Martin Luther

Leader of the Protestant Reformation

Early Modern influential 281 sayings

Sayings by Martin Luther

Reason is the Devil's greatest whore; by nature and manner of being she is a noxious whore; she is a prostitute, the Devil's appointed whore; whore eaten by scab and leprosy who should be trodden under foot and destroyed, she and her wisdom... Throw dung in her face to make her ugly. She is and should be drowned in baptism... She would deserve, the wretch, to be banished from the sight of God.

1525 — Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter of Images and Sacrament, 1525
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Reason is the Devil's greatest whore; by nature and manner of being she is a noxious whore; she is a prostitute, the Devil's appointed whore; whore eaten by scab and leprosy who should be trodden under foot and destroyed, she and her wisdom... Throw dung in her face to make her ugly. She is and should be drowned in baptism... She would deserve, the wretch, to be banished from the sight of God.

1525 — Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter of Images and Sacrament, 1525
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen.

1521 — Diet of Worms, April 18, 1521
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.

c. 1530s — Unknown, widely attributed
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.

c. 1530s — Unknown, widely attributed
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

1520 — On the Freedom of a Christian, 1520
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Let us therefore beware of the Jews, and their synagogues, and let us burn their synagogues, and let us destroy their houses, and let us take away their prayer-books and Talmuds, and let us forbid their rabbis to teach anymore, and let us deny them safe-conduct on the highways, and let us take away their money and all their treasures, and let us compel them to work, and let us drive them out of the country.

1543 — On the Jews and Their Lies, 1543
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Let us therefore beware of the Jews, and their synagogues, and let us burn their synagogues, and let us destroy their houses, and let us take away their prayer-books and Talmuds, and let us forbid their rabbis to teach anymore, and let us deny them safe-conduct on the highways, and let us take away their money and all their treasures, and let us compel them to work, and let us drive them out of the country.

1543 — On the Jews and Their Lies, 1543
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

I would rather be ruled by a wise Turk than by a foolish Christian.

c. 1530s-1540s — Table Talk, No. 1563
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I would rather be ruled by a wise Turk than by a foolish Christian.

c. 1530s-1540s — Table Talk, No. 1563
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

c. 1540s — Often attributed, exact source debated
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The ass needs to be beaten, and the populace needs to be ruled by force. God knew this well, and therefore he gave the ruler not a fox's tail, but a sword.

1525 — Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants, 1525
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The ass needs to be beaten, and the populace needs to be ruled by force. God knew this well, and therefore he gave the ruler not a fox's tail, but a sword.

1525 — Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants, 1525
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.

1521 — Letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.

1521 — Letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

I have so much to do today, I'll need to spend another hour on my knees.

c. 1530s-1540s — Attributed, reflecting his prayer life
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have so much to do today, I'll need to spend another hour on my knees.

c. 1530s-1540s — Attributed, reflecting his prayer life
Strange & Unusual Disputed

The papacy is the kingdom of the devil, and the pope is the Antichrist.

1537 — Smalkald Articles, Part Two, Article Four, 1537
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The papacy is the kingdom of the devil, and the pope is the Antichrist.

1537 — Smalkald Articles, Part Two, Article Four, 1537
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

I'd rather be a pig in a sty than a friar in a monastery.

c. 1530s-1540s — Table Talk, No. 3450
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable