Dialog: Did Martin Luther Regret the Reformation?

The same arguments get regurgitated year after year, decade after decade, century after century. Case in point: I came upon a defender of Roman Catholicism presenting the "Luther regretted the Reformation" argument. He posted a few quotes with poor references and opines, 

"Later in his life he started questioning the results of the Reformation because of the division, confusion, and social chaos that followed. These aren’t opinions, they come from his own writings."

Then, a few quotes were presented to seal the deal. Let's go through them.   

1.“There are now as many beliefs as there are heads...”

This a popular Roman Catholic Martin Luther quote. Rome's defender states,  

"Luther complained that once Church authority was rejected, endless different doctrines appeared. In Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525) he wrote that “there are now as many beliefs as there are heads,” explaining that some rejected baptism, others denied the sacraments, and some even taught that Christ was not God. His point was that without a unified authority, everyone became their own interpreter and unity in Christianity collapsed. You can find this in Luther’s Works, Volume 40."

This is a quote that's been covered in-depth. “There are now as many beliefs as there are heads" is not a quote from "Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525)" or "Luther’s Works, Volume 40." It's from Sendschreiben an die Christen zu Antwerpen, [The Letter of Doctor Martin to the Christians of Antwerp] (April, [25?] 1525).  WA 18:547. This quote is describing Martin Luther's contempt over radical leaders misusing the Scriptures and misleading the people of Antwerp. He describes this as the devastating effect of the Devil, who, Luther says, was at peace in his papal fortress, but now with the Gospel being loudly proclaimed, must find a different way to keep men enslaved to sin and darkness. Luther writes, 

Saint Paul says: "There must be factions, so that those who are genuine may be revealed." When the Pope reigned, it was quiet of factions, for the strong one held his court in peace. But now that the stronger one has come and overcomes him and drives him out, as the Gospel says, he rages and rumbles so, and departs unwillingly (WA 18:548).

Original text: Sanct Paulus spricht: 'Es müssen rotten seyn, auff das offinbar werden, die so bewerd sind.' Da der Bapst regirte, war es stille von rotten, Denn der starcke hatte seynen hoff mit friden ynnen. Nu aber der stercker komen ist, und uberwindet yhn, und treybt yhn aus, wie das Euangelion sagt, so tobet und rumpelt er so, und feret ungerne aus  (WA 18:548).

 

2. “The people are now more unmerciful, more immodest, and in every way worse than they were under the papacy.” 

This is another popular Roman Catholic Martin Luther quote. Rome's defender states,

"He also said society became morally worse after the Reformation. In a sermon recorded in the Weimar Edition of Luther’s Works (Volume 51), he said, “The people are now more unmerciful, more immodest, and in every way worse than they were under the papacy.” He was basically admitting that the reform did not produce the moral renewal he expected."

Rome's defender directs a curious inquirier to "the Weimar Edition of Luther’s Works (Volume 51)" without a page number or treatise name. This volume is over seven hundred pages long! From cursory searches of the original German text, this quote does not appear to be in WA 51. Rather, this quote is from Luther's Hauspostille, WA 52:13. In context, the world grows worse because of the Gospel being preached. Those who accept the Gospel are transformed by the Gospel. Luther consistently held that the Gospel would find great opposition and would be attacked from all sides. The Gospel would be used by the world as a license to sin and all sorts of evil because of the devil. The Gospel would make those of the world worse while changing the lives of those who accept it. 

3. “If I had known what I know now, I would have kept silent."

Rome's defender states, 

"There is also a statement recorded in Luther’s Table Talk (No. 5517) where he says, “If I had known what I know now, I would have kept silent.” Historians debate the exact context, but it clearly shows regret about the results that followed."

The references given is "Luther’s Table Talk (No. 5517)." Here is WA Tr 5:209 (No. 5517).

5517. (Math. L. 584 (217)) De oratione Doctoris. Ich hab noch alle tag an mir zu treiben, das ich könne beten, vnd laß mir genugen, das ich kunne, wann ich mich lege, die 10 praecepta beten¹⁵, das Vater vnser  vnd dar nach ein spruch oder zwen; in illorum meditatione schlaff ich also  ein.

Table Talk #5517 nowhere says, “If I had known what I know now, I would have kept silent.” I know of no instance in which Luther wished he would've been silent! I strongly suspect this is a fake quote, perhaps generated by A.I.

Conclusion

Many of the earlier pre-1930 Roman Catholic controversialists put forth the conclusion that the Reformation was a failure: it didn't produce any real fruit, and Martin Luther's own words and the state of Protestantism at the time prove it. They say Protestantism isn't a movement of the church. It is the result of heresy, and heresy never leads anyone to true holiness. Statements are typically brought forth from late in Luther's career, indicting him of regret for starting the Reformation.

It's one thing to argue Luther suffered from depression or had a despondency over the state of things, it's quite another to use his words to prove he had a sense of failure and guilt over the preaching of the Gospel, or that he was in agony over the Gospel going forth into the world and the trouble he admitted and expected it would cause. 

Martin Luther wasn't postmillennial. While he was discouraged the world seemed to be getting worse, his eschatological expectation can be traced back even to the early days of his Reformation work. For Luther, it was the end of the world. Things were going to get worse. The Gospel was going to be fought against by the Devil with all his might. The true church was a tiny flock in a battle against the world, the flesh, and the Devil. He hoped the people would improve with the preaching of the Gospel, he often admitted he knew things were going to get worse because of the Gospel.