{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_274/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_274","id":"gutenberg_274","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/274","summary":null,"tags":["Banned Books from Anne Haight's list","Category: History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christianity","Harvard Classics","Indulgences","Reformation -- Germany -- Sources"],"text":"Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther\n\non the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences\n\nby Dr. Martin Luther, 1517\n\n  Published in:\n  Works of Martin Luther\n  Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds.\n  (Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol. 1, pp. 29-38.\n\n\n\n\n  DISPUTATION OF DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER\n  ON THE POWER AND EFFICACY OF\n  INDULGENCES\n\nOCTOBER 31, 1517\n\nOut of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the\nfollowing propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the\npresidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of\nSacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place.\nWherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and\ndebate orally with us, may do so by letter.\n\nIn the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite,\nwilled that the whole life of believers should be repentance.\n\n2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e.,\nconfession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.\n\n3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward\nrepentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the\nflesh.\n\n4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self\ncontinues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until\nour entrance into the kingdom of heaven.\n\n5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties\nother than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by\nthat of the Canons.\n\n6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has\nbeen remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be\nsure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his\nright to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would\nremain entirely unforgiven.\n\n7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time,\nhumble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the\npriest.  8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and,\naccording to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.\n\n9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his\ndecrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of\nnecessity.\n\n10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the\ncase of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.\n\n11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory\nis quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops\nslept.\n\n12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but\nbefore absolution, as tests of true contrition.\n\n13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already\ndead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.\n\n14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love,\nof the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller\nthe love, the greater is the fear.\n\n15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing\nof other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is\nvery near to the horror of despair.\n\n16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair,\nalmost-despair, and the assurance of safety.\n\n17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow\nless and love increase.\n\n18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are\noutside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.\n\n19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them,\nare certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite\ncertain of it.\n\n20. Therefore by \"full remission of all penalties\" the pope means not\nactually \"of all,\" but only of those imposed by himself.\n\n21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that\nby the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;\n\n22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according\nto the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.  23. If it is\nat all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties\nwhatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to\nthe most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.\n\n24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people\nare deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release\nfrom penalty.\n\n25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is\njust like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way,\nwithin his own diocese or parish.\n\n26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in\npurgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess),\nbut by way of intercession.\n\n27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the\nmoney-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].\n\n28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain\nand avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the\nChurch is in the power of God alone.\n\n29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out\nof it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.\n\n30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that\nhe has attained full remission.\n\n31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man\nwho truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.\n\n32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who\nbelieve themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of\npardon.