concerning christian liberty-第1章

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Concerning　Christian　Liberty

by　Martin　Luther





CONCERNING　CHRISTIAN　LIBERTY

LETTER　OF　MARTIN　LUTHER　TO　POPE　LEO　X

Among　those　monstrous　evils　of　this　age　with　which　I　have　now　for　
three　years　been　waging　war；　I　am　sometimes　compelled　to　look　to　
you　and　to　call　you　to　mind；　most　blessed　father　Leo。　In　truth；　
since　you　alone　are　everywhere　considered　as　being　the　cause　of　
my　engaging　in　war；　I　cannot　at　any　time　fail　to　remember　you；　
and　although　I　have　been　compelled　by　the　causeless　raging　of　
your　impious　flatterers　against　me　to　appeal　from　your　seat　to　a　
future　councilfearless　of　the　futile　decrees　of　your　
predecessors　Pius　and　Julius；　who　in　their　foolish　tyranny　
prohibited　such　an　actionyet　I　have　never　been　so　alienated　in　
feeling　from　your　Blessedness　as　not　to　have　sought　with　all　my　
might；　in　diligent　prayer　and　crying　to　God；　all　the　best　gifts　
for　you　and　for　your　see。　But　those　who　have　hitherto　endeavoured　
to　terrify　me　with　the　majesty　of　your　name　and　authority；　I　have　
begun　quite　to　despise　and　triumph　over。　One　thing　I　see　
remaining　which　I　cannot　despise；　and　this　has　been　the　reason　of　
my　writing　anew　to　your　Blessedness：　namely；　that　I　find　that　
blame　is　cast　on　me；　and　that　it　is　imputed　to　me　as　a　great　
offence；　that　in　my　rashness　I　am　judged　to　have　spared　not　even　
your　person。

Now；　to　confess　the　truth　openly；　I　am　conscious　that；　whenever　I　
have　had　to　mention　your　person；　I　have　said　nothing　of　you　but　
what　was　honourable　and　good。　If　I　had　done　otherwise；　I　could　by　
no　means　have　approved　my　own　conduct；　but　should　have　supported　
with　all　my　power　the　judgment　of　those　men　concerning　me；　nor　
would　anything　have　pleased　me　better；　than　to　recant　such　
rashness　and　impiety。　I　have　called　you　Daniel　in　Babylon；　and　
every　reader　thoroughly　knows　with　what　distinguished　zeal　I　
defended　your　conspicuous　innocence　against　Silvester；　who　tried　
to　stain　it。　Indeed；　the　published　opinion　of　so　many　great　men　
and　the　repute　of　your　blameless　life　are　too　widely　famed　and　
too　much　reverenced　throughout　the　world　to　be　assailable　by　any　
man；　of　however　great　name；　or　by　any　arts。　I　am　not　so　foolish　
as　to　attack　one　whom　everybody　praises；　nay；　it　has　been　and　
always　will　be　my　desire　not　to　attack　even　those　whom　public　
repute　disgraces。　I　am　not　delighted　at　the　faults　of　any　man；　
since　I　am　very　conscious　myself　of　the　great　beam　in　my　own　eye；　
nor　can　I　be　the　first　to　cast　a　stone　at　the　adulteress。

I　have　indeed　inveighed　sharply　against　impious　doctrines；　and　I　
have　not　been　slack　to　censure　my　adversaries　on　account；　not　of　
their　bad　morals；　but　of　their　impiety。　And　for　this　I　am　so　far　
from　being　sorry　that　I　have　brought　my　mind　to　despise　the　
judgments　of　men　and　to　persevere　in　this　vehement　zeal；　
according　to　the　example　of　Christ；　who；　in　His　zeal；　calls　His　
adversaries　a　generation　of　vipers；　blind；　hypocrites；　and　
children　of　the　devil。　Paul；　too；　charges　the　sorcerer　with　being　
a　child　of　the　devil；　full　of　all　subtlety　and　all　malice；　and　
defames　certain　persons　as　evil　workers；　dogs；　and　deceivers。　In　
the　opinion　of　those　delicate…eared　persons；　nothing　could　be　
more　bitter　or　intemperate　than　Paul's　language。　What　can　be　more　
bitter　than　the　words　of　the　prophets？　The　ears　of　our　generation　
have　been　made　so　delicate　by　the　senseless　multitude　of　
flatterers　that；　as　soon　as　we　perceive　that　anything　of　ours　is　
not　approved　of；　we　cry　out　that　we　are　being　bitterly　assailed；　
and　when　we　can　repel　the　truth　by　no　other　pretence；　we　escape　
by　attributing　bitterness；　impatience；　intemperance；　to　our　
adversaries。　What　would　be　the　use　of　salt　if　it　were　not　
pungent；　or　of　the　edge　of　the　sword　if　it　did　not　slay？　Accursed　
is　the　man　who　does　the　work　of　the　Lord　deceitfully。

Wherefore；　most　excellent　Leo；　I　beseech　you　to　accept　my　
vindication；　made　in　this　letter；　and　to　persuade　yourself　that　I　
have　never　thought　any　evil　concerning　your　person；　further；　that　
I　am　one　who　desires　that　eternal　blessing　may　fall　to　your　lot；　
and　that　I　have　no　dispute　with　any　man　concerning　morals；　but　
only　concerning　the　word　of　truth。　In　all　other　things　I　will　
yield　to　any　one；　but　I　neither　can　nor　will　forsake　and　deny　the　
word。　He　who　thinks　otherwise　of　me；　or　has　taken　in　my　words　in　
another　sense；　does　not　think　rightly；　and　has　not　taken　in　the　
truth。

Your　see；　however；　which　is　called　the　Court　of　Rome；　and　which　
neither　you　nor　any　man　can　deny　to　be　more　corrupt　than　any　
Babylon　or　Sodom；　and　quite；　as　I　believe；　of　a　lost；　desperate；　
and　hopeless　impiety；　this　I　have　verily　abominated；　and　have　
felt　indignant　that　the　people　of　Christ　should　be　cheated　under　
your　name　and　the　pretext　of　the　Church　of　Rome；　and　so　I　have　
resisted；　and　will　resist；　as　long　as　the　spirit　of　faith　shall　
live　in　me。　Not　that　I　am　striving　after　impossibilities；　or　
hoping　that　by　my　labours　alone；　against　the　furious　opposition　
of　so　many　flatterers；　any　good　can　be　done　in　that　most　
disordered　Babylon；　but　that　I　feel　myself　a　debtor　to　my　
brethren；　and　am　bound　to　take　thought　for　them；　that　fewer　of　
them　may　be　ruined；　or　that　their　ruin　may　be　less　complete；　by　
the　plagues　of　Rome。　For　many　years　now；　nothing　else　has　
overflowed　from　Rome　into　the　worldas　you　are　not　
ignorantthan　the　laying　waste　of　goods；　of　bodies；　and　of　
souls；　and　the　worst　examples　of　all　the　worst　things。　These　
things　are　clearer　than　the　light　to　all　men；　and　the　Church　of　
Rome；　formerly　the　most　holy　of　all　Churches；　has　become　the　most　
lawless　den　of　thieves；　the　most　shameless　of　all　brothels；　the　
very　kingdom　of　sin；　death；　and　hell；　so　that　not　even　
antichrist；　if　he　were　to　come；　could　devise　any　addition　to　its　
wickedness。

Meanwhile　you；　Leo；　are　sitting　like　a　lamb　in　the　midst　of　
wolves；　like　Daniel　in　the　midst　of　lions；　and；　with　Ezekiel；　you　
dwell　among　scorpions。　What　opposition　can　you　alone　make　to　
these　monstrous　evils？　Take　to　yourself　three　or　four　of　the　most　
learned　and　best　of　the　cardinals。　What　are　these　among　so　many？　
You　would　all　perish　by　poison　before　you　could　undertake　to　
decide　on　a　remedy。　It　is　all　over　with　the　Court　of　Rome；　the　
wrath　of　God　has　come　upon　her　to　the　uttermost。　She　hates　
councils；　she　dreads　to　be　reformed；　she　cannot　restrain　the　
madness　of　her　impiety；　she　fills　up　the　sentence　passed　on　her　
mother；　of　whom　it　is　said；　〃We　would　have　healed　Babylon；　but　
she　is　not　healed；　let　us　forsake　her。〃　It　had　been　your　duty　and　
that　of　your　cardinals　to　apply　a　remedy　to　these　evils；　but　this　
gout　laughs　at　the　physician's　hand；　and　the　chariot　does　not　
obey　the　reins。　Under　the　influence　of　these　feelings；　I　have　
always　grieved　that　you；　most　excellent　Leo；　who　were　worthy　of　a　
better　age；　have　been　made　pontiff　in　this。　For　the　Roman　Court　
is　not　worthy　of　you　and　those　like　you；　but　of　Satan　himself；　
who　in　truth　is　more　the　ruler　in　that　Babylon　than　you　are。

