a face seen in a mirror is not a real face1 but merely the reflection of a face4 ,sidenote3 ,patience ,fourthly1 ,we likewise need patience4 ,for whoever has faith1 trusts in ,god and shows love to his neighbor1 practicing it day by day1 must needs suffer persecution4 ,for the devil never sleeps1 and continually molests4 ,but patience works and produces hope1 which freely yields itself to ,god and finds solace in ,him ,rom4 #e3d4 ,thus faith1 by much affliction and persecution1 ever increases1 and is strengthened day by day4 ,and the heart which by ,god's grace has received such virtues must ever be active and freely expend itself for the benefit and service of the brethren1 even as it has received from ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,forbearance ,and here1 dear friends1 one must not insist upon his rights1 but must see what may be useful and helpful to his brother1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,omnia mihi licent1 sed non omnia expediunt1 ,all things are lawful for me1 but not all things are expedient4 #a ,cor4 #f3ab ,we are not all equally strong in faith2 some of you have a stronger faith than ,i4 ,therefore we must not look upon ourselves1 or our strength1 or our rank1 but upon our neighbor1 for ,god has said through ,moses1 ,i have borne and nourished thee1 even as a mother her child4 ,deut4 #a3ca ,how does a mother nourish her child8 ,first1 she feeds it with milk1 then gruel1 then eggs and soft food4 ,if she weaned it and at once gave it the ordinary1 coarse food1 the child would never thrive4 ,so we should also deal with our brother1 have patience with him for a time1 suffer his weakness and help him bear it2 we should give him milk-food #a ,peter #b3b1 too1 as was done with us1 until he likewise grows strong1 and thus we do not travel heavenward alone1 but bring the brethren1 who are not now on our side1 with us4 ,if all mothers were to abandon their children1 where would we have been8 ,dear brother1 if you have suckled long enough1 do not at once cut off the breast1 but let thy brother be nourished also4 ,i would not have gone so far as you have done1 if ,i had been here4 ,what you did was good1 but you have gone too fast4 ,for there are also brothers and sisters on the other side who belong to us1 and must still be won4 ,let me illustrate4 ,the sun has two properties1 light and heat4 ,no king has power enough to bend or guide the light of the sun2 it remains straight in the place where it shines4 ,but the heat may be turned and guided1 and yet is ever about the sun4 ,thus the faith must always remain pure and immovable in the heart1 never wavering2 but love moves and is guided1 according as our neighbors may grasp it or follow us4 ,there are some who can run1 others must walk1 still others can hardly creep4 ,therefore we must not look upon our own1 but upon our brother's powers1 so that he who is weak in faith1 and attempts to follow the strong1 may not be destroyed of the devil4 ,therefore1 dear brethren1 obey me4 ,i have never been a destroyer1 and ,i was also the very first whom ,god called to this work4 ,neither can ,i run away1 but must remain as long as it pleases ,god4 ,i was the first1 too1 to whom ,god revealed it1 to preach ,his ,word to you2 moreover1 ,i am sure that you have the pure ,word of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,abolishing the ,mass ,let us1 therefore1 take up this matter with fear and humility1 cast ourselves at one another's feet1 join hands with each other1 and help one another4 ,i will do my part1 which is no more than my duty1 for ,i love you even as ,i love my own soul4 ,for here we battle not against pope or bishop1 but against the devil ,eph4 #f3ab1 and do you imagine he is asleep8 ,he sleeps not1 but sees the true light rising1 and to keep it from shining into his eyes he would make a flank attack--and he will succeed1 if we are not on our guard4 ,i know him well#a1 and ,i hope1 too1 that with the help of ,god ,i am his master4 ,but if we yield him but an inch1 we must soon look to it how we may be rid of him4 ,therefore all those have erred who have consented and helped to abolish the mass--in itself a good undertaking1 but not accomplished in an orderly way4 ,you say it was right according to the ,scriptures4 ,i agree1 but what becomes of order8 ,for it was done in wantonness1 with no regard to proper order and with offence to your neighbor4 ,if1 beforehand1 you had called upon ,god in earnest prayer1 and had obtained the aid of the authorities1 one could be certain that it had come from ,god4 ,i1 too1 would have taken steps toward the same end if it had been a good thing to do2 and if the mass were not so evil a thing1 ,i would introduce it again4 ,for ,i cannot defend your action1 as ,i have just said4 ,to the papists and the blockheads ,i could defend it1 for ,i could say3 ,how do you know whether it was done with good or bad intention1 since the work in itself was really a good work8 ,but ,i can find nothing to reply to the devil4 ,for if on their deathbeds the devil reminds those who began this affair of texts like these1 ,every plant1 which ,my father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up1 ,matt4 #ae3ac or ,i have not sent them1 yet they ran1 ,jer4 #bc3ba how will they be able to withstand8#b ,he will cast them into hell4 ,but ,i have a weapon to brandish in the devil's face1 so that the wide world will become too small for him3 ,i know that in spite of my reluctance ,i was regularly called by the ,council to preach in this place4 ,and ,i would that you should have the same assurance as ,i4 ,you could so easily have consulted me about the matter4 ,sidenote3 ,must and ,free ,i was not so far away that you could not reach me with a letter1 especially since ,i did not interfere with you in any way4 ,did you want to begin something1 and then leave me to shoulder the responsibility8 ,that is more than ,i can undertake1 and ,i will not do it4 ,here one can see that you have not the ,spirit1 in spite of your deep knowledge of the ,scriptures4 ,take note of these two things1 must and free4 ,the must is that which necessity requires1 and which must ever be unyielding2 as1 for instance1 the faith1 which ,i shall never permit any one to take away from me1 but which ,i must always keep in my heart and freely confess before every one4 ,but free is that in which ,i have choice1 and may use or not1 yet in such wise that it profit my brother and not me4 ,now do not make a must out of what is free1 as you have done1 so that you may not be called to account for those who were led astray by your exercise of liberty without love4 ,for if you entice any one to eat meat on ,friday1 and he is troubled about it on his deathbed1 and thinks1 ,woe is me1 for ,i have eaten meat and ,i am lost6 ,god will call you to account for that soul4 ,i would like to begin many things1 in which but few would follow me2 but what is the use8 ,i know that those who have begun this thing1 when it comes to the point1 cannot maintain themselves1 and will be the first to retreat4 ,how would it be1 if ,i brought the people to the point of attack1 and though ,i had been the foremost to exhort others1 ,i would then flee1 and not face death with courage8 ,how the poor people would be deceived6 ,let us1 therefore1 feed others also with the milk which we received1 until they1 too1 become strong in the faith4 ,for there are many who are otherwise in accord with us and who would also gladly accept this one thing1 but they do not yet fully understand it--all such we drive away4 ,therefore1 let us show love to our neighbors1 or our work will not endure4 ,we must have patience with them for a time1 and not cast out him who is weak in the faith2 much more should we regulate our doing and our not doing according to the demands of love1 provided no injury is done to our faith4 ,if we do not earnestly pray to ,god1 and act circumspectly in this matter1 the thing looks to me as if all the misery which we have begun to cause the papists will all upon us4 ,therefore ,i could no longer remain away1 but was compelled to come and say these things to you4 ,this is enough about the mass2 tomorrow we shall treat of the images4 ,,the ,,second ,,sermon ,,monday ,,after ,,invocavit ,sidenote3 ,necessity and ,choice ,dear ,friends3 ,you heard yesterday the characteristics of a ,christian man1 how his whole life is faith and love4 ,faith is directed toward ,god1 love toward man and one's neighbor1 and consists in such love and service for him as we have received from ,god without our work and merit4 ,thus there are two things3 the one1 which is the most needful1 and which must be done in one way and no other2 the other1 which is a matter of choice and not of necessity1 which may be kept or not1 without endangering faith or incurring hell4 ,in both1 love must deal with our neighbor in the same manner as ,god has dealt with us2 it must walk the straight road1 straying neither to the let nor to the right4 ,in the things which are musts and are matters of necessity1 such as believing in ,christ1 love nevertheless never uses force or undue constraint4 ,thus the mass is an evil thing1 and ,god is displeased with it1 because it is performed as a sacrifice and work of merit4 ,therefore it must be abolished4 ,here there is no room for question1 just as little as if you should ask whether you should pray to ,god4 ,here we are entirely agreed3 the private mass must be abolished1 as ,i have said in my writings#c4 ,and ,i heartily wish it would be abolished everywhere and only the evangelical mass for all the people be retained4 ,yet ,christian love should not employ harshness here nor force the matter4 ,it should be preached and taught with tongue and pen1 that to hold mass in such a manner is a sin1 but no one should be dragged away from it by force4 ,the matter should be let to ,god2 ,his word should do the work alone1 without our work4 ,why8 ,because it is not in my power to fashion the hearts of men as the potter moulds the clay1 and to do with them as ,i please4 ,i can get no farther than to men's ears2 their hearts ,i cannot reach4 ,and since ,i cannot pour faith into their hearts1 ,i cannot1 nor should ,i1 force any one to have faith4 ,that is ,god's work alone1 who causes faith to live in the heart4 ,therefore we should give free course to the ,word1 and not add our works to it4 ,we have the jus verbi#d1 but not the executio#e2 we should preach the ,word1 but the consequences must be let to ,god's own good pleasure4 ,sidenote3 ,compulsion and ,persuasion ,now if ,i should rush in and abolish the mass by force1 there are many who would be compelled to consent to it and yet not know their own minds1 but say3 ,i do not know if it is right or wrong1 ,i do not know where ,i stand1 ,i was compelled by force to submit to the majority4 ,and this forcing and commanding results in a mere mockery1 an external show1 a fool's play1 man-made ordinances1 sham-saints and hypocrites4 ,for where the heart is not good1 ,i care nothing at all for the work4 ,we must first win the hearts of the people4 ,and that is done when ,i teach only the ,word of ,god1 preach the ,gospel and say3 ,dear lords or pastors1 desist from holding the mass1 it is not right1 you are sinning when you do it2 ,i cannot refrain from telling you this4 ,but ,i would not make it an ordinance for them1 nor urge a general law2 he who would follow me could do so1 and he who refused would remain without4 ,in the latter case the ,word would sink into the heart and perform its work4 ,thus he would become convinced and acknowledge his error1 and all away from the mass2 to-morrow another would do the same1 and thus ,god would accomplish more with ,his ,word than if you and ,i would forge into one all power and authority4 ,for if you have won the heart1 you have won the whole man--and the mass must finally fall of its own weight and come to an end4 ,and if the hearts and minds of all men are united in the purpose--abolish the mass2 but if all are not heart and soul for its abolishment--leave it in ,god's hands1 ,i beseech you1 otherwise the result will not be good4 ,not1 indeed1 that ,i would again set up the mass2 ,i let it live in ,god's name4 ,faith must not be chained and imprisoned1 nor bound by an ordinance to any work4 ,this is the principle by which you must be governed4 ,for ,i am sure you will not be able to carry out your plans1 and if you should carry them out with such general laws1 then ,i will recant all the things that ,i have written and preached1 and ,i will not support you1 and therefore ,i ask you plainly3 ,what harm can the mass do to you8 ,you have your faith1 pure and strong1 toward ,god1 and the mass cannot hurt you4 ,sidenote3 ,paul's ,method ,love1 therefore1 demands that you have compassion on the weak1 as all the apostles had4 ,once1 when ,paul came to ,athens1 a mighty city1 he found in the temple many altars1 and he went from one to the other and looked at them all ,acts #ag3af ff41 but did not touch any one of them even with his foot4 ,but he stood in the midst of the market-place and said they were all idolatrous works1 and begged the people to forsake them2 yet he did not destroy one of them by force4 ,when the word took hold of their hearts1 they forsook their idols of their own accord1 and in consequence idolatry fell of itself4 ,now1 if ,i had seen that they held mass1 ,i would have preached and admonished them concerning it4 ,had they heeded my admonition1 they would have been won2 if not1 ,i would nevertheless not have torn them from it by the hair or employed any force1 but simply allowed the ,word to act1 while ,i prayed for them4 ,for the ,word created heaven and earth and all things2 the ,word must do this thing1 and not we poor sinners4 ,sidenote3 ,luther's ,method ,sidenote3 ,jerome and ,augustine ,in conclusion3 ,i will preach it1 teach it1 write it1 but ,i will constrain no man by force1 for faith must come freely without compulsion4 ,take myself as an example4 ,i have opposed the indulgences and all the papists1 but never by force4 ,i simply taught1 preached1 wrote ,god's ,word2 otherwise ,i did nothing4 ,and then while ,i slept1 or drank ,wittenberg beer with my ,philip#f and with ,amsdor#g1 the ,word so greatly weakened the papacy1 that never a prince or emperor inflicted such damage upon it4 ,i did nothing2 the ,word did it all4 ,had ,i desired to foment trouble1 ,i could have brought great bloodshed upon ,germany1 ,yea1 ,i could have started such a little game at ,worms that even the emperor would not have been safe4 ,but what would it have been8 ,a fool's play4 ,i did nothing2 ,i left it to the ,word4 ,what do you suppose is ,satan's thought1 when an effort is made to do things by violence8 ,he sits back in hell and thinks3 ,how fine a game these fools will make for me6 ,but it brings him distress when we only spread the ,word1 and let it alone do the work4 ,for it is almighty and takes captive the hearts1 and if the hearts are captured the evil work will all of itself4 ,let me cite an instance4 ,aforetime there were sects1 too1 ,jewish and ,gentile ,christians1 differing on the law of ,moses in respect to circumcision4 ,the former would keep it1 the latter not #a ,cor4 #g3ah ff44 ,then came ,paul and preached that