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Rare Books in the
Library
King Henry VIII
Defence of the
Seven Sacraments (Assertio
Septem Sacramentorum adversus Martin Lutherum) First Edition 1521
F.D.
Fid Def Fidei Defensor Defender of the Faith
Queen Elizabeth II
is styled "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms
and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".
and she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and at the time
of writing is in Rome meeting Pope Francis in that capacity. British coinage
reflects this by using the abbreviations FID DEF or just F.D. and has
been doing so since 1714 during the reign of King George I. The only time
it was omitted, on the 1849 florin (two shillings) there was such a public
outcry the coin was withdrawn.
However the title
Defender of the Faith came about by a rather tortuous route in the Tudor
period. In 1517 Martin Luther attacked the Catholic Church in Disputatio
pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum The Ninety Five Theses.
These were posted on the door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg.
Among the various abuses of the Church Luther particularly singled out
the sale of indulgences for the redemption of sins, the money being used
by Pope Leo Xth for the renovation of St Peter's basilica in Rome. Luther
could only find two Sacraments in the Bible and considered the other five
to be inventions of the Catholic Church. This marked the start of the
Protestant Revolution for which Luther was excommunicated. The problem
facing the Catholic Church was that Luther's views were heretical but
extremely popular.
We do not appear to
have anything by Luther in the Charlecote library but we do have a first
edition of a rebuttal Defence of the Seven Sacraments (Assertio
Septem Sacramentorum adversus Martin Lutherum) 1521 (in Latin) written
by Henry VIII. In this he defends the primacy of the Pope, supports the
sale of indulgences, the mystery of the Communion and the Mass, the Sacrament
of Confession, divorce, etc. This led to the Pope conferring the title
'Defender of the Faith' on Henry. So here we have Henry as a Catholic
defending the Catholic Church and the Pope. By 1534 things had changed
and Henry split from Rome and was named as Head of the Church of England.
Pope Clement withdrew the title 'Defender of the Faith' from Henry and
excommunicated him and Thomas Cranmer.
Luther tried to deflect
Henry's attack on him by claiming that Assertio was not written by Henry
but by Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas More so could be disregarded. Luther
later held out the hand of Friendship to Henry who refused it causing
him to make a very firm stand against Henry when he was seeking a divorce
from Catherine.
Len Mullenger
The seven sacraments:
The Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
The Sacraments
of healing: Anointing the sick, Penance and reconciliation
Sacraments of
Communion: Holy Orders, Matrimony
Documentary
Film (55min)
The 95 Theses by Dr. Martin Luther
Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting
it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at
Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther,
Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer
on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present
personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.
1.When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He
called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
2.The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament
of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.
3.Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for
such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications
of the flesh.
4.As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty
of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven.
5.The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond
those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.
6.The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that
it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved
to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.
7.God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same time, making him
humbly submissive to the priest, His representative.
8.The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according
to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.
9.Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, acting in the person of the pope, manifests
grace to us, by the fact that the papal regulations always cease to apply
at death, or in any hard case.
10.It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests retain the canonical
penalties on the dead in purgatory.
11.When canonical penalties were changed and made to apply to purgatory,
surely it would seem that tares were sown while the bishops were asleep.
12.In former days, the canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but
before absolution was pronounced; and were intended to be tests of true
contrition.
13.Death puts an end to all the claims of the Church; even the dying are
already dead to the canon laws, and are no longer bound by them.
14.Defective piety or love in a dying person is necessarily accompanied
by great fear, which is greatest where the piety or love is least.
15.This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, whatever else might be
said, to constitute the pain of purgatory, since it approaches very closely
to the horror of despair.
16.There seems to be the same difference between hell, purgatory, and
heaven as between despair, uncertainty, and assurance.
17.Of a truth, the pains of souls in purgatory ought to be abated, and
charity ought to be proportionately increased.
18.Moreover, it does not seem proved, on any grounds of reason or Scripture,
that these souls are outside the state of merit, or unable to grow in
grace.
19.Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that they are certain
and assured of salvation, even if we are very certain ourselves.
20.Therefore the pope, in speaking of the plenary remission of all penalties,
does not mean "all" in the strict sense, but only those imposed
by himself.
21.Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say that
a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.
22.Indeed, he cannot remit to souls in purgatory any penalty which canon
law declares should be suffered in the present life.
