Luther and James 2:10

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A Protestant friend of mine the other day brought this verse up asking how Catholics can separate sins as mortal or venial. I responded with 1 John 5:16-17. In addition to this I was reading an old Catholic response to this subject saying that Luther had made this same response to moral and venial sins. I am looking for something that Luther wrote on this matter. If anyone can point me to a text or a book expounding on this that would be great. I would really like to read it.
 
Actually Martin Luther did not differentiate between venial and mortal sins. He considered them all to be part and parcel the same:

Did Martin Luther teach that all sins are equal?
Yes. He taught that everything a human being ever thought or did was a mortal sin. Good works, in his view, are impossible for humans in the sight of God. In this matter as well as in many others, Martin Luther contradicts the Bible (1 John 5:16-17)
 
I guess I wasn’t clear that Luther was the one that asserted James 2:10. I was wondering exactly he asserted. I want to look at what he was addressing. Anyone have a link?
 
What I posted above was directly from a link… but if you “google” Martin Luther Venial Mortal Sins you will get more than 12,900 hits on the subject :eek:
 
Not to drift off topic, but even the OT Jews differentiated between mortal and venial sins. I believe it’s in Numbers chapter 19, but sins that are done on accident are forgivable. Sins that are knowingly done cannot be forgiven in their sacrifices.
 
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