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TOPIC: Luther, Martin - Table Talks (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 38. Of Spiritual and Church Livings
Other Subjects in this Topic:
OF SPIRITUAL AND CHURCH LIVINGS
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DCCLXXII.
My advice is that the sees of the protestant bishops be permitted to remain,
for the profit and use of poor students and schools; and when a bishop,
dean, or provost, cannot, or will not preach himself, then he shall, at his
own charge, maintain other students and scholars, and permit them to study
and preach. But when potentates and princes take spiritual livings to
themselves, and will famish poor students and scholars, then the parishes of
necessity must be wasted, as is the case already, for we can get neither
ministers nor deacons. The pope, although he be our mortal enemy, must
maintain us, yet against his will, and for which he has no thanks.
DCCLXXIII.
These times are evil, in that the church is so spoiled and robbed by
the princes and potentates; they give nothing, but take and steal. In former
times they gave liberally to her, now they rob her. The church is more torn
and tattered than a begger's cloak; nothing is added to the stipends of the
poor servants of the church. They who bestow them to the right use are
persecuted, it going with them as with St Lawrence, who, against the
emperor's command, divided the church livings among the poor.
DCCLXXIV.
The benefices under popedom are unworthy that Christian use should be
made of them, for they are the wages of strumpets, as the prophet says, and
shall return to such again. The pope is fooled, in that he suffers the
emperor and other princes to take possession of spiritual livings, he hopes
thereby to preserve his authority and power. For this reason he wrote to
Henry of England, that he might take possession of spiritual livings;
provided he, the pope, were acknowledged, by the king, chief bishop. For the
pope thinks: I must now, in these times of trouble and danger, court the
beast; I must yield in some things. Ah! how I rejoice that I have lived to
see the pope humbled; he is now constrained to suffer his patrons, his
protectors, and defenders, to take possession of church livings to preserve
his power, but he stands like a tottering wall, about to be overthrown. How
will it be with the monasteries and churches that are fallen down and
decayed? They shall never be raised up again, and the prophecy will be
fulfilled. Popedom has been and will be a prey. Twelve years since, the pope
suffered one prince to take possession of divers bishoprics; afterwards, at
the imperial diet at Augsburg, the prince was compelled to restore them; now
the pope gives him them again: this prince and his retinue may well forsake
the gospel, seeing the pope yields so much to him. `Tis a very strange time,
and of which we little thought twenty years past, to see the pope, that
grizzly idol, of whom all people stood in fear, now permitting princes to
condemn and scorn him, him whom the emperor dared not, thirty years past,
have touched with but one word.
DCCLXXV.
`Tis quite fitting a poor student should have a spiritual living to
maintain his study, so that he bind not himself with ungodly and
unchristianlike vows, nor consent to hold communion with the errors of the
papists. Ah, that we might have but the seventh part of the treasure of the
church, to maintain poor students in the church. I am sorry our princes have
such desire for bishoprics; I fear they will be their bane, and that they
will lose what is their own.
DCCLXXVI.
Cannons and firearms are cruel and damnable machines. I believe them to
have been the direct suggestion of the devil. Against the flying ball no
valor avails; the soldier is dead, ere he sees the means of his destruction.
If Adam had seen in a vision the horrible instruments his children were to
invent, he would have died of grief.
DCCLXXVII.
War is one of the greatest plagues that can afflict humanity; it
destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge, in
fact, is preferable to it. Famine and pestilence become as nothing in
comparison with it. Pestilence is the least evil of the three, and `twas
therefore David chose it, willing rather to fall into the hands of God than
into those of pitiless man.
DCCLXXVIII.
Some one asked, what was the difference between Samson the strong man,
and Julius Caesar, or any other celebrated general, endowed at once with
vigor of body and vigor of mind? Luther answered: Samson's strength was an
effect of the Holy Ghost animating him, for the Holy Ghost enables those who
serve God with obedience to accomplish great things. The strength and the
grandeur of soul of the heathen was also an inspiration and work of God, but
not of the kind which sanctifies. I often reflect with admiration upon
Samson; mere human strength could never have done what he did.
DCCLXXIX.
How many fine actions of the old time have remained unknown, for want
of an historian to record them. The Greeks and Romans alone possessed
historians. Even of Livy, we have but a portion left to us; the rest is
lost, destroyed. Sabellicus proposed to imitate and continue Livy, but he
accomplished nothing.
Victories and good fortune, and ability in war, are given by God, as we
find in Hannibal, that famous captain, who hunted the Romans thoroughly,
driving them out of Africa, Sicily, Spain, France, and almost out of Italy.
I am persuaded he was a surpassing valiant man; if he had but had a scribe
to have written the history of his wars, we should, doubtless have known
many great and glorious actions of his.
DCCLXXX.
Great people and champions are special gifts of God, whom he gives and
preserves: they do their work, and achieve great actions, not with vain
imaginations, or cold and sleepy cogitations, but by motion of God. Even so
`twas with the prophets, St Paul, and other excelling people, who
accomplished their work by God's special grace. The Book of Judges also
shows how God wrought great matters through one single person.
DCCLXXXI.
Every great champion is not fitted to govern; he that is a soldier,
looks only after victories, how he may prevail, and keep the field; not
after policy, how people and countries may be well governed. Yet Scipio,
Hannibal, Alexander, Julius and Augustus Caesars looked also after
government, and how good rule might be observed.
DCCLXXXII.
A valiant and brave soldier seeks rather to preserve one citizen than
to destroy a thousand enemies, as Scipio the Roman said; therefore an
upright soldier begins not a war lightly, or without urgent cause. True
soldiers and captains make not many words, but when they speak, the deed is
done.
DCCLXXXIII.
They who take to force, give a great blow to the Gospel, and offend
many people; they fish before the net, etc. The prophet Isaiah and St Paul
say: "I will grind him (antichrist) to powder with the rod of my mouth, and
will slay him with the spirit of my lips." With such weapons we must beat
the pope. Popedom can neither be destroyed nor preserved by force; for it is
built upon lies; it must therefore be turned upside down and destroyed with
the word of truth. It is said: "Preach thou, I will give strength."