it wishes.  But if it do what it wishes, the Holy Ghost and faith are not there present.  For St. John says (1.  Ep. 3, 9):  ’Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, . . . and he cannot sin.’  And yet that is also the truth which the same St. John says (1.  Ep. 1, 8):  ’If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’” (Part III, Art. 3, Sec.Sec. 42-45; p. 329.) The Lutheran Church has received this statement of Luther into her confessional writings.  This is the Luther of whom a modern Catholic critic says:  “This thought of the all-forgiving nature of faith so dominated his mind that it excluded the notion of contrition, penance, good works, or effort on the part of the believer, and thus his teaching destroyed root and branch the whole idea of human culpability and responsibility for the breaking of the Commandments.”

It is amazing boldness in Catholics to prefer this charge against Luther, when they themselves teach a worse doctrine than they impute to Luther.  The Council of Trent in its Sixth Session, Canon 15, also in its Sixteenth Session, Canon 15, Coster in his Enchiridion, in the chapter on Faith, p. 178, Bellarminus on Justification, chapter 15, declare it to be Catholic teaching that the believer cannot lose his faith by any, even the worst, sin he may commit.  They speak of believing fornicators, believing adulterers, believing thieves, believing misers, believing drunkards, believing slanderers, etc.  The very teaching which Catholics falsely ascribe to Luther is an accepted dogma of their own Church.  Their charge against Luther is, at best, the trick of crying, “Hold thief!” to divert attention from themselves.

But did not Luther in the plainest terms advise his friends Weller and Melanchthon to practise immoralities as a means for overcoming their despondency?  Is he not reported in his Table Talk to have said that looking at a pretty woman or taking a hearty drink would dispel gloomy thoughts? that one should sin to spite the devil?  Yes; and now that these matters are paraded in public, it is best that the public be given a complete account of what Luther wrote to Weller and Melanchthon.  There are three letters extant written to Weller during Luther’s exile at Castle Coburg while the Diet of Augsburg was in progress.  On June 19, 1530, Luther writes:  “Grace and peace in Christ!  I have received two letters from you, my dear Jerome [this was Weller’s first name], both of which truly delighted me; the second, however, was more than delightful because in that you write concerning my son Johnny, stating that you are his teacher, and that he is an active and diligent pupil.  If I could, I would like to show you some favor in return; Christ will recompense you for what I am too little able to do.  Magister Veit has, moreover, informed me that you are at times afflicted with the spirit of despondency.  This affliction is most harmful to young people, as Scripture says: