About Münzer's trouble at Allstädt, and how Luther warned the castle owner there as well as, after Münzer's escape from this place, the council of Mühlhausen and the princes of Saxony about him.
760 Luther's report to Spalatin that he had admonished the Allstädt castle for keeping the spirit of the prophet Thomas away from him when he was with him, and asked him to urge Thomas to discuss his teachings with the Wittenbergers. Aug. 3, 1523.
See Vol. XV, Appendix, No. 125.
761: Some questions sent to Thomas Muenzer in 1524, about which he should give the reason and cause for his faith.
Latin in Kapp's Nachlese nützlicher ReformationUrkunden, Th. 2, p. 630. - These questions may perhaps refer to the interrogation of Münzer in Weimar on Aug. 1, 1524.
Germanized.
1. what the true Christian faith is.
2. how faith comes into being.
3. from where it can be obtained.
4. how to obtain it.
5. how we are to be taught the faith usefully and salutary.
How to be sure of our faith.
7. how everyone can prove his faith
and must.
8. which are the true believers in Christ.
9. under which temptations the faith comes into being, is maintained and grows.
10) How faith abides and overcomes in the midst of temptation.
11. what faith makes blessed and how the
happen.
762: Luther's warning to the council and congregation of the city of Mulhouse about Muenzer, who sneaked in there without being called.
Dat. Weimar, August 21, 1524.
The original, whose variants are given in the Erlanger Briefwechsel, IV, 377, is in the city archives of Mulhouse, but has not yet been used to correct this letter. First printed under the title: "Ein Sendbrieff an die ersamen vnd weysen Herrn Burgermeyster, Rhatt vnd gantze Gemeyn der stadt Mülhausen. M. Luther. M.D.ZMiij." 2 leaves in 4. Further printed in 1533 by Hans Lufft in Wittenberg, together with Luther's letter to those at Frankfurt am Main. A reprint of the latter was published by Friedr. Peypus in Nuremberg. In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, p. 10; in the Jena (1585) vol. II, p. 440; in the Altenburg, vol. II, p. 789; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, p. 235; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 536 and in the Erlangen, vol. 53, p. 253. For the chronology, see the last note to this text.
To the honorable and wise mayor, council and whole community of the city of Mulhouse, my dear gentlemen and good friends.
Grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Savior. Honorable, wise, dear Sirs! Good friends have asked me, after it has sounded out, how one, called Magister Thomas Münzer, is willing to go to you in your city/) to advise you faithfully in this matter and to warn you of his teaching, which he praises highly from Christ's spirit; which I, as Christian faithfulness and duty admonish me, have not wanted to refrain from doing for you; I would also have been quite willing and inclined, because I am here outside 2) in the country, to personally ask you myself. But my business, in printing at Wittenberg, does not leave me further time or space.
2 Therefore, please be very careful of this false spirit and prophet, who comes in sheep's clothing and is inwardly a ravening wolf [Matth. 7:15]. For he has now proven in many places, especially in Zwickau and now in Allstädt, what kind of tree he is, because he bears no other fruit than to cause murder and riots and bloodshed, for which he has come to
I) Münzer had escaped from Allstädt at night shortly after August 3 and had already taken up residence in Mulhouse when Luther wrote this letter. This warning therefore came too late.
2) In the old print: heraußen.
Allstädt preached, wrote and sang publicly. The Holy Spirit does not do much boasting, but does great things before he boasts. But this spirit has now boasted and raised itself up for three years, and has not yet done a single thing, nor has it shown any fruit, except that it would like to murder, as you may have good news about it, both from Zwickau and Allstädt. Also, he only sends countrymen, whom God did not send (for they cannot prove it), nor are called by men, but come 3) from themselves, and do not go in at the door; therefore they also do as Christ says of them, John 10:8: "All that came before me are thieves and murderers." Above this, no one can make them come to the light and answer, except their own kind: whoever listens to them and follows them is called the chosen son of God; whoever does not listen to them must be ungodly, and they want to kill him. How great a thing their doctrine is, there is much to say, but it will soon come to light.