it might be kept or not1 it mattered not one way or the other2 they should make no must of it1 but leave it to the choice of the individual2 to keep it or not1 was immaterial4 ,later came ,jerome1 who would have made a must out of it1 and wanted laws and ordinances to prohibit it4 ,then came ,st4 ,augustine1 who held to the opinion of ,st4 ,paul3 it might be kept or not1 as one wished2 ,st4 ,jerome had missed the meaning of ,st4 ,paul by a hundred miles4 ,the two doctors bumped heads rather hard over the proposition4 ,but when ,st4 ,augustine died1 ,st4 ,jerome accomplished his purpose4 ,after that came the popes2 they would add something of their own1 and they1 too1 made laws4 ,thus out of the making of one law grew a thousand laws1 until they have completely buried us under laws4 ,and so it will be here2 one law will soon make two1 two will increase to three1 and so forth4 ,let this be enough at this time concerning the things that are necessary1 and let us beware lest we lead astray those of weak conscience4 ,,the ,,third ,,sermon ,,tuesday ,,after ,,invocavit ,we have heard the things most necessary in ,christian life1 and what is a necessary result1 namely1 the doing away with the private mass4 ,for the works which are necessary are those which ,god has either commanded or forbidden1 according to the appointment of the ,majesty on high4 ,but no one shall be dragged to them by the hair1 or kept from them by force1 for ,i can drive no man to heaven with a club4 ,i said this plainly enough1 and ,i believe you understood what ,i said4 ,sidenote3 ,nonessentials ,sidenote3 ,marriage of ,monks and ,nuns ,we shall now consider the things that are not matters of necessity1 but are let to our free choice by ,god1 and which we may keep or not2 for instance1 whether one shall marry or not1 or whether monks and nuns shall leave the cloisters4 ,these things are matters of choice and must not be forbidden by any one1 and if they are forbidden1 the forbidding is wrong1 since it is contrary to ,god's appointment4 ,in the things that are free1 such as being married or remaining single1 you should do on this wise3 ,if you can restrain yourself without burdening your conscience thereby1 do so by all means1 but there must be no general law1 and every one shall be perfectly free4 ,any priest1 monk or nun who cannot restrain the desires of the flesh1 should marry1 and thus relieve the burden of conscience4 ,but see to it that you be well-armed and fortified1 so that you can stand before ,god and the world when you are assailed1 and especially when the devil attacks you in the hour of death4 ,it is not enough to say3 ,this man or that has done the same1 ,i followed the example of the crowd1 according to the preaching of the provost#h or ,dr4 ,carlstadt1 or ,gabriel#i1 or ,michael#aj4 ,not so1 but every one must stand on his own feet and be prepared to give battle to the devil4 ,you must rest upon a strong and clear text of ,scripture if you would stand the test4 ,if you cannot do that1 you will never withstand1--the devil will pluck you like a withered leaf4 ,therefore the priests who have taken wives1 and the nuns who have taken husbands1 in order to save their consciences must stand squarely upon a clear text of ,scripture1 such as this one by ,st4 ,paul--although there are many more3 ,in the latter times some shall depart from the faith1 giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils 7methinks ,paul uses plain language here67 forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats1 which ,god hath created4 ,this text the devil shall not overthrow nor devour1 it shall rather overthrow and devour him4 ,therefore any monk or nun who is too weak to keep the vow of chastity1 should conscientiously examine himself2 if heart and conscience are strong1 so that he can defend himself with a good conscience1 let him marry4 ,would to ,god all monks and nuns could hear this sermon and properly understood this matter and would all forsake the cloisters and thus all the cloisters in the world cease to exist--this is my earnest desire4 ,but now they have no understanding of the matter 7for no one preaches it to them71 and hearing that in other places many are leaving the cloisters1 who however are well-prepared or such a step1 they would follow their example1 but have not yet fortified their consciences and do not know that it is a matter of liberty4 ,this is bad1 although it is better that the evil should be outside than inside#aa4 ,therefore ,i say1 what ,god has made free shall remain free1 and you must not obey if some one forbids it1 even as the pope has done1 the ,antichrist4 ,he who can do so without harm and or love of his neighbor1 may wear a cowl or a tonsure1 since it will not injure his faith2 wearing a cowl will not kill him4 ,sidenote3 ,monks' ,vows ,thus1 dear friends1 it is plain enough1 and ,i believe you ought to understand it and not make liberty a law1 saying3 ,this priest has taken a wife1 therefore all priests must take wives4 ,not at all4 ,or this monk or that nun has left the cloister1 therefore they must all come out4 ,not at all4 ,or this man has broken the images and burnt them1 therefore all images must be burned--not at all1 dear brother6 ,and again1 this priest has no wife1 therefore no priest dare marry4 ,not at all6 ,they who cannot retain their chastity should take wives1 and for others who can be chaste1 it is good that they restrain themselves1 as those who live in the spirit and not in the flesh4 ,neither should they be troubled about the vows they have made1 such as the monks' vows of obedience1 chastity and poverty 7though they are rich enough withal74 ,for we cannot vow anything that is contrary to ,god's commands4 ,god has made it a matter of liberty to marry or not to marry1 and thou fool undertakest to turn this liberty into a vow against the ordinance of ,god8 ,therefore you must leave liberty alone and not make a compulsion out of it2 your vow is contrary to ,god's liberty4 ,suppose ,i should vow to strike my father on the mouth1 or to steal some one's property1 do you believe ,god would be pleased with such a vow8 ,and as little as ,i ought to keep a vow to strike my father on the mouth1 so little ought ,i to abstain from marriage because ,i am bound by a vow of chastity1 for in both cases ,god has ordered it otherwise4 ,god has ordained that ,i should be free to eat fish or flesh1 and there should be no commandment concerning them4 ,therefore all the ,carthusians#ab and all monks and nuns forsake the ordinance and liberty which ,god has given when they believe that if they eat meat they are defiled4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,images ,sidenote3 ,moses and ,images ,but we must come to the images1 and concerning them also it is true that they are unnecessary1 and we are free to have them or not1 although it would be much better if we did not have them4 ,i am not partial to them4 ,a great controversy arose on the subject of images between the ,roman emperor and the pope2 the emperor held that he had the authority to banish the images1 but the pope insisted that they should remain1 and both were wrong4 ,much blood was shed1 but the pope emerged as victor and the emperor lost#ac4 ,what was it all about8 ,they wished to make a must out of that which is free1 and that ,god cannot tolerate4 ,do you wish to change the ordering of the ,majesty on high8 ,not so2 you will not do any such thing4 ,you read in the ,law1 ,exodus xx1 ,thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image1 or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above1 or that is in the earth beneath1 or that is in the water under the earth4 ,ex4 #bj3d ,there you take your stand2 that is your ground4 ,now let us see6 ,when our adversaries shall say3 ,the first commandment aims at this1 that we should worship one ,god alone and not any image1 even as it is said immediately following1 ,thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them1 and declare that the worship of images is forbidden and not the making of them1 they disturb and unsettle our foundation for us4 ,and if you reply3 ,the text says1 ,thou shalt not make any images1 they answer3 ,it also says1 ,thou shalt not worship them4 ,in the face of such uncertainty who would be so bold as to destroy the images8 ,not ,i4 ,but let us go farther4 ,they say3 ,did not ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,jacob build altars8 ,and who will deny that8 ,we must admit it4 ,again1 did not ,moses erect a brazen serpent ,num4 #ba3i1 as we read in his fourth book8 ,how can you say ,moses forbids the making of images when he himself makes one8 ,it seems to me1 such a serpent is an image1 too4 ,how shall we answer that8 ,again1 do we not read that two birds were erected on the mercy-seat1 the very place where ,god willed that ,he should be worshiped8 ,ex4 #cg3g ,here we must admit1 that we may make images and have images but we must not worship them1 and when they are worshiped1 they should be put away and destroyed1 just as ,king ,hezekiah brake in pieces the serpent erected by ,moses #b ,kings #ah3d4 ,and who will be so bold as to say1 when called to account3 ,they worship the images4 ,they will answer3 ,art thou the man who dares to accuse us of worshiping the images8 ,do not believe that they will acknowledge it4 ,to be sure it is true1 but we cannot make them admit it4 ,remember how they acted when ,i condemned works without faith4 ,they said3 ,do you believe that we have no faith1 or that our works are performed without faith8 ,i can do nothing more than put my lute back in its pocket2 give them a hair's breadth1 and they take a hundred miles4 ,sidenote3 ,st4 ,paul and the ,twins ,therefore it should have been preached that images were nothing and that ,god is not served by their erection1 and they would have fallen of themselves4 ,that is what ,i did2 that is what ,paul did in ,athens1 when he went into their churches and saw all their idols#ad4 ,he did not strike at any of them1 but stood in the market-place and said1 ,ye men of ,athens1 ye are all idolatrous4 ,acts #ag2bb ,he preached against their idols1 but he overthrew none by force4 ,and you would rush in1 create an uproar1 break down the altars and overthrow the images8 ,do you really believe you can abolish the images on this wise8 ,nay1 you will only set them up more firmly4 ,even if you overthrew the images in this place1 do you think you have overthrown those in ,nurnberg and the rest of the world8 ,not at all1 ,st4 ,paul1 as we read in the ,book of ,acts1 sat in a ship on whose prow were painted or carved the ,twin ,brothers#ae4 ,he went on board and did not bother about it at all1 neither did he break them off4 ,why must ,luke describe the ,twins at this place8 ,without doubt he wanted to show that outward things could do no harm to faith1 if only the heart does not cleave to them nor put its trust in them4 ,this is what we must preach and teach1 and let the ,word alone do the work1 as ,i said before4 ,the ,word must first capture the hearts of men and enlighten them1--we cannot do it4 ,therefore the apostles gloried in their service1 ministerium1 and not in its effect1 executio4 ,we will let this be enough or to-day1 and pray ,god for ,his grace4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,sermon ,,wednesday ,,after ,,invocavit ,sidenote3 ,the ,abuse of ,images ,dear ,friends3 ,we have heard the things which are necessary1 as for instance1 that the mass is regarded as a sacrifice#af4 ,then we considered the things which are left to our liberty1 such as marriage1 the monastic life1 the abolishing of images4 ,we have treated these four subjects1 and have said that in all these matters love is the captain4 ,on the subject of images1 in particular1 we saw that they ought to be abolished if they are going to be worshiped1 otherwise not1 although ,i wish they were abolished everywhere because they are abused1--it is useless to deny it4 ,for whoever places an image in a church1 imagines he has performed a service unto ,god and a good work1 which is downright idolatry4 ,and this1 the greatest1 foremost and highest reason or abolishing the images1 you have neglected1 and taken up the very lowest4 ,for ,i suppose there is scarcely any man who does not understand that yonder crucifix is not my ,god1 for my ,god is in heaven1 but that this is simply a sign4 ,but the world is full of the other abuse1 for who would place an image of silver or of wood in a church1 if he did not think that in so doing he was doing ,god a service8 ,think you that ,duke ,frederick1 the bishop of ,halle1 and the others would have placed so many silver images in the churches1 if they thought it counted nothing before ,god8 ,nay1 they would not do it4 ,but this is not sufficient reason to abolish1 destroy and burn all the images2 and why8 ,because we must admit that there are still people who have not the wrong opinion of them1 but to whom they may be useful4 ,although they are few1 yet we cannot and should not condemn anything which is still useful to the devotions of any man4 ,but you should have taught that images are nothing1 ,god cares nothing for them1 and that ,he is not served1 nor pleased when we make an image for ,him1 but that we would do better to give a poor man a gold-piece than to give ,god a golden image1 or ,god has forbidden the latter1 but not the former4 ,if they had heard this teaching1 that images count or nothing1 they would have ceased of their own accord1 and the images would have fallen without any uproar or tumult1 even as it was already coming to pass4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,devil's ,game ,we must1 therefore1 be on our guard1 for the devil is after us1 through his apostles1 with all his craft and cunning4 ,now1 although it is true1 and no one can deny that the images are evil because they are abused1 nevertheless we must not on that account reject them1 nor condemn anything because it is abused4 ,that would result in utter confusion4 ,god has commanded us not to lift up our eyes unto the sun1 etc4 ,deut4 #d3ai1 that we may not worship them1 for they are created to serve all nations4 ,but there are many people who worship the sun and the stars4 ,shall we1 therefore1 essay to pull the sun and stars from the skies8 ,nay1 we will not do it4 ,again1 wine and women bring many a man to misery and make a fool of him4 ,shall we1 therefore1 kill all the women and pour out all the wine8 ,again1 gold and silver cause much evil1 shall we1 therefore1 condemn them8 ,nay1 if we would drive away our one worst enemy1 who does us the most harm1 we would have to kill ourselves1 for we have no greater enemy than our own heart1 even as ,jeremiah says1 ,the heart of man is crooked1 ,jer4 #ag3i or1 as ,i take the meaning1 always twisting to one side or the other4 ,and what good would that do us8 ,he who would blacken the devil must have good charcoal1 for he1 too1 wears fine clothes and goes to the fair4 ,but ,i can catch him by asking him3 ,do you not place the images in the churches because you think it a special service of ,god8 and when he says ,yes1 as he must1 you may conclude that what was meant as a service of ,god he has turned into idolatry by abusing the images2 he eagerly sought what ,god has not commanded and neglected ,god's positive command1 to help the neighbor4 ,but ,i have not yet caught him2 he escapes me by saying3 ,i help the poor1 too2 cannot ,i give to my neighbor and at the same time place images in churches8 ,that is not true1--for who would not rather give his neighbor a gold-piece1 than ,god a golden image6 ,nay1 he would not trouble himself about placing images in churches if he believed that ,god was not served thereby4 ,therefore ,i freely admit1 images are neither here nor there1 neither evil nor good1 we may have them or not1 as we please4 ,this trouble has been caused by you2 the devil would not have accomplished it with me1 for ,i cannot deny that it is possible to find some one to whom images are useful4 ,and if ,i were asked about it1 ,i would confess that none of these things give offence to me1 and if just one man were found upon earth who used the images aright1 the devil would soon draw the conclusion against me3 ,why condemnest thou that which is still useful in worship8 ,this challenge ,i could not answer2 he would have successfully defied me4 ,he would not have got nearly so far if ,i had been here4 ,he played a bold game1 and won1 although it does no harm to the ,word of ,god4 ,you wanted to paint the devil black1 but forgot the charcoal and used chalk4 ,if you would fight the devil1 you must be well versed in the ,scriptures1 and1 besides1 use them at the right time4 ,sidenote3 ,of ,meats ,let us proceed and speak of the eating of meats4 ,it is true that we are free to eat any manner of food1 meats1 fish1 eggs or butter4 ,this no one can deny4 ,god has given us this liberty4 ,that is true2 nevertheless we must know how to use our liberty1 and treat the weak brother differently from the stubborn4 ,observe1 then1 how you must use this liberty4 ,first of all1 ,if you cannot give up meat without harm to yourself1 or if you are sick1 you may eat whatever you like1 and if any one takes offence1 let him be offended4 ,and if the whole world took offence1 yet you are not committing a sin1 for ,god can excuse you in view of the liberty ,he has so graciously bestowed upon you1 and of the necessities of your health1 which would be endangered by your abstinence4 ,sidenote3 ,liberty and ,law ,secondly1 ,if you should be pressed to eat fish instead of meat on ,friday1 and to eat fish and abstain from eggs and butter during ,lent1 etc41 as the pope has done with his fools' laws1 then you must in no wise allow yourself to be drawn away from the liberty in which ,god has placed you1 but do just the contrary to spite him1 and say3 ,because you forbid me to eat meat1 and presume to turn my liberty into law1 ,i will eat meat in spite of you4 ,and thus you must do in all other things which are matters of liberty4 ,to give you an example3 ,if the pope1 or any one else would force me to wear a cowl1 just as he prescribes it1 ,i would take of the cowl just to spite him4 ,but since it is left to my own free choice1 ,i wear it or take it off1 according to my pleasure4 ,sidenote3 ,peter and the ,gentiles ,thirdly1 ,there are some who are still weak in faith1 who ought to be instructed1 and who would gladly believe as we do4 ,but their ignorance prevents them1 and if this were faithfully preached to them1 as it was to us1 they would be one with us4 ,toward such well-meaning people we must assume an entirely different attitude from that which we assume toward the stubborn4 ,we must bear patiently with them and not use our liberty1 since it brings no peril or harm to body or soul1 nay1 rather is salutary1 and we are doing our brothers and sisters a great service besides4 ,but if we use our liberty without need1 and deliberately cause offence to our neighbor1 we drive away the very one who in time would come to our faith4 ,thus ,st4 ,paul circumcised ,timothy because simple-minded ,jews had taken offence ,acts #af3c2 he thought1 ,what harm can it do1 since they are offended because of their ignorance8 ,but when1 in ,antioch1 they would insist that he ought and must circumcise ,titus1 ,paul withstood them all and to spite them would not have ,titus circumcised ,gal4 #b3c4 ,and he held his ground4 ,he did the same when ,st4 ,peter by the exercise of his liberty caused a wrong conception in the minds of the unlearned ,gal4 #b3aa ff44 ,it was on this wise3 ,when ,peter was with the ,gentiles1 he ate pork and sausage with them1 but when the ,jews came in1 he would not touch this food and ate no more with them4 ,then the ,gentiles who had become ,christians1 thought3 ,alas6 we1 too1 must be like the ,jews1 eat no pork and live according to the law of ,moses4 ,but when ,paul found that it would injure the liberty of the ,gospel1 he reproved ,peter publicly and read him an apostolic lecture1 saying3 ,if thou1 being a ,jew1 livest after the manner of the ,gentiles1 why compellest thou the ,gentiles to live as do the ,jews8 ,gal4 #b3ad ,thus we1 too1 should order our lives and use our liberty at the proper time1 so that ,christian liberty may suffer no injury1 and no offence be given to our weak brothers and sisters who are still without the knowledge of this liberty4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,sermon3 ,a ,,sermon ,,on ,,the ,,sacrament ,,thursday ,,after ,,invocavit ,we have heard of the things that are necessary1 such as the mass1 which is regarded as a sacrifice#ag1 and of the unnecessary things1 such as the leaving of monasteries by monks1 the marriage of priests1 and the images4 ,we have seen how we must treat these matters1 that no compulsion or law must be made of them1 and that no one shall be dragged from them by the hair1 but that we must let the ,word of ,god alone do the work4 ,let us now consider how we must observe the blessed sacrament4 ,sidenote3 ,foolish ,law of the ,pope ,you have heard how ,i preached against the foolish law the ,pope of the pope and opposed his precept#ah1 that no woman shall wash the altar-linen on which the body of ,christ has lain1 even if it be a pure nun1 except it first be washed by a pure priest4 ,likewise1 when any one touches the body of ,christ with the hand1 the priests come running and scrape his fingers1 and much more of the same sort4 ,but when a priest is incontinent1 the pope winks at it4 ,if the woman bears a child1 he lets that pass1 too4 ,the altar-linen and the sacrament1 however1 dare not be touched4 ,sidenote3 ,handling the ,sacrament ,against such fools' laws we have preached1 and set forth that no sin is involved in these foolish prescriptions of the pope1 and that a layman does not commit sin if he touch the cup or the body of ,christ with his hands4 ,you should give thanks to ,god that you have come to such clear knowledge1 which many great men have lacked4 ,but now you have become just as foolish as the pope1 with your notion that you must handle the sacrament2 you would prove that you are good ,christians by touching the sacrament with your hands4 ,you have dealt with the sacrament1 our highest treasure1 in such a way that it is a wonder you were not struck down by thunder and lightning4 ,the other things ,god would have suffered you to do1 but to make this a matter of compulsion4 ,he can in no wise tolerate4 ,and if you do not recede from this1 neither the emperor nor any one else need drive me from you1 ,i will go without urging2 yea1 ,i dare say1 none of my enemies1 although they have caused me much sorrow1 have wounded me as you have wounded me in this matter4 ,if you would show that you are good ,christians by handling the sacrament1 and boast of it before everybody1 then indeed ,herod and ,pilate are the chief and best ,christians4 ,methinks they handled the body of ,christ when they had him nailed to the cross and put to death4 ,sidenote3 ,what does ,take mean8 ,nay1 my dear friends1 the kingdom of ,god consists not in outward things1 which can be touched or perceived1 but in faith ,luke #ag3bj4 ,but you may say3 ,we live and should live in accordance with the ,scriptures1 and ,god has instituted the sacrament in such a manner that we should take it with our hands1 for ,he said3 ,take and eat1 this is my body4 ,matt4 #bf3bf ,answer3 ,though ,i am convinced beyond a doubt that the disciples of the ,lord took it with their hands1 and though ,i admit that you may do the same without committing sin1 nevertheless ,i can neither make it compulsory nor prove that it is the only way4 ,and my reason therefor is this3 when the devil1 in his seeking after us1 argues1 ,where have you read in the ,scriptures that take means seizing with the hands8--how shall ,i prove or defend it8 ,nay1 how will ,i answer him when he cites1 from the ,scriptures1 the very opposite1 and proves that take does not mean to receive with the hands only1 but also to convey to ourselves in other ways8 ,see1 my good fellow1 so he says1 how the word 'take' is used by three ,evangelists in describing the taking of gall and vinegar by the ,lord ,matt4 #bg3cd1 ,mark #ae3bc1 ,luke #bc3bf4 ,you must admit that the ,lord did not touch or handle it with ,his hands1 for ,his hands were nailed to the cross4 ,this verse is a strong argument against me4 ,again1 he cites the passage3 ,et accepit omnes timor1--,and fear took hold on all1 ,luke #g3af where again we must admit that fear has no hands4 ,thus ,i am driven into a corner and must concede1 even against my will1 that take means not only to receive with the hands1 but to convey to myself in any other way in which it can be done4 ,so you see1 dear friends1 we must be on firm ground1 if we are to withstand the devil's attack4 ,although ,i must acknowledge that you committed no sin when you touched the sacrament with your hands1 nevertheless ,i must tell you that it was not a good work1 because it caused offence everywhere4 ,for the universal custom is1 to receive the blessed sacrament directly from the hands of the priest4 ,why will you not herein also serve those who are weak in the faith and abstain from your liberty8 ,it does not help you if you do it1 nor harm you if you do it not4 ,therefore no new practices should be introduced1 unless the ,gospel has first been thoroughly preached and understood1 even as it has been with you4 ,on this account1 dear friends1 let us deal soberly and wisely in the things that pertain to ,god1 or ,god will not be mocked4 ,you may mock the saints1 but with ,god it is vastly different4 ,therefore1 ,i pray you1 give up this practice4 ,sidenote3 ,both ,kinds in the ,sacrament ,let us now speak of the two kinds4 ,although ,i hold that it is necessary that the sacrament should be received in both kinds1 according to the institution of the ,lord1 nevertheless it must not be made compulsory nor a general law4 ,we must occupy ourselves with the ,word1 practice it and preach it4 ,for the result we should look entirely to the ,word1 and let every one have his liberty in this matter4 ,where that is not done1 the sacrament becomes an external observance and a hypocrisy1 which is just what the devil wants4 ,but when the ,word is given free course and is not bound to any observance1 it takes hold of one to-day and falls into his heart1 to-morrow it touches another1 and so on4 ,thus quietly and soberly it will do its work1 and no one will know how it all came about4 ,i was glad to know when some one wrote me1 that some people in this city had begun to receive the sacrament in both kinds4 ,you should have allowed it to remain thus and not have forced it into a law4 ,but now you go at it pell-mell1 and headlong force every one to it4 ,dear friends1 you will not succeed in that way4 ,and if you desire to be regarded as better ,christians than others1 by this that you take the sacrament into your hands and receive it in both kinds1 you are really poor ,christians indeed6 ,in this way even a sow could be a ,christian1 for she has a big enough snout to receive the sacrament outwardly4 ,we must deal soberly with such high things4 ,dear friends1 this dare be no mockery1 and if you would heed me1 give it up4 ,if you will not heed me1 no one need drive me away from you--,i will leave you unbidden1 and ,i shall regret that ,i ever preached so much as one sermon in this place4 ,the other things could be passed by1 but this cannot be passed by2 you have gone so far that men say3 ,at ,wittenberg there are very good ,christians1 for they take the sacrament with the hands and handle the cup1 and then they go to their brandy and drink until they are drunken4 ,thus are the weak and simple-minded men driven away1 who would come to us if as much instruction had been given to them as was given to us4 ,but if there is any one so stupid that he must touch the sacrament with his hands1 let him have it brought home to his house and there let him handle it to his heart's content4 ,but in public let him abstain1 since that will not bring him harm and the offence will be avoided which is caused to our brothers1 sisters and neighbors1 who are now so angry with us that they are ready to kill us4 ,i may say that none of the enemies who have opposed me until now have brought so much grief upon me as you4 ,this is enough for to-day2 we shall continue on the morrow4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,sermon ,,friday ,,after ,,invocavit ,sidenote3 ,the ,reception of the ,sacrament ,in our discussion of the chief things we have come to the reception of the sacrament1 which we have not yet finished4 ,to-day we shall see how we must conduct ourselves here1 and also who is worthy to receive the sacrament and who belongs there4 ,it is very necessary here that your hearts and consciences be well instructed1 so that you distinguish well between the outward reception and the inner and spiritual reception4 ,this is the bodily and outward reception1 when a man receives with his mouth the body of ,christ and ,his blood4 ,any man can receive the sacrament in this way1 for such reception may be without faith and love4 ,but that reception does not make a man a ,christian1 for if it did1 even a mouse would be a ,christian1 or it can likewise eat the bread and drink out of the cup4 ,it is such a simple thing to do4 ,but the true1 inner1 spiritual reception is a very different thing1 for it consists in the right use of the sacrament and of its fruits4 ,i would say in the first place that such reception is the true inner one1 and is a reception in faith4 ,we ,christians have no other outward sign by which we may be distinguished from others than this sacrament and baptism2 but a mere outward reception1 without faith1 amounts to nothing4 ,there must be faith to make one well prepared or the reception and acceptable before ,god1 otherwise it is all sham and a mere external show1 which is not ,christianity at all4 ,christianity is a thing of faith1 which is never bound to any external work4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,one ,requisite3 ,faith ,but faith 7which we all must have1 if we wish to go to the sacrament worthily7 is a firm trust1 that ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 stands in our place and has taken all our sins upon ,faith ,his shoulders1 that ,he is the eternal satisfaction for our sin and reconciles us with ,god the ,father4 ,he who has this faith belongs to this sacrament1 and neither devil nor hell nor sin