Collected Works of Martin Luther

by Martin Luther

  3. Luther in Erfurt. At the expiration of four years Luther finished his studies at Eisenach and, in 1501, seventeen years of age, he matriculated at the celebrated university at Erfurt, where he found a fatherly friend in Trutvetter. God had now so blessed his father’s persevering diligence and economy that Luther had to suffer no want at Erfurt. In later years Luther said in praise of his father: “He supported me at the University of Erfurt with great love and fidelity, and by his arduous labor he helped me to attain my present position.” His father wished Martin to become a jurist, wherefore Luther zealously devoted himself to the study of jurisprudence. Although he was naturally of a wide-awake and cheerful disposition he, nevertheless, began his studies every morning with fervent prayers and attendance at mass. His motto was: Diligent prayer is the half of study. Here at Erfurt, in the library, he found the book of all books, the Bible, which he had never seen before. He was surprised to see that it contained more than the Epistles and Gospels which were usually read at church. While turning the leaves of the Old Testament he happened upon the story of Samuel and Hannah. He read it hurriedly with great interest and joy, and wished that God might some day give him such a book and make of him such a pious Samuel. This wish was abundantly fulfilled — it is true, after enduring manifold tribulations and trials.

  While at the university Luther was seized with a severe illness and he thought he was about to die. An old priest came to see him and comforted him with these words: “My dear bachelor, be of good cheer. You will not die of this illness. God will yet make a great man of you, who will comfort many people. For whom God loveth and whom He would make a blessing to his fellow men, upon him He early lays the cross; for in the school of affliction patient people learn much.” Luther, however, soon forgot this comfort. Not long after this, while on a journey to his home with a companion, and not far from Erfurt, he accidentally ran his rapier, which after the custom of the students hung at his side, into his leg, severing the main artery. His friend hurried back to call a physician. In the mean time Luther endeavored to stanch the flow of blood lying on his back, compressing the wound. But the limb swelled frightfully, and Luther, beset with mortal fear, cried out, “Mary, help me!” In the following night the wound began to bleed afresh, and again he called upon Mary only. Later in life he said: “At that time, I would have died trusting in Mary.” Not long after, death suddenly robbed him of a good friend, and this also tended to increase his melancholy. In such periods of depression he would often exclaim, “Oh, when wilt thou become really pious and atone for thy sins, and obtain the grace of God?” With increasing power he then heard a voice within him saying: Over there rise the peaceful walls of the Augustinian cloister; they are beckoning you and saying, Come to us! Here, separated from the noise of the world, your trembling soul will find rest and peace. What was he to do? — For the sake of recreation Luther, in 1505, paid a visit to his parents. Upon his return, in the vicinity of Erfurt, a terrible storm suddenly broke upon him. The lightning, followed by a fearful crash of thunder, struck close beside him, and, overcome and stunned, he fell to the ground, crying out, “Help, dear St. Ann, I will immediately become a monk!” For it was only in this manner that he hoped to appease God and to find peace and rest for his soul.

  CHAPTER VIII.

  Luther in the Cloister.

  1. ENTRANCE INTO the Cloister. Luther erroneously felt himself bound in conscience to keep his vow, and therefore, on July 15, 1505, once more invited his intimate friends to meet him, in order to bid them farewell. They passed the time with song and instrumental music. As Luther seemed to be happy and in the best of spirits no one dreamed of what was passing in his soul. But before his friends parted from him he informed them of his intention. At first they thought he was joking, and laughed at him. But when Luther once more solemnly declared, “To-day you see me, and never again,” they urgently besought him to give up his resolution. All their endeavors, however, were in vain, Luther remained firm. On the evening of the 17th of July, therefore, they weepingly escorted him to the gate of the Augustinian cloister within whose dark walls Luther now sought rest and peace for his soul. When his father was subsequently asked to give his consent he became very indignant that his son had entered the cloister. On a later occasion, when Hans Luther paid his son a visit at Erfurt and those about him praised his present monastic state, the father said: “God grant that it may not be a deception and Satanic illusion. Why, have you not heard that parents should be obeyed, and that nothing should be undertaken without their knowledge and advice?” After some time, however, he was somewhat pacified by his friends and said, “Let it pass; God grant that good may come of it.”

