Beggars All was sent this Martin Luther bashing Facebook Reel snippet:
This clip states,
Luther reached a frenzy of satanic pride, saying of himself, "Does this Luther not appear to you to be eccentric? As far as I am concerned, I think he is God. Otherwise, how could his writings or his name have the power to transform beggars into lords, asses into doctors of learning, falsifiers into saints, slime into pearls!"
According to this Roman Catholic propaganda, Martin Luther was so deranged he thought he was God... or as the YouTuber states of the quote, "Luther reached a frenzy of satanic pride..." If you're skeptical of the quote... yes, Luther did write it! As usual though, when read in context, the quote is not a display of delusion, a frenzy of satanic pride, or a claim to be God. In context, the quote is an example of sixteenth century sarcastic rhetoric from a polemical treatise.
Let's take a closer look.
Documentation
Today I'd like to present some facts about Luther that clearly point out the odor that this revolted figure would spread in the supermarket or morgue of religions of philosophies and of human thought itself. His error would be the point of departure in this march toward total confusion.
I have only one positive thing to say about this YouTuber: Kudos for providing full transparency of the secondary source that was used! He states:
Here is "the description below":This and many other shocking facts were brought to my attention by an article written by the great Brazilian Catholic thinker, Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. It was titled "Luther Thought He was Divine," and I'll recount it for you today. He gave all the citations for these claims, which I will place in the description below.
All these insanities make it understandable how Luther reached a frenzy of satanic pride, saying of himself: “Does this Luther not appear to you to be eccentric? As far as I am concerned, I think he is God. Otherwise, how could his writings or his name have the power to transform beggars into lords, asses into doctors (of learning), falsifiers into saints, slime into pearls!” (Werke, Ed. Wittenberg, 1551, IV, pp. 378; Franca, p. 190).
I have drawn these passages from the magnificent work of Fr. Leonel Franca, S.J., A Igreja, a Reforma, e a Civilização [The Church, the Reformation, and Civilization] (Rio de Janeiro, 1934).
Taking a documentation step forward, there does not appear to be a 1551 edition of Werke, Ed. Wittenberg volume 4 online yet, but there is a 1553 edition. Page 378 comprises two pages (A and B). The quote is found on page 378 A.
Context
But Luther is the one against whom everyone can gain honor and achieve all salvation! Every donkey’s head, no matter how unlearned, if he only writes against Luther, he then becomes learned! Every scandalous villain, no matter how wicked or despised, if he writes against Luther, then he is righteous and a favorite! No matter how completely ruined someone is, if he writes against Luther, he is crowned with glory. There are people now at the courts of kings, princes, and bishops in great wealth and honor who, if there were no Luther, would perhaps have to devour slop with the pigs! Is not Luther an extraordinary man? I think that he is God, for how else could his writing and name be so powerful that he makes lords out of beggars, doctors out of donkeys, saints out of villains, pearls out of filth, and glorious people out of shameful spots [cf. 2 Pet. 2:13]? Note well that Luther made Adrian VI pope! Perhaps he will also make Dr. Smith into a cardinal since the dove is already floating around him. Thus, since all the world cannot put out the fire at Bern: here also Luther, the poor man designated in shame, must bear the brunt of bringing honor to the preaching monks, for they are now holy, have not caused any trouble, and do not have even the tiniest speck in their eyes [cf. Matt. 7:3–5]. Luther is such a shameful, cursed, damned creature that there simply is no one else more an evildoer or scoundrel than is he! Well, let them lie and deceive. People say, "Obvious lies are not worth an answer." I will let it remain there. But whoever wants to have a brief answer to what all the Papists now write, and who also wants to know what they write, should look at the "Papal Ass" which has been painted and interpreted. Then he can see the dragon’s head which comes out of its behind and shows him what kind of writers and preachers the miserable papacy has in these last times.
Original text: Aber der Luther der ists, an dem yderman zu ehren werden kan und alle seligkeit erlangen. Denn kein esels kopff ist so ungelert, wenn er nur widder den Luther schreibt, so ist er gelert. Kein leichtfertiger bube ist yhe so bös odder veracht gewest, wenn er widder den Luther schreibt, so ist er frum und das liebe kind. Niemand ist yhe so hoch zu schanden worden, wenn er widder den Luther schreibt, so ist er eine kron der ehren. Es sind itzt zu Könige, Fürsten, Bischoffs höffe ynn grossem gut und ehre, Welche, so der Luther nicht were, villeicht mit den sewen treber fressen müsten. Ist mir der Luther nicht ein seltzamer man, ich meine, das er Gott sey, wie wolt sonst sein schreiben und name so mechtig sein, das er aus Bettler Herrn, aus Eseln Doctores, aus Buben Heiligen, aus Drecke Perlen, aus schandflecken herliche leute machet? Viel achtens, das Luther hab Adrianum Sextum zum Bapst gemacht, Villeicht wird er Doctor Schmid auch noch zum Cardinal machen, denn die taube schweisst schon umb yhn her. Also hie auch, die weil alle welt das fewr zu Bern nicht leschen kan, mus der Luther, der arme schand deckel, her halten und die prediger Münche zu ehren machen, denn die sind nu heilig und haben noch nie kein wasser betrübt und nicht ein spitzlin vom splitter ynn yhrem auge. Der Luther ist so ein schendlich, verflucht, verdampt ding, das man dafür schlecht keinen buben noch bösewicht mehr erkennen kan. Wolan, las liegen und triegen, Man sagt ym sprichwort: Offenberliche lügen ist keiner antwort werd, da las ichs auch bey bleiben. Wer aber wil kurtz antwort haben auff aller Papisten itziges schreiben und da zu auch wissen, was sie schreiben, der sehe den Bapst Esel an, so gedruckt und ausgelegt ist, so wird yhm der drachen kopff, der aus seym hindern gehet, anzeigen, was für schreiber und prediger das elend Bapstum hat ynn seiner letzten zeit (WA 26:561-562).
