Reflections from an Irregular Planet

Martin Luther was nothing if not eloquent, on everything both sacred and secular. A sampling of his opinions:

On God: "God uses lust to impel men to marriage, ambition to office, avarice to earning, and fear to faith. God led me like an old blind horse."

On the Pope: "You are a servant of servants, and more than all other men you are in a most miserable and dangerous position. Be not deceived by those who pretend that you are lord of the world. They err who exalt you above a council and the church universal."

On Himself: "They are trying to make me into a fixed star. I am an irregular planet."

On the Priesthood of All Believers: "When a Pope or bishop anoints, he may make a hypocrite of a man, or an anointed image, but never a Christian. The fact is that our baptism consecrates us all without ex ception, and makes us all priests."

On Preaching: "Do not try to imitate other people. Center on the shortest and simplest points, which are the very heart of the matter, and leave the rest to God."

On Celibacy: "My advice is, break the bonds, let each follow his own preference whether to marry or not to marry. The ministry was intended to train a church, with pastors living among the people and keeping house as other people do. Such men should be granted permission to marry, in order to avoid temptation and sin. For, if God has not forbidden them, no man should or may do so. The Pope in making such a rule has no more power than if he were to forbid eating, or drinking, or the performance of other natural functions, or growing fat."

On Marriage: "There is a lot to get used to in the first year of marriage. One wakes up in the morning and finds a pair of pigtails on the pillow which were not there before."

On His Wife: "Mea Katie, meus Christus. I give more credit to Katherine than to Christ, who has done so much more for me."

On Ritual: "As wealth is the test of poverty, business the test of faithfulness, honors the test of humility, feasts the test of temperance, pleasures the test of chastity, so ceremonies are the tests of the righteousness of faith."

On Church & State: "Two kingdoms must be sharply distinguished; the one to produce piety, the other to bring about external peace and prevent evil deeds."

On Secular Rulers: "A wise prince is a rare bird indeed; still more so a pious prince. They are usually the greatest fools or the worst knaves on earth. They are God's jailers and hangmen, and His divine wrath needs them to punish the wicked." t

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