Surprising Martin Luther Quotations

Alan: I have not sourced the following quotations. I do know that the last of them originated with St. Augustine, was repeated by Thomas Aquinas and appeared in the official documents of the Second Vatican Councel. Perhaps Luther repeated it as well. It has become a commonplace in a number of legal traditions.

“Whenever the devil harasses you, seek the company of men or drink more, or joke and talk nonsense, or do some other merry thing. Sometimes we must drink more, sport, recreate ourselves, and even sin a little to spite the devil, so that we leave him no place for troubling our consciences with trifles. We are conquered if we try too conscientiously not to sin at all. So when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.”  ― Martin Luther 
(Alan: This notion of "giving the devil his due" is, I think, foundational to good religion. The quest to be unrealistically perfect lies at the heart of Bad Religion.)

"You have as much laughter as you have faith.” ― Martin Luther

“The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.” ― Martin Luther

“Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail” 
(Alan: C.S. Lewis shared Luther's sentiment that animals would occupy paradise.)

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” ― Martin Luther
(Alan: Of my Dad's oft-quoted phrases, perhaps the most common was "The pen is mightier than the sword." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pen_is_mightier_than_the_sword)

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” ― Martin Luther

“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” ― Martin Luther
(Alan: This line by Luther recalls the old chestnut: "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter."  http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/)

Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.”  ― Martin Luther

Spare the rod and spoil the child – that is true. But, beside the rod, keep an apple to give him when he has done well.” Martin Luther