  Luther Entering the Cloister.

  2. Disappointments in the Cloister. Luther was scrupulously exact in the performance of every work and penance prescribed by the cloister. He acted as doorkeeper, set the clock, swept the church, yes, he was even compelled to remove the human filth. The greatest hardship for him, however, was to travel the streets of the city with a bag, begging for alms. The monks told him, “It is begging, not studying, that enriches the cloister.” And yet Luther found time for diligent study of the Bible. He learned to know the page and exact place of every verse of the Scriptures, and he even committed to memory many passages from the prophets, although he did not understand them at that time. The prior of the cloister, Dr. John Staupitz, came to love him, released him from menial labors, and encouraged him to continue in the diligent study of Holy Scriptures. Others thought different and said to Luther, “Why, Brother Martin, what is the Bible! You ought to read the old fathers, they have extracted the substance of truth from the Bible. The Bible causes all disturbances.”

  Thus Luther soon learned that the piety of most monks was nothing but pretense. In later years he wrote: “The monks are a lazy, idle people. The greatest vanity is found in the cloisters. They are servants of their bellies, and filthy swine.” But if others sought carnal lust in the cloister Luther led a most rigid and holy life. In the simplicity of his heart he sincerely worshiped the Pope. He regarded Huss as a terrible heretic, and he considered the very thought of him a great sin. And yet he could not resist the temptation to read this heretic’s sermons. He confessed: “I really found so much in them that I was filled with consternation at the thought that such a man had been burned at the stake who could quote the Scriptures with so much faith and power. But because his name was held in such horrible execration I closed the book and went away with a wounded heart.”

  In 1507 Luther was ordained to the priesthood, which made him very happy, for he supposed that now, as a priest, he could please God with greater and more glorious works. So thoroughly was Luther enslaved in the bondage of popery. Who could break these fetters? By his own works Luther endeavored to gain the grace of God. Day and night he tortured and tormented himself with fasting and prayers, with singing and studying, hard bedding, freezing, and vigils, with groanings and weepings. He wanted to take heaven by storm. He could afterward truthfully say: “It is true, I was a pious monk, and if ever a monk could have gained heaven by his monkery I would have gained it. If it had lasted any longer I would have tortured myself to death with vigils, prayers, reading, and other works.” The peace of his soul, however, which he had not found in the world he found just as little in the cloister with all his works. Later on he describes his condition at that time in the following words: “Hangman and devil were in our hearts, and nothing but fear, trembling, horror, and disquiet tortured us day and night.”

  3. Luther Finds Comfort. Staupitz one day found Luther in great distress of spirit and said to him, “Ah, you do not know how salutary and necessary such trials are for you; without them nothing good would become of you. For God does not send them to you in vain. You will see that He will use you for great things.” At another time Luther complained, “O my sin, my sin, my sin!” when Staupitz told him, “Christ is the forgiveness for REAL sins. He is a real Savior and you are a real sinner. God has sent His own Son and d
elivered Him up for us.” When, because of great anxiety for his sins, he became sick, an old friar comforted him with these words, “I believe in the forgiveness of sin,” and explained these words to mean: “It is not enough that you believe God forgives sins in general, for the devils also believe that. You must believe that your sins, your sins, your sins are forgiven. For man is justified by grace through faith.” So, even at that time, a ray of light fell into Luther’s soul benighted with the darkness of popery, and from this time on his favorite passage remained Romans 3, 28: “Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law.”

  CHAPTER IX.

  Luther as Teacher.

  1. LUTHER CALLED to the University of Wittenberg. After three years spent in this cloister Luther was called upon the stage where his battle with popery was to be fought. In 1502 Elector Frederick of Saxony had founded the University of Wittenberg. He charged Staupitz with the selection of learned and able men for this school. One of those recommended for his learning and piety was the well-known Augustinian monk Luther, who now became professor at Wittenberg. As Staupitz urged him to remove at once to Wittenberg, Luther did not even find time to bid farewell to his friends at Erfurt. Moving caused him little trouble, for a begging friar has few possessions. And thus, on an autumn day of the year 1508, we see the pale and emaciated form of the 25 year old monk traveling the road from Erfurt and entering Wittenberg by the wooden bridge. He hurried through the long street to the Augustinian cloister, where he found shelter and lodging.