\n\n33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's\npardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to\nHim;\n\n34. For these \"graces of pardon\" concern only the penalties of\nsacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.\n\n35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not\nnecessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy\nconfessionalia.\n\n36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of\npenalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.\n\n37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the\nblessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God,\neven without letters of pardon.\n\n38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of\nthe Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised,\nfor they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.\n\n39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one\nand the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and\n[the need of] true contrition.\n\n40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only\nrelax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an\noccasion [for hating them].\n\n41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people\nmay falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.\n\n42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the\nbuying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.\n\n43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends\nto the needy does a better work than buying pardons;\n\n44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by\npardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.\n\n45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and\npasses him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the\nindulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.\n\n46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they\nneed, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own\nfamilies, and by no means to squander it on pardons.\n\n47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter\nof free will, and not of commandment.\n\n48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons,\nneeds, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the\nmoney they bring.\n\n49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if\nthey do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through\nthem they lose their fear of God.\n\n50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of\nthe pardon-preachers, he would rather that St.  Peter's church should\ngo to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and\nbones of his sheep.\n\n51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it\nis his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom\ncertain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St.\nPeter might have to be sold.\n\n52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even\nthough the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake\nhis soul upon it.\n\n53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God\nbe altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be\npreached in others.\n\n54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal\nor a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.\n\n55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a\nvery small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions\nand ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing,\nshould be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a\nhundred ceremonies.\n\n56. The \"treasures of the Church,\" out of which the pope grants\nindulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of\nChrist.\n\n57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many\nof the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only\ngather them.\n\n58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without\nthe pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross,\ndeath, and hell for the outward man.\n\n59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the\nChurch's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his\nown time.\n\n60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by\nChrist's merit, are that treasure;\n\n61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved\ncases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.\n\n62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the\nglory and the grace of God.\n\n63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first\nto be last.\n\n64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most\nacceptable, for it makes the last to be first.\n\n65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they\nformerly were wont to fish for men of riches.\n\n66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish\nfor the riches of men.\n\n67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the \"greatest graces\"\nare known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.\n\n68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the\ngrace of God and the piety of the Cross.\n\n69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of\napostolic pardons, with all reverence.\n\n70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend\nwith all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of\nthe commission of the pope.\n\n71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be\nanathema and accursed!\n\n72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the\npardon-preachers, let him be blessed!\n\n73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive\nthe injury of the traffic in pardons.\n\n74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the\npretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.\n\n75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man\neven if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of\nGod--this is madness.\n\n76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to\nremove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.\n\n77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not\nbestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against\nthe pope.\n\n78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope\nat all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers,\ngifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.\n\n79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set\nup [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross\nof Christ, is blasphemy.\n\n80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be\nspread among the people, will have an account to render.  81. This\nunbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for\nlearned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or\neven from the shrewd questionings of the laity.\n\n82. To wit:--\"Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of\nholy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he\nredeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money\nwith which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just;\nthe latter is most trivial.\"\n\n83. Again:--\"Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead\ncontinued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the\nendowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the\nredeemed?\"\n\n84. Again:--\"What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money\nthey allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory\nthe pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that\npious and beloved soul's own need, free it for pure love's sake?\"\n\n85. Again:--\"Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact\nand through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of\nindulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?\"\n\n86. Again:--\"Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than\nthe riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with\nhis own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?\"\n\n87. Again:--\"What is it that the pope remits, and what participation\ndoes he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full\nremission and participation?\"\n\n88. Again:--\"What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the\npope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow\non every believer these remissions and participations?\"\n\n89. \"Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls\nrather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons\ngranted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?\"\n\n90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force\nalone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the\nChurch and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make\nChristians unhappy.\n\n91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and\nmind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they\nwould not exist.\n\n92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of\nChrist, \"Peace, peace,\" and there is no peace!\n\n93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ,\n\"Cross, cross,\" and there is no cross!\n\n94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following\nChrist, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;\n\n95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many\ntribulations, than through the assurance of peace.\n\n\n\n======================================================================\n\n  This text was converted to ASCII format for Project Wittenberg by\n  Allen Mulvey and is in the public domain.  You may freely\n  distribute, copy or print this text.  Please direct any comments\n  or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at\n  Concordia Theological Seminary.\n\n  E-mail: CFWLibrary@CRF.CUIS.EDU\n  Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA\n  Phone: (219) 481-2123\n  Fax: (219) 481-2126\n\n======================================================================\n\n\n\n  \"Disputatio pro Declaratione Virtutis Indulgentiarum.\"\n  by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546\n  D. MARTIN LUTHERS WERKE: KRITISCHE GESAMMTAUSGABE.\n  1. Band (Weimar: Hermann Boehlau, 1883). pp. 233-238.\n  PW #001-001La\n\n======================================================================\n\n  This text was converted to ASCII format for Project Wittenberg by\n  Rev. Robert E. Smith and is in the public domain.  You may freely\n  distribute, copy or print this text.  Please direct any comments\n  or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at\n  Concordia Theological Seminary.\n\n  E-mail: CFWLibrary@CRF.CUIS.EDU\n  Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft.  Wayne, IN 46825 USA\n  Phone: (219) 481-2123\n  Fax: (219) 481-2126\n\n======================================================================\n\nAmore et studio elucidande veritatis hec subscripta disputabuntur\nWittenberge, Presidente R. P. Martino Lutther, Artium et S.  Theologie\nMagistro eiusdemque ibidem lectore Ordinario. Quare petit, ut qui non\npossunt verbis presentes nobiscum disceptare agant id literis absentes.\nIn nomine domini nostri Hiesu Christi.  Amen.\n\n1. Dominus et magister noster Iesus Christus dicendo 'Penitentiam agite\n&c.' omnem vitam fidelium penitentiam esse voluit.  2. Quod verbum de\npenitentia sacramentali (id est confessionis et satisfactionis, que\nsacerdotum ministerio celebratur) non potest intelligi.\n\n3. Non tamen solam intendit interiorem, immo interior nulla est, nisi\nforis operetur varias carnis mortificationes.\n\n4. Manet itaque pena, donec manet odium sui (id est penitentia vera\nintus), scilicet usque ad introitum regni celorum.\n\n5. Papa non vult nec potest ullas penas remittere preter eas, quas\narbitrio vel suo vel canonum imposuit.