Martin Luthers 95 Theses; in English and Latin | Page 3

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Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of
Indulgences by Dr. Martin Luther, 1517 Published in: Works of Martin
Luther Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans.
& Eds. (Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol. 1, pp. 29-38.
DISPUTATION OF DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER ON THE POWER
AND EFFICACY OF INDULGENCES
OCTOBER 31, 1517
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.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite,
willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.
2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e.,
confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.
3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward
repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the
flesh.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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. If his
right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would

remain entirely unforgiven.
7. 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. 8.
The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according
to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. 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.
10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case
of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.
11. 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.
12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but
before absolution, as tests of true contrition.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair,
almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.
17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow
less and love increase.
18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are
outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.
19. 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.
20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not
actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.
21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that
by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;
22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which,

according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life. 23. If it
is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties