{"id":457,"date":"2008-10-31T20:14:29","date_gmt":"2008-11-01T02:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/?p=457"},"modified":"2008-10-31T20:14:29","modified_gmt":"2008-11-01T02:14:29","slug":"a-blessed-reformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/?p=457","title":{"rendered":"A Blessed Reformation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_458\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/luther95-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-458\" class=\"size-full wp-image-458\" title=\"Luther posts the 95 Theses\" src=\"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/luther95-2.jpg\" alt=\"Luther posts the 95 theses\" width=\"150\" height=\"237\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-458\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luther posts the 95 Theses<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Today we remember the Reformation and what Martin Luther wrote which sparked a change in the Church: <strong>Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences <\/strong>or what we commonly refer to as the <strong>95 Theses.<\/strong> Below are the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.projectwittenberg.org\/pub\/resources\/text\/wittenberg\/luther\/web\/ninetyfive.html\" target=\"_blank\">95 Theses<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther<br \/>\non the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences<br \/>\nby Dr. Martin Luther (1517)<\/strong> <strong>Published in:<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Works of Martin Luther:<br \/>\nAdolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al.,  Trans. &amp; Eds.<br \/>\n(Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol.1, pp. 29-38<\/em><br \/>\n_______________<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\">\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\">Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light,          the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg,          under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther,          Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in          Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that          those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us,          may do so by letter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\">In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align:left;\"><a name=\"95-01\">1.<\/a> Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam          agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be          repentance.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-02\">2.<\/a> This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance,          i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by          the priests.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-03\">3.<\/a> Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no          inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers          mortifications of the flesh.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-04\">4.<\/a> The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as          hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward          repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom          of heaven.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-05\">5.<\/a> The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any          penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his          own authority or by that of the Canons.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-06\">6.<\/a> The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that          it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God&#8217;s          remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases          reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in          such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely          unforgiven.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-07\">7.<\/a> God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same          time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His          vicar, the priest.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-08\">8.<\/a> The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and,          according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-09\">9.<\/a> Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us,          because in his decrees he always makes exception of the          article of death and of necessity.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-10\">10.<\/a> Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who,          in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for          purgatory.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-11\">11.<\/a> This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of          purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown          while the bishops slept.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-12\">12.<\/a> In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not          after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-13\">13.<\/a> The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are          already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be          released from them.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-14\">14.<\/a> The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the          imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity,          great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-15\">15.<\/a> This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say          nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of          purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-16\">16.<\/a> Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair,          almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-17\">17.<\/a> With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror          should grow less and love increase.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-18\">18.<\/a> It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that          they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of          increasing love.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-19\">19.<\/a> Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all          of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness,          though we may be quite certain of it.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-20\">20.<\/a> Therefore by &#8220;full remission of all penalties&#8221; the pope          means not actually &#8220;of all,&#8221; but only of those imposed by          himself.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-21\">21.<\/a> Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who          say that by the pope&#8217;s indulgences a man is freed from every          penalty, and saved;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-22\">22.<\/a> Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which,          according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this          life.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-23\">23.<\/a> If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission          of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission          can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very          fewest.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-24\">24.<\/a> It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the          people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding          promise of release from penalty.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-25\">25.<\/a> The power which the pope has, in a general way, over          purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate          has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-26\">26.<\/a> The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in          purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not          possess), but by way of intercession.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-27\">27.<\/a> They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles          into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-28\">28.<\/a> It is certain that when the penny jingles into the          money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result          of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God          alone.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-29\">29.<\/a> Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be          bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and          Paschal.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-30\">30.<\/a> No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much          less that he has attained full remission.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-31\">31.<\/a> Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also          the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most          rare.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-32\">32.<\/a> They will be condemned eternally, together with their          teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation          because they have letters of pardon.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-33\">33.<\/a> Men must be on their guard against those who say that the          pope&#8217;s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man          is reconciled to Him;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-34\">34.<\/a> For these &#8220;graces of pardon&#8221; concern only the penalties of          sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-35\">35.<\/a> They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that          contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls          out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-36\">36.<\/a> Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full          remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of          pardon.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-37\">37.<\/a> Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in          all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is          granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-38\">38.<\/a> Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the          blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in          no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the          declaration of divine remission.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-39\">39.<\/a> It is most difficult, even for the very keenest          theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people          the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-40\">40.<\/a> True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal          pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at          least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-41\">41.<\/a> Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest          the people may falsely think them preferable to other good          works of love.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-42\">42.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend          the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of          mercy.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-43\">43.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor          or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-44\">44.<\/a> Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes          better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more          free from penalty.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-45\">45.