【英文原著类】concerningchristianli

CONCERNINGCHRISTIANLIBERTY1CONCERNINGCHRISTIANLIBERTYbyMartinLutherCONCERNINGCHRISTIANLIBERTY2LETTEROFMARTINLUTHERTOPOPELEOXAmongthosemonstrousevilsofthisagewithwhichIhavenowforthreeyearsbeenwagingwar,Iamsometimescompelledtolooktoyouandtocallyoutomind,mostblessedfatherLeo.Intruth,sinceyoualoneareeverywhereconsideredasbeingthecauseofmyengaginginwar,Icannotatanytimefailtorememberyou;andalthoughIhavebeencompelledbythecauselessragingofyourimpiousflatterersagainstmetoappealfromyourseattoafuturecouncil--fearlessofthefutiledecreesofyourpredecessorsPiusandJulius,whointheirfoolishtyrannyprohibitedsuchanaction--yetIhaveneverbeensoalienatedinfeelingfromyourBlessednessasnottohavesoughtwithallmymight,indiligentprayerandcryingtoGod,allthebestgiftsforyouandforyoursee.Butthosewhohavehithertoendeavouredtoterrifymewiththemajestyofyournameandauthority,Ihavebegunquitetodespiseandtriumphover.OnethingIseeremainingwhichIcannotdespise,andthishasbeenthereasonofmywritinganewtoyourBlessedness:namely,thatIfindthatblameiscastonme,andthatitisimputedtomeasagreatoffence,thatinmyrashnessIamjudgedtohavesparednotevenyourperson.Now,toconfessthetruthopenly,Iamconsciousthat,wheneverIhavehadtomentionyourperson,Ihavesaidnothingofyoubutwhatwashonourableandgood.IfIhaddoneotherwise,Icouldbynomeanshaveapprovedmyownconduct,butshouldhavesupportedwithallmypowerthejudgmentofthosemenconcerningme,norwouldanythinghavepleasedmebetter,thantorecantsuchrashnessandimpiety.IhavecalledyouDanielinBabylon;andeveryreaderthoroughlyknowswithwhatdistinguishedzealIdefendedyourconspicuousinnocenceagainstSilvester,whotriedtostainit.Indeed,thepublishedopinionofsomanygreatmenandthereputeofyourblamelesslifearetoowidelyfamedandtoomuchreverencedthroughouttheworldtobeassailablebyanyman,CONCERNINGCHRISTIANLIBERTY3ofhowevergreatname,orbyanyarts.Iamnotsofoolishastoattackonewhomeverybodypraises;nay,ithasbeenandalwayswillbemydesirenottoattackeventhosewhompublicreputedisgraces.Iamnotdelightedatthefaultsofanyman,sinceIamveryconsciousmyselfofthegreatbeaminmyowneye,norcanIbethefirsttocastastoneattheadulteress.Ihaveindeedinveighedsharplyagainstimpiousdoctrines,andIhavenotbeenslacktocensuremyadversariesonaccount,notoftheirbadmorals,butoftheirimpiety.AndforthisIamsofarfrombeingsorrythatIhavebroughtmymindtodespisethejudgmentsofmenandtopersevereinthisvehementzeal,accordingtotheexampleofChrist,who,inHiszeal,callsHisadversariesagenerationofvipers,blind,hypocrites,andchildrenofthedevil.Paul,too,chargesthesorcererwithbeingachildofthedevil,fullofallsubtletyandallmalice;anddefamescertainpersonsasevilworkers,dogs,anddeceivers.Intheopinionofthosedelicate-earedpersons,nothingcouldbemorebitterorintemperatethanPaul'slanguage.Whatcanbemorebitterthanthewordsoftheprophets?Theearsofourgenerationhavebeenmadesodelicatebythesenselessmultitudeofflatterersthat,assoonasweperceivethatanythingofoursisnotapprovedof,wecryoutthatwearebeingbitterlyassailed;andwhenwecanrepelthetruthbynootherpretence,weescapebyattributingbitterness,impatience,intemperance,toouradversaries.Whatwouldbetheuseofsaltifitwerenotpungent,oroftheedgeoftheswordifitdidnotslay?AccursedisthemanwhodoestheworkoftheLorddeceitfully.Wherefore,mostexcellentLeo,Ibeseechyoutoacceptmyvindication,madeinthisletter,andtopersuadeyourselfthatIhaveneverthoughtanyevilconcerningyourperson;further,thatIamonewhodesiresthateternalblessingmayfalltoyourlot,andthatIhavenodisputewithanymanconcerningmorals,butonlyconcerningthewordoftruth.InallotherthingsIwillyieldtoanyone,butIneithercannorwillforsakeanddenytheword.Hewhothinksotherwiseofme,orhastakeninmywordsinanothersense,doesnotthinkrightly,andhasnottakeninthetruth.CONCERNINGCHRISTIANLIBERTY4Yoursee,however,whichiscalledtheCourtofRome,andwhichneitheryounoranymancandenytobemorecorruptthananyBabylonorSodom,andquite,asIbelieve,ofalost,desperate,andhopelessimpiety,thisIhaveverilyabominated,andhavefeltindignantthatthepeopleofChristshouldbecheatedunderyournameandthepretextoftheChurchofRome;andsoIhaveresisted,andwillresist,aslongasthespiritoffaithshallliveinme.NotthatIamstrivingafterimpossibilities,orhopingthatbymylaboursalone,againstthefuriousoppositionofsomanyflatterers,anygoodcanbedoneinthatmostdisorderedBabylon;butthatIfeelmyselfadebtortomybrethren,andamboundtotakethoughtforthem,thatfewerofthemmayberuined,orthattheirruinmaybelesscomplete,bytheplaguesofRome.Formanyyearsnow,nothingelsehasoverflowedfromRomeintotheworld--asyouarenotignorant--thanthelayingwasteofgoods,ofbodies,andofsouls,andtheworstexamplesofalltheworstthings.Thesethingsareclearerthanthelighttoallmen;andtheChurchofRome,formerlythemostholyofallChurches,hasbecomethemostlawlessdenofthieves,themostshamelessofallbrothels,theverykingdomofsin,death,andhell;sothatnotevenantichrist,ifheweretocome,coulddeviseanyadditiontoitswickedness.Meanwhileyou,Leo,aresittinglikealambinthemidstofwolves,likeDanielinthemidstoflions,and,withEzekiel,youdwellamongscorpions.Whatoppositioncanyoualonemaketothesemonstrousevils?Taketoyourselfthreeorfourofthemostlearnedandbestofthecardinals.Whataret