(3) But if my words will not move you, do so, and delay the matter until you know for certain what manner of children they are. For it is begun, it will not remain long in darkness. I am faithful to you, God knows that, and I will gladly avoid your journey and harm, if God wills it; I hope you will bear me good witness. For I can boast in Christ that I have never harmed anyone with my teaching and counsel, nor have I ever wanted to, as this spirit intends, but have been comforting and helpful to everyone, so that you have no just cause to despise this counsel of mine.
4 But if you despise these things and accept the prophet, and if you suffer misfortune as a result, I am innocent of your harm, because I have warned you in a Christian and friendly way. Let an honorable councilor take him before him, even before the whole congregation (it can happen), and ask him who sent him here or called him to preach? The honorable council did not do it.
3) In the old print: to boast.
4 Erl. 53,255-257, Sect. 1, Von Münzers Unruhen. No. 762f. W. XVI, 8 f. 5
(5) If then he says that God and His Spirit sent him like the apostles, let him prove it with signs and wonders, or forbid him to preach; for where God wants to change the ordinary way, He always performs miraculous signs. I have never preached nor wanted to preach where I have not been asked and called by men; for I cannot boast that God has sent me from heaven without means, as they do, and run themselves, when no one sends them nor calls them 1) (as Jeremiah writes (Cap. 23,21.)); therefore they also do no good.
May God grant you His grace to faithfully recognize and carry out His divine will, Amen. At Weimar, on Sunday (after) Assumptionis Mariae (August 21),?) ^.nno 1524.
763 V. Mart. Luther's letter of July 1524 to the princes of Saxony concerning the spirit of sedition, in which he admonishes them to prevent it according to the power granted to them by God, otherwise they would not be excusable before God and the world.
This writing was published by Lucas Cranach in Wittenberg under the title: "Eyn briesf an die Fürsten zu Sachsen von dem auffrurischen gehst. Martin Luther. Wittemberg. 1524." In addition, several more individual editions; the Erlangen correspondence lists a total of five. In the collections: in the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, p. 6; in the Jena (1585), vol. II, p. 441; in the Eisleben, vol. II, p. 223; in the Altenburg, vol. II, p. 790; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, p. 236; in the Erlanger, vol. 53, p. 255; and in De Wette, vol. II, p. 538. Vincentius Obsopöus translated this letter into Latin and included it in his larra^o spistolarum. Reprinted from it in the Wittenberg (1558), tom.VII, toi. 506 and in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 223. - Obsopöus and both the Latin and German Wittenberg editions do not give a date; all other editions have the wrong date: August 21, 1524. As early as August 3, Münzer, in a letter to Churfürst Friedrich (Förstemann, Neues Urkundenbuch,
1) In the old print: "loads".
2) The letter is written from Weimar, because Luther was on the journey there, prompted by the letter of the council and the congregation in Orlamünde of August 16, 1524 (St. Louis Edition, Vol. XV, No. 683). In the editions this letter has the wrong date: "on Sunday Assumptionis Dlarias, Vnno 1524", because in 1524 Assumptionis, August 15, was a Monday. This error has already been recognized several times - so by Grotefend, Chronologie, p. 39 and by Lingke, Reisegesch. It is to be read: post Assumptionis 2c.
p. 248 a) of our writing as a mention already made against him, therefore it will have to be placed in July. Seidemann-De Wette, Vol.VI, p.580, datirt: "Last half of July."
To the most illustrious, highborn princes and lords, Herr Friederich, Elector of the Roman Empire, and Johann, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Margrave of Meissen, my most gracious lords.
Grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Savior! The holy Word of God is always fortunate, when it comes to pass, that Satan opposes it with all his power: first, with his fist and with outrageous violence; where this does not help, he attacks it with a false tongue, with false spirits and teachers, so that, where he cannot suppress it by force, he may suppress it with elevation and lies. So he did in the beginning; when the gospel first came into the world, he attacked it mightily through the Jews and the Gentiles, shedding much blood and making Christendom full of martyrs. Since this did not help, he raised up false prophets and false spirits, and made the world full of heretics and sects, except for the pope, who even brought it to the ground with vain sects and heresy, as befits the last and most powerful Antichrist.