can harm him4 ,do you ask why8 ,because ,god is his protector and defender4 ,and when ,i have this faith1 then ,i am certain ,god is fighting for me2 ,i can defy devil1 death1 hell and sin1 and all the harm with which they threaten me4 ,this is the great1 inestimable treasure given us in ,christ1 which the words of man fail to describe4 ,only faith can take hold of the heart1 and not every one has such faith4 ,therefore this sacrament must not be made a law1 as the most holy father1 the pope1 has done with his fools' commandment3 ,all ,christians must go to the sacrament at the holy ,eastertide1 and he who does not go shall not be buried in consecrated ground#ai4 ,is it not a foolish law which the pope has set up8 ,you ask why8 ,because we are not all alike2 we do not all have equal faith2 the faith of one is stronger than that of another4 ,it is therefore impossible that the sacrament can be made a law1 and the greatest sins are committed at ,easter solely on account of this unchristian command1 which would drive everybody to the sacrament4 ,and if all robbery1 usury1 unchastity and all the other sins were cast upon one great heap1 this sin would overtop it--even at the time and place of seeming greatest silliness4 ,and why8 ,because the pope can look into no one's heart to see whether he has faith or not4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,result3 ,assurance ,but if you believe that ,god is with you and stakes all ,his treasures and ,his blood for you1 as if ,he said3 ,fall in behind ,me without fear or delay1 and then let come what may to attempt thy harm1 let devil1 death1 sin and hell and all creation try it1 ,i shall go before thee1 for ,i will be thy captain and thy shield1 trust ,me and rely upon ,me completely--he who believes thus cannot be harmed by devil1 hell1 sin or death2 if ,god fights for him1 what can you do to him8 ,sidenote3 ,who are ,worthy ,he who has such faith is fit for the altar and receives the sacrament as an assurance1 or seal1 or sign to assure him of ,god's promises and grace4 ,but such faith we do not all have2 would to ,god one-tenth of the ,christians had it6 ,see1 such rich1 immeasurable treasures1 which ,god in ,his grace showers upon us1 cannot be the possession of every one1 but only of those who suffer either bodily or spiritual adversity3 the bodily through the persecution of man1 and the spiritual by despair of conscience2 outwardly or inwardly1 when the devil causes your heart to be weak1 timid and discouraged1 so that you know not how you stand with ,god1 and when he reproaches you with your sins4 ,and in such terrified and trembling hearts alone ,god desires to dwell1 as the prophet ,isaiah says ,isa4 #ff3b4 ,for he who has not felt the battle within him1 is not distressed by his sins nor has a daily quarrel with them1 and wishes no protector1 defender and shield to stand before him1 is not yet ready for this food4 ,this food demands a hungering and longing man1 for it delights to enter a hungering soul1 one that is in constant battle with its sins and eager to be rid of them4 ,he who is not thus prepared should abstain for a while from this sacrament1 for this food is not for a sated and full heart1 and if it comes to such1 it is harmful4 ,therefore1 if we think upon1 and feel within us1 such distress of conscience and the fear of a timid heart1 we shall come with all humbleness and reverence1 and not rush to it pell-mell1 with insolence and without fear and humility4 ,we are not always fit for it2 to-day ,i have the grace1 and am fit for it1 but not to-morrow1 yea1 it may be that or six months ,i have no desire nor fitness or it4 ,therefore are they the most worthy who are constantly vexed by death and the devil1 and they receive it most opportunely1 to remind them and strengthen them in the faith that no harm can come unto them1 for ,he is now with them1 from ,whom no one can take them away2 let come death or devil or sin1 they cannot do them harm4 ,this is what ,christ did1 when ,he prepared to institute the blessed sacrament4 ,he brought anguish upon ,his disciples and trembling to their hearts when ,he said that ,he would go away from them ,matt4 #bf3b1 and again they were tormented when ,he said3 ,one of you shall betray me ,matt4 #bf3ba4 ,think you not that that cut them to the heart8 ,truly1 they received the word with all fear1 and sat there as though they were all traitors to ,god4 ,and after ,he had made them all tremble with fear and sorrow1 then only did ,he institute the blessed sacrament as a comfort1 and consoled them again4 ,for this bread is a comfort for the sorrowing1 a healing for the sick1 a life for the dying1 a food for all the hungry1 and a rich treasure for all the poor and needy#bj4 ,let this be enough at this time concerning the proper use of this sacrament4 ,i commend you to ,god4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,sermon ,,saturday ,,before ,,reminiscere ,yesterday we heard of the use of the holy and blessed sacrament and saw who are worthy to receive it1 even those in whom is the fear of death1 who have timid and despairing consciences and who live in fear of hell4 ,all such come prepared to partake of this food for the strengthening of their weak faith and the comforting of their conscience4 ,this is the true and right use of this sacrament1 and whoever does not find himself in this state1 let him refrain from coming until ,god also takes hold of him and draws him through ,his ,word4 ,sidenote3 ,fruit of the ,sacrament3 ,love ,we shall now speak of the fruit of this sacrament1 which is love2 that is1 that we should treat our neighbor even as ,god has treated us4 ,now we have received from ,god naught but love and favor1 for ,christ has pledged and given us ,his righteousness and everything that ,he has1 has poured out upon us all ,his treasures1 which no man can measure and no angel can understand or fathom1 for ,god is a glowing furnace of love1 reaching even from the earth to the heavens4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,lack of ,love ,love1 ,i say1 is a fruit of this sacrament4 ,but ,i do not yet perceive it among you here in ,wittenberg1 although there is much preaching of love and you ought to practice it above all other things4 ,this is the principal thing1 and alone is seemly in a ,christian4 ,but no one shows eagerness for this1 and you want to do all sorts of unnecessary things1 which are of no account4 ,if you do not want to show yourselves ,christians by your love1 then leave the other things undone1 too1 for ,st4 ,paul says in ,i ,corinthians1 ,if ,i speak with the tongues of men and of angels1 and have not love1 ,i am as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal4 #a ,cor4 #ac3a ,this is a terrible saying of ,paul4 ,and further3 ,and though ,i have the gift of prophecy1 and understand all mysteries of ,god1 and all knowledge2 and though ,i have all faith1 so that ,i could remove mountains1 and have not love1 ,i am nothing4 ,and if ,i bestow all my goods to feed the poor1 and if ,i give my body to be burned1 but have not love1 it profiteth me nothing4 #a ,cor4 #ac3b1 #c ,you have not got so far as that1 although you have received great and rich gifts from ,god1 especially a knowledge of the ,scriptures4 ,it is true1 you have the pure ,gospel and the true ,word of ,god1 but no one as yet has given his goods to the poor1 no one has yet been burned1 and even these things would profit nothing without love4 ,you would take all of ,god's goods in the sacrament1 and yet not pour them forth again in love4 ,one will not lend the other a helping hand1 no one thinks first of another1 but every one looks out or himself and his own gain1 seeks but his own and lets everything else go as it will1--if anybody is helped1 well and good4 ,no one looks after the poor or seeks how to help them4 ,it is pitiful4 ,you have heard many sermons about it and all my books are full of it and have the one purpose1 to urge you to faith and love4 ,and if you will not love one another1 ,god will send a great plague upon you2 let this be a warning to you1 for ,god will not reveal ,his ,word and have it preached in vain4 ,you are tempting ,god too far1 my friends4 ,if some one in times past had preached the ,word to our forefathers1 they would perchance have acted differently4 ,or if the ,word were preached to-day to many poor children in the cloisters1 they would receive it with much greater joy than you4 ,you do not heed it at all1 and give yourselves to other things1 which are unnecessary and foolish4 ,i commend you to ,god4 ,,the ,,eighth ,,sermon ,a ,,short ,,summary#ba ,,of ,,the ,,sermon ,,of ,,dr4 ,m4 ,,luther ,,delivered ,,on ,,reminiscere ,,sunday ,,on ,,private ,,confession ,sidenote3 ,confession before the ,congregation ,now we have heard all the things which ought to be considered here1 except confession4 ,of this we shall speak now4 ,in the first place1 ,there is a confession which is founded on the ,scriptures2 namely1 when some one commits a sin publicly1 or with other men's knowledge1 and is accused before the congregation4 ,if he abandons his sin1 they intercede for him with ,god4 ,but if he will not hear the congregation1 he is excluded from the church and cast out1 so that no one will have anything to do with him4 ,and this confession is commanded by ,god in ,matthew xviii1 ,if thy brother trespass against thee 7so that thou and others are offended71 go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone4 ,matt4 #ah3ae ,of this confession there is no longer even a trace to be found1 and in this particular the ,gospel is put aside in this place4 ,he who could reestablish it would perform a good work4 ,here is where you ought to have taken pains and reestablished this kind of confession1 and let the other things go4 ,for by this no one would have been offended1 and it would have been accomplished without disturbance4 ,it should be done in this way3 ,when you see a usurer1 adulterer1 thief or drunkard1 you should go to him in secret and admonish him to give up his sin4 ,if he will not hear1 you should take two others with you and admonish him once more1 in a brotherly way1 to give up his sin4 ,but if he scorns that1 you should tell the pastor before the whole congregation1 have your witnesses with you1 and accuse him before the pastor in the presence of the people1 saying3 ,dear pastor1 this man has done this and that1 and would not receive our brotherly admonition to give up his sin4 ,therefore ,i accuse him1 together with my witnesses who were present4 ,and then1 if he will not give up and willingly acknowledge his guilt1 the pastor should exclude him and put him under the ban before the whole assembly1 for the sake of the congregation1 until he comes to himself and is received back again4 ,this would be ,christian4 ,but ,i cannot undertake to carry it out single-handed4 ,sidneote3 ,confession to ,god ,secondly1 ,a confession is necessary for us1 when we go away in a corner by ourselves1 and confess to ,god ,himself and pour out before ,him all our faults4 ,and this confession is also commanded4 ,from this comes the familiar word of ,scripture3 ,facite judicium et justitiam4 ,gen4 #ah3ai ,judicium acere est nos ipsos accusare et damnare2 justitiam autem acere est idere misericordiae ,dei#bb4 ,as it is written1 ,blessed are they that keep judgment and do righteousness at all times4 ,ps4 #ajf3c ,the judgment is nothing else than a man's knowing and judging and condemning himself1 and this is true humility and self-abasement4 ,the righteousness is nothing else than a man's knowing himself and praying to ,god or the mercy and help through which ,god raises him up again4 ,this is what ,david means when he says3 ,i have sinned2 ,i will confess my transgressions unto the ,lord1 ,ps4 #cb3e f4 and1 ,thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin2 for this all ,thy saints shall pray unto ,thee4 ,sidenote3 ,confession to a ,brother ,thirdly1 ,there is also a confession when one takes another aside1 and tells him what troubles him1 so that he may hear from him a word of comfort2 and this confession is commanded by the pope4 ,it is this urging and forcing which ,i condemned when ,i wrote concerning confession#bc1 and ,i refuse to go to confession just because the pope wishes it and has commanded it4 ,for ,i wish him to keep his hands of the confession and not make of it a compulsion or command1 which he has not the power to do4 ,yet ,i will let no man take private confession away from me1 and ,i would not give it up for all the treasures in the world1 since ,i know what comfort and strength it has given me4 ,no one knows what it can do or him except one who has struggled much with the devil4 ,yea1 the devil would have slain me long ago1 if the confession had not sustained me4 ,for there are many doubts which a man cannot resolve by himself1 and so he takes a brother aside and tells him his trouble4 ,what harm is there1 if he humbles himself a little before his neighbor1 puts himself to shame1 looks or a word of comfort from him1 and takes it to himself and believes it1 as if he heard it from ,god himself1 as we read in ,matthew xviii3 ,if two of you shall agree as touching anything that they shall ask1 it shall be done for them4 ,matt4 #ah3ai ,sidenote3 ,many ,absolutions ,and we must have many absolutions1 so that we may strengthen our timid consciences and despairing hearts against the devil and against ,god4 ,therefore no man shall forbid the confession nor keep or drive any one away from it4 ,and if any one wrestles with his sins1 is eager to be rid of them and looks or some assurance from the ,scriptures1 let him go and confess to another in secret1 and receive what is said to him there as if it came directly from ,god's own lips4 ,whoever has the strong and firm faith that his sins are forgiven1 may ignore this confession and confess to ,god alone4 ,but how many have such a strong faith8 ,therefore1 as ,i have said1 ,i will not let this private confession be taken from me4 ,yet ,i would force no one to it1 but leave the matter to every one's free will4 ,sidenote3 ,five ,comforts for the ,conscience ,for our ,god is not so miserly that ,he has left us with only one comfort or strengthening for our conscience1 or one absolution1 but we have many absolutions in the ,gospel1 and are showered richly with them4 ,for instance1 we have this in the ,gospel3 ,if ye forgive men their trespasses1 your heavenly ,father will also forgive you4 ,matt4 #f3ad ,another comfort we have in the ,lord's ,prayer3 ,forgive us our trespasses1 ,matt4 #f3ab etc4 ,a third is our baptism1 when ,i reason thus3 ,see1 my ,lord1 ,i am baptized in ,thy name so that ,i may be assured of ,thy grace and mercy4 ,after that we have the private confession1 when ,i go and receive a sure absolution as if ,god ,himself spake it1 so that ,i may be assured that my sins are forgiven4 ,finally ,i take to myself the blessed sacrament1 when ,i eat ,his body and drink ,his blood as a sign that ,i am rid of my sins and ,god has freed me from all my frailties2 and in order to make me sure of this1 ,he gives me ,his body to eat and ,his blood to drink1 so that ,i shall not and cannot despair3 ,i cannot doubt ,i have a gracious ,god4 ,thus we see that confession must not be despised1 but that it is a true comfort4 ,and since we need many absolutions and comforts1 because we must fight against the devil1 death1 hell and sin1 we must not allow any of our weapons to be taken away1 but keep intact the whole armor and equipment which ,god has given us or use against our enemies4 ,for you do not yet know what work it is to fight with the devil and to overcome him4 ,i know it well2 ,i have eaten salt with him once or twice#bd4 ,i know him well1 and he knows me well1 too4 ,i only you knew him1 you would not in this manner drive out confession4 ,i commend you to ,god4 ,amen4 ,,footnotes #a ,cp4 his experiences at the ,wartburg4 ,see ,kostlin-,kawerau1 ,i1 #dci ff4 #b ,carlstadt1 without authority1 preached1 administered the sacrament and brought about the upheaval in the parish church--,luther's own4 ,he was archdeacon and preacher at the castle church4 ,see ,muller1 ,luther und ,karlstadt1 #fi and passim4 #c ,in the ,open ,letter to the ,christian ,nobility and the ,babylonian ,captivity4 ,see pp4 #abe f41 #acf f41 and #bae f4 of this volume4 #d ,right to speak4 #e ,power to do4 #f ,melanchthon4 #g ,see above1 p4 #fa4 #h ,justus ,jonas1 provost at the castle church4 #i ,gabriel ,zwilling1 an ,augustinian1 who1 next to ,carlstadt1 was the leader in forcing the reforms which ,luther is here discussing4 ,see ,introduction1 p4 #chh4 #aj ,was ,luther led by the name of ,gabriel to add a last touch by the mention of the other archangel1 in the thought of ,st4 ,paul1 that even an angel from heaven cannot change the ,gospel1 ,gal4 #a3h4 ,see note in ,weimar ,ed41 ,xc1 #dch4 ,see also a similar outburst in a letter to ,johann ,lang in #aeaf1 six years previous1 where ,gabriel ,biel's name furnished the incitement4 ,enders1 ,i1 #ed2 ,smith1 ,i1 #db4 #aa ,namely1 of the monasteries4 #ab ,a monastic order1 founded #ajhd1 noted or the strictness of its rule4 #ac ,the ,iconoclastic controversy in the ,eastern church1 which called forth the ,seventh ,ecumenical ,council at ,nice in #ghg1 whose decrees were favorable to images in the churches4 ,the controversy1 which raged for over a century1 was finally settled in #hdc4 ,since the promulgation of this decree the ,first ,sunday in ,lent has been celebrated annually as the ,feast of ,orthodoxy4 ,see ,realencyk41 ,,iii1 #bbb ff4 #ad ,see above1 p4 #cji4 #ae i4 e41 ,castor and ,pollux4 #af ,luther's great objection to the mass was its turning of the ,sacrament into a sacrifice4 ,this view of the mass was for him an utter perversion of the gospel1 and1 therefore1 comes under the category of essentials4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cji ff41 and above1 pp4 #baa ff4 #ag ,see above1 p4 #djg1 note #a4 #ah ,cf4 above1 p4 #bhb4 #ai ,in the canon law1 ,c4 #ab1 ,x1 de poenitentiis4 #bj ,on the last four paragraphs1 cf4 above1 pp4 #ae f4 #ba ,on this title1 see ,introduction1 p4 #chi4 #bb ,let there be judgment and righteousness4 ,to keep judgment is to accuse and condemn ourselves2 but to do righteousness is to trust in the mercy of ,god4 #bc ,the treatise ,von der ,beichte1 ob die der ,papst ,macht habe zu gebieten1 written during the sojourn on the ,wartburg4 ,see ,weimar ,ed41 ,,viii1 #abi2 ,erl4 ,ed41 ,,xxvii1 #cah4 #bd ,see above1 p4 #cid4 ,,that ,,doctrines ,,of ,,men ,,are ,,to ,,be ,,rejected ,,together ,,with ,a ,,reply ,,to ,,texts ,,quoted ,,in ,,defence ,,of ,,the ,,doctrines ,,of ,,men 7,,von ,,menschenlehren ,,zu ,,meiden7 #aebb ,,introduction ,silver and gold have ,i none3 but such as ,i have give ,i thee4 ,somewhat in the spirit of these words ,luther had planned to dedicate a small book to his host of the ,wartburg1 ,hans von ,berlepsch4 ,for a time ,luther had thought that von ,berlepsch himself was bearing the expense of his entertainment in that retreat1 and that he was being more royally treated than he deserved4 ,not only the material comforts with which he was surrounded appealed to him1 however4 ,von ,berlepsch was interested in ,luther and in ,luther's work4 ,he talked with him seriously on religious questions1 and expressed a desire to have more information1 particularly concerning the authority of the teachings of the ,roman ,church which had no direct warrant in ,scripture4 ,to this desire of von ,berlepsch we can trace the origin of our treatise1 ,that the ,doctrines of ,men are to be ,rejected4 ,there is no dedication to von ,berlepsch1 however1 and no reference to the months of companionship on the ,wartburg4 ,luther returned from the ,wartburg early in ,march1 #aebb1 and on the #bhth of ,march sent the first part of the treatise to ,spalatin1 with the request that it be forwarded to von ,berlepsch4 ,the second part1 the ,reply to ,texts ,quoted in ,defence of the ,doctrines of ,men1 was added in a second edition4 ,this was not the only writing forwarded to von ,berlepsch in memory of the pleasant days spent on the ,wartburg4 ,perhaps of even greater interest was the gift sent on ,september #be1 #aebb--one of the first complete copies of the ,german ,new ,testament4 ,buchwald has called our treatise a model of sound explanation of the ,scriptures for the purpose of refuting error4 ,we must caution the reader1 however1 not to think of ,luther's occasional statements concerning the authority of ,scripture as final4 ,luther is still largely upon medieval ground1 accepting the premise of the ,roman ,church1 and refuting the practice of the popes1 priests and monks from the fundamental assumption of the authority of the ,scriptures4 ,the succeeding years1 the controversies with the leaders of the peasants and with the heavenly prophets1 led him to clearer views4 ,where in this treatise he wrote1 ,the same things which are found in the ,books of ,moses are found in the others4 ,for the other books do no more than show how in the course of history the word of ,moses was kept or not kept1 he was thinking of the one ,gospel which he found everywhere in the ,scriptures4 ,but he distinguished carefully between the permanent and the temporary in the ,books of ,moses and elsewhere1 and speaks of that which ,god has decreed in the ,old ,testament as having come to an end1 and no longer binding the consciences of men 7p4 #ddb74 ,that which is permanent is the ,gospel1 for it is beyond question that all the ,scriptures point to ,christ alone 7p4 #dcb74 ,probably the clearest statement of his views is found in a sermon preached in #aebg3 ,the ,word was given in many ways from the beginning4 ,we must not only ask whether it is ,god's ,word1 whether ,god spoke it1 but much more1 to whom ,he spoke it1 whether it applies to you or to another4 ,the false prophets rush in and say1 ',dear people1 this is ,god's ,word4' ,it is true1 and we cannot deny it2 but we are not the people to whom ,he speaks 7,erl4 ,ed41 #cc1 #af47 ,in reading the treatise1 therefore1 it will be well to consider when it was written and for whom2 and not to think of it as a final statement of ,luther's views on the authority of the ,scriptures4 ,the treatise is found in the original ,german in ,weimar ,ed41 ,x#b2 in ,erlangen1 #bh1 #cah-cdc2 in ,berlin1 #b1 #bhi-cad4 ,w4 ,a4 ,,lambert4 ,south ,bethlehem1 ,,pa4 ,,that ,,we ,,are ,,to ,,reject ,,the ,,doctrines ,,of ,,men3 ,,together ,,with ,a ,,reply ,,to ,,the ,,texts ,,quoted ,,in ,,defence ,,of ,,the ,,doctrines ,,of ,,men ,to all who read or hear this little book may ,god grant grace and understanding4 ,amen4 ,i1 ,martin ,luther1 have published this brief book for the comfort and saving of the poor consciences which are by the law of men held in bondage in monasteries and convents2 that they may be able to arm and strengthen themselves with the ,word of ,god1 so as to be steadfast in the pains of death and other trials4 ,but those who are overbold and unruly1 who give no other evidence of being ,christians except that they can eat eggs1 meat and milk1 stay away from confession and break the images1 etc41--these ,i warn that ,i do not wish my words to help them4 ,for ,i regard them as the filthy people who defiled the camp of ,israel ,deut4 #bc3ab f41 although such cleanliness was enjoined upon the people that a man was required to go outside the camp to ease himself and to cover up with earth that which came from him4 ,we also must endure these unclean lapwings in our nest ,deut4 #ad3ah1 ,lev4 #aa3ai1 until ,god teach them manners4 ,this ,christian liberty ,i would have preached only to poor1 humble1 captive consciences1 so that poor children1 nuns and monks1 who would like to escape from their bondage may inform their consciences how they may do so with ,god's approval and without danger1 and use their freedom in an orderly and ,christian way4 ,may ,god grant ,his blessing4 ,amen4 ,that the doctrines of men are to be rejected3 proof from the ,scriptures4 ,i ,moses in ,deuteronomy iv1 #b says1 ,ye shall not add unto the word which ,i command you1 neither shall ye diminish aught from it1 ,deut4 #d3b ,but some one will say that ,moses speaks only of his word2 but to the books of ,moses there have also been added many books of the prophets and the entire ,new ,testament4 ,i answer3 ,true2 but nothing new has been added3 the same things that are found in the books of ,moses are found in the others4 ,for the other books do no more than show how in the course of history the word of ,moses was kept or not kept4 ,it is indeed stated in different words and the histories are different1 but thoughout there is one and the same teaching4 ,and here we can challenge them to point out anywhere in all the books added to the books of ,moses a single word that is not found earlier in the books of ,moses4 ,for it is beyond question that all the ,scriptures point to ,christ alone4 ,now ,christ says1 in ,john ,v1 #df1 ,moses wrote of me4 ,john #e3df ,therefore everything that is in the other books is also in the books of ,moses1 and these are the original documents4 ,,ii ,isaiah xxix1 #ac1 which the ,lord quotes in ,matthew xv1 #h3 ,this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth1 but their heart is far from me4 ,but in vain do they worship me1 teaching the doctrines and commandments of men4 ,isa4 #bi3ac1 ,matt4 #ae3h ,mark the word of ,christ1 ,who calls it vain worship to serve ,god after the doctrines of men4 ,for ,christ is not drunken or a fool2 on ,his word we must build in all things rather than on all angels and creatures ,gal4 #a3h4 ,,iii ,the same ,christ in the same chapter1 ,matthew xv1 #aa1 says1 ,not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man2 but that which cometh out of the mouth1 this defileth a man4 ,matt4 #ae3aa ,this saying must be well understood1 for it is powerful and mightily overthrows all teaching1 custom and manner of life that distinguishes between foods1 and it sets all consciences free from all laws concerning food and drink2 so that it is allowable to eat milk1 butter1 eggs1 cheese and meat every day1 whether it be ,sunday or ,friday1 ,lent or ,advent2 and no one needs to pay butter-money or buy butter-letters4 ,for this word stands firm and does not deceive3 ,that which goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man4 ,sidenote3 ,fast-days ,from this it follows1 first1 that it is a lie when they say that ,st4 ,peter instituted the fast-days and that the commandment of the ,church has made it a mortal sin to eat eggs1 butter1 milk and meat on fast-days4 ,for neither ,st4 ,peter nor the ,church institutes or teaches anything contrary to ,christ4 ,and if they did1 we must not obey them4 ,to do what they ask would indeed not be wicked2 but it is wicked to make a necessity and a commandment of that which is free1 and to pretend that something does defile and is sin of which ,christ ,himself says that it is no sin and does not defile4 ,sidenote3 ,dispensation ,it follows1 secondly1 that it is sheer devil's knavery for the pope to sell letters and grant permission to eat butter1 meat1 etc42 for ,christ in this word has already made it a matter of liberty and has permitted it4 ,sidenote3 ,special ,fast-days ,in the third place1 it is an error and a lie to say that goldfasts#a1 banfasts#b1 and the fasts on the eve of ,apostles' days and saints' days must be observed and that their non-observance is sin1 because the ,church has so commanded4 ,for against everything of the kind stands this word of ,christ3 ,that which goeth into the mouth doth not defile the man4 ,fasting should be free and voluntary1 both as to the day and as to the food1 forever4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,orders ,fourthly1 the orders of ,st4 ,benedict1 and of ,st4 ,bernard1 the ,carthusians1 and all others which avoid the use of meat and other food because they hold that this is necessary and commanded and that not to do so would be sin1 contradict ,christ4 ,for their law flatly contradicts the word of ,christ and says3 ,that which goeth into the mouth defileth4 ,then they must make ,christ a liar when ,he says3 ,that which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man4 ,thus you see that this one saying of ,christ mightily condemns all orders and spiritual rules4 ,for if that which goeth into the mouth does not defile1 how much less will that defile which is put on the body8 whether it be cowl1 coat1 shirt1 hose1 shoes1 cloak1 whether green1 yellow1 blue1 red1 white1 motley1 or whatever one wish4 ,and the same is true of places1 whether churches1 cells or the rooms of a house4 ,it follows that he who regards it a sin for a monk to go without the dress of his order1 and would not leave it a matter of freedom1 also makes ,christ a liar and makes that a sin which ,christ freed from sin1 and says ,yes6 where ,christ says ,no6 ,what then are such monks but people who say to ,christ's very ace4 ,thou liest6 there is sin in that which thou sayest is not sin4 ,it will not help them to quote ,st4 ,bernard1 ,st4 ,gregory1 ,st4 ,francis and other saints4 ,we must hear what ,christ says1 ,who alone has been made our ,teacher by the ,father1 when on ,mount ,tabor ,he said1 ,matthew xvii1 #e1 ,this is my beloved ,son1 in ,whom ,i am well pleased2 hear ye ,him4 ,matt4 #ag3e ,he did not say4 ,hear ye ,st4 ,bernard1 ,st4 ,gregory1 etc41 but1 ,hear ye ,him1 ,him1 ,him1 my beloved ,son4 ,who knows how far the saints sinned or did right in this matter8 ,what they did1 they did not of necessity nor by commandment4 ,or if they did it as of necessity and by commandment1 they erred1 and we must not forsake ,christ to follow them4 ,all this is confirmed by ,christ in the words which follow in ,matthew xv1 #aa1 ,that which cometh out of the mouth1 this defileth a man4 ,for out of the mouth1 coming forth from the heart1 come evil thoughts1 adulteries1 fornications1 thefts1 false witness1 blasphemies1 etc4 ,these defile a man4 ,matt4 #ae3aa ,here we ask1 ,if that alone is sin and defiles a man1 which proceeds from the heart1 as ,christ here so strongly argues and decides1 how then can butter1 milk1 eggs1 cheese defile1 which proceed not from the mouth nor from the heart1 but come from the belies of cows and of hens8 ,who has ever seen meat1 tonsures1 cowls1 monasteries1 hair-shirts coming out of men's mouths8 ,then it must be the cows that sin in giving us milk and butter1 and in bearing calves4 ,therefore1 all the laws of monks and of men