d man becomes
better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free
from penalty.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need,
and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases
not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than
they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for
their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a
matter of free will, and not of commandment.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting
pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for
him more than the money they bring.

49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are
useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether
harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.[14]

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the
exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St.
Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built
up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish,
as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those
from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though
the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

53. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even
though the commissary,[15] nay, even though the pope himself,
were to stake his soul upon it.

53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word
of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that
pardons may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an
equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.[16]

55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which
are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single
processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very
greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a
hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The "treasures of the Church," [17] out of which the pope
grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the
people of Christ.

57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident,
for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily,
but only gather them.