(2) So it must be done now, that it may be seen how the righteous word of God is, because it is done as it has always been done. The pope, emperor, kings and princes attack it with their fists and want to suppress it by force; they condemn, blaspheme and persecute it unheard and unrecognized, as the nonsensical. But the verdict and our defiance have long since been pronounced, Ps. 2:1, 2, 4, 5: "Why do the nations rage, and the peoples write so uselessly? The kings of the earth rebel, and the princes contend with one another against the Lord and his anointed. But he that dwelleth in heaven mocketh them, and the LORD laugheth at them: then shall he speak unto them in wrath, and they shall be afraid in fury." This is certainly how it will be with our raging princes. And they will have it so, for they will neither see nor hear. God has blinded them and hardened them, so that they will run and fail. They have been warned enough.
Satan sees all this and realizes that such raging will not penetrate; yes, he senses and feels that (as God's word is) the more one presses it, the further it runs and increases; therefore he now also starts it with false spirits and sects. And we must consider this, and not be deceived; for it must be, as Paul says to the Corinthians [1 Cor. 11:19]: "There must be sects, that they which are approved may be made manifest."
4 So, after the exorcised Satan has now wandered for a year or three through arid places, seeking rest and not finding it [Luc. 11:24], he has settled in E. F. G. Fürstenthum and made a nest in Allstädt and thinks to fight under our peace, shield and protection. F. G. principality, and made a nest at Allstädt, and thinks to fight against us under our peace, shield and protection. For Duke Georgen's principality, although it lies nearby, is all too kind and gentle to such an intrepid, unconquerable spirit (as they boast) that they may not show such bold courage and defiance there; therefore he also cries out horribly and complains that he must suffer much, yet so far no one has touched them with fist, mouth, or pen, and they themselves dream of a great cross that they are suffering. Satan must lie so frivolously and without cause, for he cannot hide himself.
Now this is a special joy to me, that our people do not approach such a being, and they themselves want to be praised that they are not of our part, that they have neither learned nor received anything from us; but they come from heaven, and hear God Himself speaking with them as with the angels; and it is a bad thing that one teaches the faith and love and cross of Christ at Wittenberg. God's voice (they say) you must hear yourself, and God's work in you suffer and feel how heavy your pound is; it is nothing with the Scriptures; yes Bible, Bubel, Babel 2c.
If we spoke such words of them, their cross and suffering (I think) would be more precious than Christ's suffering, and would also praise it higher and more. So gladly would the poor spirit have the suffering and cross of him praised, and yet may not suffer one to doubt or consider a little their heavenly voice and God's work.
but want to have believed it by force, without hesitation; that I have neither read nor heard of a haughty, proud holy spirit (if it were). But now there is neither time nor space to judge their doctrine, which I have twice before well recognized and judged, and where it will be necessary, still well can and will judge by God's grace.
I have given this letter to E. F. G. solely for the reason that I have heard, and also understood from her writing, as if the same spirit did not want to leave the matter in the word, but intended to enter into it with his fist, and wanted to set himself against the authorities by force, and therefore immediately cause a physical uproar. Here Satan lets the mischief kick in; that is given too much in the day. What would the spirit do if it gained the followers of the mob? I heard it earlier from the same spirit here in Wittenberg that he thinks this thing should be done with the sword. Then I thought that they wanted to overthrow worldly authorities and be lords in the world themselves, when Christ denies this before Pilate and says [John 18:36]: His kingdom is not of this world; and also teaches the disciples [Luc. 22:25, 26]: they should not be like worldly princes.
