Martin Luthers 95 Theses; in English and Latin | Page 5

many of those from whom
certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St.
Peter might have to be sold.
52. 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.
53. 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.
54. 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.
55. 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.
56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope. grants
indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of
Christ.
57. 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.
58. 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.
59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the
Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his
own time.
60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by
Christ's merit, are that treasure;
61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved
cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.
62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the
glory and the grace of God.
63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be

last.
64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most
acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.
65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they
formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.
66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish
for the riches of men.
67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces"
are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.
68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the
grace of God and the piety of the Cross.
69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of
apostolic pardons, with all reverence.
70. 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.
71 . He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be
anathema and accursed!
72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the
pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!
73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the
injury of the traffic in pardons.
74. 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.
75. 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 -- this is madness.
76. 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.
77. 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.
78. 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.
79. 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.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be
spread among the people, will have an account to render. 81. 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.
82. To wit: -- "Why