Luther: Evangelicals are now seven times worse than they were before..having learnt the Gospel, we steal, tell lies, deceive, eat and drink to excess

"We deserve that our Evangelicals (the followers of the new Gospel) should now be seven times worse than they were before. Because after having learnt the Gospel, we steal, tell lies, deceive, eat and drink (to excess), and practice all manner of vices." [Walch. III. 2727]

I. Locating The Culprit
This obscure Luther quote is found in Luther's Own Statements Concerning His Teaching and its Results (1884) by Henry O'Connor, S.J. on page 55, as well as some other sources you can view over on Google Books.

Another Luther quote sometimes posted with this one is "After one Devil (Popery) has been driven out of us, seven worse ones have come down upon us, as is the case with Princes, Lords, Nobles, Citizens and Peasants." [Walch. III. 2727]" It is from the same context, also found in O'Connor's book.

I've done an overview of O'Connor's book here. The book is an old small anthology of Luther quotes, peppered with vilifying commentary from O’Connor, a Roman Catholic. The author claims to have compiled the quotes from the original sources “Nearly two-thirds of the matter contained in this pamphlet is taken from the original editions of Luther’s own Works, as published in Wittenberg, under the very eye of the Reformer of Germany himself”(p. 3) He says “I have taken special care not to quote anything, that would have a different meaning, if read with the full context”(p.5).


II. Locating a Response
Recently I came across this obscure quote in another old book, Luther Vindicated by Charles Hastings Collette (Published by Bernard Quaritch, 1884) on page 117. Collette's book is quite fascinating, as he similarly takes a close look at obscure out-of-context Luther quotes and offers corrections and contexts. It wasn't Catholics he defended Luther against, rather, the culprit this time was the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, who, according to Collette was "a professed Minister of the (Reformed) Established Church of England." Interestingly, Baring-Gould appears to have gathered some of his Luther material from Roman Catholic sources, and was part of a group sympathetic to Romanism. Of this group, Collette states, "These gentlemen sigh for pre-Reformation days when the priest ruled and the sacramental system flourished, to the glorification of the priest, and ignorance, superstition, thraldom, and degradation of the people" (p.6). If this link is about the Sabine Baring-Gould in question, which I think it is, he's the writer of the famous hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers."

Of this quote in question, Collette quotes Baring-Gould stating:

"...let us take Luther's own account of the results of his doctrine :—' There is not,' says he,—' one of our Evangelicals who is not seven times worse than he was before he belonged, to us,—stealing, lying, deceiving, eating, and getting drunk, and giving himself up to all kinds of vices. If we have driven out one devil, seven others worse than the first have come in his place."

Collette begins analyzing the quote stating,

"The reference is 'Ed. Walch, iii. 2727.' Here it is self-evident that the rev. gentleman, by 'our Evangelicals,' intends to point to the new converts to Luther's teaching."

"By the reference we are guided to Luther's Commentaries on the 'fifth Book of Moses, ix. 25.' On turning to the column indicated, we find the passage purported to be quoted, but in it there is not the most distant intimation that Luther was pointing to his own people, or to the new converts; but to the state of utter depravity to which priests and people, nobles and commoners,—nominal Christians of all ranks,—had fallen."

After documenting this moral climate, Collette states,

But what I have to expose is the barefaced mistranslation put before us in the above extract by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould, thereby making Luther allude to "our Evangelicals" as "belonging to Luther's disciples," who had become seven times worse by the change from Popery. I will let the reader judge for himself by placing before him a literal translation of the original; the text I add as a footnote :—

Collette then cites the context of Luther's statements:

"Moses is thus a fine teacher; he has well expounded the first commandment, and led the people to a knowledge of themselves, and humbled the proud and arrogant spirits, besides which he upbraided them with all kinds of vices, so that they had merited anything but the promised land. If we do not abide by our beloved Gospel, we deserve to see those who profess it, our Gospellers, become seven times worse than they were before. For, after having become acquainted with the Gospel, we steal, lie, cheat, we eat, drink, and are drunken, and practise all sorts of iniquity. As one devil has been driven out of us, seven others, more wicked, have entered in; as may be seen at the present time with princes, noblemen, lords, citizens, and peasants, how they act, without shame and in spite of God and His threatenings."

The key to the quote is the phrase, "Our Gospellers." Collette explains,

" 'Our Gospellers' I have thus translated 'unsereEvangelischen.' Luther did not mean the true believers in and followers of the Evangelists, which some readers might suppose to be a name applicable to all members of the Reformed Churches, from their known attachment to the Gospel, but he applied the expression to outward professors of the Gospel."


III. Current Culprits
In researching this quote, I came across some comments from a Roman Catholic apologist actually taking Henry O'Connor's book seriously: Martin Luther's Regrets as to the Relative Failure of the Reformation (also found here). He states, "The author provides a wealth of information, straight from Luther's primary works in German (translated by himself). I will cite only those statements that directly connect Protestant teaching to the negative results observed in his own lifetime: where he himself observes that there is some causal connection, or when he unfavorably compares Protestant behavior to Catholic." Included is the obscure Luther quote in question. Ah well, so much for O'Connor's claim to "have taken special care not to quote anything, that would have a different meaning, if read with the full context. . . ." This same Catholic apologist has written a book about Luther, and lists O'Connor's work in his bibliography under "Martin Luther: Primary Works." As I wrote almost a year ago:

It would be hard for me to imagine any serious current Catholic writer using this book as a resource in writing about Luther (with the exception, if they were presenting a history of Catholic Luther scholarship). I guess in some alternate reality somewhere, a Catholic apologist may refer to it as a primary reference in their work critiquing Luther. Of course, this would be ridiculous, as it isn't a work to be used as a primary source. It's a quote book with vilifying commentary. If you find a Catholic writer using this book as a primary reference, this should tip you off immediately that the material being put forth should not be trusted.

This book, Protestantism: Critical Reflections of an Ecumenical Catholic, includes what appears to be the same quote in, Appendix 2 The Agony of Luther, Melanchthon, and Bucer Over the State of Early Protestantism:

Our (people) are now seven times worse than they ever were before. We steal, lie, cheat, . . . and commit all manner of vices. (in Heinrich Denifle, Luther and Lutherdom, vol.1, part 1, tr. from 2nd rev. ed. of German by Raymund Volz, Somerset, England: Torch Press, 1917, 22. Luther quote from Werke, Erlangen edition, 36, 411)

He cites Denifle, once again showing what can happen when one relies on outdated anti-Luther scholarship. But remember, I only engage in "nitpicking and criticizing any Catholic who (actually or allegedly) took Martin Luther out of context." Recall, he says O'Connor "provides a wealth of information," as I guess Denifle does as well. Unfortunately, in this case, the "wealth of information" turns out to be more similar to Monopoly money.