Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis – the Church
Breaking Away
There are several websites that include information
regarding Martin Luther’s
“95 Theses” that was nailed on the church door at Wittenburg.
And there are several websites that provide information about the life of
Martin Luther.
The following websites were accessed on March 22, 2007
and included some of this information:
http://bible.crosswalk.com/OtherResources/Luthers95Theses.html
http://www.ctsfw.edu/etext/luther/theses/theses_e.asc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/web/ninetyfive.html
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/95theses.htm
http://www.reformed.org/documents/
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-4189(199207)72%3A3%3C433%3AMLCAE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2
http://www.ctsfw.edu/etext/luther/theses/theses_e.asc
Per Crosswalk.dot Martin Luther's 95 Theses
http://bible.crosswalk.com/OtherResources/Luthers95Theses.html
Here are the 95 Theses
Martin Luther nailed on the church door at Wittenburg.
1. When our Lord and
Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Matthew
4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
2. This word cannot be
understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and
satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.
3. Yet it does not mean
solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces
various outward mortification of the flesh.
4. The penalty of sin
remains as long as the hatred of self (that is, true inner repentance), namely
till our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
5. The pope neither
desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own
authority or that of the canons.
6. The pope cannot
remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by
God; or, to be sure, by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgment. If
his right to grant remission in these cases were disregarded, the guilt would
certainly remain unforgiven.
7. God remits guilt to
no one unless at the same time he humbles him in all things and makes him
submissive to the vicar, the priest.
8. The penitential
canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to the canons themselves,
nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. Therefore the Holy Spirit
through the pope is kind to us insofar as the pope in his decrees always makes
exception of the article of death and of necessity.
10. Those priests act
ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical
penalties for purgatory.
11. Those tares of
changing the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory were evidently sown
while the bishops slept (Matthew
13:25).
12. In former times
canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution, as tests of
true contrition.
13. The dying are freed
by death from all penalties, are already dead as far as the canon laws are
concerned, and have a right to be released from them.
14. Imperfect piety or
love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and
the smaller the love, the greater the fear.
15. This fear or horror
is sufficient in itself, to say nothing of other things, to constitute the
penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.
16. Hell, purgatory,
and heaven seem to differ the same as despair, fear, and assurance of
salvation.
17. It seems as though
for the souls in purgatory fear should necessarily decrease and love increase.
18. Furthermore, it
does not seem proved, either by reason or by Scripture, that
souls in purgatory are outside the state of merit, that is, unable to grow in
love.
19. Nor does it seem
proved that souls in purgatory, at least not all of them, are certain and
assured of their own salvation, even if we ourselves may be entirely certain of
it.
20. Therefore the pope,
when he uses the words "plenary remission of all penalties," does not
actually mean "all penalties," but only those imposed by himself.
21. Thus those
indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man
is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences.
22. As a matter of
fact, the pope remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to
canon law, they should have paid in this life.
23. If remission of all
penalties whatsoever could be granted to anyone at all, certainly it would be
granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very few.
24. For this reason
most people are necessarily deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding
promise of release from penalty.
25. That power which
the pope has in general over purgatory corresponds to the power which any
bishop or curate has in a particular way in his own diocese and parish.
26. The pope does very
well when he grants remission to souls in purgatory, not by the power of the
keys, which he does not have, but by way of intercession for them.
27. They preach only
human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest,
the soul flies out of purgatory.
28. It is certain that
when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but
when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone.
29. Who knows whether
all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed, since we have exceptions in St.
Severinus and
30. No one is sure of
the integrity of his own contrition, much less of having received plenary
remission.
31. The man who
actually buys indulgences is as rare as he who is really penitent; indeed, he
is exceedingly rare.
32. Those who believe
that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence
letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.
33. Men must especially
be on guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable
gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.
34. For the graces of
indulgences are concerned only with the penalties of sacramental satisfaction
established by man.
35. They who teach that
contrition is not necessary on the part of those who intend to buy souls out of
purgatory or to buy confessional privileges preach unchristian doctrine.
36. Any truly repentant
Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without
indulgence letters.
37. Any true Christian,
whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the
church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.
