Lutheranism versus Catholicism

The Difference between the true Religion of Christ and the false, idolatrous Teaching of the Antichrist:  a woodcut by Lucas Cranach, the younger, around 1545. The German title:  Unterscheid zwischen der waren Religion Christi und falschen Abgöttischen lehr des Antichrists in den fürnemsten stücken.

On the left Martin Luther in a pulpit preaches from the open Bible with the Holy Spirit above him in the form of a dove illuminating him with biblical truth.  The caption on the pulpit in German reads: “All the prophets point to this one [Christ]; there is none other name under heaven,” referring to Acts 3:24 and Acts 4:12.  Luther makes the three-fingered sign of the Trinity as he points his hearers to the risen Easter Lamb of God, and to the crucified Christ who, with his crown of thorns, is in heaven making intercession for us with his Father in the upper left corner, who holds the rule of the world in his hand.  The upper caption between the Father and Christ reads: “As the Father is holy, so I am holy and offer myself for them with my wounds, etc.”  (See Hebrews 10:10).  The lower caption between the Father and Christ reads: “So we sinners have an advocate with the Father” (1st John 2:1).  “Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).  The banner which extends from the Father down to Luther contains three separate phrases, which say: “There is only one mediator” (1st Timothy 2:5), “I am the way, no man, etc.” (John 14:6), and “Behold the Lamb of God, etc.” (John 1:29).  Beneath Luther a woman with a handkerchief weeps out of contrition, while another listens to the sermon with her baby.  The sacrament of communion under both kinds is prominently displayed by the artist, with infant baptism in the background.  The crucified Christ hangs over the altar, as cherubs fly in the heavens.  The caption beneath Christ’s cross and above the heads of the communicants waiting in line reads: “Drink of it, all of you, Matthew 26” [verse 27], referring to the fact that the Lutherans do not withhold the cup from the laity. Displayed above Christ’s cross is the familiar Latin acronym “I. N. R. I., which stands for “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  Elector John Frederick of Saxony carries his cross below Luther’s pulpit.  On the right side of this woodcut is depicted, by way of contrast, the false religion, a perverted Christianity. At the top right, the Almighty sends down fire and brimstone from heaven upon all of the Roman Catholic abominations going on below in his name as Saint Francis of Assisi with stigmata in his hands at the top center appeals to him in vain.  For instance, at the right center, a Roman Catholic cleric baptizes a bell with oil contained on a fluffy brush; to the left of this a dying church member has a monk’s cowl put on him to help his soul in eternity, while at his feet another man gives him extreme unction by sprinkling him with oil via another fluffy brush, holding a banner which reads in German: “hilft Kap plat Wasser.” To the left of that, pilgrims parade around a church behind a monk who is carrying a banner on which is a picture of the Virgin Mary.  At the left center and bottom Catholic clerics and monks of various orders listen to a monk preach from a pulpit hellish lies which a devil puts into his head with a bellows.  The caption above these two gives a sample of what is preached: “Behold, you have so many Roman Catholic ways for salvation by which you easily could become saved.”  To the right of this, a devil dressed in clerical robes is between four priests at their altar. Below this the monk Tetzel points to the sacks of coins on a table gained from the sale of indulgences, which are the printed sheets displayed on the table with their seals hanging over the table’s edge; under which is a chest for holding the money exchanged for them.  To the left of this chest is a sack of additional money with the slogan on it: “Shame and vice are wrung from your alms.”  At the table sits the pope with his three-tiered tiara, holding up a paper on which is Tetzel’s slogan in German: “As soon as the money clinks in the chest, a soul flies up to heavenly rest.”