Martin Luther's Writings: August 2003

August 25, 2003

OF THE REVEREND FATHER MARTIN LUTHER, WITTENBERG AUGUSTINIAN. Threefold is sin, to which is opposed a threefold righteousness or
piety.

THE FIRST
is criminal todsuende, that is manifest evil, which even the secular power punishes, such as theft, homicide, arson, sacrilege, etc. Of these it punishes some with the sword, with fire, with water, with a gallows, with the wheel, such as in civil law, others with canonical penance, such as ordinary fornications, and still others , such as in canon law. To this (sin) that apparent righteousness Scheingerechtigkeit is contrary which makes [people into] the apes, peacocks and fig trees of Solomon (1 Kgs 10:22), by which comes about, that a man is good before people, and cannot be accused, and avoids the punishments of the law, and receives the temporal promises of the law [Rom 10:5]. Moses wrote, with reference to that righteousness which is of the law, that if a person does it, he will live in it (Lev 18:5, compare Gal 3:12), and Isaiah 1:19, If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land. Such was Naaman the Syrian, a great man before his lord, through whom the LORD gave salvation to Syria [ 2 Kgs 5:1]. Such were many kings of Israel and the people of Israel to whom the LORD gave good temporal things and many victories, notwithstanding they were idolaters at the same time; such the Samaritans, from whom God took away the lions [2 Kgs 17:25-40], although they were worshipping idols and the LORD at the same time. Such were the Romans according to Blessed Augustine [In his book on The City of God, 51.1.14] to whom the LORD gave the greatest empire. Thus he is accustomed to enrich also princes. Such to this very day are all who are doing penance on account of plague, hunger, war, or other scourges of God, who then pray, make pilgrimages, and make vows to the saints. Here belong those who worship the saints for the sake of bodily things, and priests who serve for the sake of present [temporal] things, and likewise the monks, and those who do many other such things. In short, this is the righteousness which receives its reward here, and is punished in the future, but somewhat more mildly than criminals [but hereafter receives eternal punishment, though milder than that of coarse criminals].

In the second place, it serves not God, but itself, nor is it the righteousness of sons but of slaves, nor is it peculiar to Christians, but rather is that of Jews and Gentiles. Nor are Christians to be exhorted to it, because it proceeds out of fear of punishment or love of its own comfort, not from the love of God.

Thirdly, it makes hypocrites, proud in the mind of their own heart, bold judges of others, as is plain in [the parable of] that Pharisee and Simon the Leper. [Lk 18:11; 7:39].

Fourthly the Apostle pronounced this curse (Gal 3:10): those who are of the works of the law [he says] are under a curse.

Therefore Christians, who are to be enriched with eternal good things, are not to be exhorted to that [righteousness], but rather discouraged (from it) in favour of a better one. Hence one is not to rejoice in these things; just as God enriches the Princes of Saxony with glory, riches, and pleasure, because they are religious [pious lords], And if these things were not enough, He will bring forth still a mountain of silver and peace [in the land] will be preserved. But let them see themselves, whether this will do them any good [for their salvation], lest they be mercenaries. For these rewards are the rewards of that lowliest and accursed righteousness, which pertains to the blessing of Esau and his sons (Gen 27:39f). These are those who boast of the free will of the Themenites [trust in their own conceit, like the Themenites - Baruch 3:23]. Thus God rewards even evil things, because just as they are good in the eyes of men, so also they receive good things in the eyes of men.

LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP ALBRECHT OF MAINZ OCTOBER 31, 1517

To the Most Reverend Father in Christ and Most Illustrious Lord, Albrecht of Magdeburg and Mainz, Archbishop and Primate of the Church, Margrave of Brandenburg, etc., his own lord and pastor in Christ, worthy of reverence and fear, and most gracious.