  Elector Frederick the Wise.

  2. Luther as Professor and Preacher. In obedience to his superiors Luther at first lectured on philosophy although he would have preferred to teach theology. And this wish of his heart was soon granted. Already in 1509 he received permission to expound the Scriptures to the students. With joyful devotion he gave himself up to the study of the Bible and diligently searched for the ground of salvation. And, indeed, he very soon created such a sensation that Dr. Mellrichstadt exclaimed, “That monk will confound all the doctors, and introduce a new doctrine, and reform the whole Roman church, for he devotes himself to the writings of the prophets and apostles, and stands upon the Word of Jesus Christ.” Thus God had led Luther to the Scriptures, and he made them his guiding star. He felt that they alone could give him what he sought: truth and peace. Staupitz also tried to persuade him to preach, but Luther at first lacked courage. Finally, however, he consented and preached the Word of Christ in the little chapel of the cloister. Its appearance was very similar to the pictures which the artists paint of the stable at Bethlehem in which Christ was born. In such a poor, little church that man began to preach who was to thrill countless souls and point the way to true peace. Very soon citizens and students gathered in such numbers to hear him that the church could not hold them. He was then called to the large parish church of Wittenberg, whose doors were now thrown open to him. Here he had abundant opportunity to preach the Word of Life in his powerful sermons to many thousands of hearers.

  3. Luther in Rome. By the study of the Bible and diligent preparation for his sermons Luther steadily grew in the knowledge of divine truth, and yet he was firmly held in the bondage of popery. He still considered the Pope the viceregent of Christ upon earth. When he was therefore directed to visit Rome in the interest of his order it filled his heart with greatest joy. For he hoped by this visit to the holy (?) city to find rest and comfort for his conscience. He had to make the journey on foot, and he took the pilgrim staff in hand, and together with a companion started out for Rome. They had no need of money, for shelter and lodging they found in the cloisters by the way. But Luther did not enjoy the journey, for the words kept ringing in his ears: “The just shall live by his faith.” After a long journey through beautiful landscapes the way finally wound about a hillock, and before the eyes of the German monks lay the Roman plain where, on the banks of the Tiber, appeared the resplendent houses, churches, and fortresses of the city of Rome. How his heart must have leaped when, in the radiant glow of the evening sun, the city lay before him! He prostrated himself upon the ground, lifted his hands, and exclaimed, “Hail, holy Rome! Thrice holy because of the martyrs’ blood that was shed in thee!” — In Rome Luther devoutly sought to satisfy the cravings of his heart. With what sincerity he went about this we see from his own words: “In Rome I was also such a crazy saint. I ran through all churches and caverns, and believed every stinking lie that had been fabricated there. I even regretted at the time that my father and mother were still living, for I would have been so glad to have redeemed them from purgatory with my masses and other precious works and prayers.” How revolting it must have been for him to see the priests read mass with such levity and get through hurry-skurry (rips-raps), as if they were giving a puppet show! Luther relates: “Before I reached the Gospel the priest beside me had finished his mass and called to me, ‘Hurry up! Come away! Give the child back to its mother!’” So it happened that his faith in Rome began to waver more and more, and God again and again led him there where true comfort can be found. The following is an example. On the Place of St. John’s there was a flight of stairs, called Pilate’s Staircase, which was said to be the same on which our Savior went up and down before the palace of Pontius Pilate at Jerusalem. Now, while Luther was crawling up these steps, hoping in this way to reconcile God and atone for his sins, it seemed to him as if a voice of thunder was crying in his ears, “The just shall live by his faith!” Thus this passage more and more became the light which revealed to him the true way to heaven. This was his opinion of the so-called Holy City: “No one believes what villainy and outrageous sins and vices are practiced at Rome. You can convince no one that such great abominations occur there, if he has not seen and heard and experienced it himself.” Thus Luther learned to know popery itself in Rome, and was, therefore, the better qualified to testify against it later on. He said: “I would not for a thousand florins have missed seeing Rome, for then I would always fear that I were wronging the Pope and doing him an injustice; but now we speak that which we have seen.”