8 Although I now assure myself that E. F. G. will know how to behave in this matter better than I can advise, I am nevertheless obligated to do my part and to humbly ask and exhort E. F. G. to have a serious understanding in this matter and, out of duty, to use proper force to ward off such mischief and to put an end to the riot. F. G. to have a serious understanding in this matter, and out of guilt and duty to use proper force to ward off such mischief and to put an end to the uproar. For the authorities are well aware that their authority and temporal rule is given and commanded by God for the purpose of keeping the peace and punishing the unruly, as St. Paul teaches in Romans 13:4. Therefore, the authorities are not to sleep or delay here, for God will demand it and want an answer for such negligent use and seriousness of the commanded sword. Thus it would not be excusable before the people and the world that the F.F.G. should tolerate and suffer rebellious and free fists.
(9) But whether they would pretend (as they do with splendid words) that they are driven by the spirit, that one must bring it to work, and grasp it with the fist: I answer thus: First of all, it must certainly be a bad spirit, which cannot prove its fruit in any other way than by breaking churches and monasteries and burning saints. Which the very worst boys on earth could do, especially where they are safe and without resistance. But I would think more of it if the spirit of Allstädt led to Dresden, or Berlin, or Ingolstadt, and stormed and broke monasteries there and burned saints.
(10) Secondly, that they praise the spirit does not apply, for here we have St. John's saying [1 Ep. 4:1]: one should test the spirits first, whether they are of God. Now this spirit has not yet been tested, but proceeds with impetuosity, and rumbles according to its will. If it were good, it would let itself be tested first and judged humbly, as Christ's spirit does.
This would be a fine fruit of the spirit, by which he could be tested, if he did not crouch at angles and shun the light, but had to stand publicly before the enemies and adversaries, confess and answer. But the spirit of Allstädt avoids such things like the devil avoids the cross, and in the meantime he utters the most fearless words in his nest, as if he were full of three holy spirits, so that even such clumsy fame may finely indicate who the spirit is. For so he claims in his writing that he wants to stand and answer publicly before a harmless congregation, but not in the corner before two or three, and to have offered body and soul in the most free way 2c.
12 Dear, tell me, who is the courageous and defiant Holy Spirit, who tightens himself so tightly, and will not but stand before a safe congregation? Item, he will not answer in the corner before two or three? What kind of spirit is this that is afraid of two or three and cannot stand a dangerous congregation? I will tell you: He is afraid of the roast; he was once or twice beaten out of his nose in front of me in Wittenberg in my monastery, therefore he is afraid of the soup, and he does not want to
For there are those who are his, who say yes to his excellent words. If I (who am so completely without spirit, and hears no heavenly voice) would have let myself hear such words against my papists, how they should shout won, and shut me up!
(13) I cannot boast or defy with such high words; I am a poor, miserable man, and did not begin my cause so well, but with great trembling and fear (as St. Paul also confesses about himself 1 Cor. 2, 3./) who would also have known how to boast about heavenly voices). How humbly I first attacked the pope, how I pleaded, how I sought, as my first writings show. Nevertheless, I have done in such a poor spirit that which this world-eating spirit has not yet attempted, but has so far shunned and fled in a chivalrous and manly manner, and also honestly boasts of such shunning, as a chivalrous and high-minded deed.
For I stood in Leipzig [1519] to debate before the most dangerous congregation. I appeared at Augsburg [1518] without escort before my highest enemies. At Worms [1521] I stood before the emperor and the entire empire, although I knew beforehand that my escort had been broken and that wild, strange treachery and cunning were directed at me.
(15) Though I was weak and poor, yet my heart stood at the time thus: If I had known that so many devils had aimed at me as there were tiles on the roofs of Worms, I would still have ridden in, and had not yet heard anything of heavenly voice and God's pounds and works, nor of the universal spirit. Item, I had to stand in angles one, two, three, who, where and how one wanted. My stupid and poor spirit must stand free as a field flower, and no time, person, place, way or measure must be right; must be ready and willing to answer everyone, as St. Peter teaches [1 Ep. 3, 15].
16. and this spirit, which is as high above us as the sun above the earth, which hardly regards us as little worms, agrees vainly with itself.
1) In the editions: "1 Cor. 3, (6.)".
