



Produced by Elizabeth T. Knuth and David Widger





CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

by Martin Luther




LETTER OF MARTIN LUTHER TO POPE LEO X.

Among those monstrous evils of this age with which I have now for three
years been waging war, I am sometimes compelled to look to you and to
call you to mind, most blessed father Leo. In truth, since you alone are
everywhere considered as being the cause of my engaging in war, I cannot
at any time fail to remember you; and although I have been compelled
by the causeless raging of your impious flatterers against me to appeal
from your seat to a future council--fearless of the futile decrees
of your predecessors Pius and Julius, who in their foolish tyranny
prohibited such an action--yet I have never been so alienated in feeling
from your Blessedness as not to have sought with all my might, in
diligent prayer and crying to God, all the best gifts for you and for
your see. But those who have hitherto endeavoured to terrify me with the
majesty of your name and authority, I have begun quite to despise and
triumph over. One thing I see remaining which I cannot despise, and this
has been the reason of my writing anew to your Blessedness: namely, that
I find that blame is cast on me, and that it is imputed to me as a great
offence, that in my rashness I am judged to have spared not even your
person.

Now, to confess the truth openly, I am conscious that, whenever I have
had to mention your person, I have said nothing of you but what was
honourable and good. If I had done otherwise, I could by no means have
approved my own conduct, but