\n\n6. Papa non potest remittere ullam culpam nisi declarando, et\napprobando remissam a deo Aut certe remittendo casus reservatos sibi,\nquibus contemptis culpa prorsus remaneret.\n\n7. Nulli prorus remittit deus culpam, quin simul eum subiiciat\nhumiliatum in omnibus sacerdoti suo vicario.\n\n8. Canones penitentiales solum viventibus sunt impositi nihilque\nmorituris secundum eosdem debet imponi.\n\n9. Inde bene nobis facit spiritussanctus in papa excipiendo in suis\ndecretis semper articulum mortis et necessitatis.\n\n10. Indocte et male faciunt sacerdotes ii, qui morituris penitentias\ncanonicas in purgatorium reservant.\n\n11. Zizania illa de mutanda pena Canonica in penam purgatorii videntur\ncerte dormientibus episcopis seminata.\n\n12. Olim pene canonice non post, sed ante absolutionem imponebantur\ntanquam tentamenta vere contritionis.\n\n13. Morituri per mortem omnia solvunt et legibus canonum mortui iam\nsunt, habentes iure earum relaxationem.\n\n14. Imperfecta sanitas seu charitas morituri necessario secum fert\nmagnum timorem, tantoque maiorem, quanto minor fuerit ipsa.\n\n15. Hic timor et horror satis est se solo (ut alia taceam) facere penam\npurgatorii, cum sit proximus desperationis horrori.\n\n16. Videntur infernus, purgaturium, celum differre, sicut desperatio,\nprope desperatio, securitas differunt.\n\n17. Necessarium videtur animabus in purgatorio sicut minni horrorem ita\naugeri charitatem.\n\n18. Nec probatum videtur ullis aut rationibus aut scripturis, quod sint\nextra statum meriti seu augende charitatis.\n\n19. Nec hoc probatum esse videtur, quod sint de sua beatitudine certe\net secure, saltem omnes, licet nos certissimi simus.  20. Igitur papa\nper remissionem plenariam omnium penarum non simpliciter omnium\nintelligit, sed a seipso tantummodo impositarum.\n\n21. Errant itaque indulgentiarum predicatores ii, qui dicunt per pape\nindulgentias hominem ab omni pena solvi et salvari.\n\n22. Quin nullam remittit animabus in purgatorio, quam in hac vita\ndebuissent secundum Canones solvere.\n\n23. Si remissio ulla omnium omnino penarum potest alicui dari, certum\nest eam non nisi perfectissimis, i.e. paucissimis, dari.\n\n24. Falli ob id necesse est maiorem partem populi per indifferentem\nillam et magnificam pene solute promissionem.\n\n25. Qualem potestatem habet papa in purgatorium generaliter, talem\nhabet quilibet Episcopus et Curatus in sua diocesi et parochia\nspecialiter.\n\n1. [26] Optime facit papa, quod non potestate clavis (quam nullam\nhabet) sed per modum suffragii dat animabus remissionem.\n\n2. [27] Hominem predicant, qui statim ut iactus nummus in cistam\ntinnierit evolare dicunt animam.\n\n3. [28] Certum est, nummo in cistam tinniente augeri questum et\navariciam posse: suffragium autem ecclesie est in arbitrio dei solius.\n\n4. [29] Quis scit, si omnes anime in purgatorio velint redimi, sicut de\ns. Severino et Paschali factum narratur.\n\n5. [30] Nullus securus est de veritate sue contritionis, multominus de\nconsecutione plenarie remissionis.\n\n6. [31] Quam rarus est vere penitens, tam rarus est vere indulgentias\nredimens, i. e. rarissimus.\n\n7. [32] Damnabuntur ineternum cum suis magistris, qui per literas\nveniarum securos sese credunt de sua salute.\n\n8. [33] Cavendi sunt nimis, qui dicunt venias illas Pape donum esse\nillud dei inestimabile, quo reconciliatur homo deo.\n\n9. [34] Gratie enim ille veniales tantum respiciunt penas\nsatisfactionis sacramentalis ab homine constitutas.\n\n10. [35] Non christiana predicant, qui docent, quod redempturis animas\nvel confessionalia non sit necessaria contritio.\n\n11. [36] Quilibet christianus vere compunctus habet remissionem\nplenariam a pena et culpa etiam sine literis veniarum sibi debitam.\n\n12. [37] Quilibet versus christianus, sive vivus sive mortuus, habet\nparticipationem omnium bonorum Christi et Ecclesie etiam sine literis\nveniarum a deo sibi datam.\n\n13. [38] Remissio tamen et participatio Pape nullo modo est\ncontemnenda, quia (ut dixi) est declaratio remissionis divine.\n\n14. [39] Difficillimum est etiam doctissimis Theologis simul extollere\nveniarum largitatem et contritionis veritatem coram populo.\n\n15. [40] Contritionis veritas penas querit et amat, Veniarum autem\nlargitas relaxat et odisse facit, saltem occasione.\n\n16. [41] Caute sunt venie apostolice predicande, ne populus false\nintelligat eas preferri ceteris bonis operibus charitatis.\n\n17. [42] Docendi sunt christiani, quod Pape mens non est, redemptionem\nveniarum ulla ex parte comparandam esse operibus misericordie.\n\n18. [43] Docendi sunt christiani, quod dans pauperi aut mutuans egenti\nmelius facit quam si venias redimereet.\n\n19. [44] Quia per opus charitatis crescit charitas et fit homo melior,\nsed per venias non fit melior sed tantummodo a pena liberior.\n\n20. [45] Docendi sunt christiani, quod, qui videt egenum et neglecto eo\ndat pro veniis, non idulgentias Pape sed indignationem dei sibi\nvendicat.\n\n21. [46] Docendi sunt christiani, quod nisi superfluis abundent\nnecessaria tenentur domui sue retinere et nequaquam propter venias\neffundere.\n\n22. [47] Docendi sunt christiani, quod redemptio veniarum est libera,\nnon precepta.\n\n23. [48] Docendi sunt christiani, quod Papa sicut magis eget ita magis\noptat in veniis dandis pro se devotam orationem quam promptam pecuniam.\n\n24. [49] Docendi sunt christiani, quod venie Pape sunt utiles, si non\nin cas confidant, Sed nocentissime, si timorem dei per eas amittant.\n\n25. [50] Docendi sunt christiani, quod si Papa nosset exactiones\nvenialium predicatorum, mallet Basilicam s. Petri in cineres ire quam\nedificari cute, carne et ossibus ovium suarum.\n\n1. [51] Docendi sunt christiani, quod Papa sicut debet ita vellet,\netiam vendita (si opus sit) Basilicam s. Petri, de suis pecuniis dare\nillis, a quorum plurimis quidam concionatores veniarum pecuniam\neliciunt.