JESUS

The grace of God be with you in all its fulness and power! Spare me, Most Reverend Father in Christ and Most Illustrious Prince, that I, the dregs of humanity, have so much boldness that I have dared to think of a letter to the height of your Sublimity. The Lord Jesus is my witness that, conscious of my smallness and baseness, I have long deferred what I am now shameless enough to do, -- moved thereto most of all by the duty of fidelity which I acknowledge that I owe to your most Reverend Fatherhood in Christ. Meanwhile, therefore, may your Highness deign to cast an eye upon one speck of dust, and for the sake of your pontifical clemency to heed my prayer. Papal indulgences for the building of St. Peter's are circulating under your most distinguished name, and as regards them, I do not bring accusation against the outcries of the preachers, which I have not heard, so much as I grieve over the wholly false impressions which the people have conceived from them; to wit, -- the unhappy souls believe that if they have purchased letters of indulgence they are sure of their salvation; again, that so soon as they cast their contributions into the money-box, souls fly out of purgatory; furthermore, that these graces [i.e., the graces conferred in the indulgences] are so great that there is no sin too great to be absolved, even, as they say -- though the thing is impossible -- if one had violated the Mother of God; again, that a man is free, through these indulgences, from all penalty and guilt. O God, most good! Thus souls committed to your care, good Father, are taught to their death, and the strict account, which you must render for all such, grows and increases. For this reason I have no longer been able to keep quiet about this matter, for it is by no gift of a bishop that man becomes sure of salvation, since he gains this certainty not even by the "inpoured grace" of God, but the Apostle bids us always "work out our own salvation in fear and trembling," and Peter says, "the righteous scarcely shall be saved." Finally, so narrow is the way that leads to life, that the Lord, through the prophets Amos and Zechariah, calls those who shall be saved "brands plucked from the burning," and everywhere declares the difficulty of salvation. Why, then, do the preachers of pardons, by these false fables and promises, make the people careless and fearless? Whereas indulgences confer on us no good gift, either for salvation or for sanctity, but only take away the external penalty, which it was formerly the custom to impose according to the canons. Finally, works of piety and love are infinitely better than indulgences, and yet these are not preached with such ceremony or such zeal; nay, for the sake of preaching the indulgences they are kept quiet, though it is the first and the sole duty of all bishops that the people should learn the Gospel and the love of Christ, for Christ never taught that indulgences should be preached. How great then is the horror, how great the peril of a bishop, if he permits the Gospel to be kept quiet, and nothing but the noise of indulgences to be spread among his people! Will not Christ say to them, "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel"? In addition to this, Most Reverend Father in the Lord, it is said in the Instruction to the Commissaries which is issued under your name, Most Reverend Father (doubtless without your knowledge and consent), that one of the chief graces of indulgence is that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to God, and all the penalties of purgatory are destroyed. Again, it is said that contrition is not necessary in those who purchase souls [out of purgatory] or buy confessionalia. But what can I do, good Primate and Most Illustrious Prince, except pray your Most Reverend Fatherhood by the Lord Jesus Christ that you would deign to look [on this matter] with the eye of fatherly care, and do away entirely with that treatise and impose upon the preachers of pardons another form of preaching; lest, perchance, one may some time arise, who will publish writings in which he will confute both them and that treatise, to the shame of your Most Illustrious Sublimity. I shrink very much from thinking that this will be done, and yet I fear that it will come to pass, unless there is some speedy remedy. These faithful offices of my insignificance I beg that your Most Illustrious Grace may deign to accept in the spirit of a Prince and a Bishop, i.e., with the greatest clemency, as I offer them out of a faithful heart, altogether devoted to you, Most Reverend Father, since I too am a part of your flock. May the Lord Jesus have your Most Reverend Fatherhood eternally in His keeping. Amen.

From Wittenberg on the Vigil of All Saints, MDXVII. If it please the Most Reverend Father he may see these my Disputations, and learn how doubtful a thing is the opinion of indulgences which those men spread as though it were most certain.

To the Most Reverend Father, BROTHER MARTIN LUTHER.