Of Repentance

1] This office [of the Law] the New Testament retains and urges, as St. Paul, Rom. 1, 18 does, saying:

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Again, 3,

19: All the world is guilty before God. No man is righteous before Him. And Christ says, John 16, 8: The

Holy Ghost will reprove the world of sin.

2] This, then, is the thunderbolt of God by which He strikes in a heap [hurls to the ground] both manifest

sinners and false saints [hypocrites], and suffers no one to be in the right [declares no one righteous], but

drives them all together to terror and despair. This is the hammer, as Jeremiah 23, 29 says: Is not My

Word like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? This is not activa contritio or manufactured

repentance, but passiva contritio [torture of conscience], true sorrow of heart, suffering and sensation of

death.

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3] This, then, is what it means to begin true repentance; and here man must hear such a sentence as this:

You are all of no account, whether you be manifest sinners or saints [in your own opinion]; you all must

become different and do otherwise than you now are and are doing [no matter what sort of people you

are], whether you are as great, wise, powerful, and holy as you may. Here no one is [righteous, holy],

godly, etc.

4] But to this office the New Testament immediately adds the consolatory promise of grace through the

Gospel, which must be believed, as Christ declares, Mark 1, 15: Repent and believe the Gospel, i.e.,

become different and do otherwise, and believe My promise. And John, preceding Him, is called a

preacher of repentance, however, for the remission of sins, i.e., John was to accuse all, and convict them

of being sinners, that they might know what they were before God, and might acknowledge that they

were lost men, and might thus be prepared for the Lord, to receive grace, and to expect and accept from

Him the remission of sins. Thus also Christ Himself says, Luke 24, 47: 6] Repentance and remission of

sins must be preached in My name among all nations.

7] But whenever the Law alone, without the Gospel being added exercises this its office there is [nothing

else than] death and hell, and man must despair, like Saul and Judas; as St. Paul, Rom. 7, 10, says:

Through sin the Law killeth. 8] On the other hand, the Gospel brings consolation and remission not only

in one way, but through the word and Sacraments, and the like, as we shall hear afterward in order that

[thus] there is with the Lord plenteous redemption, as Ps. 130, 7 says against the dreadful captivity of sin.

9] However, we must now contrast the false repentance of the sophists with true repentance, in order that

both may be the better understood.

Of the False Repentance of the Papists.

10] It was impossible that they should teach correctly concerning repentance, since they did not [rightly]

know the real sins [the real sin]. For, as has been shown above, they do not believe aright concerning

original sin, but say that the natural powers of man have remained [entirely] unimpaired and incorrupt;

that reason can teach aright, and the will can in accordance therewith do aright [perform those things

which are taught], that God certainly bestows His grace when a man does as much as is in him, according

to his free will.

11] It had to follow thence [from this dogma] that they did [must do] penance only for actual sins such as

wicked thoughts to which a person yields (for wicked emotion [concupiscence, vicious feelings, and

inclinations], lust and improper dispositions [according to them] are not sins), and for wicked words and

wicked deeds, which free will could readily have omitted.

12] And of such repentance they fix three parts contrition, confession, and satisfaction, with this

[magnificent] consolation and promise added: If man truly repent, [feel remorse,] confess, render

satisfaction, he thereby would have merited forgiveness, and paid for his sins before God [atoned for his

sins and obtained a plenary redemption]. Thus in repentance they instructed men to repose confidence in

their own works. 13] Hence the expression originated, which was employed in the pulpit when public

absolution was announced to the people: Prolong O God, my life, until I shall make satisfaction for my

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sins and amend my life.

14] There was here [profound silence and] no mention of Christ nor faith; but men hoped by their own

works to overcome and blot out sins before God. And with this intention we became priests and monks,

that we might array ourselves against sin.

15] As to contrition, this is the way it was done: Since no one could remember all his sins (especially as

committed through an entire year), they inserted this provision, namely, that if an unknown sin should be

remembered later [if the remembrance of a concealed sin should perhaps return], this also must be

repented of and confessed etc. Meanwhile they were [the person was] commended to the grace of God.

16] Moreover, since no one could know how great the contrition ought to be in order to be sufficient

before God, they gave this consolation: He who could not have contrition, at least ought to have attrition,

which I may call half a contrition or the beginning of contrition, for they have themselves understood

neither of these terms nor do they understand them now, as little as I. Such attrition was reckoned as

contrition when a person went to confession.

17] And when it happened that any one said that he could not have contrition nor lament his sins (as

might have occurred in illicit love or the desire for revenge, etc.), they asked whether he did not wish or

desire to have contrition [lament]. When one would reply Yes (for who, save the devil himself, would

here say No?), they accepted this as contrition, and forgave him his sins on account of this good work of

his [which they adorned with the name of contrition]. Here they cited the example of St. Bernard, etc.

