Against the New Idol and Old Devil, Part 6 – Part 17
THis onelyonly is to worſhyppe ſayntes duely to ye glorye & honoure of god. For in aſmoche as we are ye tēples of god, eueryevery mā ought to ſubmytte hym ſelfe to his neyghboure, and to worſhyppe god in that tēple / to gyue place vntounto hym / to louelove hym / to deale kyndly and louyngly with hym / and yf he may at any tyme, to prouoke hym vntounto better thin ges. Nowe theſe thyngꝭ are not done (I ſuppoſe) with ſhouelles or ſpades couered with ſyluer, nor yet wt gylte rakes. And wold god thoſe men whiche do conſecrate and canonyſe Benno with the other ſayntꝭ, wold here gyue eare vntounto me, & wold ſuffre them ſelfes to be moniſſhed with theſe wordes: Tell me who knoweth, whether theſe thynges be true or not? Doubtles this thynge can not be denyed, that al that coſtly ordenaūce, and all that expence, and all that labour with the honoure and veneracyon, & brefely what ſoeuer ſuch maner thynge ſhall be beſtowed in Miſnia, is neyther ſo wel beſtowed nor is ſo acceptable vntounto god: as it ſhuld be yf any man dyd gyue vntounto a poore chryſten man a dyner or a garmēt. Ye yt thynge is rather vn pleaſaunte vntounto almyghty god & is honourynge of the deuyll: and this thynge is ſpirytuallye acceptable to god, and hatefull to the deuyll. For god hath commaunded this thinge, and the other thynge he dothe not knowe at all. Howe many thouſandes of ducates, doſt thou ſuppoſe or thynke, that Benno hathe coſre, beſydes that he ſhal coſt in tyme to come: with whiche (beynge caſt awaye eueryevery one of them before god, not without his great indy gnacyon & angre) ſo many very ſayntes myghte hauehave ben holpen and fedde / doſte thou not ſuppoſe, that god with his aungels wyll tourne them ſelfes vntounto that place, where ſome good man the ſame day had pytie and compaſſyon of ſome chryſten mā beynge in neceſſytie or afflyccyō: and wyll leaue Miſnia behynde theyr backe, where Bēno is tour mented and afflycted: I wolde hauehave ſayd is made a ſaynt? whā ſhall we ones begyn to be wyſe? Howe often tymes ſhall we nede to repete one thynge? why doſte thou not euen by comen reaſon lerne, whether it is better to do almes vponupon poore ſayntes that are a lyue: or els vponupon this, that ſome man that deed is myght be made a ſaynte, whiche hathe no nede at all of ſuche humanytie & kyndnes? And yf it be better and more profytable: to beſtowe it vponupon poore lyuynge creatures: why are we ſuche nygardes & ſo ſcaſe in layeng forth of our money here in this thynge: A folyſſhe and dyſordred liberalytie.and ſo prodygal & lauyſſhe in the other thynge? But certaynely the iudgementes of god are vpryght & ryghtuous / that is to wytte, that where it dothe greue vsus to beſtowe tenne florence frelye & for nought vponupon the very ſayntes, which thynge ſhulde be moſt acceptable and pleaſaunte to god: that there the deuyll ſhuld make vsus ſo madde with the ſpiryte of Gedynes, and ſhulde ſo handell vsus that we do not doubte waſtefullye to beſtowe golden ſpades and rakes, yea and otherwhyles a thouſande florēnes vponupon deed mennes bones, and beſydes this to ſeche and purchaſe vntounto our ſelfes al kynde and maner of calamytie and indygnacyon. But wretches hauehave neyther delyte to here theſe thynges, neyther to be leue thē. But be it ſo / yet doubtles it can not be auoyded, but ye we muſt nedes ones here & hauehave experyence of it: thoughe we do neuer ſo moche put of from morowe to morowe / We do ſeche ſhame, and therfore we ſhal alſo fynde ſhame and rebuke, whiche verylye is euen nowe at hande. Beſydes this (to adde this alſo) though thoſe thynges alſo were true, whiche are reported of the ſygnes and myracles of Benno, and that the ſayd myracles were of effecte & wrought of god hym ſelfe by Bēno, though theſe myracles (I ſaye) were wroughte euen for the goſpell ſake, ſo as Chryſt dothe promyſe in the laſt chapitre of Marke: (which thīge in very dede can neuer be ꝓued) yet for all that, we oughte not ſo folyſſhely, ſo raſſhely, nor with ſo madde a begynnyng to leape forthe ſo haſtelye to conſecrate & canonyſe ſayntes. For ſuch maner ſygnes & myracles thoughe they do neuer ſo moche declare the holyneſſe of a mannes lyfe / before the workynge of them: yet can they not aſſure vsus & put vsus out of doubt, whether ye ſame man dyd cōtynewe ſtedfaſt and holye alſo in his deth or els not. The iudgementes of god.For aſmoche as the iudgementes of god are hydde & vtterlye meruaylous and dredefull / For he hym ſelfe ſayth in the .vii. chapytre of Mathewe.