Oh；　would　that；　having　laid　aside　that　glory　which　your　most　
abandoned　enemies　declare　to　be　yours；　you　were　living　rather　in　
the　office　of　a　private　priest　or　on　your　paternal　inheritance！　
In　that　glory　none　are　worthy　to　glory；　except　the　race　of　
Iscariot；　the　children　of　perdition。　For　what　happens　in　your　
court；　Leo；　except　that；　the　more　wicked　and　execrable　any　man　
is；　the　more　prosperously　he　can　use　your　name　and　authority　for　
the　ruin　of　the　property　and　souls　of　men；　for　the　multiplication　
of　crimes；　for　the　oppression　of　faith　and　truth　and　of　the　whole　
Church　of　God？　Oh；　Leo！　in　reality　most　unfortunate；　and　sitting　
on　a　most　perilous　throne；　I　tell　you　the　truth；　because　I　wish　
you　well；　for　if　Bernard　felt　compassion　for　his　Anastasius　at　a　
time　when　the　Roman　see；　though　even　then　most　corrupt；　was　as　
yet　ruling　with　better　hope　than　now；　why　should　not　we　lament；　
to　whom　so　much　further　corruption　and　ruin　has　been　added　in　
three　hundred　years？

Is　it　not　true　that　there　is　nothing　under　the　vast　heavens　more　
corrupt；　more　pestilential；　more　hateful；　than　the　Court　of　Rome？　
She　incomparably　surpasses　the　impiety　of　the　Turks；　so　that　in　
very　truth　she；　who　was　formerly　the　gate　of　heaven；　is　now　a　
sort　of　open　mouth　of　hell；　and　such　a　mouth　as；　under　the　urgent　
wrath　of　God；　cannot　be　blocked　up；　one　course　alone　being　left　
to　us　wretched　men：　to　call　back　and　save　some　few；　if　we　can；　
from　that　Roman　gulf。

Behold；　Leo；　my　father；　with　what　purpose　and　on　what　principle　
it　is　that　I　have　stormed　against　that　seat　of　pestilence。　I　am　
so　far　from　having　felt　any　rage　against　your　person　that　I　even　
hoped　to　gain　favour　with　you　and　to　aid　you　in　your　welfare　by　
striking　actively　and　vigorously　at　that　your　prison；　nay；　your　
hell。　For　whatever　the　efforts　of　all　minds　can　contrive　against　
the　confusion　of　that　impious　Court　will　be　advantageous　to　you　
and　to　your　welfare；　and　to　many　others　with　you。　Those　who　do　
harm　to　her　are　doing　your　office；　those　who　in　every　way　abhor　
her　are　glorifying　Christ；　in　short；　those　are　Christians　who　are　
not　Romans。

But；　to　say　yet　more；　even　this　never　entered　my　heart：　to　
inveigh　against　the　Court　of　Rome　or　to　dispute　at　all　about　her。　
For；　seeing　all　remedies　for　her　health　to　be　desperate；　I　looked　
on　her　with　contempt；　and；　giving　her　a　bill　of　divorcement；　said　
to　her；　〃He　that　is　unjust；　let　him　be　unjust　still；　and　he　that　
is　filthy；　let　him　be　filthy　still；〃　giving　myself　up　to　the　
peaceful　and　quiet　study　of　sacred　literature；　that　by　this　I　
might　be　of　use　to　the　brethren　living　about　me。

While　I　was　making　some　advance　in　these　studies；　Satan　opened　
his　eyes　and　goaded　on　his　servant　John　Eccius；　that　notorious　
adversary　of　Christ；　by　the　unchecked　lust　for　fame；　to　drag　me　
unexpectedly　into　the　arena；　trying　to　catch　me　in　one　little　
word　concerning　the　primacy　of　the　Church　of　Rome；　which　had　
fallen　from　me　in　passing。　That　boastful　Thraso；　foaming　and　
gnashing　his　teeth；　proclaimed　that　he　would　dare　all　things　for　
the　glory　of　God　and　for　the　honour　of　the　holy　apostolic　seat；　
and；　being　puffed　up　respecting　your　power；　which　he　was　about　to　
misuse；　he　looked　forward　with　all　certainty　to　victory；　seeking　
to　promote；　not　so　much　the　primacy　of　Peter；　as　his　own　
pre…eminence　among　the　theologians　of　this　age；　for　he　thought　it　
would　contribute　in　no　slight　degree　to　this；　if　he　were　to　lead　
Luther　in　triumph。　The　result　having　proved　unfortunate　for　the　
sophist；　an　incredible　rage　torments　him；　for　he　feels　that　
whatever　discredit　to　Rome　has　arisen　through　me　has　been　caused　
by　the　fault　of　himself　alone。

Suffer　me；　I　pray　you；　most　excellent　Leo；　both　to　plead　my　own　
cause；　and　to　accuse　your　true　enemies。　I　believe　it　is　known　to　
you　in　what　way　Cardinal　Cajetan；　your　imprudent　and　unfortunate；　
nay　unfaithful；　legate；　acted　towards　me。　When；　on　account　of　my　
reverence　for　your　name；　I　had　placed　myself　and　all　that　was　
mine　in　his　hands；　he　did　not　so　act　as　to　establish　peace；　which　
he　could　easily　have　establish