18] Here we see how blind reason, in matters pertaining to God, gropes about, and, according to its own

imagination, seeks for consolation in its own works, and cannot think of [entirely forgets] Christ and

faith. But if it be [clearly] viewed in the light, this contrition is a manufactured and fictitious thought [or

imagination], derived from man’s own powers, without faith and without the knowledge of Christ. And

in it the poor sinner, when he reflected upon his own lust and desire for revenge, would sometimes

[perhaps] have laughed rather than wept [either laughed or wept, rather than to think of something else],

except such as either had been truly struck by [the lightning of] the Law, or had been vainly vexed by the

devil with a sorrowful spirit. Otherwise [with the exception of these persons] such contrition was

certainly mere hypocrisy, and did not mortify the lust for sins [flames of sin]; for they had to grieve,

while they would rather have continued to sin, if it had been free to them.

19] As regards confession, the procedure was this: Every one had [was enjoined] to enumerate all his sins

(which is an impossible thing). This was a great torment. From such as he had forgotten [But if any one

had forgotten some sins] he would be absolved on the condition that, if they would occur to him, he must

still confess them. In this way he could never know whether he had made a sufficiently pure confession

[perfectly and correctly], or when confessing would ever have an end. Yet he was pointed to his own

works, and comforted thus: The more fully [sincerely and frankly] one confesses, and the more he

humiliates himself and debases himself before the priest, the sooner and better he renders satisfaction for

his sins; for such humility certainly would earn grace before God.

20] Here, too, there was no faith nor Christ, and the virtue of the absolution was not declared to him, but

upon his enumeration of sins and his self-abasement depended his consolation. What torture, rascality,

and idolatry such confession has produced is more than can be related.

21] As to satisfaction, this is by far the most involved [perplexing] part of all. For no man could know

how much to render for a single sin, not to say how much for all. Here they have resorted to the device of

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imposing a small satisfaction, which could indeed be rendered, as five Paternosters, a day’s fast, etc.; for

the rest [that was lacking] of the [in their] repentance they were directed to purgatory.

22] Here, too, there was nothing but anguish and [extreme] misery. [For] some thought that they would

never get out of purgatory, because, according to the old canons seven years’ repentance is required for a

single mortal sin. 23] Nevertheless, confidence was placed upon our work of satisfaction, and if the

satisfaction could have been perfect, confidence would have been placed in it entirely, and neither faith

nor Christ would have been of use. But this confidence was impossible. For although any one had done

penance in that way for a hundred years, he would still not have known whether he had finished his

penance. That meant forever to do penance and never to come to repentance.

24] Here now the Holy See at Rome, coming to the aid of the poor Church, invented indulgences,

whereby it forgave and remitted [expiation or] satisfaction, first, for a single instance, for seven years, for

a hundred years and distributed them among the cardinals and bishops, so that one could grant

indulgence for a hundred years and another for a hundred days. But he reserved to himself alone the

power to remit the entire satisfaction.

25] Now, since this began to yield money, and the traffic in bulls became profitable he devised the

golden jubilee year [a truly gold-bearing year], and fixed it at Rome. He called this the remission of all

punishment and guilt. Then the people came running, because every one would fain have been freed from

this grievous, unbearable burden. This meant to find [dig up] and raise the treasures of the earth.

Immediately the Pope pressed still further, and multiplied the golden years one upon another. But the

more he devoured money, the wider grew his maw.

Later, therefore, he issued them [those golden years of his] by his legates [everywhere] to the countries,

until all churches and houses were full of the Golden Year. 26] At last he also made an inroad into

purgatory among the dead, first, by founding masses and vigils, afterwards, by indulgences and the

Golden Year, and finally souls became so cheap that he released one for a farthing.

27] But all this, too, was of no avail. For although the Pope taught men to depend upon, and trust in,

these indulgences [for salvation], yet he rendered the [whole] matter again uncertain. For in his bulls he

declares: Whoever would share in the indulgences or a Golden Year must be contrite, and have

confessed, and pay money. Now, we have heard above that this contrition and confession are with them

uncertain and hypocrisy. Likewise, also no one knew what soul was in purgatory, and if some were

therein, no one knew which had properly repented and confessed. Thus he took the precious money [the

Pope snatched up the holy pence], and comforted them meanwhile with [led them to confidence in] his

power and indulgence, and [then again led them away from that and] directed them again to their

uncertain work.

28] If, now [although], there were some who did not believe [acknowledge] themselves guilty of such

actual sins in [committed by] thoughts, words, and works,—as I, and such as I, in monasteries and

chapters [fraternities or colleges of priests], wished to be monks and priests, and by fasting, watching,

praying, saying Mass, coarse garments, and hard beds, etc., fought against [strove to resist] evil thoughts,

and in full earnest and with force wanted to be holy, and yet the hereditary, inborn evil sometimes did in

sleep what it is wont to do (as also St. Augustine and Jerome among others confess),—still each one held

the other in esteem, so that some, according to our teaching, were regarded as holy, without sin and full

of good works, so much so that with this mind we would communicate and sell our good works to others,

as being superfluous to us for heaven. This is indeed true, and seals, letters, and instances [that this

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happened] are at hand.