Many men ſhall ſaye to me, lorde hauehave we not in thy name caſte forthe deuylles & wrought many myraclas? And than I ſhall anſwere vntounto theym. Go from me you workers of iniquitie.
THeſe forſoth are farre greater & more ſure & vndoubted myracles, than are thoſe, whiche Benno hathe wrought / and Chryſte alſo dothe acknowlege them: yet for all that he doth cō dempne the perſones by whome they were wrought. To the ſame effecte and purpoſe. Moyſes alſo dothe wryte in the .xiii. chapypytre of Deuteronomium, that god dothe permytte and ſuffre myracles to be wrought by falſe prophetes, to thentent to tempte and proue his people. Falſe prophetes.Wherfore it maketh nothynge to the purpoſe, though any ſaynt do worke myracles after his deathe at his graue / For who knoweth whether god doth proue vsus and trye our faythe by thoſe myracles, ye holy man ī the meane ſeaſon beynge condempned at the tyme of his dethe. Lykewyſe as were thē falſe ꝓphetes in theyr lyfe tyme. But in eſpecyall this is a ſuſpecte thynge, whan thoſe myracles are wroughte to thende, that throughe theym holye lyfe in dede may be cōmended: but not that the faythe and worde of god maye be confyrmed. And ſuche for the mooſt parte are all the myracles of this Benno, of which there is nothynge that dothe appertayne to the confyrmacy on of the word of god, but onelye to his ceremonyes, his prayours / to ye gloryes & boſtes of the churche of ye Miſnianes / and fynally to the pompes and auctoryte & power of the church of Rome / Do you not thynke it to be an excellente myracle, that Balaam (as it is wryten in the. Balaam.xxiiii. chapytre of Numeri) whether he wolde or not was cōpelled to preache the worde of god, and to blyſſe the chyldren of Iſraell? Was it not alſo a meruayle that Saul dyd prophecye amonge the prophetes? 1. Regū. & Saul.dothe it folowe therfore, that they muſte nedes be ſayntes: yf the holye ghoſte dyd ſpeake or dyd worke ſuche maner thynges by them? Wherfore before thextreme iudgement no mā ought of chryſten men to be iudged & called a ſaīt, as ſaynte Paule dothe teache in the .iiii. chapitre of the fyrſt epiſtell to the Corinthianes whan he ſaythe.
Do not iudge any thynge before the tyme vntyll ye lorde ſhal come, whiche ſhall brynge to lyghte the thynges that are hydde in darkenes.
SPirytually ſyth we do know that Chryſt and Paule hauehave prophecyed before, that in theſe laſte dayes ſo goodly & ſo gaye painted myracles ſhuld be done, that euen the verye electe & choſen perſones, yf it were poſſyble, ſhulde be begyled. We ought to hauehave good opynyon of ſayntes.Nothynge dothe lette, but that we may of a ſymple and a playne mynde accompt them for ſayntes, & iudge of thē as one chryſten mā ought to thynke and iudge of another chryſten man: But it is in no wyſe to be receyued or ſuffered, that we wyll be as ſure of it as of an artycle of the faythe and hange vponupon it, ſo as the pope tyrannouſly with his Benno dothe requyre: ſauynge onelyonly peraduenture of thoſe whome god in ſcrypture hathe declared and pronounſed to be ſayntes / of whiche ſorte are the patryarkes, the prophetes, the apoſtelles, and the dyſcyples. I do with a good wyll beleue, that Elyſabeth whiche was buryed at Magbrughe is a ſaynte. I beleue the very ſame alſo of Auguſtyne, of Hierome, of Ambrobroſe, of Bernarde, & of Frauncyſke: but yet ſo that I wyll not leane and grounde vponupon this belefe, and defende it to the dethe. For the certentie and the groundewarke of our faythe oughte to be fetched at the ſcrypture, The certentye of our fayth.and to be taken out of it. And excepte it be expreſſyd ī the ſcrypture: neyther ye Pope, no nor yet any Aungelles hauehave any power to make ſo moche as onelye one artycle of the faythe. But hytherto we hauehave ſpoken ſuffycyentlye agaynſt the deuylyſſhe worke: Nowe it remayneth to ſpeake ſomwhat beſydes, agaynſt the deuylyſſhe wordes / to thentente that the ſayde worke may be ſette forthe to the comen people as it were in a table, and ſo at the laſte be dyſprayſed. For I am not ygnoraunt, what maner ſermones ſhall be made eueryevery where throughe out Miſnia, and with what crafte they ſhall mocke and begyle the people, to make them ſette moche by theyr Idole, and to open theyr purſes wyde vntounto blyſſed Benno / that is to wytte to the profyte and be hofe of theyr owne belye / wherfore here I do faythfully & with a chryſten mynde (as I am boū den to do) exhorte and monyſſhe all men, as many as ſhal be preſent at ſuche ſermones: that they do not conſydre onelye the outwarde apparaunce and the dyſguyſed face of the thynge, but rather the thyng it ſelfe / and the verye foundacyon and groūde / I can geſſe well ynoughe what maner roten foūdacyon of ſcripture they wyll laye vnderunder theyr deceytefull and falſe buyldyng, and ſuche one dothe the byſſhop of Miſnia begynne to boſt euen nowe in his wrytynge, theffecte wherof is this. Laudate dn̄m in ſāctis ſuis. That is to ſay, prayſe you god in his ſayntes. Theſe laudes and prayſynges doubtles they do ſtretch out very farre bothe in lengthe and bredthe, affyrmynge alſo that this is laudynge and prayſynge of god in his ſayntes, yf they be canonyſed and called vponupon by the prayours of men. But thou who ſoeuer thou arte whiche doſte here theſe ſermones, I praye ye thynke, yea & knowe thou for a verye certentie, that thou hereſt a lye, & the prynce and father of al lyes, whoſe propretie is to paruerte ye ſcryptures & the worde of god. For this place maketh agaynſt the in aſmoche as it is taken of the olde teſtament, whā not onelye no ſaynt was yet in heuen & prayed vntounto, but alſo it was cō maunded, that god onelyonly ſhulde be called vponupon and onelyonly prayed vntounto, as hym ſelfe dothe wytneſſe in the. xlix. pſalme ſayenge.
Calle vponupon me in the daye of trybulacyon, and I ſhal delyuer the / and thou ſhalte honour me.
ANd therfore he wylleth alſo it to be preached of hym, that he is the ſauyour of men, as it is wrytten in the .iiii. chapytre of the fyrſte epyſtle to Timothe / and he doth alſo wytneſſe in the xxxv. pſalme hym ſelfe to be preſerued bothe of men and alſo of beaſtes. Wherfore helthe & ſaluacyon ought to be aſked and de ſyred of none other, ſauyng onelye of hym. Moreouer this place of ye ſerypture dothe not ſpeke of holye men or of holy women, but rather of holye places / for thus it is redde after the verytie of the Hebrue texte. Laudate dominum in ſancto vel in ſanctuario ſuo, that is to ſay / prayſe you the lorde in his ſanctuarye or in his holy and deuoute place: Lykewyſe as it is wrytten in ye .xix. The place of the pſalme. Laudate dominum in ſanctis eius, is declared & expounꝭded.pſalme. Emittat tibi auxiliū de ſancto / ye is to ſay, helpe mought he ſende the from his holy place, and agayne in the .xxi. pſalme. Tu autem in ſācto habitas, that is to ſay, thou dwelleſt in a holy place.
