Disputation on the Power and Efficacy
of Indulgences Commonly Known as
The
95 Theses
by Dr. Martin Luther
by Dr. Martin Luther
Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the
object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public
discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin
Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed
Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be
present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in
writing.
- When our Lord and Master, Jesus
Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of
believers to be one of repentance.
- The word cannot be properly
understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and
satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.
- Yet its meaning is not
restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null
unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.
- As long as hatred of self
abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty of sin abides, viz.,
until we enter the kingdom of heaven.
- The pope has neither the will
nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his
own discretion or by canon law.
- The pope himself cannot remit
guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or,
at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for
these cases, the guilt remains untouched.
- God never remits guilt to
anyone without, at the same time, making him humbly submissive to the
priest, His representative.
- The penitential canons apply
only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves,
none applies to the dead.
- Accordingly, the Holy Spirit,
acting in the person of the pope, manifests grace to us, by the fact that
the papal regulations always cease to apply at death, or in any hard case.
- It is a wrongful act, due to
ignorance, when priests retain the canonical penalties on the dead in
purgatory.
- When canonical penalties were
changed and made to apply to purgatory, surely it would seem that tares
were sown while the bishops were asleep.
- In former days, the canonical
penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution was pronounced;
and were intended to be tests of true contrition.
- Death puts an end to all the
claims of the Church; even the dying are already dead to the canon laws, and
are no longer bound by them.
- Defective piety or love in a
dying person is necessarily accompanied by great fear, which is greatest
where the piety or love is least.
- This fear or horror is
sufficient in itself, whatever else might be said, to constitute the pain
of purgatory, since it approaches very closely to the horror of despair.
- There seems to be the same
difference between hell, purgatory, and heaven as between despair,
uncertainty, and assurance.
- Of a truth, the pains of souls
in purgatory ought to be abated, and charity ought to be proportionately
increased.
- Moreover, it does not seem
proved, on any grounds of reason or Scripture, that these souls are
outside the state of merit, or unable to grow in grace.
- Nor does it seem proved to be
always the case that they are certain and assured of salvation, even if we
are very certain ourselves.
- Therefore the pope, in speaking
of the plenary remission of all penalties, does not mean "all"
in the strict sense, but only those imposed by himself.
- Hence those who preach
indulgences are in error when they say that a man is absolved and saved
from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.
- Indeed, he cannot remit to
souls in purgatory any penalty which canon law declares should be suffered
in the present life.
- If plenary remission could be
granted to anyone at all, it would be only in the cases of the most
perfect, i.e. to very few.
- It must therefore be the case
that the major part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and
high-sounding promise of relief from penalty.
- The same power as the pope
exercises in general over purgatory is exercised in particular by every
single bishop in his bishopric and priest in his parish.
- The pope does excellently when
he grants remission to the souls in purgatory on account of intercessions
made on their behalf, and not by the power of the keys (which he cannot
exercise for them).
- There is no divine authority
for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the
money clinks in the bottom of the chest.
- It is certainly possible that
when the money clinks in the bottom of the chest avarice and greed
increase; but when the church offers intercession, all depends in the will
of God.
- Who knows whether all souls in
purgatory wish to be redeemed in view of what is said of St. Severinus and
St. Pascal? (Note: Paschal I, pope 817-24. The legend is that he and
Severinus were willing to endure the pains of purgatory for the benefit of
the faithful).
- No one is sure of the reality
of his own contrition, much less of receiving plenary forgiveness.
- One who bona fide buys
indulgence is a rare as a bona fide penitent man, i.e. very rare indeed.
- All those who believe
themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of
indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.
- We should be most carefully on
our guard against those who say that the papal indulgences are an
inestimable divine gift, and that a man is reconciled to God by them.
- For the grace conveyed by these
indulgences relates simply to the penalties of the sacramental
"satisfactions" decreed merely by man.
