Concerning Christian Liberty.docx

Concerning Christian Liberty.docx

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ConcerningChristianLiberty

ConcerningChristianLibertybyMartinLutherCONCERNINGCHRISTIANLIBERTY

LETTEROFMARTINLUTHERTOPOPELEOX

AmongthosemonstrousevilsofthisagewithwhichIhavenowforthreeyearsbeenwagingwar,Iamsometimescompelledtolooktoyouandtocallyoutomind,mostblessedfatherLeo.Intruth,sinceyoualoneareeverywhereconsideredasbeingthecauseofmyengaginginwar,Icannotatanytimefailtorememberyou;

andalthoughIhavebeencompelledbythecauselessragingofyourimpiousflatterersagainstmetoappealfromyourseattoafuturecouncil--fearlessofthefutiledecreesofyourpredecessorsPiusandJulius,whointheirfoolishtyrannyprohibitedsuchanaction--yetIhaveneverbeensoalienatedinfeelingfromyourBlessednessasnottohavesoughtwithallmymight,indiligentprayerandcryingtoGod,allthebestgiftsforyouandforyoursee.Butthosewhohavehithertoendeavouredtoterrifymewiththemajestyofyournameandauthority,Ihavebegunquitetodespiseandtriumphover.OnethingIseeremainingwhichIcannotdespise,andthishasbeenthereasonofmywritinganewtoyourBlessedness:

namely,thatIfindthatblameiscastonme,andthatitisimputedtomeasagreatoffence,thatinmyrashnessIamjudgedtohavesparednotevenyourperson.

Now,toconfessthetruthopenly,Iamconsciousthat,wheneverI

havehadtomentionyourperson,Ihavesaidnothingofyoubutwhatwashonourableandgood.IfIhaddoneotherwise,Icouldbynomeanshaveapprovedmyownconduct,butshouldhavesupportedwithallmypowerthejudgmentofthosemenconcerningme,norwouldanythinghavepleasedmebetter,thantorecantsuchrashnessandimpiety.IhavecalledyouDanielinBabylon;andeveryreaderthoroughlyknowswithwhatdistinguishedzealI

defendedyourconspicuousinnocenceagainstSilvester,whotriedtostainit.Indeed,thepublishedopinionofsomanygreatmenandthereputeofyourblamelesslifearetoowidelyfamedandtoomuchreverencedthroughouttheworldtobeassailablebyanyman,ofhowevergreatname,orbyanyarts.Iamnotsofoolishastoattackonewhomeverybodypraises;nay,ithasbeenandalwayswillbemydesirenottoattackeventhosewhompublicreputedisgraces.Iamnotdelightedatthefaultsofanyman,sinceIamveryconsciousmyselfofthegreatbeaminmyowneye,norcanIbethefirsttocastastoneattheadulteress.

Ihaveindeedinveighedsharplyagainstimpiousdoctrines,andI

havenotbeenslacktocensuremyadversariesonaccount,notoftheirbadmorals,butoftheirimpiety.AndforthisIamsofarfrombeingsorrythatIhavebroughtmymindtodespisethejudgmentsofmenandtopersevereinthisvehementzeal,accordingtotheexampleofChrist,who,inHiszeal,callsHisadversariesagenerationofvipers,blind,hypocrites,andchildrenofthedevil.Paul,too,chargesthesorcererwithbeingachildofthedevil,fullofallsubtletyandallmalice;anddefamescertainpersonsasevilworkers,dogs,anddeceivers.Intheopinionofthosedelicate-earedpersons,nothingcouldbemorebitterorintemperatethanPaul'slanguage.Whatcanbemorebitterthanthewordsoftheprophets?

Theearsofourgenerationhavebeenmadesodelicatebythesenselessmultitudeofflatterersthat,assoonasweperceivethatanythingofoursisnotapprovedof,wecryoutthatwearebeingbitterlyassailed;

andwhenwecanrepelthetruthbynootherpretence,weescapebyattributingbitterness,impatience,intemperance,toouradversaries.Whatwouldbetheuseofsaltifitwerenotpungent,oroftheedgeoftheswordifitdidnotslay?

AccursedisthemanwhodoestheworkoftheLorddeceitfully.

Wherefore,mostexcellentLeo,Ibeseechyoutoacceptmyvindication,madeinthisletter,andtopersuadeyourselfthatI

haveneverthoughtanyevilconcerningyourperson;further,thatIamonewhodesiresthateternalblessingmayfalltoyourlot,andthatIhavenodisputewithanymanconcerningmorals,butonlyconcerningthewordoftruth.InallotherthingsIwillyieldtoanyone,butIneithercannorwillforsakeanddenytheword.Hewhothinksotherwiseofme,orhastakeninmywordsinanothersense,doesnotthinkrightly,andhasnottakeninthetruth.

