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Concerning Christian Liberty
by Martin Luther
CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
LETTER OF MARTIN LUTHER TO POPE LEO X
Among those monstrous evils of this age with which I have now for
three years been waging war； I am sometimes compelled to look to
you and to call you to mind； most blessed father Leo。 In truth；
since you alone are everywhere considered as being the cause of
my engaging in war； I cannot at any time fail to remember you；
and although I have been compelled by the causeless raging of
your impious flatterers against me to appeal from your seat to a
future councilfearless of the futile decrees of your
predecessors Pius and Julius； who in their foolish tyranny
prohibited such an actionyet I have never been so alienated in
feeling from your Blessedness as not to have sought with all my
might； in diligent prayer and crying to God； all the best gifts
for you and for your see。 But those who have hitherto endeavoured
to terrify me with the majesty of your name and authority； I have
begun quite to despise and triumph over。 One thing I see
remaining which I cannot despise； and this has been the reason of
my writing anew to your Blessedness： namely； that I find that
blame is cast on me； and that it is imputed to me as a great
offence； that in my rashness I am judged to have spared not even
your person。
Now； to confess the truth openly； I am conscious that； whenever I
have had to mention your person； I have said nothing of you but
what was honourable and good。 If I had done otherwise； I could by
no means have approved my own conduct； but should have supported
with all my power the judgment of those men concerning me； nor
would anything have pleased me better； than to recant such
rashness and impiety。 I have called you Daniel in Babylon； and
every reader thoroughly knows with what distinguished zeal I
defended your conspicuous innocence against Silvester； who tried
to stain it。 Indeed； the published opinion of so many great men
and the repute of your blameless life are too widely famed and
too much reverenced throughout the world to be assailable by any
man； of however great name； or by any arts。 I am not so foolish
as to attack one whom everybody praises； nay； it has been and
always will be my desire not to attack even those whom public
repute disgraces。 I am not delighted at the faults of any man；
since I am very conscious myself of the great beam in my own eye；
nor can I be the first to cast a stone at the adulteress。
I have indeed inveighed sharply against impious doctrines； and I
have not been slack to censure my adversaries on account； not of
their bad morals； but of their impiety。 And for this I am so far
from being sorry that I have brought my mind to despise the
judgments of men and to persevere in this vehement zeal；
according to the example of Christ； who； in His zeal； calls His
adversaries a generation of vipers； blind； hypocrites； and
children of the devil。 Paul； too； charges the sorcerer with being
a child of the devil； full of all subtlety and all malice； and
defames certain persons as evil workers； dogs； and deceivers。 In
the opinion of those delicate…eared persons； nothing could be
more bitter or intemperate than Paul's language。 What can be more
bitter than the words of the prophets？ The ears of our generation
have been made so delicate by the senseless multitude of
flatterers that； as soon as we perceive that anything of ours is
not approved of； we cry out that we are being bitterly assailed；
and when we can repel the truth by no other pretence； we escape
by attributing bitterness； impatience； intemperance； to our
adversaries。 What would be the use of salt if it were not
pungent； or of the edge of the sword if it did not slay？ Accursed
is the man who does the work of the Lord deceitfully。
Wherefore； most excellent Leo； I beseech you to accept my
vindication； made in this letter； and to persuade yourself that I
have never thought any evil concerning your person； further； that
I am one who desires that eternal blessing may fall to your lot；
and that I have no dispute with any man concerning morals； but
only concerning the word of truth。 In all other things I will
yield to any one； but I neither can nor will forsake and deny the
word。 He who thinks otherwise of me； or has taken in my words in
another sense； does not think rightly； and has not taken in the
truth。
Your see； however； which is called the Court of Rome； and which
neither you nor any man can deny to be more corrupt than any
Babylon or Sodom； and quite； as I believe； of a lost； desperate；
and hopeless impiety； this I have verily abominated； and have
felt indignant that the people of Christ should be cheated under
your name and the pretext of the Church of Rome； and so I have
resisted； and will resist； as long as the spirit of faith shall
live in me。 Not that I am striving after impossibilities； or
hoping that by my labours alone； against the furious opposition
of so many flatterers； any good can be done in that most
disordered Babylon； but that I feel myself a debtor to my
brethren； and am bound to take thought for them； that fewer of
them may be ruined； or that their ruin may be less complete； by
the plagues of Rome。 For many years now； nothing else has
overflowed from Rome into the worldas you are not
ignorantthan the laying waste of goods； of bodies； and of
souls； and the worst examples of all the worst things。 These
things are clearer than the light to all men； and the Church of
Rome； formerly the most holy of all Churches； has become the most
lawless den of thieves； the most shameless of all brothels； the
very kingdom of sin； death； and hell； so that not even
antichrist； if he were to come； could devise any addition to its
wickedness。
Meanwhile you； Leo； are sitting like a lamb in the midst of
wolves； like Daniel in the midst of lions； and； with Ezekiel； you
dwell among scorpions。 What opposition can you alone make to
these monstrous evils？ Take to yourself three or four of the most
learned and best of the cardinals。 What are these among so many？
You would all perish by poison before you could undertake to
decide on a remedy。 It is all over with the Court of Rome； the
wrath of God has come upon her to the uttermost。 She hates
councils； she dreads to be reformed； she cannot restrain the
madness of her impiety； she fills up the sentence passed on her
mother； of whom it is said； 〃We would have healed Babylon； but
she is not healed； let us forsake her。〃 It had been your duty and
that of your cardinals to apply a remedy to these evils； but this
gout laughs at the physician's hand； and the chariot does not
obey the reins。 Under the influence of these feelings； I have
always grieved that you； most excellent Leo； who were worthy of a
better age； have been made pontiff in this。 For the Roman Court
is not worthy of you and those like you； but of Satan himself；
who in truth is more the ruler in that Babylon than you are。
Oh； would that； having laid aside that glory which your most
abandoned enemies declare to be yours； you were living rather in
the office of a private priest or on your paternal inheritance！
In that glory none are worthy to glory； except the race of
Iscariot； the children of perdition。 For what happens in your
court； Leo； except that； the more wicked and execrable any man
is； the more prosperously he can use your name and authority for
the ruin of the property and souls of men； for the multiplication
of crimes； for the oppression of faith and truth and of the whole
Church of God？ Oh； Leo！ in reality most unfortunate； and sitting
on a most perilous throne； I tell you the truth； because I wish
you well； for if Bernard felt compassion for his Anastasius at a
time when the Roman see； though even then most corrupt； was as
yet ruling with better hope than now； why should not we lament；
to whom so much further corruption and ruin has been added in
three hundred years？
Is it not true that there is nothing under the vast heavens more
corrupt； more pestilential； more hateful； than