- It is not in accordance with
Christian doctrines to preach and teach that those who buy off souls, or
purchase confessional licenses, have no need to repent of their own sins.
- Any Christian whatsoever, who
is truly repentant, enjoys plenary remission from penalty and guilt, and
this is given him without letters of indulgence.
- Any true Christian whatsoever,
living or dead, participates in all the benefits of Christ and the Church;
and this participation is granted to him by God without letters of
indulgence.
- Yet the pope's remission and
dispensation are in no way to be despised, for, as already said, they
proclaim the divine remission.
- It is very difficult, even for
the most learned theologians, to extol to the people the great bounty
contained in the indulgences, while, at the same time, praising contrition
as a virtue.
- A truly contrite sinner seeks
out, and loves to pay, the penalties of his sins; whereas the very
multitude of indulgences dulls men's consciences, and tends to make them
hate the penalties.
- Papal indulgences should only
be preached with caution, lest people gain a wrong understanding, and
think that they are preferable to other good works: those of love.
- Christians should be taught
that the pope does not at all intend that the purchase of indulgences
should be understood as at all comparable with the works of mercy.
- Christians should be taught
that one who gives to the poor, or lends to the needy, does a better
action than if he purchases indulgences.
- Because, by works of love, love
grows and a man becomes a better man; whereas, by indulgences, he does not
become a better man, but only escapes certain penalties.
- Christians should be taught
that he who sees a needy person, but passes him by although he gives money
for indulgences, gains no benefit from the pope's pardon, but only incurs
the wrath of God.
- Christians should be taught
that, unless they have more than they need, they are bound to retain what
is only necessary for the upkeep of their home, and should in no way
squander it on indulgences.
- Christians should be taught
that they purchase indulgences voluntarily, and are not under obligation
to do so.
- Christians should be taught
that, in granting indulgences, the pope has more need, and more desire,
for devout prayer on his own behalf than for ready money.
- Christians should be taught
that the pope's indulgences are useful only if one does not rely on them,
but most harmful if one loses the fear of God through them.
- Christians should be taught
that, if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence-preachers, he would
rather the church of St. Peter were reduced to ashes than be built with
the skin, flesh, and bones of the sheep.
- Christians should be taught
that the pope would be willing, as he ought if necessity should arise, to
sell the church of St. Peter, and give, too, his own money to many of
those from whom the pardon-merchants conjure money.
- It is vain to rely on salvation
by letters of indulgence, even if the commissary, or indeed the pope
himself, were to pledge his own soul for their validity.
- Those are enemies of Christ and
the pope who forbid the word of God to be preached at all in some
churches, in order that indulgences may be preached in others.
- The word of God suffers injury
if, in the same sermon, an equal or longer time is devoted to indulgences
than to that word.
- The pope cannot help taking the
view that if indulgences (very small matters) are celebrated by one bell,
one pageant, or one ceremony, the gospel (a very great matter) should be
preached to the accompaniment of a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a
hundred ceremonies.
- The treasures of the church,
out of which the pope dispenses indulgences, are not sufficiently spoken
of or known among the people of Christ.
- That these treasures are not
temporal are clear from the fact that many of the merchants do not grant
them freely, but only collect them.
- Nor are they the merits of
Christ and the saints, because, even apart from the pope, these merits are
always working grace in the inner man, and working the cross, death, and
hell in the outer man.
- St. Laurence said that the poor
were the treasures of the church, but he used the term in accordance with
the custom of his own time.
- We do not speak rashly in
saying that the treasures of the church are the keys of the church, and
are bestowed by the merits of Christ.
- For it is clear that the power
of the pope suffices, by itself, for the remission of penalties and
reserved cases.
- The true treasure of the church
is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
- It is right to regard this
treasure as most odious, for it makes the first to be the last.
- On the other hand, the treasure
of indulgences is most acceptable, for it makes the last to be the first.
- Therefore the treasures of the
gospel are nets which, in former times, they used to fish for men of
wealth.
