“THE NINETY-FIVE THESES”
Martin Luther
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“The Ninety Five Theses” — the common title to his
“Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”
— is more widely associated with Luther’s name than
anything else he wrote. Luther posted his theses on the
castle door at Wittenb erg on either October 31 or No-
vember 1, 1 517. The disputation which Lu ther announced
never took place, but his challenge made him an over-
night celebrity.
Indulgences were being sold under the authority of
the pope to rais e mone y for various projec ts. The most
recent spate of sales was being carried out by Archbishop
Albert of Hohenzollern, who ne eded cash to buy himself
the Archbishopric of Mainz: half of the pro ceeds were to
go to Albert, and the other half to Pope Leo X in Rome,
where it would be used to help build St. Peter’s cathedral.
The following translation comes from John Dillen-
berger, ed., Martin Luther: Selections from his Writings
(Doubleday, 1961).
ut of love and concern for the truth, and with the
object of eliciting it, the following heads will be
the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg
under the presidency of the reverend father, Mar-
tin Luth er, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred The-
ology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in
that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present
personally to debate the matter orally will do so in ab-
sence in writing.
1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Re-
pent,”1 He called for the ent ire life of believer s to be
one of penitence.
2. The word cannot be properly understood as referr ing
the sacrament of penance, i.e., confession and satis-
faction, as administered by the clergy.
3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to penitence in one’s
heart; for such penitence is null unless it produces
outwards signs in various mortifications of the flesh.
4. As long as hatred of self abides ( i.e., tru e inward
penitence) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we en-
ter the kingdom of heaven.
5. The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit
any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own
discretion or by canon law.
6. The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare
1 [This quotation from Matthew 4:17 w as known through-
out Europe in its Latin form: poenitentiam agite. Un-
fortunately, the phrase was capable of two meanings:
“repent” and “do penance”. — J.D.]
and confirm that it h as been remitted by God; or, a t
most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discre-
tion. Except fo r thes e cases, the gu ilt remains un-
touched.
7. God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same
time, making h im humbly subm issive to the priest,
His representative.
8. The penitential canons apply only to men who are
still alive, and, according to the canons thems elves,
none applies to the dead.
9. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, acting in the person of
the pope , manif ests grace to us, by the fact that the
papal regulations always cease to apply at death, or in
any hard case.
10. It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests
retain the canonical penalties on the dead in purga-
tory.
11. When canonical penalties were changed and made to
apply to pu rgatory, surely it would seem that tares
were sown while the bishops were asleep.
12. In former days, the canonical penalties were imposed,
not after, but before abso lution w as pronou nced; and
were intended to be tests of true contrition.
13. Death puts an end to all the claims of the church; even
the dyin g are a lready dead to the canon laws, and are
no longer bound by them.
14. Defective piety or love in a dying p erson is necessar-
ily accompanied by gr eat fear, which is gr eatest
where the piety or love is least.
15. This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, whatever else
might be said, to constitute the pain of purgatory,
since it approaches very closely to the horror of de-
spair.
16. There seems to be the same difference between hell,
purgatory, and heaven as between despair, uncer-
tainty, and assu rance.
17. Of a truth, the pains of souls in purgatory ought to be
abated, and charity ou ght to be proportionately in-
creased.
18. Moreover, it does not seem proved, on any grounds of
reason or Scripture, that these souls are outside the
state of merit, or unable to grow in grace;
19. Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that
they are certain and as sured of salvation, even if we
are very certain of i t ourselves .
20. Therefore the pope, in speaking of the plenary remis-
sion of all penalties, does not mean “all” in th e strict
sense, but only those imposed by himself.
O