29] [When there were such, I say,] These did not need repentance. For of what would they repent, since

they had not indulged wicked thoughts? What would they confess [concerning words not uttered], since

they had avoided words? For what should they render satisfaction, since they were so guiltless of any

deed that they could even sell their superfluous righteousness to other poor sinners? Such saints were

also the Pharisees and scribes in the time of Christ.

30] Here comes the fiery angel, St. John [Rev. 10], the true preacher of [true] repentance, and with one

[thunderclap and] bolt hurls both [those selling and those buying works] on one heap, and says: Repent!

Matt. 3, 2. 31] Now, the former [the poor wretches] imagine: Why, we have repented! The latter [the

rest] say: We need no repentance. 32] John says: Repent ye, both of you, for ye are false penitents; so are

these [the rest] false saints [or hypocrites], and all of you on either side need the forgiveness of sins,

because neither of you know what true sin is not to say anything about your duty to repent of it and shun

it. For no one of you is good; you are full of unbelief, stupidity, and ignorance of God and God’s will.

For here He is present of whose fulness have all we received, and grace for grace, John 1, 16, and

without Him no man can be just before God. Therefore, if you wish to repent, repent aright; your

penance will not accomplish anything [is nothing]. And you hypocrites, who do not need repentance, you

serpents’ brood, who has assured you that you will escape the wrath to come? etc. Matt. 3, 7; Luke 3, 7.

33] In the same way Paul also preaches, Rom. 3, 10–12: There is none righteous, there is none that

understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God, there is none that doeth good, no not one; they are

all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable. 34] And Acts 17, 30: God now

commandeth all men everywhere to repent. “All men,” he says; no one excepted who is a man. 35] This

repentance teaches us to discern sin, namely, that we are altogether lost, and that there is nothing good in

us from head to foot [both within and without], and that we must absolutely become new and other men.

36] This repentance is not piecemeal [partial] and beggarly [fragmentary], like that which does penance

for actual sins, nor is it uncertain like that. For it does not debate what is or is not sin, but hurls

everything on a heap, and says: All in us is nothing but sin [affirms that, with respect to us, all is simply

sin (and there is nothing in us that is not sin and guilt)]. What is the use of [For why do we wish]

investigating, dividing, or distinguishing a long time? For this reason, too, this contrition is not [doubtful

or] uncertain. For there is nothing left with which we can think of any good thing to pay for sin, but there

is only a sure despairing concerning all that we are, think, speak, or do [all hope must be cast aside in

respect of everything], etc.

37] In like manner confession, too, cannot be false, uncertain, or piecemeal [mutilated or fragmentary].

For he who confesses that all in him is nothing but sin comprehends all sins, excludes none, forgets none.

38] Neither can the satisfaction be uncertain, because it is not our uncertain, sinful work, but it is the

suffering and blood of the [spotless and] innocent Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.

39] Of this repentance John preaches, and afterwards Christ in the Gospel, and we also. By this

[preaching of] repentance we dash to the ground the Pope and everything that is built upon our good

works. For all is built upon a rotten and vain foundation, which is called a good work or law, even

though no good work is there, but only wicked works, and no one does the Law (as Christ, John 7, 19,

says), but all transgress it. Therefore the building [that is raised upon it] is nothing but falsehood and

hypocrisy, even [in the part] where it is most holy and beautiful.

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40] And in Christians this repentance continues until death, because, through the entire life it contends

with sin remaining in the flesh, as Paul, Rom. 7, 14–25, [shows] testifies that he wars with the law in his

members, etc.; and that, not by his own powers, but by the gift of the Holy Ghost that follows the

remission of sins. This gift daily cleanses and sweeps out the remaining sins, and works so as to render

man truly pure and holy.

41] The Pope, the theologians, the jurists, and every other man know nothing of this [from their own

reason], but it is a doctrine from heaven, revealed through the Gospel, and must suffer to be called heresy

by the godless saints [or hypocrites].

42] On the other hand, if certain sectarists would arise, some of whom are perhaps already extant, and in

the time of the insurrection [of the peasants] came to my own view, holding that all those who had once

received the Spirit or the forgiveness of sins, or had become believers, even though they should

afterwards sin, would still remain in the faith, and such sin would not harm them, and [hence] crying

thus: “Do whatever you please; if you believe, it all amounts to nothing; faith blots out all sins,”

etc.—they say, besides, that if any one sins after he has received faith and the Spirit, he never truly had

the Spirit and faith: I have had before me [seen and heard] many such insane men, and I fear that in some

such a devil is still remaining [hiding and dwelling].

43] It is, accordingly, necessary to know and to teach that when holy men, still having and feeling

original sin, also daily repenting of and striving with it, happen to fall into manifest sins, as David into

adultery, murder, and blasphemy, that then faith and the Holy Ghost has departed from them [they cast

out faith and the Holy Ghost]. For the Holy Ghost does not permit sin to have dominion, to gain the

upper hand so as to be accomplished, but represses and restrains it so that it must not do what it wishes.

But if it does what it wishes, the Holy Ghost and faith are [certainly] not present. For St. John says, 1

John 3, 9: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, ... and he cannot sin. And yet it is also the

truth when the same St. John says, 1, 8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth

is not in us.