He is a harmless, friendly and safe 1) healer and listener, and does not want to answer two or three in but places. He feels something that he does not like to feel, and means to frighten us with pompous words. Well, we are not able to do anything, because Christ gives us; if he wants to leave us, then a rustling leaf will scare us, but if he wants to keep us, then the spirit of his high fame should well become aware of it.
17 And I hereby request E. F. G., if it is necessary, I will state how it happened between me and this spirit in my room, so that E. F. G. and all the world will feel and grasp that this spirit is certainly a lying devil, and yet a bad devil. I have had one against me, and still have one every day. For the spirits that throb and rumble so proudly do not do it, but creep secretly and do harm before they are heard.
18 I have therefore had to tell them that the F. F. G. should not shy away from this spirit, nor fail to do so, and that they should keep their fists inside, and leave their monastery and church-breaking and saint-burning in place, but, if they want to prove their spirit, they should do it as it is due, and let themselves be tried first, whether before us or before the papists. For they (praise God) consider us to be worse enemies than the papists. Although they use and enjoy our victory, they take wives and obey papal laws, which they did not win, and their blood did not stand in danger for it, but I had to obtain it with my life and limb, so far ventured. I must boast, just as St. Paul had to, 2 Cor. 11:16, even though it is foolishness, and I would rather leave it alone if I could before the lying spirits.
19th But if they say, as they do, that their spirit is too high, and ours too low, and that their thing may not be known by us, I answer, St. Peter also knew well that his spirit, and that of all Christians, was higher than
1) In the first printing and in the Wittenberg: "uncertain". Obsopöus: tavsutes.
of the Gentiles and the Jews; nor does he command [1 Ep. 3, 16]: We are to answer everyone meekly and be ready.
20. Christ also knew that his spirit was higher than that of the Jews, nor did he let himself down, and justified himself, saying [Joh. 8, 46.]: "Who accuses me of sin among you?" and before Annas [Joh. 18, 24.]: "If I have spoken evil, bear witness to it" 2c. I also know and am certain by the grace of God that I am more learned in the Scriptures than all the Sophists and Papists; but from arrogance God has yet graciously protected me, and will also protect me, that I should refuse to answer and let myself be heard before the very least Jew or Gentile, or whoever it might be.
(21) Also why do they themselves let their thing go forth in writing, if they will not stand before two or three, nor in a dangerous congregation? Or do they think that their writing comes before a harmless congregation, and not before two or three in particular? Yes, it amazes me how they forget their spirit and want to teach people orally and in writing, when they boast that everyone must hear God's voice for himself, and mock us for speaking God's word orally and in writing, as if it were of no value or use, and have a much higher, more exalted office than the apostles and prophets and Christ Himself, all of whom have spoken God's word orally or in writing, and have never said anything about the heavenly, divine voice that we need to hear. Thus, this spirit of the heavens pretends that he himself does not see what he is saying.
22 But I know that we who have and know the gospel, though we be poor sinners, have the right spirit, or as St. Paul says Rom. 8:23, primitias spiritus, the firstfruits of the spirit, though we have not the fullness of the spirit. There is no other than the same Spirit, who distributes his gifts miraculously. We know what faith and love and the cross are, and there is no higher thing on earth to know than faith and love. From this we can also know and judge which doctrine is right or wrong, according to faith or not. As we also know this spirit of lies
12 Erl. ö3, 263-265, Sect. 1: Von Münzers Unruhen. No. 763, W. XVI, 17-20. 13.
and judge that this is what he has in mind: he wants to abolish the Scriptures and the oral word of God, and abolish the sacraments of baptism and altar, and lead us into the spirit, where we are to tempt God with our own works and free will and wait for his work, and set God time, place and measure, if he wants to work with us.
(23) For their writing shows such an abominable presumption, that they write against the gospel of St. Marci, even with expressed words, namely: Contra Marcum ultimo cap, as if St. Marcus had written wrongly about baptism. And since they are not allowed to slap St. John in the mouth as St. Marcum did: "Who is not otherwise born of the Spirit and water", Joh. 3, 5. 2c., they interpret the word "water" does not know where, and badly reject the bodily baptism in water.
