Did Martin Luther think his preaching (and that of his collogues) made things worse for the people of Germany? Luther is quoted as saying, "The more and the longer we preach, the worse matters grow" (Walch XII, 2120).
This sparse quote has been used as proof of the failure of the Reformation or something like Luther's regret or concession to the failure of the Reformation, etc. I've documented a number of these Martin Luther quotes here and here.
From a cursory search, the quote is most often taken from the old book, Luther's Own Statements Concerning His Teaching and Its Results: Taken Exclusively from the Earliest and Best Editions of Luther's German and Latin Works (1884), p. 55. The author, Henry O'Connor, used the quote to describe the "Results of Luther's Teaching," specifically the "Moral Results" that there was a "Lower State of General Morality." This Roman Catholic source (from roughly the same time period as O'Connor) uses it as part of a cumulative case proof that "Christianity without the confessional bore the following fruits, according to Luther's own statement: neglect of the poor and of the sick; sad state of the youth; increase of drunkenness; increase of the number of suicides; lower state of general morality." Fast forward to 2009, this seeming defender of Rome uses it to demonstrate Luther's "irrational state." This Roman Catholic blogger in 2017 regurgitated this quote (along with other statements from O'Connor's book) declaring the information from O'Connor is "favorable to the truth seeker."
Was Luther admitting the failure of his preaching? Was he admitting that his preaching made people worse? Did he regret the Reformation? Let's take a look and find out!
Documentation
Stating the obvious: Luther's original writings were in German and Latin. As far as I can determine, Henry O'Connor appears to be responsible for this particular English rendering (he says, "In every single case the translation from the German or the Latin is my own"). There is another English version (from yet another hostile Roman Catholic source), J. Verras, Luther an Historical Portrait: "The more and the longer the Evangelium is preached, the worse things are getting." Verras also seems to be responsible for his particular English rendering: "The prospect of having to devote many months to going through [Luther's] voluminous and frequently disgusting books was anything but cheerful..."(p.I). One older meaningful polemical source using this quote is a German text: Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger's Die reformation vol. 1, p. 301-302, "Je mehr und länger es [das Evangelium] geprebigt wird, je ärger wirb ed") (cf. French text).
Both O'Connor and Verras cite "Walch XII. 2120." This is a sermon on Romans 13:11-14 (Nov. 27, 1530). The sentence reads, "Aber je mehr und das Evangelium , daruin ſollen wir nicht länger es gepredigt wird , je ärger wird es." Notice the word, "Evangelium." Verras's English translation is more authentic to the meaning of the text: "The more and the longer the Evangelium is preached, the worse things are getting." O'Connor has left out "Evangelium" (Gospel). O'Connor does say, "Not a single second-hand quotation is to be found from beginning to end of my little work." Either O'Connor left a significant word out of his translation, or he took the quote from a secondary source. It would not surprise me to discover O'Connor and Verras both mined the quote out of Döllinger's Die reformation vol. 1 (or someone using that source). Döllinger was unapologetically hostile to Luther and influential in Roman Catholic historical studies in the nineteenth century. Verras does reference Döllinger a number of times. Many older German sources use parentheses on the word "Evangelium." Did O'Connor use a secondary source and left the bracketed word "Evangelium" out, thinking it not important to the text?
Besides Walch XII, the quote can be found in a slightly different form in WA 32:219 ("Aber je mehr und länger es gepredigt wird, je ärger wirds"). There is no "official" English translation of this sermon that I'm aware of. An inferior computer-generated English translation can be found here. O'Connor says, “I have taken special care not to quote anything, that would have a different meaning, if read with the full context” (p.5). We'll see that the context does demonstrate a different meaning with the word "Evangelium" left out.
Context
It's helpful to see exactly what Biblical text Luther was preaching on. Romans 13:11-14 states,
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Paul is blatantly exhorting his readers to Godly living. It should not be surprising therefore that Luther's sermon on this passage does the same thing! Luther's entire sermon gives strong attention to exhorting Christians to reflect Christ in their lives: to live a life outwardly that reflects what has been done inwardly to the heart. There should be no slumbering in regard to the Christian life. One should think of Jesus Christ as the master of the Christian household. Christ says to his servants: rise up and do your appointed work!
"Salvation is nearer now" because Christ has come and the Gospel is being preached. The Jews of the Old Testament had only the promise of the coming Gospel, Christians have the fulfillment of the Gospel. Therefore, now is the time to put away sinful living. It is the time to live as people transformed by the Gospel. If someone claims to be a Christian, yet their life dishonors the gospel, that person dishonors God. Similarly, if a society in general claims to be Christian but lives immorally, it should not come as any surprise if God punishes that society, especially if the gospel is being clearly preached. The more the gospel is preached to people claiming to be Christians that continue in immorally, the worse God's punishment against that person or society will be. Hence the quote, "The more and the longer we preach, the worse matters grow." As an example, Luther mentions those in 1 Corinthians 11 that were partaking in the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner and were being stricken will illness. The "worse matters" are God's punishment! Luther chastises those specifically who use their freedom to practice Christianity without persecution ("Dieweil jeßt der Bann abgetban ift") but maintain blatantly sinful lifestyles. He ends his chastisement particularly at them: "Wem zu sagen ist, dem ist gnug gefagt."
Henry O'Connor did translate Luther in a sense other than what the primary source originally stated: he left out the key word, "Evangelium." In O'Connor's contextless version, Luther appears to be lamenting he and his colleagues collected preaching efforts: "The more and the longer we preach, the worse matters grow." One sees a societal picture of sinking ship, Germany going to moral ruins with Luther in utter despondency of his failed efforts. This is not what the text said. Rather, what Luther preached is that the proclamation of the Gospel makes things worse for people if they live blatantly sinful lifestyles. God will bring judgment on people that either besmirch the Gospel, abuse their Christian freedom, or claim to be Evangelicals while living in open grievous sin.
The context does not warrant the conclusions of some of Rome's defenders, that this sermon was a lament of the moral failures of Luther's ministry or that there was a "Lower State of General Morality." Luther was in no way regretting... anything. He was not bemoaning that his failed preaching was having a devastating effect on society. Rather, he was exhorting his hearers to godly living (just like Paul), and even says that his point is directed at those who do not demonstrate godly living.
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