The 95 Theses of Dr. Martin Luther

 Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.

1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

2. The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.

4. As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.

6. The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.

7. God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same time, making him humbly submissive to the priest, His representative.

8. The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.

9. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, acting in the person of the pope, manifests grace to us, by the fact that the papal regulations always cease to apply at death, or in any hard case.

10. It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests retain the

canonical penalties on the dead in purgatory.

 

11. When canonical penalties were changed and made to apply to

purgatory, surely it would seem that tares were sown while the

bishops were asleep.

 

12. In former days, the canonical penalties were imposed, not after,

but before absolution was pronounced; and were intended to be tests of true contrition.

 

13. Death puts and end to all the claims of the Church; even the dying

are already dead to the canon laws, and are no longer bound by

them.

 

14. Defective piety or love in a dying person is necessarily

accompanied by great fear, which is greatest where the piety or love is least.

 

15. This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, whatever else might be

said, to constitute the pain of purgatory, since it approaches very closely to the horror of despair.

 

16. There seems to be the same difference between hell, purgatory,

and heaven as between despair, uncertainty, and assurance.

 

17. Of a truth, the pains of souls in purgatory ought to be abated, and

charity ought to be proportionately increased.

 

18. Moreover, it does not seem proved, on any grounds of reason or

Scripture, that these souls are outside the state of merit, or unable to

grow in grace.

 

19. Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that they are

certain and assured of salvation, even if we are very certain ourselves.

 

20. Therefore the pope, in speaking of the plenary remission of all

penalties, does not mean "all" in the strict sense, but only those

imposed by himself.

 

21. Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say

that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's

indulgences.

 

22. Indeed, he cannot remit to souls in purgatory any penalty which

canon law declares should be suffered in the present life.

 

23. If plenary remission could be granted to anyone at all, it would be

only in the cases of the most perfect, i.e. to very few.

 

24. It must therefore be the case that the major part of the people

are deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of

relief from penalty.

 

25. The same power as the pope exercises in general over purgatory is

exercised in particular by every single bishop in his bishopric and

priest in his parish.

 

26. The pope does excellently when he grants remission to the souls\

in purgatory on account of intercessions made on their behalf, and not

by the power of the keys (which he cannot exercise for them).

 

27. There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.

 

28. It is certainly possible that when the money clinks in the bottom

of the chest avarice and greed increase; but when the church offers

intercession, all depends in the will of God.

 

29. Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed in

view of what is said of St. Severinus and St. Pascal? (Note: Paschal I,

pope 817-24. The legend is that he and Severinus were willing to

endure the pains of purgatory for the benefit of the faithful).

 

30. No one is sure of the reality of his own contrition, much less of

receiving plenary forgiveness.

 

31. One who bona fide buys indulgence is a rare as a bona fide

penitent man, i.e. very rare indeed.

 

32. All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by

means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together

with their teachers.

 

33. We should be most carefully on our guard against those who say that the papal indulgences are an inestimable divine gift, and that a man is reconciled to God by them.

 

34. For the grace conveyed by these indulgences relates simply to the

penalties of the sacramental "satisfactions" decreed merely by man.

 

35. It is not in accordance with Christian doctrines to preach and teach

that those who buy off souls, or purchase confessional licenses, have

no need to repent of their own sins.

 

36. Any Christian whatsoever, who is truly repentant, enjoys plenary

remission from penalty and guilt, and this is given him without letters

of indulgence.

 

37. Any true Christian whatsoever, living or dead, participates in all

the benefits of Christ and the Church; and this participation is granted to him by God without letters of indulgence.

 

38. Yet the pope's remission and dispensation are in no way to be despised, for, as already said, they proclaim the divine remission.

 

39. It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, to extol

to the people the great bounty contained in the indulgences, while, at

the same time, praising contrition as a virtue.

 

40. A truly contrite sinner seeks out, and loves to pay, the penalties of his sins; whereas the very multitude of indulgences dulls men's

consciences, and tends to make them hate the penalties.

 

41. Papal indulgences should only be preached with caution, lest

people gain a wrong understanding, and think that they are preferable to other good works: those of love.

 

42. Christians should be taught that the pope does not at all intend

that the purchase of indulgences should be understood as at all

comparable with the works of mercy.

             43. Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or lends

             to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases indulgences.

 

             44. Because, by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better

             man; whereas, by indulgences, he does not become a better man,

             but only escapes certain penalties.

 

             45. Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person, but

             passes him by although he gives money for indulgences, gains no

             benefit from the pope's pardon, but only incurs the wrath of God.

 

             46. Christians should be taught that, unless they have more than they

             need, they are bound to retain what is only necessary for the upkeep

             of their home, and should in no way squander it on indulgences.

 

             47. Christians should be taught that they purchase indulgences

             voluntarily, and are not under obligation to do so.

 

             48. Christians should be taught that, in granting indulgences, the pope

             has more need, and more desire, for devout prayer on his own behalf

             than for ready money.

 

             49. Christians should be taught that the pope's indulgences are useful

             only if one does not rely on them, but most harmful if one loses the

             fear of God through them.

 

             50. Christians should be taught that, if the pope knew the exactions of

             the indulgence-preachers, he would rather the church of St. Peter were

             reduced to ashes than be built with the skin, flesh, and bones of the

             sheep.

 

             51. Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing, as he

             ought if necessity should arise, to sell the church of St. Peter, and

             give, too, his own money to many of those from whom the pardon-

             merchants conjure money.

 

             52. It is vain to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence, even if the

             commissary, or indeed the pope himself, were to pledge his own soul

             for their validity.

