Luther himself recognized the devastating effects of such admittedly insincere preaching: The Gospel today finds adherents who are convinced that there is nothing except a doctrine that serves to fill their bellies and give free reign to all their impulses (Werke, 33, p. 2, in ibid., p. 212).
As for his evangelical followers, Luther added that they are seven times worse than they were before. After preaching our doctrine, men have given themselves over to stealing, lying, trickery, debauchery, drunkenness, and every kind of vice. We have expelled one devil (the papacy) and seven worse have entered. (Werke, 28, p. 763, in ibid., p. 440).
After we understood that good works were not necessary for justification, we became much more remiss and colder in the practice of good And if we could return today to the prior state of things and if the doctrine that affirms the necessity of doing good works could be revived, our eagerness and promptness in doing good works would be quite different (Werke, 27, p. 443, in ibid., p. 441).
All these insanities explain how Luther reached the frenzy of satanic pride, saying of himself: Does this Luther seem to you an extravagant man? As for me, I think that he is God. Otherwise, how could his writings or his name have the power to transform beggars into lords, asses into doctors, swindlers into saints, and slime into pearls? (Ed. Wittemberg, 1551, vol. 4, p. 378, in ibid., p. 190).
At other times, Luthers opinion of himself was much more objective: I am a man placed and involved in society, in dissolutions, carnal actions, negligence, and other wrongdoings, to which are added those of my office itself (Briefe, Sendschreiben und Bedenken, 1, p 232, in ibid., p. 198). Excommunicated in Worms in 1521, Luther gave himself over to idleness and sloth.
(excerpted from: Luther Thought He Was Divine, by Professor Plinio C de Oliveira)
As for his evangelical followers, Luther added that they are seven times worse than they were before. After preaching our doctrine, men have given themselves over to stealing, lying, trickery, debauchery, drunkenness, and every kind of vice. We have expelled one devil (the papacy) and seven worse have entered. (Werke, 28, p. 763, in ibid., p. 440).
After we understood that good works were not necessary for justification, we became much more remiss and colder in the practice of good And if we could return today to the prior state of things and if the doctrine that affirms the necessity of doing good works could be revived, our eagerness and promptness in doing good works would be quite different (Werke, 27, p. 443, in ibid., p. 441).
All these insanities explain how Luther reached the frenzy of satanic pride, saying of himself: Does this Luther seem to you an extravagant man? As for me, I think that he is God. Otherwise, how could his writings or his name have the power to transform beggars into lords, asses into doctors, swindlers into saints, and slime into pearls? (Ed. Wittemberg, 1551, vol. 4, p. 378, in ibid., p. 190).
At other times, Luthers opinion of himself was much more objective: I am a man placed and involved in society, in dissolutions, carnal actions, negligence, and other wrongdoings, to which are added those of my office itself (Briefe, Sendschreiben und Bedenken, 1, p 232, in ibid., p. 198). Excommunicated in Worms in 1521, Luther gave himself over to idleness and sloth.
(excerpted from: Luther Thought He Was Divine, by Professor Plinio C de Oliveira)