95 Theses
Dr. Martin Luther
Castle Church in Wittenberg
Dr. Martin Luther
Castle Church in Wittenberg
Out of love and concern for the truth
1. When our Lord and Master
2. The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance
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
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
7. God never remits guilt to anyone without
8. The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive
9. Accordingly
10.It is a wrongful act
11.When canonical penalties were changed and made to apply to purgatory
12.In former days
13.Death puts an end to all the claims of the Church; even the dying are already dead to the canon laws
14.Defective piety or love in a dying person is necessarily accompanied by great fear
15.This fear or horror is sufficient in itself
16.There seems to be the same difference between hell
17.Of a truth
18.Moreover
19.Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that they are certain and assured of salvation
20.Therefore the pope
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
23.If plenary remission could be granted to anyone at all
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
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
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
30.No one is sure of the reality of his own contrition
31.One who bona fide buys indulgence is a rare as a bona fide penitent man
32.All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence
33.We should be most carefully on our guard against those who say that the papal indulgences are an inestimable divine gift
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
36.Any Christian whatsoever
37.Any true Christian whatsoever
38.Yet the pope`s remission and dispensation are in no way to be despised
39.It is very difficult
40.A truly contrite sinner seeks out
41.Papal indulgences should only be preached with caution
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
44.Because
45.Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person
46.Christians should be taught that
47.Christians should be taught that they purchase indulgences voluntarily
48.Christians should be taught that
49.Christians should be taught that the pope`s indulgences are useful only if one does not rely on them
50.Christians should be taught that
51.Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing
52.It is vain to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence
53.Those are enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid the word of God to be preached at all in some churches
54.The word of God suffers injury if
55.The pope cannot help taking the view that if indulgences (very small matters) are celebrated by one bell
56.The treasures of the church
57.That these treasures are not temporal are clear from the fact that many of the merchants do not grant them freely
58.Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints
59.St. Laurence said that the poor were the treasures of the church
60.We do not speak rashly in saying that the treasures of the church are the keys of the church
61.For it is clear that the power of the pope suffices
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
64.On the other hand
65.Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets which
66.The treasures of the indulgences are the nets which to-day they use to fish for the wealth of men.
67.The indulgences
68.Nevertheless
69.Bishops and curates
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
73.In the same way
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
77.When it is said that not even St. Peter
78.We assert the contrary
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
81.This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult for learned men to guard the respect due to the pope against false accusations
82.They ask
83.Again: Why should funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continue to be said? And why does not the pope repay
84.Again: Surely this is a new sort of compassion
85.Again: Why are the penitential canon laws
86.Again: since the pope`s income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men
87.Again: What does the pope remit or dispense to people who
88.Again: Surely a greater good could be done to the church if the pope were to bestow these remissions and dispensations
89.What the pope seeks by indulgences is not money
90.These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To suppress them by force alone
91.If therefore
92.Away
93.Hail
94.Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ
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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