  4. Luther Is Made Doctor of Divinity. After his return to Wittenberg Luther took up his work with renewed diligence. One day, while sitting with Staupitz under the great pear tree in the cloister garden, his superior took his hand and said, “Brother Martin, I and all the brethren have concluded that you ought to become Doctor of Divinity.” Luther was frightened and excused himself because of his youth, his need of further study, and, also, because of his weak and sickly body, and begged him to select a man more qualified than he was. But when his paternal friend continued to persuade him, he said, “Doctor Staupitz, you will take my life; I will not stand it three months.” To this prophecy of approaching death Staupitz playfully remarked, “In God’s name! Our Lord has important business on hand; He needs able men also in heaven. Now, if you die you must be His councilor up there.” Finally, Luther submitted to the will of his superior and, on the 18th of October, 1512, Dr. Carlstadt with great solemnity bestowed upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. How important this was Luther himself points out when he says: “I, Doctor Martin, have been called and forced to become a doctor without my choice, purely from obedience. I had to accept the degree of doctor and to swear and vow allegiance to my beloved Holy Bible, to preach it faithfully and purely.” Luther, later on, often comforted himself with this vow, when the devil and the world sought to terrify him because he had created such a disturbance in Christendom.

  Luther now devoted himself entirely to the study of the whole Bible, and by the power of the Holy Spirit he soon learned to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel. And it was only now that he clearly and fully understood the passage: “The just shall live by his faith.” With great power he now confuted the error that man could merit forgiveness of sins by his own good works, and be justified before God by his own piety and civil righteousness. On the contrary, he clearly and pointedly showed that our sins are forgiven without any merit of our own, fo
r Christ’s sake only, and that we accept this gift by faith alone. He proved that Scriptures alone can teach us to believe right, to live a Christian life, and to die a blessed death. Thus the light of the Gospel grew brighter and brighter in Wittenberg, and, after the long night and darkness, the eyes of many were opened. The beautiful close of a letter which Luther wrote in 1516 to an Augustinian monk is a proof of the clear knowledge, which he already had at that time, of eternal and saving truth. It reads: “My dear brother, learn to know Christ, the Crucified; learn to sing to Him; and, despairing of thyself, say, ‘Thou, Lord Jesus Christ, art my righteousness, but I am Thy sin. Thou hast taken upon Thyself what is mine, and hast given me what is Thine.’ Meditate devoutly upon this love of His, and thou wilt draw from it the sweetest comfort. For if we could gain peace of conscience by our own works and sufferings, why did He die? Therefore thou wilt find peace in no other way but by confidently despairing of thyself and thy works, and trusting in Him.”

  CHAPTER X.

  Luther the Reformer.

  John Tetzel Selling Indulgences.

  1. Papal Indulgences. At that time the papal chair was occupied by Leo X. What this Pope believed we may gather from his words addressed to one of his bishops. He exclaimed, “What an immense sum have we made out of this fable about Christ!” Luther relates this of him: “He would amuse himself by having two clowns dispute before his table on the immortality of the soul. The one took the positive, the other the negative side of this question. The Pope said to him who defended the proposition, ‘Although you have adduced good reasons and arguments, yet I agree with him who is of the opinion that we die like the beasts; for your doctrine makes us melancholy and sad, but his gives us peace of mind!’” In order to raise the necessary funds for his pleasures and dissipations he published a general indulgence, pretending that he needed money to complete the building of St. Peter’s at Rome. He commissioned Archbishop Albert of Mayence to sell these indulgences in Germany. This dignitary was also excessively fond of the pomp and pleasures of life. He was to receive one-half the receipts of these indulgences. Albert, again, engaged monks who were to travel about Germany and sell the papal pardons.