be
righteous and holy from pure grace and mercy, shed upon us
[unfolded] and spread over us in Christ. Therefore we cannot
boast of many merits and works, if they are viewed apart from
grace and mercy, but as it is written, 1 Cor. 1, 31: He that
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord, namely, that he has a
gracious God. For thus all is well. We say, besides, that if
good works do not follow, faith is false and not true.

XIV. Of Monastic Vows.

As monastic vows directly conflict with the first chief
article, they must be absolutely abolished. For it is of them
that Christ says, Matt. 24, 5. 23 ff.: I am Christ, etc. For
he who makes a vow to live as a monk believes that he will
enter upon a mode of life holier than ordinary Christians
lead, and wishes to earn heaven by his own works not only for
himself, but also for others; this is to deny Christ. And they
boast from their St. Thomas that a monastic vow is equal to
Baptism. This is blasphemy [against God].

XV. Of Human Traditions.

The declaration of the Papists that human traditions serve for
the remission of sins, or merit salvation, is [altogether]
unchristian and condemned, as Christ says Matt. 15, 9: In vain
they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men. Again, Titus 1, 14: That turn from the truth. Again, when
they declare that it is a mortal sin if one breaks these
ordinances [does not keep these statutes], this, too, is not
right.

These are the articles on which I must stand, and, God
willing, shall stand even to my death; and I do not know how
to change or to yield anything in them. If any one wishes to
yield anything, let him do it at the peril of his conscience.

Lastly, there still remains the Pope's bag of impostures
concerning foolish and childish articles, as, the dedication
of churches, the baptism of bells, the baptism of the
altarstone, and the inviting of sponsors to these rites, who
would make donations towards them. Such baptizing is a
reproach and mockery of Holy Baptism, hence should not be
tolerated. Furthermore, concerning the consecration of
wax-tapers, palm-branches, cakes, oats, [herbs,] spices, etc.,
which indeed, cannot be called consecrations, but are sheer
mockery and fraud. And such deceptions there are without
number, which we commend for adoration to their god and to
themselves, until they weary of it. We will [ought to] have
nothing to do with them.

Dr. Martin Luther subscribed.

Dr.