ANd lykewyſe in many other places which are eaſy to be foūde here and there in the ſcrypture. And in theſe wordes he wylleth vsus to expreſſe & fulfyl the maner of honouryng of god, whiche was exercyſed and vſed in the olde teſtament by the Leuites and ſyngynge men with ſonges and belles, as it is wrytten in the fyrſte boke of Paralipomenon the .xv. chapitre. Syth than it is ſo, ye nowe in the newe teſtamente there is no place appoynted vntounto vsus of god, but we our ſelfes are the temple of god, as Paule wytneſſeth in the .iii. chapytre of the fyrſt epyſtle to ye Corinthians / and Chryſte hym ſelfe alſo in the. iiii. chapytre of Iohn̄ dothe take awaye all preſcripte and determynate places, whan he ſayth. The tyme ſhall come whan you ſhal worſhyppe the father neyther here in Hieruſalem, but in ſpiryte & trouthe.
THeſe wordes therfore muſt be vnderſtāde now in theſe dayes of a ſpirytuall ſanctuary, ſo that Laudate dominū in ſancto ſuo, is aſmoche to ſaye, as amonge vsus, and in the congregacyon and companye of Chryſten mē / wherfore it can not be wreſted nor applyed to the canonyſacyon of ſayntes, or to the callyng vponupon them by prayour. And yf bycauſe of this place it myghte be proued and cōcluded, ye ſayntes are to be canoniſed or prayed vntounto: than by the ſame reaſon belles, ſymballes, taberettes, & harpes, ſhulde be made ſayntes & prayed vntounto. For it foloweth in the ſame pſalme.
Prayſe the lorde in ſhrylle ſoū dynge ſymballes, prayſe hym in harpes and organes.
GO to than nowe, yf thou doſt prayſe god in theſe muſycall inſtrumentes: praye alſo vntounto them, & make them ſayntes / as that Miſnicall & Epiſcopall wrytte dothe teache vsus by this place of the ſcrypture. Laudate dūm in ſanctis ſuis. For I lyſte not here to reherſe, leſte I myghte ſeme to tedyous, howe thoſe men for the moſt parte are not wonte to prayſe god in his ſayntes, which do honour ſayntes and do praye vntounto them: but contrarye wyſe do farre dyſhonoure and blaſpheme god / For they do put theyr hope and theyr truſte in ye ſayntes / which thyng what is it els, than to forſake the faythe / to denye god / and to ſet vp the ſayntes for an Idole? of whiche mater we hauehave ſuffycyentlye treated in another place They allege alſo that place in ye xv. chapitre of Iob. Voca et ad aliquem ſanctorum conuertere / that that is to ſaye. Call, The place of Iob, is evpouned and declared.and tourne the to ſome of the ſayntes.
FOr thoſe papiſtes are ſo blyn de and ſo folyſſhe hardy that yf it happen them to fynde this worde, ſancti, in any place: therof they wyll forthwith confyrme and eſtablyſſhe the veneracyons and merytes of ſayntes, euen as ryghtfully as they go aboute to proue purgatorye, yf in any place they do fynde this worde fyre or this worde purgatorye / or els to proue holye water, yf they may fynde this worde water in ye ſcrypture. But as for this place of Iob, vnderſtande it thus, that Elyphas dothe reproue the good mā Iob of ſynne euen for this cauſe, that god had punyſſhed hym / for he ſaythe.
Call, I beſeche the, euen one and loke about vntounto ſome of the ſayntes.
AS who ſhulde ſaye / God neuer punyſſhed any holy mā / neyther canneſt thou ſhewe that euer any of the ſayntes hathe ben afflycted, whiche waye ſoeuer thou do tourne the. But ſeynge that god dothe punyſſhe the ſo ſore: it is vndoubted that thou arte no holy mā, but a wycked and a ſynfull man. Here I beſeche the conſydre howe gayly they hauehave wreſted theſe wordes to the veneracyon of ſayntes. They hauehave no cōſyderacyon nor no regarde in the worlde vntounto any maner thynge, but what ſoeuer they hauehave thought and put poſed ī theyr owne mynde: there is no remedye but that ye thynge muſte nedes ſtrayte wayes for theyr pleaſure be contayned in the ſcrypture. The thyrde place is the .xx. chapytre of the prouerbes. It is ruyne and deſtruccion to a man for to deuoure a ſaynt, and afterwarde to ſeche vowes / the wordes in laten are theſe. Ruina eſt homini deuorare ſanctum, et poſtea querere vota.