38. Nevertheless, papal
remission and blessing are by no means to be disregarded, for they are, as I
have said (Thesis 6), the proclamation of the divine remission.
39. It is very
difficult, even for the most learned theologians, at one and the same time to
commend to the people the bounty of indulgences and the need of true contrition.
40. A Christian who is
truly contrite seeks and loves to pay penalties for his sins; the bounty of
indulgences, however, relaxes penalties and causes men to hate them -- at least
it furnishes occasion for hating them.
41. Papal indulgences
must be preached with caution, lest people erroneously think that they are
preferable to other good works of love.
42. Christians are to
be taught that the pope does not intend that the buying of indulgences should
in any way be compared with works of mercy.
43. Christians are to
be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better
deed than he who buys indulgences.
44. Because love grows
by works of love, man thereby becomes better. Man does not, however, become
better by means of indulgences but is merely freed from penalties.
45. Christians are to
be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money
for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God's wrath.
46. Christians are to
be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must reserve enough
for their family needs and by no means squander it on indulgences.
47. Christians are to
be taught that they buying of indulgences is a matter
of free choice, not commanded.
48. Christians are to
be taught that the pope, in granting indulgences, needs and thus desires their
devout prayer more than their money.
49. Christians are to
be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust
in them, but very harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them.
50. Christians are to
be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he
would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up
with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.
51. Christians are to
be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even
though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom
certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.
52. It is vain to trust
in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as
security.
53. They are the
enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word
of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.
54. Injury is done to
the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is
devoted to indulgences than to the Word.
55. It is certainly the
pope's sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are
celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel,
which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a
hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56. The true treasures
of the church, out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not
sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.
57. That indulgences
are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many indulgence sellers do
not distribute them freely but only gather them.
58. Nor are they the
merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always
work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death,
and hell for the outer man.
59. St. Lawrence said
that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke
according to the usage of the word in his own time.
60. Without want of
consideration we say that the keys of the church, given by the merits of
Christ, are that treasure.
61. For it is clear
that the pope's power is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalties
and cases reserved by himself.
62. The true treasure
of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.
63. But this treasure
is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last (Matthew
20:16).
64. On the other hand,
the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last
to be first.
65. Therefore the
treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of
wealth.
66. The treasures of
indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.
67. The indulgences
which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to
be such only insofar as they promote gain.
68. They are
nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the
grace of God and the piety of the cross.
69. Bishops and curates
are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.
70. But they are much
more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams
instead of what the pope has commissioned.
71. Let him who speaks
against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.
72. But let him who
guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed.
73. Just as the pope
justly thunders against those who by any means
whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.
74. Much more does he intend
to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to
holy love and truth.
75. To consider papal
indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the
impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.
76. We say on the
contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as
far as guilt is concerned.
77. To say that even
St. Peter if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy
against St. Peter and the pope.
78. We say on the
contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces
at his disposal, that is, the gospel,spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc.,
as it is written, 1
Corinthians 12:28).
79. To say that the
cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence
preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.
80. The bishops,
curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people
will have to answer for this.
81. This unbridled
preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the
reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of
the laity.
82. Such as: "Why
does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need
of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the
sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reason would
be most just; the latter is most trivial.
83. Again, "Why
are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not
return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is
wrong to pray for the redeemed?"
84. Again, "What
is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they
permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious
soul of a friend of God and do not rather, because of the need of that pious and
beloved soul, free it for pure love's sake?"
85. Again, "Why
are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and
through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they
were still alive and in force?"
86. Again, "Why
does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest
Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than
with the money of poor believers?"
87. Again, "What
does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a
right to full remission and blessings?"
88. Again, "What
greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these
remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now
does but once?"
89. "Since the
pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why
does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have
equal efficacy?"
90. To repress these
very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by
giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their
enemies and to make Christians unhappy.
91. If, therefore,
indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope,
all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.
92. Away, then, with
all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace,"
and there is no peace! (Jeremiah
6:14)
93. Blessed be all
those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and
there is no cross!
94. Christians should
be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties,
death and hell.
95. And thus be
confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through
the false security of peace (Acts
14:22).