concerning food1 clothing and places and all things that are external1 are not only blasphemy of ,god and lying and deceiving1 but the buffoonery of apes4 ,it is true1 a man may have an inordinate desire to eat excessively and to dress extravagantly2 but that proceeds from the heart1 and may refer to fish as well as to meat1 to gray homespun as well as to red velvet4 ,in short1 ,christ does not lie when ,he says1 ,that which goeth into the mouth defileth not a man1 but that which cometh out of the mouth1 this defileth a man4 ,but if it is true that neglect to do what men command neither defiles nor is sin1 then on the other hand1 the keeping and doing of men's commandments cannot make us clean nor give us merit2 since only the opposite of sin and of the unclean is clean and gives merit4 ,therefore1 all of the monastic life neither makes clean nor gives merit4 ,and that is what the ,lord ,christ means when ,he says1 ,matthew ,,xv1 #i1 ,in vain do they worship me with the commandments of men4 ,matt4 #ae3i ,why 'in vain'8 ,because neglecting them is no sin and keeping them is no merit1 but both are free4 ,they deceive themselves1 therefore1 and make a merit of that which is no merit1 and are afraid of sinning where there is no sin1 as ,psalm xiv1 #e1 says1 ,there have they trembled for fear1 where there was no fear4 ,ps4 #ad3e ,,iv ,st4 ,paul in ,i ,timothy iv1 #a-g says3 ,now the ,spirit speaketh expressly1 that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith1 giving heed to seducing spirits1 and doctrines of devils2 speaking lies in hypocrisy2 having their consciences seared with a hot iron2 forbidding to marry1 and commanding to abstain from meats1 which ,god hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth4 ,for every creature of ,god is good1 and nothing to be reused1 if it be received with thanksgiving3 for it is sanctified by the word of ,god and prayer4 ,if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things1 thou shat be a good minister of ,jesus ,christ1 nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine1 whereunto thou hast attained4 ,but refuse profane and old wives' fables4 #a ,tim4 #d3a-g ,o how this thunders and storms against all the works1 doctrines and orders of men4 ,first1 if they boast that they have derived their practice from the pope and from holy fathers1 what will ,christ's judgment be8 ,will ,he not say1 ,paul1 ,my ,apostle1 is ,my chosen vessel1 as ,luke writes4 ,acts ix1 #ae3 why then have you not ascribed greater authority to his word than to that of the pope and the fathers1 of whom you do not know whose vessels they are8 ,acts #i3ae ,how will they stand before ,him8 ,next1 we ask them whether butter1 eggs1 meat1 milk and all the food which they avoid on fast-days and in the orders1 have not been created by ,god1 and are not ,god's good creatures8 ,then it is certain that they are the men of whom ,paul here says that they forbid the food which ,god has created and has given to believers to use4 ,and they also forbid marriage1 so that they cannot escape3 this passage its them and is spoken of them4 ,let us see what ,paul thinks of them and how he reproves them4 ,sidenote3 ,departed from the ,faith ,i4 ,they have departed from the faith2 for they could not have introduced such doctrines and works if they had not thought the doctrines and works would make them pious and save them4 ,but such an opinion is of itself a sure sign that they have fallen away from the faith1 since it is the work of faith alone to do that which they expect works to do1 as has frequently been said4 ,sidenote3 ,give ,heed to ,seducing ,spirits ,,ii4 ,they give heed to seducing spirits4 ,he does not say1 to seducing men1 but to seducing spirits2 and these are they who pretend to be spiritual and bear the name spiritual1 and claim to be of the ,spirit and in the ,spirit4 ,but since they are without faith it is impossible for them not to err in spiritual matters4 ,hence this is a fitting succession3 they depart from the faith and follow after error in the spirit4 ,sidenote3 ,doctrines of ,devils ,,iii4 ,their doctrines he calls doctrines of devils4 ,this also must follow where faith and the true ,spirit are wanting3 the devil gives them the seducing spirit and leads them on with beautifully varnished doctrines and works1 so that they think they are altogether spiritual4 ,but since the doctrine does not originate in the ,scriptures1 it can be the doctrine of no one but the devil4 ,sidenote3 ,speakers of ,lies ,,iv4 ,they are speakers of lies4 ,for they at times quote even the ,scriptures and the sayings of the fathers and wrest them to support their doctrines1 as we see them do daily4 ,but this is all false and a lie1 since the ,scriptures are altogether against them4 ,sidenote3 ,hypocrisy ,v4 ,it is sheer hypocrisy4 ,this is true and needs no comment4 ,for all that they do is only appearance and show1 concerned with external matters of food and clothes4 ,sidenote3 ,seared ,conscience ,,vi4 ,they have their conscience seared with a hot iron2 that is1 they have an unnatural conscience4 ,for where there is no sin nor matter of conscience1 they make sin and a matter of conscience1 as was said above4 ,just as a scar caused by searing is an unnatural mark on the body4 ,sidenote3 ,forbid to ,marry ,,vii4 ,they forbid to marry1 by creating an estate in which there shall be no marriage1 as we see in the case of both priests and monks4 ,wherefore1 behold the judgment of ,god upon such doctrines and estates3 that they are doctrines of devils1 seducing doctrines1 false doctrines1 faithless doctrines1 hypocritical doctrines4 ,god help us6 ,who would remain in them when ,god ,himself passes such judgment8 ,what would it help you1 if you had made a thousand vows and oaths on such doctrines8 ,nay1 the stricter the vow1 the more reason to break it1 because it was made after the devil's doctrines and against ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,tatianists ,but see how cleverly they worm themselves out and ward off this text from themselves1 saying that it does not apply to them1 but to the ,tatianists#c1 the heretics who condemned marriage altogether4 ,paul1 however1 does not speak here of those who condemn marriage1 but of those who forbid it for the sake of appearing spiritual4 ,let us grant1 however1 that ,paul speaks against the ,tatianists4 ,then1 if the pope does what the ,tatianists did1 why does it not apply to him as well8 ,be they ,tatianists or the pope1 this text speaks of those who forbid marriage4 ,the words of ,paul condemn the work1 and make no distinction about the person who does it4 ,he who forbids marriage is the devil's disciple and apostle1 as the words clearly say4 ,and since the pope does this1 he must be the devil's disciple1 as must all his followers2 otherwise1 ,st4 ,paul must be a liar4 ,sidenote3 ,forbid ,food ,,viii4 ,they forbid the food which ,god has created4 ,here1 again1 you see that the doctrines of man are ascribed to the devil by ,god ,himself through the mouth of ,paul4 ,what greater and more terrible thing would you wish to hear concerning the doctrines of men1 than that they are a falling away from the faith1 seducing1 false1 devilish1 hypocritical8 ,what will satisfy those whom this text does not satisfy8 ,but if the doctrine that forbids certain kinds of food is devilish and unchristian1 that which concerns clothes1 tonsures1 places and everything external will be just as devilish and unchristian4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,manicheans ,but here again they worm themselves out1 and say that ,st4 ,paul is speaking of the ,manicheans#d4 ,we are not asking about that4 ,st4 ,paul speaks of the forbidding of meats1 and1 be they ,manicheans or ,tatianists1 the pope and his followers forbid meats4 ,paul speaks of the work which we see that the pope does4 ,therefore we cannot save him from this text4 ,if some other man arose today or tomorrow and forbade meats1 would it not apply to him1 even if he were no ,manichean8 ,if that way of interpreting ,scripture were true1 we might boldly do what ,paul here forbids1 and say4 ,it does not apply to us1 but to the ancient ,manicheans4 ,but that is not the way4 ,whether the pope with his monks and priests be not a ,manichean1 ,i do not discuss2 but ,i do say1 that in his teaching and works he contradicts the teaching of ,st4 ,paul more than any ,manichean4 ,sidenote3 ,unthankful ,,ix4 ,they are unthankful4 ,for ,god has created meats1 says ,st4 ,paul1 to be received with thanksgiving4 ,and they refuse to receive them1 that they may have no occasion to be thankful for ,god's goodness4 ,the reason for which is1 that they have no faith and do not know the truth4 ,for ,paul says1 ,i ,tim4 iv1 #c1 ,to them which believe and to them which know the truth1 they are given to be used with thanksgiving4 #a ,tim4 #d3c ,but if they are unbelieving and do not know the truth1 as ,st4 ,paul here says they are1 they are beyond question heathen1 non-,christians1 blind and foolish4 ,and this1 ,i suppose1 they regard as praise of the pope1 priests and monks6 ,sidenote3 ,harmful ,preachers ,x4 ,paul rebukes them as wicked1 harmful preachers2 for he says that ,timothy shall be a good preacher1 nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine1 if he will put the brethren in remembrance of these things4 ,it follows that they who teach the contrary must be wicked preachers and be nourished with words of unbelief and of wicked doctrines4 ,sidenote3 ,old ,wives' ,fables ,,xi4 ,he calls such doctrines profane and old wives' fables4 ,is not that foolish talk8 ,he says that the great doctors busy themselves with fables such as old wives chatter about behind the stove1 and calls them profane1 unchristian and unholy idle talk1 although the doctors claim that they are the very essence of holiness6 ,who has ever heard the doctrines of men so terribly decried in every way8 that they are apostate1 unbelieving1 unchristian1 heathen1 seducing1 devilish1 false1 hypocritical1 searing the conscience1 unthankful1 that they dishonor ,god and ,his creature and are harmful ables and old wives' chatter4 ,let him who can1 flee from beneath this judgment of ,god4 ,v ,st4 ,paul in ,colossians ii1 #af and the following verses says3 ,let no man burden you in meat or in drink or in respect of certain days which are holy days1 or days of the new moon or sabbaths1 which are a shadow of things to come1 but the body is in ,christ4 ,let no one seduce you who follows his own will in the humility and religion of angels1 of whom he has never seen even one1 vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind1 and does not hold fast the ,head1 from which all the body1 by joints and bands1 is supplied with nourishment and is knit together1 and so groweth unto a stature given of ,god4 ,if then you be dead with ,christ from the elements of this world1 why do you burden yourselves with ordinances as if you were alive8 ,ordinances which say4 ,this thou shalt not touch1 this thou shalt not eat or drink1 this thou shalt not put on 7which all perish in the using71 according to the commandments and doctrines of men1 who have a show of wisdom because of their self-chosen spirituality and humility1 and because they do not spare the body and do not supply its needs4 ,col4 #b3af ff4 ,is ,st4 ,paul here also speaking of the ,manicheans or ,tatianists8 ,or can we find excuse here for the papists8 ,he speaks against those who take captive the consciences of men with the doctrines of men and make matters of conscience of food1 drink1 clothes1 days and everything that is external4 ,and it cannot be denied that the pope1 the chapters and monasteries with their rules and statutes do this when they forbid the eating of meat1 eggs and butter1 and the wearing of ordinary clothes such as other people wear4 ,and here stands ,st4 ,paul1 and says3 ,sidenote3 ,burden the ,conscience ,i4 ,let no man burden your consciences1 or judge or condemn you in respect of food1 drink1 clothes or days4 ,what does this mean if not this3 ,be not priests nor monks1 nor in any way keep the pope's laws2 and believe him not when he says that a certain thing is sin or a matter of conscience4 ,see1 here ,god through ,paul commands us to despise the laws of the pope and of the monasteries1 and to keep them free1 so that they do not take captive the conscience4 ,that is as much as to say1 ,do not become monks or priests1 and let him who has become monk or priest turn back1 or else retain his position as a matter of freedom without constraint of conscience4 ,and although ,paul wrote this of the ,jews1 who did such things according to the ,law 7for he says in ,colossians ii1 #ag1 that they have the shadow and type of things to come1 but that the body itself is in ,christ ,col4 #b3ag71 yet it holds much more against the decrees of the pope and of the monks4 ,for if that which ,god has decreed comes to an end and shall no longer bind the consciences of men1 how much more shall men neither decree nor keep anything that would bind the conscience8 ,and farther on more will be said of the laws of mere men1 for ,sidenote3 ,by-paths ,,ii4 ,he says1 ,let no one seduce you or lead you toward paths the prize in by-paths4 ,what does this mean but to lead men to works and away from faith1 which alone is the one right road by which to gain the prize of salvation1 to strive toward heaven by other ways1 and to claim that this is the way to gain the prize8 ,and this is what the orders and the pope's doctrines do4 ,and what are the ways they propose8 ,listen3 ,sidenote3 ,humility ,,iii4 ,he says1 ,in self-willed humility and the religion of angels4 ,what words could better it the orders8 ,is it not true that the pope and all of them prattle much of their obedience1 which is said to be the noblest virtue1 that is1 the precious spiritual humility of the papists8 ,but who has commanded this humility8 ,they themselves have invented it and sought it out that they might seduce themselves4 ,for with it they have withdrawn themselves from the common humility and obedience which ,god has commanded1 namely1 that every one shall humble himself and be subject to his neighbor4 ,but they are subject to no man on earth1 and have withdrawn themselves entirely2 they have made an obedience and a humility of their own after their statutes4 ,yet they claim that their obedience is superhuman1 perfect and1 as it were1 angelic1 although there are no more disobedient and less humble people on earth than they are4 ,in the same way they also have their vows of chastity and poverty4 ,they do not work like other people but1 like the angels in heaven1 they praise and worship ,god day and night2 in short1 their life is heavenly1 although nowhere on earth can you ind more horrible unchastity1 greater wealth1 less devotional hearts1 or more hardened people than in the spiritual estate1 as every one knows4 ,yet they seduce all the world from the true way to the by-path with their self-willed1 beautiful1 spiritual and angelic life4 ,all this1 it seems to me1 is not spoken of the ,jews nor of the ,manicheans1 but of the papists2 the works prove it4 ,sidenote3 ,uncertainty ,,iv4 ,he says1 ,he walks in such religion and in that which he has never seen4 ,this is the very worst feature of