HIDDEN LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER

(LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH, AND

DRUNKENNESS)

In 1521,some remnant of Luther's Catholic formation inspired these words he addressed to Spalatino, another
member of his Augustinian Order:

"GOOD GOD! DO THE PEOPLE OF WITTENBERG WANT TO SEE EVEN FRIARS MARRY? BUT THEY WILL
NOT SUCCEED IN IMPOSING A WOMAN ON ME. ... TAKE CARE AND DO NOT MARRY SO YOU WILL NOT
FALL PREY TO THE TRIBULATIONS OF THE FLESH." (1)

As the years passed, however, his new doctrines shattered that good intention. In 1525 the news broke that
Luther, age 44. had married Catherine Bora, an apostate nun from the Cistereian Order. What happened? The
reformer suddenly decided to marry to stop the evil gossip. (2)

There was good reason, however, for that gossip.

In 1525, in a letter to Ruhel, councilman of Mansfield, the heresiarch affirmed: "DESPITE THE DEVIL, IF I
CAN, I WILL MARRY MY CATHERINE BEFORE I DIE." (3) That marriage made a bad impression on his
contemporaries and followers. Luther perceived this, affirming: "BECAUSE OF MY MARRIAGE I BECAME SO
DESPICABLE THAT THE ANGELS HAD TO LAUGH AND THE DEVILS TO CRY. ONLY IN ME DOES THE
WORLD DERIDE THIS WORK OF GOD AS IMPIOUS AND DIABOLICAL." (4)
Actually, the scandalous life of Luther started long before his marriage, as we can deduce from this letter in
1522 to his friend Spalatino: "FURTHER, WHAT YOU WRITE ME ABOUT WHY I SHOULD MARRY
NEITHER SURPRISES NOR CONVINCES ME, SINCE I AM [AS YOU SAY] ALREADY A FAMOUS LOVER." ...

Since you ask me for an example, here you this powerful one:

"ALTHOUGH I HAVE THREE WIVES AT THE SAME TIME. I HAVE LOVED THEM SO STRONGLY THAT I
WOULD GIVE UP TWO SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE TAKEN BY OTHER HUSBANDS. ... YOU SEE HOW THE
ONE YOU CALLED A LOVER WOULD MAKE A TERRIBLE HUSBAND." (5)

In a letter to Camerarius, Melanchthon confided:

"LUTHER WAS AN EXTREMELY FRIVOLOUS MAN. THE NUNS WHOM HE RELEASED FROM THE
CONVENTS WOULD CLEVERLY SET TRAPS TO SEDUCE HIM. HIS FREQUENT DEALINGS WITH THEM
WOULD MAKE EVEN A STRONGER AND MORE NOBLE-MINDED MAN EFFEMINATE AND ROUSE THE
PASSIONS." (6)

He left Worms and went to Warburg where the Elector Prince offered him asylum. Far from repenting, the
unfortunate friar surrendered himself to idleness and sin. On July 13, 1521, he wrote to Melanchthon:

"HERE AM I, RECKLESS AND HARDENED IN INACTIVITY, OH SORROW! I STOPPED PRAYING AND

CARING FOR THE CHURCH OF GOD, BECAUSE MY FLESH BURNS INDOMITABLY WITH AN
OVERPOWERING FIRE, IN SHORT, MY SPIRIT SHOULD BURN, BUT INSTEAD MY FLESH BURNS WITH
LIBIDO, LAZINESS, INACTIVITY AND INDOLENCE." (7)

DRUNKENNESS AND GLUTTONY OF

LUTHER

Rarely a licentious life is not accompanied by excesses of his table. In Luther the fever of carnal concupiscence
was stimulated by drunkenness and intemperance at the table. He would enter and win any drinking
competition. He wrote to Catherine in 1540.

"I AM EATING LIKE A BOHEMIAN AND DRINKING LIKE A GERMAN, GOD BE PRAISED!" (8)

On July 25, 1534, he wrote to her:

"YESTERDAY I DRANK TOO MUCH, AND THEN WAS OBLIGED TO SING. I DRANK TOO MUCH AND I
REGRET IT. I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE IMBIBED LESS WHEN I THINK IN THE GOOD WINE AND BEER
I HAVE AT HOME, AS WELL AS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN... YOU WOULD DO WELL TO SEND ME AS
OFTEN AS POSSIBLE SOME OF MY WINE AND YOUR BEER." (9)

From Warburg he wrote on May 14, 1544:

"HERE I SPEND MY WHOLE DAY IN SLOTH AND DRUNKENNESS." (10) When he arrived at Erfurt
(October 19, 1522), the reformer did nothing but "drink and shout, as customary." wrote Melanchthon, who was
present there as witness, (11) these excesses harmed his health. On January 15, 1531 he wrote to Link: "THE
HEADACHE I GOT IN COBURG CAUSED BY AN OLD WINE HAS NOT BEEN CURED YET BY THE BEER OF
WITTENBERG." (12)
A friend, Jerome Weller, asked his advised on how to deal with temptations of the Devil. On November 6, 1530,
Luther answered him:

"WHEN THE DEVIL TORMENTS YOU WITH THESE THOUGHTS, SEEK THE COMPANY OF FRIEND AT
ONCE, OR DRINK MORE LIBERALLY, JEST AND PLAY SOME PRANK OR FIND SOMETHING TO AMUSE
YOU. AT TIMES WE NEED TO DRINK MORE LIBERALLY, AMUSE AND DIVERT OURSELVES - OR EVEN
COMMIT SOME SINS AS AN EXPRESSION OF HATRED AND CONTEMPT OF THE DEVIL, SO AS TO
LEAVE HIM NO ROOM FOR RAISING SCRUPLES IN OUR CONSCIENCE ABOUT TRIFLING MATTERS." ...

"ACCORDINGLY, IF THE DEVIL SAYS TO YOU, DO NOT DRINK! YOU MUST REPLY, JUST BECAUSE YOU
FORBID IT, I WILL DRINK MORE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. IN THIS MANNER YOU MUST
ALWAYS DO THE CONTRARY OF WHAT THE DEVIL FORBIDS. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT I DRINK MY
WINE UNMIXED, PRATTLE ON WITH UNCONCERN, AND EAT MORE ABUNDANTLY EXCEPT TO SCORN
AND SPITE THE DEVIL, WHO WANTS TO SCORN AND SPITE ME?... WE MUST WIPE THE WHOLE
DECALOUGE FROM OUR EYES AND HEARTS, WE WHO ARE ASSAILED AND TORMENTED BY THE
DEVIL." (13)

He carried out these counsels so well that the meetings of the new reformer to decide about the highest
questions of doctrine and morals would take place amid liberal drinking and eating.

The morning after Luther died he was found on the floor with his stomach swollen from "excessive food and
drink. The previous night the reformer had risen from a table piled high with foreign wines and exotic food."
(14)

ROMANS 16:18 FOR THEY THAT ARE SUCH, SERVE NOT CHRIST OUR LORD, BUT THEIR OWN BELLY;
AND BY PLEASING SPEECHES AND GOOD WORDS, SEDUCE THE HEARTS OF THE INNOCENT.
Thus, the apostate who pretended to be a reformer of Christianity ended his life as a glutton and vulgar
libertine. And following the hierarchy of the rebellious angels, so also Luther despite what his friends pretend
occupies the lowest place, closes to the mire and filth. (15)