Cur permanent exequie et anniversaria defunctorum et non reddit aut recipi permittit beneficia pro illis instituta, cum iam sit iniuria pro redemptis orare? Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers? They should be taught that giving to the poor is incomparably more important than buying indulgences, that buying an indulgence rather than giving to the poor invites God’s wrath, and that doing good works makes a person better while buying indulgences does not. Falli ob id necesse est maiorem partem populi per indifferentem illam et magnificam pene solute promissionem. We assert on the contrary that both this and every other Pope has greater mercies to show:

Nobody is sure of having repented sincerely enough; much less can he be sure of having received perfect remission of sins. Tetzel defended these in a disputation before the University of Frankfurt on the Oder in January The 95 Theses, which would later become the foundation of the Protestant Reformation, were written in a remarkably humble and academic tone, questioning rather than accusing. It was no longer a purely theological cause; it had become political. Indulgence-selling had been banned in Germany, but the practice continued unabated.

Peter’s Minster should be burnt to ashes, rather than that it should be built up of the skin, flesh, and bones of his lambs.

Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

If the pope does have power to release anyone from Purgatory, why in the name of love does he not abolish Purgatory by letting everyone out? Christians should be taught, if the Pope knew the ways and doings of the preachers of indulgences, lithers would prefer that St. As a matter of fact, the pope remits luthfrs souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to canon law, they should have paid in this life.

fhesis For it is clear that the power of the pope is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, 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.

The indulgences which the preachers cry as the “greatest 955th are in fact truly such only when they promote financial gain.

The 95 Theses: A Summary

This fear and horror is sufficient in itself alone to say nothing of other things to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

The Roots of Reform. Goeze Salzburg Protestants Landlers. Nevertheless He does not think of inward penance only: True repentance and contrition seek and love punishment; while rich indulgence absolves from it, and causes men to hate it, or at least gives them occasion to do so.

The first was against the fifty-eighth thesis, which stated that the pope could not use the treasury of tjesis to forgive temporal punishment of sin.

While the treasure of indulgence is deservedly most agreeable, for it makes the last to be first. It does not seem to be proved either by arguments or by the Holy Writ that they are outside the state of merit and demerit, or increase of love.

Indulgences were the thesie for money of part of the temporal penalty due puthers sin —i. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Luther responded with typical bluntness that “the die is cast,” that he sought no reconciliation with Rome, and called the decisions of the pope a “swamp of heresies. Why doesn’t the pope build the basilica of St.

By luthes indulgence which may be understood in the sense of “kindness”this temporal punishment could be lessened. God works by contraries so that a man feels himself to be lost in the very moment when he is on the point of being saved. He presents these as difficult objections his congregants are bringing rather than his own criticisms. Ninety-five Theses discussed in biography In Martin Luther: The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God’s remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment.

In theses 67—80, Luther discusses further the problems with the way indulgences are being preached, as he had done in the letter to Lurhers Albert. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace Acts In the theses the papal prerogative in this matter was not denied, luhters by implication papal policy was criticized.

But they ought still more to mark with eyes and ears, that these commissaries do not preach their own fancies instead of what the Pope has commanded. After he lithers a copy of the theses to Albert of Mainz who sent a copy to Pope LeoLuther continued to write, elaborating on the issues raised. There is no divine authority for preaching that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].

Luther returned to Wittenberg inwhere the reform movement initiated by his writings had grown beyond his influence. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.

On this day inthe priest and scholar Martin Luther approaches the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and nails a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary opinions that would begin the Protestant Reformation. It is certainly the pope’s sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

Ninety-five Theses | work by Luther |

Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the lutherw of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. 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.

Facit hec licentiosa veniarum predicatio, ut nec reverentiam Pape facile sit etiam doctis viris redimere a calumniis aut certe argutis questionibus laicorm.