(24) But I would gladly know, because the Spirit is not without fruit, and their Spirit is so much higher than ours, whether it also bears higher fruit than ours; indeed, it must bear other and better fruit than ours, because it is better and higher. So we teach and confess that our spirit, which we preach and teach, brings forth the fruits of which St. Paul tells Gal. 5, 22. 23. as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and moderation; and as he tells Rom. 8, 13, that he put to death the works of the flesh, and crucified with Christ the old Adam with his lusts, Gal. 5. And summa, the fruit of our spirit is the fulfillment of the ten commandments of God.
25 Therefore, the universal spirit, which does not want our spirit to be anything, must certainly bear something higher than love and faith, peace, patience, 2c., since St. Paul describes love as the highest fruit, 1 Cor. 13, 13, and must do much better than God has commanded. I would like to know what that would be, since we know that the Spirit, acquired through Christ, is only given to us to fulfill God's commandment, as Paul says Rom. 8, 3. 4.
026 But if they will say, We live not as we teach, neither have we such a spirit.
1) In the old editions: "Traw" - faithfulness and faith.
I would well suffer them to say such things, for in doing so one can tangibly feel that there is not a good spirit speaking from them. We confess this ourselves, and it is not necessary to get this through heavenly voice and higher spirit, that we unfortunately do not do everything we should do. Indeed, St. Paul, Gal. 5:17, says that all things never come to pass, because the spirit and the flesh are with and against one another on earth.
So I do not yet feel any special fruit of the all-city spirit, without it wanting to strike with its fist and break wood and stones. Love, peace, patience, kindness and gentleness have so far been spared to prove, so that the fruits of the spirit do not become too mean. By the grace of God, however, I can show many fruits of the spirit among our people, and I would like to contrast my person alone, which is the least and most sinful, with all the fruits of the whole spirit of the city, if it is to be praised, no matter how highly it reproaches my life.
(28) But to reprove any man's doctrine for the infirmity of his life is not the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit rebukes false doctrine and tolerates the weak in faith and life, as Romans 14:1 and 15:1 teaches St. Paul and in all places. It does not bother me that the universal spirit is so unfruitful, but that it teaches and wants to establish other doctrines. I would also have little to do with the papists, if they only taught correctly, their evil life would not do great harm. Because this spirit wants to go out and take offense at our sick life, and so insolently judges the doctrine for the sake of life, he has sufficiently proved who he is; for the Spirit of Christ judges no one who teaches rightly, and endures and bears, and helps those who do not yet live rightly, and does not so despise poor sinners as this Pharisaic spirit does.
Well, this affects the teaching, which will probably be found in time. Now let this be the summa, most gracious lords, that E. F. G. should not resist the office of the word. Let them only preach confidently and freshly, what they can and against whom they will: for, as I have said, there must be sects [1 Cor. 11:19], and the word of God must be in the field.
Therefore also the evangelists are called hosts, Ps. 68, 12, and Christ a host king in the prophets. If their spirit is right, it will not be afraid of us and will remain well. If ours is right, neither will he fear them, nor anyone. Let the spirits burst upon each other and meet. But if some are deceived, let it be according to the course of the war: where there is strife and battle, some must fall and be wounded; but he that fighteth honestly shall be crowned.
(30) But where they would do more than fight with the word, and break and smite with the fist, let the F.G. take hold, whether it be we or they, and straightway forbid the land, saying, We will gladly suffer and see that ye fight with the word, that the right doctrine may be established; but hold your fist still, for that is our office, or lift you up unto the land. For we who guide the word of God are not to fight with our fists. It is a spiritual warfare that wins hearts and souls from the devil, and it is also written by Daniel [Cap.8, 25.] that the Antichrist shall be destroyed without hand. So also Isaiah Cap. 11,4. says that Christ will fight in his kingdom with the spirit of his mouth and with the rod of his lips. Preaching and suffering is our ministry, but not beating with fists and fighting back. So Christ and his apostles did not break churches or smash images, but won hearts with the Word of God, after which churches and images themselves fell.