\n\n2. [52] Vana est fiducia salutis per literas veniarum, etiam si\nCommissarius, immo Papa ipse suam animam pro illis impigneraret.  3.\n[53] Hostes Christi et Pape sunt ii, qui propter venias predicandas\nverbum dei in aliis ecclesiis penitus silere iubent.\n\n4. [54] Iniuria fit verbo dei, dum in eodem sermone equale vel longius\ntempus impenditur veniis quam illi.\n\n5. [55] Mens Pape necessario est, quod, si venie (quod minimum est) una\ncampana, unis pompis et ceremoniis celebrantur, Euangelium (quod\nmaximum est) centum campanis, centum pompis, centum ceremoniis\npredicetur.\n\n6. [56] Thesauri ecclesie, unde Pape dat indulgentias, neque satis\nnominati sunt neque cogniti apud populum Christi.\n\n7. [57] Temporales certe non esse patet, quod non tam facile eos\nprofundunt, sed tantummodo colligunt multi  concionatorum.\n\n8. [58] Nec sunt merita Christi et sanctorum, quia hec semper sine Papa\noperantur gratiam hominis interioris et crucem, mortem infernumque\nexterioris.\n\n9. [59] Thesauros ecclesie s. Laurentius dixit esse pauperes ecclesie,\nsed locutus est usu vocabuli suo tempore.\n\n10. [60] Sine temeritate dicimus claves ecclesie (merito Christi\ndonatas) esse thesaurum istum.\n\n11. [61] Clarum est enim, quod ad remissionem penarum et casuum sola\nsufficit potestas Pape.\n\n12. [62] Verus thesaurus ecclesie est sacrosanctum euangelium glorie et\ngratie dei.\n\n13. [63] Hic autem est merito odiosissimus, quia ex primis facit\nnovissimos.\n\n14. [64] Thesaurus autem indulgentiarum merito est gratissimus, quia ex\nnovissimis facit primos.\n\n15. [65] Igitur thesauri Euangelici rhetia sunt, quibus olim\npiscabantur viros divitiarum.\n\n16. [66] Thesauri indulgentiarum rhetia sunt, quibus nunc piscantur\ndivitias virorum.\n\n17. [67] Indulgentie, quas concionatores vociferantur maximas gratias,\nintelliguntur vere tales quoad questum promovendum.\n\n18. [68] Sunt tamen re vera minime ad gratiam dei et crucis pietatem\ncomparate.\n\n19. [69] Tenentur Episcopi et Curati veniarum apostolicarum\nCommissarios cum omni reverentia admittere.  20. [70] Sed magis\ntenentur omnibus oculis intendere, omnibus auribus advertere, ne pro\ncommissione Pape sua illi somnia predicent.  21. [71] Contra veniarum\napostolicarum veritatem qui loquitur, sit ille anathema et maledictus.\n\n22. [72] Qui vero, contra libidinem ac licentiam verborum Concionatoris\nveniarum curam agit, sit ille benedictus.\n\n23. [73] Sicut Papa iuste fulminat eos, qui in fraudem negocii veniarum\nquacunque arte machinantur,\n\n24. [74] Multomagnis fulminare intendit eos, qui per veniarum pretextum\nin fraudem sancte charitatis et veritatis machinantur,\n\n25. [75] Opinari venias papales tantas esse, ut solvere possint\nhominem, etiam si quis per impossibile dei genitricem violasset, Est\ninsanire.\n\n1. [76] Dicimus contra, quod venie papales nec minimum venialium\npeccatorum tollere possint quo ad culpam.\n\n2. [77] Quod dicitur, nec si s. Petrus modo Papa esset maiores gratias\ndonare posset, est blasphemia in sanctum Petrum et Papam.\n\n3. [78] Dicimus contra, quod etiam iste et quilibet papa maiores habet,\nscilicet Euangelium, virtutes, gratias, curationum &c. ut 1. Co. XII.\n\n4. [79] Dicere, Crucem armis papalibus insigniter erectam cruci Christi\nequivalere, blasphemia est.\n\n5. [80] Rationem reddent Episcopi, Curati et Theologi, Qui tales\nsermones in populum licere sinunt.\n\n6. [81] Facit hec licentiosa veniarum predicatio, ut nec reverentiam\nPape facile sit etiam doctis viris redimere a calumniis aut certe\nargutis questionibus laicorm.\n\n7. [82] Scilicet. Cur Papa non evacuat purgatorium propter sanctissimam\ncharitatem et summam animarum necessitatem ut causam omnium\niustissimam, Si infinitas animas redimit propter pecuniam funestissimam\nad structuram Basilice ut causam levissimam?\n\n8. [83] Item. Cur permanent exequie et anniversaria defunctorum et non\nreddit aut recipi permittit beneficia pro illis instituta, cum iam sit\niniuria pro redemptis orare?\n\n9. [84] Item. Que illa nova pietas Dei et Pape, quod impio et inimico\npropter pecuniam concedunt animam piam et amicam dei redimere, Et tamen\npropter necessitatem ipsius met pie et dilecte anime non redimunt eam\ngratuita charitate?\n\n10. [85] Item. Cur Canones penitentiales re ipsa et non usu iam diu in\nsemet abrogati et mortui adhuc tamen pecuniis redimuntur per\nconcessionem indulgentiarum tanquam vivacissimi?\n\n11. [86] Item. Cur Papa, cuius opes hodie sunt opulentissimis Crassis\ncrassiores, non de suis pecuniis magis quam pauperum fidelium struit\nunam tantummodo Basilicam sancti Petri?\n\n12. [87] Item. Quid remittit aut participat Papa iis, qui per\ncontritionem perfectam ius habent plenarie remissionis et\nparticipationis?\n\n13. [88] Item. Quid adderetur ecclesie boni maioris, Si Papa, sicut\nsemel facit, ita centies in die cuilibet fidelium has remissiones et\nparticipationes tribueret?\n\n14. [89] Ex quo Papa salutem querit animarum per venias magis quam\npecunias, Cur suspendit literas et venias iam olim concessas, cum sint\neque efficaces?\n\n15. [90] Hec scrupulosissima laicorum argumenta sola potestate\ncompescere nec reddita ratione diluere, Est ecclesiam et Papam hostibus\nridendos exponere et infelices christianos facere.\n\n16. [91] Si ergo venie secundum spiritum et mentem Pape predicarentur,\nfacile illa omnia solverentur, immo non essent.\n\n17. [92] Valeant itaque omnes illi prophete, qui dicunt populo Christi\n'Pax pax,' et non est pax.\n\n18. [93] Bene agant omnes illi prophete, qui dicunt populo Christi\n'Crux crux,' et non est crux.\n\n19. [94] Exhortandi sunt Christiani, ut caput suum Christum per penas,\nmortes infernosque sequi studeant,\n\n20. [95] Ac sic magis per multas tribulationes intrare celum quam per\nsecuritatem pacis confidant.\n\nM.D.Xvii.","title":"Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":4743}