One way we may
recover the integrity of our witness to Jesus Christ is by making a habit of
reading the major documents of Church history beginning with the Bible. One
such document is The Ninety-Five Theses of
Martin Luther. To aid in this effort, I offer the English translation below
(copyright © 1997 by KDG
Wittenberg). Luther publicly posted the original theses in Latin on October 31,
1517.
The
95 Theses
Out of love for the truth and from desire to
elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred
Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the
following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks
that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in
their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
1.
When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said,
``Repent'' (Mt 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 (Mt 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 St. Paschal, as related in a legend.
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 (Mt.
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 Co 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, beca use 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! (Jer 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).