We should do the same. First, tear the hearts away from the monasteries and spirits. If the churches and monasteries are desolate, let the lords of the land do with them what they will. What is wood and stone to us, if we have the hearts away? Behold, as I do; I have never touched a stone, nor broken nor burned anything in monasteries: nor by my word are the monasteries now made vacant in many places, even among the princes who are opposed to the Gospel. If I had attacked with the storm, as these prophets did, the hearts would have remained captive in all the world, and I would have broken down stone and wood in some place; who would have been the one to be saved?
that would have been useful? One may seek glory and honor with it, but one certainly does not seek the salvation of souls with it. Some think that I have done more harm to the pope without any fist than a powerful king would do. But because these prophets would like to do something special and better, and yet they cannot, they leave the souls to be saved, and attack wood and stone; this is supposed to be the new miraculous work of the high spirit.
32) If they want to argue that in the law of Moses the Jews were commanded to break all idols and to destroy the altars of the idols [1) Deut. 7, 5. 12,2. 3.], answer: they themselves know that God has done many works from the beginning through one word and faith, through many saints. And the Epistle to the Hebrews, Cap. 6, 12, also interprets this and says: "We should follow the faith of such saints, for we cannot follow the work of all saints. Now that the Jews broke altars and idols, they had at that time a sure commandment from God for the same work, which we do not have at this time. For when Abraham sacrificed his son, he certainly had God's commandment to do so; and yet afterwards all did wrong who sacrificed their children according to the work. It does not apply to imitate 2) in the works, otherwise we would also have to let ourselves be circumcised and do all Jewish works.
(33) Yes, if it were right for us Christians to break churches and storm like the Jews, then it would follow that we would have to physically kill all unbelievers, just as the Jews were commanded to kill the Canaanites and Amorites [Deut. 7:1], as hard as they break images. With this the Spirit of God would gain nothing more to do than to shed blood; and "those who did not hear his heavenly voice" would all have to be strangled by him, so that the offenses would not remain among the people of God, which are much greater in the living unbelievers than in the images of wood and stone.
34. for this purpose such a commandment was given to the Jews.
1) In De Wette, in the Erlanger, and in Walch, here is still inappropriate: "!Mos^l1,2."
2) In the first edition and the Jena: "nachomen"; Wittenberg: "nachkamen", so also De Wette and the Erlanger.
as the people who were proven by God's miracles, who were certainly God's people, and yet did so with proper authority and sovereignty, and did not separate themselves into a group. But this spirit has not yet proven that it is God's people, with some miracle; in addition, it is dividing itself as if it were God's people alone, and feeds on it, without proper authority from God, and without God's commandment, and wants to have its spirit believed.
35. To remove sorrow must be done through the word of God. For even if all outward vexations were broken and removed, it is of no help if the hearts are not brought from unbelief to the right faith. For an unbelieving heart always finds new trouble, just as it happened among the Jews that they set up ten idols when they had broken one before. Therefore, in the New Testament, the right way must be used to drive out the devil and the evil, namely, the word of God, and with it the hearts of the faithful.
If he turns away from the devil, the devil himself and all his splendor and power 1) will fall.
36 I will leave it at that this time, and I have humbly asked E. F. G. to be serious about such storming and raving. F. G. that they do with seriousness to such storms and swarms, so that only the word of God is dealt with in these matters, as befits Christians, and the cause of sedition, to which He Omnes is otherwise more than too much inclined, is prevented. For it is not Christians who are willing to fight over the word, even with fists, and who are not rather willing to suffer everything, if they are fully and completely famous, like ten holy spirits. May God's mercy strengthen and protect E. F. G. forever, amen.
E. F. G. subservient
Mart. Luther.
1) In the first edition: "and all of his"; in the other editions: "and all of his"; in Obsopoeus una eurri tota xomxa ste.