Luther – Quotes

The Lutherans saw their movement as not having introduced any innovations but only correcting abuses

Inasmuch, then, as our churches dissent in no article of the faith from the Church Catholic, but only omit some abuses which are new, and which have been erroneously accepted by the corruption of the times, contrary to the intent of the Canons, we pray that Your Imperial Majesty would graciously hear both what has been changed, and what were the reasons why the people were not compelled to observe those abuses against their conscience.

Augsburg Confession
Article XXI.X

Luther appeals to the long held Catholic tradition of the sacraments as an interpretive guide to the real presence

a. Moreover, this article is no doctrine or fixture (auff satz) dreamt up by men apart from Scripture, but is clearly established and founded in the Gospel through luminous, pure, undoubted words of Christ, and has been unanimously believed and held in all the world from the outset of the Christian church to this hour, as is proved by the books and writings of the dear Fathers of both Greek and Latin language and also by daily custom and the work of experience to this hour. This testimony of the entire holy Christian church (assuming we had no more than it) should alone suffice to attach us to this article and to move us neither to hear nor to tolerate any factious spirit on this matter. For it is a perilous and dreadful thing to hear or believe anything against the unanimous testimony, belief, and doctrine of the entire holy Christian church.

b. It would be a very dangerous to conclude that for so many hundreds of years the Church across all of Christendom did not have the right understanding of the sacrament.

Martin Luther
a. Letter to Duke Albrecht of Prussia, 1532
b. Opinion of 17 December 1534

Luther viewed himself as not bound by any form of Church authority

“I answer”, replied Luther, “that God once spoke through the mouth of an ass. I will tell you what I think. I am a Christian theologian and I am bound not only to assert but to defend the truth with my blood and death. I want to believe freely and to be a slave to no one, whether a council, university, or pope. I will confidently confess what appears to me to be true, whether it has been asserted by a Catholic or a heretic, whether it has been approved or reproved by counsel.”

Martin Luther
The Leipzig Debate, 1519

External orders should be chosen carefully

For even though from the viewpoint of faith, the external orders are free and can without scruples be changed by anyone at any time, yet from the viewpoint of love, you are not free to use this liberty, but bound to consider the edification of the common people, as St. Paul says, I Corinthians 14:40, ‘All things should be done to edify,’ and I Corinthians 6:12, ‘All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful,’ and I Corinthians 8:1, ‘Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

…You cannot plead, ‘Externals are free. Here in my own place I am going to do as I please.’ But you are bound to consider the effect of your attitude on others. By faith be free in your conscience toward God, but by love be bound to serve your neighbor’s edification

Martin Luther
The Freedom of a Christian

For Luther, worship style is a balance

Those who devise and ordain universal customs and orders get so wrapped up in them that they make them into dictatorial laws opposed to the freedom of faith. But those who ordain and establish nothing succeed only in creating as many factions as there are heads, to the detriment of that Christian harmony and unity of which St. Paul and St. Peter so frequently write.

Martin Luther
A Christian Exhortation to the Livonians Concerning Public Worship and Concord

All that matters to Luther for the Mass was the Words of Institution and faith

But in all these matters we will want to beware lest we make binding what should be free, or make sinners of those who may do some things differently or omit others. All that matters is that the Words of Institution should be kept intact and that everything should be done by faith. For these rites are supposed to be for Christians…who observe them voluntarily and from the heart, but are free to change them how and when ever they may wish. Therefore, it is not in these matters that anyone should either seek or establish as law some indispensable form by which he might ensnare or harass consciences. Nor do we find any evidence for such an established rite, either in the early fathers or in the primitive church, but only in the Roman church. But even if they had decreed anything in this matter as a law, we would not have to observe it, because these things neither can nor should be bound by laws.