Luther, vol. 5 of 6

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.

—Where a suitable character is unavailable, superscripts are rendered
 as word^[sup].




LUTHER




  IMPRIMATUR
                 EDM. CAN. SURMONT,
                    _Vic. Gen._

                    _Westmonasterii, die 13 Decembris, 1915._




                                LUTHER

                                  BY

                         HARTMANN GRISAR, S.J.

               PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF INNSBRUCK


               AUTHORISED TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN BY

                             E. M. LAMOND


                               EDITED BY

                           LUIGI CAPPADELTA


                               VOLUME V


                                LONDON
                KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., LTD.
                BROADWAY HOUSE, 68-74 CARTER LANE, E.C.
                                 1916




A FEW PRESS OPINIONS OF VOLUMES I-IV.


 “His most elaborate and systematic biography ... is not merely a book
 to be reckoned with; it is one with which we cannot dispense, if only
 for its minute examination of Luther’s theological writings.”—_The
 Athenæum_ (Vol. I).

 “The second volume of Dr. Grisar’s ‘Life of Luther’ is fully as
 interesting as the first. There is the same minuteness of criticism
 and the same width of survey.”—_The Athenæum_ (Vol. II).

 “Its interest increases. As we see the great Reformer in the thick of
 his work, and the heyday of his life, the absorbing attraction of his
 personality takes hold of us more and more strongly. His stupendous
 force, his amazing vitality, his superhuman interest in life,
 impress themselves upon us with redoubled effect. We find him the
 most multiform, the most paradoxical of men.... The present volume,
 which is admirably translated, deals rather with the moral, social,
 and personal side of Luther’s career than with his theology.”—_The
 Athenæum_ (Vol. III).

 “Father Grisar has gained a high reputation in this country through
 the translation of his monumental work on the History of Rome and the
 Popes in the Middle Ages, and this first instalment of his ‘Life of
 Luther’ bears fresh witness to his unwearied industry, wide learning,
 and scrupulous anxiety to be impartial in his judgments as well as
 absolutely accurate in matters of fact.”—_Glasgow Herald._

 “This ‘Life of Luther’ is bound to become standard ... a model of
 every literary, critical, and scholarly virtue.”—_The Month._

 “Like its two predecessors, Volume III excels in the minute analysis
 not merely of Luther’s actions, but also of his writings; indeed,
 this feature is the outstanding merit of the author’s patient
 labours.”—_The Irish Times._

 “This third volume of Father Grisar’s monumental ‘Life’ is full of
 interest for the theologian. And not less for the psychologist; for
 here more than ever the author allows himself to probe into the
 mind and motives and understanding of Luther, so as to get at the
 significance of his development.”—_The Tablet_ (Vol. III).

 “Historical research owes a debt of gratitude to Father Grisar for the
 calm unbiased manner in which he marshals the facts and opinions on
 Luther which his deep erudition has gathered.”—_The Tablet_ (Vol. IV).




                               CONTENTS


 CHAPTER XXIX. ETHICAL RESULTS OF THE NEW TEACHING         _pages_ 3-164

 1. PRELIMINARIES. NEW FOUNDATIONS OF MORALITY.

  Difficulties involved in Luther’s standpoint; poverty
  of human reason, power of the devil, etc. How despair
  may serve to excite humility                               _pages_ 3-7

 2. THE TWO POLES: THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

  His merits in distinguishing the two; what he means by
  “the Gospel”; his contempt for “the Law”; the Law a
  mere gallows                                              _pages_ 7-14

 3. ENCOUNTER WITH THE ANTINOMIANISM OR AGRICOLA.

  Connection between Agricola’s doctrine and Luther’s.
  Luther’s first step against Agricola; the Disputations;
  the tract “Against the Antinomians”; action of the
  Court; end of Agricola; the reaction of the Antinomian
  movement on Luther                                       _pages_ 15-25

 4. THE CERTAINTY OF SALVATION AND ITS RELATION TO MORALITY.

  Psychology of Luther’s conception of this certainty as
  the very cause and aim of true morality. Luther’s last
  sermons at Eisleben; notable omissions in these sermons
  on morality; his wavering between Old and New            _pages_ 25-43

 5. ABASEMENT OF PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY.

  Faith, praise and gratitude our only duties towards
  God. “All works, apart from faith, must be for our
  neighbour’s sake.” There are “no good works save such
  as God commands.” Good works done without faith are
  mere sins. Annulment of the supernatural and abasement
  of the natural order.