23.If plenary remission could be granted to anyone at all, it would be
only in the cases of the most perfect, i.e. to very few.
24.It must therefore be the case that the major part of the people are
deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of relief from
penalty.
25.The same power as the pope exercises in general over purgatory is exercised
in particular by every single bishop in his bishopric and priest in his
parish.
26.The pope does excellently when he grants remission to the souls in
purgatory on account of intercessions made on their behalf, and not by
the power of the keys (which he cannot exercise for them).
27.There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out
of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.
28.It is certainly possible that when the money clinks in the bottom of
the chest avarice and greed increase; but when the church offers intercession,
all depends in the will of God.
29.Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed in view
of what is said of St. Severinus and St. Pascal? (Note: Paschal I, pope
817-24. The legend is that he and Severinus were willing to endure the
pains of purgatory for the benefit of the faithful).
30.No one is sure of the reality of his own contrition, much less of receiving
plenary forgiveness.
31.One who bona fide buys indulgence is a rare as a bona fide penitent
man, i.e. very rare indeed.
32.All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by
means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with
their teachers.
33.We should be most carefully on our guard against those who say that
the papal indulgences are an inestimable divine gift, and that a man is
reconciled to God by them.
34.For the grace conveyed by these indulgences relates simply to the penalties
of the sacramental "satisfactions" decreed merely by man.
35.It is not in accordance with Christian doctrines to preach and teach
that those who buy off souls, or purchase confessional licenses, have
no need to repent of their own sins.
36.Any Christian whatsoever, who is truly repentant, enjoys plenary remission
from penalty and guilt, and this is given him without letters of indulgence.
37.Any true Christian whatsoever, living or dead, participates in all
the benefits of Christ and the Church; and this participation is granted
to him by God without letters of indulgence.
38.Yet the pope's remission and dispensation are in no way to be despised,
for, as already said, they proclaim the divine remission.
39.It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, to extol
to the people the great bounty contained in the indulgences, while, at
the same time, praising contrition as a virtue.
40.A truly contrite sinner seeks out, and loves to pay, the penalties
of his sins; whereas the very multitude of indulgences dulls men's consciences,
and tends to make them hate the penalties.
41.Papal indulgences should only be preached with caution, lest people
gain a wrong understanding, and think that they are preferable to other
good works: those of love.
42.Christians should be taught that the pope does not at all intend that
the purchase of indulgences should be understood as at all comparable
with the works of mercy.
43.Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or lends
to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases indulgences.
44.Because, by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better man;
whereas, by indulgences, he does not become a better man, but only escapes
certain penalties.
45.Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person, but passes
him by although he gives money for indulgences, gains no benefit from
the pope's pardon, but only incurs the wrath of God.
46.Christians should be taught that, unless they have more than they need,
they are bound to retain what is only necessary for the upkeep of their
home, and should in no way squander it on indulgences.
47.Christians should be taught that they purchase indulgences voluntarily,
and are not under obligation to do so.
48.Christians should be taught that, in granting indulgences, the pope
has more need, and more desire, for devout prayer on his own behalf than
for ready money.
49.Christians should be taught that the pope's indulgences are useful
only if one does not rely on them, but most harmful if one loses the fear
of God through them.
50.Christians should be taught that, if the pope knew the exactions of
the indulgence-preachers, he would rather the church of St. Peter were
reduced to ashes than be built with the skin, flesh, and bones of the
sheep.
51.Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing, as he ought
if necessity should arise, to sell the church of St. Peter, and give,
too, his own money to many of those from whom the pardon-merchants conjure
money.
52.It is vain to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence, even if the
commissary, or indeed the pope himself, were to pledge his own soul for
their validity.
53.Those are enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid the word of God
to be preached at all in some churches, in order that indulgences may
be preached in others.
54.The word of God suffers injury if, in the same sermon, an equal or
longer time is devoted to indulgences than to that word.
55.The pope cannot help taking the view that if indulgences (very small
matters) are celebrated by one bell, one pageant, or one ceremony, the
gospel (a very great matter) should be preached to the accompaniment of
a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56.The treasures of the church, out of which the pope dispenses indulgences,
are not sufficiently spoken of or known among the people of Christ.
57.That these treasures are not temporal are clear from the fact that
many of the merchants do not grant them freely, but only collect them.
58.Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, because, even apart
from the pope, these merits are always working grace in the inner man,
and working the cross, death, and hell in the outer man.