Summary of the documentation: this Facebook clip was taken from a longer YouTube video presentation which references an article (originally in Portuguese, translated to English) which references a secondary source book (written in Portuguese) that gives a reference to a sixteenth century collection of Luther's writings in German. This documentation zigzagging is typical of Roman Catholic propaganda. Had meaningful contemporary research been done (for a contemporary YouTube video!), this quote is an easy look-up using either the Weimar edition (WA) or Luther's Works (LW) standards.
Summary of the context: The context is filled with sarcastic rhetoric. Luther's sarcastic point is that his detractors and enemies gain a sort of fame when they take up their pens against him (as if he were God having the ability to make them famous). He states,
No matter how completely ruined someone is, if he writes against Luther, he is crowned with glory. There are people now at the courts of kings, princes, and bishops in great wealth and honor who, if there were no Luther, would perhaps have to devour slop with the pigs! LW (61:113).
Original text: Niemand ist yhe so hoch zu schanden worden, wenn er widder den Luther schreibt, so ist er eine kron der ehren. Es sind itzt zu Könige, Fürsten, Bischoffs höffe ynn grossem gut und ehre, Welche, so der Luther nicht were, villeicht mit den sewen treber fressen müsten (WA 26:561).
Luther then states,
Is not Luther an extraordinary man? I think that he is God, for how else could his writing and name be so powerful that he makes lords out of beggars, doctors out of donkeys, saints out of villains, pearls out of filth, and glorious people out of shameful spots [cf. 2 Pet. 2:13]? (61:113).
Original text: Ist mir der Luther nicht ein seltzamer man, ich meine, das er Gott sey, wie wolt sonst sein chreiben und name so echtig sein, das er aus Bettler Herrn, aus Eseln Doctores, aus Buben Heiligen, aus Drecke Perlen, aus schandflecken herliche leute machet? (WA 26:561).
From a cursory reading, it's hard to believe any rational reader (of any theological persuasion) could read this context and conclude Luther was literally claiming to be divine or claiming to be God, especially those with an intellectual pedigree like Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira or Fr. Leonel Franca. How did they take this literally? My suspicion is neither read the context of the quote. By his own admission, it's most likely Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira never read the quote in context.
Concluding thoughts: Is the end game of denigrating Martin Luther the conversion of Protestants to the Roman Catholic Church? If it is, this video clip would be serving as old school Romanism that views Protestants on their way to hell... unless they swim the Tiber. This view is contrary to current magisterial ecumenical trends (i.e. Protestants are reluctant defacto members of the Roman Catholic Church, separated brethren). This YouTuber though could simply be doing a "Hooray for our side!" presentation to comfort those already staunchly Roman Catholic.
Addendum: Follow Up Comments to the YouTube Video
I did leave a comment under the main video of this clip, so far unanswered:
I recently spent some time looking up one of the quotes presented in this YouTube video:
"Luther reached a frenzy of satanic pride, saying of himself, 'Does this Luther not appear to you to be eccentric? As far as I am concerned, I think he is God. Otherwise, how could his writings or his name have the power to transform beggars into lords, asses into doctors of learning, falsifiers into saints, slime into pearls!'"
This video references an article (originally in Portuguese, translated to English) which references a secondary source book (written in Portuguese) that gives a reference to a sixteenth century collection of Luther's writings in German. This documentation zigzagging is typical of propaganda. Had meaningful contemporary research been done (for a contemporary YouTube video!), this quote is an easy look-up using either the Weimar edition (WA) or Luther's Works (LW) standards. I suspect this YouTuber never bothered to look up the quote in context.
The context is filled with sarcastic rhetoric. Luther's sarcastic point is that his detractors and enemies gain a sort of fame when they take up their pens against him (as if he were God having the ability to make them famous). From a cursory reading, it's hard to believe any rational reader (of any theological persuasion) could read this context and conclude Luther was literally claiming to be divine or claiming to be God, especially those with an intellectual pedigree like Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. How did he take this literally? My suspicion is Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira never read the quote in context (by his own admission, he took the quote from a secondary source, Fr. Leonel Franca).
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