HEre in ye ſtede of this worde deuorare they do rede deuotare, to thentent that ſo (yf god be pleaſed) ye auctoryte of ſayntes ſhulde be eſtablyſſhed. But the true texte, & as the Authour left it, is this Laqueus eſt homini exprobrare rem ſacrā et poſt ea vota q̄rere. That is to ſaye it is a ſtumbelynge ſtocke & ſure & vndoubted deſtruccy on to a mā to corrupte & pollute holye thynges and holye wordes, and than afterwardꝭ to deſyre to be accōpted holye becauſe of his ceremonyes, ſacryfyces, & workꝭ. As for exāple, ye Papiſtes, whiche whan they do pſecute ye worde of god, & what ſoeuer thynge els is holy ī very dede: yet neuertheles they do in ye meane ſeaſon ſay maſſes, & do many good dedꝭ, thynkyng nothyng at all to chaunge theyr wycked ſtate of lyuynge, & ones to make an ende to deſtroye and deuoure holy thyngꝭ. But nowe whan they are broughte to that poynte that they can not by the auctoryte of ſcripture ī any wyſe proue ye ſayntes are to be prayed vntounto, or to be accompted for medyatours, but cleane cōtrary the ſcrypture dothe proue & fortyfye that there is none other medyatour or interceſſoure, than that onelyonly medyatour & interceſſoure Chryſt Ieſu, Chryſte.as Paule doth teache ī many other places, but ſpirytually in ye .iii. & .v. chapi. to the Romanes, & in the .ii. chap. of the fyrſt epyſtell to Timothe, they yet (as becōmeth valyaūte men) do not gyue ouer theyr hold, but do ſech ſome way, by which they may eſcape out, & put by ye ſcriptures frō thē ſelfꝭ. For this word mediator (ſay they) is taken two maner wayes / one waye it is taken for a ſatyſfactory mediator / or a ſatiſfactor. Another waye it is taken for an interceſſorye medyatour or an interceſſor. Nowe to ſpeake of a ſatyſfactory mediator or meane, there is but onelyonly one / that is to wytte Chryſte, whiche hathe ſatiſfyed for vsus / but the ſayntes (after theyr myndes) ſhall be accompted interceſſorye mediatours. Nowe yf any man do aſke of them, where theſe thynges are had in ye ſcryptures, than forthwith they lay agaynſt vsus the auctoryte of holye churche, The churche.that is to wytte of theyr owne ſelfꝭ, whome ye holy ghoſte doth not ſuffre to erre any thyng at all. Theſe men (ſaye they) are of this opynyon and do thynke thus, ergo it is thus: (howe be it yf they ſhulde playe the fooles thus in theyr ſcoles, it ſhulde be called petitio principii) whā they ought to proue that ſayntes are mediatours, whiche the ſcrypture dothe in no place teache. But yet neuertheleſſe they procede forthe on / & euen as thoughe the mater were nowe proued and knowen for vndoubted, they do of theyr owne brayne ymagyne two kyndes or ſortes of medyatours. Therfore whan thou heareſt any ſuch maner thyng: thou mayſte well knowe the wolfe by his voyce. The holy ghoſte.For ye holy ghoſte teacheth nothyng, which is not preſcrybed in ye ſcrypture / as Chryſt ſaythe.
He ſhall teache you al thynges and he ſhall brynge into your remembraunce all thynges, what ſoeuer I hauehave ſayd vntounto you.
