Luther

“But in things above (that is, with God), God has never allowed nor does He now allow such activity. Rather, here, whatever is to be done ought to be done only with the certain and express command of God, because a human being, of himself, does not know the things that are above him, that is, what God wills, unless He has revealed Himself by His Word,....” Martin Luther, Preface to Breismann, Response to Schatzgeyer, LW, AE, 59:30-31

Luther

“In things below, God permits even those activities that He Himself does not ordain in Holy Scripture, such as building, pasturing a flock, buying, and, as Peter says [1 Peter 2:13 Vg], to make 'human creatures,' that is, ordinances. In these things it is not necessary that you wait for a word of God,....” Margin Luther, Preface to Briesmann, Response to Schatzgeyer, LW, AE, 59:30

Luther

“For indeed, the Christian church on earth has no greater power or work against everything that may oppose it then such common prayer. The evil spirit knows this well and therefore he does all that he can to prevent such prayer.” Martin Luther, Treatise on Good Works, LW, AE, 44:66

Luther

“Let them undertake just prayer alone and rightly exercise themselves in faith, and they will find that it is true, as the holy fathers have said, that there is no work like prayer. Mumbling with the mouth is easy, or at least considered easy. But to follow the words in deep devotion and sincerity of heart, that is, with desire and in faith, so that one earnestly desires what the words say and does not doubt that that they will be heard, that is a great deed in God's sight.” Martin Luther, Treatise on Good Works, LW, AE, 44:61-2

Luther

“Now just take a look! If no other work were commanded, would not prayer alone suffice to exercise a man's whole life and faith? The spiritual estate has been especially established for this work, as indeed in ancient times some fathers prayed day and night.” Martin Luther, Treatise on Good Works, LW, AE, 44:61

Luther

“It is a great mistake not to urge the people to hope and ask for temporal goods from God, for in the use of these faith is practiced.” Martin Luther, Instructions for the Visitors of Parish Pastors in Electoral Saxony, LW, AE, 40: 280

Luther

“First, they should teach that God has commanded us to pray. Just as it is a great sin to commit murder so also it is sinful not to pray or to ask God for something.” Martin Luther, Instructions for the Visitors of Parish Pastors in Electoral Saxony, LW, AE,40: 278

Luther

“Nevertheless, you can see that adoration of the sacrament is a dangerous procedure if the Word and faith are not inculcated; so much so that I really think it would be better to follow the example of the apostles and not worship, then to follow our custom and worship. Not that adoration is wrong, but simply because there is less danger in not adoring then in adoring; because human nature tends so easily to emphasize its own works and to neglect God's work, and the sacrament will not admit of that.” Martin Luther, The Adoration of the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:297

Luther

“Now, therefore, let me describe in order four groups of people. The first are those whose entire interest is in the words of this sacrament, so that they feed their faith; they receive the bread and wine with the body and blood of Christ as a sure sign of that word and faith. These are the most secure and the best. They probably seldom descend so low as to bother themselves about worshiping and adoring, for they pay attention to the work God does to them and forget about the works they do for the sacrament.

     The second group are those who exercise the right sort of faith, and then descended to their own works and worship Christ spiritually in the sacrament. That is, they bow inwardly with their hearts and confess him as their Lord, who does all things within them; and they prove their inward worship by outwardly bowing, bending, and kneeling with the body.” Martin Luther, The Adoration of the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:296

Luther

“For that reason we say now that one should not condemn people or accuse them of heresy if they do not adore the sacrament, for there is no command to that effect, and it is not for that purpose that Christ is present.” Martin Luther, The Adoration of the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:295

Luther

“If you accord less honor to the words into the sacrament itself, it is a sure sign that you do not properly understand the sacrament. For example, if you bow or kneel before the sacrament, and do not do so even more before the words of the sacrament, especially in your heart, you are really inverting the honors. For that reason it is highly important to lead the people back from the sacrament to the words, and to accustom them to pay much more attention to the words then to the sacrament; ….” Martin Luther, The Adoration of the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:277

Luther

“Language cannot express how great and mighty these words [of institution] are, for they are the sum and substance of the whole gospel. This is why these words are far more important than the sacrament itself, and a Christian should make it a practice to give far more attention to these words than to the sacrament.” Martin Luther, The Adoration of the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:277

Luther

“I wish, and it ought to be so, that no mass at all would be celebrated except at such times as the people were present who really desired the sacrament and asked for it, and this would be only once a week or once a month, for the sacrament should never be celebrated except at the instigation had a request of hungry souls, never because of duty, endowment, custom, ordinance or habit.” Martin Luther, Receiving Both Kinds in the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:256-7

Luther

“It will take them a good long while before they ever prove that Christ administered the sacrament in consecrated vessels, clothes, and houses, or commanded that it should be administered in that way, or that it should be placed in the mouth and not in the hands.” Martin Luther, Receiving Both Kinds in the Sacrament, LW, AE, 36:243

Luther

“And this is what the minister is indicating when he elevates the host and the cup. He is not referring to any sacrifice with as much as a single word, which is what would have to happen if it were a sacrifice. Actually, it would make no difference if there were no elevation, for that is something men have invented; Christ did not institute it.” Martin Luther, Misuse of the Mass, LW, AE, 36:183

Luther

“For it would be safer and more wholesome for the father of the household to read the gospel and, since the universal custom and use allows it to the laity, to baptize those who are born in his home, and so to govern himself and his according to the doctrines of Christ, even if throughout life they did not dare or could not receive the Eucharist. For the Eucharist is not so necessary that salvation depends on it. The gospel and baptism are sufficient, since faith alone justifies and love alone lives rightly.” Martin Luther, Concerning the Ministry, LW, AE, 40:9

Luther

“You say you don't baptize children because they don't believe. Why do you preach the Word to adults who don't believe, unless perhaps in the hope that they may believe? You do it on the strength of God's command alone. For if you baptize me because I say I believe, and you baptize on account of me and in my name. Therefore, since you don't know whether I believe or don't believe, it is only because of God's command. It isn't necessary to exclude children, since as a rule you baptize all, whether they believe or not.

…, and that his faith and salvation be committed to God's keeping.” Martin Luther, Tabletalk, Dietrich #549, summer or fall 1533, LW, AE, 54:98-99

Luther

“When they say, 'children cannot believe,' how can they be sure of that? Where is the Scripture by which they would prove it and on which they would build? They imagine this, I suppose, because children do not speak or have understanding. But such a fancy is deceptive, yea, altogether false, and we cannot build on what we imagine.” Martin Luther, Concerning Rebaptism, LW, AE, 40:241-242

Luther

“Heresy can never be restrained by force. One will have to tackle the problem in some other way, for heresy must be opposed and dealt with otherwise than the sword. Here God's word must do the fighting.” Martin Luther, Temporal Authority, LW, AE, 45:114

Luther

“In like manner you may deal harshly with the liars and hardened tyrants, and act boldly in opposition to their teaching and their works, for they will not listen. But the simple people, whom they have bound with the ropes of their teaching and whose lives are endangered, you must treat quite differently. You must with caution and gentleness undo the teachings of men, providing them a defense an explanation, and in this way gradually set them free.” Martin Luther, Sincere Admonition to all Christians, LW, AE, 45:73