- The treasures of the
indulgences are the nets which to-day they use to fish for the wealth of
men.
- The indulgences, which the
merchants extol as the greatest of favours, are seen to be, in fact, a
favourite means for money-getting.
- Nevertheless, they are not to
be compared with the grace of God and the compassion shown in the Cross.
- Bishops and curates, in duty
bound, must receive the commissaries of the papal indulgences with all
reverence.
- But they are under a much
greater obligation to watch closely and attend carefully lest these men
preach their own fancies instead of what the pope commissioned.
- Let him be anathema and
accursed who denies the apostolic character of the indulgences.
- On the other hand, let him be
blessed who is on his guard against the wantonness and license of the
pardon-merchant's words.
- In the same way, the pope
rightly excommunicates those who make any plans to the detriment of the
trade in indulgences.
- It is much more in keeping with
his views to excommunicate those who use the pretext of indulgences to
plot anything to the detriment of holy love and truth.
- It is foolish to think that
papal indulgences have so much power that they can absolve a man even if
he has done the impossible and violated the mother of God.
- We assert the contrary, and say
that the pope's pardons are not able to remove the least venial of sins as
far as their guilt is concerned.
- When it is said that not even
St. Peter, if he were now pope, could grant a greater grace, it is
blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.
- We assert the contrary, and say
that he, and any pope whatever, possesses greater graces, viz., the
gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as is declared in I
Corinthians 12 [:28].
- It is blasphemy to say that the
insignia of the cross with the papal arms are of equal value to the cross
on which Christ died.
- The bishops, curates, and
theologians, who permit assertions of that kind to be made to the people
without let or hindrance, will have to answer for it.
- This unbridled preaching of
indulgences makes it difficult for learned men to guard the respect due to
the pope against false accusations, or at least from the keen criticisms
of the laity.
- They ask, e.g.: Why does not
the pope liberate everyone from purgatory for the sake of love (a most
holy thing) and because of the supreme necessity of their souls? This
would be morally the best of all reasons. Meanwhile he redeems innumerable
souls for money, a most perishable thing, with which to build St. Peter's
church, a very minor purpose.
- Again: Why should funeral and
anniversary masses for the dead continue to be said? And why does not the
pope repay, or permit to be repaid, the benefactions instituted for these
purposes, since it is wrong to pray for those souls who are now redeemed?
- Again: Surely this is a new
sort of compassion, on the part of God and the pope, when an impious man,
an enemy of God, is allowed to pay money to redeem a devout soul, a friend
of God; while yet that devout and beloved soul is not allowed to be
redeemed without payment, for love's sake, and just because of its need of
redemption.
- Again: Why are the penitential
canon laws, which in fact, if not in practice, have long been obsolete and
dead in themselves,—why are they, to-day, still used in imposing fines in
money, through the granting of indulgences, as if all the penitential
canons were fully operative?
- Again: since the pope's income
to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he
not build this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than
with the money of indigent believers?
- Again: What does the pope remit
or dispense to people who, by their perfect repentance, have a right to
plenary remission or dispensation?
- Again: Surely a greater good
could be done to the church if the pope were to bestow these remissions
and dispensations, not once, as now, but a hundred times a day, for the benefit
of any believer whatever.
- What the pope seeks by
indulgences is not money, but rather the salvation of souls; why then does
he suspend the letters and indulgences formerly conceded, and still as
efficacious as ever?
- These questions are serious
matters of conscience to the laity. To suppress them by force alone, and
not to refute them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope
to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christian people unhappy.
- If therefore, indulgences were
preached in accordance with the spirit and mind of the pope, all these
difficulties would be easily overcome, and indeed, cease to exist.
- Away, then, with those prophets
who say to Christ's people, "Peace, peace," where in there is no
peace.
- Hail, hail to all those
prophets who say to Christ's people, "The cross, the cross,"
where there is no cross.
- Christians should be exhorted
to be zealous to follow Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and
hells.
- And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through many tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.