59.St. Laurence said that the poor were the treasures of the church, but
he used the term in accordance with the custom of his own time.
60.We do not speak rashly in saying that the treasures of the church are
the keys of the church, and are bestowed by the merits of Christ.
61.For it is clear that the power of the pope suffices, by itself, for
the remission of penalties and reserved cases.
62.The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and
the grace of God.
63.It is right to regard this treasure as most odious, for it makes the
first to be the last.
64.On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is most acceptable,
for it makes the last to be the first.
65.Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets which, in former times,
they used to fish for men of wealth.
66.The treasures of the indulgences are the nets which to-day they use
to fish for the wealth of men.
67.The indulgences, which the merchants extol as the greatest of favours,
are seen to be, in fact, a favourite means for money-getting.
68.Nevertheless, they are not to be compared with the grace of God and
the compassion shown in the Cross.
69.Bishops and curates, in duty bound, must receive the commissaries of
the papal indulgences with all reverence.
70.But they are under a much greater obligation to watch closely and attend
carefully lest these men preach their own fancies instead of what the
pope commissioned.
71.Let him be anathema and accursed who denies the apostolic character
of the indulgences.
72.On the other hand, let him be blessed who is on his guard against the
wantonness and license of the pardon-merchant's words.
73.In the same way, the pope rightly excommunicates those who make any
plans to the detriment of the trade in indulgences.
74.It is much more in keeping with his views to excommunicate those who
use the pretext of indulgences to plot anything to the detriment of holy
love and truth.
75.It is foolish to think that papal indulgences have so much power that
they can absolve a man even if he has done the impossible and violated
the mother of God.
76.We assert the contrary, and say that the pope's pardons are not able
to remove the least venial of sins as far as their guilt is concerned.
77.When it is said that not even St. Peter, if he were now pope, could
grant a greater grace, it is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.
78.We assert the contrary, and say that he, and any pope whatever, possesses
greater graces, viz., the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing,
etc., as is declared in I Corinthians 12 [:28].
79.It is blasphemy to say that the insignia of the cross with the papal
arms are of equal value to the cross on which Christ died.
80.The bishops, curates, and theologians, who permit assertions of that
kind to be made to the people without let or hindrance, will have to answer
for it.
81.This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult for learned
men to guard the respect due to the pope against false accusations, or
at least from the keen criticisms of the laity.
82.They ask, e.g.: Why does not the pope liberate everyone from purgatory
for the sake of love (a most holy thing) and because of the supreme necessity
of their souls? This would be morally the best of all reasons. Meanwhile
he redeems innumerable souls for money, a most perishable thing, with
which to build St. Peter's church, a very minor purpose.
83.Again: Why should funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continue
to be said? And why does not the pope repay, or permit to be repaid, the
benefactions instituted for these purposes, since it is wrong to pray
for those souls who are now redeemed?
84.Again: Surely this is a new sort of compassion, on the part of God
and the pope, when an impious man, an enemy of God, is allowed to pay
money to redeem a devout soul, a friend of God; while yet that devout
and beloved soul is not allowed to be redeemed without payment, for love's
sake, and just because of its need of redemption.
85.Again: Why are the penitential canon laws, which in fact, if not in
practice, have long been obsolete and dead in themselves,—why are they,
to-day, still used in imposing fines in money, through the granting of
indulgences, as if all the penitential canons were fully operative?
86.Again: since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest
of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter with
his own money, rather than with the money of indigent believers?
87.Again: What does the pope remit or dispense to people who, by their
perfect repentance, have a right to plenary remission or dispensation?
88.Again: Surely a greater good could be done to the church if the pope
were to bestow these remissions and dispensations, not once, as now, but
a hundred times a day, for the benefit of any believer whatever.
89.What the pope seeks by indulgences is not money, but rather the salvation
of souls; why then does he suspend the letters and indulgences formerly
conceded, and still as efficacious as ever?
90.These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To
suppress them by force alone, and not to refute them by giving reasons,
is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies,
and to make Christian people unhappy.
91.If therefore, indulgences were preached in accordance with the spirit
and mind of the pope, all these difficulties would be easily overcome,
and indeed, cease to exist.
92.Away, then, with those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Peace,
peace," where in there is no peace.
93.Hail, hail to all those prophets who say to Christ's people, "The
cross, the cross," where there is no cross.
94.Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their
Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells.
95.And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through many
tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.
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