ANd ſo at lengthe it ſhall be made open and manyfeſt, yt this tragedy whiche is played concernynge Benno in Miſnia is played onelye by mere lyes & deceytes, of the deuyll bothe in wordes and alſo in dedes / wherfore loke thou that thou do take hede to thy ſelfe, and thinke thus in thy mynde / thoughe we do graunte alſo theſe thynges to be true and vndoubted, yet that not withſtandyng ſyth it is a thynge not greatly profytable, and whiche thou mayſte be without full well, ſe that thou do kepe thy money to the releuyng and helpyng of thy chyldren and of poore folkes, whiche hauehave pryncypallye nede therof / and vponupon whome it ſhal be beſt beſtowed. But nowe moche more thou oughteſt to do this, ſythe it is euydent and vndoubted, that this thynge is not onelyonly vnprofytable, but alſo falſely fayned, deceyteful & playnly deuelyſſhe / yea cōſydre and loke well vponupon the faſſhyon of them thyne owne ſelfe (yf thou wylte) whiche yf they dyd any thyng at all vnfaynedly and hartelye entende and ſeche the hououre and glorye of god & of ſayntes: without doubt they ſhulde fynde mo than two thouſande occaſyons by whiche they myghte ſuccoure and releue theyr neyghboure / of whiche eueryevery one ſhulde be ſyxe hundred tymes more cōmendable, thā all that pompe & royalte wherwith Benno was trāſlated and made a ſaynt. But nowe ſeynge that they dyſpyſynge theyr neyghbour and nothyng regardynge his neceſſyte, are all togyther ſet vponupon this thynge: eueryevery man may eaſely perceyue yt they are blynde & madde, and by the canoniſacyon of Benno do ſeche theyr owne profyte and glorye, & thy money. How be it I do hope, that they are come after yt tyme, Prouerbes.(as it is cōmenly ſaid in the prouerbe) and that they hauehave all in vayne ſpredde a nette before the byrdes iyes, as Salamon ſayth in the fyrſte chapytre of the prouerbes. But yf thou wyll worſhyppe ſayntes duelye, & prayſe them worthelye: thou ſhall do thynge as farre forthe as the enſamples of ſcryptures ſhall teache & preſcrybe vntounto the, The forme & maner of worſhyppyng of ſayntꝭ.of whiche ſcriptures thou mayſte ſe after what maner the grace & the benefytes, whiche hauehave ben gyuen of god vntounto the ſayntes, are propowned and layed forthe before god, whether it be in peticyon, or in thankes gyuynge, or els in complaynte / as for example. Moyſes prayeth in the .xxxiii. chapitre of Exodi, whā he ſayth.
Remembre Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, to whom thou haſte ſworne. &c. And Salomon in the .xxxi. pſalme / lorde remembre Dauid, and all his calamytie. And Chryſt vponupon the croſſe ſayd that verſe of the .xxi. pſalme.
Our fathers hauehave hoped in the and hauehave ben delyuered. But I am a worme. &c. And in the .xlv. pſalme. O god we hauehave harde with our eares, and our fathers hauehave tolde vsus the worke, yt thou haſte wrought vponupon them.
ANd in many other places of the ſcrypture / here thou ſeyſte that no ſaynte is prayed vntounto / but that god is prayſed in them, whiche dyd promyſe vntounto them ſuch maner benefytes, and hathe fulfylled his promyſe: to thentent that he wolde moniſſhe and teache vsus, that ſuche maner grace ought with all confydence to be aſked and hoped of hym alone / vntounto thobtaynyng wherof that faythfull and onelyonly mediator is ſuffycyent, yea & more than ſuffycyent / that is to wytte, Ieſus Chryſte of all ſayntes mooſt holy. To whome onelyonly, with the father, & the holy ghoſte, be prayſe & glorye for euermore. Amen.
Thus endeth the worke made agaynſt the falſe canonyſacyon of Benno the byſſhoppe.
☞ Tranſlated and prynted in Englyſſhe, in the yere of our lorde god, a thouſande CCCCC.xxxiiii. ☞ ❧ ☜ ☞ ☜ ❧ ❧
Imprynted by me Robert Wyer dwellynge in ſaynt Martyns paryſſhe, beſydes charynge Croſſe.
¶ Cum priuilegio. ❧ ❧ ☞ ☜
End of the text · Martin Luther, Against the New Idol and Old Devil (1534)