 

             53. Those are enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid the word of God

             to be preached at all in some churches, in order that indulgences may

             be preached in others.

 

             54. The word of God suffers injury if, in the same sermon, an equal or

             longer time is devoted to indulgences than to that word.

 

             55. The pope cannot help taking the view that if indulgences (very small

             matters) are celebrated by one bell, one pageant, or one ceremony,

             the gospel (a very great matter) should be preached to the

             accompaniment of a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred

             ceremonies.

 

             56. The treasures of the church, out of which the pope dispenses

             indulgences, are not sufficiently spoken of or known among the

             people of Christ.

 

             57. That these treasures are not temporal are clear from the fact that

             many of the merchants do not grant them freely, but only collect

             them.

 

             58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, because, even apart

             from the pope, these merits are always working grace in the inner

             man, and working the cross, death, and hell in the outer man.

 

             59. St. Laurence said that the poor were the treasures of the church, but

             he used the term in accordance with the custom of his own time.

 

             60. We do not speak rashly in saying that the treasures of the church are

             the keys of the church, and are bestowed by the merits of Christ.

 

             61. For it is clear that the power of the pope suffices, by itself, for the

             remission of penalties and reserved cases.

 

             62. The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the

             grace of God.

 

             63. It is right to regard this treasure as most odious, for it makes the first

             to be the last.

 

             64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is most acceptable, for

             it makes the last to be the first.

 

             65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets which, in former times,

             they used to fish for men of wealth.

 

             66.The treasures of the indulgences are the nets to-day which they use to

             fish for men of wealth.

 

             67. The indulgences, which the merchants extol as the greatest of

             favours, are seen to be, in fact, a favourite means for money-getting.

 

             68. Nevertheless, they are not to be compared with the grace of God and

             the compassion shown in the Cross.

 

             69. Bishops and curates, in duty bound, must receive the commissaries of

             the papal indulgences with all reverence.

 

             70. But they are under a much greater obligation to watch closely and

             attend carefully lest these men preach their own fancies instead of

             what the pope commissioned.

 

             71. Let him be anathema and accursed who denies the apostolic

             character of the indulgences.

 

             72. On the other hand, let him be blessed who is on his guard against the

             wantonness and license of the pardon-merchant's words.

 

             73. In the same way, the pope rightly excommunicates those who make

             any plans to the detriment of the trade in indulgences.

 

             74. It is much more in keeping with his views to excommunicate those

             who use the pretext of indulgences to plot anything to the detriment

             of holy love and truth.

 

             75. It is foolish to think that papal indulgences have so much power that

             they can absolve a man even if he has done the impossible and

             violated the mother of God.

 

             76. We assert the contrary, and say that the pope's pardons are not able

             to remove the least venial of sins as far as their guilt is concerned.

 

             77. When it is said that not even St. Peter, if he were now pope, could

             grant a greater grace, it is blasphemy against St. Peter and the

             pope.

 

             78. We assert the contrary, and say that he, and any pope whatever,

             possesses greater graces, viz., the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of

             healing, etc., as is declared in I Corinthians 12 [:28].

 

             79. It is blasphemy to say that the insignia of the cross with the papal

             arms are of equal value to the cross on which Christ died.

 

             80. The bishops, curates, and theologians, who permit assertions of that

             kind to be made to the people without let or hindrance, will have to

             answer for it.

 

             81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult for learned

             men to guard the respect due to the pope against false accusations,

             or at least from the keen criticisms of the laity.

 

             82. They ask, e.g.: Why does not the pope liberate everyone from

             purgatory for the sake of love (a most holy thing) and because of the

             supreme necessity of their souls? This would be morally the best of all

             reasons. Meanwhile he redeems innumerable souls for money, a most

             perishable thing, with which to build St. Peter's church, a very minor

             purpose.

 

             83. Again: Why should funeral and anniversary masses for the dead

             continue to be said? And why does not the pope repay, or permit to

             be repaid, the benefactions instituted for these purposes, since it is

             wrong to pray for those souls who are now redeemed?

 

             84. Again: Surely this is a new sort of compassion, on the part of God

             and the pope, when an impious man, an enemy of God, is allowed to

             pay money to redeem a devout soul, a friend of God; while yet that

             devout and beloved soul is not allowed to be redeemed without

             payment, for love's sake, and just because of its need of redemption.

 

             85. Again: Why are the penitential canon laws, which in fact, if not in

             practice, have long been obsolete and dead in themselves,-why are

             they, to-day, still used in imposing fines in money, through the

             granting of indulgences, as if all the penitential canons were fully

             operative?

 

             86. Again: since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the

             wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of

             St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of indigent

             believers?

 

             87. Again: What does the pope remit or dispense to people who, by their

             perfect repentance, have a right to plenary remission or

             dispensation?

 

             88. Again: Surely a greater good could be done to the church if the pope

             were to bestow these remissions and dispensations, not once, as

             now, but a hundred times a day, for the benefit of any believer

             whatever.

 

             89. What the pope seeks by indulgences is not money, but rather the

             salvation of souls; why then does he suspend the letters and

             indulgences formerly conceded, and still as efficacious as ever?

 

             90. These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To

             suppress them by force alone, and not to refute them by giving

             reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their

             enemies, and to make Christian people unhappy.

 

             91. If therefore, indulgences were preached in accordance with the spirit

             and mind of the pope, all these difficulties would be easily overcome,

             and indeed, cease to exist.

 

             92. Away, then, with those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Peace,

             peace," where in there is no peace.

 

             93. Hail, hail to all those prophets who say to Christ's people, "The cross,

             the cross," where there is no cross.

 

             94. Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their

             Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells.

 

             95. And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through

      many tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.

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