<\/a> 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in          need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons,          purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation          of God.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-46\">46.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that unless they have more          than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary          for their own families, and by no means to squander it on          pardons.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-47\">47.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is          a matter of free will, and not of commandment.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-48\">48.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting          pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for          him more than the money they bring.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-49\">49.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that the pope&#8217;s pardons are          useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether          harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-50\">50.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the          exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St.          Peter&#8217;s church should go to ashes, than that it should be          built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-51\">51.<\/a> Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope&#8217;s          wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many          of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money,          even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-52\">52.<\/a> The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain,          even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself,          were to stake his soul upon it.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-53\">53.<\/a> They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the          Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order          that pardons may be preached in others.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-54\">54.<\/a> Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon,          an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this          Word.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-55\">55.<\/a> It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons,          which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell,          with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which          is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred          bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-56\">56.<\/a> The &#8220;treasures of the Church,&#8221; out of which the pope.          grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among          the people of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-57\">57.<\/a> That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident,          for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so          easily, but only gather them.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-58\">58.<\/a> Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even          without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man,          and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-59\">59.<\/a> St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were          the Church&#8217;s poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the          word in his own time.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-60\">60.<\/a> Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given          by Christ&#8217;s merit, are that treasure;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-61\">61.<\/a> For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of          reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-62\">62.<\/a> The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of          the glory and the grace of God.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-63\">63.<\/a> But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes          the first to be last.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-64\">64.<\/a> On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is          naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-65\">65.<\/a> Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which          they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-66\">66.<\/a> The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they          now fish for the riches of men.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-67\">67.<\/a> The indulgences which the preachers cry as the &#8220;greatest          graces&#8221; are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote          gain.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-68\">68.<\/a> Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared          with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-69\">69.<\/a> Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of          apostolic pardons, with all reverence.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-70\">70.<\/a> But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and          attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own          dreams instead of the commission of the pope.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-71\">71.<\/a> He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let          him be anathema and accursed!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-72\">72.<\/a> But he who guards against the lust and license of the          pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-73\">73.<\/a> The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art,          contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-74\">74.<\/a> But much more does he intend to thunder against those who          use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love          and truth.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-75\">75.<\/a> To think the papal pardons so great that they could          absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and          violated the Mother of God &#8212; this is madness.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-76\">76.<\/a> We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not          able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its          guilt is concerned.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-77\">77.<\/a> It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could          not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter          and against the pope.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-78\">78.<\/a> We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and          any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit,          the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written          in I. Corinthians xii.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-79\">79.<\/a> To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms,          which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal          worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-80\">80.<\/a> The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk          to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-81\">81.<\/a> This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy          matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to          the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of          the laity.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-82\">82.<\/a> To wit: &#8212; &#8220;Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the          sake of holy love and of 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          reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-83\">83.<\/a> Again: &#8212; &#8220;Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the          dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the          withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it          is wrong to pray for the redeemed?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-84\">84.<\/a> Again: &#8212; &#8220;What is this new piety of God and the pope,          that for money they allow 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, because of that pious and beloved soul&#8217;s own          need, free it for pure love&#8217;s sake?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-85\">85.<\/a> Again: &#8212; &#8220;Why are the penitential canons long since in          actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now          satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were          still alive and in force?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-86\">86.<\/a> Again: &#8212; &#8220;Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day          greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one          church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the          money of poor believers?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-87\">87.<\/a> Again: &#8212; &#8220;What is it that the pope remits, and what          participation does he grant to those who, by perfect          contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-88\">88.<\/a> Again: &#8212; &#8220;What greater blessing could come to the Church          than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now          does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and          participations?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-89\">89.<\/a> &#8220;Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of          souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences          and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal          efficacy?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-90\">90.<\/a> To repress these arguments and scruples 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.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-91\">91.<\/a> If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the          spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily          resolved; nay, they would not exist.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-92\">92.<\/a> Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people          of Christ, &#8220;Peace, peace,&#8221; and there is no peace!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-93\">93.<\/a> Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of          Christ, &#8220;Cross, cross,&#8221; and there is no cross!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"95-94\">94.<\/a> Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in          following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and          hell;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><a name=\"95-95\">95.<\/a> And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather          through many tribulations, than through the assurance of          peace.<\/p>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today we remember the Reformation and what Martin Luther wrote which sparked a change in the Church: Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences or what we commonly refer to as the 95 Theses. Below are the 95 Theses. Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[234192,145868,116,82983],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-year","category-lutheran","category-religion","category-roman-catholic-church"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=457"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":459,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457\/revisions\/459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}