the doctrines of men and the life built upon them1 that they are without foundation and without warrant in the ,scriptures1 and that men cannot know whether what they do is good or wicked4 ,for all their life is an uncertain venture4 ,if you ask them whether they are certain that what they are and do is pleasing to ,god1 they say1 they do not know1 they must take the chances3 the end will show us4 ,and this is all they can say1 for they have no faith1 and faith alone makes us certain that all that we are is well-pleasing to ,god1 not because of our merit1 but because of ,his mercy4 ,thus all their humility1 obedience and all of their religion is1 at the very best1 uncertain and in vain4 ,sidenote3 ,vainly ,puffed ,up ,v4 ,vainly they puff themselves up1 that is1 they have no reason to do so4 ,for although their practices are uncertain1 unbelieving and altogether damnable1 yet they make bold to puff themselves up and to claim that they have the best and the only true way1 so that in comparison with theirs every other manner of living stinks and is nothing at all4 ,but this puffed-up carnal mind of theirs they neither see nor feel1 so great is their angelic humility and obedience6 ,o1 the fruit of the doctrines of men6 ,sidenote3 ,against ,christ ,,vi4 ,they do not hold fast the ,head1 which is ,christ4 ,for the doctrines of men and ,christ cannot agree2 one must destroy the other4 ,if the conscience finds comfort in ,christ1 the comfort derived from works and doctrines must all2 if it finds comfort in works1 ,christ must fall4 ,the heart cannot build upon a twofold foundation2 one must be forsaken4 ,now we see that all the comfort of the papists rests upon their practices2 for if it did not rest upon them1 they would not esteem them and would give them up1 or else they would use them as matters of freedom1 how and when they pleased4 ,if there were no other misfortune connected with the doctrines of men1 this were of itself all too great--that for their sake ,christ must be forsaken1 the ,head must be lost1 and the heart must build on such an abomination4 ,for this reason ,st4 ,peter calls the orders abominable and damnable heresies1 which deny ,christ1 when he says1 in the ,second ,epistle1 ii1 ,i1 ,there shall arise among you false teachers1 who privily shall bring in damnable heresies1 and deny the ,lord that bought them4 #b ,pet4 #b3a ,sidenote3 ,why ,burden the ,conscience8 ,,vii4 ,it is clear enough that he means our spiritual estate when he says1 ,if ye be dead with ,christ1 why do ye burden your consciences with ordinances1 such as3 ,this thou shalt not touch1 this thou shalt not eat1 this thou shalt not wear1 etc4 ,who can here deny that ,god through ,st4 ,paul forbids us to teach and to hear all doctrines of men1 in so far as they constrain the conscience8 ,who then can with a good conscience be a monk or a priest1 or be subject to the pope8 ,they must confess that their consciences are taken captive with such laws4 ,thus thou seest what a mighty saying this is against all doctrines of men4 ,it is dreadful to hear that they forsake ,christ the ,head1 deny the faith and so must needs become heathen1 and yet think their holiness upholds the world4 ,,vi4 ,paul1 in ,galatians ,i1 #h41 says3 ,but though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you1 let him be accursed#e4 ,as we said before1 so say ,i now again1 ,if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received1 let him be accursed4 ,gal4 #a3h f4 ,sidenote3 ,god's ,ban ,in these words you hear a judgment of ,god against the pope and all doctrines of men1 which says that they are under the ban4 ,and this ban is not like the pope's ban2 it is eternal and separates a man from ,god1 from ,christ1 from all salvation and from everything that is good1 and makes him the companion of devils4 ,o what a terrible judgment is this6 ,look now1 whether the pope1 priests and monks do not proclaim another and a different doctrine than that taught by ,christ and ,his ,apostles4 ,we said above that ,christ teaches1 ,what goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man4 ,contrary to this and beyond it the pope1 priests and monks say1 ,thou liest1 ,christ1 in so saying2 for the eating of meat defiles a ,carthusian and condemns him2 and the same is true of the other orders4 ,is not this striking ,christ on the mouth1 calling ,him a liar and blaspheming ,him1 and teaching other doctrines than ,he taught8 ,therefore it is a just judgment1 that they in their great holiness are condemned like blasphemers of ,god with an eternal ban4 ,,vii ,paul1 in ,titus i1 #ad1 says3 ,teach them not to give heed ,titus to ,jewish fables1 and commandments of men1 that turn them from the truth4 ,titus #a3ad ,sidenote3 ,christ1 or ,men8 ,this is a strong command1 that we are not at all to regard the commandments of men4 ,is not this clear enough8 ,and ,paul gives his reason3 they turn men from the truth1 he says4 ,for as has been said above1 the heart cannot trust in ,christ and at the same time in the doctrines or the works of men4 ,therefore1 as soon as a man turns to the doctrines of men he turns away from the truth1 and does not regard it4 ,on the other hand1 he who finds his comfort in ,christ cannot regard the commandments and the works of men4 ,look now1 whose ban you should fear most6 ,the pope and his followers cast you far beyond hell if you do not heed their commandments1 and ,christ commands you not to heed them on pain of ,his ban4 ,consider whom you wish to obey4 ,,viii ,,ii ,peter ii1 #a-c3 ,there shall be false teachers among you1 who privily shall bring in damnable heresies1 even denying the ,lord that bought them1 by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of1 and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,orders ,damnable ,heresies ,so then1 the orders and monastic houses are damnable heresies4 ,why8 ,because they deny ,christ1 and blaspheme the way of faith4 ,how8 ,christ says1 there is no sin and no righteousness in eating1 drinking1 clothes1 places and works of men2 this they condemn1 and teach and live the opposite1 namely1 that sin and righteousness are in these things4 ,hence ,christ must be a liar1 ,he must be denied and blasphemed together with ,his teaching and faith4 ,and they make use of feigned words1 and make much of their obedience1 chastity and worship2 but only through covetousness1 that they may make merchandise of us1 until they have brought all the wealth of the world into their possession1 on the ground that they are the people who by their worship would help every man to heaven4 ,for this reason they are and remain damnable and blasphemous heresies4 ,,ix ,christ says1 in ,matthew xxiv1 #bc ff43 ,then if any man shall say unto you1 ,lo1 here is ,christ1 or there2 believe it not4 ,for there shall arise false ,christs and false prophets1 and shall show great signs and wonders2 insomuch that1 if it were possible1 they shall deceive the very elect4 ,behold1 ,i have told you before1 ,wherefore if they shall say unto you1 ,behold1 he is in the desert2 go not forth3 behold1 he is in the secret chambers2 believe it not4 ,tell me1 how can a monk be saved8 ,he binds his salvation to a place and says1 ,here ,i find ,christ2 if ,i did not remain here1 ,i should be lost4 ,but ,christ says1 ,no1 ,i am not here4 ,who will reconcile these two8 ,therefore1 it is clear from this word of ,christ that all doctrines which bind the conscience to places are contrary to ,christ4 ,and if ,he does not allow the conscience to be bound to places1 neither does ,he allow it to be bound to meats1 clothes1 postures or anything that is external4 ,there is no doubt then that this passage speaks of the pope and his clergy1 and that ,christ ,himself releases and sets free all priests and monks1 in that ,he condemns all orders and monasteries and says1 ,believe not1 go not out1 etc4 ,he says the same thing also in ,luke xvii1 #bj f43 ,the kingdom of ,god cometh not with observation1 and men shall not say1 ,lo here6 or1 ,lo there6 ,for1 behold1 the kingdom of ,god is within you4 ,luke #ag3bj f4 ,is not this also clear enough8 ,the doctrines of men can command nothing but external things2 and since the kingdom of ,god is not external1 both teachers and disciples must needs miss the kingdom and go astray4 ,nor will it help them to say that the holy fathers instituted the orders4 ,for ,christ has already destroyed this argument1 since ,he says1 that the very elect might be misled1 that is1 they will err1 but not remain in their error4 ,how else would it be an exceeding great error1 if the elect were not misled8 ,let the teaching and the practice of the saints be what it will1 the words of ,christ are certain and clear4 ,him we must follow1 and not the saints1 whose teaching and works are uncertain4 ,what ,he says stands firm1 ,the kingdom of ,god is among#f you1 and not at a distance1 either here or there4 ,x ,solomon1 in ,proverbs xxx1 #e f41 says3 ,every word of ,god is purified3 and is a shield unto all them that put their trust in it4 ,add thou not unto ,his words1 lest ,he reprove thee1 and thou be found a liar4 ,prov4 #cj3e f4 ,with this ,i will end or the present2 or there is much more in the prophets1 especially in ,jeremiah1 of which ,i have written in the treatise on ,confession4 ,here then ,solomon concludes that he is a liar who adds aught to the words of ,god2 for the ,word of ,god alone is to teach us1 as ,christ says1 ,matthew xxiii1 #h1 ,be ye not called masters4 ,one ,master is in you1 even ,christ4 ,matt4 #bc3h ,amen4 ,a ,,reply ,,to ,,texts ,,quoted ,,in ,,defense ,,of ,,the ,,doctrines ,,of ,,men ,the first is ,luke x1 #af1 where ,christ says1 ,he that heareth you1 heareth ,me2 and he that despiseth you1 despiseth ,me4 ,luke #aj3af ,he spoke similar words in ,matthew x1 #dj ,matt4 #aj3dj1 and in ,john xiii1 #bj ,john #ac3bj4 ,here1 they claim1 ,christ demands of us that we accept their man-made laws4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,command of ,christ ,i reply3 ,that is not true4 ,for immediately before speaking these words1 ,christ says1 ,go and say1 the kingdom of ,god is at hand4 ,matt4 #aj3g1 ,luke #aj3i ,with these words ,christ stops the mouths of all the teachers of the doctrines of men1 and commands the apostles what they are to teach1 and ,himself puts the words in their mouth1 saying that they shall preach the kingdom of ,god4 ,now he who does not preach the kingdom of ,god is not sent by ,christ1 and him these words do not concern4 ,much rather do these words demand of us that we hear not the doctrines of men4 ,now to preach of the kingdom of ,god is nothing else than to preach the ,gospel1 in which the faith of ,christ is taught1 by which alone ,god dwells and rules in us4 ,but the doctrines of men do not preach about faith1 but about eating1 clothing1 times1 places1 persons and about purely external things which do not profit the soul4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,perversion of the ,text ,behold how honestly the pious shepherds and faithful teachers have dealt with the poor common people4 ,this text1 ,who hears you1 hears me1 they have in a masterly fashion torn out of its context and have terrified us with it1 until they have made us subject to themselves4 ,but what precedes1 ,preach the kingdom of ,god1 they have taken good care not to mention1 and have bravely leaped over it1 that they might by no means be compelled to preach nothing but the ,gospel4 ,the noble1 and most excellent teachers6 ,we ought to thank them for it6 ,in ,mark1 the last chapter1 we read that ,he sent out the disciples to preach4 ,let us hear what command ,he gives them1 and how ,he sets a limit to their teaching and bridles their tongues1 saying1 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature4 ,he that believeth1 shall be saved1 etc41 ,mark xvi1 #ae ,mark #af3ae4 ,he does not say1 ,go and preach what you will1 or what you think to be good2 but ,he puts ,his own word into their mouth1 and bids them preach the ,gospel4 ,in ,matthew1 the last chapter1 ,he says1 ,go and make disciples of all nations1 baptise them in the ,name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost2 and teach them to observe all things which ,i have commanded you4 ,here1 again4 ,he does not say1 ,teach them to observe what you devise1 but what ,i have commanded you4 ,therefore the pope and his bishops and teachers must be wolves and the apostles of the devil2 it cannot be otherwise1 for they teach not the commands of ,christ1 but their own words4 ,so also in ,matthew xxv1 #ae1 in the parable of the three servants1 the ,lord points out that the householder bade the servants trade not with their own property1 but with his1 and gave the first five talents1 the second two and the third one4 ,matt4 #be3ae ,our second text is ,matthew xxiii1 #b f41 where the ,lord says1 ,the scribes and ,pharisees sit in ,moses' seat4 ,all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe1 that observe and do4 ,here1 here1 they say1 we have authority to teach what we think to be right4 ,sidenote3 ,moses' ,seat ,i answer3 ,if that is what ,christ means1 then we are in a sorry plight4 ,every pope might then create more new laws1 until the world could no longer contain all the laws4 ,but they quote this text as they quote the first4 ,what do the words sit in ,moses' seat mean8 ,let us ask1 what did ,moses teach8 ,and if he still sat in his seat today1 what would he teach8 ,beyond a doubt1 nothing but what he taught of old1 namely1 the commandments and the word of ,god4 ,he never yet spoke the doctrines of men1 but what ,god commanded him to speak1 as almost every chapter of his shows4 ,it follows1 then1 that he who teaches something else than ,moses teaches1 does not sit in ,moses' seat4 ,for the ,lord calls it ,moses' seat1 because from it the doctrines of ,moses should be read and taught4 ,the same meaning is contained in the words which follow1 in which the ,lord says1 ,but do not ye after their works1 for they say1 and do not2 for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne1 and lay them on men's shoulders2 but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers4 ,matt4 #bc3c f4 ,see1 here ,he reproves their works1 because they add many laws to the doctrines of ,moses and lay them on the people1 but themselves do not touch them4 ,and afterward ,he says1 in verse #ac1 ,woe unto you1 scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites6 which say1 ,whosoever shall swear by the temple1 it is nothing2 but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple1 he is a debtor6 ,ye fools and blind2 for whether is greater8 the gold1 or the temple that sanctifieth the gold8 ,matt4 #bc3ac1 #af f4 ,is it not clear that ,christ here condemns their doctrines of men8 ,he can1 therefore1 not have confirmed them by speaking of sitting in ,moses' seat2 else ,he would have contradicted ,himself4 ,therefore ,moses' seat must mean no more than the ,law of ,moses1 and the sitting in it no more than the preaching of the ,law of ,moses4 ,this is what ,moses himself said of his seat and doctrine1 ,deuteronomy iv1 #b1 ,ye shall not add unto the word which ,i command you4 ,deut4 #d3b ,and in ,deuteronomy xii1 #cb1 ,what thing soever ,i command you1 observe to do it2 thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it4 ,deut4 #ab3cb ,these doctrines they were required to teach in ,moses' seat2 therefore ,moses' seat cannot endure any doctrines of men4 ,sidenote3 ,st4 ,augustine ,st4 ,augustine is quoted as having written in the ,book against the ,letter of the ,manicheans#g1 ,i would not believe the ,gospel if ,i did not believe the ,church4 ,here you see1 they say1 we are to believe the ,church more than the ,gospel4 ,sidenote3 ,authority ,i answer3 ,even if ,augustine had used those words1 who gave him authority1 that we must believe what he says8 ,what ,scripture does he quote to prove the statement8 ,what if he erred here1 as we know that he frequently did1 as did all the fathers8 ,should one single sentence of ,augustine be so mighty as to refute all the texts quoted above8 ,that is not what ,god wills2 ,st4 ,augustine must yield to them4 ,further1 if that were ,st4 ,augustine's meaning1 he would contradict himself2 for in very many places he exalts the ,holy ,scriptures above the opinions of all teachers1 above the decrees of all councils and churches1 and will have men judge of him and of the teachings of all men according to the ,scriptures4 ,why then do the faithful shepherds pass by those sayings of ,st4 ,augustine1 plain and clear as they are1 and light on this lonely one1 which is so obscure and sounds so unlike ,augustine as we know him from all his writings8 ,it can only be because they want to bolster up their tyranny with idle1 empty words4 ,sidenote3 ,words ,perverted ,furthermore1 they are deceivers1 in that they not only ascribe to ,st4 ,augustine an opinion he did not hold1 but they also falsify and pervert his words4 ,for ,st4 ,augustine's words really are1 ,i would not have believed the ,gospel if the authority of the whole ,church had not moved me4 ,augustine speaks of the whole ,church1 and says that throughout the world it with one consent preaches the ,gospel and not the ,letter of the ,manicheans2 and this unanimous authority of the ,church moves him to consider it the true ,gospel4 ,but our tyrants apply this name of the ,church to themselves1 as if the laymen and the common people were not also ,christians4 ,and what they teach they want men to consider as the teaching of the ,christian ,church1 although they are a minority1 and we1 who are universal ,christendom1 should also be consulted about what is to be taught in the name of universal ,christendom4 ,see1 so cleverly do they quote the words of ,st4 ,augustine3 what he says of the ,church throughout all the world1 they would have us understand of the ,roman ,see4 ,but how does it follow from this saying that the doctrines of men are also to be observed8 ,what doctrine of men has ever been devised that has been accepted and preached by all of the universal ,church throughout the world8 ,not one2 the ,gospel alone is accepted by all ,christians everywhere4 ,sidenote3 ,their ,true ,meaning ,but then we must not understand ,st4 ,augustine to say that he would not believe the ,gospel unless he were moved thereto by the authority of the whole ,church4 ,for that were false and unchristian4 ,every man must believe only because it is ,god's ,word1 and because he is convinced in his heart that it is true1 although an angel from heaven and all the world preached the contrary4 ,his meaning is rather1 as he himself says1 that he finds the ,gospel nowhere except in the ,church1 and that this external proof can be given heretics that their doctrine is not right1 but that that is right which all the world has with one accord accepted4 ,for the eunuch in ,acts viii1 #cg1 believed on the ,gospel as preached by ,philip1 although he did not know whether many or few believed on it ,acts #h3cg4 ,so also ,abraham believed the promise of ,god all by himself1 when no man knew of it1 ,romans iv1 #ah ,rom4 #d3ah4 ,and ,mary1 ,luke i1 #ch ,luke #a3ch1 believed the message of ,gabriel by herself1 and there was no one on earth who believed with her4 ,in this way ,augustine also had to believe1 and all the saints1 and we too1 every one for himself alone4 ,for this reason ,st4 ,augustine's words cannot bear the interpretation they put upon them2 but they must be understood of the external proof of faith1 by which heretics are refuted and the weak strengthened in faith1 when they see that all the world preaches and regards as ,gospel that which they believe4 ,and if this meaning cannot be found in ,st4 ,augustine's words1 it is better to reject the words2 for they are contrary to the ,scriptures and to all experience if they have that other meaning4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,apostles ,also ,men ,finally1 when they are refuted with ,scripture so that they cannot escape1 they begin to blaspheme ,god and say1 ,but ,st4 ,matthew1 ,paul and ,peter also were men2 therefore what they teach is also the doctrine of men4 ,and if their doctrine is to be observed1 let the pope's doctrine be observed as well6 ,such blasphemy is now being uttered even by some princes and bishops1 who count themselves wise4 ,when you hear such utterly hardened and blinded blasphemers1 turn away from them or stop your ears2 they are not worthy that one should talk with them4 ,if that argument were to hold1 then ,moses also was a man1 and all the prophets were men4 ,then let us go our way1 and believe nothing at all1 but regard everything as the doctrine of men1 and follow our fancy4 ,sidenote3 ,answer ,but if you will talk with them1 do so1 and say1 ,well1 let ,st4 ,paul or ,matthew be the doctrine of men2 then we ask1 ,whence comes their authority8 ,how will they prove that they have authority to teach and to be bishops8 ,or how shall we know where the ,church is8 ,if they say that ,st4 ,matthew has so asserted in ,matthew xvi1 #ai ,matt4 #af3ai1 or ,st4 ,paul in some place or other1 do you say1 ,but that does not hold3 they are the doctrines of men1 as you say2 you must have ,god's ,word to confirm you4 ,and then you will find that these hardened blasphemers put themselves to shame and confusion with their own folly4 ,they cannot even distinguish between a man who speaks for himself and one through whom ,god speaks4 ,the words of the ,apostles were commanded them by ,god1 and confirmed and proved by great miracles1 such as were never done for the doctrines of men4 ,and if they are certain in themselves1 and will prove it to us1 that ,god has commanded them to teach as they do1 we will believe them as we believe the ,apostles4 ,if it is uncertain whether the words of the ,apostles are of ,god1 who will give us certainty that their doctrines of men are of ,god8 ,o furor et amentia his saeculis digna6#h ,sidenote3 ,why ,doctrines of ,men are ,condemned ,but we do not condemn the doctrines of men because they are the doctrines of men1 for we would gladly endure them1 but because they are contrary to the ,gospel and to the ,scriptures4 ,the ,scriptures set the consciences of men free1 and forbid that they be taken captive with the doctrines of men4 ,the doctrines of men take captive the conscience4 ,this conflict between the ,scriptures and the doctrines of men we cannot reconcile4 ,hence1 because these two forms of doctrine contradict one another1 we allow even young children to judge here whether we are to give up the ,scriptures1 in which the one ,word of ,god is taught from the beginning of the world1 or the doctrines of men which were newly devised yesterday and change daily8 ,and we hope that every one will agree in the decision that the doctrines of men must be forsaken and the ,scriptures retained4 ,for they cannot be reconciled1 but are by nature opposed to one another1 like fire and water1 like heaven and earth2 ,as ,isaiah ,iv1 #h f4 says3 ,as the heavens are exalted above the earth1 so are my ways higher than your ways4 ,isa4 #ee3h f4 ,now he who walks on the earth cannot at the same time walk in heaven1 and he who walks in heaven cannot walk on the earth4 ,therefore we request the papists that they first reconcile their doctrines with the ,scriptures4 ,if they accomplish that1 we will observe their doctrines4 ,but that they will not do before the ,holy ,spirit has become a liar4 ,therefore we say again4 ,the doctrines of men we censure not because they are spoken by men1 but because they are lies and blasphemies against the ,scriptures4 ,and the ,scriptures1 although they also were written by men1 are not of men nor from men1 but from ,god4 ,now since ,scriptures and the doctrines of men are contrary the one to the other1 one must lie and the other be true4 ,let us see to which of the two they themselves will ascribe the lie4 ,let this suffice4 ,,footnotes #a ,goldfasts are the ember-fasts1 on the three ember-days of each of the four seasons of the year2 possibly called goldfasts because on these days rents were collected4 ,see ,realencyklopadie1 #e3 #ghj1 #i4 #b ,the fasts enjoined upon a people by a public edict or ban4 ,the term ban as here used does not denote the ,church's excommunication1 but an authoritative proclamation4 #c ,the ,tatianists1 followers of ,tatian1 who lived in ,syria in the middle of the second century4 ,tatian1 apparently basing his view of marriage upon #a ,cor4 #g3e1 ascribes the institution of marriage and the whole ,old ,testament ,law to the devil4 ,eusebius held that ,tatian was the founder of a sect known as the ,encratites1 or ,abstainers4 ,modern historians see in the ,encratites groups of ascetic ,christians found frequently in the early ,church1 somewhat similar to the later monks and nuns1 so that ,harnack can write that ,tatian joined the ,encratites4 ,dogmengeschichte#c1 ,i1 #bbg n4 ,see ,realencyklopadie#c1 #ai1 #chf-cid on ,tatian2 #e1 #cib f4 on the ,encratites4 #d ,the ,manicheans1 strictly speaking not a ,christian sect1 but a rival religious community1 which made inroads upon the ,christian ,church4 ,founded by the ,babylonian ,mani1 who was born in the third century1 they taught the inherent evil of all matter1 and consequently had many fasts1 averaging seven days in each month1 while the perfect among them abstained from meat1 wine and marriage4 ,see ,realencyklopadie #c1 #ab1 #aic-bbh2 von ,orelli1 ,religionsgeschichte1 #bgi-bia4 #e ,the ,greek anathema ,luther here translates ein ,bann1 let him be a ban4 ,this explains the reference to the ban below4 #f ,stehet untereuch1 whereas above ,luther writes ist inwendig in euch4 #g ,contra ,epistolam ,manichaei1 vi1 ,paris ,ed41 #ahci1 #bh3 #ahe3 ,ego vero ,evangelic non crederem1 nisi me ecclesiae catholicae commoveret anctoritas4 ,on the preceding page ,augustine had written3 ,if the claim of truth be shown to be so evident that it cannot be called into question1 it is to be preferred before all those things by which ,i am held in the ,catholic faith4 #h ,o raging madness1 worthy of our age6 ,,index ,,scripture ,,references ,,index ,abel ,abraham ,absolution power of ,abuses ,accident and substance ,adam ,adjutories ,administratio ,adversity ,agnes1 ,st4 ,agricola ,agriculture ,ahasuerus ,ahaz d',ailly ,albrecht of ,brandenburg ,alexander of ,hales ,alexander ,,vi4 ,alien sins ,allegories ,alveld ,ambrose ,amen1 meaning of ,amerbach1 ,boniface ,amsdor ,angelic ,sum ,angels ,angelus de ,clavissio ,armas ,annates ,amie1 ,st4 ,anniversaries ,anniaities ,anthony1 ,st4 ,antichrist ,antonius of ,florence ,antwerp ,apostles ,apostolic ,council ,aquinas1 ,thomas ,archbishop ,aristotle ,articles of faith ,attrition ,augsburg1 ,diet of ,augustine1 ,st4 ,augustinian fathers ,augustinus ,trimnphus ,auriaber ,avarice ,babylon ,babylonian captivity ,balaam ,balaam's ass ,bamberg ,ban power of greater and lesser purpose of penalty of ,ban1 danger of harms no one a medicine to be respected to be loved unjust1 to be desired or debt abuses of does not exclude from ,gospel ,banfasts ,baptism grace of makes priests foundation of sacraments a ship ,god's work formula of by wicked minister efficacy of significance of vows of comfort of ,bar to grace ,barbara1 ,st4 ,barnabas ,basel1 ,council of ,beer-money ,begging ,belief and faith ,belvidere ,benedict1 ,st4 ,benefit of clergy ,berlepsch1 ,hans von ,bernard1 ,st4 ,bethaven ,biel1 ,gabriel ,bigamy ,birettas ,bishops ,bishops' paths ,blandina1 ,st4 ,blasphemy ,bohemians ,bonaventure ,boniace ,,viii4 ,both kinds in the sacrament ,botschaten ,brandenburg ,bread1 ,sacrament of the ,altar daily1 is ,christ ,breves ,brotherhood1 ,christian ,brotherhoods perversion of kinds of proper conduct of ,bull1 ,coena ,domini papal ,burer1 ,albrecht ,butter-letters ,caesarini1 ,cardinal ,caiaphas ,cairo ,cajetan ,cambray1 ,cardinal of ,campolore ,canaan ,canon law ,canon of the mass ,canonical hours ,canonization ,canonry ,captivity of the ,church v4 ,babylonian ,captivity4 ,cardinals ,carlstadt ,carmelites ,carthusian ,castor and ,pollux ,casus reservati ,catechisms ,cathedrals ,celibacy ,ceremonialist ,ceremonies ,certainty of salvation ,chancery1 rules in ,chapters ,character indelebilis ,charity ,charles the ,great ,charles ,v4 ,chartreuse ,chastity ,christ spiritual body of as king and priest sacrifice of the altar sacrament faith in ,christian nobility1 duty of ,christian1 the name what makes marks of a ,christianity ,church authority of cannot institute sacraments community of ,christians our mother and state ,church laws ,cicero ,circumcision ,circumstances ,clement ,v4 ,clement ,,vi4 ,clement ,,vii4 ,clergy ,coadjutorships ,cognatio legalis and spiritualis ,collect ,cologne ,commandments of ,god ,commandments1 ,ten ,commend ,commerce ,communio ,communion worthy in two kinds of saints ,complutensian polyglott ,compositions ,concordat of ,vienna ,confession ,confessionalia ,confirmation ,congregations1 power to elect priests1 ,consanguinity1 spiritual ,conscience ,constance1 ,council of ,constantine1 ,emperor ,contested benefices ,contrition ,corporal cloths ,corporations ,corpus juris canonici ,councils ,councils can err ,courtesans ,creed ,cremona ,crusades ,crying sins ,cyprian ,daniel the pope as ,datarius ,david ,deacons ,death must serve the ,christian ,decretals ,devil ,dignities ,dionysius1 ,areopagita ,disparihtas religionis ,dispensations ,divorce ,doctorate ,doctrines of men ,dominic1 ,st4 ,donation of ,constantine ,donatus1 ,st4 ,dress1 extravagance in ,dims ,scotus ,durandus ,eck1 ,john ,economic reforms ,edification of the ,church ,elevation of the host ,elisha ,elvira1 ,council of ,emperor ,emser ,england ,erasmus ,erurt ,estates of ,christendom ,eternal life ,eugenius ,,iv4 ,evil spirit ,excesses in eating and drinking ,excommunication ,executio ,exemptions ,extortion ,extreme unction ,ezekiel ,fable quoted ,faculties ,faith not a work and promise and works alone justifies all things depend on fulfils commandments unites with ,christ and love ,fasts ,fathers of the ,church ,feast days ,feldkirchen ,fellowship1 twofold spiritual ,five senses1 sins of ,florence1 ,council of ,forgiveness of sins ,forma sacramenti ,foundations ,france ,francis1 ,st4 ,franciscans ,fraternities ,frederick1 ,duke ,frederick1 ,elector ,frederick ,i4 ,frederick ,,ii4 ,free will ,fruits of the mass ,fugger of ,augsburg ,general ,council ,george of ,saxony ,german knights bishops and princes nation emperors empire mass 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