Yoursee,however,whichiscalledtheCourtofRome,andwhichneitheryounoranymancandenytobemorecorruptthananyBabylonorSodom,andquite,asIbelieve,ofalost,desperate,andhopelessimpiety,thisIhaveverilyabominated,andhavefeltindignantthatthepeopleofChristshouldbecheatedunderyournameandthepretextoftheChurchofRome;andsoIhaveresisted,andwillresist,aslongasthespiritoffaithshallliveinme.NotthatIamstrivingafterimpossibilities,orhopingthatbymylaboursalone,againstthefuriousoppositionofsomanyflatterers,anygoodcanbedoneinthatmostdisorderedBabylon;butthatIfeelmyselfadebtortomybrethren,andamboundtotakethoughtforthem,thatfewerofthemmayberuined,orthattheirruinmaybelesscomplete,bytheplaguesofRome.Formanyyearsnow,nothingelsehasoverflowedfromRomeintotheworld--asyouarenotignorant--thanthelayingwasteofgoods,ofbodies,andofsouls,andtheworstexamplesofalltheworstthings.Thesethingsareclearerthanthelighttoallmen;andtheChurchofRome,formerlythemostholyofallChurches,hasbecomethemostlawlessdenofthieves,themostshamelessofallbrothels,theverykingdomofsin,death,andhell;sothatnotevenantichrist,ifheweretocome,coulddeviseanyadditiontoitswickedness.

Meanwhileyou,Leo,aresittinglikealambinthemidstofwolves,likeDanielinthemidstoflions,and,withEzekiel,youdwellamongscorpions.Whatoppositioncanyoualonemaketothesemonstrousevils?

Taketoyourselfthreeorfourofthemostlearnedandbestofthecardinals.Whataretheseamongsomany?

Youwouldallperishbypoisonbeforeyoucouldundertaketodecideonaremedy.ItisalloverwiththeCourtofRome;thewrathofGodhascomeuponhertotheuttermost.Shehatescouncils;shedreadstobereformed;shecannotrestrainthemadnessofherimpiety;shefillsupthesentencepassedonhermother,ofwhomitissaid,"WewouldhavehealedBabylon,butsheisnothealed;letusforsakeher."Ithadbeenyourdutyandthatofyourcardinalstoapplyaremedytotheseevils,butthisgoutlaughsatthephysician'shand,andthechariotdoesnotobeythereins.Undertheinfluenceofthesefeelings,Ihavealwaysgrievedthatyou,mostexcellentLeo,whowereworthyofabetterage,havebeenmadepontiffinthis.FortheRomanCourtisnotworthyofyouandthoselikeyou,butofSatanhimself,whointruthismoretherulerinthatBabylonthanyouare.

Oh,wouldthat,havinglaidasidethatglorywhichyourmostabandonedenemiesdeclaretobeyours,youwerelivingratherintheofficeofaprivatepriestoronyourpaternalinheritance!

Inthatglorynoneareworthytoglory,excepttheraceofIscariot,thechildrenofperdition.Forwhathappensinyourcourt,Leo,exceptthat,themorewickedandexecrableanymanis,themoreprosperouslyhecanuseyournameandauthorityfortheruinofthepropertyandsoulsofmen,forthemultiplicationofcrimes,fortheoppressionoffaithandtruthandofthewholeChurchofGod?

Oh,Leo!

inrealitymostunfortunate,andsittingonamostperilousthrone,Itellyouthetruth,becauseIwishyouwell;forifBernardfeltcompassionforhisAnastasiusatatimewhentheRomansee,thougheventhenmostcorrupt,wasasyetrulingwithbetterhopethannow,whyshouldnotwelament,towhomsomuchfurthercorruptionandruinhasbeenaddedinthreehundredyears?

Isitnottruethatthereisnothingunderthevastheavensmorecorrupt,morepestilential,morehateful,thantheCourtofRome?

SheincomparablysurpassestheimpietyoftheTurks,sothatinverytruthshe,whowasformerlythegateofheaven,isnowasortofopenmouthofhell,andsuchamouthas,undertheurgentwrathofGod,cannotbeblockedup;onecoursealonebeinglefttouswretchedmen:

tocallbackandsavesomefew,ifwecan,fromthatRomangulf.

Behold,Leo,myfather,withwhatpurposeandonwhatprincipleitisthatIhavestormedagainstthatseatofpestilence.IamsofarfromhavingfeltanyrageagainstyourpersonthatIevenhopedtogainfavourwithyouandtoaidyouinyourwelfarebystrikingactivelyandvigorouslyatthatyourprison,nay,yourhell.ForwhatevertheeffortsofallmindscancontriveagainsttheconfusionofthatimpiousCourtwillbeadvantageoustoyouandtoyourwelfare,andtomanyotherswithyou.Thosewhodoharmtoheraredoingyouroffice;thosewhoineverywayabhorherareglorifyingChrist;inshort,thoseareChristianswhoarenotRomans.

But,tosayyetmore,eventhisneverenteredmyheart:

toinveighagainsttheCourtofRomeortodisputeatallabouther.

For,seeingallremediesforherhealthtobedesperate,Ilookedonherwithcontempt,and,givingherabillofdivorcement,saidtoher,"Hethatisunjust,lethimbeunjuststill;andhethatisfilthy,lethimbefilthystill,"givingmyselfuptothepeacefulandquietstudyofsacredliterature,thatbythisI

mightbeofusetothebrethrenlivingaboutme.

WhileIwasmakingsomeadvanceinthesestudies,SatanopenedhiseyesandgoadedonhisservantJohnEccius,thatnotoriousadversaryofChrist,bytheuncheckedlustforfame,todragmeunexpectedlyintothearena,tryingtocatchmeinonelittlewordconcerningtheprimacyoftheChurchofRome,whichhadfallenfrommeinpassing.ThatboastfulThraso,foamingandgnashinghisteeth,proclaimedthathewoulddareal